Celebrations in Times Square Despite Troubled Times

Hundreds of thousands of revelers welcomed the new year in New York City’s Times Square, despite the rain, slushy streets and heightened security, capping worldwide celebrations that often emphasized the hopes for a more peaceful tomorrow.

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Rana Hussein, 13, center, of Connecticut, celebrated New Year’s Eve in Times Square. More Photos »

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Ringing in 2010, Around the World
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Now for Something Really New (January 1, 2010) The poor weather and tight security could not dampen the otherwise festive mood in midtown Manhattan, where the cast of the Broadway show “Hair” was among the acts to perform. People wearing oversized 2010 glasses rushed to grab hats proclaiming “Happy New Year” that were tossed into the crowd. But the mood of the times was perhaps best embodied by the famous ball that dropped at midnight in Times Square - which was “more energy efficient than ever before,” organizers boasted, with its 32,256 Philips Luxeon Rebel LEDs and covered in 2,688 Waterford crystals.

The celebration followed spirited festivities elsewhere. In Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, about 2 million people, most of them dressed in traditional white, gathered at Copacabana Beach. In Hyderabad, Pakistan, the street was dotted with little white lights, emanating from candles that peace marchers were holding. In Venice, a high tide that flooded low-lying parts of the city, including St. Mark’s Square, coincided with the midnight celebration.

And in the United States, the attention naturally was focused on Times Square.

"Coming here is a dream that many people have," said Francisca Lopez, 47, a tourist from Mexico, as she waved a noisemaker in the air. She had staked out a coveted spot on Broadway between 46th and 47th streets with her teenage son and daughter. "This is the first year that we’re living it."

In an interview on a live Web cast offered by the Times Square Alliance, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg reflected on the weather.

“Everybody always says that when you have a wedding and it rains, everybody’s going to be happy and have good luck,” Mr. Bloomberg said, standing under a blue umbrella. “This sort of guarantees that 2010 is going to be a great year.”

Gustavo Postal, 23, a Brazilian from Sao Paulo,, was part of the crowd that had spilled up Seventh Avenue to Central Park, huddling under awnings and doorways for shelter from the drizzle.

“I think it’s a great time to be here,” Mr. Postal said. “I think the weather is good. Not too cold. I’d rather it snow.”

About 20 minutes later, he got his wish, as small white flakes began to descend around 10:30 p.m. Many others wishes would descend from the sky at midnight, written on paper, with two tons of confetti at midnight.

The police department estimated that about a million people were gathering at the site. They were joined by thousands of officers, including 250 rookies, dispersed throughout the crowd, including some in plain clothes.

The tight security was evident at 50th Street and Broadway, where an officer kept watch over a damp pile of bookbags, which were prohibited inside the police barricades. Their owners had stuffed the contents of the bags in their pockets and abandoned them.

Elsewhere, celebrations were marred by tradition taken to the extreme. In the Philippines, hundreds of people were injured by gunfire and firecrackers — the result of a belief that loud noise will scare away evil spirits. A quieter ceremony took place at Zojoji, a large Buddhist temple in Tokyo, where worshippers released clear, helium balloons into the night sky.

Colin Moynihan and Karen Zraick contributed reporting for this article.

Goodbye 2009! World ready for a more hopeful 2010

PARIS – Fireworks exploded over Sydney's famous bridge and the Eiffel Tower prepared for its own colored-light spectacle as the world celebrated a New Year that many hope will be more prosperous and peaceful than 2009.

Revelers across the globe at least temporarily shelved worries about their future prospects to bid farewell to the first decade of the 21st century.

The financial downturn hit hard in 2009, sending many industrial economies into recession, tossing millions out of work and out of their homes, as foreclosures rose dramatically in some countries.

Germany's leader warned her people that the start of the new decade won't herald immediate relief from the global economic ills. South Africa's president was more ebullient, saying the World Cup is set to make 2010 the country's most important year since the end of apartheid in 1994.

Other leaders focused on the positive aspects of 2009.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said 2009 had been an extraordinary year for the world — citing the inauguration of the United States' first black president and international attempts to grapple with climate change and the global financial crisis.

"The great message from 2009 is that because we've been all in this together, we've all worked together," Rudd said in a New Year's message.

Australia got the festivities rolling Thursday, with Sydney draping its skies with explosive bursts of crimson, purple and blue to the delight of more than 1 million New Year revelers.

The environmental concerns that accompanied the U.N. summit in Copenhagen were on the minds of some as the year ended.

Venice revelers were set to ring in the New Year with wet feet as high tide was to peak just before midnight to flood low-lying parts of the city — including the St. Mark's Square.

In winter, tourists checking into Venice hotels are regularly asked their shoe sizes so they can be fitted with boots to face the lagoon city's exceptionally high tides.

The last year also offered its reminders of the decade's fight against terrorism, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and more recently, rising militant violence in Pakistan.

The American Embassy in Indonesia warned of a possible terrorist attack on the resort island of Bali on New Year's Eve, citing information from the island's governor — though local security officials said Thursday they were unaware of a threat.

More than 8,000 police and soldiers were deployed for extra security in and around Paris. The Eiffel Tower was decked out for its 120th anniversary year with hundreds of multicolored lights for a show that's more energy-saving than its usual sparkling-light display.

Despite forecasts for below-freezing temperatures, thousands were expected to gather on the banks of the River Thames in London for fireworks after Big Ben strikes midnight.

"(2009 was )like shock therapy, where people really change when something bad happens to them," said accountant Conrad Jordaan, 35.

"It was a world-changing year, a bad year in many ways, but an important year because of the economic downturn," he said, enjoying cigarettes and coffee at an outdoor cafe in London. "It will be interesting to see if it changes peoples' behavior long term."

Europe and the Americas were likely to be partying harder than Asia. Islamic countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan use a different calendar, and China will mark the new year in February.

Still, in Shanghai, some people paid 518 yuan ($75) to ring the bell at the Longhua Temple at midnight and wish for new-year luck. In Chinese, saying "518" sounds like the phrase "I want prosperity."

Some festivities went awry.

In the Philippines, hundreds of people were injured by firecrackers and celebratory gunfire during the celebrations. Many Filipinos, largely influenced by Chinese tradition, believe that noisy New Year's celebrations drive away evil and misfortune — but some carry that belief to extremes.

At Zojoji, one of Tokyo's oldest and biggest Buddhist temples, thousands of worshippers released clear, helium-filled balloons to mark the new year. Nearby Tokyo Tower twinkled with white lights, while a large "2010" sign glowed from the center.

Across town in Shibuya, the scene was more chaotic. The area, known as a magnet of youth culture, exploded with emotion at the stroke of midnight. Strangers embraced spontaneously as revelers jumped and sang.

Keitaro Morizame, a 24-year-old TV producer in Tokyo, expressed optimism for the new year.

"I really felt the economic downturn last year," he said. "I think the future will be brighter."

In Istanbul, Turkish authorities deployed some 2,000 police around Taksim Square to prevent pickpockets and the molestation of women that have marred New Year celebrations in the past.

Some officers were under cover, disguised as street vendors or "even in Santa Claus dress," Istanbul Gov. Muammer Guler said.

Firecrackers were already exploding across the Netherlands on Thursday — the only day of the year the Dutch are allowed to set off fireworks. Most such shows are do-it-yourself affairs.

In Stonehaven, on Scotland's east coast, the fireballs festival — a tradition for a century and a half — sees in the New Year. The pagan festival is observed by marchers swinging large, flaming balls around their heads. The flames are believed to either ensure sunshine or banish harmful influences.

In contrast to many galas worldwide, the Stonehaven Fireballs Association warns those attending not to wear their best clothes — because "there will be sparks flying along with smoke and even whisky."

CDC: Fewer states seeing widespread swine flu

ATLANTA – Health officials say swine flu was widespread in only four states last week, indicating the fall wave of illness is still declining.

Swine flu was widespread in seven states the previous week. Reported infections have been dropping since a peak in late October, when 48 states reported high levels of sickness.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the new data Thursday. The four states are Delaware, Maine, New Jersey and Virginia.

CDC officials say swine flu vaccine is increasingly easy to get, with more than 118 million doses now available. They say people should still get vaccinated because there could be another wave of infections this winter.

Famous San Francisco sea lions leave in droves

SAN FRANCISCO – Two mysteries surround a huge herd of sea lions that were hanging out on a pier in San Francisco Bay: Why did so many show up, and why did so many leave at once?

Just last month, Pier 39, famous in San Francisco for its sea lions and the throngs of tourists they attract, was groaning under the weight of more than 1,500 of the animals. The record number delighted tourists and baffled experts.

Marine experts suspect the sea lions came and stayed for the food, then left largely for the same reason.

"Most likely, they left chasing a food source," said Jeff Boehm, executive director of the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, which runs an information center and gift shop at Pier 39. "It's probably what kept them here in the first place."

The animals began leaving in droves the day after Thanksgiving, almost as if someone had issued an order. But Boehm said the fact that so many sea lions stayed for so long is even stranger than their disappearance.

"They do move off," Boehm said, adding that in the fall, older sea lions head to breeding colonies in the Channel Islands, off the coast of Southern California along the Santa Barbara Channel. Younger sea lions, he said, "don't mind those rules and tend to travel far and wide."

On Tuesday, 10 sea lions lounged and swam and dove from the docks, spreading themselves out where the animals were stacked three and four deep just a month ago. The bulk of the herd probably followed their favorite foods, sardines and anchovies, Boehm said.

The younger ones still sticking around Pier 39 were enough to satisfy hordes of visitors huddled against the wind to watch them. The sea lions huddled together, dove off the docks, and honked and barked.

"We're happy with what we see," said Carmen Fernandez of Miami Beach, Fla., who was watching the sea lions with her husband Carlos.

Despite the sea lions' abrupt disappearance, Boehm said the Marine Mammal Center is not concerned that they have departed for good. While more than the usual number have left — usually about 40 remain — it is very unlikely, Boehm said, that they won't come back. By spring, the herd will probably be back, as usual, he said.

Oil falls amid reported rise in US inventories

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Oil prices fell slightly Wednesday in Asia amid a surprise rise in U.S. weekly crude inventory ahead of the release of government data.

Benchmark crude for February delivery was down 10 cents to $78.77 a barrel at midday Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract added 10 cents to settle at $78.87 on Tuesday.

Oil has gained for five straight days but traded lower early Wednesday after the American Petroleum Institute reported an increase of 1.725 million barrels in U.S. inventories last week, said Clarence Chu, a trader with Hudson Capital Energy in Singapore.

The rise contradicted market expectations of a drop of 2 million barrels and all eyes are now on the Energy Information Administration weekly data due to be released later Wednesday, he said. The more comprehensive EIA data last week showed crude stocks were down 4.9 million barrels.

"Oil prices are still holding. If the EIA numbers again show a reduction in stockpiles, prices will move up but there will be strong resistance at $80 a barrel," Chu said. On the other hand, oil prices will slide if the EIA data show a build up in inventories, he added.

Futures contracts for oil, natural gas and heating oil have all become more expensive this month as snow storms blanketed parts of the U.S. and a sharp drop in supplies of crude and other fuels surprised traders.

New figures showed U.S. retail gas prices increased for the fourth straight day, the first time it's done that since October, and a report Tuesday by MasterCard SpendingPulse said Americans bought more gas last week than they did a year ago, marking the fifth straight week that demand strengthened.

Despite the year-end rally, analysts have said that oil prices may fall next month as current levels were unsustainable.

In other Nymex trading in January contracts, heating oil rose 0.1 cent to $2.1038 gallon while gasoline added 0.24 cent to $2.013 a gallon.

In London, Brent crude for February delivery fell 4 cents to $77.60 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.

Key security agencies lack permanent leaders

WASHINGTON – Two federal agencies charged with keeping potential terrorists off airplanes and out of the country have been without their top leaders for nearly a year.

It took the Obama administration more than eight months to nominate anyone to lead the Transportation Security Administration and the Customs and Border Protection agency.

The attempted Christmas Day terrorist attack on a Detroit-bound airliner has prompted a review of U.S. security policies. The acting heads of those agencies — both created in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks — will be at the forefront of these discussions.

Bogged down with health care reform, the Senate has yet to set a date to hold hearings for the Customs position. And Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., has placed a hold on the president's choice to head the TSA over the senator's concern that the new leader would let TSA screeners join a labor union. This has some Democrats blaming politics for the vacancy.

Former U.S. attorney Alan Bersin is nominated to run CBP, and former FBI agent and police detective Erroll Southers is the president's pick for TSA.

On Christmas Day, alleged terrorist Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian who spent time in Yemen, was able to sneak an explosive device aboard his flight from Amsterdam to Detroit, only to be thwarted by the device's apparent failure to work as designed, and aggressive action by other passengers.

Abdulmutallab was not on the government's terrorist watch list — though he was on a less sensitive and broader database. He was able to maintain a valid U.S. visa despite warnings about him to U.S. embassy officials in Nigeria from his father. Those facts are prompting a broad review of the government's terrorist detection efforts.

"The president is looking for answers on this," Denis McDonough, chief of staff of the White House National Security Council, told reporters Monday in Hawaii, where President Barack Obama is vacationing. McDonough said officials have begun to assemble information related to watch list procedures. As yet, no one has been named to oversee the watch list review, he said.

McDonough defended the current leadership and downplayed the significance of not having the new TSA administrator confirmed, although he said "the president is eager to have his TSA head on the job."

Acting TSA Administrator Gale Rossides is "very able" and "we have a very able team of career professionals at TSA. We have a very able team in the Department at Homeland Security, generally," McDonough insisted.

Some Republicans were more critical.

"Running a security agency with a revolving door is a recipe for failure," said Rep. John Mica, R-Fla.

Michael Chertoff, who headed the Homeland Security Department in the Bush administration, said if the country is going to work on enhancing security, there needs to be permanent people in place at TSA and Customs and Border Protection. "A year is too long a time," he said.

Abdulmutallab, charged with trying to destroy an aircraft, is being held at the federal prison in Milan, Mich. A court hearing that had been scheduled for Monday to determine whether the government can get DNA from him was postponed until Jan. 8. No reason was given.

U.S. officials had warning signs that Abdulmutallab might be a threat.

The embassy visit in which Abdulmatallab's father said he was concerned about his son's radicalization triggered a Nov. 20 State Department cable from Nigeria to all U.S. diplomatic missions and department headquarters in Washington. It was also shared with the interagency National Counter Terrorism Center, said State Department spokesman Ian Kelly.

These concerns landed Abdulmutallab among the about 550,000 names in the Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment database, known as TIDE, which is maintained by the NCTC. Other, smaller lists trigger additional airport screening or other restrictions, but intelligence officials said there wasn't enough information to move Abdulmutallab into those categories.

The NCTC, which has responsibility if any visas are to be pulled over terrorism concerns, then reviewed the information and found it was "insufficient to determine whether his visa should be revoked," Kelly said.

According to Yemen's foreign minister, Abdulmutallab was in Yemen from August until early December. He had received a visa to study Arabic in a school in San'a, the Yemeni capital. Citing immigration authorities, the statement said Abdulmutallab had previously studied at the school, indicating it was not his first trip to Yemen.

Yemen, the ancestral home of Osama bin Laden's family, has been an al-Qaida haven partly because of a weak central government and rugged terrain, affording al-Qaida fighters numerous places to hide. A Yemen-based group, Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, has claimed responsibility for Abdulmutallab's actions.

Now hear this: Swim-proof hearing aids to get test

WASHINGTON – They're not your grandpa's hearing aids.

Today's newest models range from the completely invisible — it sits deep in the ear canal for months at a time — to Bluetooth-enabled gadgets that open cell phones and iPods for hearing-aid users.

Now the maker of that invisible hearing aid is going a step further — attempting a swim-proof version. About 60 swimmers begin testing a next-generation Lyric next month, to see if stronger coatings can withstand at least three swims a week, allowing the device to repel the water that short-circuits regular hearing aids.

If so, expect to see it marketed to active seniors who increasingly find the pool a gentler form of exercise than pounding the pavement.

"It's my preferred exercise," says Kathy Burkhard, 62, of San Jose, Calif., who is anxiously awaiting the results. She already swims with her Lyrics, her ears bundled against the water with special earplugs, a water-resistant headband and a racer's cap. "I do it well and I enjoy it and I wasn't ready to give it up."

It's part of a quiet revolution in hearing technology, to increase the usefulness and comfort of devices that too many people still shun.

"Stigma is one of the biggest obstacles we face," says Dr. John P. Weigand, audiology director at the State University of New York's Downstate Medical Center.

More than 30 million adults in the U.S. have some degree of hearing loss. The National Institutes of Health says most could be treated with hearing aids yet only about one in five people who could benefit uses them.

Why? Many people simply don't know, or accept, that they need one. Hearing loss can come at any age, from disease or genetics or not protecting your ears from loud noise. But it becomes more common with aging; federal statistics show one in three people older than 60 have hearing loss. And it can creep up, as often people first lose the ability to hear higher pitch before they notice wider problems.

Then there's reluctance to try hearing aids because of the appearance — or because of longtime problems with sound quality, particularly the ability to hear well in noisy environments. And there's the cost, which varies around the country but can range from $1,500 per ear for more basic designs, up to $3,300 per ear for premium brands. Only some insurance pays; Medicare doesn't.

Enter the newer technology, which hasn't eliminated the sound problems but, specialists say, does improve them for people who pick the right option for their lifestyle and hearing needs:

_The Lyric is inserted 4 millimeters from the eardrum, aiming to funnel sound more naturally. It's not the first deep-in-the-canal hearing aid — others have left the market — but is the only extended-wear version. It stays in the ear for up to 120 days, until the battery wears out. A yearly subscription of $1,650 for each ear covers the fitting and replacements.

Seals protect the Lyric from the moisture of showers and earwax, while maintaining the right pressure to avoid pain in this very delicate ear region, explains Dr. Robert Schindler, professor emeritus at the University of California, San Francisco, and a board member with manufacturer InSound Medical Inc.

Schindler, a pioneer of cochlear implants for the deaf, helped develop the Lyric when his mother asked why he didn't improve her hated hearing aids. But it only works for a fraction of people, those with mild to moderate hearing loss whose ear canals aren't too small.

_A simpler approach hides the hearing aid behind the top of the ear and just a thin wire, the receiver, snakes into the canal, says SUNY's Weigand. About two-thirds of his patients opt for those.

_Directional microphones are cutting background noise even in some less expensive hearing aids, going into a zoom mode to emphasize voices straight ahead of the wearer.

"I hear that complaint much less than I heard it five years ago," Weigand says of background noise. "The ambient sounds are never going to go away, and you need to hear them to be aware of your environment, but typically people will look at what they want to hear."

_And more and more hearing aids are compatible with Bluetooth wireless technology, hugely appealing for tech-savvy baby boomers who've run into problems in the past with hearing aids that didn't work with their cell phones, Weigand says. A streamer, made by companies including Siemens and Phonak, is worn around the neck or in a pocket where it wirelessly funnels sound from Bluetooth devices — cell phones, iPods, a car's GPS navigator — straight into the hearing aid.

Choosing a version "is a balancing act between the person's dexterity, their lifestyle, the cosmetic concerns they have," says Weigand. "We have to give them options."

125 pilot whales die on NZ beaches, 43 saved

WELLINGTON, New Zealand – Some 125 pilot whales died in New Zealand after stranding on beaches over the weekend — but vacationers and conservation workers managed to coax 43 others back out to sea.

Rescuers monitored the survivors as they swam away from Colville Beach on North Island's Coromandel peninsula, and by Monday morning they were reported well out to sea.

Department of Conservation workers and hundreds of volunteers helped re-float the 43 whales at high tide. The volunteers covered the stranded mammals in sheets and kept them wet through the day.

"Some 63 pilot whales stranded ... but it looks pretty good, we've got 43 live ones," Department of Conservation ranger Steve Bolten said as the pod swam out to sea.

Bolten said one of the whales may have been sick, or their sonar may have led them into the shallow harbor and they couldn't find their way out again.

Meanwhile on South Island, 105 long-finned pilot whales that stranded died Saturday, conservation officials said Monday.

Golden Bay biodiversity program manager Hans Stoffregen said they were discovered by a tourist plane pilot and only 30 were alive when conservation workers arrived.

"They were in bad shape. By the time we got there two-thirds of them had already died. We had to euthanize the rest," he said.

The whales had been out of the water for a long time.

"It has been quite hot and they were very distressed. You could see the pain and suffering in their eyes," he was quoted telling the Southland Times newspaper

Because the site is part of a nature reserve, the 105 whale carcasses were left to decompose where they stranded, Stoffregen said.

Large numbers of whales become stranded on New Zealand's beaches each summer as they pass by on their way to breeding grounds from Antarctic waters. Scientists so far have been unable to explain why whales become stranded.

Winter weather disrupts travel in Plains and East

By TIMBERLY ROSS, Associated Press Writer Timberly Ross, Associated Press Writer – 48 mins ago
OMAHA, Neb. – Drifting snow and cold rain that have plagued much of the country for days stranded drivers and airline passengers Saturday trying to get home after Christmas.

Storms from Texas to the Upper Midwest that dumped 23.9 inches of snow in Grand Forks, N.D., and 18 inches near Norfolk, Neb., began subsiding, but blowing and drifting snow hampered visibility in many areas.

Several motorists abandoned their vehicles on snow-covered roads in northeast Nebraska. Ten to 20 vehicles were stuck near Norfolk, but state troopers do not believe any motorists were stranded.

Higher temperatures and rains in the East began melting and washing away last week's record-setting snowfalls, threatening the region with flooding.

A woman and her teenage daughter in Middletown, Pa., a suburb of Philadelphia, were rescued from a rain-swollen creek after their SUV went off the road Saturday. Rescue workers found the 14-year-old clinging to a log; her mother was trapped in the vehicle.

Authorities in southeast Missouri were searching for a woman who washed away in a ditch on Christmas Eve as heavy rains showered the region. Witnesses saw her in the water west of Powe, Mo., and tried to assist her, said Sgt. Jody Laramore of the state Highway Patrol.

In Chicago, one of the nation's busiest travel hubs, snow and ice along with rain on the East Coast canceled or delayed more than 450 flights.

Shannon Fullmer drove two hours from his home in Freeport, Ill., to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport on Saturday to pick up his 12-year-old son. But the flight from New Jersey was delayed more than three hours.

The 38-year-old waited in a long line to get through security so that he could wait by the gate where his son's plane was expected to arrive about 7:30 p.m. CST.

Fullmer said he would wait "as long as I have to."

"It doesn't do any good to get angry," he said.

A few dozen flights were delayed and a few canceled Saturday afternoon in southern Wisconsin. The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory through Saturday evening. Three to five inches of snow was expected by Sunday morning.

Flights also were delayed at the three major airports in the New York area, which was getting rain and patchy fog. Some travelers arriving at Newark Liberty International had delays of nearly 2 1/2 hours.

Most New York area delays were weather-related but some were worsened by stricter security precautions after an airplane bombing attempt in Detroit, said Steve Coleman, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the area's airports.

Transportation officials closed a 30-mile stretch of Interstate 70 between Goodland, Kan., and Burlington, Colo. Officials had closed interstate highways in Nebraska, the Dakotas and Wyoming, but many were reopening Saturday. Officials reopened all of Interstate 80 across Nebraska, but officials warned that poor road conditions continue.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln marching band canceled its bus trip to San Diego for the Holiday Bowl. The band had been scheduled to perform Wednesday as the Cornhuskers face the Arizona Wildcats.

In South Dakota, state troopers assisted 182 people who were stranded in their vehicles or needed help getting through snowy roads, Col. Dan Mosteller said.

Hundreds of customers remained without power for a third day in southeastern Nebraska and south-central South Dakota. Mark Becker of the Nebraska Public Power District said high winds could cause additional power failures during the weekend.

Chad Omitt, a meteorologist in Topeka, Kan., said the storm knocked out power to tens of thousands of homes, including in Topeka where about 15,000 were without power at the peak.

His own sons — ages 9, 6 and 4 — opened their presents by the light of flashlights and candles after waking up around 5:45 a.m. on Christmas morning in a chilly house that was without electricity.

"I don't know how enjoyable it was for them," he said.

South Dakota officials reported several roof collapses from the weight of the snow, including a livestock barn near Baltic, where at least 25 cattle were trapped and some of them killed.

In St. Paul, Minn., a large piece of the ceiling crashed into a cell phone store kiosk Saturday morning at the Maplewood Mall. A store executive blamed heavy snow on the roof. No one was injured.

Meanwhile, in the East, rain and higher temperatures helped to melt snow in areas where as much as 2 feet fell last weekend. But freezing temperatures were expected overnight in parts of New England. A freezing rain advisory was extended through 6 a.m. Sunday for parts of western Massachusetts.

In New Jersey, rain that began falling Christmas night was expected to continue through Sunday morning. Flood warnings were in effect for most of southern New Jersey and the Philadelphia area through the late afternoon.

Winter weather has been blamed for more than 20 deaths across the country in the past week. One of the latest was an 81-year-old Iowa man whose body was found in a ditch Friday after his pickup truck got stuck in the snow and he tried to walk home.

___

Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Carrie Antlfinger in Milwaukee, Verena Dobnik in New York, M.L. Johnson and Karen Hawkins in Chicago, Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City, Mo., Kathy Matheson in Philadelphia, Bruce Shipkowski in Trenton, N.J., and Bob Salsberg in Boston.

After United 93, air travelers react to threats

By ED WHITE, Associated Press Writer Ed White, Associated Press Writer – 26 mins ago
DETROIT – They heard a pop that sounded like fireworks. They saw a glow of flame followed by a rush of smoke. And that was enough for passengers on Northwest Airlines Flight 253 to pounce.

From several seats away, Dutch tourist Jasper Schuringa says he jumped to extinguish a fire ignited by a quiet man who just moments before allegedly told passengers his stomach was upset and pulled a blanket over himself. Schuringa said his first thought wasn't to signal a flight attendant or wait for an air marshal to break cover, but rather, "He's trying to blow up the plane."

"I basically reacted directly," Schuringa said Saturday in an interview with CNN. "I didn't think. I just jumped. I just went over there and tried to save the plane."

Aviation safety experts once would have called Schuringa's actions a mistake and cautioned passengers against fighting back during hijackings and other crises in the air. That was before the Sept. 11 attacks and the actions of passengers on United Flight 93, who learned while aloft about the hijacked jets that slammed earlier that day into New York's World Trade Center.

They staged a cabin revolt against the al-Qaida terrorists who had taken control of their flight and died when their plane crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pa. But they succeeded in keeping the jet from destroying another building that day, and their story became legend.

"I don't think people are going to sit back and let somebody kill them in the process of fulfilling their extremist agenda or whatever it happens to be," said Dave Heffernan, who helps oversee self-defense training for commercial flight crews at Valenica Community College in Orlando, Fla. "People have talked about it. They've thought about it. They have a plan of action."

On Saturday, a day after the failed attack on Northwest 253, federal prosecutors charged Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, a native of Nigeria, with trying to destroy the airliner with a device containing a high explosive attached to his body. They alleged that Abdulmutallab set off the device — sparking a fire instead of an explosion — as the flight from Amsterdam descended toward Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

Schuringa, of Amsterdam, told CNN that he didn't think about his own safety when he extinguished the fire with his hands. He and other passengers said that several people on board, including members of the flight crew, then joined him in taking Mutallab to first class to strip off his clothes and search for any more explosives.

"In a matter of minutes everything was settled down. ... The passengers were proactive. We just did it. There was nothing to talk about," said Syed Jafry, 57.

Another passenger, Richelle Keepman, 24, of Oconomowoc, Wis., said passengers were later interviewed by authorities and released from the airport. When Schuringa came through the area, "we were all clapping," she said.

Schuringa joins the passengers on United 93 and others who have leapt into action to defend themselves aloft since 9/11. Just three months after the attacks, Briton Richard Reid was overpowered by passengers and crew members on a flight from Paris to Miami as he tried to ignite plastic explosives hidden in his shoes. A doctor onboard went so far as to inject the restrained Reid with a sedative.

Passengers aren't only responding to obvious acts of terror. In June, two off-duty officers handcuffed a traveler who took off his clothes and kicked and punched a flight attendant on a US Airways flight to Los Angeles from Charlotte, N.C. In April 2008, passengers duct-taped a drunken man to his seat after he attacked a United Airlines flight attendant on a trip to Los Angeles from Hong Kong.

"Aggressive intervention has become the new societal norm," said Bill Voss, an expert at the Flight Safety Foundation in Alexandria, Va.

The day after the attack, authorities at airports worldwide tightened security, imposing extra searches on the ground and telling passengers flying to the U.S. from overseas they can't get out of their seat during the last hour of their flight. None seemed to mind, and many said they knew the story of United 93 and would respond aggressively if the new security measures failed.

"I know how to tackle," said Stephen Evans, 39, a former rugby player traveling from Chicago to Dulles International Airport near Washington. "Your odds are better to get the guy and risk an explosion on the plane rather than fly into Washington's Monument or what have you."

Jennifer Allen, 41, of Shelby Township, Mich., arrived in Detroit on Saturday from Amsterdam on Saturday's Northwest 253.

"We're not so blase, not so willing to accept that we're safe and we can let someone do our security for us," she said. "We're not going to sit there and wait for somebody else to do it because if you wait, it might be too late."

Troubleshooters that block cancer

Scientists have shown how a family of "limpet-like" proteins play a crucial role in repairing the DNA damage which can lead to cancer.

They hope the finding could pave the way for a new type of drug which could help kill cancer cells, and promote production of healthy replacements.

The proteins seem to have a remarkable ability to zero in on damaged areas.

The breakthrough, uncovered independently by two teams, appears in the journal Nature.

The family of Small Ubiquitin-like Modifier (SUMO) proteins track down sites in the body where DNA damage has occurred.
They attach themselves to normal proteins, and guide them in to fix the genetic faults.

Using this method, the proteins are even able to repair double strand DNA breaks - the most severe type of DNA damage.

When their work is done, the proteins detach themselves and move on.

Breast cancer gene

One of the study teams was able to follow this process of repair taking place on the BRCA1 gene, which, if damaged, is associated with a very high risk of breast cancer.

SUMO was shown to attach to the damaged gene, and switch it back on - helping prevent breast cancer forming.

Researcher Dr Jo Morris, from King's College London, said: "This new insight is the first step towards developing drugs which may protect normal cells from the side effects of chemotherapy, or improve the effectiveness of current breast cancer treatments."

Dr Lesley Walker, of Cancer Research UK, which part-funded the study, said: "DNA damage, particularly double strand DNA breaks, are a fundamental cause of cancer and we know that people who have mutations in the BRCA1 gene have a higher risk of developing some kinds of cancer.

"Discovering that these limpet-like proteins play such an important role in repair may provide new opportunities to stop cancer from growing."

But she added: "This is an extremely complex and intricate biological process so it may be many years before we can use this knowledge to safely intervene and help treat cancer patients."

Fans throw foam on court in Lakers' loss to Cavs

LOS ANGELES – After the Cleveland Cavaliers made the defending NBA champions look ordinary, the Los Angeles Lakers' fans threw up their foam hands in frustration.

Mo Williams scored 28 points, LeBron James added 26 and the Cavaliers beat Los Angeles 102-87 Friday in a game that ended with angry Lakers fans throwing dozens of giveaway foam hands onto the court.

Shaquille O'Neal had 11 points in his latest Los Angeles return with the Cavaliers, who dominated the Lakers with sharp shooting and physical defense, prompting several technical fouls and retaliation hits in a one-sided matchup of title contenders.

The Lakers' crowd lost its holiday spirit with 4:04 left when Lamar Odom's ejection and another T on the Lakers' infuriated bench prompted many fans to throw their pregame presents onto the court. After another foul with 3:45 left, several more foam hands were thrown along with a full water bottle, which skittered between players without hitting anyone.

Kobe Bryant scored 35 points for the Lakers, who had won 16 of 17 before Cleveland's decisive victory behind Williams, James and the Cavs' impressive interior play, which negated the Lakers' usual advantages down low.

After Odom got his second technical foul in an altercation with Williams, the Lakers' bench drew a T — apparently on purpose — for delay of game by failing to produce a substitute in a timely manner. When referee Dan Crawford whistled that T, the Staples Center crowd let its hands fly.

The foam hands weren't the usual No. 1 finger normally found at sports events, but a representation of two puppet hands making the "LA" sign in a connection to Nike's advertising campaign featuring puppets of James and Bryant.

But with Williams leading the way in his third straight impressive road game, the Cavs forced Bryant and the Lakers into their least impressive performance in six weeks. The loss dropped the Lakers (23-5) back into a tie with Boston atop the overall NBA standings.

If this was an NBA finals preview of the matchup that many expected to materialize last summer before Orlando crashed the party, the Lakers should be wary. Cleveland's big men — O'Neal, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varejao — allowed them to neutralize 7-foot starters Andrew Bynum, who managed just four points, and Pau Gasol, who had 11.

Meanwhile, the Cavs are tough to guard when James' teammates hit their outside shots with Williams' accuracy. James wasn't omnipresent, but played well enough to force Ron Artest to foul out with 5:01 to play.

The Cavaliers also made certain nobody will forget about them in the Eastern Conference race, where Boston and Orlando have dominated the discussion leading up to the Celtics' win over the Magic earlier Friday.

Cleveland never trailed and streaked to a 20-point lead in the second quarter during a run that included little help from James, sitting out while Williams sparked the Cavs. James had just two points and four assists in the quarter, which he ended with a half-court shot just after the buzzer.

Los Angeles got within six points in the third before Cleveland roared away again.

Williams is on a three-game streak with at least 24 points in each of the Cavs' victories, nailing his outside shot while outrunning Derek Fisher and the Lakers' defense. He even bounced up after Bryant sent him to the floor in pain with a collision in the third quarter.

There's no particular rivalry between these two franchises, or between James and Bryant, the Olympic teammates and top two vote-getters in All-Star balloting. Yet the high-profile matchup intrigued both players, with James flying his family to the West Coast for Christmas festivities.

O'Neal's returns to Los Angeles, where he teamed with Bryant to win three titles in Staples Center's first three seasons, no longer include the obligatory questions about whether Kobe could finally win a title without Shaq, who got boos and cheers during pregame introductions.

NOTES: Cleveland had beaten the Lakers five straight times before losing both matchups last season. ... It was Los Angeles' 19th home game already this season. After a two-game road trip, the Lakers will pass the midway point of their entire home schedule with games against Golden State and Sacramento next week. ... Fans included Sylvester Stallone, Anna Kournikova, Danny DeVito, Snoop Dogg, Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine, game show host Alex Trebek and baseball's Ken Griffey Jr. and Frank Robinson

Santa tracker? NORAD and Google Maps show the way

Eager youngsters (and the young at heart) can track the jolly guy online in many formats this year – with the help of Google Maps, Google Earth, Facebook, Twitter, and, of course, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, the US–Canadian military cooperative that watches over the skies of North America year-round.

The Google Maps version, accessible here, gives realtime updates of where Santa was last spotted, including a countdown to where he's going next. Visitors can zoom in on the locations he's already visited to watch videos narrated by Googlers and US servicemen and women, and read Wikipedia articles about the various cities on his make-believe journey.

For a more immersive experience, trackers can use the Google Earth browser plugin to follow Santa on his journey in 3D. Social networking fans can catch up on operations at the NORAD Tracks Santa center by visiting its page on Facebook or by following their updates on Twitter.

For a less Webby (and more authentic?) experience, US-based Santa trackers can reach NORAD at a toll-free number set up by Verizon: 1-877-HI-NORAD. Those outside the US can call 719-556-5211, but international calling rates will apply. More than 1,200 Colorado Springs-based volunteers will be manning the phones until midnight Eastern time on Christmas Day, providing callers with Santa's current location. In 2008, volunteers fielded nearly 74,000 calls.

The annual rite of tracking Santa, which started, strangely enough, with a misprint in a 1955 Colorado Springs Sears Roebuck advertisement, has blossomed over more than 50 years into a worldwide phenomenon:


The tradition began in 1955 after a Colorado Springs-based Sears Roebuck & Co. advertisement for children to call Santa misprinted the telephone number. Instead of reaching Santa, the phone number put kids through to the CONAD Commander-in-Chief's operations "hotline." The Director of Operations at the time, Colonel Harry Shoup, had his staff check the radar for indications of Santa making his way south from the North Pole. Children who called were given updates on his location, and a tradition was born.

Col. Shoup, who passed on in March of this year, recalls how the tradition started in an audio interview at NORAD's Santa Tracker site.

New Hyundai Santa Fe R-Series Outperforms the Competition in SUV Race for Fuel Efficiency

Australia (PRWEB) December 24, 2009 -- Hot on the heels of its Wheels magazine triumph, where the Santa Fe SX CRDi was recognised as the best medium SUV ownership proposition in Australia, the new Hyundai Santa Fe R diesel has outperformed the competition to claim the SUV class of the transcontinental Global Green Challenge.


Hyundai Australia
Achieving an outstanding fuel consumption of 5.1L/100km during a north-south traverse of the country, the latest Santa Fe beat its impressive official government-specified 'combined cycle' fuel consumption by a staggering 23.9 per cent.

The Global Green Challenge is a gruelling, week-long crossing of the continent from Darwin to Adelaide. The Challenge includes two demanding urban loops and covers a total distance of 3,147 kilometres. For real-world relevance, competing vehicles are required to meet strict average-speed protocols on the highway.

At the finish line in Adelaide's CBD, after seven days of intense competition, the new Santa Fe R diesel had consumed a total of just 160.46 litres of diesel fuel and achieved a low 137.67 grams of CO2 per kilometre.

The winning vehicle was driven by former Australian rally champion Ed Ordynski and motoring commentator John Cadogan. "This is a practical, versatile and rugged vehicle with serious off-road capability and seven seats. Yet with a combination of the latest technology and conservative driving techniques, we achieved the equivalent of 56 miles per gallon – a result that would have been unheard of just a decade ago," said Cadogan.

Ordynski added: "Competition in the category was extremely close. I think what we proved was that smarter driving and making the right choice of vehicle can make a real difference to ordinary Australians – both economically and environmentally,"

The new Hyundai Santa Fe R 2.2-litre diesel produces 145 kilowatts of peak power and up to 436 Newton-metres of torque (421 Newton-metres on manual), has seats seven as standard and features the highest safety standards in independent ANCAP tests – five stars for occupant protection.

Two years ago, the Hyundai i30 CRDi returned an astonishing 3.2L/100km over the same journey as part of the World Solar Challenge event.

Hyundai Motor Company Australia

Established in 1967, the Hyundai Automotive Group is the world's fifth largest and fastest growing major automotive manufacturer. Hyundai Motor Company Australia Pty Ltd (HMCA) was established on October 1st, 2003 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company. The award-winning range of Hyundai vehicles continues to set segment and industry benchmarks in value, quality and safety, with innovations such as ESP Stability Program and Australia's first five-year warranty with unlimited kilometres.

2008 marked Hyundai Motor Company Australia's entrance into the Light Commercial Vehicle market in Australia. For more information visit: "www.hyundai.com.au"

Holiday blizzards wreak havoc in central United States

Icy roads were blamed for the deaths of 14 people, mostly in Nebraska and Kansas. Some 100 flights leaving Minneapolis were cancelled.

The US weather service said the storm was spanning two-thirds of the country.

It advised against non-essential travel and scores of churches cancelled Christmas services.
Up to 2ft (60cm) of snow was possible in some areas by Christmas Day (Friday), forecasters said.

Scott Blair, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Topeka, Kansas, said the wind was becoming a serious issue in the central part of that state, with gusts reaching 40mph (64km/h).

"We're going to see blowing snow," he said. "The big concern comes later when we see snowfall with the wind, causing reduced visibility."

The US East Coast is still recovering from record snowfall last weekend, which brought much of the capital Washington DC to a standstill.

Tens of thousands of people in West Virginia and Virginia are still without power.

'Killer wind'

Blizzard warnings were issued for Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin, and drivers were encouraged to pack emergency kits before setting out during what is normally one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
There's just a humongous storm moving across the centre of the country, basically from the Canadian border to Texas and spreading from west Colorado to Illinois," Pat Slattery, a spokesman for the National Weather Service, told AFP news agency.

"This is not a storm to be messed with."

He said freezing rain and high winds was making driving extremely dangerous.

"The wind is killer, especially when you're empty," trucker Jim Reed told The Associated Press during a stop in Omaha, Nebraska.

"Anything that's boxed, like a refrigerator trailer like I have, becomes like a giant sail in the wind."

More than 20 vehicles were involved in a pile-up on Interstate 40 in Midwest City, Oklahoma.

'Avoiding funerals'

The Rev Joseph Mirowski of the Greek Orthodox Church of the Transfiguration in Mason City, Iowa, cancelled his Christmas Eve service as the area braced itself for up to 1ft of snow.

"I don't think God wants anyone to get killed or break a hip or break a knee or something," he said.

At the Grace Memorial Episcopal Church in Wabasha, Minnesota, the Rev Roger Claxton cancelled his Christmas Eve service out of fear his congregation's senior citizens would feel compelled to attend.

"I'd rather have people stay home than do their funerals in a couple of weeks," he remarked.

Texas Governor Rick Perry activated military personnel to help drivers while North Dakota Governor John Hoeven placed additional state troopers and the National Guard on standby.

The latest storm began in the south-west on Tuesday, causing blizzard-like conditions and travel chaos, before spreading to the east and north.

Flooding was predicted across Texas and into the Ohio Valley.

RIM confirms BlackBerry e-mail problems--again

.Share20
BlackBerry Bold

(Credit: Research in Motion) For the second time in less than a week, BlackBerry smartphone users across the country and beyond are reporting problems accessing e-mail.

BlackBerry maker Research in Motion confirmed Tuesday night that some users of the smartphone in the Americas are experiencing delays in message delivery.

"Technical teams are actively working to resolve the issue for those impacted. RIM apologizes for any inconvenience experienced by customers," read an e-mailed statement from company spokesperson Jamie Ernst. Ernst declined to elaborate, however, on the cause or extent of the outage, and offered no estimated time of repair.

This, of course, comes on the heels of similar short-lived outage on Thursday, which happened to be the same day the company announced it beat analyst expectations in the fiscal third quarter of 2009 with strong sales of its BlackBerrys.

Vodafone

The Vodafone iPhone will be released early next month

Wireless provider Vodafone will officially become the latest UK phone network to offer the popular Apple iPhone, confirming it will be released on January 14.

The base contract is available for £30 -- including a mandatory 24-month phone contract -- with £35 and £45 per month contracts also available.

Users looking to avoid long-term phone contracts can purchase the phone for £239, though those who spend more per month and are locked into a contract can get a free iPhone.

Each contract includes unlimited text messaging.

Vodafone iPhone users have a 1GB monthly cap on mobile usage, with subscribers charged more if they go over the limit. Orange has a 750MB cap per month for iPhone mobile Internet use -- both companies have unlimited Wi-Fi, however, the service includes an additional charge.

The iPhone for the Vodafone network is now available on pre-order.

To overcome Orange UK and T-Mobile UK, Vodafone -- which could be dropped to the No. 3 position -- hopes to offer superior network service over competitors, especially with the iPhone.

AT&T, the only U.S. wireless provider supporting the iPhone, has been slow to upgrade its networks, and instead blames iPhone owners for its lackluster 3G coverage throughout the United States. Vodafone has likely watched AT&T's issues, and realizes that the company with the best network in the UK is the one that consumers will be drawn to.

Obama rejects criticism on health legislation

WASHINGTON - President Obama rejected in an interview Tuesday the criticism that he has compromised too much in order to secure health-care reform legislation, challenging his critics to identify any "gap" between what he campaigned on last year and what Congress is on the verge of passing.

"Nowhere has there been a bigger gap between the perceptions of compromise and the realities of compromise than in the health-care bill," Obama said in an Oval Office interview with The Washington Post about his legislative record this year. "Every single criteria for reform I put forward is in this bill."

As the Senate prepares to pass its version of health-care reform, Obama has come under sharp criticism for the size and shape of the legislation, including most recently from the left wing of his own party.

Thousands without power as storms hit Qld

At least 32,000 homes have been left without power in the state's south-east, after a line of severe thunderstorms ripped through Logan, Ipswich, Brisbane's northern suburbs and the Sunshine Coast hinterland.

Damaging winds brought down powerlines, while traffic lights and train services were disrupted.

At Goodna in Ipswich, wind brought down trees while flash flooding cut local roads in just 15 minutes.

"Some of the low-lying spots around Goodna have been subjected to flooding, quite unexpectedly," Ipswich city councillor Paul Tully said.

"The rain, the intensity of it, the branches have been knocked off the trees. I've seen wheelie bins knocked out into the middle of the road.

"The winds were so strong and traffic on some of the roads around Goodna is at a complete standstill."

More than 3,500 lightning strikes were recorded across the region - one of which cut services on some of Brisbane's northern rail lines.

The train services affected include the Caboolture, Shorncliffe, Airport and Doomben lines.

Energex spokesman Mike Swanston says Brisbane has copped the brunt of the power outages.

"By far the worst-affected area ... is the Brisbane inner area, generally from a line around about Mount Crosby in the west, through Kenmore, Indooroopilly and then across the other side of the city through to Bulimba and Balmoral," he said.

The weather bureau's Brett Harrison says up to 59 millimetres of rain has been recorded across the south-east.

"Some very large rainfall totals with most of that falling in about half an hour," he said.


Clean-up begins

Earlier in the afternoon, a line of storms ripped through St George in the state's south-west.

The town lost power as winds of up to 130 kilometres per hour tore through the area.

Some houses lost their roofs and locals reported falls of more than 100 millimetres of rain in outlying areas.

St George local Jim Salmon says despite the damage, residents welcome the rain.

"There was certainly some good rain. I measured about 60 millimetres in about 30 minutes," he said.

Mr Salmon says fallen trees have downed powerlines and some houses have lost their roofs.
"One of the hotel/motels lost part of the roof off the hotel," he said.

"[There are] branches down in the school yard. [The storm] took some powerlines down.

"It's taken the face off the clock in the centre of town.

"A bit of the roof off the museum, shade sails down at the swimming pool, a little bit of minor damage around the place. I haven't seen anything major yet."

Eurotunnel shuts down car service amid Eurostar chaos

Passenger David Brown told the BBC he was one of more than 1,000 passengers stuck at the terminal at Folkestone.

He said day trip passengers had been told to go home, and Eurotunnel was citing "severe technical problems".

Meanwhile the Eurostar rail firm has announced it hopes to resume service on Tuesday, saying: "We will do our best to get everybody home by Christmas."

Earlier Eurostar launched an immediate review into train breakdowns which have stranded and delayed tens of thousands of passengers since Friday.

Eurostar chief executive Richard Brown said it would be "very very busy" on Tuesday, but they would be running as many trains as possible and planned to put increasing numbers into service on Wednesday and Thursday.

The company has asked passengers to avoid trying to travel over the next three days if possible.

Their priority was to get displaced people back home, it said.

Snow shields

Eurotunnel - which carries vehicles under the Channel - said its terminal was at "saturation point".

It blamed passengers who had turned up on Monday, after postponing their travel plans over the weekend due to bad weather.

BBC transport correspondent Tom Symonds said the company was sending away passengers who had booked day trip tickets on its Le Shuttle car service.

Passengers without bookings were also being told not to turn up because they would not be able to buy a ticket.

Eurostar trains - which serve rail passengers travelling from London St Pancras to France and Belgium - have been further modified to cope with cold weather.

The trains were being tested on Monday, after services were suspended for a third day.

More than 55,000 travellers have had journeys cancelled after six trains broke down in the tunnel.

Eurostar said it believed it had identified the problem, and had made adjustments to try to stop water getting into the electrical systems.

It said snow shields used to protect the electrics had worked for the 15 years it has been running services through the tunnel.

Monday's tests were going "pretty well," a Eurostar spokesman told the BBC.

The company plans to make an announcement on progress by 1800 GMT.

Health Care bill clears key Senate test

WASHINGTON – Landmark health care legislation backed by President Barack Obama passed its sternest Senate test in the pre-dawn hours early Monday, overcoming Republican delaying tactics on a 60-40 vote that all but assures its passage by Christmas.

"Let's make history," said Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, shortly before the bill's supporters demonstrated their command of the Senate floor in an extraordinary holiday season showdown.

The bill would extend coverage to more than 30 million Americans who now lack it, while banning insurance company practices such as denial of benefits on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions.

The atmosphere was intensely partisan, but the outcome preordained as senators cast their votes from their desks, a practice reserved for issues of particular importance. Administration officials who have worked intensely on the issue watched from the visitor's gallery despite the hour. So, too, Vicki Kennedy, the widow of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., who championed health care across a Senate career that spanned more than 40 years.

Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson's announcement Saturday that he had decided to support the bill — in exchange for a variety of concessions — cemented the Democrats' 60-vote majority behind a bill assembled at the direction of Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

Republicans conceded Democrats had the votes, but said they hadn't heard the end of it.

"One can stop it, or everyone will own it," said Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, a thinly disguised warning that his party will use the issue in the 2010 midterm elections.

In a strong attack on Obama, he said, "a president who was voted into office on the promise of change said he wanted lower premiums. That changed. He said he wouldn't raise taxes. That changed. He said he wanted lower costs. That changed. He said he wouldn't cut Medicare benefits. That changed."

But Reid countered with a list of Nevadans whom he said have suffered at the hands of insurance companies. "On average, an American dies from lack of health insurance every 10 minutes. That means that in the short time I have been speaking, our broken system has claimed another life."

Still, McConnell called the vote the culmination of a long debate, an acknowledgment that it was the single most important vote. Democrats must post 60 votes twice more, and Republicans can delay final passage until Christmas, but not prevent it.

Nelson came in for strong criticism from Republicans in Washington, who complained that he had won favorable treatment for his home state's Medicaid program. In a bit of political theater, they sought to open the bill up to extend it to all 50 states, but Democrats objected.

Nelson's agreement to an abortion-related change in the bill drew criticism from Nebraska Right to Life, a longtime supporter, and the state's Catholic bishops, who issued a statement that they were "extremely disappointed" in him.

His rebuttal came in the form of his vote, as well as a statement. "Too many Nebraskans struggle more each year to pay rising health care costs," he said. "Too many fear or face bankruptcy and too many are left behind, unable to obtain basic health coverage for themselves and their families."

The House has already passed legislation, and attempts to work out a compromise are expected to begin in the days after Christmas.

Report: O2 to buy VoIP start-up Jajah

O2, the mobile arm of Telefonica Europe, appears to be the winner of a bidding war for voice over IP start-up Jajah, according to a report on TheMarker that Reuters is citing.

O2 is expected to buy Jajah this week for $200 million, according to a report on the Hebrew language news site. Cisco Systems and Microsoft were rumored to have been competing for the VoIP start-up.

Jajah representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Jajah, which provides low-cost international calling to more than 25 million users, already has the ability to terminate calls or transfer calls from the Internet to the local telephone network in more than 122 countries around the world.

In September, the company launched a beta for a third-party offering that allows Twitter users to make voice calls directly to each other through the microblogging service. The company announced in June that it had connected its 1 billionth call.

The Internet phone company has raised more than $30 million in funding, including a $20 million round of investment lead by T-Online Venture Fund, the investment arm of Deutsche Telekom. Other investors include Intel Capital, Sequoia Capital, and Globespan Capital Partners.

Pipeline sabotage halts oil exports from northern Iraq

BAGHDAD — Oil exports from northern Iraq have been halted by a sabotage attack on the pipeline to the Turkish port of Ceyhan, oil ministry spokesman Assem Jihad said on Sunday.

"A 55 kilometre (34 mile) section of the pipeline was damaged in the attack, causing a large oil spillage. Exports have stopped and technicians from the northern oil company (NOC) have gone to the site to survey the damage," Jihad told AFP.

The attack took place around 325 km (200 miles) north of Baghdad.

"We are asking the multinational forces to carry out more patrols to protect the pipeline, which was sabotaged for the fourth time in six weeks. We will not know when exports will resume until we have surveyed the damage," the spokesman added.

The pipeline usually transports between 420,000 and 450,000 barrels per day of oil, although it has the potential to ship 600,000 bpd, according to Jihad.

Total Iraq exports stand at around two million bpd of crude oil, and all its exports from the north flow through the pipeline to Ceyhan.

Improved security along the pipeline has limited the number of attacks in recent years. But after an 18 month period of calm, sabotage resumed on October 26.

A week ago, contracts for the exploitation of seven oil fields were awarded to international consortiums in Iraq's second auction since the US-led invasion in 2003, bringing to 10 the total number of contracts that have now been awarded.

The oil ministry said that together these should allow Iraqi oil production to rise to 12 million bpd, from 2.5 million bpd now, a level that would rival the world largest oil producer Saudi Arabia.

But security and dilapidated infrastructure remain key obstacles to Baghdad achieving that target.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved

Fine for Google over French books

Page last updated at 13:33 GMT, Friday, 18 December 2009
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Fine for Google over French books


A Paris court has found Google guilty of copyright infringement in a ruling which could have ramifications for its plans to digitise the world's books.

The search giant must pay 300,000 euros (£266,000) in damages and interest to French publisher La Martiniere.

It was one of many to take Google to court for digitising its books without explicit permission.

Google was also ordered to pay 10,000 euros a day until it removes extracts of the books from its database.

Google expressed disappointment at the ruling.

"French readers now face the threat of losing access to a significant body of knowledge and falling behind the rest of internet users," said a spokesman for the firm.

Serge Eyrolles, head of the French publisher's union Syndicat National de l'Edition, said he was "completely satisfied with the verdict".

"It shows Google that they are not the kings of the world and they can't do whatever they want," he said.

Google wants to scan millions of books to make them available online.

This court case will be seen as a victory for critics of the plan who fear Google is creating a monopoly over information.

Publisher Herve de La Martiniere launched his court case three years ago but Google continued to scan books during this period.

La Martiniere, the French Publishers' Association and authors' group SGDL who started the court battle initially demanded that Google be fined 15m euros (£13.2m).

The book publishers claimed that scanning books was an act of reproduction and, as such, was something that should be paid for.

Google's plans to establish a digital library have hit several buffers.

It agreed to a settlement with US authors and publishers but is renegotiating after the US Justice Department concluded that the deal violates anti-trust law.

Open house? Google has also been eying Trulia

According to sources close to the situation, along with its pending bid for Yelp, Google has been in on-again, off-again acquisition talks with Trulia, the real-estate search engine.

It is unclear what price Google would pay, but sources estimate that Trulia's valuation ranges between $150 million and $200 million, although there could be a big premium on that.

Rumors about Google's interest in the real-estate search market--and specifically in Trulia--have been rebounding around Silicon Valley for the last year.

But Google has pulled the trigger on a number of acquisitions of innovative start-ups recently and, sources said, will continue to do so.

Trulia--which is based in San Francisco and allows people to search for a range of data about homes for sale in particular ZIP codes or cities nationwide--is one of the more obvious candidates for the search giant's local and mobile efforts.

Its business and that of its competitors--which is largely based on advertising and lead-generation--has been growing quickly, despite the economic downturn in housing.

More interestingly, Trulia is deeply integrated into Google Maps, an arena the company recently targeted for growth with a series of announcements about new search features.

Trulia has raised about $33 million since 2005, with investors that include high-profile Silicon Valley venture firms Accel Partners and Sequoia Capital.

Interestingly, Accel and Sequoia recently made bank when Google bought AdMob for $750 million.

Trulia's clearest competitor is the larger Zillow, located in the Seattle area. But, sources said, Google is more interested in Trulia, given its location in the Bay Area and lower valuation.

Zillow has raised about $87 million from Benchmark Capital, Technology Crossover Ventures, PAR Capital Management, and Legg Mason.

Redfin, another Seattle-based rival, has raised about $31 million from its own well-known collection of VCs.

This week, Google's interest in Yelp, the local review site, also became public, in a deal that could cost upward of $600 million.

It is all part of a buying spree that Google has engaged in of late, with six acquisitions costing $1 billion so far.

Story Copyright (c) 2009 AllThingsD. All rights reserved.

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Shoppers with smart phones squeezing retailers

By Emily Fredrix

updated 1:56 p.m. ET Dec. 17, 2009
MILWAUKEE - The rise of smart phones, with their go-anywhere Web access, is changing the shopping game this holiday season.

Tech-savvy shoppers are finding it easier than ever to work the system to get the best deals.

They're scanning barcodes with their cell phone cameras to load into price comparison Internet sites while standing in store aisles, using GPS to find discounts at nearby stores and flashing electronic coupons straight from their phones

Firefox 3.5.6 patches critical security holes

Mozilla has updated its Firefox browser to patch three critical security holes.

Firefox 3.5.6 and 3.0.16 both suffered from memory corruption issues. "We presume that with enough effort at least some of these could be exploited to run arbitrary code," the security advisory said.

In addition, Firefox 3.5.6 had two critical vulnerabilities in its technology for playing Ogg-format media, one with the liboggplay media library and one with the libtheora video library.

The patches are among 62 fixes in the new Firefox, software that's translated into dozens of languages and runs on multiple operating systems. Users of the OS/2 operating system will be delighted to know that problems with Firefox's full-screen mode and with print preview have been resolved.

"We strongly recommend that all Firefox users upgrade to this latest release," Mozilla said in a blog posting. By default, Firefox downloads updates automatically then prompts users to restart when it's ready; updates also can be retrieved through the "check for updates" menu option.

Mozilla plans to cease supporting Firefox 3.0 in January. Meanwhile, a significant update, Firefox 3.6, is due by the end of the year.

Australia introduces web filters

Australia intends to introduce filters which will ban access to websites containing criminal content.

The banned sites will be selected by an independent classification body guided by complaints from the public, said Communications Minister Stephen Conroy.

A seven month trial in conjunction with ISPs found the technology behind the filter to be 100% effective.

However, that claim has been questioned and there has been opposition from some internet users.

Twitter users have been voicing their disapproval by adding the search tag "nocleanfeed" to their comments about the plans.

"Successful technology isn't necessarily successful policy," said Colin Jacobs, a spokesperson for Electronic Frontiers Australia, a non-profit organisation that campaigns for online freedom.

"We're yet to hear a sensible explanation of what this policy is for, who it will help, and why it is worth spending so much taxpayers' money on."

Mr Conroy said the filters included optional extras such as a ban on gambling sites which ISPs could choose to implement in exchange for a grant.

"Through a combination of additional resources for education and awareness, mandatory internet filtering of RC (refused classification)-rated content, and optional ISP-level filtering, we have a package that balances safety for families and the benefits of the digital revolution," he said.

The filter laws will be introduced in parliament in August 2010 and will take a year to implement.

'noble aims'

"Historical attempts to put filters in place have been effective up to a point," Dr Windsor Holden, principal analyst at Juniper Research, told BBC News.

The "noble aims" of the filter could be lost in its implementation, he warned.

"Clearly there is a need to protect younger and more vulnerable users of the net, but one concern is that it won't just be illegal websites that will be blocked," he added.

"You have to take extreme caution in how these things are rolled out and the uses to which they're put

Climate conference emits its share of carbon

COPENHAGEN – If they fail to reach a climate deal in Copenhagen, world leaders flying in their private jets and huddling in five-star hotels will have little to show for their efforts beyond a big, fat carbon footprint.

The U.N. estimates 40,500 tons of carbon dioxide will be pumped into the atmosphere during the 12-day conference — 90 percent of it from flights. The rest comes from waste and electricity related to transport to and from the conference center and lodging in and around the Danish city.

Most of the leaders were flying either on commercial airlines or government-owned jets and Sweden was one of the few to announce plans to offset those aviation emissions — something it does routinely. Most are doing nothing to boost their green credentials and some saw no reason to treat their trip to the U.N. climate talks any differently.

"This prime minister is the last person in India or maybe even the world to do anything for effect," said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's spokesman Harish Khare. "It'll be a normal visit, like any other visit by the prime minister." Singh was scheduled to travel in a private jet to Copenhagen for security, his office said.

Those traveling on commercial flights include Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejajjiva, Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann and Finnish President Tarja Halonen.

Barack Obama is traveling on Air Force One, French President Nicolas Sarkozy in his special Airbus and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on a presidential jet nicknamed "Aerolula."

A handful of Europeans made a point of taking the train, like the environment ministers of the Netherlands and Switzerland.

Few environmentalists at the conference made an issue of the carbon footprints from more than 100 world leaders. They were more worried that governments are failing to make progress on reaching a global climate pact.

Norway's Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg — who often gives green advice to Norwegians — was criticized at home, however, for deciding to take a private jet from Oslo to Copenhagen rather than one of the 17 shuttles that daily make the hour-long run between the two Scandinavian capitals.

"If he tells everybody to take the bus, take the train, stop wasting energy, then you'd have to expect Stoltenberg to sacrifice something too," said Oerjan Holm, vice president of the Norwegian Conservation Society.

A statement from Stoltenberg's office said he decided to travel by private jet because he wanted the "flexibility" to match the somewhat unstable schedule of the climate conference. It added that the government buys carbon credits at the end of every year to offset the prime minister's air travels.

Some activists said leaders should at least find ways to make their trip more sustainable, especially if they aren't serious about reaching a deal.

"There is an obsession by world leaders to be able to come in here with big entourages on their special airplanes, land at the airport and be driven in big limousines, with bigger entourages," said Asad Rehman, spokesman for the environmental group Friends of the Earth.

"What they should be looking at is how they could travel here with the minimal carbon impact that they can have," he said. "But also, more importantly, are they coming here to actually sign a deal and make a deal that will save both the people and the planet? If they're coming here with an empty pocket and empty promises, then they should stay at home."

Susan Burns, the chief executive officer of the Global Footprint Network, a California-based sustainability research institute, said it would be wrong to scale back negotiations over concerns about carbon emissions, especially with so much work to be done.

"They should have a Copenhagen every month until they figure this out," Burns said. "We need to spend our carbon very wisely. And getting world leaders together and locking them in a room while they get this done is one such investment, as is investing it in the economy of the future."

Climate summits, which attract thousands of delegates and are often held in far-flung or glitzy locations like Barcelona and Rio de Janeiro, are easy targets for critics.

The last big climate conference, in 2007 on the Indonesian island of Bali, blew through 47,000 tons of carbon — equal to the daily emissions of Marseilles, one of the biggest cities in France. Delegates were criticized for running their air conditioners as they chatted in beach-side villas.

This time, it's the idling limos waiting in subzero temperatures to shuttle delegates between their hotels and the conference center.

Organizers from the Danish government said they were doing everything they could to minimize the conference's carbon footprint.

They have reduced emissions 20 percent through a number of energy efficiency measures, promoted public transport, encouraged hotels to provide environmentally certified rooms and installed efficient lighting in the conference center, according to Jan-Christoph Napierski, who heads conference logistics for the Danish Foreign Ministry.

They are offsetting the rest of the emissions by investing in a program to upgrade antiquated brick kilns in Bangladesh with the help of the World Bank.

"Bangladesh is one of the countries hardest hit by climate change and there's a great need to assist the country with technology and capital contributions," said conference president Connie Hedegaard. "In addition, the project will result in significant environmental improvements for the local community, where particle pollution from the existing old brick works is clearly visible."

Google testing its own mobile phone

Google's employees are testing a new mobile device that runs on the company's Android operating system, as the search giant continues its push into the wireless market and toward more direct competition with Apple's iPhone.

In a blog post Saturday, Google said the new device combines hardware built by an unnamed partner with its Android software. The free software is crucial in Google's efforts to make its search engine and other services as accessible on cellphones as they already are on personal computers.

Google handed the device out to employees across the globe so they could "experiment with new mobile features and capabilities" and give quick feedback on the new technology, said Mario Queiroz, vice-president of product management, on the company's blog.

The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources, reported Sunday that Google plans to sell the phone directly to consumers instead of through a wireless carrier. Such a move means Google would go head-to-head with Apple's iPhone and Research in Motion's Blackberry, as well as current makers of Android phones.

Mountain View, Calif.-based Google launched its first Android phone in September 2008, the G1 sold by T-Mobile USA. Verizon Wireless last month released the Droid in the U.S., the first smartphone to run Android 2.0, and expects to launch another Android phone this year.

Canadian wireless carriers offer Android phones, but so far none that run Android 2

Abu Dhabi gives Dubai $10bn to help pay debts

Dubai's government has announced it has been given a $10bn (£6.13bn) handout from United Arab Emirates neighbour Abu Dhabi to help it pay off its debts.

It will use $4.1bn (£2.5bn) of the money to bail out the government-owned investment company Dubai World.

The company's property development operation Nakheel needed the money to pay investors in an Islamic bond which was due to mature on Monday.

Dubai has been badly hit by the global downturn.

News of the payment boosted share markets in the United Arab Emirates. Dubai's main share index was 10% higher, while Abu Dhabi's rose more than 7%.

The news also helped the value of the euro and the pound. Both currencies have been unsettled in recent weeks by news of Dubai's debts.

But the head of Middle East government ratings at Standard and Poor's, Farouk Soussa, said the bail-out raised questions about government policy in Dubai.

"It's a positive in terms of the debt being repaid, it's a positive in terms of support from Abu Dhabi, but I believe the grey shadow cast over this is really the coherence of policy."

'Satisfy obligations'

The payment that was due on Monday was an Islamic - or sukuk - bond, designed to be compliant with Islamic law which prohibits interest payments.

There had been fears the Nakheel would not be able to pay off the bonds when they matured and analysts say Abu Dhabi's bailout came as a surprise.

Dubai's fellow emirate has helped its neighbour out before. Their relationship is close, as both are part of the seven-member UAE. Their ruling families are from the same tribe
In a statement on Monday the chairman of Dubai's Supreme Fiscal Committee Sheikh Ahmed bin Saaed al-Maktoum said: "The government of Abu Dhabi has agreed to fund $10bn to the Dubai Financial Support Fund that will be used to satisfy a series of upcoming obligations on Dubai World."

He added: "We are here today to reassure investors, financial and trade creditors, employees, and our citizens that our government will act at all times in accordance with market principles and internationally accepted business practices."

He also announced the implementation of new bankruptcy law.

"This law will be available should Dubai World and its subsidiaries be unable to achieve an acceptable restructuring of its remaining obligations," he said.

John Sfakianakis, the chief economist of Banque Saudi Fransi-Credit Agricole in Riyadh called the handout a "crucial and essential lifeline".

He told the Reuters news agency: "That should bring in a lot of confidence, basically Abu Dhabi is footing the bill.

"It will take time for the implications to unfold. I highly doubt this kind of money has no strings attached."

Fahd Iqbal, the Gulf region strategist for EFG-Hermes, said the latest development did not necessarily change the "longer-term outlook" and that his investment banking firm still had other concerns regarding the "hit in confidence" Dubai had experienced, Reuters reported.