CAIRO (Reuters) - Libya will give Egypt a $2 billion five-year, interest-free loan under an agreement signed on Wednesday, the Egyptian state news agency MENA reported.
It quoted a finance ministry official as saying the loan would have a three-year grace period and was intended "to support the Egyptian economy and the state budget and foreign currency reserves".
The official said the money was expected to arrive next week. Earlier in the day, Qatar agreed to give Egypt $3 billion more in aid by buying Egyptian government bonds.
That agreement was announced during a visit to Doha by Egyptian Prime Minister Hisham Kandil.
Both deals came as Egypt is in the midst of negotiations with an International Monetary Fund delegation for a $4.8 billion loan which, unlike the Arab aid, would come with policy conditions including reform of subsidies and tax increases.
MENA quoted the official as saying the Libyan deal would strengthen Cairo's hand in the IMF talks.
BRUSSELS (AP) ? A group of companies led by Microsoft have called on European authorities to launch an antitrust investigation into Google's dominance of Internet usage on mobile devices.
The complaint comes from the "FairSearch" initiative of 17 companies, including Microsoft Corp., Nokia Corp., and Oracle Corp. The group claims that Google is acting unfairly by requiring device makers using its free Android operating system to bundle an entire suite of Google's services to ensure they can include just one or two "must-have" apps, such as Google Maps and YouTube.
"Google is using its Android mobile operating system as a Trojan horse to deceive partners, monopolize the mobile marketplace and control consumer data," said Thomas Vinje, the group's Brussels-based lawyer.
Google does allow smartphone and tablet makers to sculpt Android to serve their own needs. In some instances, that has led to Android modifications that exclude Google's services. For instance, Amazon.com Inc. has largely locked out Google from its popular line of Kindle Fire tablets. There also have been periodic instances of Android smartphones with either Microsoft's Bing or Yahoo rather than Google as the built-in search engine.
Android operating systems are installed on about 70 percent of new smartphones, according to analyst estimates, handing Google the largest market share worldwide. Makers of Android devices include Samsung Electronics Co. and HTC Corp. Android is followed by Apple's iOS system, which powers the iPhone and the iPad. Research In Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry, Microsoft's Windows and others trail far behind.
"Google's predatory distribution of Android at below-cost makes it difficult for other providers of operating systems to recoup investments in competing with Google's dominant mobile platform," FairSearch said in a statement.
The European Commission, the 27-nation bloc's executive arm and antitrust authority, must decide at some point whether to take up the case or drop it. A spokesman confirmed the complaint had been received.
Google Inc., which is based in Mountain View, California, did not address the complaint's charges in detail. "We continue to work cooperatively with the European Commission," Google spokesman Al Verney said.
The U.S. company is already under investigation by Brussels for practices related to its dominance of the online search and advertising markets.
That complaint, launched in 2010, alleges that Google unfairly favors its own services in its Internet search results, which enjoy a near-monopoly in Europe. Google has proposed a list of remedies to address the Commission's concerns to achieve a settlement. The Commission is currently examining the proposed changes.
"We have received some proposals by Google and we will soon launch a market test" of the proposed remedies, said Antoine Colombani, a spokesman for EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia. He declined to speculate on when the investigation would be concluded.
The EU Commission has often taken a harder line with U.S. tech companies than its American counterparts, the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department.
Google settled a similar antitrust complaint on its search business with the FTC in January without making any major concessions on how it runs its search engine, the world's most influential gateway to digital information and commerce.
Microsoft, which has been a leading player in the complaints against Google, has had its own protracted run-ins with the EU Commission. The Redmond, Washington, company has paid 2.2 billion euros in various fines since investigations began in 1998.
The FairSearch complaint was announced on the same day that Microsoft launched the latest phase of its U.S. ad campaign. That campaign depicts Google as a duplicitous company more interested in increasing profits and power than protecting people's privacy and providing unbiased search results.
Google's new privacy rules, meanwhile, are also attracting the scrutiny of European authorities. Several data privacy regulators have launched an investigation, alleging the company is creating a data goldmine at the expense of unwitting users.
Last year, the company merged 60 separate privacy policies from around the world into one universal document. The European authorities complain that the new policy doesn't allow users to figure out which information is kept, how it is combined by Google services or how long the company retains it.
The policy allows Google to combine data collected as one person uses multiple Google's services, from Gmail to YouTube, giving the company a powerful tool for targeting users with advertising based on their interests and search history. Advertising is the main way the company makes its money.
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Toby Sterling in Amsterdam and Michael Liedtke in San Francisco contributed reporting.
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Follow Juergen Baetz on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/jbaetz
By Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is capable of intercepting a North Korean missile, should it launch one in the coming days, but may choose not to if the projected trajectory shows it is not a threat, a top U.S. military commander told Congress on Tuesday. Admiral Samuel Locklear, the commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific region, said the U.S. military believed North Korea had moved to its east coast an unspecified number of Musudan missiles, with a range of roughly 3,000-3,500 miles. ...
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Thursday, April 4, 2013. Stocks are notching small gains in early trading after the U.S. government reported that the number of people applying for unemployment benefits rose to the highest level since late November. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Thursday, April 4, 2013. Stocks are notching small gains in early trading after the U.S. government reported that the number of people applying for unemployment benefits rose to the highest level since late November. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
NEW YORK (AP) ? Materials and energy companies led the stock market higher Tuesday, sending the Dow Jones industrial average to its second all-time high in a week.
The Dow closed at 14,673.46, a gain of 59.98 points, or 0.4 percent. The Standard & Poor's 500 index also rose 0.4 percent, closing less than two points below its own all-time high set April 2.
The prices of metals like copper, gold and silver have rebounded this week after slumping for the first three months of the year on waning demand. Oil is also rising following a sharp decline last week.
"You're seeing some pretty decent action in the overall market, with today's leadership coming from the basic materials sector," said Robert Pavlik, chief market strategist at Banyan Partners. "It's an area of the market that does represent some value because it's underperformed."
The rise in basic materials such as precious metals was caused by a weakening of the dollar against other currencies, HSBC analyst Howard Wen said. Commodities are typically priced in dollars and a decline in the currency allows overseas buyers to purchase materials at lower prices.
Materials companies were the biggest gainers of the 10 industry groups in the S&P 500, rising 1.1 percent. Energy companies posted the second best return, increasing 0.8 percent. Those two groups have been among the weakest in the market this year.
On Tuesday the S&P 500 rose 5.54 points to 1,568.61. The index closed at a record high of 1,570.25 on April 2. The Nasdaq composite gained 15.61 points, or 0.5 percent, to 3,237.86.
The gains suggested that the Dow and S&P 500 may be poised to break out of a trading pattern they've followed for the last three weeks.
Stocks have mostly moved sideways since the middle of March. The Dow has alternated between small gains and losses after starting the year on a tear. Signs of slowing growth and concerns about the outlook for Europe had checked investors' confidence.
As companies report results this week, investors will be looking to see whether they are feeling any impact from government spending cuts that kicked in recently, said Jim Russell, investment director at U.S. Bank. They will also want to know what effect there will might from the ongoing debt crisis in Europe.
"The market is looking for companies to fill in those blanks," said Russell.
Alcoa, traditionally the first company in the Dow to report results, was flat at $8.39 after the company posted its earnings late Monday. Online auto retailer CarMax, home goods retailer Bed Bath & Beyond and the banks Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase report later this week.
On Tuesday, Cliff's Natural Resources, an iron ore mining company, rose $1.66, or 8.8 percent, to $20.45. The company's stock is still down 47 percent this year. Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, another mining company, was up $1.34, or 4.1 percent, at $33.76.
First Solar soared after the solar panel maker issued a better-than-expected forecast for its 2013 results and solid predictions for the following two years, helped by continued growth in shipments. The stock price rose $12.31, or 46 percent, to $39.35.
Small company stocks lagged the market. The Russell 2000 index two points, or 0.2 percent, to 929.34. The index has slumped this month after rising 12 percent in the first quarter and performing better than both the Dow and S&P 500.
While stocks are struggling to extend their gains from the start of the year, bonds have rallied.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury note was unchanged at 1.75 percent Tuesday. However, the benchmark rate has fallen from a high of 2.06 percent reached March 11 as demand for low-risk assets increases.
Bill Gates has posted a $100,000 bounty to the person or team that finds a way to improve the age old design of the condom. Including "designs that are easier to properly apply" which inspired our favorite weapons designer Joerg Sprave to of course apply his expertise in slingshots to the problem. More »
Now that you can finally watch HBO Go on your Apple TV via AirPlay, the premium cable network has decided to sweeten its iOS app with AirPlay multitasking in a 2.1 update. The new version of the app also offers enhancements to Game of Throne's interactive features and general performance improvements as well. We'd obviously prefer that the app offers a standalone option instead, but being able to catch up on episodes of GoT on the HDTV while looking up how to say "winter is coming" in Dothraki is good too. (It's "Aheshke jada.")
The latest seafaring robot from Liquid Robotics got an unveiling this morning. Dubbed the Wave Glider SV3, the mobile, amphibious robot is targeted at the (thoroughly unexciting) usual suspects: big oil, the government, and scientific researchers. Apparently those halcyon days of seeking out Guinness World Records are over. Compared with the previous SV2 model, the latest ship runs faster (2.5 knots top speed), carries more (100 pounds, compared to a paltry 40 in the previous ship), and lasts longer (an additional 40 percent of surface area on the deck allows for many more solar cells). All that extra oomph should allow Liquid Robotics' customers to spend even more time plumbing the Earth's waters for ... well, whatever they'd like. And for the mock G.I. Joe battles that are assuredly taking place with the Wave Glider. Like, come on.
Over-diagnosis of reflux in infants leads to needless medicationPublic release date: 1-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Mary F. Masson mfmasson@umich.edu 734-764-2220 University of Michigan Health System
Calling gastroesophageal reflux a disease increases parents' wish for medication, symptoms are frequently over-treated in infants, according to new research
Ann Arbor, Mich. Medications used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, are some of the most widely used medications in children less than one year old.
But in a new study, researchers from the University of Michigan and the University of Missouri concluded that physicians often label common symptoms in infants, such as crying and spitting up, as disease. Frequent use of the GERD label can lead to overuse of medication, according to study published today online ahead of print in the journal Pediatrics.
The study found that doctors' use of the label GERD prompted parents to request medication for their baby even when they had been advised that the medication would probably be ineffective.
"As doctors we need to appreciate that the words we use when talking with patients and parents have power the power to make a normal process seem like a disease. As pediatricians, our job is to make sick children healthy, not to make healthy children sick," says Tarini, who also is an investigator in U-M's Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit.
In the study, researchers surveyed parents coming into a pediatric clinic in Michigan about how they would respond to a hypothetical clinical scenario describing an infant who cries and spits up excessively but is otherwise healthy. Parents were randomly assigned to receive one of multiple vignettes. In some vignettes, the doctor gave a diagnosis of GERD; in others the doctor did not provide a disease label.
Additionally, half the parents were told that existing medications are probably ineffective; the rest were not given information about medication effectiveness. Parents who received a GERD diagnosis were interested in medicating their infant, even when told that medications were ineffective. Parents not given a disease label were interested in a prescription only when the doctor did not discuss whether the medication was effective.
Over-diagnosis of GERD can make a medical condition out of a normal behavior, says lead author Laura Scherer, assistant professor of psychological science in the College of Arts and Science at the University of Missouri.
"The growing digestive systems of an infant can be finicky and cause the child to regurgitate. The discomfort can cause the infant to cry, but it is not necessarily a disease," says Scherer. "Parents can learn from this study that a disease label can make them want medication for their child, regardless of whether the drugs are effective or not. Parents should follow doctors' advice, which sometimes means accepting a doctor's explanation of why an infant's crying and vomiting may be normal.
"Unnecessary use of medication is costly," says Scherer. "Especially for families without insurance, the over-use of medications can be a needless expense. In addition, the long-term side effects of the medication frequently prescribed to children diagnosed with GERD have not been fully studied, although the medication has been correlated to slightly higher rates of pneumonia."
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Additional authors: Of the University of Michigan: Brian J. Zikmund-Fisher, Ph.D., Department of Health Behavior and Health Education in the School of Public Health and Angela Fagerlin, Ph.D. of the Department of Internal Medicine and co-director of the Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine.
Funding: Dr. Tarini is supported by a K23 Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award from the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (K23HD057994). Dr. Zikmund-Fisher was supported by a Mentored Research Scholar Grant from the American Cancer Society (MRSG-06-130-01-CPPB). Funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
About C.S. Mott Children's Hospital: Since 1903, the University of Michigan has led the way in providing comprehensive, specialized health care for children. From leading-edge heart surgery that's performed in the womb to complete emergency care that's there when you need it, families from all over come to the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital for our pediatric expertise.
More information is available here: http://mottchildren.org
[ | E-mail | Share ]
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Over-diagnosis of reflux in infants leads to needless medicationPublic release date: 1-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Mary F. Masson mfmasson@umich.edu 734-764-2220 University of Michigan Health System
Calling gastroesophageal reflux a disease increases parents' wish for medication, symptoms are frequently over-treated in infants, according to new research
Ann Arbor, Mich. Medications used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, are some of the most widely used medications in children less than one year old.
But in a new study, researchers from the University of Michigan and the University of Missouri concluded that physicians often label common symptoms in infants, such as crying and spitting up, as disease. Frequent use of the GERD label can lead to overuse of medication, according to study published today online ahead of print in the journal Pediatrics.
The study found that doctors' use of the label GERD prompted parents to request medication for their baby even when they had been advised that the medication would probably be ineffective.
"As doctors we need to appreciate that the words we use when talking with patients and parents have power the power to make a normal process seem like a disease. As pediatricians, our job is to make sick children healthy, not to make healthy children sick," says Tarini, who also is an investigator in U-M's Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit.
In the study, researchers surveyed parents coming into a pediatric clinic in Michigan about how they would respond to a hypothetical clinical scenario describing an infant who cries and spits up excessively but is otherwise healthy. Parents were randomly assigned to receive one of multiple vignettes. In some vignettes, the doctor gave a diagnosis of GERD; in others the doctor did not provide a disease label.
Additionally, half the parents were told that existing medications are probably ineffective; the rest were not given information about medication effectiveness. Parents who received a GERD diagnosis were interested in medicating their infant, even when told that medications were ineffective. Parents not given a disease label were interested in a prescription only when the doctor did not discuss whether the medication was effective.
Over-diagnosis of GERD can make a medical condition out of a normal behavior, says lead author Laura Scherer, assistant professor of psychological science in the College of Arts and Science at the University of Missouri.
"The growing digestive systems of an infant can be finicky and cause the child to regurgitate. The discomfort can cause the infant to cry, but it is not necessarily a disease," says Scherer. "Parents can learn from this study that a disease label can make them want medication for their child, regardless of whether the drugs are effective or not. Parents should follow doctors' advice, which sometimes means accepting a doctor's explanation of why an infant's crying and vomiting may be normal.
"Unnecessary use of medication is costly," says Scherer. "Especially for families without insurance, the over-use of medications can be a needless expense. In addition, the long-term side effects of the medication frequently prescribed to children diagnosed with GERD have not been fully studied, although the medication has been correlated to slightly higher rates of pneumonia."
###
Additional authors: Of the University of Michigan: Brian J. Zikmund-Fisher, Ph.D., Department of Health Behavior and Health Education in the School of Public Health and Angela Fagerlin, Ph.D. of the Department of Internal Medicine and co-director of the Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine.
Funding: Dr. Tarini is supported by a K23 Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award from the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (K23HD057994). Dr. Zikmund-Fisher was supported by a Mentored Research Scholar Grant from the American Cancer Society (MRSG-06-130-01-CPPB). Funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
About C.S. Mott Children's Hospital: Since 1903, the University of Michigan has led the way in providing comprehensive, specialized health care for children. From leading-edge heart surgery that's performed in the womb to complete emergency care that's there when you need it, families from all over come to the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital for our pediatric expertise.
More information is available here: http://mottchildren.org
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Quibids cost-free bids can be employed by all bidders, both new and aged, to increase the total bids they have. This translates right into cost savings simply because each bid expenditures $.sixty. Therefore, cost-free Quibids bids will help you help save even additional on your searching at Quibids. Quibids is an online auction website that was created all over a quite unique company design. It involves end users to invest in bids from their on the internet retail outlet in purchase to take part in the auction, or people can only make the most of a "Get it Now" alternative akin to E-bay. Quibids is exclusive in that the firm owns the products and places it up for auction by itself, as opposed to E-bay exactly where end users submit auctions and the internet site simply acts as a center-gentleman to the procedure. Soon after the achievement of much penny auctions equivalent Quibids Scam and Swoopoo, it is not beautiful that hundreds of new websites personal arise up all in excess of the place. These are comparatively new with an unproven excerpt list. No just one is aware of for trustworthy no matter if they are rig or not. Further to this, it is at any time bankable to bid at new centime auction web-sites mainly because there are significantly less bidders and less rivalry, so likelihood of successful huge goods is usually larger. This places the buyers in a problem of whether or not to refrain or react these new auction sites. Below are in any way guidelines that you can obey to make a decision whether to enthrone in a new place or not.
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?When you forgive, you in no way change the past. But you sure do change the future.?
These wise words by Bernard Meltzer present the power of forgiveness in a nutshell. To put it simply, guided meditation forgiveness has the power to gently heal you. The hurt, anger and disappointment caused by someone that you cared about can haunt you forever. Or you may be unwilling to forgive yourself for something that you did or said.
It is easy to cling on to these heavy feelings that have the power to overshadow happiness and contentment. But it doesn?t have to be this way! Guided meditation forgiveness is a gradual process that helps you accept the past, and gives you the strength to move on.
Forgiveness and acceptance of the past requires time. You may not be ready to forgive yourself or those who have let you down after the first guided meditation session. However, you will find yourself opening up to the idea of thinking about what happened and why it upset you so much.
There?s no need to push yourself into the process of guided meditation forgiveness. Do it when you feel ready. Allow yourself to open up to the idea of change. Free yourself from the thoughts and emotions that are holding you captive. The following guided meditation guidelines will steer you towards the path of inner peace and contentment.
Find A Peaceful Place
Sit or lie down comfortably in a place where you will not be disturbed. Choose a time when you can focus completely on guided meditation. If you have limited time on your hands, you will be tempted to keep track of the number of minutes that have passed and how much time you have left to spare. Do not give in to this temptation! Guided meditation requires time, dedication and an uncluttered mind. Keep all these factors in mind while choosing the right location and be prepared to make the commitment required.
Free Your Heart And Mind
Now that you are comfortably seated, let?s move on to the next step in the guided meditation process. Gently close your eyes, and focus on your breathing. Take a deep breath and relish the sensation of oxygen filling your lungs. Notice the gradual calmness taking over your mind and body. Focus on your breathing until all the tension and stress ebbs away from your system. Count down from ten to one, until you reach a state of complete serenity and relaxation.
Imagine yourself in a beautiful garden, a lush forest, or on a quiet beach. Pick the location that appeals to you the most and imagine yourself interacting with your surroundings. Feel the warmth of the sun, the coolness of the gentle breeze, and lose yourself in the beauty of the natural scenery.
When you are comfortably settled in this new place, think of the people who hurt you. You are safe in this peaceful place. They cannot harm you in anyway. As you visualize these people, tell them how and why their actions angered you. Explain why you felt betrayed and disappointed. Now is the time to tell them exactly what you have been feeling all this time. Notice how strong and rejuvenated you feel as you express your emotions.
Take your time. There?s no need to rush.
After you have expressed your feelings, look at them and say, ?I forgive you. I have released all the anger, pain and resentment from my mind and body. I forgive you.?
Bask in the warmth of inner peace as you utter these liberating words. You feel free, light and in control. Watch them walk away and fade into the distance, away from your sanctuary. Focus on your deep breathing. Think about all that you have been blessed with in your life. Gradually ease yourself into the next step of guided meditation.
Create an image of yourself. Explain why you have been unwilling to forgive yourself for what happened in the past. Express everything that you have been feeling and holding onto for so long. Gently open up to the possibility of forgiveness and say to yourself, ?I forgive you for all the words and actions that may have caused pain to anyone. I forgive you.?
Rest quietly and focus on the tranquility of the moment. Turn your attention once again to your breathing.
Slowly count from one to ten as you gradually leave the peaceful location behind. Keep breathing as you become aware of your actual surroundings once again.
Gently open your eyes and smile. Hold on to this feeling of love and peace, and get ready to face the world with renewed vigor and energy!
Saudi Arabia may try to end anonymity for Twitter users in the country by limiting access to the site to people who register their identification documents, the Arab News daily reported on Saturday.
Last week, local media reported the government had asked telecom companies to look at ways they could monitor, or block, free internet phone services such as Skype.
Twitter is highly popular with Saudis and has stirred broad debate on subjects ranging from religion to politics in a country where such public discussion had been considered at best unseemly and sometimes illegal.
Early this month, the security spokesman for Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry described social networking, particularly Twitter, as a tool used by militants to stir social unrest.
The country's Grand Mufti, Saudi Arabia's top cleric, last week described users of the microblogging site as "clowns" wasting time with frivolous and even harmful discussions, local newspapers reported.
"A source at (the regulator) described the move as a natural result of the successful implementation of (its) decision to add a user's identification numbers while topping up mobile phone credit," Arab News reported.
That would not necessarily make a user's identity visible to other users of the site, but it would mean the Saudi government could monitor the tweets of individual Saudis.
The English-language daily and sister paper to the Saudi-owned pan-Arab Asharq al-Awsat newspaper did not explain how the authorities might be able to restrict ability to post on Twitter. Both newspapers belong to a publishing group owned by the ruling family and run by a son of Crown Prince Salman.
Internet service providers are legally obliged to block websites showing content deemed pornographic.
One of the big investors in Twitter is Saudi Arabian billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a nephew of King Abdullah who also holds significant stakes in Citi Group, News Corp and Apple through his Kingdom Holding Company.
The country's telecom regulator, Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) did not immediately responded to requests for comment on the report. Last week it did not comment on the report it was seeking to restrict Skype use.
A spokeswoman for Kingdom Holding said Prince Alwaleed was not available to comment.
"There are people who misuse the social networking and try to send false information and false evaluation of the situation in the kingdom and the way the policemen in the kingdom are dealing with these situations," said Major General Mansour Turki, the security spokesman, at a news conference on Mar 8.
At a separate interview with Reuters this month, Turki argued that a small number of supporters of al Qaeda and activists from Saudi Arabia's Shi'ite minority used social media to stir wider sympathy for their goals and social unrest.
However, he also argued against banning the site.
Two weeks ago one of Saudi Arabia's most prominent clerics, Salman al-Awdah, who has 2.4 million followers on the site, used Twitter to attack the government's security policy as too harsh and call for better services. He warned it might otherwise face "the spark of violence".
Two leading Saudi human rights activists were sentenced to long prison terms this month for a variety of offences including "internet crimes" because they had used Twitter and other sites to attack the government.
Some top princes in the monarchy now use Twitter themselves and Crown Prince Salman, King Abdullah's designated heir and also Defence Minister, recently opened an official account.
(Reporting By Angus McDowall; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Jack bravely volunteers to test the final product. Photo by JeffreyW . From our Food Goddess, TaMara:
While I was debating between two topic requests for this week?s recipe exchange, a commenter at Balloon-Juice sparked a whole new idea. Pet Treats. So I asked for some ideas and those became tonight?s post. Thanks to ButchF, MattR, WereBear and JeffreyW for the ideas.
First from JefferyW ? Cheddar Cheese Biscuits (recipe here)
And MattR gave us the recipe he uses for Peanut Butter Treats (recipe here)
Then I decided cat lovers needed equal time, so I contacted WereBear of Way of Cats, and asked for her advice on cat treats. Here?s what she told me:
Aw, so sweet of you to think of me and the kitties. Now that?s parity!
However, while dogs are gourmands, cats are fussy gourmets. So I can?t guarantee happy consumption. In fact, [here is] Why Cats Are Fussy (read here) ?. because not all cats are going to like all things.
That said, here is my recipe for Chicken Liver Pate for Kitties:
1 cup chicken livers 2 tbsp butter or bacon fat sprinkle of catnip (or parsley, sage, or basil, if cat likes the smell)
Classically, pate includes onions, but these (and all bulbs!) are toxic to cats.
Melt fat in pan, and saute livers JUST until ALMOST done. Do not overcook or the pate will lose its silky texture. Then sprinkle the herbs of choice. (Test them via smell on our kitty, or kitties. A sharpening of attention is a good sign; aversion will be quite evident.)
Now cool a bit (livers will finish cooking here) and scrape all contents onto a cutting board (if chopping by hand) or into a blender or food processor. If our cat likes chunky, hand mincing is easy and quick; if our cat likes smoothness, we can blend.
Be sure it has cooled to being only warm before offering it to our cat. Part of the fun is making a fuss over how good it smells. Get them worked up! This is Dinner Theatre.
Leftovers can be dabbed onto a sheet of waxed paper or into ice cube trays and put in the freezer for an hour or so. Then they can be put into a freezer bag for easy treats next time.
So good, and so good for them!
Now I have to figure out how to explain to my cats that garlic is not good for them, because they go after anything I have that is extra garliky. Silly felines, garlic is for everyone else.
How about it? Do you make your own pet treats? Have any favorite recipes you want to share? But what I really want are lots of pet stories, because I know you have them! Hit the comments.
Now on to the featured recipe. This all started because ButchF said he makes dog biscuits every week for his dogs and they won?t accept anything else. I, of course, asked him to share the recipe.
Just a few notes from me ? all my dogs have been allergic to corn ? we?d get bad digestive issues. So if that?s the case for your furry critters, go ahead and substitute brown rice flour or oat flour for the corn meal in this recipe. It may very well change the texture, so experiment with the amount of substitution, just remember as ButchF notes, you want to be able to roll it out. As long as you can roll it out, it should be fine once you bake it. These are dog treats people, not gourmet crackers you are serving to company. Dogs will eat just about anything including cat droppings, horse apples and light bulbs. As long as the final product does not crumble onto your floor before they can wolf it down, you?re probably good.
On to the recipe. From ButchF:
Dog Biscuits
This recipe has been modified pretty extensively from the original, which I found in an old cookbook. First, the original included boiled, pureed liver, which not only made the cookies perishable but meant handling boiled, pureed liver. Second, the original used so much water that the dough looked like pancake batter, and couldn?t be rolled out or cut.
There is a disadvantage to these treats. A while ago I got busy and bought some commercial milk bones because I didn?t have time to make the treats. The dogs would take them each to their designated snack spot, drop them on the floor, and stare forlornly at this strange foreign object they had been given.
Some optional additions to the recipe include ? cup or so wheat germ, ? cup brewer?s yeast, or some grated cheese. Do not, unless you feel like cleaning the carpet, add bacon grease or leftover gravy.
2 or 3 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tablespoon yeast 1 tablespoon or so honey (I don?t measure) 1 or 2 teaspoons salt 1 or 2 teaspoons bullion (powdered; the cubes won?t dissolve in the dough)(optional; also can use flavor packet from Ramen noodles) 2? cups warm water 1 cup powdered milk 1? cups oatmeal 2 cups corn meal (see TaMara?s note above) 3 eggs 2 cups whole wheat flour (don?t substitute rye flour, because it behaves differently than wheat flours) At least 3? cups white flour.
Adding water and eggs first to the bowl first, combine all ingredients except white flour in a bowl, and then add white flour a cup at a time and mix well (best using a heavy-duty stand mixer). More than 3 1/2 cups of white flour may be needed. The goal is a smooth, cohesive dough that cleans the sides of the bowl and can be handled fairly easily, but don?t get it too dry or it becomes impossible to roll out.
Remove from bowl and let rest, covered, about a half hour; the goal is to let the gluten relax more than it is to allow the dough to rise. Divide the dough into four pieces and roll out each on a well-floured surface into a large rectangle to about pie crust thickness.
Transfer to parchment-lined cookie sheets and cut into rectangles to whatever size using a wheel pizza cutter. (I use four cookie sheets to bake; two are big enough that they take up most of an oven rack, and two are small enough that they will fit together on one rack, so that all three racks in the oven can be used.)
Bake at 300 degrees for about 55 minutes, rotating the sheets top to bottom and front to back at least once during baking; remove from oven and cool on the cookie sheets. Don?t cover until they?re thoroughly cool.
These cookies are at least a weekly chore with my four big dogs, so I don?t try to make shapes other than rectangles. If you do want to make shapes, transfer the rolled dough to the cookie sheets and then cut out the shapes, because otherwise the dough tends to stretch.
Thanks again to everyone who contributed to tonight?s recipe exchange. And just a brief public service note from me. If your dog or cat has digestive issues, hot spots, chews or scratches incessantly, loses an excessive amount of hair, or their hair has a bad texture (too dry or too oily) these can all be signs of a corn allergy. Especially with breed dogs it can be bad. I learned this the hard way, with Great Danes and Greyhounds, all very big dogs to have to deal with these issues. (shudders from the memory)
This was before it was easy to find pet foods without corn, so I made my own. It wasn?t easy or pretty, but it solved all of their issues. Thank goodness you can find good quality food without corn now. My cats are on a corn-free diet, too and the shedding and fur balls are down to a minimum. So if your favorite furry critter is suffering from any of those issues, my (not meant to be a substitute for a veterinarian) advice it so start by getting rid of corn and corn meal. Maybe even go to a very basic lamb/brown rice food to see if helps. Some dogs (not naming names, Miss Shelby) can even be allergic to all grains. And grass. Some flowers. Possibly my ex-husband. So it may take some experimenting.
North Korea readies rockets after U.S. show of force
SEOUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea put its missile units on standby on Friday to attack U.S. military bases in South Korea and the Pacific, after the United States flew two nuclear-capable stealth bombers over the Korean peninsula in a rare show of force. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed off on the order at a midnight meeting of top generals and "judged the time has come to settle accounts with the U.S. imperialists in view of the prevailing situation", the official KCNA news agency said.
Attempt to end Italy crisis stalls, president mulls next move
ROME (Reuters) - Center-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani has failed in his attempt to find a way out of Italy's political deadlock and President Giorgio Napolitano will now seek another solution, the president's palace said on Thursday. Bersani reported back to Napolitano on Thursday night after being given a mandate almost a week ago to see if he could muster enough support to form a government after the inconclusive election in February.
Iran, North Korea, Syria block U.N. arms trade treaty
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Iran, Syria and North Korea on Friday prevented the adoption of the first international treaty to regulate the $70 billion global conventional arms trade, complaining that it was flawed and failed to ban weapons sales to rebel groups. To get around the blockade, British U.N. Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant sent the draft treaty to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and asked him on behalf of Mexico, Australia and a number of others to put it to a swift vote in the General Assembly.
U.S. debates how severely to penalize Russia in human rights spat
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In a controversy underscoring continued stresses in U.S.-Russia relations, Obama administration officials are debating how many Russian officials to ban from the United States under a new law meant to penalize Moscow for alleged human rights abuses. The debate's outcome, expected in about two weeks, is likely to illustrate how President Barack Obama will handle what critics say is a crackdown on dissent in Russia and set the tone for Washington-Moscow relations in the president's second term.
Mortar kills 15 at Damascus University, Syria says
BEIRUT/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Fifteen Syrian students were killed when rebel mortar shells hit a Damascus University canteen on Thursday, state-run news agency SANA said, as attacks intensified in the center of the capital. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition monitoring group, said a mortar killed 13 people at the university, without saying who fired the bombs.
South Sudan says 150 killed in battle with rebels
JUBA (Reuters) - More than 150 people have been killed in a battle between South Sudan's army and insurgents in the eastern Jonglei state, officials said on Thursday. The African country's army earlier this month launched an offensive against rebels led by David Yau Yau in Jonglei where the government hopes to search for oil with the help of France's Total.
Kenyatta apologizes for judges gaffe before Kenya poll ruling
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's president-elect, whose victory is being challenged in the Supreme Court, apologized on Thursday for seeming to dismiss the judges as "some six people" who will "decide something or other". Uhuru Kenyatta, who also faces trial at the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity over post-election violence five years ago, made the remarks - which went viral on social media - while consulting allies at a resort.
Beleaguered Hollande to reach out to nation on TV
PARIS (Reuters) - With his approval ratings and most of his economic pledges in tatters, French President Francois Hollande will try to convince a disillusioned nation on television on Thursday to keep faith in him to restore the economy to health. Hollande will be grilled in a 45-minute interview on France 2 television, his first such appearance in several months, in a studio whose backdrop and lighting have been prepared by his media team to create a somber mood.
U.S. nominates Breedlove as top NATO commander
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama nominated U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove on Thursday to become NATO's top military commander, a key role as NATO aims to wind down an 11-year-old combat mission in Afghanistan that has tested the resolve of allies. Breedlove, whose nomination was widely expected and endorsed by ambassadors from the 28 NATO allies, would succeed Admiral James Stavridis as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe. His appointment requires U.S. Senate confirmation.
Analysis: Gay marriage rights may carry bigger U.S. tax burden for some
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - If the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down a federal law defining marriage as between a man and woman, the newfound rights for gay married couples may bear something not so welcome - a bigger tax burden. That's because with equality, gay couples will face the same tax woes of many heterosexual couples with similar incomes, including the tax hit known in America as the marriage penalty.
Let's be honest: We make a point of looking at Ryan Gosling as much as possible. Whether he's on the red carpet, the big screen or sitting right in front of us, it's easy to get lost staring at his handsome face. That's why we've noticed that Gosling's character in The Place Beyond The Pines has a dagger tattoo dripping a drop of blood right below his left eye.
28 March 2013Last updated at 21:09 ETBy Victoria GillScience reporter, BBC News
On its own, each robot would 'just get lost' but as a colony they can navigate
Scientists in the US have built and tested robotic ants that they say behave just like a real ant colony.
The robots do not resemble their insect counterparts; they are tiny cubes equipped with two watch motors to power the wheels that enable them to move.
But their collective behaviour is remarkably ant-like.
By being programmed simply to move forward toward a target and avoid obstacles, the robot colony finds the fastest way through a network or maze.
The secret, the researchers report in the open access journal Plos Computational Biology, is in their ability to take cues from one another - just like an insect swarm.
"Each individual robot is pretty dumb," said Simon Garnier from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, lead researcher on the study. "They have very limited memory and limited processing power."
"By themselves, each robot would just move around randomly and get lost... but [they] are able to work together and communicate."
This is because, like ants, the robots leave a trail that the others follow; while ants leave a trail of chemicals - or pheromones - that their nest mates are able to sniff out, the robots leave a trail of light.
Continue reading the main story
?Start Quote
You don't need something as complex as choice to get some of the behaviour you see in ants?
End QuoteDr Paul GrahamUniversity of Sussex
To achieve this, the researchers set up a camera to track the path of each robot. A projector connected to the camera then produced a spot of light at regular intervals along their route, leaving a "breadcrumb trail" of light that got brighter every time another robot tracked over the same path.
Dr Garnier explained: "[The robots each] have two antennae on top, which are light sensors. If more light falls on their left sensor they turn left, and if more light falls on the right sensor, they turn right."
"It's exactly the same mechanism as ants."
The researcher explained how both the robots and ants worked together, describing their navigation skills as a "positive feedback loop".
"If there are two possible paths from A to B and one is twice as long as [the other], at the beginning, the ants [or] robots start using each path equally.
"Because ants taking the shorter path travel faster, the amount of pheromone (or light) deposited on that path grows faster, so more ants use that path."
Learning from nature Continue reading the main story
Superorganisms
There are an estimated 20,000 species of ants in the world
Ant colonies have structured social system, with different castes - worker, soldier, queen and drone - all of which carry out specific tasks for the colony
Ant colonies are sometimes referred to as "superorganisms" because ants appear to operate as a single entity
There are many other research and engineering projects that take inspiration from nature to solve problems or design robots, as Dr Paul Graham, a biologist from the University of Sussex, explained.
"The classic example," he said, "is the way in which we design information networks to move packets of data around.
"Ants don't have someone in charge telling them where to go, so you can [mimic this].
For instance - in a complex network, there may be a junction with different possible routes that packets [of data] could take. Packets would leave messages for each other at the junction to give information about which routes were quick."
This, he explained, is the basis of an algorithm called ant colony optimisation which has already been used in telecoms networks.
And although Dr Graham doesn't see an immediate practical use for these particular robotic insects he says the study demonstrates an important and interesting piece of biology.
"Lots of animal behaviour gets described using words like 'choice'.
"This shows that you don't need something as complex as choice to get some of the behaviour you see in ants.
'I greet fans; he punches fans. It's a difference,' Waka Focka tells 'RapFix Live' in response to his fallout with Gucci Mane. By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway
Waka Flocka Flame on "RapFix Live" Photo: MTV News
Los Angeles Clippers' Chris Paul (3) drives past Memphis Grizzlies' Mike Conley during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Los Angeles Clippers' Chris Paul (3) drives past Memphis Grizzlies' Mike Conley during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Memphis Grizzlies' Marc Gasol, of Spain, reacts to a foul call on Los Angeles Clippers' Lamar Odom during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Los Angeles Clippers' Blake Griffin (32) is defended by Memphis Grizzlies' Marc Gasol, left, of Spain, and Zach Randolph during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Los Angeles Clippers' Ronny Turiaf misses the ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies in Los Angeles, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Memphis Grizzlies' Tayshaun Prince, top, dunks as Los Angeles Clippers' Chauncey Billups watches during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Marc Gasol scored 21 points, Tayshaun Prince added 18 and the surging Memphis Grizzlies beat the Los Angeles Clippers 96-85 on Wednesday night for their 14th victory in 15 games.
Mike Conley had 17 points and 11 assists, and Zach Randolph scored 13 points as the Grizzlies hung on in the fourth quarter of back-to-back games for their sixth straight victory. Memphis followed up last night's road win in Portland with a tenacious effort against the Clippers, who have lost three of five.
Memphis (44-19) is percentage points ahead of Los Angeles (45-21) for third place in the Western Conference, although the Clippers are the Pacific Division leaders.
Chris Paul had 24 points and nine assists, and Blake Griffin added 22 points for the Clippers, who won the clubs' first two meetings this season.
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Public release date: 1-Apr-2013
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