Russian cargo ship launched to space station

MOSCOW (AP) ? A Russian cargo ship was launched successfully to the International Space Station on Sunday, clearing the way for the next manned mission and easing concerns about the station's future after a previous failed launch.

The unmanned Progress M-13M blasted off as scheduled at 2:11 p.m. Moscow time (1011 GMT; 6:11 a.m. EDT) from the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Mission Control spokesman Valery Lyndin said.

"It was a perfect launch," Lyndin told The Associated Press, adding the ship successfully reached a designated orbit and will dock at the station Wednesday. A new crew will be launched to the space outpost on Nov. 14, he said.

A Progress launch failure in August, which was blamed on an "accidental" manufacturing flaw, cast doubts about future missions to the station, because the upper stage of the Soyuz booster rocket carrying the cargo ship to orbit is similar to that used to launch astronauts.

The next Soyuz launches were delayed pending the outcome of the probe. NASA said the space station ? continuously manned for nearly 11 years ? will need to be abandoned temporarily if a new crew cannot be launched by mid-November.

The Russian spacecraft serve as the only link to the station after NASA retired the space shuttle in July.

Sundays' Progress mission was the second successful launch of a Soyuz booster rocket after the August mishap. Earlier this month, another Soyuz rocket launched the first two satellites of the European Union's Galileo navigation system from the Kourou launchpad in French Guiana. The launches followed inspections, which required the rocket engines to be sent back to manufacturers for close examination.

The August crash was the latest in a string of spectacular launch failures that have raised concerns about the condition of the nation's space industries. The Russian space agency said it will establish its own quality inspection teams at rocket factories to tighten oversight over production quality.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/b2f0ca3a594644ee9e50a8ec4ce2d6de/Article_2011-10-30-SCI-Space-Station/id-742cfd1c1dfd4501a547eb479cae6e4f

chris cooley chris cooley stevan ridley breast cancer awareness month breast cancer awareness month barbara walters new ipod touch

Half of voters don?t know Romney is Mormon, according to poll (The Ticket)

(Al Behrman/AP)

Recent polls have suggested Mitt Romney's Mormon faith could have a significant impact on whether voters back his second bid for the White House. But a new survey suggests most people still don't know exactly what his faith is.

A Public Religion Research Institute poll finds just 49 percent of registered voters correctly identified Romney's faith as Mormon. The number is even lower among all Americans, with just 42 percent of those polled knew Romney's faith.

But in what could be a danger to Romney's electoral chances, the survey finds that evangelical voters are the most aware that the former Massachusetts governor is a Mormon. According to the poll, 53 percent of white evangelical Protestants identified Romney as a Mormon?up 9 points since July.

The big unknown for Romney is whether his religion will be a factor as voters increasingly learn more about him?especially in early voting states like Iowa and South Carolina, a population heavy with social conservatives and evangelicals.

The poll comes as Romney's faith has become more of an issue on the campaign trail? in recent weeks. Earlier this month, Robert Jeffress, a Dallas pastor backing Rick Perry in the GOP nomination race, called Mormonism a cult and said it is "not Christian" during a faith forum featuring the 2012 candidates.

Meanwhile, a recent Quinnipiac poll found voters nationally are still deeply concerned about electing a Mormon president. Just 45 percent of those polled say they have a favorable view of the religion. Meanwhile, roughly 1 in 5 Republican voters say they wouldn't vote for a Mormon candidate, according to a recent Gallup poll.

Last week, a voter in Iowa pressed Romney about possibly delivering a speech clearing up misconceptions about the Mormon faith, as he did during the 2008 campaign. But in that exchange, Romney indicated he had no such plans.

"I don't think so," Romney replied. "I think the great majority of American people want to select the person who's the most capable of getting our country going again, with strong values and a strong economy and a strong military? Among the things that are unique and exceptional about our country is the fact that, in America, we recognize and appreciate differences in faith."

More popular Yahoo! News stories:

? Jon Huntsman on the tea party, the polls and his hair

? Will Mitch McConnell's stiff-arm keep West Virginia out of the Big 12?

? Mike Tyson as Herman Cain?

Want more of our best political stories? Visit The Ticket or connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_theticket/20111028/el_yblog_theticket/half-of-voters-dont-know-romney-is-mormon-according-to-poll

facebook music daphne guinness daphne guinness mortgage rates mortgage rates kirstie alley r.e.m.

Freakonomics ? Aspirin and Cancer: A Seriously Cost-Effective ...

(Creatas)

At Freakonomics, we?re all about finding cheap, easy solutions to life?s big problems. And judging by the results of a new study published in The Lancet, a rather large one just came down the pike. Turns out that aspirin may be one of the most effective measures to combat colon cancer. The study found that taking two aspirin pills a day for two years reduced the risk of colorectal cancer by 63 percent in a group of 861 people who have Lynch syndrome, and are therefore at a high risk for the disease.

Though there have been previous studies that suggest aspirin may effectively reduce the risk of cancer (like this one from 2010), according to the BBC, this most recent study was the first randomized control trial specifically for aspirin and cancer to prove it. So, while we?ve spent what probably amounts to tens of billions of dollars in pharmaceutical R&D trying to come up with an effective cancer drug, one of the best methods may have been already sitting in our medicine cabinet, at just a few bucks a bottle.?

Source: http://www.freakonomics.com/2011/10/28/aspirin-and-cancer-a-seriously-cost-effective-measure/

saab megalodon human centipede ancient egypt paranormal activity 2 the great gatsby the great gatsby

Inside the Goldman Insider Trading Case (ABC News)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/153844712?client_source=feed&format=rss

dennis the menace dylan ratigan dylan ratigan occupy occupy midnight madness midnight madness

Nintendo H1 recurring loss seen at $1.32 billion: report (Reuters)

TOKYO (Reuters) ? Nintendo Co is expected to post a recurring loss of about 100 billion yen ($1.32 billion) in the first half ending on September 30, much worse than the 55 billion loss the company has forecast, the Nikkei business daily said on Wednesday.

Shares of the Japanese games maker tumbled as much as 7.5 percent after the news, to 10,800 yen.

Nintendo, which dominated the games industry for years with its DS handheld game machines and Wii home consoles, has struggled to win popularity for its new generation 3DS gadget, as casual gamers turn to smartphones and tablets from Apple Inc and others.

Nintendo, like many Japanese firms, is also facing a massive hit from the strong yen.

The Nikkei said in its online edition the company had incurred 40 billion yen in foreign exchange losses, mostly against the euro, and would likely also post a first half net loss greater than the 35 billion yen it has projected.

A spokesman for Nintendo declined to comment on the report. The company is due to announce its July-September earnings on Thursday.

Nintendo, which makes 80 percent of its sales overseas, is facing a slump in the value of its cash deposits and accounts receivable in foreign currencies as the yen rises, the Nikkei said.

The games giant behind the Super Mario franchise slashed its full-year operating profit forecast in July to a 27-year low of 35 billion yen, as it cut the price of the 3DS by about one-third to try to boost weak sales.

($1 = 75.770 Japanese Yen)

(Reporting by Chang-Ran Kim and Isabel Reynolds; Editing by Joseph Radford and Edmund Klamann)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personaltech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111026/bs_nm/us_nintendo

chuck explosion plaxico burress rex ryan kenya entourage season 8 entourage season 8

Rate on 30-year fixed mortgage falls to 4.10 pct. (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage was nearly unchanged for a second straight week after rising from a record low.

Freddie Mac said Thursday that the rate on the 30-year loan fell to 4.10 percent from 4.11 percent last week. Three weeks ago, it dropped to 3.94 percent. The National Bureau of Economic Research says that's the lowest rate ever.

The average rate on the 15-year fixed mortgage was unchanged at 3.38 percent. Three weeks ago, it hit a record low of 3.26 percent.

Low rates have done little to jolt the struggling housing market. Sales remain depressed, and home prices are still dropping in many markets.

High unemployment and declining wages have made it harder for many people to qualify for loans. Most of those who can afford to refinance already have.

The number of Americans who bought previously occupied homes fell in September and is on pace to match last year's dismal figures ? the worst in 13 years.

Sales of new homes rose last month after four straight monthly declines. But the increase was largely because builders cut their prices and it followed a peak buying season that was the worst on records going back nearly 50 years.

Many borrowers are unable to take advantage of the low rates because they can't meet banks' restrictive lending standards, or are unable to scrape together a down payment.

The low rates have caused a modest boom in refinancing, but that benefit might be wearing off. Most people who can afford to refinance have already locked in rates below 5 percent.

The Federal Reserve has been helped push rates lower by buying longer-dated Treasurys, such as 10-year Treasury notes. Mortgage rates tend to track the yield on the 10-year note. Buying by the Fed pulls the yield lower.

Rates have been below 5 percent for all but two weeks in the past year. Just five years ago they were closer to 6.5 percent.

The average rates don't include extra fees, known as points, which most borrowers must pay to get the lowest rates. One point equals 1 percent of the loan amount. The average fee for the 30-year fixed mortgage was unchanged at 0.8 point. The average fee for the 15-year loan fell to 0.7 point from 0.8 point.

To calculate average mortgage rates, Freddie Mac surveys lenders across the country on Monday through Wednesday of each week.

The average rate on the five-year adjustable loan rose to 3.08 percent from 3.01 percent. It hit a record low of 2.96 percent three weeks ago.

The average rate on the one-year adjustable loan fell to 2.90 percent from 2.94 percent. It fell last month to 2.81 percent, the lowest on records dating to 1984.

The average fee on the five-year adjustable loan fell to 0.5 point from 0.6 point. The average fee on the one-year adjustable loan was unchanged at 0.6 percent.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111027/ap_on_bi_ge/us_mortgage_rates

john kennedy jr machine gun preacher machine gun preacher austin city limits breaking dawn trailer breaking dawn trailer chely wright

Extreme melting on greenland ice sheet, team reports; Glacial melt cycle could become self-amplifying

ScienceDaily (Oct. 25, 2011) ? The Greenland ice sheet can experience extreme melting even when temperatures don't hit record highs, according to a new analysis by Dr. Marco Tedesco, assistant professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at The City College of New York. His findings suggest that glaciers could undergo a self-amplifying cycle of melting and warming that would be difficult to halt.

"We are finding that even if you don't have record-breaking highs, as long as warm temperatures persist you can get record-breaking melting because of positive feedback mechanisms," said Professor Tedesco, who directs CCNY's Cryospheric Processes Laboratory and also serves on CUNY Graduate Center doctoral faculty.

Professor Tedesco and his team collected data for the analysis this past summer during a four-week expedition to the Jakobshavn Isbr? glacier in western Greenland. Their arrival preceded the onset of the melt season.

Combining data gathered on the ground with microwave satellite recordings and the output from a model of the ice sheet, he and graduate student Patrick Alexander found a near-record loss of snow and ice this year. The extensive melting continued even without last year's record highs.

The team recorded data on air temperatures, wind speed, exposed ice and its movement, the emergence of streams and lakes of melt water on the surface, and the water's eventual draining away beneath the glacier. This lost melt water can accelerate the ice sheet's slide toward the sea where it calves new icebergs. Eventually, melt water reaches the ocean, contributing to the rising sea levels associated with long-term climate change.

The model showed that melting between June and August was well above the average for 1979 to 2010. In fact, melting in 2011 was the third most extensive since 1979, lagging behind only 2010 and 2007. The "mass balance," or amount of snow gained minus the snow and ice that melted away, ended up tying last year's record values.

Temperatures and an albedo feedback mechanism accounted for the record losses, Professor Tedesco explained. "Albedo" describes the amount of solar energy absorbed by the surface (e.g. snow, slush, or patches of exposed ice). A white blanket of snow reflects much of the sun's energy and thus has a high albedo. Bare ice -- being darker and absorbing more light and energy -- has a lower albedo.

But absorbing more energy from the sun also means that darker patches warm up faster, just like the blacktop of a road in the summer. The more they warm, the faster they melt.

And a year that follows one with record high temperatures can have more dark ice just below the surface, ready to warm and melt as soon as temperatures begin to rise. This also explains why more ice sheet melting can occur even though temperatures did not break records.

Professor Tedesco likens the melting process to a speeding steam locomotive. Higher temperatures act like coal shoveled into the boiler, increasing the pace of melting. In this scenario, "lower albedo is a downhill slope," he says. The darker surfaces collect more heat. In this situation, even without more coal shoveled into the boiler, as a train heads downhill, it gains speed. In other words, melting accelerates.

Only new falling snow puts the brakes on the process, covering the darker ice in a reflective blanket, Professor Tedesco says. The model showed that this year's snowfall couldn't compensate for melting in previous years. "The process never slowed down as much as it had in the past," he explained. "The brakes engaged only every now and again."

The team's observations indicate that the process was not limited to the glacier they visited; it is a large-scale effect. "It's a sign that not only do albedo and other variables play a role in acceleration of melting, but that this acceleration is happening in many places all over Greenland," he cautioned. "We are currently trying to understand if this is a trend or will become one. This will help us to improve models projecting future melting scenarios and predict how they might evolve."

Additional expedition team members included Christine Foreman of Montana State University, and Ian Willis and Alison Banwell of the Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge, UK.

Professor Tedesco and his team provide their preliminary results on the Cryospheric Processes Laboratory webpage (http://greenland2011.cryocity.org/). They will will be presenting further results at the American Geophysical Union Society (AGU) meeting in San Francisco on December 5 at 9 a.m. and December 6 at 11:35 a.m.

The research was supported by the National Science Foundation and the NASA Cryosphere Program. The World Wildlife Fund is acknowledged for supporting fieldwork activities.

Recommend this story on Facebook, Twitter,
and Google +1:

Other bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by City College of New York.

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: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111025163128.htm

shannon tweed don lapre aladdin dallas cowboys weird al yankovic cowboys cowboys

Dina Manzo Defends Teresa Giudice, Tells The Truth!

On part two of The Real Housewives of New Jersey reunion special, Caroline Manzo went off on Teresa Giudice for a number of reasons. Among them: Caroline blames her castmate for the disintegrated relationship she has with her sister, Dina.

How does Dina feel about this publicized mess? In a new blog entry titled blog post labeled "The Truth!," this former Real Housewife writes that she wants to "put all this to rest," and starts by addressing critics:

"Just so you know I've been offered a SERIOUS amount of money to sell this to many outlets BUT I chose to do it for free here. So all of you who have something to say can shove it."

Alright then. Glad that's cleared up. But what about Dina's take on Teresa's recent behavior, which includes a diss of Caroline in her latest cookbook?

"Was it necessary for her to write that stuff in her book? Probably not, but I don't think it was written with malice either," Dina said. "So there you have it, Teresa had nothing to do with me staying away from everyone, I even stayed away from her too."

So why did Dina stay away from cast members?

"I really wanted to walk away from all of the toxic behavior," she writes. "I was not into ganging up on anyone... I guess some of the Housewives may have taken that as I think I'm better than them... that couldn't be further from the truth."

Finally, in relation to her feud with Caroline, Dina is vague: "Feelings did get hurt. I won't get into them because I have no desire to rehash the past that can only hurt my parents whom I adore... There is no side here, this is a private matter..."

Then, of course, Dina closed by plugging Dina's Party on HGTV.

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/10/dina-manzo-defends-teresa-giudice-tells-the-truth/

the prisoner the prisoner gene simmons my bloody valentine mario manningham mario manningham holes

Deepest ocean trench home to race of giant amoebas

Scientists have discovered a community of 4-inch amoebas living at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the deepest known part of the world's oceans.

During a July 2011 voyage to the Pacific Ocean chasm, researchers with Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego and National Geographic engineers deployed untethered landers, called dropcams, equipped with digital video and lights to explore the largely mysterious region of the deep sea.

Skip to next paragraph

The team documented the deepest known existence of xenophyophores, single-celled animals exclusively found in deep-sea environments. Xenophyophores are noteworthy for their size, with individual cells often exceeding 4 inches (10 centimeters), their extreme abundance on the seafloor and their role as hosts for a variety of organisms.

Extreme environment, extreme creature

The researchers spotted the life forms at depths up to 6.6 miles (10,641 meters) within the Sirena Deep of the Mariana Trench. The previous depth record for xenophyophores was approximately 4.7 miles (7,500 m) in the New Hebrides Trench, although sightings in the deepest portion of the Mariana Trench have been reported. [Infographic: Tallest Mountain to Deepest Ocean Trench]

Scientists say xenophyophores are the largest individual cells in existence. Recent studies indicate that by trapping particles from the water, xenophyophores can concentrate high levels of lead, uranium and mercury and are thus likely resistant to large doses of heavy metals. They also are well suited to a life of darkness, low temperature and high pressure in the deep sea.

"The identification of these gigantic cells in one of the deepest marine environments on the planet opens up a whole new habitat for further study of biodiversity, biotechnological potential and extreme environment adaptation," said Doug Bartlett, the Scripps marine microbiologist who organized the expedition.

Tip of the iceberg

The xenophyophores are just the tip of the deep-sea ecosystem iceberg. The expedition also found the deepest jellyfish observed to date, as well as other mysterious animals.

"As one of very few taxa found exclusively in the deep sea, the xenophyophores are emblematic of what the deep sea offers. They are fascinating giants that are highly adapted to extreme conditions but at the same time are very fragile and poorly studied," Levin said. "These and many other structurally important organisms in the deep sea need our stewardship as human activities move to deeper waters."

The dropcams used to observe the creatures contained an HD camera and lighting inside a glass bubble that can withstand the extreme pressures encountered at these depths.

"Seafloor animals are lured to the camera with bait, a technique first developed by Scripps professor John Isaacs in the 1960s," said Kevin Hardy, a Scripps ocean engineer and cruise participant. Hardy advanced the ultra-deep glass sphere design used on 'dropcams' more than a decade ago. "Scripps researchers hope to one day capture and return novel living animals to the laboratory for study in high-pressure aquariums that replicate the trench environment."

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/_nofEk0tPo0/Deepest-ocean-trench-home-to-race-of-giant-amoebas

barometer intc cyclops cyclops zanesville google ice cream sandwich google ice cream sandwich

Tunisians vote in first Arab Spring election

TUNIS, Tunisia?? Tunisians began voting at dawn Sunday in their first truly free elections, the culmination of a popular uprising that ended decades of authoritarian rule and set off similar rebellions across the Middle East.

Voters are electing members of an assembly that will appoint a new government and then write a new constitution, definitively turning the page on the 23-year presidency of Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, who was overthrown by a monthlong uprising on Jan. 14 stirred by anger at unemployment, corruption and repression.

The party expected to come out on top, Ennahda, is a moderate Islamist party whose victory, especially in a comparatively secular society like Tunisia, could have wide implications for similar religious parties in the region. The party was banned under Ben Ali.

The unexpected revolution in this quiet Mediterranean country ? cherished by European tourists for its sandy beaches and desert oases ? set off a series of similar uprisings against entrenched leaders, an event now being called the Arab Spring. If Tunisia's elections produce an effective new government they will serve as an inspiration to pro-democracy advocates across the region, including in next-door Libya, where longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi was killed last week by rebel forces.

1. Only on msnbc.com

   1. Updated 44 minutes ago 10/23/2011 1:55:55 PM +00:00 Clinton: No one should doubt commitment to Iraq
   2. 'I am happy': Libyans line up to see Gadhafi's body
   3. 4-month-old receives heart transplant
   4. 'Occupy' protesters find allies among the wealthy
   5. Dating after diagnosis: Love in the time of chemotherapy
   6. It's A Snap! Vote for your favorite travel photo
   7. Flooded Thailand races to rescue pets, loose crocs

Story: In his last days, Gadhafi wearied of fugitive?s life

The campaign season has been marked by controversies over advertising, fears over society's religious polarization and concerns about voter apathy, but in the run-up to the vote a mood of optimism and excitement in the capital was palpable.

"This is the first time in my life I've truly voted. It is something extraordinary," said Turkane Seklani, a 37-year-old casting her ballot in polling station set up in the Bourguiba High School in Tunis. The sun was still rising as she cast her ballot soon after 7 a.m., but the capital was already humming with political activity.

She said she voted for center-left party Ettakatol, because its leader, a doctor who opposed Ben Ali in the years before the uprising, "is a good man and I find him honest and with integrity."

'I'm an optimist'
The mother of Mohamed Bouazizi, the young man whose self-immolation last December triggered the Tunisian revolt, said the election was a victory for dignity and freedom.

"Now I am happy that my son's death has given the chance to get beyond fear and injustice," Manoubia Bouazizi told Reuters. "I'm an optimist, I wish success for my country.

How rap fueled the Arab Spring uprisings

The ballot is an extra-large piece of paper bearing the names and symbols of the parties fielding a candidate in each district. It's a cacophony of choice in a country effectively under one-party rule since independence from France in 1956, and where the now-popular Islamist party Ennahda was long banned.

There are 7.5 million potential voters, though only 4.4 million of them, or just under 60 percent, are actually registered. People can vote with their identity cards but only at certain stations, which some fear may cause confusion during the polls.

Voters in each of the country's 33 districts, six of which are abroad, have a choice of between 40 and 80 electoral lists, consisting of parties and independent candidates.

Coalitions and compromises
A proportional representation system will likely mean that no political party will dominate the assembly, which is expected to be divided roughly between the Ennahda party, centrist parties and leftist parties, requiring coalitions and compromises during the writing of the constitution.

Ennahda has been at pains to assuage the concerns of secularists and Western powers, fielding several women candidates including one who does not wear the hijab, or Muslim headscarf, and promising not to undermine women's freedoms.

Fundamentalist Islamists known as Salafists have attacked a cinema and a TV station in recent months over artistic material deemed blasphemous. Ennahda says they have nothing to do with them, but liberals do not believe them.

At a final election rally on Friday, Suad Abdel-Rahim, the female candidate who does not wear a veil, said Ennahda would protect women's gains.

But illustrating the party's contradictions, many of the books on sale on the fringes of the rally were by Salafist writers who believe women should be segregated from men in public and that elections are un-Islamic.

An Ennahda victory would be the first such success in the Arab world since Hamas won a 2006 Palestinian vote. Islamists won a 1991 Algerian election the army annulled, provoking years of bloody conflict.

Interactive: Tunisia protests, country profile (on this page)

Ennahda's fortunes could have a bearing on Egyptian elections set for next month in which the Muslim Brotherhood, an ideological ally, also hopes to emerge strongest.

In the 10 months since the uprising, Tunisia's economy and employment, part of the reason for the revolution in the first place, has only become worse as tourists and foreign investors have stayed away.

Many have expressed indifference about the elections out of frustration that new jobs have yet to appear and life has not improved since the revolution.

The government says 40,000 police and soldiers are being deployed to prevent any protests escalating into violence. Shopkeepers say people have been stockpiling milk and bottled water in case unrest disrupts supplies.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45004356/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/

giuliana rancic dia de los muertos dia de los muertos notre dame football wisconsin badgers football wisconsin badgers football chris cook

Kim Kardashian's Movie Role In Tyler Perry's 'The Marriage Counselor'

Now that she dominates reality television, fashion and nightlife coast to coast, Kim Kardashian has set her sights on the biggest spotlight of them all: the big screen.

The reality star/designer/businesswoman/HuffPost Game Changer has joined the cast of Tyler Perry's next film, "The Marriage Counselor," she tweeted Friday night. Based on one of Perry's plays, the film tells the story of a marriage counselor whose own marriage begins to fall apart when her husband's parents move in. She begins to cheat on her husband, and Kardashian will play a co-worker who takes her to the big city for a makeover.

The role dovetails well with her recent, televised marriage to NBA player Kris Humphries. The announcement was also a great birthday gift for Kardashian; she turned 31 on Friday.

Kardashian has featured in small parts in two films in the past, "Deep in the Valley" and the spoof, "Disaster Movie." She also featured on a number of episodes of the surf show, "Beyond The Break," as well as an episode of "CSI: NY" in 2009.

She, of course, is best known for her multitude of TV shows, including "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" and "Kourtney and Kim Take New York."

The co-star of that latter series, her older sister Kourtney, guest starred on the soap opera "One Life To Live" in March, while another Kardashian sister, Khloe Kardashian Odom, guested on "Law and Order: LA." All three sisters have made a multitude of appearances as guests on TV talk shows.

'; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/22/kim-kardashians-movie-role-marriage-counselor_n_1026389.html

renaissance festival melanie iglesias catherine tate clemson andy rooney andy rooney theo epstein

Woman behind Indian trust case remembered for grit (Providence Journal)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/151973525?client_source=feed&format=rss

ncaa football boston marathon elisabeth hasselbeck rogue trader rogue trader gone in 60 seconds gone in 60 seconds

Video: CNBC's Business News Headlines

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/44983075#44983075

district 9 pandaria pandaria artie lange baby lisa irwin baby lisa irwin pearl jam 20

Argentine president looking at landslide victory

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez gives a speech during her closing campaign rally in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011. Fernandez is seeking a second term on the Oct. 23 general election.(AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano)

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez gives a speech during her closing campaign rally in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011. Fernandez is seeking a second term on the Oct. 23 general election.(AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano)

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez reacts during her closing campaign rally in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011. Fernandez is seeking a second term on the Oct. 23 general election.(AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano)

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) ? President Cristina Fernandez could rest easy ahead of Sunday's elections in Argentina, with polls suggesting a landslide victory over six rivals.

Not that she did: An irrepressible multitasker, she campaigned so hard that blood pressure problems repeatedly forced her to cancel events.

If she does win, she'll be the first woman president re-elected in Latin America. But it also will be a bittersweet victory for Fernandez, her first in a lifetime of politics without her husband and predecessor, Nestor Kirchner, who died of a heart attack last Oct. 27.

Since his death, Fernandez has reversed her negative numbers and proved her ability to govern on her own, ensuring loyalty or respect from an unruly political elite.

Many Argentines in pre-election polls said they would vote for her because their own financial situations have improved as the country's economy continues its longest spell of economic growth in history. Voters also said they supported Fernandez because she's best able to govern, which in Argentina often requires keeping union, corporate and social movement leaders in line.

Fernandez can win with as little as 40 percent of the vote if none of her rivals comes within 10 percentage points of her, but the latest polls suggested she could capture between 52 percent and 57 percent of votes. The surveys had error margins of plus or minus three percentage points.

If those trends hold, Fernandez could receive a larger share of votes than any president since Argentina's democracy was restored in 1983, when Raul Alfonsin was elected with 52 percent. She could even approach the 60 percent of ballots that her populist hero, Juan Domingo Peron, won in his last two elections. Her Front for Victory coalition also hoped to regain enough seats in Congress to form new alliances and regain the control it lost in 2009.

Fernandez, 58, chose her youthful, guitar-playing, long-haired economy minister, Amado Boudou, as her running mate. Together, the pair championed Argentina's approach to the global financial crisis: Increase government spending rather than impose austerity measures, and force investors in foreign debt to suffer before ordinary citizens.

Argentina has been closed off from most international lending since declaring its world-record debt default in 2001, but has been able to sustain booming growth ever since.

The country faces tough challenges in 2012, however. Its commodities exports are vulnerable to a global recession, and economic growth is forecast to slow sharply in the coming year. Declining revenues will make it harder to raise incomes to keep up with inflation. Trade with the economic powerhouse of Brazil is all important, but with the Brazilian real rising and the Argentine peso falling, there will be more pressure on Argentina's central bank to spend reserves to maintain the currency.

If his ticket wins, Boudou could win attention as a potential successor to Fernandez, but navigating these storms will require much skill and good fortune.

The president's rivals are Hermes Binner, 68, a doctor and socialist governor of Santa Fe province; Ricardo Alfonsin, 59, a lawyer and congressional deputy with the traditional Radical Civic Union party and son of the former president; Alberto Rodriguez Saa, 52, an attorney and governor of San Luis province whose brother Adolfo was president for a week; Eduardo Duhalde, who preceded Kirchner as president; leftist former lawmaker Jorge Altamira, 69; and Elisa Carrio 54, a congresswoman who came in second behind Fernandez four years ago but trailed the field this time.

Also at stake in the election are 130 seats in the lower house of congress, 24 senate seats and nine governor's offices as well as hundreds of local races.

Voting is obligatory in Argentina, and nearly 29 million citizens among the 40 million population are registered.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-10-23-LT-Argentina-Election/id-5ff5557d771e40e5ab2adb27e176ac7d

us open mens final go daddy tmobile johnny cash serbia spongebob squarepants anagram

Paper maker Stora Enso reports Q3 $70 million loss (AP)

HELSINKI ? Paper maker Stora Enso Oyj on Friday fell into a third-quarter net loss of $70 million (euro50 million) from a profit a year earlier as it was hit by high costs and negative exchange rates.

The Finnish-Swedish company said revenue grew more than 4 percent in July through September to euro2.74 billion, from euro2.6 billion a year earlier. Net profit in the same period last year was euro194 million.

CEO Jouko Karvinen described the quarter as "solid," but cautioned that measures "to fight the economic reality" would continue and increase.

"It is clear that going into the fourth quarter our customers, as well as ourselves, will reduce inventories and therefore we will further step up the manufacturing curtailments which we already increased significantly in the third quarter," Karvinen said Friday, hinting of more layoffs.

Stora's share price bounced up more than 2 percent to euro4.40 ($6.08) in afternoon trading in Helsinki.

Stora said demand in the fourth quarter, compared to last year, would be "weaker" or "significantly weaker" for newsprint, magazine papers and wood products, while prices would remain stable or be slightly weaker.

Like many forest product companies, Stora has been struggling with persistent overcapacity in European paper markets. It has been forced to cut production, close mills and lay off thousands of workers.

In May, it announced some 300 more job cuts in Europe in a move to cut costs by euro20 million, to further improve efficiency and competitiveness in fine paper production. Earlier, it had announced an annual cost cutting target of euro29 million by the end of the second quarter 2012.

Last year, the company cut paper volumes by 700,000 tons, closing four paper-making machines in Europe.

Helsinki-based Stora Enso is one of the world's largest forest product companies making magazine paper, newsprint, fine paper, pulp and packaging boards. It employs 28,500 people worldwide.

___

Online:

http://www.storaenso.com

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/earnings/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111021/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_finland_earns_stora_enso

mash dolly parton tanzania setup dart dart progeria

Think Finance Debuts Consumer Electronics Retail Site For The Unbanked

a href="http://www.thinkfinance.com/">Think Finance, a company that helps serve the banking needs of the "unbanked", is unveiling Presta, a new consumer electronics retail site that gives customers the option to lease-purchase electronics. Think Finance caters to the 60 million "unbanked," individuals in the U.S., which designate consumers who don't have traditional bank accounts or cannot qualify for credit cards. The company says that 25% of Americans have FICO scores less than 600 and are facing dramatically reduced access to credit and banking services. Think Finance provides this population with pre-paid debit cards, online installment loans, financial literacy tools, and more. The company has served more than 1 million customers through its existing products.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/m4uXmuz2OxA/

austin weather sacramento kings lisa vanderpump pef pef the perfect storm draya michele

Cheaper and easier isn't necessarily better in new colon cancer screening procedures

ScienceDaily (Oct. 20, 2011) ? Eventually, colon cancers bleed and so tests for blood in stool seem an inexpensive and noninvasive alternative to traditional colonoscopies. In fact, a recent article in the journal Cancer Prevention Research showed that fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) is an accurate predictor of colorectal cancer and can provide a low-cost screening alternative for medically underserved populations.

However, Tim Byers, MD, MPH, associate director for prevention and control at the University of Colorado Cancer Center and professor of epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health, says that despite its ease, low cost, and one-time accuracy, FIT remains inferior to colorectal cancer screening the old-fashioned way, by colonoscopy.

Here's why.

"Testing for blood in the stool can find cancer and advanced adenomas, but it does not work well for finding most adenomas, therefore creates many missed opportunities for cancer prevention," Byers says. In other words, by the time a colorectal cancer bleeds, the window for successful treatment may be closed -- proverbially, this is discovering the barn door is unlocked after the horse has run away.

To shorten the time before a bleeding colorectal cancer sees treatment, proponents of FIT testing recommend using the procedure yearly, rather than every five-to-ten years as recommended for colonoscopies. Frequent screening, they hope, will allow treatment to follow closely on the heels of the discovery of blood in stool, perhaps with the same timeliness of a colonoscopy, which due to the long time between screenings may catch a cancer that has been on the move for years between checks.

However, "We are very bad in our health care system and as individuals in doing anything yearly, so practices that use FIT testing perform poorly with repeat testing over time -- the poor performance of FIT testing gets even worse as people forget to do the annual tests," Byers says.

In a recent editorial in response to the findings in the above journal, Byers points out that insurance companies have strong incentive to promote the less expensive alternative, but in this case the cheaper alternative may, in fact, lead to fewer colorectal cancers identified in their early stages.

"Tests designed to identify occult blood in the stool are better for detecting colorectal cancer, whereas direct endoscopic visualization of the colorectum [colonoscopy] is better for prevention," Byers writes.

Recommend this story on Facebook, Twitter,
and Google +1:

Other bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Colorado Denver.

Note: ScienceDaily reserves the right to edit materials for content and length. For original reprint permissions, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. T. Byers. Examining Stools for Colon Cancer Prevention: What Are We Really Looking for? Cancer Prevention Research, 2011; 4 (10): 1531 DOI: 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-11-0410

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://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111020105912.htm

amr andrew luck andrew luck brandi glanville cc sabathia apple press conference apple press conference

Urban Outfitters pulls 'Navajo' name from website (AP)

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. ? Urban Outfitters has removed the word "Navajo" from product names on its website in the wake of criticism from the Navajo Nation government, bloggers and others, who viewed the usage as disrespectful and a trademark violation.

As recently as last week, the trendy clothing chain used "Navajo" in more than 20 product names online, including jackets, earrings and sneakers. Two items in particular sparked controversy: the "Navajo Hipster Panty" and the "Navajo Print Fabric Wrapped Flask."

The products now appear on the company's website as "printed" instead of "Navajo."

It's unclear whether the change has extended to any of Urban Outfitters' stores across the U.S. and in eight other countries. There was no sign of the word "Navajo" on any products at an Urban Outfitters in downtown Tempe on Wednesday.

The company received a cease-and-desist letter from the Navajo tribe a week ago, demanding the Navajo name be pulled from its products, Urban Outfitters spokesman Ed Looram said Wednesday. He declined to comment further, saying the matter is in the hands of the company's legal department.

Urban Outfitters last week told The Associated Press it had no plans to alter its products. The online name changes were first reported by Indian Country Today.

The Navajo Nation Department of Justice said Wednesday the changes were "positive" and "more consistent with the corporation's responsibilities than previously demonstrated."

"If the company has also ceased using the Navajo name in conjunction with its merchandise in its retail stores and print-media advertising, these are encouraging steps by the company towards amicably resolving this matter," the department said in a release.

The tribe holds at least 10 trademarks on the Navajo name that cover clothing, footwear, online retail sales, household products and textiles, and said it was intent on protecting those trademarks.

It's not the first time the Navajo Nation has taken action to assert its trademarks. The tribe licenses its name to other businesses in exchange for a share of their profits, and has identified about two dozen companies it believes are violating the Navajo trademark.

Earlier this year, the tribe successfully forced the cancellation of a "Navaho" trademark used by a French company doing business in the United States. The tribe argued the name was phonetically identical and infringed on its trademark.

"The corporation acted responsibly and adhered to its commitment to adopt a different trademark," tribal attorney Brian Lewis told the AP. "In doing so the company confirmed its respect for the (Navajo) Nation and its principles. This is the preferred resolution of these kinds of matters."

Urban Outfitters' use of "Navajo" sparked a flurry of criticism online, with tribal members and bloggers calling the product names offensive and telling the company to knock it off.

Shane Hendren, who heads the Albuquerque, N.M.-based Indian Arts and Crafts Association Education Fund, said the company's decision to pull the name from its site appeared to be a direct response to the backlash. If the clothing chain or any other company wants to showcase the Navajo name, they should go directly to the source, he said.

"There's a great many Navajo designers out there who would be more than willing to work for a firm and design garments for them," said Hendren, of Tohatchi, N.M. "And having the cultural background, be able to not only give you an authentic design but stay within their cultural parameters."

Native American fashion blogger Jessica Metcalfe also sees an opportunity for collaboration. The appropriation of Native cultures isn't likely to stop. But large corporations could benefit from working with Native artists who draw from the legacy of their ancestors, she said.

"I'm happy to see that Native people are standing up and saying that this profiting off what is ours is wrong," said Metcalfe, a Turtle Mountain Chippewa.

Jaclyn Roessel, of the Navajo town of Kayenta, said Urban Outfitters' approach to Native-inspired designs was callous and irresponsible.

Alcoholism is one of the reservation's most prevalent social ills, so having a flask branded as Navajo didn't sit well with her or others ? nor did the Navajo-branded underwear in a culture that preaches modesty.

"I think it's up to these mass retailers to start advocating for more responsible production of good when working with sensitive things," said Roessel, who educates others on American Indian culture at the Heard Museum in Phoenix.

"I'm curious to see what the ripple effects of this are," she added. "And I hope they're positive."

___

Associated Press writer Michelle Price in Phoenix contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111020/ap_on_re_us/us_navajo_fashion_wrangle

packers bears boeing 787 mike wallace mike wallace johnny appleseed hank baskett kody brown

New generation of superlattice cameras add more 'color' to night vision

ScienceDaily (Oct. 20, 2011) ? Recent breakthroughs have enabled scientists from the Northwestern University's Center for Quantum Devices to build cameras that can see more than one optical waveband or "color" in the dark. The semiconducting material used in the cameras -- called type-II superlattices -- can be tuned to absorb a wide range of infrared wavelengths, and now, a number of distinct infrared bands at the same time.

The idea of capturing light simultaneously at different wavelengths isn't new. Digital cameras in the visible spectrum are commonly equipped with detectors that sense red, green, and blue light to replicate a vast majority of colors perceived by the human eye. Multi-color detection in the infrared spectrum, however, offers unique functionalities beyond color representation. The resonant frequencies of compounds can often be found in this spectral range, which means that chemical spectroscopy can be relayed in images real-time.

"When coupled with image-processing algorithms performed on multiple wavebands, the amount of information rendered in a particular scene is tremendous," said Manijeh Razeghi, Walter P. Murphy Professor in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the McCormick School of Engineering and director of the Center for Quantum Devices.

Razeghi's group engineered the detection energies on the cameras to be extremely narrow, close to one-tenth of an electron volt, in what is known as the long-wave infrared window. Creating the cameras was difficult, however, because the light-absorbing layers are prone to parasitic effects. Furthermore, the detectors were designed to be stacked one on top of another, which provided spatially coincident pixel registration but added significantly to the growth and fabrication challenges. Nevertheless, a dual-band long-wave infrared 320-by-256 sized type-II superlattice camera was demonstrated for the first time in the world, the results of which were published in the July 2011 issue of Optics Letters.

Such infrared photon cameras based on another material called HgCdTe were used in disaster relief in March 2011 when a catastrophic tsunami damaged Japans' nuclear reactors. These cameras provided accurate temperature information about the reactors from unmanned aerial vehicles, providing officials the information they needed to orchestrate cooling efforts and prevent nuclear meltdown.

HgCdTe, however, is considered to be an expensive technology in the long-wave infrared due to its poor spectral uniformity and therefore yield -- areas in which type-II superlattices may prove more efficient.

"Type-II superlattices can be grown uniformly even at very long-wavelengths because its energy gap is determined by the alternating InAs and GaSb quantum well thicknesses, rather than its composition as is the case with HgCdTe," Razeghi said. The high-resolution multi-band type-II superlattice camera also offered very impressive performances, requiring only 0.5 milliseconds to capture a frame with temperature sensitivities as good as 0.015?C. "The high-performance, multi-functionality, and low cost offered by type-II superlattices truly make it an attractive infrared technology," she added.

Recommend this story on Facebook, Twitter,
and Google +1:

Other bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Northwestern University.

Note: ScienceDaily reserves the right to edit materials for content and length. For original reprint permissions, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Edward Kwei-wei Huang, Abbas Haddadi, Guanxi Chen, Binh-Minh Nguyen, Minh-Anh Hoang, Ryan McClintock, Mark Stegall, Manijeh Razeghi. Type-II superlattice dual-band LWIR imager with M-barrier and Fabry?Perot resonance. Optics Letters, 2011; 36 (13): 2560 DOI: 10.1364/OL.36.002560

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111020105910.htm

dennis the menace dylan ratigan dylan ratigan occupy occupy midnight madness midnight madness

[Gold Etf] Gold Investing Opportunities ? Gold Silver ETF

gold investing opportunities abound in this current economic environment. Those that have been on board, or who get on board shortly, are going to reap the profits of what will turn out to be one of the best gold investing opportunities ever! The U.S. Government has virtually guaranteed this with its program of nationalization and debt spending.

Our current political situation is providing a once in a lifetime gold investing opportunity. Now is the time to act and take advantage of this opportunity.

Gold has been in a trading range, roughly between $ 900 and $ 960 for the last 2 & 1/2 months, but that is about to change to the upside. Gold and silver have always reacted to the strength of the dollar, or the lack there of, and in effect they are the canary in the coal mine, sounding off when the the dollar has been abused.

The Fed?s policy of quantitative easing has sowed the seeds of massive inflation for the future.

Right now the only green shoots we are seeing are the green shoots of inflation that will follow this misguided attempt at government man handling the free market.

Government manipulation of the markets has never brought desirable results, but rather only the delaying of the inevitable. The inevitable is coming and it is not good for the U.S. dollar. It does, however, provide us with gold investing opportunities which will enable us to protect our wealth from this massive restructuring.

You can leverage your gold investment by buying gold stocks, gold mutual funds and etfs. I highly recommend this approach as long as you have protected your purchasing power by buying physical gold. Gold coins and silver coins, for that matter, are the best way to preserve your purchasing power.

Gold is easy to buy and easy to sell, so I highly recommend buying gold coins and bullion while this biggest of all gold investing opportunities is still in it?s early stages.

Source: http://goldsilveretf.net/gold-etf-gold-investing-opportunities/

caroline wozniacki caroline wozniacki ua ua weeds weeds wings

How Donald Trump Could Drag Republicans Down Before 2012 Election (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | Donald Trump is doing everything that he can to insert himself into the political game as possible. As a former political consultant I understand that his money, and the money of his friends, could help the Republicans in many ways in 2012. The problem is that the publicity Trump lives off of could do more harm to the candidates in the long run.

Trump a Target

Cameras have covered "The Donald" meeting with each of the "Republican flavors of the week." Some have made jokes that he has been holding his own primary. The more the cameras turn on Trump, the more the media will have the opportunity to make him into a target. The more time that is spent on him, the less time is spent on the candidates and their ideas and ideals. Less coverage equals less importance.

Potential Position?

One of the major blotches on Trump's recent record is his failed attempt to make a permanent mark on the 2012 election by becoming a viable candidate. The jokes have been flying ever since about his aspirations and I am waiting for the leftist side of the media to start making assumptions that he is looking for a cabinet position. The thought that political favors for a political position is something that everyone knows happens, but it still turns most people off.

Birther

The fact Trump was the strongest proponent for the birther movement, made him the laughing stock of the media and a direct target of the White House. There is a good chance that the accusations of being a "birther" could be stuck on any candidate that New York mogul supports. This could drag down a campaign with explanations and denials.

Overkill

Trump has done a great job when it comes to keeping himself in the spotlight. The thought that "The Apprentice" might turn into an hour-long commercial for whichever candidate Trump supports could turn off many watchers and cause them to tune out. Remember that political commercials and news programs overwhelm us enough. Another outlet for the Republicans could upset many voters.

As long as the most famous real estate genius continues to insert himself into politics, he runs the risk of notching the party that he supports. Would anyone in the party have the intestinal fortitude to tell him to shut up and butt out? Only time will tell.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20111018/pl_ac/10233075_how_donald_trump_could_drag_republicans_down_before_2012_election

miss usa 2011 miss usa 2011 richard hamilton richard hamilton stevie nicks sarah michelle gellar living social

Charges of mass abuse at Vienna foster home expand (AP)

VIENNA ? Allegations of systematic rape at a government-run foster home grew Tuesday when a lawyer said that a third woman had come forward to claim she was victimized decades ago.

The woman says two of the children died as a result of abuse, according to the attorney.

Lawyer Thomas Oelboeck represents two sisters claiming they and 18 other girls were raped for years in the early 1970s in the institution run by the city of Vienna. He said the third woman asserts that children at the Schloss Wilhelminenberg home were also regularly raped during her time there in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

"This woman, around 70 years old, reports the same series of abuse and rape as my clients," Oelboeck told reporters. "Furthermore, this woman speaks of (two) deaths that occurred in the years 1948-1953 in great detail because she was present in one of the cases and has indirect knowledge of the other."

Oelboeck spoke of "anatomical changes due to the abuse," adding medical reports he had seen related to the claims show that "these bodies are maltreated." He said he could not divulge further details for now.

The Kurier newspaper said the third woman ? who was not identified ? was now 69 and had lived at the home between 1948 and 1953. She was cited as saying that she saw a female teacher stomp a child to death.

"My God, if someone breathes, you see the chest moving ... there was nothing," she was quoted as saying.

Municipal authorities have expressed shock at newest allegations, which follow reports of individual abuse, and have pledged to set up an independent commission to investigate them. Still ? while acknowledging that some children were seriously mistreated in the now closed Vienna foster homes ? they say it is unlikely that the claims of mass rapes now surfacing could have been kept from the public for decades.

But officials of Weisser Ring, the non-governmental victims' organization tasked since last year with investigating cases of abuse at city foster homes, say its psychologists interviewed the two sisters making the original claims and found their story believable ? even if their recollections had faded over more than three decades. And Oelboeck said he was convinced after talking to the victims that they were telling the truth.

"The women are totally believable and authentic," he told reporters. "A story of this kind cannot be made up."

Weisser Ring manager Marianne Gammer said that ? based on what the women told the therapists ? her organization would have recommended pressing criminal or civil charges ? "were it not for the statute of limitations on such crimes."

She said Weisser Ring, which is authorized by the city to pay out compensation for foster home victims, granted the two women 35,000 euros ? nearly $50,000 each ? based on their testimonies. That is 10,000 euros more than the formal limit of 25,000 euros (nearly $35,000), but in their case the apparent degree of their suffering was so great "that our panel decided to give them more," she said.

Oelboeck, who says he is not being paid to represent the alleged victims, said the third woman also was awarded 35,000 euros, and the size of the payouts suggests that the women are telling the truth.

The allegations first surfaced this weekend, when two sisters identified only by first-name pseudonyms, said they and the other 18 girls in their dormitory were regularly raped by six or seven men. The sisters, now 47 and 49, said the abuse began when they were 6 and 8 and ended in their early teens, when the institution was shut in 1977.

"All of us had our turn" with the men, who would sometimes rape the girls over several nights in a row and then stay away for weeks before returning, the older woman told the Kurier, which first published their story. "We never talked about it at the home because our shame was so great, along with the pain, the insufferable pain."

Asked if money changed hands between foster home personnel and the men who allegedly victimized the girls, she said that was possible "because they always dolled us up. We had to wear garter belts and were not allowed to cut our hair."

In a follow-up on Monday, Kurier cited the women as describing individual cases of abuse at the foster homes, which were replaced by the 1980s with smaller and more individual child care centers, and Oelboeck spoke of claims by victims of "being forced to eat their own vomit, being locked up, being starved, being beaten with all kinds of objects."

He said that 343 former foster children who were wards of the city have turned to Weisser Ring with reports of being abused at the Schloss Wilhelminenberg alone since investigations began last year, but added the real number of such cases in all of the former homes was probably in the thousands.

Authorities say that ? even if crimes can be proven and perpetrators tracked down ? the statute of limitations mean the cases cannot be pursued, an argument disputed by Oelboeck.

He said the fault lies with officials who "took too much time to process what happened."

"I challenge the government," he said. "This is where laws are made, and not on the street."

___

Associated Press writer Margaret Childs contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111018/ap_on_re_eu/eu_austria_child_abuse

lionel richie andy murray jerusalem nadal xmen first class warrior novak djokovic

EU adopts stricter rules on short selling (AP)

BRUSSELS ? The European Union agreed Tuesday to more strictly regulate the short selling of shares and bonds and to ban so-called "naked" credit default swaps on government bonds, moves officials said will contribute to financial stability.

After long discussions, representatives of the European Parliament and EU member states reached a compromise on the new rules, which restrict practices critics say have exacerbated financial crises and market selloffs.

The regulation seeks to differentiate between investors who use short-sales as a legitimate tool to hedge, or insure, potential losses on other assets like shares or bonds, and speculators, who may be trying to make a profit by influencing market moves.

The rules, which are expected to get final approval from the full European Parliament and EU finance ministers over the coming weeks, will come into force on Nov. 1, 2012.

Today's agreement by the European Parliament and member states "represents a significant step towards greater transparency, stability and responsibility in short selling transactions," said EU Internal Markets Commissioner Michel Barnier.

In a traditional short-sale, an investor hopes to profit by borrowing a share or bond, selling it and then buying it back at a lower price.

In a "naked" short sale, an investor bets on a drop in the price without actually borrowing the underlying asset or having a legitimate exposure to the asset that he needs to hedge.

"Naked" short sales of shares and bonds will no longer be allowed under the new rules, unless the investor has a "reasonable expectation" that he will be able to borrow the shares or bonds in time.

Most analysts agree that in most cases, regular short-sales allow investors to hedge risk and improve liquidity in markets. However, investors will have to inform regulators of large short positions, so they can more easily spot potential risks, such as downward price spirals.

The parliament reached a significant victory in posing a ban on buying credit default swaps on government bonds if the investor doesn't actually own bonds from that country or assets whose value could be hurt by a default. A credit default swap, or CDS, is a kind of insurance that protects investors against a default on a bond.

During the eurozone debt crisis, several politicians blamed speculation in CDS on sovereign debt for driving down bond prices and pushing up interest rates.

National regulators have the right to opt out of the ban, if they believe that it restricts liquidity in their bond markets.

But representatives of the hedge fund industry immediately came out against the new rules.

"We have previously expressed our concerns about the impact of a ban on uncovered sovereign CDS", said Andrew Baker, CEO of the Alternative Investment Management Association. "It could not only reduce liquidity and increase volatility in debt markets, but also increase government borrowing costs and reduce real economy investments in EU member states."

The newly created European Securities Markets Authority will also have more powers in coordinating short-selling bans and flagging risks. At the high of the financial crisis of 2008, several national regulators announced bans on short-selling without informing their counterparts in other member states.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111018/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_eu_short_selling

30 rock anna faris amanda knox latest news leann rimes brass monkey x factor auditions x factor auditions

SNL Spoofs Yet Another GOP Debate (Taegan Goddard's Political Wire)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/149206544?client_source=feed&format=rss

lsu football lsu football fleet week scarecrow festival scarecrow festival texas longhorns texas longhorns