Kyrgyz election front-runner set for crushing win

Front-runner Almazbek Atambayev casts his ballot at a polling station during the presidential election in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011. Voters in the turbulent Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan headed to polling stations Sunday to cast their ballots in the presidential election that could set a democratic precedent for the region. (AP Photo/Vladimir Voronin)

Front-runner Almazbek Atambayev casts his ballot at a polling station during the presidential election in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011. Voters in the turbulent Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan headed to polling stations Sunday to cast their ballots in the presidential election that could set a democratic precedent for the region. (AP Photo/Vladimir Voronin)

Front-runner Almazbek Atambayev speaks to the media at a polling station during the residential election in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011. Voters in the turbulent Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan headed to polling stations Sunday to cast their ballots in the presidential election that could set a democratic precedent for the region. (AP Photo/Vladimir Voronin)

Kyrgyz President Roza Otunbayeva casts her ballot a polling station during the presidential election in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011. Voters in the turbulent Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan headed to polling stations Sunday to cast their ballots in a presidential election that could set a democratic precedent for the region. (AP Photo/Sultan Dosaliev, Pool)

Kyrgyz soldiers leave a polling station during the presidential election in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Sunday, Oct, 30, 2011. Voters in the turbulent Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan headed to polling stations Sunday to cast their ballots in the presidential election that could set a democratic precedent for the region. (AP Photo/Vladimir Voronin)

Front-runner Almazbek Atambayev speaks to the media at a polling station during the residential election in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011. Voters in the turbulent Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan headed to polling stations Sunday to cast their ballots in the presidential election that could set a democratic precedent for the region. (AP Photo/Vladimir Voronin)

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AP) ? The front-runner in Kyrgyzstan's presidential election looked set for an unexpectedly crushing victory early Monday, prompting bitter accusations of fraud in a vote that was supposed to put the country on a firmer footing after an uprising last year overthrew the government.

With 88 percent of precincts counted, businessman and former prime minister Almazbek Atambayev was easily leading the field with 63 percent of the vote in the former Soviet Central Asian nation. The winner has to get at least 50 percent of the ballots cast to claim victory in one round, and a run-off had been widely anticipated.

Kyrgyzstan, an impoverished and mainly Muslim nation of around 5 million people on China's western fringes, is home to both U.S. and Russian military air bases, making its fortunes the subject of lively international interest.

It remains to be seen if the defeated presidential candidates will pursue their complaints through legal channels or summon supporters to the streets. The specter of a new wave of protests could cause profound anxiety in a country still unstable due to the political and ethnic violence of recent years.

The Kyrgyz overthrew authoritarian President Kurmanbek Bakiyev in April 2010 amid anger over corruption and stagnating living standards. Sunday's election had been touted as the culmination of a movement for political reform away from the strong authoritarian model that has prevailed in the country since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Over the past two decades, elections had been purely formal exercises designed to lend a threadbare veil of legitimacy to the ruling elite. Kyrgyzstan last year adopted a new Constitution that saw the powers of the presidency watered down in favor of a more powerful parliament.

Many had hoped this election would be the first peaceful transition of power in the economically struggling nation's history. The two presidents that ruled the country over the first two decades of its independence, Bakiyev and Askar Akayev, were both unseated in public uprisings.

International observers had largely praised the run-up to the elections, but some complained on the night of the vote of irregularities in the counting process and said the scale of Atambayev's apparent win indicated he may have benefited from reliance on state resources.

"It seems that the numbers in some areas bears an impact of administrative resources," an international observer said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment before an official observation report is issued Monday afternoon.

Outgoing President Roza Otunbayeva, who has been running the country as interim leader since April 2010, earned international plaudits by agreeing to step down to make way for the election winner.

Atambayev's most vigorous opponents were two popular nationalist politicians ? Kamchibek Tashiyev and Adakhan Madumarov.

As of early Monday, they appeared to have performed less impressively than many had expected, both capturing less than 15 percent of the vote with only one-tenth of the ballots left to count. None of the other 13 candidates running looked set to earn even 1 percent of the vote.

Atambayev had easily the best-funded campaign and enjoyed significant public exposure by serving as prime minister until last month. In that capacity, he had raised state salaries and increased pensions, both policies that doubtless earned him significant political capital.

Under the new constitution, Atamabayev will as the new president be limited to a single six-year term. He has hinted that the constitution may face further adjustments, but has offered no specific details.

But as polls were closing Sunday evening, a group of presidential candidates, including Madumarov, complained to journalists that tens of thousands of people had been excluded from the electoral register. Other alleged violations included repeat voting and ballot box stuffing.

"We are willing to adopt all legal methods in order to protect our votes," said Madumarov, who did not rule out street action as a means of protesting the outcome of the election.

Madumarov urged authorities to form a commission made up of party officials and candidates' representatives to investigate the alleged violations.

There were scattered media reports of voting violations throughout the day.

At a polling station in the Kyrgyz National University in Bishkek, several teachers were seen by an AP reporter calling their students by telephone to urge them to vote. Large crowds of students were seen waiting in line shortly after polls opened to cast their ballot.

University teacher Izanat Gasanova, 30, denied she was forcing students to vote for any particular candidate. "This is their personal choice, nobody is forcing them," said Gasanova, who said she was voting for Atambayev.

Earlier in the day, Otunbayeva, a seasoned diplomat who served as ambassador in Washington and London, said she was certain the election was being held in full compliance with the law.

"Any claims that administrative resources have been deployed or that the election is not being held according to the rules or unlawfully are unfounded," she said.

___

Leila Saralayeva contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-10-30-AS-Kyrgyzstan-Presidential-Election/id-7c9cc767ca134f1c981ad522bf7290e4

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Various '7 billionth' babies celebrated worldwide (AP)

MANILA, Philippines ? She came into the world at two minutes before midnight, a tiny, wrinkled girl born into a struggling Manila family. On Monday, she became a symbol of the world's population reaching 7 billion people and all the worries that entails for the planet's future.

Danica May Camacho, born in a crowded public hospital, was welcomed with a chocolate cake marked "7B Philippines" and a gift certificate for free shoes. There were bursts of photographers' flashes, and speeches by local officials.

The celebrations, though, reflected symbolism more than demography.

Amid the millions of births and deaths around the world each day, it is impossible to pinpoint the arrival of the globe's 7 billionth occupant. But the U.N. chose Monday to mark the day with a string of festivities worldwide, and a series of symbolic 7-billionth babies being born.

Danica was the first, arriving at Manila's Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital at two minutes before midnight Sunday ? but doctors say that was close enough to count for a Monday birthday.

"She looks so lovely," the mother, Camille Galura, whispered as she cradled the 2.5-kilo (5.5-pound) baby, who was born about a month premature.

The baby was the second for Galura and her partner, Florante Camacho, a driver who supports the family on a tiny salary driving a 'jeepney,' ubiquitous four-wheel drive vehicles used by many poor and working-class Filipinos.

Dr. Eric Tayag of the Philippines' Department of Health said later that the birth came with a warning.

"Seven billion is a number we should think about deeply," he said.

"We should really focus on the question of whether there will be food, clean water, shelter, education and a decent life for every child," he said. "If the answer is 'no,' it would be better for people to look at easing this population explosion."

In the Philippines, much of the population question revolves around birth control. The government backs a program that includes artificial birth control. The powerful Roman Catholic church, though, vehemently opposes contraception.

Camacho, a Catholic like her husband, said she was aware of the church's position but had decided to begin using a birth control device.

"The number of homeless children I see on the streets keeps multiplying," Camacho said. "When I see them, I'm bothered because I eat and maybe they don't."

Demographers say it took until 1804 for the world to reach its first billion people, and a century more until it hit 2 billion in 1927. The twentieth century, though, saw things begin to cascade: 3 billion in 1959; 4 billion in 1974; 5 billion in 1987; 6 billion in 1998.

The U.N. estimates the world's population will reach 8 billion by 2025 and 10 billion by 2083. But the numbers could vary widely, depending on everything from life expectancy to access to birth control to infant mortality rates.

In Uttar Pradesh, India ? the most populous state in the world's second-most populous country ? officials said Monday they would be appointing seven girls born Monday to symbolize the 7 billion.

India, which struggles with a deeply held preference for sons and a skewed sex ratio because of millions of aborted female fetuses, is using the day to highlight that issue.

"It would be a fitting moment if the 7 billionth baby is a girl born in rural India," said Dr Madhu Gupta, an Uttar Pradesh gynecologist. "It would help in bringing the global focus back on girls, who are subject to inequality and bias."

According to U.S. government estimates, India has 893 girls for every 1,000 boys at birth, compared with 955 girls per 1,000 boys in the United States.

On Monday, the chosen Indian babies were being born at the government-run Community Health Center in the town of Mall, on the outskirts of the Uttar Pradesh capital of Lucknow.

Six babies were born from midnight to 8 a.m. Monday. Four were boys.

Meanwhile China, which at 1.34 billion people is the world's most populous nation, said it would stand by its one-child policy, a set of restrictions launched three decades ago limiting most urban families to one child and most rural families to two.

"Overpopulation remains one of the major challenges to social and economic development," Li Bin, director of the State Population and Family Planning Commission, told the official Xinhua News Agency. He said the population of China would hit 1.45 billion in 2020.

While the Beijing government says its strict family planning policy has helped propel the country's rapidly growing economy, it has also brought many problems. Soon, demographers say, there won't be enough young Chinese to support its enormous elderly population. China, like India, also has a highly skewed sex ratio, with aid groups saying sex-selective abortions have resulted in an estimated 43 million fewer girls than there should be, given the overall population.

India, with 1.2 billion people, is expected to overtake China around 2030 when the Indian population reaches an estimated 1.6 billion.

___

Sullivan reported from New Delhi. Associated Press writer Biswajeet Banerjee in Lucknow, India, contributed to this report.

(This version Corrects the name of the Indian town to 'Mall' instead of 'Lall' in the 20th paragraph.)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111031/ap_on_re_as/as7_billion_people

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Spy Satellite Engineer's Top Secret Is Revealed

Roger Guillemette/SPACE.com

Phil Pressel designed cameras for the government's top-secret Hexagon project. He's only recently been able to speak about his life's work.

Every day for decades, engineer Phil Pressel would come home from work and be unable to tell his wife what he'd been doing all day.

Now, Pressel is free to speak about his life's work: designing cameras for a top-secret U.S. government spy satellite. Officially known as the KH-9 Hexagon, engineers called it "Big Bird" for its massive size.

Until the government declassified it last month, Hexagon had been a secret for 46 years.

"The challenge for this satellite, to design it, was to survey the whole globe," Pressel tells weekends on All Things Considered host Guy Raz.

It was a grand challenge for Pressel. Born in Belgium, he survived the Holocaust as a young boy when a French family hid him from the Nazis. Pressel says he never expected to come to America, much less become an engineer on a top-secret American spy satellite.

Hexagon's main purpose was, in a way, to prevent wars. It was designed to spot Soviet missile silos and troop movements.

"It permitted President Nixon, in the early 1970s, to sign the SALT-1 treaty, the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty," Pressel says. Photos sent down from Hexagon enabled the U.S. to verify the Soviet Union's claims about its weapons stockpiles.

Those photos themselves were a technological marvel. Pressel says that even 40 years after its original launch, Hexagon is still one of the most complicated vehicles ever to orbit the earth because it used film.

"It was the last film-recovery system used for reconnaissance," he says. Each Hexagon satellite launched with 60 miles worth of film and an immensely complicated electromechanical system that controlled the cameras.

Once a reel of film was finished, it was loaded into a re-entry pod and sent back to earth. "And then at around 50,000 feet, a parachute would slow it down, and a C-130 airplane caught it in midair over the Pacific," Pressel says.

After all the film was sent back to earth, the satellite was abandoned, and a new one launched, he says. Nineteen of them went up before the program ended in 1986.

Pressel says he's immensely proud of the work he and his colleagues did on Hexagon. "We did all of this incredibly complicated work with slide rules, without microprocessors, without solid state electronics," he says.

"We used old technology, and it worked!"

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/10/29/141824562/spy-satellite-engineers-top-secret-is-revealed?ft=1&f=1007

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China paper says U.S. solar complaint driven by envy (reuters)

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App for That: How to wirelessly send videos from your iPhone to your iPad

There are hundreds of thousands of iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad apps for just about everything — so how come the one you need, the one you know just has to be there, is so hard to find? Enter TiPb’s new weekly feature where staff and readers...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/fj0VypCAet4/

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Glasgow in the 'good old days'

Public release date: 28-Oct-2011
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Contact: Danielle Moore
danielle.moore@esrc.ac.uk
01-793-413-122
Economic & Social Research Council

With corned beef making a comeback, period dramas filling primetime TV and the styles of the 60s and 80s frequently gracing the fashion catwalks, nostalgia is playing an important role in everyday life. It inspires art and politics, it is being used to sell everything from food to furniture and it shapes the identity of individuals and entire communities.

As part of the Economic and Social Research Council's (ESRC) Festival of Social Science 2011, the people of Glasgow are being invited to share their school-day memories and discover more about why we get so attached to our past at the 'Glasgow Schooldays remembered' event.

"Nostalgia is everywhere," Dr Edwards says. "We all have some kind of attachment to the magic of the past - with the internet it is much easier to 'access' the recent past, surprisingly we are finding people are already feeling nostalgic about the 80s and 90s. We also find that different ages and social groups use nostalgia in different ways. Young people tend to be nostalgic about past styles and fashions whereas older people remember more about the sense of community."

"Our workshop is a great way for people from Glasgow to think about their city and its heritage. We are hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and the city is thinking hard about its identity and brand. Nostalgia will shape how we see ourselves today and how we present our city to the rest of the world."

As part of Glasgow's Inspiration Festival, Strathclyde University is working with the Scotland Street School Museum to hold a photo-essay competition. The competition will result in a free exhibition as well as a workshop for anyone at the museum and the entries will be displayed on the Nostalgia in the 21st Century website. Children and adults from the local area are being invited to create short photo-essays about their memories of school in Glasgow. Younger participants are encouraged to base their work on the memories of their parents or grandparents.

The workshop, open to children and their families, will use the photo-essays and the museum's current exhibition of photographs of 1970s Glasgow - "The Glesga that I used to Know" - to help stimulate discussion and inspire people to reminisce about their school days. It will encourage reflection on the way memories are preserved and passed on. To really get people in the mood there will be plenty of retro drinks and sweets for everyone to enjoy.

The Glasgow event is being organised by staff from the School of Humanities and the Department of Marketing of Strathclyde University. "We recently held a series of seminars about nostalgia in the 21st century at the university," Dr Sarah Edwards, one of the organisers, explains. "We invited people from many different professions, including marketing and architecture, to talk about the importance and use of nostalgia in what they do and we were impressed by how much this does influence them."

For further information contact

Dr Sarah Edwards
Email: nostalgia-seminars@strath.ac.uk

ESRC Press Office:

Danielle Moore
Email: danielle.moore@esrc.ac.uk
Telephone 01793-413122

Jeanine Woolley
Email: jeanine.woolley@esrc.ac.uk
Telephone 01793-413119

Notes for editors:

Glasgow school days remembered
Organiser: Dr Sarah Edwards
Date: 5 November 2011 10.00-12.00
Venue: Scotland Street School Museum, Glasgow
Audience: Suitable for a general audience
For more information: Glasgow school days remembered
Find out more details about the work of Strathclyde University in the area of nostalgia at http://www.strath.ac.uk/nostalgia

The 'Glesga I Use to Know' is a free exhibition of photographs about everyday life in Glasgow in the 1970s. It is hosted by Scotland Street School Museum and runs until 8 January 2012. Visit the Glasgow Museums website for more details.

The Glasgow School Days Remembered: During September and October, an open invitation to children and adults to submit photo-essays will be circulated. Submissions may highlight, for example: first day at school; sports day; school dinner; school disco; playground; etc. Younger entrants are encouraged to draw on memories of parents and grandparents. Submissions can combine text and photographs up to 300 words and six pictures. Prizes will be awarded in age categories: under 14, 14-18 and 18+. Entries will be permanently exhibited on the "Nostalgia in the 21st Century" website.

###

The Festival of Social Science is run by the Economic and Social Research Council which runs from 29 October to 5 November 2011. With events from some of the country's leading social scientists, the Festival celebrates the very best of British social science research and how it influences our social, economic and political lives - both now and in the future. This year's Festival of Social Science has over 130 creative and exciting events aimed at encouraging businesses, charities, government agencies; and schools or college students to discuss, discover and debate topical social science issues. Press releases detailing some of the varied events are available at the Festival website. You can now follow updates from the Festival on twitter using #esrcfestival

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is the UK's largest organisation for funding research on economic and social issues. It supports independent, high quality research which has an impact on business, the public sector and the third sector. The ESRC's total budget for 2011/12 is 203 million. At any one time the ESRC supports over 4,000 researchers and postgraduate students in academic institutions and independent research institutes. More at http://www.esrc.ac.uk

---

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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.

Public release date: 28-Oct-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Danielle Moore
danielle.moore@esrc.ac.uk
01-793-413-122
Economic & Social Research Council

With corned beef making a comeback, period dramas filling primetime TV and the styles of the 60s and 80s frequently gracing the fashion catwalks, nostalgia is playing an important role in everyday life. It inspires art and politics, it is being used to sell everything from food to furniture and it shapes the identity of individuals and entire communities.

As part of the Economic and Social Research Council's (ESRC) Festival of Social Science 2011, the people of Glasgow are being invited to share their school-day memories and discover more about why we get so attached to our past at the 'Glasgow Schooldays remembered' event.

"Nostalgia is everywhere," Dr Edwards says. "We all have some kind of attachment to the magic of the past - with the internet it is much easier to 'access' the recent past, surprisingly we are finding people are already feeling nostalgic about the 80s and 90s. We also find that different ages and social groups use nostalgia in different ways. Young people tend to be nostalgic about past styles and fashions whereas older people remember more about the sense of community."

"Our workshop is a great way for people from Glasgow to think about their city and its heritage. We are hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and the city is thinking hard about its identity and brand. Nostalgia will shape how we see ourselves today and how we present our city to the rest of the world."

As part of Glasgow's Inspiration Festival, Strathclyde University is working with the Scotland Street School Museum to hold a photo-essay competition. The competition will result in a free exhibition as well as a workshop for anyone at the museum and the entries will be displayed on the Nostalgia in the 21st Century website. Children and adults from the local area are being invited to create short photo-essays about their memories of school in Glasgow. Younger participants are encouraged to base their work on the memories of their parents or grandparents.

The workshop, open to children and their families, will use the photo-essays and the museum's current exhibition of photographs of 1970s Glasgow - "The Glesga that I used to Know" - to help stimulate discussion and inspire people to reminisce about their school days. It will encourage reflection on the way memories are preserved and passed on. To really get people in the mood there will be plenty of retro drinks and sweets for everyone to enjoy.

The Glasgow event is being organised by staff from the School of Humanities and the Department of Marketing of Strathclyde University. "We recently held a series of seminars about nostalgia in the 21st century at the university," Dr Sarah Edwards, one of the organisers, explains. "We invited people from many different professions, including marketing and architecture, to talk about the importance and use of nostalgia in what they do and we were impressed by how much this does influence them."

For further information contact

Dr Sarah Edwards
Email: nostalgia-seminars@strath.ac.uk

ESRC Press Office:

Danielle Moore
Email: danielle.moore@esrc.ac.uk
Telephone 01793-413122

Jeanine Woolley
Email: jeanine.woolley@esrc.ac.uk
Telephone 01793-413119

Notes for editors:

Glasgow school days remembered
Organiser: Dr Sarah Edwards
Date: 5 November 2011 10.00-12.00
Venue: Scotland Street School Museum, Glasgow
Audience: Suitable for a general audience
For more information: Glasgow school days remembered
Find out more details about the work of Strathclyde University in the area of nostalgia at http://www.strath.ac.uk/nostalgia

The 'Glesga I Use to Know' is a free exhibition of photographs about everyday life in Glasgow in the 1970s. It is hosted by Scotland Street School Museum and runs until 8 January 2012. Visit the Glasgow Museums website for more details.

The Glasgow School Days Remembered: During September and October, an open invitation to children and adults to submit photo-essays will be circulated. Submissions may highlight, for example: first day at school; sports day; school dinner; school disco; playground; etc. Younger entrants are encouraged to draw on memories of parents and grandparents. Submissions can combine text and photographs up to 300 words and six pictures. Prizes will be awarded in age categories: under 14, 14-18 and 18+. Entries will be permanently exhibited on the "Nostalgia in the 21st Century" website.

###

The Festival of Social Science is run by the Economic and Social Research Council which runs from 29 October to 5 November 2011. With events from some of the country's leading social scientists, the Festival celebrates the very best of British social science research and how it influences our social, economic and political lives - both now and in the future. This year's Festival of Social Science has over 130 creative and exciting events aimed at encouraging businesses, charities, government agencies; and schools or college students to discuss, discover and debate topical social science issues. Press releases detailing some of the varied events are available at the Festival website. You can now follow updates from the Festival on twitter using #esrcfestival

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is the UK's largest organisation for funding research on economic and social issues. It supports independent, high quality research which has an impact on business, the public sector and the third sector. The ESRC's total budget for 2011/12 is 203 million. At any one time the ESRC supports over 4,000 researchers and postgraduate students in academic institutions and independent research institutes. More at http://www.esrc.ac.uk

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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.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-10/esr-git102811.php

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Halloween doesn't have to be gorge-fest to be fun

FILE - In this Friday, Oct. 29, 2010 file photo, Hannah Moos, 5, dressed as a bunch of grapes, asks for candy with her father Kyle, of Melba, Idaho at a Halloween event in downtown Nampa, Idaho. Dentists and dieticians say one can still make Halloween reasonably healthy for kids without resorting to tactics like no candy. (AP Photo/Idaho Press-Tribune, Charlie Litchfield)

FILE - In this Friday, Oct. 29, 2010 file photo, Hannah Moos, 5, dressed as a bunch of grapes, asks for candy with her father Kyle, of Melba, Idaho at a Halloween event in downtown Nampa, Idaho. Dentists and dieticians say one can still make Halloween reasonably healthy for kids without resorting to tactics like no candy. (AP Photo/Idaho Press-Tribune, Charlie Litchfield)

CHICAGO (AP) ? Offer apples to trick-or-treaters and risk having your house get egged ? maybe even by your own kids.

But dentists and dietitians say you can still make Halloween reasonably healthy for little devils and witches without resorting to dracul-onian tactics, like no candy.

"This is such a big adventure for them ? let them have it, obviously with some caveats," said Dr. Rhea Haugseth, a dentist in Marietta, Ga., who's president of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry

There are tricks for keeping Halloween fun without risking cavities and extra pounds, like handing out dark chocolate instead of chewy candies or even bribing kids with a toy in exchange for the Halloween loot. Some studies have suggested dark chocolate is good for the heart, and chewy candies stick to the teeth.

Just don't go overboard on restrictions, says Cole Robbins, a Chicago 12-year-old and Halloween veteran.

"Halloween is the one day of the year where we kids just kind of break out and overload on candy," he said.

To help prevent that kind of gorging, try to give children a healthy, filling meal before trick-or-treating, says Bethany Thayer, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association who works at the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit.

Procrastinators, take heart. Thayer also recommends waiting until Halloween day before buying candy, so no one is tempted to indulge beforehand.

"I know people who have to go back to the store because they've completely gone through their candy" before Halloween, she said.

Haugseth suggests avoiding cavity-promoting treats like caramels that stick to the teeth, or lollipops that bathe teeth in a long sugary bath.

Also, having kids brush their teeth before trick-or-treating helps reduce plaque and bacteria, which interact with sugar to produce tooth-decaying acid, Haugseth said. Kids should also brush right after eating candy, she said.

Ronni Litz Julien, a Miami nutritionist whose patients include overweight and obese kids, says another trick for parents is to ask kids not to dip into their loot bags until they bring it all home. That's for safety, so parents can toss any suspicious-looking candy, but it also can prevent an "eating frenzy."

She suggests parents help sort through the loot, have kids select their 10 favorite pieces, and give the rest away. Offer the choice of eating all 10 pieces at once, or over 10 days. That gives them a sense of control, without feeling shortchanged, she said.

"You can't deprive them. It's Halloween, for God's sake," she said.

President Barack Obama joked this week on "The Tonight Show" that he'd warned his health-promoting wife that the White House would get egged if she gave trick-or-treaters fresh fruit and raisins instead of candy. During festivities on Saturday, the Obamas will hand out White House M&Ms, cookies and dried fruit as they did the past two years.

Dr. Janet Silverstein, a Gainesville, Fla. pediatrician and member of the American Academy of Pediatrics' nutrition committee, says she doesn't give out candy, offering fruit or pencils instead; so far her house is unscathed.

When her own children were young, Silverstein would buy their candy for a nickel a piece. She recommends that to her patients' parents, too ? though not necessarily her other solution ? she used to eat her kids' candy.

In some places, kids willing to give up their candy can make more than a nickel. About 1,500 dentists across the country have agreed this year to participate in a Halloween candy buyback organized by Operation Gratitude. The California-based group periodically sends care packages to U.S. troops overseas. Some dentists pay kids $1 per pound of Halloween candy; last year, the program brought in 250,000 pounds of candy, said Carolyn Blashek, founder of the Van Nuys, Calif.-based group.

Blashek said troops overseas appreciate it as a token of gratitude, and Halloween candy brings back lots of fond childhood memories. Some have given their candy to Afghan children, she noted. Entering your ZIP code on the group's website, http://bit.ly/F1iSy will identify participating dentists.

Parents who plan to encourage giving up candy should be sure not to take it right away, says Brian Wansink, a Cornell University food behavior scientist and author of "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think."

That's because of a psychology principle called "the endowment effect." It refers to kids feeling a sense of ownership and putting a high value on candy they haul in.

If you let them eat several pieces first, that feeling can fade and they won't even feel hungry anymore. That's the time to offer a trade, Wansink said.

He's tried that trick with his own three daughters, aged 2, 4, and 6, and says "it works like a charm." His girls eagerly give up the rest of their Halloween candy in exchange for a new trinket or other toy that won't rot their teeth, he said.

Young kids aren't really aware of how much they brought home, and when "they sort of count their booty, that's probably the age where kids shouldn't be trick or treating anymore," he said.

___

American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry: http://www.aapd.org

American Dietetic Association: http://www.eatright.org ___

AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/LindseyTanner

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2011-10-28-Halloween-Kids%20and%20Candy/id-7effa734ea8d48caae04a799ad04dc43

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Video: Romney flips again?and again and again

Back from the brink: Cards win World Series

The Cardinals won a remarkable World Series they weren't even supposed to reach, beating the Texas Rangers 6-2 in Game 7 on Friday night with another key hit by hometown star David Freese and six gutty innings from Chris Carpenter.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/45082595#45082595

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HP Recognizes Excellence in Customer Communications ...

HP Recognizes Excellence in Customer Communications Management with HP Exstream Visionary Awards

PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 26, 2011

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HP today announced the winners of its seventh annual HP Exstream Visionary Awards, which recognize customers and partners that have most effectively used HP Exstream to build loyalty and form long-lasting customer relationships, while helping them save costs and driving top-line revenue growth.

Recipients were evaluated on both qualitative and quantitative results, including demonstrated return on investment, increased customer satisfaction and response rates, application development and deployment, and streamlined processes for helping reduce costs.

?From insurance policies and after-care summaries to shareholder correspondences and 401(k) statements, enterprises worldwide recognize that strategic and personalized communications drive customer retention, satisfaction and growth,? said Avi Greenfield, product manager, Exstream, HP. ?Today, HP Exstream recognizes those innovative customers who have displayed a commitment to excellence in customer communications management.?

2011 HP Exstream Visionary Award winners include:

Aetna: Best Interactive Communication

With the use of HP Exstream Interactive for the generation of on-demand communications, health insurance company Aetna allows more than 3,000 business users to generate, preview and approve letters in real time while concurrently logged in. Aetna also reduced its document creation time from three days to a couple of hours, and now 16 pages of letters can be generated on a web browser in less than 15 seconds.

Allstate Insurance Company: Best Application Architecture

As one of the nation?s leader in personal insurance, Allstate Insurance Company expects to reduce the time spent on document development by up to 60 percent as new and existing documents are converted to HP Exstream. Allstate Insurance Company has consolidated processes and software components when creating letters, bills, policies, statements and checks in its life insurance and retirement business unit.

Citi: Most Significant Return on Investment

Financial services firm Citi eliminated approximately $12 million in operational costs while increasing response time with a centralized infrastructure to manage more than 2.6 billion pages of statements and letters sent annually to customers. With its new global platform, Citi estimates it will experience a significant return on investment over a period of several years.

CompuMail: Most Business Users Design Collaboration

With the involvement of multiple stakeholders, collection letter solution provider CompuMail brought to market the ability for clients to edit their letter templates directly using the CompuMail Web Portal and Online Letter Change system. During this collaboration, CompuMail reduced more than 13,000 templates by 75 percent. CompuMail also produces 144 million mail pieces annually for 350 clients while cutting down training time for new developers.

Humana: Most Sophisticated Application and HP IPG Enterprise Achiever Award

Humana, one of the nation?s leading healthcare companies, cut $400,000 in annual costs while developing astonishing potential for top-line growth based on shorter turnaround and more effective content. Humana also reduced its proposal creation time from four to six weeks to 24 hours and increased satisfaction among agents and brokers.

Keane: 2011 HP Exstream Partner of the Year Award

Newly accredited and certified HP Exstream systems integrator partner Keane Inc. earned the first-ever HP Exstream Partner of the Year Award. Keane earned the award for not only making HP Exstream its software solution standard but also for helping to increase HP Exstream license revenue by $1.2 million.

Vanguard: Best Application Transformation

Investment management company Vanguard improved its shareholder annual and semi-annual reports by automating 90 percent of all fund reports and reducing the amount of time to generate reports. By improving the quality and consistency of reports, Vanguard has satisfied business requirements for the 312 different fund reports mailed annually.

HP Exstream 2011 Visionary Award winners were recognized at an awards ceremony at the 2011 HP Exstream Americas User Conference.

Additional information about HP Exstream is available at www.hpexstream.com.

About HP

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world?s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure at the convergence of the cloud and connectivity, creating seamless, secure, context-aware experiences for a connected world. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

---

? 2011 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

Source: http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2011/111026xc.html?mtxs=rss-corp-news

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Jackson doctor's defense case drawing to a close

Dr. Conrad Murray listens to character witness testimony during his involuntary manslaughter trial in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011. Murray has pleaded not guilty and faces four years in prison and the loss of his medical licenses if convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Michael Jackson's death. (AP Photo/Paul Buck, Pool)

Dr. Conrad Murray listens to character witness testimony during his involuntary manslaughter trial in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011. Murray has pleaded not guilty and faces four years in prison and the loss of his medical licenses if convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Michael Jackson's death. (AP Photo/Paul Buck, Pool)

Dr. Conrad Murray looks up at Gerry Causey, a character witness and former patient of Dr. Conrad Murray, during Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial in Los Angeles on Wedneday, Oct. 26, 2011. Murray has pleaded not guilty and faces four years in prison and the loss of his medical licenses if convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Michael Jackson's death. (AP Photo/Paul Buck, Pool)

Dennis Hix, character witness and former patient of Dr. Conrad Murray, testifies during the Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011. Murray has pleaded not guilty and faces four years in prison and the loss of his medical licenses if convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Michael Jackson's death. (AP Photo/Paul Buck, Pool)

Andrew Guest, character witness and former patient of Dr. Conrad Murray, testifies during the Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011. Murray has pleaded not guilty and faces four years in prison and the loss of his medical licenses if convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Michael Jackson's death. (AP Photo/Paul Buck, Pool)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? The defense of the doctor charged in Michael Jackson's death will shift away Thursday from personality to the science that his attorneys hope will prevent the physician from being convicted.

The final witnesses testifying for Dr. Conrad Murray will be fellow doctors, one an expert in addiction and the other in the powerful anesthetic that the Houston-based cardiologist was giving Jackson as a sleep aid.

Their testimony could make the difference in whether Murray is convicted or acquitted of involuntary manslaughter in connection with Jackson's June 2009 death. Authorities contend Murray gave Jackson a fatal dose of propofol and botched resuscitation efforts.

Murray's attorneys contend Jackson gave himself the fatal dose of propofol when his doctor left the room, but have not yet shown evidence about how that theory is even possible. Several prosecution experts have said the self-administration defense was improbable and a key expert said he ruled it out completely, arguing the more likely scenario is that Murray gave Jackson a much higher dose than he has admitted.

The scientific testimony of Dr. Robert Waldman and Dr. Paul White comes a day after jurors heard from five of Murray's one-time patients, who described the cardiologist as a caring physician who performed procedures for free and spent hours getting to know them. When Ruby Mosley described Murray's work at a clinic he founded in a poor neighborhood in Houston in memory of his father, tears welled up in the eyes of the normally stoic doctor-turned-defendant.

Waldman is an addiction expert who may try to bolster the defense theory that Jackson had become dependent on propofol to sleep and was driven to self-administer it when Murray left his bedside.

It will be up to White to explain whether that was possible. He sat in court throughout the testimony of prosecution propofol expert Dr. Steven Shafer, at times shaking his head and furiously passing notes to defense attorneys. In the courthouse, he has been seen conferring with Murray in the hallway outside the courtroom where the case is being heard.

White and Waldman do not necessarily have to convince jurors that Jackson gave himself the fatal dose, but merely provide them with enough reasonable doubt about the prosecution case against Murray.

While prosecutors have portrayed Murray, 58, as a reckless physician who repeatedly broke the rules by giving Jackson propofol as a sleep aid, jurors heard a different portrait of the doctor on Wednesday.

Several of the character witnesses called described Murray as the best doctor they had ever seen and highlighted his skills at repairing their hearts with stents and other procedures.

"I'm alive today because of that man," said Andrew Guest of Las Vegas, who looked Murray. "That man sitting there is the best doctor I've ever seen."

Another former patient, Gerry Causey, stopped to shake Murray's hand in the courtroom and said the physician was his best friend.

A prosecutor noted that none of them were being treated for sleep issues, although Causey and others said they didn't believe the allegations against Murray.

Defense attorneys have told Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor they expect their case to conclude on Thursday. Pastor has said if that happens, closing arguments would occur next week.

___

AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch contributed to this report.

___

McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2011-10-27-Michael%20Jackson-Doctor/id-c3e6758f72944aac9b9efe4477d8b23b

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Summary Box: Copper jumps on European hopes (AP)

COPPER UP: Copper for December delivery gained 6.95 cents Wednesday, or 2 percent, to settle at $3.49 a pound. The rally puts copper up nearly 9 percent for the week.

ECONOMIC HOPES: Copper gains value when the economy grows and demand for raw materials increases at manufacturers. Traders were hopeful that European officials will soon unveil a broad financial rescue plan to shore up banks and indebted nations there.

OIL FALLS: Benchmark oil fell $2.97, or 3 percent, to $90.20 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111026/ap_on_bi_ge/us_commodities_review_summary_box

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TSX ends higher on earnings, Europe hopes (Reuters)

TORONTO (Reuters) ? Canadian stocks staged a late rally to close higher on Wednesday, shrugging off early losses, helped by encouraging third-quarter earnings and news from Europe about plans to tackle the region's debt crisis.

Markets responded positively to a report the euro zone will dip deeply into a $440 billion euro bailout fund, the details of which won't be revealed until November, according to a draft statement obtained by Reuters.

Still, analysts said the uncertainly about the outcome of the European summit was a weight on the market.

"On the one side you have the European headwinds that are negative and making the market very jittery," said Luciano Orengo, a portfolio manager at Manulife Asset Management. "On the other side you've been having third-quarter earnings that are coming in better than expected."

The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index closed up 76.31 points, or 0.63 percent, to 12,186.06. That corrected a brief negative spell earlier in the day when the index weakened to 12,052.53.

Canadian National Railway Co among the most influential gainers, rising 1.9 percent to C$76.56, after reporting a 19 percent jump in quarterly profit late on Tuesday.

Energy and materials stocks, including miners, played the biggest role in leading the market higher.

Base-metal miners climbed more than 4 percent as copper prices rallied. Teck Resources climbed 4.2 percent to C$37.33, while First Quantum Minerals gained 8 percent to C$18.60.

Research In Motion was the biggest drag on the index, dropping 7.5 percent to C$20.89. The BlackBerry maker fell after delaying a software upgrade for its PlayBook tablet until February, months behind schedule.

Canadian telecoms were also down slightly, though Rogers Communications edged up 1.15 percent to C$35.93 after reporting a slightly higher adjusted profit.

Telus Corp was hardest hit, declining 1.7 percent to C$53.79.

"The earnings are coming through ... but the common theme is people are cautious about making strong projections going forward," said Peter Chandler, senior vice-president and director at Canaccord Wealth Management.

(Additional reporting by Claire Sibonney; Editing by Jeffrey Hodgson)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/stocks/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111026/wl_canada_nm/canada_us_markets_canada_stocks

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Oakland police action unnerves some protesters

OAKLAND, Calif.?? The display of police force in Oakland, Calif., and Atlanta has unnerved some anti-Wall Street protesters.

While demonstrators in other cities have built a working relationship with police and city leaders, they wondered on Wednesday how long the good spirit would last and whether they could be next.

Will they have to face riot gear-clad officers and tear gas that their counterparts in Oakland, Calif., faced Tuesday? Or will they be handcuffed and hauled away in the middle of the night like protesters in Atlanta?

"Yes, we're afraid. Is this the night they're going to sneak in?" said activist William Buster of Occupy Wall Street, where the movement began last month to protest what they see as corporate greed.

"Is this the night they might use unreasonable force?" he asked.

An Iraq War veteran marching with demonstrators suffered a cracked skull in the chaos between officers and protesters in Oakland, further raising concern among some in the movement. Scott Olsen, a 24-year-old Marine veteran, was in critical condition Wednesday after he had been struck, said a spokesman for Highland Hospital in Oakland.

It was not clear exactly what type of object hit the veteran or who might have thrown it, though the group Iraq Veterans Against the War said it was lodged by officers. Police Chief Howard Jordan said at a news conference that the events leading up to Olsen's injury would be investigated as vigorously as a fatal police shooting.

The message, meanwhile, from officials in cities where other encampments have sprung up was simple: We'll keep working with you. Just respect your neighbors and keep the camps clean and safe.

Business owners and residents have complained in recent weeks about assaults, drunken fights and sanitation problems. Officials are trying to balance their rights and uphold the law while honoring protesters' free speech rights.

"I understand the frustration the protesters feel ... about inequity in our country as well as Wall Street greed," Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said. "I support their right to free speech but we also have rules and laws."

Some cities, such as Providence, R.I., are moving ahead with plans to evict activists. But from Tampa, Fla., to Boston, police and city leaders say they will continue to try to work with protesters to address problems in the camps.

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In Oakland, officials initially supported the protests, with Mayor Jean Quan saying that sometimes "democracy is messy."

But tensions reached a boiling point after a sexual assault, a severe beating and a fire were reported and paramedics were denied access to the camp, according to city officials. They also cited concerns about rats, fire hazards and public urination.

Demonstrators disputed the city's claims, saying that volunteers collect garbage and recycling every six hours, that water is boiled before being used to wash dishes and that rats have long infested the park.

When riot gear-clad police moved in early Tuesday, they were pelted with rocks, bottles and utensils from people in the camp's kitchen area. They emptied the camp near city hall of people, and barricaded the plaza.

Protesters were taken away in plastic handcuffs, most of them arrested on suspicion of illegal lodging.

Demonstrators returned later in the day to march and retake the plaza. They were met by police officers in riot gear. Several small skirmishes broke out and officers cleared the area by firing tear gas.

The scene repeated itself several times just a few blocks away in front of the plaza.

Tensions would build as protesters edged ever closer to the police line and reach a breaking point with a demonstrator hurling a bottle or rock, prompting police to respond with another round of gas.

The chemical haze hung in the air for hours, new blasts clouding the air before the previous fog could dissipate.

The number of protesters diminished with each round of tear gas. Police estimated that there were roughly 1,000 demonstrators at the first clash following the march. About 100 were arrested.

On Wednesday, Oakland officials allowed protesters back into the plaza where their 15-day-old encampment had been raided but said people would be prohibiting from spending the night, potentially bringing another clash with police.

About 1,000 people quickly filled the plaza, but late at night, many of them filed out and began marching down nearby streets.

A reporter at the scene says police erected wooden barricades to block the march, but the protesters veered off as a group and continued down another street.

There were no signs of clashes between the two sides.

It wasn't immediately clear how many people were left in the plaza, where some had vowed to spend the night.

In Atlanta, police in riot gear and SWAT teams arrested 53 people in Woodruff Park, many of whom had camped out there for weeks as part of a widespread movement that is protesting the wealth disparity between the rich and everyone else.

Mayor Kasim Reed had been supportive of the protests, twice issuing an executive order allowing them to remain.

Reed said on Wednesday that he had no choice to arrest them because he believed things were headed in a direction that was no longer peaceful. He cited a man seen walking the park with an AK-47 assault rifle.

"There were some who wanted to continue along the peaceful lines, and some who thought that their path should be more radical," Reed said. "As mayor, I couldn't wait for them to finish that debate."

Reed said authorities could not determine whether the rifle was loaded, and were unable to get additional information.

An Associated Press reporter talked to the man with the gun earlier Tuesday.

He wouldn't give his name ? identifying himself only as "Porch," an out-of-work accountant who doesn't agree with the protesters' views ? but said that he was there, armed, because he wanted to protect the rights of people to protest.

People who were arrested trickled out of jail as a crowd of several dozen supporters chanted "freedom" as they left.

"I think Mayor Reed would do well to learn quickly that you cannot intimidate, you cannot threaten, you cannot jail something whose time has come," activist Derrick Boazman said. "The fact of the matter is this movement's time has come."

In Portland, Ore., the protest seems to be at a crossroads. Organizers have been dealing with public drunkenness, fighting and drug abuse for weeks, especially among the homeless who are also in the camp.

Some are floating the idea of relocating it, possibly indoors. Others see that as capitulation.

"I don't know if it would be a good idea. Part of the effectiveness of what's going on here is visibility," protester Justin Neff said. "Though I'd do it if there's a possibility that we'd get seen and noticed. I don't know how that would work indoors."

City officials haven't said what would cause them to forcibly evict the protesters. They said they evaluate the camp daily.

In Baltimore, protesters like Casey McKeel, a member of Occupy Baltimore's legal committee, said he wasn't sure aren't sure what to expect from city officials, noting that some cities have arrested protesters in recent weeks.

"Across the country we're seeing a wide range of reactions," he said. "For now we're hoping the city will work with us."

The mayor, Rawlings-Blake, said she is willing to work with them, but they should realize that they are camping out in a city park and that was not its intended use. She said their free-speech rights don't trump the public's right to enjoy the space.

"I have absolutely no interest in a violent exchange," she said. "We want to work with the protesters, but the point is to talk about inequity and talk about how we can work together to have a more just society or more equitable Baltimore.

"It's not about pitching a tent. It's about getting the work done," she said.

___

Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Marcus Wohlsen in Oakland; Nigel Duara in Portland, Ore.; Sarah Brumfield in Baltimore, Md.; Verena Dobnik and Samantha Gross in New York; Harry R. Weber, Errin Haines and Jeff Martin in Atlanta; Erica Niedowski in Providence, R.I.; Michael J. Crumb in Des Moines, Iowa; Ben Nuckols in Washington; and Jay Lindsay in Boston.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45042393/ns/us_news/

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Hundreds attend funeral of Saudi crown prince

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia?? Hundreds of men in flowing white robes and red-checkered head dresses packed a mosque in the Saudi capital Tuesday for the state funeral of crown prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud.

Prince Sultan died in New York Saturday at the age of 80 after an unspecified illness. He had served as defense minister since 1962 and is credited with modernizing the Saudi armed forces.

TV footage of the funeral showed Saudi King Abdullah sitting in an armchair at the front of a large crowd and wearing a surgical mask. The 87-year old monarch is recovering from his third operation to treat back problems in less than a year.

Prince Sultan, the king's half brother, was to be buried later Tuesday in Riyadh's al-Oud cemetery, resting place of many other members of the royal family.

The crown prince's death will lead to the naming of a new heir, either by Abdullah himself or by a 33-member council composed of his brothers and cousins.

The most likely choice is Interior Minister Prince Nayef, Sultan's brother.

Nayef, 78, has earned praise in the West for leading crackdowns on Islamic extremist cells in Saudi Arabia, which was home to 15 of 19 of the Sept. 11 hijackers. But he was also harshly criticized for a 2002 interview in which he said that "Zionists" ? a reference to Jews ? benefited from the 9-11 attacks because it turned world opinion against Islam and Arabs.

He has also opposed some of Abdullah's moves for more openness in the strictly conservative society, saying in 2009 that he saw no need for women to vote or participate in politics. Still, he is seen as unlikely that if he became king, he would cancel Abdullah's reforms, which include the opening of a coed university in 2009 where both genders can mix, though many religious authorities forbid any mixing of the sexes.

Some believe Nayef would put any further changes on hold if he takes power.

There is thought to be little chance that the changeover at the top of Saudi Arabia's leadership would affect the country's close relations with the United States.

The announcement of Prince Sultan's death Saturday did not disclose his illness. According to a leaked U.S. diplomatic cable from January 2010, Sultan had been receiving treatment for colon cancer since 2009.

Sultan was the kingdom's defense minister in 1990 when U.S. forces deployed in Saudi Arabia to defend it against Iraqi forces that had overrun Kuwait. His son, Prince Khaled, served as the top Arab commander in the 1991 operation Desert Storm, in which U.S.-led troops drove the Iraqis out of Kuwait.

As defense minister, Sultan closed multibillion-dollar deals to establish the modern Saudi armed forces, including land, air, naval and air defense forces. On more than one occasion, the deals implicated several of his sons in alleged corruption scandals ? charges they have denied.

Sultan is survived by 32 children from multiple wives. They include Bandar, the former ambassador to the United States who now heads the National Security Council, and Khaled, Sultan's assistant in the Defense Ministry.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45030394/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/

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Ex-baseball executive key to anti-Chavez strategy (AP)

CARACAS, Venezuela ? A former baseball executive is plotting strategy for Venezuela's political opposition, and he's on a winning streak.

Ramon Guillermo Aveledo helped the opposition make major gains in congressional elections last year, and then convinced a diverse array of parties to agree to compete in a presidential primary for the first time next February. The bearded 61-year-old is now setting his sights on channeling the opposition's momentum into a broad-based challenge against President Hugo Chavez next year.

As secretary general of the country's anti-Chavez coalition, known as the Democratic Unity Table, Aveledo works mainly behind the scenes mediating between factions, settling internal disputes and promoting efforts to lay the groundwork for a unified opposition platform. He insists that today the movement, once hindered by its divisions, is more united than ever and has become focused on presenting voters with clear alternatives to Chavez's socialist-oriented government.

Polls show Chavez remains popular but is still vulnerable, with his top challenger nearly equaling the president's support in some recent surveys.

"The Table isn't so much about what we reject as it is about what we favor," Aveledo told The Associated Press in an interview. "It's more of a project than something aimed solely at getting rid of the current government."

In order to develop clear policy alternatives, Aveledo has created a host of committees where party leaders and candidates hash out common stances on subjects including health care, education, economic policy and international affairs. They've designed plans to combat gun violence, build housing with private sector support and boost food production, among other things.

Such efforts have brought new organization to a once-fractured movement that used to focus mainly on rallying visceral opposition to Chavez. When opposition candidate Manuel Rosales was handily defeated by Chavez in the last presidential vote in 2006, some said the defeat was partly due to a failure to present an alternative platform that resonated with voters. The opposition also appeared to lack the organization of the pro-Chavez camp.

This time, Aveledo has been credited with helping settle disagreements between parties to set the Feb. 12 date for the opposition primary. He said it's been an important achievement to consolidate about 20 parties into a single bloc.

"Unity was vital in order to come up with a credible alternative," Aveledo said earlier this month in his downtown Caracas office.

He brings to the job an analytical problem-solving ability and a manager mindset that served him well from 2001 to 2007 as president of the Venezuelan Baseball League, where he was credited with making changes that put the league on better financial footing. He also is a veteran politician who was an aide to President Luis Herrera in the early 1980s and later held a congressional seat.

Eight opposition candidates are campaigning ahead of the primary, and have been touting proposals for dealing with problems such as rampant crime and underfunded schools. Whoever wins the primary is likely to keep counting on Aveledo to mobilize the alliance of parties ahead of the October presidential vote.

State governor Henrique Capriles has been leading in the polls among opposition candidates, with other young, energetic politicians such as Pablo Perez and Leopoldo Lopez trailing.

Chavez is taking the challengers seriously and has returned to his time-tested formula of labeling his foes U.S. collaborators, mocking the coalition's Spanish acronym, MUD for Mesa de la Unidad Democratica, saying opposition politicians are now the M-US, in cahoots with Washington.

Chavez, who was first elected in 1998, is seeking re-election for a third time. His popularity has risen recently and stood at 53 percent according to one September poll, possibly due in part to public sympathy surrounding his struggle with cancer.

He hasn't let up on his verbal attacks against opponents, claiming they represent the wealthy and calling them "scorpions" still hobbled by infighting.

A previous opposition coalition, called the Democratic Coordinator, collapsed after it failed to oust Chavez in a 2004 recall referendum.

But recent polls suggest the opposition has grown stronger since the Democratic Unity Table was formed in 2009. Pollster Luis Vicente Leon, who heads the Caracas-based polling firm Datanalisis, said the opposition's image has improved and the coalition's support has recently hovered around 40 percent.

Aveledo said the opposition is going into the campaign energized like never before. "Even taking the worst of the polls, we're starting the election campaign this time in the best situation we've ever been in," he said.

Before the country's 2010 congressional elections, Aveledo took a lead role negotiating deals between rivals parties about which candidates would run and which would bow out. He says he has a knack for such tense negotiations and prefers such a role to that of a politician constantly in front of the cameras.

"It's up to me to demand that the debate end or the difference be settled, and that a decision be reached because you can't be negotiating forever," Aveledo said.

Longtime friend and opposition politician Ramon Jose Medina said Aveledo showed his toughness and patience in the aftermath of the 2010 elections. When the electoral council lagged for hours in releasing results, some politicians were strongly urging Aveledo to demand the council immediately release partial figures, Medina said.

Instead, Aveledo kept his cool, waited and eventually spoke on television saying confidently: "They already know what happened, we already know."

"He managed to maintain that balance in that moment, which was a moment of great tensions," Medina said, adding that Aveledo's poise won him respect both within the opposition and among Chavez supporters.

The government held on to a majority of congressional seats, but the opposition gained ground in the election and the popular vote was almost evenly split between the pro- and anti-Chavez camps. Aveledo's mediation was widely credited as a factor in the opposition's success.

Aveledo acknowledges the opposition faces hurdles going into the presidential race, including Chavez's advantage in using government funds to benefit his campaign.

But Aveledo is confident the opposition has crossed a crucial threshold by organizing a single, more cohesive bloc. That change, he said, means the ability to "to generate confidence and credibility, for the people to see there's an alternative in this country."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111027/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_venezuela_opposition_broker

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