Thursday, January 31, 2013

GOP delegates need to bargain for progress

The 2013 session of the Oregon Legislature holds promise for extraordinary progress. Democrats, holding the governorship as well as control of both chambers of the Statehouse, are a force to be reckoned with, and Deschutes County's Republican representatives?Sen. Tim Knopp and Reps. Jason Conger and Gene Whisnant?owe it to their constituents to reckon with the majority constructively.

Central Oregonians have one overarching priority for this session?expanding OSU-Cascades into a four-year university. Gov. John Kitzhaber wants the state to cover $16 million of the estimated $24 million cost of expanding the campus over the next two years. With Knopp and Whisnant serving on their respective education and workforce development committees, the delegation is well-positioned to win support for the cause. But legislators are weighing pressing needs, and the delegates need to make allies on both sides of the aisle if they're going to bring home those bucks. That may mean yielding occasionally.

Take PERS. Improving K-12 education requires holding down the sums government agencies pay to offset the $16 billion unfunded liability of the Public Employees Retirement System. To reverse the trend of teacher layoffs, Kitzhaber wants to reduce PERS spending by limiting cost-of-living increases and ending a tax payment reimbursement provision. Some Republicans want bigger changes, but given Democrats' long reluctance to alter the program, this is an opportunity to help do what's clearly doable this session.

Kitzhaber also wants to rein in spending on corrections?in part so he can shift money to education. In his State of the State address, the governor acknowledged that lawmakers are reluctant to cut the corrections budget for fear of being labeled soft on crime, but added that refusing to do so means "choosing prisons over schools." Kitzhaber wants to hold down the prison population by spending more on community corrections programs and providing more flexibility in sentencing and release decisions. Republicans who vow to preserve Oregon's minimum sentencing laws?and to fight any transfer of funds from the prison system?need to weigh the costs of such rigidity.

This year's legislative powder keg is gun control. As Congress ponders a proposal to do as Oregon did in 2000 by requiring background checks for purchases at gun shows, state Sen. Ginny Burdick wants to go further, requiring a background check for any sale between private individuals. She and other Democrats also want to ban semiautomatic assault weapons and high-capacity ammo magazines?and bar handguns on school campuses. Since the most fanatical opponents of gun control vote Republican, a GOP legislator needs to summon an extra measure of courage to get behind a control measure. Conger did just that recently when he stood up for Oregon's "reasonable" background-check law and dismissed the NRA's appeal for more guns in schools while speaking to sport shooters here. He and his GOP colleagues are unlikely to support any new restrictions, but they might consider whether fiercely defending the liberty to fire off 45 high-powered rounds a minute is politically prudent this year.

All of these legislators told us this week they are determined to work across the aisle. We're confident they'll live up to their word, we are awarding them a glass slipper for their collaborative ambitions. Gentlemen, please don't disappoint.

Speaking of Glass Slipper

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Republican Hagel faces GOP critics at hearing

FILE - In this Jan. 7, 2013 file photo, President Barack Obama shakes hands with Defense Secretary-nominee, former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. Hagel says his months fighting in Vietnam alongside his brother Tom shaped his view of what it?s like to be a soldier in war, an experience that will inform his work if the Senate confirms him to be defense secretary. While Hagel, who was twice wounded, suggests caution when using military force, he also adopts a hard line toward Iran. His nomination hearings begin Thursday. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais. File)

FILE - In this Jan. 7, 2013 file photo, President Barack Obama shakes hands with Defense Secretary-nominee, former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. Hagel says his months fighting in Vietnam alongside his brother Tom shaped his view of what it?s like to be a soldier in war, an experience that will inform his work if the Senate confirms him to be defense secretary. While Hagel, who was twice wounded, suggests caution when using military force, he also adopts a hard line toward Iran. His nomination hearings begin Thursday. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais. File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Republican Chuck Hagel, President Barack Obama's nominee for defense secretary, is facing GOP critics who have challenged his past comments on Israel, Iran and nuclear weapons.

The former two-term senator from Nebraska is the lone witness at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Thursday that could be crucial in determining whether he will win Senate confirmation to succeed Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in Obama's second-term national security team. Two former committee chairmen ? Democrat Sam Nunn and Republican John Warner ? will introduce the nominee.

If confirmed, Hagel, a decorated Vietnam combat veteran, would be the first enlisted man and first Vietnam veteran to serve as defense secretary.

Hagel has the announced backing of about a dozen Democrats and the tacit support of dozens more who are unlikely to embarrass the president by defeating his Cabinet pick. One Republican ? Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi ? has said he will vote for his former colleague.

Six Republicans, including four members of the Armed Services panel, have said they will oppose Hagel's nomination. Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, the top GOP lawmaker on the committee, has said he and Hagel are "too philosophically opposed" on issues such as defense spending, nuclear weapons and the Middle East.

Crucial for Hagel will be the questioning by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. Hagel and McCain are fellow Vietnam veterans who once had a close relationship during their years in the Senate, but politics and Hagel's opposition to increased troop numbers in Iraq divided the two men.

McCain has praised Hagel's military service but said he had serious concerns about positions the nominee has taken on various issues. He said he is reserving judgment until after the hearing. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., earlier this month described Obama's selection as an "in-your-face" pick but was a bit less critical this week.

"Who are we getting ? the guy today or the guy who said things before?" Graham said Tuesday after a 20-minute meeting with Hagel. Graham said he doesn't doubt Hagel's "personal integrity, but I do have real concerns about his policy positions."

The hearing will be the first time Hagel publicly addresses the barrage of criticism that he is not sufficiently pro-Israel or tough enough on Iran. In the past, Hagel has questioned the efficacy of unilateral sanctions on Iran, arguing that penalties in conjunction with international partners made more sense. He has also been criticized for his comments about the influence of a "Jewish lobby" and his view of gay rights.

He addressed several of the issues in a 112-page questionnaire to the committee in which he said his wartime experience would shape his decisions about using military force.

"I understand what it is like to be a soldier in war," wrote Hagel. "I also understand what happens when there is poor morale and discipline among the troops and a lack of clear objectives, intelligence and command and control from Washington. I believe that experience will help me as secretary of defense to ensure we maintain the best fighting force in the world, protect our men and women in uniform and ensure that we are cautious and certain when contemplating the use of force."

In his responses, Hagel adopted a hard line on Iran and its possible pursuit of a nuclear weapon. He echoed Obama's view that all options are feasible to stop Tehran, praised the rounds of penalties and warned of "severe and growing consequences" if Iran balks at international demands.

Questioned about all options, Hagel said, "If confirmed, I will focus intently on ensuring that the U.S. military is in fact prepared for any contingency."

He said that he would continue to put in place the "smart, unprecedented and effective sanctions against the Iranian regime" that Congress and the Obama administration have adopted in recent years.

The criticism of Hagel has surprised some of Hagel's strongest backers.

"This idea that's being propagated that he might be soft on adversaries. Chuck Hagel's not soft on anybody, particularly himself," said Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., a member of the Armed Services Committee, in a conference call with Hagel allies. "He drives hard. He's someone who searches for the right approach and the right policy."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-01-31-Hagel/id-c3dbeaadf82b4250949603d1277378ac

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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Toyota to recall 752,000 Corollas in U.S. for airbag problems

TOKYO (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp will recall 1.1 million cars globally for defects, including 752,000 Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles in the United States to fix airbags that could be deployed inadvertently, the automaker said on Wednesday.

The airbag problems have caused minor injuries such as abrasions in 18 cases that have been reported, Toyota spokesman Naoto Fuse said. Two accidents have been reported by customers outside Japan, although Toyota has not been able to confirm them, he said.

An IC chip in the airbag control unit can malfunction when it receives electrical interference from other parts in the car, causing the airbags to deploy when it is not necessary, Fuse said.

Toyota will add an electrical signal filter to the airbag control module to the recalled vehicles -- repairs expected to take an hour to hour-and-a-half, he said.

The spokesman declined to disclose the costs involved.

Separately, Toyota will also recall 385,000 Lexus IS and its series, including 270,000 Lexus IS vehicles in the United States over wiper problems, Fuse said.

The wiper arm nut of the front wiper in these vehicles may not be tight enough and the wiper may not work under certain weather occasions, including in snow.

Toyota will exchange the nut in repairs that will take about 30 minutes, Fuse said.

(This story is corrected in the third paragraph to say electrical interference from "other parts in the car", not "other" cars)

(Reporting by Yoko Kubota; Editing by Daniel Magnowski and Ken Wills)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/toyota-recall-752-000-corollas-u-airbag-problems-072932952--sector.html

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Mexican oil giant takes delivery of two new ships

  • Vancouver Sun - Wednesday 30th January, 2013

    OTTAWA - Spillover from Mexico's violent drug war is prompting the Harper government and the Canadian military to become more involved in helping defend the tiny Central American country of ...

  • Brace Yourself for Frothier Latte Prices

    General Sources - Wednesday 30th January, 2013

    Brace yourself for a costlier latte. Coffee leaf rust - a fungus-borne disease devastating to plantations - has returned to plague crops in Central America, a region supplying 14 percent of the ...

  • Mexican cops raid sex-slavery cult

    IOL - Wednesday 30th January, 2013

    File photo: The sun casts a shadow on the US-Mexico border fence. Mexican officials broke up a bizarre cult that allegedly ran a sex-slavery ring among its followers on the US border, Mexican ...

  • Walmart bribes ?went via Mexican governor?

    IOL - Wednesday 30th January, 2013

    WalMart?s Mexican unit used a current state governor there to facilitate $156 000 (R1.4 million) in bribes meant to help open stores, an ex-lawyer for the retailer told company officials in ...

  • Latte Prices May Get Frothy as Coffee Rust Blights Crop

    General Sources - Wednesday 30th January, 2013

    Brace yourself for a costlier latte. Coffee leaf rust - a fungus-borne disease devastating to plantations - has returned to plague crops in Central America, a region supplying 14 percent of the ...

  • Doctor Man in fake Hugo Chavez photo published by Spanish newspaper is Mexican patient

    Canada.com - Tuesday 29th January, 2013

    MEXICO CITY - A doctor says the man in a photograph published by the Spanish newspaper El Pais that supposedly showed an ailing Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is really a patient in Mexico. Dr. ...

  • Mexican border sex-slavery cult raided

    SBS - Tuesday 29th January, 2013

    Mexican officials have broken up a bizarre cult that allegedly ran a sex-slavery ring among its followers on the US border, authorities say. The Defensores de Cristo or Defenders of Christ cult ...

  • Campaign to Defend Nominees to Director General WTO

    Prensa Latina - Tuesday 29th January, 2013

    Geneva, Jan 29 (Prensa Latina) The World Trade Organization (WTO) started today the process of defending candidacies to replace Pascal Lamy in the post of Director General after two four-year ...

  • Global Public Television Meeting to Be Held in El Salvador

    Prensa Latina - Tuesday 29th January, 2013

    San Salvador, Jan 29 (Prensa Latina) El Salvador will host the most important global public television conference INPUT 2013 in May, the Presidency's Secretary of Communications, Davis Rivas, ...

  • Nicaraguans Claim Curbs Speculation Be Curbed In Consumer Prices

    Prensa Latina - Tuesday 29th January, 2013

    Managua, Jan 29 (Prensa Latina) Food and other basic products in Nicaragua are increasing their prices because of speculative practices related to legal penalties, showed today government's ...

  • OAS Organizes Workshop on Analysis and Management of Conflicts and Crises for Governors and Regional Delegates of Guatemala

    OAS - Tuesday 29th January, 2013

    January 29, 2013 The Organization of American States (OAS) began a workshop today in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, on the analysis and transformation of conflicts, dialogue and crisis management for ...

  • Wife of deposed Honduran leader leads presidential race poll

    General Sources - Tuesday 29th January, 2013

    Manuel Zelaya , is leading the race to become the next head of the Central American country, according to a poll released on Tuesday. Political newcomer ...

  • West Coast University Expands Global Studies to Central America

    General Sources - Tuesday 29th January, 2013

    IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Building on a successful global studies program in Oxford, England, West Coast University announces the launch of a new Global Public Health Initiative. The ...

  • Coffee rust regains foothold

    General Sources - Tuesday 29th January, 2013

    Where there is coffee, there is 'coffee rust'. But the long stalemate between growers and the fungus behind the devastating disease has broken -- with the fungus taking the advantage. As ...

  • Nicaraguan guards of presidents home sentenced in sexual assault of 12-year-old

    Canada.com - Tuesday 29th January, 2013

    MANAGUA, Nicaragua - Three police officers assigned to guard President Daniel Ortega's house were sentenced to more than a decade in prison on Tuesday for a sexual assault on a mentally ...

  • Former Guatemalan Dictator Faces Trial for Genocide

    Impunity Watch - Tuesday 29th January, 2013

    On Monday, a Guatemalan court ordered former dictator Efrain Rios Montt to face trial for genocide, accused of ordering the deaths of 1,700 indigenous people during a blood period of the ...

  • Pe?a Nieto Mujica Agree on Mutual Support and Cooperation

    Prensa Latina - Tuesday 29th January, 2013

    Montevideo, Jan 29 (Prensa Latina) The presidents of Uruguay and Mexico, Jose Mujica and Enrique Pea Nieto, agreed to support each other in their countries candidatures to the United Nations and the ...

  • Thirteen corpses pulled from Mexican well

    New Zealand Herald - Tuesday 29th January, 2013

    Mexican authorities have pulled a thirteenth corpse from a well, saying it belonged to a member of a missing Colombian-style music band. Officials have said the 14 musicians and four crew members of ...

  • Guatemala Ruling on former president a positive step for justice

    Amnesty International - Tuesday 29th January, 2013

    Monday's ruling that General Efran Ros Montt and his former head of military intelligence, General Jos Mauricio Rodrguez Snchez, should stand trial for the massacre of almost 2,000 people in ...

  • Panamanian President Proposes a Flag for CELAC

    Prensa Latina - Monday 28th January, 2013

    Santiago de Chile, Jan 28 (Prensa Latina) President of Panama, Ricardo Martinelli, today proposed the creation of a flag for the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) representing ...

  • Bodies found in Mexican well thought to be missing Kombo Kolombia band members

    Global Post - Monday 28th January, 2013

    Mexican police conduct a searchin the site where the bodies of the members of the musical Band Kombo Kolombia were found, in Hidalgo municipality, New Leon state, Mexico, on January 28, 2013. (Julio ...

  • Missing Mexican Band Survivor Tells Of Attack

    Sky News - Monday 28th January, 2013

    The survivor of a deadly attack on a 16-member Colombian-style music group has told authorities how at least 10 gunmen entered a private party and kidnapped the band and four crew members. A ...

  • Source: http://www.centralamericanews.net/index.php/sid/212225457/scat/1e6da80e3bfca450

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    Antigua gets OK to become copyright haven

    LONDON (AP) ? Americans call it piracy. Antiguans call it justice.

    The islands of Antigua and Barbuda are threatening to strip intellectual property protections from American goods as part of a long-running trade dispute over the U.S. embargo on the tiny Caribbean nation's online gambling industry.

    U.S. officials say the proposed copyright haven ? whose broad outlines were approved Monday at the World Trade Organization in Geneva ? amounts to "government-authorized piracy." But Antiguans, who've won a series of legal victories against the U.S. at the international trade body, reject any suggestion that they're pirates.

    "We have followed the rules and procedures of the WTO to the letter," Antigua's high commissioner to London, Carl Roberts, said in a statement Monday. "Our little country is doing precisely what it has earned the right to do under international agreements."

    The U.S. and Antigua have been tussling for years over the ability of Americans to use online casinos based in the Caribbean nation. U.S. laws have long been interpreted to mean that Internet gambling is illegal if it crosses state lines.

    The World Trade Organization, however, has come down on Antigua's side. In 2007, it allowed the islands to draw $21 million a year's worth of "nullification or impairments" from the United States as a penalty for the continuing refusal of the U.S. to allow American customers to place their online bets in Antigua.

    Antiguan officials say they could make up the money through the operation of a copyright haven, although what that might look like and what its scope would be remains unclear. Antiguan officials have kept details vague and the move has little precedent.

    Observers have suggested, for example, a subscription service to access copyright-free American music, or a pay-per-download site that charges pennies for Hollywood hits.

    Mendel cautioned that whatever ends up being set up, it wouldn't be an Antiguan version of The Pirate Bay, the free-for-all file sharing site whose name has become synonymous with illegal downloads.

    "We aren't going to be flaunting the rules," he said in a telephone interview last week. "It's not piracy if you have the right to do it."

    The proposed copyright haven may still never see the light of day; Mendel said Antigua's goal remains a negotiated settlement with U.S. authorities over the gambling dispute.

    Even if such a haven were set up, international fans of free downloads may want to exercise caution. Antiguans may be allowed to download legally, but for those outside the country the legal regime remains murky.

    Nevertheless, the notion of a country of 89,000 people standing up to the powerful United States on intellectual property matters has caught the imagination of many ? especially those who believe that U.S. copyright rules are too restrictive.

    "It's time for small countries to be treated fairly in these organizations," said Mendel.

    ___

    Online:

    Raphael Satter can be reached at: http://raphae.li/twitter

    Associated Press

    Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-01-28-Caribbean%20Copyright%20Haven/id-18aa5ee47b5d4dd7b275a925ad4eca96

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    Tuesday, January 29, 2013

    College Fund Raisers Predict a Return to Prerecession Levels of ...

    Charitable donations to colleges and universities increased by 5.5 percent in 2012, fund raisers at higher-education institutions reported in a twice-yearly survey that was released on Monday by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, or CASE. The fund raisers predicted additional growth of 5.8 percent in 2013.

    ?The recession continues to recede,? said John Lippincott, president of CASE, who added that the survey signals a return to levels of giving equal to those of the 2007-8 academic year, when donations reached a record $31.6-billion. Gifts to higher education plunged after the global economic downturn but were back up to $30.3-billion in 2010-11.

    ?Anecdotally we are hearing from our members and from fund raisers of growing confidence among their donor community,? he said. ?The donors themselves are feeling better about their own personal financial circumstances and the overall economic environment, where in the past they were reluctant to make commitments.?

    Mr. Lippincott cited a $350-million gift by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York to the Johns Hopkins University, announced on Sunday, as ?one more welcome reminder? of rising donor confidence.

    According to CASE, some donors made large gifts in late 2012 because of proposals during the ?fiscal cliff? negotiations in Washington that would have reduced the value of the charitable-gift tax deduction. The deduction remains tied to a donor?s marginal tax rate, Mr. Lippincott said, which continues to be a boon for philanthropy in the United States.

    He cautioned, however, that the short-term nature of the fiscal repairs leaves philanthropists nervous.

    ?If we see significant changes being discussed in the tax code in the coming months as part of future negotiations in Congress,? Mr. Lippincott said, ?it could cause some concern among the donors.?

    Community colleges were the biggest gainers in higher education last year, reported the fund raisers, who reported a 7-percent increase for 2012 and predicted a 6.8-percent increase for 2013.

    ?A lot of what that reflects is that, as the community-college sector as a whole has invested more in their advancement operations, they?re actually seeing a payoff from it,? Mr. Lippincott said. ?We?re just delighted to see that because, roughly speaking, community colleges educate about 50 percent of undergraduates in this country, and they raise about 1 percent of the philanthropic support for higher education.?

    The survey, conducted online in January among fund raisers at more than 2,100 institutions in the United States that are members of CASE, had a response rate of 11.7 percent.

    Source: http://chronicle.com/blogs/bottomline/college-fund-raisers-predict-a-return-to-prerecession-levels-of-giving/

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    Rajon Rondo Tears ACL, Effectively Ends Celtics Season

    Source:

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    Monday, January 28, 2013

    French seal off Mali's Timbuktu, rebels torch library

    GAO, Mali (Reuters) - French and Malian troops on Monday sealed off Timbuktu, a UNESCO World Heritage site, after fleeing Islamist rebel fighters torched several buildings in the ancient Saharan trading town, including a priceless manuscript library.

    Without a shot being fired to stop them, 1,000 French soldiers including paratroopers and 200 Malian troops seized the airport and surrounded the centuries-old Niger River city, looking to block the escape of al Qaeda-allied fighters.

    The retaking of Timbuktu followed the swift capture by French and Malian forces at the weekend of Gao, another major northern Malian town which had also been occupied by the alliance of Islamist militant groups since last year.

    A two-week intervention by France in its former Sahel colony, at the request of Mali's government but also with wide international backing, has driven the Islamist rebel fighters northwards out of towns into the desert and mountains.

    A French military spokesman said the assault forces at Timbuktu were being careful to avoid combat inside the city so as not to damage cultural treasures and mosques and religious shrines in what is considered a seat of Islamic learning.

    But Timbuktu's mayor, Ousmane Halle, reported that fleeing Islamist fighters had torched a South African-funded library in the city containing thousands of priceless manuscripts.

    "The rebels set fire to the newly-constructed Ahmed Baba Institute built by the South Africans ... this happened four days ago," Halle Ousmane told Reuters by telephone from Bamako. He said he had received the information from his chief of communications who had travelled south from the city a day ago.

    Ousmane was not able to immediately say how much the concrete building had been damaged. He added the rebels also torched his office and the home of a member of parliament.

    The Ahmed Baba Institute, one of several libraries and collections in the city containing fragile ancient documents dating back to the 13th century, is named after a Timbuktu-born contemporary of William Shakespeare and houses more than 20,000 scholarly manuscripts. Some were stored in underground vaults.

    The French and Malians have faced no resistance so far at Timbuktu, but they face a tough job of combing through the labyrinth of ancient mosques and monuments and mud-brick homes between alleys to flush out any hiding Islamist fighters.

    "We have to be extremely careful. But in general terms, the necessary elements are in place to take control," French army spokesman Lieutenant Thierry Burkhard said in Paris.

    Timbuktu member of parliament El Hadj Baba Ha?dara told Reuters in Bamako the Islamist rebels had abandoned the city. "They all fled. Before their departure they destroyed some buildings, including private homes," he said.

    The United States and European Union are backing the French-led Mali operation as a strike against the threat of radical Islamist jihadists using the West African state's inhospitable Sahara desert as a launch pad for international attacks.

    They are helping with intelligence, airlift of troops, refueling of planes and logistics, but do not plan to send combat troops to Mali.

    FRANCE: MALI "BEING LIBERATED"

    "Little by little, Mali is being liberated," French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told France 2 television.

    At Gao, more than 300 km (190 miles) east of Timbuktu, jubilant residents danced to music in the streets on Sunday to celebrate the liberation of this other ancient Niger River town from the sharia-observing rebels.

    A third northern town, the Tuareg seat of Kidal, in Mali's rugged and remote northeast, remains in the hands of the Islamist fighters, a loose alliance that groups AQIM with Malian Islamist group Ansar Dine and AQIM splinter MUJWA.

    With its cultural treasures, Timbuktu had previously been a destination for adventurous tourists and international scholars.

    The world was shocked by its capture on April 1 by Tuareg desert fighters whose separatist rebellion was later hijacked by Islamist radicals who imposed severe sharia law.

    Provoking international outrage, the Islamist militants who follow a more conservative Salafist branch of Islam destroyed dozens of ancient shrines in Timbuktu sacred to moderate Sufi Moslems, condemning them as idolatrous and un-Islamic.

    They also applied amputations for thieves and stoning of adulterers under sharia, while forcing women to go veiled.

    On Sunday, many women among the thousands of Gao residents who came out to celebrate the rebels' expulsion made a point of going unveiled. Other residents smoked cigarettes and played music to flout the bans previously set by the Islamist rebels.

    "THREAT OF TERRORISM"

    As the French and Malian troops push into northern Mali, African troops from a U.N.-backed continental intervention force expected to number 7,700 are being flown into the country, despite severe delays due to logistical problems.

    Outgoing African Union Chairman President Thomas Boni Yayi of Benin at the weekend scolded AU states for their slow response to assist Mali while former colonial power France took the lead in the military operation.

    Yayi put the cost of the African intervention force, now revised upwards, at $1 billion and said up to 10 African countries may be required to send troops.

    Burkina Faso, Benin, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, Niger and Chad are providing soldiers. Burundi and other nations have pledged to contribute.

    The AU is expected to seek hundreds of millions of dollars in logistical support and funding for the African Mali force at a conference of donors to be held in Addis Ababa on Tuesday.

    Yayi also urged other NATO members and Asian countries to follow France's lead and send troops to Mali. "We have to free the Sahel belt from the threat of terrorism," he said.

    (Additional reporting by Richard Valdmanis in Sevare, Mali, Bate Felix in Dakar, Alexandria Sage and Emmanuel Jarry in Paris, Tiemoko Diallo in Bamako, Richard Lough and Aaron Masho in Addis Ababa; Writing by Pascal Fletcher)

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/malians-celebrate-french-led-forces-clear-timbuktu-091349664.html

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    Weekend death toll in Egyptian riots rises to 40

    PORT SAID, Egypt (AP) ? Clashes flared anew in the turbulent Egyptian city of Port Said on Sunday, killing at least three more people as a mass funeral was held for most of the 37 people who died during intense riots in the city a day earlier.

    The three were killed when police exchanged fire with gunmen trying to storm two police stations and the local prison, according to the city's director of hospitals, Abdel-Rahman Farah. A total of 418 people were injured, some of them with gunshot wounds, he said.

    Tens of thousands of mourners poured into the streets for the mass funeral of those killed a day earlier, chanting slogans against Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

    "We are now dead against Morsi," said Port Said activist Amira Alfy. "We will not rest now until he goes and we will not take part in the next parliamentary elections. Port Said has risen and will not allow even a semblance of normalcy to come back," she said.

    Violence in the city, about 140 miles northeast of Cairo, erupted on Saturday after a court convicted and sentenced 21 defendants to death for their roles in a mass soccer riot in a Port Said stadium on Feb. 1, 2012 that left 74 dead. Most of those sentenced to death were local soccer fans from Port Said.

    The clashes in Port Said were the latest in a bout of unrest across the country that has left more than 50 people dead since Friday. That death toll includes 40 dead in Port Said and 11 killed in clashes in other cities between police and protesters marking the second anniversary of the uprising that overthrew Mubarak after nearly 30 years of authoritarian rule.

    The riots stemmed mostly from animosity between police and die-hard Egyptian soccer fans, known as Ultras, who have become highly politicized. The Ultras frequently confront police and were also part of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak's regime two years ago.

    They were also at the forefront of protests against the military rulers who took over from Mubarak and are now again on the front lines of protests against the Morsi, the country's first freely elected leader.

    A prominent Islamist leader delivered a thinly veiled warning that Islamist groups would set up militia-like vigilante groups to protect public and state property against attacks.

    Addressing a news conference, Tareq el-Zomr of the once-jihadist Gamaa Islamiya, said:

    "If Security forces don't achieve security, it will be the right of the Egyptian people and we at the forefront to set up popular committees to protect private and public property and counter the aggression on innocent citizens."

    The threat by el-Zomr was accompanied by his charge that the mostly secular and liberal opposition was responsible for the deadly violence of the past few days, setting the stage for possible bloody clashes between protesters and Islamist militiamen. The opposition denies the charge.

    There was also a funeral in Cairo for two policemen killed in the Port Said violence a day earlier. Several policemen grieving for their colleagues heckled Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim, who is in charge of the force, when he arrived for their funeral, according to witnesses. The angry officers screamed at the minister that he was only at the funeral for the TV cameras ? a highly unusual show of dissent in Egypt, where the police force maintains military-like discipline.

    Ibrahim hurriedly left and the funeral proceeded without him.

    In Port Said, mourners chanted "There is no God but Allah," and "Morsi is God's enemy" as the funeral procession made its way through the city after prayers for the dead at the city's Mariam Mosque. Women clad in black led the chants, which were quickly picked up by the rest of the mourners.

    There were no police or army troops in sight. But the funeral procession briefly halted after gunfire rang out. Security officials said the gunfire came from several mourners who opened fire at the Police Club next to the cemetery.

    Activists, however, said the gunfire first came from inside the army club, which is also close to the cemetery. Some of the mourners returned fire, which drew more shots as well as tear gas, according to witnesses. They, together with the officials, spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation in the city on the Mediterranean at the northern tip of the Suez Canal.

    Survivors and witnesses of the Port Said soccer melee blame Mubarak loyalists for the violence, saying they had a hand in instigating the killings. The troubles erupted after Port Said's home team Al-Masry beat Cairo's Al-Ahly 3-1. Some witnesses said "hired thugs" wearing green T-shirts and posing as Al-Masry fans led the attacks.

    Other witnesses said at the very least, police were responsible for gross negligence in the soccer violence, which killed 74 people, most of them Al-Ahly fans.

    Anger at police was evident in Port Said, home to most of the 73 men accused of involvement in the bloodshed. Of those, 21 were convicted of murder charges on Saturday and the court is to rule on the remainder of the defendants in March.

    The trial was in Cairo and Judge Sobhi Abdel-Maguid did not give his reasoning when he handed down the guilty verdicts and sentences for 21 defendants. Executions in Egypt are usually carried out by hanging.

    Verdicts for the remaining 52 defendants, including nine security officials, are to be delivered on March 9. Some have been charged with murder and others with assisting the attackers. All the defendants ? who were not present in the courtroom Saturday for security reasons ? can appeal the verdict.

    In Port Said on Sunday, army troops backed by armored vehicles staked out positions at key government facilities to protect state interests and try to restore order.

    The military issued a statement urging Port Said residents to exercise restraint and protect public property, but also warning that troops would deal "firmly" with anyone who "terrorizes" citizens or infringes upon the nation's security and stability.

    Rioters on Saturday attacked the prison where the defendants were being held and tried to storm police stations and government offices around the city. Health officials say at least 37 people were killed, including two policemen, in rioting on Saturday.

    Clashes broke out in Cairo for the fourth straight day on Sunday, with protesters and police outside two landmark, Nile-side hotels near central Tahrir Square, birthplace of the 2011 uprising. Police fired tear gas while protesters pelted them with rocks.

    The clashes show how turmoil was deepening in Egypt nearly seven months after Morsi took office. Critics say Morsi has failed to carry out promised reforms of the judiciary and police, and claim little has improved in the two years since the uprising.

    At the heart of the rising opposition toward Morsi's government is a newly adopted constitution, which was ratified in a nationwide referendum.

    Opponents claim the document has an Islamist slant. It was drafted hurriedly by the president's allies without the participation of representatives of liberals and minority Christians on the panel that wrote the charter.

    Protesters on the streets this past week demanded the formation of a national unity government, early presidential elections and amendments to disputed clauses in the constitution.

    Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist group from which he hails, counter that the opposition was seeking to overturn the results of democratic and free elections. The Brotherhood, a well-organized and established political group in Egypt for decades, has emerged as by far the most powerful force in post-Mubarak Egypt.

    As the situation in Port Said spiraled out of control Saturday, police disappeared from the city's streets, residents and security officials said, staying put in their camps, police stations and the city's security headquarters.

    The military then dispatched troops to the city, taking up positions at vital state facilities, including the local power and water stations, the city's main courthouse, the local government building and the city prison. Navy sailors were guarding the local offices of the Suez Canal company.

    Navy vessels were escorting merchant ships sailing through the international waterway, a vital income earner for Egypt's beleaguered economy. Military helicopters were flying over the canal to ensure the safety of shipping, according to Suez Canal spokesman Tareq Hassanein.

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/weekend-death-toll-egyptian-riots-rises-40-184955404--spt.html

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    Samsung to invest $1.7 billion in Kunshan plant: Xinhua

    BEIJING (Reuters) - South Korean electronics giant Samsung plans to invest $1.7 billion in expanding and fitting out its operations in Kunshan, a fast-growing manufacturing hub west of Shanghai, the Xinhua news agency said on Sunday.

    Samsung's expansion comes as the world's largest maker of handsets, memory chips and televisions attempts to diversify its clients and exert greater control over its sprawling manufacturing network, which includes 250 supplier factories in China.

    The company is already building a $7 billion chip complex in Xi'an, an industrial city in northwestern China.

    The Kunshan investment will be used to build workshops, purchase equipment and set up research institutes operated by Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., to support a chip carrier related project, Xinhua said, citing sources with the Kunshan municipal government.

    Manufacturing in China is rapidly expanding, with electronics assembly lines displacing low-margin producers of textiles and toys.

    Samsung's growing presence in China has earned it the attention of labor activists more accustomed to scrutinizing rival electronics manufacturing giant Foxconn.

    Foxconn, the trading name of Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry, conducted an internal audit and pledged to address issues at its supplier factories, after a report in 2012 found it had hired underage workers.

    The Kunshan plant was originally set up in 2008.

    (Reporting By Lucy Hornby; Editing by Alison Birrane)

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/samsung-invest-1-7-billion-kunshan-plant-xinhua-174626808--finance.html

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    Sunday, January 27, 2013

    Canuckclicks Article Directory: Starting a Consulting Business Is a ...

    With so many people having a tough time nowadays, one of the best kinds of businesses to start is one that helps make people's lives easier or provides a sense of security for them.

    Of course you also need to make some good money for yourself at the same time. Starting a consulting business is a great way to do both.

    One of the reasons starting a consulting business is a great idea is because many small business owners simply don't have the time to research cutting-edge marketing techniques, they have to work on developing their products and services.

    This is invariably why a lot of businesses can end up failing. Without promoting their business and developing market attention toward their products and services they tend to fall short in their customer base and never see the profits their business could have made.

    That's where you'll come in as a business consultant. Let's take a look at what you can expect:

    * As a business consultant you'll have the lucrative responsibility of staying up to date with the cutting edge innovations of internet marketing strategies and by applying these strategies to your clients marketing needs you'll be bringing them potentially hundreds of thousands of costumers month after month.

    * As your client's profits grow so will your reputation.

    * As you keep them ahead of their competition they'll keep coming back to you so they can maintain the steady growth of their business.

    Having said that, here are some key benefits of becoming a small business internet consultant:

    * there's almost no start-up capital needed

    * you don't need any experience or years of expensive education

    * charge the right price for your services and you won't need many clients to start making a decent income

    * once your clients know they can depend on your services you'll have a steady source of income just from their demand to keep their market in good maintenance

    * you can expand your business to make even more money

    When you are ready to take on more clients you can do so by developing a team of people who specialize in the different aspects of internet marketing.

    By finding the right person online to handle each part of your client's needs, you'll be providing your service to your clients even faster than before and will be able to increase your fees to a higher level than you did when you were first starting a consulting business.

    Source: http://canuckclicks.blogspot.com/2013/01/starting-consulting-business-is-great.html

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    Ten Afghan police officers killed in suicide bombing

    KUNDUZ, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Ten police officers, including the local counter-terrorism chief, were killed in a suicide bombing in northern Afghanistan on Saturday.

    Shortly after 5 p.m. (1230 GMT) a man driving a motorbike detonated a large bomb at a busy roundabout in the north city of Kunduz near a group of police officers, provincial police chief spokesman Sayed Sarwar Hussaini said.

    "As a result of a suicide attack 10 policemen were killed, including the head of the traffic department and the head of the counter-terrorism office," said Hussaini.

    Four civilians and five other police officers were wounded in the bombing, he said.

    No-one has claimed responsibility for the attack but militants, including the Taliban, are active in the area.

    The attack came a day after a suicide bomber in a car killed at least five civilians and wounded 15 others when he attacked a NATO convoy in the north eastern province of Kapisa.

    Responsibility for that attack was claimed by the Taliban via spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.

    Taliban militants have been waging an 11-year war against Afghan President Hamid Karzai and a U.S.-led NATO force.

    (Reporting by Mirwais Harooni and Mohammad Qasim Nori; Writing by Dylan Welch; Editing by Louise Ireland)

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ten-afghan-police-officers-killed-suicide-bombing-170405473.html

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    Saturday, January 26, 2013

    Video: Billionaire Showdown: Ackman vs. Icahn

    Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

    Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/50590930/

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    Katrina survivor moves 'Idol' judges to tears

    By Craig Berman, TODAY contributor

    There aren?t many events in recent years that touched Americans more than Hurricane Katrina, and there aren?t many reality competitions that understand the art of building an audience like ?American Idol.? It should be no surprise that the two met in the Baton Rouge auditions, to produce one of the best performances thus far in season 12.

    Burnell Taylor, an unemployed 19-year-old from New Orleans, lost everything during the storm and moved with his family to Baton Rouge in the aftermath. Photos helpfully provided to the audience showed the devastation of his household, but Taylor noted one positive that came from the experience.

    ?I realized I knew how to sing after Hurricane Katrina,? Taylor said.

    Taylor proved it with a stirring performance of ?I?m Here? that closed the show with perhaps the best performance of the season. It got a standing ovation from three of the four judges (Nicki Minaj stayed seated) and made Mariah Carey cry.

    ?All I can say is somewhere there?s a spotlight right now just waiting for you to walk into it,? Keith Urban said.

    ?That is what we came for,? Minaj said. ?I feel like we?ve been flying all around this country for that. That thing that can?t even be put into words. That thing that gives everybody chills and goosebumps. I?m so happy you did that because that wasn?t even an audition, that was just entertainment for us.?

    Which begs the question -- what would cause Minaj to stand? And how dare she bring up ?goosebumps,? which we all hoped had been retired along with Jennifer Lopez.

    Apart from that, Baton Rouge was filled with folks who were more quirky than inspiring.

    I mean, it?s great that Ms. Greater Baton Rouge (Megan Miller) went against her doctor?s advice, risked infection, and hobbled in on crutches and sporting a wicked knee brace. But ?Idol? has dealt with a lot more serious health concerns in recent seasons. Just ask Phillip Phillips, Crystal Bowersox and Casey Abrams.

    Charlie Askew was unexpected because he was so socially awkward, but ?Idol? takes guys like him every year and they always seem to do surprisingly well. After all, doesn?t everyone feel socially awkward at times? Especially teenagers?

    Maddie Assel became the latest singer nominated by a family member and dragged out of their hometown by Randy Jackson to get four yes votes and a trip to Hollywood. It?ll be interesting to see how she and the rest of the shy types who needed that extra push to try out do in the more intense atmosphere of the next round.

    We had firefighter Dustin Watts, but there are firefighters, policemen and the like every year. And Dr. Calvin Peters sang well, but it?s not like there was a lot at stake for him. If he washes out on the first day in Hollywood, he?s still a doctor, plus he has the advantage that any pressures the ?Idol? producers put on him can?t match what he needed to get through medical school.

    No, it was Taylor who stole the show, and who will be Baton Rouge auditioner everyone remembers.

    Were you moved by Burnell Taylor and his amazing story? Let us know what you thought of the Baton Rouge auditions on Facebook!

    Related content:

    More in The Clicker:

    Source: http://theclicker.today.com/_news/2013/01/25/16695877-katrina-survivor-moves-american-idol-judges-to-tears-standing-ovation?lite

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    National home equity loan rates for Jan. 24, 2013 - Bankrate.com

    • 5.03% (line of credit)
    • 5.99% (loan)

    Rates on loans backed by home equity barely changed in Bankrate's weekly survey.

    The typical home equity loan fell 1 basis point to 5.99 percent. A basis point is one-hundredth of 1 percentage point.

    The typical home equity line of credit, or HELOC, stayed at 5.03 percent.

    Source: http://www.bankrate.com/finance/home-equity/rate-roundup.aspx

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    Salvation in a Deck of Cards? ? Her War, Her Voice!

    Could it be that technology is contributing to our isolation as military families and military members?

    When I was in the Army (forever ago) cards played a huge role in our everyday interactions. We played cards in the field, on the weekends, during Sergeant?s Time, during our ?hurry up and wait? moments, or even during working hours because there was only so much parking lot to pick up. Seriously, I use to be able to play a mean game of Spades.

    During these times my fellow soldiers, NCOs and officers were able to check up on me, see what was going on in my life, how I was adjusting, dissect my moods, and get a feel for my state of mind. As we moved into those positions, (me getting out and Dude continuing on) we would have his soldiers over, and their families. We got to know them by playing cards. We noticed who was not showing up, who might be having a hard time, and we would hear about what was going on with them.

    The cards gave us on opportunity to let down some barriers and some walls. The cards were a gateway to feeling connected, and having a way to feel not so alone or separated from real people.

    The cards allowed us to joke about each other, smile, hit each other?s arms, laugh, pout, and call names. The cards offered a litmus test of the state of mind of each person playing. They offered opportunity to open up real conversations, encouragement, or even just stress relief.

    Then came the cell phones. Instead of wiping out a deck of cards in the slow waiting moments of the day, soldiers pulled out their phones checking messages, calling home, and playing games. Video games took over and closed off the conversation between plays and the dealing of cards. Everyone became engaged but not with each other.

    Is it possible that that natural break from my home, family, and friends that allowed me to connect with people in my military life more closely, and to depend on them, to trust them, and to confide in them isn?t happening for today?s Soldiers and Military Families because technology doesn?t allow them to separate from who they use to be and become who they are? Could this be part of the issue revolving around the suicides, the isolation, and the loneliness?

    Is it possible that shutting down some of our electronic connections would help alleviate or lessen these issues that are plaguing our military and their families? Could it be that cards, a slow paced game, or just a puzzle could open us up to real connections again?

    I am not saying that this is the answer but it might not hurt.

    We had soldiers over for the holidays and I was shocked at the lack of traditional game knowledge there was. We made them play. We taught them the basics of card edict (may have been some poking fun). We laughed. We heard stories of their families, their traditions, and how they use to see their parents playing cards (I know throws me into the old category). We got to know them. We got to know their looks of frustration, when they don?t understand something, and when they were plotting a move.

    So, I gave away my card games, I sent them with soldiers that were drawn in by the need to just sit around a table with real people across from them and play. I hope they do play and often because maybe just maybe they could find their salvation in that deck of cards.

    Tags: Christina Piper, communication, her war, her war her voice, military life

    Source: http://herwarhervoice.com/blog/?p=1762

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    Snap Shot of Domestic Violence in Idaho

    BOISE, Idaho (AP) ? Idaho officials say an episode of domestic violence takes place somewhere in Idaho once every 88 minutes. Idaho Council on Domestic Violence and Victim Assistance Director Luann Dettman says 22 victims died in domestic attacks in 2011. The council also reported more than 5,700 cases of domestic violence in 2011 involving spouses, former spouses or those in dating relationships.

    Dettman told lawmakers last week that Idaho?s rate of occurrence for domestic violence based only on the number of reported calls. The Spokesman-Review reports the state councils is funded almost entirely each year by a $3.6 million federal grant. The council worked with more than 21,600 victims in Idaho last year.

    Source: http://newsradio1310.com/snap-shot-of-domestic-violence-in-idaho/

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    Friday, January 25, 2013

    Polar bear occupies Davos Shell over Arctic drilling

    DAVOS, Switzerland - Activists with a big fake polar bear have occupied a Shell service station in the Swiss resort of Davos to protest Royal Dutch Shell PLC's oil drilling in the Arctic.

    About 25 activists from around Europe chained gas pumps together Friday at the station near where the World Economic Forum was being held and hung a banner on the roof reading "Arctic Oil - Too Risky."

    Greenpeace helped stage the protest, raising concerns about dangers to the environment from Shell's drilling in Alaska and urging forum organizers to reconsider Shell's participation. A Shell drill barge ran aground on a remote Alaska island on New Year's Eve.

    Shell officials, among the 2,500 corporate and political leaders in Davos this week, did not immediately respond to phone calls about the protest.

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/davos-activists-occupy-shell-station-protest-arctic-drilling-110012885.html

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    Thursday, January 24, 2013

    Setting the Dark on Fire: Beautiful view of clouds of cosmic dust in region of Orion

    Jan. 23, 2013 ? In space, dense clouds of cosmic gas and dust are the birthplaces of new stars. In visible light, this dust is dark and obscuring, hiding the stars behind it. So much so that, when astronomer William Herschel observed one such cloud in the constellation of Scorpius in 1774, he thought it was a region empty of stars and is said to have exclaimed, "Truly there is a hole in the sky here!" [1]

    In order to better understand star formation, astronomers need telescopes that can observe at longer wavelengths, such as the submillimetre range, in which the dark dust grains shine rather than absorb light. APEX, on the Chajnantor Plateau in the Chilean Andes, is the largest single-dish submillimetre-wavelength telescope operating in the southern hemisphere, and is ideal for astronomers studying the birth of stars in this way.

    Located in the constellation of Orion (The Hunter), 1500 light-years away from Earth, the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex is the closest region of massive star formation to Earth, and contains a treasury of bright nebulae, dark clouds and young stars. The new image shows just part of this vast complex in visible light, with the APEX observations overlaid in brilliant orange tones that seem to set the dark clouds on fire. Often, the glowing knots from APEX correspond to darker patches in visible light -- the tell-tale sign of a dense cloud of dust that absorbs visible light, but glows at submillimetre wavelengths, and possibly a site of star formation.

    The bright patch below of the centre of the image is the nebula NGC 1999. This region -- when seen in visible light -- is what astronomers call a reflection nebula, where the pale blue glow of background starlight is reflected from clouds of dust. The nebula is mainly illuminated by the energetic radiation from the young star V380 Orionis [2] lurking at its heart. In the centre of the nebula is a dark patch, which can be seen even more clearly in a well-known image (http://www.spacetelescope.org/images/opo0010a/) from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.

    Normally, a dark patch such as this would indicate a dense cloud of cosmic dust, obscuring the stars and nebula behind it. However, in this image we can see that the patch remains strikingly dark, even when the APEX observations are included. Thanks to these APEX observations, combined with infrared observations from other telescopes, astronomers believe that the patch is in fact a hole or cavity in the nebula, excavated by material flowing out of the star V380 Orionis. For once, it truly is a hole in the sky!

    The region in this image is located about two degrees south of the large and well-known Orion Nebula (Messier 42), which can be seen at the top edge of the wider view in visible light from the Digitized Sky Survey.

    The APEX observations used in this image were led by Thomas Stanke (ESO), Tom Megeath (University of Toledo, USA), and Amy Stutz (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg, Germany). APEX is a collaboration between the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR), the Onsala Space Observatory (OSO) and ESO. Operation of APEX at Chajnantor is entrusted to ESO.

    Notes

    [1] In German, "Hier ist wahrhaftig ein Loch im Himmel!"

    [2] V380 Orionis has a high surface temperature of about 10,000 Kelvin (about the same in degrees Celsius), nearly twice that of our own Sun. Its mass is estimated to be 3.5 times that of the Sun.

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    Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/4cF5E2l0310/130123094558.htm

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