US will send nonlethal aid directly to Syrian rebels

? A daily summary of global reports on security issues.

The United States is planning to boost the size and scope of its aid to Syria, a policy shift announced at an international conference on Syria in Rome today.

Aid will remain nonlethal, but for the first time, it will be sent to Free Syrian Army fighters battling the government, reports Reuters. In the past, aid has only gone to unarmed groups and local councils. Secretary of State John Kerry also announced the US government will more than double aid for Syrian civilians, pledging $60 million.

?No nation, no people should live in fear of their so-called leaders,? Mr. Kerry said.

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Other European nations are expected to provide further assistance to the opposition, as well, potentially including ?defensive military hardware,? reports The Associated Press.

"We want to help the Syrian opposition to better be able to meet the needs of the Syrian people," Kerry said at a news conference in Paris yesterday. "They've had difficulty doing that now. And some folks on the ground that we don't support and whose interests do not align with ours are delivering some of that help."

According to The New York Times, nonlethal aid could possibly go beyond food and medical equipment, including things such as night-vision devices, vehicles, or communications equipment. ?[O]ne official said that the financing the United States planned to send to the resistance might indirectly help the rebels arm themselves as it might free up other funds to purchase weapons,? reports the Times.

Today?s meeting in Rome of The Friends of Syria group ? made up of the Syrian opposition and 11 foreign powers that support them ? comes days before a meeting of the Syrian National Coalition in Turkey. According to Al Jazeera, at the Istanbul meeting the main Syrian opposition group is expected to ?elect a prime minister and government to run parts of Syria seized from Assad?s control.?

According to the Times, a primary goal of the US is to support the opposition in strengthening its credibility among the Syrian population.

Since the conflict erupted two years ago, the United States has provided $365 million in humanitarian aid to Syrians. American officials are increasingly worried that extremist members of the resistance against the government of President Bashar al-Assad, notably the Jabhat al-Nusra Front, which the United States has asserted is affiliated with Al Qaeda, will take control of portions of Syria and cement its authority by providing public services, much as Hezbollah has done in Lebanon?.

To blunt the power of extremist groups, the United States wants to help the Syrian Opposition Council, the coalition of Syrian resistance leaders it backs and helped organize, deliver basic services in areas that have been wrested from the control of the Assad government.

A US State Department official said that Washington wanted to help the opposition maintain "the institutions of the state" in areas under their control, reports Al Jazeera.

"We're talking about basic services, water, electricity ? but also [to] build up new institutions in terms of governance, rule of law, police," State Department deputy acting spokesman Patrick Ventrell told reporters.

Another potential reason behind the US policy shift in Syria is to send a message to President Bashar al Assad that rebels have the support and capability to ultimately succeed, providing an impetuous for negotiating a political transition, reports the Times.

?He needs to know that he can?t shoot his way out of this,? Kerry said of Mr. Assad.

According to the Associated Press:

The U.S. will be sending technical advisers to the Syrian National Coalition offices in Cairo to oversee and help them spend the money for good governance and rule of law. The advisers will be from non-governmental organizations and other groups that do this kind of work.

Attendees at today?s meeting also condemned countries providing weapons and support to Assad, a separate Reuters story reports. Iran is suspected of supplying weapons and military support to the regime, and Russia has openly noted its provisions of military equipment.

?The United States? decision to take further steps now is the result of the brutality of superior armed force propped up by foreign fighters from Iran and Hezbollah,? Kerry said.

Earlier this week Kerry met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Berlin, raising hopes for the possibility of bringing Assad and rebel groups to a negotiating table, reports The Christian Science Monitor. Russian experts say Russia is making strides in that regard, and that it?s now the US?s duty to convince rebel groups the best solution is engaging in talks.

"I think it's clear that Russia can deliver the Assad regime on this point, and bring them to the table for talks with the rebels," says Andrei Baklitsky, an expert with the PIR Center, an independent Moscow-based security think tank.

"Russian diplomacy has been pretty consistent on the need for such talks and Moscow is ready to do its part. But I would think it's the US that has a problem here. If Washington is going to change its approach, and come out in favor of negotiations, it may find itself unable to bring the rebels to the table. The Syrian rebels are very fragmented, have little common ground, and some of them are completely intransigent. Some of them didn't even want to go to Rome, to sit down with their friends, much less engage in talks with the Assad regime," he says.

According to the United Nations an estimated 70,000 people have died in the two-year Syrian conflict. In addition, UN official Ant?nio Guterres said the UN refugee agency has registered 936,000 Syrians across the Middle East and North Africa, which is almost 30 times as many people as registered in April last year, reports Al Jazeera. The number of refugees is expected to exceed 1 million within a month.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-send-nonlethal-aid-directly-syrian-rebels-135400140.html

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Research unearths new dinosaur species

Public release date: 28-Feb-2013
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Contact: Fran LeFort
Fran.LeFort@sdsmt.edu
605-394-6082
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

First fossil evidence shows small crocs fed on baby dinosaurs

RAPID CITY, S.D. (Feb. 28, 2013) A South Dakota School of Mines & Technology assistant professor and his team have discovered a new species of herbivorous dinosaur and published the first fossil evidence of prehistoric crocodyliforms feeding on small dinosaurs.

Research by Clint Boyd, Ph.D., provides the first definitive evidence that plant-eating baby ornithopod dinosaurs were a food of choice for the crocodyliform, a now extinct relative of the crocodile family. While conducting their research, the team also discovered that this dinosaur prey was a previously unrecognized small ornithopod dinosaur species, which has yet to be named.

The evidence found in what is now known as the Grand Staircase Escalante-National Monument in southern Utah dates back to the late Cretaceous period, toward the end of the age of dinosaurs, and was published Feb. 27 in the academic journal PLOS ONE (Public Library of Science ONE). The complete research findings of Boyd and Stephanie K. Drumheller, of the University of Iowa and the University of Tennessee, and Terry A. Gates, of North Carolina State University and the Natural History Museum of Utah, can be accessed at http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0057605.

A large number of mostly tiny bits of dinosaur bones were recovered in groups at four locations within the Utah park which paleontologists and geologists know as the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) Kaiparowits Formation leading paleontologists to believe that crocodyliforms had fed on baby dinosaurs 1-2 meters in total length.

Evidence shows bite marks on bone joints, as well as breakthrough proof of a crocodyliform tooth still embedded in a dinosaur femur.

The findings are significant because historically dinosaurs have been depicted as the dominant species. "The traditional ideas you see in popular literature are that when little baby dinosaurs are either coming out of a nesting grounds or out somewhere on their own, they are normally having to worry about the theropod dinosaurs, the things like raptors or, on bigger scales, the T. rex. So this kind of adds a new dimension," Boyd said. "You had your dominant riverine carnivores, the crocodyliforms, attacking these herbivores as well, so they kind of had it coming from all sides."

Based on teeth marks left on bones and the large amounts of fragments left behind, it is believed the crocodyliforms were also diminutive in size, perhaps no more than 2 meters long. A larger species of crocodyliform would have been more likely to gulp down its prey without leaving behind traces of "busted up" bone fragments.

Until now, paleontologists had direct evidence only of "very large crocodyliforms" interacting with "very large dinosaurs."

"It's not often that you get events from the fossil record that are action-related," Boyd explained. "While you generally assume there was probably a lot more interaction going on, we didn't have any of that preserved in the fossil record yet. This is the first time that we have definitive evidence that you had this kind of partitioning, of your smaller crocodyliforms attacking the smaller herbivorous dinosaurs," he said, adding that this is only the second published instance of a crocodyliform tooth embedded in any prey animal in the fossil record.

"A lot of times you find material in close association or you can find some feeding marks or traces on the outside of the bone and you can hypothesize that maybe it was a certain animal doing this, but this was only the second time we have really good definitive evidence of a crocodyliform feeding on a prey animal and in this case an ornithischian dinosaur," Boyd said.

The high concentrations of tiny dinosaur bones led researchers to conclude a type of selection occurred, that crocodyliforms were preferentially feeding on these miniature dinosaurs. "Maybe it was closer to a nesting ground where baby dinosaurs would have been more abundant, and so the smaller crocodyliforms were hanging out there getting a lunch," Boyd added.

"When we started looking at all the other bones, we starting finding marks that are known to be diagnostic for crocodyliform feeding traces, so all that evidence coming together suddenly started to make sense as to why we were not finding good complete specimens of these little ornithischian dinosaurs," Boyd explained. "Most of the bites marks are concentrated around the joints, which is where the crocodyliform would tend to bite, and then, when they do their pulling or the death roll that they tend to do, the ends of the bones tend to snap off more often than not in those actions. That's why we were finding these fragmentary bones."

###

In the process of their research, the team discovered through diagnostic cranial material that these baby prey are a new, as yet-to-be-named dinosaur species. Details on this new species will soon be published in another paper.

View a School of Mines video interview with Boyd at http://youtu.be/UHP6BVasmwU.

---

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?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 28-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Fran LeFort
Fran.LeFort@sdsmt.edu
605-394-6082
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

First fossil evidence shows small crocs fed on baby dinosaurs

RAPID CITY, S.D. (Feb. 28, 2013) A South Dakota School of Mines & Technology assistant professor and his team have discovered a new species of herbivorous dinosaur and published the first fossil evidence of prehistoric crocodyliforms feeding on small dinosaurs.

Research by Clint Boyd, Ph.D., provides the first definitive evidence that plant-eating baby ornithopod dinosaurs were a food of choice for the crocodyliform, a now extinct relative of the crocodile family. While conducting their research, the team also discovered that this dinosaur prey was a previously unrecognized small ornithopod dinosaur species, which has yet to be named.

The evidence found in what is now known as the Grand Staircase Escalante-National Monument in southern Utah dates back to the late Cretaceous period, toward the end of the age of dinosaurs, and was published Feb. 27 in the academic journal PLOS ONE (Public Library of Science ONE). The complete research findings of Boyd and Stephanie K. Drumheller, of the University of Iowa and the University of Tennessee, and Terry A. Gates, of North Carolina State University and the Natural History Museum of Utah, can be accessed at http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0057605.

A large number of mostly tiny bits of dinosaur bones were recovered in groups at four locations within the Utah park which paleontologists and geologists know as the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) Kaiparowits Formation leading paleontologists to believe that crocodyliforms had fed on baby dinosaurs 1-2 meters in total length.

Evidence shows bite marks on bone joints, as well as breakthrough proof of a crocodyliform tooth still embedded in a dinosaur femur.

The findings are significant because historically dinosaurs have been depicted as the dominant species. "The traditional ideas you see in popular literature are that when little baby dinosaurs are either coming out of a nesting grounds or out somewhere on their own, they are normally having to worry about the theropod dinosaurs, the things like raptors or, on bigger scales, the T. rex. So this kind of adds a new dimension," Boyd said. "You had your dominant riverine carnivores, the crocodyliforms, attacking these herbivores as well, so they kind of had it coming from all sides."

Based on teeth marks left on bones and the large amounts of fragments left behind, it is believed the crocodyliforms were also diminutive in size, perhaps no more than 2 meters long. A larger species of crocodyliform would have been more likely to gulp down its prey without leaving behind traces of "busted up" bone fragments.

Until now, paleontologists had direct evidence only of "very large crocodyliforms" interacting with "very large dinosaurs."

"It's not often that you get events from the fossil record that are action-related," Boyd explained. "While you generally assume there was probably a lot more interaction going on, we didn't have any of that preserved in the fossil record yet. This is the first time that we have definitive evidence that you had this kind of partitioning, of your smaller crocodyliforms attacking the smaller herbivorous dinosaurs," he said, adding that this is only the second published instance of a crocodyliform tooth embedded in any prey animal in the fossil record.

"A lot of times you find material in close association or you can find some feeding marks or traces on the outside of the bone and you can hypothesize that maybe it was a certain animal doing this, but this was only the second time we have really good definitive evidence of a crocodyliform feeding on a prey animal and in this case an ornithischian dinosaur," Boyd said.

The high concentrations of tiny dinosaur bones led researchers to conclude a type of selection occurred, that crocodyliforms were preferentially feeding on these miniature dinosaurs. "Maybe it was closer to a nesting ground where baby dinosaurs would have been more abundant, and so the smaller crocodyliforms were hanging out there getting a lunch," Boyd added.

"When we started looking at all the other bones, we starting finding marks that are known to be diagnostic for crocodyliform feeding traces, so all that evidence coming together suddenly started to make sense as to why we were not finding good complete specimens of these little ornithischian dinosaurs," Boyd explained. "Most of the bites marks are concentrated around the joints, which is where the crocodyliform would tend to bite, and then, when they do their pulling or the death roll that they tend to do, the ends of the bones tend to snap off more often than not in those actions. That's why we were finding these fragmentary bones."

###

In the process of their research, the team discovered through diagnostic cranial material that these baby prey are a new, as yet-to-be-named dinosaur species. Details on this new species will soon be published in another paper.

View a School of Mines video interview with Boyd at http://youtu.be/UHP6BVasmwU.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/sdso-run022813.php

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Seven Common Mistakes People Make in Interviews | When Life ...

Today we have a contribution from Jen, who writes at The Money Mail, a multi-author personal finance blog. She focuses on topics related career management and productivity. You can follow her posts on @the_money_mail

It?s true that smart people learn from their mistakes but it?s also true that smarter people learn from mistakes of other people. Don?t make these common mistakes candidates make in interviews. Often people are not able to crack interviews not because it was tough but due to silly mistakes. I have experienced this first hand when interviewing candidates for an internship position.? Here are some of the mistakes that are often made by candidates.

1.???? Dressing inappropriately for the interview

It is very difficult to change the first impression you set and your dressing weighs in a lot on the first impression?you create. It is the first thing the interviewer notices when they see you. So it is important to dress up appropriately for the interview. Not all jobs may require you to wear a suit every day; however business suits are the best attire for most interviews. If you are not sure, talk to your head hunter and ask them, what would be an appropriate attire for the day? Wear something that is comfortable and looks professional.

?2.???? Lack of preparation

At times people fail to prepare for some of the common interview questions that always get asked.? This shows that you have not done your homework. Preparing for questions like ?Tell me something about yourself? and ?What are some of strengths and weakness? can you an opportunity to present examples that can let you convey some of your qualities in your much better way. Lack of interest reflects when you are not able to answer a question regarding the company. Prior to any interview, it is expected that a candidate will do some research about the company- its history, products and business purpose. You can find all the information on the website of the company or by talking to people who know about the company, like current and past employees, and clients of the company

?3.?? Lack a positive attitude

An important criterion for any job is positive attitude towards work and life in general. You should never talk negatively regarding your previous organization, your teams and people who you have worked with as it reflects your negativity. And your interviewer will wonder if you would talk about them in a negative light if you move on to something else from here?

?4.???? Hiding information

Do not lie about your work experience, education or skills on your resume. An experienced interviewer can see through your lies easily. Questions during an interview will uncover your lies. If you get by, a background check can easily uncover the truth. Even if you get by during the initial stages and get an offer, the truth may surface at a later point, putting your job, career and reputation at risk. State everything right about your qualification and experience as hiding any information is considered as lies.

?5.???? Discussing salary

Getting paid the right salary is important and you should always negotiate for it, but everything has to be done at the right place and at the right time. You can discuss your salary once you have proved yourself the right candidate. In many organizations, salary negotiations are done with the HR professional, so wait for them to bring up the topic and then you can share your expected salary. If the topic comes up in the interview, it would be wise to say that you are more focused on the work but you expect to be paid a competitive compensation.

?6.???? Arriving late

Arriving late is a mistake that will make you look irresponsible in the eyes of the interviewer. The employer may form an impression that you may also come late for your work on a regular basis. Ensure that you know the place you are asked to reach and how much time it will take you to get there so that you can start your journey accordingly. Keep some buffer. If you do happen to get late for some unavoidable reason, make every effort to let your interviewer know before the schedule time.

?7.???? Being too casual

You should never be too informal with your interviewer, even if the interviewer is taking you out for lunch or meeting you in an informal setting (a common practice at many companies). They may be very relaxed with you as they want to see how you are in normal situations. They may ask questions which are not strictly related to the job, for example questions related to your likes and dislikes. These questions help an interviewer decide your fit with the team. Maintain the balance between being causal and too informal. Answer in a relaxed tone but maintain professionalism.

?

Avoiding these common mistakes will help you focus more on your skills and abilities and gain an advantage over people for fall for them. Being well prepared for an interview can make all the difference to your confidence and help you crack the job interview.

?

?

Source: http://add-vodka.com/seven-common-mistakes-people-make-in-interviews/

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Fans injured at NASCAR race explore legal options

A spectator, center, is transported from the grandstands by emergency personnel after Kyle Larson's car hit the safety wall and fence along the front stretch on the final lap of the NASCAR Nationwide Series auto race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013. Several fans were injured when large chunks of debris flew into the grandstands. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

A spectator, center, is transported from the grandstands by emergency personnel after Kyle Larson's car hit the safety wall and fence along the front stretch on the final lap of the NASCAR Nationwide Series auto race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013. Several fans were injured when large chunks of debris flew into the grandstands. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) ? The attorney for three NASCAR fans injured last weekend during a race the day before the Daytona 500 says they are exploring a possible lawsuit, but some experts say they could face tough obstacles in winning damages.

Matt Morgan, the Orlando-based lawyer for the fans, said at a news conference Tuesday than any suit would focus on the safety fence used along the track at Daytona International Speedway. He said he hopes to reach a settlement with NASCAR to avoid a lawsuit.

More than 30 people were injured last Saturday after a horrific wreck in a second-tier NASCAR series race sent chunks of debris, including a heavy tire, into the stands. Morgan declined to provide the identities of his clients, but said two of them were seated directly in front of the crash and sustained injuries ranging from a fractured fibula to abdominal swelling. All have been released from the hospital.

Some experts say there could be grounds for a lawsuit, and that courts have looked past liability waivers written on the backs of sporting event tickets. Others maintain the ticket is a legal contract that could be hard to overcome in court.

"Ultimately, I believe it would be gross negligence," Morgan said. "We all know that when you go to a race you assume a certain amount of risk. But what people don't assume is that a race car will come flying into the stands... That's why they make the fences."

Asked to comment on the fans' retention of a law firm, NASCAR spokesman David Higdon wrote in a statement, "We are unaware of any lawsuits filed."

Daytona International Speedway is owned by International Speedway Corp., a NASCAR sister company. Spokesman Andrew Booth said, "As per company policy, we do not comment on pending litigation."

Donnalynn Darling, a New York-based attorney who has been practicing personal injury law for 30 years, said there is a theory that a spectator who buys tickets to a sporting event assumes the risk of objects coming out of the field of play, such as a foul ball at a baseball game.

But she said there is also a foreseeable risk question that promoters of events also accept.

"Did the sporting event promoter take action to prevent that specific risk?" Darling asked. "In terms of this fence...it was put up to prevent people from being hurt. You have people who were not only injured by falling debris, but by the failure of the fence."

Others say such restrictive clauses on the back of tickets are generally disfavored by Florida courts.

"If it's just something written on the back of the ticket and not called to the attention of the person purchasing, there's reason to believe many courts in Florida won't hold that they consented efficiently," said University of Florida emeritus law professor Joseph Little.

Still, Paul Huck, an adjunct professor at the University of Miami School of Law, said contract law could take precedence.

"A ticket to one of these events is like a contract ? and its provisions limiting liability are generally enforceable," he said. "We enter into these types of contracts on a regular basis, and we often don't give it a second thought that we may be limiting or even giving up certain legal rights when we do so."

Darling also said that the fence's manufacturer at Daytona would likely be "very much responsible" because of it being foreseeable that debris could go through a fence that has holes in it.

That seems to be theory that Morgan is adopting. He referenced a 2009 crash at NASCAR's racetrack in Talladega, Ala. in which a car that launched into the catch fence sent debris into the stands and injured several fans.

"At that point in time a group of engineers got together and they said 'It's time for us to manufacture a safer fence,'" Morgan said. "To my knowledge, that was done. But what we have to investigate at this point in time is what was done...If you can ever point to monetary considerations being put ahead of people, then there's a big problem."

Darling predicted that NASCAR would try to settle with the injured fans.

NASCAR "had an obligation to protect the fans that are so loyal, and it is bad from a public relations standpoint," Darling said. "So they're going to do something."

___

AP Auto Racing writer Jenna Fryer contributed to this report.

___

Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/khightower.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-02-26-NASCAR%20Daytona-Fans%20Injured/id-b2b0786b7b6343dab858d0614a16e04f

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Sri Lanka The Best Place To Experience Nature

Stressed with lots of pressure and searching a traveling spot where you will find tranquillity?? Then Sri Lanka is the best choice for those people as because this country has Indian Ocean has its all side and has some excellent scenic beauty. To know this country well you are surely in search of a reputed travel agency and according to service and handling their customers Go Holiday Tours is among the top travel guides in this area.

It is a Negombo based travel agency which has a group of skilled travel guides which all are well aware about this country and have good communication skill like fluency in English as well as in German and Italian so that they can communicate well with all the travellers coming from different parts of the world to tour in Sri Lanka. This company offers luxurious tours of Sri Lanka which covers all the famous places and tourists spots. After you enters in this country at the international airport from then you are totally under the responsibilities of this travel agency. They use to keep the customers in five star hotels and use superior cars and vans for the customers to move them from a tourist spot to another spot.

This company offers attractive tour packages which covers all the famous places and the scenic beauty in affordable price. They offer combo packages for the whole country which are of 10 days tour in Sri Lanka; 7 days tour Sri Lanka, 4 days short tour of Sri Lanka these all covers the main tourist spots in Sri Lanka. All these packages start from $ 680 for a couple which is for 4days tour and the other tours are little bit higher than that.

Apart from these tour packages this company offers some special tours in Yala safari, Full day Tour at Negombo, udawalawe safari. On Negombo full day tour you will experience fish market, harbour, St Mayrschurch, gardens, Hindu temple etc. with free restaurant and water for just $ 60 only for each person. Yala safari costs only $ 425 per person which covers 2 days stay in Yala Hibiscus garden hotels and this agency will take you to a drive at Yala National Park. The total atmosphere is likely to stay there to watch and experience leopards, crocodile, elephant, deer, sambar, bear, wild boar, wild buffalo and peacock etc. so enjoy your Sri Lanka Holidays with a blast.

About the Author:
This article is written by Dhanushka Lowe on behalf of Go Holiday in Sri Lanka. The article is providing a over view on Whale watching in Sri Lanka and you might also interested in Sri Lanka holiday Packages and if you would like to know more info log on to: www.goholidayinsrilanka.com

Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Sri-Lanka-The-Best-Place-To-Experience-Nature/4457263

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Sanctions relief offered in Iranian nuclear talks

ALMATY, Kazakhstan (AP) ? World powers, fearful of scuttling negotiations beginning this week with Iran, are offering the Islamic republic some small new sanctions relief in return for curbing its nuclear program. But officials warned Monday that it's unlikely that any compromise will be reached soon.

Negotiators set low expectations for the latest round of high-level diplomatic talks to begin Tuesday in Kazakhstan's largest city ? the first since last June's meeting in Moscow that threatened to derail delicate efforts to convince Iran to stop enriching uranium to a level close to that used for nuclear warheads.

The stakes couldn't be higher: the Obama administration is pushing for diplomacy to solve the impasse but has not ruled out the possibility of military intervention in Iran to prevent it from acquiring a nuclear weapon. And Israel has threatened it will use all means to stop Iran from being able to building a bomb, potentially as soon as this summer, raising the specter of a possible Mideast war.

Tehran maintains it is enriching uranium only to make reactor fuel and medical isotopes, and insists it has a right to do so under international law. It has signaled it does not intend to stop, despite harsh international sanctions on its oil and financial sectors, and U.N. nuclear inspectors last week confirmed Iran has begun a major upgrade of its program at the country's main uranium enrichment site.

The clerical regime's refusal frustrates the international community, which has responded by slapping Iran with a host of economic sanctions that U.S. officials said have, among other things, cut the nation's daily oil output by 1 million barrels and slashed its employment rate. But, in a twist, negotiators now hope that easing some of the sanctions will make Tehran more agreeable to halting production of 20 percent enriched uranium ? the highest grade of enrichment that Iran has acknowledged and one that experts say could be turned into warhead grade in a matter of months.

Negotiators from the six world powers ? United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany ? also want Iran to suspend enrichment in its underground Fordo nuclear facility, and to ship its stockpile of high-grade uranium out of the country.

"We are pleased that they have come together for talks because it's been eight months since Moscow. We wanted to come together for talks earlier than this," said Michael Mann, spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who is leading the negotiations. "What's important to us is that they engage in these negotiations and take seriously what we've put on the table.

"No one is expecting everyone to walk out of here with a deal, but if we can have some forward momentum and they can show a willingness to take a confidence-building step, that's very important," Mann told reporters on Monday. He described the world powers' newest gambit as "a good offer" but declined to say what it would include.

A senior U.S. official at the talks said some sanctions relief would be part of the offer to Iran but also refused to detail it. The new relief is part of a package that the U.S. official said included "substantive changes ? whether you'd call them super-substantial, I'll leave to history." The official acknowledged reports earlier this month that sanctions would be eased to allow Iran's gold trade to progress, but would neither confirm nor deny they are included in the new relief offer, and spoke only on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive diplomatic talks more candidly.

But at the same time, the senior U.S. official also noted the possibility that Iran would face new pressures if it fails to comply with international concerns. That could include toughening the impact of the sanctions already in place by enforcing them more strictly, or imposing new sanctions altogether as Iran moves forward with its program.

Western powers have hoped that the Iranian public would suffer under sanctions so badly that the government would feel a moral obligation to slow its nuclear program. The U.S. official attributed the decline in Iranian currency, the rial, and the decrease in oil production to Western sanctions.

Iran has been unimpressed with earlier offers by the powers to provide it with medical isotopes and lift sanctions on spare parts for civilian airliners, and new bargaining chips that Tehran sees as minor are likely to be snubbed as well. Iran insists, as a starting point, that world powers must recognize the republic's right to enrich uranium.

In a sign that Tehran is in no hurry to reach a compromise, Iran's foreign minister has no plans to meet with officials of the International Atomic Energy Agency Tuesday when he visits Vienna to attend an unrelated conference. Diplomats in Vienna suggested the decision by Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi reflects a deadlock on the agency's attempts to probe Tehran's atomic work. IAEA officials recently suggested related talks needed to pause after dragging on without results. The diplomats demanded anonymity because their information was confidential.

Still, last week, Salehi spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said the Almaty talks could provide an important "opportunity" so long as the two sides were dealing with each other as equals and making offers of "same level, same weight."

"We will offer ways for removing possible concerns and ambiguities to show our goodwill, if Western countries, especially the U.S., fully recognize the nuclear rights of countries, which shows their goodwill," Mehmanparast told reporters in Tehran.

In London, Secretary of State John Kerry said an Iran with nuclear weapons was "simply unacceptable" and warned the time limit for a diplomatic solution was running out.

"As we have repeatedly made clear, the window for a diplomatic solution simply cannot remain open forever," said Kerry, on his first international tour as America's top diplomat. "But it is open today. It is open now and there is still time but there is only time if Iran makes the decision to come to the table and to negotiate in good faith. We are prepared to negotiate in good faith, in mutual respect, in an effort to avoid whatever terrible consequences could follow failure and so the choice really is in the hands of the Iranians. And we hope they will make the right choice."

An analysis released Monday by the International Crisis Group concluded that the web of international sanctions have become so entrenched in Iran's political and economic systems that they cannot be easily lifted piece-by-piece. It found that Tehran's clerical regime has begun adapting its policy to the sanctions, despite their crippling effect on the Iranian public. Doing so, the analysis concluded, has divided the public's anger "between a regime viewed as incompetent and an outside world seen as uncaring."

"As far as Iran is concerned, it is too late to reverse course. The massive sanctions regime is in place, warts and all, and not about to be removed," the analysis concluded. It recommended that the world powers "devise a package of incentives, including some less than complete degree of relief, that is politically as well as legally achievable and that genuinely addresses Iranian concerns."

Several diplomats in Almaty said any major breakthrough in the negotiations likely won't come until after Iran's presidential elections in June ? especially if the world powers refuse to offer anything that Tehran can use to show as some kind of major concession by the West.

__

Associated Press Writers Peter Leonard, George Jahn in Vienna and Cassandra Vinograd in London contributed to this report. Follow Lara Jakes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/larajakesAP

.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sanctions-relief-offered-iranian-nuclear-talks-195942311--politics.html

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General Dynamics locks down Android, demos ultra-secure LG Optimus 3D Max

General Dynamics doesn't exactly make the sexiest gear in the world. But, it sure has this secure gadget thing on lockdown. The NSA contractor is moving to ensure that Android is as snoop proof as can be with its new GD Protected software. The heart of the system is a sandboxed virtual instance of Android that delivers the sort of security features demanded by governments and the military (and some particularly paranoid businesses). That isolated OS runs alongside a standard Android install that you can use for personal purposes, while keeping your sensitive data on the secure side -- not unlike BlackBerry Balance. There's two layers of encryption separating the virtual install from the standard one, along with hardware security provided by Fixmo. The company has worked with LG, the DoD and the USMC to build a customized version of the Optimus 3D Max to showcase how the software works. The device even has a dedicated button that lets you quickly and seamlessly switch between the personal and secure personas, indicated by green and red borders, respectively. If you're not really keen on equipping your foot soldiers with last year's mediocre LG handset (and have no need for super secure stereoscopic snapshots) then you'll probably be happy to hear that General Dynamics will be bringing GD Protected to the Galaxy S III as well. The platform has been integrated into Samsung's own security solution, dubbed KNOX, and will be available sometime in Q2 of this year. For a few more details, check out the video demo and PR after the break.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile

Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/25/general-dynamics-locks-down-android/

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ARPA-E Summit Reveals U.S. Energy Future

Bill Gates and Steven Chu have a "fireside" chat at the 2012 ARPA-e summit. Courtesy of Department of Energy.

The future of energy will be on display at the fourth annual summit of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy, or ARPA?e. But which future?

Energy innovators from start-ups, the national laboratories, universities and even oil companies will gather for three days to hear from the nation?s best about the future of energy. ?The confab this year will feature talks from the likes of natural gas pusher T. Boone Pickens and climate savvy mayor Michael Bloomberg as well as panel sessions on everything from how to build a business to a panel on the energy-water nexus (I?ll be moderating that one).

This will be a year of big changes. Founding director Arun Majumdar has moved on to Google.org. Guiding light Secretary of Energy Steven Chu will soon step down. There have been a host of changes in program directors and programs as the outfit?s first three-year research and testing cycle draws to a close.

The summit last year showcased the programs successes?a new battery technology that might finally make long-range electric cars affordable?but also the juvenile agency?s susceptibility to political winds?a new program to help take advantage of newly abundant supplies of natural gas. Even four years in, it still remains very much to be seen whether ARPA?e will be enough to keep the U.S. at the forefront of global innovation in energy technology, or whether a fresh influx of domestically produced fossil fuels will again displace alternative energy as happened in the past.

I?ll be attending the summit to see how ARPA?e might change during the second Obama administration. To figure that out, I?ll be attending sessions like ?Are There Military Applications in Your Future?? to determine who, if anyone, will benefit from ARPA?e successes as well as listening to a ?fireside chat? between Chu and electric car visionary Elon Musk to see how that government-backed effort may fare in future.

One thing that remains the same is that energy research remains a focus for the Obama administration. President Obama has called for the federal government to invest far more money in science than it is today?an amount equivalent to the billions of dollars spent on the space program in the 1960s. That may or may not happen but the money already invested in ARPA?e could pay off big with something as world-changing as what its much older sibling?the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA?has yielded. DARPA, after all, gave us the Internet, originally known as ARPA-net, among other things.

Is ARPA?e on track to deliver a similar breakthrough? Chu seems to think so. Here?s how he put it in his farewell letter to Department of Energy employees: ?In the first few years, 11 of the companies funded with $40 million have attracted more than $200 million in combined private investment. While it is too early to tell if we have home runs like ARPA-net, there are a number of investments that have certainly rounded second base.?

?

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=c257a1c98004dfd9fb07012a367be8cf

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Backed By $1M From Peter Thiel & More, Thinkful Is On A Mission To Reinvent Career Training

Ask any startup founder, and they'll tell you that engineering talent is in high demand, but the problem is that good talent is hard to come by. What's more, we have a computer science education deficit in the U.S. Today, computer science is absent in 95 percent of high schools. Luckily, a gaggle of startups and websites, like Treehouse, Lynda.com, Code School, Khan Academy, LearnStreet and more will now teach you the basics of some of the world's most pervasive programming languages. While these startups are collectively doing wonders for the democratization of computer science education, the founders behind Thinkful believe that the current options lack the kind of support that students need to learn effectively. Launched last year by Darrell Silver and Dan Friedman (who was one of the first to receive a 20 Under 20 Thiel Fellowship), Thinkful aims to help anyone and everyone learn skills that let them advance in their career or start a new one, while giving them the support (and teacher interaction) they need to get there through one-on-one training.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/XNO49516tcg/

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Colombia to send committee for release of German hostages

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's government on Monday authorized a committee of civilians and Red Cross officials to travel to a jungle zone where it hopes two German hostages will be freed by the nation's second-largest guerrilla group.

The National Liberation Army (ELN) said in early February they had captured two German men in Catatumbo, near the border with Venezuela, the second time in a month it seized foreigners.

"They sent us a message saying that if we authorized the Red Cross and a committee that already exists to interact with the ELN ... they would immediately release the two German hostages," President Juan Manuel Santos said.

"I'm going to give the authorization so those German citizens are free as soon as possible. I expect the ELN to honor their word."

The ELN identified the two captives as Uwe Breuer and Gunther Otto Breuer. The rebels initially said they considered them to be intelligence agents because they could not explain why they were in the area.

The German government, however, said they were pensioners traveling in a four-wheel drive through South America.

The ELN is not engaged in talks currently underway in Cuba to bring an end to five decades of war between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the country's largest rebel group known as FARC.

Attempts by previous governments to halt the war ended in shambles and helped energize the FARC and intensify fighting. Santos' popularity has been falling for about a year, in part because many perceive the rebels are gaining ground.

SANTOS' POPULARITY PROBLEM

A poll by Invamer Gallup released on Monday showed Santos with 44 percent of support, the lowest since he took office in August 2010, and down from 53 percent two months ago.

The poll was conducted February 13-20 with 1,200 people and has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.

The 61-year-old president has not said if he plans to run for re-election in May 2014, and analysts say that may depend on the success of the peace talks.

In January, the ELN kidnapped six mine workers including a Canadian and two Peruvians in northern Colombia, as the group stepped up pressure on the government in an apparent bid to be included in peace talks with the FARC.

The ELN released five of them about a week ago, but they still hold the Canadian citizen. The hostages all worked for Canadian mining company Braeval at its Snow mine project.

The ELN has battled a dozen governments since it was founded in 1964 and is considered a terrorist group by the United States and European Union. Both the ELN and FARC have stepped up attacks on infrastructure this year and last, hitting oil pipelines and power lines repeatedly.

ELN chief Nicolas Rodriguez told Reuters last year it was willing to hold unconditional peace talks to end the war, but refused to end its kidnapping, bomb attacks and extortion of foreign oil and mining companies before negotiations start.

The group is believed to have about 3,000 fighters.

(Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta; Writing by Eduardo Garcia; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/colombia-send-committee-release-german-hostages-021207144.html

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How dinosaurs grew the world's longest necks

rancisco Gasc? under the direction of Mike Taylor and Matt Wedel

Plant-eating dinosaurs called sauropods had the longest necks in the animal kingdom. Here an adult Brontomerus mother.

By Charles Choi, LiveScience

How did the largest of all dinosaurs evolve necks longer than any other creature that has ever lived? One secret: mostly hollow neck bones, researchers say.

The largest creatures to ever walk the Earth were the long-necked, long-tailed dinosaurs known as the sauropods. These vegetarians had by far the longest necks of any known animal. The dinosaurs' necks reached up to 50 feet (15 meters) in length, six times longer than that of the current world-record holder, the giraffe, and at least five times longer than those of any other animal that has lived on land.

"They were really stupidly, absurdly oversized," said researcher Michael Taylor, a vertebrate paleontologist at the University of Bristol in England. "In our feeble, modern world, we're used to thinking of elephants as big, but sauropods reached 10 times the size elephants do. They were the size of walking whales."

Amazing necks

To find out how sauropod necks could get so long, scientists analyzed other long-necked creatures and compared sauropod anatomy with that of the dinosaurs' nearest living relatives, the birds and crocodilians.

"Extinct animals ? and living animals, too, for that matter ? are much more amazing than we realize," Taylor told LiveScience. "Time and again, people have proposed limits to possible animal sizes, like the five-meter (16-foot) wingspan that was supposed to be the limit for flying animals. And time and again, they've been blown away. We now know of flying pterosaurs with 10-meter (33-foot) wingspans. And these extremes are achieved by a startling array of anatomical innovations." [ Image Gallery: 25 Amazing Ancient Beasts ]

Among living animals, adult bull giraffes have the longest necks, capable of reaching about 8 feet (2.4 m) long. No other living creature exceeds half this length. For instance, ostriches typically have necks only about 3 feet (1 m) long.

When it comes to extinct animals, the largest land-living mammal of all time was the rhino-like creature Paraceratherium, which had a neck maybe 8.2 feet (2.5 m) long. The flying reptiles known as pterosaurs could also have surprisingly long necks, such as Arambourgiania, whose neck may have exceeded 10 feet (3 m).

The necks of the Loch Ness Monster-like marine reptiles known as plesiosaurs could reach an impressive 23 feet (7 m), probably because the water they lived in could support their weight. But these necks were still less than half the lengths of the longest-necked sauropods.

Sauropod secrets

In their study, Taylor and his colleagues found that the neck bones of sauropods possessed a number of traits that supported such long necks. For instance, air often made up 60 percent of these animals' necks, with some as light as birds' bones, making it easier to support long chains of the bones. The muscles, tendons and ligaments were also positioned around these vertebrae in a way that helped maximize leverage, making neck movements more efficient.

In addition, the dinosaurs' giant torsos and four-legged stances helped provide a stable platform for their necks. In contrast, giraffes have relatively small torsos, while ostriches have two-legged stances. [ Image Gallery: Animals' Amazing Headgear ]

Sauropods also had plenty of neck vertebrae, up to 19. In contrast, nearly all mammals have no more than seven, from mice to whales to giraffes, limiting how long their necks can get. (The only exceptions among mammals are sloths and aquatic mammals known as sirenians, such as manatees.)

Moreover, while pterosaur Arambourgiania had a relatively giant head with long, spear-like jaws that it likely used to help capture prey, sauropods had small, light heads that were easy to support. These dinosaurs did not chew their meals, lacking even cheeks to store food in their mouths; they merely swallowed it, letting their guts break it down.

"Sauropod heads are essentially all mouth. The jaw joint is at the very back of the skull, and they didn't have cheeks, so they came pretty close to having Pac Man-Cookie Monster flip-top heads," researcher Mathew Wedel at the Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, Calif., told LiveScience.

"It's natural to wonder if the lack of chewing didn't, well, come back to bite them, in terms of digestive efficiency. But some recent work on digestion in large animals has shown that after about 3 days, animals have gotten all the nutrition they can from their food, regardless of particle size.

"And sauropods were so big that the food would have spent that long going through them anyway," Wedel said. "They could stop chewing entirely, with no loss of digestive efficiency."

What's a long neck good for?

Furthermore, sauropods and other dinosaurs probably could breathe like birds, drawing fresh air through their lungs continuously, instead of having to breathe out before breathing in to fill their lungs with fresh air like mammals do. This may have helped sauropods get vital oxygen down their long necks to their lungs.

"The problem of breathing through a long tube is something that's very hard for mammals to do. Just try it with a length of garden hose," Taylor said.

As to why sauropods evolved such long necks, there are currently three theories. Some of the dinosaurs may have used their long necks to feed on high leaves, like giraffes do. Others may have used their necks to graze on large swaths of vegetation by sweeping the ground side to side like geese do. This helped them make the most out of every step, which would be a big deal for such heavy creatures.

Scientists have also suggested that long necks may have been sexually attractive, therefore driving the evolution of ever-longer necks; however, Taylor and his colleagues have found no evidence this was the case.

In the future, the researchers plan to delve even deeper into the mysteries of sauropod necks. For instance, Apatosaurus , formerly known as Brontosaurus, had "really sensationally strange neck vertebrae," Taylor said. The scientists suspect the necks of Apatosaurus were used for "combat between males ? fighting over women, of course."

Taylor and Wedel detailed their findings online Feb. 12 in the journal PeerJ.

Follow LiveScience on Twitter @livescience. We're also on Facebook ?& Google+.?

Source: http://science.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/24/17076293-how-dinosaurs-grew-the-worlds-longest-necks?lite

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Baseball. Baseball Suffers 3-2 Defeat at VCU

Feb. 23, 2013

Box Score

RICHMOND, Va. - Sophomore Brian O'Keefe was 3-for-4 but the Saint Joseph's baseball team fell at VCU on Saturday afternoon by a 3-2 score. Senior Greg Kumpel also had a pair of hits for the Hawks.

For the second straight day, VCU (4-0) scored a run in the first inning, as an error allowed Bill Cullen to score the game's first run.

Saint Joseph's (2-3) answered in the top half of the second as a two-out single by Anthony Cirillo scored Stefan Kancylarz with the tying run.

The Rams nosed in front once again in the fourth on an RBI groundout by Trevor Marino. VCU then loaded the bases with two outs, but Hawk starter Jordan Carter induced a pop fly to escape the jam.

The Hawks leveled the game a second time in the fifth as Chris Hueth hit a sacrifice fly to score Kumpel and knot the affair at two apiece.

It remained a 2-2 game until the seventh, when Landon Prentiss ripped a two-out double that plated Vimael Machin with what proved to be the winning run.

Carter allowed eight hits but just the two runs in five innings, striking out two and walking one. Kevin Burum took the loss, allowing a run and notching four strikeouts in two innings to fall to 1-1. Steven Schuler worked a scoreless eighth for SJU.

? ?

Logan Kanuik tossed three and two-thirds innings of one-hit relief, striking out six, to earn the win, while Matt Lees pitched the ninth for his third save.

The series concludes on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. at The Diamond.

Source: http://onlyfans.cstv.com/schools/stjs/sports/m-basebl/recaps/022313aaa.html

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Malaysia recognised for being able to preserve Chinese culture ? Wong

Daily Express - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

Printer Friendly Kota Kinabalu: The Government spent about RM604.8 million to manage non-Malaysian prisoners in four prisons in Sabah sfrom 2006 until October 2012. Sabah Prisons Deputy ...

No issue among the Sabah BN parties Muhy

Daily Express - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

Printer Friendly NABAWAN: Sabah is developing rapidly under the Barisan Nasional (BN) government and leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at the Federal level and Chief Minister ...

Bugis NGO denies any role

Daily Express - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

Printer Friendly Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Bugis Community Association denied any involvement in the issuance of Malaysian identity cards (ICs) to foreigners who came to Sabah illegally. Its ...

Sabah standoff Clock is ticking for armed group

Asia News Network - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

The clock is ticking away for the Sulu armed group holed up at the Tanduo village as the Sunday deadline draws near with no sign of them giving up peacefully. Reports emerged that the group by Raja ...

Lahad Datu stand-off The clock is ticking for armed group

The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

LAHAD DATU: The clock is ticking away for the Sulu armed group holed up at the Tanduo village as the Sunday deadline draws near with no sign of them giving up peacefully. Reports emerged that the ...

Sea gypsies unable to go near good fishing spots

The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

TANJUNG LABIAN (LAHAD DATU): The free roaming life of the Sulu Sea gypsies or pelahus has been in choppy waters for the past two weeks. The gypsies have managed well in conquering the high seas but ...

Malaysia deports 736 Indonesian migrant workers

bruvoice - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands (ANTARA News) ? Malaysia has in the past three days deported 736 Indonesian problematic migrant workers through Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands, a migrant worker ...

Rais Don?t neglect arts and culture

The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

KOTA BARU: Malaysians must place importance on arts and culture to ensure that the identity of its multi-racial population will be passed on to future generations. Information, Communications ...

Najib Vote Barisan for a far better future

The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

says. "As for DAP, a vote for them will see Islam being oppressed. "A vote for Barisan Nasional will mean voting for a far better future for you, the future generation and the ...

Outlets not stocking clothes that fit plus-size women

The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

PETALING JAYA: For plus-size women, buying new clothes for work and play may be harder than expected. Some are complaining that several popular international boutiques have begun cutting back on ...

Mechanisms in place to ensure patient safety

The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

1. System-wide mechanisms have been established to ensure that patients are safe, including: > National Incident Reporting and Learning system (for government hospitals and clinics and dental ...

No room for mistakes in healthcare

The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

For those in jobs that deal with human lives, an oops' moment is mostly inexcusable. DR Beatrice (not her real name) is no stranger to performing surgery and saving lives. At 40, this surgeon ...

MAS to begin KL-Paris flights daily on A380 from March 1

The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

will begin daily operations for its Kuala Lumpur-Paris-Kuala Lumpur route on March 1 with the arrival of its fifth superjumbo Airbus A380. The A380 touched down at the Kuala Lumpur International ...

A hot hot fight

The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

IT looks set to be a real fight in the coming general election with campaigners from both sides feeding the media with their own declaration of victory, complete with the estimated number of seats, ...

Orange-tossing tradition originates from Hokkien folk in southern China

The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

PETALING JAYA: The tradition of throwing oranges during Chap Goh Meh originated from the Hokkiens in southern China. Historically, Hokkien men would throw small drums into the water while the women ...

Australia to tighten worker visa plan

The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

MELBOURNE: The Australian Government is cracking down on the visa scheme for temporary overseas workers, saying it has evidence the programme is being used to discriminate against ...

Carnival air at Penang Chap Goh Meh

The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

GEORGE TOWN: Thousands of people thronged Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling here to enjoy a night of culture and tradition at the Penang Chinese Town Hall's (PCTH) Malam Chap Goh Meh celebration. A ...

MCA will contest Wangsa Maju seat says Liow

The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

. "This seat has always been a MCA seat and it is a winnable seat. There is no indication that we want to swap any seat at all," he said. Online portals have reported that Wangsa Maju MCA ...

Sulu group must leave today

The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

LAHAD DATU: Malaysia has extended the deadline for the Sulu armed group to move out of Tanduo village and return home to today, following a request from the Philippines. The Philippine Government ...

Man with red IC removed from electoral roll RCI told

The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

KOTA KINABALU: The name of a businessman who held a red identity card was removed from the electoral roll for the 2008 general election, the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on Sabah's illegal ...

All aboard the Keretapi Sarong

The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

KUALA LUMPUR: Self-employed Maej Azripedita loves dressing up as his favourite comic characters but this time his Spider-Man costume came with a sarong. "My mother suggested tying the sarong ...

Stream for the Oscars

The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

Log in to the Red FM or Capital FM websites for some exclusive content on the Academy Awards tomorrow. HOLLYWOOD'S biggest film event the 85th Academy Awards is happening tomorrow morning ...

Source: http://www.malaysianews.net/index.php/sid/212782355/scat/48cba686fe041718

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NCAA Basketball: Ball State 56 v. Eastern Michigan 34

Young fans cheer in hopes of snagging a T-shirt (NCAA Women's Basketball: Ball State 56 v. Eastern Michigan 34, Worthen Arena, Muncie IN, February 20, 2013)

Nathalie Fontaine #4 fights to keep the ball away from an Eastern opponent (NCAA Women's Basketball: Ball State 56 v. Eastern Michigan 34, Worthen Arena, Muncie IN, February 20, 2013)

Katie Murphy #33 attempts to block the shot taken by Sara Stone #14 (NCAA Women's Basketball: Ball State 56 v. Eastern Michigan 34, Worthen Arena, Muncie IN, February 20, 2013)

Shanee' Jackson #10 gets jostled out of position by Sara Stone #14 (NCAA Women's Basketball: Ball State 56 v. Eastern Michigan 34, Worthen Arena, Muncie IN, February 20, 2013)

Desyree Thomas #11 attempts two (NCAA Women's Basketball: Ball State 56 v. Eastern Michigan 34, Worthen Arena, Muncie IN, February 20, 2013)

Iesha Collins #5 (NCAA Women's Basketball: Ball State 56 v. Eastern Michigan 34, Worthen Arena, Muncie IN, February 20, 2013)

Iesha Collins #5 gets cut off by Brandy Woody #11 (NCAA Women's Basketball: Ball State 56 v. Eastern Michigan 34, Worthen Arena, Muncie IN, February 20, 2013)

Chelsea Hite #52 struggles to maintain control of the ball as Shelbie Justice #3 and Katie Murphy #33 attempt to either strip the ball or create a jump ball situation (NCAA Women's Basketball: Ball State 56 v. Eastern Michigan 34, Worthen Arena, Muncie IN, February 20, 2013)

Shanee' Jackson #10 takes a hit from Taylor Bird #1 (NCAA Women's Basketball: Ball State 56 v. Eastern Michigan 34, Worthen Arena, Muncie IN, February 20, 2013)

Nathalie Fontaine #4 led all scorers with 16 points and added 12 boards to her line for the game (NCAA Women's Basketball: Ball State 56 v. Eastern Michigan 34, Worthen Arena, Muncie IN, February 20, 2013)

Brandy Woody #11 gets a bear hug from India Hairston #34, which was ruled an intentional foul (NCAA Women's Basketball: Ball State 56 v. Eastern Michigan 34, Worthen Arena, Muncie IN, February 20, 2013)

Nathalie Fontaine #4 tries to find a path to the basket (NCAA Women's Basketball: Ball State 56 v. Eastern Michigan 34, Worthen Arena, Muncie IN, February 20, 2013)

Katie Murphy #33 grabbed 15 rebounds (NCAA Women's Basketball: Ball State 56 v. Eastern Michigan 34, Worthen Arena, Muncie IN, February 20, 2013)

Source: http://www.sportspagemagazine.com/content/bb/wc-bb/gal-wc-bb/ncaa-basketball-ball-state-56-v-eastern-michigan-3.shtml?55819

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EPA regulations a looming blow to Arizona economy

Higher electricity rates under new EPA regulations would have negative impact on Arizona's ability to attract and create new jobs, experts tell a group of state lawmakers.

By Evan Tracey,?American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) / February 22, 2013

This content provided by a Monitor sponsor. What's this?

The main plant facility at the Navajo Generating Station is seen from Lake Powell in Page, Ariz. The federal government is proposing new limits for pollution from the coal-fired power plant to reduce haze in places like the Grand Canyon. But the plant's owners say it could come with a price tag of more than $1 billion.

Ross D. Franklin/AP/File

Enlarge

Last month?we mentioned a story?regarding the Navajo Generating Station that stated that EPA regulations that would require adding new emissions controls to the plant would cost $1.1 billion and would only marginally reduce the plants portion of haze in the area.

Skip to next paragraph Evan Tracey

Senior Vice President for Communications, American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE)

Mr. Tracey oversees the strategy on how to communicate the importance of electricity from coal and the value of investments in clean coal technology. He has two decades of political, legislative and issue research experience and has provided strategic media analysis for a number of trade associations, foundations, Fortune 500 companies, political party committees, the national press, academic institutions, as well as hundreds of national, statewide and local political campaigns.

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It was?reported yesterday that Arizona?s?economy?could soon be feeling the effects of higher electricity rates under regulations recently announced by the EPA, a group of state lawmakers were told on Monday.

According to the?White Mountain Independent, ?In a rare joint committee hearing chaired by Senator Gail Griffin (R-Hereford), members of the Senate Government and Environment Committee and the House Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Committee, chaired by Representative Frank Pratt (R-Casa Grande) heard testimony from state air quality regulators, utility officials, a hospital executive, union representative, and the Director of the Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency, all of whom agreed that new regulations announced by the EPA could have a significant, negative impact on Arizona?s economy and its ability to attract and create new jobs.?

?This is a non-partisan issue that has alarmed Republicans and Democrats alike,? Senator Griffin said. ?Regardless of how one feels about the EPA, there is nothing logical about requiring Arizona residents to pay a billion dollars for regulations that make virtually no improvement in visibility and have nothing to do with public health.?

This is just further evidence that the EPA continues to ignore the damage that its new regulations are causing to the U.S. economy and to states that depend on coal for jobs and affordable electricity.

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Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/wFFb43BNqew/EPA-regulations-a-looming-blow-to-Arizona-economy

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