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KABUL (Reuters) – Afghan President Hamid Karzai will replace four people at the national human rights commission to bring fresh blood into the group, and not because he is seeking to remove some of his most outspoken critics, his spokesman said on Friday.

The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) is appointed by the state but acts independently. Any move by the government to oust its workers could raise questions about the state's commitment to protecting human rights.

Aimal Faizi, chief spokesman at the president's office, said Ahmad Nader Nadery, Ahmad Fahim Hakim, and Moulawee Ghulam Mohamad Ghareb will leave the commission after serving two 5-year terms.

A fourth commissioner, Hamida Barmaki, was killed in a suicide attack on a supermarket in Kabul in early 2011 and would need to be replaced as well, he added.

Faizi denied reports that the three men will be replaced because of a report by the rights commission detailing war atrocities over the past three decades, which is expected to be released in early 2012.

"The president is authorized by law to extend or not extend their mission if he wants to. We just want fresh people, new people," Faizi told Reuters.

"The fact that they were working on a report on war atrocities has nothing to do with it because we cannot stop the publication of such a report."

He said the president would announce the new commissioners in coming days.

Nadery and his colleagues have been frank in the past speaking out on issues plaguing war-torn Afghanistan, from women's rights, land grabs, child labor, civilian deaths by Taliban and NATO forces, to the fraud-marred presidential election in 2009.

Nadery said the government was violating procedures which require a consultative process before appointments in the human rights body are made or dismissed.

"I'm waiting for an official letter or decree to see what exactly the reason for my dismission was," he said.

Depending on who is appointed to replace them, the activists' removal could be seen as a blow to Afghanistan's human rights campaigners.

It may also undermine international efforts to foster good governance in the country, combat corruption and strengthen the rule of law as the West is preparing to withdraw the last of its combat troops by the end of 2014.

Karzai's government has also been seeking to negotiate a deal with the hardline Islamist Taliban, which many activists say could compromise the progress made in securing rights of women and other minorities in the past 10 years.

(Reporting by Mirwais Harooni and Agnieszka Flak; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)

(Reuters) – First it was a bronze statue in Hungary. Now it's a Grammy.

The accolades for Steve Jobs, who died Oct 5, are still pouring in. The Recording Academy said on Wednesday it is giving the co-founder of Apple a special "Trustees Award" Grammy. The Grammys, of course, are the top honors in the U.S. music industry.

"As former CEO and co-founder of Apple, Steve Jobs helped create products and technology that transformed the way we consume music, TV, movies, and books," the Recording Academy said in a statement.

"A creative visionary, Jobs' innovations such as the iPod and its counterpart, the online iTunes store, revolutionized the industry and how music was distributed and purchased," the statement added.

A formal acknowledgment of his award will be made during annual Grammy Awards ceremony on February 12 in Los Angeles.

In 2002, Apple was a recipient of a technical Grammy award for contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field.

(Reporting by Poornima Gupta; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Bob Tourtellotte)

DETROIT (Reuters) – In a town where the cars are the stars, a tractor with a top speed of 8-miles-per-hour is ready for its closeup.

Equipped with cupholders, power steering and other fancy trappings, a new line of premium riding lawn mowers from Sears Holdings Corp's (SHLD.O) Craftsman division will debut next month at the Detroit auto show.

It's rare for a non-automobile company to use the show as a launch pad for vehicles not sold at a car dealership, but Craftsman hopes the early January debut can turn car buffs on to a new generation of tractors that come with more advanced technology.

"A lot of people, when they think about mowing, they think about using the tractor as a chore," Craftsman General Manager Kris Malkoski said in an interview on Thursday. "This is a premium tractor -- more of a luxury."

Priced between $3,000 and $6,500, Craftsman's new CTX lineup carry price tags that are as much as double that of more economic mowers.

The move to launch a family of tractors at a car show rather than a conventional lawn and garden show could greatly increase visibility for the brand as it aims to move up market to better take on rivals like Deere & Co (DE.N), Cub Cadet and Toro Co (TTC.N). Craftsman generates $2.5 billion in annual revenue from power products, including drills and garage door openers.

About 750,000 people attend the Detroit show, including thousands of journalists from dozens of countries. For years, automakers have been using the venue to unveil next year's models or test receptivity to moonshot concept cars.

At times, those automakers have even showed off products that are not part of typical product line, such as when Ford Motor Co (F.N) unveiled electrified bicycles or Honda Motor Co (7267.T) featured its ASIMO humanoid robot.

"WHAT'S NEXT?"

However, the Detroit auto show's decision to give Craftsman a platform promises to raise eyebrows of automotive purists who think auto shows should stick to cars.

"It's an automobile show, stupid, not motorcycles or garden implements," former General Motors Co (GM.N) product czar Bob Lutz said. "What's next? Plumbing and bathroom fixtures? A Toto-toilet stand? An Art Van furniture stand?"

Lutz will be launching vehicles at the auto show for Via Motors, which is planning to build extended-range electric pickup trucks and sport utilities that operate like the Chevrolet Volt. These vehicles are based on GM models such as the Silverado truck or Tahoe SUV, but will be sold under the Via brand name.

He is on the Via board of directors.

Joe Rohatynski, a spokesman for the auto show, said the deal with Craftsman is purely a marketing partnership and not intended to rival the 40-plus vehicle launches it plans for the show. Craftsman will be in a concourse with other vendors like the History Channel and Hot Wheels, instead of on the show floor.

But Craftsman's Malkoski sees the event as a significant debut of high-end products by a brand that has largely been associated with lower-priced mowers. The new tractors' 8-mile-per-hour top speed is at the top of the mower industry, she said.

Other features include press-button adjustments for blade height and attachments that quickly convert the mower into a hauler, aerator, sweeper or snowplow. It goes on sale in February at Sears stores in the United States.

"We were so excited about the launch of this line that we said 'how can we take this tractor to the level that great cars are on?' Malkoski said.

The CTX line will be built in New York and Georgia by Briggs & Stratton Co (BGG.N).


'A WHOLE DIFFERENT LIGHT'


"The idea is to put this Craftsman brand in a whole different light," Michael Bernacchi, a marketing professor with University of Detroit Mercy, said. "They're certainly looking to capitalize on the wow factor ... and the curiosity factor."


Craftsman's not the only one looking for a boost.


The Detroit auto show in recent years has scaled back following a dramatic downturn in vehicle demand and the bankruptcies of two domestic automakers. In recent years, some automakers -- including Porsche AG (PSHG_p.DE) and Nissan Motor Co (7201.T) -- didn't even participate in the show, although they will return for 2012.


Like many auto shows around the world, Detroit organizers have courted a litany of emerging players in the global automotive business. The list includes Chinese auto makers yet to sell models in the United States, and alternative-energy vehicle makers with plans to sell battery-powered or hybrid cars, like Lutz's work with the Via brand.


Wes Raynal, editor of AutoWeek magazine, said Detroit organizers have to this point largely avoided following its peers into the world of having a broad range of transportation products on the show floor. But he's encouraged by the change.


"If you go to other shows around the world, you'll see all kinds of different modes of transportation," he said. "Some are there because they are just fans of the internal combustion engine and love wheeled toys, no matter what the toy's purpose."


He referenced the Tokyo auto show, in particular, where visitors can see scooters, bikes and other non-automotive transportation options.


(Reporting By John Stoll; Editing by Tiffany Wu, Phil Berlowitz)

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Wal-Mart and health officials awaited tests Thursday on a batch of powdered infant formula that was removed from more than 3,000 stores nationwide after a Missouri newborn who consumed it apparently died from a rare infection.
The source of the bacteria that caused the infection has not been determined, but it occurs naturally in the environment and in plants such as wheat and rice. The most worrisome appearances have been in dried milk and powdered formula, which is why manufacturers routinely test for the germs.
Wal-Mart pulled the Enfamil Newborn formula from shelves as a precaution following the death of little Avery Cornett in the southern Missouri town of Lebanon.
The formula has not been recalled, and the manufacturer said tests showed the batch was negative for the bacteria before it was shipped. Additional tests were under way.
"We decided it was best to remove the product until we learn more," Wal-Mart spokeswoman Dianna Gee said. "It could be returned to the shelves."
Customers who bought formula in 12.5-ounce cans with the lot number ZP1K7G have the option of returning them for a refund or exchange, Gee said.
The product is not exclusive to Wal-Mart. The manufacturer, Mead Johnson Nutrition, declined to answer questions about whether formula from that batch was distributed to other stores.
"We're highly confident in the safety and quality of our products," said Christopher Perille, a spokesman for the company based in the Chicago suburb of Glenview.
A second infant fell ill late last month after consuming several different types of powdered baby formula, but that child recovered, health officials said.
Powdered infant formula is not sterile, and experts have said there are not adequate methods to completely remove or kill all bacteria that might creep into formula before or during production.
Preliminary hospital tests indicated that Avery died of a rare infection caused by bacteria known as Cronobacter sakazakii. The infection can be treated with antibiotics, but it's deemed extremely dangerous to babies less than 1 month old and those born premature.
The bacteria are "pervasive in the environment," Perille said. "There's a whole range of potential sources on how this infection may have got started."
A spokeswoman for the Food and Drug Administration said the agency is investigating the death, along with the Centers for Disease Control and the Missouri Department of Health. Investigators have collected samples from the family and are testing unopened formula purchased at stores.
Siobhan Delancey said the FDA gets four to six reports a year of infant infections related to formula and has not found a powder that tested positive since 2002.
The FDA is also investigating the other case of illness, which involved a baby from Illinois whose case was reported in neighboring Missouri. But the agency does not believe there is any connection between the two, Delancey said.
Public health investigators will look at the formula itself, as well as the water used in preparing it and at anything else the baby might have ingested, Perille said.
Only two to three cases a year are reported. New Mexico saw two in 2008, including one infant who died and another who suffered severe brain damage. A Tennessee infant died in 2001 after being infected.
It could be several days before test results are available.

The family submitted two types of infant formula for testing — the powdered version and a pre-sterilized, ready-to-eat liquid — as well as the distilled water used to prepare the powdered product.

"We're just trying to test anything that was consumed by the baby," Laclede County Health Director Charla Baker said.

Avery was taken to a pediatrician Dec. 15 — a week after he was born — after showing signs of stomach pain and lethargy. When the pain persisted the next day, his parents took him to an emergency room.

He died Sunday at a hospital in Springfield after being removed from life support.

The Missouri Department of Health advised parents to follow safety guidelines for preparing powdered infant formula, including washing hands, sterilizing all feeding equipment in hot, soapy water and preparing enough formula for only one feeding at a time.

A flood of calls from worried parents prompted Missouri officials to clarify that the formula pulled by Wal-Mart is not being provided to participants in the Women, Infants and Children federal program for low-income parents.

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Associated Press Medical Writer Mike Stobbe in Atlanta contributed to this report.

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Alan Scher Zagier can be reached at http://twitter.com/azagier.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – New orders for U.S. manufactured goods soared in November on strong demand for aircraft, but a gauge of business spending plans fell for a second month, suggesting a cooling in investment.

Durable goods orders jumped 3.8 percent after being flat in October, the Commerce Department said on Friday. Economists had forecast orders rising 2 percent from a previously reported 0.5 percent fall.

Durable goods range from toasters to big-ticket items such as aircraft which are meant to last three years and more.

Excluding transportation, orders rose 0.3 percent after rising 1.5 percent in October. Non-defense capital goods orders excluding aircraft, a closely watched proxy for business spending, fell 1.2 percent.

The category had dropped 0.9 percent in October. Economists' had expected a 1.0 percent gain last month.

Business spending, which has helped the economy to recover from the 2007-09 recession, is slowing, but analysts still expect corporations holding about $2 trillion in cash to continue investing in capital.

Orders for durable goods last month were buoyed by a 14.7 percent increase in bookings for transportation equipment as orders for civilian aircraft surged 73.3 percent.

Boeing received 96 orders for aircraft, according to the plane maker's website, up from 7 in October.

Orders for motor vehicles, however, fell 0.5 percent after rising 5.9 percent the prior month.

Outside transportation, details of the report were mixed, with machinery orders rising, but demand for computers and related products falling.

The decline in orders for motor vehicles, computers and electrical equipment could be related to supply chain disruptions following flooding in Thailand.

Shipments of non-defense capital goods orders excluding aircraft, which go into the calculation of gross domestic product, fell 1.0 percent after declining 0.8 percent in October.

(Reporting By Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Andrea Ricci)