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Barclays will cut at least 3,700 jobs in a major restructuring, the bank said Tuesday. The layoffs follow a scandal-ridden year for Barclays, which was?was forced to pay a $453 million fine for manipulating a key market interest rate that serves as the basis for trillions in mortgage loans.

By Danica Kirka,?Associated Press / February 12, 2013

Customers wait outside a retail branch of Barclays Bank for the bank to open in London, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. Barclays PLC has announced plans to cut at least 3,700 jobs in a major restructuring that follows a scandal-hit year for the UK bank.

Alistair Grant/AP

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Barclays?PLC has announced plans to cut at least 3,700 jobs in a major restructuring that follows a scandal-hit year for the U.K. bank.

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The bank said Tuesday it will cut at least 1,800 positions in the Corporate and Investment Bank unit and 1,900 retail and business banking jobs outside the U.K.

The cuts come after the British institution was forced to pay a $453 million fine for manipulating a key market interest rate that serves as the basis for trillions in mortgage loans. A slew of executives, including chief executive, Bob Diamond, were forced to resign. It also faced criticism for mis-selling of insurance and interest rate products to consumers and small businesses.

The bank's new CEO, Antony Jenkins, has warned his staff that making money won't be the only thing on which they'll be judged. Ethics count ? and matter more in the long run than what happens in the fourth quarter.

"It's not complicated," he told the BBC. "It's about recognizing that we're in business to serve our customers and clients, to deliver return for our shareholders. But also to be good for the societies where we do business, particularly Britain, where we are a major bank."

He said the bank has already taken steps to back his words.?Barclays?has closed the structured capital markets business ? which sought ways for its customers to pay less tax on their investments ? as well as cutting bonuses and removing branch sales incentives. Even so, he said it would take years before "people changed their impression of us."

"Believe me, I understand the cynics and the skeptics out there," he told the BBC. "But cynics and skeptics never built anything. This is about fundamentally changing?Barclays. And we will be judged by our actions not our words."

Barclays?recorded a loss of 236 million pounds ($368 million) for 2012 against a net profit of 3.9 billion pounds for 2011. It made 2.45 billion pounds in provisions in 2012 for compensating clients for the mis-sold products.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/K4TP475Uwmc/Barclays-to-cut-3700-jobs-following-interest-rate-scandal

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Source: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/windowsazure/archive/2013/02/11/windows-azure-community-news-roundup-edition-54.aspx

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Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/02/charlie-sheen-pleads-with-christopher-dormer-call-me/

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Wisdom's mate attends to their newborn chick, while the mother was out at sea. (Live Science)

The oldest known living wild bird in the world has given birth to a healthy hatchling. The 62-year-old bird, ?Wisdom,? last made headlines in 2011, when the albatross survived the aftermath of the Japanese tsunami.

Wisdom has defied the odds in many aspects: She?s already lived nearly twice as long as the average Laysan albatross. She was given her name after being tagged by a U.S. Geological Survey researcher in 1956. The USGS said in a statement that since being tagged, Wisdom has flown an estimated 2 million to 3 million miles, or ?four to six trips from the Earth to the Moon and back again with plenty of miles to spare.?

?To know that she can still successfully raise young at age 60-plus, that is beyond words,? USGS bird banding program chief Bruce Peterjohn said. ?While the process of banding a bird has not changed greatly during the past century, the information provided by birds marked with a simple numbered metal band has transformed our knowledge of birds.?

And while there have been other albatross birds spotted in the wild who are estimated to be around 50 years old, Wisdom is the only one on record to have given birth at such an advanced age. Though, some scientists may have seen the feat coming, when Wisdom gave birth two years ago to another chick, and has given birth to a total of five chicks since 2006.

?While I have grown old and gray and get around only with the use of a cane, Wisdom still looks and acts just the same as on the day I banded her,? said retired USGS scientist Chandler Robbins, who was in his 40s when he first banded Wisdom in 1956.

In 2001, Robbins ?rediscovered? Wisdom, helping the USGS determine her age and track her record-setting reproductive habits.

Because the Laysan albatross mates for life, USGS officials estimate that Wisdom has had to take on several ?much younger? male partners over the years to help foster an estimated 35 chicks.

?I?m trying to straighten out the record,? Robbins said. ?It takes a lot.?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/world-oldest-known-wild-bird-gives-birth-age-215033209.html

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A statue depicting the Vince Lombardi Super Bowl Trophy stands outside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome at sunset on Friday, Feb. 1, 2013, in New Orleans. The Baltimore Ravens are to play the San Francisco 49ers in NFL football's Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday at the Superdome. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

The Superdome, where the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game between the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens will be played, is seen at sunset Friday, Feb. 1, 2013, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh and Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh participate in a news conference for the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game Friday, Feb. 1, 2013, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis walks out to an NFL Super Bowl XLVII practice on Friday, Feb. 1, 2013, in Metairie, La. The Ravens face the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday, Feb. 3. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

A banner hangs from a balcony on Bourbon Street in tribute to Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, who is retiring as a player after Sunday's NFL football Super Bowl football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Ravens, Friday, Feb. 1, 2013, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? The journey to this Super Bowl wound through bounties and replacement refs, eventually bringing the big game back to the Big Easy ? with a replacement quarterback, a sibling rivalry and a grand exit for one of the NFL's greatest players, clouded by the obscure healing powers of deer-antler spray.

It is a Super Bowl of comebacks, of firsts and lasts, and ? if San Francisco wins ? the best.

A win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday gives the 49ers six championships, matching Pittsburgh's titles in the Super Bowl era. Unlike the Steelers, the Niners have never lost one.

Of course, they haven't won one in 18 years, either.

"There's a tradition with the San Francisco 49ers, but I think these guys are paving their own way," said Hall of Fame receiver and three-time champion Jerry Rice. "They're playing with a lot of swagger."

Or as owner Denise DeBartolo York said, "We've come full circle and the dynasty will prevail."

New Orleans has come full circle, too. Ravaged by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, losing a quarter of its population, abandoned by the Saints for an entire season, the city couldn't imagine hosting another Super Bowl. But as New Orleans recovered and rebuilt, it envisioned staging what Patriots owner Robert Kraft calls "the pre-eminent sporting event."

The NFL agreed it was time to return. And even if Commissioner Roger Goodell is despised here after slapping the Saints with suspensions and fines in the bounty scandal, the vibes from the French Quarter and Warehouse District this week have been supportive, even uplifting.

"It's also terrific for us to be back here in New Orleans," Goodell said, joking about voodoo dolls in his likeness. "Our 10th Super Bowl here, the first since Katrina, and it's clear this city is back bigger and better than ever."

There's the tale of the head coaching brothers, Baltimore's John and San Francisco's Jim, the first siblings to face off in a Super Bowl. And Ray Lewis, the pre-eminent linebacker of his generation on his self-proclaimed last ride. (His farewell party was somewhat sidetracked for two days this week when Lewis waved off a report that he tried to get unusual products like deer-antler spray to speed his recovery from an arm injury that sidelined him for 10 games.)

"There are so many storylines to this game that make it bigger than just the Super Bowl," 49ers CEO Jed York said.

Such as the Harbaughs plot about sons of a lifetime coach who took different paths to the top of the NFL.

John, older by 15 months, has made his career standing on the sideline with a headset. He's the only head coach to win playoff games in his first five seasons; his quarterback, Joe Flacco, has the same distinction as he heads into his first Super Bowl. Jim Harbaugh was a first-round draft pick and quarterbacked four teams in 14 pro seasons before going into coaching. He was an immediate success at San Diego ? the Toreros in the college Pioneer League, not the Chargers in the NFL ? and Stanford before the 49ers won a bidding war for him in 2011.

This week's family reunion has been light-hearted, though that figures to change Sunday.

"It's probably a little tougher emotionally," John Harbaugh said of facing his brother. "It's a little tougher just from the sense of I don't think you think about it when you're coaching against somebody else; it's more about the scheme and the strategy. There's a little bit of a relationship element that's more strong than maybe coaching against someone else.

"I'll have a better answer for you after the game. I've never been through this before. This is all new."

And oh-so-new for the QBs, Flacco and Colin Kaepernick.

Flacco is no fluke, holding the career record for road playoff wins with six. But until outplaying Peyton Manning and Tom Brady this year, he hadn't gotten the Ravens to the Super Bowl. He has eight touchdown passes and no interceptions in the postseason, padding a resume that soon will make him one very highly paid quarterback: Flacco's contract expires after this game. Even with a franchise tag applied by Baltimore (13-6), he'll make about $14.6 million next season.

"I think when you talk about winning as quarterbacks in the playoffs," Flacco said, "I would think that all of them have Super Bowl victories. So that's really the only one that matters, and that's what we're trying to get."

Naturally, so are the 49ers (13-4-1), whose midseason adoption of the pistol offense to best use Kaepernick's dynamic versatility added a dimension no one has been able to stop. The Niners might never have taken such a huge step had incumbent Alex Smith, in the midst of his best season, not sustained a concussion on Nov. 11. Kaepernick took over and the offense took off.

Once Smith was healthy, he no longer was the starter. Jim Harbaugh gambled by sticking with the raw second-year quarterback who brought more game-breaking skills to the position.

Difficult decisions like that are sometimes foolhardy, sometimes inspired.

This one worked superbly, and Kaepernick stands one victory from joining Joe Montana and Steve Young as a 49er Super Bowl champion.

"It was tough watching this team do well and not being able to contribute," said Kaepernick, more recognized before his promotion for his collection of tattoos than for his strong arm and sprinter's speed. "For me, what kept me going was the fact that I might get an opportunity to get out there. When I did, I needed to take advantage of it."

The 49ers hope to take advantage in the same Superdome where they were at their most dominant, beating Denver 55-10 in 1990 in the biggest rout the Super Bowl has seen.

The Steelers are recognized as the true powerhouse of the Super Bowl era, which is nearly a half-century old. Four of those titles came in the 1970s, with Mean Joe Greene and the Steel Curtain shutting down opponents while Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris and Lynn Swann were scoring on them.

But the last two were in 2005 and 2008, and they've been perennial playoff qualifiers, too. That kept them in the football forefront.

For the 49ers the golden years of Montana, Rice, Young and Ronnie Lott ended with the 1994 season. They didn't even make the playoffs from 2003-10, and this is their first trip back to the Super Bowl.

Rice sees Super Bowl win No. 6 coming Sunday.

"I just think we had players who played well in the big game," he said. "My best football that I played, I think, happened in the playoffs and in the Super Bowl. I think it's the same with these players."

None of whom, except for center Jonathan Goodwin and linebacker Clark Haggans, has won a title. That's still one more ring than the Ravens have: Lewis is the sole NFL champion in Baltimore.

Lewis hungers for these teammates to taste their first title ? and to do it in his last game.

"I've touched the Lombardi (Trophy), and I know how it feels," the perennial All-Pro said. "For these guys who've made this journey with me to feel that, it would be the perfect ending for my career."

Like Lewis, 49ers receiver Randy Moss also could be suiting up for the final time, although he hopes to play another year.

Grabbed off the scrap heap after his career spiraled into oblivion and no team would touch him in 2011, Moss didn't do much on the field (28 catches, 434 yards) this season. His loudest headlines came this week when he proclaimed himself the greatest receiver ever; maybe he's never seen Rice's numbers.

Teammates say Moss was very influential as a mentor and teacher.

"Randy's like my older brother," said Michael Crabtree, who emerged as a top receiver in his fourth pro season. "An older brother you would have that's been through a lot that you just can learn from just talking to him, watching him.

"He's a legend and I hope he'll be here next year."

Lewis won't be. He'll don the face paint, put on his No. 52 for the final time, and see if he can replicate the championship of a dozen years ago.

"You can never top the first one, because that's an unknown feeling," Lewis said before adding with a chuckle, eyes widening, "but a second one ? that might be the only way you really can top it."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-03-FBN-Super-Bowl/id-e0c76b722a4248c7bc76213ec9babc92

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NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? Linebacker Luke Kuechly, Carolina's tackling machine, has won the Associated Press 2012 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

Kuechly, a first-round pick from Boston College, led the league with 164 tackles. He began the season on the outside but moved to middle linebacker five games into the season and the Panthers went from 24th in the league in overall defense to 10th.

He earned 28 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league. That easily outdistanced Seattle LB Bobby Wagner with 11.

Green Bay cornerback Casey Hayward got six votes, while St. Louis CB Janoris Jenkins got three. Tampa Bay LB Lavonte David got the other two votes.

He is the second Panther to win the award; DE Julius Peppers got it in 2002.

Kuechly accepted his award Saturday night at the "2nd Annual NFL Honors" awards show on CBS saluting the NFL's best players, performances and plays from the 2012 season.

___

Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-02-FBN-NFL-Defensive-Rookie/id-f63c975818424871a76e5b3a1d1afc7e

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Jan. 31, 2013 ? A genetically reprogrammed Herpes simplex virus (HSV) can cure metastatic diffusion of human cancer cells in the abdomen of laboratory mice, according to a new study published January 31 in the Open Access journal PLOS Pathogens. The paper reports on the collaborative research from scientists at the at the University of Bologna and specifically describes that the HSV converted into a therapeutic anticancer agent attacks breast and ovarian cancer metastases.

Past decades have witnessed significant progress in the ability to treat numerous cancers by means of surgery, chemo- and radio-therapy, or combinations thereof. However, many treatments prolong life for a short time only, or are associated with a poor quality of life.

Lead investigator Gabriella Campadelli-Fiume and colleagues re-engineered the entry apparatus of a candidate oncolytic herpesvirus. The reprogrammed virus no longer infects the cells usually targeted by the wild-type virus, nor does it cause herpes-related pathologies. Rather, it acts as a specific weapon against tumor cells that express the HER-2 oncogene.

"Numerous laboratories worldwide are using viruses as more specific weapons against cancer cells, called oncolytic viruses," says Campadelli-Fiume, Professor of Microbiology and Virology. "Safety concerns prevailed so far, and all oncolytic herpesviruses now in clinical trials are debilitated viruses, effective only against a fraction of tumors. We were the first to obtain a herpes virus reprogrammed to enter HER-2-positive tumor cells, unable to infect any other cell, yet preserves the full-blown killing capacity of the wild-type HSV."

Additionally, the laboratory of Pier-Luigi Lollini, Patrizia Nanni and Carla De Giovanni in collaboration with researchers at the Rizzoli Institute, established the new model of human cancer metastases in mice that was used to demonstrate the therapeutic efficacy of the reprogrammed virus.

The positive results obtained in the treatment of experimental metastasis hold the promise that the newly retargeted oncolytic HSV described in PLOS Pathogens is a good candidate to become a novel type of cancer treatment, and represents a key step forward in the path to clinical trials for late stage human breast and ovarian cancers.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Public Library of Science.

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Journal Reference:

Patrizia Nanni, Valentina Gatta, Laura Menotti, Carla De Giovanni, Marianna Ianzano, Arianna Palladini, Valentina Grosso, Massimiliano Dall'Ora, Stefania Croci, Giordano Nicoletti, Lorena Landuzzi, Manuela Iezzi, Gabriella Campadelli-Fiume, Pier-Luigi Lollini. Preclinical Therapy of Disseminated HER-2 Ovarian and Breast Carcinomas with a HER-2-Retargeted Oncolytic Herpesvirus. PLoS Pathogens, 2013; 9 (1): e1003155 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003155

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

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/IZqPRKXO0hE/130201090820.htm

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ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek prosecutors have ordered the two main ruling parties to testify in an investigation into more than 200 million euros in loans they received from banks, officials said on Friday.

The investigation - which is examining whether the loans are legal and whether any wrongdoing was involved - could embarrass the fragile conservative-led government, which relies on aid from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.

Last year a Reuters report revealed the conservative New Democracy and the Socialist PASOK parties were close to being overwhelmed by debts of more than 200 million euros as they face a slump in state funding because of falling public support.

Senior officials from the two parties will appear before financial crime prosecutors on February 18, court officials said.

"They will be investigated for suspected crimes against the state," said a court official who declined to be named. The prosecutors are also looking into the finances of the Communist KKE party, the court official said.

A PASOK official confirmed the party had been asked to testify, but declined to comment on the case.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras' New Democracy party did not immediately respond to a call for comment. The party has previously said the bulk of its loans were being paid on time, and only a small part of the loans may have become late or non-performing.

Like other EU parties, Greek parties get state funding depending on their share of the vote. Relying on strong results in the past, New Democracy and the Socialist PASOK had pledged future state funding as collateral for bank loans.

Banking sources familiar with the issue told Reuters in September that the two parties combined owe 232 million euros to Greek banks and some of the loans are going unpaid.

In a June vote, support for the two parties which have dominated Greek politics for decades collapsed, leaving them with loans and facing much smaller incomes. PASOK saw its support plunge from 43 percent to 12 percent, while New Democracy's share fell from 33 percent to 29 percent.

Greece, which is implementing austerity measures demanded by its foreign lenders in return for aid to keep afloat, spent 65 million euros in 2010 and 54 million euros in 2011 to fund parties. In 2012, the two ruling parties received 11 million euros, based on the results of the 2009 election.

(Reporting by Renee Maltezou; Editing by Stephen Powell)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/greek-political-parties-testify-over-bank-loans-174009895--finance.html

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Remember Eve 6? Those were the days. No, I'm not talking about "Here's To the Night" playing at some high school dance. I'm talking about "Inside Out," or the under appreciated never-a-single "How Much Longer." Turns out those guys are still kicking, and the relatively new single "Curtain" ain't half bad. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/9GDNxzmjTsg/eve-6-curtain

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MyFeePlan.com will start to offer military records along with continued service of other valuable public records.

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) January 31, 2013

MyFeePlan has expanded the scope of their public records database to include military records, company officials said yesterday.

?We have had numerous requests from our customers to make military records available to them,? said company spokesman Josh Fraser. ?It took us some time to add them to the database, but they are now there and we are happy to have the chance to find a new way to satisfy our customers.?

MyFeePlan is a public document search company. In the past they have offered arrest records, warrant checks, driving records checks, sex offender checks, and vehicle history reports to the general public.

?This is just one more way for us to make sure that information that is supposed to be public remains available to the public," Fraser said. ?Your tax dollars were used to generate these records, so you should be able to have access to them.?

Fraser said there were a variety of reasons that people may want to use a military records check.

?Maybe you've lost touch with an old army buddy and want to locate him,? Fraser said. ?Or maybe someone has applied for a job at your company and claims to have a stellar military record. Wouldn't you want to find out for sure if they are telling the truth, or if they left the military for less than honorable reasons??

The company said that as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continue to wind down and soldiers come home, he expects there the demand for military records checks to continue to grow.

?The people asked for them and we've found a way to give it to them,? he said.

About MyFeePlan.com:

MyFeePlan.com is a customer service solution for public records services like background checks, vehicle history reports, criminal checks, driving records, arrest records, etc. They provide 24/7 live chat and phone support with REAL, professional customer service representatives.

Josh Fraser
MyFeePlan.com
1-888-361-7496
Email Information

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/myfeeplan-begin-offering-public-military-records-customers-081456554.html

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All Critics (71) | Top Critics (18) | Fresh (68) | Rotten (3)

Happy, sad, inspiring, infuriating, right and terribly wrong, all at the same time.

Berg's film is as much an indictment of the state of Arkansas' legal system as it is the prosecution.

Berg's film helps illuminate a case that should certainly be the shame of the state of Arkansas, and perhaps the criminal justice system of the entire United States.

Dubious evidence; suspicious confessions; conveniently located "poor white trash" (Echols' words) to take the rap: The case stank from the beginning, Berg's film argues.

Less an investigative report than a portrait of the community that forms around an ongoing court case, this conveys a patient understanding of the intricacies of law and human behavior that may be termed Kieslowskian.

"West of Memphis" is the fourth film about one of the most heinous cases of wrongful conviction in American judicial history. Do we need a fourth film? Yes, I think we do.

A frankly extraordinary document about the three innocent children who were murdered in West Memphis, Arkansas and the three innocent teenagers who spent 18 years in prison for the crime.

(Director Amy) Berg's doc is gripping, often infuriating, but in the end hopeful about the ability of truth and innocence to prevail thanks to the efforts of those who strive against all obstacles to uphold them.

The new film is largely a recap of the older ones, with more celebrity testimonials and fewer Metallica songs but little fresh insight into the miscarriage of justice it chronicles.

Extols the efforts of celebrities to win the release of three innocent men [and is] suspenseful when it's straightforward-the best CSI investigation that money can buy.

Nearly overwhelms you with hopelessness, if not an adrenaline rush of rage - even if you're familiar with the case.

It's a beautifully done piece of work in its own right, yet viewed beside the trilogy which preceded it, it comes across a bit like "Paradise Lost 3b - the Celebrity Edition."

A whodunit in which truth devastatingly becomes a luxury.

New evidence and a fresh perspective keep the subject matter compelling.

Filmmaker Amy Berg (Oscar nominated Deliver Us From Evil) has once again struck documentary gold with her hard-hitting journalistic feature, West of Memphis.

A lot of it is treading on ground that's been laid by other people, but there's a lot of great new stuff, too.

The infuriating facts in this famous case are illuminated with new human detail.

No quotes approved yet for West of Memphis. Logged in users can submit quotes.

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

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Vacancy Rates Decline Nationwide as Demand Spreads to a Wider Range of Buildings; Rents Rising Primarily Among Large Buildings in Select Cities and Areas

ECONOMIC CONDITIONS

As the Europeon economic slowdown and?worsening tensions contribute to a weakening of exports, the GDP growth rate for the fourth quarter of 2012 is expected to show a decline of 0.2 points quarter-on-quarter (q-o-q) to 0.3%, According to the Bank of Japan, the Tankan Large Manufacturing Enterprise Diffusion Index (DI) 9 paints from the previous survey period To -12 points. However, the forecast DI is expected to recover by 2 points. Going forward, economic conditions are expected to recover gradually from the current downturn as there are hopes that the change in government will have a favorable?economic impact. Furthermore, domestic demand continue to be supported by recovery measures trom the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 and effects from the previous emergency economic stimulus packages. Demand from overseas can also be anticipated to increase as emerging economies?recover.

DEMAND

Demand in Osaka is currently being driven and?absorbed by a new, large-scale building. In Tokyo, however, demand was seen to have spread io mid-scale and smaller buildings, while large sca|e relocat?ons seem to have run their course, Demand for upgrades in the location and quality ot buildings have been firming up nationwide. Scattered cases of?companies relocating to take more space have?been observed, as well as relocations away?from aging company-owned buildings with the?result being an increase in occupied floor?space. Available space in prime buildings?which meets tenants requirements (i.e. BCP?planning, earthquake resistance) is becoming?scarce in many cities, and in cities such as Fukuoka and Yokohama, demand has spread to buildings that are relatively further away from?train stations, or older buildings with?competitive rents that previously struggled to?find tenants. There are concerns of demand?becoming restrained with the lack of prime?buildings that tenants seek in regional cities?such as Sapporo, Hiroshima, or in Saitama?where supply is already tight.

NEW SUPPLY/VACANCY RATES

The Grade A vacancy rate in Tokyo fell 0.5?points to 8.8% as a new Grade A building was completed at almost full occupancy. The vacancy rate For Tokyo?s 23 Wards, however, remained flat at 7.5%. The Grade A vacancy rate in Osaka declined by 2.9 paints io 8.7%, improving significantly after a landmark Grade A was compieted this quarter at high occupancy. The vacancy rate of the overall city was down by 0.4 points In Nagoya, where?no new Grade A buildings have been completed in the last three years, the Grade A?vacancy rate dropped by 0.9 point to 18%, reflecting the?tight supply. The overall vacancy rate also fell by 0.1 points.?In other regional cities where supply has been limited, demand is?being concentrated in the city center areas. Saitama and Kobe led?the way as the vacancy rate throughout the country improves, with?Saitama dropping 1.5 points and Kobe dropping by 1.4?points Saitama?s vacancy rate at 4.1% is now the lowest in?the notion.

RENT

The Grade A assumed achievable rent in Osaka increased?marginally, while in Nagoya and Tokyo they were flat. Average asking rents are slightly weakening in some including Kyoto, which increased last quarter, and Sendai. On the other hand, Kobe recorded its second consecutive increase, with Sapporo, Saitama and Hiroshima following with overall average asking rents varying from flat to slightly increasing.

TOKYO

TOKYO GRADE A BUILDINGS

Vacancy rates decline for two consecutive quarters after peaking in?Q2/2012

The Grade A vacancy rate in Q4/2012 tell 0.5 points to 8.8%. While the quantity of new supply has been relatively low, the completion ol a Grade A building at almost full occupancy, and scattered cases ot large relocations mostly at newer existing buildings seems to have contributed to the improved vacancy Nihonbashi and?other areas are seeing very tight supply with the vacancy rate below?1%.

Rents down slightly

Average assumed achievable rent fell 03% to per tsubo,?showing virtually no change in The borlom?ng of rental levels since the beginning of the year. Although vacancy rares have declined after?overcoming the mass of new supply during the first half of the year, the market still lacks the strength to push rental up. There were cases where rents were pulled up in some buildings due to their favorable location and high specifications. However, the opposite?case was also observed, and the market overall is seeing flat rents.

Despite weak demand, positive?minded relocation have increased;?rents at turning point

New demand this quarter was approximately 19,000 tsubo, down?16% Foreign relations disputes, the continuing strong yen, and the uncertain global economic forecast withered the corporate mindset, which led to the drop in demand. While some relocations related to cost-cutting and operational consolidations continue to be observed, cases of corporate relocotions to expand operations, and improve the location and specs ot the buildings have been increasingly observed. Despite the lack of a single industry leading corporate relocations, a wide range of domestic and foreign manufacturing, financial and IT companies led relocations in the fourth quarter. Although new supply during the quarter consisted of o single building in the Otemachi area, a relatively large amount of supply consisting of approximately 57,000 tsubo is expected to be coming into the market in Q1/2013. Pre-leasing activities seem to be firm overall, with one building having already secured 90% of its?tenants.

TOKYO?S 23 WARDS

Vacancy rate flat at 7.5%

The vacancy rate for Tokyo?s 23 Wards remained flat from the previous quarter at 7.5%. New supply in Q4 was approximately?30,000 tsubo, comparable to the level in the previous quarter. The?risk of oversupply was minimal, and redevelopment of large buildings resulted in the demolition of over 30,000 tsubo. This helped keep vacancy rate flat despite the fact that the growth in demand rose little more than 15,000 tsubo. The demand absorbed by existing buildings this quarter was approximately 120,000 tsubo, which is at similar levels from the previous quarter?s 150,000 absorbed tsubo. With the lack of large scale relocation activities, the overall demand ended up being sluggish in terms of net-absoprtion. There were an increased number of buildings with more than 1,000 tsubo of vacant space this quarter, which was a result of impending vacancies becoming realized from the past large scale relocations. While these buildings are receiving inquiries, it appears to be taking time to finalize deals.

Vacancies of 100 to 1,000 tsubo decline

Mid-scaled relocations have been active this quarter. Filing of vacancies in the 100 to 1,000 tsubo range increased q-o-q from 73,000 tsubo to 78,000 this quarter. This exceeds the amount of vacancies emerging in the same scale by more than 20,000 tsubo. While there seems to be fewer large-scale relocations this quarter, mid-scale relocations are being observed by a wider range of tenants for BCP purposes. These mid-scale relocations are anticipated to push demand in the future.

Focus is on the 2013 pre-leasing activities

The pre-leasing status of new buildings coming online in 2013 is high, companies considering large scale relocations may make decisions faster once there are signs of macroeconomic improvement. This brings anticipation of an increase in the rate of demand in the market. In some areas, rents have already increased, with rental increases centering on large buildings. Rents are expected to increase in a wider range of areas once demand is sustained.

OSAKA

Vacancy rate decreases in Grade A buildings, and Osaka overall

The vacancy rate in Osaka during the fourth quarter of 2012 was 9.4%, a decline of 0.4 This is the fifth consecutive drop. The Grade A vacancy rate was down 2.9 to 8.7% as a Grade A building was completed ai high occupancy this quarter, and anoiher large building secured a ienani that would lease over 3,000 isubo of available space.

Large building completed at high occupancy

A large office building was completed Nakanoshima this quarter.?This is a mixed-use building which has the capacity to lease out office?space in addition to the owner-occupied space, along with a music hall and retail complex. Its landmark status has drawn demand from existing buildings in the vicinity to achieve high occupancy upon completion. While there are concerns of the vacancy rate increasing resulting from these tenant moving, the effects are thought to be minimal as some of these buildings are subject for redevelopment due to their age. Other trends within Osaka include scattered cases of relocation from aging company-owned buildings to newer large buildings, integration of company offices that had been dispersed at multiple locations including company-owned suburban buildings, and other moves that tend to increase leasing activity in the office market.

Corporate mindset towards relocation is firm; demand expected to be

Tenant demand tended to concentrate at buildings of a certain grade?and level of competitiveness, particularly those in favorable locations, built relatively recently, and meeting the latest seismic resistance standards, With rents at newer and larger buildings at levels compatible with the of cost tenants are able to bear, corporate attitudes toward relocation have been improving, so that demand is expected to remain strong at newer and larger buildings in the near future.

NAGOYA

Nagoya?s citywide vacancy rate falls for 10th straight quarter

The vacancy rate in Nagoya fell 0.1 points this quarter to 11.3%,?which was its 10th consecutive decline. Having reached a peak of 14.3% during the second quarter of 2010, the vacancy rate has improved by 3.0 points during the intervening two and a half years.?A trend ?oward companies expanding is a|ready under way, including relocations for expansion of existing offices and the establishment of new offices. This is part of the overall trend of the vacancy raie declining, but discrepancies have been observed between different areas. With demand tending to concentrate in the
Meieki-area, progress in improving vacancy rates has been at a standstill in other areas such as Fushimi, Marunouchi and Sakae. Efforts to attract tenants with relatively competitive rents and other incentives in these areas have been ongoing. In the Meieki station area, meanwhile, vacancies at newer buildings have been decreasing, putting a stop to declines in rent levels.

Grade A vacancy rate improves further

The vacancy raie at Grade A buildings fell 0.9 points io 1.8%.?Demand for space at Grade A buildings was strong, due in part To BCP efforts, and large scale vacancy spaces were filled by the opening of new offices. With no new Grade A supply during the three years since 2010, supply remains tight. While assumed achievable rents remained flat during the quarter, Grade A rents in the Meieki area are at their tipping point.

No new supply this quarter; low level of new supply expected in?201 3

There was no new supply during the review quarter, and new supply?is expected to remain low throughout 2013. Until the scheduled completion in 2015 of multiple large-scale development projects fronting Nagoya Station, new supply is forecast to remain low.?Barring any alteration of economic trends, vacancy rates are therefore expected to continue their gradual decline throughout 2013.

ADDITIONAL JAPAN MARKETS

SAPPORO

Office market characterized by continuing declines ?vacancy rates

Call centers continued to relocate in order to expand operations.?Furthermore, relocations to landmark and newer existing buildings were?observed, as well as scattered cases of companies relocating to better?locations. Large scale vacancies are becoming scarce as a result, and those?impending vacancies were quickly filled in some buildings. It is particularly?difficult to secure large scale spaces in the city centers, and demand has?spread to the Sapporo Station North Exit and Nishi 11-chrome areas, where?inquiries are concentrated on buildings with large vacant space available.?The vacancy rate in Sapporo fell 0.5 points to 8.3%. Although the vacancy?rate was Flat in the Sosegawa-h?gashi area, the rates for central Sapporo,?as well as the areas around the Sapporo Station North Exit and Nishi 11-chrome all declined. As vacancy rates continue to decline, there is some?concern that demand will run up against a lack of appropriate supply.

SENDAI

Major decline in vacancy in Minamimachi Dori area

With space being scarce around Sendai Station, tenants are increasing the?range of locations which they will consider. There has also been an?increase in the number of inquiries for spaces of 50 tsubo or less, as?companies open new offices as well as expand, and this trend? expected?to continue into the beginning of 2013. Furthermore, the change in the?government is anticipated to speed up the disaster recovery measures,?which would be a plus for office demand. The vacancy rate in the Minami-dori area saw a major decline, leading The overall vacancy rate in Sendai to drop 0.9 ?to 12.0%. The vacancy declines in the Minami-dori area?were due to select consolidating into two large buildings, occupying?spaces of over 300 tsubo each, over multiple floors.

SAITAMA

Vacancy rate in Saitama falls to mid-4% range

Although relocation activity has been sluggish due to the scarcity of large scale vacant space, one company in Omiya relocated 500 tsubo from the station?s East Exit area to the West Exit area in order to improve its location. In the East Exit area, there are scattered cases of new service oriented?businesses opening, such as esthetic salons and cram schools. Overall,?many tenants are looking to expand, but lack the resources to relocate to?large buildings, leading them to make due with expanding within their?existing building. With firm demand continuing, impending vacancies are?expected to till relatively easily, and owners of some large buildings intend?to raise asking rents when new vacancies emerge. The vacancy rate in?Saitama dropped 1.5% q-o-q points to 4.1%. This is by far the lowest?vacancy rate of any major city in the country. With such? space?available, the issue is the extent to which demand can be matched up the?space which is available.

YOKOHAMA

Vacancy rates decline moderately with multiple large relocations

Despite no new supply coming? in the review quarter, the market was?very active, including not JUst an increase in large relocations, but? an?increase in activity involving smaller floor areas. Large buildings at the?station?s West Exit have been successful at filling vacancies, and large scale?space in this area is no longer available. Yokohama?s vacancy rate was at?10.2%, falling by 0.1 points? Demand has been so firm that even?buildings farther from the station which have struggled in the past have?been able to reduce their vacancy by attracting an increasing proportion of?small-scale tenants. There was an active inflow and outflow of tenants in the?Minato-mirai area. While large scale vacancies emerged in existing?buildings resulting from tenants moving out, there was also a rare case?where a company made a large scale move from Tokyo. Although?companies relocating in the Kannai area are from within the same area, an?influx of demand from surrounding areas has also been seen, pushing?down vacancy. Demand is active in the Yokohama Station East Exit area,?with large scale vacancies expected to be filled going forward. While?demand is anticipated to improve, vacancy rates will need to decline further?before there is any turnaround in rental rates.

KANAZAWA

Demand firm in Kanazawa Station area

Office demand was concentrated in the Kanazawa station area, with the?vacancy rate improving in the station area. In the Minamimachi area,?however, there were scattered cases of buildings with large scale vacancies?remaining unfilled, and the vacancy rate is diverging between?Minamimachi and the Kanazawa Station area. Demand was mainly driven?by tenants relocating to improve the location and specs of their buildings,?as well as cases of tenants moving to increase leasing space. The vacancy rate in Kanazawa declined for the third straight quarter to 17.7%. This is a?decline to 1.3 points? While the |eve| of demand decreased during the?quarter, this affected the vacancy rate less than otherwise would be?expected as buildings were converted to other uses, and were therefore?excluded from the statistics.

No new supply is expected in 2013, and the vacancy rate is expected to keep improving. The opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen high-speed?railway line is expected to continue concentrating demand around the?Kanazawa station area.

KYOTO

Although vacancy rates decline, companies still cautious on relocation

Amid declining rental levels in Kyoto, demand increased from companies?relocating out of their own buildings as rents declined, and companies?consolidating their operations from the suburbs to the city center. There was?also an influx of demand coming from established companies newly?entering the rental market. This led the vacancy rate to decrease to 8.2%, a?decline of? points? Vacancy declines were also supported by?numerous small scale expansions from companies expanding within their?existing buildings. The first quarter of 2013 is expected to see multiple?large tenants, each occupying over 100 tsubo, withdrawing from the?market, which may push the vacancy rate up. These large scale spaces?opening up may provide an opportunity for tenants to become active, but?companies are showing caution towards relocating, which lead to a more?measured market recovery.

KOBE

First signs seen of activities that lead companies to expand

In the fourth quarter of 2012, companies continued relocating from?suburban locations to the city center, and from company owned buildings to?rental space, pushing the vacancy rate down to 9.8%, a q-o-q decline of?1.4 points. This was the fourth consecutive quarter of declining vacancy?rates. Declining rents stoked demand, with some companies relocating to?better locations, or expanding on the back of their strong business?performance. The number of companies relocating to more expensive space?is limited, but the low level of new supply coming online is expected to?continue to push the vacancy rote lower. Furthermore, a building that held?large vacancies was removed from the market supply as part of the change?in its building management, which contributed to the decline in Kobe?s overall vacancy rate.

HIROSHIMA

Changes in management and organizational structure lead demand

In the fourth quarter of 2012 demand in Hiroshima was propelled by?companies relocating due to corporate restructuring, as well as revised?organizational and administrative structures This helped Hiroshima?s?vacancy rate decline for the fifth consecutive quarter to l 1.2%, a decline of0.2 points? q-o-q. New leases, companies relocating as their business?expands, companies relocating from the suburbs to the city, and companies?moving out of their own buildings also account For the increased demand.?The low vacancy rates at prime buildings have led companies to delay?expansion plans, and therefore the vacancy rate is expected to decline?moderately.

TAKAMATSU

Demand For buildings with new seismic standards remains strong

Demand in Takamatsu came mainly from companies moving into buildings?with a higher? of earthquake resistance, This included companies?relocating out of their own buildings in the suburbs, as well as companies?moving to buildings with higher specifications within the same?neighborhood. The vacated company owned buildings are expected to be?sold or rented. This is an indication of the priority that tenants are putting on?buildings with a high level of earthquake resistance. Additionally, buildings?seeing high demand have a frontage on the main streets. Tenants continue?to remain very cost conscious when relocating, and therefore any?turnaround in rents is expected to be measured, although new leases and?companies that are taking more space have continued to increase since the?previous quarters Demand is expected to continue to be concentrated at?newer buildings with competitive rents and a high level of earthquake?resistance. While one large vacancyI resulted from the withdrawal of one?tenant occupying over 100 tsubo, the vacancy rate remained flat q-o-q? at?18%.

FUKUOKA

Tenant attitudes toward relocation remain firmly positive

Although the market was subdued in the review quarter, tenant activity?included new leases, expansion relocations, and relocations from the?suburbs to the city center. Some buildings that had previously been holding?out for higher rental levels saw their vacancy decline as they became more?flexible, and more competitive rental levels attracted tenants regardless of?the age of the building. The fourth quarter of 2012 saw Fukuoka?s vacancy?rate decline slightly to 10.6%. This is the first time in tour years that the?vacancy rate decreased below 11%, and the 0.6 points? decline was?the fifth consecutive quarter the vacancy rate dropped. With new supply?continuing to be limited in the next two quarters, and a lack of available?space in newer and prime buildings, the key to whether Fukuoka can?sustain this declining vacancy is the extent to which older buildings can?absorb demand with more competitive rents.

MARKET OUTLOOK

NATIONWIDE

Trend toward reduced vacancy rates continues; Rents Flat overall?despite increases in certain areas

Tenants continue to be open-minded to relocating, with the first signs?seen of activities that lead companies to expand and the trend of?relocating to higher quality buildings continues nation-wide. Business?performance is anticipated to improve, backed by the both the?recovering foreign demand and expanded domestic demand.?Vacancy rates can be seen to improve as demand is expected to?become more active. The current affordable rent levels are the main?drivers and motives for corporate relocations As of result, rents are?expected to be flat for the time being, despite scattered instances of?rental increases in areas with low vacancy, as companies will need?more time to bear substantial increase in the rents they pay.

TOKYO

Vacancy rates steadily improve; Rent increases may spread to more areas

In Tokyo, the? pre-leasing status of new buildings expected to be?completed in 2013 are at high levels.?A gradual economic recovery is expected to prompt a wider range of?companies To be more amenable to relocating. If This is the case, a?steady improvement is anticipated in the vacancy rates not just for the?Grade A market, but for Tokyo?s 23 Wards as a whole. With Grade?A rents expected to have bottomed out in the Fourth quarter of 2012,?they are expected to rise by 3% to 5% from its current? in a year?from now. Rents in some areas of Tokyo?s 23 Wards have already?started to increase, particularly at large buildings. It demand is?sustained, more areas are expected to see rents to start rising, with?rents of Tokyo?s 23 Wards anticipated to rise midyear or during?autumn 2013.

OSAKA

Vacant space is being absorbed; Grade A rents rise slightly

In Osaka, demand has been led by companies relocating to expand,?with demand being concentrated at high quality buildings with improved earthquake resistance. Although Grade A rents are?trending slightly upward, with the large quantity of new supply?scheduled to arrive in spring 2013, more time may be needed before?there is sustained upward pressure on rents. Companies continue to?be open-minded regarding relocation, with a sustained level of?demand and a lack of new supply in the second half of 2013, it is?possible that rents may turn around 2013.

?

Tokyo Apartments For Sale | Tokyo Apartments For Rent | Real Estate Japan

Source: http://www.realestate.co.jp/2013/01/31/japan-office-market-review/

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WASHINGTON (AP) -- Shares of Halozyme Therapeutics tumbled 8 percent Thursday after a Wall Street analyst downgraded the specialty drugmaker, saying that European regulators may not approve a key cancer drug this year.

THE SPARK: Wedbush analyst Gregory Wade downgraded the stock to "neutral" from "outperform," based on negative comments from Swiss drugmaker Roche, which has been collaborating with Halozyme on an injectable form of its cancer drug, Herceptin.

"As a result of Roche's comments we are removing our expectation that Herceptin will receive approval in 2013," Wade states in a note first released Wednesday. European approval of injectable Herceptin would have triggered an automatic Roche payment to Halozyme. Without that payment, Wade lowered his 2013 revenue estimate to $45 million from $53 million. He recommends investors stay "on the sidelines" until the chances for Herceptin winning European approval become more clear.

THE BIG PICTURE: Halozyme's Enhanze technology is designed to temporarily break down a substance in the body that forms a barrier between cells, so that drugs can be absorbed faster. That would allow some drugs to be delivered by an injection instead of an IV drip.

Several companies are testing use of the company's recombinant hyaluronidase enzyme, including Roche and Pfizer, the world's biggest drug company.

Roche is testing the company's recombinant hyaluronidase enzyme for use with the cancer drugs Herceptin and MabThera.

The company's stock took a battering in August, when the FDA temporarily halted the study of a ViroPharma International drug that used Halozyme's enzyme. The agency was concerned about possible side effects on fertility, reproduction and fetal development from antibodies produced in response to the enzyme. ViroPharma said in September that the FDA gave the company permission to resume testing of the drug, which is designed for patients with a rare genetic disease that causes swelling.

SHARE ACTION: Shares of Halozyme Therapeutics Inc., based in San Diego, fell 40 cents to close at $6.69.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/halozyme-falls-analyst-downgrade-201830231.html

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Unknown

News: GI Film Festival holds Officer auction

Wednesday, January 30, 2013, 07:37 PM - News Stories An Officer and an Auction. Sips with Socialites and the GI Film Festival cordially invite you to our January Fundraiser hosted at the GIFF January Fundraiser at The Embassy of Austria.? Join us on Thursday, January 31 -- from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm -- to take part in a military bachelor auction.? Bring your highest bid to win a dinner date with the single gentleman of your choice, or come to test your luck on great raffle prizes, free drinks, appetizers and a very special musical performance by C*A*M*M*O*...
(GIFF)

Al Jazeera America Has Received More Than 8,000 Applications. Within 24 hours of posting openings for the majority of their new positions, Al Jazeera America received 5000 applications for open positions, a number that has grown to 8,063 over the past three days, a network source told BuzzFeed.? Al Jazeera caused a stir earlier this month when it was announced that the Qatar-based network had bought the struggling liberal channel Current from Al Gore for $500 million, and would use it to expand into American coverage...
(BuzzFeed)

Mark Bowden's War Stories, From the Killing of Bin Laden to U.S. Drone Bombers. The day after President Obama announced the U.S. military had killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, former Philadelphia Inquirer columnist and Black Hawk Down author Mark Bowden was approached by a film producer who felt Bowden should be the one to write the movie version of the raid. So he emailed Obama press secretary Jay Carney and asked if he might be able to interview the players involved...

?
(Philadelphia Weekly)

Caution: Graphic Images - Sixty-Five Found Executed In Syria's Aleppo -Activists. Amateur video purports to show dozens of dead bodies with their hands bound lying by a small river. Activists said that at least 65 people, apparently shot in the head, were found dead with their hands bound in a district of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on Tuesday (January 29)...
(YouTube)

Humanitarian law, ethics, and journalism in Syria. A small number of journalists reporting from Syria have recently interviewed prisoners of war under highly coercive circumstances. In doing so, they have ignored the protections that are due to prisoners under international humanitarian law, or IHL...
(CPJ Journalist Security Blog)

Group Launches Second Mil-Writing Contest, Anthology. The Warriors Arts Alliance has published a call for submissions to a second volume of military-themed fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and photography. The non-fiction category includes creative non-fiction, essay, and oral history.? Both the anthology and a related contest are open to all military personnel, veterans, and military family members...
(Red Bull Rising)

In Mali, a war 'without images and without facts'. The French army is often called la Grande Muette, or "the Great Silent." The war in Mali confirms the French military's well-deserved reputation of being secretive about front-line actions. "Locking the information is more in the culture of the French army than of the U.S. army," says Maurice Botbol, director of La Lettre du Continent. In the first two weeks of military operations against Islamist militant groups in Mali, the French army has released only a blurry video of an air attack at an undisclosed location...
(CPJ Journalist Security Blog)

Quad amputee war vet shares story on Twitter

Tuesday, January 29, 2013, 03:52 AM - Twitter, News Stories

Image of Brenda Marrocco via Twitter

A number of news sites and blogs, including The New York Daily News, are reporting that Brendan Marrocco, a soldier who lost all four limbs in 2009 in Iraq, is recovering after undergoing a double arm transplant and a bone marrow transplant.

But it?s not just the media reporting about the transplant and recovery, Marrocco himself is sharing his story with the rest of the world through the microblogging site Twitter.

A month after the operation took place on December 18, 2012, at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, Marrocco tweeted, ?Ohh yeah today has been one month since my surgery and they already move a little?.

Marrocco (who tweets under the username @BMarr86) joined Twitter on December 2011, and to date, has published nearly 2,000 tweets.

With a Twitter tagline of ?Live Fast, Love Hard, #DieYoung #EatBacon?, Marrocco has been tweeting nearly daily, only taking off a few days for the 13-hour operation.

Since the news broke yesterday about the transplant, Marrocco has continued to remain lighthearted and cheerful on Twitter, sending messages to followers that included:

?ahhhhhhahahaha!!! Seems I?m way more famous then last time. This is like legit famous?

?I guess it?s a decent day to be that Brendan Marrocco kid?

?Wow front page of yahoo?maybe I really am a big deal.?

Marrocco and surgeons plan to discuss the transplant at a news conference later today.

You can follow Marrocco and his amazing story on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/BMarr86

Soldier discusses viral Afghanistan war video

Tuesday, January 29, 2013, 03:05 AM - News Stories Hear from the unseen soldier behind widely viewed Afghan war video. Hear from the Army private whose first-person video of a firefight in Afghanistan has received more than twenty-three million views on YouTube. The small, mountable cameras are often used for tactical means, but hours of combat footage taken by these helmet cams have also been viewed by millions on the Internet.
(Washington Post)

Looking behind the sightlines of an American soldier under Taliban fire. The video would be viewed more than 23 million times, making it perhaps the most-watched footage of the Afghan war. It began last April when Pfc. Ted Daniels pressed the record button on his helmet camera.?
(Washington Post)

Timbuktu library ? a treasure house of centuries of Malian history. Timbuktu's main library, officially called the Ahmed Baba Institute of Higher Islamic Studies and Research, is a treasure house containing more than 20,000 manuscripts covering centuries of Mali's history.?
(Guardian)

Twitter launches advertising services in Middle East. Twitter Inc launched advertising services in the Middle East and North Africa on Sunday as the social media firm seeks to exploit a tripling of its regional subscriber base following its widespread use during the Arab Spring protests.
(Reuters)

Group seeks World War II veterans to tell their stories. The Potomac Highlands World War II Roundtable is seeking veterans who want to tell their stories of serving in the military as part of a preservation project sponsored by the Friends of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.
(herald-mail.com)

Women train for Afghanistan frontline. The women of this Air Force group are training for the frontline of battle in Afghanistan. CNN's Don Lemon reports
(CNN)

Dan Nygard?s war stories explore military life at home and away. There is a lot of pressure to get it right when you write a war story. You must balance humanity with violence, explain impossible politics, convey the essence of a military culture that is largely hidden from society, and move through constant tragedy without getting bogged down.
(MinnPost)

Sniper! On Embedded Journalism and the Killing of an Al Jazeera Reporter. Journalism is a tough job. It?s a tough job, that is, if you aren?t one of the people who are content to sit in plush air-conditioned offices regurgitating material handed to you by various interested parties or randomly pulled off the internet and passed off as ?news
(Subversify)

Iranian journalists arrested in raids on newspapers. Security officials in Iran have raided at least four newspapers and arrested several journalists in what appears to be concerted action aimed at intimidating the media in advance of the presidential elections in June.?
(Guardian)

Milblogger Lee Kelley lands major book deal

Monday, January 28, 2013, 02:59 AM - Bloggers turned Writers Some very cool news this weekend for fans of military blogger Lee Kelley, who was once featured in the December 2006 Time Magazine ?People of the Year? issue.

This e-mail just landed in my inbox:

Former Army Captain and milblogger Lee Kelley (Wordsmith at War) has landed a major book deal, which is described in a recent issue of Publisher's Weekly:

?St. Martin?s Press has acquired a new book about the ?first? helicopter. Michael Flamini bought world rights, at auction, to Marine Colonel Ray ?Frenchy? L?Heureux?s Inside Marine One: Flying the World?s Most Famous Helicopter. L?Heureux, who?s flown the vehicle for several presidents (from George H.W. Bush through Barack Obama), was represented by agents Todd Shuster and Jacob Moore of Zachary Shuster Harmsworth Literary; L?Heureux is co-writing with military blogger Lee Kelley.

The book will explore the helicopter itself, as well as the elite squad that operates it (and that L?Heureux oversaw), HMX1. The book is slated for spring/summer 2014.?

Click the link, then scroll down to the section titled "SMP Boards Presidential Chopper" to learn more.

If you?d like to catch up on what?s been happening with Lee Kelley over the years, I wrote up a ?Where are they now?? story on Kelley last June.

Syrian Activists find love on Facebook

Sunday, January 27, 2013, 11:31 PM - Facebook, News Stories Social media has played an important role in the Arab Spring that began in 2010.

Facebook, Twitter, Skype, YouTube and other social networking sites have been used to spread information, images and video directly to the masses.

But that?s not all the sites are good for?

A story published on NPR?s website tells how activists have found love on Facebook during the Syrian uprising.

?Mohsen, an activist from Hama, says he first met Sara, his girlfriend of nearly two years, on Facebook.

She sent him a friend request because she saw he worked in the field of journalism, and for months they chatted casually about the Syrian uprising. Then, after government troops stormed Hama, Moshen fled to Damascus, where he and Sara finally met face to face.

"The revolution is what brought us together. ... It was the thing that pushed us toward each other," he says. "Without the revolution we were never going to meet in person."

Full story here.

Twitter terrorist account finally suspended

Saturday, January 26, 2013, 03:14 AM - Twitter, News Stories

The Twitter account of the militant Islamist group al-Shabab has finally been suspended.

The Associated Press reports that Twitter suspended the account on Friday after al-Shabab used the microblogging site earlier in the week to announce a death threat against Kenyan hostages.

This has been a long time coming as I?ve been griping for years (here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here), along with plenty of others, that Twitter needs to crackdown on terrorist accounts.

It?s suspected that al-Shabab has several Twitter accounts already springing up online, but this is a step in the right direction, although it?s a bit ridiculous it took this long.

Al-Shabab tweeted under the username (@HSMPress).? Visitors are redirected to a Twitter page stating the account has been suspended.

In mid January, al-Shabab published photographs of a dead French soldier, and then days later tried to defend themselves after an uproar.

News: Google Earth shows N. Korean prison camps

Friday, January 25, 2013, 10:30 PM - News Stories Google Earth exposes North Korea's secret prison camps. Human rights activists are turning to Google Earth to identify the vast network of prison camps that dot the North Korean countryside and hold as many as 200,000 people deemed hostile to the regime. Rights groups are pushing the United Nations high commissioner for human rights to open an international investigation into Pyongyang's "deplorable" record on its citizens' rights, including a system of political prisons that has operated for more than 50 years...
(Telegraph)

?Rise of the Drones? Is Mostly a PBS Infomercial for the Military Defense Industry. The widely-acclaimed PBS program, NOVA, premiered a documentary on unmanned aerial vehicles or drones. The documentary, ?Rise of the Drones,? was produced to explore how the technology is revolutionizing warfare and creating the next generation of cutting-edge surveillance. It was created to provide a glimpse at how the technology has advanced and how innovations might progress in the future...
(The Dissenter)

Tweeting the news: Andy Carvin test-pilots Twitter journalism. Andy Carvin?s official title is Senior Strategist, Social Media Desk at NPR, but that bureaucratic fog undercuts the scale of his work. More emphatically, The Columbia Journalism Review has called him a "living, breathing real-time verification system," while The Washington Post declared him ?a one-man Twitter news bureau.?
(

The Verge)

Time running out for old war stories. AN appeal has been launched to find the stories behind the names on St Clears's war memorial.? Philip Lanc, of Tenby Road, is trying to trace information on the men whose names are etched into the Pentre Road monument.? He said to many people it is just a list of names and he wants to provide the people of the town with the stories behind the men before it is too late.? "At any stage we could go and look at the military service record," said the 57-year-old...
(

This is South Wales)

Video Suggests Missile Hit Syrian University. ?At least one of the two explosions that killed more than 80 people at Syria?s Aleppo University last week was caused by a missile, according to two analysts who examined new video of the attack posted online by Syrian opposition activists.? Traces of what appears to be a missile descending moments before the huge blast can be seen in three still frames taken from the brief video clip, which seems to have been recorded on the university campus as the second rocket shattered a dormitory...
(

The New York Times)

Almost all in Congress use Twitter; if only bills could be as short as tweets. Four years ago, when President Barack Obama was first inaugurated, the savvy social media politician was among the first to use Twitter to his advantage to get his message out to voters. Republicans also used the short-messaging blog back then to heckle the new president as he delivered a speech to Congress...
(

NBCNEWS)

Serbia to review probes into killed reporters. THE Serbian government on Thursday appointed a team to review the probes into the unsolved murders of three Serb journalists killed during and right after the 1990s regime of strongman Slobodan Milosevic.? A committee composed of prominent journalists, top police and intelligence officials is ``tasked to examine facts collected during the probes and other circumstances related to the murders of Dada Vujasinovic, Slavko Curuvija and Milan Pantic,'' a government spokesman said...
(

The Australian)

Twitter reactions to women in combat

Thursday, January 24, 2013, 01:59 AM - Twitter Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta is lifting the military?s official ban on women in combat, reports The New York Times.

Reporter Elisabeth Bumiller writes, "The groundbreaking decision overturns a 1994 Pentagon rule that restricts women from artillery, armor, infantry and other such combat roles, even though in reality women have frequently found themselves in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, where more than 20,000 have served. As of last year, more than 800 women had been wounded in the two wars and more than 130 had died."

The New York Times tweeted a link to the story on Wednesday and the tweet ended up being retweeted by users nearly 1,000 times (749 at the time of this story being published).

People from all over the world took to Twitter to express their opinion and react to the news.

Here are a handful of the Twitter reactions, with some in favor, some against.

John McCain ?@SenJohnMcCain
?I respect and support Secretary Panetta?s decision to lift the ban on women serving in combat?

Tammy Bruce ?@HeyTammyBruce
?And btw, every line in today's world is the "front line." Women *have* been fighting in combat. Now they'll get paid/recognized for it.?

Desiring God ?@desiringgod
"A man who endorses women in combat is not pro-woman; he?s a wimp. He should be ashamed" (John Piper, 2007)?

Kelly ?@KLSouth
?Women in Combat directly impact combat effectiveness of our military. This is an attempt to further weaken America.?

The American Caliban ?@substitute
?Women now permitted in combat in US military; 300 Hollywood scripts start.?

Malcolm Fraser ?@MalcolmFraser12
?Women have been unofficially involved in military combat for years?

Jen Kirkman ?@JenKirkman
?Once the ban is lifted on women in military combat, that draft better not come back.?

MJ Rosenberg ?@MJayRosenberg
?Women in combat. Progress? Nothing about war is progress except ending it, not enlarging pool of victims.?

Zerlina Maxwell ?@ZerlinaMaxwell

"women allowed in combat = Conservatives say, "but what about their safety!" 1 in 3 women raped in the military = Crickets."

Andrew Kaczynski ?@BuzzFeedAndrew
?146 women have died in uniform since 2001, regardless of the ban on women in combat lifted today?

Political Dissident ?@der_bluthund
"Personally, I think we should put all that energy used against women in combat roles into protecting civilians who get caught up in wars..."

Ron M. ?@Jewtastic
?I guess since there were not enough women in his White House to please his base, the President threw them into combat instead.?

Jamil Smith ?@JamilSmith
?Seems @davidfrum was for lifting the ban on women in combat before he was against it.?

Johnny Fuggin Bravo ?@MrFitMarine

?How I feel about women in combat? BOOTS 2 ASSES. S/O to every brave woman who takes that step.?

Chris Regan ?@ChrisRRegan
?Women now cleared for combat! Or at least the economically-disadvantaged ones.?

Viral: French soldier in Call of Duty mask

Wednesday, January 23, 2013, 03:43 AM - News Stories

Photo by Issouf Sanogo

A photograph of a French legionnaire in Mali wearing a skeleton face mask drew an angry reaction from the French military and government.

Reactions on Twitter and other social media sites range from condemnation to expressing support.? One Twitter user @phillycat writes, ?It?s badass?.?

AFP photographer Issouf Sanogo took the photo on January 20th, which quickly went viral because of its likeness to the Call of Duty character "Ghost", a non-playable British character in Modern Warfare 2, who wears a pair of sunglasses and a skull-patterned balaclava, similar to the one worn by the French soldier.

Sanogo told the story behind the image to AFP:

?A helicopter was coming in to land and churning up tremendous dust clouds. Instinctively, all the soldiers grabbed their scarfs to avoid getting a mouthful of sand. It was evening, and rays of sunlight were pushing through the trees and into the dust clouds. It was a lovely light. I spotted this soldier wearing a strange scarf and took the photo. At the time, nothing about the scene seemed especially unusual or shocking. The soldier wasn?t posing and there was nothing staged about the image. He was just standing there, protecting his face from the dust, waiting for the chopper to land. No one tried to stop me shooting the picture.?

Here?s a look at the image of the Call of Duty character Ghost.

According to the video game news site Kotaku which calls the controversy ?silly?, "The photographer at the heart of the controversy, AFP's Issouf Sanogo, is "surprised" by the resulting media storm."

Luke Plunkett writes, "French authorities are now trying to identify the soldier, presumably so they can reprimand/make a scapegoat out of him."

News: Military ethics debated on Twitter #METC

Wednesday, January 23, 2013, 03:01 AM - News Stories Newest Forum for Military?s Ethics Debate: Twitter. There are two major venues for an uncomfortable internal debate about professional ethics currently roiling the U.S. military. One is the Pentagon, where the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is reviewing leadership training after a spate of embarrassing incidents suggested the military?s moral fibers have frayed. The other is Twitter.? While Rebecca Johnson, an associate professor at the Marine Corps University?s Command and Staff College, prepared to teach her ethics elective to a group of mid-career Marine officers, she decided she?d like to get all of Twitter involved...
(Wired)

DOD hopes to harness power of tweets, blogs and updates as intelligence tool. When is a tweet more than just a tweet? When that tweet - along with millions of other bits of digital data - is merged to create a network of real-time information, all that can be harnessed and used by the military.? How to harness and interpret such massive amounts of information is the goal of an initiative through the Department of Defense's Data to Decisions program, run by the Office of Naval Research...
(al.com)

Veteran stands up for 2nd Amendment at Chicago anti-gun forum. After enduring hours of derision and mockery by the panelists at a Chicago-area guns ?forum? Sunday, one man in the audience stood up and addressed the crowd, identified himself as a veteran, and proceeded to give a straightforward but passionate defense of his support for the First and Second Amendments...
(Legal Insurrection)

Al Jazeera Is Hiring. Looks like someone is hiring. Al Jazeera just posted a list of over 100 job openings on their website for the soon-to-launch new U.S.-based news channel.? At the beginning of the year, Al Jazeera Media Network announced that it had acquired Current TV, the network founded by Al Gore, and would use the network?s distribution system to launch a new U.S.-based news channel for American audiences...
(Observer)

Some news orgs? social media policies are on shaky legal ground. If your social media policy prevents employees from saying anything bad about the company, it might be going too far.? The National Labor Relations Board has weighed in on several cases where employees lost their jobs because of social media activity, Steven Greenhouse reports.? The board is standing up for the rights of workers to discuss wages and working conditions...
(Poynter)

Production Begins on DreamWorks? WikiLeaks Project ?The Fifth Estate?.? Principal photography has begun on the WikiLeaks drama ?The Fifth Estate,? it was announced today by DreamWorks Studios. The film about the controversial website stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Julian Assange and Daniel Br?hl as Daniel Domscheit-Berg, as well as Laura Linney, Anthony Mackie, David Thewlis, Peter Capaldi, Dan Stevens, Alicia Vikander and Carice van Houten.?? Following Daniel Domscheit-Berg (Br?hl), an early supporter and eventual colleague of Julian Assange (Cumberbatch), ?The Fifth Estate? traces the heady, early days of WikiLeaks, culminating in the release of a series of controversial and history changing information leaks...
(Business Wire)

Military Spouse of the Year: Polls are Open

Tuesday, January 22, 2013, 07:46 PM - Military Spouse The polls are open in the 2013 Military Spouse of the Year which honors military spouses of all ranks and from all branches of service.

This year, Military Spouse magazine added an installation level to the award, ensuring that each and every base, district (Coast Guard), and state (National Guard) has a representative.

Last year?s Military Spouse of the Year award went to Jeremy Hilton, an Air Force Spouse.

If you?d like to learn more, here?s a look at the timeline.

Blogs written by Afghans from Afghanistan

Tuesday, January 22, 2013, 03:40 AM - Afghanistan Military Bloggers I stumbled across this interesting post by Ahmad Shuja, an Afghan political commentator and writer/blogger currently based in Washington, DC.

The posting, called Afghan Blogs, offers a directory of English-language blogs written by Afghans on issues relating to Afghanistan, its people and the region.

I?ve come across other directories in the past, like the Association of Afghan Blog Writers website, which promotes blogging and online journalism in Afghanistan.? The AABW has actually launched several blogging workshops in several provinces around Afghanistan, according to its website.

Though the Afghan Blogs directory hasn?t been updated since July 2012, many of the blogs listed are still active.? The bloggers include journalists, students and people from all walks of life.

I?ve started going through both directories again to see if any provide a military perspective and will add them to the Milblogging index, if so.?

Although I may never find one, I?m still looking for a military blog written by an Afghan soldier or policeman, but have yet to find one.

If you happen to know of any military blogs written by Afghans, please feel free to submit them to Milblogging.com.

Man jailed for beheading videos on Facebook

Monday, January 21, 2013, 03:24 AM - Facebook, News Stories 42 year old Craig Slee who claimed to be Taliban has been jailed for 5 years after posting terrorist propaganda to the social networking site Facebook.?

Slee posted graphic pictures and videos including beheadings.

According to the news stories Slee was a "fantasist" who had fantasies about being a terrorist, but wasn't actually a terrorist.

?Slee created a false identity and set up a Facebook page using the alter-ego 'Hashim X Shakur'. He was also the creator and administrator of another Facebook account called 'FB Mujahideen'.

He posted links to a communiqu? by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and uploaded several videos, which included gruesome beheadings and Islamist terrorist propaganda material. He also chatted to other people inferring he was a member of the Taliban which is a complete fabrication.

Slee was arrested in July 2011 in Windermere. As part of the investigation, officers also recovered a can of CS gas from an address in Preston linked to Slee.?
More here.

News: Airmen create app for Inauguration

Sunday, January 20, 2013, 10:06 AM - News Stories Hey, There?s an App for That! Two Airmen supporting Joint Task Force-National Capital Region Public Affairs, the military people who support the Presidential Inauguration, have created a cell phone app just in time for the inaugural festivities.? The program, called ?Inauguration?, is a free, user-friendly app that compiles news and other material related to the 57th Presidential Inauguration from across the Web...
(The Pentagon Channel)'Catfish' Hoax That Snared Te'o Familiar to Troops. Many Americans were introduced to a new meaning for the word "catfish" Wednesday evening.? The term is being used to describe a hoax that has plagued the Army and civilian authorities for years.? A catfish, in social media terms, is someone who creates an online profile and pretends to be someone he is not, using photos and information taken from someone else...
(Military.com)
Bradley Manning denied chance to make whistleblower defence. Bradley Manning, the US soldier accused of being behind the largest leak of state secrets in America's history, has been denied the chance to make a whistleblower defence in his upcoming court martial in which he faces possible life in military custody with no chance of parole.? The judge presiding over Manning's prosecution by the US government for allegedly transmitting confidential material to WikiLeaks ruled in a pre-trial hearing that Manning will largely be barred from presenting evidence about his motives in leaking the documents and videos...
(
Guardian)
BuzzFeed Story on Gun-Toting Journalists Infuriates Reporters (Updated). BuzzFeed political editor McKay Coppins has a target on his back after posting a story Thursday that turned a sardonic eye on the shooting range trips of a cadre of well-known New York journalists.? With the debate over stricter gun control in the news after the mass-shooting in Newtown, Conn., last month, the story had the potential to be explosive, but it appeared to have blown up in the author's face after the reporters in question slammed the piece's characterization of their trigger happy activities...
(
The Wrap Media)
War vet, dancing champ shares story of struggles. As a child, J.R. Martinez was scared of Freddy Krueger, the disfigured menace in the Nightmare on Elm Street film series.? After a bomb in Iraq ripped through his Army Humvee and burned one-third of his body ? including part of his face ? Martinez felt as if he had become the living embodiment of Krueger. He was horrified and, for a brief time, suicidal...
(
The Columbia Dispatch)
Syria - Moment of Sniper Killing Al Jazeera journalist Mohammed al-Horani in Daraa. ?Al Jazeera journalist Mohammed al-Horani, killed by a sniper in province of Daraa. Mohammed al-Horani was following the battle in Daraa province and was moving with the terrorists until he was shot by a sniper...
(YouTube)
Syria: Amateur video of Assad's air strikes. Amateur video from Syria appears to show Assad's air force attacking Homs and Damascus. Report by Rob Gillett...
(
ITNNEWS)
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Sniper in Syria kills Al Jazeera reporter
Friday, January 18, 2013, 11:27 PM - News Stories It was only days ago that I wrote about the first journalist deaths of 2013, after three journalists were killed in Pakistan, all in the same incident that occurred on January 13.
Al Jazeera English is now reporting that a sniper has shot dead Al Jazeera freelance reporter Mohamed Al-Massalma in the southern Syrian province of Deraa.
"The Syrian journalist, 33, used the pseudonym of Mohamed Al-Horani. He was shot with three bullets, during covering the fights at the front lines in the town of Busra Al-Harir in the countryside of Deraa."
Al-Horani isn?t the first reporter to be killed in 2013 in Syria.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a nonprofit organization that compiles data on journalist fatalities, wrote that a sniper has targeted two reporters in two days: international correspondent Yves Debay and Al-Jazeera journalist Mohamed al-Mesalma.
As of today, six journalists have been killed in 2013.
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U.S. Army makes 2013 social media predictions

Thursday, January 17, 2013, 11:27 PM
It?s the New Year and the U.S. Army is offering five social media predictions that may shape the way we view social media in 2013.?
It?s hard to know whether each of these predictions will play out.? Some are bold, like, Google+ putting Facebook on notice, but it?s interesting to see the U.S. Army make some of their own predictions for 2013.
Are these all trends that the U.S. Army is experiencing itself?? We?ll check back at the end of the year and see how things panned out.
Here?s a quick look at the five predictions:
"Google+ puts Facebook on notice"
Google+ has had its sights on Facebook since its inception in 2011, but has been largely unsuccessful in closing the gap between the two services.? But after some controversial changes to the platform, the tide may turn in Google's favor in 2013.
"If it's not visual, it's not working"
In 2013, visual social media content will continue to dominate bland social media content. Regardless of the message you're trying to convey with your social media post, if there is not a supporting visual element, the post will likely fail.
"Mobile: It's not the future anymore"
According to a 2012 Pew Study, 40 percent of cell phone owners use a social networking site on their phone. This percentage is sure to rise in 2013.
"Social media platforms break out"
Be prepared for several social media platforms to break out in 2013.? These could be platforms that have been around for a while like Tout, Quora or Snapchat, or they could be brand new platforms entirely.
"MySpace is back! But who cares?"
Yes, MySpace is back.? It's hard to say how successful it will be, but the butt of half of all social media jokes is working to reestablish itself in the social media space.
Full story here.
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Terrorists try to defend themselves on Twitter
Wednesday, January 16, 2013, 06:19 PM - Twitter, News Stories In a particularly horrible series of tweets, the terrorist Al-Shabaab group posted photographs of a French soldier killed in last Saturday's rescue mission attempt.
Twitter inexplicably has yet to take any action, despite an uproar by many users of the microblogging site as well as lawmakers in late 2012.
In a pathetic attempt to pretend they?re the victims, Al-Shabaab has taken to Twitter to justify posting the photos.
Yesterday, Al-Shabaab published the following tweet:
3:07 AM - 15 Jan 13
How much of the gruesome details of war should be published without detracting from the accurancy and credibility of the event?

Here are a couple of the reactions by other Twitter users to the above tweet:
JustOneBullet
?@JustOneBullet tweeted:
?@HSMPress "Accuracy".. Anyway, like I tweeted earlier, you publish pictures of corpses for propaganda purposes, not for journalism.?
Abdikhaliq Majid akm
?@MajidAkm
?@hsmpress so now you have turned to journalism? Each day you get funnier.may be you guys should start doing stand up comedy.cowards?
Al-Shabaab sent several more Tweets including:
?When one of the Mujahideen leaders is killed, the news gets favourable covarage in the media, a kafir is killed & it's labelled "repugnant"
?Up to 35 European newspapers published the bloody image of Ghadafi on their front page. Was it newsworthy or a case of pure triumphalism??
If you?ve been following the news today, in Al-Shabaab?s latest tweet, Al-Shabab has sentenced the French agent in captivity to death.? The announcement came via Twitter.
Al Jazeera English reports:
?The al-Qaeda-linked group released a statement on Tuesday saying it had "reached a unanimous decision to execute the French intelligence officer, Denis Allex".
"With the rescue attempt, France has voluntarily signed Allex's death warrant," said al-Shabab.
A senior al-Shabab official told the AFP news agency that Allex "has been sentenced and this judgement will not be changed".
"As far as we are concerned this man should die," he added . ?
And once again, Twitter does nothing.
Is Twitter above the law?
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News: Facebook page targets Syrians who flee
Tuesday, January 15, 2013, 04:55 AM - News Stories Facebook page targets unpatriotic regime supporters outside Syria.? BEIRUT: Supporters of the Syrian government have created a Facebook page that they vow will expose people who have fled the country for comfort abroad, focusing their rage on the children of state officials.? The page is entitled ?Syria is not a hotel,? to drive home the idea that Syria?s citizens should not treat the decision to leave the war-torn country lightly. The page also highlights the dire conditions faced by Syrians who have fled the 22-month-old conflict for neighboring countries, where thousands of people have taken shelter in refugee camps...
(The Daily Star)
Cybersleuths Uncover 5-Year Spy Operation Targeting Governments, Others. An advanced and well-orchestrated computer spy operation that targeted diplomats, governments and research institutions for at least five years has been uncovered by security researchers in Russia...
(Wired)
IDF notes increase in attempts to hack army PCs. The IDF?s Information Security Branch has identified an increase in attempts by foreign hostile intelligence entities to listen in on army communications and gain access to military computers.? The increased threat includes a major attempt to eavesdrop on cellphones used by the IDF, as well as hacking attacks directed at army computer networks...
(JPost)
Afghanistan war veterans to tell their story. Four Army veterans of one of the most harrowing battles of the Afghani?stan War will participate Monday eve?ning in a public discussion at The Grand in Wilmington.? The four survivors of an October 2009 Taliban attack on their eastern Afghanistan outpost ? a battle that killed eight of their 53-member detachment ? caught the ear of Lt. Gov. Matt Denn, who has invited the soldiers to visit and be his guests at Tuesday?s inaugural activities...
(
The News Journal)
The future of video journalism. The Time Magazine put Instagram image of Hurricane Sandy on its cover (above) in its 12 November issue.? The photo is pretty impressive but I am more interested in what it says, not only about the future of professional photography, but also videography...?
(
Guardian)
Journalists in Greece Are Becoming Targets. The Greek police on Saturday were looking for the people responsible for detonating makeshift bombs at the homes of five journalists in Athens, the latest in a series of actions taken against reporters in Greece that have raised questions about a deteriorating climate for media freedom...
(NYTimes)
Vietnamese conscripts army of bloggers. The glorious Vietnamese Communist Party has hired an army of bloggers to troll online discussions and post comments supporting the Communist Party's policies. The party has confirmed that it operates a network of nearly 1,000 "public opinion shapers" who are assigned with the task of spreading the party line...?
(Fudzilla)
War stories wanted; local, national efforts run on parallel track. ?A small news tip to the Journal led to a discovery: The American Legion wants veterans? war stories.? Legion Commander Ed Miller and member Larry Waters confirm that about a year ago, they started asking members to submit information about themselves and their service history...
(River Falls Journal)
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Pics of dead French soldier posted to Twitter
Monday, January 14, 2013, 02:02 PM - Twitter, News Stories
In November, I wrote about lawmakers wanting Twitter to crackdown on terrorists.? Unfortunately, no action has been taken by Twitter to shut down the accounts.
However, the call for Twitter to do something will likely be rekindled once again.
Earlier today, Al-Shabaab posted photographs of what they claim is a French soldier killed in Saturday's failed rescue mission reports Daily Mail.
?Three pictures posted on Twitter show a white man wearing military pants and a blood-soaked shirt surrounded by three guns, ammunition clips and protective gear.
Militant Islamist group al-Shabab taunt the dead man's religion in their posts writing 'A return of the crusades, but the cross could not save him from the sword,? and asking president Francois Hollande if it was 'worth it'.?
The Twitter account can be found here and is still online at the time of this story.? WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT.
Read more at Daily Mail.
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Video of dog welcoming home soldier goes viral
Monday, January 14, 2013, 11:57 AM - News Stories
YouTube user TheBobjohnson1984 of WelcomeHomeBlog.com uploaded this heartwarming video of a dog reuniting with his owner who was home on leave from Afghanistan.
The video was actually some time ago, but is still going viral, racking up nearly 30,000 views since being uploaded on January 8.
News outlets are even covering the story.
Daily Mail discussed the video and even broke it down play by play, writing: "As the newly-returned soldier, known only as Josh enters a garage to greet the dog - her reaction is crazy.? Howling and barking, Jasmine, bounds over to him, jumping wildly up onto his uniform, trying to lick his face.? Despite polite protestations from the soldier the delighted pet refuses to leave his side as he rubs and tickles her, eventually jumping again and forcing him over on the floor."
The story goes like this, according to Linda P. who shared the video with Welcome Home Blog:
?My daughter?s boyfriend was deployed to Afghanistan 2011-2012 with an Army Reserves Task Force, and we were caring for his dog, Jasmine, at our house. Josh had last seen her in October of 2011, when he came home on leave. He returned to the states in March 2012. Jasmine is a well-behaved dog who loves her master, whining and snuggling when she sees him, getting very excited and as close as she can to Josh. Our dog, Sheba, doesn?t know what to do as Jasmine runs around, so excited about Josh?s return.?
If you're not familiar with Welcome Home Blog, it's a website that features heartwarming stories, videos & pictures of members of the armed forces returning home to surprise their families & friends.
And yes, if you're wondering, there's an entire section of the website dedicated to Dog Reunions.
To watch the video of Jasmine welcoming her own, check it out on YouTube here.
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