Vertu Constellation packs gaudy brilliance, and we don't mean the AMOLED

Vertu's first foray into the heady modern world of touchscreen phones has arrived, and it still looks KIRF-ably premium. But what's surprising is that the Constellation's feature ensemble is actually half-decent -- at least relative to its predecessors. Wearing an exclusive 3.5-inch AMOLED screen coated entirely in sapphire crystal, the Constellation completes the look with a "ceramic pillow" (we'd call it an 'earpiece') and a black alligator skin back cover. Last seen skulking around Bluetooth product listings, it's now back in the public spotlight with a confirmed eight megapixel camera, flanked by a twin LED flash and HSPA+ connections. There's no word on what OS this starlet is working with, though it's likely to be Symbian -- appropriate for all those oil barons, F1 drivers and other anachronistic rich types who can (send staff to) pick up their new Vertu from stores now.

Vertu Constellation packs gaudy brilliance, and we don't mean the AMOLED originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 02:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/21/vertu-constellation-packs-gaudy-brilliance-and-we-dont-mean-th/

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Citigroup paying $285M to settle SEC fraud charges (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Citigroup has agreed to pay $285 million to settle civil fraud charges that it misled buyers of complex mortgage investments just as the housing market was starting to collapse.

The Securities and Exchange Commission said Wednesday that the big Wall Street bank bet against the deal in 2007 and made $160 million in fees and profits. Investors lost millions.

Citigroup neither admitted nor denied the SEC's allegations in the settlement.

"We are pleased to put this matter behind us and are focused on contributing to the economic recovery, serving our clients and growing responsibly," Citigroup said in a statement.

The penalty is the biggest involving a Wall Street firm accused of misleading investors before the financial crisis since Goldman Sachs & Co. paid $550 million to settle similar charges last year. JPMorgan Chase & Co. resolved similar charges in June and paid $153.6 million.

All the cases have involved complex investments called collateralized debt obligations. Those are securities that are backed by pools of other assets, such as mortgages.

Citigroup's payment includes the fees and profit it earned, plus $30 million in interest and a $95 million penalty. The money will be returned to the investors, the SEC said.

In the July-September quarter, Citigroup earned $3.8 billion. CEO Vikram Pandit this year was awarded a multi-year bonus package that could be worth nearly $23.4 million if performance goals are met.

At the height of the financial crisis in 2008, regulators worried that Citigroup was on the brink of failure. It received $45 billion as part of the $700 billion government bailout.

In the civil lawsuit filed Wednesday, the SEC said Citigroup traders discussed in late 2006 the possibility of buying financial instruments to essentially bet on the failure of the mortgage assets being assembled in the deal.

Rating agencies downgraded most of the investments that Citigroup had bundled together just as many troubled homeowners stopped paying their mortgages in late 2007. That pushed the investment into default and cost its buyers' ? hedge funds and investment managers ? several hundred million dollars in losses.

Among the biggest losers were Ambac, a bond insurer, and BNP Paribas, a European bank. Ambac had sold Citigroup protection against losses on the investment, allowing Citigroup to bet against it.

Hedge funds had asked Citigroup to sell them investments that would decline if the housing market crashed. Citigroup did so, and wanted to get in on the action, the SEC said.

Citigroup bet that the investments would fail, but never told investors it had done so, SEC enforcement chief Robert Khuzami said in a conference call.

"Key facts regarding how the structure was put together were not made available to (investors), and they suffered losses as a result," he said.

Even though Citigroup designed the investment to fail, it told investors it had been designed by an independent manager, the SEC said. Citigroup's marketing materials said the investments were picked by Credit Suisse. In an email about the deal, one Citigroup banker asked another not to tell Credit Suisse that it was designed for Citigroup to profit.

Credit Suisse "agreed to the terms even though they don't get to pick the assets," the email said, according to the SEC's complaint.

Credit Suisse also reached a settlement with the SEC. Two divisions of the bank agreed to pay a $1.25 million civil fine. It will also return $1 million in fees and pay $250,000 in interest. They didn't admit or deny the charges.

Credit Suisse declined to comment on the settlement.

The SEC also filed charges against Brian Stoker, a Citigroup employee it said was mainly responsible for putting together the deal. Stoker will contest the charges, according to a statement released by his lawyer.

___

AP Business Writer Pallavi Gogoi in New York contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/stocks/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111019/ap_on_bi_ge/us_sec_citigroup

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Top cable programs for Oct. 10-16 (AP)

Rankings for the top 15 programs on cable networks as compiled by Nielsen for the week of Oct. 10-16. Day and start time (EDT) are in parentheses:

1. NFL Football: Miami at N.Y. Jets (Monday, 8:30 p.m.), 11.76 million homes, 16.37 million viewers.

2. "Jersey Shore" (Thursday, 10 p.m.), MTV, 4.68 million homes, 6.47 million viewers.

3. "Walking Dead" (Sunday, 9 p.m.), AMC, 4.54 million homes, 7.25 million viewers.

4. MLB National League Championship Series: Milwaukee at St. Louis (Thursday, 7:57 p.m.), TBS, 4.26 million homes, 5.65 million viewers.

5. MLB National League Championship Series: St. Louis at Milwaukee (Sunday, 7:57 p.m.), TBS, 4.12 million homes, 5.93 million viewers.

6. MLB National League Championship Series: Milwaukee at St. Louis (Friday, 7:57 p.m.), TNT, 3.9 million homes, 5.46 million viewers.

7. College Football: Michigan at Michigan St. (Saturday, 12:01 p.m.), ESPN, 3.76 million homes, 4.77 million viewers.

8. "Sportscenter" (Monday, 11:49 p.m.), ESPN, 3.7 million homes, 4.65 million viewers.

9. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 9 p.m.), USA, 3.46 million homes, 5.37 million viewers.

10. MLB National League Championship Series: Milwaukee at St. Louis (Wednesday, 7:59 p.m.), TBS, 3.17 million homes, 4.28 million viewers.

11. "NCIS" (Wednesday, 8 p.m.), USA, 3.12 million homes, 4.25 million viewers.

12. "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" (Monday, 9 p.m.), E! Entertainment, 3 million homes, 3.97 million viewers.

13. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 10 p.m.), USA, 2.99 million homes, 4.66 million viewers.

14. College Football: Arizona at Oregon (Saturday, 10:26 p.m.), ESPN, 2.86 million homes, 3.86 million viewers.

15. "Real Housewives of New Jersey" (Sunday, 10 p.m.), Bravo, 2.8 million homes, 3.44 million viewers.

___

USA, Bravo and E! Entertainment are owned by Comcast's NBCUniversal. TBS is owned by Time Warner Inc. ESPN is owned by the Walt Disney Co. MTV is owned by Viacom. AMC is owned by Cablevision Systems Corp.

___

Online:

http://www.nielsen.com/

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tv/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111020/ap_en_tv/cable_nielsens

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Israeli soldier emerges from 5 years of captivity (AP)

MITZPE HILA, Israel ? Gaunt and pale, Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit returned home Tuesday after more than five years in captivity, freed in a lopsided exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners that could greatly complicate Mideast peace prospects and strengthen the Islamic militant Hamas.

The swap set off massive celebrations in Israel and the Palestinian territories, where crowds in Gaza called for more kidnappings of soldiers, chanting: "The people want a new Gilad!"

The 25-year-old Schalit's poor condition, a jarring appearance by masked Hamas men during his release and the prospects of a strengthened Hamas bode poorly for future relations between Israel and the Palestinians.

By winning the release of hundreds of militants accused in notorious suicide bombings of the Palestinian uprising a decade ago, Hamas reinforced its message that Palestinian goals are advanced most effectively through violent struggle, and not the moderate approach of diplomacy favored by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

"Israel was forced to pay the price," Hamas' supreme leader, Khaled Mashaal, boasted in a meeting in Egypt, where he greeted 40 freed prisoners who were immediately sent into exile under the terms of their release.

To Israelis, the return of a young man whose plight had become a national obsession brought a welcome lift. But for many, especially the family of victims who had lost relatives in Palestinian violence, it carried a bitter taste of justice denied.

After being hidden from public view since his capture five and half years ago, Schalit ? the first captive Israeli soldier to return home alive in a generation ? was whisked early Tuesday across Gaza's border by a group of armed Hamas militants.

A brief video released by Egyptian TV showed the young sergeant wearing a baseball cap and gray shirt, surrounded by Gaza militants with black face masks and green headbands who then handed him over to Egyptian mediators.

Before he was turned over to Israeli officials, Schalit spoke to Egyptian TV in an interview while masked militants milled around and Hamas' No. 2 leader, Musa Abu Marzouk, hovered nearby.

Israeli officials called the interview "shocking."

Looking wan and uncomfortable, Schalit appeared to struggle to speak at times, and his breathing was noticeably labored as he answered questions asked through an interpreter.

Stumbling over his words, he spoke in Hebrew of missing his family and friends, said he feared he would remain in captivity "many more years" and worried that the deal might fall through after learning about it last week.

At times, the questions seemed awkward and even inappropriate.

Noting that more than 4,000 Palestinians are still imprisoned in Israel, the interviewer asked: "Will you help campaign for their release?"

After a long pause, Shalit replied: "I would be really happy that (Palestinian prisoners) are freed, but they shouldn't go back to fighting Israel." Then he added: "I really hope that this deal advances peace and not more military conflicts and wars between Israel and the Palestinians."

Later, video released by the Israeli military showed Schalit being helped into a military vehicle for the crossing into Israel, then limping as he left a building after changing into a fresh army uniform with the newly promoted rank of sergeant first class.

Military officials said a physical exam had found him to be in "good" condition, though he showed signs of malnutrition; his father later said his son was suffering from shrapnel wounds apparently sustained during his capture as well as psychological scars.

In Schalit's hometown, the tiny village of Mitzpe Hila in northern Israel, thousands of people filled streets and rooftops to welcome him home, waving flags, uncorking champagne, singing and dancing.

"This is so exciting it warms the heart. No one could imagine such a happy ending," said Atalia Rosenfeld, a well-wisher. "It reinforces my faith in this country."

Schalit was captured by Hamas-linked militants in a cross-border raid in June 2006, then dragged to the Gaza Strip. He was kept in isolation, barred from having visitors and seen only once, in a scripted video released by his captors two years ago to prove he was alive.

Israeli pressure, including an economic blockade and a fierce military offensive in the weeks after his capture, failed to win his release.

Under Tuesday's agreement, Israel exchanged 477 prisoners ? most of them serving life sentences for involvement in deadly attacks on Israelis. A second batch of 550 prisoners is to be released in two months.

In Mitzpe Hila, Schalit, who arrived on board a military helicopter, smiled and waved briefly to the crowd before ducking into his family's house.

Addressing the crowd, Schalit's father, Noam, thanked the Israeli public for years of support and said his son was healthy overall, but would need to recover from psychological and physical wounds.

"Naturally he can't be exposed to so many people because he was in isolation so many days and years and couldn't interact with people in his language, and all he could do was communicate with his abductors and guards," he said.

He said his son hadn't said much about his captivity, only that his treatment was poor at the beginning but improved in recent years, including sporadic access to radio and television.

The elder Schalit has become a ubiquitous figure in Israel since his son's capture, leading a highly visible campaign to keep the issue on the agenda. In the summer of 2010, he led days of nationwide marches calling on the government to press for his release, and for years he maintained a protest tent outside the prime minister's residence in Jerusalem.

The United States awkwardly welcomed Tuesday's release, with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton saying the U.S. was pleased that Schalit's ordeal was over and that "he was held for far too long in captivity."

But Clinton and other U.S. officials avoided specifically addressing Hamas' part in the agreement or the merit of Israel's decision to free more than 1,000 Palestinians to secure Schalit's release.

The sense of joy upon Schalit's return was palpable throughout Israel, where military service is mandatory and the captive soldier had been collectively adopted as a national son. The country's media covered the event with special broadcasts throughout the day, and Israel's prime minister, defense minister and army chief lined up to hug Schalit upon his arrival at an air base.

But the joy was tempered by the knowledge that hundreds of militants responsible for deadly attacks during the second Palestinian intifadah last decade were walking free.

Among them were the mastermind of a 2002 Passover suicide bombing that killed 30 people in a hotel, and a woman who lured a lovelorn Israeli teenager over the Internet to come to the West Bank, only to have him killed by waiting militants.

After meeting with Schalit, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he understood the pain of Israeli families who have lost relatives in Palestinian attacks, but that Israel's history of doing everything possible to bring its soldiers home safely compelled him to act.

Israel has a long history of numerically uneven exchanges, though Tuesday's swap was the most lopsided and the first time since 1985 that it has brought home a soldier who was still alive.

The unequal terms of Tuesday's exchange only underscored the sense of a victory for the Iran-backed militant Hamas, which has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007 and continues to be dedicated to Israel's destruction.

Those concerns were underscored by the celebrations in the Palestinian areas, where both prisoners and demonstrators called for more soldier kidnappings to bring home prisoners who remain in Israel.

"My happiness is indescribable," said Azhar Abu Jawad, who was celebrating the return of a brother who had been sentenced to life for killing an Israeli in 1992.

"We'll get him a bride and everything. I just spoke to him. He's so happy. This is a reminder God doesn't forget anyone," she said.

Some observers had hoped that in striking the deal, Hamas and Israel might have somehow gotten past the mutual hatred, perhaps setting the stage for an easing of Israel's blockade of Gaza or even an inclusion of Hamas in peace talks.

But Israel denied any easing would come, and Hamas officials stressed their interest in seizing more Israeli soldiers to trade for the thousands of Palestinians that remain behind Israeli bars.

In the West Bank, where he leads a rival government, Abbas addressed a crowd of several thousand, including released prisoners and their relatives. In an attempt at unity, he shared a stage with three Hamas leaders.

Still, Abbas is likely to suffer politically as a result of the swap, the most significant for the Palestinians in nearly three decades. With peace talks stalled for the past three years, Abbas is in the midst of a unilateral bid at the U.N. to win recognition of an independent state. Weakened by the prisoner swap, he now seems even less likely to return to negotiations unless they are accompanied by major concessions by Israel.

___

Ibrahim Barzak and Diaa Hadid in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank, Tia Goldenberg in Jerusalem and Daniella Cheslow at Tel Nof Air Base, Israel, contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111019/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians

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Santorum says Cain misleads voters on abortion (AP)

CONCORD, N.H. ? Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum pounced on rival Herman Cain's position on abortion Thursday, saying it mirrors the views of abortion-rights supporters and shows that Cain is not a true conservative.

In an interview Wednesday with CNN, Cain said he believes life begins at conception. "And abortion under no circumstances," he added. But Cain also said "it's not the government's role or anybody else's role to make that decision," according to a CNN transcript.

Asked whether his personal views would become a "directive to the nation," should he become president, Cain said they wouldn't.

"I can have an opinion on an issue without it being a directive on the nation," he said. "The government shouldn't be trying to tell people everything to do, especially when it comes to social decisions that they need to make."

Campaigning in New Hampshire on Thursday, Santorum accused Cain of misleading voters about his conservative credentials.

"It's basically the position that just about every pro-choice politician has in America," Santorum told The Associated Press. "I don't know too many pro-choice politicians who are for abortion, who want more abortions ... but they say the decision is a choice the government shouldn't be involved in."

Santorum added: "That is Herman Cain's position, which does not make him pro-life. That is the quintessential pro-choice position on abortion."

Santorum said Cain's comments are further proof that Cain hasn't been tested as a candidate.

"This is what you get when folks haven't run for office before ? you get someone who says what he is personally, and no one .... asks the question of whether it applies to his public policy," Santorum said. "And obviously it does not."

A spokesman for Cain's campaign did not respond to a phone message.

Santorum, a former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania, has been campaigning aggressively in early voting Iowa, where he gets high marks from conservative activists but registers little support in public polls. Cain, meanwhile, has been rising in the polls, both in New Hampshire and nationally.

Santorum kept up his criticism of Cain later Thursday, when he filed paperwork with the New Hampshire secretary of state's office to get on the ballot for the yet-to-be scheduled presidential primary. Cain did not file in person; he had a staffer sign him up earlier Thursday.

"I'm not selling any books today," Santorum said, referring to a book tour Cain recently launched that fueled speculation that he was more interested in profiting from his growing national profile than winning the election.

Santorum said it's possible "viral candidates and virtual candidates" can win but that he believes retail politics, particularly in the early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire, still matter.

"Had Herman been up here doing town hall meetings for a few months we'd know a lot more about him than we do now," he said. "You may not agree with the positions I hold, but you know the positions I hold. And they're very clear, and they're very consistent."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111020/ap_on_el_pr/us_santorum_cain_abortion

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Last preparations for Israel-Hamas prisoner swap (AP)

JERUSALEM ? Israeli officials say the last preparations have been made for a prisoner swap in which hundreds of Palestinians are to be traded for an Israeli soldier held in Gaza for more than five years.

Israel Prisons Service spokesman Sivan Weizman says hundreds of prisoners have been transported to the locations where they will be released early Tuesday.

After the first Palestinians are freed, Hamas militants in Gaza are supposed to release Sgt. Gilad Schalit, a tank crewman captured in 2006.

Schalit will first cross into Egypt and will then cross into Israel.

Israel is slated to free 477 prisoners Tuesday and another 550 in two months.

The campaign to free Schalit made him a national symbol in Israel, and all local radio and TV stations held special live broadcasts Tuesday.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111018/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians

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Ayan to shoot his next film in Kashmir

Impressed by the mighty mountains, lush greenery and abundance of beauty in Kashmir, Ayan Mukherji has decided to shoot his next film starring Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone in the picturesque valley of Kashmir. The young director who visited the place on a vacation with friends was left mesmerized by its beauty. He immediately decided [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/newslatest/~3/0zT9LL-3c1I/2756.html

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Turkey launches incursion into Iraq

In this Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011 photo provided by the Presidential Press Service, Turkish President Abdullah Gul listens to an officer in a military post in Hakkari, Turkey as he visits Turkish troops at the border with Iraq. Gul and top army commanders visited troops Friday and Saturday the day after Turkey's foreign minister that Iraq should move to prevent Kurdish attacks on his country from Iraqi soil as the two countries renewed their commitment to fight the rebels. (AP Photo/Murat Cetinmuhurdar, Presidential Press Service)

In this Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011 photo provided by the Presidential Press Service, Turkish President Abdullah Gul listens to an officer in a military post in Hakkari, Turkey as he visits Turkish troops at the border with Iraq. Gul and top army commanders visited troops Friday and Saturday the day after Turkey's foreign minister that Iraq should move to prevent Kurdish attacks on his country from Iraqi soil as the two countries renewed their commitment to fight the rebels. (AP Photo/Murat Cetinmuhurdar, Presidential Press Service)

In this Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011 photo provided by the Presidential Press Service, Turkish President Abdullah Gul, second left, and Chief of Staff Gen. Necdet Ozel, second right, listen to officers in a military post in Hakkari, Turkey as they visit Turkish troops at the border with Iraq. Gul and top army commanders visited troops Friday and Saturday the day after Turkey's foreign minister that Iraq should move to prevent Kurdish attacks on his country from Iraqi soil as the two countries renewed their commitment to fight the rebels. (AP Photo/Murat Cetinmuhurdar, Presidential Press Service)

In this Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011 photo provided by the Presidential Press Service, Turkish President Abdullah Gul speaks with soldiers in a military post in Hakkari, Turkey as he visits Turkish troops at the border with Iraq. Gul and top army commanders visited troops Friday and Saturday the day after Turkey's foreign minister that Iraq should move to prevent Kurdish attacks on his country from Iraqi soil as the two countries renewed their commitment to fight the rebels. (AP Photo/Murat Cetinmuhurdar, Presidential Press Service)

In this Oct. 15, 2011 photo, released by the Turkish Presidency Press Service, military helicopters are seen at a military base in Hakkari province near the border with Iraq where Kurdish rebels killed 24 soldiers and injured 18 others early Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011. Wednesday's attack sparked public outrage in Turkey and Turkish soldiers, air force bombers and helicopter gunships reportedly launched an incursion into Iraq on Wednesday, hours after Kurdish rebels killed 24 soldiers and wounded 18 others in multiple attacks along the border.(AP Photo/Murat Cetinmuhurdar, Presidential Press Service, Ho) EDITORIAL USE ONLY

A group of angry Turks protest the killings of 24 Turkish soldiers, outside the office of the prime minister in Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011. Wednesday's attack sparked public outrage in Turkey and Turkish soldiers, air force bombers and helicopter gunships reportedly launched an incursion into Iraq on Wednesday, hours after Kurdish rebels killed 26 soldiers and wounded 22 others in multiple attacks along the border.(AP Photo)

(AP) ? Turkish soldiers, air force bombers and helicopter gunships launched an incursion into northern Iraq on Wednesday, hours after Kurdish rebels killed 24 soldiers and wounded 18 in attacks along the border.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan canceled a visit to Kazakhstan and held a nationally televised news conference to announce that Turkey had launched the "hot pursuit" operation, wording that officials often use to describe cross-border offensives in northern Iraq.

"We will never bow to any attack from inside or outside Turkey," he said.

Turkey's chief of the military and the interior and defense ministers rushed to the border area to oversee the anti-rebel attacks, and the United States and NATO both issued statements supporting the offensive, the largest in more than three years.

NTV television said Turkish troops have gone some 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) into Iraq and that helicopters were ferrying commandos across the border. Dogan news agency said more than 20 Kurdish rebels were killed in ensuing clashes, but did not provide a breakdown. Neither report identified its sources.

The incursion appeared to be limited in scope. Turkey last staged a major ground offensive against Iraq in early 2008.

Wednesday's offensive began hours after the rebels, who are fighting for autonomy in Turkey's southeast, staged simultaneous attacks on military outposts and police stations near the border towns of Cukurca and Yuksekova.

The Interior Ministry first said 26 soldiers were killed and 22 wounded, but Erdogan corrected those figures to 24 dead and 18 wounded, without explaining the discrepancy. It was the deadliest Kurdish rebel attack against Turkey's military since the 1990s. Dogan news agency said about 200 Kurdish rebels were believed to have launched Wednesday's attacks.

Kurdish rebel group the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, said fighting was taking place in two separate areas close to the mountainous Iraqi-Turkish border. "We have been clashing with the Turkish forces in two areas since around 3 a.m. today," Dostdar Hamo, a spokesman for the rebel group in northern Iraq, told The Associated Press by telephone.

In Baghdad, an Iraqi government spokesman was not immediately available for comment.

Turkey asked Iraq last week to move against rebel bases in northern Iraq, saying "its "patience is running out" in the face of rebel attacks directed at Turkey from Iraqi soil.

"No one should forget that those who make us suffer this pain will be made to suffer even stronger," President Abdullah Gul told reporters Wednesday. "They will see that the vengeance for these attacks will be immense and many times stronger."

The Peace and Democracy Party, a pro-Kurdish party accused by authorities of links to the Kurdish rebels, urged both sides to end the fighting, saying peace is urgently needed.

But Turkish warplanes and artillery units, positioned just inside Turkey, struck at the Kurdish rebel bases across the border in response, NTV said.

The rebels have lately intensified their attacks in the country's Kurdish-dominated southeast, killing dozens of members of the country's security force and at least 18 civilians since mid-July.

On Tuesday, a roadside bomb blast killed five policemen and three civilians, including a 4-year-old girl. Wednesday's rebel attack sparked public outrage, with many people hanging red and white Turkish flags out of windows and balconies in Ankara, the Turkish capital.

A group of angry Turkish veterans of the 27-year-old Kurdish conflict attempted to storm the prime minister's office, shouting "Martyrs never die!"

The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people since 1984 as Kurdish politicians push for greater cultural and political rights for Kurds, who make up around 20 percent of Turkey's 74 million people. The Kurdish demands include the right to education in the mother tongue, but the Turkish government fears could deepen the country's ethnic divide.

The government has taken steps toward wider Kurdish-language education by allowing Kurdish-language institutes and private Kurdish courses as well as Kurdish television broadcasts. But it won't permit lower-level education in Kurdish.

The European Union, which Turkey is striving to join, has pushed the Turkish government to grant more rights to the Kurds. But EU countries also have urged Kurdish lawmakers to distance themselves from the PKK, which is considered a terrorist group by the United States and the EU.

"The United States strongly condemns this morning's outrageous terrorist attack against Turkey, one of our closest and strongest allies," President Barack Obama said in a statement released by the White House. "The United States will continue our strong cooperation with the Turkish government as it works to defeat the terrorist threat from the PKK and to bring peace, stability and prosperity to all the people of southeast Turkey."

The U.S. shares drone surveillance data with Turkey to aid its fight against the Kurdish rebels and is engaged in talks with Turkey for possible deployment of Predator drones on Turkish soil after U.S. forces leave Iraq, according to the Turkish government.

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen also criticized the Kurdish rebel violence.

"On behalf of NATO, I condemn in the strongest possible terms the recent attacks in southeastern Turkey, which killed and injured several Turkish soldiers, policemen and civilians, including a child," Rasmussen said in a statement.

Erdogan said Turkey is expecting "active cooperation" from the international community in its fight against the rebels.

____

Associated Press writer Deb Riechmann in Kabul, Afghanistan, and Yahya Barzanji in Sulaimaniyah, Iraq, contributed.

___

Online: AP Video on YouTube: http://youtu.be/gVSGk5Pj5m0

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-10-19-EU-Turkey-Kurds/id-6df5a05354b74978aa634ad9d23dd536

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Tips and tricks to cure a cold (Y! Green)

Each year Americans catch more than one billion colds, making the cold virus the most common infectious disease in the United States.

It accounts for more school absences and missed work than any other illness, and it?s the number one reason people visit their physicians ? even though most physicians have little to offer in the form of treatment.

It?s a widespread misconception that colds are caused by bacteria. Colds are actually triggered by a virus, which means if your physician prescribes you an antibiotic, it will be absolutely useless.

More on this shortly, but before I delve into simple prevention and treatment strategies it?s important you know how colds are contracted in the first place.

How Do You Catch a Cold?

The most common way cold viruses are spread is not from being around coughing or sneezing, or walking barefoot in the rain, but rather from hand-to-hand contact. For instance, someone with a cold blows their nose then shakes your hand or touches surfaces that you also touch.

Cold viruses can live on pens, computer keyboards, coffee mugs and other objects for hours, so it?s easy to come into contact with such viruses during daily life.

However, the key to remember is that just being exposed to a cold virus does not have to mean that you?ll catch a cold. If your immune system is operating at its peak, it should actually be quite easy for you to fend off the virus without ever getting sick.

If your immune system is impaired, on the other hand, it?s akin to having an open-door policy for viruses; they?ll easily take hold in your body. So the simple and short answer is you catch a cold due to impairment in your immune system. There are many ways this can result, but the more common contributing factors are:

  1. 1. Eating too much sugar and too many grains
  2. Not getting enough rest
  3. Using insufficient strategies to address emotional stressors in your life
  4. Vitamin D deficiency, as discussed below
  5. Any combination of the above
[ How to Stop a Cold ]

Vitamin D Deficiency: Another Reason You May ?Catch? a Cold

It?s estimated that the average U.S. adult typically has two to four colds each year, while children may have up to 12! One reason for the widespread prevalence may be that vitamin D deficiency is incredibly common in the United States, especially during the winter months when cold (and flu) viruses are at their peak.

Research has confirmed that ?catching? colds and flu may actually be a symptom of an underlying vitamin D deficiency. Less than optimal vitamin D levels will significantly impair your immune response and make you far more susceptible to contracting colds, influenza, and other respiratory infections.

In the largest and most nationally representative study of its kind to date, involving about 19,000 Americans, people with the lowest vitamin D levels reported having significantly more recent colds or cases of the flu ? and the risk was even greater for those with chronic respiratory disorders like asthma.

At least five additional studies also show an inverse association between lower respiratory tract infections and vitamin D levels, and you can read about them in detail here. But the research is very clear, the higher your vitamin D level, the lower your risk of contracting colds, flu, and other respiratory tract infections.

It?s not surprising, then, that the average American gets so many colds each year, as current guidelines for optimal intake and normal vitamin D levels are far too low ? and since most people do not get adequate sun exposure on a daily basis (which is what produces vitamin D in your skin) many are deficient. I strongly believe you could avoid colds and influenza entirely by maintaining your vitamin D level in the optimal range.

[ Shining Light on Vitamin D ]

How Long Do Colds Last ? and How Can You Make Your Cold Go Away Faster?

Most uncomplicated colds last between eight and nine days, but about 25 percent last two weeks, and 5-10 percent last three weeks. Even the most stubborn colds will typically resolve in a few weeks? time; this is actually one of the ways you can distinguish a cold from allergies.

A cold will last, at most, a few weeks, but allergy symptoms can last all season.

How quickly you bounce back is typically defined by you and your collective lifestyle habits ? and this does not mean popping over-the-counter cough and cold remedies or fever reducers. In fact, as long as your temperature remains below 102 degrees Fahrenheit (38.9 degrees Celsius) there is no need to lower it.

Cold viruses do not reproduce at higher body temperatures, so a slight fever should help you get rid of the virus quicker and help you to feel better much sooner.

You should avoid taking over-the-counter pain-relief medications as well, as a study showed that people who take aspirin and Tylenol (acetaminophen) suppress their body?s ability to produce antibodies to destroy the cold virus. Aspirin has even been linked to lung complications including pulmonary edema, an abnormal build-up of fluid in your lungs, when taken in excess.

You should only use these medications when absolutely necessary, such as if you have a temperature greater than 105 degrees F (40.5 degrees C), severe muscle aches or weakness.

Hydrogen Peroxide: A Simple Trick to Beat a Cold

I don?t advise over-the-counter medications, but one simple treatment you can try that is surprisingly effective against upper respiratory infections is hydrogen peroxide.

Many patients at my Natural Health Center have had remarkable results in curing colds and flu within 12 to 14 hours when administering a few drops of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) into each ear. You will hear some bubbling, which is completely normal, and possibly feel a slight stinging sensation.

Wait until the bubbling and stinging subside (usually 5 to 10 minutes), then drain onto a tissue and repeat with the other ear. A bottle of hydrogen peroxide in 3 percent solution is available at any drug store for a couple of dollars or less. It is simply amazing how many people respond to this simple, inexpensive treatment.

[ Confessions of a Neti Pot Convert ]

So What Else Can You Do to Recover From a Cold, Quicker ? and Prevent One in the First Place?

As I said above, the number one way to conquer a cold (or flu) is vitamin D. Vitamin D is an amazingly effective antimicrobial agent, producing 200 to 300 different antimicrobial peptides in your body that kill bacteria, viruses and fungi. So optimizing your levels will not only help send a cold virus packing ? it will help ward off cold viruses in the first place.

The best source for vitamin D is direct sun exposure. But for many of us, this just isn?t practical during the winter. If neither natural nor artificial sunlight is an option, then using oral vitamin D3 supplements is your best bet.

Based on the latest research, many experts now agree you need about 35 IU?s of vitamin D per pound of body weight. This recommendation also includes children, the elderly and pregnant women.

However, keep in mind that vitamin D requirements are highly individual, as your vitamin D status is dependent on numerous factors, such as the color of your skin, your location, and how much sunshine you?re exposed to on a regular basis. So, although these recommendations may put you closer to the ballpark of what most people likely need, it is simply impossible to make a blanket recommendation that will cover everyone?s needs.

The only way to determine your optimal dose is to get your blood tested. Ideally, you?ll want to maintain a vitamin D level of 50-65 ng/ml year-round.

For an in-depth explanation of everything you need to know before you get tested, please read my latest updates in Test Values and Treatment for Vitamin D Deficiency.

Dietary Strategies to Kick a Cold

If you feel yourself coming down with a cold or flu, this is NOT the time to be eating ANY sugar, artificial sweeteners or processed foods. Sugar is particularly damaging to your immune system ? which needs to be ramped up, not suppressed, in order to combat an emerging infection.

So if you are fighting a cold, you?ll want to avoid all sugar like the plague, and this includes sugar in the form of fruit juice and even grains (which break down as sugar in your body).

Ideally, you must address nutrition, sleep, exercise and stress issues the moment you first feel yourself getting a bug. This is when immune-enhancing strategies will be most effective.

So when you?re coming down with a cold, it?s time to address ALL of the contributing factors immediately, which includes tweaking your diet in favor of foods that will strengthen your immune response. Good choices include:

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/science/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ygreen/20111018/sc_ygreen/tipsandtrickstocureacold

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Audyssey's Lower East Side Audio Dock Air: square to be cool

Not enamored by any upcoming AirPlay-enabled HiFi systems? Audyssey's curiously square Lower East Side Audio Dock Air could be worth a shot. This is the second wireless speaker from the company, which last year used its audio know-how for the South of Market Bluetooth Dock. The LESADA's light on features, but utilizes "Smart Speaker technology" to offer what Audyssey claims is best-in-class audio quality. The unit itself is loaded with two 1-inch tweeters, a duo of 3-inch midrange drivers and two thumping 4-inch passive bass radiators. Up top there's a single volume wheel, while on the front and back you'll find a headphone jack and a 3.5mm input (if you'd prefer the vintage experience of plugging in). The Lower East Side Audio Dock Air -- in all its cubey goodness -- is slated to hit shelves in November for about $400. Full PR past the break.

Continue reading Audyssey's Lower East Side Audio Dock Air: square to be cool

Audyssey's Lower East Side Audio Dock Air: square to be cool originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Oct 2011 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/19/audysseys-lower-east-side-audio-dock-air-square-to-be-cool/

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