Continuing church priest arrested in Moscow: Anglican Ink, January 30, 2013

Posted by geoconger in Anglican Ink, Crime.
Tags: Fabio Ricardo Rodriguez, Western Rite - Holy Catholic Church
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A continuing Anglican priest has been arrested by customs officials at Moscow?s Sheremetyevo Airport, accused of smuggling cocaine into Russia.

State television broadcaster Rossiya 24 reported that Fr. Fabio Ricardo Rodriguez was arrested on 30 Jan 2013 after the priest?s behavior attracted the attention of Federal Drug Control Service officers.? After his arrival from Paris, Fr. Rodriguez appeared unwell and acted in a nervous manner.

Read it all in Anglican Ink.

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Source: http://geoconger.wordpress.com/2013/01/31/continuing-church-priest-arrested-in-moscow-anglican-ink-january-30-2013/

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Controlling parasites could reduce epilepsy in Africa

Science | Health

31 Jan 13

Better maternal care could help reduce burden of epilepsy in Africa.

The prevalence of epilepsy in Africa could be substantially reduced by programmes to control parasitic diseases and access to better antenatal care, an international team of researchers has found.

Their study of over half a million people in five countries of sub-Saharan Africa is the largest study of epilepsy in this region to date, and reveals the true extent of the problem and the impact of different risk factors for the first time.

Professor Charles Newton from the Department of Psychiatry at Oxford University, who led the study, said: 'This study demonstrates that many cases of epilepsy could be entirely preventable with elimination of parasites in Africa, some of which ? for example onchocerciasis ? have been controlled in some areas. So in some areas the incidence of epilepsy could be reduced by 30-60% with appropriate control measures.'

The findings are published in the journal Lancet Neurology.

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological conditions worldwide and is known to be significantly more prevalent in poorer countries and rural areas.

The study was conducted at International Network for the Demographic Evaluation of Populations and Their Health (INDEPTH) demographic surveillance sites in Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania and Ghana. It screened 586,607 residents and identified 1,711 who were diagnosed as having active convulsive epilepsy. ?

This study demonstrates that many cases of epilepsy could be entirely preventable with elimination of parasites in Africa, some of which have been controlled in some areas.

Professor Charles Newton

These individuals, along with 2,033 who did not have epilepsy, were given a questionnaire to complete about their lifestyle habits. The team also took blood samples to test for exposure to malaria, HIV and four other parasitic diseases that are common in the developing world.

The team found that adults who had been exposed to parasitic diseases were 1.5 to three times more likely to have epilepsy than those who had not. Epilepsy has previously been linked with various parasite infections but this is the first study to reveal the extent of the problem.

In children, the greatest risk factors for developing epilepsy were complications at birth and as a result of head injury. Interventions to improve maternal care could substantially reduce the prevalence of epilepsy in this region, say the authors.

The study focused on people with convulsive epilepsies as they are the most reliably detected and reported, and there remains a substantial stigma attached to patients with the disease.

'Facilities for diagnosis, treatment and on-going management of epilepsy are virtually non-existent in many of the world's poorest regions and so it?s vital that we take these simple steps to try and prevent as many cases of this debilitating disease as possible,' adds Professor Newton, who is also part of the Wellcome Trust programme at the Kenyan Medical Research Institute (KEMRI).

The study was funded by the Wellcome Trust, with support from the University of the Witwatersrand and the South African Medical Research Council.?

Source: http://www.ox.ac.uk/go.rm?id=30982

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Financial fears hit consumer confidence in Jan.

2 hrs.

Leah Schnurr , Reuters

Consumer confidence dropped in January to its lowest level in more than a year as Americans were more pessimistic about the economic outlook and their financial prospects, according to a private sector report released on Tuesday.?

The Conference Board, an industry group, said its index of consumer attitudes fell to 58.6 from an upwardly revised 66.7 in December, falling short of economists' expectations for 64. It was the lowest level since November 2011.?

The index for December was originally reported as 65.1.?

At the start of the year, U.S. politicians came to an agreement that averted the so-called fiscal cliff of spending cuts and tax increases that had been set to come into effect.?

But the deal did raise taxes for many Americans and a number of budget decisions still remain.?

"The increase in the payroll tax has undoubtedly dampened consumers' spirits and it may take a while for confidence to rebound and consumers to recover from their initial paycheck shock," Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators at The Conference Board, said in a statement.?

The expectations index tumbled to its lowest level since October 2011 at 59.5 from 68.1. The present situation index slipped to 57.3 from 64.6.?

Consumers' views on the labor market were also weaker. The "jobs hard to get" index rose for the first time since September to 37.7 from 36.1 the month before. The "jobs plentiful" index fell to 8.6 from 10.8.?

Consumers expected higher price increases with expectations for inflation in the coming 12 months rising to 5.7 percent from 5.6 percent.?

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/economywatch/financial-fears-hit-consumer-confidence-jan-1C8157987

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Transportation secretary to leave administration (The Arizona Republic)

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New health insurance market opens in WA in October - seattlepi.com

SEATTLE (AP) ? Another aspect of President Barack Obama's health care law will go from concept to reality this fall as Washington residents who don't have health insurance will become eligible for Medicaid or gain access to a new insurance exchange.

Some questions and answers on where the health care law stands in Washington state:

?How many people are uninsured in Washington and how many of them are projected to get insurance under the Washington Health Benefit Exchange?

About 1 million Washington residents are uninsured, or about one in seven people who live in the state. Officials do not know the total number who will benefit from an expansion in Medicaid coverage or will buy health insurance through the state's new exchange, which opens in October. State officials estimate that by 2017, insurance coverage obtained through Medicaid and the exchange is expected to reduce Washington's uninsured rate to less than 5 percent.

?How many people are served by Medicaid in Washington state and how many more will be served by a proposed expansion?

About 1.2 million Washington residents are currently served by Medicaid. Another 75,000 are eligible for the free health insurance for low-income people but do not participate, said state Health Care Authority spokesman Jim Stevenson. About 250,000 will be newly eligible on Jan. 1, 2014, under new rules that set the bar at 138 percent of the federal poverty level. If everyone who is eligible signs up for Medicaid, state officials expect to add about 325,000 over the new few years.

?How is the exchange being set up in Washington?

A new public-private partnership called the Washington Health Benefit Exchange is setting up an online marketplace called the health plan finder. It will allow people to compare plan and enroll as individuals, families or small businesses. It was created by the Legislature in 2011. Rules were refined by another bill in 2012. It is governed by a board of volunteers with experience in health care, economics or actuarial science.

?How is it being paid for?

Federal dollars are paying for setting up the exchange. Washington has received grants totaling more than $150 million so far. About 50 people currently work at the exchange and that number is expected to reach 100. Nearly $10 million has been set aside for marketing and outreach, including paid advertising starting in late summer.

Beginning in 2015, the exchange will be required to be self-sustaining, with estimated expenses totaling about $50 million in 2015. How that will happen will be a topic of discussion during this year's Legislature. A monthly fee of nearly $13.69 per participant per month, which would add up to the costs of running the exchange, is being discussed along with other approaches.

?How will people access the exchange?

Although its main interface will be online, people will also be able to access the exchange by fax, mail, telephone and in person.

The Affordable Care Act requires that the exchange build relationships with local groups to help them with outreach and to also assist people who need help signing up for insurance, said Michael Marchand, spokesman for Washington health plan finder. These groups, called navigators, will likely be local nonprofits that help people in a certain community. The Health Benefit Exchange will be asking groups to apply for navigator grants soon. They'll be trained and certified to help people navigate the exchange but they will be prohibited from giving advice about which plan to join. Insurance agents and brokers will also have access to the exchange and people who want more advice can turn to them, but they will also have to pay these private companies a fee for their advice.

?How will the online site work?

People will be able to search by cost, of course, but the interface will be much more sophisticated and potentially more confusing for people who would prefer not to have so many choices. They will be able to narrow their search to see what plans their own doctor will accept. They could search by name brand or type of plan and by what services are covered such as mental health and physical therapy.

Online they'll find links to places where they can get extra help, on the telephone or in person and eventually the site will include a live chat feature for immediate help. People who enter their information into the system may also get a few nice surprises, such as a determination that they are eligible for Medicaid or for help paying their premiums.

?Will the exchange be ready to start enrolling people by the Oct. 1 deadline?

Absolutely, says Marchand. But the program will continue evolve in the future, as will its online presence.

Source: http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/New-health-insurance-market-opens-in-WA-in-October-4229288.php

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Mighty River Power sales gain as wholesale prices... | Stuff.co.nz

Mighty River Power, the country's fourth biggest power generator saw electricity sales and its market share grow in the last quarter of 2012, even as wholesale electricity prices fell.

The state owned electricity company said in a statement filed with the NZX sales volumes in the three months ending December rose 12 per cent to 1272 gigawatt-hours compared to the same period last year.

The gains came predominantly from business customers, with volumes up 22 per cent to 682GWh, with prices consistent with a year ago at $110.53 per MWh.

The firm said total electricity purchase costs fell 27 per cent in the period to $61.14 per MWh, reflecting lower wholesale prices and increased transmission capacity.

Wholesale pricing fell due to high inflows into South Island catchments operated by other power firms in the sector, denting the average price the company earned from its generation plants by 19 per cent to 66.25/MWh compared to last year.

MRP said this level still beat the market average, with its flexible portfolio of hydro, geothermal, and gas fired plants allowing it to respond to wholesale price movements quickly.

Total generation capacity rose 6 per cent into the period to 1154GWh, with hydro up 13 per cent, gas fired down 48 per cent and geothermal up by 0.6 per cent.

The sales figures come as the Government prepares to list MRP on the stock exchange in the first half of this year.

However, the process could run into headwinds from local iwi, who are seeking to overturn a High Court ruling which dismissed their objections to the sale of the state owned asset.

- ? Fairfax NZ News

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Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/8235478/MRP-sales-gain-as-wholesale-prices-fall

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ZTE's 5.7-inch, 8mm-thick Grand Memo teased ahead of MWC launch, we go hands-on

Huawei may have its 6.1-inch Ascend Mate for the convenience of hiding your face, but ZTE's also prepping its very own tabletphone to go head to head with its main rival. Dubbed the Grand Memo (V9815), this 5.7-inch 720p device made a surprise appearance at a ZTE event in Hong Kong today, and we got to snap some photos of it. The device looks identical to the P945 leaked earlier this month but packs some slightly different specs: 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro (same as the more premium Grand S), 13-megapixel camera, 8mm-thick body and Android 4.1.2.

While the specs aren't too shabby, our colleague Stone Ip said the choice of finish on the body didn't feel as nice as the Grand S', and the silver bezel made the Grand Memo look worse, but in ZTE's defense it was a prototype and the design may improve in the retail version. On a more positive note, the new phone does include a microSD slot despite its slimness, and it comes with a "one-hand" T9 keyboard that can stick to either side of the screen for better single-handed typing, just too bad we were asked not to take a video of the device at the time. That said, the Grand Memo will be officially unveiled at MWC next month, so stay tuned for more.

Gallery: ZTE's 5.7-inch, 8mm-thick Grand Memo teased ahead of MWC launch, we go hands-on

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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Source: Engadget Chinese

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/TEea0zr6pxc/

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Snowmobiler Caleb Moore in Critical Condition After Winter X Games Crash

Jan 28, 2013 8:56pm

Credit: RJ Sangosti / The Denver Post/ Getty Images

Texas snowmobiler Caleb Moore remains in critical condition days after his snowmobile flipped on top of him in a violent crash?during competition at the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colo.

The Moore family today released a statement to ABC News through family spokeswoman Chelsea Lawson saying,??Caleb is in critical condition and is being closely monitored.?

?The Moores want to express their gratitude to all of Caleb?s fans, friends and family for their strong support and ask for continued prayers in the coming days,? the statement continued.

The 25-year-old medal-winning athlete from Krum, Texas, developed?complications in his heart and brain?after suffering an accident Thursday night during the Snowmobile Freestyle finals. Moore was?completing a?backflip when he came up short and the skis on his sled?slammed into the?landing, causing the 450-pound machine to flip end-over-end.

Moore?went?over the handlebars of the snowmobile and it came crashing down on top of him.?He tumbled down the slope for several feet before coming to a stop at the bottom, where he lay on the ground for a few minutes.

Moore eventually got up and walked off the course with help, but he was?rushed to Aspen Valley Hospital with a concussion, according to an X Games Medical report. While there, doctors?discovered bleeding around?Moore?s heart and he was?flown?to St. Mary?s Hospital in Grand Junction, Colo.

St. Mary?s Hospital did not immediately respond to ABC News? request for comment.

Moore underwent emergency heart?surgery Friday and has since remained in intensive care. But on Sunday, the Moore family released a statement through ABC?s sister network ESPN saying, ?his cardiac injury has led to a secondary complication involving his brain.?

Moore?s younger brother Colten Moore, 23, also competed in the Snowmobile Freestyle finals and?crashed during the X Games competition. He was taken to the hospital with a separated?pelvis but?was released on Friday?and ?will not require surgery,??according to Lawson.

Both Moore brothers are decorated Winter X Games veterans, who made their debut in competitive snowmobiling in 2010 in Aspen after years of racing ATVs.

Caleb, who has three?Winter X Games medals,?took home?the?bronze medal in?Snowmobile Freestyle at last year?s games,?and?stood next to his brother?Colten on the podium,?who had?snagged gold.

SHOWS: Good Morning America Nightline World News

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2013/01/28/snowmobiler-caleb-moore-in-critical-condition-after-winter-x-games-crash/

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Search efforts underway for fighter jet missing on training mission

ROME (Reuters) - A U.S. F-16 fighter jet may have crashed on Monday during a training exercise over the Adriatic Sea and the U.S. Air Force said the status of its Italy-based pilot was unknown.

Search efforts, aided by Italy's Coast Guard, were under way and the Air Force declined to offer many details.

It said only that it "lost contact" with the F-16 at about 8 p.m. local (2100 GMT) - language often used to describe a possible crash, although Air Force officials declined to speculate about the incident.

"The aircraft was performing a training mission over the Adriatic Sea with one person on board. The pilot's condition is unknown at this time," the Air Force said in a statement.

Italy's Coast Guard confirmed it was helping in the search-and-rescue effort.

A spokeswoman at Aviano Air Base in northern Italy said more information would released as it became available.

(Reporting by Steve Scherer in Rome and Phil Stewart in Washington; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-f-16-fighter-based-italy-may-crashed-210341193.html

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Menace II Society 20 Year West Coast Mega-Mix By ... - DubCNN

27Jan
2013

Unbelievably 2013 marks the 20th?anniversary?of the release of the classic hood film Menace II Society.

The movie ? which was released on May 26th 1993 ? was the directorial debut of twin brothers Allen and Albert Hughes who had originally hired Tupac Shakur and Spice 1 to play?Sharif and Caine?respectively,?but they were later fired with Shakur being found guilty of assault and battery six months later for assaulting the director.

Despite pre-production controversy the film went on to?commercial and critical success, winning the Best Movie award at the?1994 MTV Movie Awards and becoming a point of reference across the past two decades.

This week a?Producer and DJ from Amsterdam namely?THEprinceOFbeatz?teamed up with?Daily Movement?to release a Westcoast Mega-Mix in celebration of this movie landmark!

The mix caught our ears and linked with the anniversary we wanted to share it with our readers! Listen to the full Mega-Mix?and check?the tracklist below!

THEprinceOFbeatz -?Menace II Society 20 Year West Coast Mega-Mix
?

Source: http://www.dubcnn.com/2013/01/27/menace-ii-society-20-year-west-coast-mega-mix-by-theprinceofbeatz/

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Deal with Negative Feedback by Asking Solution-Focused Questions

Whether it's a poorly received creative project or a crushing performance review, it's easy to immediately go on the defensive when you get negative feedback. Creativity site 99U suggests one way to better handle negative feedback is to start asking questions that will lead to a real solution.

Getting feedback is tough, and it's incredibly easy to fall into a defensive or aggressive trap when someone doesn't like what you're doing. If you really want to make the most out of the experience, you need to find a solution to make it better. One way of doing that is to ask the right kind of questions:

To ask a solution-focused question, describe a potential solution and ask whether it would be acceptable to the other person. For example, to get a piece of work accepted in its current form, you might ask:

"I know you don't like the look of it, but if I can show you evidence that your customers prefer it this way, will you sign it off?"

Your goal is to leave the room with a clearly-agreed next step towards a solution. They may still be sceptical or unsure, but at least you know what you need to do to get the work accepted.

99U's suggestion is based on creative work, but it's good to keep in mind during a negative performance review as well. The goal is get everyone on the same page, and to help you be proactive in reaching a happy resolution, not dealing with the problems of the past. If you need a little help giving that negative feedback, we've got you covered there as well.

How to Deal with Crushing Feedback on Your Creative Work | 99U

Photo by Juhan Sonin.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/YsC92PYJ9RQ/deal-with-negative-feedback-by-asking-solution+focused-questions

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Russia tries whistleblower, despite his death

FILE - This Monday, Nov. 30, 2009 file photo shows a portrait of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky who died in jail, which is held by his mother Nataliya Magnitskaya, unseen, as she speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Moscow. Russia is preparing to put lawyer Sergei Magnitsky on trial, even though he is dead, in the latest twist in a case that has severely strained U.S.- Russian relations. Magnitsky, a lawyer for the Hermitage Capital fund, died in jail in 2009 after accusing Russian officials of colluding in stealing $230 million from the state. He was arrested on suspicion of tax evasion by the same Interior Ministry officials he accused. A Moscow court on Monday Jan. 28, 2012 set preliminary hearings in the posthumous trial for Feb. 18. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)

FILE - This Monday, Nov. 30, 2009 file photo shows a portrait of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky who died in jail, which is held by his mother Nataliya Magnitskaya, unseen, as she speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Moscow. Russia is preparing to put lawyer Sergei Magnitsky on trial, even though he is dead, in the latest twist in a case that has severely strained U.S.- Russian relations. Magnitsky, a lawyer for the Hermitage Capital fund, died in jail in 2009 after accusing Russian officials of colluding in stealing $230 million from the state. He was arrested on suspicion of tax evasion by the same Interior Ministry officials he accused. A Moscow court on Monday Jan. 28, 2012 set preliminary hearings in the posthumous trial for Feb. 18. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)

FILE - This Friday, Nov. 16, 2012 file photo shows a tombstone on the grave of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky who died in jail, at a cemetery in Moscow. Russia is preparing to put lawyer Sergei Magnitsky on trial, even though he is dead, in the latest twist in a case that has severely strained U.S.- Russian relations. Magnitsky, a lawyer for the Hermitage Capital fund, died in jail in 2009 after accusing Russian officials of colluding in stealing $230 million from the state. He was arrested on suspicion of tax evasion by the same Interior Ministry officials he accused. A Moscow court on Monday Jan. 28, 2012 set preliminary hearings in the posthumous trial for Feb. 18. (AP Photo/Misha Japaridze, file)

MOSCOW (AP) ? Russia is preparing to put lawyer Sergei Magnitsky on trial, even though he died in 2009, in the latest twist in a case that has become a byword for rampant Russian corruption and has severely strained U.S.-Russian relations.

The posthumous trial has already provoked outrage among rights groups who see the whistleblower's case as indicative of the rampant judicial abuse, skyrocketing graft, and blurred boundaries between the state and organized crime that have plagued Russia under President Vladimir Putin.

"The trial of a deceased person and the forcible involvement of his relatives is a dangerous precedent that would open a whole new chapter in Russia's worsening human rights record," Amnesty International said in a statement last week.

Prosecutors accuse Magnitsky and his former client, London-based investor William Browder, of a $230 million tax fraud carried out through subsidiaries of Browder's company, Hermitage Capital Management.

Magnitsky claimed in 2008 that the fraud was committed by an organized crime group who colluded with corrupt Interior Ministry to register themselves as the owners of three Hermitage subsidiaries, and then claim a $230 million tax rebate. He was arrested shortly after by the same officials and accused of stealing the money himself.

A year later, the 37-year-old Magnitsky died in jail of pancreatitis, after what supporters claim was a systematic torture campaign. A report by Russia's presidential human rights council found in July 2011 that Magnitsky had been repeatedly beaten and deliberately denied medical treatment.

"If they have the same investigators and judges try the case, then what are they going to say ? 'we're guilty and we should be punished?' It's obvious what's going to happen," Magnitsky's mother, Nataliya Magnitskaya, told The Associated Press last week.

Russia's top court ruled shortly after Magnitsky's death that posthumous trials were allowed, with the intention of allowing relatives to clear their loved ones' names. Though neither Magnitsky's relatives nor Browder say they asked for charges to be refiled, prosecutors reopened his case just days after the ruling.

A Moscow court on Monday set preliminary hearings in the case for Feb. 18. Browder is being tried in absentia; he has not been to Russia since he was banned from entering the country in 2005.

"To try a dead man is beyond evil," Browder told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Monday. "This is a politically directed prosecution - Putin and (Prime Minister Dmitry) Medvedev have both directed, have sent the instructions for the outcome of this case."

Evidence collected by Browder on a website, Russian Untouchables, indicates that the officials accused by Magnitsky became substantially wealthier after the tax rebate, spending vastly in excess of their meager official salaries on international travel, luxury cars, and prime real estate in Dubai.

Officials in Switzerland, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia are attempting to trace portions of the $230 million rebate to banks in those countries.

Last December, tensions between the U.S. and Russia flared when Congress passed a law named after Magnitsky sanctioning officials Browder accuses of involvement in the fraud.

Putin at that time said that Magnitsky died of a heart attack and accused Browder of politicizing his death to distract from his own crimes.

Russia responded to the U.S. law by banning adoptions of Russian children by Americans and dropping charges against a prison doctor on trial for negligence in Magnitsky's death.

Browder says he hopes the European Union will pass its own Magnitsky act by the end of the year.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-01-28-EU-Russia-Magnitsky-Trial/id-f2dcc71a96624dfbaf6cdad2f8b328b1

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Italy's Monte Paschi finds no evidence of takeover bribes

MILAN (Reuters) - Italy's troubled Monte dei Paschi bank said on Monday it had no evidence of bribery in a 2007 takeover now under scrutiny over alleged corruption, but acknowledged accounting irregularities over derivatives deals under previous management.

Fabrizio Viola, appointed as chief executive last year after a clean-out of Monte dei Paschi's old management, said his predecessors had used complex refinancing deals to hide losses, leaving the bank dangerously exposed to interest rates swings.

"Today, we have the certainty that errors were made, whether it was due to negligence or deliberate fault remains to be seen," Viola told a meeting with foreign journalists in Milan.

The world's oldest bank, founded in 1472 and based in the Tuscan town of Siena, has run into deep trouble since its 9-billion-euro ($12.11 billion) cash purchase of rival Banca Antonveneta in 2007, just before the global financial crash.

It is dependent on a 3.9 billion euro package of state support and last week revealed losses of up to 720 million euros from derivatives and structured finance transactions between 2006-2009.

The Antonveneta deal, which the group hoped would reinforce its position as Italy's number three bank, weakened Monte dei Paschi severely and appears to have forced it to try to conceal past losses through the complex derivatives operations, which magistrates are also investigating.

"We have found some financial contracts ... that were from the start accounted in an incorrect way," Viola said.

"These contracts had probably been put in place to spread over time the impact of losses made at the time, possibly also through other financial operations," he said.

The crisis has undermined the shareholder foundation managed by local Siena authorities which controls the bank and led it to consider relinquishing its hold, according to a strategy document seen by Reuters.

However chairman Alessandro Profumo rejected suggestions that the crisis could lead to the bank being nationalized or placed under special administration.

"The bank should not be placed under special supervision and it will not be," Profumo said at a book launch in Rome.

As the wider implications of the scandal grow less than a month before national elections, a source close to the judicial investigation told Reuters that magistrates were looking at the possibility of a bribe being paid at the time of the purchase.

Officials in Siena remained tight-lipped however and a notice outside the prosecutors' office said there would be no statements made to waiting reporters.

TURMOIL

The turmoil at Monte dei Paschi has rocked the financial establishment and raised difficult questions for the government and the Bank of Italy over how such risky deals could have been hidden from regulators.

Economy Minister Vittorio Grilli is due to address the parliamentary finance committee on Tuesday on the affair, which has also drawn in European Central Bank President Mario Draghi who was governor of the Bank of Italy at the time.

Italian media have published a 2010 Bank of Italy report criticizing Monte dei Paschi for its derivatives positions without any apparent follow-up.

A source at the central bank said the report was not the only supervisory action it took but declined to give further details ahead of Grilli's testimony.

The central bank has said that Monte dei Paschi management concealed key information and Viola confirmed that a vital document linking two of the financial transactions in question had been hidden away in a safe at the bank's headquarters.

He said it was not revealed to authorities until he discovered it in October.

The bank, which has a "junk" credit rating, was forced to ask Rome last year for state support after failing to fill a capital gap as required by European regulators.

The case has shot to the top of the political agenda, less than a month before the elections, because of close links between Monte dei Paschi and regional governments led by the center-left Democratic Party, which is leading in opinion polls.

The party has hit back, denying any connection with the scandal and accusing rival parties of profiting from the crisis for election purposes.

Viola said Monte dei Paschi would not need any more state aid above a 3.9 billion euro package approved by the Bank of Italy on Saturday, but he said that the bank's financial portfolio needed to be rebalanced.

"I did not consider that the dimension and structure of the MPS financial portfolio was appropriate for a commercial bank," he said.

Separately, a strategy document showed the heavily indebted shareholder foundation which controls the bank was considering reducing its stake "to ensure the survival of the foundation and its economic and financial balance".

The foundation has already been reducing its stake but a further sale or failure to participate in future capital increases could see its holding slip below the key level of 33.5 percent which would remove its veto power against a takeover.

On Monday, MPS shares, which lost some 20 percent of their value at the start of last week, rose 5 percent as investors focused on the prospect of a change of control at the bank.

Monte dei Paschi has been dangerously stretched ever since the Antonveneta purchase and it has struggled to meet tough new capital requirements.

Profumo, appointed chairman last year with Viola to turn Monte dei Paschi around, repeated that his bank was looking for a long-term investor, a project which received the endorsement of Prime Minister Mario Monti.

"I don't care if it's an Italian or a foreign investor," Profumo said. "We need someone who brings us one billion euros". ($1 = 0.7429 euros)

(Additional reporting by Silvia Ognibene in Siena and Steve Scherer in Rome; Editing by Peter Graff)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/monti-repeats-backing-bank-italy-over-monte-paschi-073302296--finance.html

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Dutch queen gives up throne in favor of son

Jasper Juinen / Getty Images

According to reports, Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands is expected to abdicate in favour of her son Prince Willem-Alexander.

By Reuters

Update: 1:41 p.m.

Dutch Queen Beatrix, who turns 75 on Thursday, announced she was abdicating in favor of her son, Prince Willem-Alexander, who will become king on April 30.

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Willem-Alexander, 45, is married to Princess Maxima Zorrigueta and has three young children. Decades of grooming for the throne involved shaking off his image as a beer-drinking fraternity boy whose blunt comments upset the press and politicians.

Beatrix said in a television broadcast to the nation that she was stepping down because she felt her son was ready to take her place on the throne.?

A constitutional monarchy, the Netherlands had reduced the involvement of the Royal House in politics, a role long seen more as a formality than a position of power.

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In the past, the Queen took part in forming government coalitions by appointing a political mediator, raising questions about behind-the-scenes influence on the democratic process.

That role was scrapped before the last election, which took place in September 2012.

It was widely rumored that Queen Beatrix was no fan of anti-immigrant, euroskeptic politician Geert Wilders. She alluded in speeches to the need for tolerance and multi-culturalism, comments that were seen as criticisms of Wilders' anti-Islamic views.

Wilders' poor showing at the last election and loss of influence in politics, could well have contributed to her decision to abdicate.

Queen Beatrix, who remains very popular with the Dutch, became the sixth monarch of the House of Orange in 1980 following the abdication of her mother, Queen Juliana, who reigned for 31 years.

Juliana was 73 years old and in deteriorating mental health when she abdicated but Beatrix has remained active and in good health despite some setbacks.

The queen was emotionally shaken when a man drove his car into a Queen's Day procession in 2009.

Her middle son, Prince Johan Friso, has been in a coma ever since he was buried in an avalanche while skiing last year.

More:

Source: http://theroyals.today.com/_news/2013/01/28/16739070-dutch-queen-expected-to-give-up-the-throne?lite

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US official: Mali intervention 'could take years'

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) ? The French-led military intervention in Mali could take years, a U.S. official warned on Monday.

A State Department official for Africa said the U.S. would like to see an African-led, -owned and -directed operation like the one that successfully pushed militants out of Somalia's capital after several years of warfare. But Don Yamamoto warned that intervention could take years before finding success.

"This is only the first phase. It is going to take time. I think people should not be into the illusion that it is going to be quick," said Yamamoto, the principal deputy assistant secretary of state for African affairs.

"It is going to take a long time and time means that it could take several years. And you got do it right," Yamamoto told The Associated Press on the sidelines of the African Union summit in Ethiopia.

The U.S. has been providing military transport to help move French troops and equipment. The U.S. flew one refueling mission on Sunday, delivering 33,000 pounds of fuel, the U.S. Africa Command said.

The U.S. is also assisting six African countries: Niger, Chad, Nigeria, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Togo with "non-lethal equipment" and training, as well as transport to move troops to Mali, Yamamoto said.

Yamamoto also said the militants have advanced training from Libya under Moammar Gadhafi.

"A lot of the rebel groups that are now fighting in the region were under Gadhafi's troops. They were trained for over a decade. You have rebel groups that are well trained and well-armed and very aggressive. And so if you have any problems in governance in the country, that would allow these extremist groups to come and that's what happened in Mali," said Yamamoto.

He said a military offensive alone will not stabilize the West African country, and that dialogue between groups in the north and Bamako, the capital, should lead to an inclusive government formed by democratic elections.

Mali's military, which staged a coup last year to topple the country's democratically elected government, similarly forced a resignation of an interim prime minister in December.

The African Union on Saturday urged interim President Dioncounda Traore to put in place a roadmap to free and fair elections, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says elections should take place in April.

Yamamoto said the April deadline may not be met but that elections should include the north and happen "as quickly and as technically as possible."

The African Union on Tuesday hosts a donors conference for Mali.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-official-mali-intervention-could-years-165908471.html

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Stanford Breaks The Million-Core Supercomputer Barrier To Study Jet Turbulance

Stanford has grabbed the supercomputer crown with Sequoia, a million-core computer at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories that is being used to simulate jet turbulence in real time. This isn't the fastest supercomputer per se, but it is the first to use one million cores simultaneously which is an amazing feat for big iron.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/sBJ6lMI3iKU/

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?Thanks? Is the Secret New Sister App To Amen And You Can Download It Here

It sounded like a brilliant idea and when Amen was launched on the TechCrunch Disrupt SF stage: an app as a game to find the best and the worst of everything. It was a big concept built around the idea of structured big data. And for a while it was a lot of fun. "This is the best cafe in London ever", "This is the best bar in New York ever" etc - and your friends could argue with a "Hell No". That game produced better quality data and much of it based on location. It also probably helped that they signed up Ashton Kutcher as an investor and promoter (even Demi Moore used it for a while?). But as we know, the average person just wants answers, not games. That's why Yelp exists. So it's little surprise then that we've leaned that Amen is in the midst of producing another app which capitalises on all this data called Thanks. We understand the company is trying to keep this link private as they are in private beta, but it's on a publicly accessible page here. It looks like Amen will still be available as a game, with Thanks simply pulled all the juicy data from it.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/TEIIMMYJF2M/

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Celts top Heat 100-98 in 2 OT; Rondo out for year

Boston Celtics guard Courtney Lee, left, and forward Kevin Garnett (5) celebrate on the sideline after a score against the Miami Heat as forward Jeff Green (8) and guard Jason Terry (4) walk up during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game at TD Garden in Boston, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. The Celtics won 100-98. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Boston Celtics guard Courtney Lee, left, and forward Kevin Garnett (5) celebrate on the sideline after a score against the Miami Heat as forward Jeff Green (8) and guard Jason Terry (4) walk up during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game at TD Garden in Boston, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. The Celtics won 100-98. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) looks for an opening past Boston Celtics guard Jason Terry (4) during overtime of an NBA basketball game at TD Garden in Boston, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. The Celtics won 100-98 in double overtime. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Boston Celtics forward Jeff Green (8), left, looks for an opening around Miami Heat forward Shane Battier (31), right, in the first half of an NBA basketball game at the TD Garden in Boston, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Miami Heat guard Ray Allen acknowledges people in the crowd during warmups before their NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden in Boston, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. The Celtics won 100-98. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, left, and forward LeBron James (6), right, look on from the bench in the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics at the TD Garden in Boston, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. The Celtics won 100-98. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

BOSTON (AP) ? A double-overtime victory against LeBron James and the defending NBA champions was difficult to celebrate for Paul Pierce and the Celtics.

News of Rajon Rondo's season-ending knee injury spoiled the party.

"Everyone was really happy for the win," Pierce said after Boston beat the Miami Heat 100-98 Sunday. "It brought a dark cloud in this room when you heard the news."

When coach Doc Rivers told his players after the game, the joy of ending their six-game losing streak stopped, even if they had just outlasted the team with the best record in the Eastern Conference, which came in with a four-game winning streak.

Now the Celtics must try to keep winning without their leader, who suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee late in Friday night's 123-112 loss, also in double overtime, in Atlanta.

They won Sunday after Pierce's 22-foot jumper with 31 seconds left gave them a 99-98 lead.

But making the playoffs got harder as the Celtics try to hang on to the eighth and final postseason spot in the conference with a 2 1-2-game lead over the Philadelphia 76ers.

"Obviously, the Rondo news is pretty tough. I knew it before the game," Rivers said. "I just didn't think it was any time to tell any of our guys."

This game was the first in Boston for Ray Allen since he left the Celtics after five seasons and signed as a free agent with Miami. He scored 21 points.

Kevin Garnett had 24 points and 11 rebounds, and Pierce added 17 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for the Celtics.

Rondo's injury "puts this team and the rest of the guys in a position to be ready to step up," Pierce said. Sunday's win "was a perfect example. We showed we are capable."

James had 34 points for the Heat, whose winning streak stopped at four.

"As much as I've been a rival with Boston over the years, I never want to see anyone go down," James said. "It's terrible, not only for their team but for the league."

After Pierce's basket, James had a chance to put the Heat ahead but missed a 12-foot jumper with 6.8 seconds to go from the left with defender Jeff Green jumping out at him. Pierce got the rebound and was fouled by Shane Battier.

He sank the first shot. Then, as a fan shouted "This one's for Rondo," he missed the second.

Miami had one last chance, but Battier missed a long jumper at the buzzer.

"They defended that very well," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "There are about three different options to it, four different options to it. They defended each one of them."

The Heat also could have won in the first overtime, but Dwyane Wade, who had 17 points, also missed a long jumper as the buzzer sounded. They had led 93-89 after consecutive baskets by James, but Garnett hit a layup with 1:45 remaining and a shot from the right baseline with 1:14 to go.

Boston could have avoided the first overtime when Pierce inbounded from behind his backboard with two seconds left to Jason Terry. But Terry's shot from the top of the key was short. The Heat had tied it on a 3-pointer by James with seven seconds remaining in regulation after Allen missed a 3-pointer from the left corner with 15 seconds to go.

Rivers did not mention Rondo's injury in his meeting with reporters about an hour before the game, but Courtney Lee started in his place. Doctors decided to keep Rondo out of the game after he went through his normal pregame routine but complained of pain that he thought was in his hamstring. An MRI was done and team physician Dr. Brian McKeon learned the results during the game.

Allen was part of the Big Three with Pierce and Garnett starting in 2007-08. In their first season together, Boston won its 17th NBA championship. He played against the Celtics once before this season, a 120-107 Heat win in Miami in the opener.

The crowd gave Allen a standing ovation when highlights of his career with the Celtics were shown on the video board above center court during a timeout with 5:33 left in the first quarter. At the Miami bench, he raised his left hand in recognition.

"When I saw it, just all those emotions came streaming back from all the great things we did here," Allen said. "I'll always be a Celtic in my mind."

Allen entered the game about a minute after the tribute and was booed when he touched the ball. The boos came down again when he took two free throws ? missing the first, making the second ? three minutes into the second quarter.

Allen went back into the game with 30 seconds left in the first half with the score tied at 43 and made a layup with 16 seconds to go. But Pierce sank a driving layup with 4.3 seconds remaining to tie it 45-45 at halftime.

"What happened to Ray is never good for this franchise," Pierce said, "but it wasn't about Ray. It was about us playing the defending champs."

It was Miami's first game in Boston since it won Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals behind James' 45 points.

Early in the second half, James hit a pair of 3-pointers from the same spot on the left, putting the Heat in front 51-48. The Celtics rallied and led 64-61 with 1:49 remaining in the third quarter. But the Heat scored the last seven points of the period on a jumper by Norris Cole, a free throw by Allen and two 15-footers by James and led 68-64 going into the fourth.

Notes: James and Chris Bosh each had 16 rebounds for the Heat. The last time the Celtics played consecutive double-overtime games was on March 11 and 13, 1951.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-01-27-Heat-Celtics/id-4383bf8da9e74140852b54e7ac8ddf5c

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Editor's desk: Macworld|iWorld 2013 bound!

Early tomorrow morning I'm jumping in a plane and flying to San Francisco, California for Macworld|iWorld 2013. Since it's been well below -20 celsius in Montreal this week, I'm looking even more forward to it than usual.

Leanna Lofte, who usually covers the SF events with me, just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Lucy Danae Lofte, so she's sitting this one out. There are very few people in our line of work with her camera skills, so to make sure we keep the level of quality you guys expect and deserve, we're bringing Martin Reisch with us this year. Yeah.

There'll be a lot going on, and we'll be doing our best to bring you with us every step of the way with photo journals, videos, podcasts, and a bunch of social sharing. Here's the plan so far:

• Monday: Arrive. Hang.
• Tuesday: Head up to TWiT in Petaluma to shoot MacBreak Weekly with Leo and the gang. It'll be nice to be in the same room with everyone for once!
• Wednesday: Hoping to head down to Cupertino and visit the Apple Company Store.
• Thursday: I'll be on a panel called iCloud, App Stores, and other Things To Fear: Has Apple Forgotten Power Users? hosted by Macworld's Lex Friedman, with John Gruber, Paul Kafasis, and Matthew Panzarino at 1pm.
• Friday/Saturday: We'll be covering the show, bringing you back everything you need to know.
• Sunday: Head back home.

There will be tons of other stuff happening in and around all that, so make sure you keep your browsers locked to iMore's Macworld|iWorld page, and subscribe to the iMore YouTube channel to get all the latest videos as soon as inhumanly possible.

And for up-to-the-minute stuff, including everything and anything unfit for print, you can follow @reneritchie and @safesolvent on Twitter.

Last year Macworld|iWorld completed their transition from trade show to epicenter of the community, from a place to see Apple stuff to place to meet and enjoy the company of fellow Apple enthusiasts. I can't wait to see what they have in store for all of us this year.

Let me know what you'd like to see from our Macworld|iWorld coverage, and if you're going to be there are well, please do come up and say hello!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/mkSamaELkRA/story01.htm

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Obama's push for immigration reform is coming...starting on Tuesday

After a meeting with leadership of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus on Friday, the White House announced in a statement that President Barack Obama will travel to Las Vegas, Nev., on Tuesday to speak about immigration reform.

White House press secretary Jay Carney confirmed the trip at his Friday press briefing. "This blueprint that the president's had in place ... is reflected now in some of the generalized proposals that have been discussed by Republicans in Congress, and that is a welcome development," he said. "We think that it at least suggests a possibility here that an issue that was once embraced by leading Republicans like John McCain and President George W. Bush will again be taken up and embraced by Republicans, which would then afford an opportunity for a bipartisan consensus to move forward on this important issue."

In the statement, the press secretary's office noted that the president aims "to redouble the administration's efforts to work with Congress to fix the broken immigration system this year."

"The president was pleased to hear from CHC members and noted that they share the same vision," the statement continued, "including that any legislation must include a path to earned citizenship. The president further noted that there is no excuse for stalling or delay."

Carney would not reveal further details about who will accompany the president or his agenda. He referred reporters to the immigration agenda listed at whitehouse.gov for more insight into the president's focus.

The president is scheduled to return from Nevada on Tuesday evening.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/obama-discuss-immigration-reform-tuesday-204617593--politics.html

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Egypt anything but peaceful on anniversary of uprising

CAIRO/ISMAILIA, Egypt (Reuters) - Egypt's armed forces deployed troops in the city of Suez early on Saturday after nine people were shot dead during nationwide protests against President Mohamed Mursi, underlining the country's deep divisions as it marked the second anniversary of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak.

Eight of the dead, including a policeman, were shot dead in Suez, and another was shot and killed in the city of Ismailia, medics said. Another 456 people were injured across Egypt, officials said, in unrest on Friday fuelled by anger at Mursi and his Islamist allies over what the protesters see as their betrayal of the revolution.

Mursi said the state would not hesitate in "pursuing the criminals and delivering them to justice". In a statement, he also called on Egyptians to respect the principles of the revolution by expressing their views peacefully.

The troops were deployed in Suez after the head of the state security police in the city asked for reinforcements. The army distributed pamphlets to residents assuring them the deployment was temporary and meant to secure the city.

"We have asked the armed forces to send reinforcements on the ground until we pass this difficult period," Adel Refaat, head of state security in Suez, told state television.

Friday's anniversary laid bare the divide between the Islamists and their secular rivals.

The schism is hindering the efforts of Mursi, elected in June, to revive an economy in crisis and reverse a plunge in Egypt's currency by enticing back investors and tourists.

Inspired by the popular uprising in Tunisia, Egypt's revolution spurred further revolts across the Arab world. But the sense of common purpose that united Egyptians two years ago has given way to internal strife that already triggered bloody street battles last month.

Thousands of opponents of Mursi massed on Friday in Cairo's Tahrir Square - the cradle of the revolt against Mubarak - to rekindle the demands of a revolution they say has been hijacked by the Muslim Brotherhood, the group from which Mursi emerged.

In Suez, the military deployed armored vehicles to guard state buildings, witnesses and security sources said, as symbols of government were targeted across the country.

Street battles erupted in cities including Cairo, Alexandria, Suez and Port Said. Arsonists attacked at least two state-owned buildings. An office used by the Muslim Brotherhood's political party was also torched.

"Our revolution is continuing. We reject the domination of any party over this state. We say no to the Brotherhood state," Hamdeen Sabahy, a popular leftist leader, told Reuters.

The Brotherhood decided against mobilizing for the anniversary, wary of the scope for more conflict after December's violence, stoked by Mursi's decision to fast-track an Islamist-tinged constitution rejected by his opponents.

The Brotherhood denies accusations that it is seeking to dominate Egypt, labeling them a smear campaign by its rivals.

'LEAVE! LEAVE! LEAVE!'

There were conflicting accounts of the lethal shooting in Suez. Some witnesses said security forces had opened fire in response to gunfire from masked men.

News of the deaths capped a day of violence that started in the early hours of Friday. Before dawn in Cairo, police battled protesters who threw petrol bombs and firecrackers as they approached a wall blocking access to government buildings near Tahrir Square.

Clouds of teargas filled the air. At one point, riot police used one of the incendiaries thrown at them to set ablaze at least two tents erected by youths, a Reuters witness said.

Skirmishes between stone-throwing youths and the police continued in streets around the square into the day. Ambulances ferried away a steady stream of casualties.

Protesters echoed the chants of 2011's historic 18-day uprising. "The people want to bring down the regime," they chanted. "Leave! Leave! Leave!" chanted others as they marched towards the square.

"We are not here to celebrate but to force those in power to submit to the will of the people. Egypt now must never be like Egypt during Mubarak's rule," said Mohamed Fahmy, an activist.

There were similar scenes in Suez and Alexandria, where protesters and riot police clashed near local government offices. Black smoke billowed from tires set ablaze by youths.

In Cairo, police fired teargas to disperse a few dozen protesters trying to remove barbed-wire barriers protecting the presidential palace, witnesses said. A few masked men got as far as the gates before they were beaten back.

Teargas was also fired at protesters who tried to remove metal barriers outside the state television building.

Outside Cairo, protesters broke into the offices of provincial governors in Ismailia and Kafr el-Sheikh in the Nile Delta. A local government building was torched in the Nile Delta city of al-Mahalla al-Kubra.

With an eye on parliamentary elections likely to begin in April, the Brotherhood marked the anniversary with a charity drive across the nation. It plans to deliver medical aid to one million people and distribute affordable basic foodstuffs.

Writing in Al-Ahram, Egypt's flagship state-run daily, Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie said the country was in need of "practical, serious competition" to reform the corrupt state left by the Mubarak era.

"The differences of opinion and vision that Egypt is passing through is a characteristic at the core of transitions from dictatorship to democracy, and clearly expresses the variety of Egyptian culture," he wrote.

Mursi's opponents say he and his group are seeking to dominate the post-Mubarak order. They accuse him of showing some of the autocratic impulses of the deposed leader by, for example, driving through the new constitution last month.

"I am taking part in today's marches to reject the warped constitution, the 'Brotherhoodisation' of the state, the attack on the rule of law, and the disregard of the president and his government for the demands for social justice," Amr Hamzawy, a prominent liberal politician, wrote on his Twitter feed.

The Brotherhood says its rivals are failing to respect the rules of the new democracy that put the Islamists in the driving seat via free elections.

(Additional reporting by Tom Perry, Ahmed el-Shemi, Ashraf Fahim, Shaimaa Fayed and Yasmine Saleh in Cairo and Abdel Rahman Youssef in Alexandria; Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Robert Woodward and Peter Cooney)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/seven-die-egypt-violence-anniversary-uprising-003521804.html

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