Wednesday, 20 February 2013

PSA: URLs in tweets now eat a couple more characters

PSA: URLs in tweets now eat a couple more characters

The dreaded day is upon us, as Twitter has followed through with its plan to increase the maximum length of t.co wrapped links. So, from now on, you've got a few less characters to play with if you want to share an URL with the world: links of the http kind now take up 22 characters instead of 20, and https links hog 23 characters instead of 21. Forget the "t.co wrapped" part -- the reduction comes into force when any URL is included in a tweet, and you can't trick it with shortened links from sites like Bit.ly, so u'll jus need 2b a lil more concise. Even Neo can't mess with the laws of the Twitter.

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Via: Mashable

Source: Twitter

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/WczVx3eS61U/

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Spectacular forcepfly species discovered for the first time in South America

Monday, February 18, 2013

Forcepflies are usually known as earwigflies, because the males have a large genital forceps that resembles the cerci of earwigs. A new species of forcepfly Meropeidae (Mecoptera) from Brazil was described, representing only the 3rd extant species described in this family and the 1st record of the family from the Neotropical region. The distribution and biogeography of the family are discussed and it is even proposed that Meropeidae originated before continental drift and then divided into two branches, northern and southern, with the breakup of the old supercontinent Pangea. The study was published in the open access journal ZooKeys.

Despite all previous collecting efforts in this area the species had never been recorded before. The specimen was collected in a private ranch near a forest fragment surrounded by farms in the Atlantic Forest biome, one of the most threatened in Brazil. It can be found in a variety of habitats, including woodland, Jarrah forest, and sand plain vegetation. What makes forcepflies special is the fact that little is known about their biology and the immature stages remain a mystery to scientists. The adults, who are nocturnal and seem to live on the ground, are also capable of stridulation, or the production of sound by rubbing certain body parts.

"The discovery of this new relict species is an important signal to reinforce the conservation of Brazilian Atlantic Forest biome. Certainly there are many more mecopterans species yet to be discovered in these forests", said the lead author Dr Renato Machado from the Texas A & M University, College Station, USA.

###

Renato Jose Pires Machado, Ricardo Kawada, Jos? Albertino Rafael (2013) New continental record and new species of Austromerope (Mecoptera, Meropeidae) from Brazil. ZooKeys 269: 1?10. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.269.4240.

Pensoft Publishers: http://www.pensoft.net

Thanks to Pensoft Publishers for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126853/Spectacular_forcepfly_species_discovered_for_the_first_time_in_South_America

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Has the door shut on a diplomatic solution to Syria's conflict?

Despite European and US resistance to arming the Syrian rebels, the conflict is becoming more militarized. Yesterday regime troops launched a missile at a rebel position.

By Whitney Eulich,?Staff writer / February 19, 2013

An excavator is used to search for survivors after a Syrian army launched a missile on the rebel-held Jabal Badro district in the city of Aleppo Tuesday. The missile strike, a rarity in a fight more commonly fought with shells and airstrikes, highlights increasing doubts about a diplomatic resolution to the nearly two-year-old conflict.

Hamid Khatib/Reuters

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? A daily summary of global reports on security issues.

Skip to next paragraph Whitney Eulich

Latin America Editor

Whitney Eulich is the Monitor's Latin America editor, overseeing regional coverage for CSMonitor.com and the weekly magazine. She also curates the Latin America Monitor Blog.

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Yesterday, as the European Union voted? against easing an arms embargo on Syria, Syrian regime troops reportedly launched a missile at rebels in Aleppo. The missile strike, a rarity in a fight more commonly fought with shells and airstrikes, highlights increasing doubts about a diplomatic resolution to the nearly two-year-old conflict.

?The odds are very high that, for better or worse, armed men will determine Syria?s course for the foreseeable future,? Frederic C. Hof, a former senior State Department official and a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, told The New York Times.

In the absence of a United Nations resolution prohibiting such actions, Russia continues to provide financial support and weapons to the Syrian regime, as does Iran, reports The Independent. Meanwhile, although Britain has argued for strengthening the military capabilities of select rebel groups, most Western countries, including the United States, have refused, insisting that the potential consequences of arming anti-regime fighters in Syria are too risky.

?[Y]ou don?t know where weapons might end up, and what the consequences are if those weapons are used against civilians, against Israel, against American interests,? an anonymous official told the Times.

EU foreign ministers decided yesterday to uphold the arms embargo for another three months, but included a clause that would allow for non-weapons aid and technical assistance ?for the protection of civilians.? ?There is no shortage of arms in Syria,? said Luxembourgish Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn, according to the Associated Press. ?With more arms, there are more killed, more atrocities.?

A UN report released yesterday, which estimates that the conflict has claimed 70,000 lives, accuses both sides of committing war crimes.

"We identified seven massacres during the [past six months], five on the government side, two on the armed opponents side," said Carla del Ponte, a former ICC chief prosecutor who is part of the UN investigatory team.

The UN continues to push for a diplomatic resolution to the bloody civil war, with the recent report noting that ?Syria?s civil war is becoming increasingly sectarian and the behavior of both sides is growing more and more radicalized,? according to the AP. The report pushed for the international community to stop supplying weapons and for anti-regime forces to stop working with foreign fighters.

Regardless of whether the conflict ends through diplomatic channels or by force, many international observers agree that an end to fighting in Syria ?is not on the horizon,? reports Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

Syria ?is in the process not of transitioning but disintegrating,? Paul Salem, director of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace?s Middle East office, told The New York Times.

The Times notes that with election season past, and a new team of national security advisers, it?s possible the US could reopen the debate on providing more than nonlethal assistance in Syria. ?As the situation evolves, as our confidence increases, we might revisit it,? a senior administration official told the Times.

But Trudy Rubin, a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, fears that even with a new secretary of State, US ideas for bringing the Syrian conflict to an end feel all too familiar.

A failed Syrian state also would provide a power vacuum into which outside jihadis could flow, permitting them to radicalize local Islamists and obtain dangerous weapons from captured regime arsenals. And once a state collapses ? as we know from the Iraq experience ? it is very difficult to rebuild.

[Secretary of State John Kerry] understands this danger and warned last week about an "implosion" of the Syrian state?.

Syrian activists have repeatedly put forth plans for identifying and vetting moderate military opposition leaders, and monitoring the delivery of antiaircraft and antitank weapons. This would offset the plentiful weapons flowing from the Arab Gulf to jihadi groups that empower them to lead the fighting, and might enable the opposition to break the military stalemate.

Last spring, Kerry talked of arming the rebels. Now, instead of charting a new strategy, he seems limited to repeating past (failed) efforts, urging Moscow to help him ease Assad into exile. Meantime, the regime's planes bomb cities and towns into rubble, and the Syrian state rapidly collapses. The longer this goes on, the worse the outcome will be.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/Azzp5piUShY/Has-the-door-shut-on-a-diplomatic-solution-to-Syria-s-conflict

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Tuesday, 19 February 2013

NASA satellite sees Tropical Depression 02W soak the Philippines

NASA satellite sees Tropical Depression 02W soak the Philippines [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 19-Feb-2013
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Contact: Rob Gutro
Robert.j.gutro@nasa.gov
301-286-4044
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

The second tropical depression of the northwestern Pacific Ocean season formed on Feb. 19, and NASA's Aqua satellite showed the storm was soaking the central and southern Philippines.

NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Tropical Depression 02W (TD02W) as it was coming together and soaking provinces in Mindanao and the Palawan province of Luzon. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument that flies aboard Aqua captured an infrared image of the depression at 0541 UTC (12:41 a.m. EST). The AIRS image showed very cold cloud top temperatures, colder than -63F (-52C) over Mindanao and stretching west to Palawan. Cloud top temperatures that cold are indicative of the potential to drop heavy rainfall.

AIRS infrared satellite imagery showed a very poorly organized and ill- defined low-level circulation center. The convection (rising air that forms thunderstorms that make up the depression) appears disorganized in the northern quadrant of the storm.

On Feb. 19 at 0900 UTC, the low pressure area designated as System 98W organized into a tropical depression and was renamed "02W." Tropical Depression 02W formed south of Mindanao, the Philippines. TD02W is referred to locally in the Philippines as "Tropical Depression Crising."

As a result of the formation of the depression, warnings were posted by PAGASA for many areas in the Philippines. Public storm warning signal #1 was posted for the following provinces of Mindanao: Davao del Norte and Sur and Oriental, Samal Island, Compostela Valley, the southern part of Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Sur, Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte and Sur, North Cotabato, Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, Sarangani, Misamis Occidental, Zamboanga del Norte and Sur and& Sibugay, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. In addition, Signal #1 is now in effect for the south of the Palawan province of Luzon.

On Feb. 19 at 1500 UTC (10 a.m. EST), TD02W had maximum sustained winds near 25 knots (28.7 mph/46.3 kph). TD02W was located near 6.5 north latitude and 122.9 east longitude, just 55 nautical miles (63.3 miles/102 km) east-southeast of Zamboanga, Philippines. RD02W is moving to the west-northwest at 9 knots (10.3 mph/16.6 kph).

TD02W is currently experiencing moderate vertical wind shear, as high as 20 knots (23 mph/37 kph) which is keeping the depression from getting better organized. That is expected to change, however, once TD02W moves west into the South China Sea.

Forecasters at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center expect TD02W to move to the west-northwest, and pass just south of Palawan's southern tip before moving into open waters of the South China Sea where it is expected to become more organized.

###


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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


NASA satellite sees Tropical Depression 02W soak the Philippines [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 19-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Rob Gutro
Robert.j.gutro@nasa.gov
301-286-4044
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

The second tropical depression of the northwestern Pacific Ocean season formed on Feb. 19, and NASA's Aqua satellite showed the storm was soaking the central and southern Philippines.

NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Tropical Depression 02W (TD02W) as it was coming together and soaking provinces in Mindanao and the Palawan province of Luzon. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument that flies aboard Aqua captured an infrared image of the depression at 0541 UTC (12:41 a.m. EST). The AIRS image showed very cold cloud top temperatures, colder than -63F (-52C) over Mindanao and stretching west to Palawan. Cloud top temperatures that cold are indicative of the potential to drop heavy rainfall.

AIRS infrared satellite imagery showed a very poorly organized and ill- defined low-level circulation center. The convection (rising air that forms thunderstorms that make up the depression) appears disorganized in the northern quadrant of the storm.

On Feb. 19 at 0900 UTC, the low pressure area designated as System 98W organized into a tropical depression and was renamed "02W." Tropical Depression 02W formed south of Mindanao, the Philippines. TD02W is referred to locally in the Philippines as "Tropical Depression Crising."

As a result of the formation of the depression, warnings were posted by PAGASA for many areas in the Philippines. Public storm warning signal #1 was posted for the following provinces of Mindanao: Davao del Norte and Sur and Oriental, Samal Island, Compostela Valley, the southern part of Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Sur, Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte and Sur, North Cotabato, Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, Sarangani, Misamis Occidental, Zamboanga del Norte and Sur and& Sibugay, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. In addition, Signal #1 is now in effect for the south of the Palawan province of Luzon.

On Feb. 19 at 1500 UTC (10 a.m. EST), TD02W had maximum sustained winds near 25 knots (28.7 mph/46.3 kph). TD02W was located near 6.5 north latitude and 122.9 east longitude, just 55 nautical miles (63.3 miles/102 km) east-southeast of Zamboanga, Philippines. RD02W is moving to the west-northwest at 9 knots (10.3 mph/16.6 kph).

TD02W is currently experiencing moderate vertical wind shear, as high as 20 knots (23 mph/37 kph) which is keeping the depression from getting better organized. That is expected to change, however, once TD02W moves west into the South China Sea.

Forecasters at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center expect TD02W to move to the west-northwest, and pass just south of Palawan's southern tip before moving into open waters of the South China Sea where it is expected to become more organized.

###


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/nsfc-nss021913.php

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Nexus 4 Wireless Charger hands-on

Nexus 4 Wireless Charger handson

Palm's Touchstone dock immediately came to mind when we first saw LG's Nexus 4 Wireless Charger last fall (now available for $60 in the Play Store). Both devices are circular, with a micro-USB port in back and a slanted front surface on which to rest the phone. That's where the similarities end -- while the Touchstone is cylindrical and uses a proprietary wireless charging system, the Nexus 4 Wireless Charger is larger, spherical and Qi-compatible. Another major difference is that Palm's dock uses permanent magnets to line up and secure the handset, and LG's accessory relies primarily on the friction / suction between a rubber ring and the glass back of Google's flagship phone. Design-wise the Nexus 4 Wireless Charger looks similar to a smaller Nexus Q cut in half, down to the matching recessed square connector cutout.

In the box you'll find a 5V 1.8A AC adapter (vs. 1.2A for the one supplied with the Nexus 4) along with a micro-USB cable (longer than the one provided with the handset). The manual warns to "use only the power adapter and micro-USB cable that come with your Nexus 4 Wireless Charger", but we didn't have any trouble with other USB power sources beyond longer charging times. We tested the dock with the Nexus 4, Droid DNA, Lumia 920 and Lumia 822 (with the optional Wireless Charging Cover) -- basically, LG's accessory provides the same experience as Nokia's Wireless Charging Plate ($50), which is also Qi-compatible. The $10 difference buys you a matching design and a spare USB power adapter and micro-USB cable (Nokia's plate comes with a proprietary AC adapter). It takes about 4 hours to fully charge Google's flagship phone using wireless power -- check out the gallery above for some action shots.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/YWOt_is7UHs/

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Self Improvement Made Simple: Fast Tips For Great Results | Perfect ...

Is living a better life something that you would like to accomplish? Read this article for some tips on self improvement.

Humility is key. In the cosmic overview, humans are just a small blip. Everyone has a lot to learn from everyone else. Keep this in mind, and you will have limitless potential for growth. By keeping an open mind in all situations, you can let others teach you.

Improving your health is something that will take you far on your journey of personal development. Being healthy correlates directly to feeling good. Not only will you perform better physically and mentally, but you?ll save yourself the time and stress of unnecessary health scares. Make adopting healthier habits a goal.

Figure out what is really important to you and focus on those things in your life. If you focus all of your thoughts on the things that really matter and quit dwelling on the negative things that do not matter at all, you are sure to find a greater inner peace.

TIP! Learn how to get through trying situations without letting your emotions get the best of you. By learning how to remain calm during stressful situations, you have a higher chance of increasing your confidence needed for conquering any obstacle in your life.

Find self improvement books that are appropriate for your age and situation. Well written books on self improvement will always spark new ideas and give suggestions on altering your life. Pick out a book that has gotten good reviews because there are some books about self improvement that are not written very well.

Your body affects your mind and your moods. Regular exercise and nutritious foods are important to gaining total personal fitness. Remember, a healthy mind and a healthy body go hand in hand.

A great self help tip to deal with anxiety is to accompany a friend to the movies. This places you in a social situation, but you won?t have to extensively socialize with others. This will help get you used to being in the same vicinity with lots of different people.

Can?t find a date? Give the Internet a try. Many couples meet online now. Like those cheesy eHarmony commercials say, the love of your life could be just a click away. There are pluses and minuses to both.

TIP! Every champion benefits from the encouragement of a great coach. It is important to surround yourself with a positive mentor and coach.

Always carry a way to write down thoughts you may have. Carry a journal or diary with you, everywhere you go. Scribble detailed notes when something comes to you, and then carry them out whenever your creativity is piqued.

Without taking care of yourself, you will be unable to care for others. Take time for rest and relaxation, whether your health is good or poor.

You should seek to be surrounded by like-minded people. This helps strengthen your resolve, reinforces positive thinking and keeps you away from toxic people that harm your dreams and goals.

Eliminate all unnecessary sources of stress in your life. You only create more stress than before when you over-react to negative events, and that is pointless. You have to understand things go wrong on occasion when you?re trying to achieve a goal. Instead of freaking out, you should come up with methods of overcoming the obstacle. It?s not the end of the world.

TIP! When trying to battle depression, focus on diet and boost your complex carb intake. Complex carbohydrates are essential to producing serotonin, which helps to lift your mood.

Self discipline is a requirement for successful personal development. Learn to exercise restraint over the desires of the flesh to achieve a higher level of self control. Overindulgence, overeating, lust, and selfishness are all base impulses that you can overcome. You can keep vices from harming you in body and spirit if you learn to control yourself and resist them.

There is one key strategy to consider, no matter what your individual goals for personal development. It is important to play an active role in your own life story, instead of just watching it pass by. Sitting back and watching will make you dull and unhappy.

Stress can be the opposite of happiness a lot of the time. When stress happens in our minds, it also has detrimental affects on our physical health. You have to tackle the stress that?s bothering you before you can meet your goals. Schedule time daily to spend by yourself in relaxation and clarity. You can increase how good you feel about yourself and how at peace you feel by using this time to relax.

Pick out what you wish to do in life and go do it. A plan for your ideal life is a great starting point, but a plan without action will get you nowhere. Therefore, you should get off your butt, and actually do something to turn your dream into a reality.

TIP! Many people starting on a personal development journey struggle because their goal is too vague and unspecific. Find a goal you want to follow.

You may experience excess stress when you overreact to difficult situations. Find ways to deal with high stress situations rationally. If a mistake is the issue, there are ways to correct it or cope with living with your mistake. Do not focus on what you may have lost, but look at what is to come in life. Think positively.

Focus on your true character and personality rather than your superficial appearance. You don?t need to wear the newest fashions or be the hottest. The personality that you have is what will ultimately show through in your life. Focus on improving your character instead of your external appearance.

Get some self-satisfaction by complimenting others. It is actually better to turn the other cheek and be nice to others.

Start an emergency fund. Each time an unexpected expense crops up, it seems we wind up adding it to our credit cards. Set aside a certain amount from each check for an emergency fund. It doesn?t have to be a great deal of money, but be consistent. You can get your debt moving in the right direction (that is, downward) by making use of that fund instead of credit.

TIP! As you ascertain your needs and how you will approach them, there is one thing that must be done. This simple lesson is to take initiative over your life, and to never step back and watch passively.

It?s important for you to know that you can reach your personal development goals. With persistence, patience and hard work, you will soon reach your initial goals. If you make every effort to improve, then you have nothing to regret.

Create goals that you can accomplish and live the life you love. If you can identify weaknesses, you can improve on them and yourself.

To develop as a human being, it is important to know what your ambitions and goals are. Having long-term goals is great, because you could have a big change in your perspective.

Try not to take yourself too seriously. Compared to the immense universe we are really very small. No single individual is omniscient, yet each individual possesses some grain of unique and valuable knowledge. Being open to new experiences provides opportunities to learn. You will be amazed at what you can accomplish and learn when your mind is open to new things.

TIP! Do not go shopping for comfort. If you spend your time doing some kind of a hobby instead of running up your credit card bills, you will find that you will not have those high credit card bills to stress out about.

It shouldn?t be scary to make big changes in your life. If you are able to take control of your life and improve yourself, you will see a huge improvement in your quality of life.

Source: http://perfect10introductions.com/2013/02/self-improvement-made-simple-fast-tips-for-great-results/

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Ecuador's Correa in re-election triumph, eyes investment for growth

QUITO (Reuters) - Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa reveled in a sweeping re-election victory that allows him to deepen his socialist revolution even as he seeks to woo foreign investment in the resource-wealthy Andean nation.

The pugnacious 49-year-old economist trounced his nearest rival by more than 30 percentage points on Sunday to win a new four-year term. He has already been in power for six years, winning broad support with ambitious social spending programs.

Correa's resounding victory on Sunday could set him up to become Latin America's most outspoken critic of Washington as Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is locked in a battle with cancer and may be unable to stay in power.

"We will be present wherever we can be useful, wherever we can best serve our fellow citizens and our Latin American brothers," Correa told supporters who celebrated in front of the presidential palace in Quito, waving the ruling Alianza Pais party's neon-green flags.

"This is not just a victory for Ecuador, this is a victory for the great homeland of Latin America," the beaming Correa said.

Correa is now the loudest voice in Latin America arguing against the free-market reforms promoted by Washington and in favor of state-driven economies and expanding ties with China.

Still, the continued success of Latin American socialism will depend on strong commodities prices that underpin generous social spending, and Correa needs to both improve Ecuador's stagnant oil production and spur a nascent mining industry.

In a sign he wants to deepen socialist reforms, Correa's legislative agenda includes a new law that would regulate television and newspaper content, part of his ongoing confrontation with opposition media.

He also plans a land reform campaign to redistribute idle land to the poor.

"Our Ecuador needs a president like Rafael Correa. He has been strong and has not allowed anyone to intimidate him," said Julieta Moira, an unemployed 46-year-old as she celebrated outside the presidential palace. "I'm very excited, happy and thankful."

Correa is also expected to seek changes to a mining law that would help close a deal with Canada's Kinross to develop a large gold reserve.

That will be a major test of his ability to offer investment security while ensuring the state keeps a large portion of revenue.

LEFTIST ALLIES

Chavez, in a statement sent by Venezuela's government, celebrated Correa's re-election as a triumph for the ALBA bloc of leftist nations in Latin America and the Caribbean. The group has been left rudderless since Chavez was sidelined with cancer.

"It is a victory for ALBA, for the Bolivarian and socialist forces of our America, and will help to consolidate an era of change," the statement said, referring to Venezuelan-born South American independence hero Simon Bolivar.

Correa dedicated his victory to Chavez, who is still in a Cuban hospital after undergoing his fourth surgery for cancer on December 11.

Correa's closest rival, Guillermo Lasso, became the face of Ecuador's opposition on Sunday after winning about 23 percent of votes.

The opposition fielded six other candidates including former Correa ally Alberto Acosta, former President Lucio Gutierrez and banana magnate and five-time presidential hopeful Alvaro Noboa.

Critics call Correa a dangerous authoritarian who has curbed media freedom and controlled state institutions. Even some supporters disapprove of his tempestuous outbursts, fights with media and bullying of adversaries.

Ecuadoreans also chose a new Congress on Sunday, and Correa said he expected the ruling Alianza Pais to win a majority.

That would let him avoid negotiating with rivals to pass proposed legislation, including the new media law and land reform measures.

Correa needs to lure investors to diversify the economy and finance the investment in social welfare and infrastructure that helped him win another four-year term.

Ecuador has been locked out of capital markets after a 2008 debt default on $3.2 billion in bonds, and Correa's government has taken an aggressive stance with oil companies to squeeze more revenue from their operations.

PRAGMATIC APPROACH

Foreign investment will be key to boosting oil production that has been stagnant for five years and to expanding a mining industry that has barely begun to tap the country's gold and copper reserves.

"We can't be beggars sitting on a sack of gold," is a catch phrase Correa has used in recent months to argue that Ecuador needs to better exploit its natural resources despite opposition from rural communities to some projects.

In that vein, U.S.-educated Correa appears to be cautiously willing to cut deals and soften his image as an anti-capitalist crusader.

"The advantages of our country for foreign investment are political stability, a strong macroeconomic performance ... and important stimulus to new private investment," he said last week while hosting Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the emir of gas-rich Qatar.

But in comments after his win on Sunday, he stressed that investment was not an end but a means to ensure growth. He promised Ecuador would not "mortgage" itself for foreign cash.

Foreign direct investment has generally been less than $1 billion a year since Correa took office in 2007. By comparison, neighboring Peru and Colombia last year received $7.7 billion and $13 billion, respectively.

"There is still a risk that Correa will seek to change terms for the mining sector once it is more developed, but for now, Correa will show signs of pragmatism as a means of kick-starting the sector," the political risk consultancy Eurasia Group said in an analysis anticipating his victory.

His government is also in talks with China to secure funding for the $12.5 billion Pacifico refinery, which would allow Ecuador to save up to $5 billion a year in fuel imports.

(Editing by Andrew Cawthorne, Kieran Murray and Mohammad Zargham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ecuadors-correa-cruises-election-victory-010116194.html

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