UK's Cameron pledges vote on EU exit

By Ian Johnston, Staff Writer, NBC News

U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday announced Britain would hold a referendum on whether it should leave the European Union if his Conservative Party wins the next election.

His comments prompted a largely angry reaction from European politicians, who condemned Cameron for "playing with fire" and trying to bend?the 27-nation bloc?to his will.

France?s Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius revealed he had recently told a group of British businessmen that "if Britain wants to leave Europe, we will roll out the red carpet for you," Reuters reported Wednesday.

In the written version of his speech posted on the prime minister?s website, Cameron said people in the U.K. felt the EU was ?now heading for a level of political integration that is far outside Britain?s comfort zone? and claimed ?democratic consent for the EU in Britain is now wafer thin.?

?People ... resent the interference in our national life by what they see as unnecessary rules and regulation. And they wonder what the point of it all is,? he said.

?It is time for the British people to have their say. It is time to settle this European question in British politics. I say to the British people: this will be your decision,? Cameron added. ?And when that choice comes, you will have an important choice to make about our country?s destiny.?

'Charting our own course'
He said that he understood ?the appeal of going it alone, of charting our own course.?

?Of course Britain could make her own way in the world, outside the EU, if we chose to do so ? But the question we will have to ask ourselves is this: is that the very best future for our country?? Cameron said.

The center-right Conservative Party contains a number of anti-EU lawmakers and has come under pressure on the issue with the rise of the UK Independence Party.

Cameron has talked about renegotiating the U.K.?s relationship with Brussels and told parliament later Wednesday he would campaign to stay in the EU -- if he was successful in reforming it.

But he repeatedly refused to answer questions from Labour Party leader Ed Miliband on how he would vote in the referendum if he was unsuccessful.

Guy Verhofstadt, leader of the Liberal Democrat group in the European Parliament, said Cameron was ?playing with fire? by saying he would renegotiate Britain?s membership and hold a referendum, according to ITV News. ?He ... is raising false expectations that can never be met,? he said.

And European Parliament President Martin Schulz said the speech was ?one of the worst I heard in a long time,? ITV News reported.

Schulz said Cameron was in favor of the single European market but also was also complaining about the regulations that govern it. ?So, what does he want -- the internal market or the regulations? ? I find what Mr. Cameron is doing very implausible,? he added.

Fabius, the French official, said it was as if Britain had joined a soccer club and then suddenly said "let's play rugby," Reuters reported. And German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said ?cherry-picking? what the U.K. liked about the EU and leaving the rest was ?not an option.?

Nick Robinson, the BBC?s political editor, wrote that Cameron would never make a ?bigger gamble.?

?He is gambling that his referendum promise will calm rather than stir the fury of Eurosceptics both inside and outside his party, that he can persuade 26 other European leaders to give the UK the deal he wants and that voters will then choose to back it,? he said.

?If he pulls it off he will restore [Conservative] Party unity, see off the threat of UKIP, put Labour on the back foot and secure a relationship with the EU which is no longer a political nightmare for him and his party,? he added. ?If he doesn't the name Cameron will be added to those of [Harold] Wilson, [Margaret] Thatcher and [John] Major - those whose premierships were destroyed by that most toxic issue in politics - Europe.?

Related:

An EU without Britain? Europe frets ahead of key speech by UK's David Cameron

Kids removed from UK couple over support for 'independence' from Europe

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/23/16661005-uk-prime-minister-pledges-to-hold-referendum-on-quitting-eu?lite

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Scientists to resume work with lab-bred bird flu

WASHINGTON (AP) ? International scientists who last year halted controversial research with the deadly bird flu say they are resuming their work as countries adopt new rules to ensure safety.

The outcry erupted when two labs ? in the Netherlands and the U.S. ? reported they had created easier-to-spread versions of bird flu. Amid fierce debate about the oversight of such research and whether it might aid terrorists, those scientists voluntarily halted further work last January ? and more than three dozen of the world's leading flu researchers signed on as well.

On Wednesday, those scientists announced they were ending their moratorium because their pause in study worked: It gave the U.S. government and other world health authorities time to determine how they would oversee high-stakes research involving dangerous germs.

A number of countries already have issued new rules. The U.S. is finalizing its own research guidelines, a process that Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health said should be completed within several weeks.

In letters published in the journals Science and Nature this week, scientists wrote that those who meet their country's requirements have a responsibility to resume studying how the deadly bird flu might mutate to become a bigger threat to people ? maybe even the next pandemic. So far, the so-called H5N1 virus mostly spreads among poultry and other birds and rarely infects people.

"The risk exists in nature already. Not doing the research is really putting us in danger," said Yoshihiro Kawaoka of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He and Ron Fouchier of Erasmus University in the Netherlands separately created the new virus strains that could spread through the air.

The controversy flared just over a year ago, when U.S. officials, prompted by the concerns of a biosecurity advisory panel, asked the two labs not to publish the results. They worried that terrorists might use the information to create a bioweapon. More broadly, scientists debated whether creating new strains of disease is a good idea, and if so, how to safeguard against laboratory accidents.

Ultimately, the flu researchers prevailed: The government decided the data didn't pose any immediate terrorism threat after all, and the two labs' work was published last summer.

Fouchier said that within weeks, he will begin new research in the Netherlands, with European funding, to explore exactly which mutations are the biggest threat. He said the work could enable scientists today to be on the lookout as bird flu continually evolves in the wild.

U.S.-funded scientists cannot resume their studies until the government's policy is finalized.

But the NIH had paid for the original research ? and it would have been approved under the soon-to-come expanded policy as well, Fauci told The Associated Press. That policy will add an extra layer of review to higher-risk research, to ensure that it is scientifically worth doing and that safety and bioterrorism concerns are fully addressed up-front, he said.

Had that policy been in place over a year ago, it could have averted the bird flu debate, Fauci said: "Our answer simply would have been, yes, we vetted it very carefully and the benefit is worth any risk. Period, case closed."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/scientists-resume-lab-bred-bird-flu-190703328.html

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Smaller crowd, but still excitement this time

President Barack Obama supporters arrive on the National Mall in Washington, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013, for President Barack Obama's ceremonial swearing-in ceremony during the 57th Presidential Inauguration. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

President Barack Obama supporters arrive on the National Mall in Washington, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013, for President Barack Obama's ceremonial swearing-in ceremony during the 57th Presidential Inauguration. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

President Barack Obama bows as he and first lady Michelle Obama, wearing a ruby colored chiffon and velvet Jason Wu gown, gets ready to dance as singer Jennifer Hudson, right, sings Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" at the Inaugural Ball at the Washington Convention Center during the 57th Presidential Inauguration in Washington, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

First lady Michelle Obama speaks with her daughter Malia at the ceremonial swearing-in for President Barack Obama at the U.S. Capitol during the 57th Presidential Inauguration in Washington, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Singer Stevie Wonder performs during the Inaugural Ball at the 57th Presidential Inauguration in Washington, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Vice President Joe Biden dances with Army Staff Sgt. Keesha Dentino as Jill Biden dances with Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Patrick Figueroa during the Commander-In-Chief inaugural ball at the Washington Convention Center during the 57th Presidential Inauguration Monday, Jan. 21, 2013 in Washington. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Schoolteacher Patricia Cooper gazed out at the many hundreds of thousands of people lining the National Mall, moments after Barack Obama had been sworn in for the second time as president.

"The media kept saying there were going to be so many fewer people," said Cooper, 51, from Upper Marlboro, Md. "But look out there!" she beamed. "We still have a pretty big crowd."

True, the crowd was roughly half that of Obama's momentous inauguration in 2009, and the sense of history, and pure excitement, far less potent. But despite a more sober national mood, there was plenty of enthusiasm ? even among people who'd been there the first time, like Cooper ? and oh yes, star power, as the capital threw its marathon, once-every-four-years party.

"I was there last time, and I was just so proud to be here again this time," Cooper said. "And the weather was great!"

It was a warmer day indeed, with a noon temperature of 40 degrees. And if the day was balmier, it seemed its whole aura was mellower, too, with not only the president but his whole family looser than four years ago. Malia and Sasha, no longer adorable little girls but rather stylish young women, chatted on the podium, showing how comfortable they'd become after four years in the public spotlight, and Michelle Obama sported a hip new haircut: blunt-cut bangs. Even Chief Justice John Roberts seemed more relaxed; well, he breezed through the oath of office that he had stumbled over four years ago.

Of course, it was lost on no one that the president was renewing his oath at a somber and difficult time for the nation. A still struggling economy. The fiscal crisis. The fight over gun control, in the wake of the horrific shootings in Newtown, Conn. The continued threat of terrorism. A general sense that the country is more polarized than ever.

But for a day, the capital city celebrated. And as always, it was a marathon, with more than 12 hours of public events for the president, beginning with a morning prayer service, through a parade that went past dark, with the president still standing and clapping ? and the Inaugural Balls, of course.

And though the president went home not long after 10 p.m., Washington was still buzzing. Downtown was gridlocked, as taxis, a hot commodity, tried to navigate closed-off streets. Stevie Wonder was singing at the cavernous Washington Convention Center, where the balls were held, and the Goo Goo Dolls and Ke$sha were performing at separate events elsewhere ? just a few of the happenings that turned Washington into Celebrity Central for the weekend.

But the biggest celebrities? That would be Barack and Michelle Obama, and their appearances at the Inaugural Balls ? three of them this year, much pared down from 2009 ? were the most eagerly awaited events of the night.

The Obamas first hit the Commander in Chief ball, held like the others in the vast Washington Convention Center, where the nation also got a first glimpse of ? The DRESS! Mrs. Obama again chose designer Jason Wu, this time a custom ruby-colored halter dress of chiffon and velvet that accentuated her bare shoulders and arms. And if she looked more ethereal four years ago in a frilly white Wu gown, this time she looked hipper ? especially with her new, much-discussed bangs. (The hairdo was described earlier by her husband as the most significant event of Inauguration Weekend.)

The first couple ? and the second, Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill ? took a spin on the floor with selected members of the military. And the Obamas danced romantically to "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green, sung here by Oscar-winning actress and singer Jennifer Hudson, whispering and laughing as they spun.

Meanwhile, the huge crowd at the downstairs official ball had its own entertainment. First up was Alicia Keys, who, like most of the celebrities on hand, made no secret of her affection for Obama. "Obama's on fire!" she sang, changing the lyrics of her hit song. "He's the president, and he's on fire."

Equally effusive was "Glee" actor Darren Criss, who attended the ball and had performed over the weekend at the Kids' Inaugural Concert. "I think the tagline of this weekend is that if there's anything cooler than electing the first African-American president, it's re-electing him," Criss said in an interview.

The entertainment also included the Mexican band Mana and country singer Brad Paisley, who joked that Americans have a democracy that's the envy of the world, so we celebrate by "getting drunk in a huge convention center." The audience milled around, buying drinks at the cash bar and bemoaning the skimpy snacks ? until the popular, Grammy-nominated band fun. came on, with lead singer Nate Ruess' energetic vocals inspiring much of the crowd to sing their anthem "We Are Young" ? even if they weren't.

Albert Wilkerson is 74, to be precise, but he was enjoying the evening immensely, he said, despite the noise, the crowds, the cash bar and food that consisted of pretzels and snack mix, $150 tickets notwithstanding.

"I like being here," said Wilkerson, who came from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. "I feel like a true American."

Caitlin Kelly wasn't quite so forgiving. "You diet for weeks to get into a dress, and then they give you pretzels?" asked Kelly, 28, of New York. "I'm gonna get tipsy fast."

It was a three-generation affair for the Sawtelle family, meanwhile, with grandmother Anna Kristina Sawtelle, 76, from Ogunquit, Maine, by way of Sweden, attending the main ball by wheelchair. Sawtelle's extended family traveled from Sweden to see the event, with her 12-year-old U.S.-born grandson ? a Boy Scout from Troop 698 of Burke, Va. ? serving as volunteer security for the parade.

"I am proud my grandson guarded the president,'" she said.

The Obamas soon came down and repeated their dance with Hudson, to huge cheers from the crowd and too many cellphone photos to count. After one more appearance at the third venue, the Obamas went home. But Stevie Wonder took the stage, his familiar hits ? "My Cherie Amour," ''Signed, Sealed, Delivered" and more ? luring a few brave souls to dance.

Over at the Harman Center for the Arts, meanwhile, there was a hipper vibe, with a big bash thrown by the Creative Coalition, an arts advocacy organization, featuring a full concert by the rock band the Goo Goo Dolls. There, everyone was up and dancing in their theater seats by the second song. At yet another venue, the 9:30 club, pop singer Ke$ha was performing, and praising Obama's speech. "I really appreciate him addressing equal rights" for gays, said Ke$ha. "It's an issue very close to my heart."

A slew of celebrities had also watched Obama's swearing-in earlier in the day. Katy Perry showed up in a chic orange coat and wide-brimmed hat. She sat next to singer/guitarist John Mayer. Up on the podium, folk icon James Taylor sang "America the Beautiful," and Kelly Clarkson performed "My Country, 'Tis of Thee."

But the biggest attraction? Ask Jada Mason, age 8, from Tulsa, Okla. "I got to see the president ? AND Beyonce!" she beamed, when asked her favorite moment of the day. (Beyonce sang the national anthem.) Jada's family had taken a road trip from Tulsa in a 12-passenger van ? nine family members, and three generations ? to attend the inauguration. Just try telling their mother, Mattece, that this inauguration was less powerful than Obama's first.

"It was just momentous," said Mason, who is African-American. "More important than the first. Because it was based on his credentials, you know? Not someone giving us a chance because it was time to give us a chance."

Amber M. Whittington feels the same way. "This is a validation of our electing the first black president," she said, explaining why she felt the day was so important. "It wasn't a fluke."

And so, when a little boy started complaining about the cold early in the morning, the 26-year-old volunteer, who was waving people through a gate, knew just what to say.

"You will be very grateful to your parents one day," she told the boy. "This is history. You will realize that soon."

"It's worth it."

___

Associated Press writers Nancy Benac, Kimberly Dozier, Josh Lederman and Mesfin Fekadu contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-01-22-US-Inauguration-Scene/id-cd076f2022b3491b94fe81acb4ded08b

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French seize control of key Mali town of Diabaly

DIABALY, Mali (AP) ? French and Malian troops took control Monday of the town of Diabaly, patrolling the streets in armored personnel carriers and inspecting the charred remains of a pickup truck with a mounted machine gun left behind by the fleeing militants.

The armed Islamist fighters from northern Mali seized Diabaly a week ago, making it the southernmost town they held. But they left after days of being pounded by French airstrikes, a tangible victory for the French intervention forces.

The military operation is aimed at stopping the Islamists from encroaching toward the capital in Mali's south from their strongholds in the vast, desert north of Mali where they amputate the hands of thiefs and force women to wear veils.

Diabaly, located about 320 miles (460 kilometers) north of the capital, fell into rebel hands on Jan. 14. Residents said those who fled in the aftermath were forced to escape on foot through rice fields.

"We are truly really grateful to the French who came in the nick of time," said Gaoussou Kone, 34, the head of a local youth association. "Without the French, not only would there no longer be a Diabaly, there would soon no longer be a Mali. These people wanted to go all the way to Bamako."

Islamists had seized the town just days after the French began their military operation on Jan. 11.

Malian military officials reported late Saturday that they had retaken the town after Islamists fled, but French officials later said Sunday that the town had not been recaptured.

On Monday, about 200 French infantrymen supported by six combat helicopters and reconnaissance planes made their way to Diabaly.

Associated Press reporters saw French troops in camouflage uniforms take up positions in front of a Malian military camp in the town on Monday. About six burned out cars lay in ruins on the outskirts of town.

The Islamist fighters had insinuated themselves with civilians before leaving, so there was a possibility that some had remained. Malian soldiers on Diabaly's outskirts set up a roadblock south of the town where they checked the identity papers of travelers.

In an interview with France-5 TV, French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the air strikes had caused "significant" ? though unspecified ? losses among the jihadists, and only minor skirmishes involved French forces on the ground.

Meanwhile, the extremist group behind the deadly hostage crisis in Algeria threatened more attacks against foreign targets if France does not bring an immediate halt to its military operation in Mali.

In a statement, the Masked Brigade warned of more such attacks against any country backing France's military intervention in Mali.

"We promise all the countries that participated in the Crusader campaign ... that we will carry out more operations if they do not reverse their decision," it said, according to a transcript released by SITE Intelligence Group.

France has said that African nations must take the lead though it could be some weeks before they are ready to do so.

On Sunday, France said that some 400 troops from Nigeria, Togo and Benin had arrived Sunday in Bamako to help train an African force for Mali. Troops from Chad, who are considered hardened fighters familiar with the desert-like terrain of northern Mali, also have arrived, Le Drian said.

A top official with the West African regional bloc said Sunday the cost of the African intervention could top $500 million.

ECOWAS Commission President Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, who gave an interview to state television in Ivory Coast, said the initial estimate "may vary depending on the needs" of the mission and the situation on the ground.

___

Associated Press writers Krista Larson in Segou, Mali; Jamey Keaten in Dakar, Senegal; and Robbie Corey-Boulet in Abidjan, Ivory Coast contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/french-seize-control-key-mali-town-diabaly-133154018.html

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Pentagon: AQ ally is top suspect in Algeria attack

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Pentagon on Tuesday stopped short of saying al-Qaida's North Africa affiliate is definitely to blame for the deadly Algeria terrorist attack, but it said there is good reason to believe the group had a leading role.

"When it comes to terrorist attacks of this sort in North Africa, AQIM has to be at the top of the list of suspects, I'll put it that way," said Pentagon press secretary George Little, referring to al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb.

The White House said the Obama administration is working with the Algerian government to learn more about what happened and did not echo concerns expressed by the British defense minister over the Algerian government's collaboration.

"We cannot lose sight of the fact that the blame for this lies with the terrorists," said White House press secretary Jay Carney.

Little told reporters there are "strong indications that AQIM, "had a hand" in the assault on an Algerian natural gas plant that left dozens of hostages and militants dead, but he would not be more specific.

"AQIM does what terrorist groups do ? they plan and carry out attacks. I'll leave it at that," he said.

The State Department has said three U.S. citizens were killed in last week's hostage standoff, while seven Americans made it out safely.

The State Department has not definitively declared that AQIM was responsible for the attack, but it has suggested the group played a leading role.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Tuesday the U.S. is consulting with Algerian government officials about who they believe was responsible for the attack.

"We don't have any reason to doubt AQIM's involvement in this attack," Nuland said, noting that the group has claimed responsibility.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has blamed the broader al-Qaida network.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton last week described a "continuing effort by the terrorists, whether they call themselves one name or al-Qaida, to try to destroy the stability, the peace and security, of the people of this region."

___

Associated Press writers Nedra Pickler and Bradley Klapper contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-01-22-US-Algeria/id-cf57d62727df409ba46853ca17408147

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Meningitis-linked pharmacy owners got millions: filing

BOSTON (Reuters) - The four primary owners of the pharmacy linked to a deadly U.S. meningitis outbreak that has killed 44 people received at least $16 million in salaries and shareholder distributions in 2012, according to papers filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

New England Compounding Center owner Carla Conigliaro, the largest shareholder in the privately held company, received nearly $9 million in 2012, according to court papers filed late on Friday.

NECC also paid about $18,000 on her American Express card for purchases from gas stations, restaurants, the Apple Store and other places.

Barry Cadden, NECC's chief pharmacist, received about $3.2 million in 2012, filings show. His wife, Lisa Cadden, received about $2.8 million. Greg Conigliaro, a recycling entrepreneur who is Lisa Cadden's brother, received about $1.6 million.

The filings also showed that Framingham, Massachusetts-based NECC had made lease payments for a 2012 BMW X5 and 2011 Mercedes Benz GL-550. NECC paid, for example, $1,251 a month for Carla Conigliaro's Mercedes Benz lease payment, court papers show.

Brown Rudnick LLP, which is representing the official committee of unsecured creditors in NECC's bankruptcy, said NECC had paid more than $21 million to the pharmacy's four primary owners and other insiders.

Medical Sales Management, which shares some common ownership with NECC, received more than $4 million from NECC in 2012, court papers show.

A spokesman for NECC did not return a telephone call seeking comment.

NECC filed for bankruptcy protection last month after U.S. authorities shut down its pharmacy operations amid a meningitis outbreak that has killed 44 people and sickened 678 others, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

NECC shipped thousands of vials of a fungus-tainted steroid to medical facilities throughout the United States, according to authorities.

(Reporting by Tim McLaughlin; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/meninigitis-linked-pharmacy-owners-got-millions-court-papers-125628162.html

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Video: Celebrating Obama's inauguration on MLK Day

PFT: Colin Kaepernick vindicates Jim Harbaugh

When 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh benched Alex Smith and elevated Colin Kaepernick to the starting job, many proclaimed that anything less than a Super Bowl berth would be evidence that Harbaugh made the wrong decision. Under that standard, Harbaugh knocked it out of the park.

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/hardball/50541908/

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