Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Eurozone unemployment ends 2011 at record high (AP)

BRUSSELS ? Unemployment in the 17-nation eurozone ended 2011 at 10.4 percent, a new record high for the single currency since its launch at the start of 1999, official figures showed Tuesday.

Eurostat, the EU's statistics office, said the rate in December was unchanged, as November's was revised upwards from a previous estimate of 10.3 percent.

Unemployment has been steadily rising over the past year ? in December 2010, it stood at 9.5 percent ? largely becaues of Europe's debt crisis.

The biggest increases over 2011 were recorded in Greece, Cyprus and Spain. All three, to various degrees, have had to impose tough austerity measures ? such as public sector layoffs and spending cuts ? in an effort to regain investor confidence lost during the crisis.

The agency said just under 16.5 million people were unemployed in the eurozone, up 751,000 on the year before.

The highest unemployment rate remains in Spain, where 22.9 percent of the working population were without work, though Greece is nearing with 19.2 percent rate. The lowest rate in the eurozone is Austria's 4.1 percent.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120131/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_europe_economy

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Researchers visualize the development of Parkinson's cells

Researchers visualize the development of Parkinson's cells [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 31-Jan-2012
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Contact: Katherine Scott
katherine.scott@jove.com
617-765-4367 x301
The Journal of Visualized Experiments

In the US alone, at least 500,000 people suffer from Parkinson's disease, a neurological disorder that affects a person's ability to control his or her movement. New technology from the University of Bonn in Germany lets researchers observe the development of the brain cells responsible for the disease.

Up until now, research into the brain cells responsible for Parkinson's disease has focused on the function and degeneration of these neurons in the adult and aging brain. The new tissue slicing method, which will be published in the world's only peer-reviewed science video journal, the Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE), allows scientists to observe the development of these brain cells for the first time.

"Little is known about the behavior of these neurons during their differentiation and migration phase," said article author Dr. Sandra Blaess, "and with this technique, we can really observe how these cells behave during development."

The new technique also makes the cells available for genetic manipulation, and more information about how these cells develop and function could lead to new treatment options.

"Being able to visualize cell development in this area of the brain is exciting," said JoVE Editor Dr. Claire Standen. "The availability of this technique could help scientists understand diseases of the dopaminergic system such as Parkinson's."

###

To watch the video-article, which will be published in JoVE on Jan. 31, please follow the link: http://www.jove.com/video/3350/organotypic-slice-cultures-of-embryonic-ventral-midbrain-a-system-to-study-dopaminergic-neuronal-development-in-vitro



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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Researchers visualize the development of Parkinson's cells [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 31-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Katherine Scott
katherine.scott@jove.com
617-765-4367 x301
The Journal of Visualized Experiments

In the US alone, at least 500,000 people suffer from Parkinson's disease, a neurological disorder that affects a person's ability to control his or her movement. New technology from the University of Bonn in Germany lets researchers observe the development of the brain cells responsible for the disease.

Up until now, research into the brain cells responsible for Parkinson's disease has focused on the function and degeneration of these neurons in the adult and aging brain. The new tissue slicing method, which will be published in the world's only peer-reviewed science video journal, the Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE), allows scientists to observe the development of these brain cells for the first time.

"Little is known about the behavior of these neurons during their differentiation and migration phase," said article author Dr. Sandra Blaess, "and with this technique, we can really observe how these cells behave during development."

The new technique also makes the cells available for genetic manipulation, and more information about how these cells develop and function could lead to new treatment options.

"Being able to visualize cell development in this area of the brain is exciting," said JoVE Editor Dr. Claire Standen. "The availability of this technique could help scientists understand diseases of the dopaminergic system such as Parkinson's."

###

To watch the video-article, which will be published in JoVE on Jan. 31, please follow the link: http://www.jove.com/video/3350/organotypic-slice-cultures-of-embryonic-ventral-midbrain-a-system-to-study-dopaminergic-neuronal-development-in-vitro



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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/tjov-rvt013012.php

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Private investors near deal on Greek debt (AP)

ATHENS, Greece ? A disorderly and potentially devastating Greek debt default is looking much less likely.

Greece and investors who own its bonds have reached a tentative deal to significantly reduce the country's debt and pave the way for it to receive a much-needed euro130 billion bailout.

Negotiators for the investors announced the agreement Saturday and said it could become final next week. If the agreement works as planned, it will help Greece remain solvent and help Europe avoid a blow to its already weak financial system, even though banks and other bond investors will have to accept multibillion-dollar losses.

Still, it doesn't resolve the weakening economic conditions in Greece and other European nations as they rein in spending to get their debts under control.

Under the agreement, investors holding euro206 billion in Greek bonds would exchange them for new bonds worth 60 percent less.

The new bonds' face value is half of the existing bonds. They would have a longer maturity and pay an average interest rate of slightly less than 4 percent. The existing bonds pay an average interest rate of 5 percent, according to the think tank Re-Define.

The deal would reduce Greece's annual interest expense on the bonds from about euro10 billion to about euro4 billion. And when the bonds mature, instead of paying bondholders euro206 billion, Greece will have to pay only euro103 billion.

Without the deal, which would reduce Greece's debt load by at least euro120 billion, the bonds held by banks, insurance companies and hedge funds would likely become worthless. Many of these investors also hold debt from other countries that use the euro, which could also lose value in the event of a full-fledged Greek default. This is the scenario analysts fear most and why they hope investors will voluntarily accept a partial loss on their Greek bonds.

The agreement taking shape is a key step before Greece can get a second, euro130 billion bailout from its European Union partners and the International Monetary Fund. Besides restructuring its debt with private investors, Greece must also take other steps before getting aid. It must cut its deficit and boost the competitiveness of its economy through layoffs of government employees and the sale of several state companies, among other moves.

Greece faces a euro14.5 billion bond repayment on March 20, which it cannot afford without additional help.

The country got its first bailout in May 2010 when the EU and the IMF signed off on a euro110 billion aid package, most of which has already been disbursed.

Private investors hold roughly two-thirds of Greece's debt, which has reached an unsustainable level ? nearly 160 percent of the country's annual economic output. By restructuring the debt held by private investors, Greece and its EU partners are hoping to bring that ratio closer to 120 percent by the end of this decade. Without a deal, analysts forecast that ratio ballooning to 200 percent by the end of this year as the Greek economy falters.

Meanwhile, Greece's public creditors ? the IMF, the EU and the European Central Bank ? are baffled by the government's repeated failure to meet deficit targets. They want more government wage cuts. That is meeting resistance by Greek politicians afraid of losing an election tentatively scheduled for the spring. But those same politicians also worry that the nation will be denied a second bailout if doesn't reduce its deficit.

Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos on Saturday night asked those who oppose structural changes to reconsider their stance.

"The coming days will be decisive for the next decade ... We must answer to tough dilemmas and we must do so with foresight and a sense of responsibility and not hide behind each other," he told reporters after meeting with the public creditors.

In return for the first bailout, Greece's public creditors have unprecedented powers over Greek spending. However, Greece's problems will not be fixed simply by cutting government spending. In order to bring its debts to a more manageable level, the country must also find ways boost economic output, which would enable it to collect more taxes.

If no debt-exchange deal is reached with private creditors and Greece is forced to default, it would very likely spook Europe's ? and possibly the world's ? financial markets. It could even lead Greece to withdraw from the euro.

Sarah Ketterer, co-manager of Causeway International Value Fund, a $1.4 billion mutual fund that invests in European stocks, said the region's markets have rebounded this month largely on expectations that negotiators would reach a deal along the lines of the one being finalized now.

Any last-minute breakdown in the talks could trigger a sharp decline in European markets, she said. But a rally is unlikely if negotiations succeed.

"The equity markets have ... largely already discounted this, and you can see that in the confidence that has returned in European equities since the end of December, and especially for financial stocks," Ketterer said.

She said there "really was no other option" than reaching a deal for bondholders to take a haircut of 50 percent or more.

Ketterer said a Greek deal could help restore bond market confidence. That would help Italy manage its own debt crisis ? one that Ketterer views as more critical than Greece's because of Italy's greater size.

The investors who own Greek bonds are being represented by Charles Dallara, managing director of the Washington-based Institute of International Finance, and Jean Lemierre, senior adviser to the chairman of the French bank BNP Paribas.

___

AP personal finance writer Mark Jewell in Boston, Elena Becatoros in Athens and Gabriele Steinhauser in Brussels contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120129/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_greece_financial_crisis

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Monday, January 30, 2012

Jack White steps out solo with new album (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) ? The White Stripes frontman Jack White said on Monday that he will debut a solo album, "Blunderbuss," on April 24, with entirely new songs written by him and embodying his own sense of self-expression.

"I've put off making records under my own name for a long time but these songs feel like they could only be presented under my name. These songs were written from scratch, had nothing to do with anyone or anything else but my own expression, my own colors on my own canvas," White said in a statement on Monday.

Recorded in Nashville, Tennessee, "Blunderbuss" is the first solo album from White, 36, who gained fame as lead singer, guitarist and pianist in the Grammy-winning two-piece band The White Stripes with his ex-wife Meg on drums. The band officially split in February 2011, after 14 years together.

The "Seven Nation Army" singer is also a member of rock bands The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather.

Ahead of the release of "Blunderbuss" in April, fans can get a taste of the first single, "Love Interruption," which will be available to listen to online and purchase from Monday.

(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/music/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120130/music_nm/us_jackwhite_newalbum

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Earth's 'missing energy' not lost after all

Scientists have determined that Earth's "missing energy" isn't missing after all.

Earth's primary energy source is the sun, which bombards the planet with solar rays every day. This energy helps drive our weather system, makes the planet warm enough for life and drives photosynthesis in plants, among other things. But not all of this energy is retained by the Earth ? some of it is reflected or radiated back into space.

By studying the amount of solar energy absorbed by the atmosphere, and comparing it to the energy released back into space by the planet, a team of researchers has calculated how much energy is retained by the planet. Most of the energy is held within the oceans as heat; the influx causes a slow rise in temperature.

Missing or not?
A previous study, released by a different group in 2010, noted that the ocean heating from 2004 to 2008 seemed to slow. This led them to suggest that some of the planet's energy was missing.

But the new team, led by Norman Leob of NASA's Langley Research Center, re-examined the numbers measured over the course of the last decade and found them to be relatively stable.

Loeb's team maintained that the margin of error was larger than the original study took into account.

"One of the things we wanted to do was a more rigorous analysis of the uncertainties," Loeb said in a statement. "When we did that, we found the conclusion of missing energy in the system isn't really supported by the data."

Looking for what was lost
Using a decade's worth of data collected by the Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE), the team determined the amount of energy absorbed from the sun. They then subtracted the energy reflected back into space, as well as the energy emitted by the Earth, using the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES).

The energy left over is trapped somewhere on Earth. Less than 10 percent of it heats the land and atmosphere, and melts snow and ice, while the rest heats the ocean.

The original study found that the Earth's temperature, which had been steadily rising, slowed its pace. But the new study notes that the methods for measuring characteristics of the ocean shifted in 2003.

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When accounting for the margin of error of both methods employed, the new study states that the apparent decline is "not statistically significant, nor is it observed by CERES."

Currently, data on the ocean is collected via the Argo program, which has dropped more than 3,000 floats in saltwater around the world. As the floats sink and rise, they measure the temperature and salt content of the water up to a depth of 1.25 miles (2,000 meters).

"Our data show that Earth has been accumulating heat in the ocean at a rate of half a watt per square meter (10.8 square feet), with no sign of a decline," Loeb said.

? 2012 OurAmazingPlanet. All rights reserved. More from OurAmazingPlanet.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46194231/ns/technology_and_science-science/

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U-M study urges parents to enforce booster seat use when carpooling

U-M study urges parents to enforce booster seat use when carpooling [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 30-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Lauren McLeod
lemcleod@med.umich.edu
734-764-2220
University of Michigan Health System

Many parents are more relaxed about booster seat use when carpooling, stronger laws need to encourage safety seat use

ANN ARBOR, Mich. Most parents report that they typically require their child to use a life-saving booster seat, but more than 30 percent said they do not enforce this rule when their child is riding with another driver.

The study, conducted by child health experts at University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, also revealed that 45 percent of parents do not require their kids to use a booster when driving other children who do not have one.

"The majority of parents reported that their children between the ages of four and eight use a safety seat when riding in the family car," says Michelle Macy, M.D., M.S., a clinical lecturer of emergency medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School and a pediatrician at U-M C.S. Mott Children's Hospital. "However, it's alarming to know that close to 70 percent of parents carpool, and when they do, they're often failing to use life-saving booster seats."

Researchers believe practical barriers, including limited vehicle space and difficulties making arrangements with other drivers, lead parents to abandon safety seats when carpooling.

Results of the study are to be published online ahead of print in Pediatrics.

Most state laws require children to use a booster seat, many until children are 8 years old. National recommendations encourage the use of booster seats until a child reaches 57 inches, which is the average height of an 11-year-old.

Placing a child in an adult seat belt prematurely can cause shoulder and lap belts to fit improperly, negating the life-saving benefits of seatbelts. Click here to see the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's recommendations as to how seat belts should fit.

"Therefore, parents who do not consistently use booster seats for kids who are shorter than 57 inches tall are placing children at greater risk of injury," says Macy. "Parents need to understand the importance of using a booster seat for every child who does not fit properly in an adult seat belt on every trip."

Study authors suggest that social norms may be set by state booster seat laws, as parents are motivated to follow guidelines set forth by law. State booster seat laws were associated with higher safety seat use, regardless of carpooling, even though half of parents surveyed admit to not knowing the age cited in their state booster seat law and another 20 percent guessed incorrectly.

"According to current recommendations most children should be using booster seats beyond the age cited in state laws. As many parents may not even be aware of current booster seat recommendations, pediatricians should make it a priority to share this vital information with them," says Macy.

###

Additional Resources:

Insurance Institute of Highway Safety recommendations for proper seat belt fit.

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recommended booster seats

Citation: doi: 10.1542/peds.2011-0575

Additional authors: Sarah J. Clark, M.P.H., Gary L. Freed, M.D., M.P.H., Amy T. Butchart, M.P.H., Dianne C. Singer, M.P.H., Comilla Sasson, M.D., M.S., William J. Meurer, M.D., M.S., and Matthew Davis, M.D., M.A.A.P.

Disclosures: None

About C.S. Mott Children's Hospital:

The University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital is consistently ranked as one of the best hospitals in the country. It was nationally ranked in all ten pediatric specialties in the U.S. News Media Group's 2011 edition of "America's Best Children's Hospitals" including third in the country for heart and heart surgery. In December, the hospital moves to a new 1.1 million square feet, $754 million state-of-the-art facility that will be home to cutting-edge specialty services for newborns, children and women.



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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


U-M study urges parents to enforce booster seat use when carpooling [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 30-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Lauren McLeod
lemcleod@med.umich.edu
734-764-2220
University of Michigan Health System

Many parents are more relaxed about booster seat use when carpooling, stronger laws need to encourage safety seat use

ANN ARBOR, Mich. Most parents report that they typically require their child to use a life-saving booster seat, but more than 30 percent said they do not enforce this rule when their child is riding with another driver.

The study, conducted by child health experts at University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, also revealed that 45 percent of parents do not require their kids to use a booster when driving other children who do not have one.

"The majority of parents reported that their children between the ages of four and eight use a safety seat when riding in the family car," says Michelle Macy, M.D., M.S., a clinical lecturer of emergency medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School and a pediatrician at U-M C.S. Mott Children's Hospital. "However, it's alarming to know that close to 70 percent of parents carpool, and when they do, they're often failing to use life-saving booster seats."

Researchers believe practical barriers, including limited vehicle space and difficulties making arrangements with other drivers, lead parents to abandon safety seats when carpooling.

Results of the study are to be published online ahead of print in Pediatrics.

Most state laws require children to use a booster seat, many until children are 8 years old. National recommendations encourage the use of booster seats until a child reaches 57 inches, which is the average height of an 11-year-old.

Placing a child in an adult seat belt prematurely can cause shoulder and lap belts to fit improperly, negating the life-saving benefits of seatbelts. Click here to see the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's recommendations as to how seat belts should fit.

"Therefore, parents who do not consistently use booster seats for kids who are shorter than 57 inches tall are placing children at greater risk of injury," says Macy. "Parents need to understand the importance of using a booster seat for every child who does not fit properly in an adult seat belt on every trip."

Study authors suggest that social norms may be set by state booster seat laws, as parents are motivated to follow guidelines set forth by law. State booster seat laws were associated with higher safety seat use, regardless of carpooling, even though half of parents surveyed admit to not knowing the age cited in their state booster seat law and another 20 percent guessed incorrectly.

"According to current recommendations most children should be using booster seats beyond the age cited in state laws. As many parents may not even be aware of current booster seat recommendations, pediatricians should make it a priority to share this vital information with them," says Macy.

###

Additional Resources:

Insurance Institute of Highway Safety recommendations for proper seat belt fit.

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recommended booster seats

Citation: doi: 10.1542/peds.2011-0575

Additional authors: Sarah J. Clark, M.P.H., Gary L. Freed, M.D., M.P.H., Amy T. Butchart, M.P.H., Dianne C. Singer, M.P.H., Comilla Sasson, M.D., M.S., William J. Meurer, M.D., M.S., and Matthew Davis, M.D., M.A.A.P.

Disclosures: None

About C.S. Mott Children's Hospital:

The University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital is consistently ranked as one of the best hospitals in the country. It was nationally ranked in all ten pediatric specialties in the U.S. News Media Group's 2011 edition of "America's Best Children's Hospitals" including third in the country for heart and heart surgery. In December, the hospital moves to a new 1.1 million square feet, $754 million state-of-the-art facility that will be home to cutting-edge specialty services for newborns, children and women.



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?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/uomh-usu012412.php

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Peru: 27 killed in fire at rehab center

A fire swept through a two-story private rehabilitation center for addicts in a poor part of Peru's capital Saturday, killing 27 people and critically injuring five as firefighters punched holes through walls to rescue residents locked inside.

The "Christ is Love" center for drug and alcohol addicts was unlicensed and overcrowded and its residents were apparently kept inside "like prisoners," Health Minister Alberto Tejada told The Associated Press.

Authorities said 26 people died at the scene, and prosecutors spokesman Raul Sanchez said Saturday night that one of six men hospitalized in critical condition died later.

Peru's fire chief, Antonio Zavala, said most of the victims died of asphyxiation. All the victims appeared to be male.

The local police chief, Clever Zegarra, said the cause of the 9 a.m. fire was under investigation.

"There has been talk of the burning of an object, of a mattress, but also of a fight that resulted in a fire. All of this is speculation," he told the AP. "I've been here at the scene from morning to evening but for the moment the exact cause of the fire is not known."

One resident of the center on a narrow dead-end street in Lima's teeming San Juan de Lurigancho district said he was eating breakfast on the second floor of the center when he saw flames coming from the first floor, where the blaze apparently began.

Gianfranco Huerta told local RPP news radio station that he leaped from a window to safety.

"The doors were locked; there was no way to get out," he told the station.

AP journalists at scene said all the windows of the building they were able to see were barred. Journalists were not allowed inside as police cordoned off the block. By early afternoon, all the dead had been removed from the center.

Most of the bodies seen by reporters were shirtless, their faces blackened. Many were also shoeless.

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"This rehabilitation center wasn't authorized. It was a house that they had taken over ... for patients with addictions and they had the habit of leaving people locked up with no medical supervision," Tejada, the health minister, said.

Authorities said they did not know how many people were inside the center at the time of the fire. They said they were looking for the center's owners and staff, some of whom apparently fled the scene.

The local police chief, Zegarra, identified the owner as Raul Garcia.

'Dantesque proportions'
Zoila Chea, an aunt of one victim, said families paid Garcia $37 to treat an addicted relative and $15 a week thereafter.

She said that neighbors had constantly complained about the center and that it had been closed twice by authorities.

Chea, 45, said relatives were prohibited from seeing interned patients during the first three months of treatment, which she added consisted mainly of reading the Bible.

Her nephew, Luis Chea, was at the center for a month, she said.

Zavala, the national fire chief, said the blaze was of "Dantesque proportions." Firefighters had to punch a hole through a wall with an adjoining building to help people trapped inside the rehabilitation center.

"We've had to use electric saws to cut through the metal bars of the doors to be able to work," Zavala said.

Relatives of residents of the center gathered near the building weeping and seeking word of their loved ones. As the day wore on, nearby sidewalks filled with relatives mourning and trying to console one another.

One of them was Maria Benitez, aunt of 18-year-old Carlos Benitez, who she said was being treated at the center.

"I want to know if he is OK or not," she told ATV television.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46174608/ns/world_news-americas/

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Sunday, January 29, 2012

Switched On: You Tell Me It's The Institution

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

Apple rose to dominate sales of digital music by more or less mirroring the way consumers acquired music in the physical world -- that is, purchasing songs, but providing a greater degree of granularity. This worked well for music and has also held true for apps and best-selling books, but hasn't been as in step with consumer media acquisition habits for other content.

For example, before Apple brought sales of video material to iTunes, most consumers did not generally own TV shows except for perhaps a few cherished series on DVD. They either watched them as they aired as part of a cable-like subscription or paid a flat monthly fee for the privilege of recording them on a DVR to be viewed after they aired. Furthermore, both Blockbuster physical stores and later Netflix's DVD by mail feature relied on a system of one-time consumption via rental or subscription that eschewed ownership of movies. And today, Vevo.com offers free streaming of many music videos that Apple still seeks to sell.

Continue reading Switched On: You Tell Me It's The Institution

Switched On: You Tell Me It's The Institution originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/29/apple-ibooks-learning-education-schools/

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Some slam Nazis; others gather for right-wing ball (AP)

VIENNA ? Austrians gathered in memory of the 2 million Jews murdered in Adolf Hitler's Auschwitz camp condemned plans to hold a ball of extreme rightists later in the day Friday, saying the event's timing transformed it into a macabre dance on Holocaust victims' graves.

Ball organizers insisted the fact that their event coincided this year with the 67th anniversary of the death camp's liberation was coincidental and denied suggestions that those attending were extremists.

But opponents vehemently criticized both the day chosen to hold the WKR ball and the political views of those attending it, suggesting it regularly attracts elements from the neo-Nazi fringe. The ball is to be held in Vienna's ornate Hofburg palace, less than a minute's walk away from the memorial event.

The dispute reflects both the distance Austria has come in acknowledging its role in Nazi atrocities and stubborn rightist sentiment among some here, who see themselves as Germans and Germans as the superior race ? a common regional building block of anti-Semitism.

Some of the most bitter comments came from the crowd that converged on Vienna's Heldenplatz, or Heroes' Square, to lay wreaths for the victims of Auschwitz, the concentration camp in occupied Poland where some of Nazis' greatest atrocities were committed during the Holocaust.

"You, who will dance and celebrate here; we remind you of the murder of two-thirds of Europe's Jews," proclaimed Holocaust survivor Rudolf Gelbard. Insisting that Nazi atrocities must never be forgotten, Greens' Party head Eva Glavischnig declared, "It is all the greater perfidy that there will be dancing today on the graves of Auschwitz."

Organizers point out that the ball traditionally takes place on the last Friday in January, but federal government minister Gabrielle Heinisch-Hosek scoffed at their insistence that the timing this year with international Auschwitz commemorations was coincidence.

She called the timing "a big provocation" in comments to The Associated Press, while Greens' Party member Niki Kunrath said the fact "that right-wing extremists can still assemble in the most magnificent halls of the country" was a national shame.

Formally, Austria has moved from a postwar portrayal of being Nazi Germany's first victim to acknowledging that it was Hitler's willing partner. Most young Austrians reject Nazi ideology and condemn the part their parents might have played in the Holocaust.

At the same time, the rightist-populist Freedom Party ? whose supporters range from those disillusioned with the more traditional parties to Islamophobes and Holocaust deniers ? has become Austria's second-strongest political force.

The party, a strong defender of the ball, confirmed Friday that Marine Le Pen, head of France's National Front, planned to attend the event, along with Belgium's Philip Claeys of the Vlaams Belang party and other European far rightists.

The Freedom Party itself went on the offensive, saying the real threat to society came from leftists planning to demonstrate against the ball and warning Austrian Jewish leader Ariel Muzicant that it might press charges of incitement against him for encouraging the protests.

The ball is staged mostly by dueling fraternities including far-right members who display saber scars on their cheeks as badges of honor. But Freedom Party leader Heinz-Christian Strache described the event as "an academic ball, not a political ball."

He accused "extreme-left" opponents of trying to sabotage his party and warned that the protests being organized outside the venue were being organized by anarchists backing "the rule of the street."

But demonstrations that began as the ball guests started to converge on the Hofburg were generally peaceful, with most of the approximately 2,500 demonstrators respecting police lines separating them from the venue.

In the only reported incident, some of the guests were delayed when the two buses carrying them were briefly blocked by sitting protesters who were quickly removed by police.

Although the ball regularly comes under criticism, its overlap this year with the Auschwitz liberation anniversary has increased pressure on organizers and attendees

Because it was listed among other annual champagne-laced Viennese balls, an Austrian committee reporting to UNESCO, the U.N.'s culture organization, struck all the balls from its list of Austria's noteworthy traditions last week.

While some of the more opulent Vienna balls are criticized as a showcase of the rich, most are devoid of direct political controversy. For centuries, the city's high society has waltzed blissfully through wars, recessions and occasional firebomb-throwing anarchists opposed to the moneyed decadence they think such events represent.

But the WKR ball started drawing flack as Austrians began to come to grips decades ago with the fact that their country was one of Nazi Germany's most willing allies instead of its first victim through its 1938 annexation by Hitler.

Bowing to the pressure, the Hofburg palace announced late last year that the ball will have to move elsewhere as of 2013.

___

Philipp Jenne contributed to this report.

___

George Jahn can be reached at http://twitter.com/georgejahn

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_re_eu/eu_austria_rightist_ball

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Distro Issue 25: Ultrabook overload, Snap Analysis and Gina Trapani

Distro is 25... weeks old, today! And to celebrate we're debuting a new page that puts you, our readers, front and center. We've been sending out questions over various social networking channels and collecting your answers for the inaugural run of Snap Analysis. Among other things, you weighed in on RIM's CEO switch up, as did our own Darren Murph in his editorial, "RIM's New CEO Isn't the Shakeup It Needed." We have more editorializing coming your way from the desk of Donald Melanson, who's taking the Ultrabook marketing hype to task. Also in this issue, we test drive the BlackBerry Porsche Design P'9981 and review the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 and Huawei's Honor. Lifehacker's Gina Trapani takes on the Distro Q&A, IRL goes back to CES and Ross Rubin explores Apple's education push. There's a lot to soak up in this issue, so hit the appropriate link below and get to reading!

Continue reading Distro Issue 25: Ultrabook overload, Snap Analysis and Gina Trapani

Distro Issue 25: Ultrabook overload, Snap Analysis and Gina Trapani originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/27/distro-issue-25-ultrabooks-snap-analysis-gina-trapani/

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Saturday, January 28, 2012

911 call from Demi Moore's home to be released (omg!)

FILE - In this Oct. 17, 2011 file photo, actress Demi Moore attends the premiere of "Margin Call" in New York. A spokeswoman for Moore on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 said the actress is seeking professional help to treat her exhaustion and improve her health. (AP Photo/Peter Kramer, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Authorities are set to release a 911 call made from Demi Moore's home earlier this week.

The Los Angeles Times (http://lat.ms/x6Lu2n ) says the Los Angeles city attorney's office has recommended that certain portions of the call be deleted to comply with federal privacy laws.

City attorney's office spokesman Frank Mateljan tells the Times that the office has reviewed the tape and has made certain recommendations.

A spokeswoman for Moore said Tuesday that the actress is seeking professional help to treat her exhaustion and improve her health. Publicist Carrie Gordon says the decision is due to the stresses in Moore's life, and she looks forward to getting well.

Moore announced in November that she had decided to end her marriage to Ashton Kutcher following news of alleged infidelity.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/news911_call_demi_moores_home_released_091815417/44324101/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/911-call-demi-moores-home-released-091815417.html

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Watch: Obama: Brewer Encounter 'Not a Big Deal' (ABC News)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

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Paul braves snowy Maine in hunt for GOP delegates

Republican presidential candidate, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas speaks at a campaign stop, Friday, Jan. 27, 2012, at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Republican presidential candidate, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas speaks at a campaign stop, Friday, Jan. 27, 2012, at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Republican presidential candidate, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, campaigns in Bangor, Maine, Friday, Jan. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Republican presidential candidate, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, campaigns in Bangor, Maine, Friday, Jan. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Republican presidential candidate, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas speaks at a campaign stop, Friday, Jan. 27, 2012, at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Republican presidential candidate, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas waits to be introduced behind a partition at campaign stop, Friday, Jan. 27, 2012, at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

WATERVILLE, Maine (AP) ? Ron Paul braved Maine's snow and ice Friday in a quest to pick up delegates, vowing he and his loyal band of supporters would be a factor in the Republican nominating contest for weeks to come.

The Texas congressman attracted a packed house in Bangor despite a powerful winter storm that shuttered schools and brought traffic to a virtual standstill.

Feisty and defiant, Paul said he had watched a television segment that morning in which pundits debated how Republicans should try to manage Paul and his fervent backers.

"They want us to go away, but they don't want to offend us. How are they going to manage that?" Paul said to boos. "I'll tell you what ? we'll just hang around for a while longer."

Paul is all but skipping Florida, whose primary is Jan. 31, to focus on Maine and other states holding caucuses, including Nevada, Colorado and Minnesota. Nevada's caucuses are Feb. 4 and Colorado and Minnesota's follow on Feb. 7.

Paul's campaign is following President Barack Obama's 2008 model, hoping a similarly young, Internet-savvy fan base will organize themselves and attend caucuses for Paul. The caucus states also yield a large number of delegates for far less money than many primary states.

The comparison to Obama's 2008 campaign has its limits, however. Obama had racked up at least one major victory ? a huge win in the Iowa caucuses ? before turning to the smaller-state caucus strategy. Paul has yet to win a single contest.

His best showing was in the New Hampshire primary, where he placed second behind Mitt Romney. But he came in third in Iowa behind Romney and Rick Santorum and placed a dismal fourth last Saturday in South Carolina's first-in-the-South primary.

Still, Paul's appeal to young voters and many Tea Party supporters has been unmistakable.

In Florida on Friday, Newt Gingrich said Republicans would have to confer "dignity" to Paul and seek his input on parts of the party platform to ensure that he and his followers remain part of the GOP coalition.

"The key with Congressman Paul is to make sure he does not run as a third-party candidate," Gingrich said at a campaign event in Delray Beach, suggesting that Republicans would have a hard time defeating Obama if Paul did so. Paul has all but ruled out a third-party bid.

Paul was spending two days in Maine, campaigning on or near college campuses, which have typically been receptive to his libertarian-leaning message.

At Colby College in Waterville, he emphasized his support for bringing U.S. troops home from overseas engagements and railed against what he called government's efforts to regulate lifestyle choices.

"When it comes to putting anything into your body, or in your mouth, or in your lungs, you can't do it without permission of the government," Paul said.

Maine's caucuses begin Feb. 4 and wrapping up on Feb. 11, when the GOP will announce the results of what is essentially a nonbinding straw poll.

The gatherings in schools, Grange halls, fire stations and town halls are the first step to selecting 24 delegates from the state to the Republican National Convention in Tampa next summer.

Charles Welles, 34, a Waterville resident and Navy veteran, said he supports Paul's views on ending military engagements and wants to vote for him. But Welles said he was still a bit confused by the caucus process.

"I'm from Ohio, so this is all new to me," Welles said.

Paul and Romney were both on the ballot in Maine's 2008 caucuses and have maintained active organizations in the state. The former Massachusetts governor finished first that year. Paul came in third, behind Arizona Sen. John McCain, who went on to win the GOP nomination.

Maine, often an afterthought compared to its next-door neighbor, New Hampshire, tends to reward candidates who are organized and make an effort to show up to court voters, Colby political science professor Sandy Maisel said.

Maisel noted that Gov. Jerry Brown of California, who was out of office at the time, won Maine's Democratic caucuses in 1992 after making frequent trips to the state.

The enthusiasm among Paul's supporters could help him prevail in Maine, Maisel added.

"The GOP has a very low turnout and it tends to be the most ideological people, which favors Ron Paul," he said.

Paul state chairman Paul Madore was guarded about setting expectations, saying GOP officials in the state would press for a more traditional candidate like Romney.

We have a rank-and-file Republican leadership in Maine, and they don't budge easily," Madore said. "We have to get in there and make our presence heard."

___

Sharp reported from Portland, Maine. Associated Press writer Brian Bakst in Delray Beach, Fla., contributed to this report.

___

Follow Beth Fouhy on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/bfouhy

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-01-27-Paul/id-c578bc98cb3d40ed9465e151994a56b4

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Launch Center puts Messages, Facebook, Twitter, a flashlight and more in your iPhone Notification Center [Macworld 2012]

Launch Center, a new shortcuts app for iPhone, aims to make everything from sending messages and mail to posting on Facebook and Twitter, to turning on your LED flashlight, faster


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/WkeujsSZqx4/story01.htm

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Friday, January 27, 2012

Twitter to begin 'reactively' censoring tweets in specific countries, still no love for China

It's no secret that certain countries have different views over freedom of expression on the internet, but this hasn't stopped Twitter's attempt to keep its service running in as many places as possible. In its latest blog post, the microblogging service announced that it'll begin "to reactively withhold content from users in a specific country" when required, in order to keep said content available to all users elsewhere (as opposed to blocking it globally). The withheld tweets will be marked accordingly while their authors get notified with reasons where possible, and internet legal rights monitor Chilling Effects will also post the relevant take-down notices on a dedicated page.

This may seem like some form of censorship taking over Twitter, but the company only mentioned those of "historical or cultural reasons" like the ban of pro-Nazi content in France and Germany; so it's not clear whether Twitter will also handle similarly with tweets that potentially lead to events such as the UK riots last year. Even though Twitter didn't elaborate further for Reuters, there is one reassuring line in the post:

"Some [countries] differ so much from our ideas that we will not be able to exist there."

One such country is most likely China, and back at AsiaD in October, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey told us that there's simply no way for his company to work with the Chinese government (you can watch him answering us at 38:17 in the video -- courtesy of All Things D -- after the break):

"The unfortunate fact is we're just not allowed to compete in this market, and that's not up to us to change. The person to ask is trade experts between both governments, but at the end of the day we can't compete. They (Chinese microblogging platforms) can compete in our markets, and we're certainly interested in what that means for us... We would love to have a strong Twitter in China, but we'd need to be allowed to do that."

There are obviously many factors that add up to this sour relationship, but the contradiction between China's strict internet monitoring policy and Twitter's core values is the most likely the biggest obstacle. And of course, the Chinese government would favor its home-grown tech properties, anyway. That said, several months ago, one of the country's largest microblogging services Sina Weibo was criticized by the authorities for not censoring fast enough, so it's obvious that it'd be even trickier to work with a foreign company that sees things differently. Things are unlikely to change any time soon, or ever, unless China relaxes its policy.

Continue reading Twitter to begin 'reactively' censoring tweets in specific countries, still no love for China

Twitter to begin 'reactively' censoring tweets in specific countries, still no love for China originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/27/twitter-censors-content-in-specific-countries/

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Paterno's long goodbye ends with public memorial (Reuters)

STATE COLLEGE, Pa (Reuters) ? The son of late Penn State football coach Joe Paterno told 10,000 mourners on Thursday his father died "with a clear conscience," and former players shared why they worshipped the man in a final goodbye to the legendary "JoePa."

The memorial at the campus basketball arena concluded five days of public mourning for Paterno, 85, who died on Sunday of lung cancer two months after his towering reputation was shaken by a child sexual abuse scandal involving an assistant coach.

The hero's sendoff after Paterno's death contrasted sharply with the sudden and unceremonious end of his career in November, when the university's board of trustees fired him following revelations about defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, accused of molesting at least 10 boys over 15 years.

Paterno won a major college record 409 games and two national championships in his 46 years as head coach, creating a football powerhouse that generated $53 million in profit in 2010, according to Forbes magazine.

Son Jay Paterno shared deathbed moments the crowd, saying, "Joe Paterno left this world with a clear conscience."

Shortly before his father died, Jay Paterno said he bent over and whispered into his father's ear, "Dad you won. You did all you could do. We all love you. You can go home."

Interest in "A Memorial to Joe" built for days. The 10,000 free tickets were snapped up within seven minutes earlier this week. At least one ticket holder tried to profit by selling a ticket for $66,000 on Ebay, but the online site immediately banned the sale.

The week of mourning has drawn back to campus stars from past football teams, members of the 2011 squad, Penn State alumni who have no memory of any other football coach, undergraduates and townspeople to remember the winningest coach in major college football history.

"No one individual did more for a university than what Joe Paterno did for this school," said Todd Blackledge, a quarterback in the 1980s who played for seven years in the NFL.

"He was as fierce a competitor as anyone I have ever seen," Blackledge said. "Coach Paterno was at his best under pressure. He taught us how to compete."

Charlie Pittman, a runningback from the 1960s, praised Paterno for building a long-lasting institution that prided itself on the motto "Success with Honor."

"Though his body eventually failed, his spirit never did. Rest in peace, coach. We'll take it from here," he said to a standing ovation.

Paterno came under fire in November when it was revealed he was told by a purported witness that Sandusky molested a 10-year-old boy in the Penn State football showers in 2002. Paterno informed university officials but not police.

Sandusky, 67, faces 52 criminal counts accusing him of molesting 10 boys over 15 years, using his position as head of The Second Mile, a charity dedicated to helping troubled children, to find his victims. The court has placed Sandusky, who maintains his innocence, under house arrest.

(Editing by Barbara Goldberg and Daniel Trotta)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120127/us_nm/us_usa_paterno

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Somali captors move US hostage after SEAL raid

This combination photo made from undated images provided by the Danish Refugee Council shows Dane Poul Hagen Thisted, left, and American Jessica Buchanan. U.S. military forces flew into Somalia in a nighttime raid Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012 and freed the two hostages while killing nine pirates, officials and a pirate source said. (AP Photo/Danish Refugee Council)

This combination photo made from undated images provided by the Danish Refugee Council shows Dane Poul Hagen Thisted, left, and American Jessica Buchanan. U.S. military forces flew into Somalia in a nighttime raid Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012 and freed the two hostages while killing nine pirates, officials and a pirate source said. (AP Photo/Danish Refugee Council)

Map locates area around the town of Adado, Somalia, where two hostages were rescued during a helicopter raid.

(AP) ? A group holding an American hostage in Somalia moved him at least three times in the day since U.S. Navy SEALs rescued an American and a Dane and killed their nine kidnappers, pirates said Thursday. The abductors said they would kill the hostage if they are attacked.

The high-profile rescue early Wednesday raised questions about whether the many other Western hostages held in Somalia have a greater chance at release ? or are in greater danger.

"If they try again we will all die all together," warned Hassan Abdi, a Somali pirate connected to the gang holding the American. "It's difficult to hold U.S. hostages, because it's a game of chance: die or get huge money. But we shall stick with our plans and will never release him until we get a ransom."

U.S. Navy SEALs parachuted into Somalia early Wednesday and hiked to where captors were holding American Jessica Buchanan, 32, and Poul Hagen Thisted, a 60-year-old Dane. A shootout ensued and nine captors were killed. Buchanan, Thisted and the U.S. troops were all unharmed. The two aid workers had been kidnapped by gunmen in October while working on demining projects for the Danish Refugee Council.

Buchanan and Thisted on Thursday were at the U.S. Naval Air Base at Sigonella, Sicily as part of their reintegration process, undergoing more complete medical examinations and debriefing. Officials could not immediately say how long they would stay there before returning home.

The U.S. government said the raid was prompted by Buchanan's deteriorating health. An ailing Frenchwoman kidnapped by Somali gunmen died in captivity last year after not having access to her medication.

"Holding hostages in one place is unlikely now because we are the next target," Abdi said, referring to the raid in a phone conversation with The Associated Press. He expressed concern that the U.S. had pirate informants.

"It wasn't just a hit and run operation, but long planned with the help of insiders among us," Abdi said, noting the soldiers had struck at the time when the pirates were least on their guard.

The gang has moved an American kidnapped on Saturday in the northern Somali town of Galkayo three times in the last 24 hours, he said.

Other hostages held in Somalia include a British tourist and two Spanish aid workers seized in neighboring Kenya, a French military adviser and 155 sailors of various nationalities hijacked by pirates at sea.

The aid group Doctors Without Borders, known as Medecins Sans Frontieres, employed the two Spanish women. The group said it is pleased that Buchanan and Thisted were freed and that MSF is still seeking the liberation of its workers, Montserrat Serra and Blanca Theibaut. It hinted, though, that it views military raids as risky.

"MSF strongly favors the nonviolent resolution of such cases, as the use of force endangers the lives of the hostages and may result in the tragic loss of human lives," the group said. "We call upon the Somali population, especially the local authorities in control of the areas where the two are held, to do everything in their power to assist in their safe release."

It's not always clear what group is holding a captive in Somalia. Hostages have sometimes been sold from one gang to another. Captives can be held for long stretches: Two journalists from Canada and Australia were held for 15 months before being released in 2009, and the French military adviser has been missing for more than two years.

The security community is divided over whether the U.S. raid would make life more difficult for other captives, one Western official in Kenya said, or whether the killings of the nine captors might make pirates think twice about launching future operations. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.

On Wednesday evening, hours after the U.S. military raid, the gang holding the American kidnapped on Saturday started circulating false rumors that they had executed him.

Another security official who has years of experience in the region said it is likely the men holding the American would move him onto a ship with other foreign hostages, because ships were easier to defend and planning rescue operations is more complicated when there are hostages from other countries involved.

The official also spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press. At least one pirate agreed with his analysis.

"I think land captivity is going to end now. Sea is much safer," pirate Mohamed Nur said by phone from the coastal town of Hobyo. "Even ships are not very safe but you can at least hit back and resist."

Americans have been captured by Somali pirate gangs before. In 2009, the cargo vessel Maersk Alabama was briefly hijacked before pirates took to the lifeboat with the ship's captain, who was rescued after Navy sharpshooters killed the pirates.

But in a sign that pirates are getting increasingly violent ? and perhaps jittery ? four Americans onboard a hijacked yacht were killed last February. It's still unclear why the hostages were shot. Two of the pirates had already boarded a U.S. warship shadowing the yacht.

Several senior pirates condemned Wednesday's U.S. raid, which was authorized by President Barack Obama, and at least one warned that any other U.S. hostages might suffer as a result.

"They send hit squads and kill all they want, so there is no way we will care for their people (hostages) while they are killing us. They will see the aftereffects and reap the results of their actions," said Bile Hussein, a Somali pirate commander.

A spokesman for Somalia's weak U.N.-backed government said the pirates had got what they deserved.

"Pirates have no place in our society," Abdirahman Omar Osman told AP. "This is a huge and unforgettable lesson for them."

___

Associated Press writers Jason Straziuso and Katharine Houreld in Nairobi, Kenya contributed to this report.

___

Follow Katharine Houreld at http://twitter.com/khoureld

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-01-26-AF-Somalia-Raid/id-92578797f5c24194b33d426f2c83a8b6

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