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By Andrew LongstrethPosted 2011/12/28 at 7:23 pm EST
NEW YORK, Dec. 28, 2011 (Reuters) ? While it may appear that the government's document-leaking case against U.S. Army intelligence analyst Bradley Manning is strong, the defense could have some surprising leverage with prosecutors and force plea negotiations.
Army Pfc. Bradley Manning (C) is escorted by military police from the courthouse after the sixth day of his Article 32 hearing at Fort Meade, Maryland, December 21, 2011. REUTERS/Benjamin Myers
Prosecutors may in particular find it difficult to prove the 24-year-old Manning intended to provide the information to enemies of the United States such as al Qaeda, and that the information was helpful to them, legal experts said.
Manning faces 22 charges of participating in the largest leak of classified government documents in history, including the accusation that he had unauthorized possession of information related to national defense and that he stole records belonging to the United States.
At a hearing that concluded last week, military prosecutors presented evidence that Manning downloaded thousands of classified or confidential files that later made their way to the WikiLeaks website. In his closing summation at the hearing, Captain Ashden Fein, the lead prosecutor, said Manning was a well-trained soldier who "used that training to defy our trust."
"He gave the enemies of the United States unfettered access to these documents," Fein said.
Manning's case is being reviewed by investigating officer Lieutenant Colonel Paul Almanza, who will make a recommendation by January 16 on whether or not the military should court-martial Manning.
A court-martial, which could be a few months away, is not much different from a civilian criminal trial. The charges against the accused in a court-martial must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, just like in civilian court.
The biggest difference is that jurors in a court-martial consist exclusively of members of the military. There were about
1,900 Army courts-martial in fiscal year 2010 and about 60 acquittals, according to U.S. military justice statistics.
If convicted of all counts, Manning would face a maximum punishment of life imprisonment, reduction in rank to the lowest enlisted pay grade, forfeiture of all pay and allowances and a dishonorable discharge, the Army says. The charge of aiding the enemy is a capital offense, but the Army has indicated it will not seek the death penalty.
'SKY IS NOT FALLING'
Although legal observers agree the government's case is a good one, some speculate that prosecutors could have a tough time proving the most serious charge that Manning gave information to the enemy.
During the preliminary hearing, Manning's lawyer, David Coombs, sought to demonstrate that the audience for the leaked information was not foes of the United States, but the American people, and that the country was not put in any danger due to the leaks.
"The sky is not falling, the sky has not fallen and the sky will not fall," said Coombs.
Some military law experts also question whether the government will be able to prove that Manning intended the information to reach militant groups such as al Qaeda. Merely proving that he intended the information to be displayed on the WikiLeaks website may not be enough to convict him of that charge, said some experts.
It could also be difficult for the government to prove that the information was particularly valuable to al Qaeda, said Eugene Fidell, who teaches military law at Yale Law School.
"What is it that he has told al Qaeda indirectly that is of value to al Qaeda? Is everything that is hurtful to the United States in the eyes of the world of value to al Qaeda? I don't think so," Fidell said.
"If you can win one battle there and have the government say, 'Nah, that's not such a good idea we go forward on that charge,' then that's a windfall for the defense before the trial begins," Velloney said.
Coombs has signaled he also has some cards to play at any potential sentencing. At a court-martial, there are two stages -- one to determine culpability and the other to determine a sentence. During the sentencing stage, the defense can offer extenuating and mitigating circumstances that would justify a lighter sentence than sought by the government
Throughout the hearing to determine whether a court-martial is appropriate, Coombs attempted to portray Manning as emotionally unstable with gender-identity issues who should not have had access to sensitive government files.
Combs cited emails and memos showing that Manning's superiors were aware of his gender issues and his need for therapy. But no effective action was taken, Coombs argued. The same arguments about Manning's unit could be presented at any potential sentencing.
"They're going to air all the government's dirty laundry," said Velloney. "It potentially softens the government in any plea deal."
(Reporting by Andrew Longstreth; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Number of stories in archives: 2,855
Source: http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre7bs00b-us-usa-defense-manning/
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Is it too late to buy Disney, or can the company sustain its gains? Sharing advice for investors on whether to buy or bail, with David Joyce, Miller Tabak.
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The 2011 Korea Baseball Organization season began on April 2, 2011. Opening Day featured three shutouts among the four games (all sold out) - each one was started by an American, with Gary Glover of the SK Wyverns, Bryan Corey of the Lotte Giants and Dustin Nippert of the Doosan Bears all tossing gems, Corey and Nippert in their Korean debuts.
Hyun-jin Ryu became the quickest pitcher to 1,000 career strikeouts, getting there at age 24 and in 153 games. The Samsung Lions won the 2011 Korean Series for their fifth title. Seung-hwan Oh tied his own KBO and Asian records for saves in a season, with 47, then won Korean Series MVP honors. Oh then withdrew his name from consideration for the KBO MVP award, supporting teammate Hyung-woo Choi (the home run and RBI leader), but Oh still finished second in voting to Suk-min Yoon while Choi was third.
The KBO MVP was Suk-min Yoon, a pitcher for the KIA Tigers, who won the pitching Triple Crown. The KBO Rookie of the Year was Young-seop Bae, an outfielder for the Samsung Lions.
The following players won Gold Gloves, which in the KBO go to the best overall player at each position are not a defensive (only) award.
Playoffs: SK def. KIA, 3 games to 1. SK def. Lotte, 3 games to 2.
2011 Korean Series: Samsung def. SK, 4 games to 1.
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The Chinese and Japanese governments on Sunday unveiled a broad, innovative package of financial agreements designed to tighten ties between the world's second- and third-largest economies, moves that could elevate the yuan's status as an international currency and solve foreign-exchange headaches for Japanese companies doing business in China.
The policies also are aimed at reducing the use of U.S. dollars in trade between the two countries, possibly curbing the American currency's role in the world's fastest growing region.
The agreements include a plan for a Japanese government-backed entity to sell yuan-denominated bonds in China, a boost to Beijing's campaign to ...
The Chinese and Japanese governments on Sunday unveiled a broad, innovative package of financial agreements designed to tighten ties between the world's second- and third-largest economies, moves that could elevate the yuan's status as an international currency and solve foreign-exchange headaches for Japanese companies doing business in China.
The policies also are aimed at reducing the use of U.S. dollars in trade between the two countries, possibly curbing the American currency's role in the world's fastest growing region.
The agreements include a plan for a Japanese government-backed entity to sell yuan-denominated bonds in China, a boost to Beijing's campaign to ...
Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203479104577119961336456568.html?mod=asia_home
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A whirlwind of pillows bearing the names of bosses and teachers filled the air as hundreds of Chinese gathered to blow off stress in Shanghai, staging a massive pillow battle.
The annual event marked its fifth year with such a surge in interest from stressed young office workers and students that organisers held two nights of pillow fighting before Christmas Day and plan another for Dec 30.
"Nowadays there are many white collar workers and students that are facing huge pressures at work and at school, so we hope to give them an outlet to release their stress before the end of the year," said Eleven Wang, the founder and mastermind behind the epic pillow fights.
"Sometimes we have pressure on us by our bosses, teachers and exams, so today we can go crazy. Everyone will get to write onto the pillows the names of their bosses, teachers and exam subjects, and enjoy and vent to the maximum," he added.
"After releasing the stress, we can once again face our daily life with joy."
Pillows were handed out at the door as participants entered, then emotion stoked by a rock concert, with many on the floor of the huge event space rocking and waving their pillows in time to the music.
Then came the fighting.
Pillows filled the air, with many combatants opting for throwing rather than using them to whack opponents. A few hapless participants shielded their heads with as many pillows as they could hold, but most ventured eagerly in to the fray.
"I really enjoyed the fight, but my friend was useless. He joined in for two ticks and could not go on, he was afraid of getting beaten by other people," said 24-year-old Chen Yi.
"I thought it was pretty meaningful. I've just been working so much (at the office) and never get to break out in a sweat, so it felt really good."
Others gamely said they enjoyed the experience even though they ended up as attackees rather than attackers.
"I don't know who pushed me, but all of a sudden I was in the pile of pillows, where I became the target of many people, and was beaten by all sorts of people," said university student Zhu Shishan. "Very meaningful."
- Reuters
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/oddstuff/6192068/Stressed-Chinese-fight-back-with-pillows
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HONOLULU ? It isn't taking any time at all for President Barack Obama to get into vacation mode.
Less than 30 minutes after arriving in Hawaii, Obama and first lady Michelle Obama joined friends for a Friday night dinner at one of their favorite places, Morimoto Restaurant.
Mrs. Obama has been in Hawaii with their daughters for a week. But the president delayed his departure to stay in Washington while Congress worked out an agreement on extending expiring payroll tax cuts.
Obama has no public events planned while in Hawaii. A small group of advisers is traveling with him to brief him on domestic and international developments.
A native of Hawaii, Obama plans to spend the rest of the year on the islands before returning to Washington shortly after New Year's Day.
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WASHINGTON ? In a Dec. 19 story about comments Sen. John McCain made about North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, The Associated Press erroneously referred to Paul Stares as a scholar at the Center on Foreign Relations. The name of the organization is the Council on Foreign Relations.
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PYONGYANG, North Korea ? North Korea is showing the uncle and key patron of anointed heir Kim Jong Un wearing a military uniform with a general's insignia ? a strong sign he'll play a crucial role in helping the young man take over power and uphold the "military-first" policy initiated by his late father, Kim Jong Il.
As North Korea prepares for Kim Jong Il's funeral Wednesday, it is also warning South Korea against barring visits to Pyongyang by civilian groups hoping to pay respects, saying the obstruction will lead to "catastrophic consequences" for relations between the rivals.
While millions continue to mourn Kim Jong Il, North Korea is offering hints about Kim Jong Un's rise and the future composition of his inner circle. North Korea began hailing Kim Jong Un as "supreme leader" of the 1.2-million strong military over the weekend as it ramps up its campaign to install him as ruler.
Kim Jong Un, who is in his late 20s and was unveiled in September 2010 as his father's choice as successor, will be the third-generation Kim to rule the nation of 24 million.
Koreans should become "eternal revolutionary comrades" with Kim Jong Un, "the sun of the 21st century," the North's main Rodong Sinmun newspaper said Sunday in a commentary carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.
State television showed footage Sunday of a uniformed Jang Song Thaek and his nephew Kim Jong Un paying their respects before Kim Jong Il's body, which is lying in state at Kumsusan Memorial Palace. Seoul's Unification Ministry said it was the first time Jang, usually seen in business suits, had been shown wearing a military uniform on state TV.
Jang, a vice chairman of the powerful National Defense Commission, is the husband of Kim Kyong Hui, younger sister of Kim Jong Il and a key Workers' Party official. South Korean lawmakers say intelligence officials have predicted that Jang and his wife will play larger roles supporting Kim Jong Un.
The new titles, a public show of support from top military leadership and the symbolic appearance of Jang in uniform send strong signals that North Korea will maintain Kim Jong Il's "military first" policy for the time being.
North Korea is in official mourning until Kim Jong Il's funeral Wednesday and a memorial Thursday.
South Korea has permitted only two groups with ties to North Korea to visit and pay condolences ahead of the funeral and has rejected demands by several others.
The South Korean groups, led by the widow of former President Kim Dae-jung, who held a landmark summit with Kim Jong Il in 2000, and a business leader whose late husband had ties to the North, plan to cross the heavily fortified border Monday for a two-day trip, according to Seoul's Unification Ministry.
On Saturday, Kim Jong Un again visited the palace where his father's body is lying in state ? this time as "supreme leader of the revolutionary armed forces" and accompanied by North Korea's top military brass, according to KCNA.
Earlier, the Rodong Sinmun newspaper urged Kim Jong Un to accept the top military post: "Comrade Kim Jong Un, please assume the supreme commandership, as wished by the people."
Kim Jong Un's father and grandfather led the country under different titles, and it remains unclear which other titles will be bestowed on him.
Kim Jong Un was promoted last year to four-star general and appointed a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party. He had been expected to assume a number of other key posts while being groomed to succeed his father.
His father's death comes at a sensitive time for North Korea, which was in the middle of discussions with the U.S. on food aid and restarting talks to dismantle the North's nuclear weapons program. Chronically short of food and suffering from a shortfall in basic staples after several harsh seasons, officials had been asking for help feeding its people even as North Koreans prepared for 2012 celebrations marking the 100th birthday of Kim Il Sung, North Korea's founder and the late father of Kim Jong Il.
Also, animosity with South Korea still lingers after two incidents blamed on North Korea killed 50 South Koreans last year.
Calls to rally behind Kim Jong Un, dubbed the "Great Successor" in the wake of his father's death on Dec. 17 from a heart attack, come amid displays of grief across North Korea.
On Sunday, the North's state TV repeatedly showed footage of wailing uniformed soldiers, many with shaved heads, and other citizens professing their tear-choked longing for Kim Jong Il as they visited mourning sites.
In Pyongyang, workers at drink kiosks handed steaming cups of water to shivering mourners, including children bundled up in colorful, thick parkas. State media said the drinks were arranged at the instruction of Kim Jong Un, who ordered officials to take special measures to protect the health of mourners.
"Deeply moved by the measures, all of the Korean people feel that Kim Jong Un is the leader of the people, as great as Kim Jong Il," KCNA said.
___
Associated Press writers Foster Klug and Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, and AP Korea bureau chief Jean H. Lee contributed to this report. Follow on Twitter at twitter.com/newsjean and twitter.com/APKlug.
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Perlick Corporation, a US-based manufacturer of refrigeration and beverage dispensing systems, has become the official beverage refrigeration and dispensing outfitter for the celebrated Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
Perlick coordinated with Denver-based Epicurean Culinary Group to outfit Sport Authority Field at Mile High's 97 suites with Perlick's Signature Series 48-inch Refrigerator and Beverage Centers.
Sports Authority Field at Mile High already featured Perlick's Century Beer System and various commercial products in its concessions areas.
Each 48-inch Refrigerator and Beverage Center features 12 cubic feet of storage space and the ability to cool beverages in two different temperature zones, including 16 bottles of wine and up to 162 cans of beer.
The system also includes Perlick's exclusive, whisper-quiet Variable Speed Compressor, Perlick's RAPIDcool refrigeration technology, stainless steel interior, and full-extension shelving.
Perlick said its proprietary compressor cooling method makes it possible to serve beer at the temperature its customers request while managing to increase profit margins.
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Los Angeles ? This year?s Hanukkah and Christmas seasons coincide amid what many scholars and religious figures alike are calling a notable period of reconciliation and bridge-building between Jewish and Christian communities.
?The Jewish Annotated New Testament,? written by Jewish scholars and warmly received by top religious scholars and general readers alike, was a surprise bestseller earlier this month, selling out on Amazon, and is still hovering among the top recommended reads.
Co-editor Amy-Jill Levine, a Vanderbilt University Bible scholar, says the book, which puts the writing and writers of the New Testament into a Jewish context, has led already to substantial conversations between Jews and Christians, including seminars and high-profile interfaith meetings.
Are you smarter than an atheist? A religious quiz.
This caps at least a decade of mutual Christian and Jewish outreach, during which The Institute for Christian and Jewish Studies in Baltimore sponsored an event that led to what Professor Levine calls a remarkable statement, entitled ?Speak Truth? and signed by nearly 170 rabbis and Jewish professors.
The document, first published in The New York Times, affirms eight major areas of agreement between Christians and Jews, including the assertion that both accept the moral principles of the Torah, both seek authority from the same book and both believe in the same God.
?Speak Truth,? or ?Dabru Emet? in Hebrew, ?was followed up by ?A Sacred Obligation: A Christian Statement on Jews and Judaism,? ? Levine points out.
?This is a season of rapprochement,? says Alan Brill, chair of Jewish-Christian Studies at Seton Hall University, in South Orange, New Jersey. This increased dialogue has been fueled in part by information from recent archeological findings, including the Dead Sea scrolls dating back to 1947, finally working its way into mainstream Jewish and Christian scholarship, points out Professor Brill.
There have been pivotal, historic moments, such as the decision of the Second Vatican Council ? the three-year gathering (1962-65) to address the Catholic Church?s relationship to the modern world ? to officially absolve the Jewish people for any responsibility for the death of Jesus, as well as Christian expressions of support for the state of Israel. These moves have paved the way for greater shared respect for mutual history as well as different traditions. ?It is an exciting time,? Brill adds.
Christian scholars share an interest in understanding Jesus in the context of history, says Silviu Bunta, assistant professor of religious studies at the Catholic University of Dayton in Ohio, who says there is a growing convergence of the current Jewish and Christian understanding of Jesus.
In ancient Judaism, he says, there was no single way of reading the Torah and Jesus? manner of interpreting the Biblical text does not fall outside of Jewish interpretations at the time. Christian students of the same period have come to rediscover Jesus? humanity and Jewishness, he says, adding, ?Christian scholars are becoming more and more comfortable with viewing Jesus as a product of Judaism.?
Growing cultural trends such as interfaith marriage support this growing openness, says Rabbi Yitzchak Wyne, founder of Young Israel Aish, an Orthodox Jewish community synagogue in Las Vegas, and author of, ?Life Is Great!: Revealing the 7 secrets of a more joyful you!?
?We have a greater level of interfaith marriage today than at almost any other time in history,? he says. With the advent of Israel, ?we are in a much more liberal time, with Christians being more accepting of Jewish traditions and families celebrating many traditions,? he says, adding that he just finished counseling a woman married to a non-Jewish man. ?They will go home and light the menorah this week and then on Sunday head over to his mother?s house for Christmas dinner.?
Concern over watering down of religious observances and principles must be balanced against tolerance for different beliefs, he says.
?Christian and Jewish traditions are coming closer together,? says Chaplain Paul Fullmer, Religion & Philosophy professor at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Penn.
?Particularly as Christians begin to appreciate the value of reading Christian teachings ?with Jewish eyes,? community-based celebrations of a Seder meal, Purim, or Sukkoth are becoming opportunities for education, understanding, and on-going relationship,? says Professor Fullmer, noting that he sees the shifting attitudes among his students as they are exposed to newer ideas.
? ?How can a Jewish person not believe in Jesus?? a student asked me recently,? he says. ? ?Haven?t they read Isaiah 52 to 53??
?At a Seder meal held on our campus, that student came to understand how the Suffering Servant in these passages is understood by many Jews as representing the Jewish community as a whole,? he says. Jewish-Christian celebrations and other opportunities through which Jewish and Christian community grow closer together matter, he says, ?to the extent that they help Christians to appreciate the Jewish approach to faith, and vice versa.?
And in his forthcoming book, ?Kosher Jesus,? Orthodox Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, also reexamines the historic Jesus, suggesting that a better understanding of his actual historic role helps both faiths.
?We need to rediscover the humanity of Jesus,? he says, adding, ?we need to understand more about what he actually said about how we should live and act.?
Are you smarter than an atheist? A religious quiz.
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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/religion/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20111222/ts_csm/441422
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Thailand and Cambodia to withdraw troops from disputed temple: PHNOM PENH (BNO NEWS) -- Thailand and Cambodia ha... bit.ly/uUj2Fy 
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A few Republican rookies are starting to blink on the payroll tax showdown.
Rep. Rick Crawford, an Arkansas Republican, called on Speaker Boehner ?to let the House vote on extending the payroll tax holiday? in a carefully worded letter Thursday that made clear some Republicans are ready to compromise. Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.), a high profile member of the influential Republican freshman class, also issued a statement Thursday pushing for a quick vote on a short term extension.
Continue Reading?These past few days I have met with my constituents in Arkansas?s First District, they are angry and they don?t understand why Congress cannot sit down, hammer out our differences, and have a solution that we all can support. My constituents are good, honest people who deserve a Congress that will put partisan politics aside in favor of the greater good.?
Crawford?s statement was careful not to bash Republican leaders, noting that the House passed a ?responsible? year-long deal in December and arguing that compromise was the only way forward. But it left wiggle room to portray the lawmaker as responsible while his leadership is Washington is taking the heat over the last minute showdown.
Two freshmen bailing on the party message doesn?t add up to a trend, but it?s a sign that even some of the idealistic new members of the Republican class are ready to cut a deal.
?More often than not an ?all or nothing? attitude produces nothing. An ?all or nothing? attitude is not what my constituents need right now. My constituents need a Congress that is willing to put all options on the table, even those that are not yearlong plans, to avoid higher taxes on more than 160 million Americans.
Crawford is the second freshman lawmaker in a tough district who voted for the House GOP measure to send the Senate bill to conference but later indicated he would support a two-month deal as a temporary way to keep the tax holiday from expiring at the end of the year.
?While I would prefer a year-long tax holiday, I refuse to let anyone play games with my constituents who stand to face a significant tax hike if we don?t act. That?s why I will support ANY option to extend the payroll tax cut. If it?s a 2-month extension or a year-long extension, I?ll support it, so long as it?s paid for,? Duffy said in a statement.
?Let?s stop messing around. Middle class, hard-working families in my district don?t care who wins this squabble. They just care if their taxes go up when we?ve all agreed they should not. I don?t care who wrote the plan or the compromise - and neither do the American people - they just want us to get this done,? he said.
Crawford and Duffy join Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington, Charlie Bass of New Hampshire and Chris Gibson of New York in saying that they would vote for any compromise that avoided a tax increase on middle class American. Other freshmen, though, are digging in hard.
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COMMENTARY | President Obama marked the end of the war in Iraq on Wednesday, December 14, but his salute of returning troops was no declaration of victory. Obama's low-key wrap-up of the war contrasts starkly with President George W. Bush's infamous "mission accomplished" celebration. That celebration, which marked the end of major combat operations, was full of the self-assured bravado that led us into the Iraq War.
Where is that bravado now?
Now, a decade past the "shock and awe" bombardment meant to lead to the Iraqi forces' quick collapse, it's fair to ask whether America's achievements were worth their steep cost.
The Iraq War did produce some desired results. America might not have found the weapons of mass destruction it insisted justified invasion, but it did -- along with its allies -- depose a ruthless dictator whose unpredictability destabilized the Persian Gulf. Connections between Al-Qaeda and Iraq now appear to have been largely puffery, manufactured to justify military action to the ordinary Americans who bore the cost, both economic and human, of the war and occupation. But America made clear to the world the lengths to which it would go to protect its security interests.
But do those achievements justify the 4,500 lost and 32,000 wounded Americans? Perhaps. The better question might be, do they justify the loss of 100,000 Iraqi lives and the possibly irreparable damage to America's status as global beacon for freedom and justice?
I recall sharing dinner with a friend shortly after the war's start. "This war will be the first crack in America's foundation," my friend told me. "One day we'll look back and see [the Iraq War] as the beginning of America's end."
Those comments still strike me as overstatements. But it's true that, due in large part to the Iraq War, America's reality has shifted. We fought a war we couldn't really afford, for a people whose allegiances we misjudged, based on tragically mistaken justifications, with an ill-formed exit strategy. Our actions at Abu Ghraib revealed to the world that Americans, too, are capable of cruelty. The deaths of 100,000 Iraqis will stain our political relations in the Gulf for generations to come.
The chief consequence of the war for Americans is that we have been forced to confront the reality that America is fallible, our security depends on international cooperation, and until we tend to our own democracy's blemishes, we have no business defining democracy for others.
I can't imagine that the destruction of so many lives was unavoidable. But if these are the tough lessons we've learned, I'm glad such painful losses won us something.
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MANILA, Philippines ? Flash floods devastated a southern Philippines region unaccustomed to serious storms, killing more than 400 people while they slept, rousting hundreds of others to their rooftops and turning two coastal cities into muddy, debris-filled waterways that were strewn Saturday with overturned vehicles and toppled trees.
Most of the victims were asleep Friday night when raging floodwaters cascaded from the mountains after 12 hours of rain from a late-season tropical storm in the southern Mindanao region. The region is unaccustomed to the typhoons that are common elsewhere in the nation of islands.
Ayi Hernandez, a former congressman, said he and his family were resting in their home in Cagayan de Oro late Friday when they heard a loud "swooshing sound" and water quickly rose ankle-deep inside. He decided to evacuate to a neighbor's two-story house.
"It was a good thing, because in less than an hour the water rose to about 11 feet (3.3 meters)," filling his home up to the ceiling, he said.
At least 436 were dead, based on a body count in funeral parlors, Philippine Red Cross Secretary General Gwen Pang told The Associated Press. She said that 215 died in Cagayan de Oro ? a city of more than 500,000 ? and 144 in nearby Iligan, with more than 300,000 residents. The rest died in several other southern and central provinces, she said.
Many of the bodies were unclaimed after nearly 24 hours, suggesting that entire families had died, Pang said.
The number of missing was unclear Saturday night. Before the latest Red Cross figures, military spokesman Lt. Col. Randolph Cabangbang said about 250 people were still unaccounted for in Iligan.
The swollen river sent floodwaters gushing through neighborhoods that do not usually experience flooding. A man floated in an inner tube in muddy water littered with plastic buckets, pieces of wood and other debris. Ten people in one home stood on a sloping roof, waiting for rescuers even as water still flooded the lower floors.
Local television footage showed muddy water rushing in the streets, sweeping away all sorts of debris. Thick layers of mud coated streets where the waters had subsided. One car was thrown over a concrete fence and others were crushed and piled in a flooded canal.
Benito Ramos, chief of the government's Civil Defense Office, attributed the high casualties in Mindanao "partly to the complacency of people because they are not in the usual path of storms" despite four days of warnings by officials that one was approaching.
Thousands of soldiers backed up by hundreds of local police, reservists, coast guard officers and civilian volunteers were mobilized for rescue efforts, but they were hampered by the flooded-out roads and lack of electricity.
Many roads were cut off and there was no electricity, hampering relief efforts.
The missing included prominent Filipino radio broadcaster Enie Alsonado, who was swept away while trying to save his neighbors, Iligan Mayor Lawrence Cruz said.
Rep. Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro said that about 20,000 residents of the city had been affected and that evacuees were packed in temporary shelters.
Authorities recovered bodies from the mud after the water subsided. Parts of concrete walls and roofs, toppled vehicles and other debris littered the streets.
Rescuers in boats rushed offshore to save people swept out to sea. In Misamis Oriental province, 60 people were plucked from the ocean off El Salvador city, about six miles (10 kilometers) northwest of Cagayan de Oro, said disaster official Teddy Sabuga-a.
About 120 more were rescued off Opol township, closer to the city, he added.
Cruz said the Philippine coast guard and other rescuers were scouring the waters off Iligan for survivors or bodies that may have been swept away to sea.
Tropical Storm Washi dumped on Mindanao more than a month of average rains in just 12 hours.
It quickly cut across the region overnight and headed for Palawan province southwest of Manila on Saturday night.
Forecaster Leny Ruiz said that the records show that storms that follow Washi's track come only once in about 12 years.
Lucilo Bayron, vice mayor of Puerto Princesa in Palawan, said he already mobilized emergency crews but local officials have not ordered an evacuation yet because the weather was still fine.
___
Associated Press writer Hrvoje Hranjski contributed to this report.
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Ashley Tisdale is a single woman once again. Correction: she's been a single woman for a little while, we're just finding out now.
Multiple sources confirm that the former High School Musical star is no longer dating director Scott Speer (below), who she started seeing in the spring of 2009. The pair have been broken up for a few weeks, an insider tells Us Weekly, adding simply:
"They tried to work it out but realized their relationship ran its course."
Tisdale most recently starred on The CW's Hellcats and in her own Disney spinoff, Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure. She had previously dated musician Jared Murillo.
Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/12/ashley-tisdale-and-scott-speer-its-over/
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MOSCOW ? Russia signed a deal Friday to provide India with 42 fighter jets, but the two nations have failed to strike a deal on a controversial nuclear power plant.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that New Delhi will fit the Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets with additional locally produced electronics. The jets will be assembled in India.
India had earlier signed several contracts for the delivery of 230 Su-30MKIs, most of which are being assembled locally. The long-range jets are custom-designed for the Indian Air Force.
India has been a leading customer for Russian weapons since the Soviet times, buying combat jets, missiles, navy ships and other weapons worth billions of dollars. Russian weapons still acount for the bulk of the Indian military arsenals.
Indian and Russian officials, however, failed to sign a deal to complete the Koodankulam nuclear plant in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Russia had pledged to build two of the four reactors at the $3 billion plant, but the construction has been delayed due to protests by local residents concerned about the plant's safety.
As part of his two-day visit to Russia, Singh met with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Both leaders pledged to strengthen the decades-old bilateral ties.
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Like food and sharing your favorite foods with others? Today?s leading Fresh iPhone App is just for you: Evernote Food is all about saving and sharing your meals with others. It?s great for foodies who like taking notes on recipes you enjoyed and restaurants where you had great meals. If you?re into video games, you?ve undoubtedly heard about The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, a game that?s sweeping the gaming community; Dragon Shout is an app that helps players navigate the title?s huge world. In iPhone games, the Xbox 360 Kinect game Kinectimals has made its way to iOS and is filled with cute animals for you to care for, and Heads Up with Cristiano Ronaldo gives some addictive arcade action in the style of Bust-A-Move and Snood.
For foodies and people who love to tweet about their meals comes Evernote Food, an app dedicated to saving your favorite and interesting meals and sharing them with others. The app is built by the developer of note-taking app Evernote, and includes a lot of similar features, like the ability to save photos and information about location, fellow diners, text about the meal and more.
If you?ve got an Evernote account (which lets you save your notes online and share them among several devices), you can sync your Evernote Food info with your regular Evernote data, and search through both accounts from Evernote Food. You can also quickly share meals to Twitter and Facebook from the app.
One of the biggest video games released this year has been The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, a huge fantasy role-playing game with a massive game world to explore. Dragon Shout is a companion app for the game that brings you the huge map of Skyrim, with the ability add map markers into it that you can annotate so as you explore the game?s huge world, and keep track of where you might fine gold ore veins, dragon nests, bandit camps and all kinds of other things.
Dragon Shout still hasn?t rolled out all of its features just yet, but more is coming. In addition to annotating the map, you?ll be able to share your markers with other users and chat within the app about the game as well. Skyrim has made a huge splash in the gaming world, and Dragon Shout is a great way to get even more out of the game.
The popular Xbox 360 game that uses Microsoft?s motion control device Kinect has been brought to iOS devices. Kinectimals is a motion control game in which you take care of a virtual tiger cub (or panther, or a number of other animals). On iOS, you?ll use touch controls to pet your cub, play with it and keep it happy.
Kinectimals is filled with challenges for you to take part in with your cub, teaching it tricks like sitting or jumping and playing games with it. As you complete challenges, you?ll earn coins you can spend to buy new things for your cub, like different toys and other places where you can take it. The game also has some great graphics that looks quite a bit like the quality of graphics in the Xbox 360 version of the game.
Aliens are invading, and the only one who can stop them is soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo. Heads up takes a page from similar titles like Snood or Bust-A-Move, filling the screen with colored soccer balls that stick together and lower down from the top toward Cristiano. By either flicking or tapping, you can shoot colored soccer balls of your own at the ones above, with the goal of matching three of the same color to make them disappear. You score points the quicker you can clear out the balls, and if you clear a group of balls with other balls and aliens hanging from it, they?ll fall, giving you additional points.
Heads Up packs four different stages that provide different backgrounds, and you can unlock more stuff with the coins you earn throughout the game. You can also share your scores and experiences with your friends through social networking connectivity, and Game Center support provides achievements to earn as well.
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WASHINGTON ? President Barack Obama is channeling President Theodore Roosevelt, embracing a mantle of economic fairness for the nation's middle class Tuesday that draws parallels to the progressive reformer's calls for a "square deal" for regular Americans more than a century ago.
Obama intends to use a speech in small town Osawatomie, Kan. ? where Roosevelt delivered his "New Nationalism" address in 1910 ? to lay out economic themes of giving middle-class workers a fair shake and greater financial security, concepts the president will probably return to repeatedly during the 2012 campaign.
Only a month before Republican voters begin choosing a presidential nominee, the White House said Obama would describe this as a "make-or-break moment" for the middle class and those hoping to join it that demands balance and rules of the road to help strengthen working families.
"Now is not the time to slam on the brakes. Now is the time to step on the gas," Obama said Monday at the White House. "Now is the time to keep growing the economy, to keep creating jobs, to keep giving working Americans the boost that they need."
Obama is pressuring Congress to support an extension of a payroll tax cut that the White House says will give a $1,000 tax cut to a typical family earning $50,000 a year. The president is coupling that with efforts to renew a program of extended unemployment benefits set to expire Dec. 31.
Republicans and Democrats in Congress said a holiday-season package was beginning to take shape that would cost $180 billion or more over a decade. It would include not only the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefit renewals, but also a provision to avert a threatened 27 percent reduction in fees to doctors who treat Medicare patients.
House Republicans are developing legislation to extend an existing pay freeze for federal workers as partial payment for the tax cut and unemployment benefits. Other cost-savers are expected to include a proposal Obama advanced earlier this year to raise pension costs for federal employees, officials said. The bill may also include another presidential recommendation, this one for a surcharge on Medigap policies purchased by future Medicare recipients.
One of Obama's main Republican rivals, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, said Monday in a radio interview that he would like to see the payroll tax cut extended "because I know that working families are really feeling the pinch right now."
The president will be speaking at a high school about 50 miles southwest of Kansas City, not far from the presidential electoral prize of Missouri, which Obama narrowly lost to Republican John McCain in 2008. Obama is expected to compete feverishly for several Midwestern states that could hold the key to his re-election prospects.
In Kansas, Obama plans to show that the economic struggles many Americans currently face are similar to the conditions when Roosevelt spoke in Osawatomie on Aug. 31, 1910, about a year after he left the White House. Roosevelt declared in the speech that he stood for a "square deal," which he said did not only mean "fair play under the present rules of the games, but that I stand for having those rules changed so as to work for a more substantial equality of opportunity and of reward for equally good service."
Republicans noted that Roosevelt also used the speech to denounce broken promises in politics, saying Obama had fallen short of rebuilding the economy, reducing the debt and curtailing special interests. Republican National Committee spokeswoman Kirsten Kukowski said the president was "desperately trying new slogans and messages to see what sticks because he can't figure out how to sell his last three years of high unemployment and more debt."
Obama has frequently turned to former presidents ? many Republicans ? to offer examples of why Congress should support his agenda.
In September, he said Republican Presidents George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan understood the importance of immigration and argued the country lacked "that kind of leadership coming from the Republican Party."
Last week, the president told donors in New York that as a nation, "we all must have a stake in each other's success." He reminded supporters that President Abraham Lincoln launched the Transcontinental Railroad, the National Academy of Sciences and the first land-grant colleges while Theodore Roosevelt called for a progressive income tax.
Obama said President Dwight Eisenhower, a Kansas native, built the Interstate Highway System while Republicans worked with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to give "millions of returning heroes, including my grandfather, the chance to go to college on the G.I. Bill."
"Our politics may be divided, but most Americans still understand we will stand or fall together," he said in New York.
___
Follow Ken Thomas on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/AP_Ken_Thomas
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ScienceDaily (Dec. 5, 2011) ? The fungi of the Candida genus, known to millions of patients worldwide for their ability to cause serious infections, were once all thought to be asexual. Even after scientists discovered that the mating habits of Candida albicans were many and varied, they remained convinced that many of the more infectious ones did not mate. Now with the first report that Candida tropicalis can mate sexually as well, the chastity of the whole genus comes into further doubt.
"I think the really asexual fungi are going to turn out to be the exception, rather than the rule," said Richard Bennett, assistant professor of biology at Brown University and senior author of the report published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The revelation that C. tropicalis mates sexually is not simply prurient. Some scientists, including Bennett, hypothesize that the pathogen's mix of sexual behaviors may have evolved as a survival tactic. When things are going well, it may be best to reproduce asexually to keep a successful genome fairly stable. If conditions become hostile, then it makes sense to switch to sexual reproduction to accelerate the creation and proliferation of new, adaptive traits.
"Sex is really good for microbes when times are hard," Bennett said. "That's the time when you need to adapt and try various combinations of your genes or alleles."
The at least occasionally sexual nature of C. tropicalis may mean that the species can evolve faster than scientists thought it did, Bennett said. That means it may also be more capable of developing increased virulence or drug resistance.
What the student saw
The research began somewhat unintentionally in the spring of 2010 when Allison M. Porman, a new graduate student, was on a brief rotation through Bennett's lab. Porman happened to notice that a Petri dish of C. tropicalis had separated out into darker and lighter regions. This suggested that the fungi had formed two separate phenotypes, with an intriguing similarity to the "white" and "opaque" phenotypes of C. albicans. In C. albicans, that distinction is not just one of color, but also of mating behavior.
Porman rejoined the lab and led the experiments described in the new paper. What she, Bennett, and their co-authors discovered was not only that C. tropicalis mates and that the mating depends on pheromones, but also that the genetic "switch" that converts the fungus from its chaste "white" state to its more libidinous "opaque" state shares a key gene in common with that in C. albicans called WOR1. And yet, they determined the sequence of necessary regulatory events involving WOR1 doesn't proceed in exactly the same way in C. tropicalis as in C. albicans. In C. albicans one trigger among several appears to be temperature. The team is still trying to figure out what turns C. tropicalis on.
"It's been really hard to find the trigger," Bennett said. "We can't force the switch in either direction. We have to just plate loads of cells and hope we get the one random event that switches to the other state."
Finding the right environmental trigger could either support or undermine the hypothesis that fungus employs sex as a survival tactic. It could also offer clues to finding the presumed mating behavior of other Candida species.
In addition to Porman and Bennett, other authors include Kevin Alby and Matthew Hirakawa. The National Institutes of Health supported the research.
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Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205165905.htm
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BHOPAL, India ? Thousands of survivors of the world's worst industrial accident blocked trains through a central Indian city on Saturday to demand more compensation.
The protest came on the 27th anniversary of the disaster in Bhopal, where a Union Carbide pesticide plant leaked lethal gas that killed an estimated 15,000 people and maimed tens of thousands more.
Activist Rachna Dhingra said police charged the protesters with sticks in trying to stop them from occupying Bhopal's five train lines. The protesters, most of them women sitting on the tracks, threw stones at the officers and set four police jeeps and several motorcycles on fire.
Several people, including a police superintendent, were injured in the stone pelting, police said. Eight women were detained, activists said.
Trains were backed up and halted on most lines through much of Saturday, including the route between Delhi and the southern city of Chennai.
The five Bhopal victims' rights groups that organized the protest demanded that Dow Chemicals, which bought Union Carbide in 2001, pay $8.1 billion in compensation for more than 500,000 people exposed to the leak.
The activists called off plans to continue the protest Sunday, after the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh state, where Bhopal is located, promised to back their campaign and lobby the prime minister for his support.
The protesters ? shouting slogans including "We want compensation" ? said India's government accepted far too little in a 1985 settlement for $470 million, after initially asking for $3.3 billion.
The government is seeking an additional $1.7 billion for the victims from Dow, and activists accuse the U.S. company of not cleaning up oil and groundwater contamination in Bhopal.
Meanwhile, Dow has maintained that the issue was resolved by the $470 million settlement.
"When the moment came to ask for rights for compensation, why this betrayal? The government has undermined the victims," Dhingra said.
Bhopal activists and survivors are also calling for Dow Chemicals to be dropped as a sponsor of the 2012 London Olympics. On Friday, about 200 protesters marched to the now-abandoned plant and burned effigies of two Olympic officials.
At least 21 Indian Olympic athletes have urged the organizers of the London Games to end Dow's sponsorship, which includes a curtain-style wrap around a stadium where some Olympic events will be held.
A few officials have even called for India to boycott the Olympics, but the government has said it has no plans to skip the Games, while London Olympic organizers say they will not change their position on Dow's sponsorship.
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Getty ImagesWe handle the biggest injury stories throughout the day in the rumor mill.
The rest goes right here, in Enrico Palazzo?s favorite running segment about the Friday injury report.
Injuries already covered today: Miles Austin, Josh Freeman, Adrian Peterson, Von Miller, Ahmad Bradshaw, and?Kevin Smith.? ?
1. Julio Jones (hamstring) and Michael Turner (groin) are both officially questionable for the Falcons, but they are good bets to play after practicing Friday. ?Cornerback Brent Grimes (knee) is out as expected.
2. The Ravens will be without cornerback Chris Carr (back). ?Ray Lewis (foot) is a gametime decision for now, but he didn?t practice at all this week.
3. The Browns are still missing starting safety?T.J. Ward (foot,?finger). Backup running back?Montario Hardesty (calf) is questionable.
4. Bucs defensive end Michael Bennett (groin) is out again, so Da?Quan Bowers should make another start. ?Josh Freeman (shoulder) and defensive tackle Brian Price (ankle) are both gametime decisions.
5. The Bengals defense could be short a few starters. Defensive end?Carlos Dunlap (hamstring) is doubtful. Cornerback?Nate Clements (hamstring, questionable) has a better chance to play, but he didn?t practice Friday.
6.?LaMarr Woodley (hamstring) is definitely back for the Steelers. He?s probable. Inside linebacker Larry Foote (hamstring) is questionable.
7. The Broncos listed?Von Miller (thumb) and wideout Eddie Royal (toe) as questionable after they returned for a limited practice on Friday.
8. The Packers lost three starters to injury on Thanksgiving and they aren?t ready to face the Giants.?Linebackers Desmond Bishop (calf), and A.J. Hawk (calf), plus offensive linemen?Chad Clifton (hamstring,?back)?and Josh Sitton (knee) are all out. Clifton has been out a while, but the other injuries are all new.
9. Colts running back?Joseph Addai (hamstring) didn?t practice at all Friday after practicing fully the two days before.
10. The Patriots list tackle Sebastian Vollmer (back, foot) as out and linebacker Brandon Spikes (knee) as doubtful. The entire rest of the team is questionable. ?Or close to it.
11. The Jets will be without key defensive lineman?Mike Devito (knee). ?LaDainian Tomlinson is ready to roll.
12. Redskins safety?LaRon Landry (groin) is out. Defensive tackle Stephen Bowen (knee) and linebacker London Fletcher (ankle) are both questionable. They were limited in practice Friday.
13. Oakland is still missing most of their best speed players.??Wideout Jacoby Ford (foot), running back Taiwan Jones (hamstring), running back Darren McFadden (foot), and wide receiver Denarius Moore (foot) are all out. The team lists linebacker?Rolando McClain (ankle) as questionable even though he didn?t practice all week and was arrested on Thursday.
14. Sam Bradford (ankle) missed practice early in the week before returning Friday for limited work. He had some sort of setback with his ankle. He?s questionable. Defensive end Chris Long (ankle) is also questionable, but says that he?s playing.
15. Braylon Edwards (knee) is doubtful. This is turning into a lost season for him.
16. Tennessee will be without linebacker?Barrett Ruud (groin) this week against Buffalo.
17. The Lions officially listed safety?Louis Delmas (knee) and cornerback Chris Houston (knee) as doubtful for Sunday night. Don?t be surprised if they are downgraded Saturday. Running back Kevin Smith (ankle) is questionable.
18. The Saints welcome linebacker Jonathan Vilma (knee) back to the mix after a lengthy absence. ?He?s probable.
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