Macedonia: Europe's New Hotspot for Illegal Immigrants (Time.com)

This post is in partnership with Worldcrunch, a new global-news site that translates stories of note in foreign languages into English. The article below was originally published in Les Temps.

LOJANE -- Several dozen young men are basking in the warm mid-day sun. They are Afghan and Pakistani. Behind them, on a white wall, is graffiti extolling the glories of the UĈK -- ex-Kosovo Albanian guerilla fighters.

Over the past two years, the Macedonian village of Lojane, which borders Serbia, has become a stop-over on the illegal migration routes to Western Europe. "It started when groups of three or four would arrive periodically. It didn't disturb us at first," says Selam Mehmeti, the head of the village community. "But since this summer, it's grown to a whole other dimension: there were 500 in November." (See TIME's photoessay: Immigration in Europe.)

The story these men tell is almost always the same. Khan, a 22-year-old Afghan from Kandahar, travelled through Iran, Turkey and then Greece before arriving in Bitola, Macedonia. He then headed for Lojane so he could get into Serbia. Serbian police have already sent him back to Macedonia twice.

The latest plan is to try to go through Hungary. "After that -- from Austria on -- everything will be fine. I want to go to Paris, where I have friends. The most difficult thing is to get through Serbia."

The immigrants sleep in the "jungle" -- the fields that stretch between Lojane and Miratovac, the nearest village, some three kilometers away. Miratovac is in Serbia, but its population is entirely Albanian. "The border has been closed since 1993," Blerim, an inhabitant of Lojane, explains. "Traditionally, relations between the two villages have played an important role. Both my mother and my wife come from Miratovac."

Acting like they don't exist

Where the dirt road abruptly turns to asphalt: this is the only place to demarcate the border line between Macedonia and Serbia. Serbian police and military police are on permanent patrol, and stop anyone who tries to go across, either from Miratovac, or the neighboring town of Presevo. Busloads of illegal immigrants stopped anywhere in Serbia are also sent to Lojane.

All the immigrants say they heard about the village either on the Internet or through friends. But village head Mehmeti says that's not true: he says well-organized networks wait for the immigrants along the country's southern borders, at Gevgelija and Bitola, and bring them here. "And the ones that get caught at the Tabanovce border checkpoint, (10 km from the village) come here too." (See more international news in Global Spin.)

There is no visible presence of Macedonian police: the border is guarded only on the Serbian side, villagers say. There are also no humanitarian organizations in Lojane, even though the winter cold is going to make survival conditions for the immigrants that much worse. "Everybody acts as if they don't exist," says Mehmeti.

Despite agreements made with the European Union, Serbia and Macedonia are incapable of dealing with the new tide of clandestine immigrants, who are increasingly opting to take this route instead of the heavily monitored road from Greece to Bulgaria to the north. Skopje has only one immigration detention center that no journalists have been able to visit, and that officially just has space for several dozen people.

The village head is pleased: it's quiet today, there are "only" a few dozen illegal immigrants in Lojane. However, a line of some 15 men can be seen walking through the fields from Tabanovce. A small Macedonian border police patrol watches from the derelict gas pump located halfway between the villages of Lojane and Vaksince. They neither comment, nor pursue the men, but just keep watching instead.

See TIME's Top 10 World Stories of 2011.

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-- Les Echos

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-- S?ddeutsche Zeitung

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/time/20111230/wl_time/08599210305400

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Download the WBTV News 3 app for iPhone and Droid today

Just a reminder for those of you who use an i-Phone or Droid, you can get your news on the go by downloading our WBTV News?app.

Search WBTVNews in the iTunes store or Android Market to download it and?always stay up to date with the latest news, weather and traffic information!

Our new news app features more news content, more video, and a display that you can tailor to your own?preference.

When you download the new WBTV app, you will immediately notice there are more top stories on the home page. When you click on a story, you can easily share it via email, twitter, and?Facebook. You can also save?those stories in your "MyView" section to view later.

If you see news happening, you can now easily send it in using our new "My Report" feature. It interacts directly with WBTV's 'See It, Snap It, Send It!' Just snap your photo or video and send it in using the?"contribute" tab. You can also browse all of the photos our viewers have sent in under the Community Gallery.

In our "More" section, you'll find sports news and scores, headlines from around the state and region, national news, health news,?and more!

There's also plenty of video to watch in our "video" section. Catch the?most recent?weather forecast and watch all of the latest top news stories.

Note: If you already have?a working?WBTV app, then you have the latest version.

To download the new app,?search "WBTVNews" in the Android Marketplace or iTunes store.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

********

Here are answers to some Frequently Asked Questions:

1) What happens to the old WBTV news app?
Those apps are going away at the end of July. You need to download and install this new free app to continue to receive breaking news notifications from WBTV. The WEATHER app we released last month will live on, however.

2) Will the new app automatically replace the old app?
No. You must download and install this new app. You are welcome to delete the old app at any time.

3) Why do the stories not refresh when I reopen the app?
The app does not automatically refresh when you reopen it. To refresh the story listings on the app, pull the screen down (like you do with the Facebook app) until the screen begins to refresh. You can also manually close the app and relaunch it. If you have an iPhone, shake the phone each time you open the app to ensure that it has been refreshed.

4) Is there an iPad app?
No, not yet. We are working on that and hope to have something available later this year.

5) What about an app for Blackberry?
We are working on that and hope to have something ready in the near future.

6) What about an app for Windows mobile devices?
At this time, we do not have plans to?create an app for Windows, but our mobile website m.wbtv.com will soon be automatically updated.

Source: http://lancaster-chester.wbtv.com/news/news/70162-download-wbtv-news-3-app-iphone-and-droid-today

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Iran threatens to stop Gulf oil if sanctions widened (Reuters)

TEHRAN (Reuters) ? Iran threatened on Tuesday to stop the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz if foreign sanctions were imposed on its crude exports over its nuclear ambitions, a move that could trigger military conflict with economies dependent on Gulf oil.

Western tensions with Iran have increased since a November 8 report by the U.N. nuclear watchdog saying Tehran appears to have worked on designing an atomic bomb and may still be pursuing research to that end. Iran strongly denies this and says it is developing nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

Iran has defiantly expanded nuclear activity despite four rounds of U.N. sanctions meted out since 2006 over its refusal to suspend sensitive uranium enrichment and open up to U.N. nuclear inspectors and investigators.

Many diplomats and analysts believe only sanctions targeting Iran's lifeblood oil sector might be painful enough to make it change course, but Russia and China - big trade partners of Tehran - have blocked such a move at the United Nations.

Iran's warning on Tuesday came three weeks after EU foreign ministers decided to tighten sanctions over the U.N. watchdog report and laid out plans for a possible embargo of oil from the world's No. 5 crude exporter.

"If they (the West) impose sanctions on Iran's oil exports, then even one drop of oil cannot flow from the Strait of Hormuz," the official Iranian news agency IRNA quoted Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi as saying.

The U.S. State Department said it saw "an element of bluster" in the threat but underscored that the United States would support the free flow of oil.

"It's another attempt to distract attention away from the real issue, which is their continued non-compliance with their international nuclear obligations," spokesman Mark Toner said.

Rahimi's remarks coincided with a 10-day Iranian naval exercise in the Strait and nearby waters, a show of military force that began on Saturday.

"Our enemies will give up on their plots against Iran only if we give them a firm and strong lesson," Rahimi said.

JANUARY MEETING

Countries in the 27-member European Union take 450,000 barrels per day of Iranian oil, about 18 percent of the Islamic Republic's exports, much of which go to China and India. EU officials declined to comment on Tuesday.

About a third of all sea-borne oil was shipped through the Strait of Hormuz in 2009, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), and U.S. warships patrol the area to ensure safe passage.

Most of the crude exported from Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq - together with nearly all the liquefied natural gas from lead exporter Qatar - must slip through the Strait of Hormuz, a 4-mile wide shipping channel between Oman and Iran.

Iran has also hinted it could hit Israel and U.S. interests in the Gulf in response to any military strike on its nuclear installations - a last resort option hinted at by Washington and the Jewish state.

However, some analysts say Iran would think hard about sealing off the Strait since it could suffer just as much economically as Western crude importers, and could kindle war with militarily superior big powers.

"To me, if Iran did that it would be a suicidal act by the regime. Even its friends would be its enemies," said Phil Flynn, analyst at PFG Best Research in Chicago.

SAUDI REPLACEMENT?

Industry sources said on Tuesday No. 1 oil exporter Saudi Arabia and other Gulf OPEC states were ready to replace Iranian oil if further sanctions halt Iranian crude exports to Europe.

Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi had said that Saudi Arabia had promised not to replace Iranian crude if sanctions were imposed.

"No promise was made to Iran, it's very unlikely that Saudi Arabia would not fill a demand gap if sanctions are placed," an industry source familiar with the matter said.

Gulf delegates from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) said an Iranian threat to close the Strait of Hormuz would harm Tehran as well as the major regional producers that also use the world's most vital oil export channel.

Oil prices spiked on Tuesday, fuelled by fears of supply disruptions and Iranian naval exercises in a crucial oil shipping route, with gains capped by simmering euro zone debt concerns.

Brent crude oil futures jumped more than a dollar to over $109 a barrel after the Iranian threat, but a Gulf OPEC delegate said the effect could be temporary. "For now, any move in the oil price is short-term, as I don't see Iran actually going ahead with the threat," the delegate told Reuters.

The industry source said that in the case of EU sanctions, Iran would most likely export more of its crude to Asia, while Gulf states would divert their exports to Europe to fill the gap until the market is balanced again.

A prominent analyst said that if Iran did manage to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, the ensuing spike in oil prices could wreck the global economy, so the United States was likely to intervene to foil such a blockade in the first place.

"First, the U.S. will probably not allow Iran to close the Strait. That's a major economic thoroughfare and not just for oil. You shut that Strait and we are talking a major hit on many Middle East economies," said Carl Larry, president of Oil Outlooks in New York.

"Second, there is no way that the Saudis (alone) have enough oil or quality of oil to replace Iranian crude. Figure Saudi spare capacity is 2 to 4 million at best. Of that spare, about 1-2 million is real oil that is comparable out of Iran. Lose Iran, lose 3.5 million barrels per day of imports. No way."

French President Nicolas Sarkozy proposed hitting Iran with an oil embargo and won support from Britain, but resistance to the idea persists within and outside the European Union.

An import ban might raise global oil prices during hard economic times and debt-strapped Greece has been relying on attractively financed Iranian oil.

Iran's seaborne trade is already suffering from existing trade sanctions, with shipping companies scaling down or pulling out as the Islamic Republic faces more hurdles in transporting its oil.

(Additional reporting by Parisa Hafezi in Tehran, Dmitry Zhdannikov in London, Robert Gibbons and Janet McGurty in New York, Amena Bakr in Dubai, Andrew Quinn in Washington; Writing by Mark Heinrich; Editing by Jon Boyle and Alison Williams)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/energy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111227/wl_nm/us_iran_oil_hormuz

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Junior dos Santos won't fight Frank Mir for revenge, predicts Lesnar has early advantage against Overeem

Revenge is best when you get it yourself.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight Champion Junior dos Santos has been giving his thoughts on the recent submission loss of his mentor, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, at the hands of former division champion Frank Mir at UFC 140 on Dec. 10, 2011.

Nogueira, who serves as "Cigano's" Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor, has suffered two defeats at the hands of Mir -- via technical knockout at UFC 92 back in 2008 and, most recently, Mir broke "Minotauro's" arm after he refused to tap to a kimura at the aforementioned UFC 140 earlier this month.

With the submission victory, Mir became the first man to ever submit the jiu-jitsu black belt, to go along with being the first to ever stop "Big Nog" via strikes in their initial encounter.

However, don't expect the young champion to seek out a revenge fight for his friend.

Speaking to Tatame.com, Dos Santos says that should he ever get the opportunity to fight Mir, he won't do it to get revenge for Nogueira, but rather, would like to see "Minotauro" get revenge on his own.

Check it out:

"I just think it was a complicated fight for all Brazilians, mainly for us at Team Nogueira. He (Rodrigo) had the win in his hands and with Frank Mir knocked out in front of him, and, for some reason, he didn't keep punching him, he tried to fit a guillotine choke and Frank Mir was lucky enough to grab his arm, and grabbed the chance when he had one. The problem was that he broke Rodrigo's arm, and he has just recovered, and now he'll stay some time off. But we know it already; I know what it'll be the result of it: Rodrigo will come back and bring much joy to all of us. I don't need to revenge him. I guess there's no such thing; I guess he (Rodrigo) can do it himself. But I confess I have never picked out opponents and I won't, but if someday I fight Frank Mir, absolutely it'd be an interesting fight."

In a sense, "Cigano" has already obtained revenge for Nogueira once before. On Nov. 12, 2011, at the inaugural UFC on Fox 1 show, dos Santos knocked out Cain Velasquez in the first round to become the new UFC heavyweight champion. In the process, he avenged a previous loss of Nogueira to Velasquez, which he suffered at UFC 110 on Feb. 21, 2010, in "The Land Down Under."

A third fight between Mir and Nogueira is highly unlikely given the outcome of the previous two bouts. Even though dos Santos wouldn't mind a fight with Mir in the future, he has much bigger fish to fry in his first title defense.

Much, much bigger.

That's because "Cigano" will take on the winner of this weekend's (Dec. 30, 2011) colossal heavyweight clash at UFC 141 between Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem.

A match up that he believes can go either way:

"It's a tough fight for the both of them. I'm saying it'll be 50-50, but Brock has more chances on the beginning of the fight because he's more explosive and goes for it."

Dos Santos is currently rehabbing from successful knee surgery he had to repair a torn meniscus that he damaged prior to his title fight with Velasquez.

Should a fight between "Cigano" and Mir ever come to fruition, will the Brazilian bomber have better results than those of his mentor Nogueira? Does he stand a chance against the Lesnar-Overeem winner?

Opinions, please.

Source: http://www.mmamania.com/2011/12/28/2667000/junior-dos-santos-frank-mir-revenge-brock-lesnar-alistair-overeem-prediction-mma

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Plain Site Watch (talking-points-memo)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/179474351?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Running a country? There's an app for that, almost (AP)

LONDON ? Britain's government says experts are considering developing a bespoke iPad app that would deliver key data straight to Prime Minister David Cameron's tablet computer.

Officials said Wednesday that the idea is being discussed, though Cameron's Downing Street office declined to comment on the details.

The Times of London newspaper reported the app could include statistics and information from government departments, real time news and Twitter updates.

Cameron has previously discussed his affection for his iPad, but acknowledged he needed "a little bit of help from someone in IT" to set up the gadget.

The British chief has frequently championed the country's technology sector and hailed the so-called Silicon Roundabout cluster of digital companies in east London.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111228/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_governing_by_ipad

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3 NATO troops killed by bomb in east Afghanistan (AP)

KABUL, Afghanistan ? Three NATO service members have been killed by a roadside bomb in eastern Afghanistan, the alliance said Wednesday. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying the target was a U.S. military convoy.

NATO's statement said that the deaths occurred Tuesday, but provided no further details about the incident or the nationalities of the troops.

The Taliban said the attack took place in Paktiya province, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) south of Kabul.

The latest deaths bring December's toll of foreign troops killed in Afghanistan to 23, for a total of 539 deaths so far this year. The yearly tally is considerably lower than for 2010, when more than 700 troops died. The number of wounded has remained high, dipping only slightly from last year's total of more than 5,000 service members.

Also Tuesday, a community council leader in the Musa Qala district of restive Helmand province was shot and killed by insurgents along with his 20-year-old son and two-year-old grandson, the governor's office said.

A statement from the office said the attack occurred late in the evening, as council leader Adbdul Baqi was heading home from his office. There were no further details.

The U.S.-led coalition has started transitioning parts of Helmand to the government as part of a plan to cede full control of the country's security to Afghan forces by the end of 2014.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111228/ap_on_re_as/as_afghanistan

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My Fair Wedding: Bling Bride

Over-the-top glitz and glamour is Joanne?s vision ? she wants to blind her guests with so much bling and sparkle ?to put Swarovski out of business.? But with shoes as escort cards and flashlights providing the specialty lighting, Joanne?s makeshift designs are falling short of fabulous.

Source: http://www.movieweb.com/tv/TE8PJf7zGn2Bbe

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The Parade of Time: Glastonbury Underwear

You are here: Home ? Comics ? Art ? The Parade of Time: Glastonbury Underwear

At this time of year it is good to confront our own mortality as shown via drop-butt underwear.

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Source: http://www.comicsbeat.com/2011/12/26/the-parade-of-time-glastonbury-underwear/

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Pancake Blocks

Rotoworld's fantasy football insider
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Beyond the Arc

College hoops news and rumors
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Off the Bench

An irreverent, offbeat look at sports
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Source: http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/player_main.aspx?sport=MLB&id=3792

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End college football bowl madness!

Credit: AP

FILE - In this Oct. 8, 2011, file photo, Arkansas' receiver Greg Childs (85) runs down field after a reception as Auburn cornerback Chris Davis (11) pursues during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game in Fayetteville, Ark. Childs' senior season has gone anything but as planned. However, the Arkansas wide receiver hopes to end his career with one final big game when the Razorbacks play Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 6. (AP Photo/April L. Brown, File)

(KMOV) -- When I was a teenager, New Years Day was bigger than Super Bowl Sunday, at least?for me. I still remember the excitement of watching the best college football teams play the biggest bowl games on that one day, virtually non-stop big time gridiron action from morning to late night. Heck, back then even the Gator Bowl was a big deal.

There won't be any college football bowl games on New Years Day this season. On January 2, you can watch Florida play Ohio State in the Gator Bowl.?Both teams have 6-6 records, which means one of them will wind up with a losing record. I realize those are two traditional powerhouse programs, but does anyone really believe they deserve to play in a bowl, much less that one?

Even more absurd is the lineup of bowl games on December 30 and 31. There are 8 teams with at least 6 losses playing in 9 bowl games on those days. UCLA, which plays in something called the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl on Christmas Eve, has a 6-7 record. It plays Illinois which has a 6-6 record. So, when that game is over the teams will have combined for 14 losses.

Last night, 7th ranked Boise State pounded Arizona State 56-24 in the MAACO Bowl. In the 4th quarter BSU lead by as much as 49-10. ASU finished the game with -11 yards rushing. It was clearly a mismatch. The loss gave Arizona State a 6-7 record for the season. But despite playing a game that shouldn't have been played, the conferences for those two teams will receive $1.1 million for their participation.

There are 35 bowl games this season. Overall, it's possible that as many as 9 of those teams could wind up with losing records.

I believe the current bowl system is corrupted by greed and a false sense of accomplishment. It should be an honor to play in a bowl. Now, in the case of many bowl games, it's just a series of meaningless contests that reward undeserving teams and create marketing opportunities for corporations. The postseason should be reserved for the best teams, not those with strong fan support, key demographics, and the potential to deliver big television ratings.

The major bowls used to be named Rose, Sugar, Orange, Cotton and Fiesta. Now, every bowl game has a major sponsor who often comes before the traditional name of the bowl, like the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. My personal favorite is the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsetta Bowl.?

Like President Obama, and perhaps you, I support a playoff system.?In my system, you would take at least the top 8 teams, based on a ranking system that includes losses, strength of schedule and other factors. The first round of games would be played 2 weeks after the end of the conference championship games. The 2 games in the second round would be played around Christmas. The national championship game would take place 2 weeks after that.

Clearly, this would create an uproar among the bowls, but?it would also give fans a much more exciting postseason, and crown an undisputed national champion. My 8 team playoff would cut bowl games from 35 to 15.

If you eliminate conference championship games, you could double the number of playoff teams to 16 by starting the postseason a week earlier. This would increase the number of playoff games to 23, and keep most of the current bowls as part of the playoffs. I actually prefer a 16 team playoff because it has the potential for more drama, and would provide a feel of "March Madness" in college football while still?making sure?that only the best teams?participate. Even with?16 teams,?every playoff "bowl game" would be?meaningful.

Frankly, I don't care that much if the playoff games are sponsored. I prefer to see the Gator Bowl without Taxslayer.com in front of it, but bowl sponsorships don't keep me awake at night. I think the most important games could still be played as "bowl games" like the Orange or Sugar. Perhaps, the earlier rounds could be hosted by smaller bowls like the Gator and the Sun.? The participating teams could be paid, but they would be paid more for each round of the playoffs. Of course, there's still room for bowl games that would not be part of the playoffs, though I doubt those games could be successful.

I don't claim to have all the answers, but?this bowl madness?needs to end.?

Source: http://www.kmov.com/community/blogs/reporters-blog/Bowl-Madness-136146883.html

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Pedestrian killed by car was 1st UNH female president

BEDFORD, N.H. -- Officials say a woman killed after she was struck while crossing a street was the first female president of the University of New Hampshire and Brandeis University.

Police say 78-year-old Evelyn Handler, of Bow, was killed Friday night while crossing a street in Bedford. She was found lying in the street and later died at a hospital.

UNH released a statement saying they were saddened to hear of Handler's death. They say she was president from 1980 to 1983.

Handler went on to become the first and only woman to lead Brandeis in Waltham, Mass., where she was president from 1983 to 1991.

No charges have been filed in Handler's death. Police are still investigating.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45787811/ns/local_news-boston_ma/

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Your Top Ten Posts of 2011 (talking-points-memo)

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Iraq crisis stirs protests in Sunni strongholds (Reuters)

SAMARRA, Iraq (Reuters) ? Several thousand Iraqis in Sunni Muslim strongholds protested on Friday against Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, responding to his moves against two Sunni leaders and taking to the streets a day after fatal bombings hit the capital Baghdad.

Maliki this week sought Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi's arrest on terrorism charges and moved to fire a Sunni deputy. On Thursday at least 72 people were killed in Baghdad by bombings in mainly Shi'ite neighborhoods.

The events threaten to splinter Iraq's fragile sectarian and ethnic faultlines and highlight the risk of the country tumbling into the kind of bloody slaughter that a few years ago led the OPEC oil-producer to the edge of civil war.

After Friday prayers, with Sunni imams warning Maliki was seeking to foment sectarian divisions, protesters were on the streets of Sunni-dominated Samarra, Ramadi, Baiji and Qaim, many waving banners in support of Hashemi, and criticizing the government.

"The charges against Hashemi were orchestrated behind closed doors. Maliki is trying to remove Sunnis from power to get a tight grip, like as a new dictator of Iraq," said Ahmed al-Abbasi, a+ protester from Samarra.

The crisis could scuttle a delicate power-sharing agreement that splits posts among Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish leaders just days after the last American troops withdrew nearly nine years after the invasion to oust Saddam Hussein.

"What's happening in Iraq is settling political scores," Iyad Allawi, Maliki's predecessor and head of the Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc, told al-Arabiya television.

An emergency session in parliament among leaders of political blocs to debate the crisis was cancelled on Friday.

For many Sunnis who feel marginalized by the rise of Iraq's Shi'ite majority since the fall of Saddam, Maliki's measures have deepened worries the Shi'ite leader is making a power grab to consolidate Shi'ite power.

"Hashemi, fear not, with our blood we support you," one banner read in Samarra.

Hashemi denies charges his office ran an assassination squad. After the interior ministry broadcast what it said were confessions from Hashemi's bodyguards, the Sunni leader left for semi-autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan, where he is unlikely to be handed over to central government authorities.

U.S. DIPLOMACY, REGIONAL WORRIES

Baghdad was quiet on Friday with many people deciding to stay off the streets following Thursday's string of bombings, which included a suicide bomber, driving an ambulance, who detonated his explosives outside a government office.

The last American troops left Iraq over the weekend, nearly nine years after the invasion that toppled Sunni dictator Saddam. Many Iraqis fear a return to sectarian violence without a U.S. military buffer.

U.S. officials are trying to stay engaged in Iraq. Vice President Joe Biden called Iraqi President Jalal Talabani to support efforts to resolve tensions and Army Chief of Staff General Raymond Odierno met with Maliki on Thursday.

U.S. intelligence agencies had warned that security gains in Iraq could degenerate into sectarian violence after the withdrawal.

Turmoil in Iraq would have wider consequences in a region where a crisis in neighboring Syria is becoming increasingly sectarian, and Shi'ite Iran, Turkey and Sunni Arab Gulf nations are all positioning for more influence.

Iraqi Shi'ite leaders worry a shift to a hardline Sunni government in Damascus if Syrian President Bashar al-Assad falls would unbalance their country's own delicate sectarian makeup, or spill instability over the border.

(Additional reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; Writing by Patrick Markey and Serena Chaudhry; Editing by Matthew Jones)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111223/wl_nm/us_iraq_politics

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Portable Jaguar modder gives Ben Heck a run for his compact gaming money (video)

We bet you thought Ben Heck's Atari Jaguar mod would be the first and only portable hack of the ill-fated "64-bit" game system you'd ever see. Well, you were wrong. User Evil Nod, over at the Made by Bacteria forums, has whipped up a rather impressive compact console using the seemingly ubiquitous PS1 screen as a display. At about 1.75-inches thick, it's a bit bulkier than Heck's build, but it also doesn't have a giant battery or cartridge slot hanging off the back -- everything is tucked neatly away inside the textured black shell. Check out the source links for a build log and a few more photos of the finished product. You'll also find a bonus video of the prototype after the break.

Continue reading Portable Jaguar modder gives Ben Heck a run for his compact gaming money (video)

Portable Jaguar modder gives Ben Heck a run for his compact gaming money (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 19:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/22/portable-jaguar-modder-gives-ben-heck-a-run-for-his-compact-gami/

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Apple buys flash storage maker Anobit for $500 million, aims to establish R&D lab in Israel

The rumor mill has been churning on this one for the last few days, but it's now as official as it's ever apt to get: Apple has decided to splash out the $500 million to buy Israeli flash-chip outfit Anobit. The fabless designer of MLC NAND flash chips should be a good fit, given Cupertino's reliance on solid state storage technology for its iPad, iPod, iPhone and Macbook Air lines. With $84 billion in the bank, the purchase has cost the company just over half a percent of its war chest, and we're guessing it'll just barely feel the pinch when said funds are transferred over. The story was originally reported in the Calcalist financial daily newspaper, with the verified Twitter account of the Prime Minister of Israel chiming in with the following:

"Welcome to Israel, Apple Inc. on your [first] acquisition here. I'm certain that you'll benefit from the fruit of the Israeli knowledge."

Moreover, Apple's expected to open up a research and development center in the nation, marking its first outside of the USA. If history has anything to say about it, we highly doubt Apple will ever open its mouth one way or the other on this, but it'll be interesting to see what related nuggets are uncovered in the company's next quarterly filing with the SEC.

Apple buys flash storage maker Anobit for $500 million, aims to establish R&D lab in Israel originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Dec 2011 20:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Daring Fireball  |  Reuters, Israeli Prime Minister (Twitter)  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/20/apple-buys-flash-storage-maker-anobit-for-500-million-aims-to/

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Play tiny Tetris using a laser beam

Caitlin Stier, video intern

Read more: Tricks of the light

Game on, microbeads. This micron-sized game of Tetris, developed by students from VU University Amsterdam, is being played using a light-trapping device called optical tweezers rigged up to a computer game. The microscopic glass spheres are in the clutches of a highly- focused laser beam that keeps the beads in position while moving new Tetris pieces.

"Optical tweezers enable manipulation on the sub-micrometre scale as if you're handling real tweezers," says physicist Joost van Mameren, one of the creators of the video. "The focus of this beam acts as an attraction point for small particles: they get sucked into the focus and cannot escape."

At the end of the clip, the laser is turned off and the Tetris beads quickly drift out of position.

When optical tweezers are not puzzling over Tetris, researchers use the tool to manipulate bacteria, pry open DNA's double helix, and test the mechanics of nature's smallest structures.

For more fun with photons, read our full-length feature covering nine fabulous light spin-offs.

If you enjoyed this video, see how you can manipulate molecules with your iPad or play a game of Pong with a laser gadget.

Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/1b246a44/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Cblogs0Cnstv0C20A110C120Cplay0Emicroscopic0Etetris0Ewith0Eoptical0Etweezers0Bhtml0DDCMP0FOTC0Erss0Gnsref0Fonline0Enews/story01.htm

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Vitamin D Prevents Fractures, But Role in Cancer Remains Unclear (LiveScience.com)

Taking vitamin D, along with calcium supplements, may reduce your risk of breaking a bone, but there's not yet enough evidence to say whether it may lower your risk of cancer, a new analysis concludes.

People who were taking vitamin D and calcium supplements were 11 percent less likely to fracture a bone than people not taking the supplements, according to the study.

There was an even larger reduction in fractures ? about 30 percent ? among elderly people living in institutions who were taking vitamin D, said study researcher Mei Chung, a nutritional epidemiologist and assistant director of the evidence-based-practice center at Tufts Medical Center.

Chung's analysis was requested by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, and was the only study the group requested be done in advance of their draft statement on recommendations for vitamin D intake, set to be issued in January, she said.

As to the studies examining the vitamin's role in cancer prevention, "We just don't have good enough information," Chung said, and factors such as how much vitamin D people were getting in their diets, and how much sun exposure they got were not well-controlled in the previous studies she reviewed for her analysis.

The results of the new study are published online today (Dec. 19) in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

Vitamin D in the body

Vitamin D is present in very few foods, though some foods are fortified with it, according to the National institutes of Health. Fish such as salmon and tuna and egg yolks are good sources of it. It's also synthesized by the skin when we're exposed to ultraviolet rays in sunlight.

Research has shown that vitamin D is involved with the depositing of mineral in bone, Chung said, but its potential role in cancer is less clear. Some research has suggested it may promote cell division and other processes that may lead to cancer, but other work has shown it may have the opposite effect, she said. The vitamin's effects may vary across different parts of the body ? it could promote some cancers, but inhibit the development of others.

Chung's analysis included 19 studies examining the effects of vitamin D on bone fractures, and 28 studies of its effects on cancer.

In terms of reducing fractures, vitamin D only reduced the risk when taken in conjunction with calcium, the study showed. The benefit was seen among people taking from 300 International Units (IU) to 1,100 IU daily, according to the study.

The studies she examined conflicted in their findings about whether vitamin D might prevent cancer, Chung said. Three of the studies were prospective randomized controlled trials ? considered the strongest type of scientific evidence, in which participants are divided into two groups at the study's start and asked to either take vitamin D or a placebo ? and these studies suggested that high doses of vitamin D (1,000 IU a day) may reduce cancer.

However, the levels of vitamin D in the blood of participants in those studies were not measured, Chung said, and without such measurements, conclusions cannot be drawn. Some people in the placebo group may have in fact been taking vitamin D supplements, perhaps as part of a multivitamin, and study participants could vary greatly in terms of the levels of vitamin D in their diets, and their sun exposure. ?

Some of the prospective, observational studies Chung analyzed ? in which researchers did measure blood levels of vitamin D, and tracked those levels with cancer cases ? suggested that people with higher levels may have a lower risk of colorectal cancer, but the data for breast cancer and prostate cancer were mixed, and higher vitamin D levels brought an increased risk of having any type of cancer in general. Therefore,?a general conclusion about vitamin D and cancer risk could not be made, she said.

More studies needed

To better determine whether vitamin D lowers cancer risk, controlled trials are needed in which participants' blood levels are measured, and other data on diet and supplements are collected, Chung said.

Taking vitamin D along with calcium has been associated with an increased risk of kidney stones, she noted.

In the body, almost every organ has receptors for the active form of vitamin D found in our blood, Chung said, which is known to affect many cellular processes. Better understanding of the vitamin's role in all such processes would be helpful in assessing the vitamin's potential in preventing diseases, she said.

This story was provided by MyHealthNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience. Follow MyHealthNewsDaily on Twitter @Facebook.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/diseases/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20111220/sc_livescience/vitamindpreventsfracturesbutroleincancerremainsunclear

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Files on Manning's computer linked to WikiLeaks site (Reuters)

FORT MEADE, MD (Reuters) ? Classified files downloaded to the computer of Army intelligence analyst Bradley Manning matched those that later showed up on WikiLeaks, an investigator testified on Sunday, the first time the government has linked Manning to the whistleblowing website.

Special Agent David Shaver, a computer crimes investigator with the military, said an analysis of Manning's two classified computers revealed hundreds of sensitive files and file fragments that were accessed or downloaded through the military's secret computer network.

Manning's defense attorney, David Coombs, has largely ignored the question of whether his client is to blame for the leaks but has focused instead on why Manning continued to have access to classified material despite warning signs of emotional instability.

Coombs noted on Saturday that Manning "got furious and upset" during an outburst, flipped a table and sent a computer crashing to the ground. Manning had to be restrained over fears he was headed for a weapon.

Shaver's examination of Manning's computer also found thousands of State Department cables and two versions of an Apache gunsight video that showed an attack that killed several Iraqis, including two Reuters journalists.

One version of the video matched the film aired by WikiLeaks in 2010 and the other appeared to be the source, he said.

Shaver, who faces cross-examination from the defense on Monday, said he compared the files on Manning's computer to documents he downloaded from WikiLeaks and found to be the same.

Manning is suspected of downloading thousands of government files from the military's classified computer network when he was stationed in Iraq, information that later showed up on the WikiLeaks website in the largest unauthorized release of classified documents in U.S. history.

Shaver's testimony came on the third day of a hearing to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to try the 24-year-old Manning at a general court martial on charges of aiding the enemy and 22 other counts. If convicted of the most serious charges, he could be sentenced to life imprisonment.

Shaver said Manning's computer profile had been used to carry out more than 100 searches of the military's Secret Internet Protocol Router Network, known as SIPRNet, for documents naming WikiLeaks or its founder Julian Assange.

Shaver also recreated a path used on Manning's computer to download assessment documents written about detainees in the U.S. war against al Qaeda who were being held at the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

EMOTIONALLY UNSTABLE?

Among files that had been deleted from Manning's user profile were several complete Guantanamo detainee assessments, Shaver testified.

The prosecution has portrayed Manning as a well-trained analyst who was particularly knowledgeable about computers and who understood his responsibilities but violated them.

But the defense has sought to portray him emotionally unstable and unsuitable for his job as an intelligence analyst.

The defense showed Manning sent an email to Sergeant Paul Adkins, a superior in charge of security at his intelligence installation in Iraq, in April 2010 in which he said he suffered from a gender identity disorder that was affecting his life, work and ability to think, according to testimony Saturday.

The email included a photo of Manning as a woman. A superior officer said Adkins did not tell him about the email until after Manning's arrest. Manning, it was disclosed during the proceedings, created a female alter-ego online, Breanna Manning.

Captain Casey Fulton, an Army intelligence officer who worked in the same secure facility as Manning, testified that she saw Manning curled up on the floor with his arms around his knees as Adkins spoke to him.

Adkins invoked his right against self-incrimination on Sunday as he began answering questions in the case against Manning. Coombs argued Adkins should not be excused because he was not under investigation in the case, but the prosecution declined to grant him immunity to testify and he was excused.

The defense has portrayed Adkins as someone who should have recognized the private's troubled emotional state and acted to revoke the security clearance that gave him access to classified U.S. documents.

As it cross-examined prosecution witnesses on Sunday, the defense team continued to suggest Manning should not have had access to classified documents given his emotional state.

Fulton, who used Manning in her work preparing for the Iraqi election, rejected suggestions that supervision of lower-level analysts like Manning was lax.

"It's impossible to supervise 100 percent of the time," she said. "There's a limited amount of supervisors and you can't supervise everyone at every second of the day. (You) trust that they'll safeguard the material the way they've been taught."

(Writing by David Alexander; Editing by Vicki Allen and Todd Eastham)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111219/us_nm/us_usa_defense_manning

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Wedbush Raises PT on Allot Communications to $20 | Benzinga

By Juan Lopez

Benzinga Staff Writer
December 16, 2011 6:41 AM

Wedbush Securities has raised the price target on Allot Communications (NASDAQ: ALLT) from $17 to $20 and maintains its Outperform.

When it comes to investing, you cannot settle for anything less than the fastest and most efficient news feed. That is why we created Benzinga Pro. Sign up for a free trial today!

(c) 2011 Benzinga.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published in its entirety or redistributed without the approval of Benzinga.

?

?

Source: http://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/price-target/11/12/2212127/wedbush-raises-pt-on-allot-communications-to-20

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The fight: Tax cuts, jobless benefits and pipeline (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The White House backed away from a critical veto threat Friday as top Republicans in Congress served noticed they will extend expiring Social Security payroll tax cuts only if President Barack Obama swiftly decides the fate of a proposed oil pipeline that promises thousands of jobs.

With Republicans talking tough and lawmakers from both parties anxious to leave for the holidays, Obama spokesman Jay Carney declined several times to repeat Obama's earlier statement that he would reject any attempt to link the tax cuts and the Canada-to-Texas pipeline. "There's a process at work. I'm not going to analyze what language would be acceptable and what wouldn't," Carney told reporters.

He made his comments as Republican and Democratic leaders sought a compromise on legislation to renew the tax cuts and long-term jobless benefits that are at the heart of the jobs program that Obama submitted to Congress last fall.

Racing to adjourn for the year, lawmakers moved swiftly to clear separate legislation avoiding a partial government shutdown threatened for midnight ? focusing attention on the final disputed issue in a tempestuous year of divided government in an era of high joblessness and public dissatisfaction with Congress.

Obama has said extensions of the tax cuts and unemployment benefits are necessary to help nurture an economic recovery while also sustaining victims of the recession. Republicans injected the pipeline project into the legislation after the president postponed a decision on the long-studied project until after the 2012 elections.

Under the House-passed tax measure the project will go forward unless Obama decides in 60 days that its construction is not in the national interest.

"Let's not just pass a bill that helps people on the benefits side, let's also include something that actually helps the private sector create the jobs Americans need for the long term," Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said in Senate-floor remarks that challenged Obama to give ground

In a political jab, he added, "Here's an opportunity for the president to say he's not going to let a few radical environmentalists stand in the way of a project that would create thousands of jobs and make America more secure at the same time."

Obama said on Dec. 7 that "any effort to try to tie Keystone to the payroll tax cut I will reject. So everybody should be on notice."

More recently a veto threat issued Tuesday against the House-passed version of the bill cited the introduction of "ideological issues into what should be a simple debate about cutting taxes for the middle class." Senior administration officials later told reporters that was a reference to the pipeline.

Apart from the pipeline, negotiators for the two parties struggled over other differences as they sought agreement on the last major measure of the year.

Officials said there was widespread agreement to keep the Social Security tax cut in place for 2012, noting that if it lapsed, 160 million Americans could experience a cut in take-home pay at a time when the economy is still struggling to recover from the worst recession in decades. The president had originally sought to expand the cut but has effectively jettisoned that proposal.

The president also is seeking a renewal of the current system under which a maximum of 99 weeks of jobless benefits is available for the long-term unemployed. The House measure cuts that to 79, and officials said the two sides were considering a compromise between the two levels.

Both parties want to avoid a threatened 27 percent cut in payments to doctors who treat Medicare patients, but that, too, was in flux. The House-passed bill provides a two-year reprieve at a cost of about $38 billion over a decade. Officials said it was possible that delay could be cut to a single year, depending on the level of cuts negotiators could agree on elsewhere in the budget to offset the cost.

That same issue ? cuts to make sure the bill did not raise federal deficits ? lay at the heart of the negotiations.

The cost of the payroll tax extension alone was estimated at $120 billion over a decade, and Obama and Democrats agreed long ago to meet GOP demands that the legislation not raise deficits.

Democrats initially wanted to slap a surtax on million-dollar income earners to cover the cost, over the protests of Republicans. The Democrats eventually relented, but not before attacking GOP senators as protectors of the rich at the expense of the middle class and arranging a pair of test votes that could well provide fodder for Senate races in 2012.

Republicans sought to wield the Keystone pipeline project as a similar sort of issue against Democrats and Obama.

While environmental groups oppose the project, several blue-collar unions support it, as do an unknown number of Democratic lawmakers.

The State Department, in an analysis released this summer, said the project would create up to 6,000 jobs during construction, while developer TransCanada put the total at 20,000 in direct employment.

The 1,700-mile pipeline would carry oil from western Canada to refineries in Texas, passing through Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma.

The spending bill would lock in cuts that conservative Republicans won from the White House and Democrats earlier in the year.

Republicans also won their fight to block new federal regulations for light bulb energy efficiency, coal dust in mines and clean water permits for construction of timber roads.

The White House turned back GOP attempts to block limits on greenhouse gases, mountaintop removal mining and hazardous emissions from utility plants, industrial boilers and cement kilns.

After a last-minute veto threat, Republicans abandoned attempts to block an administration policy to ease restrictions on visits to Cuba and on the money sent to relatives on the Communist island nation from family members living in the United States.

Additionally, the legislation bars military and economic aid to Pakistan until the administration certifies that Islamabad is cooperating on counterterrorism, including taking steps to prevent groups such as the Haqqani network from operating in the country.

The provision stems from concerns that the Pakistani government harbors terrorists, and from assertions that some government officials knew that Osama bin Laden had established residence deep inside the country. Bin Laden was killed in May by U.S. commandos who raided his fortified compound in Abattabod.

___

Associated Press writers Donna Cassata, Alan Fram and Jim Kuhnhenn contributed to this story

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111216/ap_on_go_co/us_congress_rdp

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Highlights of bipartisan legislation extending payroll tax cuts, jobless benefits (Star Tribune)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/175944045?client_source=feed&format=rss

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NTSB wants to ban cellphones in cars? Jam them.

NTSB proposes to keep electronics from distracting drivers. But the only way to enforce an NTSB rule would be to jam cellphones for people in the driver's seat.

Before you fire an e-mail off to me claiming I need to get a clue, ask yourself this question: back before we had cell phones, what was it like driving a car?

Skip to next paragraph

?I ask this because I am increasingly of the belief that the only way to keep drivers off the phone is to jam their cell signals when they are in the driver's seat.

?If we've learned anything over the last 10-15 years, it's become clear that the problem of?distracted driving?is not just whether the driver is holding phone and texting, dialing, or surfing the internet for an updated sports score. This issue is whether the driver is distracted. And that distraction happens even when you are not holding a phone. Need proof? Last year 3,092 people were killed in distraction related accidents.

?In recommending the?complete ban?on drivers using electronic devices (including use of hands free cell phones), the NTSB is not suggesting the cell phone signals of drivers be jammed. But the NTSB Chairwoman Deborah Hersman says the cell phone industry should develop technology to help drivers keep from being distracted.

?What does the cell phone industry think?

?It agrees on banning texting and driving. But the statement from CTIA-The Wireless Association takes a different approach to the issue of people talking while driving. It says, "As far as talking on wireless devices while driving, we defer to state and local lawmakers and their constituents as to what they believe are the most appropriate laws where they live."

?Here's the deal, the genie is out of the bottle.?Drivers have become so accustomed to talking on the phone while driving, that they won't put down the phone completely. Sure, bans and state laws help (35 states now ban texting and driving) and campaigns against distracted driving, like those against drinking and driving, will also help.

?But the only way to make a huge dent in distracted driving is to take the distraction away from the driver.?Drivers can't help themselves. A?survey by AAA?found 88 percent acknowledge using a cell phone while driving is dangerous, yet 35% in the same survey had read or sent a text message in the last month.

What about emergencies??You bet. There should be software or technology that allows legit emergency calls. Even better, pull over, put the car in park. Once the car is no longer moving, the cell signal returns.

Funny to think we went decades driving without seat belts, airbags, and other safety advancements. Looking back, it seems silly to think people fought advancements that make driving safer. Actually, it's easy to understand. Look how many people refuse to put down their phone while driving, even though they know they should.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/uuDddHV9vNE/NTSB-wants-to-ban-cellphones-in-cars-Jam-them

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Sexy Photos of Birthday Boy Brad Pitt!

The sexy star celebrates his 48th birthday on Dec. 18 -- but these sizzling photos are a gift for you!

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/sexy-brad-pitt-photos/1-b-295080?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Asexy-brad-pitt-photos-295080

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T-Mobile introduces first Nokia Windows Phone in US

T-Mobile

By Athima Chansanchai

Hoping to snag first-time smartphone users, T-Mobile will launch the first Nokia Windows Phone in the U.S., the Lumia 710.

The Lumia ??which has caught some attention not only as the second coming of Nokia, but for the unfortunate coincidence of its name translating as "prostitute" in Spanish?? will give first-timers (and more experienced users) a 4G experience at an entry level price of $49 (after a $50 mail-in rebate, with a two-year commitment to the carrier). Unlimited family value plans (which include calls, texts and data) start at about $50.

"Our strategic mission is to bring 4G data and smartphones to mass of 150 million people who have yet to upgrade to a smartphone," said T-Mobile senior product manager Rhone Rarick, in an interview earlier today.

"We?ve seen from research, with consumers upgrading to smartphones, there is an intimidation factor.?Windows Phone is a light touch operating system," Rarick said. "It doesn?t require a lot of maintenance. You don?t have to download a ton of apps for a great social experience. It's a very intuitive experience from screen to screen."?

Live Poll

If you've never bought a smartphone before, would T-Mo's Nokia Lumia 710 be your first one?

• 170830

  YES. Sounds like a great deal. I'm willing to try it.

  55%

• 170831

  NO. I'd rather have an Android.

  24%

• 170832

  NO. If I've waited this long, I might as well get an iPhone.

  12%

• 170833

  NO. Who needs a smarter phone?

  10%

VoteTotal Votes: 225

Europeans just got their hands on the device Friday, but Americans won't be able to handle it until Jan. 11.?Those across the pond also get the phone in a rainbow of colors, while in T-Mobile's initial launch, customers will be stuck with black and white. They also get the more elegant Lumia 800, which has yet to be introduced by any U.S. carrier.

Netflix will come pre-loaded on it ??unique to T-Mobile ??though any Windows Phone user on any carrier can go to the Marketplace to get it. Also pre-loaded: Internet Explorer, Bing Search, T-Mobile TV, Nokia Drive (a free app with turn-by-turn instructions) and ESPN.

Users can view those sports, movies and shows on a 3.7-inch ClearBlack WVGA scratch-resistant display. A Qualcomm 1.4GHz Snapdragon processor powers the phone, which will also have a 5-megapixel camera.

Rarick is counting on the phone to cut down barriers to those who might be wary of breaking smartphones and buying what they don't intend to due to the sensitive touch screens. But those who are on Windows Phone will have to be content with only about 40,000 apps on its Marketplace, compared to more than 320,000 on Android and over 500,000 on the Apple App Store.

Take our poll and let us know if you think this Windows Phone is all that.

In an interview, Microsoft mobile chief Andy Lees discusses how Windows Phone may finally be gaining momentum, thanks in part to new ties to Windows 8 and Xbox and the launch of Nokia's first wave of Microsoft-powered smartphones.

More Windows Phone and T-Mobile stories on msnbc.com:

Check out Technolog on?Facebook, and on Twitter, follow?Athima Chansanchai, who is also trying to keep her head above water in the?Google+?stream.

Source: http://gadgetbox.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/14/9443318-t-mobile-introduces-first-nokia-windows-phone-in-us

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HP Reviving The $99 TouchPad Firesale! (Sort Of)

Get your clicking fingers ready! These boys are going to go fast. Starting Sunday, December 11th at 6:00 p.m. Central time, 16GB and 32GB Touchpads will be available on HP's ebay store. A $79 accessory bundle will also be available, which includes a case, charging dock and wireless keyboard. Look for them in the laptop section. As you would expect, there are some caveats with this deal with the main disappointment being these are refurbished TouchPads rather than the brand new models sold during the first firesale.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/I0bB4ZDA-D8/

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Bachmann: Romney, Gingrich both have 'flaws' (AP)

Rep. Michele Bachmann said Tuesday she still thinks she has a good chance of winning the Iowa Republican caucuses, saying presidential campaign rivals Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney "have significant flaws."

Bachmann said in a nationally broadcast interview that she, more than her rivals, personifies the kind of conservative values Iowa Republicans want, and said she believes "we're going to be shocked on Jan. 3 when we see the results."

Bachmann commented at a time when polls continue to show her in the lower tier of candidates vying to challenge President Barack Obama next year.

Asked on CBS's "The Early Show" about Gingrich's surge to top of the polls, Bachmann replied that "two weeks can be an eternity" in a White House campaign. She appeared on the same day that Romney awaited an endorsement from former Vice President Dan Quayle and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman prepared for an appearance in Washington before the Heritage Foundation's Bloggers Briefing.

"I think we're perfectly situated to be where we want to be," Bachmann said. She said the campaign is like a "political Wall Street," with candidates' stock rising and falling. And she accused both Gingrich and Romney of being supporters of "Obamacare," and said that both backed the government bailout of financial institutions.

The Minnesota Republican asserted that Romney had reversed his position on "life" issues and said that both Romney and Gingrich "are flawed candidates."

Bachmann wouldn't say whether she will participate in a Dec. 27 debate in Des Moines moderated by real estate magnate Donald Trump. She said she likes Trump, but that she's still weighing whether to appear.

Gingrich has accepted the debate invitation, and but the other candidates are still thinking it over.

Huntsman, in an appearance Tuesday on NBC's "Today" show, accused Romney of being indecisive, and cited the former Massachusetts governor's failure to say whether he would join the Des Moines debate is an example.

"As usual, Mr. Romney can't make a decision. He's weighing both sides and may flip-flop on this as well," Huntsman said.

He said that "people are giving us a second look, a first look in some cases."

"I'm running against a conservative flip-flopper," Huntsman said of Romney. "I'm running against a grandiose conservative. People are coming around to the reality that I'm a consistent conservative."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111206/ap_on_el_pr/us_gop_campaign

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