Israeli left seeks to regain appeal with focus on economy

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - In decline since the peace it sought with the Palestinians unraveled into violence, Israel's Labour Party looks set to regain some lost ground in next week's election after waging an economy-focused campaign.

Opinion polls forecast an easy victory for conservative Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tuesday's vote, which may push Israel further to the right, if as widely expected, he then enlists pro-settler and religious allies to his coalition.

But center-left Labour, bolstered by public discontent with high living costs and the flagging political fortunes of the once-governing centrist Kadima party, seems poised for its strongest parliamentary showing in years.

Netanyahu has made Israel's security the main campaign issue of his right-wing Likud party, fielding a joint list of candidates with the ultranationalist Yisrael Beitenu party.

He has cited Iran's nuclear ambitions, civil war in Syria and a new Islamist government in Egypt as reasons why, as Likud's campaign posters say, Israel needs a "strong" leader.

While Netanyahu plays his security card, a revamped Labour Party is using economic and social issues to try to claw its way back, focusing on Israeli concerns about rising living costs.

Opinion polls forecast a respectable second-place finish for the center-left party, now focused on pocketbook rather than peace issues, with talks on Palestinian statehood frozen since 2010 in a dispute over Israel's settlement-building policies.

Abraham Diskin, a political scientist at Jerusalem's Hebrew University, said Labour was also benefiting from a steep decline in support for Kadima, which won the most assembly seats at the last election in 2009, but failed to retain power.

Kadima was outmaneuvered by Netanyahu, who became prime minister after drawing a clutch of right-wing and religious parties into a coalition with a big parliamentary majority.

Diskin attributed much of Kadima's election success in 2009 to former Labour voters. "They are now returning to the Labour Party," he said.

Some opinion polls predict that Kadima, now led by Shaul Mofaz, a dour ex-defense minister, will win no seats next week.

The party, a relative newcomer to politics and lacking a historical power base, was founded in 2005 by then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who quit the Likud after a rebellion in its ranks over Israel's unilateral pullout from Gaza that year.

DOMINATION

Labour, now led by a former journalist, Shelly Yachimovich, dominated the first three decades of Israel's statehood and forged interim peace deals with the Palestinians in the 1990s.

But an ultranationalist assassin killed its leader, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, in 1995, Netanyahu won an election the following year after Palestinian suicide bombings, and a Labour return to power in 1999 was cut short when Ehud Barak failed to clinch a final peace accord and a Palestinian uprising erupted.

"Over years, the left was challenged by realities, not only by right-wing Israeli forces but by Middle East realities, and it never rose to the challenge," said political commentator Ari Shavit, who writes for the left-wing Haaretz daily.

"It is perceived by most Israelis as being totally irrelevant," he told Reuters.

However, unprecedented social protests in Israel in mid-2011 when hundreds of thousands took to the streets angered by high housing costs and soaring prices, gave Labour an opportunity.

Its election campaign has homed in on a struggling middle class. Under a photo of Yachimovich and the slogan "It can be better here", the party's website features a link to an economic plan it promises will narrow the gap between rich and poor.

It proposes higher taxes for the rich and for corporations and faster construction of affordable public housing.

Opinion polls show Labour taking up to 20 of parliament's 120 seats compared with about 34 for Likud-Yisrael Beiteinu. Labour won just 13 in 2009, a tally reduced to eight when Barak, now defense minister, and four others left the party in 2011.

DEFICIT

Labour latched onto some bad financial news on Monday to contest Netanyahu's claim to be a skilful economic manager.

"Tell me how much longer he can keep calling himself Mr Economy," Yachimovich said after figures showed Israel's budget deficit had risen to 4.2 percent of gross domestic product last year, double the original estimate.

Labour candidate Erel Margalit, referring to Israel's high-tech prowess, also hammered home the economic message, saying: "Netanyahu turned the start-up nation into a stagnant nation."

Unlike other center-left leaders, Yachimovich has pledged not to join a Netanyahu-led coalition.

Factions to Netanyahu's left also include two new centrist parties - Hatnua, led by Tzipi Livni, a former foreign minister and ex-Kadima chief, and Yesh Atid, headed by TV talk show host Yair Lapid.

Opinion polls predict eight seats for Hatnua and 11 for Yesh Atid. Livni's attempts to entice Yachimovich and Yesh Atid into a center-left alliance failed, perhaps due to clashing egos.

Taking his own swipe at Netanyahu's economic policies, Lapid provided a bright moment in a generally lackluster campaign when he publicly drew a red line through a cartoon depiction of a bomb listing price rises that have hit the middle class.

The stunt mimicked Netanyahu's own sketching of a red line through a cartoon bomb at the United Nations in September, when he said Iran was moving closer to a nuclear weapons capability.

While Labour, Yesh Atid and Hatnua compete for the political center, the small Meretz party carries a torch for the left.

"We're not ashamed, we are a left-wing social democratic party, we are proud to be called left-wing," Nitzan Horowitz, a Meretz legislator, told Reuters.

The party, led by Zahava Gal-On, has three parliamentary seats and opinion polls show it may double that total next week.

Horowitz outlined the "three pillars" of Meretz's platform as separating religion and state, ensuring social justice and promoting peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

Meretz opposes settlement activity and says Israel should immediately recognize a Palestinian state along the lines that existed before the Jewish state captured the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war.

(Additional reporting by Rinat Harash, Lianne Gross and Rami Amichai; Writing by Jeffrey Heller and Ori Lewis; Editing by Alistair Lyon)

Read More..

Candidates to campaign hard for Punggol East seat

SINGAPORE: The four candidates vying for the Punggol East parliamentary seat will be campaigning hard over the next nine days to capture votes from some 31,600 residents.

The four candidates are: Dr Koh Poh Koon of the People's Action Party (PAP), Mr Kenneth Andrew Jeyaretnam of the Reform Party (RP), Mr Desmond Lim Bak Chuan of the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) and Ms Lee Li Lian of the Workers' Party (WP).

On January 26, Punggol East residents will go to the polls to pick one of the four candidates to represent them in Parliament.

The seat was vacated last month by former Member of Parliament Michael Palmer.

It will be Singapore's second by-election since the 2011 General Election and it has the longest list of contenders for a parliamentary seat since 1997.

Candidate Dr Koh, a colorectal surgeon, is a fresh face. The 40-year-old, who has dubbed himself "the son of Punggol", has already outlined areas of concern he plans to focus on -- namely ensuring renovations to Rivervale Plaza stay on track and improving childcare amenities for the constituency.

Despite being flanked by party leaders at the nomination centre, Dr Koh said he is his own man and will run his own campaign.

"My supporters, voters of Punggol East, let us work together to make a better Punggol East," he said.

Many believe Dr Koh's biggest opponent will be the Workers' Party's Lee Li Lian.

She is no stranger to residents in Punggol East having contested there in the 2011 General Election.

She was then Mr Palmer's closest contender and garnered 41 per cent of valid votes.

Ms Lee said: "I will serve you whole-heartedly and I will continue and constantly stand up for your rights. On 26th of January, vote for the Workers' Party and send me into Parliament."

Also back to make another bid for the Punggol East seat is SDA's Secretary-General Desmond Lim.

He too had contested in the constituency at the 2011 General Election but lost his election deposit when he garnered just 4.5 per cent of the valid votes.

Undeterred, Mr Lim said he is determined to serve the residents, having been active in the area since 2005.

He said: "Dearest residents of Punggol East, Desmond Lim is back -- dedicated and more determined to serve you and your family in Punggol East."

Rounding up the four candidates is Reform Party chief Kenneth Jeyaretnam.

This is the second electoral fight for the son of former Workers' Party chief JB Jeyaretnam. He contested as part of a team in West Coast GRC in 2011.

Mr Jeyaretnam said: "This election, we are determined to bring a real choice to the voters of Punggol East. This is your chance to decide how you want to be represented."

Earlier, retired acupuncturist Zeng Guoyuan and private tutor Ooi Boon Ewe turned up at the nomination centre. However, both left without filing their nomination papers.

- CNA/al

Read More..

Showrooming is a growing trend in India: Study

BANGALORE: A new IBM study of 26,000 global consumers released today at the 2013 National Retail Federation convention found they are diversifying the way they shop for and acquire goods, becoming increasingly open to buying both online and in-store depending on their needs at time of purchase. While more than 80% of shoppers chose the store to make their last non-grocery purchase, only half are committed to returning there next time they buy.

IBM's research finds that consumers are in a transitional state. According to the study, 35%t of the respondents are unsure whether they would next shop at a store or online. Nine percent are ready to commit to making future purchases online. Of all eight product categories tracked in the survey, the two most popular categories chosen by consumers for an online shift are consumer electronics and luxury items, including jewelry and designer apparel.

"Today's consumer is sophisticated and opportunistic, navigating between store and online environments interchangeably to meet their shopping needs of the moment," said Jill Puleri, global retail leader, IBM Global Business Services.

"To satisfy clients, retailers must deliver a consistent, convenient shopping experience across each consumer touch point, extending from the store to online and back again. The key is using data and analytics to better understand the behavior and preferences of shoppers to close the sale,'' he said.

The IBM study also found that nearly half of online purchases in studied categories resulted from "showrooming," a burgeoning trend in which consumers browse goods at a store, but ultimately buy them online. Significantly, nearly a quarter of these online shoppers intended to buy their item in the store, but ultimately purchased online - primarily due to price and convenience.

Retailers must better connect their store and online presence to capture the sale to showroomers. Today, online-only retailers account for one-third of showroomer purchases. Younger, male and affluent shoppers are most likely to showroom. Although a global phenomenon, there is a higher incidence of showrooming in China (26%) and India (13% than the U.S. (7%), for example.

The IBM study reveals that consumers are seeking a truly integrated shopping experience. Retailers must better connect their online and physical stores, blending benefits into both at various points in the shopping cycle -- from research to purchase -- to build brand loyalty and repeat sales. In the store, retailers must infuse digital experiences, enable store associates with the technology to save the sale and embrace consumer-owned technology. Online, retailers most optimize their websites for various devices. The IBM Digital Analytics benchmach found that 70 percent more consumers used a mobile device to visit a retailer's site on Cyber Monday in 2012 than 2011. However, today's study found that only 3 percent of shoppers are using retailers' mobile apps.

IBM Retail Analytics solutions can provide the fact-based insight retailers need to treat each consumer as an individual, meeting their growing expectation for personalization.Analytics can also be used to identify why showroomers are shifting purchases online so retailers can act and adjust accordingly.

Read More..

NRA Ad Calls Obama 'Elitist Hypocrite'

Our audience is comprised of 40M active subscribers to blogs, tweets, Facebook and RSS feeds from top publishers including Inc, MSNBC, Reuters, InformationWeek, TechTarget, CBS Sports, AOL, CNET, ABC News, NBC, Politico and hundreds of others. Learn More

Read More..

France keeps up Mali air strikes, African troop plan advances

BAMAKO (Reuters) - France kept up its air strikes against Islamist rebels in Mali as plans to deploy African troops gathered pace on Tuesday amid concerns that delays could endanger a wider mission to dislodge al Qaeda and its allies.

France has already poured hundreds of troops into Mali and carried out days of air strikes since Friday in a vast desert area seized last year by an Islamist alliance that combines al Qaeda's north African wing AQIM with Mali's home-grown MUJWA and Ansar Dine rebel groups.

Western and regional powers are concerned the insurgents will use Mali's north as a launchpad for international attacks.

West African defense chiefs were to meet in Bamako on Tuesday to approve plans to speed up the deployment of 3,300 regional troops foreseen in a U.N.-backed intervention plan to be led by Africans.

Speaking from a French military base in Abu Dhabi at the start of a day-long visit to the United Arab Emirates, President Francois Hollande said French forces in Mali had carried out further strikes overnight "which hit their targets."

"We will continue the deployment of forces on the ground and in the air," Hollande said. "We have 750 troops deployed at the moment and that will keep increasing so that as quickly as possible we can hand over to the Africans."

He saw the African troop deployment taking "a good week".

France plans to field a total 2,500 soldiers in its former colony to bolster the Malian army and work with the intervention force provided by the ECOWAS grouping of West African states.

Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius - accompanying Hollande on a visit aimed at firming up trade relations and making progress on a possible sale of 60 French Rafale fighter jets - said he was confident Gulf Arab states would also help the Mali campaign.

Fabius said there would be a meeting of donors for the Mali operation most likely in Addis Ababa at the end of January.

He predicted the current level of the French involvement in Mali would go on for "a matter of weeks".

ECOWAS mission head in Bamako Aboudou Toure Cheaka said the West African troops would be on the ground in a week. Their immediate mission would be to help stop the rebel advance while preparations for a full intervention plan continued.

The original timetable for the 3,300-strong U.N.-sanctioned African force - backed by western logistics, money and intelligence services - did not initially foresee full deployment before September due to logistical constraints.

Senegal, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria and Guinea have all offered troops. But regional powerhouse Nigeria, which is due to lead the mission, has cautioned that even if some troops arrive in Mali soon, training will take more time.

The plan is being fast-tracked after a plea for help by Mali's government after mobile columns of Islamist fighters last week threatened the central garrison towns of Mopti and Sevare, with its key airport.

"SAFEGUARD MALI"

French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said France's goals were to stop the Islamist rebels, to "safeguard the existence of Mali" and pave the way for the African-led military operation.

U.S. officials said Washington was sharing information with French forces in Mali and considering providing logistics, surveillance and airlift capability.

"We have made a commitment that al Qaeda is not going to find anyplace to hide," U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told reporters as he began a visit to Europe.

As French aircraft bombarded mobile columns of Islamist fighters, other insurgents launched a counter-attack further to the south, dislodging government forces from the town of Diabaly, 350 km (220 miles) from Bamako.

French intervention has raised the risk for eight French hostages held by al Qaeda allies in the Sahara and for 30,000 French expatriates living in neighboring, mostly Muslim states. Concerned about reprisals at home, France has tightened security at public buildings and on public transport.

The U.N. said an estimated 30,000 people had fled the latest fighting in Mali, joining more than 200,000 already displaced.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday welcomed the French-led military intervention in Mali and voiced the hope that it would halt the Islamist assault.

Amnesty International said at least six civilians were killed in recent fighting in the town of Konna, where French aircraft had earlier bombarded rebel positions, and called on both sides to spare non-combatants.

France, which has repeatedly said it has abandoned its role as the policeman of its former African colonies, is among the toughest proponents of a speedier deployment of the African troops, and convened a U.N. Security Council meeting Monday to discuss the crisis.

French U.N. Ambassador Gerard Araud told reporters after the meeting that the U.S., Canada, Belgium, Denmark and Germany had also offered logistical support for France's Mali operation.

"I felt that all the members of the Security Council were expressing their support (for) and understanding of the French decision," Araud told reporters.

No Europeans or other African Union members will be allowed in the defense chiefs meeting in Bamako on Tuesday, a western diplomat told Reuters, requesting not to be named.

"They don't want any French pressure at the meeting," the diplomat said.

(Additional reporting by Elizabeth Pineau and Raissa Kasolowsky in Abu Dhabi; Michelle Nichols and Louis Charbonneau at the United Nations; Richard Valdmanis in Dakar, Brian Love in Paris and David Alexander in Lisbon; Editing by Pascal Fletcher and Anna Willard)

Read More..

S'pore scientists identify genes for central corneal thickness

SINGAPORE: Singapore scientists have identified genes for central corneal thickness (CCT) that may cause potentially blinding eye conditions. These eye conditions include glaucoma, as well as the progressive thinning of the cornea, which may eventually lead to a need for corneal transplantation.

The team is from the Singapore Eye Research Institute and the Genome Institute of Singapore, which is an institute of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).

A*STAR has described the findings as a world first. It said they show that Singapore is well placed globally in eye and genetics research in finding causes for sight threatening conditions.

Eye doctors can use genetic analysis to better manage such patients and prevent their condition from getting worse.

The team studied 55 hospitals and research centres around the world and analysed more than 20,000 individuals in European and Asian populations.

CCT is linked to potentially blinding eye conditions such as keratoconus, a condition where the cornea progressively thins and takes on a more conical shape that may eventually require transplantation.

A*STAR said the Singapore team has had remarkable success identifying the most CCT-associated loci to date.

It identified six distinct genetic loci in two papers published in 2011 and 2012 via samples collected from Singaporean Chinese, Indians, and Malays, as well as Chinese in Beijing. However, none was found to be associated with common eye diseases like this study has now shown.

Overall, this new study identified a total of 27 associated loci, including six for the keratoconus. These observations suggest that most of the CCT-associated loci identified from populations of European descent are shared with Asian populations.

-CNA/ac

Read More..

Left, Right join hands against FDI in retail

NEW DELHI: BJP, CPI and JD(U) on Tuesday come together to launch a national campaign against FDI in retail and sought support from the people to make the movement against the government's "anti-people" policy a success.

"This is a fight against UPA's FDI decision and it is the anti-people policy of the government that we are opposing," JD(U) leader and NDA convenor Sharad Yadav said here.

Blaming the government for its failure on the economic front, Yadav said industrial production and employment generation has slowed down in the country.

He said, "Indian market is expanding for years and we are not opposed to the expansion of market.

"Now to revive the market, government is punishing people through FDI decision. It is taxing common man by raising rail fares," JD(U) leader said.

He further said that retail shops are the second largest employment generating business in the country and by bringing in retail FDI it will create unemployment in the country.

Comparing the situation with that in China, Yadav said "China's position was equal to India's in economic terms in 1980. But China strengthened its internal position first before doing any business outside."

Criticising Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Yadav said, "the Prime Minister has taken two strong steps till date. One on nuclear issue and the second time on FDI."

Supporting the agitation against the FDI decision, BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi said the struggle will continue till it is withdrawn and promised that NDA will scrap the decision if it comes to power in the next elections.

"All NDA allies, Left Front and regional parties have opposed FDI. We will scrap the decision when we come to power," Joshi said. He did not agree with the government's view that this will boost the economy.

"Wherever FDI in retail has come, it has ruined the economy of that country," Joshi said, charging that "in India they (US) are trying to come through bribery."

"Bribery amount of Rs 125 crore was reportedly paid in the name of lobbying," Joshi charged.

Reiterating his party's resolve to fight the decision, Joshi said, "We will take the agitation to the village level and make the March 7 rally on it a success."

CPI leader AB Bardhan said Government has not won the fight yet.

"They may have technically won it in Parliament but the battle is not yet over," Bardhan said.

Defending his presence on the same dais with the BJP, the CPI veteran said, "This is a fight for the common man. We may have different ideology but on this issue we are united to fight together."

Cautioning the people against the danger in bringing FDI in retail, he said monopoly price will prevail in the market and consumers will not benefit.

"Consumers may benfit in the beginning but in the longer run, they will be losers. Instead of generating jobs, it will take away jobs," CPI leader said.

He said the FDI decision is going to affect 20 crore people in the country and the market will be flooded with Chinese products.

Spelling out the future agitational plan, Bardhan said, "We will demonstrate in front of the Walmart shop and wherever they will acquire land in the country."

Bardhan further said all trade unions like AITUC, INTUC, BMS are opposing the FDI decision.

Read More..

Hospitals crack down on workers refusing flu shots

CHICAGO (AP) — Patients can refuse a flu shot. Should doctors and nurses have that right, too? That is the thorny question surfacing as U.S. hospitals increasingly crack down on employees who won't get flu shots, with some workers losing their jobs over their refusal.

"Where does it say that I am no longer a patient if I'm a nurse," wondered Carrie Calhoun, a longtime critical care nurse in suburban Chicago who was fired last month after she refused a flu shot.

Hospitals' get-tougher measures coincide with an earlier-than-usual flu season hitting harder than in recent mild seasons. Flu is widespread in most states, and at least 20 children have died.

Most doctors and nurses do get flu shots. But in the past two months, at least 15 nurses and other hospital staffers in four states have been fired for refusing, and several others have resigned, according to affected workers, hospital authorities and published reports.

In Rhode Island, one of three states with tough penalties behind a mandatory vaccine policy for health care workers, more than 1,000 workers recently signed a petition opposing the policy, according to a labor union that has filed suit to end the regulation.

Why would people whose job is to protect sick patients refuse a flu shot? The reasons vary: allergies to flu vaccine, which are rare; religious objections; and skepticism about whether vaccinating health workers will prevent flu in patients.

Dr. Carolyn Bridges, associate director for adult immunization at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says the strongest evidence is from studies in nursing homes, linking flu vaccination among health care workers with fewer patient deaths from all causes.

"We would all like to see stronger data," she said. But other evidence shows flu vaccination "significantly decreases" flu cases, she said. "It should work the same in a health care worker versus somebody out in the community."

Cancer nurse Joyce Gingerich is among the skeptics and says her decision to avoid the shot is mostly "a personal thing." She's among seven employees at IU Health Goshen Hospital in northern Indiana who were recently fired for refusing flu shots. Gingerich said she gets other vaccinations but thinks it should be a choice. She opposes "the injustice of being forced to put something in my body."

Medical ethicist Art Caplan says health care workers' ethical obligation to protect patients trumps their individual rights.

"If you don't want to do it, you shouldn't work in that environment," said Caplan, medical ethics chief at New York University's Langone Medical Center. "Patients should demand that their health care provider gets flu shots — and they should ask them."

For some people, flu causes only mild symptoms. But it can also lead to pneumonia, and there are thousands of hospitalizations and deaths each year. The number of deaths has varied in recent decades from about 3,000 to 49,000.

A survey by CDC researchers found that in 2011, more than 400 U.S. hospitals required flu vaccinations for their employees and 29 hospitals fired unvaccinated employees.

At Calhoun's hospital, Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village, Ill., unvaccinated workers granted exemptions must wear masks and tell patients, "I'm wearing the mask for your safety," Calhoun says. She says that's discriminatory and may make patients want to avoid "the dirty nurse" with the mask.

The hospital justified its vaccination policy in an email, citing the CDC's warning that this year's flu outbreak was "expected to be among the worst in a decade" and noted that Illinois has already been hit especially hard. The mandatory vaccine policy "is consistent with our health system's mission to provide the safest environment possible."

The government recommends flu shots for nearly everyone, starting at age 6 months. Vaccination rates among the general public are generally lower than among health care workers.

According to the most recent federal data, about 63 percent of U.S. health care workers had flu shots as of November. That's up from previous years, but the government wants 90 percent coverage of health care workers by 2020.

The highest rate, about 88 percent, was among pharmacists, followed by doctors at 84 percent, and nurses, 82 percent. Fewer than half of nursing assistants and aides are vaccinated, Bridges said.

Some hospitals have achieved 90 percent but many fall short. A government health advisory panel has urged those below 90 percent to consider a mandatory program.

Also, the accreditation body over hospitals requires them to offer flu vaccines to workers, and those failing to do that and improve vaccination rates could lose accreditation.

Starting this year, the government's Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is requiring hospitals to report employees' flu vaccination rates as a means to boost the rates, the CDC's Bridges said. Eventually the data will be posted on the agency's "Hospital Compare" website.

Several leading doctor groups support mandatory flu shots for workers. And the American Medical Association in November endorsed mandatory shots for those with direct patient contact in nursing homes; elderly patients are particularly vulnerable to flu-related complications. The American Nurses Association supports mandates if they're adopted at the state level and affect all hospitals, but also says exceptions should be allowed for medical or religious reasons.

Mandates for vaccinating health care workers against other diseases, including measles, mumps and hepatitis, are widely accepted. But some workers have less faith that flu shots work — partly because there are several types of flu virus that often differ each season and manufacturers must reformulate vaccines to try and match the circulating strains.

While not 100 percent effective, this year's vaccine is a good match, the CDC's Bridges said.

Several states have laws or regulations requiring flu vaccination for health care workers but only three — Arkansas, Maine and Rhode Island — spell out penalties for those who refuse, according to Alexandra Stewart, a George Washington University expert in immunization policy and co-author of a study appearing this month in the journal Vaccine.

Rhode Island's regulation, enacted in December, may be the toughest and is being challenged in court by a health workers union. The rule allows exemptions for religious or medical reasons, but requires unvaccinated workers in contact with patients to wear face masks during flu season. Employees who refuse the masks can be fined $100 and may face a complaint or reprimand for unprofessional conduct that could result in losing their professional license.

Some Rhode Island hospitals post signs announcing that workers wearing masks have not received flu shots. Opponents say the masks violate their health privacy.

"We really strongly support the goal of increasing vaccination rates among health care workers and among the population as a whole," but it should be voluntary, said SEIU Healthcare Employees Union spokesman Chas Walker.

Supporters of health care worker mandates note that to protect public health, courts have endorsed forced vaccination laws affecting the general population during disease outbreaks, and have upheld vaccination requirements for schoolchildren.

Cases involving flu vaccine mandates for health workers have had less success. A 2009 New York state regulation mandating health care worker vaccinations for swine flu and seasonal flu was challenged in court but was later rescinded because of a vaccine shortage. And labor unions have challenged individual hospital mandates enacted without collective bargaining; an appeals court upheld that argument in 2007 in a widely cited case involving Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle.

Calhoun, the Illinois nurse, says she is unsure of her options.

"Most of the hospitals in my area are all implementing these policies," she said. "This conflict could end the career I have dedicated myself to."

__

Online:

R.I. union lawsuit against mandatory vaccines: http://www.seiu1199ne.org/files/2013/01/FluLawsuitRI.pdf

CDC: http://www.cdc.gov

___

AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/LindseyTanner

Read More..

Armstrong Admits Doping in Tour, Sources Say

Lance Armstrong today admitted to Oprah Winfrey that he used performance enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France, sources told ABC News.

A government source tells ABC News that Armstrong is now talking with authorities about paying back some of the US Postal Service money from sponsoring his team. He is also talking to authorities about confessing and naming names, giving up others involved in illegal doping. This could result in a reduction of his lifetime ban, according to the source, if Armstrong provides substantial and meaningful information.

Armstrong made the admission in what sources describe as an emotional interview with Winfrey to air on "Oprah's Next Chapter" on Jan. 17.

The 90-minute interview at his home in Austin, Texas, was Armstrong's first since officials stripped him of his world cycling titles in response to doping allegations.

Word of Armstrong's admission comes after a Livestrong official said that Armstrong apologized today to the foundation's staff ahead of his interview.

The disgraced cyclist gathered with about 100 Livestrong Foundation staffers at their Austin headquarters for a meeting that included social workers who deal directly with patients as part of the group's mission to support cancer victims.

Armstrong's "sincere and heartfelt apology" generated lots of tears, spokeswoman Katherine McLane said, adding that he "took responsibility" for the trouble he has caused the foundation.

Riccardo S. Savi/Getty Images|Ray Tamarra/Getty Images

Lance Armstrong Stripped of Tour de France Titles Watch Video

Lance Armstrong Doping Charges: Secret Tapes Watch Video

McLane declined to say whether Armstrong's comments included an admission of doping, just that the cyclist wanted the staff to hear from him in person rather than rely on second-hand accounts.

Armstrong then took questions from the staff.

Armstrong's story has never changed. In front of cameras, microphones, fans, sponsors, cancer survivors -- even under oath -- Lance Armstrong hasn't just denied ever using performance enhancing drugs, he has done so in an indignant, even threatening way.

Armstrong, 41, was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned from the sport for life by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency in October 2012, after allegations that he benefited from years of systematic doping, using banned substances and receiving illicit blood transfusions.

"Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling and he deserves to be forgotten in cycling," Pat McQuaid, the president of the International Cycling Union, said at a news conference in Switzerland announcing the decision. "This is a landmark day for cycling."

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency issued a 200-page report Oct. 10 after a wide-scale investigation into Armstrong's alleged use of performance-enhancing substances.

Armstrong won the Tour de France from 1999 to 2005.

According to a source, speaking to ABC News, a representative of Armstrong's once offered to make a donation estimated around $250,000 to the agency, as "60 Minutes Sports" on Showtime first reported.

Lance Armstrong's attorney Tim Herman denied it. "No truth to that story," Herman said. "First Lance heard of it was today. He never made any such contribution or suggestion."

Armstrong, who himself recovered from testicular cancer, created the Lance Armstrong Foundation (now known as the LIVESTRONG Foundation) to help people with cancer cope, as well as foster a community for cancer awareness. Armstrong resigned late last year as chairman of the LIVESTRONG Foundation, which raised millions of dollars in the fight against cancer.

Read More..

Asian stocks up, Shanghai jumps on regulator comments

HONG KONG: Asian shares were mostly higher on Monday, led by a surge on the Shanghai index after the securities regulator raised hopes for increased foreign investment in China's stock market.

The euro made further gains after upbeat comments last week by the European Central Bank chief, and the yen slid again after reports that the Bank of Japan and government were poised to set a two-per cent inflation target.

Shanghai surged 3.06 per cent, or 68.74 points, to 2,311.74 after the head of China's securities regulator, Guo Shuqing, said the investment quota for foreigners in the domestic equity market could be increased 10-fold.

Hong Kong rose 0.64 per cent, or 149.19 points, to 23,413.26, Seoul added 0.52 per cent, or 10.37 points, to 2,007.04 and Sydney closed up 0.22 per cent, or 10.2 points, at 4,719.7.

But Singapore slipped 0.31 per cent, or 9.91 points, to 3,206.59, pulled down by property stocks after the government introduced new measures at the weekend to cool the local market.

Tokyo was closed for a public holiday.

At a Hong Kong conference on Monday, Guo said at present investment by foreign institutions -- individuals are barred -- accounts for "just 1.5 or 1.6 per cent" of China's A-share market, stock denominated in the domestic yuan currency.

He said the quota could be increased 10-fold in an effort to boost the stock market, without elaborating.

There was no clear lead from Wall Street, where stocks closed in mixed territory on Friday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.13 per cent, the broad-based S&P 500 was flat, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite rose 0.12 per cent.

Investors were looking ahead to a speech by US Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke later on Monday.

Minutes from the December meeting of Fed policymakers showed they were divided over how long the central bank should continue asset purchases.

But dealers thought Bernanke was likely to put an end to speculation that US policymakers may end the quantitative-easing programme, with expectations about his comments pushing down the dollar.

"I'd be shocked if he said anything other than they're buying bonds for the long haul," said Davis Scutt, a currency trader at Arab Bank in Sydney.

After tumbling on Friday when the Japanese government unveiled a stimulus package, the yen slid further as reports said the Bank of Japan and the government would jointly set a two-per cent inflation target following pressure from new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The two sides are to finalise a joint statement on monetary measures in time for the central bank's policy meeting on January 21-22, the Asahi Shimbun reported.

A weaker yen helps the country's many exporters, as it makes their products cheaper abroad.

The euro has been surging since Thursday when ECB chief Mario Draghi said there was "a significant improvement in financial market conditions" in the single currency bloc.

On foreign exchange markets in Asian afternoon trade, the euro was at $1.3387, compared to $1.3341 in the US late Friday. The dollar was at 89.61 yen from 89.18 yen, and the euro traded at 119.96 yen from 119.00 yen.

Oil was up. New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in February, rose 69 cents to $94.25 a barrel in the afternoon, and Brent North Sea crude for February delivery gained 43 cents to $111.07.

Gold was at 1,669.90 at 0935 GMT compared with $1,669.80 late Friday.

In other markets:

-- Wellington rose 0.54 per cent, or 22.16 points to 4,153.92.

Fletcher Building added 1.61 per cent to NZ$8.86, Telecom Corp rose 1.08 per cent to NZ$2.335 and The Warehouse gained 0.66 per cent to NZ$3.07.

-- Taipei was flat, edging up 4.82 points to 7,823.97.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co gained 1.0 per cent at NT$102.0 while leading smartphone maker HTC climbed 5.1 per cent to NT$291.0.

-- Manila advanced 0.70 per cent, or 42.15 points, to 6,093.90.

Top-traded Bloomberry Resorts Corp. gained 1.54 per cent to 13.16 pesos while BDO Unibank rose 2.46 per cent to 77 pesos.

- AFP/xq

Read More..