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Sunday, February 3, 2013

'Wreck-It Ralph' & Annie Awards: Lighthearted Favorite Wins Best Animated Feature

FILE - This film image released by Disney shows Ralph, left, voiced by John C. Reilly in a scene from "Wreck-It Ralph." The film was nominated for an Academy Award for best animated picture on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. The 85th Academy Awards will air live on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013 on ABC. (AP Photo/Disney, File)

Rich Moore

Rich Moore accepts the award for best animated feature for "Wreck-It Ralph" at the 18th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards at the Barker Hangar on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013, in Santa Monica, Calif. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)

18th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards - Show

SANTA MONICA, CA - JANUARY 10: Director Rich Moore accepts the Best Animated Feature Award for 'Wreck-It Ralph' onstage at the 18th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards held at Barker Hangar on January 10, 2013 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

18th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards - Press Room

SANTA MONICA, CA - JANUARY 10: Producer Clark Spencer (L) and director Rich Moore, winners of Best Animated Feature for 'Wreck-It Ralph,' pose in the press room at the 18th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards held at Barker Hangar on January 10, 2013 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

US-ENTERTAINMENT-CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS-PRESS ROOM

Director Rich Moore (R) and Producer Clark Spencer (L) of the 3D computer-animated family-action comedy film 'Wreck-It Ralph' celebrate in the press room during the 18th Annual Critics? Choice Movie Awards in Santa Monica on January 10, 2013. AFP PHOTO / Frederic J. BROWN (Photo credit should read FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images)

18th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards - Show

18th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards - Press Room

John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman

American actors Sarah Silverman, right, and John C. Reilly pose for photos as they arrive for a screening of the animated Disney feature, "Wreck-It Ralph" in Sydney, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman

John C. Reilly

American actor John C. Reilly poses for photos as he arrives for a screening of the animated Disney feature, "Wreck-It Ralph" in Sydney, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

John C. Reilly

American actor John C. Reilly poses for photos as he arrives for a screening of the animated Disney feature, "Wreck-It Ralph" in Sydney, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

American entertainer Sarah Silverman poses for photos as she arrives for a screening of the animated Disney feature, "Wreck-It Ralph" in Sydney, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Sarah Silverman

American entertainer Sarah Silverman poses for photos as she arrives for a screening of the animated Disney feature, "Wreck-It Ralph" in Sydney, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

American actor John C. Reilly poses for photos as he arrives for a screening of the animated Disney feature, "Wreck-It Ralph" in Sydney, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

"Wreck It Ralph" Australian Screening - Arrivals

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 02: Sarah Silverman arrives at the 'Wreck It Ralph' Australian premiere on December 2, 2012 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

"Wreck It Ralph" Australian Screening - Arrivals

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 02: Sarah Silverman arrives at the 'Wreck It Ralph' Australian premiere on December 2, 2012 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

"Wreck It Ralph" Australian Screening - Arrivals

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 02: Sarah Silverman arrives at the 'Wreck It Ralph' Australian premiere on December 2, 2012 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

"Wreck It Ralph" Australian Screening - Arrivals

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 02: John C Reilly and Sarah Silverman arrive at the 'Wreck It Ralph' Australian premiere on December 2, 2012 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

"Wreck It Ralph" Australian Screening - Arrivals

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 02: Tracey Spicer and Grace Spicer arrive at the 'Wreck It Ralph' Australian premiere on December 2, 2012 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

"Wreck It Ralph" Australian Screening - Arrivals

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 02: Todd Barry arrives at the 'Wreck It Ralph' Australian premiere on December 2, 2012 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

"Wreck It Ralph" Australian Screening - Arrivals

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 02: John C Reilly arrives at the 'Wreck It Ralph' Australian premiere on December 2, 2012 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

"Wreck It Ralph" Australian Screening - Arrivals

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 02: John C Reilly arrives at the 'Wreck It Ralph' Australian premiere on December 2, 2012 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

John C. Reilly

John C. Reilly arrives at the world premiere of "Wreck-It Ralph" at El Capitan Theatre on Monday, Oct. 29, 2012, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Sarah Silverman

Sarah Silverman arrives at the world premiere of "Wreck-It Ralph" at El Capitan Theatre on Monday, Oct. 29, 2012, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

John C. Reilly, Will Ferrell

John C. Reilly, left, and Will Ferrell arrive at the world premiere of "Wreck-It Ralph" at El Capitan Theatre on Monday, Oct. 29, 2012, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

John Lasseter

John Lasseter arrives at the world premiere of "Wreck-It Ralph" at El Capitan Theatre on Monday, Oct. 29, 2012, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

John C. Reilly, Will Ferrell

John C. Reilly, right, and Will Ferrell arrive at the world premiere of "Wreck-It Ralph" at El Capitan Theatre on Monday, Oct. 29, 2012, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Sarah Silverman

Sarah Silverman arrives at the world premiere of "Wreck-It Ralph" at El Capitan Theatre on Monday, Oct. 29, 2012, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Jack McBrayer

Jack McBrayer arrives at the world premiere of "Wreck-It Ralph" at El Capitan Theatre on Monday, Oct. 29, 2012, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Sarah Silverman

Sarah Silverman arrives at the world premiere of "Wreck-It Ralph" at El Capitan Theatre on Monday, Oct. 29, 2012, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Sarah Silverman

Sarah Silverman arrives at the world premiere of "Wreck-It Ralph" at El Capitan Theatre on Monday, Oct. 29, 2012, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Rich Moore

Director Rich Moore arrives at the world premiere of "Wreck-It Ralph" at El Capitan Theatre on Monday, Oct. 29, 2012, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Jack McBrayer

Jack McBrayer arrives at the world premiere of "Wreck-It Ralph" at El Capitan Theatre on Monday, Oct. 29, 2012, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Jane Lynch

Jane Lynch arrives at the world premiere of "Wreck-It Ralph" at El Capitan Theatre on Monday, Oct. 29, 2012, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

This film image released by Disney shows Ralph, voiced by John C. Reilly, left, and Vanellope Von Schweetz, voiced by Sarah Silverman in a scene from "Wreck-It Ralph." (AP Photo/Disney)

This film image released by Disney shows Ralph, left, voiced by John C. Reilly in a scene from "Wreck-It Ralph." (AP Photo/Disney)

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/03/wreck-it-ralph-annie-awards-best-animated-feature_n_2610179.html

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Saturday, February 2, 2013

Super Bowl Showdown: All Time Low Rep For The Ravens

Baltimore Ravens' superfans All Time Low predict a win for their team at Sunday's big game.
By James Montgomery

All Time Low's Jack Barakat
Photo: Joey Foley/ Getty Images

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1701186/super-bowl-all-time-low-baltimore-ravens.jhtml

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Dow ends above 14,000 for 1st time since Oct. 2007

A screen on the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange, on Friday, Feb. 1, 2013, shows the Dow Jones industrial average above 14,000 for the first time since October 2007. Evidence that the U.S. economic recovery is firmly on track drove markets higher on Friday, adding to the cheer from good economic indicators out of Europe. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Traders David O'Day, left, and Mathias Roberts work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, Feb. 1, 2013. The Dow Jones industrial average briefly topped 14,000 on Friday morning, a milestone not seen since before the financial crisis rocked the markets and the world economy. Evidence that the U.S. economic recovery is firmly on track drove markets higher on Friday, adding to the cheer from good economic indicators out of Europe. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

A screen on the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, Feb. 1, 2013, shows the Dow Jones industrial average above 14,000 for the first time since October 2007. Evidence that the U.S. economic recovery is firmly on track drove markets higher on Friday, adding to the cheer from good economic indicators out of Europe.(AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Trader Frederick Reimer works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, Feb. 1, 2013. Evidence that the U.S. economic recovery is firmly on track drove markets higher on Friday, adding to the cheer from good economic indicators out of Europe. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

NEW YORK (AP) ? The Dow closed above 14,000 on Friday for the first time in more than five years.

It was just a number on a board, but it was enough to raise the hopes of some investors and cause others concern about an overheated market. And it brought reminders of a different era, back before the financial crisis rocked the world economy.

The Dow Jones industrial average, a stock market index that is traditionally considered a benchmark for how the entire market is faring, had been rising fairly steadily for about a month. On Friday, strong auto sales and optimism about U.S. job growth pushed it over the mark. The Dow is now just 155 points away from its record close.

"There's a newfound enthusiasm for the equity market," said Jim Russell, regional investment director at U.S. Bank Wealth Management in Minneapolis.

But market watchers were divided over what the Dow milestone ? or even what a potential new all-time high ? really means. To some, it's an important booster to hearts and minds, making investors feel optimistic and thus more willing to bet on the market.

"The Dow touching 14,000, it matters psychologically," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Rockwell Global Capital in New York. "It attracts smaller investors."

And those investors, until recently, had been shying away from stocks. Since April 2011, investors have pulled more cash out of U.S. stock mutual funds than they've put in, according to the Investment Company Institute. In the past three weeks, though, that trend has reversed, which could make January the first month in nearly two years where stock-focused funds had a net inflow.

To others, though, Dow 14,000 is nothing but a number, a sign more of how traders feel than of the economy. And it's not even the best number on the board, some traders say. Professional investors usually pay more heed to the Standard & Poor's main index, which tracks 500 companies compared to the Dow's 30. The Dow garners attention, they say, because it's more familiar to the general public.

Joe Gordon, managing partner at Gordon Asset Management in North Carolina, wasn't celebrating Friday. He thinks the gains won't last. The fact that small investors are finally piling back in the stock market, he said, is not a reason for optimism but a sign that it's getting overhyped and due to fall.

After the Dow hit its all-time record in 2007, it fell almost steadily for the next year and a half. It lost more than half its value before starting to tick back up again.

"It is good trivia to talk about on television and the radio," Gordon said, referring to the 14,000 mark. "It's meaningless to the average professional." And for workers still unemployed by the financial crisis, he said, "it really means nothing to them."

If there is dissent over what Dow 14,000 signifies, what's undeniable is that it's a rarefied event. Before Friday, the Dow had closed above 14,000 just nine times in its history. The first time was in July 2007; the rest were in October of that year.

The last time the Dow closed that mark was Oct. 12, 2007, when it settled at 14,093.08. It had reached its all-time record, 14,164.53, three days before that.

For the average investor, that was all back when the stock market still seemed like a party. Housing prices were starting to ebb but hadn't cratered. Jobs were abundant, with unemployment at 4.7 percent ? compared to 7.9 percent now. Lehman Brothers still existed. So did Bear Stearns, Wachovia and Washington Mutual.

The Dow ended Friday 149.21 points higher to 14,009.79. The other indexes were also up. The S&P 500 rose 15.06 to 1,513.17. The Nasdaq composite index was up 36.97 to 3,179.10.

Auto sales helped. Toyota, Ford, GM and Chrysler all reported double-digit gains for January.

The government jobs report that pushed stocks forward was mixed, but traders chose to focus on the positive. The U.S. said it added 157,000 jobs in January, which was in line with expectations. Unemployment inched up to 7.9 percent from 7.8 percent in December. Many economists, though, were encouraged because the government now says that hiring over the past year was higher than originally thought.

The jobs number is based on a survey of employers. The unemployment rate is based on a separate survey of households, which is why they can diverge.

Among stocks making big moves:

?Drugmaker Merck fell more than 3 percent, down $1.42 to $41.83. Its fourth-quarter profit suffered because of competition from generic medicines against its blockbuster allergy drug Singulair.

? Insurance company MetLife rose more than 2 percent, up 86 cents to $38.20, after saying it plans to buy the largest private pension fund administrator in Chile.

? Zoetis, an animal health business that Pfizer just spun off, made its debut on the stock market. It shot up 19 percent, rising $5.01 to $31.01.

____

AP Business Writer Matthew Craft contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-01-Wall%20Street/id-d3b1f8229f1a4a099f7c1077b8c453d2

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Dow hits 14,000 for 1st time since October 2007

NEW YORK (AP) ? The Dow stock market index flirted with the 14,000 line Friday, bringing reminders of the last time it hit that mark ? almost a different era, before the financial crisis rocked the world economy.

Propelled by reports on U.S. jobs and auto sales, the Dow Jones industrial average crossed the line and kept its ground through the early afternoon, after flitting back and forth throughout the morning. The other major stock indexes also rose.

"There's a newfound enthusiasm for the equity market," said Jim Russell, regional investment director at U.S. Bank Wealth Management in Minneapolis.

But market watchers were divided over what the Dow milestone ? or even what a Dow all-time high, which is quickly approaching ? really means. To some, it's an important booster to hearts and minds, making investors feel optimistic and thus more willing to bet on the market.

"The Dow touching 14,000, it matters psychologically," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Rockwell Global Capital in New York. "It attracts smaller investors."

And smaller investors, until the past few weeks, had been shying away from stocks. In the past three weeks, though, billions have flowed into mutual funds targeting U.S. stocks, according to the Investment Company Institute. Before that, investors had been pulling more cash from U.S. stock funds than they'd deposited for every month since April 2011.

To others, though, the Dow 14,000 is nothing but a number on a board, a sign more of how traders feel than how the economy is faring. And even then, it's not even the best number on the board, some traders say. Professional investors usually pay more heed to the Standard & Poor's main index, which tracks 500 companies compared to the Dow 30. The Dow, however, is more familiar to the general public.

Joe Gordon, managing partner at Gordon Asset Management in North Carolina, wasn't celebrating on Friday. He thinks the gains won't last. The fact that small investors are finally piling back in the stock market, he said, is a sign that it's getting overhyped and ready to fall.

After the Dow hit its all-time record in 2007, it fell almost steadily and a year later had lost nearly 40 percent of its value a year later.

If there's dissent over what Dow 14,000 means, what's undeniable is that it's a rarefied event: The Dow has crossed 14,000 only 15 times in its history, and the last time was more than five years ago, on Oct. 17, 2007.

If the gains hold throughout the day and the Dow closes above 14,000, that would put it in territory even more uncommon. On just nine days has the Dow managed to stay above the 14,000 mark until the end of trading. Friday's gains also mean that the Dow is within striking distance of its all-time record of 14,164.53, which it reached on Oct. 9, 2007.

In the afternoon, the Dow was up 152 points to 14,013. The Standard & Poor's 500 rose 15 to 1,513. The Nasdaq composite index was up 38 to 3,180.

Auto sales helped. Toyota, Ford, GM and Chrysler all reported double-digit gains for January.

The government jobs report that pushed stocks forward was mixed, but traders chose to focus on the positive. The U.S. said it added 157,000 jobs in January, which was in line with expectations. Unemployment inched up to 7.9 percent from 7.8 percent in December. But, encouragingly, the government also reported that hiring over the past two years has been higher than it originally thought.

The jobs number is based on a survey of employers, and the unemployment rate is based on a separate survey of households, which is why they can diverge.

In Europe, tentative and incremental signs of a recovery were enough to push up stocks in France, Britain and Germany. December unemployment in the European Union was lower than analysts had feared, inflation unexpectedly fell, and a survey raised hopes of some growth in the manufacturing sector.

But there were also reminders that the debt problem is far from solved. The Netherlands was also forced to take over one of its major banks, to try to stave off a collapse. In Greece, dock workers extended a strike over the government's spending cuts.

Among companies making big moves:

? Drugmaker Merck fell nearly 3 percent, down $1.15 to $42.10. Its fourth-quarter profit suffered because of competition from generic medicines against its blockbuster allergy drug Singulair.

? Insurance company MetLife rose 2 percent, or 75 cents, to $38.09, after saying it plans to buy the largest private pension fund administrator in Chile.

? Zoetis, an animal health business that Pfizer just spun off, made its debut on the stock market. It was up 21 percent, rising $5.47 to $31.47.

AP Business Writer Matthew Craft contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-02-01-Wall%20Street/id-e8b258928c154aa3ba254485f5a8b3d6

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PFT: Falcons lobbying Gonzalez for one more year

Brian Stropolo lost his gig as an NFL replacement ref when Facebook pictures of him in Saints gear emerged just before he was supposed to officiate a Saints game.

But the pictures were far from a secret, and were even discovered by Ravens coach John Harbaugh during the preseason.

In a detailed and touching story by Jim Kleinpeter of the New Orleans Times-Picayune which centers on Stropolo?s personal struggle, Stropolo mentioned that Harbaugh brought up the pictures prior to a preseason game.

When he introduced himself to Harbaugh prior to their game against the Jaguars, Stropolo told him he had seen the photos after Googling his name.

?You?re a Saints fan,? Harbaugh said, as relayed by Stropolo.

?I said, ?I?m from New Orleans but I?m neutral. I?m from the NFL,?? Stropolo said, insisting he?d call the game fairly.

He said Harbaugh replied by saying: ?Oh no, I?m just messing with you.?

Stropolo also said he felt like he was hung out to dry by the NFL, after being part of the crew that officiated the opener, and was ranked highest in the preseason by the league.

?When we came off the field [NFL executive vice president for football operations] Ray Anderson was in the end zone high-fiving us with the biggest smile on his face,? Stropolo said. ?We walked in the locker room and Roger Goodell was standing there by himself and shook every one of our hands.

?He said, ?Guys let me tell you something, that was amazing. Y?all looked like the real deal. Y?all set the bar so high I hope the rest of the crews can come up to do what y?all did.? All of them [NFL officials] were smiling.?

The league?s reaction turned dramatically when the photos were revealed prior to the Saints-Panthers game he was supposed to call, but was removed the day of the game.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/31/falcons-lobbying-tony-gonzalez-for-one-more-year/related/

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Friday, February 1, 2013

Suicide bombing at US Embassy in Turkey kills 2

Medics carry an injured woman on a stretcher to an ambulance after a suspected suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at the entrance of the U.S. Embassy in the Turkish capital, Ankara, Turkey, Friday Feb. 1, 2013. The bomb appeared to have exploded inside the security checkpoint at the entrance of the visa section of the embassy. A police official said at least two people are dead. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)

In this image made from video, emergency personnel are seen in front of a side entrance to the U.S. Embassy following a blast, Ankara, Turkey, Friday, Feb. 1, 2013. Turkish news reports say an explosion in front of the U.S. Embassy in the Turkish capital Ankara has injured several people. (AP Photo/NTV) TURKEY OUT

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) ? A suicide bomber detonated an explosive Friday in front of the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, killing himself and a Turkish guard in an attack that Turkish officials blamed on domestic leftists.

Turkey and the U.S. immediately condemned the attack and U.S. officials urged Americans to stay away from all U.S. diplomatic offices throughout Turkey.

A Turkish woman was also seriously wounded and two other guards sustained lighter wounds in the 1:15 p.m. blast in the Turkish capital, Interior Minister Muammer Guler told reporters.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Guler said "preliminary information" obtained by police indicated that the bomber was likely connected to a domestic left-wing militant group. He did not elaborate.

A police official, meanwhile, told The Associated Press that the bomber is most likely a suspected member of the outlawed Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front, or DHKP-C. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to speak to the press.

The group has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States but had been relatively quiet in recent years.

Friday's explosion occurred inside the security checkpoint at the side entrance to the U.S. embassy, which is used by staff. A guard standing outside the checkpoint was killed while the two guards that were wounded "were standing in a more protected area," Guler said.

Police and ambulances swarmed the area and authorities immediately cordoned it off. Forensic investigators in white outfits and gloves combed the site.

TV footage showed the embassy door blown off its hinges. The blast also shattered the windows of nearby businesses, littering debris on the ground and across the road. The inside of the embassy did not appear to be damaged.

Television footage also showed what appeared to be a U.S. marksman in a helmet and body armor surveying the area from?the roof of an embassy building.

The U.S. Embassy building in Ankara is heavily protected and located near several other embassies, including that of Germany and France. The Hurriyet newspaper said staff at the embassy took shelter in "safe room" inside the compound soon after the explosion.

In a statement, the U.S. Embassy thanked Turkey for "its solidarity and outrage over the incident."

U.S. Ambassador Francis Ricciardone declared that the U.S. and Turkey "will continue to fight terrorism together" and described the U.S. Embassy compound as secure.

"From today's event, it is clear that we both suffer from this terrible, terrible problem of today's world. We are determined after events like this even more to cooperate together until we defeat this problem together," he said.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan echoed that sentiment, saying the attack aimed to disturb Turkey's "peace and prosperity" and demonstrated a need for international cooperation against terrorism.

"We will stand firm and we will overcome this together," he said.

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said U.S. officials were "working closely with the Turkish national police to make a full assessment of the damage and the casualties, and to begin an investigation."

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu vowed that Turkey would spare no effort in protecting diplomatic facilities.

"We have always shown great sensitivity to the protection of foreign missions and we will continue to do so," he said.

The injured woman was 38-year-old Didem Tuncay, a respected television journalist who until recently had worked for NTV television. A hospital official said she was "not in a critical condition."

Ricciardone visited Tuncay in the hospital and told reporters outside that he had invited her to the U.S. Embassy for tea.

He also paid tribute to the Turkish guard who was killed, calling him a "Turkish hero" who died while defending U.S. and Turkish staff at the Embassy.

Americans in Turkey were warned to avoid visiting the embassy or U.S. consulates in Istanbul and Adana until further notice and were told to register on the State Department's website.

"The Department of State advises U.S. citizens traveling or residing in Turkey to be alert to the potential for violence, to avoid those areas where disturbances have occurred, and to avoid demonstrations and large gatherings," said a statement issued by the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague condemned Friday's attack "in the strongest terms" and said Turkey and the U.S. will get the U.K.'s full support as they seek to hold those responsible to account.

U.S. diplomatic facilities in Turkey have been targeted previously by terrorists. In 2008, an attack blamed on al-Qaida-affiliated militants outside the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul left three assailants and three policemen dead.

Elsewhere, terrorists attacked a U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11 last year, killing U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. The attackers in Libya were suspected to have ties to Islamist extremists, and one is in custody in Egypt.

In past years, the DHKP-C group has spearheaded hunger strikes against Turkish prison conditions that led to the deaths of dozens of inmates. The protesters opposed a maximum security system in which prisoners were incarcerated in one or three-inmate cells instead of large wards that used to house up to 100 inmates.

In September, police said a leftist militant threw a hand grenade and then blew himself up outside a police station in Istanbul, killing a police officer and injuring seven others. Police identified the bomber as a member of the DHKP-C, which has claimed responsibility for assassinations and bombings since the 1970s.

In 2008, Turkish police said they had foiled a bomb plot by DHKP-C against some U.S. companies in Turkey.

Turkey has also seen attacks linked to homegrown Islamic militants tied to al-Qaida. In a 2003 attack on the British consulate in Istanbul, a suspected Islamic militant rammed an explosive-laden pickup truck into the main gate, killing 58 people, including the British consul-general.

Turkey has also been deeply affected by the civil war in neighboring Syria, and has become a harsh critic of President Bashar Assad's regime there. The war has left at least 60,000 people dead, according to the U.N., and Turkey is sheltering tens of thousands of Syrian refugees.

The first of six Patriot missile batteries being deployed to Turkey to protect the country against attack from Syria was just declared operational and placed under NATO command. Others are expected to become operational in the coming days.

Associated Press writer Ezgi Akin contributed to the report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-02-01-Turkey-US-Explosion/id-a9e838b5a79d47278b315c012cfd407d

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FOR KIDS: Piercing a buried polar lake

Researchers in Antarctica drilled through a half-mile of ice to reach water that hasn?t had contact with the atmosphere for thousands of years

Researchers in Antarctica drilled through a half-mile of ice to reach water that hasn?t had contact with the atmosphere for thousands of years

By Janet Raloff

Web edition: February 1, 2013

Enlarge

This 1,000-meter hose ? spooled onto an enormous and very heavy container ? was used to shoot water onto ice. That water served as a drill to pierce deeply through a half-mile of ice.

Credit: J. Raloff/Science News for Kids

Three research teams from around the world have been drilling deep into the ice that covers Antarctica in search of liquid water. It?s not because they?re thirsty. These scientists are hoping instead to find what types of life may be able to survive extreme conditions. Any aquatic life in a buried lake would exist in the cold and dark ? and without access to Earth?s atmosphere for at least thousands (and maybe millions) of years. On January 28, the American team became the first to reach one of those buried lakes and retrieve very clean samples of its water for testing.

And the bonanza: They found cells!

Visit the new?Science News for Kids?website?and read the full story:?Piercing a buried polar lake

Source: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/348004/title/FOR_KIDS_Piercing_a_buried_polar_lake

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