রবিবার, ৩০ জুন, ২০১৩

Malaysia Airlines resumes daily Dubai service - Breaking Travel News

Malaysia Airlines will be adding Dubai back to its network effective 5 August 2013. The Kuala Lumpur-Dubai return service will be mounted daily via MH162 and MH163 using the Boeing 777-200 aircraft that offers a total capacity of 282 seats in each flight, equivalent to 3,948 seats weekly.

In conjunction with the re-introduction of service, the national carrier is offering super attractive promotional fares that start from only RM1,999 for an all-inclusive Economy class return travel. Business class starts from as low as RM5,999 for an all-inclusive return journey. Bookings start from 26 June 2013 till 15 July 2013 for the travel period of 5 August 2013 till 31 March 2014.

Beginning 5 August 2013, flight MH162 will depart Kuala Lumpur daily at 11.30pm to arrive at Dubai at 2.20am the next day. The return flight MH163 departs Dubai at 4.10am to arrive at Kuala Lumpur at 3.25pm.

Malaysia Airlines Group Chief Executive Officer, Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said, ?Dubai was one of the routes that were suspended in our route rationalisation exercise in January 2012. We continuously monitor market demand, and are happy to be able to add back Dubai into Malaysia Airlines network to extend our reach and strengthen our offering to customers?, he said.

Dubai is a tourism, trade and logistics hub which has earned itself the reputation as being the gateway between the east and the west. Home to just over 2 million people of more than 200 nationalities, Dubai is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. With world-class shopping and leisure facilities, Dubai is a popular destination for business and leisure.?

Malaysia Airlines has been steadily growing its reach and capacity in the past year. The introduction of the A380 fleet in July 2012 now sees the new aircraft put on thick routes to London, Paris and Hong Kong.

Kathmandu was the airline?s new destination introduced in September 2012, first 3 times weekly, then increased to 5 times weekly, and now daily following strong market demand.

Malaysia Airlines regional footprint has also been deepened with increased frequencies, daily and weekly, to key business and leisure cities around Asia.?

In addition, Malaysia Airlines network is expanded through its various code share agreements and its membership in the oneworld airline alliance since February 2013.?

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Source: http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/malaysia-airlines-resumes-daily-dubai-service/

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PayPal: Screw It, We're Gonna Make Money for Spaceships

PayPal is used by almost 130 million people, generates a lot of revenue, and made its backers very, very wealthy. It's a model company. But, that's apparently not enough, and PayPal just announced it will create a way for astronauts to buy things, in space. OK.

Company president David Marcus visited a highly incredulous CNBC and attempted to explain "PayPal Galactic," which is in all seriousness designed to process transactions in space. So if a "space tourist" wants to buy a "space dinner," she might use "PayPal Galactic." It's not really clear how this will be different from "Earth PayPal," which as CNBC points out, is already routed through the highest forms of human technology.

And, Mr. Marcus, how will you compete with Space Clinkle?

Former PayPal bigwig Keith Rabois, who was semi-recently disgraced out of the company, is not convinced:

Source: http://valleywag.gawker.com/paypal-fuck-it-were-gonna-make-money-for-spaceships-609932905

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WSJ: Apple finalmente firma con TSMC, camino del divorcio con Samsung http://bit...

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Source: http://www.facebook.com/Xataka/posts/10151508005712636

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শনিবার, ২৯ জুন, ২০১৩

Cassidy: NSA muzzle should be removed from Google, Facebook, Apple, Yahoo

The NSA spying scandal and the way it runs through Silicon Valley "is the story that just won't go away," to borrow a phrase from Fox News.

Details -- some accurate, some not -- of the government's snooping continue to trickle out. Many of us continue to wonder just what the government has scooped up about us from our go-to social networking and search companies like Google (GOOG), Facebook, Yahoo (YHOO) and Apple (AAPL). And some of us wonder just what those companies have done to try to protect our privacy

It's the last question that has become my personal obsession. The feds and the commercial keepers of the Internet have said all the right things to make us feel better. When several news outlets were reporting that the NSA through a program called Prism was tapping directly into the servers of search engines and social media sites, executives said that was not the case. The NSA explained

that it was only targeting foreign suspects and only with the authorization of a top-secret court.

But does any of that put you at ease? Me neither.

There is something that could help us all feel better about the oceans of personal data that are sloshing around out there: National security officials should free companies like Google, Facebook, Apple and Yahoo to explain what is going on in much greater detail. After all, we are their customers. We put our trust in them. They have benefited greatly from using our data to target ads and develop marketing schemes. They know more about us than we know about ourselves.

All this was on my mind recently when I attended a New York Times global forum. This one, hosted by columnist Thomas Friedman, centered on the notion that we'd moved from being a connected society to a hyper-connected one and that the transformation has changed everything from business to security to philanthropy to education to relationships.

The spin was generally positive, but obviously this increased connectivity has some serious down sides.

Among the many speakers was Dov Seidman, CEO of corporate advisory firm LRN and a guy who's become a guru of good corporate behavior. He seemed a

An illustration picture shows the logo of the U.S. National Security Agency on the display of an iPhone in Berlin, June 7, 2013. REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski (PAWEL KOPCZYNSKI)

logical one to ask about the role of valley companies in the NSA drama.

"At the end of the day," Seidman, whose outfit works with Fortune 500 companies globally, told me, "the Silicon Valley companies that are capturing a lot of data are in a very precarious and a very rich relationship with their (customers). Their currency is trust and if they do anything to betray that trust, it's going to be hard to regain it."

No kidding. The problem is that it's going to be hard for Silicon Valley companies to maintain or regain that trust if the federal government continues to muzzle them.

Part of Seidman's gospel is that the world has become a place where what companies do is important, but more important is how they do things. The explosion of social media and the ability to immediately and broadly call out bad corporate behavior, means that companies that act unethically or otherwise mistreat customers, partners, suppliers and others will have a hard time getting away with it.

Few things matter more to people than their personal information, said Seidman, author of "How: Why How We Do Anything Means Everything." "So these are the crown jewels that these companies are possessing," he said. "They've got to handle them with great care."

How have they done? Google, Facebook, Apple, Yahoo, Microsoft and others have pushed back, asking the feds to let them disclose more details about government demands for information and corporate responses to those demands. But the feds have provided little useful relief.

No question it would be good to get a good accounting. I'd also be interested in knowing what search and social media companies did when the NSA first came calling. The week the NSA news broke, I wrote a blog post wondering whether Silicon Valley companies stood up for our privacy. Did they go to court to fight the orders to turn over data? Did they use their considerable connections in Congress? It would be fair to say the post was critical and assumed the worst.

But now comes news that at least one company in 2008 fought a request made under the law that governs the Prism program. The legal battle was fought secretly and to this day the court hasn't disclosed the name of the company, although The New York Times reported that it was Yahoo.

That is exactly the sort of information that the feds should allow companies to disclose. There is no need to keep the targeted company secret five years later. If they ever doubted it, terrorists now know that investigators monitor U.S. Internet companies; and they know Yahoo is a U.S. Internet company. That Yahoo fought a surveillance order would tell those who mean us harm nothing they don't already know.

But it would tell consumers a lot. For instance, if Yahoo fought the feds prying through Prism and Google didn't (something we can't know for sure) a reasonable consumer might want to shift from Google to Yahoo for search, or from Gmail to Yahoo Mail for correspondence.

At the very least, a reasonable consumer would want to know the track record of the two companies in order to make an informed decision.

Contact Mike Cassidy at mcassidy@mercurynews.com or 408-920-5536. Follow him at Twitter.com/mikecassidy.

Source: http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_23553774/cassidy-nsa-muzzle-should-be-removed-from-google?source=rss_viewed

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Paul Shufelt: My Top 5 Tips to Avoid Your Own BBQ Disaster

We have all been there. We set about throwing an amazing BBQ for friends and family. We order some great steaks or chops from the local butcher, prepare our secret BBQ sauce, prepare delicious salads and sides to accompany the feast, pack the cooler with ice cold beer and have every last detail in order. Everything is perfect, that is, until the actual BBQ'ing begins. Whether it's the dreaded empty propane tank, or the distracted chef turning steaks into hockey pucks, a BBQ dinner can go from great to hurry up honey, call for pizza in a heartbeat. Here are a few great tips to help you get through your next BBQ outing unscathed.

? Have a Plan
Take the time to sort out your menu, write a detailed grocery list, and, whatever you do, don't forget to check the propane! Remember, when you fail to plan, plan to fail.

? Manage the Heat
Just because your BBQ can reach face-melting temperatures doesn't mean you have to cook everything at full blast. Contrary to popular belief, thicker cuts or items you wish to eat more well done require a lower heat to achieve the desired "doneness." Cooking a two inch thick pork chop on high will result in a blackened outside and raw center.

? Respect the Fat
Fat provides a great deal of flavor to just about everything, and I would never tell you to avoid it, but we do have to be mindful of how it behaves on an open flame. Steaks with a delicious fat cap and great marbling can taste wonderful, but as the fat renders down, it drips onto the burners and creates flare up, leaving an undesirable taste on your steak. Keep that in mind when cooking chicken with the skin on or marinating anything with an oil-based marinade.

? Watch Out For Sugar
Much like fat, sugar can be great, but it can also cause you grief. Now you're probably thinking that you aren't going to coat your steak or chicken in sugar before you cook it, but consider for a moment just how much sugar can be found in your standard BBQ sauce or marinade. I can tell you it's way more than you think. Now I'm not suggesting you avoid BBQ sauce -- it's just about finding the right time to apply it. I prefer to apply it as my steak or chops approach their desired temperature, smearing it on prior to its last flip, allowing the sugars to caramelize, but not burn completely. Remember, caramelized sugars take delicious, but burnt sugar tastes bitter.

? It's More Than Just a Steak Maker
Popular opinion might lead you to believe that your BBQ is only good for grilling steaks, chops and burgers. That couldn't be further from the truth. I have made cornbread on the grill, even made flatbread pizzas. The key is in understanding how the heat behaves. With the lid open your BBQ isn't much more than a steak maker, but if you consider that when the lid is closed it can behave just like your oven, then you can begin to understand the options you have. Use the top shelf to cook with less direct heat. Turn one burner off and rely on the oven heat, rather than the direct heat from the bottom. This takes a little practice, but as you gain confidence the possibilities of what you can prepare will grow exponentially.

Follow these simple tips to hone your BBQ'ing skills and you will be a master of the "Q" before you know it!

If you like what you read here and want some delicious recipes to get you started, head to chefpaulshufelt.com to get started!

?

Follow Paul Shufelt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/chefpaulshufelt

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-shufelt/bbq-tips_b_3496268.html

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শুক্রবার, ২৮ জুন, ২০১৩

Porn App Returns to Google Glass Minus the Porn

Porn App Returns to Google Glass Minus the Porn

The only thing that might be sadder than a porn app for Google Glass is a porn app for Google Glass that doesn't actually have any porn. Remember how "Tits and Glass" got banned? Yeah, it's back, but this time without the titular attractions. But don't worry: that pun isn't going anywhere.

The app's developer?MiKandi?announced T&G's not-so-triumphant return today in an entirely too enthusiastic blog post, considering the existential crisis at hand:

[The] biggest change to the Tits & Glass adult app is that Glass users are no longer allowed to share intimate racy experiences with other Glass users. ...But fret not. Although you can?t share your nude photos on the device itself, you can still share your sexy POV content on titsandglass.com. ...we partnered with top photographers around the globe to preload the app with irresistibly hot, *non-pornographic* photos of some of the world?s most beautiful models. You can access, vote, and comment on these photos through Glass. Yay!

Now that it's gotten rid of that pesky raison d'?tre and fits snugly within the bounds of non-obscenity as dictated by Google, Tits and Glass can finally rise like a phoenix from the porn-app ashes and take its rightful place as the saddest app for Glass. Congrats, guys. [Betabeat]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/porn-app-returns-to-google-glass-minus-the-porn-597028637

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DOMA plaintiff backs Quinn for NYC mayor

Mayoral candidate Christine Quinn stands with Edie Windsor at a rally celebrating the Supreme Court's rejection??

With just over two months to go before the primary, the endorsements are starting to roll in for the candidates vying to replace New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

On Wednesday night, Christine Quinn received a surprise endorsement from Edie Windsor, the plaintiff in the case that prompted the Supreme Court to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act. Windsor?s endorsement came during a rally held just hours after the court?s decision outside the historic Stonewall Inn in Manhattan when she jumped on stage to join Quinn, who is openly gay, and announced she was supporting the City Council speaker?s bid for mayor.

?I was committed to not endorse anyone until there was a decision [on DOMA],? Windsor declared, before adding, ?Christine Quinn!?

The surprise endorsement momentarily stunned Quinn, who burst into tears. If elected, Quinn, who married her partner Kim Catullo last year, would be the city?s first openly gay mayor.

Windsor followed up her impromptu announcement with an official endorsement Thursday in a video circulated by the Quinn campaign.

Quinn "understands the problems of managing a big city like New York. She comes of middle-class background herself and has true compassion for the struggling middle class and the struggling working class and the struggling not-working class today. And you don't find that very often,? Windsor says in the video.

Also on Thursday, Quinn?s rival Bill de Blasio announced that he?d received the backing of Howard Dean, the former Vermont governor who ran for president in 2004.

?Bill de Blasio is the progressive fighter New York City needs,? Dean, who also served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said in a statement. ?As a lifelong progressive reformer and grassroots organizer, Bill will take on the elite who profit from the status quo at the expense of working families. From battling the flood of corporate money and corrupt insiders deals that infect our politics to challenging the powerful interests that block common-sense gun violence prevention, Bill has always been a voice for everyday New Yorkers.?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/news/doma-plaintiff-backs-quinn-nyc-mayor-171906654.html

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Prof. Edward Schatz Elected President of the Central Eurasian ...

The University of Toronto boasts a political science department whose faculty members are knowledgeable, insightful and leaders in their respective fields. I can also personally attest to the generosity and commitment demonstrated by independent donors and supporters of the Department. It is both humbling and gratifying to know that our efforts are being noticed by others. ??A. Mian, Fourth Year Political Science and Criminology Major and Winner of the Monte Kwinter Political Science Award

We are happy to announce that Political Science Professor Edward Schatz has been elected as the President of the Central Eurasian Studies Society.

You can read more about Professor Schatz here:

Professor Edward Schatz

To read more about the CESS elections click here:

2013 Election Results ? Central Eurasian Studies Society

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Source: http://politics.utoronto.ca/2013/06/26/prof-edward-schatz-elected-president-of-the-central-eurasian-studies-society-cess/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=prof-edward-schatz-elected-president-of-the-central-eurasian-studies-society-cess

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10 things you need to know today: June 27, 2013

The Supreme Court hands landmark wins to gay-marriage supporters, Obama starts a tour of Africa, and more

1. GAY-MARRIAGE SUPPORTERS CELEBRATE SUPREME COURT VICTORIES
The Supreme Court delivered two major victories for supporters of gay marriage on Wednesday. In a landmark ruling, the sharply divided court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, forcing the government to recognize marriages in the 12 states where it is legal. The court also said that supporters of California's gay-marriage ban, Proposition 8, had no standing to challenge a lower court ruling striking it down, paving the way for same-sex marriages in the nation's largest state. [Reuters]
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2. OBAMA ARRIVES IN SENEGAL TO START AFRICA TOUR
President Obama arrived in Senegal Wednesday night to begin a week-long, three-country tour of Africa. The trip, focusing on strengthening economic ties and underscoring the importance of democratic reforms, begins Thursday with a meeting with Senegalese President Macky Sall, followed by a trip to Goree Island, which was the largest slave trading post in Africa for centuries. [USA Today]
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SEE ALSO: WATCH: Nancy Pelosi wearily dismisses Michele Bachmann's DOMA statement

3. MANDELA'S CONDITION WORSENS
Anti-Apartheid icon Nelson Mandela's health deteriorated on Wednesday, as a government official briefed on his condition said the former South African president had been placed on life support. President Jacob Zuma canceled a trip to Mozambique scheduled for Thursday. Supporters lit candles and posted signs expressing love for Mandela, 94, who was elected the country's first black president in 1994 after spending 27 years in prison for fighting against white minority rule. [CNN]
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4. PERRY GIVES TEXAS REPUBLICANS ANOTHER CHANCE TO PASS ABORTION RESTRICTIONS
Hours after Democratic state Sen. Wendy Davis' epic filibuster blocked a restrictive Texas abortion bill, Gov. Rick Perry on Wednesday called a second, special legislative session to give Republicans another chance to pass it. The rules would force most Texas abortion clinics to close. Raucous outbursts by opponents prevented Republicans from getting it passed before the last session closed. Perry said the "breakdown of decorum and decency" wouldn't stop lawmakers from doing their job. [Texas Tribune, Huffington Post]
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SEE ALSO: Did a U.S. clerical mistake allow Edward Snowden to flee China?

5. FOOTBALL PLAYER AARON HERNANDEZ CHARGED WITH MURDER
NFL star Aaron Hernandez was arrested Wednesday and charged with orchestrating the murder of semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd, a friend. Prosecutors said they used surveillance video, cell phone data, and other evidence to trace Hernandez to the industrial park where Lloyd's body was found on June 17. Lloyd had been shot in the head. The New England Patriots promptly dropped Hernandez, a tight end who had signed a five-year, $40 million contract last summer. He is being held without bail. [Associated Press]
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6. TEXAS EXECUTES WOMAN IN STATE'S 500TH MODERN EXECUTION
Texas executed Kimberly McCarthy, 52, on Wednesday, for the 1997 murder of 71-year-old retired college professor Dorothy Booth. This marked the state's 500th execution since it resumed carrying out capital punishment in 1982. Texas reached the grim milestone far ahead of other states ? Virginia is next with 110 modern executions. McCarthy, the first woman executed in the U.S. in nearly three years, was sentenced to die for killing Booth in a robbery. [Dallas Morning News]
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SEE ALSO: 10 things you need to know today: June 27, 2013

7. WALMART JOINS COMPANIES DUMPING PAULA DEEN
Hours after Paula Deen appeared on the Today show to assure fans she is not a racist, three more companies cut their ties to the embattled celebrity chef. Walmart and Home Depot said Wednesday that they would stop carrying Deen-branded cooking products, and Caesars Entertainment stripped Deen's name from four restaurants it runs. Fans are rallying behind the Southern cooking star, who also lost her Food Network shows, with demand surging for a tickets on next year's annual "Paula Deen Cruise." [NBC, New York Daily News]
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8. MILITARY OVERTURNS CONVICTION AGAINST IMPRISONED MARINE
The military's highest court has overturned a conviction of a Marine, Larry Hutchins, for the killing of an unarmed Iraqi man in 2006 ? one of the highest profile cases against an American soldier in the Iraq war. The Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces ruled that Hutchins was improperly denied a lawyer when he was first questioned. [Los Angeles Times]
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SEE ALSO: The last word: He said he was leaving. She ignored him.

9. MORSI WARNS PROTESTS COULD DERAIL EGYPT'S DEMOCRACY
Egypt's first Islamist president, Mohamed Morsi, marked his first year in office with a speech Wednesday in which he acknowledged making mistakes but warned that mounting unrest is "threatening to paralyze the country." Soldiers have been posted around the country ahead of planned weekend protests to demand Morsi's removal from power. Morsi told rivals to "enter elections if you want to change the government." [BBC News]
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10. FEDERER UPSET EARLY AT WIMBLEDON
Defending Wimbledon champion Roger Federer was knocked out of the storied tennis tournament in the second round Wednesday night by Sergiy Stakhovsky, an unseeded Ukrainian. "I'm still kind of in disbelief that that actually happened," Stakhovsky, ranked No. 116 in the world, said after the epic ? 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 7-5, 7-6(5) ? upset. Federer's shocking defeat came two days after the elimination of another favorite, Rafael Nadal, in the first round. [Wall Street Journal]

SEE ALSO: Today in history: June 27

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/10-things-know-today-june-27-2013-082700166.html

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বৃহস্পতিবার, ২৭ জুন, ২০১৩

Square Market launches, provides easy online storefronts for small businesses

Square Market launches, provides easy online storefronts for small businesses

We've come to know Square for its efforts in making it easier for small -- and not so small -- businesses to get paid in real life with card readers, iPad registers and apps, but its latest project is trying to help them sell online as well. Square Market has just opened up, and features storefronts from a number of retailers selling good and services online. Of course, in 2013 launching a website isn't that difficult and others like Etsy and eBay have been in this segment for a long time, so what does Square have to offer? According to the company, anyone can open up a store for free complete with photos and a business profile. There's no charge for item listings either, however a 2.75 percent fee is collected on each sale. It's too early to tell if the simple approach will cut into its competitor's market share, but for merchants already using its physical products (or thinking about it) it may provide an easy portal to customers worldwide as well as local.

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Source: Square Market

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South Africa's Aspen in $1 billion deal with Merck

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Aspen Pharmacare said on Thursday that it would acquire drugs and a plant from U.S. firm Merck in a $1 billion deal that bolsters its presence in Europe, Latin America and Asia.

Africa's biggest maker of generic drugs said it would buy an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) business located in the Netherlands and a portfolio of 11 drug brands from Merck.

Aspen said the deal was subject to the approval of various competition authorities and the South African Reserve Bank.

Last week, Aspen said it would acquire the Arixtra and Fraxiparine/Fraxodi brands of thrombosis drugs from GlaxoSMithKline, except in China, Pakistan and India, a deal that could also be worth $1 billion.

Shares in Aspen, rose more than 1 percent on the news, outperforming a 0.7 percent decline in Johannesburg's benchmark Top-40 index.

(Reporting by Tosin Sulaiman and Tiisetso Motsoeneng; editing by David Dolan)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/south-africas-aspen-1-billion-deal-merck-105508263.html

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রবিবার, ২৩ জুন, ২০১৩

Espionage: The fight over Edward Snowden?s future intensifies

The US government?has formally asked Hong Kong authorities to extradite NSA leaker Edward Snowden to the US for prosecution of espionage charges. But appeals of extradition requests can last years.

By Brad Knickerbocker,?Staff writer / June 22, 2013

A TV screen shows the news of Edward Snowden, a former National Security Agency contractor who leaked top-secret documents about sweeping US surveillance programs, at a shopping mall in Hong Kong.

Kin Cheung/AP

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The world knows that NSA leaker Edward Snowden is somewhere in Hong Kong ? not in the luxury hotel where he was videotaped talking about his bombshell revelations regarding top secret National Security Agency surveillance programs gathering telephone and Internet metadata from millions of individuals, but ?in a safe place,? the South China Morning Post reported Saturday.

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Earlier reports had put Mr. Snowden in a safe house under police protection.

But wherever he is for the moment, ?experts say time is running out for Snowden if he intends to leave Hong Kong and seek asylum elsewhere,? the English-language newspaper reported. ?His fate may depend on when the Hong Kong police seek a provisional warrant for his arrest from a local court in light of charges in the United States, a legal procedure the?Post?understands was still being worked Saturday night.?

Meanwhile, White House National Security Adviser Tom Donilon told CBS News Saturday that the US has formally asked Hong Kong authorities to extradite Snowden.

"We believe that the charges presented, present a good case for extradition under the treaty, the extradition treaty between the United States and Hong Kong," Mr. Donilon told CBS Radio News White House correspondent Mark Knoller. "Hong Kong has been a historically good partner of the United States in law enforcement matters, and we expect them to comply with the treaty in this case."

Michael di Pretoro, a retired 30-year veteran with the FBI who served from 1990 to 1994 as the legal liaison officer at the American consulate in Hong Kong, said "relations between US and Hong Kong law enforcement personnel are historically quite good."

"In my time, I felt the degree of cooperation was outstanding to the extent that I almost felt I was in an FBI field office," Mr. di Pretoro told the Associated Press.

The United States and Hong Kong have a standing agreement on the surrender of fugitives. However,?Snowden's appeal rights could drag out any extradition proceeding.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/2CIjr_jF2oI/Espionage-The-fight-over-Edward-Snowden-s-future-intensifies

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Vietnam province earmarks $21 mln for English teaching ...

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Source: http://talkvietnam.com/2013/06/vietnam-province-earmarks-21-mln-for-english-teaching-2/

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শনিবার, ২২ জুন, ২০১৩

Wine Bottles Can Perch On Any Wall Now

Wine Bottles Can Perch On Any Wall Now

If there's one thing you might actually want in your face or protruding into your kitchen, it's a bottle of wine. An aggressive reminder to take a load off is always welcome. And these wine holders can be arranged so the bottles form any shape you want.

Wine Cell created by Fiduz, a Danish design studio, comes in packs of three (though it's unclear how much each pack costs). The holders come in six colors and could potentially be used for an ill-advised, yet obviously awesome game of darts. Let it all hang out. [Bless This Stuff]

Wine Bottles Can Perch On Any Wall Now

Source: http://gizmodo.com/wine-bottles-can-perch-on-any-wall-now-536200579

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Half-Naked Justin Bieber Introduces Instagram Video

If you're been following your favorite celebrities on Vine, but wish their six-second videos were twice as long, then this is your lucky day! Instagram, the ubiquitous photo app, has introduced a new video feature. The big draw: it allows users to post a fifteen-second video. What will they think of next? A thirty-second video app? Probably.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/half-naked-justin-bieber-introduces-everyone-instagram-video/1-a-539703?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Ahalf-naked-justin-bieber-introduces-everyone-instagram-video-539703

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Plane with wing walker crashes at Ohio air show

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) ? Authorities say a plane carrying a wing walker has crashed at an Ohio air show, killing the pilot and stunt walker.

Dayton International Airport spokeswoman Linda Hughes and Ohio State Highway Patrol Lt. Anne Ralston confirmed the deaths to The Associated Press on Saturday.

The crash happened early Saturday afternoon at the Vectren Air Show near Dayton. No spectators were injured.

The show has been canceled for the remainder of the day. The names of those killed weren't released immediately.

A schedule posted on the event's website had Jane Wicker scheduled to perform.

A video posted on WHIO-TV shows the plane turn upside-down as Wicker sits on top of the wing. The plane then tilts and crashes to the ground, exploding into flames as spectators scream.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/plane-wing-walker-crashes-ohio-air-show-173332552.html

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UK gov't challenged over handling of Lawson case

LONDON (AP) ? A British lawmaker questioned Thursday whether police may have treated Nigella Lawson's husband too leniently after he admitted assaulting the celebrity chef in a restaurant.

Opposition Labour Party lawmaker Sandra Osborne asked in the House of Commons if there is one rule for the rich and famous, and another rule for everyone else.

She was referring to advertising mogul Charles Saatchi, who earlier this week was given a police "caution" after admitting assault. Saatchi, 70, contacted police after newspapers published photos of him grasping his wife's throat during an argument.

He will not face further charges or penalties.

Osborne said it sends the wrong message to allow someone to receive only a caution after admitting assault. Under British law, a caution can be given to someone who admits a minor offense. It carries no penalty, but it can be used as evidence of character flaws if a person is later prosecuted for a different crime.

Prosecutors' guidelines indicate cautions are appropriate for some assaults.

Home Office minister Jeremy Browne rejected the assertion that the rich and famous receive preferential treatment.

Lawson, 53, has not commented on the incident. In photos published by The Sun newspaper Thursday, she was shown not to be wearing her wedding band. Her publicist said earlier that she had left the family home with her children, but did not indicate if that was permanent.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg also became enmeshed in the furor surrounding the incident by declining to say if he would have intervened if he had witnessed the argument between Saatchi and Lawson, which took place at the pricey Scott's restaurant in central London.

Clegg said he couldn't be sure, because he did not have all the facts, and said it was possible that the confrontation was just "a fleeting thing."

That drew complaints from anti-violence campaigners who said he should have spoken out more strongly.

"It was a clear case of domestic violence," said Holly Dustin, director of the End Violence Against Women coalition. "There was enough in the papers and in the news we've seen and the fact that Saatchi accepted guilt by accepting a caution to show that this was an act of violence against a woman."

Clegg said later he condemns all forms of domestic violence.

Complaints about alleged lenient treatment also surfaced in the House of Lords on Thursday.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uk-govt-challenged-over-handling-lawson-case-115543210.html

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Last UFO Files from UK Gov't Released

Why did the British government shut down its official UFO Desk in 2009?

The truth can now be revealed, as the final cache of documents and UFO reports compiled by the U.K. Ministry of Defence (MoD) has been released to the public.

Apparently, the MoD concluded that operating the UFO Desk was a massive waste of time and money, according to SkyNews. [Ten Alien Encounters Debunked]

An official memo from 2009 to then-MoD Secretary Bob Ainsworth found "no defence benefit" in documenting the alleged UFO sightings: "The level of resources diverted to this task is ? diverting staff from more valuable defence-related activities."

After manning the UFO Desk for more than 50 years, the officials found that "no UFO sighting reported to [the MoD] has ever revealed anything to suggest an extraterrestrial presence or military threat to the U.K.," the memo stated.

For sheer comic relief, however, the UFO files may have unprecedented value. In 2007, a man in West Glamorgan contacted the UFO Desk to complain that he "saw spaceships and then saw that one of them abducted his dog, car and tent when he and some friends were out camping," according to the files. MoD officials coolly advised him to contact the local police.

Then, in July 2008, a woman in Coventry saw "two orange balls" hovering over her backyard. She asked the MoD if she and her dog "could be contaminated" by the UFOs.

And in 2009, a schoolgirl from Manchester wrote a letter describing strange lights she saw in the sky, and included her drawing of an alien spacecraft. In response, the UFO Desk sent her a small bag of trinkets and "goodies."

Many of the reported UFO sightings were attributed to the growing popularity of Chinese lanterns (lightweight lanterns that rise through the air, buoyed by burning candlewicks). The lanterns have been blamed for a number of alleged UFO sightings worldwide.

The release of the UFO files is guaranteed to generate some controversy, as has occurred in the past. When British officials released an earlier cache of files in 2011, there was no information related to the "Rendlesham Forest Incident," a UFO sighting sometimes referred to as "Britain's Roswell." Some UFO enthusiasts reportedly thought the omission was a government cover-up.

And an Australian Freedom of Information request in 2011 revealed that virtually all of the government's UFO reports had been lost or destroyed.

A former MoD employee recalled his time on the UFO Desk with some whimsy. "Whatever you think about UFOs, the release of these files shines a light on one of the most intriguing subjects ever studied by the British government," Nick Pope told SkyNews.

"I hope people have as much fun reading these real-life X-Files as I had working on them," Pope said.

Follow Marc Lallanilla on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on LiveScience.com.

Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/last-ufo-files-uk-govt-released-165521483.html

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Developer Affairs: The agony and ecstasy of app stores - Talk Mobile

Back in the day, what mattered when picking a smartphone - be it a Nokia N-something, an aging Palm Treo, a BlackBerry with proper answer and end buttons, or a stylus-driven Windows Mobile brick - was the quality of the built-in applications. The features of the email program or the to-do application or whether or not the calendar integrated with Exchange were the driving forces.

Today smartphones are almost wholly dependent on third-party apps. These apps are the focus of half the commercials for every platform - they define what you can do with the smartphone or tablet. With how codependent modern smartphones and app developers are, we have to ask, what can the builders of these platforms to do better support the builders of these apps?

Each platform offers a different experience and set of features for developers. Some app storefronts are strictly curated while others are a free-for-all. They offer different mechanisms for advertising, in-app purchases, subscriptions, cloud services, and deployment. Some platform builders offer incentives, while others have the marketshare that the incentive is success.

Platforms need developers, and developers need platforms, but the relationship is a rocky one. How do we improve it for better platforms and better apps?

Users and developers alike can agree that having an app available regardless of platform is a great ideal. But at what cost?

Let's get the conversation started!

    


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/ZBTsSZzQW2w/story01.htm

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John Fogerty at DPAC | Triangle Arts and Entertainment

John Fogerty at DPAC Tickets

WROTE A SONG FOR EVERYONE

JOHN FOGERTY?S NEW ALBUM ?WROTE A SONG FOR EVERYONE? ENTERS BILLBOARD TOP 200 ALBUMS CHART AT #3, MARKING THE HIGHEST CHART DEBUT EVER IN HIS ENTIRE CAREER FROM CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL THROUGH TODAY

john-fogerty-tickets_DPACANNOUNCES PRELIMINARY FALL TOUR DATES
DPAC, Durham Performing Arts Center
November 3, 2013

John Fogerty, named one of Rolling Stone?s 100 Greatest Guitarists, will perform live in concert at DPAC , Durham Performing Arts Center, on Sunday, November 3, 2013 as part of his fall tour.

Tickets go on sale Friday, June 21 at 10 a.m.:
Online at DPACnc.com
??????? DPAC Ticket Center: 919.680.2787, 123 Vivian Street, Durham, NC
??????? Ticketmaster.com / Ticketmaster Charge by phone at 800.745.3000

JOHN FOGERTY?s new album WROTE A SONG FOR EVERYONE has entered the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart at #3, selling 51,319 copies in its first week. This marks the Grammy Award-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee?s highest-debuting album of his career (including Creedence Clearwater Revival releases).? In addition, this is Fogerty?s highest charting record since 1985?s Centerfield hit #1. One of rock?s most important artists and a national treasure who?s sold over 100 million albums, FOGERTY has also announced preliminary tour dates for the fall (see dates below).

Produced by FOGERTY, WROTE A SONG FOR EVERYONE is generating widespread praise and has received Rolling Stone magazine?s highest rating?a rare 5 stars?in a lead review in the current issue: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/wrote-a-song-for-everyone-20130523?stop_mobi=yes

A celebration of FOGERTY?s iconic songbook, the album is a collection of 14 songs: 12 classics and deep tracks (Creedence Clearwater Revival and solo material) from his remarkable canon of hits recorded in collaboration with today?s biggest superstars from the country, pop and rock worlds, plus two brand new solo songs including the new single and video ?Mystic Highway.? WROTE A SONG FOR EVERYONE was released by Vanguard Records on May 28, FOGERTY?s birthday, when he performed a sold-out, intimate one-night-only album release and birthday bash concert at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles that was broadcast live on AXS TV and also simulcast on legendary radio station KLOS (95.5fm in Los Angeles)

On the concert front, JOHN FOGERTY will be rockin? all over the world in 2013 and 2014. The preliminary tour dates are below, with more to come soon.? In addition, FOGERTY has two festival sit-ins with Widespread Panic and Zac Brown Band.

JOHN FOGERTY TOUR DATES:

DATE??????????????????????? CITY??????????????????????????????????????????? VENUE
9/5-8??????????????????????? Arrington, VA??????????????????????? Interlocken Festival w/ Widespread Panic (exact date
TBA)
9/27-28????????????????? Nashville, TN??????????????????????? The Lawn at Riverfront Park w/ Zac Brown Band
(exact date TBA)
10/10????????????????????? Los Angeles, CA????????????????????? Nokia Theatre-L.A. Live
10/11????????????????????? Paso Robles, CA??????????????????? Vina Robles Amphitheatre
10/12????????????????????? Berkeley, CA???????????????????????? Greek Theatre
10/15????????????????????? Denver, CO??????????????????????????? The Fillmore Auditorium
10/17????????????????????? Tulsa, OK???????????????????????????????? The Joint @ Hard Rock
10/18????????????????????? Grand Prairie, TX?????????????? Verizon Theatre
10/19????????????????????? Austin, TX?????????????????????????????? ACL Live
10/20????????????????????? The Woodlands, TX????????? Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
10/22????????????????????? Tupelo,MS????????????????????????????? BancorpSouth Arena
10/23????????????????????? Huntsville, AL????????????????????? Von Braun Arena
10/25????????????????????? Alpharetta, GA??????????????????? Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
10/26????????????????????? St. Augustine, FL??????????????? St. Augustine Amphitheatre
10/27????????????????????? Tampa, FL?????????????????????????????? Starz Center For The Arts
10/29????????????????????? Hollywood, FL????????????????????? Hard Rock
10/30????????????????????? Orlando, FL??????????????????????????? Hard Rock
11/1???????????????????????? Salisbury, MD????????????????????? Wicomico Civic Center
11/2???????????????????????? Atlantic City, NJ?????????????????? Borgata Spa & Resort-Event Center
11/3???????????????????????? Durham, NC????????????????????????? Durham PAC
11/5???????????????????????? California, PA?????????????????????? Cal U Convention Center
11/6???????????????????????? Baltimore, MD??????????????????? Patricia & Artur Modell PAC
11/8???????????????????????? Washington, D.C.????????????? DAR Constitution Hall
11/9???????????????????????? Wallingford, CT??????????????????? Toyota Presents the Oakdale Theatre
11/10????????????????????? Albany, NY????????????????????????????? Times Union Center
11/12????????????????????? New York City, NY????????????? Beacon Theatre

WROTE A SONG FOR EVERYONE marks the singer, songwriter and guitarist?s ninth studio solo album since disbanding Creedence Clearwater Revival.? Mixed by Bob Clearmountain, it was recorded in Los Angeles and Nashville except for ?Proud Mary? which was recorded in New Orleans with Allen Toussaint and the Rebirth Brass Band.? FOGERTY recorded ?Fortunate Son? with Foo Fighters at their 606 studio using ?the? legendary Neve recording console featured in the #1 iTunes documentary Sound City.

About DPAC
Since its opening in 2008, DPAC, the Durham Performing Arts Center, has become the center for live entertainment in the Triangle. Recognized for its contemporary design, DPAC features 2,700 seats, intimate sightlines and state-of-the art sound and video. Listed four times in the top 10 in Pollstar magazine?s annual worldwide theater attendance rankings, DPAC is currently the #5 ranked theater in the U.S.

What is up next at DPAC this summer? Summer?s ultimate hip hop music experience KINGS OF THE MIC: LL Cool J feat. DJ Z-Trip, Ice Cube, Public Enemy, and De La Soul (June 16), SHERYL CROW in her most intimate concert ever in the Triangle (August 3), followed by Politically Incorrect comedian and host of HBO?s Real Time BILL MAHER (August 10).

For more information please go to www.DPACnc.com.

Source: http://triangleartsandentertainment.org/event/john-fogerty-at-dpac/

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WOW! Women On Writing Blog: Friday Speak Out!: Getting Creative ...

Drivers along the northern stretch of Alabama?s busy I65 met with an eerie and unexpected sight during February of 2012 when a gaping sinkhole appeared before them in the blacktop.

It must have been terrifying.

In a peculiar way, the event reminded me of the potentially devastating effects of writer?s block. How many of us have been swept along by intoxicating whirlwinds of creativity and inspiration, only to be dropped suddenly and unceremoniously at the brink of our own black and cavernous ?sinkhole??

The big question is: how should we react when this happens? Human nature seems to say stare at the looming sinkhole. Think about it. Focus on it, to the exclusion of every good thing around you. And, yes, possibly even begin to spend time researching sinkholes. In other words ?Think SINK?. Until the gnawing blackness grows to an overwhelming, all-consuming size.

Or?take action.

For just a moment, imagine the result if those unlucky February drivers had chosen to simply sit in their vehicles and stare at their obstacle. Not too efficient.

Instead, traffic was detoured and people started thinking. Some enterprising folks chose different modes of transportation for a week or two, a few drivers sought new routes, and still others opted to make phone calls instead of personal visits. People got creative!

To ward off writer?s block, you too, have to be pro-active and creative. One step is by choosing to become proficient in different genres. Though you may prefer to pen Young Adult Fiction, your talent can only improve as you learn to write quality Flash Fiction or try your hand at Poetry or Romance. If you always compose while sitting at the computer, ?unplug? yourself now and then to write long-handed or speak into a voice-recorder. Join a critique group or consider co-writing a piece or story. Or why not consider getting a ?fresh start?, literally, by scribbling some notes while sitting beneath a tree under an expansive blue sky?

Shake things up! Keep the creative juices flowing by daring to challenge yourself and your brain. Do things differently and don?t be afraid to take detours!

* * *

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Labels: Friday Speak Out, overcoming writers block, Robyn Corum

Source: http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/2013/06/friday-speak-out-getting-creative-with.html

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US and Cuba agree to resume migration talks

HAVANA (AP) ? The United States and Cuba have agreed to resume bilateral talks on migration issues next month, a State Department official said Wednesday, the latest evidence of a thaw in chilly relations between the Cold War enemies.

Havana and Washington just wrapped up a round of separate negotiations aimed at restarting direct mail service, which has been suspended since 1963. Both sets of talks have been on hold in recent years in a dispute over the fate of U.S. government subcontractor Alan Gross, who is serving a 15-year jail sentence in Havana after he was caught bringing communications equipment onto the island illegally.

The migration talks will be held in Washington on July 17. The State Department official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publically, spoke on condition of anonymity.

"Representatives from the Department of State are scheduled to meet with representatives of the Cuban government to discuss migration issues," the official said, adding that the talks were "consistent with our interest in promoting greater freedoms and respect for human rights in Cuba."

Word of the jump-started talks sparked an angry reaction from Cuban-American Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, who blasted the Obama administration for what she saw as a policy of appeasement.

"First we get news that the Obama State Department is speaking with a top Castro regime diplomat. Then comes the announcement that the administration is restarting talks with the dictatorship regarding direct mail between both countries," Ros-Lehtinen said. "Now we hear that migration talks will be restarted. It's concession after concession from the Obama administration."

Since taking office, Obama has relaxed travel and remittance rules for Cuban Americans and made it far easier for others to visit the island for cultural, educational and religious reasons.

But Obama has continued to criticize the government of President Raul Castro for repression of basic civil and human rights, and his senior aides have offered little praise for a series of economic and social reforms the Cuban leader has instituted in recent years.

A nascent effort at rapprochement between Washington and Havana has stalled since Gross's arrest, and the resumption of the two sets of bilateral talks is sure to raise speculation that there could be movement on his case.

Gross was working on a USAID democracy building program at the time of his arrest in December 2009. Washington has said repeatedly that no major improvement in relations can occur until he is released. His family has complained that he has lost a lot of weight in jail and suffers from various ailments. Cuba reportedly has agreed to allow a U.S. doctor to visit him in detention, and has also granted him conjugal visits and made him available to high-level American delegations.

Cuba, for its part, is demanding the release of four of its intelligence agents serving long sentences in the United States. A fifth agent, Rene Gonzalez, returned home to Havana earlier this year after completing his sentence and agreeing to renounce his U.S. citizenship.

Geoff Thale, a Cuba analyst at the Washington Office on Latin America think tank, said the resumption of talks, and the moves involving Gross and Gonzalez, are a sign that long-frozen relations could finally be improving.

"These are modest but sensible steps," he said. "What's significant is less the steps themselves than the fact that there is movement in the relationship. It's a real break from the status quo."

The migration talks are intended to monitor adherence to a 16-year-old agreement under which the United States issues 20,000 emigration visas to Cubans a year.

Separately, Cuba says it objects to an American policy known as "wet foot, dry foot" ? in which Cuban refugees reaching American soil are allowed to stay in the U.S., while those stopped at sea are sent home. Cuba says the policy encourages its citizens to try to flee the is

Also Wednesday, Cuba issued a statement declaring the recently concluded mail talks as "welcome" and "fruitful," but also said its delegation had informed the Americans that "a high quality, stable and secure" mail service between the countries is impossible as long as Washington maintains its 51-year economic embargo on the communist-run island.

___

Associated Press writer Paul Haven reported this story in Havana and Matthew Lee reported from Washington. AP writer Christine Armario in Miami contributed.

___

Paul Haven on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/paulhaven

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-cuba-agree-resume-migration-talks-211926132.html

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One million march across Brazil in biggest protests yet

By Paulo Prada and Maria Carolina Marcello

RIO DE JANEIRO/BRASILIA (Reuters) - An estimated 1 million people took to the streets in cities across Brazil on Thursday as the country's biggest protests in two decades intensified despite government concessions meant to quell the demonstrations.

Undeterred by the reversal of transport fare hikes that sparked the protests, and promises of better public services, demonstrators marched around two international soccer matches and in locales as diverse as the Amazon capital of Manaus and the prosperous southern city of Florianopolis.

While the protests remained mostly peaceful, the growing number of participants led to occasional outbursts of violence and vandalism in some cities. In central Rio de Janeiro, where 300,000 people marched, police afterwards chased looters and dispersed people crowding into surrounding areas.

"Twenty cents was just the start," read signs held by many converging along the Avenida Paulista, the broad avenue in central S?o Paulo, referring to the bus fare reductions. Police there said 110,000 people lined the avenue.

In the capital, Brasilia, tens of thousands of protesters marched around the landmark modernist buildings that house Congress and the Supreme Court and briefly set fire to the outside of the Foreign Ministry. Police said about 80 of the protesters, some with homemade explosives, made it into the ministry building before they were repelled.

In Ribeir?o Preto, near S?o Paulo, a 20-year-old demonstrator died after a driver plowed a jeep into a crowd. Brazilian media reported hundreds of minor injuries across the country, including a Rio television reporter who recounted being hit by a rubber bullet fired by police.

The swelling tide of protests prompted President Dilma Rousseff to cancel a trip next week to Japan, her office said. The president, whose administration was caught off-guard by the rapid growth of the demonstrations, also planned an emergency meeting for Friday, a government source said.

The targets of the protests, now in their second week, have broadened to include high taxes, inflation, corruption and poor public services ranging from hospitals and schools to roads and police forces.

With an international soccer tournament as a backdrop, demonstrators are also denouncing the more than $26 billion of public money that will be spent on the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, two events meant to showcase a modern, developed Brazil.

"This is fair play," read a banner among the hordes in Brasilia, a twist on the slogan used to promote sportsmanship by FIFA, world soccer's governing body.

MULTIPLE GRIEVANCES

After the concession on transport fares on Wednesday, activist groups differed over what their next priority should be. On Facebook, Twitter and other social media, some Brazilians expressed disgust for the scattered violence and vandalism that marred some of the marches.

The competing demands of demonstrators appeared to add to the intensity of Thursday's protests.

"What am I protesting for?" asked Savina Santos, a 29-year-old civil servant in Sao Paulo. "You should ask what I'm not protesting for! We need political reform, tax reform, an end to corruption, better schools, better transportation. We are not in a position to be hosting the World Cup."

Inside Rio's iconic Maracan? stadium, soccer fans sang protest songs and showed support for the throngs of demonstrators gathering in the city. In Salvador, a northeastern city hosting another game of the soccer tournament that serves as a World Cup test run, protesters pelted a FIFA bus with rocks.

Police in Salvador, Rio, Brasilia and other cities used tear gas, pepper spray and other tools to disperse crowds. They donned riot gear and used horses, trucks and barricades to help channel the crowds and protect buildings.

The unrest comes six months before an election year and just as Brazil, after nearly a decade-long economic boom in which the country's profile soared on the global stage, enters a period of uncertainty. Economic growth of less than 1 percent last year, annual inflation of 6.5 percent and a loss of appetite for Brazilian assets among international investors have clouded what had been a feel-good era for Brazil, a country of nearly 200 million people.

Brazil's currency, the real, dropped to a four-year low on Thursday, trading as weak as 2.275 per U.S. dollar. The country's benchmark stock market index, the Bovespa, also hit a four-year low.

CHANGING POLITICAL LANDSCAPE

The protests have shaken the once solid ground under Rousseff and her ruling Workers' Party, a bloc that grew out of convulsive demonstrations by Brazil's labor movement 30 years ago. Until inflation and other economic woes began eroding her poll numbers in recent weeks, Rousseff enjoyed some of the highest approval ratings of any elected leader worldwide.

The demonstrations have been comprised of mostly middle-class, well-educated voters who do not form the bulk of Rousseff's electoral base. The president and her party have sought to get ahead of the complaints and embrace them as their own - a shift that contrasts sharply with a playbook that long relied on telling Brazilians that they had never had it so good.

With little more than a year to go before presidential and gubernatorial elections, the unrest is forcing incumbents and traditional political parties to reconsider their strategies.

(Additional reporting by Eduardo Sim?es, Caroline Stauffer, Pedro Fonseca and Jeferson Ribeiro; Editing by Todd Benson and Stacey Joyce)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hundreds-thousands-protesters-march-brazil-010615638.html

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A battery made of wood?

June 19, 2013 ? A sliver of wood coated with tin could make a tiny, long-lasting, efficient and environmentally friendly battery.

But don't try it at home yet -- the components in the battery tested by scientists at the University of Maryland are a thousand times thinner than a piece of paper. Using sodium instead of lithium, as many rechargeable batteries do, makes the battery environmentally benign. Sodium doesn't store energy as efficiently as lithium, so you won't see this battery in your cell phone -- instead, its low cost and common materials would make it ideal to store huge amounts of energy at once, such as solar energy at a power plant.

Existing batteries are often created on stiff bases, which are too brittle to withstand the swelling and shrinking that happens as electrons are stored in and used up from the battery. Liangbing Hu, Teng Li and their team found that wood fibers are supple enough to let their sodium-ion battery last more than 400 charging cycles, which puts it among the longest lasting nanobatteries.

"The inspiration behind the idea comes from the trees," said Hu, an assistant professor of materials science. "Wood fibers that make up a tree once held mineral-rich water, and so are ideal for storing liquid electrolytes, making them not only the base but an active part of the battery."

Lead author Hongli Zhu and other team members noticed that after charging and discharging the battery hundreds of times, the wood ended up wrinkled but intact. Computer models showed that that the wrinkles effectively relax the stress in the battery during charging and recharging, so that the battery can survive many cycles.

"Pushing sodium ions through tin anodes often weaken the tin's connection to its base material," said Li, an associate professor of mechanical engineering. "But the wood fibers are soft enough to serve as a mechanical buffer, and thus can accommodate tin's changes. This is the key to our long-lasting sodium-ion batteries."

The team's research was supported by the University of Maryland and the U.S. National Science Foundation.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/lGAYwYYOa2A/130619195221.htm

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বৃহস্পতিবার, ২০ জুন, ২০১৩

Mueller: FBI uses drones for surveillance (The Arizona Republic)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

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FTC planning to take on patent trolls, hopes to reduce frivolous lawsuits

FTC planning to take on patent trolls, hopes to reduce frivolous lawsuits

Sick of endless patent wars yet? According to the New York Times, so is the Federal Trade Commission. Referencing the usual persons briefed on the matter, the NYT reports that FTC chairwoman Edith Ramirez is preparing to propose an inquiry that will put patent-assertion entities -- companies that exist solely to buy and collect royalties on patents -- under federal scrutiny. If approved, patent trolls that catch the FTC's attention will need to detail how they operate and if their legal proceeds pay out to the original patent owner. The chairwoman is expected to explain the proposal in more detail at a patent law workshop later this week. According to the NYT, Ramirez doesn't have any specific company in mind, but aims to investigate companies that might hamper innovation. With any luck, the inquiry will help curb spurious litigation and rampant patent trolling -- something most of us can probably get behind.

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Source: New York Times

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/20/ftc-planning-to-take-on-patent-trolls-hopes-to-reduce-frivolous/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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