Saturday, September 24, 2011

Putin to return as Russia's president (Reuters)


Reuters - Vladimir Putin declared on Saturday he planned to reclaim the Russian presidency at March elections that could open the way for the former KGB spy to rule until 2024.
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Russia's Medvedev backs Putin for another presidential run


Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called on the ruling United Russia party on Saturday to endorse Prime Minister Vladimir Putin for president in 2012.
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Hong Kong's 1st Apple store mobbed on opening day (AP)

 
A customer cheers with staff members of Apple Inc. at the new store in Hong Kong's upscale International Financial Center Mall Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011. Apple Inc. has opened its long-awaited first store in Hong Kong, with hundreds of fans of the computer and gadget maker pouring in on the first day.  (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)AP - Apple Inc. opened its long-awaited first store in Hong Kong on Saturday, with thousands of fans of the computer and gadget maker pouring in on the first day.

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LSU-West Virginia headlines Week 4 Pickoff

Stewart Mandel>WEEKEND PICKOFF
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Friday, September 23, 2011

LSU defense will have its hands full at WVU

Many burning questions abound as smothering LSU faces soaring WVU

Story Highlights

LSU's elite defense will be tested Saturday by one of the nation's best-kept secrets

West Virginia will break out new wrinkles, but LSU is no stranger to trickeration

Prepare for a spike in couch fires if the Mountaineers fail to find offensive balance

Second-ranked LSU visits West Virginia on Saturday night, and all the ingredients are present for an epic confrontation, if not ... conflagration. While municipal employees in other townships across the republic spent Thursday picking up garbage and recycling, workers in Morgantown rounded up some 36 dumptruck loads of furniture and other combustible materials from the front yards and porches of rental properties near West Virginia University.

It was a pre-emptive strike designed to reduce the number of fires set by WVU students, an alarming number of whom have fallen into the habit of alleviating stress by dousing a ratty old sofa in Kingsford charcoal lighter fluid, then putting it to the torch. "If we win," a hopeful Fire Marshall Capt. Ken Tennant told the AP, "maybe we won't have as many fires."

LSU will be going up against a talented, dangerous opponent in a stadium filled with hostiles who have spent the day fortifying themselves with spirits and malt beverages. It will feel, in other words, like just another away game in the SEC.

The Tigers have already dominated a pair of ranked teams -- Oregon and Mississippi State -- on the road this September, which is why coach Les Miles didn't seem overly concerned by the prospect of venturing into Milan Puskar Stadium.

"The LSU personality will take hold wherever we play," Miles predicted. "There is a confidence and an enjoyment of a road venue that this team has now. I don't necessarily look at it as adversity, other than getting in late at night..."

The most dominant aspect of that personality is a marauding, smothering defense that stuffed Mississippi State ball carriers behind the line of scrimmage on 15 of their 34 rushing attempts in Week 3. Defensive tackle Bennie Logan chipped in with 3 of those tackles for loss and was named the SEC's defensive lineman of the week. But the truth is, this defense is loaded all over the field.

MANDEL: LSU-WVU, more Week 4 predictions

It will be tested by one of the best-kept secrets in the country. Showing a surprising level of comfort with first-year head coach Dana Holgorsen's up-tempo, attack-down-the-field offense, quarterback Geno Smith has already thrown for 1,008 yards in three games -- fourth best in the country. And one gets the feeling the Mountaineers have been saving some surprises for their guests from the bayou.

Asked before the season if he'd put in a bunch of new wrinkles, Holgorsen was not exactly coy: "Oh, we have lots of them ... we have added a bunch of new stuff. There are tricks that you can't imagine."

Miles can imagine them, actually, because that's how he rolls. The man likes his trick plays. But if Jarrett Lee stays on his current trajectory, LSU may not need The Hat's trickeration. Lee is a fifth-year senior who has shown a knack, in his career, for backing up more talented but less disciplined quarterbacks who are subsequently suspended, thrusting him into the starting role. In 2008 it was Ryan Perilloux, whom Miles kicked off the team for "not meeting his obligation" as an LSU student-athlete. Lee started eight games as a redshirt freshman, winning four of them but throwing 16 interceptions, six of which were returned for touchdowns.

Lee once again got the call this season after Jordan Jefferson was arrested for his role in an August bar fight. Since an unsteady opening night against Oregon -- "I expected him to throw the football better; he's better than he showed today," Miles told me after the game -- the senior from west Texas has figured something out. He was much more polished and consistent in completing 21 of his 27 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown against the Bulldogs. He's managing games, getting the rock in the hands of his NFL-bound teammates. This week those ranks will include quicksilver wideout Russell Shepard, back from a three-game suspension for violating NCAA and school rules.

Meanwhile, there's movement in Jefferson's case, which was heard before a grand jury this week. Jefferson stands accused of felonious assault for allegedly kicking a man in the face while he lay on the ground. But tests for DNA on Jefferson's shoes are inconclusive, according to the Shreveport Times. If Jefferson is acquitted, Miles told reporters this week, he would be welcomed back with open arms.

If Jefferson is reinstated, how long will Miles wait before making him the starter? Improved though he may be, is Lee capable of quarterbacking these Tigers to an SEC championship? To a national title?

The best quarterback on the field on Saturday night will be wearing blue and gold. Will Holgorsen have enough creative calls to keep a sensational LSU defense off balance? How big a night does Smith need to get into the Heisman conversation? Can the Mountaineers find a ground attack? They're averaging an underwhelming 78 rushing yards per game; if they can't find some semblance of balance and end up spending the evening in third-and-long situations, things could get ugly, quickly.

Which could lead to a spike in couch-fires in Morgantown. Yes, the city carted away 36 trucks full of potential fuel, but was it enough?

So many burning questions.

The Tigers have already dominated a pair of ranked teams -- Oregon and Mississippi State -- on the road this September, which is why coach Les Miles didn't seem overly concerned by the prospect of venturing into Milan Puskar Stadium.

"The LSU personality will take hold wherever we play," Miles predicted. "There is a confidence and an enjoyment of a road venue that this team has now. I don't necessarily look at it as adversity, other than getting in late at night..."

The most dominant aspect of that personality is a marauding, smothering defense that stuffed Mississippi State ball carriers behind the line of scrimmage on 15 of their 34 rushing attempts in Week 3. Defensive tackle Bennie Logan chipped in with 3 of those tackles for loss and was named the SEC's defensive lineman of the week. But the truth is, this defense is loaded all over the field.

MANDEL: LSU-WVU, more Week 4 predictions

It will be tested by one of the best-kept secrets in the country. Showing a surprising level of comfort with first-year head coach Dana Holgorsen's up-tempo, attack-down-the-field offense, quarterback Geno Smith has already thrown for 1,008 yards in three games -- fourth best in the country. And one gets the feeling the Mountaineers have been saving some surprises for their guests from the bayou.

Asked before the season if he'd put in a bunch of new wrinkles, Holgorsen was not exactly coy: "Oh, we have lots of them ... we have added a bunch of new stuff. There are tricks that you can't imagine."

Miles can imagine them, actually, because that's how he rolls. The man likes his trick plays. But if Jarrett Lee stays on his current trajectory, LSU may not need The Hat's trickeration. Lee is a fifth-year senior who has shown a knack, in his career, for backing up more talented but less disciplined quarterbacks who are subsequently suspended, thrusting him into the starting role. In 2008 it was Ryan Perilloux, whom Miles kicked off the team for "not meeting his obligation" as an LSU student-athlete. Lee started eight games as a redshirt freshman, winning four of them but throwing 16 interceptions, six of which were returned for touchdowns.

Lee once again got the call this season after Jordan Jefferson was arrested for his role in an August bar fight. Since an unsteady opening night against Oregon -- "I expected him to throw the football better; he's better than he showed today," Miles told me after the game -- the senior from west Texas has figured something out. He was much more polished and consistent in completing 21 of his 27 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown against the Bulldogs. He's managing games, getting the rock in the hands of his NFL-bound teammates. This week those ranks will include quicksilver wideout Russell Shepard, back from a three-game suspension for violating NCAA and school rules.

Meanwhile, there's movement in Jefferson's case, which was heard before a grand jury this week. Jefferson stands accused of felonious assault for allegedly kicking a man in the face while he lay on the ground. But tests for DNA on Jefferson's shoes are inconclusive, according to the Shreveport Times. If Jefferson is acquitted, Miles told reporters this week, he would be welcomed back with open arms.

If Jefferson is reinstated, how long will Miles wait before making him the starter? Improved though he may be, is Lee capable of quarterbacking these Tigers to an SEC championship? To a national title?

The best quarterback on the field on Saturday night will be wearing blue and gold. Will Holgorsen have enough creative calls to keep a sensational LSU defense off balance? How big a night does Smith need to get into the Heisman conversation? Can the Mountaineers find a ground attack? They're averaging an underwhelming 78 rushing yards per game; if they can't find some semblance of balance and end up spending the evening in third-and-long situations, things could get ugly, quickly.

Which could lead to a spike in couch-fires in Morgantown. Yes, the city carted away 36 trucks full of potential fuel, but was it enough?

So many burning questions.

Source

U.S. says won't ignore Iran-backed attacks in Iraq (Reuters)


Reuters - The United States will not "sit idly by" while its forces are harmed by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, the top U.S. military officer, Admiral Mike Mullen, said on Thursday.
Read more

LSU defense will have its hands full at WVU

Many burning questions abound as smothering LSU faces soaring WVU

Story Highlights

LSU's elite defense will be tested Saturday by one of the nation's best-kept secrets

West Virginia will break out new wrinkles, but LSU is no stranger to trickeration

Prepare for a spike in couch fires if the Mountaineers fail to find offensive balance

Second-ranked LSU visits West Virginia on Saturday night, and all the ingredients are present for an epic confrontation, if not ... conflagration. While municipal employees in other townships across the republic spent Thursday picking up garbage and recycling, workers in Morgantown rounded up some 36 dumptruck loads of furniture and other combustible materials from the front yards and porches of rental properties near West Virginia University.

It was a pre-emptive strike designed to reduce the number of fires set by WVU students, an alarming number of whom have fallen into the habit of alleviating stress by dousing a ratty old sofa in Kingsford charcoal lighter fluid, then putting it to the torch. "If we win," a hopeful Fire Marshall Capt. Ken Tennant told the AP, "maybe we won't have as many fires."

LSU will be going up against a talented, dangerous opponent in a stadium filled with hostiles who have spent the day fortifying themselves with spirits and malt beverages. It will feel, in other words, like just another away game in the SEC.

The Tigers have already dominated a pair of ranked teams -- Oregon and Mississippi State -- on the road this September, which is why coach Les Miles didn't seem overly concerned by the prospect of venturing into Milan Puskar Stadium.

"The LSU personality will take hold wherever we play," Miles predicted. "There is a confidence and an enjoyment of a road venue that this team has now. I don't necessarily look at it as adversity, other than getting in late at night..."

The most dominant aspect of that personality is a marauding, smothering defense that stuffed Mississippi State ball carriers behind the line of scrimmage on 15 of their 34 rushing attempts in Week 3. Defensive tackle Bennie Logan chipped in with 3 of those tackles for loss and was named the SEC's defensive lineman of the week. But the truth is, this defense is loaded all over the field.

MANDEL: LSU-WVU, more Week 4 predictions

It will be tested by one of the best-kept secrets in the country. Showing a surprising level of comfort with first-year head coach Dana Holgorsen's up-tempo, attack-down-the-field offense, quarterback Geno Smith has already thrown for 1,008 yards in three games -- fourth best in the country. And one gets the feeling the Mountaineers have been saving some surprises for their guests from the bayou.

Asked before the season if he'd put in a bunch of new wrinkles, Holgorsen was not exactly coy: "Oh, we have lots of them ... we have added a bunch of new stuff. There are tricks that you can't imagine."

Miles can imagine them, actually, because that's how he rolls. The man likes his trick plays. But if Jarrett Lee stays on his current trajectory, LSU may not need The Hat's trickeration. Lee is a fifth-year senior who has shown a knack, in his career, for backing up more talented but less disciplined quarterbacks who are subsequently suspended, thrusting him into the starting role. In 2008 it was Ryan Perilloux, whom Miles kicked off the team for "not meeting his obligation" as an LSU student-athlete. Lee started eight games as a redshirt freshman, winning four of them but throwing 16 interceptions, six of which were returned for touchdowns.

Lee once again got the call this season after Jordan Jefferson was arrested for his role in an August bar fight. Since an unsteady opening night against Oregon -- "I expected him to throw the football better; he's better than he showed today," Miles told me after the game -- the senior from west Texas has figured something out. He was much more polished and consistent in completing 21 of his 27 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown against the Bulldogs. He's managing games, getting the rock in the hands of his NFL-bound teammates. This week those ranks will include quicksilver wideout Russell Shepard, back from a three-game suspension for violating NCAA and school rules.

Meanwhile, there's movement in Jefferson's case, which was heard before a grand jury this week. Jefferson stands accused of felonious assault for allegedly kicking a man in the face while he lay on the ground. But tests for DNA on Jefferson's shoes are inconclusive, according to the Shreveport Times. If Jefferson is acquitted, Miles told reporters this week, he would be welcomed back with open arms.

If Jefferson is reinstated, how long will Miles wait before making him the starter? Improved though he may be, is Lee capable of quarterbacking these Tigers to an SEC championship? To a national title?

The best quarterback on the field on Saturday night will be wearing blue and gold. Will Holgorsen have enough creative calls to keep a sensational LSU defense off balance? How big a night does Smith need to get into the Heisman conversation? Can the Mountaineers find a ground attack? They're averaging an underwhelming 78 rushing yards per game; if they can't find some semblance of balance and end up spending the evening in third-and-long situations, things could get ugly, quickly.

Which could lead to a spike in couch-fires in Morgantown. Yes, the city carted away 36 trucks full of potential fuel, but was it enough?

So many burning questions.

The Tigers have already dominated a pair of ranked teams -- Oregon and Mississippi State -- on the road this September, which is why coach Les Miles didn't seem overly concerned by the prospect of venturing into Milan Puskar Stadium.

"The LSU personality will take hold wherever we play," Miles predicted. "There is a confidence and an enjoyment of a road venue that this team has now. I don't necessarily look at it as adversity, other than getting in late at night..."

The most dominant aspect of that personality is a marauding, smothering defense that stuffed Mississippi State ball carriers behind the line of scrimmage on 15 of their 34 rushing attempts in Week 3. Defensive tackle Bennie Logan chipped in with 3 of those tackles for loss and was named the SEC's defensive lineman of the week. But the truth is, this defense is loaded all over the field.

MANDEL: LSU-WVU, more Week 4 predictions

It will be tested by one of the best-kept secrets in the country. Showing a surprising level of comfort with first-year head coach Dana Holgorsen's up-tempo, attack-down-the-field offense, quarterback Geno Smith has already thrown for 1,008 yards in three games -- fourth best in the country. And one gets the feeling the Mountaineers have been saving some surprises for their guests from the bayou.

Asked before the season if he'd put in a bunch of new wrinkles, Holgorsen was not exactly coy: "Oh, we have lots of them ... we have added a bunch of new stuff. There are tricks that you can't imagine."

Miles can imagine them, actually, because that's how he rolls. The man likes his trick plays. But if Jarrett Lee stays on his current trajectory, LSU may not need The Hat's trickeration. Lee is a fifth-year senior who has shown a knack, in his career, for backing up more talented but less disciplined quarterbacks who are subsequently suspended, thrusting him into the starting role. In 2008 it was Ryan Perilloux, whom Miles kicked off the team for "not meeting his obligation" as an LSU student-athlete. Lee started eight games as a redshirt freshman, winning four of them but throwing 16 interceptions, six of which were returned for touchdowns.

Lee once again got the call this season after Jordan Jefferson was arrested for his role in an August bar fight. Since an unsteady opening night against Oregon -- "I expected him to throw the football better; he's better than he showed today," Miles told me after the game -- the senior from west Texas has figured something out. He was much more polished and consistent in completing 21 of his 27 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown against the Bulldogs. He's managing games, getting the rock in the hands of his NFL-bound teammates. This week those ranks will include quicksilver wideout Russell Shepard, back from a three-game suspension for violating NCAA and school rules.

Meanwhile, there's movement in Jefferson's case, which was heard before a grand jury this week. Jefferson stands accused of felonious assault for allegedly kicking a man in the face while he lay on the ground. But tests for DNA on Jefferson's shoes are inconclusive, according to the Shreveport Times. If Jefferson is acquitted, Miles told reporters this week, he would be welcomed back with open arms.

If Jefferson is reinstated, how long will Miles wait before making him the starter? Improved though he may be, is Lee capable of quarterbacking these Tigers to an SEC championship? To a national title?

The best quarterback on the field on Saturday night will be wearing blue and gold. Will Holgorsen have enough creative calls to keep a sensational LSU defense off balance? How big a night does Smith need to get into the Heisman conversation? Can the Mountaineers find a ground attack? They're averaging an underwhelming 78 rushing yards per game; if they can't find some semblance of balance and end up spending the evening in third-and-long situations, things could get ugly, quickly.

Which could lead to a spike in couch-fires in Morgantown. Yes, the city carted away 36 trucks full of potential fuel, but was it enough?

So many burning questions.

Source

Pakistan blasts US comments about spy agency (AP)

 
A Pakistani protester shouts slogans at an anti-American rally in Multan, Pakistan on Friday, Sept 23, 2011. Pakistan lashed out at the U.S. for accusing the country's most powerful intelligence agency of supporting extremist attacks against American targets in Afghanistan — the most serious allegations against Islamabad since the beginning of the Afghan war. (AP Photo/Khalid Tanveer)AP - Pakistan's army chief dismissed U.S. allegations that his spy agency had helped Afghan militants attack the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, saying Friday the charges were baseless and part of a public "blame game" detrimental to peace in Afghanistan.

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Dorms go extreme to lure students


Read full story for latest details.
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ZTE plans to roll out 4G handphones in Q2 2012 (Reuters)

 
The logo of ZTE is seen inside a showroom in Shenzhen, China's southern Guangdong province April 16, 2010. REUTERS/Tyrone SiuReuters - ZTE Corp (0763.HK)(000063.SZ), the world's No.5 cell phone maker, plans to launch 4G (fourth generation) handsets in the second quarter of 2012, aiming to grab more market share by expanding its product range, a senior executive said.

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Opinion: Facebook doesn't care about you


Douglas Rushkoff: Facebook users complaining about tweaks to interface should remember: Changes meant to serve company's paying customers, not free service users
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Thursday, September 22, 2011

Officials visit post-tornado Joplin 'mall school' (AP)


AP - Students who attend the Joplin high school known as the "mall school," because it was built in a former big box store after a tornado left their district in ruins, told Education Secretary Arne Duncan during a Thursday visit that having the support of the school has helped them recover.
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Palestinian crisis looms over U.N. meeting (Reuters)

 
Israeli soldiers detain a Palestinian youth during clashes that erupted between the soldiers and Palestinian stone-throwers at Qalandiya checkpoint September 21, 2011. The clashes erupted after a rally in the nearby West Bank city of Ramallah in support of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' bid for statehood recognition in the United Nations. REUTERS/Darren WhitesideReuters - Diplomats scrambled on Thursday to head off a clash over Palestinian plans to seek full U.N. recognition with little visible sign of progress and a deadline some 24 hours away.

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Brent Severyn: My life as an NHL enforcer


The deaths of three NHL enforcers -- Derek Boogaard, Rick Rypien and Wade Belak -- since May shed light on the issues and dangers that enforcers face on and off the ice. Brent Severyn, Belak's teammate on the 1996-97 Colorado Avalanche, had a 328-game NHL career with six teams that began with the Quebec Nordiques in 1989 and ended in 1999 with the Stanley Cup champion Dallas Stars. Now the owner of the Dallas-area business Severyn Sports, Severyn took time to tell SI.com's Adrian Dater what it's really like to fight for a living in the NHL.
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Stocks nosedive after Fed's gloomy assessment (AP)

 
People are reflected on the electronic stock board at a securities firm in Tokyo,Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011. Japan's Nikkei 225 stock average ended the morning session down 142.84 points, or 1.63 percent, at 8,598.32. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)AP - The U.S. Federal Reserve's tacit acknowledgment that America's economic slowdown is likely to persist for quite a while sent global stock markets skidding Thursday as investors brushed off the central bank's efforts to spur growth and focused instead on its gloomy assessment.

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India orders poultry culling after bird flu outbreak


Authorities ordered immediate culling of poultry in eastern India after samples tested positive for bird flu.
Read more

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Apple secures patents on China stores

(Financial Times) -- Apple has been granted patents on some of the distinctive elements of its store designs in China as the US company moves to better protect itself against rampant copying of not only its products but also its sales channels on the Chinese mainland.

The three recently granted design patents cover the architecture of Apple's stores in Shanghai and were awarded in May, according to state media reports, suggesting the company registered them after it began its expansion in China last year. One was announced on Wednesday by the state intellectual property office, covering a glass dome such as the one that is a distinctive feature of one of the company's Shanghai stores.

Apple has a patchy record in securing patents and trademarks in this fast-growing but challenging market. The gaps in the company's intellectual property rights protection were highlighted by the revelation in July of a fake Apple store in Kunming, the capital of the south-western Chinese province of Yunnan.

The technology company is preparing to open another Apple store in Shanghai on Friday, joining two others in the city and one in Beijing, and is also poised to open its first store in Hong Kong before the end of the month. On Wednesday, Apple started selling the 3G version of the iPad 2 in China.

In the past, Apple has sometimes been slow to register patents or trademarks in China early enough. When it began selling the iPhone there, it had to conduct lengthy negotiations to buy back its trademark from Hanwang, a Chinese technology company that had already registered it in the country.

"The majority of Apple's key patents are not registered in China," said Li Hongjiang, a lawyer at Unitalen, a law firm in Beijing. He said this was the case particularly for patents frequently cited as components of other patents.

"Therefore, these patents can be used without compensation in China. This has left room for Apple's competitors to develop in China, and something resembling the patent wars between Apple and Samsung might well occur in China in the future."

Apple is not alone in having relatively weak IP protection in China.

Horace Lam, an IP expert at law firm Jones Day in Beijing, said: "People criticise the China IP environment, and I am not saying China has the perfect system ... but [with] a lot of really big listed US companies -- their IP protection is a joke."

China has written new patent and copyright laws in the past several years and a new trademark law is in the pipeline. They are broadly in line with those in other countries. "Most of China's IP laws comply with China's WTO and Trips obligations," said Elliot Papageorgiou of Rouse & Co, the IP consultancy in Shanghai, referring to the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights.

The cost of protecting IP in China is a fraction of that in the west, Mr Papageorgiou said. "You can file a patent in China for no more than $3,000-$4,000. Anybody who doesn't spend $4,000 extending their foreign patents to China needs their head examined," he said, noting that pursuing an infringer would cost much more than that.

Apple did not respond to requests for comment.

Source

Depression increases risk of stroke, study says

(Health.com) -- People with depression are more likely to have a stroke than their mentally healthy peers, and their strokes are more likely to be fatal, according to a new analysis published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Depression is a relatively minor risk factor for stroke compared to high blood pressure (hypertension) and other health conditions and behaviors that damage blood vessels, the researchers say. Still, their analysis suggests that as many as 4% of the estimated 795,000 strokes that occur in the United States each year can be attributed to depression.

"If you have depression but no other health issues, you probably don't have to pay too much attention to stroke risk," says An Pan, Ph.D., the lead author of the analysis and a research fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health, in Boston. "But if you are depressed and are also obese, or have hypertension or...unhealthy lifestyle factors, your risk is going to increase dramatically."

Health.com: The 10 most depressing states in the U.S.

Pan and his colleagues combined data from 28 studies dating back to the mid-1990s that included about 318,000 people overall. Roughly 2.7% of the participants had a stroke during the studies, which ranged in length from two to 29 years.

Compared to those who showed no signs of depression, people who received a depression diagnosis from a doctor or who reported feeling depressed were 45% more likely to have a stroke and 55% more likely to die from a stroke, the researchers found.

Depression increased the risk of ischemic stroke, in which a blood vessel becomes blocked and cannot send blood to the brain. But it did not measurably raise the risk of the other major type, hemorrhagic stroke, in which a blood vessel leaks or bursts open.

Health.com: 12 signs of depression in men

The new study is the latest in a long line of research linking depression to chronic disease and serious physical health problems.

"We knew that depression raises a person's risk of developing diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease," Pan says. "We also knew that depression can occur after patients suffer a stroke. We just didn't have strong enough evidence to know if the reverse was true, or what really comes first."

Researchers have already established that depression increases the risk of heart attacks (and especially fatal ones), so it makes sense that depression would have a similar association with stroke, says Norman Rosenthal, M.D., a clinical professor of psychiatry at the Georgetown University School of Medicine, in Washington, D.C.

"Strokes and heart attacks both represent blood vessels becoming blocked and blood being withheld from a vital organ, whether it's the heart or the brain," says Rosenthal, who was not involved in the new study. "They're essentially the same disease."

Health.com: Careers with high rates of depression

Depression could contribute to strokes in many ways, Pan says. For starters, people who are depressed are more likely to smoke or drink heavily, to follow an unhealthy diet, and to neglect their personal health. Most of the studies included in the analysis controlled for these and other risk factors, but the data suggests that at least some of the stroke risk in depressed people can be explained by an unhealthy lifestyle.

There are other possibilities, as well, that aren't as easily measured. Depression can increase the production of stress hormones in the body, for instance, and can trigger dangerous inflammation in the blood vessels. "Little things, like keeping up good dental hygiene or socializing with friends, all affect inflammation levels -- and these are things that a depressed person is less likely to do," says Rosenthal.

Depression may also cause people to slack on taking medications needed to control other stroke-related conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure. On the other hand, some medications prescribed for depression -- most notably the class of drugs known as atypical antipsychotics -- have been shown to cause weight gain and obesity, a known risk factor for stroke.

More research is needed to determine whether depression drugs contribute to stroke risk. Doctors should monitor weight gain and blood pressure levels in patients taking these drugs, but there's no reason for patients to stop taking them, Pan says. "For now, physicians should prescribe medication if they think it is necessary, or if non-drug treatments haven't worked."

Although depression isn't the most important risk factor for stroke, the researchers say it likely has a noticeable impact on the stroke rate. They estimate that depression is responsible for an additional 106 strokes per 100,000 people in the United States each year.

Source

Obama, Europeans press Palestinians to drop UN bid (AP)

Barack Obama

UNITED NATIONS – Furiously scrambling to head off a U.N. showdown, the United States warned world leaders Wednesday that trying to create a Palestinian nation by simple decree instead of through hard negotiations was bound to fail as a shortcut to peace with Israel. Europeans worked to defuse the dispute, too, France urging new talks within a month.

Undeterred, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas pressed toward a formal bid for U.N. recognition that could bring the issue to a head on Friday.

Addressing the U.N., President Barack Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy offered different solutions to defuse the diplomatic crisis. Sarkozy would have the Palestinians seek a lesser form of recognition at the U.N., while joining new talks with Israel.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, seen as a defining test of peace in modern times, overwhelmed other matters as members of the world body watched a crisis deepen before them.

A frustrated Obama declared to U.N. members that "there are no shortcuts" to peace, and he implored Israelis and Palestinians to restart direct talks. His influence limited and his hopes for a peace deal long stymied, Obama didn't directly call on the Palestinians to drop their bid for recognition from the U.N. Security Council. But the U.S. threat to veto any such U.N. action loomed unmistakably.

"Peace will not come through statements and resolutions at the United Nations," Obama told delegates. "If it were that easy, it would have been accomplished by now."

Sarkozy supported an observer state status for Palestine but not full U.N. membership for now. That idea would head off a Security Council vote and veto that he said would risk "engendering a cycle of violence in the Middle East."

The French president proposed a one-year timetable for Israel and the Palestinians to reach an accord.

The White House said the U.S. agreed with the broad goals of the French proposal, but disagreed with Sarkozy on the value of a U.N. status upgrade for the Palestinians ahead of a peace accord.

Palestinian officials made it clear that the latest proposal, while welcome, would do nothing to prevent them from going to the Security Council and seeking full statehood.

"This is a moment of truth," said Nabeel Shaath, an Abbas adviser.

Palestinian senior aide Saeb Erekat said the pursuit of full U.N. membership would not be slowed: "We will not allow any political maneuvering on this issue," he said.

At the heart of the fight, Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pursued support from other leaders but not each other. Various mediators searched for consensus for a diplomatic solution to preclude the showdown and revive peace talks.

Netanyahu thanked Obama for defending Israel, which fears that a Palestinian state drawn by the U.N. would include borders leaving the Jewish state vulnerable to attack. The United States is Israel's staunchest defender in demanding that direct talks are the only means to Palestinian statehood, a position that leaves Obama arguing against fast world endorsement of a Palestinian homeland he has repeatedly said he supports.

Obama and Abbas met for more than 45 minutes Wednesday evening. The White House wouldn't say whether Obama directly asked the Palestinian leader to abandon his plans to pursue full U.N. membership, saying only that he reiterated his opposition to the statehood bid and the U.S. intention to issue a veto.

Beyond the public eye, U.S. and other officials began to concede that an effort to deter Palestinians from bringing the matter before the world body had failed, and the so-called Quartet of Mideast peace mediators worked on a deal intended to address the longstanding concerns of both sides.

Under that compromise plan, the Quartet would issue a statement in which Israel would have to accept its pre-1967 Mideast War borders, with land exchanges, as the basis for a two-state solution, and the Palestinians would have to recognize Israel's Jewish character if there was to be a deal, officials close to the talks said.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing diplomacy.

European officials, supported by the U.S., were outlining the compromise agreement to the Israeli and Palestinian governments and asking for tough concessions from each.

The Palestinians would petition the United Nations Security Council on Friday, as expected, but would agree not to press for action on the request for statehood recognition for a year, or would withdraw it later. That would allow Abbas to save face and prevent an embarrassing defeat that might empower his Fatah party's rival faction, the militant Islamic group Hamas, which is considered a terrorist group by Israel and the United States.

In the 15-member Security Council, approval of a resolution requires nine "yes" votes and no veto by a permanent member — the U.S., Russia, China, Britain and France. If the resolution gets fewer than nine votes, it would be defeated without the U.S. having to use its veto.

While the Palestinians' full membership bid would meet with a certain U.S. veto in the Security Council, assuming there were enough votes to have it approved, they still would have succeeded in bringing the issue back to the forefront of the world's political discussions after years of failed negotiations, bickering and sporadic outbreaks of violence.

Short of a full request for statehood recognition at the U.N. Security Council, the Palestinians could also seek a lesser form of recognition by the larger U.N. General Assembly, where they have overwhelming support.

Sarkozy called for Israelis and Palestinians to return to talks in one month with no preconditions — requiring an enormous leap of faith from both sides — with six months to work out the issues of borders and security that have divided them for decades. He called for a peace accord within a year.

A senior European Union official said the proposal laid out by Sarkozy matched one by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton during a meeting with EU foreign ministers on Tuesday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the discussions.

The proposal outlined by Sarkozy received a warmer welcome from the Palestinians than Obama's comments, which elicited stern looks from the Palestinian delegation.

"Ultimately, it is the Israelis and the Palestinians — not us — who must reach agreement on the issues that divide them," Obama said.

Were the Palestinians to accept the French approach, they would become a nonmember observer state at the U.N. That would give them an opportunity to seek membership in U.N. agencies and to join treaties, including possible access to the International Criminal Court. There, Palestinians could press legal claims against Israel for alleged abuses as an occupier.

Obama blitzed through a day of diplomacy that was appropriately bracketed by individual meetings with Netanyahu and Abbas. But for all his effort, Obama appeared to end a day of flurried diplomatic activity right where he started it.

Two years after declaring a new brand of U.S. leadership, and one year after calling for Israel and Palestinian leaders to reach a peace deal by now, Obama found himself standing before the U.N. delegates and admonishing them about what their goal should be — encouraging the parties to sit down together.

"That is the project to which America is committed," he said. "There are no shortcuts. And that is what the United Nations should be focused on in the weeks and months to come."

Netanyahu, with Obama at his side, told reporters that world leaders were under "enormous pressure" but should follow the lead set by the United States. To Obama, with whom he has not shared much public chemistry, Netanyahu said the president had stood on principle in his speech and thanked him for wearing what he called a badge of honor.

Senior Palestinian officials said Abbas, in a late afternoon meeting, would reiterate to Obama his decision to move forward with the application for membership. But they also said the Palestinians seek to cooperate with the U.S. and would be ready to return to the negotiating table once a solid foundation for talks was in place.

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Associated Press writers Mohammed Daraghmeh, Amy Teibel, Julie Pace, Steven R. Hurst and Edith M. Lederer in New York contributed to this report.

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