The ecological badminton robot: Optimizing energy efficiency in machine design

Jan. 30, 2013 ? A robot to play with! A childhood?s dream has now come true for researchers at the Flanders? Mechatronics Technology Centre (FMTC) in Belgium. Wim Symens and his team pioneered the development of the first robot ever to play badminton. But this robot is only a guinea pig to test a software application designed to optimise energy efficiency in machine design.

Thanks to the EU funded research project?ESTOMAD, a new computer program is now?capable of detecting the energy guzzlers in so-called mechatronic systems, that are controlled by both software and electronics. The results are impressive. Following an energy efficiency analysis of the badminton robot with the new software, the team made some small changes where most of the energy was identified as being wasted in the robotic system. ?We were able to cut down the energy consumption of the badminton robot by 50%!? claims Wim Symens.

Industry has already expressed interest in performing this type of energy efficiency analysis. For example,?PICANOL, a key actor in the production of weaving machines, was thus able to cut the energy consumption of their existing machines by 10-15% by adapting the software to its production line.

In the future,?engineers could use this software for machines even before they are built. Performing a virtual analysis at such an early stage, could provide a very important competitive advantage to industry. ?A virtual approach is always a preferred one. You can even simulate strange conditions; very fast or very high temperatures. In real life those tests are very expensive!? explains Tom Boermans of engineering solution consultancy?LMS International, who is based in Leuven, Belgium and one of the partners in the project.

Ultimately,?the badminton robot and the innovative software will help engineers of many different industries cut down the energy consumption?of their production line ?making it more sustainable?while reducing the costs of their end products. It is eco-innovation at its best.

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Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/strange_science/~3/VT3ySrihZTA/130130082730.htm

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Try Commercial Real Estate Investing With These Simple Tips ...

TIP! Consider using the principals of feng shui in the interior design of your commercial investment properties. Opening spaces and clearing clutter are both two major attractions from those presets that appeal to buyers.

Select pieces of real estate can have tremendous commercial potential. This real estate can line your pockets with profit and might even make you rich! It can be risky, though, since it requires a significant investment.

TIP! Interview your prospective real estate broker to determine what they view as failures and successes, to see if their standards match yours. Also be sure to ask their method of measuring results.

Interest rates fluctuating is a major threat to commercial property investors. The current economic conditions will make interest rates go up and down without being predictable; this can be a disaster for a investor. Keep this in mind when shopping for property, and consider the long-term options.

TIP! Get your commercial property inspected before you try to sell it. You can fix any problems right away so you have the best available property.

Before you present a lender with an application so you can buy a commercial property, get your own financial information well-organized. If you don?t have these, banks won?t know how you manage your money, which might cause them not to lend the amount of money that you need.

TIP! Take into consideration the local unemployment levels, average income, and job market before investing in real estate. Homes that are located near schools, hospitals and other major employers are assigned a higher resale value.

Whether you want to get into real estate or you?ve been into it for a while, visit some websites that will help you find out how to invest in commercial real estate. You can never know too much when it comes to commercial real estate, so never stop looking for ways to obtain more information!

TIP! Commercial real estate agents come in different types. There are agents who only represent tenants and there are full-service brokers who work with both tenants and landlords.

Before settling on a broker, determine if they negotiate aggressively or rationally. Ask them about their background, such as what training they?ve completed or experience they have. When choosing a real estate broker, make sure that they are ethical when doing business. Ask for examples of successful and unsuccessful past negotiations.

TIP! One of the biggest considerations in the process of attaining commercial property is to know the neighborhood of each and every prospective location. Expensive, luxury-oriented businesses will thrive in more affluent neighborhoods.

Once you have narrowed your choices down to two major contenders, you should expand your decision to include the big picture. The difficulty in securing financing doesn?t increase linearly with the size of the building you are buying. Generally, it?s like buying in bulk. As the number of units purchased goes up, the cost per until will go down.

TIP! Before formally making an offer, you must first locate a suitable lender. Local investors and small business owners are often willing to point you in the right direction for reputable lenders.

There is a considerable amount of money to be made in commercial real estate. Approach this activity as an investment of your money, but also of your time and hard work. To achieve this, you should look for opportunities to try out everything that you have just read.

Source: http://nhlmicke.com/try-commercial-real-estate-investing-with-these-simple-tips/

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Pending home sales take a breather in December

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Contracts to buy previously owned homes unexpectedly fell in December after three months of gains, an industry group said on Monday, but the housing market recovery remains intact.

The National Association of Realtors said its Pending Home Sales Index, based on contracts signed last month, dropped 4.3 percent to 101.7.

Economists polled by Reuters had expected signed contracts, which become sales after a month or two, to rise 0.3 percent after a previously reported 1.7 percent increase in November.

The drop in contracts, which the Realtors group blamed on the tightening stock of homes, suggested resales could fall again in January after slipping in December.

"The supply limitation appears to be the main factor holding back contract signings in the past month," said NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun. "Supplies of homes costing less than $100,000 are tight in much of the country, so first-time buyers have fewer options."

Still, the housing market remains the economy's bright spot, and is expected to support growth this year. Pending home sales were up 6.9 percent in the 12 months through December.

The NAR expects sales of previously owned homes to increase 9 percent this year after a similar gain in 2012.

Home resale contracts were down in three of the country's four regions last month. They increased in the Midwest.

(Reporting By Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pending-home-sales-breather-december-150057232--business.html

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Samsung goes red with the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0

Samsung has announced that the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is available in garnet red this week at participating retailers. It runs $219.99 and comes with a free matching garnet red case. Samsung's 7-incher is running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, sports a dual-core processor and has an IR port tucked away in there, too. The limited edition red version is available from Walmart, Amazon.com, Office Depot, Fry's, Tiger Direct and Toys R Us, among other retailers. 

read more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/yu9hKFTJpN4/story01.htm

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Vine, Hardcore Porn Should Not Be An Editor?s Pick Video

Video sharing app Vine came under fire this past weekend for having a bit of a porn problem. That it has adult content on the network shouldn't surprise anyone, and as long as it's something you have to look for, I think criticizing them for it is as sensible as criticizing Google. But today (right now, as of this writing) the top featured pick on my home feed, and on the feed of many users judging by Twitter, is a porn video. Labelled "Editor's Pick."

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/NKhcV0pq8Uo/

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Legal Events to Watch This Week - Law Blog - WSJ

By Joe Palazzolo

This week: BP?s plea deal over the Deepwater Horizon spill goes before a federal district judge in New Orleans. The?military?tribunal for the alleged 9/11?conspirators?cranks up again at?Guantanamo Bay.

Monday, Jan. 28

? The?Guantanamo Bay military tribunal?resumes for the alleged conspirators?of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The defendants are facing the death penalty. . . . . .

Source: http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2013/01/28/legal-events-to-watch-this-week-38/

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Home prices keep coming back

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Single-family home prices rose in November, building on a string of gains that point to a housing market that is on the mend, data from a closely watched survey showed on Tuesday.

The S&P/Case Shiller composite index of 20 metropolitan areas gained 0.6 percent in November on a seasonally adjusted basis, in line with economists' forecasts.

Prices in the 20 cities rose 5.5 percent year over year. It was the strongest year-over-year price increase since August 2006.

It was the 10th month in a row that prices have increased, the longest string of gains since before the market started to turn down in 2006. Last year's rise in prices beat a nine-month consecutive run in 2009 and 2010, when the market was boosted by the homeowner tax credit.

"Housing is clearly recovering," David Blitzer, chairman of the index committee at S&P Dow Jones Indexes, said in a statement.

Prices on a non-adjusted basis slipped 0.1 percent. The non-adjusted numbers showed prices fell in about half of the cities covered by the survey, with the winter months typically a weak period for housing, the survey said.

"This is continuing a trend in place for the better part of a year," said Omair Sharif, U.S. economist at RBS Securities in New York. "This is another indication that the housing rebound is fairly entrenched at this point."

Phoenix, which saw its housing market rebound sharply last year, led with the biggest yearly gain at 22.8 percent. New York was the only city to fall, down 1.2 percent from the previous year.

Financial markets saw little reaction to the data with Wall Street focused on the latest corporate earnings.

The housing market became a bright spot for the economy last year as prices rose and inventory tightened. The sector is expected to contribute to economic growth in 2013.

(Additional reporting by Richard Leong; Editing by Nick Zieminski)

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/home-prices-continue-climb-november-140149324.html

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Feinstein has assurance assault weapon ban will get a vote (reuters)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/279869567?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Robin Roberts says she's heading back to 'GMA'

NEW YORK (AP) ? Robin Roberts says her road to recovery will bring her back to the "Good Morning America" anchor desk soon.

Appearing from her home on "Good Morning America" on Monday, Roberts wore a broad smile as she announced that her most recent bone marrow test showed no sign of the life-threatening ailment that has kept her off the air for months.

This means she can begin the process of returning to the anchor chair.

She calls it "coming home" and says she hopes to be back on the air "in weeks, not months."

Roberts got a bone marrow transplant in September.

In June, she disclosed to viewers that she had MDS, a blood and bone marrow disease.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-01-14-TV-Robin%20Roberts/id-235cdc19053e4d468bcce617f8ab5e8d

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Cleric fires up Pakistanis, demands gov't resign

ISLAMABAD (AP) ? A cleric who has fired up Pakistanis angry at perceived government corruption and indifference demanded the country's political leaders resign in a speech to thousands of his supporters who amassed in the capital early Tuesday and clashed briefly with security forces.

The dramatic entry into Pakistani politics of Tahir-ul-Qadri, a preacher who until recently lived in Canada, has sparked concern from some that he is seeking to derail elections at the behest of the powerful army. Polls are expected this spring.

Qadri has denied that and insisted his vague demands for election reform are simply meant to root out corruption in the political system. He pledged several weeks ago to lead a "million-man march" on Islamabad to press his demands.

During a 40-minute speech delivered behind bullet-proof glass in the early morning, Qadri told his supporters that the government's mandate was finished.

"I give you time until tomorrow to dissolve national and all four provincial assemblies otherwise the nation will dissolve them on their own," he said. He vowed to address his followers later in the morning in front of the parliament building.

Qadri called on the demonstrators to break through the containers blocking them from the government offices and peacefully march toward the protected enclave that is often called the "red zone" in Islamabad.

Following his cry, some of the marchers pushed aside the shipping containers that had been placed on the street to block them and walked toward the enclave. There another row of shipping containers and a heavy police presence blocked them from going any further and the protesters appeared to stop.

The rally was widely peaceful until police and protesters clashed briefly in the early morning.

Television footage showed police shooting into the air to push back protesters and a man on the ground being beaten by what appeared to be protesters. Demonstrators threw rocks at a vehicle, while others held up shells and an empty tear gas canister.

Helicopters could be heard circling overhead.

Minister of Interior Rehman Malik, speaking on Pakistani television, said some of the demonstrators had weapons and attacked police with stones.

"Tahir-ul-Qadri has said that the marchers would remain peaceful but police have been stoned and shots were also fired," he said.

In an email to The Associated Press, a spokesman for Qadri, Shahid Mursaleen, blamed the entire incident on the security officials and said police had opened fire unprovoked.

Thousands of people remained on the streets after the clashes stopped. Qadri put the crowd assembled on the main avenue leading to the government center at 4 million but far fewer were actually in attendance. One city official put the number of protesters at roughly 30,000. He did not want to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Many in the crowd waved green and white Pakistani flags and wore buttons emblazoned with the cleric's picture.

Qadri has called for vaguely-worded reforms to the electoral system such as making sure candidates for office are free of corruption. His words have inspired many Pakistanis who are frustrated with a government that they say has given them nothing but unemployment, electricity blackouts, and terror attacks as its five-year term comes to an end.

"There is no electricity and no gas, and the government has done nothing," said Faizan Baig, a 23-year-old pharmaceutical company worker who traveled to Islamabad from the northwest town of Abbottabad. "Qadri feels pain for the people, while the government feels no pain for the people."

Security was heavy throughout the city, although the rally appeared to be largely peaceful. Thousands of police in riot gear protected the streets, and cell phones were jammed after the government warned that militants were planning to attack the protesters.

Qadri returned to Pakistan in December after years in Canada, where he's also a citizen. He heads a religious network in Lahore and gained some international prominence by writing a 2010 fatwa, or religious opinion, condemning terrorism.

But he was never a national political figure until this winter, when his calls for reforms ahead of elections galvanized many Pakistanis disenchanted by the existing parties.

His arrival in Islamabad was met with raucous cheers, and supporters showered his black SUV with rose petals.

Qadri also asked his supporters to take the security of the capital in their hands and guard and protect each of the buildings of Islamabad. The cleric took an oath in front of the crowd that they all will remain peaceful but stay in Islamabad until the revolution is completed.

"They are no more rulers but former rulers. Don't follow their orders! I have come here to get you out of their slavery," he said.

Many of the protesters had blankets and appeared ready to camp.

Some of Qadri's comments have sparked concern that the cleric is being uses as a front for the Pakistani military to disrupt the democratic process just as the country prepares for a historic transfer of power from one civilian government to another.

He has called for a military role in picking the caretaker government that will take over temporarily ahead of elections and has said it could stay in place longer than normal to enact necessary reforms.

Those comments, as well as questions about the origins of his funding, have sparked fears Qadri is really trying to derail the upcoming vote on behalf of the military, which is believed to dislike both the main political parties vying for power, and pave the way for a military-backed caretaker to hold power indefinitely. Qadri has denied any such involvement.

____

Associated Press writers Rebecca Santana and Sebastian Abbot in Islamabad contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cleric-fires-pakistanis-demands-govt-resign-020630936.html

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Playmakers' And God Created Great Whales is Beautiful and ...

?

Many plays are designed to serve as semi-mindless entertainment?they are watched, enjoyed, and then promptly forgotten. PlayMakers? And God Created Great Whales is not that kind of play. It is not watched so much as it is experienced, and its haunting images are the sort that stick with the viewer long after the curtains have gone down. The production, which stars its brilliant writer and composer, Rinde Eckert, has been produced off-Broadway and is an OBIE award winner.

Eckert portrays Nathan, a man tasked with composing an opera based on Moby Dick and burdened by a degenerative disease that is destroying his memory. He tries to keep his memory loss at bay by relying on an intricately designed system of tape recorders, and his larger-than-life muse, portrayed by the graceful Nora Cole, is also there to urge him on.

The simple set on which the pair act out this race against time features a piano covered in memos and tape recorders strung from the ceiling, both of which effectively convey the urgency and desperation of Nathan?s quest. ?Bold lighting choices also intensify the drama of this sad but ultimately touching story. While the slightly chaotic, avant-garde style is not for everyone, there is so much beauty here that most viewers will be thoroughly captivated.

While the show is, in many ways, a sort of re-imagining of Moby Dick, it also become something all its own. What it means to be an artist and creator, what we do with our short time here on earth and, of course, the mystery of memory are all themes that flit to the surface. But, like the pieces of Nathan?s own shoddy memory, these ideas only appear for a brief moment before they?re gone. It?s only later, after the show, that the viewer can go home and fully digest this beautiful piece.

VN:F [1.9.21_1169]

Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)

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Source: http://triangleartsandentertainment.org/2013/01/playmakers-and-god-created-great-whales-is-beautiful-and-thought-provoking/

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The Rotary clubs of Calcutta Uptown, in India, and San Jose North, in California...

Rotary.org:

map.rotary.org

252 women from backward District named Bankura in West Bengal state got loans for their income generating activity to economically sustain themselves. The loans were for Goatery, Duckery, Poultry, Piggery, beaded necklaces etc.

Source: http://www.facebook.com/rotary/posts/445000072222459

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New Lesbian Relationships Essential Guide Published

There are around 3 million lesbian and bisexual women in the UK, according to national statistics.?

Whether you?re single, in a relationship, bisexual, lesbian or trans, monogamous or polyamorous, Lesbian Relationships: The Essential Guide is for you. Packed with practical tips and techniques, it will help you make the most of your sexuality, health and relationships now and in the future. Most of us want to learn how to have fulfilling long-term relationships that are exciting, passionate and fill us with joy.

Inside, you?ll find information about the two types of desire, how to raise sexual energy through ?Orgasmic Meditation? and tantra, anatomy and health, self-esteem, body image, dating and communication, fantasy and seduction, and how to stimulate your erotic imagination.

The book covers pregnancy and parenting, which explains the pros and cons of donor conception, surrogacy and adoption for single women and those in a relationship.?Plus a comprehensive resource guide featuring lesbian literature, erotica, female-friendly sex boutiques, websites, magazines, educational salons, support organisations, and sex-positive festivals and events around the UK.

Nicci Talbot is a freelance journalist, copywriter and author specialising in sex & relationships, health & wellbeing. She edits RUDE magazine, an online resource for better sex, relationships and health and is training to be a certified sex coach at SexCoachU.?

> Buy?Lesbian Relationships: The Essential Guide

Source: http://www.gayuknews.com/entertainment/sex-scene-stuff/item/6041-new-lesbian-relationships-essential-guide-published

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Synthetic farm virus built in lab

11 January 2013 Last updated at 07:02 ET By Helen Briggs BBC News

A synthetic version of the Schmallenberg virus has been made in the laboratory by Scottish scientists.

The research raises hopes for developing a vaccine for the livestock disease, which causes lambs and calves to be stillborn.

Schmallenberg virus (SBV) was discovered little more than a year ago in Germany, but has now spread to several European countries.

About 1,000 farms have reported cases across England and Wales.

Some farmers are reporting heavy losses as the lambing season gets underway.

Continue reading the main story

Schmallenberg virus

• Discovered in the German town of Schmallenberg in November 2011
• Spread rapidly to many European countries, including the Netherlands, Belgium, France and the UK
• Though to be spread by infected midges
• SBV causes relatively mild illness in adult cattle and sheep, but where infection takes place during the early stage of pregnancy it can result in congenital disorders of lambs and calves, and stillbirths
• One of a class of emerging viruses spread by insects (arboviruses)
• The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control suggests that there is a low likelihood of any risk to public health

Scottish researchers, led by Massimo Palmarini and Alain Kohl from the University of Glasgow, made a synthetic version of the virus in the laboratory to study its genetics and how it infects farm animals.

Their experiments show the virus replicates in the brain cells and spinal cords of unborn animals, if the virus is passed to calves or lambs during pregnancy.

The researchers manipulated the genetic sequence of the virus to create versions that were more or less virulent.

They say their work raises hopes for developing a vaccine for the livestock disease.

Prof Massimo Palmarini told BBC News: "This is the first time we have been able to manipulate the genome of SBV in this way.

"We now know much more about how the virus causes the disease than we did a couple of months ago."

Farming concerns

SBV was discovered in the German town of Schmallenberg in November 2011.

Cases in the UK were reported in January last year, with the virus spreading across England and Wales during the summer.

It was believed the virus was carried to England by midges blown across the Channel and was then spread by native midges during the summer, government scientists have said.

Farmers are on alert for the condition during this year's lambing season. The first sign is often when livestock give birth to deformed or dead young, which can be months after the infection has occurred.

A vaccine for SBV developed by MSD Animal Health has been submitted to European regulators for approval.

A spokesperson said: "In the studies to date, safety and efficacy has been demonstrated in calves, lambs and pregnant ewes.

"The company is currently working closely with the regulatory authorities and we cannot speculate when the vaccine will be available. "

The Scottish research was funded by the Medical Research Council and Wellcome Trust.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20980094#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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Holliday returns punt, kickoff for TDs vs. Ravens

Denver Broncos wide receiver Trindon Holliday celebrates after running a punt return back 90 yards for a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens in the first quarter of an AFC divisional playoff NFL football game, Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013, in Denver. (AP Photo/Joe Mahoney)

Denver Broncos wide receiver Trindon Holliday celebrates after running a punt return back 90 yards for a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens in the first quarter of an AFC divisional playoff NFL football game, Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013, in Denver. (AP Photo/Joe Mahoney)

Denver Broncos wide receiver Trindon Holliday returns a punt 90 yards for a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens in the first quarter of an AFC divisional playoff NFL football game, Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013, in Denver. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Denver Broncos wide receiver Trindon Holliday is greeted by Denver Broncos coach John Fox after running a punt return back 90 yards for a touch down against the Baltimore Ravens in the first quarter of an AFC divisional playoff NFL football game, Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013, in Denver. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

DENVER (AP) ? Trindon Holliday returned the second-half kickoff 104 yards to become the first player in NFL playoff history to score on a kick and punt return in the same game.

Combined with his 90-yard punt return in the first quarter against Baltimore on Saturday, the Denver Broncos' return specialist now has the longest punt and kickoff returns in the postseason.

Holliday took the kick up the field, before cutting left. He slipped out of Chykie Brown's tackle and was on his way. On the sideline, Peyton Manning hopped up and down with every step Holliday took toward the end zone.

The previous record for a kickoff return was 102 yards by Atlanta's Eric Weems in 2010.

As soon as Holliday crossed the goal line, he spiked the football with authority and then posed for the cameras.

On his punt return, Holliday was barely touched as he sprinted down the field to the end zone, where a host of Broncos ran to greet him. Former Ravens returner Jermaine Lewis held the playoff punt return record of 88 yards against Pittsburgh on Jan. 20, 2002.

With 248 return yards midway through the third quarter, Holliday already has the most in a postseason game, according to STATS. The previous mark was shared by Andre Coleman of San Diego on Jan. 29, 1995, in the Super Bowl and Desmond Howard of Green Bay on Jan. 26, 1997, also in the Super Bowl. Each had 244 total return yards.

Holliday was assigned to the Broncos through waivers when he was let go by Houston in October.

A former track star at LSU, Holliday returned a kickoff 105 yards for a score at Cincinnati. The next week he scored on a punt return at Carolina.

Holliday sat out the final game of the regular season with an ankle injury. The time off did wonders and he returned to practice this week.

___

Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-01-12-Broncos-Holliday/id-7b1f87649ffd408db6b8786692837cde

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U.N. chief dismayed by Saudi beheading of Sri Lanka maid

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed dismay on Friday at the execution of a Sri Lankan housemaid in Saudi Arabia over the death of an infant in her care.

Rizana Nafeek was beheaded in the town of Dawadmy, near the capital Riyadh, on Wednesday morning after being sentenced to death in 2007. She was accused by her Saudi employer of killing his infant daughter while she was bottle-feeding in 2005.

The secretary-general "is concerned about reports of irregularities in her detention and trial, as well as the increase in the use of capital punishment in Saudi Arabia," Ban's press office said in a statement.

Ban insisted that all men and women in Saudi Arabia - regardless of their migration status or nationality - be treated under international human rights law, which includes the right to a fair trial.

"Currently, in Saudi Arabia, women do not have equal access to the courts or an equal opportunity to obtain justice. The Secretary-General is concerned that this is a situation which is even more precarious for women migrant workers given their foreign status," the statement said.

The Sri Lankan government appealed the death penalty but the Saudi Supreme Court upheld the sentence in 2010. Sri Lanka said on Thursday it had recalled its envoy to Saudi Arabia over the execution.

The Saudi Interior Ministry said the infant was strangled after a dispute between the maid and the baby's mother.

Saudi households are highly dependent on housemaids from African and South Asian countries. There have been reported cases of domestic abuse in which families mistreat their maids, who have then attacked the children of their employers.

Saudi Arabia, a U.S. ally, is an absolute monarchy that follows the strict Wahhabi school of Islam. Judges base decisions on their own interpretation of sharia, or Islamic law, rather than on a written legal code or on precedent.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-n-chief-dismayed-saudi-beheading-sri-lanka-192233783.html

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