Japan manufacturers brace for euro zone breakup: Reuters poll (Reuters)

TOKYO (Reuters) ? Japanese manufacturers are bracing for a possible breakup of the euro zone, according to a Reuters poll released on Monday, with 65 percent saying they see a need to prepare for the currency block's partial or complete collapse.

Europe's two-year old sovereign debt crisis, which has left Greece teetering on the edge of default, has taken a heavy toll on Japanese corporate sentiment as exporters struggle with a strong yen and slower growth in China.

When manufacturers were asked if they are considering changing business plans in Europe, 31 percent of those responding said they are in the process of doing so or have already made changes. Of those firms, 90 percent said they could scale back operations or have already done so.

Many manufacturers were also looking to shrink operations in China and North America in favor of expanding in other Asian countries to tap demand for their goods, the survey showed.

Euro zone finance ministers will decide on Monday what terms of a Greek debt restructuring they are ready to accept as part of a second bailout package for Athens after negotiators for private creditors said they could not improve their offer.

Resolving the issue of a Greek debt swap is key to putting Athens' debt on a sustainable path and avoiding a chaotic default that could threaten the whole currency bloc.

The poll, taken January 5-17, surveyed 400 big firms, of which 247 responded. The questions were part of the Reuters tankan for January, which was published on Friday.

The tankan, which is closely correlated with the Bank of Japan's quarterly tankan survey of business sentiment, showed manufacturers remained pessimistic about business conditions for the second straight month in January.

Manufacturers showed concern about China's growth prospects, with 50 percent saying they could change their business strategy as China's red-hot growth cools. Of those firms, 65 percent say they could shrink operations.

China's economy is expanding at its weakest pace in 2-1/2 years, with sequentially softer annual growth in the last four quarters seen spilling over into the first three months of 2012, leading many analysts to expect the worst full-year growth in a decade.

The poll suggested half of Japanese manufacturers are taking another look at Asian markets excluding China, and 52 percent of those firm want to expand in an attempt to reduce dependence on the Chinese market.

Only 24 percent of manufacturers were considering changing their North American strategy, but 61 percent of those firms said they are likely to scale back.

Manufacturers were pessimistic on the Japanese market. One in three are reconsidering domestic business plans. Of those, 78 percent said they are likely to shrink operations.

Non-manufacturers, which include construction firms and retailers, were more positive on the domestic economy as they are likely to benefit from reconstruction following last year's record earthquake and the worst nuclear crisis in 25 years.

The survey showed that 75 percent of non-manufacturers are looking to change their domestic strategy, with 60 percent of those firms leaning toward expansion.

When manufacturers and non-manufacturers are combined, almost 70 percent say the global economy is the biggest risk to their outlook, followed by 57 percent who said they are worried about the rising yen.

(Reporting by Izumi Nakagawa; Writing by Stanley White; Editing by Michael Watson)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120123/bs_nm/us_japan_economy_tankan

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European crisis to slow world economy, IMF says (AP)

WASHINGTON ? A recession in Europe will slow the global economy this year, the International Monetary Fund predicted Tuesday, while urging world leaders to focus on growth more than budget cuts.

The IMF forecasts global growth of 3.25 percent this year, slower than the 4 percent pace it projected in September.

The 17 nations that share the euro will shrink 0.5 percent this year. In September, the IMF had predicted 1.1 percent growth for the region.

Europe's recession should have only a modest impact on the United States. The IMF projects 1.8 percent growth for the year, unchanged from its September estimate.

The IMF warns against steep budget cuts, which it says will slow growth further and undermine market confidence. The global lending organization's message runs counter to the push for budget cuts advocated by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

In light of the weaker growth, European governments should avoid extreme austerity measures ? spending cuts and tax increases ? the IMF said in its World Economic Outlook. And healthier European countries whose governments are facing lower interest rates "should reconsider the pace" of their short-term budget cuts.

IMF managing director Christine Lagarde made a similar argument Monday during a speech in Berlin.

European banks, meanwhile, are cutting back on lending in order to boost their capital reserves, the fund said. That's likely to hammer Central and Eastern European economies this year, which depend heavily on European bank loans.

The cutbacks will also slow growth in many Asian economies, the IMF said, where European banks finance a big chunk of the region's exports.

Still, the hit to China will be relatively modest: It is forecast to grow 8.2 percent this year, down from the fund's earlier projection of 9 percent.

U.S. policymakers should take steps to rein in the long-term costs of government health programs and Social Security, the IMF said. But those cuts should be phased in over the long-term. Immediate cuts could slow the economy further.

One reason the IMF expects the U.S. economy to remain sluggish is because governments at all levels will likely cut back on spending. The IMF assumes the Social Security payroll tax and extended unemployment benefits will extended for the full year. Last month, Congress agreed to extend them only through February.

Without a full extension of both measures, the U.S. economy will fare much worse, the IMF said.

Lagarde warned Monday that the world economy faced the risk of a painful recession this year. She called on policymakers to avoid the stalemates that prevented Europe and the United States from resolving difficult budget and economic problems last year.

"It is not about saving any one country or any one region," she said. "It is about saving the world from a downward economic spiral."

The IMF's projections followed a similar mark-down in global growth estimates last week by the World Bank.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120124/ap_on_bi_ge/us_imf_world_economy

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Severe Brain Injury When Young May Have Long-Term Effects (HealthDay)

MONDAY, Jan. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Although many people believe young children are extremely resilient after they are seriously hurt, the opposite may be true with traumatic brain injuries.

Two Australian studies looked at the impact of traumatic brain injury in children as young as 2 years, and found that these injuries affected cognitive function, IQ and even behavior for some time. However, the researchers also found that recovery from traumatic brain injury can continue for years after the initial injury. And, a child's home environment can positively influence recovery if the child lives in a stable, caring home.

"Many people think that the soft skull of a baby may give them some advantage because if they fall they are not likely to sustain a skull fracture. Also, because a baby's brain is growing so quickly, it seems like the brain may be able to fix an injury. In reality, the soft skull and growing brain of a baby put them at a greater risk of future problems," said the lead author of one of the studies, Louise Crowe, a postdoctoral research officer at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute in Melbourne.

"Children with significant head injuries do recover, but they are generally slower to learn concepts, and some high-level skills are often too difficult for them," she added.

Results from both studies were released online Jan. 23 and are scheduled to appear in the February issue of Pediatrics.

By age 16, at least one in 30 children will experience a traumatic brain injury, according to background information in one of the studies. Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) occur after a blow or bump to the head, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Young children -- those under 4 years old -- are particularly at risk of experiencing a traumatic brain injury, according to the CDC. Such injuries can occur from a fall, a car accident, deliberate child abuse, sports or being hit with a moving object. Fortunately, most of these injuries aren't fatal, but about one-third of children who survive a TBI will have lasting damage, report the researchers.

Very few studies, however, have followed youngsters from the time of their injury through adolescence, to assess the full effect of the brain injury.

The first study looked at 40 children between the ages of 2 and 7 who had experienced a traumatic brain injury. They were compared to 16 healthy children. The children were examined 12 months, 30 months and 10 years after the injury, according to the study.

Not surprisingly, they found that children with the most severe injuries had the worst cognitive outcomes.

But, the news wasn't all bad. Initially, while the brain was recovering from the injury, the children didn't make significant developmental gains for about three years. However, after that period, and at least up until 10 years after the injury, the children began to make some age-appropriate developmental gains.

That means that even many years after an injury, interventions and therapies for these children may be effective, said the study's lead author, Vicki Anderson, a professor in critical care and neuroscience research at the Murdoch Institute.

"Although this does not suggest that children catch up to peers, it does imply that the gap does not widen during this period," she said.

This study also found that the home environment and relationships could make a difference in a child's recovery. More stable homes with less family conflict appeared to contribute to a child's recovery.

"It's difficult to predict outcome," said Anderson. "A quality home environment and access to appropriate rehabilitation is critical to maximize outcomes. Or, the young brain is plastic, and so the better the environment, the better the outcome."

The second study, led by Crowe, followed a group of 53 children who had sustained a traumatic brain injury before they were 3 years old, and 27 non-injured children. They followed up with these children when they were between 4 and 6 years old. The average time since the injury occurred was 40 months.

Children who had moderate-to-severe TBIs scored lower on IQ tests by about seven to 10 points, according to the study. Mild traumatic brain injuries didn't seem to significantly affect IQ. However, mild and moderate-to-severe TBIs were associated with an increased risk of behavior problems.

And, as with Anderson's study, this study also found that a child's environment has an effect on cognitive function and behavior after a brain injury.

"Children from cohesive family environments and children whose parents had lower levels of stress showed better recovery," Crowe said. "Why this is so is unclear, but it may be due to a parent spending more time with their children, and children also growing up in a less stressful environment."

One expert noted that the findings make an important point.

"We still don't understand all of the factors that affect outcomes. But, these studies do give us important data. We don't necessarily want to close the door on treating these children too soon. There may still be room for improvement over time, but there are persistent deficits," said Dr. Mandeep Tamber, an assistant professor of pediatric neurosurgery at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Meanwhile, Crowe advised parents to be vigilant with young children. She said traumatic brain injuries can result from seemingly minor accidents, such as a baby rolling off of a bed or couch.

More information

Learn more about traumatic brain injuries from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/parenting/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20120124/hl_hsn/severebraininjurywhenyoungmayhavelongtermeffects

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Issues to consider About Term Life Insurance ? ArticleZio / Dofollow ...

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Term life insurance policies are not for the entire course in your life these are typically set up from from 10 to 30 years. After that the passed the insurance plan plan will have to be renewed when the policy holder remains in existence and also the rates will probably change.

While there are many rewards with this type of coverage, just about the most notable rewards is that it is the most affordable type of life insurance coverage available. With insurance coverage, policy owners constantly pay out low monthly premiums as the insurance coverage top quality increases as the insured individual ages. This kind of premium will not develop funds in the same way that whole life insurance will. Even though there are a number of various life insurance coverage policies that anybody usually takes out, it?s still important to know the most basic distinction between whole life and term life insurance policies before you decide to consider buying a term life coverage.

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The essential details you need to supply contains age, gender and if you utilize tobacco or smoke cigarettes. It is also needed that you rate your health class. Specs on what each of these lessons entail can be found on-line or through an insurance agency. You should also know the kind of insurance coverage you are interested in, or the length of time of a term you need the plan for as well as the face amount you need that plan to be worth.

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Click the links in this posting if you want to get the best life insurance rates in the market and get real term life insurance quotes.

Source: http://www.articlezio.com/2012/01/22/issues-to-consider-about-term-life-insurance/

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Forensic Anthropology Gives Voice to Unidentified Remains

RALEIGH, N.C.?Bone-hunters and anthropologists typically guard their fossils as priceless specimens. I?ve learned to ask: ?Is that real or a cast?? when shown a specimen. Often it?s a replica. So, I was as thrilled as a 12-year-old today when I saw two real, contemporary human skeletons and several human skulls during a tour here of forensic anthropologist Ann Ross?s Osteology Lab in the Park Shops building at North Carolina State University (NCSU). (See Anna Kuchment?s longer article on this lab in the September 2010 issue of Scientific American, as well as this slide show and video that reveals other comparisons made by forensic anthropologists.) I admit to taking a ghoulish but also scientifically curious delight in learning about forensic science, and I?m clearly not alone given all the TV crime shows that trade on such details.

The focus in Ross?s lab, however, is as serious as murder. Anthropologists, entomologists and other experts at NCSU tackle about a dozen complicated cases a year referred to the Osteology Lab by the state medical examiner?typically dismemberment or child abuse cases. Ross?s lab will conduct analyses to determine the tool used by a criminal to cut apart bones. In fact, she casually pointed to several sawed-up pig bones set out on a lab bench. Their job: to help analysts determine whether a hand saw or powered saw was used in a recent human dismemberment case.

In Ross?s wet lab, tissue is removed from bones by boiling them in water for 30 minutes, or letting borax, bleach or laundry detergent go to work on them. Ross had set out a disarticulated skeleton on an exam table to show a group of us from the ScienceOnline2012 conference. Holding up a femur, then the skull, a radius and the pelvic girdle, she showed us some of the features used to identify corpses and determine the probable cause of death?worn-down processes, muscle markings, a retreating chin. DNA, radiographic, morphometric and dental data also contribute, when available. In this case, two bullet holes through the skull and an exit blast made the cause of death clear. Patterns of radiating fractures in the skull revealed which bullet struck first and gave clues about the caliber of the firearm used. Skull bone suture patterns accumulated over the first couple of decades of the victim?s life revealed clues to his ancestry?MesoAmerican. Missing teeth indicated poor nutrition.

Forensic anthropology has also been put to systematic use by Ross to help identify risk factors for genocide. Her studies have shown that genocide victims typically suffer from such conditions as poor nutrition, spina bifida, middle-ear infections and severe dental enamel defects. Preventive policy could be implemented in areas where a high presence of these factors confirms other social data to suggest an increased probability for regional genocide. She has conducted such analyses on bodies collected in Rwanda, Bosnia and Croatia.

Ross stresses that her role as a forensic anthropologist is to present the facts as clearly and as objectively as possible. ?I sit up nights and think about a case?did I miss something?? she said. Her goal is to ?bring resolution to someone who had no voice,? to people, often children, whose cases fell through the cracks of the criminal justice system.

Image caption: Case of human skulls in NCSU forensic anthropologist Ann Ross?s Osteology Lab. Can you tell which one is not a cast/replica? Credit: Robin Lloyd

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=408bfa3f5fa0cd4e9a8f69dc83daf778

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Search resumes for missing on capsized Italy liner (Reuters)

GIGLIO, Italy (Reuters) ? Search crews blasted holes into the wrecked Italian liner on Thursday to allow divers to continue a search for bodies, with time running out before the weather turns and salvage crews need to start pumping out the fuel tanks.

Six days after the 114,500 tonne Costa Concordia capsized off the Tuscan coast, hopes of finding anyone alive on the partially submerged hulk have all but disappeared and the cold waters around the ship have become noticeably rougher.

One of the specialist diving crews said on Thursday the available window could be as small as 12-24 hours although the chief spokesman of the rescue services denied that any deadline had been set and said the situation was still evolving.

"The ship is a labyrinth. It's gigantic and it's lying on its side in the water. It's a miracle that so many survived," said Modesto Dilda, head of one of the diving teams.

Eleven people are known to have died out of more than 4,200 passengers and crew aboard when the ship struck a rock just meters from the shoreline, tearing a large gash in the side of the hull. As many as 24 are still unaccounted for. Two French passengers were identified among the dead on Thursday.

The ship's captain Francesco Schettino has been placed under house arrest, accused of causing the accident by sailing too close to the rocky shore and then abandoning ship before the evacuation was complete.

The ship's operators Costa Cruises, have suspended him and said they considered themselves "the damaged party" in the accident, which industry experts say could turn out to be the biggest maritime insurance claim in history.

On Thursday, SkyTG24 broadcast a tape of what was described as a conversation between coastguard officials and the bridge of the Concordia which appeared to show ship's officers telling authorities they had suffered only a blackout more than 30 minutes after the impact.

Italian media also devoted considerable attention to a female Moldovan crew member who was on board but not on duty. Several reports said she had been seen on the bridge with Schettino.

"Mystery over the girl," was one headline, carried on the website of the Corriere della Sera. It said her presence on the bridge was "inexplicable."

"Was she a guest of the captain? And why was she not registered? Was she working without a contract?"

In an interview with a Moldovan television station, the woman, 25 year-old Domnica Cemortan, recounted how she had survived the ordeal by thinking of her daughter and praised Schettino's "extraordinary" handling of the situation.

"Many of my colleagues have the right to be angry, because now they have no work, they have to go home, they have children, debts to pay, all sorts of problems," she told JurnalTV.

"Yet we all support the captain, because he has done something extraordinary: he has saved the lives of over three thousand people."

In a statement, Costa said she had embarked normally on January 13 in Civitavecchia and was properly registered.

SEARCH RESUMES

After interrupting the search on Wednesday when rescuers feared the vast liner was shifting on its resting place, crews resumed their search at first light on Thursday. They expect to blast three holes in the hull at about 20 meters depth.

An expected worsening of weather conditions in the next few days has added extra pressure on the diving teams to complete their search of the vessel.

Nothing was found in the morning during a search of the fourth deck, around an evacuation assembly point where seven of the bodies found so far were located but rescue workers continued operations after blasting new a way into the vessel.

"It's important to continue our search. Family members find it important to have the body of the loved one they've lost because it gives them closure. We understand this," said Dilda.

Relatives of some of the French missing arrived on Thursday accompanied by consular officials but did not speak to reporters. One of the group appeared so upset that she had to be supported and helped into a church.

As hopes of finding survivors fade, attention has increasingly shifted to the threat of an environmental disaster in one of Europe's largest natural marine parks.

The ship is holding more than 2,300 tonnes of diesel and lubricating oil, and salvage crews are already preparing to begin pumping the fuel out of the wreck, a process that is expected to take at least two weeks.

Environment Minister Corrado Clini has warned there was a risk that with sea conditions expected to worsen, the ship could slip down 50 to 90 meters from the rock shelf it is resting on, further damaging the vessel.

He said ship operator Costa Cruises had been instructed to ensure steps are taken to limit the damage if the ship's fuel tanks rupture, including putting in place some 1,000 meters of pollution barriers.

LITTLE HOPE

The judge who placed Schettino under house arrest said he had shown "incredible carelessness" and "a total inability to manage the successive phases of the emergency," only sounding the alarm 30 to 40 minutes after the initial impact.

He had abandoned the ship and remained on shore in a state of "complete inertia" for more than an hour, "watching the ship sink," according to the ruling.

"No serious attempt was made by the captain to return even close to the ship in the immediate aftermath of abandoning the Costa Concordia."

According to Schettino's lawyer, the captain has admitted bringing the ship too close to shore but he denies bearing sole responsibility for the accident and says other factors may have played a role.

The ship foundered after striking a rock as dinner was being served on Friday night. The owners say the captain swung inshore to "take a bow" to the islanders, who included a retired Italian admiral. Investigators say it was within 150 meters of shore.

Most of the passengers and crew survived despite hours of chaos and confusion after the collision. The alarm was raised not by an SOS from the ship but mobile phone calls from passengers on board to Italian police on the mainland.

(Additional reporting by Radu Marinas in Bucharest, Silvia Ognibene in Grosseto; Editing by Jon Boyle)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120119/wl_nm/us_italy_ship

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France mulls early Afghanistan pullout as 4 killed (AP)

KABUL, Afghanistan ? France suspended its training operations in Afghanistan and threatened to withdraw its entire force from the country early, after an Afghan wearing an army uniform shot and killed four French troops Friday and wounded others.

The attack ? the second time this month an Afghan soldier has killed French forces ? came during a particularly deadly 24 hours for the international military coalition. Six U.S. Marines also died in a helicopter crash late Thursday.

It was the latest in a series of attacks by members of the Afghan security forces, or those dressed in their uniforms, against coalition partners that have raised fears of increased Taliban infiltration of the Afghan police and army as foreign combat forces prepare to withdraw from the country by 2014. The impact of the French suspending training operations is unclear, but it would result in a major setback for the U.S.-led coalition if other troop-contributing nations stopped training Afghan national security forces or decided to pull out earlier than planned.

French officials said the attack happened during a training exercise at a base jointly operated by French and Afghan forces.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced the French deaths in Paris and the suspension of training programs. He did not specify how many French forces or which programs would be affected.

"The French army is in Afghanistan at the service of the Afghans against terrorism and against the Taliban. The French army is not in Afghanistan so that Afghan soldiers can shoot at them," Sarkozy said.

He added that if security for troops is not restored, "then the question of an early withdrawal of the French army would arise."

Defense Minister Gerard Longuet said the French soldiers were unarmed when the attacker opened fire in Gwan in the Kapisa province during a very difficult training exercise at high altitude.

"We don't know at the moment whether it's a Taliban member who infiltrated, or someone who decided (to attack) for reasons that we don't know," he said on France-2 television.

He said the Afghan was in custody of the Afghan army's 3rd brigade, held by a general "whom we trust."

A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, praised the Afghan attacker but did not claim he was an infiltrator or provide other details.

Afghan Ministry of Defense spokesman Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi also said the shooting occurred while Afghan and French forces were on a joint operation in Tagab district. He also did not confirm whether the shooter was an Afghan soldier or a militant dressed as one.

"An individual in an Afghan army uniform opened fire over the French troops," he said. "This happened outside the base while they were on an operation."

The ministry sent a delegation to the area to investigate the shooting, he said, confirming that the attacker was arrested and was being questioned.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai expressed deep regret over the attack.

The number of wounded in the attack was unclear.

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said 15 troops were wounded but did not indicate their nationalities. Longuet said eight French troops were wounded, and the commanding officer was in serious condition.

Friday was among the most deadly days for French forces in the 10 years they have been serving in the international force in Afghanistan. The latest deaths bring to 82 the number of French troops killed in the Afghan campaign.

"From now on, all the operations of training and combat help by the French army are suspended," Sarkozy said.

The defense minister and the chief of staff of the French army are heading Friday to Kabul. Once they report back, Sarkozy said, the French government will decide how to proceed.

A big part of the French role in Afghanistan recently has been training Afghan troops and police ahead of an expected pullout of the around 3,600 French troops currently there in 2014.

Unpopular at home, Sarkozy is facing a potentially tough re-election campaign for elections in April and May and appeared determined Friday to act swiftly and sternly to the latest troop deaths.

The candidate who tops opinion polls ahead of France's elections, Socialist Francois Hollande, said in a statement Friday that he would aim to pull out French forces by the end of this year if he becomes president.

Friday's attack was all the more painful for the French because it came just weeks after an Afghan army soldier shot and killed two members of the French Foreign Legion serving in the NATO force on Dec. 29. French forces fired back and killed the assailant.

It remained unclear how likely or swift a French pullout could be. France has the fourth-largest force in the international coalition.

"Today there is clearly a new truth. It is not the first time that an Afghan soldier ... assassinates French soldiers," Foreign Minister Juppe said. He called it a question of "responsibility to adapt our timetable for withdrawal by taking into account these new circumstances."

Longuet was more cautious, saying French officials should maintain calm when making any decisions.

Sarkozy said he'd discuss France's role in Afghanistan with Karzai when he visits Paris next week.

Afghan security forces or insurgents dressed in their uniforms have attacked and killed international troops or civilian trainers more than a dozen times in the past two years, according to an Associated Press count.

Earlier this month, a U.S. service member was killed when a man in an Afghan army uniform opened fire at a base in the south of the country.

In one of the worst incidents, a veteran Afghan military pilot opened fire at Kabul airport on April 27, 2011, killing eight U.S. troops and an American civilian contractor.

In Riga, Latvia, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said this was "a very sad day for our troops in Afghanistan and for the French people," but insisted that such incidents are "isolated."

The helicopter crash, which occurred in the southern Helmand province, was the deadliest in Afghanistan since August, when 30 American troops died after a Chinook helicopter was apparently shot down in Wardak province in the center of the country.

The cause of Thursday's crash is still being investigated, but a coalition statement said there was no enemy activity in the area when it happened.

A senior U.S. defense official said all six reported killed were U.S. Marines and there was no indication that the helicopter had been hit by enemy fire. The defense official spoke on condition of anonymity because the U.S. command in Afghanistan had not yet publicly released details, including the nationalities of the dead.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef claimed insurgents shot down the helicopter, a Chinook, in Musa Qala district of Helmand province, killing all on board. The Taliban frequently exaggerate the number of people they claim to have killed.

___

Corbet reported from Paris. Associated Press writers Angela Charlton, Jamey Keaten and Samantha Bordes in Paris, and Robert Burns in Washington contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120120/ap_on_re_as/as_afghanistan

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Acid Android

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Acid walks across the heated wasteland, wondering how far away the city was. She knows that she is utterly alone, and she feels it deep in her gut. She knows she needs a team if there is any hope for her at all, but she sees no one for miles. Trying not to worry herself, she pulls her bag tighter around her back and keeps on. "You can do this." She says to herself.

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Len Berman: Top 5 Sports Stories

Happy Thursday everyone, here's my Top 5 for January 19, 2012 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.


1. Quick Hits

  • The Texas Rangers and Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish agree on a six-year $60 million deal. The Rangers paid an additional $51 million for the right to negotiate with Darvish.
  • It turns out Denver quarterback Tim Tebow played the second half against the Patriots with torn cartilage in his ribs and a bruised lung.
  • Andy Roddick retired due to an apparent leg injury in the third set of his second round match with Lleyton Hewitt at the Australian Open. Hewitt was leading two sets to one.
  • Reportedly the next NHL Winter Classic will feature Detroit and Toronto at the University of Michigan's football stadium next New Year's Day. The Big House seats nearly 110,000 for football.


2. Fan Fare

Is it getting too ugly to go to sports events? The physical abuse is well chronicled, from opening day at the Dodgers game to the Winter Classic in Philadelphia. Subscriber A.C. passed along this letter to the San Francisco Chronicle written by a Saints fan. He and his teenage daughters were verbally assaulted both inside and outside Candlestick Park. I'm sure this is not an isolated incident. Is it all about alcohol, or is there more to this?


3. I Love a Parade

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie thinks if the Giants win the Super Bowl the parade should be in New Jersey. His reasoning: they play and train in the Garden State. Did the governor actually see the celebration for the Giants when they won their first Super Bowl? No parade. They dumped a fake cooler of Gatorade, shredded paper, over Bill Parcells outside Giants Stadium. That was the highlight. And the first time the Devils won the Stanley Cup, they staged a dopey "parade in the parking lot." I understand the geographic implications of the governor's suggestion, but the Patriots don't stage their parades in Foxboro. The "New York" football champs deserve the Lower Broadway ticker tape treatment.


4. Causing a Racket

Under the heading of a poor workman blames it on his tools, Marcos Baghdatis took it out on his tennis rackets after dropping the first two sets of his second round match at the Australian Open. I believe that breaking four rackets in one sitting is a Grand Slam record, but I could be wrong. And yes, he wound up losing the match.


5. Tweet Tweet

The Twitter universe was sent reeling yesterday when none other than actor and Colts fan Rob Lowe tweeted that Peyton Manning was all set to retire. He talks about it on today's Ellen DeGeneres Show. Of course there were denials all around. Colts owner Jim Irsay had the final word when he tweeted "My sources tell me Rob will star in an epic remake of 'Deep Throat' with aging porn stars and 4 finger circus clowns!" A part of me hopes that Lowe is right. Being an "NFL Insider" has become a cottage industry. Wouldn't it be funny to see an NFL outsider break the story?


Happy Birthday: Giants Super Bowl XXV M.V.P O.J. Anderson. 55.
Bonus Birthday: Dolly Parton. 66.

Today in Sports: Notre Dame beats UCLA 71-70 ending the Bruins 88 game winning streak. 1974.
Bonus Event: 75 years ago today. Howard Hughes sets a cross-country record, flying from Los Angeles to New York City in seven hours, 28 minutes and 25 seconds. (Or roughly the length of the Super Bowl pregame show.) 1937.

For those of you in the Bay area, I'll be on KNBR radio tomorrow morning, Friday, January 19th at 7:20 AM.


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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/len-berman/top-5-sports-stories_321_b_1216085.html

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Your Taste for Fat May Reside in Your Genes (HealthDay)

MONDAY, Jan. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Variations in a certain gene can make people more or less sensitive to the taste of fat and affect their risk for obesity, researchers report.

The team at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis studied 21 obese people and found that those with a particular variant of the CD36 gene were far more sensitive to the taste of fat.

This is the first study to identify a receptor on human tongues that can taste fat. The finding was recently published in the Journal of Lipid Research.

"The ultimate goal is to understand how our perception of fat in food might influence what foods we eat and the quantities of fat that we consume," senior investigator Nada Abumrad, a professor of medicine and obesity research, said in a university news release.

"In this study, we've found one potential reason for individual variability in how people sense fat. It may be, as was shown recently, that as people consume more fat, they become less sensitive to it, requiring more intake for the same satisfaction. What we will need to determine in the future is whether our ability to detect fat in foods influences our fat intake, which clearly would have an impact on obesity," Abumrad noted.

Previous research found that rats and mice without a working CD36 gene no longer had a preference for fatty foods and that animals that can't make the CD36 protein have difficulty digesting fat.

It's believed that up to 20 percent of people have a CD36 gene variant that's associated with making significantly less CD36 protein. This, in turn, could make them less sensitive to the presence of fat in food, the researchers said.

More information

The U.S. National Institutes of Health has more about dietary fats.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/science/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20120116/hl_hsn/yourtasteforfatmayresideinyourgenes

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