Harper government invests in personalized medicine

Public release date: 31-Jan-2012
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Contact: Adele Blanchard
ablanchard@cihr.gc.ca
613-946-3308
Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Improving the quality of life of Canadians by developing more effective treatments

This press release is available in French.

Ottawa, Ontario -- The Harper Government today announced an important investment that will help Canadians in getting more effective treatments and make the healthcare system more sustainable through personalized medicine. The announcement was made by the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, and the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for Science and Technology.

"Our Government is committed to improving the quality of life of Canadians," Minister Aglukkaq said. "The potential to understand a person's genetic makeup and the specific character of their illness in order to best determine their treatment will significantly improve the quality of life for patients and their families and may show us the way to an improved health care system and even save costs in certain circumstances."

Personalized medicine offers the potential to transform the delivery of healthcare to patients. Healthcare will evolve from a reactive "one-size-fits-all" system towards a system of predictive, preventive, and precision care. Areas in which personalized approaches are particularly promising include oncology, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, psychiatric disorders, diabetes and obesity, arthritis, pain, and Alzheimer's disease. In all of these fields, and others, a personalized molecular medicine approach is expected to lead to better health outcomes, improved treatments, and reduction in toxicity due to variable or adverse drug responses. For example, cancer patients would be screened to identify those for whom chemotherapy would be ineffective. In addition to saving on the costs of expensive drug treatments, this personalized treatment would prevent a great deal of suffering, while identifying and initiating earlier treatments that would be more effective.

"I applaud Genome Canada and the CIHR for their leadership in supporting research in personalized medicine," said Minister Goodyear. "Innovative approaches like these lead to significant health benefits, enhance our knowledge within the medical arena and can be commercialized to help so many others worldwide."

###

Genome Canada is leading the landmark research competition, with significant collaboration from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Cancer Stem Cell Consortium (CSCC). To qualify for funding, researchers must obtain matching funding that at is least equal to that provided through the competition. Matching funding is typically derived from provincial, academic, private sector or international sources.

Fact Sheet

Further information:

Cailin Rodgers
Office of the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq
Federal Minister of Health
613-957-0200

Stephanie Thomas
Special Assistant (Communications)
Office of the Honourable Gary Goodyear
Minister of State (Science and Technology)
613-960-7728

David Coulombe
Media Relations
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
613-941-4563

Marlene Orton
Director, Media Relations
Genome Canada
613-751-4460 x119
BlackBerry: 613-295-1476

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada's health research investment agency. CIHR's mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to enable its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health care system. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 14,100 health researchers and trainees across Canada. http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca

Genome Canada is a non-profit corporation employing an innovative business model based on funding and managing large-scale, multidisciplinary, internationally peer-reviewed genomics research projects in areas such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries, the environment and human health. For more information, visit http://www.genomecanada.ca

The Cancer Stem Cell Consortium is a not-for-profit corporation that was incorporated in 2007 to coordinate an international strategy for cancer stem cell research and related translational activities. For more information, visit http://www.cancerstemcellconsortium.ca

---

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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: 31-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Adele Blanchard
ablanchard@cihr.gc.ca
613-946-3308
Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Improving the quality of life of Canadians by developing more effective treatments

This press release is available in French.

Ottawa, Ontario -- The Harper Government today announced an important investment that will help Canadians in getting more effective treatments and make the healthcare system more sustainable through personalized medicine. The announcement was made by the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, and the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for Science and Technology.

"Our Government is committed to improving the quality of life of Canadians," Minister Aglukkaq said. "The potential to understand a person's genetic makeup and the specific character of their illness in order to best determine their treatment will significantly improve the quality of life for patients and their families and may show us the way to an improved health care system and even save costs in certain circumstances."

Personalized medicine offers the potential to transform the delivery of healthcare to patients. Healthcare will evolve from a reactive "one-size-fits-all" system towards a system of predictive, preventive, and precision care. Areas in which personalized approaches are particularly promising include oncology, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, psychiatric disorders, diabetes and obesity, arthritis, pain, and Alzheimer's disease. In all of these fields, and others, a personalized molecular medicine approach is expected to lead to better health outcomes, improved treatments, and reduction in toxicity due to variable or adverse drug responses. For example, cancer patients would be screened to identify those for whom chemotherapy would be ineffective. In addition to saving on the costs of expensive drug treatments, this personalized treatment would prevent a great deal of suffering, while identifying and initiating earlier treatments that would be more effective.

"I applaud Genome Canada and the CIHR for their leadership in supporting research in personalized medicine," said Minister Goodyear. "Innovative approaches like these lead to significant health benefits, enhance our knowledge within the medical arena and can be commercialized to help so many others worldwide."

###

Genome Canada is leading the landmark research competition, with significant collaboration from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Cancer Stem Cell Consortium (CSCC). To qualify for funding, researchers must obtain matching funding that at is least equal to that provided through the competition. Matching funding is typically derived from provincial, academic, private sector or international sources.

Fact Sheet

Further information:

Cailin Rodgers
Office of the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq
Federal Minister of Health
613-957-0200

Stephanie Thomas
Special Assistant (Communications)
Office of the Honourable Gary Goodyear
Minister of State (Science and Technology)
613-960-7728

David Coulombe
Media Relations
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
613-941-4563

Marlene Orton
Director, Media Relations
Genome Canada
613-751-4460 x119
BlackBerry: 613-295-1476

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada's health research investment agency. CIHR's mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to enable its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health care system. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 14,100 health researchers and trainees across Canada. http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca

Genome Canada is a non-profit corporation employing an innovative business model based on funding and managing large-scale, multidisciplinary, internationally peer-reviewed genomics research projects in areas such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries, the environment and human health. For more information, visit http://www.genomecanada.ca

The Cancer Stem Cell Consortium is a not-for-profit corporation that was incorporated in 2007 to coordinate an international strategy for cancer stem cell research and related translational activities. For more information, visit http://www.cancerstemcellconsortium.ca

---

[ | 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/2012-01/cioh-hgi013012.php

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AU, Kenyan forces move to squeeze rebels out of Somalia (Reuters)

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) ? African Union and Kenyan troops aim to squeeze Somali rebels linked to al Qaeda by pursuing a coordinated war on two fronts, the U.N. chief's special envoy in Somalia said Monday.

Under the plan, AU forces will push toward a Somali rebel stronghold outside the capital and Kenyan forces will focus on the Islamists' bastions in the south.

Augustine Mahiga, who relocated to Mogadishu from Nairobi to become the most senior U.N. official in Somalia for 17 years, cautioned it was hard to predict if the complex strategy would defeat the rebels given their sophisticated weaponry and ability to melt into the population.

African Union and U.N. officials at an AU summit in Addis Ababa are optimistic the twin track of a coordinated military campaign as well as a political roadmap, which envisions elections by August, means "the prospect for peace in Somalia has never been so real."

"AMISOM (the AU force) is (conducting) operations on the outskirts of Mogadishu and they'll be heading toward the Afgoye corridor. That is where al Shabaab has retreated to and has the highest concentration of its troops," Mahiga told Reuters on the summit's sidelines.

"They (Kenyan troops) take Kismayu and from there ... they'll progress northwards to Marka and the AMISOM troops from Mogadishu will also be going further south. It is a strategy that has been divided into sectors," he said.

It may not be that simple. The Ugandan and Burundian troops who make up the AMISOM force encountered fierce resistance in the battle for Mogadishu.

Equally, the advance of Kenyan soldiers toward the port city of Kismayu has been slower than anticipated since they crossed into Somalia in October.

Ethiopia, which has also deployed troops on Somali soil and seized some territory close to their shared border, said its force would stay put until AU troops replace them, to avoid a power vacuum.

Somalia has been in conflict for two decades with no single entity ever fully in control. Warlords and Islamist militants vie for control while drought has compounded hardship for many Somalis.

KISMAYU HEAVILY DEFENDED

Kismayu, the center of al Shabaab's operations, will be a tough battle but a necessary one to crush the militants, diplomats say.

Mahiga said the port served as an entry point for the foreign fighters in al Shabaab's ranks and accounted for about 90 percent of the rebels' revenues.

"(It's) the place where imports and exports have been taking place including arms and export of charcoal ... so this is heavily, heavily defended and it's going to be quite a battle," said Mahiga.

What's more, seizing control of Kismayu is the relatively easy part, counter-insurgency experts say. Holding on to the city will be tougher.

Kenya wants to integrate its troops inside Somalia into the AMISOM force as soon as the U.N. Security Council approves an increase in the force's current size from 12,000.

The AU wants to increase AMISOM's numbers to close to 18,000. Mahiga said he had met EU officials who said they would "consider seriously" funding the extra troops. Under the current structure, the European Union, particularly Italy, is in charge of paying wages.

Al Shabaab's growing recourse to al Qaeda-inspired suicide attacks makes quashing the five-year insurgency more difficult.

"They have always proven to be quite agile and they have over the years built a formidable arsenal of weapons," Mahiga said. "They have been training all these years (and) can retreat and regroup."

(Editing by Richard Lough and Giles Elgood)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120130/wl_nm/us_kenya_somalia

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Taylor Lautner Out Of 'Stretch Armstrong'

'Twilight' star drops out of big-screen adaptation of elastic Hasbro toy.
By Kara Warner

Taylor Lautner
Photo: Getty Images

Bad news for those looking forward to seeing Taylor Lautner as super bendy, slightly superheroic "Stretch Armstrong": He's officially out of the big-screen treatment of the popular '70s Hasbro toy.

MTV News confirmed Lautner's departure with a source close to the production. According to The Wrap, Lautner had to drop out of the film due to scheduling conflicts. The "Twilight" heartthrob is reportedly set to begin work on an independent film with Oscar-winner Gus Van Sant.

Relativity Media announced Monday (January 30) that it will take over production of the film from Universal. The studio has inked a distribution deal with Hasbro. The movie was originally slated to be released in 2012, but it will now hit theaters on April 11, 2014. A new cast is expected to be announced shortly.

When MTV News asked Lautner about "Stretch Armstrong" last year, he seemed excited to explore the unknown with "Armstrong," since the film version is a brand-new concept and not a reboot or sequel. He also admitted that the character's superpower — the ability to stretch one's body parts to extremes — is hardly super at all.

"It's like the worst superhero power, possibly, to get, and how you're going to take that and use it for good and how you're going to be creative with that [is the predicament]," Lautner said. "The awesome thing with toys is it doesn't give you a story line, so you get to create it."

Although no creative decisions have been made yet, "Muppets" and "Get Him To The Greek" screenwriter Nick Stoller [http://splashpage.mtv.com/2010/05/19/stretch-armstrong-similar-to-iron-man/] was originally attached to write the script and has said the film would be an origin story similar to the tone set in "Iron Man."

Who should fill Taylor Lautner's spot in "Stretch Armstrong"? Sound off in the comments section!

Related Videos

• MTV Rough Cut: Taylor Lautner

Related Photos

• The Evolution Of: Taylor Lautner

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1678148/taylor-lautner-stretch-armstrong.jhtml

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The IDB should not finance the Amaila Falls project unless certain ...

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Dear Editor,
Based on Demerara Waves article of January 24, 2012 ?Amaila Hydropower cost could climb again ? Developer? The IDB should not provide financing unless certain conditions are met.
To anyone who has been involved in the management of capital projects, the Amaila Falls Hydroelectric project started out on the wrong foot and is continuing along that path.
In the first place, the contract for the design and construction should never have been signed without the financing being in place; whatever the final cost turns out to be, it will be saddled on the taxpayers and should be up front knowledge.? Secondly, it is fine to give a design and construction contract but not without project management.
It is project management that is responsible for project control (which includes Scope identification, Schedule and Cost control, Progress monitoring, Problem identification and mitigation, Project Status reporting and Progress payments).
Finally, only specialized human resources that is unavailable in Guyana should be employed on the project (the cost of overseas personnel include transportation, housing, food, base wage plus premium for overseas assignment).? Additionally, the imported labour is exempt from local taxes.? These costs are included in the cost of the project and are not part of contingency costs.
Based on those findings, it would be in IDB?s interest to ensure that it?s funding be protected by project management excellence through incorporation of the above changes to the contract.
In my 48 years and as one of the fathers of modern project management, I have never heard of any utility hiring a developer for a major heavy industrial project.? Furthermore, developers are usually owners of whatever facility they undertake which happens to be either residential or commercial facilities.
Generally, the developer hires a project management firm or has its in-house project management.? In the industrial industry, it is the owner of the utility who contracts out the engineering, procurement, construction and project management (EPCM) for the facility and has a project director who reports back to management.
The hiring of a developer who does not have a stake in a project is an additional cost to the project.? The contract for the Electrification Project in the early 1970s was carried out between the Electricity Corporation and the consulting engineers; there were no developers adding to the cost of the electrification costs.
It is the same way that heavy industrial projects are efficiently managed in developed countries.? As such, it is GPL who should be dealing directly with the IDB, project managers, designers and contractors.
According to Demerara Waves, ?Sithe Global will operate the completed plant for 20 years before it is turned over to GPL. Wrobel said the plant should have another 70 to 80 years in it.?? I don?t know what is the message being conveyed here.
Does Wrobel mean that Sithe will operate the plant for GPL for a fee or Sithe will own the plant for 20 years and determine the price GPL pays per Killowatt Hour?
So far as has been reported in the article, ?The other major financiers of the project are the China Development Bank, China Railway First Group and the Norwegian government under the biodiversity agreement with Guyana.?? Sithe was not mentioned as one of the financiers and if it is being paid for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) its work should be completed after the power station has been commissioned.? Why is necessary for Sithe to operate the plant for 20 years?
During the first 20 years of operation, the power plant will incur very little maintenance but as major parts erode from usage, maintenance will become a major part of operational costs. Furthermore, the possibility exists that Sithe will leave the plant is that same condition that Guyana received the Bauxite plant after it was nationalised.
That the plant will last another 70 ? 80 years is no consolation as anyone who has operated an electricity generating plant is aware that power plant design evolve, materials evolve and parts become difficult to obtain and in many cases have to be custom made at higher prices than would have been the case.? What does Wrobel mean by Savings of hundreds of millions of dollars?
The Road to the project should have been the responsibility of Public Works Department and not a developer.? The works department should either have designed or have the road designed, awarded the contract for its construction and monitored the progress to ensure that it was being constructed to specification and, within schedule and cost.
As I said in my opening statement, the IDB should not partner the financing of this Hydroelectric Plant until proper project management is included in the contract.
Neville Quelch, B.A., PMP

Source: http://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2012/01/29/the-idb-should-not-finance-the-amaila-falls-project-unless-certain-conditions-are-met%C2%A0/

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Peter, Paul and Mary bassist Dick Kniss dies at 74

In this undated photo provided by Gloria Jean, Dick Kniss plays the acoustic bass. Kniss, who performed for five decades with Peter, Paul and Mary and co-wrote the John Denver hit "Sunshine on My Shoulders," died on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2012 in Saugerties, N.Y. He was 74. (AP Photo/Gloria Jean) NO SALES

In this undated photo provided by Gloria Jean, Dick Kniss plays the acoustic bass. Kniss, who performed for five decades with Peter, Paul and Mary and co-wrote the John Denver hit "Sunshine on My Shoulders," died on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2012 in Saugerties, N.Y. He was 74. (AP Photo/Gloria Jean) NO SALES

SAUGERTIES, N.Y. (AP) ? Dick Kniss, a bassist who performed for five decades with the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary and co-wrote the John Denver hit "Sunshine on My Shoulders," has died. He was 74.

Kniss died Wednesday of pulmonary disease at a hospital near his home in the Hudson Valley town of Saugerties, his wife, Diane Kniss said.

Kniss was born in Portland, Ore., and was an original member of Denver's 1970s band. He also played with jazz greats including Herbie Hancock and Woody Herman.

Active in the 1960s civil rights movement, Kniss performed at benefits for a range of causes and played during the first celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday as a national holiday.

Peter, Paul and Mary's Peter Yarrow said in a statement that Kniss was "our intrepid bass player for almost as long as we performed together.

"He was a dear and beloved part of our closest family circle and his bass playing was always a great fourth voice in our music as well as, conceptually, an original and delightfully surprising new statement added to our vocal arrangements," Yarrow said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-01-27-Obit-Kniss/id-797cfe96f5d842a8adac0acbddc042d0

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A look at economic developments around the globe (AP)

A look at economic developments and activity in major stock markets around the world Friday:

___

MADRID ? Spain's brutal unemployment rate soared to nearly 23 percent and closed in on 50 percent for those under age 25, leaving more than five million people ? or almost one of every four ? out of work as the country slides toward recession.

___

FRANKFURT, Germany ? U.S. ratings agency Fitch says it is downgrading the credit ratings of five countries that use the euro, including economic heavyweights Italy and Spain.

___

LONDON ? World stocks turned lower after official data showed the U.S. economic recovery was not as fast as many had hoped.

Britain's FTSE 100 was down 1 percent while Germany's DAX fell 0.5 percent and France's CAC-40 lost 1.2 percent.

___

TOKYO ? In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell 0.1 percent while South Korea's Kospi rose 0.4 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.3 percent and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.4 percent.

___

ATHENS, Greece ? Greece was locked in a twin effort to placate its creditors, seeking to secure a crucial debt relief deal with private investors while tackling pressing demands from its European partners and the IMF for deeper reforms.

___

ROME ? Italy easily raised $14.46 billion in a pair of bond auctions, as its borrowing rates fell for the second day in a row.

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BERLIN _Nearly three-quarters of Germans oppose putting more money into the eurozone's rescue fund, according to a new poll.

___

WARSAW, Poland ? Despite the European debt crisis, Poland's economy grew at a brisk 4.3 percent rate last year, topping its strong 3.9 percent growth in 2010.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/stocks/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_bi_ge/us_economy_countries_glance

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Cops: Woman set up fight for daughter, another girl

Orange County Corrections Department

Sandra Padilla Miranda is seen in a booking shot provided by law enforcement authorities.

By WESH TV

ORLANDO, Fla -- Police have arrested a mother after WESH 2 News aired video of a fight between her daughter and another teen.

Video sent to WESH?shows two teen girls walking to the middle of a field. The girls then swing at each other and pull one another's hair. They eventually fall to the ground and continue fighting.

Throughout the fight, they are egged on by several teenagers and an adult.

WESH 2 News showed the video to Orlando police, who said the adult woman in the video is Sandra Padilla Miranda.

Police believe she is the parent of one of the girls. She was arrested Thursday afternoon.

'Bite her'
"(She) basically set up a fight for her daughter,? said Sgt. Vince Ogburn of the Orlando Police Department. ?The mother arranged the fight. Unfortunately the girls agreed to have this fight." Ogburn said Padilla Miranda could be heard on the video in Spanish telling her daughter to "hit harder" and "bite her."

Ogburn said Padilla Miranda told investigators she had no way of stopping the fight.

"Someone was holding her back as the reason why she couldn't stop the fight, and clearly you can see in your video, that no one was attempting to hold her back at all," Ogburn said.

Padilla Miranda told investigators that she set up the fight to stop the girls from fighting at Boone High School.

Neighbor talks
While there was no answer at Padilla Miranda's house Thursday, a friend of the family, Cely Bruno, shared her thoughts about the fight.

"I got a kid myself, you feel me? And if I see my kid on the floor getting beat while there's mad kids out there, God knows what could happen to my daughter. I would have been like, 'Go ahead, do your thing,'" Bruno said.

More content from msnbc.com and NBC News

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Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/27/10250622-cops-woman-arranged-for-daughter-to-fight-with-another-girl-cheered-her-on

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Ex-head of French breast implant maker arrested

This is an image made available on Thursday Jan. 26, 2012 by Interpol of Jean-Claude Mas, when he was arrested in Costa Rica on a drink driving offence in 2010 . Mas, who ran the now-defunct French company Poly Implant Prothese, was detained at his residence in the Mediterranean coastal town of Six Fours Les Plages shortly before dawn, Thursday a police official said. A police search of the residence was under way, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the case is officially in the hands of judicial investigators. (AP Photo/ Interpol)

This is an image made available on Thursday Jan. 26, 2012 by Interpol of Jean-Claude Mas, when he was arrested in Costa Rica on a drink driving offence in 2010 . Mas, who ran the now-defunct French company Poly Implant Prothese, was detained at his residence in the Mediterranean coastal town of Six Fours Les Plages shortly before dawn, Thursday a police official said. A police search of the residence was under way, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the case is officially in the hands of judicial investigators. (AP Photo/ Interpol)

This is an image made available on Thursday Jan. 26, 2012 by Interpol of Jean-Claude Mas, when he was arrested in Costa Rica on a drink driving offence in 2010 . Mas, who ran the now-defunct French company Poly Implant Prothese, was detained at his residence in the Mediterranean coastal town of Six Fours Les Plages shortly before dawn, Thursday a police official said. A police search of the residence was under way, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the case is officially in the hands of judicial investigators. (AP Photo/ Interpol)

PARIS (AP) ? The former head of a French company at the center of a breast implant scandal affecting tens of thousands of women worldwide was arrested along with his former deputy Thursday in southeast France, officials said.

Jean-Claude Mas, who founded and ran the now-defunct implant maker Poly Implant Prothese, was detained as part of a judicial investigation in the southeastern city of Marseille into manslaughter and involuntary injuries, an official said. A regional official said the company's former No. 2 executive, Claude Couty, was also detained.

The arrest before dawn at a family residence in the Mediterranean resort town of Six Fours Les Plages culminates weeks of speculation about whether judicial investigators would be able to assemble enough evidence to detain Mas on legal grounds.

Mas, 72, had been believed to be residing in the home. His defense lawyer Yves Haddad earlier this month denounced the "numerous un-truths, nonsense and aberrations" in the case, but said Mas would only speak with authorities.

So far no specific defendant has been named, but an official with knowledge of the probe said Mas was expected to face preliminary charges after appear before an investigating judge in Marseille later Thursday. He was being held in resort town ahead of that anticipated transfer.

The three officials all spoke on condition of anonymity because the case is in the hands of judicial investigators.

Investigating judge Annaick Le Goff opened the probe after a woman in the southwestern Gers region filed a lawsuit in the wake of the 2010 death from cancer of her daughter who had received a suspect implant.

Since then, a complaint by the sister of Marseille resident Edwige Ligoneches, a breast implant recipient who died in November of complications from lymphoma, has since been included in the case file ? along with as many as 3,000 other complaints by other alleged victims.

Le Goff also spoke with the head of a victims' association, Muriel Ajello, on Thursday, the regional official said.

A secretary at the Toulon office of Haddad told The Associated Press that the defense lawyer was with Mas during police questioning, and was not immediately available for comment.

The suspect PIP implants have been removed from the marketplace in several countries in and beyond Europe amid fears that they could rupture and leak silicone into the body.

Mas had run PIP until the company was closed in March 2010.

Mas is also on Interpol's most-wanted list, but the international police agency said its "red notice" was issued in June at the request of Costa Rica, where he faces a drunken driving charge.

Authorities worldwide have been scrambling to strike a proper public response to the scandal, notably concerning who will pay to remove the implants made with cheap, industrial-grade silicone instead of medical-grade gel ? or if the implants need to invariably come out.

European governments have taken different positions: German, Czech and French authorities say they should be removed, while Britain says there is not enough evidence of health risks to suggest removal in all cases.

On Wednesday, health authorities in Brazil said the government will fine private health plans that refuse to pay for the removal and replacement of faulty breast implants sold by PIP and a Dutch company.

The scandal has put pressure on French health authorities for allegedly not doing enough to vet the quality of a product used by untold thousands of women both in France and abroad.

France's Health Safety Agency has said the suspect implants ? just one type of implants made by PIP ? appear to be more rupture-prone than other types. Investigators say PIP sought to save money by using industrial silicone, whose potential health risks are not yet clear.

PIP's website said the company had exported to more than 60 countries and was one of the world's leading implant makers. The silicone-gel implants in question are not sold in the United States.

According to estimates by national authorities, over 42,000 women in Britain received the implants, more than 30,000 in France, 9,000 in Australia and 4,000 in Italy. Nearly 25,000 of the implants were sold in Brazil.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2012-01-26-EU-France-Breast-Implants/id-90290475e549427ca4bb4908f926b7f2

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Alec Baldwin Says He Found Love After He Gave Up, Would 'Be Heaven' To Have More Kids (omg!)

Alec Baldwin would love to expand his family.

While discussing his happiness with girlfriend Hilaria Thomas on "Piers Morgan Tonight" on Wednesday, the British host asked the "30 Rock" star if he'd like to have more children.

PLAY IT NOW: Alec Baldwin Reveals His Biggest Professional Regret To Be Never Learning To Sing

"Have I thought about having more kids? Oh sure, that would be great, that would be heaven, that would be fantastic," Alec told Piers, who two months ago welcomed a new daughter to his own British brood.

Alec then went on to make a joke about his own potential plans to have more children later in life. (His daughter Ireland, with ex-wife Kim Basinger, is now 16.)

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Celebrity May-December Romances

"As my friend said to me, 'When you have children, typically in a second marriage, when you're older and you get married again to a woman who would have children, you must always remember that you make sure [the children] attend a college where the commencement ceremonies are held in a facility with a wheelchair accessible ramp,'" Alec added tongue-in-cheek.

The actor also addressed dating a younger woman - Hilaria, a yoga instructor, is 27, while he is 53.

Alec revealed he actually sought advice from Tony Bennett, who is married to a much younger woman by several decades, wife Susan Crow.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Hollywood Dads & Their Adorable Little Ones!

"I said to Tony, 'I'm dating a woman who is... younger than I am -- she's a lot younger than I am -- and I sometimes think about that and I know, Tony, you're with Susan and you're quite a bit older than her,'" Alec recounted. "And he looked at me and he goes, 'Yeah, people say that to me all the time and I say to them, 'Consider the alternative.'"

The "30 Rock" star said he is "very, very happy" in his relationship and admitted his love actually fit in with an old saying - love will find you when you stop looking.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Hollywood?s Smokin? Hot Couples

"It is true what people always say, and it's tough to make your way to that place, I guess, where you stop looking," Alec said. "I was married and I was with somebody for 10 years and then after I got divorced, I dated people and I had one girlfriend for several years... and right before I met Hilaria... I did lay in my bed and say, 'This is it. I'm gonna be alone for the rest of my life, I'm gonna die alone in this apartment in this bed, I'll have my friends, I'll have Twitter, I'll have Words with Friends, I'll have my New Yorker subscription... I'll have my quiet, unhappy life, and then right when I put it all on the shelf, and it was over... I walked into a restaurant... and I met this woman who is probably one of the greatest people I've ever met in my life."

Copyright 2012 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/news_alec_baldwin_says_found_love_gave_heaven_more034710363/44309227/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/alec-baldwin-says-found-love-gave-heaven-more-034710363.html

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Sharapova, Azarenka into Australian Open final

Maria Sharapova of Russia eyes on the ball for a return shot to Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic during their semifinal at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Maria Sharapova of Russia eyes on the ball for a return shot to Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic during their semifinal at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic reacts as she plays Maria Sharapova of Russia during their semifinal at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Maria Sharapova of Russia reacts after losing a point to Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic during their semifinal at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus reacts after winning a point against Kim Clijsters of Belgium during their semifinal at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Kim Clijsters of Belgium hits a forehand return to Victoria Azarenka of Belarus during their semifinal at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Andrew Brownbill)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) ? Maria Sharapova overcame Petra Kvitova to set up a women's final against Victoria Azarenka at the Australian Open before the attention quickly shifted to a much anticipated semifinal showdown between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Sharapova broke Kvitova's serve in the last game to finish off a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 Thursday, and third-seeded Azarenka beat defending champion Kim Clijsters 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 to set up a Saturday night final at Rod Laver Arena that also will decide the No. 1 ranking.

Sharapova lost to second-ranked Kvitova in the Wimbledon final last year, her first major final since returning from an injury layoff following a shoulder operation in 2008. She has won three majors, but none since the Australian four years ago.

"In the third set, I felt she always had the advantage because I was always down on my serve," said Sharapova, who served five double-faults in the third set and 10 in the match. "I just told myself 'You just gotta go for it, don't let her finish off the points like she likes to.'"

Azarenka won the first semifinal after twice recovering from periods when a resurgent Clijsters seemed to have the upper hand, to secure victory in only her second appearance in a major semifinal.

"I felt like my hand is about 200 kilograms and my body is about 1,000 and everything is shaking, but that feeling when you finally win is such a relief. My God I cannot believe it's over. I just want to cry," Azarenka said as she choked back tears, then buried her face in a towel.

"It was just trying to stay in the moment. Kim really took over the second set and I felt there was nothing I could do. I just tried to regroup."

Clijsters is popular in Australia, where she's widely known as "Aussie Kim." She had most of the backing from the crowd on the national holiday in what is likely to be her last Australian Open.

Azarenka held her nerve despite the crowd and the fact she was up against a proven big-match player. Clijsters has won four majors and has defended a Grand Slam title ? winning the U.S. Open in 2009 and '10. To reach the semifinals, the Belgian saved four match points despite a sprained ankle to beat French Open champion Li Na in the fourth round and then beat top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki in the quarterfinals.

"I guess before you all thought I was a mental case," Azarenka said in a courtside interview. "I was just young and emotional. I'm really glad the way I fight, that's the most thing I'm really proud of. I fight for every ball."

Clijsters credited Azarenka with increasing maturity.

"The match was very close. There were a few deciding moments where I think I maybe had a little bit of an advantage, in the third set, especially that first game where I had break point," Clijsters said. "But she definitely played really well. So she deserved to win at the end."

Wozniacki will vacate top spot in next week's rankings after her quarterfinal loss, leaving either No. 3 Azarenka and No. 4 Sharapova to move to the top.

The top men's ranking won't be at issue Thursday night. Novak Djokovic ? who plays Andy Murray in another semifinal on Friday ? has that locked up regardless of the Australian Open results.

But the Nadal-Federer semifinal will mark the first time since the French Open in 2005 that the pair have met at the next-to-last stage of any Grand Slam. Federer and Nadal were Nos. 1 and 2 for most of five years from 2005 to 2010, meaning they were on opposite sides of the draw and could not meet until the final.

That changed at this tournament when No. 2 Nadal and No. 3 Federer both ended up in the bottom half of the draw. Five matches later, the players with 26 Grand Slam singles titles between them ? Federer 16, Nadal 10 ? will meet.

Nadal has won 17 of their 26 head-to-head matches overall, including a 7-2 lead in Grand Slam matches. Federer won the last meeting, a 60-minute 6-3, 6-0 victory at the season-ending championship in November.

"We have been on opposite sides of the draw many times," Federer said. "I guess it's a nice change-up. OK, it doesn't allow a rematch for the Australian Open final here, you know, but I think it's good for tennis that it changes up a bit."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-01-26-TEN-Australian-Open/id-fa890e08da204dd1be4d7e8b29036d68

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Morgellons: Unexplained skin condition is non-infectious, not linked to environmental cause: CDC report

ScienceDaily (Jan. 25, 2012) ? The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has completed a comprehensive study of an unexplained skin condition commonly referred to as Morgellons and found no infectious agent and no evidence to suggest an environmental link.

The full results are reported in the Jan. 25 issue of the online journal PLoS ONE.

In this study, investigators took an in-depth look at a skin condition characterized by unexplained lesions that contain fibers, threads, or other foreign material, accompanied by sensations of crawling, biting, or stinging. The condition is not currently recognized as a distinct clinical disorder with established diagnostic criteria. However, increasing inquiries to the CDC in 2006-2009 regarding the condition prompted the study in Northern California, where many of the persons who reported these symptoms lived.

The researchers found and enrolled 109 persons with symptoms of this condition by searching through the electronic medical record database of a large HMO. They conducted extensive testing to rule out infectious causes, and found no indication that the condition was attributed an infection. The researchers also determined that the fibers associated with the lesions were apparently fragments of cloth or other debris. The investigators showed that the condition is uncommon, estimating that it results in fewer than four out of 100,000 people seeking medical attention. About half of the study participants had evidence of other medical, most commonly psychiatric, illnesses.

The CDC suggests that people suffering with symptoms similar to those reported in the study should see their health care provider for a complete physical to ensure proper diagnosis of all illnesses, including psychiatric, and follow the recommended treatments.

"We found no evidence that this condition is contagious, or that suggests the need for additional testing for an infectious disease as a potential cause," says Dr. Mark Eberhard, Director of CDC's Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria and a lead study investigator. "This alleviates concerns about the condition being contagious between family members and others."

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Journal Reference:

1. Michele L. Pearson, Joseph V. Selby, Kenneth A. Katz, Virginia Cantrell, Christopher R. Braden, Monica E. Parise, Christopher D. Paddock, Michael R. Lewin-Smith, Victor F. Kalasinsky, Felicia C. Goldstein, Allen W. Hightower, Arthur Papier, Brian Lewis, Sarita Motipara, Mark L. Eberhard. Clinical, Epidemiologic, Histopathologic and Molecular Features of an Unexplained Dermopathy. PLoS ONE, 2012; 7 (1): e29908 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0029908

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/KrJB1JsInKs/120125172321.htm

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Erebus wants you!

The Game: Entrox

The Setting: A far away technology enhaced world with feline aspects to its people and devices.

Posts Currently Open:

• Breedership Commander
• Breedership first mate
• Medical Officer onboard Breedership
• Commander of Soldier detatchment. Note, this rank is below Breedership commander and does not command the Breedership as a whole.
• Pattern Operator Class 1, 2 or 3, please state which when requesting access.
• Pattern Combat Programs. Subtypes will be given upon request.
• Protectorate Council member
• Protectorate Council High Councilor
• Protectorate Guard
• Judges varies, please state exactly what type of judge, note; Protectorate has say over Judges in terms of final word
• Judge Guard
• Felinus Soldiers Ranks list will be given when requested, certain ranks are restricted to certain races/genders

Posts Currently Filled:

I am seeking a minimum of five players, {one character per player of either Felinus, Night Elf or Combat Program}, I am not allowing multiple characters per player at this time. Multiple characters will be on a case by case basis, you have to show me that you can handle more than one character properly. The above lists will be updated on the game tab itself.

This game is not meant to be an extremely fast game, however it is meant to be a very well detailed game.

NOTES:

The posting for this game takes place on a pad, when your character is approved and successfully intigrated into the game, can posting take place, posts will be done on a etherpad then posted through one character. PLEASE NOTE that only APPROVED characters can take part in the posting in the pad. Posts are exepected at least once to twice a week in the pad, posts from the pad will then be posted in the game place once per week.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/nRePqBY1rl4/viewtopic.php

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FBI arrests 4 police officers in Conn. bias probe (AP)

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. ? Four police officers, including the president of the local police union, were arrested Tuesday by the FBI on charges that they used excessive force against illegal immigrants and covered up abuses in a New Haven suburb where a federal investigation found life was made miserable for Hispanics.

The East Haven officers assaulted people while they were handcuffed, unlawfully searched Latino businesses and harassed and intimidated people, including advocates, witnesses and other officers who tried to investigate or report misconduct or abuse the officers committed, the federal indictment said.

Police treatment of Hispanics in the seaside city of East Haven has been under federal scrutiny since 2009, when the U.S. Department of Justice launched a civil rights probe that found a pattern of discrimination and biased policing.

The arrests were welcomed by local Hispanic business owners, including Luis Rodriguez, an immigrant from Ecuador who had complained of harassment by police at his Los Amigos Grocery store.

"They should have to pay, not with many years, but enough to make an example of them. They should not abuse their power," Rodriguez said. "All I ever wanted was to be left in peace."

Officers Dennis Spaulding, David Cari and Jason Zullo and Sgt. John Miller, president of the police union, are each charged with conspiracy against rights, which carries a maximum prison term of 10 years. Some also face charges including deprivation of rights, obstruction of justice and use of unreasonable force.

All four defendants pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court in Bridgeport, and three were released on bond. The highest bond amount ? $300,000 ? was set for Spaulding, who was described by prosecutors as facing the most serious charges. Zullo was ordered to remain in custody until another hearing Thursday because he was not immediately able to post bond.

The U.S. attorney for Connecticut, David Fein, said the criminal investigation is still looking at other people and urged tipsters to contact the FBI.

The profiling claims emerged with a dramatic demographic shift in East Haven, a predominantly Italian-American suburb of 28,000 people that was 10.3 percent Hispanic in 2010, compared with only 4.4 percent in 2000. Latino business owners said rough treatment by police drove away many of the newcomers from Mexico and Ecuador, although business has recovered in recent months as residents report less profiling.

At My Country Store on Main Street, where the defendants are accused of carrying out illegal searches and a false arrest, owner Marcia Chacon said she is grateful for the tranquility.

"Things have gotten much better," she said. "Business has started to come back."

Federal officials say the officers denied Latino residents and their advocates the right to be free of unreasonable searches and seizures, the right to not be arrested and detained without probable cause and the right to not be arrested on false and misleading evidence.

"In simple terms, these defendants behaved like bullies with badges," said Janice Fedarcyk, assistant director of the New York office of the FBI.

Zullo described taking joy in singling out Latinos, authorities said, telling Spaulding in a 2008 exchange quoted by the indictment that he liked harassing drivers and referred to "persons who have drifted to this country on rafts made of chicken wings" and living in East Haven.

Miller repeatedly slapped a man handcuffed in his car, while Spaulding threw a man to the ground and repeatedly kicked him while he was handcuffed, according to the indictment.

Mayor Joseph Maturo said the four men were arrested around 6 a.m. Tuesday at their homes and at the police department.

Miller's lawyer, Donald Cretella, said his client has been honored with awards and risked his life in shootouts.

"John Miller is a hero in East Haven," he said. "He's decorated. He's a wonderful family man. Hopefully, we'll clear his name."

Spaulding's attorney, Frank Riccio Jr., said his client is an exemplary police officer.

"At this early stage it's our position Mr. Spaulding is not guilty of the charges," he said. "He's been nothing but an exemplary police officer. That's why this is shocking."

Attorneys for Cari and Zullo declined to comment.

The indictment says Miller reported to a police department leader described as a co-conspirator who blocked efforts by the police commission to investigate Miller's misconduct. That refers to Chief Leonard Gallo, according to his attorney, Jon Einhorn, who denied that Gallo blocked the investigation.

"It's unfair that he is mentioned in this regard when he isn't even indicted," Einhorn said.

The indictment also accuses unnamed union leaders of intimidation and interference to protect the officers, including a depiction of a rat posted on a bulletin board and a cartoon saying "You know what we do with snitches?" in a police locker room.

Maturo, who took office Nov. 19, reinstated Gallo as police chief. Gallo had been on paid administrative leave since federal authorities began investigating in 2010.

"I stand behind the police department," Maturo said. "We have a great police department."

The Department of Justice, which has pledged to reach out to the police department to work on reforms, said last month that the police department engaged in a pattern of discrimination against Latino residents. Investigators said their probe was complicated by efforts to interfere with witnesses and by police silence.

Nearly half or a third of the drivers pulled over by certain officers were Latino, and the number of Latinos pulled over by certain squads was "extraordinarily high," said Roy Austin Jr., deputy assistant attorney general for the civil rights division. Latinos who were stopped for minor violations were subjected to harsher punishments, such as arrest or vehicle towing, than were non-Latinos.

The East Haven Police Department, of some 50 officers, has come under scrutiny previously for civil rights issues. A federal jury ruled in 2003 that a white officer used excessive force and violated the rights of a black man he fatally shot after a chase.

Some officers involved in that case kept their jobs and were promoted, and there was no evidence that anyone received training to prevent similar confrontations in the future, Austin said.

___

Associated Press writer Michael Melia in Hartford contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120125/ap_on_re_us/us_police_discrimination_conn

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Groundbreaking jazz manager John Levy dies at 99 (AP)

ALTADENA, California ? John Levy, the first prominent African-American personal manager in the jazz or pop music field, whose clients included Nancy Wilson and Ramsey Lewis, has died at age 99.

Devra Hall Levy posted on his website that her husband died Friday in his sleep at his home in Altadena, California, less than three months before his 100th birthday.

An accomplished bassist, the New Orleans-born Levy performed with such jazz greats as Stuff Smith, Billie Holiday, Erroll Garner and Billy Taylor in the 1940s before joining pianist George Shearing's original quintet. In the early 1950s, he became Shearing's full-time manager and later went on to form his own management agency, John Levy Enterprises Inc.

Levy's client roster over the years included more than 85 artists, including Wilson, Lewis, Nat and Cannonball Adderley, Betty Carter, Roberta Flack, Herbie Hancock, Shirley Horn, Freddie Hubbard, Ahmad Jamal and Abbey Lincoln as well as comedian Arsenio Hall.

In 2006, the National Endowment for the Arts recognized Levy as a Jazz Master, the nation's highest jazz honor.

___

Online:

http://www.lushlife.com

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/celebrity/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120124/ap_en_ce/us_obit_john_levy

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Forecasters see small pickup in growth for 2012 (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? A new economic forecast calls for the U.S. economy to make some modest growth strides this year, but not quite enough to significantly reduce the number of jobless Americans looking for work.

About two-thirds of the economists who participated in the latest National Association for Business Economics survey expect the nation's gross domestic product, or GDP, to grow at a rate above 2 percent this year, according to the outlook released Monday.

GDP reflects the economy's total output of goods and services. The latest forecast is in line with one issued by the group in November that called for the economy to grow 2.4 percent this year.

"That is not the sort of GDP growth that's really going to dramatically improve our labor market, but it's certainly not going to make it worse," Nayantara Hensel, professor of industry and business at National Defense University and chair of the NABE survey, said in an interview.

GDP growth needs to be above 3 percent to significantly lower unemployment, which is at its lowest rate in nearly three years, but remains at a troubling 8.5 percent.

The NABE economists previously forecast growth of 1.8 percent for all of 2011. Final GDP numbers for the last three months of 2011 are due out Friday.

The recent improvement in the unemployment rate, a pickup in retail sales during the holiday season, and hopefulness that Congress will be able to reach a debt reduction deal, are among the factors behind the rosier GDP outlook among better than 60 percent of the survey respondents.

Almost two-thirds of respondents said they expect no change in employment, the highest share of survey participants to hold that view in recent quarters. And the share of those who expect hiring to pick up in the next six months declined to 27 percent from 29 percent in the previous survey.

That doesn't bode well for new job growth, but it also suggests employers don't expect to slash payrolls further.

A majority of the respondents said wages and salaries are unchanged, while nearly all expect either no change in prices or increases by their companies of 5 percent or less.

The holding pattern on prices could reflect a caution on the part of businesses due to uncertainty in the economy, given the burgeoning debt crisis in Europe, rising tensions with Iran and the potential for higher oil prices, Hensel said.

On the sales front, about 81 percent of the survey participants, which include some company managers, said sales were either unchanged or rising along with profit margins. But 19 percent said sales were falling.

Some 63 percent of the NABE forecasters on the panel expect that there will be no impact from the European debt crisis on sales over the next six months. While about 29 percent reported sales fell 10 percent or less due to the region's lingering debt woes.

The survey was conducted between Dec. 15 and Jan. 5. It is derived from responses given by 63 NABE members

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120123/ap_on_bi_ge/us_nabe_survey1st_ld_writethru

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Megaupload chief had wild ride before arrest

In the Wild, Wild West-era of digital media, there is no cowboy quite like Kim Dotcom. Part Sean Parker, part Kevin Mitnick, with a whiff of Notorious B.I.G., Dotcom embodies the wildest age of piracy having made a fortune on the edges of Internet freedom.

Dotcom, the megamind behind Megaupload, was arrested yesterday in New Zealand, his panic-room door busted down by officials, who found the hacker clinging to a sawed-off shotgun. Dotcom faces up to 55 years in prison if extradited to the U.S. and convicted on charges of racketeering, copyright infringement, and money laundering. The hacker-turned-multimillionaire businessman has been accused of costing the entertainment industry $500 million through pirated content uploaded to his popular file-sharing site, which boasted 180 million registered users and celebrity endorsements from Kanye West to Kim Kardashian.

Before Megaupload was shut down by federal prosecutors, a statement was reportedly posted on the site calling the charges "grotesquely overblown."

Dotcom has long been a controversial and flamboyant figure. Pictures of the Megaupload founder online show him with yachts, private jets and Playboy bunnies in exotic locations such as Monaco, Cuba, and Brazil. According to court filings, prosecutors are seeking the forfeiture of $175 million, dozens of bank accounts, as well as sports cars including Mercedes-Benzes, Rolls-Royces, and Lamborghinis (with vanity plates such as "God" and "CEO").

Long before SOPA, Dotcom saw a potential market in taking advantage of the system--and ran wild with the opportunity. How wild? Here's a look inside Dotcom's life of excess--a lifestyle afforded to a guy who's both tech savvy and unencumbered by business ethics, and who has a taste for shotguns, black Benzes, and wraparound shades.

- In 1994, 20 cops raided Dotcom's home, in what appeared to be a sting operation set up by MCI. The police confiscated $80,000 in computer equipment, arresting Dotcom and charging him with selling stolen credit cards. Dotcom claimed to be working undercover for MCI, and that he was only trying to help make the company's systems more secure.

- In 1998, Dotcom wore black sunglasses to his trial in Germany, and boasted that he loved "feeling like a spy." He was convicted of fraud and other hacking charges, including embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars. He was sentenced to two years of probation, and fined 20,000 marks. The judge at the time said the court viewed his actions as "youthful foolishness."

- In 2001, Kim Dotcom (then known as Kim Schmitz) purchased a mountain of shares in a nearly bankrupt company called LetsBuyIt.com. He revealed to the public that he'd invest $100 million in the company. Share prices rocketed 300%, earning him $1.5 million in profit--but also landed him an insider trading conviction in Germany.

- After the 9/11 attacks, Dotcom offered a bounty of $10 million for the capture of Osama Bin Laden. He launched a group called the Young Intelligent Hackers Against Terrorism, which he said received thousands of tips. "We cannot say what's true...but we will forward it all to the FBI," he said at the time, providing one sample email tip to the Sunday Herald Sun, which said, "Try Looking in Kandahar in Afghanistan. He visits his wife and daughter there at least once a month"

Dotcom also launched a website called Kill.net to help recruit hackers for his mission of stopping terrorism. The mission guidelines: search for accounts of terror organizations, identify money transactions, financial supporters, and capture and deliver data to officials. "The domain is easy to remember," Dotcom told News Bytes of Kill.net. "The potential for misspelling it is small."

- According to The Guardian of London, Dotcom once changed former German chancellor Helmut Kohl's credit rating to zero.

- Dotcom's hacker name was or is "Kimble," a nickname that derived from Dr. Richard Kimball of The Fugitive.

- Dotcom has a love for racing cars, but after he was banned from driving for a year for speeding in 2001, he started a company called Megacar, based on his custom-built S-class Mercedes that included a wireless computer, 16 phone lines, real-time video-conferencing access, as well as a flat-screen panel that folded into the ceiling, four TVs, and a DVD player. According to The Independent, he thought the car would be attractive for heads of state and diplomats, and claimed Chrysler and GM were interested in building a model based on his prototype. Megacar, said Dotcom, was one his "kimpanies."

- After being arrested in Bangkok in a 5-star hotel, due to a request by the German embassy, Dotcom threated to kill himself online on his birthday in protest. He said on his website that "the real Kim Schmitz" is no more, and that he wants now to be called "His Royal Highness King Kimble the First, Ruler of the Kimpire." He was eventually deported from Thailand to Germany where he was detained in 2002.

- Dotcom is said to be 6 feet 7, and weigh 330 pounds, according to the L.A. Times in 2001. Though he was in hot water in Germany in the early aughts, Dotcom is said to have always cherished his reputation in the U.S., where he didn't fear arrest or prosecution.

"I get 100 e-mails a day from Americans who say, 'What you're doing is cool--can we work for you?' From Germans I also get 100 e-mails a day, saying, 'You fat pig!' or 'You're a liar and a criminal!' " Dotcom told the L.A. Times. "I'm trying to change this."

Of his standing in the U.S., he said at the time: "I don't know of any formal charges, but with all the fingerprints I left and all the coverage of my trial here, I suspect there is something pending."

- When Dotcom fled Germany in 2002, he released a message on his website entitled "Bye-Bye, Deutschland," in which he said his "German high-tech fairy tale" had come to an end, and that he's leaving out of fear of criminals threatening his life. He ended the message by saying, "Legends may sleep, but they never die," apparently quoting The Sandlot. "Next week starts here the KimPire."

- Dotcom has said his convictions in Germany were cleared up through the country's "cleanslate" law, news network TV3 has reported. "Officially, I am as clean as it gets," Dotcom said.

- In 2002, Dotcom sought to charter a former Russian Navy nuclear-powered ice-breaker to take a group of his friends on a cruise of the North Pole, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Dotcom also sought an "igloo village for icebound partying and dog races." The charter never came to fruition because of Dotcom's business "irregularities."

- In 2003, Dotcom appeared in an episode of MTV Asia's Whatever Things, a sort of foreign version of Jackass, where he interrupted a yoga class by yelling "happy birthday" over a megaphone.

- In 2005, Dotcom showed up in a Vanity Fair profile of the Gumball 3000, a high-speed sports car race out of Paris. He's noted as a "very skilled and fast driver," and a "highly competitive venture capitalist." He reportedly made a bet with two female drivers that he'd win the Gumball: "He'll give them each a half a million pounds if they beat him, but if he wins, he gets a threesome."

During the race, his sports car hit 155 mph. When 10 cops were waiting at a tollbooth to stop him, Dotcom zoomed by on the service road, refusing to stop. "I decided to get here first and nothing would stop me," Dotcom told Vanity Fair. "I'm very glad that I can sit here tonight, enjoy the party, have the glory and the fame of being the fastest Gumballer again...We go out for a battle together, and the battle is being six days on the road and trying to kick ass with all these supercars, which are kind of our weapons...And some know how to shoot really well and some don't, and at the end of the day everybody who arrives here in Cannes or any checkpoint deserves total respect."

- In 2005, Dotcom decided to launch The Ultimate Rally, a 3,000-mile race billed as the "first exotic-car transcontinental race of its kind." With a $2 million grand prize, the race was slated for the summer of 2006, and would include 100 cars racing over five days, followed by a two-day party.

- Last year, Dotcom tried to buy one of New Zealand's most expensive homes, a $25 million property in north-west Auckland, but ministers denied the request because he didn't meet "good character" requirements. He decided to rent the property instead, according to the Deutsche Presse-Agentur. And after he invested $8 million in New Zealand government bonds--and made a donation to the Christchurch earthquake fund--his application for residency was approved.

- Dotcom has claimed to be worth more than $200 million, and is said live "largely behind the walls of the mansion surrounded by bodyguards," according to the Deutsche Presse-Agentur.

- Dotcom put $500,000 into a fireworks display for Auckland's New Year's Eve celebration. According to an associate, "He just loves fireworks," the New Zealand Herald reported.

- Dotcom had plans to buy the most exclusive properties in New Zealand and create a sort of high-end version of Airbnb: a network of expensive rentals for VIP travelers. He also once had ambitions to start "Kim's Lifestyle Club" and "Kim's Lifestyle Shop," though it's unclear whether his plans ever materialized.

More from Fast Company:

How Spindrift Makes Natural Sodas Without High Fructose Corn Syrup

Apple's Education Plans Will Further Fragment Industry

How To Get Kids To Read? Give Them Banned Books

Copyright ? 2012 Mansueto Ventures LLC. All rights reserved.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46076072/ns/business-small_business/

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Angry Birds Seasons: Year of the Dragon now available

Following on from last week's announcement, Rovio has released the latest instalment of Angry Birds Seasons. In celebration of the year of the dragon, this latest batch of levels have a Chinese New Year theme, and the mighty eagle has even transformed into the mighty dragon for the occasion. Rovio's also made the mighty dragon free to use throughout this latest chapter, meaning you'll be able to unleash the wrath of the dragon to destroy levels without paying a penny.

If you don't already have Angry Birds Seasons installed, you'll find Android Market links after the jump.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/7Dl6cEczjxM/story01.htm

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Turkey calls for resumption of Iran nuclear talks (AP)

ANKARA, Turkey ? Turkey called on Thursday for the immediate resumption of talks between Iran and major world powers and said both sides have expressed willingness to try to end the standoff over Tehran's disputed nuclear program.

But France questioned whether Iran is ready for such talks and said the next step appears to be tougher sanctions, including a European Union embargo on Iran's oil exports.

At a joint news conference with Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said his country is ready to host and "make any other kind of contribution" to talks between Iran and six countries leading such negotiations: the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany.

"What is important is for these negotiations to start immediately and for the tensions to be reduced," Davutoglu said. "It is important that the hurdles in front of the talks are removed."

"I would like to say that the sides have confirmed their willingness," he said. "Today is the day for negotiations and a solution."

Salehi, concluding his two-day visit to Turkey, said the six powers should enter talks without "excuses." He said, "If there are excuses, it is a sign that they oppose and do not approve of the negotiations."

Iranian officials have said they favor Turkey as a venue for further talks with the six powers.

For more than three years, Tehran has blocked International Atomic Energy Agency attempts to follow up on U.S. and other intelligence alleging covert Iranian work on nuclear arms, dismissing the charges as baseless and insisting all its nuclear activities were peaceful and under IAEA purview.

Faced with Iranian stonewalling, the IAEA summarized its body of information in November, in a 13-page document drawing on 1,000 pages of intelligence. It stated then for the first time that some of the alleged experiments can have no other purpose than developing nuclear weapons.

In Paris on Thursday, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said the European Union has made specific proposals for dialogue with Iran, but "unfortunately the country has not committed in a transparent and cooperative way in this process of talks."

"That's the reason why ? in order to avoid what would surely be irreparable, that's to say a military option ? we think that we have to harden the sanctions to make the Iranian regime evolve," Juppe said.

Juppe said he hopes EU foreign ministers will reach an accord at a meeting on Monday in Brussels on two areas: an embargo on Iranian petroleum exports and a freeze on the assets of the Iranian Central Bank.

"It's true that there have been talks because some (EU) countries are very dependent in obtaining their oil, but we can find solutions," Juppe said, alluding to some European countries that import Iranian oil. "We, the French government, are doing all that we can so a clear accord on this issue can be reached among all 27."

The effort to revive the nuclear talks come as the U.S. and Europe have moved to step up sanctions against Iran.

The U.S. last month enacted new sanctions targeting Iran's central bank and its ability to sell petroleum abroad, though it has delayed implementing the sanctions for at least six months, worried about sending the price of oil higher at a time when the global economy is struggling. Iran has threatened to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz in response to sanctions.

The U.S. and its Western allies charge that Iran is trying to build nuclear weapons. Iran has consistently denied that, saying its nuclear program is peaceful, aimed at producing electric power and isotopes for cancer treatment.

Earlier on Thursday, Salehi repeated a claim that President Barack Obama had called for direct talks with Iran in a secret letter to the Islamic Republic's supreme leader that also warned Tehran against closing the Strait of Hormuz.

"They are flexing their muscle (in public), but they are also secretly saying: 'Come talk with us,'" Salehi told Turkey's NTV television in an interview, which was aired with a voice-over Turkish translation. "The U.S. government should act in an open and honest way."

Obama administration officials denied there was such a letter.

Speaking at a news conference with Juppe in Paris, Australia's foreign minister, Kevin Rudd, urged China and other Asian countries to take "due note" of international efforts to tighten sanctions against Iran.

"But for those countries which continue to import, we would urge them to be mindful of the actions of others in the international community who are seeking to bring about the pressure necessary to get a change in the Iranian government's positions," Rudd said. "I would urge our friends in Beijing, but elsewhere as well in Asia, to reflect seriously upon this."

China, the world's biggest energy consumer, remains unwilling to back an oil embargo against Iran. South Korea also has remained noncommittal.

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Associated Press Writer Jamie Keaten in Paris contributed.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iran/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120119/ap_on_re_eu/iran_nuclear

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