JAPAN: Flood recovery boosts Honda in fiscal 2013

JAPAN: Flood recovery boosts Honda in fiscal 2013

By Graeme Roberts | 31 January 2013

Honda Motor said it all but tripled operating profit for the fiscal third quarter ended 31 December, 2012?to JPY131.9bn?yen. The 198% year on year rise was due to recovery from the impact of the Thai floods in 2011 and an increase in car sales, mainly in North America.

Operating income for the fiscal first nine months (1 April to 31 December) rose 242% to JPY408.8bn.?Nine-month net income was up 108% to JPY291.3bn.

Revenue rose JPY483bn to JPY2.4 trillion in the third quarter and from JPY5.5 trillion to JPY7.1 trillion for the nine months.

Global car sales were up to 841,000, from 622,000 in the third quarter and from 1.65m to 2.5m in the nine-month period.

Honda has maintained its operating income forecast for the full fiscal year (ending 31 March) at JPY520bn, factoring in a decline in automobile sales in Europe and China due to severe economic conditions which offset the positive impact of the recent depreciation of the yen.

It has cut its car unit sales expectation from 4.12m to 4.06m units for the full fiscal year.

Expected foreign exchange losses due to rapid depreciation of the yen since the end of 2012 were factored into the downward revision of net income forecast from JPY375bn to JPY370bn.

The dividend forecast is unchanged at JPY19yen, a JPY4 increase year on year. Total fiscal year cash payments are pegged at JPY76 per share, up JPY16.

Show the press release

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Consolidated Financial Summary for the Fiscal 3rd Quarter ended December 31, 2012

TOKYO, Japan, January 31, 2013 - Honda Motor Co., Ltd. announced its consolidated financial results for the fiscal third quarter ended December 31, 2012.

Consolidated operating income for the fiscal third quarter (October 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012) amounted to 131.9 billion yen, which is approximately triple the total from the same period last year representing an increase of 197.8%, due to the recovery from the impact of the major flooding in Thailand as well as an increase in automobile sales mainly in North America as a result of the positive effects of new model introductions. Consolidated operating income for the fiscal nine months (April 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012) amounted to 408.8 billion yen, an increase of 242.4% compared to the same period last year.

Consolidated net income^*1 for the fiscal nine months (April 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012) amounted to 291.3 billion yen, an increase of 108.3% compared to the same period last year.

Honda has maintained the forecast for operating income for the current fiscal year (ending March 31, 2013) at 520 billion yen, factoring in a decline in automobile sales in Europe and China due to severe economic conditions which offset the positive impact of the recent depreciation of the yen. The market valuation losses on foreign exchange contracts due to rapid depreciation of the yen since the end of 2012 was factored into the downward revision of the forecast for consolidated net income^*1 for the current fiscal year from 375.0 billion yen to 370.0 billion yen.

The dividend forecast will remain unchanged from the previous announcement. The quarterly dividend for the current fiscal third quarter will be 19 yen per share, a 4 yen increase compared to the quarterly dividend for the same period last year. The total cash dividends to be paid for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2013 are planned to be 76 yen per share, an increase of 16 yen per share from the previous fiscal year.

Consolidated Financial Results for the Fiscal 3rd Quarter and Fiscal Nine Months

Forecasts for the Fiscal Year ending March 31, 2013 (FY13)

*1

Net income attributable to Honda Motor Co., Ltd. based on U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

*2

Honda Group Unit Sales is the total unit sales of completed products (motorcycles, ATVs, automobiles, power products) of Honda, its consolidated subsidiaries and its affiliates accounted for under the equity method.

*3

Consolidated Unit Sales is the total unit sales of completed products (motorcycles, ATVs, automobiles, power products) corresponding to consolidated net sales, which consists of unit sales of completed products of Honda and its consolidated subsidiaries.

*4

Honda Group Unit Sales and Consolidated Unit Sales of ATVs included in motorcycle business for the fiscal 3rd quarter ended December 31, 2011 and 2012 are 34 thousand units and 30 thousand units, respectively. Consolidated Unit Sales of ATVs included in motorcycle business for the fiscal nine months ended December 31, 2011 and 2012 are 91 thousand units and 89 thousand units, respectively. The 73 thousand unit downward revision made to the fiscal 2nd quarter results (ended September 30, 2012) was reflected to Honda Group Unit Sales and Consolidated Unit Sales for the current fiscal nine months results.

*5

Certain sales of automobiles that are financed with residual value type auto loans by our Japanese finance subsidiaries are accounted for as operating leases in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and are not included in consolidated net sales to the external customers in our automobile business. As a result, they are not included in Consolidated Unit Sales, but are included in Honda Group Unit Sales of our automobile business.

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Original source: http://world.honda.com/news/2013/c130131Financial-Summary/index.html00.0000

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - SWOT, Strategy and Corporate Finance Report

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - SWOT, Strategy and Corporate Finance Report, is a source of comprehensive company data and information. The report covers the company?s structure, operation, SWOT analysis, product and service offerings, detailed financials, a...

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - SWOT Analysis

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - SWOT Analysis company profile is the essential source for top-level company data and information. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - SWOT Analysis examines the company?s key business structure and operations, history and products, and pr...

Source: http://www.just-auto.com/news/flood-recovery-boosts-honda-in-fiscal-2013_id131159.aspx?utm_source=news-feed&utm_medium=rss-feed&utm_campaign=rss-feed

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February 2013 Triangle Theater Calendar | Triangle Arts and ...

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NOTE: This is Triangle Review?s Master Theater Calendar for shows announced for the entire month of February. If your productions are not listed in this calendar, please e-mail the SHOW TITLE(S), DATE(S), LOCATION(S), and PRESENTER?S NAME to RobertM748@aol.com, and be sure to e-mail all your news releases and publicity PHOTOS to that address. (Our ?snail mail? address is Triangle Theater Review, 1828 Honeysuckle Road #13, Raleigh, NC 27609-6220.)

Feb. 1: ?February One? (The Carolina Theatre?s GlaxoSmithKline Arts Discovery Series).

Feb. 1: ?Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus Live!? (Broadway Series South at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium).

Feb. 1: ?The Men in Me: Our Brothers, Our Fathers, Our Brothers, Our Sons ? Weaving More Compassion and Power into Their Stories,? written and performed by Anita Woodley (Princess Dragon Productions at CAARE Inc. in Durham).

Feb. 1-2; Feb. 7-10, 14-17: ?My Princess Bride,? a one-man show conceived and performed by Joe Brack (City Artistic Partnerships at Common Ground Theatre).

Feb. 1-3: Mike Daisey in ?American Utopias? (Duke Performances in the PSI Theater at the Durham Arts Council).

Feb. 1-3: ?Nerds? (North Carolina Theatre in A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater). Preview. Gephart Review. Potter Review.

Feb. 1-3, 5-10, 12-17, 19-24; Feb. 26-March 3: ?A Raisin in the Sun? and ?Clybourne Park,? performed in rotating repertory (PlayMakers Repertory Company in the Paul Green Theatre). Preview.

Feb. 1-3, 7-10, 14-17: ?Good? (Burning Coal Theatre Company in Murphey School Auditorium).

Feb. 1-3, 7-10, 14-17, 21-24: ?Bus Stop? (Raleigh Little Theatre in its Gaddy-Goodwin Teaching Theatre).

Feb. 1-5: ?Broadway Melodies 2013? (Pauper Players at the Hanes Art Center at UNC-Chapel Hill).

Feb. 2: ?Jack Tales: Appalachian Adventures!? ( Raleigh Little Theatre?s ?Storytellers to Go!? Teen Performance Ensemble at the Halle Cultural Arts Center in Apex).

Feb. 2: ?Mama Juggs: The Breast Health Show,? written and performed by Anita Woodley (Princess Dragon Productions at CAARE Inc. in Durham).

Feb. 2: ?Sing-A-Long-A ?Sound of Music?? (Clayton Center Auditorium & Conference Center).

Feb. 2: Jerry Seinfeld (Durham Performing Arts Center).

Feb. 5: ?92nd Street Y: Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor with Thane Rosenbaum? (The Carolina Theatre, in collaboration with Duke University).

Feb. 6: Arlo Guthrie in ?Here Comes the Kid: The Music of Woody Guthrie? (The Carolina Theatre).

Feb. 7: ?The Beast: Sanfoka: African American Music from Spirituals to Hip-Hop? (The Carolina Theatre?s GlaxoSmithKline Arts Discovery Series).

Feb. 7-11: ?Baby Blue? and ?July House,? performed in rotating repertory (UNC-Chapel Hill LAB! Theatre in the Elizabeth Price Kenan Theatre).

Feb. 8: ?Dar He: The Story of Emmett Till,? written and performed by Mike Wiley (Mike Wiley Productions at the Halle Cultural Arts Center in Apex).

Feb. 8: ?The Second City: Laughing Matters? (N.C. Comedy Arts Festival and The Carolina Theatre).

Feb. 8-9, 15-16: ?Space Pirates: A Musical Adventure Through Cyberspace? (Durham Family Theatre at Trinity United Methodist Church in Durham).

Feb. 8-10: ?I Love You, You?re Perfect, Now Change? (Pauper Players at the Hanes Art Center at UNC-Chapel Hill).

Feb. 8-10, 14-17, 22-24: ?The Pillowman? (Theatre In The Park).

Feb. 9: ?Jack Tales: Appalachian Adventures!? ( Raleigh Little Theatre?s ?Storytellers to Go!? Teen Performance Ensemble at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh).

Feb. 10: Steven Wright (The Carolina Theatre and the N.C. Comedy Arts Festival).

Feb. 12-14: Meow Meow in ?Beyond Glamour? (Duke Performances in the Sheafer Lab Theater).

Feb. 12-17: ?Mary Poppins? (Durham Performing Arts Center).

Feb. 12-17: ?Monty Python?s Spamalot? (Broadway Series South and North Carolina Theatre in Raleigh Memorial Auditorium).

Feb. 14-16: ?The Miles,? written and performed by Steven Li ?(Duke Theater Studies in the Brody Theater).

Feb. 15-17, 22-24; March 1-3: ?Julius Caesar? (The Justice Theater Project in Clare Hall at the Catholic Community of Saint Francis of Assisi in Raleigh).

Feb. 16: ?Jack Tales: Appalachian Adventures!? ( Raleigh Little Theatre?s ?Storytellers to Go!? Teen Performance Ensemble at the Southeast Regional Library in Garner).

Feb. 16-17, 22-23: ?Republic,? a Theater Previews New Works Lab, with guest playwright Alec Duffy and Hoi Polloi (Duke Theater Studies in Sheafer Theater).

Feb. 18: ?Yo Gabba Gabba Live!? (AC Entertainment and Broadway Series South in Raleigh Memorial Auditorium).

Feb. 21-23; Feb. 28-March 2; March 6-9: ?The New Electric Ballroom? (Manbites Dog Theater).

Feb. 22-24: ?The Cocktail Hour? (Halle Cultural Arts Center in Apex).

Feb. 22-24: ?Glengarry Glen Ross? (Company Carolina in Historic PlayMakers Theatre at UNC-Chapel Hill).

Feb. 22-24, March 1-2: ?Sister Amnesia?s Country Western Nunsense Jamboree? (Neuse Little Theatre in ?The Hut? in Smithfield).

Feb. 23: ?Jack Tales: Appalachian Adventures!? (Raleigh Little Theatre?s ?Storytellers to Go!? Teen Performance Ensemble at the West Regional Library in Cary).

Feb. 27: ?92nd Street Y: Brian Williams with Jonathan Tisch? (The Carolina Theatre, in collaboration with Duke University).

EDITOR?S NOTE:

Robert W. McDowell is editor and publisher of Triangle Review, a FREE weekly e-mail arts newsletter. This calendar is reprinted with permission from Triangle Review.

If YOUR productions are not listed, please e-mail the SHOW TITLES, DATES, LOCATIONS, and PRESENTER?S NAME to RobertM748@yahoo.com, and be sure to e-mail all your news releases and publicity PHOTOS to that address. (Our ?snail mail? address is Triangle Review, 1828 Honeysuckle Road #13, Raleigh, NC 27609-6220.)

To start your FREE subscription to Triangle Review, e-mail RobertM748@aol.com and type SUBSCRIBE TR in the Subject: line.

To read all of Robert W. McDowell?s Triangle Review previews and reviews online at Triangle Arts & Entertainment, click http://triangleartsandentertainment.org/author/robert-w-mcdowell/.

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Tagged as: February 2013 Triangle Theater Calendar, February Triangle Theater Calendar, theater calendar, Triangle Theater Calendar

Source: http://triangleartsandentertainment.org/2013/01/february-2013-triangle-theater-calendar/

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'Safe Haven' Is 'Such A Different Nicholas Sparks Movie,' Julianne Hough Says

MTV News exclusively goes behind the scenes of the upcoming romantic thriller.
By Amy Wilkinson, with reporting by Brian Phares

Josh Duhamel and Julianne Hough in "Safe Haven"
Photo: Relativity Media

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1700969/safe-haven-set-visit.jhtml

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Long-delayed school snack rules to come soon: Vilsack

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - After more than a year's delay, American schools will soon see new U.S. government rules targeting the kinds of snacks sold to students, a move nutritionists say could play an important role in fighting childhood obesity.

Anxious schools have waited more than a year to find out how sales of potato chips, candy bars, sodas and similar treats to students will be restricted. These rules on food sold outside traditional cafeteria meals are a key part of the first major overhaul on school food in more than three decades.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently told Reuters that the rules on what snacks may be offered in vending machines, school stores and the like, originally due in late 2011, are expected to be finished in the early part of this year. (http://reut.rs/URlL5N)

Officially, USDA said it expects the proposal by April, at which point a 60-day public comment period would kick in before final rules are issued - potentially for the next school year.

Vilsack said the delay was in part to give food and drink manufacturers, as well as schools, time to adjust to a revamp of cafeteria breakfasts and lunches in early 2012.

Those earlier sweeping changes, dictating more whole grains, fruits and vegetables on school menus, led to a few complaints and some hungry children. USDA later gave schools more flexibility on the new menus.

"The whole idea is that they eat more fruits and vegetables ... that's not going to happen overnight," said Gail Koutroubas, who oversees food services for the public school district in Andover, Massachusetts, near Boston.

The school nutrition overhaul seeks to make a dent in the nation's obesity epidemic at a time when government statistics show more than one-third of those younger than 18 are too heavy.

Health advocates want the snack changes to include smaller portions, reduced fat and less sugar. Acceptable drinks for most students would include low- or no-fat milks, 100 percent juices and water.

"We're not saying get rid of the vending machines. Just change what's in them," said Margo Wootan, head of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an advocacy group. "We, as parents, don't want our kids eating candy bars and Gatorade for lunch."

Recent USDA data shows most U.S. public schools sell snacks in some way, but access to vending machines varies.

Machines are in just 13 percent of elementary schools for young children, but are in 67 percent of middle schools, where students are around 11 to 14 years old, and 85 percent of high schools, USDA said in December.

USDA also found more than 80 percent of school districts have either restricted or banned sugary drinks. More than 75 percent also have some kind of limit or ban on snack foods.

DRINKMAKERS 'COOPERATIVE'

Tops on the list of concerns are drinks, particularly high-calorie, sugar-sweetened beverages such as sodas and sports drinks that are popular among youth but cited by public health experts as empty calories with no nutritional benefit.

"The beverage industry from our perspective has been very cooperative. They understand and appreciate there has to be a different approach in terms of what's available in vending machines," Vilsack said.

Representatives from Coke and other drink makers met with White House and USDA staff last June to present industry-funded data on their voluntary effort in schools, according to one representative at the meeting.

The American Beverage Association said it wants USDA's snack rules to match the industry lobbying group's 2005 pledge to limit certain lower calorie sodas and sports drinks to mostly older students.

Cranberry growers also are pushing to allow sugar-sweetened cranberry juices, saying their fruits are too tart otherwise. Pizza companies are also seeking some exemptions.

Some health experts worry that the food and beverage industries' lobbying power will dilute the new nutrition law. They are also concerned that the delay signals a more cautious approach from the Obama administration.

Overall, food and beverage companies and groups spent more than $26 million in lobbying on a variety of issues over the last year, led by Coke and Pepsi, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

"We're very concerned," said Maya Rockeymoore, head of a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation program targeting childhood obesity. "Certainly sugar-sweetened beverages ... need to be completely eliminated from the equation."

Many states and schools have plowed ahead with their own standards rather than wait for USDA. About half of all U.S. states have already passed laws addressing snack items, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Money can also be an issue, since snack foods sales are often profit centers for schools, sports teams and other groups, especially given the current tight school budgets.

Advocates say the changes are necessary to help stave off a health crisis that impacts students' academic performance and even national security.

Vilsack says he has a personal stake in the issue, recalling how he was taunted as a "fatso" growing up on Pennsylvania.

"I've struggled with my weight all my life, and it's not an easy thing to deal with," Vilsack told Reuters. "And if you're dealing with it, you're dealing with a lot of consequences of feeling badly about yourself."

(Editing by Ros Krasny and Jackie Frank)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/long-delayed-school-snack-rules-come-soon-vilsack-202744217--sector.html

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Why Facebook And Apple Are Doomed To Be Eclipsed

AP

Nothing lasts forever: if history has any lesson for us, it is this. It's a thought that comes from rereading Paul Kennedy's magisterial tome, The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers, in which he shows that none of the great nation-states or empires of history ? Rome; imperial Spain in 1600; France in either its Bourbon or Bonapartist manifestations; the Dutch republic in 1700; Britain in its imperial glory ? succeeded in maintaining its global ascendancy for long.

What has this got to do with technology? Well, it provides us with a useful way of thinking about two of the tech world's great powers. The first is Apple. The past week saw a veritable torrent of hysterical reaction to its quarterly results, coupled with fevered speculation about its future. The globe has been hypnotised for years by Apple's metamorphosis from a failing computer manufacturer into a corporate giant that, on some days, is now the most valuable company in the world, with bigger cash reserves than the annual GDP of some countries. But as with all inexorable growth curves, the question on every commentator's lips is: has Apple peaked?

If you think "hysterical" is a bit harsh, then ponder this. Although Apple did not sell the 50m iPhones that had been forecast for the quarter (it "only" shifted 47.8m) and sales of its Mac computers were down somewhat, nevertheless the quarterly results mean that in 2012 Apple earned more in the year than any other corporation, ever. And even the quarter's supposedly disappointing earnings of $13.1bn were the fourth largest of all time, according to the same metric. And the reaction of the stock market to this news? The share price dropped 10% in after-hours trading.

Then there's the social network Facebook with its billion users, which is likewise the focus of much hyperventilating comment. Recently, the Mark Zuckerberg empire launched its latest deadly weapon with the catchy name of Graph Search ? as in "social graph". Facebook's new tool is just an algorithm that finds information from within one's network of friends and supplements the results with hits from Microsoft's Bing search engine, but to read some of the commentary on it you'd think that Zuckerberg & co had invented either a perpetual motion machine or a through-ticket to hell.

"Facebook's new search engine attempts to build walls around the internet and keep its horde within its gates," wrote the webmaster of a respected online magazine. "It's a nightmare and it will probably work."

Actually, it's Facebook's latest attempt to become the AOL de nos jours. And, in the end, it will fail for the same reason that AOL's attempt to corral users within its walled garden failed: the wider internet is just too diverse, innovative and interesting. But because Facebook looms so large in the public consciousness at the moment, it's difficult to keep it in perspective. Which is why Kennedy's book makes such salutary reading.

So what we need to remember as we wade through the current overheated commentary on Apple and Facebook is that nothing lasts forever. I have been in this racket long enough to remember a time when Microsoft was at least as dominant and scary as these two companies are now. Spool forward a couple of decades and Microsoft is still around, but actually it's an ailing giant ? profitable but no longer innovative, trying (and so far failing) to get a foothold in the post-PC, mobile, cloud-based world.

Although the eclipsing of Apple and Facebook is inevitable, the timing and causes of their eventual declines will differ. Apple's current strength is that it actually makes things that people are desperate to buy and on which the company makes huge margins. The inexorable logic of the hardware business is that those margins will decline as the competition increases, so Apple will become less profitable over the longer term. What will determine its future is whether it can come up with new, market-creating products such as the iPod, iPhone and iPad.

Facebook, on the other hand, makes nothing. It just provides an online service that, for the moment, people seem to value. But in order to make money out of those users and satisfy the denizens of Wall Street, it has to become ever more intrusive and manipulative. It's condemned, in other words, to intrusive overstretch. Which is why, in the end, it will become a footnote in the history of the internet. Just like Microsoft, in fact. Sic transit gloria.

This article originally appeared on guardian.co.uk

Watch Below: How To Use Twitter's New Video App Vine

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Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/why-facebook-and-apple-are-doomed-to-be-eclipsed-2013-1

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Why Are We the Last Apes Standing?

Is curiosity what saved the humans?

Photo by Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images/Thinkstock

There?s a misconception among a lot of us Homo sapiens that we and our direct ancestors are the only humans ever to have walked the planet. It turns out that the emergence of our kind isn?t nearly that simple. The whole story of human evolution is messy, and the more we look into the matter, the messier it becomes.

Paleoanthropologists have discovered as many as 27 different human species (the experts tend to debate where to draw the line between groups). These hominids diverged after our lineage split from a common ancestor we shared with chimpanzees 7 million years ago, give or take a few hundred millennia.

Many of these species crossed paths, competed, and mated. Populations ebbed and flowed in tight little tribes, at first on the expanding savannahs of Africa, later throughout Europe, Asia, and all the way to Indonesia. Just 100,000 years ago, there were several human species sharing the planet, possibly more: Neanderthals in Europe and West Asia, the mysterious Denisovan people of Siberia, the recently discovered Red Deer Cave people living in southern China, Homo floresiensis (the Hobbits of Indonesia), and other yet unknown descendants of Homo erectus who left indications that they were around (the DNA of specialized body lice, to be specific). And, of course, there was our kind, Homo sapiens sapiens (the wise, wise ones), still living in Africa, not yet having departed the mother continent. At most, each species consisted of a few tens of thousands of people hanging on by their battered fingernails. Somehow, out of all of these struggles, our particular brand of human emerged as the sole survivor and then went on, rather rapidly, to materially rearrange the world.

If there once were so many other human species wandering the planet, why are we alone still standing? After all, couldn?t another version or two have survived and coexisted with us on a world as large as ours? Lions and tigers coexist; so do jaguars and cheetahs. Gorillas, orangutans, bonobos, and chimpanzees do as well (though barely). Two kinds of elephants and multiple versions of dolphins, sharks, bears, birds, and beetles?countless beetles?inhabit the planet. Yet only one kind of human? Why?

More than once, one variety may have done in another either by murdering its rivals outright or outcompeting them for limited resources. But the answer isn?t as simple or dramatic as a war of extermination with one species turning on the other in some prehistoric version of Planet of the Apes. The reason we are still here to ruminate on why we are still here is because, of all those other human species, only we evolved a long childhood.

Over the course of the past 1.5 million years, the forces of evolution inserted an extra six years between infancy and pre-adolescence?a childhood?into the life of our species. And that changed everything.

Why should adding a childhood help us escape extinction?s pitiless scythe? Looked at logically, it shouldn?t. All it would seem to do is lengthen the time between birth and mating, which would slow down the clamoring business of the species? own continuance. But there was one game-changing side effect of a long childhood. Those six years of life between ages 1 and 7 are the time when we lay the groundwork for the people we grow up to become. Without childhood you and I would never have the opportunity to step away from the dictates of our genes and develop the talents, quirks, and foibles that make us all the devastatingly charming, adaptable, and distinctive individuals we are.

Childhood came into existence as the result of a peculiar evolutionary phenomenon known generally as neoteny. The term comes from two Greek words, neos meaning ?new? (in the sense of ?juvenile?) and teinein meaning to ?extend,? and it means the retention of youthful traits. In the case of humans, it meant that our ancestors passed along to us a way to stretch youth farther into life.

More than a million years ago, our direct ancestors found themselves in a real evolutionary pickle. One the one hand, their brains were growing larger than those of their rain forest cousins, and on the other, they had taken to walking upright because they spent most of their time in Africa?s expanding savannas. Both features would seem to have substantially increased the likelihood of their survival, and they did, except for one problem: Standing upright favors the evolution of narrow hips and therefore narrows the birth canal. And that made bringing larger-headed infants to full term before birth increasingly difficult.

If we were born as physically mature as, say, an infant gorilla, our mothers would be forced to carry us for 20 months! But if they did carry us that long, our larger heads wouldn?t make it through the birth canal. We would be, literally, unbearable. The solution: Our forerunners, as their brains expanded, began to arrive in the world sooner, essentially as fetuses, far less developed than other newborn primates, and considerably more helpless.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=f533b0bd6521d0fb86d0524912647111

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UK ups aid for Mali, Africa, but wary of mission creep

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain boosted its offer of aid to France and African governments on Tuesday to help them counter Islamist militants in Africa, but was careful to limit the scope of its support amid fears it could be dragged into an Afghanistan-style quagmire.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond told parliament that up to 240 soldiers could take part in missions to train African troops, and that at least 90 more are already taking part in logistical operations to support French troops fighting in Mali.

"The UK has a clear interest in the stability of Mali and ensuring that its territory does not become an ungoverned space available to al Qaeda and its associates," Hammond said.

"We are very clear about the risks of mission creep and we have defined very carefully the support we are willing and able to provide," he added.

British troops will not have a combat role, he said.

Britain will withdraw some 9,000 troops from a long and costly mission in Afghanistan by the end of 2014, and the public - squeezed by spending cuts to fix a big budget deficit - has little appetite for another expensive military adventure.

In contrast to previous major military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, Britain now says it is better to have limited Western military interventions, and that local forces - with Western backing - should take the lead in ensuring security.

Hammond played down the prospect of long-term Western involvement in Mali, saying that France had assured him of a "short intervention" to stabilise the situation on the ground, and that African and Malian troops would then take over.

Up to 40 of the troops Britain has offered are for a European Union training mission in Mali, and up to 200 are for a regional African Union-led training mission involving anglophone West African countries such as Nigeria, Ghana and Sierra Leone.

British logistical and equipment aid to Mali has so far included the use of two C-17 transport planes and a Sentinel surveillance plane based at Dakar in neighbouring Senegal.

In response to a French request on Sunday for more help, Britain said it would also offer a ferry to transport French troops and equipment, and allow France and its allies to use U.S. bases in Britain to refuel aircraft.

Britain has also offered to set up a "Combined Joint Logistics Headquarters" in Mali, but France believes such a facility is not needed for now, Prime Minister David Cameron's spokesman said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uk-ups-offer-mali-african-anti-islamist-effort-123551422.html

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NASA celebrates its fallen astronauts

NASA presents a video tribute to the astronauts of the Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia tragedies.

By Alan Boyle, Science Editor, NBC News

This should be the saddest week of the year for NASA ??which is marking the anniversaries of three fatal tragedies, including the 10th anniversary of the shuttle Columbia's catastrophic breakup. But the way NASA Administrator Charles Bolden sees it, this week is not just about mourning 17 dead astronauts.

"I think this is not a memorial. It's a celebration, because of what they made possible," he told NBC News this month during a visit to Seattle. "We're commemorating them, and we're thanking them by continuing to move forward ??and not dropping back and dwelling on the pain. They'd be pretty angry, I think, if they saw that."

The week of celebration?? and, yes, of commemoration?? begins on Sunday with the 46th anniversary of the 1967 Apollo 1 launch-pad fire. The 27th anniversary of the 1986 Challenger explosion follows on Monday. This year, NASA is focusing the most on Friday, the 10th anniversary of the Columbia tragedy, which has been set aside as the agency's "Day of Remembrance" for all of its fallen astronauts.

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Ever since the loss of Columbia and its crew of seven, NASA has organized solemn commemorations during the last week of January.

"We honor the memory of all three crews that were lost over the history of human spaceflight," Bolden explained. "We thought it was fitting that it be somewhere around the dates of those three losses. We think about this every day, to be quite honest. But we take these particular times and set them aside, when we can let everyone else around the world join us and help celebrate."

There's that word again.

"I use the term 'celebrate' because we have to remember that, yeah, we lost some valiant people?? but what their sacrifice brought is what we should really be thinking about: the fact that they dared to challenge and do things differently," Bolden said. "Because of what they did, we're well on the cusp of going deeper into space than we've ever gone before."

Each tragedy?took a terrible?toll ? and in each case, NASA learned from its mistakes:

Apollo 1's three astronauts were Gus Grissom, one of the Mercury 7 pioneers; Ed White, the first American to do a spacewalk; and rookie spaceflier Roger Chaffee. They died during a pre-launch test at the launch pad when bad wiring sparked a blaze in the pure-oxygen environment inside their sealed capsule. After the fire, engineers overhauled the wiring system, switched over to a less flammable oxygen-nitrogen mix and redesigned the hatch to open outward instead of inward. Years later, Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong observed that the accident provided "the gift of time" ? a chance to change a lot of things for the better. "We got that added benefit, but we regret the price we had to pay," Armstrong said.

January 27, 1967:?The crew of Apollo 1, Command Pilot Virgil 'Gus' Grissom, Senior Pilot Edward H. White and Pilot Roger B. Chaffee were killed when a fire ripped through the spacecraft's cabin during a launch pad test. NBC's Bill Ryan reports.? ?

Challenger's crew of seven was led by commander Dick Scobee, but the best-known flier was Christa McAuliffe, who was tapped to be the first teacher in space. The other astronauts were Michael Smith, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, Ron McNair and Greg Jarvis. Their space shuttle blew up 73 seconds after launch, due to a bad seal on one of the solid rocket boosters. The investigation led to a redesign of the boosters, which worked without fail ever since. It also pointed up the problem of "go fever," which led NASA to give the go-ahead for launch amid dangerously low temperatures. Reforms in management procedures gave astronauts, engineers and contractors more of a role in ensuring launch safety.?

January 28, 1986: NBC's Dan Molina reports on the loss of the space shuttle Challenger and its crew of seven.

Columbia's crew included Israel's first astronaut, Ilan Ramon, as well as commander Rick Husband, David Brown, Laurel Clark, Michael Anderson,?Kalpana Chawla and William McCool. The shuttle broke up over Texas during its descent at the end of a 16-day science mission. Investigators concluded that flying foam insulation from the external fuel tank damaged the left wing during launch, setting the stage for the Feb. 1 tragedy. The fuel tank was redesigned, emergency rescue plans were updated, and an array of cameras was added to the shuttle to watch for damage. The investigators also pointed to lapses in NASA's "safety culture." The George W. Bush administration followed up on the investigative panel's recommendations and decided to close down the space shuttle program once construction of the International Space Station was complete. That day finally came on July 21, 2011, with the landing of the space shuttle Atlantis.

Dec. 31, 2008: NASA released new information about what the astronauts went through in their final moments on board the space shuttle Columbia in 2003. NBC's Tom Costello reports.

Bolden said the successful operation of the space station and the rise of a new generation of commercial space vehicles would not have been possible if it weren't for the sacrifices made by the fallen astronauts. Rather than shutting down America's space program, political leaders gave the go-ahead for more ambitious plans to go beyond Earth orbit, and ultimately to Mars.

"If we didn't have that coming along, then what would have been the point of losing them?" Bolden said.?

To recognize those sacrifices, Bolden will attend a space conference being conducted in Ramon's honor this week in Israel, and then will return to Washington in time for Friday's?wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. NASA's space centers are planning commemorations as well: Officials at Johnson Space Center will participate in memorial events in Texas on Thursday and Friday. Kennedy Space Center's ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. ET Friday at the visitor center's Space Mirror Memorial. That Florida observance is open to the public and will be broadcast on NASA TV.

Stay tuned for more about NASA's week of sad celebration in the days ahead ? and feel free to add your own reminiscences and tributes as comments below.

More about NASA's space tragedies:

---

Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's?Facebook page, following?@b0yle on Twitter?and adding the?Cosmic Log page?to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box every weekday. You can also check out?"The Case for Pluto,"?my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.

Source: http://cosmiclog.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/27/16716338-nasa-celebrates-its-fallen-astronauts?lite

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?Human Error? Caused Vine?s DildoPlay Editor?s Pick

This morning, new Vine users woke up to quite the treat. Twitter's new video sharing app launched a NSFW, porn clip called "DildoPlay" to the top of the Editor's Picks section of the app, a place where users can browse the latest and greatest vines. Vine only launched last week, and has already been reported as having a small porn problem. Searching the hashtag #porn within the app will give you a peek at what I'm talking about. This is expected from almost any new visually focused social network. If you build it, sex will come.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/GWb4ExizcKU/

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Exclusive: Bank probes find manipulation in Singapore's offshore FX market - source

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Internal reviews by banks in Singapore have found evidence that traders colluded to manipulate rates in the offshore foreign exchange market, according to a source with knowledge of the inquiries.

The discovery widens a global lending rate scandal into new markets, as fallout from the Libor case puts banks under added scrutiny and spurs both regulators and institutions to reconsider how certain key interest and currency rates are set.

The probes found evidence showing that traders from several banks communicated with each other over electronic messaging about what rates they were going to submit for the local banking association's fixings for non-deliverable foreign exchange forwards (NDFs), aiming to benefit their trading books.

"Traders were talking to traders, saying: 'I need you to help me today, I need to fix low,'" said the bank source, who asked not to be identified due to the confidential nature of the reviews.

NDFs are derivatives that let companies and investors hedge or speculate on emerging market currencies when exchange controls make it difficult for foreigners to participate directly in the spot market.

The contracts are settled in dollars, so there is no exchange of the underlying currency, but they can affect spot exchange rates.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore ordered banks that help set local interbank lending rates and NDF rates to review the fixing process last year as U.S. and British regulators cracked down on manipulation of the London interbank offered rate (Libor), a benchmark used to set interest rates for around $600 trillion worth of securities.

The investigations into Libor led to fines of $1.5 billion for UBS AG and $451 million for Barclays Plc for rate rigging. Regulatory probes stemming from the Libor cases in the United States and Britain have also revealed evidence of attempted manipulation of benchmark interbank lending rates in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Australia.

Banking watchdogs in Britain and elsewhere in Europe have begun trying to reform the way Libor and other interbank rates are set, to try to ensure the numbers can't be manipulated.

The Singapore bank probes show that the focus is now turning to other benchmarks, amid concern that they too were manipulated.

The biggest banks in the Asian NDF markets include UBS, JPMorgan Chase & Co , DBS Group Holdings Ltd and HSBC Holdings Plc .

The source did not make specific comments about possible wrongdoing by individual banks or traders and Reuters has no independent evidence of such wrongdoing.

UBS, JPMorgan, DBS and HSBC declined to comment. Reuters also contacted the other 14 banks involved in setting NDF rates. Twelve said they had no comment while two did not respond to repeated telephone and e-mail requests for comment.

DISCIPLINARY ACTION

Under the NDF rate-setting process, organized by the Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS), banks submit their reading of the spot price for the Indonesian rupiah, Malaysian ringgit and Vietnamese dong every working day at 11:00 a.m. (10 p.m. ET).

A settlement rate for NDF contracts due to expire is then calculated by taking the average of the submissions, excluding the highest and lowest quarters of contributions from the banks.

While the exclusion of the rates at the top and the bottom of the range is meant to ensure that one bank cannot try to improperly skew the rate, the concern is that collusion by traders at multiple banks could influence the result.

There are 18 banks on the panel for the rupiah, 15 for the ringgit and 12 for the dong.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore told banks in the city state last July to review the way they set interbank lending rates, in the wake of the Libor scandal.

As bank officials pored over documents and communications, they came across evidence that raised alarm bells over activities in the NDF markets as well, spurring an extension of the reviews to those markets in September, the source said.

In Singapore, benchmark rates for both interbank lending and certain NDFs are set by panels of banks organized by the ABS. Thomson Reuters, parent company of Reuters News, calculates and distributes the spot reference rates for the rupiah, ringgit and dong NDF markets on behalf of the ABS, as well as other interbank lending and currency rates. "Thomson Reuters supports any measures that create more robust benchmarks for the market and we fully cooperate with regulators, authorities and benchmark sponsors' investigations as required," a Thomson Reuters spokeswoman said.

In December, the Monetary Authority of Singapore issued a statement setting out the banks' obligations under the reviews, although it has not made clear whether it would take action of its own based on the results.

"The banks have to immediately report any irregularities they uncover to MAS, and have to take appropriate disciplinary action against staff involved in such irregularities," the statement said.

"The reviews are ongoing, and it is premature to speculate on the outcome of these reviews at this stage."

The central bank provided no further comment when asked by Reuters about the probes' findings.

The source said most banks had submitted their reviews to the authorities at the end of last year but did not say what disciplinary actions if any were planned for banks or traders who tried to manipulate rates.

The MAS said last year that it was working with the ABS to review the way NDF rates and the city state's benchmark lending rates are set. The association declined to comment for this story.

Banks dealing in over-the-counter products in Singapore such as NDFs follow a code-of-conduct set by the Singapore Foreign Exchange Market Committee, known as The Blue Book.

That includes a requirement that: "dealers and brokers shall not engage in manipulative or deceptive conduct or any form of conduct which would give other users of the market a false or misleading impression as to prevailing market conditions."

MARKET THINS OUT

Trading volumes in the NDF markets are much smaller than for derivatives linked to Libor, although they are hefty enough to effect spot rates for the underlying emerging market currencies.

For the Indonesian rupiah, the biggest market fixed in Singapore, daily turnover is estimated between $700 million and $1.3 billion, according to an HSBC report. Since NDFs are traded over the counter, there is no fixed data on volumes.

Traders say even a small movement in an NDF fixing could have a big impact on a bank's trading book if it had a large number of contracts expiring.

Many of the traders involved were junior and did not appear to think they were doing anything wrong, said the source.

The NDF market in Singapore developed after the Asian financial crisis, when capital fled the region causing several area currencies including the rupiah to slump in value. NDFs gave banks a way around controls that governments subsequently imposed on their currencies to curb those capital flows.

Of the 40 to 50 NDF traders based in Singapore, roughly half had either been put on leave, including those suspended while their activities in the market were under investigation, or left their jobs during the Singapore probes, the source said. It was not clear how many may have been or will be reinstated after the probes' completion.

"A lot of banks are stuck, traders are suspended or have left, so the market is seeing around half its usual volume," the source said.

Flows in Indonesian rupiah and Malaysian ringgit NDFs have been thin since the last quarter of 2012 according to Thomson Reuters IFR Markets, although volumes in ringgit NDFs picked up at the start of this year.

The action by U.S. authorities last month against UBS for its part in the Libor scandal included a criminal charge against the Swiss bank's Japanese subsidiary for yen Libor manipulation.

The charge sheet by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission against the bank also revealed other markets in Asia where problems emerged.

"Through its internal investigation, UBS identified evidence of similar misconduct involving submissions for at least the Hong Kong Interbank Offered Rate ("HIBOR"), the Singapore Interbank Offered Rate ("SIBOR"), the Singapore Swap Offer Rate ("SOR") and the Australian Bank Bill Swap Rate ("BBSW")," a footnote in the charge sheet read.

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority said in December that it was looking into the findings on Hibor.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission declined to comment on the BBSW.

(Reporting by Rachel Armstrong; Editing by Michael Flaherty and Edmund Klamann)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/exclusive-bank-probes-manipulation-singapores-offshore-fx-market-210604449--finance.html

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Consumer alert: new health care markets on the way

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Buying your own health insurance will never be the same.

This fall, new insurance markets called exchanges will open in each state, marking the long-awaited and much-debated debut of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.

The goal is quality coverage for millions of uninsured people in the United States. What the reality will look like is anybody's guess ? from bureaucracy, confusion and indifference to seamless service and satisfied customers.

Exchanges will offer individuals and their families a choice of private health plans resembling what workers at major companies already get. The government will help many middle-class households pay their premiums, while low-income people will be referred to safety-net programs they might qualify for.

Most people will go online to pick a plan when open enrollment starts Oct. 1. Counselors will be available at call centers and in local communities, too. Some areas will get a storefront operation or kiosks at the mall. Translation to Spanish and other languages spoken by immigrants will be provided.

When you pick a plan, you'll no longer have to worry about getting turned down or charged more because of a medical problem. If you're a woman, you can't be charged a higher premium because of gender. Middle-aged people and those nearing retirement will get a price break: They can't be charged more than three times what younger customers pay, compared with six times or seven times today.

If all this sounds too good to be true, remember that nothing in life is free and change isn't easy.

Starting Jan. 1, 2014, when coverage takes effect in the exchanges, virtually everyone in the country will be required by law to have health insurance or face fines. The mandate is meant to get everybody paying into the insurance pool.

Obama's law is called the Affordable Care Act, but some people in the new markets might experience sticker shock over their premiums. Smokers will face a financial penalty. Younger, well-to-do people who haven't seen the need for health insurance may not be eligible for income-based assistance with their premiums.

Many people, even if they get government help, will find that health insurance still doesn't come cheaply. Monthly premiums will be less than the mortgage or rent, but maybe more than a car loan. The coverage, however, will be more robust than most individual plans currently sold.

Consider a hypothetical family of four making $60,000 and headed by a 40-year-old. They'll be eligible for a government tax credit of $7,193 toward their annual premium of $12,130. But they'd still have to pay $4,937, about 8 percent of their income, or about $410 a month.

A lower-income family would get a better deal from the government's sliding-scale subsidies.

Consider a similar four-person family making $35,000. They'd get a $10,742 tax credit toward the $12,130 annual premium. They'd have to pay $1,388, about 4 percent of their income, or about $115 a month.

The figures come from the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation's online Health Reform Subsidy Calculator. But while the government assistance is called a tax credit and computed through the income tax system, the money doesn't come to you in a refund. It goes directly to insurers.

Obama's law is the biggest thing that's happened to health care since Medicare and Medicaid in the 1960s. But with open enrollment for exchange plans less than 10 months away, there's a dearth of consumer information. It's as if the consumer angle got drowned out by the political world's dispute over "Obamacare," the dismissive label coined by Republican foes.

Yet exchanges are coming to every state, even those led by staunch GOP opponents of the overhaul, such as Govs. Rick Perry of Texas and Nikki Haley of South Carolina. In their states and close to 20 others that are objecting, the exchanges will be operated by the federal government, over state opposition. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has pledged that every citizen will have access to an exchange come next Jan. 1, and few doubt her word.

But what's starting to dawn on Obama administration officials, activists, and important players in the health care industry is that the lack of consumer involvement, unless reversed, could turn the big health care launch into a dud. What if Obama cut the ribbon and nobody cared?

"The people who stand to benefit the most are the least aware of the changes that are coming," said Rachel Klein, executive director of Enroll America, a nonprofit that's trying to generate consumer enthusiasm.

"My biggest fear is that we get to Oct. 1 and people haven't heard there is help coming, and they won't benefit from it as soon as they can," she added. "I think it is a realistic fear."

Even the term "exchange" could be a stumbling block. It was invented by policy nerds. Although the law calls them "American Health Benefit Exchanges," Sebelius is starting to use the term "marketplaces" instead.

Polls underscore the concerns. A national survey last October found that only 37 percent of the uninsured said they would personally be better off because of the health care law. Twenty-three percent said they would be worse off in the Kaiser poll, while 31 percent said it would make no difference to them.

Insurers, hospitals, drug companies and other businesses that stand to benefit from the hundreds of billions of dollars the government will pump in to subsidize coverage aren't waiting for Washington to educate the public.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans, for example, are trying to carve out a new role for themselves as explainers of the exchanges. Somewhere around 12 million people now purchase coverage individually, but the size of the market could double or triple with the new approach, and taxpayers will underwrite it.

"Consumers are expecting their health insurance provider to be a helpful navigator to them," said Maureen Sullivan, a senior vice president for the Blues' national association. "We see 2013 as a huge year for education."

One goal is to help consumers master the "metals," the four levels of coverage that will be available through exchange plans ? bronze, silver, gold, and platinum.

Blue Cross is also working with tax preparer H&R Block, which is offering its customers a health insurance checkup at no additional charge this tax season. Returns filed this year for 2012 will be used by the government to help determine premium subsidies for 2014.

"This tax season is one of historical significance," said Meg Sutton, senior advisor for tax and health care at H&R Block. "The tax return you are filing is going to be key to determining your health care benefits on the exchange."

Only one state, Massachusetts, now has an exchange resembling what the administration wants to see around the country. With six years in business, the Health Connector enrolls about 240,000 Massachusetts residents. It was created under the health overhaul plan passed by former Republican Gov. Mitt Romney and has gotten generally positive reviews.

Connector customer Robert Schultz is a Boston area startup business consultant who got his MBA in 2008, when the economy was tanking. Yet he was able to find coverage when he graduated and hang on to his insurance through job changes since. Schultz says that's freed him to pursue his ambition of becoming a successful entrepreneur ? a job creator instead of an employee.

"It's being portrayed by opponents as being socialistic," said Schultz. "It is only socialistic in the sense of making sure that everybody in society is covered, because the cost of making sure everybody is covered in advance is much less than the cost of putting out fires."

The Connector's executive director, Glen Shor, said his state has proven the concept works and he's confident other states can succeed on their own terms.

"There is no backing away from all the challenges associated with expanding coverage," Shor said. "We are proud in Massachusetts that we overcame what had been years of policy paralysis."

___

Online:

Kaiser Health Reform Subsidy Calculator - http://healthreform.kff.org/subsidycalculator.aspx

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/consumer-alert-health-care-markets-131529045.html

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Cerebral Diva: Bullying, Transgender Women & Domestic Violence ...

I think it's common knowledge that most trans-people have/will be the victims of abuse at some point in their life. The perpetual abuse and lack of empathy or often the motivation for many in the gender variant community to end their own lives in the quest for eternal peace.

For those who choose to stay and fight the world can be a very cruel place, one filled with ostracism, prejudice, homelessness, excommunication and unemployment.

In order to survive in an unforgiving world you need more than a thick skin, you need a suit or armor and arsenal of weaponry (figuratively speaking).

After being beaten up in school on a daily basis, misunderstood at home and feeling an extraterrestrial of sorts, at some point trans-people grow tired of being the one on the receiving end of ass-whoopin's and you learn to fight back (verbally and physically). But through it all...what transgender people really want is love. They desire love and companionship just as most humans desire.

Its the quest for love, combined with a history of violence that can create a dangerous cocktail for many emotionally maladjusted trans-people and their prospective lovers.

Imagined feeling unloved and unwanted for most of your life and then finally finding that special someone that makes you feel complete. Compound that with years of beatings, ridicule, abuse and psychological trauma. You are in for a serious roller coaster ride. Especially if the gender variant person chooses a person who is not comfortable in their own skin or a person who lacks fidelity and sensitivity required to nurture a relationship with a transgender person.

I believe this is why transgender women (especially those of color) often find themselves in relationships where domestic violence is the norm. When you've been abused it creates so many layers of insecurity and unworthiness. It will allow you to make the illogical sound sane for the purpose of maintaining an unhealthy relationship.

If you've been beat up, called "faggot" and "he-she" for the bulk of your life you've essentially been conditioned for an abusive relationship. Violence isn't out of the ordinary, its the standard.

Violence is not atypical in the romantic relationships of many trans-people neither is the escalation and frequency of the violence. The problem is when the trans-person comes out on the winning end of a life or death domestic violence altercation.

There are many transgender women who are now imprisoned or on trial for the death of their lovers. Lovers who were in many cases equally culpable. Yet its the transgender person who is in jail for simply employing one of the most primitive laws known to man: "Kill or be killed".

Don't get me wrong...I am in no way endorsing violence in any capacity. If you do the crime....you do the time. Trans-people have to follow the laws of our society just like anyone else.

It's my hope that trans-people will learn to identify what a healthy relationship looks like and what true love feel like. It is not a fist to the eye or a glass being hurled in your direction form the other side of the room. Love is internal. It lives inward and emanates outward.

Source: http://cerebraldiva.blogspot.com/2013/01/bullying-transgender-women-domestic.html

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Egyptian city buries its dead after deadly riot

PORT SAID, Egypt (AP) ? Port Said residents were burying their dead Sunday in mass funerals that could erupt into another wave of violent protests, a day after rioting in the Egyptian coastal city left at least 37 dead and hundreds wounded.

Army troops backed by armored vehicles staked out positions at key government facilities to protect state interests and try to restore order as hundreds of mourners gathered at the city's main mosque to offer prayers for the dead.

On Saturday, angry residents went on a rampage through Port Said after a court handed down death sentences to almost two dozen local fans involved in a deadly melee at a soccer game last year. The rioters attacked the prison where the defendants were being held and tried to storm police stations and government offices around the city.

The street clashes in Port Said were the latest in a bout of unrest across the country that has left a total of 48 people dead since Friday. That death toll includes 11 people killed in clashes between police and protesters marking the second anniversary of the uprising that overthrew longtime leader Hosni Mubarak.

On Sunday, clashes continued for the fourth successive day between protesters and police near Cairo's central Tahrir square, birthplace of the 2011 uprising. Police used tear gas, while the protesters pelted them with rocks.

The bloodshed highlights the challenges facing Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, who took office nearly seven months ago following the revolt that ousted Mubarak. Critics say Morsi has failed to carry out promised reforms in the country's judiciary and police force, and claim little has improved in the two years since the uprising.

At the heart of the rising opposition toward Morsi's rule is a newly adopted constitution, which was adopted in a nationwide referendum.

Critics say the document has an Islamist slant and was drafted by the president's allies without the participation of liberals and Christians. They are calling for the formation of a national unity government, early presidential elections and amendments to disputed clauses in the constitution.

Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist group from which he hails, counter that the opposition was seeking to overturn the results of democratic and free elections.

As the situation in Port Said spiraled out of control Saturday, police disappeared from the city's streets, residents and security officials said, staying put in their camps, police stations and the city's security headquarters.

The military then dispatched troops to the city, which is located on the northern tip of the Suez Canal. Soldiers took up positions at vital state facilities, including the local power and water stations, the city's main courthouse, the local government building and the city prison. Navy sailors were guarding the local offices of the Suez Canal company.

Navy vessels were escorting merchant ships sailing through the international waterway, and army helicopters were flying over the canal to ensure the safety of shipping, according to Suez Canal spokesman Tareq Hassanein.

Residents said Port Said was quiet overnight except for intermittent bursts of gunfire. The city was still on edge early Sunday ? streets were largely deserted, stores were closed for the second successive day, and some hotels asked guests to leave, fearing more violence.

Funerals for those killed Saturday were taking place Sunday at the city's landmark Mariam Mosque, and residents said they expected more street clashes afterward.

The officials and residents spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Saturday's riot in Port Said mostly stemmed from animosity between police and die-hard soccer fans know as Ultras, who also were part of the uprising that toppled Mubarak's regime.

The Ultras were at the forefront of protests against the military generals who took over from Mubarak and are now again on the frontlines of protests against the rule of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

Survivors and witnesses of the Feb. 1 soccer melee in Port Said say Mubarak loyalists had a hand in instigating the killings, which began after Port Said's home team Al-Masry beat Cairo's Al-Ahly 3-1. Some say "hired thugs" wearing green T-shirts posing as Al-Masry fans led the attacks.

Others say, at the very least, police were responsible for gross negligence in the soccer violence, which killed 74 people, most of them Al-Ahly fans.

Anger at police was evident in Port Said, home to most of the 73 men accused of involvement in the bloodshed, although the trial was held outside Cairo.

Judge Sobhi Abdel-Maguid did not give his reasoning when he handed down the sentences for 21 defendants on Saturday. Executions in Egypt are usually carried out by hanging.

Verdicts for the remaining 52 defendants, including nine security officials, are scheduled to be delivered March 9. Some have been charged with murder and others with assisting the attackers. All the defendants ? who were not present in the courtroom Saturday for security reasons ? can appeal the verdict.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egyptian-city-buries-dead-deadly-riot-111748279.html

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Hello

HI THERE. I'M SATO. NICE TO MEET YOU.

This is indeed the place to start off if you're a new user. It lets the rest of the community know you're new, and some of us often wander in and get to know the fresh blood coming through. (:

I'm Sato, a longtime member around these parts.

Glad to have you here. What brought you to our humble home?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/NMyk9tXpEFE/viewtopic.php

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Women Navigate Political Minefield in Kenya ? Global Issues

• by Miriam Gathigah (nairobi)
• Friday, January 25, 2013
• Inter Press Service

NAIROBI, Jan 25 (IPS) - Few women in Kenya harbour illusions of entering politics. Blatant discrimination, threats and intimidations, an uneven playing field and a largely unsympathetic public have turned electoral politics into a veritable minefield for women hoping to secure top government posts.

Hamisa Zaja dropped out of the Mombasa County gubernatorial race for lack of resources. Credit: Miriam Gathigah/IPS

Despite adopting a more gender sensitive constitution back in 2010, in which Article 81(b) stipulates that not more than two-thirds of the members of elective public bodies shall be of the same gender, male-dominated parties continue to make a farce of the little political space offered to women.

Whereas previously women were only allowed to contest three seats ? namely for the posts of president, Member of Parliament (MP) and councilor of a ward (a subdivision of a municipality) ? an additional three seats are up for grabs in elections scheduled for Mar. 4 this year.

But "the environment is still not enabling", Hamisa Zaja, a politician in Kenya's Coastal region, told IPS.

"Women remain under attack from male opponents and even society," she added.

When Vesca Kangongo presented her bid to vie for the gubernatorial seat in Uasin Gishu, a county in Kenya's Rift Valley region located about 313 kilometres from the capital, Nairobi, her rivals swore that the governor of the region "would be anything but a woman".

This statement has been echoed across the country and consequently only a handful of women are running for tickets of top seats.

Zaja explained that besides society's negative attitude towards women's leadership, the financial resources required to launch a competitive campaign automatically exclude many women from the running.

"I pulled out of the race for the governor of Mombasa County under the Wiper Democratic Movement because I don't have the economic muscle required," she said.

To qualify for the party nominations, Zaja was required to pay the equivalent of 1,700 dollars, a huge sum in a country where, according to government statistics, the average monthly wage is about 250 dollars.

"This is besides the money required to oil an effective campaign such as getting vehicles, fueling them to facilitate mobility, branding and so on," noted Jacky Mwaura, a campaign agent.

When the presidential candidate Martha Karua, running on the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC)-Kenya ticket, announced that she only has about 640,000 dollars to her name, it was not clear how she would finance her campaign when her most serious rivals are talking about a 91.4-million-dollar budget.

"Campaign money in Kenya largely comes from personal wealth," political analyst Peter Otondo told IPS. "Although top politicians hold dinners to raise money, this is often to hoodwink voters that they are being transparent and accountable."

But even for those women able to pay the prohibitive nomination fee, a host of other hurdles present themselves.

"Women aspirants across the country face many challenges, only to lose the nomination ticket in the end," a returning officer from Mombasa County, located in the Coast region about 440 kilometres away from Nairobi City, told IPS on condition of anonymity.

She added, "Most people here know Alice Maitha, the wife of the late former MP Kharisa Maitha, who has won the ticket to battle it out for the Senate (the future upper house of parliament) position under The National Alliance Party (TNA)."

As a returning officer, the anonymous source has insider information and revealed that Maitha was initially a staunch member of the Wiper Democratic Movement, and even paid the 1,700-dollar fee in order to fight for the Senate ticket.

"But at the very last minute, the party informed her that she was not financially fit and that "the Senate isn't for women", the officer told IPS.

But Maitha refused to be discouraged. She quickly joined the TNA, where she paid another 2,000 dollars to be allowed to vie for the same ticket, and successfully made it onto the ballot.

But her woes did not end there. According to the officer, Maitha has since been under pressure to "sell" her seat to a male rival.

The widespread use of violence, which has become part and parcel of Kenyan politics, is another serious deterrent to women's participation.

A few days ago, a returning officer tasked with overseeing the elections succumbed to stab wounds sustained during skirmishes between rival groups in the recently concluded nominations.

"Women tend to shy away from violence," John Ndeta, media coordinator of a project dubbed Peace Initiative Kenya, told IPS.

Since a great deal of the election outcome is determined by bribery, intimidation and outright hostilities, women invariably fail to secure the kind of support that is won through violence and coercion.

According to Ndeta, although the constitution requires a third of elected officers ? at least 117 out of 290 members of the upcoming national assembly ? to be women, "it will be an uphill task for women to get there".

Furthermore, "Men campaign and lobby at night. A woman isn't expected to do so. You find that a woman aspirant goes to bed thinking that her position in the party is secure, only to wake up to new realities in the morning after men have kept their night vigils," Zaja explained.

Women who defy these political traditions face threats of rape, and other forms of bodily harm.

Education, or the lack thereof, also continues to be a thorn in the side of aspiring female politicians.

One of the strongest politicians in Nairobi County, Bishop Margaret Wanjiru, found herself locked out of party nominations at the very last minute for lack of a university degree.

Wanjiru, who is assistant minister for housing, has always been open about her struggle as a single mother of three.

"Before she was disqualified, Wanjiru was the only female candidate in the race for governor, and she has a massive following," Otondo noted.

With no hope of a sea change on the horizon, it seems that the constitutional space allotted to women is Kenya still far out of reach.

(END)

? Inter Press Service (2013) ? All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service

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Russian parliament backs ban on 'gay propaganda'

Yuri Kochetkov / EPA

Russian Interior Ministry officers detain two gay rights activists during an unsanctioned protest in front of the Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, in Moscow on Friday.

By Gabriela Baczynska and Alissa de Carbonnel, Reuters

Russia's parliament backed a draft law on Friday banning "homosexual propaganda," in what critics see as an attempt to shore up support for President Vladimir Putin in the country's largely conservative society.

Only one deputy in the State Duma lower house voted against the bill, but passions spilled over outside the chamber, where 20 people were detained after scuffles between Russian Orthodox Christians and gay activists who staged a "kiss-in" protest.

"We live in Russia, not Sodom and Gomorrah," United Russia deputy Dmitry Sablin said before the 388-1 vote in the 450-seat chamber. "Russia is a thousands-years-old country founded on its own traditional values - the protection of which is dearer to me than even oil and gas."

---

Veteran human rights campaigner Lyudmila Alexeyeva described the draft law as "medieval" and said it was intended to appeal to conservative voters after months of protests that have sapped Putin's popularity.

"It (the Duma) is relying on the ignorance of people who think homosexuality is some sort of distortion," she said.

The legislation has served to deepen divisions in society since Putin returned to the presidency in May and began moves seen by the opposition as designed to crackdown on dissent and smother civil society.

During the process, Putin and his supporters have underlined what they see as conservative, traditional Russian values.

He has drawn closer to the Russian Orthodox Church during this time, hoping the support of one of the most influential institutions in Russia will consolidate his grip on power.

Scuffles outside the Duma
In a sign of the passions caused by the bill, clashes broke out between supporters and opponents outside the Duma, a few hundred meters from the Kremlin in central Moscow.

Supporters, some of them holding Russian Orthodox icons and crosses, cheered and threw eggs as police hauled away gay activists, one of whom was splashed with green paint. Police said 20 people had been held.

The law must be passed in three readings by the lower house, approved by the upper house and then signed by Putin to go into force. It would ban the promotion of gay events across Russia and impose fines of up 500,000 roubles ($16,600) on organizers.

Supporters of the law welcome moves that would allow the banning of gay rights marches and complain about television and radio programs which they say show support for gay couples.

"The spread of gay propaganda among minors violates their rights," ruling United Russia party deputy, Elena Mizulina, who chairs the Duma's family issues committee. "Russian society is more conservative so the passing of this law is justified."

Putin's critics say the law is the latest in a series of legislative moves intended to stifle the opposition.

In a sign Kremlin-loyal lawmakers hope to eliminate all opposition in the house, two deputies who joined in street protests against Putin said on Friday that their Just Russia party threatened to kick them out if they continued to do so.

Public approval for Putin, who is now 60, stood in January at 62 percent, the lowest level since June 2000, an independent pollster said on Thursday.

Putin and the church
Putin, a former KGB spy who has criticized gays for failing to help reverse Russia's population decline, has increasingly looked for support among conservative constituencies and particularly the church to offset his falling support.

The Russian Orthodox Church, resurgent since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, has spoken out against homosexuality. Putin drew closer to the clergy during the trial and sentencing this summer of three members of the Pussy Riot punk band over their protest in the country's main cathedral.

Anti-gay propaganda laws are already in place in Arkhangelsk, Novosibirsk and St Petersburg, Putin's home city, where it was used unsuccessfully to sue American singer Madonna for $10 million for promoting gay love during a concert last year.

Some deputies raised concerns the bill would be misused, asking how it would define homosexuality, and one said the house was meddling in issues beyond its scope.

"Do you seriously think that you can foster homosexuality via propaganda?" the only deputy who voted against the bill, United Russia's Sergei Kuzin, challenged its authors during the debate.

Homosexuality, punished with jail terms in the Soviet Union, was decriminalized in Russia in 1993, but much of the gay community remains underground and prejudice runs deep.

In Moscow, city authorities have repeatedly declined permission to stage gay parades and gay rights' allies have often ended in arrests and clashes with anti-gay activists.

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/25/16700904-russian-parliament-backs-ban-on-gay-propaganda?lite

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