মঙ্গলবার, ২৫ জুন, ২০১৩

Obama says carbon limits needed for power plants

(AP) ? President Barack Obama says carbon pollution limits need to be set on U.S. power plants in order to curb global warming.

Obama says rules are already in place to limit pollution from arsenic, mercury, lead and other substances, but no federal limits exist on how much carbon pollution that power plants ? including many that are fired by coal ? can dump into the air.

Obama says "that's not right, it's not fair, and it needs to stop."

Obama made his remarks Tuesday in a speech at Georgetown University, where he announced measures he intends to take to limit pollution that is trapping gases in the atmosphere.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-06-25-Obama-Climate%20Change-Power%20Plants/id-f6de373fe32f40fa9e13822abd951611

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Legendary blues singer Bobby Bland dies at 83: media reports

(Reuters) - Bobby "Blue" Bland, a pioneer of the modern soul-blues sound, died on Sunday, according to Memphis media reports. He was 83.

Local television stations cited the Memphis Music Foundation, which could not be reached for comment.

Bland was a member of the Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His hits included "Turn on Your Love Light," "Further on Up the Road" and "I Pity the Fool."

Bland, known as "The Lion of The Blues," was born in 1930 in Rosemark, Tennessee. He moved to Memphis in 1947 where he began mixing sounds from gospel, blues and R&B music, joining the Beale Streeters, a group that included Johnny Ace, B.B. King and Junior Parker, according to Bland's biography on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website.

"His hallmark was his supple, confidential soul-blues delivery," the website said.

Bland received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997.

(Reporting By Brendan O'Brien; Editing by Mary Wisniewski and Stacey Joyce)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/legendary-blues-singer-bobby-bland-dies-83-media-045334694.html

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সোমবার, ২৪ জুন, ২০১৩

Sony and Disney Trial Home Streaming While Movies Are in the Theater

Sony and Disney Trial Home Streaming While Movies Are in the TheaterIn the ongoing battle against piracy, Disney and Sony have made a bold step: they're both testing an on-demand service (in, um, South Korea) which allows people to rent movies and stream them in their own homes while they're still playing in theaters.

Read more...

    


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/olOskZ-aB1M/sony-and-disney-trial-home-streaming-while-movies-are-i-554744778

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Smithfield drops Paula Deen as spokeswoman

FILE - This undated image released by Smithfield Foods shows celebrity chef Paula Deen wearing a Smithfield apron as she stands in front of various Smithfield meat products. On Monday, June 24, 2013, Smithfield Foods said it was dropping Deen as a spokeswoman. The announcement came days after the Food Network said it would not renew the celebrity cook's contract in the wake of revelations that she used racial slurs in the past. (AP Photo/Smithfield Foods via PRNewsFoto)

FILE - This undated image released by Smithfield Foods shows celebrity chef Paula Deen wearing a Smithfield apron as she stands in front of various Smithfield meat products. On Monday, June 24, 2013, Smithfield Foods said it was dropping Deen as a spokeswoman. The announcement came days after the Food Network said it would not renew the celebrity cook's contract in the wake of revelations that she used racial slurs in the past. (AP Photo/Smithfield Foods via PRNewsFoto)

FILE - This 2006 file photo originally released by the Food Network shows celebrity chef Paula Dean. It was revealed that Deen admitted during questioning in a lawsuit that she had slurred blacks in the past. It's the second time the queen of comfort food's mouth has gotten her into big trouble. She revealed in 2012 that for three years she hid her Type 2 diabetes while continuing to cook the calorie-laden food that's bad for people like her. The Food Network, which began airing "Paula's Home Cooking" in 2002, has said it does not tolerate discrimination and is looking at the situation. Deen's other show, "Paula's Best Dishes," started at the network in 2008. She's one of the longest-running and most recognizable of the network stars, although her show airs in daytime _ not prime-time. (AP Photo/ Food Network, file)

FILE - In this Jan. 17, 2012 file image originally released by NBC, celebrity chef and TV personality Paula Deen appears on the "Today" show to discuss her diabetes in New York. Deen was a no-show Friday, June 21, 2013, at the "Today" show, where she was scheduled to appear to answer questions about past use of racial slurs. (AP Photo/NBC, Peter Kramer, file)

(AP) ? Paula Deen lost another part of her empire on Monday: Smithfield Foods said it was dropping her as a spokeswoman.

The announcement came days after the Food Network said it would not renew the celebrity cook's contract in the wake of revelations that she used racial slurs in the past.

Smithfield sold Paula Deen-branded hams in addition to using her as a spokeswoman. In a statement, the company said it "condemns the use of offensive and discriminatory language and behavior of any kind. Therefore, we are terminating our partnership with Paula Deen."

QVC also said it was reviewing its deal with Paula Deen Enterprises to sell the star's cookbooks and cookware.

"QVC shares the concerns being raised around the unfortunate Paula Deen situation," QVC said in a statement. "We are closely monitoring these events and the ongoing litigation. We are reviewing our business relationship with Ms. Deen, and in the meantime, we have no immediate plans to have her appear on QVC."

Sears said the company "is currently exploring next steps as they pertain to Ms. Deen's products." Wal-Mart, which sells Deen's cookware, was expected to have a statement later Monday.

The rapid downfall came after revelations that 66-year-old Food Network star admitted using racial slurs in the past in a deposition in a discrimination lawsuit. Deen was asked under oath if she had ever used the N-word. "Yes, of course," Deen said, though she added, "It's been a very long time."

Deen insisted she and her family do not tolerate prejudice, and in a videotaped apology, she asked fans and critics for forgiveness. It had been posted online for about an hour when the Food Network released a terse statement that it "will not renew Paula Deen's contract when it expires at the end of this month." The network refused to comment further.

Las Vegas-based Caesars Entertainment Corporation, which has Deen's restaurants in some of its casinos, said Friday that it "will continue to monitor the situation." Publisher Ballantine, which has a new Deen book scheduled to roll out this fall, used similar words.

Earlier Monday, NBC's Matt Lauer said Deen would appear Wednesday on "Today." Last week she abruptly canceled on the morning show before posting her videotaped apologies.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-06-24-Paula%20Deen/id-72adf6769ade4058985cb7b48998baba

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Hong Kong says Snowden has left for third country

HONG KONG (AP) ? A former National Security Agency contractor wanted by the United States for revealing highly classified surveillance programs has been allowed to leave for a "third country" because a U.S. extradition request did not fully comply with Hong Kong law, the territory's government said Sunday.

Hong Kong's government did not identify the country. Snowden, who has been in hiding in Hong Kong for several weeks since he revealed information on the highly classified spy programs, has talked of seeking asylum in Iceland.

However, Russia's ITAR-Tass news agency cited an unidentified Aeroflot official as saying Snowden would fly from Moscow to Cuba on Monday and then on to Caracas, Venezuela. The WikiLeaks anti-secrecy group tweeted that Snowden was "over Russian air space" and later said in a statement he was bound for an unnamed "democratic nation via a safe route for the purpose of asylum."

The White House had no immediate comment about Snowden's departure, which came a day after the United States made a formal request for his extradition and gave a pointed warning to Hong Kong against delaying the process of returning him to face trial in the U.S.

The Hong Kong government said in a statement that Snowden left "on his own accord for a third country through a lawful and normal channel."

It acknowledged the U.S. extradition request, but said U.S. documentation did not "fully comply with the legal requirements under Hong Kong law." It said additional information was requested from Washington, but since the Hong Kong government "has yet to have sufficient information to process the request for provisional warrant of arrest, there is no legal basis to restrict Mr. Snowden from leaving Hong Kong."

The statement said Hong Kong had informed the U.S. of Snowden's departure. It added that it wanted more information about alleged hacking of computer systems in Hong Kong by U.S. government agencies which Snowden had revealed.

WikiLeaks said it was providing legal help to Snowden at his request and that he was being escorted by diplomats and legal advisors from the group. Its founder, Julian Assange, who has spent a year inside the Ecuadorean Embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden to face questioning about sex crime allegations, told the Sydney Morning Herald that his organization is in a position to help because it has expertise in international asylum and extradition law.

Snowden's departure eliminates a possible fight between Washington and Beijing at a time when China is trying to deflect U.S. accusations that it carries out extensive surveillance of American government and commercial operations. Hong Kong, a former British colony, has a high degree of autonomy and is granted rights and freedoms not seen on mainland China, but under the city's mini constitution Beijing is allowed to intervene in matters involving defense and diplomatic affairs.

Hong Kong has an extradition treaty with the U.S., but the document has some exceptions, including for crimes deemed political.

The Obama administration on Saturday warned Hong Kong against delaying Snowden's extradition, with White House national security adviser Tom Donilon saying in an interview with CBS News, "Hong Kong has been a historically good partner of the United States in law enforcement matters, and we expect them to comply with the treaty in this case."

Snowden's departure came as the South China Morning Post released new allegations from Snowden that U.S. hacking targets in China included the nation's cellphone companies and two universities hosting extensive Internet traffic hubs.

He told the newspaper that "the NSA does all kinds of things like hack Chinese cellphone companies to steal all of your SMS data." It added that Snowden said he had documents to support the hacking allegations, but the report did not identify the documents. It said he spoke to the newspaper in a June 12 interview.

With a population of more than 1.3 billion, China has massive cellphone companies. China Mobile is the world's largest mobile network carrier with 735 million subscribers, followed by China Unicom with 258 million users and China Telecom with 172 million users.

Snowden said Tsinghua University in Beijing and Chinese University in Hong Kong, home of some of the country's major Internet traffic hubs, were targets of extensive hacking by U.S. spies this year. He said the NSA was focusing on so-called "network backbones" in China, through which enormous amounts of Internet data passes.

The Chinese government has not commented on the extradition request and Snowden's departure, but its state-run media have used Snowden's allegations to poke back at Washington after the U.S. had spent the past several months pressuring China on its international spying operations.

A commentary published Sunday by the official Xinhua News Agency said Snowden's disclosures of U.S. spying activities in China have "put Washington in a really awkward situation."

"Washington should come clean about its record first. It owes ... an explanation to China and other countries it has allegedly spied on," it said. "It has to share with the world the range, extent and intent of its clandestine hacking programs."

____

Sylvia Hui in London and Lynn Berry in Moscow contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hong-kong-says-snowden-left-third-country-081745849.html

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রবিবার, ২৩ জুন, ২০১৩

WikiLeaks: Snowden going to Ecuador to seek asylum

A TV screen shows a news report of Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee who leaked top-secret documents about sweeping U.S. surveillance programs, at a shopping mall in Hong Kong Sunday, June 23, 2013. The former National Security Agency contractor wanted by the United States for revealing two highly classified surveillance programs has been allowed to leave for a "third country" because a U.S. extradition request did not fully comply with Hong Kong law, the territory's government said Sunday. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

A TV screen shows a news report of Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee who leaked top-secret documents about sweeping U.S. surveillance programs, at a shopping mall in Hong Kong Sunday, June 23, 2013. The former National Security Agency contractor wanted by the United States for revealing two highly classified surveillance programs has been allowed to leave for a "third country" because a U.S. extradition request did not fully comply with Hong Kong law, the territory's government said Sunday. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

Graphic shows key locations in the life and career of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden; 3c x 5 inches; 146 mm x 127 mm;

Journalists show passengers arriving from Hong Kong a tablet with a photo of Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee who leaked top-secret documents about sweeping U.S. surveillance programs, at Sheremetyevo airport, just outside Moscow, Russia, Sunday, June 23, 2013. The former National Security Agency contractor wanted by the United States for revealing two highly classified surveillance programs has been allowed to leave for a "third country" because a U.S. extradition request did not fully comply with Hong Kong law, the territory's government said Sunday. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

FILE - In this June 21, 2013 file photo, a banner supporting Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee who leaked top-secret documents about sweeping U.S. surveillance programs, is displayed at Central, Hong Kong's business district. The Hong Kong government says Snowden wanted by the U.S. for revealing two highly classified surveillance programs has left for a "third country." The South China Morning Post reported Sunday, June 23, 2013 that Snowden was on a plane for Moscow, but that Russia was not his final destination. Snowden has talked of seeking asylum in Iceland. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

(AP) ? Admitted leaker Edward Snowden took flight Sunday in evasion of U.S. authorities, seeking asylum in Ecuador and leaving the Obama administration scrambling to determine its next step in what became a game of diplomatic cat-and-mouse.

The former National Security Agency contractor and CIA technician fled Hong Kong and arrived at the Moscow airport, where he planned to spend the night before boarding an Aeroflot flight to Cuba. Ecuador's Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said his government received an asylum request from Snowden, and the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks said it would help him.

"He goes to the very countries that have, at best, very tense relationships with the United States," said Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., adding that she feared Snowden would trade more U.S. secrets for asylum. "This is not going to play out well for the national security interests of the United States."

The move left the U.S. with limited options as Snowden's itinerary took him on a tour of what many see as anti-American capitals. Ecuador in particular has rejected the United States' previous efforts at cooperation, and has been helping WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, avoid prosecution by allowing him to stay at its embassy in London.

Snowden helped The Guardian and The Washington Post disclose U.S. surveillance programs that collects vast amounts of phone records and online data in the name of foreign intelligence, but often sweeping up information on American citizens. Officials have the ability to collect phone and Internet information broadly but need a warrant to examine specific cases where they believe terrorism is involved.

Snowden has been in hiding for several weeks in Hong Kong, a former British colony with a high degree of autonomy from mainland China. The United States formally sought Snowden's extradition from Hong Kong but was rebuffed; Hong Kong officials said the U.S. request did not fully comply with their laws.

The Justice Department rejected that claim, saying its request met all of the requirements of the extradition treaty between the U.S. and Hong Kong.

During conversations last week, including a phone call Wednesday between Attorney General Eric Holder and Hong Kong Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen, Hong Kong officials never raised any issues regarding sufficiency of the U.S. request, a Justice spokesperson said.

A State Department official said the United States was in touch through diplomatic and law enforcement channels with countries that Snowden could travel through or to, reminding them that Snowden is wanted on criminal charges and reiterating Washington's position that Snowden should only be permitted to travel back to the U.S.

The Justice Department said it would "pursue relevant law enforcement cooperation with other countries where Mr. Snowden may be attempting to travel."

The White House would only say that President Barack Obama had been briefed on the developments by his national security advisers.

Russia's state ITAR-Tass news agency and Interfax cited an unnamed Aeroflot airline official as saying Snowden was on the plane that landed Sunday afternoon in Moscow.

Upon his arrival, Snowden did not leave Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport. One explanation could be that he wasn't allowed; a U.S. official said Snowden's passport had been revoked, and special permission from Russian authorities would have been needed.

"It's almost hopeless unless we find some ways to lean on them," said Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y.

The Russian media report said Snowden intended to fly to Cuba on Monday and then on to Caracas, Venezuela.

U.S. lawmakers scoffed. "The freedom trail is not exactly China-Russia-Cuba-Venezuela, so I hope we'll chase him to the ends of the earth, bring him to justice and let the Russians know there'll be consequences if they harbor this guy," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

With each suspected flight, efforts to secure Snowden's return to the United States appeared more complicated if not impossible. The United States does not have an extradition treaty with Russia, but does with Cuba, Venezuela and Ecuador. Even with an extradition agreement though, any country could give Snowden a political exemption.

The likelihood that any of these countries would stop Snowden from traveling on to Ecuador seemed unlikely. While diplomatic tensions have thawed in recent years, Cuba and the United States are hardly allies after a half century of distrust.

Venezuela, too, could prove difficult. Former President Hugo Chavez was a sworn enemy of the United States and his successor, Nicolas Maduro, earlier this year called Obama "grand chief of devils." The two countries do not exchange ambassadors.

U.S. pressure on Caracas also might be problematic given its energy exports. The U.S. Energy Information Agency reports Venezuela sent the United States 900,000 barrels of crude oil each day in 2012, making it the fourth-largest foreign source of U.S. oil.

"I think 10 percent of Snowden's issues are now legal, and 90 percent political," said Douglas McNabb, an expert in international extradition and a senior principal at international criminal defense firm McNabb Associates.

Assange's lawyer, Michael Ratner, said Snowden's options aren't numerous.

"You have to have a country that's going to stand up to the United States," Ratner said. "You're not talking about a huge range of countries here."

That is perhaps why Snowden first stopped in Russia, a nation with complicated relations with Washington.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is "aiding and abetting Snowden's escape," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

"Allies are supposed to treat each other in decent ways, and Putin always seems almost eager to put a finger in the eye of the United States," Schumer said. "That's not how allies should treat one another, and I think it will have serious consequences for the United States-Russia relationship."

It also wasn't clear Snowden was finished with disclosing highly classified information.

"I am very worried about what else he has," said Rep. Loretta Sanchez, a California Democrat who sits on the House Homeland Security Committee.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said she had been told Snowden had perhaps more than 200 sensitive documents.

Ros-Lehtinen and King spoke with CNN. Graham spoke to "Fox News Sunday." Schumer was on CNN's "State of the Union." Sanchez appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press." Feinstein was on CBS' "Face the Nation."

___

Associated Press White House Correspondent Julie Pace and Associated Press writers Matthew V. Lee and Frederic J. Frommer in Washington, Lynn Berry in Moscow, Kevin Chan in Hong Kong and Sylvia Hui in London contributed to this report.

___

Follow Philip Elliott on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/philip_elliott

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-06-23-NSA-Surveillance-Snowden/id-22e3344cbf114ae688ac7ff6b045eb27

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Boston Marathon winner returns his medal to city

BOSTON (AP) ? The champion of the men's 2013 Boston Marathon returned his winner's medal to Mayor Thomas Menino on Sunday to honor the city and those killed and injured in the bombings near the finish line of one of the world's top running events.

"Sport holds the power to unify and connect people all over the world," Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia told the crowd through a translator. "Sport should never be used as a battleground."

More than 6,400 athletes gathered on Boston Common for the 10K organized by the Boston Athletic Association, the same nonprofit that handles the annual marathon. Spots for Sunday's race sold out in 13 hours online.

"Let me tell you: As mayor of this great city for the last several years, I have never seen Boston come together like it has after the attacks," Menino told the crowd. "Thank you for making Boston stronger."

A moment of silence paid tribute to the three victims killed in the April 15 bombings and to Sean Collier, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer who was shot and killed April 18 in a search for the suspects.

"The feeling here is a little weird," said Jon Everitt, an MIT student who lives in Cambridge. He said the bombings are "definitely in the back of your head."

Melissa Blasczyk, of Boston, ran the 2013 Boston Marathon and was 1.5 miles from the finish line when spectators began telling runners the race was over.

"Today I'm going to finish, run a strong race and take in the scenery," she said. "Obviously, (the attack) is in the back of your mind, but you just have to live your life.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/boston-marathon-winner-returns-medal-city-171833313.html

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PFT: Hernandez in trouble with the law and Patriots

LeBronGetty Images

The Dolphins gritted their teeth and celebrated the success of the local NBA franchise that makes the local NFL franchise even less relevant locally.? And nationally.

There will be more cops at Bills games this year.? (Fans would prefer more points.)

The University of Florida connection isn?t working out for the Patriots.

Get to know Jets S Josh Bush.

Browns S T.J. Ward likes Ray Horton?s aggressive style; ?It?s an attack style, all downhill. We?re really getting after the guys. That?s what I?m most excited about,? Ward said, proving that the point can be conveyed without using terms like ?kill? or ?hurt? or ?inflict mild bruising.?

The Ravens last 2013 draft pick, CB Marc Anthony, hopes to win a job with ?physicality and versatility.?

Former Steelers K Jeff Reed did a little bragging recently about his ownership of two Super Bowl rings.

Bengals single-game tickets go on sale June 29; pre-registration was required for visits from the Steelers and the Packers.

Texans WR Andre Johnson and S Ed Reed made it to the teens on NFL Network?s Top 100 countdown.

Colts DL Ricky Jean Francois still gets advice from Donald Heaven, who played OT at Florida State when Jean Francois arrived in 2002.

Titans G Chance Warmack is trying to stay positive as he makes the transition from college to the NFL.

The enhancements to the Jaguars stadium will start after the 2013 season and are expected to be ready by the start of the 2014 season.

Chargers FB Le?Ron McClain is holding a free football camp for kids in Alabama on Saturday.

Ditto for Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles, who started his fourth annual free camp for 175 kids on Friday in Texas.

Whatever Broncos WR Wes Welker got paid this week to talk repeatedly about his hair plugs, it wasn?t nearly enough.

When news broke that actor James Gandolfini has passed, some fans thought Raiders assistant Tony Sparano had died.

Cowboys QB Tony Romo didn?t earn a spot on NFLN?s Top 100 list, after coming in at No. 91 in 2012 and No. 72 in 2011.

The Associated Press style book would seem to suggest that any publication adhering to it should not use the term Redskins.

A New Jersey accountant who allegedly scammed the state out of nearly $700,000 in false unemployment claims used the money to buy, among other things, Giants season tickets.

Kyle Shurmur, the son of Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, is 6-4 and slated to play quarterback for La Salle High School.

The Packers have reduced from nine night training-camp practices in 2012 to zero in 2013.

Retired Bears LB Brian Urlacher is playing a lot of golf; ?The first thing on my mind when I wake up isn?t working out anymore,? Urlacher said.? ?So that?s a good thing.?

Vikings CB Xavier Rhodes arrived at Florida State as a receiver, and when he was moved to defense he initially wanted to transfer.

LB Jon Morgan is trying to win a spot on the Lions roster as an undrafted free agent.

Saints WE Marques Colston is hosting a receivers camp on Saturday for kids 10 to 18 years old.

50 sacks may be a bit unrealistic, but Panthers LB Greg Hardy could be in for a big year.

A 150-year-old church in Atlanta wants $24.5 million to move from the footprint of the Change Purse; the city has offered $15.5 million.

The Buccaneers? ?Rookie Club? spent time this week with local kids in Tampa.

So how can players like 49ers WR Michael Crabtree recover so quickly from a torn Achilles tendon?

Cardinals running backs coach Stump Mitchell is helping rookie RB Stepfan Taylor catch up after missing the offseason program due to the ridiculous, outdated, and unfair rule that prevents first-year players from working until the students at the college the players no longer attend have taken their final exams.

Seahawks DE Michael Bennett told the Real Rob Report that he?s never seen a pace like the one at Seahawks practices.

35 first-year Rams stuck around for ?Rookie Week,? an up-close introduction to St. Louis.? (Which for most of them will be completely irrelevant by September.)

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/06/21/even-with-only-obstruction-of-justice-charge-hernandez-faces-real-problems-at-work/related/

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শনিবার, ২২ জুন, ২০১৩

Self Improvement Techniques: A Guide To A Much Better Existence

You must choose and consciously choose to function in the direction of it. Even when you?re dissatisfied together with your daily life, it may be hard to find the motivation to modify. This information has advice and tips that could be the impetus to your self improvement prepare, however you are the one who needs to do the actual operate. Stay determined by maintaining the following tips under consideration all the time. When thinking of personal development, you have to remember which every personal is going to locate stuff that work better to them, everybody is various and each person needs to use the things that work for these people. Bearing that in mind, it is important to investigation into various resources to support together with your desired goals in personal development. This information is filled up with ideas and recommendations you can use in your own personal progress. You will overlook chances to produce privately in the event you avoid generating choices. You must not stay away from making decisions, even though you don?t supply the details ahead of time. Even mistaken decisions that don?t come out while you would have appreciated are valuable as you still study from the activities they give instructive discovering experience. An incorrect choice will just open the entranceway for a better one. People have a number of values which can be key on their sensation of personal at the core. This practice will promote consistency, which is a fantastic feature to obtain. You can expect to make dramatic development with your consideration on good progress and be keen to experience all the interesting things you are able to. Create a self improvement program by deciding what your individual thinking that you may have determined. It wouldn?t seem sensible to operate on things that have reached odds with what you benefit. Ask others about their accomplishments as an alternative to bragging regarding your personal. You can?t tend to others if you?re not taking care of oneself. Whatever point you happen to be in on the quest, permit yourself a chance to restore and rejuvenate oneself. It is best to handle anyone with regard, no matter what potential they maintain or the things they could do to suit your needs po?yczki . The way you deal with them claims a little more about the individual that you are. Can you often ingest excessive alcoholic beverages? Can you use tobacco products or take part in other actives that can cause harm to your body? The body is exactly what your home is in each and every time and thus factor for its wellness needs to be cured with the utmost respect. Getting rid of undesirable habits is crucial should you wish to improve your existence.Consider a sincere products of your traits and proclivities and figure out where you can make adjustments. Should you be slipping sort and never conference objectives, take a moment to step back and determine that you go incorrect. Discover how individuals that have very similar anticipations. You might need being more reasonable or obtain the problem being you are concentrating on out of the question targets instead of with your sources completely to complete your objectives correctly. Do not shop for convenience? Should you a pastime compared to increasing your charge card expenses, you will not spend lots of money and acquire into debts. Being a selfless is an important element of personal development. Knowing how to tend to others, simply by making the sacrifices within on your own, can improve your inside figure. When you are able make sacrifices that lift up other folks up without jeopardizing your own wellness, you will gain the emotionally charged flexibility needed to become far better man or woman. Everyone believes a lot better whenever they in are healthier. Make it a concerted effort to implement healthier practices. Getting some average threats can help you stay pleased. It is far from unheard of for anyone to avoid the sense of refusal or failing while at at the same time, though never taking hazards will make you po?yczki bez bik unfulfilled. Consuming risks can cause you to the things you want away from life, which happens to be what?s needed to aid po?yczki bez bik direct you with a path of happiness. Usually look for a obstacle. You could understand new skills and gain expertise. You could even aspire to arrive at an objective that no one experienced actually achieved. Try to find your own course, as opposed to pursuing in everyone else?s keeps track of. You could have listened to that listening is just as vital as talking. This really is accurate with regards to personal development expertise. Always be aware of what you really are conversing with oneself. An excellent suggestion for personal improvement suggestions would be to usually treat your whole body nicely.Once your system tells you that it requires something, including foods, beverage, or medical treatment, have just what it demands once you can. This will allow your system deal with you should inside the highway. Utilize the information given to increase the probability of it enhancing your existence. You are going to in no way succeed should you don?t at the very least consider. See how these observations will improve your own sensation of self improvement.


Source: http://progvariada.net/sin-categoria/self-improvement-techniques-a-guide-to-a-much-better-existence/

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WSJ: The FAA Is Ready to Ease Restrictions on In-Flight Electronics

WSJ: The FAA Is Ready to Ease Restrictions on In-Flight Electronics

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the Federal Aviation Administration is about to loosen its restrictions on in-flight gadget use?more than a year after it first announced it was mulling the idea.

The Journal explains that a high-level, 28-member advisory panel will recommend to the FAA that it relax restrictions during taxiing, takeoff, and landing. The suggestion is based on an investigation launched last August which aimed to assess just how dangerous electronic devices are aboard flights.

While the advice to be given by the panel isn't finalized, opinion seems to suggest that current regulations "have become untenable." While it's unclear what the exact recommendations will be, they're expected to allow more freedom for gadget use inside airplanes?and some devices, like e-readers, will likely be permitted for use throughout the entire flight. Cellphone calls won't be covered just yet?but baby steps, people, baby steps.

The FAA's reluctance to change policy on gadgets has been broadly criticized by everyone from politicians to consumers, and it seems likely that any softening of the rules will be greeted with open arms. Certainly, it can't come soon enough?the current guidelines are based on regulations that have remained unchanged since 1966. [WSJ]

Image by Derrick Coetzee under Creative Commons license

Source: http://gizmodo.com/wsj-the-faa-is-ready-to-ease-restrictions-on-in-flight-528724592

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Ex-inmate recalls Gandolfini?s quiet support

James Gandolfini (AP)James Gandolfini (AP)James Gandolfini, who passed away on Tuesday, will long be remembered for his consummate acting chops. For wrongly convicted Marty Tankleff of Long Island, however, the "Sopranos" star left an entirely different kind of legacy.

Years after Tankleff was convicted as a teenager for killing his parents in 1988, Gandolfini became a quiet supporter of the Long Islander as he fought for two decades to overturn the double-murder charge, the New York Daily News reports.

?Jim was loyal?it wasn?t like he did it for the publicity,? said Tankleff, 41.

Gandolfini learned about the case through Jay Salpeter, a former New York Police Department detective, while researching a role for the 2006 movie "Lonely Hearts." Gandolfini met Tankleff soon afterward, driving several hours upstate to see him at Great Meadow Correctional Facility.

?He was a genuine, nice person you could sit down and eat dinner with,? said Tankleff. ?He got involved with my situation when others were reluctant.?

At the upstate facility, Gandolfini spent two hours talking with Tankleff and showed up to support him in a Brooklyn courtroom two months later. While the actor declined to do media interviews, Lonnie Soury, the PR executive who led the campaign to free Tankleff, told the Daily News that his presence alone delivered a powerful, unspoken message.

?My feeling was we were going to have a friend for the life of Marty?s case,? recalled Salpeter

Tankleff?s sentence was overturned by an appeals court in December 2007. According to the Daily News, Tankleff is a now a paralegal working toward a law degree.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/gandolfini-leaves-legacy-support-ex-inmate-135820547.html

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Senate immigration deal would double number of U.S. border agents

By Richard Cowan and Thomas Ferraro

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Thousands of federal agents with high-tech surveillance devices would be dispatched to the U.S.-Mexican border under a deal unveiled on Thursday aimed at winning more Republican support for an immigration bill in the Democratic-led U.S. Senate.

Senate budget hawks questioned the costs and benefits of the extra security, but their concerns were overshadowed by the deal's main goal: to win votes for a sweeping revision of U.S. immigration law that will open a pathway to citizenship for up to 11 million undocumented immigrants.

The Senate could vote sometime next week to pass the bill. While there is little doubt that a majority of the 100-member Senate is prepared to vote yes, backers are hoping for 70 or more votes to help propel the measure through the more skeptical Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

"I don't know if it's totally well spent," said Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona, an important backer of the legislation, referring to the high cost of the border security deal, estimated at up to $50 billion over 10 years. "I think it's important that we do this to give people confidence that we have border security, so in that respect it's well spent."

A leading conservative voice quickly embraced the deal.

Republican Senator Marco Rubio, a Cuban-American lawmaker from Florida who helped craft the bipartisan bill as part of a "Gang of Eight" in the Senate, said the deal was a "dramatic improvement in border security" during an interview on Fox News.

Rubio, touted as a possible 2016 presidential candidate, had hinged his full support on improvements in border security. His endorsement is seen as crucial to winning conservative backing for the biggest changes in U.S. immigration law in a generation.

The proposal, which could be formally offered as an amendment to the sprawling immigration bill as early as Thursday, would double the overall number of U.S. border patrol agents, according to senior Senate Democratic aides.

That would mean assigning 21,000 new officers to the southwestern border in an attempt to shut down future illegal crossings by foreigners.

"I am now confident ... that the Senate will pass a strong, bipartisan immigration reform bill and that it will ultimately reach the desk of the president for his signature," Democratic Senator Charles Schumer of New York said.

The immigration bill, which is supported by President Barack Obama, currently calls for adding 3,500 Customs and Border Protection officers by 2017.

Besides doubling the number of border agents, the deal also calls for completing the construction of 700 miles of border fencing or walls, Senate aides said. About 650 miles have been built in one form or another, though some portions will have to be upgraded.

At an estimated price tag of around $40 billion to $50 billon, the amendment, if passed, would represent a potentially massive investment of federal resources in securing the border at a time when conservatives are complaining bitterly about government outlays.

As originally written, the legislation called for about $6 billion in new border security spending.

CRITICS STILL UNHAPPY

Republican Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, an aggressive critic of the bill, mocked the deal even though he has been calling for tougher border enforcement. He noted that it was drafted after congressional analysts estimated the bill would trim illegal immigration by just 25 percent.

"The bill gets in trouble on the floor and they scurry around to get an amendment to throw 20,000 agents ... somewhere on the border in the future, we promise." Sessions said, adding that such promises have been made in the past but not honored.

Sessions and other conservatives have pushed for delaying any pathway to citizenship for 11 million people until the government virtually eliminates illegal border crossings.

But a majority of the Senate repeatedly has repelled such attempts. On Thursday, it voted 54-43 to kill an amendment by Senator John Cornyn of Texas, the second-ranking Republican, which would have delayed permanent legal status for the 11 million currently undocumented immigrants until the government met strict border enforcement goals.

On Tuesday, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the Senate's immigration bill would save the federal government nearly $900 billion over 20 years as illegal immigrants became legal, taxpaying residents.

A Democratic aide said those projected savings gave senators the leeway to craft such an expensive border security amendment.

House Speaker John Boehner, an Ohio Republican who has promised to consider an immigration bill this year, told reporters that the CBO deficit-reduction estimates, if "anywhere close to being accurate, would be a real boon for the country."

While the legislation authorizes the beefed-up security programs, it would be up to Congress in the future to appropriate the funding.

A Senate aide said that the newly legalized residents would not get "green cards" allowing permanent resident status until the border security measures were in place. Gaining permanent resident status would take 10 years under the bill, giving the federal government the time to deploy the added border officers and equipment.

Besides the additional agents and fencing, the measure also calls for employing large amounts of unmanned drones, radars and other surveillance devices to catch or deter illegal crossings.

But the plan brought a harsh reaction from at least one civil liberties and human rights group.

Christian Ramirez, director of the Southern Border Communities Coalition, said the huge buildup in agents, surveillance hardware and fencing "is expensive and extreme."

In a telephone interview with Reuters, he expressed fears that adding so many more armed officers would compound problems already being experienced involving fatal shootings on either side of the border.

"The current force on the U.S.-Mexico border is already excessive. What makes matters worse is that there are no checks and balances" on border patrol activities, Ramirez said.

(Additional reporting by Rachelle Younglai and David Lawder; Editing by Fred Barbash)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/senate-immigration-deal-double-number-u-border-agents-154801887.html

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Protestsers gather in Brazil despite concessions

SAO PAULO (AP) ? Protesters gathered for a new wave of massive demonstrations in Brazil on Thursday, extending the protests that have sent hundreds of thousands of people into the streets since last week to denounce poor public services and government corruption.

The biggest of the more than 80 demonstrations was expected in Rio de Janeiro, where protesters say they'll march on the iconic Maracana stadium where a Confederations Cup soccer game was scheduled. Protests were also planned in the country's biggest city, Sao Paulo, and towns all over the country.

Several city leaders have already accepted protester demands to revoke an increase in bus and subway fares and hope that anti-government anger cools.

In Sao Paulo, protest organizers said they would turn their demonstration into a party celebrating the lower transit fares. But many believe the protests are no longer just about bus fares and have become a cry for systemic changes in a country that's otherwise seen a decade-long economic boom.

The U.S. Embassy in Brazil wasn't taking any chances: It warned its citizens to stay away from the flurry of protests nationwide.

"It's not really about the price anymore," said Camila Sena, an 18-year-old university student at a Wednesday protest in Rio de Janeiro's sister city of Niteroi. "People are so disgusted with the system, so fed up that now we're demanding change."

Sena added that seeing money poured into soccer stadiums for the current Confederations Cup and next year's World Cup only added fuel to people's anger.

"It's not that we're against the World Cup, not at all. It will bring good things for Brazil. It's just that we're against the corruption that the World Cup has become an excuse for," she said.

Mass protests are rare in this 190 million-person country, with demonstrations generally attracting small numbers of politicized participants.

Many now marching in Brazil's streets hail from the growing middle class, which government figures show has ballooned by some 40 million people over the past decade amid a commodities-driven boom.

While the complaints of protesters are wide-ranging, there have been few answers about how to turn the disgruntlement into a coherent list of demands for the government.

In announcing the reversal of the fare hike, Sao Paulo Mayor Fernando Haddad said it "will represent a big sacrifice and we will have to reduce investments in other areas." He didn't give details on where other cuts would occur.

Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes also said his city's fare increase would be rescinded.

Despite that, scattered street demonstrations sprang up Wednesday in some parts of Brazil, including well into the night in Niteroi, as protesters continued to call for better public services in return for high taxes and rising prices.

About 200 people also blocked the Anchieta Highway that links Sao Paulo, the country's biggest city, and the port of Santos before heading to the industrial suburb of Sao Bernardo do Campo on Sao Paulo's outskirts. Another group of protesters later obstructed the highway again.

In the northeastern city of Fortaleza, 15,000 protesters clashed with police who kept them from reaching the Castelao stadium before Brazil's game with Mexico in the Confederations Cup.

"We are against a government that spends billions in stadiums while people are suffering across the country," said Natalia Querino, a 22-year-old student participating in the protest. "We want better education, more security and a better health system."

___

Associated Press writers Stan Lehman in Sao Paulo, Marco Sibaja in Brasilia and Tales Azzoni in Fortaleza contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/protestsers-gather-brazil-despite-concessions-191208355.html

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Book News: Amazon in the Arab World, Playing Moby : The New ...

BookNewsWed_opt.jpg

Twenty-five handwritten manuscripts, including those of ?The Great Gatsby,? ?The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,? and ?Mrs. Dalloway.?

Does a poem that Sylvia Plath wrote two weeks before her death reveal her as being ?disturbed??

Michael Bhaskar explores the reasons for Amazon?s reluctance to enter the Arab book world.

?A sealed letter arrived at the palace?s library, leaving staff stunned. The letter, written by a former Lambeth Palace Library employee before his death, revealed the whereabouts of many of the library?s precious books.? Fourteen hundred stolen books were recently recovered by London?s Lambeth Palace Library.

Read this Q. & A. with the makers of Moby Dick, the video game.

Source: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2013/05/book-news-amazon-in-arab-world-playing-moby.html

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Seahorse's armor gives engineers insight into robotics designs

May 1, 2013 ? The tail of a seahorse can be compressed to about half its size before permanent damage occurs, engineers at the University of California, San Diego, have found. The tail's exceptional flexibility is due to its structure, made up of bony, armored plates, which slide past each other. Researchers are hoping to use a similar structure to create a flexible robotic arm equipped with muscles made out of polymer, which could be used in medical devices, underwater exploration and unmanned bomb detection and detonation. UC San Diego engineers, led by materials science professors Joanna McKittrick and Marc Meyers, detailed their findings in the March 2013 issue of the journal Acta Biomaterialia.

"The study of natural materials can lead to the creation of new and unique materials and structures inspired by nature that are stronger, tougher, lighter and more flexible," said McKittrick, a professor of materials science at the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego.

McKittrick and Meyers had sought bioinsipiration by examining the armor of many other animals, including armadillo, alligators and the scales of various fish. This time, they were specifically looking for an animal that was flexible enough to develop a design for a robotic arm.

"The tail is the seahorse's lifeline," because it allows the animal to anchor itself to corals or seaweed and hide from predators, said Michael Porter, a Ph.D. student in materials science at the Jacobs School of Engineering. "But no one has looked at the seahorse's tail and bones as a source of armor."

Most of the seahorse's predators, including sea turtles, crabs and birds, capture the animals by crushing them. Engineers wanted to see if the plates in the tail act as an armor. Researchers took segments from seahorses' tails and compressed them from different angles. They found that the tail could be compressed by nearly 50 percent of its original width before permanent damage occurred. That's because the connective tissue between the tail's bony plates and the tail muscles bore most of the load from the displacement. Even when the tail was compressed by as much as 60 percent, the seahorse's spinal column was protected from permanent damage.

McKittrick and Meyers' research group uses a unique technique that applies a series of chemicals to materials to strip them of either their protein components or their mineral components. That allows them to better study materials' structures and properties. After treating the bony plates in the seahorse's tail with the chemicals, they discovered that the percentage of minerals in the plates was relatively low -- 40 percent, compared to 65 percent in cow bone. The plates also contained 27 percent organic compounds -- mostly proteins -- and 33 percent water. The hardness of the plates varied. The ridges were hardest, likely for impact protection -- about 40 percent harder than the plate's grooves, which are porous and absorb energy from impacts.

The seahorse's tail is typically made up of 36 square-like segments, each composed of four L-shaped corner plates that progressively decrease in size along the length of the tail. Plates are free to glide or pivot. Gliding joints allow the bony plates to glide past one another. Pivoting joints are similar to a ball-and-socket joint, with three degrees of rotational freedom. The plates are connected to the vertebrae by thick collagen layers of connective tissue. The joints between plates and vertebrae are extremely flexible with nearly six degrees of freedom.

"Everything in biology comes down to structures," Porter said.

The next step is to use 3D printing to create artificial bony plates, which would then be equipped with polymers that would act as muscles. The final goal is to build a robotic arm that would be a unique hybrid between hard and soft robotic devices. A flexible, yet robust robotic gripper could be used for medical devices, underwater exploration and unmanned bomb detection and detonation. The protected, flexible arm would be able to grasp a variety of objects of different shapes and sizes.

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

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Michael M. Porter, Ekaterina Novitskaya, Ana Bertha Castro-Cese?a, Marc A. Meyers, Joanna McKittrick. Highly deformable bones: Unusual deformation mechanisms of seahorse armor. Acta Biomaterialia, 2013; DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2013.02.045

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/h6G_iJCIvog/130501132123.htm

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Google Hangouts add remote desktop control, let you play tech support

DNP Google Hangouts updated with remote desktop control, turns you into tech support in the process

Google recently updated its Hangout chat client with the same remote desktop control tech integrated into Chrome. This slick new feature gives you the option to take control of someone's computer (with their permission, of course) during a video call. If you often find yourself recruited to help friends and family members with technical issues, you'll definitely dig this. To begin a remote session, start a Hangout and click View More Apps > Add Apps > Hangouts Remote Desktop. Now that you've got this light work out of the way, it's time to move on to some heavy lifting -- like helping grandma set up that Netflix account she's been asking about.

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Source: Daniel Caiafa (Google+)

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No wealth tax on agriculture land: Finance Ministry - Firstpost: Latest ...

New Delhi: Under attack over proposal in the Budget, the government today sought to explain that wealth tax was proposed only on urban land and not on agricultural land.

?As the wealth tax is levied only on unproductive assets, there was no intention to levy wealth tax on the agricultural land which cannot be termed as unproductive assets,? the Finance Ministry explained after passage of the Finance Bill 2013 in the Lok Sabha amid opposition walkout.

The government explained that the taxes were being levied only on urban land and not on agricultural land. Reuters.

The government explained that the taxes were being levied only on urban land and not on agricultural land. Reuters.

It further said that the wealth tax is not leviable on urban land which is ?classified as agricultural land in the records of the Government; and used for agricultural purposes?.The proposed amendment will take effect retrospectively from April 1, 1993, the Ministry said.

With apprehensions raised by farmers, especially those in Punjab and Haryana, and capitalised by Congress? opponents, Finance Minister P Chidambaram took the first opportunity to clarify that there was no intention of the UPA government to levy wealth tax on agriculture land.

Referring to the other proposal of one per cent TDS on sale of property exceeding Rs 50 lakh, it said the person will not be required to obtain Tax Deduction and Collection Account Number (TAN) for that transaction.

?In order to reduce the compliance burden on the deductor deducting tax under section 194-IA (I-T Act), it is proposed to insert a new sub-section? to provide that the provisions of section 203A shall not apply to a person required to deduct tax in accordance with the provisions of new section 194-IA,? the Ministry added.

It also clarified that furnishing of PAN will not be a pre-condition for claiming lower rate of withholding tax of 5 per cent on payment of interest to non-resident entity for investment in long term infrastructure bonds.

As per the earlier proposal, withholding tax of 20 per cent was to be levied on such payments in case the
non-resident entity failed to provide PAN.This has been done in view of ?practical difficulties?
faced by non-residents in obtaining PAN. The proposed amendment shall take effect from June 1, 2013.

PTI

Source: http://www.firstpost.com/india/no-wealth-tax-on-agriculture-land-finmin-742461.html

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Italy race problems seen with black gov't minister

FILE - In this April 29, 2013 file photo Integration Minister Cecile Kyenge listens as Italian Premier Enrico Letta delivers his speech during a vote of confidence to confirm the government, in the lower house of Parliament, in Rome. The appointment of Italy's first black cabinet minister was initially hailed as a giant step forward for a country that has long been ill at ease with its increasing immigrant classes. Cecile Kyenge's new job has instead exposed Italy's ugly race problem, an issue that flares regularly on the football pitch with racist taunts and in the rhetoric of xenophobic political parties but has come to the fore anew as a shaky coalition government tries to bring Italy out of its economic doldrums. Kyenge, 48, was born in Congo and moved to Italy three decades ago to study medicine. An eye surgeon, she lives in Modena with her Italian husband and two children and was active in local center-left politics before winning a seat in the lower Chamber of Deputies in February elections. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)

FILE - In this April 29, 2013 file photo Integration Minister Cecile Kyenge listens as Italian Premier Enrico Letta delivers his speech during a vote of confidence to confirm the government, in the lower house of Parliament, in Rome. The appointment of Italy's first black cabinet minister was initially hailed as a giant step forward for a country that has long been ill at ease with its increasing immigrant classes. Cecile Kyenge's new job has instead exposed Italy's ugly race problem, an issue that flares regularly on the football pitch with racist taunts and in the rhetoric of xenophobic political parties but has come to the fore anew as a shaky coalition government tries to bring Italy out of its economic doldrums. Kyenge, 48, was born in Congo and moved to Italy three decades ago to study medicine. An eye surgeon, she lives in Modena with her Italian husband and two children and was active in local center-left politics before winning a seat in the lower Chamber of Deputies in February elections. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)

In this photo taken on April 28, 2013 photo Integration Minister Cecile Kyenge walks moments after taking oath during the swearing in ceremony at the Quirinale Presidential Palace, in Rome. The appointment of Italy's first black cabinet minister was initially hailed as a giant step forward for a country that has long been ill at ease with its increasing immigrant classes. Cecile Kyenge's new job has instead exposed Italy's ugly race problem, an issue that flares regularly on the football pitch with racist taunts and in the rhetoric of xenophobic political parties but has come to the fore anew as a shaky coalition government tries to bring Italy out of its economic doldrums. Kyenge, 48, was born in Congo and moved to Italy three decades ago to study medicine. An eye surgeon, she lives in Modena with her Italian husband and two children and was active in local center-left politics before winning a seat in the lower Chamber of Deputies in February elections. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)

FILE - In this April 28, 2013 file photo Italian Integration Minister Cecile Kyenge arrives at Chigi palace Premier's office, in Rome. The appointment of Italy's first black cabinet minister was initially hailed as a giant step forward for a country that has long been ill at ease with its increasing immigrant classes. Cecile Kyenge's new job has instead exposed Italy's ugly race problem, an issue that flares regularly on the football pitch with racist taunts and in the rhetoric of xenophobic political parties but has come to the fore anew as a shaky coalition government tries to bring Italy out of its economic doldrums. Kyenge, 48, was born in Congo and moved to Italy three decades ago to study medicine. An eye surgeon, she lives in Modena with her Italian husband and two children and was active in local center-left politics before winning a seat in the lower Chamber of Deputies in February elections. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, File)

ROME (AP) ? It was hailed as a giant step forward for racial integration in a country that has long been ill at ease with its growing immigrant classes. But Cecile Kyenge's appointment as Italy's first black Cabinet minister has instead exposed the nation's ugly race problem, a blight that flares regularly on the soccer pitch with racist taunts and in the diatribes of xenophobic politicians ? but has now raised its head at the center of political life.

One politician from a party that not long ago ruled in a coalition derided what he called Italy's new "bonga bonga government." On Wednesday, amid increasing revulsion over the reaction, the government authorized an investigation into neo-fascist websites whose members called Kyenge "Congolese monkey" and other epithets.

Kyenge, 48, was born in Congo and moved to Italy three decades ago to study medicine. An eye surgeon, she lives in Modena with her Italian husband and two children. She was active in local center-left politics before winning a seat in the lower Chamber of Deputies in February elections.

Premier Enrico Letta tapped Kyenge to be minister of integration in his hybrid center-left and center-right government that won its second vote of confidence Tuesday. In his introductory speech to Parliament, Letta touted Kyenge's appointment as a "new concept about the confines of barriers giving way to hope, of unsurpassable limits giving way to a bridge between diverse communities."

His praise and that of others has been almost drowned out by the racist slurs directed at Kyenge by politicians of the anti-immigrant Northern League party, an on-again, off-again ally of long-serving ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi, and members of neo-fascist Internet groups.

In addition to his "bonga bonga" slur, Mario Borghezio, a European parliamentarian for the League, warned in an interview with Radio 24 that Kyenge would try to "impose tribal traditions" from her native Congo on Italy.

Kyenge on Tuesday responded to the insults, thanking those who had come to her defense and taking a veiled jab at the vulgarity of her critics. "I believe even criticism can inform if it's done with respect," she tweeted.

Unlike France, Germany or Britain, where second and third generations of immigrants have settled albeit uneasily, Italy is a relative newcomer to the phenomenon. France has several high-ranking government ministers with immigrant roots, and few French had a problem with the appointments: Former President Nicolas Sarkozy named a justice minister and urban policy minister, both born in France to North African parents, to his cabinet, while his minister for human rights was born in Senegal. Francois Hollande's government spokeswoman was born in Morocco and raised in France, and his interior minister was born in Spain. He also has two black ministers from French overseas territories ? one from Guyana and one from Guadeloupe.

Italy is another story. Once a country of emigration to North and South America at the turn of the last century, Italy saw the first waves of migrants from Eastern Europe and Africa coming to its shores only in the 1980s. In the last decade or two, their numbers have increased exponentially, and with them anti-immigrant sentiment: Surveys show Italians blame immigrants for crime and overtaxing the already burdened public health system. Foreigners made up about 2 percent of Italy's population in 1990; currently the figure stands at 7.5 percent, according to official statistics bureau Istat.

Some of the most blatant manifestations of racism occur in the realm of Italy's favorite sport, soccer ? which for Italians and others has shown itself to be a perfect venue for displays of pent-up emotions. In the case of a handful of Italian teams, soccer is a way for right-wing fan clubs to vent.

Mario Balotelli, the AC Milan striker born in Palermo to Ghanaian immigrants and raised by an Italian adoptive family, knows all about it. Perhaps Italy's best player today, he has long been the subject of racist taunts on and off the field: Rival fans once hung a banner during a match saying "Black Italians don't exist" while the vice-president of his own club once called him the household's "little black boy."

Balotelli called Kyenge's nomination "another great step forward for an Italian society that is more civil, responsible and understanding of the need for better, definitive integration."

The race situation is almost schizophrenic in Italy. In the same week Kyenge was made a government minister and Balotelli was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world, AC Milan's rival Juventus was fined 30,000 euro for fans' racist taunts during a game against Milan in which Balotelli wasn't even playing.

"There was no racism 40 years ago because there were no non-white Italians," said James Walston, a political science professor at American University of Rome. "You need the other in order to hate the other."

"It will take a long time ? probably there will never be a completely racism-free society ? but it will take a long time for Italy to reach the sort of acceptance, multi-cultural acceptance that the rest of Europe has and North America has," he said in an interview.

Kyenge got off to a rocky start with the Northern League when, on the day she was named minister, she said one of her top priorities would be to make it easier for children of immigrants born in Italy to obtain Italian citizenship. Currently, such children can only apply once they turn 18.

The issue has vexed Italy for years and previous center-left governments have failed to change the law even though most Italians ? 72 percent according to a 2012 Istat-aided study ? favor it. It's not just a matter of a passport but has real impact on the ability of an immigrant family to integrate into Italian society: Children of non-EU immigrants born in Italy, for example, can't take advantage of the EU citizen discounts at the Colosseum and other cultural treasures, having to pay full admission prices to get in to learn the heritage of the nation where they were born. If they were Italian citizens, they'd get in free until they were 18.

But raising an issue that so riles the Northern League ? during an already tense political transition ? was enough to set off Roberto Maroni, the interior minister in Berlusconi's last center-right government and a top League official. Maroni immediately demanded that his successor as interior minister make clear his position on the law.

Other members of Maroni's party were more blunt: Italian newspapers quoted the head of the League in Italy's northern Lombardy region Matteo Salvini as saying that Kyenge was a "symbol of a hypocritical and do-gooding left that wants to cancel out the crime of illegal immigration and thinks only about immigrants' rights and not their duties."

La Repubblica newspaper on Tuesday, meanwhile, cited the vile insults directed at her on fascist Internet groups such as www.ilduce.net . Repubblica said the antagonism was born from the League's basic opposition to a minister who tends to favor immigrant rights. "But the racist origins had to explode. And here they are. True, they're consigned to the stupid transience of the Web, but they're a sign of the widespread climate of hatred" in the country, the paper wrote.

Coming to Kyenge's defense was Laura Boldrini, the president of parliament's lower chamber, who for years was the chief spokeswoman in Italy for the U.N. refugee agency. In that role she frequently defended the rights of immigrants ? and squared off with Northern League leaders after they pushed through a controversial 2009 policy to send back would-be Libyan migrants without screening them first for asylum.

"It is indecent that in a civil society there can be a series of insults ? on websites but not only there ? that are being hurled against the neo-minister Cecile Kyenge," Boldrini said. "Like many people, watching her take her oath of office I felt that Italy was taking an important step forward, and not just for 'new Italians.'"

Also defending Kyenge was the other foreign-born minister in Letta's government, Josefa Idem, a German-born Italian who won five Olympic kayaking medals before retiring after the London Games. Idem is Italy's new equal opportunities minister ? one of seven women in Letta's government ? and in that role authorized an investigation by Italy's national anti-discrimination office into the racist online slurs directed against Kyenge.

Italian news reports quoted Idem as saying she was doing so in her capacity as minister "but also as a woman."

Sociologist Michele Sorice at Rome's Luiss University said Italians have long harbored racist attitudes, stemming from the nation's colonial past in north Africa, but that they stayed hidden until the Northern League "legitimized" xenophobic political rhetoric after entering the government in the 1990s. The League denies it's xenophobic and says it is merely protecting the interests of Italians.

Italy has since become more sensitized to the issue, Sorice said, but it still lags behind its European and North American partners. Changing the law on citizenship, as Kyenge wants, "wouldn't do anything more than to bring Italy into line with the great European traditions," he said.

But he was doubtful that this particular government, made up of longtime political rivals, could pull it off when even previous center-left governments had failed to do so.

"It remains to be seen how this can be done on a practical level with a coalition government," he said.

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Tricia Thomas in Rome and Lori Hinnant in Paris contributed.

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Follow Nicole Winfield at www.twitter.com/nwinfield

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-05-01-Italy's%20Race%20Problem/id-8e07601fdb2a4c54825473aba990941b

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