Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Pope Francis: Argentine is Latin America's 1st pontiff

Dmitry Lovetsky / AP

Pope Francis I blesses the crowd from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican.

By Alastair Jamieson and Ian Johnston, NBC News

VATICAN CITY - Argentine Cardinal?Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected the first non-European pope in more than 1,000 years on Wednesday,?signaling the beginning to a new era for a church combating scandal and internal strife.

Described as a conservative with "great compassion,"?the 76-year-old will be known as His Holiness Pope Francis. He will be installed at the Vatican on Tuesday.

The first Latin American pope was introduced from the balcony of St. Peter?s Basilica.

Smartphone user? Watch live scenes from Vatican here

There was an audible gasp from the rain-soaked crowd - an indication that he had not been a widely tipped choice - followed by a roar and wild applause.

In Italian, he seemed to address his outsider status by joking: "As you know the duty of the conclave is to give Rome a bishop. It seems that my brother cardinals went almost to the end of the world."

Newly-elected Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio speaks to St. Peter's Square and delivers a blessing after being elected as Pope Francis I.

?Pray for me and I will see you soon," he added, asking Catholics to also pray for his predecessor Benedict XVI, who abdicated on Feb. 28. "Have a good evening and rest well.?

The new leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics is also the first Jesuit pope.

About an hour before Francis emerged, white smoke rose above the Sistine Chapel and bells rang out across Rome to signal a decision had been made.

Known for his humility, Francis is the son of a railway worker and one of five siblings. He has a chemistry degree.

Francis?has only one lung, the other having been removed due to an infection when he was a teenager.

He prizes simplicity and is expected to encourage priests to do shoe-leather evangelization, according to his biographer.

The unveiling of the new pope was moment of pure joy for the tens of thousands of pilgrims, tourists and other onlookers in St Peter's Square. ?

"Who is this?" asked Deirdre Sweeney from Boston, Mass., when Francis first walked onto the balcony.

"Argentinian!" shouted a man nearby.

Americans were among the tens of thousands who gathered to witness the unveiling of Pope Francis.

??I think this is wonderful,? said Sweeney?s husband, Kevin. ?It's an incredible breakthrough - a pope from the Western hemisphere, and the southern half, too. =It's a wonderful change for the church and recognition for the area the church is growing in.?

There was also excitement in South America. "A Latino is more open to others, while a European is more closed," Ana Solis, 75, told Reuters outside Santiago's Metropolitan Cathedral in Chile. "A change like this, with a Latin American, will be very important for we Latin Americans ... (he will be) more open, more honest."

Vote: Was Pope Francis a good choice?

Smoke billowed from the chimney at 7:07 p.m. (2:07 p.m. ET) on the second day of behind-closed-doors voting.

The cardinals are thought to have taken five ballots to reach the two-thirds of the vote necessary for a decision.

The new pontiff's debut was heralded by a Latin announcement beginning with the phrase "Habemus Papam!" meaning, "We have a pope!"

George Weigel, NBC News' Vatican analyst, said Francis would be "a great defender of religion around the world.?

LIVE VIDEO ? Watch live pictures from St. Peter's Square following the announcement that Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was elected as the next pope.

?The papacy has moved to the New World. The church has a new pope with a new name,? he added. ?I think it speaks to the church?s commitment to the poor of the world and compassion in a world that often needs a lot of healing.?

Edward Egan, the Archbishop Emeritus of New York, said this was ?the moment of Latin America.?

?I can assure you he?s not feeble in any way at 76,? he told NBC's Brian Williams.

'You're going to like him a lot'
Egan said Francis was ?a man who calmly stands for what?s right and just,? and someone with ?great compassion for the poor.?

?I cannot tell you, Brian, how delighted I am,? he said. ?This is a man who I know and who was very, very good to me.?

Egan said Francis was a ?very good friend of mine,? and he had ?immense admiration for him.?

?I think you?re going to like him a lot,? he added.

NBC News Special Report: The Vatican announces that Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio has been elected as the new head of the Catholic Church.

President Barack Obama hailed Francis as a "champion of the poor" and said the choice of the first pope from the Americas spoke "to the strength and vitality" of a region "that is increasingly shaping our world."

"Alongside millions of Hispanic Americans, those of us in the United States share the joy of this historic day," the president said in a statement.

Now known as Pope Emeritus, Francis' predecessor Benedict watched Wednesday's events from a temporary lakeside residence at Castel Gandolfo while his permanent living quarters inside Vatican City are refurbished.

The behind-the-scenes ballot process that took place in the Sistine Chapel should still remain a secret. Both the cardinals and staff working alongside them swore an oath of secrecy as the conclave got under way, with the threat of ex-communication for anyone breaking the church's ancient code.

NBC News' Yuka Tachibana contributed to this report.

/

Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina was elected to lead the Catholic Church following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.?

Related:?

Pope Francis: Humble leader who takes the bus to work

'He?s not feeble in any way': World reacts to a new pontiff

Full coverage of the papal abdication from NBC News

?

This story was originally published on

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/13/17290508-pope-francis-argentinas-cardinal-jorge-mario-bergoglio-is-new-catholic-leader

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Young pigs prefer traditional soybean diet

Young pigs prefer traditional soybean diet [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 12-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Madeline McCurry-Schmidt
madelinems@asas.org
217-689-2435
American Society of Animal Science

Humans aren't the only picky eaters

Des Moines, IA Pigs aren't known for being picky, but new research shows they avoid bitter tastes when they can.

In a new study of nursery pig diets, researchers from the University of Alberta offered pigs different amounts of soybean meal, napus canola meal and juncea canola meal. They found that pigs ate more soybean meal when given a choice.

Napus canola meal and juncea canola meal come from rapeseed and mustard greens, respectively. Canola meals are less expensive than soybean meal. If producers can replace soybean meal in swine diets, they could produce pork at a lower cost.

In a presentation at the 2013 ADSA Midwest Branch / ASAS Midwestern Section Meeting, Dr. Jose Luis Landero said previous studies showed that producers can replace up to 20 percent of soybean meal with napus canola meal without affecting pig performance.

Landero said the drawback to using canola meals is that the feeds naturally contain more glucosinolates. Glucosinolates are organic compounds that can cause a bitter taste. Brussels sprouts are high in glucosinolates, for example. A high level of glucosinolates in swine feed could cause swine to eat less.

In recent feeding trials, Landero and fellow researchers set up pens with two feeders. In the first trial, one feeder had a commercial soybean meal diet, and the other feeder had a percentage of napus or juncea canola meal to replace the soybean meal. In the second trial, the control feeder had neither soybean or canola meals, and the test feeder can some percentage of the three meals.

The researchers tested 360 pigs overall. They measured feed preference by dividing the feed intake of the test diet with total feed intake per pen.

According to Landero, the data showed a clear preference for soybean meal over napus or juncea canola meal. Juncea meal was the least favorite choice. Landero hypothesized that that was because juncea canola meal contains different types of bitter glucosinolates.

Landero warned scientists and producers to be careful about interpreting feed preferences. Pigs do not normally get a choice of feed, so they would probably still eat a diet with a low level of napus or juncea canola meal.

###

Landero's abstract is titled "Feed preference of nursery pigs fed diets with soybean meal, napus canola meal or juncea canola meal." It was presented as part of the Nonruminant Nutrition Nursery Pig Nutrition and Management Oral Session.

Media contact:

Madeline McCurry-Schmidt
American Society of Animal Science
217-689-2435 / madelinems@asas.org


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Young pigs prefer traditional soybean diet [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 12-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Madeline McCurry-Schmidt
madelinems@asas.org
217-689-2435
American Society of Animal Science

Humans aren't the only picky eaters

Des Moines, IA Pigs aren't known for being picky, but new research shows they avoid bitter tastes when they can.

In a new study of nursery pig diets, researchers from the University of Alberta offered pigs different amounts of soybean meal, napus canola meal and juncea canola meal. They found that pigs ate more soybean meal when given a choice.

Napus canola meal and juncea canola meal come from rapeseed and mustard greens, respectively. Canola meals are less expensive than soybean meal. If producers can replace soybean meal in swine diets, they could produce pork at a lower cost.

In a presentation at the 2013 ADSA Midwest Branch / ASAS Midwestern Section Meeting, Dr. Jose Luis Landero said previous studies showed that producers can replace up to 20 percent of soybean meal with napus canola meal without affecting pig performance.

Landero said the drawback to using canola meals is that the feeds naturally contain more glucosinolates. Glucosinolates are organic compounds that can cause a bitter taste. Brussels sprouts are high in glucosinolates, for example. A high level of glucosinolates in swine feed could cause swine to eat less.

In recent feeding trials, Landero and fellow researchers set up pens with two feeders. In the first trial, one feeder had a commercial soybean meal diet, and the other feeder had a percentage of napus or juncea canola meal to replace the soybean meal. In the second trial, the control feeder had neither soybean or canola meals, and the test feeder can some percentage of the three meals.

The researchers tested 360 pigs overall. They measured feed preference by dividing the feed intake of the test diet with total feed intake per pen.

According to Landero, the data showed a clear preference for soybean meal over napus or juncea canola meal. Juncea meal was the least favorite choice. Landero hypothesized that that was because juncea canola meal contains different types of bitter glucosinolates.

Landero warned scientists and producers to be careful about interpreting feed preferences. Pigs do not normally get a choice of feed, so they would probably still eat a diet with a low level of napus or juncea canola meal.

###

Landero's abstract is titled "Feed preference of nursery pigs fed diets with soybean meal, napus canola meal or juncea canola meal." It was presented as part of the Nonruminant Nutrition Nursery Pig Nutrition and Management Oral Session.

Media contact:

Madeline McCurry-Schmidt
American Society of Animal Science
217-689-2435 / madelinems@asas.org


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-03/asoa-yp031213.php

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Steve Madden Welcomes Daughter Goldie Ryan

Steve Madden and his wife Wendy welcomed their third child - a girl! - onFriday, March 8 in New York City, his rep confirms to PEOPLE exclusively.

Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/WJGZZhvJpbg/

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Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Cardinals draw lots to settle Vatican guest-house rooms

By Keith Weir

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Before they get down to the business of choosing a new pope this week, the 115 elector cardinals are holding another ballot - drawing lots to decide which room they get in the Vatican guest house that will be their home during the conclave.

Some will be disappointed, because the five-storey Santa Martha House inside the walls of Vatican City, has only 106 "suites". Despite the grandiose name, these rooms have just a single bed, bathroom and a small desk space.

The nine cardinals who miss out on the suites will have to settle for more spartan single rooms.

However basic the Santa Martha accommodation, it is a step up from where cardinals used to sleep before the guest house was built in 1996 on the orders of Pope John Paul II.

During earlier conclaves, they had makeshift beds in temporary quarters in the Vatican, with curtains often all that divided one space from another, like on a hospital ward.

As well as allocating the rooms fairly, drawing lots is designed to make sure factions from one country or supporting one candidate are given rooms randomly to prevent them consulting on strategy from adjoining parts of the guest house.

Standing empty for the new pope will be the larger but nevertheless simple Room 201, the sole apartment in the yellow-stone residence block.

It has carved wooden fittings and additional rooms to host meetings for the new pontiff, who could live there for a few weeks until the papal Apostolic Palace has been renovated.

Adding to Santa Martha's austere feel, television, telephone, Wi-Fi and other means of communication are blocked to maintain the secrecy of the conclave.

Santa Martha is only a few hundred yards from the Sistine Chapel where the cardinals will start the process on Tuesday of electing a successor to Pope Benedict after his decision last month to step down.

Cardinals, many of them elderly, will be able to use a shuttle bus to get to the chapel if they do not want to walk or if Rome sees one of its spectacular spring storms.

The elector cardinals used Santa Martha for the first time in 2005 when Benedict was chosen to lead the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics after the death of John Paul.

The building stands on the site of a hospice built in 1891 for cholera victims.

Two doctors will be on hand in case any of the cardinals fall ill, while priests will hear confessions in a variety of languages. Like the cardinals, they will be sworn to secrecy.

As with any guest house or hotel, cooks and cleaners will also be there to attend to the needs of the cardinals. All the staff will have been vetted to help ensure that no secrets leak out before white smoke emerges to show a pope has been picked.

(Editing by Louise Ireland and Barry Moody)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cardinals-draw-lots-settle-vatican-guest-house-rooms-133005692.html

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Monday, March 11, 2013

Utah legislature likely to fund alternative education program using ...

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Friday, March 8, 2013

Russia says Assad 'not bluffing' about staying put

A portrait of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad sits on a table before a press conference by Buthaina Shaaban, special envoy of the President, in New Delhi, India, Friday, March 8, 2013. Shaaban Friday criticized Britain's decision to provide non-lethal military equipment to Syrian rebels, saying it will hinder efforts for peace in the strife-torn country. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

A portrait of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad sits on a table before a press conference by Buthaina Shaaban, special envoy of the President, in New Delhi, India, Friday, March 8, 2013. Shaaban Friday criticized Britain's decision to provide non-lethal military equipment to Syrian rebels, saying it will hinder efforts for peace in the strife-torn country. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

A U.N. peacekeeper from the Philippines UNDOF force crosses to Syria at the Quneitra Crossing between Syria and the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, Friday, March 8, 2013. Syrian rebels who seized 21 Filipino U.N. peacekeepers in the Golan Heights want the Red Cross to escort them out of the area because of fighting with Syrian government forces, the Philippine military said Friday. The 21 peacekeepers were seized Wednesday near the Syrian village of Jamlah, just a mile from the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights in an area where the U.N. force had patrolled a cease-fire line between Israel and Syria without incident for nearly four decades. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

A U.N. peacekeeper from the UNDOF force looks through binoculars as he guards on a watch tower at the Quneitra Crossing between Syria and the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, Friday, March 8, 2013. Syrian rebels who seized 21 Filipino U.N. peacekeepers in the Golan Heights want the Red Cross to escort them out of the area because of fighting with Syrian government forces, the Philippine military said Friday. The 21 peacekeepers were seized Wednesday near the Syrian village of Jamlah, just a mile from the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights in an area where the U.N. force had patrolled a cease-fire line between Israel and Syria without incident for nearly four decades. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

A U.N. peacekeeper from India waves while driving a U.N Armored vehicle as it leaves from the UNDOF Ziouani camp to cross to Syria at the Quneitra Crossing between Syria and the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, Friday, March 8, 2013. Syrian rebels who seized 21 Filipino U.N. peacekeepers in the Golan Heights want the Red Cross to escort them out of the area because of fighting with Syrian government forces, the Philippine military said Friday. The 21 peacekeepers were seized Wednesday near the Syrian village of Jamlah, just a mile from the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights in an area where the U.N. force had patrolled a cease-fire line between Israel and Syria without incident for nearly four decades. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

(AP) ? Syrian President Bashar Assad "is not bluffing" about his determination to stay in power, Russia's foreign minister said in comments broadcast Friday, as negotiations to free 21 U.N. peacekeepers held by Syrian rebels dragged into a third day.

Also, the World Food Program said it aims to feed 2.5 million Syrians by next month, up from 1.7 million now. Need has risen sharply as growing numbers of Syrians are displaced by the civil war and as the country's economy disintegrates in the face of the chaos.

The uprising against Assad began two years ago with largely peaceful protests, but shifted into a brutal civil war after a harsh government crackdown on dissent. More than 70,000 people have been killed, according to U.N. estimates.

The conflict has been deadlocked for months, with neither side able to gain the upper hand, although the rebels have scored a series of strategic victories in recent weeks, seizing a provincial capital in the northeast, capturing the country's largest dam and overrunning a number of smaller military bases.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the BBC in an interview broadcast Friday that the Syrian leader is digging in and "is not going to leave."

"We know this for sure, and all those who get in touch with him know that he is not bluffing," Lavrov said.

He added that Russia, a close Syria ally, will not pressure Assad to leave.

"It's not for me to decide, it's not for anybody else to decide, except the Syrian people," Lavrov said.

Syria's opposition has criticized the West for not helping arm rebel fighters even as Russia and Iran support the regime with weapons.

Earlier this week, Britain announced it would provide armored vehicles and other equipment to the rebels, while stopping short of arming them. The West has balked at sending weapons, fearing they could fall into the hands of Islamic extremists fighting in the rebel ranks.

In India, Assad adviser Buthaina Shaaban said Britain's decision will only prolong the fighting. She alleged that most of the rebels are linked to the al-Qaida terror network and conservative Islamic groups.

"Britain should not think that terror activities by such groups in Syria, will not one day go back to haunt Europe or Britain," said Shaaban who is in India for talks with Indian leaders to rally support for Assad.

Meanwhile, the Philippine government is trying to win the release of 21 U.N. peacekeepers, all Filipinos, who were seized by Syrian rebels on Wednesday.

Government officials initially said they expected the U.N. troops to be freed Friday, but it was unclear what the rebel demands were for their release.

The rebels previously demanded that regime forces withdraw from the area where there hostages are being held.

However, an activist who said he is the media coordinator for the rebel group holding the peacekeepers said Friday via Skype that they were being held because it is too dangerous in the area to release them.

The activist, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, said the rebels felt the peacekeepers were not doing their job in the area since government forces were still shelling and carrying out airstrikes.

He said the ongoing violence could endanger them if the rebels let them leave, so they were waiting for an official U.N. delegation to retrieve them.

"They are guests under the protection of the free army even though their presence in the area was negative and they didn't accomplish what they were here to do, but as soon as someone from the U.N. comes to get them officially, this will be over," he said.

The peacekeepers were taken near the Syrian village of Jamlah, a kilometer (less than a mile) from the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, where a U.N. force has patrolled a cease-fire line between Israel and Syria for nearly four decades.

Last week, rebels from the Martyrs of Yarmouk Brigades, the group holding the peacekeepers, overran several Syrian army checkpoints in the area, said Rami Abdul-Rahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

On Friday, rebels attacked regime forces in the village of Abdeen south of Jamlah, setting off heavy clashes, the Observatory said. Regime helicopters bombed the area, the group said.

Rebels apparently fear that the regime will retake the area if the peacekeepers are released, raising the possibility of a prolonged standoff.

Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said President Benigno Aquino III has ordered a review of the country's peacekeeping missions.

A contingent of more than 300 Filipino peacekeepers is part of the U.N. force, known as UNDOF. Filipino peacekeepers also serve in Haiti and Liberia.

The kidnapping has underlined potential complications from the Syria conflict. Israel is concerned about the Syria fighting spilling across the frontier.

Since the conflict began, nearly 4 million of Syria's 22 million people have been driven from their homes by the fighting, according to U.N. estimates. This includes refugees in neighboring countries and some 2 million who have sought shelter inside Syria.

In one recent wave, more than 20,000 families fled fighting in the northeastern Raqqa province, seeking refuge in the neighboring district of Deir el-Zour, according to the World Food Program.

The U.N. agency said that in recent days it distributed food to some 20,000 people in public shelters in Deir el-Zour. More food trucks are to deliver food there Friday.

Earlier this week, Syrian rebels completed their capture of the provincial capital of Raqqa after several days of fighting. The takeover marked the first time rebels seized a major Syrian city. Raqqa has a population of about 500,000.

In addition to the internally displaced, Syrians who remain in their homes are also in increasing need of food aid, the agency said. The Syrian economy has been hit hard by the 2-year-old conflict, and basics such as food and fuel are becoming scarce in many areas.

"The needs are huge and are growing," said Elisabeth Byrs, a spokeswoman for the WFP. "It's kind of a vicious cycle, the collapse of the economy, and more and more people are displaced."

She said the U.N. agency distributed food to 1.7 million Syrians in February, with the help of local partners. The agency plans to reach 2 million in March and 2.5 million in April, she said.

___

Associated Press writers Ben Hubbard in Beirut and Oliver Teves in Manila contributed reporting.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-03-08-ML-Syria/id-1122643eee944ccd86fee77627ed0aef

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