Libya: gas exports to Italy halted after clashes

TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) ? A Libyan security official says transport of natural gas to Italy has been halted after clashes between armed tribesmen and forces guarding a natural gas complex in the country's west.

The official said Sunday the clashes broke out a day earlier between guards at the Mellitah Oil and Gas complex near Zwara city, west of Tripoli, and local ethnic Berber tribesmen. The complex is a joint venture between Libya's National Oil Corporation and Italy's largest energy company, Eni SpA.

It was not clear what set off the clashes. The official said a company staffer was injured.

He said the halt of exports is a security measure, but no pipelines were affected. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-03-03-Libya/id-89045dc075504264b172f5be96a1a117

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The Engadget Interview: ARM president Simon Segars at MWC 2013

We met up with ARM president Simon Segars at Mobile World Congress to chat about the company's recent milestones -- 8-core big.LITTLE processors, the powerful yet efficient Cortex-A50 architecture (which we discussed with James Bruce last year), MediaTek's Cortex-A7 quad-core SoC (the first of its kind) and Samsung's octa-core Exynos 5 chip -- to name a few. Hit the break to watch our video and read the interview transcript.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/vw1Uq_-OcFo/

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SpaceX's Dragon carrying NASA cargo resupplies space station

Mar. 3, 2013 ? The Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) Dragon spacecraft was berthed to the International Space Station at 8:56 a.m. EST Sunday. The delivery flight was the second contracted resupply mission by the company under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services contract.

Space station Expedition 34 crew members Kevin Ford and Tom Marshburn of NASA used the station's robotic arm to successfully capture Dragon at 5:31 a.m. The capture came one day, 19 hours and 22 minutes after the mission's launch. The station was 253 miles above northern Ukraine. Following its capture, the spacecraft was installed onto the Earth-facing port of the Harmony module through ground commands issued by mission control at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

"The newly arrived scientific experiments delivered by Dragon carry the promise of discoveries that benefit Earth and dramatically increase our understanding of how humans adapt to space," said William Gerstenmaier, NASA's associate administrator for the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate in Washington. "Spaceflight will never be risk-free, but it's a critical achievement that we once again have a U.S. capability to transport science to and from the International Space Station. The science delivered and to be returned from the space station has the promise of giving us a unique insight into problems that we face on Earth. As the patch of Expedition 34 states: 'Off the Earth...For the Earth.'"

The Dragon spacecraft lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 10:10 a.m. Friday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Shortly after spacecraft separation from the rocket's second stage, the Dragon lost three of its four thruster pods. Solar array deployment was delayed while SpaceX engineers worked to purge blocked valves and get the pods back online. Ninety minutes after launch, Dragon's arrays were deployed. By 3 p.m., all four thruster pods were online and attitude control was regained.

Following a series of tests to ensure the spacecraft could safely approach the space station, Dragon was approved to approach the orbiting laboratory Sunday morning, one day after its originally planned arrival, which is not expected to impact any of the scientific investigations being delivered.

Dragon is loaded with about 1,268 pounds (575 kilograms) of supplies to support continuing space station research experiments and will return with about 2,668 pounds (1,210 kilograms) of science samples from human research, biology and biotechnology studies, physical science investigations, and education activities.

Newly delivered investigations include studies of how molecular biology, cells and plants grow in microgravity. One experiment, titled Coarsening in Solid Liquid Mixtures-3, will examine solid and liquid mixtures made of lead and tin that contain a small amount of tin branch-like structures called dendrites. By understanding how temperature and time control the growth of such dendrites, researchers hope to develop more efficient and economical means of producing higher-quality products derived from the casting of molten metals. New student experiments include observing how gravity changes the growth of E. coli bacteria, studying the long-term impact of space travel on small coin-cell-sized batteries, and producing ammonium aluminum sulfate crystals of higher purity than is possible on Earth.

Experiment samples coming back to Earth will help researchers continue to assess the impact of long-duration spaceflight on the human body. Returning plant samples will aid in food production during future long-duration space missions and enhance crop production on Earth. Crystals grown aboard and returning from the station could help in the development of more efficient solar cells and semiconductor-based electronics.

The Dragon capsule is scheduled to spend 22 days attached to the station before returning for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Baja California March 25.

This flight is the second of at least 12 SpaceX cargo resupply missions to the space station through 2016. The resupply contract with NASA is worth $1.6 billion.

NASA's Space Network, which includes the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System, provided space communications for SpaceX from launch through berthing with the space station.

SpaceX built and tested new cargo spacecraft under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. NASA initiatives like COTS and the agency's Commercial Crew Program are helping develop a robust U.S. commercial space transportation industry with the goal of achieving safe, reliable and cost-effective transportation to and from the space station and low Earth orbit. In addition to cargo flights, NASA's commercial space partners are making progress toward a launch of astronauts from U.S. soil within the next few years.

While NASA works with U.S. industry partners to develop and advance these commercial spaceflight capabilities, the agency also is developing the Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System (SLS), a crew capsule and heavy-lift rocket to provide an entirely new capability for human exploration. Designed to be flexible for launching spacecraft for crew and cargo missions, SLS and Orion will expand human presence beyond low Earth orbit and enable new missions of exploration in the solar system.

For more information about the International Space Station, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/eSLpTgNDypQ/130303102211.htm

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Leaving NKorea, Rodman calls Kims 'great leaders'

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman speaks to the media at the Pyongyang Airport in Pyongyang, before he leaves North Korea Friday, March 1, 2013. Ending his unexpected round of basketball diplomacy in North Korea on Friday, Rodman called leader Kim Jong Un an "awesome guy" and said his father and grandfather were "great leaders." (AP Photo/Kyodo News) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, NO LICENSING IN CHINA, HONG KONG, JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA AND FRANCE

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman speaks to the media at the Pyongyang Airport in Pyongyang, before he leaves North Korea Friday, March 1, 2013. Ending his unexpected round of basketball diplomacy in North Korea on Friday, Rodman called leader Kim Jong Un an "awesome guy" and said his father and grandfather were "great leaders." (AP Photo/Kyodo News) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, NO LICENSING IN CHINA, HONG KONG, JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA AND FRANCE

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, and former NBA star Dennis Rodman watch North Korean and U.S. players in an exhibition basketball game at an arena in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013. Rodman arrived in Pyongyang on Monday with three members of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team to shoot an episode on North Korea for a new weekly HBO series. (AP Photo/VICE Media, Jason Mojica)

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman speaks to the media at the Pyongyang Airport in Pyongyang, before he leaves North Korea Friday, March 1, 2013. Ending his unexpected round of basketball diplomacy in North Korea on Friday, Rodman called leader Kim Jong Un an "awesome guy" and said his father and grandfather were "great leaders." (AP Photo/Kyodo News) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, NO LICENSING IN CHINA, HONG KONG, JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA AND FRANCE

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman, left, speaks to the media at the airport in Pyongyang, before he leaves North Korea Friday, March 1, 2013. Rodman hung out with North Korea's Kim Jong Un during his improbable journey to Pyongyang, watching the Harlem Globetrotters with the leader and later drinking and dining on sushi with him.(AP Photo/Kim Kwang Hyon)

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman speaks to the media at the Pyongyang Airport before he leaves North Korea Friday, March 1, 2013. Rodman hung out with North Korea's Kim Jong Un during his improbable journey to Pyongyang, watching the Harlem Globetrotters with the leader and later drinking and dining on sushi with him.(AP Photo/Kim Kwang Hyon)

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) ? Ending his unexpected round of basketball diplomacy in North Korea on Friday, ex-NBA star Dennis Rodman called leader Kim Jong Un an "awesome guy" and said his father and grandfather were "great leaders" ? an assessment that got short shrift from the U.S. government.

Rodman, the highest-profile American to meet Kim since he inherited power from father Kim Jong Il in 2011, watched a basketball game with the authoritarian leader Thursday and later drank and dined on sushi with him.

At Pyongyang's Sunan airport on his way to Beijing, Rodman said it was "amazing" that the North Koreans were "so honest." He added that Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung, North Korea's founder, "were great leaders."

"He's proud, his country likes him ? not like him, love him, love him," Rodman said of Kim Jong Un. "Guess what, I love him. The guy's really awesome."

At Beijing's airport, Rodman pushed past waiting journalists without saying anything.

Rodman's agent, Darren Prince, sent a text message to The Associated Press saying Rodman will be in New York on Sunday "to do some major press interviews and talk about his trip in North Korea as well as discussing what's accurate and inaccurate from the press the past few days."

Rodman's visit to North Korea began Monday and took place amid tension between Washington and Pyongyang. North Korea conducted an underground nuclear test just two weeks ago, making clear the provocative act was a warning to the United States to drop what it considers a "hostile" policy toward the North.

The State Department on Friday distanced itself from Rodman's visit and his praise for Kim, saying he doesn't represent the United States.

"The North Korean regime has a horrific human rights record, quite possibly the worst human rights situation in the world," spokesman Patrick Ventrell told reporters in Washington. He accused the regime of depriving their people of food, shelter, water and maintaining prison gulags.

Ventrell also took aim at Pyongyang for its grand treatment of the visiting basketball stars.

"Clearly you've got the regime spending money to wine and dine foreign visitors, when they should be feeding their own people," he said.

Rodman traveled to Pyongyang with three members of the professional Harlem Globetrotters basketball team, Ryan Duffy, a correspondent with the New York-based VICE media company, and a production crew to shoot an episode on North Korea for a new weekly HBO series.

Kim, a diehard basketball fan, told the former Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls star that he hoped the visit would break the ice between the United States and North Korea, said Shane Smith, founder of VICE, which calls itself a global youth media company.

Dressed in a blue Mao suit, Kim laughed and slapped his hands on a table during the game at Jong Ju Yong Gymnasium as he sat nearly knee to knee with Rodman. Rodman, the man who once turned up in a wedding dress to promote his autobiography, wore a dark suit and dark sunglasses, but still had on his nose rings and other piercings. A can of Coca-Cola sat on the table before him in photos shared with AP by VICE.

Smith, after speaking to the VICE crew in Pyongyang, said Kim and Rodman "bonded" and chatted in English, though Kim primarily spoke in Korean through a translator.

Thursday's game ended in a 110-110 tie, with two Americans playing on each team alongside North Koreans. After the game, Rodman addressed Kim in a speech before a crowd of tens of thousands of North Koreans and told him, "You have a friend for life," VICE spokesman Alex Detrick told AP.

At an "epic feast" later, the leader plied the group with food and drinks and round after round of toasts were made, Duffy said in an email to AP.

Duffy said he invited Kim to visit the United States, a proposal met with hearty laughter from the North Korean leader.

Kim said he hoped sports exchanges would promote "mutual understanding between the people of the two countries," the official Korean Central News Agency said.

Ventrell said the U.S. wanted North Korea to come into line with their international obligations and to stop ballistic missile tests and their nuclear programs. "We're not going to read into this sort of theater one way or another," he said.

North Korea and the U.S. fought on opposite sides of the three-year Korean War, which ended in a truce in 1953. The foes never signed a peace treaty, and do not have diplomatic relations.

Rodman's trip is the second attention-grabbing American visit this year to North Korea. Google's executive chairman, Eric Schmidt, made a four-day trip in January to Pyongyang, but did not meet the North Korean leader.

The Obama administration had frowned on the trip by Schmidt, who was accompanied by former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, but has avoided criticizing Rodman's outing, saying it's about sports.

_____

Associated Press writers Matthew Pennington in Washington and Brian Mahoney in New York contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-03-01-AS-NKorea-Rodman/id-9b9b511ea9d54e3e9ac42d8027a55888

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French Montana Drive-By: New Details Emerge

Police tell MTV News rapper was on his tour bus when gunfire erupted and he doesn't appear to be target.
By Gil Kaufman

French Montana
Photo: Gustavo Caballero/ Getty Images

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1702880/french-montana-drive-by-shooting-details.jhtml

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Governor denies parole to ex-Manson follower

FILE - This file photo provided Jan. 29, 2013, by the California Department of Corrections shows former Charles Manson follower Bruce Davis, who has served over 40 years for two murders unrelated to the notorious Sharon Tate-LaBianca killings. Gov. Jerry Brown reversed a parole board's recommendation on Friday, March 1, 2013, and denied the 70-year-old's release from prison. (AP Photo/California Department of Corrections, File)

FILE - This file photo provided Jan. 29, 2013, by the California Department of Corrections shows former Charles Manson follower Bruce Davis, who has served over 40 years for two murders unrelated to the notorious Sharon Tate-LaBianca killings. Gov. Jerry Brown reversed a parole board's recommendation on Friday, March 1, 2013, and denied the 70-year-old's release from prison. (AP Photo/California Department of Corrections, File)

ADDITION ADDS-Gov. Jerry Brown has reversed a state parole board panel's decision to recommend parole for Davis-File-This file photo provided Jan. 29, 2013, by the California Department of Corrections shows Bruce Davis. California's governor is scheduled to approve or reject a recommendation of parole for former Charles Manson follower Davis. He has served over 40 years for two murders unrelated to the notorious Sharon Tate-LaBianca killings. (AP Photo/California Department Of Corrections,File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? The enduring mystery of why young people joined Charles Manson's murderous family appeared to be at the heart of Gov. Jerry Brown's decision Friday to reverse a parole board's recommendation and keep Bruce Davis in prison.

Brown said he wants Davis, who has been behind bars for 42 years, to come clean about all the details of his involvement with Manson's cult and the two gruesome killings of a stuntman and a musician.

It was the second time in less than three years that a California governor has rejected a parole board ruling in Davis' case. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger refused his release in 2010, citing the heinous nature of Davis' crimes and his efforts to minimize his involvement.

Brown repeated those reasons in a six-page decision but added his belief that Davis still has more to disclose about the killings.

"Until Davis can acknowledge and explain why he actively championed the Family's interests and shed more light on the nature of his involvement, I am not prepared to release him," Brown said.

"After 42 years of incarceration, it is encouraging that Davis is beginning to reveal the actual details of what happened. But it is clear that he continues to withhold information about these events," Brown said.

The state parole board, citing the prisoner's positive progress, approved release of the 70-year-old Davis, but the Democratic governor had the last word.

Brown gave his decision to The Associated Press at the downtown Los Angeles County courthouse after a meeting with District Attorney Jackie Lacey, who had recommended that Davis not be paroled.

Davis' attorney, Michael Beckman, called the governor's decision "horrible" and contrary to the findings of parole commissioners who conducted hearings for Davis and found him eminently suitable for parole. He said Davis has told everything he knows.

"I have represented over 700 life prisoners and of all of them, Bruce Davis is the most rehabilitated and qualified," the attorney said.

He said Brown's "paper review" of the case was insufficient to understand who Davis is today.

Brown said, "I find the evidence ... shows why he currently poses a danger to society if released from prison. Therefore, I reverse the decision to parole Mr. Davis."

But Beckman said that the governor failed to articulate any reason why Davis might pose a danger now.

If the problem is association with the Manson family, Beckman said, "They should pass a law saying if you were involved with these people you can't get out. But there is no such law. "

Brown's decision focused on Davis' role in the murderous Manson Family in the late 1960s.

"The record indicates that Davis fully embraced and championed the family's distorted values and goals, and was willing to protect the family's interests at all costs," the decision said.

Davis would have been only the second Manson-related murder defendant to be granted parole since the killing spree began in 1969.

Davis was not involved in the notorious Sharon Tate-LaBianca killings but was convicted with Manson and others in the murders of musician Gary Hinman and stuntman ranch hand Donald "Shorty" Shea.

Manson was a direct participant in both killings, according to witnesses.

Steve Grogan, another participant in those murders, was released in 1985 after he led police to where the bodies were buried in the San Fernando Valley.

Beckman noted that Grogan, a central figure in the killings, has lived as an upstanding citizen for 27 years with no problems since his release.

Davis was 30 when he was sentenced to life in prison in 1972 in the case, which was a postscript to Manson's notorious reign as leader of the murderous communal cult.

Davis long maintained that he was a bystander in the killing of the two men. But in recent years, he has acknowledged his shared responsibility. He said his presence may have emboldened others to take action because he was an elder of the group.

Brown said Davis' refusal to fully acknowledge his responsibility for the killings was central to his decision.

"I do not believe that Davis was just a reluctant follower who passively went along with the violence," he said. "Davis was older, more experienced, he knew what the Manson Family was capable of, and he knowingly and willingly took part in these crimes."

Davis became a born-again Christian in prison and ministered to other inmates, married a woman he met through the prison ministry, and has a grown daughter. The couple recently divorced.

Davis also earned a master's degree and a doctorate in philosophy of religion.

Brown commended him for his self-help efforts but said the work was outweighed by other factors.

Manson and three of his followers, Leslie Van Houten, Patricia Krenwinkel and Charles "Tex" Watson, remain in prison for life in the Tate killings. Their co-defendant, Susan Atkins, died of cancer behind bars in 2009.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-03-01-Manson%20Family%20Member/id-a88ec157ac774476b8a9778ce860c914

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Drake, Kendrick Lamar Get Early Celeb Nods In 'Hottest MCs' Debate

Tune in to MTV2's 'Week in Jams' on Sunday at 11 a.m. ET when MTV's Hip-Hop Brain Trust kicks off the debate and reveals #10 and #9.
By MTV News Staff

Drake
Photo: David Wolff-Patrick/ Redferns

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1702914/drake-kendrick-lamar-celeb-picks-hottest-mcs-in-the-game.jhtml

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SpaceX capsule's engine problem may be fixed

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) ? SpaceX says it looks like an engine problem with its orbiting Dragon capsule has been fixed. But the vessel's arrival at the International Space Station with a load of supplies will be delayed.

The private spacecraft ran into trouble with its thrusters shortly after liftoff Friday morning.

SpaceX founder Elon Musk says all four sets of maneuvering thrusters should be working soon. The problem might have been caused by a stuck valve or line blockage.

But the delay means that the unmanned Dragon won't get to the space station on Saturday.

The California-based company has a contract with NASA to make a dozen deliveries to restock the space station. This is the third trip by a Dragon capsule to the station.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/space-station-capsule-engine-problem-may-fixed-203642179.html

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U.S. to give Syrian rebels medical, food aid, not arms

ROME (Reuters) - The United States will send non-lethal aid directly to Syrian rebels for the first time, Secretary of State John Kerry said on Thursday, disappointing opponents of President Bashar al-Assad who are clamoring for Western weapons.

But in a change of emphasis, the mainly Western and Arab "Friends of Syria" group meeting in Rome "underlined the need to change the balance of power on the ground".

A final communique said participants would "coordinate their efforts closely so as to best empower the Syrian people and support the Supreme Military Command of the (rebel) Free Syrian Army in its efforts to help them exercise self-defense".

More than 70,000 Syrians have been killed in a fierce conflict that began with peaceful anti-Assad protests nearly two years ago. Some 860,000 have fled abroad and several million are displaced within the country or need humanitarian assistance.

Kerry, after the talks in Rome, said Washington would more than double its aid to the Syrian civilian opposition, giving it an extra $60 million to help provide food, sanitation and medical care to devastated communities.

The United States would now "extend food and medical supplies to the opposition, including to the Syrian opposition's Supreme Military (Council)", Kerry said.

In their communique, the "Friends of Syria" pledged more political and material support to the Syrian National Coalition, a fractious Cairo-based group that has struggled to gain traction inside Syria, especially among disparate rebel forces.

Riad Seif, a coalition leader, said before the Rome meeting that the opposition would demand "qualitative military support".

Another coalition official welcomed the result of the talks. "We move forward with a great deal of cautious optimism. We heard today a different kind of discourse," Yasser Tabbara said.

But the continued U.S. refusal to send weapons may compound the frustration that prompted the coalition to say last week it would shun the Rome talks. It attended only under U.S. pressure.

Many in the coalition say Western reluctance to arm rebels only plays into the hands of Islamist militants now widely seen as the most effective forces in the struggle to topple Assad.

However, a European diplomat held out the possibility of Western military support, saying the coalition and its Western and Arab backers would meet in Istanbul next week to discuss military and humanitarian support to the insurgents.

MEALS READY TO EAT

Kerry's offer of medical aid and Meals Ready to Eat (MREs), the U.S. army's basic ration, fell far short of rebel demands for sophisticated anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons to help turn the tables against Assad's mostly Russian-supplied forces.

It also stopped short of providing other forms of non-lethal assistance such as bullet-proof vests, armored personnel vehicles and military training to the insurgents.

Last week the European Union opened the way for direct aid to Syrian rebels, but did not lift an arms embargo on Syria.

The Rome talks again signaled the lack of appetite among the United States and its allies for direct military intervention in Syria, after the withdrawal of U.S.-led troops from Iraq and the drawdown under way in Afghanistan.

The communique called for an immediate halt to "unabated" arms supplies to Damascus by third countries, referring mostly to Assad's allies Russia and Iran.

It also said Syria must immediately stop indiscriminate bombardment of populated areas, which it described as crimes against humanity. NATO officials say Assad's military has fired ballistic missiles within Syria, which the government denies.

Human Rights Watch has reported that at least 171 civilians were killed in four Scud missile strikes last week.

The "Friends of Syria" pledged "more political and material support to the coalition as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people and to get more concrete assistance inside Syria", but gave no details on exactly what would be provided.

Kerry said earlier this week he would not leave the Syrian opposition "dangling in the wind", unsure of getting support.

But the White House continues to resist providing weaponry to the rebel forces, arguing there is no way to guarantee the arms might not fall into the hands of Islamist militants who might eventually use them against Western or Israeli targets.

"HUGE DEBATE"

U.S. officials have said that the U.S. Defense and State departments, under former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, privately recommended that the White House arm the rebels, but were overruled.

"It's a huge debate inside the administration between those that have to deal with Syria on an everyday basis, the State Department and DoD (Defense) particularly, and the White House, which ... until now has vetoed any kind of outreach to the armed groups," said Andrew Tabler, senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a think-tank.

The United States says it has already provided more than $50 million in non-lethal assistance such as communications gear and governance training to Syria's civilian opposition.

A source in the Syrian coalition, however, said even the extra $60 million promised by Washington was a pittance compared to what he said was the $40 million a day in humanitarian aid needed for Syrian refugees and internally displaced persons.

The United States has provided some $365 million in humanitarian aid for Syrian refugees in countries such as Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon and for internally displaced people, channeling this money through non-governmental organizations.

More than 40,000 people a week are fleeing Syria and the total number of refugees will likely pass 1 million in less than a month, far sooner than the United Nations had forecast, a senior U.N. official told the Security Council on Wednesday.

U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Ant?nio Guterres said his agency had registered 936,000 Syrians across the Middle East and North Africa, nearly 30 times as many as in April last year.

"We expected to have 1.1 million Syrian refugees by June. If things continue to accelerate like this, it will take less than a month to reach that number," he told the 15-member council.

(Writing by Alistair Lyon; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-first-time-aid-syrian-rebels-non-lethal-120719048.html

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Investigating customer complaint: How can we access our sales ...

Q. We recently received a complaint that one of our sales representatives had sent false emails and texts about one customer to another. We determined that the emails and texts have been sent fro?m the cell??phone that we provide to the sales representative. We asked the service provider to send us copies of the emails and text messages. The service provider re??fused our request. Why can?t we get that information?

A. Under the federal Stored Communications Act and Chapter 626A of Minnesota statutes, electronic communications providers cannot disclose the content of the messages stored in their servers to the subscriber of the telephone service. Only the sender, addressee or recipient may access that content.

As a result, employers that provide and pay for cellphones and cellphone service are often prevented from gaining access to the records. Fortunately, there is a solution to this problem?but it requires pre-emptive action by the employer.

Under the statutes, the sender, addressee or recipient may grant consent allowing others to access the data. Employers that want the right to access cellphone or smartphone data should obtain specific written consent from employees, including permission to access the content itself and the logs concerning text messages, calls, emails, photos, video and search history.

Consent may be hard to obtain once an investigation is under way. Therefore, you should secure consent well in advance of any need to access the data.

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$5 Footlong too much? Subway to roll out $3 subs

The Associated Press , Staff ? ? ? 2 hrs.

If Subway's $5 Footlong is too expensive, the chain is now offering 6-inch subs for $3.

The promotion makes Subway just the latest chain to step up its value offerings as the competition for price-conscious diners intensifies. With the broader restaurant industry expected to be flat to modestly up this year, companies are going to greater lengths to convince people to eat out more.

Burger King this week introduced "King Deals" in select markets, which includes a daily featured entree, small drink and side for $4.99. Wendy's recently revamped its value menu and McDonald's has been playing up its Dollar Menu.

Subway says the $3 deal will be for a rotation of select sandwiches. The "Six-Inch Selects" promotion kicks off in March with the oven roasted chicken sandwich and will run through at least June. A spokesman for the company says the chain previously offered $3 subs in select markets but that this is the first national launch of the promotion.

Based in Milford, Conn., Subway has more than 37,000 locations globally.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/5-footlong-too-much-subway-roll-out-3-subs-1C8626274

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Mayo Clinic finds steroids may shorten hospital stay for pneumonia patients

Public release date: 28-Feb-2013
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Contact: Robert Nellis
newsbureau@mayo.edu
507-284-5005
Mayo Clinic

ROCHESTER, Minn. Patients with pneumonia may spend fewer days in the hospital if they are given steroids along with antibiotics and supportive care. That's the finding of a Mayo Clinic analysis of eight randomized-controlled clinical trials involving more than 1,100 patients. The results appear in the March issue of the Journal of Hospital Medicine.

"Given that the average hospital stay for community-acquired pneumonia can range from nine to 23 days, the prospect of speeding recovery, even by a day or two, is helpful," says co-author M. Rizwan Sohail, M.D., a Mayo infectious disease specialist.

Pneumonia is a major health risk, especially in the elderly, the very young and those with chronic lung diseases. Five percent to 15 percent of pneumonia patients die from it, depending on its severity and the treatment administered, recent studies report.

Mayo researchers reviewed eight clinical trials conducted from 2000 to 2011. Most of the research studied patients between 60 and 80. While steroid use didn't prevent deaths, for those who survived the pneumonia, it reduced their hospital stays an average of 1.21 days.

The researchers say that while the findings are significant, the data were not strong enough for them to recommend routine use of steroids for pneumonia patients; more study is needed. They add that continuing any steroids patients may already be taking is reasonable.

The study was led by Majid Shafiq, M.D., a former Mayo Clinic researcher currently at Johns Hopkins University.

A similar, but unrelated study by A.R. Khan, M.D., involving researchers at Mayo Clinic and other institutions, found that use of certain lipid-lowering medicines, commonly referred to as statins, may have a role in reducing the risk of developing community-acquired pneumonia and associated mortality. That study, published last month in PLOS ONE, reviewed 18 clinical trials. The evidence was considered less reliable due to design issues, bias and other factors in the original studies.

Vaccination remains the most powerful tool in infection prevention, researchers say. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all adults 65 or older should receive the pneumonia vaccine and that anyone 19 or older with risk factors such as immune deficiency or chronic lung disease also should get it.

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About Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education for people from all walks of life. For more information, visit www.mayoclinic.com and www.mayoclinic.org/news.

Journalists can become a member of the Mayo Clinic News Network for the latest health, science and research news and access to video, audio, text and graphic elements that can be downloaded or embedded.

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Public release date: 28-Feb-2013
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Contact: Robert Nellis
newsbureau@mayo.edu
507-284-5005
Mayo Clinic

ROCHESTER, Minn. Patients with pneumonia may spend fewer days in the hospital if they are given steroids along with antibiotics and supportive care. That's the finding of a Mayo Clinic analysis of eight randomized-controlled clinical trials involving more than 1,100 patients. The results appear in the March issue of the Journal of Hospital Medicine.

"Given that the average hospital stay for community-acquired pneumonia can range from nine to 23 days, the prospect of speeding recovery, even by a day or two, is helpful," says co-author M. Rizwan Sohail, M.D., a Mayo infectious disease specialist.

Pneumonia is a major health risk, especially in the elderly, the very young and those with chronic lung diseases. Five percent to 15 percent of pneumonia patients die from it, depending on its severity and the treatment administered, recent studies report.

Mayo researchers reviewed eight clinical trials conducted from 2000 to 2011. Most of the research studied patients between 60 and 80. While steroid use didn't prevent deaths, for those who survived the pneumonia, it reduced their hospital stays an average of 1.21 days.

The researchers say that while the findings are significant, the data were not strong enough for them to recommend routine use of steroids for pneumonia patients; more study is needed. They add that continuing any steroids patients may already be taking is reasonable.

The study was led by Majid Shafiq, M.D., a former Mayo Clinic researcher currently at Johns Hopkins University.

A similar, but unrelated study by A.R. Khan, M.D., involving researchers at Mayo Clinic and other institutions, found that use of certain lipid-lowering medicines, commonly referred to as statins, may have a role in reducing the risk of developing community-acquired pneumonia and associated mortality. That study, published last month in PLOS ONE, reviewed 18 clinical trials. The evidence was considered less reliable due to design issues, bias and other factors in the original studies.

Vaccination remains the most powerful tool in infection prevention, researchers say. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all adults 65 or older should receive the pneumonia vaccine and that anyone 19 or older with risk factors such as immune deficiency or chronic lung disease also should get it.

###

About Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education for people from all walks of life. For more information, visit www.mayoclinic.com and www.mayoclinic.org/news.

Journalists can become a member of the Mayo Clinic News Network for the latest health, science and research news and access to video, audio, text and graphic elements that can be downloaded or embedded.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

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

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/mc-mcf022813.php

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