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In this Friday February 8, 2013, photo, a Free Syrian Army fighters patrols close to the front lines near a main highway in Aleppo, Syria. Syrian rebels brought their fight within a mile of the heart of Damascus on Friday, seizing army checkpoints and cutting a key highway with a row of burning tires as they pressed their campaign for the heavily guarded capital, considered the likely endgame in the nearly 2-year-old civil war. (AP Photo/Abdullah al-Yassin)

In this Friday February 8, 2013, photo, Free Syrian Army fighters sit behind their anti-aircraft weapon in Aleppo, Syria. Syrian rebels brought their fight within a mile of the heart of Damascus on Friday, seizing army checkpoints and cutting a key highway with a row of burning tires as they pressed their campaign for the heavily guarded capital, considered the likely endgame in the nearly 2-year-old civil war. (AP Photo/Abdullah al-Yassin)

In this Friday February 8, 2013 photo, a Free Syrian Army fighter sits behind his antiaircraft machine gun in Aleppo, Syria. Syrian rebels brought their fight within a mile of the heart of Damascus on Friday, seizing army checkpoints and cutting a key highway with a row of burning tires as they pressed their campaign for the heavily guarded capital, considered the likely endgame in the nearly 2-year-old civil war. (AP Photo/Abdullah al-Yassin)

In this Friday February 8, 2013 photo, a Free Syrian Army fighter walks past destroyed shops in Aleppo, Syria. Syrian rebels brought their fight within a mile of the heart of Damascus on Friday, seizing army checkpoints and cutting a key highway with a row of burning tires as they pressed their campaign for the heavily guarded capital, considered the likely endgame in the nearly 2-year-old civil war. (AP Photo/Abdullah al-Yassin)

In this Friday February 8, 2013 photo, a Free Syrian Army fighter sits behind his antiaircraft machine gun in Aleppo, Syria. Syrian rebels brought their fight within a mile of the heart of Damascus on Friday, seizing army checkpoints and cutting a key highway with a row of burning tires as they pressed their campaign for the heavily guarded capital, considered the likely endgame in the nearly 2-year-old civil war. (AP Photo/Abdullah al-Yassin)

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) ? Syrian President Bashar Assad reshuffled his Cabinet on Saturday, appointing seven new ministers in a move that appeared aimed at trying to shore up an economy that has been ravaged by the country's 2-year-old revolt, state media said.

State TV said Assad replaced the heads of the oil, finance, social affairs, labor, housing, public works and agriculture ministries. Key security ministries such as defense and interior, which are on the front lines of the civil war, remained unchanged.

Syria's economy has been devastated by the civil war, which has left major cities in ruins and gutted the nation's industries. Power outages are common and Syrians in some areas must stand in hours-long lines for bread and gasoline.

The reshuffle took place as fighting in Damascus and its suburbs raged for a fourth consecutive day, with clashes focused in southern and northeastern neighborhoods of the capital.

Rebels brought their fight within a mile of the heart of Damascus on Friday, seizing army checkpoints and cutting a key highway with a row of burning tires as they pressed their campaign for the city, the seat of Assad's power.

Both the rebels and the government consider the fight for Damascus the most likely endgame in a civil war that has already killed more than 60,000. The regime controls movement in and out of the heavily defended city with a network of checkpoints, and rebels have failed so far to make significant inroads and hold them.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported intense air raids on several Damascus suburbs on Saturday, including Zamalka and Douma, and near a major highway that leads to the capital. It added that troops shelled the northeastern neighborhoods of Jobar and Qaboun that have witnessed fighting and shelling since Thursday.

A resident who lives near Jobar said he fled with his family Friday afternoon to a safer area close to central Damascus because of the intensity of the fighting.

"It was a bad day. We heard lots of explosions," he said speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

The Observatory and the Local Coordination Committees reported that rebels captured a housing compound for army officers in the Damascus suburb of Adra. To the north, the Observatory said rebels entered parts of the Mannagh air base near the border with Turkey that has been subjected to attacks by rebels for weeks.

The civil war has heavily damaged infrastructure like oil pipelines, bridges and water and power stations. The airport in Syria's largest city and commercial hub, Aleppo, is closed due to fighting. The exchange rate for one U.S. dollar today is around 95 Syrian pounds on the black market, which is more than double the 47 pounds to the dollar when the crisis began in March 2011.

The presidential decrees issued Saturday appeared to be an attempt to address some of the fallout ? economic and social ? from the civil war.

The order split what used to be the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs into two posts, apparently to give the new Ministry of Social Affairs responsibility for rising number of people who have fled from one part of the country to another to escape the fighting.

Jens Laerke, a spokesman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said Tuesday that 2 million people have been displaced inside Syria while 4 million need urgent help. Those numbers could rise if fighting continues, he said. He said the humanitarian situation in Syria had reached "catastrophic" proportions, with some 2.5 million people lacking food.

Syria's civil war has settled into a bloody stalemate that shows no signs of stopping, despite several tentative proposals from both sides to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

Syria's Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi floated the latest proposal late Friday, saying Damascus is ready for dialogue with the opposition, so long as they lay down their weapons. He said anyone who responds will not be harmed.

The offer is unlikely to gain much traction among the Syrian opposition. The rebel movement is highly decentralized and deeply distrusts the regime, and most groups are unlikely to stop fighting so long as Assad remains president.

Assad in a rare speech in January outlined his own vision for ending the country's conflict with a plan that would keep him in power. He also dismissed any chance of dialogue with the armed opposition and called on Syrians to fight what he called "murderous criminals."

He offered a national reconciliation conference, elections and a new constitution but demanded regional and Western countries stop funding and arming rebels trying to overthrow his regime first.

Syria's opposition rejected the proposal. Those fighting to topple the regime have repeatedly said they will accept nothing less than the president's departure.

On Jan. 30, in a sharp shift from their resolve, the Syrian National Coalition's president, Mouaz al-Khatib, said he is willing to talk to the regime if that would help end bloodshed. His call was sharply criticized by members of the opposition.

Al-Khatib suggested that Assad should begin releasing tens of thousands of political prisoners as a first step before Sunday or the offer will be void.

___

Mroue reported from Beirut.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-02-09-Syria/id-d9dae349f32a4d118a28cf584898fd79

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Most personal injury accidents resolve in the form of a settlement, often times prior to the filing of a lawsuit. A Final Release of Claims, also referred to as a Liability Release, Settlement Agreement, or a variation thereof, is a legal instrument that once properly signed, completely releases and forever discharges any and all claims and/or causes of action, known or unknown, a victim may have against an at fault party relative to a specific personal injury accident. In simple terms, a Final Release of Claims and Settlement Agreement FOREVER ends a dispute between parties relative to a specific personal injury accident, regardless if there is a possibility of other, unknown claims for damages or injuries that have yet to be discovered, and/or if the settlement amount is later determined to be unreasonable or inadequate.

It is very important that all parties involved understand the complex writing, scope, and legal effects of signing a Final Release of Claims and Settlement Agreement, and the consequences flowing therefrom. Thus, it is encouraged that accident victims and injured parties contact a Boston Personal Injury Attorney from The Jacobs Law, LLC to review their personal injury matter.

Military officials say they believe the problems can be overcome and are moving forward with plans. But proposed fixes could be difficult. One possibility has already been ruled out as technically unfeasible. Another, relocating missile interceptors planned for Poland and possibly Romania to ships on the North Sea, could be diplomatically explosive.

The studies are the latest to highlight serious problems for a plan that has been criticized on several fronts. Republicans claim it was hastily drawn up in an attempt to appease Russia, which had opposed an earlier system. But Russia is also critical of the plan, which it believes is really intended to counter its missiles. A series of governmental and scientific reports has cast doubt on whether it would ever work as planned.

At a time that the military faces giant budget cuts, the studies could prompt Congress to reconsider whether it is worthwhile to spend billions for a system that may not fulfill its original goals.

The classified studies were summarized in a briefing for lawmakers by the Government Accountability Office, Congress' nonpartisan investigative and auditing arm, which is preparing a report. The GAO briefing, which was not classified, was obtained by The Associated Press.

Military officials declined repeated requests to discuss the studies on the record, noting they were classified. Even speaking on condition of anonymity, they declined to say whether the GAO had accurately reported its conclusions. But the GAO briefing had been reviewed by several Defense Department officials and the revisions they requested were incorporated. There was no indication they had objected to how the studies had been described.

The officials who spoke to the AP emphasized that the interceptor intended to protect the United States is in the early stages of development and its capabilities are not known. They said that the U.S. is already protected by other missile defense systems. Even if European-based interceptors are unable to directly defend the United States, they say they would protect not only European allies and U.S. troops stationed on the continent, but also U.S. radars there that are necessary for all U.S. missile defense plans.

Missile defense has been a contentious issue since President George W. Bush sought to base long-range interceptors in central Europe to stop missiles from Iran. Some Democrats criticized the plans, saying they were rushed and based on unproven technology. Russia believed the program was aimed at countering its missiles and undermining its nuclear deterrent.

While it might seem logical for the U.S. to want to have a defense against Russian missiles, it's not so simple. A new missile defense system aimed at Russia could undermine the balance between the nuclear powers, prompting Moscow to add to its arsenal and build up its own defenses. It would undermine prospects for further cuts in nuclear weapons ? a priority for President Barack Obama ? and could also hurt U.S.-Russian cooperation on other issues of international importance.

Obama reworked the plans soon after taking office in 2009, arguing that the threat from long-range Iranian missiles was years off. His plans called for slower interceptors that could address Iran's medium-range missiles. The interceptors would be upgraded gradually over four phases, culminating early next decade with those intended to protect both Europe and the United States.

The plans have gained momentum in Europe with the signing of basing agreements in Poland, Romania and Turkey, as well as backing by NATO. But Russia, while initially welcoming the plan, now strongly opposes it, especially the interceptors in the final stage. Russia fears those interceptors could catch its intercontinental missiles launched at the U.S.

It is that fourth stage that is now at issue. The GAO investigators said that the classified reports by the Missile Defense Agency concluded that Romania was a poor location for an interceptor to protect the U.S. It said the Polish site would work only if the U.S. developed capabilities to launch interceptors while an Iranian missile was in its short initial phase of powered flight.

But the administration is not pursuing that capability because it does not believe it is feasible, according to one senior defense official.

The military has considered deploying interceptors on ships, but the Navy has safety concerns that have not yet been resolved. The suggestion of attempting intercepts from ships on the North Sea would likely aggravate tensions with Russia. That could put it right in the path that some Russian ICBMs would use, further reinforcing Russia's belief that it, not Iran, is the target of the system.

The GAO investigators also took the administration to task for not conducting studies earlier that could have revealed the problems. Reports by the GAO and scientific bodies advising the government have raised other concerns about the missile shield, citing production glitches, cost overruns, problems with radars and sensors that cannot distinguish between warheads and other objects. One report by the National Academy of Sciences recommended canceling the fourth phase of the system and deploying the interceptors to the East Coast.

The GAO study was requested by Rep. Michael Turner, R-Ohio, who until recently led a panel that oversees missile defense. He said he is concerned that the interceptor in development might be useless in protecting the United States.

"This report really confirms what I have said all along: that this was a hurried proposal by the president," he said.

___

Online:

Missile Defense Agency: http://www.mda.mil/system/system.html

___

Follow Desmond Butler on Twitter: http://twitter.com/desmondbutler

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/apnewsbreak-flaws-found-us-missile-shield-081826501--politics.html

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After French forces changed the dynamic of the conflict in Mali, it has now taken on another new, and sadly?predictable, turn?suicide attacks.?A?Tuareg militant blew himself up next to a group Malian soliders on Friday, but fortunately he only killed himself and injured just one. It's the first suicide attack in Mali since French forces joined the fight against Islamic militants last month.

RELATED: U.S Will Provide Tactical Support in the Sky to Get French Military into Mali

It probably won't be the last, either. For the first 10 months or so of the rebellious conflict that began last spring, it's been a series of battles between armed militant groups and poorly-trained, but better armed Malian soliders. That meant skirmishes that more closely resembled a traditional?guerrilla?war. However, as we've seen in Afghanistan, Iraq, and even Pakistan and Yemen, as Western forces take over the conflict, they can overwhelm and scatter the insurgents, which is when they begin to rely on suicide attacks, IEDs, and other tactics that don't require a stand-up fight against a much stronger force.

RELATED: Mali's President Reported Safe as Some Foreign Funds Disappear

If that patten happens in Mali, France may soon find itself in a situation that will feel very?similar?to Americans, as they watch a traditional shooting war turn into a peacekeeping and counter-terrorism operation. And just like the American military in Afghanistan and Iraq found out, those are much harder to extract yourself from.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mail-gets-first-suicide-bomber-123856733.html

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Ben Linnabary fulfilled his mother's dying wish by graduating from high school in a ceremony at her Ohio hospital bedside, as shown in a touching YouTube video uploaded on Feb. 3.

Jennifer Linnabary passed away the day after the ceremony, Cincinnati.com reported. She was 52.

The mother had battled a blood cancer called mantle cell lymphoma for four years, and as her condition worsened, family members and the local school district quickly arranged a special ceremony for Feb. 2 at University of Cincinnati Hospital, ABC News wrote.

Linnabary's daughter, Becca Asimus, told the network that watching Ben graduate was their mother's final wish after she survived long enough to see Becca get married last summer.

Barking Squirrel Media shot the segment from the perspective of the mother, as 18-year-old senior Ben received his diploma from Colerain Township's Colerain High School. (He will march with his classmates and receive another diploma in June.) Asimus told ABC that, although her mom was unable to open her eyes, Jennifer Libbary could still experience the moment.

As the rapidly circulating footage shows, Ben threw his cap into the air and tearfully told Jennifer, "I graduated, mom."

WATCH: Ben Linnabary's special graduation ceremony in his mother's hospital room.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/07/linnabary-graduation-video_n_2637101.html

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More hardware startups are looking at everyday tools that have been relatively unchanged for a long time, like the HAPIFork we saw at CES this year. Today, a new startup called Wayki is adding its innovative toothbrush design to the list of gadgets hoping to improve the lifestyle of users by adding a modern tech spin to an age-old tool.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/69DmFmBJ1h0/

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Tuesday night's episode of "The Ultimate Fighter" was hyped up before the show started. UFC president Dana White said it had the most brutal knockout he had ever seen. Did it live up to the hype? Here were the biggest moments of the show, that ended with the bout between Adam Cella and Uriah Hall.

Hall getting the real Chael Sonnen: Throughout the show, Hall was in his own head. He talked about how he was bullied since he came to the U.S. from Jamaica as a child, and how fears and doubts always creep into his mind. This led to a poignant conversation where Sonnen opened up about his losses, and how he learned to deal with doubts to become a better fighter. If you've ever heard Sonnen's "undefeated shtick," you realize what a big deal it was for Sonnen to open up with Hall.

Cella "doesn't need to fight." Raise your hand if this was the moment you knew Cella was the one getting knocked out. Yep, me too. Cella talked about how the rest of the guys in the house "need to fight" for the money, but he doesn't because he has a job with his family's heating and cooling business. He's not the first guy to have a plan B to fighting, but his attitude made it seem like fighting was more of a hobby.

Team Jones' finishing drill: Of the many times you've watched a TKO, have you ever imagined fighters' practicing it? Jones ran his fighters through a drill where they beat up on bags as if it was the end of the fight. Jones encouraged them to use elbows to open cuts on their opponents. "You would be surprised how many fighters haven't seen their own blood," Jones said.

Jon Jones' puppy! Jones stopped by the fighters house to hang out with his guys and he brought an adorable puppy. It was the most important image on television on Tuesday night.

That knockout. Oh my that knockout. Cella and Hall traded strikes for most of the first round. With less than 30 seconds left in the fight, Hall threw a spinning wheel kick that knocked Cella stiff. At first, Hall celebrated, but stopped when he was his opponent was still out. When Cella did come to, he asked Hall what happened. Perhaps it's best that he didn't remember.

What did you think of the episode? Speak up in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter.

NHL video from Yahoo! Sports:

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/five-biggest-moments-ultimate-fighter-140312412--mma.html

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