The Black Eyed Peas deliver

NEW YORK (Billboard) – The Black Eyed Peas blasted through a 10-minute Super Bowl halftime show Sunday, playing their biggest hits with a little help from Usher, Slash and hundreds of "Tron"-inspired dancers even as technical glitches intermittently marred the performance.

With the Green Bay Packers leading the Pittsburgh Steelers 21-10 ahead of an eventual 31-25 victory, will.i.am, Fergie, apl.de.ap and Taboo made a lofty entrance into the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, lowering themselves onto a green-lit stage to the sounds of "I Gotta Feeling," the No. 1 smash from their 2009 album "The E.N.D."

Sound issues silenced Fergie's first lines and would surface again later, but the Peas' intensity never dropped, thanks in large part to a supporting cast of enthusiastic young dancers.

As the Peas transitioned into "Boom Boom Pow," the dancers' LED suits lit up in green, and then in red as Slash emerged to play the power riffs of former band Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child O' Mine," with Fergie taking on the vocals.

Mortgage Rates and Fees

Shop around for the best rate

Don't go with the first quote you get from a mortgage broker or bank. You could save hundreds of dollars a month on your payments -- and thousands in out-of-pocket expenses -- by getting at least three to five quotes. Even if you wind up going with the first offer, you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that you got the best possible deal.

And what is that?

For most borrowers, it's the loan with the lowest rate and fees of $1,500 or less. Because rates are so low, you'll probably be able to get a great deal on a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage.

Interest rates on traditional fixed-rate loans are low enough that you don't need to take a risk with adjustable-rate or interest-only loans just to reduce the monthly payments for a few years.

You can go with a plain vanilla mortgage that's easy to understand and never puts your home in jeopardy with higher payments down the road. You know exactly what your loan will cost until it's paid off or refinanced.

A good way to get started is to use our extensive database of mortgage rates and fees to compare the best deals from dozens of lenders in your area.

 Visit Site

'UFO' Hovers Over Jerusalem's Dome of the Rock Shrine

A glowing orb filmed hovering over the skyline of Jerusalem has left UFO experts dumbfounded.

The circular object was seen descending slowly over the holy city's iconic Dome of the Rock before flickering and shooting skyward like a rocket. Similar clips have been seen before and debunked as hoaxes. But this latest sighting has proved more difficult to dismiss -- as it was recorded from four different perspectives.

Some UFO enthusiasts believe the videos -- which have taken the Internet by storm -- are final proof that aliens exist, while others say the unidentified object was the Hebrew God Elohim.

Adding to the mystery is the fact that flying over the Dome of the Rock landmark -- an ancient Islamic shrine -- is forbidden.

Two witnesses at the Armon Hanatziv panoramic lookout near Mount Zion filmed the object at 1am on Saturday. A little after one minute into the clip, the object descends slowly, almost to ground level.

The craft hovers there for a short while and then flickers before shooting upwards at an incredible speed.

Former Ministry of Defense UFO investigator Nick Pope said: "If these are real, they are some of the most incredible videos ever shot.

"If they are not, then this is a very well-planned and coordinated hoax designed to eliminate elements of doubt.

"The way it shoots up into the sky suggests it is unmanned, because no living thing could survive those kinds of G-forces.

"We know the Israeli army has some very high-tech drones at its disposal. If this is one, it is one of the most advanced pieces of technology created by man."

Another set of observers also uploaded their mobile phone footage to YouTube on Saturday.

They wrote: "Have fun debunking this one." In their video, the American tourists can be heard saying: "We've seen them in Mississippi like this."

Two other clips filmed from different viewpoints were posted online. Skeptics have noted the views come from perspectives that could make nearby objects seem farther away and faster-moving. Others say the whole thing was faked and have prepared several alternative versions of the videos which they say prove they are not real.

These include stabilized versions in which the brightness and contrast have been increased, which they claim highlights a major flaw of perspective.

Another is motion-tracked, and apparently shows the UFO "bouncing around like crazy" -- which, say the sceptics, shows the makers had trouble inserting it into the scene.

Source see Video

The Huffington Post is being sold to AOL Inc. for $315 million.

As part of the deal, which Huffington Post co-founder Arianna Huffington announced on her blog and AOL announced in a news release, Huffington is to become president and editor in chief of a new Huffington Post Media Group division at AOL.

The purchase of the popular news and opinion website will increase AOL's news portfolio as it competes against Yahoo's growing online news publication profile and Google's news efforts as well as traditional media companies online.

Huffington will gain control of additional AOL news websites dealing with news, technology, women, entertainment and video content.

The combination of AOL's media efforts and the Huffington Post will reach about 117 million viewers in the U.S. and 270 million globally, AOL said.

In a statement, AOL said it is using about $300 million in on-hand cash in the purchase.

The deal still has to meet government approvals, but the boards of directors of each company and shareholders of the Huffington Post have approved the transaction, AOL said.

The transaction is expected to close by the end of the first quarter or the early part of the second quarter this year, AOL said.

"The Huffington Post has already been growing at a prodigious rate," Huffington said. "But my New Year's resolution for 2011 was to take HuffPost to the next level -- not just incrementally, but exponentially. With the help of our CEO, Eric Hippeau, and our president and head of sales, Greg Coleman, we'd been able to make the site profitable. Now was the time to take leaps."

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Reagan legacy recalled on his 100th birthday

WASHINGTON — Ronald Reagan, whose 100th birthday anniversary was celebrated yesterday, is remembered as a transformative president, the creator of the contemporary Republican Party, and the very definition of conservatism.

Reagan, who died in 2004, is the object of both mythmaking and revisionism. As his presidency has undergone examination and reevaluation by conservative and liberal scholars, his place in history has grown larger. But he remains both misunderstood by some of his followers and underappreciated by his detractors.

Reagan's iconic stature among conservatives is a source of inspiration for a Republican Party that, despite its victories in November, still hungers to recapture the high points of his presidency. Yet to many Republicans, "Reagan nostalgia'' is an obstacle to the party's hopes of moving forward in an era with challenges different from those of the 1980s.

Although Reagan helped fuel the conservative ascendancy, he was not, in the estimation of scholars, a conventional conservative, certainly not by today's standards.

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Hopes dim for missing tot - San Antonio Express-News

"Under clear, sunny skies, cadaver-search K-9 teams fanned out across a narrow area of rough terrain in south New Braunfels near the Guadalupe County line Sunday morning.

The sometimes frantic search-and-rescue operation for 18-month-old Joshua Davis Jr. had just transitioned into a recovery effort.

Meanwhile, a frustrated Sabrina Benitez cried for her child missing since Friday night, pleaded for his safe return and refused to give up hope even as she sought to alert authorities to a person she suspects of wrongdoing.

But while Benitez and her boyfriend believe someone may have taken their child for unknown reasons, authorities said nothing indicates foul play.

Police reluctantly acknowledged that if the youngster were on his own as they believe, his chances of surviving sub-freezing temperatures overnight Friday and slightly warmer temperatures Saturday night appeared slim.

Hopes dim for missing tot - San Antonio Express-News:

Mark Wilson leads PGA Phoenix Open going into final day

Mark Wilson had some fun on the amphitheater 16th hole in the third round of the Phoenix Open, donning a cheesehead and joining caddie Chris Jones to lead the rowdy fans in Packers chants.

Wilson, who is from Wisconsin, was 2 strokes ahead of three players when play was suspended Sunday because of darkness. He will be careful not to get too carried away this morning when he hits the 20,000-seat hole in the final round.

"I'm just going to try to make birdies in a smart way, not going to be firing at every pin," said Wilson, the Sony Open winner last month in Hawaii. "That's silly. Just hit smart shots and try to roll in the putts."

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Christina Aguilera Responds to National Anthem Fumble | Christina Aguilera : Just Jared

Christina Aguilera Responds to National Anthem Fumble | Christina Aguilera : Just Jared: "Christina Aguilera has responded to the discussion over her fumble of the lyrics to the National Anthem during her performance at the Super Bowl on Sunday (February 6).

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Kampala city trader strangled

THE Police have recovered the body of a trader operating in both St. Balikuddembe (Owino) Market and the Kikuubo business hub in Kampala.

Deo Luyinda, a resident of Nansana was strangled and his body dumped in the Lubigi swamp along Hoima Road. He was a produce (grains) dealer.

His body was found at the intersection between Hoima Road and the road that connects to Nabweru in Nabweru South Zone Cell II.

Luyinda's body was intact without any visible cut or bruises and it was fully dressed.

He, however, had traces of blood on his head and it is suspected that he was strangled.

John Mukwaya, a crime detective at Nansana Police Station, said investigations had started to ascertain the circumstances under which the trader died.

Police said documents recovered on him included a card identifying him as a trader working with Produce, a trading company with branches in both St. Balikuddembe Market and Kikuubo.

Also found on him were two ATM cards and sh214,500, plus vitamin B and C tablets.

His widow, Teddy Wanyana, who works at the New Taxi Park, said as her husband left home on Saturday, he said he was going to deliver merchandise to a group of clients.

"He left early in the morning, saying he would return early. However, when he did not return home at the usual time, I called him, but his mobile phone was switched off," Wanyana said.

She added that when it clocked midnight, she made frantic calls to the deceased's relatives and friends and informed them about his disappearance.

Wanyana said as they proceeded to report the matter to the Police, one of the relatives received a call from someone who reported the discovery of a body in the Lubigi swamp. Wanyana said they later confirmed that the body was that of her husband.

Fred Muteesasira, a colleague at Kikuubo market, told Bukedde he gave Luyinda sh1.2m on Saturday morning, which he had requested for.

"He told me he needed the money to purchase some merchandise. He also revealed that he expected a huge profit and assured me

1,250 fans displaced after Cowboys Stadium failed to have seats ready

ARLINGTON — About 1,250 ticket-holding fans were delayed, relocated or forced to watch Super Bowl XLV on television monitors Sunday because of problems installing temporary seating at Cowboys Stadium.

The NFL said 850 of the fans were moved to comparable or better seats. The others will receive a refund of $2,400 — triple the face vale of their $800 ticket — and were allowed to watch a live feed of the game in the stadium.

"The safety of fans attending the Super Bowl was paramount in making the decision," the NFL said in a statement. "The Dallas Cowboys and city of Arlington officials are in agreement with the resolution."

Arlington fire and police officials said they were not to blame for the confusion.

"We've been involved with the seating issue from the get-go," said Arlington Assistant Fire Chief Alan Kassen. "Our goal has always been to get the fans in as safely as possible, and although it took us longer to get the seats installed than we planned, the Arlington Fire Department did everything possible to ensure the safety of the fans."

Kassen referred additional questions to the city's clearing house for public-safety updates.

There, Arlington police spokeswoman Tiara Richard clarified the city's position. The city's fire marshal "played no role" in deciding that the unfinished seats would not be used because the NFL never asked the city to inspect those.

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Daily Game Feb 06 - Caldera Legends

Take back your land using the power of the mage's order.

Caldera Legends is powered by dailygame.org

Census shows New Orleans losing many black residents

NEW ORLEANS -- New Orleans is a smaller city than it was before Hurricane Katrina, and much of the loss in population is among blacks who have been unwilling or unable to return, Census figures released Thursday showed.
In 2000, there were about 323,000 blacks in New Orleans compared with about 206,870 in 2010, making up about 60 percent of the city.
“Who recovered depended very much on race and class,” said Lance Hill, the head of the Southern Institute for Education and Research, a race relations research center based at Tulane University. “We have forgotten that there are over 100,000 African-Americans who remain displaced.”

The Census Bureau said the Crescent City’s population was 343,829, a decrease of about 106,000 people from 2005, the year Katrina hit.
“The empty homes are everywhere,” said Dennis Scott, president of the Lakewood East Homeowners Association, a hard-hit neighborhood in eastern New Orleans. “Right next door to me there’s a family that hasn’t returned, across the street a family hasn’t returned.”
Many of the homes in his neighborhood have been fixed, while others remain damaged. And without the residents and lingering uncertainties about the state of levee protections, stores, a nearby hospital and restaurants remain shuttered.
William Rouselle, a political consultant, said the city’s recovery has been uneven with black neighborhoods like eastern New Orleans, Gentilly and the Lower 9th Ward getting less attention. He said many of the blacks who haven’t returned lived in public housing, most of which were razed after Katrina and are in varying stages of being rebuilt.

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Discovered Ming vase will make retired factory worker wealthy

It's the dream of any antique collector: You impulsively spend a few bucks on a trinket at an estate sale or an antiques store, and later discover that it's worth more than what you paid for it. Much more.

And that's pretty much the dream that came true for a 79-year-old British retired worker from the Cadbury chocolate factory, who recently walked into an auction house with a near-perfect Ming vase in a cardboard box.

It's unknown how the man, who wanted the press to refrain from publishing his name, came into possession of the rare vase, but staffers at Duke's—the Dorchester auction house that took it in—were astounded by the "spectacular find."

"When my colleague initially showed me what had arrived in a cardboard box I could not believe my eyes," Guy Schwinge of Duke's told the Guardian. "The vase is in perfect condition, and it is amazing to think that it has survived unscathed for almost six hundred years."

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Obama Appeals to Mubarak to Make `Right Decision,' Negotiate Power Change - Bloomberg

"President Barack Obama appealed to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to make “the right decision” for his country and urged authorities there to negotiate with a broad representation of the opposition on a transition.

Obama stopped short of calling for Mubarak to immediately step down. How and when Mubarak leaves office after three decades in power and who replaces him “is going to be in the hands of Egyptians,” the president said yesterday at a White House news conference after a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

“The key question he should be asking himself is, how do I leave a legacy behind in which Egypt is able to get through this transformative period,” Obama said. He said his hope is that Mubarak “will end up making the right decision.”

With the U.S. keeping up pressure on the Egyptian government to respond to 11 consecutive days of anti-government demonstrations, Obama said there already have been “some discussions” on the transition.

Obama Appeals to Mubarak to Make `Right Decision,' Negotiate Power Change - Bloomberg:

Obama Appeals to Mubarak to Make `Right Decision,' Negotiate Power Change - Bloomberg

"President Barack Obama appealed to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to make “the right decision” for his country and urged authorities there to negotiate with a broad representation of the opposition on a transition.

Obama stopped short of calling for Mubarak to immediately step down. How and when Mubarak leaves office after three decades in power and who replaces him “is going to be in the hands of Egyptians,” the president said yesterday at a White House news conference after a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

“The key question he should be asking himself is, how do I leave a legacy behind in which Egypt is able to get through this transformative period,” Obama said. He said his hope is that Mubarak “will end up making the right decision.”

With the U.S. keeping up pressure on the Egyptian government to respond to 11 consecutive days of anti-government demonstrations, Obama said there already have been “some discussions” on the transition.

Obama Appeals to Mubarak to Make `Right Decision,' Negotiate Power Change - Bloomberg:

Western tide turns against embattled Mubarak - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

"US president Barack Obama has moved to deliver a clear message that Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak should step down now, saying the proud 'patriot' should listen to his people and make the 'right decision.'

Mr Obama did not explicitly call on Mr Mubarak to resign, but said the Arab strongman had already made the psychological leap of realising his rule was ebbing, and now should reconsider his position amid a mass uprising.

His comments came at the same time as the leaders of the European Union called on the Egyptian president to start the transition out of power now.

The US president staked out a veiled, but forceful, position as tens of thousands of demonstrators held 'departure day' protests in Cairo, and the United States sought a way to prod Mr Mubarak to the exit after 30 years in power.

Tens of thousands of people filled the streets for one of the biggest protests yet, where they chanted and called for Mr Mubarak's immediate resignation.

'I believe that president Mubarak cares about his country. He is proud, but he is also a patriot,' Mr Obama said.

'What I've suggested to him is, is that he needs to consult with those who are around him in his government.

Western tide turns against embattled Mubarak - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation):

Western tide turns against embattled Mubarak - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

"US president Barack Obama has moved to deliver a clear message that Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak should step down now, saying the proud 'patriot' should listen to his people and make the 'right decision.'

Mr Obama did not explicitly call on Mr Mubarak to resign, but said the Arab strongman had already made the psychological leap of realising his rule was ebbing, and now should reconsider his position amid a mass uprising.

His comments came at the same time as the leaders of the European Union called on the Egyptian president to start the transition out of power now.

The US president staked out a veiled, but forceful, position as tens of thousands of demonstrators held 'departure day' protests in Cairo, and the United States sought a way to prod Mr Mubarak to the exit after 30 years in power.

Tens of thousands of people filled the streets for one of the biggest protests yet, where they chanted and called for Mr Mubarak's immediate resignation.

'I believe that president Mubarak cares about his country. He is proud, but he is also a patriot,' Mr Obama said.

'What I've suggested to him is, is that he needs to consult with those who are around him in his government.

Western tide turns against embattled Mubarak - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation):

Cambodia, Thai military talks result in 4 Thai soldiers released, three agreements

"UDOR MEANCHEY, Cambodia, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Saturday has delivered 4 Thai soldiers captured in a military clash at the border area near the 11th century temple on Friday afternoon back to Thailand after a 90 minute meeting between the military commanders of Cambodia and Thailand.

The meeting, held at Chorm Sra Ngam border checkpoint in Anlong Veng district, was attended by Cambodian Major General Srey Doek, commander of Military Division 3 and Major General Chea Mon, commander of Military Region 4, while Thai side including Lt Gen Thawatchai Samutsakorn, commander of Army Region 2 and Major General Chawalit Chunprasan, commander of the Suranari Military Camp, in an effort to find ways to prevent further military fighting.

Srey Doek told reporters after the meeting that Cambodia decided to release four Thai troops arrested on Friday's clash near Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple.

Cambodia, Thai military talks result in 4 Thai soldiers released, three agreements:

Cambodia, Thai military talks result in 4 Thai soldiers released, three agreements

"UDOR MEANCHEY, Cambodia, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Saturday has delivered 4 Thai soldiers captured in a military clash at the border area near the 11th century temple on Friday afternoon back to Thailand after a 90 minute meeting between the military commanders of Cambodia and Thailand.

The meeting, held at Chorm Sra Ngam border checkpoint in Anlong Veng district, was attended by Cambodian Major General Srey Doek, commander of Military Division 3 and Major General Chea Mon, commander of Military Region 4, while Thai side including Lt Gen Thawatchai Samutsakorn, commander of Army Region 2 and Major General Chawalit Chunprasan, commander of the Suranari Military Camp, in an effort to find ways to prevent further military fighting.

Srey Doek told reporters after the meeting that Cambodia decided to release four Thai troops arrested on Friday's clash near Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple.

Cambodia, Thai military talks result in 4 Thai soldiers released, three agreements:

Major drug ring nabbed on Long Island - WSJ.com

Major drug ring nabbed on Long Island - WSJ.com: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Slutty Little Cheese Grater

Man: "Hey, I'm home, how was your day?"
Woman: "Good, now come into the kitchen"
Man: "What are you doing in there you saucy minx?"
Woman: "Come and see"
Man: "Are those silk handkerchiefs? I feel instantly aroused."
Woman: "Yes they are. Sit down on the chair"
Man: "ooh I'm excited!"
Woman: "Yea do you like that? You like me having my way with you in the filthy kitchen!"
Man: "Yes, filthy filthy kitchen!"
Woman: "It's so dirty in here, the dishes are covered in food!
Man: "oh god yes, what else?"
Woman: "You're Mr Muscle and I've captured you and tied you to the kitchen chair so you can't clean anything, I'm dropping jars of bolognese on the floor."
Man: "Oh god you're so filthy! And there's stuff boiling over on the stove isn't there?"
Woman: "Yes, pans of milk bubbling over and burning, the stains are so tough, I'm going to have to use the rough side of the sponge to get them off..."
Man: "Oh God yes...keep going!"
Woman: "There's so much grease and grime everywhere and the kettle it's so full of...."
Man: "Say it! I'm gonna come, say it!
Woman: "The kettle is full...of..."
Man: "Yes...yes!"

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Spotting ATM Skimmers

To help readers better protect themselves from thieves who want to swipe their sensitive debit card information, we've shared pictures in the past of how to spot skimming devices on ATMs.

Skimmers applied to card readers (think fake card readers on top of the real ones) are designed to capture debit card magnetic stripe data, while tiny wireless cameras or overlays to existing personal identification number pads are designed to capture PIN information. Once thieves capture such data, they can use it to make fake cards or sell the information on the Internet to others.

Besides learning what skimming devices look like, consumers can also employ other strategies to spot the devices, according to John Pearce, director of commercial marketing for banking-financial and government systems at the security company ADT, which sells anti-skimming technology. He recently shared the following strategies with us.

[Click here to check current credit card offers, including rates and terms.]

Perform an ATM Inspection

Before swiping your card, Mr. Pearce recommended that consumers examine ATMs for tell-tale signs of skimmers like visible glue marks or residue around the reader or PIN pad. Also, look for loose parts (tug on the card reader, say, to see if it comes off or if there is a loose appendage recently added to the machine). "You want to inspect the card reader slots first and foremost," Mr. Pearce said. "If there's any residual of glue around the PIN pad area or around the card slot, there's a pretty good chance there was skimming activity in the recent past."

Perform an ATM Area Inspection

Mr. Pearce also recommended that consumers look around the ATM area to see if anything looks out of the ordinary. For instance, is there a cola can or pack of cigarettes on the top of the ATM or promotional literature nearby? If so, look closely to make sure there's no miniature camera hidden in such spots. Check the ceiling above the ATM for such cameras as well. While legitimate security cameras for the banks will be clearly overt and visible, these cameras will be hidden and about three-fourths of an inch square in size, Mr. Pearce said.

Cover Your PIN

When you type in your PIN, Mr. Pearce recommended using your other hand to shield the keypad to block it from video cameras hidden in the light above the keypad or elsewhere. This can also help protect your information from "shoulder surfers," people who Mr. Pearce said stand off to the side to try to record your PIN.

Know Which ATMs to Pay Special Attention To

Mr. Pearce recommended being extra vigilant and cautious when using ATMs at heavily trafficked areas like at malls, airports and gas stations. In many cases, he said, skimming can go unnoticed in such locations because there aren't any personnel monitoring the machines. In addition, if you're having problems using a machine, avoid any offers from help from strangers. "They know you are having a problem because they caused the problem to take place in the first place," Mr. Pearce said, noting that they would ask for your personal identification number as they try to enter your card.

Know When to Use Your Credit Card

In situations where your card goes out of your line of sight (like at a restaurant or hotel), Mr. Pearce recommended using a credit card rather than a debit card.

Source

1,500-year-old church discovered by archaeologists in Israel

• 

Israeli archaeologists presented a newly uncovered 1,500-year-old church in the Judean hills on Wednesday, including an unusually well-preserved mosaic floor with images of lions, foxes, fish and peacocks.

The Byzantine church located southwest of Jerusalem, excavated over the last two months, will be visible only for another week before archaeologists cover it again with soil for its own protection.

The small basilica with an exquisitely decorated floor was active between the fifth and seventh centuries A.D., said the dig's leader, Amir Ganor of the Israel Antiquities Authority. He said the floor was "one of the most beautiful mosaics to be uncovered in Israel in recent years."

Think you know the Middle East? Take our geography quiz.

"It is unique in its craftsmanship and level of preservation," he said.

Archaeologists began digging at the site, known as Hirbet Madras, in December. The Antiquities Authority discovered several months earlier that antiquities thieves had begun plundering the ruins, which sit on an uninhabited hill not far from an Israeli farming community.

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How a late change of plan saved our lives

SUNDAY, July 11, 2010, and World Cup fever grips the globe. Football fans gather in front of TVs in houses and bars, and before large screens in parks and squares, to witness the final showdown between Spain and the Netherlands. Among them is Stacey-Anne Penny, a nurse from Suffolk who's been in Uganda as a VSO volunteer for a little over a year. Truth be told, she's not that keen on soccer, but the passion for football there runs deep. "Everyone said 'You're in Africa. You've got to come out to watch the World Cup Final," she remembers. Her friends make their plans to view the game on a huge screen at The Ethiopian Village, a restaurant/club in Kampala, the Ugandan capital. In the afternoon, however, there's a change of plan. The party includes some Dutch friends and, with the Iguana Bar across town being Dutch-owned, someone suggests congregating there instead, as the atmosphere will be rocking. The Iguana it is.

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Lakers tripped up by Spurs' tip

The importance of the day became obvious when Jerry Buss showed up for the Lakers' shoot-around, a rare morning appearance for a team owner who always seems to know when to show his cards.

He might have sensed the need to remind everybody that he's watching, and waiting, for his $90-million payroll to pay dividends in a mostly uneven season.
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Microsoft to Release 12 Security Patches Next Week, Three Critical

Software giant Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) said it would release 12 security patches and software updates next week to fix 22 bugs in Microsoft Windows, Internet Explorer, Office, Visual Studio, and IIS.

The security bulletins will be released as part of Microsoft "Patch Tuesday" event on Feb.8.

Patch Tuesday is the second Tuesday of each month, on which Microsoft releases security patches.

Out of the 12 bulletins to be released, three of them rated Critical and nine rated Important, according to a post on the Microsoft Security Response Center blog.

Meanwhile, two of the updates will fix the previously disclosed vulnerabilities affecting windows graphics rendering engine and internet explorer that may allow execution of remote codes. Remote codes could allow an attacker to take complete control of an affected system.

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Gunman hijacks Greyhound bus in North Carolina

(CNN) -- An armed man hijacked a Greyhound bus Thursday in North Carolina and took the passengers on a short, wild ride before getting arrested.

The bus was traveling to Raleigh, North Carolina, when the gun-toting passenger approached the driver Thursday night, said Maureen Richmond, a Greyhound spokeswoman.

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Ed Miliband likened to lizard for bizarre way he licks his lips

Body language experts said that his 'lizard tongue' helps him focus on his words and appear self-assured and methodical at the despatch box.

They studied the actions of three political leaders and found Miliband to be the most pensive, Nick Clegg the most passionate, while David Cameron came out on top for being charismatic and engaging.

"Watching the videos of Miliband, we notice he moistens his lips with his tongue-we call this the 'lizard tongue'. Research on this gesture suggests that when someone does this, it is a way of pacifying or giving oneself strokes," the Daily Mail quoted Alex Grinder of the language firm Ascot Barclay Group, as saying..

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Happy Chinese New Year 2011: The year of the Rabbit

February 3, 2011 is the first day of the Chinese New Year and starts the year of the Rabbit. A hot Google trend, Chinese New Year 2011 begins with the New Moon on the first day of the new year (February 3) and ends on the full moon 15 days later (February 17). 

The 15th day is called the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated at night with lantern displays. The Chinese New Year festivities are sometimes called the Lunar New Year, especially by people outside China.

Traditions for the Chinese New Year are plentiful. It's a time that families come together, decorate their homes, and celebrate. For the 2011 Chinese New Year, many toys and decorations will have a rabbit theme.

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Search Engine Slap Fight: Microsoft Denies Cheating, Blames Google

Is Microsoft cheating? Did Google use "click fraud?" And what's Yahoo up to, anyway?

Following a months-long sting operation, Google took a swing at Microsoft on Tuesday, claiming the company was copying results from Google for its Bing search engine. The search giant said Microsoft was sucking data from Google's search results and using them to -- put nicely -- inform its own search engine. 

Microsoft just slapped back. 

In a blog posting titled "Setting the record straight," Microsoft's Yusuf Mehdi, senior veep in the Online Services Division, said it was by no means cheating -- and Google was the one playing fast and loose with the rules.

Source

Bus hijacked in NC; suspect taken into custody

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — An armed passenger hijacked a Greyhound bus Thursday night along a North Carolina highway and was arrested after police surrounded the bus after the driver had pulled into a gas station, authorities said. No one was injured.

The bus with 35 passengers was headed south on Interstate 85 from Richmond, Va., to Raleigh, Greyhound spokeswoman Maureen Richmond said. The suspect pulled a gun and ordered the driver to relinquish the bus. The driver slowed down and got off an exit, where she let off all the passengers except two, Richmond said.

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Turmoil in Egypt rages: Key questions and answers

Clashes between protesters and government supporters intensified Thursday in central Cairo and began to spread around the city. Meanwhile, the government claimed foreigners were partly to blame for more than a week of demonstrations demanding the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak, the country's ruler for nearly three decades. (Latest developments)

The ongoing turmoil raises numerous questions about what really is happening now and where it will lead. Here are some answers:

[ For complete coverage of politics and policy, go to Yahoo! Politics ]

What can the United States do to influence Mubarak and the situation within Egypt?

American influence over President Hosni Mubarak and the situation in Egypt is often overstated. The dynamics at play in protests against the government are like an enormous storm and the United States can't do much to change its course. That said, the U.S. provides about $1.5 billion in aid to Egypt, $1.2 billion of which goes to the military, which also has excellent relations with the U.S. defense establishment and Pentagon. Withdrawing the aid could harm the Israel-Egypt equation and diminish influence with the military. Thus, the real influence that the United States has is through international opinion, focusing a spotlight on abuses and Egypt's fake democracy.

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White House, Egypt Discuss Mubarak Exit Plan

The Obama administration is in talks with top Egyptian officials about the possible immediate resignation of President Hosni Mubarak and the formation of an interim government that could prepare the country for free and fair elections later this year, U.S. officials said late Thursday. 

Creation of a military-backed caretaker government in Egypt is one of several ideas being discussed as anti-Mubarak protests escalate in the streets of Cairo and other Egyptian cities, the officials said. Those protests are expected to grow in size and intensity on Friday and the administration fears they may erupt into more widespread violence unless the government takes tangible steps to address the protesters' main demand that Mubarak leave office.

A senior administration official suggested to Fox News that the proposal was one of several being discussed.

"It's simply wrong to report that there's a single U.S. plan that's being negotiated with the Egyptians," the official said.

The developments came after Mubarak said earlier Thursday in an interview with ABC News that he wants to leave office now but cannot for fear the country will sink deeper into chaos. He announced earlier this week his intention to end his three-decade rule, but only after elections in September.

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Google bets $20,000 you can’t crack into Chrome

Google is so confident in the security of its Chrome Web browser that it's willing to pony up $20,000 to anyone who can hack into it.

The bet will take place as part of the Pwn2Own contest at next month's CanSecWest conference in Vancouver, British Columbia. Contestants will receive $20,000 and a new CR-48 Chrome notebook computer if they successfully exploit the browser.

The stipulations of the prize are that the hacker — in 30 minutes or less — must carry out the Chrome crack using only Google-written code on the Windows 7 or Mac OS X operating systems.

If there are no successful cracks on the competition's first day, hackers will get a second chance using non-Google code, and still be eligible for $10,000 from HP Tipping Point, the contest sponsor, and $10,000 from Google. Plug-ins using PDF software not built in to the browser are not allowed.

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Verizon iPhone 4 preorders sell out on first day

Initial demand for the Verizon iPhone is strong, as Apple and Verizon both appear to have run out of pre-sale stock of the new CDMA iPhone and are directing customers to wait until Feb. 9 to purchase the device online or Feb. 10 for in-store purchases.

Preorders for the Verizon iPhone began at 3 a.m. Eastern on Thursday, but only for existing Verizon customers. Initial interest appeared heavy, as some customers reported difficulty accessing the Verizon website.

Though it is unclear exactly how many units were offered during Wednesday's preorder, Apple and Verizon have stopped taking orders for the device. Customers interested in purchasing the iPhone 4 on Verizon are directed log back on to either the Verizon or Apple website starting at 3:01 a.m. Eastern on Feb. 9. Retail stores will begin offering the handset at 7 a.m. on Feb. 10.

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House Republicans seek $30b cut at agencies - The Boston Globe

"WASHINGTON — House Republicans want to slice more than $30 billion from agency budgets over the next several months, aiming to make good on their campaign pledge to return federal spending to 2008 levels.

The figure represents a sharp reduction from President Obama’s most recent budget request, and Democrats have dismissed the proposal as Draconian, arguing that cuts of that magnitude would harm critical government services.

Conservative Republicans, meanwhile, are demanding even bigger cuts, and are unlikely to be satisfied by the GOP spending plan released yesterday. House leaders vowed to press ahead nonetheless and to put a spending bill on the floor when lawmakers return to Washington on Feb. 14.

“Washington’s spending spree is over,’’ House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan, Republican of Wisconsin, said in a statement. “As House Republicans pledged — and voted to affirm on the House floor last week — the spending limits will restore sanity to a broken budget process and return spending for domestic government agencies to prestimulus, prebailout levels.’’

Under rules adopted by the new GOP majority, Ryan has unilateral authority to set spending limits for the remainder of the fiscal year, which runs through Sept. 30. Though Obama submitted a budget request for fiscal 2011, Congress never adopted a spending blueprint, and the government is operating under a temporary resolution that expires March 4.

House Republicans are working on a new resolution to fund the government for the final seven months of the year. Leadership aides said they hope to push the new measure through the House and the Senate before the existing resolution expires. But the Senate remains under the control of Democrats, who are unlikely to accede to House demands on spending. If the two chambers cannot agree on a new spending resolution, lawmakers risk triggering a government shutdown.

As budget chairman, Ryan sets spending limits but does not decide where to cut. That task falls to the House Appropriations Committee. That committee’s chairman, Hal Rogers of Kentucky, released spending targets, with the heaviest cuts hitting transportation and housing, agriculture, and the Food and Drug Administration, commerce, justice, science and financial services. Those cuts would be up to 17 percent over current levels.

House Republicans seek $30b cut at agencies - The Boston Globe:

High BP ups memory loss risk in adults

A new study has revealed that older people with larger waistlines, high blood pressure and other risk factors that make up metabolic syndrome may be at a higher risk for memory loss.

Metabolic syndrome was defined as having three or more of the following risk factors: high blood pressure, excess belly fat, higher than normal triglycerides (a type of fat found in the blood), high blood sugar and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, or "good" cholesterol.

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Health care repeal fails to pass in the Senate

The push by Senate Republicans to repeal the Affordable Care Act failed in the Senate.  It should come as no surprise that the vote was strictly along party lines.

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was determined to bring the repeal to the Floor of the Senate for a vote.  In order to bring the repeal vote to the Floor, Sen. McConnell submitted the repeal motion as an amendment to a currently pending  Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill.

Initially the Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.)  had promised to block any Republican effort to bring the repeal bill to the Floor.  However, after Republicans agreed not to filibuster the FAA bill, the Majority Leader agreed to allow the vote.

Noting that Republicans have made health care "repeal and replace" an important part of their agenda, Reid said.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/03/us-ford-recall-idUSTRE71251S20110203

Ford Motor Co is recalling nearly 281,000 F-150 pickup trucks in the United States because of a potential problem with the door handles not working properly, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported on Thursday.

Model years 2009 and 2010 F-150 trucks produced from January 2008 to November 2009 are being recalled because in the event of a crash, "the door handle spring can fail causing the door latch to open," NHTSA said in a filing.

As of January 21, there had been no reported accidents or injuries related to this issue, Ford told NHTSA.

Ford said that customers will initially be asked to bring their F-150s to dealerships if any door handle is loose or fails to return to a stowed position.

Later, once replacement parts are available, owners will be asked to bring in their trucks for inspection at Ford or Lincoln dealerships, the filing said.

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Why a Charlotte Convention Won't Help the Democrats

"President Obama's selection of this Southern city for the 2012 Democratic convention signals he will... fight for the conservative-leaning states that helped him win the White House," the Associated Press reported. DNC Chairman Tim Kaine told The New York Times, "We were very excited about winning North Carolina in 2008. Putting our convention there is a very serious sign that we intend to compete there again." The conversation immediately turned to whether North Carolina, a typically Republican state that President Obama carried by a slim margin in his 2008 landslide victory, could go Democratic in what is likely to be a closer contest next year and what role the convention will play. Influential Democratic blogger Markos Moulitsas of the Daily Kos cheered, "It's clear Obama's team will go all-in to hold North Carolina, and holding the convention in Charlotte is a key component of that strategy."

Obama and the Democrats may well want to compete in North Carolina, and they may even be able to, but holding their convention there will probably have nothing to do with who wins its 15 Electoral College votes. Academic studies have found where political conventions are held has no measurable impact
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Murder suspect, officer die in Fla. gun battle

GRITNEY, Fla. — One corrections officer was killed and another wounded yesterday in a gun battle with an ex-convict suspected of killing his parents, state officials said. The ex-convict also died.
Authorities had been searching for Wade Andrew Williams, 35, since his parents were found dead in their Florida home last week.
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Mammoth storm leaves bitter cold

MILFORD, Conn. — An enormous winter storm left Midwesterners shivering in its frozen footprint and crushed snow-laden buildings in the Northeast, where a combination of ice, snow and rain pushed much of the winter-cursed region to its breaking point.

Wind chills were expected to dip to 30 below in parts of the nation's midsection before the region awoke Thursday to deal with the storm's aftermath. The sprawling system unloaded as much as 2 feet of snow, crippled airports and stranded drivers in downtown Chicago as if in a prairie blizzard. Much of Texas was under a hard freeze warning Wednesday; light snowfall stubbornly lingered into the night in Maine.

Officials in the Northeast had warned homeowners and businesses for days of the dangers of leaving snow piled up on rooftops. As the 2,000-mile-long storm cloaked the region in ice and added inches to the piles of snow already settled across the landscape, the predictions came true. No one was seriously injured, however.

In Middletown, Conn., the entire third floor of a building failed, littering the street with bricks and snapping two trees. Acting Fire Marshal Al Santostefano said two workers fled when they heard a cracking sound.

"It's like a bomb scene," Santostefano said. "Thank God they left the building when they did."

A gas station canopy on New York's Long Island collapsed, as did an airplane hangar near Boston, damaging aircraft. Roof cave-ins also were reported in Rhode Island. The University of Connecticut closed its hockey rink as a precaution because of the amount of ice and snow on the roof. The school hoped to have it inspected and reopened in time for a game Saturday.

Some places in the Northeast that have gotten more snow so far this winter than they usually get the whole season are running out of places to put it. In Portland, Maine, the downtown snow-storage area was expected to reach capacity after this week's storm — the first time in three years that has happened.

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Charlie Sheen`s neighbour recalls making the urgent 911 call

Charlie Sheen's neighbour Adrienne Maloof-Nassif has recalled making the emergency call that got the troubled star rushed to hospital.

Adrienne was with the rest of the cast of The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills on Ellen DeGeneres' show when talk turned to her drama-filled night when she helped get the star urgent treatment.

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Bill Belichick named top coach

Bill Belichick is closing in on Don Shula.

The New England coach won the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year award on Wednesday, the third time Belichick earned the honor. Belichick, who won in 2003 and 2007, trails only Shula, a four-time winner.

For leading the Patriots to a 14-2 record, best in the league, Belichick received 30 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL. That easily beat Raheem Morris, who led a turnaround in Tampa Bay and got 11 1/2 votes.

This might have been Belichick's most impressive work as the Patriots retooled much of the roster, yet had a dominant regular season in which they won their final eight games.

Back to school: In need of an indoor facility worthy of a Super Bowl team, the Packers moved their practices to a new, $4.5 million indoor field at nearby Highland Park High School. With more of the same weather expected, Green Bay is likely to remain on the high school campus today and Friday.

The cold forced the Packers to scrap plans of practicing outdoors at SMU. Highland Park's facility opened in August and is comparable in quality to the one at TCU that the Steelers moved into Wednesday.

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Yemen next: 20,000 on streets in 'Day of Rage'

SANAA — More than 20,000 Yemenis filled the streets of Sanaa on Thursday for a "Day of Rage" rally, demanding a change in government and saying President Ali Abdullah Saleh's offer to step down in 2013 was not enough.

Further anti-government protests were expected across Yemen, which Saleh has ruled for over three decades, and supporters of the president were driving around the capital urging Yemenis over loudspeakers to join pro-government counterdemonstrations.

But by early morning, anti-government protesters had already gathered the largest crowd since a wave of protests hit the Arabian Peninsula state two weeks ago, inspired by protests that toppled Tunisia's ruler and threaten Egypt's president.

"The people want regime change," protesters shouted as they gathered outside Sanaa University. "No to corruption, no to dictatorship."

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Cyclone Yasi was 'absolutely terrifying'

(CNN) -- Residents of northern Queensland, Australia, woke on Thursday morning to destruction wrought by Cyclone Yasi, the biggest storm to ever hit the region.

"It was absolutely terrifying," said Frank Russo, a journalist for the Innisfail Advocate who was in the town of Garradunga, a suburb of Innisfail, around 24 miles (40 kilometers) north of the eye of the storm.

With winds gusting up to 186 miles per hour (300 kilometers per hour), Russo was with his parents in their two-story "Queenslander"-style house when the category 5 storm hit.

"The winds here didn't really pick up until midnight; that's when they were at their worst. It was like having big jet engines outside your house," he said.

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Police want to question Lohan in connection with jewelry incident

Orange must really be her colour, because Lindsay Lohan is in trouble with the cops again.

If there's one thing that can make a prison jumpsuit pretty, it's $2,500 in jewelry.

Police in L.A. have issued a warrant for Lohan's arrest, RadarOnline reports, as the cops suspect she snatched a $2,500 necklace from a store in her new neighbourhood, Venice Beach, Calif.

The cops didn't nab Lohan, though, because one of her pals already turned over the jewelry to the police, TMZ reports.

Staff at the store where the alleged incident took place claim they have video of Lohan trying on the necklace in question, Radar reports.

TMZ points out the store hasn't mentioned they have evidence of Lohan leaving the shop with the necklace still in her possession.

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Pastor gave me false identity to accuse Kayanja

A prosecution witness yesterday told Buganda Road Court that Pastor Solomon Male gave him a false identity to accuse Pastor Robert Kayanja of sodomy.

The witness, who said his name was Robert Kaliba Musasizi Bulega, said Male named him Samson Mukisa, and instructed him to fabricate the story.

Male, and three other pastors, Martin Sempa, Michael Kyazze, and Robert Kayiira, are accused of conspiring to injure the reputation of Kayanja who heads the Rubaga  Miracle Centre Church.

The other co-accused are State House employee Dorothy Kyomuhendo, and local musician David Mukalazi.

Matovu said he was promised sh56m to tarnish Kayanja's name and that Kyazze gave him sh15,000 after testifying that Kayanja had sodomised him.

Hearing of the case resumes on February 16.

Man confesses to gay activist murder

Kampala - Ugandan police said on Wednesday that a man had confessed to murdering a gay rights activist after a "personal disagreement" in an attack last week that sparked worldwide fury.

David Kato, one of the country's most visible gay campaigners, was beaten to death with a hammer at his home on Thursday and died on the way to hospital.

Homosexuality is taboo in many African nations. It is illegal in 37 countries on the continent, including Uganda, and activists say few Africans are openly gay, fearing imprisonment, violence and loss of jobs.

Kato had been featured in an anti-gay newspaper in October that "outed" people it said were gay and called on the government to kill them. His photograph was published on the cover under the headline: "Hang Them".

The activist said he had received death threats since the publication.
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Egypt crisis: protesters killed as gunfire breaks out in Cairo

At least five people have been killed in violence that erupted in Cairo's Tahrir Square overnight, with supporters of Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak opening fire on anti-government protesters.

The Egyptian military has had the square ringed with tank squads to try to keep order, but the troops did not intervene to prevent the deadly shootings.

"Most of the casualties were the result of stone throwing and attacks with metal rods and sticks," Egypt's health minister said.

"At dawn today there were gunshots. The real casualties taken to hospital were 836, of which 86 are still in hospital and there are five dead," Ahmed Samih Farid told state television.

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Buganda to challenge kings Bill in Court

BUGANDA kingdom has reiterated its determination to challenge the Institution of Traditional and Cultural Leaders Bill in the Constitutional Court, a day after Parliament hastily passed it for enactment.

The Bill among others bars traditional or cultural leaders from participating or joining partisan politics, it provides for them to sue or be sued and stops a traditional or cultural leader from dealing with foreign governments except with the concurrence of the Government.

The Bill also caters for the security of the traditional or cultural leader and that of his family, among others.

Buganda prime minister Eng. J.B Walusimbi yesterday said after the kingdom's caution about the unconstitutionality of the Bill was ignored, the only remedy left was to seek redress in court.

The Bill, now an Act of Parliament (law), awaits the assent (signature) of President Yoweri Museveni to come into force.

Museveni, meeting various caucuses of MPs, indicated that he needed the law urgently to bar traditional leaders from partisan politics. Consequently, Parliament Speaker Edward Ssekandi recalled MPs from recess and Parliament sitting from morning to evening, passed the Bill.

Only opposition MPs, especially those from Buganda, boycotted the session after their attempts to block the Bill failed.
Walusimbi wondered why every time Buganda re-echoes its bonafide demands, it is termed 'partisan and rebellious'.

"Let the Government return all kingdom assets, clear the accumulated rent arrears totalling to over sh20b, grant us a federal system of governance and give the Kabaka due respect," he stated.

Walusimbi urged the people of Buganda to participate in the elections in order to elect people who can address their concerns.

Buganda's Attorney General Apollo Makubuya said the Bill violates the human rights of the Kabaka and the people of Buganda.

He said the Bill unlawfully gives Parliament the power to interpret partisan politics, which power is a reserve of the Constitutional Court.

"The Kabaka is above partisan politics and Buganda supports the constitutional provision, which prohibits traditional leaders from joining and participating in partisan politics," he said.

Fromwalatookay: The start of Metal Rabbit: KUNG HEI FAT CHOI

Fromwalatookay: The start of Metal Rabbit: KUNG HEI FAT CHOI: "Based on Lunar calendar, the Chinese New year is in February 3, 2011 which is also the sign for metal rabbit. Thus this means that until Feb..."

Daily Game Feb 02 - Miragine War!

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Ugandan Parliament Sucks- Passes most controversial Bill Ever

The eighth Uganda Parliament will go down in history as the most hypocritical and self centered parliament Uganda has ever seen  , passing the Traditional and Cultural Leaders Bill yesterday displayed how useless they all are, giving up their Birth right for a mere bribe of 20M Uganda Shs (8,000 Usd) , The bill targets one tribe the Baganda and One Individual the Kabaka. What a Shame !!!!
OPPOSITION members of Parliament yesterday failed to block the passage into law the controversial Institution of Traditional and Cultural Leaders Bill. At a stormy session chaired by the Speaker of Parliament, Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi, tempers flared, legal muscles were flexed until the majority NRM MPs voted for the suspension of rules of procedure to hasten the enactment. The Bill gives effect to Article 246 of the Constitution which regulates the operations of traditional or cultural leaders. Parliament passed the Bill with 15 major amendments. Baganda opposition MPs, however, boycotted the afternoon sitting except Makindye East MP, Michael Mabikke. He too was not present at the time the Bill was passed. MPs led by Latif Sebaggala (DP) met Speaker Edward Sekandi and the Prime Minister who is also the Leader of Government Business in Parliament, Prof Apolo Nsibambi, before parliament resumed in the afternoon, but did not return to the House. They were Hussein Kyanjo (Jeema), Erias Lukwago (DP) and Betty Nambooze both of DP and Jerome Kaddumukasa (independent). Only Betty Amongi (independent), Winnie Kiiza, Yokasi Bihande Bwambale, Elijah Okupa and Christopher Kibazanga all of FDC, were present in Parliament when the Bill was passed at about 6:40pm. At about 6:20pm there were 88 MPs on the ruling party side, the NRM. Kyanjo later said they met the Speaker to express displeasure with the way he had conducted business. "The Speaker does not only have the powers to drive the House to vote, but also has the powers to guide the House to act properly. This time he did not advise the House on the problem," said Kyanjo. He said that Parliament had taken upon itself the responsibility of amending Article 246 of the Constitution yet the Article could be amended substantially by a constitutional clause. "They used an ordinary Bill to amend Article 246," stated Kyanjo. "The time we were able to stay in the House, we were able to indicate to the House that there was no goodwill on the side of government to listen to logic," added Kyanjo. Most of the army representatives including the Chief of Defence Forces were present at Parliament. In the morning sitting, MPs Erias Lukwago (DP), Hussein Kyanjo (JEEMA), Joseph Balikuddembe (DP), Winnie Kiiza (FDC), Latif Sebaggala (DP), Ssebuliba Mutumba (DP), Muhammed Kawuma (DP), John Kawanga (DP) and Betty Amongi tried to use the parliamentary rules of procedure and past precedents to delay debate but Sekandi disregarded all of them. NRM female MPs, Mariam Nalubega and Sylivia Namabidde sprung surprise contributions, invoking a rule (177) that demands that matters on reports of committees are debated after three days but their colleagues led by the Prime Minister, Prof. Apolo Nsibambi, argued that they could suspend those rules. Nsibambi, in explaining the urgency with which the Bill needed to pass, read out a story in an issue of a Luganda daily, Bukedde ku Sande of November 7 2010. "This is a period when members are campaigning. We suspend the rule using rule 14. The urgency of this Bill is that during campaigns, some individuals are misusing the position of the traditional leaders. For example Bidandi Ssali, one of the presidential candidates, said the former Buganda Katikkiro, Joseph Mulwanyamuli Ssemwogerere, had said someone higher, who cannot attend political rallies, had asked him to campaign," states Nsibambi. Questions were raised by MPs whether the law targeted the Kabaka, something that Nsibambi denied. The First Lady, Janet Museveni, said enactment of the Bill into law was important for the country to have a stable election. "The Bill is important for all of us. The Prime Minister has explained the urgency of this Bill. We need to debate it. There are some people who are using traditional leaders to destabilise the campaigns. We should use this day to debate this Bill," she said. Parliament, which had been on recess because of campaigns, was recalled by the Speaker, to specifically pass the Bill. Business was scheduled to commence at 10:30am but was delayed for over an hour when Ssekandi and two senior clerks to Parliament consulted in the chambers. Sekeandi then gave out an unusually lengthy explanation as to why the MPs had been recalled from their campaign trails to consider the Bill and expedite its passage. He explained that while it was not usual for committees to sit during recess, the legal and gender committees notified him that they were ready to scrutinise the Bill. "This was followed by a request from government that business was urgent," Ssekandi stated. Lukwago shot to his feet saying he wanted to write a minority report but could not do so because he had not accessed the parent report. He asked for an adjournment to give him time to make a minority report with like minded MPs but Ssekandi ruled he would give his views verbally during the debate. Minority reports have, in the past, been a means of expression of a diversgent view on a topical matter. During the debate on the CHOGM report and Temangalo-NSSF land saga, for instance, proceedings were stayed to give MPs time to prepare minority reports in time for final debate. The Speaker also blocked attempts by opposition MPs to quote from a letter dated November 17, 2010 reportedly written by the Attorney General, Khiddu Makubuya to President Yoweri Museveni giving legal opinion, it is said Makubuya told the President that the Bill was unconstitutional. "That's not relevant now. We have already proceeded," Ssekandi retorted when Ssebaggala and Kyanjo made numerous attempts to raise that issue. Makubuya warned that the Bill was attempting to amend the Constitution using an Act of Parliament and would attract constitutional litigation which would consume Government's time, energy, resources and political goodwill, which the government needed elsewhere. At some stages, the debate turned into a shouting match between the Speaker and the opposition MPs, each demanding of the other to speak out, but Ssekandi disregarding them all the time saying they were playing to the gallery. "Order, procedure, guidance, motion." Shouted the MPs, standing up at each attempt. An irritated Ssekandi asserted, there is no substance in your seeking guidance. I have said NO. He said to Kawuma; "ok stand up quote the rule and say what you want to say" which sent the terrified MP off balance and causing him to fidget as NRM MPs laughed and heckled at him. It was not clear what Mukono North MP Betty Nambooze told the Speaker who derided her also, sending the usually vocal MP silent for the remaining part of the session. "Hon. Nambooze, you are new here. The way you conduct your rallies is not the way we conduct business here. If you don't behave, I will eject you. You are new, start learning," Ssekandi showed as astonished MPs looked on helplessly. MPs Theodore Ssekikubo and Nalubega urged colleagues to pass laws with some decorum, following procedures and not looking like they were merely dancing to the calls of the puppeteer.

BBC News - Last blocks net addresses set to be shared

"In the early hours of 1 February, the organisation that oversees net addresses in the Asia Pacific region put in a request for more addresses.

When these are handed over the central pool of net addresses will be down to its last five blocks of 16 million addresses each.

When those five run out in the Autumn there will be no more of the current generation of addresses available.
Urgent request

The request for addresses was made by the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNic) as it has almost come to the end of its current allocation of IP Version 4 (IPv4) addresses.

A policy drawn up by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann) states that when only five blocks of addresses remain they will be quickly distributed to regional agencies.

A ceremony to mark the handing over of the last five blocks of addresses, known as /8s, is set to take place in mid-March.

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BBC News - Last blocks net addresses set to be shared:

Gates: Killing the internet is easy • The Register

"When the revolution comes, someone's always ready to tell you how Facebook and Twitter are powering history.

The problem is that while they're still standing, governments can snuff out Facebook and Twitter whenever they like. All they need do is flip the 'off' switch on the servers, routers, and wireless equipment used by local service providers.

Just ask Bill Gates.

When US TV anchor Katie Couric asked the Microsoft co-founder and chairman if he was surprised that Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak could take the unprecedented step of killing the entire Egyptian internet,

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Gates: Killing the internet is easy • The Register

Google says executive missing in Egypt | Reuters

"The world's No.1 Internet search company said that Wael Ghonim had not been seen since late Thursday in central Cairo, which has been wracked by anti-government protests.

The government has cut off Internet access in the country in an attempt to restrict communications among protesters.

'The safety of our employees is very important to Google, so if anyone has any information please call the following UK number: +44 20 7031 3008,' Google said in a statement.

A person familiar with the matter told Reuters that Ghonim is based in Dubai and had traveled to Cairo for 'personal reasons.'

Google has temporarily closed its office in Cairo to ensure the general safety of its employees, the person said.

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Google says executive missing in Egypt | Reuters:

Sleman Crop Circles Found In Yogyakarta, Indonesia Is Man-Made And Not A UFO Trace

Sleman, Yogyakarta Crop Circles
Image Credit: YouTube Clip/ Arieftito

It was reported and being speculated that the crop cirles found in Sleman, Yogyakarta in Indonesia was created by a UFO. It was said to be the first recorded incident attributed by some to close encounters of the alien kind.

However, reports said that the crop circles were man-made and not a sign from extraterrestrial visitors. The National Aeronautics and Space Agency of Indonesia has confirmed it.

According to Sri Kaloka Prabotasari, head of the Center for Applied Sciences at the agency, they have found evidence linking to the crop circles to a more earthly creation.

Authorities reportedly found human footprints covered by some collapsed paddy stalks while researchers found broken and uprooted paddy stalks.

"The paddy stalks were broken and some were uprooted because someone stepped on them," Sri Kolaka said.

"The patterns are different in size, some are big and some are small so we are confident that it is man-made," she added.

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Photos released to protect threatened Amazonians

BRASILIA (AFP) – Brazil has allowed the release of rare photographs of an uncontacted Amazonian tribe to bring attention to the plight of indigenous people who rights groups say are faced with possible annihilation.

The astonishing images, showing curious adults and children peering skyward with their faces dyed reddish-orange and toting bows, arrows and spears, were taken by Brazil's National Indian Foundation (FUNAI).

Rights group Survival International, which accompanied the government agency on the overflight near the Brazil-Peru border, said their baskets were full of papaya and manioc grown in a communal garden.

"Illegal loggers will destroy this indigenous people. It is essential that the Peruvian government stop them before it is too late," warned Survival's director Stephen Corry.

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Massive crowds across Egypt demand Mubarak ouster

CAIRO – More than a quarter-million people flooded into the heart of Cairo Tuesday, filling the city's main square in by far the largest demonstration in a week of unceasing demands for President Hosni Mubarak to leave after nearly 30 years in power.

Protesters streamed into Tahrir, or Liberation, Square, among them people defying a government transportation shutdown to make their way from rural provinces in the Nile Delta. The peaceful crowd was jammed in shoulder to shoulder — schoolteachers, farmers, unemployed university graduates, women in conservative headscarves and women in high heels, men in suits and working-class men in scuffed shoes.

They sang nationalist songs and chanted the anti-Mubarak "Leave! Leave! Leave!" as military helicopters buzzed overhead. Organizers said the aim was to intensify marches to get the president out of power by Friday, and similar demonstrations erupted in at least five other cities around Egypt.

Soldiers at checkpoints set up the entrances of the square did nothing to stop the crowds from entering.

The military promised on state TV Monday night that it would not fire on protesters answering a call for a million to demonstrate, a sign that army support for Mubarak may be unraveling as momentum builds for an extraordinary eruption of discontent and demands for democracy in the United States' most important Arab ally.

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Use your submarine to take down enemy ships and submarines, wave after wave.

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Big bang machine to run in 2012

A worker stands beneath the ATLAS detector's calorimeter during this month's maintenance break at the Large Hadron Collider.

The world's most powerful particle collider will be kept running through 2012 rather than taking next year off for an overhaul, Europe's CERN particle physics lab announced today. The change in plans means scientists at the Large Hadron Collider will have more time to track down the Higgs boson and other mysteries of the universe before the extended break — and it also means the machine should be shut down just in time for the Maya apocalypse.

Not that there's anything to the doomsday date. There's no reason why the world should end on Dec. 21, 2012, with or without the LHC. Some folks think dramatic, world-shattering changes will occur on that day because it marks the end of the Maya "long-count" calendar, but that myth has no basis in historical or cosmological reality. (And experts say the date may have been miscalculated, anyway.) Some folks also think the LHC could bring on doomsday by creating catastrophe-causing black holes or strangelets — but there's no evidence for that, either.

The real significance of the LHC's operation in 2012 is that scientists are so pleased with the way the machine has been running that they want to keep up the scientific momentum.

"With the LHC running so well in 2010, and further improvements in performance expected, there's a real chance that exciting new physics may be within our sights by the end of the year," Sergio Bertolucci, CERN's research director, said in today's news release. "For example, if nature is kind to us and the lightest supersymmetric particle, or the Higgs boson, is within reach of the LHC's current energy, the data we expect to collect by the end of 2012 will put them within our grasp."

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Google Searches for Mobile-App Experts

Google Inc. plans to hire dozens of software developers to create applications for smartphones and other mobile devices, people familiar with the matter said, a new strategy aimed partly at helping Google counter Apple Inc. in one of high tech's hottest sectors.

Google is making a major push to catch up to Apple in the battle over apps, which are expected to top $25 billion in sales next year, according to Gartner. Dan Gallagher and Julia Angwin discuss. Plus, Intel's $700 million chip flaw.

The Internet company has begun recruiting software engineers, product managers, user-interface experts and others who have ideas for mobile apps, the people said. Some current Google employees have changed jobs to work on the effort, they added.

World-wide, revenue from mobile apps is expected to triple this year to $15.1 billion, including paid downloads and advertising revenue generated by free apps, according to research firm Gartner Inc. Besides the potential of making money directly from such creations, more and better apps can help devices powered by Google's Android operating system continue to gain ground on Apple's iPhones and iPads.

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Police investigated abuse case weeks before mom allegedly killed kids

(CNN) -- Police opened, and then dropped, an investigation of physical abuse involving a Florida mother against her teen daughter, closing the case weeks before the woman admitted killing the girl and her brother because they were "mouthy."

Julie K. Schenecker, 50, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her 13-year-old son, Beau Powers Schenecker, and her 16-year-old daughter, Calyx Powers Schenecker.

She was denied bond at a court appearance Monday, a court spokesman said.

"Our belief was that she didn't snap -- she planned this," Tampa, Florida, police spokesperson Laura McElroy told HLN's Vinnie Politan on Monday.

New details emerged about the alleged murder as well as a run-in Schenecker had with police months earlier, regarding her treatment of her children.

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The oldest person in the world has died one week before her 115th birthday in a care home in Japan.

Kama Chinen died on Sunday in Nanjo on the southern island of Okinawa, a spokesperson at her care facility said.

She was recognised by Guinness World Records last September after the previous title-holder died.

Eugenie Blanchard, a 114-year-old French woman, is now the oldest person in the world, according to the Gerontology Research Group.

Kama Chinen's family have kept many of her details private, with some Japanese newspapers not even publishing her name.

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Ugandan President Museveni intervenes in city mosque sale

THE Government will pay city businessman Drake Lubega for the Muslim land he acquired on William Street, President Yoweri Museveni has said.

"I understand that the William Street mosque is on land owned by Drake Lubega who bought that piece of land. I will use my authority and we pay back the money of the person who bought the land so that he leaves the land for the Muslims to use for their work. This is one way of helping them resolve this issue," he said.

Museveni made the disclosure yesterday to thousands of supporters at Police Grounds in Mpigi town council.

Lubega who bought the piece of land. I will use my authority and pay back the money of the person who bought the land so that he leaves the land for the Muslims to use for their work. This is one way of helping them resolve this issue," he said.

Museveni made the remarks yesterday while addressing thousands of supporters at Police Grounds in Mpigi town council, Mpigi district.

Lubega, who bought the controversial property on Plot 30 on William Street, had expressed interest to sell it back to the Muslims.
Lubega said he paid $2m (about 3.2b) for the plot allegedly sold by the Mufti, Sheikh Shaban Mubajje.
Mubajje and city businessman Hassan Basajjabalaba were dragged to court over the matter, but were later acquitted.

Museveni, who is campaigning for re-election, criticised what he described as self-seekers who claimed that his government wants to remove the Kabaka of Buganda.

" The cultural leaders were brought back by the Movement government. Those who claim they love the Kabaka more are elderly people. When we were fighting in the bush, why didn't they join us? How long was the Kabaka in exile? If we had not fought, how would the Kabaka have come back? These self-seekers are the real enemies of Buganda, those who want to use the Kabaka in politics," the President said.
The President explained that the cultural leaders Bill currently before Parliament only seeks to bar traditional leaders from politics.

"Politics is about hatred, jealous, etc. We do not want politicians to go into cultural issues and vice-versa. Me who returned the Kabaka, have you ever heard me use the Kabaka's name? Why don't they stand on their own feet?" he asked.

On claims that Museveni wants to steal land, the President challenged those who say he has stolen land to show him the land he grabbed.

"I have been in power for 25 years. Show me one acre of land I have stolen. Land issues are no longer in local governments, but at the districts and the land board. If anybody wants to steal it, that person is at the district."

He urged the people of Mpigi to vote the wise man with a hat and all the NRM flagbearers, saying the party has the capacity to manage the affairs of Uganda.