Asus VG248QE

Ask any hardcore gamer what matters most and nine out of 10 times you'll get a one-word answer?speed. It's no secret that fast frame rates not only give you smoother game play but they can also give you an edge over those unfortunate souls who have to deal with lag and choppy motion. You can spend thousands on a tricked out gaming rig but if your monitor can't display the action smoothly you're not getting the most out of your hardware investment. With the Asus VG248QE , you don't have to worry about ghosting, lag, or choppy action. This 24-inch gaming monitor offers a 1-millisecond (gray-to-gray) pixel response and a 144Hz refresh rate, and it is 3D capable. Its color accuracy is good (not great) and its stand lets you position the panel in any direction for optimal (and comfortable) viewing. Off angle viewing is less than stellar though, and a few more I/O ports would be nice.

Design and Features
The VG248QE uses a design similar to its bigger sibling, the Asus VG278HE. It sports thin glossy black bezels, a glossy black cabinet, and a matching stand that consists of a round base with a Lazy Susan swivel mechanism and a telescoping mounting arm that offers pivot, height, and tilt adjustability. The base has a 3D logo, signifying that the panel is 3D ready, but as with the Asus VG278HE, the monitor does not come with the Nvidia 3D Vision 2 kit needed to view multi-dimensional content, although you can pick one up online for around $130 or so.

There are six clearly labeled function buttons (including the power switch) nestled beneath the lower bezel on the right side. Several of the buttons act as hot keys for things like picture presets and the GamePlus feature, which offers a game timer and an aiming scope to help zero in on your targets. All three video inputs are digital (HDMI, DisplayPort, dual-link DVI) and all are located at the rear of the cabinet facing downward. They are joined by an audio input and a headphone jack. There aren't any USB ports on this model, nor is there an analog video input or a webcam. However, it does include a set of embedded 2-watt speakers that are moderately loud but slightly tinny sounding.

As with every Asus monitor I've reviewed in recent years, the VG248QE offers Splendid Technology, which is really just a fancy name for picture presets. This monitor has six presets, including Scenery, Standard, Theater, Game, sRGB, and Night View modes. Other picture settings include Brightness, Contrast, Color Saturation, Skin Tone, and Color Temperature. There's also a Smart View setting that adds luminance for side angle viewing, but the view from dead center is compromised when this setting is enabled and is best left disabled.

The VG248QE comes with a dual-link DVI cable and an audio cable but you're on your own when it comes to HDMI and DisplayPort cables. The monitor is covered by a three year parts, labor, and backlight warranty.

Performance
For the most part, the VG248QE is a solid performer. Its color accuracy wasn't terrible but it wasn't ideal either. As shown in the chromaticity chart below, the 1920 x 1080 TN panel produced oversaturated greens, but blues and reds were much closer to their CIE (International Commission On Illumination) coordinates. Greens did appear to be a bit heavy in my test photos but not heavy enough to cause tinting.

The VG248QE was able to display almost every shade of gray from the DisplayMate 64-Step Grayscale test, but darks shades of gray could have been a bit darker. There was a hint of clipping at the light end of the scale, which is not uncommon for a TN panel.

As is the case with most TN monitors, the VG248QE has relatively narrow viewing angles. There was some color shifting at around 50-degrees from center from the side and the view from the bottom was dark. This becomes more of an issue when the panel is rotated and the bottom angle becomes the left side angle.

The panel's 1-millisecond pixel response and 144Hz refresh rate combined to deliver an outstanding gaming experience. There was no apparent lag or image smearing while playing Burnout Paradise while connected to a PS3 console. Results were similar while playing the PC-based Far Cry 2 and while watching 2012 on blu-ray disc. Panning scenes were crisp and stutter-free.

The VG248QE used 25 watts of power during testing, which is comparable to the BenQ XL2420TX (28 watts). Neither could touch the efficiency of the Viewsonic VG2437mc-LED, which used only 19 watts of power.

The Asus VG248QE is a capable 24-inch gaming monitor that uses 144Hz refresh technology and a speedy 1-ms pixel response to deliver smooth game play. Its viewing angle performance comes up short and it lacks the gear needed for 3D gaming, but if smooth motion handling is a must, this monitor delivers. That said, our current Editors' Choice for mid-sized gaming monitors, the BenQ XL2420TX, also offers very good motion performance and comes with a multitude of I/O ports and a 3D Vision 2 kit, but it'll cost you a couple of hundred dollars more.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/Uz-H07pq8pw/0,2817,2421205,00.asp

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Jaycees' July 4th parade offers patriotic fun for adults and kids alike

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com file

? Full list of local Fourth of July activities

Here?s an Ann Arbor tradition that shouldn't be missed: The Ann Arbor Jaycees hosts the 23rd annual Fourth of July parade Thursday morning in downtown Ann Arbor. The parade features floats, walking groups, music and more.

The parade starts at 10 a.m. at the corner of State and William streets. The approximately mile-long route goes north to Liberty, west to Main, then south one block back to William before ending at William and Thompson. The parade line-up starts at 8 a.m., and judging in the children?s bike decorating contest will begin at 9:30 a.m.

Children who want to ride in the parade are encouraged to decorate their bikes with the patriotic theme ?Parade of Stars.? A panel of judges will determine the winners. Judging will be done by age group (less than 5 years, 5 to 8 years, and 9 to 12 years.)

The parade?s Grand Marshal is Mike Bottom, head coach of the University of Michigan men?s and women?s swimming and diving programs. Don?t forget to wear red, white and blue.

The Ann Arbor Jaycees sponsor the annual Fourth of July parade on Thursday starting at 10 a.m. downtown (State, Liberty, Main, and William streets). For a map of the parade route and more information on the entrants in the parade visit www.a2jaycees.org/parade or call 734-531-9626.

Source: http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/jaycees-july-4th-parade-patriotic-fun-for-adults-and-kids-alike/?cmpid=RSS_link_entertainment

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Kennedy refuses to halt gay marriages in Calif.

AAA??Jun. 30, 2013?1:41 PM ET
Kennedy refuses to halt gay marriages in Calif.
By LISA LEFFBy LISA LEFF, Associated Press??

Cynthia Wides, right, and Elizabeth Carey file for a marriage certificate at City Hall in San Francisco, Saturday, June 29, 2013. Dozens of gay couples have lined up outside City Hall in San Francisco as clerks have resumed issuing same-sex marriage licenses one day after a federal appeals court cleared the way for the state of California to immediately lift a 4-year freeze. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Cynthia Wides, right, and Elizabeth Carey file for a marriage certificate at City Hall in San Francisco, Saturday, June 29, 2013. Dozens of gay couples have lined up outside City Hall in San Francisco as clerks have resumed issuing same-sex marriage licenses one day after a federal appeals court cleared the way for the state of California to immediately lift a 4-year freeze. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Cynthia Wides, right, and Elizabeth Carey exchange wedding vows at City Hall in San Francisco, Saturday, June 29, 2013. Dozens of gay couples have lined up outside City Hall in San Francisco as clerks have resumed issuing same-sex marriage licenses one day after a federal appeals court cleared the way for the state of California to immediately lift a 4-year freeze. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Jen Rainin, left, laughs as her wife Frances holds up their dog Punum after they were married at City Hall in San Francisco, Friday, June 28, 2013. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a brief order Friday afternoon dissolving, "effective immediately," a stay it imposed on gay marriages while the lawsuit challenging the ban advanced through the courts. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Army Capt. Michael Potoczniak, center left, and Todd Saunders, of El Cerrito, Calif., are married by deputy marriage commissioner John Loschmann, center, as witnesses Bill Hershon, left, and Sean Boileau watch at City Hall in San Francisco, Saturday, June 29, 2013. Dozens of gay couples waited excitedly Saturday outside of San Francisco's City Hall as clerks resumed issuing same-sex marriage licenses, one day after a federal appeals court cleared the way for the state of California to immediately lift a 4 ? year freeze. Big crowds were expected from across the state as long lines had already stretched down the lobby shortly after 9 a.m. City officials decided to hold weekend hours and let couples tie the knot as San Francisco is also celebrating its annual Pride weekend expected to draw as many as 1 million people. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Army Capt. Michael Potoczniak, at left, and Todd Saunders, right, of El Cerrito, Calif., exchange rings as they are married by deputy marriage commissioner John Loschmann, center, at City Hall in San Francisco, Saturday, June 29, 2013. Dozens of gay couples waited excitedly Saturday outside of San Francisco's City Hall as clerks resumed issuing same-sex marriage licenses, one day after a federal appeals court cleared the way for the state of California to immediately lift a 4 ? year freeze. Big crowds were expected from across the state as long lines had already stretched down the lobby shortly after 9 a.m. City officials decided to hold weekend hours and let couples tie the knot as San Francisco is also celebrating its annual Pride weekend expected to draw as many as 1 million people. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy on Sunday denied a last-ditch request from the sponsors of California's now-overturned gay marriage ban to halt the issuance of same-sex marriage licenses in the nation's most populous state.

Kennedy turned away the appeal with no additional comment just as San Francisco's gay pride parade was getting underway in San Francisco, where dozens of couples have gotten married since Friday and where the clerk's office was expected to issue more licenses on Sunday.

Same-sex marriage opponents asked Kennedy to step in on Saturday, a day after the federal appeals court in San Francisco allowed same-sex marriages to go forward.

The opponents said the appeals court had acted about three weeks too soon when it cleared the way Friday for same-sex marriages to be legal in California for the first time in 4 ? years by lifting a hold it had imposed on such unions while a lawsuit challenging Proposition 8 made its way to and through the high court.

Under Supreme Court rules, the losing side in a legal dispute has 25 days to request a rehearing. While such requests are almost never granted, the high court said that it wouldn't finalize its judgment in the case at least until after that waiting period elapsed.

Proposition 8 supporters could continue their efforts to halt gay marriage by filing their request with another Supreme Court justice. They also have another 21 days to seek a rehearing before the high court.

The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that Proposition 8's backers lacked standing to defend the 2008 law because California's governor and attorney general have declined to defend the ban.

Then on Friday, the 9th Circuit appeared to have removed the last obstacle to making same sex matrimony legal again in California when it removed its hold on a lower court's 2010 order directing state officials to stop enforcing the ban.

Within hours, same sex couples were seeking marriage licenses. The two couples who sued to overturn Proposition 8 were wed in San Francisco and Los Angeles Friday.

Organizers of the gay pride parade have invited newly married couples to a VIP reception at San Francisco City Hall on Sunday afternoon.

Associated PressNews Topics: General news, Gays and lesbians, Same sex marriage, Couples, State governments, Marriage, Supreme courts, Weddings, Family issues, Social affairs, Gay rights, Human rights and civil liberties, Social issues, Relationships, Lifestyle, Government and politics, National courts, National governments, Courts, Judiciary, Occasions

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-06-30-US-Gay-Marriage-California/id-f59bac0c4b75439a8900119380cc6930

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Military exercise in China's Xinjiang after 'terror' clashes

by Agence France-Presse
Posted on 06/30/2013 6:14 AM ?|?Updated 06/30/2013 6:14 AM

URUMQI, China - China staged a large military exercise in the ethnically-divided Xinjiang region on Saturday, June 29, after dual clashes this week branded as "terrorism" killed at least 35 people.

Tanks, military vehicles, and armed personnel blocked access to streets in Xinjiang's capital Urumqi, where at least 1,000 personnel carried out the exercise, an AFP reporter present at the scene said, with large sections of the city's center shut down.

"Isn't it obvious? It is being staged because of the latest terrorism attacks," one local woman who did not give her name said of the exercise, which locals said was highly unusual in that scale.

The drill came ahead of the fourth anniversary on July 5 of riots in Urumqi between members of China's mostly Muslim Uighur ethnic minority and its Han majority, which left around 200 dead.

Saturday's exercise -- which began this afternoon and was expected to last around five hours -- was carried out by members of the People's Armed Police, part of China's armed forces responsible for law enforcement and internal security during peacetime.

China's state-run media on Saturday blamed over 100 people it branded "terrorists" for sparking "riots" in Xinjiang the previous day.

The unrest took place in the prefecture of Hotan, where a group "(attacked) a number of people with weapons after gathering at local religious venues", the state-run Global Times said.

It followed clashes on Wednesday, June 26, which left 35 dead, the worst to hit the western desert region -- home to around 10 million members of the Uighur minority -- since the 2009 riots. China called the incident a "violent terrorist attack".

Radio Free Asia, which is funded by the US government, quoted a source as saying police in Hotan opened fire on Uighurs as they left a local mosque.

"Young Uighurs on motorcycles were leaving the mosque, they were shouting religious slogans...The police were frightened and started shooting at them ... At least two died and one was injured," the report said.

A state-run news website, Tianshan Web, said that no members of the public had been killed or injured, without stating whether police or government staff had died.

China's President Xi Jinping said, following the attacks, that "(the incidents) must be handled quickly to guarantee the general stability of the society", Tianshan Web reported on Saturday.

China often labels outbreaks of sporadic unrest in the region as terrorism -- claims denied by Uighur rights groups who blame unrest on economic inequality and religious repression.

Meanwhile, a senior ruling Communist Party official has called for "24-hour patrol" by armed police in the restive region, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

It was not possible to verify details of Wednesday's clash independently as reporters were barred from entering the town, detained and later followed by local police.

The Uyghur American Association, run by exiled members of the minority, said a "blackout of news" on attacks in the region cast doubt on Chinese government claims in a statement released on Saturday.

"The state then uses its propaganda apparatus to label the incident 'terrorism' without presenting any evidence that can be independently proved," the group said.

The recent unrest occurred ahead of celebrations for the Muslim Ramadan festival -- which Uighurs have said are repressed by local authorities.

AFP reporters saw members of China's armed paramilitary police transported near Lukqun, the town affected by riots on Wednesday.

Residents contacted by AFP by telephone said police, some armed, were lining streets and intersections in the town following the attack. Another local resident told AFP he could not send text messages to the area.

Locals in Urumqi said the city was divided into Uighur and Han districts, and one taxi driver, who did not give his name, said that Han residents were avoiding Uighur dominated areas in the run up to the anniversary.

Official figures say 46 percent of Xinjiang's population is Uighur, while another 39 percent are members of China's dominant Han majority.

In recent decades millions of Han have relocated to the region -- which is rich in coal and gas -- to find work, in a settlement drive that has caused friction in the community.

Beijing denies repressing ethnic minorities, who make up less than 10 percent of the national population and enjoy some preferential policies.

China closely restricts information about unrest in Xinjiang, and blocked access across the region for several months after the violence in 2009. - Rappler.com

Source: http://feeds.rappler.com/~r/rappler/~3/omzC5RCXxAs/32526-military-exercise-china-xinjiang

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Mired in recession, ex-Yugoslav Croatia joins troubled EU

By Zoran Radosavljevic

ZAGREB (Reuters) - Croatia becomes the 28th member of the European Union at midnight on Sunday, a milestone that caps the Adriatic republic's recovery from war but is tinged with anxiety over the state of the economy and the bloc it joins.

EU flags fluttered from a stage in Zagreb's central square ahead of the evening's festivities, though there have been few signs of the gushing welcome that marked past expansions to ex-communist Eastern Europe.

Croatia joins the bloc just over two decades after declaring independence from federal Yugoslavia, the trigger for four years of war in which some 20,000 people died.

But, facing a fifth year of recession and record unemployment of 21 percent, few Croatians are in the mood to party.

They join a bloc deeply troubled by its own economic woes, which have created internal divisions and undermined public support for the union.

"Just look what's happening in Greece and Spain! Is this where we're headed?" asked pensioner Pavao Brkanovic. "You need illusions to be joyful, but the illusions have long gone," he said at a Zagreb market.

The country of 4.4 million people, blessed with a coastline that attracts 10 million tourists each year, is one of seven that emerged from the ashes of Yugoslavia during a decade of war in the 1990s.

Slovenia was first to join the EU, in 2004, but Serbia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo are still years away.

Some in Croatia have drawn comparisons between Sunday night's celebrations in Zagreb and the Eurovision Song Contest that the city hosted in 1990, when Yugoslavia was on the brink of collapse just as Europe was poised to unite with the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Italy's Toto Cutugno won with the refrain "Unite, unite Europe", but instead Yugoslavia fell apart and Croatia went to war with Serb rebels who tried to break away from the newly-independent state with the backing of Belgrade.

MERKEL NO-SHOW

"Back then, it looked to me as if everything should be resolved in a fortnight and we would quickly jump in (to the EU)," Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic told the European Parliament this week.

"But then the war happened, and it didn't come to pass until today."

To get to this point, Croatia has gone through seven years of tortuous and often unpopular EU-guided reform.

It has handed over more than a dozen Croatian and Bosnian Croat military and political leaders charged with war crimes by the United Nations tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague.

It has sold shipyards, steeped in history and tradition but deeply indebted, and launched a high-profile fight against corruption that saw former prime minister Ivo Sanader jailed.

Some EU capitals remain concerned at the level of graft and organized crime. Croatia will not yet join the 17-nation single currency zone, nor the visa-free Schengen zone.

The spirit of the occasion took another knock when German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the bloc's most powerful leader, pulled out of the accession ceremony, saying she was too busy.

Croatian media linked the move to a row over a former Croatian secret service operative wanted in Germany, though a spokesman for Merkel denied this.

The chancellor, instead, urged Croatia to press on with reforms.

"There are many more steps to take, especially in the area of legal security and fighting corruption," Merkel said in a weekly podcast.

Despite the mood, however, for some Croatians the merits of accession are undeniable.

"The EU is not perfect but it is Croatia's only option," said popular novelist Slavenka Drakulic Ilic.

"We need it for financial and economic reasons," she told the T-portal website on Friday, "and we need it for the sake of peace and stability. We belong to a region that is still volatile."

(Additional reporting by Annika Breidthardt in Berlin; Editing by Matt Robinson and Kevin Liffey)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mired-recession-ex-yugoslav-croatia-joins-troubled-eu-224458948.html

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UNC women grab NCAA's Capital One cup

Under Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham, UNC-Chapel Hill women won this year's Capital One Cup.

Maybe the legendary UNC basketball coach Dean Smith predicted this would happen one day. ?This is a women?s soccer school,? he once said during an interview with Football News Magazine.

Well, turns out that the UNC women?s soccer squad?s victory in the 2012-13 championship, along with lacrosse and indoor tennis titles, propelled the UNC women?s athletic program to the top of the Capital One Cup standings.

The Cup is awarded annually to each of the best men?s and women?s Division I college athletics programs in the country. Points toward the Capital One Cup are earned and tracked throughout the year based on final standings of NCAA Championships and final official coaches? polls.

UNC women?s athletics finished with 140 points, besting No. 2 Stanford?s 129.5.

On the men?s side, Duke University grabbed the fifth spot, with a total of 82 points. The UCLA Bruins topped that list with 92 points.

Capital One will award a combined $400,000 in student-athlete scholarships and the Capital One Cup trophy to the two winning schools at the ESPY awards in July.

Cameron Snipes oversees research and production of weekly industry lists and Book of Lists.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bizj_national/~3/zEOp4eh_9Kk/unc-women-grab-ncaas-capital-one-cup.html

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Biomarker predicts risk of breast cancer recurrence after tamoxifen treatment

June 29, 2013 ? A biomarker reflecting expression levels of two genes in tumor tissue may be able to predict which women treated for estrogen-receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer should receive a second estrogen-blocking medication after completing tamoxifen treatment. In their report being published online in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center investigators describe finding that the HOXB13/IL17BR ratio can indicate which women are at risk for cancer recurrence after tamoxifen and which are most likely to benefit from continuing treatment with the aromatase inhibitor letrozole (Femara).

"Most patients with early-stage, ER-positive breast cancer remain cancer-free after five years of tamoxifen treatment, but they remain at risk of recurrence for 15 years or longer after their initial treatment," says Dennis Sgroi, MD, of the MGH Cancer Center and Department of Pathology, lead and corresponding author of the report. "Our biomarker identifies the subgroup of patients who continue to be at risk of recurrence after tamoxifen treatment and who will benefit from extended therapy with letrozole, which should allow many women to avoid unnecessary extended treatment."

Previous research by Sgroi's team, in collaboration with investigators from bioTheranostics Inc., discovered that the ratio between levels of expression of two genes -- HOXB13 and IL17BR -- in tumor tissue predicted the risk of recurrence of ER-positive, lymph-node-negative breast cancer, whether or not the patient was treated with tamoxifen. The current study of patients from MA.17, the highly successful clinical trial of letrozole, was designed to evaluate the usefulness of the HOXB13/IL17BR ratio for both prognosis -- predicting which tamoxifen-treated remained patients at risk of recurrence -- and for identifying who could benefit from continued treatment with letrozole.

To answer those questions the investigators analyzed primary tumor samples and patient data from the placebo-controlled MA.17 trial, which confirmed the ability of extended letrozole therapy to improve survival after the completion of tamoxifen treatment. Tissue samples were available from 83 patients whose tumors recurred during the study period -- 31 who had received letrozole and 52 in the placebo group -- and 166 patients with no recurrence, 91 of whom had received letrozole, with 75 getting the placebo. Analysis of the tumor samples revealed that a high HOXB13/IL17BR ratio -- meaning the expression level of HOXB13 is greater than that of IL17BR -- predicts an increased risk for tumor recurrence after tamoxifen therapy, but that elevated risk drops significantly if a patient receives letrozole

Paul E. Goss, MD, PhD, director of the Breast Cancer Research Program at the MGH Cancer Center and a co-author of the report, explains, "This discovery means that about 60 percent of women with the most common kind of breast cancer can be spared unnecessary treatment with the concommitant side effects and costs. But more importantly, the 40 percent of patients who are at risk of recurrence can now be identified as needing continued therapy with letrozole, and many will be spared death from breast cancer." He and Sgroi note that their findings need to be validated by additional studies before they can be put into clinical practice.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/kFmW4R0U9Fo/130629164733.htm

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Russia criticizes groups setting conditions for Syria talks

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia is committed to arranging a peace conference on the Syria conflict but other countries and groups are complicating matters by trying to set preconditions, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday.

Lavrov, who will meet U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry next week to discuss the planned conference, also said shipments of weapons to rebels fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad "contradict the concept of the conference".

Russia, which has backed Assad by sending Damascus arms and protecting him from U.N. Security Council resolutions, agreed with Washington in May to help try to bring the warring sides to a peace conference. But preparatory talks this week in Geneva between Russian, U.S. and U.N. officials made no headway.

"The opposition, which is supported by the West, and other countries in the region announced they are not going to the conference as long as the regime doesn't agree to capitulate," Lavrov said after talks with Morocco's foreign minister.

He underlined that when the joint Russian-American initiative was rolled out, it was agreed that the participants would not be allowed to set any preconditions.

No date has been set for the conference. Russia, which opposes external intervention in the crisis, says it is not defending Assad but says his removal from power cannot be a condition for the talks to take place.

(Reporting by Thomas Grove, Editing by Timothy Heritage)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/russia-criticizes-groups-setting-conditions-syria-talks-092802203.html

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Higher cable, satellite prices boost Shaw's profit

(Reuters) - Canada's Shaw Communications Inc reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results and raised its cash-flow forecast, sending its shares up 3 percent in early trading.

But the company, the dominant cable TV operator in Western Canada, managed only a marginal rise in third-quarter profit as it lost subscribers to its video cable and satellite TV services.

Shaw said the number of subscribers to its video services fell by 26,578, or 1.3 percent, to 2.07 million in the quarter, while the number of those taking its "direct to home" satellite service slipped by 2,930 or 0.3 percent, to about 904,000.

"Subscriber losses in the core cable TV business were pretty much in line, maybe a little worse than anticipated," said David Heger, an analyst at brokerage Edward Jones.

"But they were better than they were in the (second) quarter. Perhaps they're starting an improving trend."

Shaw, which also operates the Global TV network, raised its 2013 cash-flow forecast to C$590 million-C$600 million from C$550 million and said it plans dividend increases of 5 to 10 percent in each of the next two years as a result of the higher cash flows and favorable market conditions.

The company also has 19 specialty networks including HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, the History channel and Showcase.

Shaw's net income rose to C$250 million, or 52 Canadian cents per share, from C$248 million, or 53 Canadian cents per share, a year earlier. Revenue rose 4 percent to C$1.33 billion.

Analysts on average had expected a profit of 45 Canadian cents per share, on revenue of C$1.30 billion ($1.24 billion), according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Shaw had more shares outstanding in the third quarter than it did in the year-earlier quarter.

Apart from the pressure on its TV businesses, Shaw is facing fierce competition from Telus Corp, which is pushing out an internet-based TV product to lure away its customers.

Shaw added a net 17,719 landline telephone subscribers in the quarter, bringing the total to 1.35 million, and a net 4,157 internet subscribers, bringing the total to 1.88 million.

The company's shares were up 3.22 percent at C$24.71 in early trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

($1 = 1.0491 Canadian dollars)

(Reporting by Krithika Krishnamurthy in Bangalore; Editing by Ted Kerr)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/shaw-posts-higher-profit-raises-cash-flow-forecast-125146084.html

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Pope warns church leaders against seeking power

VATICAN CITY (AP) ? Pope Francis told prelates Saturday to shun the "logic of human power," pressing his campaign to root out corruption and other wrongdoing from the Vatican's scandal-tainted power structures.

The admonition came a day after the latest embarrassment for the Vatican hierarchy -- the arrest by Italian authorities of a Vatican accountant, in a probe of an alleged attempt by the prelate to secure the smuggling of 20 million euros ($26 million) in banknotes from Switzerland into Italy. The Italian monsignor, who was suspended a few weeks earlier from his job in the Vatican's finance office, is also under investigation in a separate money-laundering probe by prosecutors in southern Italy.

Francis is making reforms aimed at ensuring his papacy's priorities, which include paying more attention to the world's poor and concentrating on cultivating spiritual, not material, wealth. He delivered a kind of moral pep talk to church leaders, including Vatican cardinals, gathered in St. Peter's Basilica for an annual ceremony to welcome newly made archbishops.

"Whenever we let our thoughts, our feelings or the logic of human power prevail, and we do not let ourselves be taught and guided by faith, by God, we become stumbling blocks," the pope said. "Faith in Christ is the light of our life as Christians and as ministers in the church."

Francis also put church leaders on guard against "the peril of thinking in worldly terms."

Earlier in the week, the pope established a commission to look into the Vatican bank, which has long had a reputation as a largely unregulated financial center ripe for exploitation as a tax haven or even for money laundering. The arrest of Monsignor Nunzio Scarano, along with an Italian financial broker and a former member of an Italian paramilitary police's security agency, highlighted the urgency to ensure that Vatican's financial apparatus is above board.

The Vatican's curia, or bureaucratic administration, is notorious for rivalries among power-seeking factions. Francis received an authoritative show of support Saturday from an Italian cardinal, Velasio de Paolis, a retired chief of the Vatican's finance department.

The Vatican "must clean house," the cardinal told Rome daily Il Messaggero in an interview. "Pope Francis is right to insist on this," he was quoted as saying. The pope's reform drive is "valid for all believers, clergy or non-clergy, with a red skullcap or without a red skullcap," de Paolis said, referring to the crimson headgear that cardinals wear.

De Paolis added that "churchmen ought to be saints, but sometimes they are not." Referring to the pope's determination to clean up the Vatican bank, de Paolis said of Francis: "He's not ingenuous, he knows that the church must have wealth to help those who don't have it. "

Since cardinals elected Francis as pope in March, the pontiff, a Jesuit from Argentina, has eschewed showy symbols of Vatican wealth, refusing, among other decisions, to reside in the Apostolic Palace. He lives in a hotel on the Vatican grounds, and except for religious ceremonies, wears a simple white cassock instead of fancy robes.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pope-warns-church-leaders-against-seeking-power-095718894.html

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Obama heads to South Africa with 'personal hero' Mandela on his mind

President Obama is heading to South Africa from Senegal as part of his African tour, where Nelson Mandela's daughter says he might visit Mandela if doctors approve. NBC's Keir Simmons reports.

By Stacey Klein and Ian Johnston, NBC News

Barack Obama said Friday that he did not need a ?photo op? with Nelson Mandela, saying the ?last thing? he wanted to do was be intrusive at a time when the anti-apartheid icon?s family are concerned about his health.

However, the president did not rule out a meeting with Mandela, whose ex-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela said Friday had made a ?great improvement? compared to a few days ago.

On Tuesday, Mandela's daughter Zindzi said that her father ?opened his eyes and gave me a smile? when she told him Obama was coming.

Speaking about her ex-husband Nelson Mandela, Winnie Mandela says, 'From what he was a few days ago, there is great improvement' in the former South African president's condition.

Speaking on Air Force One as he flew to South Africa from Senegal, Obama said that ?we?ll see what the situation is when we land.?

?I don't need photo op," he said. "The last thing I want to do is be intrusive at a time when the family is concerned? with Mandela?s condition.

He said the main message he wanted to deliver was ?profound gratitude? for Mandela?s leadership and to say that ?the thoughts and prayers of the American people are with him, his family and his country.?

This message could be delivered to his family and not directly to Mandela, the president said.

On Thursday, Obama said he had already had the "privilege of meeting Madiba [Mandela's clan name] and speaking to him."

"And he's a personal hero, but I don't think I'm unique in that regard," Obama added. "If and when he passes from this place, one thing I think we'll all know is that his legacy is one that will linger on throughout the ages."

Madikizela-Mandela, speaking outside Mandela's former home in the Johannesburg township of Soweto, said her ex-husband seemed to be getting better.

?I?m not a doctor but I can say that from what he was a few days ago there is great improvement," she said.

When asked by NBC News Special Correspondent Charlayne Hunter-Gault?whether the family would welcome a visit by Obama, Zindzi Mandela said Thursday she wasn't aware of any formal request. However, she added that decision would be left with doctors treating the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

Ahead of his arrival in Johannesburg on Friday, an anti-Obama protest was held not far from the hospital where Mandela is being treated with one demonstrator claiming the U.S. president had been a ?disappointment.?

Siphiwe Sibeko / Reuters

Protesters protest the visit of President Barack Obama in Pretoria Friday. One said he viewed Obama as a "disappointment" and thought Nelson Mandela would too.

Reuters reported that nearly 1,000 trade unionists, Muslim activists, South African Communist Party members and others marched to the U.S. Embassy where they burned a U.S. flag, calling Obama's foreign policy ?arrogant and oppressive.?

"We had expectations of America's first black president. Knowing Africa's history, we expected more,? Khomotso Makola, a 19-year-old law student, told Reuters. He said Obama was a ?disappointment, I think Mandela too would be disappointed and feel let down.?

South African critics of Obama have focused in particular on his support for U.S. drone strikes overseas, which they say have killed hundreds of innocent civilians, and his failure to deliver on a pledge to close the U.S. military detention center at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba housing terrorism suspects.

However, Nigerian painter Sanusi Olatunji, 31, had brought portraits of both Mandela and Obama to add to a growing number of flowers, tribute notes and gifts outside the hospital.

?These are the two great men of my lifetime,? he told Reuters. ?To me, Mandela is a prophet who brought peace and opportunity. He made it possible for a black man like me to live in a country that was only for whites.?

/

View images of civil rights leader Nelson Mandela, who went from anti-apartheid activist to prisoner to South Africa's first black president.

In the latest statement on Mandela?s condition, South African President Jacob Zuma said the 94-year-old was ?much better? on Thursday than he had been the previous night. "The medical team continues to do a sterling job," he added.

A statement issued by Zuma?s office said he and Obama would hold ?crucial bilateral talks that will take forward relations between the two countries? on Saturday.

?South Africa values its warm and mutually beneficial relationship with the United States immensely. This is a significant visit which will take political, economic and people to people relations between the two countries to a higher level, while also enhancing cooperation between U.S. and the African continent at large,? it said.

The statement noted Obama?s visit was being made as South Africa prepares to celebrate ?20 years of freedom? ? 1994 saw the first elections in the country in which all its citizens were eligible to vote. Mandela voted for the first time in his life in that year and was elected the country?s first black president, serving until 1999.

?South Africa greatly appreciates the solidarity provided by the Anti-Apartheid Movement in the United States during the struggle for liberation,? the statement said.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Related:

This story was originally published on Fri Jun 28, 2013 5:05 AM EDT

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Woman's statement to Jackson jurors prompt inquiry

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? A judge questioned two alternate jurors in the civil trial over Michael Jackson's death after a woman approached them and told them not to award the singer's family any money in the case.

Superior Court Judge Yvette Palazuelos and attorneys on the case questioned the alternates, who said the woman approached them during a break Friday afternoon. Both said the woman told them not to award any money in the case against concert promoter AEG Live LLC.

The alternates said they told the woman she couldn't talk to them, but she persisted for several moments before finally leaving them alone. They described the woman but said they did not see her in the courtroom after testimony concluded Friday.

The alternate jurors said their interaction would not affect their judgment about the case. The judge told them to return to court Monday and report to bailiffs or court staffers if they saw the woman again.

Jackson family attorney Brian Panish said the interaction was jury tampering and is a felony.

Katherine Jackson mother is suing AEG Live over her son's death. The company denies wrongdoing.

The case has five alternate jurors remaining after one had to be dismissed because he is moving out of state.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-06-28-Jackson-AEG%20Suit-Juror/id-2e83d311af7b41b08aff57347c97b203

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HTC One launches in 'glamour red', arrives in the UK next month (update: pricing)

Flush from launching in the US in a Google-heavy iteration, HTC is rewarding its UK fans with a sultry "glamour red" option of the One smartphone. It'll arrive at retailer Phones 4U in mid-July, although there's no specifics yet on storage (16 or 32GB?), or whether there will be any price difference between the new colorful hue and existing silver and black options.

Update: Phones4U has confirmed it'll be selling this boudoir of a phone starting at £33 per month on contract.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, HTC

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/w2639o8FyaI/

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Wall Street Fundamentals Releases New In-Depth Stock Reports on HFC, MPC, TSO and WNR

The U.S. refining industry has experienced a pullback in recent weeks as the Brent-WTI spread has continued to narrow. Tickerspy?s Oil Refiner Stocks Index (REFIN) has fallen approximately 13.8 percent in the past month. Earlier this week, the spread between the oil contracts fell to its narrowest in over two years. WTI was trading at discount of over $20.00 a barrel earlier this year, but has since fallen to around a $6.00 a barrel discount. Access to cheap U.S. crude has been a major factor for the improving profit margins for U.S. refineries.

HollyFrontier Corp. (NYSE:HFC - News) shares traded in the range of $42.27 to $43.21 Wednesday before settling to close at $42.82, an increase of 1.49 percent. The stock appears to be facing resistance at the $43.98 and $44.79 levels. Shares of HollyFrontier have fallen approximately 12.1 percent in the past month.

More information on HollyFrontier and access to the free equity report can be found at:
www.WallStreetFundamentals.com/HFC

Marathon Petroleum Corp. (NYSE:MPC - News) shares traded in the range of $72.14 to $73.86 Wednesday before settling to close at $72.43, an increase of 0.49 percent. The stock appears to be facing resistance at the $73.33 and $76.37 levels. Shares of Marathon Petroleum have fallen approximately 11.7 percent in the past month.

More information on Marathon Petroleum and access to the free equity report can be found at:
www.WallStreetFundamentals.com/MPC

Tesoro Corporation (NYSE:TSO - News) shares traded in the range of $53.52 to $54.67 Wednesday before settling to close at $54.10, an increase of 1.42 percent. The stock appears to be facing resistance at the $55.38 and $56.76 levels. Shares of Tesoro have fallen approximately 11.6 percent in the past month.

More information on Tesoro and access to the free equity report can be found at:
www.WallStreetFundamentals.com/TSO

Western Refining, Inc. (NYSE:WNR - News) shares traded in the range of $28.13 to $28.87 Wednesday before settling to close at $28.64, an increase of 1.49 percent. The stock appears to be facing resistance at the $29.46 and $30.07 levels. Shares of Western Refining have fallen approximately 9.0 percent in the past month.

More information on Western Refining and access to the free equity report can be found at:
www.WallStreetFundamentals.com/WNR

Wall Street Fundamentals offers our members a full range of investor services including in-depth equity reports on your favorite companies and timely market updates featuring the hottest stocks trending in the marketplace.

Activate your always free membership by signing up at www.WallStreetFundamentals.com today.

Disclaimer: Information, opinions and analysis contained herein are based on sources believed to be reliable, but no representation, expressed or implied, is made as to its accuracy, completeness or correctness. The opinions contained herein reflect our current judgment and are subject to change without notice. We accept no liability for any losses arising from an investor's reliance on or use of this report. This report is for information purposes only, and is neither a solicitation to buy nor an offer to sell securities. Certain information included herein is forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements concerning manufacturing, marketing, growth, and expansion. Such forward-looking information involves important risks and uncertainties that could affect actual results and cause them to differ materially from expectations expressed herein. Wall Street Fundamentals has no financial relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this release.

Contact:
Wall Street Fundamentals
Website: www.WallStreetFundamentals.com
Email: editor@wallstreetfundamentals.com

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/wall-street-fundamentals-releases-depth-stock-reports-hfc-123000003.html

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5 ways students changed in the last 40 years ? Schools of Thought ...

By Jamie Gumbrecht, CNN

(CNN) ? Every couple of years, the National Assessment of Educational Progress releases a short-term snapshot of how students fare in science, civics or other subjects.

But it doesn't ?quite answer the big question: How are students really doing?

That's the job of a report released Thursday, "The Nation's Report Card: Trends in Academic Progress 2012." It's an assessment released every four years that tracks U.S. students' performance in reading and math since the 1970s. The 2012 assessment included more than 50,000 students from public and private schools. It tracks them at ages 9, 13 and 17, regardless of grade level, and compares their performance using tests - mostly multiple-choice questions - that take about an hour to complete.

Here are five things to know about academic progress since the 1970s, according to the 2012 report.

9-year-olds and 13-year-olds outscore 1970s counterparts
Indeed, those kids scored higher in reading and math. In reading, 9-year-olds and 13-year-olds improved at every level, so even the lowest-performing kids now are ahead of the lowest-performing kids then. In fact, kids in the low and middle range showed the greatest gains.

17-year-olds? Not so much
Seventeen-year-old students aren't scoring better in reading and math, but their scores aren't falling, either. In reading, the lowest-performing 17-year-olds made gains since the 1970s, as did lower- and middle-performing 17-year-olds in math. But scores overall are about the same as in the early 1970s ? and that might not be all bad. In a conference call with reporters, Peggy Carr, associate commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics' assessment division, pointed out that there are far fewer dropouts than in the 1970s; even with more kids in school, performance has remained steady.

Gender gaps are shrinking
Just as in the 1970s, girls perform better in reading, and boys perform better in math.

But female students are narrowing the math gap, or even eliminating it. "In 2012, there were no significant gender gaps in mathematics at age 9 and 13," the report says. "At age 17, male students scored higher in mathematics than female students. The gender gap in 2012 at age 17, however, was narrower than in 1973 due to the increase in the average score for female students."

Meanwhile, male students are squeezing the gap in reading by showing significant improvement at age 9.

Black and Hispanic students are making gains
Consider just how much students' demographics have changed: In 1978, 80% of U.S. students were white, 13% were black, 6% were Hispanic and 1% were Asian. In 2012, 56% of students were white, 15% were black, 21% were Hispanic and 6% were Asian.

White students still perform better than black and Hispanic students in reading, but the gaps between white and black and white and Hispanic are narrower for all ages. It's particularly noticeable among 9-year-olds: "The average score for black students was 36 points higher in 2012 than in 1971 ... and the score for white students was 15 points higher," the report says. "The average score for Hispanic students increased 25 points from 1975, and the score for white students increased 12 points."

In math, white students performed better overall, but black and Hispanic students made larger gains than white students since 1973.

Take another look at that summer reading list
At age 9, 53% of students say they read for fun at home almost every day. By age 13, it's 27%. At 17, it's down to 19%. The percentages for 9-year-olds have remained the same since 1984, when the question was first asked, but it has decreased over time for 13- and 17-year-olds. Why does it matter?

"At all three ages, students who reported reading for fun almost daily or once or twice a week scored higher than did students who reported reading for fun a few times a year or less," the report says.

Follow us on Twitter @CNNschools!

Source: http://schoolsofthought.blogs.cnn.com/2013/06/27/5-ways-students-changed-in-the-last-40-years/

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Fatty acids found in fish linked to lower risk of breast cancer

June 27, 2013 ? A high intake of fatty acids found in fish is associated with a 14% reduction in the risk of breast cancer in later life, finds a study published on bmj.com today.

The results show that each 0.1 g per day or 0.1% energy per day increment of intake of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) derived from fish was associated with a 5% reduction in risk. To achieve this risk reduction, intake of oily fish such as salmon, tuna or sardines should be 1-2 portions per person per week.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers, accounting for 23% of total cancer cases and 14% of cancer deaths in 2008. Studies suggest that a healthy diet and lifestyle is crucial for the prevention of breast cancer, and dietary fat is one of the most intensively studied dietary factors closely related with risk.

The n-3 PUFAs include ALA, EPA, DPA and DHA. They are involved in chemical messaging in the brain, helping to regulate blood vessel activity and areas of the immune system. The main dietary sources of EPA, DPA and DHA come from oily fish, while ALA is found mainly in nuts, seeds, and leafy green vegetables.

Although n-3 PUFAs are the most promising types of fat to reduce cancer risk, results from human studies are inconsistent.

So a team of researchers based in China set out to investigate the association between fish and n-3 PUFA intake and the risk of breast cancer. Levels were measured from both dietary sources and blood tests.

They reviewed and analysed the results of 26 studies from the United States, Europe and Asia involving over 800,000 participants and over 20,000 cases of breast cancer.

Marine n-3 PUFA was associated with a 14% reduction of breast cancer between the highest and lowest category of marine n-3 PUFA intake. The risk was lowest in Asian populations, probably because fish intake is much higher in Asia than in western countries, say the authors.

Further analysis indicated a dose response: each 0.1 g per day or 0.1% energy per day increment of intake was associated with a 5% reduction in risk. However, no significant protective association was found for ALA -- the plant based n-3 PUFA.

The authors say their analysis, together with previous publications, "supports a protective role of marine n-3 PUFA on the incidence of breast cancer."

They conclude: "Our present study provides solid and robust evidence that marine n-3 PUFA are inversely associated with risk of breast cancer. The protective effect of fish or individual n-3 PUFA warrants further investigation of prospective studies."

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/kSA6Cy-wQac/130627190653.htm

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Kerry plunges back into Mideast peace diplomacy

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Thursday, June 27, 2013. Kerry is in Israel for the fifth time to make further efforts to resume peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Thursday, June 27, 2013. Kerry is in Israel for the fifth time to make further efforts to resume peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, in Jerusalem on Thursday, June 27, 2013. Kerry is in Israel for the fifth time to make further efforts to resume peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Thursday, June 27, 2013. Kerry is in Israel for the fifth time, to make further efforts to resume peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their meeting in Jerusalem, on Thursday, June 27, 2013. Kerry is in Israel for the fifth time in three months, to make further efforts to resume peace talks between the Jewish country and the Palestinians. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their meeting in Jerusalem, on Thursday, June 27, 2013. Kerry is in Israel for the fifth time in three months, to make further efforts to resume peace talks between the Jewish country and the Palestinians. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) ? Plunging back into the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry held a four-hour meeting and fish dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that stretched into the early hours of Friday.

It is Kerry's fifth visit to the region since becoming secretary of state in February to try to restart peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians, which broke down in 2008. He is to have lunch with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday in Amman, and more meetings could be in the offing.

Kerry, who is on a two-week swing through the Mideast and Asia, left Amman on Thursday evening in a convoy of nearly a dozen vehicles for the roughly 90-minute drive to Jerusalem. A Jordanian military helicopter flew over his convoy during the trip, according to a reporter who was allowed to make the trip with Kerry and his delegation.

Netanyahu was about an hour late, apparently telling Kerry that he was delayed because he had been attending a graduation ceremony for Israeli military pilots. They talked mostly one-on-one, but advisers also were present for some of the discussion, which began around 9:30 p.m. local time in a suite at a hotel in Jerusalem and ended around 1:30 a.m. Friday.

The State Department released the dinner menu ? fish ceviche and a main course of red tuna and sea bream over lentils and mushrooms ? but offered no detailed information about their talks. The State Department said only that the two had a "productive, in-depth and wide-ranging conversation" and that Kerry reiterated his commitment to working with all parties to achieve a two-state solution.

There was no readout from the Israelis.

State Department officials say Kerry will continue to try to find common ground between the two sides that would lead to a re-launching of negotiations. On this trip, Kerry is trying to pin down precisely what conditions Abbas and Netanyahu have for resuming talks and perhaps discuss confidence-building measures.

Beyond that, Kerry wants to talk about the positive outcomes, such as enhanced economic growth, of a two-state solution. But at the same time, the secretary, who has long-time relationships with officials from both sides, will remind them of what's at stake if the conflict is left unresolved, they said.

Earlier this month, in a speech to the American Jewish Committee Global Forum in Washington, Kerry warned of serious consequences if no deal is reached.

"Think about what could happen next door," he told the Jewish audience. " The Palestinian Authority has committed itself to a policy of nonviolence. ... Up until recently, not one Israeli died from anything that happened from the West Bank until there was a settler killed about a month ago.

"But if that experiment is allowed to fail, ask yourselves: What will replace it? What will happen if the Palestinian economy implodes, if the Palestinian Security Forces dissolve, if the Palestinian Authority fails? ... The failure of the moderate Palestinian leadership could very well invite the rise of the very thing that we want to avoid: the same extremism in the West Bank that we have seen in Gaza or from southern Lebanon."

So far, there have been no public signals that the two sides are narrowing their differences.

Abbas has said he won't negotiate unless Israel stops building settlements on war-won lands or accepts its 1967 lines ? before the capture of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem in a Mideast war that year ? as a starting point for border talks. The Palestinians claim all three areas for their future state.

Netanyahu has rejected the Palestinian demands, saying there should be no pre-conditions ? though his predecessor conducted talks on the basis of the pre-1967 lines, and the international community views the settlements as illegal or illegitimate.

Earlier on Thursday, Kerry talked about the crisis in Syria and the Mideast peace process over lunch with Jordan's King Abdullah II.

In a statement, the Royal Palace said Abdullah told Kerry that he will continue trying to bridge the gaps in the viewpoints of Palestinians and Israelis. But he warned that Israel's "unilateral actions, which include continuous Israeli trespassing on Christian and Muslim holy sites, undermine chances for peace."

On Wednesday, an Israeli planning committee gave the final approval for construction of dozens of new homes in a settlement in east Jerusalem. The announcement, which was made the day before Kerry's visit, appeared to be an Israeli snub at the secretary of state's latest round of Mideast diplomacy.

Officials traveling with Kerry sought to minimize the significance of the announcement, saying the U.S. has repeatedly said that continued construction of settlements were unhelpful to efforts to restart the talks. The settlements are part of the Har Homa area of east Jerusalem. The Obama administration said it was "deeply concerned" back in 2011 when an Israeli planning commission approved 930 new housing units in the Har Homa neighborhood.

The Palestinian side condemned the announcement.

"Such behavior proves that the Israeli government is determined to undermine Secretary Kerry's efforts at every level," said Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat.

___

Associated Press writer Jamal Halaby in Amman contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-06-28-Kerry/id-dcfb17d77dd84bac8977532a68b25d86

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Jackson's son says father feared concert promoter

FILE - In this Oct. 8, 2011 file photo, Prince Michael Jackson appears on stage at the Michael Forever the Tribute Concert, at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. An attorney for Michael Jackson?s mother, Katherine Jackson, says the singer?s eldest son, Prince, will testify in a Los Angeles courtroom in the negligent hiring case against AEG Live LLC on Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Prince, 16, is a plaintiff in the case against concert promoter AEG Live. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan, File) *Editorial Use Only*

FILE - In this Oct. 8, 2011 file photo, Prince Michael Jackson appears on stage at the Michael Forever the Tribute Concert, at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. An attorney for Michael Jackson?s mother, Katherine Jackson, says the singer?s eldest son, Prince, will testify in a Los Angeles courtroom in the negligent hiring case against AEG Live LLC on Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Prince, 16, is a plaintiff in the case against concert promoter AEG Live. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan, File) *Editorial Use Only*

FILE - In this Oct. 8, 2011 file photo, Prince Michael Jackson appears on stage at the Michael Forever the Tribute Concert, at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. An attorney for Michael Jackson?s mother, Katherine Jackson, says the singer?s eldest son, Prince, will testify in a Los Angeles courtroom in the negligent hiring case against AEG Live LLC on Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Prince, 16, is a plaintiff in the case against concert promoter AEG Live. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan, File) *Editorial Use Only*

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Michael Jackson's eldest son testified Wednesday that his father was excited about going back on tour before his death but wasn't happy about the pressure that came with the ill-fated shows.

Prince Jackson told jurors his father wanted more time to rehearse and had several tense phone conversations with promoters of his "This Is It" shows that sometimes ended with his father in tears.

The 16-year-old said his father remarked after one of the conversations, "'They're going to kill me.'" He did not elaborate.

The testimony came in a lawsuit claiming AEG negligently hired Conrad Murray, the doctor who was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter for giving Jackson an overdose of the anesthetic propofol.

AEG denies it hired the physician or bears any responsibility for the entertainer's death.

Wearing a black suit with a dark grey tie and his long brown hair tucked behind his ears, Prince testified that he saw AEG Live CEO Randy Phillips at the family's rented mansion in a heated conversation with Murray in the days before his father died. The teenager said Phillips grabbed Murray's elbow.

Phillips "looked aggressive to me," Prince testified.

Michael Jackson wasn't at home at the time and was probably rehearsing, Prince said.

Murray's attorney Valerie Wass and AEG defense attorney Marvin S. Putnam later denied outside court that the meeting Prince described ever happened.

Putnam said Prince would be re-called to the witness stand during the defense case later in the trial.

"I think as the testimony will show when he is called in our defense that's not what happened," Putnam said. "He was a 12-year-old boy who has had to endure this great tragedy."

For the first time, the teenage publicly provided details about the day his father died. Prince testified that he saw Murray performing CPR on his father, who was hanging halfway off a bed. It appeared his dad's eyes were rolled up in the back of his head, Prince told jurors.

Prince's eyes appeared red as he recalled being told by Murray at a hospital that his father was dead.

Prince said he never saw Murray's treatments of his father.

"I was 12. To my understanding he was supposed to make sure my dad stayed healthy," Prince testified.

Prince said none of the household staff were allowed upstairs at the mansion, and the singer kept his bedroom locked while receiving treatments from Murray.

During cross-examination, Putnam played a clip from a deposition of Prince in which the teen said he discovered the bedroom was locked when he and his siblings were playing hide-and-seek and couldn't get inside.

Prince also said his father gave him and his sister Paris a stack of $100 bills on a few occasions to give to Murray. The teen said his father told him that Murray wouldn't take the money from him, and the doctor wouldn't take the full amount from the children.

The teenager said his understanding was that the money was meant to tide Murray over until he got paid by AEG Live.

Prince's grandmother, Katherine Jackson, sat in the front row of the courtroom during his testimony. She held a tissue and removed her glasses several times.

The testimony began with the teenager showing jurors roughly 15 minutes of private family photos and home videos.

He described growing up on Neverland Ranch and showed the panel videos of the property's petting zoos, amusement park and other amenities. After his father's acquittal of child molestation charges, Prince described living in the Middle East, Ireland and Las Vegas.

He told the jury that his father was always working, but the children had no idea he was a global superstar.

"We always listened to his music, but we never knew how famous he was," Prince said.

He said he and his sister Paris watched a video of one of their father's performances and got a sense of his fame when overwhelmed fans were carried from his shows on stretchers.

Prince is the first Jackson family member to testify during the trial, now in its ninth week. Attorneys have said TJ Jackson, who serves a co-guardian to Prince and his siblings, and Taj Jackson, are also expected to take the witness stand. They are the sons of Tito Jackson.

Prince Jackson, his sister Paris and brother Blanket are plaintiffs in the case against AEG, which their grandmother and primary caretaker filed in August 2010.

Prince spoke softly as he began testifying, and the first exhibit shown to jurors was a photo taken with his grandmother on his and Paris' first day of school.

He described his school life, including taking a summer course in U.S. history, participating on the school robotics team and volunteer work.

Another image showed Michael Jackson playing piano with his son while Prince was still a toddler.

Plaintiffs' attorney Brian Panish asked Prince whether he was interested in pursuing a career in music.

"I can never play an instrument and I definitely cannot sing," Prince said to laughter from the jury.

He said he wanted to study film or business when he goes to college.

The trial is expected to last several more weeks.

___

Anthony McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-06-26-Jackson-AEG%20Suit/id-e509820447094a15a0430ce6229f8b96

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PSA: You can now use your Amazon account to log into Lovefilm

You might be able to knock one password off your list, as you now have the option to log in to your Lovefilm account using Amazon credentials. The changeover is part of the online retail giant's recently announced Login With Amazon initiative, intended to let you use a universal ID for its other websites or those of third party developers. To switch, you'll need to follow the link at the source and enter both your Lovefilm and Amazon details, and may need to re-enter payment info as well. The company promised that your private data will remain "completely safe," and said that any rental lists, bookmarks, viewing history and watchlists will stay put. On the off-chance you're on Lovefilm but don't have an Amazon account, the company wouldn't be adverse to your creating one at the same time, in case you fancy physical disc media to go along with the streaming variety. That's not the only change Lovefilm users may notice however, as the service has rolled out versions of its next generation streaming app -- first seen on the PS3 -- for the Xbox 360 as well as Sony Bravia TVs, Blu-ray players and home theater systems.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Amazon

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Source: Lovefilm

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/26/psa-you-can-now-use-your-amazon-account-to-log-into-lovefilm/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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