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Evocative images released on Anzac Day show Allied troops contemplating the ridges they would die in droves failing to capture

Ghosts of Gallipoli: Evocative images released on Anzac Day show Allied troops contemplating the ridges they would die in droves failing to capture - Turkey mission was first major military action by Australia and New Zealand during the First World War in 1915 - Gallipoli was a disastrous mission to help the Russians which saw Allies lose 214,000 men - and Australia 8,000 - Anzac Cove became focal point for Australian pride after Anzacs were based there for eight months during war

Landing at Turkey's Anzac Cove in 1915, little did many of these men know that their sacrifices would still be commemorated almost a century later.

These extraordinary pictures were today released to mark the 98th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings on Anzac Day in Australia and New Zealand.

The national remembrance day marks the anniversary of the first major military action by Australia and New Zealand during the First World War in 1915.

Landing: Allied troops at Anzac Cove in the Gallipoli Peninsula in 1915. From this point many Anzac forces were sent into battle along the ridges of the area. Soldiers can be seen looking up at the hillside they would never capture (bottom right)

Cannon in place: Troops landing at Anzac Cove in the Dardanelles during the Gallipoli campaign in 1915, which saw the Allies have 214,000 men killed

Building: The landing pier constructed by the Allies at Gallipoli in 1915. The background to the Gallipoli landings was one of deadlock on the Western Front

It also now more broadly commemorates all those who served and died in military operations in which the two countries have been involved.

The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzac) fought alongside their British, French and other allies at Gallipoli in Turkey during World War One.

The background to the Gallipoli landings was one of deadlock on the Western Front in 1915, when the British hoped to capture Constantinople.

The Russians were under threat from the Turks in the Caucasus and needed help, so the British decided to bombard and try to capture Gallipoli.

Fire: A 60-pounder heavy field gun in action on a cliff top at Helles Bay, Gallipoli, Turkey. Today marks the 98th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings

General Sir Ian Standish Monteith Hamilton (left) who led the Gallipoli campaign, and British commander Sir Charles Carmichael Monro (right), who was also involved

On their way: Australians soldiers embarking at Melbourne to fight in World War One in December 1914. Some 8,000 Australian soldiers died at Gallipoli

In tribute: New Zealander soldier W J Batt (left) with a regimental mascot at Walker's Ridge during the Gallipoli campaign in Turkey in April 1915, and members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, commonly known as Anzacs, marching through London on Anzac Day four years later in April 1919

Crowds: The Strand, central London, on Anzac day in April 1916, which marks the first major military action by Australian and New Zealand forces during WWI in 1915

Remembrance: An Australian soldier pays his respects as he lays a wreath at the Cenotaph, central London, on Anzac Day in April 1920, five years after Gallipoli

Located on the western coast of the Dardanelles, the British hoped by eventually getting to Constantinople that they would link up with the Russians.

The intention of this was to then knock Turkey out of the war. A naval attack began on February 19 but it was called off after three battleships were sunk.

Then by the time of another landing on April 25, the Turks had been given time to prepare better fortifications and increased their armies sixfold.

Australian and New Zealand troops won a bridgehead at Anzac Cove as the British aimed to land at five points in Cape Helles - but only managed three.

The British still required reinforcements in these areas and the Turkish were able to bring extra troops onto the peninsula to better defend themselves.

A standstill continued through the summer in hot and filthy conditions, and the campaign was eventually ended by the War Council in winter 1915.

The invasion had been intended to knock Turkey out of the war, but in the end it only gave the Russians some breathing space from the Turks.

Turkey lost around 300,000 men and the Allies had 214,000 killed - more than 8,000 of whom were Australian soldiers, in a disastrous campaign.

Anzac Cove became a focus for Australian pride after forces were stuck there in squalid conditions for eight months, defending the area from the Turks.

The Anzac soldiers who arrived on the narrow strip of beach were faced with a difficult environment of steep cliffs and ridges - and almost daily shelling.

Gathering: Crowds of people look on after the annual Anzac Day march at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne

Streets: Dozens of participants took to the street in the annual parade in the most populous city in Australia

In silence: People pay their respects at the Anzac Cenotaph during the Anzac Dawn Service at the Martin Place Cenotaph today in Sydney, Australia

Stories to tell: Prime Minister of Australia Julia Gillard talks with former P.O.W Sidney King at the Aznac Dawn Service today in Townsville, Australia

Memorial: A member of the catafalque party stands at rest during the Dawn Service today in Townsville, marked by veterans, dignitaries and members of the public

At the height of the fighting during the landings of April 25, 1915, the waters around the peninsula were stained red with blood at one point 50 metres out.

Fierce resistance from the under-rated Ottoman forces, inhospitable terrain and bungled planning spelt disaster for the campaign/

Among those who suffered the greatest losses were the Anzacs Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who made the first landings, swept by an unexpected current to a narrow cove rather than the wide beaches the planners intended.

War historian Charles Bean wrote: ‘That strongly marked and definite entity, the Anzac tradition, had, from the first morning, been partly created here’.

But despite the toll in human life, the campaign is seen as a landmark in the formation of national consciousness in the two countries.

The 25th of April was officially named Anzac Day in 1916.

And today tens of thousands of people across the world attended dawn services across the world as the centenary of Gallipoli nears.

They stood motionless in the dark to remember their fallen countrymen and women as they marked the anniversary of the landing. ( dailymail.co.uk )

Blog : Contents Of Human Life | Ghosts of Gallipoli: Evocative images released on Anzac Day show Allied troops contemplating the ridges they would die in droves failing to capture

Here's Her Secret to Longevity ( World's Oldest Woman is 114 )

Misao Okawa with her granddaughter and her three-month-old great-grandson. (Photo: Guinness Book of World Records )

With 50,000 living centenarians in Japan, there's evidence that the country's residents hold the secret to longevity: a healthy diet.  Japanese women have one of the longest life spans of any country, only second to those in Hong Kong. The oldest living man (also the oldest living person) is also Japanese. Jiroemon Kimura is 115 years old.

“The Japanese diet is the iPod of food," Naomi Moriyama, co-author of Japanese Women Don't Get Old or Fat: Secrets of My Mother's Tokyo Kitchen told Web MD. "It concentrates the magnificent energy of food into a compact and pleasurable size."

The typical Japanese person consumes about 25 percent less calories per day than the average American. The base of their diet is vegetables and fish, a great source of omega-3 fats, which are excellent for heart health. Because their meals are largely vegetarian, they eat very little red meat, which can lead to health problems if eaten regularly.

The results of a 25-year study of the longest living group of Japanese people, the Okinawans, revealed that their traditional diet of rice, soy, and vegetables could be the reason that, on average, Okinawan women live to be 86 years old.

Misao Okawa at her nursing home. (Photo: Guinnes Book of World Records)

Japanese women also go through natural menopause and don’t use hormone therapy, which can lead to health complications. Researchers believe they struggle less with the changes of menopause because their diet is high in soy. But American women hoping to take soy supplements will be disappointed: in order to receive the benefits, phytoestrogens must be ingested naturally, through foods rich in soy.

With all dietary suggestions aside, there is of course a genetic component to aging, meaning Japanese people are less genetically predisposed to certain diseases. A positive and low-stress lifestyle has also shown to lengthen life. The Okinawans don’t have rush hour or alarm clocks, and many meditate daily.

Okawa was born in Osaka 1898, the year that the boroughs of New York were annexed, the Spanish American War began, and radium was invented. In 1919, she married and had three children with her husband. After his death, she moved back to Osaka. She has four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Speaking to a group at her nursing home on making the Guinness Book of World Records, she said, “given everything, it’s pretty good.” ( shine.yahoo.com )

Blog : Contents Of Human Life | World's Oldest Woman is 114: Here's Her Secret to Longevity

On Facebook, more women than men post about having voted

"This map is a representation of people on Facebook who clicked an Election Day prompt to share with their friends that they're voting in the 2012 US election," Facebook wrote on the site. The information has been aggregated, and people remain anonymous.

According to Facebook's data, by 4:15 p.m. ET on Election Day at least 1,635,000 male Facebook users had told friends that they'd voted. But female Facebook users were beating them to the polls—or at least to their computers. More than 3,218,000 women had shared their voting status.

Thirty percent of the data came from Facebook users ages 18 to 24; people ages 25 to 34 clocked in at 32 percent.

Older people may not be able to log on to Facebook from the office or may be planning on voting on the way home: Just 18 percent of users 35 to 44 said they had voted early in the day. Only 10 percent of users 45 to 54 told their Facebook friends that they had voted. Just 7 percent of the data came from Facebook users who were 55-plus. ( news.yahoo.com )

Blog : Contents Of Human Life | On Facebook, more women than men post about having voted

Three myths about women voters that wouldn’t go away in 2012

Protesters stand together during a Planned Parenthood rally at the Republican National Convention in Tampa. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Myth No. 1: Women are more in favor of abortion rights than men are

For the past year, Democrats argued Republicans are waging a "war on women" for wanting to make all abortions illegal, while Republicans countered that Democrats don't want any restrictions on abortion. Each side is attempting to paint the other as extreme, hoping to pick up on-the-fence women voters in the process.

But, despite how they're sometimes portrayed in the news media and by political candidates, female voters are about as divided on abortion as men are.

"One of the central myths in American politics is that women are more pro-choice than men," Karen Kaufman, an associate professor at the University of Maryland who has researched the gender gap, told Yahoo News.

In 2011, 59 percent of men and 56 percent of women said in a Gallup poll that abortion should be legal in no circumstances or only in a few.

Men and women are much more divided on the issue of war (women oppose military interventions) and the role of government (women are more wary of federal spending cuts) than on abortion.

That fact may come as a surprise in this election in particular, as abortion and reproductive issues took on a huge role. Mitt Romney criticized President Barack Obama for requiring employers' insurance plans to provide free contraception, calling the health care reform's mandate an infringement on employers' freedom of religion. Meanwhile, to paint Romney as extreme and out of touch, Obama seized on the abortion-related comments of a handful of Republicans like Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin, who said women who are raped should not be allowed to access legal abortions because he believed, falsely, that they could not physically become pregnant.

Rutgers political scientist Susan Carroll told Yahoo News she has not seen a presidential election contest as focused on abortion and reproductive rights since 1972, the year before Roe v. Wade was decided.

"Candidates have wanted to run away from abortion in previous elections," Carroll sad. "When you talk about it, you alienate someone."

Despite the fact that women are about equally split on abortion, it still makes sense that the Obama campaign has relentlessly highlighted comments from Akin, Indiana Senate candidate Richard Mourdock, and a few other Republicans explaining why they think abortions should be illegal in all circumstances. The majority of both men and women think abortions should be legal in cases of rape or the health of the mother, so the ads paint the candidates—and by extension, Romney—as outside of the mainstream.

Playing defense, Romney put up TV ads in three key swing states saying he would not outlaw abortion in these cases and does not oppose contraception. (An anti-abortion group, meanwhile, bought ads in swing states calling Obama "an abortion radical" for sending federal funding to clinics that perform abortions.)

According to a CBS News poll, more women than men (38 percent) will only support a candidate who shares their views on abortion. One such voter is Susan Moore, an anti-abortion physical education teacher in the Columbus, Ohio, suburb of Groveport. She told Yahoo News that she's voting for Romney even though she disagrees with the Republicans' tough line on teachers unions.

"It's economics versus values," she said. "I'd vote conviction over jobs, I guess." Moore said she would support Obama if he were against abortion.

Polls suggest that birth control and funding for Planned Parenthood are more clearly winning issues for the Obama campaign. A majority of both women and men in a Gallup/USA Today poll from last month rate Obama higher than Romney on his handling of birth control policy.

Myth No. 2: The gender gap is about the "war on women"

Carroll says the Obama campaign's focus on reproductive rights is ultimately a way to motivate women who already support Obama to vote on Election Day, rather than a way to sway women in the middle away from Romney. "The people in the base turn out the vote and they need to mobilize them," Carroll said. "Those issues, the fact that women might not be able to get contraception, that can help to motivate women in the base."

That prediction seems to be supported by polling. The latest ABC News/Washington Post tracking poll shows that the female gender gap in favor of Obama has held steady at 7 percentage points. Meanwhile, men back Romney by six points more than women, which keeps the race at a dead heat.

The 7-point female gap in favor of Obama is in line with the female-male spread that political scientists have observed for 30 years. (Women began consistently voting for Democrats in higher proportions than men starting in the 1980 presidential election between Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan.)

But you wouldn't know that if you turned on cable news, where pundits wonder whether women don't support Romney because Democrats say he and other Republicans are waging a "war on women" on abortion and contraception.

Right now, "the average gender gap is approximately the average of the past nine presidential elections," ABC News/Washington Post pollster Gary Langer told Yahoo News. "It doesn't come from any dynamic in this election. Women are about 10 percentage points more likely to describe themselves as Democrats than Republicans. [The gap] comes from a substantial sense among women that the Democratic party is better attuned to women's issues."

Political scientists say more women than men vote Democratic in part because men and women see the role of government fundamentally differently. Women are more wary of federal spending cuts, and tend to support safety net programs more than the average male voter. Women are also more opposed to military interventions than men.

Shirley Hutner, a manager at a manufacturing company in Indiana, told Yahoo News she voted for John McCain in 2008 but is voting for Obama this time around in part because of his stance on welfare programs.

"I've never been unemployed, I've always been lucky, I've always had a job," Hutner, 40, said. "But if I ever needed help, I would feel like I would be able to get help from the Obama administration and not so much from Romney."

Hutner said she also worries about older workers who were laid off and can't get companies to hire them.

Two of Hutner's female friends adamantly disagreed, however, saying many people on welfare feel "entitled" and are riding the system. "The problem is, everybody counts on that," said Hutner's friend Beverly Brouse, who is voting for Romney. "At some point, that's going to blow up."

Myth No. 3: Women vote like they date

Pundits often conflate a woman's voting and dating preferences. Matthew Dowd, a former aide to President George W. Bush, wrote in an ABC News article ("What women want in a president") that women "want to be in a relationship with a man who is clear, strong, kind ... and can make a woman feel protected and safe." Dowd used this dating prism to postulate that women voters moved to Romney after the first presidential debate in Denver because he came across as strong and the president as weak.

Kevin D. Williamson at National Review argued that because women select reproductive mates for their "status," Romney should emphasize his personal wealth to win the female vote by a landslide.

"From an evolutionary point of view, Mitt Romney should get 100 percent of the female vote. ... You can insert your own Mormon polygamy joke here, but the ladies do tend to flock to successful executives and entrepreneurs," Williamson wrote.

We're not quite sure where the trope that women approach the ballot box like it's an episode of "The Bachelorette" comes from. But pollsters are skeptical of the claims.

"I don't know where that comes from," Langer said. "I think women base their political attitudes on substantive issues."

Studies have shown that both men and women tend to unconsciously vote for more attractive candidates, which fits in with a large body of research that shows physical attractiveness is rewarded in the workplace.

Because the major presidential candidates over the past 20 years have been wealthy, there's not much research on how a candidate's personal wealth affects voters, male or female. ( news.yahoo.com )

Blog : Contents Of Human Life | Three myths about women voters that wouldn’t go away in 2012

European Women Marry, Give Hope to Samaritans

European Women Marry, Give Hope to Samaritans — The Samaritans, a rapidly dwindling sect dating to biblical times, have opened their insular community to brides imported from eastern Europe in a desperate quest to preserve their ancient culture.

Five young women from Russia and Ukraine have moved to this hilltop village in recent years to marry local men, breathing new life into the community that has been plagued by genetic diseases caused by generations of intermarriage.

Husni Cohen, a 69-year-old village elder, said the marriages are not ideal, since there is always a risk that the newcomers may decide to leave. But in a community whose population has fallen to roughly 360 people, he saw little choice.

"If this is the only solution to our problem, we must take this road. We Samaritans don't have enough women to marry, so I can't tell our young men not to marry and not to start a family," he said. He warned, however, that if the families don't adhere to the Samaritan religion and traditions, "then our future is in danger."

For Alla Evdokimova, so far, so good. She left Ukraine, married and joined the community two years ago. "I came here and found a big family," said Evdokimova, 26.

In this Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013 photo, Ukrainian Alla Evdokimova, 26, who now goes by name Alaa Altif, displays her wedding album at her home at Mount Gerizim, near the West Bank town of Nablus. Alia emigrated to the West Bank and married Samaritan, Azzam Altif. The Samaritans, a rapidly dwindling sect dating to biblical times, have opened their insular community to brides imported from eastern Europe in a desperate quest to preserve their ancient culture. (AP Photo/Nasser Ishtayeh)

The Samaritans have lived in the Holy Land for thousands of years. They are probably best known for the parable of the Good Samaritan in the New Testament Book of Luke. Samaritans believe themselves to be the remnants of Israelites exiled by the Assyrians in 722 B.C. They practice a religion closely linked to Judaism and venerate a version of the Old Testament, but they are not Jews.

In the fourth and fifth centuries, the Samaritan population is thought to have topped 1.5 million, but religious persecution and economic hardship had nearly erased it by the early 20th century. Today, there are 750 Samaritans — split between communities in the Israeli city of Holon, near Tel Aviv, and near the West Bank city of Nablus on Mount Gerizim, the group's holiest place and site of its yearly Passover sacrifice. The Samaritans, who hold both Israeli and Palestinian residency rights, try to steer clear of politics.

Their numbers have been further reduced by the decision by 10 women in recent years to marry outside the community, resulting in excommunication. Today, males outnumber females roughly three to one.

With a limited pool of potential partners, it is common for Samaritans to marry within their extended families, even first cousins. As a result, Samaritan babies have suffered from birth defects and genetic diseases at a much higher rate than the general population.

Bringing in outsiders, along with advanced genetic testing in Israeli hospitals, have helped reduce what used to be a 15 percent rate of birth defects. Since 1996, only four of 97 Samaritan newborns have had disabilities, community members say.

Samaritans started marrying outside the sect about 40 years ago. In most cases, members of the Holon community found Jewish Israeli partners.

Only recently have the residents of Mount Gerizim looked to Europe. The Samaritans have used a mixture of old and new techniques, turning to matchmakers to find partners, also enlisting Internet services like Skype to get to know them ahead of time.

The women must make a huge commitment. They must accept the community's special dietary rules, such as eating meat slaughtered only by a Samaritan priest, and tough restrictions during their menstrual periods. For seven days, women cannot touch anything in the house, and if a mother comes into contact with her children, she must wash them before their father can touch them. After childbirth, a woman cannot have contact with her husband for 40 days if a boy is born, 80 days for a daughter. On Saturdays, the day of rest, women stay at home while men pray in their synagogues.

Alexandra Kraskuk, 28, was the first to come, making the journey from her native Ukraine 10 years ago. Her husband, Wadah, 50, found her through a Tel Aviv matchmaking service after being unable to find a Samaritan woman. He saw her picture, and then flew to Ukraine to meet her.

Krashuk, who has since changed her name to Shura Altif, said her parents objected to the age difference, but that she decided to take a chance and move to the West Bank. Today, the couple has a healthy 3-year-old son, Eliazar, who they also call Abdul Muin. Samaritans use Hebrew and Arabic names.

Making the transition was a challenge, she said. "There are good things and there are things that are not easy. It's a different life," she said. She said the monthly restrictions on women have been especially difficult. "But I commit to Samaritan traditions," she said. "This is the religion."

Before a prospective bride can join the community, the high priest must approve the marriage. The women must spend several months learning the ancient Torah, the Samaritan holy book which is somewhat different from the Jewish Torah, and other traditions before the ceremony.

In all, five women have arrived over the past decade, finding comfort with one another as their numbers have grown. They join each other on Christmas Eve and New Year's, which are not celebrated by the Samaritans. On sunny days, they travel to Israel together for barbecues.

Evdokimova, who now goes by the name Alaa Altif, is the most recent arrival. She and her 53-year-old husband, Azzam Altif, have a 2-year-old son, Murad. A former bartender in her native Ukraine who occasionally went to church, she said the dramatic change in lifestyle doesn't bother her. While the pair initially required a translator to communicate, Alaa has now learned enough Hebrew to speak directly to her husband. She is also learning Arabic, the language used by Samaritans to speak among themselves.

"The Samaritan holidays are festive, I love this. Saturdays were difficult in the beginning, but in the end, when all the family gathers, it's a nice thing," she said. Since arriving, she has arranged for a friend back home to marry another Samaritan relative of her husband. The wedding is planned for August.

Her husband said Alla's arrival has been a blessing. After failed attempts to find a wife in the Samaritan community, in 2010 he decided to turn to an Israeli matchmaking office, which showed him pictures of women in Ukraine. He traveled to Ukraine with a one-way plane ticket for his future bride, meeting 17 women in 20 days.

"I would take them out for lunch and a drink. I would take each one's address and tell her I'll call her if things work out. My wife was the fifth woman I met, but I set my mind on her, her personality and looks," he said.

Several days later, the couple married in a civil ceremony in Ukraine. Then they returned to the West Bank, where several months later they had a formal religious ceremony recognized by the community.

"Some people were happy. Others said it's hard," he explained. "But there is no other solution. It's either this or I stay a bachelor." ( Associated Press )

Blog : Contents Of Human Life | European women marry, give hope to Samaritans

Two Tibetans set themselves ablaze in Lhasa

Two Tibetans set themselves ablaze in Lhasa - Two Tibetan men have set themselves on fire outside a temple in Lhasa and one has died, reports said Monday, as a wave of self-immolations in China's Tibetan areas spread to the heavily guarded city.

Sunday's incident marked the first time such protests have taken place in the Tibetan capital, which has been under tight security since deadly anti-Chinese government riots broke out there in 2008.

US-based broadcaster Radio Free Asia said the men were monks who joined a protest against Chinese rule outside the Jokhang temple, a renowned centre for Buddhist pilgrimage in the centre of Lhasa, before setting fire to themselves.

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Tibetans offer prayers near mock coffins to represent the victims self-immolation during a rally in Siliguri on February 8. Two Tibetan men have set themselves on fire outside a temple in Lhasa and one has died, reports said Monday, as a wave of self-immolations in China's Tibetan areas spread to the heavily guarded city

China's official Xinhua news agency said police put the flames out "in minutes" and that one of the men, named Dargye, survived and was in a stable condition.

Xinhua, which did not identify the men as monks, said Dargye was from Aba county in southwest China's Sichuan province, where many of the recent self-immolations have taken place.

Aba is home to the Kirti monastery, which has been under virtual lockdown since a young monk named Phuntsog set light to himself and died in March 2011, sparking mass protests there.

Xinhua named the dead man as Tobgye Tseten, from Gansu province, which borders Sichuan and also has a large population of ethnic Tibetans.

Residents of Lhasa said the city was under even tighter security than usual following Sunday's protest, with police and paramilitary officers out in force.

One resident contacted by AFP on Monday said police were carrying out identity checks in the street and that mobile telephone signals had been blocked.

Free Tibet, a London-based campaign group, said it had received reports that Tibetan residents in Lhasa had been arbitrarily detained in the wake of the protest, while residents from Aba had also been targeted.

Police also arrested the owner and some staff of a restaurant in Lhasa where Tobgye Tseten, identified by Free Tibet as Dorjee Tseten, 19, had worked for "some time," the group said.

"Residents of Lhasa are reluctant to speak about yesterday's event because they know that the repercussions for communicating with the outside world are severe for themselves and their families," it added.

Security authorities in Lhasa contacted by telephone refused to comment on the incident, which took place as Tibetan Buddhists celebrated Saga Dawa -- the anniversary of Buddha's birth.

But a senior Tibet official quoted by Xinhua condemned Sunday's protests.

"They were a continuation of the self-immolations in other Tibetan areas and these acts were all aimed at separating Tibet from China," said Hao Peng, the Communist Party secretary in charge of political and legal affairs in the region.

Tibet's government-in-exile said it was "seriously concerned" about the reported incidents.

The Central Tibetan Administration, based in the northern Indian hill town of Dharamshala, said in a statement: "The situation in Lhasa remains tense with the deployment of huge number of police and paramilitary forces in the area."

More than 30 people have set themselves on fire in Tibetan-inhabited areas since the start of March 2011 in protest at what they say is religious and cultural repression by the Chinese authorities.

The only previously reported case in the Tibetan Autonomous Region itself was in December, when a former Buddhist monk set himself alight in Changdu prefecture shouting anti-Chinese slogans.

He was taken to hospital and later died of his injuries.

Robbie Barnett, a Tibet expert at Columbia University in New York, said Sunday's incident marked the first significant protest in Lhasa since riots broke out there in 2008, before spreading to other Tibetan areas.

"This is the first incident of any significance in four years. It's a big setback for the authorities," he told AFP by telephone.

"These self-immolations are very troubling for the Chinese because it is a new method of protest that is very hard to prevent."

Rights groups say the situation is at its worst since the March 2008 unrest, in which Tibet's government-in-exile said more than 200 people died. China denies that account, saying there were 21 deaths and that "rioters" were responsible.

Tibetans have long chafed under China's rule over the vast Tibetan plateau, saying that Beijing has curbed religious freedoms and their culture is being eroded by an influx of Han Chinese, the country's main ethnic group.

Beijing insists that Tibetans enjoy religious freedom and have benefited from improved living standards brought on by China's economic expansion. ( AFP )

Blog : Contents Of Human Life | Two Tibetans set themselves ablaze in Lhasa

The Most Dangerous Man in China

The Most Dangerous Man in China - When filmmaker Alison Klayman was shooting the documentary "Never Sorry" about Chinese artist and dissident Ai Weiwei, she was struck by the irony that Chinese authorities would go through the trouble to install surveillance cameras in the home a man who lives his life so openly on his blog and Twitter.

"I kind of felt that actually in some ways, the openness was almost a protection" she said. The best way to prevent the government from using his secrets against him, was to have no secrets.

Klayman was on hand at this year's Sundance film festival in Park City, Utah to debut her documentary, "Never Sorry". She spoke with Christiane Amanpour to discuss the film and what she's taken away from one of China's most influential artists and activists.

"He sort of has this mass appeal and ability to really engage all different kinds of audiences," she says, "whether they're sort of tech savvy or into design or architecture or art."

"I was really won over by how genuine his, sort of, believe in the individual, sort of, value of life, the dignity of life, how everyone in China and around the world deserves that, and I think that's really a big motivator for what he's doing." ( abc news )

Last Tango in Paris' actress Maria Schneider dies

Last Tango in Paris' actress Maria Schneider dies - Maria Schneider, the French actress who was Marlon Brando's young co-star in the steamy 1972 film "Last Tango in Paris," has died at age 58.

Schneider died in Paris on Thursday "following a long illness," a representative of the Act 1 talent agency said, but declined to provide details.

Schneider was 19 when she starred opposite Marlon Brando in Bernardo Bertolucci's racy "Last Tango in Paris." In it, she played Jeanne, a young Parisian woman who takes up with a middle-aged American businessman, played by Brando.

Maria Schneider, Marlon Brando, Bernardo Bertolucci

Last Tango in Paris - FILE - In this 1972 file photo originally provided by United Artists, Director Bernardo Bertolucci, left, Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider are shown during the filing of 'The Last Tango in Paris.' A representative of the Act 1 agency said Schneider died in Paris on Thursday, Feb. 3, 2011, following a long illness. She was 58.

Full of explicit sex scenes, "Last Tango" was banned in Italy for obscenity for nearly two decades, returning to cinemas there only in 1989. In the United States, the movie still has an NC-17 rating for its sexual content, meaning it can't be seen by children under 17 years of age.

In a statement Thursday, French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand said Schneider had remained — even nearly four decades after "Last Tango" — "Brando's at once seductive, innocent and severe co-star."

"She will remain a singularly strong image of today's woman," Mitterrand said, adding she was "a cinema icon.

Though Schneider appeared in more than two dozen films throughout her career, none would bring her even a fraction of the success of "Last Tango."

In 1975, Schneider featured in Michelangelo Antonioni's "The Passenger," a wandering existential drama starring Jack Nicholson as a frustrated and erratic war correspondent. Her last movie, "The Key," by director Guillaume Nicloux, came out in 2007.

The Act 1 representative said she was not aware of funeral plans. She asked not to be named in accordance with her agency's policy ( Associated Press )

Pros and Cons of Career Coaches

Pros and Cons of Career Coaches. Guidance can be helpful, but job seekers have to take charge of own path. Wouldn't it be nice to have someone tell you what to do with your career? Someone who can make job-hunting decisions for you when you are laid off or looking to switch your line of work?

Unfortunately, this person does not exist.

I'm telling you this because lately some of you have been hiring or looking to hire so-called career coaches with the idea that they can help you find career nirvana.

Such coaches can be helpful in offering career guidance, but you need to beware of scammers and individuals promising you a quick path to the perfect job. And keep in mind that pretty much anyone can become a career coach since there is no mandatory credentialing or governing body keeping tabs on these people.

Lack of oversight and the tough job market seem to be fueling a coaching explosion. The International Coach Federation -- based in Lexington, Ky., and one of the largest coaching associations -- has seen its membership skyrocket in the last 10 years, from 2,100 in 1999 to 17,700 today. Membership last year was 15,800, up from 13,400 in 2007.

With the jobless rate at a 26-year high, many workers in today's economy are looking for a little hand-holding, and some career coaches are capitalizing on that, says Ben Dattner, a New York-based management consultant and adjunct professor at New York University.

"They represent themselves as empathetic listeners, the cure-all panacea," he says. "But it's a little bit of a bait and switch."

To get hired, he says, coaches represent themselves as having the ability to find answers. "But when they're in the room with you, you realize they can only help generally by asking questions."

Buyer's remorse

Given the elusive nature of the industry, there are few if any numbers on how many individuals are working with career coaches today. But the number of inquiries at the Better Business Bureau into firms that come under the self-improvement training and career-counseling umbrella jumped 10.5 percent in 2008 to 48,842, according to Alison Southwick, a spokeswoman for the agency. Total number of complaints filed against companies in these categories was 431 last year.

"We have some concerns with this type of company, but for the most part the complaints are buyer's remorse," says Jane Driggs, president of the BBB in Utah. "The consumer pays thousands of dollars and then realizes that it isn't as easy as they thought it looked."

One particular firm, the Coaching Institute Inc. based in Draper, Utah, had more than 80 complaints alone, including everything from service to billing to contract issues. (The company's Web site, www.coaching-institute.com, is not working and the phone number for the firm is perpetually busy.)

Terry Anderson, a real-estate agent in St. Petersburg, Fla., went to a free coaching seminar sponsored by the Coaching Institute and felt pressured to sign up for $3,000 worth of coaching services.

"They said I'd have two weeks to decide if I wanted to go ahead with it, but they debited my credit card $1,000 anyway and then came after me for the remaining $2,000," she says.

She refused to pay, and as a result, her credit rating suffered.

While there are pitfalls to look out for, there are also many satisfied coaching customers.

Figuring out a path

Take Bill Glynn, who lost his job as a product manager for a high-tech firm last year. He was very happy with the six months he spent talking to career coach John Bates -- aka the "Job-Guy" -- based out of Mansfield, Mass.

"He helped me explore myself," Glynn says. Bates asked Glynn probing questions and had him take personality tests to figure out what careers would be best for him. "We sat down and chatted and asked 'Who is Bill?' and he took notes."

Glynn paid a fixed fee of $1,000 and spoke with his coach face to face several times over the six months.

As far as figuring out what he wants to do with his career now, Glynn doesn't have an answer. "I'm still evaluating that," he says. But the coach helped him narrow his interests, and he's now leaning toward becoming a mediator, arbitrator or possibly doing something in government.

Despite not having a definitive direction, he's satisfied with his career-coaching experience. "It's like getting a massage," he says. "It's definitely worth getting, but that doesn't mean you won't be getting some back pain later on."

If you think a career coach may be something your career needs right about now, there are a few things to keep in mind.

First, you may be able to get free career coaching through your employer after a layoff. Some career-transition companies, such as outplacement firm Lee Hecht Harrison, offer the service to workers who have been downsized -- and the company doing the downsizing picks up the tab, says Rob Saam, the firm's chief career officer.

He's seeing a growing desire among displaced workers to want to connect with a career coach. "When the job market is hard like this, it's only natural for people to want to reach out and get as much help as they can," he adds.

Check out prospective coach

Also, since there is no governing body for coaches, you'll have to do a lot of legwork before you sign up.

"There is one thing and only one thing people should consider in hiring a coach. Do they get results for their clients?" says Linda Henman, president of consulting firm Henman Performance Group.

A good career coach should be more than willing to give you a list of clients they've worked with. It's also a good idea to check the BBB to see if the individual or company has any complaints filed against them.

You also can check out social networking sites like LinkedIn to find out more about a coach's network, advises coaching veteran Laurence J. Stybel. If they're not part of any networks, that's probably a bad sign, he says.

And beware of big promises.

"No career coach can turn a mediocre career into a meteoric career," he says. "And anyone who says so lies."

"If you are satisfied in paying good money to improve your game by 3 percent, then a competent career coach might be a worthwhile investment," he adds.

You also want to steer clear of developing a dependency on your career coach because you could end up with a lot of bad advice and out a lot of money, maintains NYU's Dattner.

"You have to own it yourself, not have them answer questions for you," he says. "We all try to free ourselves from our parents' backseat driving and break out on our own. Having a surrogate parent telling you what to do is not helpful." ( msn.com )

Six things you should do if an offer is rescinded

You Got the Job! (Just Kidding...). Six things you should do if an offer is rescinded. Marleen Graham has been offered two different jobs in the past few months -- but both offers were retracted.

The first time, she worked for a small consulting firm and the contract for the account she worked was cut short. A couple of days later, the account requested to bring her back on board. After filling out some paperwork, she waited -- and waited, and waited -- to start work again. Two months later, she figured out that the account had imposed a hiring freeze.

The second time, she was told orally that a bank wanted to hire her and that it was a "done deal." She waited two weeks for an offer letter. Finally, Graham received an e-mail stating that the job was placed on hold indefinitely.

"The first time I was very disappointed because I really wanted to return to my contract assignment. The second time I was in disbelief because the vice president told me it was a done deal," Graham says. "I wish that I continued searching for a job while I was waiting for my offer in writing and for the paperwork to be approved. I should have kept my search going so that I could have a fallback plan."

Fired before you're hired

Graham, like many other job seekers, fell victim to a trend that's becoming more common as the economy continues to stagnate. While companies downsize and institute hiring freezes, job seekers are finding start dates pushed back and job offers withdrawn.

"Job offers are rescinded for a variety of reasons. Some [are] external, such as the overall economy, some [are] internal such as a department's funding is cut," says Laura George, author of "Excuse Me, Your Job is Waiting." "There are also times when it's determined that a person is needed but it would be more cost-effective to hire one person to work in two or more departments and spread the costs."

No matter the reason your job offer is repealed, experts agree that you should respond to the situation in a professional manner and get to the bottom of what happened.

"If your offer has been rescinded, you must find out what the exact reasons behind the decision were. Were they economically based or due to a background, drug or reference check?" says Jonathan Mazzocchi, partner and general manager of the New York accountingfinance division of Winter, Wyman. "As hard as it is, gather the facts. Try to separate the people you interviewed with from the organization's decision, and keep all of your interactions professional." and

In Graham's case, for example, when the first offer was revoked, the company never explained what was going on; it just said that the paperwork was in and it was waiting. In the meantime, she lived off her savings and put her job search on hold. The second company, which told her the job was placed on hold "indefinitely," said it would keep her mind for the future, but she hasn't heard anything yet.

"Once I found out that my offer was no longer viable, I quickly started to search for another position, but it was more difficult to find something by that time," she says.

Now what?

Unfortunately, you don't have many legal rights in this situation. Most states have employment-at-will policies, which means employees can be terminated at any time, for any reason. You should think long and hard before pursuing legal action if a job offer is revoked -- litigation costs will be extensive and you will undoubtedly burn bridges with your would-be employer. Consult an HR expert or lawyer in your area about your options.

It's important to handle the situation professionally if you find yourself with a rescinded job offer. Here are six steps you can take to protect yourself:

1. Find out why

Find out the exact reason behind the withdrawn offer. Ask the potential employer if it was something revealed in a reference check or if it had something to do with the economy.

"Let the hiring manager know you are interested in working at the company if there [is] a change of circumstances," George says. "If you really are the best candidate, the hiring manager will contact you when the circumstances change."

2. Be open and honest

"Once you've got a company that wants to hire you, you've cleared the tallest hurdle. How you react [to a rescinded job offer] can determine if that offer might return," says Jim Luzar, president of Sales Consultants of Brookfield, a Wisconsin recruiting firm. "Be open and honest with [the employer] about your situation. If you are still interested in the job, let them know your finances. Can you wait six months to start?"

Or, if you can find a way to earn some money in the interim, let the employer know you will wait for the full-time position.

"If you simply can't wait for the position to reopen, don't be shy about it," Luzar says. "You came looking for a job because you needed one. [Respectfully] tell them, so that if you are looking for a job again in the future, they will still have a high opinion of you."

3. Prepare yourself

"In this economy, expect anything," says Carolyn Dougherty, executive search consultant. Do not stop looking for work until your first day at a new job. Graham says the biggest lesson she learned was that nothing is a done deal until you are sitting in your new office or cubicle.

4. Do your homework

Before accepting a job offer, it's important to evaluate what's been offered. Ask about the employer's financial health and find out if the position is approved, Dougherty suggests. Ask if the company has ever withdrawn an offer and if so, what the company has done in the past. If the withdrawal of a vacant position is a real threat, ask if your offer letter can state what the company will do if the job offer is withdrawn.

5. Negotiate

If you left an old job to work for a new company and your offer was retracted due to the economy, you can try to negotiate unemployment benefits or a severance package from the employer, Mazzocchi says. Or, if you really want this job, you can try negotiating for a lower salary or position. "Some companies may opt to help you out as the right thing to do," he says.

6. Move on

If nothing comes from negotiating with your would-be employer, it's time to move on. Contact companies that have expressed interest in the past and let them know you are still available, suggests Roberta Chinsky Matuson, president of Human Resource Solutions. Whatever you do, resist the temptation to badmouth the organization that pulled back your offer.

In the meantime, Graham keeps busy by continuing her job search, going to school to maintain and enhance her skills, volunteering with nonprofit organizations and growing her own business. ( msn.com )