larawatson: February 2013

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Benedict promises obedience to successor

In this image taken from video as Pope Benedict XVI deliveres his final greetings to the assembly of cardinals at the Vatican Thursday Feb. 28, 2013, before he retires in just a few hours. Benedict urged the cardinals to work in unity and promised his "unconditional reverence and obedience" to his successor in his final words to his cardinals Thursday in a poignant and powerful farewell before he becomes the first pope in 600 years to resign. (AP Photo/Vatican TV)

In this image taken from video as Pope Benedict XVI, seated at centre, delivered his final greetings to the assembly of cardinals at the Vatican Thursday Feb. 28, 2013, before he retires in just a few hours. Benedict urged the cardinals to work in unity and promised his "unconditional reverence and obedience" to his successor in his final words to his cardinals Thursday in a poignant and powerful farewell before he becomes the first pope in 600 years to resign. (AP Photo/Vatican TV)

In this image taken from video as Pope Benedict XVI enters to deliver his final greetings to the assembly of cardinals at the Vatican Thursday Feb. 28, 2013, before he retires in just a few hours. Benedict urged the cardinals to work in unity and promised his "unconditional reverence and obedience" to his successor in his final words to his cardinals Thursday in a poignant and powerful farewell before he becomes the first pope in 600 years to resign. (AP Photo/Vatican TV)

VATICAN CITY (AP) ? Pope Benedict XVI promised his "unconditional reverence and obedience" to his successor in his final words to cardinals Thursday, a poignant and powerful farewell delivered hours before he becomes the first pope in 600 years to resign.

In an unexpected speech inside the Vatican's frescoed Clementine Hall, the pontiff appeared to be trying to defuse concerns about possible conflicts arising from the peculiar situation of having both a reigning pope and a retired one.

He also gave a final set of instructions to the "princes" of the church who will elect his successor, urging them to be united as they huddle to choose the 266th leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics.

"May the College of Cardinals work like an orchestra, where diversity ? an expression of the universal church ? always works toward a higher and harmonious agreement," he said.

It was seen as a clear reference to the deep internal divisions that have come to the fore in recent months following the leaks of sensitive Vatican documents that exposed power struggles and allegations of corruption inside the Vatican.

The moment was as unique as Benedict's decision to quit, with the 85-year-old pope, wearing his crimson velvet cape and using a cane, bidding farewell to his closest advisers and the cardinals themselves bowing to kiss his fisherman's ring for the last time.

Some seemed to choke up at that moment, but the scene seemed otherwise almost normal, with cardinals chatting on the sidelines waiting their turn to say goodbye.

Benedict said he would pray for the cardinals in coming days as they discuss the issues facing the church, the qualities needed in a new pope and prepare to enter into the secret conclave to elect him.

"Among you is also the future pope, whom I today promise my unconditional reverence and obedience," Benedict said in his final audience.

Benedict's decision to live at the Vatican in retirement, be called "emeritus pope" and "Your Holiness" and to wear the white cassock associated with the papacy has deepened concerns about the shadow he might cast over the next papacy.

But Benedict has tried to address those worries over the past two weeks, saying that once retired he would be "hidden from the world" and living a life of prayer.

In his final speech in St. Peter's Square on Wednesday, he said he wasn't returning to private life exactly, but rather to a new form of service to the church through prayer.

Shortly before 5 p.m. Thursday, Benedict will leave the palace for the last time as pontiff, head to the helipad at the top of the hill in the Vatican gardens and fly to the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo south of Rome.

There, at 8 p.m. sharp, Benedict will become the first pontiff in 600 years to resign. The doors of the palazzo will shut and the Swiss Guards will go off duty, their service protecting the head of the Catholic Church over ? for now.

And on Monday, the cardinals are expected to begin meeting to set the date for the conclave.

Benedict's decision has been met for the most part with praise and understanding. Cardinals, Vatican officials and ordinary Catholics have rallied around him in acknowledgment of his frail state and the church's need for a strong leader.

But Sydney Cardinal George Pell has caused a stir by openly saying the resignation has been "slightly destabilizing" for the church.

In an interview with Australia's ABC radio, Pell noted that Benedict himself had acknowledged the shift in tradition; Benedict said Wednesday that he appreciated his decision was not only serious but "a novelty" for the church.

___

Follow Nicole Winfield at www.twitter.com/nwinfield

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-28-Vatican-Pope/id-0f25dbd63c534f3c96292f74b816f767

jordan hill tony nominations dark knight trailer delmon young dallas mavericks washington capitals amare stoudemire

Crews rehearse Launch Abort System stacking with Orion

Feb. 28, 2013 ? Crane operators, technicians and engineers practiced lifting and stacking techniques this week as they moved a 6-ton replica escape rocket called the LAS, for Launch Abort System, from a trailer to the top of a mockup Orion capsule.

Though stacking the real thing for a Space Launch System mission is still a few years off, engineers said performing the task now, using the same procedures and demands that will accompany the actual assembly, helps them anticipate difficulties ahead of time.

The practice also keeps the crane operators proficient in handling spacecraft components that must be moved gingerly and placed precisely. The exercise took place inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida using the same equipment and operators that stacked space shuttles for launch.

"The breakover, taking the LAS from horizontal to vertical, is not as easy as it sometimes seems, but the VAB guys are exceptional, they are really good at what they do so they really didn't have a problem," said Douglas Lenhardt, who is overseeing the Orion mock-up and operations planning for the Ground Systems Development and Operations program, or GSDO.

During missions, the LAS will be ready to ignite its solid-fueled engines and lift the Orion and its crew away from disaster in the unlikely event that the booster fails during the first part of launch. Its design is similar to that used during Apollo launches, though the LAS is larger than the escape rocket used before. A test flight in 2010 saw the LAS produce 500,000 pounds of thrust, about the same as the Titan II rockets that launched Gemini spacecraft into orbit.

As powerful as it is for an escape rocket, the LAS's power is a fraction of the overall thrust the Space Launch System is designed to produce to lift Orion into orbit and then propel it to deep space.

The LAS stacking topped off a mockup Orion and service module that has been standing at the north end of the transfer aisle in the VAB for several months. It will remain there so engineers and designers can continue to refine their plans for the spacecraft as it evolves from a concept that exists only on a computer screen to a spacecraft carrying humans into deep space.

"The number one thing people say about real hardware is, the computer-aided design (CAD) model doesn't do it justice," Lenhardt said. "Things seem to almost always work on a CAD mode. Real-life, things don't always work perfectly and that's why it really does help having a physical model."

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by NASA.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/Mqo2ksuN8Tc/130228123240.htm

r kelly r. kelly macular degeneration whitney houston funeral judi dench bobby brown leaves funeral donnie mcclurkin

CEO Andrew Mason Replaced By Eric Lefkofsky And Vice Chairman Ted Leonsis?At Groupon

Andrew Mason, CEO and founder of Groupon, has just been replaced by Executive Chairman Eric Lefkofsky and Vice Chairman Ted Leonisis, who will take over the new position of Office of the Chief Executive. They will serve as interim co-CEOs while they hunt for a replacement to take over permanently.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/bbNVllHylAw/

alex jones the bachelor Google Docs Huell Howser Justin Bieber Smoking Weed Katherine Webb Cut for Bieber

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Wall Street closes flat as market takes a breather

Reuters ? ? ? 57 min.

Stocks ended a quiet session with slight moves on Monday as investors found few reasons to keep pushing shares higher following a six-week advance, though the longer-term trend was still viewed as positive.

The benchmark index is up more 6.4 percent in 2013, putting both the S&P 500 and Dow industrials near multi-year highs. The S&P is less than 4 percent from its all-time intraday high of 1,576.09, hit in October 2007.

"This is still a market that looks terrific, but when you're up for six weeks in a row, everyone is going to want to take a pause going into the seventh week even if there is no bad news out there," said Eric Kuby, chief investment officer at North Star Investment Management in Chicago.

Volume was light, with about 4.812 billion shares changing hands on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and NYSE MKT, well below the daily average so far this year of about 6.48 billion shares.

Wall Street was modestly lower throughout the session but regained some ground in the final hour of trading as Google Inc rebounded off earlier losses. Shares of the Internet search giant dipped 0.4 percent to $782.42, recovering from earlier declines of 1 percent after the company said in a filing former chief executive Eric Schmidt is selling roughly 42 percent of his stake in the company.

Also in the tech space, Apple Inc rose up 1 percent to $479.93 after the New York Times reported the iPhone maker was experimenting with the design of a device similar to a wristwatch.

The Federal Reserve's Vice Chair Janet Yellen, seen as a potential successor to Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke next year, said the Fed is still aggressively stimulating an anemic U.S. economic recovery that has failed to bring rapid progress on employment.

The Dow Jones industrial average was down 21.81 points, or 0.16 percent, at 13,971.16. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was down 0.92 points, or 0.06 percent, at 1,517.01. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 1.87 points, or 0.06 percent, at 3,192.00.

Upbeat U.S. and Chinese data last week helped the S&P 500 extend its weekly winning streak to six. The index gained about 8 percent over that period.

Equities have been strong performers lately and many investors have used any declines in the market as opportunities to buy.

"Everyone wants to buy on a dip in this market, but if you're on the sidelines right now, the decline we're seeing today just isn't the kind you would jump in on," Kuby said.

President Barack Obama will describe his plan for spurring the economy in his State of the Union address on Tuesday. He is expected to offer proposals for investment in infrastructure, manufacturing, clean energy and education.

Opposition has grown to the $24.4 billion buyout of Dell Inc , the No. 3 personal computer maker, as three of the largest investors joined Southeastern Asset Management on Friday in raising objections. Dell said in a regulatory filing it had considered many strategic options before opting to go private in a buyout led by Chief Executive Michael Dell.

Dell shares hovered near $13.65, the buyout offer price.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc shares rose 2.7 percent at $170.35 after it said longtime drug development partner Sanofi plans to boost its stake.

Moody's Corp was one of the strongest percentage gainers on the S&P 500, rising 4.9 percent to $45.49. Last week the stock plunged 22 percent after the U.S. government launched a civil lawsuit against the company. The sell-off marked the stock's worst week since October 2008.

About 53 percent of stocks traded on the New York Stock Exchange closed lower while slightly more Nasdaq-listed stocks closed in negative territory.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/wall-street-ends-flat-investors-take-breather-1B8331170

FRANK ZAMBONI Tiffany Six aaliyah jodie foster amber alert seahawks natalie wood

Benefits of Exercise on Prostate Cancer Risk May Vary by Race

Health Newsday > News

Email Print Aa

Tweet
Google
Stumble
Pin It

From

Published: February 11, 2013 9:59 AM
?-- Robert Preidt

Photos

Among white men, exercise may cut the risk of developing prostate cancer, and it may also lower the odds of aggressive disease in those who already have the cancer, a new study indicates.

However, those benefits were not seen in black men, Dr. Lionel Banez, of the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center in North Carolina, and colleagues reported in the Feb. 11 online edition of the journal...

Content Preview This content is exclusive for Newsday digital access and 7-day home delivery subscribers and Optimum Online customers.

Already
registered?
Log in Already a
subscriber/customer?
Register Subscribe for
a free trial!
Subscribe

Source: http://www.newsday.com/news/health/benefits-of-exercise-on-prostate-cancer-risk-may-vary-by-race-1.4619369

the bee gees woodward keratosis pilaris rock and roll hall of fame 2012 brandon rios oklahoma news nascar news

PFT: Ravens waiting on second opinion on Suggs

Panthers owner Jerry Richardson has struck a deal to keep his team in Charlotte for 15 years in exchange for public money, and has already prepared to have the team sold within two years of his death.

But if he wanted to divest now, he apparently has an option.

Bruton Smith, a billionaire NASCAR track owner based out of Charlotte, just made a magnanimous if more than a little self-serving gesture during an appearance on local radio.

During an appearance with WBT-AM?s Keith Larson, Smith referenced Richardson?s will stating the team would be sold within two years of his passing, then said: ?Why two years? Why not two months??

?Do you think he?s interested in selling?? Smith asked the host. ?I have not approached him. If the price is right, yeah, I?d be interested.?

Smith, who will turn 86 in March, also said he ?would commit to the city, and I would not ask them for any money. . . .

?Maybe Mr. Richardson had just as soon sell it today as commit to selling it two years after his passing. I don?t know. That could happen, don?t you think??

Smith, the owner of Sonic Automotive, and Speedway Motorsports Inc., owns a number of NASCAR tracks. But he threatened to move the one nearest Charlotte in a spat with government officials over tax subsidies, among other rows over tax dollars. The exit off Interstate 85 to get to his facility is now known as ?Bruton Smith Boulevard.?

He?s also a skilled promoter, and knows how to pick a fight and stir a pot.

Whether he?s serious about buying his local NFL franchise remains to be seen, but Smith has clearly taken a swipe at Richardson after last week?s deal to accept more than $200 million of state and local assistance to upgrade Bank of America Stadium.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/02/12/ravens-waiting-on-second-opinion-on-suggs/related/

columbus day Stacy Dash Amber Tamblyn Lilit Avagyan Nashville TV Show VP debate drew brees

Monday, February 11, 2013

Field Fisher increased debt by 350% last year

February 10, 2013 Field Fisher Waterhouse increased its net debt by more than 350 per cent from ?727,000 in 2010/11 to ?3.3m in 2011/12, the firm?s latest accounts show.

The top-earning partner?s profit share dropped by 20 per cent from ?680,464 to ?544,232, roughly in line with the 20 per cent drop in average profit per equity partner.

Drawings and distributions at ?35.3m were higher than the firm?s pre-tax profit of ?33.1m, and the firm explained that this was a result of paying some historic balances to partners.???

The firm said in a statement: ?We?re seeing increasing pressure?from clients with regards to payment terms, but remain well within our overdraft facility.?

comments powered by

Law Firms

Topics

Source: http://www.lawyrs.net/news/show/6927/field-fisher-increased-debt-by-350-last-year

bowling green marysville tornados dr. seuss dr seuss the temptations rush limbaugh sandra fluke

Ohio Mayor Resigns Over Alleged Gay Slurs

The Mayor of Pomeroy, Ohio, turned in her resignation Saturday amid allegations that she called a gay officer "queer" and created a hostile work environment.

Kyle Calendine

Mary McAngus, the mayor of the Village of Pomeroy, Ohio, resigned on Saturday amid allegations that she created a hostile work environment for a gay police officer by repeatedly calling him "queer" in front of his colleagues, reports West Virginia's WSAZ NewsChannel 3. ?

The officer, Kyle Calendine, has been on the force just over five months, and said the mayor was involved in his hiring, but turned hostile after the officer began work.

"She was even in the hiring process and she seemed fine,? Calendine told WSAZ. ?A few weeks later, you know, she finds out I'm gay and tries to get me fired because she doesn't like who I am outside of work.?

Pomeroy Police Chief Mark Proffitt is standing by Calendine, and submitted a six-page statement to the city council where the police chief claimed the mayor said, "I don't like a queer working for the village. I might be old-fashioned, but I don't like it."

Proffitt told WSAZ that his department does not tolerate discrimination of any kind. ?I believe in integrity,? Proffitt said. ?I believe in fairness for everybody. And not to discriminate against anybody for any reason.?

All told, eight police employees have filed discrimination complaints against McAngus, according to WSAZ. The city council is expected to accept McAngus' resignation in a meeting Monday.?

Soldier Hard's hip-hop lyrics reveal PTSD's rough edges

Iraq war veteran Jeff Barillaro is using his hip hop music to help fellow soldiers returning from war to cope with post-traumatic stress disorder. NBCNews.com's Alex Witt reports.

By Bill Briggs, NBC News contributor

Sleep-starved from a repeating nightmare and weary from wondering when all that therapy would reignite his fading hope, former Army tank gunner Jeff Barillaro took aim at his stubborn target with an attack as brilliant as it was simple.

He decided to break up with PTSD.

And he would do it in his increasingly famous style ? studio-recorded hip-hop, under his stage name, Soldier Hard.

?I thought: If I could write a letter to PTSD, what would I say to PTSD? Then I thought: Oh, wow, this is going to be powerful,? said Barillaro, an Iraq War veteran, out of the service since 2010, who has steadily gained fame among active-duty troops, young veterans and their families for his bare, often-bleak music about the daily demons of living with severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.?

Last May, ?Dear PTSD,??streamed from his busy mind to his scribbling fingers and, ultimately into a microphone: ?Did you listen good when I said, Leave me be? PTSD, get the hell away from me. Cuz you held me down, didn?t even let me sleep, didn?t even let me breathe, didn?t let me live in peace.?

Courtesy of Omar Diaz Photography

Jeff Barillaro, a.k.a. Soldier Hard.

Within the genre of modern military music, Barillaro has ventured a bit further from the mainstream with his growing stockpile of PTSD songs ??lyrics and beats tapped from his anger, isolation, divorce, and what he calls ?my dark world,? all byproducts, he believes, of extended combat tension and witnessed war horrors.

He has recorded 14 albums, laying down his first tracks on ?a minimum setup? at Camp Taji, Iraq, where he discovered that ?between missions I could create music as my escape.? He has launched a nonprofit record label, Redcon-1 Music Group,?that already boasts a roster containing an Air Force staff sergeant, a Navy sailor, Marine Staff Sgt.?Jerry Lozano, and?two Army soldiers, including Fort-Hood-based Spc. Stephen Hobbs.

'Music has saved my life'
?I wanted to give other military artists and veterans a chance to tell their stories,? Barillaro said. ?Because I know how much music has saved my life. Maybe it can save their life, too.

?I want them to know that same feeling I get when it comes to music, when I?m writing it, and when I?m done and I?m listening to it. I forget where I?m at, any problems I?m having, any bills I can?t pay. It keeps my mind clear. It keeps me sane. That?s why I believe music can really heal people.?

Some of the fans Barillaro has attracted say they are alive only because of the ex-gunner?s lyrical lash outs at anxieties affecting an estimated 20 percent of the men and women who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

One night in 2007, former Army Corp. and Iraq veteran Keith Briggs said he ?was sitting at the computer with a bottle in one hand and a gun in the other,? contemplating shooting himself. He had been diagnosed with PTSD in 2005 just after returning from his second deployment.

Courtesy of Jeff Barillaro

Jeff Barillaro looks at old records of former Iraqi prisoners at Camp Taji, Iraq, after U.S. forces took control of the base.

?For some reason I decided to get on Youtube and I found his song ?Support Us.? It changed my outlook on PTSD,? said Briggs, 30, who lives in Shelbyville, Ky. ?I knew I was not alone. Soldier Hard's music has saved my life. It has stopped me from suicide. PTSD is a real threat to veterans. Soldier Hard?s music is the tool to fight this."

PTSD expert Dr. Sydney Savion, a retired military officer who has heard Barillaro?s songs, said many of the artist?s themes???particularly when he confronts PTSD???could evoke positive emotions in listeners with post-combat stress. They feel, she said, that he is speaking directly to them, forging a vital bond across the Internet and reinforcing the notion that they are not alone as they all strive to recover.

?Research does suggest that certain music can regulate negative emotions,? said Savion, a Texas-based applied behavior scientist. ?But conversely, some therapists have found some music with spoken words or lyrics could cause and has caused agitation when its played for those diagnosed with PTSD. So there is a duality between whether the music will evoke a positive feeling or whether it will conjure up those memories that can cause negative feelings. Not everyone?s going to respond to the music in the same way.

?But there is no definitive line that a rapper should or shouldn?t cross,? she added, ?because each individual will respond to it differently.?

'Telling horror stories'
Of course, the quiet irony underscoring Barillaro?s art: PTSD has typically ??and purposely ??remained a private struggle for many young war veterans. Within the military, the unofficial mantra has been: ?Take care of your own business,? or worse: ?Getting help is for the weak.? That has affixed PTSD with a social stain common to other mental health issues.

Barillaro, however, has literally shouted out almost every step of his path away from PTSD, stigma and all.

At first, he admits, he was tentative about revealing too much.

?I didn?t want to be looked at as a weak person, and I didn?t want people to be scared (of me). But I was just going to say it because it?s how I feel,? Barillaro said. ?And I know there?s a lot of people out there who feel the same way I did. So I decided: I?m going to write it and I?m going to start telling horror stories.

?And then it became not about myself anymore. Because I started seeing how much the music would help other people. Then I was like: Alright, I?m just going to let loose now and let everything out because these people out there are going through same thing I was going through and this gives them some hope.?

The music has helped him. It hasn?t cured him completely. The old nightmare still haunts his sleep: He?s with his buddies in a ?Middle Eastern setting,? he said. They begin to take fire from the enemy. His friends are shooting back. But in the dream, Barillaro tosses away his weapon, hides his head and begins sobbing.

?That same dream always, always. But that?s not how I reacted while I was in combat. I was on it," he said. "I don?t even sleep anymore when I wake up from one.?

Courtesy of Jeff Barillaro

Jeff Barillaro, a.k.a. Soldier Hard, crouches in an abandoned building at Camp Taji, Iraq, in 2005

Which ? to no one?s surprise ? inspired a song released last July: ?Intro-Therapy Session.??He takes listeners inside a conversation with a psychologist during which he is asked about any nightmares he?s been experiencing.

?I?m scared, crying and I?m frightened. Then I wake up hella sweaty," he raps. "Tell me why this be. I just wanna die, please tell me: Why me??

The song?s final verse ??accompanied by an ominous, sharp pop and a woman's scream ??is not pretty.?But, as Barillaro has been preaching all these years, neither is living each day with PTSD.?

carl crawford mad cow disease rampart jimmy fallon jimmy fallon nick collins dave matthews

SMP at Home: A Valentine-Making Party for Kids | Style Me Pretty

February 10th. 2013 by Jess | Filed Under | 3 comments

Filed Under: At Home

? The Blog

Vendors: White Loft Studio

Colors: Blush

? copper

? Ivory

? Peach

? Pink

? Red

Tags: Balloons

? Children

? Crafting

? Darts

? Glitter

? Kids

? Party

? valentine

? Valentine's Day

Here at SMP we know Valentine?s day is sweeter when you can share it with the whole family, so we came up with this pint-sized party for your little ones to join in the fun! We envisioned a cozy afternoon party where kids could create handmade valentines for all their friends and enjoy some pink & red-hued treats at the same time. The fabulous Heidi of White Loft Studio was there to capture every adorable detail, from the oversize heart-shaped balloons with glittering copper ribbons to the mini mailboxes to take to school and return full of valentines. And to help you set up your own party, we want to show you our inspiration, our ideas for fun-to-make valentines with rock candy or balloons, and our kid & mom-approved recipes!

Looking for more glittery, blushing Valentine?s goodness? ?Head over to last Sundays?s Valentine?s Day bash for the grown-ups!

Photography: Heidi of White Loft Studio? / Design & Styling: Style Me Pretty? / Location:?Heidi of?White Loft Studio?s House ?/ Kids? Table & Chairs: Pottery Barn Kids ?/ Vintage Pink Depression Glass Plates, Serving Dishes, & Coupe Glasses:??Style Me Pretty?s Personal Collection ?/?Oversize Heart Balloons: ?Balloons123 ?/ Copper Confetti: Save on Crafts ?/?Copper Straws:?Fun Paper Straws?/ Copper Tins: Jess? personal collection ?/ Glassware:?Crate & Barrel?/ Glass pitcher: Crate & Barrel? / Children?s Valentine Apron: Sur La Table ?/ Pink Rainboots: Zappo?s ??/ Mini Mailboxes: Tin Toy Arcade /

Though we legitimately love them, Crate and Barrel is an advertiser on Style Me Pretty.

3 comments

Source: http://www.stylemepretty.com/2013/02/10/smp-at-home-a-valentine-making-party-for-kids/

guild wars 2 adrian gonzalez Jerry Nelson Foo Canoodle Isaac path Tropical Storm Isaac path

Lebanese military seals off a town involved in Syrian rebellion

The Lebanese military has surrounded the town of Arsal after a deadly gunbattle between troops and residents. The tensions are linked to the conflict in neighboring Syria.

By Nicholas Blanford,?Correspondent / February 10, 2013

Lebanese army soldiers search civilians at one of their checkpoints at the entrance of Arsal, a Sunni Muslim town in eastern Lebanon near the Syrian border Feb. 2. On Sunday, the Lebanese military surrounded Arsal after a deadly gunbattle between troops and residents.

Bilal Hussein/AP

Enlarge

A deadly gunbattle between Lebanese troops and residents of this isolated border town has further strained political and sectarian tensions in a country already buffeted by the repercussions of the war in neighboring Syria.

Skip to next paragraph

' + google_ads[0].line2 + '
' + google_ads[0].line3 + '

'; } else if (google_ads.length > 1) { ad_unit += ''; } } document.getElementById("ad_unit").innerHTML += ad_unit; google_adnum += google_ads.length; return; } var google_adnum = 0; google_ad_client = "pub-6743622525202572"; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '1'; google_feedback = "on"; google_ad_type = "text"; google_adtest = "on"; google_image_size = '230x105'; google_skip = '0'; // -->

The Feb. 1 gunbattle, which left at least one Sunni militant and two soldiers dead, has raised tensions to a dangerous level in this region of northeast Lebanon, an important hub of support for rebel Syrian groups battling the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as well as home to the militant Shiite Hezbollah organization which is a staunch ally of Mr. Assad.

A tense standoff prevails between the Lebanese government and army on one side and the Sunni residents of Arsal on the other. Lebanese special forces troops have deployed around the town and the government is demanding the surrender of the gunmen who fought the army. But the town?s residents are refusing to hand them over until an independent investigation is conducted into the incident.

?We have a problem with this,? says Ali Hujeiry, the mayor of Arsal. ?There were about 200 to 300 people involved [in the fight against the soldiers]. We can?t hand them all over. The government is not being fair.?

The circumstances of the clash in Arsal are still unclear and hotly debated. Last week, Brig. Gen. Edmond Fadel, the head of Lebanese military intelligence, held a rare press conference to clarify the army?s version of events. He said that Khaled Hmayed, a 43-year-old resident of Arsal, had played a role in the kidnapping in 2011 of seven Estonian tourists in Lebanon and was a member of Jabhat al-Nusra, the extremist Syrian rebel faction that is branded a terrorist organization by the United States. General Fadel said that a group of soldiers and intelligence agents entered Arsal on February 1 and a shootout ensued when Mr. Hmayed resisted arrest. The army unit departed the town but became stranded in snow and mud in the rugged mountains.

Meanwhile, news of the shooting spread throughout Arsal and a group of 300 gunmen chased after the marooned soldiers. On reaching the soldiers, the gunmen surrounded their vehicles and opened fire, killing an officer and a sergeant and wounding several others. Some soldiers escaped, the rest surrendered and were transported along with the wounded and two dead back to Arsal. Subsequent reports alleged that the bodies of the two soldiers were mutilated and a photograph has circulated showing the head of one man with a deep axe-stroke gash in his skull.

?We know who did this and we have the names of around eighty people implicated in the incident,? Fadel told the press conference. ?We are not a clan that will seek revenge ? but whoever attacks the military institution is not forgotten by the army and will eventually be captured.?

The Lebanese army is regarded as the one state institution that guarantees stability in Lebanon and as such is rarely criticized in public. In the days following the clash, politicians issued statements praising the army and there were numerous demonstrations across the country with people blocking roads to express their support for the military.

Inside the sealed off town

The residents of Arsal also continue to declare support for the army even though their town is now sealed off by troops from the elite Air Assault regiment. The soldiers have set up a checkpoint along the one asphalt road that leads to the town where vehicles are searched and identification cards checked of anyone heading in and out of Arsal.

However, the residents have a different version of events that led to the gunbattle. They say that the accusations against Hmayed are untrue and that there was no attempt to arrest him before he was shot.

?The reason he was killed is because he was helping the revolution in Syria,? says Abdullah Hmayed, Khaled?s father. ?They made a scenario that he was a big criminal but he had no arrest warrants against him. We are very proud of him. His acts caused a big headache [for the Syrian regime] and he was a burden on them. I won?t sit here and tell a lie. He had a big role in the revolution. That?s why he was found, monitored, and then executed.?

Hmayed and other residents say that the militant was shot dead in his vehicle while driving to a mosque to perform Friday noon prayers. His black Nissan pick-up truck is still parked on the side of the road where the ambush occurred a few hundred yards from his home. The vehicle?s hood and windscreen are riddled with bullet holes ? residents say they counted 43 rounds ? and dried blood has stained the front seats.

The residents additionally contend that more than two people were killed in the subsequent shootout in the mountains.

?We brought six dead from the mountain but the army only announced the deaths of two people. What happened to the other four?? said one young man in Arsal who refused to give his name.

Hezbollah involved?

Many residents believe that the four dead men were members of Hezbollah whom they accuse of accompanying the army soldiers into Arsal to apprehend or kill Hmayed. They question why the soldiers had not entered and departed Arsal along the single main road if they were on an approved mission. Instead, the troops used a dirt track that wound south from Arsal through desolate mountains to Shiite-populated villages where Hezbollah has a strong presence.

?I called the army, military intelligence, and the police after the shooting and they had no knowledge of the attempt to arrest Hmayed,? says Mr. Hujeiry, the mayor, suggesting that the mission was unauthorized.

The Lebanese army and Hezbollah have denied members of the militant group were present. Nawaf Sahili, a Hezbollah parliamentarian, said that the allegations were ?unjust and unlawful.?

?There are some who are talking about a third party in the Arsal incident in order to ignite sectarian strife,? Sahili said last week.

Hotbed of Syrian rebel support

Arsal, a town of 48,000 residents, lies scattered untidily over a jumble of barren ochre-colored hills and separated from the rest of the country by a mountain ridge, enhancing its sense of isolation and independence. The town has a history of militancy and its residents have a reputation for being hardheaded and stubborn. In past decades, many residents joined Palestinian factions to fight Israeli occupation troops in south Lebanon. And in the past two years, Arsal has become a hotbed of support for Syrian rebel groups with Lebanese and Syrian fighters alike infiltrating Syria via the rugged mountains to the east and north.

?Hezbollah wants Arsal neutralized because of its support for the revolution,? says Khaled, a Lebanese Sunni from the nearby village of Fakihe who is a member of the rebel Free Syrian Army and has fought in Homs, Syria?s third largest city.

This area of the northern Bekaa Valley is home to Shiite Hezbollah militants and Sunni volunteers with the Free Syrian Army. The two enemies are fighting each other just inside Syria in a string of villages between Homs and the border with Lebanon. So far, both sides have refrained from dragging the war across the border into the northern Bekaa Valley, seemingly mindful of the consequences for Lebanon?s stability.

But the northern Bekaa is a tinderbox and the crisis in Arsal risks sparking a broader conflagration if a solution is not reached. The Lebanese have a time-worn ability to reach compromises after taking a situation to the brink and a deal may well be worked out in the days head. Still, the incident has fanned the flames of deep-rooted Sunni discontent at what they regard as Hezbollah's domineering behavior in Lebanon.

"How can the government punish someone for holding a pistol and turn a blind eye to those carrying missiles?" asks Hujeiry, the mayor, referring to Hezbollah's formidable arsenal of weapons, the existence of which is permitted by the government as a deterrence against potential Israeli aggression but opposed by the Shiite party's critics.

Sunni leaders flocking here

Already Sunni clerical and political leaders have flocked to Arsal to express support for the embattled residents and urge for an investigation into the Hmayed incident.

Sheikh Ahmad Assir, a firebrand Salafist cleric from Sidon in south Lebanon who in the past 18 months has risen from obscurity to prominence for his outspoken criticism of Hezbollah, has warned that he is ready to lift the ?siege? of Arsal by force if necessary.

?There are 15,000 to 20,000 men ready and willing to fight right now in Arsal. We have the Free Syrian Army covering our backs and we have enough weapons and ammunition to fight a big battle,? says Khaled, the Lebanese FSA militant who has family in Arsal.

Hujeiry, against whom an arrest warrant was issued last week, says he hopes that a solution can be reached to de-escalate the situation. Standing in his home after a day of meetings at the municipality offices, Hujeiry looks tired but radiates a confidence borne of the knowledge that he has the sympathy and backing of much of Lebanon?s Sunni community.

?We have not grown bored of [the army encirclement] yet. When we have grown bored of it, we will see what the people will do,? he says with a smile. ?Arsal is a hard card to play with. Only God will surrender Arsal.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/world/~3/Pjuqn-cyeok/Lebanese-military-seals-off-a-town-involved-in-Syrian-rebellion

kentucky jayhawks wwe wrestlemania oakland shooting mega millions winning numbers autism speaks ubaldo jimenez

Leaner New Year: China tones down the celebrations

Chinese actors dressed as Qing Dynasty servants take part in a rehearsal of ancient Qing Dynasty ceremony for the upcoming Chinese New Year at Ditan Park in Beijing, Friday, Feb. 8, 2013. Chinese will celebrate the Lunar New Year on Feb. 10 this year which marks the Year of Snake. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

A Chinese actor dressed as Qing Dynasty emperor, center, sits on a sedan chair during a rehearsal of an ancient Qing Dynasty ceremony ahead of the upcoming Chinese New Year at Ditan Park in Beijing Friday, Feb. 8, 2013. Chinese will celebrate the Lunar New Year on Feb. 10 this year which marks the Year of Snake. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Visitors stroll near the trees decorated with red lanterns ahead of Chinese New Year celebrations at Ditan Park in Beijing, Friday, Feb. 8, 2013. Chinese will celebrate the Lunar New Year on Feb. 10 this year which marks the Year of Snake. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

A Chinese woman helps her child to snap pictures near a tree decorated with red lanterns ahead of Chinese New Year celebrations at Ditan Park in Beijing Friday, Feb. 8, 2013. Chinese will celebrate the Lunar New Year on Feb. 10 this year which marks the Year of Snake. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

BEIJING (AP) ? Chinese New Year is traditionally a time for colorful and noisy displays of fireworks and generous-portioned banquets. This year, the festivities are likely to be a little more austere.

Authorities have asked the public to set off fewer fireworks in Beijing to reduce pollution, a new anti-extravagance drive has prompted government officials and state-owned companies to cancel their banquets at high-end hotels and a campaign against food waste is leading to half-portions in restaurants. Even ads for luxury goods were pulled ahead of Saturday's opening of the seven-day holiday.

All in all, China's Lunar New Year is shaping up to be a Leaner New Year.

Following a call by China's new leader Xi Jinping to oppose waste, a village just outside of Beijing has canceled its mass dumpling festival that has been taking place for the past 30 years, involves hundreds of people and draws television cameras.

"We planned to make about 50,000 dumplings and now the plan has been canceled," said a woman surnamed Wang from the Liuminying village committee's tourist office. "The flour bought for the festival will be distributed to the villagers and we haven't bought the meat yet. Villagers will make dumplings at home with their own families and they may feel like this is a new experience for them since they haven't done it that way for such a long time."

Xi recently called for people to be more frugal and oppose waste following a "Clear the Plate" campaign by netizens calling on restaurants to cut down food waste. His words sparked off an anti-food waste campaign in state media.

He had already launched a crackdown against government extravagance, aimed at cutting corruption by officials, which angers the general public and threatens the party's hold on power.

Capsulizing the new mood, the website of the Global Times newspaper on Wednesday displayed a photo of workers at a power supply company in eastern Anhui province writing "cut down waste" slogans on balloons.

The Beijing city government together with catering associations announced that the restaurant industry should reduce food waste. Ten companies with a total of 749 branches have responded with a plan to offer half-portions and encourage people to take away their leftovers, according to the Beijing News.

A lot of people are already asking for the half portions, said a waitress at Xiabu Xiabu, one of the named chains, in a central Beijing office block.

Bearing the brunt of Xi's austerity drive, government officials and state-owned companies are stopping their banquets this year, and luxury hotels are missing out on the business.

A lot of reservations are being cancelled, many of which were for government departments and state-owned companies, said a woman surnamed Zheng at the dining department of the Zhejiang Hotel in eastern Hangzhou city.

Hu Xiaonan, 24, who works for a PR company, said having banquets over the New Year holiday is a must, but people should wrap up the leftovers. "Most people are worried about losing face" ? if they take the leftovers home people will think they are too concerned about money, Hu said.

Highlighting the dangers of over-indulging, the general manager of a state-owned financial investment company in southern Guangdong province has been suspended following a banquet in which he and 16 others ran up a bill worth 37,517 yuan ($5,965), according to the Zhuhai city Communist Party. They drank 12 bottles of expensive wine and Zhou Shaoqiang tried to hide the extravagance by having the restaurant make out a receipt for about a tenth of the price.

In another response to the calls for people to shun extravagance and waste, China's TV watchdog has ordered all radio and television channels to cut advertising suggesting "gift giving," the official Xinhua News Agency reported this week. A circular issued by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television says some ads have encouraged people to give luxury watches, rare stamps and gold coins, "which has publicized incorrect values and helped create a bad social ethos," Xinhua said. This also has to do with corruption, because it's less obvious than giving money. These goods are easily tradable, so someone seeking a favor from an official can give him or her an expensive watch and the official can then easily sell it.

While fireworks are a major part of the festivities surrounding the Lunar New Year, which marks the beginning of the Year of the Snake, authorities in Beijing are asking the public to curb firework celebrations so as not to add to the city's worsening air pollution, Xinhua reported Tuesday.

Beijing's air has been a hot topic over the past month because of especially bad bouts of pollution turning the city into a gray landscape. The poor visibility affected flights, disrupting travel home ahead of the celebrations, the biggest family reunion of the year.

"That day when we saw the pollution, my son said let's not do fireworks this year in Beijing," said Wang Yufeng, a 36-year-old teacher.

Hu, who works in PR, doesn't think the Lunar New Year will be any less enjoyable this year because of the campaigns to reduce waste and fireworks.

"It is for us, for the environment and our future generations," she said.

___

AP researchers Yu Bing and Flora Ji contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-02-09-AS-China-Lean-New-Year/id-5a9cc353343f41f9bc7d7da06979a508

best picture 2012 oscar winners channel 3 news j lo j lo sacha baron cohen ryan seacrest octavia spencer

Friday, February 8, 2013

Greenlight's Einhorn sues Apple, "dissatisfied" with plans

(Reuters) - Fund manager David Einhorn's Greenlight Capital sued Apple Inc, saying the company needs to do more to unlock value for shareholders.

Einhorn, a well-known short seller, is long Apple shares and said in a television interview on Thursday that while he admires the company, it has a "cash problem" that it needs to fix.

Greenlight filed suit in federal court in New York to force Apple to modify a proposal in its proxy, which Greenlight believes does not conform to regulatory rules.

Greenlight said it is opposed to the proposal, No. 2 on Apple's proxy, which the firm said would remove Apple's ability to issue preferred stock from its charter.

In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Greenlight said it was "dissatisfied with Apple's capital allocation strategy."

Apple could not be immediately reached for comment.

In a CNBC interview, Einhorn said shareholders would be happy to received preferred stock with a 4 percent yield.

Calling Apple shares "utterly misvalued" at current levels, Einhorn said the company no longer needs to grow at the near-triple digit rates of the past.

In a statement, Greenlight said it spent part of 2012 in discussions with Apple on the idea of perpetual preferred stock, but that the company rejected it last September.

"We understand that many of our fellow shareholders share our frustration with Apple's capital allocation policies. Apple has $145 per share of cash on its balance sheet. As a shareholder, this is your money," Greenlight said in an open letter to other investors.

(Reporting By Ben Berkowitz; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/greenlights-einhorn-sues-apple-dissatisfied-capital-plans-134513424--finance.html

bruce weber boston globe google maps 8 bit mirror mirror robyn texas relays meniscus

Little Rock real estate developer pleads guilty to fraud charge

A Little Rock real estate developer pleaded guilty to mail fraud Thursday, United States Attorney Christopher Thyer announced in a news release.

Roger Stephen Clary, 60, of Little Rock, was indicted for misappropriating a nearly $1.6 million of a loan obtained on May 8, 2008, through a Banc of America Leasing Corporation for his company, Destination Ventures.

According to the release, Clary could face up to 30 years imprisonment and/or a $1 million fine with five years supervised released. Four counts of wire fraud, which were included in the original indictment, were dropped as part of the plea deal.

Read Friday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

Source: http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2013/feb/07/little-rock-real-estate-developer-pleads-guilty-fr/

masters 2012 masters the borgias shroud of turin warren sapp the masters i robot

LAPD hunting for ex-cop tied to slayings

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? A report of a burned pickup truck on a Southern California mountain road is being investigated amid a manhunt for a fired Los Angeles police officer suspected in three murders.

TV news helicopters have shown a helicopter drop a rifle-equipped team onto a mountain near Big Bear Thursday afternoon.

San Bernardino County sheriff's Deputy Zach Beckum says a pickup fire was reported but there has been no sighting of suspect Christopher Dorner. Beckum also says local schools are on lockdown.

A massive manhunt is under way for Dorner, who allegedly killed a former police captain's daughter and her fiance last weekend. He's also suspected of killing a police officer and wounding two others in two separate shootings early Thursday. He was reportedly driving a pickup at the time.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/massive-manhunt-ex-cop-accused-killing-3-175229179.html

London 2012 rhythmic gymnastics Meteor Shower August 2012 jessie j jessie j David Boudia David Rakoff Bourne Legacy

Sounds Like Levin Caved (talking-points-memo)

Share With Friends:

| Politics - Top Stories News, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/283173900?client_source=feed&format=rss

netanyahu aipac vanessa minnillo super tuesday epidemiology total eclipse of the heart jionni lavalle

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Green Blog: The Nuclear Power and Natural Gas Equation

Duke Energy is weighing the issue of how to replace the power generated by its troubled Crystal River nuclear plant in Florida, which the company has announced that it will permanently shut down.

One option is the construction of a new plant fired by natural gas, given the low price and abundant supply of that fuel source. Such a plant could come online as early as 2018, Duke said on Tuesday.

The Crystal River plant, in Citrus County, Fla., has been closed since 2009, when a crack was found in a concrete containment barrier when the plant was undergoing refueling and the replacement of its steam generators. More cracks were caused by repair work in 2011, leading the company to evaluate the risks, costs, and scope of any further repairs, Progress Energy Florida, a Duke subsidiary, said in a statement.

In 2012, a report commissioned on the plant found that while it would be technically possible to complete the repairs, any such work would carry increased risks, delays and much higher costs. ?This has been an arduous process of modeling, engineering, analysis and evaluation over many months,? Jim Rogers, chief executive of Duke Energy, said in a statement. ?The decision was very difficult but it is the right choice.?

In a post-Fukushima world in which regulators are tasked with rigorously policing nuclear safety, ailing plants like Crystal River are less likely to survive than they once were, one analyst suggested on Wednesday. ?It?s very reflective of the increased stringency with which existing plants are being looked at,? said John Dean, president of JD Energy, an energy and environmental forecasting firm based in Frederick, Md. ?We are seeing a level of scrutiny that we?ve never seen before.?

Duke faced potential costs of more than $3 billion to repair Crystal River, Mr. Dean said, setting the plant apart from other older nuclear stations. But even if it had restarted, it would have faced the same regulatory rigor and some local opposition. Similar concerns have arisen about plants like Vermont Yankee, which the Vermont Senate voted to have shut down, a move blocked by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and Indian Point in New York, which Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said he wants closed.

The 2011 accident at Japan?s Fukushima Daiichi plant has led to more stringent safety testing at nuclear plants in the United States under changes adopted by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ?It increased the level of scrutiny,? said Dave McIntyre, a commission spokesman.

Concern about the age of many American nuclear plants is exacerbated by the fact that 72 have had their original 40-year operating licenses extended for another 20 years, Mr. McIntyre noted. The oldest plant is Oyster Creek in New Jersey, which began operating in 1969; the newest is Watts Bar in Tennessee, which went online in 1996.

Nationally, four new units are under construction: two at the Southern Company?s Plant Vogtle near Waynesboro, Ga., in Georgia, and two at the Tennessee Valley Authority?s V.C. Summer Nuclear Generating Station in Sumner, S.C.

Despite increasing demand for carbon-free power generation, the future of nuclear plants is clouded by the abundance of domestic natural gas, which has led many utilities to embrace that fuel for power generators. That has eased the pressure on operators to keep nuclear plants open, especially if there are questions about their safety.

?There is more of a feeling that because you have very low natural gas prices, there is another alternative out there,? Mr. Dean said.

Source: http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/06/the-nuclear-power-and-natural-gas-equation/?partner=rss&emc=rss

ivan rodriguez planetary resources mothers day gift ideas natalee holloway scotty mccreery megan fox pregnant metta world peace suspension

Lynsi Torres: Youngest Female Billionaire in America Revealed!

Source:

iCarly banana republic gap Victoria Secret Bath And Body Works Dicks Sporting Good office max

Chart Of The Day: Time To Get Out Of The Homebuilders ETF? | Etfs ...

SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF (NYSEARCA:XHB) has doubled since its low on October 2011. That?s extraordinary performance for any asset, but especially for an ETF in which no component comprises more than 4% of the fund. ?In fact, XHB has 34 single stock components, and the ETF is close to equal weighted. So, the mean performance of 34 single stocks is more than 100% gain in the past 16 months. ?Quite astounding.

The chart of XHB has traced out a nice trend channel since its October 2011 low:

18-month chart of XHB, Courtesy of Bloomberg

With the ETF now near the upper end of the trend channel, I expect that a pullback is imminent. In the past week, XHB has already shown signs of weakness, as the broader market is flat, while XHB is down 2% in that span. ?Today, the ETF is close to flat, while the US market is up almost 1%. That loss of relative strength is an early signal that a pullback is coming.

Where do I expect XHB to find support? ?The 26-26.5 area was prior resistance in Sept.-Dec. 2012, and that prior resistance will likely act as support on the way down. ?In addition, the trend channel support comes in around that same area as well.

Regardless of the technical situation, I?ve mentioned before that I see much better ways to play the upside story (like Ford (NYSE:F)) in housing than homebuilders here. ?Homebuilders have more than priced in the housing recovery, and now trade quite expensive to their historical valuation metrics, and extremely expensive versus other companies indirectly exposed to the housing recovery. ?The market is currently offering a gift to homebuilder longs. ?If I were them, I would take it, and get out of this sector for now.

This item by Enis Taner was originally published on RiskReversal.com.

More from RiskReversal.com:

Considering Our Options ? $HLF

Macro Wrap ? US, Europe, or China?

Too Many Options: Put/Call Ratio Spikes

No positions in stocks mentioned.

Source: http://www.minyanville.com/trading-and-investing/etfs/articles/homebuilders-housing-etf-housing-crisis-housing/2/5/2013/id/47901

epidermolysis bullosa miss wisconsin law abiding citizen golden globes 2012 lana del rey saturday night live focus on the family packers vs giants

Grandmother: Ala. boy physically OK after standoff

AAA??Feb. 5, 2013?1:48 PM ET
Grandmother: Ala. boy physically OK after standoff
By KATE BRUMBACK and JAY REEVESBy KATE BRUMBACK and JAY REEVES, Associated Press?

Dale County Sheriff Wally Olsen answers questions from the media about the close of the hostage crisis during a news conference late Monday, Feb. 4, 2013, in Midland City, Ala. Authorities stormed an underground bunker Monday in Midland City, freeing the 5-year-old boy and leaving his captor dead after a week of fruitless negotiations that left authorities convinced the child was in imminent danger. (AP Photo/AL.com, Jay Hare)

Federal and local law enforcement officers gather at their trucks after the hostage crisis ended in Midland City, Ala., on Monday afternoon, Feb. 4, 2013. Officials say they stormed a bunker in Alabama to rescue a 5-year-old child being held hostage there after his abductor was seen with a gun. (AP Photo/The Dothan Eagle, Jay Hare)

FBI Bureau Chief in Mobile, Steve Richardson, left, gives a statement to the media following the end of the hostage crisis in Midland City, Ala. on Monday afternoon, Feb. 4, 2013. Also pictured are Dale County Sheriff Wally Olsen, Dale County District Attorney Kirk Adams and State Trooper Kevin Cook. (AP Photo/The Dothan Eagle, Jay Hare)

Armed law enforcement personnel station themselves near the property of Jimmy Lee Sykes, Monday, Feb. 4, 2013 in Midland City, Ala. Officials say they stormed a bunker in Alabama to rescue a 5-year-old child being held hostage there after Sykes, his abductor, was seen with a gun. (AP Photo/AL.com, Joe Songer)

MIDLAND CITY, Ala. (AP) ? The grandmother of a 5-year-old held hostage for a week in an underground bunker says the boy is OK physically, but she fears the ordeal could stay with him the rest of his life.

Betty Jean Ransbottom told The Associated Press on Tuesday that she had never endured anything so horrible while waiting to find out if her grandson was safe.

Ransbottom says the boy seemed fine in the hospital on Tuesday night, but the family isn't sure yet how he is doing mentally.

She says an FBI agent stayed with the family the entire time the boy was being held hostage. Ransbottom says authorities have not given them much information because of the ongoing investigation.

Associated Press
People, Places and Companies: Alabama

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-05-School%20Bus%20Driver%20Shot/id-1f8fd2e412bf4feaaf8603bf4613be0f

railgun jk rowling new book between two ferns statins chardon sean young juan pablo montoya