Argentina challenges U.S. court with bond plan

By Nate Raymond and Hugh Bronstein

NEW YORK/BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentina challenged a U.S. court over the weekend by proposing that "holdout" bond investors be repaid only about one sixth the money federal judges hearing the case say they are owed, setting the stage for a legal showdown in New York.

The terms offered by Argentina are the same as those accepted by bondholders who chose to participate in the country's 2010 sovereign bond restructuring. The holdouts rejected that restructuring and are holding out for full repayment.

Aside from the implications the case has for Argentina's finances, it could also have wide ramifications for the way future sovereign restructurings are carried around the world.

Argentina defaulted on $100 billion in sovereign debt in 2002 at the height of a financial crisis in Latin America's third largest economy. The bonds now under dispute were issued in New York, which is why the case is being heard in U.S. court.

Elliott Management affiliate NML Capital Ltd, one of the lead plaintiffs, has said that it will not accept 2010 terms They and other holdouts are sure to argue that Argentina's proposal does not respond to the court's request.

"The court said 'You owe the holdouts $1.3 billion. Tell us how you are going to pay that to them,'" said Josh Rosner, managing director at research firm Graham Fisher & Co in New York.

"Instead of answering how they will pay the full amount, Argentina responded with a plan for paying a much smaller amount," he said. "Argentina is flirting with technical default, which would take a serious toll its economy."

The specter of technical defaults comes from the fact that a U.S. District Court in New York has said that until the holdouts start getting paid, Argentina cannot make payments to holders of the restructured bonds.

Elliott stands currently to receive $720 million from Argentina following a New York judge's order in November, according to Argentina.

But the bonds NML could take had a market value of just $186.8 million before a major decision in the case last October favoring the holdouts, or $120.6 million as of March 1, the filing said. Argentina estimates NML paid about $48.7 million in 2008 for its stake in the bonds.

"The Republic is prepared to fulfill the terms of this proposal promptly upon Order by the Court by submitting a bill to Congress that ensures its timely implementation," Jonathan Blackman, Argentina's U.S. lawyer, wrote.

Around 92 percent of Argentina's defaulted bonds were restructured in 2005 and 2010, with bondholders receiving 25 cents to 29 cents on the dollar.

But holdouts led by NML Capital and Aurelius Capital Management have fought for years for full payment. Argentina calls these funds "vultures."

In October, the 2nd Circuit upheld a trial judge's ruling by finding Argentina had violated a so-called pari passu clause in its bond documents requiring it to treat creditors equally.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Griesa in Manhattan subsequently ordered Argentina in November to pay the $1.33 billion owed to the bondholders into an escrow account by the time of its next interest payment to holders of the exchanged debt.

The 2nd Circuit heard an appeal of that order on February 27. Two days later, it directed Argentina to provide details of "the precise terms of any alternative payment formula and schedule to which it is prepared to commit."

BOND OPTIONS

In its 22-page submission late on Friday, Argentina said that under a so-called par bond option, the bondholders would receive new bonds due in 2038 with the same nominal face value of their current bonds. They would pay 2.5 percent to 5.25 percent a year, Argentina said.

Bondholders would also receive an immediate cash payment similar to what it provided under the 2010 debt swap, Argentina said. And they would receive derivative instruments that provide payments when the country's gross domestic product exceeds 3 percent a year.

The par option is restricted to small investors, unlike the discount option, the more applicable fit for big investors like NML and Aurelius.

Under the discount proposal, holdouts could receive new discount bonds due in 2033 that pay 8.28 percent annually. Argentina said the holdouts would also receive past due interest since 2003 in the form of bonds due in 2017 paying 8.75 percent a year, and GDP-linked derivative units.

Blackman, Argentina's lawyer, wrote that the proposal, unlike what he called the "100 cents on the dollar immediately" formula Griesa adopted, "is consistent with the pari passu clause, longstanding principles of equity, and the Republic's capacity to pay."

It was unclear on Saturday how the court might view Argentina's proposals. The same three-judge panel had said in October, though, that the holdouts "were completely within their rights" to reject prior debt swap offers.

Euginio Bruno, a lawyer and bond restructuring expert with the law firm Estudio Garrido Abogados in Buenos Aires, said the government's Friday proposal "was within expectations, considering the legal constraints on offering anything better than the terms of the 2010 restructuring."

Argentina has a "lock law" that keeps new governments from improving the terms of previous restructurings.

Earlier in the week, the holdouts scored a victory over Argentina when the 2nd Circuit denied a full court review of its October ruling on the equal treatment provision.

The United States had backed Argentina in seeking the review, contending the 2nd Circuit's decision ran "counter to longstanding U.S. efforts to promote orderly restructuring of sovereign debt.

Argentina and holders of its restructured bonds say granting the holdouts 100 cents on the dollar could complicate future sovereign restructurings around the world.

Argentine Vice President Amado Boudou repeated on Saturday that Argentina would continue repaying investors who participated in the restructuring no matter how the U.S. court case is resolved.

"One way or another, Argentina will pay," he said.

The case is NML Capital Ltd et al v. Republic of Argentina, 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 12-105.

(Reporting by Nate Raymond; Additional reporting by Helen Popper, Alejandro Lifschitz and Guido Nejamkis in Buenos Aires; Editing by Todd Eastham, Will Dunham and Eric Beech)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/argentina-challenges-u-court-bond-plan-011959470--sector.html

terrell owens neil armstrong little league world series us open tennis us open tennis Empire State Building shooting Republican National Convention

The South: A near-solid block against 'Obamacare'

ATLANTA (AP) ? As more Republicans give in to President Barack Obama's health-care overhaul, an opposition bloc remains across the South, including from governors who lead some of the nation's poorest and unhealthiest states.

"Not in South Carolina," Gov. Nikki Haley declared at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference. "We will not expand Medicaid on President Obama's watch. We will not expand Medicaid ever."

Widening Medicaid insurance rolls, a joint federal-state program for low-income Americans, is an anchor of the law Obama signed in 2010. But states get to decide whether to take the deal, and from Virginia to Texas ? a region encompassing the old Confederacy and Civil War border states ? Florida's Rick Scott is the only Republican governor to endorse expansion, and he faces opposition from his GOP colleagues in the legislature. Tennessee's Bill Haslam, the Deep South's last governor to take a side, added his name to the opposition on Wednesday.

Haley offers the common explanation, saying expansion will "bust our budgets." But the policy reality is more complicated. The hospital industry and other advocacy groups continue to tell GOP governors that expansion would be a good arrangement, and there are signs that some Republicans are trying to find ways to expand insurance coverage under the law.

Haslam told Tennessee lawmakers that he'd rather use any new money to subsidize private insurance. That's actually the approach of another anchor of Obama's law: insurance exchanges where Americans can buy private policies with premium subsidies from taxpayers.

Yet for now, governors' rejection of Medicaid expansion will leave large swaths of Americans without coverage because they make too much money to qualify for Medicaid as it exists but not enough to get the subsidies to buy insurance in the exchanges. Many public health studies show that the same population suffers from higher-than-average rates of obesity, smoking and diabetes ? variables that yield bad health outcomes and expensive hospital care.

"Many of the citizens who would benefit the most from this live in the reddest of states with the most intense opposition," said Drew Altman, president of the non-partisan Kaiser Family Foundation.

So why are these states holding out? The short-term calculus seems heavily influenced by politics.

Haley, Haslam, Nathan Deal of Georgia and Robert Bentley of Alabama face re-election next year. Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant is up for re-election in 2015. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is term-limited at home but may seek the presidency in 2016. While they all govern GOP-leaning states, they still must safeguard their support among Republican voters who dislike large-scale federal initiatives in general and distrust Obama in particular. Florida's Scott, the South's GOP exception on expansion, faces a different dynamic. He won just 49 percent of the vote in 2010 and must face an electorate that twice supported Obama.

A South Carolina legislator put it bluntly earlier this year. State Rep. Kris Crawford told a business journal that he supports expansion, but said electoral math is the trump card. "It is good politics to oppose the black guy in the White House right now, especially for the Republican Party," he said.

Whit Ayers, a leading Republican pollster, was more measured, but offered the same bottom line. "This law remains toxic among Republican primary voters," he told The Associated Press.

At the Tennessee Hospital Association, president Craig Becker has spent months trying to break through that barrier as he travels to civic and business groups across Tennessee. "It's really hard for some of them to separate something that has the name 'Obamacare' on it from what's going to be best for the state," he said, explaining that personality driven politics are easier to understand than the complicated way that the U.S. pays for health care.

Medicaid is financed mostly by Congress, though states have to put in their own money to qualify for the cash from Washington. The federal amount is determined by a state's per-capita income, with poorer states getting more help. On average in 2012, the feds paid 57 cents of every Medicaid dollar. It was 74 cents in Mississippi, 71 in Kentucky, 70 in Arkansas and South Carolina, 68 in Alabama. Those numbers would be even higher counting bonuses from Obama's 2009 stimulus bill.

Obama's law mandated that states open Medicaid to everyone with household income up to 138 percent of the federal poverty rate ? $15,420 a year for an individual or $31,812 for a family of four. The federal government would cover all costs of new Medicaid patients from 2014 to 2016 and pick up most of the price tag after that, requiring states to pay up to 10 percent. The existing Medicaid population would continue under the old formula. In its ruling on the law, the Supreme Court left the details alone, but declared that states could choose whether to expand.

Hospital and physician lobbying groups around the country have endorsed a bigger Medicaid program. Becker said he explains on his road show that the Obama law paired Medicaid growth with cuts to payments to hospitals for treating the uninsured. Just as they do with Medicaid insurance, states already must contribute their own money in order to get federal help with those so-called "uncompensated care" payments.

The idea was instead of paying hospitals directly, states and Congress could spend that money on Medicaid and have those new beneficiaries ? who now drive costs with preventable hospital admissions and expensive emergency room visits ? use the primary care system. But the Supreme Court ruling creates a scenario where hospitals can lose existing revenue with getting the replacement cash Congress intended, all while still having to treat the uninsured patients who can't get coverage.

Becker said that explanation has gotten local chambers of commerce across Tennessee to endorse expansion. "These are rock-ribbed Republicans," he said. "But they all scratch their heads and say, 'Well, if that's the case, then of course we do this.'"

In Louisiana, Jindal's health care agency quietly released an analysis saying the changes could actually save money over time. But the Republican Governors Association chairman is steadfast in his opposition. In Georgia, Deal answers pressure from his state's hospital association with skepticism about projected "uncompensated care" savings and Congress' pledge to finance 90 percent of the new Medicaid costs.

Altman, the Kaiser foundation leader, predicted that opposition will wane over time.

Arkansas Republicans, who oppose Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe's call for expansion, have floated the same idea as Haslam: pushing would-be Medicaid recipients into the insurance exchanges. Jindal, using his RGA post, has pushed the Obama administration to give states more "flexibility" in how to run Medicaid.

Deal convinced Georgia lawmakers this year to let an appointed state board set a hospital industry tax to generate some of the state money that supports Medicaid. That fee ? which 49 states use in some way ? is the same tool that Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer is using to cover her state's Medicaid expansion. Georgia Democrats and some hospital executives have quietly mused that Deal is leaving himself an option to widen Medicaid in his expected term.

"These guys are looking for ways to do this while still saying they are against 'Obamacare,'" Altman said. "As time goes by, we'll see this law acquire a more bipartisan complexion."

-----

Follow Barrow on Twitter (at)BillBarrowAP.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/south-near-solid-block-against-obamacare-191744666.html

UT Austin Lizzie Velasquez NFL Network att libya engadget twin towers

Judge: Jolie didn't plagiarize 'Blood and Honey'

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? A federal judge says actress Angelina Jolie didn't steal the story for her movie "In the Land of Blood and Honey" from a Croatian author.

City News Service reports Friday's tentative ruling in Los Angeles will throw out the suit accusing Jolie of copyright infringement.

In 2011, author James Braddock sued Jolie and the film company that made the film, saying it was partly based on his book "The Soul Shattering."

U.S. District Judge Dolly M. Gee wrote in a tentative ruling that the plots, characters and themes in the two works were not "substantially" similar, though both centered on war romances.

Jolie wrote, directed and co-produced the film.

Braddock has been ordered to tell the court why his complaint should not be dismissed with prejudice.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/judge-jolie-didnt-plagiarize-blood-honey-010625344.html

ira glass swain match day nene dark shadows trailer nate mcmillan clooney arrested

Police: 3 shot at Pennsylvania shopping plaza

By Becky Bratu, Staff Writer, NBC News

Police say three people were shot Saturday in a shopping plaza near Pittsburgh, Pa., NBC affiliate WPXI reported. Police are still searching for the gunmen.

The Foot Locker, Villa and Dollar Tree stores at the Edgewood Towne Center shopping plaza were shot up, police said.?

Police told WPXI the two shooters knew each other. One of the shooters was inside a store, while the other one was outside. Police said the two made eye contact and began shooting, hitting bystanders, according to WPXI.

The victims were taken to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital. One of the victims was shot in the torso and is in critical condition, KDKA reported, while the other two sustained less serious wounds.

A SWAT team established a perimeter in search of the two gunmen.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/2a2bf91b/l/0Lusnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A30C30A0C175333680Epolice0E30Eshot0Eat0Epennsylvania0Eshopping0Eplaza0Dlite/story01.htm

homeland Miss America 2013 Aaron Swartz Java Gangster Squad school shooting oscar nominations

Charleston, W.V., Worst for Well-Being, Gallup Poll Finds

Mar 30, 2013 7:00am

Charleston, W.V. ranks last for well-being. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Despite its slogan ? Hip, Historic ? Almost Heaven ? Charleston, W.V., comes in last on Gallup?s latest well-being poll.

The city scored a meager 60.8 points on the pollster?s well-being index ? a 100-point scale measuring physical and emotional health, work environment and access to basic necessities.

The nearby Huntington-Ashland metropolitan area scored 61.2, landing in the bottom two for the third year in a row.

Mobile, Ala., Utica-Rome, N.Y., Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, N.C., and Fort Smith, Ark.-Okla., round out the roster of frequent bottom dwellers.

Topping the list was Lincoln, Neb., which scored 72.8, landing in the top 20 cities for the third year in a row. Honolulu came in first for emotional health, and Charlottesville, Va., ranked No. 1 for physical health, according to the poll.

Top 10 Metropolitan Areas for Well-Being

• Lincoln, Neb. ? 72.8
• Boulder, Colo. ??72.7
• Burlington-South Burlington, Vt. ??72.4
• Provo-Orem, Utah ??71.7
• Fort Collins-Loveland, Colo. ??71.6
• Barnstable Town, Mass. ??71.5
• Honolulu, Hawaii ??71.5
• Ann Arbor, Mich. ??71.4
• Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C., Va., Md., W.V. ??71.3
• San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, Calif. ??71.2

Bottom 11 Metropolitan Areas for Well-Being

• Charleston, W.V. ??60.8
• Huntington-Ashland, W.V., Ky., Ohio ??61.2
• Mobile, Ala. ??62.4
• Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas ??62.5
• Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, N.C. ??62.7
• Fort Smith, Ark., Okla. ??62.9
• Bakersfield, Calif. ??63.0
• Evansville, Ind., Ky. ??63.1
• Rockford, Ill. ??63.1
• Spartanburg, S.C. ??63.4
• Utica-Rome, N.Y. ??63.4

Click here to see how your city stacks up.

SHOWS: Good Morning America

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2013/03/30/charleston-w-v-worst-for-well-being-gallup-poll-finds/

smash Richard III Superbowl Commercials 2013 irs Grammy nominations 2013 Lynsi Torres Fall Out Boy

Editor's Letter: A not-so simple choice

In each issue of Distro, editor-in-chief Tim Stevens publishes a wrap-up of the week in news.

At a rather vitriolic (and frequently profane) presentation given to a small group of frequently bemused journalists (myself included), T-Mobile CEO John Legere laid out the company's reinvention. In the interest of keeping things PG I won't repeat the colorful language, but Legere accused the other major carriers of being not only confusing, but also misleading -- ignoring the fact that his own company has, for years, enacted the very same policies. No more. It's time for the UnCarrier to step up.

But, it's important to note that you'll be paying full price, or near to it, for your smartphone.

First is a series of contract-free Simple Choice plans, which are similar to those the company offered before. It's $50 for "unlimited talk + text + web" -- though the data use is indeed limited to 500MB. Stepping up to truly unlimited everything is $20 more, which is a fair bit cheaper than the biggest plans from competing carriers. But, it's important to note that you'll be paying full price, or near to it, for your smartphone.

Filed under: Misc, Apple, Blackberry

Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/29/a-not-so-simple-choice/

Chris Porco march madness cbs sports ncaa tournament kids choice awards ncaa Miley Cyrus Twerk

Drinking tea can prevent ovarian cancer | Teasenz

Researchers have found that drinking two cups of tea a day can cut a woman?s chance of getting Ovarian Cancer by one-third.?It is thought antioxidant compounds found in tea ? catechins and theanins ? contribute to improved blood vessel function.?The study was carried out in the U.S. with 414 women, half of whom had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer.?The findings were released in the International Journal of Gynaecological Cancer before the start of ovarian cancer month in March.

About 4,400 women die each year from the illness, which claims the lives of more than 85 per cent of patients when found at a late stage. But detection in the early stages means 95 per cent of sufferers will survive.?Dr Catherine Hood, from the industry-backed Tea Advisory Panel, said an earlier Swedish study involving over 61,000 women made similar findings.It showed those who drank two or more cups of tea daily had a 46 per cent lower risk of the disease compared with those who never or seldom drank tea.

?Alex Ford, chief executive of The Eve Appeal, which supports patients with gynaecological cancers, said women should be aware of the signs of ovarian cancer, especially those over 50. She said,

?Traditionally, early diagnosis was difficult as experts didn?t agree on the symptoms and they are easily mistaken for other, much more common and less serious conditions.But there?s been more research, and scientists and doctors have agreed on what?advice to give women.?

This is a major discovery in what tea can do. With something that affects so many people like Ovarian Cancer, any stride is a great stride to fight this disease. So raise those cups of tea high- ?that calming cup of tea will improve your health. If not with the antioxidants, or the hydrating quality ? but with helping prevent one more disease.

?

Like this:

Like Loading...

Source: http://teasenz.wordpress.com/2013/03/29/drinking-tea-can-prevent-ovarian-cancer/

green bean casserole green bean casserole recipe red dawn sweet potato pie sweet potato pie Turkey Cooking Time Kmart Black Friday

Paying the Costs of Iraq, for Decades to Come (Atlantic Politics Channel)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/295362847?client_source=feed&format=rss

madison bumgarner wnba draft tax day april 17 boston marathon tu pac hologram shuttle

'The Host': Invasion Of An Extremely Lovable Body Snatcher?

Director Andrew Niccol explains why Saoirse Ronan has the 'complexity' to play part alien, part human.
By Kevin P. Sullivan

Saoirse Ronan and Jake Abel in "The Host"
Photo: Open Road Films

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1704593/the-host-saoirse-ronan.jhtml

girl scouts printable bracket game change own stacy francis tournament brackets 2012 ncaa basketball tournament

Samsung Galaxy S 4 for Verizon swings through the FCC

We weren't kidding about that influx of FCC filings: the Verizon edition of Samsung's Galaxy S 4, the SCH-i545, has passed through the US regulator's approval right on cue. The device on display ticks all the checkboxes we'd expect, including LTE on both Verizon's main 700MHz band and the carrier's recently acquired AWS frequencies. We also notice HSPA-based 3G, which suggests Big Red's GS4 won't be a paperweight when abroad. The filing just leaves AT&T and T-Mobile as the major stragglers in the US; at the current rate, though, they'll have little trouble getting clearance before they have to fulfill any future orders.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, Verizon

Comments

Source: FCC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/29/samsung-galaxy-s-4-for-verizon-swings-through-the-fcc/

broncos lehigh walking dead season finale matt flynn denver news frozen planet creighton

Chew on this: Sexiest stars eat what you eat

By Kurt Schlosser, TODAY

If you ever wanted six-pack abs on your way to being named the Sexiest Man Alive, or if you crave the toned legs and flat belly of an international pop superstar, a trip to your nearest fast-food establishment may be in order.

Startracks, FameFlynet

Ryan Reynolds, left, gets his Burger King on during a break from filming in New York this week. Britney Spears grabs KFC to go in Thousand Oaks, Calif., on March 19.

If that doesn't make sense, than neither does Ryan Reynolds walking down the street with Burger King to go, or Britney Spears hauling a bag of KFC across a parking lot. We know stars are supposed to be "just like us," but have you seen us? We don't look like them.

Let's just assume that Reynolds and Spears ate whatever was in those bags. Instead of collapsing into a cheeseburger coma in front of "South Park," it's safe to say these two burned it off. Probably before the bags hit the trash.

Albert Michael / startraksphoto.com

No Coke. Pepsi. Actress Denise Richards at Arby's.

Celebs with six-packs under their shirts and not in their shopping carts get that way thanks to a strict diet-and-exercise routine. And there's a good chance that both of those disciplines are maintained under the watchful eye of well-paid personal chefs and trainers. It also doesn't hurt to go the "kale and dust" route if fitting into a catsuit is in your job description.

So those of you envisioning looking like any of these people because you eat at the same drive-thru, take note. Joy Bauer, nutrition and health expert for TODAY, says "limit fast food outings to once per week, and alternate fattening fare with healthier offerings like grilled chicken salads, turkey burgers, and snack wraps."

If the thought of a snack wrap taking the place of your bacon-double sounds unappetizing, Bauer crunches some numbers for you.

She says to pay penance for a Burger King Whopper (630 calories), large fries (500 calories), and?40-ounce soda (380 calories) -- totaling 1,510 calories -- you would have to:

• run for 2 hours straight, or
• swim for 4 hours, or
• bike for 2 hours, or
• play full-court basketball for 2 hours

INFphoto.com

Rihanna hits the drive thru at a fast food joint in her native Barbados.

If you scarf down KFC's Original Recipe chicken-thigh value box (540 calories), a side of mashed potatoes with gravy (120 calories), and?30-ounce sweetened iced tea (260 calories) -- totaling 920 calories -- you'd need to:?

• spin for one hour and 10 minutes, or
• walk for 3 hours, or
• hit the dance floor and boogie down for an hour and a half, or
• do yoga for 5 hours straight!

"Celebs have cravings just like everyone else ... and when they succumb to fast food faves -- just like us mortals -- they must work hard to burn off the calorific splurges," Bauer says.

Maybe you're burning calories right now at the thought of Ryan Reynolds burning calories to work off his Whopper. Maybe the thought of his wife, Blake Lively, in a swimsuit is enough to motivate him to stay in shape. We know she'd never eat ... aw, forget it!

Who's making a food run?

More in TODAY Entertainment:

Source: http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2013/03/29/17505755-chew-on-this-the-sexiest-people-alive-eat-what-you-eat?lite

lawrence of arabia denver nuggets correspondents dinner i am legend san antonio spurs greta van susteren tony parker

Iran's support for Syria still appears strong - but is it hedging its bets?

Even as it continues to provide military support to the Syrian regime, staunch ally Iran is making preparations for life after President Assad.?

By Scott Peterson,?Staff writer / March 28, 2013

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, left, welcomes Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem, for their meeting, in Tehran, Iran, March 2.

Mahdi Marizad, Fars News Agency/AP

Enlarge

When the Arab League handed Syria?s long-vacant seat to the Syrian opposition on March 26 and endorsed military aid for anti-regime rebels, the first and loudest complaints came from Iran.?

Skip to next paragraph

' + google_ads[0].line2 + '
' + google_ads[0].line3 + '

'; } else if (google_ads.length > 1) { ad_unit += ''; } } document.getElementById("ad_unit").innerHTML += ad_unit; google_adnum += google_ads.length; return; } var google_adnum = 0; google_ad_client = "pub-6743622525202572"; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '1'; google_feedback = "on"; google_ad_type = "text"; google_adtest = "on"; google_image_size = '230x105'; google_skip = '0'; // -->

Subscribe Today to the Monitor

Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of
The Christian Science Monitor
Weekly Digital Edition

Despite a two-year rebellion that has seen 70,000 deaths and 1 million refugees, Iran has not veered from its staunch support for Syria?s embattled President Bashar al-Assad, whose?regime it considers a critical piece of its anti-US, anti-Israel "axis of resistance."

The Arab League's decision set a ?dangerous precedent? that would only ?add to the problems,? warned Iran?s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi. It would even ?bring an end to the [Arab League?s] role in the region,? asserted his deputy, Hossein Amir?Abdollahian.

The Iranian complaints are the diplomatic side of an on-the-battlefield proxy war in Syria, with both sides reportedly receiving a surge of weapons from outside powers in recent months.?Iranian military and financial support for Mr. Assad has been stepped up with near-weekly flights?(and Russia still continues normal sales to its ally). Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, meanwhile, have ferried fresh weaponry to the rebels, with CIA support.

United Nations envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi says the Syrian conflict is becoming a ?playground for competing regional forces.?

As the mish-mash of rebel forces capture more ground, more regime military bases and hardware, and key civilian targets, few analysts predict that Assad?s regime will survive in its current form, or that Syria?s longstanding ruler will be alive when it is over. Even Iran, despite its unbending public support for Assad, appears?to be preparing for a post-Assad world.

"Iran so far was successful; without Iran's money and strategic help, Assad would have fallen much earlier," says Mehdi Khalaji, an Iran specialist at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. "But in terms of policy, they have a Plan B?. So even if Assad falls, to some extent Iran would be able to protect its interests."

'Plan B'?

That plan may hinge on a pro-regime militia Iran helped to create called Jaysh al-Shabi. The militia could protect Syria's Alawites ? the Shiite Muslim offshoot to which Assad and much of his regime belong ? if they are relegated to only a portion of the country?in northwest Syria, along the coast to the border with Lebanon.?

It's possible that no side will gain a decisive advantage and, with all sides backed by powerful international friends, the country will break along sectarian and ethnic fault lines, with Alawite and Kurdish sections, and a larger Sunni portion.?

Since its 1979 Islamic revolution,?Iran has used Syria as a conduit for weapons, cash, and support for the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah,?and later?Hamas and Islamic Jihad,?all of which form a frontline against Israel. If Assad falls, Iran could lose that channel.?

Iran?s Revolutionary Guard commander has been quoted as saying that the?Jaysh al-Shabi, a mix of Shiite and Alawite groups, is modeled after Iran?s ideological Basij militia,?a large volunteer force that has been used to quell street unrest. Senior US officials, who added Jaysh al-Shabi to its list of sanctioned groups last December,?have described it as ?an Iran-Hezbollah joint venture.?

?In terms of propaganda, no, I think the Iranians in the near future would not admit this possibility [of Assad falling],? says Mr. Khalaji.

But Iran's Plan B with the pro-regime militia means that even if Assad is removed, as long as an Alawite enclave continues to exist in Syria, Iran may still manage to maintain direct links with militant groups. "By helping them, [Iran would] make sure that some part of Syria can be used as a bridge to reach Lebanon and the Palestinian territories," adds Khalaji."

Gulf, West come together

At the Arab League meeting in Doha, Qatar, countering any Iranian support for the Assad regime may have been behind the readiness to recognize the anti-government coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people.

?We demand ? all forms of support from our friends and brothers, including our full right for self-defense,? said Syrian opposition chief Moaz al-Khatib after taking Syria's seat at the Arab League meeting.?

That has reportedly?been happening already. The airlifting of military aid?by?Arab governments and Turkey to Syrian rebels?with CIA help??expanded into a steady and much heavier flow late last year,? The New York Times reported on March 24. According to the Times, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar ??Sunni Muslim nations wary of Iranian influence in the region ? have carried out?160 military-style cargo flights?bringing weaponry to Turkey and Jordan, from which the weapons are smuggled into Syria.?

?The intensity and frequency of these [weapons] flights are suggestive of a well-planned and coordinated clandestine military logistics operation,? Hugh Griffiths of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute told the Times.?

Not enough

Likewise, Iran has ?significantly stepped up? military support for Assad, according to a mid-March report by Reuters.?

The Iranian effort ?suggests the Syrian war is entering a new phase in which Iran may be trying to end the battlefield stalemate by redoubling its commitment to Assad? and giving the regime a ?crucial lifeline,? Reuters reported, citing Western diplomats and a Western intelligence report from last September.

The intelligence report described shipments, primarily through Iraqi airspace, ranging from communications gear and drone parts to ?advanced strategic weapons? such as shore-to-sea missiles and ballistic missiles.

?None of this will be decisive; Assad will lose,? says Kenneth Katzman, an analyst for the Congressional Research Service in Washington. ?You?re not going to change the outcome unless you are shipping big-ticket items, which I don?t think anybody is.?

Assad?s military stores are slowly being eroded: Helicopters and planes have been shot down, and many tanks have been taken out?and some captured by rebels and turned against government forces.?

The Iranians "can?t do much more, because to do more would risk getting things captured and exposed," says Mr. Katzman.??To some extent the [Iranian] mentality is the same as Assad?s mentality: Just be tough, show as much strength as possible, and you?re going to be able to?power through it. I think they?ve?overestimated their ability to save Assad.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/VsdYlkY-mfg/Iran-s-support-for-Syria-still-appears-strong-but-is-it-hedging-its-bets

Big Tex Sweetest Day optimal Samantha Steele Espn goog Sylvia Kristel st louis cardinals

Actress Ashley Judd won't run for US Senate

FILE - In this Nov. 1, 2008 file photo, actress Ashley Judd, a Kentucky native, speaks at a Democratic get-out-the-vote rally in Louisville, Ky. Judd announced Wednesday she won't run for U.S. Senate in Kentucky against Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, saying she had given serious thought to a campaign but decided her responsibilities and energy need to be focused on her family. (AP Photo/Brian Bohannon, File)

FILE - In this Nov. 1, 2008 file photo, actress Ashley Judd, a Kentucky native, speaks at a Democratic get-out-the-vote rally in Louisville, Ky. Judd announced Wednesday she won't run for U.S. Senate in Kentucky against Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, saying she had given serious thought to a campaign but decided her responsibilities and energy need to be focused on her family. (AP Photo/Brian Bohannon, File)

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) ? Actress Ashley Judd announced Wednesday she won't run for U.S. Senate in Kentucky against Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, saying she had given serious thought to a campaign but decided her responsibilities and energy need to be focused on her family.

The former Kentucky resident tweeted her decision.

"Regretfully, I am currently unable to consider a campaign for the Senate. I have spoken to so many Kentuckians over these last few months who expressed their desire for a fighter for the people & new leader," Judd wrote.

"While that won't be me at this time, I will continue to work as hard as I can to ensure the needs of Kentucky families are met by returning this Senate seat to whom it rightfully belongs: the people & their needs, dreams, and great potential. Thanks for even considering me as that person & know how much I love our Commonwealth. Thank you!"

Her publicist Cara Tripicchio confirmed Judd's decision.

The 44-year-old Judd had hinted last week that she was nearing a decision about the race.

Now living in suburban Nashville, Tenn., Judd has said little publicly about her intentions. However, she has been meeting with several Democratic leaders, including Gov. Steve Beshear, to discuss a possible run.

Defeating McConnell would be the Democrats' biggest prize of the 2014 election. His seat is one of 14 that Republicans are defending while Democrats try to hold onto 21, hoping to retain or add to their 55-45 edge.

The star of such films as "Double Jeopardy" and "Kiss the Girls" is known for her liberal political views and she would have been running in a largely conservative state where Republicans hold both Senate seats and five of the six seats in the U.S. House.

Former State Treasurer Jonathan Miller, a Judd supporter, said she would have been a strong candidate.

"As a Kentuckian and someone who was really enthusiastic about her as a candidate, this wasn't the news I was hoping for," Miller said. "But as her friend, from the first time we talked about the race last summer, I was very candid about the grueling nature of politics. It's become a very unpleasant business and running against Mitch McConnell would be an extraordinarily difficult and grueling experience."

McConnell, who spent some $20 million on his last election and who has already raised $10 million for the next one, had already been taunting would-be Democratic challengers in a comical online video intended to raise second thoughts about taking on a politician known as brawler. The video plays on the fact that Judd lives in Tennessee.

Republican-leaning group American Crossroads in its own online video also plays on the Tennessee angle and ties her closely to President Barack Obama, who is unpopular in Kentucky.

University of Louisville political scientist Laurie Rhodebeck said Judd certainly wasn't frightened out of the race.

"She doesn't strike me as a shrinking violet," Rhodebeck said. "I think the real issue would be how much disruption she wanted in her life. This was the kind of thing that she would have to throw herself into 100 percent in order to make it worthwhile."

Judd and three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti separated early this year after marrying in his native Scotland in 2001.

Judd's decision not to enter the race leaves the Democratic Party in search of a candidate. Many of Kentucky's top Democrats, including Beshear, have said they won't run. However, a rising star within the party, Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes, hasn't ruled the race out. Grimes declined comment Wednesday evening through her spokeswoman, Lynn Sowards Zellen.

___

Associated Press writer Janet Cappiello contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-03-27-Kentucky%20Senate-Ashley%20Judd/id-6e00fd2da91c4fc196b2c7a208a5bf4c

Emanuel Steward college board nyc.gov SAT Notre Dame Football Schedule detroit tigers Tsunami

Spam blocking group reports major cyberattack

Mar 26 (Reuters) - Leading money winners on the 2013 PGATour on Monday (U.S. unless stated): 1. Tiger Woods $3,787,600 2. Brandt Snedeker $2,859,920 3. Matt Kuchar $2,154,500 4. Steve Stricker $1,820,000 5. Phil Mickelson $1,650,260 6. Hunter Mahan $1,553,965 7. John Merrick $1,343,514 8. Dustin Johnson $1,330,507 9. Russell Henley $1,313,280 10. Kevin Streelman $1,310,343 11. Keegan Bradley $1,274,593 12. Charles Howell III $1,256,373 13. Michael Thompson $1,254,669 14. Brian Gay $1,171,721 15. Justin Rose $1,155,550 16. Jason Day $1,115,565 17. Chris Kirk $1,097,053 18. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/spam-blocking-group-reports-major-cyberattack-150657992--finance.html

global payments eli young band wrestlemania country music awards 2012 wrestlemania 28 results earl scruggs game of thrones

Scientists image deep magma beneath Pacific seafloor volcano

Mar. 27, 2013 ? Since the plate tectonics revolution of the 1960s, scientists have known that new seafloor is created throughout the major ocean basins at linear chains of volcanoes known as mid-ocean ridges. But where exactly does the erupted magma come from?

Researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego now have a better idea after capturing a unique image of a site deep in the Earth where magma is generated.

Using electromagnetic technology developed and advanced at Scripps, the researchers mapped a large area beneath the seafloor off Central America at the northern East Pacific Rise, a seafloor volcano located on a section of the global mid-ocean ridges that together form the largest and most active chain of volcanoes in the solar system. By comparison, the researchers say the cross-section area of the melting region they mapped would rival the size of San Diego County.

Details of the image and the methods used to capture it are published in the March 28 issue of the journal Nature.

"Our data show that mantle upwelling beneath the mid-ocean ridge creates a deeper and broader melting region than previously thought," said Kerry Key, lead author of the study and an associate research geophysicist at Scripps. "This was the largest project of its kind, enabling us to image the mantle with a level of detail not possible with previous studies."

The northern East Pacific Rise is an area where two of the planet's tectonic plates are spreading apart from each another. Mantle rising between the plates melts to generate the magma that forms fresh seafloor when it erupts or freezes in the crust.

Data for the study was obtained during a 2004 field study conducted aboard the research vessel Roger Revelle, a ship operated by Scripps and owned by the U.S. Navy.

The marine electromagnetic technology behind the study was originally developed in the 1960s by Charles "Chip" Cox, an emeritus professor of oceanography at Scripps, and his student Jean Filloux. In recent years the technology was further advanced by Steven Constable and Key. Since 1995 Scripps researchers have been working with the energy industry to apply this technology to map offshore geology as an aid to exploring for oil and gas reservoirs.

"We have been working on developing our instruments and interpretation software for decades, and it is really exciting to see it all come together to provide insights into the fundamental processes of plate tectonics," said Constable, a coauthor of the paper and a professor in the Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics at Scripps. "It was really a surprise to discover that melting started so deep in the mantle -- much deeper than was expected."

Key believes the insights that electromagnetics provides will continue to grow as the technology matures and data analysis techniques improve (last week Key and his colleagues announced the use of electromagnetics in discovering a magma lubricant for the planet's tectonic plates).

"Electromagnetics is really coming of age as a tool for imaging the earth," said Key. "Much of what we know about the crust and mantle is a result of using seismic techniques. Now electromagnetic technology is offering promise for further discoveries."

Key also has future plans to apply electromagnetic technology to map subglacial lakes and groundwater in the polar regions.

In addition to Key and Constable, coauthors of the paper include Lijun Liu of the University of Illinois and Anne Pommier of Arizona State University.

The study was supported by the National Science Foundation and the Seafloor Electromagnetic Methods Consortium at Scripps.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California - San Diego.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Kerry Key, Steven Constable, Lijun Liu, Anne Pommier. Electrical image of passive mantle upwelling beneath the northern East Pacific Rise. Nature, 2013; 495 (7442): 499 DOI: 10.1038/nature11932

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/T6Jk5OU8X88/130327144127.htm

Caster Semenya Medal Count 2012 Olympics victoria beckham London 2012 rhythmic gymnastics Meteor Shower August 2012 jessie j jessie j

Obama, GOP senators plan a second dinner

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama is keeping up his congressional charm offensive, with a second dinner with Senate Republicans planned for next month.

Obama dined with a dozen GOP senators earlier this month at a hotel near the White House. The dinner was aimed in part at seeing whether the parties could restart talks on a grand budget bargain that has eluded them throughout Obama's presidency.

The president arranged next month's dinner during a phone call with Georgia's Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson. The senator is putting together the guest list for the April 10 outing.

Obama followed up his first dinner with three straight days of visits to Capitol Hill for separate meetings with Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-03-27-Obama-Republicans/id-fe7e36b40c1e4231913c1978ed6ccf5c

Sam Mikulak London 2012 diving Tim Berners-Lee Olympics 2012 Schedule Kenneth Branagh Lupe Ontiveros London 2012 China

Pope reluctant to be pope: What does it mean?

Pope Francis, bottom left, greets the faithful at the end of his general audience, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. Francis has called for an end to the violence and looting that has accompanied the weekend coup in the Central African Republic in his first such appeal for peace since becoming pope. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis, bottom left, greets the faithful at the end of his general audience, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. Francis has called for an end to the violence and looting that has accompanied the weekend coup in the Central African Republic in his first such appeal for peace since becoming pope. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis is given a paper cut-out heart with writing reading "Hurray Pope Francis" as he driven through the crowd during his general audience, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis kisses a baby handed to him as he is driven through the crowd during his general audience, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis is driven through the crowd during his first general audience, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. Francis has called for an end to the violence and looting that has accompanied the weekend coup in the Central African Republic in his first such appeal for peace since becoming pope. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis' ring is seen as he delivers his blessing as he is driven through the crowd during his general audience, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

VATICAN CITY (AP) ? He still goes by "Bergoglio" when speaking to friends, seems reluctant to call himself pope and has decided to live in the Vatican hotel rather than the grand papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace.

It might seem as if Pope Francis is in a bit of denial over his new job as leader of the world's 1.2-billion Catholics. Or perhaps he's simply changing the popular idea of what it means to be pope, keeping the no-frills style he cultivated as archbishop of Buenos Aires in ways that may have broad implications for the church.

The world has already seen how Francis has cast aside many trappings of the papacy, refusing to don the red velvet cape Benedict XVI wore for official occasions and keeping the simple, iron-plated pectoral cross he used as bishop and archbishop.

On Thursday, his belief that a pope's job is to serve the world's lowliest will be on display when he washes the feet of a dozen young inmates at a juvenile detention center in Rome. Previous popes have celebrated the Holy Thursday ritual, which re-enacts Christ's washing of his disciples' feet before his crucifixion, by washing the feet of priests in one of Rome's most ornate basilicas.

Such moves hint, even at this early stage, only two weeks into his papacy, at an apparent effort by Francis to demystify the office of pope.

Unlike his predecessors, he doesn't sign his name "Pope Francis," ending his official correspondence simply "Francis."

To those closest he is still Bergoglio, and this week, Italian state radio broadcast a voice mail he left wishing a friend Happy Birthday. "It's Bergoglio," the pope said, using the surname he was born with.

Even on Day One, Francis didn't acknowledge he was pope.

Speaking on the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica after his election the night of March 13, Francis told the tens of thousands gathered there that the cardinals' task during the conclave had been to "give Rome a bishop."

And bishop of Rome is the title he has emphasized repeatedly ever since ? not vicar of Christ, or any of his other official titles.

"I do think there is something about trying to reduce the awesomeness, the grandeur and majesty of the papacy," said John Allen Jr., Vatican columnist for the National Catholic Reporter. "Part of this is just his personality. He's never liked pomp and circumstance."

Indeed. Even after he became Argentina's top church official in 2001, the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio never lived in the ornate church mansion that Pope John Paul II stayed in when visiting, preferring simple rooms in a downtown building, warmed by a small stove on frigid weekends when the heat was turned off. He did his own cooking and rode the bus to get around town.

In that same vein, Francis announced this week that he wasn't moving into the papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace and would stay instead in the Vatican's Santa Marta residence, the antiseptically clean, institutional-style hotel where he and the 114 cardinals who elected him pope were sequestered during the conclave.

Calling the hotel home, Francis indicated that he wants to live in a community with ordinary folk, not the gilded cage of the Apostolic Palace.

He will eat in the common dining room as he has for the past two weeks, and celebrate 7 a.m. Mass in the hotel chapel as he has each day, inviting Vatican gardeners, street sweepers, hotel workers and newspaper staff to attend.

The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said the decision to stay put in the hotel had been taken "for now."

"We'll see how it works," he said.

In one concession, Francis did move in recent days from the hotel's cramped Room 207, where he had stayed as cardinal, into Room 201, the larger papal suite, which has a study and sitting room to receive guests. The furnishings are a step up from the simple fare of the rest of the hotel: dark wood armoires and a bed with a matching headboard carved with an image of Christ's face.

Francis' initial refusal to move into the hotel's papal suite is perhaps understandable, given the reluctance with which he accepted the job in the first place.

On Wednesday, the Vatican revealed what Francis said in the Sistine Chapel when he was formally asked if he accepted the outcome of the vote. "I am a big sinner. Trusting in the mercy and patience of God, in suffering, I accept," he answered.

The decision not to take up residence in the Apostolic Palace might also signal a desire to keep his distance from the dysfunctional Vatican government Francis has inherited. One of his major tasks will be to rid the Vatican bureaucracy of the mismanagement, petty turf battles and allegations of corruption that were revealed in leaks of papal documents last year.

Francis does go to work each day at his "office" in the Apostolic Palace, where he meets with various Vatican officials. He uses the ornate Clementine Hall for larger audiences, such as his first formal addresses to representatives of the world's religions and the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See.

In his March 20 audience with religious leaders, Francis sent an important signal about his view of the papacy and its relationship with other Christians. He addressed the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, as "my brother" ? a fraternal nod to a church that split from Rome 1,000 years ago and has remained separated in part over disputes about the primacy of the pope.

To make that message abundantly clear, Francis' chair was on the ground ? the same level as all the other religious leaders ? and not on a raised platform. Two days later, when Francis greeted diplomats accredited to the Holy See, his chair was up on a platform.

"To have a simpler view, less grandiose sense of the trappings of the papacy might be saying, 'I want to be able to relate to you at a different level,'" said Anton Vrame of the Greek Orthodox archdiocese in the U.S.

Francis' gestures, choices and emphasis were clearly an indication of his personality and the simplicity for which Jesuits are known, Vrame said.

"Is it a further simplification of the papacy that we've seen over the years? Potentially. It remains to be seen," he said.

___

Follow Nicole Winfield at www.twitter.com/nwinfield

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-03-27-EU-Vatican-Reluctant-Pope?/id-e5a7180b15934e7f8474a74d1e251640

steve smith zou bisou bisou tim tebow press conference tebow press conference trina rob dyrdek oberon

UK says efficiency steps to cut 11 percent from power bill rise by 2020

By Susanna Twidale

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's government said household energy bills were headed for an 18 percent increase by 2020 but its policies promoting domestic energy efficiency, including its so-called Green Deal, would make the rise significantly smaller.

The average British household could face an energy bill of 1,496 pounds per year by 2020, according to a report published by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) on Wednesday, up from the 1,267 pounds it expects homes to pay this year.

If government schemes such as the Green Deal, which helps pay for energy saving home improvements, are successful, the average 2020 bill will be 11 percent cheaper than this forecast, the report said.

"With policies, bills are still going to go up, but they are going to go up by a lot less," energy and climate change secretary Ed Davey said at a briefing for journalists ahead of the report's publication.

The Green Deal is one of several government policies now in place that include plans to roll out smart meters - indicating which appliances use most power - replace inefficient boilers and encourage energy suppliers to help pay for roof insulations.

Overall these measures will knock 452 pounds from the average bill in 2020, DECC said, although this saving will be reduced to 166 pounds by the cost of other government schemes to boost renewable generation and levies on carbon emissions.

Britain's government came under criticism last year when each of the country's big six energy providers ramped up bills by up to 10 percent, blaming soaring wholesale gas prices.

British wholesale gas prices surged to a record high last Friday after one of its main gas import pipelines shut down unexpectedly. Davey said companies would not be able to use this as an excuse to up the cost for households.

"We will make it clear to energy suppliers that this is just a cold, temporary snap and is no excuse for putting up energy bills," he said.

(Reporting by Susanna Twidale; Editing by Anthony Barker)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uk-says-efficiency-steps-cut-11-percent-power-000325864.html

anchorman 2 kentucky basketball oaksterdam the fray national anthem dallas tornado oikos kentucky wildcats

Video: Not just the East's beasts

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/21134540/vp/51354436#51354436

odds of winning mega millions mary mary sag aftra merger dj am bully bohemian rhapsody bohemian rhapsody

Autocinetrip: Getting Your Car Fixed: Tips And Tricks

Having to get your vehicle repaired can be quite frustrating. It may be hard to find a good auto repair service that you can trust. This article should help you find a reliable automotive service in your car repaired right.

The weight of a big key chain. If your key begins to stick, then you must get rid of all the extra stuff attached to your keys.

Find a mechanic who is already familiar with your vehicle.Ask them about their experience; find out if they have experience with your make and model.

Always try to figure out the problem with your car's problems yourself before trying to get it repaired. You probably already know that certain mechanics will come with lies to charge you more.

Never underestimate the value of keeping an emergency kit handy. This kit should consist of tire changing tools, changing your tire, etc.

Just because the days are colder doesn't mean you shouldn't wash your vehicle. Winter can be the most damage causing time of the year for your car with constant precipitation. Salt and sand lead to rust spots and abrasions.

Find out what the certifications awarded to mechanics.If you can, try to locate an auto technician that is certified by your state and the A.S.E.

Don't forget to factor in convenience is unnecessary when getting someone to repair shop to choose. Some garages or dealerships offer free shuttle service to drive you home and pick you up.

You don't always need a repair-person for your car. Some car repairs are simple and do not need to be taken to the auto shop. If the job is a simple one, try it yourself.

Referrals are your best best when searching for finding an auto mechanic. Ask around for their recommendations. You can gain information about price and value that way. People can tell you know what kind of experience they had and whether the person was honest.

You can replace your oil or top up your windshield fluid compartment. It is a common misnomer that you need a mechanic's services to attend to these routine jobs should be left to the professionals. You should learn how to do the work, and then you can grease up those hands.

Know what the lights stand for on your dashboard and be aware of when they go off. These lights give you know when something is wrong with your car. Ignoring them for extended periods of time will only make the problem go away.

You don't necessarily have to visit your dealership if repairs are needed. There are a great shop 10 minutes from your house or whether you to chose from. Find a mechanic who you are comfortable with and reliable.

Every owner has to get their vehicle fixed once in a while, it's unavoidable. The information that has been provided to you here will come in useful the next time vehicle repairs are required. Working with a respected company can ensure that you get good work done.

Source: http://autocinetrip.blogspot.com/2013/03/getting-your-car-fixed-tips-and-tricks.html

gary carter this means war bobby brown suzanne somers colbert colbert report legionnaires disease

Justices wary of broad ruling endorsing gay marriage

By Lawrence Hurley and David Ingram

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Supreme Court justices signaled on Tuesday that they are reluctant to embrace a broad ruling finding a fundamental right to marriage for gays and lesbians across the United States.

As sign-waving demonstrators massed outside, the court completed more than an hour of oral argument on whether to let stand a California ban on same-sex marriage without indicating a clear path forward.

Swing vote Justice Anthony Kennedy raised concerns about the court entering "uncharted waters" on an issue that divides the states.

Kennedy even raised the prospect of the court dismissing the case, a relatively unusual move that would leave intact a federal Appeals Court ruling that struck down the law, known as Proposition 8.

In a similar vein, Justice Samuel Alito also urged caution, noting that gay marriage as a concept is "newer than cellphones and the Internet."

None of the justices indicated support for the Obama administration's favored solution, which would strike down Proposition 8 and require the other eight states that already recognize civil unions or domestic partnerships to allow gays and lesbians to marry.

Earlier in the argument, the justices probed lawyers on both sides on the technical issue of whether California opponents of gay marriage had a right to be heard in federal court.

Although there was no apparent consensus on that point, if the court were to find the proponents did not have standing it would not reach the merits and then the federal District Court ruling that struck down Proposition 8 would be left intact.

U.S. citizens in general do not have a right to sue to enforce laws they favor. Chief Justice John Roberts pressed lawyer Charles Cooper, who represents gay marriage opponents, on why his clients are any different as they seek to enforce Proposition 8.

"I don't think we've ever allowed anything like that," Roberts said.

Prior to expressing his doubts about whether the court should decide the case, Kennedy pressed Cooper on the "imminent legal injury" facing almost 40,000 California children being raised by gay and lesbian couples. "They want their parents to have full recognition and full status," he said.

Cooper, facing a barrage of questions mostly from the Supreme Court's liberal wing, called California's law the equivalent of a "pause button."

Solicitor General Donald Verrilli, arguing on behalf of the Obama administration in support of striking down the law, said the California ban was not a "pause button" but a "delete button."

On Wednesday, the court will consider the 1996 federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which limits the definition of marriage to opposite-sex couples. Rulings in both cases are expected by the end of June.

(To follow oral arguments both days, visit the Reuters live blog at http://reut.rs/scotus1)

(Reporting by Lawrence Hurley and David Ingram; Additional reporting by Joseph Ax and Joan Biskupic; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh, Howard Goller and Eric Beech)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-justices-gay-marriage-first-time-051006399.html

Johnny Pesky spice girls justin theroux Bumbo recall USA Basketball taio cruz taio cruz

Wall Street rises at open after data

Mar 26 (Reuters) - Leading money winners on the 2013 PGATour on Monday (U.S. unless stated): 1. Tiger Woods $3,787,600 2. Brandt Snedeker $2,859,920 3. Matt Kuchar $2,154,500 4. Steve Stricker $1,820,000 5. Phil Mickelson $1,650,260 6. Hunter Mahan $1,553,965 7. John Merrick $1,343,514 8. Dustin Johnson $1,330,507 9. Russell Henley $1,313,280 10. Kevin Streelman $1,310,343 11. Keegan Bradley $1,274,593 12. Charles Howell III $1,256,373 13. Michael Thompson $1,254,669 14. Brian Gay $1,171,721 15. Justin Rose $1,155,550 16. Jason Day $1,115,565 17. Chris Kirk $1,097,053 18. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/wall-street-rises-open-data-133444347--finance.html

gisele bundchen tom brady randy travis arrested dickens greg kelly cujo karen handel hangout

TUI and miners lead FTSE higher

By Alistair Smout

LONDON (Reuters) - The blue chip shares rose in early trade on Wednesday, building on the previous session's gains and an overnight rise on Wall Street spurred by encouraging U.S. economic data.

Investors though were still awaiting details on Cyprus's plans to impose capital controls and that kept trading across the market in a relatively tight range.

TUI Travel, the world's biggest tour operator led the blue chip index higher, jumping 3.5 percent after it said it was confident of hitting the top end of profit guidance for 2013 after a strong finish to winter trading and rising summer bookings.

On a sectoral basis, however, it was the miners who were the top risers, gaining 1.4 percent as commodity-related stocks added 8.3 points to the index. ENRC rose 3.3 percent, rebounding after a writedown made it the top FTSE faller on Tuesday, with traders citing renewed takeover speculation.

"There's been more takeover chatter with ENRC, and with the U.S. market picking up overnight, that has a positive impact on the mining sector," Mike McCudden, head of derivatives at stockbroker Interactive Investor, said.

By 0902 GMT, the FTSE 100 was up 7.83 points, or 0.1 percent, at 6,407.20.

The market would also be watching out for a final reading of UK fourth-quarter GDP, due out at 0930 GMT.

The FTSE index gained 0.3 percent in the previous session, and the Dow Jones hit a fresh record close overnight, after encouraging U.S. durable goods and house price data.

However, the broad index remained stuck in a 120 point range that it has struggled to escape all month, even as it looks set for its 10th month of gains in March.

"The FTSE 100 remains in its 6,360-6,480 range while uncertainty prevails from Cyprus and mixed messages continue to emerge from those deciding the fate of the island nation and more importantly the future way of doing things in the euro zone," Mike van Dulken, head of research at Accendo Markets, said.

"Over the longer term, the three-month graph maintains its upward bias, with support at 6,350, however, resistance is still likely around Monday's highs of 6,460."

Continued concerns over the controversial bailout of Cyprus took the wind out of financials, with Royal Bank of Scotland, which is heavily exposed to the euro zone, falling 2.1 percent.

The bank also suffered after Citigroup cut its target price on the stock, which was the biggest faller on the index.

Cyprus is set to complete capital controls on Wednesday to prevent a run on the banks by depositors anxious about their savings.

In the bond market, concerns over Cyprus fuelled an appetite for low-risk assets ahead of an Italian debt auction.

"With ongoing concern over peripheral euro zone debt, there's not any good news stories out there surrounding the banks," McCudden said.

Shares going ex-dividend shaved an extra 3.1 points off the index, as British Land, B Sky B, Prudential, Schroders and Smiths Group all traded without entitlement to their latest dividend payout.

(Editing by Susan Fenton)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tui-travel-fuels-further-gains-ftse-081213587--finance.html

gary carter dies oolong tea survivor one world lil kim progeria what will my baby look like gary carter died

Obama designates five new national monuments (Washington Post)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/294552216?client_source=feed&format=rss

guild wars 2 adrian gonzalez Jerry Nelson Foo Canoodle Isaac path Tropical Storm Isaac path