Twitter account of Pistorius' brother hacked

A hacker falsely posted on the Twitter account of Oscar Pistorius' older brother Saturday that the South African Olympian was going to do media interviews, a family spokeswoman said.

Carl Pistorius didn't post such a tweet, and he and his sister, Aimee, were cancelling all their social media accounts Saturday, said family spokeswoman Janine Hills. All three Pistorius siblings live in South Africa, she said.

On Friday, Oscar Pistorius was freed from jail on bail eight days after the shooting death of his model girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, 29.

Pistorius, 26, is charged with premeditated murder in her February 14 death.

"It is most unfortunate that during this sensitive time, someone would choose to hack into Oscar Pistorius older brother, Carl Pistorius' Twitter handle," Hills said in a statement. "Carl did not tweet this afternoon, out of respect to Oscar and Reeva."

Hills said she heard on a South Africa radio station that Carl Pistorius' Twitter account stated that Oscar Pistorius was going to speak to the media.

"This is untrue," Hills told CNN in a separate interview. "I spoke to Oscar myself. He has not spoken to anybody and does not plan on doing any interviews."

The hacking apparently occurred Saturday afternoon, she said.

Meanwhile, Oscar Pistorius' family and friends expressed "immense relief" Saturday about how he was freed on bail, a relative said.

"What happened has changed our lives irrevocably," said Arnold Pistorius, the athlete's uncle, referring to the events surrounding Steenkamp's death.

Source: http://www.wyff4.com/news/national/Twitter-account-of-Pistorius-brother-hacked/-/9324256/19053710/-/l273ot/-/index.html?absolute=true

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Ex-Canada ambassador slighted by Affleck's 'Argo'

TORONTO: The Canadian former ambassador to Iran who protected Americans at great personal risk during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis says it will reflect poorly on Ben Affleck if he doesn't say a few words about Canada's role if the director's film "Argo" wins the Oscar for best picture Sunday.

But Ken Taylor - who said he feels slighted by the movie because it makes Canada look like a meek observer to CIA heroics in the rescue of six U.S. citizens caught in the crisis - is not expecting it.

"I would hope he would. If he doesn't than it's a further reflection," Taylor said. "But given the events of the last while I'm not necessarily anticipating anything."

Taylor kept the Americans hidden at the embassy in Tehran and facilitated their escape by getting fake passports and plane tickets for them. He became a hero in Canada and the United States after. The role he played in helping the Americans to freedom was minimized in the film.

"In general it makes it seem like the Canadians were just along for the ride. The Canadians were brave. Period," Taylor said.

Affleck's thriller is widely expected to win the best-picture trophy. Two other high-profile best-picture nominees this year, Kathryn Bigelow's "Zero Dark Thirty" and Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln," have also been criticized for their portrayal of some factual issues.

Affleck said in a statement Friday night he thought his issue with Taylor had been resolved.

"I admire Ken very much for his role in rescuing the six houseguests. I consider him a hero. In light of my many conversations as well as a change to an end card that Ken requested I am surprised that Ken continues to take issue with the film," he said in a statement. "I spoke to him recently when he asked me to narrate a documentary he is prominently featured in and yet he didn't mention any lingering concerns. I agreed to do it and I look forward to seeing Ken at the recording."

Taylor noted that former U.S. President Jimmy Carter appeared on CNN on Thursday night and said "90 percent of the contributions to the ideas and the consummation of the plan was Canadian," but the film "gives almost full credit to the American CIA."

Carter also called "Argo" a complete distortion of what happened when he accepted an honorary degree from Queen's University in Canada in November.

"I saw the movie Argo recently and I was taken aback by its distortion of what happened because almost everything that was heroic, or courageous or innovative was done by Canada and not the United States," Carter said.

Taylor said there would be no movie without the Canadians.

"We took the six in without being asked so it starts there," Taylor said. "And the fact that we got them out with some help from the CIA then that's where the story loses itself. I think Jimmy Carter has it about right, it was 90 percent Canada, 10 percent the CIA."

He said CIA agent Tony Mendez, played by Affleck in the film, was only in Iran for a day and a half.

The movie also makes no mention of John Sheardown, a deputy at the Canadian embassy who sheltered some of the Americans. Taylor said it was Sheardown who took the first call and agreed right away to take the Americans in. Sheardown recently died and his wife, Zena, called the movie disappointing.

Friends of Taylor were outraged last September when "Argo" debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival. The original postscript of the movie said that Taylor received 112 citations and awards for his work in freeing the hostages and suggested Taylor didn't deserve them because the movie ends with the CIA deciding to let Canada have the credit for helping the Americans escape

Taylor called the postscript lines "disgraceful and insulting" and said it would have caused outrage in Canada if the lines were not changed. Affleck flew Taylor to Los Angeles after the Toronto debut and allowed him to insert a postscript that gave Canada some credit.

Taylor called it a good movie and said he's not rooting against it, but said it is far from accurate.

"He's a good director. It's got momentum. There's nothing much right from Day 1 I could do about the movie. I changed a line at the end because the caption at the end was disgraceful. It's like Tiananmen Square, you are sitting in front of a big tank," he said.

Source: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/International/2013/Feb-23/207612-ex-canada-ambassador-slighted-by-afflecks-argo.ashx

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Obama urges Congress to do 'right thing' on cuts

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama, intensifying pressure on congressional Republicans, said Friday that lawmakers still have "the opportunity to make the right decisions" and avert a series of mandatory budget cuts by March 1.

Despite little sign of a deal emerging with Republicans, Obama said he does not believe it is inevitable that the $85 billion in across-the-board budget cuts will take effect. He said finding a way to avert the cuts should be a "no-brainer" for congressional lawmakers.

Speaking in the Oval Office during a meeting with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Obama said that in contrast to earlier Washington fiscal fights, he didn't believe the economic impact of the cuts would threaten the world financial market. But he added that if the U.S. economy slows as a result of the cuts, the global economy could suffer as well.

Obama's statements continued an administration drumroll of warnings this week, with appeals from Cabinet members ranging from Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Secretary of State John Kerry to Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

Even a slew of Democratic governors in the capital for their annual meeting picked up the cudgel, making arguments for Obama's position to reporters.

The fight between Obama and congressional Republicans has centered on a seemingly intractable issue: Obama says he wants a more methodical and restrained plan for budget-cutting and one that would necessitate an additional tax increase. GOP lawmakers and their leaders, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, for the most part have come together to oppose any new revenue measures.

Panetta last week said that the automatic cuts, known in Washington jargon as a sequester, would harm the readiness of U.S. fighting forces. And Kerry, less than a week into his new job, argued at the University of Virginia that the sequester could jeopardize America's standing in the world.

Duncan told reporters Thursday he was increasingly worried that deep spending cuts would harm students and teachers across the country, saying that "no one in their right mind would say this is good for kids or good for the country."

He also said that no one would have designed the automatic budget cuts on purpose.

LaHood, a Republican who served several terms in the House, joined White House press secretary Jay Carney in the briefing room to make an appeal Friday to the reporters gathered there.

LaHood said the across-the-board reductions would require trimming $600 million this year form the Federal Aviation budget and said that would mean furloughing air traffic controllers, which he said in turn would undermine the ability y to guide planes in and out of airports. He also said travelers could experience 90 minute delays or more in major cities..

Asked whether it appeared inevitable that the cuts would materialize, Carney said: "We obviously are discouraged by the line that Republican leaders have taken, which is the book is closed on revenue. ... We remain hopeful and we will continue to engage with Congress."

LaHood, in response to a question, denied that he was simply describing a worst-case scenario that would scare the public and put pressure on Republican lawmakers.

"What I'm trying to do," he said, "is wake up members of the Congress with the idea that they need to come to the table so we don't have to have this kind of calamity in air services in America."

The Democratic governors, after meeting with Obama, said state economies would be hurt by the cuts.

Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, said states have seen increased employment, but that their prosperity is being hindered by "the games being played by the Republicans in Congress."

And a National Park Service memo obtained by The Associated Press contains a list of potentially adverse effects of the cuts at the nation's most beautiful and historic attractions, including possibly Yosemite National Park, the Cape Cod National Seashore and Gettysburg.

"We're planning for this to happen and hoping that it doesn't," said Park Service spokesman Jeffrey Olson, who confirmed that the list is authentic and represents cuts the department is considering.

Park Service Director John Jarvis last month asked superintendents to show by Feb. 11 how they would absorb the 5 percent funding cuts. The memo includes some of those decisions.

While not all 398 parks had submitted plans by the time the memo was written, a pattern of deep slashes that could harm resources and provide fewer protections for visitors has emerged.

In Yosemite National Park in California, for example, park administrators fear that less frequent trash pickup would potentially attract bears into campgrounds.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-urges-congress-thing-cuts-190536846.html

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Five killed in Islamist car bomb attacks in north Mali

GAO, Mali (Reuters) - Five people were killed in a remote Malian town on Friday in car bomb attacks by Islamists on Tuareg MNLA rebels with close links to French forces, a spokesman for the Tuareg fighters said.

Violence in northern Mali underscores the risk of French and African forces becoming entangled in a messy guerrilla war as they try to help Mali's weak army counter bombings and raids by al Qaeda-linked Islamist militants.

Friday's car bomb attacks in In Khalil, 1,700 km (1,000 miles) northeast of the capital Bamako, came a day after a car bomb killed two people in the northern city of Kidal and French and Malian troops killed 15 Islamists on the streets of the city of Gao.

Sporadic gunfire was also heard in Gao on Friday, and a Malian officer said an Islamist fighter was still holed up near the banks of the Niger River.

Moussa Ag Assarid, a Paris-based representative of the pro-autonomy MNLA Tuareg fighters, said suspected Islamists had first tried to drive into a building in In Khalil, but the car was destroyed by fighters ahead of impact.

A second car then drove into the group's local operations center and exploded.

Aside from the two bombers, Ag Assarid said three MNLA fighters were killed and three others wounded. It was not possible to independently verify the report.

The MNLA swept across northern Mali in April, taking advantage of a power vacuum left by a coup in Bamako. But its revolt was eclipsed by a loose alliance of Islamist jihadists, including al Qaeda's North African wing, AQIM.

France is six weeks into an offensive to clear Islamist fighters from Mali's north, which Paris said was in danger of becoming a springboard for attacks on the region and the West.

In the meantime, the MNLA says it has retaken control of Kidal and towns around the Adrar des Ifoghas mountains, where Islamists are believed to be hiding near the Algerian border.

FRENCH WITHDRAWAL PLAN

France has established close links with Tuareg rebels on the ground and has set up a base at Kidal's airport but has kept a low profile in the town.

In Gao, the hub for French and Malian military operations in Mali's north, Malian government troops were carrying out house-to-house searches on Friday after a day of fighting.

"The buildings must be filled with dead enemy who still have unexploded grenades, guns and Kalashnikovs in their hands," Colonel Massaoule Samake told Reuters TV.

French army chief Admiral Edouard Guillaud, visiting Ottawa, told Reuters he was not surprised by the latest attacks and said he expected more to come.

"It's simply the continuation of attacks by MUJWA, which will probably want to try more attacks in the coming days. It was sadly predictable and the next attacks will fail just like they did yesterday."

MUJWA is a splinter faction of al Qaeda's North African wing AQIM which, in loose alliance with the home-grown Malian Islamist group Ansar Dine, held Mali's main northern urban areas for 10 months until the French offensive drove them out.

Paris has said it plans to start withdrawing some of its 4,000 troops from Mali next month. But rebels have fought back against Mali's weak and divided army, and African forces due to take over the French role are not yet in place.

Asked whether France still planned to start withdrawing troops in March, Guillaud replied: "This is obviously conditions-based, that's obvious. But ... I don't see any reason not to begin some drawdown."

(Reporting by Joe Penney in Gao, John Irish in Dakar, David Ljunggren in Ottawa and Nicholas Vinocur in Paris; Writing by John Irish; Editing by David Lewis and Andrew Roche)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/five-killed-islamist-car-bomb-attacks-north-mali-192116177.html

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NFL exec: HGH testing resolution needed

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) ? NFL senior vice president Adolpho Birch says the league and players association need to reach agreement soon on HGH testing.

The NFL and the union agreed in principle to HGH testing when a new 10-year labor agreement was reached in August 2011. But protocols must be approved by both sides and the players have questioned the science in the testing procedures, stalling implementation.

Speaking at the scouting combine Thursday, Birch says the NFL has full confidence in the test and "should have been a year into this by now." He calls the delays "a disservice to all of us."

On Tuesday, the union said in a conference call it favors HGH testing, but only with a strong appeal process. Otherwise, NFLPA spokesman George Atallah said, "it's just a nonstarter."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-02-21-FBN-Combine-HGH-Testing/id-b79b8a9351e94493af5bc37271237e7b

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President's Vacation Week at Wave Hill

Spend an afternoon or a week at Wave Hill. Programs are geared to families with children between the ages 5-10. Registration is recommended. Admission to the grounds is free for Bronx residents throughout this 10-day period. Please note that Wave Hill is closed Monday, February 18, as is customary.

SAT, FEBRUARY 16??? FAMILY ART PROJECT?A DESERT UNDER GLASS

A Desert under Glass/Un desierto bajo vidrio

Take a visit to Wave Hill?s Cactus and Succulent House and leave winter behind. Spend some time sketching and painting the exotic desert dwellers, then, using sand and paint, make a desert mirage. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.

ECOLOGY BUILDING, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

SUN, FEBRUARY 17??? FAMILY ART PROJECT?A DESERT UNDER GLASS

A Desert under Glass/Un desierto bajo vidrio

Take a visit to Wave Hill?s Cactus and Succulent House and leave winter behind. Spend some time sketching and painting the exotic desert dwellers, then, using sand and paint, make a desert mirage. Free with admission to the grounds.

ECOLOGY BUILDING, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

SUN, FEBRUARY 17??? GARDEN AND CONSERVATORY HIGHLIGHTS WALK

Join us for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free with admission to the grounds.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 2PM

MON, FEBRUARY 18

Closed to the public.

TUE, FEBRUARY 19??? FITNESS AND MOVEMENT

Join Yoga for Bliss instructors for a one hour session of fun movement activity learning simple stretching, yoga, and breathing techniques indoors followed by active walking, jumping and playing outdoors. This program is geared to families with children between the ages of 5 and 10.

Registration recommended. Free, and admission to the grounds is free to all visitors today, thanks to the generous support of Target. Due to a change in the calendar for New York City schools following Hurricane Sandy, family programs on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday have been cancelled.

ECOLOGY BUILDING, 1 to 2 p.m.

TUE, FEBRUARY 19??? ARTY AFTERNOONS

Express yourself with an array of creative art projects led by Family Art Project Leader Ilse Murdock and staff and/or Wave Hill?s Guest Winter Workspace Artist. This program is geared to families with children between the ages of 5 and 10.? President's Vacation Week special event.

Registration recommended. Free, and admission to the grounds is free today for all visitors, thanks to the generous support of Target. Due to a change in the calendar for New York City schools following Hurricane Sandy, family programs on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday have been cancelled.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 2 to 4 p.m.

SAT, FEBRUARY 23?? FAMILY ART PROJECT?SEEDY BEADY PAPER

Seedy Beady Paper/Papel, pepitas y abalorios

Popular papermaker Randy Brozen shows us how to make beautiful sheets of handmade paper. We?ll make it extra fancy, and dress it up with seeds and seed beads! Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.

ECOLOGY BUILDING, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

SAT, FEBRUARY 23??? WINTER WORKSPACE: EXPLORING FORM?MOLD MAKING AND CASTING

Visitors gain insight into Winter Workspace artist Onyedika Chuke?s creative process and explore the winter landscape as a source of inspiration. In this mold-making workshop, participants learn about different casting techniques and then create their own molds and casts of both organic and machined forms. Art materials are provided unless otherwise noted. Workshops are open to all visitors ages 12 and over when accompanied by an adult. Space is limited, so registration is recommended, at www.wavehill.org, by calling 718.549.3200 x305 or at the Perkins Visitor Center. Free with admission to the grounds. Drop-ins will be accommodated as space permits. This program also takes place on March 17.

GLYNDOR GALLERY & ON THE GROUNDS, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

SUN, FEBRUARY 24?? FAMILY ART PROJECT?SEEDY BEADY PAPER

Seedy Beady Paper/Papel, pepitas y abalorios

Popular papermaker Randy Brozen shows us how to make beautiful sheets of handmade paper. We?ll make it extra fancy, and dress it up with seeds and seed beads! Free with admission to the grounds, and admission is free for Bronx residents.

ECOLOGY BUILDING, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m .

SUN, FEBRUARY 24??? GARDEN AND CONSERVATORY HIGHLIGHTS WALK

Join us for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free with admission to the grounds.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 2 p.m.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NycParksUpcomingEvents/~3/-Kg894tCe8E/presidents-vacation-week-at-wave-hill

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Rob Ford calls for man behind lawsuit to pay his legal costs

Mayor Rob Ford's lawyer says the man who brought the conflict-of-interest case against him should have to cover about $120,000 in legal costs.

The mayor's legal team has filed documents with the divisional court, and if the court rules in his favour, Paul Magder, will have to be responsible for the costs.

This comes as Toronto Coun. Doug Ford, called on the city's integrity commissioner to step down or apologize to his brother over the conflict-of-interest case.

Coun. Doug Ford says a report by the city's integrity commissioner almost forced Mayor Rob Ford from office. (CBC)

Coun. Ford says Janet Leiper's initial report on Mayor Ford's conflict-of-interest case triggered a chain of events that almost forced the mayor out of office.

?Because of her decision, it ended up causing major hurt, not only to Rob and his family, but most of all to the city,? said Ford. ?It was unstable there for a month or so because of her decision and I don?t see any apology.?

In November a divisional court ruling ordered Rob Ford removed from office for voting on a council motion that would have allowed the mayor to avoid repaying $3,150 in donations to his football charity.

An appeal court overturned that ruling in January. A three-judge panel agreed with arguments made by Ford?s lawyers that council never had the power to compel the mayor to pay back the donations.

On Thursday, Leiper told council she never sought legal advice before demanding Mayor Ford repay the money.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2013/02/22/toronto-doug-ford-leiper.html?cmp=rss

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Rome: Rome. Panorama near Colosseum

Overview and History

All roads lead to Rome, the capital of Italy, current football world champions, where western civilization really got cookin' and Christianity gained its foothold on an empire.

According to legend, the city was founded on the Palatine Hill by Romulus and Remus, just after they finished wiping wolf's milk from their lips. Romulus killed his brother Remus in a fight over who had the right to name the city, hence "Rome" and not "Remo". He attained divine status after his death, being given the name "Quirinus," the root of which you can see in the Quirinale Palace.

The Quirinale Palace is the home of the President of the Italian Republic. Its fountain has two ancient statues of Castor and Pollux, sons of Zeus, the famous twins of the Gemini constellation.

Rome is famous for its seven hills: Aventine, Caelian, Capitoline, Esquiline, Palatine, Quirinal, Viminal. Vatican City is on Vatican Hill which is not one of the seven hills. It's its own state, too, not technically under the authority of Italy. It's also the smallest country in the world.

Within Vatican City you can find the Pope of course, the Basilica of St. Peter and also Michaelangelo's masterpiece -- the painted ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. This painting is a fresco, which means the paint is part of the actual plaster. The painter mixes plaster and pigment at the same time and had to finish the work before the plaster dried, and by the way he was laying on his back to do it. Call me crazy but I think the requirements for being an artist have declined in their stringency of late. Vatican City has an insane amount of pure-gold artwork as well.

Since Rome predates the Christian era, you will find many examples of gods and goddesses who were worshipped in the Pantheon, or, "Temple to All the Gods." This is the oldest domed building still standing in Rome, dating to 35 B.C and first reconstructed in 126 A.D. It's been in continuous use since it was built, and has been a Catholic church since 700 A.D.

Students of history may also enjoy the Roman Forum, around which the ancient city first developed. This area included the Senate and Republican government, and a central marketplace where everyone came for news, supplies, gossip and everything else. It's between Palatine hill and Capitoline hills, a swampy spot that was drained during the Forum's construction. Doomed to repeat history, or fascinated by its roots? Take your pick.

All roads lead to Rome except this one, it leads to the Colosseum. Forget Youtube, Netflix and getting laid. REAL entertainment comes from the Colosseum. Do you know why we have popcorn and movies today? Because first they had Bread and circus at the Colosseum, baby! Fake pirate battles in an ocean of real blood! Two vs. one gladiator ambushing with Neptune's tridents and deadly spiked nets! Here's the interior.

If this is what you see around you, you'd better hope to find a sharp sword in your hand to go with it.

Now nevermind all that old stuff, welcome to the Hippodrome, race fans! Besides being the coolest panorama on the whole site, the Circus Maximus was where they had the chariot races and judges who knew how to take a bribe for pole position.

But let's zoom back out for a second. Rome is located on the Tiber river. Crossing the Tiber are many bridges dating back several centuries, for instance Ponte Cavour, Ponte Umberto, and the Saint Angelo bridge.

Rome offers an enviable array of Renaissance and Baroque architecture due to its luck; like Prague and only a few other cities, it escaped major damage during WWII.

Now here are a few little things to get you there so you can investigate the more than 2500 years of history which continue to seep into out modern times.

Getting There

Fiumicino Airport provides international access for flights into Italy. You can connect to it by bus, train or taxi. The train takes about thirty minutes and costs five euro or so.

There's a smaller airport called Ciampino, which handles mostly charter flights, and has a bus line running to meet the Metro.

Transportation

The historic center of Rome is less than two miles from the central Colosseum and Piazza di Spagna, so you might as well walk there. The bus network is very extensive but the Metro is probably easier to get your head around. It's called the Metropolitana and it makes a loop around, rather than through, the city. Basic tickets cost one euro. Night buses run between midnight and four am when the metro stops.

You can also hop onto one of the many tourist buses for a guided ride around Rome. These prices are a lot higher than the metro, but it's an activity more than just a ride.

Now if you really want to do as the Romans do, rent yourself a Vespa scooter and drive it one-handed, shouting.

People and Culture

You don't have to have a lot of money to have good style. That's Italian culture in a word.

I'll go up against Paris right here and say that Italians have style all sewn up. Rocking a scooter in a red dress and stiletto heels? Come on.

Here are a few piquant expressions which further the idea:

"Finish that pasta so Nonna doesn't have to put it away."

"It's sugar sweet and as big as your hand."

"People do not age at the table."

And concerning the stereotype that Italians all talk with their hands:

"Mathematics is not a matter of opinion."

Just imagine how funny it was, the first time that one sprung out.

Things to do & Recommendations

First of all, go back and see all the panoramas in the top section. After you've been through the places and back, try these:

Modern art at Gallery Nuovo Pesa.

Worm through the Aseq esoteric library on your way to Limonaia Cafeteria for lunch.

After lunch, pick up a few things at the most popular market in Rome, Piazza Vittorio.

Be glad you're there and not eating only memories in the Traianei Market ancient Roman market.

Some other gems in the city: the Trevi Fountain and its marketplace

For a little more religious history, visit the 18th century Rococo style Plaza of St. Ignacio. Saint Ignacio was the founder of the Jesuits or Society of Jesus, the largest male religious order in the Catholic church.

There are also some beautiful green spaces in Rome, like the historic park Il Pincio and Villa Borghese parks. Look at those cherry blossoms!

For music lovers, the Auditorium is the main music hall in Rome.

Text by Steve Smith.

Source: http://www.360cities.net/image/rome-colosseum

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Sony shows PlayStation 4 capabilities, but no box

Mark Cerny, lead system architect for the Sony Playstation 4 speaks during an event to announce the new video game console, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Mark Cerny, lead system architect for the Sony Playstation 4 speaks during an event to announce the new video game console, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Andrew House speaks at an event to announce the Sony Playstation 4 Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Mark Cerny, lead system architect for the Sony Playstation 4 speaks during an event to announce the new video game console Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

David Perry, CEO of Gaikai, speaks during a news conference to announce the Sony Playstation 4 Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Yoshinori Ono, of Capcom, speaks during a news conference to announce the Sony Playstation 4 Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Sony wants you to know that the PlayStation 4 is coming this holiday season, but not what it will look like.

The Japanese electronics giant talked about its upcoming console for the first time Wednesday and showed what it can do, without actually revealing the device itself during the two-hour event. Presenters played games that were projected on screens in a converted opera house, but the PlayStations themselves were hidden backstage.

"I don't know that the box is going to be something that's going to have a dramatic impact on people's feelings about the game. It will be a color and a size fairly comparable to previous consoles," said Jack Tretton, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America, the U.S.-based arm of the PlayStation business.

"There's a big story to tell here, and it's going to take between now and the holiday season to get all the details out there," Tretton said in an interview.

Tretton said the price of the PS4 hasn't been decided yet, but hinted that it wouldn't be as high as the PlayStation 3 was initially. The PS3 debuted in 2006 with two models for $500 and $600. It now sells for about $300.

The PS4 will be jostling for attention this holiday season with Microsoft's successor to the Xbox. Details on that device are expected in June. Xbox 360 came out a year before PS3 and has been more popular, largely because of its robust online service, Xbox Live, which allows people to play games with others online. Having an event this early allows Sony to grab the spotlight for a few months, though the lack of an actual device was noted by many people on Twitter and elsewhere.

Sony did reveal that the insides of the PS4 will essentially be a "supercharged PC," much like an Xbox. That's a big departure from the old and idiosyncratic PlayStation design and should make it easier for developers to create games. Sony Corp. is using processing chips made by Advanced Micro Devices Inc.

"One of the big challenges we faced in the past was that we created great technology that we handed over to the development community, and they had to go through a learning curve before they could harness it. And when they did, we saw some phenomenal games," Tretton said. "We wanted to lower that barrier of entry and really give them the ability to create tremendous gaming experiences from Day One."

The adoption of PC chips also means that the new console won't be able to play games created for any of the three previous PlayStations, even though the PS4 will have a Blu-ray disc drive, just like the PS3. Instead, Sony said gamers will have to stream older games to the PS4 through the Internet.

Other new features revolve around social networking and remote access. With one button, you can broadcast video of your game play so friends can "look over your shoulder virtually," said David Perry, co-founder of the Sony-owned Internet game company Gaikai. With remote play, you can run a game on the PS4 to stream over the Internet to Sony's mobile gaming device, the PlayStation Vita, which debuted last year.

The goal is to make the PS4 so good at figuring out what games and other content you want that it can download it without being asked, so that it's available when you realize you do want it, Sony said.

"Our long-term vision is to reduce download times of digital titles to zero," said Mark Cerny, Sony's lead system architect on the PS4.

The PS4 is arriving amid declines in video game hardware, software and accessory sales. Research firm NPD Group said game sales fell 22 percent to $13.3 billion in 2012. With the launch of the PS4, Sony is looking to attract people who may have shifted their attention to games on Facebook, tablet computers and mobile phones.

Forrester analyst James McQuivey said Sony is missing the point by building what amounts to an upgraded PS3.

"Sony believes the future will be like the past and has built the game console to prove it," he said. "Tablets and smartphones now engage more people in more minutes of gaming than consoles will ever achieve."

Sony showed an updated controller that adds a touchpad and a "share" button. The controller also features a light bar, which means a new PlayStation camera can more easily track the device for motion control.

The bulk of Wednesday's event was devoted to demos of games for the PS4, including a realistic team racing simulator, "Drive Club," super-powered action sequel "Infamous: Second Son," artsy puzzler "The Witness" and several first-person shooter games, including "Killzone: Shadow Fall." Beyond games, the PS4 will let people create animation in 3-D using a Move motion controller ? all in real time.

Last fall, Nintendo launched the next generation of gaming consoles with the Wii U, which comes with a tablet-like controller called the GamePad. The controller allows two people playing the same game to have different experiences depending on whether they use the GamePad or a traditional Wii remote, which itself was revolutionary when it came out because of its motion-control features.

Judging by Wednesday's event, Sony seeks to improve but not revolutionize game play. The games were updates to existing ones, with improved graphics.

"At the end of the day, this is a device by gamers for gamers," Tretton said. "The games that people go out and spend billions of dollars on are your traditional shooters."

The original Wii has sold more units since its launch than both its rivals, but it has lost momentum in recent years as the novelty of its motion controller faded. Nintendo said it sold 3.1 million Wii Us by the end of 2012. It was a disappointing start for the first of a new generation of gaming systems.

In some ways, notably its ability to display high-definition games, the Wii U was just catching up to the PS3 and the Xbox 360, the preferred consoles to play popular games such as "Call of Duty."

All three console makers are trying to position their devices as entertainment hubs that can deliver movies, music and social networking as they try to stay relevant in the age of smartphones and tablets. The PlayStation online network will have access to Sony's video and music services, as well as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon, with paid subscriptions to those services. People will also be able to access Facebook.

___

Lang contributed from Los Angeles.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-20-Sony-PlayStation/id-a747e48ee07a4161a5256064ef8d6964

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How to kill an asteroid? Get out a paint spray gun

Feb. 21, 2013 ? There is research that is off the wall, some off the charts and some off the planet, such as what a Texas A&M University aerospace and physics professor is exploring. It's a plan to deflect a killer asteroid by using paint, and the science behind it is absolutely rock solid, so to speak, so much so that NASA is getting involved and wants to know much more.

Dave Hyland, professor of physics and astronomy and also a faculty member in the aerospace engineering department at Texas A&M and a researcher with more than 30 years of awards and notable grants, says one possible way to avert an asteroid collision with Earth is by using a process called "tribocharging powder dispensing" -- as in high pressured -- and spreading a thin layer of paint on an approaching asteroid, such as the one named DA14 that came within 17,000 miles on Feb. 15.

What happens is that the paint changes the amount by which the asteroid reflects sunlight, Hyland theorizes, producing a change in what is called the Yarkovski effect (which was discovered by a Russian engineer in 1902). The force arises because on a spinning asteroid, the dusk side is warmer than the dawn side and emits more thermal photons, each photon carrying a small momentum. The unequal heating of the asteroid results in a net force strong enough to cause the asteroid to shift from its current orbit, Hyland further theorizes.

The kind of paint used is not the kind found at your local hardware store, Hyland explains.

"It could not be a water-based or oil-based paint because it would probably explode within seconds of it entering space," he notes.

"But a powdered form of paint could be used to dust on the asteroid and the sun would then do the rest. It cures the paint to give a smooth coating, and would change the unequal heating of the asteroid so that it would be forced off its current path and placed on either a higher or lower orbit, thus missing Earth.

"I have to admit the concept does sound strange, but the odds are very high that such a plan would be successful and would be relatively inexpensive. The science behind the theory is sound. We need to test it in space."

As for getting the paint on the asteroid, a practical way to do this was discovered by a former student of Hyland's, Shen Ge, who has since started a new space company. The "tribocharging powder dispenser" would spray a mixture of inert gas and charged dry-paint powder at the asteroid that would attract the powder to its surface through electrostatics. Then solar wind and UV radiation would cure the powder, giving a smooth, thin coat on the surface.

Getting the paint in the asteroid's path in a timely manner will certainly be a challenge, Hyland observes.

"The tribocharged powder process is a widely used method of painting many products," he says. "It remains only to adapt the technology to space conditions."

NASA has approached Hyland for developing such a project to test the theory, and Earth may need it quickly. An asteroid called Apophis is due in 2029 and will come closer than many communications satellites in orbit right now. It will fly by on April 13 (Friday the 13 to be exact) of 2029 and make a return trip in 2036, and it's estimated to be more than 1,000 feet in length and is appropriately named for an evil Egyptian god of chaos and destruction. There is no chance of its hitting Earth in 2029, but a small chance in the next close approach in 2036, Hyland notes.

Asteroids have hit Earth before. One hit off the Yucatan coast of Mexico about 65 million years ago and is believed to have caused the eventual extinction of the dinosaurs. And in 1908, the fabled "Tunguska event" occurred in Siberia in which an asteroid or meteor exploded several miles above? Earth, flattening trees and killing livestock over 800 square miles. The explosion is now estimated to have been 1,000 times more powerful than the A-bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

"There are thousands of asteroids out there, and only a small percentage of them are known and can be tracked as they approach Earth," Hyland adds.

"The smaller ones, like DA14 are not discovered as soon as others, and they could still cause a lot of damage should they hit Earth. It is really important for our long-term survival that we concentrate much more effort discovering and tracking them, and developing as many useful technologies as possible for deflecting them."

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_technology/~3/P-KSYEkOIYw/130221141102.htm

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AngloGold Ashanti earnings plunge as strikes bite

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - AngloGold Ashanti, the world's third-largest bullion producer, posted a plunge in quarterly earnings, hit by wildcat strikes at its South African mines and troubles at one of its largest African operations.

The South Africa-based miner said on Wednesday fourth-quarter adjusted headline earnings were 2 U.S. cents compared with 61 U.S. cents in the previous quarter.

Production dropped to 859,000 ounces in the quarter after 250,000 ounces, or $208 million in earnings, were wiped out by work stoppages that included illegal strikes and underground sit-ins at its South African operations.

Full-year production was 3.9 million ounces, well off the company's target of between 4.3 and 4.4 million ounces.

"We took a hit in South Africa," said chief executive Mark Cutifani, who leaves to lead Anglo American in April, adding that the company stalled the re-opening of its South African operations this year.

"We were unhappy with the way one or two operations came back to work and we sent people back home. We then spent about ten days with the guys working, reinforcing the need to treat each other with dignity and respect."

Obuasi, its largest mine in Ghana, also continued to underperform. A decision in October to change the mine development contractor cost the company $44 million. Already part of AngloGold for more than a decade, Cutifani said Obuasi was taking too long to deliver.

SECTOR BLEEDING

South African gold and platinum producers have been scarred by violent labour clashes that late last year halted operations and slashed production.

More than 50 people were killed in labour strife last year, including 34 shot dead by police at Lonmin's Marikana mine in August - the deadliest single security incident in South Africa since apartheid ended in 1994.

"It is not just one company that is facing the challenges, many of the companies are in the same boat," Roger Baxter, a senior executive at the Chamber of Mines told a South African parliamentary committee on Wednesday.

AngloGold's closest rival Gold Fields reported a 20 percent fall in headline earnings last week, largely due to the impact of an illegal strike at two South African mines it has since spun off.

Harmony Gold, however, which produces 95 percent of its gold in South Africa, reported a 28 percent hike in headline earnings for the three months to end-December.

AngloGold is already in the middle of a corporate and cost review with some assets, like Namibia's only gold mine Navachab, considered for sale. It has also pushed back some projects.

"Capital numbers have been kept tight, we continue to trim where we do not see real short-term uplift," said Cutifani.

Gold equities have historically traded at a discount to the metal but South African mining shares have felt additional pain thanks to the sector's tarnished image.

"The thing that concerns me most is getting performance back into the share price," Cutifani said.

AngloGold's shares dropped 3.90 percent to trade at 231.51 rand, in line with the JSE's gold index, which was 3.45 percent lower by 1236 GMT.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/anglogold-ashanti-q4-earnings-plunge-strikes-bite-064625443--finance.html

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Costlier robotic surgery soars for hysterectomies

CHICAGO (AP) ? Robotic surgery is increasingly being used for women's hysterectomies, adding at least $2,000 to the cost without offering much benefit over less high-tech methods, a study found.

The technique was used in just 0.5 percent of operations studied in 2007, but that soared to almost 10 percent by early 2010. Columbia University researchers analyzed data on more than 260,000 women who had their wombs removed at 441 U.S. hospitals for reasons other than cancer. The database covered surgeries performed through the first few months of 2010.

Women who had the robotic operations were slightly less likely to spend more than two days in the hospital, but hospital stays were shorter than that for most women. Also, complications were equally rare among robotic surgery patients and those who had more conventional surgeries. Average costs for robotic hysterectomies totaled nearly $9,000, versus about $3,000 for the least expensive method, a different type of minimally invasive technique using more conventional surgery methods.

Traditionally hysterectomies were done by removing the womb through a large abdominal incision. Newer methods include removing the uterus through the vagina and minimally invasive "keyhole" abdominal operations using more conventional surgery methods, or surgeon-controlled robotic devices.

Robotic operations involve computer-controlled long, thin robot-like "arms" equipped with tiny surgery instruments. Surgeons operate the computer and can see inside the body on the computer screen, through a tiny camera attached to the robotic arms. The initial idea was for surgeons to do these operations miles away from the operating room, but robotic operations now are mostly done with the surgeon in the same room as the patient.

Theoretically, robotic surgeries make it easier to maneuver inside the patient, and are increasingly used for many types of operations, not just hysterectomies.

The main explanation for the big increase "is that robotic surgery has been marketed extensively to not only hospitals and physicians, but also directly to patients. There is minimal data in gynecology that it is advantageous," said Dr. Jason Wright, an assistant professor of women's health and the study's lead author.

The study was published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

"Our findings highlight the importance of developing rational strategies to implement new surgical technologies," the researchers wrote.

They note that 1 in 9 U.S. women will undergo a hysterectomy, usually after the age of 40. Reasons include fibroids and other non-cancerous growths, abnormal bleeding, and cancer.

Traditional abdominal operations remain common and more than 40 percent of women studied had them, costing on average about $6,600.

A JAMA editorial says the study doesn't answer whether the robotic method might be better for certain women, and says more research comparing methods is needed. Still, it says doctors and hospitals have a duty to inform patients about costs of different surgery options.

Dr. Myriam Curet of manufacturer Intuitive Surgical of Sunnyvale, Calif., said surgical robots can help surgeons overcome the limitations of other minimally invasive methods for very overweight patients, those with scarring from other surgeries and other complexities.

___

JAMA: http://www.jama.ama-assn.org

Robotic surgery: http://tinyurl.com/byuljds

___

AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/LindseyTanner

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/costlier-robotic-surgery-soars-hysterectomies-210652802.html

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Pandigital Handheld Wi-Fi Wand Scanner (S8X1102WH)

The Pandigital Handheld Wi-Fi Wand Scanner (S8X1102WH) isn't the first wand scanner with Wi-Fi, but it is the first with both Wi-Fi and the ability to scan impressively quickly, making it unlikely that you'll wind up with a scan error because you swept across the page too fast. The combination makes it a potentially attractive choice, but less attractive than it would be if it came with more robust software. As with other Pandigital scanners, including, for example, the Pandigital Handheld Wand Scanner (S8X1101BK)) it will be most appealing to people who already have all the scan-related programs they need.

Like all wand scanners, the S8X1102WH offers the advantage of scanning without a computer. It saves the scan to its 128MB internal memory or to a microSD card if you choose to plug one in. Unlike most?with the notable exception of the Editors' Choice VuPoint Solutions Magic Wand Wi-Fi PDSWF-ST44-VP?the S8X1102WH also gives you a way to check the scan while you're still near the original and can rescan if you have to.

Connect by Wi-Fi to your smartphone or tablet, and you can see the scan to confirm its quality. The Wi-Fi feature is less useful than it could be, since you can't scan while you're connected, and it takes a substantial amount of time to connect. That leaves you with no easy way to check each page immediately after scanning. However, you can scan some number of pages, and then connect by Wi-Fi to check them all at once. I'd call that a second-best workaround, but it's still a lot better than having to wait till you get back to a computer to check scan quality.

Basics and Setup
The S8X1102WH is a touch bigger and heavier than the PDSWF-ST44-VP, at 1.3 by 10.2 by 1.6 inches (HWD) and 9.2 ounces, but still eminently portable. As with most wand scanners, it includes two sets of rollers on the bottom, and lets you scan by starting either at the top or side of a page, and then scanning down or across in a single sweep. Unlike some wand scanners, it has no problems scanning across thick 4 by 6 originals.

As is typical, set up is trivial. Simply insert the rechargeable battery it comes with, connect the scanner to a computer by the supplied USB cable or connect its power block and plug into a power outlet. While you're waiting for the battery to charge, you can install the programs the scanner comes with, including NewSoft Presto! PageManager for document management, Magix Photo Designer 7 for photo editing, and Magix Video Easy SE, which will let you convert scans into a video.

Scanning
Using the S8X1102WH is simple. The top panel offers four buttons. One turns the scanner on and doubles as a Scan button; one chooses between color and black and white mode; one chooses between 300 pixels per inch (ppi), 600 ppi, and 1200 ppi; and one chooses between JPG format, PDF format, and JPG format for stitching multiple scans into a single image. The last choice creates a new folder for each set of files to stitch together. The default whenever you turn the scanner on is color, 300 ppi, and JPG. Simply change one or more settings if you want to, press the Scan button to start the scan, sweep over the page, and hit the Scan button again to end the scan.

As is typical with wand scanners, I didn't have any trouble getting good scans from the start at 300 ppi. Less typical is that I didn't have any trouble at 600 ppi or 1200 ppi either. With most wand scanners it's easy to go too fast and get an error message at higher resolutions. With the S8X1102WH, I had to get up to an unusually fast speed to get a blinking error light at 1200 ppi. At 300 ppi I couldn't make the error light show up even with unreasonably fast sweeps. The resulting scans with the fastest sweep speeds were a little shortened in the sweeping direction, but still usable.

Scan Results
The software that comes with the S8X1102WH was suitable for just three tests from our standard suite: for photos, optical character recognition (OCR), and document management. The S8X1102WH didn't score particularly well in any of these categories, but except for photos, the issues are mostly due to the software it comes with.

The Magix photo editing software is fairly capable. However, any scanner with rollers loses points for the damage it can do to the originals. In addition, I saw a noticeable loss of detail in both dark and light areas of an image, and a slight, but noticeable color shift. Overall, the photo scans qualified as acceptable for what you might think of as snapshot quality, but nothing more than that.

For both OCR and document management applications, the combination of scanner and PageManager did reasonably well recognizing text. When sending the result to a text file, however, PageManager did such a poor job with formatting that I couldn't tell whether it read all the words in any given font size on our test pages without a mistake. In addition, although PageManager can combine multiple scanned pages into a single PDF file, it won't do the same for text files. Each page goes to a separate file, leaving it to you to copy and paste the pages into a single file.

I also ran one additional test, with the stitching module in PageManager. Stitching lets you do multiple partial scans of originals that are bigger than the scanner's 8.5-inch width, and then stitch the pieces together into a single image. In some cases the stitching worked as promised. However, the software is a little fussy about the originals, and in some cases simply refused to work. Worse, in those cases it gave me an uninformative error message, leaving it to me to guess what the problem was.

Ultimately, the Pandigital Handheld Wi-Fi Wand Scanner (S8X1102WH) consists of an attractive piece of hardware held back by less than impressive software. As shipped, it's best described as usable, but limited. If you already have better OCR and document management software than in comes with, however, or you're willing to buy some additional programs, it's potentially a highly attractive choice.

More Scanner Reviews:
??? Pandigital Handheld Wand Scanner (S8X1101BK)
??? Pandigital Handheld Wi-Fi Wand Scanner (S8X1102WH)
??? Pandigital Personal Scanner (S8X1100)
??? Epson WorkForce Pro GT-S55
??? Epson WorkForce Pro GT-S85
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/UaEjm1qMX0I/0,2817,2415595,00.asp

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Samsung Galaxy S IV could come with 5G Wi-Fi Connectivity

Today we reported that the much awaited Samsung?s smartphone Galaxy S IV will be unveiled on March 14 in New York. Now we have found another new exciting information regarding the connectivity feature of the device.

The Galaxy S IV may feature the fastest internet connection with 5G Wi-Fi technology which is known as the 802.11ac Wi-Fi. Besides this outstanding feature, the device is already rumored to come with the upcoming hexagon and diamond shaped pixel layout which will help to become one of the highest resolution displays when compared to other rival products. Like other mobile manufacturers including Nokia and HTC, Samsung may offer a wireless charging module which will be compatible with any standard Qi charger.

The device is also expected to be packed with a 5-inch 1080p display, Samsung?s Exynos 5440 processor, a quad-core ARM Cortex A15-based chip, 2GB of RAM, 13MP Rear-facing camera, Mali-T658 GPU and more.

It is reported that the 5G Wi-Fi technology will let you enjoy 300Mbps maximum speed. You can note that the feature has not been used by any mobile manufacturers so far. The Broadcom BCM4335, which is a combo SoC that offers 802.11ac, FM radio, and Bluetooth 4.0? is said to be coming on the Galaxy S IV.

We?ll let you know when there is any word from the manufacturer about the official specs and price info of the galaxy S IV.

Via: Ubergizmo

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Syrian rebels push offensive for major airport

A Syrian refugee woman is seen between a line of tents in a refugee camp near Azaz, north of Aleppo province, Syria, Sunday, Feb 17, 2013. (AP Photo / Manu Brabo)

A Syrian refugee woman is seen between a line of tents in a refugee camp near Azaz, north of Aleppo province, Syria, Sunday, Feb 17, 2013. (AP Photo / Manu Brabo)

A Syrian refugee woman is seen in a refugee camp near Azaz, north of Aleppo province, Syria, Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013. (AP Photo / Manu Brabo)

Syrian refugee family is seen at their tent in a refugee camp near Azaz, north of Aleppo province, Syria, Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013. (AP Photo / Manu Brabo)

BEIRUT (AP) ? Syrian rebels captured a government checkpoint on the main road to the country's second-largest airport Monday as opposition fighters pressed their campaign to capture the strategic facility in the northern city of Aleppo, activists said.

The rebels launched a major attack on the airport and the adjacent Nairab military airfield last week, and have since overrun the main army base protecting the area. Control of the airport would provide a significant boost for the opposition, and mark a strategic shift in the country's 23-month-old civil war.

The fighting has been raging for weeks, but it was only in early February after the rebels captured the strategic Aleppo neighborhood of Sheik Said near the airport, which has been shut down because of the violence, that the offensive gained momentum.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Aleppo Media Center reported that rebels captured the main fuel station on the Nairab base. The Observatory said there were several regime casualties and five rebels, including foreign fighters, killed.

The fight for the international airport in Aleppo, Syria's largest city and commercial hub, highlights the importance that both sides in the conflict place on controlling strategic assets that could provide an edge in the larger fight for the country.

Last week, rebels seized a hydroelectric dam and a major oil field, cutting off President Bashar Assad's regime from key resources necessary for its long term survival. Rebels also seized an air defense base and fought near two other army installations in Syria's north.

Aleppo's airport is crucial in the broader fight for the city itself. Rebels launched an offensive on Aleppo in July, and quickly seized several neighborhoods. Since then, the fighting has settled into a bloody stalemate that has destroyed entire districts, killed thousands and forced thousands more to flee their homes.

Determined to hang onto the city, Assad's regime has thrown troops and resources into the fight. But his army has faced difficulties in sending reinforcements to Aleppo since October, when rebels captured the strategic town of Maaret al-Numan, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of Aleppo. Maaret al-Numan is on the highway that links Damascus with Aleppo.

The regime has not been able to fly supplies since the Aleppo airport closed weeks ago due to the fighting.

Rami Abdul-Rahman, who heads the Observatory, said over the past two weeks large army reinforcements were able to reach the town of Safira, near the city of Aleppo, after securing a desert road that links the central province of Hama with northern Syria.

He said the reinforcements, including dozens of vehicles and thousands of troops, have not been able to reach Aleppo because of heavy fighting in the town of Tal Aran between the city's international airport and Safira.

Safira is home to military production facilities that rebels have been trying to capture in recent past weeks with no luck.

"The regime is doing all it can to open a road to Aleppo," Abdul-Rahman said.

Abdul-Rahman, whose group relies on a network of activists around the country, said as the army convoys pushed north, more than 200 members of al-Qaida-linked Jabhat al-Nusra were killed over the past two weeks in clashes with the reinforcements. The Obama administration designated Jabhat al-Nusra a terrorist organization in December.

The Observatory and the Local Coordination Committees activist group also said government forces were shelling southern neighborhoods of the capital, Damascus, mostly around the rebel-held Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk. There has been intense fighting in recent weeks in southern and northeastern districts of the capital.

In Brussels, European Union foreign ministers are wrestling with the divisive issue of whether to ease the arms embargo against Syria so military aid can be funneled to the rebels fighting Assad.

An EU official said Britain is lobbying to ease the embargo so munitions could flow, but only to the rebels. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss closed-door deliberations. But several foreign ministers said on their way into the meeting that they were opposed to such a move.

That view will be bolstered by a new report Monday from a U.N.-appointed panel that said Syria's civil war is becoming increasingly sectarian and the behavior of both sides is growing more and more radicalized. The report urged the international community to curb the supply of weapons, and anti-government forces to part with foreign fighters.

The report said government forces and affiliated militia committed crimes against humanity such as murder, torture, rape, enforced disappearance and other inhumane acts. It added that anti-government armed groups have committed war crimes, including murder, torture, hostage-taking and attacking protected objects.

The U.N. says nearly 70,000 people have been killed in Syria's conflict since the revolt against Assad began in March 2011.

____

Associated Press writers Geir Moulson in Berlin and Don Melvin in Brussels contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-02-18-Syria/id-76ecf5461d8a4285a8018d57be4a2ad6

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Police: Shot reported at Pa. campus was newspaper

GETTYSBURG, Pa. (AP) ? Police in Pennsylvania say a student's report of a gunshot being fired was instead the sound of a newspaper hitting the sidewalk.

Gettysburg police Chief Joseph Dougherty says a Gettysburg College student had reported that someone in a white sedan fired a shot early Saturday morning. But Dougherty says police investigated and determined the sound came from a newspaper delivery driver throwing a paper from her vehicle.

After the report, the college alerted students and employees via text messages, voicemails and emails. A college spokeswoman says an all-clear message was sent around 8:30 a.m.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/police-shot-reported-pa-campus-newspaper-140021894.html

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2013 NBA All-Star Game: Time, TV schedule, radio, rosters and more

Unsurprisingly, no Suns will take the court Sunday.

The Phoenix Suns were shut out of this year's All-Star Game, which takes place Sunday night in Houston, for the first time since 2011.

In fact, the Western Conference's contingent isn't all that varied. Of the 12 players selected, two are from the Oklahoma City Thunder, two are from the Los Angeles Lakers, two are from the Los Angeles Clippers, and two are from the San Antonio Spurs.

The Portland Trail Blazers got one (LaMarcus Aldridge), the hosting Houston Rockets got one (James Harden), the Golden State Warriors got one (David Lee), and the Memphis Grizzles got one in, too (Zach Randolph).

The Eastern Conference team has a little more variety. The Miami Heat have three representatives -- LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, all of whom are starting -- and the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks each got two on the roster (though Boston's Rajon Rondo won't play after suffering a season-ending knee injury). The other nine players on the Eastern Conference roster come from nine different teams.

TNT's telecast from Houston begins Sunday at 5 p.m. MT, and the game tips off at 6:30.

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Source: http://arizona.sbnation.com/phoenix-suns/2013/2/17/3996438/nba-all-star-game-2013-time-tv-schedule-radio-rosters

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West Liberty University professor scrutinized for barring Fox News as source

Feb. 15, 2013

Dive Summary:

• West Liberty University instructor Stephanie Wolfe assigned students to keep a "politics journal," recording their reactions to various articles from news sources such as The Economist, BBC, CNN and The Huffington Post.
• She specified, however, that the only two sources that students could not use were The Onion and Fox News, the latter of which earned her scrutiny after students shared the assignment with parents, who in turn called the university and local reporters.
• In an interview Thursday, President Robin Capehart said that Wolfe's ban on Fox News was inappropriate, that he would have felt the same way about telling students not to use MSNBC and that Wolfe had since realized her mistake and allowed students to quote from that source.

From the article:

Students in a political science class at West Liberty University were given an assignment recently to keep a "politics journal" in which they would record their reactions to various articles they had selected. The instructor at the West Virginia public institution included some possible news sources, such as The Economist, BBC, CNN and The Huffington Post. But the instructor also specified that two sources could not be used. ...

Source: http://www.educationdive.com/news/west-liberty-university-professor-scrutinized-for-barring-fox-news-as-sourc/100755/

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Complaint: Southern California Edison Manipulated Nuclear Plant Repair Costs

A complaint filed with California regulators says Southern California Edison boosted the cost of replacing defective steam generators at the troubled San Onofre nuclear plant.

The Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility complaint says the utility violated federal securities law by manipulating inflation calculations so Edison could recover more money from ratepayers.

The Los Angeles Times reported the complaint filed Wednesday with the state Public Utilities Commission claims Securities and Exchange Commission filings show costs may have been hiked up to $100 million.

The twin-reactor plant in northern San Diego County has been shut down more than year. A tiny radiation leak led to the discovery of damage to hundreds of tubes that carry radioactive water.

The PUC is already investigating the costs of the outage.

Article source: Article Source

Source: http://www.rocketnews.com/2013/02/complaint-southern-california-edison-manipulated-nuclear-plant-repair-costs/

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