Kerry plans return to Middle East after visit yields no deal

By Lesley Wroughton

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Secretary of State John Kerry ended a shuttle diplomacy mission on Sunday without an agreement on resuming Israeli-Palestinian peace talks but said gaps had been narrowed and he would return to the region soon.

"I'm pleased to tell you that we have made real progress on this trip. And I believe that with a little more work, the start of final status negotiations could be within reach," he told a news conference before his departure from Tel Aviv's airport.

"We started out with very wide gaps and we have narrowed those considerably," he said, without elaborating. "We are making progress. That's what's important and that's what will bring me back here."

Over four busy days, Kerry met Israeli and Palestinian leaders repeatedly and separately to try to find a formula for reviving direct negotiations stalled since late 2010 in a dispute over Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Kerry said both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had asked him "to return to the area soon". "(That is) a sign that they share my cautious optimism," he added.

Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said there had been some progress, "but we can't say there's been a breakthrough".

Erekat said he would hold further meetings with U.S. representatives to follow up on some issues raised during the Kerry visit, the secretary's fifth since taking office.

Netanyahu has repeatedly called on Abbas to return to negotiations. But he has balked at Abbas's demand that Israel first halt settlement expansion in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, areas it captured in a 1967 Middle East war and which Palestinians want for a future state.

An Israeli official, who asked not to be identified, said Abbas was also seeking the release by Israel of scores of long-serving Palestinian security prisoners as a goodwill gesture.

But Netanyahu believed the issue should be addressed only after talks resume, the official added.

NO PRECONDITIONS

"Israel is prepared to enter into negotiations without delay, without preconditions, and we are not placing any barriers on the resumption of final-status talks on a permanent peace agreement between the Palestinians and us," Netanyahu told his cabinet after six hours of overnight talks with Kerry.

For new talks to be held, Abbas has said Netanyahu must also recognize the West Bank's boundary before its capture by Israel as the basis for the border of a future Palestinian state.

Israel, seeking to keep major settlements under any peace accord, has rejected those terms, deeming them preconditions, and has said its security forces would not be able to defend the pre-1967 frontiers.

A U.S. State Department official said Kerry's discussions with Netanyahu and advisers in a Jerusalem hotel suite ended shortly before 4 a.m. (0100 GMT) on Sunday.

Afterwards, Kerry strolled through the deserted streets of the city accompanied by his security and one of his advisers on the Middle East, Frank Lowenstein. He then drove to Ramallah, the Palestinian hub city in the West Bank, to see Abbas.

Kerry is keen to get fresh peacemaking under way before the United Nations General Assembly, which has granted de facto recognition to a Palestinian state, convenes in September.

Netanyahu is concerned that the Palestinians, in the absence of direct peace talks, could make further moves at the U.N. session to get their statehood recognized, circumventing Israel.

But Kerry said the pace of his diplomacy was set by the two sides, whom he described as sincere about finding a way forward.

"We're not going to get stuck with artificial deadlines. That's a big mistake," he said before flying to Asia.

(Additional reporting by Ali Sawafta in Ramallah, Writing by Jeffrey Heller and Dan Williams, Editing by Gareth Jones)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kerry-squeezes-more-talks-end-mideast-mission-060806573.html

george zimmerman website edmund fitzgerald uss enterprise white house easter egg roll 2012 andy cohen andy cohen mozambique

If You Must Wear Your Tech, Try Not To Look Like An Idiot

Like Dance Moms or protein-only diets, wearable tech is one of those things that simultaneously incites excitement, bandwagonning, distrust and disgust. Gut instinct tells us we're turning into cyborgs, which is either terrifying or great, depending on how you see it. Maybe we will become more efficient, fit versions of ourselves, or maybe we are simply setting ourselves up for the government to steal a new wealth of personal information. As Sarah wrote, the future of wearable tech is nearly impossible to predict, even for those most involved in its development. These are big concerns. But I have another one: that your wearable tech is making you look like a tool.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/NLMrlCzVtFM/

breaking bad breaking bad food network star British Open 2012 bane Aurora Colorado Rajesh Khanna

With Mandela, end-of-life care dilemmas magnified

FILE - In this Wednesday, July 18, 2012 file photo, former South African President Nelson Mandela celebrates his birthday with family in Qunu, South Africa. The emotional pain and practical demands facing Nelson Mandela's family are universal: confronting the final days of an elderly loved one. There are no rules for how or when the end may arrive. Mandela's status as a respected global figure only complicates the situation, doctors and end-of-life experts say. (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam, File)

FILE - In this Wednesday, July 18, 2012 file photo, former South African President Nelson Mandela celebrates his birthday with family in Qunu, South Africa. The emotional pain and practical demands facing Nelson Mandela's family are universal: confronting the final days of an elderly loved one. There are no rules for how or when the end may arrive. Mandela's status as a respected global figure only complicates the situation, doctors and end-of-life experts say. (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 7, 2005 file photo, former South African President Nelson Mandela, 87, is in a jovial mood at the Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg. The emotional pain and practical demands facing Nelson Mandela's family are universal: confronting the final days of an elderly loved one. There are no rules for how or when the end may arrive. Mandela's status as a respected global figure only complicates the situation, doctors and end-of-life experts say.(AP Photo/Denis Farrell, File)

CHICAGO (AP) ? The emotional pain and practical demands facing Nelson Mandela's family are universal: confronting the final days of an elderly loved one. There are no rules for how or when the end may arrive. Some choose to let go with little medical interference; others seek aggressive treatment. Mandela's status as a respected global figure only complicates the situation, doctors and end-of-life experts say.

Mandela "is not only revered he is loved and profoundly admired by people all over the world and the sense of letting go must be difficult for everyone involved," said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University.

In much of Africa, people are considered fortunate to live past age 60. For those who reach old age, death is still seen as sad, but friends and family typically celebrate with big parties to honor a life well-lived. Taking extraordinary measures to keep that person alive would be considered dishonorable, said Dr. Sola Olopade, the Nigerian-born clinical director for the University of Chicago's Center for Global Health.

If such measures are being used for Mandela, many could consider it "quite painful," Olopade said, "because those are not the last memories you want to have for someone with such an exemplary life."

U.S. doctors said Mandela's lung infection is most likely pneumonia, a very common cause of illness and death in the elderly.

The infection is usually caused by bacteria and causes lungs to fill with fluid or pus, making breathing difficult and often causing fever and weakness. Treatment includes antibiotics and extra oxygen, often from a mechanical ventilator.

In the United States, an elderly person critically ill with pneumonia would typically be hospitalized in an intensive care unit and put on a mechanical ventilator, or breathing machine, said Dr. J.P. Kress. He is director of the University of Chicago's medical intensive care unit's section on lung and critical care. Ventilators often require a breathing tube down the throat, and patients need to be sedated because of the discomfort.

These patients typically are hooked up to feeding tubes, intravenous fluids and all kinds of monitoring machines to check heart rate, blood pressure and other functions. For long stays, lying prone in a hospital bed, they have to be periodically moved into different positions to prevent bed sores; their arms and legs have to be exercised to fight muscle wasting.

Mandela has been hospitalized several times since December for a recurring lung infection, and he has had tuberculosis.

In a hospitalization in March and April, doctors drained fluid from around his lungs, making it easier for him to breathe. He got care at home until he returned to the hospital on June 8.

For elderly patients hospitalized repeatedly with lung problems, the chances for recovery are often grim, Kress said.

"It's possible he's sitting in a chair asking, 'When am I going to get out of the hospital?' but that's very unlikely," he said.

Patients so critically ill may have ups and downs, and small changes like needing a little less help from a ventilator may be seen as a sign of improvement even when the outlook remains poor, Kress said.

Schaffner, the Vanderbilt doctor, said, "There are always little glimmers of hope. It's not a straight line down ... when you're so gravely ill."

Ada Levine faced end-of-life decisions with her mother, Maria Robles of Chicago. And it was difficult even though her mother had made her wishes known. Robles died two weeks ago at age 75 after 12 years of heart failure and other problems that had her in and out of the hospital.

"It was not going to get better," Levine said. "You're hopeful. You believe in miracles and 'maybe.' At some point you realize there is no miracle and you have to be strong and do the right thing."

Her mother did not want life support, but following that directive is easier said than done, Levine said.

"It's brutal, very difficult, hard, to watch this person decline and think now you're responsible for making their decisions."

Schaffner went through the same experience with his mother. She died 10 years ago at age 84 after several strokes and then pneumonia.

When she was still lucid, the family discussed end-of-life care. She did not want to be kept alive on a ventilator. So when she developed pneumonia and was hospitalized, she got comfort care ? fluids, antibiotics and sedatives to calm her anxiety over struggling to breathe ? but no intensive treatments with fancy machines.

After several days, when it became clear "there was zero chance she was going to turn around," the family brought her home, with hospice care, and she died less than two weeks after falling ill, Schaffner said.

Loretta Downs, former president of the Chicago End-of-Life Care Coalition, said decisions about life support should turn around the patient's wishes.

"Very often it's not the person who's dying's choice," but the family's, she said. "Now that we can prolong dying there's this whole question of are we prolonging dying versus prolonging living? It's not comfortable to be on life support."

___

AP Chief Medical Writer Marilynn Marchione contributed from Milwaukee and Andrew Meldrum contributed from Johannesburg.

___

Online:

End-of-life care: http://1.usa.gov/bPeFiT

__

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

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2013-06-28-US-MED-Mandela-End-of-Life/id-2ba4ad1dc61d4bdc8d92fd82b9a8bb73

pnc Pain and Gain Eddie Lacy Justin Pugh dallas cowboys Jarvis Jones minnesota vikings

Facebook to pull ads from pages with sex, violence

By Alexei Oreskovic

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook Inc said it will no longer allow ads to appear on pages with sexual or violent content, as the online social network moves to appease marketers being associated with objectionable material.

The moves come a month after several businesses pulled their ads from Facebook amid reports of pages on Facebook that promoted violence against women.

Facebook said at the time that it needed to improve its system for flagging and removing content that violated its community standards, which forbid users from posting content about hate-speech, threats and pornography, among other things.

Ads account for roughly 85 percent of revenue at Facebook, the world's largest social network with 1.1 billion users. Facebook said the changes would not have a meaningful impact on its business.

On Friday, Facebook said it also needed to do more to prevent situations in which ads are displayed alongside material that may not run afoul of its community standards but are deemed controversial nonetheless.

A Facebook page for a business that sells adult products, for example, will no longer feature ads. Previously such a page could feature ads along the right-hand side of the page so long as the page did not violate Facebook's prohibition on depicting nudity.

The move underscores the delicate balance for social media companies, which features a variety of unpredictable and sometimes unsavory content shared by users, but which rely on advertising to underpin their business.

"Our goal is to both preserve the freedoms of sharing on Facebook but also protect people and brands from certain types of content," Facebook said in a post on its website on Friday.

Facebook said on Friday that it would expand the scope of pages and groups on its website that should be ad-restricted and promised to remove ads from the flagged areas of the website by the end of the coming week.

Pages and groups that reference violence will also be off limits to ads, the company said. A Facebook spokeswoman noted that the policy would not apply to the pages of news organizations on Facebook.

Facebook said the process of flagging objectionable pages and removing ads would initially be done manually, but that the company will build an automated system to do the job in the coming weeks.

(Reporting By Alexei Oreskovic; Editing by Kenneth Barry)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/facebook-pull-ads-pages-sex-violence-192633856.html

Panda Express illuminati illuminati ricin Google Fiber Boston Strong Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev

The Republican Party Is Stuffed Full of 'Frauds,' A Republican Argues

The Republican Party Is Stuffed Full of 'Frauds,' A Republican Argues

Republicans these days are riven by internal differences. That's partly because?legislators recognize what's in their party's collective interest?but won't, for individual reasons, take steps to make it reality. But it's also because of legitimate inconsistencies in the GOP's values. The Republican communications consultant Liz Mair lashed out at the problem in a thoughtful Twitter essay Friday. The whole thing is worth a read.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/republican-party-stuffed-full-frauds-republican-argues-070415231.html

Rihanna Katy Perry Grammys 2013 Fun ll cool j Presidents Day 2013 jack white wiz khalifa

Fifty Shades of Grey Movie Set for August 2014

After taking its time finding a director to helm the ship, Universal and Focus are charging full-speed ahead and giving their adaptation of ?Fifty Shades of Grey? an Aug. 1, 2014 release date.

This news comes a week after the two studios named Sam Taylor-Johnson as the pic?s director after a long and thorough search. Universal and Focus also stalled in finding other elements of their adaptation of the popular?E.L. James series, including lining up a writer and producers. Those jobs eventually went to Kelly Marcel and Mike De Luca and Dana Brunetti respectively.

After the news broke on Johnson directing, there was instant speculation at whether the slow pace would continue in casting the film?s two leads, but this announcement makes it clear that Universal, Focus and the creative team know what path they want this film to take.

In several interviews in the past year, U Chairman Adam Fogelson has said that the plan was never to rush out the film version and that, despite the slow pace, the film could still bow by summer 2014.

The dating also makes sense. ?Fifty Shades of Grey? has a strong female fanbase and will make for good counter programing to the other films set to be released at this time:? ?Jupiter Ascending? from?Warner Bros.,? MGM?s ?Hercules? and Marvel?s ?Guardians of the Galaxy.?

Casting is now underway and while no offers are out to any thesps at this time, sources told Variety that Johnson?s husband, ?Kick-Ass 2? star Aaron Taylor-Johnson, may have been part of those early talks and may have an early edge for the part of Christian Grey.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1927753/news/1927753/

John Orozco Garrett Reid shawn johnson Tony Sly Lauren Perdue tagged Heptathlon

Pitch-Perfect: Why Our Shoulders Are Key To Throwing

Link Information - Click to View

Pitch-Perfect: Why Our Shoulders Are Key To Throwing
Being able to throw stones with power and precision must have been fun for humans' early ancestors. It was essential, too, since we lack the the fangs and claws of other predators. A recent study suggests the ability to fire rocket fastballs depends on shoulder anatomy that chimps don't share.

Source: NPR
Posted on: Thursday, Jun 27, 2013, 8:51am
Views: 8

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/128809/Pitch_Perfect__Why_Our_Shoulders_Are_Key_To_Throwing

Prancercise kfor espn3 pacers Grumpy Cat Boston Strong concert john tortorella

Verizon reportedly offers more than $600 million to buy Wind Mobile

Verizon's curiosity about entering the Canadian market could represent more than just a brief fascination: Reuters claims that Big Red has made a "tentative" bid for Wind Mobile. While the exact price would depend on what Verizon finds in Wind's accounting books, the estimated value ranges from $600 million to $800 million. Neither party is commenting on the rumor, although Verizon may still be open to alternative deals -- it supposedly approached Mobilicity about a potential acquisition. Verizon will likely need permission from both the Canadian government and Vodafone to make any takeover attempt official, but the reported bidding suggests that the company is willing to brave the gauntlet for some 700MHz spectrum and a presence up North.

Filed under: Wireless, Mobile, Verizon

Comments

Via: Phone Arena

Source: Reuters

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/27/verizon-reportedly-offers-more-than-600m-to-buy-wind-mobile/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

michigan primary daytona 500 winner cleveland plain dealer john scott barry sanders barry sanders jimmie johnson

$35 For a Year of Xbox Live Gold Is Your Deal of the Day

Looks like the Xbox One will still require Xbox Live Gold to stream Netflix or play games online. That's a bummer. But it only makes getting a deal on Xbox Live Gold even more important?so pick up a year right here for $35.

If you're re-upping your current 360 subscription, this deal's a no-brainer. $35 is generally the lowest it goes?aside from a $20 Ebay sale from Rakuten a few weeks ago. And this sale is through Newegg on Ebay, so it's definitely a reliable reseller (although it could disappear at any second.) But if you're going to cop a card looking forward to the Xbox One, it becomes more complicated. Microsoft's said that Xbox Live Gold will be an aspect of their new console, but they've flip-flopped before.

Regardless?a year of Xbox Live Gold. $35. Usually $50. Solid deal. [Newegg on Ebay]

Top Deals

? 1-Year Xbox Live Gold ($35) | Ebay | Normally $50

Accessories

? 3TB Seagate Expansion HD ($104) | BuyDig via 9to5Toys | Originally $130 | Use coupon code 30yrsHotDeals15

? 32GB Sony Class SD Card ($15) | Amazon via Brand Name Coupons | Originally $20

? Motorola Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard ($18) | Tanga via 9to5Toys | Originally $40

? 128GB Flash Drive ($45) | Tiger Direct via 9to5Toys | Originally $60

? One Class 10 32GB SDHC Card for $15 or Three for $30 | Amazon or MacMall via Deals Kinja | Matches lowest price ever

? Rock Candy Xbox 360 Controller ($19) | Amazon via Deals Kinja | Lowest price ever

? SanDisk Extreme CF Cards 8GB or 16GB or 32GB ($24/39/69) | Amazon via Ben's Bargains |CF Card deals come up far less often than those for SD cards, and SanDisk Extremes are the cards you want.

Miscellaneous

Whoa 30% off any Living Social deal with the code CELEBRATE30

? dealzmodo (@dealzmodo) June 27, 2013

? Simple Keurig Coffee Maker ($52) | Office Depot via Deals Kinja | Lowest price ever

? Movie Theater Ticket from Fandango ($6) | Groupon via Deals Kinja | Up to $12 value

Apple

? 7th Gen 16GB iPod Nano ($135) | Best Buy via Deals Kinja | Save $15, today only

Gaming

PC

? StarCraft II: HotS Expansion Pack ($31) | Amazon via Hard Forum | Originally $40

? Driver San Francisco ($5) | uPlay

? Ultima 1-9 + Underworld 1-2 ($9) | GOG | Normally $36

? Bioshock Infinite DLC Columbia's Finest[Steam] ($4) | Green Man Gaming via Dealzon| Use code GMG20-6WUSQ-LBC4U

? Mirror's Edge + DLC ($5) | Amazon

? Xbox 360 Controller ($19) | Amazon via Deals Kinja | Lowest price ever

Xbox

? Gears of War: Judgment ($40) | Amazon

? Tomb Raider ($30) | Amazon

? Far Cry 3 ($20) | Amazon

? The Walking Dead ($20) | Amazon

? Xbox 360 Controller ($19) | Amazon via Deals Kinja | Lowest price ever

PS3

? Ni no Kuni ($20 + shipping) | Club Namco | Back in stock but will not last

? Gran Turismo 5 XL ($15) | Amazon via DealNews

? GRID 2 ($40) | Amazon

? Injustice: Gods Among Us | Amazon

? Tomb Raider ($30) | Amazon

Audio

? Soul by Ludacris On-Ear Headphones ($68) | Amazon via Ben's Bargains | Originally $100

---

Clothing

Earlier this afternoon I was having an argument with my colleague Shane over at Kotaku's Moneysaver about which one of these Sperries we'd rather wear. What do you think?

? 20% Vans or Sperries | Haberdash via Reddit | Use coupon code VANSPERRY

? Banana Republic 40% off | Use code BRSPARK40

---

Dumb TV ? Smart TV

? Elgato Game Capture HD ($136) | Amazon via Daily Game Deals | This is about as simple as game capture gets.

Physical Media

Blu-ray

? Die Hard 1-4 25th Anniversary Collection [Blu-ray] ($30) | Amazon

? Jaws [Blu-ray] ($11) | Amazon | Best movie ever or best movie ever?

? The Lost World: Jurassic Park [Blu-ray] ($11) | Amazon via Daily DVD Deals

? Dawn of the Dead DX Unrated [Blu-ray] ($6) | Amazon via Daily DVD Deals

? Star Wars The Clone Wars Season 1 [Blu-ray] ($19) | Amazon via Daily DVD Deals | Way up there on the list of shows I know I need to see.

? The Samurai Trilogy Criterion [Blu-ray] ($35) | Amazon via Daily DVD Deals

? UFC Best of 2012 [Blu-ray] ($10) | Amazon via Daily DVD Deals

DVD

? Beavis and Butt-head Mike Judge Collection Vol. 1 or 2 ($9) | Amazon via Daily DVD Deals

? Squidbillies Vol. 1 ($11) | Amazon via Daily DVD Deals

Digital Media

FREE It's a Dog's Life, Snoopy! [Kindle] | Amazon via FatWallet

Laptops

Nope.

Desktops

Nah.

Tablets

? 32GB Nexus 7 Refurb ($180) | Ebay via Hard Forum | Originally $250

Screens

? iPhone 4S Pico Projector ($50) | AT&T via Ben's Bargains | Originally $200

? 24" Dell Ultrasharp U2412M ($280) | Newegg via Hard Forum | Originally $350 | Use coupon code 72HRSL064

? 55" LG HDTV ($780) | Hhgregg via Dealnews | Originally $1000

? Acer DLP 4000 Lumen 1080p Projector ($1170) | Newegg via Ben's Bargains | Originally $1500 | Use coupon code EMCXPVN27

Portables

? 7th Gen 16GB iPod Nano ($135) | Best Buy via Deals Kinja | Save $15, today only

Camera

? Refurb Nikon D3100 + Kit Lens ($305) | Ebay via 9to5Toys=

? Canon EOS 60D Body ($599) | Amazon via Deals Kinja | Lowest price ever

Bare Drives

? 500GB Hitachi Travelstar ($50) | Newegg via Ben's Bargains | Originally $70 | Use coupon code 72HRSL065

? 2TB Toshiba Bare Drive ($80) | Newegg via Ben's Bargains | Originally $100 | Use coupon code EMCXPVN29

Apps

iOS

? THX Tune-up ($0) | iTunes via aliszewski | Originally $2

? Nihilumbra ($0) | iTunes via Appshopper | Originally $3

? VS Racing 2 ($0) | iTunes via Appshopper | Originally $1

? Reeder ($0) | iTunes via Appshopper | Originally $3

? The Bard's Tale ($1) | iTunes via Appshopper | Originally $3

? Charlie Brown All Stars ($1) | iTunes via Appshopper | Originally $5

Android

I love 1000000, it's one of my favorite mobile games, and you should download it now. Imagine Candy Crush as a infinite runner with RPG elements.

? 1000000 ($1) | Google Play via App-sales | Originally $2

? Reckless Racing 2 ($1) | Google Play via App-sales | Originally $2

? Sprinkle ($1) | Google Play via App-sales | Originally $2

Hobomodo

? Free Lacoste Fragrance Samples ($0) | Lacoste via Reddit

---

Keep up with Kif Leswing on Kinja and Twitter. Check out The Moneysaver for more great tech deals, and deals.kinja.com for even more discounts.

---

A note on Dealzmodo: We're professional shoppers. Yes, we make money if you end up buying. That's capitalism, but we're absolutely looking out for your best interest. Read this if you want to know more.

Source: http://gizmodo.com/35-for-a-year-of-xbox-live-gold-is-your-deal-of-the-da-599614671

north korea news giuliana and bill giuliana and bill bill rancic nflx giuliana rancic giuliana rancic

Kerry: Urgent progress is needed on Mideast peace

KUWAIT CITY (AP) ? Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday that he's set no ad hoc deadline for making concrete progress in talks between Israel and the Palestinians that he's continuing this week, but that long before September there needs to be some kind of progress shown.

The U.N. General Assembly, which reconvenes in September, voted overwhelmingly in November to upgrade the Palestinians from U.N. observer to non-voting member state. The Palestinians have said that if attempts at reaching an accord between the two sides fail, they would pursue a strategy of international recognition on their own, which would make finding peace in the decades-long conflict more elusive.

Kerry spoke during a news conference with Kuwait's emir, Sheik Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah. Later Wednesday, he was heading to Amman, Jordan, which he will use as a base for diplomacy with Jordanian, Israeli and Palestinian officials. It is Kerry's fifth visit to the region since becoming secretary of state earlier this year.

"The time is getting near where we need to make some judgments. Last time, I was here, I said it's time for leaders to make some hard decisions," Kerry said. "That stands. It is time. Why is it urgent? It's urgent because time is the enemy of a peace process."

"I don't want to trap myself or any of the principals in this with arbitrary ? or somewhat ad hoc time limits," Kerry said.

But he added: "Long before September we need to be showing some kind of progress in some way. ... That's why I'm here for this visit and I hope it can be productive."

Kerry has been shuttling between the Israelis and the Palestinians in search of a formula to restart talks. So far, there have been no signs of a breakthrough.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is being propelled toward a stark choice that could come as soon as next week, define his legacy and set the course for his people in their conflict with Israel. Abbas' aides fear he's being pushed by the U.S. into dropping his conditions for negotiating with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Israeli settlements are at the heart of the heart of the nearly five-year impasse in Mideast peace efforts. The Palestinians say they will not negotiate while Israel continues to construct settlements in territory they seek for a future state. Netanyahu says the fate of the settlements should be resolved in negotiations, and talks should resume immediately without any preconditions. The Palestinians claim the West Bank and east Jerusalem, which were captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war, as parts of a future state.

"We come at this carefully. We have been working towards, hopefully an understanding that allows everybody to move forward, notwithstanding the difficulties that people face in the politics of their own countries," he said. "Why am I confident that something can be done? Because I believe peace is understood by them ? both of them ? to be urgent."

On Syria, Kerry acknowledged that getting a transitional government set up was a "hard lift."

But he painted a dire picture of the alternative to convening an international conference to reach a political resolution to the two-year civil war.

"The people of Syria are suffering ... the prospect a long, continued war, which is very possible, means not only will many, many people die, many more homes will be destroyed, cities be destroyed," he said. "Not only will you have more atrocities, more violations of human rights, even some small evidence here and there of some ethnic cleansing."

"Not only will you have all that, but you may ultimately have complete destruction of the state of Syria so that the army and the institutions will fall apart and you will have a complete sectarian breakdown," he said, "and that becomes far more dangerous for all of the region because it will empower extremists as well as create ongoing sectarian strife" in the region.

Kerry reiterated his called for Iran and the Hezbollah fighters, which are bolstering Assad's forces, to leave Syria ? a move he said would make it easier for a political resolution to be reached.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kerry-urgent-progress-needed-mideast-peace-130625075.html

myocardial infarction What Is Labor Day jersey shore Pasquale Rotella Michael Clark Duncan courtney stodden Ncaa Football Scores

Withings Pulse hands-on

Just how many activity trackers can this emerging, but admittedly niche market support? We have no idea, but Withings is hoping that there's room for at least one more. The company will be releasing the Pulse tomorrow for $99, and taking on veterans of the scene like Fitbit and relative newcomers like Jawbone. The tiny device counts steps, monitors your sleep patterns and can even measure your heart rate. Unfortunately, it can't do the latter constantly and in real time, though, that might be a slightly unrealistic expectation of any tracker. Like some of Fitbit's products it can also monitor your altitude, which is great for people who want to know how many steps they've climbed. The Pulse itself is quite small, about the size of standard issue pedometer and almost as light. The casing is made of a nice soft touch plastic that feels down right lovely in the hand, which is good since you'll be manhandling the Pulse more than most other trackers. It's a far cry from the glossy piano black finish it sported at CES.

Gallery: Withings Pulse hands-on

Filed under: Wearables

Comments

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

zac brown band aubrey born to run pranks pregnancy test april fools day 2012 ja rule

Australia and Japan set for court over whaling

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) ? The battle over Japan's controversial whaling program is moving from the high seas to the United Nations' highest court.

Australia opens its case Wednesday at the International Court of Justice, arguing that Japan's annual hunt in the icy waters around Antarctica is an illegal commercial activity outlawed since 1986 by an International Whaling Commission moratorium.

"What Japan is doing is commercial whaling, pure and simple," Australia's agent to the court, Bill Campbell, said Tuesday.

Australia is hoping that the court will issue a ruling banning Japanese whaling by the year's end, soon enough to halt the next whaling season.

The whaling fleet generally leaves Japan each December to begin harpooning whales in January in the Antarctic Ocean, where Australia declared a whale sanctuary in 1999.

Japan argues that the annual hunt is legal under article eight of the 1946 International Convention for Regulation of Whaling, which allows governments to grant permits authorizing their citizens "to kill, take and treat whales for purposes of scientific research."

"Our research whaling is conducted based on this article," said Noriyuki Shikata, a spokesman for the Japanese delegation in The Hague. "We are fully abiding by this article and we are exercising rights clearly stipulated under this treaty."

Japan's government claims the research is needed to provide data on whale populations so that the international ban on commercial hunt can be re-examined or hopefully lifted eventually based on scientific studies. Opponents say the program is a guise for keeping Japan's dwindling whaling industry alive because the whale meat from the hunt is sold for consumption.

The vast majority of whales killed in the hunt are minke whales and Japan says it harpoons them at sustainable levels. It has an annual quota of around 850 minke whales. It has also harpooned a small number of fin whales.

Once a common item at dinner tables at home and on school lunch menus as a cheaper alternative to beef, whale meat can be still found at stores and special restaurants in Japan but is not as popular as it used to be because of the high price and the controversy.

The Sea Shepherd conservation group has been conducting violent rallies to block the hunt. Their protests in recent seasons have marred Japan's whaling expeditions and hunting plans.

The group said Tuesday it does not plan protests at the hearings in the wood-paneled Great Hall of Justice. Two of its members have been granted seats at the hearings, said Geert Vons, a Dutch member of Sea Shepherd.

Vons said Japan should stop killing whales, even in the name of science.

"With modern technology, it is not necessary any more to kill whales," he said. Japan says that both lethal and non-lethal research on whales is necessary.

The hearings are expected to last for 11 days, with New Zealand supporting Australia. A judgment will take months. The court's decisions are final and binding.

____

Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo and Rod McGuirk in Canberra, Australia, contributed to this story.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/australia-japan-set-court-over-whaling-131924534.html

atherosclerosis steven tyler tropic thunder carnie wilson missing reese witherspoon pregnant billy joel

In A Shift, Crowdstar Launches A Lush Fashion App That's More A Catalogue Than A Game

Crowdstar, the social and mobile gaming startup that made a name by targeting younger women with fashion-focused titles, is veering further away from pure gaming with a new app that’s more like an interactive clothing catalogue. Called Covet Fashion, the app is like an interactive shopping magazine where women can layer virtual clothing on top of a mannequin. It feels like it targets more of a Polyvore-like audience. (That’s the Goldman Sachs and Benchmark Capital-backed site that lets about 19 million users per month create collages of real fashion items.) People can pick real apparel and accessories from designers like?Rebecca Minkoff, Halston Heritage and Cynthia Rowley. They can compete to win actual merchandise and see style advice from designers like celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe, who has dressed actresses like Anne Hathaway and Jennifer Lawrence. The idea is that this is a better way to grab attention from female consumers on iPads and iPhones than something looks like a traditional fashion magazine. Higher-end fashion magazines have tried iPad apps but many of them are static images of the actual physical magazine pages that people have to swipe through. Crowdstar’s earlier games like Top Girl and Social Girl already tapped into the behavior of dressing up and creating virtual looks, but Covet takes it a step further. The app is not supposed to feel like a game and that’s because the company wants to broaden the potential user base to even more women who might not consider themselves social gamers. “It’s more like 70 percent photographic. It’s not at all a cartoon,” said Jeffrey Tseng, who is Crowdstar’s CEO. “While we believe that gaming is for everyone, there’s a certain connotation around games. Everything abou this app is designed not just to be a game, but also a shopping and content experience. Maybe a person will fall in love with a certain piece and eventually buy it.” Every day, users get a certain virtual allowance that they can have to buy different dresses and clothing. But the virtual currency part of the app isn’t really the focus. Crowdstar isn’t trying to create the same kind of “grinding” or time-consuming game mechanics that many other developers use to get players to spend more. Tseng says players can buy premium currency but the conversion rate is really cheap. It’s perhaps 1 cent to one virtual dollar. He added that the higher-end brands didn’t feel

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/u9dNhGL-MYM/

bby zimmerman website miami marlins marlins marlins facebook buys instagram kevin systrom

Trayvon Martin's friend describes final phone call

SANFORD, Fla. (AP) ? A friend who was on the phone with 17-year-old Trayvon Martin moments before he was fatally shot by George Zimmerman testified that she heard the Miami teen shout, "Get off! Get off!" before his telephone went dead.

Rachel Jeantel, 19, recounted to jurors in Zimmerman's second-degree murder trial how Martin told her he was being followed by a man as he walked through the Retreat at Twin Lakes townhome complex on his way back from a convenience store to the home of his father's fiancee.

Jeantel is considered one of the prosecution's most important witnesses because she was the last person to talk to Martin before his encounter with Zimmerman on Feb. 26, 2012.

She testified that Martin described the man following him as "a creepy-ass cracker" and he thought he had evaded him. But she said a short time later Martin let out a profanity.

Martin said Zimmerman was behind him and she heard Martin ask: "What are you following me for?"

She then heard what sounded like Martin's phone earpiece drop into the grass and she heard him say, "Get off! Get off!" The phone then went dead, she said.

Zimmerman, 29, could get life in prison if convicted of second-degree murder for killing Martin. Zimmerman followed him in his truck and called a police dispatch number before he and the teen got into a fight.

Zimmerman has claimed self-defense, saying he opened fire after the teenager jumped him and began slamming his head against the concrete sidewalk. Zimmerman identifies himself as Hispanic and has denied that his confrontation with the black teenager had anything to do with race, as Martin's family and its supporters have claimed.

Jeantel's testimony came after two former neighbors of Zimmerman testified Wednesday about hearing howls and shouts for help in the moments before the shooting.

Jayne Surdyka told the court that immediately before the shooting, she heard an aggressive voice and a softer voice exchanging words for several minutes in an area behind her townhome at the Retreat at Twin Lakes.

"It was someone being very aggressive and angry at someone," she said.

During the struggle, she said, she saw a person in dark clothes on top of the other person. Martin was wearing a dark sweatshirt and Zimmerman wore red clothing. Surdyka said she saw the person who was on top get off the body after the shot was fired.

Surdyka said she heard cries for help and then multiple gunshots: "pop, pop, pop." Only one shot was fired in the fatal encounter.

"I truly believe the second yell for help was a yelp," said Surdyka, who later dabbed away tears as prosecutors played her 911 call. "It was excruciating. I really felt it was a boy's voice."

During cross-examination, defense attorney Don West tried to show there was a lapse in what Surdyka saw. Defense attorneys contend Martin was on top of Zimmerman during the struggle, but after the neighborhood watch volunteer fired a shot, Zimmerman got on top of Martin.

West also challenged Surdyka about her belief that the cry for help was a boy's voice, saying she was making an assumption.

The other neighbor, Jeannee Manalo, testified that she believed Zimmerman was on top of Martin, saying he was the bigger of the two based on pictures she saw of Martin on television after the fight. Manalo also described hearing howling, but she couldn't tell who it was coming from, and then a "help sound" a short time later.

Under cross-examination, defense attorney Mark O'Mara asked why Manalo had never mentioned her belief that Zimmerman was on top in previous police interviews. He also got her to concede that her perception of Martin's size was based on five-year-old photos on television that showed a younger and smaller Martin.

Martin's parents have said they believe the cries for help heard by neighbors came from their son, while Zimmerman's father believes the cries belong to his son. Both prosecutors and defense attorneys believe they could show whether Zimmerman or Martin was the aggressor in the encounter. Defense attorneys successfully argued against allowing prosecution experts who claimed the cries belonged to Martin.

Jeantel on Wednesday testified that she believed the cries were Martin's because "Trayvon has kind of a baby voice." The defense attorney challenged that, claiming she was less certain in a previous deposition.

Jeantel, 19, also explained that she had initially lied about her age ? she claimed to be 16 ? to protect her privacy when she was initially contacted by an attorney for Martin's family to give a recorded statement over the telephone about what she knew about the few moments before Martin's encounter with Zimmerman. She was expected to finish her testimony on Thursday.

While being cross-examined, Jeantel had several testy exchange with West, including one moment when she prompted the defense attorney to ask his next question: "You can go. You can go."

Before the February 2012 shooting, Zimmerman had made about a half dozen calls to a nonemergency police number to report suspicious characters in his neighborhood. Judge Debra Nelson on Wednesday ruled that they could be played for jurors.

Prosecutors had argued that the police dispatch calls were central to their case that Zimmerman committed second-degree murder since they showed his state of mind. He was increasingly frustrated with repeated burglaries and had reached a breaking point the night he shot the unarmed teenager, prosecutors say.

Defense attorneys argued that the calls were irrelevant and that nothing matters but the seven or eight minutes before Zimmerman fired the deadly shot into Martin's chest.

Seven of the nine jurors and alternates scribbled attentively on their notepads as the calls were played.

___

Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://twitter.com/KHightower

Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/trayvon-martins-friend-describes-final-phone-call-184329832.html

BLK Water ESPYs daniel tosh All Star Game 2012 directv rashard lewis curacao

Nissan tightens safety watch after U.S. factory ... - Automotive News

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Editor's note: An earlier version of this story included an incorrect time of a fatal accident at Nissan's Smyrna, Tenn., assembly plant on June 16, and the year a contract driver was killed in a trucking accident on the same site.

Source: http://www.autonews.com/article/20130624/OEM01/130629947/nissan-tightens-safety-watch-after-u-s-factory-fatalities

dennis kucinich apple ipad kony kony 2012 jim irsay the new ipad apple announcement

Egypt's presidency: military won't step in

CAIRO (AP) ? An Egyptian presidential spokesman on Monday dismissed an apparent threat by the military to both Egypt's president and opposition that it would step in if political fighting descends into chaos, as president's allies prepare for another mass rally in few days to counter June 30 opposition-led demonstrations.

The spokesman, Ihab Fahmy, told foreign reporters that the military's mission is guarding the borders and securing vital institutions, and that it has no intention to play any other role.

"There is a president ruling the country in a democratic way, and (through) democratic elections. We can't imagine that the army would come back," Fahmy said. "The army has one role ? protecting the borders and securing the strategic institutions. There is no political role for the army."

His remarks came a day after Defense Minister Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi gave the nation's Islamist rulers and their opponents a week to reach an understanding before planned June 30 opposition protests demanding resignation of President Mohammed Morsi. El-Sissi issued a toughly worded warning that the military will intervene to stop the nation from entering a "dark tunnel."

El-Sissi's statement indicated to Morsi's hard-line backers that the military will step in if protesters are attacked during their demonstrations.

June 30 marks one year since Morsi took office. Opponents charge that Morsi is monopolizing power for his Muslim Brotherhood, excluding others, while failing to make progress toward solving the country's critical problems, like economic malaise, fuel shortages, electricity blackouts and increasing unemployment. They demand that he step down and hold early presidential elections.

Fahmy said that el-Sissi's message, like any other statements from the military, comes in coordination with the presidency.

"These statements were intended to defuse tension," he said. "President Morsi is the supreme commander of the army, and anything that happens within the army is coordinated through him and with him."

In a statement Monday, the presidency said Morsi chaired a National Security Council meeting, attended by el-Sissi and top officials, stressing that all state institutions are "respecting and protecting the constitutional and legal legitimacy," a reference to the president.

Fahmy said Morsi has extended an open-ended invitation for dialogue with opposition.

Morsi's supporters charge the opposition has shunned his offers to talk and now are turning to force to remove him, because they have been unable to compete at the ballot box.

While the presidency claims it is making efforts to ease tensions, allies of hard-line and ultraconservative Islamists like the former militant group Gamaa Islamiya announced Monday that they will organize another mass rally this Friday. There are indications that Islamists will hold an open-ended sit-in, raising fears of street clashes with Morsi's opponents near the president's palace, where the opposition demonstration is also scheduled a few days later.

Last Friday, some 100,000 Morsi supporters staged a rally as a show of strength.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypts-presidency-military-wont-step-183632030.html

madmen james cameron liam hemsworth miss canada justin bieber boyfriend marianas trench camille grammer

Almost There! Jessica Simpson Flaunts Her Baby Bump

The singer looks ready to pop during a lunch outing! Plus, check out more pics of your favorite stars on the scene!

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/star-snapshots-celebrity-photo-gallery-2012/1-b-450006?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Astar-snapshots-celebrity-photo-gallery-2012-450006

night at the museum pope shenouda bolton muamba crystal cathedral sxsw st. patrick s day brandon lloyd

'Playboy' Paul Giamatti joins 'Downton Abbey'

TV

Ree Hines TODAY contributor

3 hours ago

Evan Agostini / AP

Paul Giamatti.

There was a time when Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) was the lone Yank on "Downton Abbey," but those days are long gone.

Last season, her mother, Martha (Shirley MacLaine), arrived on the scene -- much to the displeasure of the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith) -- and next season, the American invasion will continue.

The next non-Brit on his way to the Abbey is Cora's brother, and if Lady Violet cringed at every Americanism out of Martha's mouth, she's bound to be positively apoplectic about Harold, as played by the oh-so-modern American Paul Giamatti.

Yes, that's right. The man who once played Kenny "Pig Vomit" Rushton in Howard Stern's "Private Parts" is joining the show.

At first the actor might seem like an odd fit for the "Dowton" ensemble, but fans can take heart. Giamatti already mastered the art of the perfect period piece performance in HBO's "John Adams," for which he won an Emmy, and it's not like he'll be channeling any of his past crude, nerdy or neurotic on-screen personas for his "Downton" role. In fact, according to TVLine, Giamatti's Harold is a "maverick, playboy" type.

Executive producer Gareth Neame told TVLine that Harold would be "free spirited," and that he -- along with mom Martha -- holds the promise of upsetting "the Grantham apple cart" by the end of season four.

But there's still a long wait for the beginning of season four -- at least for Harold's fellow Americans. "Downton Abbey" returns to PBS Jan. 5, 2014.

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/american-invasion-downton-abbey-continues-paul-giamatti-joins-cast-6C10423979

mad cow pennsylvania primary jerome simpson hand sanitizer obama on jimmy fallon pilar sanders andrew young

A New Echolocation Algorithm Can Map Spaces Based on Sound Alone

There?s plenty of precedent for echolocation in the natural world: bats can navigate based on the echo of their chirrups; and blind humans, at least anecdotally, sometimes develop remarkable sound-based spatial skills. But using sound to accurately map a space in three dimensions? That?s new.

Read more...

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/TDtPCs8USNA/a-new-echolocation-algorithm-can-map-spaces-based-on-so-561634511

Apple Pie Recipe black friday How long to cook a turkey green bean casserole green bean casserole recipe red dawn sweet potato pie