Therapy over the phone as effective as face-to-face, study suggests

ScienceDaily (Sep. 28, 2012) ? A new study reveals that cognitive therapy over the phone is just as effective as meeting face-to-face. The research was published September 28, in the journal PLoS ONE.

Researchers at the University of Cambridge together with the National Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research & Care (NIHR CLAHRC) and NHS Midlands & East also found that providing talking therapy over the phone increases access to psychological therapies for people with common mental disorders and potentially saves the NHS money.

For the study, data from 39,000 patients in seven established Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services (an initiative which aims to expand the availability of psychological therapies) in the East of England were used to compare Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) delivered face-to-face versus over the phone. For all but an infrequent, identifiable clinical group with more severe illness, therapy over the phone was as effective as face to face, and the cost per session was 36.2% lower.

Patients may be unable to access health services due to transport problems, work commitments and physical disability, among many reasons. So increasing availability of talking therapies over the phone will make mental health services more accessible to patients.

On the back of the study results, NHS Midlands & East has instigated a regional training programme to standardise service delivery and ensure therapists are competent at phone contacts. The training programme has recently been extended into a partnership with a third party organisation.

Professor Peter Jones, Principal Investigator of the study from the University of Cambridge, said: "Providing therapy over the phone will not only help individuals gain much-needed access to mental health treatment, it will provide a more cost effective way of providing these services at a time when everyone is concerned about cutting costs."

Mental health illnesses affect one in four adults in Britain every year. Additionally, the NHS spends more on mental health than it does on cancer, heart disease, stroke and asthma put together (a total of ?9.95 billion in 2010-2011), with general practitioners spending more than a third of their time on mental health issues.

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Journal Reference:

1. Hammond GC, Croudace TJ, Radhakrishnan M, Lafortune L, Watson A, et al. Comparative Effectiveness of Cognitive Therapies Delivered Face-To-Face or Over the Telephone: An Observational Study Using Propensity Methods. PLoS ONE, 2012 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0042916

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/~3/rJ3fQKAJ010/120929140240.htm

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Baltimore, MD 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser Used SUV Glen Burnie, MD Annapolis, MD Bob Bell Ford/ Hyundai/ Kia

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Source: http://www.bobbell.com/2008-Chrysler-PT-Cruiser-Baltimore-MD/vd/11854893

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Last Western detainee at Gitmo returns to Canada

FILE - This undated photo shows Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr, a Canadian, taken before he was imprisoned in 2002 at the age of 15. A decade after Khadr was pulled near death from the rubble of a bombed-out compound in Afghanistan, the Canadian citizen set foot on Canadian soil early Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, after an American military flight from the notorious prison in Guantanamo Bay. (AP Photo/Canadian Press, File)

FILE - This undated photo shows Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr, a Canadian, taken before he was imprisoned in 2002 at the age of 15. A decade after Khadr was pulled near death from the rubble of a bombed-out compound in Afghanistan, the Canadian citizen set foot on Canadian soil early Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, after an American military flight from the notorious prison in Guantanamo Bay. (AP Photo/Canadian Press, File)

FILE - In this file handout image taken from a 2003 U.S. Department of Defense surveillance video and provided Tuesday, July 15, 2008 by Omar Khadr's defense lawyers, Khadr is shown in an interrogation room at the Guatanamo U.S. Naval Base prison while being questioned by members of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. A decade after Khadr was pulled near death from the rubble of a bombed-out compound in Afghanistan, the Canadian citizen set foot on Canadian soil early Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, after an American military flight from the notorious prison in Guantanamo Bay. Khadr pleaded guilty in 2010 to killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan and was eligible to return to Canada from Guantanamo Bay last October under terms of a plea deal. Canada's conservative government took almost a year to approve the transfer. (AP Photo/U.S. Department of Defense via The Canadian Press, File)

TORONTO (AP) ? The last Western detainee held at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay returned to Canada Saturday after a decade in custody following his capture in Afghanistan at age 15 after being wounded in a firefight with U.S. soldiers, officials said.

Canadian Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said that 26-year-old Omar Khadr arrived at a Canadian military base on a U.S. government plane early Saturday and was transferred to the Millhaven maximum security prison in Bath, Ontario.

The son of an alleged al-Qaida financier, Khadr pleaded guilty in 2010 to killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan and was eligible to return to Canada from Guantanamo Bay last October under terms of a plea deal.

But Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government had long refused to request the return of Khadr, the youngest detainee held at Guantanamo. The reluctance was partly due to suspicions about the Khadr family, which has been called "the first family of terrorism."

The U.S. Defense Department confirmed the transfer in a statement and said 166 detainees remain in detention at Guantanamo Bay.

The Toronto-born Khadr was 15 when he was captured in 2002 in Afghanistan, and has spent a decade at the Guantanamo prison set up on the U.S. naval base in Cuba to hold suspected terrorists after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. He received an eight-year sentence in 2010 after being convicted of throwing a grenade that killed Army Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Speer during a 2002 firefight.

"His head is spinning a bit and it's going to be a real adjustment for him, but at the same time he is so happy to be home," John Norris, Khadr's Canadian lawyer, said after speaking with his client.

"He can't believe that it is finally true. He simply can't. For very good reason he was quite fearful that the government would not follow through on its word and he's pinching himself right now not believing that this government has finally kept its word," he said.

Norris said Khadr would be eligible for parole as early as the summer of 2013. He said Khadr's return to Canada comes 10 years too late.

Toews said the U.S. government initiated Khadr's transfer and suggested that Canada had little choice but to accept him because he is a Canadian citizen. It will be up to Canada's national parole board to release him, Toews said.

"Omar Khadr is a known supporter of the al-Qaida terrorist network and a convicted terrorist," Toews said.

Toews called for "robust conditions of supervision" if Khadr is granted parole. Toews said in his written decision that he reviewed all the files forwarded by the U.S. government and said the parole board should consider his concerns that Omar "idealizes" his father and "appears to deny "Ahmed Khadr's lengthy history of terrorist action and association with al-Qaida."

Toews also said that Omar Khadr's mother and sister "have openly applauded" his father's "crimes and terrorist activities" and noted that Omar has had "little contact with Canadian society and will require substantial management in order to ensure safe integration in Canada."

"I am satisfied the Correctional Service of Canada can administer Omar Khadr's sentence in a manner which recognizes the serious nature of the crimes that he has committed and ensure the safety of Canadians is protected during incarceration," Toews said.

Norris said it is regrettable that the minister is trying to influence the parole board.

"Most of what he has said there is simply not true. It's part of the stereotype of Omar that this government has been disseminating from the beginning," Norris said.

He added that once the Correctional Service "will get to know Omar" they will "recommend appropriate conditions."

Defense attorneys have said Khadr was pushed into fighting the Americans in Afghanistan by his father, Ahmed Said Khadr, an alleged al-Qaida financier whose family stayed with Osama bin Laden briefly when Omar Khadr was a boy.

The Egyptian-born father was killed in 2003 when a Pakistani military helicopter shelled the house where he was staying with senior al-Qaida operatives. Omar's youngest brother lives in Toronto and is paralyzed after being shot in the attack that killed his father.

Another brother was released from a Canadian jail last year after successfully fighting extradition to the U.S. on charges he supplied al-Qaida with weapons in Pakistan.

The father was arrested in Pakistan in 1995 after a bomb attack targeting the Egyptian embassy in Islamabad, but was released after former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien appealed to Pakistan to give him due process. Canada was embarrassed when he later emerged as a senior al-Qaida figure. Canadian governments have since refused to speak out on behalf of the Khadr family.

Omar was found in the rubble of a bombed-out compound badly wounded and near death in Afghanistan in 2002. His case received international attention after some dubbed him a child soldier.

Khadr's family did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment about his release. Norris said he told the family Saturday morning that Omar had returned to Canada.

Norris said it's not for him to say whether Omar should live with his family once he's released.

"You can't change the fact that they are his family," Norris said. "They love him and I know that they'll find a way."

Norris said Khadr has received some education in Guantanamo Bay and hopes that will continue so that he's able to reintegrate into the community.

Khadr has claimed in the past that he was abused at Guantanamo, but Canadian Foreign Affairs officials said they accept U.S. assurances that Khadr was treated humanely. Human rights groups have long criticized Harper's Conservative government for not doing enough for Khadr, and the Supreme Court of Canada twice ruled that the Canadian government had violated his rights.

Canada's three opposition parties demanded that Harper's government bring Khadr home. He has received some sympathy from Canadians, largely due to his age and the torture allegations, but his family has been widely criticized.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta signed off on Khadr's transfer in April. Panetta said in Ottawa earlier this year that sending Khadr back to Canada would be an important step because it would serve as an example to other detainees who are looking to return to their home countries or other places. Some Guantanamo detainees have been reluctant to agree to plea deals after noting that Khadr had remained in Guantanamo despite being eligible to leave since last October.

Suzanne Nossel, Amnesty International USA Executive Director, said the Guantanamo prison should finally be closed. She said Canada now has a chance to right what she called the many wrongs against Khadr and called for an investigation into Khadr's allegations of torture.

"Given the Obama administration's glacial pace towards closing the U.S.-controlled detention center, little and late though it is, today's news represents progress," Nossell said in a statement. "Khadr was imprisoned at the age of 15, subjected to ill-treatment and then prosecuted in a military commissions system that does not meet international fair trial standards. Growing up in Guantanamo and facing more prison time in Canada, his future remains uncertain."

The New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights released a statement calling Khadr's case "one of the ugliest chapters in the decade-long history of Guantanamo."

"Khadr never should have been brought to Guantanamo. He was a child of fifteen at the time he was captured, and his subsequent detention and prosecution for purported war crimes was unlawful, as was his torture by U.S. officials," CCR Legal Director Baher Azmy said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-09-29-Guantanamo-Canadian%20Prisoner/id-7104b43260a64958955985b8bd74ccf6

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Need To Know ? Commercial Real Estate | Key West Commercial ...

People are attracted to commercial real estate investing for a number of reasons. However, you need to decide whether an investment is right for you. The more knowledgeable you are about commercial real estate, the more lucrative it can be. The tips in the article below will help you add to your real estate knowledge.

When you?re writing letters of intent, try to keep it brief by agreeing with the bigger issues initially and let the lesser issues be resolved at a later time. This will diffuse tension during negotiations and will facilitate compromise on the minor issues.

Do a walk-through of each property on your short list. It may be a good idea to take a professional contractor with you when you check out properties you are interested in purchasing. Begin negotiating and the process of offers and counter offers. Carefully look over any counteroffers you receive before you make your final choice, whatever that may be.

TIP! Plan on doing some improvements to your new commercial space before you can inhabit it. It could be something simple, such as paining walls, rearranging appliances or furniture or hanging things.

Make sure you know what your needs are before you start looking at commercial real estate. You should know precisely what your business?s office space requirements are. If you?re interested in eventually expanding your business, buy more office space than you currently need. This saves money in the long run because prices may be higher by the time you?re ready for more office space.

The neighborhood where the property is located is very important. If you buy property in a very affluent area, your business will likely be successful, because your clientele will be better able to afford what you are selling. You might want to buy a property in a less affluent neighborhood if you are selling products or services that less affluent people would find attractive.

TIP! Seek the council of an experienced real estate attorney to help you with your commercial purchase. If something horrible happens when you are dealing with real estate, the right attorney can make a world of difference.

If you are investing in real estate, consider going big. If you believe that you can easily manage five units, you can probably easily manage 50. That many units still need commercial financing like the larger ones do, and the larger ones generally cost less for every unit.

Never underestimate the help that your relationships with private lenders and investors can lend you when dealing in commercial real estate. For example, commercial properties are often sold without ever making it to a listing, so having a broad network can increase your exposure to great deals.

Buy apartment complexes with large numbers of units. You can spread your wealth that is obtained by each one, by having more units. Properties with fewer than ten units are often harder to sell, since many investors believe that more units mean more money.

TIP! It is necessary that you have financial statements for yourself and for your business handy if you want to finance a commercial real estate property. Without financial statements, a bank cannot verify your income and will not allow you to borrow money.

There are a myriad of reasons to expand your monetary investments into commercial real estate. All it takes is determination, and a good base of information. Use the information you learned in this article to fit your plans for commercial real estate. When you do this, profit and success will be

For more information about Key West Commercial Real Estate contact Gary Smith at http://www.keywestlifestyle.com/commercial.html

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Source: http://www.keywestlifestyle.com/blog/key-west-commercial-real-estate/need-to-know-commercial-real-estate/

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Discover 3Q profit slips, but tops Street view

BOSTON (AP) ? Discover Financial Services shares rose more than 7 percent Thursday, after the company said credit card use increased and more customers paid off their card balances on time in its fiscal third quarter. That news overshadowed a slight earnings decline in the period mostly due to it setting aside more money to cover bad loans and for a legal bill from a settlement with regulators.

The Riverwoods, Ill.-based company reported net income of $621 million, or $1.21 per share, for the quarter ended Aug. 31, after paying preferred shareholders.

That was down 3 percent from $642 million in last year's third quarter. Discover's per-share earnings in the year-ago period were $1.18, slightly lower than in the latest quarter because the company had a greater number of common shares outstanding last year. Discover repurchased about 10 million shares for $350 million in the latest quarter.

The latest quarter's earnings topped the forecast of analysts surveyed by FactSet, who expected $1.03 per share.

Revenue rose nearly 10 percent to $1.96 billion from $1.79 billion, beating analysts' forecast for $1.9 billion.

Shares of Discover rose $2.69, or 7.2 percent, to close at $39.71. The stock has risen more than 50 percent this year, in part due to improvement in customer payment habits.

Discover, which provides banking services including issuing its namesake credit cards, said total loans grew 9 percent from the year-ago quarter to $59.2 billion. Credit card loans and Discover card sales volume both increased 4 percent.

Nomura Equity Research analyst Bill Carcache said in a note to clients that the card loan growth suggests that Discover continues to gain share in the revolving credit market, which he estimated is growing at a 1 percent annual rate.

Carcache, who has a "buy" rating on the stock, characterized the company's quarterly revenue performance as a "solid" beat compared with expectations. He attributed the performance in part to better-than-expected net interest income, as money earned from loans increased 11 percent compared with a year ago, due to loan growth and lower interest expenses.

Discover Chairman and CEO David Nelms said card sales and customer payments on balances due "grew in a challenging environment while credit quality continued to improve."

The third-quarter increase in total loans came amid a slump in consumer sentiment due to the slow economic recovery and weak hiring. Discover tracks sentiment through a monthly index of spending intentions, and reported its Discover U.S. Spending Monitor fell to its lowest level of the year in August.

Credit card loans over 30 days past due fell to an all-time low, dropping to 1.81 percent of balances on an annualized basis, from 2.43 percent a year ago.

Charge-offs, or loans written off as unpaid, fell $151 million from a year ago, due to declines in delinquencies and bankruptcies.

Discover increased its provision for loan losses by 26 percent to $126 million, as the company set aside more money while making more loans.

Discover also said the yield earned from credit cards declined, due to fewer high rate balances and an increase in promotional rate balances.

Expenses jumped 29 percent to $826 million, primarily because of a $94 million increase for legal reserves due to a regulatory agreement announced last week.

Discover agreed to pay a $14 million fine and refund $200 million directly to certain customers under deal with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The agreement resolved accusations by regulators that Discover pressured credit card customers to buy costly add-on services like payment protection and credit monitoring. Discover previously established a reserve of $115.9 million in anticipation of the settlement.

Expenses, as well as revenue, are both up in part because Discover's operations have grown. The company closed in June on its $45.9 million acquisition of Tree.com Inc.'s mortgage business and began originating residential mortgages. Discover also recently added a fixed-rate private student loan product, and its first major affinity credit card.

In the latest quarter, Discover reported a 13 percent increase in transaction volume at its payment services business, to $50.3 billion. That segment, which competes with Visa and MasterCard, reported a 31 percent increase in pretax income, to $49 million.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/discover-3q-profit-slips-tops-street-view-130459041--finance.html

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Photos: See a roundup of the day's best images

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/photos/photos-of-the-day-1340925511-slideshow/

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Cardiome says Merck pulls out of heart drug deal

(Reuters) - Cardiome Pharma Corp said its partner Merck & Co returned the global marketing and development rights for both versions of their heart drug, six months after dropping development of the oral version.

"The market has been waiting for some clarity as to where this franchise is going and we thank Merck for providing that clarity," William Hunter, interim CEO of Cardiome, said on a conference call.

Cardiome shares rose 22 percent to 44 Canadian cents on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The stock, which has lost nearly 86 percent of its value this year through Tuesday close, was one of the top percentage gainers on the exchange.

Cardiome's U.S.-listed shares rose as much as 22 percent to 45 cents on the Nasdaq on Wednesday.

The drug, Vernakalant, is an experimental treatment for chronic atrial fibrillation, a heart rhythm disorder that can lead to stroke and heart failure.

Merck in March dropped the development of an oral version of the drug due to regulatory issues and expected development timeline, forcing Cardiome to cut about 85 percent of its workforce.

"We will take a long hard look at what can be done to reinitiate momentum on the intravenous program in the U.S. ... or what the next step should be on the oral program," the company said.

The intravenous version of the drug is not approved in the United States or Canada, Cardiome said in a statement.

Cardiome, which had cash and cash equivalents of $60.7 million at June 30, said it may be beyond its financial capabilities to do that alone.

Vancouver-based Cardiome also develops drugs for the circulatory system.

(Reporting by Bhaswati Mukhopadhyay in Bangalore; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cardiome-says-merck-pulls-heart-drug-deal-130003347--finance.html

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Urban coyotes never stray: New study finds 100 percent monogamy

ScienceDaily (Sep. 25, 2012) ? Coyotes living in cities don't ever stray from their mates, and stay with each other till death do them part, according to a new study.

The finding sheds light on why the North American cousin of the dog and wolf, which is originally native to deserts and plains, is thriving today in urban areas.

Scientists with Ohio State University who genetically sampled 236 coyotes in the Chicago area over a six-year period found no evidence of polygamy -- of the animals having more than one mate -- nor of one mate ever leaving another while the other was still alive.

This was even though the coyotes exist in high population densities and have plenty of food to eat, which are conditions that often lead other dog family members, such as some fox species, to stray from their normal monogamy.

To cat around, as it were.

"I was surprised we didn't find any cheating going on," said study co-author Stan Gehrt, a wildlife ecologist with Ohio State's School of Environment and Natural Resources. "Even with all the opportunities for the coyotes to philander, they really don't.

"In contrast to studies of other presumably monogamous species that were later found to be cheating, such as arctic foxes and mountain bluebirds, we found incredible loyalty to partners in the study population."

The study appears in a recent issue of The Journal of Mammalogy.

The loyalty of coyotes to their mates may be a key to their success in urban areas, according to Gehrt.

Not only does a female coyote have the natural ability to produce large litters of young during times of abundance, such as when living in food-rich cities, she has a faithful partner to help raise them all.

"If the female were to try to raise those large litters by herself, she wouldn't be able to do it," said Gehrt, who holds appointments with the university's Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center and Ohio State University Extension. "But the male spends just as much time helping to raise those pups as the female does."

Unlike the males of polygamous species, a male coyote "knows that every one of those pups is his offspring" and has a clear genetic stake in helping them survive, Gehrt said.

The research was done in Cook, Kane, DuPage and McHenry counties in northeast Illinois. All are in greater Chicago, which is home to about 9 million people and is the third-largest metropolitan area in the U.S.

It's also home to an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 coyotes. Gehrt has previously said he "couldn't find an area in Chicago where there weren't coyotes."

"You've got lots of coyotes in this landscape," said senior author Cecilia Hennessy, who conducted the study as a master's degree advisee of Gehrt and is now a doctoral student at Purdue University in Indiana. "You've got territories that abut each other. And coyotes can make long-distance forays. So you'd think, based on previous investigations of dog behavior, that cheating would be likely.

"But to find nothing, absolutely nothing, no evidence whatsoever of anything that wasn't monogamy, I was very surprised by that," she said.

The finding came through a wider study of Chicago-area coyotes that Gehrt has led since 2000. As the largest study ever on urban coyotes, it's a long-term effort to understand the animals' population ecology, how they adapt to urban life and how to reduce their conflicts with people.

"A powerful part of the new paper is that we have long-term field work, behavior observations, to accompany Cecilia's genetic work," Gehrt said. "So many genetic studies only analyze samples but know very little about their subjects, whereas we follow these individuals nearly every day and often to the completion of their lives. It's a nice mesh of lab and field work."

The scientists used live traps -- either padded foothold traps or non-choking neck snares -- to catch the coyotes for the study, although pups were simply dug from their dens and held by hand. Small blood and tissue samples were taken from all the animals. The adults, which were anesthetized, also were fitted with radio-collars for tracking their movements and ranges. Afterward, all the coyotes were released where they were caught.

Later, Hennessy, who previously was a plant genetics technician and biology major at the University of Cincinnati, used genetic techniques in the lab to test the animals' DNA and determine their family trees.

Coyotes maintain monogamy through long-term pair bonding, a term meaning an animal stays with the same mate for more than one breeding season, and sometimes for many.

A male coyote, for his part, practices diligent mate guarding -- keeping other males away from the female.

During estrus, which is the time when the female can become pregnant, the pair "will spend all their time together -- running, finding food, marking their territory. They'll always be right at each other's side."

"We've been able to follow some of these alpha pairs through time, and we've had some of them stay together for up to 10 years," Gehrt said. "They separate only upon the death of one of the individuals, so they truly adhere to that philosophy, 'Till death do us part,' " Hennessy said.

Funding was provided by the Cook County Animal and Rabies Control and by the Cook County Forest Preserve District, and by the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Ohio State University. The original article was written by Kurt Knebusch.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Hennessy, C. A., J. Dubach and S. D. Gehrt. Long-term pair bonding and genetic evidence for monogamy among urban coyotes (Canis latrans). Journal of Mammalogy, 93(3):732-742; 2012 [link]

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/strange_science/~3/MFCeV89eT4w/120925142549.htm

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Uruguay poised to legalize abortion

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) ? Uruguay's congress appeared ready on Tuesday to legalize abortion, a groundbreaking move in Latin America, where no country save Cuba has made abortions accessible to all women during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Compromises made to secure votes disappointed both sides of the abortion divide, which gathered in protest. Once it gets through Uruguay's lower house, the measure would go back to the Senate for approval of changes, but President Jose Mujica has said he will allow it to become law.

The measure would give women the right to a legal abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, and decriminalize later-term abortions when the mother's life is at risk or when the fetus is so deformed that it wouldn't survive after birth. In cases of rape, abortions would be legal during the first 14 weeks.

The goal is to reduce the number of illegal abortions in Uruguay, Congressman Ivan Posada of the center-left Independent Party told his fellow lawmakers Tuesday. Posada wrote the measure and is expected to provide a key 50th vote against the opposition of 49 other lawmakers.

"They talk of 30,000 a year, a hypothetical number, but whatever the number is, it's quite dramatic for a country where 47,000 children are born each year," Posada explained earlier in an Associated Press interview.

A poll this month showed 52 percent of Uruguayans would vote to legalize abortion if the question were put to the people, while 34 percent would vote against it. The survey of 802 people nationwide by the CIFRA consulting firm had a 3.4 percentage point margin of error.

Compromises include requiring women seeking abortions to justify their request before a panel of at least three professionals ? a gynecologist, psychologist and social worker ? and listen to advice about alternatives including adoption and support services if should she decide to keep the baby.

Then, she must wait five more days "to reflect" on the consequences before the procedure.

"It's important that the woman who decides to have an abortion attend this meeting where she will be informed, where they'll explain all the options including alternatives that she is free to choose from," Posada told the AP.

The review panel should obtain the father's point of view, but only if the woman agrees. Women under 18 must show parental consent, but they can seek approval from a judge instead if they're unwilling or unable to involve their parents in the decision.

The measure also allows entire private health care institutions, as well as individual health care providers, to decline to perform abortions.

Such requirements raised objections from Amnesty International and other groups, which say layers of bureaucracy will create barriers and delay abortions until more than 12 weeks have passed, thus forcing women and health care providers into criminal territory.

"This is not the law for which we fought for more than 25 years," complained Marta Agunin, who directs Women and Health, a non-governmental organization in Uruguay.

Also opposed are Uruguay's Catholic and evangelical institutions, which along with public hospitals provide much of the available health care in Uruguay.

A statement from Uruguay's Catholic University says it makes no sense to punish a woman for killing a fetus that is 12 weeks and 1 day old, but to decriminalize abortions before then. Conservatives also object to the removal of a proposal to require the father's consent before any abortion.

Cuba, which decriminalizes abortions in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy, is the only country in Latin America where legal abortion is common. Argentina and Colombia allow it only in cases of rape or when the mother's life is endangered. Colombia also allows it when there is proof of fetal malformation. Mexico City has legalized first-trimester abortions, but there are restrictions in most other parts of the country.

Many countries ban abortions under any conditions.

Uruguay's lawmakers have no desire to make their country a destination for women from other countries seeking abortions. The measure says only Uruguayan citizens and women who can prove at least one year's residency can apply. "This is a solution for those who live here, not that Uruguay becomes a place that attracts people from other countries for this procedure," Posada told the AP.

Opposition Deputy Javier Garcia of the center-right National Party accused lawmakers of treating living embryos as if they were "disposable," which he equated with murder.

The margin for the law was razor-thin on Tuesday after Deputy Andres Lima of the ruling Broad Front coalition said he would refuse to vote. With Posada joining the coalition, the measure appeared headed for passage by a 50-49 vote margin.

Dr. Marie Gonzalez, bioethicist at the University of the Republic, called the measure "evil" and vowed to work to persuade her fellow gynecologists to refuse to perform the procedure if it becomes law.

"The embryo-fetus is a human being, and as such has rights, like the human right to live," she said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uruguay-poised-legalize-abortion-165321212.html

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Obama: US to 'do what we must' to stop nuclear Iran

President Obama tells the United Nations General Assembly that the US will "do what we must" to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.

By NBC News' Ian Johnston and news services

Updated at 12:05 p.m. ET:?Barack Obama told the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday that the United States will "do what we must" to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons.

The president also used the high-profile event to commemorate late Ambassador Christopher Stevens, who was slain with three other Americans when the U.S. consulate in Bengazi, Libya, came under attack Sept. 11.

"There are no words that excuse the killing of innocent" people and "no video that justifies an attack on an embassy," Obama told the General Assembly.??

He stressed that recent violence should not been seen simply as attacks on America.?

Obama denounces violence in Middle East, calls for tolerance and democracy

"They are also an assault on the very ideals upon which the United Nations was founded -- the notion that people can resolve their differences peacefully, that diplomacy can take the place of war, that in an interdependent world, all of us have a stake in working towards greater opportunity and security for our citizens," he said.?

'Time is not unlimited'
On Iran, Obama said that while there was still time for a diplomatic solution to the crisis that "time is not unlimited."

U.S. officials reportedly suspect Iran is behind a string of recent cyber attacks that were aimed at major U.S. banks. Jim Finkle of Reuters has more on the story.

Amid mounting tensions over Iran's nuclear program and talk of a military strike by Israel on Iran, Obama has refused demands from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to set an explicit "red line" for Tehran.

Netanyahu has shown growing impatience over Obama's entreaties to hold off on attacking Iran's nuclear sites to give sanctions and diplomacy more time to work.

Underscoring the depth of the problem, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in New York on Monday that Israel has no roots in the Middle East and would be "eliminated,"?ignoring a U.N. warning to avoid his usual incendiary rhetoric ahead of the annual General Assembly session. Iran denies seeking a nuclear bomb.

Obama said that the U.S. wanted to find a peaceful solution to the problem and believed "that there is still time and space to do so."

?But that time is not unlimited. We respect the right of nations to access peaceful nuclear power, but one of the purposes of the United Nations is to see that we harness that power for peace,? he said.

?Make no mistake: A nuclear-armed Iran is not a challenge that can be contained. It would threaten the elimination of Israel, the security of Gulf nations, and the stability of the global economy. It risks triggering a nuclear-arms race in the region, and the unraveling of the non-proliferation treaty,? he said.

?That?s why a coalition of countries is holding the Iranian government accountable. And that?s why the United States will do what we must to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon,? he added.

US-Israel rift over Iran widens; Obama denies Netanyahu asked for meeting

Speaking Tuesday to the General Assembly, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he rejected threats of military action by one state against another, an apparent reference to recent comments by Israeli, Iranian and U.S. officials.

While he did not specify which countries he was talking about, Ban added, "I also reject both the language of delegitimization and threats of potential military action by one state against another. Any such attacks would be devastating."

With exactly six weeks to go before the U.S. election, Obama will seek to reassure American voters as well as world leaders that they can count on him to handle the latest global challenges, even as Republican challenger Mitt Romney seizes the chance to pan his foreign policy.

Friction mounts as Israel asks that U.S. give Iran an ultimatum; a tricky position for Obama, whose foreign policy has been lauded. NBC's Andrea Mitchell and CNBC's John Harwood report.

With campaign pressures building in a close race, Obama's final turn on the world stage before facing voters has left little doubt about his immediate priorities.

Report: Iran mulls 'pre-emptive attack' against Israel; commander warns of 'World War III'

He skipped the customary one-on-one meetings with foreign counterparts but went ahead with the taping of a campaign-style appearance on the popular television talk show "The View" -- a tradeoff that drew Republican criticism.

Obama planned to be in and out of New York in 24 hours, one of the briefest presidential visits to the annual U.N. session in recent memory, and he will be off to the election battleground state of Ohio on Wednesday.

'Disgusting' video
Obama also discussed the attacks on U.S. embassies and consulates -- including the one that killed Stevens -- amid outrage over a California-made film that mocked the Prophet Muhammad.

"Today we must reaffirm that our future will be determined by people like Chris Stevens, and not by his killers. ?Today we must declare that this violence and intolerance has no place among our United Nations," Obama said.?

He described the video that sparked the violence, "Innocence of Muslims," as "crude and disgusting" and an insult "not only to Muslims, but to America as well," but defended America's stance on freedom of speech.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discusses the "danger of not acting" in the era of a potentially nuclear-armed Iran.

"I know there are some who ask why we don't just ban such a video. The answer is enshrined in our laws: Our Constitution protects the right to practice free speech," he said.

"Here in the United States, countless publications provoke offense. Like me, the majority of Americans are Christian, and yet we do not ban blasphemy against our most sacred beliefs. As president of our country, and commander-in-chief of our military, I accept that people are going to call me awful things every day, and I will always defend their right to do so," he added.

Pugnacious Iranian president rips Israel, US ahead of final UN speech

Obama also took Bashar Assad to task for the Syrian president's?efforts to crush an 18-month uprising against his regime.

"The future must not belong to a dictator who massacres his people. If there is a cause that cries out for protest in the world today, peaceful protest, it is a regime that tortures children and shoots rockets at apartment buildings," he said.

"And we must remain engaged to assure that what began with citizens demanding their rights does not end in a cycle of sectarian violence," he added.

The unsettled climate surrounding Obama's U.N. visit was a stark reminder that the heady optimism that greeted him when he took office promising to be a transformational statesman has cooled.

Iran increases price on writer Salman Rushdie's head by $500k

Campaigning in Colorado, Romney argued that the United States should not be "at the mercy" of events in the Muslim world. "We want a president who will shape events in the Middle East," he said.

A Pew poll found that while 45 percent of Americans approved of Obama's handling of the attacks on U.S. diplomatic missions in the Muslim world, only 26 percent backed Romney's criticism of his response.?

Reuters contributed to this report.

More world stories from NBC News:

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Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/25/14088489-obama-us-will-do-what-we-must-to-stop-iran-getting-nuclear-weapons?lite

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Amazing Mindreader Reveals Scary Truth [VIDEO]

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/amazing-mindreader-reveals-scary-truth-video-170229690.html

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Amazon intros Device Targeting to help developers with new Kindle Fires

Amazon's celebrating its new line of Kindle Fires with the announcement of Device Targeting, a feature aimed at helping developers create apps across its tablet line. Using the new program, app makers can offers up APKs for specific devices like the old Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD (different screen sizes included), without displaying "confusing" multiple versions of the app for consumers. The new feature ensures that customers who download an app get the proper version delivered to the right devices. More info on the program -- including an FAQ for curious parties -- can be found in the source link below.

Filed under: Tablets

Amazon intros Device Targeting to help developers with new Kindle Fires originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Sep 2012 08:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/_AU5XhWBhe4/

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Dangerous and deepening divide between Islamic world, West

WASHINGTON (Reuters)- For those who believe in a clash of civilizations between the Islamic world and Western democracy, the last few weeks must seem like final confirmation of their theory.

Even those who reject the term as loaded and simplistic speak sadly of a perhaps catastrophic failure of understanding between Americans in particular and many Muslims.

The outrage and violence over a crude film ridiculing the Prophet Mohammad points to a chasm between Western free speech and individualism and the sensitivities of some Muslims over what they see as a campaign of humiliation.

There seems no shortage of forces on both sides to fan the flames. The tumult over the video had not even subsided when a French magazine this week printed a new cartoon showing the prophet naked.

"It's ridiculous," Zainab Al-Suwaij, executive director of the America Islamic Congress, said of the violence that on Friday killed 15 in Pakistan alone as what were supposed to be peaceful protests turned violent.

"Yes, this video is offensive but it is clearly a grotesque over reaction that in part is being whipped up by radical Islamists in the region for their own ends. But it does show you the depth of misunderstanding between the cultures."

Starting last week with a few relatively small embassy protests and a militant attack in Libya that killed the U.S. ambassador and three others, violence has since spread to more than a dozen countries across the Middle East and Asia.

Despite the focus on religion, few doubt there are other drivers of confrontation.

The war on terrorism, U.S. drone strikes, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the Guantanamo Bay prison simply continue, in many Muslims' perceptions, centuries of Western meddling, hypocrisy and broken promises.

Meanwhile, many Americans see those regions as an inexplicable source of terrorism, hostage-taking, hatred and chaos. In Europe, those same concerns have become intertwined with other battles over immigration and multiculturalism.

"It has always been a difficult relationship and in the last decades it has become even more delicate," said Akbar Ahmed, chair of Islamic studies at American University in Washington. "Even a seemingly minor matter can upset the balance. ... What is needed is more sensitivity and understanding on both sides, but that is difficult to produce."

Not all the news from the region indicates an unbridgeable gap. Many Libyans, especially young ones, came out to mourn Ambassador Chris Stevens after his death and make clear that militants who killed him did not speak for them. Thousands of Libyans marched in Benghazi on Friday to protest the Islamist militias that Washington blames for the attack.

SPREADING DEMOCRACY AND MAKING FRIENDS

Still, the "Arab Spring" appears not to have made as many friends for America as Americans might have hoped.

The very countries in which Washington helped facilitate popular-backed regime change last year - Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and Yemen - are seeing some of the greatest anti-West backlash.

The young pro-democracy activists who leapt to the fore in 2011, Washington now believes, have relatively little clout. That leaves U.S. and European officials having to deal with groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood.

There is concern that regional governments such as Egypt might now be playing a "double game", saying one thing to the U.S. while indulging in more anti-Western rhetoric at home.

It may be something Washington must get used to.

"What you're seeing now is that (regional governments) are much more worried about their own domestic population - which means being seen as too close to the U.S. is suddenly ... a liability," says Jon Alterman, a former State Department official and now Middle East specialist at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

The current U.S. administration is not the first to discover democracy does not always directly translate into the sort of governments it would like to see.

In 2006, the election victory of Islamist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip was seen helping prompt the Bush White House to abandon a post-911 push towards for democratic change, sending it back towards Mubarak-type autocrats.

Rachel Kleinfeld, CEO and co-founder of the Truman National Security Project, a body often cited by the Obama campaign on foreign policy, said the new political leadership often had less flexibility than the dictators before them.

"Is that difficult for the U.S.? Yes, of course. But it would be a mistake to simply look at what is happening and decide we should go back to supporting autocrats," she said.

The popular image of the United States in the Middle East stands in stark contrast to the way Americans view themselves.

Western talk of democracy and human rights is often seen hollow, with Washington and Europe only abandoning autocratic leaders when their fate was already sealed and continuing to back governments such as Bahrain still accused of repression.

"The simple truth is that the American people are never going to understand the region because they never ask the right question - which is what it feels like to be on the receiving end of American power," says Rosemary Hollis, a professor of Middle Eastern studies at London's City University.

MINEFIELD AHEAD

Whoever wins the White House in November will face a string of challenges across the region.

As it faces down Iran over its nuclear program, while backing rebels in Syria and governments in the Gulf, Washington risks being drawn ever deeper into the historic Sunni-Shi'ite sectarian divide within Islam.

Already having to face up to its dwindling influence over Iraq, it must broker its exit from Afghanistan and try to keep nuclear armed Pakistan from chaos.

Then, there are relations with its two key regional allies, Israel and Saudi Arabia, both troublesome in different ways.

Israel is threatening military action against Iran over its nuclear program, and U.S. officials fear Americans would feel the consequences if Israel does attack.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains deadlocked, and Obama's rival for the presidency, Republican Mitt Romney, indicated in comments earlier this year and made public this month that he sees little chance of any change there.

Saudi Arabia might be a key oil producer and occasionally invaluable ally, but analysts say some rich Saudis, if not the government itself, have long funded and fueled Islamist and Salifist extremism and perhaps also Sunni-Shi'ite tension.

Said Sadek, professor of politics at the American University in Cairo, said people in the Middle East still prefer Obama to the alternative. "He is seen as the only president to ever really reach out to the Middle East. But (it) is a difficult place," he said. "The countries that have gone through revolutions were always going to be unstable. ... You could have perhaps 5 to 15 years of instability."

While many Americans would like nothing more than to turn their backs on the region, Obama made clear this week he does not see that as an option: "The one thing we can't do is withdraw from the region," he said. "The United States continues to be the one indispensable nation."

(Editing by Warren Strobel and Claudia Parsons; Desking by Jackie Frank)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/dangerous-deepening-divide-between-islamic-world-west-145536305.html

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Royal wedding celebrated in Brunei

AFP

The Royal couple Princess Hajah Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah and her groom Pengiran Haji Muhammad Ruzaini (L) prays at the end of the sitting-in-state on royal dais ceremony at Istana Nurul Iman in Brunei's capital Bandar Seri Begawan.

Brunei - Glittering jewels and the echoes of a 17-gun salute marked the climax of wedding celebrations for the daughter of one of the world's wealthiest men, the Sultan of Brunei.

Princess Hajah Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah, 32, and Pengiran Haji Muhammad Ruzaini, 29, were presented to the royal court in a lavish traditional ceremony at the sultan's 1,700-room palace on Sunday.

Although the couple were legally wed on Thursday after signing the marriage contract, Sunday's event marks the height of more than a week of festivities in the tiny oil-rich Muslim sultanate on Borneo island.

The bride, dressed in a crystal-beaded beige and silver gown, was ushered into the throne room by sixteen royal guards carrying ceremonial spears and shields.

She was seated at the head of the hall in front of 3,000 guests, including Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Philippines President Benigno Aquino and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Visibly nervous, the groom, wearing beige and gold brocade to complement his wife's ensemble, was escorted to the bridal dias where the sultan took Ruzaini's hand and placed it on the bride's forehead - a symbolic blessing and gesture of affection in Malay culture.

The monarch also bestowed the groom with the royal title ?Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak?, which roughly translates as ?Son of His Highness? and is reserved only for the upper tiers of Brunei's aristocracy.

Two pots of crystal flowers, with eggs tied on to the stalks, were placed next to the bride and groom on the dias to represent the hope of a fertile marriage.

The brief 20-minute ceremony concluded with the state religious leader reading a prayer for the newlyweds asking for God's blessing of the union.

As the smiling couple were ushered out of the room by the bride's younger brother Prince Abdul Mateen, they took turns to kiss the hands of the royal family, including the monarch and Queen Saleha.

A state banquet will be held in the evening, where Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and other foreign dignitaries are expected to attend.

Queen Elizabeth II also sent a message to the Brunei royal family - which has ruled the sultanate for 600 years - congratulating the newlyweds and wishing them ?a happy wedding day and many blessed years together?.

The pomp and pageantry of the royal wedding is a rare source of excitement in Brunei, which is known for its slow pace of life and lack of nightlife - alcohol is largely banned under Islamic practice.

It is the first time one of the sultan's children - five sons and seven daughters from three marriages - has married since 2007.

Hafizah, who has a degree in business administration, is the fifth child of the sultan and Queen Saleha and works as an officer at the finance ministry. Ruzaini is a civil servant in the prime minister's office.

The sultanate, which dates back to the 15th century, is a Malay Muslim absolute monarchy which gained full independence from Britain in 1984.

Situated on a sliver of Borneo island, with Malaysia and Indonesia occupying the rest, it is a major producer of oil and liquefied natural gas.

The energy wealth has brought Brunei's citizens, who number fewer than 400,000, one of the highest per capita incomes in Asia. - Sapa-AFP

Source: http://www.iol.co.za/royal-wedding-celebrated-in-brunei-1.1388778

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New Romney ad: Obama afraid to 'stand up to China'

(CNN) ? For the second time in as many weeks, Mitt Romney's campaign released a new television ad blasting President Barack Obama as weak against China on trade.

"Fewer Americans are working today than when President Obama took office," the ad's narrator says. "It doesn't have to be this way. If Obama would stand up to China."

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The spot criticizes the Obama administration for not labeling China a "currency manipulator," a designation that would allow the United States to more directly confront China over actions that have cheapened Chinese exports, undercut the prices of American goods and produced economic growth rates for China several times that of the U.S.

While critics caution that such a label could ultimately trigger a trade war with China, Romney made the issue a main point of contrast earlier this month on the campaign trail.

"The president has had the chance year after year ... to label China a currency manipulator, but he hasn't done so and I will label China the currency manipulator they are on the first day," Romney told a crowd of supporters in Virginia.

The new 30-second ad, "Stand up to China," points to intellectual property violations that originated in China and took advantage of American goods, including computers and fighter jet technology.

"Obama had years to stand up to China," the narrator says. "We can't afford four more."

In fact, the Obama administration last week filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization alleging China has illegally subsidized automotive exports and undercut American suppliers. The president trumpeted the move while campaigning in the major auto territory of Ohio.

"It's not right. It's against the rules, and we will not let it stand," Obama said of the China trade policy. "American workers build better products than anyone. 'Made in America' means something. And when the playing field is level, America will always win."

But Romney's team hit back, saying in a statement the move was "too little, too late."

The new Romney ad Monday hits airwaves the same day the Republican presidential nominee launches a three-day bus tour in the Buckeye State.

The Romney campaign did not say where exactly the television ad would run or how much it spent on the ad buy.

? CNN's Kevin Liptak and CNNMoney's Charles Riley contributed to this report.

Source: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/09/24/new-romney-ad-obama-afraid-to-stand-up-to-china/

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Julius Baer to cut up to 880 jobs at Merrill Lynch unit: report

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