GOP lawmaker ends hold on some aid to Palestinians (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The Palestinians are slated to receive some $200 million in U.S. security assistance after a top House Republican ended her hold on the money.

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, informed the Obama administration in recent weeks that she no longer would block $50 million in economic support funds for the Palestinian Security Forces and $148 million in other assistance.

In separate letters to the State Department and USAID, Ros-Lehtinen cited certification by President Barack Obama that the aid was in the national security interests of the United States, as well as word that the government of Israel did not object. The letters were sent in September and October.

In an interview with The Associated Press last month, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the administration has reached out to Israel ? which has an interest in maintaining Palestinian security aid ? to convince Congress to support assistance.

"We're asking the Israelis on a case-by-case basis," she said.

Ros-Lehtinen had blocked the funds in late August, just as the Palestinians were gearing up to seek statehood recognition at the United Nations. The Florida lawmaker placed an "informational hold" on the money, seeking material from the administration. The Palestinians pursued statehood recognition despite strong objections from the United States and Israel.

Brad Goehner, a spokesman for the committee, said Monday that the administration had provided the panel with some 1,000 pages of documents.

The Palestinians have received about $500 million a year from the U.S. alone in recent years, including tens of millions of dollars for training the Palestinian security services. The partial suspension of aid by Congress had mainly affected development and infrastructure programs being supervised by USAID, but not the support for the security services.

The United States recently stopped $60 million in aid to UNESCO after the international organization admitted the Palestinians as a member. Ros-Lehtinen stands firm on that issue, saying recently that she supports the U.S. law that requires a cutoff of American funds to any U.N. entity that gives membership to the Palestinian Liberation Organization.

"That is the right policy, and it must continue in order to deter other U.N. entities from following in UNESCO's footsteps," Ros-Lehtinen said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111107/ap_on_re_us/us_congress_palestinian_aid

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Texas delays action on stem cell therapy rules

(AP) ? The Texas State Medical Board voted Friday to delay until next year final approval of new stem cell therapy rules that could restrict ? or even block ? procedures such as the one Gov. Rick Perry recently underwent on his aching back.

Its 19 members, including a dozen physicians, voiced support for greater oversight but opted to tweak the proposed rules and take them up again at their next meeting in February. If the reworked rules are satisfactory, formal approval could come as early as April.

The Food and Drug Administration hasn't approved using adult stem cells to help people heal from surgery, but experimentation is common. Some scientists tout the possible benefits, including treatment for heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers. Others argue adult stem cell experimentation actually increases the risk of cancer and can cause blood clots.

Perry, 61, a Republican presidential candidate, had stem cells taken from fat in his own body that were then grown in a lab. They were injected into his back and his bloodstream during an operation in July to fuse part of his spine.

The proposed rules would require an independent panel to conduct a comprehensive safety review of any procedure involving stem cells before it is carried out. Without that review, procedures such as the one Perry underwent would not be allowed.

Some noted that new stem cell regulations could have unintended consequences, however, such as limiting the ability of tissue banks to collect genetic material for transplants. As a result, the board asked its staff to modify the rules.

"My sense is, this 80, 85 percent ready for primetime and they're just adding some material," said Leigh Hopper, a board spokeswoman.

Perry, who appoints the board, sent it a letter in July saying he appreciated the responsibility to protect patients. But he also urged members to "recognize the sound science and good work that is already being done, and will continue to be done in the future, in this field."

"We need to ensure that physicians in this state can continue to pursue new technologies and treatments that will benefit all Texans," Perry wrote. "Texas is a leader in innovation in many fields. It is critical that we continue to foster an environment that encourages technological advancement in the health care arena."

Following his surgery, Perry has worn a back brace but maintained his hectic campaign schedule ? though he has begun wearing orthopedic shoes, foregoing his trademark cowboy boots. Adult stem cell therapy is different from using embryonic cells, a controversial technology that the governor opposes.

Lucy Nashed, a spokeswoman for the governor, said Friday that he "expects the Texas Medical Board to review all the facts and make the appropriate decision regarding the use of this promising technology in Texas."

At least 10 states ? including California, Illinois and New York ? have enacted rules governing stem cell research, according to the Interstate Alliance on Stem Cell Research.

The impetus for Texas' proposed rules did not grow out of Perry's procedure but did involve the physician who performed it, Dr. Stanley Jones. The Houston-based orthopedist, who is Perry's doctor and friend, touted the benefits of stem cell therapies at the medical board's June meeting. He said many Americans pay thousands of dollars to undergo treatment abroad and that it is a shame that Texans can't access the treatment in their home state.

Perry also helped push an amendment to a larger health care bill through the Texas Legislature in June creating a state bank to store and cultivate adult stem cells for treatment purposes.

NBC reported in September that the first bank approved by the state ? Celltex Therapeutics Corp. of Houston ? is co-owned by Jones and David G. Eller, the former chairman of the board of Texas A&M University, and a top Perry donor.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/apdefault/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2011-11-04-Texas-Stem%20Cell%20Therapy/id-0a7dd019886c41b08c0de4a82738d7a8

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Genetics and history tell a?tale as big as Africa

Courtesy of William Holland

William Holland, a family researcher from Georgia, tours a village in the Oku region of Cameroon.

By Alan Boyle

Over the past year, William Holland's African-American family tale has grown in the telling, thanks to genetic testing and a whole lot of trans-Atlantic travel. The latest twist is a doozy: The Georgia resident has turned his research into a story that goes back to the seventh century.

Holland says he has found links to ancestors who lived in the Cameroonian region of Oku, who were captured by neighboring tribes and taken as slaves in Virginia. His story illustrates how the descendants of slaves can go beyond a painful chapter of American history and find their place in the broader sweep of world history. But the outcome isn't as precise as a paternity test.

"You have to put together the science and the history to make sense of it," he told me after his latest trips to West Africa. "To be honest, this is not an easy thing to do. You have to understand history, you have to understand migration patterns, you also have to understand culture. Most people would say, 'This is too much, because it's too complicated.' I would say this is a master's degree-level task."


Real families, real feelings
And it's not just an academic exercise. We're talking real families here. A year ago, Holland thought the genetic linkages showed a strong tie to royalty in a Cameroonian region known as Mankon. But after additional genetic tests and consultations with historians in Africa ? including Samuel N. Wambeng, Nji Oumarou Nchare?and Aboubakar Mgbekoum ? he has?focused on Oku instead. In fact, some of the people living around Mankon?just might?be the descendants of tribes that were involved in the slave trade.

"In?Mankon, there were people who were dealers in trading people,"?Holland said. "They didn't trade their own people, but they were trading people from outside their community. So now it makes sense that I was not directly related to the palace in Mankon. Did my people come from there? No. Did they pass through there? Yes."

Even though the abduction from Africa happened in the 1770s, that part of the story has sparked bad feelings between Holland and some of the Cameroonians he came to know. "I didn't speak to them for a month," Holland told me. "It's still painful. ... Have you ever had a bad dream about being chained up in the bottom of a ship?"

Solving family mysteries
Unraveling history can leave scars, but it can also solve family mysteries. For example, the historians told?Holland something that meshed with his memory of his sister's nickname. "Her name is Delores, but we always call her 'Nene,'" he said. "In Oku,?'Nene' basically means 'Mother.' That name was given to her by my father. These are very old names."

The DNA tests that Holland has taken mark?marked?the beginning of Holland's story, not the end. Most recently, Holland took a Y-chromosome test from Ancestry.com that looked at 46 genetic markers, and then he plugged the results into a database on the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy?Foundation website. In some cases, comparisons with African test subjects in the database produced 33 matches out of 36 common markers.

"Normally they'll say, 'We're not related to someone,'" Holland observed. "Now the results show that, guess what, something must have occurred in those days for them to have nearly the same DNA as myself. Thirty-three out of 36 is pretty high."

Holland followed up by contacting the likeliest candidates for his kin.

"Genetics will only get you to the airport, but now where do you go?" he said. "You have to really find all the links. I'm lucky to have the information to find the links to the old names. With the names, people in Africa can say, 'This person was from this kingdom.' It's just like when people decide to go back to Scotland or Ireland, depending on whether your name begins with an 'M-A-C' or an 'M-C.'"

I can relate to that: I took a Y-chromosome test a decade ago in hopes of tracing my genetic roots in Ireland. I still haven't found a match close enough to confirm family ties in the old country, but the historical record provides enough information to make for a good tale about my great-grandfather's?escape from western County Clare in 1847,?during the Great Famine.

From Arabia to Virginia
Here's Holland's story, based on his visits to Ghana and Cameroon as well as the genetic results and the reports from the historians:

"We left Saudi Arabia around 622 when the time of Prophet Mohammed was implementing Islam.? A war ensued, and the Mboum people left and went to Egypt, then to the Sudan, then in the Tigray area of Ethiopia.? The city was in a town called Axum. Please note the Tigray province and the current tribal name of Tikar/Tikari.? From Ethiopia, the Mboum people went to the valley in Lake Chad in the north of Cameroon and arrived finally in 933 in the Adamawa region. The village that was set up in the Adamawa region was called Ngan-Ha, and Nya Sana was the first Fon [king]. The story told to me was that he (Nya Sana) was the youngest of the leaders that arrived from Ethiopia, but became the king because he retrieved the most powerful idol that fell from the sky.? There were a total of four leaders that came from Ethiopia, and all got their hands on one of the idols that fell from the sky.? These idols were in Mecca (Makah) in Arabia that flew from there and headed to Egypt then to the Sudan, Ethiopia and finally to Ngan-Ha.

"Took Gokor ruled from 1186 to 1217, as he was a direct descendant from Nya Sana. Princess Wouten (Wou-Ten or Betaka)?ruled around 1201-1246, during which she founded the Tinkala kingdom. So the tribal name change was from Mboum to Tinkala and finally to Tikari/Tikar. The Tikar kingdom was created around 1300.? The migration pattern was from Ngan-Ha to Tibati, Ina and finally Bankim or Kimi.? Kimi and Bankim are names that are used interchangeably when referring to this ancient area of various tribes in Cameroon. Around 1387, Fon Mbe left Bankim due to chieftancy disputes, and also he did not want to be killed while ruling. Nchare Yen supposedly had the right to become the next Fon, but was passed over by his half brother.?Mbe, Ngonnso and Nchare Yen were siblings from the same mother and father. They left in fear, founding the kingdoms of Bankim, Foumban and Banso.? Ngonnso founded Banso, while Nchare Yen founded Foumban.? Nchare was the youngest of the siblings.

"I believe my common ancestor [linked to the royalty] lived around 1550, during the time when Fon Ngang was on the throne.? He ruled from 1540 to 1588.? According to the SMGF DNA results, the time period for the common ancestor was about?440 years ago. Also, there is a possibility that it could have been in Foumban. The eighth Fon of Foumban founded Banka, and his name was Ngapna (1590-1629).? The familes that are in Banka and Bafang must have descended from the Prince of Ngapna.?

"The Wambeng family of Oku descends from the?third Fon, who was named Ney.?Oku was founded around 1650, so the third Fon would be close to accurate for the 1770s time period. The people of Bali were hired by the coastal slavers, who gave them guns to capture individuals for the Virginia plantation owners. Bali is not too far away from Mankon.??I asked the elder about this whole scenario, and he told me the year adds up to when Ney was ruling.? Those who were captured, including my ancestor, were guards of the palace.

"The Bali people came with guns and created quite a scene, resulting in the capture of my ancestor. They were taken to the coast, and the rest is history.? Meanwhile, in Foumban, the 11th Fon also lost children due to the fighting that was going on at the same time.? It's very possible that when all of them arrived in Bimbia, they knew they were the same people, but spoke different languages and could not communicate with each other.? I was told?that the slavers arranged things intentionally so that you would be separated if you spoke the same language/dialect, to prevent insurrection on the ship.?
?
"Because of Ngonnso, the kingdoms of Oku, Banso (Kumbo) and Mbiame are related, and also Kom would have to be included.? There is a good relationship between all of them today, and who knows? Maybe a big party would happen if we all go back to meet the family in Oku."

So now what? Holland is still working on the later chapters of his family's story ? the part that includes his slave ancestors in Virginia, including one ancestor who was taken into the Confederate Army for a time. But the chapters that excite Holland the most are the ones that go way back into the past.

"I guess I'll always have a curious gene in there, a gene?that makes me want to find out," he told me. "Will I stop after this? Hopefully there's be a different thing to work on. I'd like to go to the east ? to Egypt, and Ethiopia."

Earlier chapters in the African-American saga:


Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page or following @b0yle on Twitter. You can also add me to your Google+ circle, and check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.

Source: http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/04/8639523-genes-tell-a-tale-as-big-as-africa

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UFC 138 weigh-in: Leben and Munoz ready to go, Alves not so much

UFC 138 weigh-in: Leben and Munoz ready to go, Alves not so much

Chris Leben and Mark Munoz got the job done in anticipation of their big middleweight contender showdown. Both clocked in at 186 pounds before tomorrow's UFC 138 card in Birmingham, England.

Leben's won 4-of-5 fights, including his last fight when he destroyed Wanderlei Silva in just 27 seconds. Munoz is 6-1 at middleweight with recent wins over Aaron Simpson, Demian Maia and C.B. Dollaway.

The staredown was a little heated with the fighters coming together nose-to-nose. Dana White separated them quickly as the fighters talked a little trash.

Thiago Alves, who has a long history of struggling to make welterweight, missed at 172. The last time he fought in the U.K. was at UFC 85 against Matt Hughes. He missed that weekend by four pounds.

Update: Alves made weight. Maggie Hendricks has more details on Alves' struggles.

UFC 138 weigh-in: Leben and Munoz ready to go, Alves not so much

UFC 138 weigh-in (courtesy MMAjunkie)

MAIN CARD (Spike TV)

  • Chris Leben (186) vs. Mark Munoz (186)
  • Renan Barao (136) vs. Brad Pickett (134)
  • Papy Abedi (170) vs. Thiago Alves (172)*
  • Cyrille Diabate (206) vs. Anthony Perosh (205)
  • Terry Etim (156) vs. Edward Faaloloto (155)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)

  • Justin Edwards (170) vs. John Maguire (170)
  • Rob Broughton (258) vs. Philip De Fries (243)
  • Michihiro Omigawa (145) vs. Jason Young (145)
  • Chris Cope (170) vs. Che Mills (169)
  • Chris Cariaso (135) vs. Vaughan Lee (135)

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/UFC-138-weigh-in-Leben-and-Munoz-ready-to-go-A?urn=mma-wp9001

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Mayan Guatemalans disenfranchised because their government can't spell? (The Christian Science Monitor)

In January 2010, Ajpub? Pablo Garc?a Ixmat? applied for a new national ID card in his native Guatemala. He wanted to be sure he had all of his documents in order ahead of the country's presidential election.  A month later he returned to the local government registration office, but his ID wasn?t there. Mr. Garc?a Ixmat??s application couldn?t be processed, officials told him, because of the Mayan spelling of his name.

Garc?a Ixmat? is just one of the more than 400,000 of Guatemala's indigenous voters affected by ID card issues, according to Carlos Guarquez, director of the Guatemalan Association of Indigenous Mayors. The government decided to allow citizens to vote in the current presidential elections ? the second round of which will be held Sunday ? using other forms of identification.

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But the problems are indicative of the difficulties Guatemala continues to face in integrating its native populations and restoring national unity, 15 years after the end of its civil war. ?There is institutional discrimination regarding all public processes,? says Kelsey Alford-Jones, director of the Guatemalan Human Rights Commission/USA.

'Just an apostrophe'During Guatemala?s 36-year conflict, identity played an undeniable role. The indigenous population bore the brunt of the violence, with a United Nations-sponsored Historical Clarification Commission report stating that 83 percent of the victims of Guatemala?s civil war were indigenous. Even though indigenous groups, including 4.4 million Mayans, make up nearly 50 percent of Guatemala?s population today, they face ongoing barriers to accessing government services, says Ms. Alford-Jones.

The RENAP national registry was set up in 2007 to create and disseminate the new national identification card, called the DPI. The transition to a more sophisticated ID card, complete with an embedded data chip, is meant to guarantee citizens??? rights to identification, and the government services and protections that accompany that right. But, with corruption scandals and an audit by the Organization of the American States (OAS), which led to the required correction of over 2.9 million ID cards, RENAP earned a reputation for incompetence.

But Tulane University Professor Judith Maxwell fears RENAP's inability to support the proper spelling of Mayan names goes beyond government inefficiency.

?Mayan names usually contain a symbol in them, which is not found in the standard Spanish alphabet,? says Dr. Maxwell, who has worked as a linguist, teaching and preserving indigenous languages in Guatemala, since 1973. ?But it?s basically just an apostrophe ? you can?t tell me those symbols aren?t on a computer.?

Maxwell worked with a team of linguists to standardize the Mayan alphabet after Guatemala?s civil war ended in 1996.

?One of the principles we used is they?ve got to be all symbols that are readily available on a standard keyboard,? says Maxwell. ?I believe the government is inefficient, but I think that this is systematic discrimination.?

Rolando Yoc, the director of public policy and conflict resolution programs at Guatemala's Human Rights Investigator?s Office disagrees. He believes it?s a lack of cultural understanding that led to the majority of registration mistakes in indigenous communities. For instance, in some towns in the east of Guatemala, people have last names that are often used in Spanish-speaking communities as first names. As a result, registry employees might unintentionally mix up the order of the names.

?For example, the name Renato Pedro. It sounds like two first names, when really Pedro is the last name,? Mr. Yoc says. ?When a registry employee writes it that way, it shows their cultural predisposition.?

Bureaucratic obstaclesBut DPI mistakes aren?t limited to the spelling of Mayan names, and can range from incorrect addresses to marriage status or date of birth.  Cristiana Zibermann de Lujan says RENAP?s mistakes reach the entire Guatemalan population.

Originally from Spain, Ms. Zibermann de Lujan married a Guatemalan and has lived in the country for over thirty years. She spent months last year trying to fix a mistake on her new DPI. The registry listed her birth year as 1711, which would make her an impossible three hundred years old. She hired someone to take care of the lengthy bureaucratic process of correcting her ID, something she acknowledges is a luxury many Guatemalans don?t have.

?I?m scared when it comes to doing any paperwork in a public office in Guatemala,? she says. ?And I?m an educated person who understands the process and can protest. But there are a lot of people who wouldn?t dare question a government office.?

Mayans hardest hitNonetheless, Guatemala?s indigenous population is hardest hit by RENAP?s disorganization, according to Yoc.

?Most problems and complaints have come out of departments that are majority indigenous, which is at least seven or eight departments in Guatemala,? Yoc said during an August 2011 interview in his Guatemala City office. ?It?s complicated? the [registry?s] service and the DPI is supposed to benefit the population and make things easier, but instead it?s become a complication.?

The difficulty many Mayans face in obtaining a new ID could affect their civil and social rights across the board come 2013, when the DPI will be required to register for marriage, enroll in a public university, vote, apply for a passport and any other civil, administrative or legal service in Guatemala.

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Part of the reason Mayan communities are hit hard by the registry?s errors is that many can?t read or write Spanish. An estimated 77 percent of the indigenous population is illiterate, according to the International Development Research Center. In some cases these citizens aren?t aware their information was misrepresented in the first place.

Guatemala has the largest indigenous population in Central America. Though there have been international advances in indigenous rights in recent years, such as the 2007 United Nation?s Declaration on the Right of Indigenous, this doesn?t translate to immediate changes for local populations. Implementation is key, and Ms. Aflord-Jones of the Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA says getting more Mayans elected to political office is an important first step to accomplishing this.

?The indigenous population is highly underrepresented in public office and elected positions,? said Alford-Jones. ?This means there?s no one beholden to the Mayan populations and their needs.?

Room for improvementRENAP, which has offices set up in different departments throughout Guatemala, made important improvements since its inception. Based on recommendations from the OAS? six-week audit in 2010, RENAP worked to adapt a regulatory framework, strengthen its technological components, and train staff. But the registration process is still far from perfect.

Garc?a Ixmat? finally received his DPI two days before the September 11 elections this fall. There was an error in the number printed on the back of his card, though, which is supposed to correspond with his outgoing ID. So, Garc?a Ixmat? refused to accept his DPI, and continues to wait for an identification card that correctly reflects his personal information.

He says the simplest solution may be to hire indigenous employees who speak the local language in predominately Mayan departments.

?If they just asked questions in the applicant?s own language there would be far less misunderstanding,? Garc?a Ixmat? said. ?But instead they are sending people from other areas that don?t understand the names, aren?t invested in the community, and are writing things down incorrectly.?

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/fossils/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20111104/wl_csm/419032

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Ronaldo's milestone lifts Madrid

 Cristiano Ronaldo

By ROB HARRIS

updated 7:42 p.m. ET Nov. 2, 2011

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice to reach 100 goals for Real Madrid and help the nine-time winners advanced to the knockout phase of the Champions League with a 2-0 victory at Lyon on Wednesday night.

Real Madrid joined defending champion Barcelona and AC Milan in the final 16.

Manchester United took over the Group C lead with a 2-0 victory over Otelul Galati at Old Trafford on goals by Antonio Valencia and Wayne Rooney. Manchester City won 3-0 at Villarreal to move into second in Group A as Yaya Toure scored twice and Mario Balotelli converted a penalty kick, Mario Gomez scored three goals in the first half to lead Bayern Munch to a 3-2 victory at home against Napoli.

In his 105th match for Madrid, Ronaldo curled in a free kick in the 24th minute and scored his 100th goal with a penalty kick in the 70th after being fouled by Mouhamadou Dabo.

"We played well but it was a difficult game against a tough team," Ronaldo said. "We are happy that we're through."

Real Madrid (4-0), the only team to wins all its matches, leads Group D followed by Ajax (2-1-1), Lyon (1-2-1) and Dinamo Zagreb (0-4). Ajax won 4-0 at home over Dinamo on goals by Gregory van der Wiel, Miralem Sulejmani, Siem de Jong and Nicolas Lodeiro.

Ronaldo's former club, Manchester United improved to 2-0-2 when Valencia tapped in Phil Jones' cross in the eighth minute and Rooney scored in the 87th on a 30-yard shot that deflected off Cristian Sarghi.

"The opposition were very aggressive, they defended well, pressed us everywhere and made it difficult for us," said Alex Ferguson, who marks his 25th anniversary as United manager on Sunday. "The win makes it more comfortable for us at the top of the group."

Benfica (2-0-2) dropped to second on goal difference with a 1-1 tie with Basel (1-1-2). Otelul Galati (0-4) is last. At Lisbon, Rodrigo scored for the hosts in the fourth minute but Benjamin Huggel's goal in the 64th prevented Benfica for clinching advancement.

At Villarreal, Toure scored in the 30th and 71st minutes around Mario Balotelli's penalty kick in the 45th for Manchester City (2-1-1). The only bump City experienced came when Roberto Mancini hit his head on the underside of the dugout just before Toure's opener. While the City manager initially refused treatment, he eventually was seen sitting in the dugout with an ice pack on his head.

In Munich, Gomez scored in the 17th, 23rd and 42nd minutes for Bayern (3-0-1), which leads Group A. Federico Fernandez got goals in the 45th and 79th minutes for Napoli (1-1-2). Napoli's Juan Zuniga was ejected in the 70th and Bayern's Holger Badstuber in the 77th, both after getting their second yellow cards.

Group B leader Inter Milan (3-1) won 2-1 over Lille (0-2-2), as second-place CSKA Moscow (1-1-2) was held to a 0-0 draw by Trabzonspor (1-1-2). At San Siro, goals by Walter Samuel in the 18th minute and Diego Milito in the 65th built a 2-0 lead before Tulio De Melo scored for the visitors in the 83rd. Inter only needs a point from its last two matches to advance.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Ronaldo's milestone lifts Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice to reach 100 goals for Real Madrid and help the nine-time winners advanced to the knockout phase of the Champions League with a 2-0 victory at Lyon on Wednesday night,

Sky's limit

Lionel Messi is 34 goals short of becoming Barcelona's all-time top scorer after netting a hat-trick in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/45141115/ns/sports-soccer/

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LIVE WEBCAST: Immproving Emergency Communications Through ...

Improving Emergency Communications through the Private Sector Innovation

WASHINGTON??Closing the gap between the public safety community and private sector innovators has the potential to save lives by vastly improving the way emergency responders communicate during an incident with each other, the authorities, and the citizens they serve.

To discuss the current and future technology innovations that aim to enhance emergency operations the Wilson Center and the National Alliance for Public Safety GIS Foundation will convene a panel of experts from the private sector and the Department of Homeland Security. The panel will debate the methods for forging the public-private partnerships necessary for the success of a national public safety broadband network.

Panelists:???????????????

Morgan Wright, Vice-President, Global Public Safety Segment, Alcatel-Lucent (Moderator)
Bill Maheu,?Senior Director, Qualcomm
Bronwyn Agrios,?Project Manager ? Social Media, ESRI
Rick Zak,?Director of Justice & Public Safety Solutions, Microsoft
Chris Essid,?Director, Office of Emergency Communications, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

When:???????????? Tuesday, November 1, 2011, 4:30 ? 6:00 p.m. EDT

Where:???????????The Wilson Center, 5th?Floor Board Room, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW (Federal Triangle Metro)

Source: http://geodatapolicy.wordpress.com/2011/11/01/live-webcast-today-private-sector-innovation-for-emergency-communications/

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Supporting Cain, GOP base evokes Thomas hearings (AP)

ATLANTA ? Conservatives rallied around Herman Cain as he battles sexual harassment allegations, likening the attacks on the Republican presidential contender to what they describe as the "high-tech lynching" of another prominent black Republican: Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

The forceful early reaction to the Cain firestorm ? fueled by racially charged rhetoric ? suggests the Georgia businessman's attempt to cast himself as a victim of the media and liberals is, so far, paying dividends among his conservative Republican base, who will hold considerable sway in selecting the party's nominee. But the accusations against Cain, an untested newcomer on the political scene, may give more moderate GOP voters pause and could cause would-be donors to shy away even as Cain works to capitalize on his rising poll numbers.

With the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucus less than three months away, the harassment allegations ? and Cain's response to them ? have the potential to reshuffle the GOP race.

So far, the early cry from the right is to support Cain using a race-based defense and familiar targets. Becoming a target of the left and the media could bolster Cain's support among those who view those groups with disdain.

"I think the left is totally and completely terrified of a conservative black man coming to power and prominence," said Debbie Dooley, a leader of Atlanta Tea Party Patriots. "They are trying to do the same thing to him that they did with Clarence Thomas."

It was view that echoed loudly across talk radio and the Internet as conservative pundits weighed in.

"It's outrageous the way liberals treat a black conservative," fumed pundit Ann Coulter.

Radio show host Rush Limbaugh lashed out at the mainstream media for pursuing "the ugliest racial stereotypes they can to attack a black conservative."

"This is about blacks and Hispanics getting uppity," Limbaugh continued. "(Liberals) cannot have a black Republican running for office, can't have a Hispanic, the Left owns those minorities, those two groups can't be seen rising on their own."

The head of the conservative Media Research Center, Brent Bozell, labeled the story a "high-tech lynching," evoking Thomas' divisive Supreme Court confirmation hearings two decades ago, where he was confronted with sexual harassment allegations from a onetime employee, Anita Hill.

The allegations against Cain came to light Sunday night. Politico reported that at least two women who complained about sexually inappropriate behavior while working for Cain at the National Restaurant Association had signed agreements with the restaurant group that gave them five-figure financial payouts to leave the association and barred them from discussing their departures. Neither woman was identified.

The report was based on anonymous sources and, in one case, what the publication said was a review of documentation that described the allegations and the resolution. Politico said Cain spokesman J.D. Gordon told their publication that Cain himself had indicated to campaign officials that he was "vaguely familiar" with the charges and that the restaurant association's general counsel had resolved the matter.

On Monday, Cain ? who completed a round of Washington appearances amid a frenzy of media attention ? labeled the charges a witch hunt.

He said he was aware of the allegations made against him in the 1990s but called them "baseless" and denied he sexually harassed anyone. He said he had no knowledge of whether the association provided any such settlements, and he declined to address specifics of the accusations or the resolution.

While Cain seemed to benefit from an early burst of support in key quarters, the full impact of the charges is not yet known.

Women's rights groups expressed frustration that, 20 years after the Thomas hearings, sexual harassment complaints had again been reduced to a partisan fight.

Erin Matson, a vice president for the National Organization for Women, said the women in question should be given the benefit of the doubt.

"It is deeply insulting that this is being called political," Matson said. "Sexual harassment allegations are always about a woman who is simply trying to go to work."

Still, for some the desire to oust Obama could trump most anything else.

Sonia Conte, a 73-year-old retired accountant from Akron, Ohio, said the allegations about Cain don't change her opinion of him: She is concerned that he has little governing experience and prefers former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

"But I'd still rather vote for Herman Cain than Barack Obama," said Conte, a registered Democrat. Obama, she said, mishandled the economy and the end of the Iraq war. "Anybody but Obama."

Cain acknowledged the charges could harm his campaign at a critical juncture.

"Obviously, some people are going to be turned off by this cloud that someone wanted to put over my campaign," he said. "But a lot of people aren't going to be turned off. We'll just have to wait and see what happens."

___

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111101/ap_on_el_pr/us_cain

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Various '7 billionth' babies celebrated worldwide

A newly born baby girl named Danica Camacho, the Philippines' symbolic seven billionth baby, as part of the United Nations' seven billion global population projection, lies on the chest of her mother Camille in government's Fabella Maternity hospital in Manila on Monday Oct. 31, 2011.(AP Photo/Erik De Castro, Pool)

A newly born baby girl named Danica Camacho, the Philippines' symbolic seven billionth baby, as part of the United Nations' seven billion global population projection, lies on the chest of her mother Camille in government's Fabella Maternity hospital in Manila on Monday Oct. 31, 2011.(AP Photo/Erik De Castro, Pool)

A newly born baby girl named Danica Camacho, the Philippines' symbolic seven billionth baby, as part of the United Nations' seven billion global population projection, is weighed in government's Fabella Maternity hospital in Manila on Monday Oct. 31, 2011. (AP Photo/Erik De Castro, Pool)

Danica Camacho is cuddled by her mother Camille as they are wheeled out of the delivery room of the Government's Fabella Hospital moments after she was born Monday Oct.31, 2011 in Manila, Philippines. The Philippines, ranked 12th as the most populated country in the world, joins the rest of the world as it welcomes its symbolic 7 billionth baby. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

In this photo released by United Nations Population Fund, Gamze Ozkan, 18, holds her new born baby boy, Yusuf Efe, at the Zekai Tahir Burak maternity hospital in Ankara, Turkey, early Monday, Oct. 31, 2011. According to the U.N. Population Fund, Yufuf Efe, son of the unemployed mother and a worker husband, will be one of 7 billion people sharing Earth's land and resources by Monday. (AP Photo/Nezih Tavlas, UNPF) EDITORIAL USE ONLY

In this photo released by United Naitons Population Fund, newly born Turkish baby boy Yusuf Efe, reacts next to his mother Gamze Ozkan, unseen, at the Zekai Tahir Burak maternity hospital in Ankara, Turkey, early Monday, Oct. 31, 2011. According to the U.N. Population Fund, Yufuf Efe, son of an unemployed mother and a worker will be one of 7 billion people sharing Earth's land and resources by Monday.(AP Photo/Nezih Tavlas, UNPF) EDITORIAL USE ONLY

(AP) ? She came into the world at two minutes before midnight, a tiny, wrinkled girl born into a struggling Manila family. On Monday, she became a symbol of the world's population reaching 7 billion people and all the worries that entails for the planet's future.

Danica May Camacho, born in a crowded public hospital, was welcomed with a chocolate cake marked "7B Philippines" and a gift certificate for free shoes. There were bursts of photographers' flashes, and speeches by local officials.

The celebrations, though, reflected symbolism more than demography.

Amid the millions of births and deaths around the world each day, it is impossible to pinpoint the arrival of the globe's 7 billionth occupant. But the U.N. chose Monday to mark the day with a string of festivities worldwide, and a series of symbolic 7-billionth babies being born.

Danica was the first, arriving at Manila's Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital at two minutes before midnight Sunday ? but doctors say that was close enough to count for a Monday birthday.

"She looks so lovely," the mother, Camille Galura, whispered as she cradled the 2.5-kilo (5.5-pound) baby, who was born about a month premature.

The baby was the second for Galura and her partner, Florante Camacho, a driver who supports the family on a tiny salary driving a 'jeepney,' ubiquitous four-wheel drive vehicles used by many poor and working-class Filipinos.

Dr. Eric Tayag of the Philippines' Department of Health said later that the birth came with a warning.

"Seven billion is a number we should think about deeply," he said.

"We should really focus on the question of whether there will be food, clean water, shelter, education and a decent life for every child," he said. "If the answer is 'no,' it would be better for people to look at easing this population explosion."

In the Philippines, much of the population question revolves around birth control. The government backs a program that includes artificial birth control. The powerful Roman Catholic church, though, vehemently opposes contraception.

Camacho, a Catholic like her husband, said she was aware of the church's position but had decided to begin using a birth control device.

"The number of homeless children I see on the streets keeps multiplying," Camacho said. "When I see them, I'm bothered because I eat and maybe they don't."

Demographers say it took until 1804 for the world to reach its first billion people, and a century more until it hit 2 billion in 1927. The twentieth century, though, saw things begin to cascade: 3 billion in 1959; 4 billion in 1974; 5 billion in 1987; 6 billion in 1998.

The U.N. estimates the world's population will reach 8 billion by 2025 and 10 billion by 2083. But the numbers could vary widely, depending on everything from life expectancy to access to birth control to infant mortality rates.

In Uttar Pradesh, India ? the most populous state in the world's second-most populous country ? officials said Monday they would be appointing seven girls born Monday to symbolize the 7 billion.

India, which struggles with a deeply held preference for sons and a skewed sex ratio because of millions of aborted female fetuses, is using the day to highlight that issue.

"It would be a fitting moment if the 7 billionth baby is a girl born in rural India," said Dr Madhu Gupta, an Uttar Pradesh gynecologist. "It would help in bringing the global focus back on girls, who are subject to inequality and bias."

According to U.S. government estimates, India has 893 girls for every 1,000 boys at birth, compared with 955 girls per 1,000 boys in the United States.

On Monday, the chosen Indian babies were being born at the government-run Community Health Center in the town of Mall, on the outskirts of the Uttar Pradesh capital of Lucknow.

Six babies were born from midnight to 8 a.m. Monday. Four were boys.

Meanwhile China, which at 1.34 billion people is the world's most populous nation, said it would stand by its one-child policy, a set of restrictions launched three decades ago limiting most urban families to one child and most rural families to two.

"Overpopulation remains one of the major challenges to social and economic development," Li Bin, director of the State Population and Family Planning Commission, told the official Xinhua News Agency. He said the population of China would hit 1.45 billion in 2020.

While the Beijing government says its strict family planning policy has helped propel the country's rapidly growing economy, it has also brought many problems. Soon, demographers say, there won't be enough young Chinese to support its enormous elderly population. China, like India, also has a highly skewed sex ratio, with aid groups saying sex-selective abortions have resulted in an estimated 43 million fewer girls than there should be, given the overall population.

India, with 1.2 billion people, is expected to overtake China around 2030 when the Indian population reaches an estimated 1.6 billion.

___

Sullivan reported from New Delhi. Associated Press writer Biswajeet Banerjee in Lucknow, India, contributed to this report.

(This version Corrects the name of the Indian town to 'Mall' instead of 'Lall' in the 20th paragraph.)

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-10-31-AS-7-Billion-People/id-1a53f1aa5ea84bb5b24e6ab47231a420

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