blogmylife

Govt defends right to hold accused enemy combatant

2012-03-15T07:15:00.000-07:00

A lower court should be able to resolve a challenge to President Bush's authority to detain the only suspected enemy combatant held on U.S. soil, the federal government said in a brief filed Friday to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Solicitor General Gregory Garre wrote that a challenge by Ali al-Marri of his enemy combatant designation can be resolved in federal court in South Carolina, where he is detained. Recently, former generals and U.S. Justice Department officials filed briefs on his behalf exhorting the high court to review Bush administration authority to continue holding the Qatar native as an enemy combatant.

Al-Marri, a legal U.S. resident, has been …

KENTUCKY DERBY: ; Potential Lasix ban could have negative impact, trainer says; Wood Memorial winner Toby's Corner withdraws

2012-03-15T04:50:00.000-07:00

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Kelly Breen has a lot on his mind these days.

The trainer is trying to win his first Kentucky Derby on Saturdaywith Pants On Fire.

Breen is also deeply worried about the future of Monmouth Park,his home track in New Jersey.

However, the topic that has Breen most fired up is thepossibility of federal legislation being introduced this week - daysbefore the Derby - to ban all raceday medications.

Breen is concerned that the ban would sweep away commonly useddrugs like Lasix, a diuretic that controls exercise-inducedrespiratory bleeding.

"Lasix is a therapeutic drug," Breen said.

"Studies have been done that show …

North Korea Gets Oil for Closing Reactor

2012-03-15T02:29:00.000-07:00

PYONGYANG, North Korea - U.N. inspectors arrived in North Korea on Saturday to monitor the communist country's long-anticipated promise to scale back its nuclear weapons program, while the top U.S. nuclear envoy said he expected Pyongyang's reactor to be shut down in a matter of days.

An initial shipment of oil aid arrived hours earlier Saturday, in return for Pyongyang's pledge to close down its main nuclear reactor. The move would be the North's first step in nearly five years toward the de-nuclearization of the peninsula.

The 10-member team from the International Atomic Energy Agency was heading directly to Yongbyon, about 60 miles northeast of the capital, to begin …

European stocks edge up ahead of rate decisions

2012-03-15T00:05:00.000-07:00

European stock markets edged higher Thursday after two days of losses as investors positioned themselves for key statements on central bank plans and new jobs data.

The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was up 6.62 points, or 0.2 percent, at 4,390.04, while Germany's DAX rose 33.85 points, or 0.7 percent, at 5,088.38. The CAC-40 in France was 31.50 points, or 1 percent, higher at 3,341.15.

European stocks fell sharply on Wednesday after disappointing U.S. economic data stoked renewed concerns about the state of the world's largest economy ahead of a crucial jobs report at the end of the week.

Those concerns spilled through into the Asian …

National League

2012-03-14T21:45:00.000-07:00

reds 6, brewers 1

Milwaukee Cincinnati

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Weeks 2b 3 0 0 0 Stubbs cf 3 1 0 0

Hart rf 4 0 0 0 Heisey rf 4 1 1 0

Braun lf 4 0 0 0 Votto 1b 2 0 0 0

Fielder 1b 4 0 1 0 Rolen 3b 3 0 2 2

McGeh 3b 4 0 1 0 Gomes lf 4 0 0 0

L.Cain cf 4 1 1 0 RHrndz c 2 0 0 0

AEscor ss 3 0 1 0 BPhllps pr 0 1 0 0

Lucroy c 3 0 0 0 Alonso ph 1 0 0 0

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Brddck p 0 0 0 0 Janish ss 4 1 1 0

Inglett ph 1 0 0 0 Cueto p 2 0 1 0

Jeffrss p 0 0 0 0 Chpmn p 0 0 0 0

Hanign ph-c …

SDEROT REALITY

2012-03-14T19:24:00.000-07:00

REPORT FROM THE WAR FRONT: THOUSANDS OF KASSAMS ARE FALLING. WHEN WILL IT STOP?

SDEROT - From January 1 to 20th (the day I write this), over 430 kassam missiles and mortars were launched towards Sderot, the Western Negev and Ashkelon, according to the IDF spokesman.

In 2007, over 2,300 missiles and mortars were launched towards Israel from Gaza.

How many thousands of Kassam missiles will be launched in the year 2008 towards Israel?

Living through 200 rockets launched in the past few days towards Sderot means:

* Hearing the screeching siren - "Red Color" (Tseva Adorn) - every time a rocket is launched;

* Running for cover in the 15 seconds …

A glance at small parties running in Italy's general election

2012-03-14T17:04:00.000-07:00

There are 32 candidates for premier backed by dozens of parties and groups running in Italy's general election. Here is a look at some of the small parties and candidates trailing the front-runners, Silvio Berlusconi and Walter Veltroni:

THE RAINBOW LEFT: A grouping of far-left parties, allies of the outgoing governing coalition, that formed after Veltroni decided his moderate Democratic Party would run alone.

_ The group, expected to be the third political force behind the two major blocs, includes Communists, Greens and other leftists.

_ Fausto Bertinotti, 68, the outgoing speaker of the lower house of Parliament and a longtime Communist …

Ponting named player of year

2012-03-14T14:43:00.000-07:00

Cricket: Australia's Ricky Ponting has been named ICC cricketer ofthe year, ahead of England's Kevin Pietersen.

England's Michael Vaughan was a surprise inclusion in the year'sbest Test side.

Ponting was also named captain of the year after leading his sideto their third successive World Cup title.

Pakistan's Mohammad Yousuf was top Test player while AussieMatthew Hayden took the one-day version.

cycling: Mark Cavendish extended his overall lead in the Tour ofBritain by winning the first stage into Southampton.

The Manx rider, who won Sunday's prologue, came home in a bunchsprint ahead of Belgian Steven Caethoven.

He was led out by Roger …

Calgary school beats the odds

2012-03-14T12:23:00.000-07:00

The sunlight beaming into the atrium of the new Menno Simons Christian School in Calgary was almost as bright as the beaming faces of students, parents and staff who gathered on September 4 to cut the ribbon for the new building.

"People were skeptical because on June 17 there was not one piece of steel above ground," said Janice Rempel, board chair. "But here we are!" Genesis Corporation had said that the school would not be completed by September but that all of the classrooms, common areas and offices would be functional. Teachers and volunteers moved shelves, boxes and posters into the building over the weekend just in time for classes to …

China shares fall, tracking Wall Street drop; investors worried by pending IPOs

2012-03-14T10:03:00.000-07:00

Chinese shares fell back Tuesday, reflecting unease after an overnight decline on Wall Street and worries over pending initial public offerings.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index fell 1.8 percent, or 52.70 points, to 2,850.31. The Shenzhen Composite Index lost 1.5 percent to 855.84.

"In my view, today's drop was because of the decline in the U.S.," said Zhai Peng, a strategist at Guotai Junan Securities in Shanghai.

But he noted that news of plans by China Nanche Corp., a state-owned locomotive manufacturer, for an initial public offering early next month also cast a pall on buying sentiment.

"This has made the …

The parachute brigade ; Marico is an Indian multinational with a difference it is powering its overseas business by becoming a part of life in West Asia, Africa and even Bangladesh.

2012-03-14T07:42:00.000-07:00

Marico was in a fix: its Parachute hair oil was a hit withIndians in the Gulf, but why were Arabs shunning it? Well,apparently because they preferred hair creams to oils. Word wentback to headquarters in Mumbai: Send cream, not oil. The result:Parachute Advanse Hair Nourishment Cream, launched in the UAE in2001. Since then, Marico's sales in the region have never slowed.Better still, Marico decided to try the cream back on its home turfand launched it in 2005 as an after-shower cream, and now has 19 percent of the hair creams and gels segment.

Little wonder that Marico today has a Rs 500-crore internationalbusiness group with a footprint in West Asia and Africa, …

this month's topic: Valves

2012-03-14T05:22:00.000-07:00

Shut-Off Valve is Suitable for Demanding Environments

With no wetted metals or external fasteners, this 1/2-in. air-operated shutoff valve can be used in high-purity or corrosive environments. Designed for liquid service at pressures ranging from full vacuum to 150 psi, the valve's outlet pressure (backpressure) can be as high as the inlet pressure without affecting performance. The internal metal springs are isolated from the process liquid by redundant seals made of either Viton or EPDM. Body materials are polypropylene or polyvinyl chloride.

Plast-O-Matic Valves, Inc.

www.plastomatic.com

Single-Flange Assemblies Provide a Compact Solution

Kenmac …

Yellow Lantern heralds spring

2012-03-14T02:47:00.000-07:00

In the waning days of winter, the wonderfully fuzzy buds of Yellow Lantern cucumber magnolia (Magnolia acuminata "Yellow Lantern") flowers become plump, signaling that spring is approaching. But Yellow Lantern bides its time. Its pale yellow flowers don't appear until after the risk of bud-zapping frosts has diminished, making Yellow Lantern a good magnolia for area gardens.

In May or early June, tuliplike flowers 2 to 4 inches long make the wait worthwhile. Sitting upright on twig tips, Yellow Lantern flowers are both pleasantly fragrant and long lasting. While arguably not as showy as the flowers of other magnolia species, its aristocratic charms are undeniable. And because it's a hybrid of a Midwestern native species, Yellow Lantern feels at home in area landscapes.

This spring-flowering tree offers summer and fall features as well. Among its large, dark green leaves are 3-inch green fruits resembling tiny cucumbers, hence its common name: cucumber magnolia (or cucumber tree magnolia). In fall, fruits become pinkish-red and dark red seeds pop to the surface, providing bursts of color in fall's golden foliage.

Yellow Lantern cucumber magnolia grows 25 feet tall, making it a good shade tree for smaller yards. It can be planted in early spring in a location with full sun to partial shade in moist, well-drained soil. Cucumber tree is pH adaptable, but prefers a lower pH, more acidic soil. It has no serious disease or insect problems, but is intolerant of urban air pollution. Yellow Lantern offers its multiseason rewards to patient gardeners. It can take up to 12 years before trees begin blooming. As with all spring-flowering trees, when pruning is needed, do it immediately after flowering. This helps to preserve the maximum number of fuzzy flower buds and pale yellow flowers the following spring.

CAPTURE AND USE, OR LOSE

An important benefit of a green roof is its ability to quickly absorb large amounts of rainwater. This helps to prevent heavy downpours from overloading sewer systems, and puts rainfall to good use watering plants that provide other important benefits. Rooftop soils slowly release excess rainwater over time, when sewers again have capacity.

But what can you do if you don't have a green roof but have problems with runoff from roofs, driveways, patios or slopes? A rain garden just might be the answer. Rain gardens not only help to remedy storm water problems, they cycle rainfall back into the natural system of local groundwater. Rather than flowing away in sewers, water is captured, allowing it to percolate and refill streams, aquifers and wells.

A rain garden can be created in a shallow depression where water naturally collects. Or a depression can be excavated and bermed close to the source of a runoff. To avoid problems with seepage, keep rain gardens at least 10 feet from a house or other built structures.

Line the perimeter of the depression with trees, shrubs and plants that tolerate both flooding and drought, and can cope with heavy flushes of nutrients or other chemicals.

Good plants to consider using are joe-pye weed (Eupatorium maculatum), goldenrod (Solidago spp.) bristly sedge (Carex comosa), river birch (Betula nigra), and arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum). For more recommendations, call the Plant Information Service at (847) 835-0972.

Denise Corkery is a horticultural writer at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe.

AT THE GARDEN

LECTURE: "The Coming Transformation: American and the Environmental Future," a free lecture with Dr. Gus Speth, dean of Yale University's School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday. Preregistration is required: (847) 835-8261 or www.chicagobotanic.org/ school/symposia/speth.

CLASS: Learn about new varieties and the best choices for Midwestern gardens in a class on flowering Magnolia trees, 1-4 p.m. April 12. To register: (847) 835-5440 or www.chicago-botanic.org/school/class_schedule.

LILIES: Experts will demonstrate how to grow and show lilies, and how to create award-winning floral arrangements at the Wisconsin-Illinois Lily Society lecture, 2 p.m. April 13 in the Regenstein Center. For more information: www.chicago botanic.org/plantshows.

ANTIQUES: Mark your calendars for the Antiques & Garden Fair, April 18-20. For more information and advance ticket sales: www.chicagobotanic.org/antiques.

Color Photo: The Yellow Lantern cucumber magnolia has fuzzy buds that become plump, a signal that spring is around the corner. ; Color Photo: Robin Carlson, Chicago Botanic Garden /Look for the Yellow Lantern's tuliplike flowers to stand 2 to 4 inches in May or early June. ; Color Photo: Learn how to grow and show lilies on April 13 at the Botanic Garden's Regenstein Center. ;

Dublin shelves plans for U2 Tower

2012-03-13T23:55:00.000-07:00

Plans to build the tallest building in Ireland _ with new recording studios for Irish supergroup U2 on top _ were suspended Friday because of Dublin's slumping property market and slide into recession.

The Dublin Docklands Development Authority said it remains committed to building the long-planned U2 Tower, but a souring economy at home and abroad means the project must be shelved. It expressed hope of reopening negotiations with potential developers within 12 months.

"The objective is to see this landmark project completed. However, given the current unfavorable economic environment, more time is needed at this juncture," the Dublin development agency said in a statement, adding it was "confident that these economic uncertainties are short- to medium-term."

The project shelving caps a six-year struggle and three rounds of architectural competition to build a U2 Tower. It raises doubts about whether the current lavish design, by world-renowned British architect Norman Foster, will ever get beyond the draftsman's board.

The projected 200 million euro ($250 million) construction would have dominated the low-rise skyline of Dublin, where conservationists have successfully shot down other skyscraper projects.

But Foster's U2 Tower presumed the sale of more than 180 apartments at more than 1 million euros (US$1.3 million) each. That might have been easy as recently as a year ago _ when Irish investors were still pouring money into luxury apartments and town houses _ but seems far-fetched now.

Ireland this year became the first member of the 15-nation euro zone to fall into recession and a decade-old boom in property prices fell swiftly into reverse, bringing sales activity to a standstill. An estimated 20,000 newly built residences lie unsold in this country of 4.2 million.

Foster envisioned a 120-meter (400-foot) triangular tower on the south bank of Dublin's River Liffey with an egg-shaped pod housing U2's new recording studios on top. That would give Bono and his bandmates a view at least twice as tall as any other building in Dublin.

The proposed roof also would house wind-generated electrical turbines and solar paneling, while two sides would be metal-paneled to look like fish scales. Riverside traffic would be permitted to flow through the base of the building.

Bono, guitarist The Edge, bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen all would have had a financial stake in the U2 Tower because they are partial owners of a development consortium awarded the construction contract last year. That agreement now has been set aside.

The U2 band members are among Ireland's wealthiest citizens and have invested together in a wide range of Dublin properties, including a luxury riverside hotel that is earmarked for its own futuristic Foster overhaul.

___

On the Net:

U2 Tower announcement, http://www.ddda.ie/index.jsp?p94&n105&a973

Skins QB Williams on way to Raiders?

2012-03-13T21:03:00.000-07:00

Those rumors about former Tampa Bay quarterback Doug Williamsgoing to the Raiders are heating up again. Williams is JaySchroeder's backup in Washington and has publicly expressed hisdesire to be moved. The Raiders list Rusty Hilger as their starter,but it's no secret they're looking for help at that position.

The Redskins, meanwhile, appear happy enough with third-stringquarterback Mark Rypien to make Williams available for the rightprice. The sticking point is what the Redskins would get in returnfor Williams.

They are still demanding a No. 1 even though they only paidTampa Bay a fifth-round choice to obtain Williams' NFL rights afterthe USFL folded.

The Raiders' latest reported offer for Williams was a No. 4during last spring's draft. Williams' base salary in 1987 is$475,000.

If the NFL owners keep the roster limit at 45, look for theRedskins to trade Williams. Coach Joe Gibbs has indicated he wantsto keep just two quarterbacks if the roster limit isn't expanded to49. Gibbs has also gone out of his way to praise Rypien lately.

BUSTED BRONCOS: Injuries and retirements have stripped thedefending AFC champion Broncos of five defensive starters - a development that forcedDenver recently to inquire after Tampa Bay defensive end Ron Holmes,the Bucs' No. 1 pick in 1985.

Both regular defensive ends - Rulon Jones and Freddie Gilbert -are nursing knee injuries. And backup defensive ends - Tony Coloritoand Richard Reed - also have bad knees. Colorito is out for theyear.

At one point Bronco coach Dan Reeves engaged in an on-field,post-practice shouting match during a rainstorm with reporters fromthe Rocky Mountain News. Reeves insisted that paper's story about apossible deal for Holmes had put a crimp in the trade.

In the middle of the argument Reeves reportedly stomped off indisgust. The tension finally broke when Reeves realized he hadforgotten his golf cart. He had to walk back to the cart, in therain, to where the reporters were still recovering from his tirade.

FRIDGE WATCH: Listen Up, William Perry. Houston defensive endJesse Baker has reduced his weight to 242 from the 280 he played atlast year.

"We want Jesse as quick as he can be because he's not going toplay against the run," says Oiler coach Jerry Glanville.

The 325-pound Perry will play - and play well - against therun. But he, too, must be lighter to have more success getting tothe passer.

YOU CAN CALL ME AL: Former Notre Dame quarterback SteveBeuerlein, a fourth-round rookie with the Raiders, is in love withhis new team. It is not yet clear whether the feeling is mutual.

"I couldn't have found a better NFL situation for me thanthis," Beuerlein says. "It's the perfect offense, a straight dropbacktype that wants a strong-armed quarterback who can get the ballupfield. And I think that's what I do best. It's also a teamlooking to groom a young quarterback, to train someone who mighthave an impact in a couple of years. Hopefully, that's me."

Perhaps not. Beuerlein is listed behind Rusty Hilger, MarcWilson and Ed Luther on the Raiders' depth chart.

ADAM'S RIB: The Colts have a 5-6, 169-pound running back incamp named David Adams. Adams played collegiately at Arizona. Hemay make the team.

When called upon recently to sing his school song in front ofthe veterans as part of rookie hazing, Adams climbed a chair andfroze. "Well, I can't," he finally blurted out. "It's instrumental."

MUSTACHE RAUL: Giant kicker Raul Allegre on his attempt to growa mustache: "My mustache is a lot like a football team. There are 11hairs on this side and 11 on that side."

ANOTHER MOVE? The Los Angeles Rams had no official reaction toa reported invitation from Memorial Coliseum officials to move to theteam back to the inner-city park following the loss of the LosAngeles Raiders to suburban Irwindale.

A high-ranking official with the Coliseum Commission was quotedin Saturday's Los Angeles Herald Examiner as saying, "We're goingafter the Rams."

The Rams were lured to Anaheim in 1980 after 33 years at theColiseum.

March existing US home sales fall by 3 percent

2012-03-13T18:13:00.000-07:00

First-time homebuyers looking for bargains snapped up about half of all U.S. homes sold last month, but the spring selling season is getting off to a lackluster start with sales falling more than expected from February levels.

Home sales fell 3 percent to an annual rate of 4.57 million in March month from a downwardly revised pace of 4.71 million units in February, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday.

Sales had been expected to fall to an annual pace of 4.7 million units, according to Thomson Reuters.

The results were "a little disappointing" given that homes are more affordable than they've been in years and mortgage rates are near record lows, said Lawrence Yun, the group's chief economist.

The median sales price in March was $175,200, a plunge of 12.4 percent from a year ago, but higher than February's median price of $168,200. While median sales prices typically rise slightly in early spring, the 4 percent monthly increase was larger than expected.

Yun also pointed to a strong sales recovery in western cities, where prices have plunged the most. He said the rest of the country could start to see sales improve by early summer.

Real estate agents are getting calls from first-time buyers looking to take advantage of a new $8,000 tax credit. And that should give a boost to sales figures for early summer.

As unemployment grows and fallout from the mortgage crisis continues, foreclosures and distressed sales are dominating the market _ especially in California, Florida, Nevada and Arizona. The Realtors group estimates that about half of sales nationwide are from foreclosures or other distressed property sales.

Sales, while plummeting compared with last year in most of the country, were up by 23 percent in the West from a year ago, without adjusting for seasonal factors. For distressed Western cities, "this is a sharp recovery," Yun said.

The number of unsold homes on the market at the end of March fell 1.6 percent from a month earlier to 3.7 million. But due to the slumping sales pace, it would still take almost 10 months to rid the market of all of those properties.

Are You Practising Safe Computing?

2012-03-13T15:18:00.000-07:00

There's no doubt about it: The Internet is a cool tool, and researchers, programmers, and technology companies are continually coming up with ways to make it even cooler. But, as I've warned before, with the good comes the bad-an army of hackers, crackers, and black hats (take your pick!) is working equally hard to corrupt new Internet toys for their own use. And Fm not talking about petty crime-a number of recent reports suggest that even organized crime syndicates are getting into the business.

Knowledge is definitely power when it comes to combating e-crime, so this month I offer a review of some of the more interestingand damaging-ways hackers are trying to get at your computer, along with some resources to help thwart their efforts.

Plague of the spam zombies

I've talked about zombies in previous instalments of this column. A "zombie" is a computer that's been taken over by an intruder by means of a virus. The owner and user of the computer normally don't even know the computer has been compromised -the only thing they might notice is that the computer is running slower than usual.

Increasingly effective anti-spam measures are making networks of zombie computers, also known as "botnets," very attractive to spammers. These networks have also gained the attention of criminal organizations. According to the UK-based Register Newsletter, an illicit trade in botnets is ongoing.'

In addition to spam, these zombie networks could also be used for launching "denial-ofservice attacks." A recent story in the New York Times gives an inkling of what's possible: It appears that an executive of Orbit Communication Corporation was recently indicted on charges of hiring hackers to set up online attacks against the company's competitors.2 According to the article, these hackers used denial-of-service attacks to disrupt competitors' websites. This same technology could also be used for many other equally nefarious purposes.

As Marcus J. Ranum puts it in an article entitled "I, botnet"3: "Hackers are using [botnets] not just to crash target networks, but to send spam and generate click-throughs to ad-laden porn sites.... Using the bot to download more attack tools and wreak more mayhem, the hacker can comfortably eat into a network even if it's behind a firewall, since most firewalls allow inside-outside connections. [Bots] effectively render your firewall transparent to the bad guys."

"Peeping Tom" worm

The output of webcams (website video cameras) is designed to be viewable over the Internet. Ever wondered what your cat gets up to while you're gone? Want to see the faces of your family and friends as you talk to them over the phone? Set up a webcam. (Well, you'll also need some Internet telephony software to set up an Internet-based telephone call.)

Unfortunately, a number of enterprising intruders might also find your webcam of interest. Rbot-GR is the rather cryptic name of a new worm circulating the Internet that can use your webcam to spy on you. (Again, a worm, similar to a virus, is a malicious program that can "infect" your computer.) If you plug your webcam into a computer infected with this worm, everything you do and say in front of the computer can be seen and recorded by countless others without your knowledge. How creepy is that?

Rbot-GR also steals registration information for games and PayPal passwords from your computer. Fortunately, this rather nasty little program was not widespread at the time I wrote this article.

"Phish"ermen net bumper catch

To "phish" is to send out bogus emails that claim to come from a legitimate business in an attempt to get recipients to reveal personal information. These emails direct recipients to a website where they're asked to enter their user-id and password and update personal information. Thus given access to the individual's financial records, the "phisher" collects the information (credit card numbers, etc.) and either uses it or sells it to someone else.

If you receive an email from a business or financial institution asking you for personal or financial information, delete it. Legitimate businesses know how common these scams are and won't ask you for this kind of information by email. It doesn't matter how genuine the link looks-it could still be a fake that will send you to the wrong web address. To learn how to protect yourself against these kinds of scams, contact your financial institution(s).

Protect yourself

Computer security is a big job, and the best person to handle it is a professional with experience in the field. Unfortunately, the average person doesn't have access to experts, but there are more readily available alternatives out there. In addition to magazines and books on the subject, websites like the following offer in-depth information on computer security:

* www.cert.org:

The Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute's CERT Coordination Center (CERT/CC) is a major source of information on Internet security. Its website provides information on the various security threats to your system, and explains ways to avoid, minimize, and recover from any possible damage.

* www.isaca.org:

If you'd like to learn more about IT governance, control, and assurance, check out this website. The Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) also offers seminars, conferences, publications, and certifications.

* www.sans.org

The SysAdmin, Audit, Network, Security (SANS) Institute is a cooperative research and educational organization that offers information on security research, certification, and education.

[Author Affiliation]

By Rita Mikusch, Webmaster

2 US service members killed by bomb in Afghanistan

2012-03-13T12:20:00.000-07:00

NATO says two U.S. service members have been killed in a bombing in southern Afghanistan.

A statement says the Americans died Sunday but gives no further details.

It's the second strike to kill American troops in as many days in the area, which is expected to be the main focus of a U.S. troop surge.

At least 24 American deaths have been reported so far this month _ compared with 14 for the whole of January last year.

Poland's senators to vote on adopting new EU treaty

2012-03-13T09:19:00.000-07:00

Poland's senators have opened a debate before their vote on empowering the president to ratify the new EU treaty.

The 100-member upper house of Parliament is expected to muster the required vote of two-thirds of lawmakers to allow President Lech Kaczynski to ratify the treaty, which streamlines the way the 27-nation EU is run.

The lower house approved ratification Tuesday, following a deal between the government and the opposition-linked president that ended weeks of squabbling over opposition demands for additional regulation guaranteeing Poland's sovereignty within the union.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged the senators before the vote Wednesday to approve the ratification.

Aluminum makers may merge

2012-03-13T05:32:00.000-07:00

MONTREAL Alcan Aluminium Ltd. of Canada, France's Pechiney SA andSwitzerland's Algroup said today they may combine to form a companythat would surpass Alcoa Inc. as the world's biggest aluminum maker.

The companies would have about 100,000 workers and $20 billion inrevenue from aluminum smelting, packaging and chemicals, overtakingAlcoa, which had about $15 billion in sales last year. A combinationwould allow them to boost profit by cutting costs as aluminum pricesbegin to recover from the five-year low reached in March.

Industrial companies worldwide - auto-parts makers, oil refinersand electric utilities - are merging because the inability to raiseprices leaves cost cutting as the surest way to shore up earnings.The same pressures now have Alcan, Pechiney and Algroup moving toaccelerate consolidation in the aluminum industry through an unusualthree-country merger.

"What we're seeing here isn't limited to aluminum manufacturers,"said ABN Amro analyst Vahid Fathi. "Producers, by and large, have nocontrol whatsoever over the price of the products that they supply tomarket."

Montreal-based Alcan, the No. 2 aluminum maker, said last monththat second-quarter profit fell 42 percent because of lower pricesfor the metal, used in cars, airplanes, cans and constructionmaterials.

Pechiney owns Chicago-based American National Can, and recentlycompleted a $510 million stock offering for 54.5 percent of thecompany.

To save money, Alcan could eliminate overlapping sales andmarketing jobs with Pechiney in Latin America, Asia and Europeoverlap, said St. James Securities analyst Ray Goldie.

Any combination of aluminum makers from three countries could bescuttled by executive squabbles and cultural differences, which couldhamper integration, said Washington antitrust attorney KeithShugarman.

"Cultural issues are always the biggest problem in the integrationof companies in cross-border transactions, let alone a three-countrydeal," said Shugarman, of Goodwin, Procter & Hoar. "Companies arepeople, too, underneath that corporate shell."

Any merger would also be closely scrutinized by U.S. and Canadianregulators, who may order the companies to sell some operations,Shugarman said. The U.S. Justice Department, which would likelyreview the transaction, declined to comment, said spokeswomanJennifer Rose.

A combined Pechiney-Alcan-Algroup would produce about 2.6 millionmetric tons of aluminum a year, or about 10 percent of global supply,overtaking Alcoa, which now produces 2.5 million tons.

Biden warns of `perilous road' ahead

2012-03-13T02:07:00.000-07:00

Vice President Joe Biden warned Friday that the United States faces a tough _ and dangerous _ task as it shifts the military from Iraq to Afghanistan.

"The road remains incredibly, incredibly perilous" in both countries, President Barack Obama's No. 2 told House Democrats just before embarking on the first foreign trip by a top Obama administration official.

Obama made an Iraq drawdown and an Afghanistan buildup a foreign policy cornerstone of his presidential campaign, and the administration is set to move forward toward both goals in coming weeks.

The president dispatched Biden to a gathering of House Democrats at a retreat southeast of Washington to deliver an assessment of international challenges ahead. Biden's somber take on foreign policy _ in contrast to Obama's feisty campaign-style pep talk on the economy the night before _ appeared intended to lower expectations for an immediate troop withdrawal in Iraq and a quick turnaround in Afghanistan.

"The progress is real in Iraq," Biden said before invoking a bit of football lingo. "We're on the 20-yard line moving in but there's an awful lot to be done."

He said the administration must be "very deeply involved" not just in drawing down troops in a careful manner but also in helping Iraqis reach true political reconciliation. "We're going to have to get in there and be much more aggressive in forcing them to deal with these issues," he said.

In Afghanistan, Biden said, "The economic and security and social conditions there are daunting" and the United States has "geography, demography and history working against us." Returning to football analogies, he said the United States has 80 yards in that country to bring stability and eliminate terrorist strongholds.

"We have a long, long way to go there," Biden said.

But he also says the deteriorating situation and Taliban resurgence is a global problem, and there is no solution in Afghanistan without Pakistan.

"We've got to make Afghanistan the world's responsibility, not just the United States' responsibility," he said, eliciting cheers.

The U.S. has some 33,000 soldiers in Afghanistan, and Obama is expected to send another 30,000 this year as his administration shifts its focus from the war in Iraq to the Afghan conflict.

Biden, the former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations committee, spoke to the Democratic rank and file just before leaving for a security conference in Munich, Germany. He also was slated to hold bilateral meetings with Russia, Georgia, Germany, France and Britain.

10-year-old, mother shot by gang fire

2012-03-12T23:08:00.000-07:00

A 10-year-old boy and his mother were shot and wounded in a SouthSide CHA apartment building Wednesday night after they apparently gotcaught in crossfire between rival gangs, said police.

The boy, whose identity was not released by police, was in faircondition at Michael Reese Hospital after being shot in the face, anursing supervisor at the hospital said.

The boy's mother, Mary Hicks, 37, was reported in good conditionat Michael Reese with a gunshot wound in her chest.

Police said Hicks and her son were shot at about 9:15 p.m. asthey left the Ida B. Wells Homes, where they live.

Bush Lights National Tree for Last Time

2012-03-12T20:13:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON President Bush switched on the national Christmastree Thursday night in a rain-drenched ceremony and offered prayersfor an end to turmoil in famine-ravaged Somalia.

The president, accompanied by his wife Barbara to the annualevent - and his last - on the Ellipse just south of the White House,said he wanted to dedicate the 18-and-a-half foot Christmas tree tothe children of America.

"May I simply say, let us think of the children of Somalia tooand children everywhere who live in fear and want, and our prayersare with them," he said after switching on the lights of the tree.

Several hundred people braved rain and wet snow for the event.

Boise State wins MAACO Bowl over Arizona State

2012-03-12T16:18:00.000-07:00

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Boise State's Doug Martin returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, laying the foundation for the Broncos' 56-24 win over Arizona State in college football's MAACO Bowl on Thursday.

Boise State was never seriously threatened, even though the Broncos had three turnovers and allowed a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by the Sun Devils to start the second half.

Arizona State missed on several opportunities to make the game closer, wasting a 241-yard receiving effort by Gerell Robinson, who caught a touchdown in the fourth quarter after the Broncos had already scored 49 points.

Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore played well enough in his last college game to keep his team scoring, despite some missteps. He finished with 266 yards and two touchdowns, plus two interceptions and a fumble in a game that capped his college career with 50 total wins.

Martin finished with 301 all-purpose yards, breaking a bowl record set in 1997 by Air Force's Pat Johnson. It was the first time the opening kickoff had been returned for a score in any bowl game since Ted Ginn Jr. did it in the 2007 BCS title game.

The most costly mistake for Arizona State came in the third quarter, as it tried to capitalize a fumble by Moore. The Sun Devils drove 49 yards to Boise State's 1-yard line, but quarterback Brock Osweiler's fourth-down pass was intercepted by Jamar Taylor, who returned it for a touchdown to make the score 35-10.

Moments before the play, Arizona State coach Dennis Erickson tried to call a timeout as his team was late to the line of scrimmage, but his attempts weren't acknowledged by the referees. Erickson was coaching his last game for Arizona State, which made the decision to let him go in November after the Sun Devils finished the regular season on a four-game losing streak.

Osweiler threw for 390 yards with two touchdowns in defeat.

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Follow Oskar Garcia at http://twitter.com/oskargarcia .

Japan urges North Korea to resume nuclear talks

2012-03-12T12:37:00.000-07:00

Japan urged North Korea on Wednesday to return to international talks aimed at ending its nuclear weapons program, despite the North's announcement that it is booting out U.N. inspectors and restarting its atomic facilities.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said Japan wants a resumption of the six-nation negotiations under which North Korea agreed to disable its main nuclear complex in return for oil and diplomatic concessions.

"Based on close cooperation with all countries involved, starting with the U.S., we want to demonstrate progress in the six-party talks," he said.

North Korea reacted angrily Tuesday to U.N. Security Council condemnation of its April 5 rocket launch, saying it would restart its nuclear program. The International Atomic Energy Agency said it was told by North Korea that it would stop cooperating with inspectors and resume reprocessing spent nuclear fuel, which can used to make nuclear weapons.

North Korea says it launched a communications satellite which is broadcasting patriotic songs, but Japan, the U.S. and other nations believe it actually tested long-range missile technology.

Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso used strong language Tuesday in urging North Korea to listen to the Security Council.

"The most important thing is for North Korea to sincerely pay attention to the opinion of the international community as expressed through the council," he said.

A Security Council resolution passed in 2006, days after North Korea carried out an underground nuclear test, prohibits it from engaging in any ballistic missile-related activity. The U.S. and other nations say that includes launching rockets which use the same delivery technology as missiles mounted with warheads.

North Korea agreed in the six-nation nuclear talks in 2007 to disable its main nuclear complex in exchange for the equivalent of 1 million tons of fuel oil and other concessions. In 2008 it blew up the complex's cooling tower in front of reporters to demonstrate its commitment.

But the talks foundered over how to verify North Korea's past nuclear activity, and the latest round of talks in December made little progress.