Artist hurls paint into Learjet engine

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) ? Princess Tarinan von Anhalt's creative process may be a bit more powerful than the average artist these days.

She hurled paint into a Learjet engine on Tuesday from a tarmac in West Palm Beach, splattering the colors onto a canvas to create the abstract designs for which she has become known. The jet engine pushes the paint into a force several times greater than hurricane winds, creating an intense power and heat. Von Anhalt says that power and heat helps create this one-of-a-kind art.

She started her artwork in 2006 after studying the work of her mentor and late husband, Prinz Jurgen von Anhalt.

Tuesday's demonstration is part of an event by a private jet services company and an art group to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Learjet.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-04-30-US-Jet-Art-/id-94ce7f73b5204b91bebf0e18fec5520a

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"Ugly stuff" may emerge in Jackson wrongful death trial

By Alex Dobuzinskis

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - An attorney for the concert promotion company AEG Live warned jurors they would see a very different view of the charismatic Michael Jackson as the company seeks to prove it was not liable for the pop star's death.

Marvin Putnam, making his opening statement in what is expected to be an emotional wrongful death trial, said AEG officials had no idea that Jackson was taking the surgical anesthetic that led to his death.

He said the three-month civil case would bring to light "some ugly stuff" about the singer's private behavior.

"The public Michael Jackson was very different from the private Michael Jackson," Putnam said. "He erected a wall between himself and his family. Even his family wasn't sure what was going on at the house. He kept those who might have been able help him at a distance."

He said Jackson had been using the powerful anesthetic propofol for years to help him sleep "and almost no one knew."

"AEG, like everyone else, was an outsider," Putnam said. "They had no idea. It was going on behind locked doors."

The "Thriller" singer's mother, Katherine, is suing privately held AEG Live, promoters of a never-realized series of comeback concerts by Jackson, for negligence in hiring Dr. Conrad Murray as his personal physician.

Murray, convicted in 2011 for the involuntary manslaughter of Jackson with a propofol overdose, was caring for the singer as he rehearsed in Los Angeles for a series of 50 "This is It" shows in London in 2009.

Brian Panish, representing Jackson's family, said AEG Live ignored red flags when it hired Murray and should have been aware that the singer had addiction problems years before he agreed to perform the concerts.

Jackson, 50, drowning in debt and seeking to rebuild a reputation damaged by his 2005 trial and acquittal on child molestation charges, died in Los Angeles in June 2009.

In his opening argument, Panish said AEG Live failed to do proper background checks on Murray, who asked for $5 million to care for the singer. Background checks would have revealed Murray was in debt and was a cardiologist even though Jackson had no known heart issues, Panish said.

"When a red flag comes up, do you turn away or do you look into it?" Panish said. "AEG ignored the obvious red flags and they hired Dr. Murray."

AEG Live contends that it did not hire or supervise Murray, saying that a proposed contract with him was never executed. The concert promoters also have said they could not have foreseen that Murray posed a danger to Jackson.

"This case is about the choices we make and the personal responsibilities that go with that," Putnam said on Monday.

Katherine Jackson, 82, along with her children Randy and Rebbie, were among family members attending Monday's packed opening of the trial. Jackson's three children, who could be called as witnesses later, were not there.

Panish said Jackson had known problems with prescription drug addiction dating back to use of the painkiller Demerol following a burn injury when he was shooting a Pepsi commercial in 1984.

Jackson in 1993 announced he was canceling a world tour to seek treatment for his painkiller addiction.

In the days before the trial began, Panish denied the Jackson family is seeking $40 billion in damages from AEG Live, as some media had reported this month.

The final amount will be determined by the jury should it hold AEG Live liable for negligence.

A handful of Jackson fans gathered outside the court, saying they were hoping for justice for the "King of Pop."

Jackson fan Julia Thomas, 40, an office worker from Colton, California, said she hoped the trial would demonstrate what she said were the wrongs AEG Live committed against Jackson.

"They're about to be exposed because they bullied Michael, they stressed him into the grave to the point that he needed sedatives to sleep," Thomas told Reuters. (Editing by Jill Serjeant, Andrew Hay, David Gregorio and Bill Trott)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/aeg-warns-ugly-stuff-michael-jackson-wrongful-death-005839687.html

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Phone Info: Mobile Websites Vs Mobile Applications - Treichel Writes

In this age of technology, it will be hard to get away from mobile phones or cell phones. These devices are everywhere, and are used by a large number of people. In order to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the mobile communications market, businesses around the world have started creating mobile websites and mobile applications. The mobile websites are those sites which can be accessed from the cell phones, with the help of a GPS or internet connection. On the other hand, a mobile application is an application which can be installed and directly used from the cell phone itself.

In order to have a better understanding of what would be more beneficial to a business, let us discuss the various advantages and disadvantages of mobile websites and mobile applications.

Mobile Website

Advantages

The various advantages are -

• Requires fewer resources in comparison to an application.
• It is easier and faster to launch a mobile website.
• It can be created by reusing much of the structure of the actual (regular) web page.
• It is accessible to all devices with Internet access.
• It is easy to promote a website in comparison to an application.
• The updates can be uploaded at any time and can be made available immediately.

Disadvantages

The various disadvantages are -

• A website cannot be tailored to suit the features of a cell phone (smartphone), in addition, most mobile browsers are extremely simple.
• A mobile website will be less attractive, and will never be as complex and dynamic as an application.

Mobile Application

Advantages

The various advantages are -

• Within an application, we may include some features that cannot be included on a mobile website.
• Even if we do not have access to Wi-Fi or 3G, we can use the application that is installed in our mobile device.
• An application can use the entire screen of the device and provide a better interface to the user.
• The application is always visible on the desktop of the device, so the chances of using it are greater.

Disadvantages

The various disadvantages are -

• For a user to use an application, he or she must first download it, requiring greater knowledge and brand loyalty.
• It requires more money and resources to develop an application.
• Applications are not available to be downloaded on all mobile devices.
• Updating an application is not as easy as updating a website.

Thus, we can see that mobile websites and mobile applications can both be beneficial to a business and its customers.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7587457

Source: http://treichelwrites.blogspot.com/2013/04/mobile-websites-vs-mobile-applications.html

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Want to join our merry band of White Noisers? Head on over and get to posting!

Want to join our merry band of White Noisers? Head on over and get to posting!

Source: http://gizmodo.com/want-to-join-our-merry-band-of-white-noisers-head-on-484781215

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Key Egyptian negotiator with IMF quits

By Paul Taylor

CAIRO (Reuters) - A key Egyptian negotiator with the International Monetary Fund said on Sunday he has resigned as first deputy finance minister, in a potential blow to Cairo's prospects of an early IMF deal.

Hany Kadry Dimian has been the crucial point man in Egypt's protracted and so far fruitless negotiations to obtain a $4.8 billion loan needed to help combat a severe economic crisis.

"The only comment I can make for the time being is that yes, my term ends on April 30 according to my resignation, which I submitted in December," Kadry told Reuters by telephone.

"My next move is not decided."

A senior technocrat appointed in 2007, Kadry survived five finance ministers in office since the 2011 uprising that overthrew former autocratic President Hosni Mubarak.

Kadry gave no explanation for his decision to quit, first reported on the Egyptian dissident Rebel Economy blog, saying he would say more on Tuesday.

A senior European diplomat said his departure was not a good omen for Egypt's hopes of wrapping up a deal on the long delayed IMF loan next month, as the government has said it aims to do.

Kadry was the one expert in the ministry who fully understood the IMF program and was able to deal with the global lender professionally, the diplomat said.

The daily El-Watan said on its website that Kadry had been under increasing pressure from the ruling Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, and in conflict with Abdallah Shehata, the FJP economic adviser to Finance Minister Al-Mursi Al-Sayed Hegazy.

Abdel Shakour Shalaan, Middle East representative on the IMF board, told Al Hayat television channel he hoped Egypt could complete the loan deal within four to five weeks.

"I hope it will be completed within a month or five weeks, the end of May or the beginning June," he said.

Separately, the head of Egypt's bourse, Mohamed Omran, told Prime Minister Hisham Kandil he would like to leave his position at the end of his term on July 1, the state news agency MENA reported, citing an unnamed official stock exchange source.

The report did not give a reason for Omran's request, but said he had told the prime minister in August he wanted to leave the post. Kandil had asked him to stay until the end of his term, MENA said.

(Additional reporting by Alexander Dziadosz; Writing by Paul Taylor; Editing by Jon Hemming and Stephen Powell)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/key-egyptian-negotiator-imf-quits-191627035.html

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Singer Lauryn Hill gets reprieve on tax evasion sentencing

By David Jones

NEWARK (Reuters) - Grammy Award-winning singer Lauryn Hill was given a two-week reprieve on her sentencing for federal tax evasion on Monday as a federal judge admonished her defense counsel for failing to come up with most of the tax money promised prior to her scheduled hearing.

Hill, a solo artist and a member of the Fugees rap trio, pleaded guilty in June 2012 to failure to file federal tax returns from 2005-2007, when she earned $1.8 million. She faces up to a year in prison for each charge.

Lawyers for Hill, who burst to stardom with her 1998 album the "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill," said they made a $50,000 payment toward the back taxes and penalties, but still need to come up with another $504,000 no later than May 3.

They had expected Hill to raise money from signing a new recording contract by the fall of 2012, but Hill was unable to complete the recording sessions. She has not released an album since 2001.

Hill, a mother of six children, including five with Rohan Marley, the son of reggae legend Bob Marley, claimed she failed to pay the taxes while she was sheltering her family to get away from excessive publicity and threats.

Attorney Nathan Hochman, representing Hill, said the singer had lined up a deal with a "hard money lender" for a loan that was secured by two real estate assets, and that she was expecting final approval of the loan sometime this week.

"For Miss Hill, the only question was when she was going to pay those taxes, not if," Hochman told reporters after the hearing.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Madeline Cox Arleo rescheduled the final sentencing hearing until May 6, but warned lawyers for the hip hop star that the court would not allow another slip up.

"This is not someone who stands before the court penniless," Arleo told the court.

(Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Vicki Allen)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/singer-lauryn-hill-gets-reprieve-tax-evasion-sentencing-024854846.html

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Video: Where Will Markets Close?

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/video/cnbc/51587486/

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When It's Time To Buy Health Insurance: All You Need To Know ...

Health insurance can be a very broad and confusing topic. It is very easy to become swamped with all the information to learn on the subject. It is of utmost importance to get educated on insurance so you can make solid decisions for your own benefit. These tips will help you start buying health insurance.

When deciding on health insurance, you should pick the company that suits your individual needs. A PPO (preferred provider organization) has a network from which you choose from, and they let you use services out of network, but charge a fee. A POP (Point-of-Service) plan allows you to select a PCP; however, it has the ability to refer you to the outside of this network.

If you are a member of a group, it is possible to obtain less expensive health insurance. That is how most employers can offer inexpensive insurance. But, what happens if you are self-employed? Try joining an association or group, like the Freelancers Union. Among other things, you will be able to get affordable health insurance through these groups.

Ask your doctor if they give records to a mandated Medical Information Bureau. If so, you may enjoy yearly access to a complimentary copy of your information.

Vision insurance makess sense for you and your family, especially if anyone already has issues with vision, or eye problems run in your family. Coverage could include your physical exams as well as portions of the cost for spectacles and contacts. Vision insurance isn?t mandatory, so some people spend less cash by not having this kind of coverage.

If you are thinking about becoming a parent, look at your health insurance and make sure they will cover your expenses throughout the pregnancy. Some heath insurance policies do not cover some or all of pregnancy-related services.

Ask your physician if there is anything you can barter for service. She had her headaches cured, and he got a website!

As you can see, even though it is a complex area you can understand a lot about health insurance. Take the time to learn as much as you can before you invest in a policy. By using the advice from the above article, you can make smarter health insurance choices.

Source: http://jcis-online.org/when-its-time-to-buy-health-insurance-all-you-need-to-know/

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ALL-NEW Business Opportunity Presentation ... - Talk Fusion Blog

Share the excitement! Live your dreams! Bring your Guests and join us as we share the Talk Fusion Products and Opportunity LIVE!

Click?here?to view our informative Business Opportunity Presentation Schedule featuring the ALL-NEW Business Opportunity Presentation with Diamond Rush FAST TRACK Training! See the whole month?s schedule in multiple languages at a glance!

Posted under Hot News!

Source: http://blogtalkfusion.com/?p=10564

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Benefits of cognitive pain relief methods

Apr. 10, 2013 ? Those who accept their pain condition are best able to tolerate pain, while distraction can be the way to lower pain intensity, according to research reported in The Journal of Pain.

A team of German researchers evaluated the most common short-term cognitive pain management techniques for acute pain -- acceptance, distraction and cognitive restructuring. They noted that little is known about the relative efficacy of acceptance strategies compared to other cognitive approaches, such as distraction and cognitive restructuring. The objective was to explore the differential short-term effects of these methods in a sample of 109 female students exposed to thermal mode experimental pain stimuli.

As an adjunctive pain treatment, acceptance is intended to disrupt the link between thoughts and behaviors so patients are willing to tolerate pain. The majority of experimental studies have shown that acceptance strategies are more effective at increasing pain tolerance than other pain regulation strategies.

In the study sample, distraction was used to shift attention away from pain stimulation to lessen pain intensity. With cognitive behavioral structuring, patients are trained to alter their appraisals of pain dysfunction in order to improve their ability to cope with pain. Proponents believe that restructuring pain-related thoughts may affect disability-related behavior, such as avoiding work or recreational activities in fear of pain.

Results of the study showed that acceptance led to increased pain tolerance relative to cognitive restructuring and distraction lowered pain intensity compared to acceptance. No significant differences were detected between distraction and acceptance with regard to pain tolerance. The authors concluded that cognitive restructuring was no different from distraction for increasing pain tolerance. They noted that from a clinical perspective knowledge about cognitive pain management strategies can be useful in gauging treatment outcomes and for refining the treatment of chronic pain.

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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/top_news/top_health/~3/Pq8SdOy5Ldo/130410141315.htm

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Will Ferrell, MTV Movie Awards Comic Genius, Likes To Yell A Lot

It seems our friends over at Next Movie have discovered the secret to Will Ferrell's brand of comedy: he yells a lot. They put together an epic super cut featuring all of Ferrell's yelling scenes in his movies, and it's absolutely hilarious. From "Zoolander" to "Anchorman" to "Elf," Ferrell has certainly stretched out his vocal [...]

Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2013/04/10/will-ferrell-yelling-supercut/

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Wave Debuts Free Receipt Scanning And Management Tool To Add ...

Wave made an impact on the online accounting software space not by doing anything drastically differently from other young companies out there tackling the problem, but by doing it for free with an ad-supported model. Now, the startup is expanding its feature set into an area that many of those looking for accounting services have likely been missing from the original product with the debut of a free receipt scanner and companion apps.

The new Receipts by Wave product, which includes an iPhone app and online entry via the Wave web-based dashboard, is designed to make it possible for?business?owners to file receipts with their accounting software anywhere on the spot, instead of forcing them to lug around paper receipts to manage at a later date. Similar tools are offered by industry incumbents like Concur, but Wave?s (which will be supplemented by an email-based tool and an Android app soon) is unique in that it?s a free addition to an already free product.

Wave?s model is based around offering value to entrepreneurs and small business owners who want the kind of convenience offered by cloud-based accounting and finance tools, but can?t necessarily shoulder the subscription fees that often come along with those types of SaaS products. This receipt scanner, complete with OCR character recognition so that it actually parses the data contained on the piece of paper, rather than just storing an image for later use, helps further that goal according to Wave founder and CEO Kirk Simpson.

?We still love free, and we believe that Receipts by Wave is perfectly suited to our free model,? he said in an interview. ?We are exploring additional functionality for which there may be an additional cost. But the core Receipts by Wave functionality is something we?re excited to make available to our customers at no charge, just like Wave?s accounting and invoicing tools.?

Wave, founded in 2010,?recently?rebranded to highlight its change in focus from just accounting to a wider variety of financial tools, including payroll and invoicing software. With over $19 million in funding and 600,000 users to date, it?s one of the more successful Canadian startups in recent memory. Simpson says this product addition will help not only in keeping those existing users satisfied, but should act as a competitive advantage to help attract new users, too.

?By putting invoicing, accounting, receipt scanning, reporting, payments, payroll and personal finance in a single tool, we expect to see more engagement from our existing users,? he said. ?As well as more adoption by people who want to switch from spreadsheets and shoeboxes and/or other software ? online or off ? that doesn?t truly match their needs.?

The new Receipts by Wave app is available in the App Store for iPhone now, and on the web. It?s a strong addition to a strong product, and should help Wave make an even better case for why free, in this case, might actually be better than expensive when it comes to some SaaS offerings.

November 16, 2010

C$18.5M

Wave is a great online accounting application for small businesses. There are several features that, taken together, make Wave different from other accounting tools. 1) Accounting is totally free. Not freemium, or free with usage caps. Just plain free. 2) Wave Accounting is a full double-entry accounting app, which is preferred by accountants. It also has financial dashboards, and can track expenses, and can be used in a lightweight manner if business owners don?t need or want full accounting...

? Learn more

Source: http://techcrunch.com/2013/04/10/wave-accounting-free-receipt-scanning/

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Louisville beats Michigan 82-76 for NCAA title

Michigan guard Trey Burke (3) walks off the court as confetti falls on Louisville players, including Russ Smith (2), Luke Hancock (11), Stephan Van Treese (44) and Zach Price (25), after the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball championship game, Monday, April 8, 2013, in Atlanta. Louisville won 82-76. (AP Photo/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Curtis Compton)

Michigan guard Trey Burke (3) walks off the court as confetti falls on Louisville players, including Russ Smith (2), Luke Hancock (11), Stephan Van Treese (44) and Zach Price (25), after the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball championship game, Monday, April 8, 2013, in Atlanta. Louisville won 82-76. (AP Photo/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Curtis Compton)

Louisville forward Chane Behanan (21) reacts after defeating Michigan after the second half of the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball championship game Monday, April 8, 2013, in Atlanta. Louisville won 82-76. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Louisville guard/forward Luke Hancock (11) reacts to play against the Michigan during the first half of the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball championship game Monday, April 8, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Louisville head coach Rick Pitino celebrates after the team defeated Michigan 82-76 during the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball championship game, Monday, April 8, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Louisville guard Peyton Siva (3) and Michigan guard Trey Burke (3) work during the second half of the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball championship game Monday, April 8, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

ATLANTA (AP) ? Rick Pitino capped the greatest week of his life with the prize he wanted most of all.

Luke Hancock produced another huge game off the bench, scoring 22 points, and Pitino became the first coach to win national titles at two schools when relentless Louisville rallied from another 12-point deficit to beat Michigan 82-76 in the NCAA championship game Monday night.

This title came on the same day Pitino was announced as a member of the latest Hall of Fame class, a couple of days after his horse won a big race on the way to the Kentucky Derby, and a few more days after his son got the head coaching job at Minnesota.

This was the best feeling of all. The Cardinals (35-5) lived up to their billing as the top overall seed in the tournament, though they sure had to work for it.

Louisville trailed Wichita State by a dozen in the second half before rallying for a 72-68 victory. This time, they fell behind by 12 in the first half, though a stunning spurt at the end of the period wiped out the entire deficit.

"I had the 13 toughest guys I've ever coached," said Pitino, who plans to follow through on a promise he made to his players if they won the title ? by getting a tattoo.

No one was tougher than Hancock, who matched his season high and was named the most outstanding player ? the first sub ever to win the award. Coming off a 20-point effort in the semifinal victory over Wichita State, he came off the bench to hit four straight 3-pointers after Michigan got a boost from an even more unlikely player.

Freshman Spike Albrecht made four straight from beyond the arc, too, blowing by his career high before the break with 17 points. Coming in, Albrecht was averaging 1.8 points a game and had not scored more than seven all season.

Albrecht didn't do much in the second half, but Hancock finished what he started for Louisville. He buried another 3 from the corner with 3:20 remaining to give the Cardinals their biggest lead, 76-66. Michigan wouldn't go away, but Hancock wrapped it up by making two free throws with 29 seconds left.

While Pitino shrugged off any attempt to make this about him, but there was no doubt the Cardinals wanted to win a national title for someone else ? injured guard Kevin Ware.

Watching again from his seat at the end of the Louisville bench, his injured right leg propped up on a chair, Ware smiled and slapped hands with his teammates as they celebrated in the closing seconds, the victory coming just 30 miles from where he played his high school ball.

Any pain he was feeling from that gruesome injury in the regional final, when he landed awkwardly, snapped his leg and was left writhing on the floor with the bone sticking through the skin, was long gone as he hobbled gingerly onto the court with the aid of crutches, basking in a sea of confetti and streamers.

Louisville again came out wearing Ware's No. 5 on the back of their warmup jerseys, which said "Ri5e to the Occasion" on the front. When the title belonged to the Cardinals, Ware put on a championship cap and got a big hug from Pitino. Then, they lowered the basket so the injured player could cut a strand out of the net.

This one belonged to him as much as anyone on the court.

"These are my brothers," Ware said. "They got the job done. I'm so proud of them, so proud of them."

Peyton Siva added 18 points for the Cardinals, who closed the season on a 16-game winning streak, and Chane Behanan chipped in with 15 points and 12 rebounds as Louisville slowly but surely closed out the Wolverines (31-8).

Michigan was in the title game for the first time since the Fab Five lost the second of two straight championship games in 1993. Players from that team, including Chris Webber, cheered on the latest group of young stars.

But, like the Fab Five, national player of the year Trey Burke and a squad with three freshman starters came up short in the last game of the season.

"A lot of people didn't expect us to get this far," said Burke, who led the Wolverines with 24 points. "A lot of people didn't expect us to get past the second round. We fought. We fought up to this point, but Louisville was the better team today, and they're deserving of the win."

The first half might've been the most entertaining 20 minutes of the entire tournament.

Burke started out on fire for Michigan, hitting his first three shots and scoring seven points to match his output from the semifinal victory over Syracuse, when he made only 1-of-8 shots.

Then, when Burke picked up his second foul and had to go to the bench for the rest of the half, Albrecht took control. The kid whose nickname comes from his first pair of baseball spikes showed he's a pretty good hoops player, knocking down one 3-pointer after another to send the Wolverines to a double-digit lead.

When Albrecht blew by Tim Henderson with a brilliant hesitation move, Michigan led 33-21 and Louisville was forced to call timeout. The freshman was mobbed on the Michigan bench, like the Wolverines had already won the national title, with one teammate waving a towel in tribute.

"That was honestly, probably back to high school days," Albrecht said, remembering when he's had a stretch like that. "Coach Beilein doesn't play guys with two fouls in the first half, so I knew I was in the rest of the half, and I was fortunately hitting shots. Teammates were finding me. That's about it."

It didn't last. Not against Louisville.

The Cardinals came back one more time.

"We just went into war right there with a great Michigan team," Hancock said. "We needed a rally and we've been doing it for a couple of games straight, being down. We just had to wait and make our run."

Burke, who played only six minutes in the first half because of foul trouble, finished with 24 points and did his best to give Michigan its first championship since 1989. But he couldn't do it alone. Albrecht was held scoreless after the break, and no one else posted more than 12 points for the Wolverines.

Still, it was quite a run for a fourth-seeded team that knocked off No. 1-seeded Kansas with the greatest comeback of the tournament, rallying from 14 points down in the second half to beat the Jayhawks in the round of the 16.

But they came up against the ultimate comeback team in the final.

"I've had a lot of really good teams over the years, and some emotional locker rooms, and that was the most emotional we've ever had," Michigan coach John Beilein said. "The team unity we had, the sacrifice we had from five seniors who did not get to play very much, to these young guys buying into the team concept.

"We feel bad about it. There are some things we could have done better and get a win, but at the same time, Louisville is a terrific basketball team. We have not seen that quickness anywhere."

Louisville had already pulling off a stunning rally in the Big East championship game ? down by 16 in the second half, they won by 17 ? and another against Wichita State. They surged back again behind their own ace off the bench.

Hancock matched Albrecht from the 3-point stripe. Then, trapping the youngster and knocking the ball away, he set up a fast break that ended with Siva flipping up a lob that Montrezl Harrell slammed through for a dunk, capping a stunning 16-3 run in less than 4 minutes that gave the Cardinals their first lead of the night, 37-36.

Glenn Robinson III made two free throws with two seconds left to give Michigan a 38-37 lead at halftime.

But everyone knew this game was just getting started.

And when it was done, Pitino, Ware and the Cardinals were celebrating in the middle of the mammoth Georgia Dome, assuring the national title will stay in the bluegrass another year.

Last season, it was Kentucky winning it all, the same team that gave Pitino his first title in 1996.

Now, he's got another one ? right down the road in Louisville.

___

Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-04-09-NCAA%20Championship/id-cdca6b113bce4fd2969b2c3f7f882079

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Plain Vanilla Scores $2.4M Series A To Turn Its Multiplayer Quiz Games Into Something More

A year ago, Icelandic game studio Plain Vanilla had hit a wall. The product they'd poured their hearts into for months had fallen from the charts almost immediately after launch, and they were just weeks from running out of cash. This morning, the company is announcing a 2.4 million dollar Series A, following up on a one million dollar seed round they closed just nine months ago. So what changed?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/MsV15YJLEAc/

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Obama 'determined as ever' for gun bill

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) ? With time running out on the chance to pass gun control legislation, President Barack Obama on Monday warned Congress not to use delaying tactics against tighter regulations and told families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims that he's "determined as ever" to honor their children with tougher laws.

Obama's gun control proposals have run into resistance on Capitol Hill, leaving their fate in doubt. Efforts by Senate Democrats to reach compromise with Republicans over expanding required federal background checks have yet to yield an agreement, and conservatives were promising to try blocking the Senate from even beginning debate on gun control legislation.

"The day Newtown happened was the toughest day of my presidency," Obama said in an emotional speech from Connecticut's capital, an hour's drive from Newtown. "But I've got to tell you, if we don't respond to this, that'll be a tough day for me too."

Some of the Sandy Hook families are making an attempt to push through the bill. Obama met with them privately before his speech at the University of Hartford Monday evening, then brought 12 family members back to Air Force One for the trip back to Washington. The relatives want to meet with senators who've yet to back the legislation to encourage their support in memory of their loved ones.

"Nothing's going to be more important in making sure that the Congress moves forward this week than hearing from them," Obama said. His eyes teared as he described Nicole Hockley, who lost her 6-year-old son, Dylan, saying how she asks him every night to come to her in her dreams so she can see him again.

"If there's even one thing we can do to prevent a father from having to bury his child, isn't that worth fighting for?" Obama asked.

Obama's speech was interrupted repeatedly by standing ovations from the packed gymnasium. At one point, the room erupted with chants of "We want a vote!" Audience members, many wearing green ribbons in support of the victims, were stomping their feet on the bleachers and clapping their hands in unison with the chant.

"This is not about me. This is not about politics. This is about doing the right thing for all the families who are here who have been torn apart by gun violence," Obama said, his voice rising with emotion as he shook his finger in the air.

Obama argued that lawmakers have an obligation to the children killed and other victims of gun violence to allow an up-or-down vote in the Senate. That would require 50 votes to pass, rather than a procedural maneuver some Republican senators are threatening to require 60 votes, potentially sinking the legislation.

"Some back in Washington are already floating the idea that they may use political stunts to prevent votes on any of these reforms. Think about that. They're not just saying they'll vote no on ideas that almost all Americans support. They're saying they'll do everything they can to even prevent any votes on these provisions. They're saying your opinion doesn't matter. And that's not right.

Obama rode to the speech with Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, who signed sweeping gun control legislation into law Thursday with the Sandy Hook families standing behind him. But legislation in Washington faces a tougher challenge, as the nation's memories of the shooting fade with time and the National Rifle Association wages a formidable campaign against Obama's proposals.

Majority Leader Harry Reid brought gun control legislation to the Senate floor on Monday, though actual debate did not begin. He took the step after receiving a letter from 13 conservative Republican senators including Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, saying they would use delaying tactics to try preventing lawmakers from beginning to consider the measure. Such a move takes 60 votes to overcome, a difficult hurdle in the 100-member chamber.

The conservatives said the Democratic measure would violate the Second Amendment right to bear arms, citing "history's lesson that government cannot be in all places at all times, and history's warning about the oppression of a government that tries."

Further underscoring the tough road ahead for the Obama-backed legislation, a spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Monday that the Kentucky Republican would join the filibuster if Reid tries to bring the measure to the floor.

Obama said the vote shouldn't be about his legacy, but about the families in Newtown who haven't moved on to other matters.

"Newtown, we want you to know that we're here with you," Obama said. "We will not walk away from the promises we've made. We are as determined as ever to do what must be done. In fact, I'm here to ask you to help me show that we can get it done. We're not forgetting."

A group of Sandy Hook families originally planned to travel to Washington earlier on Monday, but the White House offered to give the families a ride so they could also attend Obama's speech before their lobbying push. The White House lit up the steps of Air Force One with flood lights so photographers and television cameras could capture the image of Obama climbing the plane's steps with the families at dusk.

Nelba Marquez-Greene, whose 6-year-old daughter Ana was among the victims at Sandy Hook, held up a sign that said "Love Wins" as she walked toward the steps of Air Force One.

The families' lobbying trip was organized by Sandy Hook Promise, a nonprofit started by community members in the wake of the shooting. "The group is encouraging senators to come together around legislative proposals that will both save lives and respect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans," the group said in a statement.

With time running out on negotiations, the White House is making an all-hands-on-deck push this week. Vice President Joe Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder planned to promote their plan at the White House on Tuesday with law enforcement officials. First lady Michelle Obama planned to wade into the debate Wednesday with a speech on youth violence in her hometown of Chicago. And on Thursday, Biden was taking part in a discussion on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" with people who have different views on gun control.

Organizing for Action, the grassroots group being formed out of Obama's re-election campaign to support his agenda, said it was launching online ads Monday asking the public to urge their senators to support background checks. The ads will target 11 senators ? all Republicans ? through Facebook and search engines. An OFA spokesman said the group was not disclosing the cost of the ad campaign.

Gun control is divisive in Newtown, Conn., as in the rest of the country. Not all Sandy Hook families support gun control, and even those involved with the lobbying push organized by Sandy Hook Promise are not backing the assault weapons ban. But those families are asking lawmakers to expand background checks, increase penalties for gun trafficking and limit the size of magazines.

___

Follow Nedra Pickler on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nedrapickler

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-says-hes-determined-ever-gun-bill-221018585--politics.html

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North Korea actions called 'clear and direct threat' to U.S. security (CNN)

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CA-NEWS Summary

North Korea warns foreigners to leave South amid new threats of war

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea intensified threats of an imminent conflict against the United States and the South on Tuesday, warning foreigners to evacuate South Korea to avoid being dragged into "thermonuclear war". The North's latest message belied an atmosphere free of anxiety in the South Korean capital, where the city center was bustling with traffic and offices operated normally.

Quake hits near Iran's nuclear city Bushehr, 30 dead

DUBAI (Reuters) - A powerful earthquake struck close to Iran's only nuclear power station on Tuesday, killing 30 people and injuring 800 as it devastated small villages, state media reported. The 6.3 magnitude quake totally destroyed one village, a Red Crescent official told the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), but the nearby Bushehr nuclear plant was undamaged, according to a local politician and the Russian company that built it.

Man shoots dead 13 relatives and neighbors in Serb village

VELIKA IVANCA, Serbia (Reuters) - A veteran of the 1990s Balkan wars shot dead 13 people, including his mother, son and a two-year-old child in a dawn rampage through a small village in central Serbia on Tuesday, authorities said. The man, identified by police as Ljubisa Bogdanovic, also shot his wife before turning the gun on himself. Both were in critical condition in hospital, police said.

France starts troop pullout from Mali after anti-Islamist offensive

PARIS (Reuters) - France has started withdrawing its troops from Mali after an operation to help local forces push back an offensive by Islamist rebels, an army spokesman said on Tuesday. Paris aims to complete the withdrawal of 3,000 soldiers this year and will keep a permanent 1,000-strong combat force in the former colony to support a U.N. peacekeeping mission of African forces.

Analysis: Ukraine president flexes but will resist EU over jailed rival

KIEV (Reuters) - Despite winning rare praise from the West for freeing an opponent from jail, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich is likely to resist extra pressure and the lure of trade deals to release his fiercest rival, ex-prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Though he has pardoned former interior minister Yuri Lutsenko, a Tymoshenko ally, that will not be enough to satisfy European Union demands for democratic reform and clinch association and free-trade agreements with the 27-member bloc in November, at a summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius.

Deal with Serbia still possible before EU ruling: Kosovo

PRISTINA (Reuters) - Kosovo on Tuesday raised the prospect of another push for a deal with Serbia to tackle the ethnic partition of the former Serbian province, with Belgrade's hopes of starting European Union accession talks hanging in the balance. Serbia on Monday rejected the principles of an accord that emerged from six months of EU-mediated negotiations, saying they fell short of the broad autonomy it seeks for a small Serb pocket of majority-Albanian Kosovo.

Kerry promises steps to help Palestinian economy

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday he had agreed to work with Israeli and Palestinian leaders to boost economic growth in the occupied West Bank as he seeks ways to revive Middle East peace talks. Speaking after a three-day visit to the region, during which he met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Kerry told reporters he would provide full details of the economic plans next week.

Kenya swears in president, West faces balancing act

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Uhuru Kenyatta was sworn in as Kenyan president on Tuesday, presenting Western states with the challenge of how to deal with a leader indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Cheered by tens of thousands of people at the ceremony, Uganda's president praised Kenyans for rejecting what he called the court's bid to sway the vote by "blackmail", a reflection of the distrust or resentment of the court felt by many Africans.

"Iron Lady" Thatcher mourned, but opponents celebrate

LONDON (Reuters) - Admirers of Margaret Thatcher on Tuesday mourned the "Iron Lady" who as Britain's longest serving prime minister in over a century pitched free-market capitalism as the only medicine for her country's crippled economy and the crumbling Soviet bloc. World leaders past and present, from former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to U.S. President Barack Obama, led tributes to the grocer's daughter who sought to arrest Britain's decline and helped Ronald Reagan broker an end to the Cold War.

Iraqi al Qaeda wing merges with Syrian counterpart

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iraq's al Qaeda wing has united with a kindred Syrian group in the frontline of a struggle to oust President Bashar al-Assad, sharpening a dilemma for nations that back the revolt, but fear rising Islamist militancy. The leader of the Islamic State of Iraq, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, said his group had trained and funded fighters from Syria's al-Nusra Front - which is blacklisted by the United States - since the early days of the two-year-old uprising.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ca-news-summary-000404036.html

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Start Talking: Synthetic Biology and Conservation Biology Meet, Part 1

Conservation biologist Kent Redford talks about the issues facing the intersection of synthetic biology and conservation biology and a conference that starts April 9th called "How will synthetic biology and conservation shape the future of nature?"

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Conservation biologist Kent Redford, recently of the Wildlife Conservation Society and now with Archipelago Consulting, talks about the issues facing the intersection of synthetic biology and conservation biology. He organized a conference that starts April 9th at Clare College in Cambridge, England, called ?How will synthetic biology and conservation shape the future of nature??

Redford is a co-author of a paper in the journal PLoS Biology [Kent H. Redford, William Adams and Georgina M. Mace, Synthetic Biology and Conservation of Nature: Wicked Problems and Wicked Solutions] that frames the issues the conference will begin to address.

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The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Reunion Recap, Part II: Let's Make Lemons

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Justin Bieber's infant monkey held by German authorities

German authorities at the Munich?airport?placed pop star Justin Bieber's baby monkey in a shelter?after he failed to show the proper documents. Mr. Bieber has 4 weeks to get his paperwork in order to collect his tiny friend or the shelter will look for a permanent home.

By Staff,?Associated Press / April 3, 2013

Justin Bieber's pet monkey, a capuchin named Mally, being cared for by a worker at a shelter in Munich, Germany yesterday.

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

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German authorities have given Justin Bieber four weeks to pick up his pet monkey or else it will be placed in permanent care.

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The capuchin monkey was seized by German customs Thursday when the 19-year-old singer failed to produce the necessary customs documents after landing in Munich.

Reporters from around the world have besieged the city animal shelter where 'Mally' the monkey is being kept in quarantine.

The shelter said in a statement Tuesday that the 14-week-old animal shouldn't have been taken away from its mother until it was a year old.

German media report that several zoos have offered to give the monkey a home if the Canadian singer doesn't reclaim it in time.

A Bieber representative did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

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New Gaza law mandates gender segregation in Palestinian schools

Mahmud Hams / AFP - Getty Images

A Palestinian teacher speaks in class at a school in Gaza City on April 2.

Mohammed Salem / Reuters

Palestinian school children raise their hands during a class in al-Qahera elementary school in Gaza City on April 2. New rules from the Education Ministry of the Islamist Hamas movement ruling the Gaza Strip will bar men from teaching at girls' schools and mandate separate classes for boys and girls from the age of nine.

By Dalia Nammari, Ibrahim Barzak, The Associated Press

Starting with the new school year in September, Gaza boys and girls in middle and high school will be breaking the law if they study side by side.

Gaza's Islamic militant Hamas rulers argue that the new legislation, mandating gender separation in schools from age nine, enshrines common practice. But women's activists warned Tuesday that it's another step in the Hamas agenda of imposing its fundamentalist world view on Gaza's 1.7 million people. Continue reading.

Hatem Moussa / AP

Palestinian school girls and boys walk in front of a United Nations Relief and Works Agency elementary school in Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, on April 2. Gaza's Hamas-controlled parliament has passed a law requiring separate classes for boys and girls in public and private schools from the fourth grade. Currently, boys and girls are separated in grade seven in public schools, but private schools can set their own rules.

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South Africa: Mandela in hospital on Easter

JOHANNESBURG (AP) ? Former South African President Nelson Mandela remained in a hospital on Easter Sunday while receiving treatment for a recurrence of pneumonia, the government said.

South African presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said there are no updates on 94-year-old Mandela since an official statement Saturday on his condition. That statement reported the anti-apartheid leader was breathing without difficulty after having a procedure to clear fluid in his lung area.

Many South African congregations celebrating Easter included Mandela in their prayers.

"The whole world must come together and pray for him," Zacheus Phakathi, a security guard, said at an outdoor service on a hill overlooking Johannesburg.

In Pretoria, the capital, Henry Hyar, a restaurant waiter, standing by a hospital where Mandela is believed to be, said it was unfortunate that Mandela could not be with his family at home during Easter.

"I'm not happy about it," Hyar said. "We're praying for him to get better as soon as possible."

Mandela was admitted to a Pretoria hospital near midnight Wednesday. It was his third trip to a hospital since December, when he was treated for a lung infection and also had a procedure to remove gallstones. Earlier in March, he spent a night in a hospital for what officials said was a scheduled medical test.

Mandela became South Africa's first black president in 1994 after elections were held, bringing an end to the system of white racist rule known as apartheid. After his release from prison in 1990, Mandela was widely credited with averting even greater bloodshed by helping the country in the transition to democratic rule.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate has been particularly vulnerable to respiratory problems since contracting tuberculosis during his 27-year imprisonment for fighting white racist rule in his country.

The elderly are especially vulnerable to pneumonia, which can be fatal. Its symptoms include fever, chills, a cough, chest pain and shortness of breath. Many germs cause pneumonia.

The office of South African President Jacob Zuma has said doctors were acting with extreme caution because of the Mandela's advanced age.

___

Associated Press television cameraman Bram Janssen contributed to this report from Pretoria, South Africa.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/south-africa-mandela-hospital-easter-112931330.html

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Drug maker Novartis loses India patent battle

FILE - In this Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012 file photo, a pharmacist works in a lab where medicines are being produced at a Cipla manufacturing unit on the outskirts of Mumbai, India. A lawyer for healthcare activists says India's Supreme Court has rejected drug maker Novartis AG' right to patent a new version of a lifesaving cancer drug. The landmark ruling today is a victory for India's (Canadian) $26 billion generic drug industry that provides cheap medicines to millions around the world. Novartis has fought a legal battle in India since 2006 for a fresh patent for its cancer drug Glivec. Cipla makes a generic version of Glivec. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)

FILE - In this Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012 file photo, a pharmacist works in a lab where medicines are being produced at a Cipla manufacturing unit on the outskirts of Mumbai, India. A lawyer for healthcare activists says India's Supreme Court has rejected drug maker Novartis AG' right to patent a new version of a lifesaving cancer drug. The landmark ruling today is a victory for India's (Canadian) $26 billion generic drug industry that provides cheap medicines to millions around the world. Novartis has fought a legal battle in India since 2006 for a fresh patent for its cancer drug Glivec. Cipla makes a generic version of Glivec. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)

A billboard for wholesale rate of cancer medicines is seen outside a chemist store, in New Delhi, India, Monday, April 1, 2013. India's Supreme Court on Monday rejected drug maker Novartis AG's attempt to patent a new version of a cancer drug Glivec in a landmark decision that healthcare activists say ensures poor patients around the world will get continued access to cheap versions of lifesaving medicines. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

FILE - In this Monday, Jan. 29, 2007 file photo, Indian police officers block demonstrators protesting against drug manufacturer Novartis' case against Indian government on drug patents in New Delhi, India. A lawyer for healthcare activists says India's Supreme Court has rejected drug maker Novartis AG' right to patent a new version of a lifesaving cancer drug. The landmark ruling Monday, April 1, 2013 is a victory for India's $26 billion generic drug industry that provides cheap medicines to millions around the world. Novartis has fought a legal battle in India since 2006 for a fresh patent for its cancer drug Glivec. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das, File)

FILE - In this Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012 file photo, a man walks past the Cipla manufacturing unit on the outskirts of Mumbai, India. India's Supreme Court on Monday rejected drug maker Novartis AG's attempt to patent a new version of a cancer drug in a landmark decision that healthcare activists say ensures poor patients around the world will get continued access to cheap versions of lifesaving medicines. Novartis had argued that it needed a new patent to protect its investment in the cancer drug Glivec, while activists said the company was trying to use loopholes to make more money out of a drug whose patent had expired. Cipla makes a generic version of Glivec. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)

NEW DELHI (AP) ? India's Supreme Court on Monday rejected drug maker Novartis AG's attempt to patent an updated version of a cancer drug in a landmark decision that health activists say ensures poor patients around the world will get continued access to cheap versions of lifesaving medicines.

Novartis had argued that it needed a patent to protect its investment in the cancer drug Glivec, while activists said the drug did not merit intellectual property protection in India because it was not a new medicine. In response to the ruling, Novartis said it would not invest in drug research in India.

The court's decision has global significance since India's $26 billion generic drug industry, which supplies much of the cheap medicine used in the developing world, could be stunted if Indian law allowed global drug companies to extend the lifespan of patents by making minor changes to medicines.

Once a drug's patent expires, generic manufacturers can legally produce it. They are able to make drugs at a fraction of the original manufacturer's cost because they don't carry out the expensive research and development.

Pratibha Singh, a lawyer for the Indian generic drug manufacturer Cipla, which makes a version of Glivec for less than a tenth of the original drug's selling price, said the court ruled that a patent could only be given to a new drug, and not to those which are only slightly different from the original.

"Patents will be given only for genuine inventions, and repetitive patents will not be given for minor tweaks to an existing drug," Singh told reporters outside the court.

Novartis called the ruling a "setback for patients," and said patent protection is crucial to fostering investment in research to develop new and better drugs.

Ranjit Shahani, the vice chairman and managing director of Novartis India, said the ruling "will hinder medical progress for diseases without effective treatment options."

He said the court's decision made India an even less attractive country for major investments by international pharmaceutical companies.

"Novartis will not invest in drug research in India. Not only Novartis, I don't think any global company is planning to research in India," he said.

The Swiss pharmaceutical giant has fought a legal battle in India since 2006 to patent a new version of Glivec, which is mainly used to treat leukemia and is known as Gleevec outside India and Europe. The earlier version of Glivec did not have an Indian patent because its development far predated the country's 2005 patent law. Novartis said Glivec is patented in nearly 40 other countries.

India's patent office rejected the company's patent application, arguing the drug was not a new medicine but an amended version of its earlier product. The patent authority cited a provision in the 2005 patent law aimed at preventing companies from getting fresh patents for making only minor changes to existing medicines ? a practice known as "evergreening."

Novartis appealed, arguing the drug was a more easily absorbed version of Glivec and that it qualified for a patent because it was "a revolutionary treatment," not an incremental improvement.

Anand Grover, a lawyer for the Cancer Patients Aid Association, which led the legal fight against Novartis, said the ruling Monday prevented the watering down of India's patent laws.

"This is a very good day for cancer patients. It's the news we have been waiting for for seven long years," he said.

Aid groups, including Medicins Sans Frontieres, have opposed Novartis' case, fearing that a victory for the Swiss drugmaker would limit access to important medicines for millions of poor people around the world.

Glivec, used in treating chronic myeloid leukemia and some other cancers, costs about $2,600 a month. Its generic version was available in India for around $175 per month.

"The difference in price was huge. The generic version makes it affordable to so many more poor people, not just in India, but across the world," said Y.K. Sapru, of the Mumbai-based cancer patients association.

"For cancer sufferers, this ruling will mean the difference between life and death. Because the price at which it was available, and considering it's the only lifesaving drug for chronic myeloid cancer patients, this decision will make a huge difference," Sapru said.

Leena Menghaney of Medicins Sans Frontieres said India would continue to grant patents on new medicines.

"This doesn't mean that no patents will be granted. Patents will continue to be granted by India, but definitely the abusive practice of getting many patents on one drug will be stopped," Menghaney said.

The judgment would ensure that the prices of lifesaving drugs would come down as many more companies would produce generic versions.

"We've seen this happening with HIV medicines, where the cost of HIV treatment has come down from $10,000 to $150 per year. Cancer treatment costs have come down by 97 percent in the case of many cancer drugs," she said.

"This decision is incredibly important. The Supreme Court decision will save a lot of lives in the coming decades," Menghaney said.

___

AP writer Kay Johnson contributed to this story from Mumbai, India.

Associated Press

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