$33,000 spent on sequestered jurors

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) ? About $33,000 was spent to sequester the six female jurors who acquitted George Zimmerman of any crime for fatally shooting Trayvon Martin, according to details released Wednesday by the Seminole County Sheriff's Office.

The sheriff's office spent almost 10 times that amount ? $320,000 ? on total costs related to the trial, including overtime and equipment.

During their three weeks of sequestration, jurors took an excursion to St. Augustine, Fla.; watched the movies "The Lone Ranger" and "World War Z;" went on bowling excursions; and saw Fourth of July fireworks.

All television, Internet use, mail and phone calls were screened and logged by deputies who provided security for them at all times. Jurors were allowed to use their cell phones once a day to check for voicemails and make calls in front of a deputy, according to the sheriff's office.

Jurors ate most of their breakfast and dinner meals at the Marriott hotel where they stayed during sequestration. They dined out twice.

They received visits on weekends from family and friends, who had to sign an agreement promising not to discuss anything related to the case.

Despite spending 22 days together, four of the jurors have distanced themselves from statements another juror made in a televised interview.

The four jurors issued a brief statement Tuesday on court letterhead saying the opinions expressed by Juror B37 to CNN's Anderson Cooper are not representative of their views.

"The opinions of Juror B37, expressed on the Anderson Cooper show were her own, and not in any way representative of the jurors listed below," said the statement, signed by Jurors B51, B76, E6 and E40. The six-sentence statement did not specify what parts of the other juror's comments they disagreed with.

Juror B37 said the actions of Zimmerman and 17-year-old Trayvon Martin both led to the teenager's fatal shooting last year, but that Zimmerman didn't actually break the law.

The four other jurors said in their statement that Martin's death weighed on them.

"Serving on this jury has been a highly emotional and physically draining experience for each of us," the statement said. "The death of a teenager weighed heavily on our hearts but in the end we did what the law required us to do."

They also made a request for privacy. The court has not released the names of the six-woman jury, which included five whites and one woman who appeared to reporters to be Hispanic. B37's face was obscured by shadow during her interview.

In a statement to CNN released Wednesday, Juror B37 said she prayed for those who have the power to modify laws that gave her "no verdict option other than 'not guilty' in order to remain within the instructions."

Juror B37 had an agreement with a literary agent to explore a book deal. But under pressure from critics in social media, that relationship ended when she realized the emotions tied to the case once she was out of the bubble of sequestration, she said.

"My prayers are with Trayvon's parents for their loss, as they have always been," she said.

Court officials also released the questionnaire given to potential jurors on Wednesday. The six-question form asks if they had heard about Martin or Zimmerman; if they had formed an opinion as to Zimmerman's guilt or innocence; and if they could put aside any opinion they had formed and focus only on the evidence presented in testimony.

Juror B37's interview came two days after the jury acquitted Zimmerman of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Martin in a gated community in Sanford, Fla. Martin was black, and Zimmerman identifies himself as Hispanic. Zimmerman was not arrested for 44 days, and the delay in charging him led to protests from those who believed race was a factor in the handling of the case.

While prosecutors accused Zimmerman of profiling Martin, Zimmerman maintained he acted in self-defense. He claimed Martin was slamming his head into the concrete sidewalk when he fired the gun.

___

Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mikeschneiderap

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/33-000-spent-sequestered-jurors-204448540.html

Hurricane Isaac Sam Claflin Tony Farmer West Nile virus symptoms snooki Prince Harry Vegas pictures Avril Lavigne

NY man pleads not guilty in Deen extortion plot

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) ? A New York man has pleaded not guilty to charges he tried to extort embattled celebrity cook Paula Deen.

Federal court documents show Thomas George Paculis of Newfield, N.Y., appeared in Chatham County Superior Court on Tuesday morning to enter his not guilty plea.

An indictment filed July 10 in U.S. District Court in Savannah charges Paculis with trying to extort Deen of $200,000 in exchange for keeping quiet about allegedly damaging remarks Deen has made in the past. Details on what Deen's alleged remarks were, and the relationship between Paculis and Deen, is unclear.

A call to Paculis' court-appointed attorney wasn't answered.

The case took form after Deen's culinary empire began crumbing in response to her acknowledging during a deposition that she used racial slurs in the past.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ny-man-pleads-not-guilty-deen-extortion-plot-184429217.html

ncis how i met your mother tesla barbara walters 24 kermit gosnell revenge

How cranberries impact infection-causing bacteria

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Researchers are shedding light on the biological mechanisms by which cranberries may impart protective properties against urinary tract and other infections.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/living_well/~3/pdmZU5TwWzQ/130715114654.htm

venus williams Freeh Report direct tv Savages Home Run Derby 2012 San Diego fireworks steve nash

Sony drops appeal and pays ?250,000 UK fine for data lost in 2011 PlayStation Network hack

Sony has finally agreed to pay the ?250,000 (nearly $400,000) that UK authorities handed in January following the conclusion of an investigation into the hacking of its PlayStation Network in 2011. The incident compromised millions of users? account details.

The electronics firm initially appealed the decision levied by the Information Commissioner?s Office (ICO), but an update released by the ICO on Friday ? via Engadget ? confirmed it has agreed to reluctantly pay up. Sony dropped its appeal because it did not want to provide details relating to its security system.

Commenting in January, Sony said it ?strongly disagreed? with the ruling, claiming that it was the victim of an attack and that there was no evidence that customers? card details, which were encrypted, were lost.

The PlayStation Network had more than 70 million users when it was attacked in April 2011. Hackers were thought to have gained access to millions of customers? names, email address, physical addresses, dates of birth and pa##words. While it was unclear whether cards details were accessed, the ICO considered the details to have been ?at risk?.

Sony has since beefed up the security measures that protect its network and, though the fine is not significant to a multinational firm of its size, the ICO?s attribution of blame was noteworthy given the rise in hacking and cyber-attacks.

?There?s no disguising that this is a business that should have known better,? David Smith, the Deputy Commissioner and Director of Data Protection, said in a statement in January. ?It is a company that trades on its technical expertise, and there?s no doubt in my mind that they had access to both the technical knowledge and the resources to keep this information safe.?

Source: http://slumz.boxden.com/f13/sony-drops-appeal-pays-250-000-uk-fine-data-lost-2011-playstation-network-hack-1952254/

greta van susteren the five year engagement chris kreider correspondents dinner 2012 white house correspondents dinner 2012 whcd 2012 nfl draft

Petrol bombs, bricks thrown in third night of N.Irish violence

By Ian Graham

BELFAST (Reuters) - Rioters threw petrol bombs, bricks, bottles and fireworks at police in a third night of violence in Northern Ireland around traditional Protestant marches, wounding one officer early on Monday.

Protesters built a burning barricade across one road and burned out one car during the clashes that first flared on Friday following a dispute over a marching route.

Thousands of pro-British Protestants march every summer, a regular flashpoint for sectarian violence as Catholics, many of whom favour unification with Ireland, see the parades as a provocation.

A 1998 peace deal mostly ended decades of sectarian strife in the British province but trouble still breaks out, particularly around the Orange parades which mark a 1690 Protestant victory over a Catholic king.

Police said they had brought hundreds of reinforcements from Britain to cope with any more violence.

Both the Protestant Orange Order, which organizes the marches, and the devolved government, called for calm.

"It's very important that cool heads prevail in these circumstances and I hope people will obey the announcement and statement by the Orange Institution that people should desist from violence," said Peter Robinson, who heads the government.

Protestant marchers, unhappy because authorities ruled they could not walk along a stretch of road that divides the two communities, started throwing bricks and bottles at police on Friday.

The force responded with water cannon and rubber bullets.

Forty-four police officers have been wounded over the weekend and 49 people arrested, including one aged 10.

Special court sittings were held on Sunday to deal with 10 of those charged and most were remanded in custody.

(Editing by Sam Cage and Andrew Heavens)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/petrol-bombs-bricks-thrown-third-night-n-irish-084418464.html

katie couric barista university of kentucky oakland news pinnacle airlines kansas vs kentucky oakland

Market Focus: Trends and Developments in the Bakery and Cereals Sector in Japan - New Report Available

2013-07-15 01:50:00 - New Food research report from Canadean is now available from Fast Market Research

This report provides a concise overview of the Bakery and Cereals market in Japan. After reading this report, you will understand the size of the market, the economic, demographic, and behavioural trends that will drive its evolution, and the leading players within the market, allowing you to plan effectively for the future.

Introduction and Landscape
Why was the report written?
This overview of the consumer and market dynamics of the Japanese Bakery and Cereals sector allows new entrants and established players to gain rapid and comprehensive insight into the current state of the market and identify the key trends that will drive growth in the coming years.

What is the current market landscape and what is changing?
Consumption frequency and product selection within the Bakery

and Cereals sector in Japan is critically linked to factors such as age-specific needs, lifestyle needs, and consumer taste and preferences. Japan's changing demographics and busy lives make it imperative for the marketers to fulfill the specific nutritional needs and consumption habits, or to match the food habits and lifestyles of the consumer group. Japan's older consumers, aged 60 or over, made up just over a quarter of Japan's population; by 2017 they'll make up over a third. Marketers face a challenge meeting the nutritional needs and consumption habits of older consumers.

Full Report Details at
- www.fastmr.com/prod/646391_market_focus_trends_and_developments_ ..

What are the key drivers behind recent market changes?
Women constitute 42% of Japan's workforce. Working women with a busy work schedule favour easy-to-eat and protein enriched food such as Breakfast Cereals, Energy Bars, Cereal Bars to save time. New product development is targeting women and addressing health concerns to overcome the challenging market environment with intense price competition among manufacturers and highly consolidated retailers.

What makes this report unique and essential to read?
This report brings together consumer insight and market data to provide a comprehensive brief of the Japanese Bakery and Cereals sector. This allows for the rapid identification of key growth opportunities across 11 Bakery and Cereal categories and their packaging.

Key Features and Benefits
Analysis of consumer behaviour, economic conditions, and demography reveals emerging opportunities in the Bakery and Cereals sector.

Key growth categories are highlighted by analysing the market dynamics of 11 Bakery and Cereal categories.

Market shares are provided for the leading brands and private label across Bakery and Cereals categories.

An overview of packaging trends in the Japanese Bakery and Cereals sector is provided, including primary packaging material and type, packaging closures, and outer packaging.

Key Market Issues
Japanese consumers prefer to purchase staple goods such as Bread and Rolls and Breakfast Cereals from Convenience Stores and Hypermarkets and Supermarkets. However, elderly consumers prefer to shop at local Convenience stores, providing an opportunity for this channel as the population ages. Working women, the other large consumer group, are time-poor, and therefore tend to frequent large shopping malls less often. The purchase frequency of Food and Grocery products will grow fastest in Convenience stores.

Though Japanese consumers enjoy traditional food, their busy lives and an increasing number of single person households have contributed to demand for quick and easy meals that are purchased either at retail outlets or eaten at fast food chains offering traditional or western fast food.

The value of Breakfast Cereals is growing quickly in Japan, at a projected CAGR of 3.5% during 2007-2017, as a result of a combination of demand for a healthier breakfast, the influence of US culture, and the marketing power of large manufacturers.

Japan is one of the fastest aging nations among developed countries. Consumers above the age of 65 accounted for 24% of the population in 2012, while children aged 14 and under made up only 13% of the population. Marketers face the choice of targeting Japan's growing older population, and their specific nutritional needs and consumption habits, or attempting to appeal to younger consumers.

Bread and Rolls accounted for 40% of the total packaging materials used in Japan's Bakery and Cereals sector in 2012, driving significant demand for Flexible Packaging Bags/Sachets with Plastic Tie closures.

Key Highlights
Japan's GDP growth faltered following the triple catastrophe of earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear accident in 2011, and economic turmoil in 2012 in Europe. However, under the new economic policy of the incumbent government, the economy grew fastest among the G7 countries during Q1 2013. Higher consumption expenditure is expected to boost CPG sales including Bakery and Cereals.

Japanese consumers' propensity towards cost cutting and preference for budget products means the private label market in the country is thriving. Private Label penetration varies depending on the product category in the Bakery and Cereals sector: Private Label's presence is low in categories such as Breakfast Cereals and high in the Bread and Rolls category.

Breakfast Cereals will record the fastest growth rates in Japan's Bakery and Cereals sector. The higher growth of the Breakfast Cereal categories represents the growth of new staple foods in Japanese cuisine, driven by the demand for quick, convenient meals and the influence of "western" culture among key consumer groups.

About Canadean

Canadean Consulting provides specialist support on commercial, strategic and marketing issues to the international beverage, packaging and liquid food industries. Significant investment has transformed all Canadean?s beverage databases into interactive market analysis tools, geared to clients? annual and strategic business planning cycles. View more research from Canadean at www.fastmr.com/catalog/publishers.aspx?pubid=1028

About Fast Market Research

Fast Market Research is an online aggregator and distributor of market research and business information. We represent the world's top research publishers and analysts and provide quick and easy access to the best competitive intelligence available.

For more information about these or related research reports, please visit our website at www.fastmr.com or call us at 1.800.844.8156.

Source: http://reports.pr-inside.com/market-focus-trends-and-developments-in-r3734805.htm

match day nene dark shadows trailer nate mcmillan clooney arrested southern miss rod blagojevich

Aussie Holds Ground as Chinese GDP Fears Fail to Materialize; Yen Weakest

DailyFX ??|??July 15 2013 7:30 EDT

Meanwhile, the USDJPY is trading back near 100.00.

ASIA/EUROPE FOREX NEWS WRAP

The Dow Jones FXCM Dollar Index (Ticker: USDOLLAR) has edged higher to start the week and has nearly taken back all of its losses since Wednesday, when Fed Chairman Bernanke deployed dovish rhetoric as a way of pushing US Treasury yields lower once more. With the US economy showing signs of improvement in key sectors, market participants will be watching today?s US Advance Retail Sales report for June for confirmation that gains in jobs and housing in recent weeks are reflective of improved consumption trends.

The data today is one of two key prints out of the United States before Wednesday?s fireworks, when Fed Chairman Bernanke takes to Capitol Hill for his likely last semiannual testimony in front of Congress. While today?s consumption report should show a stronger US economy, tomorrow?s inflation data ? the other key report ? suggests that the US economy isn?t growing fast enough to warrant a withdrawal of stimulus.

As the market tries to peg where Chairman Bernanke?s bias will lay on Wednesday, risk appetite has seen a nice boost to start the week after the 2Q?13 Chinese GDP report. Although the headline missed expectations, the annualized print of +7.5% came short of the +7.7% consensus forecast (and +7.7% model estimate), there had been growing chatter the past week or two that a print near +7.0% should be expected; needless to say, the report can be viewed as somewhat positive in that regard. Accordingly, the Australian Dollar, facing record short positioning among speculative traders, is seeing relief as well; and the AUDJPY is outperforming as a result.

Read more: Chinese GDP Sets Table for Improved Risk amid CPI Data from EZ, UK, US

Taking a look at European credit, peripheral yields are mostly mixed but Portugal continues to underperform and lead. The Italian 2-year note yield has decreased to 1.710% (-0.4-bps) while the Spanish 2-year note yield has increased to 2.040% (-1.7-bps). Similarly, the Italian 10-year note yield has increased to 4.481% (+0.1-bps) while the Spanish 10-year note yield has decreased to 4.756% (-0.9-bps); higher yields imply lower prices.

RELATIVE PERFORMANCE (versus USD): 10:40 GMT

AUD: +0.01%

CAD: -0.30%

EUR: -0.34%

NZD:-0.36%

GBP:-0.39%

CHF:-0.53%

JPY:-0.73%

Dow Jones FXCM Dollar Index (Ticker: USDOLLAR): +0.33% (-0.38% prior 5-days)

ECONOMIC CALENDAR

See the DailyFX Economic Calendar for a full list, timetable, and consensus forecasts for upcoming economic indicators. Want the forecasts to appear right on your charts? Download the DailyFX News App.

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS OUTLOOK

EURUSD: No change as the EURUSD holds below 50% of its Tuesday to Thursday move: ?The EURUSD was flirting with a H&S breakdown but instead rebounded sharply off of the purported Neckline and achieved price over $1.3200. Today?s close is very important for sentiment headed into next week; a close below 1.3083 would signify a 50% pullback of today?s rally and set up an Inverted Hammer (bearish reversal candle). I maintain: ?A [weekly] close below 1.2800 tentatively triggers the broader Head & Shoulders pattern, whose measured move points to a return to the June 2010 lows near 1.1875.??

USDJPY: On Thursday I said: ?The rejection of the 76.4% Fib retracement at 101.35/40 (May high to June low) is only a near-term setback, as the break off of the late-May to mid-June correction in the pair completed the last week of June. ?longs preferred into early next week.? Indeed, the 50% retracement of the June low to July high at 98.75 held as support and the pair has already bounced higher; a run at 102.00 shouldn?t be ruled out this week.

GBPUSD: No change: ?Big picture: the GBPUSD broke the uptrend off of the 2009, 2010, and 2012 lows, signaling the beginning of a greater selloff towards 1.4200/50. Any rallies in the pair look to be sold; price could climb to 1.5290 (50% Fib March low to May high) on a rebound now that the GBPUSD has broken through RSI trend support off of the March 12 and May 29 lows. Price has undercut key Bear Flag support off of the March 12 and May 29 lows; and now the move towards 1.4200 appears to have begun. The rally the past [few] days has seen price trade back to the underside of the Bear Flag, and ideal selling opportunity.?

AUDUSD: No change: ?Fresh selling has provoked an even steeper decline in the AUDUSD, with the pair falling towards the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement off the 2008 low to the 2011 high at $0.9141. While fundamentally I am long-term bearish, it is worth noting that the most readily available data shows COT positioning remains extremely short Aussie. Bullish divergence on the daily chart has formed once more, suggesting that consolidation or perhaps a small rally back towards 0.9330/420 is due; or another quick, sharp drop is necessary to clear the technical discrepancy.?

S&P 500: Last week I said ?now price finds itself on its way towards mid-June swing highs and the 76.4% Fib retracement (May high June low) at 1655/60.? Gains have accelerated, with the S&P 500 achieving the 88.6% Fib retracement at 1672/75 overnight; a test of the yearly and all-time high at 1687.4 shouldn?t be discounted yet.1640 is key support for bulls.

GOLD: No change ?Gold has fallen into the 10/20 RSI support region, where price has held on numerous probes lower ultimately producing a short-term rally. More recently, daily RSI has only dipped into this region in mid-February and mid-April?Basing just below $1200/oz shouldn?t be dismissed, as at 1189.91 lies the 100% extension of March high/April low/April high move, as well as the 61.8% extension of the October high (post-QE3 announcement)/April low/April high move at 1192.? It should be noted that the rally off of Friday?s low has produced a maximum of +10.02% so far, eclipsing the rebound seen from late-May to early-June, when Gold rebounded by +6.36%.

--- Written by Christopher Vecchio, Currency Analyst

To contact Christopher Vecchio, e-mail cvecchio@dailyfx.com

Follow him on Twitter at @CVecchioFX

To be added to Christopher?s e-mail distribution list, please fill out this form

original source

---

---

---

---

---

Source: http://www.forextv.com/forex-news-story/aussie-holds-ground-as-chinese-gdp-fears-fail-to-materialize-yen-weakest

Canelo Alvarez red wings luke bryan michele bachmann disneyland Now You See Me chrissy teigen

Taxibeat Raises $2M And Rides Into Mexico To Start The Meter On Rocket Internet's Easy Taxi

Taxibeat, the hail-a-cab smartphone app and taxi driver marketplace, has raised an additional $2 million, adding to the approximately $1.4 million raised previously. Once again, the backing comes from unnamed high-net worth individuals, while the new capital will be used, in part, to further fuel the Greek startup's continued expansion into Latin America, a market that is seeing it go up against Rocket Internet's much better funded Easy Taxi.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/zy-o4PCSS5Y/

nbc UMass Dartmouth Katherine Russell MBTA Fox News Live Boston lockdown jennifer love hewitt

Music industry groups band together to promote eco-friendly ...

After this year?s Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival ended, cleanup crews were faced with tons of debris left on the site in Manchester, Tenn. Key music industry leaders are joining together to promote greener practices.
(photo: John Partipilo / The Tennessean)

Whether it?s giant tour buses criss-crossing the country or thousands of fans littering concert venues, the music industry isn?t always the most environmentally friendly.

After the 2011 South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, one official called the entertainment industry ?the second-dirtiest industry in the world.?

But key leaders in the music industry are trying to fix that, and they don?t mind if you call them environmentalists.

Artists, recording studios and instrument manufacturers are combining to promote eco-friendly practices in music. Among instrument manufacturers, major guitar companies are focusing on obeying conservation laws and promoting sustainable forestation practices for materials used in their products.

Last year, Nashville-based Gibson Guitar Corp. agreed to pay $300,000 on charges that it illegally imported wood from Madagascar and India, a violation of the Lacey Act of 1900, which prohibits importation of wildlife, plants and wood harvested in violation of foreign laws.

CEOs Chris Martin of C.F. Martin and Co. and Bob Taylor of Taylor Guitars are among supporters of the Lacey Act, and they say the law doesn?t restrict their business ? it just forces sustainable practices and environmental awareness.

?I?m all for environmental sustainability in music,? Taylor said. ?It?s just about foresting properly.?

Taylor operates his own facilities in Cameroon, so he can ensure his materials are forested sustainably, legally and not in a way that?s harmful to anything or anyone else. He says that?s the easiest way to ?do it right, environmentally.?

Guitar manufacturers have relied on valuable spruce, rosewood, mahogany and ebony wood materials from such countries as Brazil and India since Martin?s ancestor Christian Frederick Martin Sr. built the first guitar in America in the 1830s. The industry is watching these materials dwindle rapidly, and many expect this will lead to a change in guitar-making altogether.

A tough sell

Chris Martin says if the time comes when guitars must be built from alternative materials, it won?t be easy to convince consumers that?s good.

?One of the things that we struggle with is the tradition that we have created around the instruments,? he said. ?We?ve done such a good job that it?s difficult to convince customers that other woods or other materials are appropriate.?

The Clean Vibes crew cleans up on Saturday morning during Bonnaroo. Adam Gardner, frontman for Guster, founded environmental sustainability group Reverb in 2004, the same year the band played Bonnaroo. (photo: John Partipilo / The Tennessean)

?As an acoustic (guitar) builder, protecting the rainforest and the hardwood is an obligation we have,? said Tom Bedell, co-owner of Two Old Hippies and Bedell Guitars.

Environmental activism in the industry isn?t limited to instrument makers. Adam Gardner, frontman for Boston-based band Guster, is well-known for being active on environmental issues. In 2004, he co-founded Reverb, a nonprofit dedicated to spreading environmental sustainability in music tours and throughout the music industry.

Reverb has worked with many popular artists to help make their tours ?green,? among them, the Dave Matthews Band, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jack Johnson.

Gardner says the platforms offered to popular bands such as Guster provide a valuable opportunity for spreading awareness.

?We can use it as a platform to support campaigns and organizations and to educate fans about what they can do to make shows less impactful,? Gardner said.

Gardner said Reverb?s mission is to involve artists and fans equally in a greater initiative for sustainable practices in live music. The group works on ride-share programs to cut down on travel emissions and with waste management groups to ensure no garbage is left behind. It also sources food and merchandise locally and organically.

The artists? job, he said, is to show fans that environmental sustainability is possible, and easy.

?It?s about the tour being a working example to the fans,? Gardner said. ?Artists can directly solve the issue and show the fans, ?Hey, look at what we just did to help the environment. Join us.??

Martin and Taylor say they would definitely be open to partnering with a group such as Reverb to help promote the issues, and Gardner agrees.

?Music has always been in the throes of social change,? he said. ?Us in the industry, we?re in such a unique position to make change.?

? Hamlet Fort
The Tennessean

Contact Hamlet Fort at 615-259-8071 or hfort@tennessean.com. Follow him on Twitter @rangerham.

How to become active

To get involved with Reverb, got to www.reverb.org, or visit the group?s eco-village at The Woods Amphitheater at Fontanel.

Share on Facebook

Tennessean Music

Source: http://blogs.tennessean.com/tunein/2013/07/13/music-industry-groups-band-together-to-promote-eco-friendly-practices/

sign of the times keystone pipeline purim acc tournament big ten tournament big east tournament 2012 solar storm

The Israeli military has test-fired a new long-range ballistic missile reportedl...

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.facebook.com/PRESSTV/posts/567787869929671

red wings luke bryan michele bachmann disneyland Now You See Me chrissy teigen Andre 3000

Texas abortion vote joins growing legal frenzy (Washington Post)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/319183982?client_source=feed&format=rss

mindy mccready downton abbey nba all star game danica patrick Michelle Laxalt Alabama Shakes Safe Haven

Vietnam?s President Visiting the White House to Talk Strategy

President Barack Obama is scheduled to host Vietnamese president Truong Tan Sang at the White House on July 25. Sang?s first-ever visit to Washington will provide a platform for the leaders to explore closer cooperation between the two historically linked countries.

Within ASEAN, Vietnam may be the country most focused on geostrategic balancing. Given its proximity to, history with, and unique understanding of China, Vietnam has become one of the region?s most effective proponents for strengthening relations, building institutions, and convincing China to emerge as a regional power with respect for its neighbors.

While it thinks regionally, Vietnam itself is evolving politically. Sang?s visit comes at a particularly critical time at home. The government is struggling with how to allow more political space for its citizens, who have become empowered through the economic benefits of its reform efforts. Vietnam expert Jonathan London of City University of Hong Kong points out that over the past six months, a much more vibrant and open political debate has emerged in the country on issues such as revising the constitution. The Communist Party of Vietnam has allowed higher levels of access to government decision-making and accountability, including allowing National Assembly members to evaluate the performance of top government leaders.

Much of this debate has played out in a dynamic blogosphere at the same time that more Vietnamese bloggers are being arrested. Interestingly, this debate has emerged at a time when the domestic economy has slowed and conflicts within the ruling party have burst into the open.?

Despite these complications at home, and in part because of them, Vietnam?s leaders have launched a diplomatic offensive of sorts in recent months. Sang is coming to Washington shortly after visits to Beijing to meet with the new Chinese leadership and to Indonesia to sign a strategic partnership agreement. The Vietnamese president?s meeting with Obama will come less than two months after Sang?s political rival, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, made what London calls ?an unusually effective presentation of Vietnamese views on the international stage? when he delivered a keynote speech on regional security at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in early June.?

Vietnamese leaders competing for good ideas and leadership profile is not a bad thing for the country?s partners, including the United States. The Obama administration came into office in 2009 looking to rebalance the focus of U.S. foreign policy toward a more broadly defined Indo-Pacific region with Southeast Asia at its core. As part of that effort, it proposed discussing a strategic partnership with Vietnam. But that strategic partnership never quite took off.

Conservative factions in Vietnam appeared reluctant to go too far too fast with the United States out of concerns about irritating China, a country with which Vietnam?s Communist Party and military enjoy long-standing but often tense ties. In Washington, Congress put increasing pressure on the administration to address human rights violations in Vietnam, which worsened at the same time that nearby Myanmar?s dramatic political reforms were garnering increasing attention in Washington.?

Sang?s arrival will give both sides an opportunity to recalibrate the bilateral relationship. It is not clear if the two partners believe this is the right time to resurrect the strategic partnership, but the discussion is expected to be comprehensive, covering economic and trade relations, political and security issues, and people-to-people ties.

For Vietnam, the visit will offer an opportunity to pursue issues like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), enhancing military-to-military ties, and a discussion of security issues in Asia, particularly in the disputed South China Sea where both China and Vietnam are claimants.

For the United States, the visit will provide a chance to discuss its concerns on human rights and religious freedom. These issues, once a one-way discussion, have become more interactive, according to officials on both sides. That sadly has not eradicated the issues causing concern, but a foundation for mutual respect and consideration is starting to be established.

?Human rights should be part [of a larger U.S.] strategy, but should not become the focal point that impedes progress in other areas,? argues Carlyle Thayer, a leading scholar on Vietnam at the Australia Defence Force Academy.

Bilateral relations between the United States and Vietnam have improved dramatically since normalization 17 years ago. The two countries now enjoy strong two-way trade, which reached $25 billion in 2012 (with the United States suffering a trade deficit of almost $16 billion), and they are partners in the 12-nation TPP trade agreement negotiations. Strong people-to-people ties have developed, with Vietnam now the eighth-largest provider of foreign students to U.S. schools.

A robust economic partnership is the linchpin of strong U.S.-Vietnam relations. Washington pushed hard to include Vietnam, one of the least developed countries negotiating the TPP, in the agreement. Vietnam signed on because officials thought it would speed up the country?s integration into the global market and accelerate domestic economic reform. Many analysts believe that Vietnam stands to be one of the biggest winners from the TPP.?

During his visit, Sang will look for a signal from the U.S. president that the United States will provide increased market access to Vietnam?s booming garment industry, a key condition for Hanoi agreeing to other TPP provisions. Some TPP negotiating partners are quietly urging the United States to give this issue more consideration, as it is fundamental for Vietnam to participate in an agreement that could completely reorder its laws and its approach to commercial engagement with partners in the TPP.

Washington, on the other hand, will look for a commitment from Vietnam that it will level the playing field for competition with its state-owned enterprises and do more to protect intellectual property rights. Obama can also be expected to offer Vietnam technical assistance to address the broad range of new trade and investment issues the country will confront in the TPP.

The South China Sea dispute is another hot topic that will be discussed in the meeting. Both presidents can be expected to endorse efforts between ASEAN countries and China to negotiate a code of conduct to avoid accidental conflicts in the South China Sea.?

Thayer recommends that the United States consider ways to assist Vietnam in raising maritime domain awareness through the sale of coastal radar technology, supporting aerial surveillance, and promoting cooperation between the U.S. Coast Guard and Vietnam?s Marine Police.?

On military-to-military relations, Vietnam has been focused but careful, based on its concern that cooperation with the United States could complicate relations with China. Nonetheless, there could be a thaw in the air with the recent meeting in Washington between Vietnam?s chief of the General Staff, Senior Lt. Gen. Do Ba Ty, and the U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey.

To follow up on the general?s visit, Thayer suggests that Washington consider offering Vietnamese officers more fellowships at U.S. national defense establishments and fund Vietnam?s participation in international seminars and conferences of interest to both countries. Washington has earlier offered to assist Vietnam with its commitment to increase its involvement in international peacekeeping.

Both Vietnam and the United States recognize that it is in their strategic interests to maintain close relations. Sang?s visit will reaffirm that shared belief and set the stage for a more enhanced U.S.-Vietnam partnership in the decade ahead.

(This Commentary originally appeared in the July 11, 2013, issue of Southeast Asia from the Corner of 18th & K Streets.)

Murray Hiebert is senior fellow and deputy director of the Sumitro Chair for Southeast Asia Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. Phoebe De Padua is a researcher with the Sumitro Chair.

Commentary is produced by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a private, tax-exempt institution focusing on international public policy issues. Its research is nonpartisan and nonproprietary. CSIS does not take specific policy positions. Accordingly, all views, positions, and conclusions expressed in this publication should be understood to be solely those of the author(s).

? 2013 by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. All rights reserved.

Source: http://csis.org/publication/vietnams-president-visiting-white-house-talk-strategy

Sebastian De La Cruz The Last of Us Yeezus Flag Day 2013 UFC 161 College World Series Alex Cobb

Carrie Underwood gets political on Twitter

FILE - This June 5, 2013 file photo shows Carrie Underwood at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. Underwood used Twitter to oppose the "Ag Gag" bill, that opponents claimed would have stopped investigation into animal abuse on farms, in Tennessee, reaching out directly to Gov. Bill Haslam with a boldly worded message saying if he signed it ?he needs to expect me at his front door.? (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - This June 5, 2013 file photo shows Carrie Underwood at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. Underwood used Twitter to oppose the "Ag Gag" bill, that opponents claimed would have stopped investigation into animal abuse on farms, in Tennessee, reaching out directly to Gov. Bill Haslam with a boldly worded message saying if he signed it ?he needs to expect me at his front door.? (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Invision/AP, File)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) ? Carrie Underwood has found her voice on Twitter.

The country music star and former "American Idol" champion admitted 3? years ago she was afraid to join Twitter, but since deciding to take the leap in 2011 she's embraced the social media tool in ways that go beyond fan engagement. Recently she used Twitter to oppose the "Ag Gag" bill in Tennessee, reaching out directly to Gov. Bill Haslam with a boldly worded message saying if he signed it "he needs to expect me at his front door."

It was the first time she's taken a political stand so publicly, and it seemed to have an impact. Haslam contacted Underwood to discuss the issue and went on to veto the bill that opponents claimed would have stopped investigation into animal abuse on farms.

"He really just wanted to hear everybody's point of view, which I really respected," Underwood said in a recent interview. "So it's kind of neat that (tweet) led to that, which was really cool."

Dave Smith, spokesman for Tennessee's Republican governor, said Haslam spoke to people on both sides and that Underwood's was the only celebrity counsel he sought.

Underwood also recently declared "Hug a soldier day," and puts her support behind movements like the "End It" anti-slavery campaign and animals rights. She has 2 million followers.

"Anyone that knows me knows that I'm a thinker and I'm a planner and I would never weigh in on anything unless I know the full story on it," Underwood said. "So I do my research. I don't think I'm a bandwagon kind of person. People are always retweeting sort of weird stuff. I do my own research. I'm not a political person at all. I doubt anyone can tell you what party I mostly affiliate myself with. But that was just something that was in my backyard."

As you might expect, there was pushback. Rather than shrink from it, she responded with some grit.

"I realize it's not necessarily so scary," she said. "Most of the comments I get back on anything are positive. There's the occasional negative one, but I enjoy blocking that person."

___

Online:

http://carrieunderwoodofficial.com

___

Follow AP Music Writer Chris Talbott: http://twitter.com/Chris_Talbott.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-07-01-Music-Carrie%20Underwood/id-48ec080ade364a569e42787ffd252859

At&t Wireless 9/11 Jerry Lawler andy murray Samsung Galaxy S3 bachelor pad bachelor pad

'Enter the Dragon' star Jim Kelly dead at 67

Celebs

Ree Hines TODAY contributor

8 hours ago

Everett Collection

Jim Kelly in "Enter the Dragon."

Actor and martial arts grandmaster Jim Kelly, best known for playing Williams in the classic Bruce Lee film "Enter the Dragon," died Saturday.

Kelly's ex-wife Marilyn Dishman, confirmed his death in a Facebook post on Sunday.

Kelly rose to fame with his moves and one-liners in 1973's "Dragon" and went on to star in several other 1970s action films, including "Black Belt Jones" (1974) and "One Down, Two to Go" (1976).

His success at the time meant more than just a career boost for him. It helped open the door for others.

"I broke down the color barrier -- I was the first black martial artist to become a movie star," Kelly said in a 2010 interview with the Los Angeles Times. "It's amazing to see how many people still remember that, because I haven't really done much, in terms of movies, in a long time."

His last role was a cameo in the 2009 straight-to-video action comedy "Afro Ninja." But according to an interview Kelly gave KatoFilms in 2010, there were many more parts he could have taken.

"I get offered about three films per year, even today," he said. "But the scripts are so bad, my character is so bad, I refuse to do it. I'm very particular about the type of image I put on screen for young kids. ? So I don't do anything. If I never do another film, it's OK with me because I'm very happy with what I have done."

On Sunday, the official Jim Kelly Facebook page posted that "he will be deeply missed by all."

According to Dishman, there will be no services for the actor.

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/jim-kelly-martial-artist-enter-dragon-star-dead-67-6C10489617

fireworks fireworks Andy Griffith joe johnson scientology Wimbledon 2012 TV Schedule fourth of july

Canada Day beer drinking: Molson and Moosehead

It might surprise you to know, given the number of beer ads that you see in print and on TV, that Canada is not exactly a world leader in beer consumption.

In 2010, we ranked in the low twenties just behind Spain. Despite that, there?s always a certain amount of effort made by Canadian breweries to gear up for the Canada Day long weekend. It?s unlikely that this has to do with the idea of drinking beer as a defining measure of patriotism or national character. It probably has more to do with the fact that you?ve got a day off and it?s humid enough outside that you feel like you?re breathing soup.

Nevertheless, brewers are appealing to your sense of nationalism and nostalgia for this year?s go-round.

Moosehead, for instance, has a special edition can festooned with caricatures of the kind of summery people who might be drinking their beer across the nation. Geographical areas are represented by different iconic images. The north has a Mountie and an Inukshuk. Halifax is represented by the lighthouse at Peggy?s Cove. Saskatoon has a barn, which seems reductive if accurate. It?s a nice touch, but it remains to see if it will sell a lot of beer.

The folks at Molson have gone heavily in the direction of nostalgia with a revamped version of their I Am Canadian campaign. The ranting Canuck in front of an appreciative audience has been replaced by a specially designed fridge in the middle of various European cities. The key here is that the fridge can only be opened by scanning a Canadian passport.

It?s a vaguely jingoistic concept which seems to celebrate the fact that we have all stood in lengthy lineups to talk to a bureaucrat about leaving the country. I don?t know exactly what the message is here, but I?m entertained by the idea that at some point, an unsuspecting Canadian citizen was accosted in the middle of a European vacation by someone saying ?Are you Canadian? Give us your passport. We want to get free beer.?

I?d like to think that if there?s one thing Canada is good at, it?s taking care of our own. For that reason, I?d suggest that your beer purchase this Canada Day shouldn?t be dictated by marketing, but rather by circumstance.

If you?ve been following the news, you know that Calgary has recently suffered from catastrophic flooding. Breweries like Big Rock, Village and Wild Rose have been volunteering their time and the efforts of their employees to help out. They?re working together to organize a relief fundraising effort in the immediate future. I would say that this is the kind of behaviour that we, as Canadians, should be rewarding. If they?re available in your market, why don?t you do that by making their beers your choice for this weekend?

Jordan St.John writes about beer at Saintjohnswort.ca. He is so Canadian he once hit a moose with a canoe.

Source: http://lifewise.canoe.ca/FoodDrink/2013/06/28/20937011.html?cid=rsslifestyle

andy roddick Costa Rica Earthquake sandra fluke costa rica Earthquake Costa Rica Clinton speech Michael Strahan

HBT: Cuddyer runs hitting streak to 26 games

Getty Images

Chipper Jones had his No. 10 retired by the Braves last night during an on-field ceremony at Turner Field. You can watch video of the event here. Fittingly enough, Jones is the 10th number retired by the Braves, joining Hank Aaron, Warren Spahn, Eddie Mathews, Phil Niekro, Dale Murphy, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz,?

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/06/29/michael-cuddyer-extends-hitting-streak-to-26-games/related/

nfl wes welker Conclave tmz Sizzurp the bachelor What is a Jesuit

Heat wave intensifies across western US

Mike Bouse of Henderson, Nev., shades himself with an umbrella as he floats in the waters along Boulder Beach at Lake Mead, Saturday, June 29, 2013 near Boulder City, Nev. Bouse and his wife planned to spend most of the day in and out of the water to escape the heat in the Las Vegas area where Saturday's daytime high was expected to reach 117 degrees, the city's all-time high. It was 108 at noon Saturday in Sin City. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Mike Bouse of Henderson, Nev., shades himself with an umbrella as he floats in the waters along Boulder Beach at Lake Mead, Saturday, June 29, 2013 near Boulder City, Nev. Bouse and his wife planned to spend most of the day in and out of the water to escape the heat in the Las Vegas area where Saturday's daytime high was expected to reach 117 degrees, the city's all-time high. It was 108 at noon Saturday in Sin City. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Tubers float down the Salt River on Saturday, June 29, 2013, in Phoenix. Excessive heat warnings will continue for much of the Desert Southwest as building high pressure triggers major warming in eastern California, Nevada, and Arizona. Temperature's are expected to get as high as 118 degrees. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Families line the Salt River on Saturday, June 29, 2013, in Phoenix. Excessive heat warnings will continue for much of the Desert Southwest as building high pressure triggers major warming in eastern California, Nevada, and Arizona. Temperature's are expected to get as high as 118 degrees. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

From left, Subrina Madrid, Jennifer, Shackelford and Sarah Hudak, , all of North Las Vegas, Nev., sit in the shallow waters along Boulder Beach at Lake Mead, Saturday, June 29, 2013 near Boulder City, Nev. The three planned to spend the day at the lake to escape the heat in Las Vegas where Saturday's daytime high was expected to reach 117 degrees, which is the city's all-time high. It was 108 at noon Saturday in Sin City. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Graphic shows forecast heat wave temperatures for June 29 and compares to previous record highs.;

LAS VEGAS (AP) ? Forecasters called for more supercharged temperatures Sunday as a heat wave gripped the Southwest, leaving one man dead and another hospitalized in serious condition in heat-aggravated incidents in this sunbaked city.

Temperatures in Las Vegas shot up to 115 degrees on Saturday afternoon, two degrees short of a record, while Phoenix baked in 119 degrees. Large swaths of California sweltered under extreme heat warnings, which are expected to last into Tuesday night ? and maybe even longer.

In Death Valley ? known as the hottest place on Earth ? temps reached 125, according to the National Weather Service. Death Valley's record high of 134 degrees, set nearly a century ago on July 10, 1913, stands as the planet's highest recorded temperature.

Las Vegas fire and rescue spokesman Tim Szymanski said paramedics responded to a home without air conditioning and found an elderly man dead. He said while the man had medical issues, paramedics thought the heat worsened his condition.

Paramedics said another elderly man suffered a heat stroke when the air conditioner in his car went out for several hours while he was on a long road trip. He stopped in Las Vegas, called 911 and was taken to the hospital in serious condition.

The oppressive heat has sent more than 40 other people to hospitals in Las Vegas since it arrived Friday, but no life-threatening injuries were reported.

"We will probably start to see a rise in calls Sunday and Monday as the event prolongs," Szymanski said in a statement. "People's bodies will be more agitated the longer the event lasts and people may require medical assistance."

Elsewhere in Southern California, Palm Springs peaked at 122 degrees while the mercury in Lancaster hit 111 and 117 in Baker. The strip of gas stations and restaurants between Los Angeles and Las Vegas is known by travelers for the giant thermometer that often notes temperatures in the triple digits.

To make matters worse, National Weather Service meteorologists John Dumas said cooling ocean breezes haven't been traveling far enough inland to fan the region's overheated valleys and deserts.

In Northern California, record-breaking temperatures were recorded in Sacramento, where the high was 107 degrees; Marysville reached 109 degrees; and Stockton saw 106 degrees.

Cooling stations were set up to shelter the homeless and elderly people who can't afford to run their air conditioners. In Phoenix, Joe Arpaio, the famously hard-nosed sheriff who runs a tent jail, planned to distribute ice cream and cold towels to inmates this weekend.

Officials said personnel were added to the Border Patrol's search-and-rescue unit because of the danger to people trying to slip across the Mexican border. At least seven people have been found dead in the last week in Arizona after falling victim to the brutal desert heat.

Temperatures are also expected to soar across Utah and into Wyoming and Idaho.

The heat was so punishing that rangers took up positions at trailheads at Lake Mead in Nevada to persuade people not to hike. Zookeepers in Phoenix hosed down the elephants and fed tigers frozen fish snacks. Dogs were at risk of burning their paws on scorched pavement, and airlines kept close watch on the heat for fear that it could cause flights to be delayed.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-06-30-US-West-Heat-Wave/id-61bd216e4f1c4f21ac2f9384cc4ed726

brandon rios oklahoma news nascar news doppler radar colorado rockies moonshine news channel 4

Rebels kill policeman, injure 14 others in Chechnya

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Rebels have killed a Russian policeman and injured 14 others in Chechnya, police said on Saturday, a rare clash in the now mostly calm North Caucasus republic which lies near to the venue for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Moscow waged two wars against separatist rebels in mainly Muslim Chechnya in the 1990s but the province has been fairly peaceful in recent years as Islamist insurgents have turned their focus to the nearby regions of Dagestan and Ingushetia.

This month, President Vladimir Putin put Russia's security forces on high alert to safeguard the Games due to take place next year in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

A police spokesman said by telephone from the Chechen capital Grozny that a police patrol had run into a band of rebels in the southern Shatoi district.

"They (the rebels) were ordered to put down their weapons, but instead they opened fire," he said, adding that he could not say how many insurgents had been involved.

Russia's interior ministry said security forces were pursuing the rebels in a mountainous forest region.

Human rights activists say Russia's Islamist insurgency is fuelled by a combination of religion, official corruption and strong arm tactics against suspected militants by local leaders.

(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin, editing by Gareth Jones)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rebels-kill-policeman-injure-14-others-chechnya-103901031.html

vanessa williams nicklas backstrom discovery shuttle allure jane goodall saturday night fever glamping

Rival demonstrators mass in Egypt after deadly clash | Morocco ...

CAIRO, June 28, 2013 (AFP)

Supporters and opponents of Egypt?s Islamist President Mohamed Morsi gathered for rival demonstrations on Friday, raising fears of fresh violence after one activist was killed overnight.

Supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood and its Islamist allies massed outside the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque in Cairo?s Nasr district to demonstrate their backing for Morsi in his rejection of opposition calls to step down just a year into his term of office.

They gathered under the slogan ?legitimacy is a red line?, in reference to Morsi?s insistence that he won a free and fair election and has a popular mandate.

Opponents of the Islamist president gathered outside Cairo?s Al-Azhar ? Sunni Islam?s highest seat of learning ? for a march to Tahrir Square, the iconic epicentre of the protest movement that ousted veteran strongman Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

Hundreds of Morsi opponents have been holding a sit-in in Tahrir since Tuesday.

Their protest was called by the Tamarod movement (Arabic for rebellion) which says it has collected more than 15 million signatures to a petition demanding Morsi?s resignation and a snap election.

The mainly secular opposition charges that the president has reneged on his promise to rule for all Egyptians and has failed to deliver on the uprising?s aspirations for freedom and social justice.

The overnight violence erupted in the eastern part of the Nile Delta, north of the capital, Morsi?s own home province.

Rival demonstrators clashed outside offices of the Muslim Brotherhood?s political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party, on whose platform the president won last year?s election.

The FJP said on its website that one of its supporters was killed. Thirty people were also wounded, the health ministry said.

Germany warned that Egypt faced a ?moment of truth? for its fledgling democracy and urged the Islamist president to implement reforms.

Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said that demonstrators had a right to peaceful assembly but urged both sides to refrain from bloodshed.

Westerwelle ?is deeply concerned about the current escalation in political tensions in Egypt,? his spokesman Andreas Peschke told reporters.

?This is in his view a key moment of truth for political change in Egypt.?

Morsi himself warned in a televised speech on Wednesday that the growing polarisation between his fans and foes threatens to ?paralyse? the country.

He pledged to consider constitutional reforms and appealed to the opposition to join talks.

It was his latest attempt to strike up a dialogue between political factions in a country deeply split between his Islamist allies and an opposition of leftists, liberals, Christians and some Muslim groups.

But late on Thursday, the opposition National Salvation Front coalition rejected his offer of talks and renewed its call for a snap election to replace him.

Since taking office a year ago, Morsi has squared off against the judiciary, media, police and even artists.

However, he has admitted to failings and has vowed to correct them.

?I have made many mistakes, there is no question. Mistakes can happen, but they need to be corrected,? he said.

He warned the media against abusing the freedoms they won from the 2011 uprising.

Judges imposed a ban on foreign travel on Thursday on the owner of a private television channel that hosts a popular satire show.

CBC owner Mohammed al-Amin faces charges of tax evasion, and Morsi singled him out by name in Wednesday?s speech.

The army, which oversaw the transition from Mubarak?s autocratic rule but has been on the sidelines since Morsi?s election, warned it would intervene if violence breaks out.

It has brought in reinforcements to key cities, security officials said.

In Cairo, residents were withdrawing cash and stocking up on food, and many companies have said they will close on Sunday, the first day of the working week in Egypt.

Fuel shortages have seen drivers queueing outside petrol stations through the night, bringing parts of the capital to a standstill.

Source: http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2013/06/95872/rival-demonstrators-mass-in-egypt-after-deadly-clash/

national margarita day Ronda Rousey Cecil Hotel Cressida Bonas Kenny Clutch Edward Gorey amber rose

Want to marry a millionaire in China? You'd better be hot and know how to clean...

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.facebook.com/globalpost/posts/10151711775713447

solar flares mary j blige gcb patricia heaton arsenic and old lace dionne warwick leslie

Japan conversation robot ready for outer space

TOKYO (AP) ? The world's first space conversation experiment between a robot and humans is ready to be launched.

Developers from the Kirobo project, named after "kibo" or hope in Japanese and "robot," gathered in Tokyo Wednesday to demonstrate the humanoid robot's ability to talk.

"Russia was the first to go outer space, the U.S. was the first to go to the moon, we want Japan to be the first to send a robot-astronaut to space that can communicate with humans," said Yorichika Nishijima, the Kirobo project manager.

The experiment is a collaboration between advertising and PR company Dentsu Inc., the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, the University of Tokyo, Robo Garage and Toyota Motor Corp.

Tomotaka Takahashi, CEO of Robo Garage Co. and associate professor at the University of Tokyo, said he hopes robots like Kirobo that hold conversations will eventually be used to assist astronauts working in space.

"When people think of robots in outer space, they tend to seek ones that do things physically," said Takahashi. "But I think there is something that could come from focusing on humanoid robots that focus on communication."

Because Kirobo does not need to perform physical activities, it is smaller than most robots that go into space. Kirobo is about 34 centimeters tall (13 inches) and weighs about 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds).

Its land-based counterpart Mirata looks almost identical but is not designed to go into outer space. Instead, it has the ability to learn through the conversations it has.

During the demonstration, Fuminori Kataoka, project general manager from Toyota, asked Kirobo what its dream was.

"I want to create a future where humans and robots can live together and get along," it answered.

Kirobo is scheduled to be launched from the Tanegashima Space Center on August 4, 2013.

___

Follow Azusa Uchikura on Twitter at www.twitter.com/auchikura

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/japan-conversation-robot-ready-outer-space-083357199.html

Lady Gaga New Girl Avalanna Gigi Chao Ed Hochuli Opie modern family

Vatican monsignor arrested in 20M euro plot

VATICAN CITY (AP) ? A Vatican cleric and two other people were arrested Friday by Italian police for allegedly trying to smuggle 20 million euros ($26 million) in cash into the country from Switzerland by private jet. It's the latest scandal to hit the Holy See and broadens an Italian probe into its secretive bank.

Monsignor Nunzio Scarano, already under investigation in a purported money-laundering plot involving the Vatican bank, is accused of corruption and slander and was being held at a Rome prison, prosecutor Nello Rossi told reporters.

Scarano's arrest came just two days after Pope Francis created a commission of inquiry into the Vatican bank to get to the bottom of the problems that have plagued it for decades and contributed to the impression that it's an unregulated, offshore tax haven.

Francis has made clear he has no tolerance for corruption or for Vatican officials who use their jobs for personal ambition or gain. He has said he wants a "poor" church that is concerned for the world's needy, and he has also noted, perhaps tongue in cheek, that "St. Peter didn't have a bank account."

Prosecutor Rossi said the Swiss operation involved three people, all of whom were arrested Friday: Scarano, a recently suspended accountant in the Vatican's main finance office, Italian financier Giovanni Carenzio, and Giovanni Zito, who at the time of the plot was a member of the military police's agency for security and information.

Rossi detailed a remarkable plot ? uncovered by telephone wiretaps ? in which the three allegedly planned to bring into Italy some 20 million euros in cash that financier Carenzio held in his name in a Swiss bank account without paying customs at the airport, as would be required.

Scarano's attorney, Silverio Sica, said his client was something of a middleman: The 20 million euros belonged to friends who had given the money to Carenzio to invest but wanted it back. The plot would presumably enable them to avoid paying customs fees or having any paper trail of such a large amount of money entering Italy.

Rossi identified the friends as members of the Italian shipping family d'Amico and said that the money was "presumably" being held in Switzerland to avoid paying Italian taxes. An email seeking comment from the family's Rome-based company, the d'Amico Societa di Navigazione SpA, wasn't immediately returned.

According to prosecutors, Zito, the agent, called in sick to his job one day in July 2012, rented a private plane and flew with Carenzio to Locarno, Switzerland. There, Carenzio was supposed to withdraw the cash from his bank account and hand it over to Zito to bring back to Italy. The plan was so detailed there was even to be an armed police escort waiting at the airport to bring the money to Scarano's apartment in Rome, Rossi said.

"This operation was meticulously planned in all its details," Rossi said, noting that Zito was chosen to be the mule specifically because his high-ranking position in the Carabinieri would have enabled him to pass through the airport customs area without being stopped.

The money could have been transported relatively easily because euros are issued in high denominations. If the cash had been withdrawn in the largest denomination ? 500 euro notes ? it would have weighed 44 kilograms (97 pounds) and fit in a suitcase.

But at a certain point in Locarno, the deal fell through and Carenzio made excuses that the bank couldn't come up with the money, Rossi said. He declined to identify the bank.

Zito returned to Rome empty-handed but still demanded from Scarano his fee of 600,000 euros for the operation. Scarano cut him one check for 400,000 euros which he deposited. He gave him a second check for 200,000 euros, but in a bid to prevent the check from being deposited, reported it as missing, the prosecutor said.

That put a block on the check and resulted in Scarano being accused of slander for filing a false report knowing that the check was in Zito's hands, Rossi said.

Scarano, as well as the other two, are also accused of corruption. If they are indicted and convicted, they could face up to five or six years in prison, prosecutors said.

Sica, the lawyer, said Scarano said his client would respond to prosecutors' questions.

The Vatican bank, known as the Institute for Religious Works, or IOR, is cooperating with Italian authorities and its lay board has launched an internal investigation, spokesman Max Hohenberg said.

Rossi, the Italian prosecutor, described the operation as one branch in a "mosaic" of investigations targeting the IOR, which has long been a source of scandal for the Holy See. That said, the Swiss investigation didn't immediately appear to directly involve the IOR.

The checks Scarano wrote to Zito, for example, came from an Italian bank account, prosecutors said. They declined to say if Scarano received any payment for his role in the plot, or if his IOR account was used at all.

Rossi's team of prosecutors in 2010 placed the top two Vatican bank officials under investigation for allegedly violating anti-money laundering norms during a routine transaction involving an IOR account at an Italian bank. They ordered the 23 million euros in the transaction seized. The money was eventually unfrozen but the two men remain under investigation.

Rossi's team is also working with prosecutors in Salerno on a separate money-laundering investigation involving Scarano and his IOR account.

According to Sica, the lawyer, Scarano took 560,000 euros ($729,000) in cash out of his IOR bank account in 2009 and carried it out of the Vatican and into Italy to help pay off a mortgage on his Salerno home.

The money had come into Scarano's IOR account from donors who gave it to the prelate thinking they were funding a home for the terminally ill in Salerno, Sica said.

To deposit the money into an Italian bank account ? and to prevent family members from finding out he had such a large chunk of cash ? he asked 56 close friends to accept 10,000 euros apiece in cash in exchange for a check or money transfer in the same amount. Scarano was then able to deposit the amounts in his Italian account.

The lawyer said Scarano had given the names of the donors to prosecutors and insisted the origin of the money was clean, that the transactions didn't constitute money-laundering, and that he only took the money "temporarily" for his personal use.

The home for terminally ill was never built, though the property has been identified, Sica said.

The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said Scarano was suspended more than a month ago and that the Vatican was taking the appropriate measures to deal with his case. He said the Vatican had confirmed it was prepared to offer its "full cooperation" to Italian investigators.

On Wednesday, Francis named five people to head a commission of inquiry into the Vatican bank's activities and legal status "to allow for a better harmonization with the universal mission of the Apostolic See."

___

Follow Nicole Winfield at www.twitter.com/nwinfield

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/vatican-monsignor-arrested-20m-euro-plot-142307395.html

zimmerman website miami marlins marlins marlins facebook buys instagram kevin systrom fibonacci sequence

More Frontiers: Internal grants for humanities, arts and social sciences

News for Faculty and Staff

June 28, 2013

By Dateline staff

Vice Chancellor Harris Lewin recently announced the second round of internal grant funding to stimulate new research and innovative ideas.

First came the Research Initiatives in Science and Engineering Program, or RISE. Now comes the Interdisciplinary Frontiers in Humanities and Arts Program, or IFHA, under which seven projects in the humanities, arts and social sciences will share $3.6 million over three years.

An external advisory committee of distinguished scholars recommended the seven projects (from among 30 submissions) as having the greatest potential for excellence in research and creative production, and impact on society.?

These successful proposals will address such questions as:

• Is vocational education effective at providing true economic opportunities?
• What are the long-term effects on children in economic distress?
• How has increased international mobility, specifically temporary migration, affected economic development, social evolution and cultural exchange?
• How does the use of the Internet and other transformations in scholarly publishing affect the meaning of ?publication? and ?scholarship??
• Can video game technologies be produced and developed to help expand access to the arts, science, health interventions and culture?
• What are the community narratives, practices, rituals and activity settings that activate community strength and well-being?
• How might design be used to clarify information, enhance civic participation, and empower individuals to make informed choices?

?Interdisciplinary research teams are critical to crafting new approaches to the complex problems facing today?s individuals and societies,? said Lewin, who leads the Office of Research. ?I?d like to congratulate the successful applicants, and we look forward to working with them to maximize the impacts of their research.?

RISE and IFHA comprise the Interdisciplinary Frontiers Program, an effort to establish new, globally competitive, interdisciplinary research programs, coordinated by the Office of Research. Lewin announced the RISE awards in November.

Funding comes from indirect costs of grants awarded to UC Davis under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, or ?stimulus? funds. Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi set aside the funds for reinvestment in campus research, consistent with UC Davis? goal of reaching $1 billion in sponsored research activity.

In choosing only seven projects for IFHA funding, Lewin ?acknowledged the efforts of the research clusters that did not receive funding.

All of the submissions together sought almost $28 million ? and that just was not possible. Lewin said the Office of Research will work with all of the funded and unfunded clusters to identify new funding sources for their ideas.

The successful proposals:

? Vocational education and the economy ? Ann Stevens, professor and chair of economics, and director of the Center for Poverty Studies, and Michal Kurlaender, associate professor in the School of Education, lead a team that will look at vocational programs in community colleges and how such training has affected the work force.

?There has been a clear policy push in recent years to promote vocational education as a solution to the stagnant earnings of U.S. workers, with billions of federal dollars committed in the last few years,? Stevens said. ?Unfortunately, high-quality research on the effectiveness of these programs has been very limited.

?Our UC Davis faculty team will bring together expertise in higher education, poverty and labor markets, and begin to answer the critical questions of whether, when and for whom these programs provide true economic opportunities.?

? Children and poverty ? Marianne Page, professor of economics, leads this project, titled ?Understanding the Long-Term Effects?on Children in Economic Distress.? Focusing on the recent economic downturn, researchers from the departments of Psychology, Economics and Human Ecology will focus on understanding the full range of economic crises? impacts on children.?Most research today focuses on?the impacts of economic downturns on adults.

?The dismal prognosis for disadvantaged children has worsened over time,? Page said in the project proposal. ?By some measures, inequality is nearly twice as high as it was 30 years ago.?

? Migration and the economy ? In ?Managing Temporary Migrations: California, U.S. and the World,? a team led by economics professor Giovanni Peri will analyze how increased international mobility, specifically temporary migration, has affected economic development, social evolution and cultural exchange.

?Understanding the complex and multifaceted phenomenon of international mobility and managing migrations to maximize their socioeconomic benefits for the sending and receiving countries and for the migrants themselves is one of the key challenges of the next decade facing California, the U.S. and the world,? Peri said in his proposal.

? Innovation in scholarly communication ? The use of the Internet and other transformations in scholarly publishing ? from peer review, to open access to data publishing and more ? vary across academic disciplines, said Mario Biagioli, professor, Science and Technology Studies (College of Letters and Science, and the School of Law). He will work with colleagues from a variety of disciplines ? from library science to the College of Biological Sciences, and more from law, English, computer science, creative writing and the Graduate School of Management ? to ?think globally but act locally? in assessing the different meanings of ?scholarship.?

For the project titled ?Innovating the Communication of Scholarship,? researchers will look at changes and challenges in the traditional system of scholarly publication and the changing meaning of ?publication,? whether that be on the Internet or in a hardcover book, Biagioli said.??

?We do not believe that any of the different positions in each case are wrong or arbitrary, but rather that they need to be made sense of, and rendered translatable across institutional and disciplinary divides if we are to come up with a new, comprehensive system of scholarly publishing,? he said in his proposal.

? Gamification ? This team will carry out a cultural analysis of video game technologies. The team also intends to produce and develop game technologies that can help expand access to the arts, science, health interventions and culture.

The team comprises representatives from 11 disciplines, from geology and food science to cinema studies and anthropology. And English, where Colin Milburn, the team leader, is an associate professor of English, and holder of the Gary Snyder Endowed Chair in Science and Humanities.

?By some measures, the video game has become the most significant medium of contemporary culture,? Milburn said. ?Games and game technologies are now used in an immense variety of contexts beyond entertainment and artistic expression, including education, politics, business, military training, medicine and even scientific research.?

? Health and resilience in immigrant communities ? Nolan Zane, professor of Asian American studies and psychology, leads this group of faculty from nursing, medicine, psychology, cultural studies and the arts in an exploration of underappreciated and undervalued sources of strength and resiliency in immigrant communities. Partnering with immigrant groups in the Sacramento region, the researchers will begin by asking two questions: ?How do the expressive arts activate personal strength and well-being?? and ?What are the community narratives, practices, rituals and activity settings that activate community strength and well-being??

?We recognize that immigrants can and do succeed in achieving personal health and well-being,? Zane said. ?Elucidating these ?hidden? sources of resiliency are essential for effective public health approaches that are truly culturally valid and meaningful."

? Design in the public interest ? What does democratic design look like? That?s the question to be addressed by a team of researchers led by Susan Verba, associate professor of design, and ?and Sarah Perrault, assistant professor, University Writing Program. The team, also including faculty from the departments of Anthropology, Communication and Computer Science, the School of Education, and the Women and Gender Studies Program, will seek to create accessible, user-centered design ?outcomes? that can be disseminated as open-source models and used to create graphics and communications that resonate with broad audiences.

?We are confronted daily by information, artifacts and environments that are confusing, inaccessible, even potentially dangerous,? Verba said. ?From public documents and graphics to entire programs and systems ? from election ballots to the voting process, from hospital signage to communication flow within and among hospital teams ? much of this confusion is the result of narrow design decisions. Given this, we want to explore how we might use design to clarify information, enhance civic participation, and empower individuals to make informed choices.?

Online

The Interdisciplinary Frontiers in the Humanities and Arts Program website includes a list of the seven funded projects and all the faculty participants.

Research Investments in the Sciences and Engineering Program

Interdisciplinary Frontiers Program

Follow Dateline UC Davis on Twitter.

---

Return to the previous page

Source: http://www.dateline.ucdavis.edu/dl_detail.lasso?id=14529

amanda knox Carolyn Moos Danny Brown The Following Real Madrid Neverwinter George Jones