George Weah, Nwankwo Kanu & the 10 stars who never won the Africa Cup of Nations

SPECIAL
By Lolade Adewuyi

Africa has produced some exceptionally gifted players who have never tasted glory in the continent?s most prestigious competition, the Africa Cup of Nations. Some of these are men who have won the biggest individual awards in various leagues worldwide. And, football being a team sport, some have been cursed with underachieving national teams. This has ensured that they finished their careers without ever lifting the Afcon trophy.

Some, like George Weah, Kalusha Bwalya, Mustapha Hadji and Anthony Yeboah, have retired from the game. Others, like Nwankwo Kanu, Frederic Kanoute and El Hadji Diouf, have called time on their international careers, while Didier Drogba and Michael Essien are in the twilight of their journeys with their national sides.

Goal.com looks at these important players and how close they came to winning the coveted trophy over the course of their careers.

Zambian great Kalusha Bwalya was a nearly-man at the Afcon in 1994 when the Chipolopolo made a memorable push for the title a few months after losing most of their first team in a plane crash. Bwalya led the Zambians to the final of Tunisia 94, where they narrowly lost 2-1 to Nigeria. Two years later, he led the Zambians to a third-place finish in South Africa, where he won the Golden Boot. The former winger, who was named African Player of the Year in 1988, played in five Afcon tournaments and was coach in 2006.?

Two-time African Player of the Year El Hadji Diouf ended his career without an Afcon title. The 'Serial Killer' played at four tournaments and came closest in 2002, when the Teranga Lions finished second to Cameroon in a penalty shootout. Diouf?s career has been overshadowed by on- and off-field controversies as his best football years ebbed away, but an Afcon title would certainly have been the highlight of his international career.

DIDIER DROGBA (IVORY COAST)

Another twice named African Footballer of the Year, Drogba has not won the title in three appearances at the tournament. He came closest to winning in 2006 when his Ivory Coast side reached the finals but lost to hosts Egypt in a shootout, after regulation time ended goalless. The Chelsea striker still has one more opportunity to win the competition, as he will lead his golden generation of Ivorian stars to the tournament in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea in January 2012.

Chelsea midfield strongman Michael Essien has been out injured for the better part of two years and has seen his place in the Black Stars filled by much younger players. However, during the height of his prowess, the 'Bison' failed to win the Afcon title, coming closest in 2010 as the Ghanaians took silver, losing to Egypt. If his injuries continue, Essien could end his international career without a continental title. He has played in three Afcon tournaments.

Mustapha Hadji?s most memorable moment at the Afcon was his overhead kick to score against Egypt in their 1998 group-stage win. Hadji won that year?s African Player of the Year award on the back of his performance at the World Cup. Two years later, Morocco crashed out of the tournament in the group stages and any dream Hadji had had of winning the coveted trophy went up in smoke, as the north African star could not cap his career off with an Afcon title.

The 2007 African Player of the Year came closest to winning the Afcon title in 2004 when Tunisia hosted the tournament. The Malians showed inspired form to reach the semi-finals, powered by four goals from Kanoute. However, they were undone by Morocco in a 4-0 defeat, with Kanoute finishing as joint-top scorer. In 2008 and 2010, the Eagles failed to make it past the group phase, and so Kanoute retired from international football without an Afcon title.

The forward, twice African Player of the Year, participated in six tournaments and came closest to winning in 2000, when Nigeria finished second. He lost the final in a penalty shootout against Cameroon and soon after the Super Eagles became perennial bronze-medal winners. His Afcon record is one silver and four bronze medals, but perhaps even more surprising is that lanky Kanu never scored a goal from open play in the competition.

Zimbabwean great Peter Ndlovu played at two Afcon tournaments but never went further than the group stages. He scored three goals for the Warriors at their maiden tournament in 2004. He was also a part of the Zimbabwe side that stunned World Cup-bound Ghana 2-1 in their 2006 group. The former Coventry and Birmingham City striker is one of the biggest names from the southern part of Africa to have never won the competition.

The 1995 Fifa World Player of the Year, George Weah played at two Afcon tournaments with the Lone Stars in 1996 and 2002, but crashed out in the first round on both occasions. Weah scored a goal in the 2002 tournament during an opening 1-1 draw with hosts Mali. Considering his individual brilliance and the awards he won during his career, Weah is one of the biggest African names to not have tasted victory in the competition.

The Ghanaian great, Anthony Yeboah missed out on the Afcon title in 1992 when the Black Stars lost the final in a drawn-out penalty shootout against the Elephants of the Ivory Coast. The Eintracht Frankfurt and Leeds United legend played two more tournaments in an effort to be crowned an African champion, but the Black Stars could not reach the heights that they achieved in 1992 with the team that included Abedi Pele, Nii Odartey Lamptey and Anthony Baffoe.

Follow Lolade Adewuyi on

Source: http://www.goal.com/en/news/1717/editorial/2011/12/30/2772855/george-weah-nwankwo-kanu-the-10-stars-who-never-won-the

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Swayze and Niemi renewed wedding vows in midst of cancer battle

The Dirty Dancing star was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the beginning of 2008 and when doctors told Niemi the actor only had months to live, she suggested they hold a small ceremony at their ranch in New Mexico to celebrate their undying love for one another with friends and family.

And Niemi reveals horse-loving Swayze made the July, 2008, event extra special by arriving on his favourite white stallion, Roh.

In an excerpt from Niemi's new memoir, Worth Fighting For, obtained by People magazine, she writes, "That afternoon Patrick said, 'I think I want to ride in on Roh.' Really? I balked, thinking of all the problems a strong stallion not ridden that often could cause. But I smiled.

"I was standing at the back door ready to make my entrance, and Patrick was at the side of the house, mounting Roh, who was prancing about, wondering what the hell was going on. Patrick and our blinding-white stallion fairly floated around the pool to the 'Ooohs' and 'Aaahs' of our guests.

"Patrick dismounted and held out his hand. I turned to our guests and grinned, 'After thirty-three years, he finally rides up on a white house!' They laughed. My heart was bursting with happiness."

Swayze lost his cancer battle just over a year later (Sep09).

Source: http://uk.ok.feedsportal.com/c/33339/f/565906/s/1b5b84f6/l/0L0Sok0O0Ccelebrity0Enews0Cview0C437730CSwayze0Eand0ENiemi0Erenewed0Ewedding0Evows0Ein0Emidst0Eof0Ecancer0Ebattle0C/story01.htm

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WHO: Bird flu research raises safety questions (AP)

GENEVA ? The World Health Organization is warning that dangerous scientific information could fall into the wrong hands after U.S. government-funded researchers engineered a form of the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus more easily transmissible between humans.

In a strongly worded statement Friday, WHO said it was "deeply concerned about the potential negative consequences" if the results of the study were used to create biological weapons or the mutated virus was accidentally released.

"This is not the kind of research that you would want to have out there," WHO's top influenza expert, Dr. Keiji Fukuda, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

At the same time, WHO was concerned that all credible researchers should be able to access the study to better understand how to prevent a deadly H5N1 pandemic, Fukuda said.

H5N1 rarely infects humans and usually only those who come into close contact with poultry. But among those infected, up to 60 percent die, and scientists are closely watching the virus for any signs it is becoming more easily transmissible from human to human.

The U.S. National Institutes of Health last week asked scientists at Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands and the University of Wisconsin-Madison to refrain from publishing full details of their work on how to make the H5N1 virus more easily transmissible between humans.

The unprecedented step by NIH prompted concern in the scientific community that researchers with a legitimate need to know about these dangerous mutations, particularly in Asia, would be prevented from accessing the data.

Fukuda said there was a danger that perceived censorship of scientific results could harm the so-called Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework, an international agreement painstakingly hammered out only recently by the global body's 194 member states.

"We don't want the concerns or controversies surrounding this H5N1 research to pose a risk to the implementation of that framework because we see it as a very important public health step," Fukuda told The Associated Press.

"But at the same time we recognize that the research raises questions about what are appropriate safeguards, what kind of procedures should be in place, what are the right mechanisms for reducing any risk," he said.

Fukuda said WHO itself had had not obtained the results of the two groups' research yet, and might not even ask for it.

"I'm hoping that we are privy to as much of the details as possible, but like anybody else one of the questions for us is what kind of information do we need to know," he said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/health/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111231/ap_on_re_eu/eu_who_bird_flu

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LG Intel Android phone to arrive at CES?

Rumours on Friday suggest that Intel's first venture into the smartphone business will take place at CES with the launch of an LG Android phone.

The Korean Times has it on good authority from sources at both companies that the eagerly-awaited phones boasting the new Medfield SoC will arrive at the Las Vegas tech show.

"LG Electronics will produce Intel's first Android smartphones that use Intel's own mobile platform. The device will be shown at the CES," according to an unnamed 'top-ranking' executive at LG.

Otellini on hand

Intel's top man in Korea Lee Hee-sung told the publication that company CEO Paul Otellini will take to the stage to reveal the device, which could go on sale as soon as March.

He said: "Intel's chief executive Paul Otellini will release Intel's first Android smartphone using our own platform at the CES."

An Intel/LG partnership would represent a second attempt from the company's to forge a partnership based around Google's Android smartphone platform.

The pair announced an Android device as CES last year which was later canned due to a perceived lack of marketability.

CES gets underway on January 9th at the Las Vegas Convention Centre.

Via: Korea Times, TechCrunch

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Iowa voters hold sway over how president is chosen

DES MOINES, Iowa ? All across Iowa next Tuesday, tens of thousands of Republican voters will travel through a chilly Midwestern night to the warmth of a local church or gymnasium for caucus meetings to select presidential candidates, the first voting in the 2012 election campaign.

These Midwestern, mostly white voters hardly resemble America as a whole, and their voting system puzzles most people. Yet Iowa holds substantial sway over how the nation chooses the president.

"Iowa will choose the next president of the United States in their early caucuses," Republican hopeful Michele Bachmann said recently. "This is the cannon shot."

The caucuses - essentially community meetings - have served as a launching pad to the nomination, and often to the White House, for the past 40 years, though they've been around since the 1840s. Candidates tend to lavish attention on Iowa, hoping that a good showing will give them a burst of publicity to improve their chances in New Hampshire, which votes Jan. 10, and in other early voting states.

It's this contest that helped propel Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore to their parties' nominations in 2000. It also helped Democrat John Kerry become Bush's challenger in 2004. And the caucuses gave Democrat Barack Obama his first win in 2008, though Mike Huckabee won on the Republican side, not the eventual GOP nominee, John McCain.

The caucus process seems arcane and mysterious, even to people in Iowa. That is in part because most people don't even participate. About 359,000 people - 17 percent of registered voters in Iowa - showed up for Democratic and Republican caucuses in 2008. Turnout will certainly be lower this year, since Obama is unopposed. And the GOP turnout may not exceed the record-setting 120,000 attendees that the party's contest saw four years ago.

Caucuses are held in all of the state's 1,774 voting precincts, some in remote spots where only a handful of voters gather, others in big community centers or schools that host several precincts under one roof. In all, Republicans will gather in about 800 locations.

This relatively small number of voters, and their overwhelmingly white makeup, routinely bring Iowa's caucuses under attack by outsiders who want more clout for their own states. Only 5 percent of Iowa's electorate is Hispanic and only 3 percent is black, compared with a national electorate that is 16 percent Hispanic and 12 percent black.

For their part, Iowans jealously guard their first-in-the-nation nominating contests.

While both parties in Iowa use the caucus system to choose candidates, Republicans and Democrats go about things differently.

For the GOP, the caucuses are simply a straw poll, meaning the results are not binding. While Democrats use the caucuses to choose delegates who are expected to support their favored candidate, Republicans handle that later at county and district conventions.

After electing a temporary chair to run the meeting and a secretary to record the proceedings, any Republican who chooses can briefly speak in favor of a candidate. Ballots are then passed out and participants mark their choices in private. Those ballots are quickly counted and the results called into party headquarters, where they are posted online as they are received.

Source: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/dec/29/iowa-voters-hold-sway-over-how-president-is-chosen/

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Supervolcanoes won't destroy Earth in 2012

The notion that the world will end with the coming of the new year, as some claim the ancient Maya predicted, has spawned a series of proposed methods for this planetary disaster: galactic forces, Earth's magnetic poles flipping, the eruption of a ?supervolcano.

Though it has been shown that the Mayans did not in fact predict 2012 would bring the end of the world, there have been supervolcano eruptions in Earth's past that have wrought significant destruction. One such eruption may have been the cause of a major ancient mass extinction event.

But is another supervolcano eruption on the way? At the dawn of the new year, researchers say: Don't hold your breath.

1. More science news from MSNBC Tech & Science

   1. 11 must-see science videos of 2011

      Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: Looking for viral videos with some scientific substance to them? Check out 11 must-see clips from the past year.

   2. Titanic collection to be put up for auction
   3. Infamous 'yeti finger' flunks DNA test
   4. Stephen Hawking seeks help to make voice heard

Catastrophic consequences
Supervolcanoes are capable of eruptions dwarfing anything ever recorded by man, spewing out thousands of times more magma and ash. A supervolcano eruption would have consequences similar to those from the impact of a mile-wide asteroid, potentially killing millions of people and disrupting climate and ecosystems by blotting out the sun with ash and cooling the Earth.

The largest supervolcano blast of the past 25 million years may have been the most recent one: the explosion of Mount Toba in Sumatra some 74,000 years ago. Scientists say Toba released a staggering 700 cubic miles of magma and a thick layer of ash over all of South Asia. By comparison, the famous explosion of the volcanic Indonesian island of Krakatoa ?in 1883 released about 3 cubic miles of magma.

There are roughly a dozen supervolcanoes today, some of them lying at the bottom of the sea. One, however, is in the middle of the United States.

The most recent giant eruption of the volcanically active area underlying Yellowstone National Park created the oval-shaped, 40- by 25-mile Yellowstone caldera. These energetic underpinnings are what fuel the park's famous geysers. [ Infographic: The Geology of Yellowstone ]

Minuscule odds
There is evidence that volcanic activity in Yellowstone will eventually lead to a colossal eruption capable of covering half the United States in 3 feet of ash. However, experts agree that super-eruptions are exceedingly rare, and the odds that one will occur in our lifetimes are vanishingly small.

In all, geologists have identified the remnants of about 50 super-eruptions. This may sound like a lot until it is put into the context of the full span of geologic history. Research suggests there is a super-eruption every 700,000 years or so, on average.

Scientists regularly monitor volcanically active regions globally, and there is absolutely no sign of a super-eruption looming anytime soon, said climate scientist Drew Shindell at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, who has studied what super-eruptions might do to climate.

There has only been only one super-eruption" in more than 100,000 years, so odds are minuscule for either near-future or within our lifetime," Shindell told OurAmazingPlanet.

In any case, the ancient Maya never predicted a supervolcano eruption in 2012 to begin with.

? 2011 OurAmazingPlanet. All rights reserved. More from OurAmazingPlanet.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45818146/ns/technology_and_science-science/

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Auto couture: Fashion designer creates new dress using parts from Ford Focus

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 1:44 AM on 30th December 2011

This racy little number is guaranteed to drive the chaps crazy, having been made out of parts from a Ford Focus.

Scottish Fashion designer Judy Clark was commissioned by Ford to create the one-off gown to help launch the new 2012 model of the best-selling car.

Ford sent her two boxes stuffed full of components including keys, radio and dashboard components, seat covers and two red tail lights to weave into a head-turning creation.

Head-turner: This amazing dress from fashion designer Judy Clark was made from parts of a Ford Focus

Although she was only asked to create a dress, Judy was enjoying the assignment so much she ended up making and entire outfit.

?

The main frock, described as Edwardian, is made from tweed, silk chiffon, leather and lace and features the car's tail lights swinging from the hips.?

Fast fashion: The zany creation contains car seat covers, tweed, silk chiffon, leather as well as assorted cogs and sprockets

Judy also created a matching biker-jacket using seat covers with the car's speedometer featuring as a detail on the back.

To complete the ensemble she recruited Jewellery designer Katherine Hawkins to make a necklace using various dials, cogs, springs and buttons.

Bumper: The rear of the dress is festooned with an array of mechanical and electrical components

Judy and Katherine worked completely separately so neither had any idea what the other was creating.

Judy said: 'The back of the dress - the ?engine' - comprises of all the small components stitched into a small crinoline type bustle.

Accessory: Jewellery designer Katherine Hawkins created this matching necklace

'The massive red rear lights were a bit of a challenge; I sawed of the back section with a hack saw to shed some bulk and weight, then drilled holes in top section attaching wire and kilt straps. so they could be clipped on and off.

'I attached the lights and the entire bustle to an industrial sized leather belt to carry the weight.

'Using the cover of a car seat, HTH tweed and a bit of spray-paint leather and lace I constructed the biker jacket.

'My younger sister and I had a pair of pliers and a screwdriver in hand pulling bits apart to access the circuit boards and wires finding pieces that were a suitable sizes and weight to attach to the jacket. It?s a great shape with a sexy edge.

'The needle of the speedometer on the back moves round so yo can choose what speed to go at! Underneath the jacket a tweed, gauze and chiffon corset appliqued with copper wire nips in the waist.

'I dyed layers of silk chiffon inspired by the colour of diesel, the fabric mimicking the flow of fuel. The contrast of feminine soft layers with that of industrial car mechanics was something I wanted to encapsulate.'

?

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2080007/Auto-couture-Fashion-designer-creates-new-dress-using-parts-Ford-Focus.html?ITO=1490

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Intel Thunderbolt Coming to Windows PCs in April

Thunderbolt could become much more available in April as Intel is apparently working with first-tier vendors to integrate the interface in their systems.

Digitimes reports that Thunderbolt-supported motherboards, notebooks and desktop PCs are on their way and are being prepared for an early Q2 launch.

Initially, Thunderbolt carried a cost of more than $20 per device and is prohibitively expensive for most computer systems. The cost may drop in the second half of the year as the technology is adapted on a much broader range, but Intel will have to actively support and drive the technology into the market to make it a success.

Digitimes said that Sony will pick up Thunderbolt and Asustek Computer will, at least, put the technology into its high-end systems. Gigabyte will be launching a Thunderbolt motherboard in April. Intel confirmed in September that Acer and Asustek Computer will introduce Thunderbolt computers in 2012 to begin the breakaway of the interface as an Apple-exclusive technology.

Source: http://www.pheedcontent.com/click.phdo?i=7d09a0f6779fc16eb355428d76030689

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Toyota, GM, VW, Nissan, Ford, Honda ? etc., Top Leaders Will Disclose Their Strategies at AUTOMOTIVE WORLD Technical Conference!

TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At AUTOMOTIVE WORLD 2012 Technical Conference, world's leading companies such as Toyota, GM, VW, Nissan, Ford, Honda, Daimler, Robert Bosch, etc., will disclose their latest strategies and development situation on the hottest topics.
[Jan. 18 ? 20, 2012 in Tokyo]

Toyota, General Motors, Volkswagen, Nissan, Ford, Honda, Daimler, AUDI, Mazda, Robert Bosch, Denso, Infineon Technologies ? all these are the speakers of AUTOMOTIVE WORLD 2012 Technical Conference.
33 key persons speaking on the industry's hottest topics such as EV & HEV, Weight Reduction, Next-generation Informatics, the key to grab the emerging markets, etc., AUTOMOTIVE WORLD 2012 Technical Conference sure will gather full attention from the world's automotive industry. (Full Program: www.car-ele.jp/en/seminar/)

<Pickup 1 ? Keynote Session / Automotive Electronics>

At the Keynote Session, key persons from Toyota, Volkswagen & Ford will speak on "Future Automotive Electronics for Next-generation Vehicles"
This would be the first and only opportunity to hear 3 top key persons gather to speak about development of Next-generation vehicles ? Mr. Yoshida from Toyota Motors, who is Managing Officer in charge of control technologies and electronics, Mr. Krebs from Volkswagen, Executive Vice President and Head of Group E-Traction, and Ms. Gioia from Ford Motor, Director of Global Electrification. Must-attend to grab the industry leaders' strategies on Automotive Electronics, the key technology in the current and future automotive industry.
(Details: [CAR-K] Leading Manufacturers Discuss Future Automotive Electronics for Next-generation Vehicles)
You can also reach the latest products and technologies showcased at co-held 4^th CAR-ELE JAPAN, Asia's leading exhibition for automotive electronics.

<Pickup 2 ? EV & HEV>

The biggest challenge for every automotive manufacturer ? EV & HEV development, will be addressed by the major players, Toyota, Nissan, GM Japan, Honda, Robert Bosch, Nidec ? etc. From market outlook and strategies to core technologies of EV development such as Motor, Inverter and Secondary Battery, various approach to the hottest market are available here. (Details: www.car-ele.jp/en/seminar/)
At co-held 3^rd EV JAPAN (EV & HEV Drive System Technology Expo), the latest models of EV & HEV will be showcased, as well as all kinds of core technologies such as Motors, Inverters, Batteries, Connectors, Chargers, etc.

<Pickup 3 ? Weight Reduction [NEW]>

A new topic will join the Technical Conference this year, in response to the industry's huge attention ? it's Weight Reduction Technologies, which are becoming more and more important with more compact and more fuel-efficient vehicles ruling the market.
3 different approaches to weight reduction will be introduced here, Steel Products by Sumitomo Metal Industries, CFRP by Toray Industries and Multimaterial Concepts by AUDI. (Details: [CAR-10] Latest processing and Material Technologies for Automotive Weight Reduction)
To explore more materials and technologies for weight reduction, visit 2^nd Automotive Weight Reduction Expo also co-held.

For the full program of AUTOMOTIVE WORLD Technical Conference,
visit www.automotiveworld.jp/en/seminar/

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50114879&lang=en

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A feast of foodie films

Sit back and digest the holidays with these favorite culinary flicks.

Food plays an important role in bringing family and loved ones together over the holidays. So why not enjoy family togetherness with entertainment starring your favorite Pixar rat or eccentric cook? The reviews on the following list have largely been pulled from Monitor archives.

Skip to next paragraph Kendra Nordin

Kendra Nordin thinks cooking and sharing a meal is an act of creativity that everyone should do every single day. Light some candles, set fresh flowers on the table, and sit down to enjoy a meal with friends ? this stuff feeds the soul. She is also a staff editor for The Christian Science Monitor and produces Stir It Up!

Recent posts

Big Night (1996)

Make sure you have plenty of snacks before sitting down to this delicious tale, set in the 1950s, about two Italian brothers who stake their restaurant's future on a visit from Louis Prima. This feast for the eyes is sure to whet even the most jaded gourmet's appetite.

Chocolat (2000)

A peaceful French village gets more excitement than it bargained for when a feisty newcomer sets up a shop devoted to chocolate, and a local curmudgeon decides to combat her at any cost.

Babette's Feast (1987)?

A chef leaves Paris for an isolated village on the Danish coast, where she finds herself living in a community that's dominated by members of an austere religious sect. After living among them for many years, she decides to show her affection by preparing a special meal, which her friends find tempting but all too worldly.

Eat Drink Man Woman (1994)

Be prepared for your mouth to water as the camera pans the family feasts of Mr. Chu, a retired chef who has lost his sense of taste, who hopes sumptuous food will hold his family of three grown daughters together. But each daughter has a juicy romance simmering, making life less than rosy in the Taipei household.

Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)

A discontented wife pays regular visits to a feisty old woman, who tells her stories of friendship, family conflict, and murder that transpired years ago in the Alabama town where she grew up.

Julie Powell, who works a boring, stressful job for an organization involved in rebuilding the World Trade Center has brainstorm. In her off hours she will cook all 524 of the recipes in "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by Julia Child in 365 days, and blog about her experiences. A blog pioneer, she turns her writings into a book, "Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously." The film (which mentions the Monitor) intercuts the lives of these two cooks.

Kitchen Stories (2003)

A marvelously wry comedy about the odd relationship between a crusty Norwegian man and a snoopy Swedish researcher who's assigned to sit in his kitchen and chart his movements there. Acted and directed with a savvy understatement that perfectly matches the eccentric story. (In Norwegian and Swedish with English subtitles.)

Like Water for Chocolate (1992)

The unmarried youngest daughter of a Mexican family pours her unrequited love and longings into the food she cooks.

Toula Portokalos is 30, Greek, and works in her family's restaurant, Dancing Zorba's, in Chicago. She falls in love with a non-Greek man ? much to the horror of her parents, who proudly display ancient Greek statues on their lawn and rattle off the Greek origin of words like "kimono." A feast of fun and wacky family relationships that will leave you craving moussaka.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/ZZ6HJammJwI/A-feast-of-foodie-films

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General: Improve US coordination with Pakistan (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Military officials have not ruled out disciplinary action as a result of the cross-border attack that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, but no one has been punished to date, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

An investigation into the late-November incident concluded that a persistent lack of trust between the U.S. and Pakistan, and a series of communications and coordination errors on both sides, led to the attacks.

Navy Capt. John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman, said military leaders will use the final report on the investigation to determine if anyone should be punished. Those decisions, he said, would be made by officers in the chain of command, depending on whether they found that mistakes were made by U.S. or NATO personnel.

As a result of the probe, the top U.S. general for the Middle East issued a list of improvements Monday he said must be made to keep similar mistakes from happening.

U.S. Marine Gen. James N. Mattis, commander of U.S. Central Command, ordered commanders in Afghanistan to improve coordination of operations along the Afghan-Pakistan border with Pakistani military, and ensure that all border stations are listed correctly on maps.

Mattis also ordered commanders to confirm border post locations before beginning operations along the border. And he ordered commanders to share military practices and procedures with the Pakistanis so they can better understand U.S. operations.

It's not certain the new orders will solve the problems, because Pakistan refused to participate in the investigation. It still is unclear why Pakistani troops initially fired on U.S. soldiers who had landed by helicopter near a village close to the border as part of a mission to go after insurgents.

The U.S. investigation found that the Pakistani forces fired first and that U.S. troops acted in self-defense. But U.S. efforts to determine if there were Pakistani forces in the area were foiled by bad maps, poor coordination and Islamabad's failure to provide the locations of its border posts.

The investigation, headed by Brig. Gen. Stephen Clark, an Air Force special operations officer, found that U.S. forces relying on erroneous maps and poor communications, determined that there were no Pakistani forces or border posts in the area. So they concluded that they were being fired on by insurgents.

U.S. forces also believed that since they had landed in distinctive, noisy Chinook helicopters and fired off warning flares, any friendly forces would have realized that they were shooting at American or NATO troops.

The report also revealed that a U.S. C-130 gunship briefly flew about two miles into Pakistan airspace during the assault.

Pakistani army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas has rejected the U.S. report and insisted that Pakistani forces retaliated only after coalition helicopters "started engagement." And he denied that Pakistan failed to notify NATO of the location of the two border posts that were attacked.

Pakistani officials have said the report is unlikely to repair the severely damaged relationship between the two countries.

In response to the incident, Pakistan shut down key border supply routes for the Afghanistan war and threw the U.S. out of its Shamsi air base in southwestern Baluchistan province. The base was used to maintain drones deployed in strikes against insurgents hiding in safe havens in Pakistan's lawless border region.

Pakistan has closed the border on at least two other occasions after disputes with the U.S. but reopened the supply routes after less than two weeks. American officials have acknowledged the closures are likely to last longer this time.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111228/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_us_pakistan_airstrikes

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The rise of the drunken shopper (The Week)

New York ? More and more consumers are hitting up eBay and QVC after a few drinks, and e-retailers are finding ways to take advantage of shoppers' compromised states

Are you guilty of Amazon-ing and iTunes-ing after imbibing? You're not alone. The New York Times reports?that online merchants are cashing in on legions of drunken consumers. Here, a brief guide to "buying under the influence":

People are shopping drunk?
Yep. E-retailers say that traffic patterns and anecdotal evidence suggest that a growing number of consumers seem to be buying after having a couple of drinks. On eBay, 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. is the busiest time, and the company's Steve Yankovich says alcohol is "absolutely" a factor. "If you think about what most people do when they get home from work in the evening, it's decompression time," he says. "The consumer's in a good mood."

SEE ALSO: Time to nationalize the airline industry?

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Is there other evidence beyond eBay?
QVC also sees a spike in viewers and traffic after 7 p.m., and accessories and cosmetics sell especially well in the evenings. "Call them girl treats ? they seem to attract a really strong following once you get past dinnertime," says Doug Rose, a senior vice president with the company. "You can probably come to your own conclusion as to what's motivating her." ChannelAdvisor, a company that runs e-commerce sites for hundreds of retailers, says sales tend to peak at 8 p.m. and that shoppers are increasingly placing orders later into the night.

How are retailers taking advantage of this?
A number of companies, from Neiman Marcus to Lowe's, are flooding shoppers' email inboxes with offers in the evening. Online luxury retailer Gilt Groupe is adding more sales that start at 9 p.m. or later to take advantage of the traffic boom, and potentially inebriated shoppers. "Post-bar, inhibitions can be impacted, and that can cause shopping, and hopefully healthy impulse buying," says the company's president, Andy Page. "Still, the nighttime spike requires delicacy among retailers," says Stephanie Clifford in The New York Times. "For reasons of propriety, they do not want to be seen as encouraging drunken shopping.

SEE ALSO: Slower mail: A guide to the Postal Service's cutbacks

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Is drunken shopping an unhealthy habit?
Possibly. Baylor professor Kristin A . Kassaw warns it can wreak havoc on shoppers' bank accounts. "When you're loading things you can't feel or touch into this fake cart, you don't have a sense of, 'I'm buying all this stuff, I'm buying too much,'" she says. "It takes you away from the actual spending-money experience." New York psychologist April Lane Benson notes that shopping and alcohol addiction can go hand-in-hand. "We know there is an association between compulsive shopping and other behaviors, such as eating disorders, alcohol or drug abuse and depression."

But it's at least good for retailers, right?
Not necessarily. Clifford notes that drunken shopping can lead to high rates of sober returns, which cost retailers in shipping and processing. "We do occasionally get people who return things, saying they spent too much, and we see that their order was placed at midnight," an anonymous rep for a retailer tells Lucky. "We wonder if they would have spent $8,000 at a more sensible hour!" In some instances, the practice is also bad for the goods being purchased. This past summer, New York pet store owners had to crack down on post-happy-hour puppy purchases. "The adorable sight of furry faces in the window and the effects of alcohol can be a bad combination," says the manager of Le Petit Puppy.

SEE ALSO: Chelsea Clinton's 'boring,' 'monochromatic'?NBC News debut

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Sources:?Lucky, New York Times, Racked

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/oped/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/theweek/20111228/cm_theweek/222893

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Watch: President Obama Courts Youth Vote (ABC News)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/179387486?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Wall Street finishes mostly flat in thin trade (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) ? Stocks ended flat on Tuesday after fluctuating between small gains and losses in a light-volume session, as investors took a breather following a 5 percent rally last week.

The S&P 500 turned positive for the year on Friday, with improving economic data boosting equities. Gains were amplified by better-than-expected data on consumer confidence, which hit an eight-month high in December, as Americans grew more upbeat about the labor market and their financial situations.

But after a strong rally and with trading volume light, investors were reluctant to draw many conclusions from the move.

"This is a tough week to trade on technicals or fundamentals mostly because the larger players are off the desk," said Joseph Cusick, senior market analyst at OptionsXpress Holdings Inc in Chicago.

About 3.59 billion shares exchanged hands on the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE Amex and Nasdaq, sharply below the year's daily average of about 7.9 billion shares.

One of the day's few big movers was Sears Holdings Corp (SHLD.O). Sears' stock plummeted 27.2 percent to end at $33.38 after falling to a new 52-week low of $33.26. The retailer said it plans to close 100 to 120 Kmart and Sears stores and said fourth-quarter earnings would fall by more than half from a year ago.

The outlook from Sears dragged on other retailers. JC Penney (JCP.N) shares fell 1.1 percent to $35.29. Sears' travails also hit shares of Whirlpool Corp (WHR.N), which last year got 8 percent of its sales through the retailer. Whirlpool shares fell 8.9 percent to $46.62.

The Dow Jones industrial average (.DJI) dipped 2.65 points, or 0.02 percent, to 12,291.35 at the close. But the Standard & Poor's 500 Index (.SPX) inched up 0.10 of a point, or 0.01 percent, to close at 1,265.43. The Nasdaq Composite Index (.IXIC) added 6.56 points, or 0.25 percent, to end at 2,625.20.

For the year, the Dow is up 6.2 percent and the Nasdaq is down 1 percent. The S&P's performance is turning out to be the flattest in more than 40 years. The index is up less than 1 percent, its smallest move in either direction since 1970.

Doug Roberts, chief investment strategist at Channel Capital Research.com in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, said stocks were likely to drift higher into the end of the year even if gains were slight.

"We'll probably have a slight drift upwards, but there's not a lot of volume," he said. "In the absence of any bad news, we could see a drift up over the next four days."

Entertainment companies' shares also fell. Regal Entertainment Group (RGC.N) fell 3.6 percent to $11.89 and Carmike Cinemas (CKEC.O) lost 0.9 percent to $7.03.

The CBOE Volatility Index, or VIX(.VIX) , Wall Street's fear gauge, shot up 5.7 percent to 21.91. But traders said the gains were mostly technical due to adjustments in positions ahead of the three-day holiday.

"Now that we are back, market makers are raising volatility, putting premiums into the VIX cash. January futures are in at around $25.50. We are seeing the holiday effect," said Jamie Tyrrell at Group 1 Trading in Chicago.

U.S. single-family home prices fell slightly more than expected in October, according to S&P/Case-Shiller data, coming after better-than-expected data on the sector last week.

(Reporting By Angela Moon; Editing by Jan Paschal)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/stocks/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111227/bs_nm/us_markets_stocks

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Bob Ford: Eagles' hollow victory could have been costly

today's features

PHILLY.COM/FOOD

Craig LaBan recaps the Year in Bells: Green Acres was the theme this year for the Philadelphia dining scene, as restaurants from city to suburb hitched their wagons to local ingredients.

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Craig LaBan's reviews, mapped

YEAR IN REVIEW

It's been one weird year here. Acts of God truly put the Philadelphia area to the test: Record fatal heat, record rain, two earthquakes, and a hurricane are not your normal Philly fare. One Daily News cover even asked, "What's next, locusts?"

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The Year in Justice

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The Year in Sports

HEALTH

France's national health insurance agency will file a criminal complaint in a breast implant scandal, after authorities recommended that women with potentially faulty implants have them removed and agreed to pay for the procedure.

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Keeping Kids Warm, Dry and Safe in Cold Weather

What's News

For more than a decade, James W. Ray was trapped in a fog of drugs and mental illness, but claimed to be rich.

Another woman has come forward to say former Daily News columnist Bill Conlin molested her back in the 1960s.

Northeast Philly's John Godzieba will play Gen. George Washington in today's 59th annual river crossing.

Rated among the best hotels in the world, Philly's posh Rittenhouse may get a new owner next year.

An avalanche of 1,607 bills aimed at immigrants hit this year, with 43 in Pennsylvania and 15 in New Jersey.

Source: http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=168381&44=136196588&32=3796&7=195322&40=http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/eagles/20111225_Bob_Ford__Eagles__hollow_victory_could_have_been_costly.html

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British military wives have number one song in UK

Home

Britain News.Net
Sunday 25th December, 2011

A charity single recorded by wives of British soldiers is now in Britain's number one spot.

Their song: "Wherever You Are" has sold over 556,000 copies.

The Military Wives hit the coveted number one position after outselling every other record in the top ten.

The charity single was recorded after BBC presenter, Gareth Malone, formed the women into a group.

The Military Wives choir, has now performed on many British TV shows as well as in person at various venues.

Profits from their single are being given to military charities the Royal British Legion and the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association.

In an interview, Gareth Malone, described the number one hit as an honour "well deserved."

He said: "It's testament to the Military Wives hard work and the nation's support of them, as well as the power of choral singing. Who would have guessed in those first rehearsals that we could take Christmas Number One?"

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Source: http://www.britainnews.net/story/202138228

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Apple TV Santa Ad: Top Commercial of the Holiday Season [VIDEO]

Apple's TV ad depicting Santa's interaction with Siri on his iPhone 4S, has been acknowledged as the most effective TV commercial of the holiday season, according to the analysis firm, Ace Metrix.

The TV ad starts with Santa asking Siri how he can get to Charlie Grant's house to deliver his presents, which launches into a dialogue where Siri warns Santa of the cold and alerts him to 3.7 pending appointments.

The ad received 652 points out of a possible 950 in Ace Metrix's survey, 8 percent higher than any other tech brand, according to Apple Insider. Many viewers were enlightened by the ad saying it made them aware of new tools within the Siri feature. The ad has had over two and a half million views on YouTube.

Ace Metrix randomly selected a group of viewers who rated a set of commercials based on relevance, persuasion and information. The company found that ads featuring Santa generally did much better during the holiday season.

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Siri, the iPhone 4S's voice assistant, has been one of the most popular features of the latest iPhone, setting it apart from its competitors.

Tweets Responding to the Ad:

chrisgeidner?Chris Geidner

According to the ad, Siri?is much more responsive to Santa?than she ever is to me.

chartier?David Chartier

Tried the "find that email" bit from Apple's Santa?+ Siri?ad. Didn't know that worked. My iPhone just became my most useful email too.

SamSpratt?Sam Spratt

Apple's new Santa?Siri?ad?is effective but weird coming from Apple youtube.com/watch?feature=...

mediaguy?nicholas johnson

Love the new Siri/ Santa?ad. "Siri, how's the rest of my day looking?" 3.75 billion appointments.

impe83?Frankie Grey

RT @9to5mac: Santa?Claus shows us how to use Siri?in Apple's new iPhone 4S commercial goo.gl/fb/zUs6s?- cool ad, as usual!!!! #xmas

Siri has been heralded for its sophisticaed understanding of conversational human language. It allows users to send messages, schedule meetings, place phone calls through voice commands.

Source: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/272589/20111225/apple-tv-santa-ad-top-commercial-holiday.htm

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It s Snow Wonder

Ok, I admit it. I love snow. There I said it.

As a kid growing up in Central New York, we always had plenty of snow thanks to the lake effect off of the Great Lakes. I would sled and ski, cross country and downhill constantly. Each year once Halloween passed, I found myself with elbows pressed on the window sills, head in my hands, just waiting for the first snowfall to totally transform the earth white.

Even if you despise snow, you have to admit the first snowfall and accumulation of the season is quite beautiful. Everything is clean, white and pure. The eyes are instantly aware of something new and your senses may delight in a change to the normal daily environment to which they have grown accustomed.

So what causes our region to undergo this wardrobe change into white? The answer lies partly in the intricate design of each snowflake and science oh mystical science.

A snow crystal forms in a cloud when water vapor condenses and crystallizes around a single particle of dust. In order for the water vapor to crystallize, the atmospheric temperature has to be at or below freezing point. It is interesting to note that the temperature here on the earth?s surface that we pay attention to isn?t very important when it comes to the formation of snow occurring up in the clouds. In other words, it can snow even when we see our thermometers above 32 degrees Fahrenheit ?(0 degrees Celsius).

As the air gets colder, molecules of water in a cloud can join together to construct an ice lattice in the shape of a hexagon. Some of the prettiest snow crystals are the ones that have this little hexagon shaped ice prism as their foundation. Once the hexagon shaped base is established, beautiful arms or dendrites can grow outwards from each of its six corners. This is what most people usually picture in their mind when they think of a snowflake.

However, the term ?snowflake? is actually incorrect. Scientifically speaking, the word snowflake refers to a cluster of snow crystals stuck together. Snowflakes are what we usually encounter in an everyday flurry. The awe-inspiring six-sided individual snow crystals are spotted falling softly from the sky only on those special winter days where there is little to no wind and the weather conditions are just right. Most of us probably recall seeing a perfect snow crystal fall onto our gloved hand at one point or another in our lives and it really is amazing to see.

Kenneth Libbrecht is a physicist and researcher at Caltech who spends more than just the winter months admiring snow crystals. He has provided us with actual images of the stunning snow crystal you see throughout this article. Ken studies the physics of crystal formation and ?lets it snow? in his lab all year round as he works to uncover and capture the beauty and wonder of snow crystals with his camera lens. ??I enjoy photographing snowflakes, it?s like a treasure hunt,? he says.

Many different shapes and types of snow crystals exist, not just the aforementioned six cornered variety. The type and shape of each snow crystal is determined by the atmospheric temperature and supersaturation of water vapor in the air, also known as the humidity. The most complex designs occur when humidity in the air is the highest.

Even on the same day, there is a unique design seemingly carved into the arms of each snow crystal. This is in part due to each snow crystal following a slightly different path as it falls through the sky and it endures different temperature and environmental changes along the way as its arms developed. This gives it individualized beauty and lends some truth to the legend of how ?no two snowflakes are alike.?

Morphology diagram used with permission from Kenneth Libbrecht

On the ground, as snow crystals and snowflakes fall and accumulate, they do so in a very light and airy arrangement. In fact, 80% of fresh snow accumulation on the ground is composed of air. When we look at freshly fallen snow, we see it as white. This is because sunlight traveling to and through the airy snow is made up of all of the colors in the visible spectrum of light. This light is scattered and reflected through the many snow crystals and flakes. The hexagonal bases of snow crystals act like thousands of prisms lying on the ground, refracting and reflecting all of the colors of the visible light. In most cases, no wavelengths or colors of light are absorbed by the snow and nearly all of the light is reflected back towards our eyes which interpret all of these reflected wavelengths together as the color white.

Having said that, there is more to the picture than just what we see on the surface. If you pierce a small, deep hole in the snow you may notice the snow way down inside appearing bright blue. Also, different layers of snow and bubbly ice like that of frozen waterfalls and glaciers sometimes have been observed to emit a subtle blue or even greenish hue. Red algae is also said to alter the perceived color of snow. These and other topics relating to the physics of snow continue to captivate researchers and science lovers alike as they have for over 100 years.

Studying and understanding crystal formation can have other benefits for the advancement of science and technology such as making ?better artificial snow, better ice for Olympic skating, bigger diamonds, faster computers?? but that is not the reason why Ken and others really study it. He says he believes ?that basic science can and should be pursued for its own sake.?

So this winter, maybe instead of focusing on the negative aspects of snow such as shoveling and slush, we should once again stop and look at the wonder of snow through the eyes of the child, or better yet, through those of the scientist inside all of us. After all, it is freshly fallen physics.

Acknowledgements: With very special thanks to Ken Libbrecht for allowing me to interview him via email. I learned so much and he really helped make this article possible. If you want to savor the magic of snowflakes a little longer, check out his amazing books on Snow Crystals and Snowflakes! His website is also well written and very fun to read! Thank you Ken for sharing your knowledge and passion with all of us. Also, thank you to Erica Angiolillo for allowing the use of her exquisite wintery pics!

Photo credits: (Snow Day), (Tranquility), (Cold Veins), (A Taste of Winter), and (Author) by Erica Angiolillo/Gotcha! by Erica photography (Snow Crystal pictures 1, 2 and 3) and (Morphology Diagram) by Kenneth Libbrecht.

References:

Bohren, Craig. Colors of snow, frozen waterfalls and icebergs. J. Opt. Soc. Am 1983 Dec; 73 (12): 1646-51. doi:10.1364/JOSA.73.001646

Doesken, Nolan and Judson, Arthur. The Snow Booklet. Colorado Climate Center, Colorado State Univ. Fort Collins, CO. ISBN #0-9651056-2-8 (2nd Edition)

Libbrecht, Kenneth. Personal Interview via electronic mail. Dec 2011.

Libbrecht, Kenneth. The physics of snow crystals. Rep. Prog. Physics 2005; 68: 855-895. doi:10.1088/0034-4885/68/4/R03

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Iraq agrees to move Iran exiles; rockets hit camp (AP)

BAGHDAD ? The United Nations and the Iraqi government agreed to relocate several thousand Iranian exiles living in a camp in northeastern Iraq, potentially averting a showdown with its residents. The dissidents, who have not said whether they would agree to move, reported a rocket attack on the camp.

The People's Mujahedeen Organization of Iran, one-time allies of Saddam Hussein in a common fight against Iran, said Katyusha rockets struck near housing units inside the camp on Sunday night, but did not report any casualties.

A representative of the camp's residents said Monday they were still waiting to see the agreement before commenting on whether they would decide to relocate or not.

"We hope that it would officially include the minimum assurances so that it would be acceptable to Ashraf residents," said Shahin Gobadi. "Ashraf residents have repeatedly emphasized that they would in no way accept forcible relocation."

Since Saddam's overthrow, Iraq's new leaders have improved relations with Iran and have sought to shut down the camp, home to 3,400 residents and located in barren terrain northeast of Baghdad about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from the Iranian border. The U.N. reported that at least 34 people were killed in a raid by Iraqi government forces in April.

The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq announced an agreement Sunday night that establishes a process to move the residents of Camp Ashraf to a temporary location. It did not give a timeline for the move or specify the new location.

A statement from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the residents would be moved to Camp Liberty, a former U.S. military base near the Baghdad International Airport.

At Camp Liberty, the U.N.'s refugee agency will interview the residents to determine their eligibility to get refugee status, before they can eventually be resettled in third countries, Clinton said.

"We are encouraged by the Iraqi government's willingness to commit to this plan, and expect it to fulfill all its responsibilities," she said in the statement. "To be successful, this resettlement must also have the full support of the camp's residents, and we urge them to work with the U.N. to implement this relocation."

The People's Mujahedeen Organization of Iran first moved to Camp Ashraf during the regime of Saddam, who saw the group as a convenient ally against Tehran. The group is committed to the overthrow of the Iranian regime.

The group carried out a series of bombings and assassinations against Iran's clerical regime in the 1980s and fought alongside Saddam's forces in the Iran-Iraq war. But the group says it renounced violence in 2001. U.S. soldiers disarmed them during the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has been determined to close down the camp by the end of December. His government considers the camp as an affront to Iraq's sovereignty.

Last week, an Iraqi government spokesman said the government was working out a solution to the situation at Camp Ashraf with the U.N. and would allow the camp to stay open into January as residents are being relocated. At the time, representatives of the residents suggested they would be willing to move, as long as their security was provided for.

Under the agreement outlined by the U.N., the international organization will monitor the relocation process and then a team from the U.N.'s refugee agency will be deployed at the new location to process the refugee claims.

Officials from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad will also visit regularly, the State Department said.

The Iraqi government will be responsible for the exiles' safety during that time, and will have a liaison officer from the Ministry of Human Rights involved in the relocation, the U.N. said.

"I would like to highlight that the government is exclusively responsible for the safety and security of the residents both during their transfer and in the new location until they leave the country," said Martin Kobler, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for Iraq.

The Iraqi government's vow to close Camp Ashraf had raised concerns that forcibly removing its residents would result in violence.

The People's Mujahedeen has been branded a foreign terrorist organization by the United States, a designation now under review by the State Department. It has been removed from similar blacklists in Europe.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iran/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111226/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq_camp_ashraf

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