Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Major GOP 'super PACs' raised millions in 2011 (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The most significant "super" political committees in this year's presidential campaign revealed the names of their wealthy donors Tuesday. The casino mogul who with his wife contributed $10 million to Newt Gingrich's group gave five times more than the group collected from all other sources.

The new financial reports, which offered a detailed accounting of money collected and spent by super PACs, underscored how millionaires and billionaires are influencing the presidential election behind the scenes.

The group supporting Mitt Romney, Restore Our Future, said it collected $17.9 million in contributions since July, most of which it spent on advertisements supporting Romney or attacking Gingrich. The top four donors to the group were hedge fund managers. The pro-Romney group waited to file its report until hours after Romney was projected the winner in Florida's important GOP primary, just ahead of the midnight deadline.

Casino mogul Sheldon Adelson and his wife, who collectively gave $10 million this month to the pro-Gingrich group, Winning Our Future, were not listed in the latest filings because the reporting period covered 2011. But the group's reports showed only $2 million in donations, making the Adelsons by far the paramount backers in Gingrich's Republican candidacy.

Adelson, a staunch advocate for Israel, was rewarded in Gingrich's speech in Florida late Tuesday with a renewed promise by the candidate that, if elected, he would relocate the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Adelson has long supported such a move.

American Crossroads, the Republican group backed by former George W. Bush adviser Karl Rove, said it raised $51 million along with its nonprofit arm last year. Most of its $11 million in contributions over the past three months came from roughly a dozen wealthy donors.

While most recent public attention has focused on super PACs spending major sums for negative TV ads assailing Romney and Gingrich, Tuesday's figures are a sign of even greater spending to come in the general election battle between the Republican nominee and Democratic President Barack Obama.

The super PACs' war chests underscore the extraordinary impact the groups will have on this year's race. In GOP primaries so far, groups working for or against presidential candidates have spent roughly $25 million on TV ads ? about half the nearly $53 million spent on advertising so far to influence voters in the early weeks of the race.

Crossroads' financial reports identify wealthy donors who had given contributions reaching as high as seven figures by the end of 2011. Among the largest contributors was Dallas businessman Harold Simmons, who gave the group $5 million in November and whose holding company, Contran Corp., donated an additional $2 million.

Simmons is a major donor to GOP and conservative causes who pumped as much as $4 million into the "swift boat" campaign that helped sink Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry in 2004. Simmons, an early supporter of Texas Gov. Rick Perry's presidential run, also was a fundraising "bundler" putting donations together for Arizona Sen. John McCain.

Winning Our Future and other such groups are the products of a 2010 Supreme Court ruling that removed restrictions on corporate and union spending in federal elections. The super PACs can't directly coordinate with the candidates they support, but many are staffed with former campaign workers who have an intimate knowledge of a favored candidate's strategy.

Since this summer, the groups have spent tens of millions of dollars on ads in key GOP primary states like Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida. The PACs have also unleashed millions on expenses typically reserved for campaigns, including direct mailings, phone calls and get-out-the-vote efforts.

Indeed, outside spending by individuals isn't new. Liberal-leaning billionaire George Soros gave more than $20 million to help groups supportive of Kerry ? these groups were known as "527" organizations ? and his 2004 White House bid. But the high court's Citizens United ruling essentially gave a green light to individuals who want to pump unlimited sums into outside groups that would in turn support candidates.

The Obama campaign on Tuesday disclosed a list of 61 people who raised at least half a million dollars for the president's re-election efforts. Among them were movie producers Jeffrey Katzenberg and Harvey Weinstein and embattled former New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, whose $70,000 in contributions from himself and his wife were refunded by the Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

A handful of other financial filings began trickling in to the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday afternoon, including those from the Gingrich campaign. It said the former House speaker raised $10 million during the fourth quarter, in addition to $5 million this month. Those totals are separate from super PAC money being spent on his behalf by outside groups.

Perry, the Texas governor who was an early star in the Republican primaries, raised an anemic $2.9 million this past quarter, compared with $17.2 million within the first two months of his entering the race last summer. The Jon Huntsman-leaning Our Destiny super PAC raised about $2.8 million ? with more than $1.8 million coming from the former candidate's father, Jon Huntsman Sr.

Endorse Liberty, a group supportive of libertarian-leaning Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, said it raised $3.9 million for online advertising in key primary states.

___

Associated Press writers Stephen Braun and Jim Kuhnhenn contributed to this report.

____

Follow Jack Gillum on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jackgillum

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120201/ap_on_el_pr/us_campaign_money

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We're hiring a Communications Director

Position: Communications Director

Organization:
The Regeneration Project is the national office of the Interfaith Power & Light (IPL) campaign. The IPL campaign is mobilizing a religious response to global warming in concert with our affiliate organizations in 39 states. IPL engages congregations through energy conservation and renewable energy programs, education and outreach, and public policy advocacy. IPL is working with faith communities around the country to become leaders in the fight against global warming. Over 14,000 congregations of all faiths are involved, in all 50 states.

Position Summary:
The Communications Director (CD) will develop and implement a national communications strategy to raise the profile of Interfaith Power & Light and broadcast faith-based and moral messages for climate action. The CD will be responsible for promoting our national policy priorities, strategic message development, recruiting and training spokespersons, and interacting directly with media outlets. Candidates should have demonstrated success in generating earned media in both traditional and online outlets. Candidates should also be experienced in utilizing social media for message amplification and list-building. The position is suited for an experienced communications professional who is excited about taking a relatively new and rapidly growing organization (we?ve just entered our second decade) to the next level. The ideal candidate will also have experience with the faith community and climate and/or energy policy advocacy along with at least three years project management experience.

This is an opportunity to join a unique and dynamic organization in a newly created, strategic position.

Responsibilities:
? Develop and implement national communications plan targeting both traditional and new media opportunities
? Ensure that social media communications are consistent with overall media strategy and messages
? Create and oversee development of compelling written materials including website content
? Maintain and develop relationships with reporters and editors; manage media database and track news coverage
? Monitor and analyze media coverage of national campaigns and state affiliates
? Work with state affiliate leaders to help them develop their communications programs
? Collaborate with other staff to integrate media outreach into campaign planning
? Travel to training events, strategy sessions, visibility events, or other large events and conferences as needed
? Provide creative input and work with multiple teams
? Collaborate with development team to ensure effective communication with funders, board members, and supporters
? Work with president and executive director to ensure program is meeting strategic priorities
? Work in coalitions with other environmental and faith-based organizations

Qualifications:
? B.A. or B.S.
? Seven to ten years media experience including at least three years in a senior management position
? Proven experience developing and implementing successful media and communications strategies
? Strong track record developing and managing creative online campaigns using social media, including list building campaigns
? Excellent written and oral communications skills
? Experience with climate, energy efficiency, and/or renewable energy policy
? Experience working in a nonprofit setting
? Experience working with the faith community preferred
? Ability to plan, organize and handle multiple tasks simultaneously and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment; excellent attention to detail and follow-through are essential
? Ability to take initiative, think creatively and work collaboratively with people of diverse backgrounds and skills
? Proficiency with MS Word Office Suite and aptitude with Internet applications including email, social media, constituent relationship management and other related database tools
? Experience with Macintosh computers, online CRM and CRS software a plus

Compensation:
The Regeneration Project offers a competitive salary package commensurate with skills and experience plus excellent benefits that include medical, dental, and vision coverage, generous vacation time, commuter benefits and a retirement savings plan.

Location:
San Francisco (Financial District)

To Apply:
Please send a resume and cover letter by February 24, 2012 to:
Communications Director Search
Care of Gretchen Killion
Gretchen@theregenerationproject.org
Please note where you saw the job posting.

Download PDF of job posting.

Source: http://interfaithpowerandlight.org/2012/01/were-hiring-a-communications-director/

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Monday, January 30, 2012

Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa sees "draconian" cuts ahead in Obama's budget (The Christian Science Monitor)

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) is currently president of the US Conference of Mayors. He previously served as speaker of the California Assembly. He was the guest speaker at the Jan. 18 Monitor breakfast in Washington.

The economic outlook for American cities:

"There is a great deal of economic malaise throughout the country.... It will take about five years for many of our cities to regain the jobs that were lost before this recession."

Predictions that President Obama's 2013 budget will include cuts that hit cities:

"Anybody who saw the [debt ceiling] deal last summer and then the failure of the super committee to do anything to resolve this stalemate ... knew that there were going to be serious and draconian cuts."

The nation's infrastructure needs:

"When you look at America over the last 25 years, the lack of investment in infrastructure is startling ? whether it is bridges, whether it is ports or airports, whether it is highways ... whether it is high-speed rail. We've got to catch up."

Tax policy in an election year:

"[Mitt] Romney's effective tax rate ... in the neighborhood of 15 percent ... is going to generate a great deal of debate.... The corporate tax rate is too high.... The capital-gains rate is too low. There should be a middle ground here to spur investments."

Prospects for immigration reform legislation:

"The prospects of doing anything in this Congress are small. That doesn't mean we can't keep on knocking on the door and demanding that these people [in Congress] do their job. The immigration system is broken."

The California dream:

"The California dream has lost some luster. We are not making the investments in our state that we did."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20120129/ts_csm/453406

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Arab League suspends Syria mission as violence rages (Reuters)

CAIRO/BEIRUT (Reuters) ? The Arab League suspended its monitoring mission in Syria on Saturday due to deteriorating conditions in the country, as state security forces battled rebels holding three suburbs just outside the capital Damascus.

The decision comes days after the Arab League called for President Bashar al-Assad to step down, following 10 months of revolt against his rule. It will take an Arab peace plan to the U.N. Security Council next week.

"Given the critical deterioration of the situation in Syria and the continued use of violence ... it has been decided to immediately stop the work of the Arab League's mission to Syria pending presentation of the issue to the league's council," Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby said in a statement.

Arab League foreign ministers are expected to discuss early next month the possibility of withdrawing monitors completely, a League official said, but added that the secretary general could pull monitors out at any time if necessary.

A Syrian official said the government could not yet comment.

The Arab League's job was to observe implementation of its peace plan. Though its mandate was extended for a second month, critics lambasted the mission for its failure to stem bloodshed. It was further undermined when Gulf states withdrew their monitors last week, saying the team could not stop the violence.

Diplomatic pressure, tempered by continued support from Russia and regional power Iran, has yet to halt Assad's crackdown on unrest that it blames on foreign-backed militants.

FIGHTING, DEFECTIONS NEAR CAPITAL

Fighting raged outside three rebel-held suburbs of Damascus on Saturday, activists said. They said the army was trying to prevent insurgents from solidifying a stronghold just 15 minutes outside the capital.

But insurgents were emboldened by a string of reports of army desertions amid the fighting. Activists said a group of deserters brought with them the three tanks they operated.

A spokesman for the rebel forces, known as the Free Syrian Army (FSA), said he did not have a complete tally but estimated that over 100 soldiers deserted in the area.

Activists told Reuters by telephone that rebels who control the towns of Saqba, Kafr Batna and Jisreen were exchanging fire with soldiers. Military forces earlier fired from tanks and had used anti-aircraft guns and mortars, they said.

Six residents were killed and dozens wounded as fighting raged, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

A video uploaded by activists, purported to be from a rebel-held Damascus suburb, showed smoke rising from behind a mosque and heavy gunfire erupted in the background as residents screamed "Allahu Akbar (God is greatest)."

It was not possible to verify the video or many of the details from activists, as media access is restricted in Syria

The FSA agreed a truce last week for state forces to withdraw from rebel-held Zabadani, 30 minutes from Damascus. It says the number of desertions there had forced the army's hand.

What began as peaceful protests against four decades of Assad family rule last March has grown more violent as rebels, including army defectors, began fighting back.

"I think they want to try to avoid another Zabadani situation here, so they hope to crush this. But there have been several army defections and we hope this will force them to negotiate," Abu Ishaq said on Skype from the town of Saqba.

Fighting also flared in central Homs province, activists said, after an oil pipeline was blown up on Saturday morning.

The United Nations said in December that more than 5,000 people had been killed by Syrian forces. Syria says over 2,000 security forces have been killed by militants.

The state news agency SANA said "terrorist groups" killed seven soldiers, including an officer, in the Damascus suburbs on Saturday. SANA also reported the burial of 28 members of Syrian security forces killed in several revolt hotspots across the country, showing pictures of bloodied corpses and a funeral procession lead by soldiers carrying flower wreaths.

U.N. RESOLUTION TALKS

In the central city of Hama activists said they found the bodies of 17 men previously in security force custody, shot in the head. They said the killing took place during a military offensive on the town this week.

On Friday, the Security Council discussed a European-Arab draft U.N. Security Council resolution aimed at halting the bloodshed in Syria. Britain and France said they hoped to put the draft resolution to a vote next week.

The Arab League's deputy secretary general said the group was also in talks with Russia ahead of its Security Council meeting this week.

There was no comment yet from Russian officials, but Moscow's U.N. ambassador Vitaly Churkin previously said Russia found the plan unacceptable though he said Moscow was willing to "engage."

Russia joined China in vetoing a previous Western draft resolution in October and which has since promoted its own draft. Churkin said Moscow wanted a Syrian-led political process, not "an Arab League-imposed outcome of a political process that has not yet taken place" or Libyan-style "regime change.

The prominent opposition Syrian National Council said it was joining the Arab League at its Security Council meeting to request "protection." The SNC has previously called for international forces to implement a no-fly zone in Syria.

Turkish officials say the number of Syrians seeking sanctuary in Turkey has risen in the past six weeks, with 50 to 60 arriving daily, taking the total living in refugee camps to nearly 9,600.

More than 6,000 Syrian refugees have fled to Lebanon.

(Additional reporting by Shaimaa Fayed in Cairo, Khaled Yacoub Oweis in Amman, Joseph Logan in Dubai, Steve Gutterman in Moscow, Louis Charbonneau at the United Nations and Simon Cameron-Moore in Istanbul)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120128/wl_nm/us_syria

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Sunday, January 29, 2012

Brazilian bikinis burgeon to fit the fat (AP)

RIO DE JANEIRO ? Tall and tan and young and ... chunky?

The Girl From Ipanema has put on a few pounds, and for many sunbathers on Brazil's beaches the country's iconic itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny bikini just doesn't suffice anymore.

A growing number of bikini manufacturers have woken up to Brazil's thickening waistline and are reaching out to the ever-expanding ranks of heavy women with new plus-size lines.

That's nothing short of a revolution in this most body-conscious of nations, where overweight ladies long had little choice but to hit the beach in comely ensembles of oversized T-shirts and biker shorts.

"It used to be bikinis were only in tiny sizes that only skinny girls could fit into. But not everyone is built like a model," said Elisangela Inez Soares as she sunbathed on Copacabana beach, her oiled-up curves packed into a black size 12 bikini.

"Finally, it seems like people are beginning to realize that we're not all Gisele," said the 38-year-old mother of four, referring to willowy Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen.

Clothing designer Clarice Rebelatto said her own swimwear-hunting travails prompted her to found Lehona, an exclusively plus-size beachwear line.

"Honestly, the problem went way beyond just bikinis. In Brazil, it used to be that if you were even a little chunky, finding any kind of clothes in the right size was a real problem," said Rebelatto, herself a size 10. "And I thought, 'I'm actually not even that big compared to a lot of women out there, so if I have problems, what are they doing?'"

Since its launch in 2010, the line has become a hit.

In brash leopard spots and flower prints not meant for wallflowers, the label's 14 bikini styles aren't what you'd normally associate with plus-size swimsuits. The necklines plunge dramatically. Straps are mere strings. And while the bottoms provide too much coverage to qualify for the famed "fio dental" or "dental floss" category of Brazilian string bikinis, they're significantly more audacious than the standard U.S. cut.

"We're working from the principle that bigger women are just like everyone else: They don't want to look like old ladies, wearing these very modest, very covering swimsuits in just black," said Luiz Rebelatto, Clarice's son and director of Lehona.

He said that recent publicity of the brand and several other new swimwear lines catering to plus sizes has triggered an overwhelming number of calls and e-mails from would-be customers.

"They're all excited and they say, 'I've been looking everywhere for a bikini like that. Where can I get one?'" said Rebelatto.

Lehona is currently sold exclusively at big and tall specialty stores throughout Brazil. Its bikinis retail for about 130 reais or $75 ? a relatively high price-point here, but Rebelatto said sales have grown at a galloping pace, though he did not provide any figures.

It's the same story at Acqua Rosa, a conventional swimwear label that added a plus-size line in 2008. Now, plus-size purchases account for more than 70 percent of the brand's total sales, said director Joao Macedo.

It makes sense.

For centuries, large swaths of Brazil were beset by malnutrition, and in 1970, nearly 10 percent of the population in the country's poor, rural northeast region was considered underweight, according to Brazil's national statistics institute.

But the phenomenal economic boom that has lifted tens of millions out of poverty and into the burgeoning middle class over the past decade has also changed the nation's once-svelte physique: A 2010 study by the statistics institute showed that 48 percent of adult women and 50 percent of men are now overweight. In 1985 those figures were 29 percent for women and 18 percent for men.

(Still, there's been no rash of plus-size male swimwear lines, as men here wear Speedo-style suits that don't impinge on big guts.)

Analysts attribute Brazil's rapidly widening girth to changes in nutrition, with chips, processed meats and sugary soft drinks replacing staples like rice, beans and vegetables.

And while the country's elite are widely known to be fitness freaks ? and also among the world's top consumers of cosmetic surgery ? those recently lifted out of poverty and manual labor are becoming increasingly sedentary. A 2008 study showed that barely 10 percent of Brazilian teens and adults exercise regularly.

Still, despite their growing numbers, not everyone is eager to embrace "gordinhas" ? or "little fatties," as chunky women are affectionately known here.

Many high-end bikini-makers have turned a seemingly deliberately blind eye to the burgeoning plus-size market. Rio-based upmarket brand Salinas, for example, offers five sizes, from extra-small through extra-large. But their sizing runs notoriously small and it's hard to imagine anyone over a size 6 actually managing to fit into any of the brand's minuscule two-pieces.

Luis Rebelatto of Lehona chalked it partially up to snobbery.

"Some brands, they don't want their image to be associated with chunky women," he said. "Only the thin, the rich and the chic."

While Brazilians' increasing heft is a public policy preoccupation for the government, growth in the ranks of the overweight population has given them increased visibility in Brazilian society. Extra-wide bucket seats for the obese have been installed in Sao Paulo's metro system, and on Sunday the city will host Brazil's first ever Miss Plus Size beauty contest.

"It used to be that people would stare at me," said Soares, the voluptuous sun-worshiper on Copacabana beach. "Now when I come to the beach I see women who are much bigger than me ? and lots of them are wearing bikinis ? so I'm not self conscious any more.

"God makes some people thin but he made me like this," she said, rubbing down the well-oiled bulge of her stomach and thighs. "So who am I to think that he was wrong?"

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120128/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_brazil_bulging_bikinis

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Manning, Irsay insist they are on same page

FILE - In this Jan. 1, 2012, file photo, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning watches from the sideline during the first half of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Jacksonville, Fla. Shortly after introducing Chuck Pagano as Indianapolis' new coach, team owner Jim Irsay responded to the comments Manning made earlier this week about the Colts by referring to the only four-time league MVP as a "politician." (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 1, 2012, file photo, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning watches from the sideline during the first half of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Jacksonville, Fla. Shortly after introducing Chuck Pagano as Indianapolis' new coach, team owner Jim Irsay responded to the comments Manning made earlier this week about the Colts by referring to the only four-time league MVP as a "politician." (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)

Indianapolis Colts new head coach Chuck Pagano, left, and owner Jim Irsay greet each after Pagano was introduced during a news conference at the NFL football team's headquarters in Indianapolis, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Indianapolis Colts new head coach Chuck Pagano talks about joking with Colts wide receiver Reggie Wanye during a game at a news conference at the NFL football team's headquarters in Indianapolis, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Indianapolis Colts new head coach Chuck Pagano speaks during a news conference at the NFL football team's headquarters in Indianapolis, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Indianapolis Colts new head coach Chuck Pagano speaks during a news conference at the NFL football team's headquarters in Indianapolis, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

(AP) ? Peyton Manning and Colts owner Jim Irsay insist they are just fine after a week filled with complaints and comments suggesting a rift had developed following one of the most miserable seasons in team history.

"We would like to dispel any misperception that there might be any hard feelings between us," the two said Friday in a statement issued by the team. "Since 1998, we have enjoyed a great relationship, based upon mutual respect and trust. We have always been able to talk and address matters we've faced over the years, not just as owner and player, but as friends.

"We had a long talk today and we want to assure Colts fans everywhere that we are both committed to maintaining our close relationship and to working together through any challenges the future may bring."

That would be welcome news to Colts fans, who first watched Manning publicly complain about the down-in-the-mouth atmosphere at team headquarters and then two days later saw Irsay call out his franchise quarterback at a news conference intended to focus on the new head coach.

It's been a dizzying week.

On Tuesday, Manning told The Indianapolis Star that his only real conversation so far with the new general manager Ryan Grigson had come in passing and the flurry of firings had those around the team complex walking on "eggshells."

Irsay didn't like that Manning went public with his frustrations and he said so Thursday, calling Manning a "politician."

"I don't think it's in the best interest to paint the horseshoe in a negative light, I really don't," Irsay told reporters following Chuck Pagano's introduction as coach. "The horseshoe always comes first, and I think one thing he's always known, because he's been around it so long, is that, you know, you keep it in the family. If you've got a problem you talk to each other, it's not about campaigning or anything like that."

Apparently, Manning got the message.

Just a few hours later, Manning told the newspaper that he didn't intend to create a public spat. Instead, Manning said he was speaking from the heart after watching so many of his friends lose their jobs.

"At this point, Mr. Irsay and I owe it to each other and to the fans of the organization to handle this appropriately and professionally, and I think we will. I've already reached out to Mr. Irsay," Manning said. "I wasn't trying to paint the Colts in a bad light, but it's tough when so many people you've known for so long are suddenly leaving. I feel very close to a lot of these guys and we've done great things together. It's hard to watch an old friend clean out his office. That's all I was trying to say."

And Irsay tweeted after that: "Peyton and I love each other,that goes without saying..I humbly serve n protect the Horseshoe..it is bigger than any individual,including me."

Whether the two have mended their misunderstanding, there are still huge questions pending. Irsay must decide by March 8 whether to pay Manning a $28 million bonus. Manning missed the entire 2011 season after having his third neck surgery in September.

Irsay just this month has fired vice chairman Bill Polian, general manager Chris Polian, coach Jim Caldwell and most of the staff. Pagano, the Baltimore Ravens' defensive coordinator this past season, is just getting started, as is Grigson.

Indy's poor season has given it the No. 1 overall pick, which Irsay has said they will use for their quarterback of the future, presumably Stanford's Andrew Luck. If so, Irsay must decide if he wants to pay a No. 1 quarterback and Manning, who signed a five-year, $90 million contract in July and will be 36 in late March.

Irsay has said his choice will come down to Manning's health, not money.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-01-27-FBN-Colts-Manning/id-7fc5b0928aa2470bbf4220503def8a24

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Saturday, January 28, 2012

Outrage as bodies pile up at Cook County morgue

Cook County officials say they are being forced to change morgue procedures due to an overflow of unclaimed bodies. Charlie Wojciechowski reports.

By Dick Johnson and Michelle Relerford, NBCChicago.com

CHICAGO ? Outraged pastors and community activists on Friday descended upon the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office and called for an independent investigation after reports that bodies have been piling up for weeks.

At least one activist openly called for the facility's director, Dr. Nancy L. Jones to step down.

"Somebody needs to be held accountable for what happened," said Dawn Valenti, who works to help families find missing loved ones.

Read original story at NBCChicago.com

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle a day earlier said Jones will remain -- for now -- but called for a top-to-bottom review of the facility.


"This is a reminder of how my ancestors -- how the remains of our ancestors were treated like garbage," Peggy Hudgens said through tears at the building at 2121 W. Harrison St.

Hudgens claimed to have been trying to resolve her brothers death and burial since October.

The issue has been simmering for months, if not years. As many as 363 bodies were reportedly once collected in a cooler designed to hold just 300. Ministers gathered Friday to pray for the deceased and to call for justice.

Anti-violence community activist Andrew Holmes was among the protesters and wondered aloud about the accountability of missing persons at the morgue.

"We want those deceased finger-printed and identified. We still have a lot of missing, unclaimed and missing people that have not been found," he said.

Holmes focused specifically on Carmelita Johnson, a woman who'd gone missing and was ultimately found in the facility. Her family said they tried to find her for more than a year. Johnson has since been buried.

The Illinois Department of Labor said it's also opened an investigation into "worker safety issues."

More content from msnbc.com and NBC News

Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/27/10254153-bodies-pile-up-at-cook-county-morgue-activists-outraged

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Boko Haram leader tape threatens Nigeria forces (Reuters)

KANO, Nigeria (Reuters) ? In an audio tape posted on the Internet, the purported leader of the violent Nigerian Islamist sect Boko Haram threatened to kill more security personnel and kidnap their families, and accused U.S. President Barack Obama of waging war on Islam.

In the 45-minute tape released on Thursday, a man's voice in the main northern Hausa language claimed to be Abubakar Shekau. He said President Goodluck Jonathan would fail to stop their insurgency.

Boko Haram's attacks have become more sophisticated and deadly in recent weeks in Africa's top oil producer. A series of gun and bomb attacks killed 186 people in Nigeria's second city of Kano last Friday.

"We were responsible for the attack in Kano, I gave the order and I will do it again and again. Allah gives us victory," the voice said.

If confirmed as authentic, the second tape in just under three weeks by Shekau would suggest he wants to use to media to establish his authority over the group, security sources said.

Shekau is said to have taken over control of Boko Haram, which wants sharia law more widely applied across Nigeria, after the sect's founder Mohammed Yusuf was killed in police custody in 2009 following an uprising in which 700 people were killed.

However, security experts say it is unclear whether Boko Haram really has a unified leadership.

Boko Haram, a movement loosely modeled on the Afghan Taliban whose name translates from the northern Hausa language as "Western education is sinful," has been behind almost daily killings in its home base in the largely Muslim northeast, and occasionally in the capital Abuja.

The Kano attack was their deadliest strike yet.

"We attacked the securities base because they were arresting our members and torturing our wives and children. They should know they have families too, we can abduct them. We have what it takes to do anything we want," the voice on the tape said.

But he denied responsibility for the civilian casualties, which police said made up 150 of the deaths.

"We never kill ordinary people, rather we protect them. It is the army that rushed to the press to say we are the ones killing civilians. We are not fighting civilians. We only kill soldiers, police and other security agencies," he said.

In August last year, the sect carried out a suicide car bombing of the United Nations headquarters in the capital Abuja that killed 24 people. On Christmas Day it masterminded coordinated explosions against Christians, including one at a church near Abuja that killed at least 37 people.

In a previous video tape on January 11, Shekau defended attacks against Christians.

President Jonathan told Reuters on Thursday that Boko Haram had made contact with other jihadist groups operating in the region, echoing views by security experts that AQIM has trained and supported some Boko Haram militants, though its interests remain local.

He challenged the group to identify themselves and state their demands as a basis for talks.

The tape hinted that Boko Haram was part of a global jihad against Western interests.

"In America, from former President George Bush to Obama, the Americans have always been fighting and destroying Islam," he said. "They have tagged us terrorists and they are paying for it. It is the same in Nigeria, and we will resist."

(Writing by Tim Cocks)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120127/wl_nm/us_nigeria_bokoharam_tape

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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Contest: Win one of five Androidified TPU cases for the Samsung Galaxy Nexuxs

Androidified TPU Skin Case

OK, OK. We couldn't wait any longer. We picked up five of these "Androidified" TPU Skin Cases from Cruzerlite -- and these are for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus -- just to give away to you fine, upstanding readers of Android Central. Not a fine, upstanding reader of Android Central? Well, you should be. Just saying.

Anyhoo. What you see here is your basic TPU skin case, meaning it feels like a cross between rubber and plastic and fits snugly around your phone. This one's got some nice ribbing along the edges, to help with grip, and there are cutouts for all of the buttons and ports, as well as the secondary microphone. (That's important.) It fits our GSM Galaxy Nexus just fine, as well as Verizon's LTE version.

And we're giving away five of them. In fact, we're giving away the five you see here. How to enter? Just hit the link below for all the deets. Good luck!

Enter to win an "Androidified" TPU skin case for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus!



Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/6LiNBQ7N3k0/story01.htm

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Romney?s inheritance lie (Americablog)

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

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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Plagued by violence, Nigeria begins to strain (AP)

KANO, Nigeria ? The assault bore the hallmarks of long-term planning: Cars loaded down with heavy explosives and driven by those willing to die, men wearing security uniforms and ready to shoot any official who believed they belonged to the government they despise.

The coordinated attack in Nigeria's second largest city by the radical Islamist sect known as Boko Haram has shown its metamorphosis from a group that sent out lone motorcycle-riding gunmen to one that deployed scores of killers who moved with military precision. Nigeria's ill-equipped police and military have been unable to confront this growing threat to peace in Africa's most populous nation.

"Nigeria has never seen anything like this before," said Elizabeth Donnelly, an analyst at the London-based think tank Chatham House. "It's something so diffuse, so amorphous. It's very nimble and really hard to understand and pin down."

Boko Haram killed at least 185 people during its attack Friday on Kano, a city of more than 9 million that has political and religious importance in Nigeria's Muslim north. Suicide bombers targeted police stations and men wearing police or other uniforms gunned down officials, witnesses said.

Police said they discovered 10 vehicles in the city wired with explosives before they detonated. Officers also recovered about 300 explosives packed into aluminum cans, as well as eight drums each containing 770 pounds (350 kilograms) of explosive each, local police commissioner Ibrahim Idris said.

The large amount of explosives and the attacks on multiple locations including police stations, a secret police headquarters and immigration offices shows the attack was well planned. It also shows that Boko Haram wants to make the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian, appear unable to control the country, analysts said.

It "signaled an escalation of the Boko Haram threat not only for its sophistication, lethality and coordination but for the brazenness of the attack on a city considered sacred ground by millions of Muslims," said Philippe de Pontet, an analyst for the Eurasia Group. The "near-simultaneous bombs in Kano (are) focused on more traditional adversaries ? the government, the police and local supporters of the Jonathan administration. Boko Haram is seeking to delegitimize the administration."

But government itself remains unable to stop Boko Haram. Nigeria's federal police force lacks the forensic capability to investigate massive crimes like the Kano bombing. More than a fourth of its manpower is relegated to serving as drivers and personal assistants to the country's elite, Human Rights Watch says. Many of those who remain man checkpoints and roadblocks designed to collect bribes from passing motorists.

A study published in February 2011 by the U.S. Air Force's Air War College suggests the country's military strength of 76,000 suffers from mismanagement and a lack of funding.

The military is also stretched, with soldiers deployed to the east of here in the spiritual home of the sect; in the country's restive middle belt, where communal violence has killed thousands in recent years; in the oil-rich southern delta, where militants and criminal gangs run rampant; and in Nigeria's commercial capital, Lagos, to quell unrest against the government.

"I think being overstretched is a real worry at the moment," Donnelly said. "I think that's why a plan needs to be got together. There needs to be some sort of strategy because clearly this is not sustainable.

"I think the question in everybody's mind is as well, you know: 'After Kano, where's next?'"

___

Jon Gambrell can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120124/ap_on_re_af/af_nigeria_nation_under_siege

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Oprah confident Obama will win re-election (AP)

JAIPUR, India ? Oprah Winfrey says she is confident that President Barack Obama will win another four-year term in this year's U.S. election.

The talk show host was addressing a literary festival Sunday in the northwestern Indian town of Jaipur.

Winfrey praised Obama's handling of the presidency. She said his next four years would be even more successful, with people able to get back to work.

Winfrey backed Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign in her first-ever political endorsement.

She was among the biggest crowd pullers at the annual Jaipur Literary Festival, which brings together top writers, poets and critics and around 50,000 literary fans from around the world.

Winfrey has been in India for a week filming programs for her new TV network.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/celebrity/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120122/ap_on_en_tv/as_india_oprah_obama

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Monday, January 23, 2012

Balotelli lifts Man City

updated 11:03 a.m. ET Jan. 22, 2012

MANCHESTER, England - Mario Balotelli scored a stoppage-time penalty kick Sunday to give first-place Manchester City a 3-2 victory over Premier League title rival Tottenham.

City won its 11th straight league home game and moved eight points ahead of third-place Tottenham, with only Manchester United separating the teams.

Just after Jermain Defoe had missed a chance to win it for Tottenham, Balotelli was fouled by Ledley King and scored the winner.

City had thrown away a two-goal lead, with Samir Nasri and Joleon Lescott scoring for the hosts in a four-minute span in the second half. But Tottenham struck back, with slack defending allowing Defoe to score in the 60th minute and Bale tying the score five minutes later.

"

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


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Sunday, January 22, 2012

Report: South Sudan sues Khartoum over oil

(AP) ? South Sudan is suing Sudan for "looting" its oil and will no longer export crude through its northern neighbor's territory, a Sudanese daily reported Sunday, citing officials, in the latest spat between the two governments over the coveted resource in the newly independent southern nation.

South Sudan Information Minister Marial Benjamin said the lawsuit was filed in "specialized international tribunals against Sudan and some companies" that bought the crude, the Al-Sahafa daily said. Benjamin did not provide additional details on the venue or when the lawsuit was filed.

The case is the latest development in a long-simmering fight between the two governments over the oil they share. Most of it lies within the borders of South Sudan, which achieved independence last July.

On Jan. 17, South Sudan Minister of Petroleum and Mining Stephen Dhieu Dau said Sudan is diverting about 120,000 barrels of oil pumped from the south daily, a move the northern government said stemmed from the unpaid transit fees for the oil carried in pipelines from the south to export terminals in its territory. The two sides have been unable to resolve the dispute.

South Sudan's Cabinet Affairs minister, Deng Alor, said that his country has halted pumping crude through Sudan and would begin building a pipeline across east Africa that would allow it to export its oil through Kenya. The project would take about a year, he told Al-Sahafa.

"Our economy will not be affected by this step," he said, adding that South Sudan had enough in cash reserves to sustain it for five years. Even if the economy was affected, it would be preferable to the "looting" taking place by Sudan, he was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

The Khartoum government downplayed the potential impact of the move by the south. Sudanese State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Amin Hassan Omar said that the oil currently held in pipelines would cover a considerable portion of the debts owed by the south.

The suspension of oil production is a "tactical move that will not last long," he told Al-Sahafa.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-01-22-ML-Sudan-South-Sudan-Oil/id-dcf5fa72aaff4de3a41d196f8b6bf882

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Video: Brushfire whips through Reno area

High winds are feeding a brushfire near Reno, Nevada that has burned homes and acres of land. NBC's Brian Williams reports.

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Saturday, January 21, 2012

[OOC] The Nightlife of Freedom

Forum rules
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Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.


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Friday, January 20, 2012

Rocky markets hurt Goldman profits in 4th quarter

FILE - This June 29, 2011 file photo, shows the headquarters building of Goldman Sachs, in New York. Goldman Sachs said Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, its income fell 58 percent in the last three months of last year because of lower investment banking income in a quarter marked by choppy markets. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

FILE - This June 29, 2011 file photo, shows the headquarters building of Goldman Sachs, in New York. Goldman Sachs said Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, its income fell 58 percent in the last three months of last year because of lower investment banking income in a quarter marked by choppy markets. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

(AP) ? Wall Street isn't used to being underwhelmed by Goldman Sachs.

But even the powerhouse investment bank, which usually posts stellar results that leave its rivals in the dust, wasn't immune to the rocky financial markets at the end of last year.

The bank's net income for the last three months of the year fell 58 percent from a year earlier because of lower investment banking fees. The results beat Wall Street expectations but put Goldman in line with what it would consider ordinary banks.

In the last three months of the year, fear about the European debt crisis made the stock and bond markets volatile, and clients of all the major banks shied away from mergers and acquisitions and public offerings of stock.

Goldman's investment banking business took in 43 percent less in the fourth quarter than a year earlier. That was about the same as at Citigroup, Goldman's much weaker competitor, where fees declined 45 percent. JPMorgan Chase reported a smaller decline of 39 percent.

In the quarter before, Goldman had lost money for only the second time since it went public in 1999.

"Goldman is best in breed," said Keith Davis, an analyst at the investment firm Farr, Miller & Washington LLC and a Goldman shareholder. "But even they are being careful in seeking out profits because of the uncertainty out there."

The investment bank said Wednesday that it made $1 billion, or $1.84 per share, from October through December. The results beat the estimate of $1.28 per share from analysts surveyed by FactSet, a provider of financial data.

Goldman's revenue in the quarter fell 30 percent to $6 billion. For the year, Goldman made $4.4 billion, 47 percent less than in 2010, on revenue of $28.8 billion, down 26 percent from the previous year.

Goldman's typical clients are large hedge funds and multinational corporations that need to hedge their bets on foreign currencies, fluctuating interest rates and commodities.

The bumpy financial markets hurt revenue in those parts of Goldman's business. Revenue from client services fell 16 percent to $3.06 billion for the quarter. Transactions in commodities, currency and fixed income fell 17 percent.

Besides trading for those clients, Goldman has made big profits trading for itself ? especially when markets are volatile. In 2009, as the country grappled with a financial crisis and a deep recession, Goldman turned a record $13.4 billion profit. But regulations taking effect this year will reduce Goldman's ability to make those trades for the firm.

Stock traders played down concerns about Goldman Sachs' earning potential and sent the stock sharply higher. Goldman closed up 6.8 percent. Other big banks with large investment banking divisions followed Goldman higher.

Bank stocks took a hit on Friday when JPMorgan Chase led off the earnings season with disappointing results. Even if Goldman isn't the world-beater it was several years ago, it at least beat expectations.

Goldman's chief financial officer, David Viniar, gave investors another reason to hope: Even though the year is barely two weeks old, he said, corporate clients appear to be more willing to take risks than they were last year.

"The first two weeks of January certainly felt a lot better than the December and November period," Viniar told investors in a conference call to discuss the financial results.

Traders also bought Goldman because they want to profit if the investment bank buys back a chunk of its stock soon.

Goldman bought back 47 million shares of its own stock last year, including 9.2 million in the fourth quarter. The Federal Reserve has given the firm permission to buy back 63.5 million more shares.

Companies sometimes buy back their own stock when they have plenty of cash sitting around and few good ideas on where to invest it and make it grow. It can also be a sign that a company believes the stock is worth more than its current price.

Goldman paid an average of $128 for what it has bought so far. On Wednesday, the stock closed at $104.31.

In a figure watched carefully by Wall Street competitors and Occupy Wall Street alike, the bank said that it paid its 33,300 employees $12.2 billion in 2011, or 21 percent less than in 2010.

That averages out to $367,000 apiece, although the average can be misleading: Goldman's top investment bankers and executives earn multiple millions, but administrative staff doesn't usually earn six figures.

Analysts said they expected last year's payout to be lower and more in line with the 26 percent drop in revenue.

During its heyday, before the financial crisis of 2008, the average was closer to $500,000, and some Goldman bankers made $50 million bonuses.

CEO Lloyd Blankfein said concerns about the global economy made Goldman's clients less inclined to take risks in 2011. He said the firm saw "encouraging signs" that the economy and financial markets are improving.

Other signs don't look as healthy. The firm's investment banking transaction backlog, an indicator of future revenue and profit, decreased from the quarter before, though it was slightly higher than a year earlier.

Goldman is preparing for a tougher year not just by reducing risk but by cutting staff. While some of its top traders have recently quit because the tough regulatory environment has made it difficult for them to make profitable trades, Goldman also cut staff 7 percent in 2011, with 900 jobs cut just in the last three months.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-01-18-Earns-Goldman%20Sachs/id-8e7eb10221d2405da76a36289820cb9a

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Thursday, January 19, 2012

Prosecutor says Iraq war vet killed transients for "thrill" (Reuters)

SANTA ANA, California (Reuters) ? An Iraq war veteran charged in the stabbing murders of four Orange County, California homeless men made an initial court appearance on Wednesday as a prosecutor accused him of killing for a "thrill."

Itzcoatl Ocampo, 23, was charged on Tuesday with four counts of first degree murder that include special circumstance allegations, making him eligible for the death penalty if he is convicted.

The former U.S. Marine was chased down by bystanders and arrested on Friday night following the fourth in a string of stabbings that rattled Orange County.

He appeared briefly in Orange County Superior Court, where a judge postponed his arraignment until February 17 at the request of defense attorney Randall Longwith.

Ocampo emphatically told the judge "Yes your honor" when asked if he understood his right to a speedy preliminary hearing.

He has been held in an isolation cell at Orange County Jail with a protective gown, also known as a suicide blanket, to prevent him from taking his own life, Orange County Sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino said.

Outside court, Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, who has not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty in the sensational case, told reporters that Ocampo committed the murders for a "thrill."

"It's somebody who wants to kill people just because he wants to, just to see what it's like to make those kills, and he gets a thrill out of it, so we refer to it as a thrill kill," Rackauckas said.

Rackauckas has accused Ocampo of targeting his final victim, John Berry, after the 64-year-old transient appeared in a Los Angeles Times article about the case.

The top Orange County prosecutor described Ocampo as "lucid, calm, intelligent" and said he would counter what he expected to be an insanity defense by the defendant's lawyers.

Longwith, the defense attorney, told reporters after the hearing that he has only able to speak to his client for 15 seconds through a food slot at his jail cell.

"He seems very scared, at least the way he looks and speaks to me," Longwith said.

Ocampo is accused of first killing 53-year-old James McGillivray on December 20, attacking him as he slept behind a shopping center in the Orange County suburb of Placentia and stabbing him more than 40 times.

Video footage of the crime captured by a recently installed security camera shows the killer, dressed in dark pants and a black hooded sweatshirt, kneeling on McGillivray's chest as he stabs him in the head, neck and upper torso.

Eight days later the body of a second transient, Lloyd "Jimmy" Middaugh, 42, was found under a freeway underpass in Anaheim, stabbed more than 50 times in the head and torso.

Ocampo is also charged in the murder of 57-year-old Paulus "Dutch" Smit, who was stabbed more than 60 times behind the Yorba Linda Public Library. His body was found on December 30.

Ocampo served in the Marines from July 2006 to July 2010 and was deployed to Iraq in 2008, a Marine spokeswoman said.

(Writing by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Dan Whitcomb and Paul Thomasch)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120118/us_nm/us_crime_homeless_california

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Tavares wants golf cart crossings on state roads

Tavares city manager John Drury drives an electric car on Main Street in Tavares Tuesday. The city is trying to encourage residents to drive electric or golf carts around downtown.  Tom Benitez/Orlando Sentinel

Tavares city manager John Drury drives an electric car on Main Street in Tavares Tuesday. The city is trying to encourage residents to drive electric or golf carts around downtown. Tom Benitez/Orlando Sentinel (Tom Benitez, Orlando Sentinel / February 5, 2008)

TAVARES ? City Council members will discuss today whether to OK an engineering study aimed at gaining approval for two golf-cart crossings on state roads. The $6,500 study would go to the state Department of Transportation, which created the statewide golf-cart crossing rules in October in response to rising public use of the miniature vehicles. If approved, golf-cart drivers could cross State Road 19 at Dead River Road and U.S. Highway 441 at St. Clair Abrams Avenue. Tavares already has an ordinance that permits golf carts on city streets with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less. Many Central Florida communities passed ordinances allowing golf carts on streets and installed electric-charging stations for the environmentally-minded driver. Nowhere are they more popular than in The Villages retirement community, where an estimated 50,000 golf carts cruise the streets.

Joseph Freeman


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Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Sudan says oil deal with south depends on security (Reuters)

KHARTOUM (Reuters) ? Sudan will continue to take a share of oil from South Sudan to compensate for what it calls unpaid transit fees and said an oil deal was unlikely without an agreement on border and security issues, its foreign minister said on Wednesday.

South Sudan became Africa's newest nation in July under a 2005 peace deal that ended decades of civil war between north and south, but many issues remain unresolved, including oil, debt and violence on both sides of the poorly-defined border.

Tensions escalated last week when Khartoum said it had started confiscating oil from landlocked South Sudan, which exports its crude through Sudan's pipelines to a port on the Red Sea.

Sudan's economy has been badly hit by the loss of two-thirds of oil production to the South, and the country is under pressure to ease the hardships of people already exhausted by years of conflict, inflation and a U.S. trade embargo.

The two sides were meant to conclude an oil agreement that would see them sharing revenues, with the south paying fees to export its oil through the north.

The African Union is sponsoring talks between the two countries this week, but Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Ahmed Karti dampened hopes of a quick deal, rejecting the south's criticism of its move as "childish."

"If they are not ready to sit down and conclude an agreement, we will take our right. We will take our entitlements," he told Reuters in an interview.

"Nobody can hamper us from taking our right. This is our entitlement," Karti said.

He said South Sudan's support for rebels in the border states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile was hindering the talks. Juba denies giving support to the insurgents, who fought as part of the southern army during the civil war.

"If you are hosting rebels, preparing them against me, supporting them by munitions, by salaries, by everything, by training, by giving them all facilities. What shall I wait for? What shall I wait for you to do? I'm waiting for war," he said.

"So if you are preparing to instigate war against me, what kind of any other agreement will be useful?"

He said Sudan had monitored conversations that proved Juba was supporting the rebels - known as the Sudan People's Liberation Movement Army (SPLA-N) - by continuing to pay their old salaries.

"We listen to them. They know that we listen to them. What kind of stupidity? You know I'm listening to what you say every day, and you go on talking about salaries, ammunition, supporting us, and bringing more tanks near the borders, and the rest," he said.

Any oil agreement would likely depend on a broader deal that addressed the fighting and other security issues, such as marking the border, Karti said.

"To me, it could be a holistic approach. A piecemeal way of doing things is not enough, and it proved not to be working. It's better to begin with the top issues - the security issue to me is very important - and then the rest will be easy," he said.

DEBT PILE

Sudan and South Sudan have been discussing a transit fee for southern oil exports since Juba's independence, but their positions have remained wide apart. Khartoum wants $1 billion in rear payments plus $36 a barrel to use the export pipeline, roughly a third of the South's export value.

South Sudan has offered to sell oil to Khartoum at discounted prices and give financial aid, but Karti said some southern officials had taken a "sarcastic" approach.

"Even some of them, sarcastically, they tell us that they are donors and they will give us some tens of millions, and they will be spending those millions on humanitarian issues, and trying to solve problems in the needy areas," he said.

"They talked to us like donors, whereas we are calling for them to sit down at a table to talk seriously," Karti said.

"(Saying we are) taking their oil, stealing their oil - this is childish," he said. "This is our right. If this does not (suit) them, let them block the oil. It is their oil. We will not at all fight for the oil to come through our pipeline."

He said a debt pile of almost $40 billion for which Juba refuses to share responsibility was weighing on the economy but rejected some analysts' forecasts that Sudan's economy is headed for a severe crisis.

"It is not bad. I will not accept this word," he said. "We are trying our best to emerge as a country that has good resources, and as a country that should be supported."

Most Western firms have shunned Sudan since the United States put a trade embargo in place in 1997 for the country's role in hosting prominent militants like Osama bin Laden.

Karti said Gulf Arab states were increasing their investments but Sudan would not ask for any outside help to overcome economic difficulties.

"We are not begging from anybody, we have our resources," he said.

(Additional reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz; Editing by Peter Graff)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120118/wl_nm/us_sudan_south

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