Late deflection gives Arsenal victory over Stoke

Associated Press Sports

updated 12:34 p.m. ET Feb. 2, 2013

LONDON (AP) -Substitute Lukas Podolski scored with a deflected free kick to give Arsenal a much-needed 1-0 victory against Stoke in the English Premier League on Saturday.

After securing just five points in five league matches, sixth-placed Arsenal was in danger of losing ground in its quest for a European spot.

Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic had an impressive first half in which he superbly denied Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain either side of stopping Laurent Koscielny's header.

Podolski ended Stoke's hopes 12 minutes from time with a low free kick that deflected in off Geoff Cameron.

The Gunners made five changes for the match, with deadline-day signing Nacho Monreal handed his debut. The Spain international replaced injured Kieran Gibbs at left back.

Robert Huth blocked early threatening balls from Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere, before Oxlade-Chamberlain, making his first league start since January 13, struck wide.

It took 15 minutes for Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny to be tested by Stoke. Jonathan Walters' strike from distance was comfortably dealt with by the Poland international, who then watched Peter Crouch's attempt deflect off Koscielny and out for a corner.

There were rare moments of relief for a Stoke side on the backfoot, with Olivier Giroud heading Abou Diaby's cross into the ground when Arsenal returned to the attack.

Andy Wilkinson then blocked a right-footed strike from Walcott and, after Ryan Shawcross sent over a wayward volley, City goalkeeper Begovic came to the fore.

First, the Bosnia international denied Oxlade-Chamberlain from close range after Wilshere's corner fell straight into his path.

Begovic prevented Arsenal once again in the 34th, denying Koscielny's header with another block.

Four minutes from the break, Wilshere played an exquisite through ball to Oxlade-Chamberlain, whose curled effort was superbly palmed wide by Begovic.

After the break, Giroud fired wide under pressure but Arsenal's attacks were becoming less frequent.

Wenger brought on Santi Cazorla and Podolski in a bid to inject new life into his side's attack, with Diaby and Oxlade-Chamberlain replaced.

The introduction of the Spaniard almost had an immediate impact as Cazorla sent in a floated cross to Giroud, but the Frenchman was unable to direct his header on target.

Glenn Whelan picked up a booking as City looked to hold off the hosts, who finally took the lead in the 78th minute.

Wilkinson received a yellow card for bringing down Walcott on the edge of the box, allowing substitute Podolski to send a low free kick that deflected in off Cameron's heel.

It had looked like the goal would be disallowed for an apparent offside against Walcott, but, after consulting with his assistant, referee Chris Foy awarded the goal.

Cazorla came close to making it 2-0 shortly afterwards, only for Begovic to get the slightest touch to send it behind.

Michael Owen, Kenwyne Jones and Cameron Jerome all came on for the final stages as Stoke manager Tony Pulis looked for an equalizer, which never came in a heated end to the game.

Shawcross was booked for a late challenge on Koscielny and Owen appeared to aim a punch at Mikel Arteta after a late challenge by the Spaniard.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Newcastle sinks Chelsea

PST: Chelsea seem destined to be pulled back into a race for third after dropping a 3-2 result to Newcastle at St. James' Park. Moussa Sissoko scored twice for the Magpies.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/45005796/ns/sports-soccer/

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A glance at Mexico oil company incidents

MEXICO CITY (AP) ? Jan. 31, 2013: A blast collapses the lower floors of a building in the headquarters of Mexico's state-owned oil company, crushing at least 33 people beneath tons of rubble and injuring 121. It is being looked at as an accident although all lines of investigation remain open, the head of Petroleos Mexicanos said Friday.

Sep. 18, 2012: An enormous explosion kills 30 workers at a pipeline facility in Reynosa in northern Mexico. Executives say a valve apparently failed as workers performed routine testing where pipelines from gas wells in the Burgos basin converge near the border with Texas. The plant distributes the gas into a processing plant next door that produces fuel for domestic use.

Dec. 19, 2010: A fireball from an illegally tapped pipeline in the central state of Puebla kills 28 civilians, including 13 children.

October 2007: A sudden storm hits an offshore oil rig, killing 22 workers. Three-quarters of them were employed by outside contractors. Poor emergency training is faulted as one of the main causes of those deaths.

Apr. 22, 1993: A series of sewer explosions hit a 50 block-area in Guadalajara. At least 220 people were killed and 300 injured. Investigators later determined the blast was caused by gasoline that had leaked from an underground pipeline into the sewer system.

Nov. 19, 1984: A series of early morning explosions in underground gas pipelines rocks the low-hill valley of San Juan Ixhuatepec, on the northern edge of Mexico City. The blasts devastate one-third of San Juanico, a community of about 250,000, killing 452 people and injuring more than 4,200.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-02-01-Mexico-Pemex-Explosion-Glance/id-d731101cfdcb4cc9b873024e51b91d9c

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New destination for medical tourism: Puerto Rico

A growing number of Americans are looking farther south than Mexico, and a bit further east, for their ?medical tourism? needs.

Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory in the Caribbean, has become a top destination of choice for those attempting to bypass the high costs of healthcare in the United States.

According to the Medical Tourism Association, a global non-profit organization raising awareness on medical tourism,?Puerto Rico is joining the game of vying for the billions of dollars spent by people seeking cheaper healthcare abroad.

?Puerto Rico is becoming a prime destination for American medical tourists,? said Renee-Marie Stephano, President of the Medical Tourism Association based out of West Palm Beach, FL.

?Since Puerto Rico is just gaining momentum, it cannot be compared to other countries, but it could catch up very fast,? said Stephano.

With healthcare costs in the U.S. increasing at a rate of 6-percent a year, and insurance coverage decreasing, Latin America has always been a viable solution for Americans looking to save money.

?I saved a lot of money,? said Lorena Romero, with a sigh of relief.

Romero spent two weeks in Puerto Rico on a medical tourism trip through Satori World Medical. The company gives employers the option to send people internationally for their healthcare needs.

And in dire need of a hysterectomy, and trying to avoid high hospital fees in the United States, Romero chose Puerto Rico.

?Everything was paid for. I have no extra medical expenses from that trip,? she said.

?It was either Puerto Rico, Mexico or Turkey,? said Romero. ?I decided Puerto Rico because it would be closer to the U.S. and that way my mom wouldn?t be more worried that we were in some foreign country.?

?It was a wonderful experience. The doctor contacted me months in advance, and let me know step-by-step what was going to happen,? said Romero.

?The nurses would speak in Spanish, but when I responded in English, they responded back in English.?

According to the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, an organization that has monitored medical travel abroad, an estimated 1.6 million Americans would receive medical services abroad in 2012, with a growth rate of 35-percent per year. That?s over 2.1 billion dollars a year spent on healthcare services in other countries, costing the United States billions of dollars in lost revenue.

Countries like Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Brazil and Venezuela, have supported the American demand for cheaper healthcare abroad. Procedures can include anything from orthopedic surgery on hips, knees, back and spine, to cosmetic procedures like breast implants and face-lifts.

Other top destinations for international medical tourists include India, Thailand and other Asian countries.

According to the International Federation of Health Plans, a hip replacement in the U.S. on average would cost around $38,017. In Argentina, that same procedure would cost $3,589. A CT head scan in the U.S. goes for a commercial average of $510 or more. In Chile, that same procedure will cost around $184, and in countries like India, can be as low as $43.

In Puerto Rico, procedures like orthopedic surgery, cardiovascular disease treatment, oncology, neurology procedures, and many more, can be done for 60 to 80-percent less than in the United States, and with the same standards.

As a U.S. territory, all hospitals are required to comply with the U.S. infrastructure standards and be staffed by board certified physicians.

?It is American healthcare at much more affordable prices,? said Stephano.

The cost for supporting the infrastructure of healthcare in Puerto Rico is almost 70 to 80-percent less according to the Medical Tourism Association. The cost of labor for doctors and nurses, healthcare supplies, and equipment, all contribute to Puerto Rico?s lower prices.

Travel to Puerto Rico is also fast and simple for United States Citizens.? U.S. Citizens don?t require visa or a passport; just a government issued identification card.

Since most medical procedures abroad are outpatient, which can include anything from breast implants to dentistry, the patient can be sent home within hours of the surgery, making farther destinations a bit more complicated.

Puerto Rico doesn?t have that problem.

?When traveling to a medical facility away from home, patients look for three qualities ? ease of travel, value and high quality of services, and a safe leisure tourism haven. Puerto Rico has all three,? wrote the Puerto Rico Tourism Company on their website.

Many tourism agencies in Puerto Rico have been attempting to take advantage of that ease, creating travel packages for potential American patients. They offer activities like excursions, shopping, and cultural events, all to be enjoyed before or after the procedure.

?At the present there are over 70 hospital facilities, some that have partnerships with hotels,? writes the company.

?There are also six approved projects that integrate hotel and hospital facilities.?

One of those facilities is the 104-room Hyatt place, with the El Tropical Casino, that sits adjacent to the San Pablo HIMA Bayamon Hospital.

?The Puerto Rico Tourism Company has also provided training and presentations for members of the industry, including hotels and hospitals,? said Luis Rivera-Marin, Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company.

?These efforts are meant to create awareness of this market, and bring members of the industry together to begin a collaborative effort in promoting PR as a medical tourism destination.?

Despite some of the obvious advantages, many U.S. based doctors and lawyers continue to raise red flags about medical travel abroad.

For Jed Kurzban, an attorney in Miami, FL specializing in medical malpractice, he?s witnessed how medical travel abroad can play out of favor for the ?medical tourist.?

?I think it?s always more dangerous to go abroad because it limits your ability to recover (money) if there is wrong done to you,? said Kurzban.

He says it?s not uncommon to have patients seek malpractice abroad, and they usually come up short.

?If they are a out-of-country doctor, it?s very difficult to list them on a verdict form,? which would place them at fault for malpractice. ?So what happens is you end up not being able to recover that money, which is necessary many times for future medical treatments,? said Kurzban.

?But I certainly understand why people do go abroad because health insurance is so expensive.?

For Lorena Romero, she says it was worth her risk.

?Just take the chance,? Said Romero. ?At this point, nobody has the extra money anymore to give to the hospitals. Medical care is just really outrageously expensive. I just say why not. Why not do it??

And as the price of healthcare and insurance in the United States continues to rise, Puerto Rico, and many Latin American countries, will continue to accept those looking for other options.

Alex Pe?a is a freelance foreign correspondent currently covering Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Previously, Pena was based in Nairobi, Kenya covering East Africa for Voice of America TV, and has also filed stories from the Middle East, including the border of Jordan and Syria. He graduated from the journalism program at Florida Gulf Coast University in December 2011.

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Source: http://nbclatino.com/2013/02/02/new-destination-for-medical-tourism-puerto-rico/

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Kurdish militants dismiss Turkey withdrawal reports

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The PKK Kurdish militant group said on Thursday media reports that its fighters would withdraw from Turkey under a peace process to end a 28-year-old insurgency were "lies" and part of a "psychological war".

The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) statement also said media reports that Ankara was in talks with the militants in northern Iraq were untrue.

Turkish officials began peace talks with the jailed leader of the PKK late last year. A newspaper report on Thursday said its guerrillas would withdraw to northern Iraq, where the group is based, by March 21.

Sabah, a newspaper close to the government, said the retreat was planned to begin at the start of March when the weather in southeast Turkey becomes milder, in a step to end a conflict that has killed 40,000 people.

"The stories on this subject are also completely invented lies," the PKK statement said of reports of talks with militants in northern Iraq. "These stories are activities in a deliberate psychological war aimed at manipulation."

PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, imprisoned on Imrali island south of Istanbul, was expected to issue a call within 10 days for the militants to declare a ceasefire after Kurdish politicians visit him, according to Sabah.

The rebels took up arms in 1984 with the aim of creating a Kurdish state in southeastern Turkey. The PKK, declared a terrorist group by Ankara, the United States and the European Union, has since moderated its goal to one of autonomy.

Sabah did not disclose its source but has close links to the government. Only a few officials are involved in the talks and have not disclosed details publicly, fearing a nationalist backlash ahead of local and presidential elections next year.

In return for the withdrawal of the militants and their ultimate disarmament, the government is expected to boost the rights of Kurds, who make up about 20 percent of Turkey's population of 76 million.

As part of those reforms, Turkey's parliament last week passed a law allowing defendants to use Kurdish in court in a move seen aimed at breaking a deadlock in the trials of hundreds accused of links to the PKK.

(Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Nick Tattersall and Janet Lawrence)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kurdish-militants-dismiss-turkey-withdrawal-reports-094005095.html

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Garnet red PlayStation 3 bundled with God of War: Ascension and 500GB HDD arrives this March for $349

Sony apparently sees 2013 as a chance to colorize its aging PlayStation 3 console, today announcing yet another new color for the superslim packing 500GB of storage. To match the blood red tattoos found all over God of War star Kratos' body, Sony colored this one garnet red, and is pairing the console with God of War: Ascension -- thusly, the bundle arrives on March 12, the same day God of War: Ascension is scheduled to go up for sale. Unlike its "Classic White" brethren, you won't get a full-year subscription to PlayStation Plus in this bundle -- a disappointment considering this one costs $50 more. It does, however, include not just a copy of God of War: Ascension, but also God of War Saga (which collects the first three God of War games) and God of War: Origins Collection (which bundles the two God of War PlayStation Portable games). That's a total of six God of War games included in this bundle, so you'd better really be into spending time with Kratos should you pick this up.

Gallery: Garnet Red PlayStation 3 (God of War: Ascension bundle)

Filed under: Gaming, HD, Sony

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/31/garnet-red-playstation-3/

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SUPER BOWL WATCH: Driver done, Birk not

NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? Around Super Bowl XLVII and its host city with journalists from The Associated Press bringing the flavor and details of everything surrounding the game:

___

QUICKQUOTE: DRIVER RETIRES

Packers wide receiver Donald Driver has announced his retirement, ending a 14-year career as Green Bay's all-time leader in yards receiving and catches. Only quarterback Brett Favre has played more games in a Packers uniform.

In a team statement, Driver says: "I played my entire career in Green Bay and have always enjoyed a special bond with the fans. ... I can think of no better way to retire than to celebrate with them and the Packers organization."

Driver was slightly less formal on Twitter: "It's been an amazing journey, thank you for all of your love and support! (hash)Packer4Life"

Driver's key career statistics: 743 receptions, 10,137 yards, 61 touchdowns. He had seven seasons with 1,000 or more receiving yards.

? Nancy Armour ? http://twitter.com/nrarmour

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DON'T YOU HAVE SOMETHING BETTER TO DO?

Ray Lewis is retiring to spend more time with his family. Matt Birk is still playing, in part, because of his.

The Baltimore Ravens center is 36, and he and his wife have six kids. When Birk contemplated retiring after last season, his family was supportive, knowing they'd have him around a lot more.

Then they saw what that would be like.

"In the offseason, I'll be home for a month or two and they'll be like, 'Isn't it time for you to go back to work?'" Birk said. "I like to try to get involved, and they have a rhythm at home. When we have the re-entry period in the offseason, where I'm home a lot more, there's always a few bumps."

? Nancy Armour ? http://twitter.com/nrarmour

___

EXTRA MUSTARD?

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick set an NFL record for yards rushing by a QB in a playoff game, gaining 181 against Green Bay on Jan. 12.

But don't forget ? the kid can throw, too.

Actually, he really zips the ball, showing off a right shoulder honed in part by his days as a baseball pitcher who threw 90 mph and was drafted by the Chicago Cubs.

Maybe throws a football a little bit too hard on occasion.

"I talk to him about a little less mustard all the time. (There's) a lot of velocity on the ball," 49ers tight end Vernon Davis said. "Colin is always in the weight room. If you want to find Colin, go to the weight room."

? Howard Fendrich ? http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

___

CULLIVER REVERSAL

San Francisco 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver is reversing course after saying he wouldn't welcome a gay teammate.

Culliver now says that's "not what's in my heart" and he was "just kidding around."

The cornerback apologized to the city of San Francisco for remarks he made earlier this week to comedian Artie Lange.

? Paul Newberry ? http://twitter.com/pnewberry1963

___

EDITOR'S NOTE ? "Super Bowl Watch" shows you the Super Bowl and the events surrounding the game through the eyes of Associated Press journalists across New Orleans and around the world. Follow them on Twitter where available with the handles listed after each item.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/super-bowl-watch-driver-done-birk-not-172520001--spt.html

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Netanyahu Has Become Enmeshed In His Aide's ... - Business Insider

JERUSALEM ? Power, acolytes, sexual fetishism, misdirected emails, a suspicious wife. For the past few days, a live-action political telenovela including all of these elements has been playing out on Israel's normally straight-shooting news channels.

The story began to unfold days after last week's election, when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed his former chief of staff, Natan Eshel, to head his coalition negotiations.

Eshel was a dangerous and confusing choice. He was forced to resign as chief of staff about a year ago after?confessing to sexual harassment?charges. The accusation was rather graphic: A female employee of the prime minister's office reported that while on a trip abroad, Eshel followed her, spied on her text messages and surreptitiously took photographs of intimate parts of her body under meeting tables.

The victim reported the behavior to the prime minister?s military attach?, Maj. Gen. Yochanan Locker, and cabinet secretary Zvi Hauser, but declined to press charges.

Eshel, who signed a plea agreement and resigned, admitted to the misconduct, was reprimanded by the Civil Service Commission and was prohibited from returning to government service.

Hauser, on the other hand, was forced to resign by a furious Netanyahu ? or, depending on whose version you take to, by the mercurial Mrs. Sara Netanyahu, the prime minister's wife.

Mrs. Netanyahu is renowned for her meddling in personnel-related matters of her husband's bureau. One of her least favorites, another former chief of staff, Naftali Bennett, was once forced to undergo a polygraph?when accused of having betrayed the trust of the Netanyahu family in ways never made entirely clear.

Eshel, meanwhile, has always been held in good favor by Mrs. Netanyahu, which might partly explain how he has managed to stick around.

Shimon Shiffer, senior diplomatic correspondent for Yedioth Acharonoth, Israel's largest daily newspaper, says, "Sara involves herself in matters of state, which goes directly against Israeli laws and customs. Israelis are just fed up and feel disgusted."

Now it seems that Eshel, a portly man in late middle age and a religious Jew, never really left.

In late December, a month before the elections, Eshel sent a letter to the prime minister's legal counsel, Shlomit Barnea-Farago, in which he stated that Netanyahu and his foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, requested his services as head coalition negotiator. He asked the lawyer if his earlier plea bargain would pose any problem.

But that is only where the most recent problems began. For one, Barnea-Farago, who by law must defend the employee who accused Eshel of harassment, agreed to the deal. No less mortifying, Eshel misdirected his email, sending it to another woman whose name begins with Sh ? Labor party leader Shelly Yachimovich, who yesterday?posted the email?on her Facebook page.

By the time of the Facebook posting, the coalition team of Yair Lapid, Netanyahu's principal negotiating partner, had announced their?refusal to meet with Eshel?for any purpose.

A leading feminist organization, the Israel Women's Network, demanded on Tuesday that the prime minister and Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein abide by the terms of Eshel's plea agreement and bar him from returning to public life.

In a fit of pique, Eshel told the Israeli website Ynet that protests to his possible appointment were "blown out of proportion," and added, "apparently, women have no problem lying."

"Eshel isn't really the story,"?writes Ha'aretz political commentator Yossi Verter. "He's just the errand boy. The problem is the boss who sent him. The fact that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wanted Eshel, who was forced to leave public service in disgrace, to head his coalition negotiating team or even to be a senior member of it, proves that the prime minister hasn't yet internalized the primary lesson of this election campaign, which, succinctly put, would be, 'It's the new politics, stupid!'"

In?his blog, Ha'aretz diplomatic affairs correspondent Barak Ravid warns that however loud the outcry, "As long as Netanyahu remains prime minister, Eshel will be there, too."

This story was originally published by?GlobalPost.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/netanyahu-has-become-enmeshed-in-his-aides-sex-scandal-2013-1

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