health: Lincoln Tribune

السبت، 8 أكتوبر 2011

Lincoln Tribune

Strong earthquake jolts the Pacific Ocean near Tonga
WSJ: Apple co-founder Steve Jobs buried on Friday
EU approves Microsoft’s $8.5 billion acquisition of Skype
U.S. adds 137,000 private sector jobs in September
Illinois town evacuated after train derailment, explosion

Strong earthquake jolts the Pacific Ocean near Tonga

Posted: 08 Oct 2011 02:40 AM PDT

PANGAI, TONGA (BNO NEWS) -- A strong earthquake struck off the Pacific island nation of Tonga on late Saturday evening, seismologists said, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The 6.0-magnitude earthquake at 9.53 p.m. local time (0853 GMT) was centered about 142 kilometers (88 miles) southeast of Pangai, a village on the western shore of Lifuka island. It struck about 19.6 kilometers (12.2 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties, but the USGS estimated that several thousand people on nearby islands may have felt very light shaking which would unlikely result in damage. Lifuka has a population of around 3,000 people.

As earthquakes below magnitude 7 do usually not generate tsunamis, no tsunami warning was issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

Tonga is on the so-called 'Pacific Ring of Fire', an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent and large earthquakes. Volcanic eruptions also occur frequently in the region, which is one of the most geologically active parts in the world.

Tonga, with a population of around 104,000 people, is made up of 169 islands sprinkled over the Pacific Ocean about one-third of the way from New Zealand to Hawaii. Only thirty-nine of the islands are inhabited.

On September 29, 2009, an 8.1-magnitude earthquake struck 185 kilometers (115 miles) east-northeast of Hihifo on Tonga, unleashing giant tsunamis that killed nearly 200 people and injured hundreds more in Tonga, American Samoa, Samoa, and other nearby islands.

WSJ: Apple co-founder Steve Jobs buried on Friday

Posted: 08 Oct 2011 02:06 AM PDT

CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA (BNO NEWS) -- Steve Jobs, the iconic entrepreneur who co-founded Apple in the 1970s, was buried on Friday during a private funeral at an undisclosed location, a news report said.

According to the Wall Street Journal, citing a person familiar with the matter, Jobs' funeral took place on Friday and was characterized as a small private gathering. "The person wouldn't say where or when the event was taking place, citing respect for Mr. Jobs and his family's privacy," the report said.

Jobs died at his home in Palo Alto, California on Wednesday after a long battle with various health issues, although the exact cause of his death has not yet been disclosed. His family said in a statement that Jobs died peacefully while surrounded by his family.

"We are grateful for the support and kindness of those who share our feelings for Steve," Jobs' family said in its statement, hours after his death. "We know many of you will mourn with us, and we ask that you respect our privacy during our time of grief."

Apple is not expected to organize public services for Jobs, but Apple CEO Tim Cook told employees in an email on Wednesday that the company is planning a celebration for Apple employees of Steve's 'extraordinary' life.

Steve Jobs was 56.

EU approves Microsoft’s $8.5 billion acquisition of Skype

Posted: 08 Oct 2011 01:50 AM PDT

BRUSSELS (BNO NEWS) -- The European Union (EU) on Friday announced that its Commission has cleared the proposed acquisition of Internet voice and video communication provider Skype by U.S. computer software enterprise Microsoft Corporation.

The Commission approved the acquisition under the EU Merger Regulation, arguing that the deal would not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area (EEA) or any substantial part of it.

The acquisition proposal was first announced on May 10 when Microsoft said it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Skype S.A. for $8.5 billion, after the boards of directors of both companies approved the agreement.

With around 663 million users worldwide, Skype, which is based in Luxembourg, is the world's most popular Internet communications service company, and the acquisition is expected to provide a big push for Microsoft's online services. It is expected to support several of Microsoft's devices such as the Xbox and Kinect, Windows Phone, and connect Skype users with Lync, Outlook, Xbox Live and other communities.

The EU Commission said that there were no competition concerns in this growing market since numerous players, including Google, are present. Microsoft, the Commission explained, is active through its Windows Live Messenger, and the investigation found that the parties' activities mainly overlap for video communications.

Meanwhile, the Commission also said Skype and Microsoft do not compete directly with each other in the enterprise communications sector as Skype has a limited market presence for these products while Microsoft's Lync is used mostly by large enterprises.

Founded in 2003, Skype was acquired by eBay in September 2005 and then acquired by an investment group led by Silver Lake in November 2009.

Under Silver Lake's leadership, monthly calling minutes have increased by 150 percent over the past 18 months, developing new revenue streams and strategic partnerships, acquiring the intellectual property powering its peer-to-peer network, and recruiting an outstanding senior management team.

In 1989, the Commission was given the power to assess mergers and acquisitions involving companies with a turnover above certain thresholds in order to prevent concentrations that would significantly impede effective competition in the EEA or any substantial part of it.

The agreement represents Microsoft's biggest acquisition ever.

U.S. adds 137,000 private sector jobs in September

Posted: 08 Oct 2011 01:44 AM PDT

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- The U.S. labor market reported significant labor market growth in September, adding around 137,000 private sector jobs, the U.S. Labor Department (DOL) said on Friday.

According to the DOL's September 2011 Employment Situation report, nonfarm payroll employment added 137,000 private sector jobs while nonfarm payroll jobs grew by 103,000. The U.S. created 2.6 million jobs over 19 consecutive months of private sector growth, the DOL said.

But while the unemployment rate remained high at 9.1 percent, the reported July and August jobs numbers were revised significantly upward, showing that the U.S. added 99,000 more jobs during those two months than was previously reported.

However, despite the job growth in the month of September, some 34,000 local government workers lost their jobs. Among those who lost their jobs were 24,000 teachers and other education professionals.

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis stressed that more must be done to speed up the country's recovery, although she expressed optimism with the recent data. "What this shows is that our economy responds positively when Washington curtails the public bickering and pledges to work together to solve the jobs crisis," Solis said. "If we want these trends to continue, our lawmakers must now match their words with votes."

Meanwhile, the revised gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the second quarter, along with building permits, industrial production, export growth, consumer confidence and personal spending, all posted increases.

Despite the administration's efforts to add jobs back into the U.S. economy, Solis emphasized on the need for policies to work faster and on a bigger scale. "We know what works," she stated, "cutting payroll taxes for workers and businesses, extending unemployment insurance benefits and making smart investments in the American worker. Now is not the time to abandon these proven pro-growth policies."

Solis underlined the importance of the American Jobs Act, which she said would stop employment losses and "give municipalities the support they need to put our educators back in the classroom," adding that first-class education is critical to the nation's long-term success in the global economy.

Independent forecasters, meanwhile, estimate that the American Jobs Act will create as many as 1.9 million jobs and increase economic growth by as much as two percentage points, if enacted.

"That's more than 150,000 additional jobs a month," Solis noted. "It's crucial that this bill gets an up-or-down vote in both the House and Senate. If leaders in Congress refuse to put the bill to a vote, respected forecasters believe we will see lackluster GDP and job growth in 2012."

She added: "Inaction is not a responsible option for any lawmaker who is serious about putting this country back to work."

Illinois town evacuated after train derailment, explosion

Posted: 08 Oct 2011 01:35 AM PDT

CHICAGO (BNO NEWS) -- The town of Tiskilwa in northern Illinois was evacuated on early Friday morning after a freight train derailed and several tankers containing ethanol exploded. There were no reports of injuries.

Twenty-six cars of the 131-car train derailed at around 2 a.m. local time, including seven to nine cars loaded with ethanol, according to Mick Burkart, chief operating officer of Iowa Interstate Railroad. He said that investigators have been unable to determine the cause of the accident since they have been unable to get close enough to the train, the Chicago Tribune reported.

As of 9.30 a.m. local time on Friday, the fire was under control but still burning in the town of 800 people located some 115 miles (185 kilometers) west of Chicago. "It's under control, there are no casualties and it didn't cause any structural damage," said Les Grant of the Bureau County Emergency Services and Disaster Administration, according to the report.

Grant said the evacuation of Tiskilwa was voluntary but most evacuated, although several people decided to stay behind. Most residents went to stay with friends or relatives out of town or went to work.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it was dispatching a six-person team to investigate the accident. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency also sent a representative to the scene to evaluate the situation, the newspaper reported.

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السبت، 8 أكتوبر 2011

Lincoln Tribune

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