Wednesday 17 September 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Scotland braces for historic independence vote

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EDINBURGH (AFP) - The campaign for Scotlands independence referendum went down to the wire on Wednesday ahead of a knife-edge vote that will either see Scotland break away from the United Kingdom or gain sweeping new powers.The Yes and No camps mobilised thousands of volunteers to take to the streets across Scotland in a final push to win over undecided voters in a heated debate that has fired up Scots on both sides.Three new opinion polls suggested a very narrow majority against independence but showed that the undecideds could swing it either way with just hours to go before polls open on Thursday at 0600 GMT.Im really optimistic that if we do have independence, we can start building a society that works for all of us, said 24-year-old Sam Hollick, a Yes activist from the Green Party who was campaigning at a stand in Edinburgh blaring a song by Scottish band The Proclaimers.But at a No rally in Glasgow, former British prime minister Gordon Brown appealed to Scots wartime patriotism and said voting against separation would still mean Scotland gaining much greater local power.We fought two world wars together, he told hundreds of supporters.Theres not a cemetery in Europe that doesnt have a Scot, a Welshman, an Irish and an Englishman side by side. When they fought together, they never asked each other where they came from, he said.Differences over whether to support Yes or No have divided families and lifelong friends and the Church of Scotland on Wednesday called for a spirit of unity and cool heads and calm hearts.The rise in support for the Yes campaign has also sent jitters through the financial markets, helping to bring down the value of the pound and dragging down the stocks of Scotland-based companies.Scotlands pro-independence First Minister Alex Salmond has dismissed the economic arguments -- including what currency an independent Scotland would use as the Bank of England has ruled out a currency union -- as scaremongering by the No campaign.In a letter to the people of Scotland, Salmond urged the electorate to seize its historic chance to end the 307-year-old union with England.Wake up on Friday morning to the first day of a better country. Wake up knowing you did this -- you made it happen, Salmond wrote.Its about taking your countrys future into your hands. Dont let this opportunity slip through our fingers. Dont let them tell us we cant. Lets do this.But Heather Whiteside, a 21-year-old graduate from Glasgow University who came to see Brown at a campaign event in the city said the prospect of a Yes victory was very scary.Nationalism is a bad kind of politics, it tries to create artificial barriers between people, she said.A Yes victory would not mean independence overnight but would sound the starting gun on months and possibly years of complex negotiations on separating two deeply linked economic systems.It could lead to Prime Minister David Camerons resignation and would embolden other separatist movements around the world.Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy weighed in on the debate on Wednesday, branding moves for independence like Spains Catalonia region a torpedo to European integration.Everyone in Europe thinks that these processes are hugely negative, financially and economically, Rajoy told the Spanish parliament.All three polls in Wednesdays papers showed that going it alone would be rejected by 52 percent to 48 percent, with undecided voters excluded.But the results were within margins of error and many commentators have said the final outcome is too close to call ahead of time.Record numbers have registered for the referendum -- 97 percent of eligible voters -- and turnout is expected to be very high with officials saying it could be around 80 percent.In Edinburgh, Fatima Somner, a 45-year-old cashier of Moroccan origin married to an Englishman, said she was hoping for a No victory.People who will vote no are the ones who have money. Poorer people are going to vote yes, she said.They hope that things will change for the better for them. But it will be the opposite, everything will become more expensiveBut many said they were keen to make a final break with London.Ive been ruled by Westminster governments for too long, said Frank Evans, a 62-year-old in Glasgow at a Yes rally filled with flags -- including one celebrating a famous Scottish victory over the English at the Battle of Bannockburn in the Wars of Independence in 1314.I am very confident. Yes, well win. I might be having a little bit of a dance in the city to celebrate, he said. Behind him a banner read: Break the chains, Scotland.

Attacks kill at least 11 in Iraq

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BAGHDAD (AP) - A suicide car bombing on a security post outside Baghdad and explosion on a crowded commercial street in the Iraqi capital killed at least 11 people Wednesday, officials said.The deadliest attack took place after sundown when a suicide bomber drove a car packed with explosives into an abandoned building used by security forces in the town of Tarmiyah, some 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Baghdad, police officials said.Five soldiers and three policemen were killed, and at least 16 members of the security forces were wounded, the officials said.The second bombing struck a commercial street in Baghdads northern district of Khazimiyah, killing three people and wounded eight, police said.Medical officials confirmed the causalities. All of the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

Suicide bombers kill 15 at north Nigerian college

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KANO (AP) - Two suicide bombers killed at least 15 students Wednesday at a government college in Nigerias northern city of Kano, police and emergency officials said.Four men in a tricycle taxi drove up to the Federal College of Education Kano and opened fire when security guards insisted on searching the vehicle, according to a guard who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not entitled to speak to reporters.One of the attackers got into a lecture hall filled with students and detonated his bomb, and the second blew himself up before he could enter a second lecture hall, according to Kano state police commissioner Aderenle Shinaba.He said 34 students were hospitalized with various degrees of injuries.Spokesman Sani Datti of the Nigerian Emergency Management Agency said the bombers also died, making the total death toll 17.Officials said Islamic extremists from Boko Haram were responsible. The group is blamed for five suicide bombings carried out in one week in July in Kano. The extremists have also been blamed for a string of car bombs and suicide bombings that have killed scores of people across their stronghold in northeast Nigeria as well as in Abuja, Nigerias capital in the center of the country, and a failed attempt in Lagos, the commercial capital in the southwest.There had been no bombings for more than a month during which Boko Haram has focused on taking a string of towns and villages along the northeast border with Cameroon where it has declared an Islamic caliphate and is enforcing strict Shariah law.The extremists are threatening to attack Maiduguri, the Borno state capital and birthplace of their movement. The military claimed to have killed some 100 fighters in a battle at the town of Konduga, 45 kilometers (28 miles) from Maiduguri last week.It was a rare victory for the Nigerian military, which has failed to contain the insurgency.Boko Haram attracted international attention with the kidnappings of more than 270 schoolgirls in April. About 50 escaped on their own. The government and soldiers have failed to rescue any of the others, saying any military campaign could endanger their lives.President Goodluck Jonathan has refused to consider a prisoner swap, with Boko Haram demanding the release of hundreds of detained fighters in exchange for the girls.

Crews battle California fire's explosive growth

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WEED (AP) - Crews on Wednesday battled another fast-moving blaze threatening homes in Northern California, just days after a wildfire tore through a small town in the region.Hundreds of additional firefighters were dispatched to the fire near the town of Pollock Pines, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) east of the state capital, Sacramento, bringing the number fighting the blaze to more than 2,500 personnel. That was an increase of about 1,000 from the previous day.The fire grew by thousands of acres overnight and had burned through nearly 29 square miles (75 square kilometers). It was threatening 500 homes, at least some of which were under mandatory evacuation orders, and was just 5 percent contained.Meanwhile, further north, crews were building and strengthening containment lines around a fire that tore through the town of Weed near the Oregon border on Monday. The blaze damaged or destroyed more than 150 structures, many of them homes, and also struck a blow at the economic vitals of the struggling timber town, knocking its last wood products mill offline for an undetermined amount of time.With a maintenance shed reduced to twisted sheet-metal and the main manufacturing facility suffering structural damage, the Roseburg Forest Products veneer mill on the outskirts of Weed was out of commission while workers began assessing the damage, said Kellye Wise, vice president for human resources of the company. The company hoped to have a better idea of when the mill could reopen by next week.As the fire roared through trees, brush and homes on Monday, the mill had enough warning to send home most of the 60 workers on the day shift and mobilize the mill fire crew, Wise said.While they fought to save the mill, firebrands blew overhead and ignited blocks of houses downwind.With 170 workers, the mill is the second largest employer in Weed, a blue-collar town of 3,000 people in the shadow of Mount Shasta, and it dates to 1897, when founder Abner Weed decided to take advantage of its strong winds as a natural drying process for the lumber turned out by his sawmills.The mill shutdown, however temporary, is one more hit to Weed, which has never recovered from the logging cutbacks of the 1990s. Meant to protect the threatened northern spotted owl and salmon, the drawdown put tens of thousands of people in Siskiyou County out of work, county Supervisor Michael Kobseff said.More than 4,000 wildfires have burned in California this year.

Bayern beat Man City 1-0 in Champions League

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GENEVA (AP) - Bayern Munich scored a 90th-minute goal to beat Manchester City 1-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday, while Barcelona had an easier time edging APOEL 1-0.Bayern defender Jerome Boatengs powerful shot appeared to deflect off teammate Mario Goetze, rising up and beyond the dive of his former City teammate Joe Hart, who had denied the 2013 champion with a series of saves.The goal brought Bayern coach Pep Guardiola racing down the touchline to celebrate with Boateng.We know how difficult the group is and a victory for the start is very, very important for us, Guardiola said.Barcelona and new coach Luis Enrique had a more routine night, with the Catalan side scoring in the 28th minute when defender Gerard Pique headed in Lionel Messis free kick.We have to improve a lot, but I am very happy, Luis Enrique said.Chelsea was held 1-1 at home by Schalke after Cesc Fabregass 11th-minute opener for the hosts.On a bad night for eastern European champions, Roma routed CSKA Moscow 5-1 and Porto crushed BATE Borisov 6-0.CSKA faces further sanctions from UEFA after its fans threw flares, holding up play for two minutes in the second half at the Olympic Stadium. It must already host Bayern next in an empty stadium because of fans racist behavior last season.Elsewhere, Ajax drew 1-1 with Paris Saint-Germain, Maribor grabbed an equalizer in injury time to draw 1-1 with Sporting Lisbon and Athletic Bilbaos game against Shakhtar Donetsk finished 0-0.Bayerns late winner reprieved Thomas Mueller for missing the German champions best chance in the first minute of a lively match.Mueller wasted an open-goal chance, rounding Hart before losing balance as he shot wide of the near post.As long as the team wins, Ill lie in bed tonight with a smile, Mueller said.Hart excelled in the first half pushing away Muellers powerful header and shots from Mario Goetze and David Alaba.The England goalie saved his best effort to deny Boatengs long-range shot one minute before the goal came.In a strong Group E, Roma tops the standings after Gervinho scored twice and another former Man City defender, Brazils Maicon, were on target against the Russian champion.Barcelona heads Group F after PSG failed to exploit its superiority on Zlatan Ibrahimovics return to Ajax, where he made his reputation in a three-season spell a decade ago.The French champion led in the 14th when Uruguay forward Edinson Cavani pounced after Ibrahimovics shot was blocked on the line.Ajax leveled with its first shot on target in the 74th as Denmark midfielder Lasse Schoene curled in a free kick which goalie Salvatore Sirigu pushed into the net. Sirigu did better with Schoenes next effort which he turned on to the post.Chelsea has a 100 percent record in the Premier League and seemed to be cruising when Fabregas finished off a reverse return pass from Eden Hazard.However, the 2012 winner paid for misses by Didier Drogba, whose penalty in the shootout won that final against Bayern in Munich, replacing the in-form Diego Costa.Schalke leveled in the 62nd when Fabregas lost the ball and a counterattack ended with Netherlands forward Klaas-Jan Huntelaars goal.A good point for them. Not a fantastic point for us, but a point, Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho said. We had so many great situations. Again, thats football. To defend like they did is also football.That left Group G all tied up after Maribor leveled in stoppage time against Sporting, through substitute Luka Zahovic.The Portuguese visitors seemed to have won when former Manchester United winger Nani fired in a left-foot shot in the 80th.Porto winger Yacine Brahimi starred on his Champions League group-stage debut after impressing for Algeria at the World Cup.Brahimi scored a first career hat trick before being substituted to a standing ovation in a six-goal romp against the champion of Belarus. Jackson Martinez, the Colombia forward, Adrian Lopez and Vincent Aboubakar also scored.Portos creativity made up for Group H rivals Bilbao and Shakhtar failing to shine in their scoreless draw.

Barca beat APOEL 1-0 in Champions League opener

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BARCELONA (AP) - Lionel Messi set up Barcelonas only goal in a 1-0 win over Cypriot club APOEL on Wednesday for an uninspiring Champions League debut for coach Luis Enrique.Messi picked out Gerard Pique with a free kick and the defender headed in the hosts solitary goal in the 28th minute.With nine changes to the starting 11 that beat Athletic Bilbao 2-0 on Saturday, Barcelona otherwise failed to trigger its flowing attack despite having Neymar in the team.The Catalan side had to deal with a series of APOELs counterattack in the second half but held on for the three points.In the other Group F match, Paris Saint-Germain was held to a 1-1 at Ajax after Lasse Schone scored from a 74th-minute free kick to cancel out an early goal by PSGs Edinson Cavani.Last year under manager Gerardo Martino, four-time winner Barcelona failed to reach the semifinals of Europes top-tier tournament for the first time since 2007.Luis Enrique, a former player and youth team coach, was hired this offseason and tasked with restoring Barcelonas status of perennial challenger for the European Cup.And even though it wasnt brilliant, Luis Enrique is off to a winning start.What I most liked was the result, the attitude of my players and of the fans. We have to improve a lot, but I am very happy, said Luis Enrique. You also have to take into account that we were playing with 10 men behind the ball, and that will never be easy. We saw that it was going to be a match that was going to be tough from the very beginning, but my players stayed calm and we able to get the win.Barcelona has won all four games without conceding a goal under Luis Enrique after also taking the early lead of the Spanish league with three victories in as many matches.For Barcelona, the match featured debuts for goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen and youth-team midfielder Sergi Samper as well as European debuts for young forwards Munir El Haddadi and Sandro Ramirez.Adriano played his first game since recovering from a heart irregularity detected this summer, while Xavi Hernandez also got his first start of the season.The overhaul, however, almost cost Barcelona dearly when APOEL relinquished its defensive tactics from the first half and went searching for an equalizer, which it almost found on several occasions.Luis Enrique acknowledged the changes may have hurt this teams attack, but he defended his rotations as necessary for maintaining the competitive edge of his entire squad.I want all my players ready to compete, he said. I firmly believe that is the way to run this team.After a tepid start with a couple of tame attempts by Munir and Neymar, Barcelona went ahead just before the half-hour mark when Dani Alves received a nasty tackle from Marios Antoniades. With Dani Alves being treated on the sideline, Messi curled an in-swinging free kick into the area that Pique guided into the net.After spending most of the first half camped in its area, APOEL managed to conjure a counterattack in the 64th that Dani Alves did well to halt.Luis Enrique sent on Andres Iniesta, Ramirez and Rafina at intervals to try and spark his attack.But it was forward Tomas De Vincenti who wasted a chance in the 79th when his strike sailed woefully wide after APOEL had caught Barcelona off-balance on the break.We could have taken better advantage of our chances, especially at the end, said APOEL coach Giorgos Donis. But as I have said before, there is no justice in football.Messi came close to adding to his 67 Champions League goals and close in on Raul Gonzalezs record of 71 in stoppage time, when he pounced on a rebound of a Neymar strike, only for Mario Sergio to slide in and deny his goal-bound shot.Ter Stegen then had to make a one-handed save off Gustavo Manducas rising strike to guarantee the win.

Dunga picks Robinho for Argentina match

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RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) - Brazil coach Dunga called up Robinho on Wednesday for the teams friendly matches against Argentina and Japan next month.The striker had been left out of Dungas team for friendlies earlier this month against Colombia and Ecuador but was later added to the squad after Hulk got injured.Brazil will play Argentina on Oct. 11 at the Birds Nest in Beijing and Japan three days later in Singapore.The match against Argentina is dubbed the Superclassic of the Americas, which is organized annually by CONMEBOL, the governing body of football in South America. Brazil won it in 2011 and 2012.Last years match was not played after a request from the Brazilian confederation. This is the first time the contest will be played in a single match instead of a two-leg series.Only two players who were not in the squad earlier this month were called up this time right back Mario Fernandes of CSKA Moscow and left back Dodo of Inter Milan.Defender Thiago Silva, coming off injury, was not called up again.We know of his quality, at the right time he will be back, Dunga said.The matches in Asia will mark Brazils third and fourth matches since Dungas return to the helm of the national team after a disappointing World Cup under Luiz Felipe Scolari on home soil. Brazil finished fourth after a 7-1 loss to Germany in the semifinals and a 3-0 defeat against the Netherlands in the third-place match.Brazil beat Colombia 1-0 and Ecuador by the same score earlier this month in friendlies in the United States.Veteran AS Roma defender Maicon, who was released from the squad for reporting late to the teams hotel after the match against Colombia, was not in the list for next months games. Dunga had said the doors would not be closed for Maicon despite the indiscipline issue.Despite local pressure, Dunga picked players from teams competing in the quarterfinals of the Brazilian Cup, which will be played just a day after the Japan friendly.We understand the needs of the Brazilian clubs, but first we have to think about the national team, Dunga said.

Tsonga takes confident start in Metz

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METZ (AP) - Top-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga served 10 aces and saved all five break points to defeat Gilles Muller of Luxembourg 7-6 (7), 6-4 at the Moselle Open on Wednesday.Tsonga, who won the title in Metz in 2011 and 2012, was runner-up to fellow Frenchman Gilles Simon last year. He will face eighth-seeded David Goffin of Belgium or German Tobias Kamke in the quarterfinals of the indoor tournament.Tsonga can still qualify for the ATP finals in London from Nov. 9-16 with a strong finish to the season. The Frenchman won his second ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title last month in Toronto with a straight-sets win over Roger Federer.Goffin beat French qualifier Florent Serra 6-2, 6-2 while Finnish veteran Jarkko Nieminen set up a meeting with former Wimbledon semifinalist Jerzy Janowicz after beating Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-1, 6-4.Local favorite Paul-Henri Mathieu joined Tsonga in the quarterfinals as he defeated fourth-seeded Czech Lukas Rosol 6-3, 6-4.Joao Sousa saved all four break points to beat Ivan Dodig 6-2, 6-2 in the first round while Jeremy Chardy got the better of Nicolas Mahut 7-6 (5), 7-5 in an all-French match.The sixth-seeded Sousa will next play Igor Sijsling.

Pistorius can expect cool reception in Paralympics

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LONDON (AP) - As Oscar Pistorius awaits sentencing for the culpable homicide of Reeva Steenkamp, its uncertain if the fallen sports icon will ever race again. Whats clearer is that the Paralympic leadership will not be encouraging any comeback by the double amputee sprinter.Next month, the judge in South Africa could hand Pistorius anything from a suspended sentence and a fine to as much as 15 years in prison. Should Pistorius subsequently be in a position to compete, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) would be powerless to stop Blade Runner returning to the track if he achieves a qualifying time.If that athlete was entered and had gained the qualification we would not be a legal situation where we could deny that athlete the right to compete, IPC President Philip Craven told The Associated Press.But he added: There has never been any intention to promote any reinstatement of any sort.The Pistorius case has presented Craven with some of the most challenging moments of his 13-year tenure. For so long, Pistorius was the poster boy of the Paralympic movement, generating huge interest around the 2012 London Games when the South African known as the Blade Runner became the first double-amputee sprinter to compete at the Olympics.He then ran at the Paralympics, winning gold in the 400 meters and the 4x100 relay.But on Valentines Day in 2013, Pistorius opened fire in his home after hearing what he said sounded like an intruder in a bathroom in the middle of the night, killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.I was in a state of shock for two days then we realized we had to come out of that rapidly, Craven said. Of course he was a great athlete but what took place 18 months ago was not anything to do with sport ... but its an absolute tragedy.On Monday, the IPC marks the 25th anniversary of its formation, although the Paralympics first took place in 1960.Craven said the movement is not reliant on the star power of one athlete.There are so many great Paralympians who can promote the movement, Craven said. There are so many athletes doing brilliantly now we are not dependent, although we never thought we were on one athlete.Other sprint stars have emerged, such as Alan Oliveira, who upset Pistorius by winning the 200-meter race at the London Paralympics. The Brazilian will likely be competing in front of his home crowd when the games go to Rio de Janeiro in 2016.Whether Pistorius will be competing there will become clearer next month.

Study: Artificial Sweeteners may promote diabetes

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NEW YORK (AP) - Using artificial sweeteners may set the stage for diabetes in some people by hampering the way their bodies handle sugar, suggests a preliminary study done mostly in mice.The authors said they are not recommending any changes in how people use artificial sweeteners based on their study, which included some human experiments. The researchers and outside experts said more study is needed, while industry groups called the research limited and said other evidence shows sweeteners are safe and useful for weight control.The study from researchers in Israel was released Wednesday by the journal Nature.The work suggests the sweeteners change the composition of normal, beneficial bacteria in the gut. That appears to hamper how well the body handles sugar in the diet, which in turn can result in higher blood sugar levels. This impairment, called glucose intolerance, can eventually lead to diabetes.Some experts who didnt participate in the work urged caution in interpreting the results.James Hill, an obesity expert at the University of Colorado, called the work good science. Still, overall, I do not think there is enough data yet to lead to a definitive conclusion about artificial sweeteners and the bodys handling of sugar, he wrote in an email.I certainly do not think there is sufficient evidence to conclude that they are harmful.But Yanina Pepino of Washington University in St. Louis said the results make a convincing case that sweeteners hamper the bodys handling of sugar by altering gut bacteria. And it adds to her belief that sweeteners and sugar should be used in moderation, especially by children, she said.Its really providing strong data suggesting we need to do more research, she said.Researchers began by testing three widely used sweeteners: saccharin, sold for example as Sweet N Low; sucralose, sold as Splenda, and aspartame, sold for example as NutraSweet, in 20 mice. Some animals got one of those substances in their water, and others got sugar water or just water. After 11 weeks, researchers gave all the mice a dose of sugar and monitored the response in their blood sugar levels.The mice that initially got sugar showed about the same response as those that got plain water. But mice that got any of the sweeteners showed markedly higher blood sugar levels, indicating impairment in handling of the sugar dose. Further mouse experiments linked that outcome to an effect on gut bacteria.To gain some preliminary information on people, the researchers turned to 381 non-diabetic volunteers who filled out a questionnaire that estimated their consumption of artificial sweeteners. Forty participants who had the most showed evidence of higher blood sugar than 236 non-users.In another preliminary test, researchers gave saccharin for a week to seven healthy volunteers who normally dont consume sweeteners. Four showed a decline in their ability to handle sugar over the course of the week. The makeup of their gut bacteria changed markedly over the week, while that of other three changed little.Overall, the results suggest that some people may be affected by artificial sweeteners, said one of the researchers, Dr. Eran Elinav of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovet, Israel.Christopher Gardner, a nutrition expert at Stanford University who didnt participate in the study, said saccharin doses given the volunteers were within federal dietary guidelines but still much higher than what a typical person would consume the equivalent of 42 12-once sodas a day for a person weighing 150 pounds.In a statement, the Food and Drug Administration said the sweeteners have been thoroughly studied and have a reasonable certainty of no harm to consumers.The Calorie Control Council, an industry group that represents the manufacturers of sweeteners and the products theyre used in, said the study has limitations that diminish its applicability to people.

Facebook dressed down over 'real names' policy

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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Facebook says it temporarily restored hundreds of deleted profiles of self-described drag queens and others, but declined to change a policy requiring account holders to use their real names rather than drag names such as Lil Ms. Hot Mess and Sister Roma.The company restored the names Wednesday after it met with several drag queens and a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors who object to Facebooks policy. The drag queens say requiring them and others to disclose their real names is unfair and could put jobs, relationships and health at risk.Facebook said it will keep the accounts active for two weeks so people can decide whether to provide their real names.Several drag queens and Supervisor David Campos said at a news conference at San Francisco City Hall that they are disappointed that Facebook didnt change its policy after the two sides met for about an hour Wednesday. Campos said Facebook has agreed to another meeting.

NASA's Maven spacecraft reaches Mars this weekend

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CAPE CANAVERAL (AP) - Mars, get ready for another visitor or two. This weekend, NASAs Maven spacecraft will reach the red planet following a 10-month journey spanning 442 million miles (711 million kilometers).If all goes well, the robotic explorer will hit the brakes and slip into Martian orbit Sunday night.Im all on pins and needles. This is a critical event, NASAs director of planetary science, Jim Green, said Wednesday.Maven is not designed to land; rather, it will study Mars upper atmosphere from orbit.Hot on Mavens heels is Indias first interplanetary spacecraft, Mangalyaan, which is due to go into orbit around Mars two days after Maven.Scientists want to learn how Mars went from a warm, wet world that may have harbored microbial life during its first billion years, to the cold, barren place of today. Maven should help explain the atmospheric changes that led to this radical climate change.Where did the water go? Where did the CO2 go from that early environment? said chief investigator Bruce Jakosky of the University of Colorados Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics in Boulder.These escaping gases likely went down into the Martian crust and up into the upper atmosphere and out into space. Jakosky and his team hope to ascertain whether the climatic about-face resulted from the suns stripping away of the early atmospheric water and carbon dioxide.We measure these things today even though the processes were interested in operated billions of years ago, he said.NASA launched Maven from Cape Canaveral last November on the $671 million mission, the first dedicated to studying the Martian upper atmosphere. As of Wednesday, the spacecraft was less than 750,000 miles (1.2 million kilometers) from its destination; Mavens view of the red planet would be roughly equivalent to a baseball about 52 feet (15.8 million meters) away.So Mars is really growing right now as we approach, just four days away, said David Mitchell, NASA project manager.The boxy, solar-winged craft is as long as a school bus and as hefty as a 5,400-pound (2,450-kilogram) SUV.NASA expects a scientific bonus from Maven thanks to Comet Siding Spring.The nucleus of the comet, discovered just last year, will pass within 82,000 miles (132,000 kilometers) of Mars on Oct. 19. NASA initially feared the trailing comet dust might jeopardize Maven, but the risk now appears to be minimal, Jakosky said. The spacecraft will observe Siding Spring, providing it can do so safely, and analyze the Martian atmosphere before and after the comet passes by.Im told the odds of having an approach that close to Mars are about 1 in 1 million years, so its really luck that we get the opportunity here, Jakosky said.Maven short for Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution is a scout for the human explorers whom NASA hopes to send in the decades ahead. Its NASAs 21st mission to Mars since the 1960s.There are three spacecraft now circling Mars one European and two U.S. and two NASA rovers exploring the surface.For humans to go to Mars, its not like Star Trek. Its not like go where no man has gone before, Green told reporters. Its really the planetary scientists that are blazing the trail for us to understand everything about Mars that we need to for humans to be able to land safely on Mars and explore and journey around the planet.

US military role in Iraq raises combat questions

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WASHINGTON (AP) The White House and the Pentagon are grappling with how to explain what American military forces are doing and could do in Iraq as they battle the Islamic State militants.Speaking at U.S. Central Command on Wednesday, President Barack Obama reiterated his pledge to keep American troops out of combat missions. But hours later, Vice President Joe Biden appeared to be less certain about ground troops.Well determine that based on how the effort goes, Biden told reporters in Iowa.Bidens remarks echoed comments a day earlier from Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the Joint Chiefs chairman, who said he may, if necessary, recommend to the president that U.S. ground forces accompany Iraqi troops on attacks against Islamic State targets, particularly in certain complex missions or if there were threats to the U.S.The statements have raised questions about possible splits between the president and some of his top advisers. But at least some of the confusion can be chalked up to differences in how the military talks about what it does.__ There are already combat troops in Iraq. U.S. military members are, by definition, combat forces. There are more than 1,100 U.S. troops in Iraq and 475 others are heading in. Many are doing security and working in joint operations centers in Baghdad and the Kurdish capital of Irbil, and are not carrying out routine combat operations.__ Others, however, are forming at least 12 teams that will embed with Iraqi brigades and headquarters units to advise and assist them in the fight. Those teams would be battle-ready, but because they are with headquarters or commanding units, they arent likely to engage in direct combat with the enemy, and they are not authorized to travel with Iraqi units if direct contact with the enemy is expected or probable.__ The U.S. has been launching airstrikes for weeks into Iraq, using fighter jets, bombers and drones. The pilots and crews of those Air Force and Navy aircraft are dropping bombs on enemy fighters and positions, so are clearly engaged in combat. But they are largely out of harms way and are not involved in ground combat.__ When asked this week, Dempsey said that under certain circumstances he might recommend to the president that the U.S. send in some ground forces to assist the Iraqis. He was careful in how he described the possibilities, referring mainly to small teams of special operations forces who could embed with Iraq units to help guide and assist them in complex military operations. Special operations forces do this all the time, including in war zones, in covert operations around the globe and at times in highly secretive assignments when they are technically assigned to the CIA.__ The pledge to not send U.S. ground forces into Iraq is meant to assure the American public that the U.S. will not get involved in another deadly ground war, where military units with flags flying and tanks rumbling, storm into a country, sending U.S. troops to battle enemy fighters. From a military standpoint, it does not rule out small teams or groups of troops working with local forces or engaging in covert or other limited emergency operations that could be authorized by the president.

Apple iOS 8 software bug affects health apps

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NEW YORK (AP) A bug in Apples new iOS 8 software for mobile devices is prompting the company to withhold apps that use a highly touted feature for keeping track of fitness and health data.Apple says it hopes to have HealthKit apps restored to its app store by the end of the month. Affected apps include Carrot Fit, WebMD and AskMD. Apple didnt provide details on what went wrong.The iOS 8 software became available Wednesday. HealthKit is supposed to create a central repository for health and fitness data, so that apps have a better picture of your overall wellness and can even recommend trips to the doctor.Apples new iPhones have sensors to monitor fitness activities, and its upcoming Apple Watch will have a heart-rate monitor.

US House approves arms for Syrian rebels

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WASHINGTON (AP) The Republican-controlled House voted grudgingly to give the administration authority to train and arm Syrian rebels on Wednesday as President Barack Obama emphasized anew that American forces do not and will not have a combat mission in the struggle against Islamic State militants in either Iraq or Syria.The 273-156 vote crossed party lines to an unusual degree in a Congress marked by near ceaseless partisanship. Top Republican and Democratic leaders backed Obamas plan seven weeks before November elections, while dozens of rank-and-file lawmakers in both parties opposed it.The provision was added to spending legislation that will ensure the federal government operates normally after the Sept. 30 end of the budget year. Final approval is expected in the Senate as early as Thursday.Even supporters of the military plan found little to trumpet. This is the best of a long list of bad options, said Rep. Jim Moran, a Democrat.One Republican supporter noted the measure includes strict limits on Obamas authority. Members on both sides of the aisle are very concerned that too much of Congress warmaking power has gone to the president, said Rep. Tom Cole.Obamas remarks and similar comments Wednesday by House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi seemed designed to reassure liberal lawmakers that the new military mission would be limited.Only a day earlier, Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, drew widespread attention when he told Congress he might recommend the use of U.S. ground combat forces if Obamas current strategy fails to stop the militants.Across the political aisle from the president and Pelosi, Republican Speaker John Boehner and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy swung behind the plan. Yet many other Republicans expressed concerns that it would be insufficient to defeat militants who have overrun parts of Syria and Iraq and beheaded two American journalists.In all, 85 Democrats and 71 Republicans voted to deny Obama the authority he sought. The measure passed on the strength of 159 votes from Republicans and 114 from Democrats.Republican lawmakers took solace in the short-term nature of the legislation. It grants Obama authority only until Dec. 11, giving Congress plenty of time to return to the issue in a postelection session set to begin in mid-November.While the military provision was given a separate vote in the House to tack it onto the spending bill it seemed unlikely there would be a yes-or-no vote in the Senate on Obamas new military strategy to train rebel forces in Saudi Arabia to be used in conjunction with potential U.S. airstrikes.Instead, the Senate is likely to vote only once on the legislation that combines approval for arming and training rebels with the no-shutdown federal spending provisions.Officials put a $500 million price tag on Obamas request to train and equip rebels. The cost generated virtually no discussion among lawmakers, who focused instead on the possible consequences of a new military mission not long after America ended participation in wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.Testifying before a Senate Committee, Secretary of State John Kerry said the forces seeking to create an Islamic state must be defeated. Period. End of story.Dempseys day-old remarks had staying power.U.S. troops will support Iraqi forces on the ground as they fight for their own country against these terrorists, Obama told officers in Florida at U.S. Central Command, which oversees American military efforts in the Middle East. He added, As your commander in chief, I will not commit you and the rest of our armed forces to fighting another ground war in Iraq.Vice President Joe Biden said in Iowa that Gen. Dempseys conclusion is that it is not needed now. Biden added: Well determine that based on how the effort goes.Pelosi said the House action is not to be confused with any authorization to go further. ... I will not vote for combat troops to engage in war.In Baghdad, Iraqs new prime minister told The Associated Press in an interview that his government wants no part of a U.S. ground combat mission. Not only is it not necessary; we dont want them. We wont allow them, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said.The measure also renews the charter of the Export-Import Bank, which helps finance purchases of U.S. exports. That postpones until next June a battle between conservative tea party forces opposing the bank and business-oriented Republicans who support it.The legislation also includes $88 million to combat the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa.The bill passed on a vote of 319-108.
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