Q: Isn’t this just a small part of the mortgage market? A: Although most home loans don’t fall into this category, subprime mortgages have proliferated in recent years as rising real estate values emboldened lenders to take more risks. Wall Street encouraged this behavior, too, by bundling the loans into securities that were sold to pension funds and other institutional investors seeking higher returns. Subprime mortgages totaled $600 billion last year, accounting for about one-fifth of the U.S. home loan market. An estimated $1.3 trillion in subprime mortgages are currently outstanding. That’s nearly as large as the entire California economy. Q: Who are the nation’s major subprime lenders? A: Irvine-based New Century Financial Corp., which has been cut off from its funding sources, is the major one. Other important players include Countrywide Financial Corp., Ameriquest Mortgage Co., HSBC Holdings Corp. and Fremont General Corp. All have acknowledged significant problems in their subprime portfolios, with New Century and Fremont General in the greatest distress. While New Century grapples with a liquidity crisis and probe into its accounting practices, Fremont General is trying to sell its subprime business. Investors have punished both companies. New Century’s stock price has plunged by 95 percent so far this year, while Fremont General shares have plummeted by 58 percent. Q: What went wrong? A: Subprime lenders made too many loans to borrowers who couldn’t afford the monthly payments. In some cases, lenders didn’t even bother to verify incomes. It took awhile for the problems to surface because many of the subprime mortgages carried artificially low interest rates during the first few years of the loan. The delinquency rate on subprime mortgages recently reached 12.6 percent. Some of this trouble might have been avoided if home prices had continued to climb like they did between 2000 and 2005. As a home appreciates, even borrowers who aren’t paying the principal loan amount build up more equity. That, in turn, would have made it easier for subprime borrowers to refinance into yet another loan with a low interest rate.160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! SAN FRANCISCO – The hangover from the lending spree that fed the real estate boom earlier this decade keeps getting worse, with the most acute pain tormenting the mortgage niche catering to high-risk, or “subprime,” borrowers. More than two dozen lenders already have evaporated in a subprime mortgage meltdown that began late last year. Here’s a look at some of the key questions raised by the turmoil. Q: What’s a subprime mortgage? A: Generally speaking, these are home loans made to borrowers with poor credit ratings. read more
CELTIC FC are getting behind a fundraising initiative to enable baby Caolan Melaugh to travel to the USA for further treatment as he battles an aggressive form of cancer.Celtic FC have historic connections to Donegal and a huge link between the clubs exist. The news of the club getting behind Caolan’s fundraising drive was announced on the club’s website.They posted the following message on their online account earlier tonight and the post has gone viral on social media outlets.The website also conducted an interview with Caolan’s father Gerard who is a well-known soccer player with Curragh Athletic.EVERY Celtic supporter remembers their first trip to Paradise. But for the Melaugh family, the chance to make the trip to Celtic Park will mean much more than simply seeing the Bhoys in action.The Donegal family have recently felt the support of their local community and the worldwide Celtic family who have rallied behind their infant son Caolan.At just 10-weeks-old, Caolan was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer, Stage 4 high-risk Neuroblastoma.This diagnosis started Caolan on an 18-month journey of intense chemotherapy which will hopefully remove the disease from his body.While he is five months into this arduous course, this is only the start of a battle as Neuroblastoma carries with it an 80% chance of relapse.Caolan’s father, Gerard Melaugh, explained that the family are now fully focused on supporting his son with fundraising efforts now well underway to take Caolan to the United States where additional treatment can be sought to help him. Gerard told the official Celtic website: “Caolan was diagnosed in February when he was 10-weeks-old and obviously it was big shock at the beginning, but so far he’s responded better than we could have hoped.“We are staying positive and our plan just now is to get through these 18 months of chemotherapy and from there go to America where we can get help.“This is a new form of treatment that can help prevent a relapse because that is the main threat. It is not so much the cancer just now but really to stop it coming back and this treatment could be the big help that we’re looking for.“That’s why we’re raising the funds, that’s why we’ve got the £250,000 target and that’s why we need to get him to America.” Despite such a huge target, Gerard explained how the family have been humbled by the support offered from friends, family and the community at large.Countless events have been held in Donegal with local businesses hosting fundraising days that have so far helped everyone reach a first fundraising landmark of £50,000.But aside from the financial backing they have received, Gerard explained how he and his wife Stacey have found emotional support from the family of Oscar Knox, who like the Melaughs, found comfort in the generosity shown to help their son, who sadly passed away last year.Gerard added: “We’re trying not to look too far ahead because everything can change quickly but, praise God, if we can get through this first 18 months, then there’s the five-year mark if you are cancer-free and there are check-ups every couple of months.“The response we’ve had from the local community has been amazing and in this short space of time we’re around the £50,000-mark already and there’s still a lot of fundraising events coming up.“What we’re trying to do is similar to Oscar Knox and I’ve been in contact with his mother, Leona. Since Caolan was diagnosed, she’s been helpful with giving us information and people to contact too. That’s the big thing because we didn’t know what to expect and they’ve been so helpful to us. It’s been overwhelming.“Sometimes, it is hard to think that people can be this generous. Even local businesses have given us an unbelievable response and I’ve been shocked by it all, to be honest.”With many more hurdles still to overcome, the Melaughs admit that they are keen to build on the momentum that has been generated already by the fundraising campaign.And, having already committed to raising Caolan as a Celtic supporter, Gerard says that bringing him to Paradise is a dream he is eager to realise.He said: “I’ve always followed Celtic from such a young age and I used to go over for the games.“The atmosphere is just amazing and I actually took Caolan out last week to get him his first ever Celtic top.“Without doubt he’ll be coming over to his first Celtic game, that’s the plan.”For more information,go to www.caolanmelaughfund.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/caolanmelaughTwitter: @cmelaughfundCELTIC FC GET BEHIND FUNDRAISING DRIVE FOR BRAVE LITTLE BHOY CAOLAN was last modified: June 24th, 2015 by Mark ForkerShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Tags:Baby Caolan Melaughcancerceltic fcDiagnosisFeaturesfundraisingnewsUSA read more
Kismayo University’s first crop ofgraduates, who got through years of studyunder severely trying circumstances, wantmore Somalis to realise that education isthe “ladder of life”.(Image: SomaliTalk) MEDIA CONTACTS • Kismayo University public relations office+00 252 6234 0430Five years after a local charity opened a university in the war-torn city of Kismayo, south-central Somalia, the first degrees have been awarded.“I want our people to know that education is the ladder of life and that every step of development that a community makes depends on the level of the community’s education,” one of the 27 new graduates, Qoole Qowden*, told Irin News.“I am delighted to have completed four years of study during which we underwent unimaginably difficult circumstances.“I am hopeful that I will get a job since I now possess the required knowledge and skills. I will also try to transmit what I learnt to every Somali who is ready for it,” he said.Like much of south-central Somalia, for the past few years Kismayo has been controlled by al-Shabab, an Islamist insurgency fighting to topple the country’s weak transitional government.Previously, the area frequently changed hands between various warring clan militia groups.Kismayo University has 200 students, mostly from Middle and Lower Juba regions where, for many years, secondary school was the highest level of learning available.Since it opened, local sources said, the university has helped reduce the recruitment of youth into fighting groups.Education collapseEducation in Kismayo has long been one of the casualties of the region’s conflicts and frequent changes of administration.Several schools in the city have been converted into makeshift homes or stores, forcing talented teenagers to seek educational opportunities in Mogadishu, the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, the self-declared independent republic of Somaliland or in neighbouring Kenya.Quruxlow Shaakle*, a resident of Kismayo, said: “I have lived here for the past 33 years and education has been my greatest worry because as a parent, and I am sure all other parents agree with me, no one wants their child to end up as a militiaman or be used to fuel clan divisions.“For a long time, only well-off parents could send their children across the border to Kenya to get an education – for poor families like mine, this was not possible.”Shaakle urged other Somali families to focus on their children’s education “because that is how we can put away the gun and seek peace – otherwise wars, famine and hardship in our country will continue”.The 27 who received degree certificates on 5 August 2010 were from two faculties, education and business administration, according to a university official, who added that 32 others obtained diplomas. The university also has an Islamic law faculty.In total, there are 20 lecturers and fees range from US$15 to $30 (R109 to R218) per month.The official said most of the graduates had already secured jobs in local telecommunication firms, remittance or money-transfer banks, and in other businesses across Kismayo.“Some are part-time teachers in different schools,” the official said, adding that the university had requested heads of companies in the region to consider Kismayo University graduates during their recruitment drives.* Not their real namesSource: Irin News read more
The Lindfield Victorian House Museum is a time capsule of the Victorian and Edwardian periods, in the heart of leafy Johannesburg. It has received a second accolade from the travel website, TripAdvisor, to the delight of museum owner Katharine Love. Stepping into the Lindfield Victorian House Museum in Auckland Park, Johannesburg, is like stepping into the past. (Image: Priya Pitamber)Priya PitamberStepping into the Lindfield Victorian House Museum in Auckland Park, Johannesburg is like stepping on to the set of British period drama TV series Downton Abbey. Visitors are jolted from modern times into the past.But very current is its receiving another accolade, a Certificate of Excellence, from the global travel website, TripAdvisor.“I am delighted to have received the acknowledgement for the second time and would like to thank my visitors for their continued support,” said Katharine Love, owner of the museum.Love is hands-on at the museum and when guests arrive, she opens the door dressed as a Victorian maid and gives a tour of the premises. It has an entrance hall, a magnificent dining area, a kitchen with a coal stove, a library, children’s nursery area with a large dollhouse and other bedrooms.According to the museum’s website, the house was built in 1910; it was bought by Love’s grandmother in 1967. By 1996, Love had opened the house as a museum to “proudly display a vast collection of 19th and 20th century furniture, art, decorative and utilitarian objects representative of the entire Victorian and Edwardian periods,” reads the museum website.The Certificate of Excellence accounts for the quality and quantity of reviews submitted by travellers on TripAdvisor over a 12-month period.In order to qualify, a business must maintain an overall TripAdvisor bubble rating of at least four out of five, have a minimum number of reviews and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months.“With the Certificate of Excellence, TripAdvisor honours hospitality businesses that have consistently received strong praise and ratings from travellers,” said Heather Leisman, vice president of industry marketing at TripAdvisor. “This recognition helps travellers identify and book properties that regularly deliver great service.”TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest online travel community in the world, with more than 315 million unique monthly visitors, and more than 200 million reviews and opinions covering more than 4.5 million accommodations, restaurants, and attractions, operating in 45 countries worldwide.See images of the Lindfield Victorian House Museum:(Images: Priya Pitamber)For more information, visit the museum’s website. read more
Posted on January 16, 2019Author Nathalie DuboisCategories Hair ExtensionsTags Neitsi SummaryReviewer Nathalie DuboisReview Date2019-01-16 15:46:25Reviewed Item Neitsi® 22inch Straight Clip in Ponytail Synthetic Ponytail Fashionable Hairpiece (1#)Rating 4.0 / 5 stars, based on 21 reviews I certainly enjoy this merchandise. Gave me these a thick pretty shiny ponytail i am unquestionably about the moon with this product or service.Could only dress in the pony tail 2/three situations ahead of it appeared worn and tatty. For the value i’m satisfied with that. Pleased to buy again when expected :).Neitsi® 22inch Straight Clip in Ponytail Synthetic Ponytail Fashionable Hairpiece (1#)22inch (55cm) 85g, Straight ponytail, 32 colors availableTop quality Synthetic ponytail, enough inventory, best customer serviceMake you look morMake you look more pretty and confident. Easier to install and easier to take offe pretty and confident after wear it. Easier to install and easier to take offCan be Restyle or Shorn into your favorite style. Can be Premed and WashedColor that appears on your monitor could have a little difference from the original color of the wig ,due to different settings of your monitor.Gave it absent, it didnt remain in place.Amazing hair, extremely soft and purely natural searching. The picture would not do it justice, i hardly ever ordinarily compose critiques but i felt like i experienced to with this just since of how superior it is.Hair appears to be fantastic but gets tangled very easily, significantly less hair than anticipated. Arrived promptly but was folded and has remaining a kink in the hair that is however there.Neitsi® 22inch Straight Clip in Ponytail Synthetic Ponytail Fashionable Hairpiece (1#) : It does look fake though, my husband noticed it and unless you have very poker straight, shiny hair i think it will look fake. Great merchandise but due to getting thick hair was pointless and waste of funds.Bought very same in advance of from different vendor. Great hair piece for events. If you want to have on it it day-to-day – then no. My former a single worn out following a 12 months or so. Was wearing it like 10 a year. So just think about how generally you desire to don it.Satisfied with my buy thanks.This is the best ponytail extension i have ever purchased, the colour is virtually a best match to my great and straightforward hair colour 9. 5b pure additional light beige blonde, my ponytail was shade m24/613# it is a genuinely believable shade with all-natural looking tonal highlights. I definitely cant praise this product ample and the proof of the pudding i have by now requested the other extension’s in their variety in this colour, i am one particular incredibly delighted bunny 😊😆😃😄.Really very amazed with this at this cost i wasn’t expecting to superior good quality but its genuinely very good.I employed these to make a bun in my hair i tried using employing them in a pony tail but you can convey to they are genuinely synthetic which is fantastic i hardly ever anticipated genuine types at that selling price. It took a good deal of grips to keep it in put as its truly large and quite hard to set in. Images make it glance genuine uncomplicated but they arnt. All in all appeared great when all finished.They are fab colour ideal duration great & will not tangle much i be buying standard 😍😊. read more
Share Facebook Twitter Google + LinkedIn Pinterest The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) has approved more than $4.4 million in project funding through the NatureWorks grant program, which will be used to improve outdoor recreational opportunities for Ohioans across the state.“The NatureWorks grant program has been allowing ODNR to invest back into Ohio’s local communities for 25 years,” said ODNR Director Jim Zehringer. “We believe it is important to encourage people to spend time outdoors doing recreational activities they enjoy with the people they care about here in Ohio.”ODNR has approved 102 NatureWorks state grants totaling more than $4.4 million that will be used to develop and improve public access for outdoor recreation facilities in 68 counties across Ohio. Projects include many new playgrounds that will replace outdated playgrounds, new picnic shelters, renovations to existing shelters, trails, trailheads, restrooms, baseball fields, basketball courts, amphitheaters and outdoor stages, fishing piers, kayak launches and much more.NatureWorks provides up to 75 percent reimbursement assistance to local subdivisions of government (townships, villages, cities, counties, park districts, joint recreation districts and conservancy districts) for the acquisition, development and rehabilitation of recreational areas. The projects are funded through the Ohio Parks and Natural Resources Bond Issue, which was approved by Ohioans in November 1993. Additional legislation authorized the creation of the NatureWorks Grant Program.To see which local Ohio communities will receive grant funding, go to realestate.ohiodnr.gov/outdoor-recreation-facility-grants. read more
Facebook Advertisement Login/Register With: Advertisement LEAVE A REPLY Cancel replyLog in to leave a comment Toronto, ON (October 1, 2018) — ACTRA is pleased the federal government stood by its commitment to protect Canadian culture and cultural industries by incorporating and strengthening the cultural exemption in the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA, formerly NAFTA).“Maintaining and enhancing a cultural exemption has been a key priority for ACTRA since the Free Trade Agreement with the U.S. was first negotiated in the 1980s,” said ACTRA National Executive Director Stephen Waddell. “At first glance, what appears to be the inclusion of a broader platform-neutral cultural exemption incorporated into the agreement is a positive step in modernizing this trade deal between two of Canada’s major trading partners.”ACTRA also welcomes the extension of a creator’s copyright from 50 to 70 years after the creator’s death as well as the agreement to rescind the CRTC’s decision regarding simultaneous substitution during the Super Bowl broadcast by now requiring all programs be treated equally. Advertisement Specific details and measures included in the new agreement require further review and analysis after which ACTRA may have further comment.ACTRA congratulates the federal government on negotiating in Canada’s best interest and standing up for Canadian sovereignty.To read ACTRA’s original submission to the Canadian government in advance of NAFTA renegotiations, please visit actra.ca.About ACTRAACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists) is the national union of professional performers working in the English-language recorded media in Canada. ACTRA represents the interests of over 25,000 members across the country – the foundation of Canada’s highly acclaimed professional performing community. Twitter read more
No data was breached during a malware outbreak about a month ago that caused some Recipe Unlimited Corp. restaurants to temporarily close, chief executive Frank Hennessey said Friday.“We have no evidence that any data was compromised,” Hennessey told a conference call with investors to discuss the company’s third-quarter results.The company experienced a network outage on Sept. 28 because of a malware virus. In response, Recipe disconnected restaurants from its network and internet, which disrupted operations at some locations and prompted some restaurants to close for a short time.The company brought the restaurants back online without any data loss, he said, and by Oct. 2 all locations had re-opened and all were operating normally by Oct. 4.Recipe anticipates the incident impacted its overall same restaurant sales by 0.3 per cent in the third quarter, which ended Sept. 30, Hennessey said.It reported same restaurant sales for the quarter were up 1.8 per cent compared to the same time the previous year for its fifth consecutive quarter of positive growth.The company is working with an forensic IT firm to analyze the malware infection and source, he said, and will not disclose any additional information about the incident for security reasons.The update came as Recipe, formerly known as Cara Operations, reported its most recent quarterly earnings.The company earned $23.8 million in its third quarter, up from $21.2 million a year ago. Its profit amounted to 37 cents per diluted share for the three-month period, up from 34 cents per share a year ago.System sales totalled $879.8 million, up from $684.7 million in the same quarter last year.On an adjusted basis, Recipe Unlimited says it earned 50 cents per diluted share, up from 46 cents per diluted share a year ago.Analysts on average had expected a profit of 47 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters Eikon.Recipe Unlimited had 1,370 restaurants at Sept. 30, including 1,311 in Canada and 59 located internationally. Its brands includes Swiss Chalet, Harvey’s, St-Hubert, the Keg, Milestones, Montana’s, Kelsey’s, East Side Mario’s, New York Fries and others.The company opened 39 new restaurants in the 39 weeks up to Sept. 30, but closed 46 — excluding Casey’s closures as the company is in the process of winding down its operations.Follow @AleksSagan on Twitter.Companies in this story: (TSX:RECP) read more
1(842 Words) Download Download PrintPrint 4/4/2019 4:33:00 PM (Eds: Combining related stories ) Kalpetta (Ker), Apr 4 (PTI) Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who is fighting the Lok Sabha elections from his traditional bastion Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, Thursday filed nomination from Wayanad–a Congress stronghold in South India. Gandhi, accompanied by his sister Priyanka Gandhi and senior Congress leaders K C Venugopal and Mukul Wasnik, submitted the papers before district collector A R Ajayakumar at Wayanad district headquarters here. Also Read – India gets first tranche of Swiss bank a/c details Hundreds of workers of the Congress-led UDF assembled outside the district collectorate in Wayanad, a scenic hill area in the Western Ghats of Kerala, as Gandhi filed the nomination. Braving the scorching heat, thousands of party workers, including men, women and youth gathered in Kalpetta town and its suburbs to see the Congress’ prime ministerial candidate, who landed here to file his nomination from the constituency which has the presence of various ethnic tribal groups. Also Read – Tourists to be allowed in J&K from Thursday After completing the nomination procedures at the collectorate here, Rahul Gandhi along with Priyanka Gandhi and senior leaders of the Congress-led UDF in Kerala undertook a roadshow to greet the voters of this constituency. The narrow lanes of Kalpetta town were packed with excited onlookers waiting in anticipation for the Congress chief and other party leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi. Talking to reporters after filing his nomination, Rahul Gandhi said he was fighting the polls from down south to send a message that India was one. “I have come to Kerala to send a message that India is one. South, north, east, west, centre… all are one… There is an assault taking place across the country by the RSS and BJP. I just want to send a message and I will stand from south India and north India. My aim was to give a message,” he said. “There is a feeling in south India that the way the Narendra Modi government is functioning, their (south) culture, language, history all are being attacked. “So I wanted to give a message that I will fight from north and south,” the Congress chief said, in response to his main opponent in Amethi, Union minister Smriti Irani alleging that his decision to fight from Wayanad was an insult to the people of Amethi. Priyanka Gandhi appealed to the people of Wayanad to take care of her brother and assured that he would not let him down. “My brother, my truest friend, and by far the most courageous man I know. Take care of him Wayanad, he wont let you down,” she tweeted after the roadshow. Party workers shouted that they would ensure a thumping victory for Gandhi. “We all are excited. All sections of people gathered here to greet our prime ministerial candidate. We will ensure a thumping victory for Rahul ji from the soil of Pazhassi Raja,” Ashraf, a UDF worker, who came from Vandoor assembly constituency said. Gandhi said he would “absorb all the criticisms” of the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF in Kerala, which is miffed over his Wayanad candidature, and made it clear that he will not speak against the Left parties during his campaign. The CPI(M) and Congress have been locked in a fight in Kerala and it will go on, he told reporters, adding he wanted to send a message of unity. “The CPI(M) and Congress have been locked in a fight in Kerala. This will go on. I understand that the CPI(M) has to fight me. But I am not going to say a word against them. “I am here to send a message of unity that south India is important and I fully understand that the CPI(M) has to attack me. So I will absorb all their attacks with happiness, but from me you will not hear a word against them in my campaign,” Gandhi told reporters. He also said there were two main issues faced by the country–lack of jobs and agrarian crisis. “Farmers are unaware of what the future holds for them. Youngsters are running from state to state searching for jobs and (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi has failed on both the fronts,” he said while attacking the PM. Attacking Modi on the issue of corruption, the Congress leader said, “The country had faith on the prime minister when he said he would be the Chowkidar. But the Chowkidar himself has given Anil Ambani Rs 30,000 crore of Air Force money. “He (Modi) has stolen money and given it to Anil Ambani who has no experience. Anil Ambani is in Rs 45,000 crore debt,” Gandhi alleged, once again attacking the NDA government over the Rafale deal. As the massive crowd of supporters gathered on both sides of the narrow roads of Kalpetta, security personnel had a tough time controlling the people to clear the way for vehicles. Priyanka Gandhi wearing a mustard and red border saree and Rahul Gandhi waved to the crowd. As the vehicle inched forward, the Congress president was seen shaking hands with many elated supporters. People were seen clicking photos with their mobile phones and waving flags of Congress and its ally Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). Heavy security was in place in and around the collectorate ahead of the high profile visit of the Congress chief. read more
TRIPOLI- At least 15 people were killed and 95 hurt in Tripoli after a peaceful demonstration calling on unruly militias to leave the Libyan capital turned violent on Friday, an official said.The militias are holdovers from the 2011 uprising that ousted dictator Moamer Kadhafi and are a powerful force in the increasingly lawless North African country.“Fifteen dead and 95 wounded, several of them seriously, have been admitted to Tripoli hospitals,” a health ministry spokesman said. He was unable to give a breakdown between those killed in the demonstration and those who died in a subsequent assault on the militia headquarters.“It’s total confusion,” he said.Violence erupted when gunmen fired at hundreds of demonstrators carrying white flags from inside villas in the southern Tripoli district of Gharghour where the Misrata militia has its headquarters.The shooting sparked a violent response in which armed men assaulted the villas and set them on fire.A witness, who identified himself only as Ibrahim, said “most of the members of the militia barricaded themselves inside one single villa.”He later said the militiamen had evacuated the final villa and fled, adding that some militiamen had been wounded and others arrested.Other witnesses said heavy gunfire could be heard in Gharghour and that smoke was rising from the district.Sadat al-Badri, president of Tripoli’s city council, which called for the protest, told AFP the shots fired at demonstrators came from inside the headquarters.“Tensions are on the rise in Tripoli. We’re going to announce a general strike and launch a civil disobedience campaign until these militias leave,” he said.In sermons at weekly Muslim prayers earlier in the day, imams backed the call to protest against militias issued by the town hall as well as Libya’s mufti, the highest religious authority.‘No to militias’Hundreds of people carrying white flags in a sign of peace, as well as the national flag, and singing the national anthem had assembled in the capital’s Meliana Square.“No to militias,” their banners read. “Yes to the police and army.” The protesters, among them children, then marched to the Misrata militia headquarters in Gharghour to press their demands when gunmen inside fired into the air to scare them off.When the crowd continued to approach the building, the gunmen started firing at them, said an AFP correspondent who saw two wounded, including one hit in the stomach.A rocket also crashed into the main road near the demonstrators, without causing casualties, the correspondent said.A leader of the militia from Misrata, east of the capital, told private television channel Al-Naba the demonstrators had opened fire first.Before the villas were attacked, pick-ups loaded with anti-aircraft guns were seen headed for the area of the militia headquarters later Friday, witnesses said.Regular security forces were not sighted, apart from the air force making low passes over the capital.The mufti, Sadok al-Ghariani, appealed to residents to go home to avoid further bloodshed, while the health ministry called for blood donations to Tripoli hospitals.The march was sparked by violence on November 7 in which the Misrata militia also played a central role and which terrorised Tripoli residents and illustrated again growing instability in Libya.A Misrata militia chief, Nuri Friwan, had been fatally wounded in fighting at a checkpoint manned by other ex-rebels, and two people were killed in subsequent fighting.Residents of Tripoli frequently demonstrate against the militias, who have rejected calls from a weak central government to leave the capital.Last year, around 30 demonstrators were killed as anti-militia protests turned into violent clashes in the eastern city of Benghazi.The rebels who overthrew Kadhafi were hailed as heroes for bringing an end to more than four decades of dictatorship.But many have rejected government demands to turn in their weapons or join the national security forces, posing a constant threat to the stability of post-Kadhafi Libya. read more