4 Tips For Developing Your Personal Brand | Bella Naija

Your personal brand (i.e. what you are?recognized?as being about) is your biggest asset, whether you?re an entrepreneur or a determined woman trying to scale the career ladder. It is not enough for young Nigerian career women to just be good at what they do or to be a great personality, effective reputation management is essential to make it in the big time and avoid any damaging slurs and assumptions about how you got there.

So how do we do this?

Understand & Live the Brand
International makeup megastar Eryca Freemantle stresses the importance of developing your personal brand early and as soon as you can afford to, bringing in professionals to help you develop and project it. Ultimately the responsibility lies with the individual. However, ?Eryca Freemantle is a global brand, makeup artist to celebrities and consultant to major mainstream makeup brands. A teacher and trainer to students from across the world. I had to learn very early on what a personal brand is and what it means. I would say ultimately that at all times you should reflect your brand. Seek 3 to 4 personal brand developers to advice you accordingly. Your reputation follows you. he best will only want the best. Be the champion to your brand and your purpose.?

Be Consistent
Ronke Ige, Founder of Emi & Ben skincare says the best piece of business advice she?s ever received is ?To strive for consistency in everything from your brand?s ?tone of voice? and personality to how your company goes about its daily business.? Consistency reinforces the core values that you stand for and creates an authentic message that reinforces people?s perceptions of your personal and professional integrity.

Turn Beauty into a Business Asset
Nigeria?s leading female entrepreneurs are often glamorous and stylish women as well is being incredibly intelligent, and business savvy; unfortunately there will always be poisonous people who?ll try and use this combination against them to damage their personal brand. The key is to challenge these assumptions and make your femininity an asset, not something to be circumnavigated or hidden.

Nike Oshinowo is no stranger to controversial slurs about how her looks may have superseded her talents in achieving her incontrovertible successes as a female entrepreneur. The former beauty queen hit back at her critics with a frank interview in the April issue of TW Magazine and now leads a workshop on ?Challenging perceptions to create profit ? Translating your femininity, beauty and lifestyle into credible business ventures?.

Always Deliver on Your Brand Promise
Super successful business leader Chichi Nwoko, who brought Nigerian Idol to our shores, says ?With regards to personal branding, it is the single most important thing one has to do as an entrepreneur. One should determine the specific thing(s) that one wants to be know for as one?s brand deliverable promise at any time. While there may be circumstances beyond one?s control to deliver promptly on one?s brand promise especially, given the structural hindrances which are often prevalent in such developing countries as Nigeria, it is nevertheless crucial that one should strive not to lower one?s standards and integrity.?

Whatever you decide your personal brand is, it should be easily identifiable with the real you that your friends and family recognise. It?s a lot easier to create a consistent, authentic story when you?re projecting your best side as opposed to trying to be someone totally different.

You can meet Nike Oshinowo, Chichi Nwoko, Eryca Freemantle, Ronke Ige and many more women like them who?ve successfully created powerful personal brands at the Women in West Africa Entrepreneurship conference taking place 20-22nd June, 2013 in the Eko Hotel and Wheatbaker Hotel in Lagos. For more information visit www.wowenigeria.com.

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BellaNaija.com is partners with the Women in West Africa Entrepreneurship Conference

Tags: Chichi Nwoko, Eryca Freemantle, Nike Oshinowo, Ronke Ige, Women in West Africa Entrepreneurship, WOWe

Filed under: News & Features

Source: http://www.bellanaija.com/2013/04/22/4-tips-for-developing-your-personal-brand-all-this-more-at-the-women-in-west-africa-entrepreneurship-conference/

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Farrah Abraham: DESTROYED By Dr. Phil in Awesome Interview

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/04/farrah-abraham-destroyed-by-dr-phil-in-awesome-interview/

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Hacked AP Twitter reports White House bombing, causes brief dip in Dow

You might have noticed that the AP's Twitter account was hacked this afternoon and spread a report of a bombing at the White House. That yet another Twitter account was hacked isn't the interesting part, it's the immediate (if brief and shallow) plunge that the financial markets took. We don't really need any further reminders of the power of social media, but it's hard to ignore this particularly stark demonstration of the real-time effects. In this hyper-connected environment a breaking news tweet that was only live for a few minutes and, in retrospect, contained many glaring clues to its falsehood, caused the Dow Jones Industrial Average to drop to 14,567, from 14,697. Now, that only represents a roughly 1-percent drop, and it lasted only about as long as the tweet itself -- the markets quickly bounced back and stabilized. But it is a firm reminder that virtual events can have significant real world consequences.

Filed under: Internet, Alt

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/23/hacked-ap-report/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Was that the president in my Beijing taxi?

A rumor that Chinese President Xi Jinping traveled undetected among the commoners of Beijing sparked enormous interest, echoing popular lore of?Chinese emperors moving about in disguise.

By Peter Ford,?Staff Writer / April 18, 2013

China's President Xi Jinping speaks during a meeting with Bill Gates (not in picture), on April 8, 2013.

Tyrone Siu/Reuters

Enlarge

When was the last time the Chinese president hailed a Beijing taxi?

Skip to next paragraph Peter Ford

Beijing Bureau Chief

Peter Ford is The Christian Science Monitor?s Beijing Bureau Chief. He covers news and features throughout China and also makes reporting trips to Japan and the Korean peninsula.

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Just a few weeks ago, if taxi driver Guo Lixin is to be believed. Mr. Guo told a Hong Kong newspaper on Thursday that President Xi Jinping took an incognito ride in his cab last month, and chatted about ? what else? ? air pollution.

The news sparked enormous interest on the Chinese Internet, with most of those posting comments on Twitter-like social media platforms apparently believing the tale, but many skeptical about the value of the president?s alleged outing.

Stories about Chinese emperors passing disguised amongst their subjects, so as to learn first hand about their lives, are a staple of Chinese TV soap operas. The official media have recently made a point of presenting Mr. Xi as a ?man of the people.?

According to Ta Kung Pao, the Hong Kong daily to whom Mr. Guo gave his account, two men got into his taxi on the evening of March 1. One of them, he said, looked uncommonly like Xi, head of China?s ruling Communist Party and on the verge of being elected the country?s president.

When he commented on the fact, his mystery passenger replied ?you are the first taxi driver to recognize me,? Guo said, before writing a note wishing the driver ?safe and smooth journeys.?

There are those who saw the story as a PR exercise, pointing out that Ta Kung Pao is a strongly pro-Beijing paper. Official Chinese websites ran the story, too, giving it a degree of credibility, or at least of government approval.

Other observers were dubious about the real identity of Guo?s passenger because the handwriting of his note had nothing in common with handwriting that the verified President Xi has left in visitors? books around the country.

The story sat well, however, with the Communist Party?s propaganda efforts to build the president?s image as a forthright, honest fellow with the common touch. Xi has attracted attention by ordering the police not to block the traffic near places he is visiting just to let his motorcade past. Last week he mingled with fisherfolk on the southern island of Hainan, discussing their catch in the same way that a Western politician might on a flesh-pressing jaunt.

Not everyone is impressed, however. ?The most effective plainclothes visit is to look at Weibo every day,? commented Feng Xincheng, a well known newspaper editor, referring to Sina Weibo, a censored but nonetheless lively Twitter-like service where public criticism of the authorities is common.

It did not seem from taxi driver Guo?s account that Xi (if it was indeed he) learned much that he did not already know. As soon as he recognized his passenger Guo broke out in a cold sweat, he said, and told the distinguished man in the front passenger seat that he thought the Communist Party and government policies were correct, if not always well implemented.

?Xi,? meanwhile, fed his ordinary citizen interlocutor the same pap as government officials feed the public about how long it will take and how hard it will be to clean up Beijing?s pollution.

Neither the alleged president nor his driver ended up much the wiser, it seems. And then on Thursday evening, the official Xinhua news agency stamped on all the speculation with a terse one line announcement.

Ta Kung Pao?s report, said Xinhua, ?has proven to be a fake story.??

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/gKlDEKXBPOw/Was-that-the-president-in-my-Beijing-taxi

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North Korea: US military braces for heightened readiness

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey says 'we?re in a period of prolonged provocation' with North Korea and its young dictator Kim Jong-un. The US will continue holding military exercises with South Korea, General Dempsey says.

By Anna Mulrine,?Staff writer / April 21, 2013

South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Jung Seung-jo, center, shakes hands with his U.S. counterpart, Gen. Martin Dempsey, left, as U.S. Gen. James D. Thurman, the commander of U.S. Forces Korea, right, looks on upon Dempsey's arrival for their meeting at Defense Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday.

Yonhap/AP

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OSAN AIR BASE, SOUTH KOREA

Through weeks of high tension on the Korean peninsula, a clearer picture is beginning to emerge of North Korea?s young dictator, who top US military officials describe as ?very different? from his father.

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Those differences are in turn driving the Pentagon to brace for a ?heightened state of readiness? ? a period of tension that may last for some time, according to the nation?s top military officer.

?We?re not into cyclical provocations any longer ? we?re in a period of prolonged provocation,? says Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey.

On the heels of a three-hour meeting with the commander of US forces in Korea Saturday en route to China, General Dempsey says that the question now becomes, ?How long is that sustainable??

In Beijing this week, Dempsey is expected to press his Chinese counterparts to more robustly encourage North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to ratchet down his threats and think carefully about his next steps.

?China?s got some clear interest in stability on their southern flank,? Dempsey says. ?We have to have that conversation, and I?m looking forward to it.??

Pyongyang has signaled in recent days that it may be willing to come to the negotiating table if the US military, say, gives up annual joint military exercises with South Korea, among other conditions.?

That will not be happening, General Dempsey said on the heels of a meeting with Gen. James Thurman, commander of US forces in South Korea. It was a meeting originally slated to take place in Washington earlier this month but was delayed so that Gen. Thurman could stay on the peninsula in an effort to calm tensions in the region.

?It?s our intention to continue? to do the exercises, Dempsey says, ?the idea being that our sustained presence here is assuring to our allies.??

How US policy will in turn drive Kim?s actions remains tough to predict, officials acknowledge.?

?We have a picture of a leader who is very different from both his father and his grandfather,? Dempsey says. ?He is, I think, less predictable.?

This apparent fact has, in turn, spurred senior US officials to endeavor to ratchet down rhetoric in the region. ?Everyone I talk to on our side is eager for us to avoid war,? Dempsey says.

That said, he adds, ?It won?t surprise you to know that from our military perspective, the best way to avoid war is to prepare for it.??

Last week came suggestions in the form of a New York Times op-ed by University of Texas professor of history Jeremi Suri that such preparation might include drawing up plans for a preemptive strike on North Korean missile sites.

These calls came on the heels of a Defense Intelligence Agency report that North Korea has nuclear weapons capable of delivery by ballistic missiles.

Such intelligence ?is useful,? Dempsey says, while pointing out that there remain differences of opinion on the matter within the intelligence community.?

The DIA report ?assesses with moderate confidence? that the North has miniaturized nuclear weapons, but it also predicts that their ?reliability will be low.??

Even as Mr. Kim whips his country into wartime footing, however, Dempsey says that he is not currently considering preemptive strikes on North Korea to destroy any missiles.

?There?s no end to the advice I get from the military experts,? he says. ?But that?s not a piece of advice I?m taking to heart at this time.??

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/7TbRDPKaaSI/North-Korea-US-military-braces-for-heightened-readiness

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Egypt probes prosecutor who ordered drunk flogged

ASSIUT, Egypt (AP) ? Egyptian authorities are suspending and investigating a provincial prosecutor who ordered a man flogged 80 times for public drunkenness.

Spokesman Mahmoud el-Hefnawi of the prosecutor general's office says the country's top attorney ordered Hussein Anani's decision cancelled and referred him to a judicial investigation.

Anani had cited verses from the Quran in his ruling.

Anani's decision late Sunday surprised police officers in the southern province of Minya who refused to carry out the order. Public intoxication is a criminal offense in Egypt, with penalties ranging from small fines to around three months in prison.

Egypt's penal code does not mention flogging, however.

Rights lawyer Anas Sayid Saleh says that only judges, not prosecutors, have the right to order punishments.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-probes-prosecutor-ordered-drunk-flogged-111906607.html

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Walk Me Up Alarm Clock Forces You Out of Bed

Android: If you have a tendency to ignore or sleep through alarms, Walk Me Up can help by forcing you to get out of bed and move around.

The app uses your phone's accelerometer to count the number of steps you take after the alarm goes off. If you try to accelerate the process by shaking your phone, the counter resets. You can also set the alarm to vibrate, though that comes with the warning that this could interfere with the step count, depending on your phone.

Walk Me Up! Alarm Clock (Free) | Google Play

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/HFxAATI5PVM/walk-me-up-alarm-clock-forces-you-out-of-bed-477137078

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Israel and Turkey discuss compensation for ship raid victims

ANKARA (Reuters) - An Israeli delegation arrived in Turkey on Monday for the first time since 2010 to discuss compensation for the killing of nine Turks by Israeli commandos on a Gaza-bound aid ship, a sign of improving relations between the two U.S. allies.

The visit, led by an adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, follows an apology from Israel last month, brokered by U.S. President Barack Obama, for the killings on board the Mavi Marmara aid ship in May 2010.

Turkey cut its once extensive ties with the Jewish state after the Israelis killed nine Turkish pro-Palestinian activists on the vessel which was trying to breach Israel's blockade of Gaza, a Palestinian enclave run by the Hamas Islamist group.

Ankara expelled Israel's ambassador and froze military cooperation after a U.N. report into the incident, released in September 2011, largely exonerated the Jewish state.

It set precise conditions for normalizing ties - an apology, compensation and Israel lifting its embargo on Gaza.

A rapprochement between two of Washington's main Middle Eastern allies could bolster U.S. influence in the region, help coordination to contain spillover from the Syrian civil war, and ease Israel's diplomatic isolation among its neighbors.

But for all the diplomatic flurry, a full restoration of ties still appears some way off.

Israel has made clear it did not commit to ending its Gaza blockade as part of the reconciliation, an oft-repeated Turkish demand, saying days after the apology that it could clamp down even harder on the enclave if security is threatened.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry asked Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday to delay a visit planned for late May to Gaza.

Kerry, who has visited the region several times in recent weeks, said Erdogan's trip could endanger U.S. efforts to revive Ankara's ties with Israel and Middle East peace talks.

(Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Nick Tattersall and Angus MacSwan)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/israel-turkey-discuss-compensation-ship-raid-victims-093601614.html

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Vietnam police seize 53 king cobras from car

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) ? Vietnamese police say they have seized 53 king cobras from a car in Hanoi and arrested the driver.

Officer Dang Van Hanh said Monday the live snakes were taken to a wildlife rescue center near the capital where they treated before being released into the wild.

King cobras are the world's longest venomous snake, and grow up to 5.5 meters (18) feet.

The meat of the king cobras is considered a delicacy by some in Vietnam, where hunting and trading the snakes is banned. The snakes are also sometimes preserved in traditional medicines.

The snakes, which were kept in green sacks, were seized Friday.

Hanh said the car driver told officers he was paid to transport them. Local media reported he was paid under $50.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/vietnam-police-seize-53-king-cobras-car-102847104.html

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Fisher Communications, Inc. (FSCI) Investor Lawsuit to Stop ...

SAN DIEGO, April 22, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Shareholders Foundation, Inc. announces that an investor, who holds shares of Fisher Communications, Inc. (FSCI), filed a lawsuit to stop the proposed takeover of Fisher Communications, Inc. by Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. for $41.00 per FSCI share.

Investors who purchased shares of Fisher Communications, Inc. (FSCI) prior to April 11, 2013 and currently hold any of those FSCI shares, have certain options and should contact the Shareholders Foundation, Inc. at mail@shareholdersfoundation.com or call +1 (858) 779-1554.

The plaintiff alleges that the defendants breached their fiduciary duties by agreeing to sell the company too cheaply via an unfair process to Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.

On April 11, 2013, Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. and Fisher Communications, Inc. announced that they have entered into a merger agreement whereby Sinclair Broadcast Group, will acquire Fisher Communications in a merger transaction valued at approximately?$373.3 million. Under the terms of the agreement, Fisher Communications shareholders will receive?$41.00?in cash for each share of Fisher Communications common stock they own.

However, the plaintiff claims that the $41.00-offer is too low and undervalues the company. Indeed, after the takeover announcement shares of Fisher Communications, Inc. rose in the open market above the current offer. In fact, FSCI shares traded on April 16, 2013, as high as $41.39 per share. Furthermore the plaintiff alleges that the takeover process is also unfair to FSCI stockholders.

On April 19, 2013, FSCI shares closed at $41.22 per share.

Those who currently are investors in Fisher Communications, Inc. (FSCI) shares and purchased a substantial amount of FSCI shares before the announcement have certain options and should contact the Shareholders Foundation.

The Shareholders Foundation, Inc. is a professional portfolio legal monitoring and settlement claim filing service, which does research related to shareholder issues and informs investors of securities class actions, settlements, judgments, and other legal related news to the stock/financial market. The Shareholders Foundation, Inc. is not a law firm. The information is provided as a public service. It is not intended as legal advice and should not be relied upon.

Shareholders Foundation, Inc. Trevor Allen +1 (858) 779-1554  3111 Camino Del Rio North Suite 423 San Diego, CA 92108

Source: http://globenewswire.com/news-release/2013/04/22/540107/10029322/en/Fisher-Communications-Inc-FSCI-Investor-Lawsuit-to-Stop-Takeover-by-Sinclair-Broadcast-Group-Announced-by-Shareholders-Foundation.html

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Fully integrate your iPhone into your car with the Volkswagen iBeetle

Volkswagen recently introduced the iBeetle at the?2013 Shanghai Auto Show. ?The new models of the Beetle and Beetle Cabriolet?will be the first “of the Volkswagen Group in which the iPhone will become an integrative component.” ?The car’s dock holds the iPhone 5 as seen in the image, and you can access all your normal iPhone [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/04/22/fully-integrate-your-iphone-into-your-car-with-the-volkswagen-ibeetle/

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Boston Bombings Create Three New Stress Points for Obama

President Obama seemed like a man ready to exhale after the surviving Boston Marathon bomber suspect was captured, but he shouldn?t breathe too easy. Going forward, the tragic episode and its timing have created at least three new areas of stress for his already beleaguered administration.

Immigration setback? The public rollout of comprehensive, bipartisan immigration reform legislation the same week as the marathon bombings was timing at its most unfortunate. The misfortune was compounded by later news that the two suspects in the bombings, which killed three and injured more than 170, were Muslim brothers of Chechen heritage from an area of Russia near Chechnya.

It?s beyond obvious that there are millions of undocumented immigrants in this country who are working at jobs, maybe creating jobs, who are paying taxes or are prospective taxpayers making contributions to their adopted country. But immigration is an emotional issue, and reform opponents now have a perfect hook in the case of the Tsarnaev brothers --?Tamerlan, 26, a legal U.S. resident killed in a shootout with police, and Dzhokhar, 19, a naturalized U.S. citizen taken into custody in serious condition after an intensive day-long manhunt.

The reform package laboriously crafted by the Senate?s bipartisan Group of 8 (and blessed this week by Obama) would grant provisional legal status to most of the 11 million people in the United States without legal documents. Some of them would have a potential path to citizenship years down the road after many border enforcement conditions have been met.

Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., made what he called ?a conservative case? for the package Saturday in National Review, focused heavily on its border control provisions. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., ?the Florida senator and much-mentioned Republican presidential possibility, has been issuing a series of ?Myth vs. Fact? releases to counter misinformation. Speaking Saturday to the Nevada GOP, Rubio said the bombings might make passage tougher, but he noted that the brothers got into this country under the broken system he is trying to fix.

Still, reform advocates are up against rising GOP opposition fueled by the bombings. A sampling: After Suspect No. 1 -- Tamerlan -- was killed, conservative Ann Coulter tweeted: ?It?s too bad Suspect #1 won?t be able to be legalized by Marco Rubio, now.? Bryan Fischer, director of issue analysis for the conservative American Family Association, tweeted Saturday that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is a citizen ?because of our insanely misguided immigration policy.? He wondered why Muslims are being allowed in at all.

In contrast, Obama has spent the week tacitly reminding the country of the Latin motto on the seal of the United States: E Pluribus Unum. Out of many, one.

The American spirit, he said Friday night after Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was captured, ?includes staying true to the unity and diversity that makes us strong -- like no other nation in the world.? Part of the greatness of America and Boston., he added, is that ??we welcome people from all around the world -- people of every faith, every ethnicity, from every corner of the globe. ?So as we continue to learn more about why and how this tragedy happened, let's make sure that we sustain that spirit.?

Obama also celebrated immigration at the prayer service for bombing victims on Thursday. ?Boston opens its heart to the world,? he said. ?Over successive generations, you?ve welcomed again and again new arrivals to our shores -- immigrants who constantly reinvigorated this city and this commonwealth and our nation.?

Some reform proponents are already making a more explicit and practical counter-argument to counter those who view the Boston bombings as a rationale to kill the reform package. They say the current dysfunctional immigration system is a recipe for more terrorism -- not less. ?Immigration reform will strengthen our nation?s security by helping us identify exactly who has entered our country and who has left,? Republican Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham said Friday.

That case, always a hard political sell, has become even more difficult over the past week.

FBI Goof? The FBI says ?a foreign government? asked in early 2011 for information about Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the second suspected bomber, who was killed in a shootout with police this week at age 26. The request was ?based on information that he was a follower of radical Islam and a strong believer, and that he had changed drastically since 2010 as he prepared to leave the United States for travel to the country?s region to join unspecified underground groups,? the FBI said.

The changes in Tamerlan were obvious. His aunt said that several years ago he became very religious and started praying five times a day. He grew a long beard. He also married a young American woman, Katherine Russell, and had a daughter with her. Russell ? the daughter of a doctor and nurse from North Kingston, R.I. -- converted to Islam and wore Islamic dress.

When the request for information came in 2011, the FBI said it checked into ?derogatory telephone communications, possible use of online sites associated with the promotion of radical activity, associations with other persons of interest, travel history and plans, and education history? and ?did not find any terrorism activity, domestic or foreign.? But clearly there was no follow-up, or the FBI would probably have noticed that Tamerlan Tsarnaev posted Islamic extremist videos on a YouTube account created in 2012, and flew from New York to Russia in January 2012 and stayed there until July.

Criminal or Combatant? In the latest flare-up of a longrunning conflict between the administration and conservatives, there is already pressure from the right to treat Dzhokhar Tsarnaev as a potential enemy combatant who is not entitled to legal protections (such as the right to remain silent) ? rather than as a potential criminal who is.

?We remain under threat from radical Islam and we hope the Obama Administration will seriously consider the enemy combatant option,? ?Graham wrote on Facebook right after Tsarnaev was taken into custody. He said the accused perpetrators of last Monday?s two bombings were ?not common criminals? but terrorists, and ?the least of our worries is a criminal trial which will likely be held years from now.?

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/boston-bombings-create-three-stress-points-obama-130335364--politics.html

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Bing leads to 5 times more malware than Google? Not so, says Microsoft

Taylor Soper , GeekWire ? ? ? 3 hrs.

Microsoft has finally responded to a study claiming that Bing?s search results delivered five times as much malware than Google?s, and its answer is simple: the study is flawed.

Last week, AV-TEST conducted a malware study that analyzed millions of websites and found that Bing was showing much more malware to users than its more popular rival (see graph below).

But David Felstead, Senior Development Lead at Bing, responded in a blog post Friday, writing that the study made a mistake by using a Bing API instead of examining the searches directly from Bing.com. This method, Bing says, resulted in misleading results because the API results bypassed its warning system and does not show warning labels.

?Bing actually does prevent customers from clicking on malware infected sites by disabling the link on the results page and showing the below message to stop people from going to the site,? he wrote.

But why does Bing even show them at all if they could be infected?

?We don?t explicitly remove malicious sites from the index because most are legitimate sites that normally don?t host malware but have been hacked,? Felstead writes. ?Our research shows that if sites like this remain infected for a long period of time, their ranking will naturally fall because customers won?t click on them.?

While he did say that ?this is a highly complex problem that all engines are constantly working to solve,? Felstead pointed out how a Google search of ?vacation hotline,? doesn?t give a malware warning, but Bing does.

He added that users will see the warning only once per 10,000 searches on Bing.

?In any case, the overall scale of the problem is very small,? Felstead wrote.

Russian search engine company Yanax also questioned the validity of AV-TEST?s study.

The monthly U.S. search stats from comScore came out for March last week and it showed Google with 67.1 percent of the search market share. Microsoft only has 16.9 percent, a number that?s been growing, albeit slowly.

Microsoft, meanwhile, continues to bash Google with its ?Scroogled? campaign, with the latest bombardment focusing on privacy issues with the Google Play Store.

Reach GeekWire staff reporter Taylor Soper at taylor@geekwire.com or on Twitter at @Taylor_Soper.

More from GeekWire:

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Mayo CEO: 'There are 49 states that would like us to invest in them' (Star Tribune)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/297907983?client_source=feed&format=rss

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ChargeCard

• Pros

  Discreet and lightweight. Easily fits into most wallets. Charges and syncs devices. Flexible design.

• Cons Requires a power source. Rubbery surface grips to wallet pockets. Relatively expensive.
• Bottom Line

  The ChargeCard is a USB charging cable that comfortably fits into wallet pockets, making it easy to carry a spare cable with you at all times.

By Eugene Kim

Whether it's 30-pin, Lightning, or micro USB, a charging cable is an essential item for any mobile gadget lover. I try to keep a spare cable in my bag, but I don't always have my bag with me, and I can't tell you how many times I've been stuck with a drained device and multiple people vying for a single charging cable. That's what makes the ChargeCard ($25 direct) an ingenious little accessory?it's a USB charging cable packed into a wallet-friendly card. Currently, only the 30-pin option is shipping, but you can pre-order micro USB and Lightning versions for delivery in mid-April and mid-May respectively.

The ChargeCard measures 3.25 by 2 by 0.13 inches (HWD), which is shorter and narrower than your standard credit card, but more than twice as thick. On one end, a plastic 30-pin connector juts out, while a pliable rubber strip runs down the middle and terminates in a USB connector. The USB strip bends out in either direction, and easily pops back into place when not in use. ?There's a grippy rubber material lining the edges, which helps make sure the card doesn't slip out of your wallet, but also makes it harder to remove, especially if your wallet is already packed with other items. The ChargeCard uses standard USB 2.0, meaning you can use it for simultaneous charging and data transfer. It also outputs at up to 3.1 amps, so it will work with high-amp output USB chargers.

I tested with a number of bi-fold, tri-fold, and low-profile wallets. The ChargeCard easily fit into every wallet I tried, adding minimal bulk in the process. In a slimmer wallet, where I can normally fit two credit cards into one slot, I found that I could only fit the ChargeCard and something thinner like a MetroCard or business card. When using the ChargeCard, the pop-out USB strip is only about 2 inches long, so you'll be on a much shorter leash, but this is all about convenience. Also keep in mind, the ChargeCard still requires a USB port on a computer or wall adapter to work. I tested the ChargeCard with an iPad 2?and iPhone 4S, both of which charged and synced perfectly, though the short cable length can make it tricky to position tablets. I plugged the ChargeCard into a number of USB ports, including a laptop port, USB wall charger, and Playstation 3 USB port, all of which worked fine.?

At $25, the ChargeCard is a bit pricey considering it's just a charging cable?Apple sells its own 30-pin-to-USB cable for $19, while third-party cables go for as little as $2 online. But try stuffing your spare cable into your wallet and you'll recognize just how useful this little accessory is.?

By Eugene Kim Junior Analyst, Consumer Electronics

Before joining the consumer electronics team at PCMag, Eugene worked at local news station NY1 doing everything from camera work to writing scripts. He grew up in Montclair, New Jersey and graduated from the University...

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North Korea warns foreigners to leave South amid new threats of war

By Christine Kim and Joyce Lee

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea intensified threats of an imminent conflict against the United States and the South on Tuesday, warning foreigners to evacuate South Korea to avoid being dragged into "thermonuclear war".

The North's latest message belied an atmosphere free of anxiety in the South Korean capital, where the city center was bustling with traffic and offices operated normally.

Pyongyang has shown no sign of preparing its 1.2 million-strong army for war, indicating the threat could be aimed partly at bolstering Kim Jong-un, 30, the third in his family to lead the country.

The North, which threatens the United States and its "puppet", South Korea, on a daily basis, is marking anniversaries this week that could be accompanied by strong statements or military displays.

The warning to foreigners in the South, reported by the KCNA news agency, said once war broke out "it will be an all-out war, a merciless, sacred, retaliatory war to be waged by (North Korea).

"It does not want to see foreigners in South Korea fall victim to the war," the agency quoted the Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee as saying.

"The committee informs all foreign institutions and enterprises and foreigners, including tourists...that they are requested to take measures for shelter and evacuation in advance for their safety."

None of the embassies in Seoul appeared to have issued any directives to their nationals and airlines reported no changes in their schedules. Schools catering to foreign pupils worked without interruption.

The warning, read out on North Korea's state television in a bulletin that interrupted normal programming, was the latest threat in weeks of high tension following U.N. sanctions slapped on Pyongyang for its latest nuclear arms test.

It followed the North's suspension of activity at the Kaesong joint industrial park just inside North Korea, all but closing down the last remnant of cooperation between the neighbors. North Korean workers failed to turn up on Tuesday.

North Korea had said South Korea was trying to turn the Kaesong complex into a "hotbed of war".

Speculation remained high that the North may launch some provocative action this week - perhaps a missile launch or a nuclear arms test.

In a previous appeal, its authorities urged diplomats in Pyongyang to leave on grounds their safety could not be assured beyond Wednesday. None appeared to have taken any such action.

"VERY DANGEROUS" SITUATION

Also featured in broadcasts were country-wide reports of celebrations marking Saturday's 20th anniversary of the current leader's father, Kim Jong-il, taking over North Korea's leadership and next Monday's birth date of his grandfather, post-World War Two state founder Kim Il-Sung.

A spokeswoman for South Korea's presidential Blue House dismissed the warning, saying no one felt under threat.

North Koreans attend a rally held to gather their willingness for a victory in a possible war against the United States and South Korea in Nampo, North Korea, April 3, 2013 in this picture released by... more? North Koreans attend a rally held to gather their willingness for a victory in a possible war against the United States and South Korea in Nampo, North Korea, April 3, 2013 in this picture released by the North's official KCNA news agency in Pyongyang on Wednesday. REUTERS/KCNA (NORTH KOREA - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS IMAGE. THIS PICTURE IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A RVICE TO CLIENTS. NO THIRD PARTY SALES. NOT FOR USE BY REUTERS THIRD PARTY DISTRIBUTORS less? ?

"We understand that not only South Koreans, but also foreigners residing here remain unfazed as they have great trust and confidence in our military and the Republic of Korea," Yonhap news agency quoted Kim Haing as saying. She was referring to South Korea by its official name.

A government source in Seoul said a North Korean medium-range missile, reported to have been shunted to the east coast, had been tracked and was believed to be ready for launch.

"Technically, they can launch it as early as tomorrow," the source said.

But a U.S. embassy official in Seoul said a directive issued last week saying there was no imminent threat to Americans in South Korea remained valid. "Our workers are in all our offices today," he said. "We have not evacuated anyone."

Stocks, which had fallen 4 percent over the past four days, edged higher on Tuesday despite the warning. The won currency moved little, dipping slightly after the North Korean statement.

World leaders have expressed alarm at the crisis and the prospect of a conflict involving a country claiming to be developing nuclear weapons.

China, the North's sole diplomatic and financial ally, issued a new call for calm and restraint, though Beijing's leaders have shown increasing impatience with Pyongyang.

A Russian foreign ministry spokesman, in a statement on the ministry's website, said Moscow was in solidarity with all G8 industrialized countries "as regards the rejection of Pyongyang's current provocative and bellicose line of conduct".

An official from the 27-nation European Union said Pyongyang "looks calm", but acknowledged there was a "limited risk...of an armed conflict".

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, speaking in Rome, described the situation as "very dangerous. A small incident caused by miscalculation or misjudgment may create an uncontrollable situation".

The North is also angry at weeks of joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises off the coast of the peninsula, with B-2 stealth bombers dispatched from their U.S. bases.

But the United States announced the postponement last weekend of a long-planned missile launch, a move officials said was aimed at easing tensions on the peninsula. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry visits Seoul this week.

Employers at the Kaesong complex faced uncertainty as the 53,000-strong North Korean workforce stayed away. A spokesman for textile company Taekwang Industrial and at least two other firms said production had stopped.

South Korean figures said 406 South Koreans remained in Kaesong on Tuesday after 69 left the complex, which generates $2 billion in trade for the impoverished North.

Addressing a cabinet meeting, South Korean President Park Geun-hye described the suspension of Kaesong as "very disappointing" and said investors would now shun the North.

South Korean companies are estimated to have invested around $500 million in the park since 2004.

North Korean workers at the park have appeared increasingly agitated in recent days, refusing to talk to their colleagues.

Many Southerners connected with the park bedded down at budget hotels in a nearby South Korean town in the hope that an order would come from the North to re-open.

(Additional reporting by Ju-min Park in PAJU, Jack Kim in Seoul, Ben Blanchard in Beijing; Manuel Mogato in Manila and Steve Gutterman in Moscow; Writing by Ron Popeski; Editing by Nick Macfie)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/north-korea-suspends-last-project-south-putin-cites-001526987.html

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How Seattle Cancer Care Alliance implemented Washington's Death with Dignity Act

Apr. 10, 2013 ? By the end of 2011, most of the 255 Washington residents who received a prescription for lethal medication to end their lives under the state's Death with Dignity Act had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Of those, 40 were patients at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, part of the Pacific Northwest's only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Because several states are considering similar Death with Dignity laws, and because such legislation disproportionately affects cancer patients and their families, SCCA conducted a study to describe the institution's implementation of the Washington state law and its experience with patients who chose to participate. The study's findings are published in the April 11, 2013 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

The study found that overall, SCCA's Death with Dignity program was rarely used, but in those cases where it was, the program was well-accepted by patients and physicians. "Qualitatively, patients and families were grateful to receive the lethal prescription whether or not it was used," the authors wrote.

The study found the most common reasons for participating included loss of autonomy, an inability to engage in enjoyable activities and loss of dignity.

"People who pursue Death with Dignity tend to be individuals who want to be independent and want to have control over the conditions and timing of their final moments of life," said Elizabeth Trice Loggers, M.D., Ph.D., corresponding author and medical director of SCCA's Supportive and Palliative Care Service.

Washington was the second state, after Oregon, to enact a Death with Dignity law. It was passed in November 2008 after a voter-approved referendum and enacted in March 2009. Under Washington law, competent adults residing in the state with a life expectancy of six months or less due to a diagnosed medical condition may request and self-administer lethal medications prescribed by a physician. Prescribing physicians do not assist patients to ingest the medicine.

SCCA patient participants

A total of 114 patients inquired about the institution's Death with Dignity program between March 5, 2009 and Dec. 31, 2011. Of these, 44 did not pursue the program; 30 others initiated the process but either elected not to continue or died before completing the steps necessary to obtain a prescription for lethal medicine. Forty patients received a prescription and 24 died after ingesting the medication, which was secobarbital, a barbiturate. The average time from ingestion to death was 35 minutes. The remaining 16 patients did not use the drug and eventually died of their disease. For this study, SCCA patients were characterized as participants if they completed the steps required for a physician to prescribe lethal medication. The participants were mostly Caucasian men with more than a high school education, married and ranged in age from 42 to 91.

Policy debate and decision

Loggers said that while SCCA's goals are to cure cancer and save lives, providers also must be prepared to help patients with terminal disease by offering palliative care and other end-of-life services.

SCCA's Death with Dignity program was adapted from existing programs in Oregon. Significant internal debate took place before a policy was written and approved. Linda Ganzini, M.D., M.P.H., professor of psychiatry and medicine at Oregon Health & Science University and the country's foremost expert on death with dignity programs, was brought in to consult.

Among the decisions made to address potentially controversial aspects:

• SCCA does not accept new patients solely for the purpose to access the Death with Dignity program.
• Information is not posted in public spaces of the clinic, effectively requiring patients to initiate requests with their doctor.
• Participants are required to sign an agreement not to take the lethal prescription in a public area or manner. This is more restrictive than the Death with Dignity state law, which only recommends this.
• No physicians or staff members are compelled to participate. A confidential survey asked about 200 SCCA physicians their willingness to act as prescribing or consulting clinicians as defined in the law. Eighty-one responded, with 50 physicians willing to participate in either role. Thirty-one physicians were unwilling or undecided.

According to Loggers, the decision to offer a Death with Dignity program to patients was a small part of offering a broad spectrum of high quality cancer care.

"Throughout history, cancer has been one of the paradigmatic diseases where we must prospectively deal with the knowledge of death," she said. "You can't ignore death if you are going to be a good medical oncologist or an organization that cares well for cancer patients and their families," said Loggers, who is a medical oncologist and board-certified in hospice and palliative medicine. She is also an assistant member of the Clinical Research Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and an assistant investigator at Group Health Research Institute.

"In a pluralistic society where 58 percent of Washington voters affirmed that terminally ill individuals should have Death with Dignity as a legitimate choice at end of life, we felt compelled to honor that for patients and families," she continued. "It's also important to note that the vast majority of families, including those who also select Death with Dignity, opt for palliative and hospice care at end of life. The existence of Death with Dignity hasn't changed that."

How Death with Dignity program is implemented

Following referral to the Death with Dignity program, each patient is assigned a social worker to serve as an advocate who assists the patient, family, physicians and other health care providers through the multi-step process, which includes:

• describing the process to the patient and family (including offering alternatives such as palliative care and hospice)
• conducting a preliminary medical chart review to confirm a diagnosis of terminal disease
• identifying a physician who will write the prescription
• verifying legal residency
• completing a psychosocial assessment
• monitoring compliance with required documentation

Upon completion of these steps, formal documents are given to the patient, who is required to sign them. The patient and family then meet with both the prescribing and consulting physicians, who review the diagnosis, prognosis and medication risks. Alternatives to lethal medication are again discussed. After the mandatory 15-day waiting period, if all legal requirements are met, a written prescription is sent to the SCCA pharmacy. A pharmacist then meets with the patient and family to educate them about using the prescribed medication.

Assessing the program

The authors reported no unexpected complications except for a patient who died a day after taking the lethal medication, which caused caregiver and clinician distress. Similar cases have been reported by other Washington and Oregon institutions.

"Anecdotally, families describe the death as peaceful (even when death has taken longer than the average of approximately 35 minutes)," the authors wrote. "We have not received complaints from family members or caregivers regarding our process or the manner of death of any patients."

None of the patients who chose to obtain a prescription were found to have current or historical depression or decision-making incapacity. None were deemed to need a mental health evaluation, which the law requires if physicians believe the patient may be suffering from a psychiatric or psychological disorder or depression causing impaired judgment.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Elizabeth Trice Loggers, Helene Starks, Moreen Shannon-Dudley, Anthony L. Back, Frederick R. Appelbaum, F. Marc Stewart. Implementing a Death with Dignity Program at a Comprehensive Cancer Center. New England Journal of Medicine, 2013; 368 (15): 1417 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMsa1213398

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/~3/3-MwLfkSZWc/130410201826.htm

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McConnell campaign on Ashley Judd: Was secret recording legal?

Kentucky state law suggests the secret recording of a McConnell campaign strategy session ? posted Tuesday on the Mother Jones website ? could be illegal. The FBI is also getting involved.?

By Linda Feldmann,?Staff writer / April 9, 2013

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of K.Y. answers questions from reporters, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, following a Republican strategy session. The FBI is investigating allegations that McConnell's re-election campaign office was bugged with an electronic listening device.

J. Scott Applewhite/AP

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Republicans are crying foul ? and raising the memory of Watergate ? over the release of an embarrassing secret recording of a strategy session for the reelection campaign of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R) of Kentucky. Senator McConnell, the top Republican in the US Senate, was present at the meeting.

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Audio from the Feb. 2 meeting, posted Tuesday on the liberal Mother Jones website, included discussion of (and laughter over) past comments and travails of actress Ashley Judd, who had considered running against McConnell but decided not to.?

The McConnell campaign denies that anyone on its staff leaked the recording.

?Secret recordings, private conversations leaked, reports of bugs ? these Watergate-era tactics have no place in our campaigns,? Sen. Jerry Moran (R) of Kansas, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said in a statement.

The McConnell campaign is working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and has notified the US Attorney?s office in Louisville about the matter, McConnell?s campaign manager, Jesse Benton, told NBC News.

The incident brings to mind the secret video recording last year of GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney talking about the ?47 percent? ? people who will vote for President Obama ?no matter what? and are ?dependent upon government? ? also posted on the Mother Jones site. That video may have been the most damaging moment in Romney?s campaign.

But in legal terms, the McConnell recording is different. Mr. Romney was speaking at a fundraiser in Florida, and while it was a private event, he could reasonably expect that he might be recorded.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/9bnNNqs52io/McConnell-campaign-on-Ashley-Judd-Was-secret-recording-legal

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Runaway ballet star turns up in Moscow after fleeing London

LONDON (Reuters) - Sergei Polunin, the Royal Ballet prodigy dubbed the bad boy of dance, has turned up in Moscow after fleeing a London performance last week, a spokeswoman for his Russian ballet company said on Tuesday.

It was the second vanishing act by the 23-year-old Ukrainian who dramatically quit Britain's Royal Ballet in January last year just a week before he was due to dance in "The Dream".

In his latest exodus, Polunin stopped showing up for rehearsals for the UK premiere of "Midnight Express" a week before the show was to start with director Peter Schaufuss expressing concern for a star known for his party lifestyle.

But a spokeswoman for the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theatre, where Polunin now dances, said on Tuesday that the star was fine and back in Moscow.

"He has not disappeared, he is in Moscow," said the spokeswoman for the Moscow-based theatre, adding that he was "alive and well. Nothing happened".

The reason for Polunin's sudden departure remains unknown.

The heavily tattooed Polunin is a rising star in the ballet world, joining the Royal Ballet at the age of 13 and at 21, becoming the youngest dancer to be made a principal.

After quitting the Royal Ballet last year, he told reporters that he found rehearsing "very boring" and wanted to give up ballet by the age of 26 as it was so grueling.

But he returned to the stage quickly, performing with Moscow's Stanislavsky Ballet.

His lead role in "Midnight Express", which opens at the London Coliseum on Tuesday, was taken by Johan Christensen who had been in rehearsals with Polunin.

The ballet, that Schaufuss first choreographed in 2000, is based on the 1977 memoir by Billy Hayes about being jailed in Turkey for drug smuggling. The book was also made into a film which won a Best Writing Academy Award for Oliver Stone.

(Reporting by Belinda Goldsmith and Ludmila Danilova in Moscow, Editing by Paul Casciato)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/runaway-ballet-star-turns-moscow-fleeing-london-145642001.html

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Facebook adds new emotion selection tool, making it easier to converse

See that? That's a new feature on Facebook's status box, which has started to roll out this morning after earlier testing in January. It's also covering up a pretty depressing note from a friend underneath, who would've undoubtedly selected "sad" if he were to have recognized said feature before posting a conventional status update. For now, it appears that the emotion selection tool is only hitting select US-based users, as our European contingent has yet to see it appear on their profiles. Essentially, a smiley face has been added to the right of the photo button, and pressing it gives you a quick way to update your status -- you can share an emotion, or what you're watching / listening to / reading / drinking / eating.

It seems as if Facebook wants to funnel conversations a bit; instead of only giving you free rein to blabber in a status box, it'd much rather you update with a linked artist, television show or product. That way, said entity gets included in any conversations you have, and the great revenue wheel begins to spin. At any rate, feel free to check your own page and play around with the new functionality. Then shoot us an emoticon in comments to let us know how you're feeling about it.

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Thatcher's funeral plans as divisive as Iron Lady herself

By Estelle Shirbon

LONDON (Reuters) - Plans for Margaret Thatcher's funeral turned into a security headache and a national talking point on Wednesday as the former prime minister divided Britain in death as she did in life.

Parties in several cities to celebrate the conservative politician's death on Monday ended in arrests and newspapers reported police may pre-emptively arrest known trouble-makers before they travel to her funeral next week.

Codenamed "Operation True Blue", the ceremonial funeral with military honours on Wednesday will begin with a procession through central London to a service at Saint Paul's Cathedral.

In a break with protocol marking Thatcher's exceptional stature, The Queen and her husband Prince Philip will attend. The last time the monarch attended a prime minister's funeral was when Winston Churchill died in 1965.

But many opposed to Thatcher's free-market ideology say she was too divisive a figure to be sent off in a style usually reserved for royals like Princess Diana or the Queen Mother.

"Let's privatise her funeral. Put it out to competitive tender and accept the cheapest bid. It's what she'd have wanted," said filmmaker Ken Loach, whose movies denounce the impact of Thatcher's policies on working class communities.

Members of the public launched an e-petition on a government website calling for the funeral to be privatised as "an ideal way to cut government expense and further prove the merits of liberalised economics Baroness Thatcher spearheaded".

The petition gathered close to 34,000 signatures before it was shut down without explanation on Wednesday morning.

Left-leaning tabloid the Daily Mirror denounced the cost to taxpayers of what it called "the 10-million-pound goodbye". Downing Street said the figure was "pure speculation" and the cost of the funeral would be published after the event.

"THE WITCH IS DEAD"

The Daily Telegraph, a right-wing paper that was among the most reverential in its coverage, said it shut down internet comments on Thatcher stories due to "foul abuse".

The Official Charts Company said the song "Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead", from 1939 movie "The Wizard of Oz", had climbed to number 10 in the singles chart as a result of a campaign by Thatcher haters to try and push it up to number one.

Such reactions to the death of the prime minister from 1979-1990 were condemned by Conservatives as well as by some opposition Labour figures such as ex-prime minister Tony Blair.

Recalled from Easter recess, parliament was due to hold a seven-and-a-half-hour debate on Thatcher's legacy on Wednesday.

Prime Minister David Cameron, Conservative Party leader, will pay tribute but Labour parliamentarians were expected to criticise her record of crushing labour unions, privatising industry and de-regulating financial services.

Some Labour members of parliament refused to attend.

"I'd rather be put in a torture chamber," Ronnie Campbell, whose constituency in northern England was hard-hit by Thatcher's reforms, told BBC radio.

Since the 87-year-old's death from a stroke, reactions have ranged from Cameron saying she "saved our country" to far-left protesters posing for cameras with banners reading "Rejoice!".

In Brixton, a south London area hit during the Thatcher era by huge riots in 1981, protesters scaled a cinema and replaced movie titles with the words "Margaret Thatchers dead LOL" (sic). They also hung a banner that read "The bitch is dead".

Disturbances took place in Liverpool and Glasgow, two cities ravaged by Thatcher's dismantling of state industries.

The Independent and The Evening Standard reported police may pre-emptively arrest trouble-makers. But police declined comment, saying they would use "a range of appropriate tactics"

London's Metropolitan Police said it "wishes to speak to anyone who may chose to demonstrate ... so that their right to protest can be upheld whilst respecting the right of Baroness Thatcher's family and those who wish to pay their respects".

As well as the threat from anti-capitalist activists with a long record of violent protest, security forces will be mindful of any action from dissident groups from northern Ireland.

Thatcher escaped assassination in 1984 when the IRA blew up a hotel where she was staying. The IRA laid down arms as part of a peace deal, but Thatcher remains a hate figure to many on the other side of the Irish Sea.

(Additional reporting by Peter Griffiths and Dasha Afanasieva; Editing by Jason Webb)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/thatchers-funeral-plans-divisive-iron-lady-herself-135415828.html

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