Rob Kardashian Sexes Up Cheryl Burke, Dances Into Second Place


Rob Kardashian has said he's in it to win it on Dancing With the Stars. We laughed that off a few weeks back, but are now starting to believe him.

Clad in a lime green shirt and black trousers, the 24-year-old got his sexy on with partner Cheryl Burke in front of the judges ... and sister Khloe.

Clearly it worked. Bruno raved that "Rob the heart throb" had finally come out, while Khloe Kardashian could not contain herself on Twitter:

"Wow!!!! Robert did so f****ng amazing!!!! Wow!!!!! Every single week he is improving!!!! So proud!!!" his 27-year-old sister wrote after the show.

Rob can thank hard work, Cheryl's guidance and BFF / former USC schoolmmate / DWTS standout contestant Romeo, who offered his tutelage.

Romeo came by the studio to teach Rob "how to be sexy." It seems to have worked, as his 25 points tied him with David Arquette for second.

Who do you think will win this season? Vote in our poll below:

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/10/rob-kardashian-sexes-up-cheryl-burke-dances-into-second-place/

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Peggy Lillis Foundation honors Dr. Sherwood Gorbach for career combating C. diff infection

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 17-Oct-2011
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Brittany Yurick
brittany.yurick@djescience.com
312-240-2995
Edelman Public Relations

Award to be presented on Oct. 22 at the second annual foundation benefit, FIGHT C. diff, in Brooklyn, N.Y.

BROOKLYN, NY October 17, 2011 The Peggy Lillis Memorial Foundation will present Sherwood Gorbach, M.D., Chief Scientific Officer and Senior Vice President of Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Distinguished Professor (Emeritus) of Public Health and Medicine at Tufts University, with an achievement award to recognize his nearly four decades of visionary research and pursuit of new treatments for Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) a bacterial infection in the lining of the gut that can cause severe diarrhea, inflammation of the colon and in some cases death. Dr. Gorbach's achievement will be recognized at the Foundation's annual benefit, "FIGHT C. diff," on October 22 in Brooklyn, NY. The event brings together a celebration of the life and legacy of Peggy Lillis and Dr. Gorbach's 40 years of pioneering research, with the shared goal of generating increased C. diff awareness and prevention measures.

"It is our great pleasure to recognize Dr. Gorbach for his longstanding commitment to infectious disease research and contributions to the fight against Clostridium difficile infection," said Christian Lillis, Co-founder and Director of the Peggy Lillis Memorial Foundation. "Dr. Gorbach and the Peggy Lillis Memorial Foundation have a shared goal to increase prevention and minimize death and disability resulting from C. diff. We are thrilled to honor Dr. Gorbach for his lifetime commitment to helping patients and look forward to continuing our efforts to raise awareness about this disease."

As a young infectious disease researcher in 1973, Dr. Gorbach's interest was aroused by the first report from New Zealand of several severe cases of diarrhea and bowel inflammation in patients who had become ill following treatment with an antibiotic. Five years later at Tufts University, he and fellow infectious disease researchers identified Clostridium difficile bacteria as the cause of the outbreak, a discovery that paved the way for his continued pursuit to find treatments for the infection. Most recently, he contributed his expertise to Optimer in its development and FDA approval of DIFICID (fidaxomicin) tablets, the first FDA-approved therapy in more than 25 years for the treatment of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) in adult patients.

"I am honored and humbled to receive this award from the Peggy Lillis Memorial Foundation," said Dr. Gorbach. "I would like to commend the Foundation for its efforts to bring awareness to C. difficile, including the physical and emotional burdens of the disease. The tragic case of Peggy Lillis illustrates why more must be done to combat this disease, and why I have dedicated much of my career to pursuing new treatment options for C. difficile."

The Peggy Lillis Memorial Foundation was created in memory of Brooklyn kindergarten teacher Peggy Lillis, who lost her life to a C. diff infection in April 2010. She only was ill for six days. The Foundation is the first national organization dedicated to reducing and eradicating Clostridium difficile infections, or CDIs, through education and advocacy.

CDIs have become a significant medical problem in hospitals, long-term care facilities and in the community. The incidence and severity of CDI has increased dramatically in the U.S. over the past decade and is continuing to rise each year, with current estimates suggesting it may affect more than 700,000 people annually, though the incidence may be higher as many cases are believed to be undiagnosed, untreated and underreported. CDI is a serious illness resulting from infection of the inner lining of the colon by C. difficile bacteria, which produce toxins that cause inflammation of the colon, severe diarrhea and, in the most serious cases, death. One of the most common symptoms of CDI is Clostridium-difficile associated diarrhea (CDAD).

Dr. Gorbach has served as Optimer's Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer since November 2005 and was recently promoted to Senior Vice President, Research and Development and Chief Scientific Officer in February 2011. In addition to serving on the faculties of Johns Hopkins, University of Illinois and UCLA, Dr. Gorbach has been at Tufts University School of Medicine since 1975 as, among other things, Professor of Medicine, Public Health and Community Health and a Professor in the School of Nutrition and Social Policy. Dr. Gorbach was also Chief of Infectious Diseases at New England Medical Center from 1975 to 1987. In 1990, he served as the President of the Massachusetts Infectious Diseases Society, and in 1995, he was the President of the Society of Microbial Ecology and Disease.

Dr. Gorbach received the Lifetime Achievement Award in Recognition of Exemplary Dedication and Leadership at the 3rd Congress on Anaerobic Bacteria and Infections held in Glasgow, Scotland in 2003. He was presented the Alexander Fleming Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2007 by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. In 2008, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Anaerobe Society of the Americas, and in 2009, he received the Tufts University Alumni Association distinguished Service Award. He has served as editor of Clinical Infectious Diseases for the past ten years. Dr. Gorbach received his M.D. at the Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston.

###

Important Safety Information for DIFICID

DIFICID should not be used for systemic infections. Only use DIFICID for infection proven or strongly suspected to be caused by C. difficile. Prescribing DIFICID in the absence of a proven or strongly suspected C. difficile infection is unlikely to provide benefit to the patient and increases the risk of the development of drug resistant bacteria. The most common adverse reactions are nausea (11%), vomiting (7%), abdominal pain (6%), gastrointestinal hemorrhage (4%), anemia (2%), and neutropenia (2%).

About Optimer

Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing innovative hospital specialty products that have a positive impact on society. Optimer's core team of scientists and technical experts developed and the Company is commercializing DIFICID (fidaxomicin) tablets, an FDA-approved antibacterial drug for the treatment of adult patients 18 years of age and older with Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD). Optimer's clinical pipeline includes Pruvel, a product in the fluoroquinolone class of antibiotics that has completed Phase 3 trials as a treatment for infectious diarrhea. Additional information can be found at http://www.optimerpharma.com.

About The Peggy Lillis Memorial Foundation

The Peggy Lillis Memorial Foundation, created in memory of Brooklyn kindergarten teacher Peggy Lillis who lost her life in just six days to a C. difficile infection in April 2010, is the first national organization dedicated to reducing and eradicating Clostridium difficile infections, or CDIs, through education and advocacy. Though largely preventable, CDIs claim the lives of 25,000 Americans every year, and sicken another several hundred thousand. To learn more about the Peggy Lillis Foundation, join us at www.peggyfoundation.org.

Contacts

Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
David Walsey, Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
858-909-0736

The Peggy Lillis Memorial Foundation
Christian John Lillis, Co-founder & Director
917-364-4658

DJE Science
Brittany Yurick, Account Supervisor
312-240-2995


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


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


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 17-Oct-2011
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Brittany Yurick
brittany.yurick@djescience.com
312-240-2995
Edelman Public Relations

Award to be presented on Oct. 22 at the second annual foundation benefit, FIGHT C. diff, in Brooklyn, N.Y.

BROOKLYN, NY October 17, 2011 The Peggy Lillis Memorial Foundation will present Sherwood Gorbach, M.D., Chief Scientific Officer and Senior Vice President of Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Distinguished Professor (Emeritus) of Public Health and Medicine at Tufts University, with an achievement award to recognize his nearly four decades of visionary research and pursuit of new treatments for Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) a bacterial infection in the lining of the gut that can cause severe diarrhea, inflammation of the colon and in some cases death. Dr. Gorbach's achievement will be recognized at the Foundation's annual benefit, "FIGHT C. diff," on October 22 in Brooklyn, NY. The event brings together a celebration of the life and legacy of Peggy Lillis and Dr. Gorbach's 40 years of pioneering research, with the shared goal of generating increased C. diff awareness and prevention measures.

"It is our great pleasure to recognize Dr. Gorbach for his longstanding commitment to infectious disease research and contributions to the fight against Clostridium difficile infection," said Christian Lillis, Co-founder and Director of the Peggy Lillis Memorial Foundation. "Dr. Gorbach and the Peggy Lillis Memorial Foundation have a shared goal to increase prevention and minimize death and disability resulting from C. diff. We are thrilled to honor Dr. Gorbach for his lifetime commitment to helping patients and look forward to continuing our efforts to raise awareness about this disease."

As a young infectious disease researcher in 1973, Dr. Gorbach's interest was aroused by the first report from New Zealand of several severe cases of diarrhea and bowel inflammation in patients who had become ill following treatment with an antibiotic. Five years later at Tufts University, he and fellow infectious disease researchers identified Clostridium difficile bacteria as the cause of the outbreak, a discovery that paved the way for his continued pursuit to find treatments for the infection. Most recently, he contributed his expertise to Optimer in its development and FDA approval of DIFICID (fidaxomicin) tablets, the first FDA-approved therapy in more than 25 years for the treatment of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) in adult patients.

"I am honored and humbled to receive this award from the Peggy Lillis Memorial Foundation," said Dr. Gorbach. "I would like to commend the Foundation for its efforts to bring awareness to C. difficile, including the physical and emotional burdens of the disease. The tragic case of Peggy Lillis illustrates why more must be done to combat this disease, and why I have dedicated much of my career to pursuing new treatment options for C. difficile."

The Peggy Lillis Memorial Foundation was created in memory of Brooklyn kindergarten teacher Peggy Lillis, who lost her life to a C. diff infection in April 2010. She only was ill for six days. The Foundation is the first national organization dedicated to reducing and eradicating Clostridium difficile infections, or CDIs, through education and advocacy.

CDIs have become a significant medical problem in hospitals, long-term care facilities and in the community. The incidence and severity of CDI has increased dramatically in the U.S. over the past decade and is continuing to rise each year, with current estimates suggesting it may affect more than 700,000 people annually, though the incidence may be higher as many cases are believed to be undiagnosed, untreated and underreported. CDI is a serious illness resulting from infection of the inner lining of the colon by C. difficile bacteria, which produce toxins that cause inflammation of the colon, severe diarrhea and, in the most serious cases, death. One of the most common symptoms of CDI is Clostridium-difficile associated diarrhea (CDAD).

Dr. Gorbach has served as Optimer's Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer since November 2005 and was recently promoted to Senior Vice President, Research and Development and Chief Scientific Officer in February 2011. In addition to serving on the faculties of Johns Hopkins, University of Illinois and UCLA, Dr. Gorbach has been at Tufts University School of Medicine since 1975 as, among other things, Professor of Medicine, Public Health and Community Health and a Professor in the School of Nutrition and Social Policy. Dr. Gorbach was also Chief of Infectious Diseases at New England Medical Center from 1975 to 1987. In 1990, he served as the President of the Massachusetts Infectious Diseases Society, and in 1995, he was the President of the Society of Microbial Ecology and Disease.

Dr. Gorbach received the Lifetime Achievement Award in Recognition of Exemplary Dedication and Leadership at the 3rd Congress on Anaerobic Bacteria and Infections held in Glasgow, Scotland in 2003. He was presented the Alexander Fleming Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2007 by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. In 2008, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Anaerobe Society of the Americas, and in 2009, he received the Tufts University Alumni Association distinguished Service Award. He has served as editor of Clinical Infectious Diseases for the past ten years. Dr. Gorbach received his M.D. at the Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston.

###

Important Safety Information for DIFICID

DIFICID should not be used for systemic infections. Only use DIFICID for infection proven or strongly suspected to be caused by C. difficile. Prescribing DIFICID in the absence of a proven or strongly suspected C. difficile infection is unlikely to provide benefit to the patient and increases the risk of the development of drug resistant bacteria. The most common adverse reactions are nausea (11%), vomiting (7%), abdominal pain (6%), gastrointestinal hemorrhage (4%), anemia (2%), and neutropenia (2%).

About Optimer

Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing innovative hospital specialty products that have a positive impact on society. Optimer's core team of scientists and technical experts developed and the Company is commercializing DIFICID (fidaxomicin) tablets, an FDA-approved antibacterial drug for the treatment of adult patients 18 years of age and older with Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD). Optimer's clinical pipeline includes Pruvel, a product in the fluoroquinolone class of antibiotics that has completed Phase 3 trials as a treatment for infectious diarrhea. Additional information can be found at http://www.optimerpharma.com.

About The Peggy Lillis Memorial Foundation

The Peggy Lillis Memorial Foundation, created in memory of Brooklyn kindergarten teacher Peggy Lillis who lost her life in just six days to a C. difficile infection in April 2010, is the first national organization dedicated to reducing and eradicating Clostridium difficile infections, or CDIs, through education and advocacy. Though largely preventable, CDIs claim the lives of 25,000 Americans every year, and sicken another several hundred thousand. To learn more about the Peggy Lillis Foundation, join us at www.peggyfoundation.org.

Contacts

Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
David Walsey, Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
858-909-0736

The Peggy Lillis Memorial Foundation
Christian John Lillis, Co-founder & Director
917-364-4658

DJE Science
Brittany Yurick, Account Supervisor
312-240-2995


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


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


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-10/epr-plf101411.php

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Restored citadel is sign of hope in Afghanistan

In the 1970s, tourists traveled to western Afghanistan to climb on the ruins of an ancient citadel, a fortress resembling a sandcastle that has stood overlooking the city of Herat for thousands of years.

The citadel was crumbling then, but today the newly restored structure, dating back to the days of Alexander the Great, is a hopeful sign of progress in a country beset by war.

Hundreds of Afghan craftsmen worked to restore the ruins' past glory with help from the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and about $2.4 million from the U.S. and German governments.

The U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Ryan Crocker, was among the tourists drawn to Herat decades ago, and on Sunday he celebrated the citadel's restoration and the opening of a new museum of Afghan artifacts at the site.

"Until 35 years ago, tourists from around the world came here to experience heritage, history and incomparable national landscapes," Crocker said.

"We look forward to the day when Afghans and visitors from around the world will once again come here to learn about Afghanistan's rich history and enjoy the great hospitality and beauty that this land and its people have to offer," he said.

Tourism seems far-fetched in Afghanistan, where tens of thousands of foreign troops are in their 10th year of fighting Taliban insurgents.

Yet, the rebuilt, imposing brick structure called the Qala Ikhtyaruddin is a new symbol of the nation's desire to emerge from the bloody conflict.

"As this citadel represents, Afghanistan stood as a great nation. It will so stand again," Crocker said.

Taliban attacks have recently occurred inside Herat. They are rare, though there are districts on the city's outskirts where violence flares.

While there was mention of the recent attacks, several officials at the ceremony were warning of another threat: Uncontrolled development that is endangering other historical sites in the city along the famous Silk Road that linked Europe and Asia in ancient times.

"As we sit within the high walls of this impressive monument celebrating the fruits of our joint effort to save this site, I would like to remind all those present here that the rate at which historic quarters and buildings in this city are being destroyed far surpasses the four dozen buildings that we've restored over the past seven years," said Ajmal Maiwandi, chief executive officer of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.

The Ministry of Information and Culture is now the caretaker of the citadel, which has survived years of territorial battles among Persians, Uzbeks and Afghans and today's Taliban.

The current structure was built on the site of an ancient citadel that some historians claim was established by Macedonian warrior-king Alexander the Great around 330 B.C. The battlements and towers that still stand are believed to date from the 14th or 15th century when it was reconstructed after being destroyed by Mongol invaders. Some of the blue tile work from that period can still be seen on some towers.

UNESCO did extensive renovation at the site in the 1970s. The Culture Ministry took over stewardship at the site in 2005 and has worked since 2008 with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and the U.S. and German governments to restore the structure and set up a museum at the site. U.S. support for the citadel restoration came from the U.S. Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation and is the fund's largest project in the world.

Mohammad Rafiq, a mason from Herat who worked on the project, said he took pride in the work because he sees it as part of the country's broader reconstruction.

"It was not only about making money. It was good work to do," he said. "This is the biggest monument in the region. We tried our best to do the reconstruction so that it recopied the old styles of the building."

Housed at the citadel is the National Museum of Herat, one of four provincial museums in Afghanistan to reopen to the public. The Museum of Islamic Art in Berlin worked with the German Archaeological Institute to document and restore artifacts and prepare them for display. There are about 1,100 items from the Herat region in the museum; about 250 are on display.

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Most of them are from the 10th to 13th centuries when Herat was a center of politics and culture. There is pottery, metal work, a tombstone of major Persian painter Behzad, 260 manuscripts and books and a cenotaph adorned with tiles that date from 1378.

Nancy Dupree, an American who has worked in Afghanistan for decades to protect and preserve the country's culture and heritage, stood outside the museum and glanced up at the citadel's sunbaked towers.

"I've been here many times, but it was crumbling," she said. "This is impressive."

"I think the most exciting thing is to see something finally accomplished. I have seen so many half-finished things."

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44931701/ns/travel-destination_travel/

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Circus elephant tramples 11-year-old girl to death

A circus elephant trampled to death a girl who was attempting to feed it, police in Vietnam said Monday.

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Police officer Pham Ngoc Tien of Lao Cai province said the elephant was part of a troupe from Hanoi on a 10-day tour of the province. The animal was tied to a chain in the fenced backyard of a cultural center when it was not performing.

Tien said Monday that the 11-year-old girl and several other children had entered its enclosure. The girl was feeding the elephant when it lifted her up with its trunk, threw her to the ground and trampled her repeatedly.

Police officer Phan Van Quang told AFP that Nguyen Thao Anh was offering the elephant sugarcane. "She was trampled to death on the spot", he added.

Nguyen Xuan Quang, deputy director of the Vietnam Circus Federation, reportedly said that children had been teasing the animal prior to Sunday's incident. Speaking to AFP, Quang added that the victim's father was talking on the phone at the time.

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Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44926727/ns/world_news-asia_pacific/

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Euro zone eyes yet another "comprehensive strategy" (Reuters)

BRUSSELS (Reuters) ? A cloud of gloom hangs over Brussels ahead of yet another summit to thrash out yet another "comprehensive strategy" to tackle a sovereign debt crisis that Europe has failed for two years to stem, and that now threatens the world economy.

Gallows humor was rife among the grandees of European integration at the annual conference of the Friends of Europe think-tank on "the state of the union" last week.

"Hopefully next year we won't be talking about Greek debt," Etienne Davignon, 79, a Belgian former European Commissioner and patriarch of the European project, joked in his closing remarks.

"Either it will have gone or we will have gone."

The opening session was billed as: "The EU's three ages: rise, decline and fall?"

The question mark was the only concession to hope.

Weary cynicism surrounds next Sunday's (October 23) summit of the 27 EU leaders, their sixth attempt this year to draw a line under the euro zone crisis that has led to bailouts of Greece, Ireland and Portugal and is now singeing Italy and Spain.

They trumpeted a "comprehensive response" back in March, but, due mainly to German caution, adopted a catalog of half-measures described by British Prime Minister David Cameron last week as "a bit too little, a bit too late".

In July, with bond market contagion spreading for the first time to Italy, the euro zone's third biggest economy, leaders of the 17-nation single currency area agreed on a second bailout for Greece involving "voluntary" writedowns for private bondholders and more powers for their EFSF rescue fund.

Traders quickly spotted that the accord would take months to implement and might be derailed in any of the 17 national parliaments that had to approve it, or by Greece's failure to achieve its fiscal targets. Confidence evaporated.

Spanish and Italian borrowing costs were driven so high that the European Central Bank had to intervene in emergency in August to buy those countries' bonds and force yields down.

After weeks of bruising debate, first in the German then in the Slovak parliament, and haggling with Finland over its demand for collateral on Greek loans, the beefed-up 440-billion-euro European Financial Stability Facility is finally ready to act.

But the goalposts have moved in the meantime. The situation has deteriorated and more radical action is now required.

MOVING TARGET

Greece has strayed off course again and doubts about whether it will ever be able to repay its debts have hardened as the country has slumped deeper into recession and public resistance to austerity measures has mounted.

Germany and its north European allies are demanding that private bondholders be made to contribute more toward a second rescue for Greece, but still on a "voluntary" basis with no losses for taxpayers or the European Central Bank.

The talk now is of building a firewall around Greece and convincing investors that other euro zone sovereigns are safe, without another ghastly round of ratifications in member states.

The key elements in the latest "comprehensive strategy" are: reducing Greece's debt and giving it longer to recover; bolstering European banks' ability to absorb losses; leveraging the rescue fund to prevent contagion to larger economies; and launching steps toward closer euro zone fiscal integration.

Yet there is scope for each of these elements to fall short, or be overtaken by events, especially with the economic growth outlook darkening as austerity measures cripple demand.

Greek debt relief may be too small to avoid a hard default. Banks may struggle to raise capital and governments fearful for their own credit ratings may equivocate about what to do if they can't raise it on the markets.

Policymakers hope to stabilize the euro zone bond market by using the EFSF to offer partial loss insurance to investors buying new Spanish or Italian bonds.

This may not be enough to restore confidence if Italy's chaotic politics, compounded by the economic slowdown, thwart austerity plans. Markets are bound to test Europe's defenses.

Further credit ratings downgrades could exacerbate the crisis. If France's AAA rating were pulled into doubt due to the capital needs of its banks, heavily exposed to peripheral euro zone debt, then the entire rescue strategy could falter.

With so many "ifs", the chances of this "comprehensive strategy" being the one that does the trick are anything but certain.

Pressure for decisive action from other major economies, which dominated last weekend's G20 finance chiefs' meeting in Paris, may improve the Europeans' chance of success.

The world's treasuries and central banks are so alarmed at the risk of a financial meltdown that they may be ready to pile in to support even a shaky European plan.

European policymakers still reject the nuclear option of a mandatory restructuring of Greek debt, which would trigger a "credit event" with the payment of default insurance and send a shockwave through the financial sector.

Instead, private bondholders face a bigger "voluntary" writedown of up to 50 percent while euro zone governments and the ECB are shielded from losses on Greek debt to avoid a public backlash that would make further rescue measures impossible.

It is easier for European politicians to support banks that are unable to raise private capital than it would be to admit they had poured taxpayers' money down a Greek hole.

Radical solutions such as using the ECB as Europe's lender of last resort or issuing joint euro zone bonds, are politically taboo in Germany.

Barring such game-changers, expect the euro zone debt crisis to rumble on and on, if it doesn't explode.

(Writing by Paul Taylor, editing by Mike Peacock)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111017/bs_nm/us_eurozone_strategy

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Herman Cain joins Nevada caucus boycott

(AP) ? Former pizza executive Herman Cain is adding his name to the list of Republican contenders boycotting Nevada's caucuses.

Charlie Spano is Cain's field operations director in New Hampshire and says on Friday that Cain will attend next week's debate in Las Vegas. But Cain won't participate in the state's Jan. 14 caucuses.

Spano says Cain will continue to campaign in Nevada, where he has long courted tea party supporters.

Cain is the fifth candidate to boycott Nevada's contest, joining Jon Huntsman, Michelle Bachmann, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich.

New Hampshire wants to protect its first in the nation primary contest and is urging candidates to boycott Nevada.

Nevada moved its Feb. 18 contest after Florida jumped ahead and set its primary for Jan. 31.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2011-10-14-Primary%20Scramble/id-aed53ef8f510475499a9fc8cca728f5a

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2,000 march in Cairo unity rally, anger at army (Reuters)

CAIRO (Reuters) ? At least 2,000 people rallied in Cairo on Friday in a show of unity between Muslims and Christians and to express anger at the ruling military council after 25 people died when a protest by Coptic Christians led to clashes with the army.

Sunday's violence, the worst since the fall of President Hosni Mubarak in February, prompted criticism that the council was resorting to the same brutal tactics that Mubarak's police force had used against dissenters.

Activists said armored vehicles had sped into crowds on Sunday and that troops had used live ammunition to disperse the protest in Cairo which took place after an attack on a church building in southern Egypt.

The incident sparked nationwide fears of growing sectarian tension in the Muslim-majority country.

The army, which was initially praised when it took control after Mubarak was ousted for its restraint in handling protests,

denied its troops had opened fire.

On Friday the marchers in Cairo were mostly Muslims with some Christians. They waved Egyptian flags and chanted, "this is not sectarian strife, it's a military conspiracy."

Anger toward the military has been growing as the transition to civilian rule has dragged on.

Some participants wore black t-shirts with printed images of Mina Daniel, a young Coptic Christian activist who died during the clashes.

"We are all Mina Daniel" shouted the demonstrators, echoing the popular anti-torture Facebook group called "We are all Khaled Said" which was named after a Muslim activist who rights groups said was beaten to death by police during Mubarak's era.

"Muslims, go on, tell your fellow Christians that we are all in the same boat."

"Muslims and Christians, hand-in-hand," they called out.

The rally ran from Cairo's Al-Azhar mosque to the Cathedral of Abbasiya, Egypt's biggest church, before heading to Tahrir Square, the epicentre of protests that toppled Mubarak and now a central gathering point for many demonstrators.

Tension between Muslims and minority Coptic Christians has simmered for years but has worsened since the anti-Mubarak revolt, which gave freer rein to Salafist and other strict Islamist groups that the former president had repressed.

In Sunday's protest, Christians who took to the streets accused Muslims of partially demolishing a church in Aswan province at the end of September. Muslims in the village say the building did not have a license, but deny attacking it.

Christians, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt's 80 million people, say Islamists have been using disputes over the legal status of some church buildings to stir up sectarian conflict.

(Writing by Shaimaa Fayed; Editing by Matthew Jones)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111014/wl_nm/us_egypt_march_unity

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Obama sends military advisers to Uganda (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? President Barack Obama said on Friday he was sending about 100 U.S. military advisers to Uganda to support central African allies pursuing Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord's Resistance Army, and other rebel commanders.

Obama's decision commits U.S. forces to help battle a Ugandan rebel group he once condemned as an "affront to human dignity" for chilling violence that has included hacking body parts off victims, abduction of young boys to fight and young girls to be used as sex slaves.

"I have authorized a small number of combat-equipped U.S. forces to deploy to central Africa to provide assistance to regional forces that are working toward the removal of Joseph Kony from the battlefield," Obama said a letter to Congress.

But he asserted that U.S. forces "will only be providing information, advice and assistance to partner nation forces, and they will not themselves engage LRA forces unless necessary for self-defense."

The terms of engagement may be aimed at reassuring war-weary Americans he has no plan to entangle U.S. forces directly in another conflict when they are already involved in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and are playing a support role in a NATO-led air campaign in Libya.

The LRA, which says it is a religious group, first emerged in northern Uganda in the 1990s and is believed to have killed, kidnapped and mutilated tens of thousands of people.

CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY

Kony has been indicted by the Hague-based International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

"The LRA continues to commit atrocities across the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan that have a disproportionate impact on regional security," Obama said.

He said U.S. advisers were needed because "regional military efforts have thus far been unsuccessful in removing LRA leader Joseph Kony or his top commanders from the battlefield."

Obama said the initial team of U.S. advisers arrived in Uganda on Wednesday and that a total of around 100 personnel would be deployed for the mission.

"Subject to the approval of each respective host nation, elements of these U.S. forces will deploy into Uganda, South Sudan, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo," he said.

LRA commanders have been operating in the wild and largely lawless border regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic and Sudan in recent years.

Although now thought to number just a few hundred fighters, the LRA's mobility and the difficulties of the terrain has made them difficult to tackle. Attempts to negotiate peace failed in 2008 after Kony refused to sign a deal to end the killing.

Uganda and Congolese officials said earlier this year they thought Kony had returned to eastern DRC, complicating United Nations efforts to stabilize the region.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111014/pl_nm/us_uganda_usa

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