US military chief holds talks in Israel on Iran (AP)

JERUSALEM ? The U.S. military's top general conducted an intense string of closed talks with Israeli leaders Friday, amid apparent disagreements between the two countries over how to respond to Iran's nuclear program.

The chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, and Israeli leaders kept silent about the exact content of their discussions. Dempsey was expected to urge Israel not to rush to attack Iran at a time when the U.S. is trying to rally additional global support to pressure Tehran through sanctions to dial back its nuclear development program.

Dempsey met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been warning about the dangers of the Iranian nuclear program for more than a decade. No details of their talks were released.

At the start of a meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Dempsey said the U.S. and Israel "have many interests in common in the region in this very dynamic time, and the more we can continue to engage each other, the better off we'll all be."

"There is never a dull moment, that I can promise you," Barak replied, in comments released by Barak's office.

Israel believes Iran is close to completing the technology to produce an atomic weapon. Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

Israel has said it prefers employing international diplomacy to solve the problem, but Israel has not taken the option of a military strike off the table.

Israel considers Iran an existential threat because of its nuclear program, missile development, support of radical anti-Israel forces in Lebanon and Gaza and frequent references by its president to the destruction of Israel.

In an interview published Friday in the Israeli daily Maariv, Israel's recently retired military intelligence chief. Amos Yadlin, said the U.S. and Israel now agree that Iran is deliberately working slowly toward nuclear weapons, to minimize international diplomatic pressure and sanctions.

The U.S. and Israel differ about what would be considered unacceptable Iranian behavior that would require a military strike, the former chief claimed.

"While Israel defines the red line as Iran's ability and potential for a breakthrough, the Americans draw the red line a lot farther away," Yadlin said. He stepped down as intelligence chief in late 2010.

He said the Iranian nuclear program was Israel's "only existential threat," noting that in addition to the possibility of a nuclear attack from Iran, its possession of nuclear weapons would spark a regional arms race.

"In that situation, in a nuclear neighborhood, the chance grows that a nuclear weapon could slip into the hands of terrorists," Yadlin said.

Gen. Dempsey also met with Israel's military chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, and President Shimon Peres.

"I am sure that in this fight (against Iran) we will emerge victorious," Peres said to Dempsey, in comments provided by the president's office. He called Iran a "center of world terror."

Dempsey told reporters he "couldn't agree more" with Peres' "characterization of the common challenge we face."

In between the meetings, Dempsey visited Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust memorial and museum. He wrote in its guest book, "We are committed to ensuring that such a human tragedy (as the Holocaust) never happens again." He added, "God bless the victims and protect Israel."

Six million Jews were killed by Adolf Hitler's German Nazis and their collaborators during World War II.

In the past, Netanyahu has sharply criticized Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's denial of the Holocaust and has drawn parallels between the world's treatment of Iran today and its failure to act against Hitler in time to save European Jewry.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iran/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120120/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_us

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NW storm cuts power, thousands try to stay warm

A U.S. flag is shown encrusted with ice, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012, near Lacey, Wash. Heavy layers of ice brought down trees and power lines across the Northwest Friday, following two days of snow and ice storms. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

A U.S. flag is shown encrusted with ice, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012, near Lacey, Wash. Heavy layers of ice brought down trees and power lines across the Northwest Friday, following two days of snow and ice storms. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

A tree branch that feel as a result of a heavy coating of ice is shown resting on a house, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012, near Lakewood, Wash. Heavy layers of ice brought down trees and power lines across the Northwest Friday, following two days of snow and ice storms. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

A deep snow pile made things a bit challenging for an Intercity Transit rider while boarding the bus on Friday, Jan. 20,2012 in Olympia, Wash. Thick ice brought down trees and power lines in the region overnight, following two days of snow and ice storms. A powerful Pacific Northwest storm knocked out power to about 250,000 electric customers around Seattle, Tacoma and Olympia after it coated much of Washington in ice and swelled Oregon rivers, killing a child and two adults. Besides the outages, the big concern now is more flooding in both states with warmer temperatures and rain. (AP Photo/The Olympian, Steve Bloom)

A truck drives past downed trees and low-hanging power lines, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012, near Lacey, Wash. Heavy layers of ice brought down trees and power lines across the Northwest Friday, following two days of snow and ice storms. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Vehicles drive past downed trees and low-hanging power lines, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012, near Lakewood, Wash. Heavy layers of ice brought down trees and power lines across the Northwest Friday, following two days of snow and ice storms. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

(AP) ? Tens of thousands of Pacific Northwest residents faced the prospect of a chilly weekend after a powerful storm brought snow and ice and left a tangle of fallen trees and damaged power lines. Several Oregon counties saw their worst flooding in more than a decade.

The National Weather Service forecast more rain and winds gusting as high as 40 mph Saturday in Western Washington, a combination that could bring down even more snow-laden and ice-damaged trees.

Nearly 230,000 customers were without power late Friday night in Western Washington, about 220,000 of them Puget Sound Energy customers.

The utility has brought in repair crews from across the West and planned to field more than 800 linemen on Saturday, in addition to tree-trimming crews, spokesman Roger Thompson said.

"The wind is a wild card that could set us back," he said, adding PSE hoped to have the majority of the outages restored by Sunday, although some customers will probably be without power into early next week.

The Weather Service predicted weekend lows in the mid-30s.

Several warming shelters have been opened in the area to aid people whose homes are without heat.

Despite warnings from emergency officials, the first cases of possible carbon monoxide poisoning surfaced Friday night. Two families in the Seattle suburb of Kent were taken to hospitals after suffering separate cases of possible poisoning. Both had been using charcoal barbecues indoors for heat.

The storm was already blamed for three deaths. A mother and her 1-year-old son died after torrential rain on Wednesday swept away a car from an Albany, Ore., grocery store parking lot. An elderly man was fatally injured Thursday by a falling tree as he was backing an all-terrain vehicle out of a backyard shed near Seattle.

On Washington's Mount Rainier, a blizzard kept rescuers from searching Friday for two campers and two climbers missing since early this week. Just east of that region, about 200 skiers and workers were able to leave the Crystal Mountain ski resort after transportation officials reopened the area's main highway, closed two days earlier by fallen trees.

Near Tacoma, three people escaped unharmed Friday when a heavy snow and ice load on the roof of an Allied Ice plant caused the building to collapse. West Pierce Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Hallie McCurdy said they heard loud noises and got out just in time.

As floodwaters receded, residents of Oregon's Willamette Valley began taking stock of damage in soaked cities.

Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber paid a visit Friday to the hard-hit town of Turner, where 100 homes were damaged or still underwater.

Friday's mainly dry streets belied a morning of terror barely 24 hours earlier, when emergency crews conducted 55 boat rescues as water filled streets, homes and businesses.

"You just watch the water rise hour by hour, and there's nothing you can do about it," Mayor Paul Thomas said. "It's a long, slower sort of torture."

Kitzhaber said the state would work with local and federal officials to try and get disaster funding to Turner and other communities hard-hit by flooding.

The governor praised residents' strong sense of community as neighbors helped each other.

Nancy Ko saw that spirit first-hand. From the safety of higher ground, she watched a live feed from a security camera as water rose over the curb and lapped against the front door of the convenience store and cafe she owns just feet from Mill Creek.

Out of the blue, five strangers showed up and plopped sandbags in front of the door, preventing damage that she believes would have otherwise been far more severe.

"Just a godsend," said Ko, a Korean immigrant who has owned the store for six years. "Good person, amazing persons."

Elsewhere in the Willamette Valley, a 35-year-old woman who drove a Ford Mustang into 4 feet of floodwater was plucked from the roof Friday by deputies who arrived by boat to save her. It was one of a number of dramatic rescues in western Oregon, left sodden by as much as 10 inches of rain in a day and a half that has brought region's worst flooding in 15 years.

Interstate 5, the main road connecting Seattle and Portland, was briefly closed near Centralia so crews could remove fallen power lines.

Much of Washington's capital, Olympia, was without power.

Gov. Chris Gregoire's office, legislative buildings and other state agencies in Olympia lost electricity for several hours before power was restored. The governor thanked repair crews late Friday by hand-delivering peanut butter cookies.

The storm was "a constant reminder of who's in charge. Mother Nature is in charge, she gives us a wake-up call every once in a while, this is one of those," Gregoire said.

It was still snowing in the Cascades, with up to 2 feet possible in the mountains over the weekend.

At Sea-Tac Airport in Seattle, airlines were trying to accommodate passengers whose flights were canceled Thursday. The airport's largest carrier, Alaska Airlines, canceled 50 of its 120 daily departures Friday. On Thursday, Alaska and sister airline Horizon canceled 310 flights to and from Seattle, affecting 29,000 passengers.

In Seattle, Carly Nelson was negotiating an icy sidewalk on her way to Starbucks. Nelson has been frequenting her neighborhood coffee shop to avoid cabin fever.

"I'm pretty tired of it. It gets old pretty fast. All my friends are stranded in little pockets and you can't get together to go to yoga," she said. "I'm just looking forward to being able to go wherever I want to go."

___

Cooper reported from Oregon. Associated Press writers Doug Esser, Ted Warren, Rachel La Corte, Nigel Duara and Nicholas K. Geranios contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-01-21-Northwest%20Storm/id-6e081f52ffb44728ad794493051a9717

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Ohio voters want fracking halted for safety studies: poll (Reuters)

CLEVELAND (Reuters) ? Ohio voters by a wide margin want a halt to hydrofracking until more impact studies are conducted, though they believe there are economic benefits to drilling for natural gas and oil, a Quinnipiac University poll released on Thursday found.

The poll comes just weeks after Ohio ordered the shutdown of five wells around Youngstown that accept waste materials from the fracking process, after a series of earthquakes that could be related to their operation.

Seventy-two percent of voters polled said there should be a halt in hydraulic fracturing, or simply fracking, in Ohio until more was known about the impact of the process, Quinnipiac found. Fracking uses massive, high-pressure injections of water, chemicals and sand to release trapped oil and gas.

Sixty four percent of respondents supported drilling for natural gas and oil because of the potential economic benefits to Ohio, and 29 percent opposed drilling due to the possible environmental impact.

"They recognize the economic value of drilling for fossil fuels in the state, but are worried about potential environmental risks of the specific technique -- hydro-fracking," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the university's polling institute.

Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,610 registered Ohio voters from January 9 to January 16 for the poll, which has a margin of error of 2.4 percentage points.

Youngstown has experienced 11 earthquakes since the wells started using extremely high-pressure injection to force the waste materials into permeable rock, the latest on December 31.

Scientists monitoring the seismic activity in the Youngstown area found that the last two earthquakes were near the same depth and location of a disposal well. Since the shutdown, material has been removed from the well to relieve pressure.

State officials have not yet decided whether the wells will be shutdown permanently.

Fracking is widely used in the oil and gas industry and has sparked controversy in other parts of the country including in Pennsylvania, where it is used in natural gas exploration.

(Editing by David Bailey and Greg McCune)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120119/us_nm/us_energy_fracking_ohio

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Pakistani government bows to top court's demand (AP)

ISLAMABAD ? Pakistan's government on Thursday bowed to a long-standing Supreme Court demand to debate whether the president enjoys immunity from a past corruption case, a concession that could help defuse a crisis threatening the U.S.-backed administration.

The government agreed to the demand after the court threatened Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani with contempt charges for failing to reopen a decade-old case against his boss, President Asif Ali Zardari, and forced the premier to make a rare appearance before the judges.

The court gave Gilani's attorney two weeks to prepare his argument. The period could further reduce heightened tension between the Supreme Court and the beleaguered government, which is also battling the judges and the powerful army over a secret memo sent to Washington last year seeking help in stopping a supposed military coup.

Speculation has been rampant that the combined assault could cause the government's downfall by forcing it to accept calls for early elections. But the government may be heartened by the Supreme Court's decision not to make any immediate moves to hold Gilani in contempt, a charge that could land him in prison for up to six months and disqualify him from holding office.

The government has long defied a 2009 Supreme Court order to write a letter to Swiss authorities asking them to reopen a corruption case against Zardari that dates back to the 1990s, claiming he enjoys immunity from prosecution while in office.

It has also ignored a demand to go before the court to argue the immunity claim, probably because members of the ruling party viewed the court's actions as a partisan campaign to take down Zardari, who has clashed with Supreme Court Chief Justice Mohammad Iftikhar Chaudhry.

Gilani delivered a nearly 10-minute speech Thursday to the seven-judge bench, which did not include Chaudhry. The prime minister expressed respect for the court and said he never intended to "ridicule" the judges. He said it was his belief that Zardari "has complete immunity inside and outside the country."

Gilani's lawyer, Aitzaz Ahsan, did most of the talking for the prime minister during the session and agreed to formally argue for the president's immunity before the judges when the hearing resumes on Feb. 1.

"I will bow to the court order and will also speak on immunity to satisfy the court that the president has complete immunity," Ahsan told reporters.

Security was especially tight during the court session, which was also attended by several of Gilani's ministers and coalition partners. Police lined the roads in front of the Supreme Court and two helicopters hovered over the building during the hearing.

Supporters and opponents of the government competed for attention outside the court. A group of roughly a dozen women chanted, "Long live Zardari!" while several dozen lawyers shouted slogans in favor of the court chief justice and against the president.

Zardari and his late wife, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, were found guilty in absentia in a Swiss court in 2003 of laundering millions of dollars in kickbacks from Swiss companies when they were in government.

They appealed, and Swiss authorities abandoned the case in 2008 at the request of the Pakistani government. The case was among thousands dropped as a result of an amnesty that allowed Bhutto to return from exile and run for election in 2008. She was assassinated in 2007 during the campaign.

The Supreme Court declared the amnesty unconstitutional in 2009, leaving those covered by it vulnerable to prosecution.

Zardari said recently that the government would never send the letter to the Swiss reopening the case because it would dishonor Bhutto.

Many legal experts agree that Zardari does enjoy immunity from the Swiss corruption case while in office, but the judges gave no indication Thursday of where they stood.

The government is also at locked in bitter conflict with the army over the secret memo scandal. The army was outraged by the memo, which was allegedly sent by the government, and pushed the Supreme Court to set up a commission to investigate. The government has denied any connection to the memo and opposed the commission, saying the matter was already being probed by the parliament.

Some observers have speculated the army is working behind the scenes with the Supreme Court to oust the government. But others believe the judges are acting independently because of the enmity between Zardari and the chief justice and the frustration with the government's refusal to obey court orders.

Since Pakistan was founded in 1947, no civilian government has ever completed a full five-year term before being toppled by a military coup, or forced to call early elections. There have been three coups over that period. A fourth coup is considered unlikely, but the government may call early elections to counter the building political pressure.

___

Associated Press writer Sebastian Abbot contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120119/ap_on_re_as/as_pakistan

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PSU trustees ousted Paterno over lack of action (AP)

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. ? Joe Paterno was ousted as Penn State's football coach in part because he didn't meet a moral obligation to do more to alert authorities about a child sex abuse allegation against a retired assistant coach, school trustees say.

Trustees interviewed Thursday by The Associated Press also cited statements from Paterno in the days and hours leading to his dismissal Nov. 9 they felt challenged the Board of Trustees' authority at a time of crisis.

Jerry Sandusky is out on bail and awaiting trial after denying the child sex abuse charges. Paterno testified about a 2002 allegation before a state grand jury investigating Sandusky.

But the trustees say they still intend to honor Paterno's accomplishments and contributions to the school. He won a Division I record 409 games over 46 seasons.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

Penn State's trustees agonized over the future of legendary football coach Joe Paterno but ultimately decided to fire the Hall of Famer in part over what they said was his failure to go to authorities with a report of alleged sexual assault of a child by an assistant coach nearly a decade ago, according to a report published Thursday in The New York Times.

Some of the 13 trustees interviewed by the Times (http://nyti.ms/AcHOxv) said they were also troubled by Paterno greeting fans and supporters on his front lawn ? and leading them in school cheers ? just after the release of a scathing grand jury report detailing child sex abuse allegations against retired assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.

The trustees said they were also concerned about Paterno's ability to lead the team during the scandal that also resulted in the ouster of university President Graham Spanier, but most jarring was the feeling the coach had failed to do enough after learning of a 2002 incident involving Sandusky and a boy in an on-campus shower.

"Every adult has a responsibility for every other child in our community. ...We have a responsibility for ensuring that we can take every effort that's within our power not only to prevent further harm to that child, but to every other child," said trustee Kenneth Frazier.

The alleged 2002 shower assault ultimately resulted in charges against two university officials, athletic director Tim Curley and vice president Gary Schultz. They're charged with failing to report suspected child abuse and perjury related to their testimony before the grand jury.

Paterno's attorney defended the coach's actions in a statement, saying Paterno passed on a report about an alleged assault to his superiors at the university believing they would investigate and act appropriately.

Sandusky is charged with sexually assaulting 10 young boys he met through The Second Mile, a charity he founded in 1977. He denies the allegations.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120119/ap_on_sp_co_ne/fbc_penn_state_trustees_paterno

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Native filmmaker to head Santa Fe Univ. film dept. (AP)

SANTA FE, N.M. ? Native American filmmaker Chris Eyre has been appointed chairman of Santa Fe University of Art and Design's film department.

He'll take over the New Mexico school's Moving Image Arts Department on Feb. 1.

Eyre directed "Smoke Signals," which won a Sundance Audience Award and the Sundance Filmmakers Trophy. His television and film work has won numerous awards, including a Peabody and an Emmy.

His latest film, "Hideaway," starring Josh Lucas and James Cromwell, is due for release in May.

Eyre got his start under Robert Redford and his Sundance Institute Directors Lab. Redford says Eyre's "influence on a new generation of storytellers will be significant."

Eyre is a member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes of Oklahoma and currently lives in South Dakota.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120118/ap_en_mo/us_eyre_appointment

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Iran warns of consequences if Arabs back oil sanctions (Reuters)

TEHRAN (Reuters) ? Iran warned Gulf Arab neighbors they would suffer consequences if they raised oil output to replace Iranian crude facing an international ban.

In signs of Tehran's deepening isolation over its refusal to halt nuclear activity that could yield atomic bombs, China's premier was in Saudi Arabia on Sunday probing for greater access to its huge oil and gas reserves and Britain voiced confidence a once hesitant EU would soon ban oil imports from Iran.

Major importers of Iranian oil were long loath to embargo the lifeblood of Iran's economy because of fears this would send oil prices rocketing at a time - amidst debt and deficit crises and high unemployment - when they could least afford it.

But strong momentum for oil sanctions has been created by a U.N. watchdog report saying Iran appeared to have worked on designing an atom bomb.

A new U.S. law signed by President Barack Obama on New Year's Eve would freeze out of the U.S. financial system any institution dealing with Iran's central bank - which processes its oil revenues.

If fully applied, the law would make it impossible for most countries to buy Iranian oil. Washington is offering waivers to countries to let them keep buying Iranian oil for now, but demanding they gradually cut their imports back.

Leaders from some of the Asian countries that buy the most Iranian oil have begun touring the Middle East to secure alternative supply lines from Arab states. European buyers suggest they will also lean more heavily on Arab oil producers should an EU ban come into effect.

Feeling increasingly encircled, Iran's hardline Islamic clerical elite has lashed back by threatening to block the main Middle East oil shipping route. Since the New Year, Tehran also began to enrich uranium in an underground bunker and sentenced an Iranian-American citizen to death on espionage charges.

Tensions in the Gulf have caused occasional spikes in oil prices in recent weeks. The sanctions are also having a real impact on Iran's domestic economy, causing prices of imported staples to soar and the rial currency to tumble.

Iran holds a parliamentary election in March, its first since a presidential vote in 2009 led to eight months of street protests. Those demonstrations were put down by force, but since then the "Arab Spring" has shown the vulnerability of states in the region to public anger fueled by economic hardship.

IRAN WARNS GULF ARABS

Iranian OPEC Governor Mohammad Ali Khatibi said Tehran would regard as an unfriendly act any move by neighboring Gulf Arab oil exporters to make up for Iranian crude.

"If (they) give the green light to replacing Iran's oil these countries would be the main culprits for whatever happens in the region - including the Strait of Hormuz," Khatibi told the Sharq daily newspaper, referring to the narrow sea channel through which a third of the world's oil tanker traffic passes.

"Our Arab neighbor countries should not cooperate with these (U.S. and European) adventurers... These measures will not be perceived as friendly," he said.

Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said on Saturday the world's No. 1 oil exporter - the only one in OPEC with significant unused capacity - was ready and able to meet any increase in demand. He made no direct reference to sanctions on Iran.

Iran's navy commander Habibollah Sayyari said Tehran could exert control over the Strait of Hormuz. The United States, whose warships patrol the region, says it will not tolerate any attempt to disrupt shipping through the strait.

Military experts say Iran could not challenge the huge U.S.-led fleet that guards the strait for long, but its threats raise the risk of miscalculation that could flare into a clash.

The United States and Israel postponed military exercises scheduled to take place in coming weeks to later in the year. Officials in both countries denied the postponement was connected with the increasing tension over Iran.

Oil prices were down at the end of last week as anticipation of downgrades by Standard & Poor's of several indebted euro zone economies countered the buoyant effect of anxiety about Iranian threats to shipping. But the standoff over Iran pointed to continued support for higher prices, brokers and analysts said.

Iran's foreign ministry said on Sunday it had received a letter from Washington about the Strait of Hormuz and there was no decision yet on whether to reply. A ministry spokesman did not divulge the contents of the letter.

Tehran had said on Saturday it had written to Washington with evidence the CIA was involved in the assassination of a nuclear scientist, blown up by a bomb attached to his car last week, the latest of several such killings.

Western countries suspect Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons capability. Iran says it is only interested in nuclear technology for peaceful purposes such as generating electricity.

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Iran oil sales by country: http://link.reuters.com/pyw35s

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CHINA SEEKS OIL OPTIONS IN GULF

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao was pressing Saudi Arabia to open its oil and gas wealth to more Chinese investment, Chinese media said on Sunday. China has been Iran's biggest oil buyer.

Although Beijing opposes further international sanctions on Iran, it has already cut its purchases of Iranian oil by more than half for the first two months of this year.

"China and Saudi Arabia are both in important stages of development and there are broad prospects for enhancing cooperation," Wen told Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Nayef on Saturday, according to Xinhua news agency.

Michal Meidan, an analyst with London's Eurasia Group, said: "Beijing is concerned with the potential response to bellicose Iranian statements and the spike in oil prices that would ensue from greater turmoil in Syria and Iran."

Wen was also scheduled to visit the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, two other big OPEC exporters across the Gulf from Iran.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Sunday he was "confident" the 27-member European Union would impose resounding sanctions on Iran's oil industry and possibly other sectors at an EU foreign ministers meeting on January 23.

After protracted reluctance to act arising from the dependence of some debt-ridden EU economies on Iranian oil, member states have agreed in principle to ban it and have been working on details of how this will be implemented.

Last year EU countries collectively bought about a fifth of Iranian exports, roughly on par with China.

Any EU-wide prohibition of Iranian oil would probably take effect gradually. "Grace periods" on existing contracts of one to 12 months have been proposed to allow importers to find other suppliers before implementing an embargo.

Hague said: "Our sanctions are part of trying to get Iran to change course and to enter negotiations and we should not be deterred from implementing those. We will continue to intensify our own sanctions and those of the European Union."

IRANIAN DEFIANCE

Some analysts say Iran's leadership, which has thrived on defiance of the West since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, is more likely to dig in rather than back off in response to sanctions aimed at stopping a nuclear program many Iranians regard as a matter of national sovereignty and modernization.

A year after the collapse of the last big power talks with Iran, its deepening nuclear defiance has raised concern of war if harsher sanctions do not change its course.

Israel, reputed to have the Middle East's only nuclear arsenal, sees Iran's nuclear and missile projects as a mortal threat which it will resort to force as a last resort to stop.

The risk of Israel triggering Middle East upheaval with a unilateral strike has the war-weary United States worried.

U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Martin Dempsey is to make his first visit to Israel on Thursday. Israeli media say he will try to persuade his hosts not to "surprise" Washington on Iran.

Israel's vice prime minister voiced disappointment that the new U.S. legislation gives Obama leeway to allow sanctions waivers to countries to keep buying Iranian crude.

"The (U.S.) Senate passed a resolution, by a majority of 100-to-one, to impose these sanctions, and in the U.S. administration there is hesitation for fear of oil prices rising this year, out of election-year considerations," Moshe Yaalon told Israel Radio.

Obama has said he is determined to deny Tehran the means to develop an atom bomb. His aides cast their sanctions strategy as a bid to work collaboratively with foreign powers and win over states that import Iranian oil without shocking energy markets.

(Additional reporting by Robin Pomeroy in Tehran, Daniel Fineren in London, Dan Williams in Jerusalem, Adrian Croft in London, Chris Buckley in Beijing; Writing by Mark Heinrich; Editing by Peter Graff)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iran/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120116/wl_nm/us_iran

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Philbin rejoins Packers 2 days after son's funeral

Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin hugs his wife, Diana, after a funeral for their son, Michael, at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Green Bay, Wis., on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Philbin's body was recovered from a river in Oshkosh, Wis., on Monday. Police said an initial autopsy indicated he had drowned. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin hugs his wife, Diana, after a funeral for their son, Michael, at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Green Bay, Wis., on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Philbin's body was recovered from a river in Oshkosh, Wis., on Monday. Police said an initial autopsy indicated he had drowned. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy walks across the parking lot at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Green Bay, Wis. Friday, Jan. 13, 2012, to attend the funeral services for 21-year-old Michael Philbin. Philbin is the son of Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin. Michael Philbin was found dead after drowning in the Fox River in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

Green Bay Packers receiver Donald Driver walks across the parking lot at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Green Bay, Wis. Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. to attend the funeral services for 21-year-old Michael Philbin. Philbin is the son of Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin. Michael Philbin was found dead after drowning in the Fox River in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

(AP) ? Offensive coordinator Joe Philbin will rejoin the Green Bay Packers for Sunday's divisional playoff game against the New York Giants after spending the week away from the team to mourn the death of his son.

A Packers spokesman says Philbin and the team decided Sunday morning that he would coach in the game. CBS Sports first reported Saturday that Philbin would have a role with the team.

The body of 21-year-old Michael Philbin was recovered from an icy river in Oshkosh on Monday. A preliminary autopsy found that he drowned. Several Packers players and coaches attended a visitation Thursday and the funeral service Friday.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy said earlier this week that the team was giving Philbin as much time as he needed to be with his family.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-01-15-FBN-Packers-Philbin/id-c42ca3ee5b5b40a4a2f2ea7cba6b9b5a

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About those business opportunities?

Reaction to my article last week about the strong economic picture, and business opportunities I see all around me here on the ground in The Philippines was overwhelming.

Evidently there are some go-getters out there in this community who want to take action. Andthat?s great to know.

So, today I thought I?d share more specifics about a few of the ideas so that you can make a better judgment about whether there may be some opportunities for you, personally.

Simon and I talk a lot about ?adding value.? And really, that?s what it?s all about. Whether in business, adding value for your customers, or as an employee, adding value for your employer, if you think in terms of how you can add value, you will be amply rewarded for taking action.

I?ve written before that there is a massive real estate boom under way here in Manila. New condominium projects are being sold off-plan to investors, both foreign and local (foreigners can own apartments so long as less than 40% of the units are in foreign hands).

This has bubble written all over it. Here?s what happens in a bubble?it bursts. Then the guys who are left without a chair when the music stops delude themselves into thinking they can just ?wait it out.? Which means they?ll turn to the local rental market and try to achieve a yield to offset carrying costs.

Consequently, there is going to be huge demand for property management services?finding a tenant, collecting rent, maintaining the property, ensuring that taxes and dues are paid, and even hiring out to short-term tourists.

I know of a few companies springing up in this niche, but they?re in the embryonic stage. A professionally organized outfit that can achieve scale and a strong online presence could quickly dominate the market. Simon has mentioned before that a great model to copy already exists in Panama.?Check it out and you?ll see.

For hungry real estate professionals, there is also ample room here in Manila for competent and knowledgeable buyers? agents. The way the real estate business works here is that, in the new construction market, all of the brokers work for the developer. In the existing homes market, they work for the sellers. Buyers usually fend for themselves.

Setting up a small consulting firm that provides high quality, unbiased advice for buyers would be another excellent opportunity that is under represented at the moment.

Another idea I have is for a web-based service business in the Philippines. I can?t be too specific in this forum as I?m actually planning to get this one up and running. However I am looking for an IT professional who can design and build a custom, rigidly secure data warehousing platform.

If you have this kind of experience and are interested in hearing more,?please fill out this form to let me know.?

Source: http://www.sovereignman.com/expat/about-those-business-opportunities/

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Muhammad Ali cheered at 70th birthday bash in Ky. (AP)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. ? Muhammad Ali soaked in familiar cheers and chants along with a rendition of "Happy Birthday" on Saturday night as friends and admirers celebrated the boxing champ's coming 70th birthday at a party in his Kentucky hometown.

As party-goers mingled in a lobby of the Muhammad Ali Center before the party, Ali walked slowly to a second-floor balcony overlooking them. The crowd immediately began to clap, then broke into chants of "Ali! Ali!" followed by singing as Ali watched for about two minutes.

The three-time world heavyweight champion, who is battling Parkinson's disease, leaned against a rail and raised his right hand to wave to the crowd. Ali walked on his own but was at times assisted by his wife, Lonnie, and his sister-in-law. After the brief appearance, Ali went to his party.

Former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis said his boyhood idol is "still the greatest."

"I feel so proud and honored that we're able to show our feelings and show our support for him," Lewis said.

Lewis said Ali's strength and influence extended far beyond the boxing ring in his humanitarian efforts.

"What he's done outside the ring ? just the bravery, the poise, the feeling, the sacrifice," Lewis said "... He's truly a great man."

The guest list numbered 350 for the private party, which doubled as a $1,000-per-person fundraiser for the Ali Center, the six-year-old cultural and education complex designed to be a legacy to his social activism. The six-story center also retraces Ali's career, including his epic bouts against Joe Frazier, George Foreman and Sonny Liston.

Guests paid tribute to Ali beforehand.

"The reason I loved him is because of his confidence," University of Kentucky men's basketball coach John Calipari said. "He would talk and then back it up. He had great courage and who had more fun than him?"

The guest list also included Ali's trainer Angelo Dundee and three American hikers who were imprisoned in Iran. Ali, perhaps the most prominent U.S. Muslim, lobbied for their release. Rocker John Mellencamp headlined the entertainment.

Dundee, who traveled from Clearwater, Fla., to attend the celebration, said he hears from Ali about once a month.

"We're like family," Dundee told The Courier-Journal of Louisville. "We've always been family and we're always going to be family. He'll say, `Angie, I want to come and train. That's what I miss the most. Being in the gym. Working up a sweat.'"

"I'll say, `Me, too, kid. Me, too. We can't do that. But what I can do is make sure you know that I love you.' "

Ali turns 70 on Tuesday, and the party in his hometown is the first of five planned in the next few months. Not long after Ali's dramatic appearance on the balcony, the crowd began filing into a banquet hall for the party, which was closed to the public and reporters.

The self-proclaimed "Greatest of All Time" remains one of the world's most recognizable figures, even though he's been largely absent from the public eye recently as he fights Parkinson's disease.

Lonnie Ali said Friday that her husband has mixed feelings about the landmark birthday.

"He's glad he's here to turn 70, but he wants to be reassured he doesn't look 70," she said.

Born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. on Jan. 17, 1942, Ali took up boxing at age 12, when his bike was stolen and he wanted to find and whip the culprit. The boy was introduced to Joe Martin, a police officer who coached boxing at a local gym.

Ali's brother, 68-year-old Rahaman Ali, recalled on Saturday night that the champ was cheerful and happy as a youngster.

"As a little boy he (said) he would be the world's greatest fighter and be a great man," he said.

Ali flourished in the ring, becoming a top amateur and Olympic gold medalist. He made his professional debut in Louisville and arranged for a local children's hospital to receive proceeds from the fight.

Lewis said Ali ranks as the greatest of heavyweights, and he said he was inspired by Ali's fights.

"I used to get mad if I didn't see the Ali shuffle," Lewis said. "So I was always watching him, expecting some type of antic."

Ali won the heavyweight title in 1964, defeating the heavily favored Sonny Liston. Soon after, Ali ? who was raised in a Baptist family ? announced his conversion to Islam and changed his name.

While in his prime, Ali was stripped of his heavyweight crown in 1967 for refusing to be drafted for military service during the Vietnam War. He cited his religious beliefs as the reason for his refusal.

His decision alienated Ali from many across the U.S. and resulted in a draft-evasion conviction. Ali found himself embroiled in a long legal fight that ended in 1971, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in his favor.

Ali lost his first bid to regain the heavyweight crown when Frazier knocked him down and took a decision in the "Fight of the Century" at Madison Square Garden in 1971.

Ali regained the heavyweight title in 1974, defeating Foreman in the "Rumble in the Jungle." A year later, he outlasted Frazier in the epic "Thrilla in Manila" bout.

Last year, a frail Ali rose from his seat and clapped for his deceased rival at Frazier's funeral.

Ali's last title came in 1978 when he defeated Leon Spinks.

Ali retired from boxing in 1981 and devoted himself to social causes. He traveled the world on humanitarian missions, mingling with the masses and rubbing elbows with world leaders. Ali received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush in 2005.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120115/ap_on_sp_ot/us_muhammad_ali_birthday

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