Friday, May 31, 2013

Kendrick Lamar Recruited Mac Miller To Be His Official 'Homey'

good kid talks to MTV News about what exactly he and the Pittsburgh MC have been up to in the studio.
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1708257/kendrick-lamar-mac-miller-studio.jhtml

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Barry Diller Says Aereo Isn't About Charging For Something That's Free, But About Moving TV To IP

barry-dillerAereo investor Barry Diller says that the company isn't about taking free, over-the-air signals and charging for them, but is instead about moving TV from a closed system to IP. At the D11 Conference today, Diller defended the company's plans to build a more open video distribution platform.

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

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Ultralingua Bookshelf Raises the Bar for iOS Dictionary Apps | Mac ...


Minneapolis, Minnesota ? The dictionary software team at Ultralingua has announced a major upgrade to their line of over 30 multi-lingual dictionary apps available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. The updated apps are available now on the App Store. Existing customers can upgrade for free.

Rewritten From Scratch:
According to Ultralingua?s founder and CTO Jeff Ondich, ?This update is a complete rewrite and redesign of the apps? user interface and search engine, based on years of user testing and customer feedback. We learned enough about our products? strengths and weaknesses that we decided to just start from scratch and take our time. We love the result, and think our customers will, too.?

Major Improvements Include:
* Streamlined navigation, for fast consultation. All searching, conjugation, number translation, etc. happens from a single search box, with all results on a single screen
* Smart search searches both languages simultaneously, finds root words and accent-insensitive matches, adjusts for articles and prepositions (e.g. ?l?homme? finds ?homme?), etc.
* The dictionaries feature a beautifully rendered, completely redesigned dictionary display
* The powerful and convenient in-line verb conjugator includes translations and many new tenses
* iCloud enables you to combine your separate Ultralingua dictionaries into the convenient all-in-one Ultralingua Dictionary Bookshelf app
* Mark words and conjugations as Favorites, and share them using Twitter and Facebook
* You can change fonts and font sizes

Free Demos:
To try out an Ultralingua dictionary before buying, you can download the Ultralingua Dictionary Bookshelf app for free and try any of its demo datasets. All of the titles available for sale in the Bookshelf come with a free, fully functional demo containing only the entries starting with the letter M.

New Collaboration With Collins & Le Robert:
Collins-Robert Concise French Dictionary Ultralingua?s top French-English app has received a major overhaul, developed in close collaboration with Collins and Le Robert, publishers of French-English dictionaries widely considered the best in the world. The updated app, which is extremely rich in example phrases, usage guidance, and cultural notes, uses the Collins Robert Concise Dictionary 8th Edition (C) HarperCollins Publishers and Dictionnaires Le Robert 2011.

Ultralingua?s announcement also includes upgrades to seven other titles based on Collins datasets.

New Dutch Titles:
There are four new Ultralingua Dutch language titles: Dutch-English, Dutch-French, Dutch-German, and Dutch-Spanish, all of which include full conjugations of verbs for each language. These titles are available exclusively through the Ultralingua Dictionary Bookshelf

Big Upgrade To Latin-English:
Ultralingua?s Latin-English app is now based on the 1879 classic ?A Latin Dictionary? by Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short, digitized and made available in the public domain by the Perseus Digital Library, and edited for Ultralingua by Classicist Robert Hardy, Ph.D. This revamped title provides complete conjugations for both the Latin and English verbs found in the text.

Language Support:
English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish

Device Requirements:
* iPhone 3GS/4/4S/5, iPod touch (3rd/4th/5th generation), and iPad
* Requires iOS 5.0 or later
* Universal app optimized for display on all iOS devices
* 10.3 MB

Pricing and Availability:
Ultralingua 2.3 is free and available worldwide through the App Store in the Reference category.

Ultralingua
Ultralingua 2.3
Download from iTunes
YouTube Video 1
YouTube Video 2
App Icon

Ultralingua makes high-quality mobile applications for people who love languages. We have been developing reference tools for business, education, and travel since 1997. Our apps are available for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows, the web, and other mobile devices. Ultralingua?s dictionaries are compiled by a team of language professionals, including linguists, university professors, and professional translators. Our uniquely collaborative approach to software development results in applications that represent the best in design and linguistics. Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to learn more about us. You can also learn more about our apps on the App Store. Copyright (C) 2013 Ultralingua. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Source: http://www.macfanatic.net/blog/2013/05/30/ultralingua-bookshelf-raises-the-bar-for-ios-dictionary-apps/

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Thursday, May 30, 2013

Top 10 Best-Dressed Stars at the Cannes Film Festival

After two weeks of captivating movies and breath-taking fashions, the star-studded Cannes Film Festival came to a close on May 26. The French film La Vie d'Adele - Chapitre 1 & 2 ("Blue Is the Warmest Color") won the grand prize, and the Coen Brothers' Inside Llewyn Davis (starring Justin Timberlake and Carey Mulligan) came in second.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/best-dressed-cannes-film-festival-2013-1/1-a-537436?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Abest-dressed-cannes-film-festival-2013-1-537436

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iNFORMATiON FARM: Soylent | Replace Food With Fuel

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?We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.? said the Cat. ?How do you know I'm mad?? said Alice. ?You must be?, said the Cat, ?or you wouldn't have come here.?

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Source: http://informationfarm.blogspot.com/2013/05/soylent-replace-food-with-fuel.html

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Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Brent steadies below $103 as demand outlook dims

By Ramya Venugopal

CHENNAI, India (Reuters) - Brent crude held below $103 per barrel on Tuesday amid worries about the global economy and ample supply, while some traders said the onset of the summer driving season in top oil consumer the United States may support prices.

A contraction in Chinese factory activity and a buildup in U.S. gasoline inventories have been dragging on oil prices, with analysts saying Brent could drop further.

"Oil demand from China could be depressed as China's PMI contracted for the first time in seven months and we are unlikely to see any aggressive stimulus from policymakers in the short-term," said Chen Hoay Lee, an investment analyst at Phillip Futures in Singapore.

"We continue to be bearish, with Brent likely to find support at the 100 level."

Brent was up 25 cents at $102.87 per barrel at 0719 GMT, while U.S. crude slipped 33 cents to $93.82.

Oil markets are also waiting for direction as traders in Europe and the United States return after a holiday weekend.

Further clues on the health of the global economy may come from China's final PMI numbers this weekend, as well as a spate of data from Beijing next week.

According to preliminary data, U.S. factory activity also slipped to a 7-month low in May.

"Oil markets appear to be more interested in broader economic signals in the U.S. and China for a view on demand," ANZ analysts said in a report.

Still, some traders said the start of the U.S. summer driving season could draw down some of the country's gasoline inventory, which is currently close to the highest level for this time of year since 1999.

"The demand season has started in the U.S. and I think we can say oil prices may have bottomed out," said Tetsu Emori, a commodity fund manager with Astmax Investments in Tokyo.

"The global economy is looking stable and I don't expect the Fed to stop its QE programme this year," Emori said, referring to fears the U.S. Federal Reserve could begin scaling back its stimulus programme earlier than expected.

Traders are also shifting their focus to a meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on Friday, even though the producer cartel is not expected to alter its output target.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/brent-steadies-below-103-demand-outlook-dims-073328412.html

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Difficult to Broach (talking-points-memo)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/308639661?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Monday, May 27, 2013

Tech News Headlines - Yahoo! News

Vintage Apple-1 Sells for $671,000

Vintage Apple-1 Sells for $671,000

The $10,000 gold-plated iPad?has a rival in the battle of most expensive Apple computer of the year. Over the weekend, one of the first Apple-1 computers More??

ABC News Blogs - 4 mins 8 secs ago
Twitter Is What You Make It, Ashton

Twitter Is What You Make It, Ashton

Doesn't Ashton Kutcher know what happens to people who complain about how terrible Twitter has gotten since the good old days? They're shamed with the More??

The Atlantic Wire - Thu, May 23, 2013

Source: http://rss.news.yahoo.com/rss/techblog

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Sunday, May 26, 2013

Summer Camp Registration | Cranston Sports & Recreation, Art ...

Saturday, May 25, 2013

UK-bound Pakistan plane diverted, 2 men arrested

Passengers disembark from Pakistan International Airlines flight PK709 bound for Manchester from Lahore, Pakistan, after it was diverted to Stansted Airport, north of London, England, Friday May 24, 2013. The passenger plane was diverted following an incident on board, and two men were arrested on suspicion of endangerment of an aircraft after an RAF Typhoon jet was scrambled to escort the passenger plane traveling from Pakistan to the UK, police said. (AP Photo / Chris Radburn, PA) UNITED KINGDOM OUT - NO SALES - NO ARCHIVES

Passengers disembark from Pakistan International Airlines flight PK709 bound for Manchester from Lahore, Pakistan, after it was diverted to Stansted Airport, north of London, England, Friday May 24, 2013. The passenger plane was diverted following an incident on board, and two men were arrested on suspicion of endangerment of an aircraft after an RAF Typhoon jet was scrambled to escort the passenger plane traveling from Pakistan to the UK, police said. (AP Photo / Chris Radburn, PA) UNITED KINGDOM OUT - NO SALES - NO ARCHIVES

Passengers disembark from Pakistan International Airlines flight PK709 bound for Manchester from Lahore, Pakistan, after it was diverted and landed at Stansted Airport, north of London, England, Friday May 24, 2013. The passenger plane was diverted following an incident on board, and two men were arrested on suspicion of endangerment of an aircraft after an RAF Typhoon jet was scrambled to escort the passenger plane traveling from Pakistan to the UK, police said. (AP Photo / Chris Radburn, PA) UNITED KINGDOM OUT - NO SALES - NO ARCHIVES

Undated photo issued by the British Ministry of Defence of an RAF Typhoon Aircraft of the type that has escorted a passenger plane into Stansted Airport in southern England following an incident on board Friday May 24, 2013. British media reported the flight was a Pakistan International Airlines passenger plane flying to Manchester, England. (AP Photo/ MOD via PA)

(AP) ? Britain scrambled fighter jets Friday to intercept a commercial airliner carrying more than 300 people from Pakistan, diverting it to an isolated runway at an airport on the outskirts of London and arresting two passengers on suspicion of endangering the aircraft.

A British security official said the situation involving the Pakistan International Airlines flight did not appear terror-related, though police were still investigating, but the incident further rattled Britain just days after a soldier was killed on a London street in a suspected terror attack.

The security official requested anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the investigation.

Flight P709 was traveling from Lahore, Pakistan, to Manchester Airport when it was diverted by the fighter jets to Stansted Airport. The U.K. Ministry of Defense confirmed that Typhoon jets were launched to investigate an incident involving a civilian aircraft but gave no further details.

Passenger Nauman Rizvi told Pakistan's GEO TV that two men who had tried to move toward the cockpit during the flight were handcuffed and arrested once the plane landed. Rizvi said that after the men were taken away, the flight crew told passengers there had been a terrorist threat and that the pilot had raised an alarm.

Essex Police said the two suspects, aged 30 and 41, were taken off the plane and to a police station for questioning. By late afternoon Friday, passengers had disembarked from the plane and were being interviewed, according to Mark Davison, a spokesman for Stansted Airport.

PIA spokesman Mashood Tajwar said the airline had been unable to contact the pilot of the flight despite repeated attempts. He said 297 passengers and 11 crew members were on the plane.

The incident comes as many police forces across Britain have stepped up patrols in recent days following the suspected terror attack in south London.

Two men with a meat cleaver and knives attacked and killed a British soldier in broad daylight, and gruesome footage that emerged after the attack showed one of the alleged assailants angrily complaining about the British government and troops in foreign lands.

Those two suspects were shot when police arrived on the scene and have been hospitalized.

___

Associated Press writers Paisley Dodds in London and Zarar Khan in Islamabad contributed to this report.

Cassandra Vinograd can be reached at http://twitter.com/CassVinograd and Danica Kirka can be reached at http://twitter.com/DanicaKirka

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-05-24-Britain-Plane/id-a7836302a6ad409aa0e3dfd7cd1603b6

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Friday, May 24, 2013

Avocado Oil - Healthy Cooking Oils - Best Uses for Different ... - Shape

If you already pan-roast your chicken in canola oil and adorn your salad greens with Italian olive oil, way to go. But just like your workout routine, when it comes to culinary oils, you should shoot for variety. By using an assortment of oils in your kitchen, you?ll be exposed to a wider range of healthy fats and disease-fighting nutrients and antioxidants.

It?s not as simple as drizzling a new bottle into the pan the next time you stir-fry, though. Certain oils are better for saut?ing or baking, while others should be used exclusively for dressings and dips. Here?s the lowdown on what to add to your kitchen (store them in a cool, dark place such as a pantry cupboard away from the oven to prolong shelf life) and how to use each to keep your body a well-oiled machine.

1. Avocado Oil

Buttery avocado oil is chockablock in monounsaturated fat, the kind considered to be heart-healthy because of its powers to improve cholesterol numbers. This ?ber fruit oil also supplies lutein, an antioxidant that improves eye health, and the white coats at Ohio State University determined that the oil can goose salad?s potency by improving the absorption of fat-soluble antioxidants such as beta-carotene present in vegetables.

Best uses: With what is considered to be highest smoke point of any plant oil?about 520 degrees?ultra-versatile avocado oil can be used for all your high-heat cooking needs such as grilling and pan-roasting. It?s also stellar when added to salad dressings, as a garnish for soups like gazpacho, or drizzled over homemade pizza, crusty bread, or even slices of watermelon.

Try: Olivado Extra Virgin Avocado Oil (olivado.com)

RELATED: 7 Pantry Staples Every Woman Needs

Source: http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/cooking-ideas/8-new-healthy-oils-cook

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Oklahoma tornado heroes: Teachers saved kids' lives

Though?Briarwood Elementary was slammed head-on by the tornado that devastated Oklahoma City yesterday, all the children appear to have survived, thanks to quick-thinking teachers.

By David A. Lieb,?Associated Press / May 21, 2013

Briarwood Elementary P.E. teacher Mike Murphy comforts Aiden Stuck, 7, as he waits for his mother at the school after a tornado destroyed Briarwood Elementary, Moore, Okla., Monday, May 20.

Nate Billings / The Oklahoman / AP

Enlarge

?The principal's voice came on over the intercom at Plaza Towers Elementary School: A severe storm was approaching and students were to go to the cafeteria and wait for their parents to pick them up.

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But before all of the youngsters could get there, the?tornado?alarm sounded.

The plan changed quickly.

"All the teachers started screaming into the room and saying, 'Get into the hallway! We don't want you to die!' and stuff like that," said sixth-grader Phaedra Dunn. "We just took off running."

In the moments that followed, some of the children at Plaza Towers Elementary would, in fact, die. At least seven were killed by the twister Monday afternoon. Others would crawl out of the rubble, wounded and scared.

The?tornado?that devastated this Oklahoma City suburb of 56,000 people destroyed Plaza Towers and also slammed Briarwood Elementary, where all the children appear to have survived. Students and parents recounted stories Tuesday of brave teachers who sheltered their pupils, in some cases by herding them into a closet and a restroom amid the fear and panic.

After the?tornado?alarm went off, students at Plaza Towers scrambled into the halls. But the halls ? some of which were within the view of windows ? did not appear safe enough.

Sixth-grader Antonio Clark said a teacher took him and as many other youngsters as possible and shoved them into the three-stall boys' bathroom.

"We were all piled in on each other," the 12-year-old said. Another teacher wrapped her arms around two students and held Antonio's hand.

Twenty seconds later he heard a roar that sounded like a stampede of elephants. His ears popped.

Then it all stopped almost as suddenly as it started. Crouched down, his backpack over his head, Antonio looked up. The skylight and the ceiling were gone, and he was staring up into a cloud filled with debris.

Antonio and a friend were among the first to stand up. They climbed over debris where their classroom had been just moments earlier. Students and teachers were struggling to free themselves from under the bricks, wooden beams and insulation. Some people had bleeding head wounds; blood covered one side of someone's eyeglasses, Antonio said.

"Everybody was crying," Antonio said. "I was crying because I didn't know if my family was OK."

Then Antonio saw his father ride up on a mountain bike, yelling his son's name.

Phaedra survived, too. Her mother rushed to the school just moments before the?tornado?hit, covered Phaedra's head with a blanket to protect her from hail and ushered her out the door. Phaedra's 10-year-old sister, Jenna, didn't want to budge from the school.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/m53jAWMdm7k/Oklahoma-tornado-heroes-Teachers-saved-kids-lives

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Saturday, May 11, 2013

White House offices reopened after brief evacuation

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House offices were evacuated briefly on Saturday when an electrical transformer near the West Wing malfunctioned and set off a smoke alarm, a White House official said. A Secret Service official said President Barack Obama had not been in the area at the time.

"The transformer problem was quickly resolved. Electricity and personnel access to the West Wing has returned to normal. The First Family was unaffected," the White House official said in an emailed statement.

Firefighters responded and staff were evacuated briefly, the Secret Service official said. "That's typical that we would ask everyone to step out," he said.

First reports of the evacuation came at about 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT).

(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Jackie Frank and Mohammad Zargham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cnn-fox-report-white-house-offices-evacuated-no-120900136.html

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LinkedIn and Twitter updates for BlackBerry 10 focus on search

Twitter and LinkedIn updates for BlackBerry 10 deliver big leaps in search

BlackBerry isn't done with improving the BlackBerry 10 editions of LinkedIn and Twitter -- not by a long shot. The company has once more upgraded the two social apps, this time with an emphasis on search. LinkedIn now lets users import contacts to find people they already know; in Twitter, meanwhile, universal search now shows photos, profiles and tweets on a single page. There's more than just these two upgrades, of course. LinkedIn reveals more about companies and carries a slew of minor UI tweaks, while Twitter keeps content fresher with automatic caching. If the new versions are tempting, they're waiting at the source links for Q10 and Z10 owners alike.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/09/linkedin-and-twitter-updates-for-blackberry-10-focus-on-contacts/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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YouTube Channels You Have to Pay for Are Here

In a blog post, YouTube announced that it's launching a pilot program that will allow some of its partners to charge subscription fees for channels starting at $1 per month.

Pay-to-view YouTube channels have been rumored in some form or another for a while, and payments themselves certainly aren't new to Google's video service. You've been able to pay for video rentals and season subscriptions since last year.

The pilot program's early partners include the UFC and Sesame Street. Each of the channels will come with a 14-day free trial, and in some cases there will be discounted pricing for yearly subscription. According to the post, paid channels will roll out as a "self-service" feature for many of YouTube's partners.

For now, it looks like the paid channels already on board are looking at offering you premium access to rerun content a la Hulu, but if these subscriptions turn out to be popular,, you could totally see them start to offer exclusive content to subscribers. [YouTube]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/youtube-channels-you-have-to-pay-for-are-here-498909473

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Friday, May 10, 2013

Video: Report: Belichick hates Tebow

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Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/21134540/vp/51835946#51835946

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How to Turn Your Backyard into the Best Vacation Destination | The ...

14silver-155(BPT) ? It?s a widely known ?secret? that family vacations aren?t always what they?re cracked up to be. Traveling can be a costly hassle with too many negatives that overshadow the fun. That?s why a growing number of Americans are rediscovering the fun that can be had at home, and taking steps to make their backyards as inviting and enjoyable as any far-off vacation destination.

Summer vacation travel costs the average American family about $1,180 per person, according to an American Express survey. Imagine if a family of four invested the cost of this summer?s vacation into upgrading their backyard with the addition of a swimming pool or hot tub. They could create an oasis of family fun that they?ll enjoy for years, not just for a week in the summer.

Saving money and avoiding travel hassles are far from the only benefits of spending more time at home. Quality time together helps families bond, and can even improve physical and mental wellbeing. Purchasing a pool or hot tub is the kind of investment that will provide your family backyard enjoyment for years to come.

There?s a reason why virtually every great hotel in a great location has a pool and hot tub: people love recreation and relaxation. When it comes to creating a resort-like vacation experience in your backyard, nothing fits the bill better than a swimming pool or hot tub.

A swimming pool is one home improvement that pays for itself in multiple ways, from increasing your home value and reducing travel costs to improving relationships with loved ones. The majority of pool owners (75 percent) say their swimming pool turns the backyard into an everyday vacation spot, according to research by the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals. Four out of five pool owners say it?s a great way to entertain guests, and nearly half say it?s the perfect place to connect with family and guests.

Hot tub owners feel the same way. Among owners, 57 percent consider the backyard their sanctuary and believe their hot tub promotes entertaining and fosters quality time with loved ones. What?s more, 77 percent of owners say time in their hot tub is one of the few things that truly relieves stress.

Though the economy continues to be a factor for improvement-minded homeowners, swimming pools and hot tubs are a natural fit for those opting to stay put and improve their current homes. And while adding an installation can be a serious investment, a family of four that would normally spend the average amount of $4,750 per summer on vacation travel could conceivably pay for a pool or hot tub by foregoing those travel costs for a few years. If you?re considering adding a pool or hot tub to your outdoor living space, rely on APSP?s online member locator to find an APSP Certified Professional in your area.

Demand for outdoor living spaces continues, with the American Society of Landscape Architects listing pools and hot tubs as hot trends for 2013. Refining outdoor living spaces with improvements such as built-in cooking facilities, composite or wooden decks, patios and natural landscaping can further enhance the usability and appeal of a swimming pool or hot tub.

Source: http://tolucantimes.info/section/inside-this-issue/how-to-turn-your-backyard-into-the-best-vacation-destination/

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Syrian troops push into strategic southern town

Click photo to enlarge

FILE - In this Tuesday, May 7, 2013 file photo, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, left, speaks at a joint news conference as his Jordanian counterpart, Naser Judeh, listens in Amman, Jordan. Salehi wrote in an opinion piece in the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar Wednesday, May 8, that it is up to the Syrian people to choose their political system and president, suggesting Tehran is not wedded to Assad's continued rule.

BEIRUT?A problem with a fiber optics cable was responsible for an Internet outage that cut off civil war-ravaged Syria from the rest of the world for nearly 20 hours, state media said Wednesday.

Internet service stopped abruptly Tuesday evening, prompting speculation that the regime had pulled the plug, possibly as a cover for military action. However, no large-scale military offensives were reported Wednesday and the opposition did not accuse the regime of sabotage.

In the past, the regime halted Internet service in selected areas during government offensives to disrupt communication among rebel fighters. The last nationwide outage, for two days in November, coincided with a major military operation near the capital, Damascus, and its international airport.

A U.S.-based Web watcher said the problem would have to occur somewhere inside Syria for the entire country to be affected, although it was impossible to tell from a distance exactly what happened.

Jim Cowie of Renesys, a company that monitors online traffic, said Syria is serviced by three underwater cables, but a problem in one of those would not be sufficient to cut off Internet nationwide.

Preventing Internet access has become a tool of last resort for governments trying to suppress unrest, particularly during the Arab Spring protests that eventually toppled leaders in four countries.

Tunisia, the birthplace of the Arab Spring, experienced frequent Internet disruptions during its period of mass protests, while service in Egypt was shut down for almost a week ahead of the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak in February 2011.

The Internet has also been an important tool in the bloody battle to topple Assad, now in its third year. With the Syrian government restricting foreign media access to the country, anti-regime activists talking on Skype and amateur videos posted online became important sources of information.

In rebel-controlled areas in the north and east of Syria, the regime cut off Internet service early in the uprising, forcing activists to use more expensive satellite phones.

Ahmad al-Khatib, an activist in the Jabal al-Zawiya region in the northwestern province of Idlib, said Internet has been down in his area for more than a year.

"It was normal news for us yesterday. It did not affect us," he said via Skype. "Those who were affected are activists who use 3G and they are mostly activist in regime-controlled areas."

He said that although 3G can be monitored by authorities, activists in Damascus still rely on it since those owning a satellite phone risk being flagged as potential rebel sympathizers.

Also Wednesday, the leader of the radical rebel group Jabhat al-Nusra was wounded by regime shelling in southern Damascus, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Several other fighters were injured in the incident, the Observatory said. The leader was identified by his nom de guerre, Abu Mohammed al-Golani.

Al-Nusra, which has pledged allegiance to the al-Qaida terror network, is one of the dominant forces in the civil war, and its fighters are often found on the front lines.

On the diplomatic front, the international envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, welcomed a new U.S-Russian initiative to end the 26-month-old Syria conflict through negotiations.

A decision to convene an international conference later this month to build on a transition plan for Syria is "the first hopeful news" concerning Syria "in a very long time," Brahimi said Wednesday.

The goal of the plan, set out in Geneva last year, is to bring the Assad regime and opposition representatives together for talks on an interim government. Each side would be allowed to veto candidates it finds unacceptable.

The proposal also calls for an open-ended cease-fire and the formation of a transitional government to run the country until new elections can be held.

Brahimi has repeatedly expressed frustration over the failure to find a political solution in Syria, and has lamented the divisions on the U.N. Security Council that have prevented any international action.

The main opposition group, the Syrian National Coalition, said Wednesday it welcomes efforts to reach a political solution, but said any transition must begin with the departure of Assad and officials in his regime. Syrian officials have said that Assad will stay in his post until his seven-year term ends next year and he will run again.

Meanwhile, U.S. officials said the Obama administration is providing $100 million in new Syria aid, but the money is for humanitarian purposes only and not linked to any decision on arming Syrian rebels.

The announcement will be made by Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday in Rome, where his diplomacy includes a meeting with Jordan's foreign minister, the officials said.

The new funds will help support 1.4 million Syrian refugees, including many in U.S. ally Jordan, and hundreds of thousands of other civilians still trapped by the violence inside Syria's border. Total U.S. humanitarian assistance in the two-year war will climb to $510 million.

The U.S. officials weren't authorized to speak publicly on the matter ahead of Kerry's announcement and demanded anonymity.

The Obama administration has said it is considering providing weapons to vetted units in the armed opposition, among other military options, following last week's revelation that U.S. intelligence suggests the Assad regime has used chemical weapons. The U.S. also is looking for ways to halt the violence that has killed more than 70,000 people.

But the U.S. maintains deep reservations about providing direct military assistance, given the growing presence of al-Qaida-linked and other extremists in the rebel ranks.

???

Associated Press writer Bradley S. Klapper in Rome contributed reporting.

.

Source: http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_23196549/syrian-troops-push-into-strategic-southern-town?source=rss

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Thursday, May 9, 2013

How state and local governments can address the obesity epidemic

How state and local governments can address the obesity epidemic [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 9-May-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Natalie Wood-Wright
nwoodwri@jhsph.edu
410-955-6878
Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health

With simple and innovative measures, public agencies at state and local levels can play a significant role in promoting healthier eating habitssteps that could make a difference in curbing the nation's obesity epidemic. One effective option, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, is requiring restaurants to include calorie counts on menus, along with the physical activity equivalents required to burn off a meal. The researchers, who examined studies on calorie labeling and regulatory options available to local governments, offer several recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of menu labeling. The suggestions are especially applicable to chain restaurants with fewer than 20 locations, a category that represents more than half of the restaurants in the U.S. These eateries are not subject to the federal Affordable Care Act's menu- labeling provision. It requires chain restaurants with more than 20 locations to provide calorie information on their menus and menu boards, as well as a statement addressing daily recommended caloric intake. The findings are featured in a Perspective in the May 9 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

"The current standard is for restaurant menu boards to present information as the absolute number of calories, such as telling customers that a hamburger has 450 calories. If customers do not understand what 450 calories means or how it fits into their overall daily requirements, posting that information on menu boards may not be that useful," said Sara N. Bleich, PhD, lead author of the Perspective and an associate professor with the Bloomberg School's Department of Health Policy and Management. "All of the recent research suggests that if you make calorie information easy for consumers to understand you have a bigger impact on their purchasing behavior. This is particularly true for minority groups at higher risk for obesity since they often have lower than average levels of nutritional literacy."

The authors recommend presenting calorie information to consumers in the form of a physical activity equivalent, e.g., telling consumers the amount of running required to burn off a particular food or beverage. According to the authors, this approach has been shown to reduce calorie consumption and lead to healthier choices. A 2011 study led by Bleich and colleagues examined the impact of calorie information on beverage choices and found that consumers were half as likely to buy a sugary beverage when presented with caloric information in the form of a physical activity equivalent. Another recommendation is that restaurants change their menu default options such as replacing default fries and soda in a kid-friendly meal with apple slices and low fat milk. According to the authors, empirical research has shown that changing the default items by listing healthy choices on the front of a menu is significantly associated with the purchase of lower-calorie sandwiches, whereas simply listing the calories on a menu is not as effective. The authors call for state and local governments to craft innovative menu-labeling regulations that focus on smaller chain restaurants and build on the current scientific data.

"A state or local government could pass a menu-labeling regulation that requires restaurants with fewer than 20 locations to list their lowest calorie food items first to encourage the selection of healthier, lower calorie items," said Lainie Rutkow, JD, PhD, MPH, co-author of the Perspective and an assistant professor with the Bloomberg School's Department of Health Policy and Management. "As the Food and Drug Administration finalizes the federal menu-labeling regulations, which will include specific requirements for how calorie information is presented on menus and menu boards, it's important to consider the opportunities that remain for states and localities. Local governments are well positioned to augment the potential effectiveness of the Affordable Care Act's menu-labeling provisions, in part, because they have already begun engaging in innovative regulatory activity related to obesity prevention."

###

"Improving Obesity Prevention at the Local LevelEmerging Opportunities," was written by Sara N. Bleich and Lainie Rutkow.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


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


How state and local governments can address the obesity epidemic [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 9-May-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Natalie Wood-Wright
nwoodwri@jhsph.edu
410-955-6878
Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health

With simple and innovative measures, public agencies at state and local levels can play a significant role in promoting healthier eating habitssteps that could make a difference in curbing the nation's obesity epidemic. One effective option, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, is requiring restaurants to include calorie counts on menus, along with the physical activity equivalents required to burn off a meal. The researchers, who examined studies on calorie labeling and regulatory options available to local governments, offer several recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of menu labeling. The suggestions are especially applicable to chain restaurants with fewer than 20 locations, a category that represents more than half of the restaurants in the U.S. These eateries are not subject to the federal Affordable Care Act's menu- labeling provision. It requires chain restaurants with more than 20 locations to provide calorie information on their menus and menu boards, as well as a statement addressing daily recommended caloric intake. The findings are featured in a Perspective in the May 9 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

"The current standard is for restaurant menu boards to present information as the absolute number of calories, such as telling customers that a hamburger has 450 calories. If customers do not understand what 450 calories means or how it fits into their overall daily requirements, posting that information on menu boards may not be that useful," said Sara N. Bleich, PhD, lead author of the Perspective and an associate professor with the Bloomberg School's Department of Health Policy and Management. "All of the recent research suggests that if you make calorie information easy for consumers to understand you have a bigger impact on their purchasing behavior. This is particularly true for minority groups at higher risk for obesity since they often have lower than average levels of nutritional literacy."

The authors recommend presenting calorie information to consumers in the form of a physical activity equivalent, e.g., telling consumers the amount of running required to burn off a particular food or beverage. According to the authors, this approach has been shown to reduce calorie consumption and lead to healthier choices. A 2011 study led by Bleich and colleagues examined the impact of calorie information on beverage choices and found that consumers were half as likely to buy a sugary beverage when presented with caloric information in the form of a physical activity equivalent. Another recommendation is that restaurants change their menu default options such as replacing default fries and soda in a kid-friendly meal with apple slices and low fat milk. According to the authors, empirical research has shown that changing the default items by listing healthy choices on the front of a menu is significantly associated with the purchase of lower-calorie sandwiches, whereas simply listing the calories on a menu is not as effective. The authors call for state and local governments to craft innovative menu-labeling regulations that focus on smaller chain restaurants and build on the current scientific data.

"A state or local government could pass a menu-labeling regulation that requires restaurants with fewer than 20 locations to list their lowest calorie food items first to encourage the selection of healthier, lower calorie items," said Lainie Rutkow, JD, PhD, MPH, co-author of the Perspective and an assistant professor with the Bloomberg School's Department of Health Policy and Management. "As the Food and Drug Administration finalizes the federal menu-labeling regulations, which will include specific requirements for how calorie information is presented on menus and menu boards, it's important to consider the opportunities that remain for states and localities. Local governments are well positioned to augment the potential effectiveness of the Affordable Care Act's menu-labeling provisions, in part, because they have already begun engaging in innovative regulatory activity related to obesity prevention."

###

"Improving Obesity Prevention at the Local LevelEmerging Opportunities," was written by Sara N. Bleich and Lainie Rutkow.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


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


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-05/jhub-hsa050913.php

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Engadget Primed: The rise (and rise?) of Bitcoin

Engadget Primed The rise and rise of Bitcoin

Ask anyone about why Bitcoin has suddenly risen to prominence and they may offer one of a number of theories. Perhaps it'll be the one about Cypriots smuggling money out of their country, or the promise of a digital gold rush, or perhaps the tale of a disruptive new economy created by a person who may not even exist. Either way, if you'd like to untangle the myths, half-truths and labored economic newspeak behind the world that is Bitcoin, why not join us after the break?

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/08/engadget-primed-bitcoin/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Packing Pro 9.0 Simplifies Family Traveling, Avoids Excess ...

Categories: PRMac, | 0 comments |

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Taipei, Taiwan ? QuinnScape has announced the release of version 9.0 of Packing Pro, its popular travel app for the iPhone, iPad & iPod touch. This update adds a host of family-friendly features to this 4-year-old app, as well as individual bag weight totaling to help avoid excess baggage fees.

In addition to providing a convenient way of creating & managing travel packing lists, Packing Pro 9.0 adds several new family-friendly features, such as list filtering by both person and bag, filter-related enhancements to its Expert list making tool, new list total breakdowns by person and bag, and an option to email-export a partial, filtered portion of a list to an individual family member. These enhancements may also be useful to other groups of travelers, or even single travelers with multiple bags. ?Packing Pro is perfect for families and all travelers who wish to avoid excess baggage fees,? says Quinn Genzel, the founder and developer of QuinnScape.

Since its launch four years ago, Packing Pro has been highlighted on Apple?s App Store several times. Currently, it can be found in the ?10 Essentials? promotion, and previously in ?Plan Your Vacation? (2012), ?Traveling Home? and ?Staff Favorites? (2011) and ?Travel Guide? (2009). It has often also placed high in the top 10 rankings, peaking at #1 for iPads and #2 for iPhones in the U.S. App Store?s Travel section.

Besides Apple, Packing Pro has also been recognized by CNN, WSJ, BBC, Budget Travel, The Chicago Tribune, Fodor?s, National Geographic and American Express? Travel + Leisure as one of the best travel apps. Packing Pro has also earned glowing reviews on major tech and app blogs (Gizmodo, Mashable, Macworld, CNET, 148Apps, iLounge, TUAW and iPhone Life, among others).

Packing Pro is a mobile packing app that features unlimited, 100% customizable packing lists, an extensive, yet flexible, catalog and handy sample lists that can be used as templates. A host of special functions include:

* Multi-item selection from catalog for speedy list building
* Multi-item editing for easy list & catalog management
* Collapsable categories with floating headers & running item tallies
* Numerous packing list sorting & display options
* List filtering by bag and/or person
* Item, weight and value totals & subtotals
* Email export for print out & file sharing
* Fully customized device support for all sizes of iPhone, iPod touch & iPad
* Full multi-lingual support for English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese & Chinese

Besides the core features listed above (which are also present in the basic Packing (+TO DO!) app), Packing Pro also gives its users the following Pro-level features:

* iCloud auto-syncing support
* Expert packing list wizard that can ?automajically? create a list
* iTunes & email file sharing and out-of-app editing support
* Customized design (themes, layout, fonts, colors, textures)
* Double-sized Master Catalog with over 800 items and to-do tasks
* Twice as many sample lists
* Smart Search

Packing Pro?s version 9.0, with its new filtering capabilities, now enables clearer list sharing and even distributed packing among family members. Its unique Expert list making tool now truly creates family lists that can be filtered by person for easier use. Filtering & totaling by bag can also be useful for avoiding excess baggage fees as well.

Pricing and Availability:
Packing Pro is a universal app (like two apps in one!) that is available for purchase worldwide on the iPhone & iPad App Store for only US$ 2.99, or the equivalent in local currency. The basic Packing (+TO DO!) sells for only US$ 0.99. App Store promo codes are also available upon request for press & bloggers around the world.

QuinnScape
Packing Pro 9.0
Purchase and Download
Video Demos & Reviews
Screenshot
App Icon

Since its founding in October 2008, QuinnScape has been managed by Quinn Genzel. Quinn is best known for his popular, top-ranking travel packing apps: Packing (+TO DO!) and Packing Pro. Packing Pro has been recognized by Apple, CNN, WSJ, BBC, National Geographic, Budget Travel, Fodor?s, CNET, Macworld and a host of others as one of their top apps for traveling. Other app created by Quinn include a grocery shopping list app (Shopping Pro), nature appreciation apps (iLove Nature and iLove Birds), 3D VR action games (R.I.P and Ghost Buddy) and high-quality puzzles (the aQ?s Pro Slider Puzzle series). Copyright (C) 2008-2013 QuinnScape. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Related Posts B

  1. Packing Pro Recommended by Apple for Traveling Home for Chinese New Year
  2. Apple Recommends Packing Pro for Traveling Home for the Holidays
  3. Packing Pal for iPhone helps make packing for trips easy
  4. Organize Your Packing List This Holiday Season With Trip Packing List
  5. Pack Easy and Party Hard During Spring Break with Packing Pro iPhone App

Source: http://www.slapapp.com/packing-pro-9-0-simplifies-family-traveling-avoids-excess-baggage-fees/

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Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Police: Escaped woman ?real hero? in case

Three women missing as long as 12 years are free today, and police are crediting the bravery of one of them?Amanda Berry, now 27?for escaping her captors and seeking help.

?The real hero here is Amanda,? assistant Cleveland police chief Ed Tomba told reporters at a news conference Wednesday morning. ?She got this rolling.?

Shortly before 6 p.m. ET Monday, Berry was able to break out of the home in Cleveland's west side neighborhood where she apparently had been held for the past 10 years. She was reported missing on April 21, 2003, Tomba said.

After she called 911, police responded to the home. Two other women, Gina DeJesus, who had been missing since 2004, when she was 14, and Michelle Knight, who had been missing since 2002 when she was 20, were found inside.

Police have arrested three brothers in connection to the case: Ariel Castro, 52, the owner of the home, brothers Pedro, 54, and Onil, 50. They have not been charged. Tomba said the men were taken into custody about 6:30 p.m. and will be charged within 36 hours.

The stories of Berry and DeJesus have captivated the city of Cleveland for a decade. They have been the subject of numerous vigils and city searches. Police have followed leads over the years, including digging up two backyards seeking their remains.

?Our prayers have finally been answered?this nightmare is over,? said Stephen Anthony, special agent in charge of the Cleveland office of the FBI.

When Berry escaped the house, she brought with her a 6-year-old daughter. Police would not say who the father of the child was, but confirmed the girl is Berry?s daughter.

While much has been written about Berry and DeJesus, and the efforts to find them, not much has been written about Michelle Knight. "She has been the focus of very few tips," Tomba said. Knight was last seen on Aug. 22, 2002. She was 20 years old at the time, and went missing from the same neighborhood as Berry and DeJesus.

Police said the women appeared healthy, other than needing a good meal. They were taken to a Cleveland hospital, where they were reunited with their families.

Police said that officers were called to the home of the alleged captor Ariel Castrotwice, but nothing came of the calls.

In March 2000, Castro reported a fight in the street, and in January 2004, officials from Children and Family Services were went to the home to investigate an incident related to his employment as a bus driver. Castro, a former bus driver for the Cleveland schools, had gone to lunch after runninghis route, despite having one more child still on the bus.

Police say they investigated that incident, but felt there was no criminal wrong-doing and the matter was dropped.

?He was interviewed extensively due to that investigation,?Tomba said of the school bus incident.

Mayor Frank Jackson said housing and building records also have been reviewed and found no reports of violations.

Police declined to provide specific details about the home where the women were kept or its condition upon their arrival on Monday. They said the home is an active crime scene and detectives were processing it through the night.t.

Asked if they believe the kidnapping were part of a larger operation, police officials said they were looking into every possible angle. It appear that only Berry, DeJesus, and Knight were the only victims. Officials declined to say if they were sexually abused.


Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/escaped-cleveland-woman-amanda-berry-real-hero-kidnapping-141444873.html

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Tapestry, The App To Help Seniors Stay Connected, Raises Further $400k To Bring Its Wares To iOS Ahead Of U.S. Launch

home-standard_originalAustralian startup Tapestry, which makes an app for Android tablets to help seniors stay connected to family members, has raised $400,000 in new funding in the form of a grant from Commercialisation Australia -- capital it will use to extend its wares to iOS (and beyond tablets), add additional community features, and gear up for a U.S. launch.

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

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Monday, May 6, 2013

Malaysians vote to decide fate of world's longest-ruling coalition

By Anuradha Raghu and Niluksi Koswanage

JOHOR BARU, Malaysia (Reuters) - Malaysians began voting on Sunday in an election that could weaken or even end the rule of one of the world's longest-lived coalitions, which faces a stiff challenge from an opposition pledging to clean up politics and end race-based policies.

Led by former finance minister Anwar Ibrahim, the opposition is aiming to build on startling electoral gains in 2008, when the Barisan Nasional, or National Front, ruling coalition lost its customary two-thirds parliamentary majority.

The result signaled a breakdown in traditional politics as minority ethnic Chinese and ethnic Indians, as well as many majority Malays, rejected the National Front's brand of race-based patronage that has ensured stability in the Southeast Asian nation but led to corruption and widening inequality.

Hundreds of people lined up outside polling stations across the country, many of them first-time voters concerned about the rising living costs, higher crime and corruption in a government that has been in power for 56 years.

"I would like to see some change," said Wardina Shafie, a 31-year-old computer engineer after she cast her vote on the outskirts of the Malaysian capital. "I think the opposition has a good chance of taking government. I only worry about voter fraud."

The campaigning had heated up in recent days with Anwar accusing the coalition of flying up to 40,000 "dubious" voters across the country to vote in close races. The government says it was merely helping voters to return to their hometowns.

Polling will end at 5.00 pm (0900 GMT). Officials expect the first results for 222 parliamentary seats and over 500 state seats to start trickling in from 8.00 pm onwards.

Opinion polls suggest a tight race that could further reduce the coalition majority, lead the opposition to dispute the result over claims of fraud and spill over to street protests.

Under Prime Minister Najib Razak, the blue-blood son of a former leader, the coalition has tried to win over a growing middle class with social reforms and secure traditional voters with a $2.6 billion deluge of cash handouts to poor families.

He can point to robust growth of 5.6 percent last year as evidence that his Economic Transformation Programme to double incomes by 2020 is bearing fruit, while warning that the untested three-party opposition would spark economic ruin.

"The victor or loser of this 13th general election will not be BN or the opposition PR. It will be Malaysia, its people and our children," Najib tweeted on Sunday before casting his ballot in central Pahang state.

Najib, who is more popular than his party, has had some success in steadying the ship since he was installed as head of the dominant United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) in 2009.

Formidable advantages such as the coalition's control of mainstream media, its deep pockets and a skewed electoral system make it the clear favorite.

But a failure to improve on 2008's performance, when the National Front won 140 seats in the 222-seat parliament, could threaten Najib's position and his reform program. Conservative forces in UMNO, unhappy with his tentative efforts to roll back affirmative action policies favoring ethnic Malays, are waiting in the wings to challenge his leadership.

LAST CHANCE FOR ANWAR?

The election represents possibly the last chance to lead Malaysia for Anwar, a former rising UMNO star who was sacked and jailed for six years in 1998 following a feud with then prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, who remains an influential figure.

The 65-year-old former deputy prime minister says his corruption and sodomy convictions were trumped up. He received a new lease on political life last year when a court acquitted him of a second sodomy charge.

His alliance, which includes an awkward partnership between a secular ethnic Chinese party with an Islamist party, can present a viable alternative, given its record of governing in four states it took over in 2008.

It wants to break down a network of patronage that has grown up between UMNO and business tycoons. The alliance also pledges to replace policies favoring ethnic Malays in housing, business and education with needs-based assistance. Anwar has called it a balance of "market economy and Occupy Wall Street".

The opposition is riding a growing trend of civil-society activism, which has been most evident in a series of big street protests in recent years calling for reform of the electoral system and huge campaign rallies.

Election observers said at least 200,000 people turned up for rallies across the country late on Saturday in a last-minute push to support the opposition.

"One for all, all for one - regardless of color, creed, or religion," veteran politician Lim Kit Siang told a 6,000-strong crowd in southern Johor state, bordering Singapore. "We are all Malaysians, why let racial sentiments provoke us?"

Most people in the crowd were Chinese, who make up about 25 percent of Malaysians and who abandoned the ruling coalition in 2008.

Maintaining its momentum among ethnic Malay voters may be more difficult amid warnings from the National Front that they would be at risk from Chinese economic domination if the opposition won.

"I am comfortable with the current situation here," said a 62-year old Malay housewife after she cast her ballot in Johor. "I can't trust the opposition. I don't know them."

(Additional reporting by the Reuters Kuala Lumpur bureau; Writing by Stuart Grudgings and Niluksi Koswanage; Editing by Nick Macfie)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ruling-coalition-faces-fight-life-malaysian-vote-022019174.html

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