Christians in Holy Land, Mideast celebrate Easter

Iraqi Christians pray during Easter mass at Mar Youssif Chaldean Church in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, March 31, 2013. The Chaldean Church is an Eastern Rite church affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. (AP Photo/ Karim Kadim)

Iraqi Christians pray during Easter mass at Mar Youssif Chaldean Church in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, March 31, 2013. The Chaldean Church is an Eastern Rite church affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. (AP Photo/ Karim Kadim)

Iraqi Christians congratulate each other after Easter mass at Mar Youssif Chaldean Church in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, March 31, 2013. The Chaldean Church is an Eastern Rite church affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. (AP Photo/ Karim Kadim)

Iraqi Christians pray during Easter mass at Mar Youssif Chaldean Church in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, March 31, 2013. The Chaldean Church is an Eastern Rite church affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. (AP Photo/ Karim Kadim)

JERUSALEM (AP) ? Catholics and Protestants flocked to churches to celebrate Easter on Sunday in the Holy Land and across the broader Middle East, praying, singing and rejoicing.

Some Mideast Christian communities are in a flux, while others feel isolated from their Muslim-majority societies. In places like Iraq, they have sometimes been the victims of bloody sectarian attacks.

At St. Joseph Chaldean Church in Baghdad, some 200 worshippers attended an Easter mass that the Rev. Saad Sirop led behind concrete blast walls and a tight security cordon. Churches have been under tighter security since a 2010 attack killed dozens.

"We pray for love and peace to spread through the world," said worshipper Fatin Yousef, 49, who arrived immaculately dressed for the holiday. She wore a black skirt, low-heeled pumps and a striped shirt and her hair tumbled in salon-created curls.

It was the first Easter since the election of Pope Francis and she and others expressed hope in their new spiritual leader. "We hope Pope Francis will help make it better for Christians in Iraq," she said.

In Jerusalem, Catholics worshipped in the church of the Holy Sepulcher, built on a hill where tradition holds that Jesus was crucified, briefly entombed and then resurrected. The cavernous, maze-like structure is home to different churches belonging to rival sects that are crammed into different nooks and even the roof.

Clergy in white and gold robes led the service held around the Edicule, the small chamber at the core of the church marking the site of Jesus' tomb. Many foreign visitors were among the worshippers.

"It's very special," said Arthur Stanton, a visitor from Australia. "It represents the reason why we were put on this planet, and the salvation that has come to us through Jesus."

Israel's Tourism Ministry said it expects some 150,000 visitors during holy week and the Jewish festival of Passover, which coincide this year. It is one of the busiest times of the year for the local tourism industry.

Protestants held Easter ceremonies outside Jerusalem's walled Old City at the Garden Tomb, a small, enclosed green area that some identify as the site of Jesus' burial. Another service was held at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Jesus' traditional birthplace.

Catholics and Protestants, who follow the new, Gregorian calendar, celebrate Easter on Sunday. Orthodox Christians, who follow the old, Julian calendar, will mark it in May.

There are no precise numbers on how many Christians there are in the Middle East. Census figures showing the size of religious and ethnic groups are hard to obtain.

Christian populations are thought to be shrinking or at least growing more slowly than their Muslim compatriots in much of the Middle East, largely due to emigration as they leave for better opportunities and to join families abroad. Some feel more uncomfortable amid growing Muslim majorities that they see as becoming more outwardly pious and politically Islamist over the decades.

The situation for some Mideast Christians is in flux.

In Syria, Christians, who make up some 10 percent of the country's 23 million people, have mostly stayed on the sidelines of the two-year civil war. While outraged by the regime of Bashar Assad's brutal efforts to quash the opposition, they are equally frightened by the Islamist rhetoric of many rebels and their heavy reliance on extremist fighters.

Christians make up some 10 percent of Egypt's 85 million people. Human rights groups say the police under former authoritarian leader Hosni Mubarak rarely took the needed steps to prevent flare-ups of violence against Christians, a situation that persisted since he was overthrown in 2011. The rise of Islamists in Egypt has emboldened extremists to target churches and Coptic property, leading to a spike in attacks and sometimes unprecedented steps like the evacuation of entire Christian populations from villages.

In Libya, most Christians are Egyptian laborers who are working in the oil-rich country. Tensions rose last month after assailants torched a church in the eastern city of Benghazi and militias arrested some 100 Christians, mostly Egyptian, accusing them of proselytizing.

In Iraq, Christians have suffered repeated attacks by Islamic militants since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, and hundreds of thousands have left the country. Church officials estimate that the Christian communities have shrunk by at least half. The worst attack was at Baghdad's soaring Our Lady of Salvation church in October 2010 that killed more than 50 worshippers and wounded scores of others.

There currently are an estimated 400,000 to 600,000 Christians in Iraq, with most belonging to ancient eastern churches. Some two-thirds of Iraq's Christians are Catholics of the Chaldean church and the smaller Assyrian Catholic church. Members of both churches chant in dialects of ancient Aramaic, the language that Jesus spoke.

Yousef, the worshipper in Baghdad, said lingering fear pushed her to send her son to live with relatives in Arizona last year. Yousef said she was arranging for her other daughter and son to immigrate.

"There's still fear here, and there's no stability in this country," she said.

Iraqi officials have made efforts to secure churches since the violence of 2010.

High blast walls topped with wire netting and barbed wire surrounded the St. Joseph Church in Baghdad's middle-class district of Karradeh. Four Iraqi Christian volunteers stood at the church entrance, double-checking the people entering. And blue-khaki clad Iraqi police guarded roads surrounding the church and checked papers of passers-by as worshippers filed inside.

White-robed church volunteers marched down the church aisle behind Father Sirop, who waved incense and chanted in the white-painted church adorned with three ornate chandeliers and a series of simple paintings illustrating the life of Christ.

Worshippers stood for lengthy passages of Sirop's mass, at one point bursting into applause when he told them, "Celebrate! You are Christians!"

___

Hadid reported from Baghdad. Follow Hadid on twitter.com/diaahadid and Goldenberg on twitter.com/tgoldenberg

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-03-31-Mideast-Easter/id-e45685d3f8ad496b9763841e822e1457

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EU, IMF resisting merger of Greek banks NBG, Eurobank: paper

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's international lenders have asked Athens to halt the merger of National Bank with Eurobank , worried that the resulting lender would be too big for the state to deal with, daily Kathimerini reported on Saturday.

The paper said the European Union, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund troika had raised issues over the size of the merged entity relative to Greece's gross domestic product (GDP) and the banking sector as a whole.

Two banking sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to Reuters that doubts had been raised.

"Pretty much these are the arguments put forth by the troika," one of the bankers told Reuters.

The banks and the Greek government had no comment to make on the report. European Commission officials were not immediately available.

National Bank (NBG) took over 84.3 percent of Eurobank last month via a share swap as part of consolidation in Greece's banking industry to cope with fallout from the debt crisis and a deep recession.

The two banks have already initiated merger procedures.

"NBG is going ahead with the legal merger process to absorb Eurobank, which has been approved by Greek and European authorities. Our goal is to complete the process by June," an NBG official told Reuters, declining to comment on the report.

The combined group would have assets of 170 billion euros, almost the size of the country's 190 billion GDP and 36 percent of total deposits.

"The troika is arguing that the two banks must be recapitalized separately and remain separate legal entities," Kathimerini said.

"The request of the troika that the merger be cancelled is a red line for the government as the tie up is now on its final stretch," the paper said.

The two banks together need 15.6 billion euros in fresh capital to shore up their solvency ratios to levels required by the central bank after incurring losses from a sovereign debt writedown and impaired loans.

According to the paper, troika officials argue that the combined entity would find it hard to raise a minimum 10 percent of the needed capital from the private sector to stay privately run, as required under the agreed recapitalization scheme.

Such an outcome would bring the group under the full control of a state bank support fund, which would have a harder time finding a buyer for a bank of this size in the future.

(Reporting by George Georgiopoulos; editing by Patrick Graham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/eu-imf-resisting-merger-greek-banks-nbg-eurobank-164018518--finance.html

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Abrakadoodle Art Education Opens First Unit in ... - Franchising.com

Children's art and creativity programs set to get underway in Northwest Arkansas this spring.

March 29, 2013 // Franchising.com // Reston, VA - Abrakadoodle Remarkable Art Education is expanding its reach to children with the addition of its first franchise unit in Arkansas. The mother/daughter duo Cora J. and Joy Davis of Fayetteville will be providing a wide range of art programs to include visual arts classes, camps, workshops, as well as in-school field trips, special events and arty parties at schools, community centers, faith-based locations and other sites that serve children throughout Northwest Arkansas to include Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers and Springdale.

"We are delighted to welcome Joy and Cora to our award-winning Abrakadoodle franchise system," said Rosemarie Hartnett, CFE, President and Co-Founder of Abrakadoodle, Inc. "They bring impressive educational backgrounds and a true passion for education and creative literacy, which I am confident will help ensure their tremendous success in a community that values art, culture and creativity."

"Creative literacy is very important for children," stated Cora J. Davis, Director of Abrakadoodle-Northwest Arkansas. "Abrakadoodle will provide an educationally-rich learning environment enabling children to develop skills and imagination." Married to Paul, mother of three (Kendrick, Vanessa and Joy) and grandmother of two young children (Kennedy and Katelynn), Cora brings to Abrakadoodle 15 years of K-5 teaching experience, as well as a BS in Elementary Education, a Master's in Education, and she is working on her PhD in Public Policy and Education at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville. She explained that her daughter Joy approached her about the opportunity to operate a well-respected art education franchise, an idea she met with enthusiasm.

""I always dreamed of owning my own business," Joy Davis, Director of Abrakadoodle-Northwest Arkansas remarked. Joy discovered Abrakadoodle when she read a business magazine and saw a fit with Abrakadoodle's creative concept. From a long line of educators, Joy brings a BS in Biology and a Master's in Operations Management. "Through Abrakadoodle, we will stimulate creativity in children, which they will carry with them throughout their lives. I find that very exciting!"

To learn more about art programs or to bring Abrakadoodle classes and activities to your location, please go to www.abrakadoodle.com/AR01/ or contact Joy Davis at jdavis@abrakadoodle.com or 479-856-6651.

Abrakadoodle was the first American franchise company to bring a comprehensive, standards-based art education program to children in the U.S. More than just a drawing program, Abrakadoodle embraces art in its broadest scope - from public art to all types of painting, sculpture, animation, paper and fabric art, digital photography and more. Abrakadoodle students develop a fine arts vocabulary as they learn about the styles and techniques of such artists as Michelangelo, Monet, Picasso, Ansel Adams, as well as contemporary artists through its Artist of Distinction program. Abrakadoodle students use an abundance of creative materials (bamboo brushes, sculpting materials, fabric, watercolor, acrylics, and more) to explore the visual arts. Students often take home framed, labeled original creations that extend the learning at home, as well as boost self-confidence.

Abrakadoodle classes employ a "process art" methodology. These classes not only inspire a child's imagination, but they also build motor, language and cognitive skills. Abrakadoodle students develop an appreciation for art and a sense of craftsmanship. Research suggests that getting an early start in the arts can make a real difference in the lives of children, not only in terms of increased academic achievement but also greater problem solving, leadership capabilities, and confidence.

About Abrakadoodle

Abrakadoodle was co-founded in 2002 by award-winning educator/franchise developer Mary Rogers, CFE, MA.Ed, and children's services franchising expert Rosemarie Hartnett, CFE. Abrakadoodle is the most comprehensive creativity and art education company of its kind, offering extensive visual arts classes, camps and parties for children ages 20 months to 12 years old. Abrakadoodle has received seven First Place Awards from Nickelodeon's Parent Picks Awards for "Best Art Program to inspire your child's inner Picasso." Recently Abrakadoodle also received seven additional nominations for "Best Kids Party Entertainer" and "Best Kids Party Place."

SOURCE?Abrakadoodle

Contact:

Joy Davis
Director
479-856-6651
jdavis@abrakadoodle.com

Karin Machusic
Director of Public Relations
(Mobile) 925-708-2179
Karin@abrakadoodle.com

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Source: http://www.franchising.com/news/20130329_abrakadoodle_art_education_opens_first_unit_in_ark.html

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Libyan official: 3 Pakistani activists raped

TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) ? Libya's deputy prime minister says pro-government militiamen are suspected of having raped three British female activists of Pakistani origin in the eastern city of Benghazi.

Awsad al-Barassi says the women were part of an overland aid convoy bound for Gaza. The women were traveling with two male companions when they were kidnapped Tuesday on their way to the Benghazi airport after deciding return to Britain.

Al-Barassi told Libya al-Hurra TV late Thursday that he has met with the women and they are in "very bad shape."

Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry condemned the incident and said Islamabad is in contact with Libyan authorities.

Britain's Foreign Office said it is aware of an incident involving British nationals who were part of an aid convoy. It did not elaborate.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/libyan-official-3-pakistani-activists-raped-130540911.html

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Hubble observes the hidden depths of Messier 77

Friday, March 29, 2013

Messier 77 is a galaxy in the constellation of Cetus, some 45 million light-years away from us. Also known as NGC 1068, it is one of the most famous and well-studied galaxies. It is a real star among galaxies, with more papers written about it than many other galaxies put together!

Despite its current fame and striking swirling appearance, the galaxy has been a victim of mistaken identity a couple of times; when it was initially discovered in 1780, the distinction between gas clouds and galaxies was not known, causing finder Pierre Mechain to miss its true nature and label it as a nebula. It was misclassified again when it was subsequently listed in the Messier Catalogue as a star cluster.

Now, however, it is firmly categorised as a barred spiral galaxy, with loosely wound arms and a relatively small central bulge. It is the closest and brightest example of a particular class of galaxies known as Seyfert galaxies -- galaxies that are full of hot, highly ionised gas that glows brightly, emitting intense radiation.

Strong radiation like this is known to come from the heart of Messier 77 -- caused by a very active black hole that is around 15 million times the mass of our Sun. Material is dragged towards this black hole and circles around it, heating up and glowing strongly. This region of a galaxy alone, although comparatively small, can be tens of thousands of times brighter than a typical galaxy.

Although no competition for the intense centre, Messier 77's spiral arms are also very bright regions. Dotted along each arm are knotty red clumps -- a signal that new stars are forming. These baby stars shine strongly, ionising nearby gas which then glows a deep red colour as seen in the image above. The dust lanes stretching across this image appear as a rusty, brown-red colour due to a phenomenon known as reddening; the dust absorbs more blue light than red light, enhancing its apparent redness.

###

ESA/Hubble Information Centre: http://www.spacetelescope.org

Thanks to ESA/Hubble Information Centre for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127517/Hubble_observes_the_hidden_depths_of_Messier___

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Veterans fight changes to disability payments | CapeCodOnline.com

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In this March 24, 2013 photo, former Marine Corps Cpl. Marshall Archer, left, a veterans' liaison for the city of Portland, Maine, speaks to a man on a street in Portland. Veterans groups are rallying to fight any proposal to change disability payments as the federal government attempts to address its long-term debt problem. They say they've sacrificed already.AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty

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WASHINGTON -- Veterans groups are rallying to fight any proposal to change disability payments as the federal government attempts to address its long-term debt problem. They say they've sacrificed already.

Government benefits are adjusted according to inflation, and President Barack Obama has endorsed using a slightly different measure of inflation to calculate Social Security benefits. Benefits would still grow but at a slower rate.

Advocates for the nation's 22 million veterans fear that the alternative inflation measure would also apply to disability payments to nearly 4 million veterans as well as pension payments for an additional 500,000 low-income veterans and surviving families.

"I think veterans have already paid their fair share to support this nation," said the American Legion's Louis Celli. "They've paid it in lower wages while serving, they've paid it through their wounds and sacrifices on the battlefield and they're paying it now as they try to recover from those wounds."

Economists generally agree that projected long-term debt increases stemming largely from the growth in federal health care programs pose a threat to the country's economic competitiveness. Addressing the threat means difficult decisions for lawmakers and pain for many constituents in the decades ahead.

But the veterans groups point out that their members bore the burden of a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the past month, they've held news conferences on Capitol Hill and raised the issue in meetings with lawmakers and their staffs. They'll be closely watching the unveiling of the president's budget next month to see whether he continues to recommend the change.

Obama and others support changing the benefit calculations to a variation of the Consumer Price Index, a measure called "chained CPI." The conventional CPI measures changes in retail prices of a constant marketbasket of goods and services. Chained CPI considers changes in the quantity of goods purchased as well as the prices of those goods. If the price of steak goes up, for example, many consumers will buy more chicken, a cheaper alternative to steak, rather than buying less steak or going without meat.

Supporters argue that chained CPI is a truer indication of inflation because it measures changes in consumer behavior. It also tends to be less than the conventional CPI, which would impact how cost-of-living raises are computed.

Under the current inflation update, monthly disability and pension payments increased 1.7 percent this year. Under chained CPI, those payments would have increased 1.4 percent.

The Congressional Budget Office projects that moving to chained CPI would trim the deficit by nearly $340 billion over the next decade. About two-thirds of the deficit closing would come from less spending and the other third would come from additional revenue because of adjustments that tax brackets would undergo.

Isabel Sawhill, a senior fellow in economic studies at The Brookings Institution, a Washington-based think tank, said she understands why veterans, senior citizens and others have come out against the change, but she believes it's necessary.

"We are in an era where benefits are going to be reduced and revenues are going to rise. There's just no way around that. We're on an unsustainable fiscal course," Sawhill said. "Dealing with it is going to be painful, and the American public has not yet accepted that. As long as every group keeps saying, `I need a carve-out, I need an exception,' this is not going to work."

Sawhill argued that making changes now will actually make it easier for veterans in the long run.

"The longer we wait to make these changes, the worse the hole we'll be in and the more draconian the cuts will have to be," she said.

That's not the way Sen. Bernie Sanders sees it. The chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs said he recently warned Obama that every veterans group he knows of has come out strongly against changing the benefit calculations for disability benefits and pensions by using chained CPI.

"I don't believe the American people want to see our budget balanced on the backs of disabled veterans. It's especially absurd for the White House, which has been quite generous in terms of funding for the VA," said Sanders, I-Vt. "Why they now want to do this, I just don't understand."

Sanders succeeded in getting the Senate to approve an amendment last week against changing how the cost-of-living increases are calculated, but the vote was largely symbolic. Lawmakers would still have a decision to make if moving to chained CPI were to be included as part of a bargain on taxes and spending.

Sanders' counterpart on the House side, Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., the chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, appears at least open to the idea of going to chained CPI.

"My first priority is ensuring that America's more than 20 million veterans receive the care and benefits they have earned, but with a national debt fast approaching $17 trillion, Washington's fiscal irresponsibility may threaten the very provision of veterans' benefits," Miller said. "Achieving a balanced budget and reducing our national debt will help us keep the promises America has made to those who have worn the uniform, and I am committed to working with Democrats and Republicans to do just that."

Marshall Archer, 30, a former Marine Corps corporal who served two stints in Iraq, has a unique perspective about the impact of slowing the growth of veterans' benefits. He collects disability payments to compensate him for damaged knees and shoulders as well as post-traumatic stress disorder. He also works as a veterans' liaison for the city of Portland, Maine, helping some 200 low-income veterans find housing.

Archer notes that on a personal level, the reduction in future disability payments would also be accompanied down the road by a smaller Social Security check when he retires. That means he would take a double hit to his income.

"We all volunteered to serve, so we all volunteered to sacrifice," he said. "I don't believe that you should ever ask those who have already volunteered to sacrifice to then sacrifice again."

That said, Archer indicated he would be willing to "chip in" if he believes that everyone is required to give as well.

He said he's more worried about the veterans he's trying to help find a place to sleep. About a third of his clients rely on VA pension payments averaging just over $1,000 a month. He said their VA pension allows them to pay rent, heat their home and buy groceries, but that's about it.

"This policy, if it ever went into effect, would actually place those already in poverty in even more poverty," Archer said.

The changes that would occur by using the slower inflation calculation seem modest at first. For a veteran with no dependents who has a 60 percent disability rating, the use of chained CPI this year would have lowered the veteran's monthly payments by $3 a month. Instead of getting $1,026 a month, the veteran would have received $1,023.

Raymond Kelly, legislative director for Veterans of Foreign Wars, acknowledged that veterans would see little change in their income during the first few years of the change. But even a $36 hit over the course of a year is "huge" for many of the disabled veterans living on the edge, he said.

The amount lost over time becomes more substantial as the years go by. Sanders said that a veteran with a 100 percent disability rating who begins getting payments at age 30 would see their annual payments trimmed by more than $2,300 a year when they turn 55.

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Source: http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130330/NEWS11/130339991/-1/rss04

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Professional Business Marketing ? NeoPhotonics Completes ...

SAN JOSE, Calif.?(BUSINESS WIRE)?

NeoPhotonics Corporation (NPTN), a leading designer and
manufacturer of photonic integrated circuit, or PIC, based modules and
subsystems for bandwidth-intensive, high speed communications networks,
today announced that it has completed the acquisition of the
semiconductor optical components business unit (OCU) of LAPIS
Semiconductor Co., Ltd., a leading designer and manufacturer of high
speed lasers, laser drivers, photodiodes and amplifiers for high speed
networks. OCU was previously the component division of OKI Electric for
high speed lasers and high speed III-V amplifiers before it was acquired
by ROHM Semiconductor in 2008. As of the closing, the OCU business was
merged into and now operates as NeoPhotonics Semiconductor GK, a
Japanese subsidiary of NeoPhotonics.

?We are pleased to have closed the previously announced acquisition of
the optical components unit of LAPIS Semiconductor in accordance with
our purchase agreement and earlier than planned,? said Tim Jenks,
Chairman and CEO of NeoPhotonics. ?We look forward to this expansion of
our 100G product suite, our further strategic expansion into the Japan
market, the addition of new global network equipment and module
customers, and expanding our business opportunities with our current
mutual customers.?

On March 29, 2013, NeoPhotonics paid approximately $10.2 million in cash
for the business of OCU, after adjustments, and approximately $3.7
million in cash as the first of four equal payments for the associated
real estate. In the transaction, NeoPhotonics also assumed employee
retirement obligations of approximately $6.5 million and compensation
obligations of approximately $0.6 million. The total consideration for
the real estate including the payment made upon the closing is
approximately $14.6 million with the balance payable over the next three
years. Including the future payments for real estate, the total purchase
price is approximately $35.2 million. The purchase consideration is paid
in Japanese Yen.

On March 21, 2013, NeoPhotonics entered into a syndicated Revolving
Credit and Term Loan Agreement with Comerica Bank, as administrative
agent and lead arranger. East West Bank has also become a lender under
this facility. NeoPhotonics borrowed $28 million under the term loan
facility and $12 million under the revolving credit facility to
refinance existing company indebtedness of approximately $20.9 million
and help finance the OCU acquisition and related transaction expenses.

Anticipated OCU Financial Impact

Prior to the closing, the LAPIS Semiconductor OCU business unit was not
a standalone company; therefore historically it has not prepared
separate financial statements, and audited financial information for the
business unit is not yet available. Based on preliminary unaudited pro
forma financial information provided by the management of LAPIS
Semiconductor, OCU had revenue of approximately?$45 million?for the
first nine months ended?September 30, 2012. Based on company estimates,
the addition of OCU is expected to be accretive to the company?s
Adjusted EBITDA within the first year following the transaction. Given
that the acquisition closed in the first fiscal quarter for
NeoPhotonics, transaction related expenses, which are expected to be in
the range of $3 million to $4 million, are expected to be incurred in
the first quarter.

NeoPhotonics?plans to provide an update on the OCU business, now
NeoPhotonics Semiconductor GK, when it releases its quarterly financial
results for the first quarter of 2013, which is currently expected to be
in the first half of May 2013. The company is also preparing the
required historical and pro forma financial results reflecting the
acquisition and plans to file the information with the?Securities and
Exchange Commission within the next 75 days, or by June 12, 2013.

About NeoPhotonics

NeoPhotonics is a leading designer and manufacturer of photonic
integrated circuit, or PIC, based optoelectronic modules and subsystems
for bandwidth-intensive, high-speed communications networks. The
company?s products enable cost-effective, high-speed data transmission
and efficient allocation of bandwidth over communications networks.
NeoPhotonics maintains headquarters in San Jose, California and ISO
9001:2000 certified engineering and manufacturing facilities in Silicon
Valley (USA), Japan and China. For additional information, visit www.neophotonics.com.

? 2013 NeoPhotonics Corporation. All rights reserved. NeoPhotonics and
the red dot logo are trademarks of NeoPhotonics Corporation. All other
marks are the property of their respective owners.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the
meaning of applicable securities laws. Statements that are not
historical facts, including statements about beliefs, expectations and
future performance of NeoPhotonics, are forward-looking statements. The
use of any of the words ?intend?, ?believe?, ?may?, ?would?, ?will?,
?expect?, ?anticipate?, ?estimates?, and similar expressions are
intended to identify forward-looking statements. In particular, forward
looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited
to, the statements under the paragraph entitled ?Anticipated OCU
Financial Impact;? the impact of the transaction on NeoPhotonics,
including the anticipated benefits and costs, of the proposed
acquisition; the expected accretive impact of the transaction to the
financial results of NeoPhotonics; future opportunities for NeoPhotonics
and the OCU business in Japan and globally; market and industry trends;
the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future
operations; and the anticipated timing of the completion of the
preparation of financial statements and the release of first quarter
financial results.

The foregoing forward-looking statements are based on the current
expectations of NeoPhotonics and are subject to risks and uncertainties
that could cause actual results to differ materially from those
expressed in the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited
to, the risk that integrating OCU?s technology, employees or operations
may be more difficult, time-consuming or costly than expected; the risk
that OCU?s or the NeoPhotonics business may not perform as expected due
to transaction-related uncertainty or other factors (including, without
limitation, difficulties in maintaining relationships with employees,
customers, clients or suppliers); uncertainties related to customer
demand and the ability to develop technologies and match production with
customer demands; pricing trends and fluctuations in the
telecommunications and semiconductor industries; cost increases; the
impact of recent uncertainty and volatility in global economic
conditions and in the telecommunications and semiconductor industries;
natural disasters, civil unrest, acts of terrorism, or other supply
chain disruptions; and other risks and uncertainties listed in the
recent Form 10-K filed by NeoPhotonics Corporation with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission on March 15, 2013, to which your
attention is directed. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance
on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date
hereof, and NeoPhotonics undertakes no obligation to update these
forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

Source: http://lowbrowse.org/neophotonics-completes-acquisition-of-the-semiconductor-optical-business-unit-of-lapis-semiconductor.html

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'Waste heat' may economize CO2 capture

Mar. 28, 2013 ? In some of the first results from a federally funded initiative to find new ways of capturing carbon dioxide (CO₂) from coal-fired power plants, Rice University scientists have found that CO₂ can be removed more economically using "waste" heat -- low-grade steam that cannot be used to produce electricity. The find is significant because capturing CO₂ with conventional technology is an energy-intensive process that can consume as much as one-quarter of the high-pressure steam that plants use to produce electricity.

"This is just the first step in our effort to better engineer a process for capturing CO₂ from flue gas at power plants," said George Hirasaki, the lead researcher of Rice's CO₂-capture research team. The researchers hope to reduce the costs of CO₂ capture by creating an integrated reaction column that uses waste heat, engineered materials and optimized components. Hirasaki's team was one of 16 chosen by the Department of Energy (DOE) in 2011 to develop innovative techniques for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.

The team's first findings appear in two new studies that are available online this month in the International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control.

Power plants fired by coal and natural gas account for about half of the CO₂ that humans add to the atmosphere each year; these power plants are prime candidates for new technology that captures CO₂ before it goes up in smoke. Each of these plants makes electricity by boiling water to create steam to run electric turbines. But not all steam is equal. Some steam has insufficient energy to run a turbine. This is often referred to as "waste" heat, although the term is something of misnomer because low-grade steam is often put to various uses around a plant. Rice's new study found that in cases where waste is available, it may be used to capture CO₂.

Hirasaki, Rice's A.J. Hartsook Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, said employing waste heat is just one example of a number of ways that Rice's team is looking to improve upon a tried-and-true technology for CO₂ capture. That technology -- a two-phase chemical process -- has been used for decades to remove naturally occurring CO₂ from natural gas.

In the first phase of the process, gas is piped upward through a vertical column while an ammonia-like liquid called amine flows down through the column. The liquid amine captures CO₂ and drains away while the purified natural gas bubbles out the top of the column. In the second phase of the process, the CO₂-laden amine is recycled with heat, which drives off the CO₂.

"The CO₂ that comes out of the ground with natural gas is under high pressure, while the CO₂ at power plants is not," Hirasaki said. "There's also a greater volume of CO₂ per unit mass at a power plant than at a natural gas well. For these reasons and others, the amine process must be re-engineered if it is to be cost-effective for CO₂ capture at power plants."

A major challenge in adapting two-phase amine processing for power plants is the amount of heat required to recycle the amine in the second phase of the process. Using existing amine processing technology at power plants is impractical, because amine recycling would require as much as one-quarter of the high-pressure steam that could otherwise be used to drive turbines and make electricity, Hirasaki said. This phenomenon is known as "parasitic" power loss, and it will drive up the cost of electricity by lowering the amount of electricity a plant can produce for sale.

"It has been estimated that the use of current technology for CO₂ capture would drive up the cost of electricity by 70 to 100 percent," said Rice graduate student Sumedh Warudkar, a co-investigator on the Rice University team. "In our study, we examined whether it would be possible to improve on that by using lower-value steam to run the amine recyclers."

To test this idea, Warudkar used a software package that's commonly used to model industrial chemical processes. One variable he tested was tailoring the chemical formulation of the liquid amine solution. Other variables included the type of steam used, and the size and pressure of the reactor -- the chamber where the flue gas flows past the amine solution.

"There's a great deal of optimization that needs to take place," Warudkar said. "The question is, What is the optimal amine formula and the optimal reactor design and pressure for removing CO₂ with low-value steam? There isn't one correct answer. For example, we have developed a process in which the gas absorption and solvent heating occurs in a single vessel instead of two separate ones, as is currently practiced. We think combining the processes might bring us some savings. But there are always trade-offs. The Department of Energy wants us to investigate how our process compares with what's already on the market, and these first two studies are the first step because they will help us identify an optimal set of operating conditions for our process."

The results are encouraging. The research suggests that two elements of Rice's design -- optimized amine formulation and the use of waste heat -- can reduce parasitic power loss from about 35 percent to around 25 percent.

Additional research is under way to develop and test novel materials and a single integrated column that the team hopes can further economize CO₂ capture by increasing efficiency and reducing parasitic power loss.

Study co-authors include Michael Wong, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and of chemistry, and Ken Cox, professor in the practice of chemical and biomolecular engineering. The research is supported by the Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Rice University. The original article was written by Jade Boyd.

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

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Journal References:

1. Sumedh S. Warudkar, Kenneth R. Cox, Michael S. Wong, George J. Hirasaki. Influence of stripper operating parameters on the performance of amine absorption systems for post-combustion carbon capture: Part I. High pressure strippers. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 2013; DOI: 10.1016/j.ijggc.2013.01.050
2. Sumedh S. Warudkar, Kenneth R. Cox, Michael S. Wong, George J. Hirasaki. Influence of stripper operating parameters on the performance of amine absorption systems for post-combustion carbon capture: Part II. Vacuum strippers. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 2013; DOI: 10.1016/j.ijggc.2013.01.049

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/6tZEhtWnOxQ/130329090631.htm

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LivingSocial Co-Founder And CTO Aaron Batalion To Leave The Company

Aaron Batalion, the co-founder and CTO of daily deals site LivingSocial, is leaving the company. He announced his departure in a post on his personal blog published Friday afternoon. We've reached out to Batalion for more details on his exit and his plans for the future, and will update with anything we hear. For now, here is the full text of his blog post:

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/U1I2YqP8dNA/

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Slovenia will not be the next Cyprus: finance minister

By Marja Novak and Zoran Radosavljevic

LJUBLJANA (Reuters) - Slovenia will not be the next euro member to need a financial rescue as it can afford to wait for lower borrowing costs before issuing new debt, its top economic official said on Friday.

The new center-left government was widely expected to raise money on financial markets shortly after taking office on March 20 but has not done so because Slovenia's borrowing costs have soared due to the turmoil in Cyprus.

Investors are betting that Slovenia, another tiny member of Europe's currency zone with a population of just 2 million, will also need a rescue to keep its banks and economy afloat.

Last week, Cyprus became the fifth euro member to receive financial help from Brussels to survive a regional debt crisis.

While Slovenia's banks are also in trouble the sector is smaller than in Cyprus and it does not share the exposure to toxic Greek debt and Finance Minister Uros Cufer said his country did not need help.

"We will need no bailout this year," he said. "I am calm."

Like many other euro zone members, Slovenia is in recession, with slowing exports to its neighbors and high unemployment.

It last issued a bond in October last year before the conservative government collapsed over a corruption scandal in January and was this month replaced by the new center-left cabinet of Prime Minister Alenka Bratusek.

Analysts were expecting a swift debt issue from the government but yields have jumped. The 2021 bond yield rose to 6.06 percent on Friday, from 5.45 a week ago.

The International Monetary Fund says Slovenia will need to raise at least 3 billion euros this year for the budget, debt repayment and the bank overhaul, and former Prime Minister Janez Jansa has said Slovenia must issue debt by June.

But Cufer said Slovenia, a mountainous country on the Adriatic neighbored by Austria, Italy, Croatia and Hungary, was not in a hurry.

"We do not have to go to the markets in these overheated times due to Cyprus," he said. "We can wait for the markets to calm down, for the investors to feel comfortable about our action and then we will tap the market."

BAD BANK

He said the government would launch a "bad bank" by September that would take over a part of 7 billion euros in bad loans from the three main banks, all of which are in majority or large state ownership.

The banks would then require up to 1 billion euro ($1.28 billion) in a capital injection, which Cufer said Slovenia could raise later this year via a bond, part of the total 3 billion in planned debt issuance for this year.

With successive governments citing national interests, Slovenia was the only ex-communist state that refused to sell its largest lenders ahead of EU entry last decade, creating a toxic combination of political control and poor management in banks that backfired when the economy went downhill in 2009.

The global financial crisis ended years of fast growth and indiscriminate lending that included loans worth a reported 187 million euros from one bank to the largest builder, SCT, which went bankrupt after a collapse in real estate and construction.

Many other highly leveraged local companies went bust, sticking banks with more bad loans that combined amount to about a fifth of the economy.

Cufer, 42, took part in shaping the bad bank under a plan launched by the previous conservative government on the side of the biggest lender, Nova Ljubljanska Banka (NLB), where he worked as head of financial management.

He said the bad bank had already been established and would be fully operational "surely in a few months, definitely by the start of September".

Along with the 1 billion euros to shore up their balance sheets this year, the lenders will swap bad loans in exchange for state-guaranteed bonds issued by the bad bank, he said.

NO BANK SALES SOON

Cufer said the banks were now worth 10-20 percent of their book value, which would be 25 to 50 million euros, and the government would wait until they were recapitalized and markets stabilized before sells them into private hands.

"Now is not the appropriate time to sell. Selling at these prices makes no sense... Even next year is very optimistic," he said.

Cufer tried to stress that unlike Cyprus - where banking assets were seven times larger than the economy, as opposed to about 1.3 times for Slovenia - Ljubjana could handle its problems on its own.

"Slovenia cannot be compared to Cyprus, it is certainly not a tax haven... the basic problem of the banks in Slovenia is too much debt in companies and a lack of capital," he said.

To offset the costs of bank cleanup, the government will step up the sale of state companies rather than pursue the type of austerity measures that have deepened economic downturns in Greece, Portugal and other struggling states.

He declined to name what companies could be privatized but said they would continue with the program of the previous government. He added there would be at least "one major privatization" by the end of the year.

The last government was mulling selling stakes in telecoms operator Telekom Slovenia, insurer Zavarovalnica Triglav and fuel retailer Petrol. ($1 = 0.7788 euros)

(Writing by Zoran Radosavljevic; editing by Michael Winfrey and Anna Willard)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/slovenia-not-next-cyprus-finance-minister-153324055.html

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Congressional Inaction Could Cost College Students

The saga of Biscuit, a 37-pound feline from the St. Louis area, isn't quite done yet. The tubby tabby had to find another home after his first one didn't work out after leaving an area shelter in mid-March. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports Ed and Lisa Pyatt of Eureka, Mo., were the lucky recipients of Biscuit after the City of St. Charles Animal Control Services reviewed more than 110 offers for homes. The huge cat didn't get along with the Pyatts' other cat. Luckily, a specialized animal shelter stepped in to help.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/congressional-inaction-could-cost-college-students-071208468.html

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First quarter report cards: Which fighters rose above early in 2013?

Sunday will mark the end of the first quarter. It's been a busy three months in MMA, so it's a good time to look back at the past three months and see who rose above the rest.

Biggest upset: Did you expect to see Robbie Lawler walk away with the win over Josh Koscheck at UFC 157? What about Antonio Rogerio Nogueira beating former UFC light heavyweight champ Rashad Evans? But there's no question who scored the biggest upset of the first quarter of 2013. Antonio Silva's TKO of Alistair Overeem at UFC 156 left more than Overeem's jaw on the floor.

Best knockout: Vitor Belfort's knockout of Michael Bisping at the January UFC on FX was memorable, as was Tyron Woodley's 36-second dismantling of Jay Hieron at UFC 156. Wanderlei Silva, Robbie Lawler and a slew of Bellator fighters have posted impressive knockouts. But the one that had everyone talking was on "The Ultimate Fighter." Uriah Hall's knockout of Adam Cella* was perfectly executed, and had the rest of the TUF house worried about Hall's skills. For that, Hall wins knockout of the first quarter.

* The knockout actually occurred last year, but aired in the first quarter of 2013.

[Also: Video blog shows the other side of UFC's Dana White]

Best submission: For the best tapouts of the first three months of 2013, Bellator provided a nominee when Dave Vitkay choked out Jesse Peterson in just 18 seconds. Gabriel Gonzaga's guillotine of Ben Rothwell stands out, as is Ronda Rousey's arm bar of Liz Carmouche at UFC 157. The winner comes from the undercard of UFC 157 as Kenny Robertson managed a weird yet incredibly painful looking kneebar-esque submission of Brock Jardine. It was the kind of submission that left MMA fans wondering what had happened.

Best rising star: There were plenty of candidates for fighters who really made an impressive leap in the MMA world early in 2013. Jordan Mein's UFC debut at UFC 158 included rolling out of an arm bar with Dan Miller, and then knocking him out before the first round ended. Abel Trujillo's TKO win by knees to the body of Marcus Levesseur was pretty fantastic, too. But it's Trujillo's opponent at UFC 160, Khabib Nurmagomedov who is taking home the prize. His TKO of Thiago Tavares in Brazil showed he can fight well under any conditions.

Best fight: Johny Hendricks and Carlos Condit put on a great scrap at UFC 158. Brian Stann and Wanderlei Silva's bout was thrilling before Stann was knocked out. Demetrious Johnson and John Dodson's title fight at UFC on Fox 6 was memorable, as was Frankie Edgar and Jose Aldo's title bout at UFC 156. The one fight that stood out above the rest, though, was Dennis Bermudez and Matt Grice's fight from UFC 156. Throughout the bout, both fighters should have given up. Both fighters should have been knocked out. But neither man gave in. Bermudez won the decision, but both fighters will be remembered for this bout.

Do you agree? Speak up in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter.

More news from the Yahoo! Sports Minute:

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/first-quarter-report-cards-fighters-rose-above-early-174635867--mma.html

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Neither party has cash for student loan rate fix

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Incoming college freshmen could end up paying $5,000 more for the same student loans their older siblings have if Congress doesn't stop interest rates from doubling.

Sound familiar? The same warnings came last year. But now the presidential election is over and mandatory budget cuts are taking place, making a deal to avert a doubling of interest rates much more elusive before a July 1 deadline.

"What is definitely clear, this time around, there doesn't seem to be as much outcry," said Justin Draeger, president of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. "We're advising our members to tell students that the interest rates are going to double on new student loans, to 6.8 percent."

That rate hike only hits students taking out new subsidized loans. Students with outstanding subsidized loans are not expected to see their loan rates increase unless they take out a new subsidized Stafford loan. Students' non-subsidized loans are not expected to change, nor are loans taken from commercial lenders.

The difference between 3.4 percent and 6.8 percent interest rates is a $6 billion tab for taxpayers ? set against a backdrop of budget negotiations that have pitted the two parties in a standoff. President Barack Obama is expected to release his budget proposal in the coming weeks, adding another perspective to the debate.

Last year, with the presidential and congressional elections looming, students got a one-year reprieve on the doubling of interest rates. That expires July 1.

Neither party's budget proposal in Congress has money specifically set aside to keep student loans at their current rate. House Republicans' budget would double the interest rates on newly issued subsidized loans to help balance the federal budget in a decade. Senate Democrats say they want to keep the interest rates at their current levels but the budget they passed last week does not set aside money to keep the rates low.

In any event, neither side is likely to get what it wants. And that could lead to confusion for students as they receive their college admission letters and financial aid packages.

"Two ideas ... have been introduced so far ? neither of which is likely to go very far," said Terry Hartle, the top lobbyist for colleges at the American Council on Education.

House Republicans, led by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, have outlined a spending plan that would shift the interest rates back to their pre-2008 levels. Congress in 2007 lowered the rate to 6 percent for new loans started during the 2008 academic year, then down to 5.6 percent in 2009, down to 4.5 percent in 2010 and then to the current 3.4 percent a year later.

Some two-thirds of students are graduating with loans exceeding $25,000; one in 10 borrowers owes more than $54,000 in loans. And student loan debt now tops $1 trillion. For those students, the rates make significant differences in how much they have to pay back each month.

For some, the rates seem arbitrary and have little to do with interest rates available for other purchases such as homes or cars.

"Burdening students with 6.8 percent loans when interest rates in the economy are at historic lows makes no sense," said Lauren Asher, president of the Institute for College Access and Success, a nonprofit organization.

Both House Education Committee Chairman John Kline of Minnesota and his Democratic counterpart, Rep. George Miller of California, prefer to keep rates at their current levels but have not outlined how they might accomplish that goal.

Rep. Karen Bass, a California Democrat, last week introduced a proposal that would permanently cap the interest rate at 3.4 percent.

Senate Democrats say their budget proposal would permanently keep the student rates low. But their budget document doesn't explicitly cover the $6 billion annual cost. Instead, its committee report included a window for the Senate Health Education and Pension Committee to pass a student loan rate fix down the road.

But so far, the money isn't there. And if the committee wants to keep the rates where they are, they will have to find a way to pay for them, either through cuts to programs in the budget or by adding new taxes.

"Spending is measured in numbers, not words," said Jason Delisle, a former Republican staffer on the Senate Budget Committee and now director of the New America Foundation's Federal Budget Project. "The Murray budget does not include funding for any changes to student loans."

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that of the almost $113 billion in new student loans the government made this year, more than $38 billion will be lost to defaults, even after Washington collects what it can through wage garnishments.

The net cost to taxpayers after most students pay back their loans with interest is $5.7 billion. If the rate increases, Washington will be collecting more interest from new students' loans.

But those who lobbied lawmakers a year ago said they were pessimistic before Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney both came out in support of keeping the rates low.

"We were at this point and we knew this issue was looming. But it wasn't anything we had any real traction with," said Tobin Van Ostern, deputy director of Campus Progress at the liberal Center for American Progress. "At this point, I didn't think we'd prevent them from doubling."

This time, he's looking at the July 1 deadline with the same concern.

"Having a deadline does help. It's much easier to deal with one specific date," Van Ostern said. "But if Congress can't come together ... interest rates are going to double. There tends to be a tendency for inaction."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/neither-party-cash-student-loan-rate-fix-185759359--politics.html

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Kenya vote commission cites Bush v Gore in defense

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) ? A lawyer for Kenya's election commission cited the U.S. Supreme Court case Bush vs. Gore on Thursday during arguments before a Kenya Supreme Court that must now rule on the outcome of this East African country's presidential election.

Ahmednasir Abdullahi told Kenya's highest court Thursday it should adhere to judicial restraint and uphold the March 4 result from Kenya's election commission showing that Uhuru Kenyatta won with 50.07 percent of the March 4 vote.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga, the runner-up with 43 percent, and civil society groups are asking the court to order a new election because it wasn't free and fair. The court is expected to rule by Saturday.

Abdullahi quoted U.S. Supreme Court justice Stephen Breyer, who wrote after hearing the 2000 case that decided that U.S. presidential election, that the appearance of a split court on a highly politicized case risks undermining public confidence in the court.

Kenya's current Supreme Court was reformed after a disastrous 2007 presidential election that sparked weeks of tribal violence that killed more than 1,000 people. The court's formation and the newfound trust Kenyans have in it is frequently cited as one of the reasons Kenya's contentious election this year has not yet sparked any violence.

Abdullahi reminded the court that it is only two years old, and he told them: "You must show restraint."

But Justice Smokin Wanjala did not appear to appreciate Abdullahi's advice.

"It is not this court on trial," Wanjala told Abdullahi. "Argue your client's case."

The legal team for Odinga on Thursday argued that Kenyatta's election win should be invalidated because of anomalies in the registration of voters, in the transmission of vote totals and manipulations in the tallying of votes. Lead counsel George Oraro said the elections were not carried out under the rules and regulations prescribed by the law.

Oraro said the election commission increased Kenyatta's vote tally by as many as 11,000 votes in his strongholds and reduced Odinga's by more than 7,000, he said. Oraro also said more than 36,000 people were registered after the registration process was closed.

Kenyatta crossed the 50 percent barrier by only 8,400 votes out of more than 12 million cast. Had he not crossed the 50 percent mark he and Odinga would have faced one another in a runoff.

Lawyers representing the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission defended the institution against accusations that it failed to carry out a free and fair election and suggestions that it conspired to give Kenyatta the victory.

IEBC lawyer Paul Nyamodi said the number of registered voters changed because of audits of the registrar. He said the electoral commission took it upon itself to register more than 36,000 people whose fingers prints could not be recorded by the earlier Biometric Voter Registration system.

"This was not a process conceived to skew the election in anyone's favor. It was a process conceived not to disenfranchise Kenyans who came out to register for the elections," he said.

Lawyer Nani Mungai said Odinga's petition was trying to "claw back" from Kenyatta 8,400 votes to force a re-run of the vote.

"There were challenges in technology and we accept them ... but does the fact that we were ambitious enough to try and use technology mean that we should be vilified?" he asked the court.

Fred Ngatia, Kenyatta's lawyer, dismissed Odinga's claims that people were illegally registered after the deadline saying the law requires that the registration of voters be continuous.

"There is nothing that can be said to be a legitimate complaint from a candidate who took part in the process," Ngatia said.

If the court upholds Kenyatta's victory, his next court case will be at The Hague, where he faces charges at the International Criminal Court for helping orchestrate the 2007-08 postelection violence. Kenyatta's deputy president, William Ruto, faces similar charges at the court.

On Wednesday an attorney for the African Center For Governance played a video for the Supreme Court that she said showed Kenyatta's vote totals increased between when some local polling stations publicly announced their counts and when those numbers reached the national tallying center. That group is trying to demonstrate not that Kenyatta didn't win but that constitutional and legal safeguards were so breached that the legitimacy of the election outcome is open to question.

Kenya had put high hopes that the electronic registration and identification of voters would eliminate allegations of rigging that sparked off protest in 2007 which degenerated into tribe versus tribe violence in which more than 1000 people died and 600,000 were evicted from their homes.

A 2008 government report examining the 2007 electoral process found that vote counts were changed by extensive perversion of polling, probably by ballot-stuffing, organized impersonation of absent voters, vote buying and/or bribery.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kenya-vote-commission-cites-bush-v-gore-defense-132403289.html

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Drone industry worries about privacy backlash

WASHINGTON (AP) ? It's a good bet that in the not-so-distant future aerial drones will be part of Americans' everyday lives, performing countless useful functions.

A far cry from the killing machines whose missiles incinerate terrorists, these generally small, unmanned aircraft will help farmers more precisely apply water and pesticides to crops, saving money and reducing environmental impacts. They'll help police departments find missing people, reconstruct traffic accidents and act as lookouts for SWAT teams. They'll alert authorities to people stranded on rooftops by hurricanes and monitor evacuation flows.

Real estate agents will use them to film videos of properties and surrounding neighborhoods. States will use them to inspect bridges, roads and dams. Oil companies will use them to monitor pipelines, while power companies use them to monitor transmission lines.

With military budgets shrinking, drone makers have been counting on the civilian market to spur the industry's growth. But there's an ironic threat to that hope: Success on the battlefield may contain the seeds of trouble for the more benign uses of drones at home.

The civilian unmanned aircraft industry worries that it will be grounded before it can really take off because of fear among the public that the technology will be misused. Also problematic is a delay in the issuance of government safety regulations that are needed before drones can gain broad access to U.S. skies.

Some companies that make drones or supply support equipment and services say the uncertainty has caused them to put U.S. expansion plans on hold, and they are looking overseas for new markets.

"Our lack of success in educating the public about unmanned aircraft is coming back to bite us," said Robert Fitzgerald, CEO of The BOSH Group of Newport News, Va., which provides support services to drone users.

"The U.S. has been at the lead of this technology a long time," he said. "If our government holds back this technology, there's the freedom to move elsewhere ... and all of a sudden these things will be flying everywhere else and competing with us."

Since January, drone-related legislation has been introduced in more than 30 states, largely in response to privacy concerns. Many of the bills are focused on preventing police from using drones for broad public surveillance, as well as targeting individuals for surveillance without sufficient grounds to believe they were involved in crimes.

Law enforcement is expected to be one of the bigger initial markets for civilian drones. Last month, the FBI used drones to maintain continuous surveillance of a bunker in Alabama where a 5-year-old boy was being held hostage.

In Virginia, the state General Assembly passed a bill that would place a two-year moratorium on the use of drones by state and local law enforcement. The measure is supported by groups as varied as the American Civil Liberties Union on the left and the Virginia Tea Party Patriots Federation on the right.

Gov. Bob McDonnell is proposing amendments that would retain the broad ban on spy drones but allow specific exemptions when lives are in danger, such as for search-and rescue operations. The legislature reconvenes on April 3 to consider the amendments.

"Any legislation that restricts the use of this kind of capability to serve the public is putting the public at risk," said Steve Gitlin, vice president of AeroVironment, a leading maker of smaller drones, including some no bigger than a hummingbird

Seattle abandoned its drone program after community protests in February. The city's police department had purchased two drones through a federal grant without consulting the city council.

Drones "clearly have so much potential for saving lives, and it's a darn shame we're having to go through this right now," said Stephen Ingley, executive director of the Airborne Law Enforcement Association. "It's frustrating."

In some states economic concerns have trumped public unease. In Oklahoma, an anti-drone bill was shelved at the request of Republican Gov. Mary Fallin, who was concerned it might hinder growth of the state's drone industry. The North Dakota state Senate killed a drone bill in part because of concern that it might impede the state's chances of being selected by the Federal Aviation Administration as one of six national drone test sites, which could generate local jobs.

A bill that would have limited the ability of state and local governments to use drones died in the Washington legislature. The measure was opposed by The Boeing Co., which employs more than 80,000 workers in the state and which has a subsidiary, Insitu, that's a leading military drone manufacturer.

Although the Supreme Court has not dealt directly with drones, it has OK'd aerial surveillance without warrants in drug cases in which officers in a plane or helicopter spotted marijuana plants growing on a suspect's property. But in a case involving the use of ground-based equipment, the court said police generally need a warrant before using a thermal imaging device to detect hot spots in a home that might indicate that marijuana plants are being grown there.

In Congress, Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., co-chairman of the House's privacy caucus, has introduced a bill that prohibits the Federal Aviation Administration from issuing drone licenses unless the applicant provides a statement explaining who will operate the drone, where it will be flown, what kind of data will be collected, how the data will be used, whether the information will be sold to third parties and the period for which the information will be retained.

Sentiment for curbing domestic drone use has brought the left and right together perhaps more than any other recent issue. "The thought of government drones buzzing overhead and constantly monitoring the activities of law-abiding citizens runs contrary to the notion of what it means to live in a free society," Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said at a recent hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Privacy advocates acknowledge the many good uses of drones. In Mesa County, Colo., for example, an annual landfill survey using manned aircraft cost about $10,000. The county recently performed the same survey using a drone for about $200.

But drones' virtues can also make them dangerous, they say. Their low cost and ease of use may encourage police and others to conduct the kind of continuous or intrusive surveillance that might otherwise be impractical. Drones can be equipped with high-powered cameras and listening devices, and infrared cameras that can see people in the dark.

"High-rise buildings, security fences or even the walls of a building are not barriers to increasingly common drone technology," Amie Stepanovich, director of the Electronic Privacy Information Council's surveillance project, told the Senate panel.

Civilian drone use is limited to government agencies and public universities that have received a few hundred permits from the FAA. A law passed by Congress last year requires the FAA to open U.S. skies to widespread drone flights by 2015, but the agency is behind schedule and it's doubtful it will meet that deadline. Lawmakers and industry officials have complained for years about the FAA's slow progress.

The FAA estimates that within five years of gaining broader access about 7,500 civilian drones will be in use.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., recently drew attention to the domestic use of drones when he staged a Senate filibuster, demanding to know whether the president has authority to use weaponized drones to kill Americans on American soil. The White House said no, if the person isn't engaged in combat. But industry officials worry that the episode could temporarily set back civilian drone use.

"The opposition has become very loud," said Gitlin of AeroVironment, "but we are confident that over time the benefits of these solutions (drones) are going to far outweigh the concerns, and they'll become part of normal life in the future."

___

Associated Press writer Michael Felberbaum in Richmond, Va., contributed to this report.

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Follow Joan Lowy on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AP_Joan_Lowy

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-29-Everyday%20Drones/id-aaae4985408342848295f731e6ad3aa9

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Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo in Talks for New Vacation

After much speculation, it looks like Chevy Chase and Beverly D?Angelo will reprise their roles as Clark and Ellen Griswold in New Line?s ?Vacation? reboot.

Chase and D?Angelo are in early talks to join Ed Helms and Christina Applegate in the comedy with ?Horrible Bosses? scribes John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein on board to helm from a script they penned.

The new version of the Griswolds? ?Vacation? adventures will follow grown-up son Rusty (Helms), who now has his own family misadventures on the road, which includes making a pit stop to see his mom and dad.

Though the roles are more on the cameo level, there was concern when it wasn?t clear whether Chase and D?Angelo would return to the franchise they started 30 years ago. After the budget was set and script was given a polish, the producers redoubled their efforts to include them in the reboot.

David Dobkin will produce through his David Dobkin Prods.

Over the holiday season, the duo appeared in Old Navy spots with cast members reuniting from various ?Vacation? movies.

Chase is repped by Paradigm and Kritzer, Levine, Wilkins Griffin Entertainment and D?Angelo is repped by ICM Partners and Justice & Ponder Inc.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1927134/news/1927134/

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