Disgraced ex-Boston archbishop leaves Rome job

VATICAN CITY?? Cardinal Bernard Law, who resigned in disgrace as Boston's archbishop in 2002 after the priest sex abuse scandal exploded in the United States, has retired from his subsequent job as head of a major Roman basilica.

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The Vatican said Monday that Pope Benedict XVI had accepted the 80-year-old Law's resignation as archpriest of St. Mary Major basilica and had named Spanish Monsignor Santos Abril y Castello to replace him.

Law's 2004 appointment as the archpriest of one of Rome's most important basilicas had been harshly criticized by victims of priestly sex abuse, who charged that bishops who covered up for pedophile priests should be punished, not rewarded.

Law turned 80 earlier this month. While the pope could have kept him on longer ? the dean of the College of Cardinals will be 84 this week, for example ? Benedict decided to replace him.

The Vatican announcement made no mention of Law's resignation, though, merely noting in a perfunctory, two-line statement that Benedict had named a new archpriest for the basilica.

Law became the first and so far only U.S. bishop to resign for mishandling cases of priests who sexually abused children.

The abuse crisis erupted in Law's Boston in 2002 after church records were made public showing that church officials had reports of priests molesting children, but kept the complaints secret and shuffled some priests from parish to parish rather than remove them or report them to police.

The crisis spread as similar sexual abuse complaints were uncovered in dioceses across the country. To date, U.S. dioceses have paid out nearly $3 billion in settlements to victims and other costs.

Law himself was named in hundreds of lawsuits accusing him of failing to protect children from known child molesters. After 18 years leading the nation's fourth-largest archdiocese, Law resigned in 2002, having asked Pope John Paul II twice before receiving permission to step down.

Ten months after he left office, Law's successor, now-Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley helped broker an $85 million settlement with more than 550 victims of pedophile priests.

While in Rome, Law has been a frequent presence at all major Vatican ceremonial and diplomatic events, a lifestyle that galled many abuse victims who have long insisted that the Vatican crack down on bishops who transfer abusive priests rather than report them to police.

Law's successor at St. Mary Major ? one of the four basilicas under the direct jurisdiction of the Vatican ? retired earlier this year as the Vatican's ambassador to Slovenia and Macedonia.

Abril y Castello, 76, is also the No. 2 prelate who helps take care of matters dealing with a papal death and runs the Vatican until a new pontiff is elected in a conclave.

Now that he is 80, Law can no longer vote in a conclave, but he remains a cardinal.

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

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45383850/ns/world_news-europe/

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Securing Mobile Data Communications

Wireless communication is inherently insecure.

My consulting experience has confirmed that some organizations understand this fact when connecting to wireless networks with their laptops.

However, their awareness falters when connecting their mobile devices to the same networks.

According to a Echoworx study, 44% of the surveyed audience at London?s Infosecurity Europe 2011 conference transmitted sensitive information unencrypted to the Internet via their mobile devices.

OWASP cites spoofing attacks and surveillance as significant when using wireless communications with a mobile device. Wifi, 3G, GSM, CDMA & bluetooth; these are but a few transport protocols targeted to affect the confidentiality and integrity of the transmitted data.

The controls discussed in this installment are designed to make successful exploits more difficult and to obfuscate the data to the point that successful exploits will result in no return for the attacker.

SSL vs. TLS

SSL and TLS provide an end-to-end secure communication channel, but they support different encryption algorithms. For example, SSL does not support 3DES or AES encryption; algorithms required by applications that handle sensitive data such as user credentials, as well as personal or business-critical information.

Data classification and organizational requirements will influence which one is implemented on a device. All Federal information systems that transmit sensitive information, for example, require the use of TLS.

Encryption Algorithms

The selection of encryption algorithms to support a mobile device will be determined by data classification considerations and business requirements. Several vendors in the defense industry, for example, are developing FIPS 140-2 validated devices to support applications used by the DoD and NSA. Some private industry applications may require similar encryption levels, but most use cases can be accommodated with SSL or TLS.

OWASP recommends that strong encryption algorithms and key lengths be used to protect data in motion. It also recommends that only signed certificates be allowed and that they are associated with reputable certificate authorities.

Signed certificates allow you to verify the source and validity of an encryption certificate, countering unsigned certificates often employed by attackers to gain access to information.

Additionally, it is imperative that chain validation is implemented when chained SSL certificates are used. The encryption management system on the device should make it possible for the user to determine the validity of a certificate via the user interface.

Lastly, the device should employ mechanisms that mitigate the threat of man-in-middle attacks such as SSL strip. These attacks take advantage of SSL connections that do not verify the identity of the remote server.

This allows an attacker to intercept communications, determine the encryption key and decrypt the data in transit. Countermeasures employ various techniques to verify the communicating devices and the integrity of the encryption information.

The next installment of this series will explore user authentication/authorization and session management. McAfee?s solutions to this problem space will be detailed and mapped to OWASP recommendations.

Until then, be sure to follow us on @McAfeeBusiness for regular updates on McAfee happenings and news.

Cross-posted from the McAfee Security Connected blog

Source: https://www.infosecisland.com/blogview/18202-Securing-Mobile-Data-Communications.html

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Breaking Dawn Director Gave Fans 'A Lot' Of Sex

Bill Condon tells MTV News he tried 'to give people the experience they had reading the book' in 'Part I.'
By Terri Schwartz, with reporting by Josh Horowitz

Director Bill Condon on the set of "Twilight: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" with Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson
Photo: Andrew Cooper/Summit

"Breaking Dawn - Part 1" features two of the most hotly anticipated moments in the entire "Twilight Saga." First, love birds Bella Swan and Edward Cullen finally get it on. And later, in a far less tender scene, Bella endures a pretty gory birth to give life to her half-human, half-vampire daughter, Renesmee.

Bill Condon knew all along that those two scenes were pivotal moments that he would need to get right onscreen. But keeping in mind the PG-13 rating the studio wanted to preserve, the director also knew that he had to tackle those intense sequences without going too far over the line. When MTV News caught up with Condon, he predicted that fans will be pleased with the final product (especially the sex scene), which hit theaters on Friday (November 18).

As in the novel, the honeymoon scene plays out mostly through Bella remembering the passionate night the morning after, which allowed Condon to show the event in several parts.

"I think when you see the movie you'll see, you think you get it and then you get more of it and then you get more of it, which I think was part of the intention because it's such a big thing — everyone's been waiting for it," he said. "We just wanted to make sure you got a lot of it when you got it."

And Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart were good sports about the whole process, Condon said, though he admitted filming the steamy section got "kind of clinical." The scene was carefully choreographed but the two lead actors were "so cool about it."

The birthing sequence, which easily could have pushed the film to an "R" rating, proved similarly challenging. Condon wanted to stay as true as possible to Stephenie Meyer's depiction but he knew he couldn't be too graphic. "You want to give people the experience they had reading the book, and that was incredibly powerful, the way Stephenie described it.

"You can't show everything, obviously, we have a [PG-13] rated movie," he said. "But we did it through the point of view of Bella and what she can see as she's giving birth. I think your imagination fills in a lot of that."

Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

Related Videos

• MTV Rough Cut: 'Breaking Dawn Part -1' Director And Screenwriter

Related Photos

• Twilight: Breaking Dawn

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1674701/breaking-dawn-part-1-sex-scene-director.jhtml

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The cool clouds of Carina -- APEX gives us a new view of star formation in the Carina Nebula

The cool clouds of Carina -- APEX gives us a new view of star formation in the Carina Nebula

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Using the LABOCA camera on the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) telescope on the plateau of Chajnantor in the Chilean Andes, a team of astronomers led by Thomas Preibisch (Universitats-Sternwarte Munchen, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat, Germany), in close cooperation with Karl Menten and Frederic Schuller (Max-Planck-Institut fur Radioastronomie, Bonn, Germany), imaged the region in submillimetre light. At this wavelength, most of the light seen is the weak heat glow from cosmic dust grains. The image therefore reveals the clouds of dust and molecular gas ? mostly hydrogen ? from which stars may form. At -250?C, the dust grains are very cold, and the faint glow emanating from them can only be seen at submillimetre wavelengths, significantly longer than those of visible light. Submillimetre light is, therefore, key to studying how stars form and how they interact with their parent clouds.

The APEX LABOCA observations are shown here in orange tones, combined with a visible light image from the Curtis Schmidt telescope at the Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory. The result is a dramatic, wide-field picture that provides a spectacular view of Carina's star formation sites. The nebula contains stars with a total mass equivalent to over 25 000 Suns, while the mass of the gas and dust clouds is that of about 140 000 Suns.

However, only a fraction of the gas in the Carina Nebula is in sufficiently dense clouds to collapse and form new stars in the immediate future (in astronomical terms, meaning within the next million years). In the longer term, the dramatic effects of the massive stars already in the region on their surrounding clouds may accelerate the star formation rate.

High-mass stars live for only a few million years at most (a very short lifespan compared to the ten billion years of the Sun), but they profoundly influence their environments throughout their lives. As youngsters, these stars emit strong winds and radiation that shape the clouds around them, perhaps compressing them enough to form new stars. At the ends of their lives, they are highly unstable, being prone to outbursts of stellar material until their deaths in violent supernova explosions.

A prime example of these violent stars is Eta Carinae, the bright yellowish star just to the upper left of the centre of the image. It has over 100 times the mass of our Sun, and is among the most luminous stars known. Within the next million years or so, Eta Carinae will explode as a supernova, followed by yet more supernovae from other massive stars in the region.

These violent explosions rip through the molecular gas clouds in their immediate surroundings, but after the shockwaves have travelled more than about ten light-years they are weaker, and may instead compress clouds that are a little further away, triggering the formation of new generations of stars. The supernovae may also produce short-lived radioactive atoms that are picked up by the collapsing clouds. There is strong evidence that similar radioactive atoms were incorporated into the cloud that collapsed to form our Sun and planets, so the Carina Nebula may provide additional insights into the creation of our own Solar System.

The Carina Nebula is some 7500 light-years distant in the constellation of the same name (Carina, or The Keel). It is among the brightest nebulae in the sky because of its large population of high-mass stars. At about 150 light-years across, it is several times larger than the well-known Orion Nebula. Even though it is several times further away than the Orion Nebula, its apparent size on the sky is therefore about the same, making it also one of the largest nebulae in the sky.

The 12-metre-diameter APEX telescope is a pathfinder for ALMA (http://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/alma.html), the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, a revolutionary new telescope that ESO, together with its international partners, is building and operating, also on the Chajnantor plateau. APEX is itself based on a single prototype antenna constructed for the ALMA project, while ALMA will be an array of 54 antennas with 12-metre diameters, and an additional 12 antennas with 7-metre diameters. While ALMA will have far higher angular resolution than APEX, its field of view will be much smaller. The two telescopes are complementary: for example, APEX will find many targets across wide areas of sky, which ALMA will be able to study in great detail.

APEX is a collaboration between the Max-Planck-Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR), the Onsala Space Observatory (OSO) and ESO. The operation of APEX is entrusted to ESO.

ALMA, an international astronomy facility, is a partnership of Europe, North America and East Asia in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. ALMA construction and operations are led on behalf of Europe by ESO, on behalf of North America by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), and on behalf of East Asia by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). The Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO) provides the unified leadership and management of the construction, commissioning and operation of ALMA.

###

ESO: http://www.eso.org

Thanks to ESO for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/115255/The_cool_clouds_of_Carina____APEX_gives_us_a_new_view_of_star_formation_in_the_Carina_Nebula

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Heart disease treatment: A new stent design may put patients at risk

ScienceDaily (Nov. 17, 2011) ? Some stents that keep blood vessels open to treat heart disease are poorly designed to resist shortening, according to publications in the Journal of Interventional Cardiology. A case report published in the journal by Dr. Cindy Grines, of the Detroit Medical Center Cardiovascular Institute, and her colleagues describes a patient who experienced a heart attack after the recently marketed Ion stent (Boston Scientific, Natick, MA) in his artery shortened and accordioned.

The articles indicate that some stents are susceptible to becoming deformed, which could result in adverse clinical consequences.

Coronary stents, which are scaffolds placed within arteries that supply blood to the heart, are lifesavers for many patients with heart disease and other conditions. By using new materials and developing advanced designs, manufacturers have been working to continually improve the performance of stents to prevent blood vessels from becoming blocked.

Recently, though, researchers and clinicians have identified stent shortening as a newly observed deformity in cases using a particular family of stents. This shortening usually occurred when the clinician attempted to complete the procedure with the typical catheters and balloons used after a stent is implanted. Stent shortening and deformity can cause serious complications for patients; in this case the stent clotted off and the patient had a heart attack.

In an accompanying editorial, Dr. Grines notes that the results are "disturbing" and that because clinicians, researchers, and regulators are rapidly investigating the issue, hopefully there will soon be new recommendations regarding the use of this particular design of stents.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Wiley-Blackwell.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111117140430.htm

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Adwatch: Rick Perry's new ad, "Lazy"

NEW YORK (AP) ? TITLE: "Lazy"

LENGTH: 30 seconds.

AIRING: On national cable and on Iowa broadcast and cable.

KEY IMAGES: The ad opens with footage of President Barack Obama being interviewed at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Hawaii last Saturday. "We've been a little bit lazy I think over the last couple of decades," Obama says.

Rick Perry, wearing a denim shirt, appears and speaks to the camera. "Can you believe that? That's what our president thinks is wrong with America? That Americans are lazy? That's pathetic. It's time to clean house in Washington."

The Texas governor says he would push for a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget as president and if Congress refused he would "cut their pay and send them home." He concludes by saying Obama's "socialist" policies are bankrupting the U.S.

Analysis: Republican presidential hopeful Perry takes Obama's comment out of context.

Obama was speaking to a group of CEOs about the challenges of attracting foreign investment in the U.S., not about individuals or their economic challenges.

"There are a lot of things that make foreign investors see the U.S. as a great opportunity ? our stability, our openness, our innovative free market culture," Obama said. "But we've been a little bit lazy, I think, over the last couple of decades. We've kind of taken for granted, well, people will want to come here and we aren't out there hungry, selling America and trying to attract new business into America."

Perry is using the comment to portray Obama as out of touch, even contemptuous, of ordinary Americans. Mitt Romney, a rival for the Republican presidential nomination, also criticized the remark this week.

In the ad, Perry then pivots to a critique of Congress, a theme he stressed this week even though Republicans control the House. It allows him to remind voters that he's an outsider in Washington and to ride public disgust with Congress, which polls show is at an all-time high. But Perry, as president, could not unilaterally enact a balanced budget amendment or cut lawmakers' pay.

Perry and many other Republicans have labeled Obama's economic policies as "socialist." It's true the president has tried to spur the economy with large investments of taxpayer money, such as with the economic stimulus package and bailouts for the bank and U.S. auto industries. But socialism is an almost-total rejection of capitalism and free markets, which Obama does not support.

___(equals)

Follow Beth Fouhy on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/bfouhy

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2011-11-16-Perry-Adwatch/id-405ad659294a4868a5cce56c2f482a15

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How to set up iTunes Match on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch

So you've subscribed to iTunes Match. Now you need to set up your iOS devices to use it. It's just as simple as subscribing was. Just a few ticks and clicks and you'll be on your way to iCloud music goodness!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/Dgaypb6TOKQ/story01.htm

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Star Snapshots: Hottest New Photos

Snooki shows off her new tattoo! Plus, see more of your favorite celebs on the scene!

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/star-snapshots-celebrity-photo-gallery/1-b-75638?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Astar-snapshots-celebrity-photo-gallery-75638

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AMD-like lesions delayed in mice fed lower glycemic index diet

ScienceDaily (Nov. 14, 2011) ? Feeding older mice a lower glycemic index (GI) diet consisting of slowly-digested carbohydrates delays the onset of age-related, sight-threatening retinal lesions, according to a new study from the Laboratory for Nutrition and Vision Research at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (USDA HNRCA) at Tufts University.

The researchers studied middle-aged and older mice that consumed either a higher or lower GI diet. Mice fed the lower GI diet developed fewer and less-severe age-related lesions in the retina than the mice fed the higher GI diet. The lesions included basal laminar deposits, which typically develop after age 60 in the human retina and are the earliest warning sign of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD).

"To our knowledge, we have established the first mature, mammalian model indicating a delay in the development of AMD-like lesions as the result of a lower GI diet," says Allen Taylor, PhD, director of the Laboratory for Nutrition and Vision Research at the USDA HNRCA. "The only difference between the two groups of mice we studied is the GI of their meals, which suggests that diet alone is enough to accelerate or delay the formation of lesions. These results, coupled with similar observations made by our laboratory in earlier human epidemiologic studies imply that lower GI diets hold potential as an early intervention for preventing onset and progress of AMD."

The dietary glycemic index (DGI) measures the rate at which glucose is delivered to the bloodstream after consuming carbohydrates. Higher GI foods including white bread and white potatoes trigger a rapid delivery of glucose that pushes the body to work overtime to absorb, whereas lower GI foods, like whole grain bread and fruits and vegetables, initiate a slower release of glucose that is more easily processed by cells.

Compared to the mice on the lower GI diet, mice on the higher GI diet demonstrated elevated accumulations of debris known as advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in the whole retina, particularly in the cells of the RPE. The RPE plays a crucial role in maintaining vision and its dysfunction results in the gradual central vision loss that is the hallmark of AMD. AGE accumulation has also been linked to tissue damage in other age-related diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

"We presume the elevated accumulation of AGEs we saw in the retina of the higher GI group is associated with toxicity. The AGEs result from the modification of proteins by excess glucose and this compounds the normal protein damage that happens as we age," says Karen Weikel, first author and a PhD candidate at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts. "While previous research has linked higher GI diets to AGE accumulation in the blood, ours appears to be the first to show diet-related AGE presence in tissue, such as the retina, which becomes the site of the eye disease."

The research, published online in October in the journal Aging Cell traces the drop-off in AGE accumulation in the lower GI diet to the ubiquitin-protease system pathway and the lysosome/autophagy pathway. "In cell models we saw that both the ubiquitin pathways and lysosome pathways processed proteins more efficiently and kept cells healthier when glucose levels were lower," says Taylor, who is also a professor at the Friedman School and Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM). "Both pathways are well-known for their ability to remove damage from cells, but this had not been previously systematically explored for removal of AGEs."

The Centers for Disease Control reports AMD is the chief cause of irreparable vision loss in Americans over age 65 and that 1.8 million people in the U.S. are living with the disease, a number that is expected to approach 3 million by 2020.

"Although our laboratory has shown in epidemiological studies and now in a live laboratory model that lower GI diets may prevent or delay the progression of AMD, future studies are needed. Trials involving more animals and human clinical trials could more carefully describe the protein-editing machinery that appeared to determine the development and severity of the lesions we saw," Taylor says. "With such information, we may begin to develop cost-effective dietary interventions as well as a new generation of drugs that mimic the presumed effects of the lower GI diet to prolong vision."

The authors received funding for this study from the USDA, Johnson & Johnson Focused Giving and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

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Journal Reference:

1. Tomoaki Uchiki, Karen A. Weikel, Wangwang Jiao, Fu Shang, Andrea Caceres, Dorota Pawlak, James T. Handa, Michael Brownlee, Ram Nagaraj, Allen Taylor. Glycation-altered proteolysis as a pathobiologic mechanism that links dietary glycemic index, aging, and age-related disease (in non diabetics). Aging Cell, 2011; DOI: 10.1111/j.1474-9726.2011.00752.x

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111114112236.htm

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Philippines rejects new Chinese territorial claim (AP)

MANILA, Philippines ? China has claimed new territory less than 50 miles (80 kilometers) from a Philippine province, boosting tensions over potentially resource-rich areas of the South China Sea, but the Philippines has dismissed the claim, an official said Monday.

Energy Undersecretary Jose Layug Jr. told The Associated Press that China protested a Philippine plan to explore for oil and gas in the area in July. It is the closest point in waters off the main Philippine islands that China has claimed in the increasingly tense territorial disputes.

Beijing has been asserting its territorial claims more aggressively as its economic and diplomatic muscle has grown. Its new claims are likely to bolster Philippine resolve to seek a U.N. ruling on the long-simmering disputes, which involve China, the Philippines and four other claimants.

Among the areas being contested is the Spratlys, a chain of up to 190 islands, reefs, coral outcrops and banks believed to be sitting atop large deposits of oil and natural gas, which many fear could be Asia's next flash point for conflict.

The issue is expected to be discussed Wednesday with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The two new areas being claimed by China are not part of the Spratlys, Layug said.

The Chinese Embassy delivered a protest to the Philippine government on July 4 after Manila invited foreign companies to bid for the right to explore for oil and gas in 15 areas. Chinese officials opposed the inclusion of "areas 3 and 4" northwest of Palawan province, claiming they fall under Chinese sovereign territory.

"The Chinese government urges the Philippine side to immediately withdraw the bidding offer in areas 3 and 4, refrain from any action that infringes on China's sovereignty and sovereign rights," China said in a diplomatic note to Manila, adding that the Philippine action "cannot but complicate the disputes and affect stability in the South China Sea."

China told the Philippine government that the planned oil explorations violated a nonbinding 2002 accord that called on claimants to South China Sea territories to stop occupying new areas and avoid action that could spark tension.

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a regular briefing: "We do not want foreign commerce involved in these kinds of investment and disputes over the South China Sea."

Palawan province, about 510 miles (820 kilometers) southwest of Manila, faces the South China Sea, which is claimed entirely by China.

One of the offshore areas now being claimed by Beijing lies just 49 miles (79 kilometers) northwest of Palawan, while the other is 76 miles (123 kilometers) from the western Philippine province, Layug said.

The Philippine government told China the areas are located well within Philippine waters and are far from any disputed area, officials said.

"The areas that we're offering for bidding are all within Philippine territory," Layug said. "There is no doubt about that."

The two areas are more than 500 miles (800 kilometers) from the nearest Chinese coast, Layug said.

About 50 foreign investors, including some of the world's largest oil companies, have expressed interest in exploring for oil and gas in the Philippines, half of them in the new areas being claimed by China, because of strong indications of oil there, he said.

None of the prospective foreign companies has expressed concern over the territorial disputes, Layug said.

"Of course their issue would be ensuring security and the support of the Philippine government when they are awarded the contract," he said.

In March, two Chinese vessels tried to drive away a Philippine oil exploration ship from Reed Bank, another area west of Palawan. Two Philippine air force planes were deployed, but the Chinese vessels had disappeared by the time they reached the submerged bank.

The Philippines protested the incident, which it said was one of several intrusions by China into its territorial waters in the first half of the year. Vietnam has also accused Chinese vessels of trying to sabotage oil exploration in its territorial waters this year, sparking rare anti-China protests in Vietnam.

A British company behind the exploration at Reed Bank found very strong indications of natural gas and plans to start drilling in about six months, Layug said.

President Benigno Aquino III plans to discuss a Philippine proposal at an Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit this week in Bali, Indonesia, to segregate disputed South China Sea areas so coastal states can freely make use of non-disputed areas. China has opposed the plan.

Aquino's government also plans to bring the territorial disputes before the United Nations for possible arbitration.

___

Associated Press writer Louise Watt in Beijing contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/china/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111114/ap_on_re_as/as_asia_south_china_sea

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Dan Walters: California school advocates talk more dollars than sense (Sacramento Bee)

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Obama to China: behave like 'grown up' economy (Reuters)

HONOLULU (Reuters) ? President Barack Obama served notice on Sunday that the United States was fed up with China's trade and currency practices as he turned up the heat on America's biggest economic rival.

"Enough's enough," Obama said bluntly at a closing news conference of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit where he scored a significant breakthrough in his push to create a pan-Pacific free trade zone and promote green technologies.

Using some of his toughest language yet against China, Obama, a day after face-to-face talks with President Hu Jintao, demanded that China stop "gaming" the international system and create a level playing field for U.S. and other foreign businesses.

"We're going to continue to be firm that China operate by the same rules as everyone else," Obama told reporters after hosting the 21-nation APEC summit in his native Honolulu. "We don't want them taking advantage of the United States."

China shot back that it refused to abide by international economic rules that it had no part in writing.

"First we have to know whose rules we are talking about," Pang Sen, a deputy director-general at China's Foreign Ministry said.

"If the rules are made collectively through agreement and China is a part of it, then China will abide by them. If rules are decided by one or even several countries, China does not have the obligation to abide by that."

Even as Obama issued the veiled threat of further punitive action against China, it was unclear how much of his tough rhetoric was, at least in part, political posturing aimed at economically weary U.S. voters who will decide next November whether to give him a second term.

Obama insisted that China allow its currency to rise faster in value, saying it was being kept artificially low and was

hurting American companies and jobs. He said China, which often presents itself as a developing country, is now "grown up" and should act that way in global economic affairs.

The sharp words between the U.S. and China contrasted with the unified front that Asia-Pacific leaders sought to present with a pledge to bolster their economies and lower trade barriers in an effort to shield against the fallout from Europe's debt crisis.

The members of APEC, which accounts for more than half of the world's economic output, said they had agreed on ways to counter "significant downside risks" to the world economy.

That followed an appeal by Obama, seeking to reassert U.S. leadership to counter China's growing influence around the Pacific Rim, for a commitment to expand trade opportunities as an antidote to Europe's fiscal woes.

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde, in Honolulu to consult with APEC leaders, said the euro zone upheaval risked sweeping the world economy into a "downward spiral" that all countries had a stake in resolving the crisis.

TRADE LIBERALIZATION PROMISED

APEC said in a final communique: "We recognize that further trade liberalization is essential to achieving a sustainable global recovery in the aftermath of the global recession of 2008-2009."

The communique also expressed a firm resolve "to support the strong, sustained and balanced growth of the regional and global economy" -- a clear reference to U.S. concerns about a huge trade deficit with China's export-driven economy, fiscal problems in developed nations and the low savings rate in the United States.

In another bow to U.S. pressure, APEC committed to reducing tariffs on environmental goods and services to 5 percent as a way to promote green technology trade, overcoming China's resistance to the idea.

Differences persist among APEC members -- a point hammered home by U.S.-China tensions -- and the question remains how far leaders will be able to go in turning promises into action. Many, Obama included, will face resistance to opening markets further to foreign competition.

Obama's public denunciation of China's policies came as he faces pressure at home, from Republican presidential contenders as well as fellow Democrats, for a tougher line on Beijing. But U.S. leverage is limited, not least because Beijing is America's largest foreign creditor.

Though Obama acknowledged a "slight improvement" in the value of China's yuan, he insisted it was not enough.

The United States has long complained that China keeps its currency artificially weak to give its exporters an advantage. China counters that the yuan should rise only gradually to avoid harming the economy and driving up unemployment, which would hurt global growth.

Hu was quoted by Chinanews.com in Beijing on Sunday as saying a big appreciation in the yuan against the dollar would not help U.S. trade and unemployment problems.

The yuan inched up against the dollar. Dealers said Hu's comments in Honolulu indicated that China had no intention of letting the currency rise faster in the near term.

U.S. ENGAGEMENT

Obama declared U.S. engagement in the Asia-Pacific region as "absolutely critical" to America's prosperity. By harnessing the potential for expanded trade with the world's fastest-growing region, Obama hopes he can create U.S. jobs to help him through a tough reelection fight in 2012.

Obama's drive toward a pan-Pacific free trade zone -- the signature U.S. achievement of the summit -- got a boost when Canada, Mexico and Japan said they were interested in joining talks now under way among nine countries, and they agreed to complete the detailed framework in 2012.

The Philippines was discussing the matter, U.S. officials said.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership adds momentum to Obama's pledge to double U.S. exports, made more urgent by the virtual collapse of the Doha round of trade talks. A free trade zone in the region would outstrip the market size of the European Union. But for Japan, such a deal faces major political obstacles at home.

Yet there was little promise of immediate economic dividends as such trade deals often take years to take effect.

Obama is seeking to assure allies of a U.S. "pivot" as China flexes its economic and military muscles in Asia and beyond. But leaders may doubt whether Washington can avoid being distracted by economic woes at home and foreign policy priorities like Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran.

(Reporting by Reuters APEC team; Writing by Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Stella Dawson)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/india/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111114/india_nm/india605076

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Fares aren't fair, London cabbies say (AP)

LONDON ? The meter is running: Taxi fares may be going up during the Summer Olympics when demand is likely to be at an all-time high.

Drivers of London's black cabs are asking city transportation authorities to let them increase fares by about 20 percent during the Olympics next year.

Transport for London said Friday an association that represents the drivers asked for the increase in order to encourage their members to work during the games. No decision has been made on the request, which will be reviewed by the Transport for London board.

The move comes amid building worries about transportation during the July 27-Aug. 12 games. London's roads are strained at the best of times, and critics worry that adding tens of thousands of tourists will lead to traffic gridlock.

Bob Oddy, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association, said that those concerns are prompting black cab drivers to opt to take their vacations during the games. A bit of incentive might lure them back to the streets.

"Our drivers are saying ... 'I'm just going to be stuck in traffic,'" he said.

Oddy noted that British transport authorities have already awarded subway train drivers extra cash for working erratic hours during the Olympics. The city's 3,500 drivers will receive a one-time payment of 500 pounds ($790) for agreeing to have their normal schedules disrupted during the games. They will also receive overtime pay for the extra hours they work.

London transport officials stress that they've been planning for this for years, that they often handle large events and that they are skilled at managing London's daily traffic patterns.

Without concessions, Oddy said Londoners may find it hard to hail a cab.

Unwilling to let the London Olympics go down in history as a transport disaster, city transport officials have been working to bolster the burdened transport system to withstand the strain of the games. Authorities have invested around 6.5 billion pounds ($10.2 billion) in upgrading and extending transport links ahead of the games, including important additions to rail lines.

But even that investment can do little to change the streets themselves, which are laid out in a pattern relatively unchanged since medieval times. London has only a handful of thoroughfares, and even those are nothing like the great boulevards that traverse cities like New York and Paris.

Mindful of troubles that dogged previous games ? particularly the Atlanta Olympics ? transport officials have earmarked some lanes of traffic specifically for Olympic use. The lanes are intended to make certain that athletes, officials and other VIPs make it to the games on time.

London's famous cabbies depend on those roads for a living and have been agitating for greater access to the lanes.

London's black cab drivers charge between 5.20 pounds and 8.20 pounds ($8.20 and $13) for a single mile journey during business hours.

London ranks in the top tier of most expensive cab rides in the world, according to a survey conducted by the "price of travel" website, which put Zurich at the top among 72 big cities.

A cab ride from London's Heathrow Airport to the city center can cost as much as 80 pounds ($127).

London's Evening Standard was quick to argue in an editorial Friday that cabbies already made enough money ? and that the demands amounted to "ransom."

"To add to the cost of fares so heftily during the games will hardly help London's image as a tourist destination." the newspaper said.

In addition to black cabs ? which pedestrians can flag down ? London also has dial-a-cabs.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111111/ap_on_sp_ol/oly_london2012_black_cabs

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Jump and Splash for iPhone and iPad now available

Jump and Splash is a new iPhone and iPad game available in the App Store. In Jump and Splash, you control Pilu, a little fish who’s lost his mom, by jumping through the side-scrolling levels picking up coins and destroying crabs along the way. I’ve played a few rounds...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/bJm5U7G6PTE/story01.htm

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Teach Your Lego Robot How To Tweet With A Dexter Industries WiFi Sensor

When I was a wee lad, Lego were dead simple: nearly every piece was a square or a rectangle, and if you were lucky, you could split two pieces off of each other without breaking a finger. Consider my surprise then when the tinkerers over at Dexter Industries managed to create a WiFi sensor for Lego's Mindstorms NXT line of smart blocks. The Mindstorm NXT line, to be brief, is the Lego set you buy for the person in your life who's just a little too obsessed with robots. Essentially, you construct a machine out of the included plastic bits, and use the NXT Intelligent Brick to feed your creation commands and programs.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/5w1m1alNmcU/

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Teen Mom 2 Cast: Returning For New Season!

The full cast of MTV's Teen Mom 2 - Jenelle Evans, Leah Messer, Chelsea Houska and Kailyn Lowry - will be running it back for a second season starting December 6!

The second quartet to be featured MTV's 16 and Pregnant spinoff will mark the fourth Teen Mom season overall. The original cast starred on Seasons 1 and 3.

So what are the non-fab four up to these days? Let's catch up:

Chelsea Houska still hasn't graduated from high school, and her BFF and roommate, Megan Nelson, gave birth to her own baby, son Hunter, at age 19. Yay?

Kailyn Lowry has been going to school full-time (college, even ... take notes, Chelsea) while juggling two jobs and, of course, motherhood. Props, Kailyn. Major props.

Leah Messer divorced husband Corey Simms, the father of her twin girls, after just six months of marriage and their spectacular camouflage-themed wedding.

Jenelle Evans ... yeesh. This requires a separate article.

She broke up with Kieffer Delp, which was good, but the troubled teen mom has endured an array of legal problems (drugs, probation violations, beating some chick to a pulp) and her mother, Barbara, still has custody of son Jayce.

Basically, she's the Lindsay Lohan of Teen Mom.

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/11/teen-mom-2-cast-returning-for-new-season/

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Breakthrough in understanding the genetics of high blood pressure

ScienceDaily (Nov. 9, 2011) ? A researcher from the University of Leicester's Department of Cardiovascular Sciences has been involved in a ground-breaking study into the causes of high blood pressure.

The study, published in the academic journal Hypertension, analysed genetic material in human kidneys in a search for genes that might contribute to high blood pressure. The findings open up new avenues for future investigation into the causes of high blood pressure in humans.

The study identified key genes, messenger RNAs and micro RNAs present in the kidneys that may contribute to human hypertension. It also uncovered two microRNAs that contribute to the regulation of renin -- a hormone long thought to play to part in controlling blood pressure.

Although scientists have long known that the kidneys play a role in regulating blood pressure, this is the first time that key genes involved in the process have been identified through a large, comprehensive gene expression analysis of the human kidneys. It is also the first time that researchers have identified miRNAs that control the expression of the hormone renin.

The scientists studied tissue samples from the kidneys of 15 male hypertensive patients (patients with high blood pressure) and 7 male patients with normal blood pressure, and compared their messenger RNA (mRNA) and micro RNA (miRNA).

Messenger RNA (mRNA) is a single-stranded molecule that helps in the production of protein from DNA. Genetic information is copied from DNA to mRNA strands, which provide a template from which the cell can make new proteins. MicroRNA (miRNA) is a very small molecule that helps regulate the process of converting mRNA into proteins.

The study was co-authored by the University of Leicester's Dr Maciej Tomaszewski, Senior Clinical Lecturer in Cardiovascular Medicine in the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, and a Consultant Physician in Leicester Blood Pressure Clinic -- European Centre of Excellence.

Dr Tomaszewski commented: "I am very excited about this publication. Renin is one of the most important contributors to blood pressure regulation. The novel insights into its expression within the human kidney from this study open up new avenues for the development of new antihypertensive medications. The collection of hypertensive and normotensive kidneys is available for our studies in Leicester thanks to a long-term international collaboration. We will continue using this unique research resource in our further studies to decipher the genetic background of human hypertension."

Researchers described the discovery of these miRNAs as "the first real evidence to implicate renin" as a cause of high blood pressure. The findings also indicate which genes and miRNAs are involved in renin production. This increased understanding of the mechanisms underlying hypertension could lead to innovative new treatments for high blood pressure.

Researchers used samples of human kidneys stored in the Silesian Renal Tissue Bank (SRTB), all of which came from Polish males individuals of white European ancestry. The SRTB stores human kidney samples for use in genetic research into cardiovascular diseases. Samples were selected from 15 patients known to have high blood pressure, along with 7 patients with normal blood pressure who were used as a control group for the study. The scientists used a range of techniques to study the genes, mRNAs and miRNAs present in the medulla (the inner part of the kidney) and the cortex (the outer part).

The research was conducted jointly by scientists from the University of Sydney, the University of Ballarat (both in Australia) and the University of Leicester, along with the Silesian School of Medicine in Poland. Funding was provided by a University of Sydney Research Infrastructure grant, grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia and an Australian Research Council grant.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Leicester.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. F. Z. Marques, A. E. Campain, M. Tomaszewski, E. Zukowska-Szczechowska, Y. H. J. Yang, F. J. Charchar, B. J. Morris. Gene Expression Profiling Reveals Renin mRNA Overexpression in Human Hypertensive Kidneys and a Role for MicroRNAs. Hypertension, 2011; DOI: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.111.180729

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111109104208.htm

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The last version of Adobe Flash you'll download for mobile (until the next bugfix that is)

Here it is, folks, the last version of Adobe Flash Player for mobile. Final. Kaput. Only, not really. While Adobe has halted work on future versions, we're still likely -- very likely -- to see the odd bugfix here and there. So head on over to the Android Market and snag version 11.1.102.59, which has some security enhancements and bugfixes, including video streaming on the Samsung Galaxy S II and enabling 1080p video on upcoming Tegra 3 devices.

Source: Adobe

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/0IzBTD4agnY/story01.htm

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Operatic `Dark Sisters' shows bright promise (AP)

NEW YORK ? "Dark Sisters," an intriguing new opera by a talented young American composer, pulls us in from its opening bars to an unfamiliar world and makes us care about its inhabitants.

It's the world of a polygamist compound in the American Southwest, and the first sounds we hear are the overlapping voices of five wives of a "prophet of God" whose children have just been taken from them in a raid by the state. Wearing pioneer-style white dresses, they stand on a bare stage covered with red desert earth, calling out their children's names in anguished harmony.

The lyrical sadness of their lament sets the tone for a wrenching story of faith, loneliness and despair ? redeemed at the end by a ray of hope.

The opera, with music by Nico Muhly and libretto by playwright Stephen Karam, had its world premiere Wednesday night at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College. The outstanding ensemble cast of six women and one man was accompanied by the 13-member Gotham Chamber Opera Orchestra, conducted with flair by Neal Goren.

On first hearing, Muhly and Karam seem to have succeeded where many new operas fail: Though the text is well-crafted and thought-provoking, it's the music that serves as the driving force for the drama.

Using an orchestra consisting mostly of strings and woodwinds, Muhly creates a texture that is often bright and shimmering on the surface but bubbling with turmoil and dissonance underneath. One unusual effect is provided by an instrument called a geophone, a drum filled with small pellets that when shaken sounds a bit like dry, shifting earth.

The women are sharply differentiated through their vocal lines: the growing doubts of Eliza, the ecstatic visions of Almera, the grief of Ruth and the bickering and petty jealousy of Presendia and Zina.

Act 1 shows us the domestic lives of the women in the compound. We see the isolation and drudgery of their lives and their total submission to the sexual will of their stern, self-righteous husband, chillingly portrayed by bass Kevin Burdette.

Act 2 opens with them being interviewed by a somewhat stereotypical TV talk-show host (named King, and also played by Burdette). The wives are seated to one side while their faces appear first on a monitor and then on a giant screen that fills the back of the stage.

It's most of all Eliza, portrayed by the compelling soprano Caitlin Lynch, who commands our attention and sympathy. From the start, she provides a discordant note as the others sing their mantra of "Keep it sweet, keep it sweet." Her disillusionment grows, until at the end she leaves the sect and strikes out into the world, even though it means separating from her teenage daughter, Lucinda.

A counterpoint to her journey is the sad story of Ruth, movingly sung by mezzo-soprano Eve Gigliotti. Ruth cannot get past the tragic deaths of her two children or the heartlessness of the prophet who blames her and, as another wife puts it, has "put her out to pasture." She eventually kills herself after a brief mad scene.

By the end, we learn that the children have been returned to the compound. A final scene shows Eliza sadly parting from Lucinda (soprano Kristina Bachrach), who has decided to remain with her father, even though he plans to marry her off to a man old enough to be her grandfather.

The others in the uniformly strong cast are soprano Jennifer Check as Almera, mezzo Margaret Lattimore as Presendia and soprano Jennifer Zetlan as Zina.

Director Rebecca Taichman has done a terrific job of conjuring up a world that is simultaneously vast and claustrophobic. She is aided by the set and video designs by Leo Warner and Mark Grimmer of 59 Productions; the costumes by Miranda Hoffman; and the lighting by Donald Holder.

This is the second operatic premiere in less than six months for the 30-year-old Muhly, whose prodigious output already included orchestral and chamber music, pop music, film scores and ballet music. His Internet-themed opera, "Two Boys," premiered at the English National Opera in London last spring and is slated to be performed at the Metropolitan Opera in the 2013-14 season.

"Dark Sisters" is a co-production of the Gotham Chamber Opera, the Music-Theatre Group and the Opera Company of Philadelphia. There are five more performances at John Jay through Nov. 19, and the opera will also be staged in Philadelphia next June.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/music/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111110/ap_en_mu/us_opera_review_dark_sisters

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Europe drags down General Motors' 3Q profit (AP)

DETROIT ? The fragile European economy is dragging down General Motor's profits, forcing its management to look at more cost cuts and ways to boost revenue in the struggling region.

GM said Wednesday that its third-quarter net income fell 15 percent from a year earlier, pulled down by losses in Europe and South America and weak earnings in all areas except North America and China.

The company's shares fell 8 percent to $22.93 in midday trading as GM executives were forced to back off of an earlier prediction that the company would break even before taxes in Europe this year.

Europe faces a financial crisis and could slip into recession. Growth is slow is several key nations. Italy, the region's third-biggest economy, is bucking under the weight of government debt. Greece faces default unless it can accept a new debt deal. The region's economy faces deep cuts by over-indebted governments, high unemployment, stingier bank lending and declining exports.

Problems in Europe also have hurt stock markets across the globe, including the U.S. But GM is among the first U.S. corporations to forecast lower earnings due to the problems.

GM CEO Dan Akerson told industry analysts that the company's performance in Europe is due in part to slower sales "which itself is a manifestation of Europe's economic morass." But he also said the company must look for more ways to control costs, stopping short of giving specifics.

Sales in Europe are about 18 percent of GM's 2.2 million global total, but they are expected to weaken as the economy slows in the fourth quarter.

Net income fell to $1.7 billion in the quarter, or $1.03 per share, compared with $2 billion, or $1.20 per share, a year earlier. The quarter's figures also included $200 million in dividends paid on preferred stock that didn't exist a year earlier.

General Motors Co. posted a pretax loss of $292 million in Europe. Its profit rose slightly in North America to $2.2 billion, but earnings at its international operations, including China, fell 29 percent to $365 million. South American operations also swung to a loss of $44 million for the quarter.

Without the loss in Europe and the preferred stock payment, GM's net income would have increased.

Chief Financial Officer Dan Ammann said GM had a solid quarter, but needs to improve its margin of profit in all regions.

Ammann said that in Europe, GM will follow the formula used to turn around the company's North American operations. GM cut its break-even point in North America by closing at least a dozen factories since May of 2008. It also won concessions from the United Auto Workers union, and it rolled out new vehicles that are selling well. But Ammann wouldn't say if more plant closures are coming in Europe.

"There's no one silver bullet," he said.

Ammann said the company has made significant progress in Europe and is more than $1 billion ahead of last year's pretax earnings.

Cutting costs appears to be a bigger challenge than trying to sell more cars in the region. It's difficult for GM to close plants and cut staff in Europe because of strong unions and job protection laws.

European sales, meanwhile, rose 4.6 percent during the third quarter. But the growth rate was about half the 9 percent increase GM reported worldwide.

In South America, Ammann said GM is revamping an aging car and truck lineup to try to boost sales. It also offered buyouts to employees that resulted in a 4 percent reduction in the work force there, he said.

GM is coming out with nine new vehicles in the next year in South America, including the Chevrolet Cruze compact and a subcompact named the Cobalt.

Ammann said GM plans actions companywide to improve profit margins. Its profit margin, or pretax profit as a percentage of revenue, is around 6 percent, a full percentage point lower than its closest global competitors, Volkswagen AG and Ford Motor Co.

While the company plans to cut costs further, it mainly will boost profit margins by increasing revenue, he said.

"You can't cost-cut your way to prosperity in the business. You've got to grow the business, get the right vehicles on the road," he said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111109/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_general_motors

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Russian police break up Occupy-style protest (Reuters)

MOSCOW (Reuters) ? Kremlin critics put an Occupy Wall Street twist on a protest in the Russian capital over next month's parliamentary election on Monday, but the result was the same as usual: dispersal and detention.

Police forcefully broke up a small rally by government opponents who donned the kind of mustachioed Guy Fawkes masks popular with anti-greed protesters in London, New York and other cities.

About a dozen protesters gathered outside the Central Election Commission headquarters and announced plans to "Occupy Old Square" -- a square nearby that houses presidential administration offices.

There have been few major Occupy Wall Street-style rallies in Russia, and despite the spin on Monday's protest, the protesters made clear their message was about the December 4 parliamentary election. They chanted "Cancel the illegal elections!" and held placards with similar slogans.

In an echo of other recent protests over the election -- without the masks -- the demonstrators were quickly seized by camouflage-clad police and shoved roughly into a waiting bus. Police said they violated the law by holding a rally without official permission.

Kremlin critics say that the parliamentary election will not be democratic, saying vociferous opposition groups have been barred from the vote illegally. They also charge that Vladimir Putin's dominant United Russia party will use its levers of power to skew the results in its favor.

The parliamentary vote will be followed by a March 2012 presidential election in which Putin is expected to return to the Kremlin after four years as prime minister.

The tiny protest outside the Central Election Commission headquarters was far smaller than a march and rally celebrating the anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917.

Police said about 4,000 people took part in the state-sanctioned rally organized by the Communist Party, which polls indicate will come in a distant second to United Russia in the parliamentary vote, as in previous elections.

November 7 was a major holiday in the Soviet era, but it is no longer a day off and the Kremlin has replaced it with a November 4 holiday that officially commemorates the 17th century expulsion of Polish invaders.

(Writing by Steve Gutterman; Editing by Rosalind Russell)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111107/wl_nm/us_russia_occupy_protest

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Activists at W.H. to protest pipeline (Politico)

Activists fighting a proposed Canada-to-Texas oil pipeline brought their message to the White House on Sunday: Their support for President Barack Obama next year is not a foregone conclusion.

Organizers estimated 12,000 people surrounded 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. in three rings to protest TransCanada's proposed Keystone XL pipeline. Chants of ?Yes we can! Stop the pipeline!? were audible across Lafayette Park.

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Obama 2008 T-shirts and buttons were common, worn alongside ?No XL? gear, designed to drive home the point that these organizers are the president?s key constituency.

?What I think this is doing is showing Obama that the environment is not the path of least resistance,? Friends of the Earth President Erich Pica said.

How much of the message the president received is unclear: Obama was out golfing most of Sunday, arriving back at the White House at 4:30 p.m.

Decisions over the last six months, including September?s?choice to pull back on pending EPA ozone standards, ?proved to the environmental community that President Obama really can?t be trusted on environmental issues,? Pica said. ?And without active political pressures, his instincts are to make the wrong decision.?

The 1,700-mile pipeline would stretch from Canada to the Gulf Coast of Texas. Though State Department approval was once thought a foregone conclusion, protesters said recent indications are that the administration is getting their message.

And they said at the protest that no matter the decision that Obama makes, the pipeline will not disappear during the election. Rather than turning out to support Obama, activists would continue to push the president; instead of knocking on doors,, student and retired activists will continue challenging the campaign and interrupting fundraisers, organizers said.

?Probably a lot of us are going to vote for him,? Natural Resources Defense Council Founding Director John Adams admitted, given alternatives in the GOP field. ?But enthusiasm is ? quite important to elections. And ? this crowd ? they care about this issue.?

No doubt the administration faces a party divided on the pipeline.

Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), the only member of Congress present at the rally, said the Democratic caucus is likely too split on the issue to take an official position. But he is pushing for more members to join him in sending a second opposition letter to the White House before the planned Dec. 31 decision deadline.

And Maryland State Delegate Heather Mizeur, an Obama appointee to the executive committee at the Democratic National Committee heard push-back when she brought the issue to the group?s September meeting.

?There was some concern expressed that we not put the president in a difficult position from within the party. And I reminded them that this president has asked us to do that,? Mizeur said. ?The president who I voted for in 2008, and the president who I think still lives in that White House, has asked us to do this.?

The pipeline has seen increased attention since August, when 1,253 protesters were arrested at the White House in an act of civil disobedience meant to draw attention to the pipeline.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/politico_rss/rss_politico_mostpop/http___www_politico_com_news_stories1111_67717_html/43516910/SIG=11mh64fp8/*http%3A//www.politico.com/news/stories/1111/67717.html

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'Puss in Boots' stomps 'Tower Heist' at box office (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? "Puss in Boots" pounced on "Tower Heist" and "Harold & Kumar" at the box office.

The DreamWorks 3-D animated film, distributed by Paramount Pictures, earned $33 million in its second weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. The PG-rated film centering on the swashbuckling feline voiced by Antonio Banderas from the "Shrek" series surprisingly toppled the weekend's two new releases, bringing its total haul to $75 million.

Universal's PG-13 revenge romp "Tower Heist" starring Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy palmed $25.1 million in the No. 2 spot, while the Warner Bros. R-rated sequel "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas" with John Cho and Kal Penn unwrapped $13 million at No. 3.

Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com, said family films are tough to beat out.

"From the re-release earlier this fall of `The Lion King' to `Dolphin Tale' and now `Puss in Boots,' it seems that the family audience is the one you can really count on right now," said Dergarabedian. "I think the cavalry is definitely on the way though. We've got `Immortals' and another `Twilight' coming up, as well as a bunch of big releases in December."

Anne Globe, head of worldwide marketing and consumer products at DreamWorks, said the decision to move up the opening of "Puss in Boots" to last weekend is one reason why the film experienced just a 3-percent drop, the smallest ever for a non-holiday film, ahead of the 10-percent dip for "Twister" during its second weekend of release in 1996.

"To be No. 1 again is really extraordinary," said Globe. "It's really an unparalleled hold driven by our two-weekend release strategy, which was pretty unprecedented in and of itself. That and the amazing word of mouth has given us tremendous momentum into November, which is a better play period for an event-level movie like `Puss in Boots.'"

Another animated film dominated outside of North America. "The Adventures of Tintin," which is being distributed overseas by Sony Pictures and Paramount Pictures, scooped up $40.8 million as it grew from 19 to 45 international markets. The 3-D film, directed by Steven Spielberg and adapted from the Belgian comic series, opens Dec. 21 in the United States.

The 20th Century Fox sci-fi thriller "In Time" starring Justin Timberlake fell to No. 5 in U.S. after opening at No. 3 last weekend. "In Time" clocked better numbers overseas, earning $16.6 million in 53 markets for a second-place finish behind "The Adventures of Tintin," while "Puss in Boots" scratched out third place with $15 million in five international markets.

___

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. "Puss in Boots," $33 million. ($15 million international.)

2. "Tower Heist," $25.1 million. ($9.5 million international.)

3. "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas," $13 million.

4. "Paranormal Activity 3," $8.5 million. ($14.1 million international.)

5. "In Time," $7.7 million. ($16.6 million international.)

6. "Footloose," $4.5 million.

7. "Real Steel," $3.4 million. ($10.7 million international.)

8. "The Rum Diary," $2.9 million.

9. "The Ides of March," $2 million.

10. "Moneyball," $1.9 million.

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Estimated weekend ticket sales at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:

1. "The Adventures of Tintin," $40.8 million.

2. "In Time," $16.6 million.

3. "Puss in Boots," $15 million.

4. "Paranormal Activity," $14.1 million

5. "Real Steel," $10.7 million.

6. "Tower Heist," $9.5 million.

7. "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," $7.5 million.

8. "Johnny English Reborn," $7.3 million.

9. "The Three Musketeers," $5.8 million.

10. "Contagion," $5 million.

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Online:

http://www.hollywood.com

http://www.rentrak.com

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Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by Rainbow Media Holdings, a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corp.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.

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AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111106/ap_en_ot/us_box_office

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