#news : TeliaSonera launches first commercial 4G network in Finland

HELSINKI, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- According to a statement issued by Nordic telecommunications operator TeliaSonera, the company launched the first commercial 4G mobile communications networks in the Finnish capital Helsinki and southern city Turku on Tuesday.

The networks in Turku and Helsinki operate in the 2.6 GHz frequency band. However, future expanding will be focused on building 4G in the 1.8 GHz frequency. TeliaSonera believes that once there are modems available for both frequencies, the 4G services can be expanded significantly in Finland.

The so-called 4G networks are the fastest mobile communication technology currently, promising many times faster transmission speed than the widely used 3G networks. With 4G networks, end users can connect their smart phone or laptop to Internet with super-fast mobile data transmission rate which enables high capacity services, such as video, interactive TV, video conference, professional and business services.

"The explosive growth of mobile broadband shows that the demand for bandwidth is unlimited, and with 4G we can offer more speed and capacity for mobile data," said Marek Hintze, head of TeliaSonera's Mobility Services in Finland.

TeliaSonera already launched 4G network services in Sweden and Norway about a year ago, which made TeliaSonera the first operator in the world to launch 4G commercially

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#news : These pussycats are NOT afraid of water: Meet the Bengal tigers who just love splashing around

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 8:02 AM on 30th November 2010

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Most cats run away at the first sign of water, but as these purr-fect paddlers show some just love to make a splash.

The trio of unusual underwater playmates fight each other underwater as they chase after a chunk of meat at the Six Flags Discovery Kingdom Zoo, near San Francisco.

Big cats are known to use water as a way of cooling down but it is rare to see so many striped swimmers enjoying the pool.

Mine! Two tigers fight each other in a pool as Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in California, U.S., as they chase chunks of meat

Cat-fight: The two adult males cause a real splash as they battle against each other in front of hundreds of spectators

Odin, a nine-year-old white Bengal male, is the leader of the tiger pack while Fedor, a six-year-old Siberian tiger, is also a keen swimmer.

But two-year-old white Bengal male Nalin and female Bengal Akasha are the stars of the show.

Trainers Jonah Lime, Lee Munro and Shawn Fortney have all worked with tigers for more than 10 years.

There's someone on your tail: Odin, a white Bengal tiger, closes his eyes as he chases after his rival

Top cat: Two of the tigers grapple in the water during their show

Nancy Chan, who works at the zoo, said: 'Our tigers just seem to love submerging themselves in water.

'It all started a few years ago when we noticed one of our tigers called Kuma loved jumping in.

'Another cat started copying and now all of our tigers just seem to follow suit.

'Sometimes we throw meat in for them to dive after as motivation but often they don't need any convincing.

'Audiences are utterly astounded when they see them in action, it's safe to say they are the most popular animals at the zoo.'

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#share #goias #rio #news #tamojuntouol em 2010,

O governo que festeja os soldados da hora humilha com o calote as famílias dos 18 heróis brasileiros mortos no Haiti

Pela segunda vez em 2010, o Café com o Presidente deste 29 de novembro foi dedicado a integrantes das Forças Armadas. Com a animação de passista de Carnaval antigo, Lula festejou a bem sucedida operação policial-militar no Morro do Alemão. Depois de avisar que faz questão de cumprimentar os vitoriosos na frente de batalha, que visitará em breve, o chefe de governo garantiu que haverá verba de sobra para as etapas seguintes do esforço de guerra.

Dinheiro para todos e palavrórios patrióticos — esses dois ingredientes também foram usados para tornar menos amargo o Café de 25 de janeiro, que tratou da morte no terremoto no Haiti de três civis e, sobretudo, dos 18 soldados que lutavam para impedir a consumação da agonia da nação caribenha. A apresentadora Anelise Borges quis saber como se sentia o homem que estivera no cenário da tragédia e presidira o sepultamento das vítimas brasileiras. Sem pausas, a voz roufenha que desde 2003 tem algo a dizer todos os dias caprichou no tom de quem conta como é enviuvar na lua-de-mel e foi em frente:

“Olha, Anelise, realmente é muito difícil a gente deixar de se emocionar ao falar das pessoas que morreram no Haiti. (…) Eu te confesso que poucas vezes eu fiquei emocionado como eu fiquei no velório daqueles soldados, porque eram pessoas que estavam no Haiti para prestar solidariedade, pessoas que estavam dedicando a sua vida para tentar ajudar as pessoas mais pobres, as pessoas que estavam mais deserdadas no Haiti. Por isso é que eu fiquei emocionado, porque muitos daqueles jovens estavam para voltar dentro de dois ou três dias quando aconteceu o terremoto e eles morreram”.

Um drama desse calibre, ressaltou, exigia mais que o coração dilacerado e a mão solidária do presidente da República. As famílias fulminadas pela perda mereciam também reparações materiais e o permanente amparo da União. Lula contou que, no dia 21, havia remetido à Câmara dos Deputados um projeto de lei que definia os benefícios que contemplariam os parentes dos 18 militares. Tudo somado, a conta ficaria pouco acima de R$ 10 milhões. Para quem naquele mesmo dia 21 perdoara R$ 316 milhões devidos por Moçambique, o auxílio aos mortos do Haiti era dinheiro de troco.

“Você sabe que além da solidariedade, nós estamos mandando ao Congresso Nacional um projeto de lei garantindo a cada família R$ 500 mil de indenização e uma bolsa-educação de R$ 510 para cada dependente até 24 anos”, continuou Lula. A indenização seria entregue às viúvas ou, no caso dos solteiros, à mãe. “É o mínimo que a gente pode fazer para ajudar a família dessas pessoas que estavam e estão desesperadas, e pessoas que estavam lá defendendo e honrando a bandeira nacional”.

O ministro da Defesa, Nelson Jobim, entrou em ação para ordenar que tudo se fizesse em ritmo de Fórmula 1. “O dinheiro nunca vai compensar a ausência do pai ou do companheiro, mas supre em parte o papel do provedor, especialmente no apoio à educação dos filhos”, recitou também com cara de luto. Em 3 de fevereiro, o projeto foi aprovado pela Câmara e encaminhado ao Senado. O ano escolar estava prestes a começar, era preciso liberar com urgência a bolsa de estudos. Mas ninguém viu a cor do dinheiro.

SENTIMENTO DA VERGONHA
Jobim só retomou o assunto em 16 de agosto para esclarecer num comunicado que o pagamento só poderia ser autorizado depois que o Congresso aprovasse “um pedido de abertura de Crédito Especial de R$ 10.119.340,00 ao Ministério da Defesa”. Não explicou por que não pensara nisso em janeiro. O começo da campanha eleitoral adiou para depois de novembro miudezas encalhadas na pauta do Legislativo. Só em 24 de novembro o pedido para a abertura do crédito entrou na lista de votação do Senado. Faltou quórum. Ninguém sabe dizer quando será votado.

“Foi noticiado até na imprensa internacional, mas até hoje não recebemos nada”, lamenta Cely Zanin, 43 anos, mãe de dois filhos — um de 17, outro de 18. Viúva do coronel João Elizeu Souza Zanin, morto no desabamento do quartel-general da ONU, Cely imaginava que ao menos a ajuda de custo para os dois estudantes chegasse a tempo. “O ano está acabando”, sussurra a professora e bancária que faz o possível para continuar acreditando nas promessas. Nenhuma das famílias recebeu nada. Nenhuma conseguiu ser recebida pelo presidente da República.

A explicação para o calote afrontoso talvez esteja, paradoxalmente, no número de parentes das vítimas. São tão poucos que, caso morassem numa mesma cidade de pequeno porte, seus votos, somados, seriam insuficientes para eleger um candidato a vereador. Lula também sabe que não ouvirá cobranças da oposição, muito menos dos brasileiros comuns. No País do Carnaval, um herói deixa de sê-lo quando a imprensa muda de assunto. Os soldados da vez estão no Morro do Alemão. É lá que deve estar a cabeça de um caçador de assuntos politicamente rentáveis.

Para um governo desprovido do sentimento da vergonha, a hora dos 18 bravos lutadores tombados no Haiti já passou. Os parentes podem esperar. É o Brasil.

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#rio #news Moradora do Alemão acusa policiais militares de agressão

A consolidação da ocupação policial nas favelas do Complexo do Alemão e da Vila Cruzeiro depende, segundo a própria polícia, de uma inspeção rigorosa em casas, becos, lajes e todo tipo de local que possa servir de esconderijo para armas, drogas e criminosos. A operação ‘pente-fino’, no entanto, acarreta um problema que põe em risco a boa relação que os agentes da lei tentam estabelecer com a população. O desgaste, em menos de uma semana, gerou 27 denúncias de abusos de policiais à Corregedoria Geral Unificada (CGU), que instalou um posto para atender moradores no 16º BPM (Olaria).

A mais grave até o momento é o caso da moradora L., de 32 anos, que acusa quatro policiais militares de agressão. Ela afirma ter sido estrangulada na tarde desta quarta-feira, durante a revista de um apartamento de seu pai, em um conjunto habitacional da favela Nova Brasília, no Complexo do Alemão.

Um informante levou os policiais acusados, que estão lotados no 7º Batalhão da Polícia Militar (Alcântara), à residência do pai da vítima, o aposentado R., de 65 anos. O apartamento serviria de esconderijo de dinheiro e ouro do tráfico. A abordagem truculenta foi testemunhada pelos dois filhos da vítima, ambos menores, uma irmã, de 36 anos, e uma sobrinha, de 11.

“Eles vieram aqui só procurar ouro e dinheiro. Se eu tivesse, estaria morando aqui?”, indignou-se o aposentado. “São ladrões mesmo. Estão querendo achacar os moradores, levar o que não temos”, acusou.

No momento da inspeção, o aposentado não estava em casa. Ao chegar, pouco depois, R. encontrou armários revirados, roupas e objetos pessoais pelo chão, teto rebaixado do banheiro desmontado. O apartamento é um modesto quarto e sala, cujo único luxo é uma televisão LCD de 42 polegadas.

“Só porque tenho uma televisão boa lá na sala e uma casinha arrumada? Não posso ter nada? Eu trabalhei. Tudo aqui tem recibo. Não é nada roubado”, esbravejou, aos prantos.

Investigação – Os quatro policiais depuseram na 1ª Delegacia de Polícia Judiciária Militar (DPJM), no Méier, na zona norte, e confirmaram que inspecionaram o apartamento do aposentado. Eles negaram, no entanto, ter cometido agressões. A Corregedoria considerou inconsistente a denúncia para decretar a prisão dos agentes, que foram liberados e vão continuar trabalhando normalmente. L. será encaminhada para um exame de corpo de delito no Instituto Médico Legal (IML).

Outros casos – A maior parte das queixas de moradores diz respeito a arrombamentos e danos a móveis, com gavetas e armários quebrados ou abertos a força. Segundo informa a Corregedoria, a orientação para os policiais é agir sempre tendo o morador ou um vizinho como testemunha. Caso a casa tenha sido arrombada, pertences são reunidos, listados em um documento e entregues a um responsável que more nas proximidades – o escolhido deve assinar um termo de recebimento.

Nem sempre, pelo que indicam as queixas, o procedimento é seguido. Uma das ocorrências registradas na localidade Alvorada é do pastor evangélico Carlos Alberto dos Santos. Segundo ele, depois da inspeção, ficarm abertas as portas e janelas do tempo, que ficou vulnerável a invasão. “Quem vai tomar conta dos instrumentos musicais que guardamos aqui? Minha casa, aqui ao lado, também foi arrombada”, reclamou.

(Rafael Lemos, do Rio de Janeiro)

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#news : 'Harry Potter' College Courses - Yes, You Can Earn Credit for Studying Voldemort

These days, you don't have to be a wizard to have Harry Potter in your classroom. In colleges and universities across the U.S., Potter-themed courses are regularly offered -- and no, we're not talking about Defense Against the Dark Arts 101 or Care of Magical Creatures Lab (too bad!) -- but classes based on J.K. Rowling's book series and the movies they spawned.

In fact, so many institutions of higher learning have used Potter in their curricula, it's hard to keep track at this point. These courses are offered not just by English departments, but in medieval studies, theology and physics, among other fields.

While many schools use Harry as a way to introduce students to subjects they might otherwise not pursue, these are not necessarily easy-A classes. By and large, they are, however, extremely popular, with fierce competition for limited seats. Naturally, the professors who originate the classes tend to be imaginative types, not unlike certain Hogwarts instructors. (And yes, at least one has worn wizard robes while teaching.)

In anticipation of 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. 1,' opening next Friday, Moviefone has tracked down a sampling of recently taught Potter-related courses.

THE COURSE: 'Battling Against Voldemort'
THE COLLEGE: Swarthmore (Swarthmore, PA)
A couple of years ago, Professor Melinda Finberg taught this popular freshman seminar, as an introduction to literary theory. According to the course description, the class aimed to "understand why we are so driven to invent stories about battling inhuman powers to learn what it means to be human," by analyzing the Potter books. Students discussed the use of curses and Harry's not-necessarily-objective view of the world, among other things.

THE COURSE: 'Finding Your Patronus'
THE COLLEGE: Oregon State (Corvallis, OR)
Dean of Student Life Mamta Accapadi came up with this inspirational-sounding class, part of a series designed to help freshmen get oriented to campus life. She thinks the Potter saga is great for teaching students how to deal with the various instructors they'll encounter, just as Hogwarts students navigated a wide (and scary) range of professorial personalities. (Hopefully she'll warn them about any Snape-like types lurking at OSU.)

THE COURSE: 'Christian Theology and Harry Potter'
THE COLLEGE: Yale (New Haven, CT)
One of the most talked-about Potter university courses was conceived and taught by Yale Divinity School grad student Danielle Tumminio. While the class, which explored Christian themes such as sin, evil and resurrection in the Potter series, was not intended to counter those who believe the books and movies are 'anti-Christian,' it undoubtedly provided a well-informed argument to that view.

THE COURSE: 'Harry Potter's Library'
THE COLLEGE: Kansas State (Manhattan, KS)
Professor Philip Nel's English class, last taught in fall 2009, seems pretty rigorous, with several required texts (including 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' and 'The Golden Compass') in addition to the Potter books. Per the course description, "This class will examine the Harry Potter phenomenon by reading the novels themselves and the works of Rowling's antecedents, influences and contemporaries ... I expect discussion, debate, and exchanges of ideas." Nel, who authored 'J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Novels: A Reader's Guide,' is obviously a Potter scholar who knows his pensieve from his polyjuice.

THE COURSE: 'Knights of Old and Harry Potter'
THE COLLEGE: Georgetown (Washington, DC)
This very popular course, taught by Professor Carol Dover through the school's Medieval Studies Program, "explores the medievalism" of the Potter novels by comparing them to English, French and German medieval literature. As the course description reads, "They are all narratives about growing up and finding one's identity: a complex, mysterious, and sometimes arduous process that the hero/heroine experiences as a magical world where the natural laws governing human existence are suspended, the unexpected is bound to occur, and marvels are reserved for the chosen few."

THE COURSE: 'The Science of Harry Potter'
THE COLLEGE: Frostburg State (Frostburg, MD)
One of the more intriguing HP-themed classes, this honors seminar was inaugurated in 2003 by Professor George Plitnik, who used the Potter series to teach students about basic physics and cutting-edge scientific research. Various problems were explored, such as apparating using Einstein's Theory of Relativity, levitating using diamagnetism or electromagnetic repulsion force, and whether antigravity research can produce an actual flying broomstick. Adding to the fun was Plitnik's habit of dressing in wizard garb, as a tribute to Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. Now that's commitment.

THE COURSE: 'Harry Potter: Mystery and English Comedy'
THE COLLEGE: Ohio State (Columbus, OH)
In this Special Topics English class, taught in 2008 by Susie Kneedler, students read four HP novels, "looking at how solutions to their mysteries overturn first impressions." The class also compared each plot to those of popular English TV comedies, and contrasted the original British books with the American versions, as well as to the film adaptations. Meanwhile, Ohio State further celebrates Potter with its current exhibit at the Marion Campus Library, 'The Science, Magic, and Medicine of Harry Potter's World,' which runs through Dec. 11. The opening reception, which took place on Halloween, featured movie screenings, a Hogwarts workshop, and an edible book contest(!).

THE COURSE: 'Six Degrees of Harry Potter'
THE COLLEGE: St. Catherine (St. Paul, MN)
This literature class taught by Professor Cecilia Konchar Farr is one of the most sought-after courses on campus. Students read (or re-read, in most cases) all seven books in addition to other materials, followed by class and group discussions. For a final project students may choose to write a research paper or create a Hogwarts character for a computer game, which sounds like a suspiciously easy choice to us!

THE COURSE: 'Harry Potter and the Age of Illusion'
THE COLLEGE: Durham (Durham, England)
Interestingly, Potter college classes are more prevalent in the U.S. than in England, which is, after all, the home of Rowling and the series itself. Durham University, however, is now offering what's thought to be the first HP-themed course in the UK, which uses the series to examine prejudice, citizenship and bullying in modern society as part of a BA degree in education studies. Well done.

Have you taken a Harry Potter-themed college class? If so, tell us about your experience.

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#news : Cristiano Ronaldo struggling with ankle trouble

MADRID, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo this Wednesday missed his side' s first training session following their 5-0 drubbing in the Camp Nou stadium on Monday night.

The Portuguese international, who has scored 14 goals in the BBVA Primera Liga this season, is suffering from an ankle problem which would not permit him to train with the rest of his companions.

Indeed, Ronaldo' s presence in Saturday' s league match at home to Valencia is far from assured after the club issued a medical statement confirming that he has suffered a heavy knock on his right ankle which requires both physiotherapy and medical treatment.

The club confirms that they will be keeping an eye on Ronaldo' s progress in the next 24-48 hours. With the Valencia match just three days away, that means it will be close run to see if he can recover in time for a game where his side will look to recover their lost pride following Monday' s humiliation.

Meanwhile Gonzalo Higuain is undergoing tests to see if he will need surgery to cure a lumbar hernia, which kept him sidelined on Monday night.

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#news : Beckham the ideal salesman smooths away English troubles

The former captain has taken a leading role in the bid's late revival

By Sam Wallace

Thursday, 2 December 2010

AFP/GETTY IMAGES

David Beckham prepares to face the world's media in Zurich yesterday

• enlarge

Only once yesterday did David Beckham find himself lost for words. "Oh my god, you've got me all flustered," he told a female television reporter who had just asked him how he managed to stay "so beautiful".

Beckham has been fielding those kind of nonsense, puffball questions all his career and his aw-shucks response has always proved a winner. But it was how he handled the rest of yesterday's set-piece England 2018 bid press conference that will resonate, whether his country are triumphant or not today.

The debate about Beckham the footballer, not to mention Beckham the personality, is so polarised that it can be hard to have a sensible discussion about him. His critics say he is a fraud; his adoring public at Wembley only need sight of a tattooed arm to break out the standing ovation. So just one simple point about him: yesterday, Beckham was brilliant.

English football has always sought a high profile ex-player as an ambassador like Germany has Franz Beckenbauer and France has Michel Platini. Of course, they both won trophies for their country which will never happen for Beckham now, but at 35 and with his last England cap probably behind him he is doing the next best thing: turning up the full wattage of his charm to try to win the 2018 World Cup for England.

Beckham has the unusual quality of being completely plausible to the extent that when he declares himself "a traditionalist" brought up by his "nan and grandad" to admire the royal family, you find yourself thinking: why not? When he promises the world that the English media will behave themselves and get behind an English World Cup, there is no one else who could say that without fear of ridicule.

In Becks' world, there is no obstacle that cannot be overcome by either "looking at the positives" or recalling a salient lesson from his old mentor Sir Alex Ferguson. "All the way through my career, especially playing for Manchester United, I knew how important it was to keep fighting to the last minute," he said yesterday as if the last 24 hours of lobbying were no simpler than picking out Ole Gunnar Solskjaer from a corner.

What Beckham did so effectively for England's bid yesterday was to blow away the inconvenient details. The small matter of BBC's Panorama investigation uncovering corruption in the Fifa executive committee (ExCo)? Beckham says he has smoothed it over with Sepp Blatter, the Fifa president. The thorny question of whether Jack Warner will deliver the three Concacaf votes? Don't worry, Beckham promised to speak to Warner last night.

Crucial to his credibility as a public figure is his delivery which has improved immeasurably too. There was a time when he would recite the key message so blatantly that his media handlers might as well have saved him the bother and handed out the briefing sheet. Now he is smoother, more articulate and much more relaxed.

Beckham still regards himself as a professional footballer above all and said again yesterday that he had not given up on playing for England, and beyond that he is not prepared to embrace the ambassadorial role for good. "I have enjoyed it. It is something I never thought I would do," he said.

"I was eating my breakfast watching Sky News and saw myself sat next to Prince William and the Prime Minister. I was getting messages from my mates saying, 'Really?' But it is something I have enjoyed, I never thought I would."

But the truth is that in modern Britain where politics, celebrity and even class are no longer mutually exclusive, Beckham is a natural bedfellow for a Prime Minister and a future King. And for all those who find the Beckham generation of footballer impossible to accept, should England win today it will be him who takes much of the credit, and deservedly so.

Beckham never won a World Cup with England. In fact he never got close but the next best thing would be to deliver the tournament to the country. Beginning with his star turn in Cape Town last December, when he dazzled Fifa after the first meltdown within England's bid team, to today's 10am presentation with Cameron and Prince William, he has given more to this than any other English footballer.

"We love the game," Beckham said. "We have always said that right the way through our presentation and throughout our bid. We don't want to come across as arrogant and I don't think we have. We are a nation of a very successful league. This is our time."

Asked if Monday's Panorama programme put the English bid 1-0 down, figuratively speaking, and given that Tuesday was the first day of the fight-back, where were they now? "I suppose Ole is warming up," Beckham said. Although, as is his way, he immediately made it clear he was not being presumptuous.

Decision day details

Odds

England 5-4 (Fav); Russia 6-4; Spain/Portugal 7-2; Belgium/Netherlands 33-1 (Bet365).

Presentation team

England's five-man team to deliver the 30-minute presentation today to ExCo members at Fifa Headquarters in Zurich: Prince William, Prime Minister David Cameron, David Beckham, CEO of the bid Andy Anson, plus Eddie Afekafe, Social Inclusion Manager at Manchester City and Young Ambassador of the Year for the Prince's Trust.

Decision day times

Belgium/Netherlands will start the bid presentations at 8am followed by Spain/Portugal at 9am, England at 10am and Russia at 11am. At about 1pm the secret ballot voting process will begin. At 3pm, Fifa President Sepp Blatter will announce both the 2018 and 2022 (from Australia, Japan, Qatar, South Korea and United States, who pitched their presentations in Zurich yesterday) hosts.

How the voting procedure works

A bid must win 12 votes to gain an overall majority. Until an outright majority is achieved, voting will take place in rounds with the bidder with the fewest votes eliminated. If tied, then Sepp Blatter will cast the deciding vote.

TV BBC 2: From 2.45pm.

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#news : Putin slams 'unscrupulous' bidders for World Cup

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin claims anti-Fifa campaigns are aimed at undermining Russia's 2018 World Cup bid.

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#news : #Iran points finger at West again as murdered scientist is laid to rest

By Ali Akbar Dareini in Tehran

Thursday, 2 December 2010

EPA

Ali Akbar Salehi: Assassination a 'warning' to Iran before nuclear talks

• enlarge

Iran has said that it will increase security for its nuclear experts after the funeral yesterday of a scientist killed in an assassination that the government blamed on the Mossad and the CIA.

Iranian state media said the killing of the scientist and the wounding of another on Monday was part of a Western campaign to sabotage its nuclear programme, which the US and its allies suspect is aimed at producing weapons. Iran denies the allegation.

According to Iran, the campaign included the abduction of Iranian scientists, the sale of faulty equipment and the planting of a destructive computer worm known as Stuxnet, which briefly brought Iran's uranium enrichment activity to a halt last month.

Iran's chief suspect is Israel, whose Mossad spy agency has a long history of assassinating foes beyond its borders. In this case, Iran accuses Israel of enlisting agents of an Iranian opposition group, the People's Mujahedeen, to carry out the hit, the defence minister said. There was also coordination with the CIA and MI6, he claimed.

Iran's nuclear chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, said yesterday that the assassination was a warning to Iran before the nuclear talks with world powers on 6-7 December. "The wicked people wanted to demonstrate their ugly side, which is the policy of carrot and stick, prior to the upcoming nuclear talks," he was quoted by state TV as saying.

The two scientists were targeted by bombs that hit their cars in separate parts of the capital. Tehran's police chief has said assailants on motorcycles stuck magnetised bombs to their cars while they were in traffic and detonated them seconds later.

Time magazine carried a different account on Tuesday, saying an explosive charge was placed inside the scientist's car and detonated by remote control after he got into the vehicle. It quoted a Western intelligence expert with knowledge of the operation, and said the other attack was similar.

Several Iranian news websites said that the man who survived, Fereidoun Abbasi, realized he was under attack and was able to stop the car and jump out along with his wife.

Mr Abbasi appears to be the more senior of the two. He is on a sanctions list that the UN Security Council passed in 2007, where he was described as a defence ministry scientist with links to the Institute of Applied Physics. He was also said to be working with a scientist believed to be heading nuclear projects with possible military dimensions.

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#rio #news : Caixa Federal vai instalar agência no Complexo do Alemão

terra.com.br

01 de dezembro de 2010 • 21h24 • atualizado às 22h20

Funcionários da prefeitura do Rio começam a fechar realizam obras no Complexo do Alemão após ocupação policial
Foto: Bruna Prado/Futura Press

A Caixa Econômica Federal anunciou nesta quarta-feira que vai instalar uma agência bancária no Complexo do Alemão, no Rio de Janeiro, em 2011. Segundo o banco, a unidade chegará à comunidade junto com a Unidade de Polícia Pacificadora (UPP), prevista para ser inaugurada nos próximos sete meses. O complexo de favelas foi ocupado por forças policiais e do Exército no domingo, após uma onda de violência que teve início no dia 21 de novembro.

Por meio do Twitter, o governador Sérgio Cabral comemorou a nova conquista para o conjunto de favelas, que tem uma população de cerca de 400 mil pessoas. "O Conselho Diretor da CEF aprovou uma agência bancária no Complexo do Alemão", disse Cabral no microblog.

De acordo com a Caixa Federal, a instalação da agência dará continuidade à parceria com o governo estadual e municipal, que já levou moradias, saneamento básico, asfaltamento, creches, postos de saúde e teleférico, por meio do Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento (PAC).

Após a ocupação do complexo de favelas pelas forças policiais no domingo, o governador havia afirmado que a conquista da segurança pública é um importante passo para garantir outros avanços sociais aos moradores do local. Na manhã desta quarta-feira, cerca de 200 agentes da Secretaria da Saúde iniciaram o cadastramento de famílias da região para mapear as necessidades dos moradores e acompanhar a situação de saúde de cada um.

Violência
A onda de violência no Rio de Janeiro teve início na tarde de domingo, dia 21, quando seis homens armados com fuzis incendiaram três veículos por volta das 13h na Linha Vermelha. Enquanto fugia, o grupo atacou um carro oficial do Comando da Aeronáutica (Comaer). Na terça-feira, todo efetivo policial do Rio foi colocado nas ruas para combater os ataques e foi pedido o apoio da Polícia Rodoviária Federal (PRF) para fiscalizar as estradas. Ao longo da semana, Marinha, Exército e Polícia Federal se juntaram às forças de segurança no combate à onda de violência que resultou em mais de 180 veículos incendiados.

Na quinta-feira, 200 policiais do Batalhão de Operações Especiais (Bope) tomaram a vila Cruzeiro, no Complexo da Penha. Alguns traficantes fugiram para o Complexo do Alemão, que foi cercado no sábado. Na manhã de domingo, as forças efetuaram a ocupação do Complexo do Alemão, praticamente sem resistência dos criminosos, segundo a Polícia Militar. Entre os presos, Zeu, um dos líderes do tráfico, condenado pela morte do jornalista Tim Lopes em 2002.

Desde o início dos ataques, pelo menos 39 pessoas morreram em confrontos no Rio de Janeiro e 181 veículos foram incendiados.

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#news : U.S. Senate Reid Angers GOP by Pushing Four Versions of DREAM Act Without Hearing

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill Nov. 30. (AP Photo)

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has pushed four different versions of the controversial immigration bill known as the DREAM Act without a hearing on any of them, drawing outrage from the top Republican on the committee that would have handled the package.

The Nevada senator, who narrowly escaped a defeat in the November election, has pursued an unusual approach to advancing the bill that gives young illegal immigrants who attend college or join the military a pathway to legal status.

Since September, his deputy Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., has introduced four slightly different versions all bearing the same name. Reid has moved them all to the calendar -- he appears to be teeing up for a test vote, which could happen sometime later this week, on the latest version introduced on Tuesday.

But Republicans balked at the maneuvering. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, railed against the bill and the process Democrats were using to push it.

"We now may have a fourth version of the DREAM Act," Sessions said Wednesday. "We haven't had a hearing on that in seven years."

He decried the bill as "amnesty" and pledged to fight it "with every strength and every ability that I have."

A statement to FoxNews.com put out by the Republican side of the Senate Judiciary Committee said all four versions have the same "fundamental" problems, but that Democrats' approach causes unnecessary confusion.

"Democrat leaders, in their rush to pass an unpopular bill during the lame-duck session, have completely bypassed the Judiciary Committee. They have introduced four separate versions of the same bill and, without any committee review, placed each and every one of them on the legislative calendar," the statement said. "This unusual approach creates a chaotic situation, one that makes it more difficult for the public and their representatives -- as well as the press -- to review this deeply controversial measure."

A representative from Reid's office could not be reached for comment.

The latest version of the bill was not available online, but a Senate source said it would lower from 35 to 30 the age at which an illegal immigrant would be eligible to go through the program.

The new version also made illegal immigrants who had committed marriage or voter fraud ineligible, the source said, though those responsible for other infractions like document fraud could still apply.

The changes could be a sign that Democratic leaders are watering down the bill in response to behind-the-scenes grumbling in the Democratic caucus. But the changes appear unlikely to win much support from the Republican side.

All 42 Senate Republicans signed a letter Wednesday vowing to block any legislation until a government spending bill is passed and the Bush tax cuts, set to expire at the end of the year, are extended. A couple of Senate Republicans could cross over once those issues are resolved, but Reid would still have defecting Democrats on his hands.

Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., wrote in a column on his Senate website that he would oppose the plan to give "hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants" a path to residency.

"I'm not going to support any legislation that I don't think adds to jobs, or to the military or to the economy. Consequently, I won't support any motion to proceed or any kind of cloture measure on the DREAM Act," he wrote. "In addition, I think that it must be part of an overall comprehensive solution to immigration once we have the border secured, and not until then."

Democratic groups, though, are putting on the pressure. Organizing for America sent out an e-mail urging supporters to call moderate Republican Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, both from Maine, and urge them to vote yes.

Democratic Party Chairman Tim Kaine said the bill would help build the military, urging Republicans to support it.

"The DREAM Act is based on two very simple principles: that children brought up in this country should not be penalized for the actions of their parents and that our country is made stronger by hard-working immigrants who are willing to do what it takes to build a better life in America in a way that makes our country both stronger and more secure," Kaine said in a statement.

But Sessions argued that the bill is not as innocuous as it sounds.

"This is not a good idea, it's not well written, it does far more than its supporters say, and it will create litigation in massive amounts that will disrupt the entire ability of immigration officials to do their jobs," he said.

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#news : #WikiLeaks suspect Bradley Manning "designed Facebook" as a schoolboy, friends say

telegraph.co.uk

Bradley Manning, the prime suspect in the leaking of top secret documents to the WikiLeaks website, was such a computer expert that he designed a version of Facebook years before modern social networking sites took off, friends have disclosed.

10:30PM GMT 01 Dec 2010

Manning was born in Oklahoma but spent his teenage years living with his mother in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire.

Bradley Manning

Friends remember the teenager as a shy schoolboy who was determined to speak his mind and “had his own sense of right and wrong”.

Tom Dyer, a fellow pupil at Tasker Milward School, said: "Overall, Bradley was renowned for his IT skills.

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"He produced a website with another schoolmate. It was pre-Facebook. It was like a community site. It didn’t really lift off, but it was a good idea.

"It was pretty much a social networking site before its time. You could log in and find out about local news."

Manning, 23, is being held in solitary confinement at a military base in Quantico, Virginia.

He was arrested in May after WikiLeaks released leaked footage of attacks by US Apache helicopters which killed two Reuters news staff in Iraq in 2007.

He was later charged with "transferring classified data" and "delivering national defense information to an unauthorised source," which could carry a maximum sentence of 52 years in jail.

Following the later release by WikiLeaks of hundreds of thousands of documents from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the Pentagon has described Manning as a "person of interest" in its hunt for the source.

But those who befriended Manning when he arrived in Wales aged 13, after his parents divorced, suggested that he had always possessed some of the character traits which may have prompted the biggest-ever leaks of confidential information from the US government.

Mr Dyer told Channel 4 News that Manning had quickly established a reputation for computer expertise at his West Wales comprehensive.

And he said he was not surprised when he heard that he was suspected of being behind the leaks.

He said: “He's always had this sense that 'I'm going to right a big wrong'. He was like that at school.

"If something went wrong, he would speak up about it if he didn't agree with something. He would even have altercations with teachers if he thought something was not right.”

Mr Dyer insisted that Manning never meant any harm but was simply determined to stand his own ground.

"He has his own sense of what is right or wrong,” he added. “It’s not directed against another person in particular. He's certainly not malicious in any of his actions."

Rowan John, another school friend, said: "He was opinionated but not forward on it. If he truly believed in something, he would give an opinion. That's probably because he was right in his opinion."

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#news: #WikiLeaks Online After Amazon Pulls

Breaking News

10:05pm UK, Wednesday December 01, 2010

Carole Erskine, Sky News Online

WikiLeaks is back online after Amazon stopped hosting the website which posted thousands of US government documents this week.

The site was down after US Senate Homeland Security Committee chairman Joe Lieberman said Amazon had been contacted about its relationship with WikiLeaks.

The site is now back up and running after moving to a Swedish provider and has published confidential cables on Russia.

The latest leaks say the leadership of Vladimir Putin has created a "virtual mafia state", while top officials collect bribes "like a personal taxation system".

It adds that Russian spies use mafia bosses to carry out criminal acts, such as arms trafficking.

Reports says WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is in the UK

WikiLeaks had taken up residence on Amazon's self-service web servers after internet-based attacks started against its Swedish host, Bahnhof.

WikiLeaks said on Twitter: "WikiLeaks servers at Amazon ousted.

"Free speech the land of the free--fine our $ are now spent to employ people in Europe."

It added: "If Amazon are so uncomfortable with the first amendment, they should get out of the business of selling books."

At a WikiLeaks event in London, a spokesman said he was unaware Amazon had stopped hosting the website and described the move as "disturbing".

Kristinn Hrafnsson said people had a right to know what officials working on their behalf were doing and added the disclosure of diplomatic cables was "perfectly legal".

But US officials said countless lives have been endangered by the release of the documents by WikiLeaks.

The Obama administration has also announced it will protect or relocate dissident and human rights activists whose lives may be at risk by the discloure of leaked US documents.

Sky News' Security Editor Sam Kiley said: "It is back up and running after being down for about four or five hours.

"It was kicked off the Amazon servers at the request of Senator Joe Lieberman.

"The issue, for me is how come it took the Americans so long to figure out WikiLeaks was being hosted in their own country and by Amazon no less. That seems extraordinary."

Amazon.com would not comment on its relationship with WikiLeaks.

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#news : 112 Venezuelans Stranded in Panama Airport

112 Venezuelan passengers were forced to spend 24 hours at the Tocumen International Airport due to adverse weather conditions in Venezuela, the airport press office said on Tuesday.

The Venezuelan passengers were heading to Caracas on Monday night on a Venezolana de Aviacion flight that could not take off due to poor weather conditions in Caracas, said a statement by airport authorities.

Authorities said some of those who were affected spent the night in the airport terminal, while others were transferred to hotels in the capital.

Airport authorities said if the weather improves in Venezuela, the 112 passengers could leave this afternoon to return to their country, although everything depends on the weather in Caracas.

Venezuela on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in Caracas and in Vargas and Miranda states, as a result of the strong rains in the country since last Monday.

The total death toll has risen to 23 by Tuesday.

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#news : Russia, U.S. to Conduct Joint Space Projects

Russia's space agency Roscosmos and NASA were expected to soon sign a protocol on joint projects in manned and unmanned space travel, Roscosmos said Wednesday.

Alexei Perminov, head of Roscosmos, said the protocol was expected to be signed this month.

"We are considering different variants of cooperation, including flights to asteroids, to a Lagrange point, carrying out joint work on the Moon and in a near-earth orbit," Perminov said after a traditional tea party with the crew that will fly to the International Space Station in December.

Roscosmos had also asked NASA for assistance during the navigation of the Phobos-Grunt spacecraft late next year, he added.

The Phobos-Grunt spacecraft, using American ground mission control services, will be sent to the surface of Phobos, one of the moons of Mars, and will return to Earth with soil samples.

A Chinese micro-satellite YH-1, its first Mars probe, will also be carried by the Phobos-Grunt spacecraft to the Martian orbit.

The test launch of the Phobos-Grunt spacecraft was originally scheduled in 2009, but was postponed due to technical reasons.

The Mars mission was expected to begin in November 2011 and last about 330 days.

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#news : Tensions Persist on Korean Peninsula

South Korean marines stand guard near its military base on Yeonpyeong Island Nov 27, 2010. [Photo: Agencies]

The Republic of Korea (ROK) and the United States went ahead with a scheduled naval drill on Sunday, despite protests and concerns from the divided Korean Peninsula and elsewhere amid dangerously high tensions on the peninsula.

NAVAL DRILL DRAWS PROTESTS, WARNINGS

The high-profile four-day war games, involving the nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier George Washington plus a cruiser, three destroyers, a naval patrol ship and an antisubmarine warfare aircraft, was meant to show a "commitment to regional stability through deterrence," according to a statement from the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK).

The drill, kicked off in waters west of the peninsula only five days after an exchange of artillery fire between the ROK and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), "demonstrates the strength" of the alliance between Seoul and Washington and is designed to improve the two nations' military interoperability, it added.

U.S. and ROK militaries said the exercises were "planned well before" Tuesday's skirmish, but they decided to go ahead with it despite protests from South Korean civilians, warnings from the DPRK and concerns expressed by China and other countries.

A news photo issued by ROK's Yonhap News Agency showed that a group of South Koreans held a rally in front of the Yongsan U.S. military base in Seoul on Friday, condemning the participation of a U.S. aircraft carrier in the joint naval drill.

In Pyongyang, the DPRK's official KCNA news agency denounced the drill on Saturday, warning that if "the U.S. brings its carrier to the West Sea of Korea at last, no one can predict the ensuing consequences."

In another article issued on Friday, the agency said the U.S.-ROK drill is pushing the Korean Peninsula "to the brink of war."

"The situation on the Korean Peninsula is inching closer to the brink of war due to the reckless plan of those trigger-happy elements to stage again the war exercises targeted against the DPRK," it said.

China on Friday expressed its opposition to any military operations in its exclusive economic zone without permission, including the drill.

"We hold a consistent and clear-cut stance on the issue. We oppose any party to take any military actions in our exclusive economic zone without permission," said a statement by Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lei.

The Chosun Sinbo newspaper published in Tokyo, Japan, also warned on Saturday that the drill may bring about a "catastrophic situation."

The Philippine government said Thursday it is "worried" over the joint U.S.-ROK naval drill, saying it might further escalate tensions on the peninsula and endanger the security of thousands of Filipinos living and working in ROK.

TENSIONS REMAIN HIGH

Tensions are still high on the Korean Peninsula after the DPRK and the ROK exchanged artillery fire on Tuesday in waters near the disputed sea border known as the Northern Limit Line (NLL).

During the incident, shells landed on the ROK's Yeonpyeong Island near the NLL, leaving four South Koreans dead, while damages to the DPRK have yet to be verified.

The so-called NLL, which was declared unilaterally by the U.S.-led United Nations Command after the 1950-1953 Korean War, remains a source of tensions and skirmishes between the two sides of the peninsula.

South Korea holds the NLL as the de-facto western inter-Korean border, but the DPRK rejected the NLL and only recognized the demarcation line it drew in 1999, which was further south of the NLL.

Seoul and Washington dubbed latest incident as a "unprovoked artillery attack "by the DPRK, but Pyongyang said it was a U.S. "plot."

The official KCNA news agency said on Saturday the United States was "the arch criminal who deliberately planned the incident and wire-pulled it behind the scenes," so that it "could bring the above-said nuclear carrier to the West Sea of Korea."

While blaming the DPRK for firing first, Seoul and Washington have reportedly raised their surveillance alert against the DPRK by a notch to the second-highest level, Watchcon 2.

On Saturday, Yoo Nak-jun, top commander of the ROK Marine Corps, vowed a "hundred- or thousand-fold" retaliation against the DPRK.

President Lee Myung-bak has ordered ROK troops to bolster defense on the Yellow Sea islands while toughening rules of engagement to allow the ROK military to swiftly "hit back with greater force."

ROK military also said the ongoing naval drill will be "more intensive" than originally planned, as participating troops will conduct live-fire shooting and bombing exercises, Yonhap reported.

In Pyongyang, a spokesman for the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea said in a statement released on Friday that the DPRK army and people are fully ready to give a shower of dreadful fire and blow up the enemies "if they dare to encroach again upon the DPRK's dignity and sovereignty even in the least."

REPEATED CALLS FOR RESTRAINT

The escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula prompted repeated calls from the international community for restraint and calmness.

In line with its unremitting efforts to promote peace and stability of the peninsula, China has been engaged in intensified diplomatic efforts to bring the situation under control.

Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo arrived in Seoul on Saturday and exchanged views with ROK Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan on the current situation on the peninsula.

On the same day, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi discussed the latest situation on the Korean Peninsula in separate phone calls with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara.

Yang told them that concerned parties should urge the DPRK and ROK to exercise calmness and restraint and hold dialogue and make contacts, and not to take actions that would escalate the conflict.

He said all parties should work together to help cool the situation as soon as possible and make sure to prevent the recurrence of such conflict.

Lavrov said Russia agreed with China on the latest situation and was ready to keep close contact with China to help defuse the tensions on the peninsula and create conditions for a restart of the six-party talks.

Maehara said that Japan is willing to work together with China to jointly safeguard peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and push forward the denuclearization process of the Peninsula.

On Friday, Yang met with Chi Jae Ryong, Ambassador of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to China, and held phone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and ROK Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan.

"The pressing task now is to put the situation under control and prevent a recurrence of similar incidents," he said.

The DPRK, the ROK and the U.S. sides elaborated on their views on the current situation, and expressed the importance they attached to China's stance and their willingness to maintain contacts with the Chinese side.

The Cambodian government issued a statement on Saturday expressing concerns on the situation in Korean Peninsula and calling for a resumption of six-party talk.

Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary General of ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) on Friday urged all governments concerned to exercise maximum self-restraint and refrain from unusual military movements that will increase tensions and lead to greater mutual distrust on the Korean Peninsula.

Russia's Lavrov on Thursday urged both Pyongyang and Seoul not to take any steps that may result in further loss of human lives.

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#news : AIDS-free Generation "Achievable": UN

Photo taken on November 30 shows students from a primary school in Dexing, Central China's Jiangxi Province observing the World AIDS Day on December 1. [Photo: Chinanews.com]

The UN Children's Fund ( UNICEF) on Tuesday said achieving an AIDS-free generation is possible if the international community escalates its efforts to provide universal access to HIV prevention, treatment and social protection to those in need.

In a report titled "Children and AIDS: Fifth Stocktaking Report 2010," UNICEF said achieving the goal of a generation without AIDS will depend largely on reaching the most marginalized members of society.

The report's release coincides with World AIDS Day, which is set to be observed on Dec. 1. AIDS is a disease of the human immune system and marks the final and most serious stage of HIV.

According to Michel Sidibe, executive director of the Join UN Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), around 370,000 children are born with HIV each year. Without treatment, about 50 percent of the infants infected with HIV die before their second birthday.

"We have to stop mothers from dying and babies from becoming infected with HIV. That is why I have called for the virtual elimination of mother to child transmission by 2015," said Sidibe in a press release.

Young women under the age of 25 remain the most vulnerable to HIV infection throughout the world, according to UNICEF. Worldwide, over 60 percent of all young people living with HIV are female. In sub-Saharan Africa that figure is close to 70 percent.

Executive Director of the UN Population Fund Thoraya Ahmed Obaid said in a press release that "we must increase investments in young people's education and health, including sexual and reproductive health, to prevent HIB infections and advance social protection."

"Reaching marginalized young people, including vulnerable adolescent girls and those who are not in school, must remain a priority," she added.

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#news : TikTok+LunaTik Multi-Touch Watch Kits

Hi! Thanks for checking out our project. With your help we would love to make our idea a reality and get them on as many wrists as possible.

TikTok and LunaTik simply transform the iPod Nano into the world's coolest multi-touch watches. The idea to use the Nano as a watch was an obvious one ever since the product was announced. But we wanted to create a collection that was well designed, engineered and manufactured from premium materials and that complemented the impeccable quality of Apple products. Not just clipped on a cheap strap as an afterthought. We wanted to create a product that your friends and strangers would stop you and ask "WTF is that??? And where can I get one?!"

TikTok is a simple snap-in design. It allows the user to easily and securely snap the Nano into the wrist dock. It cleanly and simply integrates the Nano and transforms it into a modern multifunction timepiece.





LunaTik is designed and intended to be a premium conversion kit for someone that wants to dedicate their Nano to being a watch and the newest conversation piece with their friends. It is forged from Aerospace Grade Aluminum and then machined via CNC into its final form.


The straps are made from high grade silicone rubber and the hardware is solid stainless steel not some chrome plated brass that will wear off. The quality of these watch cases and straps will be scrutinized very carefully and produced in the same factories that produce the best watches for companies like Nixon, Diesel, Vestal, and Nike.

So many watch companies have struggled to make a multi-touch color display watch to date. It is no small task. The Nano itself is an engineering wonder. Multi-Touch, color display, long battery life, MP3, radio, photos, pedometer, Nike+ and clock all in an impossibly small package. Just like reinventing the phone it took Apple to make it possible. And in clock mode the Nano battery lasts at least a week before recharging. We are excited to help complete the effort in converting it to a watch that everyone can enjoy.

So here is where you come in. Designing products is what we, MINIMAL, do day-in and day-out for big brands. But like most designers our dream is to eventually make our own products. But funding, manufacturing and distributing a new product is a whole other story. Kickstarter is a great way for us to realize many of the ideas that we have in our small studio that we know people will love but big companies are scared to do. We love creating cool stuff without the big company politics and indecision. We believe in the emerging power of community and the individual to bring ideas to life and we hope that this is just the beginning. By pledging at least $25 you are pre-ordering TikTok or by pledging $50 you are pre-ordering the LunaTik and helping make what we believe is a very cool iPod accessory a reality.

And if you pledge at the Limited Edition levels you will get one of the red anodized Backer versions.

With your support we are targeting to have the TikTok shipping to Backers by late December and the LunaTik by mid January. We hope that you are inspired and excited by the idea and choose to support the project. Either way please spread the word and share with your friends. Everyone has at least one friend that is a watch geek.

Thank you!

Note: TikTok will retail for $34.95 and LunaTik will retail for $69.95. iPod Nano not included. iPod Nano, Apple logo and Apple are registered trademarks of Apple Inc.

Project location: Chicago, IL


Project by Scott Wilson

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#politica :Após piora renal, Alencar não tem previsão de alta

01 de dezembro de 2010 • 19h23 • atualizado às 19h33

Dilma e Lula visitaram o vice-presidente no Sírio-Libanês
Foto: Ricardo Stuckert/Presidência da República/Divulgação

O vice-presidente José Alencar segue internado na Unidade de Terapia Intensiva (UTI) Cardiológica do Hospital Sírio Libanês, em São Paulo, nesta quarta-feira. Alencar está no hospital desde sábado, quando se submeteu a uma cirurgia para desobstrução intestinal, devido a um tumor na região abdominal.

Após a operação bem-sucedida, a expectativa era de que na terça-feira ele pudesse passar para a Unidade Semi-Intensiva. No entanto, uma piora renal, seguida da realização de hemodiálise, adiaram por tempo indeterminado a transferência do vice-presidente.

O Hospital Sírio Libanês informou que não divulgará boletim médico do paciente nesta quarta, já que ele não apresentou nenhuma alteração no quadro clínico em relação à terça. Alencar não tem previsão de alta.

Luta contra o câncer
O vice-presidente enfrenta um câncer na região abdominal há mais de dez anos e já passou por mais de 15 cirurgias. Ele foi submetido a tratamento de quimioterapia contra a doença e enfrentou os efeitos colaterais.

No começo de outubro, Alencar passou três dias internado no mesmo hospital. Em setembro, internou-se para tratar um edema agudo de pulmão. Em julho, ficou sete dias internado, quando passou por um cateterismo.

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#news : S. Korea, U.S. Rule out Immediate Resumption of Six-Party Talks

South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton agreed Wednesday the stalled six-party talks should not be resumed until the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) shows a "responsible attitude" towards its recent provocation, the foreign ministry here said.

Kim met with Hillary Clinton on the sidelines of a summit meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, currently being held in Kazakhstan.

During the bilateral meeting, Clinton reiterated the U.S. commitment to defending South Korea and pledged to deal resolutely with the DPRK's artillery bombardment last Tuesday of an inhabited South Korean border island, which killed two civilians and two marines, according to the ministry.

The two agreed that the DPRK should first behave responsibly with regards to what Seoul and Washington say was an unprovoked attack and demonstrate its genuine will for denuclearization before resuming the long-stalled talks, the ministry said.

The six parties involve DPRK, South Korea, China, the United States, Russia and Japan.

China has recently proposed "emergency consultations" among the heads of delegations to the six-party talks to help defuse tensions on the Korean peninsula. Seoul has practically dismissed the call, citing the inappropriate timing.

The two top diplomats have agreed to meet next week in Washington for more discussion, according to the ministry.

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