Syria envoy tells UN he hopes cease-fire is start [getdailynow.blogspot.com]

Syria envoy tells UN he hopes cease-fire is start [getdailynow.blogspot.com]

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UNITED NATIONS â€"  The U.N.-Arab League envoy to Syria told the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday that he hopes a temporary cease-fire in Syria this weekend can break the cycle of violence and allow space for a political transition to start, diplomats said following a closed-door meeting.

Lakhdar Brahimi warned that another failure would lead to a worsening of the conflict and spillover to other countries.

Brahimi said by videoconference from Cairo that a cease-fire for the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday could allow humanitarian aid to be delivered, especially to Aleppo, Homs and Idlib.

Brahimi expects Syria to announce its support Thursday, and he said unambiguous and unanimous support from the Security Council, which is divided over Syria, is indispensable.

The meeting ended with the Security Council issuing a press statement supporting Brahimi's efforts and calling on "all regional and international actors to support it and use their influence on all parties concerned to facilitate the cessation of violence."

The statement also called for full and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid during the cease-fire and underscored the need to launch a Syrian-led democratic transition.

Related Syria envoy tells UN he hopes cease-fire is start Issues

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Gaza militants killed in strikes following rocket fire - BBC News [getdailynow.blogspot.com]

Gaza militants killed in strikes following rocket fire - BBC News [getdailynow.blogspot.com]

Watch Zeldathon from July 7th to July 12th! - zeldathon.net â–² Follow MC Gamer Twitter - http Facebook - facebook.com Blog - supermcgamer.com Website - http â–² General Information Currently, I create videos on my custom-built computer that has an i7 2600k processor, 16GB of RAM and a GTX 580 graphics card. I record my console gameplay using the Blackmagic Intensity Pro capture card which I later edit using Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5. I also use Audacity and Adobe After Effects for additional post-production work. I currently use a Rode Podcaster microphone. I am an entrepreneurial geek who is running a non-profit organization in my home state of Pennsylvania. I enjoy chicken. â–² Video Credits All content within is owned by their respected companies, developers and publishers.

MC Gamer Let's Plays - Super Mario World - Episode 4

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24 October 2012 Last updated at 04:40 ET

Smoke was seen rising over Gaza after Wednesday's explosions

Continue reading the main story

• Israel campaigns on 'forgotten' Jewish refugees
• ‘Price-tag’ tactics
• Palestinians' faded UN hopes
• Democrats' Jerusalem headache

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has carried out air strikes over Gaza City, killing at least three militants and injuring several other people.

It comes after a night of rocket fire from Gaza into southern Israel which injured at least three people.

Two large explosions were also heard in Gaza on Wednesday morning.

On Tuesday, an Israeli soldier was seriously injured by a bomb blast near the Gaza border fence. The previous day two militants died in an air strike.

One of the militants was a member of Hamas, the Islamist movement which governs Gaza. The other was from the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC).

The IDF said more than 50 rockets and mortar had been fired into Israel overnight, hitting at least one house. A number of the missiles were intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome missile defence system.

Israeli media said the three injured people were foreign workers.

Hamas has in the past tried to reign in rocket fire from other militants groups, but was involved in the latest firing, along with the PRC.

The BBC's Jon Donnison in Gaza City says Hamas is under public pressure to be seen to be resisting Israel, especially if its members or civilians are killed.

Schools on either side of the border have been closed amid fears of further armed exchanges.

The violence comes only a day after the emir of Qatar became the first foreign head of state to visit Gaza since Hamas took power in 2007.

Our correspondent says neither Hamas nor Israel are thought to want a major escalation of conflict.

Following previous rounds of violence it has been the Egyptian government that has intervened to try and mediate a truce, he adds, but such ceasefires though do not usually hold for long.

Suggest Gaza militants killed in strikes following rocket fire - BBC News Topics

The Malaysian state of Sarawak is a lush, tropical paradise. But all is not well in that paradise. There is a growing protest claiming the Chief Minister is corrupt. And some say his money has made it to Canada. 16x9 investigates the alleged money trail between a Malaysian father and his daughter in Canada.

16x9 - Family Trees

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Brahimi's plan for Syria cease-fire takes two steps forward, one step back - Christian Science Monitor [getdailynow.blogspot.com]

Brahimi's plan for Syria cease-fire takes two steps forward, one step back - Christian Science Monitor [getdailynow.blogspot.com]

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United Nations Syria envoy Brahimi said both the Syrian government and rebels agreed to a cease-fire for Eid al-Adha, but major disagreements could foil its chances of success.

• A daily summary of global reports on security issues.

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United Nations special envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi said today that the government agreed to a cease-fire over the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha, but Syrian officials almost immediately dismissed his statement, claiming that it was still considering the proposal. 

There are high stakes for the potential cease-fire, which is currently the only proposal on the table for ending the 19-month conflict that has killed between 20,000 and 34,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands more. But there seems to be little optimism that the three- or four-day break in violence will bring about a substantial change.

A cease-fire agreement in April (described as “so fragile it could collapse with a single gunshot,” reported the Associated Press at the time) failed within days, with both rebels and the Army accusing one another of breaking the agreement. 

"After the visit I made to Damascus, there is agreement from the Syrian government for a cease-fire during the Eid," Mr. Brahimi told a news conference at the Cairo-based Arab League. Rebel groups have also agreed to the truce “in principle," Reuters reports.

However, an hour after Brahimi's announcement, the Syrian government said it was still "studying" the proposal and would announce its decision tomorrow. 

However, rebel sources earlier told the news agency there was “little point if it could not be monitored and enforced,” according to a separate Reuters report, and Brahimi’s plan didn’t note the presence of international observers to monitor the cease-fire, according to the first report. 

"If this humble initiative succeeds, we hope that we can build on it in order to discuss a longer and more effective cease-fire, and this has to be part of a comprehensive political process," Brahimi said.

Brahimi's announcement follows another bloody day in Syria. One of the few bakeries still operating in Aleppo was shelled yesterday, as about 100 people waited in line for bread, reports the Los Angeles Times. An estimated 20 people were killed and another 50 wounded in the blast in the Masaken Hanano neighborhood.

This was the third day in a row that the opposition-held neighborhood came under Army shelling. Abu al-Hasan, an activist from an Aleppo suburb, told The New York Times that residents in the area were too scared to leave their homes the past few days because of the intense shelling but “finally took the risk in order to buy food for Eid al-Adha,” the widely celebrated holiday that starts at the end of the week. The N.Y. Times notes how important bakeries have become in the three-month battle over Aleppo, Syria’s largest city:

…[B]akeries in rebel-held areas of Aleppo have emerged as vitally important resources that are clearly potential targets for Syrian forces seeking to starve the insurgents and their sympathizers into submission. Many of the bakeries are run by the insurgents, who have learned how to bake bread as part of the war effort.

Nearly a dozen bakeries have been targeted in Aleppo since fighting broke out there. Abu Firas, a spokesman for the Revolutionary Council for Aleppo and its suburbs, told the L.A. Times that the Assad regime has targeted bakeries because it wants “life to stop.”

"They are directly targeting the bakeries because many people gather there. Why are they shelling it? There aren't any Free Syrian Army fighters," Abu Firas said, referring to the main rebel fighting force, also known as the FSA.

The Syrian Army is relying more and more on air strikes as it has lost territory to rebel groups.

"Some of the bombs were so big they sucked in the air and everything crashes down, even four-story buildings. We used to have one or two rockets a day, now for the past 10 days it has become constant, we run from one shelter to another. They drop a few bombs and it's like a massacre," a 20-year-old refugee named Nabil told Reuters at a camp in the Syrian town of Atimah, which overlooks the Turkish border.

Bakeries aren’t the only targets. The BBC reports from the town of Marea near the Turkish border, about 20 miles north of Aleppo, that funeral processions, the weekly market, and other quotidian activities seem just as likely to be targeted by bombs.

Almost everyone we meet has lost someone to the enemy in the sky â€" here, a boy was shot dead from the air as he rode his motor bike â€" there, a group of teenage lads were blown to pieces by a bomb dropped from a MiG fighter as they loaded potatoes onto a truck.

There seems to be no object to the random bombing, other than to sow terror.

"It's revenge," says Yasser al-Haji, a businessman from Marea who moved abroad, then returned last year to join the revolution. "Marea was one of first cities to demonstrate.

"It's an economic war, too. Above all, they want to humiliate us for rising up against the dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad," he adds.

The bakery hit yesterday in Aleppo was housed in a large warehouse, according to Abu al-Hasan who spoke to the N.Y. Times. He says it’s actually unclear whether the bakery was the target.

“The problem is those kinds of missiles are not guided to their intended targets,” he said. “They’re not precise. They fall on random buildings.”

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees reports that there are now more than 358,000 Syrian refugees in the region, according to the L.A. Times. Last week alone more than 5,500 Syrians registered with UNHCR.

“The longer Syrians remain in exile, the more likely they are to seek help as their savings are depleted. Many refugees fled home with few resources because work has been disrupted for more than a year in some areas of Syria,” the LA Times reports.

With a potential cease-fire on the horizon, many are speculating about the future of Syria and President Bashar al-Assad. James Van de Velde, a lecturer at the Center for Advanced Studies at Johns Hopkins University writes in a commentary for The Jerusalem Post that

Suggest Brahimi's plan for Syria cease-fire takes two steps forward, one step back - Christian Science Monitor Issues

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Syria's Assad agrees to holiday ceasefire: UN envoy - Reuters [getdailynow.blogspot.com]

Syria's Assad agrees to holiday ceasefire: UN envoy - Reuters [getdailynow.blogspot.com]

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1 of 5. An activist takes photos of a damaged buildings after what activists said was shelling by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Homs October 22, 2012. .

Credit: Reuters/Muhammad Al-Ibrahim/Shaam News Network/Handout

By Oliver Holmes and Shaimaa Fayed

BEIRUT/CAIRO | Wed Oct 24, 2012 6:37am EDT

BEIRUT/CAIRO (Reuters) - International mediator Lakhdar Brahimi said on Wednesday the Syrian government had agreed to a ceasefire in the war with rebels during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.

It was also not clear whether the insurgents would commit to a truce. Rebel sources had earlier told Reuters there was little point if it could not be monitored or enforced. Brahimi's initiative did not include plans for international observers to monitor a halt to hostilities.

As Brahimi spoke in Cairo, Syrian warplanes were carrying out bombing raids on the strategic northern town of Maarat al-Numan and nearby villages while insurgents surrounded an army base to its east, an activist monitor said.

Brahimi, the joint U.N.-Arab League special envoy, had crisscrossed the Middle East to push the different sides and their international backers to agree to a truce in the 19-month-old conflict - an effort that included talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus at the weekend.

"After the visit I made to Damascus, there is agreement from the Syrian government for a ceasefire during the Eid," Brahimi told a news conference at the Cairo-based Arab League.

The holiday starts on Thursday and lasts three or four days. Brahimi did not specify the precise time period for a truce.

A previous ceasefire arrangement in April collapsed within days with both sides accusing the other of breaking it.

Whether a ceasefire would be embraced shortly by either side was in question given a battle with huge strategic ramifications being waged in the northwest, with government warplanes striking Maarat al-Numan and nearby villages.

Five people from one family, including a child and a woman, were killed in the air strikes on Wednesday, according to Rami Abdelrahman, head of the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Maarat al-Numan has fallen to Assad's opponents, effectively cutting the main north-south highway, a strategic route for Assad to move troops from the capital Damascus to Aleppo, Syria's largest city where rebels have taken a foothold.

But without control of the nearby Wadi al-Daif military base, their grip over the road is tenuous. Its capture would be a significant step towards creating a "safe zone" allowing them to focus forces on Assad's strongholds in southern Syria.

The rebels say the ferocity of counter-attacks by government forces shows how important holding the base is to the president's military strategy.

Opposition activist footage on Wednesday showed a column of grey smoke rising after a bomb hit the village of Deir al-Sharqi, a few kilometers (miles) south of the base.

REFUGEES FLEE BOMBARDMENTS

Meanwhile, hundreds of Syrian refugees have poured into a makeshift refugee camp at Atimah overlooking the Turkish border, fleeing a week of what they said were the most intense army bombardments since the uprising began.

"Some of the bombs were so big they sucked in the air and everything crashes down, even four-storey buildings. We used to have one or two rockets a day, now for the past 10 days it has become constant, we run from one shelter to another. They drop a few bombs and it's like a massacre," one refugee, a 20-year-old named Nabil, told Reuters at the camp.

The army has lost swathes of territory in recent months and relies on air power and heavy artillery to push back the rebels fighting to topple Assad. Over 32,000 people have been killed in the conflict, which began with peaceful pro-democracy protests before descending into civil war as repression increased.

Human Rights Watch said the Syrian air force had increased its use of cluster bombs across the country in the past two weeks. The New York-based organization identified, through activist video footage of unexploded bomblets, three types of cluster bombs which had fallen on and around Maarat al-Numan.

Cluster bombs explode in the air, scattering dozens of smaller bomblets over an area the size of a sports field. Most nations have banned their use under a convention that became international law in 2010, but which Syria has not signed.

Russia said on Wednesday the rebels had acquired portable surface-to-air missiles including U.S.-made Stingers - a weapon that would help bring down warplanes and helicopters which have bombed residential areas where rebels are hiding.

Opposition activist footage has shown rebels carrying Soviet-made surface-to-air missiles, but footage of Stingers has yet to appear.

In contrast to the Libya crisis last year, the West has shown little appetite to arm the Syrian rebels, worried that weapons would fall into the hands of Islamic militants.

Russia, which has supported Assad through the conflict, sold his government $ 1 billion worth of weapons last year and has made clear it would oppose an arms embargo in the U.N. Security Council.

A total of 190 people were killed across Syria on Tuesday, the Observatory said.

(Reporting by Oliver Holmes in Beirut and Steve Gutterman in Moscow; Writing by Angus MacSwan; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

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Syria, some rebel groups agree to temporary truce, envoy says - CBS News [getdailynow.blogspot.com]

Syria, some rebel groups agree to temporary truce, envoy says - CBS News [getdailynow.blogspot.com]

Question by Prometheus, l Ain't; Possum, l ls: What is the liberal definition of "separation of church and state"? I had a couple of liberals tell me that I violated this separation if I voted according to my religious beliefs. Is this the typical understanding? I have also heard these violate: Praying in school, wearing crosses, reading the bible in a public park, renting a school after hours for community prayer service, PRAYING for the president in church, etc... Is this what most liberals think? Best answer for What is the liberal definition of "separation of church and state"?:

Answer by Thing 2
The bible is fiction. Anyone who lives by its rules is delusional.

Answer by Ed
No, but you "did" get the attention you were seeking, feel better now?

Answer by warren v
From the past year and a half on YA, it appears ANYTHING Christian is perfectly ok to ban, forbid, criticize, make fun of etc etc (pretty much applies to Jews also) but if it is Muslim, it is fine to have special Public school classes, special days set aside for Muslim prayer day, etc etc and you are racist if you don't feel the same way,

Answer by 1oldone
that the two should not become one in our form of government. it did not work out well in old Europe when the church actually began to use and exploit the various forms of government for its own ends. best to keep them separate.

Answer by Mark
Whatever it takes to disempower conservatives, but allow liberals to have all the laws they want.

Answer by whiteflame55
Well, voting according to your re ligious beliefs is not a violation of it, though it's certainly not the way you should be voting for a secular government. Voting based on those ideas seems kind of antithetical to the system that our founding fathers fought to create. As for the rest, none of it is a violation of the separation of church and state. Praying in school is only a violation when students are forced to do it in public schools. Wearing crosses never violates. Reading the bible anywhere is not a violation. Renting a school after hours isn't a violation either, it's not on school time and no one's forced to go. Praying for the president in church is also never a violation. Don't know who's giving these ideas to you, but I'm a liberal, I'm Jewish, and I'm saying none of them are violations.

Answer by Johnny on the Spot
It's to forbid anything Christian in all aspects of life and to promote minority religions like Islam, Buddhism, Hindu...etc....because liberals feel the latter get picked on.

Answer by constitution rules
To have a belief in religion is something that the bill of rights guarantees. Is it the goal of some on the left that only certain views are acceptable to have? What if the tables get turned on your particular belief, would you object?

Answer by Fuct
Voting according to religious beliefs isn't violating the separation of church & state. & So long as all those actions you describe are voluntary & not promoted by the government then they are not either. With the possible exception of praying for the president in church, as churches are forbidden from endorsing or condemning a polit ician from the pulpit (less they start campaigning for candidates that wish to establish their religion), so if they were trying to imply one should/shouldn't vote for the guy then it would be a violation.

Answer by Sandra M
Norm get a grip. I group of liberals would not talk to you. All that separation of church and state is that the government does not recognize an official church. The founding fathers did not want to support an official church like the church of England. Also, some of the founding fathers were deists. Deists basically sit on the fence regarding the existence of God. Even today, there are some official churches recognized in Europe that are tax payer supported, even if the tax payers are not members of that church. Also, the founding fathers looked at how the Catholic Church controlled public affairs of other countries and they wanted no part of that. The new country would be separate from any form of control from outside of its bo rders. No one has ever told you to vote against your conscience. The reason why there is no prayer in school is that having one set prayer would recognize one religion. This is not fair as there are many, many denominations and there are atheists. My high school has a moment of silence and that allows students to pray silently if they wish. You are permitted to read the Bible in a public park. I have yet to be arrested for this. Schools can be rented for prayer services and it is common in many areas for churches that are under construction to have services in public schools during off hours. I have heard priest praying for presidents in the past. I really think that you need to turn off conservative radio and talk and go outside and take a walk and actually look into the things that you rant about.

Answer by Nani
I can't wait to see the answers to this one. Yes, according to scripture, believers in Jesus are the church, but politically and legally this is n ot what is meant. I should be able to thank God for anything I want or wear a cross. I am not a church, legally. And Whiteflame apparently doesn't know about all the censoring that is attempted. No one is putting those incidents in our heads, they are kept pretty quiet unless you are plugged in to the legal reports.

Answer by Daisy
not this liberal. my religious beliefs are just that mine not forced upon others. I believe what Jesus said about separation of church and state. Give to Caesar what is Caesar's give to God what is God's.

[state]

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CAIRO The U.N.-Arab League envoy to Syria says the Syrian government and some rebel leaders have agreed to a ceasefire during the upcoming Muslim four-day holiday.

Lakhdar Brahimi told reporters in Cairo on Wednesday that the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad will issue a statement on accepting a truce today or tomorrow. The Eid al-Adha holiday begins Friday.

Syria's Foreign Ministry says an announcement will come Thursday, according to al Jazeera..

Brahimi didn't elaborate on how such a truce would be monitored.

The fighting in Syria has killed more than 34,000 people since March last year, according to activists.

Find More Syria, some rebel groups agree to temporary truce, envoy says - CBS News Topics

"Hello. I'm going to read a declaration of a state of war... Within the next 14 days we will attack a symbol or institution of American injustice." -- Bernardine Dohrn. Thirty years ago, with these words, a group of young American radicals called The Weathermen announced their intention to overthrow the US government. Fueled by outrage over the Vietnam War and racism in America, they went underground during the 1970s, bombing targets across the country that they felt symbolized "the real violence" that the US government and capitalist power were wreaking throughout the world. From pitched battles with police on Chicago's city streets, to bombing the US Capitol building, to breaking acid-guru Timothy Leary out of prison, this carefully organized clandestine network attempted to incite a national revolution, while successfully evading one of the largest FBI manhunts in history. One of the top documentaries of the year, this award-winning fil m interweaves extensive archival material with modern-day interviews to explore the incredible story of THE WEATHER UNDERGROUND. As former members reflect candidly about the idealistic passion that drove them to "bring the war home," they paint a compelling portrait of troubled and revolutionary times, with unexpected and often striking connections to the current world situation.

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20 killed in shelling of bakery in Aleppo, Syria - Los Angeles Times [getdailynow.blogspot.com]

20 killed in shelling of bakery in Aleppo, Syria - Los Angeles Times [getdailynow.blogspot.com]

Watch Zeldathon from July 7th to July 12th! - zeldathon.net â–² Follow MC Gamer Twitter - http Facebook - facebook.com Blog - supermcgamer.com Website - http â–² General Information Currently, I create videos on my custom-built computer that has an i7 2600k processor, 16GB of RAM and a GTX 580 graphics card. I record my console gameplay using the Blackmagic Intensity Pro capture card which I later edit using Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5. I also use Audacity and Adobe After Effects for additional post-production work. I currently use a Rode Podcaster microphone. I am an entrepreneurial geek who is running a non-profit organization in my home state of Pennsylvania. I enjoy chicken. â–² Video Credits All content within is owned by their respected companies, developers and publishers.

MC Gamer Let's Plays - Super Mario World - Episode 8

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BEIRUT â€" At least 20 people were killed in the Syrian city of Aleppo on Tuesday when a bakery was hit by a shell, turning the bread shop into a bloodbath, activists said.

More than 50 people were injured in the attack by government forces on the Masaken Hanano neighborhood, they said, with surrounding field hospitals so overwhelmed by the influx of victims that activists sent out a plea for local doctors to come and assist.

Only half of the victims could be identified. One gruesome video showed a young girl, in a turquoise shirt, whose head had been blown off.

They were among more than 100 killed across Syria on Tuesday, activists said.

The bakery was the only one still operating in that part of the city, serving the Masaken Hanano neighborhood and surrounding districts. About 100 people were lined up at the bakery, said Abu Firas, a spokesman for the Revolutionary Council for Aleppo and Its Suburbs.

It was the third consecutive day that the opposition-controlled neighborhood was under intense shelling, which left a dozen people dead Sunday and Monday, he said.

Nearly a dozen bakeries have been attacked since July when Aleppo, once the country's commercial hub, became one of the main battlegrounds in the conflict.

"They are directly targeting the bakeries because many people gather there. Why are they shelling it? There aren't any Free Syrian Army fighters," Abu Firas said, referring to the main rebel group. "The regime wants life to stop."

In the Damascus suburb of Moadamyeh al Sham, residents Tuesday held funerals for 42 civilians who were arrested at a military checkpoint Monday and soon found executed, according to an opposition group. Some reportedly were strangled, others stabbed and still others shot at close range.

The funeral procession turned into an angry protest, which was attacked with an explosive device. Some reports said it was a rocket; others said it was an improvised "barrel bomb" or car bomb. Activists said 16 people were killed at the gathering, including six children.

Amid the violence, the number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon has exceeded 100,000, the third country in the region to pass that mark, the United Nations refugee agency said.

Thousands of Syrians continue to flee into neighboring countries as daily death tolls from the 19-month uprising often top 150 amid no prospect for an end to the conflict. An attempt by Lakhdar Brahimi, the U.N. and Arab League envoy to Syria, to broker a cease-fire for the coming Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha is widely viewed as unlikely to succeed.

More than 100,000 Syrians have registered or are waiting for registration with the U.N. in Lebanon, but the actual number of refugees there is probably much higher.

Most of the refugees are Sunni Muslims, and activists in Lebanon say that some have been wary of making their presence known in a country with Sunni-Shiite tensions.

Turkey and Jordan have more refugees than Lebanon, and Iraq is hosting a large population as well. There are more than 358,000 Syrian refugees in the region, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said.

The recent unrest in Lebanon, after a car bombing Friday that killed the nation's police intelligence chief, temporarily disrupted the registration of refugees.

More than 5,500 refugees registered last week with the U.N. refugee agency, and the longer Syrians remain in exile the more likely they are to seek help as their savings are depleted. Many refugees fled home with few resources because work has been disrupted for more than a year in some areas of Syria.

Almost 70% of Syrian refugees are from the battered city of Homs, which is still being shelled by government forces.

In Lebanon, the situation is further exacerbated because there are no refugee camps where housing and food are provided, so Syrians here must rely on their own resources.

"We are racing against time to ensure that all of these hundreds of thousands of refugees are protected from the winter cold," Fleming said.

Suggest 20 killed in shelling of bakery in Aleppo, Syria - Los Angeles Times Topics

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The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - The Palace Of Twilight - Episode 73

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BBC investigating up to 10 current, former staff on sex allegations in wake of ... - Fox News [getdailynow.blogspot.com]

BBC investigating up to 10 current, former staff on sex allegations in wake of ... - Fox News [getdailynow.blogspot.com]

Question by Cody J: How did the idea of the "separation of church and state" come about?"? I always thought that it was in the Constitution or in the Declaration of Independence or maybe in the Bill of Rights, but I recently looked and could not find it in anywhere. If it doesn't mention it in these documents then why is everyone against God in our government. I'm sure there is an explanation. So if someone would tell me I would greatly appreciate it. Best answer for How did the idea of the "separation of church and state" come about?"?: [state]

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LONDON â€"  A sexual abuse scandal shaking the BBC broadened Tuesday, with the broadcaster's chief saying the corporation was investigating claims of abuse and harassment against as many as 10 former and current staff.

The BBC has been rocked by allegations that longtime children's host Jimmy Savile, who died last year, abused underage teens over several decades, sometimes on BBC premises. Some of the alleged victims have accused other entertainers and BBC staff of participating in abuse during the 1960s, 70s and 80s.

Director-general George Entwistle told British lawmakers Tuesday that the BBC is looking into historical allegations of sexual abuse or harassment against "between eight and 10" past and present employees.

Separately, the BBC press office said it was aware of "nine allegations of sexual harassment, assault or inappropriate conduct" involving current staff or contributors to the BBC, which employs some 20,000 people.

Entwistle said it was too early to say whether sexual abuse had been endemic within Britain's publicly funded national broadcaster, but insisted the BBC would assist police if detectives chose to investigate whether there had been a pedophile ring at the corporation.

Entwistle acknowledged there had been "a problem of culture within the BBC ... a broader cultural problem" that allowed Savile's behavior to go unchecked.

"There is no question that what Jimmy Savile did and the way the BBC behaved ... will raise questions of trust for us and reputation for us," Entwistle said. "This is a gravely serious matter, and one cannot look back at it with anything other than horror."

Entwistle's testimony before the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport committee came a day after the BBC aired a powerful documentary about the corporation's role in the expanding sex abuse scandal involving Savile, who died a year ago at age 84.

Since Savile's death, scores of women and several men have come forward to say the entertainer â€" a longtime host of music and children's programs including "Top of the Pops" and "Jim'll Fix It" â€" abused them when they were children or teenagers. Police have identified more than 200 potential victims.

The BBC, one of the world's largest and most respected broadcasters, is under fire for failing to stop the abuse and for pulling an expose on Savile from TV schedules at the last minute in December. The sex allegations were later aired on the rival ITV network.

The head of the BBC's "Newsnight" program, Peter Rippon, has been suspended pending an investigation of his decision to scrap the Savile story.

Monday's documentary, which was watched by more than 5 million people, presented the unusual spectacle of BBC journalists grilling their own bosses about why the piece had been dropped.

In an attempt to get to the bottom of the story, the parliamentary committee spent two hours Tuesday questioning Entwistle, who has been in the BBC's top job for just a month, after years in senior news and current affairs roles.

It may also want to question his predecessor, Mark Thompson, who led the organization at the time the "Newsnight" report was yanked. Thompson was appointed chief executive of the New York Times Co. in August and is due to take up the post next month.

He told ITV News that if "the police inquiry or the select committee want to hear from me, of course I'll help in any way I can."

Few public figures have had as spectacular a fall from grace as the cigar-chomping, platinum-haired Savile, who was knighted for his charity fundraising and praised on his death as a popular if eccentric entertainer.

Since the ITV report aired earlier this month, his family has removed and destroyed his gravestone, and two charities named after him have announced they will close.

It is not just the BBC that is under fire. Schools and hospitals associated with Savile's charity work stand accused of letting him abuse young people during visits. And state prosecutors have acknowledged they investigated four abuse allegations against him in 2009, but did not press charges.

Child welfare experts say there is a sadly familiar pattern â€" seen also in the case of child-molesting Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky or pedophile priests in the Roman Catholic church â€" of large organizations failing to act on claims of abuse from young people.

One of the revelations of Monday's documentary was that Rippon had sent an email expressing doubts about the Savile documentary because "our sources so far are just the women" â€" Savile's accusers.

Entwistle insisted the BBC was not complacent about sexism, and had hired a senior lawyer to look at how it handles sexual harassment cases.

"I do believe the culture has changed since the '70s and '80s," Entwistle said. "But I'm not convinced it has changed as much as it should have."

He said Savile had been "a very skillful and successful sexual predator who covered his tracks."

"These things are institutionally, it seems, very difficult to deal with," he said.

__________

Jill Lawless can be reached at http://Twitter.com/JillLawless

Related BBC investigating up to 10 current, former staff on sex allegations in wake of ... - Fox News Articles

- Bloopers -- bit.ly Personal YouTube Channels: Jonathan -- bit.ly Jory -- bit.ly Riley -- bit.ly Experiment #224: Smoke Bombs & Bang Gun Our microwaves get plenty smoke all on their own... but as Tim Taylor would say... you can never have enough power! So, you're probably wondering, Is It A Good Idea To Microwave This? Tune in to find out. Twice a week, microwave specialist Jory Caron microwaves different objects... so you don't have to! The "Jory Caron Microwave Laboratory 2.8" is a state-of-the-art facility equipped with tinfoil shielding, a ventilation system, emergency surge protectors, safety masks, and many sexy microwaves. +++++++++++++++++++++++ Thanks to the MicroKnights who donated these items! www.youtube.com www.youtube.com +++++++++++++++++++++++ Related Videos: Microwave: Rocket Engines - www.youtube.com Smoke Bomb Bloopers - www.youtube.com Is This Flammable: Microwave - www.youtube.com +++++++++++++++++++++++ ~~ Links ~~ F AQ Video --------- bit.ly Merchandise ------- bit.ly Flagged Videos --- bit.ly ~~ Connect With Us ~~ ::: Jonathan Paula ::: YouTube ---- bit.ly Facebook --- bit.ly Twitter ------- bit.ly ::: Jory Caron ::: YouTube ---- bit.ly Facebook --- bit.ly Twitter ------- bit.ly ::: Riley McIlwain ::: YouTube ---- bit.ly Twitter ------- bit.ly Facebook --- bit.ly ::: Jogwheel Productions ::: Facebook --- bit.ly Twitter ------- bit.ly ~~ Technical ~~ Created by ----- Jonathan Paula & Jory Caron Starring --------- Jory Caron, Jonathan Paula, & Riley ...

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UPDATE 2-Qatar visit breaks Gaza ice, delights Hamas - Reuters [getdailynow.blogspot.com]

UPDATE 2-Qatar visit breaks Gaza ice, delights Hamas - Reuters [getdailynow.blogspot.com]

Experiment #29: Banana Jory decides to go with another viewer request, in an attempt to find a new way to make tasty Banana bread. So, you're probably wondering, Is It A Good Idea To Microwave This? Tune in to find out. Each week, microwave specialist Jory Caron microwaves different objects... so you don't have to! The "Jory Caron Microwave Laboratory II" is a state-of-the-art facility equipped with tinfoil shielding, a proper ventilation system, emergency surge protector, and of course - another Sharp Carousel microwave. ** New Episodes Every Monday & Friday! ** +++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++ Support The Show +++++ FAQ Video - bit.ly T-Shirts ----- bit.ly ideo App ---- apps.facebook.com Live Show -- bit.ly Donate $ $ -- bit.ly +++++ Connect With Us +++++ ::: Jonathan Paula ::: YouTube ---- bit.ly Twitter ------- bit.ly Facebook --- bit.ly ::: Jory Caron ::: YouTube ---- bit.ly Twitter ------- bit.ly Facebook --- bit.ly ::: ideo Production s ::: YouTube ---- bit.ly Twitter ------- bit.ly Facebook --- bit.ly +++++ Video Credits +++++ Starring: Jory Caron & Jonathan Paula Filmed & Edited By: Jonathan Paula An ideo Production - © 2010. ~

Is It A Good Idea To Microwave A Banana?

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Tue Oct 23, 2012 8:45am EDT

* Qatar breaks Gaza ice with first visit

* Hamas hails emir's arrival as end of Gaza blockade

* Israel astounded Qatar takes sides in Palestinian rift

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA, Oct 23 (Reuters) - The Emir of Qatar embraced the Hamas leadership of Gaza on Tuesday with an official visit breaking the isolation of the militant Palestinian Islamist movement, to the dismay of Israel and rival, Western-backed Palestinian leaders in the West Bank.

Israel said it was "astounding" that Qatar, a U.S.-allied Gulf state whose oil and gas permit it to punch way above its diplomatic weight, would take sides in the Palestinian dispute and endorse Hamas, branded as terrorists in the West. The emir had "thrown peace under the bus", an Israeli spokesman said.

The Gaza Strip on the Mediterranean coast, is all but cut off from the world, under blockade by Israel and Egypt by land and sea to obstruct the import of arms and military equipment.

In the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Authority of President Mahmoud Abbas, Hamas's arch-rival, said it hoped the visit would not undermine efforts to rebuild Palestinian unity or signal approval for a separate Palestinian territory in Gaza.

Embarking on what was a state visit in all but name, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and his wife Sheikha Mozah crossed from Egypt at the head of a large delegation, to be greeted by Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and an honour guard.

Hundreds of Palestinians lined his route, waving Palestinian and Qatari flags as the convoy with the sheikh in a black Mercedes limousine bumped along the rutted main highway that Qatar has promised to rebuild.

"You are today, by this visit, declaring the breaking of the unjust blockade," Haniyeh told the Qatari leader in a speech at the site of a new town to be built with emirate money.

"Today we declare victory against the blockade through this historic visit," he said. "We say thank you, Emir, thank you Qatar for this noble Arab stance ... Hail to the blood of martyrs which brought us to this moment."

Hamas rejects a peace treaty with Israel and has poured scorn on Abbas for his futile efforts to negotiate his way to a Palestinian state.

This was the first visit to Gaza by any national leader since Hamas seized control of the enclave and its 1.7 million people from Abbas's forces in 2007. Israel had pulled out its troops and settlers from the territory two years earlier.

Qatar has called the visit a humanitarian gesture, to inaugurate reconstruction projects financed by the emirate. After initially earmarking $ 250 million for the schemes, a smiling Haniyeh announced the fund now stood at $ 400 million.

QATAR'S AMBITIONS

The tiny Gulf emirate, whose native population is only about the same size as that of the Gaza Strip, has ambitions to parlay its vast natural gas wealth into diplomatic and regional influence. It was a major supporter of Islamist groups who have been the biggest beneficiaries of the Arab Spring.

Though giving up none of his absolute power as monarch at home, the Qatari ruler has promoted popular uprisings elsewhere and Qatar's Al Jazeera television has provided a platform for critics of many Arab governments.

It was the leading Arab power to provide political cover for the NATO-led operation that help rebels oust Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and it has led Arab opposition to Bashar al-Assad in Syria, providing arms and funds to Sunni rebels.

But its dual policy has perplexed regional and international players, with its strong support for Islamist groups including Hamas running in parallel with close ties to the United States.

Qatar hosts one of the biggest U.S. bases in the region.

Analysts see the visit as an attempt by the emir to use his leverage with Western capitals to help rehabilitate Hamas in Western eyes, and move them into mainstream politics, using their falling out with Shi'ite Iran over the conflict in Syria as a stepping stone to break Tehran influence on them for good.

Little damage has been repaired in Gaza since a devastating three-week offensive by Israeli forces in the winter of 2008-2009 to stop Hamas and other Islamic militant groups firing rockets and mortars at southern Israel communities.

The visit coincided with another round in the low-level conflict between Israel and Hamas. An Israeli officer was badly injured by an explosion on the Gaza border and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised a "strong response", which often comes in the form of Israeli air strikes.

"NO SIGN" OF HAMAS CHANGE

Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said the emir, who has met Israeli leaders but not visited the Palestinian Authority of Abbas and his secular Fatah movement in the West Bank, had "never dignified the PA with a visit".

"No one understands why he would fund an organisation which has become notorious with committing suicide bombings and firing rockets on civilians. By hugging Hamas, the Emir of Qatar is really someone who has thrown peace under the bus," he said.

Hamas refuses to renounce violence or to recognise Israel's right to exist and is ostracised by the West, the United Nations and Russia of the Middle East "Quartet".

However, Hamas has softened its position to a degree, by saying it would accept a decades-long truce with Israel in return for a state along lines established before the 1967 war.

It also denies any desire to create a separate state in Gaza, a 40-km (25-mile) sliver of coastline with few resources.

Hamas has loosened its ties to Iran since the Syrian revolt, in which Assad's state forces backed by Tehran are fighting Sunni rebels. At the same time it has strengthened relations with its mentor, the Muslim Brotherhood now in control of Egypt.

Iran's nuclear programme has raised the prospect of a war with Israel, with potential Hamas involvement in the south and attacks by Iranian-backed Hezbollah on the northern border.

Sheikh Hamad has also previously sought to mediate between Hamas and Fatah to end the divisions that have weakened the Palestinian cause. But Palestinian analysts say there is for now no prospect of reconciliation between the two factions.

Palmor said Hamas had not accepted the Quartet provisions required to be regarded as a legitimate interlocutor. However, Israel acknowledges that Hamas is trying to clamp down on renegade Islamic militant groups that refuse to accept its unwritten moratorium on firing rockets at the Jewish state.

Yossi Kuperwasser, who directs Israel's Ministry of Strategic Affairs, says "most of the activity is coming now not from Hamas. It comes from other sources".

"As we have seen in other places when Islamic forces come to power, they have to take into consideration other things and not (just) terrorism. They find themselves in a bit of an awkward position," he told reporters last week.

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Question by momo Ụterus Police Officer: What is it about "separation of church and state" do Conservatives not understand? Why do Conservatives want to make our laws based on ONE religion that many people don't follow? I think Christianity (and all the other religions) are a bunch of crap, and were just invented to keep women in line. Why are Conservatives trying to force me to believe in something that is obviously imaginary? Barney is more real than any god. love, momo Best answer for What is it about "separation of church and state" do Conservatives not understand?:

Answer by 0-bow-ma's biggest fan!
Who, specifically, is trying to force a religion on you?

Answer by The Tall Man
Separation of church and state is good. Separation of blacks and whites is even better. Just say no to mudsharking.

Answer by Gazer
Please, tell me the name of the person who came to your house and told you that you must believe in christianity? I must know because as an atheist I'd like to have a word with them.

Answer by CROM-
I tend to think that the human capacity for understanding God 's word is inherently fallible, so basing societal laws and norms based on what has been interpreted as the word of god is a very dangerous thing to do. That's the way i look at it when i'm not just picking a fight, at least.

Answer by Satellite
It'd be wise not to brand all conservatives as social conservatives (religious).

Answer by Jesus Hates You
They understand it fine. They just don't like it. It gets in the way of their political objectives.

Answer by Divided We Fall
And it's not like kids can't pray in school, it's that the school cannot leads kids in prayer. How would Christians like it if a Muslim teacher led the kids in prayer?

Answer by Et Tu Brute
The hard line conservatives believe this. They have little understanding of or use for our constitution.

Answer by opso
They used to hide their religion behind crap arguments. (Such as homosexuality breaks apart families) But now it seems the case that they are creating laws with religion on the mind, and american news organizations are doing nothing about it...

Answer by grandma zaza
And what should laws be based on? I think "thou shalt not kill" and "thou shalt not steal" are pretty standard beliefs.

Answer by gatorw
What specific law are conservative trying to make to establish a religion? Nobody is forcing you to be part of any religion in this country. Trying going to any Islamic state and see if the same is true.

Answer by TheOrange Evil
Religion keeps people in line. Sometimes we're better off for it; sometimes we're worse. I'm not a religious person and I don't want Christianity or any other religion forced on me, but I feel like Christians are just upset that they're being marginalized and made to feel bad that they have a religion at all.

[state]

Watch Zeldathon from July 7th to July 12th! - zeldathon.net â–² Follow MC Gamer Twitter - http Facebook - facebook.com Blog - supermcgamer.com Website - http â–² General Information Currently, I create videos on my custom-built computer that has an i7 2600k processor, 16GB of RAM and a GTX 580 graphics card. I record my console gameplay using the Blackmagic Intensity Pro capture card which I later edit using Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5. I also use Audacity and Adobe After Effects for additional post-production work. I currently use a Rode Podcaster microphone. I am an entrepreneurial geek who is running a non-profit organization in my home state of Pennsylvania. I enjoy chicken. â–² Video Credits All content within is owned by their respected companies, developers and publishers.

MC Gamer Let's Plays - Super Mario World - Episode 3

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Earthquake predictions and a triumph of scientific illiteracy in an Italian court (+ ... - Christian Science Monitor [getdailynow.blogspot.com]

Earthquake predictions and a triumph of scientific illiteracy in an Italian court (+ ... - Christian Science Monitor [getdailynow.blogspot.com]

Question by JJRose: What's the best way to state "internet proficiency" on a resume? I'm very proficient w/internet stuff. I just want to add it to my resume so that it sounds professional and would help w/a job requiring research. Thanks in advance! Best answer for What's the best way to state "internet proficiency" on a resume?:

Answer by garyg7
If you're looking for a regular office job, employers believe that everybody knows how to use the Internet. What do you know that makes you special? That's what employers look for in a potential employee. I hope this helps. Gary

Answer by PiggiePants
How well you use the internet may be of interest to employers if it is a beneficial skill for the company. So try to phrase whatever it is you are good at in terms a business would find attractive, i.e. Proficient in use of the interest for client research and social network marketing, or whatever

Answer by mulauthoring
If the below paragraph applies to you, you may add it in the Summary section of your resume or in the Computer Skills section with a sub-section titled Internet: Proficient in using the advanced search techniques of major search engines and in using forums, blogs, and others to find information. Also, make sure your resume addresses the needs of the employer. Read the 10 Tips for Perfect Resume Writing at http://tinyurl.com/perfect-resume Best of luck!

[state]

Once again... BID on Summer's Microwave Door on eBay: tinyurl.com Poll: What's your favorite term for the brown stuff? www.micropoll.com Experiment #175: Fake Poop So yeah... we're microwaving some sh*t in today's episode... we figured: what the hell? So, you're probably wondering, Is It A Good Idea To Microwave This? Tune in to find out. Twice a week, microwave specialist Jory Caron microwaves different objects... so you don't have to! The "Jory Caron Microwave Laboratory 2.6" is a state-of-the-art facility equipped with tinfoil shielding, a ventilation system, emergency surge protectors, safety clothing, and many sexy microwaves. +++++++++++++++++++++++ Thanks to Baron102786 for donating the fake poop! www.youtube.com +++++++++++++++++++++++ ~~ Links ~~ FAQ Video --------- bit.ly Merchandise ------- bit.ly Flagged Videos --- bit.ly ~~ Connect With Us ~~ ::: Jonathan Paula ::: YouTube ---- bit.ly Facebook --- bit.ly Twitter ------- bit.ly ::: Jory Caron ::: YouTube ---- bit.ly Facebook --- bit.ly Twitter ------- bit.ly ::: Riley McIlwain ::: YouTube ---- bit.ly Twitter ------- bit.ly Facebook --- bit.ly ::: Jogwheel Productions ::: Facebook --- bit.ly Twitter ------- bit.ly ~~ Technical ~~ Created by ----- Jonathan Paula & Jory Caron Starring --------- Jory Caron, Jonathan Paula, & Riley McIlwain Camera --------- Panasonic DVX-100b, Canon Elura 100, & Canon S3-IS Software -------- Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 Computer ------ bit.ly • Jogwheel Productions © 2009 • ~

Is It A Good Idea To Microwave Poop?!

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An Italian court sentenced scientists to jail time for not having a functioning crystal ball ahead of the 2009 earthquake in L'Aquila. The arguments of science and reason fell on deaf ears.

Rarely since a Catholic inquisition in Rome condemned Galileo Galilei to spend the remainder of his days under house arrest for the heresy of teaching that the Earth revolves around the sun, has an Italian court been so wrong about science. 

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Dan Murphy

Staff writer

Dan Murphy is a staff writer for the Monitor's international desk, focused on the Middle East. Murphy, who has reported from Iraq, Afghanistan, Egypt, and more than a dozen other countries, writes and edits Backchannels. The focus? War and international relations, leaning toward things Middle East.

• 

  In Pictures: Earthquake in Italy

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Today, a court in the central Italian city of L'Aquila, 380 years after that miscarriage of justice, sentenced six scientists and a government bureaucrat to six years in jail on manslaughter charges for their failure to predict a 2009 earthquake that left more than 300 people dead.

This headline isn't the sort of thing that's generally expected from Italy anymore. The church quietly abandoned its objections to heliocentrism in the early years of the 18th century, and by the early 19th, had fully accepted the scientific facts.

But according to the BBC, a modern Italian secular institution is now the one struggling to grapple with science. The seven convicted men stood accused of "inexact, incomplete, and contradictory" information about the risks posed by tremors in the weeks ahead of the April 6, 2009, earthquake that caused so much destruction.

The seven, all members of the "National Commission for the Forecast and Prevention of Major Risks," were convicted after an apparently emotional trial in which the testimony of people who had lost loved ones was allowed, as if it was relevant to the question of whether current science can predict earthquakes. No grief, no matter how great, can answer that question (which is a resounding "no," by the way).

The scientific consensus has been clear on this for some time. As much as the world would like the ability to predict earthquakes, it's eluded the best efforts of scientists for decades. The plate-tectonic revolution in geology held out some hope for greater predictive abilities as it gathered steam in the 1950s and 1960s. But while scientists have a much better understanding of why earthquakes happen and where they're likely to occur than at any point in human history, their predictive powers are so vague as to be practically useless â€" beyond recommending people shouldn't live in quake zones like L'Aquila. People are generally resistant to such advice though. The city was rebuilt after major earthquakes in the 15th and 18th centuries, just as it has been rebuilt now.

A seismologist can predict with reasonable accuracy that a certain area will have, say, a major earthquake every hundred years on average. "Area" of course being defined rather loosely. A prediction of an earthquake at 10:26 AM this coming Tuesday in Jakarta, say? Impossible. Even to promise a major quake within a one-week or one-month window is beyond human ability.

Alan Leshner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science put it this way in an open letter to Italian President Giorgio Napolitano in June 2010, urging the trial be headed off:

Years of research, much of it conducted by distinguished seismologists in your own country, have demonstrated that there is no accepted scientific method for earthquake protection that can be reliably used to warn citizens of an impending disaster. To expect more of science at this time is unreasonable. It is manifestly unfair for scientists to be criminally charged for failing to act on information that the international scientific community would consider inadequate as a basis for issuing a warning.

Of course, smaller earthquakes â€" tremors â€" do often precede major ones, and can be useful indicators that major trouble is heading down the pike. Or not. Sometimes you can have a series of tremors and no major quake. Or a major quake that doesn't appear to be preceded by any unusual activity at all. What do geologists do when asked what a series of tremors means? Use their best judgment.

That's what the Italian scientists were convicted of today: exercising judgment in a murky area, getting it wrong, and being severely punished for it. If the verdict is upheld, that sends a message to scientists that they'd better keep their mouths shut when asked for their opinion in Italy.

Joel Cohen, a professor at Columbia and Rockefeller universities who applies mathematical models to complex environmental problems, explained how the decision was made in a piece earlier this year:

Italy’s National Commission for Prediction and Prevention of Major Risks, which comprised the seven men now on trial, met in L’Aquila for one hour on March 31, 2009, to assess the earthquake swarms. According to the minutes, Enzo Boschi, President of the

Suggest Earthquake predictions and a triumph of scientific illiteracy in an Italian court (+ ... - Christian Science Monitor Articles

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Fighting flares in Lebanese city over Syria loyalties - Reuters [getdailynow.blogspot.com]

Fighting flares in Lebanese city over Syria loyalties - Reuters [getdailynow.blogspot.com]

Question by nathan_inks: Who said, "I can see Russia from my house"? Who said "I can see Russia from my house" during this past election cycle? Best answer for Who said, "I can see Russia from my house"?:

Answer by Galaxie Girl passed the PE exam!
Tina Fey.

Answer by Critical_rationalist
Tina Fey

Answer by truthistrue8
Tina Fey

Answer by me
Sara Palin, governor of Alaska and McCains vp nominee Ok for all of you idiots out there that actually get your political news from JOhn stewart the colbert reprot and snl. Tina fey was minquoting on the weekend report something sarah palin had said. Palin was asked about her inexperience in INternational affairs, and she responded with a few comments and then off the cuff sarcastically she said "YOu can actually see Russia from Land here in Alaska". She was trying to make the point that she deals with a foreign country on a regular basis. When did it become a sin for a politician to not take themselves so seriously. It was nice to see a human politician with a sense of humor.

Answer by Joshua H
The quote's incorrect. Sarah Palin said you could see Russia from Alaska -- which you can, if you stand on the end of an island chain.

Answer by Captain James T Kirk
Tina

Answer by Often Imitated, NEVER Duplicated
sarah "the empty skirt" palin

Answer by Chicken Littles Angry Brother
Tina Faye and a bunch of Russians.

Answer by Shadupp Obots!
Tina Fey on SNL. But who actually said "57 states".

Answer by Beckon Hollow
It was not Sarah Palin.

Answer by Dan G
So far you have only one idiot who didn't know it was Tina Fey who said it.

Answer by JEFF S
She can and what difference does that make?

[house]

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1 of 9. Lebanon's army soldiers hold their guns while securing an area, where clashes between the army and Sunni Muslim gunmen took place, in Beirut October 22, 2012. Lebanon's army said on Monday the nation faced a critical time after violent demonstrations against the killing of a senior intelligence officer, saying it would act decisively to curb tension and calling for calm from politicians and protesters.

Credit: Reuters/Mohamed Azakir

By Oliver Holmes

TRIPOLI, Lebanon | Tue Oct 23, 2012 6:52am EDT

TRIPOLI, Lebanon (Reuters) - Four people were killed and 15 wounded in overnight gun battles in the Lebanese city of Tripoli in a second night of fighting between Sunni and Alawite gunmen loyal to different sides in the war in neighboring Syria, a military source said on Tuesday.

In the capital Beirut, tension eased after troops fanned out across the city to clear the streets of gunmen who had clashed on Sunday night.

The violence flared after the assassination of senior Lebanese security official Wissam al-Hassan, who was opposed to the Syrian leadership, in central Beirut on Friday.

The bombing and the ensuing clashes brought the civil war in Syria into the heart of Lebanon and triggered a political crisis, with the opposition demanding the resignation of the mostly pro-Damascus cabinet of Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

The fighting in Tripoli took place between the neighboring areas of Bab al-Tabbaneh, a Sunni Muslim stronghold, and Jebel Mohsen, an Alawite district.

Three Sunnis and one Alawite were killed and 15 people were wounded, a military medical source told Reuters. Residents said combatants traded machinegun-fire and rocket-propelled grenades.

On Tuesday morning, Tripoli's center was busy and traffic moved freely. Lebanese army soldiers kept watch in armored vehicles mounted with heavy machine guns. But shops close to the combat zone were shuttered.

A fruit market on the front line was closed and residents said they feared snipers. Teenagers in t-shirts with guns hid behind buildings to peek out up the hill into Jebel Mohsen.

Tripoli's Sunni Muslims support the Syrian rebels fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, who are mostly from Syria's Sunni majority.

Assad is a member of the Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam. He can count on the support of Hezbollah, a powerful Shi'ite Islamist armed group that is part of the Mikati government, as well as other Shi'ites and Alawites in Lebanon's complex sectarian and political mix.

BOUTS OF FIGHTING

The overnight violence in Tripoli - which has suffered previous bouts of fighting since the Syrian conflict started 19 months ago - brought the toll to at least 10 dead and 65 wounded since Friday.

Lebanon is still haunted by its 1975-1990 civil war, which made Beirut a byword for carnage and wrecked large parts of the city. Many Lebanese fear the Syrian war will propel their country back to those days, destroying their efforts to rebuild it as a center of trade, finance and tourism with a measure of democracy.

Opposition politicians have accused Syria of being behind Friday's killing of Brigadier General Hassan, who had worked to counter Syrian influence in Lebanon.

A Sunni Muslim, he helped to uncover a bomb plot that led to the arrest and indictment in August of a pro-Assad former Lebanese minister.

He also led an investigation that implicated Syria and Hezbollah in the 2005 assassination of Rafik al-Hariri, a former prime minister of Lebanon.

Mikati, who is also a Sunni Muslim, had personal ties to the Assad family before he became prime minister in January last year. His cabinet includes Hezbollah as well as Christian and other Shi'ite politicians close to Damascus.

He offered to resign at the weekend to make way for a government of national unity but President Michel Suleiman persuaded him to stay in office to allow time for talks on a way out of the political crisis.

If he were to stand down before an alternative was worked out, it would mean the collapse of the political compromise that has kept the peace in Lebanon.

Free Patriotic Movement parliamentarian Michel Aoun, a Christian politician and an ally of Hezbollah, said Lebanon could not live with such a power vacuum, and noted that formation of a government could take six months or more.

"What happened (Hassan's assassination) constitutes a security setback but if there was a vacuum, maybe the country would be in chaos," he told the Beirut Daily Star newspaper.

(Writing by Angus MacSwan; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

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Before Aarti could reach her house, Brijbhushan and Pooja leave for the music composer's house. Aarti gets injured while going after Brijbhushan's car. Brijbhushan surprises Pooja with marriage proposal at a temple. While Brijbhushan and Pooja tie the knot at the temple, Aarti suspects something inauspicious.

Sapno Ke Bhanwar Mein - 20th April 2012

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Lebanon army deploys in Beirut and Tripoli - BBC News [getdailynow.blogspot.com]

Lebanon army deploys in Beirut and Tripoli - BBC News [getdailynow.blogspot.com]

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23 October 2012 Last updated at 05:44 ET

The army has often been required to stand between Lebanon's diverse political and religious factions

The Lebanese army has deployed on the streets of Beirut and Tripoli in a bid to calm deadly tensions.

Several people were killed in gunfights between pro- and anti-Syrian factions in Tripoli on Monday after the death of a senior security official on Friday.

European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has been in Beirut for talks with President Michel Suleiman about the murder of Wissam al-Hassan.

She also met Prime Minister Najib Mikati in an apparent show of support.

Former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, a leader of the Western-backed 14 March opposition bloc, was also expected to meet the president later.

Over the weekend, Mr Suleiman rejected an offer of resignation from Mr Mikati - a Sunni Muslim who heads a cabinet dominated by the pro-Syrian Shia Islamist movement Hezbollah and its allies.

The decision prompted Mr Siniora to warn: "The Lebanese people won't accept, after today, the continuation of the government of assassination."

He made the remarks at the funeral of the security official killed on Friday, Gen Wissam al-Hassan, who had close links to the 14 March alliance and the family of its leader, former Prime Minister Saad Hariri. Opposition MPs were on Tuesday boycotting parliamentary sessions.

Resignation calls

On Monday, the army urged "all political leaders to be cautious when expressing their stances and opinions" and in attempting to mobilise public action "because the fate of the nation is at stake".

The army is a widely respected institution in Lebanon that has often been required to stand between the country's diverse political and religious factions.

The violence comes after the funeral of Gen Hassan - a Sunni and the head of the intelligence branch of the Internal Security Forces (ISF).

Continue reading the main story

Wissam al-Hassan

• Head of the intelligence branch of Lebanon's Internal Security Forces
• Sunni Muslim born in the northern city of Tripoli in 1965
• Responsible for the security of former PM Rafik Hariri
• Viewed as being close to the Hariris and the opposition 14 March coalition
• Responsible for the August arrest of pro-Syrian politician and ex-information minister Michel Samaha

• Profile: Wissam al-Hassan
• Press sees Syrian hand behind Beirut blast

He was an outspoken critic of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad - who is a member of the Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shia Islam - and was killed in a car bomb on Friday, along with his bodyguard and at least one other person.

Opposition figures blamed the attack on the Syrian government.

On Monday, dozens of people set up camp outside Mr Mikati's office, calling for his resignation.

Gen Hassan led an investigation into the assassination in 2005 of Mr Hariri's father, Rafik, which implicated Damascus.

He also organised the recent arrest of Michel Samaha, a former minister accused of planning a Syrian-sponsored bombing campaign in Lebanon.

Syrian troops withdrew from Lebanon in the wake of Rafik Hariri's murder, ending a 29-year military presence.

Thousands attended Gen Hassan's funeral on Sunday, which became a political rally against both Mr Mikati and Syria.

Police scuffled with a group of protesters who attempted to storm the prime minister's office, and overnight into Monday protesters set up road blocks in Beirut, prompting exchanges of gunfire.

Related Lebanon army deploys in Beirut and Tripoli - BBC News Articles

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Question by JoRdAn93: What does this mean "Your Mars Falls On Your Partner 8th House"? "Your Mars Falls On Your Partner 8th House" <--This is not mine by the way, Just an example~ How & where to find out something like this? Best answer for What does this mean "Your Mars Falls On Your Partner 8th House"?:

Answer by friend
Hello, It means that your mars is in 8th house from the ascendant (rising) of you partner. for example you mars is gemini then the rising of partner is acquires.this can be applicable from the position of moon also. This is useful in match making only.

Answer by Antares
Two possibilities: Mars is violence and partner's 8th is partner's death = Mars kills the partner. Or: Mars is irresponsible behavior partner's 8th is partner's money = Mars squanders partner's money. Be glad it isn't your 8th. ;-)

Answer by Sarah*
It means that there is probably a lot of sexual chemistry going on there. The two people were probably magnetically attracted to each other sexually. I'd say they were probably also sexually experimental and probably very lustful for each other. However, there might have been a dominance issue going on there with one of the people. There might have been fights regarding joint finances. A lot of sex, but fights over money.

[house]

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