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<START> Standardised food labels won't end 'calorie confusion' The scheme, however, will be voluntary. Because in order to be compulsory, it would need to be agreed on a European level, but some countries have declined to take part. I'm sure they have their (justified) reasons. The UK already provides more front-of-the-pack nutritional information than any other country in Europe. The UK's women, men and young children are the most obese in Europe. You can see where this is going... In 2009, the FSA launched a trial, asking all cafés and restaurants to publish the calorie contents of all their dishes alongside them on the menu. Plans to extend that trial were scrapped but many establishments continue to offer this nutritional information. Have obesity rates decreased as a result? No, they've continued to rise. The Government say that they are introducing these new labels in a bid to end consumer confusion over what really is in what they are eating. They want people to see clearly labelled products and make healthy decisions based on colours and numbers. Something is missing, and that is simply having a common sense approach to, and a healthy attitude towards our choices when it come to what we decide to have for breakfast, lunch or tea (sorry, northern). The thing is, these labels, in the main, are going to be noticed by those of us who are making an effort to be healthy and ignored by those who don't care because they choose taste over health, or don't have reason to care because they are able to make educated decisions on what makes up a balanced diet. The people most concerned with spending hours ogling over the numbers and traffic lights quite likely wouldn't be able to tell you what a calorie even is, but will still make decisions on them. If the calories are low, they're 'boring' but 'good' and if the calories are high, they're 'naughty' and make you feel guilty. The 'good' ones are those likely to be the first to go for the biscuits, chocolate or cake in the afternoon. If you've worked in an office, you'll know what I mean. Thankfully, many of us - the lucky ones, if you ask me - are unaware of the exact number of calories in a BLT, a hummus wrap or a double mega whopper burger, but it is a fact that the majority of people tend to underestimate the amount of calories and fat that they consume when the nutritional information isn't printed on the packet. Some would argue that it is this ignorance that is partly to blame for our nation's obesity problem, and perhaps it does go some way towards an explanation, but it is undeniable that we all have the common sense to know that eating burgers and fries everyday is not exactly conducive to a healthy, balanced diet. I would argue that having numbers plastered over everything we eat is not the answer to our problems and only creates an unhealthy attitude towards what we choose to put in our mouths. This language, this bizarre belief system that we have developed, that high calorie or fatty foods are automatically "bad" and "naughty" has encouraged the UK to become a nation of calorie-counting idiots whose decisions around food are unfortunately laden with feelings of guilt for occasionally 'giving in to temptation' and choosing forbidden items. I cannot stress enough how strongly I feel against this kind of categorisation, and this is not even solely a rebellious response to my almost 20-year obsession with calorie counting and all the rubbish that went along with that. It's because I'm angry and frustrated that our Government thinks that we should all be slaves to numbers. If they want us to be healthy, we need to be taught a healthy approach to eating. I hate to see office workers in the Boot's meal deal queue, deliberating for a good five or 10 minutes over which sandwich or salad they should pick up; no longer led by what they actually would like to eat, but instead staring at the packets, comparing, going back and forth debating over whether they should go for something tasty for a couple of hundred extra calories, then going back to the plainest possible thing on offer. I honestly think that labelling all our food puts a negative spin on the whole food/weight/obesity issue and I hate that a few numbers should dictate the way we feel about what we eat. It's OK to eat 'naughty' food, it's OK to treat ourselves and it's a really messed up world if eating a slice of carrot cake can ruin our day. We know that constantly stuffing ourselves with pasties or burgers or crisps or chocolate isn't brilliant for our waistlines, but surely we know now, as we are told constantly, that all we need is a balanced diet (that includes fats, carbohydrates just as it does protein and vitamins). It should be simple, and it can be. We don't need to get bogged down with numbers and we really, really need to quit this obsession with "good" and "bad" food choices, because all it does is make people feel good or bad, boring or naughty - no matter what weight or size or shape they are. Divert away from this horrible obsession we've got ourselves caught up in and we would, I think, be much better placed to make simple, healthy decisions, no baggage. With a little common sense, we should all be capable of eating a wide variety of foods of all kinds and be able to bloody well enjoy it. Perhaps rather than trying to get the rest of Europe to join in with our 'health' schemes, we should learn a thing or two from those who don't have such a huge obesity problem.

Tide to change Pods lid over child safety concerns (Reuters) - After at least one child was hospitalized for swallowing its prettily packaged detergent, Procter & Gamble Co said on Friday it will make Tide Pods more difficult to open. A double latch will be put on the lid of Tide Pods tubs and should be in markets in the next couple of weeks, P&G spokesman Paul Fox said on Friday. The American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) issued a warning last week that people should keep highly concentrated, single-dose packs of detergent high up and out of the reach of children. According to the AAPCC, some young children who swallowed the small packets required hospitalization, while others got the detergent in their eyes. "Laundry packs, like any cleaning product, must be kept out of the reach of children," P&G's Fox said. The AAPCC said that poison control centers have been receiving more calls about children exposed to single-dose laundry detergent packets. As of Thursday night, 317 cases have been reported to U.S. poison centers, AAPCC spokeswoman Loreeta Canton said. That is just a small fraction of total number of calls poison centers receive. In 2009, for example, U.S. poison centers took more than 4.2 million calls, or one every eight seconds. In one example, it said that a 15-month-old, who bit into a pack and swallowed a mouthful, vomited profusely, was brought to a hospital and put on a ventilator for airway protection. P&G is aware of one incident involving Tide Pods in which a child needed medical treatment, Fox said. Large packages of Tide Pods are clear containers, reminiscent of fish bowls, with orange lids. Tide Pods also come in resealable bags, which P&G will review as well. The back of the Tide Pods packaging states, in all capital letters, "Keep out of reach of children. Do not ingest. May irritate eyes," in English, French and Spanish. Tide Pods, a single-dose blue, orange and white capsule, is the best-selling, single-dose laundry detergent in the United States. The product, introduced this year, has about a 60 percent share of the new and growing unit-dose detergent category. Other single-dose detergent brands include all mighty pacs, from Sun Products Corp, Arm & Hammer Power Paks from Church & Dwight Co Inc, and Purex UltraPacks from Henkel AG & Co. Henkel spokeswoman Cindy Demers said the company learned of a few incidents of misuse of its product, which also carries a warning label urging people to keep the detergent out of reach of small children. "This is a new form of laundry product, and we will continue to join other manufacturers to safeguard and educate consumers on the correct storage and use of these products in the home," she said. P&G's decision to change the packaging of Tide Pods comes after the product's debut was delayed, first because demand from retailers was so strong, and then because the company could not ramp up production at a plant quickly enough to meet demand. P&G Chairman and Chief Executive Bob McDonald said earlier this year that Tide Pods would be the company's biggest innovation of 2012. It took P&G eight years of research, with 75 technical staff working on the project full-time, to come up with Tide Pods. More than 6,000 consumers were involved in testing what the company has called Tide's biggest innovation since Liquid Tide's 1984 launch. Single-dose laundry detergent has been sold in Europe for years. Single-dose dishwasher detergents have also been sold in many markets, including the United States, for years. Reporting by Jessica Wohl in Chicago, additional reporting by Dhanya Skariachan in New York; Editing by Leslie Gevirtz, Matthew Lewis and Tim Dobbyn

Making Children Hanker to Eat Broccoli and Carrots THERE are plenty of commercials for healthy food, but the odds of a child viewing them are about as good as a cartoon villain defeating a superhero. More than 90 percent of food products advertised on Saturday morning television programs, for example, exceed recommended dietary guidelines for sugar, fat or salt, according to a report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Now Birds Eye, the frozen vegetable brand, is taking the unusual step of marketing directly to children through a promotional partnership with "iCarly," the popular show on Nickelodeon. The brand is starting a recipe contest, "iCarly iCook with Birds Eye," for children to develop offbeat vegetable recipes. In an online-only video that will be introduced on the Nickelodeon Web site on Monday, Jennette McCurdy, who stars on the show, encourages viewers to "create your own wacky veggie dish" for the contest. Also beginning Monday, commercials on Nickelodeon will demonstrate the sort of offbeat dishes they seek, including the "veggie sundae," a scoop each of carrots, cauliflower and broccoli in a banana split dish, each scoop topped with a cherry. Viewers will submit recipes, hoping they'll be featured on an "iCarly" episode. The effort, which also includes print, in-store and digital advertising, will be promoted through the Facebook and Twitter accounts of both iCarly and Nickelodeon. The campaign, which is the first advertising on Nickelodeon by Birds Eye, is being produced internally by Nickelodeon and by Weber Shandwick, Chicago, part of the Interpublic Group of Companies. It will cost an estimated $3 million. Birds Eye, part of the Pinnacle Foods Group, spent $17.7 million on advertising in 2011, according to Kantar Media, a unit of WPP. Fans of "iCarly" have already demonstrated an appetite for odd food combinations. In 2007, in what the show's creator, Dan Schneider, has said was just an offhand joke, the lead character's brother, Spencer, served the unlikely combination of hard taco shells filled with spaghetti in red sauce. As parents began fielding requests for spaghetti tacos, recipes popped up on numerous cooking sites and mom blogs - and the dish became a running joke on the show. Rodrigo Troni, senior vice president of marketing at Pinnacle, said, "If we can make something like that so viral, how about making something viral that was actually healthy, with Birds Eye vegetables becoming a side dish to spaghetti tacos?" Instead of adults wagging a finger at them to eat their broccoli, Mr. Troni said, the contest would aim to inspire children, who may like whimsical combinations that are lost on parents. "For kids, it has to be fun on their terms, not fun as defined by parents," he said. The campaign promotes the Birds Eye Steamfresh line, which is cut into bite-size pieces and aimed at children aged 6 to 11, whose eating habits are more tractable than those of teenagers, said Mr. Troni. "A stove and knives are always an issue with kids, but Steamfresh is already cut and can be put in a microwave for five minutes and it's ready," said Mr. Troni. The company advises parents to to assist with removing and pouring the vegetables, but to let children push microwave buttons. A 2006 study by the Center for Science in the Public Interest found that 88 percent of food ads on Nickelodeon promoted unhealthy food. In 2007 Nickelodeon announced it would license its characters only for healthier foods. Currently Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants are both featured on packages of frozen edamame made by Seapoint Farms, for example. Birds Eye announced in May that through an agreement with Partnership for a Healthier America, the effort championed by Michelle Obama to fight childhood obesity, it would spend at least $2 million annually in 2012, 2013 and 2014 on marketing and advertising that encourages children to eat vegetables. This comes as nutrition remains a persistent issue, with more than a third of American children considered either overweight or obese. Missy Chase Lapine, author of "The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids" Favorite Meals," reviewed the Birds Eye campaign and was impressed. "So many companies out there are using their marketing power to push junk food, and if Birds Eye is using their marketing power for the good of children and good health, then I applaud them," she said, Ms. Lapine tends to use puréed vegetables that are undetectable to develop healthier recipes for comfort food like brownies, but she said she was a strong advocate for children developing a taste for produce in a recognizable form, too. The fact that vegetables are elevated and celebrated in their own right rather than sneaked into recipes was the most impressive part of the campaign to Sara Arnell, chief executive of the Arnell Group, part of the Omnicom Group. "What I really, really like about this approach is that it isn't about hiding the vegetables," Ms. Arnell said. Birds Eye is a real leader to do this, and I think other brands, if they're smart, will probably follow along.

Staten Island Sandy victims: We're being ignored (CBS News) Nearly half of New York City's deaths from superstorm Sandy happened in Staten Island. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is going there Friday. People there say they're suffering -- and not getting enough help. Some residents have been calling the area "the forgotten borough." Across storm-ravaged Staten Island, frustrations are mounting. One resident there told CBS station WCBS, "We're gonna die! We're gonna freeze! We've got 90-year-old people! Residents are outraged, claiming their community has been ignored in the days following Sandy while aid pours into other parts of New York and New Jersey. Natvel Pritchard, of Staten Island, said, "Though people don't talk about Staten Island much, people are here, a lot of people are hurting, so it's upsetting." Power is out, hundreds of homes have been destroyed, and dozens of streets are impassable. Still, the city is planning to go ahead with its annual marathon, which kicks off on Staten Island's Verrazano-Narrows Bridge on Sunday. Resident Nicole Malliotakis said, "We are far from fine and the fact that the mayor wants to have a marathon this weekend when we have people who lost either their lives or lost their entire house. I mean, it's unbelievable to me. The area of new York - home to 500,000 - suffered some of the worst destruction. At least 19 of the 41 people who died in New York City lived on Staten Island. More heartbreak came Thursday when searchers discovered the bodies of two little boys. Monday night while driving through the storm, Glenda Moore's SUV got stuck in the flood waters. Moore rescued her boys, 2-year-old Brandon and 4-year-old Connor. But authorities say when Moore knocked nearby doors for help, she couldn't find any. Fire Department of New York Borough Cmmdr. Mike Marrone said, "The way she described as the waters were flowing, (they) basically just ripped the kids out of her arm. She was holding them by the hand. The storm's power and might caught many by surprise. Grace Casio, a storm victim on Staten Island, said, "I have never witnessed what I saw Monday. Never witnessed. Never. This was the worst. Aid is beginning to arrive. Dozens of people lined up for free dry ice Thursday and the Red Cross started handing out ready-to-eat meals. But some say that's not enough. "It's great that it's something, but I honestly expected maybe like a blanket," a resident said. How long is this going to last? I mean, it's just a joke. Marrone said his workers are doing everything they can. City officials insist more help is on the way. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has said there will be more bottled water and ready-to-eat meals coming to Staten Island. Whether that will be enough for people, or whether they'll think they're doing enough is still a question. For Anna Werner's full report, watch the video in the player above.

Tree frog found in supermarket asparagus in Portsmouth

Former French Open Champ Kuerten Elected to Hall NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) - Three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten was elected Thursday to the International Tennis Hall of Fame. The lanky Brazilian nicknamed "Guga" reached No. 1 in the ATP rankings and collected singles titles at Roland Garros in 1997, 2000 and 2001. He showed up at the 1997 French Open unheralded, unknown and 66th in the rankings, but wound up being the second-lowest-ranked man to win a Grand Slam championship. "I have to confess, in my first years playing tennis, I didn't even know that the Hall of Fame existed," Kuerten said Thursday at a news conference in Brazil. It was something I really didn't expect to happen. Now I know how important it is to be there. Kuerten, who couldn't hold back the tears when he watched a video of his retirement in 2008, is working to bring the ATP World Tour Finals to Brazil beginning in 2014. "Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo already showed interest in organizing the event," Kuerten said. I think the timing is right and there are indications that there is a real chance to bring the tournament to Brazil. I'm going to Miami to talk to the new ATP president (Brad Drewett) to know more about this possibility, but we already have partners willing to help. He also wants to play an exhibition match against Roger Federer at the end of the year in Brazil. "We need some time to have the details sorted out, and some time for me to start practicing," Kuerten said. Kuerten was awarded the ATP World Tour's Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award in 2003. Other new Hall of Fame members include 1975 U.S. Open champion Manuel Orantes, administrator and promoter Mike Davies, and the late wheelchair player Randy Snow. The 2012 class will be inducted on July 14.

Aspirin therapy: Study raises safety issues Many people take an aspirin a day to prevent heart attacks and strokes. But a major, new study published in the Jan. 9 online edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine says that might not be the right therapy for everyone, and might do more harm than good for some people. The research found that aspirin can cut heart attacks by 10 percent, but raise the risk of internal bleeding by 30 percent. Dr. Jon LaPook discussed the risks versus the benefits of aspirin therapy, and also explained who should be taking it and who doesn't really need it on "CBS This Morning." He also discussed a second study published Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine that says statins -- cholesterol-lowering drugs that are one of the most widely prescribed drugs -- have a side effect that may increase some people's chances of developing Type 2 diabetes. For more on these studies and what you need to know about them, check out the video in the player above.

Wimbledon 2012: Andy Murray could earn £100m if he wins in final Philip Beresford, editor of the Rich List, said: "The £100m won't happen straight away but he would get up to £50m very quickly. Federer is worth £196m, so if Murray carries on winning he could easily end up north of £100m [over his career]. It came as Sir Richard Branson, Chairman of Virgin Group, revealed that his health clubs turned down the chance to support Andy Murray. Branson posted the story on his blog and referred to Murray as 'the one that got away.' Murray, and his mother Judy Murray, approached Virgin Active to ask for sponsorship nine years ago but the chain of health clubs did not want to back the Scot. He wrote: "The one that got away! A 16-year-old tennis player and his mum came to see me in Oxford a few years ago to ask if Virgin Active would sponsor him. Peter Norris, Virgin Group Chairman, had seen the youngster play and was convinced he'd one day win Wimbledon. We had a wonderful lunch but couldn't get enough support from our health clubs. The tennis player was Andy Murray.

Woman pleads with thieves to return urn with baby's ashes Published November 16, 2012 ANTIOCH, Calif. - A Northern California woman whose home was robbed is pleading with the thieves to return just one item: a silver urn that contains her baby's ashes. The Contra Costa Times reports Michiko Koyoi's Antioch home was ransacked Wednesday. Police are investigating the robbery. Among the missing items is a heart-shaped urn with the ashes of her infant son, who died during birth in January. The boy's name and date of death are inscribed in the urn. The 35-year-old Koyoi, who has three other children, is urging the robbers to return the urn, saying they can keep everything else. The baby was diagnosed with Down syndrome and spine problems while in utero. Doctors told Koyoi to end the pregnancy, but she doesn't believe in abortion and carried him for 7 1/2 months.

AS-level results 'should be used to dictate university entry' It also raised the possibility of axing AS-levels - qualifications sat during the first 12 months of the sixth-form. Results in these courses are combined with second year A2 scores to create the final A-level grade. The results of the consultation will be published in coming weeks. But Dr Bell, admissions tutor at Gonville and Caius College, said: "We strongly support the retention of AS for reasons of choice and flexibility. It allows students to transition effectively from GCSE to A-level, to sample subjects at a higher level before making A2 choices. That can give some students a real boost in their confidence to apply to more selective universities than otherwise they would. Connected with that, it allows students to make better informed and more targeted UCAS choices, and it may even reduce unrealistic applications. Currently, most universities process students" applications based on predicted grades from teachers and not AS-levels. This includes Oxford. But addressing the Westminster Education Forum in London, Dr Bell said that Cambridge relied on "uniform mark scheme" data from AS-levels to help when making offers to applicants. "We've found that UMS data, collected at the AS stage, is a far, far better predictor of success among the students that arrive at our university than GCSE or many of the free-standing admissions tests that we've used in the past," he said. That way we are much less reliant on predictions made by referees than most other institutions and in fact we would recommend that UMS data be routinely supplied to all higher education institutions each year so that they can make decisions based on a degree of up-to-date and very granular data. UMS data is a way of standardising marks and gives a percentage or mark alongside a grade. Cambridge uses a student's average UMS mark across three subjects. In the last admissions round, the average Cambridge applicant scored 90 per cent over three subjects, and the average successful candidate scored nearly 95 per cent.

NHL: Columbus 7, New York Islanders 3 COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 7 (UPI) -- James Wisniewski and Cam Atkinson scored power-play goals 43 seconds apart Saturday, highlighting a 7-3 Columbus win over the New York Islanders. The Blue Jackets took out a year's worth of frustrations against the Islanders, producing a season-high goal total in the final contest of the campaign. Columbus lost its first eight games this season and was never a factor in the race for the playoffs. The Blue Jackets won five of their last seven, but still finished with the fewest number of victories (29) in the NHL. Columbus had only a 3-2 lead when Wisniewski and Atkinson scored during the closing 2 minutes of the second period. Atkinson's goal was his second of the game. Steve Mason earned the win with 34 saves. Al Montoya allowed all seven goals on 37 shots. The Islanders finished the season with the fewest goals in the Eastern Conference and they missed the playoffs for the fifth straight season. The one and only post-season appearance for Columbus, which joined the NHL in 2000, came three years ago.

Masked men attack OAP in her home in Wishaw

fault divorce, says judge Sir Nicholas Wall

Complaints about banks up 59%, says FSA

Buffett Rule would barely dent debt but fits nicely into Obama's theme By Candy Crowley, CNN Chief Political Correspondent April 16, 2012 -- Updated 1157 GMT (1957 HKT) The rule takes its name from investor Warren Buffett, who has called for high taxes on himself and other rich Americans. Buffett Rule would put minimum 30% tax on incomes of more than $1 million Measure not expected to pass Senate, let alone GOP-controlled House Critics say President Obama pushing it only to score political points Sixty percent of adults favor Buffett rule, according to Gallup poll Washington (CNN) -- Spoiler alert: The Senate on Monday will not get the 60 votes needed to move ahead with the so-called Buffett Rule, which makes critics think the White House spent a week pushing it just to make a political point. Shocking, we know. It's also the kind of icky suggestion serious treasury secretaries don't like to talk about. I don't know -- I've heard that concern, but I don't understand it. I mean, just because they oppose this doesn't mean it's not the right thing to do," Timothy Geithner said on CBS' "Face the Nation." A minimum 30% tax on million-dollar incomes won't do much to eat away at the nation's debt, it won't create jobs, and no one expects it to get through the Democratic-controlled Senate, much less the Republican-majority House. Republicans say the Buffet Rule is a giant political smokescreen. This is Obama's strategy: 'Look over here at this shiny object here. Don't look at the big picture, an economy on the brink that I didn't do a thing about and made things worse.' That's what this is about," Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus told me on "State of the Union." Whatever it is or isn't, the Buffett Rule is definitely killer politics. In the latest Gallup poll, 60% of adults favor it and 37% oppose it, which is to say the Buffett Rule is made to order for President Barack Obama's election year fairness theme. "What really irks a lot of Americans is the idea that people who are extremely well-off are able to use tax planning, tax accounting, parking money, arranging all their income to be at preferential rates, so that the most well-off people in our society can actually end up paying less than a lot of middle-income families, who are struggling to make ends meet," Gene Sperling, the director of the president's National Economic Council, said on CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS." Expect the Buffett Rule in the Senate to go down with a lot of observations about Republicans favoring the rich. In something like mirror-image legislation, days after the Senate rejects the Buffett tax hike on millionaires, the House is expected to move on a proposed 20% tax cut for small businesses. The measure will pass the Republican-controlled House with lots of observations about Democrats who would rather grow government than small businesses. The bill has no chance of passing the Senate, leading critics to suggest Republicans are trying to score a political point.

Boot car from the garage and reclaim valuable living space By Ann Cameron Siegal Friday, February 11, 2011; 1:04 PM When was the last time your car saw the inside of your garage, anyway? If it's packed with old paint cans, tools and toys, a thorough purge could free up enough space for your wheels. Or you could take the next step - and permanently kick the car to the curb, reclaiming that square footage for living space. Converting the garage can cost a fraction of building an addition to your home because the basics - walls, foundation, floor and roof - are already there. But you need to give careful thought to how the conversion will affect the appearance of your home - and its resale value - before you proceed. There is no consensus among real estate professionals and homeowners on that score. "It's the kiss of death [on sales] in Fairfax County not to have a garage," said Mary Wharton, a real estate agent with Long & Foster. Out-of-towners, especially those from the Northeast, really want a garage. Then again, sometimes it's the non-car potential of the garage that attracts home buyers. A detached, partially converted brick garage "was the deciding factor for us," said Heidi Christensen. She and her husband, Gene Kendall Jr., purchased a 1926 house in Alexandria in November. Hilary Lavine, an agent with Weichert Realtors, said, "When I've taken clients to homes where garage space was converted to living space, comments are usually regarding the possibility of adding a garage, or converting the new living space back to garage use. But, when the converted space results in a spectacular kitchen, or a bright and airy multipurpose room, I've seen clients react quite positively to an otherwise nondistinctive property. Sue Bowers, with Suburban Appraisers and Consultants in Oakton, said, "It works out as a wash, value-wise." But, she said, "marketing time would be shorter having a garage." Jim Garner of the Lumpdog home-renovation company in Alexandria said: "Consider what shape the structure is in." Added value can be found through garage conversions, said Stephen Melman, director of economics and housing policy at the National Association of Home Builders. That's especially true, he said, "in choice, older urban neighborhoods where living space is at a premium and public transportation an option." But Chris Call, chief executive of AREAS Appraisers in Springfield, notes the high value attached to parking in some neighborhoods. "In D.C. and Old Town Alexandria, parking is at such a premium that it would not make much sense to convert a garage to a living area," Call said. "My recommendation would be to do so only if they planned on staying in the property for a long time," he said. Even then, it would make sense to do it in such a way that conversion back to a garage could be easily accomplished. Jill Landsman, vice president of communications for the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors, said, "There's an impact depending on which neighborhood [the house] is in. There's a lot of personal preference involved. Emerson Cale, president of the Greenbriar Civic Association in Chantilly, did a quick survey of about half of the 1,900 single-family homes in his community and found 70 garage conversions. "Greenbriar homes don't have basements, so converting garages to family rooms is popular there," said Wharton, the real estate agent. Minding the details Garage conversions don't have to be all-or-nothing propositions. If you have more than one parking bay, walling off one section for other uses still leaves space for a car or two. But, as with any home remodeling, it's critical that you comply with local building codes. Not only is it a safety requirement, but when it's time to sell, home buyers will demand proof that the work is up to code. More permanent conversions can cost anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending upon work required and whether you're contracting the work out or doing it yourself. Brian Foley, chief structural engineer for Fairfax County's Plan Review and Permits Division, said that if homeowners wanted to convert only part of the garage to living space, they would still have to adhere to code provisions affecting garages. "The wall between the garage and living space has to be fire rated," he said. Rules are especially strict for spaces used as bedrooms, requiring specific size and placement of doors or windows. Building a room above the garage can carry unexpected costs. You'll need to make sure the foundation, walls and ceiling of the garage can support the added weight. "The current structural framing of pre-engineered trusses is not designed as a floor joist system; it's only designed to carry the roof load," said Greg Marks, operations manager of MW Construction Services in Alexandria. Real-life examples Fred Parker, founder of Hard Times Cafe, added six feet to the front of the garage attached to his 1936 Spanish colonial in Alexandria before building up 11/2 stories, creating a master suite with a loft bathroom. "We didn't want it to look like a box on top of a box," he said, so great care was taken to ensure that the terra-cotta-colored stucco finish blended seamlessly with the rest of the house. Gerald Vermillion, a painting and remodeling contractor, kept resale in mind when creating a combination living area/bedroom for his mother six years ago. Vermillion left the original garage door in place on his 1970 contemporary rambler in the Bonnie Brae section of Fairfax and then built a parallel non-load-bearing wall six feet inside. For now, that 6-by-14-foot space across the garage's front serves as an easily accessible storage area, while his mother enjoys a 14-by-20-foot private retreat behind it, next to the family room. Should future buyers wish to restore the garage, Vermillion only has to remove one wall and the raised, insulated flooring. "It's wise in this economy to use what you have and make it work," Vermillion said. Unless there is real proof of losing value, do what you want to do. Compared to building new, this is easy. In Alexandria, Lumpdog's Garner recently partially renovated an 18-foot deep, detached 1920s garage that hadn't housed a car for decades. He enhanced its solid bones by adding French doors and upgrading windows. While strengthening the ceiling, he included attic storage with pull-down stairs. The new owners, Dave and Amanda Spungin, completed the renovation, creating a guest bedroom by adding insulation, finishing off the walls and installing a through-the-wall heat pump and air-conditioning unit. "The hard part was leveling the floor," said Dave Spungin. The converted 10-by-18-foot detached garage that attracted Christensen and Kendall to their house had been used by the previous owners as a workout area. Christensen, an artist, just did some spruce-up painting to establish her studio. Backing to wooded property, the space provides a tranquil setting for her creativity, punctuated by the occasional crowing of a neighbor's rooster. Because she works by natural light, Christensen is delaying further improvements. "I want to go through a couple of seasons before making major changes," she said. A portable electric heater and a fan will see her through temperature fluctuations until she decides what is really necessary for comfort. Whither the driveway? A telltale driveway dead-ending at the wall of the house is sometimes the only clue that the reclaimed space once served as a garage. Unless you are keeping the garage doors intact, consider how the driveway will look in relation to the redesigned space. You might choose to soften the transition by landscaping a few feet in front of the remodeled exterior. On the Spungins' property, one-third of the driveway became a brick patio between the remodeled garage and a new privacy fence. The remaining driveway easily accommodates two cars. Garage conversions are often fluid, changing functions as a family changes. With three children younger than 6, the Spungins find that the idea of reconfiguring their detached guest room to include a quiet home office is becoming more appealing. "That's the next project" Dave Spungin said. When Julie and Stuart Gathman purchased their rambler in Chantilly's Greenbriar neighborhood more than two decades ago, the garage had already been converted to a family room. It has seen multiple transformations since then. "With four kids, it was great to have the extra space to live in," said Julie Gathman, "but difficult to not have the storage space garages offer." Now they use the former garage space to accommodate two college students living at home - and the family's cars remain parked outside. "By a slim margin, it's been better to have the living space," she said.

RUGBY: Jones senses real cause for Scots optimism By DAVID FERGUSON Published on Tuesday 28 February 2012 04:06 TRY-SCORER adamant competitive display against France shows national team is progressing Lee Jones is not the biggest winger in the RBS Six Nations Championship but after scoring his first Test try on Sunday the Borderer is a good advert for the old saying "mighty oaks from little acorns grow." The 5ft 10in 23-year-old has taken his place on the international stage with terrific aplomb and he believes the tries he and fellow newcomer Stuart Hogg scored against France on Sunday are merely the start of something much bigger. He was unhappy at letting his opposite number, 6ft 4in Julien Malzieu, escape his clutches and release Maxime Medard for what proved to be the match-winning try, but it failed to dent his belief that Scotland are on the way back from a debilitating try drought. "We have started to score tries and that's a big thing," he said, reflecting on only his third Test match. It's massive in fact looking forward to the games against Ireland and Italy. After the first two games of the Six Nations the issue was how we were going to score tries. That's all everyone was asking. In the game against Wales we scored one but we should have been awarded two and against France we did get two, so it proves we can do it in international Test rugby. We've shown we can compete against the side which contested the World Cup final so we're in a good place going to Dublin. We know how difficult it will be but we're looking forward to the game. We watched the Ireland game against Italy and they did well when they got into the Italian 22; they managed to put some points on the board. If we can score tries against France then there's no doubt we can score tries against Ireland. No matter how much Andy Robinson and his coaching staff have wanted to play down the lack of tries, for fear of it becoming a suffocating great elephant in the room, there had been no escaping it after Scotland's World Cup crashed on the rocks of two try-less games and the Six Nations started in the same fashion. The statistics over the history of the Six Nations have shown a steady decline in tries, for all nations, but significantly with Scotland. Under Ian McGeechan the best total was nine in his first year back in charge, in 2000; Matt Williams" best tally was seven in his second and last year while Frank Hadden's best was seven in 2007. Robinson's teams claimed just three in 2010, doubled it last year - which bettered three Hadden years - but currently have three after three games in 2012. Scotland's struggles to score are not new and there is not much between McGeechan (1.5), Williams (1.1), Hadden (1) and Robinson (0.7) in their try-scoring ratios against top ten nations. Going in the other direction, however, has been Scotland's ability to compete with every team they face, and this is where the lack of tries has only created more frustration. Whereas McGeechan's 15 defeats were never within a converted score, and Williams" just twice in 14, Hadden closed the gap to where eight of his 25 losses were by seven points or less and Robinson has pulled it closer with eight of 12 defeats within a converted score. That does nothing to alter the bottom line, the fact that Robinson has tasted just 12 wins in 27 games and is on a run of five straight losses, but it does highlight how close Scotland are to turning a corner if they can improve the try rate, and points to why there is a feeling of progress without evidence in the Six Nations table. It also comes from the new players. Cynics may suggest Jones is naïve, one of a new generation of players unbridled by history and yet to experience the reality of Scotland's struggle on the Test stage, but those who witnessed his enthusiasm for the game and attacking élan close-up at Murrayfield on Sunday might instead sense a new awakening. "We are realistic and we know we have cost ourselves with mistakes," he insisted. We played well against England and Wales and you could say we were unlucky in both games, but mistakes ultimately let us down. But France on Sunday was by far the most frustration we've felt. I think we deserved something from the game because we played so well and put so much effort in. It's really frustrating because some of our play against France was outstanding. But, again, it's not been enough to win. I felt really positive out on the pitch. I was confident and I think that grew because of the way we started the match. We had hands on the ball, we were playing at a real tempo and we were breaking the line. It was great to be involved in and despite the defeat there's no doubt I came off feeling much better about myself and my role in the team. You never know until you play a team like France how you'll go and how tough it will be, but I have taken a lot of confidence from it. When you out-play a team like France for long spells in the game then there's no doubt you're going to gain some confidence. Before the game I was thinking, "can I compete, can I make line breaks?" I've shown I can but the whole team proved it can compete. On his first Test try, he continued: "It was a pretty special moment and credit to Richie Vernon for the pass and also John Barclay for the turnover. It was well worked because Nick de Luca also drew his man well. It was good to get over the line and the performance was good, but ultimately we didn't get a result so it was a day of mixed emotions for me. I was delighted to get my first try but I'd give it up if it meant we won by even a point. The current trend is also positive with Scotland's attack showing more line-breaks, more chances and more than double the number of tries scored in the past 14 games compared with Robinson's first 13. The last time Scotland were scoring a haul of tries to compare with the leading lights of world rugby was in 1999 - 19 in five spring Tests - when they boasted a midfield of Gregor Townsend, John Leslie and Alan Tait, wings Kenny Logan and Cammie Murray and a counter-attacking full-back of the quality of Glenn Metcalfe. As much as the try haul - Townsend and Tait contributing 17 each - it was their ability to link in attack that hurt opposition defences, with Leslie crucial, and which has been lacking since. Scotland need more linking play in the threequarters, though De Luca started to reveal that on Sunday, and Hogg, coming in to take the ball from scrum-half, stand-off and the threequarters, is that kind of talent. Like Jones, the 19-year-old made errors and is clearly not the finished article Leslie or Metcalfe were when they stepped into the Scotland team, but with linking players Max Evans and Joe Ansbro to return from injury, and the promise of emerging talents Ruaridh Jackson, Duncan Weir, Matt Scott and Harry Leonard there is real hope on the horizon. The most significant boost comes from having a "W" to cling to, however, and wins in Ireland and Italy would inject more confidence to Scottish rugby than any statistic or trend analysis could.

No injuries in Illinois 'Deep Tunnel' fire SOUTH HOLLAND, Ill., Feb. 15 (UPI) -- An equipment fire in the Chicago area's Deep Tunnel Wednesday afternoon forced the evacuation of eight workers, officials said. No one was injured in the 2 p.m. fire, the Southtown Star and WLS-TV, Chicago, reported. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District said the incident -- about 220 feet below the surface, near the Thornton Quarry -- began when a compressor on a generator caught fire, the Chicago Tribune said. The South Holland Fire Department put out the flames and the workers, who were lining a section of the water drainage tunnel with concrete, were hoisted out with a crane, the newspaper said. The Deep Tunnel is part of a system to reduce flooding throughout the region. The system is being connected to the Thornton Quarry, which will serve as a reservoir.

Obama backers turn from re-election to fiscal cliff fight By Andy Sullivan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - After a year of knocking on doors and working the phones to get President Barack Obama re-elected, Meechie Biggers had gotten over her fear of talking politics with strangers. So when she came to Washington last week, the small-town real estate agent and a few like-minded Tennesseeans paid a visit to one of their Republican senators, Bob Corker, to try to persuade him to back Obama's proposal to raise tax rates for the wealthy. Biggers didn't think she had much of a chance of changing his mind, and perhaps she didn't. But four days later, Corker became the latest Republican to say his party should consider Obama's proposed tax hike as part of a year-end budget deal. "It's a testament to knocking on doors and giving people your two cents," Biggers said. The election ended more than a month ago, but the campaign continues for many of the 2 million-plus foot soldiers who helped secure Obama's second term. Flush with victory, many volunteers and staffers are now mounting a grassroots effort to ensure that any deal that emerges from year-end "fiscal cliff" discussions includes a tax increase on the wealthiest households. It's an open question how many will stick with him if he is forced to consider cutting popular programs such as Medicare that enjoy broad support on the left. But for now, it's a chance to help Obama fulfill one of his central campaign promises - economic justice - and build on the momentum of his re-election. It also enables them to maintain friendships and a sense of purpose that were forged through the campaign. You can only go to so many celebrations, parties and lunches. And then you're ready to help the president get done what he needs to get done," said Lenda Sherrell, a retired accountant from Monteagle, Tennessee, who visited Corker along with Biggers. The effort gives Obama added leverage in Washington at a time when many Republican allies are undergoing a painful re-examination in the wake of last month's election. Groups aligned with the conservative Tea Party movement, who pressed successfully for deep spending cuts in earlier budget fights, have been less visible in the fiscal-cliff battle, and business groups have pressed Republican lawmakers to abandon their no-tax-hike stance. The grassroots pressure from the left could weaken Republicans' resolve to hold the line against tax hikes, said Chris Arterton, a professor of political management at George Washington University. "It tends to take the wind out of their sails if their citizens are pushing in a direction that is absolutely contradictory to the politician's views," he said. Corker's office said he appreciates hearing from his constituents but he has not changed his view that increased tax revenue should come from eliminating deductions rather than raising rates. The post-election effort stands in stark contrast to Obama's first term, when officials did not keep his massive grassroots organization engaged in battles over spending, health care and climate change. This time around, campaign officials and liberal allies have made a concerted effort to harness the network for inside-the-Beltway policy battles. One week after the election, Obama thanked 30,000 volunteers in a conference call and asked them to stay involved in the budget fight. Top activists such as Biggers and Sherrell have been invited to the White House for strategy and networking sessions. Even as he tries to hammer out a deal with House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner, Obama has jetted to campaign-style rallies around the country to keep up the pressure. He has encouraged backers to send Twitter messages describing how they would be hurt by the automatic tax increases due to kick in if the fiscal cliff isn't averted. On Monday, his campaign urged supporters in Republican congressional districts to call their lawmakers to support the tax hike. Many of the volunteers and staffers who powered the campaign's massive get-out-the-vote effort are continuing their work under the banner of The Action, a coalition of labor and liberal groups that launched three days after Obama's November 6 victory. As Obama's Tennessee state director, Justin Wilkins steered volunteers in the deeply Republican state to phone banks and door-knocking efforts in more competitive states such as North Carolina. Now he is overseeing many of those same volunteers as part of The Action. Nobody had to be called. People literally came running," he said. Like both of Obama's election campaigns, The Action combines cutting-edge digital tools with an emphasis on boots-on-the-ground action. A slick website directs supporters to events in their local area and provides the phone numbers of House lawmakers who have yet to back a legislative maneuver that would force a vote on Obama's proposed tax hike in the Republican-controlled chamber. Backers can download distinctive yellow-and-black signs to wave at local rallies or post online. Participants have spent the past month mounting demonstrations outside Republican lawmakers' local offices and writing letters to local newspapers - a strategy designed to boost local news coverage and build public support for the tax hike. Republicans have complained that the campaign-style tactics are complicating efforts to reach a deal. "A month after his re-election and weeks before the fiscal cliff, he'd still rather campaign than cooperate," Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said on Wednesday. Public opinion polls show that a majority of Americans support the idea of raising taxes on the wealthiest 2 percent of U.S. households. Volunteers see the fight as central to Obama's prospects for a successful second term. Obama will have a tough time pursuing priorities like education without additional revenue, they say. The Action's narrow focus on raising taxes for the wealthy has allowed the coalition to avoid conflicts over other elements of the fiscal cliff fight that might prove more divisive, such as spending cuts or changes to popular entitlements such as Medicare and Social Security. Participants say they're not sure whether the coalition will stay intact once the tax-hike battle is resolved. "It's relatively easy for the Democrats to coalesce around this, but there won't be the same united front for the next issue," said University of Michigan politics professor Michael Traugott. Whether the coalition survives, many of those involved say they intend to keep up the effort to advance Obama's agenda in the years to come. "It was kind of a little bit scary to me to go knock on people's doors and ask them their political stance, but I did it," Biggers said. For me to go to somebody else and say, this is my opinion, do you want to hear it? That's not me. But maybe it is now. (Reporting by Andy Sullivan. Editing by Fred Barbash, Mary Milliken and Lisa Shumaker.)

Bill Nye: U.S. risks losing its space edge Bill Nye, the Science Guy on TV, also heads Planetary Society He is speaking out against proposed cuts in NASA planetary exploration budget Nye says the U.S. has unmatched expertise in landing spacecraft on other planets If America loses its edge, it could take decades to rebuild, Nye says (CNN) -- Years before Bill Nye became the Science Guy, he was a mechanical engineering student at Cornell University, where he took a course with astronomer Carl Sagan. Sagan, who was instrumental in the planning of NASA missions to other planets and became widely known for his research, writing and public television series, was one of the founders of the Planetary Society. And his student dutifully signed up to become a member. I've been a member for over 30 years. And now I'm the head guy. It's quite odd," a surprised-sounding Nye told CNN in an interview in March at the TED2012 conference in Long Beach, California. So today, the bow-tied, jauntily professorial Nye has a new role aside from his television work as a popularizer of science: As the society's chief executive, he's become a leading voice against the Obama administration's proposed $300 million cut in NASA's planetary exploration budget. And it's a subject about which he's passionate. President Obama greets Bill Nye during a science fair event at the White House on February 7. This is a deep, deep concern. All the budgets are being cut. We gotcha, budgets are being cut, budgets are being pulled back, yes, yes, all good," he says, acknowledging the pressure to cut spending. But investment in space stimulates society, it stimulates it economically, it stimulates it intellectually, and it gives us all passion. Everyone, red state, blue state, everyone supports space exploration. So I understand the budget has got to be cut, but something has gone a little bit wrong. Nye says the planetary exploration budget, facing a reduction of 21% from this fiscal year's budget, is taking a deeper cut than other parts of NASA. This wouldn't matter. except it's not a faucet. It's not a spigot you can turn off and on. You stop planetary exploration, those people who do that extraordinary work are going to have to go do something else. His worry is that the U.S. is in danger of losing its unmatched scientific expertise to plan and execute missions to other planets. "To try to really land a spacecraft really on another world is really difficult, and if we lose that ability, it's going to be heartbreaking," says Nye, who adds that it could take decades to recoup. Nye makes another argument for investing in exploring the solar system. He says there are two kinds of natural disasters that can be prevented: One is climate change, and the other is the Earth getting hit by an asteroid. NASA's Curiosity rover heads for space November 26 atop an Atlas 5 rocket at Cape Canaveral, Florida. If the Earth gets hit by an asteroid, it's game over. It's control-alt-delete for civilization. Nye says he figures "sea jellies, squid, cockroaches will be fine," but an asteroid could wipe out humankind. So what we want to do is to develop the capability to redirect, to deflect an asteroid, ever so slightly. If you're going to do that, you've got to have space exploration. And sooner or later, you're going to want to send people out there to look around. It's just our nature, and one day it would be exciting to send people to Mars. NASA is in the midst of active exploration of Mars. In August, Curiosity, the Mars Science Laboratory rover, is due to land on the planet's surface. David Weaver, NASA's associate administrator for communications, says the rover is the "Hubble of Mars missions" and "the most sophisticated scientific system ever sent to another planet." Its mission is to determine whether the red planet could have ever hosted life. Weaver said in June that the agency is reformulating its Mars strategy in light of budget constraints and scientific priorities and "the president's challenge of sending humans to Mars in the 2030s." Nye says his concern isn't about current missions but about whether the next series of missions and the ones beyond that will have enough funds to proceed. Taking a larger view, Nye says there are two questions everyone should ask themselves at some time in their lives: "Where did we come from? And are we alone? To seek the real answers to those questions, you have to explore space, and if you stop exploring, if you say, 'I don't care; I'm not going to look up and out and beyond the horizon,' what does that say about you? It's not good," Nye said. If we found life on Mars, or evidence of life on Mars, it would change the way everybody thinks about everything. It would change the way you think about your place in space. Follow @CNNOpinion on Twitter Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion

Uganda's Little League team have a field of dreams Lugazi team became the first team to represent Africa in the Little League World Series Winning a game against a team from Oregon, they earned Africa's first-ever win Uganda received the loudest cheer of all when they were announced at the ceremonies (CNN) -- Barely after dawn, the crack of a bat breaks the early morning silence in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Nestled in the valley, this small town is the home of the Little League Baseball World Series. Every August, tens of thousands of fans pack the stands to cheer on teams from across the United States and around the world - each hoping to be crowned World Series champion, the pinnacle of youth baseball. Read related: Uganda's baseball little league hits a home run But long before the crowds arrive, one team is already hard at work in the batting cages. Down the hill, in the shadow of the empty stadium, they hit pitch after pitch. Working hard is nothing new for these young players -- they've already had to overcome more obstacles than most to get here, both on and off the baseball field. Read related: Uganda youth baseball team denied U.S. visas over age discrepancies This is the team from Lugazi, Uganda, and in the 66-year history of the Little League World Series, they are the first team to represent Africa. Lugazi, located 50 kilometers from the country's capital of Kampala, exists primarily because of a sugar-producing factory run by the Mehta Group. It employs a majority of the town, including the coach of this team -- Henry Odong. Odong is one of Uganda's original baseball players, a rarity in this football-crazed country. He shares the dream of his young players -- to some day get a Ugandan player into the Major Leagues. Read related: Ugandan gold medal winner gets $80,000 check, hero's welcome "I think getting here to the kids is a great motivator because I tell them I'm trying my level best to produce you guys to get to Major League Baseball," Odong said. It's all a matter of them working very hard and trying their level best to put things right, and I hope the rest of the world will get to know that you play baseball. But Odong's group of 11-year-olds from Lugazi should actually be the second team to make the Little League World Series. Last year, a different team from Uganda's capital of Kampala won the Middle East-Africa regional tournament, held each year in Poland. Winning the tournament earned them the right to come to Williamsport, but an issue with documentation prevented the team from getting visas to the U.S., and so they never made it. Read related: Why African designers are finally in the fashion spotlight But what happened last year opened the door for this year's team when Lugazi won in Poland. A joint effort by the team's coaches, the U.S. Embassy, and Little League helped ensure they would not be denied. And so, they became the first team to represent Africa in Williamsport. While Uganda's documentation issues are far from solved, this has been an important first step. We feel very, very good. We would be the second [team], but last year, I don't know what happened but they didn't get to come," said shortstop Tonny Okello. So we got the chance to come represent Africa for the first time. For Okello and the rest of these young boys, baseball is so much more than just a game. It helps them forget -- even just for a few hours -- the hardships of home. It is especially true for Okello. His mother is suffering from breast cancer. "Baseball, other sports, it helps me to forget some of the problems there at home," Okello said. I just sit there and start thinking of my mother because she's sick with cancer. I know she's having a hard time...but she doesn't make it look that hard. Read related: Pop-top purses helping Ugandan women start over None of the family members from Lugazi were able to afford the trip, but Uganda still received the loudest cheer of all when they were announced at the opening ceremonies. Throughout the tournament, fans were seen wearing Uganda shirts and hats, and constantly asking the team for photos and autographs. After a week in Williamsport, the night of Uganda's first game finally arrived. Their opponent was Panama, winners of the Latin America regional. Panama has sent 7 teams to the Little League World Series, but that didn't intimidate the first-timers from Lugazi. Their very first batter, Justine Makisimu, dug in at the plate, and got a hit on the first pitch he saw. Uganda ended up losing the game -- and the next one -- so they were eliminated from the tournament. But they did win a consolation game against the U.S. team from Oregon, earning the African continent its first-ever win at the World Series. But wins and losses weren't the focus here. What these kids accomplished extended far beyond the ball field -- an accomplishment not lost on them. "I like history," 11-year-old third baseman Ronald Olaa said. And we've made history.

Mash-Ups on the Fall 2012 Runways February 13, 2012, 2:37 pm Designers sent conflicting signals on their fall runways this week, offering a thoughtful, and sometimes unpredictable, mashup of textures and patterns, as often as not in the very same outfit. Herringbone tweeds kept company with chevron stripes; bird's-eye weaves with elephantine plaids; pompoms with flannels and nomadic motifs. Trendspotting Ruth La Ferla reports on emerging trends from the shows to the streets. Yet all of it somehow coalesced. Marcus Wainwright and David Neville of Rag & Bone artfully combined blanket designs with floral tapestries; arrow prints with polka dots and perforated knits. At Y-3, pebble-textured bi-color fleece mingled with a leopard print and madly striped leggings, shown aptly enough against a magic-carpet backdrop. A similar feeling for full-on exoticism prompted Joseph Altuzarra to combine tribal patterns, bits of fur and bands of multicolored ribbon in his gypsy-inflected show, while Thakoon Panichgul offered a series of dresses overlaid with woven cane, lending a rich dimension to his flamelike prints. Others mated popcorn knits with lacquered tweeds, zany stripes with gilded embroideries. It was a crazy mélange animating some of the week's most spirited collections, in which the message was the mix.

Police fatally shoot suspected killer of 2 cops Topeka Police Department Cpl. David Gogian, 50, had been with the Topeka Police Department since September 2004. TOPEKA, Kan. - A police standoff in connection with the fatal shootings of two Topeka, Kan., police officers ended with the suspected gunman dead from police fire early Monday, according to local officials. After the man refused to exit a home police had surrounded, officers launched tear gas to drive him out. "At approximately 6 a.m., after numerous attempts to make contact with the individual, gas was deployed, and the suspect came out carrying a gun," Jay Simecka of the Shawnee County Sheriff's Office said in a press release. Shots were fired by law enforcement, and the suspect was hit and transported to a local hospital for treatment. It is unknown at this time if the suspect fired the gun he was carrying. The man, who police identified as 22-year-old David Edward Tiscareno of Topeka, later died from his wounds at the hospital, NBC station KMBC in Kansas City, reported. Police believe Tiscareno shot and killed Cpl. David Gogian, 50, and Officer Jeff Atherly, 29, while they were responding to a report of a suspicious vehicle at a grocery store. The gunman opened fire on them within minutes of their arrival. They died later at the hospital, Topeka Police Chief Ronald Miller said, calling the shootings "unspeakable," the Associated Press reported. Officer Jeff Atherly, 29, had been with the Topeka Police Department since April 2011. Officers later found the vehicle outside a house about 10 blocks from the grocery store, but when they searched the home they didn't find the shooting suspect, the AP reported. As the group gathered, police officials announced to reporters nearby that the officers had died, the AP reported.

M4 bottleneck near Brynglas tunnels solutions on show

NYC club's bathrooms offer two-way view 12 (UPI) -- The bathrooms at a posh New York nightclub offer patrons an 18th story view of the city -- and give pedestrians a view of people using the facilities. Floor-to-ceiling windows on the bathrooms at the Boom Boom Room allow passersby to see directly into the bathrooms from the street, prompting guffaws from some unsuspecting tourists. And that's not to mention the patrons who might assume the glass is reflective, offering them some privacy. "The view outside is exciting, but the view inside is frightening," tourist David Langdon, 55, of Melbourne, told the New York Daily News. I saw people waving at me! Sitting on the royal throne, you don't expect a public viewing! The club, attached to the Standard Hotel, which fronts to Washington and West 14th streets, has created something of a spectacle. Belinda Langdon visited the club with her father and made the mistake of assuming she wasn't visible when using the bathrooms -- until she went outside and realized she'd been in full view. "You just hope nobody recognizes you on the street," she said. Other patrons weren't bothered. Who cares? So people know you have to pee?" said Florentina Ballesteros, who is staying at the hotel.

Pilots accused of Argentina "death flights" go on trial The trial has begun in Buenos Aires for 68 people accused of kidnappings, torture and murder during Argentina's military dictatorship. The defendants are alleged to have carried out crimes against political prisoners. Taty Almeida is from a human rights group made up of mothers whose children disappeared between 1976-1983. She said she had come to the trial because of her age: "A lot of mothers, grandmothers, relatives, fathers didn't think we would be able to be part of these historic days," she added. The crimes are said to have happened inside Argentina's Naval Mechanics School, which is now a human rights museum. During the military junta, it was used as a prison for 5,000 left-wing activists - many of whom disappeared. The trial deals with the cases of 789 victims. Among the accused are eight so-called "death pilots," suspected of flying over the River Plate or sea and dropping drugged prisoners to their deaths. Adolfo Scilingo, a pilot who confessed to carrying out death flights said: "Throwing out sleeping human beings, I don't know. Do you know someone who could get over that? We are human beings and what we were throwing out were human beings. Victims of the death flights are thought to include two French nuns - Leonie Duquet and Alice Domon. Duquet's body was one of the few to ever be found washed up on the coast of Argentina. More about: Argentina, Argentina politics, Dictatorship, Opposition, Trial

Marine's lawyers call Anonymous "cowards" after hack Marine's lawyers call Anonymous "cowards" after hack - Security Haditha Marine's lawyers call Anonymous 'cowards' after hack The defense lawyers took to their Twitter account to lambaste the Internet activist group By Mary Slosson LOS ANGELES - Lawyers for a U.S. Marine court-martialed for his role in killing Iraqi civilians in Haditha slammed the international hacking collective Anonymous as "cowards" on Monday after they knocked out the firm's website and published internal emails on the Web. The email and website of law firm Puckett and Faraj, PC - which represented Marine Frank Wuterich, who pleaded guilty in January to dereliction of duty in the death of 24 Iraqi civilians in Haditha - was forced offline by the Internet activist group on Friday and remained down on Monday. The defense lawyers took to their Twitter account to lambaste the group, saying: "Puckett Faraj cyber-attacked Friday by cowards for defending Frank Wuterich from the government the hackers seek to destroy - go figure." The court-martial of Wuterich, 31, which concluded in late January, was the last in a series of court-martials resulting from shootings and grenade attacks on November 19, 2005, that left two dozen civilians dead in Haditha, a city west of Baghdad that was then an insurgent hotspot. That incident sparked international condemnation of U.S. troops and added to anger over other abuses by U.S. soldiers or private security contractors during the more than eight years troops spent in Iraq after the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003. Six of the seven other Marines originally accused in the case had previously had their charges dismissed by military judges, while another was cleared of criminal wrongdoing. The harshest penalty Wuterich faces for his guilty plea is a demotion to the rank of private, the lowest rank in the service, as recommended by a military judge. Anonymous posted a manifesto on the firm's website - since removed - that decried "the brutality of US imperialism" and the "crooked court systems" of military justice. "We want to bring attention to USMC SSgt Frank Wuterich who along with his squad murdered dozens of unarmed civilians during the Iraqi occupation," the manifesto said. Can you believe this scumbag had his charges reduced to involuntary manslaughter and only got away with a pay cut? Anonymous and fellow group LulzSec have carried out a number of high-profile hacks against companies and institutions across the globe including the Central Intelligence Agency, Britain's Serious Organized Crime Agency, Japan's Sony Corp and Mexican government sites. The firm's business manager Marcelyn Atwood wrote in an email to her mother in the wake of the hack that "this may completely destroy the law firm." The hacker group said it was angry over the possible life sentence that U.S. Army intelligence analyst Bradley Manning, who is accused of participating in the largest leak of classified information in American history to online whistleblowing site WikiLeaks, faces in an upcoming military court-martial. Neither Neal Puckett nor his partner Haytham Faraj returned a phone inquiry seeking comment. Reporting by Mary Slosson; Editing by Tim Gaynor

Arrests after girl dies at campsite The death of a six-year-old girl at a family campsite was being treated by police last night as "a tragic incident." Witnesses said they were woken by a woman's screams and someone repeatedly pressing a car horn at about midnight. Others said the child's mother and father were trying to revive their daughter by giving her CPR. A man, aged 30, and a woman, aged 40, were arrested on suspicion of murder but were released last night after a post-mortem revealed there were "no suspicious circumstances." "The arrests made this morning were necessary as a result of a report from experienced medical professionals," a Hampshire Police spokeswoman said. The girl's death is no longer being treated as suspicious but as a tragic incident. The girl and her parents were said to be part of a group of families staying at the Holmsley Caravan Park and Campsite - a 600-pitch site in Bransgore, on the edge of the New Forest. By the time paramedics arrived, the girl was fitting and not breathing. Medics gave her adrenaline before taking her to Southampton General Hospital but she was pronounced dead a short time later. Campers close to where the incident occurred were moved by police and the campsite was closed to new admissions. Police have reassured other holidaymakers that no one else was at risk, but the mood at the campsite was unhappy with many families keen to leave. One woman at the entrance told reporters: "We don't really want to stay any more and will be leaving. The mood in the campsite is really sombre. Jon Dale, of the Camping and Caravanning Club, which runs Holmsley, said campers were asked to stay whilst police investigated the matter. Sergeant Heather McNicol said: "When a six-year-old child is found, then initially we have to think it's a suspicious death. Police removed a blue Volkswagen Golf for examination. The girl's identity should be released today.

Runaway dog, missing for two weeks, captured at Dulles airport WASHINGTON, Dec. 26 (UPI) -- A dog exported from Egypt to the United States has been captured after escaping upon its arrival at Washington's Dulles International Airport. Ralphie, a German shepherd-Labrador mix, arrived in America Dec. 12 and promptly bolted from captivity, living on street smarts acquired from his life in Egypt until he was captured in a trap Tuesday morning at the airport, The Washington Post reported Wednesday. The trap, which humanely confines animals without harming them, was set near a reported sighting of the dog while it roamed free, an airport employee said. A network of social media sites was enlisted to find Ralphie, the newspaper said, leading to a headline on one posting at the conclusion of the search reading, "Reunited! Dulles rescue dog found today!

How Mitt Romney will choose his running mate WASHINGTON -- For those in political circles, the next three months will be consumed by speculation about Mitt Romney's running mate. Early favorites include Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio and Rep. Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin. Many more names will be floated -- some will be serious contenders, others not -- before the pick is announced. Far less attention will get paid to the vital, somewhat shadowy, process of protecting Romney from choosing someone who cannot withstand the white-hot scrutiny of a presidential campaign. A longtime Republican insider who's been a central figure in vetting numerous VP candidates has just written an eye-opening description in the Wall Street Journal of the process Romney is likely to follow. "They will be asked for their agreement to join him on the GOP ticket if chosen, and in the meantime, to submit to a most intrusive and far-reaching vetting by lawyers and advisors working for the campaign," writes A.B. Culvahouse, a lawyer in the Washington office of Los Angeles-based O'Melveny & Myers. No other candidate, not even the presidential nominee himself, is subjected to the same scrutiny. PHOTOS: The search for Romney's running mate "For the "vettees," the process can appear ad hoc, opaque and at times capricious [and] without precedent in their political experience," he added. Already, trusted Romney aides have probably embarked on the first phase: a secret investigation, using "public databases, media archives, political blogs and other sources," to determine whether a potential pick is qualified for the short list. Culvahouse doesn't mention other factors that can come into play, such as personal chemistry with Romney and the potential effect on his chances for winning key states. Those who make the initial cut must turn over "tax returns, medical histories, financial statements, court records, and anything else labeled "private and confidential," while also answering the most probing questions about themselves, their spouses, their children and their extended family - questions I would not dream of posing in any other context," said Culvahouse, who served as White House counsel under President Reagan. Over the last half-century, the investigation of potential running mates has become increasingly complex and professionalized. In large part, it reflects the dire consequences for any campaign that fails to fully vet a running mate. In 1972, Thomas Eagleton was forced off George McGovern's ticket after undisclosed shock therapy treatment was revealed. In 1988, a media firestorm engulfed George H.W. Bush's campaign, which had failed to anticipate questions about Dan Quayle's military service. Back in 1976, Gerald Ford put 16 questions on his campaign's VP questionnaire. By 2008, John McCain "had almost 80, with multiple subparts. We asked about infidelity, sexual harassment, discrimination, plagiarism, alcohol or drug addiction, delinquent taxes, credit history, and use of government positions or resources for personal benefit. Nothing was off-limits," Culvahouse said. After interviewing Sarah Palin, a late-starting contender whose vetting was "no less rigorous, just compressed," Culvahouse said he advised McCain that "because her duties had never encompassed foreign policy or defense issues, Gov. Palin would not be ready to be vice president on Jan. 20, 2009 - but that I believed she had the presence and wherewithal to grow into the position. I summed up her selection as "high risk, high reward." I stand by that advice. Culvahouse added that every person on McCain's short list (he doesn't identify them but they reportedly included Romney, Tim Pawlenty and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist) was asked in a face-to-face interview: "Why do you want to be vice president?" "The question hardly was a surprise," he said, "but after the scripted answer was finished, every potential nominee began to speak from the heart about honor, service and obligation, on occasion with moist eyes. Their successors on the short list this election cycle deserve our respect in the same measure as they will receive our scrutiny. Original source: How Mitt Romney will choose his running mate

Sophie Hulme proves that the Brits can do chic "Everything is designed so as to work in classically elegant combinations" in Sophie Hulme's chic ready-to-wear collections. At a time when it's more or less de rigueur for a British designer to work in a grittily authentic studio in the East End, Sophie Hulme's decision to set up base in a garden shed in her parents' garden in Barnet, one of north London's leafier suburbs, almost reads as an act of rebellion. She's never been a crowd follower. As a student at Central St Martins, alma mater of Alexander McQueen, John Galliano, Christopher Kane, Roksanda Ilincic et al, her first collection consisted of the kind of sleek, under-stated separates that remain her trademark - and are increasingly fashionable. The most desirable gifts for her for Christmas 2012 But at the time, no one else was doing them. "My tutors kept saying, 'My God, you can wear this,' " she laughs. She didn't stay long at St Martins, switching to Kingston. St Martins is an amazing place, I felt honoured to get in, but I wanted something more practical. At Kingston, she won a slew of prizes that earned her enough money to produce a 25-piece sample collection. Her graduate show elicited a rapturous response from retailers. At 23, she launched her own business, focusing on bags and coats. By the end of 2008, she was selling in Selfridges, Matches and Net-a-Porter. She's now sold in 120 stores around the world Yet Hulme remains relatively under the radar. She doesn't have a catwalk show - yet. Perhaps that's why her clothes are still quietly cool, ageless classics - she's not pandering to the cameras. Nothing gives her a bigger kick, she says, than dressing her mother and her grandmother. My mum was a huge inspiration. I loved the way she dressed in the 1970s, in jumpsuits and attitude. She's a teacher, but she always enjoyed fashion. I really admire the way my nan, on the other hand, loves an "outfit" - it's never just jeans. And my sister, who's 35, wears my designs head to toe. Above: Pieces from Sophie Hulmes's spring/summer 2013, which will be available from Liberty in the New Year Who wouldn't? Hulme specialises in chic, simple pieces with distinctive details that give them an effortless urban edge: collarless coats and crombies come with contrast leather sleeves; lace dresses and pencil skirts have jersey backs; sleeves are cut on the curve to hang better. Everything is designed so as to work in classically elegant combinations or blended with Hulme's cute printed hot-pants and sheer tunics that can be worn over her bra tops or layered over camisoles. It's anything but boring, thanks partly to the sharp cutting. "I studied lots of menswear to get it right," she says. The same fastidiousness earned her bags, with no advertising budget, a cult following. Logo-less and minimalist, they're instantly recognisable to cognoscenti because of the gold hardware. The finish is impeccable and producing them in Hungary, rather than Italy, keeps prices down. She's a pragmatic shopper (on the day we meet, she's wearing one of her own designs - a navy silk shirt dresses - skinny jeans and cream Celine loafers she scored on Ebay). I want to make clothes you can wear year after year, but aren't extortionate. I know I must be doing something right - recently, my sister, who was a banker, asked if she could invest.

Austerity in Portugal: More pain, less gain IN HAPPIER days before the euro crisis, one government in Lisbon rebranded the Algarve as the Allgarve, hoping to appeal to English-speaking tourists. Now a Portuguese wit suggests rebranding the whole country as Poortugal. Amid furious protests and thundering editorials, such mordant humour was a restrained response to the draft 2013 budget that Vítor Gaspar, the finance minister, presented on October 15th. To meet the targets agreed to by the "troika" of the European Union, European Central Bank and IMF, he wants "enormous" tax increases, including the raising of average income-tax rates by as much as a third. Seldom have protesters, economists and politicians been so united in describing the plans: "brutal," "a crime against the middle class," a "fiscal atomic bomb." Few agree with Mr Gaspar's claim that "this is the only possible budget" and that to question it is to risk being subjected to a "dictatorship of debt" with Portugal condemned to depend on its official creditors indefinitely. Yet most voters would agree with Mr Gaspar that to default on the country's debt, as the radical left advocates, would be "catastrophic." Even so, recent protests have been swelled by tens of thousands of mainstream voters who believe that squeezing working families is not just unnecessarily painful but is also choking off growth. The critics have latched on to the latest outlook from the IMF in which the fund argues that, in today's economic climate, fiscal consolidation is having a bigger negative impact on growth than usual. The opposition Socialists believe this perfectly describes Portugal's predicament. They want more time to meet budget targets, on top of an extra year granted last month. More worrying for Pedro Passos Coelho, the prime minister, is that the IMF line is echoed by President Aníbal Cavaco Silva, also from the centre-right, who has written that it is wrong to pursue deficit goals "at any cost." Another concern is the rift in the coalition over the budget. The conservative People's Party, junior partner to Mr Passos Coelho's Social Democrats, wants more public-spending cuts (new revenues account for 80% of the 2013 fiscal adjustment). The two parties must vote together to get the budget through parliament. But Mr Gaspar insists there is "no room for manoeuvre." Some say that his intransigence is more for form than for fiscal doctrine. Unlike Greece, Portugal has gained much kudos in Brussels and Berlin for being a model pupil for the euro zone. That could help it if and when the Spanish government requests a bail-out - and starts to argue with the troika about whether ever more fiscal austerity is really sensible.

Why we're obsessed with Siri Siri, the iPhone's voice-activated personal assistant, often feels like a real person. She says silly things, causes controversies and can embarrass her users. Despite being little more than the result of some clever programming and some intense processing, Siri has become a celebrity - and we're obsessed. On Friday, TODAY's Savannah Guthrie took some time to chat with Siri, as you can see in the video above. Siri knows a lot. Ask a question and she'll answer, whether you're looking for the nearest coffee shop or wondering about Al Roker's middle name. The personal assistant can show her funny side by giving cheeky replies when silly questions - such as the classic "How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?" - are posed. Siri has an attitude as well. Asking Siri if she loves you results in a coy "oh, stop!" And don't bother proposing marriage to Siri (unless you want a laugh): She'll break your heart faster than you can break an iPhone screen. Rosa Golijan/msnbc.com Siri may be Apple's darling, but she has humble beginnings. She started as an app, developed by a company which spun off from SRI International. She was acquired by Apple and given a makeover before being shown off to the world during the iPhone 4S launch. It's the phone's powerful hardware that makes Siri shine, which is why so many owners of the earlier iPhone 4 are left without her companionship. Since then, Siri's been winning hearts around the world, but for now she only speaks English, French and German at this point. Here's a fun fact: The U.K. version of Siri is actually male. Oh! As you'll see in the video, Guthrie discovered that Siri was clever enough figure out which morning show is No. That's gotta win the gal some points, right?

Chavez Doesn't Let the Law Get in His Way MONTREAL - The right to be present at your own trial is a core civil right. Certainly, article 125 of Venezuela's criminal procedure code bans in-absentia trials. Which is why, when faced with an attempt to sentence one of his clients who was not in the courtroom, the Venezuelan defense attorney José Amalio Graterol objected forcefully and refused to participate in an obviously illegal procedure. For his troubles, Graterol was immediately jailed for obstruction of justice. After eight days in one of Venezuela's notoriously violent prisons, he was released on bail, but he still faces the possibility of a lengthy prison term on the original charge. Within hours of his arrest the Geneva-based International Commission of Jurists was expressing concern for the abuse, calling it "the most recent of a series of violations to the fundamental principles of the rule of law in Venezuela in recent years," while the chairman of the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute, Sternford Moyo, declared that "Graterol's apprehension is a clear breach of Venezuela's own criminal laws, a clear violation of the fundamental principle of the independence of the legal profession and also represents as a serious infringement of firmly established international principles." In Venezuela, everybody knows this is payback. Graterol is being hounded because he has had the courage to represent Judge María Lourdes Afiuni in a case that has become a public relations catastrophe for the Chávez government. In December 2009, when she still on the bench, Afiuni ordered the release of one of President Hugo Chávez's most high-profile political prisoners. Furious, the president accused Afiuni of taking bribes and, in a speech on national television, said she should remain in jail for at least 30 years, and possibly should be executed. Soon, the judge found herself locked up in a jail populated by some of the people she'd sentenced herself. Afiuni had merely applied the letter of the law to the case: the prisoner, Emigdio Cedeño, had been jailed awaiting trial for more than two years, and prosecutors were still not ready to charge him. Given the strict deadlines established in Venezuela's criminal procedure code, she had had no choice but to release him. Chávez used the occasion to make sure everybody in the country - and, in particular, every judge on the bench - understood that the real law in Venezuela was the one he set down personally, not the one written down in the books. Irony of ironies: Afiuni has been detained for over two years without a trial date. This time, though, her fellow judges know better than to release her. Under those circumstances, you can see how agreeing to represent Afiuni was a bit of a fool's errand. Yet that's exactly what Graterol did. Over the last three years, as Afiuni languished first in jail and later under house arrest, he helped raise international awareness of her case. Soon, the European Parliament condemned her treatment. The Inter-American Commission on Human also expressed concern, and groups ranging from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch to the Law Society of England and Wales issued statements decrying her treatment. The jailing of Afiuni even led to a rift between Chávez and Noam Chomsky, long a key source of international left-wing street-cred for the regime, who ended up writing an open letter to Chávez pleading with him to release Afiuni (to no avail). In time, the Afiuni case made it all the way to the United Nations, where experts called for her immediate release. In fact, in one of those grim twists of fate, Graterol was jailed at the same time as Afiuni was receiving a visit from Gabriela Knaul, the U.N."s special rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers. The jailing of Afiuni badly undermined the Chávez government's claim to democratic legitimacy. Rather than righting the wrong, the government is doubling down, cracking down on her legal team for the bad publicity that ensued. There's a grim parallelism between the two cases: much like Afiuni was jailed for doing something the law mandated of her, Graterol is being tried for demanding, for his client, rights the law itself establishes. The retaliation against Graterol has sent more shockwaves through Venezuela's bruised-and-battered legal community, underlining just how far due process guarantees enshrined in Venezuela's Constitution have been eroded. The same brutal message of intimidation that the jailing of Afiuni sent to judges throughout the country, the jailing of her attorney is sending to lawyers up and down the land. The outcome is a pantomime of justice - a grotesquely disfigured copy of due process that's little more than a fig leaf for arbitrary presidential power.

2 new drugs tied to meningitis, fungal infection in multi-state outbreak The investigation into apparent contamination of injectable back pain medication from the New England Compounding Center has expanded to include two other products from the Massachusetts pharmacy. While most of the reported infections involve fungal meningitis in patients who received epidural injections of methylprednisolone acetate, the Food and Drug Administration reports that one patient has developed possible meningitis symptoms after receiving a lower back injection of a different steroid from the NECC called triamcinolone acetone. The FDA is also investigating reports that two heart transplant patients have developed fungal infections after receiving the NECC's cardioplegic solution, a medication used to paralyze the cardiac muscle to prevent injury during open heart surgery. Although the agency says it's too early to determine whether these apparent infections are linked to the medication, or some other cause. Additionally, the FDA is concerned about the NECC's ophthalmic drugs used in injections or in connection with eye surgery, because they're processed under similar conditions. However, no infections associated with the NECC's ophthalmic drugs have been reported so far. Public health officials are urging patients who have received doses of these NECC medications to contact a physician if they develop symptoms of fungal infection - including fever, swelling, discharge from the eye, chest pain or drainage from the surgical site. Patients who received epidural steroid injections should also be alert for possible symptoms of fungal meningitis, which can include fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea, sensitivity to light or confusion. As of Oct. 16, health officials had reported 214 fungal meningitis cases in 15 states, plus two cases involving non-meningitis fungal infections of peripheral joints (such as knees, hips, shoulders and elbows). Fifteen deaths have been reported in connection with the fungal meningitis outbreak.

McLaren confident new Formula 1 car can compete at all circuits

Meth lab busts reach record high in N.C. RALEIGH, N.C., Feb. 27 (UPI) -- The number of methamphetamine lab busts in North Carolina hit a record high last year partly because of cheaper, simpler ways of making the drug, officials say. The number of meth labs raided in 2011 increased to 344 -- up 57 percent since 2006, when state laws restricted the purchase of its key ingredient, pseudoephedrine, The (Raleigh) News & Observer reported. While the number of busts have increased, Attorney General Roy Cooper said the laws are working, as the number of large-scale labs is declining. The total number of busts is rising, however, because of the simpler, cheaper method of making it known as the "one-pot" or "shake-and-bake" method. The method requires fewer ingredients and they're mixed in a 2-liter soda bottle instead of unsealed makeshift beakers. The bottles are still legally considered meth labs and officials say they're dangerous, as explosions aren't as big but are more frequent. The method "has escalated to the point where it accounts for about half of the labs we bust," Cooper said. He pointed out the state's first one-pot lab bust came in 2009. Cooper said he hopes to see a decline in the number of meth labs as a result of a law enacted this year requiring pharmacies to use an electronic-tracking system to determine whether someone has reached the limit on the number of pseudoephedrine purchases allowed.

17 Michigan bucks trend, beats No. Wolverines end 6-game skid vs. Buckeyes with 56-51 win to stay perfect at home ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Jordan Morgan had 11 points and 11 rebounds, playing All-America forward Jared Sullinger to a virtual stalemate as No. 17 Michigan beat No. 6 Ohio State 56-51 on Saturday night to remain unbeaten at home. Trey Burke scored 17 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 13 for the Wolverines (20-7, 10-4 Big Ten), who improved to 15-0 at the Crisler Center by snapping a six-game losing streak to their longtime rivals. Deshaun Thomas had 25 points and 13 rebounds for Ohio State (22-5, 10-4). Sullinger scored 14 on 6-for-14 shooting. The Buckeyes and Wolverines are both a half-game behind first-place Michigan State in the Big Ten standings. With the Michigan student section revved-up in its "Maize Rage," the first half was a defensive struggle, with neither team able to break 40 percent from the floor. Ohio State's seven turnovers were the major difference - the Wolverines had only three while taking a 25-20 lead. The Buckeyes missed all nine 3-point attempts in the first half, but Thomas knocked one down on Ohio State's first possession after the break. Morgan, though, had a pair of fast-break dunks, both off long bounce passes from Burke, to give Michigan a 33-25 advantage. The lead got as big as 10 before three straight baskets by Sullinger pulled Ohio State within 42-38. The Buckeyes couldn't get any closer than three, however, and Burke's layup made it 54-49 with 1:17 left. Burke blocked a shot at the other end, then missed the front end of a 1-and-1. Aaron Craft made two free throws, but Burke ran the clock down to 11 seconds before hitting a game-clinching runner high off the backboard. Burke also finished with five assists. Ohio State finished 19 of 49 from the field (39 percent) and 3 of 16 (19 percent) from 3-point range. Thomas was the only player to connect from deep, going 3 for 6. Michigan went 3 of 13 from beyond the arc, with Hardaway hitting both of his attempts.

AIRSHOW-Travellers want to fly more, but greener LONDON (Reuters) - Over 60 percent of people worldwide want to fly more by 2050, but almost all - 96 percent - believe aircraft need to be more environmentally efficient, according to a study from aircraft-maker Airbus. With findings drawn from a 10,000-strong survey, the planemaker also consulted with 1.75 million people in 192 countries over a two-year period to better understand the public perception of air travel's future. Released three days before the Farnborough International Airshow, the study indicates that quieter aircraft are important (backed by 66 percent of respondents), while almost 40 percent felt the air-travel experience is increasingly stressful. Respondents' gripes included queues at passport control; slow check-in and baggage collection; sitting on the tarmac; and circling in holding patterns around airports. "Capacity constraints are a sign of things to come unless the industry can work together to cut delays, and with aviation set to double in the next 15 years, that's what we're looking at," Airbus executive vice president, engineering Charles Champion said in a press statement. Airbus, part of European aerospace group EADS, carried out the research alongside development of a "Concept Plane" which illustrates what air transport could look like as early as 2030, though more likely by 2050. The graceful, spaceship-like prototype brandishes long, slim wings; semi-embedded engines; a U-shaped tail and light-weight fuselage. The result, Airbus says, will be lower fuel burn and a significant cut in emissions. Airbus has also rethought cabin configuration, replacing first, business and economy classes with personalized zones. Passengers would be able to stargaze through a transparent wall membrane from "morphing" seats that harvest body heat for power. Champion told Reuters the Concept was built to add to the debate and try to visualize what future flight could look like. We wanted to know if people still wanted to fly - what are the priorities of the generation of today. It was an interesting exercise and enthusiasm for flight has motivated our engineers into designing great new ways to fly in the future. Despite social media and video messaging revolutionizing the way people keep in touch, 60 percent of respondents in the Airbus study did not think technology will replace the need to see contacts face-to-face. "Aviation is the real World Wide Web," Champion said. The world is woven together by a web of flights that creates ever-expanding social and economic networks: 57 million jobs, 35 percent of world trade, and $2.2 trillion in global GDP. Airbus says that more than 90 percent of the 2 billion euros it spends annually on research and development is directed at improving the environmental performance of its aircraft, and points out that a passenger on its flagship A380 uses just three litres of fuel to travel 100km - the same as a small family car. Once it enters service in late 2015, the A320neo's engines will, the planemaker predicts, provide up to 15 percent in fuel savings, while the lightweight carbon-plastic A350 XWB is set to provide a 25 percent step-change in fuel efficiency from its planned early-2014 launch. The aviation industry as a whole has, says Airbus, reduced fuel burn and emissions by 70 percent and noise by 75 percent in the last 40 years. Carbon neutral growth is a target for 2020, with a 50 percent net CO2 emissions reduction by 2050. Half of these savings will come from better air traffic management, says Airbus. In the meantime, the planemaker isn't finding local environmental regulations helpful. Airbus has blamed European Union moves to tackle carbon emissions for the suspension of long-distance jet orders worth up to $14 billion, and has backed China's refusal to accept the EU's emissions trading scheme. Opponents of the scheme, which include the United States and other nations, have called for a unilateral emission-reduction plan from ICAO, the United Nations body which oversees civil aviation, to be agreed by all 191 members.

SPD's Steinbruek to face Merkel next year Germany's Social Democrats have chosen the man who will take on Angela Merkel in next year's General Election in Germany. The SPD has surprised everyone by choosing Peer Steinbrueck, the former finance minister, as its candidate for chancellor, and a formal announcement is expected on Monday. The 65-year-old is known for his abrasive style and quick wit, and is a former leader of North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany's most populous state. He snatches the nomination from under the nose of the previous front-runner, Frank-Walter Steinmeyer, a former foreign minister, but who led the SPD into the 2009 election when the party tumbled to a post-war nadir of 23 percent of the vote. Steinbruek has previously been regarded with suspicion by some of those on the left of the SPD, but his publication this week of proposals for restrictions on the banking sector appear to have silenced some of his critics. More about: Angela Merkel, German elections, German politics, Germany, Social-Democrats

Ask Rick: starting again with Windows 8 I am about to purchase a new laptop and judging by the ads most of the PCs in my price bracket now have Windows 8. I have read that this new operating system takes some getting used to; it has a new layout and things like the Start button been replaced. Until now I have been using Windows XP, so I am worried that I won't be able to cope with the new system, having missed out on at least two generations of Windows since XP. Would I be better off paying to have XP installed on the new laptop? Barry Fields I understand your concern but I think that you will quickly adapt to W8. If you want to ease your way into it there are ways to make it look and work like just XP, Vista and W7. The first thing to do is install a free utility called StartMenu8, which creates a Start menu button and has the option, set by default, to load the conventional desktop display and hide the new Metro Start display. You can call it up at any time by pressing and holding the Winkey button, when you are ready to explore W8 many new features. Windows 8 is also pretty good at running older programs and most mainstream applications can be installed without too much fuss. Of course there are exceptions, and you may find that some elderly peripherals lack suitable drivers but in the main the changeover is proving to be relatively painless.

NYC Gas Post-Storm Rationing Set to End Saturday The first day of the holiday shopping season will be the last full day of post-Superstorm Sandy gasoline rationing in New York City. The odd-even license plate system is set to end at 6 a.m. Mayor Michael Bloomberg issued a news release Friday confirming the restriction would expire. He says more than 85 percent of gas stations in the city are now running, compared to 25 percent two weeks ago. Under the rules, any given car can be gassed up every other day. The system went into effect in the city Nov. 9, after damage to gas stations and fuel distribution networks led to hourslong lines and fuel shortages. Similar rationing has ended in New Jersey and on Long Island.

Masters 2012: Fred Couples, Rory McIlroy rise with even temperament while Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia search for even keel You can keep your head steady, delay the hit and stay down the line as much as you want but sooner or later (okay, usually sooner), golf isn't about the right swing tips, but the right temperament. And not the same temperament for everyone; one that suits you. As you watch 52-year-old Fred Couples amble cheerfully into the Masters lead, while Sergio Garcia, already a curmudgeon at 32, seems annoyed even though he's only a shot behind after 36 holes, you realize that golf constantly measures parts of our makeup that might stay hidden or unexplored if it weren't for the dastardly existence of this particular sport/game/ addiction/disease/delight. I don't feel too much stress. Obviously there's stress out there. But when [I'm] playing here, I'm not going to let too many things bother me," said Couples, who thinks his competitive spirit suits this place. It's so beautiful. You can't say it's your favorite place [in golf] and then break a club on the fourth hole on Saturday. Garcia has spent a dozen years being hounded for his unfulfilled potential, dogged by bad putting and living down various bratty misdemeanors. As one of the leaders here said - meaning no harm, just stating the case casually like a basic fact of the game - "Sergio could have won so many majors." But the rub of the green, the mud ball, the heckler and the critic all offend and rattle him. Sergio, how important is it to have the right temperament for golf and what is it, from your perspective? "I'll tell you when I find it," Garcia answered after bogeying the 18th hole to fall out of a tie for the lead. I think that's the million dollar question. The right temperament for golf, it doesn't exist. The Guy Up Top probably has it, but anybody else, I don't think so. Would God really play the Devil's game? Garcia hasn't found his state of grace, but others have it - unless they misplace it along the way in a long career. When you see Rory McIlroy shake off a first-hole double bogey on Thursday, then cruise around Augusta National in a composed methodical 71-69 to stand a shot behind Couples and Jason Dufner by the end of Friday's play, you sense that, at 22, he's already as close to being at peace with his game as a young man is likely to attain. "I definitely didn't have a good temperament for golf when I was growing up," said McIlroy, who has described himself as a typical teenage temper case. I was a little temperamental. You learn that being like that can only be a negative thing for you. There's no point in getting upset or really throwing clubs, because it just puts you in a bad frame of mind. It's better just to stay positive and think of the chances you have coming ahead. That's something that I've definitely developed over the past few years.

Egyptians go to the polls Disabled high school student fulfills varsity football dream 17-year-old Will Fahey developed debilitating cerebral palsy shortly after he was born and spends most of time in a wheelchair, but that did not prevent the avid football fan from realizing his high school football dreams. Seth Doane reports.

BBC News - Australia's job growth falls to 19-year low in 2011

Drought summit as rivers in England dry up

New Hampshire to Vote on Bill to Revoke Gay Marriage Law Alexander Cohn/Concord Monitor, via Associated Press Protesters advocating repeal of same-sex marriage demonstrated this month in Concord, N.H. As same-sex marriage supporters celebrate victories in Washington and Maryland this month, they are keeping a wary eye on New Hampshire, where lawmakers may soon vote to repeal the state's two-year-old law allowing gay couples to wed. A repeal bill appears to have a good chance of passing in the State House and Senate, which are both controlled by Republicans. The bigger question is whether they can muster enough votes to overcome a promised veto from Gov. John Lynch, a Democrat. Based on party lines, House and Senate Republicans both have veto-proof majorities. But this is an issue where party allegiance gets muddy. In a state whose "Live Free or Die" motto figures into many a policy decision, even many opponents of same-sex marriage wish the issue would just disappear. Republican lawmakers with libertarian leanings, a sizable group, seem especially unhappy to be facing a repeal vote, as well as those who maintain that cutting spending should be the legislature's sole concern. Both groups appear worried about a backlash from their constituents. Representative Andrew Manuse, a Republican, said in an e-mail that he would support a repeal because he objected to government "using its power to redefine a religious, social and societal institution." But he added, "I really am not focusing on this issue." Should the repeal pass, New Hampshire would be the first state in which a legislature has reversed itself on the issue of same-sex marriage. In Maine, voters repealed a marriage law through a referendum in November 2009, shortly after the Legislature approved it. This fall, a ballot initiative will ask voters to make same-sex marriage legal again. The California Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that same-sex couples there had a right to marry, but voters banned same-sex marriage in an initiative later that year. The issue remains in court. In a recent poll by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, 59 percent of respondents were either strongly or somewhat opposed to repealing the law, while 32 percent said they supported repeal. Representative David Bates, a Republican, filed the repeal bill in January 2011, shortly after Republicans took control of the legislature. But House leaders postponed a vote, saying they needed to focus on the budget. Under legislative rules, the bill must come up for a vote this year, although lawmakers could vote to table it again. A House vote would need to take place by March 29, the deadline for the House to send its legislation to the Senate. Mr. Bates said Monday that he was working on ways to broaden the bill's support in both chambers, like changing or removing a sentence that states, "Children can only be conceived naturally through copulation by heterosexual couples." "I recognize there's things in it that some aren't happy with," he said, "so we're going to change it, get it to a place where as many people as possible are comfortable with it." Mr. Bates dismissed the University of New Hampshire poll findings, saying, "It's just not credible to suggest the people of New Hampshire are the aberration of the nation." A New York Times/CBS News poll conducted this month found that 40 percent of respondents supported same-sex marriage, while 23 percent supported civil unions for gay couples and 31 percent said there should be no legal recognition of a gay couple's relationship. When New Hampshire became the sixth state to approve same-sex marriage, in 2009 - following California, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts and Vermont - it was not an easy feat. The law passed with close votes in both chambers, which were then under Democratic control, and with last-minute support from Governor Lynch, who had preferred civil unions. Since then, about 1,900 same-sex couples have wed in the state. The repeal bill would not invalidate those marriages, but would allow only civil unions for gay couples moving forward. Same-sex couples can currently marry in Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont and the District of Columbia. Lawmakers in Washington State approved a same-sex marriage law this month, and Gov. Martin O'Malley of Maryland is poised to sign one this week, though opponents are seeking referendums to nullify both laws. New Jersey passed a similar bill this month as well, but Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, vetoed it. Meanwhile, voters in Minnesota and North Carolina will decide in November whether to enact constitutional bans on same-sex marriage. Such bans already exist in about 30 states. Mr. Bates said that if the repeal bill failed this year, he would not give up. Governor Lynch is leaving office at year's end, and both Republicans who have entered the race to succeed him support repeal. But Representative Seth Cohn, a libertarian Republican who opposes the repeal, said he thought it would in fact harm the Republicans" chance of staying in power after 2012, whether or not it succeeds. "They want this as an election issue," he said of the Democrats. I think it's going to backlash against the Republicans who, in the face of the polls, are choosing not to believe the average person is O.K. with this situation.

Michelle Obama's Popular DNC Dress Out in December Image courtesy Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images First lady Michelle Obama's buzzworthy custom-made dress that she worn at the Democratic National Convention will be available for purchase December 1. For $398, the sleeveless pink and gray silk Tracy Reese dress will be sold in sizes from 0 to 12. It will be available on the designer's website and at her store in Manhattan. If you want to get ahead of the frenzy, customers can be placed on a wait list by calling (212) 807-0505. SLIDESHOW: Michelle Obama's Best Looks The first lady paired the dress with $245 J. Crew Everly pumps in "Rhubarb." She is frequently seen wearing clothing by the brand. At the Republican National Convention, Ann Romney wore a red pre-fall 2012 Oscar de la Renta shirtdress for $1,990 available at the designer's stores.

DDR Announces 2011 Accomplishments and Guidance for 2012 BEACHWOOD, Ohio, Jan. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- DDR Corp. (NYSE: DDR) today announced a review of 2011 accomplishments as well as its guidance for 2012. Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110912/CL65938LOGO The Company continued to aggressively pursue its long-term strategic objectives during 2011 and made significant progress in upgrading the quality of its shopping center portfolio through its capital recycling efforts, while improving its balance sheet by reducing leverage and extending debt duration. DDR's plans for 2012 are focused on continued growth in net asset value with further balance sheet, portfolio and FFO per share improvement. Daniel B. Hurwitz, president and chief executive officer, commented, "We are very pleased to report another year of significant progress achieving the objectives of our long-term strategic plan, and we are encouraged by the prospects for 2012 and beyond. We remain focused on enhancing our relationships with the industry's most successful retailers, and providing industry-leading transparency and candor to the investment community. Consistent with the Company's 2011 achievements and future prospects, DDR's Board of Directors recently approved a 50% increase in the quarterly common share dividend to $0.12 per share. In 2011, the Company completed approximately $2.8 billion of capital transactions and financing activities including the following: Completed the initial public offering of Sonae Sierra Brasil (SSB) which generated gross proceeds of approximately $280 million. The IPO raised the capital necessary to fund SSB's identified development and expansion pipeline. Sold 9.5 million of its common shares in a public offering generating net proceeds of approximately $130 million. The net proceeds, plus $60 million from the cash exercise of warrants to purchase the Company's common shares by Mr. Alexander Otto and certain members of his family, were used to redeem $180 million of the Company's 8% Class G Preferred Shares. Issued $300 million of 4.75%, seven-year unsecured notes. Refinanced a $550 million senior secured term loan that was scheduled to mature in February 2012 with a new $500 million senior secured term loan. The new term loan has a final maturity of September 2015, and pricing is set at LIBOR plus 170 basis points. Amended its two senior unsecured revolving credit facilities, including the extension of the term of each to February 2016. The pricing on both revolving credit facilities was reduced to LIBOR plus 165 basis points, a decrease of 110 basis points from the previous rate. Completed $270 million of acquisitions of prime shopping centers and $461 million of asset dispositions. DDR's share of 2011 acquisitions was $230 million. DDR's share of 2011 dispositions was $371 million, including the sale of $57 million of non-income producing assets. Reduced consolidated debt from $4.3 billion to $4.1 billion, and extended the weighted average maturity of consolidated debt from 3.9 years to 4.3 years. Paid cash dividends of $0.22 per common share, an increase of 175% from 2010. The Company also achieved the following operational accomplishments in 2011: Leased approximately 11.7 million square feet of gross leasable area. Increased core portfolio leased rate to 93.6%, up 100 basis points from 92.6% at year-end 2010. Increased total portfolio average annualized base rent per occupied square foot by approximately 3.4%. Increased the percentage of net operating income (NOI) generated from the prime portfolio to approximately 89%. Increased total portfolio ancillary income by approximately 24% in 2011 to approximately $54 million. Generated annual same store NOI growth in excess of 3%. 2012 Guidance The Company expects to generate operating FFO per diluted share of $0.98 - $1.04 in 2012. Significant activity assumed in this guidance is as follows: As announced today, the acquisition and associated funding of the $1.43 billion portfolio of 46 shopping centers currently owned by EPN Group (the "EDT Retail Portfolio") in a joint venture with a real estate fund managed by Blackstone. The Company expects to own a 5% common equity interest in the venture, invest $150 million of preferred equity, and continue to provide management and leasing services to the partnership. Refinance maturing unsecured bonds with new long-term unsecured debt, including a new unsecured term loan of at least $200 million expected to close in the first quarter. Refinance maturing mortgage debt with new long-term secured debt, including a new seven-year mortgage loan of at least $100 million expected to close in the first quarter, which will pre-fund future maturities on assets which will be unencumbered. Dispose of $100 million of non-prime assets with net proceeds invested in the acquisition of prime shopping centers. Opportunistic capital raising activity to improve liquidity, further extend debt duration and improve credit metrics. Same store NOI growth of 2.0% - 3.0% with growth disproportionately weighted toward the second half of the year due to the timing of 2011 move-outs and 2012 rent commencements. Year-end core portfolio leased rate increasing by 100 basis points, resulting in a leased rate above 94.5%. Approximately $77 million in aggregate general and administrative expenses. Annual common share dividend of $0.48 per share. About DDR DDR is an owner and manager of 538 value-oriented shopping centers representing 134 million square feet in 41 states, Puerto Rico and Brazil. The company's assets are concentrated in high barrier-to-entry markets with stable populations and high growth potential and its portfolio is actively managed to create long-term shareholder value. DDR is a self-administered and self-managed REIT operating as a fully integrated real estate company, and is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol DDR. Additional information about the company is available at www.ddr.com. DDR considers portions of the information in this press release to be forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, both as amended, with respect to the Company's expectation for future periods. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be achieved. For this purpose, any statements contained herein that are not historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause our results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements, including, among other factors, the ability of the joint venture between affiliates of the Company and Blackstone to successfully complete the acquisition of the EDT Retail Portfolio; local conditions such as oversupply of space or a reduction in demand for real estate in the area; competition from other available space; dependence on rental income from real property; the loss of, significant downsizing of or bankruptcy of a major tenant; constructing properties or expansions that produce a desired yield on investment; our ability to buy or sell assets on commercially reasonable terms; our ability to complete acquisitions or dispositions of assets under contract; our ability to secure equity or debt financing on commercially acceptable terms or at all; our ability to enter into definitive agreements with regard to our financing and joint venture arrangements or our failure to satisfy conditions to the completion of these arrangements and the success of our capital recycling strategy. For additional factors that could cause the results of the Company to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements, please refer to the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date hereof.

NI political week in 60 seconds

Victim of Facebook stalker leapt to her death from rooftop restaurant A former British Library manager who jumped to her death from a rooftop City restaurant was the victim of a Facebook stalker who exposed her westernised lifestyle to her strict Muslim parents, an inquest heard today. Rema Begum, 29, was diagnosed with depression after losing her job following a row with library bosses last Christmas. Her health deteriorated and the once "bubbly life and soul of the party" was unable to leave the house because an internet stalker launched a hate campaign exposing her liberal lifestyle. City of London Coroner's Court heard Miss Begum began to fear she was living an impure life and told friends she was worried she would not go to paradise after her death. On 4 September this year Miss Begum went to Coq d'Argent where she ordered a glass of wine on the terrace of the restaurant. She then leapt to her death. A post-mortem revealed she was not drunk. Police found anti-depressants, a small bottle of rose, a bottle of vodka and a note containing contact details for her next of kin and her address in her handbag. In the days before her death, Miss Begum, who lived alone in Islington, confided in a friend how she was "struggling" to reconcile her Muslim faith and her lifestyle. Avril Atkins told the court an internet stalker had used information from her Facebook profile to send hate mail to her and her parents. Miss Begum was so distressed she contacted the police. Ms Atkins, who works in human resources, said: "Somebody had been sending letters to her parents about her lifestyle and her relationships and she believed they gained access to that information from Facebook." Miss Begum, who had a masters degree, subsequently closed her Facebook account and opened a new one under another name. Her depression began after her contract was terminated following of a clash with her bosses last Christmas, the inquest heard. Miss Begum had also been grieving for a relative. Ms Atkins said: "Towards the end she was having issues with one of her managers. It was causing her a lot of stress. Miss Begum also told her psychiatrist that she felt "guilty" for not living her life "according to her family values and religion," and felt she would be "punished for leading a bad life." The inquest heard she had previously tried to take her own life and had to be saved by her parents. Ms Atkins said her friend was a "very happy, cheerful, up kind of person," but in the days before her death she had become increasingly reclusive. She was prescribed anti-depressants, underwent therapy and was under the care of a community mental health team. In a long phone conversation shortly before she died, Ms Begum confided in Ms Atkins, who told the coroner: "She said she wasn't living a good Muslim life and wasn't going to paradise. I said there was nothing wrong with way she was living her life and her family should be proud of her. Miss Begum's parents, Abdul and Rufia Hakim, did not attend the inquest. The coroner, Paul Matthews, returning a verdict of suicide, said there was "no doubt" Miss Begum was suffering from depression. It was clear she went to Coq d'Argent with the intention of taking "action," he added, and they were "not the actions of something gone horribly wrong." Four people, including Miss Begum, have jumped to their death from Coq d'Argent since 2007.

Bizarre hybrid deep-sea creatures discovered Scientists have discovered a strange and rare hybrid site in the deep sea where two extreme seafloor environments exist side by side, and are home to a parade of weird hybrid creatures seemingly adapted to the hardships posed by both intense environments. Researchers discovered hydrothermal vents and cold methane seeps in a swath of the the deep sea off Costa Rica in 2010, and found a host of unknown species living there. Scientists made the discovery during a dive in the manned submersible Alvin to an area known as the Jaco Scar, where an underwater mountain is moving under a tectonic plate. "The most interesting aspects of this site are the presence of vent-like and seep-like features together, along with a vast cover of tubeworms over large areas and a wealth of new, undescribed species," lead researcher Lisa Levin, of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego, said in a statement. Hydrothermal vents exist where cracks or rifts in the seafloor spew forth volcanically heated, chemical-rich seawater, whereas cold seeps, as their name reflects, are far less intense environments where fluids laden with methane and other hydrocarbons slowly seep out of the seafloor and cover a large area. The team coined the phrase "hydrothermal seep" to describe the ecosystem. Their research is published in the March 7 issue of the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Although researchers had previously sent remotely operated vehicles to the site, the 2010 expedition marked the first time humans ever visited, which proved key to the discovery, Levin said. "It was not until human eyes saw shimmering water coming from beneath a large tubeworm bush that we really understood how special Jaco Scar is," she said. Recent expeditions have uncovered many interesting creatures new to science at hydrothermal vent sites around the planet. Near Antarctica, researchers spied yeti crabs clamoring on the hot volcanic vents, and in the Caribbean, scientists foundswarms of eyeless shrimp.

Dashing hurdler Simonsig faces tough conditions for his long-awaited chasing debut at Ascot His Festival triumph was prefaced by an effortless win at Kelso, and following a long lay-off, it will be interesting to see how he takes to fences. His natural enthusiasm will have to be checked in this new discipline. Act Of Kalanisi, rated 140, looks the principal danger. Ascot officials will be hoping that the course can cope with the constant rain that has fallen in the past 48 hours, particularly with a view to Saturday's important card. Thursday's Exeter meeting was abandoned due to waterlogging, and the Peterborough Chase, originally due to be run at Huntingdon, has now been moved to its third venue, Kempton on Dec 27. Friday's meeting at Uttoxeter has also been abandoned and Saturday's at Newcastle depends on an inspection on Friday morning. So far as Boxing Day's King George goes, officials at Kempton are confident the course will cope with the weather. Junior has been supplemented, while Sizing Europe and First Lieutenant have dropped out. Racing has applauded the announcement that Jockey Club Racecourses is to offer 14 per cent more prize money at its 14 tracks next year, and that the average prize at Cheltenham will be £57,000 per race. But the Gold Cup, with an increase of 10 per cent, to £550,000, still lags behind the John Smith's Grand National, which is just a round of drinks away from £1million.

Backstrom stops 48 shots and Wild blank Bruins 2-0 PAUL, Minn. - Matt Cullen and Chad Rau each scored a goal and Niklas Backstrom made a career-high 48 saves for his fourth shutout of the season to lead the Minnesota Wild to a 2-0 win over the Boston Bruins on Sunday. The Wild won for only the second time in February - their previous victory came Feb. 2 at Colorado. Minnesota went winless in its next seven games, scoring only nine goals during that span. Tim Thomas made 27 saves for the Bruins, who have lost six of 10. Earlier in the day, Rau was called up from Minnesota's AHL affiliate in Houston to fill in for Warren Peters, who received a one-game suspension for cross-checking David Backes in St. Louis on Saturday night. The Twin Cities native responded by scoring his second goal of the season to put the Wild up 1-0 in the second period on a wrist shot from the left circle. Cullen, another Minnesota native, added a power-play score five minutes later for his first goal since Jan. 10. It was Minnesota's first two-goal lead since Jan. 31 it they led Nashville 3-0 before losing 5-4. This time, though, the Wild held on thanks to some brilliant saves by Backstrom. Minnesota doubled its shot total from the previous night against St. Louis - a season-low 13 - by the end of the second period and finished with 29. The Bruins have lost consecutive road games for the first time this season. The defending Stanley Cup champions are 1-10-1 in 12 games against the Wild. Notes: Cullen hadn't scored a power-play goal since Nov. 15. ... The game marked the only meeting between the two teams this season, and Boston's first visit to Minnesota since 2009. ... The Bruins have never scored a power-play goal against the Wild. They went 0 for 1 on Sunday. ... Minnesota placed D Mike Lundin on injured reserve with a lower-body injury before the game. ... Wild captain Mikko Koivu missed his second straight game with an undisclosed injury. ... Sunday was billed as "Hockey Day in America." Rau scored his previous goal on Jan. 21, which was billed "Hockey Day in Minnesota."

Washington lobby shooting suspect pleads not guilty to terrorism WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The suspect in an August shooting at a conservative Washington advocacy group pleaded not guilty on Friday to new charges that include terrorism. The suspect, Floyd Corkins II, was indicted by a grand jury this week on seven new District of Columbia offenses in the August 15 shooting at the Family Research Council. Corkins, of Herndon, Virginia, pleaded not guilty in a brief hearing before U.S. District Judge Richard Roberts. The charges include committing an act of terrorism while armed, attempted murder while armed, aggravated assault while armed, and weapons charges. Corkins is the first person charged under a 2002 District anti-terrorism law. The indictment incorporates his original federal charge of interstate transportation of a firearm and ammunition and District assault and firearm charges, and he has pleaded not guilty to those charges. He told the guard, "I don't like your politics" before opening fire with a pistol, according to court documents. Roberts scheduled a status hearing for December 3 to give Corkins' attorney time to review the new charges. Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Doina Chiacu

China considers rare earth reserve to stabilize prices: paper SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China is considering a national inventory reserve of rare earths in a bid to stabilize prices for the 17 metals, crucial for the defense, electronics and renewable-energy industries, state-backed China Securities Journal reported on Friday. The paper cited government sources saying the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) was looking at strategic buying and selling, where producers buy up surplus supply when prices fall and sell when prices rise. The ministry hopes this will quell large price fluctuations, as seen in 2011. Domestic demand for rare earths tumbled last year after Beijing tightened controls over production and mining and many separation plants closed down after customers retreated from the sky-high prices. But the paper cited market participants, who noted that China's largest producer Baotou Steel Rare-Earth hi Tech (600111.SS) had failed to stabilize prices with a similar strategy last year. They suggested it might be better to root out illegal mining and to oversee rare earth trades through a trading platform, the paper said. China controls 95 percent of the world's rare earths market. Reporting by Carrie Ho; Editing by Michael Perry

Dar the chimp, who knew sign language, dies at 36 ELLENSBURG, Wash., Nov. 26 (UPI) -- Dar, a Central Washington University chimpanzee who learned to use American Sign Language, died at the age of 36, officials said. The chimp died Saturday of unknown causes, KING-TV, Seattle, reported. "Dar signed throughout his life, teaching us about friendships between humans and non-humans and the minds of chimpanzees," said Dr. Mary Lee Jensvold, director of the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute at the university. He will be dearly missed. Dar was born Aug. 2, 1976, at Holloman Air Force Base near Alamagordo, N.M. During the early years of his life, Dar was raised in a home, treated like a deaf, human child and became the first chimpanzee to learn human sign language. "Last night I cried my weight in tears over the loss of my friend Dar, but today. more than feeling sad, I just feel grateful," Rozsika Steele, who worked with Dar and other chimpanzees, said in a blog. An autopsy will be performed in the next few days to determine the cause of death, Jensvold said.

Poll: Americans favor stricter gun control laws after school shooting a man and a boy light candles at memorial filled with flowers, stuffed toys and candles across the street from Saint Johns Episcopal Church near Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut following a shooting four days before that left 26 people dead including 20 children on December 18, 2012. PRINCETON, N.J., Dec. 27 (UPI) -- About 15 percent more Americans in 2012 compared to 2011 are in favor of strengthening laws covering the sale of firearms, a Gallup poll indicates. The poll was conducted Dec. 19-22 in the days following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Conn., in which 26 people, including 20 students, were shot to death. Poll results indicated 58 percent of Americans asked said they favored strengthening existing gun laws, compared to 43 percent in 2011. A record-high 47 percent of respondents favor passing new gun laws, up from 35 percent in 2011, the USA Today/Gallup poll said. Support for stricter gun laws is the highest Gallup has measured since January 2004, though it hasn't reached the height of support in the 1990s, the Princeton, N.J., company said. Americans' views on the sale of assault rifles have remained unchanged, the poll indicated. Fifty-one percent of those asked said they oppose making it illegal to manufacture, sell or possess assault rifles, pollsters said. Sixty-two percent of those asked said they favor banning the sale of ammunition magazines with more than 10 rounds and 92 percent stated approval of laws requiring background checks on people attempting to purchase guns at gun shows. Gallup surveyed a random sampling of 1,038 adults by landline and mobile phone. The respondents live in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

Alexander's Pearl of a ride outwits McCoy LUCY Alexander produced another moment for her already impressive scrapbook when excelling aboard Isla Pearl Fisher in the Weatherbys Hamilton Insurance Handicap Chase at Musselburgh yesterday. Just as Tony McCoy looked set for victory on top-weight Blenheim Brook, Alexander produced her mount in the closing stages to snatch an unlikely triumph by a neck. The 8-1 winner is trained by her father Nick, who said: "It's over three weeks since Lucy had a winner and she was more worried about going on the cold list when she arrived here today. I'm very proud of her as this was a lovely ride and she must have passed ten horses from turning in to the straight with four to jump. I didn't give much for his chances down the far side but he's a horse that has ability and we struggled to find a race for him after he fell early on at Newcastle last time. He's won six times now and the dream is that one day he might be a Scottish National horse - he's nine now but I think he's still improving. Nicky Richards-trained Parc Des Princes and Dougie Costello won their fourth race together when the bottom-weight passed 11 rivals in the home-straight to pip Ubaltique from the opposite end of the handicap in the Weatherbys Printing Handicap Hurdle. Costello said: "He's never won for anyone over jumps and he's also won twice on the Flat. He's quite a character and when I said to Nicky he might benefit from cheekpieces, he said "don't you think he's won enough races for you!"" Musselburgh racegoers were given an early Christmas present yesterday with the announcement that admission will be free at this Sunday's meeting. The East Lothian course took the decision to waive admission charges as a festive thank you. Anyone who has already bought tickets online can apply for a refund by contacting the course, while free tickets can be booked at www.musselburgh-raceourse.co.uk. There will be turnstiles open on the day but online booking is advised. Musselburgh's commercial manager, Sarah Montgomery said: "It was a late call in arranging this extra meeting and we hope free entry will draw a bigger crowd and generate a great atmosphere. It's also a reward for our regular customers. Gates open on Sunday at 11am and the first race is off at 12.20pm. Meanwhile, National Hunt legend Kauto Star is to be recognised in the renaming of the Feltham Novices" Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day. Clive Smith's gelding, who has now been retired, managed to win the William Hill King George five times from six attempts on the feature afternoon at the Sunbury venue. The Grade One event, over the same course and distance, will be known this year as The Kauto Star Feltham Novices" Steeple Chase (in memory of Nigel Clark) until approval has been agreed for a permanent renaming of the race. Phil White, Kempton's general manager, said: "It is an amazing legacy that Kauto Star leaves at Kempton Park, his achievements over the past six seasons are second to none and unlikely to be surpassed. Both William Hill and Kempton Park are honoured to mark the esteem that racing fans throughout the nation hold for Kauto Star and we are especially delighted to welcome the superstar back to Kempton Park on Boxing Day this year to let his adoring public wave him a fond farewell.

Suicide attack kills 14 in Afghanistan By Masoud Popalzai, CNN April 10, 2012 -- Updated 0821 GMT (1621 HKT) Three police officers die in the attack Herat province is located in western Afghanistan Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A suicide bombing outside a district administrator's office in western Afghanistan killed 14 people, including three police officers, and wounded 22 others, a police official said. The attack took place in the Guzara district of Herat province when a man in an SUV tried to enter the administrator's office compound, according Saeed Agha Saqib, the provincial police chief. The bomber detonated his explosives when security forces wouldn't let him through. CNN's Mitra Mobasherat contributed to this report.

132 inmates escape from Mexican border prison, officials say PIEDRAS NEGRAS, Mexico - More than 130 inmates escaped through a tunnel from a prison in northern Mexico on Monday, setting off a massive search by police and soldiers in an area close to the U.S. border. Authorities in Coahuila state said the 132 inmates fled the prison in Piedras Negras, a city across the border from Eagle Pass, Texas, through a tunnel that was 21 feet long and 4 feet in diameter, then cut their way through a chain link barrier and escaped onto a neighboring property. Coahuila Attorney General Homero Ramos Gloria said the director and two other employees of the state prison have been detained for an investigation into the escape and are being questioned about possible involvement by authorities at the penitentiary. The prison houses about 730 inmates and the escape represented almost a fifth of its population. The tunnel "was not made today. It had been there for months," Ramos told the Milenio TV station. The prison was not overcrowded, none of our prisons are. We have 132 inmates escaping through a tunnel, and it doesn't make sense. Authorities say they also found ropes and electric cables they believe were used in the break. Federal police units and Mexican troops were deployed to search for the inmates and authorities in Coahuila state offered rewards of up to $15,000 for information leading to the arrests of each prisoner. Ramos said 70 members of an elite military special forces unit had been sent to search for the prison along with federal police. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it was aware of the prison break and officials are in communication with Mexican law enforcement, according to an e-mailed statement. Ramos said in a press conference that police are investigating a shootout 160 miles south of Piedras Negras after the prison break to determine if any of the four people killed were fugitives. He said that 86 of the escaped inmates were serving sentences or pending trials for federal crimes, such as drug trafficking, and the rest faced state charges. Other Mexican states have said in the past that they are not prepared to handle highly dangerous federal prisoners. It was one of the larger prison breaks to hit Mexico's troubled penitentiary system in recent years. In December 2010, 153 inmates escaped from a prison in the northern city of Nuevo Laredo, right across Laredo, Texas. Authorities charged 41 guards with aiding the inmates in that escape. Mexico's drug gangs frequently try to break their members out of prison. Coahuila, where Monday's prison break took place, has seen a wave of violence tied to the brutal Zetas cartel's battles with the Sinaloa cartel, allies of the now weakened Gulf Cartel. Authorities in Coahuila did not say which gang was believed to be behind the escape. Last week, Gulf cartel leader Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sanchez was arrested, leading experts to anticipate an increase in violence in parts of northern Mexico as the Zetas Cartel attempted to take over turf. In Piedras Negras, family members had gathered outside the prison to hear word of their loved ones.

Nevada State Athletic Commission to decide in next 48 hours whether Amir Khan-Lamont Peterson fight is on The light-welterweight rematch between Khan and Peterson is in doubt after the American tested positive for synthetic testosterone. Peterson is presenting paperwork to the NSAC on Tuesday afternoon - late into our night - explaining his side of what has happened to the commission. Boxing promoter Richard Schaefer outlined the details on Tuesday afternoon to journalists on a conference call. However, Khan is not speaking on the subject until the commission has given its ruling either on Wednesday or Thursday. The fighters are due to meet again in the ring on May 19

Today draws more listeners than Radio 1 breakfast show The current affairs show drew 6.94 million listeners over the summer. On Radio 1, ratings for Chris Moyles's show fell to 6.73 million. Overall, Radio 4 achieved its second highest audience figure with 10.85 million listeners tuning in. That was only 9,000 listeners behind its record high in the spring of last year. Chris Evans, the Radio 2 breakfast host, saw his audience drop by 400,000 over the same period but he remains Britain's most popular morning DJ with 8.55 million listeners. The poor figures for Moyles came in his final months at Radio 1. The 38-year-old DJ was regarded as too old for the youth-driven station and he was replaced by Nick Grimshaw, 27. Moyles is currently appearing as King Herod in Andrew Lloyd Webber's touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar. The Archers, Radio 4"s rural soap, appears to have recovered from a ratings slump earlier this year. Listener figures fell to 4.63 million in the spring as fans reacted with dismay to sensational storylines. In June to September, the audience jumped to 4.85 million, according to figures published yesterday by the industry body Rajar.

Diabetes 'to cost sixth of NHS budget' Diabetes will cost the NHS more than a sixth of its entire budget by 2035, a report has found. The disease and its complications account for 10 per cent (£9.8 billion) of NHS spending, but this is projected to rise to £16.9 billion over the next 25 years, or 17 per cent of the health service's funds. Researchers at the York Health Economic Consortium, in partnership with charities Diabetes UK, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Sanofi Diabetes, also found that up to four-fifths of the cost of treating complications such as kidney failure, nerve damage, and amputation could be avoided by investing in better preventative measures and management of the condition once it is acquired. The Impact Diabetes report, which appeared in the Diabetic Medicine journal, also considered the indirect costs to individuals living with the condition, including those related to increased death and illness, the loss of income from stopping work, and the need for informal care. It found the total associated with these extra burdens in addition to direct patient care in the UK stands at £23.7 billion and is predicted to rise to £39.8 billion by 2035/36, emphasising the human and financial incentives to better manage the disease. There are around 3.8 million people living with diabetes in the UK and this is expected to increase to 6.25 million in just over two decades. Barbara Young, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said: "This report shows that without urgent action, the already huge sums of money being spent on treating diabetes will rise to unsustainable levels that threaten to bankrupt the NHS. But the most shocking part of this report is the finding that almost four-fifths of NHS diabetes spending goes on treating complications that in many cases could have been prevented. The failure to do more to prevent these complications is both a tragedy for the people involved and a damning indictment of the failure to implement the clear and recommended solutions. Unless the Government and the NHS start to show real leadership on this issue, this unfolding public health disaster will only get worse. A Department of Health spokeswoman said: "We agree that diabetes is a very serious illness and one that has a big impact on the NHS. That's why we are tackling the disease on three fronts. First, through prevention of Type 2 diabetes - encouraging people to eat well and be more active. Second, by helping people to manage their diabetes through the nine annual health care checks performed in primary care. And by better management of the condition in hospital.

Secretary-general of Arab League visits Ramallah RAMALLAH, West Bank, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Nabil Elaraby, secretary-general of the Arab League, made his first visit to the Palestinian Authority capital Saturday and met with President Mahmoud Abbas. Elaraby, the first Arab League secretary-general to go to Ramallah, was accompanied by Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Amr, the Jerusalem Post reported. Four other foreign ministers backed out of the trip, the newspaper said. Wasel Abu Yousef of the Palestinian Liberation Organization accused the United States of pressuring those ministers to stay away from Ramallah. "The U.S. and Israel are imposing an economic blockade on the Palestinian State and are preventing the Arab countries and Western donors from providing Palestinians with financial aid," Abu Yousef said. Unfortunately, these countries have succumbed to the pressure, further intensifying the financial crisis in the Palestinian Authority. Elaraby said after meeting with Abbas that Arab countries have failed to follow through on promises to provide the Palestinians with $100 million a month in aid.

Gordon Brown tops the bill at Holyrood politics festival Published on Friday 22 June 2012 12:00 FORMER Prime Minister Gordon Brown, authors Iain Banks, James Robertson and Louise Welsh, and sculptures by the late George Wyllie will top the bill at this year's Festival of Politics, it was announced today. The festival, which will be held at the Scottish Parliament over two weekends in August, will also include a play about sectarianism, author Alexander McCall Smith and historian Tom Devine debating the most important events in Scottish history, and a roster of cutting-edge Scottish bands playing live. The events have been brought together under the theme "Politics. Culture. Creativity. A Force for Positive Change. Launching the programme today, Presiding Officer Tricia Marwick said: "The Festival of Politics shows the kind of innovation that sets the Scottish Parliament apart from others in engaging both the head and the heart. While debate and discussion remain the bedrock, we have added contemporary art, music and theatre to our programme that continues to push boundaries. This year's Festival of Politics continues to offer an exciting and intelligent addition to Edinburgh's festivals season. We are delighted to be part of these internationally-renowned cultural events. This is the eighth Festival of Politics, but for the first time it will take place on two consecutive Fridays and Saturdays, August 17-18 and 24-25. Gordon Brown will deliver the inaugural Campbell Christie Lecture, named in honour of the former STUC leader and chairman of Falkirk football club, who died last year. It is a free event and will take place in the parliament's debating chamber on August 24 at 4.30pm. Later the same evening, top contemporary writers Iain Banks, James Robertson, Louise Welsh and others will discuss how Scottish writing has reflected politics and society over the last century. Stuart Kelly will chair the discussion, beginning at 6.30pm. Several sculptures by renowned Scottish artist George Wyllie, who died last month, will be on show in the parliament garden. A panel including his daughter, Louise Wyllie, will discuss his philosophy on creativity and his influence on younger generations, followed by a tour of his works. The event on August 17 at 4.30pm is free. The same evening, an anti-sectarian comedy, Singin I'm No a Billy He's a Tim, will explore bigotry and ethnic identity by looking at what happens when a Celtic and a Rangers fan are locked up in a cell together on the day of an Old Firm match. In An Audience with History on August 18, author Alexander McCall Smith and historians Alistair Moffat and Tom Devine will debate what are the most important events in Scottish history, and which historical figures should be included in the Great Tapestry of Scotland's Parliament of our Ancestors panel. Other events include a debate on young people and creativity, featuring Ricky Ross of Deacon Blue and Vicky Featherstone, artistic director and chief executive of the National Theatre of Scotland; an evening with internationally-acclaimed Scottish singer-songwriter JJ Gilmour; a panel discussion on how accessible sport is, including ex-rugby player and broadcaster John Beattie, former athlete and Olympic medallist Liz McColgan, and Kim Atkinson, policy director of the Scottish Sports Association. Former First Minister Jack McConnell will return to Holyrood for a debate on The Power of Small Nations along with Jose Manuel Ramos-Horta, former president of East Timor, and former Canadian prime minister Kim Campbell. Full details of the festival programme are available from www.festivalofpolitics.org.uk

EU recommends settlement with Google BRUSSELS, May 21 (UPI) -- European antitrust regulators said it was in the public's interest to reach a settlement with Google quickly to resolve allegations of market abuse. "I believe that these fast-moving markets would particularly benefit from a quick resolution of the competition issues identified," said Joaquin Almunia, the head of the European Commission's antitrust division. "Restoring competition swiftly to the benefit of users at an early stage is always preferable to lengthy proceedings," he said. Almunia said he had outlined four points for Google to address, including "search results, Google displays links to its own vertical search services differently than it does for links to competitors." The second concern, he said, "relates to the way Google copies content from competing vertical search services and uses it in its own offerings." Third, he said, the way Google delivers search advertisements in a manner in which it is "in de facto exclusivity requiring them to obtain all or most of their requirements of search advertisements from Google. Finally, he said, Google puts restrictions on "the portability of online search advertising campaigns from its platform AdWords to the platforms of competitors." A Google representative said the company was willing to discuss the issue with the European Commission, but that it did not agree with the investigation that concluded Google may have been abusing its dominant position for online searches, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday. The complaints came from companies who alleged Google was not giving equal service to Internet searches. "We disagree with the conclusions but we're happy to discuss any concerns they might have," the company's representative said.

Goodbye, summer! Fall starts Saturday Fall starts Saturday - Science updated 1 hour 8 minutes ago Say goodbye to summer - fall begins on Saturday Autumnal equinox means our days will be getting shorter - and a bit chillier, too Get prepared: It's time to kiss long days and warm weather goodbye and welcome in crisp temperatures and crunchy leaves. The first day of fall, also known as the autumnal equinox, is Saturday. The equinox gets its name from an astronomical curiosity. During both the spring and fall equinoxes, the sun transits directly over the Earth's equator. Day and night are approximately equal length on equinoxes, which is how the days got their name - it means "equal night" in Latin. This year's equinox occurs at 6:49 a.m. EDT on Saturday, the time when the sun makes its pass over the equator. The actual date of the fall equinox varies slightly each year, sometimes falling on the 23rd or 24th depending on the vagaries of our calendar and Earth's slightly irregular orbit. While day and night both last about 12 hours around the equinox, the days will start to shorten in the Northern Hemisphere as winter approaches. That's because the Earth orbits at a slight tilt of 23.5 degrees. When the Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the sun, that half of the world experiences summer while southerners get winter. When the Northern Hemisphere tilts away, the seasons flip. 50 Amazing Earth Facts At the poles, the differences in the length of day and night are so extreme that one or the other completely disappears. At the North Pole, the sun rises during the vernal, or spring, equinox, climbs in the sky until the first day of summer (the summer solstice) and then gradually makes it way back down, setting on the day of the autumn equinox. Living things respond to these light changes, of course, from trees shedding their leaves to animals preparing for hibernation. For the high-attitude-living male Siberian hamster, the changes must be especially noticeable: The rodent's testes swell up 17 times their size from short days to long, part of the changes that allow the animals to time reproduction properly. Seasons matter for humans, too. People with seasonal affective disorder suffer depression in the winter months, likely a result of hormonal changes in response to alterations in sunlight. More bizarrely, scientists have found a biannual trend in Google searches for naughty keywords related to pornography and prostitution. A study published in August in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior revealed that such searches are more common around Christmas and early summer. Other studies have found that condom sales go up during these times and that young people report having more sex. What's not clear is whether this seasonal sex cycle is biological or cultural - perhaps caused by people having extra vacation time on their hands around the holidays and during the summer.

Just looking at chocolate bunnies, caramel-filled eggs and sugary marshmallows may be enough to give you a toothache. If you want to give your family and friends a break from the cavities and calories, here are seven scrumptious non-candy snacks to include in your Easter baskets. Dried fruit Dried fruit is a versatile, healthy way to sweeten the holidays. You can mix and match dried fruits to create your own personalized packs. Dried fruits range from crisp apples or banana chips to soft and chewy dried apricots. More choices include dried mangoes, figs, cranberries and kiwis. These scrumptious snacks add a punch of vitamins and color to your basket. Pretzels Whole grain pretzels offer a healthy crunch to your Easter basket. Replacing candy with pretzels means giving the gift of fiber. While traditional pretzels and pretzel sticks are delicious snacks, you can jazz things up a bit with peanut-butter filled pretzels, yogurt pretzels or a pretzel mix. For a personal touch, try baking homemade pretzels, which you can even twist into the shape of a bunny. Bunny-shaped graham crackers Bunny-shaped graham crackers are a festive and high-fiber addition to your Easter basket. To satisfy the whole crowd, these whimsical little cookies come in different varieties, including traditional honey, chocolate chip, cinnamon and chocolate. You can also find gluten-free versions of these tasty treats. Nut mix Nuts are bursting with both protein and flavor, and a nut mix provides a fun variety snack. You can buy prepackaged nut mixes or create your own medleys wrapped in colorful goody bags. Popular nut choices include walnuts, almonds, pecans, cashews, hazelnuts and pistachios. Simply add the nuts to a small cellophane or paper bag, tie with a ribbon and add to your basket. Pudding cups Sugar-free pudding is a low-calorie alternative to candy, as you can find a wide variety of pudding flavors to suit any palate. From traditional chocolate and vanilla to pistachio and butterscotch, pudding cups will satisfy your sweet tooth without the sugar-induced lethargy. To make your pudding cups extra special, apply stickers or a card to the top flap. If you are a whiz in the kitchen, try making your own homemade pudding, then package each serving in small jam jars. Dark chocolate The holiday may not feel like Easter unless you have at least some chocolate. If you absolutely must have chocolate, opt for dark chocolate. Dark chocolate contains antioxidants, many of which are lost in the processing that creates milk and white chocolate. Although dark chocolate offers some health benefits, include only moderate amounts in your baskets. Vegetable crisps Your healthiest bet would be slicing and packaging fresh vegetables, but if you are running low on time, vegetable crisps are a great compromise. Instead of serving high-fat and nutritionally empty potato chips, choose a low-fat brand of vegetable chips, which provide happy snackers with vitamins A and C. For an even healthier option, look out for baked vegetable chips, which usually cut down on the oil content.

January business borrowing up from year ago (Reuters) - Borrowing by U.S. companies to buy equipment jumped in January from a year ago, though it slid from December's rush to close loans before year-end, and credit quality improved to pre-recession levels, the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association said on Friday. Lingering uncertainty about the European economy is keeping businesses cautious, stuck largely in a cycle of purchases to replace aging equipment rather than for expansion. "New equipment acquisition will gradually and steadily improve," ELFA Chief Executive William Sutton said in an interview. We are in the midst of regaining some of the momentum that was lost during the recession. Overall, we are back to the pre-recession levels of growth. Amid signals of gradual economic and job growth, businesses signed on for $5.1 billion in loans, leases and lines of credit in January, 53 below December's spike to $10.8 billion but 21 percent higher than $4.2 billion a year ago, ELFA said. Economists broadly project steady economic expansion, but the outlook is dogged by significant global uncertainty, Sutton noted. "I've attended several meetings in Washington over the last two weeks where we've talked about manufacturing projections and other economic briefings and projections, and without exception they always bring up that wild card of Europe and not really knowing how that's going to play out," he added. In one sign of slowly mending consumer confidence, the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan's sentiment index, reported on Friday, rose in February to a one-year high. Similarly, the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation, a non-profit affiliate of ELFA, said its confidence index for February, the latest data available, rose to 59.6 from 59.0 in January. "The agriculture sector continues to operate at very high levels and equipment sales and financing are robust," Daniel McCabe, senior vice president of sales and marketing for John Deere Financial in Johnston, Iowa, said in a statement. The construction sector is recovering from a deep recession beginning with increases in the rental fleet portion of the industry. Credit quality measures kicked off 2012 by improving to the best levels since 2006, ELFA said. The group said 1.9 percent of borrowers were late by more than 30 days on their debts, down from 2.1 percent in December and the lowest level since 2006. Charge-offs, which reflect loans unlikely to be repaid, slipped to 0.5 percent after holding at 0.7 percent for three straight months. The rate reached 3 percent as recently as 2009 and has fallen steadily as companies cleaned up portfolios of poorly performing loans, the group said. ELFA's monthly index is based on a survey of 25 member organizations, including Bank of America Corp (BAC.N), and financing affiliates or subsidiaries of Canon Inc (7751.T), Caterpillar Inc (CAT.N), Dell Inc (DELL.O), Siemens AG (SIEGn.DE) and Verizon Communications Inc (VZ.N), among others. Reporting By Lynn Adler; Editing by Neil Stempleman

Carlyle Prices Its I.P.O. at $22 The Carlyle Group priced its initial public offering at $22 per stock unit on Wednesday, below its expected range. The price was down from a range of $23 to $25 that Carlyle had previously disclosed, indicating some potential weakness in investor appetite. But the firm's order book of 30.5 million shares, which was closed on Tuesday night, was oversubscribed many times over, according to people briefed on the matter. Carlyle's new stockholder base is heavily weighted toward institutional firms, with the firm and its advisers choosing to include relatively few retail investors. The pricing on Wednesday follows a long race around the globe by Carlyle executives to pitch potential investors on the offering. The investment firm is expected to begin trading Thursday on the Nasdaq stock market under the ticker symbol CG.

India to launch $35bn of public investments India is to launch a $35bn wave of public sector investment to reverse a decline in the fast-growing economy's growth rate and return it closer to double digits, according to the prime minister's office. The emergency stimulus measures are in response to widespread criticism of policy paralysis in New Delhi and a dramatic fall in economic growth to 7 per cent from an earlier 9 per cent. The government of Manmohan Singh has ordered 17 state-owned companies to use money currently held in reserve to invest in a mixture of infrastructure projects and overseas energy purchases. "They are sitting on piles of cash," said one official of the urgent need to trigger a mobilisation of currently "inactive" resources to boost confidence in the economy, and promote India's energy security. The move is also an attempt to prompt private-sector companies - which have expressed reservations about investing in the domestic market - to follow suit. But some observers have criticised the move as a throwback to the "old formula" of the 1970s when then prime minister Indira Gandhi used public infrastructure spending to boost growth. India's top policymakers are worried about the economy's loss of momentum, and ebbing business confidence after a dismal year characterised by political bickering, high profile corruption scandals and an exit of foreign capital. Companies, like the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, Coal India and the National Mineral Development Corporation, have signed agreements to spend as much as $35bn of their cash or bank balances over the fiscal year starting in April to expand their operations. The sum is almost twice the $19bn foreign direct investment into India in 2011. Among the proposed measures, Coal India, which had a successful initial public offering last year has been asked to "actively consider investment" in allied sectors such as road, railways, waterways and power to improve the transport of coal. Bharat Electronics Limited, a state-owned defence company, is considering a buy-back of equity to utilise its surplus resources. Fast-tracked investments, mainly in the coal and oil sectors, will be monitored quarterly by Mr Singh's own office to prevent backsliding. Of the total, Rs400bn ($7bn) has been identified for investments overseas to buy assets like coal, gas and oil. ONGC has undertaken to spend Rs205bn in foreign investment in the coming fiscal year; Coal India has agreed to Rs60bn. The move by the Singh administration also reflects India's determination to push for higher growth in spite of uncertainty surrounding the global economic recovery and renewed anxiety about the performance of eurozone economies. Senior officials acknowledge that conservatism has gripped the public sector as officials fear repercussions of their decisions - as a result they have been sitting on cash piles and earning high interest rates - should they end in controversy or failure. The result is that they are not leveraging their resources to pursue faster growth. At the same time, corruption scandals, notably in the fast-growing telecoms sector, have widened the distance between the bureaucracy and private sector as top officials fear the spread of "crony capitalism." The outlook for India's economy is clouded by policy inaction, a deteriorating fiscal situation, weak balance of payments and an economic slowdown, say many economists. "The domestic economy deserves a push that can be provided by the government," said Madan Sabnavis, chief economist at Mumbai-based Care Ratings. The focus will be on project expenditure this time to provide a boost to the infrastructure sector. The decision to boost investments by the public sector was taken at a meeting earlier this month between 26 heads of utilities and the prime minister's office. "Public sector investment can provide stimulus to the economy," said an official summary of the meeting. Companies which hold significant cash and bank balances [will] draw up credible investment programmes, and implement them with vigour.

Pa. Groundhog 'Predicts' 6 More Weeks of Winter Pennsylvania's Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his lair to "see" his shadow on Thursday, in the process predicting six more weeks of winter. But, at this rate, that might not be so bad. The groundhog made his "prediction" on Gobbler's Knob, a tiny hill in the town for which he's named about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. Temperatures were near freezing when he emerged at dawn - unseasonably warm - and were forecast to climb into the mid-40s in a winter that's brought little snow and only a few notably cold days to much of the East. Thursday's ceremony is largely that: Phil's prediction is determined ahead of time by the Inner Circle, a group who dons top hats and tuxedos and decides in advance what the groundhog will predict. Organizers expected 15,000 to 18,000 people to witness the furry creature's prognostication ceremony just before 7:30 a.m. This year's crowd was warmer than most. The average early-morning temperature usually hovers around 17 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett was among the spectators this year. Those who couldn't make it to Gobbler's Knob could follow the groundhog on Twitter and Facebook, or watch a webcast of the event on his website. "What started as a small gathering in 1887 has now evolved into tens of thousands of visitors from around the nation and even the world coming to Punxsutawney to participate in this time-honored Groundhog Day tradition," Corbett said. Phil has now seen his shadow 100 times and hasn't seen it just 16 times since 1886, according to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club's Inner Circle, which runs the event.

Sound systems for workouts: reviews Music may be the ultimate performance-enhancing drug. It makes long runs shorter, big hills smaller and hard stuff easier. In fact, studies have shown it can speed your warm-up by raising your heart rate, motivating you to move faster, even enhancing your coordination. On the other hand, wearing earbuds can be dangerous - and illegal - for cyclists and runners because they can seal out ambient sound; in fact, Florida and Rhode Island prohibit headphone use in any vehicle; California, Maryland, and Delaware legally limit their use to one ear. Here's some innovative, sports-friendly sound systems that either get around those legal limitations or stay in place better, making them safer and more convenient ways to feel the beat. Good helmet vibrations O-tus Safe Sounds helmet speakers: Tiny near-ear 15-watt speakers, mounted to a bike or skate helmet by Velcro tabs, that provide stereo sound without sealing out ambient noise. Likes: Effective and safe. Positioned near your ears but not in them, O-tus delivers personal surround sound that no one else can hear, without blocking out nature. I'd never ride with earbuds for that reason, but with these you get the music and the magical sounds of birds crying, snakes slithering through the brush and your partner complaining about the endless, grinding climbs. O-tus and my iPod definitely made a recent five-hour mountain bike ride in the Santa Anas go by a lot faster. It comes with enough extra Velcro stickers for several helmets. Dislikes: It's compatible with an iPod but requires a stereo Bluetooth receiver to work with a smartphone. Price: $42. (951) 252-5780; http://www.o-tus.com A concert while you workout Creanovative Sonicwalk Lightning: Spandex/neoprene shoulder harness for runners that includes two speakers, volume control, a battery and a flashing red rear light. Your phone or iPod fits in a pocket in one of the straps. Likes: It turns you into a running, rolling DJ. Just hope your training partners like your music choices, because they'll hear them 50 feet away at max volume. When the lightweight (9-ounce) product is tightened snugly, your phone or iPod doesn't bounce around and you forget you're wearing anything. The battery is rechargeable by USB, with a claimed full charge of eight to 10 hours. The rear flashing LED red light is extremely visible at night. For cyclists and hikers, the Sierra model attaches to conventional backpack straps for hiking and cycling. Dislikes: Hard to clean. While it's washable after taking out the speakers, wires, battery and control unit, doing so is such a hassle (we couldn't disconnect the wires) that we gave up. It ought to have a zippered compartment for easy removability. I experienced some underarm chafing while running, although my skinny son didn't. Also, you can't see the speakers' on-off light in the daytime, so you can mistakenly drain the battery. Price: $99. http://www.sonicwalk.com or amazon.com Music in a sweatband RunPhones: Headband with two small speakers inside that you connect to a music player. Likes: Comfortable and safe alternative to ear buds. So lightweight (2 ounces, including a 4-foot cord and plug) that you forget it's there. Since the tiny speakers are on top of your ears, not inside, they can't move around or fall out like ear buds and don't block ambient noise. The simple design - a Polartec polyester-spandex mesh tube housing the padded speakers and their wires - allows for easy washing; just open the Velcro-sealed slot and pull them out in seconds. Stuffing them back in takes a minute or two. Dislikes: Threading the speakers into place through the Velcro slot is a minor hassle; a lengthwise zippered opening would simplify the task. Price: $34.95. (877) 838-4790; http://www.runphones.com Stick it in your ear Klipsch Image S 5i Rugged headphones: High-end ear buds with a design that prevents them from falling out and a remote control with big, tactile buttons that are easy to control by feel. Likes: A secure and comfortable fit, great sound quality, a convenient remote and practical phone conversation capability. The angled, mushroom-shaped speaker covers, made of soft silicone, unobtrusively conform to the shape of your ear canal; they didn't come out during several hours of running and mountain biking. No ambient noise leaks in, making for great sound quality. The 2.4-inch-long remote includes a pinhole microphone for hands-free phone calls and three big, tactile, raised volume and phone-answering buttons (+, -, and a triangle for pause; numerous presses give more commands), allowing the phone to stay safely tucked away in a pocket or pack. It comes with four replacement silicone heads and a clamshell case with a built-in flashlight and clip. Dislikes: The remote control only works with the newest iPhone and iPod models. Since it blocks out all ambient noise, it's dangerous for outdoor riding and running, especially on roads. Keep this one for the treadmill. Price: $129.99. (800) KLIPSCH; Klipsch.com Wallack is the coauthor of "Barefoot Running Step by Step" and "Bike for Life: How to Ride to 100." roywallack@aol.com

China-Vietnam row hits energy groups Some of the world's biggest energy companies, including ExxonMobil and Gazprom, have been thrust into the deteriorating territorial dispute between China and Vietnam in the resource-rich South China Sea. Vietnam on Wednesday accused China of acting "illegally" after state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corporation (Cnooc) invited foreign companies to tender for exploration rights in an area that Hanoi says infringes on blocks that it has already licensed to America's ExxonMobil and Russia's Gazprom. Do Van Hau, chief executive of PetroVietnam, the state oil company, told reporters that nine exploration blocks put out for tender by Cnooc on Saturday were "located deeply within Vietnam's continental shelf." A government spokesman said that Cnooc's actions "seriously violated" Vietnam's sovereign rights and should be "immediately cancelled." After investing heavily in its naval capacity, China has become more assertive about its maritime claims in the last couple of years and Chinese vessels have clashed with Japanese, Philippine and Vietnamese ships in contested waters in the South China and East China Seas. Last month Cnooc launched its first deep-sea drilling project in the South China Sea, following domestic pressure on Beijing to uphold its territorial claims. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, which is believed to contain large oil and gas deposits and straddles significant global trade routes. The South China Sea is also claimed in whole or part by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. Beijing's growing assertiveness has worried Washington, as well as China's neighbours, pushing the US to deepen its military and political relations with Vietnam, a former enemy, and the Philippines, a former colony. Analysts and diplomats said that Cnooc's move, which would have needed "sign-off" from the top leadership in Beijing, amounted to a further escalation of the long-running South China Sea dispute. This follows a recent stand-off between Chinese and Philippine vessels at Scarborough Shoal and a renewed war of words between Hanoi and Beijing. Stephanie Kleine-Ahlbrandt, a Beijing-based analyst at the International Crisis Group, a conflict monitoring group, said that tensions were being "raised to a new level." "This signals a change because Cnooc was unable to get approval before for exploration in so many disputed areas," she said. It certainly puts companies exploring in this area with interests in both countries in a very difficult position. Both ExxonMobil and Gazprom have significant business interests in China and Vietnam. China has pressed international oil companies, including BP and ExxonMobil, to withdraw from oil and gas exploration deals with Vietnam, according to industry executives and leaked American diplomatic cables. ExxonMobil said that "sovereignty is a matter only governments can address." Laban Yu, a Hong Kong-based oil and gas analyst at stockbroker Jeffries, wrote in a research note that Cnooc's bidding process had been "commandeered by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to use for political posturing" and that he expected international oil companies to steer clear of the Cnooc tender. Gazprom said that its projects in Vietnamese waters were not part of the disputed area, in line with Hanoi's official position. Hong Lei, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, said on Tuesday that Cnooc's moves amounted to "normal corporate activity" and he called on Hanoi to "immediately stop oil and gas activities that infringe on rights in relevant sea waters." Additional reporting by Catherine Belton in Moscow and Nguyen Phuong Linh in Hanoi

Truck crashes into icy pond in Minnesota A trailer truck slid off a freeway and crashed into an icy pond in the US state of Minnesota on Friday morning. The driver managed to escape to safety and was treated in hospital for minor injuries before being discharged. Rescue teams are still working to remove the truck from the water.

Terminal Reopens After Bag Causes Evacuation Officials say a Minneapolis-St. Paul airport terminal has reopened after a suspicious bag prompted an early morning evacuation. Airport police had evacuated the Humphrey terminal ticketing lobby and closed inbound traffic to the terminal about 5:30 a.m. Friday after a bag set off an alarm when it was scanned by screeners. Airport spokeswoman Melissa Scovronski (skah-VON'-skee) says several hundred people who had not gone through security were sent out of the terminal and across the street. A bomb squad was called and the bag was taken away for examination. Scovronski says the owner of the bag has been identified and is being questioned by airport police. Officials say they don't yet know what triggered the alarm.

Spain Takes Steps to Combat Tax Fraud MADRID - The Spanish government on Friday approved a raft of measures to crack down on tax fraud as part of its efforts to reassure investors that Madrid could replenish the public coffers by bringing to the surface some of the country's hidden wealth. Spain's borrowing costs have soared since early March amid concerns about the government's ability to meet its latest deficit-cutting pledges, as well as worries about its banks" growing reliance on loans from the European Central Bank. Jaime García-Legaz, the Spanish secretary of state for the economy, told the Spanish television channel laSexta on Friday that Spain "would be dead" without the loans provided by the E.C.B. To counter a deepening recession - the second in three years - the government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is hoping to bring into the light some of the revenue buried in an underground economy that was estimated by the previous Socialist government to represent about 20 percent of gross domestic product. The efforts to combat fraud come on top of a €27 billion, or $35 billion, squeeze in the central government's budget this year, as well as regulatory changes in labor markets and other areas. As part of the measures approved at a cabinet meeting Friday, corporate cash transactions will be limited to €2,500, with fines of as much as 25 percent of the value of the transaction levied upon any transfers above the limit. In addition, individuals and companies will face sanctions beginning next year for failing to declare all assets held overseas. "Every day the government is taking measures and launching reforms with the conviction that this situation will change," Cristóbal Montoro, the budget minister, said at a press briefing. The Spanish tax agency said that in its search for fraud, it had been more closely inspecting the circulation of high-denomination notes since 2007 amid concerns that the use in Spain of €500 notes was "much higher than expected and much higher than what should correspond to the economic size of our country." Since its inspections began, the agency said, it has unearthed €1.39 billion of cash transactions made using high-denomination euro notes. Use of €500 notes is believed to have expanded considerably during Spain's construction boom as a way of paying for large - and sometimes undeclared - property transactions or purchases of building materials. Spaniards came to call the €500 notes "bin Ladens" - everywhere and yet never seen. Some economists have estimated that Spain accounted for about a quarter of the €500 notes circulating in the euro zone, though the European Central Bank does not provide a breakdown of issuance by country. The central bank also warns against drawing conclusions about cash circulation in a free-trade economic area. Cayo Lara Moya, leader of the United Left party in Spain, argued during a parliamentary session this week that the government should push for the complete removal from the euro zone of €500 notes, which are the largest denomination used in Western economies. Niels Bunemann, a spokesman for the E.C.B., said "it is not likely that an abolition of the €500 note would do anything to curb fraud or black economy, as it would be easy for criminals to switch to the €200 bank notes for their activities." Juan Carlos Martínez Lázaro, a professor at the IE Business School who has studied the underground economy, said the government's decision to restrict cash transactions "isn't the magic solution but does make it harder to go ahead with a lot of undeclared transactions that now take place in cash." "We are in the painful context of rising taxes and spending cuts," he added, "so it's a very favorable moment to implement any measure that can be explained to people as part of efforts to create a fairer system where all are made to contribute." The crackdown on fraud also coincides with a controversial decision to have a partial amnesty for tax scofflaws, which the government hopes will raise €2.5 billion in additional revenue. Before it came to power, Mr. Rajoy's Popular Party had opposed the idea of such an amnesty, labeling it as unfair, but Luis de Guindos, the economy minister, defended it recently as "an exceptional measure for exceptional times." Mr Lázaro, the professor, said: "A lot of people are angered by this fiscal amnesty on ethical grounds, but my view is that whatever doesn't get collected now will then have to be raised through more tax hikes or spending cuts."

Tourists' captor to hold "guests" until uncle free (AP) CAIRO - The Egyptian Bedouin who abducted two Boston natives and their guide on Friday vowed he would take more hostages of different nationalities if police do not release his uncle from prison. Speaking to The Associated Press by telephone, Jirmy Abu-Masuh of the Tarbeen tribe in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, said the captives would remain safe, but that more would be abducted if his uncle is not released. If my uncle gets 50 years (in prison), they will stay with me for 50 years. If they release him, I will release them," he said of the captives. Tomorrow I will kidnap other nationalities and their embassies will be notified for the whole world to know. Abu-Masuh, a 32-year-old truck driver, said the American man, 61, and woman, 39, were treated as "guests" and given tea, coffee and a traditional lamb dinner reserved for special occasions in Bedouin culture. He said that the man is a pastor from Massachusetts and that he had been allowed to call his wife.a I told them, 'Nothing will happen to you. You are my guest,'" he said. The two Americans could not be immediately reached for comment. Abu-Masuh said they were asleep in his home located deep in central Sinai's rugged mountains. The two Americans were abducted in broad daylight when Abu-Masuh stopped the tour bus they were in with dozens of other tourists along a major road linking Cairo to the sixth-century St. Catherine's Monastery, located at the foot of Mount Sinai where the Old Testament says Moses received the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments. The route to the monastery is a frequent target by Bedouins who abduct tourists to pressure police to meet their demands, which is usually to release of a detained relative they say has been unjustly arrested. While armed, Abu-Masuh said he told the man and woman to get off the bus and took their Egyptian tour guide with them to translate. "The Americans with me are scared, but we were treated well," tour guide Haytham Ragab, 28, told the AP from the captor's phone. Ragab said he is not allowed to use his own mobile phone except by permission from his captor. "I want this solved," Ragab said, his voice quivering. I tried to calm them (the Americans) and tried to calm myself, but I don't know what's to come next. U.S. Embassy spokesman David Linfield said the embassy was looking into the kidnapping and working closely with Egyptian authorities who were doing everything to ensure their safe release. Friday's abduction is the latest in a series of kidnappings in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula over the past year. Abducted tourists are rarely harmed and usually released within days. In February, the AP interviewed two American women from California who say their Bedouin kidnappers gave them tea and dried fruit, and talked about religion and tribal rights. They were allowed to bring their Egyptian tour guide with them. Abu-Masuh said he wants police to release his 62-year-old uncle, who he said suffers from back and heart problems and diabetes. He said his uncle was arrested Sunday on his way to the northern coastal city of Alexandria after refusing to pay a nearly 100-dollar bribe to police who stopped him along the way. The story could not immediately verified. These police are the same traitors of the Mubarak regime. Nothing has changed," he said, referring to ousted leader Hosni Mubarak's widely-mistrusted security forces. Mubarak was toppled in a popular uprising last year partly fueled by anger at police brutality and corruption. "I hate the security forces and honestly they made me hate being Egyptian, too," he said. Bedouins in Sinai, a region that borders the Gaza Strip and Israel, have long complained of state discrimination against them. They say they are never given high-level posts in the military and frequently harassed by police. Many are unemployed and some turn to cross-border smuggling of people and weapons for survival. Security officials said Friday they were working on releasing Abu-Masuh's uncle. They spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. Abu-Masuh said that Egypt's Prime Minister Kamal el-Ganzouri called him personally and asked him to release the Americans "who are guests in our country." He said his uncle called him from prison pleading the same and fearing police might arrest his children or wife to pressure Abu-Masuh. People ask me what did these Americans do to deserve this. I ask, what did my uncle do to deserve this?" he said.

Management Tip of the Day: Start your job the right way BOSTON (Reuters) - Starting at a new company can bring out the same anxieties as starting at a new school as a child. Beyond the "where is the bathroom" question, there are some distinct ways to increase your chance of success, says Harvard Business Review. A new job is stressful. You're not sure what's expected of you or how to prove yourself. Here are three things you can do to increase your chances of success: Plan your own onboarding process. Take responsibility for learning what you need to. Work with your manager to identify people you should get to know, locations you should visit, and products and services you should be familiar with. Give advice. Because you're still technically an outsider, offer your perspective on how the business is run and the key challenges it faces. Do this in a humble way so as not to offend. Get an early win. Set one or two short-term goals that you can achieve early on. These should stem from your unique perspective and experience. Today's management tip was adapted from "Breaking into a New Company" by Ron Ashkenas.

Modern Family: More Likely to Be Multigenerational, Unmarried or Interracial New census data show that Americans are getting more creative in the way they play house. The number of non-family households, those New Girl-like homes where none of the residents are related by birth or marriage, grew twice as fast as family households in the last decade. And more people are living alone now than in the past. There's also been a massive increase in unmarried couples living together, and a pretty steep climb in multigenerational families as well. When people get married, they're also increasingly wedding those from another race. This is not to say that the family unit is no longer the norm. Two-thirds of all homes in the U.S. contain people who are related to each other. A full 87% of Americans live with somebody they're related to. And the married-couple paradigm is still the dominant form of household in the U.S., at a stalwart 48.4% - but it's no longer in the majority, as it was during the last census, in 2000. The ecosystem that is America's living arrangements is becoming more diverse. Most of this people have sensed already, either through experience or through the education provided by such cultural artifacts as Modern Family and Two and a Half Men. But the new Census Report on Households and Families, which was released on April 25, suggests we may be approaching some kind of tipping point, especially in regard to what some folks like to call miscegenation and living in sin. One-tenth of married couples in the U.S. are interracial, a growth of 27% since 2000. Unmarried couples are even more likely to be interracial: 18% of heterosexual couples and more than one-fifth of same sex couples have partners of a different ethnicity. And almost 7 million homes are headed by unmarried couples. LIST: Mixed-Race Celebrities on Race, in their Own Words For all this, however, after married couples, the second most common type of household in the U.S. is the nearly empty one - homes with just one inhabitant. The proportion of singleton households grew from 25.1% to 26. 7% in the last decade. Not all of these people are antisocial or crazy Miss Havisham types; many have outlived their partners and are still independent enough to live alone. In Washington and Atlanta, an eyebrow-raising 44% of households have just one inhabitant. Conversely, in Hawaii, fewer than one-quarter of homes contain just one person, perhaps because Hawaiians are more likely than other Americans to be living with elderly relatives. Almost one-tenth of Hawaiian homes are multigenerational. In Washington it's 3.9% and Georgia it's 5.1%. The growth of unmarried couples who live together has been well documented. Homes headed by gay couples doubled in the last 10 years, but still only represent 0.6% of all households in the U.S. The number of households headed by an unmarried couple grew by 41% over the same duration. But that's now 6.8 million homes, 10 times as many as those headed up by gay couples. The Northeastern states are popular with unmarried hetero couples: in Maine 8.4% of all homes contain an unmarried couple and in Vermont 8.1% do. For unmarried gay couples, it's Washington D.C. They occupy 1.8% of the District's homes, more than double the proportion in any other state. MORE: More Unwed Couples Having Children The other big jump is in households comprised of a single dad and his kids. That's the composition of only 5% of U.S. homes, but it's grown by almost 20% in the last decade. There are still more families headed by a single mom - 13.1% of all homes - but the growth has not been as steep (7%). And in yet another efflorescence of traditional family structure, more homes have become multigenerational in the last decade. The census report writers note that such homes are more likely to occur "in areas where new immigrants live with their relatives, in areas where housing shortages or high costs force families to double up their living arrangements, or in areas that have relatively high percentages of children born to unmarried mothers and where unmarried mothers live with their children in their parents" homes." Hawaii has the most multigenerational homes, followed by California (6.7%) and Puerto Rico (6.6%). MORE: Generation X Report: Men Spend More Time in the Kitchen For some commentators, the trend lines of these numbers are not pointing in a good direction for American society. Indeed there are some worrying figures: in Mississippi and Puerto Rico, at least one-tenth of homes are headed by single mothers with kids under 18. But in nature, any system that can diversify successfully will thrive. The American family unit is diversifying whether anyone likes it or not. It just remains to be seen how successfully.

Syrian Islamist rebels reject West-backed opposition coalition, declare Aleppo Islamic state BEIRUT - A group of extremist Islamist factions in Syria has rejected the country's new opposition coalition, saying in a video statement they have formed an "Islamic state" in the embattled city of Aleppo to underline that they want nothing to do with the Western-backed bloc. The video appears to be a reaction to the Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces, formed Nov. 11 in Qatar to unify groups trying to topple the regime of President Bashar Assad. The coalition is led by a popular Muslim cleric and is seen as a way to counter the growing influence of Islamic extremists in the 20-month old rebellion that has claimed more than 36,000 lives. The statement by 13 radical factions that was posted on a militant website late Sunday suggested the extremist elements -- including the Al Qaeda-inspired Jabhat al-Nusra -- are suspicious of the new coalition. They rejected what they said was a "foreign project" and declared the northern city of Aleppo, where many radical groups have been fighting, an "Islamic state." "We are the representatives of the fighting formations in Aleppo and we declare our rejection of the conspiratorial project, the so-called national alliance," the statement said. We have unanimously agreed to urgently establish an Islamic state and to reject any foreign project. The authenticity of the video could not be independently confirmed, but it was released on a website that carries Al Qaeda and other militant statements. The Syrian uprising started as peaceful protests in March 2011. It quickly morphed into a war that has deepened sectarian divisions in the country. Many of those trying to depose Assad are Sunni Muslims, while the regime is dominated by Alawites, followers of a Shiite offshoot sect. Syria's political opposition has struggled to prove its relevance amid the civil war under a leadership largely made up of academics and exiled politicians. With its relaunch as a new organization earlier this month, it has taken a different tack by choosing Mouaz al-Khatib as its head. The 52-year-old cleric-turned-activist is respected by groups from across the political spectrum and has preached sectarian unity. In Cairo, al-Khatib told reporters the Council will consider the concerns of Syrian factions who have not joined the new umbrella group. "We will listen to our brothers who have not joined this alliance," al-Khatib said after a meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Kamel Amr. "We will keep in contact with them for more cooperation in the interest of the Syrian people," al-Khatib said. Many Syrians, particularly those in the capital Damascus where fighting and demonstrations have been relatively light, fear the Islamic extremists. Jabhat al-Nusra has claimed responsibility for a number of devastating bombings in the capital and other cities, targeting state security institutions and military intelligence branches there. Also on Monday, a Kurdish group has clashed with rebel units in the city of Ras al-Ayn, a Turkish official said. The rare infighting among rebel units comes just days after opposition fighters ousted Assad's troops from the strategic city in northeastern al-Hasaka province along the border with Turkey. At least seven Syrians were injured in the clashes and were brought across the border into the Turkish town of Ceylanpinar, according to an official in the Ceylanpinar mayor's office. The official said one of the injured men later died. The official said the clashes erupted after a group of Kurds marched through Ras al-Ayn trying to hoist a flag of a Syrian Kurdish party. He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government rules that bar civil servants from speaking to reporters without prior authorization. An Associated Press video journalist in Ceylanpinar heard gunfire and occasional shelling coming from the oil-rich city that at is predominantly Kurdish. Tehran started building a $10 billion natural gas pipeline to Syria as part of efforts to boost Iran's energy sector that has been battered by international sanctions. Iran's semi-official Fars news agency said the 1,500-kilometer (900-mile) pipeline will pass through Iraq before reaching Syria. Iran began construction of the first phase of the project involving a 225-kilometer (140-mile) stretch at an estimated cost of $3 billion. The Fars report Monday said the entire project is to be completed in the second half of 2013. The deal was signed between Iran, Iraq and Syria last July. Along with Russia and China, Iran has been an ally of Damascus during the conflict.

6.2 magnitude earthquake strikes Canada The quake, at a depth of about 6 miles, was centred about 50 miles southwest of Prince Rupert, British Columbia, and struck at about 10.29 pm on Monday (0249 GMT Tuesday), the USGS said. The quake was not expected to generate a tsunami, the USGS's Alaska Tsunami Warning Center said in a statement. A tsunami warning was issued for Hawaii after a magnitude 7.7 quake hit off the coast of British Columbia late on Saturday. That tsunami advisory was cancelled early on Sunday after smaller than anticipated waves reached the US island group in the Pacific without causing any major damage. Thousands of people in Hawaii had fled to higher ground before the warning was cancelled.

Start-Up Nicira Plans to Disrupt Networking Giants If you think computers are big now, just wait. Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Amazon already turn millions of computer servers into single "clouds" of super machines, shipping everything from cat videos and e-mail to President Obama's recent chat on Google Plus. Millions of machines figure out what to sell you while you browse the Web. These global systems work only because of something called virtualization, a kind of software that tricks one server into doing tasks of several. The cost savings and flexibility have revolutionized the server business, because virtualized machines can run on cheap semiconductors. High-end networking gear still ties together most data centers, however. Managing data traffic is tougher than mere computation. Now a small company called Nicira along with a few other scrappy players are pursuing what is called software-defined networking. Software-defined networking is similar to server virtualization, and it is quite likely to be bad news for networking giants like Cisco and Juniper. If proprietary systems can be blended, and cheap chips used in place of custom ships, prices for the gear will likely drop. Nicira says it offers savings of up to $37 million in a facility with 40,000 servers, and cost reductions of 50 percent in setting up the fastest networks. Customers, including big phone companies, large Internet service providers and computer makers, think they can exceed even Google's data center efficiencies. "Extremely powerful computing is going to get cheaper and cheaper and cheaper," says Lew Moorman, the president of Rackspace, a company with 161,000 customers in its cloud. He's been working with Nicira since 2009. Facebook and Google run their applications at a massive scale; we'll let tens of thousands of companies do whatever they want too, on the fly. He says the real benefit is in the new businesses that will be created. Other Nicira customers include AT&T, which is spending $1 billion a year on its cloud. AT&T hopes software engineers can quickly build new personalized features for 100 million or more mobile phone customers. By interacting with several parts of the AT&T cloud, a customer might be able to send automatic texts to his friends while stuck in traffic. Japan's NTT has used it to automatically reconfigure a computer center's thousands of machines, enabling it to take on the workload of a center disabled by a tsunami. EBay can use it to better manage workloads, or offer new sales applications across its network. Google and Microsoft probably already have some kind of network virtualization for specialized tasks, which they have not shared. With so few players at the top of cloud computing, everyone speaks of their technology in winks. But proponents say that new versions like Nicira will be cheaper, easier to run and open to everybody. Nicira has its own peculiar history with secrets. Martin Casado, the company's co-founder and chief technical officer, began thinking about network virtualization in 2002, when he was contracted to a United States intelligence agency (he can't say which one.) "They needed secure, isolated networks that shared the same infrastructure," he says. Virtualization means you have fewer machines and fewer cables. That is fewer points of entry they have to control. It is tough to do. Networks are supposed to operate in real time, and many computing jobs cannot shift around a data center without manually changing things like security and prioritization. Mr. Casado, who calls network virtualization "the hardest problem I've looked at in my life," returned to Stanford and in 2007 and finished a doctoral thesis on security management in big networks. The government gave Nicira its first $1.5 million soon after. The product took four years of work by Mr. Casado and 20 other Ph.D."s from Google, M.I.T., Cornell and VMWare, a pioneer in server virtualization. They worked quietly, but last spring attracted a burglar who, according to surveillance tapes, broke into the building and walked straight to the desk of Nicira's principal engineer. Nicira says the burglar, who it believes was probably an agent of a foreign government, made off with a low-value testing server. Along with Nicira are a number of start-ups and incumbent businesses that are betting big on network virtualization. One company, called Pica8, has a virtualized switch made with off-the-shelf chips that it says can do the work of a $25,000 Cisco box for $3,000. VMWare, which already sells small-scale network virtualization, works with new switch vendors like Arista on building extremely large data centers. "Nicira is an element we can work with," says Paul Maritz, VMWare's chief executive. There will be tens of thousands of big clouds defined by software, and they'll be easy to set up. Both Cisco and Juniper say that they are already in the network virtualization game, but argue there is still plenty of space for their custom systems. "We have been in the forefront of driving network virtualization and programmability," wrote Ram Velaga, a Cisco vice president, in an e-mail. We continue to evolve those technologies. Juniper is also pushing more software-intensive systems, but like Cisco, it uses custom chips. The incumbents may have a while to contend with the upstarts, thanks to some deep-held loyalties. Despite its long interest in Nicira, Mr. Casado says his old friends in the intelligence community are not yet customers. "They are the most conservative and slow-moving people you can find, as far as technology cycles go," he says with a shrug. Companies like NTT and Rackspace are in a rush.

Steven Nzonzi available for Stoke after appealing against red card Stoke midfielder Steven Nzonzi will be free to face Manchester City on New Year's Day after appealing against his sending-off on Saturday. Nzonzi was shown the red card for an alleged stamp on Southampton's Jack Cork during a thrilling 3-3 Barclays Premier League draw at the Britannia Stadium. Potters manager Tony Pulis was angered by the decision, arguing Nzonzi did not make contact with Cork, and the Football Association have confirmed an appeal has now been lodged. As there are not two working days before Stoke's trip to the Etihad Stadium, the 24-year-old will be able to play in his side's next match. Stoke will have until 1pm on Wednesday, after which a hearing will be held, to submit evidence. If the appeal against referee Mark Clattenburg's decision is rejected, Nzonzi will face a ban of at least three matches. Pulis, who felt Cork overreacted, said of the incident: "Whether the reaction of Cork, who is a good player and a good lad, has influenced Mark, I'm not sure, but Steven certainly doesn't stamp on the player. There was no intent. He's actually planted his leg between his legs, which was quite clever.

Naomi Watts to be honored at 2013 Palm Springs Film Festival Naomi Watts, seen in "The Impossible," will receive an award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. November 19, 2012, 12:42 p.m.

Woman's body found on Costa Concordia The body of a woman has been found on board Italy's capsized Costa Concordia cruise ship, bringing the total death toll to at least 12 people, a spokesman for the rescue workers said. Following Saturday's discovery, it leaves twenty people that still remain unaccounted for. The rescue mission was resumed on Saturday after the liner shifted from its underwater ledge on Friday. The cruise ship struck a rock on February 13 off Tuscany's Giglio island.

Strasburg Fans 13 as Nationals Top Pirates 4-2 Maybe Davey Johnson should hold all his team meetings on days Stephen Strasburg is pitching. The Washington Nationals' manager called a brief meeting to give his mildly slumping club a confidence boost and Strasburg responded with another brilliant performance to lift the Nationals to a 4-2 victory over the Pirates on Thursday. That's a good night to have a team meeting, isn't it? Johnson said with a laugh. Strasburg (3-0) struck out a season-high 13 as Washington snapped a three-game losing streak. "When the stuff's working like tonight, you've got to go out there and just throw it, and it doesn't really matter what you throw," Strasburg said. The performance was reminiscent of Strasburg's electric major league debut against the Pirates nearly two years ago. The former No. 1 pick struck out 14 over seven innings on June 8, 2010, to announce to the baseball world the hype was real. An elbow injury cut short his rookie season and required reconstructive surgery that sidelined Strasburg for a year, and the Nationals have been careful about bringing their ace along slowly. It might be time to take off the shackles. "He thinks he's not throwing hard but the ball's coming out of his hand real quick, and he's also got a good changeup and a good curveball," Johnson said. I mean, he's nasty. Roger Bernadina and Adam LaRoche both homered in the sixth off Pittsburgh's Kevin Correia (1-3) to erase a two-run deficit. Henry Rodriguez pitched the ninth for his seventh save. Strasburg (3-0) lowered his ERA to 1.64 by overpowering one of baseball's weaker lineups. He struck out seven straight batters at one point and for a moment it appeared he was on his way to a record-breaking night. It didn't happen after Strasburg cooled in the later innings, but he made a believer of Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle. "That's a good arm with a kid with a head to work with it," Hurdle said. The progress he's made in a very short period of time at this level is something. The Nationals have been one of baseball's biggest surprises over the first month of the season and began the day in a virtual tie for first with Atlanta atop the NL East. Still, Johnson was so concerned after watching his squad drop three straight - including two to Pittsburgh - he called a meeting a couple of hours before the game. Johnson offered a gentle reminder to his young club that there's no reason to panic, and stressed he wasn't going to let a little dip lead to massive changes. The way Strasburg is pitching, there's no need. Still, Pittsburgh somehow steadied itself long enough in the fourth inning to take the lead behind RBI singles from Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker. Correia lacks Strasburg's power and instead kept the Pirates in it with his precision. He cruised through the first five innings but wobbled just long enough in the sixth to give up the lead. Bernadina led off the sixth with his first home run of the season to put Washington on the board. Ryan Zimmerman walked and LaRoche - a former Pirate who was booed heavily at every turn throughout the series - drilled his sixth homer of the season into the Nationals' bullpen behind the wall in center to put Washington ahead 3-2.

Most expensive NYC apartment sells for $88M NEW YORK - The family of a Russian billionaire has bought a New York City penthouse apartment for $88 million. The Wall Street Journal says the property at 15 Central Park West in Manhattan is now the most expensive apartment in New York. The Journal reports that the price paid was 66 percent above that the previous record sale. The seller was Sanford I. Weill, the former head of Citigroup Inc. It was bought by a trust for Ekatarina Rybolovleva, 22, a college student and daughter of Dmitry Rybolovlev. Rybolovlev, who is now based in Monaco, made a fortune in potash fertilizer. The Journal reports the previous record residential sale in Manhattan was the 2006 purchase of a townhouse on East 75th Street by J. Christopher Flowers, a private-equity investor. The largest condo deal was the $51.5 million purchase of a series of apartments at the Plaza Hotel by developer Harry Macklowe in 2007. Features of the apartment include a wraparound terrace. The Journal says the sale generated nearly $2.5 million in city and state taxes. The brokers' commission: about $3.5 million. The deal closed on Wednesday. Weill previously said he plans to donate the proceeds of the sale to charity.

Swiss scientists plan space "vacuum cleaner" Swiss scientists have announced plans to develop a vacuum cleaner for outer space. Researchers at the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne hope their CleanSpaceOne satellite will be able to start hoovering up debris within the next four years. Two versions are being considered for the first prototype. One is a machine that scoops up debris and then burns itself up. The second is a model that retrieves the debris before ejecting it into the atmosphere. More about: Space mission, Space research, Switzerland

Fordyce Maxwell: On cycle of the year, wheels have fallen off at harvest time ONLY a hunch, but farming attendance at harvest festivals might be lower than usual this year. The All Things Bright and Beautiful and All is Safely Gathered In lines will ring hollow to those who have either come through, or are struggling with, the worst harvest conditions and lowest yields in a generation. For those who believe that sort of thing, the promise that seedtime and harvest will not fail might produce a wry smile; they haven't entirely failed, but for both it is proving a close-run thing in this year of appalling weather, the worst in most respects since 1912. Those trying to feed families on static incomes, falling if the modest rate of inflation is taken into account, might also balk at a harvest festival of thankfulness as food prices, particularly vegetables, potatoes and fruit rise. There could be a lot of competition for whatever offerings are laid at the altar. The price of grain products is also rising. It doesn't do much good to point out to a cash-strapped shopper that grain accounts for only about 10 per cent of the cost of a loaf of bread any more than it does to point out that the cost of barley accounts for about 10p of the cost of a bottle of whisky. It doesn't do much good either for farmers to point out that on average only about 10 per cent of household income is spent on food. That might be true for the higher incomes, but those in the "squeezed middle" are probably spending rather more than 10 per cent. And those in the "squeezed bottom," if that's an acceptable phrase in these troubled times, probably have to spend a considerably greater percentage of their income on food. We could argue about the type of food and fizzy drinks too many buy and advise them on such useful, cheap and nutritious foods as porridge and how to get full value from a chicken, but it's their choice. Wrong and wasteful, but theirs - just as every one of us makes decisions about how to spend our money that often strike others as silly or wrong. We might also ask why a rise in fruit and vegetable prices in Scotland should be a big deal when, according to all surveys, most of the population still fights shy of anything green? But an increase in the price of pies, pasties and takeaway meals has to be considered along with rising meat prices. That's why supermarkets, particularly the struggling giant Tesco as it loses market share and popularity, are unlikely to change their ways - that is, to squeeze suppliers until the pips squeak to provide what their customers want as cheaply as possible while trying to make a profit for shareholders. When money is tight, home-produced supplies variable and quality a problem, the support of big retailers for British farming is tested. I hardly need add that it is also found wanting. Protests, as last week by NFU Scotland about Tesco and Asda for not supporting Scottish lamb, are wasted breath. How long do supermarket bosses need to study "profit and market share" on one side and "support for British farmers" on the other to decide strategy? Exactly, and it's not going to change. Happy days when support for British farmers was unconditional, from shoppers and government, as reflected in the BBC2 series Wartime Farm, which I've watched occasionally in recent weeks. As with any TV series aimed at viewers assumed to have the attention span of a goldfish, there is a lot of gimmickry and wasted effort and time that any genuine wartime farmer would have put to better use, but there are nuggets of new information and "Fancy that" along the way. And the nub of the programme, dear to farmers" hearts, is that the nation did rely on them to produce as much food as they possibly could, almost - the generally unspoken part of the equation - at any cost. Shoppers would pay the price for what rationed supplies they could get and still tended to think of farmers as the good guys. As noted, happy days. Now with vast arrays of food available at any time, in wasteful quantities a wartime generation would boggle at, shoppers demand that it should be relatively cheap and farmers fear - as they have always feared - that home-produced will be sacrificed to imports. Perhaps the recent estimate of a world population of more than nine billion by 2050, up by one third on today, and the Food and Agricultural Organisation's estimate that feeding them will need a more than 60 per cent increase in agricultural production - an increase of almost one billion tonnes of grain and 200 million tonnes of meat annually - will change the gloomy outlook of British farmers. Or perhaps not. Has Abide With Me been sung at a harvest festival? There's always a first time. Congratulations to Andrew Arbuckle, regular occupier of this space, on being presented last week with the Guild of Agricultural Journalists Netherthorpe Award for his outstanding contribution to agricultural communication over more than 30 years. In that time he was also an outstanding councillor and served as an MSP. Well done, that man.

Chiu Yiu Nam - Telegraph On the afternoon of June 8 1982, Chiu Yiu Nam was serving as a seaman in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Sir Galahad, one of five Landing Ships Logistics (LSL) which ferried troops and stores around the islands, and were manned by British Merchant Navy officers and Hong Kong Chinese crewmen. Chiu, as one of the helicopter flight deck party, was also trained in firefighting. In an attempt to outflank Argentine positions, Sir Galahad and her sister ship Sir Tristram had been sent to Port Pleasant, on the south coast of East Falkland, and elements of the Welsh Guards were waiting to disembark when the ships were attacked by five Skyhawk jets of the Argentine air force. Three aircraft dropped bombs on Sir Galahad, one of which penetrated an open hatch, its explosion generating a fireball which swept through the tank deck, where many troops were and where ammunition and petrol were stowed. A second bomb exploded near the galley area, killing Chiu's friend, the ship's butcher, Sung Yuk Fai, and injuring many others. As the stores on the tank deck began to ignite and explode, causing intense local fires, the master of Sir Galahad, Captain Philip Roberts, was reluctantly considering whether to give the order to abandon ship. Chiu, meanwhile, realised that there were soldiers trapped inside. Wearing a protective asbestos suit, he fought his way through the smoke and flames into the bowels of the ship, where he was confronted by scenes of confusion and devastation. After leading out one man, he went back for another. He continued to return, bringing men to safety until he realised that there was no one left alive. Only then did he obey the order to abandon ship. In all, 48 seamen and soldiers were killed and many more badly burned. Of those who survived, at least 10 owed their survival to Chiu. Chiu was remarkably modest about what he had done: on the journey home in the tanker British Test, Capt Roberts quizzed his crew about their role during the bombing of Sir Galahad without discovering Chiu's heroism. It was only later that the Commanding Officer 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, Lt-Col Johnny Rickett (who had disembarked the night before the air attack), interviewed his guardsmen and heard about an unknown rescuer whose identity had been hidden behind a protective hood. Further inquiries revealed that this had been Chiu. He remained reluctant to be recognised officially for his bravery. In 1983, however, he agreed to fly from Hong Kong to London, where the Queen invested him with the George Medal . Chiu Yiu Nam was born in 1949 in Guangdong province, mainland China, and little is known of his background. He represented one of the last generations of locally-recruited sailors (others were from places such as Goa and Malta) who had helped man the Royal Navy's ships for hundreds of years. He retired from the RFA in 1989 for health reasons, and lived quietly with his mother and younger brother in Hong Kong. He declined an invitation to fly to London for the 25th anniversary of the Falklands conflict, but was flattered to receive a handwritten letter from Margaret Thatcher at a reception organised by the local branch of the Royal British Legion. He also met the Duke of York, who visited Hong Kong in 2010, and last year the Earl of Wessex, speaking to both princes through an interpreter. Locally-entered seamen like Chiu do not receive pensions, and when he died he was dependent on monthly financial assistance from the Hong Kong government. His cremation on February 24 was paid for by the Hong Kong and China branch of the Royal British Legion. Chiu Yiu Nam, born 1949, died February 14 2012

Ann Gloag wins battle to extend stagecoach empire By MARTYN McLAUGHLIN Published on Thursday 29 March 2012 00:18 SHE is Scotland's wealthiest woman, whose plans for a bespoke residence near her sprawling country estate incurred the wrath of conservationists and neighbours. But Stagecoach tycoon Ann Gloag, 69, has secured victory in her attempt to build a six-bedroom property near her Perthshire home. Ms Gloag, who along with her brother Brian Souter has amassed an estimated £650m through the transport empire, upset residents near Kinfauns Castle on the outskirts of Perth after she submitted a planning application for the new home. The plans showed that the house, overlooking a pond, would boast a drawing room, study, dining room, and six bedrooms. The proposal led her neighbours to complain that it would ruin their privacy and seclusion, and cause a drop in the area's property values. Forestry Commission Scotland also objected, warning authorities that were the scheme to go ahead, it would ruin an area of ancient woodland. However, Perth and Kinross Council yesterday gave the application the green light, along with plans for a more modest three-bedroom bungalow, to be used for an employee who cares for a member of Ms Gloag's family at Kinfauns. The row over the two homes represented the latest dispute over planning issues at Ms Gloag's estate. Five years ago, the multi-millionairess was at the centre of a test case involving right to roam legislation, winning her battle against the Ramblers Association Scotland and Perth and Kinross Council to erect a fence around a 12-acre area of Kinfauns. As part of the local authority's decision to approve the plans for the new properties, the businesswoman and philanthropist will pay a £12,790 "education contribution" fee as a condition of the planning permission. The money will be used to fund improvements and increase pupil capacity at the nearby Kinnoull Primary School. Nonetheless, the decision will leave some living nearby downhearted. In a statement submitted during the planning process, one neighbour told of how they were "deeply saddened, shocked and upset about the proposal." They wrote: "We understand the need for a carer providing 24-hour call for the castle. However, there must be an alternative which would be less disruptive, less costly and which would minimise the unnecessary development in an area of natural beauty. We have no guarantee of our perfect location remaining and will then have hanging over us the fear that in years down the line we could be living in a housing estate which would definitely devalue our home. Forestry Commission Scotland claimed the building of the large house would cause loss of woodland cover and fragmentation, and said it was in direct contravention of planning policies. However, planning officials, who gave the scheme the go-ahead earlier this month, ruled they could find no reasons to justify refusal and said the properties would not have an adverse impact on their surroundings. A spokeswoman for Ms Gloag said she did not wish to comment. Letters of objection click here to view www2.jpscotland.co.uk/images/letter.jpg click here to view www2.jpscotland.co.uk/images/letter1.jpg

Drone kills 18 insurgents in Pakistan ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Oct. 12 (UPI) -- A suspected U.S. drone attack killed 18 insurgents at a militants' compound in Pakistan's tribal region near its border with Afghanistan, officials said. The strike Thursday was the second in two days in the northwest, considered a haven for Taliban and al-Qaida militants. It followed the Taliban's attempted assassination of a teenage girl who is a human rights activist, Khaama Press reported. The attack was the deadliest since an August 2011 drone strike killed 21 Taliban fighters in the tribal region. The compound was owned by Maulvi Shakirullah, a commander for Pakistani warlord Hafiz Gul Bahadur, a security official told Khaama Press. Bahadur is aligned with the al-Qaida-linked Haqqani network, which has been blamed for a number of high-profile attacks in Afghanistan.

Girl's death 24 years ago haunts quest for justice in reformist Myanmar By Andrew R.C. Marshall YANGON (Reuters) - The first two bullets struck her legs. The third one ploughed through her chest, shredding a lung and drenching her uniform with blood. The death of schoolgirl Win Maw Oo, 16, shot by soldiers during Myanmar's military crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 1988, so torments her family that they have yet to perform the Buddhist rites to release her soul into the afterlife. "We still can't forget her," says Khine Nyein Ei, 30, as she prepares to mark the anniversary of her sister's death on Wednesday. The tears never dry. The authorities haven't forgotten either. Political reform in Myanmar is fostering greater openness about past atrocities but little accountability, especially when the country's still-powerful military is involved. Today, Win Maw Oo's impoverished and long-suffering family remains under police surveillance. Hers is one of many families now demanding recognition for abuses suffered by loved ones under decades of dictatorship. Their struggle for justice could test both the sincerity of President Thein Sein's reforms and the patience of Myanmar's untouchable and seemingly remorseless military. It also runs counter to a political mood of reconciliation promoted by both opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the once-critical Western governments now engaging with a government packed with former generals. The United States and European Union have lifted most sanctions against Myanmar. Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) no longer calls for a U.N. Commission of Inquiry into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Myanmar. Instead, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate wants South African-style "restorative justice," which precludes putting members of the former regime on trial. But unlike post-apartheid South Africa, post-junta Myanmar has no Truth and Reconciliation Commission, where victims and perpetrators of violence can put their country's tortured history to rest. Myanmar's toothless Human Rights Commission is only empowered to investigate alleged abuses committed since its formation in September last year. None of this has deterred the many bereaved relatives yearning for justice and closure. "So many people died in the 1988 revolution," says Khine Nyein Ei. They also had families. It hurts so much to lose a son or daughter or sister. Everyone feels the same way. Her family have turned their one-room shack on a swamp in Yangon's northern suburbs into a shrine for Win Maw Oo. Its thin bamboo walls are decorated with a harrowing image of the schoolgirl taken by an American photographer just moments after she was shot. During their interview with Reuters, the first by the foreign media, two plainclothes police with walkie-talkies loitered outside, reported neighbours. Her mother Khin Htay Win, 59, recalls begging her daughter not to join the near-daily protests in Yangon. Martial law had been declared and the soldiers were expected to be merciless. "If they dare to shoot, then we dare to die," her daughter told her. She was marching with fellow protesters towards the U.S. embassy when the troops opened fire. Everyone scattered, recalls Steve Lehman, who photographed two medics carrying Win Maw Oo's bloodied body to a nearby ambulance. "The military was clearing the streets and had shot many people," he says. I was shocked by how they were killing girls. Yangon General Hospital, where Win Maw Oo was taken, was overwhelmed with dead and wounded protesters. "It was like a horror movie," says Lehman. Thousands of people were killed or injured during the crackdown. The surgeon who operated on Win Maw Oo didn't save her life. But he did buy her time. Her father, Win Kyu, struggled to reach the hospital through streets patrolled by trigger-happy soldiers. He arrived to hear her last words. "Can you promise me something?" she asked. Then she made her father swear not to perform the last rites for her "until you get the democracy we asked for." Then she died. Bodies bearing gunshot wounds were often taken away by the authorities and secretly cremated to hide the death toll. Win Kyu could only retrieve his daughter's body from the morgue after a friendly doctor lied to the military that she had died of bone cancer. On the post mortem report, which the family has kept and laminated, the "cause of death" is left blank. Win Kyu didn't know about Lehman's now-iconic photo until he saw it in a magazine some two years after his daughter's death. "It awoke my sadness again," he said. For years, Win Kyu burned with rage: "Whenever I saw soldiers or police I wanted to kill them." Today, his anger has subsided, but he still bristles at the military's version of events. It labelled his daughter and other protesters "looters," while state-run media still trumpets the former junta's role in establishing Myanmar's "discipline-flourishing democracy." Finding people who disagree with this account is easy in Yangon, where Internet access is widespread and critical biographies of former dictator Than Shwe are discreetly sold at street stalls. Myanmar's democratic progress "has nothing to do with" the military, Win Kyu says. He attributes it to the sacrifices of ordinary people such as his daughter, as well as to Buddhist monks who led the 2007 Saffron Revolution -- another democracy uprising bloodily suppressed by the military. But government soldiers aren't the only ones with blood on their hands. San San Aye's father escaped Rangoon in 1989 to join the All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF), an armed insurgent group formed by activists fleeing the junta's crackdown. He died three years later of natural causes. Or so she thought. Then, in February, she learned that he had been among 107 soldiers arrested and tortured for weeks on ABSDF orders in the early 1990s on suspicion of spying for the government. Her father, Maung Sein, and 37 others were either executed or died from their injuries. The horrific episode - victims were electrocuted, crucified, decapitated and shot - is recalled in a book published in May and freely available in Yangon bookstores. San San Aye, 42, a teacher in northern Yangon, filed a police complaint in August against the seven ABSDF leaders she believes are responsible. She says police in remote Kachin State, where the killings took place, are now investigating. "I know everyone must die one day," she says, struggling to hold back tears. But my father was wrongly accused. I want the truth to be known. The relatives of another ABSDF victim have also filed a complaint, she says. Meanwhile, the family of schoolgirl Win Maw Oo prepare for the annual remembrance ceremony they have held every September, despite intimidation by the authorities. One year, the army parked armoured cars with machine-guns outside their house. Suu Kyi attended the ceremony in 1997, between periods of house arrest. "So many police came," recalls sister Khine Nyein Ei. This year, for the first time, the family will hold a public ceremony in a temple. Permission was granted by the local authorities on condition that no more than 200 people attend. Among the expected guests are celebrated democrat Min Ko Naing, who was jailed for 15 years for his role in the 1988 protests, and Win Tin, who co-founded the NLD with Suu Kyi just eight days after the schoolgirl was killed. Even so, Win Maw Oo's father won't be saying the last rites. He says the "true democracy" she wanted must wait until Myanmar holds its 2015 general election. The NLD is expected to win it comfortably, after a landslide victory in April by-elections swept Suu Kyi and 43 other party candidates into parliament. Even this will not appease Aung Ko Ko, 27, who was just three years old when those three bullets felled his schoolgirl sister. He wants her killers exposed. "They still have to pay for their mistakes," he says.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Thursday against the U.S. Border Patrol seeking to bar agents from making traffic stops, saying people are being pulled over and questioned for the way they look and without reasonable suspicion. The lawsuit stems from tensions between immigrants and the expanded presence of Border Patrol agents on Washington state's Olympic Peninsula, which shares no land border with Canada. Border Patrol spokesman Richard Sinks said U.S. Customs and Border Protection "strictly prohibits" profiling on the basis of race or religion. "In determining whether individuals are admissible into the United States, CBP utilizes specific facts and follows the Department of Justice's 'Guidance Regarding the Use of Race by Federal Law Enforcement Agencies,'" Sinks said. This Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2010 photo shows Israel Ramos Contreras at Forks High School where he goes to school in Forks, Wash. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Thursday, April 26, 2012 on behalf of Ramos and two other plaintiffs, seeking to stop U.S. Border Patrol agents from conducting traffic stops in Washington state. The lawsuit seeks an injunction to bar traffic stops by border agents saying that people are being pulled over without reasonable suspicion. (AP Photo/Manuel Valdes) Close The agency has said it is following its mandate to enforce the country's immigration laws and protect the border and shoreline from terrorists, drug smugglers and other illegal activity. But one of the plaintiffs says Border Patrol agents stopped him numerous times, even though he's a U.S. citizen. Jose Sanchez, a prison guard at Olympic Corrections Center in Forks, Wash., said agents have followed him home and questioned him when he's with his family. In one instance, they told Sanchez they were pulling him over because his windows were too dark, but they didn't ask for his car insurance or registration, the lawsuit says. Another plaintiff is Ernest Grimes, a prison guard at Clallam Bay Corrections Center and a part-time police officer from Neah Bay, Wash. Grimes said a Border Patrol agent pulled him over last year. According to the lawsuit, the agent approached Grimes, who is black, with his hand on his weapon while yelling at him to roll down his window. The agent provided no reason for the traffic stop while he interrogated Grimes about his immigration status, the lawsuit alleges. The third plaintiff, 18-year-old Ismael Ramos Contreras of Forks, was with a group of friends when four agents pulled them over.

Post-Election Violence Persists in East Timor East Timor's president called on security forces to restore peace and order Monday as violence persisted over the runner-up in this month's election being excluded from a new coalition government. One person was killed and four policemen were injured in clashes Sunday in the capital, Dili, and the district town of Viqueque, said police chief Longuinhos Monteiro. On Monday, witnesses said they heard gunshots in a Dili neighborhood and that protesters there were burning tires. The violence started shortly after Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao said his party would set up a coalition with the Democratic Party and Frenti-Mudanca, excluding the Fretilin party from the government. President Taur Matan Ruak met with the leaders of the four main parties as the unrest continued Monday and said at a news conference he was preoccupied with the violence and appealed to people to bring peace, stability and harmony back to the country. Violence is not (the best) way in the democracy. We all condemned the violence and there is no justification at all," said Ruak, a former guerrilla fighter who took office May 20, replacing Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jose Ramos-Horta. Ruak said he was confident to leave Tuesday for Mozambique to attend the conference of Portuguese-speaking countries, given the people's solidarity to maintain peace and harmony. The Supreme Court of Appeals officially endorsed the results of the July 7 parliamentary polls Monday. Gusmao's National Congress for the Reconstruction of East Timor, or CNRT party, won 30 seats in the 65-member assembly. It was seeking to form a coalition with the Democratic Party and Frente-Mudance, which claimed 10 seats between them. Second-place Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor, or Fretilin party, won 25 seats. Monteiro said 16 protesters were arrested in violence that started early Saturday when protesters pelted and damaged Annur mosque, the biggest Muslim place of worship in the predominantly Catholic nation. East Timor was a Portuguese colony for three centuries before a brutal Indonesian occupation that left more than 170,000 dead. It voted overwhelmingly for independence in 1999. Withdrawing soldiers and proxy militias went on a rampage, killing another 1,500 people and destroying much of the infrastructure. The international community quickly deployed U.N. peacekeepers and poured in billions of dollars. But gang violence and splits in the army and police have turned deadly several times and, six years ago, led to the collapse of the government.

Barclays CEO Quits Over Rate-Fixing Scandal (LONDON) - Barclays Chief Executive Bob Diamond has resigned with immediate effect, the latest scalp of a financial markets scandal that has also cost the job of the chairman and sown the seeds for another investigation into Britain's banking sector. The bank said Tuesday that Chairman Marcus Agius would lead the search for Diamond's replacement. Agius still intends to stand down once a new chairman has been chosen, a spokesperson at Barclays said. Barclays" management has come under fire since the bank was fined $453 million last week by U.S. and British regulators for submitting false reports on interbank borrowing rates between 2005 and 2009. Much of that activity originated from traders in Barclays Capital, the investment banking division which Diamond headed at the time. Britain's Serious Fraud Office said Monday that it would decide within a month whether to pursue criminal charges in the case. The government, which has come under pressure to initiate a judge-led inquiry into the sector, has announced a parliamentary committee to investigate what went on and report by the end of the year. "The external pressure placed on Barclays has reached a level that risks damaging the franchise - I cannot let that happen," Diamond said. I am deeply disappointed that the impression created by the events announced last week about what Barclays and its people stand for could not be further from the truth. Barclays shares were up 1.3 percent at 170.7 pence in the first half hour of trading in London, recovering from earlier lows. As well as facing intense media pressure over the past few days, Diamond has seen growing calls for his resignation from the political world. Both Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and opposition Labour Party leader Ed Miliband called for Diamond, a 60-year-old American, to stand down. George Osborne, Britain's Treasury chief, said Diamond had decided to go Monday night. Osborne said he was told by Agius that "the board had come to view that that was the right decision and Mr. Diamond had come to that view." MORE: The Barclays LIBOR Scandal Is a Clear Case for Greater Consumer Protection "I think it is the right decision for Barclays, I think it is the right decision for the country," Osborne said. The bank said Agius, 65, would become full-time chairman and would chair the executive committee until a new CEO is appointed. "Clearly there's a lot more to come from this story right across the sector, but that's a significant scalp to be taken at this stage and now leaves a looming succession issue for the bank," said Mike McCudden, head of derivatives at Interactive Investor. Some analysts had thought Diamond's position was secure because there was no obvious successor in the wings. Diamond said he still intended to face the House of Commons Treasury Committee on Wednesday to give the bank's explanation for the false interest rate reports. Barclays is one of a number of banks which regularly submit estimates of what it will cost them to borrow from other banks. These estimates feed into a calculation of the London interbank offered rate (LIBOR) which is used to determine payments from a range of financial contracts. The London rate, and the related European interbank offered rate, are the benchmarks for over $500 trillion in global contracts, including loans and mortgages. Barclays admitted that it had submitted lower than actual figures on its interbank borrowing during the credit crisis in 2007 and 2008. Several other global banks are being investigated in other countries for similar actions. Last week, Diamond announced that he and three other senior executives were waiving any bonuses for 2012 because of the rate scandal. The financial terms of his departure were not immediately disclosed. His departure came as a surprise. On Monday, Diamond sounded like a man determined to keep his job. In a memo to staff, he said he was disappointed by the misbehavior which led to the massive fines, but said: "It is my responsibility to make sure that it cannot happen again." Diamond built up Barclays Capital into a profit-spinning powerhouse, and scored an important coup during the financial crisis by buying the remains of Lehman Brothers U.S. operations in a $1.35 billion deal. Barclays survived the credit crisis without resorting to the kind of taxpayer bailout which saved Lloyds Banking Group and Royal Bank of Scotland, relying instead on an injection of capital from Qatar Holding, the government-backed investment fund. In January last year, Diamond memorably told a House of Commons committee: "There was a period of remorse and apology for banks. I think that period is over.

Trainer Lukas 'Disappointed' With Peers' Behavior Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas criticized the behavior of a few of his peers Wednesday, saying the actions of a few recent Kentucky Derby winners have tarnished the reputation of his profession. Speaking at Pimlico Race Course, site of Saturday's Preakness, Lukas said, "I'm very disappointed as a trainer that we have the stigma of some of our Derby winners not carrying the banner." He cited Rick Dutrow, who is appealing a 10-year suspension in New York for multiple medication violations, and Chip Woolley, who last year allegedly urinated on slot machines at a track in Iowa. Lukas also mentioned I'll Have Another trainer Doug O'Neill, who won the Derby on May 5 but faces charges of drugging a horse in California. O'Neill has denied the accusation. We've got Dutrow under suspension. We've got Chip Woolley (urinating) on the slot machines in casinos. And now Doug, at least, has some gray area hanging over him," said Lukas, who will saddle Optimizer in the Preakness. Kentucky Derby winning trainer Doug O'Neill talks outside his barn at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md., Wednesday, May 16, 2012 about Preakness Stakes hopeful I'll Have Another. (AP Photo/Garry Jones) Close That bothers me, frankly. I think those guys are all good enough they don't need for there to be doubts. I think they can train horses and not have that problem in front of them. They can do it the right way. That's just the way I feel. I would say that if they were standing right here. Dutrow's Big Brown won the Derby and Preakness in 2008. He sends out long shot Zetterholm in the Preakness. Woolley in 2009 trained long shot Derby winner Mine That Bird, who ran second in the Preakness. Last year, security staff escorted Woolley from the casino at Prairie Meadows Racetrack. O'Neill, meanwhile, has been accused by the California Horse Racing Board for "milkshaking," the illegal practice of giving a horse a blend of bicarbonate of soda, sugar and electrolytes. "We played by the rules and I am vigorously fighting the previous allegations," O'Neill said Wednesday. "I'll Have Another, along with every other horse in our barn goes through an intense physical exam and a blood and urine exam," O'Neill said. We run pure horses. We run a great operation, and anyone who comes to our barn all know that we love the horses and do everything we can to keep them at the top of their game. If I didn't win the Derby, you guys wouldn't be asking that.

Christian Louboutin to open London men's store Red-soled shoe brand Christian Louboutin will open its first UK shop to stock only men's footwear and accessories in London this November. Christian Louboutin will open its first London men's boutique this November, the company has confirmed. The store will be situated on Mayfair's Dover Street, a short distance from the brand's women's boutique on Mount Street, W1. It will stock the largest selection of Louboutin men's shoes and bags in the U.K. READ: Christian Louboutin creates Cinderella's glass slippers The space will be designed by New York-based architects 212Box, the same company behind Louboutin's New York men's store, which is set to open in the city's Meatpacking District in August. Louboutin opened their first men's boutique in Paris last September. His men's designs are favoured by the likes of Kanye West and Tinie Tempah, both of whom have been seen wearing the spiked 'Rollerball' loafers.