Monday, November 28, 2011

British film director Ken Russell dies at 84 (AP)

LONDON ? Ken Russell, the British director whose daring and sometimes outrageous films often tested the patience of audiences and critics, has died at age 84.

Russell died in a hospital on Sunday following a series of strokes, his son Alex Verney-Elliott said Monday.

One of Russell's biggest successes came in 1969 with "Women in Love," based on the book by D.H. Lawrence, which earned Academy Award nominations for the director and for writer Larry Kramer, and an Oscar for the star, Glenda Jackson.

Music played a central role in many of Russell's films including "The Music Lovers" in 1970, and "Lisztomania" and "Tommy" in 1975.

"My father died peacefully," Verney-Elliott said. "He had had a series of strokes. He died with a smile on his face."

Russell established himself by making short films for the British Broadcasting Corp., focusing on arts and artists including profiles of the poet John Betjeman, comedian Spike Milligan and playwright Shelagh Delaney, the author of "A Taste of Honey."

"When there were no more live artists left, we turned to making somewhat longer films about dead artists such as Prokofiev," Russell once said.

"At first we were only allowed to use still photographs and newsreel footage of these subjects, but eventually we sneaked in the odd hand playing the piano (in 'Prokofiev') and the odd back walking through a door. By the time a couple of years had gone by, those boring little factual accounts of the artists had evolved into evocative films of an hour or more which used real actors to impersonate the historical figures."

Russell's darker side appeared in "Dante's Inferno" in 1967, about the poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Russell played up the differences between Rossetti's idealized view of his wife and her reality as a drug addict.

Russell was even more provocative in his 1970 film, "The Dance of the Seven Veils: A Comic Strip in Seven Episodes." It presents the composer Richard Strauss as a crypto-Nazi, and showed him conducting Rosenkavalier waltzes while SS men tortured a Jew.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111128/ap_en_mo/eu_britain_obit_russell

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UK secretly promoting oil extraction from Canadian tar sands

By Muriel Kane
Sunday, November 27, 2011

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Canadian politicians are being secretly aided by the highest levels of the British government in their attempts to ward off European penalties on the use of oil from Canada?s highly polluting tar sands

The Guardian reported on Sunday that documents obtained under a freedom of information request show that at least fifteen high-level meetings over the issue have taken place since September, including a personal discussion between the British and Canadian prime ministers.

Following that meeting, British Energy Minister Charles Hendry told the Canadian high commissioner, ?We would value continued discussion with you on how we can progress discussions in Brussels.? Hendry?s office also asked the Canadians if they had ?any suggestions as to what we might do, given the politics in Brussels.?

As explained by The Guardian, ?The European proposal is to designate transport fuel from tar sands as resulting in 22% more greenhouse gas emissions than that from conventional fuels. This would make suppliers, who have to reduce the emissions from their fuels by 10% by 2020, very reluctant to include it in their fuel mix. It would also set an unwelcome precedent for Canada by officially labelling fuel from tar sands as dirtier.?

Extraction of oil from the tar sands is highly controversial in the United States, and Friends of the Earth has released emails which it claims demonstrate complicity between TransCanada and U.S. State Department officials, who ?acted as though they were on the same team as TransCanada, rather than meeting their obligation to be independent regulators.? The Obama administration recently announced that it will postpone any decision on the construction of a pipeline to carry oil from Canada to Texas until after next year?s election.

However, these new revelations are likely to prove far more embarrassing for the British government than anything which has yet surfaced in the U.S. Environmentalist Bill McKibben, who was arrested last summer in a protest against the pipeline, even suggests that ?the UK seems to have emerged as Canada?s partner in crime, leaning on Brussels to let this crud across the borders.?

Shell and BP have been heavily lobbying the UK Minister for Transport, Norman Baker, who is reponsible for tar sands issues, but his department has refused to release several relevant documents and has provided only heavily redacted versions of others.

The executive director of Greenpeace UK has slammed Baker, saying, ?The scale of oil industry lobbying exposed in these documents is quite extraordinary. It?s especially worrying that Baker held a secret meeting with Shell about this key European vote on tar sands. But worse still, he?s now covering up what was discussed.?

Photo by Tar Sands Action from Flickr.

Muriel Kane

Muriel Kane is an associate editor at Raw Story. She joined Raw Story as a researcher in 2005, with a particular focus on the Jack Abramoff affair and other Bush administration scandals. She worked extensively with former investigative news managing editor Larisa Alexandrovna, with whom she has co-written numerous articles in addition to her own work. Prior to her association with Raw Story, she spent many years as an independent researcher and writer with a particular focus on history, literature, and contemporary social and political attitudes. Follow her on Twitter at @Muriel_Kane

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheRawStory/~3/4EqEeFrWdvg/

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Rumor: Droid 4 and Galaxy Nexus to be released on December 8 (Digital Trends)

Droid 4 leaked imageThe already crowded Verizon smartphone line up might be getting a few more phones in early December. Droid-Life is reporting that the elusive Galaxy Nexus and the almost unheard of Droid 4 will be released for Verizon on December 8. The report shows a leaked Verizon document displaying the release date for the two LTE phones. Both of the phones will join the Droid RAZR and iPhone 4S as top of the line devices for Verizon?s customers.

There has still been no official word out of Verizon or Motorola about the existence of the Droid 4, so it is surprising that a marque phone would be released without any marketing to date. The rumored specs for the Droid 4 match up very closely with the recently released Droid RAZR. The biggest differences would be that the Droid 4 will have a slide out keyboard and a smaller 4 inch Super AMOLED Advanced display instead of the RAZR?s 4.3 inch display.

We already know pretty much everything about the Galaxy Nexus device, expect the release date and the price. When it was first announced Google said it would be available in the United States sometime in November. Recently we heard that that date has been pushed back to December but no date was confirmed. ?The Galaxy Nexus is Google?s latest reference device that will be the first phone or tablet to be launched with the newest flavor of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich.

It is hard to imagine why Verizon would be so secretive about the release of these two devices. The Droid line up has been an anchor in Verizon?s Android line up, and the Galaxy Nexus might be the most anticipated Android phone release in over a year.

This article was originally posted on Digital Trends

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/applecomputer/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/digitaltrends/20111125/tc_digitaltrends/rumordroid4andgalaxynexustobereleasedondecember8

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Sunday, November 27, 2011

O's?might trade former hot prospect

Chris Tillman was a second-round pick of the Mariners back in the 2006 MLB Amateur Draft. He posted?intriguing?strikeout numbers at a few different levels of Single-A between 2006-2007 before being dealt in an offseason trade to the Orioles in 2008.

That?s when his profile really began rising.

Tillman registered a 3.18 ERA and 154/65 K/BB ratio across 135 2/3 innings for the O?s Triple-A affiliate in 2008, and was rated 22nd on Baseball America?s Top 100 prospect rankings heading into the 2009 season.?In July of 2009, he made his major league debut against the Royals to a good degree of hype.

But it?s been mostly downhill since then for Tillman, and now Roch Kubatko of MASN is hearing that Baltimore ?would be willing to? trade the young righty this offseason if they?re able to find interest.

The 6-foot-5 Tillman?posted a 5.52 ERA and 46/25 K/BB ratio in 62 innings this year in the majors and a 5.87 ERA over 53 2/3 innings in 2010. Even on an O?s roster that is short on reliable starting arms, he?s a longshot to land a spot in the 2012 Opening Day rotation. So rather than asking the 23-year-old to?transition?into a reliever, thus stunting his long-term potential, the O?s might go ahead and try to find him a new team.

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/11/27/os-might-be-open-to-trading-chris-tillman-this-winter/related/

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Bridge collapses in Indonesia; 3 dead, 17 injured (AP)

JAKARTA, Indonesia ? A busy bridge collapsed Saturday in central Indonesia, killing at least three people and injuring 17 others as a bus, cars and motorcycles crashed into the river below, police and witnesses said.

Capt. Syafii Nafsikin said search and rescue teams rushed to the scene.

Survivors, swimming to shore, were screaming in panic.

The sprawling, 770-yard (700-meter) bridge ? built to resemble the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco ? linked the towns of Tenggarong and Samarinda in East Kalimantan province.

It was clogged with traffic when the accident occurred, Syaiful, a witness, told local television station TVOne.

He saw at least one bus and close to a dozen motorcycles plunge into the Mahakam river. Several cars were mangled.

"Everyone was screaming," said Syaiful, who like many Indonesians uses only one name.

East Kalimantan police spokesman Col. Antonius Wisnu Sutirta said it wasn't immediately clear why the 10-year-old bridge collapsed.

He said at least three people were killed and 17 others were injured and rushed to nearby hospitals.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111126/ap_on_re_as/as_indonesia_bridge_collapse

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Hungary says Moody's downgrade 'financial attack'

(AP) ? Hungary has slammed Moody's decision to downgrade its credit rating to junk status, describing it Friday as another unjustified financial attack against the country.

Hungary, which last week asked the International Monetary Fund and the European Union for possible financial help, is feeling the fallout from the debt crisis in the 17-country eurozone, even though it does not use the euro. Its economy has not grown as much as hoped and its debt burden remains relatively high.

Late Thursday, Moody's, one of the three major international credit rating agencies, cut its view on Hungary's government bonds by one notch, from Baa3 to Ba1 and maintained its negative outlook. The move to junk status could mean that Hungary will find it increasingly difficult to borrow in money markets as well as having to pay a higher premium.

The country's finance ministry was furious at the decision.

"It has no basis because, despite all the external difficulties, in the past year and a half there has been an expressly favorable change in most areas of the Hungarian economy," the ministry said Friday.

Illustrating its point, the ministry mentioned Hungary's current account surplus, the falling budget deficit, a significant cut to state debt levels and economic growth, which exceeded the European Union average in the third quarter of the year.

Even without the downgrade, Hungary is going to have to confront a number of difficulties next year as many of the economies of the eurozone ? the country's main export markets ? look headed for a recession in the wake of the crippling debt crisis and doubts persist over the effectiveness of the government's economic policies.

The agency cited questions over the Hungarian government's ability to meet its debt reduction targets as well as the country's vulnerability to external shocks as reasons for the downgrade.

It also noted that foreign investors hold 64 percent of Hungary's bonds, of which two-thirds are denominated in foreign currencies. A weaker forint, Hungary's currency, makes it more expensive for the government to pay back its foreign-currency debts.

Moody's, which first awarded Hungary an investment-grade rating in 1996, said a further downgrade could come if "there is a significant decline in government financial strength due to a lack of progress on structural reforms. However, it said the rating could stabilize if there were "a more consistent implementation" of planned reforms.

The downgrade did not prove much of a surprise, though yields on Hungarian debt crept upward and the forint weakened against the euro. Early Friday, the forint fell to 316.60 per euro, 1.7 percent weaker than its opening rate.

Just hours before Moody's announcement, rival Standard and Poor's said it would wait for developments in upcoming talks between Hungary and the IMF and the EU before making a decision on the rating. S&P also has Hungary's rating on so-called "negative watch."

Last week, Hungary's government said it would seek a financial "safety net" from the IMF and the EU, but no new loans, in an effort to improve investor sentiment and protect itself against the spiraling eurozone debt crisis. In late 2008, Hungary became the first EU country to receive an IMF-led bailout, getting a euro20-billion standby loan to avoid defaulting on its debts.

The move marked a reverse in policy. Only last year, Prime Minister Viktor Orban decided to break away from the IMF, preferring instead to make Hungary finance itself. This blocked the IMF's direct influence on Hungary's economic policy and gave the government a free hand to experiment with unorthodox approaches.

To avoid unpopular austerity measures, the government introduced windfall taxes on the energy, banking and other sectors, nationalized some $14 billion in assets managed by private pension funds and allowed indebted households to repay mortgages in foreign currencies at exchanges rates far below market values.

"Hungary will have to accept any dictate the IMF may have, there is no room to negotiate," said analyst Gabor Ambrus of London's 4Cast after the Moody's announcement. "The government will have to make another U-turn."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2011-11-25-EU-Hungary-Downgrade/id-98fe380e00b34d5aacc2c872c1547cf8

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Saturday, November 26, 2011

S&P's lowers sovereign credit rating on Belgium (AP)

BRUSSELS ? Standard & Poor's lowered its long-term sovereign credit rating for Belgium on Friday, citing the country's lack of a permanent government and a looming European recession that threatens the country's exports.

In a sign that financial contagion is spreading across Europe, the agency cut Belgium's credit rating from AA+ to AA, a moved that sent shocked politicians immediately back into new negotiations Friday night.

Belgium has been without a permanent government for 530 days, as a series of negotiators has struggled without success to bridge the country's divide between its French-speakers and its Dutch-speakers.

"In our opinion, protracted political uncertainty remains a risk to its creditworthiness," the ratings agency said.

Caretaker Prime Minister Yves Leterme said Friday "we really need strong signals now" from the six political parties trying to resolve the 2012 budget. He said the six parties needed a deal "tonight, the coming days ? but preferably before we hit the market again" on Monday.

After negotiators reached a constitutional deal two month ago giving regions more autonomy, talks are now stuck over how to contain Belgium's high debt and deficit.

In a statement, Standard & Poor's said Leterme's caretaker government "lacks a mandate to implement deeper fiscal and structural reforms."

The country's yields on long-term bonds are closing in on 6 percent ? getting closer to the 7 percent financial danger zone that has pushed other European nations into international bailouts.

The negotiators need to find euro11 billion ($14.8 billion) more in austerity measures.

Leterme aims to get the budget deficit down to 2.8 percent of GDP in 2012, but the European Union is far from convinced, forecasting a wider shortfall of 4.6 percent for the country. It is also forecasting that Belgium's debt-to-GDP ratio will break through the 100 percent barrier in 2013 without big budget reforms.

The record-long negotiations since the June 13, 2010 election have been hobbled by fundamental differences over Belgium's future. Some pundits have predicted the split of the kingdom of 6.5 million Dutch-speakers in Flanders and 4.5 million French-speakers in Wallonia.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111125/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_belgium_downgrade

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Clean air, water rules spark different responses (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Large and small companies have told Republican-led congressional committees what the party wants to hear: dire predictions of plant closings and layoffs if the Obama administration succeeds with plans to further curb air and water pollution.

But their message to financial regulators and investors conveys less gloom and certainty.

The administration itself has clouded the picture by withdrawing or postponing some of the environmental initiatives that industry labeled as being among the most onerous.

Still, Republicans plan to make what they say is regulatory overreach a 2012 campaign issue, taking aim at President Barack Obama, congressional Democrats and an aggressive Environmental Protection Agency.

"Republicans will be talking to voters this campaign season about how to keep Washington out of the way, so that job creators can feel confident again to create jobs for Americans," said Joanna Burgos, a spokeswoman for the House Republican campaign organization.

The Associated Press compared the companies' congressional testimony to company reports submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The reports to the SEC consistently said the impact of environmental proposals is unknown or would not cause serious financial harm to a firm's finances.

Companies can legitimately argue that their less gloomy SEC filings are correct, since most of the tougher anti-pollution proposals have not been finalized. And their officials' testimony before congressional committees was sometimes on behalf of ? and written by ? trade associations, a perspective that can differ from an individual company's view.

But the disparity in the messages shows that in a political environment, business has no misgivings about describing potential economic horror stories to lawmakers.

"As an industry, we have said this before, we face a potential regulatory train wreck," Anthony Earley Jr., then the executive chairman of DTE Energy in Michigan, told a House committee on April 15. "Without the right policy, we could be headed for disaster."

The severe economic consequences, he said, would be devastating to the electric utility's customers, especially Detroit residents who "simply cannot afford" higher rates.

Earley, who is now chairman and CEO of Pacific Gas & Electric Corp., said if the EPA had its way, coal-fired plants would be replaced with natural gas ? leading to a spike in gas prices. He said he was testifying for the electric industry, not just his company.

But in its quarterly report to the SEC, Detroit-based DTE, which serves 3 million utility customers in Michigan, said that it was "reviewing potential impacts of the proposed and recently finalized rules, but is not able to quantify the financial impact ... at this time."

Skiles Boyd, a DTE vice president for environmental issues, said in an interview that the testimony was meant to convey the potential economic hardship on ratepayers ? while the SEC report focused on the company's financial condition.

"It's two different subjects," he said.

Another congressional witness, Jim Pearce of chemical company FMC Corp., told a House hearing last Feb. 9: "The current U.S. approach to regulating greenhouse gases ... will lead U.S. natural soda ash producers to lose significant business to our offshore rivals...." Soda ash is used to produce glass, and is a major component of the company's business..

But in its annual report covering 2010 and submitted to the SEC 13 days after the testimony, the company said it was "premature to make any estimate of the costs of complying with un-enacted federal climate change legislation, or as yet un-implemented federal regulations in the United States." The Philadelphia-based company did not respond to a request for comment..

California Rep. Henry Waxman, the senior Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said the SEC filings "show that the anti-regulation rhetoric in Washington is political hot air with little or no connection to reality."

House Republicans have conducted dozens of hearings, and passed more than a dozen bills to stop proposed environmental rules. So far, all the GOP bills have gone nowhere in the Democratic-run Senate.

"I will see to it, to the best of my ability, to try to stop everything," California Sen . Barbara Boxer, the Democratic chairman of the Senate's environment committee, vowed in reference to GOP legislation aimed at reining in the EPA. She predicted Republicans "will lose seats over this."

The Obama administration has reconsidered some of the environmental proposals in response to the drumbeat from business groups. In September, the president scrubbed a clean-air regulation that aimed to reduce health-threatening smog. Last May, EPA delayed indefinitely regulations to reduce toxic pollution from boilers and incinerators.

James Rubright, CEO of Rock-Tenn Co., a Norcross, Ga.-based producer of corrugated-and-consumer packaging, told a House panel in September that a variety of EPA, job safety and chemical security regulations would require "significant capital investment" ? money that "otherwise go to growth in manufacturing capacity and the attendant production of jobs."

Rubright conveyed a consulting firm's conclusion that EPA's original boiler proposal before the Obama administration withdrew it in May would have cost the forest products industry about $7 billion, and the packaging industry $6.8 billion.

Another industry study, he said, warned that original boiler rule would have placed 36 mills at risk and would have jeopardized more than 20,000 jobs in the pulp and paper industries ? about 18 percent of the work force.

But a month before his testimony_ and three months after EPA withdrew its boiler proposal ? Rock-Tenn told the SEC that "future compliance with these environmental laws and regulations will not have a material adverse effect on our results or operations, financial condition or cash flows." The company did not respond to a request for comment.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111126/ap_on_go_co/us_clean_air_politics

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Egypt truce holds, protesters plan huge Friday rally (Reuters)

CAIRO (Reuters) ? Egyptian protesters and police observed a truce on Thursday after clashes that killed 39 people in five days, but activists said they would intensify pressure for an end to army rule with a mass rally on Friday.

The ruling army council again promised that parliamentary elections would start on time next week. It said earlier it would speed up the timetable for a handover from military to civilian presidential rule.

Demonstrations by thousands of Egyptians frustrated with military rule have led to violent clashes with police in and around Cairo's Tahrir Square, in scenes reminiscent of the popular uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak in February.

"The people demand the execution of the marshal," crowds chanted, referring to army chief Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, who was Mubarak's defense minister for 20 years.

In a communique, protesters called a million-man march on "the Friday of the last chance" to back demands for an immediate transfer to civilian rule via a national salvation government.

The Egyptian Independent Trade Union Federation called for a workers' march to Tahrir. Another labor rights group called for a general strike to back the protests. Labor unions played an important role in the movement that toppled Mubarak.

The heads of two political parties who took part in a meeting with the military council on Tuesday said they now regretted attending and apologized to the protesters in Tahrir.

The demonstrations appear to have polarized Egyptians, many of whom worry that unrest will prolong economic stagnation.

Supporters of the army council had said they would hold a rally to back the military. In a statement on its Facebook page, the army council said it was "appealing to them to cancel the demonstration," saying it wanted to avoid divisions.

ECONOMY REELS

In fresh blows to confidence, the Egyptian pound weakened to more than six to the dollar for the first time since January 2005, and Standard & Poor's cut Egypt's credit rating.

The agency cut Egypt's long-term, foreign- and local-currency sovereign credit ratings to B+ from BB-, saying a "weak political and economic profile" had worsened further.

The Central Bank raised interest rates unexpectedly in what bankers was an attempt to shore up the pound.

Egypt's ruling army council said it was doing all it could to prevent more violence. In a statement, it apologized, offered condolences and compensation to families of the dead, and promised a swift investigation into who was behind the unrest.

A ruling council member, General Mamdouh Shaheen, told a news conference the parliamentary vote, whose first stage is due to begin on Monday, would go ahead on time. "We will not delay elections. This is the final word," he said.

Another council member, Major-General Mokhtar al-Mullah, took a swipe at the demonstrators. "If we look at those in Tahrir, regardless of their number, they do not represent the Egyptian people, but we must respect their opinion," he said.

Mullah said the army hoped to form a new government before Monday to replace Prime Minister Essam Sharaf's cabinet, which resigned during this week's violence without giving a reason.

Demonstrators in Tahrir said the truce had taken hold from midnight. Cranes hauled concrete barriers, later reinforced with barbed wire, across streets leading to the nearby Interior Ministry, flashpoint for much of the recent violence.

HUMAN CHAINS

Protesters linked arms in human chains to prevent further clashes with security forces guarding the Interior Ministry.

"We have created a space separating us from the police. We are standing here to make sure no one violates it," said Mahmoud Adly, 42, part of a human cordon four people deep.

Some demonstrators began sweeping the square and collecting rubbish. "We want to show people we aren't here only for clashes, we are also cleaning the place," said Osama Moawad, 23.

The protests in Cairo and elsewhere pose the gravest challenge to Egypt's army rulers since they took over from Mubarak, overthrown on February 11 after an 18-day uprising.

The United States and European nations, alarmed at the violence of the past few days, have urged Egypt to proceed with what has been billed as its first free vote in decades.

The army and the Muslim Brotherhood, which expects to do well in the election, say it must go ahead, but many protesters do not trust the military to oversee a clean vote. Some scorn the Brotherhood for its focus on gaining seats in parliament.

In Tahrir, two groups were chanting against other, one saying, "Muslim Brotherhood, we don't want you in the square," and another responding in a unity call, "One hand, one hand."

The military council originally promised to return to barracks within six months of the fall of Mubarak, but then set a timetable for elections and drawing up a new constitution that would have left it in power until late next year or early 2013.

Tantawi pledged this week to hold a presidential vote in June that could pave the way for a transfer to civilian rule, but the demonstrators, angered by army attempts to shield itself legally from future civilian control, are unconvinced.

"The protesters of Tahrir Square announce their absolute rejection of ... Tantawi's speech, and stress they have been humiliated that the regime moved to offer solution only after martyrs fell," the protesters' communique said.

Before the truce, protesters had fought running battles with security forces around the Interior Ministry. The bloody chaos there contrasted with normal life in streets nearby.

(Additional reporting by Edmund Blair, Tom Perry and Patrick Werr; Writing by Alistair Lyon; Editing by Andrew Roche)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111124/wl_nm/us_egypt_protests

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British police investigating climate email hackers (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) ? British police will examine a batch of email exchanges between climate scientists which appeared on the Internet on Tuesday as part of an inquiry into the hacking of the private documents, police said on Wednesday.

The University of East Anglia, whose Climate Action Research Unit is considered one of the world's leading institutions on climate science, said the emails appeared to be "a carefully-timed attempt to reignite controversy over the science behind climate change."

Negotiators from almost 200 countries meet from November 28 in South Africa for a U.N. climate summit, where only modest steps are expected toward a deal on cutting greenhouse gas emissions despite warnings from scientists that extreme weather will likely increase as the planet warms.

An anonymous group or individual called FOIA posted a file on a Russian server, http:/files.sinwt.ru/download.phpfile=25FOIA2011.zip,

which included more than 5,000 emails.

Two years ago, a series of emails written by climate experts from the university were stolen by unknown hackers and spread across the Internet in what became known as "Climategate," just before a U.N. climate summit in Copenhagen.

The leaked emails contained private correspondence from 1995 to 2009. Climate change skeptics claimed they showed scientists manipulating data to support global warming.

However, independent inquiries cleared the university of all accusations of fraud and data manipulation, although they did recommend it change the way it handled requests for information.

"We are aware of the release of the document cache. The contents will be of interest to our investigation which is ongoing," said police spokeswoman Nicola Atter.

"Nothing so far leads us to believe the emails raise any new issues. If, on closer study, we see anything that requires further investigation, that we will do," Edward Acton, vice chancellor of the university, told reporters on Wednesday.

"It may throw more light on the perpetrator rather than the victims of this invasion of privacy. I am very keen to know who did it," he added.

Police would not reveal information about suspects.

Acton said the way numbers appeared, using full stops instead of commas, was uncommon among British or American English speakers.

In addition to the 5,000 emails released on Tuesday, there are another 39,000 pages which cannot be accessed yet as they require a password, the vice-chancellor said.

Those seen so far include quotes on discussions between scientists over how to portray climate data, the workings of the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and how to share information.

"I have looked at 100 or so and those highlighted are quite cherry-picked (...) They are quite representative of frank and honest discussion between scientists," said Phil Jones, head of the university unit.

In a statement immediately after the emails appeared on the Internet on Tuesday, the university said: "This appears to be a carefully-timed attempt to reignite controversy over the science behind climate change when that science has been vindicated by three separate independent inquiries and a number of studies."

(Reporting by Nina Chestney; Editing by Janet Lawrence)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/internet/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111123/wr_nm/us_climate_emails

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Friday, November 25, 2011

Metro says India focus remains cash & carry (Reuters)

FRANKFURT (Reuters) ? World No.4 retailer Metro said India's decision to open up its supermarket sector for foreign players did not mean it would seek to introduce its Real brand to the country.

The Indian government threw open its $450 billion retail market to global supermarket giants on Thursday, approving its biggest reform in years that may boost sorely needed investment in Asia's third-largest economy.

Foreign players are already allowed to operate wholesale, or cash & carry, stores.

"The focus is on cash & carry and we have no plans to enter the Indian market with Real or MediaMarkt Saturn," a Metro spokesman said on Thursday, referring to its hypermarket and consumer electronics chains.

The opening up of the market is likely to be of more interest to Metro rivals Wal-Mart and Carrefour. The German company has already classed its Real business as non-core and has said it would sell it if the right offer came up.

Metro's Cash & Carry unit entered the Indian market in 2003 and currently has eight stores there, after opening two in Punjab and Mumbai this year.

A spokeswoman for the unit said Metro aimed to open at least five new cash & carry stores in the country a year.

"We want to keep up expansion pace and further invest in our Cash & Carry business in India," she said.

(Reporting by Victoria Bryan; Editing by Jon Loades-Carter)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/india/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111124/india_nm/india607164

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Bahrain report: excessive force in crackdowns (AP)

MANAMA, Bahrain ? With Bahrain's king watching, the chief investigator asked to probe his government's crackdowns gave a blow-by-blow reckoning Wednesday of torture, excessive force and fast-track justice in attempts to crush the largest Arab spring uprising in the Gulf.

The investigator, Mahmoud Cherif Bassiouni, also said there was no evidence of Iranian links to Bahrain's Shiite-led protests. That was a clear rebuke Gulf leaders, who accuse Tehran of playing a role in the 10-month-old showdown in the Western-allied kingdom.

The 500-page study ? authorized by Bahrain's Sunni rulers in a bid to ease tensions ? marks the most comprehensive document on security force actions during any of the revolts that have flared across the Arab world this year. It also displayed a stunning image of a powerful Arab monarch facing a harsh public reckoning, as King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa listened somberly to a bullet-point summary of the report's conclusions.

Bassiouni's summary read like a checklist of complaints by rights groups since February: Middle-of-the-night raids to "create fear," purges from workplaces and universities, jail house abuses including electric shocks and beatings and destruction of Shiite mosques that "gave the impression of collective punishment."

At least 35 people have been killed in violence related to the uprising, including several members of the security forces.

It appeared unlikely that even the strong criticism would satisfy opposition forces, who accused the Sunni monarchy of using all methods at its disposal to avoid sharing power with the nation's Shiite majority. Just hours before the long-awaited report was released, security forces used tear gas and stun grenades in the latest of nearly daily clashes on the strategic island, home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.

"What is really needed is to hold the perpetrators responsible and bring them to justice," said Khalil al-Marzooq, a senior official with the biggest Shiite opposition party, Al Wefaq, which pulled out of parliament this spring to protest the harsh tactics against protesters.

There were no immediate signs of escalating street protests after the report was issued. In one area, protesters blocked roads and chanted slogans against the ruling family.

In Wahington, the White House commended the king for appointing the commission and said in a statement that it is "incumbent upon the government of Bahrain to hold accountable those responsible for human rights violations and put in place institutional changes to ensure that such abuses do not happen again."

The inquest was seen as a bold step in a region of monarchs and sheiks who rarely acknowledge shortcomings or face uncomfortable criticism in public.

Bahrain's government promised "no immunity" for anyone suspected of abuses and said it would propose creating a permanent human rights commission.

"All those who have broken the law or ignored lawful orders and instructions will be held accountable," said a government statement, adding that the report notes that the "systematic practice of mistreatment" ended shortly after martial law was repealed on June 1.

Bahrain's Shiites comprise about 70 percent of the island nation's 525,000 citizens. They have complained of widespread discrimination such as being blocked from top government or military posts. The monarchy has offered some concessions, but refused to bow to protest demands to surrender control of all top positions and main policies.

"A number of detainees were tortured ... which proved there was a deliberate practice by some," said Bassiouni, whose report covered the period between Feb. 14 and March 30.

The report also was highly critical of a special security court created under martial law that "overtook the national system of justice" and issued harsh sentences ? including life in prison and death row rulings ? that "denied most defendants elementary fair trial guarantees."

The document spotlighted abuses at the island's main hospital, the state-run Salmaniya Medical Center. The authorities saw its mostly Shiite staff as opposition sympathizers. Dozens of doctors and nurses who treated injured protesters were detained during crackdown. Many were sentenced to five to 15 year prison sentences. Their appeal will be heard in a civilian court.

"All reports indicated that there were protests, and indeed chaos, in the SMC," the report says. It adds, "The hospital generally continued to function normally" through the unrest.

Bahrain has abolished the security court. Bassiouni urged Bahrain to review all the security court verdicts and drop charges against all those accused of nonviolent acts such as joining or supporting the protests.

"You found real shortcomings from some government institutions," Bahrain's king told Bassiouni, an Egyptian-born professor of international criminal law and a former member of U.N. human rights panels.

But the king lashed back at finding that Iran did not influence the uprising, saying his government could not provide clear evidence but insisting Tehran's role was clear to "all who have eyes and ears."

Bahrain is a critical U.S. all,y and Washington has taken a cautious line because of what's at stake: urging Bahrain's leaders to open more dialogue with the opposition, but avoiding too much public pressure.

In a statement Wednesday, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry said the report is an important moment for Bahrain that has lived through a year of events that were "highly traumatic."

"Political reform in Bahrain will not come easily, but it is critical for the healing process," Kerry said.

For Gulf leaders, led by powerful Saudi Arabia, Bahrain is seen as a firewall to keep pro-reform protests from spreading further across the region. Sunni Gulf rulers have rallied behind the kingdom's embattled monarchy and sent in military reinforcements during the height of the crackdowns and Saudi-led units still remain.

___

Murphy reported from Dubai.

Online: http://files.bici.org.bh/BICIreportEN.pdf

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111123/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_bahrain

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San Francisco archdiocese wins legal battle on property tax : News ...

The Archdiocese of San Francisco has won a legal battle to avoid taxes on the transfer of parish properties.

The archdiocese had filed suit in April 2010 against city assessor Phil Ting, who had sought payment of ?transfer taxes? on parish and school properties that changed hands during a reconfiguration of the archdiocese. The archdiocese contended that the tax could properly be imposed on properties that were sold, and that an internal reorganization should not trigger the tax.

Superior Court Judge Richard Kramer agreed that the properties transferred from one archdiocesan entity to another were not ?sold,? and the tax did not apply.

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Source: http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=12445

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Thursday, November 24, 2011

Head and neck cancer: Study identifies factors associated with increased risk of death among two-year survivors

ScienceDaily (Nov. 22, 2011) ? Among patients with head and neck cancer, poor overall quality of life, pain, and continued tobacco use appear to be associated with poorer outcomes and higher mortality rate two years after diagnosis, according to a report in the November issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

"A conditional survival rate is the probability of surviving after having already lived for a certain length of time," the authors write as background information in the study. "This concept is important in the care of patients with head and neck cancer because it underlies the intuition of head and neck oncologists that mortality and recurrence rates are lower for patients further out from diagnoses."

Trisha L. Thompson, B.S., and colleagues from the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics, Iowa City, conducted an observational study of 276 patients who survived two years after a diagnosis of upper aerodigestive carcinoma, and were diagnosed between September 2001 and September 2008. Data were collected using standard surveys and short-item queries. Of the 276 participants included in the analysis, 59.9 percent were previous users of tobacco, while 11.4 percent were current users, two years after diagnosis. Additionally, two years after diagnosis, 86 percent of survivors were eating a full diet and 80.5 percent reported having no pain.

The five-year traditional observed survival rate was 61.1 percent for all patients compared with the conditional rate of 90.8 percent for two-year survivors. The five-year traditional disease-specific rate was 69.8 percent for all patients, compared with the conditional rate of 94.8 percent for two-year survivors. Older age and advanced stage were associated with poorer survival, whether death was due to the cancer or from all causes. Patients with pain or poor overall quality of life were more likely to die from all causes, whereas those still smoking two years after diagnoses were more likely to die from their cancer.

The authors found that the likelihood of death was four times lower for patients reporting high overall quality of life than for those reporting low quality of life, and two times higher for those who reported the presence of pain, compared to participants who did not. Additionally, those who continued to use tobacco had a likelihood of death from cancer four times higher than those who had quit or had never used tobacco.

"In addition to older age and advanced stage, which are known to have a negative effect on survival, the presence of pain and continued tobacco use should flag patients who might need longer and more intense follow-up care to improve their observed and disease-specific survival rates," the authors conclude. "This information is useful for clinicians in the development of management plans for patients who are transitioning from treatment into survivorship."

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Journal Reference:

  1. T. L. Thompson, N. A. Pagedar, L. H. Karnell, G. F. Funk. Factors Associated With Mortality in 2-Year Survivors of Head and Neck Cancer. Archives of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, 2011; 137 (11): 1100 DOI: 10.1001/archoto.2011.179

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/ZixJHxHEYrQ/111122115522.htm

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Tibet group video allegedly shows nun burning (AP)

BEIJING ? A Tibetan rights group has released graphic video of what it says is a Buddhist nun engulfed in flames on a city street in one of several apparent self-immolation protests against Chinese rule.

The video, released Monday by Students for a Free Tibet, purports to show Palden Choetso, whose death on Nov. 3 in predominantly Tibetan Ganzi prefecture in Sichuan province had previously been reported.

The video shows a woman in nun's robes standing on a street corner covered in bright red flames. She collapses to the ground after about 15 seconds.

Additional footage shows about 10,000 mourners gathering at a monastery for a candlelight vigil on Nov. 6 to pay their respects to the 35-year-old nun while about 1,000 monks and nuns hold prayers inside.

The video also shows Chinese security forces in riot gear shadowing monks and nuns taking part in a protest march, and a column of armored paramilitary police patrol vehicles traveling down a country road. The New York-based Students of a Free Tibet said it obtained the video from sources in the region.

China restricts journalists' access to Tibetan areas of western China and to Tibet itself, and it is nearly impossible to verify statements about conditions there.

At least 11 monks, nuns, and former monks have self-immolated this year in what are seen as acts of desperation in the face of tightening controls over Tibetan life and Buddhist culture.

Most ignited the flames while calling for Tibetan freedom and the return of their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, who fled to India amid an abortive uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.

China claims Tibet has always been part of its territory, but many Tibetans say the Himalayan region was virtually independent for centuries.

Authorities routinely deny Tibetan claims of repression, although they have confirmed some cases of self-immolations and accused supporters of the Dalai Lama of encouraging such acts. The Dalai Lama and representatives of the self-declared Tibetan government-in-exile in India say they oppose all violence.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111122/ap_on_re_as/as_china_tibet

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Medvedev: Russia may target missile defense sites (AP)

MOSCOW ? Russia will deploy new missiles aimed at U.S. missile defense sites in Europe if Washington goes ahead with the planned shield despite Russia's concerns, President Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday.

Russia will station missiles in its westernmost Kaliningrad region and other areas if Russia and NATO fail to reach a deal on the U.S.-led missile defense plans, he said in a tough statement that seemed to be aimed at rallying domestic support.

Russia considers the plans for missile shields in Europe, including in Romania and Poland, to be a threat to its nuclear forces, but the Obama administration insists they are meant to fend off a potential threat from Iran.

Moscow has agreed to consider NATO's proposal last fall to cooperate on the missile shield, but the talks have been deadlocked over how the system should operate. Russia has insisted that the system should be run jointly, which NATO has rejected.

Medvedev also warned that Moscow may opt out of the New START arms control deal with the United States and halt other arms control talks if the U.S. proceeds. The Americans had hoped that the treaty would stimulate progress further ambitious arms control efforts, but such talks have stalled over tension on the missile plans.

"The United States and its NATO partners as of now aren't going to take our concerns about the European missile defense into account," a stern Medvedev said, adding that if the alliance continues to "stonewall" Russia it will take retaliatory action.

The U.S. plan calls for placing land- and sea-based radars and interceptors in European locations over the next decade and upgrading them over time.

Medvedev warned that Russia will deploy short-range Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad, a Baltic Sea exclave bordering Poland, and place weapons in other areas in Russia's west and south to target U.S. missile defense sites.

Medvedev added that prospective Russian strategic nuclear missiles will be fitted with systems that would allow them to penetrate prospective missile defenses.

He and other Russian leaders have made similar threats in the past, and the latest statement appears to be aimed at domestic audience ahead of Dec. 4 parliamentary elections.

Medvedev, who is set to step down to allow Prime Minister Vladimir Putin reclaim the presidency in March's elections, leads the ruling United Russia party list in the parliamentary vote.

A sterm warning to the U.S. and NATO issued by Medvedev seems to be directed at rallying nationalist votes in the polls.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111123/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_missile_defense

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Samsung Galaxy Nexus review (international version)

Our GSM Galaxy Nexus review finds a great platform for the next version of Android -- Ice Cream Sandwich

Android Central

The past year, like the year before it, has been huge for Android. We’ve seen headlines boasting increasingly ridiculous daily activation numbers and market-share figures, not to mention the platform’s (slightly bumpy) foray into the tablet space. It’s no exaggeration to say that new Android smartphones are arriving on an almost a weekly basis. If you’re a regular visitor, you’ll certainly have noticed that each month seems to bring more reviews and product launches than the last. On phones at least, Android is booming.

As 2011 draws to a close, Google has yet another tasty treat prepared for Android devotees -- the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, powered by the freshly-minted Android 4.0 “Ice Cream Sandwich” OS. Nexus devices have always been highly desirable objects for fans of Google and its mobile platform -- the Nexus One and Nexus S both featured attractive, powerful hardware that was open to development and hacking (of the original, good kind). But both failed to catch on with "regular" consumers, mainly due to a lack of marketing or widespread on-contract availability, and the fact that until recently, stock Android was very much the ugly duckling of smartphone operating systems.

This is what Google, along with its partners at Samsung, has tried to fix with the Galaxy Nexus and Android 4.0. The aim was to build a high-end device with an all-new stock Android user experience, and create not just a great smartphone for developers and enthusiasts, but a great smartphone, period. Read on for our full Galaxy Nexus review to find out whether they’ve succeeded.

 


The Good

Thin and light, with a gorgeous screen. Ice Cream Sandwich delivers on the promise of a faster, prettier, more usable Android.

The Bad

Performance issues with some live wallpapers, camera is decent but not great, no Flash support out of the box. Inconsistent availability worldwide.

Conclusion

If, like many of us, you’ve been constantly holding out for that “next big thing” in the Android world, this is your signal to stop waiting and reach for your wallet. The Galaxy Nexus is the Android phone you want to own in 2012.
 

 

Inside this review

More info

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/zV_tCPVDu-g/story01.htm

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Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Elle Macpherson's adviser: Hacking cost me my job

British actor Steve Coogan arrives to testify at the Leveson inquiry at the Royal Courts of Justice in central London, Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2011. The Leveson inquiry is Britain's media ethics probe that was set up in the wake of the scandal over phone hacking at Rupert Murdoch's News of the World, which was shut in July. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

British actor Steve Coogan arrives to testify at the Leveson inquiry at the Royal Courts of Justice in central London, Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2011. The Leveson inquiry is Britain's media ethics probe that was set up in the wake of the scandal over phone hacking at Rupert Murdoch's News of the World, which was shut in July. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

British actor Steve Coogan arrives to testify at the Leveson inquiry at the Royal Courts of Justice in central London, Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2011. The Leveson inquiry is Britain's media ethics probe that was set up in the wake of the scandal over phone hacking at Rupert Murdoch's News of the World, which was shut in July. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

LONDON (AP) ? Phone hacking by the media cost me my job advising Elle Macpherson, a business adviser told a U.K. inquiry Tuesday, describing how the Australian supermodel wrongly blamed her for leaking intimate secrets to the press.

Mary-Ellen Field told an inquiry into British media ethics that the leaks cast a shadow of suspicion over her, with Macpherson becoming convinced that Field was an alcoholic and ordering her to an American rehabilitation clinic. Field said she was shocked by the allegations that she was a drunk who'd been blabbing about her employer, but went along with Macpherson's recommendation because she needed her job.

"I have a severely disabled child who can never look after himself so walking away from a high-paying position is not a good idea," Field said.

The rehab was grueling ? she described it as being "like one of those CIA renditions, except they don't put you in chains" ? but it didn't do her much good.

Even though staff at the clinic said she was not an alcoholic, Macpherson fired her anyway, and Field lost her job at her firm shortly afterward. She told the inquiry there was no doubt the sacking was the result of what happened with Macpherson.

Field said her employer told her that "I'd been indiscreet, that the clients didn't trust me."

Although it has since emerged that the media leaks were the result of phone hacking not indiscretion, Field said she has not heard from fellow Australian Macpherson in years.

Field was one of several victims of press intrusion testifying Tuesday at Britain's Royal Courts of Justice. The inquiry was set up after the scandal over phone hacking and other underhanded tactics used at the News of the World, which was closed in July amid allegations of widespread criminality.

Among those due to testify Tuesday were British comedian Steve Coogan, soccer player Garry Flitcroft, and Margaret Watson, whose daughter Diane was stabbed to death at her Scottish school two decades ago.

The parents of murdered British schoolgirl Milly Dowler and film star Hugh Grant were the first victims to testify on Monday, with Grant being particularly scathing.

He described mysterious break-ins, leaked medical details and hacked voice mails. Grant attacked the Mail on Sunday tabloid, accusing it of spying on his conversations. The paper denies the charge, but lawyers at the inquiry said Tuesday the tabloid's response smacked of an attempt to intimidate witnesses.

David Sherborne and Neil Garnham pointed to an article on the Mail's website describing Grant's allegations as "mendacious smears driven by his hatred of the media."

"(Is) everyone who has the temerity to give evidence critical of the press is going to face this the following morning?" Garnham asked.

Sherborne also invoked the Mail article when he said many witnesses were worried about "the sort of intimidatory tactics that we've seen in the press this morning."

The Mail's lead counsel was not at the hearing but was expected to reply later Tuesday.

___

Online:

http://www.levesoninquiry.org.uk/

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-11-22-EU-Britain-Phone-Hacking/id-12916ee6997a4db398d5b48056a8a839

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USC holds off No. 4 Oregon 38-35 (AP)

EUGENE, Ore. ? Matt Barkley was confident that No. 18 USC was headed for an upset all along, even when fourth-ranked Oregon mounted a comeback.

"We expected to shock everybody except ourselves," he said after throwing for 323 yards and four touchdowns in a 38-35 victory over the Ducks on Saturday night.

The loss snapped a 21-game winning streak for Oregon (9-2, 7-1 Pac-12) at Autzen Stadium, which was the longest in the nation. It also stopped a 19-game winning streak in conference games.

But even more significantly, the loss derailed Oregon's hope for a second-straight berth in the BCS championship game. The Ducks were poised to move up in the BCS standings after No. 2 Oklahoma State lost to Iowa State 37-31on Friday night.

"I think this was a defining game for us," Barkley said. "We set ourselves apart on both sides of the ball."

Trailing 24-7 in the third quarter, Oregon launched a comeback and narrowed the margin to just three points on LaMichael James' 1-yard touchdown run with 7:05 left in the fourth quarter.

Barkley led his team to the Oregon 15, but Marc Tyler fumbled and the ball was recovered by the Ducks with 2:54 to go. Oregon marched down the field but Alejandro Maldondado's 37-yard field goal attempt, which was brought 5 yards closer because of a USC penalty, went wide left.

Afterward, Ducks' fans stood stunned while the Trojans (9-2, 6-2) celebrated on the field. Once in the locker room, the team was so boisterous that they at times drowned out coach Lane Kiffin speaking to reporters in an adjoining room.

The victory was huge for USC, which cannot play in the postseason because of NCAA sanctions.

"We needed this," Barkley said.

Robert Woods, who was held out of some practices this week with ankle and shoulder injuries, caught seven passes for 53 yards and two scores. Freshman Marqise Lee caught eight passes for 187 yards and a score.

Darron Thomas threw for 265 yards and a score for Oregon, while Kenjon Barner ran for 123 yards and two touchdowns. The Ducks, ranked fifth in the nation with nearly 292 rushing yards per game, were held to 209 yards by USC's defense.

"We lost a game," said James, who rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown. "Life goes on."

Against the Trojans, Oregon was playing catch up from the start.

The Trojans scored first on Barkley's 59-yard touchdown pass to Lee in the first quarter, then added Barkley's 12-yard scoring pass to Woods early in the second to go up 14-0.

The Ducks didn't' look like themselves until an efficient scoring drive midway through the second quarter. Thomas hit freshman Colt Lyerla with a 35-yard pass before hitting fellow frosh De'Anthony Thomas with a 29-yarder for the touchdown. The seven-play drive covered 88 yards in just 2:15.

But USC answered with Barkley's 4-yard touchdown pass to Woods. The TD, Barkley's 73rd, moved him past Carson Palmer for second on Southern California's career touchdown list. Matt Leinart had 99 for the Trojans.

The Ducks had a chance to narrow it before the half, but De'Anthony Thomas was out of bounds when he pulled down a Darron Thomas pass to the end zone. On the next play, James fumbled and the ball was recovered by USC.

James, who dislocated his elbow earlier in the season and missed two games, was hit in the arm on the play, and was holding the elbow as he was helped up by trainers.

The Trojans opened the second half with Andre Heidari's 26-yard field goal to make it 24-7, but Oregon again showed a flash of its usual speedy offense with a quick drive capped by Barner's 10-yard touchdown run.

The Ducks, known for their second half adjustments, couldn't slow USC's momentum and the Trojans scored on the subsequent series with Marc Tyler's 3-yard run. Barkley added a 5-yard scoring pass to Randall Telfer to make it 38-14.

De'Anthony Thomas narrowed it again for the Ducks with a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, and the Autzen Stadium crowd got back into the game with 3:28 left in the third quarter.

Barner had an 8-yard touchdown run to close the Ducks to within 38-27 with 12:44 left in the game. The Trojans ate a lot of time up with their next series, but Barkley was intercepted by John Boyett, putting the Ducks in business on their own 40. Oregon scored on James' 1-yard run, and the 2-point conversion pass was ruled good after review to make it 38-35.

"I never felt comfortable," Kiffin said. "You can't get comfortable. They're just so explosive."

It was USC's first victory in the state of Oregon since 2005.

USC has one final game, next week against Los Angeles rival UCLA. The league's southern representative in the inaugural Pac-12 championship is still up for grabs between Arizona State, Utah and UCLA.

The Ducks still need only to win at home next week against Oregon State to clinch the Pac-12 North Division.

After the game, coach Chip Kelly was asked if perhaps Oregon's guard was down against the Trojans after a decisive victory over then-No. 3 Stanford last week.

"I didn't feel like it was a hangover. The credit goes to that other team. That's a good football team," said Kelly, who after the game went to the Trojans locker room to congratulate USC assistant Monte Kiffin, Lane's father.

The loss was Chip Kelly's first at Autzen as Oregon's head coach.

There were cheers before the game started when NBA stars LeBron James, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony and several others showed up on the sidelines. James and Anthony even tossed around a football.

The players have been working out at Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Ore., just outside of Portland.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111120/ap_on_sp_co_ga_su/fbc_t25_usc_oregon

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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

South Korea ratifies landmark U.S. trade deal (Reuters)

SEOUL (Reuters) ? South Korea's ruling conservatives rammed a bitterly contested free trade deal with the United States through parliament on Tuesday as legislators scuffled and one opposition MP let off a tear gas device, briefly clearing the chamber.

The deal, which economists say could boost the $67 billion in annual trade between the two countries by as much as a quarter, had been stalled in parliament as the government shied away from forcing it through for fear of violent confrontations in the legislature might further dent its waning popularity ahead of general and presidential elections next year.

The bill was passed with 151 members largely from the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) voting for it and seven against, as most members of the opposition Democratic Party abstained. The two countries had set a January 1 target for the pact to take effect.

Analysts said the bitterness of the dispute could put parliament into a legislative limbo with potential problems for the 2012 budget bill that has a December 2 deadline under the constitution. However, that deadline has often been missed in the past.

Gridlock in parliament has all but paralyzed proceedings in the final weeks of budget deliberations and could leave members fighting into December up to the January fiscal year start.

Though it was the opposition which initiated the FTA deal when it was in power, its legislators argue that subsequent changes to allow U.S. carmakers a major inroad into the market and a dispute settlement mechanism will strip Seoul of any ability to defend its interests.

President Lee Myung-bak made a last ditch effort last week to try to persuade the opposition to let the trade pact come to a vote but liberal parties rejected his plea. His office said after the bill's passage that it was time to get down to work on ensuring the deal leads to more jobs.

The GNP worried that the row over the trade deal would damage its image, already battered after losing key by-elections in April and last month in what were seen as tests of support before elections next year.

The by-election results indicated voters would likely back the liberals at the national level, which would mean a step back from the big-business policies of President Lee and a shift toward more welfare initiatives, analysts said.

The deal was approved by the U.S. Congress last month and signed into law by President Barack Obama, and is the biggest U.S. trade pact since the North America Free Trade Agreement went into force in 1994.

(Additional reporting by Iktae Park and Kim Do-gyun; Editing by David Chance; and)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111122/pl_nm/us_korea_usa_trade

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Monday, November 21, 2011

Maggie Lyon : 6 Simple Steps to Find Peace Within Yourself

We all ultimately wish for peace. The trouble is that we are taught to believe that battles need to be fought and won to earn it. But what if our steps towards peace were instead steps of studying and dismantling those battles? To do this, it is best to start with the most intimate ones we know and the ones we least want to address, the burning and entangled battles within ourselves.

What are yours? Conversely, how are you stepping toward inner peace?

My most significant battle over the years has been with my body. Because of my history with allergies, eating disorder, acne, parasitic infection, and all the repercussions from the infection, it has at times been impossible not to think of my body as having turned against me. It has indeed been stranglingly hard not to see my body as an enemy. As a result, a huge part of my work on my meditation cushion, my yoga mat, in my journal and my therapist's office, has been in uncovering peace, or a profound sense of ease and friendship within this physical body.

Here's my path to inner peace and one that I hope resonates with you:

1. Commit to truly awakening peace and to no longer being in combat with yourself. Set peace as a deep intention, not only reserved for more tranquil moments over the weekend or on holiday when it always feels easier to give yourself a break. Better to use these moments to draw on this very minute, especially if you're going through a rough patch, or basically at any chance you get.

2. Create a safe space where you can bear witness to your struggles every day. Instead of trying to ignore or numb yourself from your internal struggles, give yourself a place to get to know the struggles better, without judging them, simply through observation. Meditation cushions or yoga mats are great, but so too are a favorite bench in the park or your favorite chair. So long as you feel comfortable and secure. Keeping pen and paper close by is always handy, as expressing whatever comes up will also help encourage the calm from really understanding what is going on.

3. Be still with the peace that arises from your bravery and your willingness to look. Appreciate how peace miraculously comes -- and I promise it does -- when you are courageous and take the time to acknowledge your personal war. Trusting in and staying still long enough to allow for resounding calm to arise is the key. These moments are difficult. Taking a good honest look at your intimate fight is never easy, but wow does it help to clear the mind and funnily enough, ignite the peace you're in search of.

4. Carry this peace out into your daily life, where it is so easy to get tripped up. This is a tough one. As best you can, maintain that connection with peace even as you step into the hectic demands and turmoil of the day. Instead of dropping out of your peaceful zone and getting caught up all over again with your battle, gently remind yourself of where you just were, and how lovingly you just made room for both the battle and the peace that came from such a warm and friendly gesture.

5. Spread peace beyond your relationship with you, into your relationship with others. The beauty here is that when you tap and awaken your own peace, you quite naturally begin to radiate and offer up serenity to those with whom you interact. Your peace touches others, and has a wonderfully contagious effect.

6. Live from and for peace in the world, and continually go back to step 1. Always remember, peace is undeniably powerful, far more so than even the most epic of battles. Isn't it astounding that from your very own restful heart, world peace is attainable?

Pema Chodron says, "If we want to make peace, with ourselves and with the world at large, we have to look closely at the source of all of our wars." Hopefully the steps above will encourage you not only to look closely at your wars, but also to recognize them as opportunities ripe in unearthing the oft-disguised peace inside. We just have to be willing to not fight the fight and to not pick our battles. We just have to be willing to pick peace instead.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maggie-lyon/finding-inner-peace_b_1099583.html

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Wednesday, November 16, 2011

It's a hoax! 'Hidden' sex videos on Facebook

Duane Hoffman msnbc.com

By Helen A.S. Popkin

Nothing starts the week off right like all your friends screaming nonsense via Facebook. You know, something like this:

ATTENTION: THE HACKERS ARE PUTTING SEXUAL VIDEOS TO YOUR NAME IN THE WALLS / PROFILES OF YOUR FRIENDS WITHOUT YOU KNOWING IT. YOU DONT SEE IT, BUT OTHER PEOPLE CAN SEE IT, AS IF THESE WERE A PUBLICATION THAT YOU MADE! ALSO, THEY'RE SENDING INBOX MSGS TO YOUR FRIENDS ASKING YOU TO CLICK A LINK. DON'T DO IT!! SO IF YOU RECEIVE SOMETHING FROM ME ABOUT A VIDEO OR A STRANGE INBOX MESSAGE, IT'S NOT ME! COPY THIS TO YOUR WALL. IT IS FOR THE SECURITY OF YOUR OWN IMAGE!!! And REPORT IT!!!!! ALSO IF U ARE ASKED TO VOTE ON A PICTURE. DO NOT GO & VOTE: IT'S A HACKER!! POST THIS TO YOUR WALL FOR YOUR FRIENDS!!

This hoax ? which seems to be?resurging after a viral run in late September ? isn't tied to a clickjacking scam. Clickjacking occurs when you click a scam link that then posts the same scam link to?the walls of everyone you know on Facebook. That's not what's happening here. Instead, Facebook users?are cutting and pasting this warning on their Facebook status because another Facebook status told them too.

Live Poll

Bad Facebook etiquette: Which is worse?

  • 167740

    Clicking on scams that spam your Facebook friends!

    16%

  • 167741

    Spreading unverified hoaxes via cut-and-paste!

    38%

  • 167742

    ABUSING CAPS LOCK!!!!

    15%

  • 167743

    There is nothing worse than Facebook!

    30%

  • 167744

    Other (Tell us about it in comments!)

    1%

VoteTotal Votes: 423

If that's you, cut it out.

Both Snopes ? the hoax-debunking website you need to add to your Favorites browser bar immediately?? and Sophos Security haven't found any evidence that hackers are able to prevent you from seeing content they've posted using your name, as the screaming status (above) claims. Of course, if you've clicked on a clickjacking scam ? Justin Bieber punching some girl, that thing that girl's dad did that you won't believe, that thing about not having respect for Miley Cyrus, etc. ? that same spammy link will crap up the walls of all your friends. But you will always?be able to see the damage you've done.

Sophos confirms:

Yes, scammers have often posted thumbnails of what appear to be pornographic videos to compromised Facebook users' walls, but we have never seen any incidents where the post was *invisible* to the user.

Whether you're more culpable?for clicking on a link that spams your Facebook friends, or actively cutting and pasting hoaxes under your own steam is a discussion to be decided by the ages.?A CAPS LOCK status update may not spread malware, but it does spread ignorance as well as clog up paths of communication. Also, it's annoying.

In review, here are some things we can safely assume you won't?see via Facebook: Osama bin Laden's corpse, that video of that thing Justin Bieber did to that girl or what happened when that girl's dad walked in on her, an app that reveals?who has?been looking at your profile or what you'll look like when you're old, and an authentic message from Facebook WRITTEN IN CAPS LOCK.

If you do fall victim to actual clickjacking ? hey you're only human ? here's what to do:

  • Remove any content the rogue app may have posted on your Facebook wall.
  • Go to the Account Settings drop-down menu in the upper right side of your screen.
  • From the Account Settings drop-down menu, choose Privacy Settings.
  • On the bottom right side of the Privacy Settings Page, click the Apps & websites link "Edit your settings."
  • On the App page, next to "Apps you use," select edit settings.
  • There you will see the third-party apps that have access to your Facebook profile. Delete any rogue applications. (It's a good idea to check this setting regularly, anyway.)
  • Now, send an apology to all your Facebook friends who may have been tagged, and advise them to do the same.

Hat tip to Julissa McHugh?for spotting this hoax's return.

More on the annoying way we live now:

Helen A.S. Popkin?goes blah blah blah about the Internet. Tell her to get a real job on Twitter and/or Facebook.?Also, Google+.

Source: http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/14/8802520-its-a-hoax-hidden-sex-videos-on-facebook

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