Source: Obama officials, lawmakers set for talks

WASHINGTON (AP) ? An administration official says two of President Barack Obama's top negotiators on the "fiscal cliff" will meet separately on Thursday with leading lawmakers.

The sessions are seen as an important step in determining how the government will avoid a year-end package of tax increases and spending cuts that could throw the economy into recession.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner (GYT'-nur) and White House legislative chief Rob Nabors will meet on Thursday with House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the meetings had not yet been publicly announced.

The meetings will take place on Capitol Hill.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-11-28-Fiscal%20Cliff-Talks/id-7f7b14a418ce4545b24694f78b9eb33d

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World Bank approves $500 million loan for Tunisia

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The World Bank on Tuesday approved a $500 million loan to Tunisia to help it recover from the Arab Spring uprising that toppled the former regime, with another $700 million loan coming from other donors.

The loan, the World Bank's second since the revolution, aims to support Tunisia's economic recovery by providing funds to improve the business and financial sectors and reform social services, which are vital for reducing inequality.

The World Bank said the European Union and the African Development Bank are giving a further $700 million to support Tunisia's transition.

The loans show global development lenders support the direction of Tunisia's reforms, which aim to satisfy citizens' demands for jobs, social services and transparent government.

"The agreement signed today sends a clear signal about the historic changes under way in Tunisia," said Inger Andersen, the World Bank's vice president for Middle East and North Africa.

Part of the reform program will involve eliminating 10 percent of tax and customs regulations in some government ministries, increasing competition in the telecommunication sector, and expanding the new Access to Information Law.

Tunisia was the birthplace of the Arab Spring uprisings last year across the Middle East and North Africa, which toppled its ruler after an almost 23-year reign. Since then, the country has struggled to regain economic stability while dealing with political transition and a slowing global economy.

The government has also committed to helping the poor, as well as thousands of former political prisoners and others who suffered under the former president.

Tunisia's government has said it will need about 7 billion dinars of loans and aid next year as it proceeds with a costly plan to compensate former political prisoners freed by the 2011 revolution.

In August, Tunisia announced that it expected the World Bank and the African Development Bank to each lend it $500 million to support its budget.

The World Bank previously approved a loan for the country in June 2011.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/world-bank-approves-500-million-loan-tunisia-050843322--business.html

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Recreational Sport ? Steps to Follow When Choosing Your Leisure ...

How do you know which recreational sport is right for you? Though this is a simple question, it may not have a simple answer. Before answering this question, it makes sense to know the definition of a recreational sport. In simple terms, a recreational sport is any sport activity or event that one engages in during leisure time. In other words, it is a sport activity or event performed primarily for entertainment and fun. Though in some cases there may be monetary rewards associated with passtime sport, it is not usually the main goal. Other reasons associated with participating in a leisure activities includes: fitness, health, socialization, competition and sport support among others.

There are several options of leisure activities available for all age categories ranging from indoor to outdoor. Making the decision on which choice to pursue can be a real challenge and this varies significantly from one person to the other. For former professional athletes, the decision may be easier especially if they continue participating in their particular former professional sports (i.e. recreational level). The big task of choosing the right recreational sport is however on beginners. In order to make the right choice(s) if you are a beginner, it is important to consider the following general guidelines:

1. Choose a sport that you understand and are passionate about: Leisure sport in a way becomes part of your lifestyle and therefore needs to be entertaining and enjoyable. Choosing something that you don?t like or have no knowledge about can be frustrating even if your friends adore it. It only makes sense to pursue something that you know its rules and regulations. However, this does not mean one cannot learn a new sport or game, but it easier to do so if you love the sport.

2. Consider your goals and objectives: As mentioned above, there are different reasons that drive people into recreational sports. Choosing a sport that is in line with your goals, for example losing weight will only enrich the whole recreational experience. Some one looking for a recreational sport to aid in cutting down some extra body weight may benefit from running, jogging, walking, hiking or swimming among other high calorie burning sport activities as opposed to playing cards or video games. On the other hand somebody looking for a recreational sport that favors socialization may benefit from the latter.

3. Facilities, tools and equipment required: Different recreational sports may require different tools, facilities or equipment or in some cases may require none at all. These tools, facilities or equipment may also vary depending on the needs of every person. For example if you want to play golf for recreation, you will definitely have to purchase a golf club, balls and perhaps shoes. You will also need an available and accessible golf course to play. In some cases if you have more than one favorite recreational sport, you may have to choose what is more convenient based on availability of facilities. It makes more sense to go running at a nearby track especially if you get off work late in the evenings than having to drive for several miles to get to a golf course (i.e. if you like both golf and running).

4. Availability of time: Since a recreational sport is a pastime sport, choosing the right one may be dictated by how much free time is at one?s disposal. Some leisure sports are more time consuming than others. Additionally some of these sports must only be played outside. Where as some sports such as running, jogging, walking, playing tennis, playing basketball or swimming offers both indoor and outdoor options, some of them, for example playing golf, hiking, kayaking, surfing among other don?t. The more time one has, the more the options to choose from and the vice versa.

5. Seasonality: Though this may not be a big deal to people living along the equatorial line geographically, it definitely affects people living in areas with winter and summer climatic seasons. Some recreational sports such as those requiring snow may only be available during winter and only in some parts of the world. So if skiing is the only favorite recreational sport that one can participate in, it means there will be nothing to do for most of the year i.e. during the other seasons. When deciding on the right sport for recreation, it is advisable to have more than one option especially in a situation where one is affected by seasonal changes.

6. Number of participants required: Where as most sports require participation of more than one person at one time, some can be pursued individually. If your schedule does not allow group or team participation, choosing a recreational sport that will enable you to participate alone is a good idea. Jogging, walking, swimming, biking and running are great examples.

As mentioned earlier, this is not an exhaustive list of guidelines, but it is only meant to give you an idea of how to pick the best sport that will make your recreational life a success. Remember the bottom line is fun and entertainment.

Author: Philip Rotich

The author has masters in sports and leisure management. He is a former professional track and field athlete. He is currently pursuing Ph. D program as well coaching and counseling athletes and recreational sports individuals of all ages. For information visit Lose Abdominal Fat

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Rival Palestinian groups show support for UN bid

Palestinian schoolgirls hold pictures of President Mahmoud Abbas with Yasser Arafat, flowers and olive branches during a rally supporting the Palestinian UN bid for observer state status, in the West Bank city of Nablus, Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012. The Palestinians will request to upgrade their status on November 29. The status could add weight to Palestinian claims for a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war from Jordan. (AP Photo/Nasser Ishtayeh)

Palestinian schoolgirls hold pictures of President Mahmoud Abbas with Yasser Arafat, flowers and olive branches during a rally supporting the Palestinian UN bid for observer state status, in the West Bank city of Nablus, Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012. The Palestinians will request to upgrade their status on November 29. The status could add weight to Palestinian claims for a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war from Jordan. (AP Photo/Nasser Ishtayeh)

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, right, shakes hands with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at U.N. headquarters Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Plestinian security officers slide down from a building next to a banner of President Mahmoud Abbas with Yasser Arafat, in the West Bank town of Jenin, Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012. The Palestinians will request the UN to upgrade their status to an observer state on November 29. The status could add weight to Palestinian claims for a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war from Jordan. Arabic on the left reads "our hero prisoners, the covenant is the covenant and the section is the section, your liberty will stay our first priority," and right, "all your people (are) with you."(AP Photo/Mohammed Ballas)

JERUSALEM (AP) ? Israel's leader, having failed to block the Palestinians from taking their quest for a state to the U.N., defiantly declared Thursday that they would have to back down from long-held positions if they ever hope to gain independence.

Ahead of Thursday's vote, thousands of Palestinians from rival factions celebrated in the streets of the West Bank. In a departure from its previous opposition, the Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip said they would not interfere with the U.N. bid, and its supporters joined some of the celebrations.

Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas turned to the United Nations after four years of deadlock in Mideast peace efforts. While the initiative, all but certain to pass, will not immediately bring about independence, Palestinians hope the strong international endorsement will give them more leverage in future negotiations with Israel.

Speaking to reporters in New York, Abbas said diplomatic pressure to abandon the initiative was "tremendous," but that he would not be deterred.

"We said our word, and the vote will take place," he said.

The resolution calls for a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, territories Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected a pullback to the 1967 lines, saying it would threaten Israeli security. Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem are now home to some 500,000 Israelis.

Netanyahu warned the Palestinians on Thursday that they would not win their hoped-for state until they recognize Israel as the Jewish homeland, declare an end to their conflict with Israel and agree to security arrangements to protect Israel.

"The resolution in the U.N. today won't change anything on the ground," Netanyahu declared. "It won't advance the establishment of a Palestinian state, but rather, put it further off."

The Palestinians have resisted demands to recognize Israel as the Jewish homeland, saying it would undermine the claims of Palestinian refugees and their millions of descendants scattered across the world.

Israel says Palestinian the demand for refugees to return to what is now Israel is an illegitimate attempt to undermine the Jewish character of their state. Instead, Israel says refugees should be resettled in a future Palestine alongside Israel.

General Assembly recognition on Thursday of Palestine will not actually deliver a state, end the Israeli occupation or reunify the Palestinians, who are ruled by dueling governments in the West Bank and Gaza.

But the Palestinians hope U.N. recognition will add weight to their claims.

Israel, like the U.S., argues that the Palestinians can win a state only through negotiations, and both countries mounted an aggressive campaign to try to head off the General Assembly vote.

The U.N. bid is crucial to maintaining Abbas' leadership. The Islamic militant Hamas group's standing in the Arab world has risen as changes sweep the Mideast, while Abbas' Fatah movement, which governs the West Bank, has been sidelined and marginalized, in large part because of his failure to deliver a state through diplomacy. Hamas got a major boost earlier this month, claiming victory after battling Israel in eight days of hostilities that ended with an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire.

The rival Palestinian governments emerged after Hamas seized Gaza from Abbas in 2007, reducing his control to parts of the West Bank.

Hamas supporters took part in Thursday's celebrations. In the West Bank city of Hebron, some in a crowd of several thousand raised green Hamas flags, while in the city of Ramallah, senior figures of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups normally opposed to Abbas, addressed the crowd.

"It's the right step in the right direction," Nasser al-Shaer, a former deputy prime minister from Hamas, said of the U.N. bid.

In Hamas-ruled Gaza, several thousand took to the streets, most of them Abbas loyalists. Marchers hoisted Palestinian flags and chanted, "We want our state, today is our date."

In Jerusalem, about 30 Israeli activists opposing the bid tried to burn a Palestinian flag near a U.N. building in Jerusalem, Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. One person was arrested.

Israel has tempered its threats of retaliation, appearing to back off from plans to immediately punish the Palestinians for the initiative.

Months ago it suggested new settlement construction would be Israel's response to the Palestinians' statehood bid. Now officials are saying they will wait to see whether the Palestinians use their new standing to pursue war crimes charges against Israel in the International Criminal Court, a U.N. body. If so, they threaten punitive measures but have not given details.

Backing for the Palestinians' appeal to the U.N. came from an unexpected quarter Thursday, when former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was quoted as saying the Palestinian request "is congruent with the basic concept" of the two-state solution.

"Therefore, I see no reason to oppose it," said Olmert, according to The Daily Beast news website. An Olmert spokesman did not return a call for comment.

Olmert, Abbas and their teams conducted peace talks in 2007 through early 2009, but never clinched a deal.

___

Daraghmeh reported from Ramallah, West Bank.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-11-29-Palestinians-UN/id-ad9fd96fa3e349fc856c2560ef5b80ac

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Pressure mounts for retraction of GM crop-cancer study

Andy Coghlan, reporter

Pressure is growing for retraction of a study which concluded that a genetically modified maize and a weedkiller called glyphosate cause cancers in rats.

The study attracted criticism from the moment it was published on 19 September. Yesterday, it was dismissed as having "serious defects" in a final report on the matter by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), and independently by the food safety panels of six European countries. They say too few rats were used to justify the conclusions linking Monsanto's NK603 maize and glyphosate with cancers in the rats.

Researchers now want Food and Chemical Toxicology, the Elsevier journal that published the original study (DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2012.08.005), to retract it. "Given that the EFSA concludes that the authors' conclusions cannot be regarded as scientifically sound because of inadequacies in the design, reporting and analysis, is it not time for Food and Chemical Toxicology to retract the manuscript?" asked Cathie Martin of the John Innes Center in Norwich, UK, and editor-in-chief of another journal, The Plant Cell.

"The consistency of the critique from several national risk-evaluation agencies should prompt Elsevier to re-evaluate the standards of peer review at its journal, Food and Chemical Toxicology," said Maurice Moloney, director of Rothamsted Research in Harpenden, UK.

Study flaws

The?EFSA?concluded that the researchers, led by Gilles-Eric S?ralini of the University of Caen in France, failed to use enough rats in the study to draw statistically valid conclusions about whether the GM food or glyphosate they were fed caused extra cancers compared with control rats. Furthermore, says the authority, the researchers relied on strains of rats that frequently develop tumours spontaneously, especially in old age.

"Conclusions cannot be drawn on the difference in tumour incidence between the treatment groups on the basis of the design, the analysis and the results as reported," says the review of the study. The same conclusion was reached independently by six national food safety bodies also asked to review the study, from Denmark, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Italy and Belgium.

The EFSA and the panels say that S?ralini used a fifth as many rats as would be required for standard, internationally accepted toxicology testing, making his conclusions statistically unreliable. "Given the spontaneous occurrence of tumours in Sprague-Dawley rats, the low number of rats reported in the S?ralini publications is insufficient to distinguish between specific treatment effects and chance occurrences of tumours in rats," says the authority.

It also criticised S?ralini for failing to supply additional information demanded by the authority.

The EFSA?found the NK603 maize strain to be safe in 2003. In its report this week, it declared that there is no need to re-evaluate the safety of the maize or the herbicide.

S?ralini's backersclaim that he's the victim of a "covert war" orchestrated by supporters of GM technology to discredit criticism. "Behind the cohort of academic titles [of critics] that are listed is a hidden 'biotech sphere' which brings together biotechnology researchers, regulatory policy experts and representatives of industry," says a statement from CRIIGEN, the France-based Committee for Research & Independent Information on Genetic Engineering, which opposes GM crops and supported S?ralini's study.

The study is the second in recent years by S?ralini to assess the safety of NK603. His first study was also critised. New Scientist wrote at the time: "Independent toxicologists contacted by New Scientist said S?ralini's analysis overplays the importance of minor variations that most experienced toxicologists would consider to be random background noise."

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Toshiba preps 13MP phone camera sensor that promises low-light shooting without the noise

Toshiba isn't the most vocal of mobile camera designers; it's often shouted out by the likes of OmniVision and Sony. It has reason to crow now that it's near launching a next-generation imager of its own. The 13-megapixel, CMOS-based TK437 sensor carries the backside illumination we already know and love for its low-light performance as well as color noise reduction that should fight the side-effects of such a dense, sensitive design. If we take Toshiba at its word, the visual quality of the sensor's 1.12-micron pixels is equal to that of much larger, less noise-prone 1.4-micron examples -- important when stuffing the sensor into 0.33 square inches. Photos will prove whether the achievement is more than just talk, although we'll have some time to wait when test samples will only reach companies in December. It's months beyond that before there's a production phone or tablet with a TK437 lurking inside.

Continue reading Toshiba preps 13MP phone camera sensor that promises low-light shooting without the noise

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Open Hand, Open Heart: Ministry to Young Mothers

It occurs to me that 21st century realities for young mothers ? particularly for young mothers willing to have larger families ? are quite different than they were thirty years ago, or fifty. In ?the old days? ? back when my mother had me, for instance, and my Mother-in-Law had my husband ? families were larger to start with, and extended family members lived nearby. My grandmother lived with us; my husband?s grandmother lived a few blocks away; one aunt lived right up the street and another around the corner. A new mother had some resources to help her out, another pair of hands to catch a running kid; someone to sit with for a tea-break and an hour?s adult conversation.

Families are smaller, these days. Those young women who are nurturing ?big? families rarely have family members who live within hollering distance; siblings are few and often living in another state and aunts and grandmas are off ?having it all.?

Calah Alexander has written one of those brutally honest pieces about the trials, frustrations and fears that go hand-in-hand with mothering small children but she has added to it the twist that obedient Catholicism brings to the drama.

There is freedom in obedience but it can sometimes seem very hard to find when life is a blur of small, unruly people who are in constant states of screaming need and one?s post-partum chemistry is all afoul; a sincere attempt at religious obedience can feel like oncoming death or madness, especially if one is not getting some sound spiritual direction, and a little help. People who have no idea what it?s like to not even be alone while in the bathroom ? to have no spare minute in which to collect oneself or re-tether oneself to heaven ? cannot possibly imagine the strain.

Reading Calah?s piece, I couldn?t help but wonder why parishes do not have a ?young mother?s ministry?. We have Consolation/Funeral Ministry, Divorced Men?s Ministry, Teen-group Ministry, Bereavement Ministry; why not a Ministry of Succor meant to help young mothers who have passed that ?new baby? moment when everyone wants to help and are now in the thick of the everyday demands of motherhood ? just her and the brood and hours of unrelieved, lonely coping.

I?m envisioning a ministry whereby older moms ? perhaps women confronting an empty nest, or those facing retirement with some time on their hands ? can simply visit with a young mom for an hour or so, a couple times a week ? at home or in a park ? and be present to her in a reassuring, and most importantly, confidential way.

I am not talking about babysitting, about some woman coming in while the young mother flees for the hour ? and I?m not talking about someone who helps with the housework ? I?m thinking about something more in line with a woman able to come in and take one kid into her lap, and maybe rock it to sleep, while the young mother deals with another kid but also has a chance to talk, spill, vent, cry; a woman who might be a prayer companion in those moments; a woman who can identify ? who understands that the young mother is neither nuts nor incompetent, just overwhelmed; a woman who can reassure her that things get better ? that the job of motherhood never becomes ?easy? but it gets more manageable.

So, basically, I?m thinking a mother?s companion ministry; a ?mothering presence? to a young mother ? someone who might pour them both a cup of tea, hold a hand and say ?yes, these small people are little packages of lunacy, joy and sorrow entrusted to you. Aren?t they beautiful? And doesn?t time speed by so quickly?? A voice to bring a little perspective into a life that currently seems telescopically narrowed.

It would involve some training, I think. Some training in ?listening? skills, in facilitating and it what it means to simply ?be there? for someone else, for no other reason than the love of God. To be Christ for a young mother; to be Mary, and simply hear her, love her, pray with her.

Most importantly, it would require a rock-solid commitment to confidentiality; such a ministry would be useless to any young mother if she felt there was no safety in her venting, or if she had to worry about gossip.

My husband and I used to facilitate a youth group ? we took on kids in the 9th grade and they met weekly in our home until graduation from high school, just to talk, to be able to have a free, safe place in which to talk about anything they wanted, address sensitive issues or toss off challenging questions about church and the life of faith. We went through training for it, and yes, we signed a confidentiality agreement and the kids did, too. Barring something criminal or unsafe, what was said at a meeting stayed at the meeting. We did it for eight years, because it was a thing very much worth doing. People need to know they are seen and heard. Young moms need it, especially.

Seems to me, a ministry of succor to young moms might be worth doing, too. And it?s kind of part-and-parcel of ?Becoming Apocalypse? for each other.

I?d love to know if such programs are already alive in some Catholic parishes?

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com

Source: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/theanchoress/2012/11/28/open-hand-open-heart-ministry-to-young-mothers/

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