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Tuesday, December 28, 2010

The Arsenal can no longer be bullied

Arsenal had lost each of their previous five matches against Chelsea, stretching back to Nov 2008, and were beaten 1-0 at Manchester United in their last Premier League match.


However, the poor run of form against direct challengers for the championship crown came to an end at Emirates Stadium on Monday night as Wenger's youngsters heaped more pressure on Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti.

Alex Song put the hosts ahead before half-time, with a quickfire double from captain Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott giving Arsenal a three-goal cushion.

Although Chelsea reduced the deficit through Branislav Ivanovic, there was no way back for Ancelotti's men, who have now taken just six points from their last eight league games - a worst run since 1998.

Arsenal moved back up into second place, behind leaders United by two points, having now played a match more ahead of the midweek fixtures which see Wenger's side at Wigan tomorrow night.

Aretha Franklin Died victim to Internet rumors

Aretha Franklin is the latest celebrity to fall victim to Internet rumors of an early demise.


Many of the reports noted that the “Queen of Soul” recently underwent surgery, and claimed that it was for pancreatic cancer.

And while it’s true Franklin recently had an operation, it is 100 percent FALSE that she died. A rep for Franklin tells Gossip Cop exclusively, “Aretha is fine.”

Just the other day, Charlie Sheen was also the subject of a fake death hoax. We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again, Gossip Cop sincerely hopes the only thing that dies out are these horrible hoaxes.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Natalie Portman Pregnant and Engaged

Natalie Portman was born on June 9th, 1981 in Jerusalem, Israel, as the only child of a doctor father (from Israel) and an artist mother (from Cincinnati, Ohio), who also acts as Natalie's agent. She left Israel for Washington, DC, when she was still very young. After a few more moves, her family finally settled in New York, where she still lives to this day. She graduated with honors, and her academic achievements allowed her to attend Harvard.


She was discovered by an agent in a pizza parlor at the age of 11. She was pushed towards a career in modeling but she decided that she would rather pursue a career in acting. She was featured in many live performances, but she made her powerful film debut in the movie Léon (1994) (aka "The Professional"). Following this role Natalie won roles in such films as Heat (1995), Beautiful Girls (1996), and Mars Attacks! (1996).
Natalie Portman and choreographer Benjamin Millepied are happily engaged and expecting their first child.The pair met during production of Black Swan, reports People who broke the story.2011 will be some year for Portman!  In addition to becoming a new mom, her stellar performance in Black Swan has earned her nominations for Golden Globe, Spirit and Screen Actors Guild Awards.
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The Falcons Vs Yellow Jackets Live AdvoCare V100

Independence Bowl Air Force Falcons Vs Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Live streaming: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets is hosting Independence Bowl on December 27, 2010 at Shreveport. The visitor team is Air Force Falcons.


AdvoCare V100 INDEPENDENCE BOWL
5:00 PM ET, Monday, December 27, 2010
Independence Stadium, SHREVEPORT, LA
Air Force Leaders:
Passing: Jefferson – 71-136, 1342 yds, 10 tds
Rushing: Clark – 174 car, 1001 yds, 5 tds
Receiving: Warzeka – 17 rec, 394 yds, 3 tds

Georgia Tech Leaders:
Passing: Nesbitt – 39-105, 674 yds, 7 tds
Rushing: Allen – 217 car, 1225 yds, 6 tds
Receiving: Hill – 15 rec, 291 yds, 3 td
The match kickoff time is 5:00 PM. You can watch Air Force Falcons vs Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets-Independence Bowl live streaming from your favorite Sports TV Channel.

The El Llanito premiere dental care center

As part of the inauguration of Dental Medical Specialty Center, located in El Llanito, the mayor of Sucre Carlos Ocariz, reported a series of irregularities related to the delay in vaccine distribution by Ministry of Health since April of this year. 

Además aseveró que “anteriormente teníamos 22 médicos rurales pero ahora sólo contamos con 16, ya que el Ejecutivo Nacional ha ido realizando la transferencia de este personal a otras zonas del país, dejando a varios de nuestros centros de salud desasistidos”. In addition he said that "previously we had 22 rural doctors but now we only have 16 because the National Government has been making the transfer of this staff to other areas of the country, leaving many of our disadvantaged health centers."

“Aunque hemos enviado cinco comunicaciones seguimos sin recibir respuesta, no sabemos si es porque están desabastecidos o peor aun porque están politizando el tema y se niegan a distribuirlas por el hecho de ser una alcaldía de oposición, además la transferencia de varios médicos rurales a otras estados del país ha traído como consecuencia la desmejora de la atención en las zonas más desasistidas de nuestra jurisdicción” enfatizó el burgomaestre. "Although we have sent five communications with no response, do not know if it's because they are stocked out or worse because they are politicizing the issue and refuse to distribute by the fact that the mayor's opposition, as well as the transfer of several other rural doctors U.S. states has resulted in the demotion of care in underserved areas of our jurisdiction, "the mayor stressed.

En este sentido, es necesario que el Ministerio de Salud reanude la distribución de vacunas como Triple, Polio, Toxoide, Hepatitis adulto y pediátrico, antirrábica entre otras para cumplir con los habitantes del ayuntamiento que requieran en un momento determinado el uso de estas medicinas para prevenir enfermedades graves. In this sense, it is necessary that the Ministry of Health resumed the distribution of vaccines and Triple, Polio, Tetanus, Hepatitis adult and pediatric, rabies and other to meet the inhabitants of the municipality to require at any given time using these medicines prevent serious illness.

Por otro lado, Francisco Mechara Decano de la Facultad de Odontología de la Universidad Santa María, expresó que “este centro On the other hand, Francisco Wicks Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry, Santa Maria University, said that "this center .

Wikileaks Founder's autobiography

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has agreed to write an autobiography, which should net him around $1.3 million.


In an interview with the Sunday Times (subscription required), Assange revealed that the book will be published in the UK as well as the U.S. He would receive $800,000 from U.S. publisher Alfred A. Knopf, a unit of Random House, and £325,000 ($502,000) from UK publisher Canongate Books Ltd.
A spokesman for Random House confirmed the deal, but not the amount. “We are very excited to be publishing this book. The work that Assange has been doing at WikiLeaks has tremendous importance around the world,” he said.

Assange’s motives for writing an autobiography are quite clear: he needs the money. “I don’t want to write this book, but I have to. I have already spent £200,000 for legal costs and I need to defend myself and to keep WikiLeaks afloat,” Assange told the Sunday Times.

MTA-Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Mta, For the third time in as many millions of years of straphangers, the commuter rail riders and drivers of metropolitan New York will once again pay more for transportation starting December 30.


Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman Jay Walder said the agency had no choice given its financial situation, which has already introduced closings of subway lines and any reduction in bus service. The biggest hike is about a third of all users of the subway and buses that use 30-day unlimited MetroCard. It will rise from $ 89 to $ 104. The base fare for personal travel on buses, subways and stays Access-A-Ride $ 2.25 for seniors and pay 1.10.
Single tickets available in vending machines are and 2.50.

The seven days will MetroCard to $ 29. The express bus fares and 5.50 establishments with off-peak rates of $ 2.75. Most Long Island Rail Road fares will increase by 7.6 percent to 9.4 percent depending on the type of ticket and how far the passenger travels. Tolls on MTA bridges and tunnels will rise to $ 6.50 to most parts for cash customers and increase by 23 cents to 4.80 and at most parts for E-ZPass users. More detailed information can be obtained online at mta.info. Although the fate of ATM is precarious, the Long Island Bus riders face an uncertain future since their travel is concerned. The MTA at its meeting on 15 December approved a 2011 budget without money for Long Island Bus. The problem is that the MTA has been subsidizing the commuter bus line by tens of millions of years and is reluctant to continue the largesse.

Javier Bardem with Penelope Cruz

What an active weekend! Mom-to-be Penélope Cruz and hubby Javier Bardem were spotted enjoying themselves at the L.A. Lakers game – but days before, the two stopped into renowned apothecary Santa Maria Novella. 

The lovey-dovey couple held hands as they shopped and picked out various scents. They even held items up to each other to take a sniff. According to an onlooker, the two were acting very romantic and were a glowing couple.
George Clooney and girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis, enjoying a romantic getaway in Los Cabos, Mexico. The happy couple were spotted holding hands – and dining – at the One and Only Palmilla Resort. Clooney has also been spotted visiting with Cameron Diaz and Alex Rodriguez, who are vacationing in Mexico, too.

A Colorado physician's license suspended recommending medical marijuana

A Colorado physician suspected of recommending medical marijuana to a 28-weeks pregnant woman without conducting a thorough physical examination is fighting to keep his license.


A panel of the Colorado Medical Board last month ordered an emergency suspension of the license of Dr. Manuel De Jesus Aquino of Denver, pending a full investigation and finding, officials said.

Heavy Blizzard Paralyzes New York City

A powerful winter storm slammed the I-95 corridor from Philadelphia to Boston on Sunday. Through today, the blizzard will bring travel to a standstill along the coastline of northern New England as well.


The storm unleashed around a foot of snow and howling winds in cities and towns from Philadelphia through New York City to Boston as it advanced northward offshore Sunday and Sunday night. So far New Jersey has been hit with the heaviest snow. As of early this morning, 29.0 inches of snow has buried Lyndhurst, and 26.5 inches of snow have fallen in Elizabeth.

The impending storm prompted the NFL to postpone Sunday night's matchup between the Eagles and Vikings in Philadelphia before the storm even arrived. Nearly a foot of snow piled up as the day unfolded, and the snow continued overnight.

E-commerce specialist GSI Commerce Giant

In the third quarter report October 27, it said revenues for your full-year could be $1.35 billion, a 35% increase from 2009. Revenue’s never been an issue for your company. In 2000, its revenues were less than $50 million. Profits, as I wrote within my original article, are a totally different matter. Between 2005 and 2009, its cumulative income from operations was $16.6 million on $3.8 billion in revenue. That’s an operating margin of under 1%. Grocery stores fare better. Supporters of the company will point for the non-GAAP numbers, suggesting the actual profit this year could be more like $133 million once you add back depreciation, stock-based compensation, etc.

If you want a PhD in accounting to figure out the correct numbers for a corporation are, you shouldn’t invest. Here is the most frustrating thing about the company. It’s operating what ought to be a goldmine of your business. The Cyber-Monday numbers don’t lie; people like buying stuff online. But also for some reason its business model doesn’t permit profits. Can it be that its clients, which include Ralph Lauren, Timberland, Dick’s Shoe  and Aeropostale (NYSE:ARO) have cut too good an arrangement with them? If you cannot make money off fulfillment, why bother carrying it out.

The business has three operating segments with all the majority of the revenue generated from e-commerce services. Unfortunately, those operating margins were 8% in ’09. That does not leave much for interest and taxes. However, its interactive marketing services division, in charge of just 13% of its revenue last year, delivered 33% of their operating profits. The next segment is consumer engagement, which assists retailers unload left overs and taken into account just 3% of revenues (just one month contained in 2009 – see acquisitions) and a small loss. It seems to me it will be much more sensible to help keep the 2 smaller segments then sell the much bigger and unprofitable fulfillment division. The 2 segments might lose business when breaking the inter-company relationship nevertheless the expertise it’s got should be marketable with no fulfillment. If not, this is an incredible mess.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Lovergirl Tina Marie Dies at Age 54

A source close to the family of Teena Marie says the Grammy-nominated R&B singer, song-writer and producer has died. Marie was best known for her work with the late funk legend Rick James. Born Marie Christine Brockert, Teena Marie rose to prominence in the late 70s and 80s.


Marie's biggest hit came in 1984 with her single 'Lovergirl,' which peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The cable television network reported on its website that Marie's manager Mike Gardner confirmed the death of Marie, 54.

East US Hit By Snow Storm

Large parts of the US eastern seaboard have been covered in snow by a winter storm that has already brought chaos to southern states.
Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina have declared states of emergency after winds of up to 45mph combined with the snow to caused blizzards.


South Carolina had its first Christmas snow since records began in 1887.

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell told The Weather Channel that snow driven by strong winds would make travel conditions hazardous.

"We're urging extreme caution in travel. Try to get home early and if you don't have to travel don't go," he said.

New York City and the New England states have now been hit.

Airlines have grounded hundreds of flights along the northeast corridor and more cancellations are likely as the storm progresses.

A blizzard warning is also in effect for Rhode Island and most of eastern Massachusetts including Boston, with forecasters predicting 38 to 51cm of snow.
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New York's JFK Airport is now closed

JFK Airport is now closed due to the weather conditions.

Temprature report is

Temperature:           24° F(-4°C)
Wind:                        N 35 mph
Visibility:                0 miles
It seems that the new york jfk air port is not receving the flights.
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The Vikings Eagles is postponed to Tuesday Night Football

The Minnesota Vikings will not be playing the Philadelphia Eagles tonight. The game has been moved to Tuesday and will remain on NBC.

The Eagles announced that today’s Philadelphia blizzard will make it impossible for the game to be played as scheduled — mostly because it would be impossible for fans in Philadelphia to get to the game safely.
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Engagement of Hugh Hefner with Crystal Harris

Hugh Hefner popped the question to his girlfriend Crystal Harris on Christmas Eve.


“After the movie tonight, Crystal & I exchanged gifts. I gave Crystal a ring. A truly memorable Christmas Eve,” tweeted the 84-year-old Playboy founder.

Harris, who’s 60 years younger than Hefner, then wrote, “The most memorable Christmas ever.”

Since Hef didn’t specify the gift was actually an engagement ring, it was a little unclear whether or not he popped the question.

The New York Bulls Lose Sloppy Christmas Game

Derrick Rose and Carlos Boozer never eased the pressure, but even they fell flat too often to carry the Bulls on their back against the Knicks. The 103-95 loss in New York is only their second over the last 11 games this December.
If I told you the Bulls would take 12 more shots from the field and nine more at the FT line than the Knicks, while forcing 24 turnovers, you'd assume the Bulls blew them out. Not so.

The Knicks (18-12) beat the brick-tastic Bulls (18-10) at the Madison Square Garden 103-95 in a very sloppy matchup. A hilariously bad first quarter by both teams gave the Knicks a slight 21-20 edge, but when the energy picked up, the Bulls dominated the paint while the Knicks knocked down shots. The Bulls' 54-52 halftime lead was vulnerable unless a team effort could be displayed. That team effort came out, but it was the Knicks who escalated the aggressiveness in the passing lanes and blocking shots while moving the ball effectively around the perimeter. The Bulls were more physical, but could never get the inside-out game going and were limited to 12 points in the final quarter where they controlled the pace, but couldn't capitalize.

The Knicks win Christmas Day game 103-95

With the score tied at 87 a piece with 10:10 minutes left in the 4th quarter, the Chicago Bulls and NY Knicks looked as if they were heading to an epic finish.

That's when the drought started. And the Knicks capitalized, going on a 10-0 run, finished off by a Wilson Chandler 4-foot jumper with 2:27 remaining.

The Bulls failed to score until Carlos Boozer made a hook shot in the paint with 1:52 - yes 1:52 -- minutes left in the 4th quarter. But by then, it was too late.
You're simply not going to win playing so pathetically on offense in late-game situations. There was not much offensive continuity during the drought.

Carlos Boozer was brought to Chicago to provide a low-post presence, something that's needed come playoffs. However, I thought the Bulls didn't give him the ball in the low-post enough during the drought. Instead, they went with pick-and-rolls or Iso's, usually for Derrick Rose.

Rose had spurts where he looked like the best player on the court, and had a good line on the stat sheet -- 25 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds, and 6 steals -- however, he also had 7 turnovers, took 28 shots, and had several poor passes. Early in the game, I thought Rose was pressing a little bit, looking for his own offense instead of letting the game come to him.

Much of that, though, can be attributed to the poor start for the rest of the Bulls. Rose had 11 of the Bulls' 20 first-quarter points, but it came on 13 shots.

Boozer had an excellent game offensively, with game-high's in both points, 25, and rebounds, 19. Boozer was very successful when he went to backing down and bullying the Knicks' big-men. However, I thought he settled for the fade-away jumper too much, instead of just going with what was working, which was simply out-muscling the Knicks' big-men.

News of Kobe and Le-Bron in NBA showdown

Although the two superstars wouldn’t reveal what angry words they exchanged, it wasn’t tough to pick out a few statements Saturday. While Kobe and the Los Angeles Lakers got a disturbing first look at the Miami Heat, LeBron got the last word at Staples Center yet again.
James had 27 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists while hitting a season-high five 3-pointers, and the Heat thrived on the holiday stage in a 96-80 victory.


Although both teams called the game a television curiosity rather than a potential NBA finals preview, it clearly meant something to James, who had his third triple-double with Miami and the 31st of his career. James also outplayed Bryant, who scored 17 points, in his second straight Christmas win in the Lakers’ home arena, following last season’s victory for LeBron’s Cavaliers.

“We’re not trying to make a statement to anyone,” James said. “We’re trying to show each other that we can play at a high level and try to get better every game. This is one game. … We’re happy because we got better today.”

While the Heat realize Boston and Orlando are much more important obstacles to their championship hopes, and while the Lakers don’t get terribly excited about playing anybody until the playoffs, there was a palpable edge in the crowd at Staples Center for this intersectional matchup—until the Heat’s steady defensive effort flattened the Lakers in the second half.

Chris Bosh(notes) had 24 points and 13 rebounds, Dwyane Wade(notes) added 18 points on a sore knee and the Heat won for the 14th time in 15 games while flustering the two-time defending champions into a terrible offensive performance, starting with Los Angeles’ 14-point first quarter.

“Our whole thing is just playing solid defense the whole game,” Bosh said. “That’s the primary part of our identity. Our backbone right now is defense.”

The new Cyber Monday Deals of 2010

Black Friday is upon us, but despite the mayhem occurring in stores across our nation right now, more shopper than ever are waiting for Cyber Monday deals. Find the best strategies to get the biggest bang for your buck, and links to sites offering tremendous deals after the jump.The Cyber Monday vs. Black Friday statistics from last year, which show ‘CM’ beating out ‘BF’ as the highest grossing shopping day of the year, are surprising to many old school shoppers, but for us tech savvy folks, well, it’s just basic common sense.
 cyber monday


It’s never a surprise when you arrive at the mall, or even your favorite local shopping center around the holidays and the building is packed with voracious shoppers who are all trying to get their hands on the best deal available. But, who wants to deal with this crazed mayhem? Certainly not me! How about you? Okay, I didn’t thinks so.
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everybody want how to shop for free?

I’ve gotten a bit lazy when it comes to couponing.  I wasn’t keeping up on clipping coupons or organizing them or even putting the coupon inserts in their files.

Sometimes I’d forget my coupon binder in the car  and not bother to retrieve it. It’s not that I didn’t care.  It was that I just couldn’t bring myself to spend the time to do it.  As I reflected on the No Eating Out Challenge, I realized that if I had been better about couponing during the month, I would have saved a lot more money than I did.

And if there’s one thing I do care about, it’s saving money.
The fact that I need to step up my coupon clipping was made even more evident to me when I read How to Shop for Free: Shopping Secrets for Smart Women Who Love to Get Something for Nothing written by Kathy Spencer with Samantha Rose.
Kathy Spencer is a mom of four and author of the blog How to Shop for Free.  She’s a coupon fanatic and is one of those amazing women who can whittle a $267.22 grocery bill down to one penny.

sales of the day after christmas 2010

There are a number of day after Christmas sales for those willing to brave the crowds at major retailers this year, starting Dec. 26, 2010.

After Christmas sales for 2010 can be found at Walmart, Best Buy, Sears, Target, Kmart and elsewhere. In addition to those bargain-hunting, there will also be many trying to return gifts. The National Retail Federation's Scott Krugman says Dec. 26 should "pad the numbers of successful holiday season" for retailers; since this year's day after Christmas falls on a Sunday, it could be more crowded than normal.

ABC News reports that this year's Christmas season is expected to surpass the last few years, with Americans spending a predicted $451.5 billion, up 3.3 percent from last year.

Dec. 26 is the day my frugal family stocks up on everything from blenders to clothes to gifts for next year. My father (who has purchased any electronics prior to Christmas and is done shopping for the year) stays at home while my mother, sister and I load up at 6 a.m., coffee cups in hand, and head to the outlet malls.

Now Watch it "just go with it"

A Jennifer Aniston movie that’s actually funny? Let’s call it a Christmas miracle, because the trailer for “Just Go With It” looks pretty good. Considering Aniston’s last few movies (“The Switch,” “Bounty Hunter,” “He’s Just Not That Into You”) have been both colossal flops and not funny, this is exciting news. “Just Go With It” co-stars Adam Sandler as a single guy who wears a wedding ring to pick up girls at bars. Click on to see the “Just Go With It” trailer.
Sandler finds a woman who could be his soulmate in Brooklyn Decker (in a bikini), but when she finds the wedding ring in his pocket, it leads to an elaborate ruse in which Aniston pretends to be his ex-wife, and he has to pretend to be her kids’ dad, too.
For video

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Why Jim Tressel leaving?

This is great news in the college football game world, specially after the University of Miami made a coaching job alter right away after the regular season. The thought that Tressel would be out of a job earlier Rich Rodriguez at Michigan is also astonishing.
tressel


Where the Buckeyes go to find a replacement is anyone's guess. Would TCU coach Gary Patterson become a possibility? The number of professional jobs that could come available in early January could cloud the hiring process in Columbus.
Ohio State fans and alumni don't like me; the thousands of personal attacks and taunts on Twitter made that perfectly clear.

However, the sources that provided me with this information were clear with their comments, and I am comfortable sticking with what I have been told. If I was wrong, I will publish a strong statement to that effect in the future.

opening schedule of stores on this x-mas

 Today everybody is trying to celebrate the Christmas. But it is very difficult for anyone that which store is open. and what are the schedules of these stores.
Even although a lot of stores than common remained opened this Thanksgiving, and batch of stores held open future hrs this Dec 25 X-mas Eve, stores will widely be closed down as characteristic on Xmas.
christmas

It is one of the few hours each year in which mostly all business concern are shut down across the country. This time Christmas occurs on a Saturday, exclusively solidifying the day off for numerous people. Target, Kmart,  Walmart, Old Navy Toys R Us were open on Christmas Day Eve, but will completely be closed Xmas this yr.

Even so, if you need to attain a fast run to the store, Walgreens positions across the nation will be open, and a lot of CVS positionings will also be open. Extra stores are  open locally; it is better to assure your local listings or call up private stores near you without doubt.

Friday, December 24, 2010

A new christmas story of 2010

Probabilities are you will be catching A Christmas Story at the least at one time across the future a couple of days. Ever since TBS began airing twenty-four hours of the film getting Christmas Day Eve through Dec 25 Day, it has become a custom in many families to keep their TVs tuned in to Ralphie's Christmas interrelated trials and visitations for a long time upon hours on close.


Because such as, there is a full chance a couple of questions could bug out up although the film is bringing in the screen background, attempting to drown away Uncle Eddie's post-Christmas dinner snoring. We shll be taking the future pair of days to reply some of those questions for you, this direction when your little first cousin Bobby acts and asks whether you are able to truly shoot your eye out with a BB shot gun, you will be awaiting with a smiling face and the correct answer.
Can You Really Shoot Your Eye Out with a BB Gun?

prays of pope in Vatican

Bishop of Rome pope Benedict has prayed for peacefulness as he delivered his traditionalistic Christmas Eve homily in capital of Italy Rome.


At a Mass at St Peter's Basilica, the Bishop of Rome prayed for God to "implant his peacefulness in our heart and soul just also to break the rods of the oppressors. Security measures were fast. Last yr at the same Mass a womanhood jumped the barriers and lunged at the Bishop of Rome.
Eighty-three year older Catholic Pope stopped doubly to bless children held up to him.Almost ten thousand people attended the Mass.The Vatican had looked back its security system processes later last year's incident. When a mature female had too attempted to throw herself at the Pope at the Mass a year before.
In the meantime at a Mass in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, a senior churchman called for peace in the Middle East.

European transport disrupted due to snow

1000s of travelers have had their Christmas Day plans cut off by more snowfalls over Western European Community.


100s of flights have been deleted at General Charles de Gaulle airport nearly capital of France Paris where 2,000 passengers were travelled from a terminal as of snow along the roof. Brussels airport was in addition to disadvantageously hit and Belgians were warned not to drive.

100s of traveling accidents have been described over Germany, and in northern Italy weighted rain has stimulated overflowing in divisions of Venice. Remarkably high tide levels were accounted in the Venice lagoon. In the town of Vicenza, western of Venice, people were moved from their houses because of high up river levels.

The santa tracking code

It's been a holiday tradition since 1955 and the 2010 edition of the NORAD Santa Tracker is up an running.    And yes, it even has an app for your phones as well.
The tradition started as the result of a Colorado Springs, CO based Sears placing an advertisement in the local newspaper that included a phone number that kids could call to talk to Santa.
code


However, the number in the printed ad was incorrect.   The calls meant for Santa ended up going to CONAD, the forerunner of NORAD. 
On the night a December 24, 1955 the officer on duty that night, Colonel Harry Shoup, instructed his personnel to give all children who called in that night a actual location for Santa Claus, and a custom was born.
Now it has morphed into the collective bought at NORAD chases Santa broadcast which uses voluntaries from Cheyenne Mountain and Peterson AFB.   The program as well has Facebook and Twitter pages and are responsible for the Santa accounts you assure included in your local news show outlet's Christmas Day evening weather forecasts.
And since Santa's workshops undisclosed position is someplace about the North pole and is at heart Canadian territory, the America founded NORAD trackers clog helping hand from their Canadian counterparts as well.

And children, to keep Santa safe on his nocturnal mission of present bringings he gets fighter escorts while over U.S. and Canadian airspace.

True facts about the US Statue of liberty

The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the Earth, a empty giant composed of thinly pounded copper sheets across a steel framing, was projected in Paris by the French statue maker Frederic Bartholdi, in collaboration with the French technologist Gustave Eiffel, who was responsible for its frame, designated equally a gift from Anatole France for the centenary of American independency in 1876. 
statue of liberty

The symbolical appraise of the Statue of Liberty lies in two basic factors. The Statue as well soon became and has endured for a symbolic representation of the migration of people from a lot of countries into the United States in the late 19th and the early 20th centuries. She endures as a highly potent symbol – inspiring contemplation, debate and protest – of ideals such as liberty, peace, human rights, abolition of slavery, democracy and opportunity.
Long Description
The final call into question of the 2 hour especial of ‘1000000 Dollar Money Drop  was a question that every US citizen should know. The cognition of the accurate answer displays our allegiance to this great nation and is asked knowledge for ever immigrant to know.

Taliban's attack on pakistani border

At least three soldiers and 24 activists have been bolted down in brushes near the Afghani frontier in northwest Pakistan, officials have said. About one hundred fifty Taleban fighters rounded five paramilitary unit Frontier Corps checkpoints in Baidnami, Mohmand tribal area, along Thursday evening, they averred.


The Frontier corporations ordered at the least 12 soldiers were hurt. The Taliban altercated the account, saying they had downed dozen soldiers and only two of their battlers had died. 2 soldiers caused also been captured, a Taliban spokesman averred. The claim was denied by security officials, who said no-one was dropping.
Security forces have cordoned off the region and are exploring for the fleeing militants,a armed forces spokesman said. Mohmand is a transit aim for insurgents crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan and a stronghold of the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

The Pakistani military has launched offensives there in recent months, but insurgent attacks have continued on a regular basis. Earlier this month, a twin suicide bomb attack at a government compound in Ghalanai left 43 people dead. Local officials had been meeting tribal elders to discuss forming an anti-Taliban militia at the time of the blasts.

In July, another twin suicide bombing attack, also targeting tribal elders, killed more than 100 people in the village of Yakaghund in Mohmand.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Strom hit badly Southern California

A Vast storm arrangement has dumped record comes of rain on southern California and inspired concern that the inadequate weather could spread across the US.Streets afloat, occupants were evacuated and agencies were on alert for landslips in the awake of the torrential downpour.


The deluge arrived at the end of a week that considered Los Angeles obtain half its annual rainfall fashionable just hexad months. Abundant rain was also accounted in neighbouring Arizona, Nevada and Utah.At that place are concerns that the weather system will spread across the US, reaching New Mexico by Thursday and the Gulf glide by the end of the week.Even so, forecasters said the rain would facilitate because it travelled eastward.
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Sunday, December 12, 2010

Police search Bedfordshire property

A property in the UK is being searched as part of the investigation into the weekend's bombing in Sweden, in which one man died, police have said.

A search warrant was executed at a property in Bedfordshire, under the Terrorism Act 2000, on Sunday night, the Metropolitan Police said. It follows the suspected suicide and car bombing in Stockholm on Saturday. Unconfirmed reports say the man killed by the blast was Taimour Abdulwahab al-Abdaly, 28, who lived in Luton.

No arrests have been made and no hazardous materials were found at the property, Scotland Yard said. The search is expected to resume later on Monday. Several newspapers, Swedish websites and an Islamist forum have named Abdaly, an Iraqi-born Swede, as the attacker.

It is believed he blew himself up after he had tried to set off a car bomb in a busy street. Two people were injured.

BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera says the man suspected of having been the bomber was born in Iraq but moved to Sweden in the 1990s. He is then believed to have moved to the UK in 2001 to live and study in Luton. It is likely the British security services will be investigating how long he spent in the UK and the significance of that time, as well as establishing whether he was connected to other individuals, our correspondent adds.
Abdaly listed himself on Muslim dating website Muslima as a physical therapy graduate from Bedfordshire University.

The Daily Telegraph reports he would have turned 29 on Sunday and that his wife and young children still live in Luton. The paper quotes his neighbours as saying they last saw him two-and-a-half weeks ago.

Tahir Hussain, 33, a taxi driver who lives nearby, told the paper: "I used to see him around often. He didn't say much but seemed nice. I used to see him walking with his kids.

"I was shocked when I heard what happened because I never thought he could do such a thing."

There has been no comment from Bedfordshire University.

A Home Office spokesman said: "We remain in close contact with the Swedish authorities. It would be inappropriate to comment on their ongoing investigation at this time."
The car blew up in a busy shopping street of Drottninggatan at 1700 (1600 GMT) on Saturday and the second blast occurred 10 to 15 minutes later on a street about 300m away, Swedish police said. Witnesses said a man found dead after the second blast had been carrying an explosive device.

Swedish PM Fredrik Reinfeldt said the attacks were unacceptable in Sweden's "open society", which he said was a democracy that respected different cultures. The country's police are investigating a set of e-mails sent shortly before the blasts threatening attacks because Sweden had sent troops to Afghanistan.

Sweden has some 500 soldiers deployed in Afghanistan as part of the international military force.

The e-mails, with MP3 audio files in Swedish and Arabic, were sent to the Swedish security service and the TT news agency.

They called for "mujahideen" - or Islamist fighters - to rise up in Sweden and Europe, promising Swedes would "die like our brothers and sisters".

They also attacked the country for caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad drawn by Swedish artist Lars Vilks.

If confirmed as a suicide bombing, the attack would be the first of its kind in Sweden.

Sweden probes Terrorist Attack

Two explosions in Sweden's capital Stockholm are being investigated as a "crime of terror", officials say.


A car blew up in a busy shopping area on Saturday afternoon, followed moments later by a second explosion nearby.

Witnesses said a man found dead after the second blast had been carrying an explosive device. Two people were hurt.

Swedish PM Fredrik Reinfeldt condemned the attacks as unacceptable in an open society with a functioning democracy that respects different cultures.

"Our democracy functions well," he told a press conference. "Those who feel frustration or anger have the opportunity to express it without resorting to violence."
Swedish security police have not yet released the dead man's name, although director of operations Anders Thornberg says they now have a clearer idea about him.
"As far as we know it looks like he has been working for himself but we don't know, we have to make that really sure," he said.

"So we are investigating whether there could be more perpetrators. We don't know."

Police are investigating a set of e-mails sent shortly before the blasts threatening attacks because Sweden had sent troops to Afghanistan.

Sweden has some 500 soldiers deployed in Afghanistan as part of the international military force.

Police are trying to work out whether the explosions were an isolated attack or part of a larger conspiracy, says the BBC's Stephen Evans in Stockholm.

The e-mails, with MP3 audio files in Swedish and Arabic, were sent to the Swedish security service and the TT news agency.

They called for "mujahideen" - or Islamist fighters - to rise up in Sweden and Europe, promising Swedes would "die like our brothers and sisters".

Bangladesh Clashes workers say wages have not gone up

At least three people were killed and dozens more injured when police in Bangladesh clashed with garment factory workers demanding better pay, police have said.

Police used batons and tear gas to disperse thousands of protesters in Dhaka and Chittagong. The unrest came a day after demonstrations shut down factories in southern Bangladesh.

The workers say wages have not gone up, even though rises were due last month. Police tried to disperse protesters attacking factories and smashing vehicles in Chittagong Export Procession Zone (CEPZ) on Sunday, police official Reza al-Hasan said.

Local media said one of the men killed was a 35-year-old rickshaw puller in Chittagong, but it was unclear how he had died.

All three victims were reportedly shot dead.

At least 50 people were injured during the unrest in Chittagong.

Almost all factories in the CEPZ are closed because of the protests, officials said.

The BBC's Anbarasan Ethirajan, in Dhaka, says demonstrations on Saturday forced a South Korean company to shut down all its 11 factories there.

Scores more were injured in Dhaka, where thousands of workers gathered outside their factory in an industrial area of the city early in the morning in protest against its closure as a result of the disturbances.

Roads in Dhaka were blocked and at least two vehicles set on fire, police said. Labour unions say many of the factories are not implementing the new salary scale announced by a government wage board earlier this year.

From November, the factories should have been paying a wage of at least $43 (£27) a month.

Around Dhaka, workers in some factories have been protesting for a number of days, demanding increased pay.

More than three million people, mostly women, work in Bangladesh's garment industry, which supplies many major Western stores and is a key sector of the country's economy.

The Kosovo Holds Historic Election

An early election had to be called after the LDK pulled out of Mr Thaci's government in October in a row over its then leader, Fatmir Sejdiu, who was also Kosovo's president.


After Mr Sejdiu stepped down as president, he was ousted from the LDK leadership by the mayor of Pristina, Isa Mustafa.

Another party, the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, has been weakened because its leader, former rebel Ramush Haradinaj, is being retried by the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague.

Among Kosovo's most daunting challenges are an unemployment rate of 45% - even higher among young people - and one of the weakest economies in Europe.

While recognised by many Western countries, Kosovo is still not a member of the UN and its ethnic Albanian majority are under pressure to show they can build peaceful relations with the Serb minority.
Serbs now only number around 120,000 out of Kosovo's population of two million.

The vast majority of Serbs continue to live in enclaves guarded by Nato-led peacekeepers, and many are concentrated in the north, between the divided town of Mitrovica and the Serbian border.

Posters in Mitrovica have been calling on Serbs to boycott the election. "No to elections in the false state of Kosovo," reads one.

The US ambassador in Kosovo, Christopher Dell, has warned that an attempt to partition the north could spark renewed ethnic violence across the region, according to a series of secret diplomatic cables released by the Wikileaks website on Thursday.


Kosovo is holding its first parliamentary election since unilaterally declaring independence from Serbia almost three years ago.
The ethnic Albanian majority and small Serb minority remain largely estranged, more than a decade after a Nato-led conflict broke Belgrade's control.

Serbia has not recognised Kosovo's independence and most Serbs are expected to boycott the elections.
The EU says the election is important for Kosovo's hopes of entry.
During the campaign, institutionalised corruption and the dire state of Kosovo's economy have consistently topped lists of voter concerns.

Opinion polls have suggested that the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) of the outgoing Prime Minister, Hashim Thaci, is in the lead but is unlikely to win an outright majority.

Its former junior coalition partner, the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), is mounting a strong challenge.
"Failure to act soon means losing northern Kosovo and will re-open the Pandora's Box of ethnic conflict that defined the 1990s," Mr Dell said.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

explosions in centre of the Swedish capital

One person has been killed and two others injured in two explosions that rocked the centre of the Swedish capital, Stockholm.


A car blew up near the busy shopping street of Drottninggatan and another blast followed nearby minutes later.

Swedish press attributed the second blast to a suicide bomber but police said no cause had yet been determined.

Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said a "terrorist attack" which could have been "truly catastrophic" had failed.

Tweeting on the blasts, he described them as "most worrying".

A local news agency, TT, said it had received a threatening e-mail shortly before the blasts, which called for "mujahideen", or Islamist fighters, to rise up in Sweden and Europe.

Attacking the country over caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed drawn by Swedish artist Lars Vilks as well as Sweden's military presence in Afghanistan, the e-mail promised Swedes would "die like our brothers and sisters".

Sweden has 500 soldiers deployed in Afghanistan as part of the international peacekeeping force.

In November, the country raised its terror alert level from low to elevated because of a "shift in activities" among Swedish-based groups that could be plotting attacks.
Both blasts hit central Stockholm as the streets were busy with people out Christmas shopping.

The car exploded at 1700 (1600 GMT) and the second blast occurred 10 to 15 minutes later on a street about 300m (300yds) away, police spokesman Kjell Lindgren said.

A man was found dead near the site of the second explosion and two people with minor injuries were also found nearby.

Asked if the dead man had somehow blown himself up, Mr Lindgren said: "It is possible."

Unconfirmed reports in Sweden's Aftonbladet newspaper said the man was carrying pipe bombs, as well as a backpack full of nails.

Another police spokesman, Ulf Johansson, told the BBC police would not rush to judgement.

"We need more investigation and of course we need more witnesses to give us the information of what actually has happened," he said.

He said the car had contained gas canisters and had "exploded with a series of minor explosions".

The identities of the dead man and those injured have not been released.
A former employee of the Associated Press news agency, Gabriel Gabiro, was close to the second blast.
There was a man lying on the ground with blood coming out in the area of his belly, and with his personal belongings scattered around him."

A trained medic named only as Pascal also said the man appeared to have a stomach injury.

"It looked as if the man had carried something that exploded in his stomach," he said on the website of newspaper Dagens Nyheter.

"He had no injuries to the face or body in general and the shops around were not damaged."

US Secretary of State frustrated at Middle East deadlock

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has expressed frustration at the latest setback to Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, but insisted that the US would continue to push for progress.


She vowed to promote indirect talks on "core issues" including borders, settlements, refugees and Jerusalem.

Direct talks were set up with great fanfare by President Barack Obama.

But earlier this week the US abandoned efforts to persuade Israel to stop new construction of Jewish settlements.

Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians resumed in September after a break of almost two years.

But they were suspended within weeks when Israel decided not to extend the 10-month freeze on settlement building in the West Bank.

Ms Clinton said the time had come to "grapple with the core issues of this conflict: on borders and security, settlements, water and refugees and on Jerusalem itself."

She was making her first comments on the deadlock since Washington said it had abandoned efforts to persuade Israel to stop the construction of new Jewish settlements - something which the Palestinians are insisting on before direct talks can progress.
Ms Clinton repeated the US commitment to Israel's security, even as she explained why the US viewed Israel's construction of Jewish settlements on Palestinian land as illegitimate.

"Like many of you, I am frustrated that we have not gotten farther, faster," Ms Clinton said in a speech at the Saban Forum, a Middle East policy seminar sponsored by the Brookings Institution think tank.

Stressing that a negotiated solution remained the only way forward, she said the US would resume the role of broker, opening talks with both parties on vital issues

"We will push the parties to lay out their positions on the core issues without delay, in good faith, and with real specificity," she said.

Ms Clinton's speech was the first Middle East policy address following the US's abandoning its efforts to persuade Israel to halt construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
Using plain language and a sometimes stern tone, she said America was "serious about peace" and would be "persistent" in its search for a solution.

Two years of preaching about the need for negotiations had not changed anything, Mrs Clinton said: "There is no viable alternative to reaching mutual agreement. The stakes are too high, the pain too deep, and the issues too complex for any other approach."

Both Israel and the Palestinians had clear motives for seeking peace, she said, explaining that without a resolution to the conflict, Israelis could become a minority within their current borders and Palestinians would be unable to sustain "the lack of peace and the occupation that began in 1967".

But she had some stark words for political leaders on both sides.

The land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea was "finite", she said, and the people who live there need a clear border to map out their futures.

"Palestinians must appreciate Israel's legitimate security concerns. And Israelis must accept the legitimate territorial aspirations of the Palestinian people. Ignoring the other side's needs is in the end self-defeating."

Mr Obama has identified continued US engagement in peace talks as a key policy goal.

But the Palestinians have vowed not to return to the negotiating table while Israel continues building on West Bank settlements.

Last month the Obama administration offered Israel a sizeable package of incentives, including jet fighters and security guarantees, in return for a 90-day extension of a previous moratorium on settlement-building.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered to renew the freeze if the Palestinians recognised Israel as a Jewish state, but the Palestinian Authority dismissed the idea.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Wikileaks supporters mull change in tactics

Web attacks carried out in support of Wikileaks are being wound down as activists consider changing tactics.

Attacks against Amazon were called off late on 9 December and re-directed towards net payments firm Paypal.

Analysis suggests the earlier attacks were made more effective by the involvement of hi-tech criminals.

At the same time one wing of the activist group suggested ditching the attacks and doing more to publicise what is in the leaked cables.
The attacks have been carried out using a tool, called LOIC, that allows people to bombard a site of their choosing with data or let the target be chosen by those running the Anonymous campaign.
The tool launches what is known as a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack which tries to knock a website offline by bombarding it with so much data that it cannot respond.

The LOIC tool has been downloaded more than 46,000 times but, said Anonymous activists in a tweet, this did not translate into enough people using it to knock the retail giant off the web.

Instead, the attack was re-directed towards Paypal and its computer systems which, according to a status page, has intermittently suffered "performance issues" ever since.

There have also been calls for attacks on official Dutch websites following the arrest of a 16-year-old boy suspected of involvement in the online campaign.

But early on 10 December Moneybookers was chosen as the next target and its site was occasionally unreachable from about 1100 GMT.

The chances of success could be boosted by a new version of LOIC written in web programming language Javascript that allows anyone with a browser, including on a mobile phone, to launch attacks.

However, defences against the attacks were being drawn up as security firms scrutinise the code behind LOIC to work out how attacks happen. Some suggest that well-written firewall rules would be able to filter out most of the harmful traffic.
information is also starting to emerge about the other resources that supporters of Anonymous have been able to bring to bear. Research by security firm Panda suggests that some of the earlier attacks on payment firms were aided by hi-tech criminals.
Luis Corrons, technical director of Panda Labs, said during its investigation of Anonymous' attacks its analysts got talking to some of the activists via Internet Relay Chat (IRC).

One of those activists said he had a botnet of 30,000 machines under his control that he was planning to use on behalf of Wikileaks.

"The guy said he had this botnet which was nothing special and was not specifically designed to do these attacks but could be used to do them," said Mr Corrons.

A botnet is a network of hijacked home computers that have been compromised by their owners visiting a booby-trapped webpage that installs code to hand over control to a hi-tech criminal.

Mr Corrons said a botnet with 30,000 machines in it was "about average size". Most of the spam sent around the net is funnelled through machines that are in botnets.

It was becoming clear, he said, that some attacks were aided by the 30,000 machines under the cyber criminals control.

"We know for sure the botnet was used in at least one attack on Paypal," he said.

Panda itself has come under attack with its blog knocked offline for hours by an attack very similar to those Anonymous has been carrying out. Mr Corrons said that, so far, it did not why it was being attacked or who was attacking it.
There are also suggestions that the Anonymous group might be about to drop the web attacks in favour of another tactic.

A message posted on the 4chan image board, out of which Anonymous has grown, suggests dropping LOIC in favour of publicising information in the diplomatic cables that Wikileaks is releasing.

Searching for the less-well publicised cables and spreading the information they contain around the web could be more effective than simply knocking out sites deemed to be enemies of Wikileaks, it said.

The message also suggests using misleading tags on posts and YouTube videos to trick people into reading or viewing the information.

"They don't fear the LOIC, they fear exposure," read the message.

It is not yet clear if the call to change tactics has been taken up by the Anonymous group at large.

In related news, Wikileaks looks set to have a rival as former staffers of the whistle-blowing website prepare to launch. Set up by Daniel Domscheit-Berg, Open Leaks is expected to launch in mid_December and will host and post information leaked to it.

Nobel prize -- Liu Xiaobo must be freed

The chairman of the Nobel prize committee has called for the immediate release of jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, winner of the 2010 peace prize.

There were two standing ovations at the ceremony in Oslo for Mr Liu, who was represented only by an empty chair.

China has been angered by the award and has waged a campaign in recent weeks to discredit it.

Nobel chairman Thorbjorn Jagland praised China for lifting millions of people out of poverty.

He called it an "extraordinary achievement" but warned China that its new status as a leading world power meant Beijing "must regard criticism as positive".

He said the Nobel committee was calling for Mr Liu to be freed immediately, saying: "He hasn't done anything wrong."

For its part, China's foreign ministry condemned the ceremony as a "political farce".

"We resolutely oppose any country or any person using the Nobel Peace Prize to interfere with China's internal affairs or infringe upon China's legal sovereignty," said the ministry in a statement.
During the award ceremony, Norwegian actress Liv Ullmann read out a statement that Mr Liu had made in court during his trial in December 2009.
"I, filled with optimism, look forward to the advent of a future, free China," said the statement.

"For there is no force that can put an end to the human quest for freedom, and China will in the end become a nation ruled by law, where human rights reign supreme."

Honouring the new laureate, Mr Jagland placed the Nobel diploma on the empty chair marking Mr Liu's absence.

The Nobel chairman compared China's anger at the award to the outcry over peace prizes awarded to other dissidents of their times, including South African archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

He said Mr Liu was dedicating his prize to "the lost souls from 4 June", those who died in the pro-democracy protests on that date in Tiananmen Square in 1989.

"We can say (Mr) Liu reminds us of Nelson Mandela," he said. The former South African president received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.

The UN says it had information that China detained at least 20 activists ahead of the ceremony.
A further 120 cases of house arrest, travel restriction, forced relocation and other acts of intimidation have been reported.

The BBC's English and Chinese language websites have been blocked, and BBC TV coverage was blacked out inside China during the ceremony.

Mr Liu, one of China's leading dissidents, is serving an 11-year sentence in a jail in north-east China for state subversion.

Police are stationed outside his home in Beijing where his wife, Liu Xia, is under house arrest.
Geir Lundestad, the director of the Nobel committee, said 48 foreign delegations attended the Oslo ceremony, 16 countries - including Russia, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan - turned down the invitation and the Chinese returned their invitation unopened.

Analysts say many of those who stayed away did so as a result of Chinese pressure.

However, Serbia - which had previously said it would not attend - announced on Friday that it would be sending a representative.

The Serbian government, which has warm relations with China, had come under pressure from within the European Union and from political parties and civil society groups in Serbia to attend.

Beijing had sought to prevent anyone travelling from China to Oslo to collect the prize on Mr Liu's behalf.
Mike Wooldridge in Oslo says that to the Nobel committee, Liu Xiaobo symbolises a message it was keen to send to China - that its growing economic strength and power do not exempt it from universal standards of human rights.

On the other hand, China said the committee had chosen a criminal convicted under Chinese law to serve the interests of certain Western countries, our correspondent says.
Liu Xiaobo first came to prominence when he took part in the 1989 protests in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

He was sent to prison for nearly two years for his role, and has been a critic of the Chinese government ever since.

He was given an 11-year prison sentence in December 2009 for inciting the subversion of state power, a charge which came after he co-authored a document known as Charter 08.

The document calls openly for political reforms in China, such as a separation of powers and legislative democracy.

This year marks the first time since 1936 that the Nobel Peace Prize, now worth $1.5m (£950,000), was not handed out.
UN human rights chief Navi Pillay on Thursday again called for Mr Liu to be released "as soon as possible".

Last year's peace prize winner, US President Barack Obama, has also called for his release.

The Chinese government has been furious about the award ever since it was announced in October that Liu Xiaobo had won it.

Beijing says that Mr Liu is a criminal, and insists that giving him a prize is an insult to China's judicial system.

As well as putting Liu Xia, the Nobel laureate's wife, under house arrest, the authorities have put pressure on other activists and dissidents.

Some have been prevented from leaving the country, while others have been forced to leave their homes for the next few days, according to the Chinese Human Rights Defenders.

One of those to disappear, it said, was Zhang Zuhua, the man who co-wrote Charter 08.

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