সোমবার, ২৮ নভেম্বর, ২০১১

Prahalis has 25 as No. 18 Buckeyes top Stony Brook (AP)

COLUMBUS, Ohio ? Samantha Prahalis had 25 points and 11 assists in only 28 minutes to lead No. 18 Ohio State to an 84-37 rout of Stony Brook on Friday.

Prahalis equaled her season scoring average of 15 in the first half, despite sitting the final 5 minutes, and the Buckeyes (4-0) forced Stony Brook into missing 24 of its first 26 shots. Ohio State took a 42-12 lead into halftime, the fewest points the Buckeyes have allowed in a first half since leading Longwood 41-9 on Nov. 30, 2006.

The Buckeyes scored the game's first 10 points and it was all Prahalis, who had eight points and assisted on the other basket in the opening run. Tayler Hill added 16 points for the Buckeyes, who face No. 20 LSU at home on Sunday.

Jessica Previlon had seven points for Stony Brook (1-4).

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111125/ap_on_sp_co_ga_su/bkw_t25_stony_brook_ohio_st

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রবিবার, ২৭ নভেম্বর, ২০১১

Flood of government data fuels rise of city apps (Providence Journal)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/166718342?client_source=feed&format=rss

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FlyScreen Launches An iOS 5-Like Lockscreen API For Android

notif3I know, I know. Apple totally stole its new Notifications Center for iOS 5 from Android. But let's be honest, they did a pretty good job with it. (Except for those impossibly small "X" buttons, that is.) As someone who switches between both platforms, one thing I really like about iOS 5's Notification Center is that it's available from the phone's lockscreen, too. On Android, you typically have to unlock your phone in order to view your notifications. Well, until now. Thanks to app maker FlyScreen and its brand-new "SuperFly API," Android users may soon get their own lockscreen notifications, too.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/mOoByJ6u354/

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শনিবার, ২৬ নভেম্বর, ২০১১

Galaxy Nexus LTE casts slightly larger silhouette

Getting giddy of the thought of an LTE-powered Galaxy Nexus? Well, Google, has just unveiled a full 360-degree view of the Verizon-bound smartphone, and it's packing a bigger caboose. Around 0.6mm thicker than the HSPA+ version available now in the UK, the 4G-stuffed version loses, at least visually, some of its curved charm and the chin's become more prominent too. Fortunately, as the tech specs confirm, the slightly bigger body does cram in an extra 100mAh of battery juice, presumably to feed that LTE radio. Will it feel any different in the hand? It looks like we'll have to wait until Verizon decides to furnish us with one -- whenever that is.

Galaxy Nexus LTE casts slightly larger silhouette originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Nov 2011 06:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/24/galaxy-nexus-lte-casts-slightly-larger-silhouette/

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শুক্রবার, ২৫ নভেম্বর, ২০১১

Investing in Valuable Metals Gold Bullion | All Stuff Ari

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Investing in Valuable Metals Gold Bullion. Posted on November 25, 2011 by. For the duration of these instances of financial hardship, there is a large demand for secure and reliable investments. Both knowledgeable and newbie investors are ...

Source: http://stuff-ari.com/2011/investing-in-valuable-metals-gold-bullion/

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Attention Design Nerds: The Most Badass Custom Shelving System Will Be at the Giz Gallery [Video]

We're compulsive in our gear-hoarding. Just look at the huge number of gadgets we've assembled for Gizmodo Gallery. Where the hell are we going to put all that stuff? The modular storage specialists at Vitsoe are giving us a hand. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/IT7ODdtf194/attention-design-nerds-the-most-badass-custom-shelving-system-will-be-at-the-giz-gallery

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বৃহস্পতিবার, ২৪ নভেম্বর, ২০১১

Chinese left guessing over high speed rail crash

In this Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2010 file photo, the first bullet train of a new high-speed railway linking Shanghai with Hangzhou travels to Hangzhou in Shanghai, China. Shanghai-Hangzhou high-speed railway start the operation Tuesday. The investigation into a bullet train crash in China last summer that killed 40 people has come and gone with scarcely any fresh information about what led to the disaster. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, file)

In this Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2010 file photo, the first bullet train of a new high-speed railway linking Shanghai with Hangzhou travels to Hangzhou in Shanghai, China. Shanghai-Hangzhou high-speed railway start the operation Tuesday. The investigation into a bullet train crash in China last summer that killed 40 people has come and gone with scarcely any fresh information about what led to the disaster. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, file)

In this Monday, June 27, 2011 file photo, a CRH high-speed train leaves the Beijing South Station for Shanghai during a test run on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway in Beijing, China. China's bullet train builders have conducted a test run of their showcase Beijing-to-Shanghai line amid controversy over the system's high cost. The investigation into a bullet train crash in China last summer that killed 40 people has come and gone with scarcely any fresh information about what led to the disaster. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan, file)

FILE - In this Friday, July 29, 2011 file photo, relatives of victims of a high speed train crash burn incense and papers near a wall scribbled with poetry commemorating the accident at the crash site in Wenzhou, southeastern China's Zhejiang province. The investigation into a bullet train crash in China last summer that killed 40 people has come and gone with scarcely any fresh information about what led to the disaster. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, file)

(AP) ? The investigation into a bullet train crash in China last summer that killed 40 people has come and gone with scarcely any fresh information released about what led to the disaster.

The secrecy surrounding the investigator's report, originally due in September and reportedly extended until late November, is typical of the sensitivities shown toward wider troubles plaguing the showcase high-speed rail program.

The accident inflamed public criticism over whether the powerful Railway Ministry was sacrificing safety in its costly quest to quickly roll out the bullet train network. Shortly after the July 23 crash, Premier Wen Jiabao called for a sweeping and transparent investigation,

Regulations on major transport accidents called for a report on the accident by Nov. 20, according to state media reports. Railway Ministry officials refused comment Tuesday.

The few slivers of information about the probe have been quickly recanted.

A railway expert and deputy director of the investigation team, Wang Mengshu, backtracked from comments published Monday in the state-run Beijing Times newspaper that quoted him as saying the accident near the eastern city of Wenzhou largely resulted from mismanagement.

State media on Tuesday carried reports of Wang claiming he was misquoted, that his comments were only his personal opinion, and that he was not authorized to speak to the media.

"I was not involved in the whole investigation. I did not have a general idea of the whole thing, and I did not know whether the conclusion had been submitted," Wang told state-run CCTV.

Wang did not respond to calls and e-mailed requests for comment.

In comments posted on the government work safety administration's website, Wang promised full and accurate disclosure of its findings.

The lack of transparency has left some in China skeptical that problems with the high speed rail network are being resolved, said Li Hongchang, an economics professor at Beijing Jiaotong University.

"People want not just the report but to understand how it was compiled. Openness and credibility are actually more important than the report itself," Li said.

Shortly after the accident, authorities blamed problems with the high-tech signaling systems used to run and route the trains for the crash, which occurred after railway staff failed to notice anything amiss when a lightening strike stalled a train and the signaling system failed to turn red.

But they have since backed away from that finding. The Beijing Times report quoted Wang as saying that given the lack of problems with the same signaling systems on other lines, the crash occurred mainly because of human error.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2011-11-22-AS-China-High-Speed-Rail/id-d5fdfd4e885549f2ba951681f558e2cf

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বুধবার, ২৩ নভেম্বর, ২০১১

Nokia Siemens to lay off 17,000 worldwide (AP)

HELSINKI ? Nokia Siemens Networks is slashing 17,000 jobs worldwide by 2013 ? nearly 23 percent of its work force ? as it strives to cut costs by euro1 billion ($1.35 billion).

The world's No. 2 mobile infrastructure maker said Wednesday the measures are part of major restructuring to make the company more flexible and efficient as it struggles against new Asian rivals.

The Finnish-German joint venture, which makes mobile networks necessary for cellphone use and communication between other mobile devices, said it would outsource services and "significantly" reduce suppliers, but gave few details.

"We will continue to push network outsourcing, we will not focus so much on field maintenance deals," CEO Rajeev Suri said. "That will allow us to use our global delivery capabilities and do remote management from our centers in India and Portugal and transform those businesses to pick up and make money."

Since Nokia Corp., the world's largest cellphone maker, joined forces with Germany's giant industrial equipment maker Siemens AG in 2006, the 50-50 joint venture has seen dwindling profits, worsened by the global economic downturn.

Last year, Nokia Siemens acquired the majority of Motorola Corp.'s wireless operations for $1.2 billion in a major thrust to gain a stronger foothold worldwide and to gain access to top American wireless carriers and cable companies, including ATT, Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel Corp., which depend on technology provided by infrastructure suppliers.

Strategy Analytics analyst Phil Kendall says Nokia Siemens is now being challenged by Chinese rivals, such as Huawei Technologies Ltd. and ZTE Corp.

"It's a challenging environment where the Chinese have shaken up the operational environment by originally selling cheap hardware and won business that way, but have now built up a credible reputation and become quite competent technology providers," Kendall said. "All of the big traditional Western infrastructure vendors have really had to work hard to fight off the threat."

Nokia Siemens says it aims to focus on mobile broadband and services, streamlining the organization to improve long-term competitiveness and profitability.

"We believe that the future of our industry is in mobile broadband and services. We aim to be an undisputed leader in these areas," Suri said.

He described the planned layoffs as regrettable but necessary, but gave no details.

"As we look towards the prospect of an independent future, we need to take action now to improve our profitability and cash generation," Suri said.

Nokia shares jumped more than 2 percent on the news but were unchanged at euro4.18 ($5.60) in late Helsinki trading.

Nokia Siemens Networks is based in Espoo, near Helsinki. It employs 74,000 employees in 150 countries.

____

Online:

http://www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111123/ap_on_hi_te/eu_finland_nokia_siemens_layoffs

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Training Could Rescue a Failing Sense of Smell

smelling rose

courtesy of iStockphoto/zanskar

Weakening eyesight can be sharpened with lenses, and impaired hearing can be improved with aids. What about a failing sense of smell?

Detecting and distinguishing the floral bouquet of fresh honey or the miasma of bad lunchmeat might not seem quite as critical for day-to-day existence as sight or hearing. But what the nose knows is clearly important for quality of life. Research has linked this diminution, which is common in people over the age of 60 and can be exacerbated by smoking and some diseases, to loss of appetite and even to depression.

Now sufferers might not have to give in to an odorless future, according to a new study, published online Sunday in Nature Neuroscience.

Researchers at the New York University Langone Medical Center have found that, with some simple training, over time lab rats could actually improve their brain?s ability to distinguish smells. Without any practice rats could tell when one scent?in a m?lange of 10?had been switched for another. (Researchers figured this out by waiting until the rodents were thirsty, then training them to look for water in one of a selection of holes based on what odor combination they had detected.) But their powers of discrimination were not perfect. If a scent was missing from the mix, the rats did not seem to be able to discern it from a full 10-scent combination.

Other rats, however, were trained to become extra-familiar with the different combinations through repeated exposures and rewards. ?We made them connoisseurs,? co-author Donald Wilson, a professor of psychiatry at NYU Langone, said in a prepared statement. Electrodes implanted in these rats? brains showed that each different scent combination sparked a unique electrical pattern in the olfactory (piriform) cortex. The group of rats that had not received this aromatic instruction, however, showed the same generic pattern for all of the scents that they didn?t seem to recognize. This difference suggests that the trained rats? brains had developed specific signatures for the scents over time, effectively improving their sense of smell.

A third group of rats was conditioned to disregard the differences by being given water in the same place after all of the scents. These rodents ended up showing even more generic responses in their piriform cortexes?evidence that their brains could also change in the other direction?worsening their sense of smell.

?This bidirectional effect was not found in the olfactory bulb,? an area of the brain that is located outside the piriform cortex, Wilson and his colleague Julie Chapuis, a postdoctoral researcher at NYU, noted in their paper. Instead, the changing sensory abilities seem to have come from changes in the olfactory cortex itself.

That plasticity, if it proves to be possible in humans as well, could be a way to hang on to smell?and its benefits?a little bit better. ?Our findings suggest that, while olfactory impairment may reflect real damage to the sensory system, in some cases it may be a ?use it or lose it? phenomenon,? Wilson said. So even if the sense of smell cannot be preserved entirely, the new findings suggest that the parts of it for which the olfactory cortex is responsible could be improved.

The new findings might give brain-training tactics a whole new dimension. ?Training can improve the sense of smell,? Wilson concluded. So when it comes out, perhaps best not to turn up your nose at that scratch-and-sniff sudoku.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=47b514201dbf1430dc441c16c00f525b

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মঙ্গলবার, ২২ নভেম্বর, ২০১১

Exclusive: The capture of Gaddafi's son (Reuters)

OBARI, Libya (Reuters) ? The chic black sweater and jeans were gone. So too the combat khaki T-shirt of his televised last stand in Tripoli. Designer stubble had become bushy black beard after months on the run.

But the rimless glasses, framing those piercing eyes above that straight fine nose, gave him away despite the flowing nomad robes held close across his face.

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, doctor of the London School of Economics, one-time reformer turned scourge of the rebels against his dictator father, was now a prisoner, bundled aboard an old Libyan air force transport plane near the oil-drilling outpost of Obari, deep in the Sahara desert.

The interim government's spokesman billed it as the "final act of the Libyan drama." But there would be no closing soliloquy from the lead player, scion of the dynasty that Muammar Gaddafi, self-styled "king of kings," had once hoped might rule Africa.

A Reuters reporter aboard the flight approached the 39-year-old prisoner as he huddled on a bench at the rear of the growling, Soviet-era Antonov. The man who held court to the world's media in the early months of the Arab Spring was now on a 90-minute flight bound for the town of Zintan near Tripoli.

He sat frowning, silent and seemingly lost in thought for part of the way, nursing his right hand, bandaged around the thumb and two fingers. At other times he chatted calmly with his captors and even posed for a picture.

IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT

Gaddafi's run had come to an end just a few hours earlier, at dead of night on a desert track, as he and a handful of trusted companions tried to thread their way through patrols of former rebel fighters intent on blocking their escape over the border.

"At the beginning he was very scared. He thought we would kill him," said Ahmed Ammar, one of the 15 fighters who captured Gaddafi. The fighters, from Zintan's Khaled bin al-Waleed Brigade, intercepted the fugitives' two 4x4 vehicles 40 miles out in the desert.

"But we talked to him in a friendly way and made him more relaxed and we said, 'We won't hurt you'."

The capture of Saif al-Islam is the latest dramatic chapter in the series of revolts that have swept the Arab world. The first uprising toppled the Ben Ali government in Tunisia early this year.

The upheaval spread to Egypt, forcing out long-time ruler Hosni Mubarak in February; swept Libya, where the capital Tripoli fell to rebels this summer and Muammar Gaddafi died after being beaten and abused by captors last month; and is now threatening the Assad family's four-decade grip on Syria.

Saif al-Islam was the smiling face of the Muammar Gaddafi's power structure. He won personal credibility at the highest echelons of international society, especially in London, where he helped tidy up the reputation of Libya via a personal charitable foundation. He threw that reputation away in the uprising, emerging as one of the hardest of hard-liners against the rebels.

This account of his capture and his final month on the run is based on interviews with the younger Gaddafi's captors and the prisoner himself. The scenes of his flight into captivity were witnessed by the Reuters reporter and a Reuters cameraman and photographer who were also aboard the plane.

FACING DEATH PENALTY

Caught exactly a month after his father met a violent end, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi is wanted by the International Criminal Court at The Hague on charges of crimes against humanity - specifically for allegedly ordering the killing of unarmed protesters last spring. Libya's interim leaders want him to stand trial at home and say they won't extradite him; the justice minister said he faces the death penalty.

His attempt to flee began on October 19, under NATO fire from the tribal bastion of Bani Walid, 100 miles from the capital. Ammar and his fellow fighters said they believed he had been hiding since then in the desolate tracts of the mountainous Brak al-Shati region.

Aides who were captured at Bani Walid said Saif al-Islam's convoy had been hit by a NATO air strike in a place nearby called Wadi Zamzam - "Holy Water River." Since then, there had been speculation that nomadic tribesmen once lionized by his father might have been working to spirit him across Libya's southern borders - perhaps, like his surviving brothers, sister and mother, into Niger or Algeria.

He did not get that far. Obari is a good 200 miles from either. But his captors believe he was headed for Niger, once a beneficiary of Muammar Gaddafi's oil-fueled largesse, which has granted asylum to Saif al-Islam's brother Saadi.

"WHO ARE YOU?"

Ammar said his unit, scouring the desert for weeks, received a tip-off that a small group of Gaddafi loyalists - they did not know who - would be heading on a certain route toward Obari. Lying in wait, they spotted two all-terrain vehicles grinding through the darkness.

"We fired in the air and into the ground in front of them," Ammar said. The small convoy pulled up, perhaps hoping to brazen it out.

"Who are you?" Adeljwani Ali Ahmed, the leader of the squad, demanded to know of the man he took to be the main passenger in the group.

"Abdelsalam," came the reply.

It's a common enough name, though it means "servant of peace" in Arabic; Saif al-Islam's real name means "Sword of Islam."

Ahmed, sizing the man up, took Ammar aside and whispered: "I think that's Saif."

Turning back to the car, a Toyota Land cruiser of a type favored on these rugged desert tracks, Ammar said: "I know who you are. I know you."

CASH AND KALASHNIKOVS

The game was up. The militiamen retrieved several Kalashnikov rifles, a hand grenade and, one of the Zintani fighters said, some $4,000 in cash from the vehicles.

It was a tiny haul from a man whose father commanded one of the best-equipped armies in Africa and who is suspected by many of holding the keys - in his head - to billions stolen from the Libyan state and stashed in secret bank accounts abroad.

"He didn't say anything," Ammar said. "He was very scared and then eventually he asked where we are from, and we said we are Libyans. He asked from which city and we said Zintan."

Zintan sits far from the spot of Gaddafi's capture in the Western, or Nafusa, Mountains, just a couple of hours drive south of the capital. The people of Zintan put together an effective militia in the uprising, and they are seeking to parlay their military prowess into political clout as new leaders in Tripoli try to form a government.

At Obari, a fly-speck of a place dominated by the oil operations of a Spanish company, Zintan fighters have extended their writ since the war deep into traditionally pro-Gaddafi country peopled by Tuaregs, nomadic tribes who recognize no borders.

The Zintanis are also a force in the capital. Saturday morning, the Antonov flew to Obari from Tripoli, bearing the new tricolor flag of "Free Libya" - and piloted by a former air force colonel turned Zintan rebel. Just a few minutes after it landed, the purpose of the flight became clear.

FLIGHT TO CAPTIVITY

Five prisoners, escorted by about 10 fighters in an array of desert camouflage, piled aboard, ranging themselves on benches along the sides of the spartan hold of the Antonov An-32, which is designed to carry four dozen paratroopers.

Two of the men were handcuffed together. A third had his arms cuffed in front of him. A dozen or so bulky black bags were carried in, and some thin mattresses - the scant belongings of the prisoners, their captors said.

All wore casual, modern dress - with the exception of Saif al-Islam.

His brown robe, turban and face scarf, open sandals on his feet, were typical of the Tuaregs of the region. The choice of costume offered concealment for a man more commonly seen in sharp suits and smart casual wear, and a visual echo of his late father's penchant for dressing up.

As they shuffled on the benches, rifle butts scraping on the metal floor, one of the guards said: "He is afraid now."

The pilot, though, said that he had had a paternal word with the 39-year-old captive and put him at ease before he was brought on board.

"LIKE A SMALL CHILD"

"I spoke to him like he was a small child," said Abdullah al-Mehdi, a diminutive, heavily mustachioed ball of energy in a green jumpsuit. His ambition - typical of Zintanis in these anarchic days in Libya - is to start up a whole new air force.

"I told him he would not be beaten and he wouldn't be hurt and I gave my word," said Mehdi.

He and the other two crew in the cockpit chain-smoked their way through the flight, navigating over the barren wastes the old-fashioned way, on analog instruments, with just occasional help from a new GPS device clamped awkwardly to the windshield.

The howl of the propellers was numbing, and there was little conversation during the flight.

Saif al-Islam by turns stared ahead or turned back to crane his neck out at the land he once was in line to rule. Every so often, holding his scarf across his mouth Tuareg-fashion, he would say a few words to a guard.

The calm was in stark contrast to the frenzy that greeted the capture of Muammar Gaddafi on October 20 as he tried to flee the siege of his hometown of Sirte, on the Mediterranean coast.

Fighters from the long embattled city of Misrata filmed themselves on cellphones hammering the fallen leader, howling for revenge and inflicting a series of indignities on him before his body was displayed to crowds of sightseers for several days.

SURROUNDED

The reporter caught Saif al-Islam's eye a few times, but on each occasion he looked away. At one point he asked for water, and a bottle from the journalist's pack was passed up to him. The other prisoners, too, did not want to speak.

After the plane bumped down on the tarmac in the mountains at Zintan, it was surrounded within minutes by hundreds of people - some cheering, some clearly angry, many shouting the rebels' Islamic battle cry, "Allahu Akbar!" (God is Greatest).

Some held up cellphones to the few windows in the cargo hold, hoping to catch a snap of the most wanted man in Libya. At one point others were rattling the catches of the doors, intent it seemed on storming inside.

While his companions, clearly nervous, huddled together, Saif al-Islam seemed calm. He sat back and waited. The plane rocked gently as crowds clambered over the wings. The prisoners talked a little to each other and the guards.

Asked about The Hague court's statement that he was in touch through intermediaries about turning himself in to the international judges - who cannot impose the death penalty - he seemed to take offence: "It's all lies. I've never been in touch with them."

After more than an hour, the fighters decided they could get the other four captives off. They were helped out of the front door. Gaddafi remained where he was, on his own at the back, silent and aloof.

INJURED HAND

A further hour went by, the crowds still idling on the runway. The guards suggested it was time for the journalists to leave.

Moving back to speak to the solitary Gaddafi, the reporter asked, in English: "Are you OK?"

"Yes," he replied, looking up.

The reporter pointed to his injured hand. He said simply: "Air force, air force."

"NATO?"

"Yes. One month ago."

The reporter moved past him to the aircraft steps. Gaddafi looked up and, without a word, briefly took her hand.

Later, television footage showed him being helped off the plane as people among the crowd on the tarmac tried to slap him. His captors shoved him into a car and sped off for a hiding place somewhere in town.

(Additional reporting by Mahmoud al-Farjani in Obari and Oliver Holmes in Zintan; Writing by Alastair Macdonald in Tripoli; Editing by Michael Williams)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111121/wl_nm/us_libya_son

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Libya general confirms former spy chief captured (Reuters)

TRIPOLI (Reuters) ? A senior Libyan commander confirmed Monday that his fighters had captured former spy chief Abdullah al-Senussi.

Prime Minister designate Abdurrahim El Keib said earlier that he needed to check whether Senussi had indeed been captured before he could confirm it, casting doubt on whether Senussi had in fact been captured.

"He is in the hands of the Je'fel Fezzan," General Ahmed al-Hamdouni told Reuters by phone.

(Reporting by Ali Shuaib; Editing by Tim Pearce)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111121/wl_nm/us_libya

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সোমবার, ২১ নভেম্বর, ২০১১

NASA's Chandra helps describe the birth of a black hole

Friday, November 18, 2011

New details about the birth of a famous black hole that took place millions of years ago have been uncovered, thanks to a team of scientists who used data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory as well as from radio, optical and other X-ray telescopes.

Over three decades ago, Stephen Hawking placed -- and eventually lost ? a bet against the existence of a black hole in Cygnus X-1. Today, astronomers are confident the Cygnus X-1 system contains a black hole, and with these latest studies they have remarkably precise values of its mass, spin, and distance from Earth. With these key pieces of information, the history of the black hole has been reconstructed.

"This new information gives us strong clues about how the black hole was born, what it weighed and how fast it was spinning," said author Mark Reid of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) in Cambridge, Mass. "This is exciting because not much is known about the birth of black holes."

Reid led one of three papers -- all appearing in the November 10th issue of The Astrophysical Journal -- describing these new results on Cygnus X-1. The other papers were led by Jerome Orosz from San Diego State University and Lijun Gou, also from CfA.

Cygnus X-1 is a so-called stellar-mass black hole, a class of black holes that comes from the collapse of a massive star. The black hole is in close orbit with a massive, blue companion star.

Using X-ray data from Chandra, the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer, and the Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics, a team of scientists was able to determine the spin of Cygnus X-1 with unprecedented accuracy, showing that the black hole is spinning at very close to its maximum rate. Its event horizon -- the point of no return for material falling towards a black hole -- is spinning around more than 800 times a second.

An independent study that compared the evolutionary history of the companion star with theoretical models indicates that the black hole was born some 6 million years ago. In this relatively short time (in astronomical terms), the black hole could not have pulled in enough gas to ramp up its spin very much. The implication is that Cygnus X-1 was likely born spinning very quickly.

Using optical observations of the companion star and its motion around its unseen companion, the team made the most precise determination ever for the mass of Cygnus X-1, of 14.8 times the mass of the Sun. It was likely to have been almost this massive at birth, because of lack of time for it to grow appreciably.

"We now know that Cygnus X-1 is one of the most massive stellar black holes in the Galaxy," said Orosz. "And, it's spinning as fast as any black hole we've ever seen."

Knowledge of the mass, spin and charge gives a complete description of a black hole, according to the so-called "No Hair" theorem. This theory postulates that all other information aside from these parameters is lost for eternity behind the event horizon. The charge for an astronomical black hole is expected to be almost zero, so only the mass and spin are needed.

"It is amazing to me that we have a complete description of this asteroid-sized object that is thousands of light years away," said Gou. "This means astronomers have a more complete understanding of this black hole than any other in our Galaxy."

The team also announced that they have made the most accurate distance estimate yet of Cygnus X-1 using the National Radio Observatory's Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA). The new distance is about 6,070 light years from Earth. This accurate distance was a crucial ingredient for making the precise mass and spin determinations.

The radio observations also measured the motion of Cygnus X-1 through space, and this was combined with its measured velocity to give the three-dimensional velocity and position of the black hole.

This work showed that Cygnus X-1 is moving very slowly with respect to the Milky Way, implying it did not receive a large "kick" at birth. This supports an earlier conjecture that Cygnus X-1 was not born in a supernova, but instead may have resulted from the dark collapse of a progenitor star without an explosion. The progenitor of Cygnus X-1 was likely an extremely massive star, which initially had a mass greater than about 100 times the sun before losing it in a vigorous stellar wind.

In 1974, soon after Cygnus X-1 became a good candidate for a black hole, Stephen Hawking placed a bet with fellow astrophysicist Kip Thorne, a professor of theoretical physics at the California Institute of Technology, that Cygnus X-1 did not contain a black hole. This was treated as an insurance policy by Hawking, who had done a lot of work on black holes and general relativity.

By 1990, however, much more work on Cygnus X-1 had strengthened the evidence for it being a black hole. With the help of family, nurses, and friends, Hawking broke into Thorne's office, found the framed bet, and conceded.

"For forty years, Cygnus X-1 has been the iconic example of a black hole. However, despite Hawking's concession, I have never been completely convinced that it really does contain a black hole -- until now," said Thorne. "The data and modeling described in these three papers at last provide a completely definitive description of this binary system."

###

Chandra X-ray Center: http://chandra.harvard.edu

Thanks to Chandra X-ray Center for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/115333/NASA_s_Chandra_helps_describe_the_birth_of_a_black_hole

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MIND Reviews: Train the Brain

Image: istockphoto

Two books and a podcast series explore how we can improve our minds.

Music may inspire us to dance, but can the right melody help improve our mental health? Yes, it can, according to Don Campbell, author of The Mozart Effect, and Alex Doman, an expert in music therapy. In Healing at the Speed of Sound (Hudson Street Press, 2011), the authors explore how we can use different soundtracks and even silence to tap into our brain?s creative side and to make us more efficient, relaxed and healthy.

The constant buzz of your cell phone or the compulsion to check e-mail may make it difficult for you to find a peaceful moment to think and reflect. In The Thinking Life (St. Martin?s Press, 2011), P. M. Forni, civility expert and professor at Johns Hopkins University, emphasizes the importance of serious reflection for improving our creativity, attention and problem-solving skills and offers suggestions for ways to focus our scattered brains.

We all know how stressful a breakup can be, but we still do not understand the brain chemistry behind this natural response or how best to dampen it. In a free podcast from the series NeuroScene, Harvard University professor Sara Lazar discusses her neuroimaging studies, which demonstrate that meditation increases the concentration of gray matter in specific areas of the brain thought to be associated with stress, memory and empathy. Tune in to previous and upcoming podcasts to learn how the brain copes with stress and panic.


Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=f13b203594fb42782863b76efc1a68ce

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FDA revokes approval of Avastin for breast cancer

This undated photo provided Jan. 31, 2011, by California-based Genentech Inc., shows the blockbuster cancer drug Avastin. The blockbuster drug should no longer be used in advanced breast cancer patients because there's no proof that it extends their lives or even provides enough temporary benefit to outweigh its dangerous side effects, the Food and Drug Administration declared Friday, Nov. 18, 2011. (AP Photo/Genentech Inc., File)

This undated photo provided Jan. 31, 2011, by California-based Genentech Inc., shows the blockbuster cancer drug Avastin. The blockbuster drug should no longer be used in advanced breast cancer patients because there's no proof that it extends their lives or even provides enough temporary benefit to outweigh its dangerous side effects, the Food and Drug Administration declared Friday, Nov. 18, 2011. (AP Photo/Genentech Inc., File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The government delivered a blow to some desperate patients Friday as it ruled the blockbuster drug Avastin should no longer be used to treat advanced breast cancer.

Avastin is hailed for treating colon cancer and certain other malignancies. But the Food and Drug Administration said it appeared to be a false hope for breast cancer: Studies haven't found that it helps those patients live longer or brings enough other benefit to outweigh its dangerous side effects.

"I did not come to this decision lightly," said the FDA's commissioner, Dr. Margaret Hamburg. But she said, "Sometimes despite the hopes of investigators, patients, industry and even the FDA itself, the results of rigorous testing can be disappointing."

Avastin remains on the market to treat certain colon, lung, kidney and brain cancers. Doctors are free to prescribe any marketed drug as they see fit. So even though the FDA formally revoked Avastin's approval as a breast cancer treatment, women could still receive it ? but their insurers may not pay for it. Some insurers already have quit in anticipation of FDA's long-expected ruling.

However, "Medicare will continue to cover Avastin," said Brian Cook, spokesman for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The agency "will monitor the issue and evaluate coverage options as a result of action by the FDA but has no immediate plans to change coverage policies."

Including infusion fees, a year's treatment with Avastin can reach $100,000.

The ruling disappointed patients who believe Avastin is helping to curb their incurable cancer.

"It's saved my life," said a tearful Sue Boyce, 54, of Chicago. She's taken Avastin in addition to chemotherapy since joining a research study in 2003. Her breast cancer eventually spread to her lungs, liver and brain, but Boyce says she is stable and faring well.

"So I'm hoping the insurance company will grandfather me in to continue taking it," she said.

The Avastin saga began in 2008, when an initial study suggested the drug could delay tumor growth for a few months in women whose breast cancer had spread to other parts of the body. Over the objection of its own advisers and to the surprise of cancer groups, FDA gave Avastin conditional approval ? it could be sold for such women while manufacturer Genentech tried to prove it really worked.

The problem: Ultimately, the tumor effect was even smaller than first thought. Across repeated studies, Avastin patients didn't live longer or have a higher quality of life. Yet the drug causes some life-threatening risks, including severe high blood pressure, massive bleeding, heart attack or heart failure and tears in the stomach and intestines, the FDA concluded. In two public hearings ? one last year and one this summer ? FDA advisers urged the agency to revoke that approval.

"The science is clear: Breast cancer patients are more likely to be harmed than helped by Avastin," said Diana Zuckerman of the National Research Center for Women and Families in Washington.

Genentech had argued the drug should remain available while it conducted more research to see if certain subsets of breast cancer patients might benefit, and some patients and their doctors had argued passionately for the drug.

"There certainly are patients who benefit tremendously," said Boyce's oncologist, Dr. Melody Cobleigh of Rush University Medical Center. "We'll just be battling with the insurance companies."

"For those not fortunate enough to be on Medicare or an insurance plan that covers it, it's a death sentence," Christi Turnage of Madison, Miss., said of the FDA's decision. Her breast cancer had moved into her lungs before she began Avastin three years ago and the spreading stopped, but Turnage said her insurer is ending coverage and she will seek financial help from Genentech's access program.

Hamburg said that she considered those arguments but that scientifically there are no clues yet to identify who those rare Avastin responders would be ? putting a lot of people at risk in order for a few to get some as-yet-unknowable benefit. She urged Genentech to do that research, saying the FDA "absolutely" would reconsider if the company could find the right evidence.

Genentech, part of Swiss drugmaker Roche Group, pledged to begin that research.

"We are disappointed with the outcome," said company chief medical officer Dr. Hal Barron. "We remain committed to the many women with this incurable disease and will continue to provide help through our patient support programs to those who may be facing obstacles to receiving their treatment in the United States."

The breast cancer organization Susan G. Komen for the Cure said that it respected the FDA's decision and that it was time for researchers to concentrate on finding so-called biomarkers that would tell which drug is right for which patient.

"Each type of cancer is very different from another in important ways, and in the end it's no surprise that Avastin's effectiveness may not be equivalent against all types of cancer," said Dr. Neal Meropol of University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, who has long used Avastin for colon cancer.

___

Associated Press writer Marley Seaman in New York contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2011-11-18-FDA-Avastin/id-0aab0f80f4a54bce896ce68dde65d208

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Regis Philbin says farewell to "Live!" after 28 years (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) ? Veteran talk show host Regis Philbin on Friday ended his run on the popular television program "Live!" with well-wishers including Mayor Michael Bloomberg stopping by to pay tribute to his nearly three decades on the daily show.

Philbin, 80, bid farewell to the syndicated morning show after 28 years on the air, saying viewers had always told him they watched the show "because it makes them feel better, and it can't get better than that."

"I'll never be able to top that," he added in his sign-off remarks before a star-studded audience that included Tony Danza, Alan Alda, Diane Sawyer, Donald Trump, Katie Couric, Meredith Vieira and John McEnroe.

Philbin announced in September that Friday would be his final appearance on "Live! with Regis and Kelly," which will be renamed "Live! With Kelly" as Kelly Ripa welcomes a series of guest co-hosts starting next with comedian Jerry Seinfeld.

Ripa, who joined Philbin in 2001 replacing former co-host Kathie Lee Gifford, recalled in a halting voice her first-day jitters. As the hosts came on stage, the audience cheered and Philbin told her, "You see that sweetie, that's all for you."

The final show featured a several video clips and montages, including many of guests and comedians ranging from Dana Carvey to Barney the Dinosaur imitating Philbin's signature syncopated and enthusiastic manner of speech.

Gifford was on hand but did not appear on stage.

A series of younger stars including Justin Timberlake, Selena Gomez and Anne Hathaway all offered thanks and congratulations to Philbin in taped tributes.

Bloomberg presented Philbin with a key to the city, and suggested new jobs for Philbin including cabbie, New York Yankee, underwear model and New York mayor, with images of the retiring TV host digitally inserted into appropriate photos.

"You have been New York City's biggest fan for 28 years and I just wanted to come and tell you New York feels the same way about you," Bloomberg said, adding that the city enjoyed tourism business from people coming to the city for the show.

Philbin's wife Joy, who often co-hosted with him, appeared, along with the couple's two daughters, who in taped, split screen interviews said "he's going to drive my mother nuts," when asked about Philbin's prospects after the show.

Philbin said he would be busy promoting his new book "How I Got This Way" for at least the next several weeks.

The cast of "Rent" performed, and Disney CEO and president Robert Iger announced a plaque with Philbin's image had been installed outside the show's Manhattan studio.

"Live!" has enjoyed a loyal audience and solid viewership, and earned Philbin two Emmys for outstanding daytime talk show host. He received a lifetime achievement award by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, which gives out the Emmys.

The show began in 1983 when Philbin created "The Morning Show" for WABC in his native New York City. Gifford joined him in 1985, and in 1988 the program won national syndication.

He hosted the game show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" for its 1999 U.S. debut, and is the Guinness World Record holder for most time on camera, with more than 16,500 career hours.

"Live! with Regis and Kelly" is distributed by Disney-ABC Television Group, a division of Walt Disney Co.

(Reporting by Chris Michaud; Editing by Jerry Norton)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tv/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111118/tv_nm/us_regisphilbin

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Russia Soyuz rockets docks at ISS

Russia's Soyuz spacecraft has docked successfully at the International Space Station (ISS).

The rocket, carrying a US astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts, blasted off from Russia's Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday.

It was the first manned launch since an unmanned cargo rocket crashed shortly after launch in August.

The Soyuz is the only means of reaching the ISS after the US ended its shuttle programme earlier this year.

A spokesman for the Russian space agency said the Soyuz had docked with the ISS at 09:24 Moscow time (05:24 GMT).

"Everything went ahead normally," he said.

The crew - American Dan Burbank and Russians Anton Shkaplerov and Anatoly Ivanishin - will shortly open the hatch and join the current crew of the ISS.

American Mike Fossum, Japan's Satoshi Furukawa and Russia's Sergei Volkov are due to return to Earth in December, while the new crew members will stay until March.

The BBC's Daniel Sandford in Moscow says the launch and progress of the Soyuz, designed in the 1960s, was a nervous moment for both Nasa and the Russians, after the failure of the Progress cargo rocket in August.

That crash, which Moscow said was an "isolated" glitch caused by a fuel pipe blockage - led to the human space flight programme being suspended.

But with no other way of reaching the ISS, it was doubly important for the programme to succeed, says our correspondent.

A spokesman for US space agency Nasa said the Russian team had done a "tremendous job getting the launch and the docking ready".

Nasa ended its 30-year shuttle programme in July. The 16 nations investing in the $100bn International Space Station now rely solely on Russia to ferry crews.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-europe-15751529

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Lawyer: Client ready to testify against Sandusky (AP)

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. ? A lawyer said Wednesday that his client will testify that he was sexually abused by former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, and Pennsylvania state lawmakers are starting to plan for a special commission that will examine the legal issues raised by the child sex-abuse scandal.

Harrisburg attorney Ben Andreozzi said he represents a client who will testify against Sandusky, who is accused of abusing eight boys, some on campus, over 15 years.

"I am appalled by the fact that Mr. Sandusky has elected to re-victimize these young men at a time when they should be healing," Andreozzi said, in a statement released by his office. "He fully intends to testify that he was severely sexually assaulted by Mr. Sandusky."

Sandusky's lawyer, Joe Amendola, appeared with him on NBC's "Rock Center" on Monday night and cast doubt on the evidence in the case.

"We anticipate we're going to have at least several of those kids come forward and say, `This never happened. This is me. This is the allegation. It never occurred,'" Amendola said.

Andreozzi said he has his "finger on the pulse" of the case and knows of no accusers changing their stories or refusing to testify.

"To the contrary, others are actually coming forward, and I will have more information for you later this week," Andreozzi said.

Sandusky, 67, appeared on the show by phone and said he had showered with boys but never molested them.

Meanwhile, Pennsylvania legislative leaders said they will set up a bipartisan, bicameral commission to consider changes to state law in the wake of the scandal. The plan was described as being in the planning stage, including meetings of leaders and their aides.

Topics are likely to include mandatory reporting of suspected abuse, and the legal definition of child abuse, said Senate Democratic spokeswoman Lisa Scullin.

Also Wednesday, Penn State campus police and their counterparts in State College said they had no record of Mike McQueary reporting an alleged sexual assault by Jerry Sandusky on a 10-year-old boy in a campus shower.

The details ran counter to McQueary's claims in an email to former teammates and made available to The Associated Press this week.

McQueary, then a graduate assistant for the football team, wrote in the email that he had discussions with police about what he saw. In the email, McQueary did not specify which police department he spoke to.

State College borough police Chief Tom King said McQueary didn't make a report to his department.

Campus police referred questions on the Sandusky case to the university's public information office.

"At this point we have no record of any police report being filed in 2002" by McQueary in connection with the Sandusky case, university spokeswoman Annemarie Mountz said, adding police searched their records Wednesday.

The football building is on university property, so campus police would have been the most likely to respond for a police call.

Mountz also noted the 23-page grand jury report was the state attorney general's summary of testimony, so it's unclear what McQueary's full testimony was.

The news came after a new judge was assigned to handle the child sex abuse charges against Sandusky, whose televised defense earlier this week drew a rebuke from a lawyer for one of his accusers.

The change removed a State College judge with ties to a charity founded by Sandusky for at-risk children, The Second Mile.

Sandusky is due in court on Dec. 7, and the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts announced that a Westmoreland County senior district judge would preside over his preliminary hearing. Robert E. Scott is taking over the hearing from Centre County District Judge Leslie Dutchcot.

Dutchcot has donated money to The Second Mile, where authorities say Sandusky met his victims.

The office said Scott has no known ties to Penn State or The Second Mile.

It remains unclear how many accusers have surfaced more than a week after state police and the attorney general's office said at a news conference they were seeking additional potential victims and witnesses.

State police spokeswoman Maria Finn said investigators have told her that published accounts reporting how many people have come forward are inaccurate and they are not disclosing their internal figures.

Some plaintiffs' lawyers are starting to advertise on their websites for potential Sandusky victims, vowing to get justice. Jeff Anderson, a St. Paul, Minn., attorney, has long represented clergy abuse victims and told The Associated Press that he has been retained by several people he described as Sandusky victims.

"There's a great deal of fury and confusion," particularly because Sandusky is free on bail, Anderson said. "Getting (them) help and cooperating with law enforcement is our first priority."

The "time for reckoning," in the form of civil lawsuits, will come later, Anderson said.

Anderson declined to say whether his clients are among the eight boys who were labeled as victims in the grand jury report.

In State College, Penn State announced a physician and member of its board of trustees who played football and wrestled for the school would serve as acting athletic director. The school named Dr. David M. Joyner, an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine and is a business consultant, as the interim replacement for Tim Curley.

Curley is on leave as athletic director as he defends himself against criminal charges that he failed to properly alert authorities when told of an allegation of a sexual assault by Sandusky against a child and that he lied to a grand jury. He maintains his innocence.

Joyner's position on the board, where he has been a trustee since 2000, is being suspended as he takes on the new duties.

Gov. Tom Corbett again defended the pace of the investigation, which he helped launch and oversaw while serving as attorney general until January.

"Could anybody guarantee he wasn't out there touching children? There are no such guarantees, unless he was sitting in jail," Corbett, a Republican, said in Philadelphia. "But we did what we thought was in the best interests of the investigation in getting a good case put together."

And new details were emerging about how the case ended up in the hands of the state attorney general's office.

Former Centre County District Attorney Michael Madeira said that his wife's brother was Sandusky's adopted son.

"I reviewed it, and I made the decision it needed to be investigated further," Madeira said. "But the apparent conflict of interest created an impediment for me to make those kinds of decisions."

___

Scolforo reported from Harrisburg. Dale and AP writer Kathy Matheson reported from Philadelphia.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111117/ap_on_sp_co_ne/fbc_penn_state_abuse

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Actress Nia Long gives birth to baby boy

FILE - In this June 26, 2011 file photo, actress Nia Long poses backstage at the BET Awards in Los Angeles. Representatives for the actress announced, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011 that Long gave birth to a second son named Kez Sunday Udoka on Nov. 7. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, file)

FILE - In this June 26, 2011 file photo, actress Nia Long poses backstage at the BET Awards in Los Angeles. Representatives for the actress announced, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011 that Long gave birth to a second son named Kez Sunday Udoka on Nov. 7. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, file)

(AP) ? It's another boy for Nia Long.

A representative for the 41-year-old actress says Long gave birth Monday to son Kez Sunday Udoka.

Spokeswoman Priscilla Moralez says "both mother and child are healthy and happy to be home."

Kez is the first child for Long and Ime Udoka. Long has a 10-year-old son, Massai, from a previous relationship.

Long's credits include the films "Soul Food," ''Love Jones" and "Big Momma's House" and TV shows such as "Boston Legal," ''Judging Amy" and "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2011-11-09-People-Nia%20Long/id-966ba66af8184d0983e4003cf006743f

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Appeals court upholds Obama health care law

(AP) ? A conservative-leaning appeals court panel on Tuesday upheld the constitutionality of President Barack Obama's health care law, as the Supreme Court prepares to consider this week whether to resolve conflicting rulings over the law's requirement that all Americans buy health care insurance.

A panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia issued a split opinion upholding the lower court's ruling that found Congress did not overstep its authority in requiring people to have insurance or pay a penalty on their taxes, beginning in 2014. The requirement is the most controversial requirement of Obama's signature domestic legislative achievement and the focus of conflicting opinions from judges across the country. The Supreme Court could decide as early as Thursday during a closed meeting of the justices whether to accept appeals from some of those earlier rulings.

The suit in Washington was brought by the American Center for Law and Justice, a legal group founded by evangelist Pat Robertson. It claimed that the insurance mandate is unconstitutional because it forces Americans to buy a product for the rest of their lives and that it violates the religious freedom of those who choose not to have insurance because they rely on God to protect them from harm. But the court ruled that Congress had the power to pass the requirement to ensure that all Americans can have health care coverage, even if it infringes on individual liberty.

"That a direct requirement for most Americans to purchase any product or service seems an intrusive exercise of legislative power surely explains why Congress has not used this authority before ? but that seems to us a political judgment rather than a recognition of constitutional limitations," Judge Laurence Silberman, an appointee of President Ronald Reagan wrote in the court's opinion. Silberman was joined by Judge Harry Edwards, a Carter appointee. But, they added, "The right to be free from federal regulation is not absolute and yields to the imperative that Congress be free to forge national solutions to national problems."

Judge Brett Kavanaugh, a former aide to President George W. Bush who appointed him to the bench, disagreed with the conclusion without taking a position on the merits of the law. He wrote a lengthy opinion arguing the court doesn't have jurisdiction to review the health care mandate until after it takes effect in 2014.

The federal appeals court in Cincinnati also upheld the law. The federal appeals court in Atlanta struck down the core requirement that Americans buy health insurance or pay a penalty, while upholding the rest of the law.

And like Kavanaugh's dissenting opinion, an appeals court in Richmond, Va., ruled it was premature to decide the law's constitutionality. This aspect of the court challenges issue involves a federal law aimed at preventing lawsuits from tying up tax collection. Kavanaugh and the Richmond court held that taxpayers must begin paying the penalty for not purchasing insurance before they can challenge it in court.

Jay Sekulow, chief counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice, which filed the suit in Washington, said the group is considering whether to ask the full appeals court to hear the case or make a request directly to the Supreme Court. "We still remain confident that Obamacare and the individual mandate, which forces Americans to purchase health insurance, is the wrong prescription for America and ultimately will be struck down as unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court," Sekulow said.

The White House said Tuesday it is confident that the Supreme Court will uphold the law, as the DC circuit did. Obama adviser Stephanie Cutter said in a White House blog post that opponents who say the individual mandate provision exceeded Congress' power to regulate commerce "are simply wrong."

"People who make a decision to forego health insurance do not opt out of the health care market," she wrote. "Their action is not felt by themselves alone. Instead, when they become ill or injured and cannot pay their bills, their costs are shifted to others. Those costs ? $43 billion in 2008 alone ? are borne by doctors, hospitals, insured individuals, taxpayers and small businesses throughout the nation."

The liberal interest group Constitutional Accountability Center said the ruling from a solid conservative like Silberman, as the Supreme Court prepares to take up the issue, is a "devastating blow" to opponents of the law.

"With two prominent conservatives, this panel was thought to be a dream come true for conservative challengers of the act," said the center's president, Doug Kendall. "Today that dream became a nightmare, as the panel unanimously rejected the challenges to the act, disagreeing only about why those challenges failed."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-11-08-Health%20Care%20Overhaul/id-bd807389fa1b403d82fed8959f2a464b

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Bachmann calls on Obama to apologize to Israel (AP)

COLUMBIA, S.C. ? Republican presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann called on President Barack Obama Tuesday to apologize to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for an unflattering exchange caught on an open microphone at a summit in France last week.

In the conversation reporters heard, French President Nicolas Sarkozy says he can't stand Netanyahu and calls him a liar. Obama responds, through a French interpreter: "You are sick of him, but I have to work with him every day."

Bachmann told reporters Obama needs to apologize to America's closest ally in the Middle East.

"I call on President Obama to immediately apologize to Prime Minister Netanyahu and I also believe that the president should demonstrate leadership and demand that the French President Sarkozy do the same," Bachmann said.

White House spokesman Jay Carney had no comment on the conversation.

Bachmann said that Obama is putting too much space between the U.S. and Israel. "And now president Obama has put Israel further at risk by allowing Iran the time Iran needed to get closer to obtaining nuclear weapons," Bachman said. She cited a report Tuesday from the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency that says Iran is secretly acquiring know-how and gear needed to create nuclear weapons and preparing for tests.

She's sharply critical of Obama and U.S. plans to exit Iraq noting in particular the influence Iran will gain. "We'll have fewer troops in Iraq than we have in Honduras ? and that is despite spending 4,400 American lives and $805 billion," Bachmann said.

"The president's made some tragic errors in his foreign policy," Bachmann said.

Bachmann plans to make a foreign policy speech on Thursday in Charleston ahead of debate in Spartanburg on Saturday that will emphasize that topic.

The Minnesota congresswoman is trying to re-ignite her campaign in early-voting South Carolina and regain the tea party supporters she lost to Herman Cain and a Mitt Romney. Earlier Tuesday she again took issue with a tax break for the nation's low-income workers she now wants eliminated, saying former President Ronald Reagan made a mistake when he pushed for Congress to pass the law.

She's competing against a raft of tax proposals: Romney's proposal not to tax dividends, interest or capital gains for people with adjusted gross income below $200,000; Cain's catchy 9-9-9 plan and Rick Perry's 20 percent tax on post card idea.

Bachmann told reporters that every person needs to pay and sacrifice to get the country on back on its feet. "People who make more should be paying more and I believe that people who are at the upper end of the income stream need to be paying more," Bachmann said, adding that the highest income people already do that.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111108/ap_on_el_pr/us_bachmann_israel

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Suddenly soaring Jets can take control of AFC East

Santonio Holmes

By DENNIS WASZAK Jr.

updated 7:50 p.m. ET Nov. 7, 2011

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Rex Ryan sensed the turning point of the season at perhaps the New York Jets' darkest moment.

Nearly a month ago, the Jets came off the field at New England following their third straight loss and things appeared on the brink of spinning out of control. Ryan thought otherwise, insisting he saw some signs of encouragement in a 30-21 defeat.

It sounded like classic coach-speak at the time, but he might have actually been onto something. After all, the Jets haven't lost since.

"We definitely have been getting better these last three weeks," Ryan said, adding that this is the best Jets team so far this season. "But we're going to see how much we've improved."

The Jets (5-3) have turned things around with three straight wins, the latest a 27-11 victory at Buffalo on Sunday. Now they face their biggest test: a home game against the Patriots (5-3) with first place in the AFC East on the line. Win this one, and the suddenly soaring Jets will be right near the top of the short list of the conference's top teams.

Just as good ol' Rex said they would.

"We've known all along that it's going to come down to November and December," safety Jim Leonhard said. "We had our rough patch early this year, but we came out of it and now everything's in front of us. We know we need to play well."

As he did before the season opener against New England two years ago, Ryan is calling on the fans at MetLife Stadium to make their presence felt.

"The fans are coming off a bye week and they had a road game, so our fans are rested," Ryan said. "We're ready for a huge performance, and we need you."

It's a bit of role reversal for the Patriots, who will come to New York looking to prevent their first three-game losing streak since the 2002 season when they lost four in a row and finished 9-7 and missed the playoffs.

"Their backs are against the wall, just like we were a couple of weeks ago," Leonhard said. "They'll come out swinging. There's no doubt about it."

The Jets were landing back home in New Jersey just as Eli Manning threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Jake Ballard with 15 seconds left to give the Giants a 24-20 win over the Patriots on Sunday.

Many of the Jets players were checking their cell phones for the score, while general manager Mike Tannenbaum was trying to get someone to put on the live feed of the game on their iPad for everyone to hear.

"It shows the kind of team the Giants have," Ryan said. "That's an excellent football team because you don't beat New England unless you're a heck of a football team. Especially there. ... They've got a lot of heart, three offensive starters out and found ways to win. They won that game for themselves, without question. But I will say this: If we can, I'd like to pay them back. That certainly helped us as well."

It created a three-way logjam at the top of the AFC East between the Jets, Patriots and Bills ? and put New York in control of its destiny.

"This is the tops," Ryan said. "If you want to win your division, you've got to beat these guys."

So much for those gloom-and-doom prognostications just a few weeks ago.

"I don't know who would've counted us out," Ryan said, taking a veiled swipe at the media. "But we certainly didn't count ourselves out. We knew that our team could improve."

Added linebacker Aaron Maybin: "You leave it up to the media, and they'll say that you're written off at a few points during the season."

The victory over the Bills showed that Ryan's big, bad defense is back, and the Jets' offense is suddenly rolling, too. There were a few mistakes early, especially in the first half Sunday with the offense, but the second half was a dominant performance.

Those who thought the Bills were about to take charge in the AFC East were silenced by the Jets and their defense, in particular.

"Today was the first time I saw the New York Jets defense look like what I thought the New York Jets defense was going to look like all season long," Cris Collinsworth said on NBC's "Football Night in America."

New York held Buffalo's solid offense to 287 net yards, and kept Fred Jackson from making any game-changing plays. The Bills also went 3 for 11 on third downs, and turned the ball over three times.

"We were flying around, guys were making a lot of big plays, getting after the quarterback, getting interceptions," Leonhard said. "It was a complete game and we played really well. We have to translate that to this week."

The offense got the job done, too, after some early hiccups. Ryan's "Ground-and-Pound" approach was again in full force as Shonn Greene ran for 76 of New York's 126 yards on the ground. The Jets had 24 first downs and were an efficient 6 for 11 on third downs.

"We got our confidence back," Leonhard said. "I think we've gotten back to what's worked: Run the football and be physical on defense. If we do those two things and someone beats us, you kind of tip your cap to them and move on. We lost games out of character. We let teams do things that we normally don't let them do. We feel we got back to playing the brand of football that we're used to and wins for us."

The Jets have just a few days to prepare for their next game after they play the Patriots with a Thursday night game at Denver. They'll worry about that, though, after their showdown with New England.

"Both teams are going to be humming for this one, no question," Ryan said. "You can sugarcoat it all you want, but they know they need it and we know we need it. Both teams are going to be hungry."

Notes: Ryan said both Greene and TE Dustin Keller, who left with head injuries ? Keller returned after clearing balance testing and an exercise stress test ? should both be fine to play Sunday. ... DE Mike DeVito, sidelined the past two games with a knee injury, is expected to return against the Patriots. "We'll need him," Ryan said. "We have to have him."

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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