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DAMASCUS, Feb. 29 -- Specialized authorities in Syria are still hunting down remnants of armed groups at restive Baba Amr neighborhood in Homs province, said private al-Ekhbaria TV Wednesday amid other reports by Syria's media claiming that the restive neighborhood is almost under Syrian army's control.

The Ekhbaria TV said many armed men were killed as others have turned themselves in to the authorities in Baba Amr.

Meanwhile, the Syria Now website cited what it called "security sources" as saying that army troops carried out mass cleansing operation in the restive neighborhood, adding that the soldiers are searching all the cellars and tunnels in Baba Amr in search of weapons and "terrorists."

"Baba Amr is living the last hours of fighting and cleansing the area completely is around the corner," the report said.

Baba Amr has emerged as the epicenter of armed confrontation between troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and armed rebels comprising partly of army defectors. Activists said the region has been under the army bombardment for nearly a month.

Activists said hundreds of people have been killed in Baba Amr since Feb. 4, when the Syrian army started its assault on "armed groups."

Earlier in the day, Syria's state-run SANA news agency said three gunmen were killed and others were wounded as they tried to cross from Lebanon into Homs, adding that a Syrian soldier was wounded in the clash.

On Tuesday, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) said that it had evacuated 30 people from Baba Amr.

In a statement carried by SANA, the SARC pointed out that its volunteers in Homs have been working around the clock since Friday in cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross to evacuate the injured form Baba Arm neighborhood.

It added that humanitarian aid was also provided to other restive provinces such as Daraa, Hama, Homs, Deir al-Zour, and some suburbs of the capital such as Madaya and al-Zabadani.

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Eastday-Rebellious Baba Amr area in Syria's Homs largely under control: media reports

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's top official in Tibet has urged authorities to tighten their grip on the Internet and mobile phones, state media reported on Thursday, reflecting the government's fears about unrest ahead of its annual parliamentary session.

The move is the latest in a series of measures the government says are intended to maintain stability, and comes after a spate of self-immolations and protests against Chinese control in the country's Tibetan-populated areas.

It is likely to mean phone and online communications will be even more closely monitored and censored than is normal.

Chen Quanguo, who was appointed the Chinese Communist Party chief of Tibet last August, urged authorities at all levels to "further increase their alertness to stability maintenance" ahead of the National People's Congress, the official Tibet Daily newspaper quoted him as saying on Wednesday.

China's rubber-stamp parliament session meets next Monday.

"Mobile phones, Internet and other measures for the management of new media need to be fully implemented to maintain the public's interests and national security," Chen said.

China has tightened security in what it calls the Tibet Autonomous Region and other Tibetan parts of the country following several incidents in which people have set fire to themselves, and protests against Chinese rule, mostly in Sichuan and Gansu provinces.

March is a particularly sensitive time for Tibet, as it marks five years since deadly riots erupted across the region.

Twenty-two Tibetans have set themselves alight in protest since March 2011, and at least 15 are believed to have died from their injuries, according to rights groups. Most of them were Buddhist monks.

Chen also vowed to "completely crush hostile forces" that he said were led by the Dalai Lama, suggesting that he will not ease the government's hardline stance towards the region, enforced by his predecessor Zhang Qingli.

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China's top Tibet official orders tighter control of Internet

Jammu, Feb 29 : Jammu and Kashmir media fraternity, who were protesting against Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone's remarks that 'media is under his control', this afternoon called off their boycott against the Assembly proceedings.

The media called off the boycott in the backdrop of Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone saying that he had no intention to hurt media.

The protesting mediapersons were this afternoon invited by the government representatives to attend the House followed by a dialogue with the Speaker.

The scribes including the photo journalists decided to resume the House proceedings tomorrow and called off the boycott after Mr Lone said there was some miscommunication and he has regards for media.

Earlier in the morning, the Assembly and the Legislative Council boycott continued for the third consecutive day.

Carrying placards, 'we are united', 'fighting for rights', the media people staged dharna outside the Legislative Complex.

Advisor to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Devinder Singh Rana, MLA Langate Engineer Rashid and other members of the House also appealed to the media to call off their strike.

However, entire media walked out of the Civil Secretariat and held a meeting at Press Club of Jammu thereafter.

The protest was called off after the government representatives invited media for talks with the Speaker in his chamber, which went fruitful.

Four Legislators of the Bhartiya Janata Party this morning extended their support in favour of media and boycotted the House.

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Media call off Jammu Kashmir Assembly boycott

Last weeks political theater staged by Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero was the latest act in a professional relationship with PR executive Kelly Rossman-McKinney that shows things are getting personal.

Berneros biting, 323-word press release calling for Rossman-McKinney to step down from the Lansing Economic Development Corp. board accused her of sour grapes for not getting a contract on the casino; her aggressive opposition to the Kewadin Lansing Casino plan; and a conflict of interest.

Rossman-McKinney has denied the first two claims and came to realize she may have had a conflict of interest by representing the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians on the Greektown Casino until she left the firm of Rossman, Martin & Associates in 2004. Rossman-McKinney said she would have voted yes last week when the EDC board unanimously approved selling a small parcel worth $280,000 at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Cedar Street. Rossman-McKinney stepped down at the behest of Bernero, who had appointed her.

While the administration sticks to its claims that Rossman-McKinneys recusal came too late indeed, Rossman-McKinney told City Pulse on Jan. 30 that she didnt have a conflict of interest with the Kewadin Lansing proposal its not the first time Bernero showed public disdain for Rossman-McKinneys actions.

This news release was a perfect example of the kind of thing you write in the heat of the moment and should put in a desk drawer and review again the following day. It was done in haste and it was bereft of a lot of facts. It called into question my integrity, which I take great offense at, Rossman-McKinney said in a telephone interview Monday.

Based on follow-up questions Monday night, it appears that administration would rather forget about the latest incident.

The statement speaks for itself, said Berneros new chief of staff, Randy Hannan. When asked why the press release included claims that could not be substantiated, Hannan said: Shes entitled to her opinion. Factual information can be subject to interpretation.

In 2007, following the murder of Ruth Hallman the mother of Berneros political enemy, Carol Wood Rossman-McKinney delivered the eulogy at Hallmans funeral. As you may know, my firm paid dearly for that because it had been the lead on community relations and strategic communications surrounding the combined sewer overflow project, Rossman-McKinney said.

Rossman-McKinney served on the EDC board for four or five years, she said, and had to recuse herself on votes relating to Pat Gillespie and Sam Eyde projects. So why did Bernero ask her to step down in this case? Hannan said it was the timing.

When asked how she sees her professional relationship with Bernero moving forward, Rossman-McKinney paused for a moment, looking for the right words. Do you think less of him as a politician? I asked.

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It's personal

SMARTRAC further strengthens its trusted brand * KSW Microtec AG changes company name to SMARTRAC TECHNOLOGY Dresden GmbH * Launch of group-wide branding activities to reinforce global visibility of the SMARTRAC brand

Amsterdam, March 1, 2012 - SMARTRAC N.V., a leading developer, manufacturer, and supplier of RFID transponders and inlays, announced that the company has launched group-wide branding activities to further strengthen its well-known and trusted brand. As part of the branding measures, KSW Microtec AG (KSW) changed its company name to SMARTRAC TECHNOLOGY Dresden GmbH.

KSW was acquired by SMARTRAC on December 14, 2011. The integration of KSWs business into the SMARTRAC Group commenced shortly after the acquisition. The change of name of KSW to SMARTRAC TECHNOLOGY Dresden GmbH is a result of the Groups strategy to unite its core business under the family brand SMARTRAC and is a sign of togetherness and commitment to the same values and principles.

We have established < Combining the Best> as guiding principle for the current integration processes, said Dr. Christian Fischer, CEO of SMARTRAC. This basic idea is not only expression of our mindset on how we want to realize the integration processes. It is also expression of the value we aim to generate for our joint customer base and business partners.

Combining KSWs long-term expertise in the high frequency (HF) and ultra-high frequency (UHF) RFID inlay production and proprietary know-how with SMARTRACs strengths and capabilities fortifies SMARTRACs technology base, product portfolio, and market position.

As a result of the integration, customers will benefit from the best product portfolio in the access control, e-payment, e-Ticketing, and asset management application fields as well as for high-security products for government identification documents.

In addition, the combined business activities aim at delivering customers the best service, highest quality, innovation, and best value within the proven and dedicated business model as a developer, manufacturer, and supplier of RFID transponders and inlays.

We are very pleased that the integration process developed fast and smooth. The fact that we were able to complete the integration within two months only after the acquisition clearly shows that the teams and businesses ideally complement each other, said Thomas Hitzer, CEO of former KSW, new Head of Business Unit Cards and Member of the Group Executive Team at SMARTRAC.

The Combining the Best guiding principle also includes the integration of UPM RFID into the SMARTRAC Group. The acquisition of UPM RFID is not completed yet; closing of the transaction is still subject to customary conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to be completed within the first quarter of 2012.

The group-wide branding activities which include among others the launch of a new company logo are scheduled for a period of 14 months and aim at reinforcing the global visibility of the SMARTRAC brand.

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DGAP-News: SMARTRAC further strengthens its trusted brand