Summarize this article:

Credit: George Hodan/public domain Across the entire world, women can expect to live longer than men. But why does this occur, and was this always the case?

 According to a new study led by University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology researchers, significant differences in life expectancies between the sexes first emerged as recently as the turn of the 20th century. As infectious disease prevention, improved diets and other positive health behaviors were adopted by people born during the 1800s and early 1900s, death rates plummeted, but women began reaping the longevity benefits at a much faster rate.

 In the wake of this massive but uneven decrease in mortality, a review of global data points to heart disease as the culprit behind most of the excess deaths documented in adult men, said USC University Professor and AARP Professor of Gerontology Eileen Crimmins.

 "We were surprised at how the divergence in mortality between men and women, which originated as early as 1870, was concentrated in the 50 to 70 age range and faded out sharply after age 80," Crimmins said.

 The study was conducted with USC University Professor and ARCO/William F. Kieschnick Professor in the Neurobiology of Aging Caleb Finch and Research Associate Hiram Beltrán-Sánchez of the Center for Demography of Health and Aging at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It examined the lifespans of people born between 1800 and 1935 in 13 developed nations.

 Focusing on mortality in adults over the age of 40, the team found that in individuals born after 1880, female death rates decreased 70 percent faster than those of males. Even when the researchers controlled for smoking-related illnesses, cardiovascular disease appeared to still be the cause of the vast majority of excess deaths in adult men over 40 for the same time period. Surprisingly, smoking accounted for only 30 percent of the difference in mortality between the sexes after 1890, Crimmins said.

 The uneven impact of cardiovascular illness-related deaths on men, especially during middle and early older age, raises the question of whether men and women face different heart disease risks due to inherent biological risks and/or protective factors at different points in their lives, Finch said.

 "Further study could include analysis of diet and exercise activity differences between countries, deeper examination of genetics and biological vulnerability between sexes at the cell level, and the relationship of these findings to brain health at later ages," he said.

 The study, "Twentieth century surge of excess adult male mortality," appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and was supported by the National Institute on Aging.

 Explore further: Women with type 1 diabetes at significantly higher risk of dying compared with men

 More information: Twentieth century surge of excess adult male mortality, www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1421942112

  ||||| Out of the 53 living supercentenarians – people over 110 years old – 51 are women. That’s more than 95 percent! In fact, you might say that no factor comes closer to predicting the likelihood of reaching such an exceptional age than simply being female.

 In most mammals the two sexes age differently, and even though we’ve noticed this in our own species since the mid-18th century, researchers still haven’t been able to understand exactly why. But we do know that one of the most telltale signs of aging is the functional decline of stem cells. So perhaps it’s time to look at how stem cell behavior differs in men and women, Stanford’s Ben Dulken and Anne Brunet argue in a Cell Stem Cell paper published this week. “As the search continues for ways to ameliorate the aging process and maintain the regenerative capacity of stem cells,” they write, “let us not forget one of the most effective aging modifiers: sex.”

 Adult stem cells are regulated in a sexually dimorphic manner (like flashy peacock feathers, for example), and they respond to sex hormones. By looking at the differences in regenerative decline, we might figure out how hormones like estrogen and testosterone might modify lifespan. In female mice, estrogen’s effects on stem cell populations is pretty direct: It increases the number of blood stem cells, which helps during pregnancy, and it enhances the regenerative capacity of brain stem cells at the height of estrus (that is, when she’s in heat). So far, no one’s looked into the impact these changes might have on lifespan. However, recent work with mice reveals that estrogen supplements appear to increase the lifespan of males, and a study of human eunuchs found that these men lived on average about 14 years longer than non-castrated men.

 Furthermore, knocking out various genes in mice has sometimes resulted in longevity advantages for one sex but not the other. And a twin study suggested that there might be a difference in telomere length between males and females: these little caps at the ends of chromosomes help to signify the lifespans of cells. Further research is needed in order to understand how genetics might have an impact on stem cell aging in males and females and at the very least, the duo concludes, future research should emphasize the importance of controlling for sex in studies in which age is a variable.

 Sex likely plays a role in defining not only lifespan but also the specific portion of a lifespan that’s healthy, or “healthspan”. The effects of sex might not necessarily be the same for the two.

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– There's a reason we don't typically call Earth's oldest person the oldest woman in the world—the oldest person is pretty much always a woman. In fact, just two of the world's 53 living supercentenarians (people 110 and older) are men, reports IFL Science. But why is the longevity gap so stark, and how long has it been so? An international team of researchers is investigating the lifespans of men and women born between 1800 and 1935 in 13 developed nations in search of answers, reports PhysOrg, and they've found that women's superior longevity only emerged recently. Before 1840, death rates were very similar between men and women. But since those rates began to plummet in 1880 thanks in large part to improved diets, vaccinations, and better health care, female death rates have dropped 70% faster than male ones, and heart disease seems to be holding men back the most, the researchers report in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Men may be more biologically susceptible to cardiovascular health problems, and their different weight distribution could play a role here, reports Live Science. The researchers plan to further explore the differences between male and female biology, genetics, and lifestyles to look for answers. (The oldest man in the US says his trick has been to enjoy a can of beer a day.)


Summarize this article:

In 1994 and 1995, the Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo used homemade VX to attack three people, one of whom died.

 North Korea is estimated to have a chemical weapons production capability of up to 4,500 metric tons during a typical year and 12,000 tons during a period of extended crisis. It is widely reported to possess a large arsenal of chemical weapons, including mustard, phosgene and sarin gas, a United States Congressional Research Service report said last year.

 The announcement by Malaysia’s police chief came just a day after North Korea denied any responsibility for Mr. Kim’s death, accusing the Malaysian authorities of fabricating evidence of Pyongyang’s involvement under the influence of South Korea.

 With the North’s reclusive government on the defensive about the Feb. 13 killing of Mr. Kim, the estranged half brother of Kim Jong-un, at the airport for the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, a statement attributed to the North Korean Jurists Committee said the greatest share of responsibility for the death “rests with the government of Malaysia” because Kim Jong-nam died there. And in what could be seen as a threat to Malaysia, the statement noted that North Korea is a “nuclear weapons state.”

 But in a case that has been filled with mysteries and odd plot twists, North Korea still would not acknowledge that the man killed was indeed Kim Jong-nam. And it gave no indication that it would agree to Malaysia’s demands to question a senior staff member at the North Korean Embassy in Kuala Lumpur in the investigation into Mr. Kim’s death.

 Relatives and acquaintances of the two women Malaysia has accused of carrying out the killing, by applying poison to Kim-Jong-nam’s face as North Korean agents looked on, insisted they must have been duped into doing so, though the Malaysian authorities say otherwise.

 “I don’t believe Huong did such a thing,” said Doan Van Thanh, father of Doan Thi Huong, 28, a Vietnamese woman being held in Malaysia. “She was a very timid girl. When she saw a rat or frog, she would scream.” ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Rupert Wingfield-Hayes: Three reasons why the use of VX is so extraordinary

 Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korea's leader, was killed by a highly toxic nerve agent, says Malaysia.

 Mr Kim died last week after two women accosted him briefly in a check-in hall at a Kuala Lumpur airport.

 Malaysian toxicology reports indicate he was attacked using VX nerve agent, which is classified as a weapon of mass destruction by the United Nations.

 There is widespread suspicion that North Korea was responsible for the attack, which it fiercely denies.

 It responded furiously to Malaysia's insistence on conducting a post-mortem examination and has accused Malaysia of having "sinister" purposes.

 What does the toxicology report say?

 Malaysia's police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said on Friday that the presence of the nerve agent had been detected in swabs taken from Mr Kim's eyes and face.

 One of the women Mr Kim interacted with at the airport on 13 February had also fallen ill with vomiting afterwards, he added.

 Mr Khalid said other exhibits were still under analysis and that police were investigating how the banned substance might have entered Malaysia.

 "If the amount of the chemical brought in was small, it would be difficult for us to detect," he said.

 What is the deadly VX nerve agent?

 Image copyright Science Photo Library Image caption Molecular model of VX nerve agent shows atoms represented as spheres

 The most potent of the known chemical warfare agents, it is a clear, amber-coloured, oily liquid which is tasteless and odourless

 Works by penetrating the skin and disrupting the transmission of nerve impulses - a drop on the skin can kill in minutes. Lower doses can cause eye pain, blurred vision, drowsiness and vomiting

 It can be disseminated in a spray or vapour when used as a chemical weapon, or used to contaminate water, food, and agricultural products

 VX can be absorbed into the body by inhalation, ingestion, skin contact, or eye contact

 Clothing can carry VX for about 30 minutes after contact with the vapour, which can expose other people

 Banned by the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention

 Read more about VX

 Who could be behind the attack?

 How could it have killed Mr Kim?

 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption CCTV footage appears to show the moment Kim Jong-nam is attacked

 Bruce Bennett, a weapons expert at the research institute the Rand Corporation, told the BBC it would have taken only a tiny amount of the substance to kill Mr Kim.

 He suggests a small quantity of VX - just a drop - was likely to have been put on cloths used by the attackers to touch his face. A separate spray may have been used as a diversion.

 Mr Khalid has previously said the fact the woman who accosted Mr Kim immediately went to wash her hands showed she was "very aware" that she had been handling a toxin.

 It would have begun affecting his nervous system immediately, causing first shaking and then death within minutes.

 More from expert Bruce Bennett

 Is Kuala Lumpur airport safe?

 The authorities say they intend to decontaminate the airport and areas the suspects are known to have visited.

 VX is a v-type nerve agent, which means the substance can remain lethal for a long period of time.

 "It's as persistent as motor oil. It's going to stay there for a long time... which means anyone coming in contact with this could be intoxicated from it," forensic toxicologist John Trestrail told the Associated Press news agency.

 No passengers, airport workers or medical staff who treated Mr Kim were reported to have become ill in the aftermath of the incident, the news agency adds.

 Tens of thousands of passengers are believed to have passed through the airport since the attack more than 10 days ago.

 Who was Kim Jong-nam?

 Image copyright AP Image caption North Korea has not identified the man who died as Kim Jong-nam, only as a North Korean citizen

 The well-travelled and multilingual oldest son of late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, he was once considered a potential future leader. He has lived abroad for years and was bypassed in favour of his half-brother, Kim Jong-un.

 He had been travelling on a passport under the name Kim Chol. North Korea has yet to confirm that the deceased was actually Kim Jong-nam.

 For many years, it was believed Kim Jong-nam was being groomed to succeed his father as the next leader.

 But that appears to have come to an end in 2001 when Kim was caught sneaking into Japan on a fake passport.

 He later became one of the regime's most high-profile critics, openly questioning the Stalinist policies and dynastic succession his grandfather Kim Il-sung began crafting in 1948.

 Kim Jong-nam: North Korea's critic in exile

 How did he die?

 A woman was seen in CCTV footage approaching Mr Kim and wiping something across his face. He sought medical help at the airport, saying someone had splashed or sprayed him with liquid.

 He had a seizure and died on the way to hospital.

 His body remains in the hospital's mortuary, amid a diplomatic dispute over who should claim it.

 Main players in mysterious killing

 Who did it?

 Malaysia says it was clearly an attack by North Korean agents. Four people are in custody, including one North Korean and the two women he interacted with at the airport. Seven North Koreans are being sought, including a diplomat.

 There are a number of North Korean organisations capable of directing such an attack, including the exclusive Guard Command.

 The North hit back at Malaysia on Thursday, saying it was responsible for the death of one of its citizens.

 In response, Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman warned North Korean envoy Kang Chol on Friday that he would be expelled unless he stopped "spewing lies" about the attack.

 Who in North Korea could organise a VX murder?

 North Korea's history of foreign assassinations

 Does North Korea have VX?

 North Korea is one of just six countries not to have signed the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) arms control treaty banning the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons.

 According to the Nuclear Threat Initiative project, however, North Korea is thought to have the third largest stockpile of chemical weapons, after the US and Russia.

 South Korea's defence ministry estimated in 2014 that the North has somewhere between 2,500 and 5,000 tonnes of nerve agents in stock, with VX identified as among them. ||||| FILE - In this May 4, 2001, file photo, a man believed to be Kim Jong Nam, the eldest son of then North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, looks at a battery of photographers as he exits a police van to board... (Associated Press)

 FILE - In this May 4, 2001, file photo, a man believed to be Kim Jong Nam, the eldest son of then North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, looks at a battery of photographers as he exits a police van to board a plane to Beijing at Narita international airport in Narita, northeast of Tokyo. Police in Malaysia... (Associated Press)

 KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The banned chemical weapon VX nerve agent was used to kill Kim Jong Nam, the North Korean ruler's outcast half brother who was poisoned last week at the airport in Kuala Lumpur, police said Friday. The announcement raised serious questions about public safety in a building that authorities went 11 days without decontaminating.

 The substance, deadly even in minute amounts, was detected on Kim's eyes and face, Malaysia's inspector general of police said in a written statement, citing a preliminary analysis from the country's Chemistry Department.

 "Our preliminary finding of the chemical that caused the death of Kim Chol was VX nerve," said Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar. Kim Chol is the name on the passport found on the victim, but a Malaysian official previously confirmed he is North Korea leader Kim Jong Un's older half brother.

 Khalid told reporters that one of the two women accused of wiping the toxin on Kim's face was later sickened and suffered from vomiting. He declined to say which of the women — one Indonesian and one Vietnamese — had gotten sick.

 Khalid said police were still investigating how the lethal agent entered Malaysia.

 Police previously said the airport had not been decontaminated. Asked Friday in a text message whether that was still the case, Khalid said, "We are doing it now." Details were not immediately clear.

 Malaysian police also previously no one besides Kim Jong Nam had been sickened.

 If VX was used, it could have contaminated not only the airport but anyplace else Kim had been, including medical facilities and the ambulance he was transported in. The nerve agent, which has the consistency of motor oil, can take days or even weeks to evaporate.

 The death of Kim Jong Nam, whose daylight assassination in a crowded airport terminal seems straight out of a spy novel, has unleashed a diplomatic crisis that escalates by the day. With each new twist in the case, international speculation has grown that Pyongyang dispatched a hit squad to Malaysia to kill the exiled older sibling of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

 North Korea has denounced Malaysia's investigation as full of "holes and contradictions" and accused the authorities here of being in cahoots with Pyongyang's enemies.

 According to Malaysian investigators, the two female suspects coated their hands with chemicals and wiped them on Kim's face on Feb. 13 as he waited for a flight home to Macau, where he lived with his family.

 He sought help from airport staff but he fell into convulsions and died on the way to the hospital within two hours of the attack, police said.

 The case has perplexed toxicologists, who question how the two women could have walked away unscathed after handling a powerful poison, even if — as Malaysian police say — the women were instructed to wash their hands right after the attack.

 Dr. Bruce Goldberger, a leading toxicologist who heads the forensic medicine division at the University of Florida, said even a tiny amount of VX nerve agent — equal to a few grains of salt — is capable of killing. It can be administered through the skin, and there is an antidote that can be administered by injection. U.S. medics and military personnel carried kits with them on the battlefield during the Iraq war in case they were exposed to the chemical weapon.

 "It's a very toxic nerve agent. Very, very toxic," he said. "I'm intrigued that these two alleged assassins suffered no ill effect from exposure to VX. It is possible that both of these women were given the antidote."

 He said symptoms from VX would generally occur within seconds or minutes and could last for hours starting with confusion, possible drowsiness, headache, nausea, vomiting, runny nose and watery eyes. Prior to death, there would likely be convulsions, seizures, loss of consciousness and paralysis.

 VX is banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention, which North Korea never signed. The country is believed by outside experts to have the capacity to produce up to 4,500 metric tons of chemical weapons during a typical year, which it could increase to 12,000 tons per year during a period of crisis. Its current inventory has been estimated at 2,500 to 5,000 tons.

 It is suspected of being particularly focused on mustard, phosgene, sarin and V-type chemical agents — substances including VX that are designed to poison through contact and remain lethal for long periods of time. The North's development of such agents has been of special concern because of fears it might try to put them in artillery shells for an attack on South Korea's capital, potentially threatening the lives of millions.

 Joseph Bermudez, a well-known North Korea analyst, wrote an article for the respected 38 North website in 2013 that said the North is capable of not only employing "significant quantities and varieties of chemical weapons" across the Korean Peninsula but also using those weapons worldwide "using unconventional methods of delivery."

 He also said there is a "growing body of evidence" indicating the North has shared chemical weapons capabilities with Syria, Iran and others.

 Malaysia has three people in custody in connection with Kim Jong Nam's death, including the two suspected attackers. Authorities are also seeking several other people, including the second secretary of North Korea's embassy in Kuala Lumpur and an employee of North Korea's state-owned airline, Air Koryo.

 The case has marked a serious turnaround in relations between Malaysia and North Korea. While Malaysia isn't one of Pyongyang's key diplomatic partners, it is one of the few places in the world where North Koreans can travel without a visa. As a result, for years, it's been a quiet destination for Northerners looking for jobs, schools and business deals.

 ___

 AP writers Margie Mason in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Eric Talmadge in Tokyo contributed to this report. |||||

– Kim Jong Nam's assassins killed him with a banned chemical weapon, Malaysian police revealed Friday. The country's police chief said toxicology reports on swabs from the face and eyes of the exiled North Korean found VX nerve agent, which the BBC notes is classed as a weapon of mass destruction by the United Nations. He said that one of two women believed to have rubbed the extremely toxic substance on Kim's face with their hands suffered from vomiting after the attack. The New York Times reports that VX agent can be created by mixing two compounds—and police suspect the two women put the substances on Kim's face, one after the other, to create a deadly dose. The police chief said the airport where Kim was attacked is now being decontaminated. North Korea—which is widely suspected to have been behind the killing of leader Kim Jong Un's half brother—never signed the Chemical Weapons Convention that banned VX, the AP notes. Pyongyang denies involvement and says Malaysia's investigation is full of "holes and contradictions." The father of one of the two women being held, Vietnamese citizen Doan Thi Huong, tells the Times his daughter trained as a pharmacist and he has seen little of her in recent years. (Police say that after Malaysia refused to give Kim's body to North Korean diplomats, somebody tried to break into the morgue.)


Article:

Matthew Perry I Kicked Justin Trudeau's Ass And That Made Him PM!!!

 Matthew Perry Once Beat Up Justin Trudeau in Elementary School

 Matthew Perry once beat up Canada's Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau ... and he thinks it pushed the guy into politics.

 Matt was on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Wednesday, and he told the story of how he and his buddy beat up a 3rd grade Justin for "excelling in a sport."

 It's pretty funny -- Justin's dad was the PM at the time and didn't have security around his boy. Jimmy rightly points out nobody could get away with that around Barron Trump.

 Even crazier ... Matt doesn't think Justin would be where he is today without that pounding.

 Yes, Chandler beat up this stud ... could that BE any more wrong? ||||| No matter how perfect the internet makes Justin Trudeau out to be, he's only human.

 So when news broke last week that Matthew Perry beat up Canada's current prime minister in elementary school, it was only natural that Trudeau would express the desire to exact a bit of revenge.

 Trudeau responded to Perry's story with a simple tweet.

 "I've been giving it some thought, and you know what, who hasn't wanted to punch Chandler?" Trudeau joked. "How about a rematch Matthew Perry?"

 I've been giving it some thought, and you know what, who hasn't wanted to punch Chandler? How about a rematch @MatthewPerry? — Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) April 1, 2017

 While his challenge did come on April Fools' Day, people were very excited about the possibility of Trudeau duking it out with the Friends star.

 @JordanUhl @JustinTrudeau @JoeMyGod @MatthewPerry Seriously though, I would pay-per-view to see this... even if they just did a Nintendo Mike Tyson's Punchout. Give $$$ to charity. — Dr. Adam Earnheardt (@adamearn) April 1, 2017

 While Perry has yet to respond to the prime minister, let's be honest: you can't hide for long from the leader of Canada. |||||
What is a summary?

– Oh, Canada, you might have to actually pick a side on this one: It seems that Matthew Perry recently admitted that he once beat up a kid in elementary school for "excelling in a sport," and that kid is now the current prime minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, reports Mashable. Trudeau responded to the story on Saturday, reports TMZ, perhaps in the spirit of April Fool's Day, tweeting that "I've been giving it some thought, and you know what, who hasn't wanted to punch Chandler? How about a rematch @MatthewPerry?" No response as yet from Chandler, er, Perry.


Here is a news article: By Jon Larson

 JACKSON HOLE, Wyo.— Tragedy struck LOTOJA Saturday afternoon as one of the competitors died before reaching the finish line. Details are still somewhat unclear, but roughly 18 miles south of Jackson Hole, Rob Verhaaren tumbled over the side of a bridge and into the Snake River.

 Verhaaren fell roughly 30 or 40 feet into the river, and was later pronounced dead at an area hospital.

 Verhaaren, who would have turned 43 next week, leaves behind a wife, Bridget, and three young children; Ansel, Helena and Karl. Ansel and Helena also have birthdays next week, Tuesday and Saturday respectively.

 Verhaaren received a B.S. degree in accounting from Brigham Young University, magna cum laude, and a J.D. from the New York University School of Law. His most recent position was the Managing Director of Universal Equity Group Funds Arizona.

 According to Jay Larson, Verhaaren’s neighbor in Mesa, Ariz., Rob and Bridget were both avid cyclists and loved the sport because it kept them fit and healthy.

 “His whole family is awesome,” Larson said. “They would bend over backwards for anyone.”

 Just this past Monday, the Verhaaren family was out putting up flags in their neighborhood to celebrate Labor Day.

 Verhaaren was a beloved scoutmaster who wanted his scouts to have memorable experiences. One time, without permission, Verhaaren registered his troop into a lottery for a chance to go spend their summer camp on Catalina Island at Camp Emerald Bay. The troop was lucky and thanks to him, more than 30 boys had the opportunity to go to California this past summer.

 The Verhaaren family is no stranger to cycling accidents. Bridget crashed earlier this year, breaking her hand and separating her shoulder.

 Olympic BMX cyclist, Arielle Martin, wife to Rob’s brother Michael, was also in an accident recently. Her experience at the London Games ended before it truly began as she crashed during a practice run a few days before her event. Since then, Martin has undergone numerous surgeries to repair damage to her liver and one of her lungs.

 Dave Collins, one of Verhaaren’s training partners, nearly lost his life in 2009 during a cycling accident of his own. He collided with a car and went through one of the windows, severing his carotid artery. Luckily, an ER doctor was close by and was able to stop the bleeding before it was too late.

 Race spokesman Dave Bern says the 206-mile race also was marred by serious accidents in Idaho and Wyoming that sent two bicyclists to the hospital and by flat tires experienced by roughly 200 cyclists early on.

 He says it's the first fatality in the race's 30-year history.

 LOTOJA, the annual race from Logan, Utah to Jackson Hole, Wyoming is the longest single-day bike race in the country at roughly 206 miles and is sanctioned by USA Cycling. ||||| A cyclist competing in the popular LOTOJA bike race died Saturday night after crashing his bicycle and falling into the Snake River in Wyoming.

 JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — A cyclist competing in the popular LOTOJA bike race died Saturday night after crashing his bicycle and falling into the Snake River in Wyoming.

 Robert Verhaaren, 42, a Mesa Arizona resident, was approximately 8 miles south of the town of Jackson on Highway 89 when he crossed a bridge over the Snake River and came upon a hazard in the roadway, believed to be a pothole, according to a press release by Sheriff Jim Whalen with Teton County.

 "Verhaaren swerved to miss the hazard, over-corrected, lost control of the bicycle and crashed into the guardrail," Whalen said. He catapulted over the guardrail and fell approximately 35 feet into the river, in water about a foot deep, Whalen said.

 Other racers stopped and rendered aid until medical personnel arrived. Verhaaren was later pronounced dead at St. John's Hospital in Jackson. Coroner Kiley Campbell said the initial examination revealed Varharren suffered a possible cervical fracture. Deputies on scene reported minor abrasions on his face and minimal bleeding, according to Whalen. More details on the actual cause of death were not released.

 Some local residents have complained about the poor roads in that stretch of the race. The guardrail is reportedly 2 feet high, Whalen said that it did not appear to be a high rail.

 "We are questioning (the pot holes)," said Dave Bern, LOTOJA communications director. "There is some rough ground (there)."

 Bern said that LOTOJA — named for the race that stretches from Logan to Jackson Hole, Wyo. — has been going over that bridge for 30 years.

 "We've been fortunate, just blessed. People have been careful, motorists have been careful and this didn't even involve a car," Bern said. "We always thought that it would involve a car."

 Representatives from the Wyoming Department of Transportation were not available for comment.

 Verhaaren leaves behind a wife and three children. He was an avid cyclist and was the managing director of Universal Equity Group Funds Arizona. He received a bachelor's degree in accounting from Brigham Young University and a law degree from the New York University School of Law.

 Verhaaren's brother, Michael, is married to Olympic BMX cyclist Arielle Martin, whose injuries in an Olympic practice run prevented her from competing this summer.

 "Seeing life through new lenses today. Unbelievably devastated," Martin posted on her Twitter account Sunday.

 LOTOJA, at 206 miles, is the longest single-day bike race in the country and annually draws approximately 1,000 cyclists from all around the United States.

 Contributor: Jeff Finley

 — Julian Reyes

 Twitter: @_JulianReyes_ |||||
A summary of this is?

– An Arizona father of three plunged to his death from a bridge during a 206-mile bike race Saturday. Robert Verhaaren, 42, veered to avoid a pothole and catapulted over a guardrail over the Snake River in Wyoming, falling 35 feet into shallow water just eight miles from the finish line in the LoToJa race, reports the Cache Valley Daily. It was the first death in the history of the 30-year-old race. "it's the worst thing that can happen," a member of the race support team told the Jackson Hole News & Guide. “It’s always our greatest fear.” It "was devastating for us to lose a member of our LoToJa family," said race spokesman Dave Bern. "Unfortunately, these things go along with bicycle racing. Cycling is not for the risk averse." To date, "we've been fortunate," he told the Deseret News. "People have been careful, motorists have been careful." The contest, the longest single-day bike race in the country, starts in Logan, Utah, and ends in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Two other racers ended up in the hospital after serious accidents in Idaho and Wyoming.


News article:

After years of denials, Michel Fourniret admits killing Joanna Parrish, 20, in 1990

 A French serial killer has confessed to the murder of British language student Joanna Parrish in France nearly three decades ago, the family lawyer told AFP on Friday.

 Jailed for life in 2008 for killing seven girls and young women, Michel Fourniret was dubbed the Ogre of the Ardennes.

 He was interviewed last week by two instructing magistrates in Paris and, according to lawyer Didier Seban, admitted murdering 20-year-old Parrish, a student at Leeds University, and French teenager Marie-Angele Domece.

 “He made detailed and repeated confessions. He clearly recognises, and this several times over, having killed Joanna Parrish and Marie-Angele Domece,” Seban said.

 “It’s a new development, a resolution of the affair, it seems, in a remarkable way,” he added. “It’s hard (for the family), but the end of a long legal battle.”

 Parrish, from Newnham on Severn, Gloucs, had been working as a language assistant at a secondary school in Auxerre, in the Burgundy region.

 Facebook Twitter Pinterest Joanna Parrish. Photograph: PA

 Seban said he hoped a trial would soon go ahead now.

 Paris prosecutors would not comment on the revelations, with investigations under way.

 Fourniret’s lawyer made no comment when contacted by AFP.

 Parrish’s body was found on 17 May 1990, soon after she disappeared. She had been raped and beaten, the autopsy found.

 Domece, who had learning disabilities, disappeared on 8 July 1988. Her body has never been found.

 Fourniret was charged in 2008 with kidnapping and murdering the two girls, but the court of appeal dismissed the case on 14 September 2011.

 Fourniret’s wife Monique Olivier had twice accused him of the two unsolved murders but later retracted.

 “Monique Olivier will in turn have to be questioned,” Seban added.

 Fourniret had always denied involvement in the two cases, including during his trial in the northern Ardennes area where he was found guilty on 28 May 2008 of murdering seven girls.

 Olivier was found guilty of complicity in five murders and jailed for life with an order that she serve at least 28 years behind bars.

 In June 2012 the court of appeal in Paris cancelled the dismissal order on Fourniret and asked for investigations to resume based on new leads. ||||| A convicted serial killer has reportedly confessed to killing a British woman in France 27 years ago.

 Joanna Parrish, 21, from Gloucester, was raped and murdered in Auxerre in 1990, while working as an English teacher during her gap year.

 Convicted rapist and murderer Michel Fourniret, dubbed “the Ogre of the Ardennes”, had for a long time been the prime suspect in the brutal attack on the student.

 And according to Ms Parrish’s family lawyer the killer has finally admitted to her murder.

 Lawyer Didier Seban told the BBC that over the past week Fourniret had appeared in court “two to three times” and admitted the killing on each occasion.

 He added that Fourniret would now be questioned further, which “should lead to charges”.

 Ms Parrish’s father, Roger Parrish, told the broadcaster the confession had come as a ”shock” and that he hoped it was not another “false lead”.

 In May 2008 Fourniret was sentenced to life in prison for the joint rape and murder of seven girls. ||||| A notorious French serial killer known as the ‘Ogre of the Ardennes’ has finally confessed to the murder of British student Joanna Parrish 28 years ago, her family's lawyer said on Friday.

 Michel Fourniret, 75, was already serving a life sentence for the rape and murder of seven other young women, but until now police had been unable to prove that he killed Joanna.

 The naked body of the 20-year-old Leeds University language student was found in the River Yonne near Auxerre, Burgundy in 1990, a day after she was reported missing.

 She had been raped, beaten and strangled following her abduction after placing an advertisement in a local newspaper offering English lessons.

 Her father, Roger Parrish, who had long suspected Fourniret despite the killer’s repeated denials, spoke of his relief last night. Mr Parrish, a retired Land Registry official from Newnham on Severn in Gloucestershire, told local reporters that his family would have “closure at last”. |||||
What is a shorter version of the above article?

– British student Joanna Parrish disappeared in France after posting an advertisement for her services as an English teacher in a local newspaper, the Telegraph reports. A day after she was reported missing, her naked body was found in a river; she had been raped and strangled to death. That was nearly 30 years ago. This week a French serial killer known as the Ogre of the Ardennes is said to have confessed to the crime, according to AFP. Didier Seban, a lawyer for Parrish's family, tells the BBC that 75-year-old Michel Fourniret confessed to the 1990 murder of Parrish—as well as the 1988 murder of Marie-Angele Domece, whose body was never found—to judges "two to three times" over the past week. The Press Association reports Parrish's family was shocked by the confession. Fourniret was given life in prison in 2008 after being found guilty of raping and killing seven women between the ages of 12 and 21. His wife, Monique Olivier, was also given life in prison for picking up a number of his victims while driving around with their baby. Fourniret was charged with the murders of Parrish and Domece in 2008 after Olivier said he was responsible for them, only to have the cases dismissed in 2011 after Olivier recanted. A court of appeal later cancelled that dismissal and ordered investigations into new leads. Now Seban says a trial should go forward after Fourniret "made detailed and repeated confessions." Parrish's father says he hopes the family will have "closure at last." (It seems an infamous serial killer couldn't cheat death after all.)


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 The page you're looking for was moved, removed, renamed or may have never existed ||||| Sony started the fireworks Wednesday for Paul Feig’s estrogen-fueled reboot of Ghostbusters by showing off the trailer in advance before a select group to standing-ovation results. The movie is slated for a July 15 release.

 Since the project was first announced and kept largely under wraps (some actors’ reps weren’t even privy to the pages their clients were reading), Ghostbusters has faced its fair share of scrutiny by the media for changing the protagonists from men to women. Feig told the crowd at the Sony mini-event that he’s “relieved for the moment, before it’s released to the world.” Producer Ivan Reitman was more certain about the crowd’s response to the trailer, saying, “I’m confident.”

 To the point of the creative decision to switch the genders on Ghostbusters, Feig explained: “Ghostbusters are for everybody. The first movie worked because it had four of the funniest people and I just want the funniest people — and the funniest people are these women.”

 Added screenwriter and co-producer Katie Dippold, who worked with Feig on The Heat, “This is a story, if you placed men in those characters, you could do it. It’s pretty genderless.”

 The reboot was one of the last big projects pushed through by former Sony chief Amy Pascal during her tenure at the studio before The Hack took its toll on the studio. For years, Sony wanted to reboot the film with Bill Murray returning as Peter Venkman and chased him with two scripts. But it was a challenge to get him to read them. Reitman was always a part of the equation. Following the death of Ghostbusters star and scribe Harold Ramis in 2014, Reitman decided to turn over the directing reins.

 Not much has been known until now about the film. Kristen Wiig playsparticle physicist Erin, Melissa McCarthy’s character is an expert in the paranormal, Kate McKinnon’s the nuclear engineer who creates the team’s inventions, and Leslie Jones is a former subway employee who knows her way around New York City.

 The plot per Wiig’s character? As she described her, “Someone had created a device that has amplified paranormal activity and we might be the only ones who can stop it.” Feig mentioned that a number of the Ghostbusters staples that we’re familiar with will definitely make their way into the film, hopefully in a surprising way. Count on a cameo by the round, fat, toothy ghost Slimer, who Reitman said was initially nicknamed in early drafts of the first film as “The Belushi ghost, because he ate all the time.” Dan Ackroyd originally conceived Ghostbusters as a vehicle for him and his SNL and Blues Brothers pal.

 As far as the music goes, Feig says it’s essential to have a portion of the original Ray Parker Jr. title song in the movie. There also will be a new version of that tune. As to whether they’re reusing Elmer Bernstein’s now-familiar themes, Feig said that composer Theodore Shapiro is “doing an amazing theme and we’re playing with a lot of different themes. I want this to be big, spooky and cool.” Feig worked with Shapiro on Spy.

 A majority of those who showed up, and even flew into L.A. for the event at Sony’s Cary Grant Theatre, were mega-fans, guys who dress up like Ghostbusters and visit children’s hospitals around the country. After the trailer ran a first time, they shouted for it to play again.

 Previously announced, Sony also has a guy counterpart Ghostbusters in the works as announced by Deadline last March with Channing Tatum producing and Joe and Anthony Russo directing. ||||| Trailer Frenzy A special place to find the newest trailers for movies and TV shows you're craving.

 After decades of waiting for a new Ghostbusters movie, here’s your first footage from one. To celebrate the launch of this awesome trailer, we talked with director Paul Feig, producer Ivan Reitman and writer Katie Dippold, and they told us why this trailer reintroduces so many of the things we love.

 This trailer starts by nudging your nostalgia with familiar music and visuals. Then, once we get to the new stuff... it still feels familiar. We see a library ghost, Slimer, proton packs, and Ecto-1—but everything is just slightly tweaked and modernized. Even the characters, three radically different scientists and a local resident, mirror the original film. Meanwhile, the humor feels a bit more physical than the first movie, which is in line with Feig’s other movies (Bridesmaids, The Heat, Spy) but it mostly works. Really, what you get here is simply, a brand new Ghostbusters.

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 Wednesday, speaking to an audience of super fans in Los Angeles (who stood and cheered the trailer, twice) as well as members of the press, Feig explained that the nostalgic feel of the trailer is part of the movie itself.

 “I’d be bummed if I didn’t see the Ecto-1 and all that stuff,” he said. “So we wanted to make sure we give those nods—but make them our own, and give them their own original origin story. When you see the movie, there will be a lot of things you’re happy to see, but they’re coming at you at a slightly different way.”

 Make no mistake, despite the cameos, and the recognizable people, places and music, this new Ghostbusters is a reboot, not a sequel. The film-makers wanted to start from scratch, so this world, and these characters, would have to earn their place.

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 “To say ghosts have existed for 30 years [would be] a different world,” Dippold said. “In the original it’s so fun to see the ghosts unleashed for the first time and we didn’t want to skip over it.”

 Plus, Feig added, “I didn’t like the idea of them being handed technology. I wanted to see it developed.”

 The fact that the characters develop the technology themselves is also one of the things that carries over from the first movie: Science is crucial to the film.

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 “It was really important to us to make them scientists,” Feig said. “That’s what I love about the first one, the idea that Ivan, Dan [Aykroyd] and Harold [Ramis] had—people fighting the paranormal with science—just really resonated with us.”

 So in this movie, Erin, played by Kristen Wiig, is a particle physicist. Melissa McCarthy’s character, Abby, is an expert in the paranormal. Kate McKinnon plays Jillian, a nuclear engineer who creates all the technology. Finally, Leslie Jones’s Patty joins the team because she knows New York, and the film needed an “everyman,” just like Winston in the original.

 Feig also said he cast these actresses because their on-screen personas line up perfectly with the characters. “Kristin is this kind of vulnerable comedian, Melissa is a headstrong comedian, then you’ve got Kate who’s just the weirdo-nut, and Leslie is just a powerhouse that comes at you,” he said.

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 As for the ghosts our heroes are fighting, Feig wanted them to look very particular and familiar, before things begin to go off the walls. “Being such a science nut, I wanted these ghosts to be what I always considered a ghost to be, which is dead people coming back.” he said. So the main ghosts of the movie are humanoid, but things will definitely change.

 Change has been at the heart of this new Ghostbusters from the beginning. Early on, a small but vocal group of people began complaining about the new team being all female. However, Feig said that’s not addressed in the movie. “The first movie worked, because it had four of the funniest people in it,” he said. “I just wanted the funniest people, and the funniest people I happen to know are these women. Ghostbusters is for everybody”

 And Feig sees this as the beginning of a new era of Ghostbusters. “I have such a love for this property and what I really wanted to do was bring it to a new generation. Give a new generation their own team,” he said.

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 “This comes from such a pure place,” Feig continued. “This thing that [Reitman, Aykroyd and Ramis] created, this idea is such a great idea. It’s such an amazing franchise that had two amazing movies, but it could just keep going. There’s so many things you can do with it. It just seemed terrible to leave it in a box.”

 Well, no matter what happens next, that box is finally opened again.

 Contact the author at germain@io9.com. ||||| Prime your proton packs, because it's not long now before the Ghostbusters reboot haunts theaters worldwide. We've already seen a few promo photos and set shots from the film, but today we've got our first honest-to-goodness trailer. And oh boy, does it have us intrigued. The new supernatural-ass-kicking squad stars Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones, all with distinct skills and personalities. The teaser runs for about two and a half minutes and features plenty of ghouls and other Ghostbuster staples, such as the gang's iconic uniforms, the Ecto-1, and the classic theme tune. July 15th can't come soon enough. |||||
What is a shorter version of the above article?

– The first full trailer for the all-female Ghostbusters reboot is here, and the feedback is good: io9 calls it "perfect," and Deadline reports that Sony's official unveiling event Wednesday was attended by a number of "mega-fans" who gave it a standing ovation and "shouted for it to play again." The movie, out July 15, stars Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones. "It looks pretty damn good," declares MoviePilot.com. Engadget's take: "Oh boy, does it have us intrigued."


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– In a situation that was unthinkable just 24 hours ago, Donald Trump and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto gave a joint press conference Wednesday in Mexico City following an hour-long meeting between the two, reports the Los Angeles Times, which calls Trump's jaunt to Mexico both "hastily arranged" and "stunning." "We did discuss the wall," the AP quotes Trump as saying, answering the question on everyone's mind. But: "We didn't discuss payment of the wall." But ABC News reports Peña Nieto later took to Twitter, claiming he did in fact tell Trump Mexico wouldn't pay for the wall, essentially calling the candidate a liar. During the news conference, Trump maintained it was America's right to build a wall, Peña Nieto says any talk of border security needs to include stopping the flow of money and guns into Mexico, according to Politico. In addition to not addressing his long-made claim that Mexico would pay for the wall, Trump also softened his rhetoric on Mexican immigrants. "I happen to have a tremendous feeling for Mexican-Americans," Salon quotes Trump as saying. And Peña Nieto insisted that all Mexican nationals living in the US "deserve the respect of everyone." Trump ended his speech by calling Peña Nieto, a man who once compared him to Hitler, a "friend." Peña Nieto characterized his discussion with Trump as "open and constructive." He says he believes Trump really does want to help Mexico via his policies, the AP reports. Both men are "extremely unpopular" in Mexico, as the Times puts it.

A demonstrator protesting Donald Trump's meeting with the Mexican president holds up a book jacket with the title; "Stop Trump!" during a morning protest at the Angel of Independence Monument that drew... (Associated Press)

 WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the U.S. presidential campaign (all times EDT):

 4:55 p.m.

 Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto says the Mexican people have been hurt by Donald Trump's past comments that painted them in a negative light.

 Peña Nieto told reporters following a closed-door meeting that "misinterpretation or assertions" had negatively impacted perceptions of Trump's candidacy.

 He added that, the "Mexican people have been hurt by the comments that had been made." But he said he's sure that Trump is genuinely interested in building a relationship that will benefit both countries.

 Peña Nieto spoke in Spanish throughout.

 ___

 4:40 p.m.

 After meeting with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, Republican nominee Donald Trump says that both countries must respect the others' right to build a border wall on their soil to stop the movement of people, illegal drugs and weapons.

 Trump says he and PeñaNieto discussed his call for a border wall during their meeting, but did not talk about Trump's insistence that Mexico pay for it. He says, "that'll be for a later date."

 Trump says that having a secure border is a sovereign right and mutually beneficial. Mexicans have been outraged by the proposal.

 ___

 4:35 p.m.

 Republican Donald Trump is calling his surprise visit to Mexico City Wednesday a 'great honor.' And he says the nations share a common interest in keeping the hemisphere safe and prosperous.

 The Republican presidential nominee said after meeting with President Enrique Peña Nieto that the pair had a substantive, direct and constructive exchange of ideas at the president's official residence in Mexico City.

 This is Trump's first foreign visit as his party's nominee.

 ___

 4:30 p.m.

 Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto is challenging Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's characterization of the situation on the U.S.-Mexican border.

 Peña Nieto notes that the number of immigrants crossing the border illegally is down significantly "even to the point of being negative to a net effect." He spoke at a joint appearance Wednesday at the president's official residence.

 While Peña Nieto says the countries have shared challenges, he says that there exists "an incomplete vision of the border issues," with weapons and cash flowing south from the U.S. and fueling violence.

 He's also stressing U.S. exports to Mexico and the number of jobs reliant on the countries' trade relationship.

 He says the Mexican people are people of "good will" who "deserve everybody's respect."

 ___

 4:20 p.m.

 Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto says that he and Donald Trump may not agree on everything, but that their meeting underscores their countries' shared interests.

 Peña Nieto tells reporters that their meeting with the Republican nominee at the president's official residence in Mexico City was "open and constructive."

 He says in Spanish that the next president "will find in Mexico and its government" a neighbor who "wants to work constructively to strengthen even more" the relationship between their nations.

 ___

 2:55 p.m.

 An official at the Mexico City international airport says a private plane carrying Republican candidate Donald Trump has touched down at the airport.

 The official was not authorized to be quoted by name, nor did he provide the plane's registry number, or say how Trump would reach the official residence of President Enrique Pena Nieto, where the meeting with the Mexican leader is to take place.

 Pena Nieto's office has confirmed there will be a meeting and subsequent press statement at the residence, which is across town from the airport.

 Trump appeared likely to fly to the residence by helicopter, rather than cross town in any kind of motorcade.

 —By E. Eduardo Castillo in Mexico City

 ___

 1:45 p.m.

 Hillary Clinton says if elected president she will make clear that the U.S. "will treat cyberattacks just like any other attack."

 Clinton says in a speech Wednesday to the American Legion convention in Cincinnati that the U.S. needs to "step up our game" and be able to defend itself against those who "go after us."

 She blamed Russia for hacking into the Democratic National Committee and perhaps "even some state election systems."

 Clinton says the United States will be ready with "serious political, economic and military responses" to any cyberattacks.

 WikiLeaks released damaging emails during the Democratic National Convention that implied the DNC had favored Clinton over primary rival Bernie Sanders.

 ___

 1:10 p.m.

 Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine says Donald Trump has "put his feet in concrete" on his immigration positions, regardless of what the Republican nominee says in an immigration-focused speech Wednesday night.

 Kaine is visiting a Hispanic community center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, hours before Trump is set to speak and about his immigration plans. Trump's speech is being closely watched to see if he softens proposals to deport millions of people living in the United States illegally.

 Kaine says Trump's words and actions have been "frightening" to Hispanics and he doesn't expect to hear a change in tone. And he says its "hard to say" what to expect out of Trump's meeting Wednesday with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto.

 ___

 1:05 p.m.

 Hillary Clinton is blasting Donald Trump for referring to the American military as "a disaster."

 Clinton says in a sharply worded speech Wednesday to the American Legion convention that it's "an insult to the men and women serving today and all who have served before."

 The Democratic presidential nominee is reiterating that she would send American troops into harm's way only as a "last resort," calling it a bedrock principal.

 She also says the last thing the nation needs is a president "who brings more name-calling and temper tantrums to Washington," a reference to her Republican opponent.

 ___

 1 p.m.

 Hillary Clinton is tweaking rival Donald Trump's decision to travel to Mexico, saying it takes more to make up for a "year of insults and insinuations" than a quick trip to America's southern neighbor.

 Clinton says at the American Legion's annual convention in Ohio that voters need to know that they can count on you. She says "it certainly takes more than trying to make up for a year of insults and insinuations by dropping in on our neighbors for a few hours and then flying home again."

 The Democratic presidential nominee adds, "That is not how it works."

 Trump was meeting with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto later Wednesday. Trump's surprise visit was coming hours before a major address on immigration in Arizona.

 ___

 12:55 p.m.

 Hillary Clinton says the United States in "an exceptional nation" and is accusing rival Donald Trump of thinking that approach is "insulting to the rest of the world."

 Clinton is speaking to the American Legion's annual convention in Cincinnati. She says the U.S. is an indispensable nation and has a "unique and unparalleled ability to be a force for peace and progress."

 Referencing Trump's threats to "walk away from our alliances," she notes that when America fails to lead, the country leaves a vacuum for the rest of the world to fill.

 ___

 11:25 a.m.

 Just days after Hillary Clinton criticized the Trump campaign for promoting groups and individuals associated with preserving "white identity," Donald Trump Jr. has retweeted an adherent of the "alt-right" movement that Clinton singled out for criticism.

 Donald Trump's oldest son this week retweeted a post from Kevin MacDonald, a former professor at California State University Long Beach. MacDonald said last week that white people in America are becoming a victimized minority. He has been accused of anti-Semitism by critics, including the Southern Poverty Law Center.

 MacDonald's tweet had to do with Clinton's State Department and perceived favoritism for UBS, a global financial services company that donated to the Clinton Foundation.

 Trump Jr.'s retweet prompted Richard Spencer, a leader of the alt-right movement, to tweet "Wow. Just wow."

 ___

 9:50 a.m.

 Mike Pence says that Donald Trump's trip to Mexico demonstrates what a "decisive leader" he would be if elected president.

 Trump's running mate told Fox News Wednesday that Trump immediately responded to an invitation by Mexico's President Enrique Peña Nieto to meet. He noted that Hillary Clinton received the same invitation but hasn't responded yet.

 Pence said that Trump and Pena Nieto are expected to discuss the logistics of Trump's proposed border wall — something Trump insists Mexico will pay for, despite Pena Nieto's condemnation of the plan.

 ___

 9:35 a.m.

 At least two demonstrations are planned in Mexico City as Mexicans express anger about the visit of Donald Trump.

 Former first lady Margarita Zavala wrote in a tweet aimed at Trump: "Even though you may have been invited, we want you to know you're not welcome. We Mexicans have dignity, and we reject your hate speech." She's considered a potential presidential candidate for 2018.

 Pena Nieto's office hasn't said where or when the meeting would be held, possibly in a bid to avoid protests outside the meeting site.

 Leading historian Enrique Krauze also addressed Trump in a tweek, saying "We Mexicans expect nothing less than an apology for calling us "criminals and rapists".

 Krauze told the Televisa TV network that, "Tyrants are to be confronted, not pacified."

 ___

 8:30 a.m.

 Mexico has awakened to the news that President Enrique Pena Nieto is going to meet with Republican candidate Donald Trump Wednesday, and many Mexicans don't like it.

 Some analysts said the Republican nominee had left Pena Nieto flat-footed by accepting an invitation the Mexican president had made simply for appearances' sake. Trump is widely loathed in Mexico for calling migrants from the country "rapists" among other insults.

 Mexico City-based security analyst Alejandro Hope suggested that Pena Nieto "wanted to invite Hillary (Clinton), but that meant inviting both of them, and nobody thought Trump would accept first."

 He added: "What's in it for Mexico? "

 The newspaper El Universal wrote in an editorial that Trump "caught Mexican diplomats off guard" by accepting the invitation.

 ___

 3:10 a.m.

 Donald Trump will be taking his first foreign trip as the Republican presidential nominee on Wednesday, making a quick visit to Mexico, a nation he derided as the home of rapists and criminals as he launched his campaign.

 The meeting with President Enrique Pena Nieto, who earlier this year compared the billionaire candidate to Hitler, comes hours before Trump is set to deliver a highly-anticipated immigration speech. It's a defining issue for Trump, but one on which he has appeared to waiver.

 After saying during his primary campaign he would expel all of the estimated 11 million people living in the country illegally with a "deportation force," Trump has suggested recently he might be open to "softening" his stance as he tries to win over more moderate general election voters. ||||| GOP nominee Donald Trump waxed diplomatic during a joint news conference with Mexico's President Enrique Peña Nieto in Mexico City on Wednesday afternoon.

 "We had a very substantive, direct, and constructive exchange of ideas over quite a period of time," Trump said. The U.S. and Mexico "are united by our support of democracy, a great love for our people and the contributions of millions of Mexican-Americans to the United States. And I happen to have a tremendous feeling for Mexican-Americans."

 Whether genuine or not, Trump on Wednesday diverged heavily from his hard-line primary rhetoric — about deporting 11 million illegal immigrants — and laid out a five-point plan for a hemispheric approach to U.S. relations with Mexico.

 Trump called illegal immigration — from Central and South America to the U.S. — a "humanitarian disaster" for "the extreme physical dangers" that the "trek" poses.

 "Having a secure border is a sovereign right and mutually beneficial," he argued before alluding to his proposed wall along the southern border of the United States: "We recognize and respect the right of either country to build a physical barrier or wall on any of its borders to stop the illegal movement of people, drugs and weapons."

 As for his previous promises to supporters that the Mexican government would for whatever reason pay for said wall, Trump said, "We didn't discuss that." ||||| Trump gets what he wanted in Mexico The Republican nominee gets his presidential moment south of the border.

 Donald Trump could barely have scripted it better. After a year of tormenting Mexico as a hostile foe, he stepped to a podium on Mexican soil — alongside the country’s leader Enrique Peña Nieto — and got a president’s welcome.

 Trump emerged from an hourlong huddle with Peña Nieto and the pair delivered side-by-side statements, embedding subtle criticisms of each other inside enthusiastic declarations of mutual respect. But it was the precise visual Trump had hoped for: a bilateral news conference that amounted to a preview of what similar international trips might look like in a Trump presidency.

 Story Continued Below

 In written remarks — delivered in stilted bursts — Trump clung tightly to his arguments that the North America Free Trade Agreement had benefited Mexico disproportionately to the United States’ detriment. He described a mutual agreement with Peña Nieto about each country’s right to build a border wall. Peña Nieto even contended that Trump’s hot-blooded rhetoric about Mexicans has been, in some cases, “misinterpretations.”

 Yet the most striking development may have been Trump’s decision to simply ignore the central policy proposal of his campaign: forcing Mexico to pay for the 2,000-mile wall. Trump, responding to a reporter’s question, said financing for the wall simply didn’t come up in the conversation with Peña Nieto, that the talks were “preliminary” and could be continued later. (Peña Nieto later disputed that on Twitter, writing, "At the start of the conversation with Donald Trump I made it clear Mexico will not pay for the wall.")

 But it was a striking departure from his campaign-trail posture; so synonymous with the Trump candidacy is the wall proposal that adoring fans chant “Mexico!” at rallies when he asks who will fund his plan.

 In a speech he plans to deliver later Wednesday in Phoenix, Trump is expected to detail his immigration policy, which has suddenly become a moving target despite forming the core of his candidacy for the past year. Along with a Mexico-financed wall, he’s long pledged mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.

 A campaign spokesman reiterated as recently as Tuesday that Trump still intends to force Mexico to pay for the wall. Sean Spicer, a Republican National Committee spokesman, added that he doesn’t expect Trump's speech to include much of a departure from his previously stated policies.

 “I don't want to get ahead of the speech, but he's made it very clear that everyone who is not in the country legally must leave the country so I don't expect to see any kind of departure from that,” he said on CNN Wednesday afternoon.

 Peña Nieto, squeezed by political leaders in his own country, strained to deliver subtle rejections of Trump’s language while maintaining his pledge to be impartial in the American election. He delivered a methodical dismantling of Trump’s anti-NAFTA arguments, noting that trade with Mexico supports as many as 6 million American jobs. He also reminded Trump that for all the undocumented immigrants and drugs flowing north, illegal cash and weapons are flowing south.

 “This is a point of view of border issues that’s clearly incomplete because it doesn’t consider the illegal flux of weapons and cash that come into the South,” he said. “Every year millions of weapons and millions of dollars cross illegally into Mexico from the North that strengthen cartels and other criminal organizations that generate violence in Mexico and receives earnings from drug sales in the United States. This flow has to be stopped.”

 Illegal immigration to the United States had slowed since its peak a decade ago, he added. And he referred obliquely to Trump’s disparagement of undocumented immigrants from Mexico as rapists or criminals.

 “People of Mexican heritage in the U.S. contribute every day with their work, talent, and creativity, to the prosperity and development of the U.S. and Mexico. Mexicans living in the U.S. are honest and hardworking people — they are people of goodwill, who respect family, who respect living in community, and who respect the law,” he said. “This is why Mexicans deserve everyone's respect.”

 Later, Peña Nieto lamented that there’s been “misinterpretations and statements that have unfortunately hurt and affected Mexicans in the way he's presented his candidacy,” but he added that “I was sure that his genuine interest was to build a relationship.”

 Trump, who delivered his statement second, embraced Peña Nieto’s language, referring to the “deep and sincere” bond between America and Mexico and referred frequently to “we,” “us” and even “our hemisphere” when describing his posture toward Mexico, a far cry from the “America First” language that typically threads his speeches at home.

 Republicans largely greeted Trump’s visit as a success, primarily because he’d set a low bar and managed to exceed it.

 “[Hillary] Clinton's framework is that Trump would embarrass the country abroad. He didn't,” said Josh Holmes, a Republican operative and former adviser to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. “This Mexico trip worked for Trump in the short term.”

 Peña Nieto’s predecessors were less diplomatic about their president’s decision to host Trump. Vicente Fox said the visit simply legitimized Trump’s earlier harsh rhetoric. After the speech, Felipe Calderon called Trump a “hypocrite” for changing his tone.

 “I don't believe him. He is lying. He doesn't mean what he says,” Calderon said on CNN. “He says we're rapists and tomorrow he says we're wonderful, smart, hardworking people. He is lying. And for that reason, I think, I was very, very sorry, I'm very sorry he came to Mexico. I think it was a very important mistake."

 Democrats and even Trump’s detractors among Republicans argue that it’s too late for him to persuade large numbers of Hispanic voters to support his candidacy. Rather, they viewed his trip as a chance to frame his immigration speech and also to convince undecided white voters with concerns about his temperament that he can be trusted with international affairs.

 Whether the speech turns out to be a watershed in the campaign or a too-little-too-late desperation play is unclear.

 But with a firm handshake, and a declaration that Peña Nieto is a “friend,” Trump strode out of the presidential palace in Mexico City assured that, for a moment, he exceeded international expectations. And then he boarded his plane to Phoenix.

 Bianca Padro Ocasio and Tyler Pager contributed to this report. ||||| "My job is to protect Mexicans wherever they are, and I will continue to do that," Peña Nieto told Trump, the two men standing at lecterns on a stage with one flag, Mexico's. "Mexicans who live in the U.S. contribute to prosperity there.... They are people who are honest and hardworking. They respect the law ... and deserve the respect of everyone." ||||| Mexico President Enrique Pena Nieto and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump shake hands after a joint statement at Los Pinos, the presidential official residence, in Mexico City, Wednesday, Aug.... (Associated Press)

 MEXICO CITY (AP) — Standing alongside the president of Mexico, a measured Donald Trump on Wednesday firmly defended the right of the United States to build a massive border wall along its southern flank but declined to repeat his frequent promise to force Mexico to pay for it.

 Trump, the U.S. presidential candidate who is widely despised across Mexico, also sidestepped his repeated criticism of Mexican immigrants following a closed-door meeting at the official residence of the country's president, Enrique Pena Nieto. Trump and Pena Nieto, who has compared the New York billionaire to Adolf Hitler, addressed reporters from adjacent podiums flanked by a Mexican flag.

 "We did discuss the wall. We didn't discuss payment of the wall," Trump said.

 In his announcement of his presidential candidacy last year, Trump derided Mexico as a source of rapists and criminals coming to the U.S., and his presence on Wednesday sparked anger and protests across the capital city. A former Mexican president bluntly told the celebrity businessman that, despite Pena Nieto's hospitality, he was not welcome.

 "We don't like him. We don't want him. We reject his visit," former President Vicente Fox told CNN, calling the trip a "political stunt."

 Pena Nieto was less combative as he addressed reporters alongside Trump. He acknowledged the two men had differences, but he described their conversation as "open and constructive." They shook hands as the session ended.

 The trip, a politically risky move for Trump 10 weeks before America's presidential Election Day, came just hours before the Republican nominee was to deliver a highly anticipated speech in Arizona about illegal immigration. That has been a defining issue of Trump's presidential campaign, but also one on which he's appeared to waver in recent days.

 After saying during his Republican primary campaign he would use a "deportation force" to expel all of the estimated 11 million people living in the United States illegally, Trump suggested last week he could soften that stance. But he still says he plans to build a huge wall — paid for by Mexico — along the two nations' border. He is under pressure to clarify just where he stands in a speech that's been rescheduled several times as he and his staff has sent varied and conflicting messages on the issue.

 "The American people are going to see more clearly that there's one candidate in this race who's prepared to take the steps necessary to end the flood of illegal immigration," Trump's running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, said Wednesday on CNN.

 Trump will also make clear, Pence later told CBS, "that there will be no path to legalization, no path to citizenship. People will need to leave the country to be able to obtain legal status or obtain citizenship."

 The buildup to the speech was abruptly interrupted Tuesday night by the news that Trump would visit Mexico, accepting on short notice an invitation offered last week by Pena Nieto. The newspaper El Universal wrote in an editorial that Trump "caught Mexican diplomats off guard."

 Campaigning in Ohio earlier in the day, Democrat Hillary Clinton jabbed at Trump's Mexican appearance as she promoted her own experience working with foreign leaders as the nation's chief diplomat.

 "People have to get to know that they can count on you, that you won't say one thing one day and something totally different the next," she told the American Legion in Cincinnati. "And it certainly takes more than trying to make up for a year of insults and insinuations by dropping in on our neighbors for a few hours and then flying home again."

 He has promised, if elected, to deport millions of immigrants who are in the United States illegally, force Mexico to build a wall to secure the nearly 2,000-mile border and renegotiate the NAFTA trade agreement to make it more favorable to the United States.

 Pena Nieto made his invitation to both Trump and Clinton, who met with him in Mexico in 2014. The inclusion of Trump puzzled many in Mexico, who said it wasn't clear why their own unpopular president would agree to meet with someone so widely disliked in his country.

 Mexico City-based security analyst Alejandro Hope suggested that Pena Nieto "wanted to invite Hillary, but that meant inviting both of them, and nobody thought Trump would accept first."

 Pena Nieto has been sharply critical of Trump's immigration policies, particularly the Republican's plans to build a wall and have Mexico pay for it. In a March interview, he said that "there is no scenario" under which Mexico would do so and compared Trump's language to that of dictators Hitler and Benito Mussolini.

 Trump responded to Vicente Fox's criticism on Twitter earlier in the day, saying the former president had, like Pena Nieto, invited him to come. Fox shot back with a tweet of his own, saying he had invited Trump to "come and apologize to all Mexicans. Stop lying! Mexico is not yours to play with, show some respect."

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 Peoples reported from Washington. AP writer Jill Colvin in Phoenix contributed to this report. |||||