Arnold Schwarzeneggar Questions

Open-ended question:

How does money start showing up?

Close-ended question:

You just said "you're absolutely right"?

Follow-up question:

Did you think that if you gave her money she wouldn't talk?

Why would you have an affair with Mildred when you already have a family?

Arnold Schwarzeneggar's behavior is very hesitant and awkward.

Arnold appears uncomfortable because of how he is stuttering and the eye contact that he is making. Also, how he is always interrupting the reporter.

Student of the Month

Student of the Month: Alex Barcenas

1. How does it feel to win student of the month?
2. Why do you think you won?
3. What were you thinking when they announced your name?
4. Were you expecting to win?
5. What advice would you give to somebody that wants to win or be nominated?
6. How did you feel when you realized people had nominated you?
7. How are you going to encourage others to do good to be nominated?
8. What will your parents say when you tell them you won?

Student: Laura Godinez

1. Do you think Alex deserved to win?
2. Why do you feel that way?
3. What do you think students should have to win?
4. How would you feel if you found out you had been nominated?
5. What do you think about this new award?
6. Why do you think students get nominated?
7. How are you expecting students to act now that we have this award?
8. What are you going to do to to try and become nominated?

Teacher: Ms. Dittmar

1. How did you feel when you saw Alex won?
2. Why did you nominate her for the award?
3. What characteristics does she have that influenced you to nominate her?
4. How does Alex act in class?
5. How will this award encourage students to do better?
6. How will this effect students who never get nominated?
7. How do you think students will feel when they're nominated but don't win?
8. What will you say when students ask you to nominate them but they don't deserve it?

School Uniforms

Principal: Mr. Kane

1. Why did you decide to require school uniforms?
2. What is the purpose of the uniforms?
3. How are the school uniforms different from students' regular clothes?
4. What will the benefits be from this change?
5. Did other administrators agree with your decision?
6. What will you do when parents call and complain?
7. How long do you plan to have the school uniforms?
8. How will you deal with students who are angry and don't wear the uniforms?

Student: Jocelyn Sanchez

1. How do you feel about the new change to uniforms?
2. Why do you feel that way?
3. What do you think will be different now that there are uniforms?
4. What were you thinking when you heard that there will now be uniforms?
5. How will students' attitude change?
6. Why do you think the uniforms are necessary or unnecessary?
7. How are you going to feel when you see everyone wearing the same outfit?
8. What did your parents think about the decision?

Teacher: Mrs. G-J

1. How did your students react to this change?
2. Why do you think uniforms are now required?
3. What disadvantages will come from this decision?
4. What is your opinion on the uniforms?
5. What will you do when you see kids that are not wearing the uniform?
6. How will you encourage kids to wear the uniform?
7. What are you going to say when students talk harshly about the decision?
8. How do you think this will affect the students?

Current Events Quiz #5

1. What Texas state senator is currently battling the White House over the topic of "Obamacare"? (hint he is from San Antonio and he is a Republican)

Bill Clinton

2. What area high school is under fire from the public over hiring an administrator who was investigated for sending inappropriate text messages to a student?
West Lake

3. What fast food restaurant announced yesterday that they would be offering low fat french fries?
Burger King

4. What Texas Major League baseball team is trying to make the play-offs and is just one game out of the last wild card spot?
Rangers

5. Name one of the two new grocery stores that opened in the area recently? (hint one is a transplant company from California, the other already has one store in Austin, but just opened its second in South Austin)
Wheatsville co-op

Answer the two questions below, please write at least a paragraph (3-5 sentences):

REMINDER - Some of you are not writing enough here. A single sentence isn't enough. I expect you to expand upon your writing. If you think you have written enough, you haven't, write more. Be sure to answer WHY you think something.

1. Do you think individuals should be responsible for acquiring their own health insurance either through their employer or with their own money? Why?
I think individuals should be responsible for acquiring health insurance through their employer. It is not as expensive through your employer and could help you out a lot. Also, I think it's more convenient to have insurance through your employer, but also could be harmful if you lose your job.


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2. Do you think the government should fund and support individuals who either cannot afford their own insurance or whose employers do not pay for health care? Why?
I think the government should support individuals whose employers don't pay for health care. It wouldn't be fair if some peoples employer's pay for their heath care and other people's employer's don't, meaning they would have to pay for it on their own. Everybody should be equal when it comes to health care.

Practice Interview Questions

1. Barack Obama

-What does it feel like to be the President of the United States?

-What do you think about the shooting that happened at the mall in Kenya?

-How do you keep track of all of your responsibilities?

2. Stephen Kane

-What is the purpose of FITT?

-Why cant students use the restroom the first 15 minutes of class or the last 15 minutes of class?

-Why are students allowed to only have one earphone in during school?

3. Adolf Hitler

-Why were you so cruel to Jewish people?

-What caused you to do such a thing (Holocaust)?

-How did you feel whenever you watched people die?

4. Hillary Clinton

-What was like to be married to the President of the United States?

-Why did you run for presidency?

-How did it feel to be nominated as the U.S. Secretary of State?

5. Lance Armstrong

-What was it like to win Tour de France seven times?

-How did you feel once you were disqualified and banned?

-Why did you use drugs?

My Top Story of the Century

   Armstrong and his team had been planning for quite some time for a human to set foot on the moon and it finally happened in 1969. Armstrong and his partner explored the surface for two and a half hours, taking pictures and gathering samples. They returned home safely with much to tell.
   I think this was the third most interesting event from the 1900's because it had never been done before. President Kennedy wanted to place a man on the moon before the decade was over, and the fact that that was actually accomplished is amazing. Billions of people were watching and waiting for this event to happen and it will forever be remembered in history.

   The U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Japan, three days after the bombing of Hiroshima. The bombing on Hiroshima and Nagasaki happened because Japan refused to accept the terms of the Potsdam Declaration. After both bombings, Japan accepted the Potsdam Declaration and surrendered to the United States.
   I think this was the second most interesting event from the 1900's. This event happened because of what happened in Pearl Harbor. It's amazing how quickly things happen and how quick the U.S is to get revenge.

   Japan launched 181 planes that were filled with torpedo bombers, dive bombers, and horizontal bombers and fighters. The Japanese hit American ships and military installations. The reason for the simultaneous attacks was to destroy American ships before they could get to Japan.
   I think this was the most interesting event from the 1900's. The bombing of Pearl Harbor is what caused the U.S to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki. If Japan wouldn't have bombed us, then maybe there wouldn't have been such a violent bombing in their country.  

Peer Reading - 3 Little Pigs

http://eblogger4.blogspot.com/

A. She answered all of the questions in her lead except for "where".

B. Her main verb used in the lead was demolished.

C. I think demolished is a strong verb because it describes that great harm was done.

D. The next important thing she covered was that the wolf was trying to get the pig away from the house so that the wolf could eat him, but the pig was too smart and was tricking the wolf.

E. I agree, that is the next most important thing they should have covered because without the pig out-smarting the wolf, the pig would have probably been eaten.

F. Yes, they finished their entire Three Little Pigs story.

Current Events Quiz #4

1. What hotel developer is suing the City of Austin for lost incentives?

Best Western

2. Which country had a major train versus bus accident yesterday morning?
Canada

3. What is the name of the woman who will announce on Oct. 3 if she is running for Governor of Texas (Spelling does NOT count)?
V.D (initials)

4. What school district wants to create a road through a nature preserve to expedite getting kids to school faster and easier?
Leander

5. Who does the University of Texas play this weekend in football?
Kansas State

Answer the questions below, please write at least a paragraph (3-5 sentences):

1. Do you think the general public should be allow to carry handguns on public property either with a concealed handgun license or visibly on their person (again with a license)? Make sure you tell me WHY, yes and no answers are NOT acceptable!

Yes, I think that people should be able to carry handguns if they have a license. There are some people that try and harm people in the public with guns, and if somebody else has a gun and can stop them from shooting others, then it should be allowed. I think that it should only be for safety reasons to be allowed to carry a gun.

"The Three Little Pigs"

   The wolf was bothering the three little pigs by trying to enter into their homes, but they did not want him to so he viciously blew their houses down and ate them, except for one.
   The pigs needed to make their own houses so that they would have a place to live. The wolf asked to go into the house made of straw, but wasn't allowed to, so he blew it down and ate the pig.
   He then went to the house that was made of furze and asked to go inside but was denied to enter as well, so he ate the second pig.
   The wolf went to the house made of bricks and once again, asked to go inside the home and was not allowed to, but the his strong blow wasn't powerful enough for the brick house.
   The wolf was angry about not being able to blow over the house so he tried to trick the third pig into going to look for turnips with him. The pig knew better than to go with him, so he went early before the wolf got there. The wolf tried many times to get the pig to go to different places with him but all of his plans failed.
   Later, the pig frightened the wolf by rolling down a hill past him in a butter churn. The wolf was so upset and told the pig he would eat him. So, the pig started a fire underneath the chimney and when the wolf came down, he landed in the fire and was boiling. The pig then ate him for supper.
 

Notes: Inverted Pyramid/Car Accident

News story lead: who, what, where, when, why, & how?

Second part:
-More detail about topic,
-helpful information about story,
-gives additional facts,
-order of importance

Third part:
-additional information
-least important things at the bottom

Lead:
Roger Clementine got into a car accident Tuesday morning. He was in a head on collision at the intersection of South First St. and Slaughter Ln. Clementine was driving in the wrong lane and was speeding.

-Who else was involved: John and his wife Melba
-Condition: how are they
-Condition of accident: 60 MPH vs. 10 MPH and which direction they were going
-Weather
-Result of accident- Clementine was cited
-Type of cars and condition of cars

Current Events Quiz #3

1. What lake is the LCRA and the City of Austin currently in discussions about because there is a proposal to lower the lake level by nearly three feet?
Lake Austin

2. What event will feature more than 250 authors in mid-October?
Poets of Amercia

3. What company held its annual "tech conference" yesterday and announced a pair of new cell phones?
Apple

4. The main story on the Life and Arts section focused on weekly ritual that some UT football fans complete each weekend. What do we call their social gatherings before football games?
Tailgating

5. What major Big-12 university is currently under NCAA scrutiny for breaking rules regarding cash payments and other incentives for student-athletes?
Oklahoma State
Answer BOTH of the questions below, please write at least a paragraph (3-5 sentences):

1. What effects are the current drought directly having on your life? Do you notice the effects and if so where and how do you see them?
The current drought isn't really having any affect on my life. I don't notice the effects either. I do know that many parts of the country aren't getting enough rain and that could be the main cause of it.

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2. What do you think authorities should do to try and help this region of the country battle the worsening drought?
I think authorities should ban any type of fire such as campfires and fireworks. Also, they should have set times for water to be dropped from helicopters or planes. Authorities should also have people set their sprinklers to help the ground.

Headlines, Links, and Photos

Syria 'Welcomes' Russian Call to Give Up Chemical Weapons

Police: Woman tried to hire teens to kill husband

Obama faces heavy public opposition on Syria

Fan falls to his death at San Francisco's Candlestick Park

Neiman Marcus Avoids IPO, Sold For $6B

Instagram to Start Experimenting With Advertising

Sandra Bullock 'didn't feel worthy' of her Oscar

Second 49ers-Packers officiating error: Joe Staley didn't commit penalty

In South Florida, a Polluted Bubble Ready to Burst

 

Almost a quarter of men 'admit to rape in parts of Asia'

 

Class Is Seen Dividing Harvard Business School

 

 

Ethics: Offensive Images

   Images of the Prophet Muhammad were published in 2005 but they didn't seem to cause much ruches  until they were published again in 2006. They were published in a Danish newspaper. These cartoons sparked riots in the Islamic world. Many people were killed and buildings were burned because of the offensive images.
   I don't think that the cartoons should have been published. If there was already tension between the danish and islamic cultures than why cause more? They shouldn't have been published because it's not right to purposely cause harm to someone. One of the key ethics points is to minimize harm, which was obviously not done in this case. The journalist could have only described the pictures, not post all of them.

Ethics: The Media's Foul Ball

   A fan was at a baseball game, the Cubs verses the Marlins. The man tried  to grab a foul ball, preventing one of the team members from catching it. Angry fans yelled and threw things at him and he was escorted out by security guards. His face was popular in the media but his name was unknown. Later, his name was brought out into the public and people continued to say harsh things about him.
   I do not think that he should be identified by the media because it's dangerous and likely that people will try to do some type of physical or emotional harm to him. It's not right to publicly identify him because it will only create negative thoughts and actions. Everybody that see him or hear his name will think of him as the guy that caused the Cubs the lose the game. The man had already apologized and he shouldn't have to deal with hateful or negative feedback, especially since he said that it wasn't his intention to keep the player from catching it.

Ethics: Naming Victims Of Sex Crimes

   There were three different sexual assault crimes that were reported in this article. In one crime, a 14-year-old girl was kidnapped and gone for nine months before she was found, alive. In another crime, a brother and sister were missing but they later found only the sister. The brother's body was eventually found in a campsite. Their kidnapper was a registered sex offender. In the last crime, a boy disappeared and was found four days later. Not only his body was found, but another boy who had disappeared four years earlier was also found.
   I do not think that is ethically acceptable to use the names of children who are thought to be sexual assault victims. Their names should be discontinued once they are positively found to be victims of such a crime. It could be embarrassing to the child to have that kind of attention put on them. Sexual assault is an awful crime and is something that victims may not want to keep thinking about or talking about. Once their name is in the media, everybody wants to ask questions and know what happened. Their names shouldn't be mentioned because it is private thing that the victim and the victim's family need to deal with, not the whole world. Also, if people know the victims' names, it could cause more pain to the victim because of the things some people might say to them or ask them.

Current Events Quiz #2

1. What is the name of the Travis County District Attorney who was recently arrested for DWI (spelling does NOT count)?
Rosemary Luhemberg 
2. What happened to Ariel Castro, the man who was convicted of kidnapping, raping and beating three women he kept imprisoned for more than 10 years?
He committed suicide by hanging himself

3. Which Texas high school had a major fight where one student was killed and three others were injured in a stabbing? 
Spring Hill High School

4. What new technology item is Samsung set to release, beating Apple to the punch?
A water-proof phone

5. What art medium does local artist Eleanor "Niz" Heraslmchuk use in her street art culture?
graffiti 
Answer BOTH of the questions below, please write at least a paragraph (3-5 sentences):

1. What, if anything, should Bowie High School do to help prevent a serious crime from taking place on campus?
Bowie High School doesn't need to do anything to help prevent a crime. They have all the doors locked that let people into the academic hallways and the doors to the courtyard. As long as security officers keep walking around at all times, I think we're good.

2. Are you worried about your safety on this campus and WHY?
I am not worried about my safety on this campus. There are always officers and security guards walking around making sure nothing bad is happening. The chances of something serious happening here at Bowie are pretty slim.

Impact

IMPACT. This article matches with impact because of the effect it will have on people who now realize that their calls are being recorded. Not only drug dealers, but regular people who don't want the government to know their  personal business.

Found at the Austin American Statesman

DRUG POLICY

AT&T keeps call records for work of drug police

Billions of entries held ready for swift subpoena action.

By Eileen Sullivan and Gene Johnson ASSOCIATED PRESS

   SEATTLE — For at least six years, federal drug and other agents have had near-immediate access to billions of phone call records dating back decades in a collaboration with AT&T that officials have taken pains to keep secret, newly released documents show.

   The program is called the Hemisphere Project. It’s paid for by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and it allows investigators armed with subpoenas to quickly mine the company’s vast database to help track down drug traffickers or other suspects who switch cellphones to avoid detection.

   The details of the Hemisphere Project come amid a national debate about the federal government’s access to phone records, particularly the bulk collection of phone records for national security purposes.

   Hemisphere, however, takes a different approach from that of the National Security Agency, which maintains a database of call records handed over by phone companies as authorized by the Patriot Act.

   “Subpoenaing drug dealers’ phone records is a bread-and-butter tactic in the course of criminal investigations,” Justice Department spokesman Brian Fallon said in an email. “The records are maintained at all times by the phone company, not the government. This program simply streamlines the process of serving the subpoena to the phone company so law enforcement can quickly keep up with drug dealers when they switch phone numbers to try to avoid detection.”

   A series of slides detailing Hemisphere show the database includes not just records of AT&T customers, but of any call that passes through an AT&T switch.

   The federal government pays the salaries of four AT&T employees who work in three federal anti-drug offices around the country to expedite subpoena requests.

Conflict

CONFLICT.  This article matches with conflict because the president wants to do different things and the teachers, who it would affect, don't want him to. It would be a philosophical conflict because of their disagreement.

Found at the Austin American Statesman

Mexican president touts school reform

Leader pushes plan to have teachers take regular exams.

By Olga Rodriguez ASSOCIATED PRESS

   MEXICO CITY — President Enrique Peña Nieto used his first state-of-the-nation address Monday to push an aggressive reform agenda that seemed to be on the ropes last week, as protesting teachers attempted to block his plan for mandatory evaluations.

   Peña Nieto opened the speech praising a midnight vote by the lower house of Congress to set up a competitive examination system for hiring teachers and to require them to pass regular evaluations in order to remain in the classroom.

   The education bill still must be approved by the Senate, and protesting teachers who blocked Mexico City’s main freeway and access to its airport last week continue to occupy the capital’s main plaza.

   “Resistance is a natural consequence when you are pushing a transformation,” he said of the protesters, who also caused him to change the date and location of his speech. “Our dilemma had been whether to continue to stagnate or to allow the state to recover the leadership and transform and improve the quality of education.”

   Touting accomplishments in other fields, Peña Nieto reported a significant drop in murders and drug-related killings since he took office, though many doubt those statistics. He said the government had captured 65 of 122 most-wanted criminals in the last nine months, though that list has not been made public.

   Peña Nieto came to office with a lot of swagger and an aggressive agenda. He promised to make Mexico an economic powerhouse, overcoming its image as a violence-torn land overrun by drug traffickers.

Proximity

 PROXIMITY. This article matches proximity because it affects the travis county area which we are located in.

Found at the Austin American Statesman

TRAVIS COUNTY

   CAPITAL METRO AWARDED $11.3 MILLION GRANT

   Capital Metro has won an $11.3 million federal “TIGER” grant, U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett’s office said Friday, money that will likely be used to upgrade the agency’s freight and passenger rail line and to buy buses powered by compressed natural gas rather than diesel.

   Capital Metro in June had applied to the U.S. Department of Transportation for $20 million, said Dan Dawson, the agency’s vice president of marketing and communications, part of a proposed $53 million in spending.

   The remaining $33.6 million was to come from Capital Metro’s locally generated revenue, including its 1 percent sales tax.

   Dawson said the agency, given that the grant is less than requested, will now review the original work plan and decide what to do with the available money.

   — BEN WEAR, AMERICAN-STATESMAN

Timeliness

TIMELINESS. This article matches timeliness because the fire happened a couple days ago and is still going on today. It is not expected to end until September 20 as of today.

Found at the Austin American Statesman

CALIFORNIA

Wildfire crews make gains; blaze further contained

ASSOCIATED PRESS

   YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, CALIf. — Crews working to corral the massive wildfire searing the edge of Yosemite National Park made major gains on the blaze overnight and were anticipating additional advances on Tuesday with the help of cooler temperatures and higher humidity, officials said.

   The fire was 60 percent contained as of Monday, up from 45 percent Sunday night, according to California fire officials. The blaze also grew about 9 square miles and now covers more than 357 square miles. It has now consumed 231,000 acres.

   Full containment is not expected until Sept. 20.

   Mandatory evacuations remain in effect for some south of Highway 120 and Tioga Road west of Yosemite Creek Picnic Area is closed.

   Crews will continue building fire lines and burning away potential fuel sources.

   “We do have a nice window here of more cooperative weather,” state fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said.

   Gusty winds and dryer conditions are expected midweek, however, again raising the fire danger, Berlant said.

   Wind shifts on Friday dumped smoke into the Yosemite Valley, which appeared hazy with decreased visibility on video streaming from webcams in the park. Another shift in the wind is expected Monday or Tuesday, which should help clear the smoke out of the area, park ranger Kari Cobb said.

   There has been a noticeable decline in visitors to the park, she said, partly because of the fire’s smoke but also because of road closures in the park.

Novelty

NOVELTY. This article matches with novelty because it's unusual that somebody could achieve such a goal and  it's interesting.

Found at the Austin American Statesman

SWIMMING

Determined Nyad finally achieves goal

Swimmer goes from Cuba to Key West on her 5th attempt.

By Jenni5er Kay ASSOCIATED PRESS

   KEY WEST, FLA. — Looking dazed and sunburned, U.S. endurance swimmer Diana Nyad staggered onto the shore of Key West Monday, becoming the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage.

   The 64-year-old swam up to the beach just before 2 p.m., about 53 hours after she began her journey in Havana on Saturday. As she approached, spectators waded into waist-high water and surrounded her, taking pictures and cheering her on.

   “I have three messages. One is, we should never, ever give up. Two is, you’re never too old to chase your dream. Three is, it looks like a solitary sport, but it is a team,” she said on the beach.

   “I have to say, I’m a little bit out of it right now,” Nyad said. Her lips were swollen by jellyfish stings, and her mouth bruised by face gear she wore to protect her from the venomous tentacles.

   People from around the world tracked Nyad on her website and rooted for her. President Barack Obama and Florida Gov. Rick Scott took to Twitter to congratulate her.

   Her team said she had been slurring her words while she was out in the water. She was on a stretcher on the beach and received an IV before she was taken by ambulance to a hospital.

   Despite a Sunday-night storm that brought winds of up to 23 knots and bouts with nausea, Nyad made good time in the first half of the swim. A favorable current helped her, and by about 5 a.m. Monday she was on course to conquer her dream.

   Nyad’s journey began in 1978, when she first tried with a shark cage but came up short. She gave up swimming for decades, but conquering the Florida Straits continued to eat away at her. In her 60s, she trained to regain her old form.

   She made her second attempt in 2011, followed by two more failed attempts. This time, the support team accompanying her had equipment that generated an electrical field around her, designed to repel sharks.

Human Interest

HUMAN INTEREST. This article matches with human interest because of the emotional issues that the loved ones of the people that died will have to face and deal with.

http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/ODE/AustinAmericanStatesmanNIE/

WAR IN AFGHANISTAN

3 killed in attack on U.S. base

Casualties said to be Taliban insurgents in what NATO calls a failed attack.

By Rhim Faiez and Rahmat Gul ASSOCIATED PRESS

   MOHMANDARA DISTRICT, AfgHANISTAN — Militants attacked a U.S. base in Afghanistan near the border with Pakistan on Monday, setting off bombs, torching vehicles and shutting down a key road used by NATO supply trucks, officials said. At least three people — apparently all attacking insurgents — were killed.

   The Taliban claimed responsibility for the strike in the Torkham area, the latest in a surge of attacks in Afghanistan as U.S.-led foreign troops reduce their presence en route to a full withdrawal by the end of next year. Militants frequently target NATO’s supply lines in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

   Attacks on Afghan security forces and civilians have also mounted this week killing dozens and adding to fears the draw-down of foreign troops, most of whom are due to leave the country by the end of next year, is allowing insurgents to regain lost territory.

   In a brief statement, NATO confirmed an “unsuccessful coordinated attack by enemy forces” but said none of its personnel were killed. The military alliance generally does not release information on wounded troops. No members of the Afghan security forces or civilians were killed or wounded, according to Esa Khan Zwak, chief administrator in Mohmandara district, in which the base is located.

   Ahmad Zia Abdulzai, spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar province, said several militants wearing suicide vests and carrying other weapons staged the attack, and that Afghan and U.S. forces exchanged gunfire with the insurgents. NATO helicopters joined the fight, he added.

   The encounter began around 6:30 a.m. and lasted three-and-a-half hours, said Masoum Khan Hashimi, deputy provincial police chief in Nangarhar province. Afghan security forces trying to clear the area were still in the process of defusing a bomb in a car. At least one car bomb also was successfully detonated.

   An Associated Press photographer at the scene saw three bodies of suspected attackers — apparently shot dead from the NATO helicopters. The suspected insurgents didn’t manage to enter the main base area, but had tried to hide under a small canal bridge near it when they were hit.

   The highway between Jalalabad city and Torkham, an important route for NATO supply trucks, was closed. Militants on both sides of the border have frequently targeted the supply line, leading NATO to shift much of its delivery toward routes from Central Asian states instead of through Pakistan.

   In an emailed statement, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the insurgent group was behind Monday morning’s attack, and claimed it had destroyed several tanks — an assertion Hashimi denied.

   The United States has been putting pressure on Afghanistan to finalize a bilateral security agreement (BSA), which will mandate how many, and where, U.S. soldiers will remain once the NATO mission ends.

   Reuters contributed to this story.

POLICE DEATHS ON RISE

   Police deaths in Afghanistan have doubled this year after withdrawing NATO forces handed security of the war-ravaged country to poorly equipped local troops with less frontline experience fighting Taliban insurgents.

   Almost twelve years after coalition forces invaded Afghanistan, swathes of territory are firmly under Taliban control and Afghan troops are still heavily reliant on foreign air support, particularly in remote areas. Their lighter vehicles make them particularly vulnerable to roadside bombs.

   The Afghan government, anxious not to damage morale, has been reluctant to publish regular casualty numbers. It no longer publishes death tolls for the army.

   However, in a speech on Monday, new Interior Minister Umer Daudzai revealed that 1,792 police have been killed since March, most of them by roadside bombs. The same number died in the preceding 12 months.

   It is one of the highest police death rates in the world and raises further questions over how the government will be able to keep the Taliban at bay once foreign troops have withdrawn fully from Afghanistan at the end of 2014.