Violence, boycott cast gloom over Liberia's run-off (Reuters)

MONROVIA (Reuters) ? Tension, a planned opposition boycott and fresh memories of a day of deadly clashes hang over Liberia's presidential election run-off on Tuesday, which incumbent leader Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is poised to win.

Johnson-Sirleaf is set to secure a second term in the poll, the West African state's first locally organized presidential contest since a civil war, after her rival Winston Tubman withdrew in protest against alleged fraud in the first round.

At least one person was shot dead after Tubman supporters clashed with Liberian and United Nations security forces in the capital Monrovia on Monday. A Liberian police officer was detained by U.N. peacekeepers after he admitted to firing live rounds during the clash, Liberia's police inspector said.

"We don't want any trouble. But monkey and baboon not getting along," said a Monrovia resident who called himself Tarr. Liberians have nicknamed Johnson-Sirleaf 'monkey' and Tubman 'baboon' and frequently used stuffed animal mascots during campaigning.

Human rights watchdog Amnesty International called for a thorough investigation of the killing and urged restraint through the rest of the election process.

"All political candidates must ensure their supporters respect the law and make clear to their supporters that those responsible for ordering or carrying out human rights abuses will be held accountable," said Lucy Freeman, a West Africa researcher for the group.

Tubman, a Harvard-educated former U.N. ambassador, seized on the clashes to criticize Johnson-Sirleaf.

"It shows to you why the Liberian people are determined to get rid of this leader. She is somebody who will use violence against peaceful people," he said.

The government called the rally an illegal provocation and urged voters not to be intimidated on election day.

On Tuesday U.S. President Barack Obama called on Liberian security forces to show restraint and allow peaceful protest, and he warned against any voting violations.

"Those gains (to consolidate democracy) must not be set back by individuals who seek to disrupt the political process," he said. "The international community will hold accountable those who choose to obstruct the democratic process."

The vote is due to gauge the West African state's progress since civil war ended in 2003 and pave the way for new investment, but fears are rising it could instead kick off open-ended political turmoil.

Liberia is one of the world's poorest countries, with over half of its people surviving on less than 50 U.S. cents a day. Fourteen years of intermittent fighting killed nearly a quarter of a million people and has left its infrastructure in ruins.

Johnson-Sirleaf took nearly 44 percent of the first round vote on October 11 and has since won the backing of the third-place finisher, former warlord Prince Johnson.

Tubman -- who won roughly 33 percent in the first round -- said last week he would withdraw from the race and called for a boycott because of evidence of fraud. He said he would only be willing to participate in a second-round if it were delayed by two to four weeks and counting procedures were amended.

International election observers called the October 11 vote mostly free and fair, and the United States, the United Nations, regional bloc ECOWAS and the African Union have all criticized Tubman's decision.

Many of his supporters are unemployed former fighters.

Johnson-Sirleaf became Africa's first freely elected female head of state in 2005, and has been internationally praised for reducing the country's debt and maintaining peace. But she faces criticism within for the slow pace of development.

Analysts had anticipated that a smooth election would trigger a surge in foreign investment in resources such as iron ore and oil, which have already attracted major firms including ArcelorMittal, BHP Billiton and Anadarko Petroleum.

(Editing by David Lewis)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111108/wl_nm/us_liberia_election

port charlotte florida buckyballs buckyballs jets gilad annie hall jon lester

Official: Up to 60 Taliban killed in Afghan battle

Afghan and NATO-led troops killed 60 to 70 Taliban fighters during an attack by insurgents on a base in a volatile southeastern Afghan province near the border with Pakistan, a provincial government spokesman told Reuters on Wednesday.

  1. Only on msnbc.com

    1. Cain maintains: 'I have never acted inappropriately'
    2. Updated 55 minutes ago 11/9/2011 10:14:06 AM +00:00 Beijing residents call foul over the air
    3. First Read: Ohio voters reject curbs on public employee unions
    4. Dems rebuff GOP tax proposal as 'insane'
    5. ID theft victim shares SSN with 50 people
    6. Asteroid misses Earth by 200,000 miles
    7. Candidates on housing crisis: A deafening silence

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) confirmed there had been an attack on a base in the Barmal district of southeastern Paktika province late on Tuesday.

An ISAF spokesman told Reuters that a large group of insurgents attacked the ISAF base using small arms and rocket-propelled grenades. ISAF troops fought back, causing "significant" casualties among the insurgents.

Mukhlis Afghan, a spokesman for the Paktika governor, put the number of Taliban fighters killed at between 60 and 70.

Story: US general booted for Afghan remarks

Among the insurgents were a significant number of foreign fighters, a local police officer told the BBC News.

"We know for sure that there are foreign fighters among those killed because we listened to their radio chatter, there were Arabic, Chechen, Uzbek and Urdu speakers," the officer said.

The officer added that the Haqqani network, a Pakistan-based group affiliated with the Taliban, had carried out the attack on the base.

Afghan said two buildings used by insurgents were destroyed in the fighting, which included ISAF air strikes, but said there had been no reports of civilian or coalition casualties.

Paktika province lies on the border with the Pakistani tribal area of North Waziristan, where the Taliban and insurgents like the Haqqani network have safe havens from which they launch attacks into Afghanistan.

Story: Attack near UN guest house kills 4 in Afghanistan

Paktika and neighboring Paktia and Zabul have been hit by a number of attacks this year.

ISAF troops and Afghan special forces killed more than 50 insurgents in Paktika during an operation in July to clear a training camp that ISAF said the Haqqanis had been using as a base for foreign fighters.

In September, a bomb killed six civilians in Paktika. The Taliban claimed responsibility for an attack there in March when three suicide bombers killed 24 construction workers.

Despite the presence of about 130,000 foreign troops, violence across Afghanistan remains at its worst levels since the Taliban were toppled by U.S.-backed Afghan forces 10 years ago, according to the United Nations.

On Sunday, at least seven civilians were killed and 15 wounded by a suicide bomber in an attack on a mosque in northern Baghlan province soon after prayers for the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha.

ISAF says there has been a fall in the number of attacks by insurgents recently, but that data excludes attacks that kill only civilians, and attacks on Afghan security forces operating without international troops.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45219238/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia/

steve bartman columbus day columbus day mark davis bank holidays bank holidays john galt

HBT: Francona 'excited' after interview with Cards

As expected, Terry Francona interviewed with the Cardinals today, meeting with team chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. at his private equity firm in Cincinnati.

Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post Dispatch spoke to Francona after the interview and the former Red Sox manager said: ?There is a huge amount of tradition. A good organization. I was just excited to back in there and talk to them. Whatever happens, happens.?

Strauss also reports that Francona declined to comment on whether he?s a candidate for the Cubs job.

Tomorrow the Cardinals are scheduled to interview third base coach Jose Oquendo and Phillies minor-league manager Ryne Sandberg, and they?ve already interviewed Mike Matheny, Chris Maloney, and Joe McEwing..

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/11/08/terry-francona-after-cardinals-interview-whatever-happens-happens/related/

ides of march diane sawyer starship troopers starship troopers the skin i live in charlie daniels band charlie daniels band

Europe fails to find united front on reinforcing banks (Reuters)

BRUSSELS (Reuters) ? European Union finance ministers failed to agree on Tuesday how to shore up sagging banks and avert a credit squeeze, as rising borrowing costs for Italy threaten to unleash a new and more dangerous phase of the euro zone debt crisis.

Against the worsening economic backdrop, European banks are finding it hard to borrow and are increasingly reluctant to lend to one another.

In an attempt to arrest this creeping credit freeze, ministers examined offering state guarantees to borrower banks on Tuesday but became bogged down in deciding whether to pool such guarantees in Europe or ask countries to go it alone.

"The point is to what extent you pool together guarantees for banks," said one official. "There are differences of views on that point."

Austria's finance minister and others said two schemes were now being considered -- one a common "harmonized" model of guarantees for banks that need to borrow and another a "consortium" where state guarantees for banks are gathered.

"A collectivization of the guarantees at a European level ... everyone together ... Europe makes one guarantee pot ... was ruled out," Maria Fekter told journalists after the meeting.

BRIDGING A DIVIDE

A suggestion by the European Investment Bank (EIB) that its shareholders, which include all 27 EU states, pump in more cash so that it can lend more, also received a cool response, she said.

In that proposal, the EIB said it could lend up to 74 billion euros ($101 billion) to banks over two years if its shareholders, which include Germany and Britain, were to inject new capital.

The ministers also faced pressure to paper over cracks in a plan signed off by EU leaders to inject around 100 billion euros of extra capital into banks to protect them against the impact of a Greek sovereign default.

Michel Barnier, the EU official in charge of financial regulation, said he would write a law to empower supervisors to push banks that need to beef up their capital by curbing their dividend or bonus payouts.

His announcement comes amid doubts about the plan to boost banks that was set to cost more than 100 billion euros. Now countries including Italy want a more flexible approach to cut this bill.

Swedish Finance Minister Anders Borg hinted at divisions when he said earlier: "We should do what we have promised. Any watering down would be costly in terms of credibility. We should not change the criteria."

French Finance Minister Francois Baroin played down any talk of changing the plan.

"There is a deal," said Baroin, leaving the meeting. "There is no change on this from our point of view."

Amid indecision, the EU's attempts to support its lenders may be overtaken by events.

Recapitalizing banks was in part intended to cope with a default by Greece. But if debt-ridden Italy -- the euro zone's third biggest economy -- were also to need financial assistance, the scale of the problem would change entirely.

Yields on Italy's 10-year bonds touched a record high on Tuesday morning at 6.71 percent, close to levels widely seen as unsustainable.

"People were kind of hesitant and waiting developments in Greece and in Italy," said Irish Finance Minister Michael Noonan, leaving the meeting.

"There is a feeling, whatever economic and financial decisions need to be made can't be really made until the political logjam is released. People were kind of watching and waiting."

Ministers also abandoned talks on a financial transaction tax, an idea strongly backed by Germany but opposed in equal measure by Britain.

German finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said there had been a "lively" discussion and some disagreement.

Britain's George Osborne was more direct when he told the meeting: "I would suggest that we put to rest the idea that there is going to be some European financial transaction tax."

(Reporting by Jan Strupczewski, Robin Emmott, Annika Breidthardt, Julien Toyer, Francesca Landini, Ilona Wissenbach and John O'Donnell; Editing by Rex Merrifield, John Stonestreet, Catherine Evans, Ron Askew)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111108/bs_nm/us_eu_ministers_banks

alicia witt nobel peace prize verizon wireless oregon ducks football the league the ides of march yankees

Obama urges Congress to pass veterans' tax credits

(AP) ? Embracing veterans, President Barack Obama on Monday urged Republicans in Congress to "put country before party" and support new ways of helping former members of the military find jobs in a sluggish economy.

"Our veterans did their jobs. It's time for Congress to do theirs. It's time for them to put country before party," Obama said in the Rose Garden, flanked by leaders of veterans' groups.

Ahead of Veterans' Day, Obama pressed lawmakers to approve tax credits for businesses to hire unemployed veterans or injured veterans who have been out of work. The Senate is expected to consider the measures this week.

The actions are part of a larger effort by the White House to draw contrasts with congressional Republicans who have opposed Obama's jobs legislation a year before the 2012 election. Obama has signed executive orders aimed at spurring job growth and helping homeowners and college students in recent weeks, saying he does not want to wait for Congress to act.

Obama said the administration would act unilaterally to help veterans match their skills to job openings and access job banks. He said veterans could download a "Veteran Gold Card" issued by the Labor Department that allows former military members to get six months of personalized case management, assessment and counseling at career centers.

The White House estimates the gold card could help more than 200,000 unemployed veterans who served after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

"Just as you fought for us we are going to keep fighting for you," Obama said.

Obama pushed anew for the package of tax credits of up to $5,600 to businesses that hire a veteran who has been unemployed for six months or more. Another tax credit would provide $9,600 for companies that hire an injured vet who has been unemployed that long.

The Senate is expected to take up the tax credits in combination with a measure to repeal a proposed requirement to withhold 3 percent of payments to federal, state and some local government contractors with unpaid taxes.

The tax incentives cleared the House last month and are not expected to be paid for through Obama's proposed tax on millionaires, raising hopes that could win Republican support.

Obama noted that when he proposed the tax incentives for veterans during his jobs speech before Congress, lawmakers from both sides stood and applauded. "I expect both sides of the aisle to stand up for our veterans and vote in the affirmative," he said.

Soldiers returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan face a challenging job market. The Labor Department estimated that 12.1 percent of veterans who served in the military since 9/11 were unemployed in October, higher than the national rate of 9 percent.

With American soldiers leaving Iraq and Afghanistan, about 1 million service members are expected to depart the military by 2016 and enter the job market. Advocates for veterans say many returning soldiers struggle to translate their skills into the civilian work force and some companies are reluctant to hire veterans due to fears about mental health issues.

"Without using every option available to assist them, unemployment for veterans will only rise with the drawdown of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Bob Wallace, executive director of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States.

___

Online:

White House veterans initiatives: http://www.whitehouse.gov/joiningforces/resources

___

Follow Ken Thomas on Twitter at http://twitter.com/AP_Ken_Thomas

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2011-11-07-Obama-Veterans/id-cb5427734eb44b518c2b201a88949b43

mike wallace koch brothers dash diet weather phoenix dippin dots lindsey vonn lindsey vonn

Girls Gone Gadgets 01: Premiere [NSFW-L]

Our podcast feed: Audio | Video Download Directly: Audio | Video Subscribe in iTunes: Audio | Video Georgia and Ashley Esqueda talk Android Xoom 2, geek dating dos and don’ts, how to rock (and not rock) your BlackBerry, advice for celebrity sexters, iHelicopters and Whale...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/yg_RstvJdP4/story01.htm

rick hendrick plane crash marco rubio marco rubio no shave november kevin durant miranda lambert kim kardashian divorce

Retired general heads for Guatemala election win (Reuters)

GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) ? A retired right-wing general who promises to stamp out spiraling crime in Guatemala was on the verge of becoming the first military man to serve as president since democracy returned to the country in 1986.

With votes in Sunday's presidential election counted in 90 percent of polling stations, Otto Perez was leading with 54.89 percent support, the electoral commission said. His younger centrist rival Manuel Baldizon had 45.11 percent.

Supporters of the silver-haired Perez, 60, believe he is the best candidate to tackle lawlessness and violence in the coffee- and sugar-exporting country, which has one of the highest murder rates in the Americas.

Although some fret about Perez's military past and his role in a 36-year civil war that tainted the army, polls ahead of the presidential vote showed him well ahead of Baldizon, a businessman with a message to help the elderly and the poor.

Both Perez and Baldizon, 41, said they would boost security spending but Perez has made a promise of a "mano dura," or "firm hand" against crime, his campaign slogan.

"I'm voting for General Otto Perez Molina because he's an ex-military man," said Jose Efrain Castillo, 73, a school bus driver who believes the former general has a better chance of cutting the murder rate than Baldizon.

Perez supporters began to gather near a local campaign headquarters in Guatemala City in anticipation of a victory announcement.

The retired general will replace center-left President Alvaro Colom, whose National Unity of Hope (UNE) party failed to field a candidate in the contest.

MILITARY PAST

Perez would be the first military man at Guatemala's helm since its return to democracy in 1986.

About a quarter million people were killed or disappeared during the Central American nation's civil war. A U.N.-backed Truth Commission found that the vast majority of atrocities were committed by the military.

But Perez has never been charged and dismisses accusations of involvement in abuses. He responds to questions about his role in the war with a reminder that he signed the peace accords in 1996.

Analysts say not enough progress has been made in implementing the accords and that the elections come at a crucial point in the country's young democracy.

"Guatemala is a very unequal society," said Javier Oliva, a political scientist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). "And there is not great faith in democracy."

A 2011 survey by Latinobarometro, a Chile-based pollster, showed only 36 percent of Guatemalans felt democracy was the best form of government, the lowest rate in Latin America.

(Additional reporting by Alex Leff in Costa Rica; Editing by Kieran Murray and Anthony Boadle)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/latam/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111107/wl_nm/us_guatemala_election

curmudgeon daylight savings time 2011 selena daylight savings bobolink bobolink breeders cup

Princeton Irvin Parker: Generation "Why?"

Churches are realizing more than ever, the truth in the saying, "The children are the future." Across the country many churches are engaging in new initiatives to try to connect youth to the church. Such initiatives range from youth recreational activities to social networking, like church Facebook and Twitter pages. While the concern for the moral state of youth should be applauded, it is important to note that while activities and social media are ways to attract youth, what is more important is the message that is conveyed once the youth become involved in the church. Just because a young person has connected to the church, doesn't mean that they have connected to God. When it comes to religion, young people want more than fun activities and a social way to connect to their church. Young people want to know "Why?"

When we as young people ask "why?" it is not an accusatory question; a pessimistic question seeking to find flaws in Christianity; nor a question of defiance. It is a question that searches for the depth in Christianity that is relevant to our lives. We want to know, how is the God that our grandparents served relevant to our lives? In the wake of a technological age full of social and media progress, the message of a man whose claim to history was being hung on a wooden cross more than 2,000 years ago seems ancient. We need a true connection with God. The need for a true relationship with God stems from two things: our dislike of tradition, and the fact that in our generation we encounter so many tragic and dangerous situations, that we need someone who can help, when no one else can.

As young people, it is in our nature to question tradition. Anything that simulates structure or rules is usually a turnoff to us because we think that it inhibits our creativity, and stifles our freedom of decision and expression. Naturally, these feelings are carried into the church, where often all we hear are the dos and don'ts of traditional religion. To many of us, Christianity sounds like a set of school rules meant to keep us from enjoying life. This is why we love movements and idioms that promote fun, freedom, and creativity. Christ himself, however, promoted a message of joy. While his way came with sacrifice, he emphasized the reward that came as a result of it. In John 10:10 he says: "I come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly." Christianity stems around more than tradition, it is a lifestyle to be followed, a life that draws one closer to God himself. This is the message that we need to be taught and understand.

If churches want to ensure that this current generation will continue in the faith in our youth, instead of waiting 20 years from now when we have children, then the church must invest in conveying the message of a timeless, relevant God. Activities, music, and social networking are exciting and affective drawing tools for us. However, only true knowledge of, and a connection with God himself can sustain young people and accomplish the purpose of religion in general. Such purpose is to connect natural people to spiritual things. When we face challenging situations, making critical decisions, and the struggles that come with growing up, we need to know the power of God. We need to know what God has done for us by sending his son to die for our sins. We need to know that God loves us unconditionally and will forgive our sins. We need to know that God is powerful enough to take care of the world, yet cares enough about each individual to want to establish a relationship with them personally. We need to know that he is a very present help in the time of trouble. We need to know that God is able to answer our prayers and cries. Knowing this will give us the inspiration to pursue and establish that REAL and close, personal relationship with the God who meets us where we are. When we attain that true relationship with God, the future members of the church will have no problem serving God. The message is simple, if you want to really reach us, just answer the question "Why?"

?

Follow Princeton Irvin Parker on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@PrincetonParke

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/princeton-irvin-parker/youth-christianity_b_1077374.html

cardinals jennifer nicole lee jennifer nicole lee chris harris peter schiff matt holliday project runway winner

[OOC] Camp Hero

Forum rules
This forum is for OOC discussion about existing roleplays.

Please post all "Players Wanted" threads in the Roleplayers Wanted forum!

Topic Tags:

online roleplay roleplay online -->

HTML, for websites and MySpace:

BBcode, for forum posts and signatures:

--> Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.
This is the auto-generated OOC topic for the roleplay "Camp Hero"

You may edit this first post as you see fit.

User avatar
stevatox
Member for 0 years



Return to Out of Character

Post a reply

RolePlayGateway is a site built by a couple roleplayers who wanted to give a little something back to the roleplay community. The site has no intention of earning any profit, and is paid for out of their own pockets.

If you appreciate what they do, feel free to donate your spare change to help feed them on the weekends. After selecting the amount you want to donate from the menu, you can continue by clicking on PayPal logo.

Who is online

Registered users: Akantha, Akita, Aniihya, Anti-HAL*, Archlkan*, ArcticFox*, Ark Reahver*, Aza, AzricanRepublic*, birdguard*, Bliss, Chulance*, Conumbra*, DarknessToDeath23, deathrisesagain, DemiKara, demonpuppluto*, drampire, DumbDora, emotionless, EnkoKasumi*, Everscale, fierytempest*, freakofnature, Gasmask*, Giggles1245, Google [Bot], Google Adsense [Bot], Google Feedfetcher, Guardian Angel, Harlequin Smile*, hawk10002002, Hinasil*, iCat, Imperial Waltz*, jackrules158*, Jessiquita, Jxcrust, Kai, Ken Shiro, kingjpc, klikxx, kotaro7914, Lee, Lifecharacter, LozerFanAnah, LSunday, Lufia, Magix, Majestic-12 [Bot], missfightingfork, Morbin, MotherDragons, MSNbot Media, NarrowEye, Nemmy826, NinaKerndall, Nivosity*, Nogond, OdiOdi, Patcharoo*, PirateofPie*, Porecomesis*, Princess Rose, projectdarkeden, Qetzo, Ravelin, Rem?us*, RoxUrSox*, Rulke, Scarlet Bullets, Script*, Sirius Baren, SkullsandSlippers, Sora112112*, starlight, stevatox, Sweet Angel Jocelyn, Tanman, The Shadow, The Sickness, TheOneAndOnly*, Thorait, Tumbleweed*, Variun, VitaminHeart, ViviOrunitiaFF9, VoldemortNeedsAHug, Wake*, wednesdaysun, Whispers..x, William Krypt, Windle Poons, WindOnFire, Wing06Twilight, wolfoftheage*, Xiiver*, Yashie, Yonbibuns, Zelin Artemus, ZeroTolerance

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/aXre3piAsUg/viewtopic.php

guy kawasaki jani lane the exorcism of emily rose the exorcism of emily rose fort knox quarry quarry