Syria opposition bloc elects Christian as leader

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Syria‘s main opposition group in exile has elected a Christian Paris-based former geography teacher as its new president.

George Sabra said Friday that his election as head of the Syrian National Council is a sign that the opposition is not plagued by sectarian divisions.

Sabra says the SNC‘s main demand is to receive weapons from the international community. The U.S. and some other foreign backers of rebels fighting the regime of President Bashar Assad have so far refused to send weapons for fear they can fall into the wrong hands.

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Korea Linux Forum 2012: Maximizing Utility

Hosted by the Linux Foundation Korea Linux Forum 2012, the first Linux Forum in Korea, was held at the JW Marriott (Central City, Seoul) on October 11^th and 12th. Samsung, a key sponsor of the event, has long been partnered with Linux. Currently a platinum member of the Linux Foundation, which is the highest level, it is cooperating actively as a director of the board. 

Jim Zemlin, Chairman of the Linux Foundation, Wonjoo Park, Director of Samsung Electronics software center, Taejun Heo, a developer of Google, and Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux participated in this year’s event and shared their expertise. 

Jim Zemlin gave the opening speech, complimenting on how well Korean users are contributing to Open Source solutions. In addition, he mentioned how Samsung utilizes Linux, an Open Source, in diverse fields ranging from mobile platforms based on Android to appliances to the like of washers, TVs, etc. Zemlin also pointed out that not only Samsung but other global companies such as Google, IBM, and HP are actively utilizing Open Source. 

Wonjoo Park, Vice President at Samsung Electronics Convergence Platfomr Lab, explained about the kinds of technology that had been developed by Samsung using Open Sources. Check out more about his lecture in the video below:

Other than lectures, Korea Linux Forum 2012 also featured a set of panel discussions. A popular session starred Jon Cobet, Taejun Heo, Greg Kroah Hartman, and Ted T’so where they talked about the difficulties Linux developers face, as well as the and marketability of Linux. These star figures drew many developers’ attention by talking about a wide range of topics from the bright employment prospects for Linux kernel developers to the kernel development. 

Lastly, Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux also had a Q/A session. The most common question he received was whether Linux would remain as the most popular brand of Open Source in the future. You may check out his answer through this video! 

If you’d like to see more about this event, here’s the last video we have regarding this event: 

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U.S. author Philip Roth says he’s done with writing

(Reuters) – Seminal American novelist Philip Roth, one of the world’s most revered authors, is retiring from writing, his publisher Houghton Mifflin said on Friday.

The “American Pastoral” author slipped his retirement announcement under the radar in an interview with French magazine Les Inrocks last month.

“To tell you the truth, I’m done,” Roth was quoted as telling the magazine. ” ‘Nemesis’ will be my last book,” he said of his 2010 short novel.

“He told me it was true,” Lori Glazer, Houghton Mifflin’s vice president and executive director of publicity, told Reuters on Friday.

Roth, 79, whose most famous works include “Goodbye, Columbus” and the sexually-explicit “Portnoy’s Complaint,” has never won the Nobel Prize for Literature despite his name often coming up as a leading contender for the award.

He is the author of more than 25 novels in a career spanning more than 50 years. He won the Pulitzer Prize for his 1997 novel “American Pastoral” and two National Book Awards.

But Roth told Les Inrocks that he had always found writing difficult and wanted nothing more to do with reading, writing or talking about books.

He said that at the age of 74, he started re-reading all his favorite novels by authors including Ernest Hemingway, Ivan Turgenev and Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and then re-read all his own novels

“I wanted to see whether I had wasted my time writing,” he explained.

“After that, I decided that I was done with fiction. I no longer want to read, to write, I don’t even want to talk about it anymore,” he was quoted as saying.

“I have dedicated my life to the novel: I studied, I taught, I wrote, I read – to the exclusion of almost everything else. Enough is enough! I no longer feel this fanaticism to write that I have experienced all my life. The idea of trying to write again is impossible,” Roth told the French magazine.

The New Jersey-born novelist is best known for his semi-autobiographical and unreliable narrator Nathan Zuckerman.

The novella “Goodbye, Columbus” catapulted Roth onto the American literary scene in 1959 with its satirical depiction of class and religion in American life.

Published along with five other short stories, “Goodbye, Columbus” won the National Book Award in 1960 – an award he would go on to win again in 1995 with the novel “Sabbath’s Theater.”

(Reporting By Eric Kelsey in Los Angeles, Editing by Jill Serjeant, Jan Paschal and Claudia Parsons)

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Acetaminophen in infancy again tied to asthma

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Babies given acetaminophen for fevers and aches may have a heightened risk of asthma symptoms in their preschool years, a new study suggests.

The findings, from a study of 411 Danish children, add to a mixed bag of research into whether there’s a link between acetaminophen – better known by the brand-name Tylenol – and kids’ asthma risk.

Researchers found that the more acetaminophen kids were given as infants, the more likely they were to develop asthma-like symptoms in early childhood.

That statistical link does not prove that acetaminophen causes airway trouble, according to senior researcher Dr. Hans Bisgaard, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.

“We think it is too early to conclude a causal relationship,” he told Reuters Health in an email.

Still, Bisgaard said, the findings should encourage further research into a “plausible biological mechanism” by which acetaminophen could promote asthma.

The study, reported in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, included 336 children who were followed from birth to age seven. All had mothers with asthma, which put them at increased risk for the lung disease themselves.

Overall, 19 percent of the children had asthma-like symptoms by the age of three – meaning recurrent bouts of wheezing, breathlessness or coughing.

Bisgaard’s team found that the risk generally went up the more often a child was given acetaminophen in the first year of life. For each doubling in the number of days a baby received the drug, there was a 28 percent increase in the risk of asthma symptoms.

The link disappeared, though, by the time the children were seven years old. At that point, 14 percent of kids had asthma, and the risk was no greater for those given acetaminophen as babies.

With that, the new findings actually paint a less worrisome picture than some past research has, according to Dr. Henry Milgrom, a professor of pediatrics at National Jewish Health in Denver who was not involved in the study.

But this study’s not the last word, Milgrom said. “I don’t think this answers the question. It raises more questions.”

Weeding out specific effects of acetaminophen on asthma risk is tricky. The biggest reason is that children with asthma tend to get more severe respiratory infections. Compared with other kids, their colds may more often turn into bronchitis or pneumonia.

So it would make sense that they’d be given the fever reducer acetaminophen more often than other kids would.

Bisgaard said his team did have information on other factors – including kids’ rates of pneumonia and bronchitis, body weight and parents’ smoking. And they did not seem to account for the acetaminophen-asthma connection.

Still, it’s possible that there are other explanations, according to Bisgaard.

And if acetaminophen does have an effect, the researchers say, it might be “temporary,” since there was no link at age seven.

A number of past studies have suggested that young children given acetaminophen are at increased of asthma. But some others have doubted that.

One recent study found that children given other common pain medications – including ibuprofen and naproxen – also had an increased asthma risk. And the researchers said that suggested children with asthma symptoms were simply more likely to need the medications.

Bisgaard said that few babies in this study were given other painkillers, so it wasn’t possible to see whether those medications were related to asthma symptoms.

The study had other limitations. It included only kids at higher-than-normal risk of asthma, so it’s not clear whether the findings would be the same for children at average risk.

Milgrom said that for now, parents may want to avoid acetaminophen if their baby or young child is at increased risk of asthma.

Ibuprofen would be an alternative; experts say parents should avoid giving aspirin to children because the drug is linked to Reye syndrome – a rare but serious disease that affects the brain and liver.

Bisgaard did not advise avoiding acetaminophen. But he did urge parents to use it only when warranted – like when a child has a fever – to avoid unnecessary doses.

“We would like to stress,” Bisgaard said, “that the use of this drug indeed is beneficial in the appropriate circumstances.”

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/ZeQrfo Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, online October 26, 2012.

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Consumer sentiment at five-year high; inventories jump

NEW YORK (Reuters) – An increasingly upbeat view of the economy and jobs market drove U.S. consumer sentiment to a more than five-year high in early November, while a jump in wholesale inventories suggested the economy grew more than initially estimated last quarter.

It was the fourth month that Americans adopted a rosier economic outlook, even as financial markets show increasing anxiety about the approach of the “fiscal cliff” of spending cuts and tax increases set to take effect in the new year, on fears they could push the country back into recession.

Separate data from the government also released on Friday showed wholesale inventories rose in September by the most in nine months, prompting economists to raise their forecasts for third-quarter growth. Inventories are a key element of the government’s measure of economic growth and can highlight underlying strength or weakness.

The index of consumer sentiment from Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan rose to 84.9 in November from 82.6, topping economists’ expectations for a reading of 83.

It was the highest level since July 2007. The measure of consumer expectations also hit a more than five-year high, rising to 80.8 from 79.0. Most interviews for the survey were done before Tuesday’s presidential election.

“It shows that the U.S. economy is on a decent footing heading into the so-called fiscal cliff,” said Joe Manimbo, market analyst at Western Union Business Solutions in Washington.

“There’s a lot at stake, and there’s a lot of momentum that could be lost if lawmakers don’t get their act together.”

Survey director Richard Curtin said the re-election of President Barack Obama should not have an impact on overall expectations going forward, but if Washington does not act quickly to avoid the fiscal cliff, with its $ 600 billion in automatic spending cuts and tax rises, consumers could face a shock.

Friday’s data came a week after the government‘s monthly labor market report showed job growth picked up in October. The unemployment rate ticked up to 7.9 percent, though it held below 8 percent for the second month in a row.

But the chances of a comprehensive legislative solution to the fiscal cliff before January 1 are considered slight, and members of Congress have been looking for a temporary fix to buy time.

While a negative conclusion to the discussions poses a risk to confidence and spending, “uncertainty over the ultimate outcome doesn’t appear to have troubled consumers unduly thus far,” Barclays economist Peter Newland wrote.

Obama was expected to make a statement at 1:05 p.m. EST (1805 GMT).

The consumer sentiment survey is now consistent with a gain in consumer spending of 2.5 percent next year, the report said.

“Unless the congressional Grinch steals Christmas, prospects for the holiday shopping season have improved markedly,” said Curtin.

U.S. stocks bounced higher after the data as equities tried to recoup some of the steep losses of the past two days.

INVENTORIES RISE

The Commerce Department reported that total wholesale inventories gained 1.1 percent to $ 494.2 billion, beating even the highest estimate in a Reuters poll of analysts.

JPMorgan and Barclays raised their estimates for third-quarter gross domestic product growth to 3.2 percent from 2.8 percent following the report.

The government’s first reading of growth for the third quarter showed the economy expanded at a 2.0 percent rate, though other recent economic reports, including data on trade and factory orders, have suggested a faster pace of growth.

Still, some economists cut their expectations for growth in the fourth quarter, according to a separate survey released on Friday.

Economists expect to see growth at an annual rate of 1.8 percent in the current quarter, down from the previous estimate of 2.2 percent growth, according to the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank’s fourth-quarter survey of 39 forecasters.

(Additional reporting by Edward Krudy in New York and Jason Lange in Washington; Editing by Leslie Adler)

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Myanmar says Obama to visit later this month

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — President Barack Obama will make a groundbreaking visit later this month to Myanmar, an official said Thursday, following through with his policy of rapprochement to encourage democracy in the Southeast Asian nation.

The Myanmar official speaking from the capital, Naypyitaw, said Thursday that security for a visit on Nov. 18 or 19 had been prepared, but the schedule was not final. He asked not to be named because he was not authorized to give information to the media.

The official said Obama would meet with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi as well as government officials including reformist President Thein Sein.

It would be the first-ever visit to Myanmar by an American president. U.S. officials have not yet announced any plans for a visit, which would come less than two weeks after Obama’s election to a second term.

Obama’s administration has sought to encourage the recent democratic progress under Thein Sein by easing sanctions applied against Myanmar’s previous military regime.

Officials in nearby Thailand and Cambodia have already informally announced plans for visits by Obama that same week. Cambodia is hosting a summit meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and Thailand is a longtime close U.S. ally.

The visit to Myanmar, also known as Burma, would be the culmination of a dramatic turnaround in relations with Washington as the country has shifted from five decades of ruinous military rule and shaken off the pariah status it had earned through its bloody suppression of democracy.

Obama’s ending of the long-standing U.S. isolation of Myanmar’s generals has played a part in coaxing them into political reforms that have unfolded with surprising speed in the past year. The U.S. has appointed a full ambassador and suspended sanctions to reward Myanmar for political prisoner releases and the election of Nobel laureate Suu Kyi to parliament.

From Myanmar’s point of view, the lifting of sanctions is essential for boosting a lagging economy that was hurt not only by sanctions that curbed exports and foreign investment, but also by what had been a protectionist, centralized approach. Thein Sein’s government has initiated major economic reforms in addition to political ones.

A procession of senior diplomats and world leaders have traveled to Myanmar, stopping both in the remote, opulent capital city, which was built by the former ruling junta, and at Suu Kyi’s dilapidated lakeside villa in the main city of Yangon, where she spent 15 years under house arrest. New Zealand announced Thursday that Prime Minister John Key would visit Myanmar after attending the regional meetings in Cambodia.

The most senior U.S. official to visit was Hillary Rodham Clinton, who last December became the first U.S. secretary of state to travel to Myanmar in 56 years.

The Obama administration regards the political changes in Myanmar as a marquee achievement in its foreign policy, and one that could dilute the influence of China in a country that has a strategic location between South and Southeast Asia, regions of growing economic importance.

But exiled Myanmar activists and human rights groups are likely to criticize an Obama visit as premature, rewarding Thein Sein before his political and economic reforms have truly taken root. The military — still dominant and implicated in rights abuses — has failed to prevent vicious outbreaks of communal violence in the west of the country that have left scores dead.

Asia News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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Pope to join celebs, presidents with Twitter feed

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Celebrities do it. Presidents do it. Now even the pope will do it.

The Vatican spokesman said Thursday that Pope Benedict XVI will start tweeting from a personal Twitter account, perhaps before the end of the year.

The 85-year-old Benedict sent his first tweet from a Vatican account last year when he launched the Vatican’s news information portal. The new Twitter account will be his own, though it’s doubtful Benedict himself will wrestle down his encyclicals, apostolic exhortations and other papal pronouncements into 140-character bites.

Benedict, who writes longhand and doesn’t normally use a computer, will more likely sign off on tweets written in his name.

Spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi says details about Benedict’s handle and other information will come when the Vatican officially launches the account.

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James Bond returns: 007 things to know before seeing “Skyfall’

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) – Fifty years after Sean Connery traveled to Jamaica in “Dr. No,” James Bond is back for the 23rd time in “Skyfall,” an instant classic in the Bond canon and a breath of fresh air for the franchise.

Bond has been on hiatus for close to four years, leaving some with the sour taste of “Quantum of Solace” – a bloated, action-heavy film many would rather forget. Daniel Craig as Bond seemed so promising in “Casino Royale,” his first film as the trigger-happy secret agent, where we found him playing cards, swilling martinis and bedding Eva Green.

Now Bond returns Thursday in Sam Mendes‘ “Skyfall,” joining forces with some old allies (Judi Dench as M) and new friends (Ben Whishaw as Q and Ralph Fiennes as a government official).

For a franchise celebrating its golden anniversary, it’s hard to imagine 007 could still surprise, but Mendes has issued a full-blown reboot, and TheWrap is here to help you catch up with seven things even the biggest Bond fan should know before seeing “Skyfall.”

Who got rid of the Bond girls?

When you think of Bond, you think of scantily clad women and passionate sex scenes – Ursula Andress traipsing out of the water in her bikini. Denise Richards in a midriff-baring tank top. Green and Craig in a hotel in Montenegro.

This time around, Bond girls are left on the sidelines. Berenice Marlohe appears briefly for instant salivation. But aside from Naomie Harris, the Bond girls play smaller roles, and, to everyone’s surprise, are mostly clothed – no bikinis, no lingerie. Just one shower scene in the shadows.

Craig spends more time with his shirt off than all of the women put together. Eat your heart out ladies.

Where are the exploding pens?

Every Bond fan alive has gadget-envy. From the jet pack in “Thunderball” to the stun-gun cell phone in “Tomorrow Never Dies,” 007 always has an array of toys at his disposal.

No more. The more modern society gets, the less Bond has to work with. Facing the most dangerous cyber terrorist in the world, Q outfits the secret agent with little more than a gun (indeed, a special gun) and a radio.

Radio? Yes, radio.

Is James Bond too old for the job?

When we first see 007, he seems the same chiseled, debonair exemplar of British fortitude. Yet we soon discover much has changed in the world of the 00s. It appears Bond dies a few minutes into the movie, but he resurfaces as a scruffy drunk, taking shots of booze at a bar on a tropical island. This Bond would rather fall asleep drunk at a bar than go home to his gorgeous mate.

When Bond is subjected to a full physical and mental evaluation, his fitness is failing, his aim askew and his mental state muddled.

The government questions his return as a 00, leaving his future up in the air.

When did the villains stop caring about money?

MI6, the legendary British intelligence outfit, appears in even worse shape. It has long been home to some of the world’s best agents, willing to go undercover at a moment’s notice in service to queen and country.

Yet on Bond’s 50th anniversary, its strategies are antiquated, and its field agents, ready as ever to engage in fire fights, appear defeated. Long gone are villains like Goldfinger (“Goldfinger”) and crime syndicates like Janus (“Goldeneye”). Cyber-crime is the new danger, and its perpetrators don’t want money, they want chaos.

What’s a secret agent to do when nerds rule the world?

Is this a Bond villain to remember?

How is it that only the Coen Brothers and Mendes recognize Javier Bardem’s talent as a villain? After his chilling portrayal of Anton Chiguhr in “No Country for Old Men,” the Coen Brother’s Oscar-winning Western, Bardem returns to his evil ways as Raoul Silva, a former MI6 agent hell bent on revenge.

His hair is blonde, his accent is spine-tingling and his plan pure evil. He doesn’t fit the typical Bond stereotype. He’s not Russian, he’s not wealthy and he’s not affiliated with a larger organization. He’s a lone wolf.

He’s also the best Bond villain in years, leaving us to wonder: who will they recruit next?

Does the song remain the same?

For those living under a rock, Adele sings the “Skyfall” theme song, bringing a little extra cultural cache and British bluster to the film. It’s been years since a Bond movie used the classic opening, replete with fake blood, gunshots and a roving spotlight, but “Skyfall” takes us into new territory – underwater.

While plenty of Bond openings have featured fire and sexy silhouettes, Mendes chooses aquatic optics and a submerged graveyard. Though the scene will divide critics, the song itself shows off Adele’s powerful voice. Considering some of the recent entries – remember Madonna’s “Die Another Day”? – this is progress.

Did Christopher Nolan inspire Mendes?

James Bond is one of the most famous characters in film history, but “Skyfall” appears heavily influenced by Nolan’s Batman films. In keeping with the Craig-led Bonds (which began one year after “Batman Begins”), “Skyfall” is darker than earlier films, both literally (a night scene in Shanghai) and thematically (the constant fear of an attack at home).

When M makes a speech to Parliament, she proclaims the world scarier than ever because our enemies are now in the shadows – a choice Nolanism. The villains’ yearning for chaos rather than financial reward echoes Liam Neeson’s League of Shadows, Heath Ledger’s Joker and Tom Hardy’s Bane.

The new Bond also resembles the new Batman, a man struggling with his role in a changed world, an outcast who only wants to serve his country.

Believed dead, he only returns to England because of an attack on British soil.

Upon his return, Bond is now a lone vigilante a la the caped crusader, standing on a roof waiting for his next move – or perhaps the bat signal.

Movies News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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Watch: Los Angeles Passes Condom Mandate for Porn Industry

Home > Video > Health > Health News

Los Angeles Passes Condom Mandate for Porn Industry

Los Angeles Passes Condom Mandate for Porn Industry

Voters approve Measure B, requiring actors to wear condoms while shooting sex scenes.

Conjoined Twins Separated at Philadelphia Hospital

Conjoined Twins Separated at Philadelphia Hospital

The 8-month-old girls were joined at the lower chest and abdomen.

Are Gel Manicure Do-It-Yourself Kits Salon-Worthy?

Are Gel Manicure Do-It-Yourself Kits Salon-Worthy?

Paula Faris compares kits within a large price range against manicures from a salon.

Nevada Couple Fights Judge Over Daughter’s Pregnancy

Nevada Couple Fights Judge Over Daughter’s Pregnancy

Parents fear hearings could result in the termination of mentally disabled 32-year-old’s pregnancy.

Cancer Touches Everyone: Dogs and Humans

Cancer Touches Everyone: Dogs and Humans

Two Million Dogs hopes to eradicate cancer through education and research.

Magic Johnson’s HIV Announcement: Nov. 7, 1991

Magic Johnson’s HIV Announcement: Nov. 7, 1991

Los Angeles Lakers’ star holds press conference to say he will retire immediately.

Anorexic Baker Raises Money for Treatment

Anorexic Baker Raises Money for Treatment

Washington woman with an eating disorder sells cookies online to raise funds for medical attention.

Flood Water Test Results

Flood Water Test Results

Dr. Richard Besser shares findings on the safety of the flood waters brought by Sandy.

Superstorm Sandy: Babies from NYU Hospital Rescued

Superstorm Sandy: Babies from NYU Hospital Rescued

The NYU Medical Center in Manhattan was evacuated after a power outage during the storm.

Cooking Without Power after Superstorm Sandy

Cooking Without Power after Superstorm Sandy

A look at what you can make without modern conveniences and if you will have enough to survive.

What is in the Flood Waters Left by Superstorm Sandy?

What is in the Flood Waters Left by Superstorm Sandy?

Dr. Richard Besser explains what exactly is in flood waters and how to stay safe.

Superstorm Sandy: How to Cope when Cooped Up

Superstorm Sandy: How to Cope when Cooped Up

Dr. Janet Taylor discusses various ways to keep your kids and yourself from going stir crazy.

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Trade deficit narrows, economy resists global chill

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The trade deficit unexpectedly narrowed in September as exports rose sharply, suggesting global demand for U.S. goods was holding up despite a debt crisis in Europe.

Other data on Thursday showed a drop in new claims for jobless benefits last week, although a severe storm that battered the East Coast distorted the figures.

The trade gap shrank 5.1 percent to $ 41.55 billion, the smallest deficit since December 2010, the Commerce Department said. Economists had expected it to widen to $ 45.0 billion.

Exports jumped 3.1 percent, the biggest increase in more than a year. The export gain more than offset a 1.5 percent increase in imports that was centered on purchases of consumer goods.

The data was the latest positive sign for the U.S. economy, which has appeared to perk up as consumers spend more freely and home construction quickens.

“This was a very encouraging report as the improvement in both export and non-petroleum import activity suggest improving demand both domestically and globally,” said Millan Mulraine, an economist at TD Securities in New York.

Chinese demand for U.S. products appeared to help exporters in September. China bought $ 8.8 billion in U.S. goods and services, up 0.3 percent from a month earlier, although those figures were not seasonally adjusted.

Exports to the European Union, where a debt crisis has pushed several countries into recession, were flat. The U.S. government does not seasonally adjust figures for countries and regions as it does for overall imports and exports.

The larger-than-anticipated decline in the trade gap suggested U.S. economic growth may have been faster in the third quarter than the 2.0 percent annual rate initially reported.

JPMorgan said it pointed to a 2.8 percent growth rate. Analysts on Wall Street had previously increased their estimates for third-quarter growth following stronger-than-expected data on factory orders. The Commerce Department will release a revised GDP growth estimate on November 29.

IN FROM THE COLD

Many economists still think that cooling growth in the global economy will increasingly weigh on the United States.

Moreover, the U.S. economy could fall back into recession if Congress fails to avert a package of tax hikes and spending cuts planned for the new year. Fears of this so-called “fiscal cliff” already appear to have reduced business investment.

U.S. stocks edged lower as investors continued to adjust portfolios ahead of negotiations in Washington over fiscal policy. Prices for U.S. government debt rose.

Like the gain in exports, the rise in imports provided a positive signal for domestic demand, even though imports subtract from economic growth. Imports of consumer goods rose by $ 2.7 billion.

Analysts said a good deal of the increase reflected imports of the new iPhone model by Apple. That suggested the increase in imports of consumer goods might be temporary.

Oil imports fell in September as a drop in the quantity of oil imports swamped an increase in the average price for imported oil, which hit $ 98.88 per barrel.

A separate report showed the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell last week, although Superstorm Sandy roiled the data.

“It is pretty difficult to interpret,” said David Sloan, an economist at 4Cast in New York.

Initial claims for state jobless benefits dropped 8,000 to a seasonally adjusted 355,000, the Labor Department said. That was below the median forecast in a Reuters poll of 370,000.

An analyst from the department said Sandy, a mammoth storm that slammed into the eastern seaboard on October 29, boosted claims in some states by leaving people out of work, but also reduced claims in at least one state because power outages kept it from collecting claim reports.

It was unclear if the storm’s net effect was to boost or reduce claims, the analyst said. Either way, the impact should prove short-lived, although the analyst said the data could be affected for several more weeks.

The storm killed at least 121 people in the United States and Canada and left more than 8 million homes and businesses without electricity in the Northeast.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said storm damage and economic losses have totaled $ 33 billion in New York state, and $ 50 billion in the region.

The four-week moving average for jobless claims, which smoothes out volatility, rose 3,250 to 370,500. Economists think readings below 400,000 generally point to rising employment.

(Editing by Andrea Ricci, Tim Ahmann and Bernadette Baum)

Business News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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