Hurricane Sandy and Washington, D.C.: Detailed storm timeline, maps, and frequent questions

The National Weather Service has increased its peak wind gust estimate to 70 mph for the region and upped rainfall totals to 5-10”. See: A fiercer forecast for Hurricane Sandy’s effects on Washington, D.C. Today, forecasts have converged on one scenario for Hurricane Sandy’s impact on Washington, D.C., and it’s severe. In short, between Sunday night and Tuesday, we can expect 4-7” of rain and a long period of sustained winds above 35 mph with peak gusts over 60 mph. This will inevitably result in flooding and power outages.
Consider this post your detailed guide to this storm. It contains a storm timeline, local wind and rain maps, and answers to frequently asked questions.
STORM TIMELINE
Important note: Heaviest rain and strongest winds will tend to be east of I-95 when ranges are given. Coldest temperatures will be north and west of I-95.
Sunday afternoon: a chance of showers, mainly east of I-95. Breezy (winds 15-25 mph from the north, gusts to 30 mph) with temps 55-60.
6 p.m. Sunday to midnight: Rain showers becoming likely, steadiest east of I-95. Winds 20-30 mph (from the north), gusts to 35 mph. Temps 50-55.
12 a.m. Monday to 6:00 am.: Rain showers likely, heavy east of I-95. Winds 25-35 mph (from the north), gusts to 40 mph. Temps 48-53.

CWG forecast: Peak sustained winds and gusts 6 a.m. Monday to noon: Rain showers likely, becoming heavy, especially east of I-95. Winds 30-40 mph (from the north), gusts to 45 mph. Temps 49-53.
Noon Monday to 6 p.m.: Heavy rain. Winds 35-45 mph (from the north), gusts to 50-60 mph. Temps 47-51.
6 p.m. Monday to midnight: Heavy rain. Winds 35-50 mph (from the north), gusts 50-70 mph. Turning cold, temps 42-47.
Midnight Tuesday to 6 a.m.: Heavy rain. Winds 30-40 mph (from the northwest), gusts 40-60 mph. Cold, temps 37-42. (Outside chance snowflakes western Loudoun and Frederick counties)

CWG forecast: Rainfall totals 6 a.m. Tuesday to noon: Rain. Winds 25-35 mph (from the southwest), gusts 35-50 mph. Temps 39-44.
Noon Tuesday to 6 p.m.: Showery. Winds 25-35 mph (from the southwest), gusts 35-45 mph. Temps 43-47.
6 p.m. Tuesday to midnight: Showers diminishing. Winds 20-30 mph (from the southwest), gusts 30-40 mph.
FREQUENT QUESTIONS
How will Sandy compare with the D.C. derecho? Sandy is a slow-moving, large-scale storm capable of strong winds and heavy rain over an extended period. Whereas the derecho devastated locations across the D.C. area in a matter of minutes. Impact-wise, we’d recommend preparing for the same impacts as the derecho - downed trees and the potential for multiple days without power.
On the positive side, utilities and local governments and the public will have had several days warning this time versus several hours (if that) for the derecho. So, there’s a chance the impacts may not be quite as bad or last quite as long. But you should prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
If the derecho was a 10 on a 1-to-10 impact scale here in the D.C. area, we think Sandy will be about an 8. That’s just an estimate though.
Is the storm overhyped? Could it still miss us like some snowstorms do? Models have come into solid agreement on Sandy's general track and strength. So our confidence in the forecast is relatively high compared to some of the trickier snowstorms we’ve seen in the past. Small changes in track could give us less rain and weaker winds than we’re expecting. But at this point it seems unlikely we’ll avoid moderate to major impacts. One wildcard, though, is that the power grid was largely rebuilt after the June derecho, so maybe it fares a little better this time or at least recovers more quickly.
How should I prepare for the storm? See our earlier post with tips on how to prepare for Sandy.
When will we see the worst of the storm? When will it begin and end? There may be some showers Sunday and Sunday night (especially east of I-95) and likely increasing winds, but the strongest winds and heaviest rain should occur Monday into or through the day Tuesday. Wind and rain should ease Tuesday night.
How strong will the winds be and what is the risk of power outages? A High Wind Warning has been issued for Sunday night through Tuesday. Right now we think peak winds late Monday into early Tuesday will be around 35-50 mph with gusts to 55-70 mph (areas east of I-95 are likely to see the higher end of these ranges, while winds west of I-95 may not be quite as strong). Power outages are likely and many could be without power for multiple days.
How much rain will we get? What about flooding? A Flood Watch is in effect. Total rainfall looks to be in the 4-7” range, but locally higher totals are possible especially east and northeast of town, and locally lower totals are possible especially southwest of the city. Flooding of low-lying areas and rivers/streams/creeks is likely.
Who will get the worst of Sandy? Areas along the coast close to and just north of where Sandy makes landfall will get the worst, especially in terms of storm surge. As of now that looks to be from central New Jersey north to Rhode Island, including Philadelphia and New York City.
How will this compare to Hurricane Isabel in 2003? How bad will coastal flooding be on the Bay and Tidal Potomac? The winds may be similar in strength. But Sandy’s likely track just to our northeast is such that we shouldn’t see a storm surge up the Potomac like we did with Isabel, which passed to our southwest. Surge and winds are always worst just to the north and east of where the storm tracks. Isabel raised water levels up to 9 feet along the Potomac.
When winds take on a more southerly component late Monday night, Sandy may raise water levels 1 to 3 feet on the west side of the Chesapeake Bay and on the tidal Potomac (coastal flood warnings are in effect for these areas Monday night to Wednesday warning).

Simulation of blocking flow in atmosphere (Penn State) Why isn’t Sandy going out to sea? To put it simply, there’s a traffic jam in the atmosphere. A “blocking” area of high pressure west of Greenland and a big ocean storm to its east are working to prevent a cold front coming from the west from pushing Sandy out to sea.
Isn’t the storm not supposed to be a hurricane once it gets here? Technically, yes. The storm is losing its tropical characteristics as it moves north into cooler air. But, it’s expected to strengthen again as an unusual pattern featuring multiple jet streaks (rivers of fast-moving winds high up in the atmosphere) pumps the storm with a new shot of energy.
What will schools and governments (federal and local) do on Monday? (from 3:00 p.m.) Seems likely there will be a lot of closings. Many school systems have already decided to close.

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Scary snaps: How to shoot frighteningly good photos this Halloween

If you want to capture some truly eerie images this Halloween then you must master the dark arts of light and shadow.

(CNN) -- Taking photographs means drawing with light, even at times like Halloween when it's all about the dark. Spooky shadows and glowing pumpkins can be a challenge, but most smartphones and compact cameras will let you capture Halloween night a treat, if you develop a few simple tricks.

Master the dark side

There's nothing like bright flash for lighting the eerie out of an atmosphere, so switch it off. Or try holding a small piece of cellophane over the flash -- red is great for adding ghoulish ambience.

One of the photographer's favorite Halloween friends is the humble torch -- don't leave home without one. It will offer you all kinds of creative and practical solutions, including simply lighting up your subject so you can focus in the dark.

Freelance photographer Teri Pengilley

The ISO setting is also crucial for low light -- increasing the ISO will increase your camera's sensitivity to light. However, the higher the ISO, the greater the "noise" -- flecks in solid-colored areas of the image. Some cameras and smartphones can handle high ISOs better than others, so test your first.

Celebrating Halloween this weekend? Send us your scariest shots

Steady your claws

Low light also means longer exposures, which brings in camera shake. Wherever possible put your camera on a tripod, or rest it on a steady surface like a wall. Try to use a shutter release cable, or if not make sure you squeeze the shutter button as gently as possible whilst supporting the camera from underneath, keeping as still as possible.

Dance with the devil

A tripod, self-timer and long exposure will give you a whole gallery of tricks and treats. Play with walking through a long-exposure frame to capture a ghostly outline, or get your friends to stand as still as possible under a light whilst you run around them drawing ghastly creations with a bright torch. The long exposure will capture your torch drawings and your frozen friends, but, as long as you keep moving, you won't be visible (it helps to wear dark clothes).

Focus on your prey

Fast lenses are another must -- set your aperture as wide as it will open to let in as much light as possible on each exposure. Wide apertures give shallow depth of field -- meaning that only the part of the image you focus on will be sharp. Bring your camera in as close as it will focus on a diabolic Halloween detail, such as a painted eyeball, and fill the frame for a dramatic shot.

Know your ghosts from your goblins? Take the Halloween quiz

Summon a ghoulish glow

Try putting your camera inside your pumpkin, using the jagged eyes and teeth to peer through
Teri Pengilley, photographer

Anyone familiar with "The Blair Witch Project" knows about the deeply unsettling power of holding a light under the face. It's time for that trusty torch again. Our eyes are accustomed to overhead light, like the sun, and any light source from underneath is an instant spine-shiverer.

Concoct creepy compositions

Once you've got to grips with spooky lighting, it's time to think about composition. Halloween is filled with demonic delights to frame your image, or add that extra creepy texture. Try putting your camera inside your pumpkin, using the jagged eyes and teeth to peer through (set it on self-timer first) or place the black net of a costume spider's web in front of the lens, with a well-positioned spider to one corner of the frame. Make sure you throw some light onto your framing devices as well as your subjects.

Read: Move over, kids. Halloween is for grownups

Practice makes (paranormal) perfection

Finally don't forget that preparation is key. Practice night-time shots with your smartphone or camera and have it all set up before the big night - you really don't want to be fumbling with the dials through the confines of your Freddy Krueger gloves

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Explanation: How Brain Training Can Make You Significantly Smarter

As many people hit middle age, they often start to notice that their memory and mental clarity are not what they used to be.  We suddenly can't remember where we put the keys just a moment ago, or an old acquaintance's name, or the name of an old band we used to love.  As the brain fades, we euphemistically refer to these occurrences as "senior moments."
While seemingly innocent, this loss of mental focus can potentially have a detrimental impact on our professional, social, and personal well-being.
It happens to most of us, but is it inevitable? 
Neuroscientists are increasingly showing that there's actually a lot that can be done.  It turns that the brain needs exercise in much the same way our muscles do, and the right mental workouts can significantly improve our basic cognitive functions.  Thinking is essentially a process of making neural connections in the brain.  To a certain extent, our ability to excel in making the neural connections that drive intelligence is inherited.  However, because these connections are made through effort and practice, scientists believe that intelligence can expand and fluctuate according to mental effort.
Now, a new San Francisco Web-based company has taken it a step further and developed the first "brain training program" designed to actually help people improve and regain their mental sharpness.  Called Lumosity, it was designed by some of the leading experts in neuroscience and cognitive psychology from Stanford University.
Lumosity, is far more than an online place to exercise your mental skills.  That's because they have integrated these exercises into a Web-based program that allows you to systematically improve your memory and attention skills.  The program keeps track of your progress and provides detailed feedback on your performance and improvement.  Most importantly, it constantly modifies and enhances the games you play to build on the strengths you are developing--much like an effective exercise routine requires you to increase resistance and vary your muscle use.
Does it work?
Apparently it does. In randomized, controlled clinical trials, Lumosity was shown to significantly improve basic cognitive functions. One study showed students improved their scores on math tests by 34 percent after using Lumosity for six weeks, significantly greater gains than those made by other students in the same class, who were not training with the Lumosity program.
The company says its users have reported clearer and quicker thinking, improved memory for names, numbers, directions, increased alertness and awareness, elevated mood, and better concentration at work or while driving.
While many of the games at Lumosity are free, a modest subscription fee is required to use the full program over the long term.
However, Lumosity is currently offering a free trial of their program to new users so that you can see how well it works before you decide to subscribe.  The trial is completely free (no credit card required) and the company believes the results will speak for themselves.

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Earthquake strikes off Canada coast

A tsunami warning was issued after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the coast of western Canada today.

There were no immediate reports of damage.

The US Geological Survey in Colorado said the quake hit the Queen Charlotte Islands and was centred 96 miles south of Masset, British Columbia.

The National Weather Service issued a tsunami warning for coastal areas of British Columbia and southern Alaska. It said the warning area included Craig and Sitka, Alaska.

The USGS said the quake shook the area and was followed by a 5.8 magnitude aftershock several minutes later.

The US Coast Guard in Alaska said it was trying to warn everyone with a boat on the water to prepare for a potential tsunami.

Lt Bernard Auth of the Juneau Command Centre said the coastguard was also working with local authorities to alert people in coastal towns to take precautions.

The earthquake occurred 25 miles south of Sandspit, British Columbia on the Haida Gwaii archipelago, formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands.

Port Clements Golden Spruce hotel operator Urs Thomas said there was no warning before everything began moving inside and outside the hotel. He said it last about three minutes.

“It was a pretty good shock,” Mr Thomas, 59, said. “I looked at my boat outside. It was rocking. Everything was moving. My truck was moving.”

After the initial jolt, Mr Thomas began to check the hotel.

“The fixtures and everything were still swinging,” he said. “I had some picture frames coming down.”
Natural Resources Canada said a major earthquake was felt across much of north and central British Columbia but that there were no immediate reports of damage.

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Swedish princess to wed American 'soulmate'

Princess Madeleine pictured on July 14, 2012 in Borgholm, Sweden.

(CNN) -- Sweden's royals will soon be welcoming an American into the family, after the royal court announced Thursday the engagement of Princess Madeleine and Christopher O'Neill, a wealthy New York financier.

The brown-haired, blue-eyed princess described O'Neill as her "soulmate" and said he had opened her heart -- perhaps reflecting her heartbreak after a previous engagement was called off in 2010 amid reports of infidelity by her then fiance.

Princess Madeleine Therese Amelie Josephine, to give her full name, is the youngest child of Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia and fourth in line to the Scandanavian nation's throne.

The couple, who live in New York, met through mutual friends, Madeleine said, in an interview released by the royal court along with the engagement announcement.

Sweden's new princess is born

Madeleine, 30, said they had been great friends at first before romance blossomed, sharing the same humor and having "a lot of fun together."

Read more: When UK's William and Kate got married

"I appreciate Chris for his warmth and his humor. He has a very big heart and he manages to make everyone in his presence feel good. Christopher is a very thoughtful and generous person," she said.

Love struck quicker for O'Neill, who said that "from the very outset, I immediately felt something special with Madeleine."

Princess Madeleine said the proposal, earlier this month, had been "very romantic and intimate" but that they wanted to keep the details to themselves.

O'Neill, who has dual British-American citizenship, confirmed he had taken the traditional route and asked her father, the king, for her hand in marriage.

The king gave his consent and "requested the approval by the Swedish Government, in accordance with the procedures set out in the Swedish Constitution," the court announcement said.

Queen Silvia is quoted by Swedish daily newspaper Aftonbladet as saying: "The princess is very happy and so are we. He is a real dream-son-in-law."

The wedding will take place in summer 2013 but a date has not yet been announced.

O'Neill may have been reassured by the fact he's not the first commoner to marry into Sweden's royal family in recent years.

Madeleine's elder sister, Crown Princess Victoria, wed her former personal trainer in June 2010. Gym owner Daniel Westling was given the title Prince Daniel, Duke of Vaestergoetland, on their marriage. The couple had a daughter in February who became second in line to the throne of Sweden, as the first grandchild of the king and queen.

O'Neill, 38, says he is still working on learning Swedish but has been given a warm welcome by the royal family.

Brides no longer wedded to white

"I felt part of the family right from the very beginning. Madeleine's family is very warm and we have a very good time when we all see each other," he said.

Born in London, where his late father Paul O'Neill was posted from his native New York, Christopher was educated at a Swiss boarding school before gaining an MBA from Columbia Business School in New York, according to an official biography provided by the Swedish court.

A 16-year career within the field of finance followed. He is currently a partner and head of research at Noster Capital, which has offices in New York and London -- as well as being a keen sportsman and Chelsea Football Club fan.

His mother, Eva Maria O'Neill, is quoted by the court as saying: "As the mother of Christopher O'Neill I am delighted at the happy news. I look forward to welcoming Princess Madeleine, who I am very fond of, into our family. I wish them both all possible happiness."

The couple will remain in New York for the time being but have not ruled out a move to Sweden in future.

Madeleine reportedly moved to New York in 2010 to get over her split from ex-fiance Jonas Bergstrom, which came just two months before her sister's wedding.

The broken tryst followed reports that Bergstrom was "intimate" with a Norwegian college student and handball star while they were engaged.

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Man hurt on nightclub noose prop

A man was left in a critical condition after accidentally hanging himself on a noose that had been set up as a Halloween prop at a nightclub.

The 25-year-old was taken to hospital from Pink Punters in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire just after 11pm yesterday, Thames Valley Police said.

His condition has since improved at Milton Keynes Hospital and he is now talking to staff. Officers said they will work with the local council to investigate the safety of the event.

The owner of the club, which attracts gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender people, said it was a “freak accident” involving a low-hung prop that had been safely used for several years.

Superintendent Barry Halliday said: “I appreciate that this incident may have caused some concern in the community. However, I would stress that it appears to be a tragic accident and is not any type of hate-related crime.

“Fortunately, the man’s condition has improved considerably in recent hours. Police will work with the local council and other partner agencies to investigate the safety of the event.”

Club owner Frank McMahon said: “There was an accident involving a Halloween prop which had been in use for several years at the club. It is a safe system.

“It’s just a rope with a large noose which doesn’t go tight around the neck. People use it so they can have photographs taken. We’ve never had a previous incident with it.

“It’s one of several props that we use, and is low down to the ground. We do have an excellent safety system in place and we believe it to be a freak accident.”

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NY mayor orders evacuations ahead of storm's arrival

28/10/2012 - 16:32:39
New York City is closing schools and ordering some residents in low-lying areas to leave ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Sandy.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that the 1.1 million-student New York City school system will be closed tomorrow. The closing follows the suspension of the city’s transit system.

He also ordered the evacuation of part of lower Manhattan and the Rockaways, a low-lying area of Queens.

Rainfall is expected to start late today or early tomorrow in New York.

Airlines have cancelled more than 3,000 flights as a result of Hurricane Sandy, with hubs along the East Coast bearing the brunt of the disruptions.

Meanwhile, Aer Lingus has cancelled six flights between Ireland and New York tomorrow because of Hurricane Sandy.

Flights EI104, 105, 108 and 109 between Dublin and New York have been pulled.

Meanwhile flights EI110 and 111 between Shannon and New York have also been cancelled.

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Mass transit grinding to a halt as Sandy nears the East Coast

People stand on the beach watching the heavy surf caused by the approaching Hurricane Sandy, on Sunday, October 28, in Cape May, New Jersey. Hurricane Sandy is expected to hit the New Jersey coastline sometime on Monday, bringing heavy winds and floodwaters.

New York (CNN) -- Monday is going to be ugly.

Three major public transportation systems in three big cities -- New York, Washington and Philadelphia -- will be closed as Hurricane Sandy threatens the East Coast.

Close to 11 million commuters will be without service.

In the city that never sleeps, New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority was under orders from Gov. Andrew Cuomo to begin the suspension of subway service at 7 p.m. Sunday. Bus service was scheduled to stop at 9 p.m.

"The storm is coming ... and now it is time to take action," Cuomo told reporters. "A situation like this, you don't want to be overly panicked and overly prepared, but you want to be prudent and you want to do what is necessary."

Bloomberg announces evacuation

D.C. area prepares for Sandy's arrival

Jersey Shore braces for hurricane

It's rare for New York's massive transit network, the largest in North America with some 8.5 million riders a day, to grind to a halt.

But Cuomo said the move was a necessary step because it isn't safe to operate trains in high winds, and equipment could also become damaged.

It's unclear how long the system will be down.

"Service will be restored only when it is safe to do so, after careful inspections of all equipment and tracks. Even with minimal damage, this is expected to be a lengthy process," the MTA said on its website.

Second only to the New York system in terms of size, the Metro system in Washington is also scheduled to shut down because of the approaching storm. Roughly 1.5 million people take the Metro each day.

Bus service will be suspended at the end of the day Sunday, while rail service will be closed Monday.

Similarly, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority will not run. SEPTA, as it is known in Philadelphia, serves some 770,000 riders a day.

The storm is expected to cause massive flooding and widespread power outages when it hits the East Coast, in full, late Sunday and into the week. But before that happens, transportation companies and government officials are allowing -- and, in some cases, urging -- people to plan for the worst.

Various airlines have canceled flights. Delta, for example, canceled all flights out of New York and Philadelphia, starting at 7 p.m. Sunday, while flights from Washington to Boston will stop Monday morning. United Airlines canceled approximately 3,700 flights between Sunday and Wednesday.

Both companies are allowing some customers to change their flight plans without paying any fees due to Sandy.

Delta will let those ticketed to fly between Sunday and Wednesday, in and out of airports in 15 states and the District of Columbia, to reschedule by November 4. United's offer applies to travel to and from 29 airports, for the same dates.

East Coast braces for 'superstorm'

Other airlines, such as American, are offering a similar process, with slight variations. And at least in U.S. Airways' case, the weather is already keeping airlines busy: The airline apologized to customers on its Twitter feed for long waits to get through to agents because of a high call volume tied to Sandy.

All Monday flight operations at the Philadelphia International Airport have been canceled, an airport spokeswoman said.

Amtrak announced Sunday that it canceled its Northeast Corridor services north of New York, starting Sunday night, and almost all services on the eastern seaboard Monday.

Bus lines connected to those trains were also canceled.

Meanwhile, New Jersey is taking steps to shut down NJ Transit bus, rail and Access Link service on Monday -- much as it did last year for 36 hours because of Hurricane Irene.

"By beginning this important process, NJ Transit will be better able to support the state's response to Hurricane Sandy by freeing up buses or other resources that may be needed for hurricane relief," Department of Transportation Commissioner James Simpson said in a press release.

For all the potential headaches at airports, train stations and bus terminals, the type of transportation affected first and most directly by Sandy may be boating. All along the East Coast, meteorologists and officials have warned people to steer clear of the seas because of potentially perilous high winds and large waves tied to the storm.

Pam and Bob Haigh, a Rhode Island couple, were surprised -- given how late it is in the hurricane season -- that Sandy has delayed their plans to sail from Maryland to the Florida Keys.

But they know that this isn't the first time that Mother Nature has affected travel plans, nor will it be the last.

"We've got a surprise, so we'll just ride it out," Pam Haigh said. "There's not much else we can do."

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Shatter goes on attack after Sindo statement

The Minister for Justice has issued a second statement urging the Sunday Independent to apologise for an article claiming that the Taoiseach asked him to intervene in a family law court case.

Minister Alan Shatter also says the paper should issue a correction without delay to what he says is the "wholly inaccurate claim" made in the article.

He has also released a letter he sent to the Taoiseach in June, in which he writes that it would be "entirely improper for a member of government to intervene in any way with Land Registry Records".

However, the Taoiseach is now coming under pressure to explain why he sought the Minister's advice on the matter.

Shatter’s Response to Sunday Independent Statement in full:

The Sunday Independent today published an article stating as fact that the Taoiseach asked me to “meddle” and to "intervene" in a court case related to the marriage breakdown of one of his constituents.

That was, and remains a wholly inaccurate claim, not supported by fact or by any correspondence between the Taoiseach and myself.

I note that the Sunday Independent statement of this evening does not reassert that false claim and I deem this to be significant. It does, however, allege that the Taoiseach “made representations” to me in this matter.

This is also inaccurate. As stated on his behalf on Friday last in respect of correspondence received by him, his office forwards queries in such correspondence for the attention of the Department responsible.

As detailed in my statement earlier today, in this instance he merely requested that I “examine the points raised” in a constituents letter and furnish him with advice thereon.

In the interests of accuracy and fairness the Sunday Independent should issue an apology and correction without delay.

Finally, in their statement this evening, the Sunday Independent queries whether the substantive response furnished by me to the Taoiseach makes reference to “Court Registry Records” or “Land Registry Records”.

I have already addressed this in my earlier statement but, in the interests of transparency, I am publishing with this statement the actual letter sent by me to the Taoiseach on 7th June last.

Any reference in it which could identify the constituent concerned has been redacted.

It is possible that in response to its FOI request the Sunday Independent was furnished with an uncorrected draft response which mistakenly contained a reference to “Court Registry Records”.

If this occurred, neither it nor any other part of the correspondence provided any basis of any nature whatsoever for the false statement that the Taoiseach requested that I “meddle” and “intervene” in a court case related to the marriage breakdown of one of his constituents.

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Retired Taiwan naval officer arrested on suspicion of spying for China

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry says a retired naval officer has been arrested on suspicion of spying for China.
A statement released by the ministry on Monday says Chinese intelligence made contact with Cmdr. Chang Chih-hsin through unidentified Taiwanese intermediaries.

The ministry denies media reports that Chang had leaked secretive submarine nautical charts or war plans to the Chinese.
The ministry says it was tipped off by informers. Authorities say they had investigated him even before his retirement, which newspaper reports say was in August.
Taiwan and China have spied on each other since the sides split amid civil war in 1949. Their espionage efforts have continued despite a marked decrease in tensions between them during the 4 ½-year administration of Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Coast Guard official: Hurricane Sandy 'could be bad, or it could be devastation'

People stand on the beach watching the heavy surf caused by the approaching Hurricane Sandy, on Sunday, October 28, in Cape May, New Jersey. Hurricane Sandy is expected to hit the New Jersey coastline sometime on Monday, bringing heavy winds and floodwaters.

(CNN) -- Pelting rains, whipping winds, mass evacuations: There is no doubt that Hurricane Sandy, by Sunday, had already made a mammoth impact on the U.S. East Coast.

And it should only get worse.

That's the consensus view, among forecasters and officials, as the Category 1 storm continued to chug northeastward parallel to the shore. Even with its eye still hundreds of miles away, those on the North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland coasts felt its wrath Sunday.

But if, as expected, it turns toward the United States early Monday morning, Sandy will have an even more direct -- and potentially calamitous -- effect on millions. Forecasters warn it will likely collide with a cold front from the West to spawn a "superstorm" that could slog along the Eastern Seaboard for days -- meaning even more wind, flooding, power outages and, with that all, potential danger.

"I'm expecting it to be really bad," Paul DiCristina Jr. told CNN affiliate NY1, after prepping his Coney Island restaurant ahead of Sandy. "We're evacuating, we know that for sure, but I'm just hoping there's a restaurant here Wednesday or Thursday."

He's not alone in his fears. The National Hurricane Center is warning of no less than a "life-threatening storm surge flooding the Mid-Atlantic coast, including Long Island and New York Harbor," all in addition to sustained winds in excess of 70 mph and even stronger gusts -- conditions that will affect millions of people.

A state-by-state breakdown of hurricane preparation efforts, impacts

"Sandy has a tremendous amount of energy," U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Steven Ratti told CNN. "It could be bad, or it could be devastation."

On Sunday alone, power was knocked out in places such as Hampton Roads, Virginia, as rough waves crashed along the coast, said Penelope Penn. Another CNN iReporter, Elizabeth Switzer, reported waves topping 12 feet further south along Carolina Beach outside Wilmington, North Carolina. And by late afternoon, floodwaters washed over roads between Dewey and Bethany beaches in Delaware, said Gov. Jack Markell, adding even more urgency for people to get out before they get trapped.

"We're seeing more flooding than you normally do, and particularly since the storm's not here," Markell said around 5 p.m.

Sandy took a toll well before its U.S. arrival, causing at least 67 deaths -- including 51 in Haiti -- as it rumbled through the Caribbean.

As of 11 p.m. Sunday, Sandy still hadn't veered toward the United States, though the National Hurricane Center said that should happen "during the next several hours." Centered 470 miles south-southeast of New York, the hurricane should make landfall late Monday in southern New Jersey and the Delmarva Peninsula, which includes Delaware and parts of Maryland and Virginia, according to the CNN Weather Unit.

One thing that makes this storm unique is not so much its 75 mph sustained winds, but the fact such hurricane-force winds extend 175 miles out from its eye. That portends to affect hundreds of miles of territory, on both sides of Sandy's eye, hit hard by destructive winds, with an even bigger swath getting tropical force-level gusts and drenching rains.

Jersey Shore braces for hurricane

'Superstorm' Sandy unpredictable

Newark mayor: Prep now for Sandy

Hurricane Sandy threatens early voting

'Superstorm' meets barnstorm as weather and politics collide

Sandy prompted evacuation orders on North Carolina's Outer Banks, New Jersey's barrier islands, in downtown Ocean City, Maryland, and in flood-prone coastal communities in southern Delaware. Low-lying areas of New York City, including Coney Island and parts of Manhattan, are being cleared out as well.

Jim Brady was among those who heeded the call, leaving his Cape May home about three blocks from the Atlantic and heading 85 miles north to his sister-in-law's house in Toms River. Packing what they can and stashing bigger valuables as high as possible, what happens next is now out of their hands as it may take days before they find out if they've skirted disaster.

"We'll just hunker down and wait for it to pass," Brady said.

Many other communities, big and small, also are bracing for the worst. The process of halting subway service in New York, the city that never sleeps, began Sunday evening. Other mass transit systems are doing the same by suspending their services Monday, including Washington's Metro service and Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority trains and buses in and around Philadelphia.

Across the bay from Brooklyn in Sea Bright, New Jersey, Yvette Cafaro pleaded on the plywood that covered up her burger restaurant, "Be kind to us Sandy." The seaside area largely dodged last year's Hurricane Irene, and Cafaro is hoping for -- but not expecting -- any more reprieves.

Keep a hurricane preparation checklist

"Everything that we've been watching on the news looks like this one will really get us," she said. "We're definitely worried about it ... Hopefully, she'll spare us."

After filling his trunk with sandbags Sunday in Cranston, Rhode Island, resident Steve Pacheco said he has done what he can by clearing Halloween decorations and other items from his yard. Still, for all his preparation, he admits Sandy makes him nervous.

"I don't want to go through this again," Pacheco told CNN affiliate WPRI.

Officials from North Carolina to Maine have been raising alarms, and taking preventive steps like the subway shut-downs, for days.

By Sunday evening, officials already had canceled classes Monday for well over 2 million public school students in districts such as New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Baltimore, while numerous universities as well as federal government offices in Washington and government offices in states like New Jersey were preemptively closed. Sandy has even managed to put the presidential election on the back burner, turning campaign plans upside down.

Then there are the travel nightmares that the storm has already, and will continue, to cause with thousands of flights called off, Amtrak train runs scuttled, and hundreds of roads and highways expected to flood.

A full moon, which always brings out higher than normal tides, should exacerbate storm surge problems on Monday in coastal areas. In addition to one 12 hours earlier, high tide is scheduled for around 8:30 p.m. -- meaning parts of Delaware and New Jersey, for instance, could see significant flooding then even if Sandy has come ashore by then. Irrespective of the tides, the National Weather Service is forecasting potentially harmful storm surges of between 6 to 11 feet in New York Harbor and Long Island Sound.

"This is not a typical storm. It could very well be historic in nature and in scope and in magnitude because of the widespread anticipated power outages, flooding and potential major wind damage," Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett said, speaking of his state but just as well about many others in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

"Essentially, this is a hurricane wrapped in a nor'easter."

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'ETA leader' arrested

Spain’s Interior Ministry says an alleged leader of the Basque separatist group ETA has been arrested in eastern France.

The ministry said Izaskun Lesaka and another suspected member of the violent armed band were arrested in a hotel in Macon. The suspects had been tracked by a special operations tactical unit of the French National Police and were both armed at the time of their arrest.

ETA is considered a terrorist organisation by Spain, the US and the European Union and is blamed for the killings of more than 825 people in a violent campaign of bombings and shootings for an independent Basque state straddling the border with France.

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NY mayor orders evacuations ahead of storm's arrival

28/10/2012 - 16:32:39
New York City is closing schools and ordering some residents in low-lying areas to leave ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Sandy.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that the 1.1 million-student New York City school system will be closed tomorrow. The closing follows the suspension of the city’s transit system.

He also ordered the evacuation of part of lower Manhattan and the Rockaways, a low-lying area of Queens.

Rainfall is expected to start late today or early tomorrow in New York.

Airlines have cancelled more than 3,000 flights as a result of Hurricane Sandy, with hubs along the East Coast bearing the brunt of the disruptions.

Meanwhile, Aer Lingus has cancelled six flights between Ireland and New York tomorrow because of Hurricane Sandy.

Flights EI104, 105, 108 and 109 between Dublin and New York have been pulled.

Meanwhile flights EI110 and 111 between Shannon and New York have also been cancelled.

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Former IMF deputy contradicts Burton's bailout claim

28/10/2012 - 14:34:18
A former deputy director of the IMF has warned that it is unlikely Ireland will be in a fit state to exit its bailout programme next year.

His comments completely contradict suggestions made by the Social Protection Minister Joan Burton, who said yesterday that Ireland is well-placed to exit the bailout programme sooner than expected.

Donal Donovan, now a member of the Fiscal Advisory Council, claimed it is highly unlikely that we will see the back of the Troika in a short period of time.

He says it is much more likely that Ireland will enter a much less invasive programme in 2014 to make the bailout exit smoother.

"Much more likely is some kind of precautionary set up where we go back into the bond markets, as we make the transition from January 1 of the year after next to a solid place with official financing there as a back-up.

"This will probably mean some kind of a programme but probably a less intrusive sort of a programme."

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Dragon ship back on Earth after space station trip

An unmanned space capsule carrying medical samples from the International Space Station splashed down in the Pacific Ocean Sunday, completing the first official private interstellar shipment under a billion-dollar contract with NASA.

The California-based SpaceX company gently guided the Dragon into the water via parachutes at 12:22 p.m., a couple hundred miles off the Baja California coast.
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station used a giant robot arm to release the commercial cargo ship 255 miles up. SpaceX provided updates of the journey home via Twitter, including a video of the Dragon separating from the ISS.
The supply ship brought back nearly 2,000 pounds of science experiments and old station equipment. Perhaps the most eagerly awaited cargo is nearly 500 frozen samples of blood and urine collected by station astronauts over the past year.
The Dragon is the only delivery ship capable of returning items, now that NASA's shuttles are retired to museums. Atlantis made the last shuttle haul to and from the station in July 2011.
SpaceX — more formally Space Exploration Technologies Corp. — launched the capsule three weeks ago from Cape Canaveral, full of groceries, clothes and other station supplies. Ice cream as well as fresh apples were especially appreciated by the station residents, now back up to a full crew of six.
It's the second Dragon to return from the orbiting lab; the first mission in May was a flight demo. This flight is the first of 12 deliveries under a $1.6 billion contract with NASA.
"It was nice while she was on board," space station commander Sunita Williams said as the Dragon backed away. "We tamed her, took her home and, literally and figuratively, there's a piece of us on that spacecraft going home to Earth."
She added to the SpaceX flight controllers in Hawthorne, Calif.: "Congratulations Hawthorne and thank you for her."
The Dragon will be retrieved from the Pacific and loaded onto a 100-foot boat that will haul it to Los Angeles. From there, it will be transported to McGregor, Texas.
The medical samples will be removed as quickly as possible, and turned over to NASA within 48 hours of splashdown, according to SpaceX. Everything else will wait for unloading in McGregor.
A Russian supply ship, meanwhile, is set to blast off this week. It burns up upon descent, however, at mission's end. So do the cargo vessels provided by Europe and Japan.
SpaceX is working to transform its Dragon cargo craft into vessels that American astronauts could fly in another four or five years. Until SpaceX or another U.S. company is able to provide rides, NASA astronauts must rely on Russian rockets to get to and from the space station.

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Third arrest in connection with McKay murder

28/10/2012 - 16:24:13
Police investigating the murder of Danny McKay in Co Antrim last Thursday have arrested a third person. A 28 year old man was detained for questioning this afternoon. Two men aged 41 and 50 who were arrested yesterday in connection with the murder remain in custody. Mr McKay was shot dead in his home in the Longlands area of Netownabbey last Thursday night.

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Shatter demands apology from Sindo following 'dishonest' front page story

28/10/2012 - 14:46:38
The Justice Minister is calling for the Sunday Independent to publish an apology and correct the record, regarding the papers front page story this morning.

In a statement this afternoon, Alan Shatter says the Taoiseach is wrongly accused in the report of having asked Minister Shatter "meddle" or "intervene" in a family law court case.

The Justice Minister described the article as thoroughly dishonest and inaccurate, which highlighted a gross misrepresentation of the correspondence that took place between him and the Taoiseach.

Alan Shatter has rejected the Sunday Independent's allegations that the Taoiseach ask him "to meddle in family case" - and is calling for a retraction.

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Is Barack Obama still Kenya's favorite son?

Barack Obama's father is from Kenya -- and in 2006, then-Senator Obama visited his relatives there. In this photo, Obama greets his grandmother Sarah Obama at their rural home west of Nairobi.

Nairobi, Kenya (CNN) -- No one at the Railway Golf Club in the heart of Nairobi quite remembers if Barack Obama, Sr., the father of the 44th U.S. president, ever played here when he was a high-flying civil servant in the 1960s . Perhaps he played up the road at the Royal Nairobi Golf Club, the oldest of the city's six golf establishments, someone suggests.

The club scene was certainly the natural ecosystem for the pipe-smoking Harvard-educated economist, and the hordes of other young Africans just returned from the world's top universities to take over their newly independent country.

Map: World weighs in on U.S. election

Memories of Dr. Obama are fading, but his son is a popular man in Kenya. From the clubs to the teeming barrios for which Nairobi is notorious, President Obama is spoken of with enthusiasm and pride.

Kenyans address Romney, Obama

Dr. Simeon Onyango, is in the pharmaceuticals business and a widely travelled man. He thinks the world of President Obama.

"I believe he deserves a second term. War is very expensive and with the Iraq and Afghan war, he has done a great job in managing this and even eliminating Osama [bin Laden]," said Onyango at the Railways Golf Club, whose course is part of a longer green belt that girdles Nairobi's fat midriff from south to north.

Postcard: Nigerians enjoy election soap opera

The Kenyan capital is a land of dramatic contrasts. From a rooftop bar on Mombasa Road, the main highway to the airport and on to the coast, you can sometimes see in the distance herds of buffalo, giraffe and the odd lion. Once in a while, when the big cats wander into the villages and kill their cattle, Maasai warriors take out their spears and hunt them down. It is a city that likes to keep in touch with its wild side.

Kibera, Kenya's biggest slum, is Obamaland. Here, the people are less guarded, more passionate about politics. Their living conditions are terrible. They have given rise to a peculiar activity, slum tourism, where wealthy people journey from all over the world to come and see squalor.

The ring of slums to the south co-exist cheek-to-jowl with Lavington, one of the city's wealthiest neighborhoods. Every morning crowds of workers stream through Lavington for their 15-kilometer walk to the city's industrial zone.

Postcard: Obama finds support among Chavistas

In Kibera, Obama's story resonates strongly maybe because when you are scrapping the bottom of the barrel, the only thing keeping you going is a dream: the slum is home to amazing innovation and creativity in film, comedy, music and -- believe it not -- IT.

James Mwanzia, 25, sells charcoal, used by thousands of poor household for fuel. "The highlight of his term was killing Osama bin Laden, which is something other presidents have not been successful in doing," he says.

Al Qaeda and its fanatical Somali affiliate, Al-Shabaab, which has been carrying out a campaign of terror in Nairobi and on one occasion lobbed a grenade into a Sunday school, is solidly hated.

Postcard: Why Berliners, U.S. are kindred spirits

Unlike many Kenyans, Mwanzia didn't wake up at 4:00 a.m. to watch the second U.S. presidential debate on TV. Kenya will hold its own general election next March, and for the first time a series of presidential debates has been planned ahead of election day.

He says he will watch the local ones.

For Kenya's Muslims, however, the attitude towards America is more complex. Munir Mohammed Abbas, 35, another Kibera resident, is full of praise for Obama, whom he describes as "a very eloquent speaker with a very good grasp of national matters, especially on managing the economy" -- before adding, "I will not comment on terrorism."

Postcard: War-scarred Baghdad has little faith in election

Among Muslims, there is suspicion that the fight against al Qaeda targets their religion -- and U.S. campaign talk of an invasion of Iran and the enthusiastic support for Israel are not popular ideas in the mosques.

The thrill here over Obama's 2008 election has dwindled over time. "Enthusiasm for President Obama is probably 40 percent what it was in 2008," said Henry Owuor, Foreign Editor of the Daily Nation, Kenya's biggest newspaper. "People used to call and demand that I publish Obama's pictures and stories. Not any more." In 2008, the Daily Nation sent a team to cover the U.S. election; this year it is relying on its correspondents and the wire services.

While Obama is admired because he is smart, calm and dignified, a brave black man doing his duty for his country, he has been in office for four years and the novelty has worn off.

Postcard: Obama's 'hope' a mirage for hostile Pakistanis

Kenyan perception of America has also changed over the years. The U.S. is recognized as a powerful actor not just in regional affairs, but in national affairs. There is a growing belief in Kenya that America exercises its immense power only in its own interest -- sort of like a wealthy friend who comes to a party with lots of food, but does not share.

Last October, Kenyan forces crossed the border into Somalia in pursuit of Al-Shabaab. The region's first contact with jihadist terrorism was in August 1998 when al Qaeda bombed the U.S. embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam. There was an outpouring of sympathy for America. But when Kenyan forces entered Somalia, the U.S. stayed out of it.

James Thumi, who sells software, feels Obama has not been sufficiently engaged with Africa. While his predecessors had big initiatives such as the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which offers African companies preferential access to the U.S. textiles market, Obama has been pre-occupied with domestic issues.

Postcard: Obama, Romney ignore Afghans at own peril

America also uses travel advisories to chide the Kenyan government for policies with which it disagrees, according to Thumi.

"Placing travel advisories on countries like Kenya because of a few security threats is not the way to go, because we do not do the same when America has had its share of scares," said Thumi, echoing the common perception that the U.S. government uses travel advisories, which discourage travel to countries at risk, as a big stick to get the Kenya government to do its bidding.

In K'ogelo, a village about 400 kilometers west of Nairobi and the home of the Obamas, a victory party is being planned. At the Railway Club, golfers pay no heed to the scorching sun and are out on the green. In the club house, members speak quietly into their cell phones. A few are on their iPads, most likely keeping a worried eye on RealClearPolitics.com to see which ones are leaning and which ones are toss-ups.

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Big picture of China lost in the debates

The real issue is not over China's currency, but the power transition as its economy is expected to surpass the U.S.

(CNN) -- The Communist Party leaders inside the Zhongnanhai compound in Beijing may have found solace in the Obama-Romney debates: Though China was mentioned 53 times, both presidential candidates avoided harsh rhetoric toward China.

Despite Romney's repeated avowal to label China a "currency manipulator" and Obama's branding of China as "an adversary," both sounded moderate and called China a partner, which leaves the door open for building a good working relationship with China's new leaders. The candidates traded jabs on how they would deal with the trade and currency issue but skipped other major controversial topics such as human rights, Tibet and censorship. To Beijing's relief and to American conservatives' disappointment, the highly anticipated "China bashing" was absent from the debates.

Also missing was the big picture -- America's relative decline, China's rapid rise and the ensuing power restructuring in the global system. Is the United States ready to cope with an increasingly powerful, confident and yet non-democratic China? The real issue is not whether China is a currency manipulator or not -- after all, the yuan has appreciated more than 11% since 2010 and more than 30% since 2005.

Zhiqun Zhu is the author of "US-China Relations in the 21st Century."

Obama's and Romney's narrow focus on trade and currency when mentioning China, which is understandable due to America's lackluster recovery, and their dodging of other major problems between the two countries may be misinforming Americans who, as a result, do not fully understand the nature of this complex relationship.

This is a multifaceted relationship, strong but difficult at times. The biggest challenge the two countries face is the power transition between them, as China continues to gallop ahead and is expected to surpass the United States as the largest economy within a decade. Both countries are struggling to deal with the new power structure in the international system.

In fact, China is rising so rapidly that it has difficulty adjusting to its newfound power and sometimes behaves clumsily in international affairs as evidenced in China's perceived forcefulness in the recent Diaoyu/Senkaku dispute and South China Sea controversy.

U.S. politicians are used to speaking from a position of dominance. Both Obama and Romney claimed they would push China to "play by the rules." Such a condescending approach will not work with today's more assertive and nationalistic China.

Bigger threat: China or Europe?

The United States must play by the rules first. For example, Huawei was recently singled out by Congress as a company threatening U.S. national interests and was essentially declared unwelcome in the U.S. The telecoms giant has businesses globally, including a recent £1.3bn investment in the United Kingdom which would create 500 jobs. In September, Obama issued a rare presidential order instructing Ralls Corp., whose owners are Chinese, to divest itself of four Oregon wind farm projects near a military base, citing a national security threat. But firms operated by other foreign owners in the same area are apparently conducting business as usual. Where is the level playing field?

Best moments from the final debate

The United States still maintains some Tiananmen-era sanctions against China, including the ban on exports of high-tech equipment and products to China. One wonders how the United States can narrow its trade deficit with China, if it only sells apples and oranges to China?

China: U.S. election scapegoat?

Is China friend or foe? This often-asked question misses the central point that the United States and China are so interdependent that they no longer have the luxury to make such a choice.

How will China factor in final debate?

The two countries are separated by huge gaps in political systems and cultural values, which can be a major cause of conflict. The two governments still deeply distrust each other. Since the Obama administration's implementation of its "strategic rebalancing" toward Asia in 2010, the U.S. government has failed to convince China and many other countries in Asia that its purpose is not to counter China's growing power. America's deployment of more forces in the Asia-Pacific region and beefing up its alliances with China's neighbors smack of a policy of encircling China. Of course containment will not work in this day and age, and Asian countries do not want to be drawn into a great power conflict.

Osnos on China's upcoming transition

It has become politically incorrect to say anything good about China during America's elections. Candidates tend to compete over who is tougher on China. It has become an accepted norm to blame China for America's domestic woes. Such practices may help a candidate to win an election, but they are very harmful to U.S.-China relations in the long term. The United States is at the risk of creating a resentful China during the Asian power's transition to a more diverse and open society.

Presidential candidates on China

Nothing is wrong with focusing on economic issues now, but Americans should never lose sight of the big picture. As a global leader, the United States has the moral responsibility to help promote democracy, human rights and rule of law in the world. With China in transition, the United States has a great opportunity to help shape the future of a nation with which it will be politically and economically intertwined for generations to come.

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The doormen policing Egypt's morals

By Tom Dinham Cairo

Residents of Cairo cannot simply live as they please - they must always take into account the judgement that will be made of them by the man who sits at the front door of their building.

One of the many things any fresh-faced arrival in Cairo is likely to notice - when lugging bags and suitcases to a new abode - is that there will be somebody sitting in front of it, sternly looking into space with a stare so stoical that it can only have resulted from a lifetime of gazing, sitting and waiting.
In Cairo's hectic maelstrom of activity, there is one person who can take things relatively easy - the doorman, or bewab.
Security guard, porter, enforcer of social mores and general snoop, all rolled into one, the bewab is a quintessentially Egyptian figure, and can be found sitting in front of almost every building in the capital.
Often from Upper Egypt, the bewab brings a distinctly rural flavour to life in the largest, most populous city in Africa. Sporting the long, flowing robes favoured in Egypt's countryside - along with a distinctly non-Cairene dialect of Arabic. Many bewabs are in the city... but not really of it.
Up and down the capital, these rustic imports act as a kind of moral police force, bringing the conservative values of their home districts to the heart of the metropolis.
Forget the anonymity of city life almost anywhere else in the world - in Cairo, your bewab will be keeping a beady eye on the comings and goings of anyone associated with you, especially if they happen to be female.
A quick look at the house listings for foreigners living in the capital reveals the premium that is put on having a liberal - or at least a venal - bewab.
In the selling-points of advertisements, the "laid-back bewab" is a sought-after epithet and is code for a bewab who will conveniently lay aside his moral foibles and leave you well alone, mostly because you are a foreigner.
The mixing of foreigners and Egyptians of the opposite sex, however, is where the trouble really begins.

From Our Own Correspondent

On the occasions when I have headed up to my apartment with an Egyptian lady, she has often frozen at the sight of my bewab, whom I shall call Uncle Mahmoud, slouched on his plastic deckchair watching the world go by.

"I can't come up to your apartment with him there," hissed one friend of mine, blushing. "I just can't stand him judging me, he'll think I'm a whore!"
To her, and many like her, Mahmoud's opinion really mattered and his moral judgements carried weight, even if they had no basis whatsoever in reality.
I often found it hard to believe that Uncle Mahmoud - the jovial and somewhat annoying man who occupied his days sitting, staring at the front door of my apartment building - could be the object of sheer terror for Egyptian female visitors.

Young people and doormen don't always see eye to eye

This was further reinforced when my Egyptian girlfriend started spending nights at my apartment, apparently without incurring his wrath. The only change I noticed in Mahmoud's behaviour was his joyous salutations and congratulations on the mozza - Egyptian slang for attractive girl - who was visiting me.
In Mahmoud's world, it seemed, the fact that I had a pretty Egyptian woman visiting my apartment, made me a hero. This did not seem like the austere moral enforcer who had so terrified my female friends.
Until, that is, my girlfriend let me know that perhaps the reason Uncle Mahmoud was so happy, was that she had been bribing him every time she came to visit.

“Start Quote

Sherif had been openly speculating about why a Westerner would be visited by Egyptian females - the word was I must be a womaniser ”

It seems my bewab belonged in the venal, rather than the liberal, category. "What on earth for?" I enquired. "I can just tell him to mind his own business."

"True", she said thoughtfully. "But he'd cause a scandal and ruin your reputation in the building. It's easier this way."
After some weeks, I realised what she meant. I had a new bewab by now. Let us call him Uncle Sherif.
He let it be known that he was unhappy with the official contribution I was making to his finances - a nominally fixed rate agreed upon when you sign your housing contract. Sherif wanted more.
I refused, unable to accept the idea that I should be paying reputational protection money simply because I had Egyptian visitors.
The payback came soon enough. A friend of mine on the street informed me Sherif had been openly speculating about why a Westerner would be visited by Egyptian females, and the word was I must be a naswangi - a womaniser.
I confronted him. The game was up. Throwing his arms wide in an exaggerated embrace, Sherif kissed me on both cheeks, apparently a sign of sincere apology and respect.
From that point onwards, my bewab has never again looked me in the face, and the rumours - I have been reliably informed - have stopped.

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