Syrian troops attack Damascus suburb

Syrian youth stand in a building damaged by tank shells in a neighborhood of Damascus, Syria, after a raid by Syrian troops killed several rebels and civilians Thursday, April 5, 2012. Syrian troops launched a fierce assault Thursday, days ahead of a deadline for a U.N.-brokered cease-fire, with activists describing it as one of the most violent attacks around the capital since the year-old uprising began. (AP Photo)

Syrian youth stand in a building damaged by tank shells in a neighborhood of Damascus, Syria, after a raid by Syrian troops killed several rebels and civilians Thursday, April 5, 2012. Syrian troops launched a fierce assault Thursday, days ahead of a deadline for a U.N.-brokered cease-fire, with activists describing it as one of the most violent attacks around the capital since the year-old uprising began. (AP Photo)

Syrians walk through blood and debris in a neighborhood of Damascus, Syria, after a raid by Syrian troops killed several rebels and civilians Thursday, April 5, 2012. Syrian troops launched a fierce assault Thursday, days ahead of a deadline for a U.N.-brokered cease-fire, with activists describing it as one of the most violent attacks around the capital since the year-old uprising began. (AP Photo)

A Free Syrian Army fighter, right, stands near the body of a fallen comrade in a neighborhood of Damascus, Syria, after a raid by Syrian troops killed several rebels and civilians Thursday, April 5, 2012. Syrian troops launched a fierce assault Thursday, days ahead of a deadline for a U.N.-brokered cease-fire, with activists describing it as one of the most violent attacks around the capital since the year-old uprising began. (AP Photo)

Syrians gather near a crater from a tank shell in a neighborhood of Damascus, Syria, after a raid by Syrian troops killed several rebels and civilians Thursday, April 5, 2012. Syrian troops launched a fierce assault Thursday, days ahead of a deadline for a U.N.-brokered cease-fire, with activists describing it as one of the most violent attacks around the capital since the year-old uprising began. (AP Photo)

In this Wednesday, April 4, 2012 photo, Syrians raise their hands vowing to continue fighting until President Bashar Assad's regime falls during a protest in a neighborhood in Damascus, Syria. Syrian troops launched a fierce assault on a Damascus suburb Thursday with activists describing it as one of the most violent attacks since the year-old uprising began. (AP Photo)

BEIRUT (AP) ? Syrian troops launched a fierce assault on a Damascus suburb Thursday, days ahead of a deadline for a U.N.-brokered cease-fire, with activists describing it as one of the most violent attacks around the capital since the year-old uprising began.

Activists in the suburb of Douma said snipers on 20 buildings were firing at "anything that moved" and residents had endured eight hours of shelling. They said soldiers marched into a main square behind detainees used as human shields.

The operation in Douma, along with other offensives around the country, bolstered the opposition's claim that President Bashar Assad is only intensifying violence ahead of the April 10 deadline to start implementing the truce. Activists say Assad wants to make gains on the ground before the cease-fire is supposed to take effect.

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said he believes Assad "is deceiving us" when he promises to abide by the peace plan, which was brokered by former U.N. chief Kofi Annan.

"Can we be optimistic? I am not," Juppe told reporters. He said if all the conditions of the cease-fire plan are not met, including the arrival of 200 observers, then "we must go back to the U.N. Security Council."

There are other signs as well that the government has no intention of abiding by the deal.

The pro-government daily Al Watan quoted an unnamed official saying the government is not bound by Tuesday's deadline for a cease-fire because that day marks "the beginning of army units' withdrawal and not the end. It is not a deadline by itself."

In Geneva, Annan's spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said both sides are expected to end the hostilities within 48 hours of the April 10th deadline.

"The clock starts ticking on the 10th for both sides to cease all forms of violence," he said.

Fawzi added that Syria has told U.N. officials it is withdrawing troops from the southern province of Daraa, the northwestern province of Idlib and the mountain resort town of Zabadani, north of Damascus.

But Mohammed Fares, an activist in Zabadani, denied claims that troops withdrew and said the army is still present in the town with checkpoints backed by tanks.

"Troops and tanks are in Zabadani and around it," he said by telephone.

Other activists reported attacks on both Daraa and Idlib on Wednesday. Activist groups reported more than 50 dead nationwide on Wednesday.

Douma-based activist Mohammed Saeed reported that troops shelled residential areas Thursday with tanks "in one of the most violent campaigns against the area since the uprising started." He said troops were using detainees as human shields as they marched into one of the suburb's main squares, a few miles northwest of Damascus.

"Soldiers in the Ghanam Square near the vegetable market were walking behind detainees," Saeed said via Skype. "They do that so that members of the Free Syrian Army do not open fire at the troops."

He said the shelling and clashes have been going on since 7 a.m.

"The regime has no limits in its crimes. They are ready to do anything," said Saeed. "They are hitting homes directly."

Another activist near Douma, Omar Hamza, said snipers took up positions on 20 buildings in and around Douma and opened fire at "anything that moved, even animals."

He said the shelling went on for eight hours, damaging homes and setting shops on fire. Hamza said the government appeared to be trying to put the heavily populated Douma under control before the cease-fire goes into effect for fear that there will be massive anti-government protests near the capital if regime troops withdraw.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported one of the biggest operations of the uprising in Douma, where army defectors are believed to be active.

Amateur videos posted by activists showed black smoke billowing from residential areas as heavy cracks of gunfire sounded.

Douma, which has witnessed anti-Assad activities since the uprising began, has been subjected to several campaigns by Assad's regime over the past year. The Observatory said troops were sending reinforcements into the suburb, where some residents are feared dead.

Rami-Abdul-Rahman, who heads the Observatory, said the regime appears to be "trying to put Douma under control once and for all." He added that hundreds of army defectors are believed to be in the suburb.

The Observatory said troops also clashed with army defectors in the northern towns of Hraytan and Anadan near Syria's largest city of Aleppo.

The Observatory and the Local Coordination Committees, reported intense shelling of the rebel-held town of Rastan in the central province of Homs and the nearby town of Talbiseh and said four people were killed in each area. Videos posted online showed wounded people in Rastan being treated in a local hospital.

The opposition is deeply skeptical that Assad will live up to his commitment to a truce and accuses him of trying to manipulate it to buy more time to continue his military crackdown on the revolt.

The truce is the keystone of a plan put forward by Annan in his role as joint U.N.-Arab League envoy in an effort to end bloodshed that the U.N. says has claimed more than 9,000 lives since March 2011.

Annan's plan requires regime forces to withdraw from towns and cities, followed by a withdrawal by rebel fighters. Then all sides are supposed to hold talks on a political solution.

Mohammed Abu Nasr, an activist in Hraytan, said the town of about 50,000 was subjected to intense shelling by tanks and helicopters since 5 a.m. local time. He added that a ground offensive began three hours later and hundreds of troops were pushing their way into the town.

"There are wounded people in the streets that we cannot reach because of the shelling," Abu Nasr said by telephone. "The situation is catastrophic in the city. Large numbers of people are fleeing."

Hraytan is just north of Aleppo, a city that has been relatively quiet since Syria's uprising began in March 2011. Although the city has been quiet, towns and villages in the province have witnessed in the past anti-government protests as well as defections among the army.

An amateur video posted online by activists showed smoke billowing from several areas in Anadan. A narrator said the shelling was taking place Thursday morning. Another video showed Anadan shortly before sunrise. Cracks of heavy gunfire echoed, while prayers could be heard blaring from mosque loudspeakers.

The Observatory later reported that troops were trying to push through Anadan adding that defectors have been so far able to damage three army vehicles and killed and wound soldiers.

As the fighting raged in the north, more Syrians fled to neighboring Turkey where the country's disaster management agency said more than 1,600 refugees arrived on Wednesday and Thursday. That pushes the total number of Syrians who fled to Turkey to nearly 22,000.

___

Associated Press writer Selcan Hacaoglu in Ankara, Turkey, Leila Saralayeva in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and John Heilprin in Geneva contributed to this report.

___

Bassem Mroue can be reached on twitter at http://twitter.com/bmroue

Associated Press

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Things To Consider When Looking at The Costs of Plastic Surgery

How Much Is Plastic Surgery?

If you want to improve yourself via a plastic surgery procedure, it may cost you a lot. It will be based upon the physician you see and what procedure you choose.

Maybe you?ve got an acquaintance who boasted over paying $3000 for a nose job or $1000 for breast implants. It?s never a grand idea to subject your body to the hands of a cheap plastic surgeon. In case his work is shoddy, it?ll be permanent! If you want the mistakes fixed, you?ll be saddled with a harsh price tag.

Due to the aforementioned reason, it is not worth your time to look for a non-accredited place for your plastic surgery requirements. We view personalities on television who had horrendous plastic surgery done, and they still shelled out a lot of cash. There is no warrantable reason for making the surgery you wish any harder than it has to be.

When you are thinking about getting plastic surgery done, it can appear to be rather inexpensive when you just look at the surgeon?s cost. There are other costs you must consider as well such as operating room costs, the price of anesthesia as well as the cost of implants.

When flirting with getting plastic surgery performed, it may seem inexpensive if you just look at the surgeon?s price tag. There are additional costs like OR expenses, the cost of anesthetics and the price of the implants.

The one thing that you have to consider which is of prime importance is that usually insurance will not cover the cost of any plastic surgery unless, of course, it is of medical necessity. Yet, if it is for purely cosmetic reasons, you are looking at footing the entire cost.

Here are some of the costs for some plastic surgery procedures:

So how much is plastic surgery? The upcoming figures are some costs for plastic surgery procedures:

? Botox ? $200 to $400 for every section you want corrected

Tattoo removal ? $300-$800

Tummy tuck ? $6,000-$8,00

? Tummy tuck ? $6,000 to $8,000

? Liposuction ? Between $2,500 and $10,000 depending upon how many areas you have done

? Breast augmentation ? $6,000 to $8,000

Nose job ? $5,000-$6,000

Face lift ? $7,000-$9,000

For people interested in knowing more about this should go to How Much Is Plastic Surgery This site covers most procedures and has helped many people choose which way to go.

?Mail this post

Technorati Tags: health and fitness

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Ben Askren vs. Douglas Lima and Michael Chiesa?s ?The Ultimate Fighter? bout: Friday talkback thread

It's a busy Friday night at Bellator puts a belt on the line and "The Ultimate Fighter" rolls on. Douglas Lima will challenge Ben Askren for the welterweight belt. In other main card action, Alexandre Bezerra will take on Marlon Sandro in the featherweight tourney in Cagewriter's pick for fight of the night.

On TUF, Michael Chiesa will fight Jeremy Larsen. Read Kevin Iole's piece on Chiesa for more on tonight's bout.

If you want some MMA tomorrow morning, check out Super Fight League's fights from India at 9:15 a.m. ET. They will stream live on YouTube.

Use this thread to talk about all of the weekend's MMA.

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FairPoint Communications Sponsors COMPTEL PLUS 2012 ...

CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --?FairPoint Communications is a sponsor of the COMPTEL PLUS Spring 2012 show being held April 15-18 in San Francisco.?

COMPTEL PLUS, the preeminent networking event for innovative communications companies and their supplier partners, attracted more than 200 exhibitors and more than 4,360 attendees to its 2011 events.

FairPoint wholesale business leaders will be on hand to discuss FairPoint's expansive network in northern New England, including more than 14,000 route miles of fiber and coverage of more than 95 percent of all businesses in the region.

"As one of the nation's largest wireline companies, FairPoint has a strong portfolio of products and services, from traditional connectivity to advanced Ethernet and Wave services," said Kathleen McLean, executive vice president and chief revenue officer. "We fully own and operate our robust carrier-grade network. Our customers can count on the FairPoint team to deliver industry-leading services at market competitive rates."

FairPoint's wholesale division creates, engineers and implements innovative technologies that help carriers efficiently reach their customers.? FairPoint offers a strong suite of advanced voice and data solutions in northern New England and 15 other states.? To schedule a time to meet with a wholesale account manager at the COMPTEL PLUS Spring 2012 show, click here: http://www.fairpoint.com/wholesale. ??

About FairPoint Communications, Inc.
FairPoint Communications, Inc. (NasdaqCM: FRP) is a leading communications provider of high-speed Internet access, local and long-distance phone, television and other broadband services to customers in communities across 18 states. Through its fast, reliable network, FairPoint delivers affordable data and voice networking communications solutions to residential, business and wholesale customers. FairPoint delivers VantagePoint(SM) services through its resilient IP-based network in northern New England. This state-of-the-art network provides Ethernet connections that support video conferencing, e-learning and other broadband based applications. Additional information about FairPoint products and services is available at www.FairPoint.com. You can also connect with FairPoint on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/myfairpoint) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/myfairpoint).>

SOURCE FairPoint Communications, Inc.

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Amanda Bynes arrested in LA for drunk driving

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Examiner.com : Insurance companies, climate dice, and extreme ...

I usually ignore Examiner.com stories. For one thing, I can?t tell exactly how it selects its stable of writers, whether they?re paid anything particularly notable, or what standards are expected of them. The reporting and sensibility of the stories are erratic to say the least. But here?s a fine job of blending several threads of news into a coherent essay (and that is what it is, for it appears to have involved no direct conversations between the writer and anybody ? derived instead off what can be turned up, written by somebody else, on the internet). It?s nearly a week old, but came up on the radar just now.

I put a link to his name and that leads to his bio and evidence he?s a writer, a greenie, and a seriously engaged guy. His essay ties the recent warm US March to a recent and to-me persuasive arXiv paper by a frustrated climatologist who will definitely go down in history and probably as the boy who was not crying wolf, James Hansen (with two colleagues), and to global and US insurance industries.

?? Both Regan?s essay and the Hansen et al paper are good reading for anybody on the climate beat.

Late Addition: Closely related news and views:

- Charlie Petit

?

?

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Greek suicide a potent symbol before election

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W.Va. coal mine where blast killed 29 to be sealed

FILE - In an April 5, 2010 file photo, West Virginia State Police direct traffic at the entrance to Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch Coal Mine in Montcoal, W.Va. An explosion fueled by methane and coal dust ripped through the seven miles of underground corridors at the mine on April 5, 2010 killing 29 men. (AP Photo/Jeff Gentner, File)

FILE - In an April 5, 2010 file photo, West Virginia State Police direct traffic at the entrance to Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch Coal Mine in Montcoal, W.Va. An explosion fueled by methane and coal dust ripped through the seven miles of underground corridors at the mine on April 5, 2010 killing 29 men. (AP Photo/Jeff Gentner, File)

FILE -- A Feb. 23, 2012 file photo shows Gina Jones, left, wife of deceased Upper Big Branch coal miner Edward Dean Jones, exiting a meeting on the investigation of the Upper Big Branch disaster. Jones and other family members Wednesday March 4, 2012 sued former Massey Energy chief Don Blankenship and eight others they hold responsible for the worst U.S. coal mining disaster in four decades. (AP Photo/Jeff Gentner/file)

(AP) ? The West Virginia coal mine where an explosion killed 29 men two years ago Thursday will be permanently sealed with concrete, the mine's new owner said.

Virginia-based Alpha Natural Resources, which acquired the mine when it bought Massey Energy last summer, said Wednesday it will seal the portals ? large tunnels miners use to get underground ? at the Upper Big Branch mine. Boreholes will be plugged and shafts that house the huge industrial fans meant to sweep bad air out of the mine will be capped to prevent any access. The job should be finished by summer, the company said.

"Everyone still has vivid memories of the tragedy and the suffering the miners' families endured," Chief Executive Officer Kevin Crutchfield said Wednesday. "For all of us in the mining industry, it is a solemn reminder of why we must always put safety first in everything we do."

Meanwhile, the mother and siblings of one of those killed sued former Massey Energy chief Don Blankenship on Wednesday, along with eight other individuals they hold responsible in their lawsuit for the worst U.S. coal mining disaster in four decades.

An explosion fueled by methane and coal dust ripped through the seven miles of underground corridors at the former Massey Energy mine on April 5, 2010. Starting at 3:01 p.m. Thursday, West Virginians led by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin planned to observe a moment of silence to mark the second anniversary of the deadly blast.

Pittsburgh attorney Bruce Stanley filed the suit against the former Massey executives and mine managers in Raleigh County Circuit Court for the family of fallen miner Edward Dean Jones, just before the two-year statute of limitations expired. The complaint claims deliberate infliction of emotional distress and demands compensatory and punitive damages.

Blankenship, who has retired and virtually dropped from public view, did not immediately respond to efforts to get his comment on the lawsuit. His codefendants have moved on to other jobs.

The lawsuit does not target Massey or Alpha. Rather, it goes after individuals the Jones family says should have put their workers' lives ahead of profits. Those named include Massey's former general counsel Shane Harvey and former vice president for safety Elizabeth Chamberlin, both of whom reported directly to Blankenship.

Harvey declined comment and Chamberlin could not immediately be reached late Wednesday.

Chamberlin was among Massey employees who have invoked their right to avoid self-incrimination and refused to testify in four investigations.

"Our hope is that they will be criminally prosecuted for their unconscionable deeds," said Jones' sister, Judy Jones Peterson, "but I also believe they should be held accountable individually to each and every family member that they irreparably damaged on that fateful day when our loved one was taken from us."

"We will never be able to come to terms with this loss knowing it was completely preventable," she said in a statement. "We want them to be held responsible. We need to make sure that a message is sent to this industry that we will not tolerate such flagrant acts."

So far, only two Massey employees have faced criminal charges over the explosion.

Former superintendent Gary May, a codefendant in Wednesday's lawsuit, is the highest-ranking mine official charged so far. He has pleaded guilty to defrauding the federal government and is cooperating with prosecutors while awaiting sentencing in August.

Former security chief Hughie Elbert Stover, meanwhile, is appealing his recent conviction and a three-year sentence for lying to investigators and ordering subordinates to destroy documents.

Jones' twin brother, Gene Jones, said the lawsuit seeks to hold others accountable for their actions.

"They blew a hole in our world when they killed our family, and I've got news for them. We're not going away without a fight," he said.

The other plaintiffs are their mother, Ruby Nell Lafferty Jones, and sister Cheryl Sue Jones. Dean's widow has reached a separate settlement.

In December, Alpha reached a $210 million non-prosecution agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice that spared the corporation liability but left individuals open to prosecution. The deal guaranteed that the families of the dead miners and two co-workers who survived the explosion each receive $1.5 million.

Those who accept the payout can still pursue lawsuits, but the $1.5 million will be deducted from any settlement or jury award. At least eight families of dead miners previously settled with Massey.

The Jones family didn't learn Dean's fate until four days after the blast, when state mine safety officials informed them he had been found.

The lawsuit claims the family was led to believe he may have reached an underground safety chamber. Instead, he was actually killed instantly by powerful forces that knocked him down, then doubled back and struck him a second time.

Stanley, who represented two widows after a deadly January 2006 fire at another Massey mine, cited a memo that became the focal point of that wrongful death trial in his latest lawsuit. On Oct. 29, 2005, Blankenship issued a memo to all Massey underground mine superintendents, telling them to focus solely on production.

"If any of you have been asked by your group presidents, your supervisors, engineers or anyone else to do anything other than run coal ... you need to ignore them and run coal," it said. "This memo is only necessary because we seem not to understand that coal pays the bills."

The lawsuit says Upper Big Branch got the memo, and the message was received.

"Instead of cleaning up their act" after the deaths at the Alma No. 1 mine, "defendants redoubled their efforts at squeezing profits from safety-challenged UBB," the lawsuit says.

It says Jones briefly stopped production because of ventilation problems in the mine, and was immediately threatened with being fired, along with every miner working with him. The lawsuit also charges that one miner was fired for causing a 55-minute delay while he tried to ensure the crews had enough fresh air to prevent explosions.

Investigators said they found the mine explosion was sparked by worn cutting equipment, and clogged and broken water sprayers failed to contain what should have been a minor methane flare-up.

Associated Press

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Priority Review Granted for Zaltrap for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer ...

Sanofi?and?Regeneron announced that the FDA has granted Priority Review of the Biologics License Application (BLA) for the investigational agent Zaltrap (aflibercept) concentrate for solution for infusion in combination with the irinotecan (Camptosar; Pfizer Inc)-fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) previously treated with an oxaliplatin (Eloxatin; Sanofi Aventis)-containing regimen.

The filing was based on the Phase 3 VELOUR study in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer previously treated with an oxaliplatin-containing regimen. The study was a multinational, randomized, double-blind trial comparing Zaltrap vs. placebo in combination with FOLFIRI in the treatment of patients with mCRC after failure of an oxaliplatin-based regimen. ?The study enrolled 1,226 patients with mCRC. ?The primary endpoint was an improvement in overall survival. ?Secondary endpoints included progression-free survival, response to treatment, and safety.

Zaltrap is an angiogenesis inhibitor. This fusion protein binds all forms of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), as well as VEGF-B and placental growth factor (PIGF), additional angiogenic growth factors that appear to play a role in tumor angiogenesis and inflammation. ?Zaltrap has been shown to bind VEGF-A, VEGF-B, and PlGF with higher affinity than their native receptors.?

For more information visit?www.sanofi-aventis.com or www.regeneron.com.

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How To Practice The Hypnosis Methods | Self Improvement Blogs ...

A person can learn stage hypnosis systems and techniques from both standard and online sources. But you should practice these techniques regularly to boost your talents and capability to hypnotise others. There are certain hypnotizing techniques and processes that may be used to achieve different objectives. In the primary stages, you can ask your acquaintances and family members to act as a subject to effect some of the common strategies learned by you.

It is always advisable to practice your hypnotizing skills by utilizing a pal or family member as your subject. But you should remember numerous factors employed by the professional hypnotists to choose volunteers for his show. Additionally, you need to provide an explanation for the whole process to your subject and make him accept your offer with an unprejudiced mind.

You should select a location for the hypnosis session free from external noise and disturbances. The subject can either lie down or sit based on his private comfort and convenience. You may also think about using soft music, dimmed light, and lavender scented candles to make the subject more relaxed.

Now you can gradually take the subject into a deeply relaxed state. You also have options to use a hypnosis script to carry out the hypnotizing process. However, you need to talk to the individual on a tranquil, soft, and slow demeanour to make them feel more relaxed and at ease. Once the subject reaches a state of acute relaxation, you can suggest explicit behaviours and action to reach categorical goals like reducing nervousness or giving up nicotine addiction.

After providing precise directions and ideas to the subject, you have got to talk with him slowly and calmly to get him out of the deeply relaxed state. When the participant opens their eyes, they are going to feel refreshed and energized. You?ve got to now use some straightforward hypnosis systems to make your subject fully alert.

Richard Barker has been performing as a corporate entertainer for a few years. He's also got a hypnosis course available!

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