Asian stocks higher on signs US economy improving (AP)

SINGAPORE ? Asian stock markets rose Friday in thin holiday trading on signs the U.S. economy is improving.

China's benchmark in Shanghai gained 1.5 percent to 2,218.01 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 1.1 percent to 18,576.06. Japan's financial markets are closed for a public holiday.

Sydney's S&P/ASX 200 jumped 1.2 percent to 4,140.40, Seoul's Kospi was up 1.2 percent to 1,868.84 and Singapore added 0.4 percent to 2,675.44.

Investors have been cheered in recent weeks by evidence of a rebound in the U.S. ? the world's biggest economy and a crucial export market for many countries in Asia.

The number of people applying for unemployment benefits dropped last week to the lowest level since April 2008, the third week in a row that applications fell. The Conference Board reported that its measure of future economic activity jumped last month, the second straight gain.

Investors were also encouraged by an agreement in the U.S. Congress to extend a payroll tax cut for two months.

Trading volume is normally low during the next week as many investors take vacations over Christmas and New Year. Global markets are closed Monday for Christmas.

Credit ratings agency Fitch said it expects growth in Asia's developing economies will slow slightly next year but still expand by a robust 6.8 percent, which should help bolster the region's wealthier nations.

"Emerging Asia's resilience provides some support for high-income Asian countries relative to other advanced economies," Fitch said in a report.

Other analysts are more pessimistic. HSBC is forecasting Europe's economy will contract next year by 1 percent while the U.S. grows a weak 1.5 percent as Europe's debt crisis undercuts business confidence.

"Despite signs of greater urgency to deal with the problem, investors remain mostly unconvinced," HSBC said in a report. "This loss of faith is reminiscent of the collapse in confidence in 2008, when the wheels came off the global economy."

"Back then, forecasters completely failed to grasp the gravity of the situation," HSBC said. "The same may be true today."

On Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.5 percent while the broader S&P 500 index gained 0.8 percent.

Benchmark crude for February delivery was up 40 cents to $99.93 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 86 cents to finish at $99.53 on Thursday.

In London, Brent crude was steady at $107.87 on the ICE futures exchange.

The euro was up 0.1 percent at $1.3068. The dollar was down 1 percent at 78.10 yen.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/stocks/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111223/ap_on_bi_ge/world_markets

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Kardashian, iPhone, Census top Canadian web trends in 2011

Year-end lists of the most popular phrases on the biggest websites in 2011 suggest that Canadians were preoccupied with Kim Kardashian and the Canadian dollar, acquiring an iPhone and plumping up their online resum?s with words like ?creative? and ?effective.?

What people say and do in cyberspace has become a reliable barometer of larger social trends, and the most-used phrases on search engines like Yahoo, Bing and Google, the video portal YouTube, local classifieds site Kijiji and career networking site LinkedIn paint a fascinating picture of what average Canadians were saying and doing in 2011.

Here?s a look at the top Canadian searches on the web?s biggest sites.

Top searches on Yahoo:

1. Canadian dollar

2. Research In Motion

3. Canada Post

4. William & Kate

5. American Idol

6. Kim Kardashian

7. Census 2011

8. UFC

9. Pippa Middleton

10. Scarlett Johansson

Top searches on Bing:

1. Kim Kardashian

2. Lindsay Lohan

3. Britney Spears

4. Pippa Middleton

5. Jennifer Aniston

6. Lady Gaga

7. Megan Fox

8. Jennifer Lopez

9. Justin Bieber

10. Kanye West

Fastest-rising searches on Google:

1. www.census2011.gc.ca

2. Skyrim

3. Canada Post strike

4. Rebecca Black

5. Ryan Dunn

6. Japan earthquake

7. Game of Thrones

8. Jack Layton

9. Royal wedding

10. Google Plus

Most-watched videos on YouTube:

1. Rebecca Black ? Friday

2. Ultimate Dog Tease

3. Maria Aragon ? Born This Way by Lady Gaga

4. Eric Wants to Sell His Stuff. Fast.

5. Jack Sparrow (feat. Michael Bolton)

6. Nyan cat

7. Songify This ? Winning ? a song by Charlie Sheen

8. The Force: Volkswagen Commercial

9. Einstein vs. Stephen Hawking ? Epic Rap Battles of History #7

10. Emerson ? Mommy?s Nose is Scary!

Most searched items on Kijiji:

1. iPhone

2. Mustang

3. Honda

4. Civic

5. Jeep

6. iPad

7. iPhone 4

8. Blackberry

9. BMW

10. Camaro

Most overused buzzwords on LinkedIn:

1. Creative

2. Effective

3. Motivated

4. Extensive experience

5. Problem solving

6. Track record

7. Innovative

8. Communication skills

9. Dynamic

10. Interpersonal skills

Sources: Google, Bing, Yahoo, YouTube, Kijiji, LinkedIn


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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/12/23/kardashian-iphone-censu_n_1167196.html

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Researchers mirror human response to bacterial infection and resolution in mice

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Imitating human diseases using an animal model is a difficult task, but Thomas Jefferson University researchers have managed to come very close.

Reporting in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team of Jefferson immunologists found that a specialized "human immune system" mouse model closely mimics a person's specific response and resolution of a tick-borne infection known as relapsing fever, caused by the bacteria Borrelia hermsii.

The response is so strikingly similar that it gives good reason for researchers to apply the strategy to a host of other infections to better understand how the immune system attempts to fights them? which could ultimately lead to precise treatment and prevention strategies.

"This is first time an interaction of an infectious agent with a host, the progression of the disease and its eventual resolution recapitulates what you would see in a human being," said Kishore R. Alugupalli, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Thomas Jefferson University and the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson. "Our model is not only a susceptible model, but it actually tells us how the human immune system is functionally working. That is the big difference from the previous studies."

What really surprised the team is that the mouse physiological environment was able to facilitate the development of human B1-like cells, which is specialized type of antibody producing systems used to fight infection due to a variety of bacterial pathogens, including Pneumococcus and Salmonella.

In the study, researchers transferred hematopoietic stem cells from human umbilical cord blood into mice lacking their own immune system. This resulted in development of a human immune system in these mice. These "human immune system" (HIS) mice were then infected to gauge response.

According to the authors, an analysis of spleens and lymph nodes revealed that the mice developed a population of B1b-like cells that may have fought off the infection. Researchers also observed that reduction of those B cells resulted in recurrent episodes of bacteremia, the hallmark of relapsing fever.

"The B1b cells in humans had been speculated, but never confirmed," said co-author Timothy L. Manser, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Jefferson. "We found that in mice, the B1b cell subset is critically important for resolution of this type of bacterial infection."

"This would indicate that there is a functional equivalent of the subset in humans that has not been previously recognized," he added.

The mouse model with relapsing fever recapitulates many of the clinical manifestations of the disease and has previously revealed that T cell-independent antibody responses are required to resolve the bacteria episodes. However, it was not clear whether such protective humoral responses are mounted in humans.

"It's an amazing platform that could be used to really study how the human B1 cells could work against a variety of bacterial and viral infections," said Dr. Alugupalli.

###

Thomas Jefferson University: http://www.jeffersonhospital.org

Thanks to Thomas Jefferson University for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/116009/Researchers_mirror_human_response_to_bacterial_infection_and_resolution_in_mice

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PSA: 3DS firmware update goes live, upgrades camera

Nintendo's 3DS update had been dragging its feet, but it's got its act together, sneaking out to devices a day earlier than expected. It will add both 3D video-recording and DLC capabilities to the handheld, although there's been no confirmation yet of the Hulu Plus feature promised back in October. According to Joystiq, there's now a new Nintendo Zone to interact with when connected to certain WiFi hotspots and a host of new "accomplishments" to unlock on StreetPass. Users are reporting that the update is rolling out now -- it may be worth booting up that guilty Black Friday purchase for a look-see.

PSA: 3DS firmware update goes live, upgrades camera originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Dec 2011 07:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Joystiq  |   | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/07/psa-3ds-firmware-update-goes-live-upgrades-camera/

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Egypt Brotherhood says won't impose Islamic values

An Egyptian protester sets up a tent in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011. Anticipating a strong presence in the new Egyptian parliament, ultraconservative Islamists have outlined plans for a strict brand of religious law, a move that could limit personal freedoms and steer a key U.S. ally toward an Islamic state. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

An Egyptian protester sets up a tent in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011. Anticipating a strong presence in the new Egyptian parliament, ultraconservative Islamists have outlined plans for a strict brand of religious law, a move that could limit personal freedoms and steer a key U.S. ally toward an Islamic state. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

An Egyptian family is seen on a bridge over the Nile River near Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011. (AP Photo/Bela Szandelszky)

Egyptian policemen patrol on camels near the Giza Pyramids near Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011. (AP Photo/Bela Szandelszky)

(AP) ? Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, emerging as the biggest winner in the first round of parliamentary elections, sought Saturday to reassure Egyptians that it would not sacrifice personal freedoms in promoting Islamic law.

The deputy head of the Brotherhood's new political party, Essam el-Erian, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that the group is not interested in imposing Islamic values on Egypt, home to a sizable Christian minority and others who object to being subject to strict Islamic codes.

"We represent a moderate and fair party," el-Erian said of his Freedom and Justice Party. "We want to apply the basics of Shariah law in a fair way that respects human rights and personal rights," he said, referring to Islamic law.

The comments were the clearest indication that the Brotherhood was distancing itself from the ultraconservative Islamist Nour Party, which appears to have won the second-largest share of votes in the election's first phase.

The Nour Party espouses a strict interpretation of Islam similar to that of Saudi Arabia, where the sexes are segregated and women must be veiled and are barred from driving.

Egypt's election commission has released few official results from the voting on Monday and Tuesday. But preliminary counts have been leaked by judges and individual political groups showing both parties could together control a majority of seats in the lower house of parliament if they did form an alliance.

The Brotherhood recently denied in a statement that it seeks to form an alliance with the Nour Party in parliament, calling it "premature and mere media speculation."

On Saturday, el-Erian made it clear that the Brotherhood does not share Nour's more hard-line aspirations to strictly enforce Islamic codes in Egyptians' daily lives.

"We respect all people in their choice of religion and life," he said.

Another major check on such an agenda is the council of generals who have run the country since President Hosni Mubarak's ouster in February. The military council, accused by Egypt's protest movement of stalling a transition to civilian and democratic rule, is seeking to limit the powers of the next parliament and maintain close oversight over the drafting of a new constitution.

Egypt already uses Shariah law as the basis for legislation, however Egyptian laws remain largely secular as Shariah does not cover all aspects of modern life.

On its English-language Twitter account, the Brotherhood said that its priorities were to fix Egypt's economy and improve the lives of ordinary Egyptians, "not to change (the) face of Egypt into (an) Islamic state."

El-Erian urged the Brotherhood's political rivals to accept the election results.

"We all believe that our success as Egyptians toward democracy is a real success and we want everyone to accept this democratic system. This is the guarantee for stability," he said.

For decades, Mubarak's regime suppressed the Brotherhood, which was politically banned but managed to establish a vast network of activists and charities offering free food and medical services throughout the country's impoverished neighborhoods and villages.

It is the best organized of Egypt's post-Mubarak political forces.

The vote for parliament's lower house is taking place over three stages, with 18 provinces in Egypt yet to vote.

Meanwhile, the swearing-in of a new temporary Cabinet was delayed on Saturday due to disagreements over key posts, including over who will lead the ministry in charge of internal security.

An official in the Interior Ministry said several high-ranking security officials have been named as possible replacements but that some have turned down the offer.

Protesters have also strongly objected to the nominations put forward by newly appointed Prime Minister Kamal el-Ganzouri, who served in the same position under ousted President Hosni Mubarak from 1996 to 1999.

The country's ruling military general, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, appointed el-Ganzouri as a new interim prime minister last month after the previous premier's government resigned in the wake of a police crackdown on protesters that killed over 40 people.

The interim Cabinet will serve until after the parliamentary elections finish in March. A new government is to be formed after the legislature is seated.

Activist Hussein Hammouda, a retired police brigadier, is among those opposed to the names being considered for the Interior Minister post and says someone from outside the police force should be chosen instead.

Protesters in Tahrir Square, the epicenter of Egypt's protests, released a statement saying they would continue their sit-in while allowing traffic to resume normally in the area.

There were tens of thousands of protesters in the square in the days leading up to the elections, but numbers have dwindled to several hundred since then. Protesters demanding el-Ganzouri be replaced as prime minister said they will keep up another sit-in outside the Cabinet headquarters.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-12-03-ML-Egypt/id-b9e15db52cec45c597d17fe933c2c457

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Leaders at Americas talks: world economy top worry

Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez, left, talks to Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff during the group photo of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, CELAC, summit in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Dec. 2, 2011. CELAC members are gathering in a two-day, 33-nation summit welcoming countries from Brazil to Jamaica, adding one more bloc to a region with other smaller organizations like Unasur, Mercosur and the Caribbean Community. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez, left, talks to Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff during the group photo of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, CELAC, summit in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Dec. 2, 2011. CELAC members are gathering in a two-day, 33-nation summit welcoming countries from Brazil to Jamaica, adding one more bloc to a region with other smaller organizations like Unasur, Mercosur and the Caribbean Community. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez, left, and Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez wave after the group photo of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, CELAC, summit in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Dec. 2, 2011. CELAC members are gathering in a two-day, 33-nation summit welcoming countries from Brazil to Jamaica, adding one more bloc to a region with other smaller organizations like Unasur, Mercosur and the Caribbean Community. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos, center, talks to Bolivia's President Evo Morales as Ecuador's President Rafael Correa, left, looks on during the group photo of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, CELAC, summit in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Dec. 2, 2011. CELAC members are gathering in a two-day, 33-nation summit welcoming countries from Brazil to Jamaica, adding one more bloc to a region with other smaller organizations like Unasur, Mercosur and the Caribbean Community. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

From left: presidents of Ecuador Rafael Correa, Colombia Juan Manuel Santos, and Venezuela Hugo Chavez, share a laugh after the group photo of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, CELAC, summit in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Dec. 2, 2011. CELAC members are gathering in a two-day, 33-nation summit welcoming countries from Brazil to Jamaica, adding one more bloc to a region with other smaller organizations like Unasur, Mercosur and the Caribbean Community. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff, left, embraces Uruguay's Jose Mujica after the group photo of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, CELAC, summit in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Dec. 2, 2011. CELAC members are gathering in a two-day, 33-nation summit welcoming countries from Brazil to Jamaica, adding one more bloc to a region with other smaller organizations like Unasur, Mercosur and the Caribbean Community. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

(AP) ? Leaders from across Latin America and the Caribbean pledged to work together to fend off the effects of the world financial crisis and safeguard the region's growing economies.

Several presidents stressed at the start of a two-day summit Friday that they hope to ride out turbulent times by boosting their local industries and increasing trade within the region.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff led such calls, saying that if the nations are to keep thriving they will need to look more to their neighbors.

"The economic, financial crisis should be at the center of our concerns," Rousseff said. "We should respond to this crisis with a new paradigm."

Rousseff said Latin America should "realize that to guarantee its current cycle of development despite the international economic turbulence, it means that every politician must be aware that each one needs the others."

As a region, Latin America and the Caribbean have so far weathered the economic woes better than the U.S. or Europe, achieving economic growth of more than 5 percent last year.

Brazil is now one of the world's fastest growing economies, and its government said this week that it's willing to contribute funds to the International Monetary Fund to help minimize the effects of the European debt crisis.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said the region has immense potential "in this world that's going through great uncertainty, where there's a hurricane that's hitting the so-called industrialized economies hard." He said Colombia's current trade with Brazil, for instance, is minimal and could grow significantly.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez read aloud a letter from Chinese President Hu Jintao congratulating the leaders on forming a new 33-nation regional bloc, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. Hu pledged to deepen cooperation with the new group, which he said will "contribute in a significant way to strengthening the unity and the coordination among the region's countries to face global challenges together."

The U.S. remains the top trading partner of many countries in the region, with exceptions including Brazil and Chile, where China has become the biggest trading partner. China has also made diplomatic inroads, including by granting about $38 billion in loans to Venezuela in exchange for increasing shipments of oil.

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez noted that experts believe the region could be vulnerable to fallout from the economic crisis. She said trade within the region should be a priority.

Some countries, such as Brazil, expressed interest in reducing imports from outside Latin America.

"Together we can be stronger, together we can grow, and that should be beneficial for everyone," Rousseff said.

Chavez and some of his closest allies, meanwhile, called for the new regional bloc to be a tool for both integration and for countering U.S. influence.

"Only unity will make us free," Chavez told the more than two dozen heads of state.

Cuban President Raul Castro said that if it's successful, the creation of the new bloc known by its Spanish initials CELAC will be "the biggest event in 200 years."

The group includes every country in Latin America and the Caribbean. Unlike the Washington-based Organization of American States, it will have Cuba as a full member and exclude the U.S. and Canada.

Both Chavez and Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa said they hope the bloc eventually leaves behind the OAS.

"We need a new inter-American system and, more specifically, a new system to guarantee human rights," said Correa, referring to the Washington-based Inter-American Human Rights Commission, which has received complaints from Ecuadorean newspapers and television channels that accuse his government of trying to silence critics.

"All these attacks and threats are made in the name of freedom of expression," he added, accusing powerful media outlets of manipulating public opinion. Correa called for creating of a committee to investigate such issues.

Other presidents said they see CELAC as a forum to resolve conflicts and build closer ties, but not as an alternative to existing bodies such as the OAS.

Santos said he also sees a role for the group in re-examining whether current counter-drug efforts are the right approach. Colombia remains the world's top producer of coca, which is used to produce cocaine.

While Santos has said the amount of land being used to grow coca plants has declined, the trade "keeps flowing the problem persists."

"There is still growing demand in the consuming countries," Santos said. He added that if there is eventually debate about legalizing cocaine and marijuana as a way of reducing drug-related violence, he wouldn't be opposed.

___

Associated Press writers Ian James and Christopher Toothaker contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2011-12-03-LT-Venezuela-Summit/id-93fe986b04784c13a982986859fb3592

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AP Interview: PM says Iraq ready for US withdrawal (AP)

BAGHDAD ? Iraq's prime minister said Saturday that his security forces are ready to protect the country once the American military withdraws by the end of this year, and played down any suggestion that Iraq would become a follower of Iran.

Nouri al-Maliki told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview Saturday that he has "no concerns whatsoever" about security after all American troops withdraw by Jan. 1. Iraqi security forces have proven themselves capable and able to protect their own country, he said.

"Nothing has changed with the withdrawal of the American forces from Iraq on the security level because basically it has been in our hands," he said.

The prime minister said Iraq has been largely responsible for security ever since the American military pulled out of the cities in 2008 and withdrew to bases outside the cities, leaving the Iraqi military largely responsible for their own internal security.

He said he was not worried about the type of sectarian warfare that almost destroyed Iraq in the years following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

"I assure the world that the Iraqi forces and the general situation in the country hasn't changed and will not change," the prime minister said.

The prime minister also dismissed fears that Iraq would fall under neighboring Iran's sphere of influence, once the American military leaves Iraq. Some U.S. officials have suggested that Iranian influence in Iraq would inevitably grow once American troops depart.

Both countries have Shiite majorities and are dominated by Shiite political groups. Many Iraqi politicians spent time in exile in Iran under Saddam Hussein's repressive regime.

Al-Maliki vowed that Iraq will chart its own policies in the future that conform to Iraqi national interests.

"Iraq is not a follower of any country," al-Maliki said. He pointed out several areas in which Iraq had acted against Iran's desires, including the signing of the security agreement in 2008 that required all U.S. forces to leave Iraq by the end of this year. Iran had been pushing for all American troops to be out of the country even sooner.

"Through our policies, Iraq was not and will not be a follower of another country's policies," he said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111203/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq_maliki_interview

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Jay-Z provides the blueprint for college course (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Michael Eric Dyson parses Jay-Z's lyrics as if analyzing fine literature. The rapper's riffs on luxury cars and tailored clothes and boasts of being the "Mike Jordan of recording" may make for catchy rhymes, but to Dyson, they also reflect incisive social commentary.

Dyson, a professor, author, radio host and television personality, has offered at Georgetown University this semester a popular ? if unusual ? class dedicated to Jay-Z and his career. The course, "Sociology of Hip Hop: Jay-Z," may seem an unlikely offering at a Jesuit, majority-white school that counts former President Bill Clinton among its alumni. But Dyson insists that his class confronts topics present in any sociology course: racial and gender identity, sexuality, capitalism and economic inequality.

"It just happens to have an interesting object of engagement in Jay-Z ? and what better way to meet people where they are?" Dyson said. "It's like Jesus talking to the woman at the well. You ask for a drink of water, then you get into some theological discussions."

Classes centered on pop culture superstars like Bruce Springsteen have sprouted on college campuses in recent years; Dyson himself says he's previously taught classes on Tupac Shakur and Marvin Gaye at the University of Pennsylvania. He says Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, is a worthy subject because of his diversity of business interests ? a clothing entrepreneur, he's also a part owner of the NBA's New Jersey Nets (soon to move to his native New York borough of Brooklyn) ? as well as his immense cross-cultural appeal and "lyrical prowess" in articulating contemporary black culture and his place in it.

"I think he's an icon of American excellence," Dyson said.

Though hardly as rigorous as organic chemistry, the course does have midterm and final examinations and required readings, including from Jay-Z's book, "Decoded." The 75-minute classes ? the final one is Wednesday ? focus more on African-American culture and business than on the particulars of the rapper's biography, which include millions in record sales, Grammy Awards, a marriage to Beyonce with a baby on the way and tours with Kanye West and Eminem.

One recent lecture centered on how popular black artists reflect their culture and race to the public at large, with Dyson name-dropping LL Cool J, Diahann Carroll and Bill Cosby. The professor and one student went back and forth on whether the rapper's lyrical depictions of his extravagant lifestyle ? "Used to rock a throwback, balling on the corner/Now I rock a Teller suit, looking like an owner" is one of many examples ? amounted to bragging and rubbing his taste for fine living in the faces of his listeners.

The student took the position that Jay-Z appears overly boastful, but Dyson countered that the rapper, who grew up in a Brooklyn housing project but has since become a multimillionaire, has never lost his ability to relate to the struggles of everyday people and has continued giving voice to their concerns. Though Jay-Z raps about Saint-Tropez and expensive cigars, he also talks about being nurtured by Brooklyn. And in one song, "99 Problems," he attacks racial profiling with a stark depiction of a racially motivated traffic stop: "Son, do you know why I'm stopping you for?" the officer asks. Jay-Z replies: "`Cause I'm young and I'm black and my hat's real low."

The chairman of Georgetown's sociology department, Timothy Wickham-Crowley, says he supports Dyson's course for trying to show how Jay-Z's music fits into American society, and Steve Stoute, an author and marketing executive who has done business with Jay-Z and has spoken to the class, said the course has practical value for students interested in business.

But others have concerns.

Kevin Powell, who writes about hip-hop and has run unsuccessfully for Congress in Brooklyn, said any discussion of Jay-Z should account for what Powell says are the rapper's derogatory lyrics toward women and his expressions of excessive materialism. Kris Marsh, an assistant sociology professor at the University of Maryland who specializes in the black middle class, said that while she appreciated Jay-Z's cultural significance, she was wary of structuring an entire course around him and using his narrative alone to reflect black America. Though hip-hop artists can focus a lens on urban life, she said, "sometimes these artists use poetic license" and blend fact and fiction to an audience that is often suburban and white.

"We're not sure if it's fiction or real life. It can be almost indistinguishable sometimes in hip-hop," she said.

In an opinion piece published in the student newspaper, The Hoya, junior Stephen Wu dismissed as "poppycock" Dyson's belief that Jay-Z could be compared to Homer or Shakespeare.

"It speaks volumes that we engage in the beat of Carter's pseudo-music while we scrounge to find serious academic offerings on Beethoven and Liszt. We dissect the lyrics of "Big Pimpin'," but we don't read Spenser or Sophocles closely," Wu wrote.

Danielle Bailey, a senior international business and marketing major who is taking the class, said she was a Jay-Z fan before enrolling but now has greater appreciation for his business acumen.

"I know a lot of people are upset, but I think the point of college is to think outside the box. I rarely have classes that allow me to look at things differently," she said, adding, "It's not always about Mozart and Homer."

Dyson makes no apologies, saying the course is a conduit for studying the "major themes of American life" and that hip-hop artists at their best deserve to be classified alongside literary luminaries.

Jay-Z was on tour and not available for an interview, his representative said. But Dyson, who considers himself a friend of the rapper, says Jay-Z has told him he appreciates the course. And Bailey said she heard Jay-Z give a "shout-out" to the class at a recent concert of his she attended.

"You're doing the class there," Dyson says Jay-Z told him. "I'm doing kind of the master class while I'm in concert."

___

Online:

http://www.georgetown.edu/

http:// www.michaelericdyson.com

____

Eric Tucker can be reached at http://twitter.com/etuckerAP

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/music/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111202/ap_en_mu/us_jay_z_at_georgetown

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Iranian diplomats set to leave UK (AP)

LONDON ? The deadline is approaching for Iranian diplomats to leave Britain following their expulsion by the U.K. government after protesters attacked the British embassy in Tehran.

Early Friday, the Iranian flag was still flying at Tehran's embassy in London, with diplomats given until 2 p.m. GMT (9 a.m. EST) to leave the U.K.

Phones at Iran's London embassy and consulate rang unanswered.

Tehran's relations with Britain have become increasingly strained in recent months, largely due to tensions over Tehran's refusal to halt uranium enrichment ? a process that can lead to developing nuclear weapons.

On Tuesday, Iranian protesters stormed and ransacked the U.K. embassy compounds in Tehran.

The incident ? broadcast around the world ? showed demonstrators tearing down Union Jack flags and brandishing a looted picture of Queen Elizabeth II. It has deepened Iran's isolation and significantly escalated tensions with the West.

In retaliation, Britain ordered Iranian diplomats off its soil, pulled its diplomats out of Iran and backed new sanctions on the Islamic republic. At least four other European countries, including Germany and France, also moved to reduce diplomatic contacts with Iran.

The storming of the embassy came two days after Iran's parliament voted to reduce ties with Britain following London's support for the recently upgraded U.S. sanctions on Tehran.

Although host nations are supposed to ensure security for embassies, the mob rampaged for hours at the British compound. Attackers torched a vehicle, tossed looted documents through windows, tearing down Union Jack flags and replacing them with Iran's flag and a banner in the name of a 7th-century Shiite saint, Imam Hussein.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague has said the attacks were "clearly premeditated" by high-ranking officials, but claimed there were "divisions within the Iranian regime" about the move.

Iran's government has criticized the attacks. But hard-liners have spoken out in support of the protesters. Mohammad Mohammadian praised the attackers, saying they had targeted the "epicenter of sedition."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111202/ap_on_re_eu/iran_britain

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ECB's Stark-Crisis cure needed to avoid disaster (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) ? An urgent solution to the euro zone debt crisis needs to be found otherwise there will be widespread macroeconomic and financial disaster, one of the European Central Bank's top policymakers Juergen Stark warned on Friday.

The euro zone faces a crucial week next week with the bloc's leaders holding a crunch crisis summit at the end of it and the ECB meeting for its final policy meeting of the year, with pressure on it to make clear it is prepared to do whatever it takes to save the euro.

"The lingering and expanding sovereign debt crisis must be halted to avoid macroeconomic and financial disaster, in the euro area and beyond," Stark, one of the ECB's six-member Executive Board said in a speech at the Forecaster Club of New York which put the onus firmly on political leaders to act.

"A solution needs to be found urgently." "No country is immune anymore to a loss of market confidence in its public finances," Stark added, pointing the finger at the U.S., saying it was now "essential for the U.S. to formulate a credible fiscal consolidation program that returns its government debt to a declining path towards sustainable levels."

With the debt crisis taking an increasing toll on the euro zone's economy, the ECB is expected to cut interest rates for the second month running next week --by at least 25 basis points-- a move that would shunt them back down to the record low 1.0 percent they started the year at.

On top of that it is also expected to introduce a new wave of support measures to help the bloc's battered banks, including extending the loans it gives them to up to three years and loosening its rules to make it easier to access its funding.

Stark, who will quit the ECB at the end of the year, stuck to his view that the ECB should not be given the task of solving the crisis, code for no all-out bond buying.

"Monetary policy should not be overburdened. Monetary policy in the euro area was and will remain an anchor of confidence and stability. It will remain dedicated to its mandate of maintaining price stability."

Previously the ECB did not go under 1.0 percent with its main interest rate, but this time around economists believe it could be forced much closer to the zero mark.

Stark, who heads the bank's influential economics department as draws up pre-meeting recommendations on interest rate moves warned that ultra-low interest rates carried dangers.

"Maintaining very low interest rates for a protracted period may weaken the financial incentive for deleveraging for both the banking and non-financial sectors."

"Very low interest rates may also discourage banks from trading in interbank money markets. This is an important market for the transmission of monetary policy," Stark said.

(For speech please click on: http://www.ecb.int/press/key/date/2011/html/sp111202.en.html)

(Reporting by Tim Ahmann and Walter Brandimarte, writing by Marc Jones in Berlin; editing by Ron Askew)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111202/bs_nm/us_ecb_stark

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