SEC seeking answers after getting only 3 NCAA bids

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) ? Frustrated Southeastern Conference coaches think their league is treated more like a mid-major rather than a BCS conference.

The coaches said Monday the perception all year has been that the SEC was having a down year. The NCAA tournament selection committee apparently felt it was reality.

Florida, Missouri and Mississippi earned the SEC's only three NCAA berths, the fewest of any of the six major conferences. The SEC also ranked below the Atlantic 10 and Mountain West, which earned five bids each.

The SEC also sent only three teams to the tournament in 2009. Before then, the SEC hadn't received as few as three bids since 1990.

One of the "things that hurt us was the impression the league's down," Kentucky coach John Calipari said. "Everyone seems to say it. That's why I tell the coaches we've got to brag about each other. We've got to set that straight."

The three berths continue the SEC's downward trend.

The SEC sent at least five teams to the tournament every year from 1997-2008, but it's received as many as five NCAA invitations just once (2011) in the five years since.

Kentucky, the defending national champion, tied for second place in the SEC with Alabama and Mississippi. Kentucky and Alabama still ended up in the NIT. Mississippi only got a No. 12 seed in the NCAA field after winning the SEC tournament.

Tennessee coach Cuonzo Martin predicted two weeks ago that the SEC would earn six bids.

Martin said the SEC's three bids were an "embarrassment" after the brackets were revealed, and he didn't back down from those comments Monday. He said Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama are "NCAA tournament teams" that landed in the NIT.

"It's almost like a mid-major mentality in this league, when you've got your second-place team that doesn't get in the NCAA tournament," Martin said. "This is a BCS league. It's one of the best leagues in America. That shouldn't happen."

The SEC's non-conference performance indicates it actually wasn't one of the best leagues in the nation this season.

SEC schools went a combined 15-33 against the other five major conferences and had losing records against each of them: 3-6 against the Atlantic Coast Conference, 2-5 against the Big 12, 4-13 against the Big East, 2-4 against the Big Ten, 4-5 against the Pac-12.

Some of the reasons for the SEC's struggles were obvious.

More players were taken in the NBA draft from SEC schools than any other conference last year. Tennessee forward Jeronne Maymon, one of only two returning all-SEC players from last season, missed the entire year with a knee injury. Kentucky center Nerlens Noel was challenging for SEC player of the year honors before tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee last month. LSU, Mississippi State and South Carolina had new coaches.

"When you have coaching changes, when you have player turnover, when you have departures of really good players, it's going to take some time," Florida coach Billy Donovan said. "The unfortunate part with all those transitions going on is you really pay the price in November. ... What happens is your league gets labeled in November and December."

Donovan believes the league got better as the season wore on, but it couldn't prove that because its members were facing one another instead of playing teams from other conferences.

But it's tough for SEC teams to schedule non-conference foes later in the year, particularly now that it has adopted an 18-game league schedule. If SEC teams don't schedule quality non-conference foes later in the season, they must deliver better results against better teams early in the year.

Five of the SEC's 14 teams ranked lower than 230th in non-conference strength of schedule. Not only did the SEC schedule weak teams, it occasionally lost to them. Mississippi State fell to Alabama A&M, a Southwestern Athletic Conference team that finished 11-20. Vanderbilt lost to Marist, a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference program that went 10-21.

The importance of non-conference performance was apparent from the fact that Missouri earned a bid despite getting the No. 6 seed in the SEC tournament. Missouri beat NCAA tournament participants Illinois and VCU at neutral sites early in the season.

"What happens with mid-major teams is they schedule aggressively because they know the best-case scenario to get into the NCAA tournament is you've got to go play teams," Martin said. "So maybe we need to schedule like mid-major teams."

SEC coaches realize they must do something to stop the conference's declining total of NCAA bids. Their futures could depend on it.

"At the rate we're going, if we don't get it corrected, in some way, shape or form, you're looking at three different new (coaches) every year" in the conference," Martin said. "Something has to give."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sec-seeking-answers-getting-only-3-ncaa-bids-080712652--spt.html

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Nine Smart Ways to Finance Your Remodeling Project

The most common way people finance a home improvement project is through a mortgage loan, either a home equity loan, or a regular mortgage. There is much to learn about financing your remodel through a mortgage broker or bank, so even if you choose to go the most common route, be sure and do your research, read fine print, and compare rates.?

The reason that a refinance of your existing mortgage is the most common method is that it is generally the least expensive.? In the current market that is certainly the case.? It is possible in many cases to refinance your existing mortgage at a lower rate than the current one, take out $25,000 - $50,000 for the remodel, and actually see your monthly payments reduced.? See more on that in a post we wrote:

How to Finance your Remodel with the Same Monthly Payments with Dallas Home Value Increase

Using a Home Equity Line of Credit for Remodeling?

One of the most common ways people finance a home remodel is through a home equity line of credit (HELOC). If you have enough equity, a HELOC allows you to borrow on your home's value, using the home as collateral. You can borrow up to the credit limit, and interest rates are often low. If you go with this option, be sure and shop around for a competitive rate.

This HELOC method is popular, because it can be the fastest and easiest.? Plus you have the flexibility of a revolving line of credit, but at very low interest rates.? You can pay it off faster or borrow more later with the same methods as you would a credit card. ?

Using Tax Incentives to Offset the Cost of Your Home Improvements or Remodel

?
Making your home more energy-efficient is a great improvement that will save you money over time, as well as increasing your home's value. The government offers tax incentives that can offset this expense. Accessing these incentives may help you finance your home build or remodel. Federal tax incentives may be available to offset the cost of upgrading your appliances to Energy Star, or installing solar panels or solar energy systems. There are also green building programs through?the state of Texas, and the city of Dallas.?

Today we are talking about financing through Federal Title I loans.

Currently many families are concerned about the cost of home improvements, and may be putting them off, even if they are badly needed. Title I loans may be an option for homeowners who may not qualify for other types of financing because they do not have equity in their home.?Loans are available for up to $25,000 in home improvements, and up to 20 year loans. Interest rates are generally much lower than what private lenders.

The Federal Title I program provides insurance to private lenders. Approved lenders then provide Title I-backed loans to consumers.?Applications for Title I loans are available through many financial institutions in the Dallas area.

Other Time-Honored Methods of Financing Your Home Remodel

There are plenty of other ways to do the job.? Some make way more sense than others, but you are the only one to make that judgement call:

• Borrow from Mom or Dad or Rich Uncle or Other Relation or Friend
• Credit Cards can be a fast approach if you plan a quick pay off
• Personal loans through banks, credit unions, or finance companies
• Borrow against other assets such as second homes, investments, autos
• Borrow against your Insurance Policy
• Combine different Methods

?

Source: http://uniquehomeconstruction.blogspot.com/2013/03/nine-smart-ways-to-finance-your.html

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Epigenetics mechanism may help explain effects of mom's nutrition on her children's health

Mar. 11, 2013 ? Pioneering studies by U. S. Department of Agriculture-funded research molecular geneticist Robert A. Waterland are helping explain how the foods that soon-to-be-moms eat in the days and weeks around the time of conception -- or what's known as periconceptional nutrition-may affect the way genes function in her children, and her children's health.

In an early study, Waterland and co-investigators examined gene function of 50 healthy children living in rural villages in the West African nation of The Gambia. The study has shaped some of Waterland's current research into the effects of nutrition on what geneticists refer to as epigenetic mechanisms. Those mechanisms can impact, for example, the levels at which an everyday biochemical process, DNA methylation, occurs at regions of certain genes. DNA methylation is essential for cell development and for stabilizing cell function.

In the West Africa study, Waterland and co-researchers found that levels of DNA methylation were higher at regions of five genes in children conceived during the peak rainy season months of August and September, when food would typically have been less available to their mothers.

According to Waterland, two of the five genes in which elevated DNA methylation occurred warrant further study because they are associated with risk of disease. Specifically, the SLITRK1 gene is associated with Tourette's syndrome, and the PAX8 gene is linked to hypothyroidism.

In a scientific article in PLoS Genetics, the researchers attributed the epigenetic variation to dramatic seasonal differences in the kinds and amounts of foods available in the three subsistence-farming villages that were the focus of the study.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by United States Department of Agriculture - Research, Education and Economics.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Robert A. Waterland, Richard Kellermayer, Eleonora Laritsky, Pura Rayco-Solon, R. Alan Harris, Michael Travisano, Wenjuan Zhang, Maria S. Torskaya, Jiexin Zhang, Lanlan Shen, Mark J. Manary, Andrew M. Prentice. Season of Conception in Rural Gambia Affects DNA Methylation at Putative Human Metastable Epialleles. PLoS Genetics, 2010; 6 (12): e1001252 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1001252

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/mlT-EH0PULo/130311173754.htm

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Tripwire, Inc. Acquires nCircle | Thoma Bravo

Acquisition creates $140M company poised to lead multi-billion dollar strategic risk and security market

PORTLAND, OREGON ? March 11, 2013 ? Tripwire, Inc., a global provider of IT security solutions, today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire nCircle, a leading provider of information risk and security performance management solutions. The acquisition is expected to close in April and is subject to the customary closing conditions. The terms of the acquisition are not being disclosed.

?Tripwire and nCircle have the opportunity to be a powerful and transformational combination in the rapidly changing security market,? said Jim Johnson, CEO of Tripwire. ?Our combined solutions are uniquely positioned to align security posture with business objectives, a crucial step in making security and risk meaningful and actionable across the enterprise.?

In 2012, the two companies? combined bookings were approximately $140 million, together they had over 500 employees and more than 7,000 customers in 96 countries. The combined company would have ranked among the largest security and vulnerability management companies in this competitive space including IBM, EMC, Symantec and McAfee. Tripwire is highly profitable with a customer base that includes nearly 50% of the Fortune 500.

?Security experts know that continuous monitoring ? the process of finding and eliminating vulnerabilities before they can be exploited ? is a foundational component of any security framework and the most cost effective way to reduce the risk of security breaches,? said Abe Kleinfeld, CEO of nCircle. ?The combination of Tripwire and nCircle brings together the industry?s leading researchers and the broadest and deepest solutions for reducing risk.?

Today, cyber security is more than an IT problem, the convergence of security and risk now impacts the entire enterprise and executives are demanding risk-based security solutions. Following the acquisition of nCircle, Tripwire?s combined solutions will enable senior security officers to make risk-based security decisions aligned with business priorities and goals. ?

In a Gartner Inc. report titled Meeting the Information Needs of the Chief Risk Officer in 2023 analysts Paul E. Proctor and Rob McMillan said, ?Chief Risk Officers will have the benefit of an engaged executive team, but the challenge of a constantly shifting universe of risk to present and prioritize for stakeholders. To manage their responsibilities they will need new knowledge, tools and techniques for gathering, assessing and presenting information.?

?It?s difficult to mitigate attacks without understanding vulnerabilities and assessing that resources allocated to IT security are spent wisely,? said Charles Kolodgy, research vice president, security products at IDC. ??Organizations must also be able to maintain an optimal security posture. The combined solutions will enable Tripwire to advance the state of the art in risk-based security management.?

About nCircle
nCircle is the leading provider of information risk and security performance management solutions to more than 6,500 businesses and government agencies worldwide. nCircle solutions enable enterprises of all sizes to (1) automate compliance and reduce risk, and (2) measure and compare the performance of their IT security program with their own goals and industry peers. nCircle solutions may be deployed on a customer?s premises, as a cloud-based service, or in combination, for maximum flexibility and value.

About Tripwire, Inc.
Tripwire is a leading global provider of IT security and compliance solutions for enterprises, government agencies and service providers who need to protect their sensitive data on critical infrastructure from breaches, vulnerabilities, and threats. Thousands of customers rely on Tripwire?s critical security controls like security configuration management, file integrity monitoring, log and event management. Tripwire solutions provide integrated controls for unprecedented visibility and intelligence into business goals. Learn more at www.tripwire.com or follow us?@TripwireInc?on Twitter.

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?Click here to download

Source: http://www.thomabravo.com/2013/03/11/tripwire-inc-acquires-ncircle/

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The Classy Acadian House Plans for Homeowners | Home ...

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Nowadays, people who still love the classy house plan style should have to take a look at the elegant house plans of the Acadian house plans. When you still confuse about this specific type of house plans, you will get the clear image about country house style which always possible for you to own it in this modern era. This is the stylish house which always emphasizing on the unique side because of the special mixture of some classic styles of the Canadian and West Indian design plus the Norman country style.

The classic and special features of this house are about the gorgeous hallways design and the classic chimney which exist on this house and even some types of Acadian house also have the roomy attic plus the beautiful gabled roof. Usually, the specific type of the Acadian home style is always dominantly made from the specific type of wood called as the native cypress wood. So, for those who really love the classic house plans should always refer to the Acadian house plans. The house is always raised on the blocks part so there will be no problem with flood, and even there are many new variations of this home which you can always take a look at.

Some home developers will also provide you with the customized Acadian house plans with so many new variations and even some parts of the house blended with the modern style. This is actually about the house which always emphasizing on the peculiar side, and the home designers are also give the best choice of specific type flooring plan such as the wooden flooring and the special choice of hardwood. You will never regret to choose this classic but gorgeous house, because this special country style house always looking attractive for all times. So, for all the homeowners who really want to own a new house, the Acadian house plans maybe suitable for them.

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Source: http://alandsfiskare.org/the-classy-acadian-house-plans-for-homeowners.html

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Pusha T Wanted 'Hottest MC' Spot, Calls List 'Good For Music'

'That just means to me I gotta work harder,' Push says after contending for and losing #10 slot.
By Rob Markman

Pusha T
Photo: Sohyung Kang/MTV News

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1703350/hottest-mcs-in-the-game-list-pusha-t.jhtml

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Catholic newspaper draws rebuke from bishop

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) ? A newspaper known for unflinching coverage of the Catholic church scandal was rebuked by a bishop in its own backyard after calling for his ouster in a battle that illustrates tensions between U.S. bishops and groups that call themselves Catholic but aren't sanctioned by the church.

The National Catholic Reporter, an independent Kansas City, Mo.-based weekly, called for Bishop Robert Finn's removal or resignation in September, after he was convicted of failing to report suspected child abuse.

Finn, leader of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, later wrote in an editorial in his own diocesan newspaper that parishioner anger is growing over the NCR's challenges to Catholic orthodoxy on topics ranging from the ordination of women to contraception.

In the last several years, church leaders have been trying to shore up the religious identity and mission of organizations that call themselves Catholic, including trying to bar groups from saying they have ties with the church if bishops believe the organizations stray from church teaching. Conflict over the issue intensified in the 2008 presidential election, when some Catholic advocacy groups backed Barack Obama despite his support for abortion rights.

Finn, who declined to be interviewed by The Associated Press, wrote in his editorial that a local bishop first asked the paper to remove Catholic from its name in 1968 ? "to no avail."

"In light of the number of recent expressions of concern, I have a responsibility as the local bishop to instruct the Faithful about the problematic nature of this media source which bears the name 'Catholic,'" Finn wrote in The Catholic Key. "While I remain open to substantive and respectful discussion with the legitimate representatives of NCR, I find that my ability to influence the National Catholic Reporter toward fidelity to the Church seems limited to the supernatural level."

Thomas Groome, professor of religious education at Boston College, said he was surprised Finn was "picking such a public fight." Finn is the highest-ranking U.S. church official convicted of a crime related to the sex abuse scandal. The misdemeanor charge stemmed from the case of an area priest who pleaded guilty in August to producing child pornography. Finn and other church officials knew about photos on the priest's computer six months before they turned him in.

Groome said the Catholic Church benefits from publications such as the National Catholic Reporter.

"There are all kinds of ways the church's position has evolved, and if that's to happen you need publications like the NCR that raises critical issues, controversial issues, and I think it does that respectfully with a sense of faithfulness to the church's core teaching," he said.

NCR, founded in Kansas City in 1964, has been widely lauded for its coverage of the church and garnered widespread recognition for its reporting on child sex abuse in the 1980s. The newspaper, which has a circulation of about 35,000 and is available online, has won several awards from the Catholic Press Association, including for general excellence for 13 straight years. The CPA, while independent, works closely with church hierarchy, according to Timothy Walter, CPA's executive director.

"We don't present official teaching, and we don't pretend to," said the newspaper's editor, Dennis Coday. "What we do is report on what's happening in the church. And part of what's happening is dissent and questioning, and that's what we report about. And that's why we remain Catholic and continue to call ourselves Catholic."

Coday said the question for the paper is: "Are we upholding the deepest values set out in the Gospel, the message Jesus preached?"

Finn is not alone in complaining about NCR, which has also called for the church to reverse its teaching on women's ordination and supported re-examining the church's approaches to contraception and sexuality.

Canon lawyer Edward Peters, the Vatican's expert witness in U.S. sex abuse lawsuits and an adviser to the Vatican's highest court, said in a recent blog post that Finn was "too kind" in his remarks about NCR and noted that other groups have stopped using "Catholic" in their names.

Peters said the newspaper has carried on "a steady tirade against ecclesiastical authority in general, and against numerous Church teachings in particular, for several decades."

"But the last few years have seen a shrillness that should discomfort even its dwindling number of friends," Peters wrote.

The tension between NCR and Finn likely won't resolve easily because it's tied to an ongoing battle over authority in the church, said the Rev. Thomas Reese, senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University.

"The vision of the Vatican and the hierarchy is that the Catholic media should support and ... promote the positions taken by the hierarchy," said Reese, who was removed from his position as editor of the Jesuit magazine America in 2005 after it published stories on topics including gay marriage.

"But you know," Reese said, "many people in the Catholic media think that they should also criticize those positions or be a forum where there can be discussion and argument and dialogue on issues facing the church."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/catholic-newspaper-draws-rebuke-bishop-170352753.html

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Rainbow Aurora Rotella: Holly Madison?s Daughter Hits The Scene

Wow. Now celebrities are known for giving their lucky offspring outlandish names. Sometimes they are cute names, other times they are irritating. I’m not sure where I stand on the name “Rainbow. Photo: Holly Madison Credit: PR Photos   Hef’s former Playmate Holly Madison just popped one out after being knocked up by her boyfriend Pasquale Rotella. They chose the name Rainbow Aurora Rotella in an attempt to be “unique.” The baby is cute, and we’re happy for them. As for the name, I guess the only good thing is the whole “pot of gold” metaphor. You know, that she is such an amazing gal that she has a pot of gold on the inside…or some such ridiculousness. Anyway, I just hope the name can bring her some cheer when she sees clips of her mother on a reality show with two other women living with an old geezer — and supposedly being in a relationship with him. Yuck. What are your thoughts on the name? In the meantime, check out some other celebrity hot links: Check out Rihanna’s new clothing line called “River Island” – Pop On The Pop. Michael Jordan’s girlfriend isn’t exactly how I pictured her – [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RightCelebrity/~3/MA6e7Z7WCRI/

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Rubio: 'No' on spending resolution unless health care funding is cut

Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio announced Thursday night that he would support a continuing resolution?a spending bill that would keep the government funded through the fiscal year?but only if it strips funding from the Democratic health care law that passed in 2009.

Rubio made the announcement during an interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt, saying he will vote for an amendment to the continuing resolution that defunds the Affordable Care Act. But if that doesn't pass, Rubio said, he won't support the final spending package. (With Democrats in control of the Senate, any move to defund the health care law will be rejected.) The House and Senate must come to an agreement on funding levels by March 27, the date that the last stopgap measure expires, or face a government shutdown.

"If that gets onto the bill, in essence if they get a continuing resolution and we vote on [defunding the Affordable Care Act] and we can pass it onto a bill, I will vote for a continuing resolution, even if it?s temporary," Rubio said.

Given Rubio's record of consistently voting against short-term stopgap measures?the only one he supported was when he first joined the Senate?it won't be surprising when he ultimately rejects the continuing resolution.

By declining to support the continuing resolution bill without the amendment, Rubio joins a minority of conservative lawmakers who still refuse to extend funding for the health insurance overhaul.

The move undoubtedly will win him praise from activist groups on the right. By declining to support the continuing resolution bill without the amendment, Rubio joins a minority of conservative lawmakers who still refuse to extend funding for the health insurance overhaul. (Earlier this week, the Republican-led House passed its own version of a continuing resolution that funded the law, and only 14 House Republican opposed it.)

Rubio's decision offers clues that he intends to brand himself as a more of a principled conservative ideologue on this issue than a pragmatist deal maker, a distinction that will matter if he decides to enter the Republican presidential primary in 2015.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/rubio-vote-no-continuing-resolution-unless-health-care-202855803--politics.html

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Samira Ibrahim speaks (Powerlineblog)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/290103438?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Microsoft Is Still Writing Checks to Nokia, but Things Will Switch Soon

As part of Microsoft?s deal with Nokia, both companies are paying each other billions over several years. However, the exchange is heavily uneven, with Nokia getting most of the cash early on and Microsoft getting more in the deal?s later years.

As we pointed out in January, Nokia has reached the point at which it owes Microsoft more in guaranteed minimum royalty payments than it is due in future ?platform support payments? from Microsoft. Nokia has been getting $250 million per quarter from Microsoft since the deal took effect.

In a regulatory filing on Thursday, Nokia went into more detail on just where things stand.

Nokia noted that it now owes Microsoft more than 500 million more euros ($650.5 million) than it is due from Redmond. However, for the balance of 2013 it still expects to be getting a net payment from Microsoft.

Here?s the full text of what Nokia had to say on the matter:

Our agreement with Microsoft includes platform support payments from Microsoft to us as well as software royalty payments from us to Microsoft. Under the terms of the agreement governing the platform support payments, the amount of each quarterly platform support payment is USD 250 million.

We have a competitive software royalty structure, which includes annual minimum software royalty commitments that vary over the life of the agreement. Software royalty payments, with minimum commitments are paid quarterly. Over the life of the agreement, both the platform support payments and the minimum software royalty commitments are expected to measure in the billions of US dollars. Over the life of the agreement the total amount of the platform support payments is expected to slightly exceed the total amount of the minimum software royalty commitment payments.

As of the end of 2012, the amount of platform support payments received by Nokia has exceeded the amount of minimum software royalty commitment payments made to Microsoft, thus the net cash flows have been in our favor. As a result, the remaining minimum software royalty commitment payments are expected to exceed the remaining platform support payments by a total of approximately EUR 0.5 billion over the remaining life of the agreement.

However, in 2013 the amount of the platform support payments is expected to slightly exceed the total amount of the minimum software royalty commitment payments, thus the net cash flows are still expected to be slightly in our favor.

Source: http://allthingsd.com/20130307/microsoft-is-still-writing-checks-to-nokia-but-things-will-switch-soon/

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'American Idol' Recap: The Guys Are Still In It!

Male semifinalists make their final bids to make it to the top 10.
By Adam Graham

Curtis Finch Jr.
Photo: FOX

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1703161/american-idol-recap-top-10.jhtml

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Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg urges women to 'lean in'

Gregory Bull / AP

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg's new book, "Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead," will be released on Monday.

By Barbara Ortutay, The Associated Press

NEW YORK - For a book that has yet to be released, Sheryl Sandberg's "Lean In" ? part feminist manifesto, part how-to career guide ? has got a lot of people talking.

In the weeks leading up to the book's release on Monday, pundits and press hounds have been debating its merits. New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd called Sandberg a "PowerPoint Pied Piper in Prada ankle boots," and countless bloggers have suggested that Facebook's chief operating officer is the wrong person to lead a women's movement.?

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"Most of the criticism has to do with the position she is coming from," said Susan Yohn, professor and chair of Hofstra University's history department.

Sandberg, 43, hopes that her message of empowerment won't be obscured by the lofty pedestal from which she speaks. But is the multi-millionaire with two Harvard degrees too rich to offer advice? Too successful? Does her blueprint for success ignore the plight of poor and working-class women? Does the book's very premise blame women for not rising to top corporate positions at the same rate as men?

And just how big is her house?

The questions keep coming largely because few people have actually read the book. But in it, Sandberg seems to have foreseen much of the criticism. The book acknowledges that critics might discount her feminist call to action with an easy-for-her-to-say shrug.

"My hope is that my message will be judged on its merits," she writes in the preamble.

Sandberg recognizes that parts of the book are targeted toward women who are in a position to make decisions about their careers. Still, she writes, "we can't avoid this conversation. This issue transcends all of us. The time is long overdue to encourage more women to dream the possible dream and encourage more men to support women in the workforce and in the home."

Published by Alfred A. Knopf Inc., "Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead" will be launched Thursday with a reception in New York City hosted by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Arianna Huffington.

It's true that Sandberg is wealthy. She also has a supportive husband. Mark Zuckerberg is her boss. And, yes, her home in Menlo Park, Calif., has 9,000 square feet.

But as a woman in Silicon Valley, Sandberg hasn't exactly had it easy, and her tale shows she's no armchair activist. After all, not many women would march into their boss' office and demand special parking for expectant mothers. But Sandberg did just that when she worked at Google. Company founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin complied.

After Sandberg moved to Facebook in 2008, she became even more outspoken on the issues facing women in corporate America. At a time when other executives, male or female, have largely stayed quiet, Sandberg has delivered speeches on topics such as "Why we have too few women leaders."

And she's no workaholic. In an age of endless work hours, Sandberg is famous for leaving the office at 5:30 to spend time with her family. She does admit, however, to picking up work once her kids have gone to bed.

Of the many inspirational slogans that hang on Facebook's walls, her favorite asks "What would you do if you weren't afraid?" "Lean In" is about pushing past fear.

"Fear is at the root of so many of the barriers that women face," she writes. "Fear of not being liked. Fear of making the wrong choice. Fear of drawing negative attention. Fear of overreaching. Fear of being judged. Fear of failure. And the holy trinity of fear: the fear of being a bad mother/wife/daughter."

Sandberg peppers the book with studies, reports and personal anecdotes to back up her premise ? that for reasons both in and out of their control, there are fewer woman leaders than men in the business world and beyond. For example, the Fortune 500 has only 21 female CEOs. Sandberg is among the 14 percent of women who hold executive officer positions and the 16 percent of women who hold board of director seats, according to Catalyst.org.

For minority women, the numbers are even bleaker. Women of color, she writes, hold just 4 percent of top corporate jobs and 3 percent of board seats.

"A truly equal world would be one where women ran half our countries and companies and men ran half our homes. I believe that this would be a better world," she writes. "The laws of economics and many studies of diversity tell us that if we tapped the entire pool of human resources and talent, our collective performance would improve."

At less than 200 pages, plus a good chunk of footnotes, "Lean In" does not purport to be the end-all solution to inequality. It deals with issues Sandberg sees as in women's control.

"Don't leave before you leave" is one of her catchphrases, aimed at successful women who gradually drop out of the workforce in anticipation of children they may someday bear. "Make your partner a real partner" is another. She says everyone should encourage men to "lean in" at home by being equal partners in parenting and housework.

"Lean In" is, by and large, for women who are looking to climb the corporate ladder (which Sandberg calls a jungle gym), and ideally their male supporters. She hopes it's the start of a conversation. To that end, Sandberg plans to donate all of the proceeds to her newly minted nonprofit, LeanIn.org.

Sandberg's book shares personal details that reveal a fair share of stumbles and lesser-known tidbits. Did you know she was an aerobics instructor in the 1980s ?big hair, silver leotard and all? The book paints a picture of an exceptionally successful woman who admits to lacking confidence at various points in her career.

Sandberg writes about the "ambition gap" between men and women in the workplace ? that while men are expected to be driven, ambition in women can be seen as negative. She writes about parents' gender-based approaches to child rearing that teach girls to be "pretty like mommy" and boys "smart like daddy," as she's seen on baby onesies sold at Gymboree.

And she writes about "feeling like a fraud" ? that insidious notion, felt largely by women but men as well, that success is due not to one's own merit but to some sort of gross oversight or accident.

Sandberg's book comes half a century after Betty Friedan's "The Feminine Mystique," which identified "the problem that has no name" among largely white, suburban housewives who felt unhappy and unfulfilled in their roles at home. Friedan, too, was criticized for focusing on a privileged swath of womankind.

In a recent critical piece on Sandberg's movement, Michael Kazin wrote in the New Republic that, like Friedan, Sandberg, "also seems primarily concerned with the economics of gender. But there's a key difference: Friedan didn't share a view from the corporate boardroom."

Kazin's barbs echo most of the book's pre-release criticism. But some writers have gone further. In a Washington Post op-ed, Melissa Gira Grant dismissed Sandberg's "Lean In" movement as "simply the elite leading the slightly-less-elite, for the sake of Sandberg's bottom line." Dowd wrote that she believes "Sandberg has co-opted the vocabulary and romance of a social movement not to sell a cause, but herself."

In the end, "Lean In" is a call to action to make it easier for women to become leaders. It's a call for women to take space at the table, raise their hands, speak up and step up. It's a personal account of a woman who, through a mix of talent, luck and ambition, but also with plenty of internal and external obstacles along the way, managed to do that.

Feminist icon Gloria Steinem, whom Sandberg thanks in the acknowledgements and cites as inspiration, praises "Lean In" on her Facebook page, saying that it "addresses internalized oppression, opposes external barriers that create it and urges women to support each other to fight both."

She adds that even the book's critics "are making a deep if inadvertent point: Only in women is success viewed as a barrier to giving advice."

Related content:

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Source: http://lifeinc.today.com/_news/2013/03/07/17226247-facebooks-sheryl-sandberg-urges-women-to-lean-in-in-new-book?lite

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Juniper Networks Named to Ethisphere's 2013 World's Most Ethical ...

Third Consecutive Year Juniper Recognized for Demonstrated Leadership in Ethical Business Practices

SUNNYVALE, CA?(Marketwire ? Mar 6, 2013) ? ?Juniper Networks (NASDAQ:JNPR, news, filings), the industry leader in network innovation, has been recognized as one of the World?s Most Ethical Companies for the third consecutive year by Ethisphere Institute, a leading international think-tank.

News Highlights

• Out of a record number of nominations and applications in 2013 for the award, Juniper Networks was selected as an organization that outperforms industry peers when it comes to promoting ethical business standards.
• The World?s Most Ethical Companies have incorporated ethics into business practices whether domestic or international, and have been able to embrace the correlation between ethical behavior and improved financial performance.
• Through in-depth research and a multi-step analysis, Ethisphere reviewed nominations from companies in more than 100 countries and 36 industries. The methodology for the World?s Most Ethical Companies includes reviewing codes of ethics, litigation and regulatory infraction histories; evaluating the investment in innovation and sustainable business practices; looking at activities designed to improve corporate citizenship; and studying nominations from senior executives, industry peers, suppliers and customers.
• This is the seventh year Ethisphere has published the World?s Most Ethical Companies rankings. Read about the methodology and view the complete list of the 2013 World?s Most Ethical Companies at http://ethisphere.com/wme.

Supporting Quotes

Ethisphere

?Ethisphere?s annual list of the World?s Most Ethical Companies recognizes companies that truly go beyond making statements about doing business ethically by translating those words into actions. Juniper Networks? inclusion on our list for three consecutive years demonstrates the company?s sustained ethical leadership and dedication to integrity within its industry.?
Alex Brigham, executive director, Ethisphere Institute

Juniper Networks

?We are honored to be recognized as one of the Ethisphere Institute?s World?s Most Ethical companies for the third year in a row. Ethisphere?s evaluation processes and designations are highly meaningful in a time in which how companies do what they do is as important as what they do.?Juniper?s business of building the best networks for our customers depends upon us having a culture of executional excellence and consistently operating with the highest of ethical standards across our entire organization.?We are proud that our employees embody these values, and we are thrilled to have such recognition of these values by Ethisphere.?
Mitchell Gaynor, executive vice president, general counsel and secretary, Juniper Networks

About Ethisphere Institute
The research-based Ethisphere^? Institute is a leading international think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability. Ethisphere Magazine, which publishes the globally recognized World?s Most Ethical Companies Ranking?, is the quarterly publication of the Institute. Ethisphere provides the only third-party verifications of compliance programs and ethical cultures that include: Ethics Inside^? Certification, Compliance Leader Verification? and Anti-Corruption Program Verification. More information on the Ethisphere Institute, including ranking projects and membership, can be found at http://www.ethisphere.com.

About Juniper Networks
Juniper Networks is in the business of network innovation. From devices to data centers, from consumers to cloud providers, Juniper Networks delivers the software, silicon and systems that transform the experience and economics of networking. Additional information can be found at Juniper Networks (www.juniper.net) or connect with Juniper on Twitter and Facebook.

Juniper Networks and Junos are registered trademarks of Juniper Networks, Inc. in the United States and other countries. The Juniper Networks and Junos logos are trademarks of Juniper Networks, Inc. All other trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, or registered service marks are the property of their respective owners.

PR Archives: Latest, By Company, By Date

Source: http://newswire.telecomramblings.com/2013/03/juniper-networks-named-to-ethispheres-2013-worlds-most-ethical-companies/

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House OKs bill to avoid government shutdown

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The House has approved legislation to prevent a government shutdown at the end of the month and give the Pentagon some relief from a cash crunch that's harming military readiness.

The huge spending measure, which was passed on a 267-151 vote, would fund federal operations through September. It leaves in place automatic cuts of 5 percent to domestic agencies and 7.8 percent to the Pentagon ordered by President Barack Obama Friday night after months of battling Republicans over the budget.

Republicans muscled the measure through on a mostly party-line vote over objections from Democrats protesting those across-the-board spending cuts.

The stopgap measure would provide budget relief for military readiness, veterans' health programs, embassy security and the FBI, but would put most of the rest of the government on budget autopilot.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/house-oks-bill-avoid-government-shutdown-190816136--politics.html

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Scientists discover distant relatives of gardeners' friend

Public release date: 6-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Carol Thorbes
cthorbes@sfu.ca
778-782-3035
Simon Fraser University

In a new article published in the Journal of Paleontology, two paleontologists, including one from Simon Fraser University, describe the most diverse group of fossilized green lacewing insects known.

Green lacewings are familiar to gardeners, who value them in organic pest control, for their consumption of large numbers of aphids. The closest modern relatives to these insects are most diverse in southeastern Australia, the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.

SFU's Bruce Archibald and the Russian Academy of Sciences' Vladimir Makarkin named the first species of green lacewings from a series of 49- to 53-million-year-old fossil beds stretching across southern British Columbia into Washington State.

Makarkin and Archibald examined 24 fossils from the region, including some that they'd found and others belonging to regional museums, estimating that these contained at least 10 new species. Some of these fossils had minute details so finely preserved that six species could be given names.

Most of the new species are from the famed McAbee locality, near Cache Creek, B.C., which the provincial government recently named a heritage site. "This is a small sample of the treasures that this world-class locality has to offer," says Archibald.

Other fossils described by Archibald and Makarkin come from Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park in B.C.'s Bulkley Valley near Smithers, and from the United States in Republic, Washington State.

The scientists named one of the new species from Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park Pseudochrysopa harveyi in honour of the late area resident Gordon Harvey, recognizing his great generosity. He donated the fossil beds to B.C. Parks in 1967.

"The fossils from these localities have a lot left to tell us, not only as a window into ancient life of the deep past, but also about how our modern natural communities were formed," says Archibald. "So, stay tuned."

###

The scientists' paper, A diverse new assemblage of green lacewings (Insecta, Neuroptera, Chrysopidae) from the early Eocene Okanagan Highlands, western North America, can be downloaded free from: http://brucearchibald.com/

Simon Fraser University is Canada's top-ranked comprehensive university and one of the top 50 universities in the world under 50 years old. With campuses in Vancouver, Burnaby and Surrey, B.C., SFU engages actively with the community in its research and teaching, delivers almost 150 programs to more than 30,000 students, and has more than 120,000 alumni in 130 countries.

Simon Fraser University: Engaging Students. Engaging Research. Engaging Communities.

Contact: Bruce Archibald (Vancouver resident), 778.782.4458, sba48@sfu.ca
Carol Thorbes, PAMR, 778.782.3035, cthorbes@sfu.ca

Flickr: http://at.sfu.ca/jOlnGZ

---

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 6-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Carol Thorbes
cthorbes@sfu.ca
778-782-3035
Simon Fraser University

In a new article published in the Journal of Paleontology, two paleontologists, including one from Simon Fraser University, describe the most diverse group of fossilized green lacewing insects known.

Green lacewings are familiar to gardeners, who value them in organic pest control, for their consumption of large numbers of aphids. The closest modern relatives to these insects are most diverse in southeastern Australia, the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.

SFU's Bruce Archibald and the Russian Academy of Sciences' Vladimir Makarkin named the first species of green lacewings from a series of 49- to 53-million-year-old fossil beds stretching across southern British Columbia into Washington State.

Makarkin and Archibald examined 24 fossils from the region, including some that they'd found and others belonging to regional museums, estimating that these contained at least 10 new species. Some of these fossils had minute details so finely preserved that six species could be given names.

Most of the new species are from the famed McAbee locality, near Cache Creek, B.C., which the provincial government recently named a heritage site. "This is a small sample of the treasures that this world-class locality has to offer," says Archibald.

Other fossils described by Archibald and Makarkin come from Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park in B.C.'s Bulkley Valley near Smithers, and from the United States in Republic, Washington State.

The scientists named one of the new species from Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park Pseudochrysopa harveyi in honour of the late area resident Gordon Harvey, recognizing his great generosity. He donated the fossil beds to B.C. Parks in 1967.

"The fossils from these localities have a lot left to tell us, not only as a window into ancient life of the deep past, but also about how our modern natural communities were formed," says Archibald. "So, stay tuned."

###

The scientists' paper, A diverse new assemblage of green lacewings (Insecta, Neuroptera, Chrysopidae) from the early Eocene Okanagan Highlands, western North America, can be downloaded free from: http://brucearchibald.com/

Simon Fraser University is Canada's top-ranked comprehensive university and one of the top 50 universities in the world under 50 years old. With campuses in Vancouver, Burnaby and Surrey, B.C., SFU engages actively with the community in its research and teaching, delivers almost 150 programs to more than 30,000 students, and has more than 120,000 alumni in 130 countries.

Simon Fraser University: Engaging Students. Engaging Research. Engaging Communities.

Contact: Bruce Archibald (Vancouver resident), 778.782.4458, sba48@sfu.ca
Carol Thorbes, PAMR, 778.782.3035, cthorbes@sfu.ca

Flickr: http://at.sfu.ca/jOlnGZ

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-03/sfu-sdd030613.php

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Protein synthesis blocker may hold key to reducing effects of traumatic events

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Reducing fear and stress following a traumatic event could be as simple as providing a protein synthesis blocker to the brain, report a team of researchers from McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, McGill University, and Massachusetts General Hospital in a paper published in the March 4 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"This is an important basic neuroscience finding that has the potential to have clinical implications for the way individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder are treated," said Vadim Bolshakov, PhD, director of the Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory at McLean Hospital. "We used a well known behavioral paradigm that we think models PTSD, fear conditioning, to explore how fearful memories are formed. In our study, the level of fear exhibited by experimental subjects was significantly reduced as a result of decreased signal transfer between cells in the amygdala, a key brain region in fear-related behaviors."

Influenced by the original findings of Karim Nader, PhD, professor of Psychology at McGill University, whose pioneering work showed that old memories should be un-stored in their brain after their recollection in order to last, Bolshakov's team exposed rats to auditory stimulus that the animals learned to associate with a mildly traumatic event. After a single exposure to the training procedures, the rats exhibited fear during subsequent exposures to auditory stimuli. The researchers then provided the animals with rapamycin, a protein synthesis blocker, immediately after memory was retrieved in order to control bonding between the cells in the brain. The animals exhibited significantly less fear in response to the fear-invoking stimulus when retested the next day.

"The animals showed stereotypical signs of fear after the initial exposure to the auditory stimulus," explained Nader, a co-author on the paper. "Following the administration of rapamycin, we show a significant decrease in fear, but not a complete elimination. We were surprised to note that activity between cells was significantly affected by postsynaptic mechanisms."

The findings of this study, which was funded by a grant from the United States Department of Defense spearheaded by Roger Pitman, suggest that different plasticity rules within cells in the brain are recruited during the formation of the original fear memory and after fear memory was reactivated.

"Although further work at the molecular level needs to be completed, we are hopeful that this unexpected discovery is the foundation needed to identify ways in which we can better treat anxiety disorders in which fear condition plays a role, such as post traumatic stress disorder," said Bolshakov.

###

McGill University: http://www.mcgill.ca

Thanks to McGill University for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127131/Protein_synthesis_blocker_may_hold_key_to_reducing_effects_of_traumatic_events

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Rugby match Wednesday to raise funds for officers' families ...

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Source: http://cjonline.com/news/2013-03-05/rugby-match-wednesday-raise-funds-officers-families

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Kerry dismissive of Rodman's North Korea visit

Secretary of State John Kerry speaks to NBC's Andrea Mitchell and defends President Obama's decision not to arm the Syrian rebels. He also weighs in on Dennis Rodman's recent trip to North Korea, saying that Rodman "is a great basketball player, and as a diplomat? he's a great basketball player."

By Erin McClam, Staff Writer, NBC News

Secretary of State John Kerry took a shot Tuesday at eccentric former NBA star Dennis Rodman?s controversial visit to North Korea.

"Dennis Rodman was a great basketball player,"Kerry told NBC News. ?And as a diplomat, he is a great basketball player. And that?s where we?ll leave it.?

---

Kerry spoke in Doha, Qatar, for an interview to air later in the day on "Andrea Mitchell Reports" on MSNBC.

Rodman visited North Korea last week and met with leader Kim Jong Un, pronouncing him an "awesome guy." In Pyongyang, on his way out of the country, the lip-studded basketball player said of Kim: "Guess what? I love him."

The visit did not sit well with the White House, which denounced it as a "celebrity sporting event" for a repressive regime and said North Korea should focus on the well-being of its own people, "who have been starved, imprisoned and denied their human rights."

Report: North Korea threatens to scrap truce with South

In the interview, Kerry also defended the Obama administration?s decision not to provide weapons to rebels fighting against the authoritarian regime in Syria.

"The president prefers, as I do and everybody does, to try to have a diplomatic resolution of this," Kerry said.

Rebels have fought for two years against the government of President Bashar Assad in Syria. The United Nations estimates more than 70,000 people have been killed.

KCNA via AFP - Getty Images

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and former NBA star Dennis Rodman watch a basketball game in Pyongyang on Feb. 28 in this image released by North Korea's official news agency.

The United States and other Western countries have promised aid for the rebels but not arms. The Obama administration has said that weapons for the rebels could fall into the hands of Islamic militants.

Pressed on whether the United States might reconsider if it had some certainty about where the weapons would go, Kerry stressed U.S. humanitarian support for the estimated 1 million people displaced by the Syrian civil war.

"We don?t want this killing," he added. "President Assad could quickly decide to come to the table and negotiate."

On Iran and its disputed nuclear ambitions, Kerry said: "There will not be a negotiation that turns into an eternal delay."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said over the weekend that renewed international efforts to negotiate curbs on the Iranian nuclear program are simply giving it more time to build a bomb. Iran denies seeking nuclear arms.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the nuclear inspections arm of the United Nations, said Monday that the agency "cannot conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities."

In the NBC interview, Kerry said that Iran "will not run any clock on this."

"This is not an infinite process," he said. "It?s finite. Our preference, President Obama?s preference, clearly stated, is to ask the Iranians to come to the table in good faith, in mutual respect, and do what they say they?re doing."

Reuters contributed to this report.?

White House spokesman Jay Carney addresses Dennis Rodman's visit to North Korea and his message to President Obama from Kim Jong Un.

This story was originally published on Tue Mar 5, 2013 9:23 AM EST

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/05/17194457-kerry-dismissive-of-rodman-in-north-korea-as-a-diplomat-he-is-a-great-basketball-player?lite

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Head of Chadian army claims troops kill Belmoktar

FILE - This image taken from video provided by the SITE Intel Group made available Thursday Jan. 17, 2013, purports to show militant militia leader Moktar Belmoktar. The head of Chad's military has announced Saturday March 2, 2013, on state television that Chadian troops deployed in northern Mali have killed Moktar Belmoktar, the international terrorist responsible for the attack on a natural gas plant in Algeria that resulted in the death of dozens of foreigners. The French military, which is leading the offensive in northern Mali, says it cannot confirm the information. (AP Photo/SITE Intel Group) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS HAS NO WAY OF INDEPENDENTLY VERIFYING THE CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS PICTURE. MANDATORY CREDIT: SITE Intel Group

FILE - This image taken from video provided by the SITE Intel Group made available Thursday Jan. 17, 2013, purports to show militant militia leader Moktar Belmoktar. The head of Chad's military has announced Saturday March 2, 2013, on state television that Chadian troops deployed in northern Mali have killed Moktar Belmoktar, the international terrorist responsible for the attack on a natural gas plant in Algeria that resulted in the death of dozens of foreigners. The French military, which is leading the offensive in northern Mali, says it cannot confirm the information. (AP Photo/SITE Intel Group) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS HAS NO WAY OF INDEPENDENTLY VERIFYING THE CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS PICTURE. MANDATORY CREDIT: SITE Intel Group

N'DJAMENA, Chad (AP) ? Chad's military chief announced late Saturday that his troops deployed in northern Mali had killed Moktar Belmoktar, the terrorist who orchestrated the attack on a natural gas plant in Algeria that left 36 foreigners dead.

The French military, which is leading the offensive against al-Qaida-linked rebels in Mali, said they could not immediately confirm the information.

Local officials in Kidal, the northern town that is being used as the base for the military operation, cast doubt on the assertion, saying Chadian officials are attempting to score a PR victory to make up for the significant losses they have suffered in recent days.

Known as the "one-eyed," Belmoktar's profile soared after the mid-January attack and mass hostage-taking on a huge Algerian gas plant. His purported death comes a day after Chad's president said his troops had killed Abou Zeid, the other main al-Qaida commander operating in northern Mali.

If both deaths are confirmed, it would mean that the international intervention in Mali had succeeded in decapitating two of the pillars of al-Qaida in the Sahara.

"Chad's armed forces in Mali have completely destroyed a base used by jihadists and narcotraffickers in the Adrar and Ifoghas mountains" of northern Mali, said Army Chief of Staff Gen. Zakaria Ngobongue in a televised statement on state-owned National Chadian Television. "The provisional toll is as follows: Several terrorists killed, including Moktar Belmoktar."

The French military moved into Mali on Jan. 11 to push back militants linked to Belmoktar and Abou Zeid and other extremist groups who had imposed harsh Islamic rule in the north of the vast country and who were seen as an international terrorist threat.

France is trying to rally other African troops to help in the military campaign, since Mali's military is weak and poor. Chadian troops have offered the most robust reinforcement.

In Paris, French military spokesman Col. Thierry Burkhard said that he had "no information" on the possibility that Belmoktar was dead. The Foreign Ministry refused to confirm or deny the report.

A spokesman for Chad's presidential palace did not immediately return a request for comment. In Kidal in northern Mali, an elected official, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press, said that he did not believe that Belmoktar was dead and waved off the claim as an attempt by Chad to explain the loss of dozens of their troops to a grieving nation.

"These last few weeks, the Chadians have lost a significant number of soldiers in combat. (Claiming that they killed Belmoktar) is a way to give some importance to their intervention in Mali," said the official, who keeps in close contact with both French and Malian commanders in the field.

Belmoktar, an Algerian, is believed to be in his 40s, and like his sometimes partner and sometimes rival, Abou Zeid, he began on the path to terrorism after Algeria's secular government voided the 1991 election won by an Islamic party.

Both men joined the Armed Islamic Group, or GIA, and later its offshoot, the GSPC, a group that carried out suicide bombings on Algerian government targets.

Around 2003, both men crossed into Mali, where they began a lucrative kidnapping business, snatching European tourists, aid workers, government employees and even diplomats and holding them for multimillion-dollar ransoms.

The Algerian terror cell amassed a significant war chest, and joined the al-Qaida fold in 2006, renaming itself al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb.

Until last December, Belmoktar and Abou Zeid headed separate brigades under the flag of al-Qaida's chapter in the Sahara. But after months of reports of infighting between the two, Belmoktar peeled off, announcing the creation of his own terror unit, still loyal to the al-Qaida ideology but separate from al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb.

It was this group that launched the fatal attack on a BP-operated natural gas plant in southeastern Algeria in retaliation for the French-led military intervention in Mali.

In the attack and in the subsequent rescue attempt, 37 people, all but one of them foreigners, were killed inside the complex. Belmoktar claimed responsibility for the attack within hours, immediately catapulting him into the ranks of international terrorists.

In addition to the alleged killing of Belmoktar, Ngobongue said that Chad's military had also nabbed 60 of the jihadists' cars, electronic equipment and weapons. "The raid is still ongoing," he said.

___

Callimachi contributed to this report from Dakar, Senegal. Baba Ahmed contributed from Bamako, Mali.

___

Rukmini Callimachi can be reached at www.twitter.com/rcallimachi

Baba Ahmed can be reached at www.twitter.com/babahmed1

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-02-Mali-Belmoktar/id-0a601ae2ce9f4abda98acf03bf385f41

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