Pakistan court bans Musharraf from office for life

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) ? A Pakistani court on Tuesday banned former military ruler Pervez Musharraf from running for public office for the rest of his life, the latest blow since he returned from exile last month to make a political comeback.

One of Musharraf's lawyers, Saad Shibli, said he would go to the Supreme Court to challenge the ruling, claiming the former leader should not be singled out for punishment for his actions while in power since others were involved.

"About 500 officials at different levels and institutions were part of Musharraf's actions, and if those actions come under scrutiny, all those people should be involved in this matter," Shibli said.

Judges had previously barred Musharraf from running in the parliamentary election scheduled for May 11. The Peshawar High Court handed down the lifetime ban Tuesday after hearing an appeal by Musharraf's lawyer to allow him to run in the upcoming election.

Musharraf returned to Pakistan in March after four years in self-imposed exile, but his fortunes have gone from bad to worse since he arrived. He is currently under house arrest in connection with a pair of court cases against him.

One involves his decision to fire senior judges, including the chief justice of the Supreme Court, while in power. The other relates to the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007. Government prosecutors have accused Musharraf of being involved ? allegations he has denied.

Musharraf seized power in a coup in 1999 when he was serving as army chief and ruled for nearly a decade. He stepped down in 2008 because of growing discontent with his rule.

He returned to Pakistan despite Taliban death threats, but was met by only a few thousand people when his plane landed in the southern port city of Karachi. Analysts said the response showed how little public support he enjoyed in the country.

The run-up to next month's parliamentary election has been marred by violence, much of it carried out by the Pakistani Taliban.

On Tuesday, gunmen killed a politician running for a provincial assembly seat in southwestern Baluchistan province, said local government official Saeed Ahmad.

Abdul Fatah Magsi was gunned down in Jhal Magsi, about 350 kilometers (220 miles) southeast of Quetta, the provincial capital, said Ahmad. The candidate's supporters fired back and killed two of the gunmen. The attack appeared to be the result of a political rivalry, Ahmad said.

The election in the constituency has been postponed, which is mandatory whenever a candidate is killed.

Baluchistan is home to both Islamic militants and separatists who have been waging a bloody insurgency against the government for decades.

____

Associated Press writer Abdul Sattar contributed to this report from Quetta, Pakistan.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pakistan-court-bans-musharraf-office-life-104930486.html

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White House Correspondents Dinner 2013: Obama, Conan Bring the House Down

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/04/white-house-correspondents-dinner-2013-obama-conan-bring-the-hou/

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Live: Will study SC observation before we act on it, says PM - Firstpost

6.05pm:CBI Director Ranjit Sinha addresses media

?I do not think judges meant anything regarding CBI?s integrity. We will provide all information asked by the Supreme Court, there has been no embarrassment,? CBI Director Ranjit Sinha told repoters in New Delhi.

5:00 pm: Khurshid defends govt, says court has still to make up its mind

Someone had to do it, and it turns out it is External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid who decided to try and defend the government over the statements made by the Supreme Court today. But the minister has cautioned against taking any knee jerk reactions to the hearing today and said the government believed it was unnecessary to take any steps due to it.

?The court itself hasn?t made up its mind on what it wants to do?It is unfair for us to assume what the court wants to do,? Khurshid said in an exclusive interview with CNN-IBN?s editor-in-chief? Rajdeep Sardesai.

?Whatever the court may have said, it might have appeared for them to be necessary to say that. But let them take a final view,? he said.

He also said that he wished the Additional Solicitor General Harish Raval and Attorney General Goolam Vahanvati hadn?t chosen to take their disagreements over the CBI?s report in the Coalgate matter public.

?Right now I can say that I have worked with both these lawyers?I wish they had spoken to each other and sorted it out,? Khurshid said.

He also said that they wouldn?t take any action for now until the court reached a final decision.

We aren?t running away and the matter will not go away so let us wait for a final adjudication, the minister said.

Khurshid also defended the government?s defence of the Prime Minister and said it was not an implication of guilt.

?It is our job to protect our commander and to assume that the commander has something to hide is unfair,? he said.

So in one sentence it means Law Minister Ashwani Kumar isn?t going anywhere for now. And someone please tell the BJP also that the PM isn?t going to be resigning any time soon.

4:20 pm: No reason for us to co-operate with the government, says Swaraj

?Why should we co-operate with the government when they refuse to co-operate with us in any manner?If I am stopped from speaking from the platform of Parliament and informing the nation why we are obstructing the functioning of the House, and that too by the Congress president, then we have no reason to co-operate,? Swaraj said.

The Congress has destroyed any chance of their being a compromise, she said.

The BJP leader said they wanted many issues to be taken up during Parliament but had decided not to support the government in any of its endeavours in either of the Houses from here on.

However, the party has no plan to move a no confidence motion against the government. So for all the sound and fury, all it means is that we can expect that Parliament will not be functioning for the rest of this session.

4:15 pm: Will boycott all meetings organised by Speaker and Parliamentary Affairs Min, says Sushma Swaraj

The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha has strongly criticised the Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Speaker Meira Kumar for not allowing her to finish her speech in Parliament today.

?This must be one of the first times that the Supreme Court has made such stringent comments against the government,? BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said.

The BJP leader said that the Congress president had urged her party?s MPs to disturb her during her speech and this despite the party promising during an all-party meet that they would allow her to speak for five minutes.

?If we are called for a meeting by Speaker we will not attend nor will we attend any meeting organised by the Parliamentary Affairs Minister,? she said.

2:15 pm: Rajya Sabha adjourned over demands for Law Minister?s resignation

The BJP?s promise to ensure the two Houses of Parliament don?t function beyond completing financial legislation seems to be in force with the party MPs shouting for the Prime Minister?s resignation and disrupting the Upper House.

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day.

2.05 pm: Law Minister Ashwini Kumar meets Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Parliament

After the CBI was pulled up by the Supreme Court, casting doubts over the future of Law Minister Ashwani Kumar, the minister has gone to meet with the Prime Minister in Parliament, reported Times Now.

Will the Prime Minister take a decision on Kumar after studying the Supreme Court?s directives? Time will tell.
2.00pm Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal to CNN-IBN

?Party bhi khari hai, sarkar bhi khari hai, hum bhi khare hai (The party is standing, the government is standing and I am standing too,? Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal tells CNN-IBN.

?Demanding of PM?s resignation is a political game played by the opposition as there will be the Karnataka polls shortly and Lok Sabha elections are just a year away,? Jaiswal said.

1.50pm: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh speaks to reporters out side Parliament on coalgate

?We are studying the Supreme Court?s observation on Coalgate,? Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told reporters. ?Whatever action is called for will be taken after I study SC observations,? he said.

1:50 pm: CBI director says they will comply with SC orders, says he feels no regret

Speaking to CNN-IBN, CBI director Ranjit Sinha said that he welcomed the Supreme Court?s observations in the hearing today and would submit all the documents sought by the apex court.

?I don?t think there is anything to regret. The honourable Supreme Court will take a view on the meeting with Law Minister,? Sinha told the channel.

?Obviously the investigation should be in domain of investigating agency but sometimes we need inputs from other agencies,? Sinha said. However, he refused to comment on what changes had been made due to the Law Minister.

1:15 pm: Law Minister to stay, Additional solicitor general to go?

And the first of the figures to fall after the Supreme Court hearing today may be additional solicitor general Harish Raval for his strong letter against his boss the Attorney General.

CNN-IBN quoting sources said that since the apex court had made no adverse observations against either the Prime Minister, Law Minister or Attorney General there was no need for any of them to vacate their posts for now.

However, Raval, who was anyway said to be likely to step down after his strongly worded letter, may be the one to face the axe if he doesn?t.

Incidentally PTI reported that Raval has been replaced by senior advocate U U Lalit to represent the CBI in the case for future hearings.

And while the opposition may be after the Law Minister?s resignation, the Congress has decided to wait till the next hearing on 6 May before taking a final decision on whether he needs to go.

1:10 pm: Congress core group to meet, Sonia Gandhi to attend

After the Supreme Court hearing today, the Congress core group is to meet later today and will be attended by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, reported Times Now.

Will this mean the end of Law Minister Ashwani Kumar? Or will the Congress prefer to wait it out till the next hearing on 6 May?

1:00 pm: Will abide by everything said by the Supreme Court, says CBI

In a first reaction after the Supreme Court hearing, the CBI has said that it will abide by everything the apex court has told them to do, CNN-IBN reported.

12:50 pm: Essential to ensure independence of CBI in this case, says Bhushan

Lawyer Prashant Bhushan who is a party to the petition over the Coalgate issue said that it was essential to ensure the independence of the CBI in this case.

?It is essential to ensure that the CBI operate independently in this case where the investigations that are on,? Bhushan said outside the apex court.

The court has sought the names of the Joint Secretaries who perused the report and what changes were made in the report, he said.

The court has asked who filed the original status report and who filed the new status report, Bhushan said.

?The court has said that the full details and bio-data of all the officers need to be given before the next hearing,? he said.

The Attorney General has said that he did not see the final status report or the draft status report, Bhushan said.

However, he pointed out that the Law Minister and additional solicitor general had said that they met with the Attorney General.

12:40 pm: CBI director briefed about court?s instructions

A joint director of the CBI, who was reportedly present in the meeting with the Law Minister when the changes were made in the Coalgate report, has reached North Block to brief CBI director Ranjit Sinha about what the court had said, reports CNN-IBN.

Congress leader Ahmad Patel is also meeting with the Prime Minister, presumably to discuss the same issue.

Expect a lot more meetings behind closed doors to discuss the court?s directives before the day is through.

12:30 pm: Why didn?t you tell us earlier that you shared report with govt, asks SC

The Supreme Court has directed CBI director Ranjit Sinha to clarify by 6 May as to why in the status report of 8 March there was no disclosure that the draft report has been shared with government.

This marks the end of a very tumultuous hearing for the CBI, but on 6 May it may have to face a further tongue lashing from the apex court.

The government has perhaps escaped this time round but the repercussions of this hearing could have a major impact in the political sphere as well.

12: 15 pm: Coal ministry isn?t giving us all info in Coalgate, CBI tells SC

The Supreme Court has directed the CBI director Ranjit Sinha to put on an affidavit stating what changes were made in its status report and at whose instruction.

You shouldn?t be on crutches of the executive. Even now you haven?t mentioned changes to Coalgate report, the apex court has told the CBI reported Times Now.

Meanwhile, the investigating agency, which has been under fire from the apex court so far, has told it that the coal ministry is not furnishing all information required by it in coal allocation scam.

And this despite the fact an official from the ministry read the first investigation status report before it was submitted to the apex court.

12:10 pm : SC asks whether Law Minister and officials can call for CBI report

The apex court has asked the CBI whether the Law Minister and officials of PMO and Coal ministry are entitled to call for agency?s probe report in coal scam.

This comes after the CBI director had said that the report was given to the authorities since they had sought for the report before it was filed in the Supreme Court.

12:07 pm: Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 pm, Sushma Swaraj tears into govt

The Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till 2 pm, a casualty of slogan shouting MPs who sought the PM?s resignation.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj is tearing into the government over the issue and says it is the most corrupt government ever. (Live updates on that here)

12:05 pm: We told you so, Kejriwal says on Twitter

?

12:00 pm: Parliament disrupted by slogan shouting MPs demanding PM?s resignation

Whatever pact may have been struck before yesterday has come unstuck following the Supreme Court?s observations.

BJP MPs are in the well of the House and shouting slogans demanding the Prime Minister?s resignation. Will the Finance Bill really make it through today? You can track out live updates on proceedings in Parliament here.

11:55 am CBI director says they welcome all the observations of the apex court

Speaking to Times Now outside the Supreme Court, CBI director Ranjit Sinha has reportedly said, ?We welcome all observations of the Supreme Court?

We will adhere to instructions of the SC, Sinha was quoted as saying by the channel.

What those instructions will be remains to be seen as the hearing continues in the apex court.

11: 40 am: BJD goes after Attorney General, says PM should make changes

Pinaki Mishra of the BJD says that the country has had a rich legacy when it comes to the legal field and today is in bad shape thanks to the Prime Minister?s inaction.

?It is for the PM to reflect on the people he has put in charge of these institutions and should reflect on the law minister and law officers he has appointed,? he said.

Unfortunately for the Prime Minister, the BJD is perhaps being the kindest so far. All other political parties are seeking much more than just thoughtful, introspective changes.

11: 35 am: PM must explain in Parliament, says CPI

?Nobody can ignore the Supreme Court?s observations and Parliament should evolve CBI so that it become independent,? D Raja from the CPI said.

He wants the Law Minister to resign and wants the Prime Minister to give an explanation in Parliament.

The BJP is less charitable and wants the entire? government to go.

?The Supreme Court?s observations are so serious that the Prime Minister, if he has any self respect, should resign immediately,? BJP spokesperson Balbir Punj said.

Just days ago, the Prime Minister said there was no question of the Law Minister resigning. Can he hold on to that stance for much longer given the strong observations by the Supreme Court?

11:30 am: Khurshid walks away from cameras

Not the kind of day you want to be the one answering questions on behalf of the government and External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid quickly turned away from reporters when accosted outside Parliament.

?Lets not comment on what court is saying,let us wait for the judgement,? he said.

It remains to be seen how the UPA government and Congress react to the Supreme Court?s observations. That will be an interesting press conference.

11: 23 am: SC tells CBI it doesn?t need to take instructions from its political masters

You don?t need to take instructions from political masters , Supreme Court tells CBI.

The CBI is facing the brunt of the Supreme Court?s observations for now and it remains to be seen if the spotlight will shift to the political executive and Attorney General.

11:20 am: Political knives are out for UPA government

The BJP is the first to target the UPA government over the Supreme Court?s observations and has said that it is direct implication that the Prime Minister was involved in suppressing the issue.

Guess they?re not going to stop demanding his resignation any time soon.

11:15 am: CBI must be liberated from political interference, says SC

Our first exercise will be to liberate CBI from political interference, said the apex court bench.

The CBI?s independent position must be restored, the court observed.

This supression by CBI is not ordinary, it observed.

The court?s observations could be the beginning of a landmark verdict if the apex court does ask the government to free the CBI and make it completely independent.

11:10 am: SC says CBI needs to be liberated from outside influences

The Supreme Court bench is reacting very sharply to the CBI director?s affidavit and has reportedly said that it wants to liberate the CBI from extraneous influences.

?Why was court kept in the dark about sharing probe ?report with government,? the Supreme Court bench has asked the CBI.

As former CBI director RK Raghavan writing for Firstpost had noted this affidavit could be a watershed in freeing the investigating agency from the political shackles:

?The whole episode should be a blessing in disguise for the much-harassed CBI. Having filed an affidavit which is described to be an affront to the government?s overlordship, I expect the organization to scrupulously ward off in future the government?s efforts to dictate how it should conduct its affairs in matters of investigation.?

Read the complete piece here.

11: 00 am: SC begins hearing Coalgate case, says CBI director?s affidavit is very disturbing

The Supreme Court has begun hearing the CBI director?s affidavit and has said that the document has been a massive breach of trust.

Starting the hearing, the Supreme Court bench has reportedly observed,? This has been a massive breach of trust and our very foundation is shaken.?

Very disturbing feature is there in CBI affidavit, the bench observed.

Sharing information with the government has shaken the entire process, it said.

10: 00 am: Additional Solicitor General only worsens things for govt ahead of SC hearing

A day before the Supreme Court heard the matter, additional Solicitor General, Harin Rawal, blamed the Attorney General GE Vahanvati of influencing the CBI probe into coal scam.

Rawal, who is likely to step out as government?s law officer, had told the apex court in its last hearing that the 8 March status report of the CBI investigation into the coal scam had not been seen by the political executive.

The March 8 status report of the investigating agency was submitted to the court in a sealed cover.

Reuters

In an obvious attempt to put the record straight, Rawal is believed to have said that he was being made a ?scapegoat?.

In his submission to the apex court, CBI director Ranjit Sinha had said that the first status report on the Coalgate investigations had been shown to the Law Minister Ashwani Kumar and two Joint Secretary rank officials in the Coal Ministry and the Prime Minister?s Office.

?I submit that the draft of the same (draft report) was shared with Hon?ble Union Minister for Law and Justice as desired by him prior to its submission before this Hon?ble Court.

?Besides the political executive, it was also shared with one Joint Secretary-level officer each of Prime Minister?s Office and Ministry of Coal as desired by them,? Sinha said in his affidavit.

However, in addition to the affidavit admitting the status report was shown to the political executive the CBI has also reportedly given a list of all the changes made by the Law Minister and other officials in the status report that was submitted to the Supreme Court.

?If you look at the two drafts, maybe 15-20 per cent changes were effected at the behest of the minister and the bureaucrats,? an unnamed law officer was quoted as saying in an Indian Express report.

The BJP had pounced on the CBI director?s affidavit as proof that the government was interefering in the investigations into allegations of corruption in coal block allocations. The BJP has been seeking the resignation of the Prime Minister and Law Minister over the issue and has also disrupted Parliament since the second half of the Budget Session began.

Source: http://www.firstpost.com/politics/live-will-study-sc-observation-before-we-act-on-it-says-pm-739713.html

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French electronic duo Daft Punk snatches top spot in UK charts

LONDON (Reuters) - French electronic duo Daft Punk notched up their first number one in Britain's official singles charts on Sunday, dislodging London drum'n'bass quartet Rudimental who were pushed into the number two spot.

Daft Punk's song "Get Lucky", featuring the guest vocals of Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers on guitar, had entered the chart the previous week in the number three spot.

It racked up sales of 155,000 in the past week, the Official Charts Company said, the biggest one-week sales tally of the year.

"Get Lucky" is the lead single from the French duo's upcoming fourth album "Random Access Memories" and is the outfit's third biggest hit behind "One More Time" (2000) and "Around The World" (1997).

In the album charts, Canadian crooner Michael Buble's "To Be Loved" held on to the number one spot for a second week.

"To Be Loved" is the follow-up to Buble's festive album "Christmas", which has sold 1.8 million copies in Britain since its release in October 2011.

"Tape Deck Heart", an album from singer-songwriter Frank Turner who performed during the warm-up to the 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony, went straight into the number two spot.

Meanwhile, "#willpower", a new album from will.i.am, debuted at number three.

(Reporting By Andrew Osborn)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/french-electronic-duo-daft-punk-snatches-top-spot-192607481.html

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Lauryn Hill Signs Record Deal, Denies Squatting Reports

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/04/lauryn-hill-signs-record-deal-denies-squatting-reports/

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Amanda Bynes: Check Out My Cray-Cray New Twitter Video!!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/04/amanda-bynes-check-out-my-cray-cray-new-twitter-video/

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Mini-stroke could limit Algeria president ambition

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, right, shakes hands with his South African counterpart Jacob Zuma as they pose for photographers prior to their meeting at the presidential palace in Algiers, Algeria, Monday, April 15, 2013. (AP Photo/Anis Belghoul)

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, right, shakes hands with his South African counterpart Jacob Zuma as they pose for photographers prior to their meeting at the presidential palace in Algiers, Algeria, Monday, April 15, 2013. (AP Photo/Anis Belghoul)

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) ? The mini-stroke suffered by Algeria's president has cast fresh doubt on his perceived ambition to run for a fourth term next year as leader of one of Africa's largest and richest countries.

The possibility that President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, 76, could step down could affect the stability of this key U.S. ally in the fight against terror but might also open up its long-stagnant politics.

Bouteflika on Saturday had a brief blockage of a cerebral blood vessel known as a transient ischemic attack, which authorities said he quickly recovered from and had no lasting complications. He was sent to a military hospital in Paris for tests, however, and remained there Sunday night.

Algeria's state news agency has been uncommonly open about the president's latest health problem but insisted he will be back to work soon.

"He has not had any lasting damage and no motor or sensory function has been impaired," Rachid Bougherbal, the director of the institute of sports medicine, told the state news agency.

Such mini-strokes ? known as TIAs ? have symptoms of confusion and disorientation. They are quite brief but can re-occur. In a third of the cases, a full stroke can happen within a year, according to the American Stroke Association.

The mini-stroke has come during a delicate time in Bouteflika's 14-year-reign, as rumors over his poor health have proliferated and he has rarely appeared in public.

Charges of corruption have also dogged his administration. Terrorist groups, including one that carried out a massive attack on an Algerian gas field in January, are also known to be in remote desert areas along Algeria's borders.

There has also been a great deal of social unrest in this North African nation of 37 million, especially over Algeria's high unemployment rate.

Despite announcing that he would step down at the next presidential election, it is widely believed that Bouteflika wants to run for a fourth term in April 2014.

So convinced are residents of this unspoken desire of the president that there has been no talk of other candidates, only when he will make his announcement.

"This totally ends the chances of his fourth term," said Chafik Mesbah, a political analyst and former member of the military intelligence.

"This is ultimately a good thing," he added, explaining that the army and the intelligence services were increasingly upset over the rising tide of corruption.

Bouteflika's last term has seen a proliferation of corruption charges that have embroiled many of his former ministers and associates, mostly revolving around bribes paid by foreign companies to win lucrative oil or infrastructure contracts.

The charges had even reached up to the president's brother, Said Bouteflika, who had been amassing power as the leader's main adviser until he was forced to resign.

Even before the latest scare, the president's diminished health had been slowing down the pace of government, said analyst Mohammed Saidj.

"The council of ministers, which is an important institution for transmitting laws, hasn't met since December," he said. "All these absences can only be explained by one thing: his health doesn't allow him to assume the full duties of the president."

Bouteflika was elected in 1999 to a country with a devastated economy that had been savaged by years of civil war with Islamists. He is widely credited with ending the war and putting the country back on its feet, aided by soaring energy prices.

Algeria weathered the 2011 Arab Spring protests partly because of a lack of organized opposition but also because of massive sums spent on increasing subsidies and raising salaries to keep residents happy.

But as his health has declined, Bouteflika has become a shadow of his former energetic self when he was the world's youngest foreign minister in 1963 after Algeria won independence from France and became one of the faces of the non-aligned movement.

He doesn't seem to be ready, however, to let the next generation take over.

University of Algiers political professor Rachid Tlemcani said, like most authoritarian rulers, "he wishes to die in power."

But Tlemcani says Bouteflika stepping down would be a good thing for Algeria.

"I think the political game would be open, which would be really good," he said. "It can only be positive for Algeria ? the game has been very closed so far."

Life on the streets of Algiers, the capital, went on as usual the day after the president's health scare. Most people seemed more focused on the country's upcoming soccer club final.

Walking through Algiers' El Biar neighborhood, Achou Slimani shrugged.

"It's normal that he fell sick, it's not the first time," he said. "He was already sick, he recovered, he came back."

______

Associated Press writer Aomar Ouali contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-04-28-Algeria-President-Stroke/id-a4792c79ccc74021aec212dd11b44e27

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Vikes?take punter; Kluwe welcomes competition

AP

Another NFL Draft is in the books, 254 new players with a chance to create a professional future, and 32 teams delighted for the moment with the work they?ve done.

And while there were an abundance of storylines, one thing that stood out about the 2013 NFL Draft was the remarkable restraint many teams showed.

There wasn?t an Andrew Luck or a Cam Newton ? or perhaps even a Ryan Mallett ??in this draft.

But even with the extreme financial penalty for missing on a first-round passer gone, teams didn?t line up to take the chance on a potential franchise quarterback as they have in the past.?Only three quarterbacks were chosen in the first three rounds, the fewest since 2000 (the fabled Chad Pennington-Giovanni Carmazzi-Chris Redman draft).

The Bills fooled us all by taking E.J. Manuel in the first round, and even the Jets withstood the temptation to win the back pages by taking Geno Smith in the second. When Mike Glennon was the only third-rounder, it left names such as Matt Barkley and Ryan Nassib for the fourth, where the Eagles and Giants bought low.

Some of the best quarterback business was done by teams that didn?t take one.

The Jaguars might be more needy at the position than any team in the league, with Blaine Gabbert and Chad Henne competing. But as bad as that might be, there?s no guarantee any of this year?s candidates are better. So since new general manager David Caldwell didn?t see value, he withstood temptation and restocked a bad team with many other parts they needed ? most of them with speed.

But it wasn?t just at the quarterback position where the smart teams held fast.

After an unprecedented run on left tackles (three of the top four picks), teams with needs there started drafting guards and right tackles and defensive tackles instead of reaching. It would have been easy for the Chargers to move up for one of the top blind-side protectors, but by letting the board come to them, they found a solid starting right tackle in D.J. Fluker. Likewise, Arizona added a guard in Jonathan Cooper who could turn out to be the best value in the draft, and the Titans made Chris Johnson a better running back by drafting guard Chance Warmack (and center Brian Schwenke) to go with big-ticket free agent Andy Levitre.

And not to beat up on Manti Te?o any more than has already happened, the teams that needed him and didn?t draft him deserved notice as well.

The Vikings had a pair of late firsts, and used them on value picks Sharrif Floyd and Xavier Rhodes, both of whom figured to go sooner. Then they made a move for a third first-rounder, not for Te?o, but to take a receiver in Cordarrelle Patterson who has some Randy Moss-ish tendencies. The Bears also skipped an obvious need for a middle linebacker, and took a versatile but raw offensive lineman with good genes (Kyle Long).

The two Super Bowl teams (and two that should push them) exemplified the patience of the weekend as well.

The 49ers stockpiled picks, and used one on running back Marcus Lattimore, who might not play a down for them this year. The Ravens might have had interest in Te?o as well, but took their safety first (Matt Elam) before filling in at linebacker later (Arthur Brown).

The Packers added two running backs in Eddie Lacy and Johnathan Franklin who could make a good team better, and the Seahawks used the benefit of a roster with few holes to take some chances on players with question marks, from running back Christine Michael to defensive tackle Jesse Williams.

Not every team has such luxuries. But the best things might come to the ones that were able and willing to wait this weekend.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/04/27/chris-kluwe-looking-forward-to-vikings-punter-competition/related/

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Apple iPhoto (for iPhone)

It will come as no surprise that one of the slickest iPhone photo apps comes from the tech design leader: Apple. The company's iPhoto app for Mac OS X broke new ground in cool photo app interface features like skimmable gallery thumbnails and organizing your pictures in "Events." You get iPhoto for iPhone and for iPad with a single $4.99 purchase at the iTunes App Store. Of course, you can do a lot more with a tablet's bigger screen size, not to mention the much larger size and input capabilities of a desktop computer, but Apple nevertheless manages to make a lot of what makes iPhoto great available on its smallest screen.

The iOS version of iPhoto even adds a cool sharing feature you don't get on the desktop iPhoto app, the Photo Journals online Web photo galleries. It also takes advantage of iCloud Photo Streams, an extremely convenient way to get your photos to appear on all your Apple devices?and even on your Windows PC with iCloud installed.

Since it's what Apple calls a "universal" app, iPhoto for iOS works on the iPhone 4 and later, the iPod touch 4th generation and later, and the iPad 2 and later.

Interface
Nobody does interfaces as beautifully as Apple. Occasionally, the beauty and slickness of the interface design can actually make it less clear, until you get the hang of it.

iPhoto's remarkable user interface features multitouch gestures for photo correction, brushes for applying effects onto specific areas of a photo. Some nifty organization tools include the ability to identify similar photos with a double-tap, as well as to flag, favorite, or remove images. As with any good photo editor, iPhoto offers a simple button that takes you right back to your original image view.?

Interface
The home screen in iPhoto for iPhone looks different from that of the iPad version. Instead of the tablet's tabs, it shows five buttons across the bottom: Albums, Photos, Events, Journals, and Settings. The first shows your standard iPhone photo albums, including Camera Roll and Photo Stream. Tapping Photos displays a thumbnail grid all the photos on your device, and tapping on any of these opens a full view of the photo, with a filmstrip of the rest in the album sliding along the bottom of the screen?or along the left if you hold the phone in landscape view.

An "i" button shows info for the photo at hand, including any comments on Facebook or Flickr if you've previously shared it there. A Settings option lets you turn on Help overlay tooltips that explain exactly what each button does. One button at top right lets you quickly view the original image after any amount of edits.

You then tap the Edit button to start working on an individual image. This doesn't change the interface drastically, but just adds different buttons along the bottom, for Auto-Enhance, Rotate, Flag, Favorite, and Tag. But in front of all those is a suitcase button?representing your "toolkit" of photo-editing tools. These include Crop & Straighten, Exposure, Color, Brushes, and Effects. I would have preferred to see more than one Auto option, however, with different options separated out for brightness, color, and so on.

Basic Photo Adjustments
Adjusting your photo's exposure is handled in a way that's innovative for the touch interface: A bar along the bottom represents the image from its darkest to lightest tones, and you can either use controls on this bar or swipe up or down anywhere on the image to increase or decrease brightness, and right or left to do the same for contrast. It's sort of a histogram without the graph. The Apple-award-winning Snapseed for iPad uses a similar swiping approach, but both have the drawback of not letting you zoom while in this adjustment mode.

The artist's palette icon offers the four adjusters shown along the bottom?saturation, blue skies, greenery, warmth. ?Just swipe up or down to increase or decrease saturation and left and right to change hue. The tool is intelligent enough to adjust greenery if you start swiping on the grass, or warmth if you swipe on a person's skin. If you place your finger on sky blue, the option changes to darken or brighten the intensity of the sky?a nice trick.

A settings gear icons offer a healthy selection of white balance options?sun, clouds, shade, flash, face balance?or you can choose a neutral point in the image for a custom white balance. The face balance option can find a face in your photo and balance the rest of the photo based on that.

Cropping and straightening is also cleverly implemented. You can pinch and zoom within a set crop frame, or resize the frame with or without preserving aspect ratio. But neatest of all is the ability to level by holding the iPhone at an angle after tapping on the compass-like control below the photo. This takes advantage of the device's accelerometer. You can also just twist two fingers on the photo (the way most people will probably do it).

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/GwNzFMQTseA/0,2817,2418225,00.asp

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Ten dead, dozens hurt during Mexican prison riot

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Ten people were killed and dozens wounded in a prison riot early Saturday in the central state of San Luis Potosi, local officials said.

State police said they had re-established control in an cell block of La Pila prison in the state capital of San Luis Potosi after a fight broke out between prisoners, according to a posting on the security ministry's official social media page.

Authorities were investigating the cause of the riot and it was unclear if inmates belonged to rival drug gangs, whose battles have sparked violence across Mexico.

Deadly riots have repeatedly rocked the country's overcrowded prisons, which house inmates from different drug gangs that have been fighting over trafficking routes and local turf.

Killings linked to organized crime fell 14 percent to 4,249 in the first four months of the presidency of Enrique Pena Nieto, who took over in December and vowed to reduce the violence that has marred Latin America's second biggest economy.

Former president Felipe Calderon sent the military out to fight drug cartels during his 2006-2012 term, when nearly 70,000 people died in battles and executions, and up to another 27,000 are missing, according to official data.

(Reporting by Anahi Rama; Editing by Bill Trott)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ten-dead-dozens-hurt-during-mexican-prison-riot-161242923.html

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Why mom of alleged Boston bombers buys conspiracy theories

Despite a reported confession by one of the suspects, the parents of the two alleged Boston Marathon bombers say their sons are innocent.

"I am sure that my kids were not involved in anything," said a tearful Zubeidat Tsarnaeva at a press conference in Russia on April 25. Tsarnaeva maintains that her sons have been set up, and has also suggested that the bombing might have been staged.

Regardless of the legal outcome of the case, such denial is not uncommon in the families of killers, experts say, though plenty of killers? family members are also well aware of their relatives? capability to kill. [Understanding the 10 Most Destructive Human Behaviors]

"In some cases, they deny the participation of their kids; in other cases, they say they were surprised," said Dean Alexander, director of the Homeland Security Research Program at Western Illinois University and a researcher of terrorists' family ties. "In other cases, they condemn."

Psychologists say the Tsarnaevs' reactions may also stem from circumstances unique to the case ? for instance, the family's history in the volatile Caucasus region, the parents' distance from the bombing and other personal factors.

Family dynamics

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, was charged on April 22 for his role in setting off two bombs near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 15, killing three and injuring hundreds. Also allegedly involved was Tsarnaev's 26-year-old brother, Tamerlan, who died after an overnight shoot-out with police on April 18.

After the FBI released photos of the suspects, the two brothers allegedly hijacked a car, leading police on a chase during which the alleged bombers threw improvised explosive devices. Tamerlan Tsarnaev, along with an MIT police officer, was killed in the subsequent shoot-out, but Dzhokhar Tsarnaev escaped.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was later arrested after being found wounded and hiding in a stored boat in Watertown, Mass. Authorities said that when Tsarnaev was questioned, he confessed to the bombings.

While the Tsarnaev parents have maintained their sons are innocent, other family members see the situation differently ? illustrating how variable reactions can be. The Tsarnaev brothers' uncle, Ruslan Tsarni, who had not spoken with the brothers since 2010, called the men "losers." According to Tsarni, Tamerlan Tsarnaev began adopting radical Islamist ideas and then influenced his younger brother.

"Dzhokhar is being used by his older brother. [Tamerlan] used him as his ? not even accomplice ? as some kind of instrument," Tsarni told CNN.

But very little research has focused on how families respond when a loved one goes bad, or why some family members may have more trouble than others accepting a perpetrator's involvement.

"There's a lot of literature on the effects of parental incarceration, for example, on children, but there isn't the opposite," said Priscilla Dass-Brailsford, a trauma psychologist at Georgetown University Medical Center.

For parents, acceptance can be the hardest. Ten years after the mass shooting at Columbine High School, the mother of shooter Dylan Klebold wrote an essay in O magazine describing what it was like to find out her son was one of the killers.

"It took about six months for the sheriff's department to begin sharing some of the evidence explaining what happened that day. For those six months, Dylan's friends and family were in denial," Susan Klebold wrote in the essay. "We didn't know that he and [fellow Columbine shooter] Eric [Harris] had assembled an arsenal of explosives and guns. We believed his participation in the massacre was accidental or that he had been coerced. We believed that he did not intend to hurt anyone."

As she came to terms with how wrong she and her family had been, Klebold was overwhelmed with grief and guilt. She second-guessed every parenting choice, even questioning whether she should have told her son she was proud of him, fearing those words made him feel pressured. [10 Scientific Tips for Raising Happy Kids]

"It was impossible to believe that someone I had raised could cause so much suffering," she wrote.

Shock and denial

The Klebolds stayed quiet and isolated after the Columbine shooting, whereas the Tsarnaev parents have been outspoken, participating in press conferences and speaking to the media.

Zubeidat Tsarnaeva has even gone so far as to entertain conspiracy theories about the bombing, saying she's seen theories that the blood shown at the scene near the Boston Marathon finish line was actually red paint.

Much is still unknown about the Tsarnaev family, Dass-Brailsford told LiveScience, but the media interactions suggest defensiveness and denial.?

"When you think about a mother with one child in the hospital and the other dead in the morgue, she's just lost two children. That's the place I go to as a trauma psychologist," Dass-Brailsford said. "She's just lost two children. The only way she can cope with it is by denial."

The family's history may also contribute, Dass-Brailsford said. Father Anzor Tsarnaev is Chechen, and Zubeidat Tsarnaeva is Avar, both minorities in the conflict-torn Caucasus region of Eastern Europe. Oppressed people tend to be suspicious of government authority, Dass-Brailsford said, which could explain some of the Tsarnaevs' skepticism about the bombing.

Another unusual aspect of the case is the parents? extreme distance from the site of the bombings, said Nancy Berns, a sociologist at Drake University in Iowa who has researched grief. Being in Russia, so far away, could make it easier to remain in denial, Berns told LiveScience.

The media attention likely isn?t helping, either. Loved ones of victims or perpetrators of violent deaths often lack the luxury to grieve in private, Berns said.

"They're often having to try and make sense of it in the public eye, through interviews, through people asking them questions," she said. "I am hearing that process unfold for them."

Follow Stephanie Pappas 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/why-mom-alleged-boston-bombers-buys-conspiracy-theories-113004676.html

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Murder suspect missing since 1999 surrenders

LAWTON, Okla. (AP) ? Authorities say a murder suspect who's been on the run since a brazen escape from an Oklahoma jail with eight other inmates in 1999 has turned himself in.

David Lee Kemp was the only inmate to elude capture after escaping the Comanche County jail on March 11, 1999. He was awaiting trial on two first-degree murder counts in the killings of his ex-wife and her boyfriend. Authorities say the inmates escaped after overpowering a guard using a large barbecue fork.

Comanche County Sheriff Kenny Stradley says Kemp, 43, was arrested early Friday. Comanche County is 80 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.

The FBI says Kemp was spotted in Las Vegas and may have visited Phoenix and Louisiana. FBI spokesman Rick Rains says Kemp turned himself in.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/inmate-missing-since-1999-surrenders-oklahoma-162641201.html

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Japan to allow airlines to resume 787 flights

TOKYO (AP) ? Japan's transport minister says the government is poised to allow Japanese carriers to resume flying the Boeing 787 once they complete repairs to problematic lithium ion batteries.

Transport Minister Akihiro Ohta says in a statement on the ministry's website that the approval could come as early as Friday night following an expected official safety order from U.S. federal regulators.

The 50 of the jets in service worldwide were grounded in mid-January following a battery fire on a 787 Dreamliner and a smoking battery that led to an emergency landing by another 787 in Japan.

All Nippon Airways, which has 17 Dreamliners in its fleet, and JAL, with seven, have had to cancel hundreds of flights over the problems.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/japan-allow-airlines-resume-787-flights-075835088--finance.html

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New Corvette to start around $52,000, GM says

FILE - In this Jan. 14, 2013 file photo, the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is revealed at media previews for the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. GM says a base model of the Corvette Stingray will start at just under $52,000, including a $995 shipping charge, when the all-new version goes on sale this summer. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 14, 2013 file photo, the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is revealed at media previews for the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. GM says a base model of the Corvette Stingray will start at just under $52,000, including a $995 shipping charge, when the all-new version goes on sale this summer. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

DETROIT (AP) ? General Motors said Friday that a base model of the 2014 Corvette Stingray will start at just under $52,000.

Considering everything that GM put into the newest Corvette, the $1,400 price increase over the current model seems pretty modest.

The 2014 Corvette goes on sale this summer. The latest version was completely redone, and shares only two parts with the current model, which is nine years old.

The car was the talk of the Detroit auto show in January because of the dramatic changes GM made to it.

The 1,000-person team at GM made the car lower and sleeker, saving weight by replacing the steel structure with aluminum. The hood is made of lightweight carbon fiber. The interior gets a more modern look with new touch screens.

Under the hood, the car gets a new 450-horsepower, 6.2-liter V-8 engine that can go to four cylinders on the highway to save fuel. A new seven-speed manual transmission is standard. Even the base model can go from zero to 60 mph in under four seconds, a few tenths of a second faster than the current model.

Dealers say customers already are putting down deposits.

"Every day you have someone coming in wanting to know about the new Corvette," says Bill Perkins, owner of two Chevrolet dealerships in the Detroit suburbs. "You have a lot of enthusiasts out there. You have a lot of people that have purchased Corvettes before. A lot of people come in wanting to know the price, how soon they can get one."

A $1,400 increase is "not that much of a change when you look at everything that's happened to the car," said John Fitzpatrick, marketing manager for Chevrolet performance cars.

The car performs similar to a Porsche 911, yet a comparably equipped 911 would cost $100,000, Fitzpatrick said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-04-26-US-Corvette-Pricing/id-5ff61f586e9343bda6b4f3edef0e778a

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Samsung to block access to app store in Iran

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? Iranian users of Samsung mobile applications said Thursday that the company had notified them that they will no longer have access to the company's online store as of May 22.

The move is seen as part of international sanctions on the country over its disputed nuclear program. The West has imposed banking and insurance sanctions on Iran since it suspects Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies.

At a Tehran shopping mall, owners of mobile phones and tablets said Thursday that they had received the message via email from the company late the night before. Retailers said they had no power over the decision.

"We have heard about it, but we are only responsible for hardware here, not software and apps," shopkeeper Bijan Ashtiani said.

In the message, Samsung said that it cannot provide access to the store, known as Samsung Apps, in Iran because of "legal barriers." It apologized to customers in emailed statement seen by the Associated Press on Thursday.

Samsung's offices in Tehran could not be immediately reached for comment due to the weekend there, and its headquarters in South Korea did not immediately respond to a request.

The decision quickly provoked ire on social media.

"Samsung is to stop its apps in Iran, oh how we appreciate our officials," wrote Bahareh, a Twitter user blaming Tehran's policy. Another, named Armin, pointed at the technology giant itself, saying: "Now, Samsung's sanctions honor us as well!"

Samsung spokesman Chris Jung in Seoul said the company is still looking into the matter and could not confirm any details.

Unlike Apple, Microsoft and Adobe, Samsung has provided localized services to Iranians in their native Persian language. In 2012, Finnish communications giant Nokia stopped its services in the country.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/samsung-block-access-app-store-iran-120700300--finance.html

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High performance semiconductor spray paint could be a game changer for organic electronics

Apr. 25, 2013 ? Researchers at Wake Forest University's Organic Electronics group have come up with a novel solution to one of the biggest technological barriers facing the organic semiconductor industry today. Oana Jurchescu, an assistant professor of physics, and a team of researchers developed a high performance organic semiconductor 'spray paint' that can be applied to large surface areas without losing electric conductivity. This is a potentially game changing technology for a number of reasons.

Organic thin film transistors are currently deposited by one of three methods. Drop casting and spin coating conduct electricity well but are limited to small area applications. They could not be used to make a wall-sized, flexible video screen for instance. On the other hand, organic spray-on techniques can be applied to large areas but have poor performance when compared to their small-area counterparts.

Jurchescu's work provides the best of both worlds. The spray-deposition technology developed in her lab produced the highest performance organic thin film transistors for this method to date -- (April 2, 2013) -- comparable to those of drop casting and spin coating. Unlike drop casting and spin coating, her spray-deposition technology can be applied over large surfaces to any medium-from plastic and metal to human skin.

Her team's research, High Mobility Field-Effect Transistors with Versatile Processing from a Small-Molecule Organic Semiconductor was published April 2, 2013 in the journal Advanced Materials.

Because of its superb performance and the fact it can be applied over large areas quickly (it is also inexpensive to process compared to inorganic semiconducting materials like silicon), it has the potential to be produced in commercial quantities. The technology is a big step towards realizing futuristic devices such as transparent solar cells on building windows, car roof and bus stations, electronic displays in previously inaccessible spaces and wearable electronics due to the organic plastics' thin, lightweight and conformal nature.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Wake Forest University, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Yaochuan Mei, Marsha A. Loth, Marcia Payne, Weimin Zhang, Jeremy Smith, Cynthia S. Day, Sean R. Parkin, Martin Heeney, Iain McCulloch, Thomas D. Anthopoulos, John E. Anthony, Oana D. Jurchescu. High Mobility Field-Effect Transistors with Versatile Processing from a Small-Molecule Organic Semiconductor. Advanced Materials, 2013; DOI: 10.1002/adma.201205371

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/matter_energy/electronics/~3/bpLB5qM1n-Q/130425103318.htm

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Jeff Bauman Gives Present to Fellow Boston Bombing Victim

Apr 24, 2013 6:27pm

(Credit: Courtesy Celeste & Sydney Recovery Fund)

Sydney Corcoran, who was injured during the Boston Marathon bombing on April 15, was still recovering at Boston Medical Center on Tuesday for her 18th birthday.

So fellow bombing?victim?Jeff Bauman stopped by to give her a present.

Bauman is the man in the wheel chair?pictured?in the now famous Associated Press photo taken shortly after the bombing.

Bauman, 27, lost both legs in the attack, and Corcoran is recovering from a severed femoral artery in a hospital.

Corcoran, a Lowell High School senior, was at the marathon with her parents when the bomb exploded. Her mother?s legs were badly damaged in the blast and had to be amputated below the knee, her cousin Alyssa Carter told ABCNews.com. Corcoran?s artery wound would have been fatal if strangers didn?t rush to stop the bleeding.

READ MORE:?Boston Bombing Amputee No Longer Fears ?Horrible Shin Splints?

SHOWS: Good Morning America

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2013/04/24/jeff-bauman-gives-present-to-fellow-boston-bombing-victim/

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Iran offers to be West's "reliable partner" in Middle East

By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA (Reuters) - Iran said on Tuesday it would be a "reliable partner" in the Middle East if Western countries would take a more cooperative approach in talks on its nuclear program.

Western powers blame tension with Iran in part on its refusal to fully cooperate with United Nations calls for curbs on its nuclear activity to ensure it is for peaceful purposes only, and to open up to investigations by U.N. inspectors.

Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's ambassador to the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, said U.S. and European policies, including extensive sanctions on the Islamic Republic, were bound to fail.

"Western countries are advised to change gear from confrontation to cooperation, the window of opportunity to enter into negotiation for long-term strategic cooperation with Iran, the most reliable, strong and stable partner in the region, is still open," Soltanieh told a meeting in Geneva on the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Soltanieh offered no specifics on how Iran could move to a cooperative dialogue with the West, which has demanded concrete Iranian action to allay international concern that it is trying to develop the means to produce nuclear weapons.

Thomas Countryman, chief U.S. delegate to the NPT talks, said on Monday that Iran's nuclear program poses the greatest threat to the credibility of the NPT, which aims to halt the spread of nuclear weapons.

Soltanieh said Iran was determined to pursue "all legal areas of nuclear technology, including fuel cycle and enrichment technology, exclusively for peaceful purposes" and this would be carried out under International Atomic Energy Agency supervision.

"Hostile policies of Western countries, including dual track, carrot and stick, sanctions-and-talks policies are doomed to failure," he said.

The IAEA said on Tuesday it will hold a meeting with Iran on May 15 aimed at enabling its inspectors to resume a stalled investigation into suspected nuclear bomb research.

Israel suggested on Monday it would be patient before taking any military action against Iran's nuclear program, saying during a visit by U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel there was still time for other options.

Israel has long hinted at possible military strikes to deny its arch-adversary any means to make a nuclear bomb, while efforts by six world powers to find a negotiated solution with Iran have proved unsuccessful so far.

NUCLEAR-FREE ZONE

Iran and its ally Syria called for a conference aimed at banning nuclear weapons in the Middle East and urged major powers to stop helping Israel to acquire nuclear technology.

The talks, which were supposed to be held last December in Helsinki after being agreed at a 2010 NPT conference, were postponed without a new date being set.

Israel is widely believed to be the Middle East's only nuclear-armed power but neither confirms nor denies having such weapons.

Soltanieh, in an apparent reference to Israel which has not joined the NPT regime, said: "Iran is paying a heavy price for its membership and full commitment to the NPT while others outside the treaty are exempted from any inspection and sanctions, but receiving full nuclear cooperation of western countries, specifically the U.S. and Canada."

Syria's Faysal Khabbaz Hamoui said: "The Israeli nuclear arsenals increase tension in an already explosive situation."

"We call on states, parties, especially nuclear states, to stop their support to Israel in developing its nuclear capabilities and prohibit providing it with nuclear technology. This should help pave the way for a zone free of weapons of mass destruction and nuclear weapons in the Middle East," he said.

(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Jon Hemming)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iran-offers-wests-reliable-partner-mideast-131919179.html

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Club Solutions Magazine | Your Gym's Noise Levels Could Hurt ...

Andrea Boidman, the executive director for the Hearing Health Foundation, explained that hearing loss commonly results from prolonged exposure to noise levels at or above 85 decibels, and that gyms ? specially group fitness classes ? could be putting members at risk for hearing damage.

According to the Hearing Health Foundation, hearing loss is a common problem amongst the U.S. population.

The Hearing Health Foundation reported that ?1 in 5 Americans have hearing loss in at least one ear,? and that ?20 percent of the U.S. population aged 12 years and older has hearing difficulties severe enough to impact communication.?

?My guess is that most gyms, especially group classes, exceed 85 decibels,? said Boidman. ?When you have prolonged exposure to noise levels above 85 decibels, you?re putting yourself at risk for extensive damage.?

?Prolonged exposure? is based on standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protective Agency (EPA). According to Boidman, the EPA suggests that humans be prolonged to noise levels of 85 decibels for no more than 45 minutes. After that amount of time, damage is a possibility.

How can you discover what noise levels your gym or group fitness classes are producing? According to Boidman, smart phone apps are now reliable sources, many of which are free. ?There are apps you can get for any smart phone that enable your phone to act as a decibel meter,? said Boidman. ?They?ve been tested against professional equipment, and are pretty reliable.?

After completing a search on iTunes for decibel meter apps, 12 different apps popped up for iPhones and iPads. Similar results were produced when searching for decibel meter apps for Android smart phones.

Boidman stated that some clubs might be reluctant to sacrifice noise levels for the sake of gym or class energy, but that it?s not worth the risk to your instructors and members. ?I?ve heard many instructors say that loud music is such a big part of the class experience, but it can really cause damage,? she said. And hearing loss is becoming more common. ?1 in 5 teens now have hearing loss, and some of it is completely preventable, by limiting non-recommended noise level exposure,? Boidman explained.

?

By Rachel Zabonick

Source: http://clubsolutionsmagazine.com/2013/04/your-gyms-noise-levels-could-hurt-members/

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White House says it's open to fix on FAA furloughs

FILE - This April 22, 2013 file photo shows travelers standing in line at the LAX International Airport in Los Angeles. Under pressure, the White House signaled Wednesday it might accept legislation eliminating Federal Aviation Administration furloughs blamed for lengthy flight delays for airline passengers, while leaving the rest of $85 billion in across-the-board spending cuts in place. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

FILE - This April 22, 2013 file photo shows travelers standing in line at the LAX International Airport in Los Angeles. Under pressure, the White House signaled Wednesday it might accept legislation eliminating Federal Aviation Administration furloughs blamed for lengthy flight delays for airline passengers, while leaving the rest of $85 billion in across-the-board spending cuts in place. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) chief Michael Huerta testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, April 24, 2013, before the House Appropriations subcommittee on Transportation hearing on flight delays that are being caused by the FAA's decision to furlough air traffic controllers because of mandatory budget cuts. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) chief Michael Huerta testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, April 24, 2013, before the House Appropriations subcommittee on Transportation hearing on flight delays that are being caused by the FAA's decision to furlough air traffic controllers because of mandatory budget cuts. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Under pressure, the White House signaled Wednesday it might accept legislation eliminating Federal Aviation Administration furloughs blamed for lengthy flight delays for airline passengers, while leaving the rest of $85 billion in across-the-board spending cuts in place.

The disclosure came as sentiment grew among Senate Democrats as well as Republicans for legislation to ease the impact of the cuts on the FAA, possibly by loosening restrictions on agency spending.

In a further reflection of congressional concern, the senior members of the Senate Commerce Committee met with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and FAA Administrator Michael Huerta to consider possible ways to eliminate the delays.

According to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, which is privy to FAA data, there were 5,800 flight delays across the country for the three-day period beginning Sunday, when the furloughs took effect. Some were caused by weather. The union said that compares with 2,500 delays for the same period a year ago.

At the White House, press secretary Jay Carney said that if Congress "wants to address specifically the problems caused by the sequester with the FAA, we would be open to looking at that.

"But that would be a Band-Aid measure," he added. "And it would not deal with the many other negative effects of the sequester, the kids kicked off of Head Start, the seniors who aren't getting Meals on Wheels, and the up to three-quarter of a million of Americans who will lose their jobs or will not have jobs created for them."

Officials estimate the FAA furloughs will save slightly more than $200 million through Sept. 30, a small fraction of the $85 billion in overall reductions that stem from across-the-board cuts, officially known as a sequester, that took effect in March.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and the other top Democrats have consistently expressed opposition to piecemeal legislation aimed at easing the impact of the spending cuts, a position that congressional officials say reflected the administration's position.

But support for that view among Senate Democrats has eroded in recent days as airlines reported thousands of flight delays and industry executives pressed for a restoration of full funding for air traffic controllers.

"I think it's better to do a big deal, but as we work toward that big deal we have to admit that there are some things that are very problematic," said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat who helped write legislation to give the FAA flexibility to switch money between accounts and permit full staffing by controllers.

At least three other Democrats support the measure, which Klobuchar co-sponsored with Republican Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota and several other GOP lawmakers. "This is a very simple bipartisan bill that fixes the problem," Hoeven said, adding he had informed the White House of his plans.

It was not clear whether supporters of the legislation or of similar proposals would seek a vote before Congress begins a one-week vacation at the end of the week.

Nor was it clear whether any FAA-related measure might include a provision to keep open smaller towers that the agency says might be closed as a result of the spending cuts, a provision that numerous lawmakers in both parties favor.

Democrats said it was unlikely any FAA bill would be expanded to offset the impact of the cuts on Head Start or other programs that draw more support from Democrats than Republicans.

Apart from the inconvenience caused by delays, some lawmakers have criticized Huerta, saying they were blindsided by the flight delays. Republicans have been particularly vocal.

Huerta got a public tongue-lashing during the day when he appeared before the House Appropriations Committee.

"You didn't forewarn us this was coming. You didn't advise us how to handle it. This imperial attitude on the part of this administration ? you are the latest example of it ? is disgusting," Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., said.

Huerta said LaHood had warned at a news conference in February that the furloughs were coming and could create flight delays of up to 90 minutes.

He also said he had testified about them at a hearing before a different committee earlier over the winter.

"It's fair to say the thing that captured the media's attention was the" threatened closure of small towers, he added. "The furlough problem didn't sink in with Congress and the public until recently."

___

Associated Press writer Joan Lowy contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-04-24-Obama-FAA/id-071fe61ec15f4f9981bd41366575c212

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