Lupe Lasano’s Dirty Gossip Burger

by Shingo Ito TOKYO (AFP) –

Japan reported its first increase in factory output in six months, adding to hopes that the worst recession since World War II may be easing as exports bottom out.

Japan’s economy entered a severe slump last year as consumers around the world stopped buying its cars, high-tech gadgets and other goods, but analysts say there are signs that it may be through the worst.

Factories boosted production by 1.6 percent in March compared with February, after a plunge of more than one third over five months.

Output is expected to rebound a further 4.3 percent in April and 6.1 percent in May, according to manufacturers’ forecasts.

“The dawn is breaking in the Japanese economy,” said Naoki Murakami, chief economist at Monex Securities. “Production has hit bottom.”

Investors welcomed the better-than-expected data, with Tokyo shares soaring 4.0 perc…

See the full post at Japan\’s factory output up for 1st time in 6 months

BALTIMORE, April 30 (UPI) –

U.S researchers found that children with autism rely more heavily on a region of the brain responsible for conscious effortful movement.

Researchers at the Kennedy Krieger Institute said that typically developing peers utilized a region of the brain important for automating motor tasks.

Dr. Stewart H. Mostofsky, the study’s senior author, said children with autism also showed less connectivity between different regions of the brain involved in coordinating and executing movement, supporting the theory that a decreased ability of distant regions of the brain to communicate with each other forms the neurological basis of autism.

Researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging scans to examine the brain activity of 13 children with high functioning autism and 13 typically developing children while performing sequential finger tapping.

The typically developing children had increased activity in the cerebellum, a region of the brain imp…

See the full post at Autistic brain controls moving differently

ISTANBUL, Turkey, April 30 (UPI) –

Top Turkish Gen. Ilker Basbug Wednesday denied the military has plotted a coup d’etat.

Basbug spent two hours with reporters, telling them the military supports Turkish democracy, The New York Times reported.

More than 100 defendants, including retired generals, have been on trial for several months, charged with plotting to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The suspects, who also included journalists, professors and other intellectuals, are accused of belonging to an illegal ultranationalist group called Ergenekon.

As the Turkish armed forces, we are loyal and respectful of democracy, Basbug said. No one undergoing activities against the present democratic regime in Turkey can exist or find shelter within the Turkish armed forces.

The military has a history of carrying out coups, with four taking place between 1950 and 1997.

The investigation that led to the current trial allege…

See the full post at Turkish general denies coup plot

ISTANBUL, Turkey, April 30 (UPI) –

A roadside bomb killed nine Turkish soldiers Wednesday, officials said.

Kurdish rebels claimed responsibility for the attack on a military convoy traveling a mountain road near Lice in southeastern Turkey, the Los Angeles Times reported. It was the deadliest single incident involving the Turkish military this year, the newspaper said.

A 10th Turkish soldier died in other fighting in the region the Anatolian news agency reported.

See the full post at 9 Turkish soldiers killed by bomb

VANCOUVER, BC., Apr.29 (TOTI) –

Not too many people knew about 22 year old Robert Pattinson before the release of Twilight, but now the actor has become the hottest thing of the century, especially if you talk to his fans.

Robert Pattinson plays the role of Eward Cullen, a 108 year old ‘vegetarian’ vampire in the Twilight saga.

Edward is the dreamy, secretive and mesmerizing love interest of Bella Swan, played by Kristen Stewart.

Robert plays the part so well that even his cast mates have a hard time differentiating him from his character.

Kellan Lutz, who plays Edward Cullen’s brother, Emmett, told Life & Style, “Rob is Edward. He’s so complicated, so poetic, so sensual.”

Robert Pattinson is currently in Vancouver with Kristen Stewart, Kellan Lutz, Taylor Lautner and Dakot…

See the full post at \”Rob Is Edward\” Says Kellan Lutz

DENVER, April 29 (UPI) –

Heath Bell picked up his major league-leading eighth save Tuesday with a scoreless ninth inning to preserve San Diego’s 4-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies.

Bell came on in relief of Duaner Sanchez (1-0) who picked up the win by shutting out the Rockies in the eighth despite a bases-loaded jam.

Pinch-hitter Luis Rodriguez drove in the winning run in the ninth on a one-out single off Manny Corpas (0-2) that drove in catcher Todd Headley, who had tripled into right field to open the inning.

Scott Hairston drove in two runs with a home run in third that staked San Diego to a 2-0 lead.

Seth Smith hit a solo shot for the Rockies who had 10 hits in the game and RBIs from Todd Helton and Ryan Spilborgs.

Smith’s homer in the sixth cut San Diego’s lead to 2-1. The Rockies went ahead 3-2 on four consecutive singles in the home half of the sixth off Luke Gregerson.

The Padres tied the game in the eighth with a double by David Eckstein an…

See the full post at MLB: San Diego 4, Colorado 3

MOGADISHU, Somalia, April 29 (UPI) –

A Russian navy ship boarded a suspected Somali pirate vessel Tuesday night, detaining 29 alleged maritime marauders, a Russian Defense Ministry source said.

Crew of the Russian antisubmarine ship Admiral Panteleyev overtook the smaller boat about 15 miles east of the Somali coast, ITAR-TASS reported Wednesday.

During the inspection, the crew found seven Kalashnikov guns, handguns of various brands, aluminum ladders for ascending aboard, navigation equipment, including the satellite one, reserve tanks with fuel, and a big amount of empty cartridge cases, a Russian Defense Ministry source told the news agency.

The sources said it appeared the 29 pirates detained were among those who had made two abortive attempts to seize the TF Commander oil tanker the day before.

The Moscow Times reported the Russian crew of that Liberian-flagged ship used water hoses to fend off the pirates. The newspaper said three small pirate vessels a…

See the full post at Russians detain 29 suspected pirates

MUMBAI, April 29 (UPI) –

An Airworks India employee who spotted apparent sabotage to industrialist Anil Ambani’s helicopter was found dead Tuesday in Mumbai.

Police found the body of Bharat Borge on a rail line between two suburban stations, Press Trust of India reported. He appeared to have been run over by a train.

A.K. Sharma, commissioner of the railroad police, said there was a letter in his pocket.

Borge noticed Thursday that the fuel cap was missing on Ambani’s helicopter. Pebbles and gravel were found in the tank.

At the time, the Anil Ambani Group suggested rivals might have been trying to kill Ambani. The industrialist built his family company into one of the country’s biggest firms, producing textiles, petroleum and petrochemicals, as well as having telecommunications operations.

Airworks India, which maintains Ambani;s helicopter, called Borge’s death unfortunate and tragic.

See the full post at Witness to possible sabotage found dead

CHICAGO, April 29 (UPI) –

Children with a history of consuming melamine-contaminated milk powder are at increased risk of developing kidney stones, U.S. researchers say.

Surplus melamine has been an illegal adulterant for feedstock and milk in China for several years now because it can make the milk appear to be higher in protein content by elevating the total nitrogen content.

Melamine calculus occurred mostly in infants ages 6-18 months after consuming melamine-contaminated milk powder after birth. However, the kidney stones could be effectively managed with non-invasive treatment.

In the first study, researchers analyzed the clinical data of 50 young children with double kidney stones who had a history of consuming melamine-contaminated milk powder. Using ultrasound images, the researchers find 85 percent of the cases occurred in children ages 6-18 months.

The second study analyzed the clinical data of 165 infants, ages 50 days to three years, with urinary stone…

See the full post at Melamine can cause long-term problems

MOSCOW, April 29 (UPI) –

Yekaterina Maximova, a highly regarded Russian ballerina for 30 years, died unexpectedly in Moscow Tuesday. She was 70.

The cause of death wasn’t reported.

Maximova became a star with the Bolshoi Theatre in the late 1950s, paired with her husband Vladimir Vasiliev, Russian Info Center reported.

Russians referred to them as the Golden Couple of the 20th Century, The Daily Telegraph said. Their partnership began in their first year at ballet school when they were 10, the British newspaper said.

Maximova left the Bolshoi in 1988, becoming a dance coach. She worked with the Kremlin Ballet and the Moscow Classical Ballet, and on the dance faculty of Russian Academy of Theatre Arts. She later returned to the Bolshoi to teach there, as well.

She is survived by her husband. They had no children

See the full post at Russian ballerina Maximova dead at 70