Canada to Mandate Cable Channel Unbundling by Carriers

TORONTO -- The Canadian government on Wednesday said it plans to compel cable and satellite TV providers to allow Canadians to pick-and-pay for TV channels they want to view.

"Our government believes Canadian families should be able to choose the combination of television channels they want," governor-general David Johnston said as he read the ruling Conservatives' speech from the throne in Ottawa.

"It will require channels to be unbundled, while protecting Canadian jobs," the government added as it signaled its spending and legislation priorities for the coming year.

The proposal to allow Canadians to stop purchasing expensive packages of Canadian, U.S. and other foreign channels, and just buy the TV channels they want to view, comes as the Conservatives adopt a consumer-friendly platform to fend off growing support for opposition parties like the NDP and the Liberals.

"When Canadians make decisions about how to spend their money, they must be assured of a voice, a choice and fair treatment,” the feds said in the throne speech.

Domestic carriers have already moved to introduce a partial a la carte system for cable and satellite TV subscribers as Netflix Canada and other U.S. digital platforms increasingly draw Canadians online to view TV content.

But critics warn some Canadian TV channels will disappear and pricing for surviving channels will rise if they cannot be protected and promoted when packaged with more popular domestic and foreign channels.

"In a pick-and-pay environment popular U.S. services are likely to increase their carriage fees once they are no longer part of a package, while the smaller Canadian services will falter,” Friends of Canadian Broadcasting spokesman Ian Morrison said Wednesday.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thr/international/~3/25J2wdg6CPE/story01.htm
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Texas commission to Daniel Cormier: Roy Nelson doesn't have to shave beard

The verdict is in: The beard stays.

Daniel Cormier had made much ado about wanting his opponent at UFC 166 on Saturday night, Roy Nelson, to shave his beard before their heavyweight fight.

But according to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Cormier has no recourse to make such a request. So Cormier will fight "Big Country" in Houston with the latter's unruly whiskers intact.

But after Cormier filed a complaint with the commission, the commission informed him that it doesn't regulate such matters as facial hygiene. Ariel Helwani reported the news on Wednesday's edition of UFC Tonight.

As recently as Monday, Cormier, who is at 225 pounds as of midweek for his last before a planned drop to light heavyweight, told The MMA Hour his reasoning on why he made such a request.

"(He's been) kinda messing with me up top and in my head and everything, so there's something there with that beard. He only had it for a reason. He likes having it, so why not make him shave it, and take that comfort zone away from him?"

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2013/10/16/4846458/texas-commission-to-daniel-cormier-roy-nelson-doesnt-have-to-shave
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Huge Chunk of Russia Meteorite Pulled from Lake

Divers raised a coffee-table-size chunk of the Chelyabinsk meteorite from its muddy home at the bottom of Russia's Lake Chebarkul on Wednesday (Oct. 16).

The massive boulder is the largest fragment recovered so far from the Feb. 15 Russian meteor explosion over the city of Chelyabinsk that injured more than 1,000 people.

The blast scattered meteor shards across the region and left holes in the ice-covered Lake Chebarkul, so it was assumed that big lumps fell into the lake. Later surveys revealed possible extraterrestrial rocks buried beneath the bottom mud.

Recovery crews have since pulled five meteorite chunks from the lake, RT.com reported.

The 5-foot-long (1.5 meters) rock dragged from the depths Wednesday was 65 feet (20 m) below the surface. After it was pulled to the surface with cables, the meteorite fragment fractured into three pieces, shown live on Russian television.

Together, the dark, craggy stones weighed more than the scale brought to the lake could read, tipping in at more than 1,250 lbs. (570 kilograms), AFP reported. Preliminary tests confirmed the rocks are from the Chelyabinsk meteorite.

Pictures and video from the retrieval effort show telltale signs of the meteorite's fiery trip through the atmosphere. There's a fusion crust — a shiny, glassy layer of black material that forms when the outer portions of the rock melt. The rock also appears to have regmaglypts, shallow surface indentations that look like thumbprints.  

The Chelyabinsk meteorite is a mix of different types of ordinary chondrites, the stony meteorites that crash into Earth most often, researchers have found. The mélange inside the fragments suggests the meteorite may have collided with another asteroid early in its history.

Researchers have estimated that the asteroid that caused the Chelyabinsk fireball was about 55 feet (17 m) wide and weighed 10,000 tons when it streaked into Earth's atmosphere.

It hit on Feb. 15, the same day a 130-foot (40 m) asteroid called 2012 DA14 gave Earth a close shave, missing our planet by just 17,200 miles (27,000 kilometers). But the two space rocks are unrelated, experts say.

Email Becky Oskinor follow her @beckyoskin. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on SPACE.com.

Copyright 2013 SPACE.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/huge-chunk-russia-meteorite-pulled-lake-165439690.html
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Junior dos Santos: Rivalry with Cain Velasquez has made me a better fighter

Junior dos Santos enters the cage on Saturday night to try to reclaim the UFC heavyweight title, and he looks ready to repeat history.

"Cigano" is the only fighter to ever defeat the current UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez, and he did that with a huge right hand at UFC’s debut on FOX in 2012. The Brazilian is already in Houston, Texas for UFC 166, and he believes his trilogy with Velasquez has made him a better fighter.

"It’s very important to me," dos Santos told Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of "The MMA Hour". "I’m competing in another level because I have a great opponent in the other side. I really appreciate that. I’m happy to fight Cain Velasquez again. The rivalry between us is a great thing to make me a better fighter and person. It brings a lot of good things, and I appreciate that."

In his last appearance inside the Octagon, dos Santos finished Mark Hunt with a spinning back kick, and he plans to do some special tricks if he sees some openings during UFC 166’s main event.

"I can do anything," he said. "I have no limits. I like to think like that. I can do anything. If I see some opening to do something different I will. And I hope it works. I use to train a lot, including different moves. Anything can happen in a MMA fight and I’m ready for everything."

"Cigano" has said many times in the past that Velasquez "hits like a girl" because he couldn’t finish him after a 25-minute fight in their rematch. After that, he claimed he was just joking. However, the Brazilian repeated the "joke" during UFC’s Primetime.

"All my phrases were way longer than that," he explains. "The Primetime show, they are very creative in editing videos. That’s it. I did say that, but I was explaining. I don’t have more to say. I don’t like to disrespect my opponents, especially Cain Velasquez, because he’s a true warrior and it’s great to have him as an opponent. I’m training hard to beat him. I’m glad to compete with him.

"He’s a heavyweight and all the heavyweights hit really, really hard," he continued. "It’s the most dangerous division in the UFC. When you talk about the heavyweights, you talk about the baddest man on the planet."

However, dos Santos believes Velasquez's chin is not that hard.

"I think he has a pretty good chin," "Cigano" said. "He showed that in the Cheick Kongo fight, but he doesn’t have that very hard chin. Maybe, I don’t know. Maybe because I hit really hard too. He’s a very complete fighter, but this is my division and in my division, I’m the champion."

Velasquez’s head coach Javier Mendez believes the current world champion has an advantage for having a guy like Daniel Cormier, a former Strikeforce heavyweight champion, as a training partner.

Junior dos Santos doesn’t disagree.

"Daniel Cormier is the number two in the rankings, so I don’t know (if Velasquez has an advantage) because he’s a really good Olympic level wrestler," he said. "I don’t think he’s that great as a fighter. It’s good for Cain Velasquez to have a sparring like him, especially in the heavyweight division because it’s hard to find good heavyweight sparrings to train with.

"But I have good guys to train with," he continued. "I use to bring the same people to train with me because I already know them and I know they will be there to help me and not try to do something stupid. It’s hard to find good people to train with."

Junior dos Santos was promoted to a jiu-jitsu black belt weeks before his second fight with Velasquez. Last week, Leandro Vieira gave Velasquez the jiu-jitsu black belt.

"I never saw (his ground game) that much but if he got the black belt, probable it’s good," he said. "But jiu-jitsu is different. Jiu-jitsu is one thing, but during a MMA fight is very different. You have to train a lot to do this. Well, congratulations to him. Maybe if the fight goes to the ground we can do some jiu-jitsu in the fight."

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2013/10/15/4838602/junior-dos-santos-rivalry-with-cain-velasquez-has-made-me-a-better
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Factbox: German coalition watch - Merkel to woo SPD after Greens end talks

Chancellor Angela Merkel led her conservatives to their best result in over two decades in a German election on September 22 but must still find a coalition partner to secure a third term.

She will now focus on negotiations with the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) after exploratory talks with the environmentalist Greens collapsed in the early morning hours of Wednesday.

Below are key coalition-related quotes from senior officials, as well as areas of potential compromise on policy and personnel.

COALITION CHATTER

HERMANN GROEHE (CDU)

"I want to stress also that even in areas where there were differences (with the Greens), there were none which we would have viewed as insurmountable.

"We will approach the representatives of the SPD tomorrow with a view to scheduling the explorative talks we had already eyed for Thursday."

ALEXANDER DOBRINDT (CSU)

"My feeling was that the Greens have understood the election result ... but were unable to take on the responsibility.

"We made clear what is not doable with us on taxes. That's a clear statement that can't be changed and the Greens made clear that is a threshold they can't cross."

CLAUDIA ROTH (GREENS)

"On the basis of these two very intensive rounds of exploratory talks, we don't believe the conditions are right for good cooperation."

POTENTIAL POLICY COMPROMISES

TAXES - During the campaign, the SPD urged a hike in tax rates on incomes above 100,000 euros to 49 from 42 percent to pay for higher investments in infrastructure, education and research. Merkel and her conservatives are open to higher public investment but have ruled out financing this through tax hikes or higher debt. Both sides have signaled a readiness to compromise, but finding the required revenues will be difficult. One solution for bringing more cash in longer-term would be to close tax loopholes for multinational corporations.

WAGES - The SPD has made a nationwide minimum wage one of its main demands in exploratory coalition talks. The CDU/CSU, which only supports "wage floors" on a regional or sectoral basis, may have to accept some form of blanket minimum wage, but it could end up lower than the 8.50 euros/hour the SPD wants.

EUROPE - No insurmountable differences. The SPD would seek symbolic steps to promote growth in struggling euro zone states, but is unlikely to press for more German taxpayer money to be used for this purpose. It will push for a financial transactions tax and faster movement towards a banking union, where banks themselves shoulder the costs of restructuring. The SPD is not expected to push hard for debt mutualisation, despite having backed the idea of a debt redemption fund during its campaign.

ENERGY - The SPD and CDU/CSU could reach a compromise on scaling back subsidies for renewable energy.

BARGAINING FOR CABINET POSTS

* Finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble has signaled a desire to stay in his post, and is said to have the support of Merkel. Unless the SPD insist on the finance ministry as a condition for entering a coalition with Merkel, Schaeuble is likely to continue in his current position.

* For the SPD, much will depend on party chairman Sigmar Gabriel, who is said to have his eye on the labor ministry, but could also opt for foreign or even finance. He could also decide to opt out of government and take over the SPD leadership in parliament, though this would probably meet resistance from the party and incumbent Frank-Walter Steinmeier who seems keen to stay put.

* Steinmeier may have trouble resisting pressure to join the cabinet. His name has been floated as a potential foreign or finance minister. He could also run a new ministry grouping energy and infrastructure. SPD parliamentary whip Thomas Oppermann has also been mentioned as a possible finance minister, though interior or defense look like better fits. ECB board member Joerg Asmussen is a dark horse choice for the finance ministry.

* Were the SPD to claim the finance ministry, one source said Merkel might want to shift Schaeuble to the foreign ministry. But the extensive travel involved in this post would be a challenge for the wheelchair-bound Schaeuble.

* Apart from Schaeuble, the other member of Merkel's CDU who

is seen as a lock for the cabinet is Ursula von der Leyen, who may be keen on the foreign ministry. If she were to get this post, or move into the parliamentary leadership role held by Volker Kauder, many would see it as a sign she was being groomed to succeed Merkel.

* It remains unclear whether the SPD's pre-election proposal to group together responsibility for all energy-related issues in one ministry -- they are currently shared between the economy and environment ministries -- will see the light of day. Merkel is likely to want someone she trusts to oversee her "Energiewende" shift from nuclear to renewable power.

(Compiled by Berlin bureau)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/factbox-german-coalition-watch-merkel-woo-spd-greens-091844096--sector.html
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Rielle Hunter apologizes for affair with John Edwards

John Edwards’ former mistress offered a public apology Tuesday for her role in the extramarital affair that effectively ended his marriage to his late wife, Elizabeth, and killed his political career.

Rielle Hunter, a videographer for Edwards' 2008 campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination,  offered her amends in an essay for the Huffington Post, conceding she “behaved badly” by cheating with the former North Carolina senator. Hunter gave birth to the couple's daughter, Frances, in February 2008.

“That may seem obvious to you but it's taken me a long time to admit that, even to myself,” Hunter wrote. “For years I was so viciously attacked by the media and the world that I felt like a victim. I now realize that the attacks are actually beside the point. The point is: I behaved badly.”

Hunter’s apology is timely. It comes on the same day as a rerelease of the memoir she wrote about her relationship with Edwards — one she says has been revised to reflect the mistakes she made during and after the affair.

Hunter apologized for her “wrong, selfish behavior,” admitting that she did not consider the “scope” of her actions when she became involved with Edwards in 2006 and how it “could hurt so many people.” She specifically apologized for the pain she inflicted on Elizabeth Edwards, who died of breast cancer in 2010.

“I hurt Elizabeth and her kids. I hurt her family. I hurt John's family. I hurt people that knew Elizabeth. I hurt people who didn't know Elizabeth but loved her from afar. I hurt people who gave their hard earned dollars to a campaign — a cause they believed in,” she wrote. “I hurt people who are married and believe in marriage. Many of these people have let me know that I hurt them. Unfortunately, I was not thinking about anyone but myself. I was selfish. I fell in love with John Edwards and wanted to be with him and that desire trumped everything else. “

Rumors of an affair between Edwards and Hunter first surfaced in the National Enquirer in 2007. But for more than a year, Edwards denied an affair — even after he was caught on camera by the National Enquirer going to visit Hunter and her baby in Los Angeles.

Last year, Edwards went on trial in North Carolina for allegedly misusing campaign funds to hide the affair with Hunter and subsequently the birth of their child. But he was acquitted after the trial ended in a split jury.

While John and Elizabeth Edwards never formally divorced, they lived apart after he confessed to being the father of Hunter’s child. While Edwards remains involved in his youngest daughter’s life, Hunter said in 2012 that her romantic relationship with him was over.

In her piece for the Huffington Post, Hunter blames her upbringing for her emotional callousness — explaining that she was the “product of infidelity.”

“I believe history often repeats itself if you do not take responsibility and change it. Infidelity is wrong. It hurts people. It hurt me and then I in turn also hurt people,” Hunter wrote. “It is a chain of pain. One I do not wish to pass on to my own daughter. I am sincerely sorry for my bad behavior, and for hurting anyone. If I hurt you, I am sorry. It was not my intention, I was thoughtless and selfish, and I am sorry.”

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rielle-hunter-apologizes-for-affair-with-john-edwards-152332977.html
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Nobel winner Higgs plans to retire

15 October 2013
Last updated at 13:01 ET

Prof Peter Higgs, the joint winner of this year's Nobel Prize for Physics, has promised to retire - once he turns 85.

In a BBC Scotland interview, he also revealed that he turned down the offer of a knighthood because he did not want "that sort of title".

Prof Higgs said he feels uncomfortable being likened to other Nobel winners.

The 84-year-old said this was because his work on the particle which carries his name only took a very short time.

He said: "I'm getting the prize for something which took me two or three weeks in 1964. It's a very small amount of my life.

"If you take Einstein for the example, his achievements were several orders of magnitude greater."

Landmark research

Prof Higgs was born in Newcastle, but developed his theory while working at the University of Edinburgh.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

As you know I've recently become a Companion of Honour but that's rather discreet”

End Quote
Prof Peter Higgs

His landmark research defined what was to become known as the Higgs boson.

Discovering the particle became one of the most sought-after goals in science, and the team of scientists from the European nuclear research facility Cern, who were behind the $10bn Large Hadron Collider (LHC), made proving its existence a key priority.

In July 2012, physicists at Cern confirmed the discovery of a particle consistent with the Higgs boson.

Prof Higgs said he was offered a knighthood in 1999 by Prime Minister Tony Blair but refused the honour.

'Rather discreet'

"I thought anything of that sort was premature," he explained, "and anyway, I didn't want that sort of title thank you."

"As you know I've recently become a Companion of Honour but that's rather discreet. It's a couple of letters after your name."

The physicist retired from full-time teaching 17 years ago but has remained active in sharing his knowledge with other scientists.

He now intends to retire "properly" after his 85th birthday.

"I'm proposing to retire at the age of 85, next year," he confirmed.

"But flying around the world giving lectures is a fairly recent phenomenon because of the build up to this discovery at Cern."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-24540510#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa
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