Jobs most-cited election issue

Each week throughout the political campaign season, the Sun-Gazette has been asking candidates running for state and federal offices issue-oriented questions.

Candidates for state offices will consider one question; those for federal offices will take a separate question.

The candidates are:

5th Congress - Glenn "GT" Thompson, incumbent, Republican, and Charles Dumas, Democrat.

10th Congress - Thomas Marino, incumbent, Republican, and Phil Scollo, Democrat

23rd state Senate - E. Eugene Yaw, incumbent, Republican, and Luana Cleveland, Democrat.

83rd state House - Rick Mirabito, incumbent, Democrat, and Harry Rogers, Republican.

84th state House - Garth Everett, incumbent, Republican.

Question: What is the No. 1 issue you are hearing from people

this election season?

Rogers: "Jobs and education. They (people) want to have themselves in a position where they can afford homes and make a living. They want jobs. We are fortunate to have the gas industry here. But if that ever went away, we would be like much of the rest of Pennsylvania. You look at the amount of jobs we've lost in the state in recent years. We haven't felt that here due to the gas industry. But it's still a concern. Education is paramount. Parents want to make sure their kids are getting the proper education and school districts are getting sufficient funding. Everything anchors on a good educational system and good sustainable jobs."

Mirabito: "People often tell me they are concerned about jobs for themselves and their children. We need good-paying, family sustaining jobs. For over two decades, I have been invested in our local economy as a business owner creating jobs. As a state representative, I brought back $3 million for jobs and economic growth. This includes $1.5 million for Susquehanna Health, the county's largest employer; $1 million to Lycoming Engines, a manufacturing facility; and $500,000 for the Williamsport Downtown Development Project.

"Although the government does not directly create jobs, elected officials can use certain tools to spur job creation. I sponsored House Bill 1399 which would create a new Marcellus Shale Job Creation Tax Credit program as an incentive for companies in the natural gas industry to hire Pennsylvania workers. The tax credit is implemented in conjunction with a severance tax.

"Thus, we collect a severance tax as do 38 other states, and we reward companies that create jobs for Pennsylvanians by offering a tax credit. Focused tax credits like HB 1399 are not blind corporate giveaways and help create jobs.

"We still have work to do. We need to rebuild our roads and bridges so we have infrastructure for business development. And we need an educated and trained workforce. The unemployment rate in Williamsport was 8.7 percent last month, higher than the state's unemployment rate. I will continue advocating for good-paying jobs right here in rural Pennsylvania."

Cleveland: "The way we were run over by Act 13 and the impact fee. The other issues I'm hearing about are how to make up funding as a direct result of not passing a gas severance tax. Also, the human services cuts, the cuts to education. Human service cuts hurt the most vulnerable who have no voice. The impact fee amounts are not adequate for municipalities considering what they have to put up with."

Yaw: "Jobs and the economy. Even though we have been fortunate to be in an economic bubble due to the gas industry, the rest of the country hasn't had the same benefit. As a result, what people see is what's going on elsewhere. The concern is more for the general economy than for their own personal well-being. They think if the economy is bad everywhere else, is that going to affect them. There's just no question that jobs and the economy outweigh everything else."

Everett: "The No. 1 thing I'm hearing is people are concerned about the economy and jobs. I don't know if that ever changes much. I hear a lot of discussion about the gas industry. That is still the pre-eminent topic in Lycoming County. With Act 13 and the money going out there from the impact fee, that has kind of peaked their interest. People also want to know what we are doing with property tax reform. People feel that they got short-changed on the gambling revenues because the money doesn't all go to alleviating real estate taxes as was intended."

Is the U.S. on the right track in its foreign policy decisions? Why or Why not?

Scollo: "Yes, we've been on the right path. We got out of Iraq safely, Osama bin Laden is dead and Gaddafi has been toppled. We still need a better plan in Afghanistan. We have accomplished the goals we achieved when we went in: Osama bin Laden dead, al-Qaida on the run and the Taliban out of power. It's time to come home - the thing we must do as we leave is make sure the Taliban and al-Qaida do not surge into the vacuum left when we leave. As our troops continue to come home, the VA must remain fully funded: to care for our heroes returning from overseas today and to serve the heroes of prior conflicts.

"Particular attention must be paid to the psychological and emotional issues too many of our young men and women are facing. They must know that we stand with them and support them as they return to their homes, their families and civilian lives.

"This is no time to cut funding at the Tobyhanna Army Depot, which Tom Marino voted twice to do, and it's certainly no time to be cutting VA funding by 13 percent, which is what Tom Marino voted to do."

Marino: "The most concerning example is Iran's nuclear program. Unquestionably, a nuclear capable Iran is the world's greatest security threat, and President Obama has not taken steps necessary to halt Iran's nuclear ambitions. While I applaud congressional action in imposing the strictest sanctions against Iran in history, more must be done. Point blank, the sanctions haven't halted Iran's nuclear program. Libya is another unfortunate example of where the Obama Administration foreign policy has failed and, even worse, the Administration refuses to come clean to the American people about its role in the aftermath. The President and his administration originally blamed the Libya attack on a spontaneous protest against a video, but then were forced to acknowledge that it was indeed terrorism. Now the Administration refuses to answer basic questions about the attack and death of one of our ambassadors in the face of very concerning evidence about what the administration knew, when it knew it, and how it responded.

"Finally, the administration's policies have failed in Syria, Iran's greatest ally, where President Asad's regime has used the country's military against its own citizens for nearly two years, resulting in the death of over 25,000 people. President Obama has not been aggressive enough to end the conflict in and stabilize Syria, which has resulted in multiple Islamic extremists and groups with ties to al-Qaida attempting to hijack Syria's revolution in order to gain control of the country.

"I believe that we cannot achieve the U.S. foreign policy goals by 'leading from behind.' Leading requires us to face difficult issues head-on and be open and honest with the American people. These are not Republican priorities or Democrat priorities, they're national priorities, and I look forward to working with colleagues in both parties to produce a foreign policy agenda to permanently put the United States on the right path."

Dumas: "Yes. I think the obvious answer is that we have a creative and progressive leadership from the President and the secretary of state and people around them. The notion of demilitarizing our role and not be the policeman of world so we can promote democracy and communications. So, yes we are on the right track. And we are on the right track because of the leadership we have and the process we have with negotiating and promoting democratic ideals. At times it's tough."

Thompson: "No. I believe that it has not been a good policy the past few years. I believe that the Obama Administration has really been demonstrating a fatally flawed foreign policy. No. 1: Look what happened in Libya. It cost us the lives of four including the ambassador. More and more on this is coming out. Why was a Marine detachment taken from there? Obama believes in making peace with the Muslim world.

"Then, we look at what's happened in Afghanistan. I don't have a problem with the withdrawal date. My problem is the enemy knows our withdrawal date. We have trained Afghan people in preparing. But the Taliban knows when we are leaving. It's poor foreign policy by revealing strategy to your enemies. I believe we are prematurely drawing down troops in Afghanistan purely to satisfy the Obama political base. I am afraid it's going to cost us more lives."

Source: http://www.sungazette.com/page/content.detail/id/585409.html

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This entry was posted in Internet and Businesses Online

Source: http://www.mediacityballet.com/internet-and-businesses-online/549/

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Drug doesn't significantly lower risk of major heart problems in dialysis patients

ScienceDaily (Nov. 3, 2012) ? In one of the largest and longest trials involving patients with kidney failure, a study led by an international team of researchers found that cinacalcet -- a drug commonly prescribed to patients with kidney failure and a disturbance of bone and mineral metabolism known as secondary hyperparathyroidism -- does not significantly reduce the risk of death or major cardiovascular events.

The results of the trial known as EVOLVE, which enrolled nearly 4,000 kidney patients from several continents and stretched over five years, were mixed, researchers said.

"The results of the EVOLVE trial suggest that cinacalcet favorably alters bone and mineral metabolism, and could result in improved health and longevity for patients with end-stage renal disease," said the study's lead author, Glenn Chertow, MD, professor of medicine and chief of nephrology at the Stanford University School of Medicine. "But the trial was not definitive in determining cardiovascular benefits because so many patients discontinued taking the study drug."

Researchers did say the trial results showed possible cardiovascular benefits when certain factors were taken into account, such as an imbalance in age between study participants who were treated with cinacalcet and those who received a placebo. Those who received the drug were on average a year older; age is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

"The trial is not definitive in its results; however, recognizing some of the limitations -- such as the high dropout rate -- it is suggestive of a cardiovascular health benefit," said co-author Geoffrey Block, MD, medical director of Denver Nephrology.

The study, published online Nov. 3 in the New England Journal of Medicine, was also presented at the American Society of Nephrology annual meeting in San Diego the same day.

Patients on kidney dialysis are among the most frail and chronically ill, with high mortality and hospitalization rates. This makes recruitment and retention of such patients in clinical trials particularly challenging, the study stated.

Earlier studies suggested that cinacalcet, one of several drugs used to treat secondary hyperparathyroidism, may also help to prevent or ameliorate cardiovascular disease. Cinacalcet is manufactured by Amgen Inc., a biotechnology firm located in Thousand Oaks, Calif., which sponsored the EVOLVE trial.

Because secondary hyperparathyroidism and associated disorders are linked with death, fractures and cardiovascular disease, physicians have prescribed the drug in the hopes of preventing cardiovascular events in patients undergoing dialysis. Its side effects include nausea and gastrointestinal distress.

"Secondary hyperparathyroidism develops when the kidneys are unable to maintain the balance of certain minerals, including phosphorus and calcium," Chertow said. "In this setting, the bones do not mineralize normally, and blood vessels and other tissues can become calcified."

Cardiovascular disease is exceptionally common among patients with chronic kidney disease, including those treated with dialysis, among whom rates of death due to cardiovascular disease are more than 10 times higher than in the general population, the study stated. The objective of the study was to determine whether the use of cinacalcet in patients undergoing hemodialysis would reduce the rates of death and major cardiovascular events, including myocardial infarction, hospitalization for unstable angina, heart failure and peripheral vascular events, all of which were considered endpoints for the study.

Determining the appropriate treatment course for people with advanced chronic kidney disease, particularly those on dialysis, can be challenging. Patients with kidney failure require either kidney transplantation or dialysis; the latter typically requires three- to four-hour sessions of blood cleansing three times per week. In addition, patients on hemodialysis take about 19 prescription tablets daily and often suffer gastrointestinal disturbances and other side effects.

"The burden of hemodialysis treatment is considerable, and most patients take several prescription medications, often several times per day," Chertow said. "Cinacalcet is not a perfect drug. It has been shown to be safe and the gastrointestinal side effects are not prohibitive, but when someone is taking 20 pills a day, it is difficult to justify the 21st unless it makes an important difference."

The trial, which was originally designed to last four years, was extended to nearly five and a half years in an attempt to reach the required number of endpoints. Between Aug. 22, 2006, and Jan. 31, 2008, researchers recruited 3,883 patients on hemodialysis with secondary hyperparathyroidism from the United States, Europe, Latin America, Russia, Australia and Canada. These patients were then randomized to either a treatment course with cinacalcet or placebo and were followed for up to 64 months.

The primary analysis of the trial showed that the relative risk of death or a major cardiovascular event was reduced by 7 percent in patients treated with cinacalcet, a statistically non-significant result. Adjusting for age, or a combination of age and other clinical features of the study population -- such as diabetes or a history of heart disease -- the risk reduction was 12 percent and was nominally statistically significant, the study said.

The trial, which was sponsored by Amgen Inc., was led by an academic executive committee of researchers from several institutions who supervised the trial design and implementation. Four Amgen researchers were among the co-authors of the study.

Chertow was the only Stanford author. He reported receiving consulting fees from Amgen.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Stanford University Medical Center. The original article was written by Tracie White.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. Vlado Perkovic, Bruce Neal. Trials in Kidney Disease ? Time to EVOLVE. New England Journal of Medicine, 2012; : 121103123025000 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMe1212368

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/qVFqtygSv58/121104082205.htm

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Low vitamin D levels linked to longevity, surprising study shows

ScienceDaily (Nov. 5, 2012) ? Low levels of vitamin D may be associated with longevity, according to a study involving middle-aged children of people in their 90s published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

"We found that familial longevity was associated with lower levels of vitamin D and a lower frequency of allelic variation in the CYP2R1 gene, which was associated with higher levels of vitamin D," writes Dr. Diana van Heemst, Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands, with coauthors.

Previous studies have shown that low levels of vitamin D are associated with increased rates of death, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, allergies, mental illness and other afflictions. However, it is not known whether low levels are the cause of these diseases or if they are a consequence.

To determine whether there was an association between vitamin D levels and longevity, Dutch researchers looked at data from 380 white families with at least 2 siblings over age 90 (89 years or older for men and 91 year or older for women) in the Leiden Longevity Study. The study involved the siblings, their offspring and their offsprings' partners for a total of 1038 offspring and 461 controls. The children of the nonagenarians were included because it is difficult to include controls for the older age group. The partners were included because they were of a similar age and shared similar environmental factors that might influence vitamin D levels.

The researchers measured levels of 25(OH) vitamin D and categorized levels by month as they varied according to season. Tanning bed use, which can affect vitamin D levels, was categorized as never, 1 times per year and 6 times per year. The researchers controlled for age, sex, BMI (body mass index), time of year, vitamin supplementation and kidney function, all factors that can influence vitamin D levels. They also looked at the influence of genetic variation in 3 genes associated with vitamin D levels.

"We found that the offspring of nonagenarians who had at least 1 nonagenarian sibling had lower levels of vitamin D than controls, independent of possible confounding factors and SNPs [single nucleotide polymorphisms] associated with vitamin D levels," write the authors. "We also found that the offspring had a lower frequency of common genetic variants in the CYP2R1 gene; a common genetic variant of this gene predisposes people to high vitamin D levels.

These findings support an association between low vitamin D levels and familial longevity." They postulate that offspring of nonagenarians might have more of a protein that is hypothesized to be an "aging suppressor" protein. More research is needed to understand the link between lower vitamin D levels, genetic variants and familial longevity.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Canadian Medical Association Journal, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. Raymond Noordam, Anton J.M. de Craen, Pardis Pedram, Andrea B. Maier, Simon P. Mooijaart, Johannes van Pelt, Edith J. Feskens, Martinette T. Streppel, P. Eline Slagboom, Rudi G.J. Westendorp, Marian Beekman, Diana van Heemst. Levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in familial longevity: the Leiden Longevity Study. CMAJ, 2012 DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.120233

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/akRVLBzz6bI/121105130355.htm

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PST: Buck Shaw won't be site of MLS Cup

Over the last few weeks, there has been a little bit of a misunderstanding regarding site selection should San Jose win host rights for MLS Cup 2012.

Yes, the Earthquakes? organization would have a say in matters. They should, of course. But that ?say? has limits.

And that got lost recently as various figures from media and from the club weighed in on the venue debate du jour: Whether San Jose would be better served to make the event a bigger, splashier deal (and relocate to a larger venue), or whether the club?s competitive efforts would be better served by remaining in place, right there at comfy and cozy little Buck Shaw Stadium?

What got lost was this: it was always Major League Soccer?s decision, not San Jose?s.

It?s a little wonky, but MLS Cup is an MLS event. That is, front to back, the proceedings are run by staff from MLS HQ. It?s a distinction that matters in a lot of arcane ways that you and I don?t care about, but also in slightly more public matters of ticketing and player availability. And in the case of site selection, it matters substantially.

That?s the background for commissioner Don Garber?s comments over the weekend, which sealed the deal on this little bubbler of a debate:

We think if San Jose was able to make it into the final, more than 10,000 people would want to come to that game. So we?d want to find another site. We just don?t know where that is yet?. We have made the decision that we would like to move the game out of the stadium that they play in in Santa Clara today.?

The problem with Buck Shaw Stadium (pictured above) isn?t just the capacity of 10,000 and change, even if that?s the reason cited.

A lesser talked-about element of any professional sports premier event is the suited party and preening scene, i.e., the hospitality factor for rich folks who pay a lot of bills.

Sponsors and MLS owners need separating from the great unwashed, and a Spartan venue like Buck Shaw just doesn?t quite play to par on that one.

Plus, a small soccer stadium belonging to a smallish college (Santa Clara) doesn?t exactly fit the big-time image that the league and its partners (the TV networks, the major sponsors, etc.) would like to present.

Source: http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2012/11/05/mls-commish-don-garber-no-buck-shaw-for-mls-cup/related/

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Source: http://newstimes.augusta.com/sports/2012-11-04/sports-calendar

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Dr Sophie Read English, Christ's College (05 November 2012)

Dr Sophie Read (English, Christ's College)
Monday, 5 November 2012
12:30 - 14:00
Location: CRASSH Meeting Room

Part of the CRASSH Fellows? Work in Progress seminar series. All welcome, but please email Michelle Maciejewska if you wish to attend and to request readings.? Sandwich lunch and refreshments provided.


Dr Sophie Read (English/Christ's College):
CRASSH Early Career Visiting Fellow Michaelmas 2012
Perfume and Paradox:The Early Modern Literary Life of Ambergris

Email: scnr2@cam.ac.uk

?

The work I am going to undertake while at CRASSH will provide the foundation for my next major research project, provisionally entitled ?Perfume and Paradox: The Rhetoric of Scent, 1550-1750?. This book will explore the place of the sense of smell in general, and of perfumes more particularly, in the literature of that period, drawing on an emerging field of interdisciplinary research into the ?lower? literary senses of smell, taste and touch. The first stage of the research is to trace the early modern literary life of a single outlandish substance: ambergris.

Ambergris, we now believe, is a pathological growth from the stomach of a sperm whale, possibly caused by illness or irritation; when expelled from the whale and exposed over the course of years to the action of sea and sun, it develops a distinctive odour, like the transfigured ghost of musk, which has led to it being much prized in the arts of medicine, cookery and perfumery.

This account of its origin, even now not secure, is relatively recent; when routes of trade and travel were opened up in the early modern period, this valuable but uncategorizable substance was the subject of fascinated speculation, and poets of the time (Herbert, Herrick, Milton) used it as a figure of the mysterious and the exotic. My time at CRASSH will be spent exploring ambergris in the early modern world: the history of its importation, the myths and speculations that surrounded its origin, the beliefs about its medical and aphrodisiac powers, its uses and status, what it smelt like, and, above all, what it signified to the contemporary literary imagination.

About Sophie Read

Sophie Read is a faculty lecturer in English and has been a fellow of Christ?s College, Cambridge, since 2006. Her first monograph, Eucharist and the Poetic Imagination in Early Modern England (which includes chapters on Southwell, Donne, Herbert, Vaughan, Crashaw and Milton) is forthcoming from Cambridge University Press later this year; she has also published on Shakespeare, Andrewes and Swift, as well as contemporary poetics. Her new research project builds on a long-term interest, both practical and theoretical, in perfume and writing about scent.

For administrative enquiries please contact Michelle Maciejewska.

?

Source: http://www.crassh.cam.ac.uk/events/1956/

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From Afghanistan to Venezuela, 2012 battle captivates

Roberto Leon / NBC News

Havana cab driver Omar Martin

By NBC News staff

News analysis

Barack Obama's election to the White House in 2008 captured the world's imagination.?

His victory was heralded with a front-page headline proclaiming "The Day America Became a Little Bit Cool Again" in the U.K's?Metro newspaper, Kenya declared a national holiday and even usually adversarial Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez hailed the "historic" event.

As part of our?The World is Watching series, NBC News journalists around the world set out to see whether four years had dampened that initial enthusiasm and examined what people in other countries think a Mitt Romney administration might mean for their daily lives.

Read on to learn what we discovered from people in nations including Iran, Pakistan, Britain, Cuba, Israel and beyond.

EGYPT
In the first foreign policy speech of his presidency, Barack Obama told the audience at Cairo University to?"seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world." He promised to support democracy, economic development and a Palestinian state, and stated his opposition to extremism.

Nov. 5: From dancing in the streets to Cold War echoes - ITN's Lindsey Hilsum reports on the world's reaction to Barack Obama's election.

Today, many in Egypt ? arguably the Arab world?s most influential country and its largest in terms of population ?? feel that hopes raised during the speech have been dashed.?

Their disappointment hasn?t necessarily translated into immediate support for Republican candidate Mitt Romney.

?I don?t prefer either (Obama or Romney),? accountant Nasr Said, 31, said.? ?America has one policy.? It doesn?t matter who is elected.?

Cairo University political science professor Horeya Megahid said that many people expected too much of Obama and now feel deceived. In the wake of the Arab Spring, she feels that he is supporting the Muslim Brotherhood at the expense of liberal parties and movements.

June 4: President Obama delivers an address to the Muslim world from Cairo, Egypt.

?But we don?t expect Romney to be any better,? she said. ??I hope that if Obama wins, he can make some changes in his policy and towards his understanding of what is going on in the Middle East.?

In Egypt's elections, politics is a new family affair

Dr. Amr Darag, a?Muslim Brotherhood member and former parliamentary candidate, favors Obama?s campaign promises but doubts they will be kept.?

?Obama would be more understanding of the changes that have taken place in the Middle East,? he said. ?

Darag said he doubted that Romney would change policies by offering more aid to the armed Syrian opposition or support to Israel if it attacked Iran.?

?War is no game,? he said.? ?During campaigning, one might talk loudly about this but in reality, policy is made by experts and advisers, not by one man.?

IRAN
Iranians inside and out of the country have learned over the decades that American decisions can have big repercussions on their country.

The Allied powers occupied Iran during World War II, forcing Reza Shah to abdicate in favor of his son. In 1952, President Harry Truman did not agree to overthrow the government of Mohammad Mosaddegh. But in 1953, the CIA under Dwight D. Eisenhower helped oust the democratically elected prime minister and reinstate the Shah, arguably helping give rise to Shiite fundamentalism.

Now, what was once an important U.S. client state is a staunchly anti-Western Islamic Republic that refers to America as the "Great Satan." Fearful of Iran?s supposedly peaceful nuclear program, the West has slapped sanctions on the country. Israel, meanwhile, has threatened to strike Iran?s nuclear installations.

'Our money is becoming more and more worthless every day'

Elmira, 26, knows the name of every U.S president since Richard Nixon and can recite each one?s policy towards Iran, the world?s fourth-largest oil producer.

"I think that Romney might attack Iran and that would be terrible,? the student said.? ?It is true that the sanctions have hurt us but war would be much more painful.?

Further afield the diaspora also holds strong opinions.

The regime does not represent the Iranian people, said one expatriate Iranian who asked that his name not be used.

??(Romney) will take a stronger position on Iran, maybe he will attack and get rid of the regime once and for all,? he said.

The Iranian economy is in free fall, with its currency, the rial hitting a record low. NBC's Ali Arouzi reports.

However, Mohsen Rezaee, the former head of the Revolutionary Guard and presidential candidate during Iran?s 2009 elections, told NBC News that U.S policy towards Iran was set in stone and the only difference was the path each candidate would take to get to the same goal.

CUBA
It?s unlikely that any Latin American country tracks U.S. politics more closely than the socialist island of Cuba.

?The elections are important to us,? Havana University Professor Esteban Morales said. ?Almost as important as baseball,? Cuba?s national pastime, he jokingly added.

Also in this series: Despite bloodshed, Mexico is ignored during White House race

Indeed, American presidential elections are a spectator sport for many. From the moment Fidel Castro took power and immediately locked horns with Washington more than 50 years ago, the average Cuban learned to keep one eye trained north. The official position from the government has been to blame the U.S. trade embargo for much of the island?s economic hardship.

?Of course I?m paying attention to the U.S. elections,? said Havana cabbie Omar Martin, 46. ?The outcome will have an impact here.?

While not living up to every promise he made, Obama has made good on a pledge that restored the right of Cuban Americans to travel to see family and to transfer money to the island.

Miriam Leiva, a member of the political opposition, believes Obama has gained popularity because of the ?bridges he built with the Cuban people.?

Roberto Leon / NBC News

?People believe Obama promotes contact between the two countries,? Leiva said. ?Romney would revert to a policy of confrontation with the Cuban government.?

ISRAEL
Most Israeli Jews would be reassured if Romney won the U.S. presidential election ? one recent survey showed most preferred the Republican to Obama by almost a three-to-one margin ? feeling they had an unquestioning friend rather than a dispassionate critic in the White House.

?I hope that Obama doesn?t win because he is not good for Israelis,? said Daniel Sullam, a resident of Jerusalem.? ?Romney is better since he sits and talks to (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and listens to him.?

?If we don?t attack Iran before they attack us they will attack us with an atomic bomb, and this is not a joke and ? will affect the whole world and not only the Israelis,? Sullam added.

Also in this series:?Israel, Iran name checks illustrate America's twin obsessions

Obama has been accused of trying to browbeat Israel into making concessions to the Palestinians, particularly in his efforts to halt settlement-building in the occupied West Bank, and of refusing to impose red lines on Iran's atomic project.

However, the U.S. and Israel are too joined at the hip on fundamental challenges for the head to make that much difference, some experts say. Any change would probably be a question of style over substance, they say, with a Republican administration expected to follow the path already laid out by Obama.

"There is a great deal of continuity in foreign policy," said Zalman Shoval, a former Israeli ambassador to the United States and member of the ruling conservative Likud party. "Things don't change overnight if a new president takes power."

PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES
Palestinians tend to have a different take on the American presidential race, saying that the United States reflexively supports the Israel and disregards legitimate Palestinian interests.

Palestinians want to establish a state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, which Israel captured in 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital. But after years of talks failed to secure one many believe there is little difference between the two U.S. candidates.

?People know that the system in the U.S. doesn?t give much leeway to the candidate given the strong Israeli lobby,? said Mazin Qumsiyeh, biology professor at Bethlehem and Birzeit universities. ?Candidates have to grovel at Israel?s feet to prove their candidacy.?

President Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney discuss foreign policy in the third and final presidential debate.

The American passport holder said he would not vote for either Romney or Obama.

Palestinians say that growing Israeli settlements deny them a viable contiguous state, while Israel cites historical and Biblical links to the West Bank and Jerusalem and says the future of settlements should be decided in peace talks.

While the next U.S. president will not be able to buck the U.S.?s anti-Palestinian bias, Talat Batato said he admired Obama.

?I like Obama because he defied discrimination and repression by being the first black president,? said Batato, who works at an NGO in Gaza.? ?But I don?t think Americans are mature enough to keep in him for longer.?

GREAT BRITAIN
In season one of the ?West Wing,? fictional British diplomat Lord John Marbury arrives in the Oval Office to advise the president. His approach toward the most powerful man in the world summed up thus: ?You may have the power, but you need us British because we understand the world better than you do.?

It?s a good stereotype and it?s half-true. London continues to be a diplomatic center. And as one of America?s closest allies, the British provide an important link between the United States and the world.

Full coverage: NBCNews.com's The World is Watching series

But the reality is that Britain needs America more than the reverse. The U.S. invests more money in Britain that Europe does. And British foreign policy has been in lockstep with the U.S. for a decade. That?s why the British government is so cautious not to take sides in the general election: It knows it must work with whomever is elected.

?Insofar as U.S. elections tell us anything, it is more about the character of the next administration rather than the substance,? Michael Clarke, director general of the Royal United Services Institute think tank, told NBC News.

From 2008: Londoners celebrate Obama's inauguration

While Obama appears to have no sentimental affection for the U.K., he might see Britain as useful in a more internationally focused second term.

?I think Obama might value more what the U.K. has to offer on the world stage, in a very hard-nosed way,? Clarke said.

Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain and President Barack Obama have a personal bond that helps define their working relationship. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.

So while on both sides of the Atlantic politicians and diplomats like to talk of the ?special relationship,? a term invented by Winston Churchill, such a relationship is more important to prime ministers than presidents.? Presidents tend to choose to use it when it?s in their interests and ignore it when it isn?t. In this special relationship Britain is very much the junior partner, and she knows it.

AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan has been heavily dependent on the United States since U.S.-backed forces toppled the Taliban in 2001, so who wins Tuesday?s election matters here.

One of the world?s poorest and least-developed countries whose economy relies heavily on foreign aid and where violence against women is increasing, it is under huge pressure to gain control of its own security before the deadline for foreign troop withdrawal.

?The people who are aware, who are educated, care about the election,? said Fayazulhaq Hotak, a government worker. ?They know the importance of this election and the consequences of what will happen to Afghanistan. Maybe the new president will withdraw the troops earlier.?

Aref Karimi / AFP - Getty Images

More than ten years after the beginning of the war, Afghanistan faces external pressure to reform as well as ongoing internal conflicts.

Most of the people NBC News spoke to in a crowded market in Kabul had not heard of Mitt Romney, although everyone knew who Barack Obama was.

A key concern for many Afghans, with so many insider attacks and the constant threat faced by local police and Afghan military, is whether Afghanistan will be secure after the 2014 withdrawal deadline.

?I think Obama is better for Afghanistan than Romney would be,? IT specialist Azim Fakrhi said. His biggest fear is the withdrawal of NATO troops.

Meet Afghan female rapper, colonel who defy odds

Only a government worker, Fayazulhaq Hotaq, had clear-cut views on Romney.

?We are afraid that he will suddenly withdraw troops from Afghanistan,? Hotaq said.

However, most people are too poor and preoccupied to care about the elections, said Sayed Zaman.

?They are busy earning their daily bread for their own families,? he added.

INDONESIA
There is huge support in the world?s largest Muslim country for Obama, who lived in Jakarta as a child.? Indonesians are also keenly interested in foreign policy issues, with many distrustful of the U.S. and its treatment of Muslims around the world.

?I do follow the race closely,? said Indonesian Ayu Hakim who spent more than a decade in the United States. ?One thing for sure, Obama has made everything much more transparent by putting his plans, visions, goals, etc. on his website.?

Controversial Obama statue back in public view

Romney, on the other hand has not been as transparent, which reflects badly on him, Hakim said.

NBC News chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel talks with Rachel Maddow about the news made in the third presidential debate, including President Obama's remarks on leaving Pakistan in the dark on plans to get Osama bin Laden.

Benny Handoko, on the other hand, hasn?t paid as much attention to this race.

?The previous one is the most exciting U.S. election in my living memory since it's a breakthrough, a historic achievement in terms of the U.S. having the first Black president,? he said.?

?Whoever is elected won't change American international policy drastically because I think they have to deal with domestic issues more. And American isn't as important,? he added.

VENEZUELA
Oil-rich Venezuela is run by self-styled socialist Hugo Chavez, Latin America's principal anti-U.S. agitator.? While Chavez?s populist largesse has won him elections, critics complain about the country?s rundown infrastructure, food shortages and violent crime.

When asked about the U.S. election, Patricia Paredes, 63, said she was worried that Obama was too liberal.

?He changed all of his views on homosexuality and abortion just to get votes,? the Caracas resident said.? ?Romney will have a stronger hand.?

Chavez wins 3rd term, vows to deepen socialist revolution

This strong hand will put Venezuela under pressure and save Venezuela from Chavez, Paredes said.

/

The life of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez from his rise as a lieutenant colonel after his failed coup attempt in 1992.

Jorge P?rez Valery, 24, a journalist with Globovisi?n, does not agree that Romney would be a better candidate but he also doesn?t pin his hopes on Obama.

?If Mitt Romney wins, I think that Republicans would have a (stricter) policy towards Caracas,? he said. ?I'm afraid that this attitude would just affect the people, but not the Hugo Ch?vez's regime.?

?(But) if Barack Obama wins, I sincerely think that there will be no change,? he added.

PAKISTAN
For many in the world?s second-largest Muslim country, the third presidential debate covered two existentially important areas of foreign policy: the hugely unpopular use of drones to target alleged militants and whether Pakistan and the United States should ?divorce.??

Whether either candidate represented a real change was up-for-discussion, however.

Pakistan's 'Generation Y' battles to shape country's future

Whoever occupies the Oval Office has little room move independently on Pakistan or any other foreign policy issue, said Ahsan Iqbal, a member of parliament for the Pakistan Muslim League.

?American foreign policies are made in places like the Pentagon where the institutional memory has little to do with who the president is,? he said. ?Be it Romney or Obama, nobody is going to rock the boat.?

In Pakistan's largest city, 'Old Glory' is flammable and profitable

Still, Mohammad Waseem, a 40-year-old handyman from the capital Islamabad, said he hoped the election would bring a change from Obama, even though he did not even know the name of the GOP challenger.

?Obama hasn't been good for Pakistan. As we are Muslims, America wants to enslave us,? he said.

Muhammed Muheisen / AP

Images of daily life, political pursuits, religious rites and deadly violence.

Billions in foreign aid that have gone to Pakistan have done little to help regular people, Waseem said.

?The dollars they send here only go to the rulers,? he said. ?Help us fight inflation. Help us find jobs.?

JAPAN
?Mr. Romney lacks 'shomin kankaku'," said businessman Choei Yamaoka in Tokyo?s Shimbashi, a mecca for Japan's middle-class salarymen. "And for continuity's sake, it?s probably better for Japan to have Mr. Obama remain President.?

"Shomin kankaku" is a popular term in Japanese politics that means "commoner's sensibilities," and acts as a barometer for politicians? strength or public approval.

But it isn?t just commoner's sensibilities that are on the minds of Japanese people. Two decades of economic stagnation have forced Japan to relinquish its position as the world's second largest economy to China.

"Not only does Mr. Romney lack shomin kankaku, he seems too hostile towards China," housewife Shizuko Otani told NBC News.? "We need to work with China.?

Also in this series:?Suspicion of US rife as Obama, Romney jab China

Still, Romney has some supporters.

"Looking back at the last four years, I have to say I support Romney,"?taxi driver Akio Hiraide said. "Past American presidents have all been more supportive of Japan. I just don't get that feeling from Mr. Obama.??

GERMANY
If the U.S. presidential election were held in Germany, Obama would win by a landslide. In a recent poll by public broadcaster ZDF, 89 percent of respondents said they would vote for Obama if they could.

ZDF Political Director Theo Koll called the result ?astonishing? and said Germans were impressed with Obama?s introduction of universal health care.

?The fact that Americans had no health system in a way Europeans would define a health system, that millions were without insurance, was quite strange,? he said.

From 2010: Europe 'dismayed' as midterms highlight Obama's struggles

One Obama fan is Simon Rossbach, a 26-year-old student in Mainz.

?I?ve liked Obama since he appeared on the political stage because of his personality,? he said while reading ?The Hunger Games? at the local Starbucks. ?Romney?s demeanor and message make him appear unappealing.?

Reuters, Getty Images

In the final push in the 2012 presidential election, candidates Mitt Romney and Barack Obama make their last appeals to voters.

Indeed, Romney seems to be such a turnoff to some Germans that they cancelled their contracts with Allianz after a report that employees at the American branch of the insurance giant had donated to the Romney campaign.

Also in this series: Should next US president treat Russia as friend or foe?

Experts said Romney has a much harder stance, because he never visited Germany as a presidential candidate, while Obama drew a 200,000-strong crowd at his 2008 Berlin speech.

?Romney is just less known here,? Klaus Scharioth, a former German ambassador in Washington, D.C., told NBC News. ?Obama has proven himself to Germans with his foreign policy efforts.?

Scharioth said many Germans feel that the Obama government is willing to include other nations in its handling of developments in the Middle East, Afghanistan or Russia.

KENYA
Several hundred people are expected to converge in the dusty streets near the edge of the mighty Lake Victoria in Western Kenya where they hope they will see Obama re-elected.

?We will slaughter a number of bulls around here. People will drink and celebrate, they will sing and dance,? said Peter Okath, 33, who owns shops and a clothing business.

When Obama became president, Kogelo, described as Obama?s Kenyan home, erupted in celebration.? The jubilation ran through the country as many locals hoped that the election of an African-American president would lead to the promotion of issues affecting Kenya.

Nov. 5: Barack Obama's last living grandparent, 86-year-old Miss Sarah, invited any and everyone into the tiny village where she lives in Kenya in what became a national celebration. NBC's Ron Mott reports.

But those high expectations have largely not been met: A survey conducted for BBC found that Kenya was the most pro-Romney of the 21 countries where research was carried out. Some observers explain this by saying that like many African leaders, Kenyans are frustrated that the Obama White House hasn?t spent more in the region.?

NBC News'?Amalia Ahmad,?Tazeen Ahmad,?Carlo Angerer,?Ali Arouzi,?Maria Camila Bernal,?F. Brinley Bruton,?Ed Flanagan,?Paul Goldman,??Charlene Gubash,?Lawahez Jabari,?Rohit Kachroo,?Wajahat Khan,?Jim Maceda, Mary Murray, Kerry Sanders,?Keir Simmons and Arata Yamamoto contributed to this report. ?

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Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/04/14883042-the-world-is-watching-from-afghanistan-to-venezuela-obama-vs-romney-battle-captivates?lite

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Stay In A Comfortable And Relaxed Manner In The Cheap Hotels Of ...

One of the famous tourist destinations in the world, the city of London attracts millions of tourists every year from all across the globe. For tourists, the city of London is a dream destination that is home to an ample number of world famous tourist attractions to visit for a lifetime experience. Therefore to ensure a comfortable and affordable staying option for this huge influx of tourists, there are plenty of cheap hotels in Central London. Read further to know more about them.

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In short, the entire city of London is full of attractions to visit and gather many unforgettable moments for lifetime memories. This is a fact that London is counted amongst the most visited tourist destinations of the world. To cater to the accommodation requirements of the millions of tourists coming to visit London, the city is facilitated with plenty of hotels all over the place, among which the cheap hotels in Central London are the popular means of staying in the expensive city of London. Not only budget travellers but also other visitors of the city prefer staying in the cheap or discount London hotels. This is because of their qualitative accommodation facilities and prime location in the city.

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Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Stay-In-A-Comfortable-And-Relaxed-Manner-In-The-Cheap-Hotels-Of-London/4249582

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HBT: Rockies are down to four candidates

From Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post:

The Rockies? managerial search has reached the final four: bench coach Tom Runnells, veteran slugger Jason Giambi, former Rockies shortstop Walt Weiss and current Diamondbacks third-base coach Matt Williams.

Williams is the only one who hasn?t had a formal interview, but that will change Monday when he sits down with?owner Dick Monfort, GM Dan O?Dowd and senior vice president of major-league operations Bill Geivett.

The Rockies are expected to come to a decision by the end of the week. There isn?t a clear frontrunner, though Giambi has drawn heavy praise from reporters and team officials alike since the search began.

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/11/04/rockies-search-for-new-manager-down-to-four-candidates/related/

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