Iranian border guards still in Pakistani custody (AP)

QUETTA, Pakistan ? Pakistani authorities have yet to decide what to do with three Iranian border guards detained for allegedly crossing into southwestern Pakistan and killing a man, a government official said Monday.

The incident occurred Sunday in the Mazah Sar area of Baluchistan province, a desolate, unpopulated region where the border is not clearly marked. They allegedly shot and killed one man and wounded another who local authorities said were smugglers.

Aalam Farez, a senior government official in Washuk district, where Mazah Sar is located, said the Iranians have admitted to inadvertently crossing into Pakistan while chasing a vehicle.

They accidentally shot the two men when they fired on the vehicle they were chasing, said Farez. The two men were in another vehicle.

Pakistani border personnel then chased the Iranians back across the border, seized the two men who had been shot and detained the three Iranian guards, Pakistani officials have said.

Farez said he was waiting to hear from Baluchistan's provincial government about what to do with the Iranians.

Iran has not publicly commented on the incident.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iran/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120102/ap_on_re_as/as_pakistan_iran

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Get used to it, South Florida ? pipes are breaking and it?s only going to get worse

The hectic nature of Christmas Eve ? last-minute presents to buy, family to entertain, meals to cook ? can be a mountain of stress. Now try keeping it together after all the faucets stop running.

That was the challenge presented to more than 200,000 Broward County homes and businesses this holiday season, after a ruptured water line left families high and, quite literally, dry. On Christmas Day, though the water was again flowing, it had to be boiled before families could be assured it was safe.

For South Florida?s aging water and sewer pipes, it was but the latest example of an underground infrastructure that has repeatedly experienced breaks ? sometimes with serious consequences. Folks typically don?t think about their water and sewer pipes until something goes wrong, so it?s certainly not good news that residents across Broward County have recently had pipelines on their minds.

It?s become an issue in Fort Lauderdale, Oakland Park and Wilton Manors ? all cities affected by the Christmas Eve water line break. It?s become a quite-smelly issue in parts of Hollywood, where a November sewer main rupture sent millions of raw sewage into a nearby neighborhood and canal.

In Miramar, even pipe replacements have proved contentious, as residents of eastern Miramar say a year-long $4 million sewer project has caused flooding so bad that streets become miniature lakes when it rains.

?It?s a coincidence that they all happened around the same time,? said Fort Lauderdale Public Works Director Albert Carbon. Fort Lauderdale?s water utility provides service to several cities, which is why the Christmas Eve break affected other municipalities as well. Fort Lauderdale?s system also experienced a sewer break in October near the Harbor Shoppes on Cordova Road ? a break that sent a stinky mess into the roadway and surrounding parking lot.

The problem is replacing underground pipes ? some of them dating back to the 1940s or 1950s ? isn?t unique to South Florida. In 2009, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave the nation?s sewer system a D-minus grade, noting that aging pipes discharge billions of gallons of untreated wastewater into U.S. waterways each year.

The environmental group Cry of the Water, comprised of divers concerned about illegal dumping, argues that repeated spill can destroy the environment unless infrastructure needs are addressed.

?These old pipes are leaking,? organization director Dan Clark said after Hollywood?s November sewer break. ?It?s only going to get worse.?

The federal government?s stimulus bill contained millions of dollars for Florida water and sewer improvements, but the sheer depth of the upgrades needed means that local governments often have to foot most of the bill themselves. Money for system repairs typically comes from the water and sewer rates paid by utility customers.

In the midst of the sluggish economy, some utilities have been loathe to hit customers with whopping increases, preferring to raise bills more modestly and tackle the problem over time.

?Infrastructure is not something you can fix overnight,? said city of Hollywood spokeswoman Raelin Storey.

Early in 2010, Miami-Dade County had its own flurry of pipe breaks ? a 54-inch water main break in Hialeah flooded homes and caused a large sinkhole, and several months later a 72-inch sewage pipe burst and sent raw sewage pouring into Biscayne Bay.

Miami-Dade?s Water and Sewer Department?s had requested an 18 percent increase the previous year, with infrastructure improvements its top priority. Instead, county commissioners approved a pair of 6 percent increases.

?It?s a balancing act for us,? said department spokeswoman Jennifer Messemer. ?Maintaining the quality of water and sewer services with being able to provide a cost-effective rate for our residents.?

Miami-Dade operates the largest water and sewer utility in the Southeast, providing water to more than 2 million customers and monitoring about 6,200 miles? worth of sewer lines. The county?s leak detection system includes lowering acoustical equipment underground, which records the noise emanating from the pipes and can be used to pinpoint cracks or other issues.

But at the end of the day, not all leaks can be prevented, especially when a frequent cause across South Florida is not age or decay but actually local construction crews who made an unfortunate mistake.

?Think of it as your car,? Messemer said. ?Things break, and no matter how proactive we can be, unfortunately there are going to be times that we do have pipe failures.?

Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/02/2569352/get-used-to-it-south-florida-pipes.html

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France says Syrian regime committing massacres

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, an Arab League monitor speaks with a Syrian student at Al-Sabil area, in Daraa, Syria, on Tuesday Jan. 3, 2012. The Arab League called Tuesday for an emergency meeting to discuss whether to withdraw the group's monitors from Syria, where security forces are still killing protesters despite the observers' presence, an Arab official said. (AP Photo/SANA) EDITORIAL USE ONLY

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, an Arab League monitor speaks with a Syrian student at Al-Sabil area, in Daraa, Syria, on Tuesday Jan. 3, 2012. The Arab League called Tuesday for an emergency meeting to discuss whether to withdraw the group's monitors from Syria, where security forces are still killing protesters despite the observers' presence, an Arab official said. (AP Photo/SANA) EDITORIAL USE ONLY

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA and according to them, flames raise from a gas pipeline caused by an explosion attack, near the town Rastan in the restive Homs province, Syria, on Tuesday Jan. 3, 2012. An explosion struck a gas pipeline in central Syria in an attack the government blamed on terrorists, the state-run news agency said. There were no casualties. The pipeline feeds two power stations. French President Nicolas Sarkozy says the Syrian regime is committing massacres and he is calling on President Bashar Assad to leave power. (AP Photo/SANA) EDITORIAL USE ONLY

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Arab League monitors check Al-Sabil area, in Daraa, Syria, on Tuesday Jan. 3, 2012. The Arab League called Tuesday for an emergency meeting to discuss whether to withdraw the group's monitors from Syria, where security forces are still killing protesters despite the observers' presence, an Arab official said. (AP Photo/SANA) EDITORIAL USE ONLY

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Arab League monitors check Al-Sabil area, in Daraa, Syria, on Tuesday Jan.3, 2012. The Arab League called Tuesday for an emergency meeting to discuss whether to withdraw the group's monitors from Syria, where security forces are still killing protesters despite the observers' presence, an Arab official said. (AP Photo/SANA) EDITORIAL USE ONLY

BEIRUT (AP) ? French President Nicolas Sarkozy accused Syrian leader Bashar Assad of "barbarous repression" Tuesday and demanded that he step down, saying the regime is massacring its own people.

Sarkozy said Syrians should be allowed to determine their own future.

"The massacres being committed by the Syrian regime rightly arouse disgust and revolt in the Arab world, in France, in Europe and everywhere in the world," Sarkozy said during a New Year's address at a Navy air base in Lanveoc-Poulmic, France.

"The Syrian president must leave power," he told members of the French military.

In Washington, White House spokesman Jay Carney insisted the violence in Syria must be stopped. "We have made clear that if the Arab League initiative is not implemented, the international community will have to consider new measures to compel a halt to the regime's violence against its own citizens," he said.

The U.N.'s last estimate, announced several weeks ago, estimated that more than 5,000 people have been killed in the government's military crackdown on the revolt that erupted in mid-March, inspired by uprisings across the Arab world. But since that report, activists say hundreds more have been killed.

The violence has drawn broad international condemnation and sanctions, but Assad remains defiant. The Arab League sent in about 100 observers a week ago to verify Syria's compliance with the organization's plan that requires the regime to remove security forces and heavy weapons from city streets, start talks with opposition leaders and free political prisoners. Syria agreed to the plan, intended to halt the crackdown completely, on Dec. 19.

The Local Coordination Committees, an umbrella group of activists, put the death toll at more than 390 people since Dec. 21.

Activists reported more bloodshed Tuesday.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that as dozens of soldiers were defecting in the southern village of Jassem, they came under fire from security forces in a clash that killed at least 18 of the government troops. The Observatory said security forces later launched raids in the area, detaining more than 100 people in and around the village.

The group also said security forces shot dead three people in the restive city of Homs and three in the central province of Hama. The LCC had a higher toll, saying security forces killed four people in Homs, one in the Damascus suburb of Kfar Batna and four in the central province of Hama.

The Arab League's chief acknowledged Monday that killings have continued even with the monitors working on the ground.

The League called an emergency meeting on Saturday to discuss whether to withdraw the monitors because security forces are still killing people, an Arab official said. The meeting will be in Cairo, where the Arab League is based.

Syrian opposition groups have been deeply critical of the Arab League mission, saying it is simply giving Assad cover for his crackdown. The LCC says the observer mission is witnessing mainly regime-staged events, and they move about the country only with the full knowledge of the government.

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said the regime must not be allowed to interfere with the observers on the ground.

"The conditions in which this observer mission is taking place need to be clarified," he told French television I-Tele. "Does it really have completely free access to information? We await the report that it will submit in the coming days to see more clearly."

On Monday, Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby acknowledged ongoing bloodshed but insisted the observer mission has yielded important concessions from the Damascus regime, such as the withdrawal of heavy weapons from cities.

"Yes, there is still shooting and yes there are still snipers," he said. "Yes, killings continue. The objective is for us to wake up in the morning and hear that no one is killed. The mission's philosophy is to protect civilians, so if one is killed, then our mission is incomplete."

Syria has banned most foreign journalists from the country and prevented independent reporting, making it difficult to confirm claims from either side.

The Arab League's deputy secretary-general, Ahmed bin Heli, said the meeting on Saturday will look into the first report by the head of the monitoring mission.

Another official told The Associated Press that the ministerial meeting will discuss whether to pull out the monitors because of the ongoing violence. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

The Saturday meeting will not make a final decision, but will send its recommendations to another, high-level ministerial meeting. No date was set for that meeting.

While most of the violence reported early in the uprising involved Syrian forces firing on unarmed protesters, there are now more frequent armed clashes between military defectors and security forces. The increasing militarization of the conflict has raised fears the country is sliding toward civil war.

Also Tuesday, an explosion struck a gas pipeline in central Syria in an attack the government blamed on terrorists, the state-run news agency said. There were no casualties. The blast happened near the town Rastan in the restive Homs province, SANA reported. The pipeline feeds two power stations.

There have been several pipeline attacks since the Syrian uprising began in mid-March, but it is not clear who is behind them at a time when violence across the country spirals out of control, unearthing long-standing grievances and resentments.

___

Michael reported from Cairo. AP writers Bassem Mroue in Beirut and Sylvie Corbet in Lanveoc-Poulmic, France, contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-03-ML-Syria/id-5ba56b047f1c4a45a53e90136681b6ee

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Pope Benedict XVI to visit Cuba March 26-28 (Reuters)

HAVANA (Reuters) ? Pope Benedict XVI will visit Cuba on March 26-28 and perform two open-air masses on the communist island as part of his upcoming trip to Mexico and Cuba, Roman Catholic Church officials said on Sunday.

The 84-year-old pontiff was to fly from Mexico and arrive in the eastern city of Santiago, where he will be met by President Raul Castro, and then go on to Havana on March 27.

He will perform masses in the main plazas -- both known as Revolution Square -- of the two cities and also visit Cuba's most famous religious icon, the statue of the Virgin of Charity in the town of El Cobre, the Church said.

The purpose of the papal visit is in part to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the discovery of the relic, said to have been found by three fishermen floating in a bay in eastern Cuba.

A replica of the statue on Friday completed a 16-month pilgrimage around the island that was the first such religious display since the 1950s and a signal of improved relations between the government and the Church, which were at odds for many years following the 1959 revolution.

Relations began to warm in the 1990s, a process that was aided by a 1998 visit by Pope John Paul II, and intensified in 2010 when the church brokered a deal with Castro to release political prisoners.

It was not known if Benedict would meet with Fidel Castro, 85, who ruled Cuba for 49 years before his brother Raul Castro, 80, succeeded him in 2008.

The elder Castro now seldom appears in public, but occasionally meets in private with visiting foreign leaders and writes columns about international affairs.

The pope will go to Mexico for three days starting on May 23 before going to Cuba, Mexico church officials said on Sunday.

(Reporting by Jeff Franks; Editing by Philip Barbara)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mexico/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120102/wl_nm/us_cuba_pope

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Reader photos: Southern California Moments, Day 365

About L.A. Now

L.A. Now is the Los Angeles Times? breaking news section for Southern California. It is produced by more than 80 reporters and editors in The Times? Metro section, reporting from the paper?s downtown Los Angeles headquarters as well as bureaus in Costa Mesa, Long Beach, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Riverside, Ventura and West Los Angeles.

Have a story tip for L.A. Now?

Can I call someone with news?

Yes. The city desk number is (213) 237-7847.

Source: http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/lanowblog/~3/uq57efhJw_4/reader-photos-southern-california-moments-day-365.html

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GUEST VIEW: Rome will move ahead as community partners

EDITOR?S NOTE: We asked area leaders to share their vision for 2012 with readers. Today?s column is by Joseph R. Fusco, Jr., elected mayor of Rome in November. He begins a four-year term Jan. 1, 2012.

As the eve of 2011 fast approaches, I would like to take this time to wish everyone a blessed Merry Christmas and a very happy and healthy New Year ? as well as a sincere thank you to all who supported my campaign in one way or another. I truly appreciate the opportunity you have given me to serve my community in this vital capacity.?

?

With the election process now behind us, I am looking forward to working with the many dedicated, talented and creative people in and around the Rome area. We will draw our community together into a strong cohesive group with a single goal etched into our hearts and minds: To formulate a new game plan that will blend successful methods of the past with new and fresh ideas to create a new and vibrant future, a future that will benefit everyone in our community!

First and foremost, with the help of my transition team, we will be formulating an overall strategic plan for Rome?s future. I am looking forward to working with our state and local economic development agencies to enhance an environment that will not only support new growth, but help to strengthen the businesses we already have. Preventing the people and businesses we have from leaving is every bit as important as bringing in new ones.

Another important part of the development puzzle will be finding new and more efficient ways to upgrade and improve our infrastructure. This goes hand-in-hand with another very important goal of creating a stronger housing market. This will be a critical step in rebuilding Rome?s population.?

As we make these needed improvements, I will encourage investors and builders to work together to create new housing opportunities to help retain our local families as well as enticing new families coming into the area to consider making Rome their new home. Finding creative ways of rebuilding our population is a task we can all help with and your ideas will be well received, so don?t hesitate to speak up.

On a more social note, another important aspect of my administration will be too strengthen and develop our sense of community pride. Getting involved with our community groups, clubs, sports organizations and the many foundations that we have is one way we can all add to the cultural fabric of Rome.?

We can also expand our support of the many wonderful and important institutions we have in Rome, such as the Capitol Theater, the Rome Art and Community Center, Jervis Library, the historical society ,our sports museum and the Erie Canal Village, to name a few.

It is crucial that we understand the importance of giving back to the community. Even more so, it?s important that we teach our children to do so as well, and the best way to do that is to lead by example!

With your help we can start by bringing back some of the traditional events of the past as well as creating new events for our younger generations to start building their own hometown memories.

Romans have always risen to the many challenges that have faced our community in the past, and I have the utmost confidence in the resolve and fortitude of our citizens. So as the New Year dawns, we must come together as a community and be ready, willing and able to make the necessary sacrifices and do what ever it takes to bring forth the change needed, to create a brighter future for the city of Rome, both socially and economically.

We have the ability to institute change; the challenge is to foster the desire.

Source: http://www.uticaod.com/opinion/x1569728431/GUEST-VIEW-Rome-will-move-ahead-as-community-partners

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Twilight X2 - Dual SIM Android 2.2 Smartphone with 3.5 Inch Touchscreen (WiFi, Quadband, Dual Camera) - CVEM-M253

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Source: http://www.chinavasion.com/android-smartphones/twilight-x2-dual-sim-android-22-smartphone-with-35-inch-touchscreen-wifi-quadband-dual-camera/

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