WASHINGTON ? President Barack Obama offered encouragement Monday for the former Soviet republic of Georgia's hopes for a preferential trade agreement with the United States, but said the country has a way to go in its economic reforms.
Obama praised visiting Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili and said there is a "possibility" of a free trade agreement that is a top priority for Georgia. Obama said the U.S. will help Georgia strengthen its free market system with high-level dialogue, but did not address when or under what conditions that might expand.
Saakashvili thanked Obama for the possible free trade agreement.
"That's going to attract lots of additional activity to my country," he said.
Georgia's leverage in asking for trade advantages grew last year, when it quietly dropped objections to Russian membership in the World Trade Organization. Georgia is probably the most hostile toward Moscow of the now-independent nations that were once part of the Soviet Union.
Russian WTO membership was part of Obama's efforts to repair relations with Russia that hit a low point following the 2008 Russian invasion of Georgia over a territorial dispute.
Sitting with Saakashvili following an Oval Office meeting, Obama said the two discussed the importance of protecting minorities and the rule of law, an apparent reference to alleged political power plays by Saakashvili's party and the recent arrest of journalists and others on allegations of spying for Georgia's rival Russia. But Obama praised Georgia as an example of democracy in the former Soviet region.
Obama said scheduled democratic elections, in which Saakashvili intends to step aside, "will solidify many of the reforms that are taking place."
Critics have accused Saakashvili of trying to engineer constitutional reforms that would allow him to pull strings from offstage, in the manner of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, after he leaves office in 2013. Saakashvili denies it.
Obama appeared to make an oblique reference to that debate by saying that he was "anticipating fair and free elections" and "the formal transfer of power" in Georgia.
Saakashvili, who has been president since 2004, has sought to steer Georgia toward joining the European Union and NATO. He has been credited with economic and anti-corruption reforms, but opponents have accused him of stifling media freedom and sidelining the opposition, and criticized his handling of the disastrous 2008 war with Russia.
Obama did not mention that war, or the underlying dispute, during brief remarks to reporters following Monday's meeting.
Earlier, however, White House press secretary Jay Carney said Obama would reaffirm U.S. support for Georgia's "territorial integrity" within internationally recognized borders. That's a reference to the dispute over a breakaway region of Georgia that prompted the war.
Obama said the two leaders discussed security issues, and he thanked Saakashvili for Georgia's contribution of troops to the war in Afghanistan.
Georgia is looking to Obama for a road map to NATO membership, something Russia opposes.
Much ado has already been made about season 3 of Bethenny Ever After (which premieres on Monday, Feb. 20, at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo). Now that the network has released the trailer,Bethenny Frankel's fans and detractors alike (and she has many of both) can get a sneak peek for themselves. Watch here:
The Wikipedia blackout is intended to spotlight the value of open access to information on the Internet, but also underlies how fractious the move is, drawing fire from both critics and supporters.
As the fracas over the proposed federal anti-privacy legislation known as SOPA heats up this week, the open-source encyclopedia website, Wikipedia, says it will shut down?for 24 hours, beginning midnight Tuesday to protest what the website warns is a threat to free speech.
Skip to next paragraph
Instead of its usual homepage, users who navigate to the English-language Wikipedia Wednesday will?find directions for reaching local members of Congress to protest the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA). Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales said in?a statement Monday, he hopes this "will melt phone systems in Washington."
A House subcommittee was scheduled to prepare SOPA for a vote later this month. The Senate had planned a vote on PIPA even sooner.?Now, it appears both votes could be delayed as some supporters in the House and Senate suggest they may be open changes in the bill.
The Wikipedia blackout is intended to spotlight the value of free and open access to information on the Internet, but it also underlies how fractious the issue is as it draws fire from both critics and supporters.
?SOPA is an unconstitutional, dangerous waste of time ? that is, a violation of the First Amendment that won't achieve its ends, and could cripple the Internet with its provision that sites could be liable for any pirated material posted on their online premises,? says Fordham University media professor Paul Levinson via e-mail. No site can possibly police every post ? text or video ? for adherence to copyright, he says. ?
But Wikipedia should not shut down to point out the dangers of SOPA, he says.??Wikipedia is a source of information,?a site which by its very existence stands up to ignorance in Congress. It won't be able to make this point on Wednesday when it's shut down." It will only inconvenience millions of people, who rely on its services, he says.
But dramatic gestures are needed, say students and professors at the School for Information Studies at Syracuse University in New York, who plan to shut down their site on?Wednesday in support of the Wikipedia move. Sharing information by Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks are at the heart of the Internet?s role in communication, innovation, as well as social change, says?Anthony Rotolo, assistant professor and co-founder of the iSchool.
Wikipedia is not a social network, but relies on a network of volunteers to update its website through its open-source platform. If SOPA were to pass, Wikipedia could be held responsible for any information added to its website.
?The most troubling aspects of the proposed legislation are the provisions that would allow sites to be shut down if accused of sharing copyrighted information,? Professor Rotolo says. While it is important to protect copyrighted information, SOPA "would dramatically change the way the Internet works, and for the first time put the government, and potentially special interests, in control,? he adds.
Researchers quantify the damage of alcohol by timing and exposure during pregnancyPublic release date: 16-Jan-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Haruna Sawada Feldman, Ph.D., MPH, CHES
sawada@ucsd.edu
619-692-3539
University of California, San Diego
Philip A. May, Ph.D.
philip_may@unc.edu
704-250-5002
The University of North Carolina
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
Prenatal exposure to alcohol is associated with a spectrum of abnormalities in the offspring.
A new study has examined patterns of drinking specific to timing of exposure during pregnancy, collecting the information while the mother was still pregnant instead of after delivery.
Numerous specific associations were found, the most significant ones during the second half of the first trimester of pregnancy.
Prenatal exposure to alcohol is associated with a spectrum of abnormalities, referred to as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Physical features of the more serious Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) include smooth philtrum, thin vermillion border, short palpebral fissures, microcephaly, and growth deficiencies in weight and height. A new study has specified how specific quantities of alcohol exposure, patterns of drinking, and timing of exposure can have an impact on each of these features.
Results will be published in the April 2012 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at Early View.
"This study was designed to address two challenges in FAS studies," said Haruna Sawada Feldman, a post-doctoral student in the department of pediatrics under the mentorship of professor Christina Chambers at the University of California, San Diego. "The first challenge concerned obtaining accurate alcohol exposure history from maternal reports that might involve social stigma and recall bias. This study collected information during pregnancy when women were unaware of their pregnancy outcome. The data were also collected by trained counseling specialists who had built a rapport with the woman and guaranteed confidentiality while collecting sensitive information. Finally, data were collected with specific details about timing in gestation, dose and pattern."
The second challenge concerned the quality of information on specific physical features of FAS. "These alcohol-related features are often subtle, and a non-expert examiner may miss or misclassify features, and/or can be biased by subjectivity, especially if he/she suspects or knows about prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE)," said Feldman. "This study used an exposure-blinded expert dysmorphologist to look for these features. Furthermore, potential bias due to subjectivity was reduced because these examinations were conducted in the context of a larger study of more than 70 agents of interest, only one of which was alcohol."
"Research that links the quantity, frequency and timing of alcohol consumption during pregnancy among humans is virtually non-existent," added Philip A. May, a research professor in the Gillings School of Global Public Health at The University of North Carolina. "While animal data exist, studies like this one in humans are greatly needed, because extrapolation of concepts from animal models to humans is fraught with complications and problems of translation."
Feldman and her colleagues used data gathered on 992 women and their singleton infants in California between 1978 and 2005, examining patterns of drinking and timing of alcohol exposure in relation to selected FAS features. Structural features were assessed by a dysmorphologist who performed a blinded physical examination of all infants. Patterns of drinking were evaluated by drinks per day, number of binge episodes, and maximum number of drinks. Timing of exposure was evaluated zero to six weeks post-conception, six to 12 weeks post-conception, and during the first, second, and third trimesters.
"Higher PAE in every pattern we examined was significantly associated with an increased risk for having an infant born with reduced birth length or weight or having a smooth philtrum or thin vermillion border or microcephaly," said Feldman. "The most significant associations were seen during the second half of the first trimester; for every one drink increase in the average number of drinks consumed daily, there was a 25 percent increased risk for smooth philtrum, a 22 percent increased risk for thin vermillion border, a 12 percent increased risk for microcephaly, a 16 percent increased risk for reduced birth weight, and an 18 percent increased risk for reduced birth length."
"This paper clearly illustrates that drinking alcohol, especially binge drinking, during the first seven to 12 weeks of gestation is associated with four of the most important facial features characteristic of FAS as well as reductions in birth length and weight that are also characteristic of infants and children with FAS," said May. "This study also illustrates clearly that there is no threshold that triggers these features of FAS. Instead there is variability from woman to woman in the level of drinking that produces these features."
Feldman added that the lack of associations found during first-half of the first trimester between alcohol and outcomes should not be interpreted to mean that alcohol consumption during this time period is somehow safe. "Due to the study design, we were only able to include women who gave birth to live infants," she said. "Therefore, we did not include women who may have had miscarriages or stillbirths. It is important to know that alcohol-exposed infants who would have exhibited alcohol-related minor malformations might also be more likely to be lost to miscarriage following exposure during the first six-week window."
Both Feldman and May believe these findings reinforce the warning that there is no "safe" level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. "Clinicians should continue to follow the recommendations to encourage women who are planning a pregnancy or have the potential to become pregnant to avoid alcohol, and to advise women who become pregnant to stop alcohol consumption," said Sawada. "These new findings can also help clinicians quantify the importance of discontinuing alcohol as early as possible."
###
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research (ACER) is the official journal of the Research Society on Alcoholism and the International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism. Co-authors of the ACER paper, "Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Patterns and Alcohol-Related Birth Defects and Growth Deficiencies: A Prospective Study," were: Kenneth Lyons Jones, Kelly Kao, and Smriti Rao of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego; Suzanne Lindsay and Donald Slymen of the Graduate School of Public Health at San Diego State University; Hillary Klonoff-Cohen of the Department of Family and Preventative Medicine, University of California, San Diego; and Christina Chambers of the Departments of Pediatrics, and Family and Preventative Medicine, at the University of California, San Diego. This release is supported by the Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network at http://www.ATTCnetwork.org.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Researchers quantify the damage of alcohol by timing and exposure during pregnancyPublic release date: 16-Jan-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Haruna Sawada Feldman, Ph.D., MPH, CHES
sawada@ucsd.edu
619-692-3539
University of California, San Diego
Philip A. May, Ph.D.
philip_may@unc.edu
704-250-5002
The University of North Carolina
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
Prenatal exposure to alcohol is associated with a spectrum of abnormalities in the offspring.
A new study has examined patterns of drinking specific to timing of exposure during pregnancy, collecting the information while the mother was still pregnant instead of after delivery.
Numerous specific associations were found, the most significant ones during the second half of the first trimester of pregnancy.
Prenatal exposure to alcohol is associated with a spectrum of abnormalities, referred to as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Physical features of the more serious Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) include smooth philtrum, thin vermillion border, short palpebral fissures, microcephaly, and growth deficiencies in weight and height. A new study has specified how specific quantities of alcohol exposure, patterns of drinking, and timing of exposure can have an impact on each of these features.
Results will be published in the April 2012 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at Early View.
"This study was designed to address two challenges in FAS studies," said Haruna Sawada Feldman, a post-doctoral student in the department of pediatrics under the mentorship of professor Christina Chambers at the University of California, San Diego. "The first challenge concerned obtaining accurate alcohol exposure history from maternal reports that might involve social stigma and recall bias. This study collected information during pregnancy when women were unaware of their pregnancy outcome. The data were also collected by trained counseling specialists who had built a rapport with the woman and guaranteed confidentiality while collecting sensitive information. Finally, data were collected with specific details about timing in gestation, dose and pattern."
The second challenge concerned the quality of information on specific physical features of FAS. "These alcohol-related features are often subtle, and a non-expert examiner may miss or misclassify features, and/or can be biased by subjectivity, especially if he/she suspects or knows about prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE)," said Feldman. "This study used an exposure-blinded expert dysmorphologist to look for these features. Furthermore, potential bias due to subjectivity was reduced because these examinations were conducted in the context of a larger study of more than 70 agents of interest, only one of which was alcohol."
"Research that links the quantity, frequency and timing of alcohol consumption during pregnancy among humans is virtually non-existent," added Philip A. May, a research professor in the Gillings School of Global Public Health at The University of North Carolina. "While animal data exist, studies like this one in humans are greatly needed, because extrapolation of concepts from animal models to humans is fraught with complications and problems of translation."
Feldman and her colleagues used data gathered on 992 women and their singleton infants in California between 1978 and 2005, examining patterns of drinking and timing of alcohol exposure in relation to selected FAS features. Structural features were assessed by a dysmorphologist who performed a blinded physical examination of all infants. Patterns of drinking were evaluated by drinks per day, number of binge episodes, and maximum number of drinks. Timing of exposure was evaluated zero to six weeks post-conception, six to 12 weeks post-conception, and during the first, second, and third trimesters.
"Higher PAE in every pattern we examined was significantly associated with an increased risk for having an infant born with reduced birth length or weight or having a smooth philtrum or thin vermillion border or microcephaly," said Feldman. "The most significant associations were seen during the second half of the first trimester; for every one drink increase in the average number of drinks consumed daily, there was a 25 percent increased risk for smooth philtrum, a 22 percent increased risk for thin vermillion border, a 12 percent increased risk for microcephaly, a 16 percent increased risk for reduced birth weight, and an 18 percent increased risk for reduced birth length."
"This paper clearly illustrates that drinking alcohol, especially binge drinking, during the first seven to 12 weeks of gestation is associated with four of the most important facial features characteristic of FAS as well as reductions in birth length and weight that are also characteristic of infants and children with FAS," said May. "This study also illustrates clearly that there is no threshold that triggers these features of FAS. Instead there is variability from woman to woman in the level of drinking that produces these features."
Feldman added that the lack of associations found during first-half of the first trimester between alcohol and outcomes should not be interpreted to mean that alcohol consumption during this time period is somehow safe. "Due to the study design, we were only able to include women who gave birth to live infants," she said. "Therefore, we did not include women who may have had miscarriages or stillbirths. It is important to know that alcohol-exposed infants who would have exhibited alcohol-related minor malformations might also be more likely to be lost to miscarriage following exposure during the first six-week window."
Both Feldman and May believe these findings reinforce the warning that there is no "safe" level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. "Clinicians should continue to follow the recommendations to encourage women who are planning a pregnancy or have the potential to become pregnant to avoid alcohol, and to advise women who become pregnant to stop alcohol consumption," said Sawada. "These new findings can also help clinicians quantify the importance of discontinuing alcohol as early as possible."
###
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research (ACER) is the official journal of the Research Society on Alcoholism and the International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism. Co-authors of the ACER paper, "Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Patterns and Alcohol-Related Birth Defects and Growth Deficiencies: A Prospective Study," were: Kenneth Lyons Jones, Kelly Kao, and Smriti Rao of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego; Suzanne Lindsay and Donald Slymen of the Graduate School of Public Health at San Diego State University; Hillary Klonoff-Cohen of the Department of Family and Preventative Medicine, University of California, San Diego; and Christina Chambers of the Departments of Pediatrics, and Family and Preventative Medicine, at the University of California, San Diego. This release is supported by the Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network at http://www.ATTCnetwork.org.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
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Republican presidential candidate former House Speaker Newt Gingrich makes remarks during a campaign event at the Jones Memorial AME Zion Church, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Republican presidential candidate former House Speaker Newt Gingrich makes remarks during a campaign event at the Jones Memorial AME Zion Church, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Republican presidential candidate former House Speaker Newt Gingrich makes remarks during an event at Jones Memorial AME Zion Church, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Republican presidential candidate former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, accompanied by his wife Callista, meets with prisoners during an event at the Jones Memorial AME Zion Church, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Audience members listen to Republican presidential candidate former House Speaker Newt Gingrich make remarks during an event at Jones Memorial AME Zion Church, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
A patron of Tommy's Ham House touches a Greenville, S.C., newspaper sporting front page images of Republican presidential candidates, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, as Santorum campaigns at the restaurant Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012, in Greenville, S.C. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) ? Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich faced tough questions Saturday about his past statements on race and class, making a rare appearance by a Republican primary candidate before a black church ? an audience unlikely to vote in South Carolina's Jan. 21 contest.
Standing behind the lectern at Jones Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church, Gingrich was peppered with questions about his assertion that poor children lack work ethic and his criticism of President Barack Obama as a "food-stamp president."
Gingrich may get credit for spending nearly an hour in front of a largely unsupportive crowd. But the event is unlikely to help him win many votes in South Carolina's primary, a contest Gingrich himself has said will be make-or-break for his campaign.
Blacks made up just 2 percent of those who voted in South Carolina's 2008 Republican primary, according to exit polls.
While the give and take between Gingrich and more than 50 people in the audience was largely respectful, some in the crowd had sharp questions for the former House Speaker. Many centered on Gingrich's remark last month that poor children as young as nine should work at least part time cleaning their schools in order to learn about work.
Gingrich said his comments were misconstrued.
"What I was saying was, in the poorest neighborhoods, if we can find a way to help young people earn some money, we might actually be able to keep the dropout rate down and give people an incentive to come to school," he said.
The explanation little satisfied some in the crowd, including a woman who said Gingrich's words came across "so negatively, like we're not doing everything for our young people."
Gingrich was also asked if he stood by his assertion that Obama is a "food stamp president", a line the Georgia Republican uses often during stump speeches. He responded with a simple, "Yes."
Gingrich is grasping for campaign life in South Carolina after disappointing fourth place finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire. Success for Gingrich in the South's first primary will depend largely on his ability to draw support from the state's conservative and evangelical voters.
That made Saturday's appearance at a black church all the more head-scratching, particularly because it was Gingrich's only public appearance of the day in South Carolina.
But Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond said the appearance was a good use of the candidate's time.
"If you're going to lead America, you have to be willing to lead all of America," he said.
The often-combative Gingrich did try to strike a conciliatory tone at times, promising "a very serious outreach to Democrats" in Washington if he were elected president. And he said the forum was appropriately being held around the holiday honoring Martin Luther King, Jr.
"This would be what he would have liked," Gingrich said of the late civil rights leader.
Following the question and answer session, church members prayed over Gingrich and his wife, Callista. The couple then joined the crowd in the church basement for dinner.
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Obama administration says it would oppose pending legislation that would undermine "the dynamic, innovative global Internet."
The White House says in a blog post Saturday that while online piracy by foreign websites presents a "serious problem," it is concerned with legislation that "reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk" or acts to undermine the global Internet.
The administration is responding to measures under consideration in Congress that would allow the Justice Department to seek a court order targeting rogue offshore websites.
The White House says efforts to combat online piracy needs to guard against the risk of online censorship of lawful activity. It says the openness of the Internet is critical to innovation and must be protected.
Matt Wuebbling from NVIDIA will be kicking off Wednesday on the Engadget Stage at CES by demoing some of the chipmaker's latest technology. Join us at 12PM ET after the break to follow along.
It's a myth that phone cases must choose between form or function. Boostcase, which is currently available for the iPhone 4 and 4S, combines both seamlessly. It's a modular system with a 1900mAh battery pack that doubles the life of your device. And, while it does add some bulk, it has two distinct advantages over similar options like Mophie's Juice Pack. For one, the battery is removable -- so you only need to make space in your skinny jeans if you know you're going to need it. Additionally, since it's modular, you're able to customize it to your liking. Batteries are available in black or white, while the simple plastic cases are available in a veritable cornucopia of hues. The Boostpack charges through standard micro USB, and can actually charge your iPhone directly -- eliminating the need for that pesky proprietary 30-pin connector. A battery and case package is available for $80, while standalone plastic cases cost #35. We're told the batteries will also be sold individually for between $50 and $60. Check out the hands on gallery below.
Gina Carano's new film is due to hit theatres on Jan. 20. But before it hits the big screen, there's a little controversy over whether Carano's voice has been changed in the movie.
Check out this Hulu exclusive with the first five minutes of "Haywire" and see what you think.
Below is a conversation we had with her back in 2009. Clearly, she sounds different?? Will it take away from your enjoyment of the film? Obviously, non-MMA fans will have zero idea Carano's voice has been changed.
BEIJING (Reuters) ? China's exports and imports grew at their slowest pace in more than two years in December as foreign and domestic demand ebbed, data released on Tuesday showed, bolstering the case for Beijing to further relax monetary policy to foster economic growth.
Annual exports grew 13.4 percent in December, just below the 13.5 percent forecast in a Reuters poll of 23 economists and the slackest pace of expansion since November 2009 -- excluding the volatile month of February last year when the Lunar New Year holiday disrupted activity.
Growth in imports slowed to a 26-month low of 11.8 percent, well below the 17 percent forecast.
"The main disappointment is with imports, which show a much weaker number compared to November and are way below consensus," said Kevin Lai, an economist at Daiwa Capital Markets, in Hong Kong. "That means the boost in November was temporary, the domestic economy is slowing sharply. China will have to continue to relax policy to protect domestic demand."
The December trade data was a key link in a series of activity indicators to be published by China over the next two weeks, including fourth-quarter gross domestic product that is likely to show the world's second-largest economy suffering its worst quarter in 2- years.
Financial markets showed little immediate reaction, with the
Shanghai stock market up around 1.5 percent by 0325 GMT and the yuan strengthening to 6.3122 per dollar.
Despite easing growth rates, the value of China's imports and exports -- which hit record peaks in November -- is expected to finish 2011 at or near all-time highs.
Still, slackening trade is disconcerting for Beijing as exporters are mainstay employers in China, even though their output accounted for only around 7 percent of China's 2010 GDP.
POLICY EASING AHEAD?
To counter patchy demand in the United States and Europe, China's top two export markets, Beijing cut banks' reserve requirements by 50 basis points in November, the first such cut in three years to boost corporate credit lines.
"Half of China's export markets are slowing in the first half of the year so that's why expectations for growth remain downbeat," said Li Wei, an economist at Standard Chartered, in Shanghai.
"It's not the end of the slowing down part of the story. That will probably last another quarter or four or five months before momentum recovers along with other emerging markets."
Most analysts foresee more policy easing ahead.
M2 money supply data published on Sunday showed money growth hitting a four-month high in December, suggesting Beijing is adding cash to the financial system to ease credit strains and stimulate the economy.
Analysts see slowing trade and tight domestic credit conditions dragging China into its worst quarter in 2- years between October and December, with GDP growth easing to 8.7 percent, down a full percentage point from the first quarter.
A Reuters poll in December showed analysts thought China could lower banks' reserve requirements by another 200 basis points in 2012, but that a cut in interest rates was only likely if economic growth slips below 8 percent.
Many economists believe China needs to grow its economy by about 8 percent, at least, if it wishes to create enough jobs to sustain current employment rates.
China does not release any reliable jobs data, and its only measure of unemployment is an urban jobless rate that has hovered between 4.1 and 4.3 percent since June 2009.
(Additional reporting by Nick Edwards, Kevin Yao, Lucy Hornby and Zhou Xin; Writing by Alex Richardson; Editing by Neil Fullick)
WALSENBURG, Colo. ? A Colorado judge has ruled that allegations from other states can be used in a case against a woman accused in a crime spree.
Lee Grace Dougherty (DOCK-er-tee) has pleaded not guilty to attempted second-degree murder, assault and other charges related to a high-speed chase and what authorities say was a shootout before her capture Aug. 10.
Her trial is set for Feb. 21. Her two brothers are also facing charges.
During a hearing Monday, the judge ruled that all events leading up to the woman's arrest can be introduced at trial, including crimes she is accused of committing with her brothers in Florida and Georgia.
The trio is accused of shooting at a police officer in Florida and robbing a bank in Georgia.
The next iPhone and iPad could feature a super-powerful quad-core processor, if recent findings in a beta build of the iOS 5.1 operating system are to be believed.
Apple blog 9to5mac.com?has found references in the latest beta build of iOS 5.1 references to "core.3" which, as the tech site explains, refers to a quad-core chipset.
"Extremely reliable and knowledgeable people familiar with iOS's inner workings explained to me that core references begin at "0." For example: A single core device would be limited to '/cores/core.0,' and a dual-core device would come in at '/cores/core.1.'," 9to5mac?explains.
"A 'core.2' (which is not referenced in iOS code) would be a triple-core processor according to this labeling method. iOS 5.1 beta 2 now includes core.3, a seemingly quad-core chip from Apple."
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Apple's iOS devices featured single-core processors until the iPhone 4 and iPad 2 were released - these both featured dual-core A5 processors and it is predicted that the much-anticipated iPad 3 and iPhone 5 will pack ultra-powerful A6 processors with quad-core technology.
A quad-core processor in an iOS device would bring huge performance gains over the current dual-core processors, offering better graphics and faster multitasking, and would give developers the opportunity to create even more complex and demanding applications and games.
The iPad 3 is widely predicted to be announced in January and made available in March; the new tablet is tipped to have a super-high resolution retina display, which would benefit hugely from the extra power provided by a quad-core processor.
The 5.1 build of iOS is not yet available to the public, but is available as a beta for developers to download onto their devices to test, and it is within this beta build that references to the new processors have been found.
While a quad-core iPhone could offer unrivalled smartphone performance, a quad-core iPad - with a retina display - could provide the computing power of a capable notebook or even desktop in the portable and stylish form-factor of a tablet.
With the iPad 3 - or perhaps an iPad 2S - due to be announced within weeks and to go on sale soon after, the International Business Times UK will be providing wall-to-wall coverage of the new tablet as and when it happens.
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DETROIT?? Beyond the usual hype at the Detroit auto show, automakers have plenty to brag about this year: U.S. sales are the highest since 2008 and they're expected to keep growing. Buyers are being lured by cheap loans and an improving economy.
The timing is perfect for automakers to unveil more than 40 new cars and trucks this month at the industry's annual trade show in Detroit. While there will be a few wild concept cars, like a tiny pickup from Smart, there will also be many models that will go on sale this year.
Carmakers, feeling buoyant about their prospects for 2012, will try to outdo each other with lights, music and models to generate buzz among the show's 750,000 expected visitors.
Here are three trends to look for when the show opens to the public on Jan. 14:
Smaller but stylish
Gas prices have dropped from their $4 peak last spring but remain high. People looking for a more efficient car will have plenty of choices among midsize sedans and compacts.
Being efficient doesn't mean these cars will be stripped down. They'll be loaded with gadgets to win customers in these fiercely competitive car segments. Midsize and compact are nearly tied as the largest segment in the U.S. and combined they make up more than 40 percent of U.S. sales.
Story: Cost of gas rises for the first time since October
Ford unveils a redone version of its top-selling Fusion midsize sedan. The new model, which goes on sale this fall, will feature a sharper, more chiseled design and a warning system to alert drivers when they drift into another lane. It's the first time such a system has been on a non-luxury car, Ford says. The price and fuel economy of the Fusion aren't finalized, but expect them to be competitive.
Honda, normally a top-seller of midsize cars, will unveil a new Accord coupe, a model that will foreshadow the looks of its new sedan due in showrooms later this year.
Both cars will compete with Chevrolet's new Malibu sedan, which goes on sale this spring. With better fuel economy, improved styling and new features, the three cars hope to steal sales from Toyota's Camry, the perennial leader among midsize sedans.
The show will also feature smaller cars, including the Dodge Dart, which is the first car jointly designed by Chrysler and its Italian owner, Fiat SpA. The Dart's name is borrowed from a hot-selling compact introduced in 1960. It's Chrysler's latest effort to launch a strong competitor in small cars, a segment where it normally falls short. The Dart will heat up an already competitive market that includes the new Hyundai Elantra, Chevrolet Cruze and Honda Civic.
Volkswagen will also debut a hybrid version of the Jetta, hoping to keep its sales momentum going. Last year, sales of the Jetta jumped after it was redesigned.
Downsized Luxury
Luxury car sales grew just 2.8 percent compared with 10-percent growth for the industry as a whole, according to Autodata Corp. But an improving economy and a slew of new cars could turn that around, especially since many of those new models are less expensive, small sedans.
Cadillac, BMW and Acura all plan to unveil new small cars. Hyundai ? a company that targets more budget-minded customers ? will launch a new Genesis Coupe, aiming for luxury buyers who want to spend less.
Ford's Lincoln brand, which is being overhauled, will give a big hint about its new direction with a concept version of the MKZ midsize car. The new MKZ will go on sale later this year. But the most striking luxury model may be at the Lexus stand, which will display the swooping LF-LC hybrid sports car concept that was crafted in Toyota's California design studio.
Mad for Millennials
Millennials ? the 70 million people born between 1981 and 2000 ? are a growing force in the market. But they'd just as soon buy a smart phone and text their friends as purchase a car to go visit them. Like buyers from the past, Millennials will start out with small, more affordable cars. But unlike earlier generations, they expect luxury and connectivity, automakers say.
To appeal to this group, this year's show will feature subcompacts with perks like leather seats, ambient lighting, and easy connections to cell phone applications like Pandora.
Subcompacts unveiled at the show will include Toyota's new Prius C hybrid, the Mini Roadster convertible, the sporty Chevrolet Sonic RS and a turbocharged version of the new Hyundai Veloster.
Smart will debut the For-Us concept, an electric pickup truck that is so tiny it could fit in the bed of a regular truck. And Chevrolet will show off two concept cars aimed at Millennials. No details on those yet, but they're expected to have high gas mileage and enough room to haul friends around.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
This image provided by NASA shows the Strait of Hormuz taken from the International Space Station in Sept. 30, 2003. An Iranian newspaper quotes a senior commander in Iran's Revolutionary Guard Sunday Jan. 8, 2012 as saying that Tehran's leadership has decided to order the closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf if the country's oil exports are blocked. (AP Photo/NASA)
This image provided by NASA shows the Strait of Hormuz taken from the International Space Station in Sept. 30, 2003. An Iranian newspaper quotes a senior commander in Iran's Revolutionary Guard Sunday Jan. 8, 2012 as saying that Tehran's leadership has decided to order the closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf if the country's oil exports are blocked. (AP Photo/NASA)
FILE - In this April 8, 2008 file photo provided by the Iranian President's Office, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, center, visits the Natanz Uranium Enrichment Facility some 200 miles (322 kilometers) south of the capital Tehran. Iran has begun uranium enrichment at a new underground site well protected from possible airstrikes, a leading hardline newspaper reported Sunday, Jan. 8, 2011. (AP Photo/Iranian President's Office, File) NO SALES
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? Iran has begun uranium enrichment at a new underground site well protected from possible airstrikes, a leading hardline newspaper reported Sunday in another show of defiance against Western pressure to rein in Tehran's nuclear program.
Another newspaper quoted a senior commander of the powerful Revolutionary Guard force as saying Tehran's leadership has decided to order the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic oil route, if the country's petroleum exports are blocked. Revolutionary Guard ground forces also staged war games in eastern Iran in an apparent display of resolve against U.S. forces just over the border in Afghanistan.
"The supreme authorities ... have insisted that if enemies block the export of our oil, we won't allow a drop of oil to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. This is the strategy of the Islamic Republic in countering such threats," Revolutionary Guard deputy commander Ali Ashraf Nouri was quoted as saying by the Khorasan daily.
Iranian politicians have issued similar threats in the past, but this is the strongest statement yet by a top commander in the security establishment.
The latest statements are certain to fuel tensions with the U.S. and its allies, which are trying to turn up pressure on Iran with new sanctions to punish it over its disputed nuclear program. The West suspects Iran is trying to make nuclear weapons, but Iran denies this.
The United Nations has already sanctioned Iran for refusing to stop uranium enrichment ? which can produce both nuclear fuel and fissile warhead material. Tehran says its nuclear program is only for energy and medical research, and refuses to halt uranium enrichment.
Kayhan daily, which is close to Iran's ruling clerics, said Tehran has begun injecting uranium gas into sophisticated centrifuges at the Fordo facility near the holy city of Qom.
"Kayhan received reports yesterday that show Iran has begun uranium enrichment at the Fordo facility amid heightened foreign enemy threats," the paper said in a front-page report. Kayhan's manager is a representative of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final word on all important matters of state.
Iran's nuclear chief, Fereidoun Abbasi, said late Saturday that his country will "soon" begin enrichment at Fordo. It was impossible to immediately reconcile the two reports.
Iran has a major uranium enrichment facility in Natanz in central Iran, where nearly 8,000 centrifuges are operating. Tehran began enrichment at Natanz in April 2006.
The Fordo centrifuges, however, are reportedly more efficient. And the site better shielded from aerial attack.
Nouri said Iran's leadership has made a strategic decision to close the Strait of Hormuz, should the country's exports be blocked. One-sixth of the world's oil flows to market through the Strait of Hormuz, at the mouth of the Persian Gulf.
President Barack Obama approved new sanctions against Iran a week ago, targeting the central bank and its ability to sell petroleum abroad. The U.S. has delayed implementing the sanctions for at least six months, worried about sending the price of oil higher at a time when the global economy is already struggling. But the new sanctions nevertheless prompted a series of threats from Iranian officials about closing the Strait of Hormuz.
The newspaper paraphrased Nouri as saying that a 10-day naval war game which ended Tuesday was preparation for such a closure. The Guard, which is Iran's most powerful military force and which has its own naval arm, has planned more sea maneuvers for February.
"The exalted leader (Khamenei) determined a new strategy for the armed forces, by which any threat from enemies will be responded to with threats," Nouri said.
The U.S. and Israel have said that all options remain open, including military action, should Iran continue with its enrichment program.
Tehran says it needs the program to produce fuel for future nuclear reactors and medical radioisotopes needed for cancer patients.
The country has been enriching uranium to less than 5 percent for years, but it began to further enrich part of its uranium stockpile to nearly 20 percent as of February 2010, saying it needs the higher grade material to produce fuel for a Tehran reactor that makes medical radioisotopes needed for cancer patients. Weapons-grade uranium is usually about 90 percent enriched.
Iran says the higher enrichment activities ? to nearly 20 percent ? will be carried out at Fordo. These operations are of particular concern to the West because uranium at 20 percent enrichment can be converted into fissile material for a nuclear warhead much more quickly than that at 3.5 percent.
Built next to a military complex, Fordo was long kept secret and was only acknowledged by Iran after it was identified by Western intelligence agencies in September 2009.
Buried under 300 feet (90 meters) of rock, the facility is a hardened tunnel and is protected by air defense missile batteries and the Revolutionary Guard, Iran's most powerful military force. The site is located about 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of Qom, the religious nerve center of Iran's ruling system.
"The Fordo facility, like Natanz, has been designed and built underground. The enemy doesn't have the ability to damage it," the semiofficial Mehr news agency quoted nuclear chief Abbasi as saying Sunday.
After a break of nearly four years, Microsoft got back in the PC game publishing business in 2011 with the release of two titles: the PC port of the Xbox 360 RPG game Fable III and the PC exclusive online RTS game Age of Empires Online. In 2012, Microsoft will also release Microsoft Flight, a PC exclusive successor to its long running Microsoft Flight Simulator series.
Now it looks like Microsoft is gearing up to release yet another major PC game. In a job listing posted on Microsoft's web site (first spotted by RTS Guru) the company lists a new position for a Community Manager that would work with Microsoft "to drive engaging and innovative end-to-end user experiences for an exciting new online PC Real Time Strategy game."
The job listing adds, "As a web and community PM, you will work closely with Team leads, Marketing and PR on strategic initiatives within our communities, and help evangelize our Game?s story to the world."
That's basically all we know about this mystery game but Microsoft certainly has a number of franchises from both the PC and Xbox 360 platforms that it could use to create a RTS game. A Halo-based game certainly comes to mind and in fact Microsoft already released an Xbox 360 exclusive RTS game in Halo Wars a few years ago. Hopefully Microsoft will reveal more about this unannounced games in the weeks and months to come.
LONDON - Thierry Henry has rejoined Arsenal on a two-month loan from the New York Red Bulls after the Premier League club completed insurance agreements with Henry's Major League Soccer team.
The former France striker had to wait a week for the deal to be reached Friday, but could begin his second spell with Arsenal by playing in Monday's FA Cup third-round match against Leeds.
Henry scored a club-record 226 goals for Arsenal between 1999-2007.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says "we will have Thierry for January and in February. ... I am sure during these two months he will be a massive asset to the team in the dressing room and on the pitch."
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Henry rejoins Arsenal on loan
Thierry Henry has rejoined Arsenal on a two-month loan from the New York Red Bulls after the Premier League club completed insurance agreements with Henry's Major League Soccer team.
Jose Jordan / AFP - Getty Images
Valencia edges Sevilla
Jonas scored in the first half to help Valencia beat Sevilla 1-0 on Thursday in the opening leg of a round-of-16 matchup in the Copa del Rey.
Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA reported the Morichal district of the Carabobo division produced 169,000b/d in December versus the 164,100b/d targ...
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WASHINGTON (AP) - The job market is looking a little brighter at the start of the new year.
Weekly unemployment benefit applications have fallen to levels last seen more than three years ago. Holiday sales were solid. Service companies grew a little faster in December. And many small businesses say they plan to add jobs over the next three months.
The mix of private and government data released Thursday sketched a picture of an economy that is slowly strengthening, stoking optimism one day ahead of the government's important read on December job growth.
"Businesses have increased hiring to meet the underlying pick-up in (consumer) demand," said Neil Dutta, an economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
The encouraging reports on the U.S. economy gave Wall Street a late-day lift, offsetting renewed concerns over Europe's debt crisis. The Dow Jones industrial average, which had fallen by as much as 134 points at one point in the day, closed down just 3 points. Broader indexes posted modest gains.
Weekly applications for unemployment benefits dropped to a seasonally adjusted 372,000 last week, the Labor Department said Thursday. That's 11 percent lower than the same time last year.
Almost the entire descent occurred this fall. Applications had fluctuated sharply over the first nine months of 2011, falling as low as 375,000 and rising as high as 478,000. By early September, they were at 432,000 - only 5,000 below where they began the year.
Since then, applications have declined steadily. That has pushed the four-week average, which smooths fluctuations, to 373,250 - the lowest level since June 2008.
When applications drop below 375,000 - consistently - they generally signal that hiring is strong enough to reduce the unemployment rate.
U.S. service firms, which employ roughly 90 percent of the work force, grew a little faster in December, according to the Institute for Supply Management.
The trade group of purchasing managers said its index of non-manufacturing activity rose to 52.6. That's slightly above November's reading of 52 - the lowest in nearly two years - but well below last year's high of 59.7 recorded in February.
Any reading above 50 indicates expansion.
An increase in new orders and stronger imports drove last month's modest expansion. But a gauge of hiring showed many service firms were hesitant to add workers.
Retailers, meanwhile, reported solid but not spectacular sales gains last month. And much of the increase stemmed from heavy discounting that will likely cut into profits.
Sales rose 3.5 percent in December for a group of 25 retail chains tracked by the International Council of Shopping Centers. Holiday sales, which cover the last two months of the year, rose 3.3 percent, a decent rise but less than last year's gain.
Small businesses remain encouraged about their plans to hire over the next three months. The National Federation of Independent Business says the proportion of those firms that expect to add workers is slightly off from the three-year high hit last month.
Economists are predicting that overall hiring increased in December and will strengthen this year.
John Ryding, an economist at RDQ Economics, forecasts that employers added 180,000 jobs last month, a big jump from November's 120,000 net jobs.
Economists surveyed by the Associated Press project that the economy will generate an average of 175,000 jobs per month this year. That would be a step up from average monthly gains of 130,000 last year and 78,000 in 2010.
In November, the unemployment rate fell to 8.6 percent from 9 percent. Still, about half that decline occurred because many of the unemployed gave up looking for work. When people stop looking for a job, they're no longer counted as unemployed.
The pickup in hiring reflects some modest improvement in the economy. Growth will likely top 3 percent at an annual rate in the final three months of this year, economists expect. That would be a sharp improvement over the 1.8 percent growth in the July-September quarter.
Even so, many economists forecast that growth could slow to roughly 2 percent this year. Europe is almost certain to fall into recession because of its financial troubles. And without more jobs and higher incomes, consumers may have to cut back on spending. That could drag on growth in 2012.
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AP Economics Writer Martin Crutsinger contributed to this report.
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Follow Christopher S. Rugaber on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/ChrisRugaber.
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(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) ? A Republican official says that 2008 GOP nominee John McCain is endorsing Mitt Romney for the party's 2012 nomination.
The official was not authorized to speak publicly about the endorsement and requested anonymity to discuss it.
The official says McCain's endorsement is scheduled to be announced Wednesday.
The endorsement is a signal by the GOP's one-time standard-bearer that Republicans should start falling in line behind the former Massachusetts governor.
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Public release date: 16-Jan-2012
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