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Israeli Ex-president Katsav Gets 7 Year Sentence

An Israeli court has sentenced former president Moshe Katsav to seven years in prison for rape and indecent assault. Womens’ rights groups hailed the move, but his lawyers vowed to appeal. (March 22)

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Queue the choruses of, “Oh mom, do I have to?”: The American Academy of Pediatrics has cracked down its carseat guidelines, reports the Washington Post , and they’re likely to cause plenty of bickering. Among them: All children should sit in the back seat until they are 13 years old Children…

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Search begins for Wiltshire woman

Around 400 volunteers have been helping police as they comb Savernake Forest looking for 22-year-old Sian O’Callaghan Hundreds of volunteers have worked alongside police officers and rescue teams to search thick woodland in Wiltshire for missing woman Sian O’Callaghan. Around 400 people helped comb Savernake Forest for traces of the 22-year-old office administrator, including scores who turned up in two coaches, and at one point the police had to ask the public to stay away because they could not cope with more help. A reward of £20,000 was offered by an anonymous donor for anyone who can help find O’Callaghan. Police in Swindon warned people not to walk alone if they could help it. O’Callaghan disappeared after leaving Suju nightclub in Swindon at about 2.50am on Saturday to walk the half mile home to the flat she shared with her boyfriend, Kevin Reape. Analysis of O’Callaghan’s mobile phone records suggests that 32 minutes after she left the club her phone was somewhere in the 4,500-acre Savernake Forest, near Marlborough. Police say the journey there could only have been made in a vehicle and they have been searching the forest since the weekend. After it became clear that scores of people wanted to help comb the forest, police began organising members of the public to look for O’Callaghan herself, her phone, handbag or any other item that could be connected to her or her disappearance. Among those joining the search was labourer James McMurray, 20, from Swindon. “I just wanted to do my bit,” he said. “Nobody deserves to go through that and I’m doing my bit for the community.” Mikey Jack, 19, who plays football with Kevin Reape, said: “Kevin’s a great lad and he doesn’t deserve this and my thoughts are with him and his family. He’s a strong lad and I think he’s hurting a lot.” Police officers also scoured the side of the A346 road between Swindon and Marlborough. They are particularly keen to find O’Callaghan’s missing phone. Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher, who is leading the inquiry, said: “We know that Sian had an LG E900 Optimus mobile phone with her on the night of her disappearance and I’d like to hear from anyone who finds a phone of this description.” Police released CCTV footage of O’Callaghan leaving the club – the last known sighting. Fulcher said he wanted to hear from people who were close to Suju at the time she left the club and anyone who saw vehicles at beauty spots between Swindon and Savernake between 3am and 4am on Saturday. He added: “I’d also like to take this opportunity to remind people to think about their personal safety and take basic measures such as always making sure someone knows where you are going and what time you will be home, stay with friends and try not to walk alone.” One 28-year-old woman came forward to report that two men tried to coax her into a car in Swindon at 10.15pm on Saturday night. “It was pretty scary and shook me up a bit but I didn’t think much of it until Sian disappeared,” she said. Police are also examining social network sites, including Facebook, used by O’Callaghan and her friends. A spokesman said: “The investigation is very wide reaching and the comments and information on all sites, including social networking, are being considered.”Among the other people joining the search, college student Tizanne Gregory, 17, from Market Lavington, Wiltshire, said: “My cousin was at school with her and my mum knows the family. It is horrible not knowing where she is. My sister lives near Suju in Old Town and you don’t think something would happen there and I am a bit worried.” Maz Wakefield, 27, a friend of Sian’s best friend, Holly Jackson, came to give her support despite being on crutches. She said: “I’d just be sat at home if I wasn’t here and you want to do everything you possibly can. I’m really surprised about how many have turned out to help, I just hope it can make the difference.” Steven Morris guardian.co.uk

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Study Finds Tears Are a Sexual Turnoff

If a crying woman’s red nose isn’t a big enough turnoff to a man, a surprising experiment found another reason: Tears of sadness may temporarily lower his sex drive. (March 23)

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iCub Robot ‘learns’ From Its Experiences

Scientists in Wales are taking part in a project to help develop robots which can learn and behave like babies and young children. They’ve taken delivery of the so-called iCub robot, and hope to chart its development from baby to toddler. (March 22)

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Concerns In Libya

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Concerns In Libya

Just three days after the United Nations Security Council approved resolution 1973 – that authorised member states to take ‘all necessary measures’ to protect civilians and to implement a no-fly zone in Libya – the Arab League has expressed reservations over…

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Government says it’s got i4i’s back in Word patent dispute

As the US Supreme Court prepares to hear yet another appeal in the seemingly unending patent dispute between Microsoft and XML specialists i4i next month, some pretty influential folks are starting to take sides — officially. Perhaps most notably, Acting Solicitor General Neal Kumar Katyal filed an amicus brief backing i4i and a previous US Court of Appeals decision to uphold the $290 million judgement against the software giant. Other big guns backing i4i with amicus briefs include DuPont, 3M, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, and GE. Of course, Microsoft’s getting a little help from its friends with official I-got-you-bro statements coming from Google, Apple, Toyota, and Walmart. The appeal is expected to hit the Supreme Court in April and has big implications for patent litigation — specifically, it could give tech giants like Microsoft more guts to go after patents held by little guys like i4i. Government says it’s got i4i’s back in Word patent dispute originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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It’s that time again: Dancing With the Stars is back, although sadly, there’s no Bristol Palin this time around. People recaps last night’s season 12 premiere, noting that Ralph Macchio of Karate Kid fame was the evening’s standout and earned the best score, 24 points. A perhaps surprising second-place contestant:…

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Pole Dancing For Jesus In Texas (VIDEO)

A local Houston Fox affiliate had an interesting report recently on a hot new workout class: Pole Dancing For Jesus. It’s a women’s only class that happens once a month and you have to bring your church program to get in. At that point, it’s pretty much what you’d expect: your average, run-of-the-mill pole-dancing class powered by Christian rock music. Women are encouraged to develop a positive self-image through the class, celebrating the body God gave them. And now we’ll go celebrate the hysterical blindness God just gave us. WATCH: Thanks to Lizz Winstead for spotting this.

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Baltimore Sun Double Standard on Noting Party Affiliation of Maryland Politicians

The Baltimore Sun has no trouble noting for readers the political affiliation of politicians who face an ethical scandal and/or official investigation. That is, of course, if the pol in question is a Republican. Last Wednesday, I noted how the Sun's Julie Scharper failed to note Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's Democratic party affiliation in a story about her voting on city contracts where her husband's company had a competing bid. The very next day, however, Scharper's colleague Nicole Fuller promptly noted the Republican affiliation of two-term Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold. Here's how Fuller opened her story : State prosecutors have served Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold with a subpoena as part of an investigation into whether he misused government resources by directing his county-funded security detail to do work for his 2010 reelection campaign, a spokesman for Leopold confirmed Thursday.

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