VP Biden says Iraq ready to survive on its own

U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden, left, and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, right, hold a joint news conference in Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011. Biden said Wednesday that his trip to Baghdad ahead of the U.S. military pullout will mark a new beginning between Iraq and the United States, but already protests in Iraq against his visit are demonstrating the difficulties the relationship will face. (AP Photo/ Khalid Mohammed)

U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden, left, and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, right, hold a joint news conference in Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011. Biden said Wednesday that his trip to Baghdad ahead of the U.S. military pullout will mark a new beginning between Iraq and the United States, but already protests in Iraq against his visit are demonstrating the difficulties the relationship will face. (AP Photo/ Khalid Mohammed)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday "we're not claiming victory" in Iraq, but he believes the emerging government in Baghdad is capable of defending itself.

Interviewed on NBC's "Today" show from Iraq, Biden was asked about the impact of the U.S. combat troop withdrawal, likely to be complete within weeks. He replied, "This is no rush."

Biden added that in the three years of the Obama administration, "We've done this in a way that nobody thought could be done."

The vice president said there is no validity now to "the idea that there is sufficient capacity to bring down this government, to fundamentally alter this democratic process that is under way."

"We're not claiming victory," he said. "What we're claiming here is we've done our job the administration said it would do. To end a war we did not start, to end it in a responsible way ... and to leave in place the prospect of a trained military, a trained security force under democratic institutions where the disparate parties for the first time are actually working together."

He acknowledged security concerns ? dramatized by two separate attacks that officials say killed 17 people Thursday in a northeastern Iraqi province ? but said that "violence is at an all-time low" since 2002.

Biden said in a meeting with Iraqi leaders Wednesday that Washington and Baghdad will continue to work closely together in many joint civilian endeavors.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2011-12-01-US-US-Iraq-Biden/id-09940f26675a49bd86dd9073474abdfc

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PFT: Suh calls Goodell to apologize

AP

During halftime of last night?s Steelers-Chiefs game, NBC?s Bob Costas addressed the issue of players who put themselves ahead of their teams via celebrations that result in the loss of 45 feet of field position.

I?ve received many emails expressing support for those views, and dozens of similar comments appeared last night in the neverending stream of questions and comments from the SNF Extra live chat.

Of course, not everyone agrees with the sentiments expressed.? Patriots receiver Chad Ochocinco, who has run afoul of the rules regarding celebrations on several occasions (but who has had nothing to celebrate this year), said on Twitter that the ?monologue sounded like a sermon at a funeral.?

I thought it made sense given the reaction to Stevie Johnson?s homage to Plaxico Burress to post the full text of the essay here.

And so here?s the full text of the Costas essay.? Feel free to post your own views in the comments. . . .

For those of you too busy keeping up with the Kardashians to notice, we live in a culture that in many ways grows more stupid and graceless by the moment.? Sports both reflects and influences that sorry trend, so on playing fields everywhere, true style is in decline, while mindless exhibitionism abounds.

In the late sixties, the Giants had a receiver named Homer Jones.? He invented the spike ? and it was great; a simple, elegant punctuation that somehow has devolved into this. . . . (Video of excessive celebrations was displayed.)

Given the tone of the times, it?s probably too much to expect that most players would appreciate that back in the day, this guy (Barry Sanders) was much cooler than this guy (Mark Gastineau), or that there is a difference between spontaneous and/or good-natured displays of enthusiasm and calculated displays of obnoxious self-indulgence.? No, that train has already gone so far down the wrong track, there?s probably no turning back.

So our suggestion here is a more modest one:? Hey, knuckleheads, is it too much to ask that you confine your buffoonery to situations that don?t directly damage your team?? Week after week, game after game, we see guys who think nothing of incurring penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct, costing their teams valuable yardage, even late in close games.

Today?s most conspicuous culprit:? Buffalo?s Stevie Johnson, who after a TD catch versus the Jets, thought it would be a good idea to go Marcel Marceau, pantomiming, among other things, Plaxico Burress shooting himself in the leg.? But in this case, it was Johnson who shot himself in the foot, as his display cost his team a 15-yard penalty on the ensuing kickoff.? And given a short field, the Jets proceeded to score in a critical game that wound up 28-24, New York.

Which raises this question:? Where are the coaches in all this?? Guys are routinely benched or called out for blown assignments.? When is a coach going to make an overdue statement and sit a guy down on the grounds of pure selfishness and unprofessionalism detrimental to his team?

By the way, late in the loss to the Jets, Johnson dropped a pass that could have led to a Buffalo win. Shockingly, he didn?t follow it with a rehearsed ?my bad? dance of apology.? Maybe he just forgot.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/11/28/ndamukong-suh-called-roger-goodell-to-apologize/related/

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Asian stocks soar on joint central bank action (AP)

BANGKOK ? Asian stock markets soared Thursday after major central banks acted in concert to lower borrowing costs, hoping to prevent a global credit crisis similar to the one that followed the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index rose 2.2 percent to 8,619.26. South Korea's Kospi gained 3.7 percent to 1,916.87 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng jumped 5.1 percent to 18,902.57. Benchmarks in Australia, Singapore, Taiwan and mainland China all rose more than 2 percent.

Wednesday's action by the central banks of Europe, the U.S., Britain, Canada, Japan and Switzerland reduces the rates banks must pay to borrow dollars. The move aims to make loans cheaper so that banks can continue to operate smoothly.

Separately, China's central bank on Wednesday reduced bank reserve levels to release money for lending and help shore up slowing growth.

"The moves were cheered by markets, as it shows central banks are willing to work together to ease Europe's sovereign debt crisis," said Stan Shamu of IG Markets in Melbourne. "It seems China now thinks that slowing growth is more of a risk than inflation after cutting its reserve requirements for the first time since 2008."

Chinese banks soared on the news. Hong Kong-listed Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, the world's largest bank by market value, surged 7.7 percent. Bank of China Ltd. jumped 7.5 percent and Agricultural Bank of China, the country's largest rural lender, rose 7.4 percent.

Worries about Europe's financial system ? and the reluctance of the European Central Bank to intervene ? have caused borrowing rates for European nations to skyrocket. Central banks will now make it cheaper for commercial banks in their countries to borrow dollars, the dominant currency of trade.

But while it should ease borrowing for banks, it does little to solve the underlying problem of mountains of government debt in Europe, leaving markets still waiting for a permanent fix. European leaders gather next week for a summit on the debt crisis.

The move sent the Dow Jones industrial average soaring 490 points, its biggest gain since March 2009 and the seventh-largest of all time.

The Dow rose 4.2 percent to close at 12,045. The Standard & Poor's 500 closed up 4.3 percent at 1,247. The Nasdaq composite index closed up 4.2 percent at 2,620.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/stocks/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111201/ap_on_bi_ge/world_markets

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New accuser sues Sandusky, claims more than 100 instances of abuse

By The Associated Press

?

Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky sexually abused a young boy more than 100 times after meeting him through the charity he founded, then threatened the boy's family to keep him quiet about the encounters, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday.

The lawsuit identifies the plaintiff, an adult, only as John Doe. It claims Sandusky abused the boy at the coach's State College home, at Penn State facilities and on at least one bowl game trip.

The plaintiff is not among eight victims named in a grand jury report released earlier this month that detailed a series of alleged assaults involving Sandusky and boys as young as 10. Sandusky has acknowledged showering and embracing young boys but denies molesting them.

According to the lawsuit, Sandusky gave the boy gifts, travel and privileges after meeting him through his charity, The Second Mile, in 1992. The abuse began shortly after and lasted until 1996, the suit said.

In a written statement released Wednesday, the plaintiff says he's taking legal action because he doesn't want other kids to be abused.

"The people at Penn State and Second Mile didn't do the things they should have to protect me and the other kids. I am hurting and have been for a long time because of what happened but feel now even more tormented that I have learned of so many other kids who were abused after me," the statement says. "I want other people who have been hurt to know they can come forward and get helpand help protect others in the future."

Sandusky is charged with abusing eight boys, some on campus, over 15 years, allegations that were not immediately brought to the attention of authorities even though high-level people at Penn State apparently knew about at least one of them.

The scandal has resulted in the departure of school President Graham Spanier and longtime coach Joe Paterno. Athletic Director Tim Curley has been placed on administrative leave, and Vice President Gary Schultz, who was in charge of the university's police department, has stepped down.

Schultz and Curley are charged with lying to the grand jury and failure to report to police, and Sandusky is charged with child sex abuse. All maintain their innocence.

Attorney Jeffrey Anderson planned a news conference for Wednesday morning to discuss the lawsuit, which was filed in Philadelphia.

Sandusky's lawyer did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

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

Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/30/9116806-new-accuser-sues-sandusky-claims-more-than-100-instances-of-abuse

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Asian stocks rise as Europe ministers meet on euro (AP)

BANGKOK ? Asian stock markets climbed Tuesday amid hopes that European leaders are considering new, radical proposals to extricate the region from a debt crisis that threatens to rip apart the euro currency union.

Benchmark oil fell below $98 per barrel and the dollar dropped against the euro but rose against the yen.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index rose 1.3 percent to 8,395.11, boosted by gains among the country's powerhouse export sector. South Korea's Kospi climbed 1.8 percent to 1,847.21 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 0.5 percent to 18,121.46. Benchmarks in mainland China and Taiwan were also higher while Singapore, Malaysia and India fell.

Fears that the European currency union is on the verge of shattering eased Monday after reports surfaced that Europe's leaders were considering steps once deemed taboo ? such as having nations cede control over their budgets to a central European authority.

Another option is for the 17 nations in the euro grouping to sell bonds together, known as eurobonds, to help the countries in the deepest trouble because of debt.

Germany, with its top-notch credit rating, has steadfastly opposed participating in such a bond. But pressure on Berlin to change its stance has intensified as the region's debt crisis burgeons from small economies like Greece to major ones like Italy, threatening to bust apart the eurozone.

Finance ministers were likely to discuss the options ? plus a possible way to boost the region's rescue fund, the European Financial Stability Facility ? at a meeting later Tuesday.

While markets were posting gains, the absence of strong momentum suggested investors still saw troubling times ahead, according to Castor Pang, head of research at Core Pacific-Yamaichi in Hong Kong.

"The uncertainly over the euro debt crisis will continue to be a major key for the markets," Pang said.

A strong start to the U.S. holiday shopping season boosted hopes for growth in the world's No. 1 economy.

Hong Kong-listed Zijin Mining Group, China's largest gold miner, rose 4.5 percent. Japanese steel maker JFE Holdings jumped 4.5 percent.

Japan's export giants posted solid gains as the persistently strong yen weakened against the dollar. Hitachi Ltd. soared 5.5 percent, Fujitsu Ltd. gained 2.6 percent, and Honda Motor Corp. added 2.4 percent.

Hong Kong retailers also rose. Jewelry seller Luk Fook Holdings jumped 6.2 percent on strong demand from China for jewelry and gold. Clothing retailer Esprit Holdings gained 4 percent.

World stock markets, glimpsing hope that Europe might finally be shocked into stronger action, staged a big rally Monday. France's CAC-40 jumped 5.5 percent. Indexes in Germany and Italy rose 4.6 percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 291 points, or 2.6 percent ? its biggest gain in a month ? to close at 11,523.01. The S&P 500 rose 2.9 percent to 1,192.55. The Nasdaq composite rose 3.5 percent to 2,527.34.

Benchmark crude for January delivery was down 48 cents to $97.70 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $1.44 to settle $98.21 on Monday.

In currency trading, the euro rose to $1.3344 from $1.3306 late Monday in New York. The dollar rose to 78.07 yen from 77.99 yen.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111129/ap_on_bi_ge/world_markets

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Chris Leben nailed again for banned substances, Dana White to stick by him during one-year suspension

Chris Leben has battled demons his entire career. Now he's got another fight on his hands facing a one-year suspension after testing positive for two banned substances following UFC 138.

For shows in the U.K., the UFC oversees drug testing:

Zuffa, LLC, owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship? ("the UFC?"), today released information stating that middleweight fighter Chris Leben tested positive for Oxycodone and Oxymorphone following his Nov. 5 loss to Mark Munoz in the main event of UFC? 138 in Birmingham, England.

Leben, who served a one-year suspension back in 2008 and 2009 following UFC 89 for using Stanozolol, apologized.

Have You Seen This `Extinct' Snake? Snapping a Photo of It Alive Could Be Worth $500

The Center for Biological Diversity in Tucson and the Center for Snake Conservation in Louisville, Colo., have put up a $500 reward for evidence that the South Florida rainbow snake (Farancia erytrogramma seminola) is not extinct, as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared in October [pdf]. The organizations are hoping that professional and amateur herpetologists will keep their eyes and camera lenses open around Fisheating Creek in Glades County, Fla., the only site where the snake has ever been observed.

The South Florida rainbow snake is a subspecies of the more common (though itself on the decline) rainbow snake (F. erytrogramma), which can be found from northern Florida up through Delaware. The South Florida subspecies has only been officially identified three times, the most recent of which was in 1952. The photographs accompanying this article are of the only existing museum specimen, which is preserved at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville, Fla.

Even though confirmed South Florida rainbow snake specimens have not been found in nearly 60 years, anecdotal sightings have been reported, including some from biologists knowledgeable about snakes. Many herpetologists think the snake is still out there, waiting to be rediscovered.

It might not be an easy task, says Cameron Young, founder and executive director of the Center for Snake Conservation. ?Rainbow snakes are fully aquatic and active mostly at night,? he adds. ?They?re not something people would just come across. You need to go out of your way to find them or just be extremely lucky.?

Several unsuccessful attempts to find the snake have been conducted since the 1950s, which the FWS cites as reason enough to not protect the species under the Endangered Species Act (effectively saying that if it could not be found, then it must not exist). But Young says that the previous attempts were not thorough enough. ?To my knowledge, there?s only been one effort to find the snakes with traps, and it was by someone who had never trapped aquatic snakes before.? Young says it takes about 1,000 ?trap nights??for example, 1,000 traps for one night or 100 traps for 10 nights?to detect (that is, catch) more common rainbow snakes further north and that the previous attempt worked out to, at most, 150 trap nights. Even more trap hours might be necessary to find the South Florida rainbow snake.

Another reason the snake has not been seen, Young says, is that its river habitat was, until recently, mostly inaccessible to the public because it was surrounded by private cattle farms. This kept the river area pristine but limited survey efforts. The area is now accessible and ?the opportunity to survey is now there,? Young says.

The organizations acknowledge that offering a reward for evidence of the species? existence is ?a bit of an unusual approach,? says Collette Adkins Giese, herpetofauna staff attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity. ?We?re hoping it will prompt amateur herpetologists and others to get out and look for the snakes. If they?re still out there, they?re highly imperiled. If we can document them, we can get them protected under the Endangered Species Act.?

Young says they do not want people going out of their way to catch a snake: ?If you see one, it?s likely to be basking on the riverbank while eating an eel or having just finished one.? Eels are the snake?s primary diet. ?Take a photo of it. We don?t have to have an actual snake.? He says South Florida rainbow snakes are nonpoisonous and harmless, but the region is also home to more dangerous rattlesnakes and cottonmouths. The organizations? reward flier [pdf] offers additional tips on what to do and who to contact if anyone does find or observe one of the snakes.

Young admits that $500 is not a huge reward, but ?it?s an incentive for the people who are already there.?

Meanwhile the Center for Snake Conservation is planning its own survey of Fisheating Creek in 2012 to try to find the snake. ?We?re going to give it our best effort,? Young says. The organization is in the process of developing a plan and budget for the study and hopes to bring in several experts on aquatic snakes to assist with the search.

Photos ? and courtesy of R. D. Bartlett

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=23fad7e4b831e8efb0cdeed88f54350a

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