Stars share Thanksgiving thoughts on Twitter

Thanksgiving was filled with family, friends and of course food for our favorite celebrities ? along with wisdom teeth, burnt turkey and recording studios?!

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While Kim Kardashian and Lindsay Lohan were feeding the homeless, our other favorite celebs like Jessica Alba, Miley Cyrus, Nicole Richie, Jessica Simpson, Ashton Kutcher, Nina Dobrev and more took to the Internet's own bird, Twitter, to express their Thanksgiving trials, tribulations and triumphs as well as share what they're tweetful for.

CHECK OUT: Five Thanksgiving Tragedies and Scandals

John Legend's model and foodie girlfriend Chrissy Teigen didn't have the best of luck with her cooking, sharing with the twitverse a pic of her and John complete with a burnt turkey and tweeting: "Good call on the emergency honeybaked ham, CHRISSY. omg."

Where Chrissy and John savored their taste buds with a backup plan, Nina Dobrev skipped out on a Thanksgiving meal altogether. The Vampire Diaries star tweeted: "No turkey for me tonight- worst or best idea to get my wisdom teeth removed the day before thanksgiving?"

While Nicole Richie was sharing she "just caught my grandma digging for gold. Happy Thanksgiving!" her hubby Joel Madden was having serious regrets about stepping up to the plate and cooking. The rocker tweeted: "I'm making the turkey, the stuffing, the Mac and cheese, and the pies. This could be really bad. Sounded fun at the time."

Along with Joel, preggers Jessica Simpson opted to cook for fianc Eric Johnson's side of the family, tweeting: "Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! I made some TX casseroles for the Boston family! Eric and I have so much to be grateful for... God is good!"

MORE: Lip-Sync Oops! Scotty McCreery Gets Late Start at Macy's Parade

True to her onscreen character, Desperate Housewives' Eva Longoria decided to not cook this year, sharing, along with a pic: "Had the most amazing dinner at Sage in Vegas at Aria with my family! First year I didn't cook, but wow this meal was worth it! My dessert!"

While Eva feasted in Vegas, Kelly Osbourne and mom Sharon Osbourne spent the holiday in true rock star fashion--in a recording studio! The Fashion Police cohost tweeted: "since its just me and my mum in town looks like we will now be spending thanksgiving in the studio with @OfficialSabbath (Black Sabbath) could be worse." The blonde later exclaimed that her famous father Ozzy Osbourne had made up for his rocker ways, sharing: "to make up for the fact that my dad was w/ @OfficialSabbath recording he made me the best sticky toffee pudding for thanksgiving dinner! 3"

Jessica Alba described the holiday meal aptly as "Gluttony at it's finest." Whereas New Girl star Zoey Deschanel thanked the machine gods, tweeting: "I am thankful I have a dishwasher: so many dishes. SO. MANY. DISHES."

MORE: Not So Star-Spangled: American Idol Alum Lauren Alaina Flubs National Anthem

In true comedic form, Sarah Silverman wished her followers a "Happy holocaust of the Native American people day!"

Olivia Wilde revealed she's got a goofy family, warning: "Oh god. Family charades is starting. This is when it gets ugly. I might take a bribe to go down early. These people are viscous" (with a later tweet for the spelling oops: "...and also vicious.")

A more sentimental, and recently separated, Ashton Kutcher told his almost 9 million followers: "I'm thankful for family, friends, you, &time to reach my potential. What are you thankful for?"

Well, we're sure thankful for the above celebrities and all their glory!

TAKE A LOOK: Holiday Character Look-Alikes

? 2011 E! Entertainment Television, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45436403/ns/today-entertainment/

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Colombia: Rebels execute 4 captives; 1 found alive

Relatives of slain hostage Elkin Hernandez, at his family home in Bogota, Colombia, Saturday Nov. 26, 2011. Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos said that rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, killed four members of the security forces, including Hernandez, a police major kidnapped in 1998. All were found killed execution-style Saturday morning in the southern state of Caqueta after been held between 12 and 13 years. (AP Photo/William Fernando Martinez)

Relatives of slain hostage Elkin Hernandez, at his family home in Bogota, Colombia, Saturday Nov. 26, 2011. Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos said that rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, killed four members of the security forces, including Hernandez, a police major kidnapped in 1998. All were found killed execution-style Saturday morning in the southern state of Caqueta after been held between 12 and 13 years. (AP Photo/William Fernando Martinez)

Margarita Hernandez, sister of slain hostage Elkin Hernandez, speaks on the phone in front of her home in Bogota, Colombia, Saturday, Nov. 26, 2011. Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos said that rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, killed four security force members who had been held as hostages during years, including Hernandez, a police major kidnapped in 1998. All were found killed execution-style Saturday morning in the southern state of Caqueta. (AP Photo/William Fernando Martinez)

Wearing a t-shirt with portraits of rebel hostages, Margarita Hernandez, sister of slain hostage Elkin Hernandez, holds her hands as she speaks to reporters in front of her home in Bogota, Colombia, Saturday, Nov. 26, 2011. Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos said that rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, killed four security force members who had been held as hostages during years, including Hernandez, a police major kidnapped in 1998. All were found killed execution-style Saturday morning in the southern state of Caqueta. (AP Photo/William Fernando Martinez)

Colombia's Defense Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon looks on after announcing the killing of four security force members held by rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, in Bogota, Saturday Nov. 26, 2011. Pinzon said the bodies were found early morning during a military operation in the southern state of Caqueta, all killed execution-style, three with shots to the head and one with a shot to the back. (AP Photo/William Fernando Martinez)

Colombia's defense minister Juan Carlos Pinzon looks down after announcing the killing of four security force members held by rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, in Bogota, Saturday Nov. 26, 2011. Pinzon said the bodies were found early morning during a military operation in the southern state of Caqueta, all killed execution-style, three with shots to the head and one with a shot to the back. Behing him is Air Force Gen. Tito Saul Pinilla. (AP Photo/William Fernando Martinez)

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) ? Colombia's main rebel group executed four of its longest-held captives during combat Saturday between guerrillas and soldiers searching for the men, the government said.

A fifth captive fled into the jungle and survived.

President Juan Manuel Santos called the killing of a soldier and three police officers "a crime against humanity" and dismissed any suggestions that Colombia's armed forces might be responsible.

"They were held hostage for between 12 and 13 years and wound up cruelly murdered," Santos said.

A senior Defense Ministry official told The Associated Press that government troops were not attempting to rescue the captives but rather trying to locate them based on intelligence indicating the rebels were holding them in the area. The official agreed to discuss the operation only if granted anonymity.

Defense Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon initially announced the deaths, then said hours later that a fifth rebel prisoner, police Sgt. Luis Alberto Erazo, had survived. Erazo, 48, had been held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC for nearly 12 years.

Pinzon said troops had been in the area for 45 days chasing rebels and had intelligence the guerrillas might be holding police and soldiers as captives. No official explained how far the captives were being held from the area of combat. Pinzon did not take questions from reporters.

All four men were killed execution-style, three with shots to the head and one with two shots to the back, Santos told a community meeting in central Colombia.

Pinzon said the bodies were found together, with chains near them.

He said Erazo fled into the jungle chased by three rebels who threw grenades, wounding him slightly in the face. Erazo emerged from hiding after dusk when he heard chain saws cutting a clearing so helicopters could land, Pinzon added.

It is standing policy of the FARC to kill its prisoners to prevent their rescue. And the rebels frequently chain their captives.

The sister of one of the victims, 34-year-old police Maj. Elkin Hernandez, was angry with the government.

"The FARC are murderers for the manner in which they killed them, and the government is equally a murderer. They had the possibility to get them out of there, and they didn't," Margarita Hernandez told the AP.

Former Sen. Luis Eladio Perez, who was freed by the FARC in February 2008 after six years of captivity, told the AP he believed the four died in a failed rescue.

The bodies were found about 10 a.m. in the municipality of Solano in the southern state of Caqueta. Among them was the longest-held rebel captive, army Sgt. Maj. Jose Libio Martinez. He was seized by rebels Dec. 21, 1997, in an attack on a lonely southern mountain outpost called Patascoy.

The killings left the FARC in possession of about 16 security force members, which they consider to give them political leverage.

Martinez's son, who was in his mother's womb when his father was captured, pleaded with the FARC via Caracol radio to free them.

"We don't want any more dead. We don't want anymore children like me crying for their fathers," Johan Steven Martinez said.

The FARC took up arms in 1964 and are Latin America's last remaining rebel army. They have suffered a series of military setbacks and record desertions in recent years, crowned by the Nov. 4 combat death of their leader, Alfonso Cano.

His successor, Timoleon Jimenez, was named the following day and few analysts believe defeat is imminent for the rebels, who draw their strength from landless peasants in a country where land ownership is concentrated in a few hands. The FARC are believed to comprise about 9,000 fighters.

The drug trafficking-funded rebels have periodically freed security force members and politicians as goodwill gestures, stepping up releases in early 2007 with the intercession of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

But Santos, who was defense minister for four years before winning the presidency, has publicly refused to entertain peace overtures, saying the rebels must first show themselves willing by freeing all captives.

Analyst Ariel Avila of the Nuevo Arco Iris think tank said Saturday that the killings will give the government justification not to negotiate. "But the government won't get out of this without blame," he added.

On several occasions, the FARC has slain hostages when under military pressure, real or perceived.

In June 2007, FARC fighters killed 11 regional lawmakers they had kidnapped five years earlier, apparently under the mistaken belief they were under attack by government forces.

In 2003, rebels killed 10 captives, including a former defense minister and governor, during an attempted rescue when they heard approaching military helicopters.

The FARC suffered a major embarrassment in July 2008 when elite Colombian troops posing as international humanitarian workers rescued former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, three U.S. military contractors and 11 others in a daring ruse.

Reached by the AP via email about the deaths of four men with whom she had for a time shared captivity, Betancourt said: "The truth is that the news has hit me hard. I'm in pain and don't wish to make any (further) comment."

Betancourt last year published "Even Silence Has An End," an eloquent recounting of her more than six years in captivity.

___

Associated Press writers Vivian Sequera, Camilo Hernandez and Cesar Garcia contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-11-26-LT-Colombia-Rebels/id-815b6c3292c8464993271f05f1c8cb81

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Asus Zenbook UX31-RSL8

When we first saw the Asus Zenbook UX31-RSL8 ($1,049 list at Best Buy), we knew it would take a top spot in the new laptop ultrabook category, thanks to its well-crafted all-metal construction, superb Bang & Olufsen audio, and a keyboard that rivals the trend-setting Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (Thunderbolt) ($1,299.99 direct, 4 stars) for comfort. And testing in our Labs showed that it provides more than six hours of battery life, as well as more features and better all-around performance than any other slim-bodied laptop we've reviewed. It's our Editors' Choice for ultrabooks, but it should be noted that later versions of this SKU at Best Buy will have the lower-clocked 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-2467M processor, rather than its current 1.7GHz Core i5-2557M.

Design
The Zenbook UX31-RSL8 measures 0.66 by 12.79 by 8.78 inches (HWD), and is roughly the same size as the Apple MacBook Air and Acer Aspire S3 ($899.99 direct, 3.5 stars). The UX31-RSL8's chassis has a spun finish, with tight concentric circles radiating out from the logo etched into its aluminum lid. Asus has emulated Apple's "unibody" construction with an all-metal "monoshell" chassis. But in contrast Apple's seamless single-piece construction, Asus has sandwiched together the palm rest and the underside of the chassis and bolted the two together. The palm rest has an attractive vertical brushed pattern. There was no perceptible flexing in the screen or chassis, and holds up to a firm palm press on the lid.

Compared with the plastic construction of the Acer Aspire S3, the Zenbook UX31-RSL8 feels sturdier and much more substantial, even though it tapers down to 0.11 inch thick at its thinnest point and 0.66 inches at its thickest. The UX31-RSL8 weighs 2.86 pounds, lighter than the MacBook Air (2.9 pounds), Acer Aspire S3 (2.94 pounds), and Samsung Series 9 (NP900X3A) ($1,599 street, 4 stars) (2.9 pounds).

The Zenbook UX31-RSL8 has a 13.3-inch widescreen that displays in 1,600-by-900 resolution?higher than the 1,366-by-768 display on the Acer S3 and 1,440-by-900 one on the MacBook Air. At 450 nits, it's brighter than the display on the Samsung Series 9 and matches the bright backlit screen of the Acer Aspire S3. The Zenbook UX31-RSL8 also has wider viewing angles than the Acer S3, making it better suited to sharing the screen with another person. The audio on the UX31-RSL8 is also impressive, powered by Bang & Olufsen's ICEpower. The resulting sound on the Zenbook is crystal clear and consistent at high volumes?and you can get a surprising amount of volume out of this little laptop. While you can fill a room with sound, you won't be rumbling with bass. For movies and music, you'll definitely want to add a subwoofer to the mix.

The Zenbook UX31-RSL8 has a chiclet-style keyboard that shares the square tile layout of the MacBook Air 13-inch, but adds a new luxurious element with metal keys. While the keys have the same low height and shallow keystrokes as the MacBook Air, the backlight is sadly absent. The glass-topped touchpad is smooth and expansive, measuring five inches diagonally. The broad touch surface supports multitouch gestures, and though it has distinct right and left mouse buttons, it also features a clickpad. The bottom right and left corners?which serve as nearly silent mouse buttons?click more easily than the clickpad surface, making the use of the clickpad optional for those who want the more familiar experience of a standard trackpad.

Features
The thin-sliced proportions of an ultrabook are achieved, in part, by jettisoning many of the features you would find in a standard mainstream laptop, like the optical drive. Despite the limited space available, Asus has managed to include a few features you won't find on the Acer S3. On the left hand side of the Zenbook UX31-RSL8, you'll find a USB 2.0 port, a combined headphone and microphone jack, and a built-in card reader (SD/MMC). On the right, there's a USB 3.0 port, a mini VGA connection, and a microHDMI port. Neither the MacBook Air or the Acer Aspire S3 offer USB 3.0, and the microHDMI output can be used on a much broader array of monitors and HDTVs than Apple's Thunderbolt port, though it may require an adapter.

In addition to these on-board ports, Asus includes two additional adapters with the Zenbook?a mini VGA-to-VGA adapter (allowing greater use with monitors and projectors), and a USB-to-Ethernet adapter (allowing a wired LAN connection). The Samsung Series 9 also requires (and included) an Ethernet adapter. Integrated 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 technologies are onboard the UX31-RSL8. Asus bundles a protective laptop sleeve, an attractive fabric and faux-leather envelope with a soft padded lining, and a small matching case for the dongles themselves.

Asus has made a point of keeping your information secure with several Asus branded tools, including Asus Secure Delete and Asus Face Logon, which combines facial recognition and a built-in webcam to make logging onto the Zenbook UX31-RSL8 as easy as looking at the screen. Automatic data backup and recovery kicks in whenever the battery level dips below five percent, ensuring that even when left in standby mode for several weeks, your work won't be lost. A 60-day trail of Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security also provides protection, though only for a limited time.

The UX31-RSL8 is equipped with a 128GB solid-state drive (SSD), and access to Asus's Web Storage which lets you offload storage to the cloud. Asus provides 2GB of free storage space for a year, and unlimited space can be bought for a modest subscription fee?ranging from $8.99 for a three-month subscription to $54.99 for two years. Though the SSD doesn't offer the 320GB offered by the Acer Aspire S3's spinning hard drive?or the lower cost?it does have the benefit of being more durable than traditional spinning drives, and allows practically instant boot-up and resume times. Our own testing confirmed Asus' claims of 15-second cold start and 2-second resume from sleep.

There are a few preinstalled programs. In addition to the aforementioned security software trial for Trend Micro, there's also Microsoft Office Starter 2010, a Bing toolbar, and Nuance PDF reader. There are also several Asus-branded utilities, including Asus Tools, and Asus Vibe 2.0, which includes a multimedia library and games. On the desktop are utilities for toggling Instant-On on and off, and PowerWiz, which gauges your current power usage and provides a running estimate of remaining battery life. Asus covers the Zenbook UX31-RSL8 with a one-year warranty, which includes accident protection, and a second one-year warranty covering the battery.

Best Buy offers an extended warranty program, which gives customers an extra year of protection beyond the one-year warranty of most system manufacturers. There are two plans in this extended warranty program. The standard plan ($119.99) covers the system against normal wear and tear, power surge damage, and includes a "No Lemon" guarantee in which Best Buy will simply replace the computer if it requires more than four repairs during the coverage period. Best Buy's advanced plan ($219.99) offers all this, and also covers the system against accidental damage from drops and spills. Other special offers can be found online or in stores, like discounts on printers, software, and tech support plans which are available with any new PC purchased through Best Buy.

Performance
Perhaps the most gratifying aspect of the Zenbook UX31-RSL8 is its performance. Asus equipped the UX31-RSL8 with a 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-2557M dual-core ultra low voltage processor and 4GB of RAM, the same components found in the MacBook Air 13-inch. It's also a step up from the processor used in the Acer S3 and the upcoming Lenovo IdeaPad U300 ($1,199, stay tuned for our review), which uses the same Core i5-2467M processor found in the smaller Apple MacBook Air 11-inch (Thunderbolt) ($1,199 direct, 3.5 stars). Despite the similar hardware, the UX31-RSL8 outperformed the 13-inch MacBook in PCMark 7 (3,531 points) and Cinebench R11.5 (2.2 points)?the 13-inch MacBook Air scored 3,186 points and 2.17 points, respectively. It also produced the best performance in multimedia tasks, with leading scores in both Handbrake (2:08) and Photoshop CS5 (4:36). This performance pulled ahead the MacBook Air (2:09 in Handbrake; 4:55 in CS5), Acer Aspire (2:36 in Handbrake; 5:37 in CS5), and Samsung Series 9 (4:45 in Handbrake; 5:53 in CS5).

Though it outperformed the MacBook Air in processor performance, the MacBook Air produced better graphics scores using the same integrated Intel graphics chipset. In 3DMark 06 the Zenbook UX31-RSL8 scored 4,619 points at medium detail settings and 1,024-by-768 resolution. With these same settings the MacBook Air scored 4,781 points. The Acer S3 fell behind with 3,530 points. In our Crysis and Lost Planet 2 gaming benchmark tests, the Zenbook UX31-RSL8 (18.4 frames per second in Crysis; 17.1fps in Lost Planet 2) and MacBook Air were close (18.8 fps in Crysis; 21.2 frames per second in Lost planet 2), but the Acer S3 only scored 16.3fps in Crysis and couldn't run Lost Planet 2.

One of the defining characteristics of the ultrabook category is long battery life. Though Asus has claimed the 50Wh battery in the UX31-RSL8 will provide up to eight hours of continuous use, it lasted only 6 hours 9 minutes in MobileMark 2007. However, this test was performed with all battery-extending features turned off, making it possible to eke out more time with power-saving measures in place. So far, the only comparable laptop to break the six-hour mark is the Samsung Series 9 (6:04, capacity not specified) and Toshiba Portege Z835-P330 ($799.99 list, 3.5) (7:35, 47Wh battery), while the Apple MacBook Air lasted 5:46 (with a 50Wh battery) and Acer Aspire S3 lasted 5:20 with a smaller capacity 36Wh battery. Asus also claims that the Zenbook has up to 14 days of standby time, which is considerably shorter than the 30 days claimed by the MacBook Air or 50 days claimed by the Acer Aspire S3. We couldn't test this standby estimate overnight, but you should still feel confident leaving the UX31-RSL8 in standby mode for days at a time.

The Asus Zenbook UX31-RSL8 tops the spiritual progenitors of the ultrabook category, the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch and the Samsung Series 9. While it may not be as affordable as the Acer Aspire S3 or the Prot?g? Z835-P330, it more than makes up for it in superior construction, a fuller feature set, and stronger performance. With models on the horizon, it may face some stiff competition soon, but for the time being, the Zenbook UX31-RSL8 is our Editors' Choice and the ultrabook to beat.

BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS:

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the Asus Zenbook UX31-RSL8 with several other laptops side by side.

More laptop reviews:
??? Asus Zenbook UX31-RSL8
??? HP ProBook 4430s
??? HP Pavilion dv7-6b55dx
??? Sony VAIO VPC-F237FX/B
??? Samsung Series 9 (NP900X3A-B01UB)
?? more

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US court won't block its Texas redistricting map (AP)

AUSTIN, Texas ? A federal court refused late Friday to block a congressional redistricting map it drew up for Texas, rejecting a request from the state's attorney general just hours after the Republican accused the court of "undermining the democratic process."

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott had asked the San Antonio-based court to stay the implementation of its interim map, which the court drafted when minority groups challenged the original plan passed by the Republican-dominated state Legislature.

The court-drawn map would ensure minorities made up the majority in three additional Texas congressional districts. If the 2012 elections were held under the court's map, Democrats would have an advantage as they try to win back the U.S. House.

Abbott said he would appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the court-ordered map will remain in place until the legal fights are resolved.

In a court filing earlier Friday, Abbott accused the court of overstepping its authority.

"A court's job is to apply the law, not to make policy," he wrote. "A federal court lacks constitutional authority to interfere with the expressed will of the state Legislature unless it is compelled to remedy a specific, identifiable violation of law."

The court drew the maps after minority groups filed a lawsuit, claiming a redistricting plan devised by the Republican lawmakers didn't reflect growth in the state's Hispanic and black populations.

Abbott argued in his court filing that the "legislatively enacted plans incorporate constituents' concerns about communities of interest and proper representation." Therefore, the court's departure from the map approved by the Legislature "not only undermines the democratic process, it ignores the voice of the citizenry."

Lawmakers redraw boundaries for the state's legislative districts every 10 years to reflect changes in census data. Texas' population boom in the last decade gave it four new U.S. House seats, which will be filled in the 2012 election.

Like other states with a history of racial discrimination, Texas can't implement those new maps or other changes to voting practices without federal approval under the Voting Rights Act. No federal approval, and looming deadlines for county election officials, made it necessary for the court to issue its own plans ? which could be implemented immediately.

Minorities currently are the majority in 10 of Texas' 32 congressional districts. The new court-drawn map would raise that to 13 out of 36 districts.

Republican lawmakers insist the maps drawn by the Legislature merely reflect the Republican majority in Texas. Experts say that under the legislatively approved map, three of the new seats would likely be won by Republicans.

When drawing the interim map, the court gave priority to ensuring minority voting strength was protected in the 2012 election.

In its own filing Friday, the NAACP cheered the court-drawn interim map as a "step forward for Texas." The group said it, "recognizes the growth of the minority population and takes significant steps toward remedying some of the startling lack of proportionality in the prior plans."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111126/ap_on_re_us/us_texas_redistricting

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Portugal lowered to junk status as big strike hits

A man walks past closed ticket offices at an empty Campanha train station in Porto, Portugal, Thursday, Nov. 24, 2011, during a general strike as trade unions protest austerity measures linked to a euro78 billion ($104 billion) international bailout. The Lisbon subway is to close all day Thursday while government offices, school classes, mail deliveries, trash collection and other public services likely to be severely affected. The sign on the boards reads "Suppressed". (AP Photo/Paulo Duarte)

A man walks past closed ticket offices at an empty Campanha train station in Porto, Portugal, Thursday, Nov. 24, 2011, during a general strike as trade unions protest austerity measures linked to a euro78 billion ($104 billion) international bailout. The Lisbon subway is to close all day Thursday while government offices, school classes, mail deliveries, trash collection and other public services likely to be severely affected. The sign on the boards reads "Suppressed". (AP Photo/Paulo Duarte)

Elderly people wait at a bus stop in Porto, Portugal, Thursday, Nov. 24, 2011, during a general strike as trade unions protest austerity measures linked to a euro78 billion ($104 billion) international bailout. The Lisbon subway is to close all day Thursday while government offices, school classes, mail deliveries, trash collection and other public services likely to be severely affected. (AP Photo/Paulo Duarte)

A picture of Portuguese dictator Antonio de Oliveira Salazar, who ruled the country as Prime-Minister for 36 years, seen as members of workers union make a picket line with bus parked idle at a bus central station in Porto, Portugal, Thursday, Nov. 24, 2011, during a general strike as trade unions protest austerity measures linked to a euro78 billion ($104 billion) international bailout. The Lisbon subway is to close all day Thursday while government offices, school classes, mail deliveries, trash collection and other public services likely to be severely affected. The sign on the banner reads "Picket line". (AP Photo/Paulo Duarte)

A young man stops by the closed the gate of a subway station in Lisbon, Thursday Nov. 24 2011, during a general strike as trade unions protest austerity measures linked to a euro78 billion ($104 billion) international bailout. The Lisbon subway is to close all day Thursday while government offices, school classes, mail deliveries, trash collection and other public services likely to be severely affected. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

Members of a workers union eat and drink as they make a picket line at a bus central station in Porto, Portugal, Thursday, Nov. 24, 2011, during a general strike as trade unions protest austerity measures linked to a euro78 billion ($104 billion) international bailout. The Lisbon subway is to close all day Thursday while government offices, school classes, mail deliveries, trash collection and other public services likely to be severely affected. (AP Photo/Paulo Duarte)

LISBON, Portugal (AP) ? Portugal's efforts to climb out of its economic crisis suffered a double setback Thursday as its credit rating was downgraded to junk status and a major strike gave voice to broad public outrage over austerity measures that have squeezed living standards.

Portugal's deepening plight underlined Europe's difficulties in finding a way out of the continent's government debt crisis which has recently shown alarming signs of spreading to bigger nations, most notably Italy.

Like others in the 17-country eurozone, Portugal has embarked on a big austerity program to make its debts sustainable. Earlier this year, Portugal followed Greece and Ireland in taking a bailout to avert bankruptcy.

As in Greece, though, the government's tough medicine, which is required by international creditors in return for the ?78 billion ($104 billion) in bailout money, is unpopular. The strike had a huge turnout, making it possibly the biggest walkout in more than 20 years.

"They are trying to destroy the national health service, and salaries haven't gone up since 2004," striking doctor Pilar Vicente told Associated Press Television News.

Fitch blamed Portugal's "large fiscal imbalances, high indebtedness across all sectors, and adverse macroeconomic outlook" for its decision to cut the country's rating by one notch to BB+. Rival Moody's already rates Portuguese bonds as junk but Standard & Poor's rates them one notch above.

Fitch's decision to cut Portugal to a non-investment grade will likely mean it's even more difficult for the country, which is already mired in a deep recession and is witnessing rising levels of unemployment, to return to bond markets by its 2013 goal. That raises the unappetizing prospect that Portugal, like Greece, may need a second bailout.

"Portugal's downgrade goes to show how hard it will be for troubled economies to pull themselves out of the crisis and how long this will take," said Sony Kapoor, managing director of Re-Define, an economic think tank. "The Portuguese downgrade highlights the limits of austerity policies both domestically in Portugal and in the wider euro area."

The 24-hour walkout came as Portugal, one of western Europe's smallest and frailest economies, endures increasing hardship as it tries to get its borrowing levels down.

The strike was called by Portugal's two largest trade union confederations, representing more than 1 million mostly blue-collar workers. Much of the private sector remained open for business though a huge Volkswagen car plant south of Lisbon, which accounts for 10 percent of Portuguese exports, decided to shut down production for the day because of problems facing its suppliers.

Much of the disruption was centered on the transport sector. Airlines canceled hundreds of international flights, and the airports of Lisbon, Porto and Faro were mostly empty as tens of thousands of workers walked off the job. Commuters had to get to work without regular bus or train services. The Lisbon subway was shut, and police said roads into the capital were more congested than normal.

Few staff were working at government offices, local media reported. Many medical appointments, school classes and court hearings were canceled, while mail deliveries and trash collection were said to be severely disrupted.

An unsustainable debt load and feeble economic growth over the past 10 years pushed Portugal towards bankruptcy earlier this year, forcing it to ask for a financial rescue.

In return for the aid, Portugal agreed to cut its debt burden to a manageable level by 2013. That goal requires it to enact deep spending cuts and hike taxes. Income tax, sales tax, corporate tax and property tax are all being increased. At the same time, welfare entitlements are being curtailed. Falling living standards have stoked outrage at the austerity measures.

"All the sacrifices the Portuguese are making today will prove worthwhile in the future," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Miguel Relvas told reporters.

A key difference from Greece is that the markets have not given up completely on Portugal. Though Portugal's key ten-year borrowing rate in the market stands at a still-exorbitant 12 percent, it's way below the 30 percent or so Greek equivalent. The aim is to eventually get that rate down below the 7 percent threshold that eventually proved to be the trigger for this year's bailout.

The Portuguese government, which came to power in June, has already conceded that its deficit reduction efforts have gone "off track" this year but says one-off measures, such as a 50 percent tax on Christmas bonuses and transferring banks' pension funds to the Treasury, will ensure Portugal achieves its 2011 budget deficit goal of 5.9 percent. That is down from 9.8 percent in 2010.

Debt is also expected to surpass 100 percent of GDP this year and peak at 106 percent in 2013 before retreating.

The austerity drive is hitting the real economy hard. Unemployment is up to 12.4 percent and is forecast to hit 13.4 percent next year. The European Commission predicts the Portuguese economy will contract by 3 percent in 2012 ? the worst performance in the eurozone.

Fitch said that the recession is making it more "challenging" for the government to achieve its deficit-reduction plan and will negatively impact bank asset quality. However, Fitch said the center-right government's commitment to the debt-reduction program was "strong."

Portugal has so far witnessed none of the violent demonstrations seen in Greece, though police said three Lisbon tax offices were vandalized Wednesday night.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2011-11-24-Portugal-Financial%20Crisis/id-255fe3ab3b4e46aa8996bb94b4455210

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Sony Tablet P on sale in the UK, brings hefty price tag with it

The clamshell Sony Tablet P has found its way out into the wild in the UK, bringing to market with it a hefty pricetag just a penny under £500. 

The Tegra 2, dual 5.5 inch screened device brings Honeycomb 3.2 along for the ride. It also comes with Sony's Playstation certification much like its sibling, the more conventional Tablet S. Sony claims that the styling will make it more comfortable to hold sideways for reading books, but many would be put off by its unusual design. 

Besides the price, Sony's timing to launch the Tablet P now with the Asus Transformer Prime and its Ice Cream Sandwich flavouring right around the corner is quite baffling. Nevertheless, if the Tablet P   appeals to you, your local Sony Centre or Dixons online is the place to go. 

Source: Sony

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/yhOw0jb2Z2A/story01.htm

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Laurie David: Thanksgiving Conversation Starter: Is It Time to Ban Soda Ads on Prime Time Television?

Did you know Coca-Cola's first television ad aired on Thanksgiving Day in 1950? It was part of a special live production featuring the ventriloquist Edger Bergen and his sidekick Charlie McCarthy? It was a humble foray into the new but powerful advertising medium for the soft drink giant. However, it didn't take long for the company to realize the power of TV, particularly on younger audiences.

I have to admit few commercials evoke warm holiday memories more than the ubiquitous Coca-Cola ads such as those polar bear commercials. Remember the one that starts with two polar bear cubs struggling to pull a Christmas tree up a snowy hill? After some help from mom (or possibly dad) -- the little ones are rewarded with an ice-cold coke for a job well done. Knowing what I know now about the effects of sugary drinks on children the image of kids chugging down a Coke [or in this case polar bear cubs] evokes the same feelings I'd get if they were taking a deep drag on cigarettes.

Oh give me a break -- it's just a soda, I can hear the comments already. A little soda once in a while is not going to harm anyone. Sadly, many kids are drinking a lot more than just a little bit of soda every day. The statistics are sobering -- Americans suck down about 30 percent more calories from sugar-sweetened drinks now than they did just 10 years ago. When it comes to children, they're gulping down up to 15 percent of their total calories for the day from these liquid candies. For teens its worse, soft drinks are the number one source of calories in a their diet. Did you know that a 12-ounce can of regular soda can contain as much as 10 and a ? teaspoons of sugar. That's as much sugar found in two 1 ? ounce chocolate candy bars.

Those numbers are shocking enough, however, what should give us all pause are the findings from one study that found if a child consumes just one drink filled with added sugar a day his or her chance of becoming obese increases by 60 percent! It's not surprising then that soda consumption is linked to childhood obesity, type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.

These facts are fairly well known by now. Groups like Yale's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity have been sounding the alarms for quite sometime. You'd think with all this information, the least soft drink companies could do is cut back on the advertising -- at least those focused on kids. Right? Wrong! According to our friends at the Rudd Center kids are getting bombarded with more and more ads every year. Take a look at their latest findings:

Soda Ad Exposure

• From 2008 to 2010, exposure to TV advertising for regular soda doubled for children.
• In 2010, while children saw 50% more ads on TV for sugary fruit drinks, adults saw twice as many ads for 100% juice.
• Capri Sun, Kool-Aid and Sunny D dominated children's exposure to sugary drinks on TV, together comprising 40% of children's total exposure to sugary drinks.

We should all find the fact that food companies are spending so much money on advertising directly to kids -- nearly $2 Billion a year -- truly disturbing. It doesn't sit well with our nation's pediatricians either. In 2006, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement which said exposure to advertising, "may contribute significantly to childhood and adolescent obesity, poor nutrition, and cigarette and alcohol use." According to the AAP, kids and teens view more than 3,000 ads a year, on television alone. They say research has shown, "that young children -- younger than 8 years -- are cognitively and psychologically defenseless against advertising."

Coke and Pepsi have gone even further, aided by spineless show producers, and their networks, by purchasing embedded ads directly into the shows content. The blurred line between the show and the ads pummel young viewers. The average age of an American Idol or X factor fan is 6-12! The beloved judges sip it as they dole out advice to the contestants. Celebrities chug it during the commercial breaks. Hardly seems right, does it.

For a while there it looked like the FTC and several other regulatory agencies, which are part of the so-called Interagency Working Group on Food Marketed to Children, were poised to take a strong stand on the issue. That was until last month when they caved-in to pressure from industry, which complained that the group's original recommended voluntary guidelines designed to limit the way unhealthy foods are sold to children between the ages of 2 and 17 was, "unworkable." Now the working group is thinking of changing the recommended age limits to kids between 2 and 11. Not only that, they're thinking of looking the other way when it comes advertising "seasonal or holiday confections" like Halloween or Easter candy, or at places such as theme parks or sporting events.

When will regulators get a backbone? They have to stop letting industry kick them around and keeping them from protecting the health of America's children? I know I'm not alone in my disgust.

Corporations are no longer allowed to advertise cigarettes on TV due to the potential impact it could have on our kids. When it comes to hard liquor, the government didn't ban it, the companies did it voluntarily. Can you imagine! It is now time to institute a similar TV advertising ban on soda. We are in the midst of a health epidemic. Some one has to start caring. Some food for thought as you sit down and give thanks for our children this holiday season.

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Follow Laurie David on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Laurie_David

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/laurie-david/thanksgiving-conversation_1_b_1110056.html

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Square Enix Market heads to KDDI December 1st, ports the RPG addiction to Android phones

The land that begot Mario, Murakami and okonomiyaki has a lot of perks for denizens of its island chains, like special edition multi-colored consoles or Mother 3. Add to that ever-increasing list of pluses a dedicated Square Enix Market for Android phones and it's clear the Japanese enjoy a home advantage. The recently announced gaming app store is slated to launch as a limited exclusive for KDDI subscribers on December 1st, with DoCoMo and Softbank sharing in the mobile wares sometime soon after. It may have been a good decade or two since the company's RPGs monopolized the latter days of your youth, but there's no time like the present to get reacquainted with those Final Fantasy friends of old. As you might expect, this is a Japan-only affair. So, if you're really keen to take part, you might want to consider relocation.

Square Enix Market heads to KDDI December 1st, ports the RPG addiction to Android phones originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/21/square-enix-market-heads-to-kddi-december-1st-ports-the-rpg-add/

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US, Britain, Canada slap new sanctions on Iran

WASHINGTON?? The United States, Britain and Canada announced fresh plans Monday to sanction Iran's financial and energy sectors, steps analysts said would raise pressure on Tehran but were unlikely to halt its atomic program.

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The United States named Iran as an area of "primary money laundering concern," a step designed to isolate its banking sector; blacklisted 11 entities and individuals suspected of aiding its nuclear programs; and expanded sanctions to target companies that help develop its oil and petrochemical industries.

The United States stopped short, however, of targeting Iran's central bank, a step that could have cut it off from the global financial system, sent oil prices skyrocketing and jeopardized U.S. and European economic recovery.

Russia dismissed the new sanctions as "unacceptable" on Tuesday and said they would hurt the chances of renewing talks with Tehran over its nuclear program.

A sharply worded Russian statement underscored Moscow's longstanding opposition to sanctions beyond those endorsed by the United Nations Security Council, where Russia holds veto power as a permanent member.

Story: Iranian official clashes with msnbc TV hosts

"We again underline that the Russian Federation considers such extraterritorial measures unacceptable and contradictory to international law," Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said.

It indicated that despite agreement last week on a U.N. nuclear agency board resolution that expressed increasing concern about Iran's nuclear program, Russia differs sharply with the West on how to win Tehran's cooperation.

"Such practices ... seriously complicate efforts for constructive dialogue with Tehran," Lukashevich said.

The range of unilateral steps planned by Western powers reflects the difficulty of persuading Russia and China not to veto further measures at the U.N. Security Council, where they have supported four previous sanctions resolutions.

British ban
Britain on Monday banned dealings with Iranian banks including the central bank and France called for measures on an "unprecedented scale" over Tehran's nuclear program.

Canada said it would ban the export of all goods used in Iran's petrochemical, oil and gas industry and "block virtually all transactions with Iran," including with its central bank, with an exception for Iranian-Canadians to send money home.

The steps come in response to a Nov. 8 report by the International Atomic Energy Agency that presented intelligence suggesting Iran had worked on designing an atomic bomb and may still be secretly carrying out related research. Iran says its nuclear work is entirely peaceful.

In a statement, President Barack Obama said that as long as Iran continues down a dangerous path with its nuclear program, the United States will continue to find ways to isolate and increase the pressure on Tehran.

Obama says Iran's actions jeopardize international peace and stability. Still, he says the U.S. is still prepared to start a new chapter with Iran if it fulfills its international obligations. But if it continues to defy its responsibilities, he says Iran faces even more pressure.

Analysts said they did not believe the steps would change the Iranian calculation on its nuclear program, which Washington and its allies suspect is a cover for seeking nuclear arms.

"Is this the straw that will break the camel's back? No," said George Perkovich, director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Washington think tank.

"The administration is testing the proposition as to whether there is a point at which the sanctions can lead the Iranians to a tipping point, recognizing that the likelihood is low," said Rob Danin of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Video: Iran official: Iran?s nuclear program not for making arms (on this page)

While Britain ordered its financial institutions to stop all business with Iran, a source familiar with the sanctions said the steps would not directly target trade in Iranian oil.

"We believe that the Iranian regime's actions pose a significant threat to the UK's national security and the international community. Today's announcement is a further step to preventing the Iranian regime from acquiring nuclear weapons," said British finance minister George Osborne.

The U.S. decision to name Iran as a money laundering concern has no direct effect ? U.S. banks are already barred from transactions with Iranian financial institutions ? and seemed more a warning about the risks of dealing with Iran.

'Isolation'
EU governments could reach a preliminary deal on Tuesday to add about 190 Iranian people and entities to a list of those targeted by asset freezes and travel bans, diplomats said.

But France called for much stronger action.

"As Iran steps up its nuclear program, refuses negotiation and condemns its people to isolation, France advocates new sanctions on an unprecedented scale to convince Iran that it must negotiate," said a statement from President Nicolas Sarkozy's office.

"France therefore proposes to the European Union and its member states, the United States, Japan and Canada and other willing countries to take the decision to immediately freeze the assets of the Iranian central bank (and) stop purchases of Iranian oil," it added.

The new EU measures will likely target industries such as shipping and will be formalized at a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Dec. 1, but discussions on possible further steps could take place in the coming days, diplomats said.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45391434/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/

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Rates at Treasury bill auction edge up slightly (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Interest rates on short-term Treasury bills rose in Monday's auction for a second straight week after hitting record lows.

The Treasury Department auctioned $29 billion in three-month bills at a discount rate of 0.015 percent, up from 0.010 percent last week. Another $27 billion in six-month bills was auctioned at a discount rate of 0.050 percent, up from 0.040 percent last week.

Even with two weeks of gains, the rates still remain very close to the record lows set three weeks ago when the three-month bill averaged 0.005 percent and the six-month 0.035 percent.

This week, the three-month rate was the highest since it stood at 0.020 percent on Oct. 24. The six-month rate was the highest since these bills averaged 0.055 percent on Oct. 31.

The discount rates reflect that the bills sell for less than face value. For a $10,000 bill, the three-month price was $9,999.63 while a six-month bill sold for $9,997.49. That would equal an annualized rate of 0.015 percent for the three-month bills and 0.051 percent for the six-month bills.

Separately, the Federal Reserve said Monday that the average yield for one-year Treasury bills, a popular index for making changes in adjustable rate mortgages, edged up to 0.11 percent last week from 0.10 percent the previous week.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111122/ap_on_bi_ge/us_treasury_bills

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Ron Paul: Americans Are 'Sick And Tired Of Our Educational System' (VIDEO)

The Republican presidential candidates have been vocal in their stance to reduce the size of the federal government. Michele Bachmann has repeatedly noted her call for abolishing the U.S. Department of Education, as has Rick Perry, who last week laid out his "uproot and overhaul" plan that would also ax the department.

Though some experts say that a plan like Perry's isn't quite feasible, someone else is stepping into the light with a similar message to slash the federal role in public education. "Once a fringe candidate," as introduced Sunday by Face The Nation's Bob Schieffer, Ron Paul talked American education.

Schieffer asks Paul what the country would do if the candidate's goal to cut several federal agencies actually became a reality, and how the government would handle the issues that those agencies control and oversee. "We just let them go by the bye or what?" Schieffer asks.

"No way and the program deals with this," Paul told Shieffer. "The money isn't there. These are departments that are doing too much. The American people are sick and tired of our educational system."

Watch the rest of Paul's response above.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/20/ron-paul-americans-are-si_n_1104054.html

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Michigan presidential poll: Romney apparently leads Obama; Gingrich, Cain trail president (Star Tribune)

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Ex-military leaders bash candidates before debate (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Three former top military officials slammed the Republican presidential field ahead of Tuesday night's GOP debate on foreign policy. The Democratic-leaning former officials said the entire Republican field has been all over the map but focused on GOP front-runner Mitt Romney.

"My concern would be that he might not be credibly decisive," Richard Danzig, who served as Navy secretary under President Bill Clinton, said of Romney on Monday. "There's too much of a track record here of moving between positions."

Danzig said President Barack Obama has shown the required decisiveness throughout his presidency.

Danzig, retired Gen. Wesley Clark and retired Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton critiqued the Republican field at a news conference organized by the Democratic National Committee.

Without naming Romney, Clark swiped at the former Massachusetts governor for comments downplaying the importance of capturing or killing Osama Bin Laden.

"One candidate said of Osama bin Laden, `It's not worth moving heaven and earth and spending billions of dollars just trying to catch one person,'" Clark said, referring to Romney. "But like all of us, he cheered his demise."

Andrea Saul, a Romney spokeswoman, responded by assailing Obama's foreign policy but did not directly respond to the officials' criticism of Romney.

"President Obama's feckless foreign policy has emboldened our adversaries, weakened our allies, and threatens to break faith with our military," she said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111121/ap_on_el_pr/us_generals_gop_candidates1st_ld_writethru

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SocImages: How Patriarchy is Written into Chinese Characters http://t.co/umKV52lM

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China's Wen warns "outside forces" off sea dispute (Reuters)

NUSA DUA, Indonesia (Reuters) ? Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said on Friday that "outside forces" had no excuse to get involved in a complex dispute over the South China Sea, offering a veiled warning to the United States and others not to stick their noses into the sensitive issue.

But Wen also struck a softer line during a summit with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, offering $10 billion in loans and lines of credit and saying China only wanted to be friends.

China claims a large swathe of the South China Sea, which straddles key shipping lanes and is potentially rich in energy resources.

Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei are the other claimants to parts of the sea, and along with the United States and Japan, are pressuring Beijing to try and seek some way forward on the knotty issue of sovereignty, which has flared up again this year with often tense maritime stand-offs.

While the White House says U.S. President Barack Obama will bring up the issue at another summit on Saturday, also in Bali, China has said it does not want it discussed, preferring to deal with the problem bilaterally amongst the states directly involved.

"The dispute which exists among relevant countries in this region over the South China Sea is an issue which has built up for several years," Wen told the ASEAN leaders, according to a copy of his remarks carried on the Foreign Ministry's website (http://www.mfa.gov.cn).

"It ought to be resolved through friendly consultations and discussions by countries directly involved. Outside forces should not, under any pretext, get involved," he added.

Japan has also expressed concern over the dispute, and India has become involved via an oil exploration deal with Vietnam in the South China Sea.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa told reporters that China had sent positive signals about further discussing the code of conduct for the waters.

"I think this is an important development," the minister added.

In July, China and Southeast Asian countries agreed on a preliminary set of guidelines in the South China Sea, a rare sign of cooperation in a row that has plagued relations in the region for years.

LOANS AND TRADE

Despite the disagreements over the South China Sea, Beijing has been keen to deepen trade and economic ties with Southeast Asia, and has a free trade agreement with the bloc.

"The China-ASEAN relationship is solidly based and has great potential and a promising future," Wen said.

"China will forever be a good neighbor, good friend and good partner of ASEAN. We will work closely with you to implement all the agreements we have reached to bring more benefit to our people and make greater contributions to peace and prosperity in our region."

To this end, Wen said China would offer ASEAN another $10 billion in loans and lines of credit, including $4 billion of soft loans, on top of a similar pledge of $15 billion two years ago.

China will also set up a 3 billion yuan ($473 million) fund to expand practical maritime cooperation by promoting cooperation in environmental protection, navigational safety and combating transnational crimes, Wen added.

He said that China and ASEAN should step up cooperation in the financial field, by increasing the use of local currency swaps and "encourage the quoting of China's yuan and ASEAN currencies in each other's interbank foreign exchange."

"The world is undergoing profound and complex changes. The global economy may experience uncertainty and instability for a long time to come," he said.

"China and ASEAN should be both confident and sober-minded, keep our destiny firmly in our own hands and advance in the direction we have set to pursue our goal."

(Additional reporting Olivia Rondonuwu)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111118/wl_nm/us_asean_china

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Cain to Letterman: 'All of these women are lying'

EDITORS:

Please note the 2nd Ld-Writethru to BC-US--Cain-Letterman makes an important change to the attribution of a quote initially attributed to Herman Cain. It was David Letterman who posed the question about women lying about sexual harassment and Cain agreeing with the late-night host.

The AP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2011-11-19-Cain-Letterman/id-d5a278d67f9f4708b66985b507bb6c51

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[OOC] A Heart Illuminated

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Please post all "Players Wanted" threads in the Roleplayers Wanted forum!

This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?A Heart Illuminated?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

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Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.
A Heart Illuminated

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Last edited by Abraxas on Thu Nov 17, 2011 3:52 am, edited 1 time in total.

Abraxas

Member for 2 years

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Could I please reserve the red girl please?

i will make my character soon.

Eleera Cain

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Could I reserve the blue?

I'll make my character as soon as I'm able, if you say yes.

wolfKaliegh

Member for 1 years

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