UK town gets royal title for honoring war dead (AP)

LONDON ? A small town that honored British soldiers killed in Afghanistan as they were returned home is receiving a royal title.

Princess Anne will deliver letters from her mother Queen Elizabeth II to the town of Wootton Bassett on Sunday, giving it official permission to change its name to Royal Wootton Bassett.

The bodies of soldiers killed in Afghanistan used to be repatriated to an airbase near Wootton Bassett, 85 miles (135 kilometers) west of London, and driven through the town to a coroners office. Each time a cortege passed, residents shut the doors of their businesses, and line the sidewalks to salute the procession.

Premier David Cameron said in March that the town should receive the royal accolade for its "deeply moving and dignified demonstrations of respect."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111016/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_royal_town

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Polar Bear Researcher To Be Re-Interviewed By Feds

A researcher who wrote a famous report about dead polar bears is being re-interviewed by federal investigators, who are continuing to probe allegations of misconduct. Above, a polar bear walks on the frozen tundra on the edge of Hudson Bay. Enlarge Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images

A researcher who wrote a famous report about dead polar bears is being re-interviewed by federal investigators, who are continuing to probe allegations of misconduct. Above, a polar bear walks on the frozen tundra on the edge of Hudson Bay.

Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images

A researcher who wrote a famous report about dead polar bears is being re-interviewed by federal investigators, who are continuing to probe allegations of misconduct. Above, a polar bear walks on the frozen tundra on the edge of Hudson Bay.

Federal officials continue to probe allegations of misconduct related to a famous report on dead polar bears that raised concerns about climate change. Later this month, officials plan to re-interview one of the two government scientists who wrote that report.

The new development suggests that scientific integrity remains a focus of the investigation, which recently detoured into allegations that the other researcher under scrutiny broke rules related to federal funding of research. Both scientists work for agencies of the Department of the Interior.

Critics of the investigation say it is a witch hunt into scientists who made observations of apparently drowned dead bears that became a potent public symbol of the danger of melting ice.

Agents from the department's Office of Inspector General, or OIG, will question biologist Jeffrey Gleason on Oct. 26, according to a new letter to Gleason. The letter states that the office is investigating the dead polar bear report, published by the journal Polar Biology in 2006, which Gleason authored with his colleague Charles Monnett.

During Gleason's previous interview, in January, investigators wanted to know how the researchers recorded their wildlife sightings into a data system. They asked why a photo taken of a dead bear floating in the water looked so unclear, and what the scientists had done to try to enhance the image. They also asked why the 2006 report did not put more focus on how a windstorm could have affected the bears.

The interview included comments and questions about how the influential paper has been linked to global warming in the media. For example, special agent Eric May asked Gleason what he thought of Al Gore's reference to the dead bear sightings in the movie An Inconvenient Truth and later noted that car commercials have used drowning polar bears to encourage the purchase of hybrid vehicles.

We couldn't imagine after six hours of questioning about this four-page paper that they hadn't asked every question that could be asked.

The tone and the depth of the questioning astounded Gleason, says attorney Jeff Ruch of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a group that has been representing Monnett and now also represents Gleason.

"He couldn't imagine what the investigation of the paper was about. He figured there would be a couple of questions and that would be it," says Ruch, who adds that Gleason "was really shaken by the whole thing and I think is still not over it."

Ruch says the news that investigators wanted another interview with one of the two scientists came as a shock as well. "We were frankly surprised that there was a new round of interviews at all, but the fact that they are focused back on the paper is really sort of a head scratcher," says Ruch. "We couldn't imagine, after six hours of questioning about this four-page paper, that they hadn't asked every question that could be asked."

The new letter to Gleason from agent May about the upcoming interview says that investigators "intend to discuss actions taken in your official capacity as an ecologist that include follow-up questions to your previous interview with the OIG regarding the integrity and representation of your official work."

It also says the Department of Justice declined criminal prosecution regarding matters that will be discussed in his upcoming interview. "Was Dr. Gleason subject to a criminal referral?" asks Ruch, who provided NPR with a copy of the letter. "What was the criminal referral about?"

Ruch says the OIG had previously informed Monnett that something had been referred to the Department of Justice, which declined prosecution. Ruch says they assumed it had to do with an issue related to federal contracts that did not involve Gleason.

The ongoing investigation into the polar bear report began after March 2010, when the OIG received allegations from an Interior Department employee that "acts of scientific misconduct may have been committed," according to a letter that Acting Inspector General Mary Kendall recently sent to Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., who had requested information on the inquiry. The letter did not name that employee.

"Although we would like to be able to respond to allegations by PEER and other outside entities about the integrity of the OIG and its investigation, we cannot," Kendall's letter to Inhofe continued. "Our investigation is not complete, and until it is, it would be unfair to all parties involved for the OIG to comment about its results."

Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement put Monnett on administrative leave for weeks after information uncovered during the probe raised questions about whether he had violated rules that govern federal contracts.

Overseeing government-funded research had been a major part of Monnett's job, but his agency has prohibited him from managing contracts since he's been back at work. Instead, he was assigned to write a report on vessel traffic in the northern Bering Sea and southern Chukchi Sea and how it could affect marine mammals.

Monnett's lawyers say he followed standard practices at his office while managing contracts. They have filed a complaint under the department's new scientific integrity policy, saying that the treatment of Monnett amounts to misconduct by agency officials.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/10/14/141365935/polar-bear-researcher-to-be-re-interviewed-by-feds?ft=1&f=1007

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Hair attacks force Ohio Amish to seek outside help

Leaders within Ohio's Amish community faced a soul-searching question after what they say were hair-cutting attacks against several followers of their faith. Should they cooperate with authorities or adhere to their beliefs of forgiving one another and keeping disputes private?

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In the end, church bishops decided to seek help from the outside.

"They didn't feel they could get it stopped any other way," said Timothy Zimmerly, a sheriff in Holmes County where authorities say an Amish bishop and his son were held down while men from a breakaway Amish group used scissors and a clipper to cut their beards.

Five men were arrested and accused of cutting the hair of several people, offensive acts to the Amish, who believe the Bible instructs women to let their hair grow long and men to grow beards and stop shaving once they marry.

While the attacks in recent weeks might seem bizarre to outsiders, they have struck at the core of the Amish identity and tested their principles. They strongly believe that they must be forgiving in order for God to forgive them. Often that means handing out their own punishment and not reporting crimes to law enforcement.

One couple refused to press charges even after acknowledging that their two sons and another man came into their house last month, held them down, and cut the father's beard and the mother's hair.

The husband and wife who live near the village of Mesopotamia didn't report the attack and only talked after authorities said they had received a tip, said Trumbull County sheriff Thomas Altiere.

"They want to turn the other cheek, let God take care of it," said Altiere, who lacked enough evidence on his own to make an arrest.

'Not for revenge'
The wife of an Amish bishop who said her husband's beard was cut by members of the same splinter group last week said they decided to press charges so that his attackers would get help and to prevent anyone else from getting hurt.

"This is not for revenge," said Arlene Miller, who recounted how several men came to their farmhouse near Carrollton in eastern Ohio and tried to get at her husband's beard while he struggled with them.

"We don't believe in fighting," she said. "We do believe in turning the other cheek, but in this case there's nothing wrong with struggling to get away."

Two of those arrested a week ago are the sons of the breakaway group's leader, Sam Mullet. He has denied ordering the beard-cuttings but says they were in response to criticism he has received from other Amish religious leaders about his leadership practices, including excommunicating people in his own group.

He lashed out at those who asked law enforcement to get involved.

"One thing for sure is, I'm not calling the law in against one of the other Amish people or against you people," Mullet said at his farm outside Bergholz, a village where he established his community in 1995. "I don't do that. I have no right to call the sheriff to defend myself."

Ohio's Amish communities are centered in rural counties south and east of Cleveland. They have a modest lifestyle and are deeply religious. Their traditions of traveling by horse and buggy and forgoing most modern conveniences distance themselves from the outside world and symbolize a yielding to a collective order.

While it's uncommon for the Amish to take their disputes public and enlist authorities, there is no central authority to decide so it usually falls to the church leaders or those involved.

Culture of forgiveness
This year, members of Amish communities in Ohio who federal prosecutors say lost millions in an investment deal operated by a fellow Amish man asked a judge to let them settle the matter out of court. The judge rejected the request.

Authorities in Missouri prosecuted an Amish man a year ago on sexual assault charges after Amish family members of the victims and bishops came to authorities. The prosecution of an Amish individual was very rare in the rural county, said prosecuting attorney Mark Fisher.

"If it weren't for Amish coming forward, we would not even have known about it," he said.

It's more typical for police to get involved if the Amish feel they are in danger or when they're involved in a high-profile crime and have no other choice, said David Weaver-Zercher, a professor of American religious history at Messiah College in Grantham, Pa.

He co-wrote a book, "Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy," after a gunman shot 10 schoolgirls, killing five, inside a one-room schoolhouse five years ago in Nickel Mines, Pa.

The Amish were widely praised for their immediate forgiveness after the shooting and reaching out to comfort the gunman's widow.

Interacting with police after the shooting changed some perceptions among the Amish about dealing with law enforcement and created friendships that continue, Weaver-Zercher said.

"Many people gained an increase level of regard or comfort after what happened," he said. "There's often cases where Amish people become close to authorities, and in some ways those walls are lowered."

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44915054/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

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Cain's nontraditional strategy ? unlikely, too? (AP)

ATLANTA ? Reveling in the national spotlight, Herman Cain is pledging to bolster his fledgling White House campaign.

He'll need to ? and quickly ? if he has any hope of winning the Republican nomination. The unlikely presidential contender has little campaign organization in Iowa, New Hampshire and other states where voting begins in less than three months. And he hasn't done much else in those places to capitalize on his recent surge in polls.

"We are now going to ramp up," Cain promised this week.

By that he means executing what aides call a 50-state strategy ? for a nomination contest that's determined state by state. It's a nontraditional path that other candidates have tried unsuccessfully. Cain's campaign, which can seem almost overwhelmed by the attention that comes with a big rise in polls, argues that competing in the early voting states, while important, is not the only way to win the party's nomination.

His aides note that Barack Obama's 2008 campaign fanned out across the country and was successful. But Obama competed vigorously in the early voting states, too.

Still, Cain, who never has held political office, clearly has struck a chord with a part of the Republican electorate craving a fresh face not tied to the GOP establishment. This is the first presidential contest since the tea party's rise, and Cain is in many ways the natural culmination of the grass-roots movement: a straight-talking political outsider, espousing an anti-tax platform.

"The conservative wing of the Republican Party has been auditioning for an anti-Romney alternative for months now," former GOP strategist Dan Schnur said. "They've tried Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry, and they both wilted under the scrutiny. So far, Herman Cain seems to be holding his own."

Atlanta Tea Party Patriots co-founder Debbie Dooley explains it this way: "With Herman, what you see is what you get."

There's no telling how long the love for Cain will last or whether he can turn the buzz into votes on primary and caucus nights this winter. It takes more than enthusiasm to win the presidency. It takes money and organization, and Cain trails his top GOP rivals on both fronts.

"I am running because I want to win, not because I'm trying to raise my profile or get a TV show," Cain said Thursday after speaking during a Faith and Freedom Coalition rally at Ohio Christian University. "I don't want a TV show. I want to do what I can to help get this nation back on track."

He acknowledged that he likely can't raise as much money as Perry or Romney but said his recent surge has convinced him that "message is more powerful than money" and that he can get the financial and public support to stay in the race.

"We're going to raise enough money to be competitive," he said. "And now that people see that we are moving up in the polls, a lot of people are now willing to contribute to us, and we've already seen the impact. So I'm in it to win it, not just to make a good showing."

Earlier this year, Cain had to lend his campaign $500,000 to stay afloat. He'll report his fundraising for the past three months within days.

"I didn't want to get out in front and commit to spending a whole lot of money before I knew that the American people were going to say, `You know what? This long shot may not be such a long shot," Cain says.

His shoestrings campaign has a certain improvised feel as it scrambles to hire staff and keep pace with the intense media interest enveloping the former head of Godfather's Pizza since he cruised past Romney in a recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll.

In New Hampshire this week, Cain's new press spokesman J.D. Gordon, sheepishly admitted to a throng of reporters that he didn't know the specifics about the candidate's schedule that same afternoon, nor the last time Cain had been in the state.

Cain has kept a nontraditional schedule.

With his popularity climbing last month, he eschewed the campaign trail for bookstores as part of a tour to promote his new memoir.

And Thursday, as the new poll showed him leading the pack, Cain didn't beeline it to Iowa to try to capitalize on it as expected. Instead, he made a relatively low-key appearance in Ohio at a Christian university. And on Friday, he was launching a bus tour through Tennessee.

Neither state holds a primary until March ? two months after voting begins.

Cain argues that he's not ignoring the early states, and insists that he's adding staff and building campaigns in them.

But he said Thursday that the early pivotal states won't consume all his attention.

"I believe that all of the states are going to be more important because you really just don't know how they're going to shake out," he said.

He was an early visitor to Iowa, making his first trip to the leadoff caucus state in summer 2010. But Cain hasn't visited since the state GOP's presidential test vote Aug. 13. And his campaign there has been beset by staffing woes.

Three top Iowa aides, including one of the state's leading tea party organizers, quit Cain's campaign in June, unhappy with the candidate's apparent lack of commitment to appearing in the state. His Iowa campaign also tried to conceal the role of a top caucus adviser who had been ousted as the leader of a gay-pride group in Wisconsin amid a financial scandal with the organization, the former employee alleged in a letter and court testimony related to his application for unemployment.

Jeff Jorgenson, a Cain backer from Council Bluffs, acknowledged the Georgia businessman "does not have a well-grounded Iowa organization."

"I don't think that's hurt him yet," Jorgenson said. But he added that Cain would need a strong ground game to do well in the January caucuses.

Cain has four campaign staffers in Iowa, according to Lisa Lockwood, his Iowa campaign director.

In closely following New Hampshire, Cain has two paid staffers, compared to more than 10 each in the state for Romney and Perry. Cain also trails former Gov. Jon Huntsman and Texas U.S. Rep. Ron Paul in paid staffers there.

Cain's aides insist he has visited the state 18 times. But that doesn't match the perception of Republicans on the ground, who say he's been noticeably absent as other candidates flock to the first-in-the-nation primary state. That said, when he does appear, people in New Hampshire say they generally like what they hear.

"Herman Cain really impressed me," said Republican state Rep. Keith Murphy, who was on hand as Cain and other presidential contenders briefly addressed the New Hampshire House of Representatives this week. "I have to do some more research into his positions on these issues, but as far as the ability to communicate a conservative message, he's actually very good."

Cain has laid some groundwork in Nevada, which is slated to hold the third contest with its caucuses. He won a test vote over the summer and has earned endorsements from some tea party leaders.

In South Carolina, William Head has been Cain's lone paid staffer since July. But there are fresh signs of life. The campaign opened a headquarters in Columbia on Friday, and Head said there will be three paid staff in the state by next week.

"The operation is growing with such a rate we're rushing to keep up with the pace," Head said.

___

Peoples reported from Concord, N.H. Associated Press writers Tom Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa; Jim Davenport in Columbia, S.C., Kantele Franko in Columbus, Ohio, and Cristina Silva in Las Vegas, Nev., contributed.

______

Follow Shannon McCaffrey at http://www.twitter.com/smccaffrey13

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111014/ap_on_el_ge/us_cain_path_to_nomination

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Ne-Yo & Girlfriend Welcome Second Child (omg!)

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Ne-Yo has another hit on his hands with the birth of his second child.

According to People, the singer, 31, whose real name is Shaffer Chimere Smith, welcomed his second child on Monday with girlfriend Monyetta Shaw.

PLAY IT NOW: Why Was Ne-Yo Feeling Added Pressure Opening The Michael Jackson Tribute Concert?

The gender and name of the baby have yet to be released.

The couple's second baby comes less than a year after they welcomed daughter Madilyn Grace in November 2010.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Hollywood's Hottest Moms & Their Loveable Little Ones

Following the birth of his daughter, the R&B star expressed the joy of new fatherhood, Tweeting, "Feels like I'm in luv for the first time... welcoming that lil' girl to the world last night defined for me what 'willing to kill and die for' truly means. My world, my life, all hers."

Ne-Yo's next album, "The Cracks in Mr. Perfect," is due to drop in 2012.

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VIEW THE PHOTOS: Hollywood Dads & Their Adorable Little Ones!
PLAY IT NOW: Ne-Yo Is Happy To Just Enjoy The Festivities At The 2011 BET Awards

MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Ne-Yo - R&B - Music - Urban Access - Parenting

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/http___omg_yahoo_com_news74534/43257352/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/ne-yo-girlfriend-welcome-second-child/74534

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NY motorist pleads not guilty in fatal Amish crash (AP)

PENN YAN, N.Y. ? A motorist arrested after a wreck that killed six Amish farmers in rural upstate New York pleaded not guilty Friday to aggravated vehicular homicide, manslaughter and drug charges.

Steven Eldridge, 42, entered his plea in Penn Yan, his hometown in the Finger Lakes region. The former garbage collector hardly spoke during his arraignment in Yates County Court.

No relatives of the victims or the seven Amish injured in the crash appeared during Eldridge's 15-minute court appearance.

"They're so forgiving ? they said it was God's will," said Pauline Kennedy, 80, whose son has four children from a previous relationship with Eldridge's wife, Tamara.

"I wish I had that kind of grace," added Cindy Galek, 42, who is a friend of Kennedy's and also attended the hearing. "I feel he should be locked away."

Defense attorney Edward Brockman told the judge he intended to enter psychiatric evidence on behalf of Eldridge. He didn't provide any specifics.

Eldridge was charged with 18 counts ranging from aggravated vehicular homicide, which carries a maximum 25-year prison sentence, to six counts of manslaughter. He also was charged with driving while impaired by drugs, a misdemeanor.

He was ordered to remain jailed on $125,000 cash bail.

Police say Eldridge previously served 2 1/3 years in prison for auto theft after stealing a police cruiser during a 2006 Rochester traffic stop and leading pursuers on a 20-minute chase.

Authorities say Eldridge was driving in Benton, 45 miles southeast of Rochester, on July 19 when he passed a slow-moving tractor on a curve and sideswiped an oncoming van carrying 15 people, 13 of them Amish from neighboring Steuben County who were visiting local farms.

The van careened into the tractor. Rescuers struggled for hours to free victims from the wreckage lodged under the tractor. Five farmers were killed, and a sixth later died of her injuries.

The victims, who ranged in age from 38 to 60, lived in Woodhull and Jasper in southwestern New York, where hundreds of Amish have settled in recent decades.

Killed were Melvin Hershberger Jr., 42; Sarah Miller, 47; Melvin Hostetler, 40; Anna Mary Byler, 60; and Elizabeth Mast, 46. Hershberger's wife, Elva, died several days later.

New York has seen a boomlet in new Amish colonies recently, driven by affordable rural farmland and proximity to traditional population centers. A study by researchers at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania found the Amish have established 10 new settlements in New York since the start of 2010. Total population has grown by more than a third in the past two years, to 13,000.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111014/ap_on_re_us/us_fatal_tractor_collision

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Where and How to Buy an iPhone 4S in Person (Updated) [Iphone 4s]

So you want an iPhone 4S on launch day, but you drug your feet on pre-orders and now you've got to wait in line. Where's the best bet for finding an actual iPhone instead the promise of another shipment in a week or two? More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/6GfIs_voT6E/where-and-how-to-buy-an-iphone-4s-in-person

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What Your Telescope Can Do | Oval Egg Articles

This is a short article on "What Your Telescope Can Do" It's just at the moment that folks are beginning to understand regarding Astronomy, talking about it on much bigger level. Previously this subject matter was not that talked about. Mainly for the reason that individuals related with the subject matter did not do enough. Acquire complete advantage of invaluable information in this article and please take time to appreciate it entirely instead of just skimming through it.

The writer Abraham David is responsible for writing this piece of content If you want to take this article please make sure you put a link back to this web page. Article on "What Your Telescope Can Do" starts after this.

Article Starts from Here:

The reason you bought a telescope is to view the night sky in all its glory. Telescopes can bring those objects closer and give you an idea of what is out there in th universe. Some of the objects you may see are the moon, planets, and the sun. With a little practice, you may be able to spot some comets, stars, nebulae, and maybe even other galaxies.
The Moon is the best object to view at first because of its prominence and brightness in the night sky. You can follow its phases and get a different view ever night. You might see its mountains, craters, or its terminator line. This is the line between light and dark where you can see a big contrast everywhere.
The Sun is one of the few objects in the sky that you can actually observe in the daytime. A word of warning here ? NEVER look directly at the sun through a telescope lens. The light can cook your retinas in seconds. ALWAYS make sure you have the proper solar filter on the telescope before you gaze at the sun.
Beginning astronomers like to count the sunspots. If you start sketching the spots and where they are each day, you will begin to see the pattern of the sun?s rotation. Another fun thing to do is watch during a solar eclipse when the moon passes between the earth and sun. This is the only time you will get to see the sun?s corona.
Viewing planets requires a dry atmosphere and good seeing conditions. Jupiter is the largest planet in the system, so you should be able to find it easily. Mars is difficult to focus on because of its small size. Venus is the brightest planet and also easy to spot. Saturn is always a neat planet because of the rings that change their angle as the planet orbits the sun. Unfortunately, Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto are very hard to locate and may only appear as tiny discs.

Notice: Please beware that anything said in this article on "What Your Telescope Can Do" should not be taken as opinion from specialist, you should find out facts from more authentic places as well. You must check with a specialist of this field. OvalEgg.com is not responsible for any damages of any kind that may arise from applying information contained in this article.

Thanks for reading this article. You have to link to this page if you want to take this article any reason. I hope you loved what I wrote on "What Your Telescope Can Do". I would be pleased to know what you think regarding it, negative or optimistic. Please put down a comment below and show me you're alive.

Article Source with Title: What Your Telescope Can Do
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Obama, S.Korea's Lee hail trade pact as jobs creator (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? President Barack Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak hailed a long-sought trade deal as an engine for job creation in both countries as their White House summit got under way on Thursday.

Hosting Lee amid the pomp of a formal state visit, Obama sought to underscore what is widely seen as a high point in the longtime alliance between Washington and Seoul as well as his ever-closer personal bond with the South Korean leader.

The top item on the agenda was the consummation of a U.S.-Korea trade pact, which is expected to help anchor the United States in the economically dynamic Asia-Pacific region as it competes with an increasingly assertive China.

The two leaders were also expected to coordinate strategy on the North Korean nuclear standoff.

The U.S. Congress ratified the trade deal just hours after Lee arrived on Wednesday. It was the largest of three pending bilateral agreements, the other two with Colombia and Panama, and all passed in rapid succession.

"America is leading once more in the Asia-Pacific," Obama said, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Lee at a welcoming ceremony. "With our landmark trade agreement we will bring our nations even closer, creating new jobs for both our people, and preserving our edge as two of the most dynamic economies in the world."

Calling it a "win" for both countries, Lee -- who must still secure endorsement of the pact by South Korea's parliament -- said it would become "a new engine of growth that will propel our economies forward."

Obama has touted the accords as a way to boost U.S. exports and create tens of thousands of jobs at home at a time when his 2012 re-election chances likely hinge on whether he can reduce an unemployment rate stuck above 9 percent.

But critics, including some U.S. labor leaders, say the pacts will actually hurt U.S. employment.

The deal between the United States and South Korea, the world's largest and 14th largest economies, would be the biggest U.S. trade pact since the North American Free Trade Agreement went into effect nearly 18 years ago.

Obama sent the three pacts to Capitol Hill just 10 days ago, four to five years after they were first negotiated under his predecessor, George W. Bush.

NORTH KOREA ON THE AGENDA

Lee -- greeted by an honor guard under rainy skies on the White House south lawn -- has proved a reliable partner for Obama, lining up with U.S. policy on North Korea, Afghanistan and the G-20 summit aimed at stabilizing the world economy.

But South Korea had chafed over U.S. delays getting the trade deal passed. It was signed under Bush in 2007 but until now remained stalled under Obama, partly due to renegotiation of auto provisions to get a better deal for U.S. car makers.

Despite that, Lee -- whose mandatory single term ends in early 2013 -- has managed to build personal chemistry with a U.S. president known for a mostly detached diplomatic style.

Lee was feted on a rare state visit to Washington. He was to hold a joint news conference with Obama on Thursday, then address Congress and attend an elegant White House dinner.

Obama will then take him on Friday for a road trip to Detroit, home of the U.S. auto industry.

In talks on Thursday, the two were also expected to try to keep a united front on North Korea's disputed nuclear program.

It is a stark reminder that Iran is not the only nuclear standoff that has continued to dog the Obama administration. Relations with Tehran are under new strain over U.S. accusations this week that Iranian officials backed an alleged plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in Washington.

Obama and Lee are likely to consider whether efforts to re-engage with Pyongyang are worth pursuing further.

Alluding to North Korea, Lee pledged that "our two countries will ensure peace and stability of the peninsula and beyond."

Seoul's relations with the isolated North soured after Lee took office in 2008 with a pledge to link aid to progress in the U.S.-led efforts to end the North's nuclear programs.

Ties between the two Koreas further deteriorated after the North's deadly attacks on the South last year -- the sinking of a South Korean warship and the shelling of an island.

The provocations by the North, which walked away from six-country nuclear talks and conducted its second nuclear test in 2009, helped bring Washington and Seoul closer together.

Recent conciliatory gestures by both Koreas have raised hopes for an opening to restart nuclear negotiations, but Seoul and Washington insist Pyongyang must first take concrete measures to disable its atomic facilities.

(Additional reporting by Paul Eckert, Doug Palmer and Alister Bull; editing by Philip Barbara)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/nkorea/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111013/pl_nm/us_usa_korea

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