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by AP, staff reports Associated Press

A Sears store in Longmont, Colo., displays sale signs on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011. The Hoffman Estates-based retailer Sears announced specific stores it would close on Thursday, Dec. 29. Sears announced this week that it would close as many as 120 stores nationally after poor holiday sales. The Longmont, Colo., store (above) is one of the stores that will close, but for now the Rome Sears and Kmart stores have been spared. (Joshua Buck, Associated Press)

slideshow A preliminary closing list issued Thursday does not call for the shuttering of either of Rome?s Sears or Kmart stores.

Sears Holding Corp. announced earlier this week it would close as many as 120 stores to raise cash.

A preliminary closing list of 79 stores does not include the Sears at Mount Berry Square or the Kmart on Hicks Drive, which also sells Sears appliances and a few other Sears items. It was not known Thursday when more closures will be announced.

In Georgia, Sears Holdings Corp. says it will close its store at the Macon mall, along with several Kmarts in Buford, Columbus, Douglasville, Jonesboro and Southwest Atlanta.

Florida will be hit the hardest by the closing of Sears and Kmart stores, losing 11.

Ohio, Michigan and Georgia are not far behind with six store closures planned in their states. Tennessee, North Carolina and Minnesota are set to lose four stores each.

A spokeswoman for Sears Holding Corp. said each store employs between 40 and 80 people.

None of the closures announced so far are in Sears? home state of Illinois.

The projected closings represent only about 3 percent of Sears Holdings? U.S. stores. Sears and Kmart merged in 2005. The company now has about 3,560 stores in the U.S. That?s up from 3,500 immediately after the merger, because of the addition of more small stores.

Source: http://rn-t.com/bookmark/16938719

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1030 IST: India 141-8 after 40.4 overs
Z Khan c Cowan b Pattinson 13 (22b, 1?4, 1?6)
Zaheer had been given a working over by Pattinson, three short balls? as close to the perfume balls as possible. But then the batsman had enough. He decided to slog ? a four and a six followed. Off the third ball, he was walking back. Once again, Zaheer has given it away. Not good from the veteran.

1006 IST: India 117-7 after 34.5 overs
R Ashwin c Cowan b Siddle 30 (35b, 5?4)
Short. Short. Short. Wicket. That?s how easy it was. Ashwin played well before the break but Siddle knew what he wanted to do to a lower-order batsman. It?s over. No century for him. It popped up and Cowan from short-leg took an easy catch. The partnership with Dhoni was 36 runs.
On twitter, @ESPNcricinfo: Australia?s final two wickets batted 22.3 overs. India were 69 for 5 after batting 23.3 overs

0937 IST: India 117-6 after 33 overs
M Dhoni 14 (21), R Ashwin 30 (29)
It?s tea. Some fight being shown by the Indians. Thank god for that. The runs are flowing, and at least the Australians can?t take it easy. Dhoni is still there and Ashwin is making a run for it. There?s no real chance for a win but the Indians are at least going for their shots. Some entertainment for the crowd and everyone watching on TV. But this is the way to play. Go for the shots and if you string enough of them together, Australia will be forced to spread the field. India need 175 to win.

0908 IST: India 81-6 after 26.1 overs
S Tendulkar c Hussey b Siddle 32 (46b, 4?4)
Aila! All over now. Tendulkar gone? took the invitation to drive, got the edge, another catch for Hussey in the gully. This is so sad. This is like a rewind to 1998-99. The pitch isn?t really difficult to bat on, it?s doing just enough but the manner in which the famed Indian batting has capitulated is sad. Very sad. Siddle and all of Australia is overjoyed.
On twitter, @HomerTweets: So, India?s pop gun attack responsible for this debacle no? If only we had better bowlers, no collapse then!

0850 IST: India 68-5 after 23.3 overs
V Kohli lbw b Hilfenhaus 0 (1b)
Kohli didn?t look happy. There were two noises but there is no DRS and he is walking back with a duck for company after being trapped lbw. Now, India are down in the dumps and need a miracle. Tendulkar stands alone with Dhoni walking in. This is almost over now. Sadly.
On Twitter, @AltCricket: Lawry: ?Kohli?s not happy for some reason.? Perhaps because he?s been dismissed for a golden duck?
Also, @RicFinlay informs us: Highest 4th inns score ever made in Tests after being 5-69 or worse is only 253. Go out and put house on Oz win.

Australia's Pattinson gestures while waiting for the third umpire's decision awarding him the wicket of India's Laxman during the first cricket test match in Melbourne. Reuters

0849 IST: India 68-4 after 23 overs
VVS Laxman c Cowan b Pattinson 1 (14b)
Laxman misses out again at the MCG. He was looking tentative and this shows why they need to play more tour matches. Not just nets, hard competitive cricket before the start of the Test. Pattinson was brilliant again. Kohli walks in next.
On twitter: @cricketwallah: Tumble, crumble?my optimism wanes rapidly as VVS goes too. The Oz players have regrouped as a pack baying for blood again

0824 IST: India 58-3 after 19 overs
R Dravid b Pattinson 10 (29b, 1?4)
Big wicket. For the second time in the match, Dravid has been cleaned bowled. This time by Pattinson. And it?s not a no-ball. Dravid was leaden footed and this one will hurt the India. The Aussies are now completely on top. On Channel 9, Slater says: ?He?s added a door to the wall.? Classic. It is only the 4th time in his Test career that Dravid has been bowled in both innings of a Test.
On twitter, @cricketwallah sums it up: Terrific ball breaches the Wall?trouble now big and deep?
And @rameshsrivats adds a touch of sarcasm: Tchah. Earlier he used to let his bat do the talking. Then this Bradman Oration happened.

0815 IST: India 54-2 after 17 overs
R Dravid 10 (25), S Tendulkar 14 (19)
These two batsmen needed to lay the foundation if India are going to win this. If India are three down for not too much on the board, they will struggle. Even VVS will. But on the whole, Tendulkar has come in and almost immediately looked good. A brilliant four off the pads to begin things off. But it?s not all been in the favour of the batsmen, both batsmen have been beaten at least a couple of times in the last 5 overs. Can?t afford to relax on this wicket for even a minute. India need 238 more to win.

0753 IST: India 39-2 after 12.1 overs
G Gambhir c Ponting b Siddle 13 (46b, 1?4)
Gambhir?s bad run as opener continues. Once again, the ball was in the channel just on and around off-stump, forcing Gambhir to play at it. The resulting edge taken by Ponting in the slips. Big wicket. Tendulkar in. This is not about the 100th ton. This is only about the win. Go Sachin! India need 253 to win.

0741 IST: India 35-1 after 11 overs
G Gambhir 9 (39), R Dravid 9 (9)
Players are back on and don?t need to say it but this session will be vital for both teams. If India get through it without losing too many wickets, then we have a match on. As things stand, a good start after lunch, 11 runs in the first over. This is good going, India cannot afford to get bogged down because it will kill the momentum.

0700 IST: India 24-1 after 9 overs
G Gambhir 6 (36), R Dravid 5 (6)
And that?s lunch. Interesting first session. Dhoni?s field placement was once again very defensive? allowed Australia to push the lead to 291. Pattinson was good for the Aussies, scoring a vital 37. On the other hand, the fall of Sehwag?s wicket means that India will need to do it the hard way. For now, Australia have their noses in front. But one good session can change all that. Let?s hope the post-lunch session belongs to India, who need 268 to win with 9 wickets in hand.

Australia's Hilfenhaus celebrates taking the wicket of India's Sehwag during the first cricket test match in Melbourne. Reuters

0645 IST: India 17-1 after 6 overs
V Sehwag c Hussey b Hilfenhaus 7 (12b, 1?4)
India will now have to win this game playing normal cricket. That?s never easy. Sehwag cut that really hard, it was travelling at the rate of knots and Hussey timed his jump at gully perfectly to take a brilliant catch. Come again, is Hussey really 37? But this is the big wicket and Australia have got it before he did any real damage. India need another 275 to win.

0637 IST: India 14-0 after 5 overs
V Sehwag 6 (9), G Gambhir 3 (21)
One streaky four for Sehwag but other than that little happening. Gambhir has fished outside the off-stump once too many times though. But he has also had the majority of the strike. It keeps Sehwag safe for now. Aussies have bowled well but when Sehwag falls, that?s when the real match will begin. On twitter, @rajeshstats gives us hope: Ind have successfully chased 200-plus in the 4th innings 5 times since 2008, more than any other side

0610 IST: Australia 240 all out after 76.3 overs
B Hilfenhaus c Laxman b Sharma 14 (29b, 2?4)
And that?s it. India finally get the last wicket. It took India 74 minutes to go through the last two Aussie wickets. Ishant?s length did the trick, Hilfie went for the drive, edged it to Laxman, who made it lose easy. But Australia have managed to push the lead to 291 runs ? with the last pair adding 43 runs. Pattinson scored 37, his highest first-class score. This will be anything but easy. Sehwag, Dravid, Tendulkar, Laxman, Gambhir ? each wicket will be key. Keep the fingers crossed.

0608 IST: Australia 239-9 after 76 overs
Pattinson 36 (80), Hilfenhaus 14 (27)
With India, there are no knockout punches. We hammer them in the first few rounds and then expect to win with jabs! But then the opponent gets a second wind and the tail wags. The 10th wicket has already put on 42 runs in 9.1 overs. Zaheer?s drop is hurting India now. The lead for Australia is now 290 runs. And Chappell in commentary goes: ?This is an absolute blueprint of how to lose a Test match.? Somehow, inclined to agree. Dhoni?s field settings are absolutely mental.

0546 IST: Australia 214-9 after 71 overs
Pattinson 25 (68), Hilfenhaus 1 (8)
Once again, India?s fielding comes into question. Zaheer dropped Pattinson on 15 ? he came in from the boundary? did all the hard yards, got both hands to it but the impact of hitting the ground saw the ball spill out. If India had taken their chances in this innings, they would have been on top. Remember even Hussey was dropped by Dravid at first slip yesterday. Australia are ahead by 265 runs.

India's Khan celebrates taking the wicket of Australia's Hussey during the first cricket test match in Melbourne. Reuters

0525 IST: Australia 197-9 after 66.5 overs
MEK Hussey c Dhoni b Khan 89 (151b, 9?4)
India have made the first breakthrough of the morning. Superb ball from Zaheer, in the perfect channel outside the offstump, Hussey pushed at it, got the edge and Dhoni did the rest. Big, big wicket for India, because it means the visitors have a good chance of restricting the lead to less than 300. As things stand,
Australia lead by 248 runs with 1 wicket remaining.
On twitter, @the_topspin: Great stuff from Zaheer. You do wonder how the series in England might have panned out had he been fit?

0515 IST: Australia 187-8 after 65 overs
M Hussey 80 (142), Pattinson 9 (48)
This promises to be quite the day for Test cricket but India haven?t got off to the best start? singles are still on offer and the field is still a little spread out. Virender Sehwag would have us believe that 300 is gettable but after 1960, no one has successfully chased more than 200 at this ground. That however is history and India will be hoping for a better future.

Hussey has continued to stand firm. Getty Images

Day 3
At close of play: Australia 179-8 after 60 overs
M Hussey 79 (134), Pattinson 3 (26)
That?s close of play. What a day of Test cricket. This is probably as good as it gets. India started the day comfortably in charge, lost 7 for 68 in the morning session, then Australia lost four wickets in a hurry before Hussey and Ponting fought back. Zaheer got into the act after that to bring India back into the match and we are still not done. 89.1 overs, 247 runs, 15 wickets ? that?s the sum total for the day. Australia are ahead by 230 runs. Numbers to remember: Highest total ever successfully chased at MCG is 332 in 1928-29. Highest total ever is 417 by England in 1977 but they lost the match. In recent years, Pakistan scored 336 in 1990 but they too lost the match.
On twitter, @sidvee says it best: Have more such days of Test cricket and you?ll have people flocking to it like junkies to pot. Magic, magic?
India 282 all out after 94.1 overs

Day 2
At close of play: India 214-3 after 65 overs
Australia: 333 all out after 110 overs

Day 1
Australia 277-6 after 89 overs

Source: http://www.firstpost.com/sports/live-updates-pattinson-hussey-hold-firm-aus-187-8-167820.html

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You might want to look away if you just purchased a Honeycomb tablet for Christmas: 1saleaday.com has the 32GB Toshiba Thrive on sale today for a mere $299.99, a full $180 cheaper than the list price you'll find at Best Buy, Amazon, and other retailers. The 10-inch, Tegra 2-powered tablet is no slouch, as we discovered in our review back in August, and while it may not be the prettiest Android tablet out there today, it's hard to pass up for a mere three Benjamins. Hit the source link before midnight tonight to grab one and if anybody sees Santa, break the news gently.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/mlYvulqXZ7E/story01.htm

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We love jokes, but who still reads jokes? A joke isn't a joke until it's told, which is why we started Comic Wonder, a competitive arena for joke-tellers - the first forum where people can perform, rate and share audio jokes. Our mission is to scour the earth looking for the best joke-teller in the world and declare that person the Comic Wonder of the Year!

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DES MOINES, Iowa ? No more Mr. Nice Guy. Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich lambasted two of his top GOP rivals on Tuesday, despite his claim that he's sticking to a positive campaign.

Gingrich said he couldn't vote for Ron Paul if he were to become the GOP nominee and called the Texas congressman's views "totally outside the mainstream of every decent American."

In the same interview on CNN, Gingrich also offered a testy rebuke to Mitt Romney, saying that if Romney wants to run a negative campaign attacking Gingrich he should at least be "man enough to own it."

The sharp comments come as the former House speaker has seen his support slip in Iowa amid a barrage of attack ads that have cast him as an ethically challenged Washington insider.

Scrambling to regain momentum, Gingrich and a political action committee supporting him each took the wraps off television spots that will run statewide in Iowa.

The PAC Winning the Future is composed of former Gingrich staffers. The ad, its first, includes a broadside at Romney, although the former Massachusetts governor is never named.

"The Republican establishment wants to pick our candidate," the ad says. "When a principled conservative took the lead, they outspent Newt Gingrich 20 to 1, attacking him with falsehoods. ... Don't let the liberal Republican establishment pick our candidate."

Gingrich has said he will disavow any independent political action committee that spends money on negative ads. His own spot, funded by his campaign coffers, focuses on jobs and economic growth.

The former Georgia congressman launched a 22-stop "Jobs and Prosperity" bus tour, which kicked off Tuesday in Dubuque, in the northeast corner of Iowa. But he found himself on the defensive again on health care as a new memo surfaces that showed he had once praised the law enacted in Massachusetts when Romney was governor.

In an April 2006 memo from Gingrich's Atlanta-based Center for Health Transformation, he called it "the most exciting development of the past few weeks." He also said the law had "tremendous potential to effect major change in the American health system."

The memo also noted shortcomings in the Massachusetts law. Gingrich said the state's many regulations prohibited insurers from offering cheaper plans that would make coverage affordable. But he went on to note that that "we agree entirely with Gov. Romney and Massachusetts legislators that our goal should be 100 percent insurance coverage for all Americans."

Gingrich and others have argued that the Massachusetts law, widely seen as the model for President Barack Obama's national health overhaul, undercuts Romney's conservative credentials. Gingrich also has faced questions about his past support for an individual health care mandate, anathema to conservatives.

A Gingrich spokesman said Gingrich's comments are "old news that has been covered already."

"Newt previously supported a mandate for health insurance and changed his mind after seeing its effects," said the spokesman, R.C. Hammond. "The real question is why `Mitt the Massachusetts Moderate' won't admit that health insurance mandates don't work."

The Gingrich memo was first reported Tuesday by The Wall Street Journal.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111228/ap_on_el_pr/us_gingrich

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NEWTON, Iowa ? Republican presidential contender Ron Paul is back in Iowa, running strongly in the polls and questioning why U.S. troops are in Korea and other parts of the world.

In an appearance Wednesday in Newton, Paul strongly suggested U.S. forces be withdrawn from South Korea, Japan and Germany, and made the audience laugh when he questioned President Barack Obama's decision to send Marines to Australia.

The 76-year-old Paul said American troops have been in Korea since he was in high school. He omitted any mention of the death of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Il and the uncertainty it's causing in Asia.

Obama's recent announcement that some Marines will be stationed in Australia was seen as a signal to China that the U.S. intends to maintain a presence in the Pacific.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111228/ap_on_el_pr/us_ron_paul

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Over the past several years, the world has changed in significant ways.

Unlike past decades, individuals are now easily able to connect with celebrities and athletes all across the globe.

A major reason for this growth lies solely in the hands of social media, which includes Twitter and of course Facebook.

In the mix of it all is the sport of mixed martial arts, which is home to some of the greatest entertainment and excitement known to mankind.

Through social media, many of these fighters have reached out and connected with fans and viewers in all parts of the world.

The following slides display 10 fighters or their fan pages that you must follow on Facebook.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/997728-anderson-silva-brock-lesnar-and-10-fighters-that-you-need-to-follow-on-facebook

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Published: December 26, 2011

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By Shafi'i Mohyaddin Abokar

The Somali Football Federation has vehemently lauded for the job being done by the coach of Somali team in Australia Abdul Haq Mohamed Ahmed whose team promoted to the 1st division in the Western Australia soccer championship this year.

In a press statement issued here in Mogadishu on Monday afternoon, Somali Football Federation president said Mahmoud Nur said that the outsider coach is spending most of his time and energy in producing professional players who are expected to represent Somalia in future international competitions.

"Abdul Haq is a veteran Somali coach who achieved a great victory in Western Australia football in less than four years-he is doing a good job for the entire Somali Football Family and we are very confident that he will come with a talented national team squad in the years to come" president Said Mahmoud Nur said in his statement.

The Somali Football Federation president Said Mahmoud Nur requested the Football Federation Australia Limited and the entire Australian people to give all possible assistances to the Somali coach Abdul Haq Mohamed Ahmed and his expatriate team who are flag carriers despite being refugees.

Late in 2009 the Somali community soccer coach was recognized as the best in the Perth world soccer cup an interesting event which has been held for foreign community football teams in Western Australia since 1977.

Once again the Somali coach was awarded as the 2011 best football coach in Western Australia soccer championship after his team won the second division tournament and promoted to the 1st division. This was the first time in history that a Somali team promotes to the first division championship in Western Australia.

Shafi'i Mohyaddin Abokar is the NewsBlaze Somalia reporter. Contact him through NewsBlaze.

?

Source: http://newsblaze.com/story/20111226095347shaf.nb/topstory.html

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TOKYO/SEOUL: Sony Corp has agreed to end its LCD joint venture with Samsung Electronics and will sell its stake to the South Korean company, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday.

The decision comes after Sony in November warned of a fourth straight year of losses, with its television unit alone set to lose $2.2 billion on tumbling demand and a surging yen.

?

The Japanese TV maker at that time said it would revamp LCD panel procurement, but declined to comment on reports that it would end the panel joint venture with Samsung.

?

A Samsung spokesman said on Monday the two companies would make an announcement regarding the joint venture at O630 GMT, without elaborating.

?

Sony holds a nearly 50 percent stake in liquid-crystal display (LCD) joint venture S-LCD, which was established in April 2004 to secure stable supplies of the component.

?

Shares in Sony were up 1.75 percent and Samsung Electronics shares traded flat as of 0535 GMT.

?

Global TV manufacturers are restructuring their businesses and outsourcing production as cutthroat competition and weak demand squeeze margins.

?

Samsung is the world's No. 1 TV maker, while Sony vies for the No.2 title with South Korea's LG Electronics Inc.

Source: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Technology/International/2011/Dec-26/157915-sony-agrees-to-end-lcd-venture-with-samsung-source.ashx

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edwardsivey77 · ScienceDaily (Dec. 21, 2011)

ScienceDaily (Dec. 21, 2011) ? An international study of holiday shopping and religion finds that dominant religious groups are more likely to experience "consumption mass hysteria" while shoppers in minority religions may view malls and stores much differently: as central meeting places that "can play an active role in the creation of a sacred event."

The study, co-authored by Temple University Fox School of Business marketing professor Ayalla Ruvio, found that holiday consumption in dominant religious settings -- such as Christians in the U.S. or Jews in Israel -- can lead to greater frenzy and a "social tidal wave" that pushes people to excess during the holidays.

The researchers also found that consumers in minority or immigrant religions tend to seek the company of those who share their beliefs during holidays. For some, shopping outlets aren't shrines to spending. Instead, they can offer a gathering place for a "critical mass" in a religion to interact and temporarily overcome their minority religious status -- creating a type of "marketplace sacralization."

"In effect, the marketplace, though normally viewed as profane and commercial, can, through the collective actions of religious devotees, be transformed into ? a place of worship and fellowship," the authors wrote.

The researchers conducted 41 in-depth, in-home interviews with Muslims, Jews and Christians in the United States, Israel and Tunisia to examine consumers' behavior when their given religion represents either a majority, minority or immigrant faith. For example, Christians are a religious majority in the U.S., a minority in Israel, and an immigrant religion in Tunisia.

Some minority-religion consumers said they found comfort in marketplaces, or products, shared by those with similar beliefs. In one interview, a member of the Tunisian Jewish community used the animated Prince of Egypt movie to assist in his family's Passover observance. "Rather than the sacred being invaded by the secular, the sacred comes to inhabit the secular," the authors found.

In countries where a religious group was in the majority, the researchers found that the dominant religion experienced "consumption mass hysteria," which led to consequences of debt, drunkenness and overeating. Dominant religions also tend to view religious holidays as a time of national or ethnic glory and "perfection," while minority and immigrant religions report a stronger desire to preserve their traditions and customs, meaning these groups may be more orthodox in their observances.

Despite the many differences, the study found that, in every context and across the religious groups, participants emphasized charity and expressed the spiritual importance of helping others during the central holy days of Christmas, Ramadan and Passover.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Temple University, via Newswise.

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

Journal Reference:

Elizabeth C. Hirschman, Ayalla A. Ruvio, Mourad Touzani. Breaking bread with Abraham?s children: Christians, Jews and Muslims? holiday consumption in dominant, minority and diasporic communities. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 2010; 39 (3): 429 DOI: 10.1007/s11747-010-0209-2

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111221151718.htm

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Deepika Padukone Already Has Her New Year?s Resolution!:
Deepika Padukone is ready to greet the New Year with a brand new resolution. That?s right folks; even the big celebrities have some unfulfilled wishes!
Insiders reveal, ?The actress was recently heard saying she wants to get better at snorkeling and might be soon taking classes. Deepika loves the water and her New Year resolution is to get better at underwater swimming.?
We wonder if this is Deepika?s personal resolution or something for an upcoming film, as her contemporary, Katrina Kaif is also trying to brush up on her underwater skills for ?Dhoom 3.?

*
We say sun, sea and sand have become the new trend in Bollywood and an excuse to sport that one piece suit. We know the Bollywood producers won?t be complaining!
Do you share the same New Year?s resolution as Deepika?
By Neha Bhatt

Source: http://123tamilforum.com/showthread.php?t=551786&goto=newpost

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Southwest, JetBlue and United in top 10 most followed airlines on Facebook

Image via edreams.es

Dec 22, 2011

BARCELONA, Spain - Online travel agency eDreams launched a new page on their travel blog today, a list of the world's 50 most popular airlines on Facebook: http://blog.edreams.es/facebook-airlines

The daily self-updating chart [http://blog.edreams.com/facebook-airlines ] counts the total number of likes on the airlines' Facebook Pages and displays them in decreasing order on the page. The chart links each Airline to their corresponding Facebook Page. By liking or unliking, users can visualise their impact on the ranking of their favourite airlines.

At the time of writing this press release, the top five most "liked" airlines on Facebook were: Southwest Airlines (LUV), with 1.740.155 likes, followed by Air Asia (AIABF) with 1.318.339 likes and KLM (AFRAF) with 631.795 likes. The third and fourth ranking airlines are Air France (AFLYY) and Lufthansa (DLAKF).

See the ranking at: http://blog.edreams.com/facebook-airlines

The country with the most representatives in the chart is USA, with three airlines in the top 10 most popular airlines on Facebook (Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways and United) and nine representatives in the top 50.

38% of the airlines that are listed in the above mentioned top 50 are European, followed by Asian (24%) and North American (20%) companies.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Eturbonews-TravelAndTourismIndustryNews/~3/l9uYezvDi-I/southwest-jetblue-and-united-top-10-most-followed-airlines-faceb

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Woo, boy. The CEA's none too happy about this, we're sure. Microsoft has just announced that its final CES keynote will happen in 2012. After that?

"We'll continue to participate in CES as a great place to connect with partners and customers across the PC, phone and entertainment industries, but we won't have a keynote or booth after this year because our product news milestones generally don't align with the show's January timing."

That's according to Frank X. Shaw, VP of Corporate Communications at Microsoft, who goes on to say that this industry is moving fast and changing even faster, and in an effort to attack the needs and demands of consumers in a hastier fashion, it simply cannot be held to a yearly schedule where one major show dictates the timing of a given release. It's important to note that Microsoft isn't pulling out of CES entirely -- you'll still find plenty of staffers roaming the show floor and cutting deals in the backrooms of Vegas-area hotels, but it won't be investing in a huge booth prescence after January. It doesn't take a historian to see the trend here. If you'll recall, Apple decided to pretty much do the exact same thing when it pulled out of its yearly MacWorld keynote schedule back in 2008. The company simply felt that it would have more control over its own releases if a certain day on a certain entity's calendar wasn't pulling the strings, and we honestly believe that Microsoft is just the next of many to feel similarly.

While CES is a fantastic event for launching products and drawing eyes, the timing has always struck us as horrific. We were pleased as punch when the CEA pushed the entire thing up a week starting in 2012, but it's still a bizarre window. For one, it immediately follows two major holidays, and furthermore, it's just two weeks after the year's busiest shopping season -- you know, a season where launching new products a few months before would make a lot more sense. We've definitely noticed some level of splintering over the years when it comes to trade shows, and as consumer demands become more and more unshakable, we get the feeling that being nailed to a January launch schedule will grow ever more uncomfortable. Time will tell, eh?

Update: We've just learned of Microsoft's plans for its 2012 keynote; seemingly, it'll be going out sans bang. Ballmer will be focusing on Windows Phone and the Xbox / entertainment story, while also sharing "momentum" for the company as a whole. Nothing major, though. Drat!

Microsoft's final CES keynote will be in 2012, bad timing to blame originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/21/microsofts-final-ces-keynote-will-be-in-2012-bad-timing-to-bla/

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LONDON (Reuters) ? Iran has executed more people for drug-related crimes in 2011 than in the previous two years combined, in "a killing spree of staggering proportions," Amnesty International said Thursday.

Iran has the world's highest per capita execution rate, rights group said. For drug related offences alone, it put 488 people to death in 2011, from 172 executions recorded last year and 166 in 2009, Amnesty said.

"To try to contain their immense drug problem, the Iranian authorities have carried out a killing spree of staggering proportions, when there is no evidence that execution prevents drug smuggling any more effectively than imprisonment," said Ann Harrison, a senior Amnesty official for the Middle East and North Africa.

Iran has the fourth highest rate of drug-related deaths in the world, at 91 per million people aged 15-64, and is a major international transit route for drug smuggling, Amnesty said. Much of the narcotics come from neighboring Afghanistan.

"Ultimately Iran must abolish the death penalty for all crimes, but stopping the practice of executing drug offenders ... would as a first step cut the overall number significantly," Harrison said in the report.

In the latest case of mass executions for drugs-related offences, Tehran hanged 11 convicted drug traffickers, state television reported just three weeks ago.

In recent years, Iran has received international assistance, including from several European countries and the United Nations to help stem the flow of drugs across its borders.

(Reporting by Philip Baillie; Editing by Alessandra Rizzo.)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iran/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111215/wl_nm/us_iran_drugs_amnesty

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Le_Louvre

As reported earlier by the?Agence France-Presse news agency, the most popular museum in the world is teaming up with Nintendo to bring 3DS handheld gaming devices to patrons of the Louvre. Nintendo is supplying the museum with 5,000 3DS devices in order to replace?traditional audio-guides by March 2012. While the Paris museum has about 8.5 million annual visitors come through the doors, only four percent utilize the current audio hardware offered by the museum for tours at a cost of approximately six euros ($7.81). The?museum?s head of multimedia believes that the majority of people will be?happier using a touch screen rather than figure out how to work the audio guide.?

3ds-louvre While visitors that rent the Nintendo 3DS will likely pay a higher fee for the device, users will be able to see a visual representation of their location within the Louvre and choose from several?themed itineraries, some of which have been targeted at children. The museum also plans to include?hundreds of audio commentaries about the exhibits and record the audio selections in seven different languages. The video screens will likely be used to show current and upcoming exhibits in addition to recorded presentations. While Nintendo is developing all the content for the supplied 3DS devices, the?Louvre has final editorial control on the application.

The Louvre also has smartphone and iPad applications available to download and use during a tour of the Louvre. The application allows museum visitors to share exhibits they are currently viewing on Facebook as well as read more in-depth information about each piece. While the iPhone version of the application is currently free, the iPad version comes with more high resolution photos and is a premium app purchase. Both versions of the application require at least 800MB and users are encouraged to download the application before visiting the museum.

This article was originally posted on Digital Trends

More from Digital Trends

Android and iOS eroding Nintendo?s portable gaming empire

Nintendo officially unveils 3DS, available March 27 for $250

Best Nintendo 3DS games of 2011

Nintendo releases early 2012 software lineup for 3DS and Wii

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personaltech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/digitaltrends/20111216/tc_digitaltrends/nintendoandthelouvrepartnerfor3dsenhancedtours

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Sara Leal has a message for all those wannabe mistresses out there: It's just not worth it. No matter how hot the married man is.

This 23-year old rose to infamy, of course, by sleeping with Ashton Kutcher in San Diego a few months ago, a transgression that gave her a lot of press and led to the actor's divorce from Demi Moore.

"It was insane. I had no idea what I was getting myself into," Leal now tells Fox News, via The Daily Mirror, of the one-night stand, adding that she lost her job and her family didn't talk to her for weeks as a result of the fling.

Kutcher allegedly told Leal and her pals on the night in question that he was mostly single, a status this blonde never questioned.

"I don’t watch television and I read very few magazines. It never crossed my mind that he was married," she says. "But then he said he was separated, which still doesn’t make things okay, but I wasn’t thinking clearly."

Sara admits the sex-capade was "stupid," but asks: would other women in her position really do things differently?

We'll never know, but Leal says the worst part of the ordeal took place when friends sold photos of her partying in Las Vegas to the tabloids. They don't represent who she is, the trained yoga instructor says.

"Those made me look bad and everyone who knows me on a personal basis knows I am not a crazy slut party girl."

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/12/sara-leal-ashton-kutcher-affair-ruined-my-life/

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The Duggar Family, grieving from the loss of what would've been their 20th child, not only named the miscarried baby (a girl, Jubilee), they held a memorial service for her and took photos of the corpse, one of which made it onto Twitter.

It's unclear which family member or friend posted it online, but the Duggars weren't trying to keep it private. An artistic picture of the fetus, due in April, was distributed it at the memorial Wednesday. We have not posted it here for obvious reasons.

Michelle Duggar, who has given birth 19 times, and suffered severe medical issues with her youngest, Josie-Brooklyn (now 2), announced the miscarriage last week.

Because it was during the second trimester, the little girl's body was partially formed, and therefore had to be delivered, allowing the family to take photos afterward.

Alongside the image of the fetus, the Duggar family wrote the following message: "There is no foot too small that it cannot leave an imprint on this world."

Say what you will about them, the family marches to the beat of their own drum.

What do you think of the Duggars' way of honoring their unborn baby?

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/12/duggar-family-tweets-pic-of-miscarried-fetus/

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NEW YORK (Reuters) ? Sergio Marchionne is gearing up for a big year for his combination of Fiat SpA and Chrysler Group, but instead of next year it will be 2013.

That's when the CEO of both companies will bring Alfa Romeo back to the United States, launch a slew of new Chrysler products and will have a chance of fully combining Fiat and Chrysler into one company. "The big year for us, for a variety of reasons, is 2013," Marchionne said in an interview with Reuters Insider television.

Fiat now owns more than 50 percent of Chrysler, with the rest owned by the retiree healthcare trust affiliated with the United Auto Workers union. It is possible that Chrysler will have an initial public stock offering in 2013, Marchionne said, as the UAW seeks to cash out or reduce its shareholdings.

In a wide-ranging interview, Marchionne said he is "guardedly optimistic" that European leaders will make enough progress on the euro to bolster confidence in the currency's future. "In the next 30 to 60 days, we should see the euro reacquiring credibility, (and) support in the international financial markets to move forward," Marchionne said. European leaders are meeting this week to discuss steps to resolve the crisis.

Italy, where Fiat has five money-losing plants, has become the "eye of the storm," but Marchionne said austerity measures introduced by new Prime Minister Mario Monti are positive steps. Meanwhile, Marchionne acknowledged, Fiat is waiting for more clarity on Europe's currency crisis before pursuing further vehicle investment plans in the euro zone.

"These uncertainties have slowed down some of the processes that Fiat normally would have executed much faster for investments and for expansion activities in the euro zone," Marchionne said.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Reuters Insider interview with Marchionne: http://link.reuters.com/bas45s

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Chrysler has become Fiat's chief source of strength this year, comprising two-thirds of Fiat's third-quarter profit. It's an ironic and dramatic turnabout from two years ago, when Chrysler declared bankruptcy and the United States government delivered the company into the hands of Fiat as the only alternative to an outright liquidation.

Since then, however, Chrysler has regained profitability and shared strongly in the rebound of the U.S. auto industry. Fiat, however, has been hampered by both the euro crisis and by rigid Italian labor laws that impede the sort of restructuring that has spurred Chrysler's revival.

CHRYSLER TO THE RESCUE

Marchionne said Chrysler's performance should "exceed" Fiat's this year, helped by the rebound in U.S. auto sales, which in November hit their best level in more than two years. Chrysler's U.S. auto sales have leaped 25 percent so far this year, more than double the overall market's 10.4 percent increase. Jeep is sparking Chrysler's market-share gains in the United States.

Next year, Chrysler is launching the Dodge Dart, a compact car built on a Fiat platform that will compete with the Toyota Motor Co Corolla and Honda Motor Co's Civic. The compact-car segment is a bread-and-butter category where Chrysler has been weak for years, but Marchionne said Chrysler is building "a lot of aspirations" into the new Dart -- a name revived from its heyday in the 1960s and early 1970s.

But "the most substantial portion of the product portfolio renewal will happen in 2013," Marchionne said. That year will bring several revamped Jeep models, including the possible revival of the long-dead Jeep Grand Wagoneer nameplate.

The company's plan to relaunch the Alfa Romeo brand in the United States will attempt to build on the re-entry of the Fiat brand this year with an urban mini-car, the Fiat 500.

The American launch of the 500 has not gone well. Chrysler has sold less than 18,000 500s this year, woefully short of the 50,000 sales target. "To be perfectly blunt, the launch was poorly executed because we had a car way earlier than distribution was available," Marchionne said. "We launched too early. It would have been a better launch in January 2012 than in January 2011."

(Reporting by Deepa Seetharaman and Paul Ingrassia in New York, editing by Matthew Lewis)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111206/bs_nm/us_chrysler_ceo

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PORTLAND, Maine (AP) ? A man who accused former Syracuse University assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine of molesting him admitted Monday that he sexually abused a boy in Maine.

Zach Tomaselli, of Lewiston, told The Associated Press that he sexually abused the boy when the victim was 13 and 14 years old. Tomaselli said he knew the boy and worked as a counselor at a camp the boy attended.

Now that he's getting counseling, Tomaselli said he understands that he was subconsciously grooming the boy for a relationship, as is often the case with pedophiles. He said he's glad that he was caught before the abuse became worse, so that he can get help.

Tomaselli, 23, became the third man to level sexual abuse allegations against Fine when he told police in Syracuse that Fine first molested him in a Pittsburgh hotel room in 2002. He said Fine ? who has denied any wrongdoing but was fired by the university ? showed him porn, fondled him and watched him shower naked.

"The only thing that transpired was the same stuff that happened to me," Tomaselli said of his relationship with the teenage boy in Maine. "This kid has been through a lot because of the way I controlled him and abused him."

Tomaselli has pleaded not guilty to 11 charges including gross sexual assault, tampering with a victim and unlawful sexual contact.

But he said he anticipates that he'll plead guilty in Superior Court and that a plea bargain is in the works. The plea bargain calls for him to serve three years, or perhaps less, in prison and to register as a sex offender for life, he said.

"I don't really see any other way at this point," he said.

Tomaselli's lawyer went to court last week seeking to suppress his confession to police. Defense lawyer Justin Leary said the confession was coerced by a detective after a lengthy interview, and the judge hadn't ruled on the motion as of Monday.

On Monday, Tomaselli said he was "sick of hiding behind my attorney."

Leary declined comment Monday evening on his client's comments to the AP.

Tomaselli also has said that he was abused by his father, Fred Tomaselli, and that he went to police about it in June in upstate New York. No charges were filed, and Fred Tomaselli said the allegations were "totally unfounded."

On Monday, Zach Tomaselli said he's taking responsibility and doesn't want to blame Fine or his father for his actions in Lewiston, where he lives with his grandmother.

Tomaselli said he and the victim disagree on some details but most of the accusations were true. He said he fondled the boy once when the boy was 13 and a couple more times when he was 14.

"Pretty much everything he said is absolutely right," Tomaselli said.

Tomaselli said the relationship was consensual and there were no threats.

He acknowledged, however, that he created a fake Facebook account to manipulate the victim and that he even allowed the victim to believe the Facebook friend died of cancer. He said his judgment was hampered by a powerful narcotic, Oxycodone, which he said he was taking for severe headaches.

"It's unreal the stuff I did," Tomaselli said. "I'm going to get better from this. I'm going to get counseling."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2011-12-05-Syracuse-Fine%20Investigation-Maine/id-55c5461ddfe54128b6e21d8a4251a433

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MONDAY, Dec. 5 (HealthDay News) -- A man's fitness level may be more important for his overall health than his body weight, a novel finding that runs counter to conventional wisdom.

A new study appearing online Dec. 5 in the journal Circulation finds that improving or even just maintaining your fitness level can help you live longer, regardless of whether your body weight has stayed the same or even gone up.

"We all tend to assume that it's weight loss and obesity and seeing a change in pounds that is having the true effect on overall cardiovascular disease and, ultimately, mortality," said Dr. Tara Narula, a cardiologist with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "For these researchers to draw the conclusion that really it's fitness that may have more of an impact than seeing actual changes in pounds, that's big news."

Narula was not involved with the study, which was funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Coca-Cola Co.

Given that two-thirds of the U.S. population are overweight or obese, the observation could change the way millions approach health.

"It means that we can tell people to continue to exercise even if they're not seeing changes overtly physically," Narula continued. "It can be disheartening for people exercising and dieting to not see results. Being able to say its effects are going on at a level that you may not visibly see may translate into long-term outcomes; that's a powerful message."

So, to live longer you need to exercise more even if you're not shedding pounds.

These researchers looked at cardiorespiratory fitness as measured by metabolic equivalents (METs), an indication of how often a person engages in aerobic exercise and how fit they are.

The METs were measured from a treadmill test.

The study followed more than 14,000 well-off, middle-aged men for 11 years, finding that those who maintained their fitness levels reduced their odds of dying from cardiovascular disease or any other causes by about 30 percent even if they failed to lose any excess weight.

Those who improved their fitness levels over the decade or so of the trial slashed their odds by about 40 percent.

But men whose fitness declined over this time had a higher risk of dying. And body-mass index (BMI) -- a measurement that takes weight and height into account -- was not associated with mortality.

Fitness, in turn, was highly correlated with how much a man exercised.

"Maintaining or improving fitness was significantly associated with a lower risk of mortality, and the man who lost fitness had a higher risk of mortality regardless of changes in body-mass index," said study author Duck-chul Lee, a physical activity epidemiologist with the department of exercise science at the University of South Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health in Columbia. "People need to [think] more about their fitness, and not just their fitness but trying to improve or maintain their fitness rather than focusing too much on weight loss or worrying too much about weight gain."

There were some limitations to the study. For one thing, BMI is not necessarily the best measure to use as it doesn't take into account body composition, cautioned Dr. Jonathan Whiteson, medical director of the Cardiac and Pulmonary Wellness and Rehabilitation Program at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City.

Lee, however, noted that the group had similar results when they measured body fat in a subsample of men. In other words, fit men lived longer even if their body fat hadn't changed.

It's also not clear if the results can be extrapolated to minorities or other populations or to obese people, given that virtually all participants in the trial were normal weight or overweight.

But, said Whiteson, "The key fact here is that aerobic exercise reduces your risk factors for cardiovascular events. . . These were pretty impressive numbers."

"I don't think the fact that Coca-Cola funded this should be an issue," Narula said. "It's a well-conducted study that tried to remove any variables. I don't think that having Coca-Cola as a sponsor should in any way alter how we interpret the results."

More information

The U.S. President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition has more on physical fitness.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/weightloss/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20111206/hl_hsn/fitnessmaylowerdeathriskevenwithoutweightloss

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Lisandra Sanatis looks at her twin daughter, Teresa Tapia, as daughter Maria Tapia looks on Children?s Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va., Thursday Dec. 1, 2011. The conjoined twins were separated during an operation at the hospital Nov. 8, 2011. The twins are expected to be released from the hospital Friday and are expected to go back home to the Dominican Republic before Christmas. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Maria Tapia, and TeresaTapia play in a playroom at Children?s Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va., Thursday Dec. 1, 2011. The conjoined twins were separated during an operation at the hospital Nov. 8, 2011. The twins are expected to be released from the hospital Friday and are expected to go back home to the Dominican Republic before Christmas. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Lisandra Sanatis holds her daughter, Teresa Tapia, in their room at Children?s Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va., Thursday Dec. 1, 2011. Sanatis' conjoined twin daughters were separated during an operation at the hospital Nov. 8, 2011. The twins are expected to be released from the hospital Friday and are expected to go back home to the Dominican Republic before Christmas. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Maria Tapia, and TeresaTapia play in a playroom at Children?s Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va., Thursday Dec. 1, 2011. The conjoined twins were separated during an operation at the hospital Nov. 8, 2011. The twins are expected to be released from the hospital Friday and are expected to go back home to the Dominican Republic before Christmas. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

RICHMOND, Virginia (AP) ? Two formerly conjoined toddlers from the Dominican Republic have left a Richmond hospital after recovering from separation surgery, and doctors predict they'll be ready to go home by Christmas.

Maria and Teresa Tapia left Children's Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University on Friday. At a news conference before their departure, the girls clapped and waved and one kissed the lead doctor on their surgical team, Dr. David Lanning.

"I thank God and everyone who made this possible," the girls' mother, Lisandra Sanatis, said through a translator.

The 20-month-old twins were attached at the lower chest and underwent complicated, nearly daylong surgery on Nov. 7. In a series of procedures, the surgical team divided the twins' liver, pancreas and other shared organ systems and reconstructed their abdominal walls.

While they're getting accustomed to exploring their surroundings separately, they still stay near each other and hold hands when they walk.

Lanning said Friday that both children have been recovering well, and doctors don't expect them to require any long-term medical treatment, except possible minor surgery to construct belly buttons.

"Overall, I don't think we could have asked for a better outcome," he said at Friday's news conference.

They'll lead healthy, long lives, with the ability to "be together but make independent decisions."

Maria, the smaller of the two, weighs about 19 pounds, and Teresa weighs about 26 pounds. Lanning expects the disparity in their weight, caused by the configuration of their small intestines and blood flow from the liver, to gradually even out.

Maria's pancreas is slow to produce digestive enzymes, but she is taking replacement enzymes, and doctors are monitoring her colon function. Teresa is undergoing treatment on the incision where the girls were separated, Lanning said.

Doctors, nurses, volunteers and others who cared for them gave the girls and their mother and aunt a warm send-off from the hospital Friday afternoon. Lanning pushed a new double stroller to the van that took the family to a nearby residence for patients and their families.

The girls will stay in Richmond for follow-up medical visits and outpatient therapy to continue working on walking and other motor skills now that they're no longer attached. Lanning said they're on track to return to their native country by Christmas.

After being in Richmond for several months now, Sanatis said she and her daughters have grown fond of everyone they've met. But they're more than ready to go home and reunite with the twins' father and three other siblings.

The twins have become celebrities in the Dominican Republic, with supporters including the country's first lady, Margarita Cedeno de Fernandez, who visited Richmond on the day of the surgery.

The World Pediatric Project, a nonprofit surgical-care provider for children in Central America and the Caribbean, sponsored the toddlers' medical care, along with the family's stay in the United States. Lanning has been a surgical volunteer with the group for several years.

About a half-dozen separation surgeries are done in the U.S. annually, and maybe double that number worldwide.

Conjoined twins account for between 1 in 50,000 and 1 in 100,000 live births worldwide. The condition is three times more likely to occur among females than males. A third of conjoined twins are attached at the lower chest, as in the case of the Tapia twins.

___

Online:

Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU: http://www.childrenshosp-richmond.org/CMS/index.php

World Pediatric Project: http://www.worldpediatricproject.org/

___

Zinie Chen Sampson can be reached on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/zinie

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2011-12-02-Conjoined%20Twins/id-e6a2ef87296e434aa80102e846fdb05c

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