Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/7FngSWfWHXA/
kim kardashian divorce generators generators lesean mccoy while you were sleeping while you were sleeping happy halloween
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
J.R. Martinez Won?t Name His Daughter ?Salami? or ?Apple Cider?
"She'll probably come out and we'll be like, 'That's the name,'" Martinez says. "We have narrowed it down to two names and we agree on it, which is good."
Gene Study Sheds Light on Body Clock's Link to Diabetes (HealthDay)
MONDAY, Jan. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers studying the link between diabetes and a hormone that affects your so-called "body clock" have identified a genetic mutation in the receptor for the hormone, melatonin, that may to boost the risk of the disease.
The finding could help improve assessment of a person's diabetes risk and could also lead to the development of personalized treatments, according to the study published in the Jan. 29 online edition of the journal Nature Genetics.
The research team from Imperial College London found that people who have rare genetic mutations in the receptor for melatonin have a greatly increased risk for type 2 diabetes.
Melatonin controls the body's sleep-wake cycle. A previous study found that people with common variations in the gene for the melatonin receptor MT2 have a slightly increased risk for type 2 diabetes.
This new study discovered that having any of four rare mutations of the MT2 is associated with a six times increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Melatonin controls the release of insulin, which regulates blood sugar levels. Mutations in the MT2 gene may disrupt the connection between the body clock and insulin release, resulting in abnormal control of blood sugar, the researchers explained.
For their study, the investigators examined the MT2 gene in more than 7,000 people. They identified 40 variants associated with type 2 diabetes, four of which are very rare and make the receptor incapable of responding to melatonin. The effect of these four variants was then confirmed in an additional group of nearly 12,000 people.
"Blood sugar control is one of the many processes regulated by the body's biological clock. This study adds to our understanding of how the gene that carries the blueprint for a key component in the clock can influence people's risk of diabetes," study leader Philippe Froguel, from the School of Public Health, said in an Imperial College London news release.
"We found very rare variants of the MT2 gene that have a much larger effect than more common variants discovered before. Although each mutation is rare, they are common in the sense that everyone has a lot of very rare mutations in their DNA. Cataloging these mutations will enable us to much more accurately assess a person's risk of disease based on their genetics," Froguel added.
While the study found a link between the mutation and diabetes risk, it did not find a cause-and-effect relationship.
More information
The American Diabetes Association offers an overview of diabetes prevention.
whitney duncan bradley cooper roger craig roger craig cadillac xts rambus rambus
Monday, January 30, 2012
Solar storm forces Delta, United to divert flights
Solar storm: Delta Air Lines and United Airlines diverted flights over the poles to prevent loss of communications. This is the biggest solar storm in six years, says NASA.
Delta Air Lines was diverting some flights on polar routes between Detroit and Asia to avoid disruptions to aircraft communications by a strong solar radiation storm, the airline said on Tuesday.
Skip to next paragraphThe storm, considered the strongest since 2005, has caused minor disruptions for U.S. airlines, and Delta said it altered routes for "a handful" of flights, and that the changes were adding about 15 minutes to travel times.
"We are undergoing a series of solar bursts in the sky that are impacting the northern side of the world," Delta spokesman Anthony Black said.
IN PICTURES: Northern lights from solar flares
"It can impact your ability to communicate," he said. "So, basically, the polar routes are being flown further south than normal."
United Airlines spokesman Mike Trevino said the carrier diverted one flight on Monday because of the storm, but none on Tuesday.
American Airlines reported no operational impact due to solar flares but that it is monitoring the atmosphere, spokesman Ed Martelle said.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a press release on Monday that it had issued a watch on Sunday for "a geomagnetic storm associated with a bright flare on the sun."
NOAA said it was the strongest solar radiation storm in more than six years? - and it was forecast to hit Earth's magnetic field on Tuesday, and it could affect airline routes, power grids and satellites, the U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center said. A coronal mass ejection - a big chunk of the Sun's atmosphere - was hurled toward Earth on Sunday, driving energized solar particles at about 5 million miles an hour (2,000 km per second), about five times faster than solar part
( Editing by Phil Berlowitz and Eric Walsh)
IN PICTURES: Northern lights from solar flares
watch movies online for free papillon papillon oc oc professor professor
www.lern2play.com
+?New .COMs $7.99/yr plus 18 cents/yr ICANN fee. Discount based on new one-year registration prices as of 1/27/2012 with sale price reflected in your shopping cart at checkout. Discount applies to new registrations and renewals and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or promotion. Domains purchased through this offer will renew at regular price after the initial term has expired.
Offer ends May 31, 2012 5:00 pm (MST).
? Good for one 1-year registration of any available .COM, .US, .BIZ, .INFO, .NET or .ORG
GoDaddy.com is the world's No. 1 ICANN-accredited domain name registrar for .COM, .NET, .ORG, .INFO, .BIZ and .US domain extensions.
Source: RegistrarSTATS.com
1?GoDaddy.com is rated the world's largest hostname provider according to Netcraft?.
Offer ends May 31, 2012 5:00 pm (MST).
? Good for one 1-year registration of any available .COM, .US, .BIZ, .INFO, .NET or .ORG
GoDaddy.com is the world's No. 1 ICANN-accredited domain name registrar for .COM, .NET, .ORG, .INFO, .BIZ and .US domain extensions.
Source: RegistrarSTATS.com
1?GoDaddy.com is rated the world's largest hostname provider according to Netcraft?.
Copyright ? 1999-2012 GoDaddy.com, LLC. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy
Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/lern2play
ny giants billy cundiff chip kelly new york giants super bowl tickets giants superbowl
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Spice Girls Reuniting For Queen Elizabeth?s Diamond Jubilee?
Could a Spice Girls reunion be in the works? Well maybe not a permanent one but it is looking like the all girl group will reunite to perform at Queen Elizabeth?s Diamond Jubilee this summer. Melanie Brown, a.k.a Scary Spice, accidentally revealed during an interview on an Australian TV show that the Spice Girls just might be reuniting for one big event this summer. Nope I am not talking about the 2012 Summer Olympics either, although that would have been pretty sweet too. Here is what Mel had to say about the reunion that is looking like it is going to happen. I think the Queen’s Jubilee concert is the event I’d be looking at more closely for that to happen. Although that is some fabulous news Brown quickly changed the subject. Perhaps she realized she had revealed too much too soon. Don?t you just love it when a celeb accidentally spilled the beans on soemthing that they are not supposed too? In case you aren?t entirely sure what the Queen?s Jubilee is let me give you some info on that. This marks the 60th year that Queen Elizabeth has been well Queen. So in honor of that amazing milestone [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RightCelebrity/~3/b7uuvpPu8cw/
nba lockout news gifts for mom gifts for mom pepper spray storage auctions storage auctions les miles
Saturday, January 28, 2012
SwRI-led RAD measures radiation from solar storm
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 27-Jan-2012[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Deb Schmid
dschmid@swri.org
210-522-2254
Southwest Research Institute
Data will provide valuable information for future human space exploration
The largest solar particle event since 2005 hit the Earth, Mars and the Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft travelling in-between, allowing the onboard Radiation Assessment Detector to measure the radiation a human astronaut could be exposed to en route to the Red Planet.
On Sunday, a huge coronal mass ejection erupted from the surface of the sun, spewing a cloud of charged particles in our direction, causing a strong "S3" solar storm. A NASA Goddard Space Weather Lab animation of the CME illustrates how the disturbance impacts Earth, Mars and several spacecraft. Solar storms can affect the Earth's aurorae, satellites, air travel and GPS systems; no harmful effects to the Mars Science Laboratory have been detected from this solar event.
We only have a few hours of data downloaded from the RAD so far, but we clearly see the event, said RAD Principal Investigator Don Hassler, science program director in the Space Studies Department at Southwest Research Institute. The Mars Science Laboratory, launched Nov. 26, will land a sophisticated car-sized rover called Curiosity on the surface of the planet in August. Loaded with 10 instruments including RAD, Curiosity will traverse the landing site looking for the building blocks of life and characterizing factors that may influence life, such as the harsh radiation environment expected on Mars. "This SPE encounter is particularly exciting in light of the alignment between the Earth, MSL and Mars right now and for the next few months. It will be very interesting to compare the RAD data, collected from inside the capsule, with the data from other spacecraft."
This event has also been seen by the Solar Dynamics Observatory, Geostationary Operational Environment Satellites, the Advanced Composition Explorer, and the twin Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory spacecraft in Earth orbit as well as the Solar Heliospheric Observatory flying between Earth and the sun.
"RAD was designed to characterize radiation levels on the surface of Mars, but an important secondary objective is measuring the radiation during the almost nine-month journey through interplanetary space to prepare for future human exploration," said Hassler. "RAD is an important bridge between the science and exploration sides of NASA.
"Not only will this give us insight into the physics of these giant clouds, but like an astronaut, RAD is tucked inside the MSL 'spacecraft,'" Hassler continued. "Measurements from RAD will give us insight about the shielding provided by spacecraft for future manned missions in deep space."
RAD will collect data nearly continuously during cruise and will downlink data every 24 hours. Positioned in the front-left corner of the rover, the instrument is about the size of a coffee can and weighs about three pounds, but has capabilities of an Earth-bound instrument nearly 10 times its size. When MSL arrives at Mars, RAD will detect charged particles arriving from space and will measure neutrons and gamma rays coming from Mars' atmosphere above, or the surface material below, the rover.
###
SwRI, together with Christian Albrechts University in Kiel, Germany, built RAD with funding from the NASA Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate and Germany's national aerospace research center, Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrt.
The Mars Science Laboratory is a project of NASA's Science Mission Directorate. The mission is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech. The mission's rover was designed, developed and assembled at JPL.
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public release date: 27-Jan-2012[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Deb Schmid
dschmid@swri.org
210-522-2254
Southwest Research Institute
Data will provide valuable information for future human space exploration
The largest solar particle event since 2005 hit the Earth, Mars and the Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft travelling in-between, allowing the onboard Radiation Assessment Detector to measure the radiation a human astronaut could be exposed to en route to the Red Planet.
On Sunday, a huge coronal mass ejection erupted from the surface of the sun, spewing a cloud of charged particles in our direction, causing a strong "S3" solar storm. A NASA Goddard Space Weather Lab animation of the CME illustrates how the disturbance impacts Earth, Mars and several spacecraft. Solar storms can affect the Earth's aurorae, satellites, air travel and GPS systems; no harmful effects to the Mars Science Laboratory have been detected from this solar event.
We only have a few hours of data downloaded from the RAD so far, but we clearly see the event, said RAD Principal Investigator Don Hassler, science program director in the Space Studies Department at Southwest Research Institute. The Mars Science Laboratory, launched Nov. 26, will land a sophisticated car-sized rover called Curiosity on the surface of the planet in August. Loaded with 10 instruments including RAD, Curiosity will traverse the landing site looking for the building blocks of life and characterizing factors that may influence life, such as the harsh radiation environment expected on Mars. "This SPE encounter is particularly exciting in light of the alignment between the Earth, MSL and Mars right now and for the next few months. It will be very interesting to compare the RAD data, collected from inside the capsule, with the data from other spacecraft."
This event has also been seen by the Solar Dynamics Observatory, Geostationary Operational Environment Satellites, the Advanced Composition Explorer, and the twin Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory spacecraft in Earth orbit as well as the Solar Heliospheric Observatory flying between Earth and the sun.
"RAD was designed to characterize radiation levels on the surface of Mars, but an important secondary objective is measuring the radiation during the almost nine-month journey through interplanetary space to prepare for future human exploration," said Hassler. "RAD is an important bridge between the science and exploration sides of NASA.
"Not only will this give us insight into the physics of these giant clouds, but like an astronaut, RAD is tucked inside the MSL 'spacecraft,'" Hassler continued. "Measurements from RAD will give us insight about the shielding provided by spacecraft for future manned missions in deep space."
RAD will collect data nearly continuously during cruise and will downlink data every 24 hours. Positioned in the front-left corner of the rover, the instrument is about the size of a coffee can and weighs about three pounds, but has capabilities of an Earth-bound instrument nearly 10 times its size. When MSL arrives at Mars, RAD will detect charged particles arriving from space and will measure neutrons and gamma rays coming from Mars' atmosphere above, or the surface material below, the rover.
###
SwRI, together with Christian Albrechts University in Kiel, Germany, built RAD with funding from the NASA Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate and Germany's national aerospace research center, Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrt.
The Mars Science Laboratory is a project of NASA's Science Mission Directorate. The mission is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech. The mission's rover was designed, developed and assembled at JPL.
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/sri-srm012712.php
dan gilbert david stern david stern julian beever appeasement ian stewart ian stewart
Salvage crews suspend work on capsized cruise ship (Reuters)
GIGLIO, Italy (Reuters) ? Salvage crews preparing to pump thousands of tonnes of diesel fuel and oil from the wreck of the Costa Concordia cruise ship off the Italian coast suspended work on Saturday because of bad weather that could last into next week, officials said.
With heavy seas and strong winds set to continue, work on removing more than 2,300 tonnes of diesel may be held up for days, according to a spokesman for SMIT, the Dutch company that is managing the operation.
"Starting operations depends on the weather conditions," Martijn Schuttevaer told reporters. "The forecast is for the bad weather to last until Tuesday and we don't expect to be able to recommence activities until the middle of the week."
A barge carrying pumping equipment that was attached to the capsized ship was withdrawn after strong winds and high waves worsened conditions for the divers working on the huge wreck.
Despite the interruption the search continued for bodies on the half-submerged vessel, which lies in about 20 meters of water on a rock shelf close to the island of Giglio off the Tuscan coast.
Divers found the body of a woman on Saturday, bringing the number of known dead to 17. Authorities also said they had identified the body of a German woman recovered last week.
Two of the bodies found after the shipwreck are unidentified and 15 people are still missing.
With no hope of finding survivors, the focus has switched to preventing an environmental disaster in Giglio, a popular holiday island in a marine nature reserve.
Before the work was suspended, crews were installing valves to help pump out six fuel tanks towards the front of the ship which hold most of the diesel. The pumping operation is expected to take between three weeks and a month.
The Concordia, a 290-metre long floating resort carrying more than 4,200 passengers and crew, sank more than two weeks ago after it ran into a rock close to the shore which tore a long gash in its hull.
The accident, expected to trigger the most expensive maritime insurance claim ever, has set off a legal battle in which U.S. and Italian lawyers are preparing class action and individual suits against the operator, Costa Cruises.
In a bid to limit the fallout, Costa, a unit of Carnival Corp, the world's largest cruise ship operator, has offered the more than 3,000 passengers $14,500 each in compensation on condition they drop any legal action.
The Concordia's captain, Francesco Schettino, is under house arrest, suspected of causing the accident by steering too close to shore, and faces charges of multiple manslaughter and abandoning ship before the evacuation was complete.
The ship's first officer, Ciro Ambrosio, has also been questioned by prosecutors but the company itself has not been implicated in the investigation at this stage.
jacoby brissett danielle staub last of the mohicans last of the mohicans ryan howard meteor shower 2011 meteor shower 2011
Fill out a survey for a chance to win a $150 Amazon gift card
A few weeks ago I participated in a blogger’s video contest with Benq. I didn’t win one of their grand prizes, but I did win a prize for the most votes on a video during a week’s time. That prize was a $150 Amazon gift card and I am going to give it to one [...]
Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/01/26/fill-out-a-survey-for-a-chance-to-win-a-150-amazon-gift-card/
joan crawford kat dennings listeriosis bonobos recent earthquakes club paradise earthquakes today
Keen On? Caleb Melby: The Zen of Steve Jobs (TCTV)
Walter Isaacson has unleashed a torrent of new books about Steve Jobs and Apple. But nobody has written anything quite like Caleb Melby's The Zen of Steve Jobs, a graphic novel that charts Jobs' relationship with a Buddhist priest called Koby Chino Otogawa. The book is a both a visual and textual delight and I couldn't resist inviting Melby, who also writes for Forbes, into our New York City studio to talk about Zen and the art of Steve Jobs.Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/IVOKH9FcrTw/
atomic clock earthquake map geoffrey mutai wes welker fred davis fred davis fracking
Friday, January 27, 2012
Conservative India unlikely hotspot on gay tourism map
January 27th, 2012
When Thomas Roth first visited India, he was often asked about his wife and children -- questions he would try to evade.
That was thirty years ago, when homosexuality was a criminal offence in India and for many the term "gay" only meant "happy".
Roth is again planning a trip to India, this time with his partner, and hopes the visit will coincide with the annual Queer Pride parade in New Delhi.
"(Earlier) like most gays in India at that time, I was basically invisible," said Roth, who runs a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community market research firm in San Francisco.
"Now, with emerging Gay Pride events, film festivals, parties, etc. gay visitors can have it all," he added, in an email interview.
Since homosexuality was decriminalised in India in 2009, an increasing number of LGBT tourists are viewing India as a holiday destination.
A survey conducted by Roth's firm in the United States last year ranked India as the second most desired cultural or adventure destination, just behind Thailand.
Changing mindsets have created business possibilities for travel operators, who are now portraying India as an emerging gay-friendly destination.
Four years ago, there wasn't a single gay tourism company in India. The International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) now lists seven gay-friendly or exclusively LGBT travel agents in India.
"Word about India has travelled far and wide through the Internet," said Sanjay Malhotra, owner of Indjapink, which calls itself India's first gay travel boutique. He started with 20 clients but now has more than 100.
"Five years ago, the gay community had so many apprehensions travelling to India," he added. "Now, they look at the option of travelling to India without acting heterosexual."
Tours cover everything from honeymoon packages and candle-lit dinners to wildlife safaris and spiritual retreats. An opportunity to interact with the local gay community is the icing on the cake.
Malhotra has even conducted weddings with traditional Hindu rites for two couples.
Not that it is impossible for LGBT tourists to experience India without a travel agent. When economist Qing Wu visited North India with his partner, he said he "never felt uncomfortable" as a couple.
"In India, it is fairly common to see boys holding hands," said Wu, who lives in San Francisco, via email. "I personally feel pretty safe."
The special packages provided by LGBT tour companies in India also ensure clients can be completely uninhibited during their visit. The entire staff, if not gay, is gay-friendly.
"It is my duty that no taxi driver or guide says anything offensive," said Abhinav Goel, owner of Out Journeys in New Delhi.
Typically, these packages are mid-range to luxury and most of the clientele comes from the United States and Australia. A majority of these agencies still cater to men, though the survey by Roth's firm showed India was the most desired destination among lesbians in North America.
"We cannot truly call ourselves LGBT till we do something about the 'L' part of it," said Goel, who is planning on starting a group package for lesbians.
India is still way behind places such as Hong Kong and Thailand, which have openly gay communities and gay-friendly infrastructure.
Operators say it would be hard for India to compete with these destinations without visible government support.
"They just have to make the statement that Incredible India supports gay travellers," said Goel. "That small and simple statement could really open the doors."
- Reuters
Source: http://www.gotravel24.com/world/conservative-india-unlikely-hotspot-gay-tourism-map
faceoff kings island blake griffin stacy keibler stacy keibler orange juice red hot chili peppers tour
Thursday, January 26, 2012
I'm So Glad This Chocolate-Themed Phone Isn't Coming To The US [Phones]
spice katy perry mike starr ufc 141 fight card gli joseph gordon levitt katy perry russell brand
United Continental posts $138M 4Q loss (AP)
The parent company of United and Continental airlines says it lost $138 million in the fourth quarter because of the costs of integrating the two airlines.
Without special charges, United Continental Holdings Inc. says it would have earned $109 million, or 30 cents per share.
Analysts surveyed by FactSet had been expecting a profit of 13 cents per share.
Revenue rose more than 5 percent, to $8.93 billion, the same as analysts expected.
The company spent $170 million integrating the two airlines.
A year ago it lost $325 million because of integration costs. The companies closed the merger on Oct. 1, 2010.
Revenue for each seat flown one mile rose 8.2 percent as the company raised fares.
millionaire matchmaker millionaire matchmaker shawshank redemption 3 10 to yuma west virginia football west virginia football black friday violence
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Banned Android apps welcome in unofficial app store
By Rosa Golijan
Sam Spratt
Just because an app is banned from Google's official Android Market doesn't mean that plenty of users aren't itching to install it on their devices. But where can those folks get the contraband downloads they crave?
They could hunt through back-alley websites and dig through shady forums ? but that's pretty dicey business.?What would be simpler is a visit to an (unofficial)?alternative app store, which serves as a one-stop shop in the app black-market.
TechCrunch reports that an?Android developer by the name of Koushik Dutta is in the process of building such an app store.
Dutta is no stranger when it comes to software that isn't approved by Google ??he's a member of the CyanogenMod Android hacking team and the creator of ClockworkMod, a custom recovery console for Android devices?? and the Android community appears to be responding positively to his project so far.
Dutta's alternative app store will serve as a place for customized versions of the Android operating system (also known as ROMs), rooting apps (which allow users to easily gain full control of their devices), tethering apps banned thanks to cellular carrier complaints, and more. It certainly won't be a place where everyone will want to download apps as many may be aimed at Android users with advanced technical knowledge.?
There is also a security risk to consider, as with just about any alternative market. Details are still vague as to whether Dutta will police his store somehow in order to prevent malicious apps from slipping in or if the general policy will simply be "buyer beware."
Either way ??assuming the project remains on track?? Dutta's app store is bound to leave those who love to push the limits of customizing their Android devices quite happy.
Related stories:
Want more tech news, silly puns or amusing links? You'll get plenty of all three if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on?Twitter, subscribing to her?Facebook?posts, or circling her?on?Google+. If you're more interested in?Sam Spratt???the guy who made the cute Android illustration above ? then you'll want these?Facebook, Twitter?and?Tumblr?links instead.
reno news syracuse shonn greene oklahoma state plane crash syracuse university best buy black friday 2011 ads broncos jets
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Hackers bring first untethered jailbreak to iPad 2, iPhone 4S (Appolicious)
It finally happened: the latest and greatest of Apple?s iOS devices have been ?jailbroken,? or hacked and released from the control of Apple and the various wireless carriers who support them.
Jailbreaking refers to the process of hacking through the software controls on iOS devices; it?s also known as ?rooting? for other devices. In the case of Apple?s mobile offerings, jailbreaking offers several benefits that aren?t normally afforded to iPhone owners. Jailbroken iPhones or iPads can support any wireless carrier, access apps from non-iTunes app stores, and use Wi-Fi tethering with other devices without paying carriers for the service (although AT&T and the other carriers are trying to crack down on that one), among other things.
Apple actively fights against jailbreaking its devices in order to maintain their quality as well as Apple?s control over content distribution, and each new software update for the company?s iOS platform requires a new jailbreak. The latest, called Absinthe, works specifically for Apple?s latest-generation, A5 processor-sporting devices: the iPhone 4S and the iPad 2.
As TechCrunch reports, the new jailbreak is known as Absinthe, and has been 10 months in the making for iPad 2 owners, as well as a three-month wait for owners of the iPhone 4S. The Absinthe jailbreak is also ?untethered,? which means that once it has been jailbroken, it stays jailbroken. A ?tethered? jailbreak, by contrast, reverts the iPhone or iPad to its non-jailbroken state every time the device is reset.
The Absinthe jailbreak was developed by Chronic Dev Team, a group of iOS hackers that has been behind several jailbreaks for iOS since the iPhone was first introduced back in 2007. Back in August, Apple gave an internship to 19-year-old Nicholas Allegra, a former member of Chronic Dev Team and a co-creator of the JailbreakMe.com website, to help it fight off future jailbreaks.
If you?re willing to forfeit your warranty and Apple support for your devices, you can get the new A5 jailbreak right here, along with all the benefits and drawbacks that go with it.
nexus prime new iphone new iphone tmobile iphone van jones van jones dark energy
Report: OPEC wants to stay out of Iran-West spat
CAIRO (AP) ? OPEC's acting president said the producer group should stay out of political battles, Iran's official IRNA news agency reported Sunday, an apparent bid by the bloc to steer clear of a potential showdown between Tehran and the U.S. over threats to close the vital Strait of Hormuz.
Iraqi Oil Minister Abdul-Karim Elaibi said that while Iran's "enemies" have imposed various sanctions on the Islamic Republic, the 12-nation Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries' main focus should be protecting its members' interest and not being dragged into a political struggle over oil.
Elaibi, who is also OPEC's current president, last week said he was going to Tehran to warn against closing the strait, through which about a sixth of the world's crude flows daily. IRNA did not say whether the tension over the waterway was raised during the oil minister's meetings with officials.
Instead, the language reflected the warmer relations between Iran and Iraq since a U.S.-led coalition had ousted former strongman Saddam Hussein in 2003. The Shiite government in Baghdad is seen as increasingly close to Tehran, and Iran is investing heavily in Iraq.
Iran has warned repeatedly it would choke off the strait if sanctions affect its oil sales. The U.S. has enacted, but not yet put into force, sanctions targeting Iran's central bank and, by extension, the country's ability to be paid for its oil. The European Union, a major buyer of Iranian oil, is considering sanctions on Iranian crude.
The tension over the strait and the potential impact it would have not only on global oil supplies, but also the price of crude and the economies of the countries that buy Iranian oil, have weighed heavily on consumers and traders.
Gulf nations have offered assurances that they would step in and provide any additional crude needed by the global market. Iran interpreted the offer as an attempt to undercut it and issued a quick warning to the Gulf Arab producers to not try to offset its exports with their own.
Elaibi's remarks appear to be an attempt to pull the producer bloc out of the political fray, but they also reflect the uneasy balance Iraq faces.
Iraq exports most of its crude through the strait, and any attempt to shut the waterway could be a severe blow to its economy. At the same time, it appears reluctant to come across as being too harsh on its neighbor, in part because of the investments Iran provides and its ideological weight as the region's strongest Shiite government.
His visit to Tehran came just days before Iraq inaugurates a new oil export outlet in the Gulf with a capacity of up to 900,000 barrels a day. It would be the first of five floating facilities that would eventually handle about 5 million barrels a day.
The new outlet will help Iraq, limited now by infrastructure bottlenecks, to export more oil.
Associated Presscathedral high school terry fator terry fator gerard butler brady hoke brady hoke ali lohan
Monday, January 23, 2012
Female Ark. prison guard killed checking on inmate (AP)
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. ? A convicted murderer stabbed a female guard to death at an east Arkansas prison Friday while she was investigating whether he had an unauthorized pair of shoes, a prison spokeswoman said.
Sgt. Barbara Ester, 47, was stabbed in the side, abdomen and chest at about 12:30 p.m., said Shea Wilson, a spokeswoman for the Arkansas Department of Correction. Ester died about 3 p.m. at a hospital in Memphis, Tenn., about 40 miles away.
Ester, a 12-year veteran of the correction department, was a property officer who investigated whether inmates had contraband items. Wilson said the guard had received a report that Johnson had a pair of contraband shoes.
"This is obviously very difficult for the department when something tragic like this happens," Wilson said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Sgt. Ester's family. These officers ? it's a tight-knit workplace. They look out for each other and are there together for a lot of hours of the day, so this is very difficult for everyone."
Wilson said the prison was locked down after the attack and that the inmate, Latavious Johnson, was being moved to the state's maximum-security unit at Varner. She said all the other inmates have been accounted for. Prison officials haven't said specifically what Johnson used during the attack, only that it was an object that had been sharpened.
Johnson, 30, was serving a life sentence for first-degree murder out of Jefferson County. He was sentenced in 2000 for killing his father. Prosecutors said Johnson was 18 at the time of the crime.
Wilson said Johnson had had several disciplinary infractions, including one this week for not obeying orders, but hadn't previously attacked a guard.
"We will move him to the supermax (prison) so he will be out of that environment ... He needed to be out of that environment," Wilson said.
Arkansas State Police and the prison's internal affairs staff were investigating the stabbing. Wilson said authorities would turn over their information to prosecutors, who will determine whether to file charges against the inmate.
chelsea handler weather st louis faceoff kings island blake griffin stacy keibler stacy keibler
6 considerations before starting a business - Holy Kaw!
If becoming your own boss is high on the to-do list for 2012, your best bet is to listen to the advice of those who have blazed the path of starting a business before you, so 2013, 2014 and beyond may still find you in the driver?s seat.
Nellie Akalp has been there on a number of occasions and wants to pass on the things she wished she knew when starting her first ? and even second ? business.
1. Don?t underestimate a business plan.
If you?re not seeking outside funding at the start, it?s tempting to forgo writing out a formal business plan. However, taking the time to write out your business plan, forecasts and marketing strategy is a particularly effective way to hone your vision. All planning should center around two essential questions: How is my business serving a particular need or pain point, and does this represent a major market opportunity?
In addition, don?t overlook the exit strategy at the beginning. Do you want your children to take over the company? Do you want to sell it? It?s critical to think about these questions from the start, as the building blocks of your company (such as legal structure) should vary depending on your preferred final outcome.
2. Don?t get stuck in the past.
My husband and I launched our first online legal document filing service in 1997, and then re-entered the market with our second company in 2009. While our previous experience certainly gave us a leg up the second time around, we soon realized the market landscape had changed dramatically since our first company. We had to stop dwelling on previous competitors, customer needs and service expectations and write a brand new playbook.
The marketplace and your business plan are living entities; they?re continually in flux. Whether it?s your first company or fifth in a given market, you?ve got to keep asking: What do we need to do today?
Full story at Mashable.
Photo credit: Fotolia
Source: http://holykaw.alltop.com/6-considerations-before-starting-a-business
detroit auto show tebow broncos ben roethlisberger downton abbey season 2 2013 dodge dart kwame brown shameless
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Iraq: Gunmen attack policeman's house, kill guard (AP)
BAGHDAD ? An Iraqi police official says gunmen have attacked the house of a police officer near the northern oil-rich city of Kirkuk, killing one of his guards.
Kirkuk's police commander Brig. Gen. Sarhad Qadir says the officer was unharmed in Saturday's attack in the predominantly Sunni town of Hawija, a former insurgent stronghold located 150 miles (240 kilometers) north of Baghdad.
Suspected Sunni insurgents have frequently targeted Iraqi security forces to undermine the confidence in the Shiite-dominated government and its efforts to protect people from violence without American backup.
Attacks have surged amid an escalating political crisis in Iraq. At least 160 people have been killed since the beginning of the year, raising fears of civil war a month after U.S. soldiers left.
usc football cybermonday coach outlet apostasy canon powershot elph 300 hs christmas lights canon eos rebel t3
Carbon dioxide is 'driving fish crazy'
Public release date: 20-Jan-2012[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Philip Munday
Philip.Munday@jcu.edu.au
61-074-781-5341
ARC Centre of Excellence in Coral Reef Studies
Rising human carbon dioxide emissions may be affecting the brains and central nervous system of sea fishes with serious consequences for their survival, an international scientific team has found.
Carbon dioxide concentrations predicted to occur in the ocean by the end of this century will interfere with fishes' ability to hear, smell, turn and evade predators, says Professor Phillip Munday of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and James Cook University.
"For several years our team have been testing the performance of baby coral fishes in sea water containing higher levels of dissolved CO2 and it is now pretty clear that they sustain significant disruption to their central nervous system, which is likely to impair their chances of survival," Prof. Munday says.
In their latest paper, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, Prof. Munday and colleagues report world-first evidence that high CO2 levels in sea water disrupts a key brain receptor in fish, causing marked changes in their behaviour and sensory ability.
"We've found that elevated CO2 in the oceans can directly interfere with fish neurotransmitter functions, which poses a direct and previously unknown threat to sea life," Prof. Munday says.
Prof. Munday and his colleagues began by studying how baby clown and damsel fishes performed alongside their predators in CO2-enriched water. They found that, while the predators were somewhat affected, the baby fish suffered much higher rates of attrition.
"Our early work showed that the sense of smell of baby fish was harmed by higher CO2 in the water meaning they found it harder to locate a reef to settle on or detect the warning smell of a predator fish. But we suspected there was much more to it than the loss of ability to smell."
The team then examined whether fishes' sense of hearing used to locate and home in on reefs at night, and avoid them during the day was affected. "The answer is, yes it was. They were confused and no longer avoided reef sounds during the day. Being attracted to reefs during daylight would make them easy meat for predators."
Other work showed the fish also tended to lose their natural instinct to turn left or right an important factor in schooling behaviour which also makes them more vulnerable, as lone fish are easily eaten by predators.
"All this led us to suspect it wasn't simply damage to their individual senses that was going on but rather, that higher levels of carbon dioxide were affecting their whole central nervous system."
The team's latest research shows that high CO2 directly stimulates a receptor in the fish brain called GABA-A, leading to a reversal in its normal function and over-excitement of certain nerve signals.
While most animals with brains have GABA-A receptors, the team considers the effects of elevated CO2 are likely to be most felt by those living in water, as they have lower blood CO2 levels normally. The main impact is likely to be felt by some crustaceans and by most fishes, especially those which use a lot of oxygen.
Prof. Munday said that around 2.3 billion tonnes of human CO2 emissions dissolve into the world's oceans every year, causing changes in the chemical environment of the water in which fish and other species live.
"We've now established it isn't simply the acidification of the oceans that is causing disruption as is the case with shellfish and plankton with chalky skeletons but the actual dissolved CO2 itself is damaging the fishes' nervous systems."
The work shows that fish with high oxygen consumption are likely to be most affected, suggesting the effects of high CO2 may impair some species worse than others possibly including important species targeted by the world's fishing industries.
###
The team's latest paper "Near-future CO2 levels alter fish behaviour by interfering with neurotransmitter function" by Gran E. Nilsson, Danielle L. Dixson, Paolo Domenici, Mark I. McCormick, Christina Srensen, Sue-Ann Watson, and Philip L. Munday appears in the journal Nature Climate Change.
View Images
More information:
Prof. Phillip Munday, CoECRS and JCU, ph 61-7-47815341 or 0408-714-794
Dr Sue-Ann Watson, CoECRS, ph 61-419-422-815
Jenny Lappin, CoECRS, ph 61-417-741-638
Jim O'Brien, James Cook University Media Office, 61-7-4781-4822 or 0418 892449
http://www.coralcoe.org.au/
The ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies are proud sponsors of the 12th International Coral Reef Symposium, Cairns: 9-13 July 2012.
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public release date: 20-Jan-2012[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Philip Munday
Philip.Munday@jcu.edu.au
61-074-781-5341
ARC Centre of Excellence in Coral Reef Studies
Rising human carbon dioxide emissions may be affecting the brains and central nervous system of sea fishes with serious consequences for their survival, an international scientific team has found.
Carbon dioxide concentrations predicted to occur in the ocean by the end of this century will interfere with fishes' ability to hear, smell, turn and evade predators, says Professor Phillip Munday of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and James Cook University.
"For several years our team have been testing the performance of baby coral fishes in sea water containing higher levels of dissolved CO2 and it is now pretty clear that they sustain significant disruption to their central nervous system, which is likely to impair their chances of survival," Prof. Munday says.
In their latest paper, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, Prof. Munday and colleagues report world-first evidence that high CO2 levels in sea water disrupts a key brain receptor in fish, causing marked changes in their behaviour and sensory ability.
"We've found that elevated CO2 in the oceans can directly interfere with fish neurotransmitter functions, which poses a direct and previously unknown threat to sea life," Prof. Munday says.
Prof. Munday and his colleagues began by studying how baby clown and damsel fishes performed alongside their predators in CO2-enriched water. They found that, while the predators were somewhat affected, the baby fish suffered much higher rates of attrition.
"Our early work showed that the sense of smell of baby fish was harmed by higher CO2 in the water meaning they found it harder to locate a reef to settle on or detect the warning smell of a predator fish. But we suspected there was much more to it than the loss of ability to smell."
The team then examined whether fishes' sense of hearing used to locate and home in on reefs at night, and avoid them during the day was affected. "The answer is, yes it was. They were confused and no longer avoided reef sounds during the day. Being attracted to reefs during daylight would make them easy meat for predators."
Other work showed the fish also tended to lose their natural instinct to turn left or right an important factor in schooling behaviour which also makes them more vulnerable, as lone fish are easily eaten by predators.
"All this led us to suspect it wasn't simply damage to their individual senses that was going on but rather, that higher levels of carbon dioxide were affecting their whole central nervous system."
The team's latest research shows that high CO2 directly stimulates a receptor in the fish brain called GABA-A, leading to a reversal in its normal function and over-excitement of certain nerve signals.
While most animals with brains have GABA-A receptors, the team considers the effects of elevated CO2 are likely to be most felt by those living in water, as they have lower blood CO2 levels normally. The main impact is likely to be felt by some crustaceans and by most fishes, especially those which use a lot of oxygen.
Prof. Munday said that around 2.3 billion tonnes of human CO2 emissions dissolve into the world's oceans every year, causing changes in the chemical environment of the water in which fish and other species live.
"We've now established it isn't simply the acidification of the oceans that is causing disruption as is the case with shellfish and plankton with chalky skeletons but the actual dissolved CO2 itself is damaging the fishes' nervous systems."
The work shows that fish with high oxygen consumption are likely to be most affected, suggesting the effects of high CO2 may impair some species worse than others possibly including important species targeted by the world's fishing industries.
###
The team's latest paper "Near-future CO2 levels alter fish behaviour by interfering with neurotransmitter function" by Gran E. Nilsson, Danielle L. Dixson, Paolo Domenici, Mark I. McCormick, Christina Srensen, Sue-Ann Watson, and Philip L. Munday appears in the journal Nature Climate Change.
View Images
More information:
Prof. Phillip Munday, CoECRS and JCU, ph 61-7-47815341 or 0408-714-794
Dr Sue-Ann Watson, CoECRS, ph 61-419-422-815
Jenny Lappin, CoECRS, ph 61-417-741-638
Jim O'Brien, James Cook University Media Office, 61-7-4781-4822 or 0418 892449
http://www.coralcoe.org.au/
The ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies are proud sponsors of the 12th International Coral Reef Symposium, Cairns: 9-13 July 2012.
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/acoe-cdi012012.php
manny pacquiao fight pacquiao marquez pacquiao marquez penn state game radiohead tour cbsnews ufc on fox fight card
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Details of his vast personal fortune trail Romney (AP)
CHARLESTON, S.C. ? Under duress two days before the pivotal South Carolina primary, Republican front-runner Mitt Romney acknowledges he has part of his millions invested in the Cayman Islands, although his aides say he never used the location as a tax haven.
Neither Romney nor his campaign are providing details, including how much he has invested there, or why, or if any of his money is invested elsewhere outside the United States.
"Gov. and Mrs. Romney's assets are managed on a blind basis. They do not control the investment of these assets," campaign spokeswoman Andrea Saul said in an emailed response to questions Wednesday night. Romney has not personally addressed the issue, although it's likely to come up at a candidates' debate Thursday night.
Scrutiny of Romney's private-sector background couldn't come at a worse time ? just as he is riding high on back-to-back victories in Iowa's caucuses and New Hampshire's primary. He came into South Carolina with anti-Romney conservatives unwilling or unable to coalesce behind a single challenger.
Details about the personal fortune of the multimillionaire former businessman have been a nagging issue for his campaign for more than a week. On Tuesday, Romney disclosed that he pays an effective tax rate of about 15 percent, lower than what he would pay if he earned a regular paycheck like many Americans. He also called "not very much" the amount he earned in speechmaking fees, though it turned out to be $373,327.62 for 12 months in 2010 and early 2011.
Those details followed verbal miscues related to his views of work. Last week in New Hampshire, Romney told an audience he knew what it was like to worry about being "pink-slipped" and losing a job. A day later, he said, "I like being able to fire people who provide services to me" ? a comment about health insurance companies that his rivals used to paint a picture of Romney as a wealthy businessman who is out of touch with ordinary Americans.
Romney hasn't been willing to elaborate on his pledge Tuesday to release his federal tax return in April. His rivals are prodding him to do it immediately, before South Carolina's primary, a potentially decisive turn in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
At an event in Rock Hill, S.C., Romney kept away from the issue of his taxes, but he criticized Newt Gingrich and other Republicans who "jumped on that bandwagon" of criticizing free enterprise. "My goodness, I listened to Speaker Gingrich the other night talk about the enterprises I've been associated with," he said. "I'm proud of the fact that I worked in the private sector, that I've achieved success."
Romney disclosed for the first time Tuesday that, despite his wealth of hundreds of millions of dollars, he has been paying taxes in the neighborhood of 15 percent, far below the top maximum income tax rate of 35 percent, because his income "comes overwhelmingly from investments made in the past." During 2010 and the first nine months of 2011, the Romney family had at least $9.6 million in income, according to a financial disclosure form submitted in August.
Romney had been consolidating GOP support before Saturday's South Carolina primary, in which a victory could all but seal his nomination. The focus on his wealth is an unwanted distraction for him as he seeks to win votes in a state where the unemployment rate, at 9.9 percent, is among the highest in the nation, and amid rising public concern over income inequality.
President Barack Obama's campaign advisers contend voters are unlikely to back a wealthy Republican with financial-industry ties at a time of lingering economic distress.
The maximum marginal U.S. income tax rate of 35 percent applies ? in theory more than practice ? to households with taxable income of over about $388,500.
Like many wealthy people, the Romneys have been helped by changes in federal tax policy that have placed much lower tax rates on investment income ? from dividends, interest and capital gains from the sale of stocks and other assets ? than on wages and salaries, the source of income for most Americans.
Under the Bush-era tax cuts strongly supported by most Republicans, such investment income, including gains on securities held for a year or longer, is subject to a tax rate of 15 percent.
According to the congressional Joint Committee on Taxation, an average federal tax rate of 15 percent ? including both income and payroll taxes ? would apply to households with taxable incomes of from $75,000 to $100,000.
Obama and his wife paid federal taxes of just over 25 percent of their 2010 income of $1.7 million, mostly from the books he's written.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry and his wife paid roughly 24 percent of their 2010 income of $217,447.
andy whitfield dr. phil dr. phil philippines hgtv design star definition of love creature
US says al-Qaida magazine got into Guantanamo cell (AP)
FORT MEADE, Md. ? A copy of a magazine published by an arm of al-Qaida made its way to a terror suspect at the Guantanamo Bay prison, leading to an inspection of cells and a contentious new policy requiring special review teams to examine correspondence between prisoners and attorneys, U.S. prosecutors said Wednesday.
Navy Cmdr. Andrea Lockhart told a military judge during a pre-trial hearing that a copy of Inspire magazine got into a cell. She provided no details on who received the magazine or how. But she said the breach showed that prior rules at the base governing mail review were not adequate. Yemen's al-Qaida of the Arabian Peninsula launched the online, English-language magazine in 2010. An early issue contained tips to would-be militants about how to kill U.S. citizens.
Lockhart is part of the U.S. team prosecuting the case against Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, a Saudi national charged with orchestrating the attack in 2000 on the USS Cole that killed 17 sailors. Al-Nashiri, 47, is considered one of the most senior al-Qaida leaders. He has been held at the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, since 2006 after spending several years held by the CIA in a series of secret prisons.
How mail between Guantanamo prisoners and their attorneys should be handled consumed several hours of the al-Nashiri's pre-trial session on Tuesday and Wednesday. At issue is whether even a cursory examination of the legal correspondence violates the attorney-client privilege.
The dispute reflects the untested nature of this latest attempt to resume the military tribunals at Guantanamo. The prosecution of al-Nashiri is already underway and the U.S. is preparing to prosecute five other prisoners accused in the Sept. 11 attacks, yet defense lawyers and government prosecutors are still fighting to establish basic legal ground rules.
The military commission system has been revised by the Obama administration and Congress, which has refused to allow the administration to move prisoners from the American base in Cuba. The trial system is still sharply criticized by civil and human rights groups and defense lawyers who say the procedures favor the prosecution. Rick Kammen, a civilian attorney for al-Nashiri, called the military commissions a "second-class system of justice."
"Just because you see people in suits and a judge doesn't mean it's a real trial," Kammen told reporters after Tuesday's session.
Al-Nashiri's defense team, as well as the lawyers for other Guantanamo prisoners and the chief defense counsel for the military commissions, are opposed to the security review of legal mail, which was put in place last month by Navy Rear Adm. David Woods, the prison commander.
Army Col. James Pohl, the judge in al-Nashiri's case, ordered the detention center in November to stop Guantanamo guards from reading mail between the prisoner and his lawyers. The judge's order came after Woods authorized an inspection of detainee cells in October that included reading mail between prisoners and their attorneys.
In late December, Woods issued a new directive requiring legal mail to undergo a security review to ensure prisoners were not receiving prohibited materials, such as top-secret information or objects that might be fashioned into weapons.
The December order from Woods created a "privilege review team" independent of the prison staff that would include attorneys, law enforcement and intelligence experts who would examine legal communications between lawyers and their clients. The goal of the order, prison officials said, was to ensure safety and security on the base while preserving attorney-client privilege by having a group not under the prison's command perform the mail review.
Wood testified on Tuesday that the privilege team is made up of contractors hired by the Pentagon's intelligence directorate.
Al-Nashiri's mail has not yet been examined by the team. Marine Col. Jeffrey Colwell, the chief defense counsel for the Guantanamo Bay tribunals, instructed attorneys not to follow Woods' order. Colwell said last week that the rule does not adequately protect attorney-client privilege and violates codes of professional conduct.
But Woods testified that his order doesn't allow team members to read mail. Their role, he said, is to perform a "plain sight review" of correspondence between attorneys and their clients to ensure the documents are marked with the proper stamps to ensure it is actually privileged information. If the material is not marked properly or there are obvious signs of a security risk or contraband, the mail is forwarded to higher authorities for review.
Al-Nashiri's attorneys peppered Woods with questions about how team members could do their jobs without actually reading the information. The order creates situations in which the privilege team has no choice but to dig deeper into a document to understand what is in it, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Stephen Reyes said. Reyes also asked Woods why translators were needed on the team if no reading was required.
Woods deflected many of Reyes' questions by saying that he does not have control over the privilege team contract. He also testified that he does not know who monitors the day-to-day activities of the team. "They do not work for me," he said.
On Wednesday, Pohl directed the prosecution and defense to provide him with their proposals for reviewing mail in the Al-Nashiri case. A decision from Pohl is not expected for at least two weeks, however.
The Associated Press and other news organizations viewed the proceedings at Guantanamo Bay on a closed circuit telecast shown in a small theater at Fort Meade, a military base located between Washington and Baltimore.
Al-Nashiri has attended the proceedings on both days, but could be seen only intermittently due to the angle of the camera in the courtroom at Guantanamo. He wore a white prison uniform and sat next to his defense team. Defense officials said Al-Nashiri was not shackled during his hearing.
__
Associated Press writer Ben Fox in San Juan, Puerto Rico contributed to this report.
listeria listeria kendall hunter 50 50 50 50 gene simmons family jewels dream house
Friday, January 20, 2012
Britain urges tougher Syria sanctions (Reuters)
BEIRUT (Reuters) ? Britain called on Wednesday for harsher sanctions on Syria, where an Arab monitoring mission has failed to halt bloodshed in a 10-month-old revolt against President Bashar al-Assad.
Syria may let the monitors stay on after their mandate expires on Thursday, but Assad's foes say the Arab League peace effort has failed and the U.N. Security Council should step in.
Arab foreign ministers, due to consider their next step at the weekend, are split over how to handle Syria, as is the Security Council, which has failed to adopt any position.
U.S. President Barack Obama has again called for a change of government, saying the violence in Syria was unacceptable.
British Prime Minister David Cameron accused Iran and Lebanon's Shi'ite Hezbollah movement of helping to prop up Assad, whom he described as "a wretched tyrant."
"Britain needs to lead the way in making sure we tighten the sanctions, the travel bans, the asset freezes, on Syria," Cameron told parliament in London.
European Union foreign ministers are expected to discuss extra EU sanctions at a meeting on Monday.
Hundreds of killings on both sides have been reported since the Arab League sent observers last month to see whether Damascus was respecting a peace plan it accepted on November 2.
An Arab League source said Damascus would accept a one-month extension of the monitoring mission, but no broadening of its mandate. Critics say the observers have only provided Assad with diplomatic cover and more time to crush his opponents.
The opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said security forces killed a civilian in a village in the northwestern province of Idlib on Wednesday and the body of a youth detained nearly two weeks ago turned up in Homs.
It said a soldier had been killed and five wounded in clashes between troops and army deserters in the Idlib village of Khaf Takharim. Three rebel soldiers were also wounded.
Syria's state news agency SANA said the strangled body of a veterinarian doctor was found in Homs bearing marks of torture four days after he was kidnapped by an "armed terrorist group."
The United Nations said on December 13 that Assad's security forces had killed more than 5,000 people since the unrest erupted in mid-March. Nine days later, the government said "armed terrorist groups" had killed 2,000 security personnel.
FEARS OF CIVIL WAR
Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, who has distanced himself from Damascus in recent months, said the Arab monitors had failed to staunch the bloodletting and that Syrians wanted freedom, like other Arabs who have revolted in the past year.
"I am more and more concerned about the possibility that Syria will plunge into more violence and ... maybe civil war," he told Reuters in an interview.
The Arab plan required Syria to halt the bloodshed, withdraw troops from cities, free detainees, provide access for the monitors and the media and open talks with opposition forces.
A tenuous truce was holding on Wednesday in Zabadani, near the Lebanese border, where troops had been fighting anti-Assad rebels, residents said. But heavy machinegun fire and explosions rocked the troubled city of Homs, an opposition group said.
"As of now there is no shelling and no gunfire. It is quiet. But the army is still surrounding the area," said one Zabadani resident who gave her name as Rita.
Syrian forces backed by tanks attacked the hill resort on Friday in the biggest military offensive against insurgents since the Arab monitors began work on December 26.
Michel Kilo, a dissident Syrian writer who spent six years in jail, said the struggle in Syria was at an impasse.
"The regime can't stop people protesting and the people can't bring the regime down," he told France's Le Figaro daily, adding that Assad wanted to "bring in Iran, Hezbollah, Iraq and to threaten Gulf countries with a long war."
Riad al-Asaad, a leader of the rebel Free Syrian Army, told Reuters on Tuesday the Arab League's efforts had failed.
"We call on them to turn the issue over to the U.N. Security Council and we ask that the international community intervene because they are more capable of protecting Syrians at this stage than our Arab brothers," the former army colonel said.
The Arab League source said China and Russia, which have blocked Security Council action so far, had urged President Assad to accept an extension of the monitoring mission to avert an escalation at the international level.
Qatar has proposed sending in Arab troops, an idea rejected by Syria and one likely to be resisted by its Arab allies.
(Additional reporting by Ayman Samir in Cairo, Khaled Yacoub Oweis in Amman, Mariam Karouny and Dominic Evans in Beirut and Keith Weir in London)
Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120118/wl_nm/us_syria
packers score ricky gervais napoleon dynamite ny giants michelle williams new york giants the descendants
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)