Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9365000/9365076.stm
Monday, 31 January 2011
Frogs re-evolved lost lower teeth
Frogs re-evolved "lost" bottom teeth after more than 200 million years, according to new research.
Brent crude oil price hits $100
Brent crude oil hits $100 a barrel for the first time since 2008 on concerns about the political unrest in Egypt.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/business-12328745
Afghan opium farming 'to spread'
Afghanistan produces 90% of the world's opium, the main ingredient in heroin The growing of opium poppies in the Afghan provinces of Helmand and Kandahar is predicted to be down for the second year running.
But a UN drugs forecast released on Monday says that poppy growing will increase elsewhere in Afghanistan.
Forecasting the Afghan crop is a tricky business, and the groundwork for this UN survey is based on the sample of only a few villages in each province.
But matched with satellite imaging, it suggests poppy growing will spread.
And that spread this year will even extend into provinces that had become poppy-free in recent years.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has expressed concern in particular about a predicted increase in Nangahar, a large province bordering Pakistan where poppy growing had been all but eradicated in recent years.
It is a strange market that does not conform to usual market forces.
Although the price to farmers more than doubled last year to $164 a kilogram - because of a cut in output caused by crop disease - the price paid by buyers abroad did not go up.
Jean Luc Lemahieu UNODC head in Kabul“When you see more conflict, when you see more poverty, you will see more opium cultivation”
So Afghanistan's drug barons were squeezed in the middle.
The higher prices paid to farmers played a big part in encouraging more to plant this year.
The UN survey predicts more planting across a wide swathe of central Afghanistan - from Herat and Ghor in the west to the provinces east of Kabul along the Pakistan border.
Their forecast for the northern region will come out later in the year, as the season starts later in the north.
The predicted rise in poppy planting tallies with other evidence suggesting that the Taliban insurgency has spread across a wider region of the country.
The UNODC's head in Kabul, Jean Luc Lemahieu, said tough measures were needed so that the forecast did not become a reality.
"When you see more conflict, when you see more poverty, you will see more opium cultivation. That is why we continue saying this is not business as usual. We need to put extraordinary measures in place today," he said.
The silver lining in the forecast is that for the third year running, Helmand's crop is forecast to reduce this year - and for the second year, Kandahar too will grow fewer poppies.
These two provinces are by far the largest poppy-growing regions in Afg
Australia awaits cyclone onslaught
North eastern Australia is battling with a tropical cyclone that is threatening to devastate Queensland, months after flooding caused over $5 billion worth of damage to the region.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-asia-pacific-12323865
Treasure hunt
Property belong to the ruling family was ransacked after Mr Ben Ali was toppled While Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali's regime fell, Tunisians expressed their view of him by attacking property he and his extended family left behind.
No-one can say exactly how much Mr Ben Ali, his second wife Leila Trabelsi, and a sprawling network of relatives, had to their names.
But it was a financial empire that reached far and wide, and is now the subject of a multi-pronged international investigation.
"Our Tunisian lawyer friends tell us that the Ben Ali and Trabelsi families controlled between 30% and 40% of the Tunisian economy," said Daniel Lebegue, head of the French branch of Transparency International.
Nicolas Beau Author and journalist“When people from the clan required Tunisians to give up their houses or land, they normally obeyed”
"So a simple calculation allows us to say we're looking at about $10bn (£6bn)."
"The number of assets held by relatives within these clans was significant in all sectors of the economy: banks, insurance, distribution, transport, tourism, property."
The families built this vast network, activists allege, by wielding the power of an authoritarian state.
Leila Trabelsi, a former hairdresser who married Mr Ben Ali five years after he came to power (but still commonly known by her maiden name), was seen as particularly effective at enriching relatives with lucrative holdings.
"They bled the country systematically," says Nicolas Beau, co-author of the Regent of Carthage, a book about Leila Trabelsi that has only appeared in Tunisian shops since she and her husband fled the country on 14 January.
"There was a climate of fear and terror, so when people from the clan required Tunisians to give up their houses or land, they normally obeyed."
Popular loathing had a lot to do with the fact that their names were synonymous with intimidation and corruption.
In one of the diplomatic cables published late last year by Wikileaks, a former US ambassador detailed how Mr Ben Ali's family was widely viewed as a "quasi-mafia", and the "nexus of Tunisian corruption".
The was they flaunted their fortunes - another source of resentment - is described in colourful terms in another cable.
KEY FIGURESArrested: Moncef (brother), Mourad (brother), and Imed (nephew) Trabelsi; 30 othersFled: Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, Leila Trabelsi, Belhassen Trabelsi, Sakhr el-Materi. Interpol seeking arrest of Ben Ali and six othersOusted family's business assets
The ambassador describes going to a dinner at the seafront home of one of the president's daughters, Nesrine, and her husband, Sakhr el-Materi, where frozen yoghurt was flown in from Saint Tropez, and a caged pet tiger was fed four chickens a day.
The wealth and ostentation at the top of the regime became particularly galling in the context of the financial and economic crisis of the last two years, analysts say.
Though Tunisia generally enjoyed steady economic growth under Mr Ben Ali, many - including the young men who launched the protests in December - remained poor.
During those protests, businesses and shops linked to the family were singled out.
Once Mr Ben Ali was toppled, cars imported by his son-in-law were smashed and demonstrators ransacked the family's opulent villas.
The former opposition - some of whom have been included in Tunisia's interim government - now want to recover ill-gotten gains.
Thirty-three Ben Ali or Trabelsi family members have been arrested and Tunisian authorities have requested the arrest of Mr Ben Ali and six other fugitives through the international police agency, Interpol.
The suspects are accused of illegally acquiring assets and transferring funds abroad during Mr Ben Ali's 23 years in power.
Mr Ben Ali himself is in Saudi Arabia, after reportedly being refused entry to France in mid-air as he fled Tunisia.
Leila Trabelsi's eldest brother Belhassen, believed to have been worth billions in his own right, is reported to be in Canada.
Tunisian officials have said they intend to recover all of the ousted ruling family's assets within reach, while trying to protect employees working at affected companies.
Tunisians accuse Leila Trabelsi of enriching her family at the expense of the country But an unknown quantity of their wealth has been deposited or invested outside Tunisia, in countries including France, Switzerland, Argentina, and the United Arab Emirates.
Mr Lebegue of Transparency International said investigations by lawyers' associations, non-governmental organisations and journalists indicate that the families own a "significant amount of property" in Paris, on the Cote d'Azur and in the Alps, as well as other possessions held in France including racehorses and luxury cars.
There were even reports in the French media that Leila Trabelsi withdrew bars of gold from the central bank not long before leaving Tunisia.
Activists want international authorities to act fast to freeze the family's assets, though they are optimistic that there is now enough scrutiny in Europe to prevent funds being moved.
Swiss officials have frozen tens of millions of francs, and grounded a Falcon 9000 jet in Geneva.
French officials have been looking at similar measures.
Within Tunisia, Mr Beau said he did not think it would be hard to prove that holdings had been illegally acquired, due to a paper trail and to the sheer number of people invovled in the family's business dealings.
"Despite the nature of the regime in Tunisia, a very strong tradition of regulation survived," he said. "Everything was legislated for, everything was written down.
"Everyone had to deal with it, there are an innumerable number of witnesses."
This article is from the BBC News website.
Twelve Iowa Football Players Hospitalized With Unknown Malady
Filed under: Iowa
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) -- The University of Iowa says 12 football players have been hospitalized for symptoms likely related to offseason workouts.The school has declined to release the names of the players being treated. It said in a statement released Tuesday that the players were taken to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics on Monday night. They are responding well to treatment and are in safe and stable condition, according to the school.
Iowa spokesman Steve Roe said privacy laws prevent officials from further comment.
"Coach Kirk Ferentz is out of town recruiting, but he is aware of the situation and is being kept abreast of the progress being made," Iowa athletic director Gary Barta said in a statement. "Our No. 1 concern is the safety of our student-athletes, so we are pleased with the positive feedback. Our next step is to find out what happened so we can avoid this happening in the future."
Iowa offensive lineman Julian Vandervelde, who recently graduated from the program and was a member of the team's leadership group, defended the Iowa's workout practices in an interview with The Associated Press.
"They are nothing if not concerned for the health of the players," Vandervelde said. "That's always the first priority, health and development. I mean workouts are never used to punish. It's always about improvement, and workouts are always well within the capabilities of the athletes asked to perform them."
Tuesday's announcement that a dozen players had been hospitalized was just the latest bad news to hit the program that just wrapped a disappointing 8-5 season.
Senior wide receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos was suspended for the Hawkeyes' Insight Bowl win over Missouri after an arrest on drug charges. Johnson-Koulianos pleaded guilty to marijuana possession while other drug charges against him were dismissed.
Running back Adam Robinson was dismissed from the team after being arrested for possession of marijuana in his hometown of Des Moines while on suspension for violating team rules.
Eight free schools near approval
The first free schools are expected to open in the autumn Eight groups are now at the final stages of approval to open free schools in England.
Four of the proposed schools are due to open in London and the others are planned for Suffolk, West Sussex, Norwich and Leicester.
Education Secretary Michael Gove is to make the announcement at a free schools conference in London.
He wants all new schools to be free schools or academies - state-funded but outside local council control.
There have been 249 proposals put forward by groups keen to set up a free school.
Most of those are in the early stages of approval.
Thirty-five have been given at least initial approval and have been developing their full business case and plan.
Until now, only one school was known to have reached what the government calls the "pre-opening stage" - meaning their business case has been approved.
That was the Stour Valley Community School in Suffolk, which was approved earlier this month. It grew out of a campaign by parents to save a school and the scheme is now being led by community leaders.
Now seven more plans have been added to the list. Some of these schools will be faith-based; some are proposed by existing academy sponsors and one is teacher-led.
They are:
ARK Conway, Hammersmith and FulhamDiscovery New School, West SussexEtz Chaim, BarnetThe Free School, NorwichI-Foundation, Leicester CitySt Luke's Church of England Primary School, CamdenWoodpecker Hall, Enfield.Many groups wanting to set up schools will be at the conference in London, meeting ministers as well as education experts from the United States who have been involved in setting up charter schools - which are similar to the new free schools.
They will get advice and take part in workshops on how to go about getting their plans off the ground.
Mike Feinberg, a co-founder of a chain of charter schools in the USA called Knowledge is Power (KIPP), is among the speakers.
A teacher, he set up a school in Houston's inner city.
"We wanted to give students in under-served communities an opportunity for success in life. There are now 99 schools across America, that give children from low-income families a better education, proving that demographics do not define destiny," he said.
"I am excited that free schools will be opening up in England and offering the same possibilities."
Penny Roberts is a former teacher and a parent who is one of those behind the plans for St. Luke's Primary School in Camden, London. The plan is also backed by church authorities.
She said: "I've been through the process of applying for primary school places for my own children and I know the anguish that parents go through when there just are not enough primary school places, so for us it's just a wonderful way to meet a community need".
The government has not yet said how many free schools will open in the autumn, but some have begun their admissions processes.
Twenty-four schools were in the first group to gain initial approval from the government for their plans and it has been reported that about half of those might open i
Sunday, 30 January 2011
Treasure hunt
Property belong to the ruling family was ransacked after Mr Ben Ali was toppled While Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali's regime fell, Tunisians expressed their view of him by attacking property he and his extended family left behind.
No-one can say exactly how much Mr Ben Ali, his second wife Leila Trabelsi, and a sprawling network of relatives, had to their names.
But it was a financial empire that reached far and wide, and is now the subject of a multi-pronged international investigation.
"Our Tunisian lawyer friends tell us that the Ben Ali and Trabelsi families controlled between 30% and 40% of the Tunisian economy," said Daniel Lebegue, head of the French branch of Transparency International.
Nicolas Beau Author and journalist“When people from the clan required Tunisians to give up their houses or land, they normally obeyed”
"So a simple calculation allows us to say we're looking at about $10bn (£6bn)."
"The number of assets held by relatives within these clans was significant in all sectors of the economy: banks, insurance, distribution, transport, tourism, property."
The families built this vast network, activists allege, by wielding the power of an authoritarian state.
Leila Trabelsi, a former hairdresser who married Mr Ben Ali five years after he came to power (but still commonly known by her maiden name), was seen as particularly effective at enriching relatives with lucrative holdings.
"They bled the country systematically," says Nicolas Beau, co-author of the Regent of Carthage, a book about Leila Trabelsi that has only appeared in Tunisian shops since she and her husband fled the country on 14 January.
"There was a climate of fear and terror, so when people from the clan required Tunisians to give up their houses or land, they normally obeyed."
Popular loathing had a lot to do with the fact that their names were synonymous with intimidation and corruption.
In one of the diplomatic cables published late last year by Wikileaks, a former US ambassador detailed how Mr Ben Ali's family was widely viewed as a "quasi-mafia", and the "nexus of Tunisian corruption".
The was they flaunted their fortunes - another source of resentment - is described in colourful terms in another cable.
KEY FIGURESArrested: Moncef (brother), Mourad (brother), and Imed (nephew) Trabelsi; 30 othersFled: Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, Leila Trabelsi, Belhassen Trabelsi, Sakhr el-Materi. Interpol seeking arrest of Ben Ali and six othersOusted family's business assets
The ambassador describes going to a dinner at the seafront home of one of the president's daughters, Nesrine, and her husband, Sakhr el-Materi, where frozen yoghurt was flown in from Saint Tropez, and a caged pet tiger was fed four chickens a day.
The wealth and ostentation at the top of the regime became particularly galling in the context of the financial and economic crisis of the last two years, analysts say.
Though Tunisia generally enjoyed steady economic growth under Mr Ben Ali, many - including the young men who launched the protests in December - remained poor.
During those protests, businesses and shops linked to the family were singled out.
Once Mr Ben Ali was toppled, cars imported by his son-in-law were smashed and demonstrators ransacked the family's opulent villas.
The former opposition - some of whom have been included in Tunisia's interim government - now want to recover ill-gotten gains.
Thirty-three Ben Ali or Trabelsi family members have been arrested and Tunisian authorities have requested the arrest of Mr Ben Ali and six other fugitives through the international police agency, Interpol.
The suspects are accused of illegally acquiring assets and transferring funds abroad during Mr Ben Ali's 23 years in power.
Mr Ben Ali himself is in Saudi Arabia, after reportedly being refused entry to France in mid-air as he fled Tunisia.
Leila Trabelsi's eldest brother Belhassen, believed to have been worth billions in his own right, is reported to be in Canada.
Tunisian officials have said they intend to recover all of the ousted ruling family's assets within reach, while trying to protect employees working at affected companies.
Tunisians accuse Leila Trabelsi of enriching her family at the expense of the country But an unknown quantity of their wealth has been deposited or invested outside Tunisia, in countries including France, Switzerland, Argentina, and the United Arab Emirates.
Mr Lebegue of Transparency International said investigations by lawyers' associations, non-governmental organisations and journalists indicate that the families own a "significant amount of property" in Paris, on the Cote d'Azur and in the Alps, as well as other possessions held in France including racehorses and luxury cars.
There were even reports in the French media that Leila Trabelsi withdrew bars of gold from the central bank not long before leaving Tunisia.
Activists want international authorities to act fast to freeze the family's assets, though they are optimistic that there is now enough scrutiny in Europe to prevent funds being moved.
Swiss officials have frozen tens of millions of francs, and grounded a Falcon 9000 jet in Geneva.
French officials have been looking at similar measures.
Within Tunisia, Mr Beau said he did not think it would be hard to prove that holdings had been illegally acquired, due to a paper trail and to the sheer number of people invovled in the family's business dealings.
"Despite the nature of the regime in Tunisia, a very strong tradition of regulation survived," he said. "Everything was legislated for, everything was written down.
"Everyone had to deal with it, there are an innumerable number of witnesses."
This article is from the BBC News website.
Biking risk
Many cyclists wear masks to try and minimise the effects of air pollution Cycling is a great way to get around cities and become fit at the same time - but do cyclists get enough public health information about the damage air pollution could be doing to their lungs?
In this week's Scrubbing Up, Amanda Dryer, based at the infirmary' s Platt Rehabilitation Unit says cyclists need to be given more information about the risks of cycling in polluted areas.
Cycling is fantastic exercise. It yields many health benefits and should not be discouraged due to concerns regarding air pollution.
It is critical however that we raise public awareness about the effects that air pollution has on the respiratory system - both in the short and long term.
At the moment, these effects are not well publicised. Giving cyclists more information would enable them to make informed decisions about when and where they cycle.
Air pollution is made up of numerous pollutants that have been reported to have specific effects on the lungs.
The pollution from diesel engines is of particular concern as the small particulates or ultra fine particles which tend to be emitted by diesel engines, can be inhaled further down into the lungs than the larger particles.
In people with existing respiratory disease this can cause significant airway irritation and breathing difficulties.
Pollution also creates gases - sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone. These gases have been reported as having certain effects on the lungs.
Primarily they can cause the airways to become inflamed and therefore narrow, trigger airway irritation, decrease the amount of oxygen that the blood can carry and reduce lung function.
Amanda Dryer Respiratory Physiotherapist“Despite the contradictions, cyclists need to be informed of the potential risks.”
However, hard evidence on the impact of air pollution on the health of the general population is inconclusive.
Some studies have reported a decline in lung function with airway inflammation, whilst others highlight a very weak tenuous link between air pollution and any effects on the respiratory system.
Several studies have specifically investigated the effects of air pollution on lung function in cyclists.
It has been postulated that because cyclists breathe more deeply during the physical exertion of cycling, that they can inhale up to five times more particulates than either car users or those travelling on public transport.
On the other hand, it has also been suggested that passengers travelling in cars or buses are more at risk of being exposed to higher levels of air pollution than cyclists, as they are sitting in an environment of limited circulating ventilation.
Despite the contradictions, cyclists need to be informed of the potential risks.
It is not unusual for health promotion messages to face contradictions and ambiguities when promoting one measure to benefit health - daily cycling - while potentially increasing the risk of an adverse effect - increased exposure to air pollution.
In the cycling community, there are many ongoing discussions on different cycling web sites that suggest ways to minimise risk.
These include finding alternative routes away from high density commuter traffic and major public transport routes, avoiding congested roads and utilising cycle paths and tracks and finding routes that offer some shielding from air pollution - eg trees.
Amanda Dryer Respiratory physiotherapist“There is no clear UK guidance as to what are acceptable levels when we consider air pollution reduction figures - it's too vague. ”
Also, don't get stuck behind a bus or find yourself travelling downwind of vehicle's exhaust fumes and when stopping at traffic lights or a major junction, move out in front of the stationary motor vehicles so you are not inhaling the plume of exhaust fumes and by monitoring air quality in your area.
Public health is all about investigating and identifying ways to minimise risk but it's also about common sense. It is important that we consider what measures could be adopted to try and protect cyclists' airway function.
One of the main obstacles to promoting a clear public health message is that there is no clear UK guidance as to what are acceptable levels when we consider air pollution reduction figures - it's too vague.
There needs to be closer scrutiny of air quality in particular, within built up urban areas and a firm commitment to continually investigate and evaluate how we can make our environment cleaner. For example investigating cleaner fuels, better emission controlling devices and supporting car manufacturers in developing new technology to investigate electric vehicles.
There also needs to additional funding resources that reflects the need to improving health and allow further research to be conducted to accurately detail the effects of pollution on the respiratory system and to clarify what are the potential toxic effects of air pollution on the lungs.
The government's ongoing strategy should be how we can continually monitor air quality and ensure that we are achieving reductions in pollutant levels that are clear and laid out.
Monitoring air quality in the UK has not been given enough publicity or funding. As a result, often cyclists do not fully appreciate what risks they are imposing upon themselves by cycling in areas where air quality is sub optimal.
We need to make sure people are given informed choices when it comes to deciding what measures they can adopt to protect themselves against air pollution - this can only come about if clear health promotion is delivered to the public.
Comments
CN AB: Synthetic Pot 'Like Playing Russian Roulette': Inventor
Edmonton Journal, 29 Jan 2011 - The high from synthetic marijuana products comes from a laboratory -- not a plant. And the chemist who created some of the compounds commonly used to make synthetic marijuana is warning people against using it recreationally. "It's like playing Russian roulette. You don't know what it's going to do to you," John W. Huffman told the website LiveScience.
Murray's moment 'still to come'
Shops in Dunblane have put up messages of support for Murray in their windows Murray mania is sweeping the UK as tennis star Andy Murray prepares to take on Serbian rival Novak Djokovic in the final of the Australian Open.
The 23-year-old Scot has been sent good luck messages by Prime Minister David Cameron and Scotland's first minister, Alex Salmond.
His home town of Dunblane has been festooned with messages of support.
Murray is hoping to become the first British man to win a Grand Slam title since Fred Perry in 1936.
This will be his third attempt to win a Grand Slam event.
Alex Salmond First Minister“Now's the day and now's the hour. The whole of Scotland is behind you, and will be cheering you on from near and far for a famous victory”
He lost in two previous finals - the 2008 US Open and the 2010 Australian Open.
In a message to Murray, Mr Cameron wished him the "very best of luck" in his meeting with Djokovic.
He said: "You have played incredibly well to reach the final for the second year running, and everyone back at home is very proud of you. We'll all be cheering you on."
Mr Cameron - a keen tennis player himself - also joked that Murray had been helped by their practise session when he visited Downing Street last November.
"I hope the volley drills we did in No 10 last year will come in useful," he added.
Mr Salmond also sent Murray a good luck message.
"Now's the day and now's the hour," he said. "The whole of Scotland is behind you, and will be cheering you on from near and far for a famous victory."
Murray's grandparents, Roy and Shirley Erskine, are facing a nervous wait in his home town.
Mr Erskine said: "The first time Andy got to a final we had no idea what to expect, but now we realise just how massive it is.
Murray's grandparents Roy and Shirley Erskine are willing him on to tennis glory "We still haven't decided where we will watch the game. Last year we went away to watch it with friends a few miles away.
"I think we want to be on our own, somewhere quiet so we can scream and shriek out loud at the TV."
Murray secured his spot in the final after beating Spaniard David Ferrer in what he called an "unbelievably tough" test.
Millions are expected to watch the match on TV after 6.3 million people tuned in to last year's Australian Open to watch Murray lose to Roger Federer.
Back in Dunblane, p
Christian Ponder Leads South Past North in Senior Bowl
Filed under: Prospects
MOBILE, Ala. (AP) -- Florida State's Christian Ponder threw two touchdown passes, including a clinching 23-yarder to TCU's Jeremy Kerley in the South's 24-10 Senior Bowl victory over the North on Saturday.Ponder completed 7 of 13 passes for 132 yards, including several big ones to a onetime rival Leonard Hankerson of Miami.
Ponder was looking for a happier transition to an NFL career after missing the ACC championship with an elbow injury and most of the Seminoles' bowl game thanks to a concussion. Ponder led scoring drives on the South's first two possessions and put on the finishing touches after the North rallied from a 17-0 deficit.
Hankerson had 100 yards on five catches, including an 18-yard touchdown and a 48-yarder to set up another score - both from Ponder.
Washington quarterback Jake Locker led a touchdown drive but also had offensive linemen save him on two fumbles for the North.
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Source: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2011/01/29/christian-ponder-leads-south-past-north-in-senior-bowl/
Train death pair 'not prosecuted'
Two suspects in the killing of a 14-year-old boy two years ago are not being prosecuted because of a lack of evidence, the PPS says.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-northern-ireland-12319052
Three killed when car hits tree
Three people, believed to be teenagers, die when the car they are travelling in crashes into a tree in Doncaster.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-12318427
Senior Bowl Showcases Less-Heralded Prospects Along With Big Names
Filed under: Bowl Games, Division II
Saturday's Under Armour Senior Bowl will feature many of the nation's top senior college football players in a North-against-South format. Fans will certainly recognize established talents and their schools, such as quarterbacks Jake Locker of Washington and Greg McElroy of Alabama; offensive lineman Gabe Carimi of Wisconsin and defensive end Ryan Kerrigan of Purdue.
Quick, have you ever heard of Brandon Fusco? Or Slippery Rock University?
"I never really pictured myself being here, but I worked hard through my senior season to be here, so I am very excited about the opportunity and very blessed by the opportunity," Fusco told the media earlier this week.
Fusco was one of three small-school players from Division II teams invited to play in the 62nd annual Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala.
The other two players are Southern Arkansas defensive lineman Cedric Thornton and receiver Edmund Gates from Abilene Christian. Gates was injured in practice and won't play.
Saturday, 29 January 2011
'Anonymous' defends web attacks
Anonymous members launched web attacks in support of Julian Assange's Wikileaks Web activist group Anonymous has criticised the arrest of its members claiming the web attacks they launched were a legitimate form of protest.
Five men were arrested yesterday in connection with web attacks carried out in support of Wikileaks.
Overnight, US law enforcers said they had executed 40 search warrants in conjunction with UK operation.
Anonymous said the action was a "serious declaration of war" by the UK government against it.
Despite Anonymous' claims, in an open letter published online that denial of service attacks are a legitimate way to protest, UK law says such attacks, which bombard sites with data, are illegal.
The arrests of five of its members was "a sad mistake" by the UK authorities, Anonymous.
Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks should not be confused with malicious hacking, instead be regarded as "a new way of voicing civil protest", it added.
What is a DDoS attack?A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack aims to make websites inaccessibleAttackers commonly use networks of compromised computers - called a botnet - that they control to launch the attacksHowever, the Anonymous attacks recruited volunteers to download a tool to create a "virtual" botnetBy overwhelming the target site with requests, the attackers can ensure that genuine visitors cannot reach the siteThese requests look like genuine web traffic so can be hard to filter outTypically, such attacks have been aimed at high-profile websites, such as those belonging to government departments, banks and political organisationsThey are illegal in most countriesQ&A: Web Attacks
Detectives from the Metropolitan Police's Central e-Crime Unit arrested five men, aged between 15 and 26 in connection with offences under the Computer Misuse Act 1990.
That legislation makes it clear that launching DDoS attacks is illegal, said Graham Cluley, senior security analyst at Sophos.
"Most of the people that took part in the attacks in support of Wikileaks volunteered to do so," he told BBC News.
The web attacks were mounted against firms such as Mastercard, PayPal and Amazon which had withdrawn their services to Wikileaks, in the wake of its publication of leaked embassy cables.
The DDoS attacks launched against those companies was done using a web toll known as the Low Orbit Ion Cannon (Loic).
That made it easy for authorities to locate those responsible, as Loic does nothing to mask the IP address of those initiating the flood of web traffic, said Cluley.
"Once you know someone's IP address it's relatively simple to find their physical address," he said.
In December two Dutch teenagers were taken into custody and subsequently released over allegations that they had helped coordinate the attacks.
The five men arrested in the UK have been released on bail.
This article is from the BBC
In 48 Hours, Tennis Turned on Its Head
Filed under: Australian Open, WTA, ATP
MELBOURNE, Australia -- The best transitions in sports happen naturally, and by process. A star player gets old, and the next guy slowly overtakes him and becomes the top dog. It happens with teams, too.
And fans have a chance to adjust, get used to the new order.
Tennis is in a transition stage, too. But on Wednesday, it wasn't. Things are happening a little too fast for tennis' own good.
"From a personal point of view," Andy Murray said, "I would rather be in the final than watching Roger and Rafa at home, playing again."
Murray had just beaten David Ferrer 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-1, 7-6 (7-2) Friday to advance to the final of the Australian Open. He'll play Novak Djokovic on Sunday for the year's first major.
Roger and Rafa -- Federer and Nadal -- is your regularly scheduled program for major finals. At least one of them, anyway. And this is part of the change.
Just 48 hours ago, the Federer-Nadal rivalry was as solid as ever. Federer had re-established himself over the past few months on that top tier. Nadal was going for the Rafa Slam, winning all four majors in a row.
On the women's side, while we wait for Serena Williams to recover, Kim Clijsters was dominating the tour. Justine Henin, one of the all-time greats, was struggling some in her comeback with a sore elbow.
Blink.
Source: http://tennis.fanhouse.com/2011/01/28/in-48-hours-tennis-turned-on-its-head/
On edge
Tens of thousands of people have demonstrated in the capital, Sanaa With global news networks broadcasting wall-to-wall coverage of popular uprisings in Arab capitals, there is renewed focus on discontent in Yemen's mountain capital, Sanaa.
Yemen suffers from high population growth, unemployment running at 40%, rising food prices and acute levels of malnutrition.
Yemeni protesters are calling for a more responsive, inclusive government and improved economic conditions but - with oil production falling - the current economic trend is heading downwards.
Public demonstrations across the region are raising the stakes for change in Yemen.
President Ali Abdullah Saleh came to power in 1978, first as president of North Yemen and then, after unification with South Yemen in 1990, as leader of the newly united republic.
Veteran leader Ali Abdullah Saleh, 64, has an extensive patronage network His ruling party, the General People's Congress, holds a large majority in parliament, representing a "big tent" coalition.
In addition, the president maintains an extensive informal patronage network of tribal leaders, businessmen and clerics.
At the beginning of January, President Saleh proposed a constitutional amendment that would allow him to stand for re-election in the next presidential ballot in two years' time.
However, events in Cairo and Tunisia make that move temporarily untenable and earlier this week, President Saleh promised that he would stand aside in 2013.
(He made a similar promise to stand down before the 2006 presidential election, but eventually reversed this position.)
After 30 years in power, he faces widespread complaints of corruption and the concentration of power within his tribal sub-group, the Sanhan clan.
Large areas of the country are already in open revolt against his regime, with a breakaway movement in the south, attacks on the security services by Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and a de-facto semi-autonomous area under the control of northern rebels.
For years, Western governments have been pressuring President Saleh to initiate political and economic reforms to put the country on a more sustainable footing, but progress has been slow.
Economic and social problemsPoorest country in the Middle East with 40% of Yemenis living on less than $2 (£1.25) a dayMore than two-thirds of the population are under 24More than a third are jobless; illiteracy stands at over 50%Dwindling oil reserves and falling oil revenues; little inward investmentAcute water shortageWeak central government
President Saleh appeared on television a few days ago, apologising for his mistakes - but his emergency announcement of price controls and salary hikes will only increase the underlying macro-economic p
NHL All-Star Game Broadcast Promoted Throughout New NBCUniversal Platforms
Filed under: NHL Media Watch
As Comcast takes over NBC Universal just before midnight Friday, hockey will be impacted in a potentially positive way. According to an industry source, the NHL All-Star Game -- broadcast on VERSUS on Sunday -- has been selected as the first "cross-channel priority" for the new NBCUniversal.A "cross-channel priority" is an initiative identified by the network's marketing council to receive broad promotion across NBCUniversal's numerous platforms.
NBCUniversal has been successfully employing the initiative for big events such as the Olympics, NFL Kickoff, movie premieres like "Despicable Me" and the launch of "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" at Universal Theme Park in Orlando, Fla.
Now that NBCUniversal has combined with Comcast's media assets, the cross-promotional capabilities are larger than ever. The new NBCUniversal has 20 channels and more than 40 websites to use to promote its "cross-channel priorities." As a result, the 2011 NHL All-Star Game stands to benefit -- as could the NHL for years to come if it enters a long-term broadcast partnership with NBC.
Source: http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2011/01/28/nhl-all-star-game-broadcast-promoted-throughout-new-nbcuniversal/
Hero's welcome?
Russia's spies were whisked away from a Moscow airport In the bad old days, homecoming spies could expect heroes' welcomes in Moscow, their faces on commemorative postage stamps and lifelong adulation.
But that, of course, was when they were fighting evil empires, rather than living the suburban American dream.
Today's returning spies seem to have done little hard work - or at least little work for the Russian state.
The glamorous Anna Chapman, for example, appears to have spent more time flogging private planes to Russian oligarchs.
But they have all been offered a Moscow flat and a $2,000 (£1,327) state pension - the sort of riches plenty of Muscovites can still only dream of.
The Russian press are treating the entire episode with a mixture of humour and disdain.
Our Man in Havana, James Wormold, passed off mundane details as secrets One commenter observed: "It reminds me of Graham Greene's Our Man in Havana where the spy convinces his Centre that a diagram of a vacuum cleaner is the blueprint for a new secret weapon."
The radio station Ekho Moskvy has announced a cartoon contest on the topic of the returning spies.
But there are plenty of Russians who say the spies "just weren't up to the job".
With the exception of the redheaded Anna Chapman, who will doubtless soon be offered a talk show and a column on a British tabloid, they do look like a dull lot compared to their Soviet forerunners - who were very good indeed at their jobs.
EAST-WEST PRISONER SWAPS1962: KGB Colonel Rudolf Abel freed by US in exchange for Gary Powers, pilot of a U-2 spy plane shot down over the USSR in 19601964: Gordon Lonsdale, real name Konon Molody, member of the Portland spy ring, is returned to the USSR1969: UK frees Soviet agents Peter and Helen Kroger for Gerald Brooke, jailed for spying in USSR1981: Guenter Guillaume, agent for East Germany's Stasi, exchanged for Western agents1986: Soviet dissident Anatoly Sharansky and three Western agents swapped for KGB husband-and-wife spies Karl and Hana Koecher and two other agentsUS and Russia in airport spy swap Who is on the 'spy-swap' list?
The old Soviet-era spies tended to be a cheerful lot, full of joie de vivre - it is perhaps their capacity for jollity that made them successful.
Mikhail Lyubimov, who spied in London in the 1980s, once told me that former spies should form an international association aimed at promoting international understanding.
"With our experience, we are by far the best equipped to work towards bettering understandings between nations," he said, only semi-seriously.
A former colleague, who was kicked out of Japan for spying, went on to have a successful career writing books that opened Japanese culture to Russian readers.
Nevertheless, it cannot be eas
Former Kicker Goes Behind the Scenes for Auburn Football Documentary
Filed under: Auburn, BCS Championship Game
Ten years ago, when his career as a sportscaster was at a crossroads, Jess Atkinson got his hands on a copy of an MIT-published magazine, which led him to think cosmically about how he could carve out a future for himself.
A decade later, Atkinson's star is on the rise as a sports documentarian by going basic with the thought, "If you have a story to tell, why not tell it yourself?"
That philosophy has paid off handsomely for Atkinson's 3 Penny Films. He just wrapped two years embedded with the Auburn football team, which captured the BCS national title earlier this month.
Atkinson and his crew were contracted by the school to follow coach Gene Chizik and the Auburn team for weekly behind-the-scenes shows that would certainly raise the program's visibility.
Cameron sticking to 'tough' plan
David Cameron vows to "see through" planned deep spending cuts despite concerns about their impact on economic growth, in a speech in Davos.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-politics-12301827
Race to drill hidden polar lake
With about 50m left to drill, time is running out for scientists drilling into a lake hidden deep below the Antarctic ice.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/science-environment-12275979
Cuban dissident is released again
Cuban dissident Guillermo Farinas is released after being arrested three times in 48 hours, as he defied official warnings to keep a low profile.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-latin-america-12310100
Friday, 28 January 2011
Race to drill hidden polar lake
The first satellite images of Lake Vostok were obtained in the 1990s With only about 50m left to drill, time is running out for the Russian scientists hoping to drill into Vostok - the world's most enigmatic lake.
Vostok is a sub-glacial lake in Antarctica, hidden some 4,000m (13,000ft) beneath the ice sheet.
With the Antarctic summer almost over, temperatures will soon begin to plummet; they can go as low as -80C.
Scientists will leave the remote base on 6 February, when conditions are still mild enough for a plane to land.
The team has been drilling non-stop for weeks.
"It's like working on an alien planet where no one has been before," Valery Lukin, the deputy head of Russia's Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI) in St Petersburg, which oversees the project, told BBC News.
"We don't know what awaits us down there," he said, adding that personnel at the station have been working shifts, drilling 24 hours a day.
Microorganisms have already been found in the lake's frozen water But some experts remain concerned that probing the lake's water - thought by some to be isolated from everything else on Earth - could contaminate the pristine ecosystem and cause irreversible damage.
The sub-glacial laje is located underneath the remote Vostok station in Antarctica.
Overlaid by nearly four km of ice, it has been isolated from the rest of the world for millions of years. Some scientists think the ice cap above and at the edges has created a hydrostatic seal with the surface, preventing lake water from escaping or anything else from getting inside.
And if the Russian team gets through to the pristine waters, they hope to encounter life forms that have never been seen.
It was at the Vostok station that the coldest temperature ever found on Earth (-89°C) was recorded on 21 July 1983.
Normally, water in such extreme conditions exists only in one state: ice. And when, in the 1970s British scientists in Antarctica received strange radar readings at the site, the presence of a liquid, freshwater lake below the ice did not instantly spring to mind.
Alexey Ekaikin Vostok station, Antarctica“After three km and as we near the bottom [of the ice sheet], the ice temperature gets very close to the ice melting point, and all sorts of problems begin”
It was not until 1996 that the discovery was formally acnowledged, after satellites sent in the images outlining the lake's contours.
Space radar revealed that the sub-glacial body of fresh water was one of the largest lakes in the world - and one of some 150 subglacial lakes in Antarctica.
At 10,000 square km and with depths reaching 800m, it is similar to Lake Baikal in Siberia or Lake Ontario in North America.
Since the lake has remained sealed off from the rest of the world, scientists estimate that conditions in it have probably remained unchanged for some 15 million years.
For liquid water to exist in Antarctica, glaciologists suggest that the ice cap serves as a giant insulating blanket, able to capture the Earth's geothermal heat to melt the bottom of the ice sheet.
Eager to explore the ancient lake, scientists started drilling and managed to go as deep as about 3,600m - but when the untouched waters were only some 130m away, in 1998, the project ground to a halt.
Antarctica's Vostok station was built in 1956 "We had to stop because of the concerns of possible contamination of the lake," explained Alexey Ekaikin, a member of the current expedition, who spoke to the BBC Russian Service from Vostok station.
He said that drilling was resumed in 2004, when the team came up with new, ecologically safe methods of probing the lake.
In November 2010, the scientists submitted a final environmental evaluation of the project to the Antarctic Treaty's environmental protection committee and were given the go-ahead to sample the ancient waters.
They said that instead of drilling into the lake, they would go down until a sensor on the drill detects free water.
Dr Andy Smith British Antarctic Survey“We have to make a huge effort not to spoil the environment by being interested in it”
Then they would take the drill out without going any further and adjust the pressure so that instead of any liquid in the borehole falling down into the lake, water in the lake would be sucked up.
Then the drill would be taken away and left for quite some time to freeze, creating a plug of frozen ice in the bottom of the hole.
Finally, next season, the team would drill down again to take a sample of that ice and analyse it.
But the work has not been going very smoothly, being repeteadly delayed because of technical difficulties.
"Up until three km down, drilling is usually relatively easy - it has been done in Greenland and here in Antarctica. But after three km and as we near the bottom [of the ice sheet], the ice temperature gets very close to the ice melting point, and all sorts of problems begin," said Dr Ekaikin.
Dr Lukin added that additional difficulties arise from the changing structure of the ice - after about 3,600m, it is pure frozen lake water, composed of huge round monocrystals of a metre or more in diameter and as hard as glass.
West Brom seal loan deal for Vela
West Brom sign Arsenal striker Carlos Vela on a loan deal until the end of the season.
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_bromwich_albion/9380327.stm
Former Kicker Goes Behind the Scenes for Auburn Football Documentary
Filed under: Auburn, BCS Championship Game
Ten years ago, when his career as a sportscaster was at a crossroads, Jess Atkinson got his hands on a copy of an MIT-published magazine, which led him to think cosmically about how he could carve out a future for himself.
A decade later, Atkinson's star is on the rise as a sports documentarian by going basic with the thought, "If you have a story to tell, why not tell it yourself?"
That philosophy has paid off handsomely for Atkinson's 3 Penny Films. He just wrapped two years embedded with the Auburn football team, which captured the BCS national title earlier this month.
Atkinson and his crew were contracted by the school to follow coach Gene Chizik and the Auburn team for weekly behind-the-scenes shows that would certainly raise the program's visibility.
'Suicide bomber' hits Kabul store
Eight people have died in a suicide attack at a supermarket popular with foreigners in the Afghan capital Kabul, officials say.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-south-asia-12307463
Hague supports 'Egyptian freedom'
Authorities in Egypt should not seek to "suppress people's right to freedom of expression", Foreign Secretary William Hague says.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-12310266
Labour selects Barnsley candidate
Labour selects its candidate for the Barnsley Central by-election once disgraced MP Eric Illsley stands down.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-12306153
Student visa cuts plan condemned
Leading figures from across higher education attack government plans to limit visas for international students, with some describing them as damaging, dangerous and potentially catastrophic.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/education-12296161
Thursday, 27 January 2011
NHS case for change 'over-sold'
The government has over-sold the need for its overhaul of the NHS in England, a leading health economist says.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/health-12301197
CN BC: Staff Errors Led To Inmate's Death
The Province, 26 Jan 2011 - Nurse Wasn't Authorized To Give Methadone To Man WHO Faked ID A nurse who should not have been administering methadone supplied the dose that killed a 32-yearold inmate at a Maple Ridge prison, he Province has learned.
Source: http://mapinc.org/url/QqAm0diJ
Tunisia in big cabinet reshuffle
Tunisian PM Mohammed Ghannouchi announces a reshuffle of the interim government in which he stays but many allies of the ousted president leave.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-africa-12302232
Insomnia 'a major health issue'
Lack of sleep needs to be treated as a major health issue, according to the Mental Health Foundation.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/health-12287535
Children in care 'far from home'
Thousands of children placed in care far from home are more vulnerable to criminality, drug abuse and sexual exploitation, warn children's charities.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-12294733
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
US and Canada hit by snow storm
The north-eastern US and Canada are hit by another snowstorm, which even affects President Barack Obama's return to the White House.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-us-canada-12291743
Pro Hopefuls to Swap Paint in Annual Shrine Game
Filed under: Fans
Lights, camera, action. The East-West Shrine game -- the first major college football all-star game of the NFL draft season -- kicks off Saturday at 4 p.m. at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando.
While most of the more than 200 NFL scouts and team officials that attended practices this week are expecting to identify most of their potential early round picks at next week's Senior Bowl in Alabama, a number of players in the Shrine game are looking to boost their profiles for the NFL Draft.
"There are gems to be found here every year," Paul Burmeister of the NFL Network told FanHouse.
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Source: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2011/01/22/pro-hopefuls-to-swap-paint-in-annual-shrine-game/
CN AB: New Drugs Emerging In Local Scene
Meridian Booster, 23 Jan 2011 - Coke Still Common but Crystal Meth Becoming an Issue in Community The Booster recently sat down with Lloydminster RCMP Const. Eldon Chillog, of General Investigative Section, to discuss the realities of the 'game,' the drug scene in Lloydminster.
Tuesday, 25 January 2011
Andy Gray Fired Over Sexist Comments
Filed under: English Premier League, Sports Business and Media
LONDON (AP) -- One of British soccer's leading television commentators was fired Tuesday, a day after being taken off the air and temporarily suspended for making sexist remarks about a female match official.Andy Gray, the face of Sky Sports' soccer coverage for the past two decades, was dismissed by the broadcaster after "new evidence of unacceptable and offensive behavior" that took place off-air last month.
The former Scotland striker and broadcast colleague Richard Keys had been reprimanded and removed from duty Monday for making derogatory comments about lineswoman Sian Massey, former referee Wendy Toms and West Ham executive Karren Brady.
"Andy Gray's contract has been terminated for unacceptable behavior," Sky Sports managing director Barney Francis said Tuesday. "We have no hesitation in taking this action after becoming aware of new information today."
Source: http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2011/01/25/andy-gray-fired-over-sexist-comments/
WAC Readies to Build on New Foundation
Filed under: WAC
Last week, the members of the new Western Athletic Conference -- Idaho, San Jose State, Utah State, New Mexico State, Louisiana Tech, Texas State, Texas San Antonio and Denver -- were all in the same room for the first time.They shared a meal and talked about their vision of what their new conference could look like come 2013. It was a positive meeting despite an overwhelming amount of uncertainty looming over a conference that has been raided of its top teams by the Mountain West and is struggling to hold on to its current members while trying to find new associates.
It's been a delicate line commissioner Karl Benson has walked for the past few months while trying to keep everyone happy and the rumors in check, but finally, during the dinner, the WAC was able to celebrate good news.
The NCAA passed legislation abolishing its continuity of membership clause and ultimately allowing the WAC to keep its automatic bids to all NCAA tournaments when the league goes through its membership transition after the 2012 season.
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Source: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2011/01/20/wac-readies-to-build-on-new-foundation/
Moscow Briton 'was due to marry'
The British victim of the Moscow bombing, Gordon Cousland, was the father of a six-month-old daughter and was due to get married at the end of April.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-12278369
Stafon Johnson Suing USC Over Weightlifting Incident
Stafon Johnson is taking his alma mater to court over a year after a weightlifting incident at USC could have taken his life.Johnson filed a lawsuit Monday in L.A. County Superior Court against USC, alleging that weightlifting coach Jamie Yanchar recklessly struck the bench press bar Johnson was lifting, causing it to go off balance and fall on Johnson's neck.
According to Johnson, he was lifting 270 pounds in Sep. 2009 when Yanchar's "negligent, careless and reckless" action "substantially increased the risk inherent in Mr. Johnson's bench pressing." The exercise was part of a mandatory regimen.
Johnson underwent complicated surgery after the incident, ending his college career. It was believed his football career as a whole was done, but Johnson recovered and opted for the NFL draft. The Titans signed Johnson as an undrafted free agent, but a severe leg injury ended his rookie campaign in the preseason.
Johnson is suing for unspecified damages, including loss of future earnings.
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Source: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2011/01/24/stafon-johnson-suing-usc-over-weightlifting-incident/
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