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NORFOLK, Va. (AP) ? The Air Force began grounding about one-third of its active-duty combat aircraft on Tuesday because of automatic federal spending cuts, including squadrons of fighters, bombers and airborne warning and control craft.

The stand down will affect units stationed in the U.S., Europe and the Pacific, though the Air Force didn't immediately provide a list of the units and bases that will be affected.

Some units that include F-16s, F-22s, A-10s and B-1s will stand down after they return home from their deployments. Other units began the stand down Tuesday.

"We must implement a tiered readiness concept where only the units preparing to deploy in support of major operations like Afghanistan are fully mission capable," Gen. Mike Hostage, commander of Air Combat Command at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, said in a statement. "Units will stand down on a rotating basis so our limited resources can be focused on fulfilling critical missions."

The Air Force says the stand-down is the result of cuts to the command's operations and maintenance account. The Air Force says it must reduce its flying by about 45,000 fewer training hours by Oct. 1 than previously scheduled.

"The current situation means we're accepting the risk that combat airpower may not be ready to respond immediately to new contingencies as they occur," Hostage said.

The Air Force says it generally takes 60 to 90 days to conduct the training needed to return aircrews to mission-ready status. For affected units, the Air Force says it will shift its focus to ground training.

That includes the use of flight simulators and academic training to maintain basic skills and aircraft knowledge, Air Combat Command spokesman Maj. Brandon Lingle said.

Lingle said aircraft maintainers would clear up as much of a backlog of scheduled inspections and maintenance that budgets allow.

___

Brock Vergakis can be reached at www.twitter.com/BrockVergakis

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-04-09-US-Air-Force-Groundings/id-321f24dbd15746649987cd32f01287eb

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Hermit: 1,000 burglaries are attributed to a Maine hermit. Christopher Knight told police he had broken into one campground about 50 times since he began living in the woods in 1986.

By Staff,?Associated Press / April 10, 2013

Christopher Knight is shown in this 2012 surveillance photo from a private dwelling break-in released by Maine State Police on April 10, 2013. After almost three decades of living like a hermit in central Maine, he was arrested last week, police said on Tuesday.

REUTERS/Maine State Police/Handout

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Authorities say a man who lived like a hermit for decades in the woods of central Maine and may be responsible for more than 1,000 burglaries has been captured.

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State police say in a court affidavit that 47-year-old Christopher Knight was arrested last week when he tripped a sensor while stealing food from a camp in Rome.

Authorities on Tuesday found the campsite where they believed Knight ? known as the North Pond Hermit in local lore? has lived for 27 years.

Knight was arrested last Thursday as he left Pine Tree Camp with $283 worth of food. State Trooper Diane Vance says Knight told her he had broken into the camp about 50 times since he began living in the woods in 1986.

Knight's being held at the Kennebec County jail on burglary and theft charges.

Knight's activities, if proven, bear a remarkable similarity to the behavior of a man arrested last week in Utah. The so-called Mountain Man allegedly burglarized cabins in the Wasatch Mountains for six years.?

As The Christian Science Monitor reported, "For years, Troy Knapp was a figure in the mist, a figment floating across the rugged backcountry of southern Utah with a rifle slung over his shoulder and a grim set of the jaw. What he needed, he took, often from shuttered mountain cabins

For years, his name wasn?t known, until authorities matched a partial fingerprint from a cabin window to a California man who disappeared in 2002 after running afoul of authorities in the Golden State. But before then, motion-trigger cameras had caught several snapshots of the elusive, mysterious and possibly dangerous ?mountain man,? sparking widespread debate about his identity.

On Tuesday, Knapp?s nearly seven year walkabout ended after a tip brought local law enforcement to his tracks, which they followed to a cabin where they could hear someone chopping wood. After a brief shootout, Knapp dropped his rifle and said, reportedly with a smile, ?Good job, you got me.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/g_KcSdGxhHk/Hermit-1-000-burglaries-by-one-guy-in-Maine

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2-drug combo more effective in treating sarcomas, Moffitt Cancer Center study shows

Public release date: 9-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail |

Share ]

Contact: Kim Polacek
kim.polacek@moffitt.org
813-745-7408
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute

MK-1775 and gemcitabine together increase cell death in rare tumor

Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center and colleagues at the University of South Florida have found that when given together, a two-drug combination acts synergistically in test animals modeled with sarcoma tumors. They report that the drug combination of MK-1775 and gemcitabine resulted in a 70 percent decrease in the tumor volume when compared to receiving one drug or the other.

Their study was published in the March 8 online edition of PLOS ONE.

"Sarcomas are rare tumors affecting both children and adults, but sarcomas account for a greater number of pediatric cancers than adult," said study lead author Soner Altiok, M.D., Ph.D., associate member of the Chemical Biology and Molecular Medicine Program. "Sarcoma response rates to standard chemotherapies have been low, drug toxicity has been high, and improvement in overall survival, especially in metastatic disease, has been negligible. New drugs are needed."

Sarcomas are cancers that result from transformed cells in one of a number of tissues, including bone, cartilage, fat, muscle and vascular tissues. Sarcomas are different from carcinomas, such as breast, colon and lung cancers.

Researchers from Moffitt's Chemical Biology and Molecular Medicine and Sarcoma programs had previously collaborated in testing MK-1775's ability to inhibit Wee1, a protein known to regulate cell size and initiate cell division, an important step in the development of sarcoma. Wee1 plays a role in determining the time at which cell division begins. The researchers found that inhibition of Wee1 by MK-1775 induced cell death in sarcoma tumors.

"Inhibition of the pathways critical to tumor cell survival by molecularly targeted therapy represents an opportunity to reverse the biological basis of tumor formation," Altiok explained.

To further prove that inhibition of Wee1 by MK-1775 leads to cell death in sarcomas cells, the researchers performed additional studies, including studies on sarcomas-related mutations, such as the p53 gene. They also showed that MK-1775 was an active inhibitor of Wee1 regardless of the p53 mutation status of the tumors in the cell lines tested.

"The toxic effect of Wee1 inhibition on sarcoma cells appeared to be independent of p53 mutation status following our testing sarcoma cell lines with different p53 mutations," Altiok said. "All of them were highly sensitive to MK-1775, suggesting that Wee1 inhibition may represent a novel approach in the treatment of sarcomas. But p53 status was not predictive of response to MK-1775 as a single agent."

Because of the success of that previous research, in the new study the Moffitt team investigated the benefits of MK-1775 alone compared to MK-1775 in combination with gemcitabine, a standard chemotherapy drug. They tested the combination in a number of sarcoma cell lines derived from patient tissues and then in animals modeled with osteosarcoma (bone sarcoma).

"The combination of MK-1775 and gemcitabine demonstrated a synergistic effect in sarcoma cells," explained Altiok. "MK-1775 alone caused tumor cell damage, but when used in combination with gemcitabine, there was increased cell death."

When the research team tested the combination in laboratory animals, they found that gemcitabine alone inhibited 40 percent of tumor growth. MK-1775 alone inhibited 50 percent of tumor growth. However, MK-1775 and gemcitabine together inhibited 70 percent of tumor cell growth.

"Our data demonstrated that MK-1775 alone and in combination with gemcitabine induces significant cell death in high-grade osteosarcoma cells," concluded the authors. "This finding lays an important foundation for future clinical trials with MK-1775, which is a well-tolerated, readily available targeted drug."

###

About Moffitt Cancer Center

Located in Tampa, Moffitt is one of only 41 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, a distinction that recognizes Moffitt's excellence in research, its contributions to clinical trials, prevention and cancer control. Since 1999, Moffitt has been listed in U.S. News & World Report as one of "America's Best Hospitals" for cancer. With more than 4,200 employees, Moffitt has an economic impact on the state of nearly $2 billion. For more information, visit MOFFITT.org, and follow the Moffitt momentum on Facebook, twitter and YouTube.

Media release by Florida Science Communications

[ | E-mail | Share ]
?

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

2-drug combo more effective in treating sarcomas, Moffitt Cancer Center study shows Public release date: 9-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Kim Polacek
kim.polacek@moffitt.org
813-745-7408
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute

MK-1775 and gemcitabine together increase cell death in rare tumor

Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center and colleagues at the University of South Florida have found that when given together, a two-drug combination acts synergistically in test animals modeled with sarcoma tumors. They report that the drug combination of MK-1775 and gemcitabine resulted in a 70 percent decrease in the tumor volume when compared to receiving one drug or the other.

Their study was published in the March 8 online edition of PLOS ONE.

"Sarcomas are rare tumors affecting both children and adults, but sarcomas account for a greater number of pediatric cancers than adult," said study lead author Soner Altiok, M.D., Ph.D., associate member of the Chemical Biology and Molecular Medicine Program. "Sarcoma response rates to standard chemotherapies have been low, drug toxicity has been high, and improvement in overall survival, especially in metastatic disease, has been negligible. New drugs are needed."

Sarcomas are cancers that result from transformed cells in one of a number of tissues, including bone, cartilage, fat, muscle and vascular tissues. Sarcomas are different from carcinomas, such as breast, colon and lung cancers.

Researchers from Moffitt's Chemical Biology and Molecular Medicine and Sarcoma programs had previously collaborated in testing MK-1775's ability to inhibit Wee1, a protein known to regulate cell size and initiate cell division, an important step in the development of sarcoma. Wee1 plays a role in determining the time at which cell division begins. The researchers found that inhibition of Wee1 by MK-1775 induced cell death in sarcoma tumors.

"Inhibition of the pathways critical to tumor cell survival by molecularly targeted therapy represents an opportunity to reverse the biological basis of tumor formation," Altiok explained.

To further prove that inhibition of Wee1 by MK-1775 leads to cell death in sarcomas cells, the researchers performed additional studies, including studies on sarcomas-related mutations, such as the p53 gene. They also showed that MK-1775 was an active inhibitor of Wee1 regardless of the p53 mutation status of the tumors in the cell lines tested.

"The toxic effect of Wee1 inhibition on sarcoma cells appeared to be independent of p53 mutation status following our testing sarcoma cell lines with different p53 mutations," Altiok said. "All of them were highly sensitive to MK-1775, suggesting that Wee1 inhibition may represent a novel approach in the treatment of sarcomas. But p53 status was not predictive of response to MK-1775 as a single agent."

Because of the success of that previous research, in the new study the Moffitt team investigated the benefits of MK-1775 alone compared to MK-1775 in combination with gemcitabine, a standard chemotherapy drug. They tested the combination in a number of sarcoma cell lines derived from patient tissues and then in animals modeled with osteosarcoma (bone sarcoma).

"The combination of MK-1775 and gemcitabine demonstrated a synergistic effect in sarcoma cells," explained Altiok. "MK-1775 alone caused tumor cell damage, but when used in combination with gemcitabine, there was increased cell death."

When the research team tested the combination in laboratory animals, they found that gemcitabine alone inhibited 40 percent of tumor growth. MK-1775 alone inhibited 50 percent of tumor growth. However, MK-1775 and gemcitabine together inhibited 70 percent of tumor cell growth.

"Our data demonstrated that MK-1775 alone and in combination with gemcitabine induces significant cell death in high-grade osteosarcoma cells," concluded the authors. "This finding lays an important foundation for future clinical trials with MK-1775, which is a well-tolerated, readily available targeted drug."
###
About Moffitt Cancer Center

Located in Tampa, Moffitt is one of only 41 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, a distinction that recognizes Moffitt's excellence in research, its contributions to clinical trials, prevention and cancer control. Since 1999, Moffitt has been listed in U.S. News & World Report as one of "America's Best Hospitals" for cancer. With more than 4,200 employees, Moffitt has an economic impact on the state of nearly $2 billion. For more information, visit MOFFITT.org, and follow the Moffitt momentum on Facebook, twitter and YouTube.

Media release by Florida Science Communications

[ | E-mail | Share ]
?

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

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-04/hlmc-2cm040913.php
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Tuesday, April 9th, 2013 | asthma

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Texas deputies confirm one suspect is in custody in connection with multiple stabbings at Lone Star Community College in Houston. MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.

By Erin McClam, Staff Writer, NBC News

At least 14 people were hurt Tuesday in a stabbing spree at a Texas community college apparently carried out by a student, authorities said. Sheriff?s officials said the suspect was in custody.

At least two victims were in critical condition. It was not immediately clear how severe the other injuries were. The stabbing happened at the CyFair campus of Lone Star College, in the Houston suburb of Cypress.

Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia said that authorities were not certain what the weapon or motive was. He said the suspect was 21 years old.

Johnny Hanson / Houston Chronicle

Life Flight personnel rush a stabbing victim to a helicopter Tuesday near Lone Star College in Cypress, Texas.

Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center said it had two patients in critical condition and six in all, including four flown there by helicopter. A spokeswoman for another hospital, North Cypress Medical Center, said it had taken six stabbing victims who were in stable condition.

Two other victims were treated at the scene and declined to be taken to the hospital, the sheriff said.

The school closed for the day and ordered students to find shelter somewhere safe. Campus police caught the suspect, the Harris County Sheriff?s Office said. The school planned to open Wednesday.

The stabbing happened just after 11 a.m., a college official said. The school had initially warned students that a second suspect might be at large, but sheriff?s officials said later that they believed they had the only suspect in custody.

In January, three people were shot at a separate campus of the same college. A federal official said that those shootings appeared to be gang-related. A 22-year-old man was charged with aggravated assault.

The Lone Star system of colleges has 90,000 students in all.

This story was originally published on Tue Apr 9, 2013 1:19 PM EDT

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/2a84f3ae/l/0Lusnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A40C0A90C176730A570Estabbings0Ereported0Eon0Etexas0Ecollege0Ecampus0Eschool0Esays0Eone0Esuspect0Eat0Elarge0Dlite/story01.htm

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Every week we all come across statements that, in seeking to engender confidence, risk stretching the truth too far. It is a hazard that governments, companies and individuals inevitably face when trying to emphasize the positive dimensions of a complicated situation.

In seeking to strike a rather delicate balance, the natural inclination often is to err in the direction of being too positive rather than too negative. But once in a while, we come across a vivid an example of how easily this can turn counterproductive, especially if the reassuring statement is meant to play a "catalytic role" -- that is, encourage others to do something they are hesitant to do.

A striking example this week comes from the three institutions now charged with the difficult task of rescuing yet another (the fifth) European country. And it is an example that serves as a reminder and warning to others.

The "Troika" (which consists of the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund) is activated to salvage economies on the brink of bankruptcy. Armed with inevitably imperfect information and incomplete analysis, they race against time to negotiate a "reform program." Their counterparts are shell-shocked country officials (often in denial), as well as reluctant creditors (who are often also angry and uncooperative).

Once negotiated, the program has to be sold widely. There is a particular tough part to this unenviable task: Convincing the trio of those directly providing the emergency cash (namely, the political bosses of the Troika), those who carry the brunt of the burden (citizens in the country being rescued), and those whose parallel actions can contribute to making or breaking the program (private investors).

It is therefore natural that the announcement of the program is accompanied by a very sophisticated and coordinated PR effort. The primary aim is to try to shape a constructive narrative, particularly by accentuating the positive elements while recognizing (but not amplifying) the challenges.

Having worked for 15 years earlier in my career at a multilateral institution involved in country rescues, I know how difficult and time consuming this can be; and I remember the long hours spent with the multiple wordsmiths, including seemingly endless debates as to whether "significant" is better than "substantial" in a particular sentence.

Yet I was still struck by what came out of the Troika this week after it finished negotiating the program with the authorities in Cyprus.

This is not the first time officials bungle an element of the Cypriot rescue. Only three weeks ago, they agreed on the first iteration of the program that, within just a few hours, attracted so much worldwide criticism that the Troika sought to disown it (having endorsed it earlier). And all were forced red-faced back to the negotiating table.

So, consider this summary sentence from a Troika press release a few days ago (and which was picked up by the media and disseminated broadly): "We believe that [the program] provides a durable and fully financed solution to the underlying problems facing Cyprus and provides a sustainable path toward a recovery."

Anyone even vaguely familiar with the details of the Cypriot program realizes that the country is a long way away from "a durable and fully financed solution," let alone "a sustainable path toward recovery."

Already, key assumptions of the program are outdated if not totally obsolete (including, and particularly regretful given the social costs, a programmed economic contraction limited just to 8% this year). Little is being done to realistically develop new job engines for a country that is suddenly void of any meaningful growth model. Accordingly, the fiscal adjustment being asked from Cyprus will likely prove inconsistent with social and political realities.

Especially after the earlier debacle, the Troika could be forgiven in seeking to oversell the Cypriot program. Yet, by going too far, this critically-important group is risking credibility that is key to its success here, as well as in other difficult European rescue cases (and there will be other cases).

Few, if any, investors are likely to commit funds to Cyprus when the Troika seems so disconnected from reality. If anything, they could be tempted to use this period of relative and temporary tranquility (if you can even call it that) to pull whatever they have left out of the country.

Lacking a credible good outcome down the road, citizens will resist making the sacrifices that are being asked from them, increasing the risk of social unrest. And those who still keep money in local banks will be more inclined to withdraw it, thus deepening a financing hole that is far from covered.

These types of Troika statements do not reassure. If anything, they raise doubt about the judgment of officials that are central to a good outcome for Cyprus. Indirectly, they also harm the probability of future European country rescues, and do so at a time when the continent is yet to regain a stable footing.

The Troika is not the first to make this mistake. Many companies, governments and individuals have fallen into the same trap. Let us hope that this rather vivid example serves to limit similar mistakes going forward.

?

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mohamed-a-elerian/hey-they-are-stretching-t_b_3032415.html

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Rodrigo Campos , Reuters ? ? ? 11 hrs.

NEW YORK ? The stock market's robust rally was slowing even before Friday's jobs report, but the red flag sent up by the weak data makes the path to more gains less secure.

It means the bulls will have to look to earnings for a way to keep the rally going. The S&P 500 hit an all-time closing high on Tuesday, but lately defensive stocks have been leading the charge, and notable growth indexes are slipping.

This rotation has many thinking the long-awaited market correction is nigh. A 3 percent decline in the Russell 2000 index this week seemed to be a confirmation of the trend.

"Momentum I think has been slowing a bit, and it would be interesting to see if this is just a one-session sell-off," said Bruce Zaro, chief technical strategist at Delta Global Asset Management in Boston, about Friday's decline.

In the first quarter, the benchmark's healthcare index added 15.2 percent and utilities gained 11.8 percent, besting the broad S&P 500's 10 percent gain.

The transition into defensive stocks may respond to investors' taking into account the effect of higher payroll taxes this year and the $85 billion in government spending cuts that started to trickle at the beginning of the year.

The shift is "a rotation into sectors less affected by a short-term slowdown in the consumer," said Eric Kuby, chief investment officer at North Star Investment Management Corp in Chicago.

Earnings hold the key
Earnings season starts in earnest next week, with the highlight coming from JPMorgan Chase & Co and Wells Fargo & Co on Friday. Details on Wells Fargo's earnings will be dissected for clues on the health of the housing market.

Overall, S&P 500 earnings are expected to have risen 1.5 percent last quarter, down from a 4.3 percent gain expected at the start of the year, according to Thomson Reuters data.

Investors "are really waiting for the earnings season on balance to disappoint," said Zaro.

Companies have caught up on the lowered expectations, and negative outlooks have been predominant ahead of earnings season. In fact, the negative-to-positive guidance ratio from S&P 500 companies is at its highest since the third quarter of 2001, according to Thomson Reuters data.

At 4.7, the ratio is the sixth-highest among 69 readings dating to 1996.

"Companies understand that since the economy is weak there's no reason to be a hero and give guidance you can't beat," said Nicholas Colas, chief market strategist at the ConvergEx Group in New York.

F5 Networks was the latest and one of the most dramatic examples of lowered earnings expectations. The network equipment maker partly blamed lower government sales for its profit warning late on Thursday, which erased almost a fifth of its market value on Friday.

In past quarters, revenue beats have taken the focus off the bottom line as investors were expecting the stronger economy to translate into more sales, but that may not be the case this time around.

"At this point earnings are going to be perhaps more important than revenues only because we know Q1 was only a so-so quarter for the economy," said Colas.

"It's not going to be a surprise if revenues are a little bit light. Where we really have to make sure the numbers work is at the earnings level."

Busy week for the Fed
The Federal Reserve could be next week's wild card. Indications of renewed support for loose monetary policy - or the slightest hint in the direction of tightening - have triggered wild moves in the market.

The minutes of the March FOMC meeting are due on Wednesday and market participants will look for insight into the debate regarding the amount and duration of bond purchases the U.S. central bank is executing monthly.

The hawkish argument - a reduction of stimulus - was dented by Friday's job report, so any mention of it in the minutes may not trigger panic. But more than a dozen speeches by various Fed officers next week could stir things up.

The economic reports calendar is light except for consumer data. Retailers are expected to post a 1.9 percent rise in sales for last month, compared with a gain of 2.9 percent in March last year when same-store sales figures are published Thursday.

The Commerce Department posts its own retail sales figures on Friday, followed by the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan survey of consumers.

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Powers, Iran fail to end nuclear stalemate in Almaty talks

ALMATY (Reuters) - World powers and Iran remained far apart after ending two days of intensive talks on Tehran's nuclear program on Saturday, the European Union's foreign policy chief said, prolonging a stand-off that risks spiraling into a new Middle East war. The failure to reach a breakthrough deal aimed at easing growing international concern over Iran's contested nuclear activity marked a further setback for diplomatic efforts to resolve the decade-old dispute peacefully.

Embassies staying put in North Korea despite tension

SEOUL (Reuters) - Staff at embassies in North Korea appeared to be remaining in place on Saturday despite an appeal by authorities in Pyongyang for diplomats to consider leaving because of heightened tension after weeks of bellicose exchanges. North Korean authorities told diplomatic missions they could not guarantee their safety from next Wednesday - after declaring that conflict was inevitable amid joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises due to last until the end of the month.

Two new bird flu cases in China amid poultry crackdown

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Two more people have contracted bird flu in Shanghai, China's health ministry said on Saturday, as authorities closed live poultry markets and culled birds to combat a new virus strain that has killed six people. State-run Xinhua news agency said authorities planned to slaughter birds at two live poultry markets in Shanghai and another in Hangzhou after new samples of the H7N9 virus were detected in birds at the three sites.

Five die in Christian-Muslim clashes in Egypt

CAIRO (Reuters) - Five Egyptians were killed and eight wounded in clashes between Christians and Muslims in a town near Cairo, security sources said on Saturday, in the latest sectarian violence in the most populous Arab state. Christian-Muslim confrontations have increased in Muslim-majority Egypt since the overthrow of former President Hosni Mubarak in 2011 gave freer rein to hardline Islamists repressed under his rule.

Assad says rebel victory would destabilize Middle East

BEIRUT (Reuters) - President Bashar al-Assad has warned that if rebel forces battling to overthrow him take power in Syria they could destabilize the Middle East for decades. The Syrian leader, locked in a two-year conflict which he says has been fuelled by his regional foes, also criticized Turkey's "foolish and immature" leaders and Arab neighbors he said were arming and sheltering rebel fighters.

South Africa's Mandela leaves hospital after pneumonia

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Former South African president Nelson Mandela left hospital on Saturday after more than a week of treatment of pneumonia that raised global concern about the health of the 94-year-old anti-apartheid leader. "(He) has been discharged from hospital today ... following a sustained and gradual improvement in his general condition," the South African presidency said in a statement.

Soldier killed, four wounded as Yemen army fights separatists

ADEN, Yemen (Reuters) - A Yemeni soldier was killed and two others wounded, along with two passers-by, during a clash between the army and southern separatists near Aden on Saturday, a security official said. The clash took place in the town of al-Hawat, in al-Lahej province just north of Yemen's second city and main seaport, after separatists tried to close the marketplace.

Four civilians, three NATO soldiers killed in Afghanistan

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Six foreigners and an Afghan were killed in two separate attacks in Afghanistan on Saturday, local and international officials said. Six people, including three NATO soldiers, died in a car bomb attack on a convoy of vehicles in Zabul province's capital, Qalat. Provincial governor Mohammad Ashraf Nasery, travelling in the convoy, was unharmed but a local doctor was killed, as were three American soldiers and two foreign civilians, according to local and NATO officials.

Suicide bomber kills 22 in Iraq election attack

BAQUBA, Iraq (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed 22 people and wounded 60 in a crowded election campaign tent in the Iraqi city of Baquba on Saturday, police and medics said. A decade after the U.S.-led invasion, Iraq is still struggling with political instability and violence that in recent weeks has killed at least 10 candidates who had planned to run in forthcoming local elections.

New premier pledges to shield Lebanon from Syria dangers

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanese politician Tammam Salam was named prime minister on Saturday after he won a sweeping parliamentary endorsement, pledging to bridge the country's deep divisions and shield it from the dangers of neighboring Syria's civil war. Salam was designated after the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Mikati, whose two years in office were dominated by efforts to contain sectarian tensions, violence and economic fallout from the Syrian conflict.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ca-news-summary-005824843.html

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G-8 Countries

By Albany Tribune -- (April 5, 2013)

(Episcopal News Service]) ? Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby are among 80 religious leaders who have written to the G8 heads of government urging them to keep promises on foreign aid and to ?help to create an environment that encourages the conditions for inclusive, equitable and sustainable economic growth.?

The G8, or the Group of Eight, is an assembly of world leaders who meet annually to discuss global issues.

The G8 is made up of heads of government from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States. The European Union also is represented at meetings.

The 39th G8 summit will be held in the U.K. June 17-18.

The full text of the letter and its signatories follows.

To G8 Heads of Government,

Today marks the start of the 1000 day countdown to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by the 2015 deadline. It is an appropriate moment to pause and to reflect on progress to date.

Development is working. But challenges remain. The number of people living in extreme poverty has been halved ahead of time and 14,000 fewer children die each day than in 1990. Yet 1 in 8 people still go to bed hungry every night and over 2 million die of malnutrition each year.

Even as conversations accelerate as to what ought to replace the MDGs, we should not slacken our efforts towards realising existing goals. Meeting the remaining targets, while challenging, is possible ? but only if governments do not waiver from the moral and political commitments made over a decade ago.

Thirteen years on from the start of the Millennium the values and principles that drive these goals are as imperative as ever. The financial crisis may be a reason but is not an excuse for hesitation or deferral. The MDGs remind us that in addition to providing for the well being of our own societies, we have a collective responsibility to uphold human dignity and the common good at the global level. Each individual has a value that can never be lost and must never be ignored.

With a focus on tax, trade and transparency, the UK Presidency of the G8 this year has the potential to advance the MDG agenda in ways that strike at the underlying causes of poverty, in particular by ensuring the wealth created by developing countries is not lost through unfair tax practices, a lack of transparency or a failure to secure the benefits of trade for developing countries.

As religious leaders from across the G8 we recommend that our Heads of Government take the following actions when they meet in June. First, fulfil existing commitments to spend 0.7% of national income on aid. Secondly, launch a G8 Convention on Tax Transparency committing signatory countries to prevent individuals and companies from hiding wealth so that it?s untraceable. Thirdly, press for greater financial transparency from governments of developing countries so that the citizens of these countries can hold their governments to account for the money they spend.

Reaching a purposeful consensus on these areas won?t be easy. But, if the political will and moral leadership is forthcoming, this year?s G8 could help to create an environment that encourages the conditions for inclusive, equitable and sustainable economic growth ? conditions that are desperately needed if we are to realise the MDGs and even greater things beyond.

Yours,

1. The Most Revd and Rt Hon Justin Welby
Lord Archbishop of Canterbury (UK)

2. The Most Revd Vincent Nichols
Archbishop of Westminster (UK)

3. The Most Revd Philip Tartaglia
Archbishop of Glasgow (UK)

4. Rt Revd Albert O. Bogle
Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland (UK)

5. The Most Revd David Chillingworth
Bishop of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane
Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church (UK)

6. Revd Jonathan Edwards
General Secretary, Baptist Union of Great Britain

7. Mr Paul Parker
Recording Clerk, Religious Society of Friends of Great Britain

8. Mrs Val Morrison
General Secretary of the United Reformed Church (UK)

9. Rev Dr Michael Jagessar
Moderator of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church (UK)

10. Rev Dr Mark Wakelin
President of the Conference of the Methodist Church in Britain

11. Revd Simon Walkling
Moderator, National Synod of Wales of the United Reformed Church

12. Rev R. Kenneth Lindsay
President of the Methodist Church in Ireland

13. Archbishop Paul Hackman
Trans-Atlantic and Pacific Alliances of Churches (UK)

14. Commissioner Clive Adams
Territorial Commander, Salvation Army, UK and ROI

15. Revd Joel Edwards
Director, Micah Challenge International

16. Rt Revd Mar Theodosius
Diocesan Epicsopa, Mar Thoma Church (UK)

17. Rev Michael Heaney
General Secretary of the Congregational Federation (UK)

18. Rev Torbj?rn Holt
Chairman, Council of Lutheran Churches in the UK

19. Rt Revd Munib Younan
President, Lutheran World Federation (Jordan)

20. Ravinder Kaur Nijjar
Co-Chair of Religions for Peace European Women of Faith Network (UK)

21. Lord Indarjit Singh,
Network of Sikh Organisations (UK)

22. Mr Julian Bond
Director, Christian-Muslim Forum (UK)

23. Dr Natubhai Shah,
Chair/CEO Jain Network (UK)

24. Bhai Sahib, Bhai Mohinder Singh Ahluwalia
Chairman, Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha (UK)

25. National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha?is of the United Kingdom and on behalf of its sister Assemblies of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, and the United States

26. Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra,
Christian Muslim Forum Co-Chair and Assistant Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain

27. Mr Toufik Kacimi,
Christian Muslim Forum President

28. Ayatollah Dr Sayyid Fadhil Al-Milani,
Christian Muslim Forum President, and Imam Al-Khoei Islamic Centre (UK)

29. Dr Manazir Ahsan,
Co-Chair Inter Faith Network, Director General Islamic Foundation (UK)

30. Mr Yousif Al-Khoei,
Director, Al-Khoei Foundation UK

31. Mr Ramesh Pattni,
Co-Chair Hindu Christian Forum, Hindu Forum of Britain

32. Mr Nitin Palan,
BAPS Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir (UK)

33. Mr Malcolm Deboo,
President, Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe

34. Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari,
Chairman of the East London Mosque, and former Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain

35. Rabbi Dr Tony Bayfield
The Movement for Reform Judaism (UK)

36. Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner,
Movement Rabbi for the Movement for Reform Judaism (UK)

37. Rabbi Natan Levy,
Interfaith and Social Action consultant, Board of Deputies of British Jews

38. Rabbi Danny Rich
Chief Executive, Liberal Judaism (UK)

39. Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg
Senior Rabbi of the Masorti Movement (UK)

40. Rabbi Avrohom Pinter
Charedi Rabbi (UK)

41. Rt Revd Paul Hendricks
Auxiliary Bishop, Archdiocese of Southwark and Co-Chair, Christian Muslim Forum (UK)

42. Anjum Anwar
Dialogue Development Officer, exChange Project, Blackburn Cathedral; Chair, Woman?s Voice; Trustee, Christian Muslim Forum (UK)

43. His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel of France
Ecumenical Patriarchate, President of the Conference of European Churches (Fra)

44. The Most Revd. Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori
Presiding Bishop and Primate, Episcopal Church (USA)

45. Rabbi Richard A. Marker
Former Chair, Elijah Board of World Religious Leaders (USA)

46. Mr Dave Courchene
Elder and Spiritual Leader, Anishnabe Nation, Eagle Clan (Canada)

47. Mrs Pascale Fremond
President, Religions for Peace Canada

48. Victor C. Goldbloom
Companion of the Order of Canada, Past Chair, National Executive, Canadian Jewish Congress

49. The Most Revd Fred Hiltz
Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Canada

50. Mr Mark Huyser-Wierenga
Chair of the Board, Citizens for Public Justice (Canada)

51. Rt Revd Susan C. Johnson
National Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

52. Mobeenuddin H. Khaja, O.Ont.
President, Association of Progressive Muslims of Canada

53. The Right Revd Gary Paterson
Moderator, the United Church of Canada

54. Pandit Roopnauth Sharma
President Hindu Federation and Spiritual Leader Shri Ram Mandir, Mississauga (Canada)

55. Mr. Prem Singh Vinning
President, World Sikh Organization of Canada

56. The Rev. Dr. James Christie
Director, Ridd Institute for Religion and Global Policy, University of Winnipeg, Canada

57. The Rev. Dr. Karen Hamilton
General Secretary, The Canadian Council of Churches

58. Major Jim Champ
President, The Canadian Council of Churches

59. Dr. h.c. Nikolaus Schneider
Chair of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany

60. Bishop Martin Schindeh?tte
Head of the Department for Ecumenical Relations and Ministries Abroad, Evangelical Church in Germany

61. Rev. Regina Claas
General Secretary, Union of Evangelical Free Churches in Germany

62. Revd Martin Affolderbach
General Secretary, G8 Religious Leaders? Summit Germany

63. Prof. Dr. Johannes L?hnemann
Vice Secretary of the Round Tables of Religions in Germany

64. Rabbi Dr. Henry G. Brandt
General Rabbi Conference of the Central Council of Jews in Germany

65. Mr Bekir Alboga
Deputy General Secretary of the Turkish Islamic Union of the Public Institution for Religion (Germany)

66. Dr. Timmo Guezelmansur
Head of the Center for Christian Muslim Dialogue of the Catholic Bishop?s Conference in Germany

67. Hilary Keachie,
Protestant Youth Federation Germany

68. Prof. Dr. Assaad Elias Kattan,
Orthodox Churches in Germany

69. Rt Revd Prof. Dr. Martin Hein
Protestant Church of Kurhessen-Waldeck (Germany)

70. Mr Michael Gerhard
Council of the Buddhist Union in Germany

71. Most Rev. Masanori Yoshimura
President, Japanese Association of Religious Organizations
Patriarch, Shinto Shinshu-kyo (Japan)

72. Most Ven. Yukei Matsunaga
Honorary President, G8 Religious Leaders Summit 2008
Patriarch, Shingon Esoteric Buddhism (Japan)

73. Very Ven. Koho Murayama
President, International Religious Fellowship
Lord Chancellor, Soto Zen Buddhism (Japan)

74. Most Revd. Mitsuo Miyake
President, International Association for Religious Freedom
Senior Chief Minister, Shinto Konko Church of Izuo (Japan)

75. Most Ven. Jisho Omori
Patriarch, Benten-shu Buddhism
Chief Abbot, Myoohji Temple (Japan)

76. Most Ven. Nisshin Matsushita
Patriarch, Honmon Hokke-shu Lotus Buddhism
Chief Abbot, Myorenji Temple (Japan)

77. Rev. Takeshi Nishida
President, Itto-en Religious Community
Adviser, Religion for Peace (Japan)

78. Most Revd. Tsunetada Mayumi
Chief Priest, Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine (Japan)

79. Yoshinobu Miyake
General Secretary, G8 Religious Leaders? Summit Japan

80. Maulana Mohammed Shahid Raza, Muslim College

Source: http://www.albanytribune.com/05042013-global-religious-leaders-call-on-g8-to-strike-at-causes-of-poverty/

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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? A top South Korean national security official said Sunday that North Korea may be setting the stage for a missile test or another provocative act with its warning that it soon will be unable to guarantee diplomats' safety in Pyongyang. But he added that the North's clearest objective is to extract concessions from Washington and Seoul.

North Korea's warning last week followed weeks of war threats and other efforts to punish South Korea and the U.S. for ongoing joint military drills, and for their support of U.N. sanctions over Pyongyang's Feb. 12 nuclear test. Many nations are deciding what to do about the notice, which said their diplomats' safety in Pyongyang cannot be guaranteed beginning this Wednesday.

Tensions between Seoul and Pyongyang led South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff to announce Sunday that its chairman had put off a visit to Washington. The South Korean defense minister said Thursday that North Korea had moved a missile with "considerable range" to its east coast, possibly to conduct a test launch.

His description suggests that the missile could be the Musudan missile, capable of striking American bases in Guam with its estimated range of up to 4,000 kilometers (2,490 miles).

Citing North Korea's suggestion that diplomats leave the country, South Korean President Park Geun-hye's national security director said Pyongyang may be planning a missile launch or another provocation around Wednesday, according to presidential spokeswoman Kim Haing.

During a meeting with other South Korean officials, the official, Kim Jang-Soo, also said the notice to diplomats and other recent North Korean actions are an attempt to stoke security concerns and to force South Korea and the U.S. to offer a dialogue. Washington and Seoul want North Korea to resume the six-party nuclear talks ? which also include China, Russia and Japan ? that it abandoned in 2009.

The roughly two dozen countries with embassies in North Korea have not yet announced whether they will evacuate their staffs.

Indonesia's foreign affairs ministry said it was considering a plan to evacuate its diplomats. A statement released by the ministry on Saturday said that its embassy in Pyongyang has been preparing a contingency plan to anticipate the worst-case scenario, and that the Indonesian foreign minister is communicating with the staff there to monitor the situation.

India also said it was monitoring events. "We have been informed about it," said Syed Akbaruddin, spokesman for India's external affairs ministry. "We are in constant touch with our embassy and are monitoring the situation. We will carefully consider all aspects and decide well in time."

Seoul and Washington, which lack diplomatic relations with the North, are taking the threats seriously, though they say they have seen no signs that Pyongyang is preparing for a large-scale attack.

Kim Jang-soo said the North would face "severalfold damages" for any hostilities. Since 2010, when attacks Seoul blames on North Korea killed 50 people, South Korea has vowed to aggressively respond to any future attack.

South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Jung Seung-jo had planned to meet with his U.S. counterpart, Gen. Martin Dempsey, in Washington on April 16 for regular talks. But tensions on the Korean Peninsula are so high that Jung cannot take a long trip away from South Korea, so the meeting will be rescheduled, a South Korean Joint Chiefs officer said Sunday. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity, citing office policy.

The U.S. Defense Department has delayed an intercontinental ballistic missile test that had been planned for this week because of concerns the launch could be misinterpreted and exacerbate the Korean crisis, a senior defense official told The Associated Press.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel decided to delay the test at an Air Force base in California until sometime next month, the official said Saturday. The official was not authorized to speak publicly about the test delay and requested anonymity.

In recent weeks, the U.S. has followed provocations from North Korea with shows of force connected to the joint exercises with South Korea. It has sent nuclear capable B-2 and B-52 bombers and stealth F-22 fighters to participate in the drills.

In addition, the U.S. said last week that two of the Navy's missile-defense ships were moved closer to the Korean Peninsula, and a land-based missile-defense system is being deployed to the Pacific territory of Guam later this month. The Pentagon last month announced longer-term plans to strengthen its U.S.-based missile defenses.

The U.S. military also is considering deploying an intelligence drone at the Misawa Air Base in northern Japan to step up surveillance of North Korea, a Japanese Defense Ministry official said Sunday.

Three Global Hawk surveillance planes are deployed on Guam and one of them is being considered for deployment in Japan, the official said on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak about the issue.

North Korea successfully shot a satellite into space in December and conducted its third nuclear test in February. It has threatened to launch a nuclear attack on the United States, though many analysts say the North hasn't achieved the technology to manufacture a miniaturized nuclear warhead that could fit on a long-range missile capable of hitting the U.S.

North Korea also raised tensions Wednesday when it barred South Koreans and supply trucks from entering the Kaesong industrial complex, where South Korean companies have employed thousands of North Korean workers for the past decade.

North Korea is not forcing South Korean managers to leave the factory complex, and nearly 520 of them remained at Kaesong on Sunday. But the entry ban at the park, the last remaining inter-Korean rapprochement project, is posing a serious challenge to many of the more than 120 South Korean firms there because they are running out of raw materials and are short on replacement workers.

Nine more firms, including food and textile companies, have stopped operations at Kaesong, bringing to 13 the total number of companies that have done so, South Korea's Unification Ministry said in a statement Sunday.

North Korea briefly restricted the heavily fortified border crossing at Kaesong in 2009 ? also during South Korea-U.S. drills ? but manufacturers fear the current border shutdown could last longer.

___

AP writers Lolita C. Baldor in Washington, Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo, Louise Watt in Beijing and Niniek Karmini in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/skorea-nkorea-may-preparing-test-missile-095436309.html

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Devin Coldewey , NBC News ? ? ? 7 hrs.

Financial brinksmanship in the Eastern Mediterranean seems an unlikely way for an obscure yet infamous virtual currency to become a household word, but that's what happened with the bitcoin. Over the last few weeks, bank turmoil in Cyprus and a frenzy of attention from the media have propelled the "crypto-currency" from the darkest corners of the Internet to the front page. But is this phenomenon a blip or a revolutionary new financial instrument?

Existing only as numbers on the Internet, bitcoins are not tied to any retailer or company or bank. They have no real-world value other than what people agree to. And yet, at the time of this writing, each of the 11 million or so bitcoins in the world could be exchanged for just over $130 in real money ? for a total value for the "currency" topping a billion dollars.

One way to look at it is like vintage baseball cards or comic books. There's a finite number of them out there, so as interest in owning them rises, the amount someone would pay for them goes up. And because there's a perceived value (an exchange rate), if someone is in the right market, that card or comic ? or bitcoin ? can be used to "buy" goods.

Bitcoin is accepted online for IT services and Web hosting, and a fair amount of tangible goods can be had for it, too. But just as you don't try using Action Comics #1 to pay for groceries, you can't use it just anywhere. This stuff isn't quite legal tender for all debts, public and private.

For years, bitcoin existed as nothing more than a meme among hackers and cryptologists, but the recent spotlight has caused it to be reevaluated.

"People are starting to realize they can now put their money in the cloud and access it anywhere, from any computer," Tony Gallippi, CEO of Bitpay, a company that facilitates bitcoin transactions with retailers, told NBC News.

Just two short months ago, one bitcoin hovered in the $10 to 15 range, and a $30 peak was considered ludicrously high. The surging valuation is indicative that, at the very least, people see it as more than just a nerdy hobby. Bitpay logged over $5 million worth of transactions in March alone, as people traded bitcoins for tangible items, mostly high-end electronics and precious metals.

But will you ever use bitcoin to pay for your pizza, or a new book on Amazon? Right now bitcoin is too volatile to be used for much other than highly geeky purposes. A few sites, deliberately courting the bleeding edge of Internet tech, accept bitcoin for services or products. But that isn't easy to do when a bitcoin may be worth $15 one month and $100 the next.

"The volatility that we are all witnessing stems from a lack of liquidity and market depth," Bitcoin Foundation secretary Jon Matonis told NBC News.

How (and why) bitcoin works
Bitcoin was created in 2009 by "Satoshi Nakamoto" ? almost certainly a false name ? in order to be anonymous currency, easy to use, self-regulating and free from any central authority.

Instead of relying on a government or bank issuer, the bitcoin system is entirely powered by users, transferred via unique, anonymous IDs. Whenever someone transfers bitcoins (or fractional bitcoins ? they can be divided almost infinitely) from one "wallet" to another, that transaction is broadcast throughout the network, where it is confirmed by "nodes" that store the entire history of every bitcoin generated.

"Imagine if you've got a ledger somewhere that says who owns how much of some random commodity," explains Reuben Grinberg, finance lawyer who published a paper on legal issues surrounding bitcoin in 2011. "Instead of having the ledger held by some financial institution, it's maintained by this global network of computers. It's protected against the malfeasance of a single bad player."

But instead of the ledger containing names, it's just a list of accounts ? pure numbers.

It's this anonymity that has led bitcoins to be associated with the purchase of illegal goods. The notorious "Silk Road" online shop ? accessible only through the mysterious, encrypted worldwide "Tor" network ? sells everything from marijuana to handguns. This gave many the impression that the bitcoin system was nothing but a handy way to break the law. (Of course, cash and a dark alley offer many of the same benefits.)

Bitcoin comes into its own
Anonymous currency available to anyone with an Internet connection would be useful in all manner of situations, but it was the events of the last few weeks that really began pulling Bitcoin's reputation out of the gutter.

First, the U.S. government acknowledged "decentralized virtual currencies" like the bitcoin by way of a branch of the treasury concerned with financial crimes. It's neither a positive or negative assessment, but it clarifies that bitcoin and its users are subject to existing laws regarding currency transmission and manipulation.

Second, a number of news sources reported a rush to buy bitcoins, made by panicked Cypriots looking to relocate their money from a failing bank system.

Regardless of the cause (and neither event seems to have been critical), the attention is real and has sparked debate about how one should consider bitcoin: Is it a commodity like gold? Is it more like a volatile stock? Is it like cash?

It's something new, says Grinberg. "It's sort of a hybrid of a couple different concepts. I can't hold it in my hand, it's not backed by the government, I can't pay my taxes with it." He thinks that it has some sort of future. ? but the currency must settle down before the typical online shopper has anything to do with it. Grinberg says that could happen ... "far in the future, but not in the near term."

Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBC News Digital. His personal website is coldewey.cc.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/bitcoin-internets-secret-currency-makes-its-first-public-appearances-1B9237667

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Using UN statistics, travel writer?Gunnar Garfors found that top contenders for the least-visited award are often dangerous or remote. But some are just plain boring.

By Ryan Lenora Brown,?Correspondent / March 29, 2013

Somali men look out across Mogadishu's fishing harbor in the early morning as fishermen land their catch and transport their fish to the market in the Xamar Weyne district of the Somali capital, March 16. Somalia is the second-least visited country in the world, according to a recent list compiled by travel writer Gunnar Garfors from UN statistics.

Courtesy of Stuart Price/AU-UN IST PHOTO/Reuters

Enlarge

For some travelers, getting off the beaten path is a point of pride, a way to see the parts of the world that don?t make it into glossy guidebooks.

Skip to next paragraph Ryan Lenora Brown

Correspondent

Ryan Brown edits the Africa Monitor blog and contributes to the national and international news desks of the Monitor. She is a former Fulbright fellow to South Africa and holds a degree in history from Duke University.?

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