Vitamin D may reduce risk of uterine fibroids

Apr. 15, 2013 ? Women who had sufficient amounts of vitamin D were 32 percent less likely to develop fibroids than women with insufficient vitamin D, according to a study from researchers at the National Institutes of Health.

Fibroids, also known as uterine leiomyomata, are noncancerous tumors of the uterus. Fibroids often result in pain and bleeding in premenopausal women, and are the leading cause of hysterectomy in the United States.

The study of 1,036 women, aged 35-49, living in the Washington, D.C., area from 1996 to 1999, was led by Donna Baird, Ph.D., a researcher at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of NIH. Baird and her collaborators at The George Washington University and the Medical University of South Carolina screened participants for fibroids using ultrasound. They used blood samples to measure the primary circulating form of vitamin D, known as 25-hydroxy D. Those with more than 20 nanograms per milliliter of 25-hydroxy D were categorized as sufficient, though some experts think even higher levels may be required for good health. The body can make vitamin D when the skin is exposed to the sun, or vitamin D can come from food and supplements.

Study participants also completed a questionnaire on sun exposure. Those who reported spending more than one hour outside per day also had a decreased risk of fibroids. The estimated reduction was 40 percent. Although fewer black than white participants had sufficient 25-hydroxy D levels, the estimated reduction in prevalence of fibroids was about the same for both ethnic groups.

"It would be wonderful if something as simple and inexpensive as getting some natural sunshine on their skin each day could help women reduce their chance of getting fibroids," said Baird.

Baird also noted that, though the findings are consistent with laboratory studies, more studies in women are needed. Baird is currently conducting a study in Detroit to see if the findings from the Washington, D.C., study can be replicated.

Other NIEHS in-house researchers, led by Darlene Dixon, D.V.M., Ph.D., are learning more about fibroid development, by examining tissue samples from study participants who had surgery for fibroids.

"This study adds to a growing body of literature showing the benefits of vitamin D," said Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D., director of NIEHS and the National Toxicology Program.

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Journal Reference:

1. Baird DD, Hill MC, Schectman JM, Hollis BW. Vitamin D and the risk of uterine fibroids. Epidemiology, 2013

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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/health_medicine/nutrition/~3/oOZ-w-WON6Y/130415094453.htm

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Nanosponges soak up toxins released by bacterial infections and venom

Monday, April 15, 2013

Engineers at the University of California, San Diego have invented a "nanosponge" capable of safely removing a broad class of dangerous toxins from the bloodstream ? including toxins produced by MRSA, E. coli, poisonous snakes and bees. These nanosponges, which thus far have been studied in mice, can neutralize "pore-forming toxins," which destroy cells by poking holes in their cell membranes. Unlike other anti-toxin platforms that need to be custom synthesized for individual toxin type, the nanosponges can absorb different pore-forming toxins regardless of their molecular structures. In a study against alpha-haemolysin toxin from MRSA, pre-innoculation with nanosponges enabled 89 percent of mice to survive lethal doses.

Administering nanosponges after the lethal dose led to 44 percent survival.

The team, led by nanoengineers at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, published the findings in Nature Nanotechnology April 14.

"This is a new way to remove toxins from the bloodstream," said Liangfang Zhang, a nanoengineering professor at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering and the senior author on the study. "Instead of creating specific treatments for individual toxins, we are developing a platform that can neutralize toxins caused by a wide range of pathogens, including MRSA and other antibiotic resistant bacteria," said Zhang. The work could also lead to non-species-specific therapies for venomous snake bites and bee stings, which would make it more likely that health care providers or at-risk individuals will have life-saving treatments available when they need them most.

The researchers are aiming to translate this work into approved therapies. "One of the first applications we are aiming for would be an anti-virulence treatment for MRSA. That's why we studied one of the most virulent toxins from MRSA in our experiments," said "Jack" Che-Ming Hu, the first author on the paper. Hu, now a post-doctoral researcher in Zhang's lab, earned his Ph.D. in bioengineering from UC San Diego in 2011.

Aspects of this work will be presented April 18 at Research Expo, the annual graduate student research and networking event of the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering.

Nanosponges as Decoys

In order to evade the immune system and remain in circulation in the bloodstream, the nanosponges are wrapped in red blood cell membranes. This red blood cell cloaking technology was developed in Liangfang Zhang's lab at UC San Diego. The researchers previously demonstrated that nanoparticles disguised as red blood cells could be used to deliver cancer-fighting drugs directly to a tumor. Zhang also has a faculty appointment at the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center.

Engineers at the University of California, San Diego have invented a ?nanosponge? capable of safely removing a broad class of dangerous toxins from the bloodstream -- including toxins produced by MRSA, E. coli, poisonous snakes and bees. These nanosponges, which thus far have been studied in mice, can neutralize ?pore-forming toxins,? which destroy cells by poking holes in their cell membranes. Unlike other anti-toxin platforms that need to be custom synthesized for individual toxin type, the nanosponges can absorb different pore-forming toxins regardless of their molecular structures. In a study against alpha-haemolysin toxin from MRSA, pre-innoculation with nanosponges enabled 89 percent of mice to survive lethal doses. Administering nanosponges after the lethal dose led to 44 percent survival. Credit: UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering

Red blood cells are one of the primary targets of pore-forming toxins. When a group of toxins all puncture the same cell, forming a pore, uncontrolled ions rush in and the cell dies.

The nanosponges look like red blood cells, and therefore serve as red blood cell decoys that collect the toxins. The nanosponges absorb damaging toxins and divert them away from their cellular targets. The nanosponges had a half-life of 40 hours in the researchers' experiments in mice. Eventually the liver safely metabolized both the nanosponges and the sequestered toxins, with the liver incurring no discernible damage.

Each nanosponge has a diameter of approximately 85 nanometers and is made of a biocompatible polymer core wrapped in segments of red blood cells membranes.

Zhang's team separates the red blood cells from a small sample of blood using a centrifuge and then puts the cells into a solution that causes them to swell and burst, releasing hemoglobin and leaving RBC skins behind. The skins are then mixed with the ball-shaped nanoparticles until they are coated with a red blood cell membrane.

Just one red blood cell membrane can make thousands of nanosponges, which are 3,000 times smaller than a red blood cell. With a single dose, this army of nanosponges floods the blood stream, outnumbering red blood cells and intercepting toxins.

Based on test-tube experiments, the number of toxins each nanosponge could absorb depended on the toxin. For example, approximately 85 alpha-haemolysin toxin produced by MRSA, 30 stretpolysin-O toxins and 850 melittin monomoers, which are part of bee venom.

In mice, administering nanosponges and alpha-haemolysin toxin simultaneously at a toxin-to-nanosponge ratio of 70:1 neutralized the toxins and caused no discernible damage.

One next step, the researchers say, is to pursue clinical trials.

###

University of California - San Diego: http://www.ucsd.edu

Thanks to University of California - San Diego for this article.

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Icy therapy spot treats cancer in the lung

Apr. 14, 2013 ? Frozen balls of ice can safely kill cancerous tumors that have spread to the lungs, according to the first prospective multicenter trial of cryoablation. The results are being presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 38th Annual Scientific Meeting in New Orleans.

"Cryoablation has potential as a treatment for cancer that has spread to the lungs from other parts of the body and could prolong the lives of patients who are running out of options," said David A. Woodrum, M.D., Ph.D., an author of the study and interventional radiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. "We may not be able to cure the cancer, but with cryoablation we can at least slow it down significantly and allow patients to enjoy greater quality of life longer," he added. Metastatic lung disease is difficult to treat and often signals a poor prognosis for patients.

In the initial results of the study, called the ECLIPSE trial (Evaluating Cryoablation of Metastatic Lung/Pleura Tumors in Patients -- Safety and Efficacy), 22 subjects with a total of 36 tumors were treated with 27 cryoablation sessions. Cryoablation was 100 percent effective in killing those tumors at three-month follow-up. Follow-up at six months on 5 of the 22 patients (23 percent) showed the treated tumors to still be dead. Cryoablation is performed by an interventional radiologist using a small needle-like probe guided through a nick in the skin to cancerous tumors inside the lung under medical imaging guidance. These tumors have spread -- or metastasized -- to the lung from primary cancers in other areas of the body. Once in position, the tip of the instrument is cooled with gas to as low as minus 100 degrees Celsius. The resulting halo of ice crystals can destroy cancer by interrupting its cellular function, protecting nearby healthy, delicate lung tissue. Lung cryoablation has been promising in part due to the low periprocedural morbidity.

"Most of these patients can go home the day after their cryoablation treatment and resume their normal activities," Woodrum said, noting that researchers plan to continue to follow patients for up to five years. While cryoablation is being developed for the treatment of metastatic lung cancer, the future looks brighter for individuals who once had nowhere else to turn, said Woodrum, who was assisted in research by Frank Nichols, M.D. and Matthew R. Callstrom, M.D.

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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/VPMV3U_0EvY/130414121146.htm

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Woman dead, search suspended for man missing in Washington avalanches

NBC News

Sheriff's department at scene of avalanche.

By Craig Giammona, NBC News

One woman has now been declared dead while a 60-year-old man is still missing after a pair of avalanches? ripped through the mountains Saturday near Snoqualmie Pass in Washington state, authorities said.

The search for the missing man was suspended indefinitely Saturday night because of poor weather in the area, located about 50 miles east of Seattle, the King Country Sheriff's office said.

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Authorities said three men hiking to the summit of Granite Mountain, near exit 47 on I-90, were swept away in an avalanche that hit a little before 1 p.m. Saturday. NBC station KING in Seattle said the avalanche carried the men about 1,000 feet. Two of the three hikers were able to get free from the snow, but the third member of their group, a 60-year-old man, was not located and remains missing.

Snoqualmie Pass, located along I-90, is a popular skiing and snowshoeing destination.

In a separate incident Saturday afternoon, a woman died after being buried under five feet of snow when an avalanche hit near exit 52 off I-90. The incident occurred not long after the first avalanche in the area, authorities said.

A group of hikers snowshoeing in the area was caught in the avalanche Saturday. The members of that group were able to "self rescue," but realized the woman, who was walking nearby, was missing, officials said.

The group found the woman 45 minutes later buried in the snow and dug her out.

Authorities said the woman was "not moving and somewhat conscious" was she was rescued. Rescuers hiked for two hours to reach the woman and brought her out of the wilderness on a sled, authorities said. Medics eventually declared the woman dead.

The mountains in the area have been hit by spring snow in recent days, with a ski area at Snoqualmie Pass reporting 11 inches of new snow.

The Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center reported considerable avalanche danger above 3,000 feet Sunday. Westbound lanes of the Interstate-90 highway over the pass were closed Saturday night because of heavy snow.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/2ab4f7ac/l/0Lusnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A40C140C177481140Ewoman0Edead0Esearch0Esuspended0Efor0Eman0Emissing0Ein0Ewashington0Eavalanches0Dlite/story01.htm

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Close vote seen on background checks on gun buyers

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., becomes emotional as he meets in his office with families of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Conn., on the day he announced that they have reached reached a bipartisan deal on expanding background checks to more gun buyers, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, April 10, 2013. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., becomes emotional as he meets in his office with families of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Conn., on the day he announced that they have reached reached a bipartisan deal on expanding background checks to more gun buyers, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, April 10, 2013. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., left, meets in his office with families of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Conn., on the day he announced that he reached a bipartisan deal on expanding background checks to more gun buyers, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, April 10, 2013. From left are Manchin, Nelba Marquez-Greene, mother of victim Ana Marquez-Greene, and Mark and Jackie Barden, parents of victim Daniel Barden. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? A bipartisan Senate proposal to expand background checks for gun buyers gained the backing of one Republican and the potential support of a second Sunday as sponsors said the vote expected this week was too close to call.

The plan would "strengthen the background check system without in any way infringing on Second Amendment rights," Maine Sen. Susan Collins said in a statement explaining her support for the measure. But she added that "it is impossible to predict at this point" what will be in a final bill.

Arizona Sen. John McCain, who has a B+ rating from the National Rifle Association, said he was "very favorably disposed" to the proposal that has emerged from Sens. Patrick Toomey, R-Pa., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.

"I appreciate their work," McCain said. "And the American people want to do what we can to prevent these tragedies. And there's a lot more that needs to be done, particularly in the area of mental health."

It was in McCain's home state that a gunman with schizophrenia shot then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in the head during a 2011 rampage in Tucson that left six people killed.

Collins and Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois are the only two Republicans besides Toomey who are expected to vote for the compromise as of now.

It will take 60 votes to pass, meaning that more Republicans will have to come on board because some Democrats from gun-friendly states are expected to oppose the measure.

"It's an open question as to whether or not we have the votes. I think it's going to be close," Toomey said.

The measure requires background checks for people buying guns at gun shows and online. Background checks currently apply only to transactions handled by the country's 55,000 licensed gun dealers. Private transactions, such as a sale of a gun between family members, would still be exempt.

Manchin urged lawmakers to read the 49-page proposal. He said it should dispel any misconceptions about infringing on the constitutional right to bear arms.

"You can imagine for what, the last two or three months, that all you heard is they're going to take this away from you and that away," and all of the gun groups are trying to outdo each other, Manchin said Sunday on Fox News Channel. "And the bottom line is when you have a group now ? Alan Gottlieb, the chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, said, 'We read the bill, we like the bill' and it protects law-abiding gun owners like myself. And they are supporting it now. That is huge."

Gottlieb did not respond to a request Sunday to provide more details of the position taken by his group.

The senators' agreement actually includes language expanding firearms rights by easing some restrictions on transporting guns across state lines, protecting sellers from lawsuits if buyers passed a check but later used a gun in a crime and letting gun dealers conduct business in states where they don't live.

"If you are a law-abiding gun owner, you're going to like this bill," Manchin said.

He acknowledged the vote would be tight. Asked how many votes he thought he had now, Manchin said: "Well, we're close. We need more."

The compromise, if successful, would be added to broader gun control legislation to strengthen laws against illegal gun trafficking and to increase slightly school security aid.

Other additions to the legislation also are expected to be debated this week, including a measure that would allow concealed hand gun permits issued by one state to be accepted nationwide as a de facto background check.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said in news show interviews that concealed weapons permits should be applied nationally. He also called for more prosecution of people that are trying to buy guns and fail a background check.

The Senate is also expected to consider, and reject, Democratic amendments to ban assault weapons and ammunition magazines carrying more than 10 rounds.

Manchin and Toomey were on CNN's "State of the Union" and CBS' "Face the Nation." McCain was on CNN.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-04-14-Gun%20Control/id-a09813eecaaf4d1aa9cd9b969161ebb5

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Excerpts From Laurene Powell Jobs' First Interview Since The Death Of Steve Jobs

In the first interview since her husband’s death, Laurene Powell Jobs dedicated her sizable platform to advancing immigration reform, while remaining notably tight-lipped about the private life of the late Steve Jobs. We’ve included highlights (with context) from her interview with Rock Center host, Brian Williams. On Steve Jobs: “Pretty Cool” Legacy BRIAN WILLIAMS: It’s another way of saying we’re left with a world of really cool stuff. I always wanted to know what it was like to be a Kennedy and drive to Kennedy Airport; and what it’s like to be you at a light and watch ten people cross, and the only thing they have in common are white ear buds. What’s that like? LAURENE POWELL JOBS: It’s pretty cool. BRIAN WILLIAMS: (LAUGHS) It’s pretty cool. I mean, that changed our world. LAURENE POWELL JOBS: Yeah. To do what you wanna do, to leave a mark– in a way that you think is important and lasting, that’s a life well lived. On Immigration Reform Powell Jobs has been a vocal advocate of immigration reform, partnering with director Davis Guggenheim (Waiting For Superman, An Inconvenient Truth) on a documentary highlighting the struggles of talented, patriotic American youth who have been denied entrance into the military and college, because they are undocumented immigrants. To add public pressure for Congress to pass a bill that provides a pathway to citizenship for children of immigrants who came to America illegally, the film (trailer below) is accompanied by a grassroots campaign and website. BRIAN WILLIAMS: Climb into the minds of our viewers watching you guys on Friday night. So help us process this. How are we supposed to feel about their parents, who did do something bad? This is ill-gotten gains, because the first entry into this country was wrong. How are we supposed to feel about the bureaucracy we would now have to have just to hand Social Security numbers to our Marine, our civil engineer? LAURENE JOBS POWELL: Yes. It’s understandable that people are conflicted about this. And, yes, the parents broke the law. And so I think that’s why Congress is trying to find a way to make amends. So have them pay a penalty, have them pay back taxes. Have them wait for two decades in order to have the chance to have citizenship. I mean, there are penalties that can be brought out. But then you have someone

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/qtI-kckGb4w/

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'Harry Potter' Quidditch World Cup begins in Florida

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) ? Who says "Harry Potter" is just for the pages of books and movies?

Thanks to the brainchild of two college roommates eight years ago, the International Quidditch Association is staging its sixth World Cup event in Kissimmee beginning on Saturday, and bringing 80 worldwide teams to compete in a real-life version of the sport played by characters in the fictional series.

Other than not having the ability to fly on broomsticks, quidditch has grown from a grassroots fringe activity enjoyed by "Harry Potter" fans to one that both novices and diehards alike can enjoy.

Although he embraces the growth, the league's commissioner, Alex Benepe, says he is resisting the urge to take on sponsorships in hopes of keeping the sport's original community spirit intact.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/harry-potter-sport-stages-world-cup-florida-202944619.html

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10 Celebs Who Look (or Seem) Older Than They Are

Adele: 24

Kevin Mazur / WireImage

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/celebrities-ages-stars-who-look-older-they-are/1-a-532040?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Acelebrities-ages-stars-who-look-older-they-are-532040

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SuperBeam: Transfer files using Wifi Direct, NFC or QR codes

A great file transfer tool for power users

As advanced as modern mobile devices are, getting files from one phone or tablet to another can still be problematic. Cloud storage apps like Dropbox can clog up your Internet connection. The BlueTooth-based Android Beam is slow, and can only be used for certain items. And S Beam, though faster, is restricted to Samsung devices.

Enter SuperBeam, an app that aims to take advantage of a range of wireless technologies to juggle files between Android phones. The heavy lifting is done over Wifi or Wifi Direct, with an NFC connection or QR code being used to get things going.

First up, both devices must be running the SuperBeam app. Next, select the file you want to send -- either in the gallery app, or a file manager Astro or OI -- and choose SuperBeam. The app will then ask you if the device you're sending to is on the same network. If so, it'll send your bits over that network; if not, a Wifi Direct connection will eventually be established between the two.

From there you've got a few options. The easiest is NFC -- hold the two devices back-to-back and press the screen on the sending device. Alternatively you can use the "SuperBeam Scanner" app from the app drawer and scan the QR code on the sending device's screen.

Transfer speeds will depend on the Wifi capabilities of the devices (and infrastructure) you're using, but we got solid transfer rates of up to 20Mbps between our Nexus 4 and HTC One on a 5GHz Wifi N network. SuperBeam isn't as simple as S Beam or Android Beam, but its ability to transfer just about anything between just about any device makes it more versatile for power users. It's available for free on the Google Play Store for phones and tablets running Android 4.0 and above.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/RgBR1qEMXtA/story01.htm

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13 people killed in shooting spree in Serbia

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) ? A 60-year-old man gunned down 13 people, including six women and a child, as he went on a shooting spree from house to house in a quiet village near Belgrade on Tuesday before trying to kill himself and his wife, police and hospital officials said.

Belgrade emergency hospital spokeswoman Nada Macura said the 60-year-old man identified only as Ljubisa B. used a handgun in the rampage.

Villagers told Serbian reporters he first killed his son before leaving the house and shooting his neighbors, some of whom were still asleep.

Serbian police chief Milorad Veljovic said 12 people were killed on the spot, while one person died in a Belgrade hospital. He said the motive for the killings was not clear.

Although such apparent random shootings are rare in Serbia, weapons are readily available mostly from the war in the Balkans in the 1990s and there is a tradition of possessing firearms. Initial reports said the alleged killer had a license for the handgun he used in the shootings.

Macura said that after the shooting spree, the man tried to kill himself and his wife, who both were severely injured. Another person was also injured.

The killings happened between 5 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. in the village of Velika Ivanca, some 50 kilometers (30 miles) southeast of Belgrade.

Macura said that the alleged killer apparently had no history of mental illness.

Police blocked off the village while they investigated.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/13-people-killed-shooting-spree-serbia-065629795.html

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Traffic stops, restaurants shut down, as Israel remembers Holocaust

JERUSALEM (AP) ? Israel came to a standstill for two mournful minutes Monday as sirens pierced the air in an annual ritual to remember the 6 million Jews systematically murdered by German Nazis and their collaborators during the Holocaust in World War II.

Commemorations were being held around the country as Israel marked its annual Holocaust memorial day. The main wreath laying ceremony took place at the Yad Vashem memorial in Jerusalem. Visiting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres were among officials and Holocaust survivors in attendance.

"I am the only one who stayed alive, survived from all my family, about 100 people," said Zvi Shofet, a Holocaust survivor who participated in the ceremony.

When the sirens went off at 10 a.m., Israelis stopped what they were doing and stood in silence with their heads bowed. Traffic froze as drivers stopped their cars and stepped outside in a sign of respect.

At the Knesset, Israel's parliament, President Shimon Peres and other officials read names of loved ones who were murdered in the Holocaust.

Peres recited the names of his family members killed with 2,060 members of their community in August 1942 in the town of Vishneva, part of Poland before World War II and now in Belarus.

Nazis and their local accomplices rounded up the Jewish population and herded them into a wooden synagogue. Peres said his grandfather walked at the head of the community, wrapped in a prayer shawl, into the building.

The Nazis then shot at the structure and set it on fire, burning the people inside, Peres said.

The reading is an annual rite known as "Every Person Has a Name" that tries to break down the 6 million number into stories of individuals and families killed and communities destroyed. It also aims to counter those who deny the Holocaust happened.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day is marked worldwide on Jan. 27, the date of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp. Israel's annual Holocaust memorial day coincides with the Hebrew date of the Warsaw ghetto uprising.

This year's commemoration marked the 70-year anniversary of the ghetto uprising, a symbol of Jewish resistance against the Nazis in World War II that resonates deeply in Israel to this day.

The 1943 Warsaw ghetto uprising was the first large-scale rebellion against the Nazis in Europe and the single greatest act of Jewish resistance during the Holocaust. Though guaranteed to fail, it became a symbol of struggle against impossible conditions and inspired other acts of uprising and underground resistance.

Holocaust memorial day is one of the most solemn on Israel's calendar. Restaurants, cafes and places of entertainment are shut down, and radio and TV programming are dedicated almost exclusively to documentaries about the Holocaust, interviews with survivors and somber music.

Earlier in the day, Israel shut a crossing with Gaza after rockets were fired from the Hamas-ruled territory at southern Israel.

The military said it closed the Kerem Shalom terminal but another crossing would be open for humanitarian cases.

Israeli police said several rockets were fired from Gaza at Israel on Sunday evening as annual ceremonies were held across the country.

Israeli TV showed footage of people in the south of the country abandoning a Holocaust memorial ceremony and running for cover as the Code Red sirens wailed warning of incoming rockets. No injuries were caused by the rocket attack, police said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/israel-comes-standstill-remember-holocaust-071205041.html

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Facebook shows us what life can be like with Facebook Home front and center

You'll never be lonely when all your friends are just a tap away, but Facebook thinks you'll have more fun when they are right up front

A long plane ride is a pretty boring thing. Sure, you could get out your laptop and work, or keep handing over your plastic for those tiny bottles of entertainment, but Facebook has another idea -- with Facebook Home and the HTC First you can bring along all your friends. And cats.

While we imagine the average Facebook user's feed will be slightly different (and a lot less safe for work), this is a good ad that gets the idea across. I have a feeling we're going to see a lot more like it.

Source: YouTube

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/EPpFamzEzj4/story01.htm

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Weak jobs report may further slow stock market

Rodrigo Campos , Reuters ? ? ? 5 hrs.

NEW YORK ? The stock market's robust rally was slowing even before Friday's jobs report, but the red flag sent up by the weak data makes the path to more gains less secure.

It means the bulls will have to look to earnings for a way to keep the rally going. The S&P 500 hit an all-time closing high on Tuesday, but lately defensive stocks have been leading the charge, and notable growth indexes are slipping.

This rotation has many thinking the long-awaited market correction is nigh. A 3 percent decline in the Russell 2000 index this week seemed to be a confirmation of the trend.

"Momentum I think has been slowing a bit, and it would be interesting to see if this is just a one-session sell-off," said Bruce Zaro, chief technical strategist at Delta Global Asset Management in Boston, about Friday's decline.

In the first quarter, the benchmark's healthcare index added 15.2 percent and utilities gained 11.8 percent, besting the broad S&P 500's 10 percent gain.

The transition into defensive stocks may respond to investors' taking into account the effect of higher payroll taxes this year and the $85 billion in government spending cuts that started to trickle at the beginning of the year.

The shift is "a rotation into sectors less affected by a short-term slowdown in the consumer," said Eric Kuby, chief investment officer at North Star Investment Management Corp in Chicago.

Earnings hold the key
Earnings season starts in earnest next week, with the highlight coming from JPMorgan Chase & Co and Wells Fargo & Co on Friday. Details on Wells Fargo's earnings will be dissected for clues on the health of the housing market.

Overall, S&P 500 earnings are expected to have risen 1.5 percent last quarter, down from a 4.3 percent gain expected at the start of the year, according to Thomson Reuters data.

Investors "are really waiting for the earnings season on balance to disappoint," said Zaro.

Companies have caught up on the lowered expectations, and negative outlooks have been predominant ahead of earnings season. In fact, the negative-to-positive guidance ratio from S&P 500 companies is at its highest since the third quarter of 2001, according to Thomson Reuters data.

At 4.7, the ratio is the sixth-highest among 69 readings dating to 1996.

"Companies understand that since the economy is weak there's no reason to be a hero and give guidance you can't beat," said Nicholas Colas, chief market strategist at the ConvergEx Group in New York.

F5 Networks was the latest and one of the most dramatic examples of lowered earnings expectations. The network equipment maker partly blamed lower government sales for its profit warning late on Thursday, which erased almost a fifth of its market value on Friday.

In past quarters, revenue beats have taken the focus off the bottom line as investors were expecting the stronger economy to translate into more sales, but that may not be the case this time around.

"At this point earnings are going to be perhaps more important than revenues only because we know Q1 was only a so-so quarter for the economy," said Colas.

"It's not going to be a surprise if revenues are a little bit light. Where we really have to make sure the numbers work is at the earnings level."

Busy week for the Fed
The Federal Reserve could be next week's wild card. Indications of renewed support for loose monetary policy - or the slightest hint in the direction of tightening - have triggered wild moves in the market.

The minutes of the March FOMC meeting are due on Wednesday and market participants will look for insight into the debate regarding the amount and duration of bond purchases the U.S. central bank is executing monthly.

The hawkish argument - a reduction of stimulus - was dented by Friday's job report, so any mention of it in the minutes may not trigger panic. But more than a dozen speeches by various Fed officers next week could stir things up.

The economic reports calendar is light except for consumer data. Retailers are expected to post a 1.9 percent rise in sales for last month, compared with a gain of 2.9 percent in March last year when same-store sales figures are published Thursday.

The Commerce Department posts its own retail sales figures on Friday, followed by the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan survey of consumers.

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653351/s/2a6ec95f/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Cbusiness0Cweak0Ejobs0Ereport0Emay0Efurther0Eslow0Estock0Emarket0E1B9251746/story01.htm

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Online Marketing Strategies That Are Sure To Help Your Business ...

Posted on
April 7, 2013 by
Web Design Team in
Blog

You can greatly increase your profit by employing proper Online marketing techniques. The advantage is that when you market on the Internet, you have access to potential customers from the entire world. Learning how to optimize this resource is key to your success. For some great tips, take a look at the article below.

As with any business, it is crucial that you gain and maintain your customers? trust. Be sure to back up all claims with clear facts. Use testimonials, expert endorsements, and results on your site to promote your products.

You have everything you need to be successful with web marketing. You do not have to purchase high-end software or get-rich-quick programs. All that?s needed are your innate talents. Just work diligently and choose your marketing strategies carefully.

Strategic placement of ads is the cornerstone of Internet marketing. This can easily be accomplished by using a company such as Google AdSense. You just need to do the work of creating the ad up front, and let them do the rest of the work for you with the sharing of your information with potential customers afterward.

NOTE! One of the most effective ways to establish rapport with customers is to offer customized and relevant content that gives them a feeling of control. This is so important with a market filled with spam.

Internet marketing needs to be taken seriously and researched well. Choose a trustworthy admirable online mentor. Many of these people will also advise you for a fee. Another important consideration is to choose a proven technique, and make sure you follow it. The system may not show results right away, but it will pay off in the long run.

Start small when you are first setting out with marketing your product or service on a new website. When a site is overloaded with millions of indexed pages, search engines may pass over the site and target a page with fewer and more focused pages.

Make use of promotions to entice visitors to your site. Try offering discounted e-books for a couple days. When people see this limited time deal, they will likely buy and stick around your site. It is not unusual for such visitors to purchase other things that you have for sale on your website in addition to the e-book.

You need to keep the content on your site as up to date as you possibly can. Visitors who arrive at a site and find that the latest information available was posted months or even years ago are going to draw the wrong conclusions about your business?s current state of affairs. A site that is up-to-date and running well is inviting and encouraging for readers.

NOTE! Always make it a point to provide helpful answers to questions potential customers may have. People visit your website in a quest for further information.

The above advice will enable you to improve your web marketing efforts. Now, you just need to apply them to your business. Alterations may be in order to customize them to fit your own particular needs. Always continue to gain knowledge and try new ideas to be successful.

OK, we are nearly finished for today?

I am going to be able to write some additional marketing your business online techniques for you 24 hours from now. If anything is not clear, leave your thoughts in the box below and I?ll take a look at what can be done to get you back on track.

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Stewart Alexander
Stewart Alexander
CEO and Founder of Free Web Design Services

Source: http://www.freewebdesignservices.com/online-marketing-strategies-that-are-sure-to-help-your-business-grow/

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Ex-Goldman trader Taylor pleads guilty to wire fraud

By Lauren Tara LaCapra and Nate Raymond

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Ex-Goldman Sachs Group Inc trader Matthew M. Taylor pleaded guilty on Wednesday to defrauding the Wall Street bank with an unauthorized $8.3 billion futures trade in 2007, saying he exceeded internal risk limits and lied to supervisors to cover up his activities.

Taylor, 34, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in federal court in lower Manhattan on Wednesday morning, after voluntarily turning himself into federal authorities earlier in the day.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate pleaded guilty about four months after the Commodities Futures Trading Commission filed a civil complaint against him. The CFTC accused Taylor of fabricating trades to conceal a huge, unauthorized position in e-mini Standard & Poor's futures contracts, which bet on the direction of the S&P 500 index.

Taylor on Wednesday told U.S. District Judge William Pauley that his trading position at Goldman exceeded risk guidelines set by his supervisors "on the order of 10 times." He also admitted to making false statements to Goldman personnel who questioned him about the position, which led to a $118 million loss for Goldman Sachs.

"I am truly sorry," Taylor said.

'FAR EXCEEDED' RISK LIMITS

Taylor, who joined Goldman in 2005, worked in a 10-person group called the Capital Structure Franchise Trading (CSFT), and was responsible for equity derivatives trades.

After his trading profits plunged in late 2007, his supervisors told Taylor his bonus was going to be cut and instructed him to reduce risk-taking, the charging documents said.

Instead, he "amassed a position that far exceeded all trading and risk limits set by Goldman Sachs, not only for individual traders ... but for the entire CSFT desk," according to charging documents.

Taylor attempted to hide his actions by putting false information into a manual entry system, according to charging documents filed in his case. When supervisors and other employees confronted him about discrepancies compared with his actual positions, Taylor repeatedly lied, the document said.

In court, Taylor said he covertly built the position in an effort to restore his reputation and increase his bonus. He earned a $150,000 salary and expected a bonus of $1.6 million, according to court documents.

Taylor was fired from Goldman in December 2007, shortly after the incident, according to brokerage industry records. He then took a job at Morgan Stanley , where he had first worked after graduating from MIT, but left that firm again last summer.

Prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence of 33 months to 41 months and a fine of $7,500 to $75,000.

During the hearing, Pauley questioned how the government came up with its proposed sentence, given the size of Goldman's loss. Steve Lee, a prosecutor, said it was based on Taylor's compensation.

Pauley stressed the "court may not be bound by that calculation" come sentencing, adding that he was "puzzled" by the deal.

"He cooked Goldman's books, and that's not sophisticated?" Pauley asked.

A person familiar with Goldman's equities trading business said Taylor's trading position was significant - representing roughly 5 percent of e-mini trading volume the day it was established. The market moved against Taylor's position, leading to the loss, said the person, who declined to be named.

For perspective, the $8.3 billion position Taylor took in the e-mini futures market was twice the size of the $4.1 billion trade the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission highlighted in a report on the causes of the May 6, 2010, "flash crash" in which a series of e-mini trades caused the Dow Jones Industrial Average to plunge 700 points in a matter of minutes.

Taylor said he knew his actions were wrong and illegal but established the trade anyway to augment his reputation and increase his compensation.

Taylor's bail includes a $750,000 bond with two co-signers. His sentencing hearing is set for July 26.

CFTC LAWSUIT

Taylor's activities first came to public light in November when the CFTC sued him.

In dismissing Taylor, Goldman noted he was fired for taking an "inappropriately large proprietary futures positions in a firm trading account," according to a filing with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

But three months later, Taylor was hired by Morgan Stanley as an equity derivatives trader.

Taylor, whose criminal sentencing is set for July 26, faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.

Goldman paid $1.5 million last year to settle charges with the CFTC that it had failed to appropriately supervise Taylor.

The bank has since put in place procedures to catch wayward trading activity more quickly.

"We are very disappointed by Mr. Taylor's unauthorized conduct and betrayal of the firm's trust in him," the bank said in a statement on Wednesday.

A spokesman for Morgan Stanley declined to comment on Taylor's guilty plea.

Last year, a Morgan Stanley spokesman said he left the firm unrelated to the charges against him.

Taylor's lawyer, Thomas Rotko, said his client accepted responsibility for his actions, which he called "an aberration."

"He looks forward to the opportunity to put this behind him and resume what has otherwise been a productive and exemplary life," Rotko said.

The case is United States v. Taylor, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 13-cr-251.

For United States: Steve Lee, Manhattan U.S. Attorney's Office.

For Taylor: Thomas Rotko and Charles Clayman, Clayman & Rosenberg.

(This story is corrected In 16th paragraph of April 3 item with percentage of e-mini market that Taylor's trading represented)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ex-goldman-trader-taylor-pleads-guilty-wire-fraud-181643667--finance.html

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Death of film critic Ebert elicits wide reaction

The death of film critic Roger Ebert elicits wide reaction from directors, fellow critics and others:

"Roger loved movies. They were his life. His reviews went far deeper than simply thumbs up or thumbs down. He wrote with passion through a real knowledge of film and film history, and in doing so, helped many movies find their audiences. Along with Gene Shalit, Joel Siegel, and of course Gene Siskel, Roger put television criticism on the map. Roger's passing is virtually the end of an era and now the balcony is closed forever." -- Movie director Steven Spielberg.

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"Roger and Gene (Siskel) together again. End of an era." -- Oprah Winfrey on Twitter.

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"Roger was the movies. When he didn't like a film, he was honest; when he did, he was effusive ? capturing the unique power of the movies to take us somewhere magical. Even amidst his own battles with cancer, Roger was as productive as he was resilient ? continuing to share his passion and perspective with the world. The movies won't be the same without Roger, and our thoughts and prayers are with Chaz and the rest of the Ebert family." -- President Barack Obama, in a statement.

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"Roger Ebert was one of the great champions of freedom of artistic expression. When the power of independent film was still unknown and few would support it, Roger was there for our artists. His personal passion for cinema was boundless, and that is sure to be his legacy for generations to come." -- Robert Redford, actor and founder of the Sundance Institute, in a statement.

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"Indefatigable, compassionate, irreverent, and equipped with a first-rate bullshit detector. That was/is Roger Ebert." -- Film critic Glenn Kenny on Twitter.

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"From the mightiest blockbuster to the smallest independent film, Roger Ebert devoted his career to sharing his love of film with generations of moviegoers. The role of critics is to call them as they see them and Roger did so with integrity." -- Directors Guild of America President Taylor Hackford.

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"He wrote (the) book. There was no business before him and Gene Siskel. ... He pioneered that crossover from print to broadcast media, and he did it with such professionalism and perception and passion. He was an amazing contributor to our industry, and his influence will be long felt." -- Warner Bros. distribution executive Jeff Goldstein

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"It will leave a huge void. He was the most widely read critic. For many people that's how they understand film criticism. They understand film criticism in terms of Roger Ebert. He is the icon of that medium for most people. He's the one film critic they can name. He loomed so large. Especially toward the end of his life." -- Film critic Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, who writes for rogerebert.com and was a host on Ebert's 2011 show "Ebert Presents at the Movies."

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"we lost a thoughtful writer, i remember my first review from him, pi (i got his and siskel's thumbs) it was a career highlight." -- Darren Aronofsky, who directed the 1998 movie "Pi," wrote on Twitter.

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"Roger Ebert championed the art of the moving image, and by the courage of his personal example demonstrated how much movies matter." -- American Film Institute President and CEO Bob Gazzale, in a statement.

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"He means a lot to the kids at the Daily Illini. He means a lot to every student at this college. He does what everybody wants to do, and that was to provide a story that's engaging and that everybody wants to read. ... He was always a journalist first." -- Jan Slater, dean of the College of Media at the University of Illinois who worked with Ebert on a film festival there named after him.

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"We are terribly saddened by the news of the passing of our friend Roger Ebert. More than a friend, Roger was family. He knew us from our humble beginnings, stuck by us, and helped us grow, as only family can do. It is no exaggeration to say that Roger, through his championing, had a large hand in making us who we are today on the world stage. He was a pioneer, a true lover of film. His passing is a huge loss for cinema. He inspired us and will continue to inspire generations. We are taking this opportunity to remember and celebrate our beloved friend, Roger Ebert. Our hearts go out to Chaz and to their family and friends." __ The Toronto International Film Festival, in a statement.

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"With a knowledge of his subject as deep as his love for his wife Chaz, Roger Ebert will be remembered for the strength of his work, respected for his courage in the face of illness, and revered for his contribution to filmmaking and to our city. The final reel of his life may have run through to the end, but his memory will never fade." -- Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, in a statement.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/death-film-critic-ebert-elicits-wide-reaction-223324697.html

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Malala Yousafzai, shot for defying Taliban, to write book

LONDON (AP) ? Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teenager shot in the head by the Taliban as she returned home from school, is writing a book about the traumatic event and her long-running campaign to promote children's education.

Publisher Weidenfeld and Nicolson announced that it would release "I am Malala" in Britain and Commonwealth countries this fall. Little, Brown and Co. will publish the 15-year-old's memoir in the United States and much of the rest of the world.

"Malala is already an inspiration to millions around the world. Reading her story of courage and survival will open minds, enlarge hearts, and eventually allow more girls and boys to receive the education they hunger for," said Michael Pietsch, executive vice president and publisher of Little, Brown.

A Taliban gunman shot Malala on Oct. 9 in northwestern Pakistan. The militant group said it targeted her because she promoted "Western thinking" and, through a blog, had been an outspoken critic of the Taliban's opposition to educating girls.

The shooting sparked outrage in Pakistan and many other countries, and her story drew global attention to the struggle for women's rights in Malala's homeland. The teen even made the shortlist for Time magazine's "Person of the Year" in 2012.

Malala was brought to the U.K. for treatment and spent several months in a hospital undergoing skull reconstruction and cochlear implant surgeries. She was released last month and has started attending school in Britain.

Malala said in a statement Wednesday that she hoped telling her story would be "part of the campaign to give every boy and girl the right to go to school.

"I hope the book will reach people around the world, so they realize how difficult it is for some children to get access to education," she said. "I want to tell my story, but it will also be the story of 61 million children who can't get education."

Publishers did not reveal the price tag for the book deal, estimated by the Guardian newspaper at 2 million pounds ($3 million).

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/shot-pakistani-teen-malala-yousafzai-writing-book-100913748.html

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APNewsBreak: Pentagon cuts number of furlough days

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Pentagon will sharply cut the number of unpaid furlough days civilians will be forced to take over the next several months from 22 to 14, defense officials said Wednesday, reducing the impact of automatic budget cuts on as many as 700,000 workers.

According to defense officials, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel made the decision Wednesday, as military service chiefs and defense leaders continued to work through the details, trying to prioritize how they will allocate the more than $10 billion that Congress, in an attempt to take some of the sting out of the across-the-board budget cuts, shifted to operations and maintenance accounts. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter ahead of the public announcement.

While some of the military services initially considered eliminating the furloughs altogether, senior leaders argued that since not all the services could do that, it would be better to treat all civilians across the defense department equally.

The military had been faced with some $43 billion in automatic, across-the-board cuts that kicked in March 1, but lawmakers passed a massive spending bill last week that shifted money around in order to give the Defense Department more flexibility in how it found the savings.

Initially, civilians would have been required to take one day a week off without pay for 22 weeks, through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30 ? a 20 percent pay cut for more than five months. The congressional action has given officials the leeway to lessen the salary cuts and also spread money around to other key priorities, including training, maintenance and possible ship deployments.

As an example, the Navy had delayed the refueling overhauls of two aircraft carriers, the USS Theodore Roosevelt and the USS Abraham Lincoln ? critical maintenance work that officials said would be among the priorities if additional funding could be identified.

Under the new plan, the unpaid furloughs would not begin until mid-June, with notices going out before that.

Officials have been meeting over the past week to discuss the range of options, including how many of the furlough days could be eliminated.

The Pentagon has declined to say how many of the 800,000 civilian employees would be exempt from the furloughs, although officials have estimated it would be at least 10 percent of the overall civilian workforce. Officials said last week that about 5 percent of Navy and Marine Corps civilians and about 24 percent of Army civilians likely would be exempt from the furloughs, although those numbers may change with the new funding.

Exempt workers include civilians in the war zone and in critical public safety jobs, as well as people whose jobs are not paid for through congressional funding. As an example, some employees may be contractors or people working in facilities that pay for operations out of their earnings, such as some recreation jobs or foreign military sales.

Critics have complained that the Pentagon has overstated the effects of the spending cuts and has canceled or sliced into more visible and popular programs. In early announcements the Navy delayed the deployment of an aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf and canceled several other ship deployments, while other services slashed training, equipping and maintenance programs, cut commissary hours and warned that 15,000 teachers and staff would be furloughed one day a week at the 194 military schools around the world.

The Pentagon had said they would manage those furloughs so that pupils got the required hours of education and the schools did not lose their accreditation.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-03-27-US-Budget-Battle-Pentagon-Furloughs/id-6d5faa71a91145a5b2fe857e22b66d05

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Justin Timberlake Tells Fans He's 'Speechless' About First Week Sales

'Shocked ... I just hope this album makes your summer,' he tweets.
By Gil Kaufman

Justin Timberlake
Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1704482/justin-timberlake-20-20-album-sales.jhtml

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US futures down as jitters about Europe continue

NEW YORK (AP) ? Concern about Cyprus and other nations in the Eurozone is weighing down U.S. stock market futures.

Cyprus is formulating details for reopening its banks after a nearly two-week shutdown, following an international bailout agreement that calls for large deposits to be taxed heavily to help pay for the rescue.

Dow Jones industrial average futures are sliding 69 points to 14,409. Nasdaq 100 futures are down 13 to 2,786.80. S&P 500 futures are off 7.75 to 1,549.50.

Investors are waiting for data on pending U.S. home sales for February, set for release at 10 a.m. Eastern.

In Europe, major indexes fell amid worries that the "bail-in" that taps deposits in Cyprus could be considered a model should other countries falter. Asian stocks rose, following Tuesday's rally in U.S. markets.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-futures-down-jitters-europe-continue-122552133--finance.html

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FTSE pauses at five-year highs, more gains seen

By Toni Vorobyova

LONDON (Reuters) - The FTSE 100 rose to five-year highs on Monday, with a rally on Wall Street eclipsing concerns about political uncertainty in the euro zone and helping the FTSE 100 close above the key 6,500 points mark.

The UK blue chip index closed up 20.05 points or 0.3 percent at 6,503.63, extending gains after the U.S. S&P 500 hit its strongest intraday levels since late 2007, continuing to draw comfort from Friday's forecast-beating U.S. jobs data.

"We are just grinding higher on the back of stronger U.S. data that we keep seeing," said Adam Sea grave, equity trader at Saxon Bank.

"For the right shares, people are still very happy to take stock on at these levels, but at some point we will probably have to pause for breath."

Both the close and the intraday peak of 6,505.30 were the FTSE highest for more than five years, but technical charts showed scope for further gains. The index has powered through a string of resistance levels as it rallied some 15 percent in four months.

"We remain positive with a target of 6,535 and an invalidation level at 6,412 points," analysts at chart specialists Day-By-Day said in a note.

Underscoring the market's upward momentum, any dips - including the pause seen in the first half of Monday's trading session - have prompted strong buying interest.

"Much of the dip buying we have seen has been led by long-term investors. They still understand in the search for yield the equity market offers more upside than the negative real rate of return from the fixed-income market," said Fiat Latin, director of trading at Guardian Stockbrokers.

Given the strong focus on yield, shares in Antofagasta were one of the top gainers, up 2.4 percent after analysts at Societe Generale said the miner could unveil a special dividend when it reports results on Tuesday. They upgraded the stock to 'hold'.

Dividends are coming out as an increasingly popular investment theme, offering an alternative to ultra-low government bond yields. In UK, the chances of higher payouts have been increased by weakness in sterling, which increases the impact of exporters' foreign currency earnings.

Banks were one of the few UK segments to sit out the broader market gains on Monday, hit by euro zone jitters.

The sector, the most directly exposed to swings in the euro zone crisis through their sovereign debt holdings, fell 0.4 percent after Fitch cut Italy's credit rating, putting problems in the region back into the investor spotlight.

(Editing by John Stonestreet)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ftse-edges-lower-sage-leads-downgrade-082210253--finance.html

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UN troops seized by Syrian rebels appear in video

In this Wednesday, March 6, 2013 image taken from video obtained from the Ugarit News, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, a Free Syrian Army fighter stands next to United Nations Disengagement Observer vehicle near Golan Heights in the southern province of Daraa, Syria. Clashes between Syrian troops and rebel fighters flared on Thursday near an area where armed fighters linked to the opposition abducted 21 U.N. peacekeepers a day earlier. In an online video, a man identified as a spokesman for the Martyrs of Yarmouk Brigades said his group will hold the peacekeepers until Assad?s forces withdraw from Jamlah. (AP Photo/Ugarit News via AP video)

In this Wednesday, March 6, 2013 image taken from video obtained from the Ugarit News, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, a Free Syrian Army fighter stands next to United Nations Disengagement Observer vehicle near Golan Heights in the southern province of Daraa, Syria. Clashes between Syrian troops and rebel fighters flared on Thursday near an area where armed fighters linked to the opposition abducted 21 U.N. peacekeepers a day earlier. In an online video, a man identified as a spokesman for the Martyrs of Yarmouk Brigades said his group will hold the peacekeepers until Assad?s forces withdraw from Jamlah. (AP Photo/Ugarit News via AP video)

In this Wednesday, March 6, 2013 image taken from video obtained from the Ugarit News, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, Free Syrian Army fighters stand next to United Nations Disengagement Observer vehicles near Golan Heights in the southern province of Daraa, Syria. Clashes between Syrian troops and rebel fighters flared on Thursday near an area where armed fighters linked to the opposition abducted 21 U.N. peacekeepers a day earlier. In an online video, a man identified as a spokesman for the Martyrs of Yarmouk Brigades said his group will hold the peacekeepers until Assad?s forces withdraw from Jamlah. (AP Photo/Ugarit News via AP video)

FILE - In this Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012 file photo, Syrian refugees,who fled their home in Idlib due to a government airstrike load their belongings into a vehicle just after crossing the border from Syria to Turkey, in Cilvegozu, Turkey. Turkey is home to nearly 200,000 Syrian refugees in camps, with another 100,000 living on their own. The Turkish government has been funding and managing the refugees, whom they have sheltered in 17 camps that have schools, medical centers and other social facilities. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen, File)

This citizen journalism image provided by Lens Young Homsi, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows Syrian rebels standing in the rubble of damaged buildings due to government airstrikes, in Homs, Syria, Wednesday, March. 6, 2013. The chief of staff of the rebel army pleaded with the international community Wednesday to supply arms and ammunition so the opposition can resist attacks by the regime of Syria's President Bashar Assad. (AP Photo/Lens Young Homsi)

BEIRUT (AP) ? Several United Nations peacekeepers from the Philippines who were abducted by Syrian rebels said in videos posted online Thursday that they are safe and sound, even as activists reported clashes and shelling in the area where U.N. troops are being held.

Opposition fighters detained 21 Filipino peacekeepers near the village of Jamlah in the Golan Heights on Wednesday. The abduction marked the first time since U.N. troops began patrolling an Israeli-Syrian armistice line in the Golan Heights nearly 40 years ago that U.N. forces have encountered trouble during their mission, said Timor Goksel, a Beirut-based former United Nations official in the region.

One of the videos posted online shows three men dressed in camouflage and blue bullet-proof vests emblazoned with the U.N. and "Philippines."

"We, the U.N. personnel here, are safe, and the Free Syrian Army are treating us good," one of them says in English. "We cannot go home because the government of (President Bashar) Assad do not stop the bombing. To our family, we hope to see you soon and we are OK here."

The second video shows six peacekeepers sitting in a room. An officer, who identifies himself as a captain, says that as their convoy came under shelling on Wednesday, "we stopped and civilian people helped us for our safety and distributed us in different places to keep us safe."

A spokesman for the Martyrs of Yarmouk Brigades, which is holding the peacekeepers, told The Associated Press via Skype that all the 21 peacekeepers "are fine and in good health."

"We consider them guests," he added.

The targeting of the peacekeepers was likely to heighten Israeli jitters about the Syrian civil war upsetting the delicate balance along the frontier between the two countries. Israel captured Syria's Golan Heights in the 1967 Mideast war, and a U.N. monitoring force, UNDOF, was sent in 1974, a year after another Mideast war, to enforce an armistice deal between Syria and Israel.

The rebel spokesman, who declined to give his name for security reasons, said the peacekeepers' job was to ensure that no heavy weapons, such as tanks, enter the area near the Israeli-Syrian armistice line. For months, the regime has been bringing tanks into the area to fight rebels, he said, adding that helicopter gunships joined the battle late last week.

Asked if the rebels will be ready to hand over the peacekeepers to an international organization, he said "the command will have to decide about that." He added that once these peacekeepers leave the area the regime could kill "as many as 1,000 people."

He said at least 10 people have been killed and dozens wounded in the shelling of Jamlah and nearby villages.

On Thursday, Syrian troops battled rebel fighters near the Golan Heights, in the southern Syrian province of Daraa, according to Rami Abdul-Rahman, the director of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights activist group. He said the fighting was concentrated on the outskirts of Jamlah, about one kilometer (mile) from Israeli-controlled territory.

In an amateur video posted online Wednesday, a man identified as a spokesman for the Martyrs of Yarmouk Brigades said his group will hold the peacekeepers until Assad's forces withdraw from Jamlah.

The Yarmouk Brigades said in a statement on its Facebook page on Thursday that Assad's troops are shelling the village, and warned that the army will be responsible if any harm comes to the peacekeepers in rebel custody.

In Manila, the Philippine government said Thursday that the peacekeepers were unharmed and were being treated well. Foreign Affairs Department spokesman Raul Hernandez said the U.N. force commander in the area is negotiating with the leader of the rebel group.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino III said the commander told him to expect the peacekeepers to be released within 24 hours, with negotiations progressing well.

The U.N. Security Council has demanded their immediate and unconditional release.

The Observatory said negotiations were under way between the rebels and Arab League and U.N. officials on handing over the peacekeepers, and that the talks were now focused on what road should be used to deliver the U.N. troops. It said the rebels want the regime to pull out its vehicles from the area, permanently end the shelling of the area and allow refugees to return.

It was not immediately clear whether UNDOF will keep operating in Syria even if the incident is resolved peacefully. A man who answered the phone at UNDOF's office in Damascus said he was not authorized to give statements referring questions to the U.N. in New York.

Goksel, the former U.N. official who now works for Al-Monitor news website, described the members of the peacekeeping force as "a soft target." He said the group is based in Damascus, but that it staffs observation posts along the armistice line, and travels between the Syrian capital and the frontier to deliver supplies and rotate monitors.

"They were never challenged by anybody in Syria until now," Goksel said.

The Yarmouk Brigades, one of scores of groups fighting Assad's troops, was formed a year ago and most of its fighters appear to be young Syrians from poor areas in the south, said Observatory director Abdul-Rahman.

In a statement Thursday, the Western-backed opposition group, the Syrian National Coalition, said its representatives are in contact with rebels in the Jamlah area "to let the peacekeepers go." The statement denied that seizing the peacekeepers amounted to kidnapping, saying the peacekeepers were taken in a "preventive security measure."

Rebel groups tend to operate independently, despite attempts in December to form a unified military command, and it's not clear whether the local rebels near the Golan will heed calls from exile-based leaders. Rebel fighters tend to see the opposition figures in exile as out of touch.

Senior Coalition member Khaled Saleh told The Associated Press that leaders of the group would meet in Istanbul next week to choose an executive committee that will fill Syria's seat at the Arab League. The 22-member Cairo-based organization suspended the Syrian government's membership in late 2011.

Saleh added that an interim government will be set up in the next two weeks.

The coalition has said in the past that it would set up a Syria-based interim government, but has repeatedly failed to follow through. It was not clear whether the two-day gathering in Istanbul, starting Tuesday, would yield results.

___

Associated Press writers Karin Laub in Beirut, and Hrvoje Hranjski in Manila, Philippines, contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-07-Syria/id-5af7acc956524870b7fa93e88bc6bbe4

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