Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Indigenous vs. multinationals in Mexico wind power

FILE - In this Jan. 22, 2009, file photo, people watch during the inauguration of a new $550 million wind farm project in La Ventosa, Mexico, located on the narrow isthmus between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean. Mexican President Felipe Calderon has made the inauguration of wind parks one of the main focuses of his administration's ambitious pledge to cut Mexico's carbon emissions by 30 percent by 2020, and once again Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, as he has done before, he stopped in the state of Oaxaca to inaugurate a new clutch of wind turbines. (AP Photo/Mark Stevenson, file)

FILE - In this Jan. 22, 2009, file photo, people watch during the inauguration of a new $550 million wind farm project in La Ventosa, Mexico, located on the narrow isthmus between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean. Mexican President Felipe Calderon has made the inauguration of wind parks one of the main focuses of his administration's ambitious pledge to cut Mexico's carbon emissions by 30 percent by 2020, and once again Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, as he has done before, he stopped in the state of Oaxaca to inaugurate a new clutch of wind turbines. (AP Photo/Mark Stevenson, file)

(AP) ? Mexico is putting up wind power turbines at a breakneck pace and the expansion is pitting energy companies against the Indians who live in one of the windiest spots in the world.

The country is posting one of the world's highest growth rates in wind energy, and almost all of it is concentrated in the narrow waist of Mexico known as the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, where winds from the Pacific meet winds from the Gulf of Mexico, spawning places so wind-blown that one town's formal name is simply "Windy."

The largely indigenous residents of the Isthmus complain that the wind farms take control of their land, affect fish and livestock with their vibrations, chop up birds and pit residents against each other for the damage or royalty payments. They also claim they see few of the profits from such projects.

President Felipe Calderon has made the inauguration of wind parks one of the main focuses of his administration's ambitious pledge to cut Mexico's carbon emissions by 30 percent by 2020, and on Tuesday ? as he has done before ? he stopped by the state of Oaxaca to inaugurate a new clutch of wind turbines, praising the extra income they provide for some farmers.

"Yes, you can fight poverty and protect the environment at the same time. This is a clear example," Calderon said at the opening ceremony.

But as in the past, he did so under tight security, as local protesters threatened to mar the inauguration. The president's office normally publishes a detailed schedule of his planned activities, but didn't do so with Tuesday's inauguration, keeping it under wraps until the event took place.

So far in 2012, Mexico has posted a startling 119 percent increase in installed wind-power capacity, more than doubling the 519 megawatts it had last year, the highest annual growth rate listed in the magazine Wind Power Monthly's "Windicator" index. Mexico had only 6 megawatts when Calderon took office in 2006.

While Mexico, with a total of around 1.3 gigawatts of wind power, is still a tiny part of the world's estimated 244 gigawatt capacity, it offers an insight into what happens when the industry focuses overwhelmingly on large farms dominated by large companies that are concentrated in a small, desirable area.

It has been mainly Spanish firms like Iberdrola, Union Fenosa and Gamesa, and U.S. firms like Sempra Energy, that have built the huge wind towers that now crowd the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, leaving the local population feeling invaded. Only 4 of Mexico's 17 wind farms are located outside the isthmus.

It raises the question of whether bigger is always better.

"We are asking these multinationals to please get out of these places," said Irma Ordonez, an activist from the Zapotec Indian town of Ixtepec, Oaxaca. "They want to steal our land, and not pay us what they should."

"When they come in they promise and promise things, that they're going to give us jobs, to our farmers and our towns, but they don't give us anything," said Ordonez, who traveled to Mexico City in October to protest outside the offices of a Mitsubishi Corp.

Industry sources say the distrust is unmerited, given the potential benefits to the poverty-stricken farming and fishing towns on the isthmus.

The latest battle focuses on a huge, 396-megawatt off-shore wind farm planned for a narrow spit of land in a lagoon near the village of San Dionisio del Mar, Oaxaca.

A source close to the project, who was not authorized to speak on the record, said the project had been approved by village assemblies, would have little impact on fishing activities in the lagoon and would contribute an amount equal to about half the township's annual budget in coming years in compensation and royalties.

But opponents and supporters engaged in a tense standoff outside the town in October, when a group of men blocked roads to prevent a planned demonstration against the wind farm.

Saul Celaya, a Huave Indian farmer and San Dionisio resident, said the lagoon project would damage mangrove swamps where fish, shrimp and other sea life breeds, and scare off the fish that locals depend on.

"Just when they were doing soil studies, there was a mass die-off of fish," Celaya said, adding that projects opponents "are being intimidated, they're afraid to leave their houses, they're threatened."

The industry source denied the company was intimidating anyone, but acknowledged the project had suffered some delays due to disputes within the community.

Others say it didn't have to be this way, big corporations pitting villagers against villagers. There are proposals to have local towns start their own wind farms, so that they could decide where they would be situated and where profits should go.

Rodrigo Penalosa, an activist who supports the town of Ixtepec's proposed 100-megwatt community wind farm, noted that "the community has already approved it. The problem is that the (government) Federal Electricity Commission won't allow the community project to get access to the network.... but it does allow the multinationals access."

Sergio Oceransky, whose Yansa Group is trying to help kick-start the community wind project, said the commission is asking for financial guarantees of millions of dollars "that no community in Mexico could meet."

"These are requirements that are basically designed to ensure that only projects presented by multinationals can compete," said Oceransky, who claims that such guarantees are not required by federal law.

The commission did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

With a limited transmission capacity for the projects, and the last lots of line capacity being auctioned off, the situation is becoming critical; what could be a sterling example of alternative energy production is threatening to become a permanent political dispute in southern Mexico.

"This is the last chance," Oceransky says.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-10-31-Mexico-Wind%20Power%20Debate/id-f6dd7e3a202f474ca205a19e4733a7a4

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Monday, October 29, 2012

Resistance Band Exercises for Triceps | Bodybuilding, Supplements ...



Triceps Extensions

Wrap the center of the band around a stable object above you.
Face the object and grab the handles with your palms facing down. Keep a slight bend in your knees.
Keep your elbows next to your waist and bent at a 90 degree angle.
With your elbows stable slowly pull you?re hands down toward your thighs until your arms are almost straight. Always maintain a slightly bend in your elbows.
Repeat 10-20 times and do 3-5 sets (beginners do 1-2 sets).

Overhead Triceps Extension
Stand on the center of the band with the band running up your back.
Grab the handles and raise your arms over your head. Bend your elbows at a 90 degree angle with your palms facing the ceiling.
Slowly raise your hands up toward the ceiling, keeping your elbows in and upper arms stable. Always maintain a slight bend in your elbows through the entire range of motion.
Repeat 10-20 times and do 3-5 sets (beginners do 1-2 sets).

Incline Triceps Extension
Wrap the center of the band around a stable object at about knee level.
With your back to the object, grab the handles and step forward with one foot. Keep a bend in your knees.
Raise your arms over your head and bent at a 90 degree angle. Keep a bend at the elbows with palms facing up.
Slowly extend your hands up and over your head with your elbows in and upper arms stable.
Repeat 10-20 times and do 3-5 sets (beginners do 1-2 sets).

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Friday, October 26, 2012

Remains of the Day: Skype Adds Facebook Login and Integrates with Windows Messenger

Remains of the Day: Skype Adds Facebook Login and Integrates with Windows MessengerSkype updates with more support for Facebook and the addition of Windows Messenger, FedEx joins forces with eBay for faster and cheaper shipping, a mathematician uncovers a new phishing technique, and Final Cut Pro X updates.

  • Skype 6.0 for Mac and Windows Desktop Skype updated its Windows and Mac clients today, bringing the ability to sign in with your Facebook or Microsoft account without having to create a Skype account first. You can also send instant messages to Windows Live Messenger and Hotmail/Outlook contacts. Support for calls is coming, but not ready right now. [Skype Garage Blog]
  • Great News for Sellers?FedEx Comes to eBay Labels! eBay started rolling out a new feature to sellers today, letting them print FedEx labels at home for quicker at-home shipping. Sellers can also get a discount of up to 37 percent off standard FedEx rates. Right now, the service is only available to some sellers, but will be available to all starting next year. [eBay Announcements]
  • How a Google Headhunter's E-Mail Unraveled a Massive Net Security Hole After getting an email claiming to be from Google, mathematician Zachary Harris discovered a security hole in many sites?including Google, Yahoo, eBay, and others?that let phishers easily spoof any email address from those domains. The main takeaway? Even if you recognize an email address, don't click any links if it seems fishy?and if it's from your bank, always type out the link's URL yourself in another window. [Wired]
  • Final Cut Pro X 10.0.6 Final Cut Pro X continues to improve with a large list of new features in Version 10.0.6. The app now features RED camera support, dual viewers, controls for combining multicam audio, and many more tweaks. You can view the update or purchase Final Cut Pro X from the App Store. [iTunes App Store]
  • Square Arrives in Canada Square, one of our favorite alternatives to PayPal, launched in Canada today. Now, Canadians can buy Square's card reader, hook it up to their phone, and pay their friends or Square-using merchants with a simple credit card swipe. [Square News]
  • Trekking the Grand Canyon for Google Maps The Google Maps team has added the Grand Canyon to their maps and street view, offering more detailed views of the Canyon's hiking trails. [Official Google Blog]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/HpAHOqwRmdg/remains-of-the-day-skype-adds-facebook-login-and-integrates-with-windows-messenger

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Thursday, October 25, 2012

GSA Pro Swing Analyzer | recreation and sports blog updates

New Innovation in golf swing expertise - GSA is the worlds lightest swing analyser with the latest features. GSA Professional Golf Swing Analyser Features Document your golf swing See swing instantly in your android/iphone Ultralight, 9 grams suits on top of grip Download the app and watch your swing What does the app show? Swing arc playback Swing Path Affect force Consistency tempo Club Head speed Again swing time Down swing time Face Angle Attainable ball pace Attainable shot distance Assault Angle Simple To Use The device needs to be plugged at the prime of the grip after which aligned within the correct position. The ap has to be started (Iphone/Ipod/Ipad/Android Gadget) and the club selected to use. When the blue mild is on GSA will document each swing and transmit the information by bluetooth. There is no such thing as a intervention needed from the user after the swing, so its attainable to hit a number of balls with the identical club with out watching the phone.

GSA Professional Golf Swing Analyser Options

File your golf swing

See swing instantly on your android/iphone

Ultralight, 9 grams matches on prime of grip

Download the app and watch your swing

What does the app show?

Swing arc playback

Swing Path

Impression force

Consistency

tempo

Club Head velocity

Back swing time

Down swing time

Face Angle

Attainable ball speed

Attainable shot distance

Assault Angle

Simple To Use

The system must be plugged at the high of the grip after which aligned in the right position.

The ap has to be began (Iphone/Ipod/Ipad/Android System) and the membership selected to use. When the blue mild is on GSA will document every swing and transmit the data by bluetooth.

There is no intervention wanted from the consumer after the swing, so its attainable to hit lots of balls with the identical club with out watching the phone.

After this, the swings will be reviewed. Its as easy as that.

Other Features of the GSA Professional

Analysis and record a variety of different swings

Full swing arc re-play

Fb sharing

Assessment your swing histories

Seamless bluetooth connection

Source: http://recreationsportsupdates.blogspot.com/2012/10/gsa-pro-swing-analyzer.html

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Burglars steal mayor?s chains while he?s in hospital

BURGLARS who ransacked the home of an elderly mayor while he was being treated in hospital have been urged to examine their consciences after stealing his chains of office and sentimental items belonging to his late wife.

The semi-detached home of Mayor of Bridlington Michael Charlesworth, 79, was burgled over the weekend while he was being treated for a suspected stroke.

His safe was stolen, containing the gold mayoral chains, valued at ?15,000, along with his wife Jean?s engagement and wedding rings, and a ring he bought her to celebrate their Golden Wedding anniversary in 2005.

Other items taken include a Salvation Army charity box and two laptop computers containing Mrs Charlesworth?s life story and her husband?s written tribute to her. She died in July 2010, aged 77.

Coun Charlesworth?s grand-daughter Samantha Scarlett, 20, who was mayoress until she began studying law at Leeds Metropolitan University last month, said: ?He might be the mayor of Bridlington but he?s a vulnerable, elderly gentleman and his house has been ransacked. It?s devastating.

?The took the safe and the chains are in there - they belong to Bridlington and they must be returned to the town.

?I just hope whoever has done this realises this is a mistake and they call the police or Crimestoppers so we can get everything back.

?They have taken two laptops, one with everything about the town council on and one with photos of nana and nana?s life story, and grandpa?s tributes to nana.

?If anybody knows anything suspicious, whatever it is, please let someone know.?

Miss Scarlett said her grandfather was aware of the burglary but is recovering well and is in good spirits.

?He says he?s got everything a sailor requires apart from money, which is one of his sayings,? she said.

Anyone with information can call Humberside Police on 101.

Source: http://yp.feedsportal.com/c/534/f/567724/s/24cf8d1c/l/0L0Syorkshirepost0O0Cburglars0Esteal0Emayor0Es0Echains0Ewhile0Ehe0Es0Ein0Ehospital0E10E50A54961/story01.htm

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Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt's Kids Cast in 'Maleficent'

It sounds like Angelina Jolie's star vehicle Maleficent is becoming a true family affair. First Jolie and Brad Pitt's 4-year-old daughter Vivienne Jolie-Pitt was cast as the young Aurora (teen Aurora will be played by Elle Fanning), and now two more members of the couple's famous brood will be in the ensemble as well.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/angelina-jolie-and-brad-pitts-children-cast-maleficent/1-a-496142?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Aangelina-jolie-and-brad-pitts-children-cast-maleficent-496142

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Fox sets viewership record with 3rd debate

NEW YORK (AP) ? The third debate between President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney stands as the most-watched telecast ever on Fox News Channel.

The Nielsen company said Tuesday that an estimated 11.5 million people watched Obama and Romney tussle Monday night on foreign policy on Fox. The network's previous record was the 11.1 million who watched the second presidential debate last week and the Joe Biden-Sarah Palin vice presidential debate in 2008.

Nielsen did not immediately have an estimate on the total viewership for the debate on all the networks that showed it. Those are usually released later in the afternoon.

The debate ran in competition with Game 7 of baseball's National League Championship series and a Monday Night Football game.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fox-sets-viewership-record-3rd-debate-185136907.html

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Federal Register | Radio Broadcasting Services; Randsburg, CA

Effective November 12, 2012.

Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street SW., Washington, DC 20554.

Rolanda F. Smith, Media Bureau, (202) 418-2700.

This is a synopsis of the Commission's Report and Order, adopted September 27, 2012, and released September 28, 2012. The full text of this Commission decision is available for inspection and copying during normal business hours in the FCC's Reference Information Center at Portals II, CY-A257, 445 12th Street SW., Washington, DC 20554. This document may also be purchased from the Commission's duplicating contractors, Best Copy and Printing, Inc., 445 12th Street SW., Room CY-B402, Washington, DC 20554, telephone 1-800-378-3160 or via email www.BCPIWEB.com. This document does not contain proposed information collection requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. The Commission will send a copy of this Report and Order in a report to be sent to Congress and the Government Accountability Office pursuant to the Congressional Review Act, see 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A).

Federal Communications Commission.

Nazifa Sawez,

Assistant Chief, Audio Division, Media Bureau.

For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Federal Communications Commission amends 47 CFR Part 73 as follows:

begin regulatory text

1.The authority citation for part 73 continues to read as follows:

Authority:

47 U.S.C. 154, 303, 334, 336 and 339.

2.Section 73.202(b), the Table of FM Allotments under California, is amended by removing Channel 271A at Randsburg, and by adding Channel 275A at Randsburg.

end regulatory text

[FR Doc. 2012-25941 Filed 10-22-12; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712-01-P

Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2012/10/23/2012-25941/radio-broadcasting-services-randsburg-ca

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Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Energy-sensing switch discovery could have broad implications

ScienceDaily (Oct. 21, 2012) ? Biochemists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have discovered a genetic sequence that can alter its host gene's activity in response to cellular energy levels. The scientists have found this particular energy-sensing switch in bacterial genes, which could make it a target for a powerful new class of antibiotics. If similar energy-sensing switches are also identified for human genes, they may be useful for treating metabolism-related disorders such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

"This discovery adds a new dimension to our understanding of how cells sense and manage their energy levels, which is one of the most important processes in biology," said the study's senior author, Martha J. Fedor, a professor the departments of Chemical Physiology and Molecular Biology and a member of the Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology at TSRI.

The findings are described online ahead of print on October 21, 2012, in the journal Nature Chemical Biology.

A Fuel Sensor

This type of gene-switching sequence is known as a riboswitch because it appears on the strand of ribonucleic acid (RNA) that is first transcribed from a gene's DNA. Unlike other known riboswitches, which have relatively limited functions, this one acts as a sensor for the basic molecular fuel that powers all living cells and controls many genes.

The newly discovered riboswitch detects a small molecule known as adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the standard unit of chemical energy in all known organisms on our planet. Scientists had thought that cells use only large and relatively complex proteins to sense these all-important energy molecules and adjust cell activities accordingly. No one had found ATP sensors among riboswitches, which can alter cell activity at a more fundamental level -- usually by interrupting a gene's transcription from DNA.

Moreover, previously described riboswitches are relatively simple feedback sensors that affect narrow metabolic pathways. Most of them merely sense and adjust the expression rate of their own host gene. "This is the first riboswitch that is known to be involved in global metabolic regulation," said Fedor.

In recent years, the Fedor team had found hints that such a riboswitch could exist. Many RNA sequences with possible riboswitch activity had never been characterized, and several riboswitches in bacteria sense molecules that are closely related to ATP. Fedor and a graduate student in her laboratory, Peter Y. Watson, therefore set out to find bacterial riboswitches that could indeed sense ATP.

Caught in the Act

The task was more challenging than it might have seemed. Watson could not simply expose suspected riboswitches to ATP and see which ones stuck best to the energy molecules. ATP is present in high concentrations in cells, and its interactions with its known protein sensors are necessarily fleeting, low-affinity affairs. Interactions with a riboswitch would be expected to look the same. "Such interactions are really too weak to be detected using traditional methods," Watson said. But he found evidence that an RNA interaction with an ATP-like molecule would occur in a way that allows the brief coupling to be caught in the act -- using a burst of ultraviolet radiation, which can create a strong chemical crosslink between two molecules.

In this way, he discovered a stretch of apparent ATP-binding RNA known as the ydaO motif. Watson performed structure-mapping analyses of ydaO to confirm that it binds to ATP and to determine precisely where it binds. Attaching ydaO to a "reporter" gene, he found that in bacterial cells, the reporter gene's expression level stayed low when ATP levels were normal and rose sharply when ATP levels dropped -- as would be expected if ydaO is really an ATP-sensing riboswitch. Even in unaltered cells of a test bacterium, B. subtilis, levels of the genes that normally contain the ydaO motif rose and fell in the same way in response to changing ATP levels.

The ydaO motif occurs in the large subset of bacteria known as gram-positive bacteria. Across these bacterial species, it has been found, to date, on 580 separate genes. "These ydaO-regulated genes encode proteins that have a wide variety of functions, from cell wall metabolism to amino acid transport," Watson said. "It makes sense that a riboswitch in control of such disparate processes would be responding to a central metabolite such as ATP."

New Possibilities

The finding has basic scientific importance because it is the first known example of a riboswitch that binds ATP; it is also the first known riboswitch that has such broad regulatory functions. "It opens up the possibility that RNA switches are involved in the general regulation of metabolism," said Fedor.

The fact that ydaO motifs serve as "off-switches" for key bacterial genes also makes them a potential target for new antibiotics. "Hitting these riboswitches with a small-molecule, ATP-mimicking drug so that they can't turn on genes that promote bacterial growth and survival could be a viable approach," said Fedor.

Her laboratory will now search for other ATP-sensing riboswitches in bacteria and in higher organisms, including humans. A human ATP-sensing riboswitch, if targeted appropriately by drugs, might be able to alter cell activity in ways that help treat common metabolic disorders. Type 2 diabetes, which presently affects several hundred million people worldwide, is known to feature the improper regulation of ATP levels in cells.

Funding for the study, "The ydaO motif is an ATP-sensing riboswitch in Bacillus subtilis," was provided by the Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology at TSRI.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Scripps Research Institute.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/0xPUbneVCp0/121021133909.htm

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Monday, October 22, 2012

US to aid Beirut bomb probe amid Lebanon violence

Hussam Shebaro / Reuters

A Sunni Muslim gunman with a weapon rides a motorcycle through the streets of Kaskas in Beirut, Monday, after a night of tension.

By NBC News staff and wire reports

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has pledged to help Lebanon investigate Friday's deadly car bombing in Beirut, as parts of the city were engulfed in violence that some observers say heralds the spread of civil war from neighboring Syria.?

She spoke with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati?on Sunday to reiterate U.S. condemnation of the attack - which?killed intelligence chief Brig. Gen. Wissam al-Hassan - calling it "heinous",?State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said.


"The secretary emphasized the United States' firm commitment to Lebanon's stability, independence, sovereignty and security," Nuland said in a statement.

PhotoBlog: Tension on Beirut streets as political crisis deepens

"She noted the importance of political leaders working together at this sensitive time to ensure that calm prevails and that those responsible for the attack are brought to justice,? the statement said.

Protesters rushed the prime minister's office Sunday in Lebanon, ripping up barbed wire and hurling rocks. The situation, which started as a peaceful protest, has become a standoff between protesters and the military. It has also triggered concern that Syria's civil war is spreading. NBC's Stephanie Gosk reports.

Nuland said Clinton and Mikati agreed that the United States "would provide assistance in the investigation of the bombing."

Syria blamed by Lebanese opposition
Opposition leaders and their supporters accuse Syria of being behind Friday's attack, and say Mikati is too close to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Lebanese ally Hezbollah, which is part of Mikati's government.

Thousands turned out Sunday in downtown Beirut's Martyrs' Square for Hassan's funeral, which also served as a political rally. Violence erupted after an opposition leader demanded that Mikati step down to pave the way for talks on the crisis.

"The Syrian regime started a war against us and we will fight this battle until the end," said Anthony Labaki, a 24-year-old physiotherapist.

Mahmoud Zayyat / AFP - Getty Images

Huge blast explodes in a central Beirut street injures dozens, kills at least eight.

Sunday's clashes fed into a growing political crisis in Lebanon linked to the conflict in neighboring Syria.?Israeli news site Haaretz reported that the clashes "raised the specter of the nation once again becoming torn apart by civil war."

A group marched to the prime minister's office, then overturned barriers, pulled apart barbed wire coils and threw steel rods, stones and bottle at soldiers and police.

Security forces responded by shooting into air and firing teargas, forcing the protesters to scatter.

"Lebanon is in the eye of the storm," said Fawaz A. Gerges, head of the Middle East Center at the London School of Economics. "The fact that the protesters came close to storming the parliament shows how deep the crisis of the state is and how weak the leadership has become."

Fire exchanged in southern Beirut
On Sunday night, gunmen armed with rifles and rocket-propelled grenades exchanged fire in southern districts of Beirut, security sources told Reuters, and residents could hear the sound of ambulance sirens.

There were no immediate reports of casualties from the clashes in the capital, but in the northern city of Tripoli a 9-year-old girl was killed by a sniper and several people were wounded in clashes.

PhotoBlog: Violence erupts in Beirut after slain official's funeral

Gunmen have been patrolling the streets in Tripoli, scene of previous clashes between Sunnis and Alawites sympathetic to different sides in the Syria war.

Opposition leader Saad al-Hariri urged supporters to refrain from any more violence.

"We want peace, the government should fall but we want that in a peaceful way. I call on all those who are in the streets to pull back," Hariri said on the Future Television channel.

Sectarian tensions
Sunday's events highlighted how the 19-month-old uprising against Assad has sharpened deep-seated sectarian tensions in Lebanon, which is still scarred from its 1975-90 civil war.

Sunni-led rebels are fighting to overthrow Assad, who is from the Alawite minority, which has its roots in Shiite Islam. Lebanon's religious communities are divided between those that support Assad and those that back the rebels.

Hassan, 47, was a senior intelligence official who had helped uncover a bomb plot that led to the arrest and indictment in August of a pro-Assad former Lebanese minister.

A Sunni Muslim, he also led an investigation that implicated Syria and the Shiite Hezbollah in the 2005 assassination of Rafik al-Hariri, a former prime minister of Lebanon.

Damascus and Hezbollah have condemned Hassan's killing.

NBC's Paul Nassar describes the scene after a bomb killed 8 people in Lebanon Friday.

But mourners at Martyrs' Square on Sunday accused Syria of involvement and called for Mikati to quit. One banner read "Go, go Najib" echoing the slogans of the Arab Spring.

"We came for Lebanon's future," said mourner Rama Fakhouri, an interior designer. "And to show that we will not be scared."

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

More world stories from NBC News:

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Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/22/14608889-us-pledges-to-aid-beirut-bomb-probe-amid-lebanon-violence?lite

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Think about digital assets in your estate plan.

Times have changed a lot when it comes to managing our life and finances.? There was a time when we used to go to the bank and line up to see the teller to pay bills, get account balances, and even to withdraw and deposit money.

For many, we had a drawer or folder with all of our most recent bills.? Today, how much of our personal finances is done in the electronic world.? With the rapid development of smart phones, how much of our day-to-day lives sits in the palm of our hands.?? Not only has this shaped and changed our day-to-day lives, but it?s something we need to think about when planning our estates.

Passwords

If you think about the safety deposit box in estate planning, executors and beneficiaries use to have to figure where to find the key to the safety deposit box.? Nowadays, the keys are the many passwords we have for our banking, phones, computers and other key sites.? Part of estate planning in the new world is finding a method to communicate these passwords to people we trust and who will need them to settle the estate and manage our financial affairs.

Related article: ?Communication is essential in estate planning

I had a great chat with Martin Rochwerg, Estate Planning Lawyer at Miller Thompson in Toronto who deals with issues around digital assets in estate planning on a regular basis.? Rochwerg says ?The biggest problem he sees in Estate Planning is that executors and trustees have trouble finding information.? Sometimes the bottleneck is the passwords to files, websites and even just to get on the computer.?

Rochwerg says he has some clients that keep a sealed envelope at the lawyers office with the will.? This sealed envelope contains all the passwords and information to help the executor find information and settle the estate.

Related article: ?Estate Planning starts by getting organized

Where you keep a sealed envelope or find some other solution, it?s important to start thinking about how to manage all the passwords in your life and figure out how to pass them on to the people who many need them if you are not capable of making financial decisions or if you pass away.

What to do with Social Media

Rochwerg also talked about how social media is impacting estate planning.? What do people want to happen to their facebook, linked in and twitter accounts when they die.

Do people want the site as a means to honor their legacy for a period of time?? Is it OK to notify facebook friends about the death of the account holder through facebook?? Are there liabilities around these issues?

I know my 82 year old father is on Facebook and checks it quite regularly as a means of staying updated on his kids and grandkids.? I don?t have a clue what my father wants with respect to facebook so I better have a discussion with him as the executor of his estate.

And what about my social media accounts.? I am pretty active in social media while my wife is not.? If I were to pass away, my wife would have no clue how to get into my social media accounts.? I better start talking to her as well.? How many of you have never thought of this?? Do you think it?s important?

Loyalty programs and pre-paid cards

The last area that Rochwerg talked about was the area of loyalty programs and prepaid cards.? Rochwerg says there is a very small number of people who are thinking about loyalty programs and how they are dealt with in the estate.? Some people are including them as assets and making sure they go to a specific beneficiary designated through the will.? Most people have not thought about this in any detail.

When I think about my personal situation with my dad and his estate, I don?t know much about what loyalty programs he participates in.? I know he has an Air Miles card because he used it when we went to Boston Pizza but other than that, what does he have? ?How many of these points get lost when someone dies.

Even in my own situation, we have quite a few points.? It would be great if the family took a nice vacation together using those points.? I should let me wife know that?s what I would like the points to be used for if I die.? How would she know if we never had the discussion?

Hard drives of computers

For many of us, our hard drives carries so much personal and sensitive information.? What do we want done with these hard drives when we die?? Maybe you don?t care and maybe you do.? Either way, how would your executors, trustees and beneficiaries know what you want?

The whole area of social media, digital assets and estate planning is evolving at a rapid pace.? Rochweg says ?There is no norm.? Make sure you incorporate these things into your estate plans.? Don?t delay 99% for the 1%.?? This is great advice from someone who sees the good from planning and the bad from no planning.

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Related posts:

  1. Remember the Four Key Components of an Estate Plan
  2. How often should you review your estate plan?
  3. Be aware of putting money into depreciating assets
  4. The Roles of a Trustee for Investing Assets
  5. Financial success come is putting your money into financial assets

Source: http://retirehappyblog.ca/think-about-digital-assets-in-your-estate-plan/

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ARTICLE (2012) Using an iPad to Redefine Roving Reference ...

Joanna Gadsby, Shu Qian, (2012) "Using an iPad to redefine roving reference service in an academic library", Library Hi Tech News, Vol. 29 Iss: 4, pp.1 ? 5.

DOI: 10.1108/07419051211249446 (Permanent URL) Emerald Group Publishing Limited

The purpose of this paper is to describe how Reference Librarians at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County sought to reach students, faculty and staff at their point of need by setting up a mobile reference unit at high traffic locations on campus rather than inside the library building.

Source: http://listrends.blogspot.com/2012/10/article-2012-using-ipad-to-redefine.html

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Obama deserves the chance to fulfill his promises - Editorials - The ...

There?s no telling what Barack Obama might have achieved in his first term if he had inherited a nation unencumbered by a global financial crisis and two wars draining the government?s cash reserves.

Elected on hope and great expectations by people disillusioned after eight disastrous years of the Bush administration, Obama faced an insurmountable task: fulfilling voter?s aspirations with the economy crumbling beneath his feet.

Obama?s first term provided a history lesson on the limit of presidential powers. Without a Congress willing to work together for the common good, one man alone cannot dictate prosperity.

That said, Obama did not help himself by focusing on health care during a period of economic chaos. It was a battle better left for a second term.

Despite the disappointments of his first four years, the president managed several remarkable achievements that in another time would have judged his presidency an unequivocal success.

Among them are saving the U.S. auto industry, reforming Wall Street and health care, redirecting foreign policy to fit modern times, pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq and hunting down Osama Bin Laden, and abolishing the ?don?t ask, don?t tell? policy of the military.

Many other presidents have achieved far less, even in two terms.

Although he hasn?t lived up to arguably unrealistic expectations, Obama deserves a second term unfettered by circumstances beyond his control.

Obama is a better choice than Republican Mitt Romney, who would return the U.S. to policies that helped create trouble at home and around the world.

Romney?s saber-rattling over Israel and the Middle East are worrisome, and his promise to pick a fight with China on his first day in office might lead to unfortunate consequences.

On a tour last summer to showcase his foreign policy skills, Romney failed miserably. He offended our British allies over the summer Olympics and went on to make gaffes in every county he visited.

Romney?s apparent willingness to use force, perhaps engaging the U.S. troops in new wars overseas, is disconcerting. Obama has appropriately refused to let Israel cajole us into a war with Iran, but Romney?s team has expressed willingness to join an Israeli strike.

Obama must do more to curtail federal spending. In a second term, the president must generate bipartisan support for a long-term plan that brings down the national debt in predictable measures. The Romney-Ryan plan of assaulting Social Security and Medicare, while giving defense spending a pass, will not help America?s middle class move forward.

Obama is more likely to lead the nation toward a sustainable and futuristic approach to clean energy.

While Obama promotes alternative energy sources, Romney advocates opening up as much of America to drilling as possible. He wants to drill in more offshore locations, and exploit more federal land.

Romney says the government should not pick winners and losers in the energy field ? a critical reference to federal grants to failed solar power projects under Obama ? but he would continue the existing sweetheart deals to oil, gas, coal and nuclear producers. A Romney government would still pick winners, just different ones than Obama.

Obama and the first lady have made education reform a priority, promoting charter schools and placing a national focus on the important role of community and technical colleges.

The Romney-Ryan ticket is full of promise, too, but is woefully short on specifics. To change course so dramatically now presents an unacceptable risk.

The president should be given the opportunity fulfill the greatness anticipated by Americans four years ago. With a recovering economy and the withdrawal from foreign wars within his control, perhaps the expectations his presidency inspired will be within his reach.

Source: http://www.theolympian.com/2012/10/22/2293304/obama-deserves-the-chance-to-fulfill.html

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Algam, the Beastlands

Spelheim: The First Magewar

In a realm of magic, war rages. Will the continent be consumed by strife, or will the people unite against the greater danger?

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Algam: Sile and Kanloi

Landscape
Algam is a union of two people with a long history of cooperation: Sile and Kanloi. Humans refer to Algam as the Beastlands. Algam is bordered in the north by the eastern range of the Teeth, but the mountains are more craggy here than in Id-Heren, and not as tall. Dragons have not been seen for centuries. Rivers flow from the Teeth, irrigating Algam?s lush forests.

The vast majority of Algam?s earth is covered with trees. Sunlight struggles to pierce the forest?s dense ceiling of leaves. Plant life grows wildly here, with trees that possess trunks wider than three men could span, and fruits the size a small family could not hope to finish. Wildlife trails appear and disappear sporadically, confusing even experienced trackers.

To the east of Algam lies the Desert, a magical wasteland. Even though rivers run through it, very few plants grow. People grow ill if they wander here for extended periods of time, and criminals are sent out into the sands to die. The Desert seems to invade Algam a little more with each year, causing inhabitants of the forests considerable worry.

A number of war camps exist toward the human border. They consist of simple wooden huts that can may be abandoned at a moment?s notice, and are inhabited by hunters, warriors, and the few magicians Algam possesses. Cages are set up for prisoners of war. A number of Fire magicians stand guard in rotation, wary for the frequent surprise attacks of Citian mages.

The villages are located much deeper into the forest. War-camp huts pale in comparison to the houses crafted here. The people of Algam build with nature, not against it. Beautiful wooden cottages stand beside the trees, as if the forest itself grew them. In Sile, the powerful branches bear luxurious tree houses, defensible and hidden from the casual observer. In Kanloi, they used to live in underground homes, burrowed into hillsides. Tree houses and underground dwellings are considered old-fashioned nowadays, and most of these date back to a time when wars between Sile and Kanloi still occurred.

People
The people of Sile and Kanloi are corrupted by magic. From their birth, they show avian and reptilian characteristics, respectively. The extent of this varies wildly ? in extreme cases, some may be able to pass for humans in concealing clothes.

The people of Sile grow patches of soft white feathers on parts of their body. They have lithe, agile bodies, but they are fragile: their bones are not hollow, but they are much more porous than those of humans. The Sile may possess tough legs that end in avian feet, three toes forward and one back, equipped with vicious talons. The grip of these feet are powerful enough to scale trees with their legs alone. A very small number of children in each generation are born with wings ? growing from their shoulders, replacing the Sile?s normal, feathery arms. Until the Sky Maiden awakened her Wind magic, the Sile had never flown. Their lifespan is comparable to that of humans.

The people of Kanloi form colorful scales on their bodies. These scales are tough ? and if someone were to compare them, they?d find them harder than those of dragons. Their bodies pack a lot of muscle in small frames, but they are sluggish, and vulnerable where they have no scales. Their hands may end in sharp, scaled claws, and their spine may extend in a small, non-functional tail. Their vision is no different from that of a human, but some may be born with slit pupils. If left in peace, Kanloi live to be approximately two hundred years old. They have the greatest magic potential of all races, and their Queen was the first Fire magician to call down lightning.

The two races may produce offspring together. This is generally avoided because of the disparity in life span. Should a child be born, however, it will take after the mother.

Next to the native people, humans also live in Algam. Most of them are prisoners, but some are there willingly. The Apostle recruited a number of them on covert forays into Spelheim, while others betrayed their country for their own reasons. Several former prisoners of war have taken residence in Algam ? primarily those unwillingly drafted into Spelheim?s military service. These humans are bound to Algam with small facial tattoos. Those that are trusted enough to become spies receive the tattoo someplace clothing can cover.

The Sile and Kanloi are wary of these humans, but since their King Consort, the Red King, is also human, most are willing to grant them the benefit of the doubt. Some inhabitants of Algam simply want them dead, however.

Government and politics

Spelheim claims the Red King and the Apostle jointly rule the Beastlands. This is part of the Council's human superiority propaganda, and thus nonsense.

Since the unification of Algam, it has been governed by a King and a Queen, one of each race. The union is a meritocracy at heart, and the throne is assigned to trained monarch candidates. Those that are not chosen for the throne assume the position of advisors. Nepotism is looked down upon, and only exceptional intelligence would qualify a prince or princess for candidacy.

The current Queen has a rather unyielding personality, and she has elected to take a human, the Red King, as her husband. Being untrained, however, he remains a mere King Consort, subordinate to the Queen, but higher in rank than her advisors. The Apostle is treated as an advisor.

Technology

Algam possesses no greatly advanced metalworking or science. Its people do have an extensive knowledge of herbal medicine however, and the many poisons of the forest lend themselves well to the people's guerilla-like warfare. Soldiers are trained with both bows and blowpipes.

Religion

Algam has no organized religion. The introduction of magic has made some people wonder, but they adhere to their ancient values of respecting and revering nature.

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Monday, October 15, 2012

Sony Wants To Make a PS3 Controller That Gets Hot Or Cold

OK. My mind is blown. Sony published a patent this week for a video game controller that heats up or cools down as you?re playing a game. It sounds kind of dangerous. And it sounds kind of awesome.

You can read the patent application here and gawk at all the patent imagery, but let me summarize some of the coolest (sorry) hottest (still sorry) ideas in the patent. They?re written in patent-ese, but you won?t have trouble figuring them out. Basically, the Move wand has bands around it that get hotter or colder depending on things that happen in a PS3 game or application. For example?

Controller Gets Hotter As Your Gun Overheats

In one embodiment, a user controls the firing of a weapon in a video game. As the weapon is repeatedly fired, the weapon may heat up and the controller may exhibit increasing heat feedback to communicate this fact to the user. At a certain point, the weapon may become inoperable, and the user must then wait for the weapon to cool off before firing the weapon again.

This can likewise be indicated to the user by reducing the level of heat feedback or actively cooling the controller. It will aos be noted that the controller amy exhibit lighted feedback in conjunction with the thermal feedback. For example, as the weapon heats up, the controller light may change from a cooler colour to a warmer colour, such as from blue or green to orange or red. Similarly, when the weapon cools down, the colour exhibited may revert to the cooler colour.

Controller Gets Hotter If An Enemy Hits You With A Fireball

In one embodiment, the user may control a character engaged in battle. When the character is hit by enemy fire or an explosion or the damaging-causing incident, the controller may exhibit a thermal grill illusion. In e embodiment, a thermal grill illusion is provided at the controller when the user?s character receives an electric shock.

Controller Gets Hotter Or Colder As You?re Searching For Something

In one embodiment, a user utilises a controller to discover the presence of objects that are not visible on screen or otherwise known to the user. The user maneuvers the controller about his or her interactive environment, and receives thermal feedback, such as heating or cooling, indicating the presence of an object.

When Combined With A Biometric Sensor, The Controller Cools Your Sweaty Hands

In one embodiment, when the interactive application detects a decrease in galvanic skin resistance (GSR), possibly indicating that the user?s hands are sweating, then the interactive application could initiate a cooling feedback at the controller.

I?ve asked Sony PR if this is a real thing that?s going to come to market. I?ll update if they have comment.

Thanks to friend of Kotaku James Pikover for the tip. Oh, and Sony, please make this. UPDATE: A rep says they have nothing to share. Bummer.

United States Application US20120258800 [Free Patents Online]

Originally published on Kotaku Australia

Source: http://feeds.gizmodo.com.au/~r/GizmodoAustralia/~3/GFX7vvERgvQ/

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Egypt probes military rulers for protest deaths

CAIRO (AP) ? Egypt is launching a civilian investigation of the country's former military rulers for their alleged role in the killing of protesters during their 18 months in power, a court official and the state news agency reported Monday.

International and local rights groups have pressed Egypt's newly elected president and other authorities to probe the council of military officers who ruled the country from the February 2011 overthrow of Hosni Mubarak to this summer. At least 120 protesters died in clashes with security forces and soldiers during this time.

It is unprecedented for civilians to probe officers, normally protected from oversight by anyone outside the military. Rights groups say that this has given the army a sense of impunity.

The court official said that an investigative judge, Tharwat Hamad, was assigned to look into accusations against Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi and other members of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.

Lawyers say that Hamad had also presided over the investigation into the killing of 26 Coptic Christian protesters and a soldier in October 2011.

It is not clear how far the investigative judge will be able to press the probe, or summon the generals for questioning. SCAF passed a law before giving up power that protects them from civilian investigation even after they are out of service.

Lawyers say the investigator might be able to find a legal way around the ban ? for example, summoning the generals in their capacity as political leaders at the time ? or might refer the case to a military prosecutor.

Egyptians have filed over 100 complaints with the country's prosecutors against the military rulers, including Tantawi, his No.2 Lt. Gen. Sami Anan, and other military generals, who were sitting on the military council in charge of running the country since February 2011.

The generals handed over power to the country's first elected civilian president at the end of June. But the transitional period was marred by violent clashes with protesters who accused the generals of mismanaging the country, or doubted their intent to step down.

Council members did not address accusations of killing protesters, while military officials frequently accused protesters of attacking troops. It was not immediately possible to contact any of the now-retired generals.

Newly elected President Mohammed Morsi after taking office quickly moved to cement his authority over the generals, cancelling a SCAF decree that granted the military powers that undercut his own.

He has promised the protesters' families that he would mete out justice against those responsible for the killings. Weeks after he took office, he retired Tantawi and Anan from active military service, replacing them with a new defense minister. But he also granted the two generals the country's highest honors, raising fears that the generals may evade responsibility for alleged abuse during their rule.

In two extensive reports released this month, the London-based Amnesty International urged Morsi to ensure full and impartial investigation into abuses by the military and police during the transition, saying a culture of impunity only allows them to continue. The group said previous investigations by civilian judges have failed to hold to account members of the military forces.

Amnesty said the army's response to protests was "disproportionate," citing cases when live ammunition was fired in response to the lobbing of stones or firebombs. It also cited the October 2011 incident when an army vehicle ran down a crowd of mostly Coptic Christian protesters, killing 15. Another 11 protesters and a soldier died by gunshot.

In that case, the one investigated by Judge Hamad, three soldiers were tried by a military tribunal for manslaughter and received a two year sentence ? a rare example of members of the security forces being convicted. The verdict was described as "flimsy" by rights groups, who said no officers who gave orders were investigated.

"Both the ordinary and military judiciary failed to provide an effective remedy for the victims, so their suffering continues and the military forces remain confident that they are above the law," Amnesty said. "If Egypt is to turn the page on decades of abuse, the army should not remain beyond the reach of the law."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-probes-military-rulers-protest-deaths-124257317.html

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Richie Sambora In London For His Only UK Solo Gig

RICHIE SAMBORA IN LONDON FOR HIS ONLY SOLO UK GIG
15th October 2012

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"Over that way", says Richie. "London calling for my next gig".

Richie Sambora is in London for his 'Lowdown' tour for his only UK solo gig in the UK on 16th October to promote his recently released solo album 'Aftermath Of The Lowdown'.

Richie has taken to Twitter to acclaim his fans who turned up to what appear to have been massively succesful gigs in Munich and Amsterdam with Richie admitting he "left his heart on stage" after the Munich gig. Richie reports he is now resting his voice, feeing pumped and excited and generally in the positive frame of mind most of us associate him with.

Article continues below...

He also reports jokingly he is taking resumes for a new partner as he is interested in having more children and he does bow to his daughter Ava's exacting critique about what is and what is not an 'appropriate' age difference between Richie and a potential partner.

Although MetalTalk does note he is still in a relationship with his Whitetrash Beautiful co-creator and business partner Nikki Lund.

Tickets are still available from ?68 starting price at Viagogo.

MetalTalk.net wishes Richie a fun and successful gig on the 16th.


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Source: http://metaltalk.net/news2012-2/2012475.php

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Uyghur Family Home Bulldozed | Laogai Research Foundation

Land is often taken at a low price and resold at greater value to new Chinese owners.

Authorities in China?s ethnically troubled northwestern Xinjiang region have bulldozed a Uyghur family?s home and taken their land after the family rejected offers of compensation as inadequate, according to Uyghur sources.

The property, located in Koktatchiliq hamlet of the Igerchi village outside Aqsu city in Xinjiang, had been targeted by the city government as part of a larger site chosen in 2008 for the construction of a middle school.

The project involved the relocation of 51 households, only two of them belonging to Han Chinese, sources said.

Uyghurs in Xinjiang often complain of policies favoring Han Chinese migration into the region and the unfair allocation of resources to Chinese residents.

?We did not agree to the government?s terms,? Rebiya Yusup, whose family home was bulldozed, told RFA last week after petitioning for more than three years for their property?s return.

?We asked them to appraise our house fairly, but they did not listen and simply bulldozed our home,? Yusup said from Beijing before breaking off contact and disappearing, possibly into police custody.

'Forcibly removed'

Imama Qeyu, former village secretary for the ruling Chinese Communist Party, confirmed Yusup?s account, saying that he was present at the July 2009 demolition of the family home of Yusup and her husband, Yasin Qurban, and their children.

?One day, I was asked to come to Yasin Qurban?s home. Local and city police and court security personnel were already there, along with the head of the municipal public security bureau.?

?Yasin Qurban?s family were forcibly removed from their home,? he said.

?The family resisted and began to curse everyone while the bulldozers worked on their walls. They were not allowed to take anything from their house.?

Qeyu said that Qurban had refused to sign a compensation agreement offering 29,000 yuan (U.S. $4,578) per mu of land for the family?s parcel and orchard of 10.9 mu (1.8 acres).

The offer did not include payment for the value of the house, though, and authorities rejected a counteroffer by the family for three million yuan? (U.S. $473,578).

Qurban refused to sign, and ?the school accused Yasin Qurban?s family of obstructing the work,? Qeyu said, adding, ?Force was [then] used in Yasin Qurban?s case.?

Beatings and detention

The Qurban family?s 14 members now live in rented space in different homes in Igerchi village and have been petitioning local and regional governments for the last three years for the return of their land, Rebiya Yusup said.

Family members have suffered beatings and periods of detention as a result, she added.

In July, police detained a son of the family who had been petitioning in Beijing, and Yusup traveled to Beijing last week to continue the petition.? She was reported to have ?left Beijing? shortly after speaking with RFA, and sources believe she is now also in police custody.

The takeover of Uyghur farmland near Aqsu is proceeding at a rapid pace, with most of the land later resold to private Chinese companies at a higher price than the price offered in compensation, a local official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

?Around 3,000 farmers have lost their land in towns near Aqsu city, and most of them are now unemployed or have hired themselves out for cheap labor in the city,? the official said.

Reported by Mamatjan Juma for RFA?s Uyghur service. Translated by Mamatjan Juma. Written in English by Richard Finney.

Source: http://laogai.org/human-rights-news/uyghur-family-home-bulldozed

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Sunday, October 14, 2012

French president lands in Congo after Senegal stop

French President Francois Hollande, right, and Senegalese counterpart Macky Sall walk past an honor guard as Hollande arrives at the airport in Dakar, Senegal, Friday, Oct. 12, 2012. Hollande was on a one-day visit to Senegal Friday, en route to Kinshasa, Congo for the Francophonie Summit. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

French President Francois Hollande, right, and Senegalese counterpart Macky Sall walk past an honor guard as Hollande arrives at the airport in Dakar, Senegal, Friday, Oct. 12, 2012. Hollande was on a one-day visit to Senegal Friday, en route to Kinshasa, Congo for the Francophonie Summit. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

French President Francois Hollande, center left, and Senegalese counterpart Macky Sall wave to supporters lining the streets as they drive from the airport to the Presidential Palace in Dakar, Senegal, Friday, Oct. 12, 2012. Hollande was on a one-day visit to Senegal Friday, en route to Kinshasa, Congo for the Francophone Summit. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

French President Francois Hollande, right, and Senegalese counterpart Macky Sall walk past an honor guard as Hollande arrives at the airport in Dakar, Senegal, Friday, Oct. 12, 2012. Hollande was on a one-day visit to Senegal Friday, en route to Kinshasa, Congo for the Francophonie Summit. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

French President Francois Hollande, upper right, and Senegalese counterpart Macky Sall wave to supporters lining the streets as they arrive at the Presidential Palace in Dakar, Senegal, Friday, Oct. 12, 2012. Hollande was on a one-day visit to Senegal Friday, en route to Kinshasa, Congo for the Francophonie Summit. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

French President Francois Hollande, left, and Senegalese counterpart Macky Sall wave to supporters lining the streets as they arrive at the Presidential Palace in Dakar, Senegal, Friday, Oct. 12, 2012. Hollande will attempt to repair France's relationship with Africa on his first visit to the continent on Friday, beginning with a stop in Senegal, the seat of France's former colonial empire. He is set to leave Friday night for Congo, where he will attend the Francophonie summit in the capital, Kinshasa.(AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

(AP) ? French President Francois Hollande landed early Saturday in Congo, where he is to take part in a summit of French-speaking countries, after months of controversy surrounding his visit to the vast Central African nation.

A celebration of the French language, the Francophonie Summit serves as an occasion for leaders of French-speaking countries and others to meet and discuss pressing political issues.

Organized for the first time in a Central African country, this year's summit is taking place in the Congolese capital but the botched presidential and legislative elections of November 2011 have jeopardized its organization.

On Thursday, the Canadian minister of Foreign Affairs stated that his delegation would not meet with President Joseph Kabila in Kinshasa since according to him "barbarism has steadily increased" in Congo, a former Belgian colony.

Hollande initially threatened not to attend but ultimately confirmed his participation in July, saying he wants to break away from the traditional paternalistic ways of France toward Africa.

In Kinshasa, Hollande is due to make a speech at the opening of the summit and meet with Kabila as well as with opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi before flying back to Paris.

"The challenge for a French president is promoting democracy and respect for human rights without being perceived in Africa as arrogant and paternalistic, as well as hypocritical due to the colonial past," says Judah Grunstein, editor-in-chief of the Paris-based World Politics Review.

On Tuesday however, Hollande said that "the situation (in Congo) is absolutely unacceptable in terms of human rights, democracy and the respect of the opposition," provoking Kinshasa's outrage.

The spokesperson for the Congolese government, Lambert Mende, said that it is for the Congolese people to accept or reject the situation in their own country and not for France to give lessons.

"When this man who has never set foot in our country say this kind of thing, that hurts us," says Yves, 35-year-old economics teacher in Kinshasa.

The crisis in Mali will be at the forefront of the discussion with the different francophone leaders, as France announced its support for an African force of intervention. The crisis in eastern Congo, where a new rebellion has displaced hundreds of thousands people, will also be on the agenda.

On Friday, Hollande made a stop in the former French colony of Senegal as part of his first trip to the continent since winning office earlier this year.

His deferential tone, his diplomatic remarks and the air of modesty he projected marked a dramatic contrast to his predecessor. Ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy came to Senegal five years ago and gave a speech that was viewed as deeply insulting to Africans whom he said had "not yet entered into history."

By contrast, the 58-year-old Hollande, who defeated Sarkozy in in May, described Senegal as having not only a "great country," but also one that had made important contributions to French history.

"I want to declare here my willingness to renew the relationship between France and Africa. The era of Franceafrique is over. There is now a France and there is an Africa. And there is a partnership between France and Africa, based on relationships that are founded on respect," Hollande said on Friday.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-10-13-Congo-French%20President/id-d842238af7b54950b4aacc1c346e682d

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