Chinese senior diplomat visits Iran amid tensions

BEIJING | Fri Dec 30, 2011 8:33am IST

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhai Jun visited Iran for talks, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, during growing tensions over Tehran's threat to choke off Middle Eastern oil shipments in retaliation against proposed Western sanctions.

In keeping with Beijing's public sensitivity over Iran -- a major oil supplier to China -- the ministry statement gave only opaque clues about what Zhai and his hosts discussed during his two-day visit that ended on Thursday.

"Both sides exchanged views on Sino-Iranian relations and regional issues," said the brief announcement on the Chinese Foreign Ministry's website (www.mfa.gov.cn) dated Thursday.

Zhai met Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi and other officials, the announcement said.

The senior Chinese diplomat's visit came after Tehran threatened to retaliate against proposed Western sanctions by choking off oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial passage for Middle Eastern suppliers.

Tehran's threat followed the European Union's decision to tighten sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme, as well as moves by the United States to tighten unilateral sanctions.

"China hopes that peace and stability can be maintained in the strait," the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a briefing on Thursday in answer to a question about escalating tensions that have pushed up oil prices.

China has driven global oil demand growth for a decade and has increasingly relied on shipments from the Middle East. China bought 547,000 barrels per day of crude from Iran through to October this year, up from 426,000 barrels per day for all of 2010. Only Saudi Arabia and Angola sell more than Iran to China.

International tensions with Iran have increased since a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency in November concluded Tehran appears to have worked on designing a nuclear weapon and may still be pursuing research to that end.

Iran denies this and says it is developing nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

Iran has expanded its nuclear activities despite four rounds of U.N. sanctions since 2006 over its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment and give access to U.N. nuclear inspectors.

As a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, China has the power to veto resolutions mandating such sanctions. But Beijing has instead voted for them, while working to ensure its oil and trade ties are not threatened.

(Reporting by Chris Buckley; Editing by Ron Popeski)

Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/INworldNews/~3/rlagHNgxa5Q/china-iran-idINDEE7BT01T20111230

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NWS issued: No active weather advisories for South Washington Coast (Washington) #funbeach #weather #fb 642weather.com Il y a environ 1 heure via 642weatherForecast

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The Time I Planted a Pipe Bomb Under Someone's Truck [Video]

I almost crash into a truck, at first. I can turn on a dime and accelerate like a tiny nitrous-oxide-fueled bat out of hell—even though I'm holding a 10-pound pipe bomb, 30 percent of my body weight. I don't know what I'm doing, really. But by the time I get to the truck to plant the bomb, it's easy. I know exactly what to do. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/bLBcomtNPXc/the-time-i-planted-a-pipe-bomb-under-someones-truck

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Species spotted at deep-sea vent

27 December 2011 Last updated at 21:17 ET By Rebecca Morelle Science reporter, BBC News

The team used an underwater robot to film the creatures living around the hydrothermal vent (Footage: University of Southampton)

Remarkable images of life from one of the most inhospitable spots in the ocean have been captured by scientists.

Researchers have been surveying volcanic underwater vents - sometimes called black smokers - in the South West Indian Ridge in the Indian Ocean.

The UK team found an array of creatures living in the super-heated waters, including yeti crabs, scaly-foot snails and sea cucumbers.

They believe some of the species may be new to science.

Hydrothermal vents were first discovered in 1977. These fissures in the ocean floor spew out fiercely hot, mineral-rich water, yet somehow, diverse ecosystems are able to thrive in these hostile conditions.

The team, from the University of Southampton, was particularly interested in the vents on the South West Indian Ridge because this range is linked to the Mid Atlantic Ridge and the Central Indian Ridge, where vent life has been well documented.

This area is also unusual because it is an "ultra-slow spreading" ridge, which means it is less volcanically active than other ridges, with fewer vents that are further apart.

Dr Jon Copley, chief scientist of the Indian Ocean vents project, said: "This place is a real crossroads in terms of the vent species around the world."

Using a remote-operated, underwater robot called Kiel 6000, from the Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences (IFM Geomar), in Germany, the team was able to train their cameras on the vents.

In the hottest habitat around the black smokers, they found snails and shrimp, as well as mussels, sea cucumbers and crabs. They then compared these with the animals found at vents on the neighbouring ridges.

Dr Copley said: "I was expecting there to be some similarities to what we know from the Atlantic, and some similarities to what we know from the Indian Ocean vents, and that was true, but we also found types of animals here which are not known from either of those neighbouring areas, and that was a big surprise.

"One was a type of yeti crab. There are two currently described species of yeti crab known from the Pacific, and it isn't like those, but it is the same type of animal, with long, hairy arms.

"Also some sea cucumbers - not known from the Atlantic or Central Indian vents, but known from the Pacific."

He added: "We've got links to lots of different parts of the world here, which is very exciting."

The team was also surprised at the diversity of life they found during this expedition, which was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (Nerc).

Dr Copley said: "In a lot of other vent fields I've been to, in this hot zone where you get the animals there is often just one type of animal living there: in the deep Mid Atlantic Ridge, it's the shrimp. But here, we have seen three to four all in the same zone."

The findings should help researchers to learn more about how life moves from vent to vent: vents are short lived, and without the ability to hop from one system to the next, life there would go extinct.

"That is why vents are a great place to understand how species disperse and evolve in the deep oceans, because they are like little islands," Prof Copley added.

Despite these findings, the researchers are worried about the future of this underwater terrain.

China has been granted an exploratory licence by the International Seabed Authority to explore the potential of mining the vents in this area for their rich minerals.

Dr Copley said: "This vent field is the size of a few football pitches, and it seems possible that it is the only known range of some of these species.

"It would be very premature to start disrupting it before we really know the true extent of what lives in it."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/science-environment-16267625

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xtranormal: Attention: Educators using Xtranormal in a college or university! Would you like to be featured in national news? RT and we'll get in touch!

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NFL reaches nine-year broadcast deal with CBS, Fox, NBC (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? The National Football League (NFL) said it has agreed with broadcasters CBS Corp, FOX and NBC for a new nine-year broadcast rights agreement that runs through the 2022 season.

As per the new deal, CBS will televise the American Football Conference package of Sunday afternoon games that it acquired in 1998.

Fox will continue with the National Football Conference package of Sunday afternoon games that it acquired in 1994.

NBC will again carry the Sunday Night Football package of primetime games that it acquired in 2006. NBC will continue to televise the Thursday night NFL season Kickoff game to open each season and will add the annual Thanksgiving primetime game starting in 2012.

The nine-year terms are the longest for NFL's television agreements with over-the-air broadcasters.

The NFL in September announced an eight year, $15.2 billion extension with Walt Disney Co's ESPN for Monday Night Football. The deal, which included additional rights beyond just the TV broadcast, represented a roughly 73 percent increase over the previous contract.

(Reporting by Soham Chatterjee in Bangalore; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tv/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111214/tv_nm/us_nfl_deal

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3 children, 2 adults reportedly shot dead

NBC Chicago

Authorities investigate the shooting deaths of five people, including three children, in Emington, Ill.

By NBC News, msnbc.com staff and news services

Five people, including three children, were found shot to death Friday afternoon at a home in the small town of Emington, Ill., NBCChicago.com reported.

The bodies of a woman, a girl and a baby were found in the backyard of home. A man and a boy were found nearby. All had been shot, officials said. The names of the victims haven't yet been publicly released.

The Chicago Tribune quoted Debbie Delaney, secretary and treasurer of the?town, as saying the girl was in second grade and the boy was in kindergarten. The Tribune said?her husband is Emington Mayor Daniel Delaney and her son is a?firefighter called to the scene.

"They're all gone, all gone," Delaney told the Tribune.

Livingston County board member Bob Young, who lives in Emington, about 80 miles southwest of Chicago, said?the family had moved to the town within the last six months and the two older children attended school in nearby Saunemin. The street where the family lived was closed by police, he said.

"We did have an awful disaster here," said?Mayor?Delaney, who's been in office for 24 years. "You never would have thought it would happen in our town of 100 people or less. ... Right now it's just very, very, very sad for us here."

Residents described Emington as a once strictly farming town that has gone through changes in the last 20 years as young families moved in.?Young said the town has become more of a bedroom community from which people commute north to cities such as Joliet, about 45 miles away.

Delaney said the town is not prosperous and has received help from the state. "It's always really had a hard time. Most of the people are retired or farmers who moved into town," he said.

Young said he did not know the family well.

"We've seen the kids playing at the playground and talk to them," Young said. "We thought everything was fine."

This article contains reporting from NBCChicago.com, The Associated Press and?msnbc.com staff.

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Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/16/9502464-3-children-2-adults-reportedly-shot-dead-at-illinois-home

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Scott Shamberg: #happyholidays

There is always pressure this time of year. There is pressure to get that special someone the right gift and to get your shopping done early. Be sure to spend more time than usual with loved ones but at the same time don't forget that your company wants you to participate in its holiday party. Lately, we all must be sure to wish people the proper and politically correct holiday greeting - this has become increasingly important. But is there anything more stressful this time of year than choosing the holiday card?

Holiday cards come in many forms. You know that no matter what you send, it's going to end up on display in someone's home for 3 weeks (just like their kid's drawing on the fridge). Even with that knowledge, many people simply phone it in. They go to the local Hallmark shop, buy a couple boxes of pre-printed stationery, sign their names, and send them to every aunt, uncle and cousin they can think of. Low effort, low thought.

At the opposite end of the spectrum are the people who write the annual review of their family's activities from the previous year. How many different ways can someone talk about Bob's promotion, Sally's trip to Europe and Billy's first steps? Apparently, many. Anyone that creative gets special treatment when it comes to in-home display.

This doesn't even start to tackle the thought that goes into how a business wishes their customers season's greetings. Many of them have migrated to digital, coming up with interactive wishes that look great but can be expensive. Ah, but if you come up with a cool one you might be able to draw a sponsor. I mean, if you can sponsor the Heisman Trophy, why not a holiday card?

So, in a world where we remember birthdays via Facebook, what should our expectations be when it comes to wishing (and being wished) Happy Holidays? If someone DMs you to say "Happy Birthday," I think that is socially acceptable. A text? Totally OK. Congratulations on the new job? Who calls for that anymore? Why do we still put the holiday season up on a pedestal?

I suggest we embrace, once and for all, the fact that society has a shorter attention span than ever. We can see the same pictures of your family online that you spend $150 on at Shutterfly to send in the mail. In fact, send me a Hipstamatic picture. It's cooler and cheaper. Still want to write the family letter? Just send me the link. I won't think less of you for being non-traditional. I'll think more of you for embracing change.

#christmakwanzakah

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Follow Scott Shamberg on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@Shamberg

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-shamberg/happyholidays_b_1149852.html

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Video: Which candidate will win Iowa?

Get connected at America's techiest airports

If you?ve ever found yourself at the airport hunting for an available outlet or waiting on glacial-paced Wi-Fi, help is at hand. On Thursday, PCWorld magazine released its first-ever report on the Top Airports for Tech Travelers.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/45689388#45689388

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