Saturday, January 12, 2013

With almonds' rising revenues, land values soar

With almonds' rising revenues, land values soar

With almonds' rising revenues, land values soar

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 12:39 PM PST

FILE - In this Feb. 23, 2011 photo, bees pollinate almond trees at an orchard near Bakersfield, Calif. In 2011, for the first time ever, the value of the California almond crop surpassed the state's iconic grape industry to move into second place, behind dairy, making almond producing land one of the highest priced and most sought-after in the region. The demand for almonds is driven largely by the newly-minted money-spending middle classes in China and India. (AP Photo/Gosia Wozniacka, File)FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — Bill Enns, a central California real estate agent specializing in farmland, fields dozens of calls every week from potential buyers. Many want almond, pistachio or walnut orchards — or any land suitable for growing nut trees.

New York governor declares public health emergency to combat flu

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 12:36 PM PST

People enter a pharmacy next to a sign promoting flu shots in New York(Reuters) - New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a public health emergency on Saturday, giving pharmacists permission to administer flu vaccinations to more people as officials seek to stem the worst flu outbreak in that state in several years. Cuomo's order came a day after federal health officials said that fast-spreading influenza had officially reached epidemic proportions in the United States, following an early start. Nine of the 10 U.S. ...

French commando killed in Somalia hostage raid

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 12:33 PM PST

FILE- In this undated file image from a video posted on islamic militant websites and made available Wednesday June 9 2010, a man identified as French security agent Denis Allex pleads for his release from the Somali militant group al-Shabaab who have been holding him for nearly a year. A French commando raid in Somalia to free a captive intelligence agent ended in the deaths of 17 Islamists and a French soldier. France said the hostage also died in the failed rescue, but the man's captors denied he had been killed and claimed Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013, to have seized a second soldier. (AP Photo, File)MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — A raid to free a French intelligence agent held captive in Somalia for three years went horribly wrong, leaving 17 Islamists and at least one French commando dead in a mud-caked farming town deep in militant territory.

Group: Biden offers to speak with Newtown families

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 12:31 PM PST

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, who is leading an administration review of gun safety laws, has offered to talk with any families of the Connecticut elementary school shooting victims who would like to speak with him personally, a support group said Saturday.

Family quarrels add intrigue to lotto winner death

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 12:25 PM PST

This June 2012 photo provided by WMAQ-TV in Chicago shows Urooj Khan, center, holding a ceremonial check in Chicago for $1 million as winner of an Illinois instant lottery game. At left, is Khan's wife, Shabana Ansari. Khan, 46, who owned several dry cleaning operations and some real estate, died suddenly on July 20, 2012, just days before he was to collect his winnings. Khan's death has been ruled a homicide. Court records show that Ansari has battled with his siblings over control of his estate, including his $425,000 prize money. A Cook County judge on Friday, Jan. 11, 2013, approved the exhumation of Khan's body. (AP Photo/Courtesy of WMAQ-TV in Chicago)CHICAGO (AP) — In the week since news surfaced that a Chicago man was poisoned to death with cyanide just before he was to collect a lottery payout, surprising details about his convoluted family saga have trickled out daily.

Q&A: Scramble for vaccine as flu season heats up

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 12:22 PM PST

This Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013 photo shows Walter Vazquez, 43, getting a flu shot at MetroHealth in Cleveland. Ohio health authorities reported Friday, Jan. 11, 2013 that a child has died from flu complications, as the state's flu-associated hospitalizations continue to climb at much higher rates than the last two flu seasons. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)WASHINGTON (AP) — Missed flu-shot day at the office last fall? And all those "get vaccinated" ads? A scramble for shots is under way as late-comers seek protection from a miserable flu strain already spreading through much of the country.

AP Sources: NCAA reviews allegations against Miami

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 12:19 PM PST

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — The nearly 2-year-old NCAA investigation into Miami's compliance practices may be nearing an end.

France bombs Mali rebels, African states ready troops

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 12:12 PM PST

Vehicles and pedestrians cross a bridge in the Malian capital of BamakoBAMAKO/PARIS (Reuters) - French aircraft pounded Islamist rebels in Mali for a second day on Saturday and neighboring West African states sped up their plans to deploy troops in an international campaign to prevent groups linked to al Qaeda expanding their power base. France, warning that the control of northern Mali by the militants posed a security threat to Europe, intervened dramatically on Friday as heavily armed Islamist fighters swept southwards towards Mali's capital Bamako. ...

Passenger has baby aboard flight to Armenia

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 12:09 PM PST

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — A passenger has given birth aboard a plane flying to Armenia and named her daughter after one of the flight attendants who helped with the delivery.

Broncos, Ravens brace for frigid playoff in Denver

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 12:08 PM PST

Denver Broncos wide receivers Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker stretch at football practice at the team's training facility in Englewood, Colo., on Wednesday, Jan.9, 2013. The Broncos are scheduled to play the Baltimore Ravens in an NFL playoff game on Saturday. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)DENVER (AP) — That glove Peyton Manning has been wearing on his throwing hand will come in quite handy Saturday for what could be the coldest home postseason game in Denver Broncos' history.

Brazil: Indigenous squatters resist eviction

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 12:06 PM PST

A man wearing a headdress and another wearing a ski mask sit on a windowsill on the site of an old Indian museum, now abandoned, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013. Police in riot gear on Saturday surrounded the abandoned museum, now an indigenous settlement of men and women living in 10 homes, preparing to enforce their eviction. Their settlement is next to the Maracana stadium, which is being refurbished to host the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2016 Olympics and the final match of the 2014 World Cup. The streets around the stadium will also undergo a vast transformation as part of the area's transformation into a shopping and sports entertainment hub. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Police in riot gear are surrounding a settlement of indigenous people next to Rio de Janeiro's storied Maracana stadium.

Influential Israeli Rabbi Ovadia Yosef in hospital

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 12:02 PM PST

FILE - In this Feb. 10, 2009 file photo, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, center, Jewish spiritual leader of Israel's Shas party, blesses a man after casting his ballot at a polling station in Jerusalem. An Israeli health official said Saturday Jan. 12, 2013, that influential Yosef has been hospitalized after feeling unwell. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer, File)JERUSALEM (AP) — The spiritual leader of an Israeli ultra-Orthodox political party was hospitalized after a suspected minor stroke in Jerusalem on Saturday, a development that could shake his party's fortunes and mute one of Israel's most influential voices.

No. 20 NC State upsets No. 1 Duke 84-76

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 12:00 PM PST

North Carolina State's C.J. Leslie (5) celebrates with teammate Lorenzo Brown (2) during the final minutes of an NCAA college basketball game against Duke in Raleigh, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013. N.C. State defeated No. 1 Duke 84-76. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — C.J. Leslie and Richard Howell just weren't going to let this game get away. It's why No. 20 North Carolina State celebrated a huge win against No. 1 Duke.

No. 5 Hoosiers blow past No. 8 Minnesota 88-81

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 11:58 AM PST

Indiana's Victor Oladipo celebrates after hitting a 3-point basket during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Minnesota, Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013, in Bloomington, Ind. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Victor Oladipo had 20 points and six rebounds and Jordan Hulls knocked down four 3-pointers, helping No. 5 Indiana hold off No. 8 Minnesota's late charge for an 88-81 victory Saturday.

Hundreds of French troops drive back Mali rebels

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 11:50 AM PST

In this Nov. 24, 2012 photo, soldiers from a Malian army special unit stand atop pick-ups mounted with machine guns, following a training exercise in the Barbe military zone, in Mopti, Mali. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Friday, Jan. 11, 2013, that France, Senegal and Nigeria have responded to an appeal from Mali's President Dioncounda Traore for help to counter an offensive by al-Qaida-linked militants who control the northern half of the country and are heading south. The U.N. chief said that assisting the Malian defense forces push back against the Islamist armed groups is "very important."(AP Photo/Francois Rihouay)BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — The battle to retake Mali's north from the al-Qaida-linked groups controlling it began in earnest Saturday, after hundreds of French forces deployed to the country and began aerial bombardments to drive back the Islamic extremists.

Hugo Chavez not in coma: brother

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 11:46 AM PST

A supporter of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez holds up a picture of him during the inauguration of the National Assembly in CaracasCARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's cancer-stricken President Hugo Chavez is recovering in Cuba and is not in a coma as some have rumored a month after surgery, his brother, Adan Chavez, said after a visit to Havana. The 58-year-old socialist leader has not been seen or heard from since his December 11 cancer surgery - his fourth such operation after the disease was detected in his pelvic area in mid-2011 - leaving Venezuela in a state of national suspense. ...

Russia rejects Assad exit as precondition for Syria deal

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 11:41 AM PST

Smoke rises after what activists said was shelling by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad at Deir Al-ZorMOSCOW/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Russia voiced support on Saturday for international peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi but insisted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's exit cannot be a precondition for a deal to end the country's conflict. Some 60,000 Syrians have been killed during the 21-month-old revolt and world powers are divided over how to stop the escalating bloodshed. Government aircraft bombed outer districts of Damascus on Saturday after being grounded for a week by stormy weather, opposition activists in the capital said. ...

Online activist, programmer Swartz dies in NY

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 11:39 AM PST

Tech World Saddened by Death of Internet Activist Aaron SwartzNEW YORK (AP) — Authorities say a co-founder of Reddit and activist who fought to make online content free to the public has been found dead.

France chooses Africa intervention carefully

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 11:38 AM PST

This picture released by the French Army Communications Audiovisual office (ECPAD) shows French Mirage 2000 D aircraft flying to N'Djamena overnight January 11 to 12, after taking off from the French military base of Nancy. The battle to retake Mali's north from the al-Qaida-linked groups controlling it began in earnest Saturday, after hundreds of French forces deployed to the country and began aerial bombardments to drive back the Islamic extremists from a town seized earlier this week. (AP Photo/ R.Nicolas-Nelson, Ecpad)PARIS (AP) — France has a history of intervention in Africa, where it was a colonial power for decades and still maintains several military sites and has hundreds of troops across the continent, including Senegal, Ivory Coast, Chad and Gabon.

Syrian army advances in strategic Damascus suburb

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 11:31 AM PST

This citizen journalism image provided by Edlib News Network, ENN, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows a Syrian rebel posing next to a damaged Syrian air force helicopter, at Taftanaz air base that was captured by rebels, in Idlib province, northern Syria, Friday Jan. 11, 2013. Islamic militants seeking to topple President Bashar Assad took full control of a strategic northwestern air base Friday in a significant blow to government forces, seizing helicopters, tanks and multiple rocket launchers, activists said. (AP Photo/Edlib News Network ENN)DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syrian troops advanced in a strategic suburb of Damascus and bombarded other areas around the capital Saturday in a push to secure President Bashar Assad's seat of power as rebels make gains in the north.

Libya, Algeria and Tunisia to step up border security

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 11:21 AM PST

GHADAMES, Libya (Reuters) - The prime ministers of Libya, Algeria and Tunisia agreed on Saturday to enhance security along their common borders in an attempt to fight the flow of arms and drugs and organized crime in the politically turbulent region. Meeting in the western Libyan border town of Ghadames, Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan and his Algerian and Tunisian counterparts said measures would include setting up joint checkpoints and patrols along the frontiers, which stretch for thousands of kilometers (miles) through mostly sparsely-populated desert. ...

Prosecutors approve search for Gacy victims

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 11:20 AM PST

CHICAGO (AP) — Detectives who have long wondered if John Wayne Gacy killed others besides the 33 young men he was convicted of murdering may soon get to search for bodies underneath an apartment complex where his late mother once lived, a law enforcement official said Saturday.

Haiti quietly marks quake's 3rd anniversary

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 11:19 AM PST

Relatives of those who died in the 2010 earthquake arrive for a memorial service at Titanyen, a mass burial site north of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013. Haitians recalled the tens of thousands of people who lost their lives in a devastating earthquake three years ago, marking the disaster's anniversary Saturday with a simple ceremony. Haiti's previous presidential administration said 316,000 people were killed but no one really knows how many died. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — President Michel Martelly urged Haitians to recall the tens of thousands of people who lost their lives in a devastating earthquake three years ago, marking the disaster's anniversary Saturday with a simple ceremony.

CBS welcoming actor Angus Jones back to comedy

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 11:18 AM PST

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — The teenage actor Angus T. Jones is expected back at "Two and a Half Men" next week, with CBS accepting his apology for calling the popular comedy "filth" and "very inappropriate."

Israel PM blocks roads to Palestinian tent site

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 11:18 AM PST

Palestinian activists place Palestinian flags in the new 'outpost ' of Bab al-Shams (Gate of the Sun) in an area known as E1, near Jerusalem, Saturday, Jan 12, 2013. Palestinian activists pitched tents in the West Bank on Friday to protest Israeli plans to build a large Jewish settlement on a key route through the territory. The E-1 settlement would block east Jerusalem from its West Bank hinterland — both territories captured by Israel during the 1967 Mideast war. (AP Photo/Nasser Shiyoukhi)JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu closed roads leading to a strategic West Bank site Saturday night in preparation to evacuate Palestinians who pitched tents there to protest plans to build a Jewish housing project.

16 Belfast cops hurt in Catholic-Protestant clash

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 11:00 AM PST

Riot police stand next to a burned out car after Loyalist protesters attacked police lines, in east BelfastNorthern Ireland, Saturday Jan. 12, 2013. Police used water cannons as four officers were injured during sectarian clashes between loyalists and republicans in east Belfast, Saturday. Trouble flared after a city centre demonstration against the council's decision to limit the number of days the Union flag is flown from City Hall (AP Photo/Paul Faith/PA) UNITED KINGDOM OUTBELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) — Police say 16 officers have been injured in street clashes after about 1,000 Protestants marched on Belfast City Hall to protest its decision to reduce displays of the British flag.

Hospitals crack down on workers refusing flu shots

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 10:59 AM PST

FILE - In this file photo taken Oct. 17, 2012, Bill Staples, a Mississippi Department of Health employee, is given an intradermal shot of flu vaccine by registered nurse Rosemary Jones, also with the health department, in Jackson, Miss. A survey by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers found that in 2011, more than 400 U.S. hospitals required flu vaccinations for their employees and 29 hospitals fired employees that were not vaccinated against the virus. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)CHICAGO (AP) — Patients can refuse a flu shot. Should doctors and nurses have that right, too? That is the thorny question surfacing as U.S. hospitals increasingly crack down on employees who won't get flu shots, with some workers losing their jobs over their refusal.

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority celebrates centennial

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 10:58 AM PST

WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation's capital is swarming with women wearing crimson and cream, as one of the country's largest African-American sororities gathers to celebrate 100 years of sisterhood.

Pakistan, India seek to ease tension over Kashmir

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 10:55 AM PST

FILE -- In this Friday, Jan. 11, 2013 file photo, a Pakistani Ranger in black uniform and his Indian counterpart, march during a flag off ceremony, at the joint Pakistan-India border check post of Wagah near Lahore, Pakistan. Despite the worst violence in a nearly a decade along the disputed Kashmir border, tension has not spiraled out of control between Pakistan and India, showing just how far the archenemies have come since relations were shattered by the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary, File)ISLAMABAD (AP) — Despite the worst bout of violence in years along the disputed Kashmir border, Pakistani and Indian officials have kept tension from spiraling out of control. It's an example of just how far the archenemies have come since relations were shattered by the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

Obama's fitness put to test at Pentagon clinic

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 10:50 AM PST

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama underwent a fitness test at a Pentagon health clinic on Saturday as part of a periodic medical exam coordinated by his doctor.

Rights groups condemn crackdown on Venezuela TV

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 10:46 AM PST

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Rights groups are condemning an order by Venezuela's broadcast agency for a television channel to stop showing clips that question the legality of postponing President Hugo Chavez's inauguration.

Californians deal with freezing temps, snow

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 10:44 AM PST

Heidi Blood carries her dog to the side of the road for a drink of water while waiting in line with her car along Interstate 5 north of Los Angeles on Friday, Jan. 11, 2013. The California Highway Patrol has partially reopened a 40-mile stretch of Interstate 5 north of Los Angeles that was closed for many hours due to snow. The CHP began escorting southbound motorists through the high mountain pass Friday morning. Northbound lanes are still closed. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)SAN DIEGO (AP) — Californians are bundling up with sweaters and gloves and stocking up on firewood as they endure the latest winter storm that has brought very unseasonable freezing temperatures.

France to pursue Mali mission, raise domestic security

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 10:20 AM PST

PARIS (Reuters) - France will pursue operations in Mali to prepare a subsequent African-led intervention to oust Islamist rebels and will step up anti-terrorist security measures on its own territory, President Francois Hollande said on Saturday. As French aircraft pounded rebel fighters for a second day, Hollande said he had given instructions that the several hundred French troops sent to Mali must keep their actions strictly limited to supporting a West African ECOWAS operation. "We have already held back the progress of our adversaries and inflicted heavy losses on them. ...

Dolce&Gabbana offer masculine romanticism

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 10:18 AM PST

A model wears a creation of Dolce & Gabbana men's Fall-Winter 2013-14 collection, part of the Milan Fashion Week, unveiled in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)MILAN (AP) — Dolce and Gabbana's menswear collection for next winter is pure masculinity, infused with southern romanticism.

France ups terror threat level after Mali strike

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 10:11 AM PST

France's President Francois Hollande delivers a speech on the situation in Mali at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Friday, Jan. 11, 2013. French forces began backing Malian soldiers Friday in their fight against radical Islamists, drawing the former colonial power into a military operation to oust the al-Qaida-linked militants nine months after they seized control of northern Mali. French President Francois Hollande said that the operation would last "as long as necessary" and said it was aimed notably at protecting the 6,000 French citizens in Mali. Kidnappers currently hold seven French hostages in the country. (AP Photo/Philippe Wojazer, Pool)PARIS (AP) — The French president says the country will raise its domestic terror threat level after military action in Mali and Somalia, promising to increase protection at public buildings and transportation networks.

Adrian Peterson, J.J. Watt unanimous All-Pros

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 10:08 AM PST

FILE - This 2012 file photo shows Patrick Willis of the San Francisco 49ers, a member of The Associated Press 2012 NFL football All-Pro defensive team. (AP Photo/File)NEW YORK (AP) — It's unanimous, on both sides of the ball.

BofA director settlement over Merrill triples to $62.5 million: source

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 10:08 AM PST

The logo of the Bank of America is pictured atop the Bank of America building in downtown Los Angeles(Reuters) - Bank of America Corp directors have reached a $62.5 million settlement to resolve investor claims over the bank's acquisition of Merrill Lynch & Co, a person familiar with the matter said, after a federal judge expressed reservations about an earlier version of the accord. U.S. District Judge Kevin Castel in Manhattan on Friday agreed to increase the size of the settlement from $20 million, the person said. This came after Castel had indicated in a January 4 order that he had yet to be persuaded of the fairness of the settlement, which also includes governance reforms. ...

Armstrong to admit doping in Oprah interview

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 10:07 AM PST

FILE - This combination image made of file photos shows Lance Armstrong, left, on Oct. 7, 2012, and Oprah Winfrey, right, on March 9, 2012. Armstrong plans to admit to doping throughout his career during an upcoming interview with Oprah Winfrey, USA Today reported late Friday, Jan. 11, 2013. (AP Photos/File)AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Lance Armstrong will make a limited confession to doping during his televised interview with Oprah Winfrey next week, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

Somali pirates free 3 Syrian hostages

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 10:00 AM PST

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — A Somali official says three Syrian hostages held by Somali pirates have been released after more than two years in captivity.

PHOTOS: Miss America winners through the years

Posted: 12 Jan 2013 09:58 AM PST

FILE - In this Sept. 18, 2004 file photo, former Miss America Ericka Dunlap, left, crowns Miss Alabama Deidre Downs, as Miss America 2005, during the Miss America Competition at the Atlantic City, N.J. (AP Photo/Brian Branch-Price)Women from every U.S. state are competing for the Miss America crown Saturday night, an honour that carries with it a $50,000 scholarship and a yearlong run as an advocate and role model.
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