Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/187297288?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Monday, January 16, 2012
Germany optimistic on Greek debt swap: foreign minister (Reuters)
ATHENS (Reuters) ? Germany is optimistic about the outcome of a bond swap deal aimed at slashing Greece's towering debt pile, Germany's foreign minister said during a visit to Athens Sunday which he said brought a message of solidarity.
Pressure is mounting on Athens to complete a deal with private bondholders to cut its debt to more sustainable levels and convince its international lenders to keep giving it the cash it needs. Without aid, Athens would default in March when it has to redeem 14.5 billion in bonds.
Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle's visit came two days after talks on private sector debt modification broke down, pushing Athens closer to default.
"Discussions (on the bond swap) are difficult but with good faith they will reach a good result," Westerwelle said after a meeting with his Greek counterpart Stavros Dimas.
"It is very important that we give negotiations and packages a realistic chance," he said.
Germany has repeatedly urged Greece to meet the fiscal conditions set out by its lenders - the European Union and the International Monetary Fund - but Westerwelle said Germany would stand ready to help.
"Germany will help so that there will be better days ahead," Westerwelle said, speaking through an interpreter. "My visit brings a message of solidarity."
Friday, Standard & Poor's downgraded the credit ratings of nine euro zone countries, stripping France and Austria of their coveted triple-A status but not EU paymaster Germany.
"It is time for Europe to prove it is able to tackle the issue of credit ratings agencies," Westerwelle said.
(Reporting by George Georgiopoulos; Editing by Karolina Tagaris and Peter Graff)
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Sunday, January 15, 2012
Fuze Custom Earphones ? DIY Audiologist Kit
We all know that custom-fitted earphones are going to give you the best fit, isolation, and stay in place better than your standard supplied headphones, but this normally involves a trip to the audiologist and normally isn’t a cheap solution. Fuze?supplies custom earphones in a DIY kit that takes around 15 minutes to fit.?You can [...]
Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/01/15/fuze-custom-earphones-diy-audiologist-kit/
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Bomb kills 50 Iraq pilgrims, wounds 100
ZUBAIR, Iraq?? Updated at 6:40 a.m. ET: The death toll from a suicide bomb attack on Shiite pilgrims in the southern Iraqi city of Basra rose to 50 people with another 100 wounded in the blast, Riyadh Abdul-Ameer, director of the Basra health office, tells Reuters.
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Published at 5:20 a.m. ET: A bomb killed at least 30 Shiite pilgrims near the southern port city of Basra on Saturday, Iraqi officials said. It was the latest in a series of attacks during Shiite religious commemorations that threaten to further increase sectarian tensions just weeks after the U.S. withdrawal.
Basra hospitals have received 30 killed and 90 wounded after the blast, said Dr. Riyadh Abdul-Amir, the head of Basra Health Directorate. A police official confirmed the death toll. He spoke anonymously because he was not authorized to release details to the media.
Witnesses said the attack occurred outside the town of Zubair, southwest of Basra, as pilgrims were making their way to a Shiite shrine nearby. Zubair is a predominantly Sunni enclave in Iraq's largely Shiite south.
The governor of Basra province's spokesman, Ayad al-Emarah, said it was not clear whether the blast was caused by a suicide attacker or a roadside bomb.
Wounded children
The explosion came as Shiites commemorate the climax of Arbaeen, which marks the end of 40 days of mourning following the anniversary of the death of Imam Hussein, a revered Shiite figure.
Majid Hussein, a government employee, was one of the pilgrims heading to the shrine. He said people began running away in panic when they heard a loud explosion.
"I saw several dead bodies and wounded people, including children on the ground asking for help. There were also some baby strollers left at the blast site," he said.
"A terrorist wearing a police uniform and carrying fake police I.D. managed to reach a police checkpoint and blew himself up among police and pilgrims," a police official at the scene of the bombing said.
Reuters quoted two other officials who gave different death tolls of 32 and 35.
The attack, which bore the hallmarks of Sunni insurgents, is the latest in a series of deadly strikes in this year's Arbaeen. Scores of pilgrims have been killed.
The largest of the Arbaeen attacks ? a wave of apparently coordinated bombings in Baghdad and outside the southern city of Nasiriyah ? killed at least 78 people on Jan. 5. It was the deadliest strike in Iraq in more than a year.
The attacks raise fears of a new sectarian rift that could destabilize the country now that U.S. troops are gone.
U.S. troops left last month
The last U.S. combat troops left Iraq on Dec. 18, ending a nearly nine-year war. Many Iraqis worry that a resurgence of Sunni and Shiite militancy could follow the Americans' withdrawal. In 2006, a Sunni attack on a Shiite shrine triggered a wave of sectarian violence that pushed the country to the brink of civil war.
Just as the American troops were leaving, a political crisis erupted that has paralyzed Iraq's government. It pits the country's mostly ethnic- and religious-based political blocs against one another.
Iraq's Sunni minority dominated the government under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, but since he was overthrown, Shiites have controlled most key posts.
The political dispute appears far from being resolved.
On Friday, Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlaq called for Iraq's leader, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, to step down or face a parliamentary vote of no-confidence. Al-Mutlaq's Sunni-backed Iraqiya party has been boycotting parliament and Cabinet meetings since last month to protest what it sees as efforts by al-Maliki to consolidate power, particularly over state security forces.
Al-Maliki's government, meanwhile, has demanded the arrest of the country's top Sunni politician, Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi of Iraqiya, accusing him of running a hit squad targeting government officials. Al-Hashemi denies the allegations.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45996111/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/
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Judge orders removal of school prayer mural (Reuters)
(Reuters) ? A federal judge has ordered the immediate removal of a Christian prayer mural displayed in the auditorium of a Rhode Island high school, saying it violated a U.S. constitutional ban on state-sponsored prayer in public schools.
U.S. District Judge Ronald Lagueux rejected the school's claims that the message in the mural - which opens with "Our Heavenly Father" and closes with "Amen" - was purely secular.
"No amount of debate can make the School Prayer anything other than a prayer, and a Christian one at that," Lagueux wrote in a 40-page opinion.
Jessica Ahlquist, a student at Cranston High School West, sued the city of Cranston and its school committee in April 2011 to remove the banner, which dates back to 1963.
As an atheist, Ahlquist said the mural made her feel excluded and ostracized. She accused the school of violating the Establishment Clause of the Constitution's First Amendment, which prevents the government from promoting one religion over another.
School officials responded that the banner was a historical memento of the school's founding days and did not serve any religious purpose. The prayer encourages values of honesty, kindness, friendship and sportsmanship.
Joseph Cavanagh, a lawyer for the city and school officials, said they were analyzing the opinion to determine whether to file an appeal.
"We were hoping this banner would be viewed as a neutral, secular, historic display," Cavanagh said. The mural, donated by the class of 1963, had evolved historically in the community and never had a religious purpose, he said.
The court relied on a 2005 case in which the U.S. Supreme Court called for particular care in separating church and state in public schools. In that case, the high court ruled that a monument displaying the Ten Commandments was acceptable on the grounds of the Texas State Capitol.
But the court added that the same monument on the grounds of a public school would be impermissible, "given the impressionability of the young."
Lynette Labinger, a volunteer lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union who represented Ahlquist, praised the judge for recognizing that Supreme Court precedent.
"Placement of a public government display of a religious message in a place with impressionable young students has not been upheld," she said.
(Reporting by Terry Baynes; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Eric Walsh)
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Saturday, January 14, 2012
HBT: Manny aims to 'be a role model'
Manny Ramirez left Major League Baseball in disgrace early last season after violating the league?s performance-enhancing drug policy for the second time.
Rather than face the mandated 100-game suspension, and the negative attention that would come with it, Ramirez opted to retire after just five games ? and one measly single in 17 plate appearances ? with the Tampa Bay Rays. As if his image couldn?t fall any further, he was arrested in September and charged with battery in a domestic dispute?with his wife.
Now he wants a chance to not only write a happier ending to a career that once looked like a slam dunk for Cooperstown, but also to rehabilitate his image. He pulled out all the stops in an earnest and at times emotional interview with ESPN?s Pedro Gomez. (Watch the video)
?I want to show people that Manny can change, that he can do the right thing,? Ramirez told ESPN?s Pedro Gomez in an interview. ?And to show people that I still can play. I don?t want to leave the game like I did. I also want to show my kids that if you make a mistake, don?t quit. Just go back and fix it. And if you?re going to leave, leave the right way.?
Asked why a team should give him a chance, Ramirez made two points:
1. ?I still can play.?
2. ?I?m gonna be a role model.?
I?ll give the more cynical readers a chance to stop laughing before I continue ? OK, ready?
I have to admit I had a good chuckle over Manny?s two-pronged argument, but in watching the video, you can?t help but get the feeling that he actually believes what he?s saying, and if he believes it, who knows? Maybe Ramirez does have the pride and the drive to re-write his own ending.
The real question, of course, is whether anyone will give him a chance. Ramirez does have 555 career home runs and a .312/.411/.585 line to go with it, but it?s difficult to imagine any team offering more than a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training at this point, and you have to wonder if a guy who has made more than $200 million over the course of his career will be willing to swallow his pride and take such an offer. That could be the real test to see just how serious Ramirez is.
And as earnest as Ramirez seems in his interview with Gomez, there are a couple of red flags that crop up in the video.
- One is that Gomez says Manny ?forgot how to pick up a bat during his time away,? and that he is working to retool his swing in the batting cages. That?s not a good sign given how he slid after his first failed drug test.
- Another warning sign is his cutting edge workout regimen, complete with shower cap. Just look and see for yourself.
On the bright side, Ramirez?s suspension has been reduced to 50 games (he would begin serving it on opening day should he sign). So he?s got that going for him, which is nice.
You can follow Bob on Twitter here, or if Facebook is your thing, be his friend here.
Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/12/manny-aims-to-be-a-role-model-rehab-image/related/
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Auto Show: 3 car trends at Detroit auto show (AP)
DETROIT ? Beyond the usual hype at the Detroit auto show, automakers have plenty to crow about this year: U.S. sales are the highest since 2008 and they're expected to keep growing. Buyers are being lured by cheap loans and an improving economy.
The timing is perfect for automakers to unveil more than 40 new cars and trucks this month at the industry's annual trade show in Detroit. While there will be a few wild concept cars, like a tiny pickup from Smart, there will also be many models that will go on sale this year.
Carmakers, feeling buoyant about their prospects for 2012, will try to outdo each other with lights, music and models to generate buzz among the show's 750,000 expected visitors.
Here are three trends to look for when the show opens to the public on Jan. 14: Fuel-efficient cars with more style and safety features; trendy subcompacts for younger buyers; and small luxury sedans.
? Smaller but stylish: Gas prices have dropped from their $4 peak last spring but remain high. People looking for a more efficient car will have plenty of choices among midsize sedans and compacts.
Being efficient doesn't mean these cars will be stripped down. They'll be loaded with gadgets to win customers in these fiercely competitive car segments. Midsize and compact are nearly tied as the largest segment in the U.S, and combined they make up more than 40 percent of the nation's sales.
Ford unveils a redone version of its top-selling Fusion midsize sedan. The new model, which goes on sale this fall, will feature a sharper, more chiseled design and a warning system to alert drivers when they drift into another lane. It's the first time such a system has been on a non-luxury car, Ford says. The price and fuel economy of the Fusion aren't finalized, but expect them to be competitive.
Honda, normally a top-seller of midsize cars, will unveil a new Accord coupe, a model that will foreshadow the looks of its new sedan due in showrooms later this year.
Both cars will compete with Chevrolet's new Malibu sedan, which goes on sale this spring. With better fuel economy, improved styling and new features, the three cars hope to steal sales from Toyota's Camry, the perennial leader among midsize sedans.
The show will also feature smaller cars, including the Dodge Dart, which is the first car jointly designed by Chrysler and its Italian owner, Fiat SpA. The Dart's name is borrowed from a hot-selling compact introduced in 1960. It's Chrysler's latest effort to launch a strong competitor in small cars, a segment where it normally falls short. The Dart will heat up an already competitive market that includes the new Hyundai Elantra, Chevrolet Cruze and Honda Civic.
Volkswagen will also debut a hybrid version of the Jetta, hoping to keep its sales momentum going. Last year, sales of the Jetta jumped after it was redesigned.
? Downsized Luxury: Luxury car sales grew just 2.8 percent compared with 10-percent growth for the industry as a whole, according to Autodata Corp. But an improving economy and a slew of new cars could turn that around, especially since many of those new models are less expensive, small sedans.
Cadillac, BMW and Acura all plan to unveil new small cars. Hyundai ? a company that targets more budget-minded customers ? will launch a new Genesis Coupe, aiming for luxury buyers who want to spend less.
Ford's Lincoln brand, which is being overhauled, will give a big hint about its new direction with a concept version of the MKZ midsize car. The new MKZ will go on sale later this year. But the most striking luxury model may be at the Lexus stand, which will display the swooping LF-LC hybrid sports car concept that was crafted in Toyota's California design studio.
? Mad for Millennials: Millennials ? the 70 million people born between 1981 and 2000 ? are a growing force in the market. But they'd just as soon buy a smart phone and text their friends as purchase a car to go visit them. Like buyers from the past, Millennials will start out with small, more affordable cars. But unlike earlier generations, they expect luxury and connectivity, automakers say.
To appeal to this group, this year's show will feature subcompacts with perks like leather seats, ambient lighting, and easy connections to cell phone applications like Pandora.
Subcompacts unveiled at the show will include Toyota's new Prius C hybrid, the Mini Roadster convertible, the sporty Chevrolet Sonic RS and a turbocharged version of the new Hyundai Veloster.
Smart will debut the For-Us concept, an electric pickup truck that is so tiny it could fit in the bed of a regular truck. And Chevrolet will show off two concept cars aimed at Millennials. No details on those yet, but they're expected to have high gas mileage and enough room to haul friends around.
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