Activists slam US studio for filming in China city (AP)

BEIJING ? Rights activists have criticized a Hollywood studio for filming a buddy comedy in an eastern Chinese city where a blind, self-taught activist lawyer is being held under house arrest and reportedly has been beaten.

Relativity Media is shooting part of the comedy, "21 and Over," in Linyi, a city in Shandong province where the activist Chen Guangcheng's village is located. Authorities have turned Chen's village of Dongshigu into a hostile, no-go zone, and activists, foreign diplomats and reporters have been turned back, threatened and had stones thrown at them by men patrolling the village.

The news that Relativity Media had chosen Linyi, a city of 10 million, as a location for its film and was touting its close government connections comes at a time when activists have renewed their attention on Chen.

A campaign to try get people to visit Chen, who documented forced late-term abortions, has caught on and intensified in recent weeks, though no one has succeeded in seeing him and many would-be visitors have been met with violence.

On China's popular Twitter-like microblog Sina Weibo, some bloggers circulated email addresses for Relativity staff, urging users to write to the company in protest. A few called for a boycott of the film.

Relativity Media said in a statement Monday that it has always been committed to supporting human rights and that "we would never knowingly do anything to undermine this commitment." It also said it believes engaging the Chinese in business and trade can bring positive outcomes.

In an earlier press release, Linyi's top Communist Party official, Zhang Shajun, is quoted as calling Relativity's chief executive, Ryan Kavanaugh, a "good friend," while Relativity's co-president, Tucker Tooley, describes Linyi as an "amazing" place.

"I hope Relativity Media will learn more about the real Linyi, about Chen Guangcheng, and see that what is currently happening in Dongshigu village is what is really 'amazing,'" Nanjing-based activist He Peirong said in an interview.

In the past several weeks, dozens of activists and Chen's supporters have risked being violently assaulted to attempt visits to his home in a bid to draw attention to his plight. The latest group was made up of 37 petitioners who traveled there by bus from Beijing on Sunday and fled after being attacked by about 50 unidentified thugs as they approached Chen's village, said one petitioner, Peng Zhonglin, from Jiangxi province. Linyi police refused to comment when reached by phone.

Human Rights Watch's senior Asia researcher, Nicholas Bequelin, said it was puzzling that Relativity appeared comfortable cozying up with the city's political leadership.

"They seem to be eager to assume this role of being a prop in Linyi's propaganda campaign to cast itself as a civilized municipality that promotes culture when the reality is that it is not only holding one of China's most prominent human rights defenders, but going to extraordinary lengths to persecute him," Bequelin said.

Relativity describes "21 and Over" as a comedy about two childhood friends who drag their buddy out to celebrate his 21st birthday the night before a medical school interview in an evening that turns into "a wild epic misadventure of debauchery and mayhem." It stars "Footloose" star Miles Teller and Justin Chon, who was in "The Twilight Saga."

Shooting in Linyi began Wednesday, and it was unclear how long filming was scheduled to take place there. Previous footage was shot in Seattle, the company said. Relativity has produced or co-financed more than 200 movies, including "Cowboys & Aliens," "Bridesmaids" and "Limitless."

___

Relativity Media's press release: http://bit.ly/vyQ9iH

___

Follow Gillian Wong on Twitter at http://twitter.com/gillianwong

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/china/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111031/ap_on_re_as/as_china_blind_lawyer

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Protesters arrested in Nashville for second day

NASHVILLE, Tenn.?? Tennessee state troopers for the second time arrested more than two dozen Wall Street protesters for defying a new nighttime curfew imposed by the state's Republican governor in an effort to disband an encampment near the Capitol.

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And for a second time, a Nashville night judge dismissed the protesters' arrest warrants.

The Tennessean newspaper reported early Saturday morning that Magistrate Tom Nelson told troopers delivering the protesters to jail that he could "find no authority anywhere for anyone to authorize a curfew anywhere on Legislative Plaza."

Story: Winter set to be Occupy movement's 'Valley Forge'

Occupy Nashville protesters ? including many of the 29 arrested in a pre-dawn raid on Friday ? returned to the Legislative Plaza that evening and remained through the 10 p.m. curfew.

Troopers arrested 26 people this time. All were charged with trespassing; two were also charged with public intoxication; and one was also charged with criminal impersonation, Department of Safety spokeswoman Jennifer Donnals said. The judicial commissioner refused to issue warrants for any of the charges.

Officials said 72 troopers were involved in the curfew enforcement.

"To see it from the other side is even more infuriating," said Chip Allen, one of the protesters arrested in the first raid. "When you're in it, it's almost surreal. This takes on a whole 'nother flavor."

The arrests came after a week of police crackdowns around the country on Occupy Wall Street activists, who have been protesting economic inequality and what they call corporate greed.

Michael Moore confesses: I am the 1 percent

In Oakland, Calif., an Iraq War veteran was seriously injured during a protest clash with police Tuesday night. In Atlanta early Wednesday, helicopters hovered overhead as officers in riot gear arrested more than 50 protesters at a downtown park. In San Diego, police arrested 51 people who occupied the Civic Center Plaza and Children's Park for three weeks.

In Nashville, more than 200 people came to Friday evening's meeting to discuss the first round of arrests and future plans, though those numbers had dwindled as the night wore on and temperatures dropped.

There was no noticeable law enforcement presence for nearly two hours after the curfew went into effect, while adjacent theaters let out and patrons filtered back through the plaza to their cars without being challenged for violating the restrictions.

"Nothing was done to them, they were not arrested," said protester Michael Custer, 46. "But we are arrested while we are expressing our constitutional right to free speech."

Story: Winter set to be Occupy movement's 'Valley Forge'

Once the theater traffic cleared, dozens of state troopers descended on the plaza and began arresting protesters and a journalist for the Nashville Scene, an alternative weekly newspaper.

Protesters remaining at the scene vowed to return Saturday, even if it means more arrests.

The 29 demonstrators arrested early Friday were taken to the Nashville jail, only to have Nelson, the night judge, rule the state had not given them enough time to comply with the new curfew. They were instead issued misdemeanor citations for trespassing, which carry a $50 fine if they are found guilty.

Profiting from Occupy Wall Street

The administration of Gov. Bill Haslam has cited what officials described as deteriorating security and sanitary conditions on the plaza, saying that acts of lewd behavior had been observed by workers in state office buildings.

Safety Commissioner Bill Gibbons said it was unrealistic to meet requests from protesters for a stronger law enforcement presence to help deter thefts and altercations often involving homeless people who had attached themselves to the encampment.

"We don't have the resources to go out and in effect babysit protesters 24-7 ... at the level that would have been necessary to address their concerns," Gibbons said during a press conference Friday.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45088079/ns/us_news-life/

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McInnis Park Golf Club, San Rafael, CA

October 29th, 2011 | CA, driving range, Fredrick Bliss, golf courses, San Rafael?

Phone: (415) 492-1800

Website: http://www.mcinnisparkgolfcenter.com

Course History:

This great little executive course was designed by Fred Bliss. It's a par 31 that stretches out nicely giving you just enough room without being too daunting. This is a great course if you just want a quick round of golf.

What You Need to Know:

You can book your tee time by calling the pro shop. We recommend a few days ahead of time since this is a popular course. You'll want to wear standard golf attire, but the course isn't terribly stuffy about that. What this course is really known for are its practice facilities which are simply incredible.

They offer a swing recorder and the 52 stall driving range is fantastic. There is a reason that this facility is ranked in the top 100. They are currently adding new turf to the range and the expected renovations should be completed shortly. In addition to the range there is also a short game practice center.

The pro shop is very well stocked and offers plenty of gift ideas for every golfer. They offer custom fitting for clubs as well as the ability to order any line of clubs that you may be looking for. Hands down, this is definitely one of the best nine hole courses in the entire area and the staff is incredibly friendly. We highly recommend this course.

Playing Hints:

The first hole is very straightforward, if a bit long. You'll really want to give this a hard shot off the tee if you want to birdie it. There is a slight slope to the green on this hole so putt with care.

The second hole looks easy at first, but watch out for the rough right off the tee. One bad swing and you can really ruin your score. By the time you get to the green you'll want to keep an eye on the bunkers to the right. The third hole is even tougher with more rough to contend with. Give this one a very hard shot off the tee to clear the rough spots.

The fourth hole offers a great water hazard in front of the green. We recommend a nine iron for your second shot to make it to the green. The fifth hole can be described as hop scotch. You'll have to make it across to the island fairways, cross a creek and then get across even more rough to reach the green. It can be done in two shots with the right strategy.

The problem repeats itself on the eighth hole where nothing but rough separates you from the green. Aim to the right to get to the first island fairway and then really give it a good shot to get on the green from there.

View Larger Map

Course Fees:

9 Holes

Monday through Friday

Regular: $17

Senior: $13

Junior: $13

Replay: $11

Saturday, Sunday and Holidays

Adults: $20

Junior: $16

Replay: $13

Rental Clubs: $12

Pull Cart: $4

Electric Cart: $15 (only available to disabled players)

Originally posted 2008-07-09 05:26:44. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Categories:

CA, driving range, Fredrick Bliss, golf courses, San Rafael

Tags:

birdie, bunkers, course history, custom fitting, driving range, executive course, first hole, fourth hole, fred bliss, game practice, golf attire, hole courses, nine iron, renovations, rough spots, second hole, short game, tee time, third hole, water hazard

Source: http://www.golfballdriver.com/mcinnis-park-golf-club-san-rafael-ca/

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?Chuck Liddell? makes appearance on ?Parks and Recreation?

Want proof of the UFC's role in mainstream culture? Guess who Andy Dwyer on NBC's "Parks and Recreation" dressed up as for Halloween on last night's episode.

If you guessed UFC legend Chuck Liddell, you were right! (Or you read the headline. Or you watched the show last night.) Well done, Sherlock Traeger.

What do you think of Dwyer-as-Liddell's form? He does slap on a nice body triangle when attempting the rear naked choke, but is in a bad position. He was not ready for Ben Wyatt's elbow. Since Dwyer-as-Liddell stopped fighting first, does Wyatt get the TKO? Dwyer-as-Liddell does get points for briefly breaking into the Liddell celebration, but loses points for not having painted toenails.

If you're keeping track, this is "Liddell's" second appearance on network television this week. What show do you want to see him on next?

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/-8216-Chuck-Liddell-8217-makes-appearance-on-?urn=mma-wp8636

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Higgins wins Irish presidency with 57 pct of votes (AP)

DUBLIN ? Michael D. Higgins, a veteran left-wing politician, poet and human rights activist, was declared the winner Saturday of Ireland's presidential election with nearly 57 percent of votes, and pledged to lift the spirits of a struggling nation.

Higgins said he wanted to help revive the public's faith in politicians at a time when Ireland faces record debts, a property market collapse, 15 percent unemployment and a fourth staight year of severe spending cuts.

The diminutive Higgins, 70, beamed with pride as he received congratulations inside Dublin Castle from government leaders and most rival candidates. He announced he would resign immediately as president and member of the Labour Party, the junior member of Ireland's coalition government, because his new role as ceremonial head of state meant he must be "a president for all the people."

Higgins received more than 1 million votes of the nearly 1.8 million cast in Thursday's election. Referring to the 43 percent of registered voters who didn't cast a ballot, he said, "I want to be a president, too, for those who didn't vote, whose trust in public institutions I will encourage and work to recover. ... I dedicate my abilities to the service and welfare of the people of Ireland."

Once Higgins is inaugurated as president Nov. 11, he becomes Ireland's senior ambassador, tasked with building confidence at home and goodwill abroad.

The Irish president wields no government power beyond the ability to refer potentially unconstitutional legislation to Ireland's Supreme Court. But the presidency enjoys considerable freedom to shape Ireland's rapidly secularizing society by bringing different groups together at his Phoenix Park residence and traveling the world expressing his vision of what it should mean to be Irish in the 21st century.

Higgins is a former Galway university lecturer and published poet who has dedicated his four-decade political career to championing Irish culture and left-wing human rights causes worldwide. He also is one of Ireland's most instantly recognized politicians, in part, because of his 5-foot-4 (1.63 meter) stature and much-imitated high voice. Local satirists sometimes depict him as an elf, hobbit or leprechaun talking in riddles and verse.

Higgins served as arts minister in the mid-1990s, during which he launched tax breaks for film production in Ireland and a new TV channel to promote programming in Gaelic, Ireland's native but little-spoken language. Higgins, who has roots in the rural western counties of Clare and Galway, is fluent.

Saturday's result capped a two-day count of ballots to determine who would succeed Mary McAleese, Ireland's popular president since 1997. She said Higgins' win opens "an exciting chapter for ... our global Irish family."

Diarmaid Ferriter, professor of modern history at University College Dublin, said it was striking that Ireland had elected a politician who for decades had been "a thorn in the side of the establishment" ? and now was the official face of Ireland. He said Higgins' triumph reflected voter anger at right-wing politicians who had brought Ireland to the brink of bankruptcy.

"The idea that the Irish have elected a poet with a social conscience, with a track record in human rights, that's a very positive development," Ferriter said.

Higgins' victory was assured after partial results Friday gave him an unassailable lead versus six other candidates, all of whom conceded defeat long before the final result. Most joined Higgins on stage to praise him, including entrepreneur and reality TV judge Sean Gallagher, who came in second, and former Irish Republican Army commander Martin McGuinness, who came in third.

"Michael D. will be a very, very fine president. He's a man of great intellectual capacity and a man with a huge heart," said McGuinness, deputy leader of the Irish nationalist Sinn Fein party.

McGuinness, 61, stepped aside as deputy leader of the unity government in the British territory of Northern Ireland so that he could enter the Irish presidential race, a surprise move that shook up the campaign.

He faced stern questioning over his past leadership of the IRA, an outlawed group that killed nearly 1,800 people before calling a 1997 cease-fire. In 2007, he led Sinn Fein into a power-sharing government with Northern Ireland's British Protestant majority in fulfillment of the territory's 1998 peace accord. McGuinness is expected to resume his position as the senior Irish Catholic in that government Nov. 7.

Analysts credit McGuinness with playing a key role in Higgins' victory ? by badly damaging the front runner, Gallagher, in the campaign's last live TV debate Monday. At the time, Gallagher, best known as a judge on an Irish TV competition for business entrepreneurs, was 15 points ahead of Higgins in polls.

McGuinness confronted Gallagher with allegations that he had been heavily involved in collecting undocumented cash donations from businessmen for Fianna Fail. The long-governing party suffered a historic defeat in February after being blamed for the collapse of Ireland's Celtic Tiger boom and last year's humiliating international bailout.

McGuinness cited a conversation he'd just had with one such donor, a convicted border fuel smuggler, who claimed to have handed euro5,000 ($7,000) ? the maximum permitted without being publicly declared under Ireland's corruption laws ? to Gallagher in 2008. Gallagher stumbled in his denial, eliciting incredulous laughter from the audience, and never recovered.

___

Online:

Higgins campaign, http://www.michaeldhiggins.ie/vision/

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111029/ap_on_re_eu/eu_ireland_presidential_election

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Iraq PM criticises autonomy move by local province (Reuters)

BAGHDAD (Reuters) ? Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Saturday criticized local officials for claiming autonomy in Salahuddin province and said former members of Saddam Hussein's banned Baath Party wanted to use the area as a safe haven.

Iraq arrested hundreds of former military officers and members of the Baath Party this week, a move some officials characterized as foiling a specific plot, while others said it was a precautionary measure before the U.S. withdrawal.

The United States is due to fully withdraw from Iraq by December 31, nearly nine years after the 2003 invasion that ousted Saddam.

"The Baath Party aims to use Salahuddin as a safe haven for Baathists and this will not happen thanks to the awareness of people in the province," Maliki said in a statement.

"Federalism is a constitutional issue and Salahuddin provincial council has no right to decide this issue ... Cabinet will definitely reject the decision of the Salahuddin provincial council."

On Thursday, the Salahuddin provincial council symbolically decided to declare the area autonomous. Provinces need a public referendum and parliamentary approval to attain autonomy.

Thousands of Iraqis blocked a highway in western Anbar province on Friday and demonstrators also rallied in Salahuddin province to protest against the Baathist arrest campaign that has angered minority Sunnis around the country.

Maliki said 615 people had been arrested, mainly from Iraq's central and southern provinces. He said the arrests had been based on strong evidence against those seeking to undermine security in Iraq.

PROTESTS

Security and police officials had said on Tuesday Maliki had issued arrest warrants for around 350 former Baath Party members.

"They (Baathists) want to sustain stability in the province so they can use it as a launch pad for their operations in the provinces of Diyala, Kirkuk, Mosul, Anbar and Baghdad," Maliki said.

Government officials have long expressed concern that Baathists would try to retake power when U.S. troops depart. The party was banned after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam, who was later tried and executed.

The ban was criticized by those who saw it as leaving an administrative vacuum in the aftermath of the invasion.

But local Anbar officials and tribal leaders called for the detainees to be released and returned to their provinces, saying failure to do so would result in further protests.

"We give him (Maliki) a deadline until next Monday and if the government doesn't respond there will be cases of civil disobedience and open continuous demonstrations in the cities of the governate," said Mamun Sami Rasheed, head of the local council in Anbar.

(Additional reporting by Fadhel al-Badrani in Falluja; Writing by Serena Chaudhry; Editing by Sophie Hares)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111029/wl_nm/us_iraq_politics_maliki

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Militants: Somali-American bombed AU base (AP)

MOGADISHU, Somalia ? A team of suicide bombers and gunmen disguised as soldiers assaulted an African Union base in the Somali capital on Saturday, sparking a two-hour gunfight that left at least 10 people dead, security officials said. The al-Qaida-linked Islamist militant group that claimed the attack said one of the bombers was Somali-American.

The attack underscored the militants' ability to carry out complex and deadly operations even after AU troops forced them from most of Mogadishu and a famine in their strongholds weakened their forces. Earlier this month, Kenya sent troops into Somalia following a string of cross-border attacks and kidnappings blamed on Somali gunmen and militants battling Somalia's weak, U.N.-backed government.

During Saturday's attack, the two suicide bombers blew themselves up near the entrance to the compound, then more armed attackers jumped over the walls, a Nairobi-based security official said. He asked for anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.

The true extent of casualties from the assault was unclear, although a Somali soldier, Col. Nor Abdi, said at least 10 people were killed.

"They were dressed in Somali military uniform and disguised as ordinary soldiers," Abdi said. "Then they tried to enter the base and (AU) soldiers fired at them. Then heavy gunfire started and all of them were killed. I don't know how many they were but they were more than 10 men."

In a claim posted on Somalimemo.net, a website it frequently uses, al-Shabab militants said one of the bombers was a Somali-American and claimed he was the second Somali-American involved in a suicide attack in Mogadishu within five months. They did not name the youth or offer further details, and the claim could not immediately be independently verified.

U.S. authorities say that around 20 American citizens, most of Somali descent, have traveled to Somalia to fight with the al-Shabab insurgents. The most well-known among them is Omar Hammami from Alabama, known as Abu Mansur al-Amriki, who posts internet videos in which he raps about the conflict.

Al-Shabab claimed to have killed dozens of AU soldiers and government troops in Saturday's assault, but the group habitually exaggerates the number of people it kills and an AU statement did not mention casualty figures.

"With the access routes to the base cut off by other units of the Mujahideen, the Ugandan forces and (government) militia trapped inside the compound were soon massacred and all military arsenal and ammunitions seized. Some of the Ugandan soldiers who managed to escape the compound were later pursued and killed," the al-Shabab statement said.

It was written in perfect English, a sign of the growing sophistication of al-Shabab's media wing.

The AU statement said its forces had "beaten off" the attack. AU troops have been in Somalia since 2007. Some 9,000 AU soldiers are helping Somalia's government hang on to the capital.

Meanwhile, the chief of Kenya's armed forces, Gen. Julius Karangi, told reporters that the country does not have a timeframe for leaving Somalia.

"When the Kenya government and the people of this country feel that they are safe enough from the al-Shabab menace, we shall pull back," Karangi said. "Key success factors or indicators will be in the form of a highly degraded al-Shabab capacity."

His statement raised questions about whether Kenya risks becoming bogged down in an open-ended occupation of its war-ravaged neighbor. Both the U.N. and Ethiopia sent forces into Somalia at different times during its 20-year-old civil war but were forced to withdraw without ending the conflict.

Karangi said Kenya has no interest in permanently occupying Somalia and is working with its government. The Somali president has criticized the Kenyan intervention, but Kenyan officials said they expected "clarification" from a high-level Somali delegation on Monday.

So far Kenya has suffered one fatality due to al-Shabab fire, Karangi said, although five people were killed when their helicopter crashed. He said hundreds of al-Shabab were believed to be killed although he had no way of confirming that directly. Al-Shabab militants have mostly withdrawn without fighting Kenyan forces.

Although Kenya has bilateral military agreements with countries such as the United States and Britain, those allies are not directly militarily involved in the incursion into Somalia, Karangi said.

"There has been a lot of talk about other friends of ours participating militarily in what we are engaged in, and the answer is no," he said.

Somalia has not had a functioning government since warlords overthrew a socialist dictator in 1991. More than 600,000 Somali refugees have fled the fighting and famine in their homeland and now live in Kenya. The Kenyan government is deeply worried about the rapidly swelling refugee camps in the north, which it considers a severe security problem.

___

Houreld contributed to this report from Nairobi, Kenya.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111029/ap_on_re_af/af_kenya_somalia

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Smart city, smart village proposals progress as Malaysia's global advisory council meets

Public release date: 28-Oct-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Joshua Brown
Joshua@might.org.my
60-012-297-1352
Malaysian Industry?Government Group for High Technology

Sustainable, high-value and inclusive projects under the Smart City-Smart Village initiative of Malaysia's recently-formed Global Science and Innovation Advisory Council (GSIAC) were identified by leaders of international and local companies convened Oct. 27-28 in Kuala Lumpur.

Originally mooted at the inaugural GSIAC meeting, chaired by the Prime Minister in New York in May, the Smart City-Smart Village initiative aims at balancing development in urban and rural areas, focusing on the use of green and Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) that will help advance Malaysia's Vision 2020. Based on the Digital Malaysia Paper of Malaysia's Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC), the Smart City-Smart Village initiative is a flagship project being implemented through the GSIAC.

Malaysia is banking on innovative science and technologies to help more than double per capita income from USD$6,700 to USD$15,000 in just nine years. As growth and urbanization continues at an unprecedented pace, the country hopes to stay ahead of the crowd by being a pioneer in the wide-scale deployment of ICT through urban and rural areas. The goal of the Smart City-Smart Village initiative is to improve everything from energy use to healthcare, education, traffic and shopping by doing it "smart" with the help of ICT.

In a written message to participants, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Tun Razak said initiatives such as these "excite us as they allow Malaysia to accomplish Vision 2020 by meeting many of the objectives outlined in the Government and Economic Transformation Programmes. From creating high income jobs to improving the health and wellbeing of the Rakyat, the Smart Communities initiative has the potential to create the revolutionary change in Malaysia we desire."

Emeritus Professor Dato' Dr Zakri Abdul Hamid, Science Advisor to the Prime Minister, Joint Secretary of GSIAC and co-chair of the workshop, echoed the Prime Minister's enthusiasm committing to early quick-win projects reflective of the New Economic Model's tenants of sustainability, inclusiveness and high-income growth.

"The group shares a common view that Smart Communities must be focused on the wellbeing of the Rakyat," said Zakri.

"The workshop reflected the value of sharing global and local science and technology experiences bringing unique capabilities to projects aimed at closing the socio-economic divide and bringing sustainable and inclusive high-income growth to Malaysia," he added.

"This week's workshop advances a project that will enhance the quality of life for the Rakyat, creating a safe, secure and conducive environment to live, work, learn and innovate," said Mohd Yusoff Sulaiman, President and CEO of the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT), which shares the Joint Secretariat with NYAS.

The workshop was meant gather input on the implementation of Smart City projects in Malaysia, which could contribute up to RM95 billion and 310,000 jobs to the economy by 2020 and Smart Village projects that could create some 130,000 additional jobs.

"The integration of ICT in areas such as energy management and healthcare will increase Malaysia's efficiency, advance its human capacity, and bolster an atmosphere in the country that promotes entrepreneurship and innovation," added Ellis Rubinstein, President and CEO of NYAS and Joint Secretary of GSIAC.

GSIAC coordinated this multilateral initiative with the additional experience of local and international organizations such as, PEMANDU, PwC and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) from India.

"The sharing of best practices among local and international participants contributes an immense amount of value for the Smart City-Smart Village initiative," said Rubinstein.

"This kind of collaboration helps accelerate economic and productivity growth across the value chain through connectivity, information and knowledge sharing," he added.

Participants included top management from international companies including Philips, Verizon, IBM, Cisco and General Electric and corporate leadership from local companies such as Iskandar Investment, UEM Land and Sime Darby Properties.

The Prime Minister, who chairs GSIAC, has endorsed this program with a vision to benefit and transform the living standards of the Rakyat. Smart community projects are expected to empower and connect communities with an inclusive socio-economic approach to growth based on the New Economic Model and Vision 2020 agenda.

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Public release date: 28-Oct-2011
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Contact: Joshua Brown
Joshua@might.org.my
60-012-297-1352
Malaysian Industry?Government Group for High Technology

Sustainable, high-value and inclusive projects under the Smart City-Smart Village initiative of Malaysia's recently-formed Global Science and Innovation Advisory Council (GSIAC) were identified by leaders of international and local companies convened Oct. 27-28 in Kuala Lumpur.

Originally mooted at the inaugural GSIAC meeting, chaired by the Prime Minister in New York in May, the Smart City-Smart Village initiative aims at balancing development in urban and rural areas, focusing on the use of green and Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) that will help advance Malaysia's Vision 2020. Based on the Digital Malaysia Paper of Malaysia's Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC), the Smart City-Smart Village initiative is a flagship project being implemented through the GSIAC.

Malaysia is banking on innovative science and technologies to help more than double per capita income from USD$6,700 to USD$15,000 in just nine years. As growth and urbanization continues at an unprecedented pace, the country hopes to stay ahead of the crowd by being a pioneer in the wide-scale deployment of ICT through urban and rural areas. The goal of the Smart City-Smart Village initiative is to improve everything from energy use to healthcare, education, traffic and shopping by doing it "smart" with the help of ICT.

In a written message to participants, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Tun Razak said initiatives such as these "excite us as they allow Malaysia to accomplish Vision 2020 by meeting many of the objectives outlined in the Government and Economic Transformation Programmes. From creating high income jobs to improving the health and wellbeing of the Rakyat, the Smart Communities initiative has the potential to create the revolutionary change in Malaysia we desire."

Emeritus Professor Dato' Dr Zakri Abdul Hamid, Science Advisor to the Prime Minister, Joint Secretary of GSIAC and co-chair of the workshop, echoed the Prime Minister's enthusiasm committing to early quick-win projects reflective of the New Economic Model's tenants of sustainability, inclusiveness and high-income growth.

"The group shares a common view that Smart Communities must be focused on the wellbeing of the Rakyat," said Zakri.

"The workshop reflected the value of sharing global and local science and technology experiences bringing unique capabilities to projects aimed at closing the socio-economic divide and bringing sustainable and inclusive high-income growth to Malaysia," he added.

"This week's workshop advances a project that will enhance the quality of life for the Rakyat, creating a safe, secure and conducive environment to live, work, learn and innovate," said Mohd Yusoff Sulaiman, President and CEO of the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT), which shares the Joint Secretariat with NYAS.

The workshop was meant gather input on the implementation of Smart City projects in Malaysia, which could contribute up to RM95 billion and 310,000 jobs to the economy by 2020 and Smart Village projects that could create some 130,000 additional jobs.

"The integration of ICT in areas such as energy management and healthcare will increase Malaysia's efficiency, advance its human capacity, and bolster an atmosphere in the country that promotes entrepreneurship and innovation," added Ellis Rubinstein, President and CEO of NYAS and Joint Secretary of GSIAC.

GSIAC coordinated this multilateral initiative with the additional experience of local and international organizations such as, PEMANDU, PwC and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) from India.

"The sharing of best practices among local and international participants contributes an immense amount of value for the Smart City-Smart Village initiative," said Rubinstein.

"This kind of collaboration helps accelerate economic and productivity growth across the value chain through connectivity, information and knowledge sharing," he added.

Participants included top management from international companies including Philips, Verizon, IBM, Cisco and General Electric and corporate leadership from local companies such as Iskandar Investment, UEM Land and Sime Darby Properties.

The Prime Minister, who chairs GSIAC, has endorsed this program with a vision to benefit and transform the living standards of the Rakyat. Smart community projects are expected to empower and connect communities with an inclusive socio-economic approach to growth based on the New Economic Model and Vision 2020 agenda.

###

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

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-10/migf-scs102811.php

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FCC shifts subsidy fund to broadband (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? Regulators agreed on Thursday to change an $8 billion national communications subsidy program to put more emphasis on providing high-speed Internet access to rural areas.

The Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously to shift roughly $4.5 billion spent annually to subsidize rural telephone service over to providing broadband in rural and costly-to-serve areas.

Broadband buildout to unserved areas could begin in early 2012 under the plan, helping bring high-speed Internet to the 18 million Americans who have no access to broadband where they live and work.

"We are taking a system designed for the Alexander Graham Bell era of rotary telephones and modernizing it for the era of Steve Jobs and the Internet future he imagined," FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said at the agency's open meeting.

The revised universal service program would phase out funding for landline phone service over a period of years as companies move to a competitive bidding process for securing funds for broadband.

Companies now receiving phone service subsidies -- paid for through fees added to consumers' telephone bills -- would get first rights in some areas to receive support for deploying broadband service.

The new rules would also eliminate spending on duplicative services offered by several phone companies serving the same area.

As part of the changes, regulators are tweaking the complex system of payments among carriers to complete connections called intercarrier compensation, gradually reducing per-minute intercarrier compensation charges.

Incumbent phone carriers would be able to mitigate losses from reduced intercarrier revenues through a new access recovery charge on landline service.

The FCC put a $0.50 limit on the annual increase in the monthly charge, which could reach up to $2.50 per month after five years.

"The Commission did take steps to narrow the scope of these rate increases, but asking consumers to pay more into a broken system and letting the industry divvy up the pot will not increase broadband adoption," said Joel Kelsey, political advisor for public interest group Free Press.

FCC staff said they expect the charge to be closer to $0.10 to $0.15 per month as carriers must demonstrate an equivalent revenue loss from the reduction in intercarrier compensation rates.

Genachowski told a news conference after the FCC meeting that he expected consumer rates to fair better under the reforms than if the current system stayed in place.

"It's not a close call. The consumer benefits from the reforms today are massive, very significant," he said.

He added that hidden subsidies and a lack of oversight on the fund's size would have translated directly into increases on consumers' local phone bills had they gone unchecked.

The new Connect America Fund will have a firm $4.5 billion a year budget through 2017, the first budget constraint ever imposed on the universal service program.

Up to $2 billion would be available for small carriers serving mostly rural areas, $1.8 billion for large and mid-sized carriers like AT&T Inc, Verizon Communications and CenturyLink, and $500 million for mobile broadband.

(Reporting by Jasmin Melvin; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/internet/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111027/wr_nm/us_fcc_usf_reform

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Mexico nabs drug cartel financial operator (AP)

MONTERREY, Mexico ? Mexican authorities said Thursday they have detained a woman who allegedly worked as a top financial operator for the Zetas drug cartel, and collared two Americans with $950,000 in cash in a separate bust.

Mexican marines captured alleged Zetas "accountant" Carmen del Consuelo Saenz two days earlier in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, along 10 other alleged Zetas members.

Saenz, 29, was allegedly in charge of receiving proceeds from drug sales, pirated goods, kidnappings and extortions in five southern states of Mexico, navy spokesman Jose Luis Vergara said.

Saenz used the illicit proceeds to bribe authorities and meet the drug gang's payroll, Vergara said.

The Zetas are a hyper-violent drug cartel that is based along Mexico's Gulf coast, but who have recently expanded further into the interior of the country.

In a separate bust at an airport just west of Mexico City, Mexican federal police said Thursday they had detained two U.S. men for attempting to fly out of Mexico with $950,000 in undeclared cash in a suitcase.

The men's luggage was searched Monday at an airport in Toluca, just outside of Mexico City, as they prepared to board a private jet to the United States. Police said the men appeared nervous when questioned, and background checks revealed one of the men had served a prison sentence for drug-related offenses.

Federal police said the men could not prove the licit origin of the money, and were turned over to prosecutors pending possible charges.

The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City did not immediately respond to requests to confirm the men's' nationality, names or hometowns.

Also Thursday, the U.S. Treasury Department announced it is imposing sanctions on the owner of a Mexican racetrack and car dealership for alleged involvement with the Sinaloa drug cartel.

The Treasury Department said it has designated Martin Guadencio Avendano and his two brothers as foreign drug traffickers under the Kingpin Act. That prohibits people in the U.S. from conducting businesses with them and freezes their U.S. assets.

The department said the 42-year-old Avendano launders money for the cartel's co-leader, Ismael Zambada. The other leader is Joaquin Guzman, known as "El Chapo." Both are fugitive.

Treasury says Avendano has a car dealership in Ensenada and a racetrack in Culiacan. There was no response to an e-mail sent to the track.

State prosecutors in the western state of Michoacan reported Thursday they had found the bullet-ridden body of Javier Luis Mejia, the police chief of the small Michoacan town of Aporo. He had been reported missing since Monday.

So far in 2011, six municipal police chiefs have been killed in Michoacan, a state dominated by the Knights Templar cartel.

Also Thursday, the mayor of an upscale suburb of the northern city of Monterrey said he was going to keep the municipal police chief and the director of the municipal police monitoring center in their jobs, even though they had failed to pass background and security tests.

Mayor Mauricio Fernandez Garza of the suburb of San Pedro Garza Garcia said he will ask federal authorities to allow the two to take the tests again, in hopes they can pass.

"The progress San Pedro is making in public safety is extraordinary ... the people who I have in charge are doing a good job," Fernandez Garza said.

Federal authorities have said that all those who fail the vetting process should be fired, but left open the possibility that some might be reassigned.

On Wednesday, Mexico's National Public Safety System reported that almost one-third of 63,436 low-ranking Mexican police officers tested so far have failed background and security checks.

Almost one-quarter of the police chiefs and top commanders tested so far have also failed, as had about 10 percent of midlevel police commanders and officers.

On Thursday, the Defense Department said soldiers in the northern state of San Luis Potosi detained two local police officers from the city of Cardenas with 39 doses of cocaine in their possession; a dose in Mexico is usually measured as a gram.

The soldiers then detained the city's police chief and a police commander, who allegedly gave orders to the police officers to commit illegal acts; documents linking them to a drug cartel were found in the raid, the army reported.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/latam/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111028/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_drug_war_mexico

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Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. Demands Obama Suspend Constitution to Create Jobs (ContributorNetwork)

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., drew heavy criticism from fellow Democrats and his Republican colleagues for demanding President Barack Obama suspend the U.S. Constitution and declare a national jobs emergency.

Jackson told The Daily Caller last week that the president should use "extra-constitutional" authority to resolve the employment crisis by creating jobs outside of the normal legislative process. His comments drew immediate criticism from his primary opponent as well as other members of the House of Representatives.

Former congresswoman Debbie Halvorson, Jackson's Democratic opponent in next year's primary election, said he has failed to introduce a jobs bill during his 16 years in the House.

Here are some of Jackson's more memorable public gaffes:

IPad is the Cause of U.S. Unemployment

From the floor of the House in April, Jackson accused iPad and the late Steve Jobs of causing high unemployment. The iPad -- and most cellular devices -- are manufactured in China and other foreign countries, a problem Jackson claimed has sparked the record number of unemployed Americans.

Most Corrupt Politician

The Black Collegian named Jackson one of the 15 most corrupt politicians in the House. Jackson achieved the designation over his alleged involvement in the sale of President Obama's old senate seat. His involvement led federal prosecutors to subpoena Jackson to testify in the corruption trial of impeached former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Constitutional Amendments

At times, Jackson has introduced to eight constitutional amendments, each separate and distinct changes. His amendments often focus on education and health care and generally attract a few co-sponsors. None has yet to be made into law.

Dan McGinnis is a freelance writer, published author and former newspaper publisher. He has been a candidate, campaign manager and press secretary for state and local political campaigns for more than 30 years.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20111027/pl_ac/10230091_rep_jesse_jackson_jr_demands_obama_suspend_constitution_to_create_jobs

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Exxon Mobil profit jumps 41 percent

Exxon Mobil's quarterly profit rose 41 percent because the company sold oil and natural gas at higher prices, making up for lower production. Exxon Mobil sold oil in the U.S. for an average of $95.58 a barrel

Exxon Mobil's quarterly profit rose 41 percent because the company sold oil and natural gas at higher prices, making up for lower production.

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The world's largest publicly traded oil company, which owns and operates oil and gas fields from Texas to Qatar, said prices rose sharply in the third quarter. Its refineries also charged more for gasoline and other fuels that they make from oil.

Exxon sold oil in the U.S. for an average of $95.58 a barrel, up 35.2 percent from a year earlier. Internationally, it charged $107.32 a barrel, up 45.4 percent. It also charged more for natural gas.

The higher prices boosted earnings at Exxon's exploration and production business, which finds and pumps oil and natural gas. Earnings rose nearly 19 percent in the U.S. and 61 percent internationally.

Exxon's U.S. refineries also benefited. Their profits quadrupled as demand for gasoline and other fuels soared around the world, enabling them to charge more.

Yet the production decline was a disappointment for the Irving, Texas-based company. Exxon has outspent other oil giants over the past few years in the search for new fields. So far this year, it shelled out $24 billion on projects. Exxon's oil production fell 7 percent while natural gas production slipped 3 percent

Some of the declines resulted from deals that limit the amount of oil Exxon can sell as prices rise on international markets. Excluding those limits, however, production was still flat.

BP and Royal Dutch Shell also reported production declines in the July-September quarter.

Still, Exxon Mobil Corp.'s total net income rose to $10.33 billion, or $2.13 per share, in the third quarter. That compared with $7.35 billion, or $1.44 per share, a year earlier.

Revenue rose 32 percent to $125.3 billion.

Shares of the Irving, Texas-based company rose Thursday after it announced the quarterly results. Investors were encouraged by oil prices in the futures market. The price of crude rose more than 3 percent to $93.10 in New York.

Exxon's stock price climbed 9 cents to $81.16.

Exxon's production declines this quarter raise larger concerns. It takes years to find new sources of oil, and demand is rising as China and other countries need more fuel to run and expand their economies. Analysts say they're concerned that major producers are so far unable to supply enough crude.

"I think there is a danger that we can't keep up with demand," Argus Research analyst Phil Weiss said.

But if companies find and successfully pump oil, that should raise production levels and eventually provide producers with a return for the billions they're spending on exploration.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/D6S5I9gSC3Y/Exxon-Mobil-profit-jumps-41-percent

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Economy grew 2.5 pct. in Q3 as consumers rebound (AP)

WASHINGTON ? A summer of modest economic growth is helping dispel lingering fears that another recession might be near. Whether the strength can be sustained, though, is far from clear.

Buoyed by a resurgent consumer and strong business investment, the economy expanded at an annual rate of 2.5 percent in the July-September quarter, the government said Thursday.

The expansion, the strongest quarterly growth in a year, came as a relief after anemic growth in the first half of the year and weeks of wild stock market shifts.

The economy must grow at nearly double the third-quarter pace to lower high unemployment, which has been near 9 percent for the more than two years since the recession officially ended.

And though consumer spending was triple the level of the second quarter, Americans earned less, on an inflation-adjusted basis, in the July-September period. That meant that many people financed their spending binges by cutting back on savings. Few economists think that can continue.

Economists believe that growth in consumer spending, which accounts for about 70 percent of economic activity, will be restrained until incomes start growing at healthier levels. That is unlikely until hiring picks up.

Paul Ashworth, chief U.S. economist for Capital Economics, predicts that growth will cool off in the fourth quarter and next year.

Nonetheless, the report on U.S. gross domestic product, or GDP, sketched a more optimistic picture for an economy that only two months ago seemed destined for another recession.

And it was delivered on the same day that European leaders announced a deal in which banks would take 50 percent losses on Greek debt and raise new capital to protect against defaults on sovereign debt.

Stocks surged on the European deal and maintained their gains after the report on U.S. growth was released.

"This has been a morning of encouraging news," said Jennifer Lee, a senior economist for BMO Capital Markets. "The fourth quarter may see some pullback in U.S. economic growth ... but the positive details underlying the GDP report should help ease fears of a U.S. recession..somewhat."

Consumers helped drive much of the growth. They spent at an annual rate of 2.4 percent. Many bought more furniture and clothing.

And spending on services rose 3 percent, the most in more than five years. Much of the gain was due to consumers paying more for health care and to cool their homes during an unseasonably hot summer.

Still, after-tax incomes adjusted for inflation fell at a rate of 1.7 percent in the summer. It was the biggest decline since the third quarter of 2009 ? just as the recession was ending.

Businesses also helped boost third-quarter growth by stepping up their investment in equipment and software. That category surged 17.4 percent ? nearly three times the rate from spring. They also invested more in building, a sign that some businesses could be expanding despite the sluggish economy.

The GDP report measures the country's total output of goods and services. It covers everything from bicycles to battleships, as well as services such as haircuts and doctor's visits.

In August, many feared the economy was destined for another recession after the government said growth fell to less than 1 percent for the first six months of the year.

High gas prices, the growing debt crisis in Europe and wild fluctuations in the stock market also contributed to those fears, which have receded in recent weeks after reports showed improvements in hiring and consumer spending.

Economists project an annual growth rate of 2.5 percent to 3 percent for the October-December quarter and for all of next year ? just enough to keep the unemployment rate from rising.

For the 14 million people who are out of work and want jobs, that's discouraging news. And it's an ominous sign for President Barack Obama, who will be facing voters next fall.

There have been some encouraging signs.

A measure of business investment plans rose in September for the second straight month and by the most in six months, according to a government report Wednesday on orders for longer-lasting manufactured goods.

And consumers stepped up their spending on retail goods in both July and September. The main reason for the September gain was more people bought new cars, a purchase people typically make when they are confident in their finances.

Economists warned that even their modest assessment of growth of around 2.7 percent for next year will fall short if the European debt crisis isn't resolved. And the outlook could dim further if U.S. lawmakers allow a Social Security tax cut and extended unemployment benefits to expire at the end of this year.

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

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Elections 2012: State Issues Prove Tricky For GOP Presidential Field

CINCINNATI -- Mitt Romney had gingerly distanced himself from a labor issue on the Ohio ballot one day. The next, he embraced the initiative "110 percent."

The reversal highlighted his record of equivocations and underscores the local political minefields national candidates often confront in their state-by-state path to the presidency.

Candidates visiting Nevada often wade into the debate about where nuclear waste should go. They're pressed in South Carolina to stake out a stance on an aircraft maker's labor dispute. In New Hampshire, they face questions about right-to-work issues. And then there are the perennials, such as ethanol subsidies in Iowa and flying the Confederate battle flag in South Carolina.

Such local issues aren't of concern to most voters across the nation, but these topics can matter greatly to voters wanting to hear the thoughts of candidates soliciting support ahead of presidential primaries. Candidates often work to strike a balance between addressing issues local voters care about without staking out hardline positions that could hurt them elsewhere.

"They've got to be careful about not weighing in on issues that are exclusively local. That could backfire," said Kevin Smith, a conservative activist and likely Republican gubernatorial candidate in New Hampshire. "It's something that could easily be blown up into something bigger than it ought to be."

As Romney proved this week, such local issues can trip up even the most cautious candidate, causing headaches for their national campaigns while hurting their standings in important states for both the primary and general elections.

"Fully support that," Romney backtracked on the Ohio ballot initiative while visiting a local Republican Party office Wednesday in Fairfax, Va.

The former Massachusetts governor was trying to fix a problem he created a day earlier during a trip to Terrace Park near Cincinnati.

Romney visited a site where volunteers were making hundreds of phone calls to help Republicans defeat the Issue Two ballot effort to repeal Ohio Gov. John Kasich's restrictions on public sector employee bargaining.

Romney took a pass on supporting the measure just as a newly released Quinnipiac University poll indicated Ohio voters opposed the GOP-backed restrictions 57 percent to 32 percent.

But Romney already had weighed in, supporting Kasich's efforts in a June Facebook post.

Republican and Democratic critics alike were quick to point out Romney's waffling. His campaign rivals Rick Perry and Jon Huntsman fired off statements supporting the union restrictions, and Obama's Ohio state campaign director, Greg Schultz, sent out emails Tuesday night to supporters that noting Romney's "sidestep."

Roughly 24 hours later, Romney clarified his support for Kasich.

Even so, Huntsman, the former Utah governor languishing in polls, sought to gain ground by arguing that the episode showed that Romney failed to show leadership.

"This is a time when if you are going to be president of the United States, you show a little presidential leadership. That's by taking a position and leading out ? sometimes there is a risk associated with taking a position, but that's all part of leadership," Huntsman told ABC News.

And some observers questioned whether Romney's response had less to do with the GOP primary, which Ohio will hold well after the early voting states, and more to do with the general election and the need to woo independent voters.

On the other hand Romney may lose the party loyalists he needs to get the GOP nomination by waffling on the matter.

"The people who would be paying the most attention to this are probably the base of the Republican Party, and that's why it has the potential to be most damaging to him," said veteran Ohio political scientist Gene Beaupre of Xavier University.

At one time presidential candidates visiting Iowa would stumble over that state's pet issue: support for subsidizing ethanol, the fuel additive the state leads in producing. But the issue has faded as a litmus test in the years since Bob Dole, a strong advocate, won the Iowa caucuses while opponent Phil Gramm of Texas finished a disappointing fifth.

That hasn't stopped Romney this year from noting his support for ? and Perry's opposition to ? the federal renewable fuel standard as Romney seeks Iowa agribusiness' support.

In South Carolina, candidates always are asked about flying the Confederate battle flag on Statehouse grounds. Supporters say it honors heritage and valiant native sons, opponents led by the NAACP say it is a divisive reminder of slavery. Republicans usually say the flag is a state matter, but Arizona Sen. John McCain said after losing the 2000 primary that he should have spoken out on the issue and admitted that he feared opposing the flag would scuttle his chances in the state.

This year, candidates campaigning in South Carolina have been all but forced to weigh in on the Boeing efforts to build a plant in the state.

And in South Carolina and Nevada, opening Yucca Mountain as a nuclear waste depository is a sensitive issue.

South Carolina's congressional delegation wants the site in Nevada opened to relieve the Savannah River site, which has been storing nuclear weapons waste. That made recent debate pronouncements by Romney, Perry and Texas Rep. Ron Paul against using the Nevada site hard to swallow for some South Carolina Republicans

"It's got to go somewhere, and we can't wait for them to figure out where it's going to go," Republican Gov. Nikki Haley said. Voters "are going to want to know what their answers are to that."

In New Hampshire, candidates have had to weigh in on a right-to-work drive aimed at unions.

Romney has already voiced support, saying in an August stop in Claremont, N.H., that "people should have the choice of deciding whether or not they want to join a union and have union dues."

___

Associated Press writers Steve Peoples in Concord, N.H., Jim Davenport in Columbia, S.C., Tom Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa, and Philip Elliott in Fairfax, Va., contributed to this report.

___

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/elections-2012-state-issues_n_1034213.html

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Gene sequencing X Prize to focus on centenarians (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? A $10 million contest to see which laboratory can accurately and economically sequence 100 human genomes has been tweaked to focus on the genetics of people over the age of 100.

The competition, now sponsored by drug benefit manager Medco Health Solutions Inc, is aimed at achieving a "medical grade" standard for gene sequencing that could ultimately be used to personalize medical treatment based on a person's genetic makeup.

"All the technology that people are buying now gives slightly different answers," said pioneer geneticist Craig Venter. "That means by definition they are not good enough for diagnostics."

While quality, speed and accuracy of the testing is improving, the companies involved, including Applied Biosystems, Illumina and Complete Genomics, all have their own standards, he said.

"We are trying to help the field get to where it wants to be," said Venter, who became the first individual to have their genome sequenced in 2007. "We are working with the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) to use this as an agreed upon definition to take genomics to the next grade."

The process of selecting the 100 centenarians is now underway.

The revised competition will measure laboratory teams on accuracy, cost, speed and completeness of genome sequencing.

Teams will get the 100 genomes on January 3, 2013, and the competition will conclude on February 3 of that year.

A $10 million prize purse will be given to the first team that accurately sequences the whole genome of 100 subjects within 30 days for $1,000 or less per genome, at an error rate no greater than one per million base pairs.

"We believe this competition will be the impetus to truly usher in the era of personalized medicine," said Venter.

(Reporting by Deena Beasley; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/biotech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111026/hl_nm/us_xprize_genomics

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Solo, Wambach, Marta up for player of the year

/

updated 9:30 a.m. ET Oct. 25, 2011

ZURICH - United States goalkeeper Hope Solo and forward Abby Wambach were nominated on Tuesday for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Player of the Year award, competing with five-time winner Marta of Brazil.

Japan, the 2011 Women's World Cup winner, has Homare Sawa, the player of the tournament and top scorer in Germany, and Aya Miyama on the shortlist of 10 candidates.

U.S. forward Alex Morgan is the third member of the World Cup runner-up team to be nominated. France playmaker Louisa Necib also made the list chosen by FIFA officials and journalists selected by France Football magazine.

Marta, who helped the Western New York Flash win the Women's Professional Soccer title last season, is seeking to win the FIFA award for a sixth straight year. She is the only player selected from the Brazil squad eliminated by the U.S. in the World Cup quarterfinals.

Japan coach Norio Sasaki and the U.S. team's Swedish coach Pia Sundhage are among 10 candidates for the best coach of a women's team in 2011. Sasaki is one of seven men on the list.

Award organizers FIFA and France Football magazine will reveal the final three candidates on Dec. 5.

FIFA will announce the 10-candidate lists next Tuesday for the men's Golden Ball and best coach awards

The winners will be announced Jan. 9 at the FIFA Gala in Zurich.

Voting is by national team coaches and captains plus selected journalists.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/45027559/ns/sports-soccer/

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