China reveals its space plans up to 2016 (AP)

BEIJING ? China plans to launch space labs and manned ships and prepare to build space stations over the next five years, according to a plan released Thursday that shows the country's space program is gathering momentum.

China has already said its eventual goals are to have a space station and put an astronaut on the moon. It has made methodical progress with its ambitious lunar and human spaceflight programs, but its latest five-year plan beginning next year signals an acceleration.

By the end of 2016, China will launch space laboratories, manned spaceship and ship freighters, and make technological preparations for the construction of space stations, according to the white paper setting out China's space progress and future missions.

China's space program has already made major breakthroughs in a relatively short time, although it lags far behind the United States and Russia in space technology and experience.

The country will continue exploring the moon using probes, start gathering samples of the moon's surface, and "push forward its exploration of planets, asteroids and the sun."

It will use spacecraft to study the properties of black holes and begin monitoring space debris and small near-Earth celestial bodies and build a system to protect spacecraft from debris.

The paper also says China will improve its launch vehicles, improve its communications, broadcasting and meteorological satellites and develop a global satellite navigation system, intended to rival the United States' dominant global positioning system (GPS) network.

China places great emphasis on the development of its space industry, which is seen as a symbol of national prestige.

Its space principles ? including peaceful development, enhancing international cooperation and deep space exploration ? are largely unchanged from its previous two documents detailing the progress of China's space missions, released in 2000 and 2006.

In 2003, China became the third country behind the U.S. and Russia to launch a man into space and, five years later, completed a spacewalk. Toward the end of this year, it demonstrated automated docking between its Shenzhou 8 craft and the Tiangong 1 module, which will form part of a future space laboratory.

In 2007, it launched its first lunar probe, Chang'e-1, which orbited the moon, collecting data and a complete map of the moon.

Since 2006, China's Long March rockets have successfully launched 67 times, sending 79 spacecraft into orbit.

Some elements of China's program, notably the firing of a ground-based missile into one of its dead satellites four years ago, have alarmed American officials and others who say such moves could set off a race to militarize space. That the program is run by the military has made the U.S. reluctant to cooperate with China in space, even though the latter insists its program is purely for peaceful ends.

"China always adheres to the use of outer space for peaceful purposes, and opposes weaponization or any arms race in outer space," Thursday's white paper states.

The Chinese government's policy is to "reinforce" space cooperation with developing countries and "value" space cooperation with developed countries. The paper lists cooperation between China and countries including Russia, Brazil, France and Britain, and says of the United States: NASA's director visited China "and the two sides will continue to make dialogue regarding the space field."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/china/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111230/ap_on_sc/as_china_space

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Box Office Preview: 'M:I4' to tower over others (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? The final box office weekend of 2011 should be led by Tom Cruise in "Mission: Impossible ? Ghost Protocol," with a not impossible domestic gross near $35 million for the four-day New Year's weekend.

The Paramount film led the Christmas weekend after its limited debut in IMAX gave it a big marketing boost, and this week's midweek numbers indicate audience interest is holding, with a total North American gross of about $130 million expected by Monday night.

Warner Bros.' "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows," starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, will enter its third weekend after crossing the $100 million mark on Wednesday, and clues point to another $25 million for the long holiday weekend.

Fox's "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked" should have a chipper third weekend in the low $20 million range as families enjoy the last of the holidays together before it's back to school. By Monday night, the little rodents should have munched a total of about $90 million.

Sony's thriller "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," the second film adaptation of the hugely popular mystery novel by Stieg Larsson, hacked $20 million from audiences over the extended Christmas holiday and enters New Year's weekend with a potential gross in the mid- to high-teens.

Disney's "War Horse" opened Christmas Day with $7.5 million and will now stretch its legs over a full holiday weekend with a likely gross in the $15 million range. The Steven Spielberg film is based on the 1982 children's novel and the 2007 stage adaptation, and has received two Golden Globe nominations, including for best picture.

___

Paul Dergarabedian is president of the Box Office Division of Hollywood.com and provides box office analysis for The Associated Press.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111229/ap_en_ot/us_box_office_preview

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China's factories falter, pro-growth policies eyed (Reuters)

BEIJING (Reuters) ? China's factory activity shrank again December as demand at home and abroad slackened, a purchasing managers' survey showed on Friday, reinforcing the case for pro-growth policies to underpin the world's second-largest economy.

The People's Bank of China is widely expected to lower its requirement for the amount of cash banks must hold as reserves to let lenders inject more credit into the economy to fight headwinds from Europe's debt crisis and sluggish U.S. demand.

The HSBC Purchasing Manager's Index, designed to preview the state of Chinese industry before official output data are published, inched up to 48.7 in December from a 32-month low of 47.7 in November, but fell short of the flash reading of 49.

The HSBC PMI has been mostly under 50, which demarcates expansion from contraction, since July.

"While the pace of slowdown is stabilizing somewhat, weakening external demand is starting to bite," said Qu Hongbin, China economist at HSBC.

"This, plus ongoing property market corrections, adds to calls for more aggressive action on fiscal and monetary fronts to stabilize growth and jobs, especially with prices easing rapidly."

He said China would avoid a hard economic landing so long as policy easing measures filtered through in coming months.

HSBC believes a PMI reading of as low as 48 in China still points to annual growth of 12-13 percent in industrial output.

China's once turbo-charged economy is on track to slow for a fourth successive quarter, easing further from the first quarter's 9.7 percent annual growth rate with economists expecting the final three months of the year to have slipped below 9 percent.

The official PMI, due to be published on Sunday, is expected to paint a similar picture, suggesting the world's second-largest economy is finishing 2011 on a weak note, in tandem with the global economic outlook.

Both the official and HSBC PMIs are stuck near their weakest levels since early 2009, when China took a blow from the global financial crisis.

Economists polled by Reuters earlier this month forecast the PBOC will deliver 200 bps of required reserve ratio (RRR) cuts by the end of 2012 but refrain from an outright cut in interest rates unless quarterly GDP growth dips below 8 percent.

Economists typically view growth of 7 to 8 percent as the bare minimum needed to generate enough jobs to help China absorb the urban influx of rural migrants and maintain social harmony.

"I think the government will ratchet up pro-growth policies if (quarterly) growth falls below 8 percent, otherwise the economy could face big risks," said Guotai Junan Securities economist Wang Hu in Shanghai.

"Another RRR cut could happen any time."

ROOM FOR RRR CUTS

China's central bank cut reserve requirements for commercial lenders late in November for the first time in three years.

The RRR remains at 21 percent for big banks, giving the central bank plenty of room to cut and free up funds that could be used for lending.

Persistent capital outflows from China are putting more pressure on the central bank to release cash to keep credit conditions supportive for growth.

Underlying indexes of the HSBC PMI showed softening demand at home and abroad, which helped cool inflation -- a boon for Chinese policymakers, according to the data collated by UK-based information firm, Markit.

The sub-index for overall new orders edged up to 46.9 in December from November's 45, but still signaled falling demand. New export orders shrank in a reflection of listless demand from the United States and Europe -- China's top overseas markets.

Average input costs faced by manufacturers continued to moderate as raw material prices slipped, the HSBC survey showed.

Inflation appears to be cooling, having fallen from a three-year high of 6.5 percent in July to 4.2 percent in November, creating additional room for policy easing to support growth.

HSBC's Qu expects the government to move on the fiscal front to boost job creation, cutting taxes for exporters -- a sector employing more than 30 million workers -- while increasing spending on public housing and other projects.

"On top of monetary easing, mainly in the form of further reserve ratio cuts, we have long argued that fiscal policy can and should play a more important role in stabilize growth and jobs," Qu said.

(Editing by Nick Edwards and Chris Lewis)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111230/bs_nm/us_china_economy_hsbc_pmi

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Muslim, Christians clash in southern Egypt (AP)

CAIRO ? Around 200 Coptic Christians and Muslims clashed in a southern Egyptian province after a drawing depicting the Prophet Muhammad was posted on a local Christian student's Facebook page.

Troops sealed off several flashpoint villages after angry residents in the province of Assiut, 200 miles (320 kilometers) south of Cairo, burnt seven Coptic homes in reaction to the drawing.

Muslims generally oppose any depiction of the prophet, even favorable, for fear it could lead to idolatry. This particular drawing depicted four women asking the prophet's hand in marriage.

The strife began late Thursday when four homes belonging to relatives of the Coptic student were burned.

Villagers burned another three homes belonging to Copts in nearby villages on Friday. Copts comprise around 10 percent of Egypt's population.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111230/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_egypt_christians

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M-Edge suit accuses Amazon of corporate bullying, patent infringement over Kindle cases

Case maker M-Edge filed suit with a Maryland court last week accusing Amazon of "unlawful corporate bullying" and patent infringement relating to the company's line of Kindle cases. According to M-Edge, the company signed a three-year agreement with Amazon in November 2009 for a 15-percent sales commission, only to have the retail giant demand a new contract with a 32-percent cut a mere two month later. A lawyer for M-Edge told The Wall Street Journal that Amazon punished the case maker over its refusal to play ball, after threats of burying the company's products on its site. According to the filing, M-Edge finally caved and signed a new contract in July of last year, given the fact that Amazon apparently drives nearly 90-percent of the small company's revenue. The suit also accuses Amazon of "knocking off" its reading light-packing covers with lighted jacket designs for the Kindle 3. Amazon, for its part, has refused to comment on the matter.

M-Edge suit accuses Amazon of corporate bullying, patent infringement over Kindle cases originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Dec 2011 11:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/28/m-edge-suit-accuses-amazon-of-corporate-bullying-patent-infring/

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Syrian troops open fire on protesters in fresh crackdown

Russia?s Foreign Ministry said an initial assessment by Arab League observers in Syria was ?reassuring,? even as activists reported that Syrian security forces fired on demonstrators after Friday prayers and that an ambush by government troops killed four people.

Moscow is one of Syria?s few remaining allies following more than nine months of violence stemming from a massive protest movement. The United Nations says some 5,000 people have been killed in the government crackdown on dissent.

More related to this story

?Moscow appraises with satisfaction the real beginning of the Arab League activities in Syria,? the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The ministry noted that the Sudanese general who heads the mission visited the restive city of Homs.

?The situation there is reassuring, clashes have not been recorded,? the statement said.

There is broad concern about whether Arab League member states, with some of the world?s poorest human rights records, were fit for the mission to monitor compliance with a plan to end to the crackdown on political opponents by security forces loyal to President Bashar Assad.

On Friday, activists said security forces fired on protesters in the eastern city of Deir el-Zour, the southern city of Daraa and elsewhere.

At least four people were reported killed in the town of Talkalakh, near the border with Lebanon, in an ambush by government troops. It was not immediately clear why they were killed as the victims were not believed to be protesting at the time, activists said.

The presence of Arab League monitors in Syria has re-energized the anti-government protest movement, with tens of thousands turning out this week in cities and neighborhoods where the observers are expected to visit.

The huge rallies have been met by lethal gunfire from security forces, apparently worried about multiple mass sit-ins modeled after Cairo?s Tahrir Square.

The Local Coordination Committees, an activist coalition, said at least 130 people, including six children, have been killed in Syria since the Arab observers began their one-month mission on Tuesday.

The nearly 100 Arab League monitors are the first Syria has allowed in during the nine-month anti-government uprising. They are supposed to ensure the regime complies with terms of the League plan to end President Bashar Assad?s crackdown on dissent.

The plan, which Syria agreed to on Dec. 19, demands that the government remove its security forces and heavy weapons from cities, start talks with the opposition and allow human rights workers and journalists into the country. It also calls for the release of all political prisoners.

State-run TV said observers have reached Idlib province, which borders Turkey; Homs and the Damascus suburbs of Harasta and Douma. Activists said the army had either withdrawn or hid tanks in the mountains in Idlib.

On Thursday, security forces killed at least 26 people, four of them shot dead in the Damascus suburb of Douma during a protest by tens of thousands. The crowd had gathered at the mosque near to a municipal building where cars of the monitors had been spotted outside.

Authorities apparently are worried about multiple mass sit-ins modeled after Cairo?s Tahrir Square, which was the focus of protests that toppled Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak in February.

The ongoing violence, and new questions about the human rights record of the head of the Arab League monitors, are reinforcing the opposition?s view that Syria?s limited cooperation with the observers is nothing more than a ploy by Assad?s regime to buy time and forestall more international condemnation and sanctions.

Although the violence against protesters has not stopped, Rami Abdul-Raham, who heads the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the death toll would have probably been double what it is had there been no monitors on the ground.

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland on Thursday expressed concern that violence was continuing in Syria despite the presence of the monitors.

She said the monitors were providing ?some space for public expression,? citing videos on YouTube of a large democracy rally in Idlib, but insisted that Mr. Assad?s regime needed to do more.

?It?s not only a matter of deploying the monitors,? she added. ?It?s a matter of the Syrian government living up to its commitments to withdraw heavy weapons from the cities; to stop the violence everywhere, which clearly has not happened; to release all political prisoners.?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheGlobeAndMail-International/~3/tKVgfBc2JaQ/

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Adding in recount bills, GOP debt reaches $2 million

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Source: www.startribune.com --- Friday, December 30, 2011
Heading into a fierce election year, Minnesota GOP Debt is far worse than most activists had imagined. ...

Source: http://www.startribune.com/politics/136435743.html

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Worst year in decades for endangered elephants

FILE - In this May 27, 2005 file photo, elephants drink at a water hole in Kenya's Tsavo East national park. It's been a disastrous year for elephants, perhaps the worst since ivory sales were banned in 1989 to save the world's largest land animals from extinction, the wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC said Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011. (AP Photo/Karel Prinsloo, File)

FILE - In this May 27, 2005 file photo, elephants drink at a water hole in Kenya's Tsavo East national park. It's been a disastrous year for elephants, perhaps the worst since ivory sales were banned in 1989 to save the world's largest land animals from extinction, the wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC said Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011. (AP Photo/Karel Prinsloo, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 13, 2011 file photo, Malaysian customs officers inspect elephant tusks which were seized on Dec. 12 in Port Klang, outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It's been a disastrous year for elephants, perhaps the worst since ivory sales were banned in 1989 to save the world's largest land animals from extinction, the wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC said Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011. (AP Photo/Lai Seng Sin, File)

FILE - In this March 9, 2010 file photo, Kenya Wildlife Ranger Mohamed Kamanya is seen in front of a herd of elephants in the Tsavo East national park, Kenya. It's been a disastrous year for elephants, perhaps the worst since ivory sales were banned in 1989 to save the world's largest land animals from extinction, the wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC said Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011. (AP Photo/Karel Prinsloo, File)

JOHANNESBURG (AP) ? It's been a disastrous year for elephants, perhaps the worst since ivory sales were banned in 1989 to save the world's largest land animals from extinction, the wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC said Thursday.

A record number of large seizures of elephant tusks represents at least 2,500 dead animals and shows that organized crime ? in particular Asian syndicates ? is increasingly involved in the illegal ivory trade and the poaching that feeds it, the group said.

Some of the seized tusks came from old stockpiles, the elephants having been killed years ago. It's not clear how many elephants were recently killed in Africa for their tusks, but experts are alarmed.

TRAFFIC's elephant and rhino expert Tom Milliken thinks criminals may have the upper hand in the war to save rare and endangered animals.

"As most large-scale ivory seizures fail to result in any arrests, I fear the criminals are winning," Milliken told The Associated Press.

Most cases involve ivory being smuggled from Africa into Asia, where growing wealth has fed the desire for ivory ornaments and for rhino horn that is used in traditional medicine, though scientists have proved it has no medicinal value.

"The escalation in ivory trade and elephant and rhino killing is being driven by the Asian syndicates that are now firmly enmeshed within African societies," Milliken said in a telephone interview from his base in Zimbabwe. "There are more Asians than ever before in the history of the continent, and this is one of the repercussions."

All statistics are not yet in, and no one can say how much ivory is getting through undetected, but "what is clear is the dramatic increase in the number of large-scale seizures, over 800 kilograms (1,760 pounds) in weight, that have taken place in 2011," TRAFFIC said in a statement.

There were at least 13 large seizures this year, compared to six in 2010 with a total weight just under 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds).

In the most recent, and worst, case Malaysian authorities seized hundreds of African elephant tusks on Dec. 21 worth $1.3 million that were being shipped to Cambodia. The ivory was hidden in containers of handicrafts from Kenya's Mombasa port. Most large seizures have originated from Kenyan or Tanzanian ports, TRAFFIC said.

Fifty elephants a month are being killed, their tusks hacked off, in Tanzania's Selous Game Reserve, according to the Washington-based Environmental Investigation Agency.

With shipments so large, criminals have taken to shipping them by sea instead of by air, falsifying documents with the help of corrupt officials, monitors said.

Milliken said some of the seized ivory has been identified as coming from government-owned stockpiles ? made up of confiscated tusks and those of dead elephants ? in another sign of corruption.

"In 23 years of compiling ivory seizure data ... this is the worst year ever for large ivory seizures. 2011 has truly been a horrible year for elephants," said Milliken.

Rhinos also have suffered. A record 443 rhino were killed this year in South Africa, according to National Geographic News Watch.

That surpassed last year's figure of 333 dead rhino despite the government deploying soldiers to protect them this year in its flagship Kruger National Park. There, 244 of the rhino were killed in 2011, National Geographic reported this week. That figure is expected to rise before the end of the year. Kruger has more than 10,000 white rhinos and about 500 black rhinos. South Africa is home to 90 percent of the rhinos left on the continent.

Africa's elephant population was estimated at between 5 million and 10 million before the big white hunters came to the continent with European colonization. Massive poaching for the ivory trade in the 1980s halved the remaining number of African elephants to about 600,000.

Following the 1989 ban on ivory trade and concerted international efforts to protect the animals, elephant herds in east and southern Africa were thriving before the new threat arrived from Asia.

A report from Kenya's Amboseli National Park highlighted the dangers. There had been almost no poaching in the park, which lies in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro, for 30 years until a Chinese company was awarded the contract to build a highway nearby two years ago. Amboseli has lost at least four of its "big tuskers" since then.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-12-29-AF-Africa-Elephants/id-ab1e87aeced24d4cad8391c4df69439e

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China Mengniu Dairy destroys contaminated milk

DBR Staff Writer Published 28 December 2011

China Mengniu Dairy has destroyed milk and products after the government's quality watchdog, the General Administration of Quality Supervision Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), found elevated levels of a carcinogen in a batch of its milk.

The Inner Mongolia-based dairy producer said that AQSIQ testers conducted a random check at one of its plants in Meishan, in the southwestern province of Sichuan, and found excessive aflatoxin - a substance that can cause liver cancer.

The company spokesman Lu Jianjun said cattle that had eaten rotting, mildewed hay produced milk with excess levels of the chemical aflatoxin, reported wsj.com.

"Mengniu plans to increase oversight of its suppliers to ensure that cattle feed is properly stored and doesn't collect mildew. We plan to help farmers more in the future to prevent future incidents," Lu said.

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Source: http://dairy.drinks-business-review.com/news/china-mengniu-dairy-destroys-contaminated-milk-281211

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North Korea calls Kim Jong Un 'supreme leader'

In this image made from KRT video, North Korea's next leader Kim Jong Un is seen during a memorial service for late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011. (AP Photo/KRT via APTN) TV OUT, NORTH KOREA OUT

In this image made from KRT video, North Korea's next leader Kim Jong Un is seen during a memorial service for late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011. (AP Photo/KRT via APTN) TV OUT, NORTH KOREA OUT

In this image made from KRT video, North Korea's next leader Kim Jong Un, 3rd left, and ceremonial head of state Kim Yong Nam, 4th left, bow their head to take a moment of silence during a memorial service for late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011. Kim Jong Un, Kim Jong Il's son and successor, was declared "supreme leader" of North Korea's ruling party, military and the people during a memorial Thursday for his father in the first public endorsement of his leadership by the government. (AP Photo/KRT via APTN) TV OUT, NORTH KOREA OUT

In this image made from KRT video, North Korean military personnel take a moment of silence during a memorial service for late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011. Kim Jong Un, Kim Jong Il's son and successor, was declared "supreme leader" of North Korea's ruling party, military and the people during a memorial Thursday for his father in the first public endorsement of his leadership by the government. (AP Photo/KRT via APTN) TV OUT, NORTH KOREA OUT

In this image made from KRT video, North Koreans gather for a memorial service for late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011. Kim Jong Un, Kim Jong Il's son and successor, was declared "supreme leader" of North Korea's ruling party, military and the people during a memorial Thursday for his father in the first public endorsement of his leadership by the government. (AP Photo/KRT via APTN) TV OUT, NORTH KOREA OUT

In this image made from KRT video, North Korea's next leader Kim Jong Un, 2nd right, and Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly and the ceremonial head of state, right, attend a memorial service for late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011. Kim Jong Un, Kim Jong Il's son and successor was declared "supreme leader" of North Korea's ruling party, military and the people during a memorial Thursday for his father in the first public endorsement of his leadership by the government. (AP Photo/KRT via APTN) TV OUT, NORTH KOREA OUT

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) ? North Korea's power brokers publicly declared Kim Jong Un the country's supreme leader for the first time at a massive public memorial Thursday for his father, cementing the family's hold on power for another generation.

A somber Kim, dubbed the Great Successor, attended the memorial as he stood with his head bowed at the Grand People's Study House, overlooking Kim Il Sung Square, named for his grandfather who founded modern North Korea.

A sea of humanity, including smartly dressed troops and civilians, gathered below him for the memorial that doubled as a show of support for his burgeoning role as leader.

The unequivocal public backing for Kim Jong Un provides a strong signal that government and military officials have unified around him in the wake of his father and long time ruler Kim Jong Il's death Dec. 17.

"Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un is our party, military and country's supreme leader who inherits great comrade Kim Jong Il's ideology, leadership, character, virtues, grit and courage," Kim Yong Nam, considered North Korea's ceremonial head of state, said in a speech.

Kim Jong Un, wearing a dark overcoat, was flanked by top party and military officials, including Kim Jong Il's younger sister, Kim Kyong Hui, and her husband Jang Song Thaek, who are expected to serve as mentors of their young nephew.

"The father's plan is being implemented," Ralph Cossa, president of Pacific Forum CSIS, a Hawaii-based think tank, said of the transfer of power. "All of these guys have a vested interest in the system and a vested interest in demonstrating stability. The last thing they want to do is create havoc."

Still, given Kim Jong Un's inexperience and age ? he is in his late 20s ? there are questions outside North Korea about whether he is equipped to lead a nation engaged in long-stalled negotiations over its nuclear program and grappling with decades of economic hardship and chronic food shortages.

But support among North Korea's power brokers was clear at the memorial service, which was attended by hundreds of thousands of people filling Kim Il Sung Square and other plazas in central Pyongyang.

Thursday's memorial "was an event to publicly reconfirm and solidify" Kim Jong Un's status, said Jeung Young-tae, an analyst with the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul, South Korea.

Life in the North Korean capital came to a standstill as mourners dressed in thick, dark colored jackets blanketed the plaza from the Grand People's Study House to the Taedong River for the second day of funeral ceremonies for the late leader. A giant red placard hanging on the front of a building facing Kim Il Sung Square urged the country to rally around Kim Jong Un.

Kim Jong Il, who led his 24 million people with absolute power for 17 years, died of a heart attack Dec. 17 at age 69, according to state media. He inherited power from his father Kim Il Sung, who died of a heart attack in 1994, in what was the communist world's first hereditary succession.

Attention turned to Kim Jong Un after he was revealed last year as his father's choice among three known sons to carry the Kim dynasty into a third generation.

The process to groom him was rushed compared to the 20 years Kim Jong Il had to prepare to take over from his father, and relied heavily on the Kim family bloodline and legacy as guerrilla fighters and the nation's founders.

Kim Il Sung is North Korea's first and only president; he retains the title "Eternal President" even after his death.

Kim Jong Il held three main positions: chairman of the National Defense Commission, general secretary of the Workers' Party and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army.

According to the constitution, his position as chairman of the National Defense Commission makes him "supreme leader" of North Korea.

Kim Jong Un was made a four-star general last year and appointed a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party. Since his father's death, state media have bestowed on him a series of new titles signaling that his succession campaign was gaining momentum: Great Successor, Supreme Leader and Sagacious Leader.

"Kim Jong Il laid a red silk carpet, and Kim Jong Un only needs to walk on it," Jeung, the South Korean analyst, said.

Last weekend, the Workers' Party newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, called on the younger Kim to step into his father's role as supreme commander of the armed forces.

Kim also is expected to formally assume command of the Workers' Party and become chairman of the party's Central Military Commission, said Yoo Ho-yeol, a professor at Korea University in South Korea.

He may be officially named supreme commander of the military ahead of Jan. 8, which is believed to be his birthday, said Cheong Seong-chang at the Sejong Institute in South Korea.

The aftermath of Kim Jong Il's death has been watched closely for clues about who in the military and Workers' Party will form Kim's inner circle of trusted aides during the sensitive transition to leadership.

Following right behind Kim during a Wednesday funeral procession through Pyongyang streets with Kim Jong Il's hearse was his uncle, Jang Song Thaek, who is a vice chairman of the powerful National Defense Commission and has family ties to the military.

During Thursday's memorial, flags at half-staff fluttered in the wind on the cold winter's day, and people were bundled up in parkas. State TV showed a delegation of foreigners attending the memorial.

They bowed their heads as eight artillery guns fired; military officers removed their hats while the booms resonated across Kim Il Sung Square.

The streets went still again for a three-minute period of silence. Heads bowed, workers paused next to a green train and bystanders stopped where they were, some standing next to their bicycles, as trains and boats sirens blew their horns, according to state media.

___

Associated Press Korea bureau chief Jean H. Lee and writers Hyung-jin Kim, Foster Klug, Scott McDonald and Sam Kim in Seoul, South Korea, contributed to this report. Follow AP's North Korea coverage at twitter.com/newsjean, twitter.com/APklug and twitter.com/samkim_ap.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-12-29-AS-Kim-Jong-Il/id-004914e49bcc44b29d35b75142dae736

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Friday's Pennsylvania high school football scores

Friday's high school results from around Pennsylvania:

Abington 42, Harry S. Truman 6

Abington Heights 10, Valley View 7

Academy Park 34, Chichester 0

Aliquippa 29, Ellwood City 7

Avonworth 7, Pittsburgh North Catholic 0

Bald Eagle Area 34, Juniata 20

Bangor 28, Catasauqua 25

Beaver Area 37, Mohawk 7

Beaver Falls 35, Freedom 7

Belle Vernon 45, South Park 14

Bellefonte 38, Huntingdon 35

Bellwood-Antis 53, Moshannon Valley 6

Berlin-Brothersvalley 49, Meyersdale 14

Berwick 22, Tunkhannock 21

Bethel Park 42, Canon-McMillan 13

Bethlehem Liberty 34, Emmaus 21

Big Spring 41, Waynesboro 6

Bishop Carroll 26, Bishop Guilfoyle 6

Blackhawk 35, Ambridge 0

Blue Mountain 50, Kutztown 15

Boiling Springs 44, Susquenita 0

Boyertown 26, Perkiomen Valley 14

Brockway 41, Curwensville 26

Brookville 57, Clarion-Limestone 13

California 41, West Greene 12

Cambridge Springs 24, Union City 6

Cameron County 34, Coudersport 8

Camp Hill 34, ELCO 14

Camp Hill Trinity 41, East Pennsboro 10

Cardinal O'Hara 30, Red Lion Christian Academy, Del. 0

Carlynton 35, Avella 14

Carmichaels 27, Jefferson-Morgan 21

Central Bucks East 7, Pennridge 0

Central Martinsburg 42, Lewistown 7

Central York 31, Spring Grove 12

Charleroi 21, Waynesburg Central 8

Chartiers-Houston 21, Brentwood 7

Chestnut Ridge 50, Keystone 6

Clairton 60, Bentworth 0

Clearfield 56,

Philipsburg-Osceola 25

Coatesville 42, Bishop Shanahan 22

Cocalico 42, Lebanon 35

Communications Tech 14, Bok 6

Conemaugh Township 21, Portage Area 14

Conestoga Valley 25, Solanco 13

Conrad Weiser 49, Muhlenberg 34

Cornell 48, Shenango 14

Corry 13, North East 7

Council Rock South 35, Bensalem 7

Cumberland Valley 30, Central Dauphin 10

Dallas 21, Wyoming Valley West 17

Dallastown Area 21, South Western 7

Daniel Boone 39, Reading 33, 2OT

Danville 49, Jersey Shore 7

Deer Lakes 35, West Shamokin 0

Delaware Valley 20, North Pocono 12

Delone 42, Bermudian Springs 27

Dobbins 42, Martin Luther King 8

Donegal 20, Annville-Cleona 13

Downingtown West 30, West Chester Henderson 23

Dunmore 39, Honesdale 6

East Stroudsburg North 47, Pocono Mountain East 21

East Stroudsburg South 35, Lehighton 12

Easton 49, Allentown Dieruff 0

Elk County Catholic 27, Kane Area 13

Elwood City Riverside 48, Southmoreland 28

Episcopal Academy 40, Wissahickon 12

Erie Central 27, Seneca 16

Exeter 35, Twin Valley 20

Farrell 41, Linesville 21

Fels 44, Olney 22

Forest Hills 48, Central Cambria 13

Fort Cherry 42, Serra Catholic 0

Franklin Regional 48, Uniontown 10

Frazier 36, Mapletown 6

Freeport 35, Apollo-Ridge 7

Garden Spot 20, Elizabethtown 0

Gateway 33, Hempfield Area 0

General McLane 38, Bradford 13

Girard 24, Fort Leboeuf 12

Gratz 14, Latin Charter 12

Greater Johnstown 35, Bedford 8

Greencastle Antrim 61, Gettysburg 13

Greensburg Central Catholic 35, Brownsville 13

Greensburg Salem 48, Derry 13

Greenville 35, Northwestern 14

Grove City 7, Wilmington 3

Harbor Creek 27, Titusville 0

Hazleton Area 28, Crestwood 26

Hickory 28, Karns City 14

Hollidaysburg 44, Albert Gallatin 21

Homer-Center 28, Purchase Line 20

Hopewell 28, New Castle 26

Hughesville 35, Loyalsock 21

Indian Valley 43, Penns Valley 13

Jeanette 49, Yough 6

Jim Thorpe 21, Minersville 14

Johnsonburg 41, Ridgway 0

Juniata Valley 28, Glendale 20

Knoch 27, Indiana 7

Lake-Lehman 21, Northwest Area 12

Lakeland 35, Carbondale 14

Lampeter-Strasburg 27, Manheim Central 24

Lancaster Catholic 41, Pequea Valley 7

Lancaster McCaskey 20, Penn Manor 14

Langley 30, Westinghouse 8

Latrobe 31, Hampton 7

Laurel 19, New Brighton 7

Leechburg 2, Northgate 0

Lewisburg 31, Montoursville 3

Ligonier Valley 42, Marion Center 7

Line Mountain 55, Tri-Valley 14

LIttlestown 65, Eastern York 3

Manheim Township 70, Cedar Crest 40

Mars 21, Highlands 0

McKeesport 31, Penn-Trafford 28

Meadville 21, Dubois 14

Mid Valley 22, Lackawanna Trail 12

Millersburg 35, East Juniata 14

Monessen 20, Bethlehem Center 6

Moniteau 34, Union 0

Monsignor Bonner 31, Chestnut Hill 20

Montgomery 42, Bucktail 38

Montour 12, Central Valley 7

Mount Carmel 41, Central Columbia 0

Mount Lebanon 31, Baldwin 21

Mount Pleasant 22, East Allegheny 20

Muncy 42, Canton 6

Nanticoke Area 44, Holy Redeemer 38

Nazareth 56, Bethlehem Catholic 28

Neshaminy 35, Council Rock North 8

Neshannock 20, Union Area 14

New Oxford 21, Northeastern 14

North Allegheny 49, Kiski Area 7

North Hills 34, Butler 0

North Penn 38, Central Bucks West 7

North Penn-Blossburg 47, Athens 6

North Schuylkill 49, Tamaqua 0

North Star 49, Rockwood 26

Northampton 21, Bethlehem Freedom Bethlehem 14

Northern Bedford 49, Tussey Mountain 6

Northern Cambria 34, Blairsville 16

Northern Lebanon 20, Columbia 15

Northern Lehigh 35, Pen Argyl 20

Northern York 61, James Buchanan 6

Northwestern Lehigh 35, Palmerton 22

Norwin 40, Connellsville 0

Oil City 49, Erie Strong Vincent 21

Old Forge 53, Montrose 16

Otto-Eldred 10, Sheffield 8

Owen J Roberts 55, Upper Perkiomen 20

Palmyra 27, Middletown 13

Panther Valley 24, Marian Catholic 21

Parkland 41, Allentown Allen 0

Penn Cambria 22, Cambria Heights 20

Penn Hills 17, Altoona 9

Penns Manor 14, United 6

Perry Traditional Academy 40, Allderdice 0

Philadelphia Central 19, Imhotep Charter 12

Philadelphia George Washington 39, Germantown 0

Philadelphia Northeast 43, Abraham Lincoln 18

Pine-Richland 37, Seneca Valley 29

Pittsburgh Central Catholic 33, Plum 6

Pleasant Valley 40, Pocono Mountain West 22

Pottsgrove 20, Spring-Ford 14

Pottsville 35, Governor Mifflin 28

Prep Charter 24, Fitzsimons 0

Punxsutawney 35, Clarion 0

Quaker Valley 42, Burgettstown 26

Quakertown 41, Central Bucks South 34

Radnor 46, Harriton 21

Red Land 28, Mechanicsburg 26

Red Lion 32, York 20

Richland 43, Somerset 14

Ridley 28, Conestoga 14

Ringgold 61, Laurel Highlands 7

Riverside 44, Western Wayne 23

Riverview 48, Our Lady Of Sacred Heart 0

Saegertown 40, Maplewood 0

Saltsburg 12, Shade 7

Saucon Valley 54, Salisbury 8

Schuylkill Valley 36, Reading Central Catholic 7

Selinsgrove 24, Shikellamy 21

Shady Side Academy 20, Burrell 14

Shaler 43, Erie McDowell 42, 2OT

Shamokin 35, Milton 7

Sharon 56, Slippery Rock 8

Sharpsville 34, Lakeview 0

Shenandoah Valley 16, Schuylkill Haven 14

Shippensburg 56, West Perry 13

Souderton 42, Hatboro-Horsham 7

South Philadelphia 20, Edison 0

Southern Columbia 41, Bloomsburg 14

Southern Huntingdon 34, Everett 20

Southern Lehigh 46, Notre Dame-Green Pond 0

Springdale 42, Geibel Catholic 2

Springfield Delco 56, Penncrest 14

Springfield Monco 14, Calvary Christian 0

St. Joseph's Prep 21, Archbishop Ryan 10

St. Marys 28, Redbank 14

State College 46, Carlisle 10

Steel Valley 48, Washington 33

Steelton-Highspire 45, Milton Hershey 35

Strath Haven 35, Marple Newtown 13

Susquehanna Township 35, Lower Dauphin 17

The Hill School 21, Peddie, N.J. 0

Thomas Jefferson 42, Chartiers Valley 21

Towanda 49, Mifflinburg 27

Tower Hill, Del. 22, George School 14

Trinity 23, Elizabeth Forward 0

Tyrone 28, Central Mountain 0

Unionville 24, Oxford 21

Upper Darby 34, Garnet Valley 14

Upper Dublin 33, Plymouth-Whitemarsh 27

Upper Moreland 17, Norristown 14

Upper St. Clair 28, Peters Township 16

Warren 59, Franklin 6

Warrior Run 35, South Williamsport 12

Warwick 35, Ephrata 28

West Allegheny 48, Moon 7

West Chester Rustin 39, Great Valley 7

West Lawn Wilson 35, Hempfield 0

West Middlesex 46, Conneaut Lake 14

West Mifflin 20, McGuffey 0

West Scranton 34, Scranton 8

West York 38, Susquehannock 0

Wilkes-Barre Coughlin 28, Stroudsburg 20

Wilkes-Barre GAR 21, Hanover Area 20

Williams Valley 48, Halifax 6

Williamsburg 8, Mount Union 7

Williamsport 46, Pittston Area 35

Woodland Hills 38, Fox Chapel 7

Wyalusing 41, Wellsboro 6

Wyoming Area 26, Wilkes-Barre Meyers 13

Wyomissing 37, Hamburg 20

York Catholic 48, Biglerville 6

York Suburban 28, Fairfield 0

Youngsville 24, Eisenhower 13

Source: http://www.inyork.com/ci_16294053?source=rss_viewed

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60beat GamePad connects to iOS devices, requests 50 bucks for the privilege

iOS devices certainly aren't lacking for gaming accessories, but we're always willing to welcome a new contender. 60beat believes it's got the ideal solution in the shape of this familiar-looking controller. It connects to an iPhone, iPad or iPod through the headphone jack and offers up some familiar gaming options in the shape of dual-analog sticks and digital inputs. Unfortunately, the controller's been saddled with a $50 price tag and is only fully enabled with two games. More games are promised for next year, and here's hoping they'll include some big hitters. Anyone rolling in cash money can check out 60beat's hard sell -- and some unusual spa relaxation music -- in its promo vid right after the break.

Continue reading 60beat GamePad connects to iOS devices, requests 50 bucks for the privilege

60beat GamePad connects to iOS devices, requests 50 bucks for the privilege originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Dec 2011 05:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  60beat  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/29/60beat-gamepad-connects-to-ios-devices-requests-50-bucks-for-th/

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Rookie mistake: Markieff Morris' NBA debut ends on tough turnover

Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris by ngerik

Markieff Morris (Phoenix Suns) played 25 good minutes and one bad second for the Suns in a close loss to the New Orleans Hornets on Monday. Markieff scored seven points (1 of 3 threes) with nine rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks (full stats here).

Markieff?s NBA debut was equal parts good and bad.

The good? Markieff showed off his all-around game again, but didn?t foul out (only four fouls after collecting six in each of the Suns? two preseason games). Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry also trusted Markieff enough to leave him on the floor in a one-point game with 4.2 seconds left.

The bad?

Markieff tried to get the ball to Suns point guard Steve Nash, threw the ball away with a second left and the Suns lost (video).

After the game, Markieff talked to the Arizona Republic:

?I just rushed it,? Morris said. ?It was my first situation. I just tried to get the ball out of my hands basically and made a bad pass.?

Nash took some responsibility for the turnover, too. From the Republic:

The play was designed for Nash to inbound to Morris and get a return pass, but Nash widened out to avoid an area where Trevor Ariza was guarding Grant Hill.

?I told him it was a tough play when we haven?t really played together,? Nash said. ?It?s as much my fault as his.?

After the game, Gentry called Markieff ?a work in progress.? But both Nash and Suns center Robin Lopez praised Markieff for his hustle and physical play.

You can watch Markieff?s full postgame interview here (listen for a Kansas mention at the end).

---

More from Monday

• Brandon Rush (Golden State Warriors) played another solid game for the Warriors on Monday. Rush logged 26 minutes (fifth-most on the team) and scored five points with three rebounds, two blocks, an assist, a steal and a three (full stats here). Warriors coach Mark Jackson spoke to the Bay Area News Group about Rush?s playing time:

"He's earned those minutes from the first day he came to this team," Jackson said. "He's not going to hurt you. He's going to make solid plays. He's going to rebound the basketball and he's going to battle defensively. ... There's a reason why we wanted him."

Golden State Warriors' Brandon Rush by ngerik

• Marcus Morris (Houston Rockets) only played four minutes against the Orlando Magic in his first official NBA game. In those four minutes, Marcus committed two fouls and missed two three-pointers (full stats here).

• Drew Gooden (Milwaukee Bucks) did not start for the Bucks on Monday and played just 14 minutes against the Charlotte Bobcats before being ejected from the game. Gooden scored four points on four shots with five rebounds, two assists and a block (full stats here). Bucks coach Scott Skiles told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Gooden will be the team?s primary backup center instead of a starter.

As for the ejection: Gooden fouled the Bobcats? Gerald Henderson as Henderson was driving for a layup. The officials called a flagrant foul on the play and sent Gooden home early. Video of the foul here, with commentary by some very enthusiastic Bobcats announcers:

• Nick Collison (Oklahoma City Thunder) scored five points with two rebounds, two assists and a block in 22 minutes against the Minnesota Timberwolves (full stats here).

• Cole Aldrich (Oklahoma City Thunder) dressed but did not play (coach?s decision) in his return to his home state of Minnesota on Monday. 1500ESPN spoke to Thunder coach Scott Brooks about Aldrich, who hasn?t played in either of the Thunder?s two games this year:

"I think he came back in a good place," Brooks said. "One of the things about this league is that it's difficult to step in and play.

"Only a few players can do that and have success. Cole didn't play a lot last year, but he learned a lot. He learned how this league works and learned about our system and this personnel in this league. I thought he came back a better player."

• Josh Selby (Memphis Grizzlies) also did not play (coach?s decision).

---

Other notes

• Greg Ostertag should be assigned to a D-League team this afternoon, if last week?s reports are correct. If you can?t wait until tomorrow?s recap, check out the D-League?s official Twitter account or Scott Schroeder, who originally broke the news and is on top of various D-League happenings.

• Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics) is still day-to-day with his heel injury, according to the Boston Globe. He did not practice on Monday, and the Globe suggests he might be out until the Celtics? home opener on Friday.

• Since commenter kusportsdotcom asked: Sherron Collins (Hacettepe University) and Russell Robinson (Trabzonspor), who both play in the Turkish Basketball League, will face off next on March 17, 2012. The two teams played each other on Dec. 3, and Collins scored 13 points with eight rebounds and five assists while Robinson registered no points with six rebounds and three assists (full stats from that game here).

---

Jayhawks in upcoming NBA games

Tuesday, Dec. 27

• 7 p.m., TNT, Paul Pierce (if healthy) and the Boston Celtics vs. Mario Chalmers and the Miami Heat

• 7:30 p.m., Drew Gooden and the Milwaukee Bucks vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves

Source: http://www.lawrence.com/weblogs/hawks_nba/2011/dec/27/rookie-mistake-markieff-morris-nba-debut/

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Futures off ahead of factory, home price data (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) ? Stock index futures were lower on Tuesday as investors found little reason to make big bets in what was expected to be a light-volume session following the previous week's gains.

The S&P 500 has risen for four straight sessions and turned positive for the year on Friday. Improving economic data helped boost equities last week. The gains were amplified by the light pre-holiday trading.

Investors looked ahead to November Midwest manufacturing data, scheduled for release at 8:30 a.m. EST as well as S&P/Case-Shiller home price data for October due at 9 a.m. EST and the December consumer confidence report at 10 a.m. EST.

Home prices are seen edging lower from the previous month, while the confidence reading is seen rising to 58.3 from 56.0.

The data comes after better-than-expected housing and jobless claims data last week that confirmed a slowly improving economy.

S&P 500 futures fell 3.1 points and below fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures slipped 18 points, and Nasdaq 100 futures were off 2 points.

Markets were flat globally following the long Christmas weekend, with European stocks dipping 0.01 percent.

Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) is lagging behind major U.S. competitors in complying with new capital rules, leading the bank to consider even more asset sales, sources said. Shares of the Dow component edged 0.7 percent lower to $5.56 in premarket trading.

Sears Holdings Corp (SHLD.O) plans to close 100-120 Kmart and Sears full-line stores and sees its adjusted fourth-quarter earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization falling by more than half from a year ago.

Equities extended their gains to close out a fourth straight winning session on Friday after the strong economic data. In addition, investors hope Congressional approval of a two-month extension of a payroll tax cut will help boost growth in 2012.

(Reporting By Ryan Vlastelica; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111227/bs_nm/us_markets_stocks

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Chanukah celebration at North Shore Congregation Israel

Dave Iskowich stands over his daughter, Annaliese, age 6, during a menorah lighting as part of a Chanukah celebration at The North Shore Congregation Israel. | Jerry Daliege~for Sun-Times Media

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Related Documents

?

Updated: December 27, 2011 11:42PM

Glencoe?s North Shore Congregation Israel held a special Chanukah celebration on Friday evening, followed by a lighting ceremony and latke fest.

Source: http://highlandpark.suntimes.com/news/9627905-417/chanukah-celebration-at-north-shore-congregation-israel.html

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Ex-Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky reportedly looking to do interviews over alleged abuse

Jerry Sandusky

(Credit: CBS)

(CBS) STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Ex-Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky and his wife, Dottie, are looking to sit down and interivew with Oprah, "60 Minutes," Barbara Walters, or the new "Rock Center" with Brian Williams, says his lawyer Joe Amendola.

Pictures: Who's who in the Penn State child sex abuse scandal

FOX News says accused child molester Sandusky and his wife are reportedly contemplating doing a joint TV interview early next year, according to Amendola.

Sandusky has spoken briefly to reporters but has not yet done a full, sit-down interview with the media.

In an interview with Bob Costas on "Rock Center," Costas described Sandusky's answers about whether he was sexually attracted to young boys as being "somewhat odd."

In a New York Times online interview, Sandusky also denied the sex abuse charges.

Complete coverage of the Penn State child-sex abuse scandal on Crimesider

Source: http://feeds.cbsnews.com/~r/cbsnews/feed/~3/YM6N0mPKIek/

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Pitino: Plans to quit when contract ends in 2017

	Essential News from The Associated Press

? ?Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-12-27-BKC-Louisville-Pitino/id-d255cdefa2ac4f4eaf08f2386970cf0f

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Riders stuck on snow-trapped train sue NY agency

NEW YORK?? Subway riders stuck for eight hours in a train during a blizzard last year are suing a New York City transportation agency.

They say in court papers filed Tuesday they had no heat, food or water while the Metropolitan Transportation Authority kept promising help.

The city was all but paralyzed Dec. 26, 2010, because of the blizzard. Two feet of snow were piled around an A train in Queens. Inside were about 500 passengers. Twenty-two of them filed the suit in Queens state Supreme Court, seeking unspecified damages from a division of the MTA.

Attorney Aymen Aboushi (EYE'-men ah-BOOH'-shee) says he's handling the case pro bono in hopes of forcing changes in the emergency response system to avert a similar nightmare.

The MTA says it has implemented changes to improve performance in future storms.

___

Associated Press writer Samantha Gross contributed to this report.

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/45799442/ns/travel-news/

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US warns Iran against closing key oil passage

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? The U.S. strongly warned Iran on Wednesday against closing a vital Persian Gulf waterway that carries one-sixth of the world's oil supply, after Iran threatened to choke off traffic through the Strait of Hormuz if Washington imposes sanctions targeting the country's crude exports.

The increasingly heated exchange raises new tensions in a standoff that has the potential to spark military reprisals and spike oil prices to levels that could batter an already fragile global economy.

Iran's navy chief said Wednesday that it would be "very easy" for his country's forces to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the passage at the mouth of the Persian Gulf through which about 15 million barrels of oil pass daily. It was the second such warning by Iran in two days, reflecting Tehran's concern that the West is about to impose new sanctions that could hit the country's biggest source of revenue, oil.

"Iran has comprehensive control over the strategic waterway," Adm. Habibollah Sayyari told state-run Press TV, as the country was in the midst of a 10-day military drill near the strategic waterway.

The comments drew a quick response from the U.S.

"This is not just an important issue for security and stability in the region, but is an economic lifeline for countries in the Gulf, to include Iran," Pentagon press secretary George Little said. "Interference with the transit or passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz will not be tolerated."

Separately, Bahrain-based U.S. Navy 5th Fleet spokeswoman Lt. Rebecca Rebarich said the Navy is "always ready to counter malevolent actions to ensure freedom of navigation."

Rebarich declined to say whether the U.S. force had adjusted its presence or readiness in the Gulf in response to Iran's comments, but said the Navy "maintains a robust presence in the region to deter or counter destabilizing activities, while safeguarding the region's vital links to the international community."

Iran's threat to seal off the Gulf, surrounded by oil-rich Gulf states, reflect its concerns over the prospect that the Obama administration will impose sanctions over its nuclear program that would severely hit its biggest revenue source. Iran is the world's fourth-largest oil producer, pumping about 4 million barrels a day.

Gulf Arab nations appeared ready to at least ease market tensions. A senior Saudi Arabian oil official told The Associated Press that Gulf Arab nations are ready to step in to offset any potential loss of exports from Iran. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the issue.

Saudi Arabia, which has been producing about 10 million barrels per day, has an overall production capacity of over 12 million barrels per day and is widely seen as the only OPEC member with sufficient spare capacity to offset major shortages.

What remains unclear is what routes the Gulf nations could take to move the oil to markets if Iran goes through with its threat.

About 15 million barrels per day pass through the Hormuz Strait, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

There are some pipelines that could be tapped, but Gulf oil leaders, who met in Cairo on Dec. 24, declined to say whether they had discussed alternate routes or what they may be.

The Saudi official's comment, however, appeared to allay some concerns. The U.S. benchmark crude futures contract fell $1.98 by the close of trading Wednesday on the New York Mercantile Exchange, but still hovered just below $100 per barrel.

U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner played down the Iranian threats as "rhetoric," saying, "we've seen these kinds of comments before."

While the Obama administration has warned Iran that it would not tolerate attempts to disrupt traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. officials do not see any indication that the situation will come to that. Nor do they believe that Iran, which is already under increasing pressure from sanctions, would risk disrupting the Strait because doing so would further damage Iran's own economy.

Instead, the administration believes Iran is playing the only card it has left: issuing threats and attempting to shift focus away from its own behavior.

U.S. officials have not said whether there is a concrete response plan in place should Iran seek to block the Strait. But the administration has long said it is comfortable with the U.S. Naval presence in the region, indicating that the U.S. could respond rapidly if needed.

The White House has been largely silent on Iran's threat, underscoring the administration's belief that responding at the White House level would only encourage Iran.

While many analysts believe that Iran's warnings are little more than posturing, they still highlight both the delicate nature of the oil market, which moves as much on rhetoric as supply and demand fundamentals.

Iran relies on crude sales for about 80 percent of its public revenues, and sanctions or even a pre-emptive measure by Tehran to withhold its crude from the market would already batter its flailing economy.

IHS Global Insight analyst Richard Cochrane said in a report Wednesday that markets are "jittery over the possibility" of Iran's blockading the strait. But "such action would also damage Iran's economy, and risk retaliation from the U.S. and allies that could further escalate instability in the region."

"Accordingly, it is not likely to be a decision that the Iranian leadership will take lightly," he said.

Earlier sanctions targeting the oil and financial sector added new pressures to the country's already struggling economy. Government cuts in subsidies on key goods like food and energy have angered Iranians, stoking inflation while the country's currency steadily depreciates.

The impetus behind the subsidies cut plan, pushed through parliament by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was to reduce budget costs and would pass money directly to the poor. But critics have pointed to it as another in a series of bad policy moves by the hardline president.

So far, Western nations have been unable to agree on sanctions targeting oil exports, even as they argue that Iran is trying to develop a nuclear weapon. Tehran maintains its nuclear program ? already the subject of several rounds of sanctions ? is purely peaceful.

The U.S. Congress has passed a bill that penalizes foreign firms that do business with the Iran Central Bank, a move that would heavily hurt Iran's ability to export crude. European and Asian nations use the bank for transactions to import Iranian oil.

President Barack Obama has said he will sign the bill despite his misgivings. China and Russia have opposed such measures.

Sanctions specifically targeting Iran's oil exports would likely temporarily spike oil prices to levels that could weigh heavily on the world economy.

Closing the Strait of Hormuz would hit even harder. Energy consultant and trader The Schork Group estimated crude would jump to above $140 per barrel. Conservatives in Iran claim global oil prices will jump to $250 a barrel should the waterway be closed.

By closing the strait, Iran may aim to send the message that its pain from sanctions will also be felt by others. But it has equally compelling reasons not to try.

The move would put the country's hardline regime straight in the cross-hairs of the world, including nations that have so far been relative allies. Much of Iran's crude goes to Europe and to Asia.

"Shutting down the strait ... is the last bullet that Iran has and therefore we have to express some doubt that they would do this and at the same time lose their support from China and Russia," said analyst Olivier Jakob of Petromatrix in Switzerland.

Iran has adopted an aggressive military posture in recent months in response to increasing threats from the U.S. and Israel of possible military action to stop Iran's nuclear program.

The Iranian navy's exercises, which began on Saturday, involve submarines, missile drills, torpedoes and drones. A senior Iranian commander said Wednesday that the country's navy is also planning to test advanced missiles and "smart" torpedoes during the maneuvers.

The war games cover a 1,250-mile (2,000-kilometer) stretch off the Strait of Hormuz, northern parts of the Indian Ocean and into the Gulf of Aden near the entrance to the Red Sea and could bring Iranian ships into proximity with U.S. Navy vessels in the area.

The moderate news website, irdiplomacy.ir, says the show of strength is intended to send a message to the West that Iran is capable of sealing off the waterway.

"The war games ... are a warning to the West that should oil and central bank sanctions be stepped up, (Iran) is able to cut the lifeblood of the West and Arabs," it said, adding that the West "should regard the maneuvers as a direct message."

___

El-Tablawy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Adam Schreck in Dubai, Julie Pace in Honolulu, Hawaii, and Abdullah Shihri in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, contributed.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2011-12-28-ML-Iran-Oil/id-640496e272944a559614bf7d80a1678e

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