Serena Williams named WTA's Player of the Year

LONDON (AP) ? Serena Williams has been named the WTA's Player of the Year after winning major titles at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, and claiming gold at the London Olympics.

Williams, who has won 15 Grand Slam singles titles and four Olympic gold medals, was 48-2 over the final seven months of the season.

It is the fourth time Williams has won the award, which is voted on by international tennis media. She also was named Player of the Year in 2002, 2008 and 2009.

Only Steffi Graf (eight times) and Martina Navratilova (seven times) have won the award more than Williams.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-11-29-TEN-SWilliams-Player-of-Year/id-22ee23c1f9354fad95b01186be258d15

grammys 2012 deadmau5 phoebe snow jennifer hudson tribute to whitney houston nicki minaj grammy jason whitlock beach boys

Integrating science and policy to address the impacts of air pollution

Public release date: 29-Nov-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Barnaby Smith
bpgs@ceh.ac.uk
44-079-202-95384
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

An article in this week's Science magazine by Dr Stefan Reis of the NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UK) and colleagues from six countries examines how science and policy address air pollution effects on human health and ecosystems, and climate change in Europe.

In their Policy Forum commentary entitled "From Acid Rain to Climate Change" Dr Reis and his colleagues discuss how scientists and policy makers working together have developed and implemented policies to improve air quality and reduce the impacts of air pollution on human health and ecosystems over the last decades.

The authors conclude that substantial improvements have been made, for example in reducing deposition of acidifying substances on soils and ecosystems in Europe since the 1970s. However there are still major challenges ahead. For example, emission levels of air pollutants in 2020 will still lead to an average loss of life expectancy by about 4 months, while excessive nitrogen deposition will put more than 40 percent of Europe's nature at risk.

The article highlights several examples where successful collaboration between scientists and policy makers is required to develop cost-effective air pollution policies that address serious environmental issues. Their priority list includes the need to further reduce nitrogen emissions, for example in the form of ammonia from agriculture, which will help to bring down acidification of soils and eutrophication of terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems.

They also discuss the requirement for integrated policies working on the interactions between air pollution and climate change which would help reduce short-term climate forcers such as black carbon and ozone. They suggest that the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe's (UNECE) Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP), a multilateral agreement aiming to reduce air pollution across the UNECE region, needs to work in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and conventions covering biodiversity, the marine environment and water.

Dr Reis, an environmental scientist at the NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology said, "The long-term collaboration of scientists and policy makers in the different task forces, working groups and other bodies of the Convention is crucial in forming a robust science-policy interface. Building trust in scientific results and a fostering a better understanding of the policy process ultimately leads to better, more efficient policies."

Co-author Professor Martin Williams from King's College London and Chair of the CLRTAP Executive Body, said, "The key role played by science as an integral part of the policy process in the Convention on LRTAP has been demonstrated again in the revised Gothenburg Protocol. In one of the few international environmental instruments to be agreed in this time of world-wide economic difficulty, science has helped steer a positive path through the problems and by incorporating the latest science at the boundary between air pollution and climate change, has pointed the way forward for the future of the Convention."

###

Commentary authors include scientists from the NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology in the United Kingdom, the Swedish Environmental Research Institute, the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Austria, Imperial College London in the United Kingdom, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the Netherlands, Ecometrics Research and Consulting, the National Institute for Industrial Environment and Risks in France, the Federal Ministry for the Environment in Germany and King's College London.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

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

Public release date: 29-Nov-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Barnaby Smith
bpgs@ceh.ac.uk
44-079-202-95384
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

An article in this week's Science magazine by Dr Stefan Reis of the NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UK) and colleagues from six countries examines how science and policy address air pollution effects on human health and ecosystems, and climate change in Europe.

In their Policy Forum commentary entitled "From Acid Rain to Climate Change" Dr Reis and his colleagues discuss how scientists and policy makers working together have developed and implemented policies to improve air quality and reduce the impacts of air pollution on human health and ecosystems over the last decades.

The authors conclude that substantial improvements have been made, for example in reducing deposition of acidifying substances on soils and ecosystems in Europe since the 1970s. However there are still major challenges ahead. For example, emission levels of air pollutants in 2020 will still lead to an average loss of life expectancy by about 4 months, while excessive nitrogen deposition will put more than 40 percent of Europe's nature at risk.

The article highlights several examples where successful collaboration between scientists and policy makers is required to develop cost-effective air pollution policies that address serious environmental issues. Their priority list includes the need to further reduce nitrogen emissions, for example in the form of ammonia from agriculture, which will help to bring down acidification of soils and eutrophication of terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems.

They also discuss the requirement for integrated policies working on the interactions between air pollution and climate change which would help reduce short-term climate forcers such as black carbon and ozone. They suggest that the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe's (UNECE) Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP), a multilateral agreement aiming to reduce air pollution across the UNECE region, needs to work in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and conventions covering biodiversity, the marine environment and water.

Dr Reis, an environmental scientist at the NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology said, "The long-term collaboration of scientists and policy makers in the different task forces, working groups and other bodies of the Convention is crucial in forming a robust science-policy interface. Building trust in scientific results and a fostering a better understanding of the policy process ultimately leads to better, more efficient policies."

Co-author Professor Martin Williams from King's College London and Chair of the CLRTAP Executive Body, said, "The key role played by science as an integral part of the policy process in the Convention on LRTAP has been demonstrated again in the revised Gothenburg Protocol. In one of the few international environmental instruments to be agreed in this time of world-wide economic difficulty, science has helped steer a positive path through the problems and by incorporating the latest science at the boundary between air pollution and climate change, has pointed the way forward for the future of the Convention."

###

Commentary authors include scientists from the NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology in the United Kingdom, the Swedish Environmental Research Institute, the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Austria, Imperial College London in the United Kingdom, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the Netherlands, Ecometrics Research and Consulting, the National Institute for Industrial Environment and Risks in France, the Federal Ministry for the Environment in Germany and King's College London.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

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

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-11/cfe-isa112812.php

sabu google play franchise tag lesotho a wrinkle in time benjamin netanyahu storm shelters

Palestinians certain to win recognition as a state UN vote

UNITED NATIONS (AP) ? The Palestinians are certain to win U.N. recognition as a state Thursday but success could exact a high price: Israel and the United States warn it could delay hopes of achieving an independent Palestinian state through peace talks with Israel.

The United States, Israel's closest ally, mounted an aggressive campaign to head off the General Assembly vote. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defiantly declared Thursday that the Palestinians would have to back down from long-held positions if they ever hope to gain independence.

In a last-ditch move Wednesday, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns made a personal appeal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas promising that President Barack Obama would re-engage as a mediator in 2013 if Abbas abandoned the effort to seek statehood. The Palestinian leader refused, said Abbas aide Saeb Erekat.

Ahead of Thursday's vote, thousands of Palestinians from rival factions celebrated in the streets of the West Bank. Although the initiative will not immediately bring about independence, the Palestinians view it as a historic step in their quest for global recognition.

In a statement Thursday, Abbas appealed to all nations to vote in favor of the Palestinians "as an investment in peace."

"We remain committed to the two-state solution and our hand remains extended in peace," Abbas said in a statement read by Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki after the start of the General Assembly session. Abbas is expected to address the assembly in the afternoon.

With most of the 193 General Assembly member states sympathetic to the Palestinians, the vote is certain to succeed. Several key countries, including France, have recently announced they would support the move to elevate the Palestinians from the status of U.N. observer to nonmember observer state. However, a country's vote in favor of the status change does not automatically imply its individual recognition of a Palestine state, something that must be done bilaterally.

The Palestinians say they need U.N. recognition of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, the lands Israel captured in 1967, to be able to resume negotiations with Israel. They say global recognition of the 1967 lines as the borders of Palestine is meant to salvage a peace deal, not sabotage it, as Israel claims.

The non-member observer state status could also open the way for possible war crimes charges against the Jewish state at the International Criminal Court.

Netanyahu warned the Palestinians Thursday that they would not win their hoped-for state until they recognize Israel as the Jewish homeland, declare an end to their conflict with the Jewish state and agree to security arrangements that protect Israel.

"The resolution in the U.N. today won't change anything on the ground," Netanyahu declared. "It won't advance the establishment of a Palestinian state, but rather, put it further off."

While Israel argues that Abbas is trying to dictate the outcome of border talks by going to the U.N., the recognition request presented to the world body in fact calls for a quick resumption of negotiations on all core issues of the conflict, including borders.

Netanyahu's predecessors accepted the 1967 lines as a basis for border talks. Netanyahu has rejected the idea, while pressing ahead with Jewish settlement building on war-won land, giving Abbas little incentive to negotiate.

For Abbas, the U.N. bid is crucial if he wants to maintain his leadership and relevance, especially following the recent conflict between his Hamas rivals in Gaza and Israel. The conflict saw the Islamic militant group claim victory and raise its standing in the Arab world, while Abbas' Fatah movement was sidelined and marginalized.

In a departure from previous opposition, the Hamas militant group, which rules the Gaza Strip, said it wouldn't interfere with the U.N. bid, and its supporters joined some of the celebrations Thursday.

In the West Bank city of Hebron, some in a crowd of several thousand raised green Hamas flags, while in the city of Ramallah, senior figures of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups normally opposed to Abbas, addressed the crowd.

"It's the right step in the right direction," Nasser al-Shaer, a former deputy prime minister from Hamas, said of the U.N. bid.

The Palestinians chose the "International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People" for the vote. Before it takes place, there will be a morning of speeches by supporters focusing on the rights of the Palestinians. Abbas is scheduled to speak at that meeting, and again in the afternoon when he will present the case for Palestinian statehood in the General Assembly.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Wednesday that the U.N. vote will not fulfill the goal of independent Palestinian and Israeli states living side by side in peace, which the U.S. strongly supports because that requires direct negotiations.

"We need an environment conducive to that," she told reporters in Washington. "And we've urged both parties to refrain from actions that might in any way make a return to meaningful negotiations that focus on getting to a resolution more difficult."

The U.S. Congress has threatened financial sanctions if the Palestinians improve their status at the United Nations.

Ahead of the vote, Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch filed an amendment to a defense bill Wednesday that would eliminate funding for the United Nations if the General Assembly changes Palestine's status.

But Israeli officials appeared to back away from threats of drastic measures if the Palestinians get U.N. approval, with officials suggesting the government would take steps only if the Palestinians use their new status to act against Israel.

Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev affirmed that Israel is willing to resume talks without preconditions.

U.N. diplomats said they will be listening closely to Abbas' speech to the General Assembly on Thursday afternoon before the vote to see if he makes an offer of fresh negotiations with no strings, which could lead to new talks. The Palestinians have been demanding a freeze on Israeli settlements as a precondition.

As a sign of the importance Israel attaches to the vote, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman flew to New York and was scheduled to meet Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon before the vote.

Unlike the Security Council, there are no vetoes in the General Assembly and the resolution to raise the Palestinian status from an observer to a nonmember observer state only requires a majority vote for approval. To date, 132 countries ? over two-thirds of the U.N. member states ? have recognized the state of Palestine.

The Palestinians have been courting Western nations, especially the Europeans, seen as critical to enhancing their international standing. A number have announced they will vote "yes" including France, Italy, Spain, Norway, Denmark and Switzerland. Those opposed or abstaining include the U.S., Israel, Germany, Canada, the Netherlands and Australia.

The Palestinians turned to the General Assembly after the United States announced it would veto their bid last fall for full U.N. membership until there is a peace deal with Israel.

Following last year's move by the Palestinians to join the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO, the U.S. withheld funds from the organization, which amount to 22 percent of its budget. The U.S. also withheld money from the Palestinians.

_____

Associated Press writers Amy Teibel in Jerusalem and Karin Laub in Ramallah, West Bank, contributed to this story.

.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/palestinians-certain-win-recognition-state-052920823.html

daytona race the cutting edge fox 8 news indy 500 angelina jolie leg daytona artie lange

Church of England faces backlash over rejecting women bishops

Posted by admin Latest News Wednesday, November 28th, 2012

By Trevor Grundy

CANTERBURY, England (RNS) ? When the Church of England scuttled plans to allow women bishops on Nov. 20, incoming Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby called it ?a very grim day for women and their supporters.?

Now, that grim day is turning into a church-state nightmare for Britain?s established church.

On Monday (Nov. 26), The Times of London quoted from a leaked memo to church leaders from William Fittall, secretary general of the General Synod, who called the public and political fallout ?severe.?

After the unexpected defeat, the church said the process to allow women bishops would need to begin anew, and couldn?t start again until a new General Synod is seated in 2015.

According to The Times, Fittall?s memo outlined a plan that could lead to simpler legislation, such as a clause to consecrate women bishops with no provision for opponents. That measure could be put to the current synod when it meets again at the University of York next July.

?Parliament is impatient,? Fittall warned. ?Unless the Church of England can show very quickly that it?s capable of sorting itself out, we shall be into a major constitutional crisis in Church-State relations, the outcome of which cannot be predicted with confidence.?

A former archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, upped the ante when he called on church leaders to ?rip up its rule book? and speed through the introduction of women bishops. He said it was ?ridiculous? to assume that the General Synod could not reconsider women bishops until 2015.

A full 42 of the 44 dioceses of the church voted for legislation that would have made women bishops next year. There are 3,600 ordained women in the Church of England and 37 female bishops in the worldwide Anglican Communion, including Africa?s first Anglican woman bishop, Ellinah Wamukoya of Swaziland, who was consecrated five days before the defeat in Britain.

Meantime, Prime Minister David Cameron has warned the church to think again ? and fast ? about its ?very sad? rejection of women bishops.

Chris Bryant, a Labour member of Parliament and former Anglican vicar, has proposed stripping the church?s exemption from the Equality Act of 2010, which prohibits gender-based discrimination. Bryant has also proposed denying seats to the 26 bishops who sit as ?Lords Spiritual? in the House of Lords until the church changes its position on women bishops.

Source: http://churchexecutive.com/archives/church-of-england-faces-backlash-over-rejecting-women-bishops

steelers danielle fishel aaron rodgers FedEx Gabriel Aubry halle berry green bay packers

What is Normal Sexual Curiosity as Kids Grow Up???? | Musings by ...

My son was 3 and bath time meant time with 40 floating toys, lots of bubbles and his snorkeling mask.? It also meant I could make dinner 15 feet away in relative peace.? It was an evening ritual that worked for both of us.? One night he yelled from the tub, ?Mommy! Mommy! Come quick, I need to show you something!?? As I ran tub-side, he sat up and with eyes bright behind his orange diving mask, he pointed down at his penis.? ?Look how big my penis got when I was diving with my toys!? It?s huge!? Is it going to always be this big?!?? I loved his enthusiasm for life and once again I wished I could capture that sense of discovery and adventure in each small moment.? ?No, sweetie.? Sometimes when your penis gets rubbed it gets larger.? Pretty soon it will go back to how it usually is.?? Wanting him to someday be able to appreciate the miracle of his body I added, ?Isn?t it wonderful that God gave you a penis that can change size sometimes??

I often have the pleasure of training parents and youth pastors about the sexual development of children and how to raise sexually, spiritually and relationally healthy kids. ?This is something all parents want ? however most didn?t?experience?a good example of this growing up and now as parents or youth workers feel completely lost in knowing how to coach and love a child through their sexual development.

Recently I had the opportunity to listen to a fishbowl conversation of 6 adolescents discussing what they most wanted the adults in their life to understand about growing up in today?s world. ?Over and over they said, ?Please just talk to us. ?Listen to us. Tell us about your life ? how you learned and struggled through growing up ? how you learned from your mistakes. ?Tell us your stories. Help us know we are not alone and that you understand how hard this must be for us.?

Subsequent to this fish bowl discussion was one with a group of 6 youth workers and parents of teens. ?Together they had a conversation about what it is like attempting to guide and parent adolescents. ?Their resounding message was, ?It is terrifying, frightening, overwhelming. We don?t know what to say, we don?t have the answers and we feel totally lost.?

The beautiful thing the adults could hear from the wisdom of the youth was they didn?t have to have the answers ? they just needed to listen with compassion and offer the youth their own stories of growing up. ?They just wanted the adults to open up the?conversation?and be there with an open and loving heart. No answers needed ? just honesty, transparency and love.

So it is in this spirit of loving and guiding kids as they grow ? that I offer this guideline of normative childhood sexual development based on research and observational data.

In utero and at birth

• Prior to birth males can have erections
• The capacity for sexual response is present at birth for both genders
• At birth girl?s vaginas are capable of lubrication

??Toddlers

• Rhythmic manipulation associated with masturbation begins at age 2 1/2 to 3 years and is considered natural sexual expression ? bring comfort and calm
• Gender identity (maleness, femaleness) is typically formed by age 2
• Little boys and girls can experience orgasm from masturbation although boys will not ejaculate until puberty
• They want to learn the names of all body parts
• There is increased curiosity of adult gendered social behaviors

Three to Seven

• Preschool kids are interested in everything ? including sexuality
• The like to urinate in all kinds of positions and places
• They are often very affectionate ? love hugging
• Lots of curiosity?and kissing other adults and children
• May imitate adult social sexual behavior
• Very common to play ?doctor? and ?look see?
• They understand ?living together? as family and may talk about ?getting married? when they are older
• Normal sexual experimentation is spontaneous, silly, and light-hearted, and although may be embarrassing, it is uncommon to involve anger, shame, fear, or anxiety.

Eight to Twelve

• Puberty !!!
• Girls: breast buds and pubic hair (>10); periods 10 ? 13
• Boys: further development of penis and testicles(>11); voice changes; pubic hair
• May become more modest even with same sex parent
• Masturbation increases and interest in internet pornography often begins.
• Lots of questions about intercourse, petting, oral sex, and anal sex, homosexuality, rape and incest ? but may be more shy to ask.? Requires more casual and stealth approaches.? This is a key time to discuss sexuality and reproduction in more detail.
• Same gender play and exploration common
• In the company of same sex friends, masturbating together or looking at or caressing each other?s genitals is common among pre-adolescent boys and girls.
• Some group ?dating?. Interest in social media increases as can secrecy. Be aware and open. Be willing to set boundaries for their protection and to teach them how to manage social media and the increasing complexity in relationships at school.
• Increased desire to attend events, parties and may develop public ?crushes? or ?go out?, but this is mostly a social occurrence

Adolescence (13-19)

• Between 5% to 10% of adolescent males and 6% of females report sexual experiences with someone of the same gender, usually another adolescent.
• Developmental tasks include:
  • Resolving conflict of identity and role confusion.
  • Establishing gender identity of manhood or womanhood, or conflict about gender roles.
  • Developing a sense of stable self.
  • Managing physical and emotional intimacy in relationships
    • Girls need additional guidance on the development of purpose/power/voice
    • Boys need additional guidance?on the development of their emotional intelligence and relational skills
    • More physiological changes ? growth in genitals and breasts, facial and pubic hair.
    • Increased desire to relate to romantic partner sexually.
    • Research on the hook-up culture suggests it can lead to disillusionment in romantic partnership and lasting love

America, Religion & Sex ? average age of initial intercourse based on religious affiliation:

• No religion=16.4
• Fundamentalist protestant=16.9
• Other protestant=16.9
• Catholic=17.7
• Other religion=18.8
• There is no way to predict how a particular teenager will act sexually. Most adolescents explore relationships with one another, fall in and out of love, and participate in sexual intercourse before the age of 20.
• Adolescents report less sexual communication growing up than parents thought they did.
• Adolescents who have parents that are open to talk and listen about sexual issues describe being closer to their parents overall.

?20 something

• Young adults typically experience the greatest number of different partners in their 20s.
• During this period the risk for contracting STDs is highest, and the need to practice safe sex paramount.
• There is increased desire for intimacy however the current cultural pace of life leaves limited time for relationship complexity.
• Young adults are tending to marry later in urban areas ? 28 males; 26 females.

Tina Schermer Sellers is a recognized scholar in the integration of spirituality into a multitude of areas represented in family and career life. As a behavioral scientist, licensed family therapist, medical family therapist, and certified sex therapist, she specializes in helping to craft relationships, organizations and lives that flourish. In the area of sexuality, Tina has spent a career helping people discover what culture has failed to teach them about their bodies, their hearts, their capacity for intimacy and their erotic potential. This entry was posted in God, parenting, Relationships, Sex, sexual health, sexuality and tagged Tina Schermer Sellers, personal responsibility, culture, children, sex in America, sex and Christianity, body, intention. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://blog.tinaschermersellers.com/2012/11/23/what-is-normal-sexual-curiosity-as-kids-grow-up/

adam shulman adam shulman dexter dexter lindsay lohan peanut butter recall jason aldean

Egypt's Morsi grants himself far-reaching powers

In this photo released by the Egyptian Presidency, President Mohammed Morsi, right, swears in his new Prosecutor General, Talaat Abdullah, left, in Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012. Egypt's president on Thursday issued constitutional amendments granting himself far-reaching powers and ordering the retrial of leaders of Hosni Mubarak's regime for the killing of protesters in last year's uprising. Morsi also on Thursday fired the country's top prosecutor by decreeing with immediate effect that he could only stay in office for four years and replacing him with Talaat Abdullah. Morsi fired Abdel-Maguid Mahmoud for the first time in October, but had to rescind his decision when he found that the powers of his office do not empower him to do so. (AP Photo/Egyptian Presidency

In this photo released by the Egyptian Presidency, President Mohammed Morsi, right, swears in his new Prosecutor General, Talaat Abdullah, left, in Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012. Egypt's president on Thursday issued constitutional amendments granting himself far-reaching powers and ordering the retrial of leaders of Hosni Mubarak's regime for the killing of protesters in last year's uprising. Morsi also on Thursday fired the country's top prosecutor by decreeing with immediate effect that he could only stay in office for four years and replacing him with Talaat Abdullah. Morsi fired Abdel-Maguid Mahmoud for the first time in October, but had to rescind his decision when he found that the powers of his office do not empower him to do so. (AP Photo/Egyptian Presidency

In this photo released by the Egyptian Presidency, President Mohammed Morsi, right, poses for a photograph with his new Prosecutor General, Talaat Abdullah, left, in Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012. Egypt's president on Thursday issued constitutional amendments granting himself far-reaching powers and ordering the retrial of leaders of Hosni Mubarak's regime for the killing of protesters in last year's uprising. Morsi also on Thursday fired the country's top prosecutor by decreeing with immediate effect that he could only stay in office for four years and replacing him with Talaat Abdullah. Morsi fired Abdel-Maguid Mahmoud for the first time in October, but had to rescind his decision when he found that the powers of his office do not empower him to do so. (AP Photo/Egyptian Presidency)

In this Friday, July 13, 2012 photo, Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi speaks to reporters during a joint news conference with Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki, unseen, at the Presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt. Egypt's president issued constitutional amendments Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012, granting himself far-reaching powers. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

CAIRO (AP) ? Egypt's Islamist president unilaterally decreed greater authorities for himself Thursday and effectively neutralized a judicial system that had emerged as a key opponent by declaring that the courts are barred from challenging his decisions.

Riding high on U.S. and international praise for mediating a Gaza cease-fire, Mohammed Morsi put himself above oversight and gave protection to the Islamist-led assembly writing a new constitution from a looming threat of dissolution by court order.

But the move is likely to fuel growing public anger that he and his Muslim Brotherhood are seizing too much power.

In what was interpreted by rights activists as a de facto declaration of emergency law, one of Morsi's decrees gave him the power to take "due measures and steps" to deal with any "threat" to the revolution, national unity and safety or anything that obstructs the work of state institutions.

Morsi framed his decisions as necessary to protect the revolution that toppled Hosni Mubarak nearly two years ago and to cement the nation's transition to democratic rule. Many activists, including opponents of the Brotherhood, criticize the judiciary as packed with judges and prosecutors sympathetic to Mubarak. Brotherhood supporters accuse the courts of trying to block their agenda.

"He had to act to save the country and protect the course of the revolution," said one of Morsi's aides, Pakinam al-Sharqawi, speaking on Al-Jazeera. "It is a major stage in the process of completing the January 25th revolution," she said, alluding to the starting day of last year's uprising against Mubarak.

In a nod to revolutionary sentiment, Morsi also ordered the retrial of Mubarak and top aides on charges of killing protesters during the uprising. He also created a new "protection of the revolution" judicial body to swiftly carry out the prosecutions. But he did not order retrials for lower-level police acquitted of such killings, another widespread popular demand that would disillusion the security forces if carried out.

Liberal politicians immediately criticized the decrees as dictatorial and destined to divide a nation already reeling from months of turmoil following Mubarak's ouster. Some said they exceeded the powers once enjoyed by Mubarak.

"Morsi today usurped all state powers & appointed himself Egypt's new pharaoh," pro-reform leader Mohamed ElBaradei wrote on Twitter. "A major blow to the revolution that could have dire consequences."

ElBaradei later addressed a news conference flanked by other prominent politicians from outside the Brotherhood, including two presidential candidates who ran against Morsi, Amr Moussa and Hamdeen Sabahi.

They pledged to cooperate to force Morsi to rescind his assumption of greater powers. "We will work together as Egyptians until we achieve the goals of our revolution," said ElBaradei, a former director of the U.N.'s nuclear agency and Nobel peace laureate.

They called for mass protests Friday to demand the dissolution of the declarations. The audience interrupted the press conference, chanting "Down with the Guide's rule," referring to the Supreme Guide of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood group, Mohammed Badie.

The prospect of large rival protests involving Morsi's opponents and supporters in Cairo on Friday raises the likelihood of clashes.

Thousands from the rival camps were already out on the streets of Cairo late Thursday in an increasingly charged atmosphere.

A crowd of Brotherhood supporters massed outside the Supreme Court building and offices of the prosecutor general ? whom Morsi removed in Thursday's edict. They chanted slogans for "the cleansing of the judiciary," shouting, "The people support the president's decisions." Leading Brotherhood member Mohammed el-Beltagi, attending the rally, singled out several critics of Morsi from among the ranks of the judiciary for criticism.

Meanwhile, blocks away near Tahrir Square, hundreds of demonstrators held a fourth straight day of protests against Morsi and the Brotherhood. "Brotherhood is banned from entry," declared a large banner at the protest.

Wael Ghonim, an icon of the anti-Mubarak uprising, rejected Morsi's decisions, arguing the president could have protected the revolution without concentrating so much power in his hands.

"The revolution was not staged in search for a benign dictator, there is a difference between revolutionary decisions and dictatorial decisions. God is the only one whose decisions are not questioned."

The Egyptian leader decreed that all decisions he has made since taking office in June and until a new constitution is adopted and a new parliament is elected cannot be appealed in court or by any other authority. Parliamentary elections are not likely before next spring.

The decree also barred the courts from dissolving the controversy-plagued assembly writing the new constitution. Several courts have been looking into lawsuits demanding the panel be disbanded.

The Brotherhood and Morsi allies who dominate the assembly have pushed to give the draft an Islamist slant that opponents fear would marginalize women and minority Christians, infringe on personal liberties and even give Muslim clerics a say in lawmaking. Liberal and Christian members withdrew from the assembly during the past week to protest what they say is the hijacking of the process by Morsi's allies.

Morsi on Thursday extended by two months, until February, the deadline for the assembly to produce a draft, apparently to give members more time to iron out their differences.

He also barred any court from dissolving the Islamist-led upper house of parliament, a largely toothless body that has also faced court cases.

The president made most of the changes Thursday in a declaration amending an interim constitution that has been in effect since shortly after Mubarak's fall and has over time become a ramshackle patchwork. The military, which took power after Mubarak, set the precedent for the executive unilaterally issuing constitutional changes, which it did several times during its 16-month rule.

The moves come as Morsi basks in lavish praise from President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton for mediating an end to eight days of fighting between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers. Clinton was in Cairo on Wednesday, when she held extensive talks with Morsi.

Morsi not only holds executive power, he also has legislative authority after a previous court ruling just before he took office on June 30 dissolved the powerful lower house of parliament, which was led by the Brotherhood. With two branches of power in his hands, Morsi effectively took away many prerogatives of the third, the judiciary.

The provision for a retrial of Mubarak appeared to be a gesture to public opinion. The decree called for "new investigations and trials" against those who held "political or executive" positions in the old regime and who are accused of killing protesters.

Mubarak was convicted in June to life in prison for failing to stop the killing of protesters during last year's uprising against his rule, but many Egyptians were angered that he wasn't convicted of actually ordering the crackdown and that his security chief, Habib el-Adly, was not sentenced to death. Several top police commanders were acquitted, and Mubarak and his sons were found not guilty of corruption charges.

But the decree would not mean retrials for the dozens of lower-level police officers who have been acquitted or received suspended sentences in trials for killing protesters ? verdicts that have outraged many Egyptians. That exclusion will guarantee Morsi the loyalty of the powerful but hated police force.

Morsi on Thursday also fired the country's top prosecutor, Abdel-Maguid Mahmoud. A Mubarak-era appointee, Mahmoud has faced widespread accusations that his office did a shoddy job collecting evidence against Mubarak, el-Adly and the police in trials.

Morsi first fired Mahmoud in October but had to rescind his decision when he found that the powers of his office do not empower him to do so. So on Thursday, he decreed that the prosecutor general could serve in office only for four years, with immediate effect on Mahmoud, who had held the post since 2006. Morsi replaced Mahmoud with Talaat Abdullah, a career judge, and swiftly swore him in.

Thursday's decisions were read on state television by Morsi's spokesman, Yasser Ali. In a throwback to the days of the authoritarian Mubarak and his predecessors Anwar Sadat and Gamal Abdel-Nasser, the television followed up with a slew of nationalist songs.

___

AP correspondent Aya Batrawy contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-11-22-ML-Egypt/id-21d19956694b46b39be3ae0f9e374d64

world series morgan freeman giants Natina Reed Sandy Hurricane flight tracker Marina Krim

Gaza shakes, bus explodes in Tel Aviv as Clinton seeks truce

GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday pursued a Gaza truce, with Israel and Hamas still at odds over key terms, as Israeli air strikes shook the enclave and a bomb exploded on a Tel Aviv bus.

After talks in Ramallah with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Clinton held a second meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before heading to Egypt, the main broker in efforts to end eight days of fighting and avert a possible Israeli ground offensive.

In Tel Aviv, at least 10 people were wounded when a bus was blown up on a main street near the Defence Ministry and military headquarters. Israel's government called it a terrorist attack.

The explosion, which police said was caused by a bomb placed on the vehicle, touched off celebratory gunfire from militants in Gaza and threatened to complicate truce efforts.

Israel's best-selling Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said an emerging outline of a ceasefire agreement called for Egypt to announce a 72-hour ceasefire followed by further talks on long-term understandings.

Under the proposed document, which the newspaper said neither party would be required to sign, Israel would hold its fire, end attacks against top militants and promise to examine ways to ease its blockade of the enclave.

Hamas, the report said, would pledge not to strike any Israeli target and ensure other Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip also stop their attacks.

An Israeli political source said differences holding up a deal centered on a Hamas demand to lift the Gaza blockade completely and the kind of activity that would be allowed along the frontier, where Israeli troops often fire into the enclave to keep Palestinians away from an area near a border fence.

Hamas official Ezzat al-Rishq said the main stumbling block was "the temporary timeframe for a ceasefire that the Israelis want us to agree to".

"GOOD INTENTIONS"

The London-based Al Hayat newspaper, citing sources in Hamas and Islamic Jihad, said Israel wanted a 90-day period to determine "good intentions" before discussing Palestinian demands, a position the report said the groups have rejected.

Rishq said a short-term truce, whose proposed duration he did not disclose, "would only buy (Israel) time" until a general election in January and "we would have accomplished nothing in the way of a long-term truce".

Hamas sources said the group was also demanding control over Gaza's Rafah borders with Egypt, so that Palestinians could cross easily, and Israeli guarantees to stop assassinating Hamas leaders.

Israel, one of the Hamas sources said, wanted a commitment from the group to stop smuggling through tunnels that run into Gaza under the Egyptian border. The tunnel network is a conduit for weapons and commercial goods.

News of the Tel Aviv bus bombing, the first serious blast in Israel's commercial capital since 2006, emerged just after Clinton and Netanyahu ended their meeting. A spokesman for Netanyahu declined to give details on their discussions, which followed talks on Tuesday.

Clinton, who flew to the region from an Asian summit, said in her public remarks after Tuesday's meeting with Netanyahu that it was "essential to de-escalate the situation".

"The rocket attacks from terrorist organizations inside Gaza on Israeli cities and towns must end and a broader calm restored," she said.

Clinton earlier assured Netanyahu of "rock-solid" U.S. support for Israel's security, and praised Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi's "personal leadership and Egypt's efforts thus far" to end the Gaza conflict and promote regional stability.

"As a regional leader and neighbor, Egypt has the opportunity and responsibility to continue playing a crucial and constructive role in this process. I will carry this message to Cairo tomorrow (Wednesday)," she said.

"LONG-TERM" SOLUTION

Netanyahu told Clinton he wanted a "long-term" solution. Failing that, Netanyahu made clear, that he stood ready to step up the military campaign to silence Hamas' rockets.

"A band-aid solution will only cause another round of violence," said Ofir Gendelman, a Netanyahu spokesman.

While diplomatic efforts continued, Israel struck more than 100 targets in Gaza overnight, killing a Hamas gunman and destroying a cluster of Hamas government buildings.

Palestinians militants fired 31 rockets at Israel, causing no casualties, and Israel's Iron Dome interceptor system shot down 14 of them, police said.

Israel has carried out more than 1,500 strikes since the offensive began. Medical officials in Gaza said 139 Palestinians, most of them civilians, including 34 children, have been killed. Nearly 1,400 rockets have been fired into Israel, killing four civilians and a soldier, the Israeli military said.

In the West Bank city of Ramallah, Clinton held talks with Palestinian President Abbas, whose bid to upgrade the Palestinians' status at the United Nations, in the absence of peace negotiations with Israel, is opposed by Washington.

"Secretary Clinton informed the president that the U.S. administration is exerting every possible effort to reach an immediate ceasefire and the president expressed his full support for this endeavor," said Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat.

"Once the Israelis accept to stop their bombardments, their assassinations, there will be a comprehensive ceasefire sustained from all parties," Erekat said.

A Palestinian official with knowledge of Cairo's mediation told Reuters that Egyptian intelligence officials would hold further discussions on Wednesday with leaders of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad group.

"There may be a response from Israel that Egyptian mediators want to present to Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders," the official said. "Let's be hopeful it would be something Palestinian factions can accept."

Like most Western powers, Washington shuns Hamas as an obstacle to peace and has blamed it for the Gaza conflagration. A U.N. Security Council statement condemning the conflict was blocked on Tuesday by the United States, which complained that it "failed to address the root cause," the Palestinian rockets.

Hamas for its part is exploring the opportunities that last year's Arab Spring has given it to enjoy favor from new Islamist governments, and from Sunni Gulf powers keen to woo it away from Shi'ite Iran.

It may count on some sympathy from Mursi, although Egypt's first freely elected leader, whose Muslim Brotherhood inspired Hamas' founders, has been careful to stick by the 1979 peace deal with Israel struck by Cairo's former military rulers.

Along the Gaza border, Israeli tanks, artillery and infantry remained poised for a possible ground offensive in the densely populated enclave of 1.7 million Palestinians.

But an invasion, likely to entail heavy casualties, would be a major political risk for Netanyahu, who is currently favored to win the upcoming Israeli election. More than 1,400 Palestinians were killed in Israel's three-week war in the Gaza Strip in 2008-9, prompting international criticism of Israel.

(Additional reporting by Ari Rabinovitch in Jerusalem and Cairo bureau; Writing by Jeffrey Heller; Editing by Giles Elgood)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gaza-shakes-israelis-killed-clinton-seeks-truce-001606371.html

Sally Ride Ichiro minka kelly James Holmes court Rupert Sanders bachelorette penn state

Former boxer 'Macho' Camacho shot in Puerto Rico

John Gurzinski / AFP-Getty Images file

Hector Camacho weighs in at Ceasar's Palace in Las Vegas before a bout with Oscar de la Hoya in 1997.

Associated Press Sports

updated 10:47 p.m. ET Nov. 20, 2012

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Former world boxing champion Hector "Macho" Camacho was shot in the face as he sat in a car outside the Puerto Rican capital Tuesday, and doctors said he was in serious condition but expected to survive.

Another man in the car, whose relationship to the 50-year-old Camacho wasn't immediately known, died in the attack in which at least one gunman opened fire on their vehicle in the city of Bayamon, according to a statement from police.

Camacho was rushed to Centro Medico, the trauma center in San Juan, where he was in critical but stable condition, Dr. Ernesto Torres, the hospital director, told reporters.

The bullet apparently struck him in the jaw but exited his head and lodged in his right shoulder and fractured two vertebrae, Torres said. The doctor said the boxer, who was trailed by drug and alcohol problems during a career that included some high-profile bouts, could be paralyzed from the shooting.

"Camacho's condition is extremely delicate," he told Telenoticias. "His physical condition will help him but we will see."

No arrests have been made in the shooting, police said.

Camacho representative Steve Tannenbaum said he was told by friends at the hospital that the boxer would make it.

"This guy is a cat with nine lives. He's been through so much," he said. "If anybody can pull through it will be him."

The fighter's last title bout came against then-welterweight champion Oscar De La Hoya in 1997, a loss by unanimous decision. Tannenbaum said he was going to fight two years ago in Denmark until his opponent pulled out and that they were looking at a possible bout in 2013.

"We were talking comeback even though he is 50," he said. "I felt he was capable of it."

Camacho was born in Bayamon, one of the cities that make up the San Juan metropolitan area. He won super lightweight, lightweight and junior welterweight world titles in the 1980s.

Camacho has fought other high-profile bouts in his career against Felix Trinidad, Julio Cesar Chavez and Sugar Ray Leonard. Camacho knocked out Leonard in 1997, ending what was that former champ's final comeback attempt.

Camacho has a career record of 79-5-3, with his most recent fight coming in 2009.

Drug, alcohol and other problems have trailed Camacho since the prime of his boxing career. He was sentenced in 2007 to seven years in prison for the burglary of a computer store in Mississippi. While arresting him on the burglary charge in January 2005, police also found the drug ecstasy.

A judge eventually suspended all but one year of the sentence and gave Camacho probation. He wound up serving two weeks in jail, though, after violating that probation.

Twice his wife filed domestic abuse complaints against him, and she filed for divorce several years ago.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

advertisement

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/49911650/ns/sports/

tory burch Al Smith Dinner Herman Melville Books American Horror Story Kyna Treacy x factor x factor

From Luton with heartbreak and plenty wahala! - AmeyawDebrah.Com

Posted on November 20, 2012 By Ameyaw Debrah Buzz, Jaded Renegade

When I received my nomination for Best Online Media in the 2012 Ghana UK Base Achievement (GOBI) Awards, I was beside myself with joy because it was the first time that my blog, www.ameyawdebrah.com had been nominated for anything.? Of course later on, I would be nominated for the National Youth Achievement Awards and the Ghana Fashion Awards.? A good year for me? Needless to say, I was feeling lucky! I made my flight arrangements for November 9-26 so I could attend the GOBI Awards in UK and as well cover the Ghana Music Awards Europe on November 24. Little did I know the trip would be filled with eventualities and ?heartbreaks?. Well, and a lot of food also!

A new experience with Virgin

I guess by now, it is obvious that my airline of choice to the UK is Virgin Atlantic. After having my first Virgin experience earlier in the year, I was looking forward to my trip with my ever-ready palate for good food. ?My flight was scheduled for 11 am, so got to the airport by 10 am and after checking in and going through customs I made my way to my Premium Economy seat. Immediately I sat down, I was asked for my choice of drink and even before the plane would fill up, I was sipping on my orange juice.

Soon, we took off and needless to say, all that was on my mind was what could be on the menu.? The cabin crew finally delivered the menu revealing a tasty selection of traditional and contemporary cuisine with a choice of red or white wine from Berry Bros and Rudd, one of UK?s most innovative wine merchants, boasting five Masters of Wine.? Also on offer was a selection of complimentary drinks throughout the flight, including beers, spirits and soft drinks.? Ok, now over to the food! For starters, I had smoked salmon and marinated potato salad with sour cream; and for the main course I opted for Chicken filled with saut?ed mushrooms with red pepper sauce, potatoes au gratin and broccoli.? And of course I couldn?t help but wonder if I could request for the Spinach ravioli with mushroom cream sauce and Parmesan cheese, and ?the pan-fried panga fish with jollof rice, tomato stew, palava and kelewele in addition. After all, there weren?t that many people onboard the flight; surely the was plenty to go around. Soon came the yummy dessert, Tiramisu, an Italian cake with coffee sauce. ?Also adding to the wining and dining experience was the use of? silver cutlery set, plates and glasses.? Now I can?t wait to try out Upper? Class.

Enough of the food, there was more to enjoy on the flight beside the food. The Virgin Media in-flight entertainment as usual had an impressive list of movie releases, TV shows , music and games to choose from. ?I was also excited to discover ?the ?new touchscreen tablet-based Virgin Atlantic in-flight entertainment system, known as Vera Touch.? The Samsung device also gives passengers the option of movies, TV shows and music; only on a wider screen with crispy clears pictures. ?Before the entertainment on the v-port started, I watched the first episode of? ?Don?t Trust the B?- in Apartment 23? on the Vera and continued my viewing pleasure with ?Total Recall?, ?American Reunion?? on the v-port. Then it was back to the Vera for? ?Two Days in New York?, in fact I was spoilt for choice. In between? the movies I skimmed through ?Electronic Earth?, the smash hit debut studio album from British singer-producer Labrinth. And yes, I played? one of my favourite songs of the moment, ?Beneath Your Beautiful?, which features Scottish star Emeli Sande, over and over again on the Vera device.

Before landing, I warmed myself up with a cup of tea and delicious finger sandwiches with chicken and coleslaw and cheese and tomato. I sealed it off with a chocolate cake as a braced myself for the cold weather in London.

?and then the wahala began!

After touching down, our captain announced that we had to stay on the tarmac for some time because our terminal was engaged by another flight due to an eventuality at Heathrow. After about 20 minutes, it was all systems go and we finally got out of the plane and made our way to immigrations. I was cleared by a pleasant lady at immigrations, who wished me good luck with my GUBA Award nomination. I thanked her and made my way to collect my luggage.

Since the GUBA Awards was holding in London the following day, I had made prior arrangements to stay with a friend in London for the award ceremony and then move to Luton to stay with my ever generous host, Chris Vincent (the menace at www. ghanacelebrities.com). I got on the underground train and headed to Finsbury Park and later connected to Black Horse Road where my friend was ?supposed? to pick me up. Fortunately I had some little talk time on my UK SIM card so I texted him from the time I arrived at Heathrow to the time I got on the train and also when I connected from Finsbury Park. ?I was a little worried when I never got any replies but I thought my friend was just waiting for me to arrive at Black Horse Station so he would come and get me.

I called immediately when I got to the station and there was no answer. I called? few more times and when there was still no reply I started sending more SMS till I ran out of credit and could only use my free T-Mobile ?call me back? lifelines. I kept waiting in the cold, hoping to have a call or see my friend pop up but nothing happened after an hour. I was tired from the long flight and soon became frustrated, contemplating how I was going to spend the night. The thought of checking into a hotel for the night came to mind but then I wondered how easy it would be with no prior booking and of course whether my wallet would allow it. (LOL)

As I waited for answers, Chris called from Luton to see if I had gotten home safely and to his surprise I was still in the cold at? Black Horse Road station. He suggested that I head to Luton instead and I agreed because it was my best option. I was gutted because if I had gone straight to Luton from the airport I would have been home relaxing by then. I got on the bus and headed to King?s Cross /St. Pancreas and then connected on a East Midlands Train to Luton. Fortunate for me, it was fast track and the first stop was Luton; so my journey seemed shorter than usual. I took notice of that terminal so I would use it whenever I?m heading to Luton. I called Chris when I got to Luton station and he came for me and we stopped by a ?food joint? to grab some doner kebab.? We got home and had some chit chat before heading ?off to bed for some much needed rest. Of course only after I had taken a warm shower.

?.and now the heart break and more wahala

When I woke up, the only thing on my mind was the GUBA Awards; how to make my way to the ceremony, what to wear and of course the big question ? would I win? I spent most of the day watching TV catching up on Xfactor USA and The Xfactor. In order to make it to the awards on time in London, I started getting ready by 4pm so I could catch the 4.45 bus to Luton Town Centre in order to catch a train to King?s Cross. I put on my Kwab Asamoah Kustom Look suit without the regular pants because it is was light and I couldn?t stand the cold around my vital organs down below. Instead I wore the jacket over a pair of black Marks & Spencer jeans.

I made my way to the bus stop by 4.40pm to make sure I didn?t miss the bus. When it was 50 minutes past the hour without any trace of the bus I got worried, and needless to say I was feeling cold.? It appeared that the 4.45 bus wasn?t coming and I had to catch the next bus, which was scheduled for 5.47.? The GUBA Awards was scheduled to start at 6pm, and I wanted to be there on time. Now apparent that I would be late, I was torn between going back to the apartment to rest a bit and waiting at the bus stop in the cold for the next bus. For some strange reason, I chose the latter.

Finally the bus arrived and I made my way to the train station, bought my ticket and headed to King?s Cross. I then connected via the underground and headed to the Vauxhall Train Station.? I then started looking for the City Plaza Hotel, the venue for the GUBA Awards. Luckily I asked for directions from a gentleman who was also heading towards the ceremony and together, we found our way to the venue. Although I was late, the ceremony had not started so I? checked in and made my way to my table.

I was really impressed with the organization of the awards, the seating arrangement was classy and I was fortunate to be seated next to a friend from cyber space, Emily who was also nominated for Best African Fusion Designer for her Bubushiiky brand.? So I wasn?t bored on my table;? we had a good chat as we both waited for? the announcement of winners in our categories. ?Unfortunately neither of us won our category. Myjoyonline won my category and I wasn?t too disappointed at all. I knew I was up against some serious competition, I was just heartbroken because I ?came all the way to UK and didn?t win. And of course I had to deal with the sharp teeth of Chris when I go back to Luton; he told me from the onset that I was wasting my money by coming all the way to the UK for an award that he was almost certain I wouldn?t win.

After majority of the winners were announced I decided to leave the ceremony in order to make it back to Luton on time. Of course I had my eyes set on catching the East Midlands Train for another fast track ride back ?home?. When I got to the Vauxhall Station it was announced that the line connecting to King?s Cross had been closed by the fire brigade and we had to wait for almost 20 minutes before a train finally arrived. I immediately headed to the terminal where I hoped to find the East Midlands service but sadly it was closed and I had to use the long route. Oh what a wahala!

After what seemed like a never ending journey, I finally arrived in Luton. By this time I had stuffed my stomached with the cupcakes which were included in the GUBA Awards gift bag to sweeten my night of ?heartbreak?. ?I called Chris to come pick me up and the first thing he did was to ask whether I was bringing the award home either for myself or for his ghanacelebrities.com, which was also nominated in the same category. I initially answered and the affirmative but after I burst into laughter, he realised there was no win for either of us. I got home and after enduring Chris?s dry humour, I had some rest and prayed that I will at least win the Ghana Fashion Award for Contribution to Fashion, which comes off later in November, ?to wrap up what has nonetheless been a good year. Hint hint Santa!

?an end to the wahala?

Well with a few days left in Luton before I return to Ghana, I certainly wish there will be no more eventualities. Waking up one morning to find out my laptop had given up on me, surely should be the last wahala I suffer while in the UK. I had to buy a new laptop which I had not budgeted for, hence affecting my shopping plans. So if I don?t get you a gift when I return to Ghana, don?t blame me; thank God I arrived home sane!

emeli sande, Ghana UK Based Achievement (GUBA) Awards, guba awards 2012, king's cross, labrinth, luton bus station, vauxhall, Virgin Atlantic

Source: http://www.ameyawdebrah.com/from-luton-with-heartbreak-and-plenty-wahala/

Tyrann Mathieu noaa Jessica Ridgeway jessica biel ipad mini Kevin Krim Autumn Pasquale

Golf: Stenson ends trophy drought

Henrik Stenson ended his three-and-a-half-year drought on the European Tour by claiming the South African Open on Sunday.

The Swede went into the final day holding a three-shot lead over home favourite George Coetzee, who had closed the gap with a stunning course record 63 on Saturday.
Despite Stenson carding an early birdie, Coetzee drew level ahead of the turn and the pair remained neck and neck before the South African bogeyed the 15th.
The 36-year-old needed no second invitation to take advantage, birdie-ing both the 16th and 17th to finish on 17-under-par and end his trophy drought.
German Martin Kaymer shared third with another home favourite Thomas Aiken, while English youngster Tommy Fleetwood finished sixth to secure his European Tour card for next season.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Clubcall/~3/tgaZ2UENSFk/stenson-ends-trophy-drought-1503564.html

nicki minaj beez in the trap video food network good friday f/a 18 f 18 crash virginia

New Mexico coyote hunting contest sparks protests

In this Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012 photo, store owner Mark Chavez, right, signs up a Belen rancher for the Gunhawk Firearms coyote hunt in Los Lunas, N.M. Chavez, who has faced two weeks of angry phone calls and protests - and even a threat to his life - is not backing down from holding the contest, in which New Mexico hunters have two days this weekend to shoot and kill as many coyotes as they can. The winners get their choice of a free shotgun or a pair of semi-automatic rifles. (AP Photo/Albuquerque Journal, Marla Brose)

In this Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012 photo, store owner Mark Chavez, right, signs up a Belen rancher for the Gunhawk Firearms coyote hunt in Los Lunas, N.M. Chavez, who has faced two weeks of angry phone calls and protests - and even a threat to his life - is not backing down from holding the contest, in which New Mexico hunters have two days this weekend to shoot and kill as many coyotes as they can. The winners get their choice of a free shotgun or a pair of semi-automatic rifles. (AP Photo/Albuquerque Journal, Marla Brose)

Esteban Marquez, second from left, a supporter of a coyote hunting contest organized by Gunhawk Firearms, engages in a heated discussion with protester Jean Crawford, center, holding a sign that reads "Cruelest County in New Mexico Valencia County," Friday, Nov. 16, 2012 in Los Lunas, N.M. Police separated Marquez and other supporters of the coyote hunt from the protesters shortly after Marquez and Crawford's conversation. Under the terms of the contest, hunters in New Mexico have two days this weekend to shoot and kill as many coyotes as they can, and the winners get their choice of a free shotgun or a pair of semi-automatic rifles. (AP Photo/Albuquerque Journal, Marla Brose)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) ? The terms of the competition are simple: Hunters in New Mexico have two days this weekend to shoot and kill as many coyotes as they can, and the winners get their choice of a free shotgun or a pair of semi-automatic rifles.

But the planned two-day coyote hunting contest has sparked an online petition that has generated tens of thousands of signatures worldwide. The FBI is investigating a death threat to the gun shop owner who is sponsoring the hunt. And one protester has even vowed to dress like a coyote to trick hunters into accidentally killing a human.

But none of these episodes will likely stop the owner of Gunhawk Firearms from holding the scheduled two-day coyote hunting race this weekend, despite the international attention the idea has garnered.

"I'm not going to back down," said Mark Chavez, 50, who has faced two weeks of angry phone calls and protests ? and even a threat to his life. "This is my right to hunt and we're not breaking any laws."

Under the rules of the contest, the winning team will get its choice of a Browning Maxus 12-gauge shotgun or two AR-15 semi-automatic rifles from the Los Lunas shop, and a hired taxidermist will salvage any pelts and hides from the dead coyotes for clothing.

"I'll even give the furs to the homeless if they need it," Chavez said.

The competition ? which opponents are calling a "coyote killing contest" ? has sparked thousands of angry emails, social media postings and a petition signed by activists from as far as Europe who have demanded that the hunt be called off. Last week, a small group of protesters held a rally outside of Gunhawk Firearms and waved signs denouncing the event as cruel and "bloodthirsty."

People are upset over the idea of making a contest out of killing an animal that usually lives peacefully alongside residents, said Susan Weiss, 74, who leads the Coexist with Coyotes group in Corrales, N.M.

"There's a tremendous amount of arrogance in conducting this hunt," Weiss said. "(Chavez) is damaging the reputation of ranchers. He is damaging the reputation of legitimate hunters."

But some New Mexico ranchers have complained about the large population of coyotes, estimated to be around 300,000 in the state. Coyotes are blamed for thousands of death to calves annually, and aren't protected under federal or state laws, ranchers say.

"People are trying to portray these animals as something they're not. Coyotes are predators. They survive in the wild by killing what they can, including livestock and pets," said Rex Wilson, president of the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association. "The people protesting this contest have obviously never seen a calf chewed up by a coyote, or watched a mama sheep try to revive a dead lamb."

The controversy began last month when the Albuquerque-based Calibers Shooters Sports Center announced plans for a similar contest. Calibers canceled the event after pressure from Weiss and other activists and attention from national media outlets.

That's when Chavez, a former rancher and construction worker, took up the cause and decided to hold his own coyote hunt, scheduled to begin on private land on Saturday.

"I felt that Calibers backed down to the pressure," he said. "We can't let that happen, especially since it's our right to hunt."

Chavez said he was inundated with complaints and support just as soon as news broke that Gunhawk would organize the hunt. A letter by one resident warned Chavez that he would be dressing in a "coyote outfit" during the contest and said participants would feel guilty once they discovered they had killed a human.

"I hope also there will be a doctor on hand to check this guy out," Chavez said. "Who says that kind of stuff?"

Someone else called and made a death threat, Chavez said. The call was reported to the FBI.

Participants in a coyote hunting contest won't be allowed to shoot coyotes on federal or state land.

New Mexico Land Commissioner Ray Powell told Chavez in a letter Thursday that a permit or lease is needed for commercial use of the state lands and none has been issued. Anyone participating in the contest on state land will be considered a trespasser, Powell said.

In addition, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management has also sent Chavez a letter to say that hunting won't be allowed on its land.

Still, Chavez said 60 teams have signed up for a two-day contest that will be conducted on private land of willing ranchers. He said in addition to the angry phone calls and emails, he's getting support for hunters and ranchers who have been battling aggressive coyotes on their lands.

"When I see the happy faces on the people who come in here, that's all the matters to me," he said.

___

Follow Russell Contreras at http://twitter.com/russcontreras

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-11-16-Coyote%20Killing%20Contest/id-942748b2fd6b452d8e29c0a2c4328c54

Colorado Marijuana Washington Election Results foxnews drudge report abc news Presidential Election 2012 Incumbent

Niantic Labs Bears More Fruit: Location-Based Massively Multiplayer Game Ingress Hits Google Play

We've seen startups tackle location-based multiplayer gaming, with title's like Massive Damage's Please Stay Calm and Shadow Cities out of Grey Area, but now a heavyweight player has entered the ring with Ingress, an app created by Google's Niantic Labs. The Niantic project got a lot of buzz last week thanks to a mysterious teaser, and previously the group was responsible for Google's location-based discovery app Field Trip.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/5UU8ZRjsUsw/

Tropical Storm Debby legend of korra lebron james magic mike trailer Alan Turing brave Stephanie Rice

Google wants to change your reality with Ingress, a mobile game played out in real life

All the viral ads courtesy of Niantic Labs told us something was coming, and now its here -- an alternate reality game from Google called Ingress. The theme is one of worldwide mind control, and it'll be played out in real life, where you'll be a part of one of two teams which either embrace or fight "the power" -- The Enlightened or The Resistance, respectively. With a companion mobile app installed, you'll venture out into the world collecting energy known as "Exotic Matter" (XM), found at real locations. This can then be spent claiming, stealing or reinforcing "portals," which are positioned at key public places. Teamwork will be essential, as the goal is to create zones controlled by your faction, and attacking those occupied by the enemy. One team will eventually win, although this end point is expected to be a year to 18 months down the line.

John Hanke of Niantic Labs said some of the inspiration for Ingress came from JJ Abrams, and hardcore Lost fans may remember a similarly cryptic internet 'game' focused around the show. The Ingress app is available on Google Play today, with an iOS version in the pipe, and if you want you play, sign up at the source below to request access. Your mobile device will provide you with an overview of your local battlefield when you're out and about, but a web client can keep you up to date on the global war while you're sat at a computer. Check out the video and app screenshots below, and if you're still confused as to what it's all about -- well, that's how they want you to feel.

Continue reading Google wants to change your reality with Ingress, a mobile game played out in real life

Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Tablets, Internet, Software, Mobile, Google

Google wants to change your reality with Ingress, a mobile game played out in real life originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Nov 2012 10:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Ingress, AllThingsD  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/15/google-launches-ingress/

daytona 500 start time ryan zimmerman oscars red carpet jennifer lopez wardrobe malfunction hugo hugo nfl combine