Asia-Pacific ministers press Europe to act fast (Reuters)

HONOLULU (Reuters) ? Asia Pacific countries pressed Europe on Thursday to act more forcefully to quell its debt crisis, setting the tone for a summit overshadowed by growing alarm over the fallout from euro-zone upheaval.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and other APEC finance ministers agreed to shore up their own economies against Europe's troubles, warning in a statement of "heightened downside risks to the global economy."

"The crisis in Europe remains the central challenge to global growth," Geithner told reporters after ministerial talks ahead of a weekend gathering in Hawaii of leaders from Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum members.

"It is crucial that Europe move quickly to put in place a strong plan to restore financial stability," he said.

His remarks reflected mounting concern among the 21 APEC members about the spillover from Europe that already is starting to brake the pace of growth in one of the world's most economically dynamic regions. Geithner also made clear that the APEC summit would keep the heat on China to let its currency, which Washington says Beijing keeps artificially low for competitive advantage, to appreciate further. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also lodged criticism against China, Washington's main rival in the region, on everything from trade practices to human rights.

She vowed a U.S. "pivot" toward the fast-growing region and asserted Washington's renewed leadership in what she called "America's Pacific century." The summit, to be hosted by President Barack Obama in his native Hawaii, has been billed as an effort to make progress on forging a new free-trade area and an environmental technology pact, steps that could eventually foster global growth.

But finance ministers meeting on Thursday fretted about what they see as Europe's failure to take more decisive measures to sort out their debt problems. Italy has overtaken Greece as the epicenter of the crisis.

"It is not being dealt with forcefully," Philippines Finance Minister Cesar Pursima told reporters in Honolulu, echoing the views of many of his Asia-Pacific colleagues.

GLOBAL GROWTH NEEDED

Geithner said the Pacific rim must act quickly on its own.

"Asian economies will need to do more to stimulate domestic demand growth -- both so they are less vulnerable to slowdowns, such as the situation in Europe, and so they can continue to contribute to global growth," he said.

But there was no sign that the summit of countries representing more than half of global economic output would offer any direct measures to help the euro-zone cope with its crisis.

Rather, the focus was buffering themselves against the fallout.

A statement issued after the finance ministers' meeting, while making no direct mention of the euro zone, left little doubt that it was an overarching concern at the summit, as it was at last week's G20 summit in France. They pledged to "take coordinated actions strengthen global recovery" and said: "Such risks need to be addressed decisively to restore confidence, financial stability, and sustainable growth."

The ministers also reaffirmed a G20 commitment to move more rapidly toward "more market-determined exchange rate systems and enhance exchange rate flexibility" -- a clear reference to China's yuan valuation.

The currency issue has been a major irritant between Washington and Beijing, which has become increasingly assertive in a region where Obama now wants to refocus U.S. attention.

U.S. Commerce Secretary John Bryson said the United States would feel the bite in lost business with Europe, but Asian trade could help fill the gap.

The ministerial talks also dealt with efforts to further open markets between Asia-Pacific members, which have almost 3 billion people and account for 54 percent of global gross domestic product.

Nine countries -- the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Chile and Peru -- are expected to say on Saturday they have reached the broad outlines of a proposed Transpacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal. Japan may also join, giving the pact greater heft.

Adding luster to the summit's trade agenda was the announcement in Geneva that Russia, an APEC member, had sealed its 18-year negotiation to join the World Trade Organization.

For Obama, who is winding down the costly U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the APEC gathering is a chance to reassert U.S. leadership in a region where China poses a growing competitive threat. He will tout Pacific rim ties as a way to create jobs, considered crucial to his 2012 reelection chances.

The TPP pact, a possible template for an APEC-wide trade zone, would help inject the United States into the heart of Asia's regional trade architecture. China has moved ahead with a series of multi-nation trade agreements throughout Asia and has flexed its military muscle in the South China Sea.

While insisting the United States was not trying to "constrain" China, Clinton sent a message to regional allies that Washington would be a counterbalance to Beijing's economic and military influence and would demand it play by trade rules.

"U.S. firms want fair opportunities to export to China's markets and a level playing field for competition," she said in a speech shortly after Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived.

Chinese officials have already expressed doubts about U.S. goals at APEC, including a green growth initiative that would cut tariffs on environmental goods and services, such as solar panels and wind turbines. (Additional reporting by Michael Martina, Stella Dawson; Writing by Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Anthony Boadle and Robert Birsel)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111111/bs_nm/us_apec

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IPAL-EM launches to improve palliative care in emergency medicine

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 10-Nov-2011
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Lisa Morgan
lisa.morgan@mssm.edu
917-838-7936
The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine

New initiative will promote shift in care for seriously ill patients in the ED

New York, NY (November 10, 2011)A new national initiative, IPAL-EM (Improving Palliative Care in Emergency Medicine) will integrate and increase the use of palliative care when seriously ill patients are admitted to the emergency department.

Despite growing recognition of the role of the palliative care in emergency medicine, integration of the two can often seem like a challenge of cultures and mindset. Supported by the Center to Advance Palliative Care and the Olive Branch Foundation, the new initiative will focus on areas of common ground.

Developed by an interdisciplinary team of experts, IPAL-EM will support both emergency and palliative care professionals and will act as the central U.S. hub for shared expertise, evidence, tools and resources. The goal is to promote a paradigm shift in the way that seriously ill patients, and their families, are cared for in the emergency setting.

"The emergency department is an underappreciated but key site for patients and families to receive palliative care. Seriously ill patients often experience pain and other symptoms that require immediate evaluation, excellent communication and 24/7 treatment," said Tammie E. Quest, MD, Director of The IPAL-EM Project.

Palliative care is specialized medical care focused on relief from the symptoms, pain, and stress of a serious illnesswhatever the diagnosis. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage in an illness and can be provided along with curative treatment. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family.

"Every seriously ill hospitalized patient should have access to palliative care, and the emergency department is no exception. We expect to see an enormous positive impact on both patients and their families," said Diane E. Meier, MD, Director of the Center to Advance Palliative Care. "This is a pioneering project, and CAPC is thrilled to join with the Olive Branch Foundation in supporting it."

Emergency teams manage critical initial evaluations, initiate pain and symptom treatment, shepherd communication and ensure transitions to other care settings. Integration of palliative care is expected to improve control of physical symptoms and reduce family anxiety, depression and post?traumatic stress disorder. Care plans are expected to become more realistic, appropriate and consistent with patients' preferences. Conflicts about the use of life?sustaining treatments should be reduced, and patients are expected to experience earlier transitions to appropriate settings.

There are also benefits to the hospital, including reduced use of non?beneficial treatments, reduced hospital length of stay, reduced readmissions to the hospital and improved patient safety and satisfaction with care.

###

About The IPAL Project

The IPAL Project, an initiative of the Center to Advance Palliative Care, is designed to provide a central venue for sharing expertise, evidence, tools and resources essential to the integration and improvement of palliative care in specific health care venues, such as the ICU and Emergency Medicine. www.capc.org/ipal

About the Center to Advance Palliative Care

The Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) provides health care professionals with the tools, training, and technical assistance necessary to start and sustain successful palliative care teams nationwide. CAPC is a national, non-profit organization located at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York City. www.capc.org


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?


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.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 10-Nov-2011
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Lisa Morgan
lisa.morgan@mssm.edu
917-838-7936
The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine

New initiative will promote shift in care for seriously ill patients in the ED

New York, NY (November 10, 2011)A new national initiative, IPAL-EM (Improving Palliative Care in Emergency Medicine) will integrate and increase the use of palliative care when seriously ill patients are admitted to the emergency department.

Despite growing recognition of the role of the palliative care in emergency medicine, integration of the two can often seem like a challenge of cultures and mindset. Supported by the Center to Advance Palliative Care and the Olive Branch Foundation, the new initiative will focus on areas of common ground.

Developed by an interdisciplinary team of experts, IPAL-EM will support both emergency and palliative care professionals and will act as the central U.S. hub for shared expertise, evidence, tools and resources. The goal is to promote a paradigm shift in the way that seriously ill patients, and their families, are cared for in the emergency setting.

"The emergency department is an underappreciated but key site for patients and families to receive palliative care. Seriously ill patients often experience pain and other symptoms that require immediate evaluation, excellent communication and 24/7 treatment," said Tammie E. Quest, MD, Director of The IPAL-EM Project.

Palliative care is specialized medical care focused on relief from the symptoms, pain, and stress of a serious illnesswhatever the diagnosis. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage in an illness and can be provided along with curative treatment. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family.

"Every seriously ill hospitalized patient should have access to palliative care, and the emergency department is no exception. We expect to see an enormous positive impact on both patients and their families," said Diane E. Meier, MD, Director of the Center to Advance Palliative Care. "This is a pioneering project, and CAPC is thrilled to join with the Olive Branch Foundation in supporting it."

Emergency teams manage critical initial evaluations, initiate pain and symptom treatment, shepherd communication and ensure transitions to other care settings. Integration of palliative care is expected to improve control of physical symptoms and reduce family anxiety, depression and post?traumatic stress disorder. Care plans are expected to become more realistic, appropriate and consistent with patients' preferences. Conflicts about the use of life?sustaining treatments should be reduced, and patients are expected to experience earlier transitions to appropriate settings.

There are also benefits to the hospital, including reduced use of non?beneficial treatments, reduced hospital length of stay, reduced readmissions to the hospital and improved patient safety and satisfaction with care.

###

About The IPAL Project

The IPAL Project, an initiative of the Center to Advance Palliative Care, is designed to provide a central venue for sharing expertise, evidence, tools and resources essential to the integration and improvement of palliative care in specific health care venues, such as the ICU and Emergency Medicine. www.capc.org/ipal

About the Center to Advance Palliative Care

The Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) provides health care professionals with the tools, training, and technical assistance necessary to start and sustain successful palliative care teams nationwide. CAPC is a national, non-profit organization located at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York City. www.capc.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/2011-11/tmsh-ilt110411.php

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EMI sold to Universal for $1.9B in two-part deal

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? EMI Group Ltd., home of The Beatles and Coldplay, has been sold in two parts for $4.1 billion.

Vivendi SA's Universal Music Group said Friday that it has agreed to buy the recording division of EMI for 1.2 billion pounds ($1.9 billion).

The second part, the publishing division in charge of songwriting copyrights, was sold to Sony/ATV, for $2.2 billion. That's according to a person familiar with the matter.

A second person says the deal leaves Citigroup, EMI's owner, with liability for a pension plan worth about $600 million.

Both people were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2011-11-11-EMI%20Group-Sale/id-90a3052348ca4b0699e95f036d699cf8

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UFC takes it in the shorts money-wise on Fox card to set up a brighter future

UFC takes it in the shorts money-wise on Fox card to set up a brighter future

The UFC hitting network television is a gigantic moment in the sport's history, but to do so it's giving up plenty of pay-per-view money to come out of the gates swinging. According to Mike Chiapetta from MMAFighting.com, the Fox show will hit the UFC hard financially.

"It's an investment in the company," Dana White said. "In no way, shape or form do we come anywhere close to making our money back. You don't go on free television and make your money. That's just not how it works. We're going to get smashed on this fight, but it's an investment in the future of the business."

Sports Business Daily reports the Cain Velasquez-Junior dos Santos fight originally slated for pay-per-view next week at UFC 139 could have produced a paying audience in excess of 800,000. That equates to $40 million in revenue.

White knows it's more important to open the future revenue streams that being on network TV will bring.

"Our goal has always been to bring big, free fights back to network television," White said. "Now that we have a network deal, we're looking at it as, obviously we're going to take a hit on the pay-per-view side for a big fight like this, but we're thinking long-term for the future of the sport and making the sport bigger. That's why we're going to do it, and continue to do it."

Bill King from SBD talks more about the UFC on Fox debut from the business perspective.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/UFC-takes-it-in-the-shorts-money-wise-on-Fox-car?urn=mma-wp9188

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GOP claims Va. Senate majority after Dem concedes (AP)

RICHMOND, Va. ? A Democratic state senator from Virginia has conceded a narrow loss to his GOP opponent, guaranteeing the Republicans control of not only the Senate but state government.

Seven-term state Sen. Edd Houck announced Thursday evening that he would not contest the results of an election Tuesday. Unofficial results show the Spotsylvania Democrat finished 222 votes behind Republican Bryce Reeves, a former undercover narcotics officer who now owns an insurance firm.

Houck's defeat assures Republicans of the two-seat gain they need to forge a 20-20 split in Virginia's 40-member Senate. The presiding officer, Republican Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, holds the tie-breaking vote.

Bolling and Republican senators said they would use their one-vote advantage to assume the Senate majority. The House and governor's office are already under GOP control.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/uscongress/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111111/ap_on_go_ot/us_virginia_senate_republicans

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Poll finds more boomers working past retirement

Susan Webb and her husband Bob hold their dog Max in their West Liberty, Iowa, home, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011. An Associated Press-LifeGoesStrong.com poll finds a baby boom generation planning to work into retirement years _ with 73 percent planning to work past retirement, up from 67 percent this spring. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Susan Webb and her husband Bob hold their dog Max in their West Liberty, Iowa, home, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011. An Associated Press-LifeGoesStrong.com poll finds a baby boom generation planning to work into retirement years _ with 73 percent planning to work past retirement, up from 67 percent this spring. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Susan Webb stands in the living room of her West Liberty, Iowa, home, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011. An Associated Press-LifeGoesStrong.com poll finds a baby boom generation planning to work into retirement years _ with 73 percent planning to work past retirement, up from 67 percent this spring. Webb, 63, one of the 77 million boomers born between 1946 and 1964, had long hoped to retire at 65 from her job as a real estate broker. Not anymore, not since the economic downturn that led to depressed housing prices, wild stock market swings and an unemployment rate hovering at or above 9 percent for all but two months since May 2009. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

(AP) ? So much for kicking back at the lake house, long afternoons of golf or pretty much anything baby boomers had dreamed about in retirement. For many, the plan now calls for logging more hours at the office and renewed worries about money, according to a new poll.

The Associated Press-LifeGoesStrong.com poll found a baby boom generation planning to work into retirement years ? with 73 percent planning to work past retirement, up from 67 percent this spring.

A majority of boomers also are shaky about their nest eggs.

In all, 53 percent of boomers polled said they do not feel confident they'll be able to afford a comfortable retirement. That's up from 44 percent who were concerned about retirement finances in March.

"I'm not confident at all," says 63-year-old Susan Webb of West Liberty, Iowa.

Webb ? one of the 77 million boomers born between 1946 and 1964 ? had long hoped to retire at 65 from her job as a real estate broker. Not anymore, not since the economic downturn that led to depressed housing prices, wild stock market swings and an unemployment rate hovering at or above 9 percent for all but two months since May 2009.

Webb and her husband, who's 67, are both still working full time. They hope to ratchet back to part time at some point, but plans for a scenic lake house where they can go fishing and spend time with their two grandchildren will likely mean selling their current home ? not part of the original plan.

At 50, Cheri Hubbs of Norfolk, Va., is on the younger side of the boomer spectrum. Even so, she knows she'll work in retirement.

"I just feel like I'm going to work until the day I die," says Hubbs, an administrative assistant.

Hubbs had little saved for retirement when she went to see a financial planner a few years ago. Now, she and her husband are socking away as much money as they can. She's also cut back drastically on her little luxuries ? trips to the nail salon and Starbucks.

In the poll, 41 percent of boomers said they are expecting to have to scale back their lifestyle in some way in retirement and 31 percent believe they will struggle financially.

Retirement expert Olivia Mitchell says working longer and cutting back are two practical ways for boomers to save more.

"It's a kind of downscaled consumer society that I see in the next five years at least," said Mitchell, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School and executive director of the Pension Research Council. "Consume less and tighten the belt."

Downsizing is part of the plan for software designer Greg Schmidt of Carlisle, Mass.

Schmidt, 53, says there's no doubt he'll be working longer, likely into his 70s. With a daughter in high school and twin 12-year-old boys, he's got college tuitions to worry about as well as an aging father and father-in-law.

He plans one day to move to a smaller home, maybe in the mountains of Vermont. Almost one-quarter of boomers in the poll ? 23 percent ? said retirement will mean they'll have to move.

For Schmidt, the stock market is another source of anxiety.

"I am most concerned that we're going to be entering a different time and equities aren't quite as valued," he said. "I am afraid I'm a little heavy into equities."

The span between the two AP-LifeGoesStrong.com polls coincided with a 10 percent drop in the Dow Jones industrial average, which recovered most of those losses by climbing this week to above 12,000 before plunging again Wednesday amid concerns about Europe's debt crisis.

In all, 62 percent of the boomers polled lost money on at least one of four core parts of retirement savings:

?A workplace retirement savings plan, 42 percent.

?Personal investments outside of an IRA/workplace savings, 41 percent.

?An IRA (individual retirement account), 32 percent.

?Real estate, 29 percent.

The AP-LifeGoesStrong.com poll was conducted Oct. 5-12 by Knowledge Networks of Palo Alto, Calif. It involved online interviews with 1,095 baby boomers, as well as companion interviews with an additional 315 adults of other age groups. The survey has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points for baby boomers and 4.8 percentage points for all adults.

Knowledge Networks used traditional telephone and mail sampling methods to randomly recruit respondents. People selected who had no Internet access were given it for free.

___

AP Polling Director Trevor Tompson, Deputy Polling Director Jennifer Agiesta and News Survey Specialist Dennis Junius contributed to this report.

___

Online:

Poll results: http://surveys.ap.org

LifeGoesStrong.com: http://family.lifegoesstrong.com/bad-economics-midlifers-push-back-their-retirement-date-again

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-11-10-US-Aging-America-Delayed-Retirement/id-2def2c293ee94b7d9366eabdadc72620

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iOS and Android disrupt portable gaming market | TG Daily

iOS and Android devices are apparently disrupting billions of dollars of gaming revenue that were previously spent on portable consoles. ?

As Peter Farago of Flurry Analytics notes, portable gaming has traditionally been dominated by Sony and Nintendo for well over two decades.

iOS and Android disrupt portable gaming marketIn this "classic" model, consumers paid around $200 for the gaming device and up to $40 for popular game cartridges.??

However, the advent of Apple's iOS and Google's Android is causing a paradigm industry shift, with thousands of free/inexpensive mobile games distributed across a massive installed base of powerful and networked form factors.

"The most striking trend is that iOS and Android games have tripled their market share from roughly 20% in 2009 to nearly 60% in just two years," said Farago.

"Simultaneously, Nintendo, the once dominant player, has been crushed down to owning about one-third of market in 2011, from having controlled more than two-thirds in 2009. Combined, iOS and Android game revenue delivered $500 million, $800 million and $1.9 billion over 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively."

According to Farago, the abundance of digitally distributed free and $0.99 iOS/Android games "better appeals" to many consumers. Meaning, the days of paying $25 or more for a cartridge at a retail store may soon end.? ??

The analyst also confirmed that Nintendo's demise in the portable game category, along with slumping Wii sales, is causing the Japanese-based corporation to struggle.

"In addition to tablet form-factor competition, the console game industry, which currently pits Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo against each other, will also face competition from Apple and Google TV initiatives.

"Beyond 2011, if Nintendo continues to face financial hardship, it may be forced to consider difficult choices such as divesting its hardware business and distributing its content, for the first time, across non-proprietary platforms... [Yes], Nintendo may truly face a Nokia-like decision to jump or perish in the flames of its own burning platform," he added.

Source: http://www.tgdaily.com/games-and-entertainment-features/59553-ios-and-android-disrupt-portable-gaming-market

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Thailand floods: When journalists embellish visuals

Thailand's devastating flood has made for countless memorable images. But some journalists appear to be staging their own scenes without disclosing that to viewers, undermining the purpose of journalism.

Central Thailand?s devastating months-long flood, which has?so far?cost some 500 lives and billions of dollars in damage, has made for countless poignant scenes and memorable images. But that hasn?t stopped some journalists from staging their own, highlighting an ongoing issue that undermines the credibility and purpose of reporting.

Skip to next paragraph

One recent morning a British television station?s local correspondent stood knee-deep in water speaking to the camera.

A few yards away, several Thais stood, unmoving, on a small embankment of sandbags, gazing pensively at their feet.?These locals, the foreign reporter explained, were faced with a daunting challenge: whether they should dare to cross to the other side of a small alley covered in water.

Off camera, boys and girls splashed about, laughing and smiling, in the flood, while other locals, wearing plastic flip-flops or rubber wading boots, went about their business.

Once the foreign journalist had said his piece on camera, he turned to the Thais standing on the small sandbags and thanked them for their cooperation.?

They smiled, stepped into the water, and walked away. They seemed quite unfazed by the prospect of wading through 10 or so inches of water in a country where many people are used to seasonal floods, if not as severe as this year?s.

Admittedly, several miles away on the northern outskirts of the city, where?flood waters stood 3- to 5-feet deep, many locals were indeed prevented from getting around at ease. But that was not the case here.

The Society of Professional Journalists' code of ethics, which is widely used as a guide to thousands of journalists, says that journalists should be honest when reporting and?"Avoid misleading re-enactments or staged news events. If re-enactment is necessary to tell a story, label it."

It?s also demeaning to locals who end up being used as mere extras in a reporter?s scripted narrative. ???

At the risk of breaching journalists? work etiquette by interfering in someone else?s work, I pointed this out to him.

?Have you done much television journalism?? he shot back, implying either that staging events is a common enough practice in television news or that the medium?s heavy dependence on visuals requires stage-management now and then.

He was certainly hardly alone in that. Farther up the street, at a small open-air market near the city?s Grand Palace, another TV crew was staging an event for the camera.

Chancing upon a couple of young Thai Army soldiers loitering about at an embankment, they asked them to pretend they were piling up sandbags on it.

?Don?t smile!? the Thai cameraman chided. ?Please try to act serious.?

?By the third take, all went swimmingly.

Shortly after, I spotted a press photographer arranging flotsam for a photograph.

That doesn?t surprise Paul Christoforou, a veteran British news photographer who has been on assignments around the world and now works in Thailand.

Staging events for the camera, whether still or video, ?has always been done,? Christoforou says. ?All the best photographers, all the best cameramen do it. It?s wrong, but that?s just the way it is.?

He adds: ?[Some news] agencies even tell you: ?If you can?t get the shot, stage it. But we don?t want to know about it.??

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/JUq8bd3xeD0/Thailand-floods-When-journalists-embellish-visuals

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Handing out midseason hardware

Some obvious choices -- but don't overlook Bengals and Steve Smith, either

Image: RodgersGetty Images

Aaron Rodgers is having a remarkable season in Green Bay.

OPINION

updated 4:33 a.m. ET Nov. 8, 2011

Gregg Rosenthal

We?ve reached the midway point of the season.

Some things have gone according to plan. (The Packers are quite good.) Some teams have surprised us. (Hello, 49ers.) Other teams have made us question whether we even like watching football. (Looking at you, Colts.)

To make sense of it all, it?s time for our annual midseason lists, awards, and lists of awards.

REBORN PLAYER

1. Steve Smith, Panthers wideout: So much for being unhappy in Carolina. With the help of Cam Newton, Smith is leading the league in receiving.

Image: Steve Smith

Streeter Lecka / Getty Images

The Panthers' Steve Smith is second in the NFL in receiving yards.


2. Brian Cushing, Texans linebacker: A year removed his from steroids controversy and injury problems, Cushing is flying around again like a madman. He?s a perfect fit for the Texans? new 3-4 defense.

3. Wes Welker, Patriots wideout: It?s not like he was worthless last year. But Welker is on pace for the greatest possession receiver season of all time.

4. Alex Smith, 49ers quarterback: He?s not the reason the 49ers are so good, but he?s not getting in the way. Smith understands his role, doesn?t make mistakes, and leads the league in fourth-quarter comebacks.

5. Brian Waters, Patriots guard: He barely got a sniff in free agency. Now the former NFL Man of the Year winner could be headed to a sixth Pro Bowl.

6. Carlos Rogers, 49ers cornerback: The former Redskin is playing sticky man coverage and actually catching a few interceptions this time around.

7. Nick Barnett, Bills linebacker: He?s been an instant leader in Buffalo.

COACH OF THE YEAR

1. Jim Harbaugh, 49ers: He?s turned the 49ers from also runs to the likely No. 2 seed in the NFC. Harbaugh did it using Mike Singletary?s players and philosophy. (A run-first offense with a stout defense.) Harbaugh works around Alex Smith?s limitations and is creative at manufacturing offense. Plus he has a mean handshake.

Image: Harbaugh

Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images

Jim Harbaugh has led San Francisco to an 8-0 start.


2. Chan Gailey, Bills: The quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick, was undrafted out of Harvard. He?s on his third team. Running back Fred Jackson was undrafted out of Coe College. Wideout Stevie Johnson was a seventh-round pick; fellow starter Donald Jones was undrafted.? Put them all together, mix in an underrated offensive line, and you have one of the best offenses in the league. That?s all Gailey. This is a quintessential spread offense for a spread offense era.

3. Jim Schwartz, Lions: I have one Midseason Coach of the Year rule. If you have the Lions at 6-2, you make the list. Schwartz is the perfect ascending, aggressive, defensive coach for an ascending, aggressive, defensive team.

4. Mike McCarthy, Packers: He doesn?t get the credit he deserves as an offensive mind. There may not be a better playcaller in the league. Sean Payton is close.

5. Marvin Lewis, Bengals: It?s like he started over with a new team without ever leaving town. Lewis clearly relishes every minute of the post-T.Ocho era.

6. Tom Coughlin, Giants: Coughlin has a knack for getting his team to play well when no one expects. (Though I did have them winning the division.) They have fought through injuries better than any team.

MVP

1. Aaron Rodgers, Packers: There?s really not a close second.

Rodgers might wind up with the highest yards-per-attempt since 1954. It?s hard to come up with a player similar to Rodgers historically. Steve Young may have the closest match to Rodgers? combination of athleticism and precision passing. How do you defend this guy?

Image: Rodgers

Streeter Lecka / Getty Images

Packers quarterback?Aaron Rodgers has thrown 24 touchdowns and just three interceptions this season.


2. Tom Brady, Patriots: It?s a huge drop to No. 2 on the list, but the last few games have obscured that Brady has been dealing. His yards-per-attempt average is the highest of his career, even besting his 2007 campaign. No one completes more passes to well covered receivers.

3. Matt Forte, Bears: When everything else on the Bears offense breaks, Forte still works. No player accounts for a higher percentage of his team?s yards and it?s not even close.

4. Fred Jackson, Bills: The most underrated back of his generation is finally getting his due. Like Forte, Jackson has an outside shot to break the league?s yards from scrimmage record.

5. Drew Brees, Saints: The bad games tend to be quite bad, but the Saints would experience a Colts-like fall without Brees running the show.

6. Eli Manning, Giants: Only Aaron Rodgers is throwing for more yards-per-pass. That will be tough to keep up as the schedule gets more difficult.

7. Calvin Johnson, Lions: Detroit?s entire offense often comes down to ?Throw the ball up to Megatron.? And it works.

MOST UNDERRATED GROUP

1. Bengals defensive line: Wondering how the Bengals are 6-2? Their deep defensive line might be the best in football. Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins are the standouts of a group that goes eight deep.

Image: Cincinnati Bengals v Tennessee Titans

Andy Lyons / Getty Images

Bengals defenders Kelly Jennings and Carlos Dunlap are two of the reasons why they're 6-2.


2. Bills offensive line: This once-maligned group is strong, especially up the middle. Andy Levitre should make the Pro Bowl at guard and has chipped in at tackle. Eric Wood is a solid center. Ryan Fitzpatrick getting rid of the ball quickly doesn?t hurt.

3. Jaguars linebackers: I dogged Jacksonville for spending so much on free agents this year, but it?s paid off at linebacker. There may not be a more complete 4-3 linebacker group than Paul Poslusnzy, Daryl Smith, and Clint Session. Now if only the team had a pass rush. And a quarterback.

4. Texans defense: They are a legitimate top-ten group. Maybe better. That reminds me ?

COORDINATOR OF THE YEAR

This should actually be an award.

1. Wade Phillips, Texans defensive coordinator: Phillips and Norv Turner would be first ballot inductees to the Pro Football Better Coordinator than Head Coach Hall of Fame. Phillips took the league's worst defense, changed it to a 3-4 scheme, and immediately made them a top-10 group. Losing Mario Williams has hardly made a difference.

The Texans will make the playoffs because of Phillips.

Image: Wade Phillips

Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP

Wade Phillips has shaped Houston into the league's No. 1 defense.


2. Mike Zimmer, Bengals defensive coordinator: Someone needs to give this guy a head coaching job. Cincinnati?s defense is greater than the sum of its parts because the whole team plays disciplined football.

3. Chuck Pagano, Ravens defensive coordinator: He?s brought the fear factor back to the Ravens defense. They blitz more. They confuse more. They still beat the crap out of offenses.

OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

1. Cam Newton, Panthers quarterback: He doesn?t just have ?potential? to pass next generation guys like Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, and Josh Freeman. Newton is already better.

Newton has transformed the worst offense in the league into a top-10 group by himself. His pocket presence under pressure and ability to deliver any throw is better than all but the top-five quarterbacks. His running ability puts him on another level.

Just imagine how good he might be if he didn?t have a phony smile.

Image: Cam Newton, DeAngelo Hall

Chuck Burton / AP

Carolina quarterback Cam Newton is pace to throw for nearly 4,700 yards and 23 touchdowns.


2. A.J. Green, Bengals receiver: The No. 4 overall pick is enjoying a better rookie year ? by far ? than the last two can?t miss wideout prospects: Larry Fitzgerald and Calvin Johnson. Green is a magician plucking balls out of the air.

3. Andy Dalton, Bengals quarterback: Dalton?s decision-making and smarts were expected. His ability to hit downfield throws when necessary has been a surprise. He may be the next Chad Pennington.

4. Tyron Smith, Cowboys tackle: The book on Smith coming out was that he was the most talented lineman in his draft, but he would take a while to develop. He?s already one of the better right tackles in football, so the ceiling here is unlimited.


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Handing out midseason hardware

Rosenthal: Aaron Rodgers, Darrelle Revis, Cam Newton head the list, but don't overlook the Bengals and Steve Smith, either.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/45198867/ns/sports-nfl/

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Lady Gaga Wins Big, Guys Rule At MTV EMA

Justin Bieber, Coldplay, and a team-up between Queen and Adam Lambert were just some of the night's highlights.
By James Dinh


Lady Gaga performs at the 2011 EMA
Photo: Leon Neal/AFP

It was an evening of surprises at the 2011 MTV Europe Awards that included a takeover by the nominated men, a tribute to the late Amy Winehouse, a streaker, and, of course, an out-of-this-world performance from Lady Gaga.

Broadcast from the halls of Belfast's Odyssey Arena in Northern Ireland on Sunday, the Selena Gomez-hosted ceremony kicked off with two-time nominee Coldplay, who performed their latest hit "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall." Frontman Chris Martin danced his way from the arena catwalk to the main stage as a spiral of lights spun around the band, igniting the arena.

Check out all the red-carpet fashion at the 2011 EMA on MTV Style.

Shortly after, cameras panned to the center of the venue where the night's host, Selena Gomez, stood prominently in the middle of an onstage circle of fire. It was only a taste of what was to come from the former Disney starlet's hosting spectacle, which included a string of outfit changes, an appearance from her rap alter ego and mingling with pop peer Katy Perry.

"Jersey Shore" stars Snooki and JWoww were on-site to deliver the first award of the night: Best Live. "What's up Belfast? 'Jersey Shore' is in the house!" they screamed simultaneously, before announcing Katy Perry as the award recipient.

"This is probably my favorite award because my fans mean so much to me," the pop superstar told the crowd. "I'm so tired, but it's all worth it. Thank you. I love you."

LMFAO brought their wild antics to the EMA with a performance of their summer smash "Party Rock Anthem." The electro/pop duo proved their hard-partying ways with a life-size zebra float and a dance-off with America's Best Dance Crew winner Quest Crew.

Lady Gaga took home the award for Best Female, which was presented to her by David Hasselhoff. Pitted against Adele, Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez and Katy Perry, the pop diva beat the competition and walked up to the podium in a WTF-worthy metallic ensemble. Emotions overcame the singer later on when she nabbed the Best Song and Best Video awards for her mega-hit "Born This Way."

"I knew that this song was very special when I wrote it," the three-time EMA winner told the screaming crowd during her second award speech. "This is the single most important song that I've ever written, the single-most important album and until now, the single most important moment."

One of the night's surprises came courtesy of a streaker, who interrupted Hayden Panettiere as she was presenting the Best Song award.

Alongside his quartet of backup singers/band, Bruno Mars kept the momentum going with a performance of "Marry You." The stage looked as if there was a wedding going on, with its heart-filled backdrop set and confetti that spewing into the air. Like the 2011 VMAs, MTV dedicated a special presentation and award to industry legend Queen. Presented by Katy Perry, Brian May and Roger Taylor of the group accepted the Global Icon of the Year award, thanked the network and even gave the California Gurl a shout-out.

"How wonderful, because we here at the birth of MTV. How wonderful for us to be here 40 years later and to be honored in this way," May said.

While Jesse J brought some soaring vocals with a performance of "Price Tag," it was Gaga who treated her Little Monsters to outstanding theatrics with her performance of "Marry the Night." Dressed in her orbital getup, the pop titan danced atop a gigantic onstage moon while she belted out the dance track. She later joined a slew of dancers back on Earth for some hair-whipping and a choreographed routine.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Snow Patrol assisted in the EMA takeover with audience-packed performances outside of the show's venue from the stages of Ulster Hall and Belfast City Council.

Midway through the show, it seemed the 2011 EMA were all about the guys when both Linkin Park and Eminem appeared via pre-recorded telecast to accept their awards for Best Rock and Best Hip Hop.

Despite his current public controversy, Justin Bieber appeared positive when he walked up to the podium to accept the award for Best Male. To his surprise, Biebs was also presented the award for Best Pop by collaborator Ludacris backstage.

In a presentation introduced by Jessie J, the late Amy Winehouse was honored with a short video montage that included commentary from fans.

"It saddens me that I never got to thank Amy for breaking boundaries as I genuinely believe that without her, I wouldn't be standing here today," Jessie shared.

After his smooth performance of "Marry You," it was a good night for Bruno Mars, who took home the award for Best Push Act from MTV News' own Tim Kash during backstage interviews. He later appeared onstage to accept the award for Best New Act.

Gomez took on double duty at the show when she performed "Hit the Lights" alongside her band the Scene. But it was her boyfriend, Justin Bieber, who really got into the festive spirit when he performed a medley of his tunes "Mistletoe" and "Never Say Never."

It wouldn't be a show without some onstage pair-ups. David Guetta brought his string of collaborators together to perform their respective team-ups from his Nothing but the Beat LP, including Taio Cruz, Ludacris and Jessie J.

And that's not the only surprise collabo the Europe Music Awards had in store. "American Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert joined Queen for the show's concluding medley performance of "The Show Must Go On," "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions." Decked out in an oversize black trench coat and matching black ensemble, Lambert showcased his over-the-top vocals alongside the iconic group.

What did you think of the 2011 EMA? Share your reviews below.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1673825/mtv-ema.jhtml

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