Afghan man kills wife for giving birth to daughter (Reuters)

KUNDUZ, Afghanistan (Reuters) ? An Afghan man killed his wife for giving birth to a third daughter rather than the son he hoped for, police in Afghanistan's northern Kunduz province said on Monday.

The victim, 28, known by the one name of Storai, was strangled by her husband -- a local militia member -- and his mother on Saturday in revenge for bearing the couple's third daughter three months ago in Mohasili village, police said.

Police said they arrested the victim's mother-in-law in connection with her death, but Storai's husband was still at large, likely sheltered by heavily-armed militia colleagues.

"The existence of militiamen is a huge problem and therefore we face difficulty in arresting him," said Kunduz police chief Sufi Habib.

Nadera Geya, head of the Kunduz women's affairs department, called the killing one of the worst examples of violence against women she had encountered.

Violence against women is commonplace in Afghanistan. In late November in the same province, an Afghan family that refused to give their daughter in marriage to a man they considered irresponsible was attacked at home by assailants who poured acid over both parents and three children.

Police later arrested the rejected suitor and his three brothers for the attack.

With foreign combat troops set to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014, and moves ongoing to kickstart a peace process involving the ultra-conservative Taliban, rights watchdogs inside and outside Afghanistan fear women's rights may be sacrificed.

"The rights of women cannot be relegated to the margins of international affairs, as this issue is at the core of our national security and the security of people everywhere," the U.S. embassy in Kabul said in a statement on Monday.

(Reporting by Mohammad Hamid and Mirwais Harooni; Editing by Daniel Magnowski and Ed Lane)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120130/wl_nm/us_afghanistan_women_murder

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Senator's stroke shows they can hit the young, too

FILE - In this Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011 photo, Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill. leaves a Republican caucus on Capitol Hill in Washington. When a stroke hits at 52, like what happened to Sen. Kirk, the reaction is an astonished, "But he's so young." The reality is that strokes can happen at any age, even to children - and they're on the rise among the young and middle-aged. The vast majority of strokes do occur in older adults. But up to a quarter of them strike people younger than 65, says Dr. Ralph Sacco, a University of Miami neurologist and past president of the American Heart Association. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

FILE - In this Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011 photo, Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill. leaves a Republican caucus on Capitol Hill in Washington. When a stroke hits at 52, like what happened to Sen. Kirk, the reaction is an astonished, "But he's so young." The reality is that strokes can happen at any age, even to children - and they're on the rise among the young and middle-aged. The vast majority of strokes do occur in older adults. But up to a quarter of them strike people younger than 65, says Dr. Ralph Sacco, a University of Miami neurologist and past president of the American Heart Association. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? When a stroke hits at 52, like what happened to Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois, the reaction is an astonished, "But he's so young."

The reality is that strokes don't just happen to grandma. They can happen at any age, even to children ? and they're on the rise among the young and middle-aged.

That makes it crucial to know the warning signs no matter how old you are.

"Nobody's invincible," warns Dr. Ralph Sacco, a University of Miami neurologist and past president of the American Heart Association.

Every year, about 795,000 people in the U.S. have a stroke. While some strokes are caused by bleeding in the brain, most are like a clogged pipe. Called ischemic strokes, a clot blocks blood flow, starving brain cells to death unless that circulation is restored fast.

Make no mistake, the vast majority of strokes do occur in older adults. But up to a quarter of them strike people younger than 65, Sacco says.

In the so-called stroke belt in the Southeast, that figure can be markedly worse. At Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina, a stunning 45 percent of stroke patients are young or middle-aged, says stroke center director Dr. Cheryl Bushnell.

More ominous, recent government research found that nationwide, hospitalization rates for ischemic strokes have jumped by about a third among people ages 15 to 44 over the past decade.

Sometimes younger-age strokes are flukes with no warning signs, impossible to predict ? like Kirk's appears to be. The Republican senator is a Navy Reserve commander and avid swimmer, but dizziness sent him to the hospital. It turns out he had a tear in the carotid artery in his neck which blocked blood flow to his brain, triggering a stroke. Trauma usually causes such tears, although doctors haven't been able to say what caused Kirk's. His doctor at a Chicago hospital said Monday that Kirk was continuing to improve from the stroke, which affected his left side.

Heart birth defects, such as a little hole in the heart known as a PFO, and blood-clotting disorders also tend to cause strokes more often in younger people than in seniors.

But just like strokes at older ages, a lot of younger strokes are preventable. The increase seems to be part of a troubling trend: As Americans get fatter, high blood pressure, diabetes and other artery-corroding consequences set in at an earlier age ? meaning resulting strokes can hit earlier, too.

Indeed, research reported in Annals of Neurology last fall found nearly 1 in 3 of the 15- to 34-year-olds hospitalized for a stroke, and over half of those ages 35 to 44, already had high blood pressure.

More women are having strokes during or right after pregnancy, too, the government reported last summer. That's because more of them start out with unhealthy conditions like high blood pressure even before the hormonal changes kick in.

Whatever the cause or the age, anyone with stroke symptoms needs emergency care: Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg, especially on one side; sudden difficulty speaking or understanding speech; trouble seeing or walking; a sudden super-severe headache.

Younger adults are less likely than seniors to know those symptoms, and tend to try to shrug them off, Bushnell says. She points to a recent 50-something patient who twice ignored temporary episodes of weakness on one side. Called TIAs, for transient ischemic attacks, such episodes are a big red flag that a full-fledged stroke may be imminent. A third TIA finally brought him to the emergency room. By then, aggressive treatment wasn't enough to avoid a stroke that left him with impaired speech.

"As people get older, they have more and more direct contact with people who had strokes," and learn what to watch for, Bushnell says. But at younger ages, "there's just a gap in awareness."

Who is at increased risk for a younger-than-usual stroke? African-Americans and Hispanics, more than whites. Someone whose parent had a stroke before age 65 is at extra risk.

But mostly, the same things that are bad for your heart are bad for your brain, making it crucial to control blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol, to stop smoking and to keep active. At www.powertoendstroke.org the American Heart Association offers a seven-step online test called "My Life Check" that can help assess your risks.

Younger people do tend to survive strokes more than older people, and to recover better.

But Arnold Springs, 48, of Winston-Salem, N.C., knows it was his friends' fast 911 call that made the difference for him earlier this month.

"All of a sudden, my right arm went numb. The next thing I knew I was on the floor," Springs recalls.

The ambulance got him to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in time for a clot-busting drug to stop his stroke. Springs left the hospital three days later with some loss of vision and trouble walking, problems that his sister says are expected to improve ? plus orders to lower his blood pressure to stave off future strokes.

___

EDITOR'S NOTE ? Lauran Neergaard covers health and medical issues for The Associated Press in Washington.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-01-30-HealthBeat-Strokes/id-658d5e4c731840d698ebe8b3e71f9607

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Dana White calls out Internet hackers, they respond by releasing his alleged personal info

CHICAGO -- The war is on between the UFC and Internet hackers.

On Sunday, UFC.com was re-routed several times to the website UGnazi. The site's organizers, who White called terrorists several times during the "UFC on Fox 2" press conference, said the hacking of UFC.com is a result of the company's support of SOPA and PIPA. The wide-ranging bills are aimed at stopping online piracy.

White lashed out at the hackers.

Update: White dug in deeper during a conversation with The Score's Mauro Ranallo (13:30 mark).

"Keep hacking our site, do it again. Do it tonight," said White. "These guys look like terrorists now and a bill that was about to die, is about to come back."

The hacker taking credit for the UFC hit, @joshthgod, went a different route after the challenge, posting White's personal info, including a Social Security number, a list of residential addresses, a vehicle identification number and a personal phone number.

That followed a tweet that said White is now the target.

"@danawhite We don't want your site anymore. We are going after YOU! Follow me for tonights exciting events! #ufc #sopa #acta #pipa,"

[Related: Why SOPA, PIPA aren't answer to MMA's piracy problem]

White said the hackers are only hurting their own cause by alerting politicians that there's a serious issue. He's willing to risk his own safety to stop the online pilfering.

"Is SOPA the perfect bill? No, it's not. The only thing that we're focused on is piracy. Piracy is stealing. If you walk into a store and you steal a gold watch, it's the same as stealing a pay-per-view. I don't care what your twisted, demented idea of stealing is," White said. "These kids who grew up on the Internet never had to pay for anything, so they don't think that you should have to."

White closed by saying he's not afraid of the Internet, it's where cowards live.

Other popular content on the Yahoo! network:
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? Wetzel: Rob Lowe's tweet sparks feud between Peyton Manning and Colts owner
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? Work + Money: Why one parent should stay at home

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/dana-white-calls-internet-hackers-respond-releasing-personal-142312772.html

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Obama admin says new forest rules stress science

FILE - This July 5, 2005 file photo shows pine trees in the White River National Forest near Frisco, Colo. The Obama administration says new rules to manage nearly 200 million acres of national forests will protect watersheds and wildlife while promoting uses ranging from recreation to logging. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski, File)

FILE - This July 5, 2005 file photo shows pine trees in the White River National Forest near Frisco, Colo. The Obama administration says new rules to manage nearly 200 million acres of national forests will protect watersheds and wildlife while promoting uses ranging from recreation to logging. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski, File)

FILE - In this Aug. 9, 2010 file photo, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack speaks in Concord, N.H. The Obama administration says new rules to manage nearly 200 million acres of national forests will protect watersheds and wildlife while promoting uses ranging from recreation to logging. (AP Photo/Jim Cole, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Obama administration says new rules to manage nearly 200 million acres of national forests will protect watersheds and wildlife while promoting uses ranging from recreation to logging.

The new rules, to replace guidelines thrown out by a federal court in 2009, are set to take effect in early March. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the rule change on Thursday.

Vilsack said in an interview that the rules reflect more than 300,000 comments received since a draft plan was released last year. The new rules strengthen a requirement that decisions be based on the best available science and recognize that forests are used for a variety of purposes, Vilsack said.

"I think it's a solid rule and done in a collaborative, open and transparent way," he said.

The guidelines, known as a forest planning rule, will encourage forest restoration and watershed protection while creating opportunities for the timber industry and those who use the forest for recreation, he said.

Vilsack, who has pledged to break through the logjam of political conflict over forest management, said the new regulation's emphasis on science and multiple uses should allow it to stand up to likely court challenges from environmental groups or the timber industry.

"I am hopeful and confident that it will stand scrutiny," he said.

Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell said the guidelines would allow land management plans for individual forests to be completed more quickly and at a lower cost than under current rules, which date to the Reagan administration.

Several attempts to revise the 1982 planning rule have been thrown out by federal courts in the past decade. Most recently a Bush administration plan was struck down in 2009. Environmentalists had fought the rule, saying it rolled back key forest protections.

The Obama administration did not appeal the ruling, electing to develop a new forest planning rule to protect water, climate and wildlife.

Under the new rule, forest plans could be developed within three to four years instead of taking up to seven years, as under current guidelines, Tidwell said.

"We really can protect the forest at lower cost with less time," he said.

The new regulation also should give forest managers more flexibility to address conditions on the ground, such as projects to thin the forest to reduce the risk of wildfire, Tidwell said.

"We'll be able to get more work done ? get more out of the forest and create more jobs," while at the same allowing greater recreational use, Tidwell said. Recreational use of the forest has grown exponentially in recent years.

Like Vilsack, Tidwell said he is optimistic the new plan will stand up to scrutiny from environmental groups and the timber industry, both of which have challenged previous planning rules in court.

"I'm optimistic that folks will want to give it a shot," Tidwell said.

The 155 national forests and grasslands managed by the Forest Service cover 193 million acres in 42 states and Puerto Rico. Balance between industry and conservation in those areas has been tough to find since the existing rules went into effect three decades ago.

At least three revisions of the rules have been struck down since 2000.

The planning rule designates certain animal species that must be protected to ensure ecosystems are healthy. However, the rule became the basis of numerous lawsuits that sharply cut back logging to protect habitat for fish and wildlife.

Meanwhile, the timber industry has continued to clamor for more logs, and conservation groups keep challenging timber sales, drilling and mining projects.

Tom Partin, president of the American Forest Resource Council, a timber industry group, said his members will review the final rule to see if it follows a federal rule to manage forests for a diversity of plants and animals ? not in a manner that places a single use or species above all else.

Jane Danowitz, U.S. public lands director for the Pew Environment Group, said national forests are the source of drinking water for one in three Americans, are home to fish and other wildlife and are an economic engine for local communities across the West.

"Faced with unprecedented threats from industrial development, these national forests need strong national protections," she said, adding that the new framework for forest management appears to reflect comments from scientists, the business community and conservation advocates.

"The plan now has stronger safeguards than what was originally proposed. That said, the true test of this plan will be how it's implemented on the ground," Danowitz said.

___

Matthew Daly can be followed on Twitter: (at)MatthewDalyWDC

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-01-26-Forest%20Rules/id-49e323e5076c4fd4b56755ef06dcd677

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Rihanna to UK fashion newbies: Dress me up

LONDON (AP) ? Rihanna has found a unique way of getting some new stage outfits.

The musical superstar from Barbados will be hunting for undiscovered design talent in Britain on a new TV show ? as yet unnamed ? in which she will be the executive producer and the star.

Sky Living HD announced Thursday it has commissioned media company Twenty Twenty to make the series and say Rihanna will be working mainly behind the scenes.

Hosting duties will go to another pop name, Nicola Roberts from the U.K. group Girls Aloud.

Together they will challenge fashion newcomers to create stage gear for musicians and celebrities ? with the final task to dress Rihanna for her July 8 performance at the Wireless music festival in London's Hyde Park.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-01-26-Britain-Rihanna/id-d6d9f2b37039421e86a1fc21524bd686

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Gunmen fire on fishermen in Philippines, kill 15 (AP)

MANILA, Philippines ? Gunmen in the restive southern Philippines opened fire on three boats and killed 15 fishermen in what officials said Tuesday was likely an attack by a rival group protecting its lucrative fishing grounds.

The fishermen were aboard three small, wooden-hulled vessels off Sibago Island in Basilan province when attackers in speedboats fired on them Monday morning and then sped away, military spokesman Lt. Col. Randolph Cagangbang said.

There were about 10 attackers, police said. No arrests have been made yet as the news reached authorities late because of the remoteness of the area, senior police official Felicisimo Khu said.

Basilan Vice Gov. Al Rasheed Sakalahul was on his way to the area Tuesday, protected by a platoon of soldiers and police, to investigate the killings, Khu said.

Basilan is a stronghold of Muslim rebels who have been fighting for minority self-rule in the predominantly Christian nation for decades, as well as criminal and kidnap gangs. Law enforcement in the area is weak, and deadly clan feuds fueled by business and political rivalry are rampant. Businesses often pay protection money to armed groups and hire their own private guards.

Cabangbang told The Associated Press that the fishermen were probably attacked by a rival group of fishermen because they strayed into their fishing grounds. The victims came from Pagadian city in Zamboanga del Sur province, 100 miles (170 kilometers) northeast of Sibago.

"They were fishing in the turf of another group of fishermen from Basilan," Cabangbang said.

Seven fishermen died in one boat, five in another and three more in the third vessel, he said.

One of the survivors told police that their group had been warned to stay away from the fishing grounds where the attack took place, ABS-CBN TV reported.

Khu, the regional police official, said there was unconfirmed reports that the attacked fishermen were blamed by their rivals for destroying giant nets that they had set up worth about $3,500. Such nets are used for catching tuna, one of the Philippines' main exports.

In 2010, the Philippines exported 116,850 tons (106,450 metric tons) of tuna for a total value of $337.7 million.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120124/ap_on_re_as/as_philippines_fishermen_attacked

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Rosenthal: Broncos add to NFL's best weekend

Heavyweight matchups, dynamite offenses and great storylines for divisional round

Jack Dempsey / AP

When?Patriots quarterback Tom Brady matches up Denver quarterback Tim Tebow this Sunday in the divisional playoffs, it'll be just one of four compelling playoff games, writes Gregg Rosenthal.

By ANALYSIS

updated 11:44 p.m. ET Jan. 8, 2012

Gregg Rosenthal

Demaryius Thomas and Tim Tebow ended an otherwise underwhelming wild-card round in thrilling fashion.

But let?s be honest: The real playoffs begin this week.

The divisional round is football's best weekend of the year. We get wall-to-wall football for two days, with the Super Bowl so close you can almost smell the overhype.

In the AFC, we have the Cinderellas against the heavyweights. Nothing about the run of Tim Tebow?s Broncos makes sense, so why not add a win in Foxborough to the made-for-TV drama? The Texans just won their first playoff game in franchise history and now have to win in Baltimore with a fifth-round rookie at quarterback.

The NFC is about the heavyweights. The Packers, 49ers, and Saints combined to go 41-7 this year. The Giants are the closest team left to an underdog, but they don?t really fit that role.

New York lost seven games this year in part because they played the toughest schedule of any playoff team. They have a ton of talent on both sides of the ball, including a lot of players that won the title just four years ago.

Five 12-win teams are still left in the playoffs, which second most in NFL history. Add it all up, and we have a very deep, talented, and intriguing quarterfinal crop.

The worst team left in the field (Denver) is the most interesting. The best team (Green Bay) isn?t much better than the rest of their conference.

That should lead to a divisional round that is anything but underwhelming.

Saints at 49ers, Saturday, 4:30 p.m. (FOX)
A contrast in styles
The 49ers and Saints look like they are playing in different eras of football. At times, they look like they are playing different sports.

San Francisco is all about physical play, defense, running, and more defense.

New Orleans is a finesse team based on precision. The offense is insanely explosive, but they play as well outdoors.

This game is a fascinating referendum on current NFL trends. It?s also a matchup of perhaps football's two best playcallers: Jim Harbaugh and Sean Payton.

Alex Smith in the spotlight
The 49ers have essentially coached around Smith all season. Can that work in the playoffs?

San Francisco has struggled against the blitz all season and New Orleans? defense is nothing if not aggressive.

Broncos at Patriots, Saturday, 8 p.m. (CBS)
Broncos defense under fire
Tim Tebow will get all the attention, but this game will be a referendum on the Broncos' defense. New England exposed Denver?s secondary last time. If the Broncos can?t make big time adjustments, the Patriots will score in the 40s.

Belichick better the second time around
Denver faces an uphill struggle. It leaves its homefield for Foxborough on a short week. And it has to face the league's best gameplan specific coach a second time in little more than a month. Belichick and the Patriots acquired a lot of information the first time around he can use against the Broncos.

And it doesn?t hurt that the man who drafted Tebow in Denver, Josh McDaniels, is now helping out Belichick.

Texans at Ravens, Sunday, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Which defense rules them all?
Yes, it?s the year of the quarterback. Then again, three of the best defenses in football are still playing: Baltimore, Houston, and San Francisco.

Houston may be the best group of them all. They have waves of pass rushers and big-time young talent at every level. To advance another round, the Texans defense will have to dominate.

Ravens vs. Expectations
The gap between the Ravens and Texans is not as big as oddsmakers think, but this is a game the Ravens are expected to win.

Baltimore is undefeated at home. They are facing an inexperienced rookie quarterback. Baltimore?s four losses this year came on the road against mediocre competition. Their ?A? game doesn?t always show up.

Giants at Packers, Sunday, 4:30 p.m. (FOX)
Battle of the lines
Green Bay?s banged-up offensive line will welcome back left tackle Chad Clifton. New York?s defensive line is as healthy as they?ve been all year and present a ton of matchup problems.

Meanwhile, New York?s running game has come together at the right time. Green Bay has struggled to stop the run all year.

Shades of ?07
We?re going to hear a lot about the 2007 Giants this week. A close loss to the then-undefeated Patriots catapulted that Giants team to a Super Bowl run. A 37-34 loss to the then-undefeated Packers this year preceded New York winning four of five games to make the Divisional Round.

One difference in this Giants team: the back end. Giants have to be concerned that cornerback Aaron Ross suffered a concussion and safety Deion Grant hurt his groin against the Falcons. The secondary was already vulnerable.

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Rosenthal: Broncos add to NFL's best weekend

Rosenthal: Let?s be honest: The real playoffs begin this week. The divisional round is football's best weekend of the year. We get wall-to-wall football for two days, with the Super Bowl so close you can almost smell the overhype.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/45922453/ns/sports-nfl/

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Video: Santorum: ?Why did you bail out??

October 30: Plouffe, roundtable

Nearly a year away from the 2012 election, we?ll talk to the president?s 2008 campaign manager, now White House Senior Adviser, David Plouffe. Then author of the definitive new biography on the late Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson; Author of the new book ?The Time of Our Lives,? NBC News Special Correspondent, Tom Brokaw; Former Governor of Michigan, Jennifer Granholm; and Republican strategist, Mike Murphy.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032608/vp/45917678#45917678

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