UN Security Council to discuss peacekeepers for Mali

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council will soon begin discussing a possible United Nations peacekeeping force for Mali, an idea the world body had been uncomfortable with before France's recent military intervention, envoys said on Wednesday.

Last month, the 15-nation council approved an African-led force for Mali that likely would have been funded with voluntary contributions from U.N. member states and trained by the European Union. That force would not have begun operations until late this year against Islamist militants who took control of a vast region of northern Mali last year.

However, France's military intervention this month against the militants in the West African nation rendered that plan moot, diplomats said.

"There is increasing talk of moving straight to a U.N. peacekeeping operation," a senior Western diplomat said on condition of anonymity. Another diplomat and a U.N. official confirmed that, saying the discussions would begin within days.

It is an issue that U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice first mentioned last week during a Security Council meeting. Other council members are now warming to the idea, the diplomats and U.N. officials said.

Deployment of a U.N. peacekeeping force would require Security Council approval. Another option would be to send in an African Union force mandated by the council with logistical and other support from the United Nations, similar to the AU's Somalia mission.

Washington favors a U.N. mission rather than an AU force, diplomats said.

Details would have to be worked out but one idea floated was for a U.N. peacekeeping force of some 3,000 to 5,000 troops, diplomats said. They noted, however, that since the three-week-old conflict is continuing, it is still too early to deploy peacekeepers.

"There's no peace to keep yet," said one diplomat. "We're still in the peace-enforcement phase."

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had been uncomfortable with direct U.N. involvement in the proposed African-led operation, diplomats said, because it would have been an offensive combat mission - not peacekeeping.

But now that the French-backed Malian army has retaken most of the desert nation's cities, the possibility of deploying U.N. peacekeepers has become less remote, the envoys said.

They said a U.N. peacekeeping force would offer certain advantages over the African-led force approved by the council last month. Funding would be clear, it would be easier to monitor human rights compliance and the United Nations could choose which national contingents to use in the force.

Many of the African troops already in Mali supporting the French and Malian militaries could theoretically remain and become part of a U.N. peacekeeping force, one diplomat said.

It is an idea France would likely support. Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said on Tuesday that Paris would favor a quick deployment of international monitors to Mali to ensure human rights are not abused.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/un-security-council-discuss-peacekeepers-mali-envoys-051017644.html

world bank kim kardashian flour bomb hunger games box office xavier joan crawford joan crawford john goodman

Los Angeles Catholic archdiocese releases priest abuse files

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, after years of legal battles, released files on Thursday of priests accused of molesting children and removed a top clergyman who had been linked to efforts to conceal the abuse.

Archbishop Jose Gomez said he had stripped his predecessor, retired Cardinal Roger Mahony, of all public and administrative duties. Mahony's former top aide, Thomas Curry, stepped down as bishop of Santa Barbara.

"I find these files to be brutal and painful reading. The behavior described in these files is terribly sad and evil," Gomez said in a statement released by the nation's largest Catholic archdiocese.

"There is no excuse, no explaining away what happened to these children. The priests involved had the duty to be their spiritual fathers and they failed," he said.

A spokesman for a victims' support group said that the removal of Mahony and Curry was long overdue and a small step after the church spent years fighting to protect them.

"Hand-slapping Mahony is a nearly meaningless gesture," said David Clohessy, director of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, or SNAP.

"When he had real power, and abused it horribly, he should have been demoted or disciplined by the church hierarchy, in Rome and in the U.S. But not a single Catholic cleric anywhere had the courage to even denounce him. Shame on them," he said.

The 12,000 pages of files were made public more than a week after church records relating to 14 priests were unsealed as part of a separate civil suit, showing that church officials plotted to conceal the molestation from law enforcement as late as 1987.

Those documents showed that Mahony, 76, and Curry, 70, his top adviser, both worked to send priests accused of abuse out of state to shield known molesters in the clergy from law enforcement scrutiny in the 1980s.

Mahony and Curry also tried to keep priests sent away to a Church-run pedophile treatment center from later revealing their misconduct to private therapists who would be obligated to report the crimes to police, the documents showed.

Los Angeles prosecutors have said they will review and evaluate the documents, this batch of which includes 124 personnel files, 82 of which have information on allegations of sexual abuse, according to the archdiocese.

The Los Angeles archdiocese, which serves 4 million Catholics, reached a $660 million civil settlement in 2007 with more than 500 victims of child molestation in the biggest such agreement of its kind in the nation, and Mahony at the time called the abuse "a terrible sin and crime."

Victims' advocates have accused Church leaders of continuing to obfuscate their role in the scandal, and cite the newly released confidential letters and memos as a "smoking gun" proving complicity by Mahony and others.

(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb and Alex Dobuzinskis; Writing by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Lisa Shumaker)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/los-angeles-catholic-archdiocese-releases-priest-abuse-files-024045650.html

London 2012 China muhammad ali Opening ceremony London 2012 Google Fiber Olympics Schedule 2012 Olympic Medal Count 2012 Olympics 2012

Home Grown Families: Family Travel: Mission to the Land of LEGO ...

?If you're kids love Lego as much as mine do, this is one stop they won't want to miss. From the moment you walk into the entrance you are transported to a world of Lego. From the columns filled with Legos to the oversized characters, everything seems to be made of Legos. Located in the Grapevine Mills Mall in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, this Discovery Center is fun filled way to spend time with the kids.?

When we arrived my little ones were eager to get in, luckily for us we chose a day when they weren't packed. As I hear they tend to get pretty full so plan your trip accordingly. When you first enter you are treated to a tour of their brick making factory where their resident scientist guides you through the wonderous process. It's all for show but the kids got a kick out of it, they even got "freshly made" brick when the tour was over.
The kids spent the most time in the Racers Build & Test center complete with test ramps where they could build cars from the bins full of Legos and test their speed and launch abilities by rolling them down various race tracks and launch ramps. My youngest son could have sat there for hours tinkering away.?

They even had an area designed just for toddlers and babies. The girls played in the multiple little pits while the boys ran around like crazy children!

In the middle they have a large jungle gym play zone for kids 40" to 57" tall~ the Lego City Play Zone. Lil's only 36" but that didn't stop her from joining in the fun. Shhh, don't tell... Remember to bring socks though, the kids are not allowed in the play zone without them. I saved this section for mommy break time, they could run and climb and slide to their hearts content while I got some time to sit and relax while watching them play. They also have a princess dress up area and karaoke stage just for little girls which was nice since some of the other activities were geared more towards the boys. The kids didn't stay there long though.....the movies were starting!!? They had 2 different 4D movies playing when we went and we made sure to catch them both. They were fun for the kids and parents alike. The stories were entertaining and it's always fun watching the kids reach out and try to touch the characters and effects. Be warned though, the forth dimension is wind and water. Nothing you'll need a towel for but, exciting none the less. And what amusement park would be complete without rides? Though much smaller than your typical theme park, they sure managed to stuff in plenty of?activities?to keep the kids going without feeling crowded. They have an interactive ride called "Kingdom Quest" where you yield lazer blasters to vanquish your foes in a quest to rescue the princess. *There is no cameras allowed near this ride.
There is even an indoor/outdoor go-cart track the Lego Forest Ranger Pursuit where you're little ones can test their driving skills(its is?definitely?a pursuit as the kids attempt to maul down the?attendant)?. Don't worry they aren't too fast. My oldest, Fast Eddy, true to his namesake flew around the track lapping the other kids while Carrot Top spent most of his time either pinned to the side wall or being freed from said side wall. Either way, they both had fun and begged for another run around the track.
Last, but not least, was Merlin's Adventure. This was Lil's favorite and she made sure to ride it multiple times- with a parent of course due to her tiny stature. You are taken to a land of wizards and magic where you get to ride round and round in circles while pedaling to control your vehicle's height. The kids thought is was great.
My personal favorite was Miniland. Here they had scale models of most of DFWs main attractions, all made from almost 1.5 million Legos. There was the Dallas Airport complete with planes runways and little air traffic controllers. Cowboy's stadium, downtown Dallas, and even the mall we were in while viewing these amazing creations were replicated in Legos. I've got to say I was quite impressed with the accuracy and realism of the models. We felt like giants as we viewed them from above.
If you get hungry while you are there the have a small cafe with snacks and drinks. Not to many choices for a vegan family but, it is located in the mall so we decided to eat in the food court after we left. There is also a birthday room where you can eat cake and open presents if you choose to have a birthday party there.

?When all is said and done, be prepared to exit through a well stocked gift shop. You can buy all sorts of Lego product from full sets to individual bricks. They even have a make your own Lego people area which Carrot Top absolutely loved seeing how he would choose Lego people over any Lego set. We allowed them each one Lego person of their choice as a momento.

LegoLand Discovery Center Dallas/Fort Worth is packed full of fun things to do.......so make sure you leave enough time in the day to get it all done! Tickets are available at kiosks in the mall, and online! You can bundle your ticket with one to the Sea Life aquarium which is also in the mall for a special price!!

Stay tuned all month for more great Dallas/Fort Worth fun! For now, you can connect with LegoLand on Facebook to be first to know about coupons and specials!

HGF was not paid for this post. We were provided with a product to review, and we have provided our honest opinion. Thank you to the sponsoring company for working with HGF. You can view our complete?PR policies here.

Source: http://www.homegrownfamilies.net/2013/02/family-travel-mission-to-land-of-lego.html

stephen hill draft tracker the pirates band of misfits cleveland browns minnesota twins bobby abreu 2012 draft

Broker fees from mutual funds affect advice; predict worse performance, new study says

Jan. 30, 2013 ? Brokers are supposed to recommend investments that are in the best interests of their clients.

But a study published in the February 2013 issue of the Journal of Finance has found that mutual funds offering higher broker fees attract the most investments, especially when the broker is not affiliated with the mutual fund company. Every additional dollar paid to a broker corresponds with another six dollars invested into the fund, and another fourteen dollars if the broker is an unaffiliated third party whose compensation depends exclusively on sales commissions.

It also found these payments are linked to lower investment performance, especially when the fees come from one-time sales loads rather than ongoing payments.

It is the first such study to explicitly show how broker fees affect Investments Into funds and how they subsequently perform.

The freedom mutual fund companies have to decide how to compensate brokers has "real consequences" for the brokers' clients, the paper says. The implication, it adds, is there's a strong case for clearly showing customers how much their broker receives from their investment recommendations.

Brokers are typically compensated in two ways. If the fund is a front-end load, the investor pays a one-time charge, taken immediately off the top of their initial investment as a predetermined percentage. The broker receives the bulk of that charge.

"For the most part, investors are completely unaware," how much of the load goes to their broker, says Susan Christoffersen, a professor of finance at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management, who co-wrote the study with Richard Evans of the University of Virginia, and the University of Pennsylvania's David Musto. "If it's revealed, it would be in the statement of additional information or the details of a prospectus."

Investors may also not realize how much their brokers continue to receive out of their investments, via ongoing "trailer fees." These fees vary but in Canada make up about 40% of the management expense ratio, or MER.

The study looked at data on the performance and asset flows of U.S. mutual funds between 1993 and 2009 and related these with the fees paid to brokers disclosed in N-SAR filings to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The requirement for these filings arose directly out of regulators' concerns of conflicts of interest and the effect of broker fees on the growth and size of mutual funds.

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 University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Susan Kerr Christoffersen, Richard B. Evans, David K. Musto. What do Consumers? Fund Flows Maximize? Evidence from Their Brokers? Incentives. Journal of Finance / SSRN Electronic Journal, 2012; DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.1393289

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/computers_math/information_technology/~3/4Gj7EUGm7Os/130130101941.htm

separation of church and state dale earnhardt oscar predictions nba all star game 2012 academy awards 2012 nominations academy awards independent spirit awards 2012

Teen known as 'Girl' wins battle to use own name

Anna Andersen / AP file

Icelandic teenager Blaer Bjarkardottir, 15, left, seen with her mother Bjork Eidsdottir, won the right to use her first name Thursday.

By Ian Johnston, Staff Writer, NBC News

An Icelandic teenager referred to as ?Girl? by the island nation?s authorities was finally given the right to use her own first name by a court Thursday, according to reports.

Blaer Bjarkardottir?s first name means ?breeze? in Icelandic and was not on a list of approved names or otherwise permitted by the authorities.

The English-language website News of Iceland reported that the Icelandic Naming Committee had previously ruled that Blaer was only a man?s name.

But on Thursday a district court in Reykjavik ruled that it could also be used as a girl?s name, it added.

"I'm proud of my name," said the Icelandic girl whose passport says her name is just "Girl." However, Girl was baptized Blaer, Icelandic for "breeze." The government committee, which must approve all first names, has rejected Blaer because it is a masculine name. NBC's Annabel Roberts reports.

?I am very happy... Finally, I'll have the name 'Blaer' in my passport,? the 15-year-old said, according to the Iceland Review Online, which added that her request for $3,950 in damages was rejected by the court.

Previously the authorities had recorded her first name in the National Registry as Stulka, which simply means girl.

According to the island.is website, which is run by the government, the ?Personal Names Register? includes ?all Icelandic names that have been approved,? but people can apply for permission to use names not on the list.

Embarrassing names not allowed
Names must be ?adaptable to the structure of the Icelandic language and spelling conventions? and also ?not cause the bearer embarrassment.?

?Girls should be given a female name and boys should be given male names. No person can have more than three personal names,? it adds.

Blaer's mother, Bjork Eidsdottir,?previously told The Associated Press that she had ?no idea that the name wasn?t on the list? and only learned this after Blaer was baptized by a priest, who later told her he had mistakenly allowed it.

?Blaer is a perfectly Icelandic name,? she added. ?It seems like a basic human right to be able to name your child what you want, especially if it doesn't harm your child in any way.?

People in Iceland are usually referred to by their first names -- with even President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson addressed simply as Olafur.

Surnames are usually based on either their mother or father?s first name. Bjarkardottir means daughter of Bjork.

Professor Armann Jakobsson, of the University of Iceland?s faculty of Icelandic and comparative cultural studies, said he thought Blaer was ?a good name? for a woman and ?more or less established now.?

He said Blaer was used as a female name in a novel by Iceland?s Nobel Prize-winning author Halldor Laxness, prompting other people to use it.

A girl called 'mistake'?
Armann, the son of Jakob, said the decisions of the naming committee were at times ?very controversial.?

He said there were lots of urban myths about names in Iceland. Two female names that are allowed are Mist and Eyk, prompting jokes that a baby girl could be given a name that sounds like ?mistake,? he said, although he was unaware of an actual example.

?The average person doesn?t understand the logic behind the law. The average person thinks the committee should ban silly names, rather than foreign-sounding names,? he said.

?I think the committee is really unpopular, but I think many people want to have laws about this,? he added.

?But there are also people who criticize this and say there should be no laws about names, but then they say [people] should not be allowed to be called Satan or Lucifer ? or a number.?

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/31/16791797-teen-legally-known-as-girl-wins-court-battle-to-use-her-own-name?lite

lucky numbers odds of winning mega millions mary mary sag aftra merger dj am bully bohemian rhapsody

Beckham to sign with PSG

By ROB HARRIS

AP Sports Writer

Associated Press Sports

updated 7:42 a.m. ET Jan. 31, 2013

LONDON (AP) -David Beckham will join Paris Saint-Germain on Thursday, opting for a move to France after mulling over lucrative offers from around the world since leaving the Los Angeles Galaxy.

The 37-year-old Beckham was to undergo a medical examination in the French capital before being officially presented as PSG's latest recruit, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal has not yet been completed.

PSG would only confirm that a new a player would be attending a news conference at 1600 GMT on Thursday.

PSG's Qatari-owners have invested more than $300 million in players since buying the club in 2011. But Beckham was available on a free transfer after he ended his six-year stint in the United States with a second MLS Cup title last month.

At PSG, Beckham will be hoping to win a league title in a fourth country, having already enjoyed success at Manchester United and Real Madrid in Europe before moving to Major League Soccer.

Beckham had been close to joining PSG last January but rejected a deal worth about $12 million per year to stay in California for one more season.

Now, though, Beckham and his family have moved back to London, which is a short flight or train ride from Paris.

Beckham made 115 appearances for England, a record for a player other than a goalkeeper.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

advertisement

More newsStuart Macfarlane / Getty Images Contributor

Beckham to sign with PSG

??David Beckham will join Paris Saint-Germain on Thursday, opting for a move to France after mulling over lucrative offers from around the world since leaving the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Javier Soriano / AFP - Getty Images

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/50650371/ns/sports-soccer/

roy oswalt kevin martin 2012 senior bowl chuck series finale welcome back kotter 2001 a space odyssey barefoot bandit

Why Apple is the stumbling block in Amazon?s ebook transition

Nobody can predict the future, but Amazon thinks that when it comes to ebooks the writing is on the wall.

?We?re now seeing the transition we?ve been expecting,? CEO Jeff Bezos said in the company?s fourth-quarter earnings report, released Tuesday. ?After five years, ebooks is a multi-billion dollar category for us and growing fast ? up approximately 70 percent last year. In contrast, our physical book sales experienced the lowest December growth rate in our 17 years as a book seller, up just five percent.?

That?s impressive growth, but as the ebook transition moves forward, Amazon should worry that Kindle is not going to be the device leading the revolution. Apple and iPad will cut into its growth.

Amazon has mastered the art of the press release that doesn?t say much. Several data points are missing from Bezos?s statement ? here are some questions I have:

• What?s Amazon?s actual ebook revenue? The company?s worldwide media sales were $19.9 billion in 2012; what percentage of that came from ebooks, and what percentage came from print books?
• What was print book growth for the entire year ? and for past years? Bezos refers to annual ebook sales, but print book sales for just one month. Print books are also starting from a much larger base; they make up over 70 percent of trade book sales in the U.S.
• Which ebook categories are growing the fastest?
• Where?s the ebook growth coming from? 70 percent growth is a lot. Is most of it coming from within the U.S. or internationally? And is it coming from owners of Amazon devices ? Kindle e-readers and Kindle Fire tablets ? or is it coming from iPad and other tablet owners reading ebooks with Kindle apps?

Amazon?s not going to answer those questions (though I did ask them), but they?re important in part because U.S. book publishers are reporting slowing sales of adult ebooks: What was once triple-digit growth has fallen to the double digits. The revolution has also been largely limited to text-based titles ? adult fiction and nonfiction ? and categories like cookbooks and travel haven?t seen nearly as much growth from ebooks.

If the digital market for certain kinds of books is settling, as it appears to be, Amazon will have to find growth in other areas (though it doesn?t have to, and likely can?t, sustain 70 percent ebook growth for long). The company can expand Kindle internationally, as it?s been doing already, and it can still grab a certain number of ebook newbies.

Eventually, though, Amazon will have to tackle the genres that have remained rooted in print ? children?s books and heavily illustrated books like cookbooks, coffee-table books and the huge textbook market. The company clearly sees potential on the children?s front: It?s launched?new children?s book imprints and offerings like Kindle Free Time Unlimited. And?Kindle Format 8 supports HTML5 and illustrated content.

But the biggest company it has to compete with in this area is Apple. Publishers of heavily illustrated content ? both traditional publishers and digital-focused startups ? are likely to focus on developing for iPad first, since it?s by far the most popular tablet. The next five years of the ebook revolution are not going to look like the first five.

Photo courtesy of?Shutterstock / Stacie Stauff Smith Photography?

Source: http://paidcontent.org/2013/01/30/why-apple-is-the-stumbling-block-in-amazons-ebook-transition/

zsa zsa gabor illinois primary trayvon martin 911 call kiribati vernal equinox mr rogers jamie lee curtis