Friday, October 26, 2012

Tigers, Giants emblematic of baseball era where being best for 162 games means little in Oct

SAN FRANCISCO -- Best in baseball? The Detroit Tigers and San Francisco Giants spent much of the season just trying to catch mediocre teams like the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers just to win their divisions.

Those up-and-down regular seasons are distant memories now that the Giants and Tigers have raced through the playoffs and are getting ready for Game 2 of the World Series in San Francisco on Thursday night.

The Giants trailed the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West as late as mid-August before making a strong run to win the division and finish tied with the third-best record in the National League.

The Tigers were merely six games over .500 with three weeks left in the regular season and made the playoffs despite posting the seventh-best record in the American League.

"You know what, I think these are the best two teams and the hottest teams, too," Tigers reliever Jose Valverde said. "The first two months, you see Detroit is in last place. Chicago, Cleveland, everybody's laughing. What happened now?"

For much of its history, baseball was a grueling, six-month endurance test, with only the top team in each league going to the post-season.

Now, with six divisions and four wild-card teams, it's more a matter of just getting into the tournament and getting on a roll in October.

"I think ideally you like to see the teams that have the best record end up there," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "But as we have mentioned many times, once you get to the playoffs it does become a little bit of a crap shoot, who's playing the best at that time. You understand that. That's why wild-card teams have done well. A lot of them are fighting to get there, but they're also playing well at the right time."

Both the Giants and Tigers got in as division winners but they were not the top teams in their leagues over the 162-game haul.

Washington finished with baseball's best record this year with 98 wins but fell in the division series to the 88-win St. Louis Cardinals, who won it all the previous year as a wild-card team. The Cardinals won a one-game playoff under the new wild-card format just to get to the divisional series.

Detroit, with 88 wins, finished behind the other four AL playoff teams, as well as the Los Angeles Angels and Tampa Bay Rays despite playing in the AL's weakest division. But the Tigers knocked off AL West champion Oakland in the first round and swept the New York Yankees, who had the AL's best record, in the league championship series.

"You just need to get hot like the Cardinals did last year," Tigers outfielder Don Kelly said. "You have to play your best baseball at the right time. But over the course of the year you have to keep yourself there, you have to keep yourself in it. You can't get too far behind. That's what we talked about a lot as a team. We just had to stay right there because we knew we could pull it out at the end."

No team had ever finished this low in its league and made it to the Series. The previous low was fifth, by three eventual World Series champions: Minnesota in 1987, the New York Yankees in 2000 and the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals, who beat the Tigers despite winning only 83 games in the regular season.

In the 18 postseasons since the playoffs expanded in 1995, the team with the best overall record in the regular season ended up as World Series champion just three times. The Yankees did it twice, in 1998 and 2009, and Boston accomplished it as well in 2007. That one out of six rate is little better than if the champion was chosen randomly.

More common is a case like the 2004 St. Louis Cardinals, who won 105 games in the regular season but were swept by wild-card winning Boston in the World Series.

"Being on a team in St. Louis in 2004, which was a team pretty much wire to wire was a pretty dominant team, nobody felt sorry for us at any point when we didn't pull it off in the World Series," said Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, a catcher the '04 runner-ups. "But you take your chances, when a team rolls like that. Typically you have enough there to win it all. It's just a matter of the timing and guys taking advantage of the opportunities."

This is not a phenomenon exclusive to baseball. The NFL and NHL playoffs have often been about determining which team is hottest come playoff time. The Los Angeles Kings won the Stanley Cup in June as an eight seed, the New York Giants were a No. 4 when they beat New England in the Super Bowl in February.

That wasn't the case in baseball during the pre-playoff days. The winner of the National League faced off each fall against the winner of the American League in the World Series. The team with the best record went 38-27 in those Series from 1903 through 1968, according to STATS LLC.

The post-season turned into a bit of a crap shoot once the league broke into divisions, allowing four teams to make the playoffs. The best regular season team won in seven of those 25 seasons before wild-cards were added in 1995.

"If you're asking me, even if it's not us, I always hope that the team that's had the best year, they end up battling to win the World Series," Bochy said. "But it's a great game how we have it set up."

Source: ottawacitizen.com
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With Bumgarner and bunt, SF beats Tigers 2-0 for 2-0 World Series lead

SAN FRANCISCO -- A Giant dose of small ball, and suddenly San Francisco finds itself in a most unique position -- way ahead in a post-season series.

Madison Bumgarner shut down the Detroit Tigers for seven innings, then the Giants took advantage of a bunt that stayed fair to eke out the go-ahead run in a 2-0 win Thursday night for a 2-0 edge in the World Series.

Gregor Blanco's single trickled to a stop inches fair on the infield dirt, setting up Brandon Crawford's run-scoring double-play grounder in the seventh. Hunter Pence added a sacrifice fly in the eighth, and that was plenty for the Giants.

Game 3 will be Saturday night in Detroit and for once, the masters of the October comeback aren't playing from behind. The Giants overcame a 2-0 deficit to beat Cincinnati in the best-of-five division series and escaped a 3-1 hole against St. Louis in the NLCS.

The loss certainly left the favoured Tigers wondering what else could go wrong. Prince Fielder was thrown out at the plate by a hair and moments later starting pitcher Doug Fister was struck squarely in the head by a line drive.

The 6-foot-8 Fister managed to stay on the mound, and even excelled. Bumgarner more than matched him, however, allowing just two hits before the San Francisco bullpen closed it out before another pulsating crowd.

Santiago Casilla pitched a perfect eighth and Sergio Romo worked the ninth for a save in the combined two-hitter, leaving Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera in a huge hole heading back to Comerica Park. Anibal Sanchez will start for the Tigers against Ryan Vogelsong in Detroit.

The Tigers looked foggy at the plate, maybe still lost following a five-day layoff after an ALCS sweep of the Yankees. Cabrera hopped up and twisted away after third baseman Pablo Sandoval, who homered three times in the opener, snared his early line drive.

Bumgarner had something to do with the Tigers' troubles, too.

Bumped from the NLCS rotation after two poor post-season starts, he returned with a flourish. The left-hander struck out eight and looked as sharp as he did in the 2010 World Series when, as a 21-year-old rookie, he stopped Texas in Game 4 on the way to a championship.

This game was scoreless in the seventh when the Giants went ahead, right after actor Tom Hanks -- a former peanut vendor at the nearby Oakland Coliseum -- sang "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" on the field.

Pence led off with a single and Fister departed, getting lots of hugs in the dugout. Rookie reliever Drew Smyly walked Brandon Belt on a full-count pitch and Blanco's bunt loaded the bases.

The Tigers kept their infield back up the middle, and had no play at the plate on Crawford's bouncer.

Pence added the insurance run the next inning with his flyball off Octavio Dotel.

Fielder and the Tigers came up inches short of taking an early lead, the result of yet another alert play by second baseman Marco Scutaro and a dubious decision by third base coach Gene Lamont.

Fielder was hit by a pitch to lead off the second, Delmon Young followed with a double and when the ball rattled around in left field, Lamont waved the burly slugger home. Even with no outs, Lamont sent him.

Scutaro, in the middle of every big play for the Giants this month, dashed across the diamond, caught Blanco's relay and unleashed a strong throw to the plate. All-Star catcher Buster Posey made a swipe tag to Fielder's backside, just as the Tigers star slid home. Umpire Dan Iassogna had a clear look and made a demonstrative call -- out!

Fielder immediately popped up from his slide and pleaded his case with two hands. Tigers manager Jim Leyland rushed out and pointed to the plate. At second base, Young yelled, "No!"

But even if there was replay review, it wouldn't have helped the Tigers. Because TV replays showed Iassogna, working his first plate job in a World Series, got it right.

There was no dispute that Fister somehow avoided a serious injury moments later.

With two outs in the Giants second, Blanco lined a shot up the middle that hit Fister on the right side of the head and deflected on the fly to shallow centre field.

Fister showed no visible effect from the blow -- in fact, some in the crowd wondered whether the ball perhaps glanced off his glove because Fister stayed on his feet. Only when fans saw replays did groans echo around the ballpark.

Leyland, pitching coach Jeff Jones and a trainer went to the mound, and Fister insisted on staying in the game. He walked the next batter to load the bases, but retired Bumgarner on a popup, starting a streak of 12 straight hitters set down by Fister.

Among those who winced was Oakland pitcher Brandon McCarthy, who sustained a skull fracture and brain contusion after being hit by a line drive last month.

"I'm not watching but did just see the replay. Certainly hope he's ok," McCarthy tweeted.

NOTES: Bumgarner struck out Austin Jackson and Omar Infante to start the game. Two other Giants fanned the first two batters in a Series game: Christy Mathewson (1905) and Carl Hubbell (1933). ... Bumgarner picked off Infante at first base to end the fourth. Infante made a break for second and, like Fielder earlier, came up short with his slide. ... Scutaro was the only Giants hitter to have previously faced Fister. ... Posey has a hit in all seven World Series games in his career.

Source: ottawacitizen.com
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All of Canada’s nuclear reactors running for first time in nearly 20 years

OTTAWA — For the first time in almost two decades, all 20 of Canada’s nuclear power reactors are supplying electricity to the grid.

The milestone was reached this week when the Point Lepreau reactor was connected to New Brunswick’s electrical grid for the first time in since March 2008.

The controversial refurbishment project to extend the plant’s operational life to 2025 is three years behind schedule and $1 billion over its $1.4-billion budget.

In Ontario, the Bruce Power generating station at Tiverton is now running all eight of its reactors for the first time in 17 years. Bruce’s refurbished Unit 2 reactor was restarted last week and synchronized to the province’s grid, the first time it has seen service since 1995.

Neither Lepreau nor Unit 2 will resume full power until commissioning activities, including safety system shutdown testing, are complete and final approvals are issued by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.

Meanwhile, the Unit 1 reactor at the Bruce site on the shore of Lake Huron returned to service Sept. 20 after a 15-year shutdown for refurbishment. It is now at commercial operating status.

The cost to the privately-held Bruce Power corporation to update units 1 and 2 has been enormous — $4.9 billion, almost double the original estimate.

Bruce Power says once Unit 2 is approved for full power, the pair will produce enough electricity to power the cities of Ottawa and London, Ont., combined.

Bruce is the largest nuclear facility in North America in terms of output, with a total output capacity of 6,224 megawatts (MW). It houses two nuclear generating stations — Bruce A and Bruce B — each with four CANDU reactors.

The return to service of the 750 MW 1 and 2 reactors doubles the number of operational units from 2001 when Bruce Power purchased the operation from Ontario Hydro. Power generation from all eight reactors is considered essential if the Ontario government is to achieve its goal to eliminate coal-fired electrical generation by 2014.

At mid-afternoon Thursday, hourly nuclear generation in Ontario amounted to 10,130 MW, while coal-fire plants generated 628 MW. Hydro power supplied about 3,870 MW, natural gas 1,195 MW and wind 1,060 MW.

Source: ottawacitizen.com
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Autopsy being done on human head discovered in Edmonton back alley

 A group of teenagers walk past the spot where a human head was found inside a cardboard box by a woman walking her dog in Edmonton on Wednesday October 24, 2012. 


An autopsy is being done this morning on a human head found in an Edmonton alley.

City police say it’s not known how long the process will take, but results could be available as early as this afternoon.

A woman found the head while walking in a northeast neighbourhood Wednesday morning.

Investigators are trying to determine whether the head belongs to the body of a man found in a rural area east of the city on the weekend.

Local news media say residents of Ranfurly have been talking about how the body was decapitated and found lying in a ditch next to a running pickup truck.

An autopsy was performed on that body Monday and the medical examiner ruled the death a homicide.

Source: o.canada.com
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Barack Obama explains source of Donald Trump grudge match: ‘This all dates back to when we were growing up together in Kenya’

One thing is clear in the feud between U.S. President Barack Obama and blowhard businessman Donald Trump: the president has better comedy writers on his staff.

On the same day Trump took to YouTube in an attempt to blackmail the president via charity, Obama appeared on “The Tonight Show” to explain the source of Trump’s resentment of him.

“This all dates back to when we were growing up together in Kenya,” the Hawaii-born Obama dryly told Jay Leno. “We had constant run-ins on the soccer fields. He wasn’t very good and resented it. When we finally moved to America, I thought it would be over.”

Trump, the real estate mogul turned television caricature, is the de-facto leader of the “birther” movement — the long discredited but remarkably resilient conspiracy theory that Obama was born outside of the U.S. and thus, is not constitutionally eligible to be president.

Earlier Wednesday, Trump offered $5 million to the charity of Obama’s choice if he would release his academic records and passport applications.

“I have a deal for the President. A deal I don’t believe he can refuse,” Trump said in his YouTube video. “Frankly, it’s a cheque that I very much want to write.”
Trump gave no hints to what he expected to find in those records, less than two weeks before the election.

Trump’s announcement was largely mocked on Twitter for hyping his “game-changing” announcement. 

Source: news.nationalpost.com
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Thursday, October 25, 2012

UN war crime investigators seek access to Syria

GENEVA - United Nations war crimes investigators said on Thursday they had asked to meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to seek access for their team, which has been shut out of the country since being set up a year ago.

The team, led by Brazilian expert Paulo Pinheiro, has been gathering evidence and testimony on atrocities committed by Syrian government forces and armed rebels in the 19-month-old conflict.

"We decided to send a letter to President al-Assad calling for a meeting ... it would be very important that he could receive us," Pinheiro told reporters in Geneva.

"We intend to go there without conditions to meet President Assad to discuss access of our commission to Syria," added Pinheiro, who went to Damascus in June in his personal capacity for talks with senior Syrian officials.

Carla del Ponte, a former U.N. war crimes prosecutor who has joined the inquiry, was asked about similarities with past investigations including those into war crimes in former Yugoslavia. "The similarity is of course we are handling the same crimes, crimes against humanity and war crimes for sure."

She added: "My main task will be to continue the inquiry in the direction of determining the senior political and military authorities responsible for these crimes."

The investigators have drawn up a secret list of Syrian individuals and units suspected of committing crimes including murder and torture, which they say could pave the way for future criminal prosecution. — Reuters

Source: gmanetwork.com
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Apple loses again in Dutch suit against Samsung

Apple loses again in Dutch suit against Samsung

AMSTERDAM (AP) - A Dutch court has again ruled against Apple Inc. in a suit against South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co., saying that Galaxy tablet computers don't infringe an Apple patent on touch screen interfaces.

The Dutch case is one of many Apple is pursuing against Samsung in their reciprocal patent war. If Apple had been successful in the Netherlands, it could have disrupted Samsung's ability to distribute in Europe through the port of Rotterdam.

Apple lost a request for a provisional ruling in August 2011, and an appeal in January. The Hague District Court's ruling published Thursday is a full-fledged civil suit on the same point. Like British and German courts, the Dutch court found that the touch screen interface Samsung's Galaxy tabs use does not violate Apple's patents.

Source:  keyc.tv
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Medal of Honor Warfighter review round-up

Although we're still in the process of reviewing Danger Close's Medal of Honor Warfighter reviews for the EA published first-person shooter have started to appear online.

As always, we've corralled them up and put them in a list below. We'll be updating this round-up as and when more reviews are published, so check back regularly to stay up to date on the critical reception.


Polygon: 4.5 - Medal of Honor Warfighter's multiplayer failings underline its real problem - it feels thrown together, with little consideration for why its parts should fit. While the multiplayer's obtuse design decisions are preferable to the campaign's lack of artificial intelligence, decent mechanics, or interesting level design, it's still difficult to find much reason to recommend Medal of Honor Warfighter over the shooters it wants so desperately to resemble. In an attempt to build a bridge across Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty, Danger Close has once again fallen into the hole between them.

Eurogamer: 5/10 - There's been a backlash brewing for some time against the bombastic direction military shooters have taken, but it would be wrong to assume that Medal of Honor: Warfighter is simply the game unlucky enough to bear its brunt. The truth is far simpler and more depressing: it's just not that good.

CheatCodeCentral: 2.7/5 - Medal of Honor: Warfighter feels unpolished. It's a slew of great ideas mashed together in a way that doesn't give any of them time to truly shine, rushed out to make a deadline that didn't do it any favors. While there's enjoyment to be had here, it is fleeting and often devolves rapidly into frustration and boredom.

Destructoid: 5/10 - Charmless, cynical, and uninspired, Warfighter encapsulates everything wrong with the annual big budget shooter industry. It's really not an awful game, it's just insipid and shallow, a title that exists solely to exist, and squeeze whatever profit remains to be had from serving the same flavorless porridge to the same unadventurous customers. It will make its money, and keep the FPS factories in business for another year.

NowGamer: 6.5/10 - While it's disheartening to see the promise of Danger Close's previous effort fall foul of the explosive taint of Call Of Duty, Medal Of Honor: Warfighter is still a fairly solid shooter with an unfortunately short campaign length.

The Daily Mail: No Score - But what it lacks in realism, it makes up with its colossal production values and memorable multiplayer - a tried-and-tested recipe for success. It's not the deep, emotional journey many were expecting, but action blockbusters never are.

GameThirst: 6/10 - Medal Of Honor: Warfighter isn't what you'd expect from Danger Close, especially in a day and age when the FPS genre in particular has become extremely competitive, with developers like DICE, Infinity Ward, 343 Industries, Gurrella Games and Treyarch pushing the boundaries. And with big titles like Halo 4 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 available in less than one month, there's no need to buy Warfighter. Rent it instead.

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Xperia T Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean firmware (9.1.A.0.187) spotted in benchmark

Sony Mobile expects to launch the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean firmware update for the Xperia T (LT30p, LT30at) during the middle of Q1 2013. However, prior to this, Sony will be putting the firmware through plenty of test time. It looks like one branch of this firmware has already been discovered on GLBenchmark.

The benchmark listing clearly shows that firmware version 9.1.A.0.187 for the LT30p relates to Android 4.1.1. This means that we are likely to see a jump up from the current Xperia T ICS firmware (7.0.A.1.303) to eDream 9 which will bring Jelly Bean.

This is not the first time we’ve come across eDream 9, we also saw it pop up on the Xperia V (9.0.D.0.175). However, judging by the GLBenchmark listing for the Xperia V, it seems that the 9.0.D.0.XXX firmware is still Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich. So we need to keep an eye out for 9.1.A.0.XXX firmware when looking for the Jelly Bean versions.

Interestingly, the recent Sony Odin leaks pointed to eDream 10 firmware (10.1.A.0.XXX) that was also Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean. We imagine, unsurprisingly, that Sony is planning a number of software enhancements for its 2013 flagships that will not be in the JB update for the 2012 models.




Source: xperiablog.net
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Trump reveals his 'gigantic' news about Obama

According to the Daily Mail, the tycoon has challenged Obama to release his college records and passport application - and has promised to donate $5million to a charity of the President's choice if he does so.

Trump made his offer in a YouTube video released at noon today, two days after promising to make a 'gigantic' announcement about Obama which could change the course of the presidential race.

Web users reacted to the massive letdown with derision, with many taking to Twitter to mock the controversial businessman.

The Apprentice star previously denied staging a publicity stunt, insisting the announcement is 'not a media event', but instead is 'about the United States of America'.

A number of sensational claims about the content of the message had been swirling around the web for three days - one pundit with links to the billionaire even suggested that he was set to unearth divorce papers between Obama and his wife Michelle.

However, the man himself tweeted, 'All predictions re: my 12 o'clock release are totally incorrect. Stay tuned!' - and some may be disappointed by the relatively tame nature of the announcement.
Trump set the hare running on Monday by claiming that he was set to make an announcement today that would be ‘bordering on gigantic' and that it would ‘possibly’ change the presidential race.

But when the announcement finally came, in the form of a YouTube video and accompanying Facebook post, it was somewhat less explosive than promised.

Trump started the announcement by saying, 'President Obama is the least transparent President in the history of this country', adding: 'I'm very honoured to have gotten him to release his long-form birth certificate... or whatever it may be.'

The meat of the message ran: 'If Barack Obama opens up and gives his college records and applications, and if he gives his passport applications and records, I will give to a charity of his choice - inner-city kids in Chicago, American Cancer Society, AIDS research, anything he wants - a cheque, immmediately, for $5million.'

Trump went on to say that the records had to be released by 5pm on October 31, and that his donation would be given within an hour of Obama releasing the records 'to my satisfaction, if it's complete'.

The video concluded: 'Mr President, not only will I be happy - and, by the way, totally satisfied - but the American people will be happy, and those charities will be very, very happy.'

There are a number of conspiracy theories surrounding Obama's records from his time at Occidental College, Yale University and Harvard Law School.

Source: standardmedia.co.ke
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Sunday, October 21, 2012

UNCENSORED Video Chelsea Handler and Sandra Bullock

UNCENSORED Video Chelsea Handler and Sandra Bullock
Chelsea Handler called in all of her favors from Hollywood friends in support of the season premiere of her late night talk show on Monday night.

First, Gwyneth Paltrow and Cameron Diaz dropped a beat, rapping for Handler, who just moved her show into a new studio. Then Handler landed good pal Jennifer Aniston as a guest, and she even got Sandra Bullock stripped down.




UNCENSORED Video Chelsea Handler and Sandra Bullock Chelsea Handler gets advice from Sandra Bullock on how to better her talk show

In a skit, Bullock surprises Handler while she's in the staff showers of her "fancy new studio," tells Handler to stop calling herself the "white Oprah" and lectures her while both women remain completely naked.

"You have a responsibility to be a respectable talk show host. This comes directly from Oprah's mouth to my ear, to my mouth, out of my mouth, into your ear, down your body, out your vagina, up my vagina and out my ass," Sandra tells her, as Handler looks on in befuddlement. “You have a responsibility to be a role model to young girls and gay and questioning men. Okay? And you need to lay off the booze."

Bullock also tells Handler to stop sleeping with guests, and says that's the reason she hasn't done her show. "I don't want to sleep with you."

"I don't sleep with that many anymorec... just some of the rappers," Handler responds, referring to her romance with 50 Cent.

The skit continues on in that fashion, and those looking to see a naked Sandra Bullock deride Handler for two-and-a-half minutes should watch the video.
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Saturday, October 20, 2012

Estelle intercepted: Israel navy stops Gaza-bound boat

The Israeli navy has intercepted a boat of pro-Palestinian activists trying to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip.

The Finnish-flagged Estelle left Naples on 7 October with some 20 people of eight different nationalities aboard.

Israel tightened the blockade after the Islamist group Hamas came to power in the coastal sliver in 2007.

An IDF spokesperson confirmed the navy had boarded the ship and that no-one had been injured, but provided few further details.

The boat was boarded 30 nautical miles off the coast of Gaza, activists said, and was then being taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod.
Restricted movements

The Estelle, which is reportedly carrying a cargo including cement and medical supplies, is the latest vessel to try and break the Gaza blockade.

It comes two years after nine Turkish activists were killed in an Israeli navy raid on the Mavi Marmara, one of a flotilla of ships attempting to break the blockade.

Palestinians say Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip amounts to collective punishment to residents of the densely populated strip of land along the Mediterranean coast.

Israel says the blockade aims to stop the supply of arms or other items for military use, and to put pressure on the Hamas administration.

International pressure following the deadly 2010 interception led Israel to ease its blockade, allowing more food products into the strip.

The movement of people and construction materials - such as cement and steel cables - is still heavily restricted.

The importing of all weapons and military materials is banned, along with dual-use materials such as fertilisers and certain chemicals.

Fishermen may only operate in a strip of water up to three nautical miles from the shore.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk
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Anger erupts as Lebanon mourns Beirut bomb victims

The dead included internal intelligence chief Wissam al-Hassan, who was close to the anti-Syrian opposition.

Protesters have been blocking roads in Beirut and other cities. The opposition blames Damascus for Friday's attack.

PM Najib Mikati offered to resign, but President Michel Suleiman has asked him to stay on in the national interest.

The announcement came after the cabinet held an emergency meeting on Saturday.

Mr Mikati said he had agreed to remain in his post, adding that Lebanon needed to remain unified, strong and secure.
Officials later said Friday's car bombing had left three people dead - revising the death toll down from eight. More than 80 people were wounded.

The blast occurred in a busy street in Beirut's mainly Christian district of Ashrafiya, creating widespead destruction.

No group has said it carried out the attack. Mr Hassan - described by officials as the main target - had close links with opposition leader Saad Hariri, a leading critic of the government in neighbouring Syria.

Mr Hassan led an investigation that implicated Damascus in the 2005 bombing that killed Mr Hariri's father, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

He also recently organised the arrest of a former minister accused of planning a Syrian-sponsored bombing campaign in Lebanon.

Opposition supporters have set up roadblocks and burnt tyres in Beirut, denouncing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Lebanese allies.

Similar protests are being held in Sidon in the south, Tripoli in the north and in the Bekaa Valley in the east.
'Guarantor of security'

Tension in Lebanon has been rising as a result of the Syrian conflict.
Lebanon's religious communities are divided between those who support the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad - including many Shias - and those mostly from the Sunni community who back the rebels.

"We accuse Bashar al-Assad of the assassination of Wissam al-Hassan, the guarantor of the security of the Lebanese," Mr Hariri said on Lebanese TV.

Druze leader Walid Jumblatt told satellite channel Al-Arabiya: "[Bashar al-Assad] is telling us that even though he turned Syria into rubble, 'I am ready to kill in any place.'"

Nadim Gemayel, an MP from the right-wing Christian Phalange Party, also pointed to Syria, where the 18-month old uprising against Mr Assad has turned increasingly violent.

"This regime, which is crumbling, is trying to export its conflict to Lebanon," he said.

Mr Hariri's 14 March bloc issued a statement accusing the Beirut government of protecting "criminals" and calling on it to stand down.

Mr Mikati said the government was trying to identify the perpetrators and they would be punished.

Lebanon's Shia militant group Hezbollah - a close ally of the Syrian government - condemned the bombing.

Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi called it a "cowardly, terrorist act". He said such incidents were "unjustifiable wherever they occur". 

Source: www.bbc.co.uk
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Thursday, October 11, 2012

Samsung unveils mid-range Galaxy S III mini with Jelly Bean, 4-inch display and NFC

Samsung (005930) on Thursday officially announced a compact and mid-range version of its flagship Galaxy S III smartphone. The Galaxy S III mini is equipped with a 4-inch Super AMOLED display with WVGA resolution and a pixel density of 233 ppi. The handset also includes a 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, a 5-megapixel rear camera, NFC and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Unlike its bigger brother, the Galaxy S III mini doesn’t include 4G LTE connectivity and is a 3G-only device. Pricing information and availability details were not disclosed. Samsung’s press release follows below.

Samsung Introduces GALAXY S III mini, a compact yet powerful smartphone

GALAXY S III’s nature-inspired design and intuitive ease-of-use in one stylish, compact smartphone

SEOUL, Korea – October 12, 2012 –

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today unveiled the GALAXY S III mini, a compact version of the flagship smartphone GALAXY S III. The GALAXY S III mini brings the high performance, intuitive ease-of-use and nature-inspired design of the GALAXY S III to an elegant, compact smartphone with a 4.0-inch screen. It can be an optimal choice for consumers who are looking for more practical smartphones.

“The GALAXY S III introduced a new concept of smartphone that has proven hugely popular around the world.
We’re now delighted to bring its revolutionary design, intuitive usability and intelligence to the GALAXY S III mini in a more compact form,” said JK Shin, President and Head of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics. “We continue to make every effort to provide extraordinary mobile experiences to meet a wide variety of user needs.”

The GALAXY S III mini is powered by Android™ 4.1 (Jelly Bean), the latest version of the world’s most popular smartphone operating system. Jelly Bean has fast, fluid and smooth graphics along with a new Google Search™ experience featuring Google Now™, which brings you just the right information, before you even ask.

Stylish and compact, the GALAXY S III mini shares the GALAXY S III’s breakthrough design and simple elegance.
Its ultra-minimal curved frame delivers a rich natural feel, which is also reflected on its nature-inspired home screen, wallpapers and ringtones.

Its beautiful 4.0-inch Super AMOLED display offers a generous viewing experience that lets you view multimedia and Web content in brilliant color and clarity. Its compact size gives users a comfortable grip and allows a convenient one-hand operation.

The GALAXY S III mini is packed with intelligent technology designed to make interacting with the phone incredibly natural and intuitive. S Voice, Samsung’s advanced natural language recognition software, lets you use your voice to unlock the phone with simple customized commands, or to play your favorite songs, turn the volume up or down, organize your schedule, or automatically launch the camera and start taking photos.

The GALAXY S III mini also understands your gestures to make using your phone easier and more natural: With Smart Stay, the phone’s camera tracks your eyes and keeps the screen lit as long as you are looking at it. When reading a text message from a friend, Direct Call enables you to automatically dial a call simply by lifting the phone to your ear; and Smart Alert conveniently alerts you to missed calls or messages as soon as you pick up your phone.

Content sharing is easy and fast on the GALAXY S III mini: Its S Beam feature lets you share a 10MB music file in just two seconds by simply tapping on another S Beam-enabled device including GALAXY S III or GALAXY Note II, even without a Wi-Fi or cellular signal. The ‘Buddy photo share’ function also allows photos to be easily and simultaneously shared with all your friends pictured in an image directly from the photo gallery.

Source: www.bgr.com
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Samsung Galaxy S III Mini Terbaru Dipasarkan

Samsung Galaxy S III Mini Resmi Beredar - Samsung mobile telah resmi meluncurkan smartphone mereka pada 11 Oktober 2012, tepatnya yaitu hari ini. Pihak samsung akan meluncurkan smartphone ini di Frankrut, Jerman sebagai tempat yang tepat. Sebelum peluncurn, samsung sebenarnya sudah membocorkan beberapa spesifikasinya. Nah, dibawah berikut ini beberapa spesifikasi kunci dari Samsung Galaxy S III Mini.

Smartphone ini akan memiliki layar 4 inci Super AMOLED dengan resolusi WVGA, seperti yang di katakan pemimpin Samsung Mobile JK Shin. Tidak beda jauh dengan Samsung Galaxy S III yang sebelumnya mengadopsi layar seluas 4,8 inci. Namun tidak perlu khawatir, karena beberapa hardware yang ada pada perangkat ini agak berbeda dari pendahulunya.

Gadget satu ini akan dilengkapi dengan kamera 5 megapixel yang akan menemani gaya anda. Selain itu, Samsung Galaxy S III Mini ini akan ditemani dengan processor dual core STE U8420 dan akan dilengkapi dengan versi Android v 4.1 Jelly Bean. Selain itu, gadget ini memiliki resolusi layar sebesar 800 x 480 dengan layar sentuh.

Pada Samsung Galaxy S III Mini ini akan ditancapi dengan RAM sebesar 1 GB dan juga ditambah dengan memori internal 16GB. Selain itu, juga terdapat slot micro SD yang dapat menambah space simpanan anda.
Ponsel cantik ini akan dibanderol dengan harga sekitar $540-$580 dengan dua versi dengan NFC atau tanpa NFC. Namun harga itu masih belum diketahui kebenarannya atau tidak. Selain itu, pada gadget ini akan diberi 2 pilihan warna, yaitu biru atau putih. Gadget ini juga dilengkapi dengan baterai 1500mAh yang menjadi keperluan penyedia tenaga. Rupanya hal tersebut disesuaikan dengan jenis processor dan lebar layar yang digunakan Samsung Galaxy S 3 Mini ini.

Dengan meluncurnya Samsung Galaxy S III Mini ini diharapkan akan mendongkrak penjualan gadget samsung dan dapat mengalahkan pesaingnya seperti iPhone. Karena kali ini adalah bidikannya kalangan menengah kebawah.

Sampai sekarang belum diketahui, apakah ponsel ini akan beredar di Indonesia. Tetapi, ponsel ini akan bersaing dengan ponsel-ponsel sejenisnya seperti HTC One X+ dan semacamnya.

Sumber: www.aingindra.com
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Spesifikasi dan Harga Blackberry Bold 9700 Onyx Terbaru Dan Bekas

BlackBerry 9700 atau Bold 2 atau yang juga dikenal sebagai Blackberry Onyx ini hadir dengan menggunakan BlackBerry OS 5.0 terbaru sebagai sistem operasinya dan Keyboard QWERTY untuk urusan keypad. Sedangkan tampilannya Onyx memiliki layar beresolusi 480 x 360 piksel dan ukuran 2.6 inci. Untuk memberikan kenyamanan pada penggunanya, kamera3.2 Megapixel dengan autofocus juga telah disuntikkan pada BlackBerry 9700 ini.

Sementara pada penyimpanan data dan sistem, Bold 2 dibekali dengan 1GB storage, 256MB ROM dan microSD (TransFlash) hingga 16GB. Selain itu, koneksi internet pada Bold 2 juga dibilang cukup lengkap dan bagus, pasalnya BlackBerry yang satu ini telah mendukung 3G dan HSDPA berkecepatan hingga 3.6 Mbps, dan asyiknya lagi juga ditambahkanya Wi-Fi 802.11b/g yang fungsinya untuk anda yang hobi berseluncur di dunia maya dengan menggunakan hostspot.

Untuk harga blackberry Bold 9700 tahun ini sedikit berbeda dari tahun kemarin. Pada tahun lalu harga blackberry 9700 baru masih sangat tinggi, seharga kisaran Rp 3.700.000 dan untuk harga blackberry bold 9700 bekas Rp 2.700.000. Untuk harga terbaru tahun ini silahkan cek dibawah ini.

- Jaringan : (2G) 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 Mhz,(3G)850 / 1900 / 2100 MHz
- Dimensi : 109 x 60 x 14 mm
- Berat : 120 g
- Layar : TFT, 65K colors, 480 x 360 pixels, 2.6 inc
- QWERTY Keyboard
- OS : BlackBerry OS
- Memori Internal 1GB storage, 256MB ROM
- microSD (TransFlash) up to 16GB
- Konektivitas : Bluetooth, 3G, GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), USB Port, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
- HSDPA, 3.6 Mbps
- Kamera : CMOS, 3.2 Megapixel, Flash
- Battery : Standard battery, Li-Ion 1500 mAh
- MP3 Player
- FM Radio
- A2DP
- Video Player
- Software : Java (J2ME), WAP Ver 2.0, Browser HTML, Predictive Text Entry, Speech Codes
- Aplikasi : BlackBerry maps, Document editor (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF), Media player MP3/WMA/AAC+, Video player DivX/WMV/XviD/3gp, Organizer

Harga Blackberry Bold 9700 Onyx Terbaru :

Gr.Resmi:Rp.2.900.000,-
Harga Bks:Rp.2.250.000,-
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Spesifikasi dan Harga BlackBerry Bold 9790

Research In Motion mengumumkan rencana untuk meluncurkan BlackBerry Bold 9790 smartphone baru di Indonesia. BlackBerry Bold 9790 kuat fitur desain yang kompak dan menawarkan pengguna smartphone, kinerja sepenuhnya dimuat tinggi dengan manfaat ganda dari layar sentuh resolusi tinggi dan keyboard sangat taktil. Smartphone baru ini akan tersedia di Indonesia dari 25 November dengan harga Rp 4.599.000 dari mitra resmi: PT. Teletama Artha Mandiri, PT. Comtech Cellular, dan PT. Selular Media Infotama.

"Indonesia merupakan pasar yang penting bagi RIM dan kami sangat bersemangat untuk memperkenalkan BlackBerry Bold 9790 smartphone baru di sini dulu," kata Gregory Wade, Managing Director RIM Regional "BlackBerry Bold 9790. Menggabungkan layar sentuh dengan keyboard cairan BlackBerry ikonik dalam desain yang mengesankan ramping dan bergaya Ini. didukung oleh sistem operasi baru BlackBerry 7 dan memberikan campuran yang benar-benar luar biasa dari komunikasi, multimedia, produktivitas dan fitur konektivitas sosial. "

Sesuai dengan merek BlackBerry Bold, BlackBerry Bold 9790 smartphone baru yang kuat, fitur lengkap dan dibangun dengan bahan-bahan premium dan selesai. Ini menggabungkan resolusi tinggi dan sangat responsif layar sentuh dengan keyboard yang sangat taktil dan trackpad optik tepat, tapi datang dalam desain sempit yang mudah dibawa dan sangat nyaman untuk memegang.

Dengan BlackBerry 7 OS dan kuat prosesor 1 GHz, BlackBerry Bold 9790 memberikan cepat, kinerja halus untuk browsing web, menjalankan aplikasi, bekerja dengan dokumen, dan menikmati multimedia. Ini mencakup 8GB memori onboard dan slot kartu memori yang dapat diupgrade yang mendukung hingga 32 GB penyimpanan tambahan.

BlackBerry 7 juga memperkenalkan browser yang disempurnakan yang memberikan pengalaman, web secara signifikan lebih cepat lebih cair browsing. Browser termasuk JIT baru (tepat pada waktunya) Jawa! compiler untuk meningkatkan kecepatan waktu buka halaman web dan menawarkan kinerja HTML5 dioptimalkan untuk game yang luar biasa dan pengalaman video.

Kemampuan pencarian universal yang populer juga telah ditingkatkan dengan dukungan untuk suara diaktifkan pencarian, sehingga pengguna hanya dapat berbicara untuk mulai mencari perangkat mereka dan web untuk informasi.

BlackBerry Bold 9790 smartphone termasuk built-in mendukung untuk Augmented Reality dan NFC, yang memungkinkan pengguna untuk terhubung dengan dunia di sekitar mereka dengan cara-cara baru yang segar. Dengan aplikasi Augmented Reality Wikitude, pengguna dapat menemukan BBM terdekat (BlackBerry Messenger) kontak secara real-time, membaca ulasan tentang restoran dekat dengan mereka, atau mendapatkan cerita di balik tengara menarik dan tempat menarik. 

NFC juga memungkinkan kemampuan baru dan menarik banyak, termasuk kemampuan untuk melakukan pembayaran mobile, aksesoris pasangan atau membaca tag SmartPoster dengan keran sederhana smartphone.

Sebuah acara peluncuran konsumen akan diselenggarakan pada tanggal 25 November di lobi selatan Pacific Place Mall Shopping, Jakarta bagi orang yang ingin menjadi yang pertama untuk memiliki baru BlackBerry Bold 9790. Dari November 26, pelanggan dapat membeli BlackBerry Bold 9790 dari pengecer resmi BlackBerry di seluruh Indonesia.
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Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Samsung exec confirms Galaxy S3 'mini' is on the way

Samsung has confirmed that it will unveil a smaller version of the popular Galaxy S III smartphone tomorrow.

Speaking to Korean media this morning, Samsung mobile chief JK Shin said Samsung will lift the lid on a 4-inch version of the Android-powered smartphone on Thursday, a week after the smartphone maker sent out invitations to a launch event.

Hinting at the device's name, Shin said: "There's a lot of demand for a 4-inch screen device in Europe. Some may call it an entry-level device, but we call it 'mini'."

Shin did not reveal any additional details of the device -- such as pricing and availability -- ahead of tomorrow's launch, however. According to The Verge, the 'mini' Galaxy S3 will not be an entry-level device, suggesting it will pack the same features as its larger 4.8-inch sibling.

Samsung sold 20 million Galaxy S3 smartphone in the first 100 days after its launch, and had notched up double the sales of its Galaxy S2 predecessor after five months

Source: news.cnet.com
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Samsung to unveil 4-inch 'mini' Galaxy S III on October 11th

JK Shin, head of Samsung Mobile Communications, confirmed today that his company will be releasing a four-inch version of the Galaxy S III on October 11th in Germany. Shin announced the news during a meeting with Korean press on Wednesday.

Shin didn't reveal many details about the device, though he said it was spurred by increasing demand for 4-inch devices in Europe. He also noted that it won't be an entry-level handset, telling reporters it will have "full form factor." This would make it an unusual addition to the Android landscape, where high-end devices tend to be 4.5 inches or larger.

"We'll be launching a 4-inch Galaxy S III on the 11th in Germany," Shin said. "There's a lot of demand for a 4-inch screen device in Europe. Some call it an entry-level device, but we call it 'mini.'"
Shin's confirmation comes just ahead of Apple's rumored iPad mini announcement.

Source: www.theverge.com
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Monday, October 8, 2012

Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi Face Off in 'El Clasico'

There are two ways to view Real Madrid's 2-2 draw in the El Clasico at Barcelona at Nou Camp on Sunday.

On one hand, the tie ended Barcelona's amazing streak of six consecutive wins to start the Spanish La Liga season.

On the other hand, the deadlock did nothing in helping cut into Real's huge deficit this early in the season.

Barcelona still remains atop the First Division, with a 6-0-1 record and 19 points, as the team from Madrid finds itself trailing by eight points with a rather ordinary 3-2-2 mark and 11 points. Atletico Madrid (5-0-1, 18) was in a position to tie Barca for the league lead in points if it defeated Malaga in a late Sunday encounter.

It should come as no surprise to any soccer fans as to who scored for both sides. The legendary Lionel Messi struck twice for Barca, as did Portuguese great Cristiano Ronaldo for Real in this entertaining confrontation.

Martin Montoya, who came on as a defensive substitute for the injured Dani Alves in the opening half, almost walked away as the unlikely hero for the hosts as he launched a long-range shot that bounded off the crossbar in the 89th minute.

After three minutes of stoppage time, the game was in the history books.

"We were superior at times but it was a very even game," Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets told Spanish television. "Everything is the way it was but with one match less.”

Barca is not necessarily known for its defense, as Real demonstrated first half in front of a capacity crowd of 95,000 and the millions watching worldwide on TV or the internet.

Ronaldo ended a remarkable eight-day span in which he scored eight goals. Those spoils included a pair of hat-tricks in a 5-1 dismantling of Deportivo Coruna in league play last Sunday and in a 4-1 rout of Ajax (Netherlands) in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.

Not surprisingly, it was Ronaldo who opened the visitors' account as he converted a superb pass from Karim Benzema, who played the star a pass on the left side of the penalty area. Ronaldo did the rest, firing a shot past goalkeeper Victor Vales at the near post.

Ronaldo became the first player to find the back of the net in six successive Clasicos, breaking a record he held with former Chilean great Ivan Zamorano.

Several minutes later, Benzema almost doubled the lead as he clanged a shot off the post while he fell backwards, a goal that certainly would have put Barcelona on its heels.

The hosts, however, recovered and struck for the equalizer in the 31st minute on a Real defensive error. Messi got a hold of a deflected Pedro cross. Pepe could not control the ball and the Argentine international had a relatively easy tap-in from four yards.

It was the third consecutive Clasico, and the fifth time in history, that Messi and Ronaldo scored at least one goal.

A pretty remarkable achievement from opposing star players.

But those two were far from finished as they matched goals in the second half.

This time it was Messi's turn to go first. Xabi Alonso fouled a Barcelona player some 30 yards from the goal, although a jeering crowd wanted the referee to show the Real midfielder a second yellow card for the infraction. Messi stepped up and curled a beautiful shot over the defensive wall and past goalkeeper Iker Casillas into the upper corner for a 2-1 Barca lead in the 61st minute.

But only five minutes later, Ronaldo matched that score as Mesut Ozil set up the Portuguese international, who slotted it home into the corner.

As always, this Clasico is just another line in the story as there is never any real final word when these two teams clash.

The next time these two archrivals meet will be at Santiago Bernabeu, when Real hosts Barcelona on March 3. Real has plenty of time to make up that eight-point deficit, but the Spanish powerhouse squandered a wonderful opportunity to make it a bit closer on Sunday.

Source: latino.foxnews.com
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Hugo Chavez re-elected as Venezuelan president

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has won a fourth term in office, after opposition leader Henrique Capriles admitted defeat.
Mr Chavez won 54% of the vote, the country's electoral council announced, with turnout at about 81%.

Noisy celebrations among Chavez supporters erupted across the capital, Caracas, following the result.

Mr Chavez said Venezuela would continue its march towards socialism but also vowed he would be a "better president".

Electoral council president Tibisay Lucena announced that with 90% of votes counted Mr Chavez had taken 54.42% of the vote with Mr Capriles on 44.97%.
'Victory was perfect'

"The revolution has triumphed," President Chavez told a cheering crowd from the balcony of the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas.
"Viva Venezuela! Viva the fatherland! The battle was perfect and the victory was perfect," he said.

However, Mr Chavez also sounded a conciliatory note, saying he wanted to "include everybody", adding: "I commit to being a better president than I've been these past few years."

A subdued Mr Capriles congratulated Mr Chavez but told opposition supporters not to feel defeated.

"I want to congratulate the candidate, the president of the republic," he said at his campaign headquarters.

He added: "We have planted many seeds across Venezuela and I know that these seeds are going to produce many trees."

Jubilant Chavez supporters held impromptu street parties in central Caracas, blaring horns and waving flags.
"I'm celebrating with a big heart - Chavez is the hope of the people and of Latin America," said Chavez supporter Mary Reina.

Construction worker Edgar Gonzalez said: "I can't describe the relief and happiness I feel right now.

"The revolution will continue, thanks to God and the people of this great country."

At the Capriles' campaign headquarters, some opposition supporters were in tears at the news.

Mr Capriles said he hoped Mr Chavez would recognise that almost half the country disagreed with his policies.

Mr Capriles said: "There's a country that is divided and to be a good president means to work for all Venezuelans, to work for the solution of all Venezuelans' problems."
'Bolivarian revolution'

Mr Chavez, 58, was diagnosed with cancer last year but says he is now fully recovered.

He has been in power since 1999 and said he needed another six-year term to continue his "Bolivarian revolution" towards socialism.
During his time in office Mr Chavez has nationalised key sectors of the country's economy.

Venezuela is a major oil producer and high oil prices have allowed his government to fund healthcare, education programmes and social housing.

In his campaign, Mr Capriles, who headed a coalition of 30 opposition parties, said the president's policies had led to bureaucracy, inefficiency and shortages.

Earlier, Defence Minister Henry Rangel Silva said the armed forces had identified some groups planning to cause public disturbances but said violence was "unlikely".

A week before the election, three opposition activists were killed during a campaign rally, while four people were injured in a shooting during a voting rehearsal in September.

From Saturday evening to Monday evening, the sale of alcohol has been banned and only the security forces are allowed to carry arms.

Analysts say Mr Chavez's victory will also be welcomed by several countries in the region - including Cuba and Nicaragua - that benefit from his Petrocaribe scheme which provides Venezuelan oil at preferential rates.

He also has strong ties to Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, backing Argentina's sovereignty dispute with Britain over the Falkland Islands.

After the election result was announced, President Fernandez tweeted: "Your victory is our victory! And the victory of South America and the Caribbean!"

President Chavez's new six-year term will begin on 10 January.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk
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Two migrant workers face death penalty in Malaysia

Two Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia, Haryanto Azlan and Effendi, are facing the death penalty for their alleged involvement in two different cases.

Haryanto, who is being detained at the Kluang Penitentiary in Johor, was allegedly involved in a brawl that resulted in fatalities four years ago.

Effendi, meanwhile, was accused of possessing illegal drugs and is being detained at Sungai Buloh Prison in Selangor.

Currently, both men are in the process of filing appeals to the Kuala Lumpur High Court, kompas.com reported on Monday.

According to the executive director of Migrant Care, Anis Hidayah, more than 6,000 Indonesian migrant workers are currently detained in Malaysia; 300 of whom are facing the death penalty. (han/iwa)
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Chavez re-elected as Venezuelan president, defeating Capriles

Caracas, Venezuela (CNN) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was re-elected Sunday to a new six-year term, overcoming an energetic challenge by a candidate backed by an opposition coalition, according to nearly complete results announced by election officials.

Chavez, who has been president since 1999, defeated Henrique Capriles Radonski, whose campaign criticized the Chavez administration for inefficiencies, infrastructure shortcomings and corruption.

Fireworks began to pepper the sky over Caracas soon after the provisional results were announced.

"Today we have demonstrated -- comrades, compatriots -- that our democracy is one of the best in the world," Chavez said in a speech from the balcony of the presidential palace to thousands of supporters who cheered and waved flags.

He thanked those who had voted for him and acknowledged those who had voted against him, applauding their "democratic attitude."

Chavez has had more than a decade to implement his vision of 21st century socialism, a view that emphasizes use of state oil windfalls to fund social programs. During his campaign, he highlighted his accomplishments in housing, education and health initiatives and acknowledged he need to do more on crime and government bureaucracy.

The ebullient leader is 58 years old and has been visibly weakened by two surgeries for cancer. He has kept secret his kind of cancer and prognosis.

His victory gives him "the opportunity to consolidate his policies" and also reaffirms the approach his government has taken to international relations, said Miguel Tinker Salas, a Latin American history professor at Pomona College in California.

Chavez's influence over Latin America's left-leaning governments has often rankled the United States, Venezuela's largest trading partner. Venezuela is the fourth-largest exporter of oil to the United States.

Despite that tight economic relationship, the two countries are far from close allies: Chavez often rails against the United States and its allies as "imperialists" and has supported controversial world leaders like President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran.

The election result Sunday means the U.S. government will have to continue to deal with Chavez's provocatively independent brand of diplomacy.

"I think Washington will have to start getting used to the fact that countries in Latin America, especially South America, are charting their own course," said Tinker Salas.

With 90% of the ballots counted Sunday night, Chavez has 54.42% of the vote compared with 44.97% for Capriles, according to Tibisay Lucena, president of the National Electoral Council.

Chavez had secured 7.4 million votes and Capriles 6.1 million votes, election officials said.

In a speech to his supporters, Capriles congratulated Chavez on his victory and urged him to take into account the different views expressed by voters.

"Being a good president means working for the vision of all Venezuelans," he said.

Observers had said Capriles, 40, represented a moderate alternative to Chavez, the charismatic standard-bearer of the Latin American left. Capriles had vowed not to end the social programs that Chavez had set up, and he had promised to fight corruption that had grown in the public sector.

Capriles is a high-profile conservative who was a mayor, a parliament member and governor of Miranda, which adjoins the nation's capital. The attorney-turned-politician had been so active on the campaign trial that he earned the nicknamed the "roadrunner."

He appeared to have mounted one of the strongest challenges so far in Chavez's 13 years in power. But his efforts ultimately proved insufficient to unseat the incumbent.

The opposition will now have to try to maintain a unified front for regional elections scheduled to take place December, Tinker Salas said. That may prove difficult, he said, since "the one thing that brought them together was the figure of Chavez."

The country saw one of its high participation rates in decades on Sunday, with almost 81% of voters going to the polls, according to Lucena of the electoral council.

In fact, some polls were kept open two hours after their scheduled closing because of lines of voters waited for ballots.

The army was deployed around the country throughout the day to ensure a peaceful and secure vote, said Maj. Gen. Wilmer Barrientos, commander of strategic operations command.

Nearly 140,000 troops were deployed throughout the country to guard polls and keep the peace, state-run VTV reported.

In a phone call aired on state-run television earlier in the evening, Chavez had asked people to remain calm until the election results were completed and for there to be no violence.

Long lines began forming in the early morning hours at polling stations from remote regions of the Amazon to the bustling capital of Caracas.

By mid-afternoon, Barrientos reported 15 electoral offenses throughout the entire country, the Venezuelan military said on its Twitter account. No further details were immediately available.

The election also drew voters from beyond the country's borders as thousands of Venezuelans living abroad lined up to cast their ballots at diplomatic offices.

In New Orleans, Louisiana, voters streamed into the Venezuelan Consulate. Many traveled by bus from Miami, where Venezuelan authorities closed a consulate in January after the United States expelled the office's top Venezuelan diplomat.

In Caracas, voters said they were happy to be casting their ballots.

"I'm really proud of the people, because everyone is cheerful about this event and I think there is a good feeling," said Jesus Betancourt, a 25-year-old student.

Standing outside the Caracas school where Chavez cast his ballot, Katherene Rivas said she hoped Venezuelans would respect the results.

"For now, everything is quiet here, and we want that after the results are announced, that people remain calm," she said.

Source: edition.cnn.com
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