China VP meets with Myanmar armed forces chief (AP)

BEIJING ? China's vice president met Monday with the head of Myanmar's armed forces amid concerns over the safety of shipping on the Mekong River and just days before a breakthrough visit to the long-isolated country by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Xi Jinping pledged to maintain strong ties with Myanmar and encouraged Gen. Min Aung Hlaing to push for solutions to unspecified challenges in relations, China's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"As a component of overall bilateral relations, China-Myanmar military ties have developed very well over the past few years," the statement quoted Xi as saying.

The ministry statement did not directly mention the deaths of 13 sailors killed in an attack on two Chinese cargo ships in early October on the Mekong in Southeast Asia. China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand are due to begin joint security patrols on the river next month.

However, the ministry said Myanmar's general pledged to strengthen military exchanges and cooperation to safeguard peace and stability.

The joint security operation's headquarters will be in China, although it isn't clear whether Chinese boats will patrol stretches of the river belonging to its neighbors. China will help train and equip police in Laos and Myanmar.

Drug smugglers were initially suspected in the October attack near the Thai-Myanmar border. But nine Thai soldiers later surrendered.

Beijing has long provided key diplomatic and economic support for Myanmar, but relations have been strained by fighting between Myanmar's army and rebel groups that has sent refugees across the border into southwestern China.

China was also caught off guard by the suspension this summer of a major dam project being built by a Chinese company in Myanmar that presaged a significant about-face in Myanmar's domestic politics.

After a new government took office in March, Myanmar has eased some political restrictions and met with opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. That has earned diplomatic dividends, such as Clinton's visit starting late Wednesday.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/china/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111128/ap_on_re_as/as_china_myanmar

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UK Treasury chief goes for economic stimulus (AP)

LONDON ? Britain's Treasury chief has announced plans to put more money directly into the economy to stimulate lagging growth, just as an international survey suggests the country will slip back into a recession.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said Monday that it expects the U.K. economy to contract in the current quarter and in the first three months of 2012. For all of next year, it forecast U.K. GDP to grow by just half a percent.

Britain has struggled to recover from a deep, 18-month recession which ended in the last quarter of 2009, and the turmoil in the eurozone has frustrated hopes of an export-led recovery.

Bank of England governor Mervyn King told lawmakers Monday that economic growth would be flat for the next six months as the unfolding eurozone crisis threatened the U.K.'s recovery.

King told the Treasury Select Committee that "painful adjustments" need to be made regardless of how the problems in the 17-nation currency bloc pan out ? but it would be better for changes to be made in "orderly way than a disorderly way."

With the outlook worsening and public sector workers preparing for a one-day strike on Wednesday, Treasury chief George Osborne has outlined some of his plans to get more loan funding flowing to small and medium-sized industries and to support employment by increasing investment in infrastructure.

Osborne says he can do that without increasing overall spending, thus keeping the government deficit-cutting drive on track. Since taking power last year, Prime Minister David Cameron's government has made deficit-cutting a priority; it has blamed the country's economic problems on the debts run up by the previous Labour Party government.

Osborne will confirm his plans on Tuesday in a speech to the House of Commons, a day before a one-day strike by public sector workers who are angry about changes to their pension plans.

"The OECD is predicting deep recessions in many European countries. That is a challenge for Britain," Osborne said Monday. "What we can do with our policies is take Britain safely through this storm."

Also on Tuesday, the independent Office for Budget Responsibility publishes its latest economic forecast, and it is expected to downgrade expectations for growth to around 1 percent for the current year and next year, in line with the latest forecast from the Bank of England. In March, the office had predicted growth of 1.7 percent this year and 2.5 percent for 2012.

That means that the government has less money to spend, if it is intent on sticking to its deficit reduction targets.

The government is also under pressure because of rising unemployment, currently at a 15-year high of 8.3 percent, and inflation still at 5 percent. The OECD predicts that U.K. unemployment will hit 9 percent by the end of next year and stay there through 2013.

Osborne plans to devote another 5 billion pounds ($7.8 billion) to improving infrastructure, by diverting funds from other government programs. He aims to raise another 20 billion pounds for infrastructure by allowing pension funds to invest directly in projects.

Danny Alexander, the No. 2 Treasury official, said Monday that much of that 5 billion pounds could be raised by using unspent money in various departments.

"There are some programs such as, for example, the carbon capture and storage scheme, where the negotiations failed to reach an agreement, where some of that money can be reallocated in this spending review," Alexander said.

Osborne also announced a National Loan Guarantee Scheme which is intended to make more money available to smaller businesses, those with turnover of less than 50 million pounds a year.

Under this program, the government would guarantee a bank's wholesale borrowing which is used for loans to small and medium-sized businesses. This is hoped to shave a point off the interest rate on loans.

Banks would still absorb the loss for loans which aren't repaid; the government guarantee kicks in only of the bank cannot repay its wholesale lending debt.

Plans for additional investment follows the Bank of England's decision in October to inject 75 billion pounds into the economy through purchases of government bonds and other high-quality assets. The program, known as quantitative easing, is intended to free up credit markets and keep interest rates low.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/britain/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111128/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_britain_economy

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Why Instagram Is So Popular: Quality, Audience, & Constraints

I get asked a lot why Instagram is so popular. It might be because we just threw the first iPhone photography conference,?1197, or because I?allegedly?run?a company?that studies and designs interfaces. It could also be the world of photography is changing so fast that lots of us nerds are ?talking about how a tool like Instagram can pass?10 million users in 355 days. The interface implications are fascinating, the company and technology dynamics of serving content to 10 million users with less than ten employees are fascinating, the artistic content is fascinating, and the reasons why people like me are so?addicted?to the damn thing are fascinating. Here's a crack at why, since I think some other attempts haven't quite captured it.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/DVG0tOERtW8/

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Brian Williams Fire Alarm Accident: Sirens Sound During 'NBC Nightly News' Broadcast (VIDEO)

Brian Williams is a class act.

Just moments after "NBC Nightly News" went live tonight, Williams found himself with a little bit of a problem. It seems 30 Rock (where the show is filmed) experienced a faulty fire alarm just as the broadcast got underway.

But Williams didn't flinch, even for a second. The anchor simply finished his statement, alerted viewers to the situation, and kept talking.

The network tweeted about the unfortunate (and ultimately amusing) incident.

It seems everything was okay in the building, but according to Poynter, the alarms kept coming back after every commercial break. Nonetheless, Williams kept his cool, reassured viewers everything was okay, and continued with the broadcast.

Twitter was quickly abuzz with news of the incident, sending "Brian Williams" and "NBC Nightly News" to the top of Twitter's trends.

Hat Tip to Poynter for the quick pick-up.

WATCH THE VIDEO AT THE TOP OF THIS ARTICLE

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/30/brian-williams-fire-alarm_n_1119612.html

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Paper On Super Flu Strain May Be Banned From Publication

Pierre Bezukhov writes with this excerpt from an article at Doctor Tipster: "A Dutch researcher has created a virus with the potential to kill half of the planet's population. Now, researchers and experts in bioterrorism debate whether it is a good idea to publish the virus creation 'recipe'. However, several voices argue that such research should have not happened in the first place. The virus is a strain of avian influenza H5N1 genetically modified to be extremely contagious ... created by researcher Ron Fouchier of the Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, Netherlands. The work was first presented at a conference dedicated to influenza, that took place in September in Malta."

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/SFPm9Zlz_3Y/paper-on-super-flu-strain-may-be-banned-from-publication

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Police: 'Blond bandit' may have struck again

Prince William County police

Stephanie Lynn Schwab, 26, is a former gang member accused of a recent spate of crimes in the Virginia-Maryland area.

By NBCWashington.com?and msnbc.com

A so-called "blond bandit" suspected of multiple heists in Virginia?has been linked to another crime, this one a carjacking on Thanksgiving Day in Maryland.?

Stephanie Lynn Schwab, 26, described as a 5'3'' white female with blond hair and green eyes,?earned her nickname after being named in connection with?an earlier carjacking and two bank robberies, all of which took place between Nov. 18 and Nov. 21, according to Virginia's?InsideNova.com.

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In Thursday's incident, Baltimore County police say Schwab asked a woman for a ride from the parking lot of a Safeway supermarket to a Shoppers Food Warehouse. But when the victim stopped her car, Schwab allegedly displayed a knife and told her to keep driving.

The victim asked a nearby man for help, at which point the suspect attempted to climb into the driver's seat. The victim tried to grab the knife from Schwab and was cut on the hand, officials said. Schwab then fled on foot, police said, according to InsideNova.com.

Schwab is also wanted in an armed carjacking on Nov. 19 of a silver 2003 Acura.

In that incident, a 59-year-old woman had offered the suspect a ride from the parking lot of Neiman Marcus at the Tysons Corner shopping center in Virginia. They left together in the Acura, but at a nearby intersection, the suspect showed a knife and told the victim to get out of the car. That victim was left at the intersection, reported NBCWashington.com. The Acura was found on Friday. Detectives?connected Schwab to the crime and have obtained a warrant for her arrest.?

Schwab also has been linked to a Nov. 18 bank robbery in Prince William County, Va. She may have been involved in another bank robbery Nov. 22, at a BB&T in Springfield, Va.?

She was last seen Thursday, running eastbound on Route 40 towards Baltimore City. She has no known connection to that area, and may be staying in a motel, waiting for a chance to commandeer a getaway car, reported?WBALTV.com. Police are asking drivers to use caution, as the suspect may approach vehicles asking for a ride.?

Former gang member
Schwab,?of Manassas, Va.,?is a former member of the MS-13 gang, according to court records. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that she joined the group after running away from home at the age of 12. She reportedly had a fellow gang member's child three years later, and is now a mother of two, reported WBALTV.com.?In 2005, Schwab testified against MS-13 members in a murder trial, reported InsideNova.com.

Police don't know what prompted the recent robbery spree.

Anyone with information is asked to call Baltimore County Police at 410-307-2020 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 866-7-LOCKUP (866-756-2587). To text a tip to Metro Crime Stoppers, send to "CRIMES" (274637), then enter the message starting with "MCS," or e-mail a tip to www.metrocrimestoppers.org.?

Those contacting Metro Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and might be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,000.

Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/29/9089838-police-blond-bandit-may-have-struck-again

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Receding floods reveal crocs lurking in Bangkok (AP)

BANGKOK, Thailand ? Receding floodwaters in Thailand's capital are leaving behind some scary new neighbors, with people finding snakes and crocodiles that moved into their areas even as they were moving out.

Teams from the Thai fishery department have been responding to crocodile sightings, capturing at least 10 since the country's worst flooding in more than half a century began in July.

Farms and individuals who raise crocodiles for their valuable skins apparently have not figured out the best way to keep their reptiles in captivity during the monsoon season. It is common during floods to hear of crocodiles on the loose.

Some people have also stumbled upon cobras in their homes. A team of volunteer veterinarians have even rescued lions, tigers and bears from the homes of rich Thais.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111127/ap_on_re_as/as_thailand_crocs_on_the_loose

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Euro zone sentiment at 2-year low in November (Reuters)

BRUSSELS (Reuters) ? Worries about the euro zone's debt crisis worsened in November and dragged the European Commission's economic and consumer sentiment index to a two-year low, heightening the risks of a recession in Europe.

Business managers and consumers turned more pessimistic across almost all sectors of the euro zone's economy and the Commission's monthly economic sentiment index slipped to 93.7, its lowest since late 2009, and down from 94.8 in October.

Economists polled by Reuters had expected a figure of 94.0.

Adding to the depth of concern about the debt crisis and a slowing economy shown by last week's purchasing managers' surveys, the Commission's business climate indicator fell for a ninth month.

The index slid to -0.44 points from -0.19 and notched up a third month below zero. November's reading was the lowest since February 2010.

"The euro zone's economy seems to be heading into a fairly deep recession," said Jennifer McKeown, an economist at Capital Economics in London. "Public finance problems, the lack of reform and in some cases the risk of default are all issues and this trend in weakening confidence is likely to become worse."

European leaders have so far been unable to rally round a convincing strategy to solve the two-year crisis and bond yields are at or close to unaffordable levels in Spain and Italy.

Neither new technocratic governments in Athens and Rome, nor plans to amplify the power of the bloc's rescue fund, have been able to calm investor concerns about a Greek default or a break-up of the 17-nation currency area.

Those concerns are feeding back to company boardrooms, factory floors and households. Combined with austerity programs and layoffs across the euro zone, businesses and individual consumers are simply not spending and investing.

The European Central Bank has warned of a mild recession and most economists expect the bloc's economy to contract in the October-December period.

Many see the ECB cutting interest rates again in December, having cut them to 1.25 percent from 1.50 percent earlier this month -- even though the Commission's survey showed a slight increase in consumer inflation expectations in November.

"The very serious possibility of a euro zone contraction in the fourth quarter, coupled with recent overall signs that underlying inflationary pressures are easing, provides a compelling case for the ECB to cut interest rates," said Howard Archer, an economist at IHS Global Insight.

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For full multimedia coverage: http://r.reuters.com/xyt94s

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CONSUMER CONFIDENCE FALLS AGAIN

According to the Commission's surveys, confidence ebbed away across all most all sectors of the economy except for construction and financial services.

Sentiment deteriorated in industry -- the motor of Europe's recovery from the 2009 recession -- falling by 0.8 points from October. "Euro-area managers expect to decrease their investment volumes by 2 percent in 2012 compared with 2011," the Commission said in a statement.

China's easing economic growth and falling demand for European goods seemed evident, as factories reported a further weakening in their order books, especially from abroad.

In a bad sign for unemployment in the euro zone, which is above 10 percent, companies in services were more pessimistic about recent orders and future business coming their way.

The service sector index fell 1.8 points in November, while in retail, sentiment dropped 1.3 points. In construction there was some optimism in November, and sentiment nudged up 0.3 points, the Commission said.

Consumer confidence fell for a fifth month running to hit a 27-month low in November, down 0.5 points to -20.4.

However, in the financial services sector, confidence increased, rising 4.9 percent on the month, which the Commission attributed to managers' improved assessment of recent developments in the business situation and demand.

(Reporting By Robin Emmott; editing by Luke Baker and Rex Merrifield)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111129/bs_nm/us_eurozone_sentiment

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Many parents request delays in vaccine schedule (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) ? More than three quarters of pediatricians said they sometimes or often get asked by parents to use an "alternative" vaccination schedule that strays from national recommendations, according to a new survey of Washington State doctors.

And while almost all of them agreed with the current vaccination schedule for babies and young kids, and would follow it for their own child, most pediatricians were willing to give in to parents' wishes to delay vaccines for infections like chicken pox, hepatitis B and measles.

"I was a little surprised at the high level of pediatricians who reported having parental requests for (alternative schedules)," said Dr. Amanda Dempsey, who studies immunization and infectious diseases in kids at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, but wasn't involved in the new study.

"This seems to indicate that this is an ever-increasing problem."

Recent studies have shown that more parents are delaying or skipping certain vaccines, typically citing safety concerns, such as a link between vaccines and autism -- a theory which scientists now agree holds no water.

Researchers worry that with an increasing number of kids unvaccinated or under-vaccinated, diseases like measles or whooping cough could spread through schools and communities, putting at risk even those who do get recommended vaccines on time.

For youngsters under six, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommended vaccination schedule includes MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) shots, and vaccines to protect against whooping cough, chicken pox, hepatitis and seasonal flu, among others. (The full schedule is on the CDC website here: 1.usa.gov/k23A6d).

For the current study, researchers led by Dr. Aaron Wightman from the University of Washington in Seattle surveyed more than 200 pediatricians in their state about how often parents ask them for an alternative vaccination schedule -- and how likely they are to agree to one.

In the online questionnaires, 77 percent of the doctors said parents "frequently" or "sometimes" asked to skip or delay certain vaccines. And six out of ten said they were comfortable using an alternative schedule if parents asked for it.

Pediatricians were more likely to budge from the recommended schedule for certain vaccines over others -- for example, most said they would feel comfortable delaying hepatitis B or chicken pox vaccines, whereas fewer would consider straying from the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine (DTap) recommendations.

That suggests doctors are more adamant about going through with vaccines that prevent potentially dangerous bacterial infections that hit infants and young kids, researchers wrote in their Pediatrics report on Monday.

Still, "it's kind of a slippery slope," Dempsey told Reuters Health. Delaying any vaccine "undermines the importance of the schedule in general."

Her own research has suggested that more than 10 percent of parents use an alternative vaccination schedule, and two percent refuse vaccines altogether (see Reuters Health story of October 3, 2011).

But there's no evidence that any alternative schedules are safe or effective, she emphasized. What's more, because no vaccine gives 100 percent protection, even kids who have been vaccinated are put at risk when many of their school or community peers skip or delay their vaccines, Dempsey added.

She said that pediatricians should talk to every parent and try to help them make the safest decision for their child -- but that may become increasingly difficult if the popularity of alternative vaccination schedules continues to grow.

The new study, Dempsey added, "suggests to me that it's possible that this may become more the norm in the future, as more and more pediatricians are being asked to do this."

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/jsoh2P Pediatrics, online November 28, 2011.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/parenting/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111128/hl_nm/us_many_parents_request_delays_in_vaccine_sched

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Medicare back on the brink over cuts to doctors (tbo)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/167516948?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Investing in Our Future: HIV Prevention Research | CrowdOutAIDS

Guest Blogger: Emily de Lacy Donaldson, MPH

Project Assistant, AVAC: Global Advocacy for HIV Prevention

By involving young people, UNAIDS hopes to create a more effective strategy to combat the rise of HIV infection in youth. With 3,000 young people infected with HIV each day this proves to be both necessary and challenging.

The opportunity to create our own strategy comes with a lot of responsibility. We must make sure we are educated and active participants. We need to know what works, what solutions are the most effective at preventing the epidemic in young people and where our limited resources should be spent.

To get from 3,000 new infections each day to zero, we need proven techniques. We know by now that the tools currently at our disposal are not enough. We also need new ways of preventing HIV, such as microbicides, pre-exposure prophylaxis (prEP) and a preventive vaccine. The HIV prevention research field is ripe with new developments and pipelines of new approaches are being tested. As today?s youth, these future options will be ours and we need to ensure continued investment in research for new HIV prevention options.

Since 2004, the HIV Vaccines and Microbicides Resource Tracking Working Group has followed investments in HIV prevention research. The information collected is used by advocates, researchers, funders and policy makers to assess how much is spent on HIV prevention research & development (R&D) and what areas need additional funds.

The Working Group is a collaboration of AVAC: Global Advocacy for HIV Prevention, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

Tracking investments in HIV prevention research is a necessary part of our strategy development. We can use these figures to advocate?for areas that need increased resources, to hold accountable public, private and philanthropic donors to sustain funding and to make sure all HIV prevention tools are receiving adequate investments.

As we face a widening global HIV funding gap, we need to use all resources available to ensure efficient and effective investments in a wide range of options. We need to be smart about what we want and how much money it costs. We need to show the world that now is the time to invest in young people!

About our Guest Blogger

Emily supports the annual resource tracking of the HIV Vaccine and Microbicide Resource Tracking Working Group and AVAC?s biomedical HIV prevention clinical trials database management and policy-related advocacy. She worked as a global health consultant on HIV treatment access and was an American Jewish World Service Public Health Fellow with the Positive Women Network (PWN+) in Chennai, India prior to becoming a prevention advocate. She has an MPH in health policy from Columbia University?s Mailman School of Public Health and a BA in women?s studies from Barnard College.

About AVAC | Global Advocacy for HIV Prevention

Founded in 1995, AVAC is a non-profit organization that uses education, policy analysis, advocacy and a network of global collaborations to accelerate the ethical development and global delivery of AIDS vaccines,?male circumcision, microbicides,?PrEP?and other emerging HIV prevention options as part of a comprehensive response to the pandemic.

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Source: http://www.crowdoutaids.org/investing-in-our-future-hiv-prevention-research/

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Police ban Congo rallies as election tensions flare (Reuters)

KINSHASA (Reuters) ? Police in the Congolese capital Kinshasa banned all campaign rallies on Saturday after rival supporters hurled rocks at each other and at least one person was reported dead as tensions rose two days before presidential and parliamentary elections.

Riot police used tear gas to disperse a political gathering in central Kinshasa and one person was injured as presidential guard members fired shots to clear opposition supporters from the airport, Reuters reporters said.

Asked to confirm reports of the ban, Kinshasa police chief Jean de Dieu Oleko told Reuters: "Yes, all of them."

President Joseph Kabila and his two main rivals, Etienne Tshisekedi and Vital Kamerhe, were all due to hold rallies within several hundred meters of each other later on Saturday.

Jacquemain Shabani Lukoo, secretary-general of Tshisekedi's UPDS party, said their event would continue as planned.

"It is Kabila who has canceled his meeting. We are carrying on with our meeting," Shabani said.

Citing health and security officials, a United Nations source said at least one person had died but there was no official confirmation of the death or its circumstances. A Reuters reporter saw a lifeless body on the road leading to the airport, where Tshisekedi was due to arrive from the provinces.

It was the latest sign of tension in the run-up to Congo's second presidential election since a 1998-2003 war, a poll which has been marked by opposition allegations of irregularities and concerns of inadequate preparations.

Despite a logistics operation supported by helicopters from South Africa and Angola, it is not clear whether all the ballot slips will have reached the 60,000 voting stations by Monday in a country two-thirds the size of the European Union.

DELAY?

Tshisekedi said he could accept a delay but only if the head of the national election commission, whom he accused of having political ties with Kabila and turning a blind eye to alleged irregularities, was sacked.

"I would agree (to a delay) if that meant a more credible, democratic and transparent process," the 78-year-old veteran opposition leader told French RFI radio.

"But one thing is clear: if we say there will be a delay, it is clear that the election commission cannot be led by Daniel Ngoy Mulunda," he said, accusing him of having been a founding member of Kabila's PPRD political party.

Mulunda, who will have the deciding vote if his commission is split on any election dispute, said this week he did not deny having been a member of the delegation that accompanies Kabila on foreign trips, but said he was not a founding PPRD member.

Tshisekedi alleged the existence on paper of fake polling stations to allow vote-rigging, a claim authorities have denied. His party also accuses Kabila of using state media and transport assets in the service of his campaign.

One election observer said authorities had said ballot slips for an electorate of 32 million eligible voters had arrived at regional so-called "sub-hubs" but added this did not guarantee they would reach often remote polling stations.

"We are a long way off," said the observer, who declined to be identified.

For many Congolese, there was a last-minute scramble to find out where they should be voting. Gervis Ilunga, a 44-year-old security guard, said he registered in one Kinshasa district but ultimately found his name elsewhere.

"In 2006, things were at least organized," he said of the first post-war poll largely organized under the auspices of the United Nations. "It is not like that this time ... There will be too many challenges this time."

Under constitutional amendments signed off by Kabila this year, the presidential vote will be decided in a single round, meaning the winner can claim victory with a simple majority. Analysts say that favors Kabila against the split opposition.

Blessed with lucrative resources of copper, cobalt and precious metals, Congo remains plagued by poverty and insecurity, especially in its rebel-infested east where a simmering low-level conflict persists.

(Additional reporting by Finbarr O'Reilly; Writing by Mark John; Editing by Sophie Hares)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111126/wl_nm/us_congo_democratic_election

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96% Hugo

All Critics (119) | Top Critics (36) | Fresh (112) | Rotten (4)

I have seen the future of 3-D moviemaking, and it belongs to Martin Scorsese, unlikely as that may sound.

It's a fairy tale for mature viewers, but the airy exterior hides emotional depth.

One of the most magical viewing experiences of the decade so far.

Aside from being one of Scorsese's most personal films, it's also one of the least cynical films of this or any other year.

Hugo is a mixed bag but one well worth rummaging through.

For all my cavils, this is one of those wonders of the world you need to see.

Scorsese uses 3D to submerge viewers into a glittering storybook world, but all of Hugo's beauty can't make up for the sidetracking of the tale of the orphaned boy living in the train station in favor of a film preservation PSA.

If however, you are not a film scholar or a fan of the period, Scorsese will skillfully turn you into one without you even knowing it.

Scorcese does not mess around. This is a magnificent film.

The movie itself runs a bit long at 127 minutes, but "Hugo" is worth every minute for the visual feast it provides.

Hugo is a love affair -- palpable and personal -- between director Marty Scorsese and cinema. It sputters, floats, and soars.

An infectious ode to the early days of cinema. Scorsese's use of 3D is inspired, although it might be more interesting for parents than their children.

A powerful reminder of the magic of cinema and Martin Scorsese's astounding versatility...

"Hugo" is a movie that children will enjoy, adults will admire and film buffs will cheer. It is a movie that will surprise and delight you with its wonder and awe.

Exquisite - Definitely Oscar Worthy

... a phantasmagorical fusion of 'Oliver Twist' and 'Edward Scissorhands' ... but in the end it feels pedantic and, like M?li?s' robot, proves a wondrous contraption motorized by a spring-driven heart.

Hugo is a work steeped in cinema lore, drunk on the fumes of a bygone era yet canny enough to channel its nostalgia through modern innovations.

Please, please, please don't think you need to be a child to see this incredible movie. Indeed, "Hugo," a smart, classy film that deserves to be watched on the big screen in 3-D, will find a special place with grownups who love movie art and history.

A deeply felt, hugely personal, glorious and heart-swelling ode to the magic of cinema and stories: the way they bring us together, allow us to understand each other, allow us to see our dreams come true.

Probably the first kids film in history to double as a propaganda film for the cause of classic film preservation. And I mean that in the nicest possible way.

It has its sluggish moments, but Hugo is mostly a delightful tribute to the magic of early cinema, and boasts excellent use of 3-D.

Martin Scorsese's affecting, gorgeously rendered 3-D debut is one of the best films of this year and any other year.

...the best children's movie of the century so far

Believe it or not, the director of Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and The Departed has made family adventure for the ages.

More Critic Reviews

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hugo/

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Republican field crowded and likely to remain so (AP)

DES MOINES, Iowa ? They are barely blips in presidential polls and their campaign cash is scarce. Some are running on empty, fueled mainly by the exposure that comes with the blizzard of televised debates in this election cycle and interviews they eagerly grant to skeptical reporters.

Yet the second-tier candidates for the Republican presidential nomination soldier on. They argue that the race is far from over and that anything can happen with polls showing a wide-open race in Iowa five weeks before the Jan. 3 caucuses.

Former Sen. Rick Santorum is typical when he resists the conventional wisdom that only candidates with a lot of cash and a big campaign can win.

"I feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing and I feel like I'm making a difference in the race," said Santorum, who barely registers in state surveys despite having campaigned in Iowa for more than a year. "I absolutely believe our time will come and we'll have the opportunity to have the spotlight turned on us."

Santorum, who represented Pennsylvania in Congress for 16 years, frankly acknowledges the possibility of a different outcome.

"If it doesn't, you know, it doesn't," he said.

Even more than energy and determination, also-ran candidates rely on particular issues, free media and prospects for the future to drive them to keep their small-scale operations going.

With polls and money putting candidates like Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Herman Cain atop the field of Republican rivals, there's a crop of others likely to remain in the race until voters have their say. One force in that dynamic is the fluidity of this year's contest.

Rep. Michele Bachmann, the Minnesota congresswoman, was among the many candidates who surged when they got into the race but then plummeted in the polls. She's gotten feistier as her fortunes have sagged.

"I guarantee you, with everything within my being, I have the backbone," Bachmann said. "I'll put my backbone up against any other candidate in the race."

That includes Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who is adamant that he's not giving up, even as his campaign flails and his once-flush bank account suffers following a series of debate missteps that has some of his fundraisers questioning his viability. He, like Bachmann, Santorum and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, are barely blips in many surveys.

Although they don't seem to be catching fire, it turns out that the nomination itself is not the only prize to be had by seeking a presidential nomination.

Rep. Ron Paul's hard-core libertarian views energize a small but loyal base. Santorum uses his platform to hammer his hard-core anti-abortion stance. Bachmann just released a book whose sales could see a boost in the run-up to the Iowa caucuses.

And history shows that future leadership posts ? and presidential runs ? can be in the offing.

Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa waged a long-shot bid for the Democratic nomination in 1992, getting forced out after the early primaries. He endorsed candidate Bill Clinton, kept his seat in the Senate and became an influential voice in the Clinton White House.

Romney lost his first presidential bid in 2008 but used that experience to build a network of political and financial supporters serving him well in this election cycle.

There are other reasons too to press ahead when chances of victory seem slim, not the least of which is how quickly politics can change.

Just ask Gingrich. The former House speaker was a footnote in the race this summer after his campaign imploded. Now, as Iowa voters give him a second look, he's enjoying a rise in state and national polls. And he reports that money and manpower are now flowing his way.

It's not unusual for second-tier candidates to stick around long after they have fallen out of favor with voters and donors alike. The structure of the race in Iowa and other early voting states like New Hampshire and South Carolina is designed to make it possible for them to keep going because the states are relatively cheap places to campaign and they value hand-to-hand campaigning over pricy TV ads.

"In Iowa, you can sleep on people's couches and hang on for a long time with very little money," Republican strategist Rich Galen said. "You can live off the land in Iowa. You can't do that in Florida."

The nature of the politics of the first three states to vote also encourages longshot candidates because the contests are dominated in both parties by hard-core activists more interested in political purity than poll numbers.

Steve Scheffler, who heads the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition, notes that very few people in Iowa have made firm decisions on whom to support, meaning the race could be anyone's to win.

"There's enough fluidness in the race and enough people out there who are not entrenched in stone," Scheffler said. "The verdict is still out there."

Thus, so too are the second-tier candidates.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111125/ap_on_el_pr/us_republicans_crowded_field

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