Rodgers says he was 'lied to' by Braun

Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers spins a ball on his finger during NFL football training camp Friday, July 26, 2013, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers spins a ball on his finger during NFL football training camp Friday, July 26, 2013, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

FILE - In this June 9, 2011 file photo, Green Bay Packers NFL football quarterback Aaron Rodgers, left, and Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun speak during batting practice before a baseball game between the Brewers and the New York Mets,, in Milwaukee. Rodgers says he was "shocked" when his friend Ryan Braun admitted he violated baseball's rules against using performance-enhancing substances. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps, File)

Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers runs a drill during NFL football training camp Friday, July 26, 2013, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers, left, talks to head coach Mike McCarthy during NFL football training camp Friday, July 26, 2013, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) ? Ryan Braun apparently has some work to do to repair his friendship with Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Describing himself as shocked and disappointed, Rodgers said Friday after the Packers' first training camp practice that Braun "looked at me in the eye on multiple occasions and repeatedly denied the allegations" that the Milwaukee Brewers slugger was using performance-enhancing drugs.

Braun this week accepted a season-ending 65-game suspension after admitting to violating baseball's rules against using PEDs.

Rodgers felt duped by his buddy and business associate, a sentiment being expressed by many others in Wisconsin. A Milwaukee restaurant is named for two of the state's most well-known athletes, and Rodgers last year defended his friend on Twitter, going so far as to betting his multimillion-dollar salary that Braun was clean.

"It's disappointing, not only for myself as a friend but for obviously Wisconsin sports fans, Brewer fans, Major League Baseball fans," Rodgers said before a throng of media surrounding his locker. "It doesn't feel great being lied to like that, and I'm disappointed about the way it all went down."

Rodgers and Braun have spoken since the slugger's suspension. Asked if he considered themselves friends, Rodgers didn't answer directly but said in part, "I trusted him, and that's the thing that probably hurts the most."

The future of their business relationship ? they're involved in a licensing agreement for the 8-twelve MVP Bar and Grill ? was yet to be determined, Rodgers said.

With the benefit of hindsight, Rodgers plans to take a more measured approach next time if faced a similar situation in the future.

"People make mistakes. I definitely believe in forgiveness and moving forward," Rodgers said. "Obviously, (Braun) has a tough task in front of him moving forward with his career, on and off the field."

All the attention at the first practice was atypical even for Rodgers, a former Super Bowl and NFL MVP who leads one of most dangerous passing attacks in the league. He was smiling and laughing on the field Friday, running through drills like the rest of his teammates on an overcast, breezy morning.

In the locker room, however, the off-the-field questions didn't stop at Braun.

Earlier this week, former Packers receiver Greg Jennings ? now with the archrival Minnesota Vikings ? criticized of his ex-quarterback. In an interview with the Star Tribune, Jennings questioned Rodgers' leadership and implied the quarterback had become bigger than the team.

"Don't get me wrong, '12' is a great person," Jennings was quoted as saying, referring to Rodgers. "But when you hear all positives, all positives, all positives all the time, it's hard for you to sit down when one of your teammates says, 'Man, come on, you've got to hold yourself accountable for this.' It's hard for someone to see that now because all they've heard is I'm doing it the right way, I'm perfect. In actuality, we all have flaws."

Rodgers said he wasn't spending time or energy on Jennings' comments.

"To me, I'm concerned with the opinions of the guys in this locker room and the guys we have here," Rodgers said. "It's exciting to be able to be one of the leaders of this football team, and I'm very confident in my style."

Not surprisingly, the current Packers had the quarterback's back.

"It is what it is," receiver Randall Cobb said about Jennings' remarks. "Aaron is a great leader. He puts us in some great situations on and off the field. He makes it easier for us to have someone to look up to for support and leadership."

Rodgers had one of the best offseasons of his nine-year career, according to coach Mike McCarthy.

"He's in good shape. He's ready to go. He really understands his role as far as the leader and one of the veteran leaders on our football team," McCarthy said. "I think Aaron's off to a great start coming off a very good offseason."

As for practice itself, McCarthy liked what he saw. It's just the first day, so he and the coaching staff plan to take a closer look at tape for a better evaluation.

The tempo has picked up a little from previous years, in part because music is being played on loudspeakers during what are being called "TV timeouts." It's designed to give players a breather and, in part, to mimic the routines during games. Rodgers' favorite tune in the rotation? Darius Rucker's version of "Wagon Wheel."

___

Follow Genaro Armas at http://twitter.com/GArmasAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-07-26-FBN-Packers-Rodgers-Braun/id-54520edcef60444fb719b73e8f82a5de

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Snowden needs 'world's protection', says Venezuelan leader

By Alissa de Carbonnel and Alexei Anishchuk

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Tuesday that Edward Snowden, the former U.S. spy agency contractor, deserved the "world's protection" for divulging details of Washington's spy program.

Snowden, wanted by Washington on spying charges for revealing the secret U.S. electronic surveillance program Prism, has applied for political asylum in more than a dozen countries, in his search for safety.

The 30-year-old is in legal limbo in the transit area of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, unable to fly on to a hoped-for destination in Latin America because he has no legal travel documents and no Russian visa to leave the airport.

On Monday, he broke a nine-day silence since arriving in Moscow from Hong Kong, challenging Washington by saying he was free to publish more about its programs and that he was being illegally persecuted.

That ruled out a prolonged stay in Russia, where a spokesman for President Vladimir Putin said Snowden had withdrawn his request for asylum after the Russian leader said he should give up his "anti-American activity".

But while countries lined up to deny his asylum requests, Venezuela, part of an alliance of leftist governments in Latin America, said it was time to stop berating a man who has "done something very important for humanity".

"He deserves the world's protection. He has not asked us for it yet. When he does we will give our answer," Maduro told Reuters during a visit to Moscow.

He said he would consider an asylum application if Snowden made one. His request for safety in Ecuador, which has sheltered the founder of antisecrecy group WikiLeaks Julian Assange in its London embassy, has seemingly ended.

U.S. President Barack Obama, embarrassed by the affair, has made clear to a number of countries that granting him asylum would carry costs.

"MISTAKE"

Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa was quoted in Britain's Guardian newspaper on Monday as saying his country could not consider an asylum request unless Snowden was on Ecuadorean territory.

He said giving Snowden a temporary travel pass to fly to Moscow from Hong Kong was "a mistake on our part".

"Are we responsible for getting him to Ecuador? It's not logical," he said, adding that Snowden was now Moscow's problem.

Moscow has been unwilling to send Snowden to the United States and look weak but is just as unwilling to damage ties with Washington over a man Putin, a former KGB spy, has little sympathy with.

"Snowden is in the transit area of Sheremetyevo airport and has not crossed the Russian Federation's border (onto Russian soil) ... Russia has never extradited anyone, is not extraditing anyone and will not extradite anyone," Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters on Tuesday.

Peskov said Snowden showed no sign of stopping releasing secret U.S. documents and added that he had "abandoned his intention (of staying in Russia)".

Snowden has prepared requests for asylum in countries including India, China, Brazil, Ireland, Austria, Bolivia, Cuba, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and Venezuela, WikiLeaks said on Monday.

By Tuesday, the list of rejections was growing.

Norway said he was unlikely to get asylum there, and Poland said it would not give a "positive recommendation" to any request. Finland said it could not accept his request as Finnish law required him to be in the country. France, Iceland and Italy said they had not received any formal request for asylum.

Snowden's options are narrowing. His U.S. passport has been revoked so he has no travel documents and he does not have a valid Russian visa to leave the airport.

In a statement released by WikiLeaks on Monday, he accused the Obama administration of deception in a campaign to prevent him from finding political asylum and of "leaving me a stateless person" by revoking his U.S. passport.

"This kind of deception from a world leader is not justice, and neither is the extralegal penalty of exile," he said.

"Without any judicial order, the administration now seeks to stop me exercising a basic right," Snowden said. "A right that belongs to everybody. The right to seek asylum ... Their purpose is to frighten, not me, but those who would come after me."

U.S. Justice Department spokeswoman Nanda Chitre rejected Snowden's allegation "since he is still a United States citizen and his country is willing to take him back."

Snowden said he was being illegally persecuted in a undated letter sent to Ecuador's Correa seen by Reuters.

"I remain free and able to publish information that serves the public interest," Snowden, who had been a contract employee for the U.S. National Security Agency, said in the letter.

"No matter how many more days my life contains, I remain dedicated to the fight for justice in this unequal world. If any of those days ahead realize a contribution to the common good, the world will have the principles of Ecuador to thank."

(Writing by Elizabeth Piper; Editing by Jon Boyle)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/snowden-needs-worlds-protection-says-venezuelan-leader-101733505.html

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Unbelievable Pacific Rim video reveals all of the Kaiju's secrets

If you only watch one behind-the-scenes video from Pacific Rim, watch this one. We got an exclusive video featuring an INSANELY detailed look at Guillermo del Toro's new batch of monsters featuring charts, concept art and brand new monster footage from the movie!

This is the video we've been waiting for ? director Guillermo del Toro and the Pacific Rim cast sit down to talk monsters, while dropping some completely bananas action on the screen. Plus, he addresses the whole New Monster Vs. Classic Kaiju Man-in-the-Suit controversy. And his decision was brilliant. Just watch the video already!

Take a look at some of our favorite screengrabs:

And to top it all off, the Pacific Rim Facebook page just released two new pieces of art from the film:

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Pacific Rim will be released in 3D and 2D in select theaters and IMAX on July 12th.

Source: http://io9.com/unbelievable-pacific-rim-video-reveals-all-of-the-kaiju-634921963

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Petition to Pardon Snowden to Receive White House Response (ABC News)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

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Biba Comes Out Of Stealth With $15M In Funding For Mobile-First, Password-Free Conferencing And Messaging Service

The smartphone is changing how people work but so far the applications for web conferencing have not taken much of a mobile-first approach. Biba, a new company coming out of stealth, has spent more than a year and $5 million in a Series A investment to quietly build a service that offers a lightweight way to use your iPhone, iPad or Android device to participate in conference calls or message people in your network.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/Z9FzCKpl9D8/

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Social Media Revolutionizing Online Video - Business Insider

BI Intelligence

Television is no longer the only game in town for distributing and watching video.?The Internet and the social web have provided content creators and advertisers with a cost-effective way to distribute video.

"Social" video ?is video that is influenced ? in any part of the pipeline, from production to distribution ? by social media.?For audiences, discovery is no longer about flipping through channels or a TV guide, it's about listening to friends' recommendations and glancing at social media feeds.

Just how big is social media-influenced video? It's big, having eclipsed non-social video on the Web in audience size (see chart, top right).?And it's only getting bigger.?

In a new report?from?BI?Intelligence,?we look at?the general state of social video, examine social video audiences and their demographics, analyze how marketers and advertisers are getting into the mix, compare the major social video platforms, and?detail how social is influencing video as a content medium.

Access The Full Report And Data By Signing Up For A Free Trial Today >>

Here's an overview of the?rise of social video:

• Social media-influenced video has eclipsed non-social video on the Web in terms of audience size:?Online video audiences are expected to double in 2016, reaching 1.5 billion?globally, according to Cisco. A majority now , and an increasingly significant portion of them in the future, will discover or watch video and TV content on social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and new mobile-focused social video apps like Vine.?comScore found that 63 million U.S. users watched a video on Facebook alone during April 2013. In the U.S.,Facebook had the fastest-growing online video audience?of major Web properties over the last 10 months, and is only second to Google in terms of video audience size.
• Social media is having a profound effect on this content medium:?Video length is shrinking, in part to accommodate the preferences of social media audiences who like to snack on video. The intersection of mobile devices and social media will likely be crucial to video's future.?Videos are increasingly discovered and shared on mobile devices, but through social media channels. Video content that is well-suited to small screens and social contexts will do well.
• Advertisers want to be next to social video: 85% of the U.S. Internet audience viewed online video in April 2013, and?video advertising is now up to 13.2 billion monthly views?in the U.S. alone.?Data?shows that consumers are more likely to enjoy a brand video and remember the brand involved if they come across it thanks to a social media recommendation. Also, socially-referred video starts are more likely to be completed?than non-social video, according to Adobe.
• And social is key to the all-valuable viral video: Brands are keen to spur video virality. The push for ?earned media? is driving this. For a brand, a video that goes ?viral,? and earns millions of views on YouTube means that a brand has earned millions of impressions that it didn't have to pay for. Brands are experimenting with cracking the code to videos that will tap the right emotions and trigger mass sharing.?

In full,?the?report:

For full access to the report on Social Video sign up for a free trial subscription today.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/social-media-revolutionizing-online-video-2013-6

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Insight: Ex-Qaeda allies ready to fight for Mursi in Luxor

By Maggie Fick

LUXOR, Egypt (Reuters) - When President Mohamed Mursi made a hardline Islamist governor of Luxor, it seemed his latest folly to many in this city, and across Egypt, who depend on tourists already scared off by unrest since the revolution.

Yet nominating a member of al-Gamaa al-Islamiya, remembered for a 1997 massacre of visitors in Luxor that some call "Egypt's 9/11", showed the growing importance to the beleaguered Mursi and his Muslim Brotherhood of a group whose leadership includes at least one unrepentant former associate of Osama bin Laden.

That man, cleric Refai Taha, and other leaders of al-Gamaa and its parliamentary wing in Luxor told Reuters they renounced violence because Islamist rule had now been achieved, through elections - but they would take up arms again to defend Mursi and were committed eventually to establishing full Islamic law.

"There is freedom now, so violence is not necessary," Taha, 58, said in an interview last week at a hotel on the Nile. "The revolution changed the situation in Egypt in ways we wanted."

But like other senior figures in al-Gamaa he warned that anyone trying to force Mursi out - referring to the military that oppressed the Islamists for decades, or liberal opponents planning mass protests next Sunday - would be met with force.

"Violence begets violence," said Taha, recalling attacks on the old regime and its tourist industry which he, unlike others in al-Gamaa, went on advocating until Hosni Mubarak was ousted.

Al-Gamaa gave in to the uproar in the tourist industry and resigned the Luxor governor's post on Sunday - for the national good - after failing to reassure angry hoteliers who feared it would immediately ban beer and bare flesh, killing their trade just as the gunning down of 58 foreigners had done 16 years ago.

But its role is clearly expanding at the side of a president unable, or unwilling, to build a coalition beyond the Islamist camp. Such hardline allies may further polarize a still fragile state in ways that trouble the Western powers which abandoned Mubarak when Egyptians pushed him aside demanding democracy.

Al-Gamaa supporters formed a vocal contingent at a rally in Cairo on Friday, organized by the Brotherhood to show Islamist strength ahead of protests the hitherto divided opposition plans on June 30, the first anniversary of Mursi's inauguration.

Al-Gamaa leaders were among those giving veiled warnings of a violent response to any move against the elected leader; they included Tarek al-Zumar, jailed for life over the 1981 assassination of Mubarak's predecessor Anwar Sadat, and Assem Abdel Maged, who once shared a cell with Ayman al-Zawahri, the Egyptian who has led al Qaeda since bin Laden was killed.

Hardliners fear the end of the much bigger Brotherhood's hold on power would mean prison again for them, or death.

BIN LADEN

In Luxor, Taha blames the United States for his "rendition" from Damascus in 2001 to a life in Mubarak's jails. He was in Syria after time in Afghanistan with bin Laden and Zawahri and was seen by Washington as an heir to "blind cleric" Omar Abdel Rahman, al-Gamaa al-Islamiya's spiritual leader now serving a life term for a 1993 attack on New York's World Trade Center.

Until 2010, annual U.S. State Department lists of "Foreign Terrorist Organizations" described Taha as "missing" since 2001. He is not mentioned by name in subsequent editions of the list.

Freed when Mubarak fell, he denied a U.S. assertion that he signed a 1998 al Qaeda fatwa calling for attacks on the United States but he said its government was "oppressive just like our former regime" and said his main difference from Zawahri was in his aim of an Islamic state in Egypt, rather than global jihad.

Sitting in the lobby of a tourist hotel, largely empty since the revolution, clad in a beige robe, the white-bearded sheikh defined his goals and those of al Qaeda: "Sheikh Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahri see a need to administer justice all over the world. We demand justice be administered in Egypt."

Asked if that would mean banning alcohol or revealing clothing for tourists - something Mursi's government says it will not do - Taha said: "Just as you in America require Muslims to abide by American law when they enter your country, Americans who enter Egypt should abide by Egyptian law."

Were his ideas those of al Qaeda? "The same ideas," he said. "When there is an oppressive regime. If there's an oppressive regime, we, like all people in the world, we fight oppression."

ORGANISED MOVEMENT

After the Luxor massacre, Taha split with a faction in al-Gamaa which declared a ceasefire; the group now appears united and Taha, back in the southern home region where he helped found the movement in the 1970s, seems to command respect from leaders of the political party it set up in 2011 to contest elections.

The Building and Development Party won 13 of 508 seats in the lower house of parliament, allied with the Brotherhood.

A senior party official in Luxor, Hussein Ahmed Shmeet, echoed the concerns of Taha and other al-Gamaa leaders that it was ready to use force if had to protect Mursi: "If the nation is being destroyed, we must defend ourselves and protect the legitimate president and the state institutions," he said.

"If the army and police cannot protect state institutions and we see violence, the representatives of the Islamic groups must take to the streets to protect the state institutions," Shmeet said, adding for emphasis: "We are very organized."

Opponents worry that Egypt's Islamists also intend to keep power by force, even if voters turn against them. Shmeet insisted, however, that the movement has embraced democracy.

Al-Gamaa's numbers are unclear but its claims to be able to mobilize "popular committees" to fix problems locally were corroborated by Brotherhood officials who said Mursi choice for governor was prompted by its success in using local tribal and family structures to bring order where it once sowed chaos.

"Al-Gamaa al-Islamiya members in Luxor were born here," said local Building and Development Party leader Mohamed Bakry. "They know everyone in Luxor, they're cousins, friends, neighbors - our relations are very strong and so we can solve problems."

What the party did not do was force its new governor through the picket lines of angry tour guides and restaurateurs who set up barricades round the local administration building last week and painted the gate with a sign: "No entry for terrorists."

Its moderation toward the demonstrators, Bakry said, should reassure those who doubt it had put its militant past behind it.

"Everything the media are saying is not true," he said of alarmist headlines about Mursi's choice of "terrorist governor".

"Today is proof of that," he said. "Because if we had wanted to, we could have done something ... We were capable of it."

FEAR AND HOSTILITY

Such veiled references to al-Gamaa's strength do little to appease the many of Luxor's half million people who depend on foreigners coming to see its 3,500-year-old temples and tombs.

"Religion and violence is all they know," said Walid Nowendi of the liberal opposition Dustour Party as protesters burned tires to form a barrier to the governor's office.

Across the Nile, sweeping the same green swath through the desert that has nourished Egyptian civilization for millennia, the temple of Queen Hatshepsut stands as forlorn in the sunshine as it did in the months after it witnessed the horror of six gunmen methodically shooting down 62 people in November 1997.

A lone tour bus and a handful of minivans sat under a baking sun in the parking lot. "You should have seen how crowded this place was before the revolution," said Ahmed Hageb, 24, who works in the cafeteria. "For two years, we've suffered as we did after the 1997 attack ... This is because of the Brotherhood."

Mursi, in a newspaper interview, assured Egyptians economic problems were being addressed and, defending his choice of Luxor governor, insisted there was nothing to fear from al-Gamaa - its party, he said, "operates within the rule of law".

(Editing by Alastair Macdonald and Anna Willard)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/insight-ex-qaeda-allies-ready-fight-mursi-luxor-121517764.html

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Mumford & Sons announce rescheduled tour dates

NEW YORK (AP) ? Mumford & Sons are heading back on tour.

The Grammy-winning band announced Monday that it has rescheduled dates in Dallas; Woodlands, Texas; and New Orleans. The upcoming shows will include bassist Ted Dwane, who received treatment for a blood clot on his brain two weeks ago. The band postponed shows as a result, including a headlining gig at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival.

The foursome's "The Full English Tour" will begin Aug. 26 in Toronto. It wraps Sept. 20 in Bonner Springs, Kan. Other stops include Milwaukee, Atlanta and Simpsonville, S.C.

The folk-rock band's sophomore album, "Babel," won album of the year at this year's Grammy Awards.

____

Online:

http://www.mumfordandsons.com/

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mumford-sons-announce-rescheduled-tour-dates-183503695.html

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Paris Jackson to Seek Long-Term Mental Health Treatment

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/06/paris-jackson-to-seek-long-term-mental-health-treatment/

Oscar Nominations 2013

Abu Dhabi: Rising star of the Middle East - Breaking Travel News

Abu Dhabi?s 142 hotels and hotel apartments had their best April on record earlier this year, with increases in most key performance indicators, according to figures just released by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority.

The UK remains the emirate?s largest overseas source market for hotel guests, with 54,050 Britons staying in Abu Dhabi?s hotels in the first four months of 2013, a ten per cent rise on the same period in 2012.

They stayed on average, 4.71 nights, up 11 per cent on the corresponding period last year ? and accounted for 254,768 guest nights, up 22 per cent.

During April 2013 some 236,704 guests checked into Abu Dhabi accommodation - a 20 per cent rise against the same period in 2012 ? with guest nights jumping by almost a third to 738,797.

The average-length-of-stay of hotel guests during April 2013 was 3.12 nights, a growth of eight per cent on the same month last year.

Abu Dhabi has emerged as a powerhouse of Middle East tourism

TCA Abu Dhabi, which was named Middle East?s Leading Meetings & Conference Destination and Middle East?s Leading Tourist Board by the World Travel Awards in 2013, and World?s Leading Tourist Board in 2012, also reported a growth in guest numbers, guest nights, average length of stay and revenues for the first quarter of 2013.

Some 631,417 guests checked into accommodation throughout the emirate during this period ? a six per cent rise on quarter one of 2012.

Guest nights rose 23 per cent to 2,119,016, the average length of stay was up 16 per cent to 3.36 nights and total revenues climbed 15 per cent on 2012.

The UK maintained its position as the emirate?s leading overseas guest source market delivering in quarter one, some 39,841 arrivals, up seven per cent on quarter one of 2012, a total of 186,882 guest nights, an increase of 17 per cent and an average length of stay of 4.69 nights, up nine per cent on the comparative period.

Recent hotel openings in Abu Dhabi

As hotel occupancy climbs, Abu Dhabi has been booming with new developments to cater to these guests.

Hotel openings in 2012 included Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara, while this year saw the opening of the Ritz Carlton Abu Dhabi Grand Canal and the Rosewood Abu Dhabi.

Rosewood Abu Dhabi, the ultra-luxury five-star hotel ideally located on the waterfront of Sowwah Square in the heart of Abu Dhabi on Al Maryah Island opened its doors on May 1st 2013, marking the first presence of the Rosewood Hotels & Resorts brand in the UAE.

The hotel offers a comforting retreat from the day, but also a vibrant energy and variety of amenities.?

Rosewood Abu Dhabi provides a luxury lifestyle experience currently unmatched in the capital.

The 189-room hotel is located at the core of the new Central Business District between the prestigious Sowwah Square development and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.?

The Galleria, a new retail and dining destination with direct access to the hotel is set to open on the Island in August.

Downtown Abu Dhabi, leisure facilities and the airport are also easily accessible from Al Maryah Island.

Rosewood Abu Dhabi features nine signature restaurants and lounges; eight fully equipped conference and event spaces including a ballroom which will accommodate up to 1,000 guests; pool and gym facilities and Sense, A Rosewood Spa.

Rosewood Abu Dhabi

The interiors have an air of understated elegance, with exquisite materials such as Italian marble, a bespoke four-meter American walnut table and custom and hand-blown chandeliers from the Czech Republic featured throughout the hotel.

Under the helm of executive chef Wolfgang Eberle, Rosewood Abu Dhabi caters to every palate in the hotel?s nine restaurants and lounges, including Catalan, a sophisticated restaurant offering cuisine from the authentic Barcelona and north-eastern region of Spain; Sambusek, a delightfully modern Lebanese restaurant; Smoke, a vibrant shisha terrace, Aqua, which will offer Italian and Mediterranean delicious dishes in a refined yet informal setting; Spice Mela, a contemporary restaurant serving Pan-Indian cuisine; La Cava, a grape cellar with a walk-in cigar room; Glo, the glamorous bar lounge, the intimate Hidden Bar; and the Majlis lobby lounge.

Other stunning hotels in Abu Dhabi that have been recognised by the World Travel Awards include: Emirates Palace, Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche, St Regis Saadiyat Island, Park Rotana, Beach Rotana and Grand Millenium Al Wahda.

The Fairmont Bab Al Bahr has been nominated in several categories of this coveted award scheme.

One of the most spectacular hotels is the Jumeirah at Etihad Towers which was named Middle East?s Leading Hotel, Abu Dhabi?s Leading Conference Hotel and Abu Dhabi?s Leading Hotel by the World Travel Awards this year.

Consisting of 382 guestrooms and suites, 199 fully-serviced residences, 12 restaurants, bars and lounges, Talise Spa and one of the largest conference centres in Abu Dhabi, Jumeirah at Etihad Towers stands 280 metres tall and is furnished throughout in a modern contemporary design using rich materials including highly prized Italian marble, custom-designed hand-tufted carpets and photographic art works.

Jumeirah at Etihad Towers stands 280 metres tall

Hotels coming online in 2014

As visitors continue to flock to Abu Dhabi, looking to experience its luxurious hospitality, unique attractions, world class events and sunny climate, international hotel operators continue to announce plans to tap into the destination?s potential.

Marriott has revealed plans to open two properties in Abu Dhabi which will be operated by Real Estate Group ? a subsidiary of Bloom Properties.

This involves a 315-room Marriott hotel and a 64-unit Marriott executive apartment property which are both to open in the mixed-use Bloom Central development

Marina Mall Arjaan by Rotana has also been confirmed for the destination, meanwhile the Grand Ayla, is expected to open in the third quarter, opposite Al Ain Mall with 222 rooms.

New developments for 2013

Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi - the largest waterpark in the UAE opened recently on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

This futuristic waterpark spans an area of around 15 football pitches, with 43 rides, slides and attractions ? five of which are one-of-a-kind.

Yas Waterworld is the UAE?s largest waterpark

Yas Waterworld visitors can try the 238-metre long, world?s first and largest hydromagnetic-powered, six-person tornado waterslide.

For adrenaline seekers there are three-metre high waves on Bubble?s Barrel, which has the world?s largest surfable sheet wave for flowboards and bodyboards.

The Bandit Bomber, a 550?metre coaster, is the first with onboard water and laser effects. Riders can shoot jets of water at targets, drop water bombs and trigger special effects, while people below can spray them with water as they pass.

Sitting atop Jebel Dana, the towering core of the park?s altitude-defying summit and measuring eight metres in diameter, the park?s gigantic pearl is Yas Island?s newest landmark.

The park draws on Abu Dhabi?s heritage and has ?The Lost Pearl? as its theme.

Visitors follow the story of a young Emirati girl on a quest to find a legendary pearl as they make their way around the attractions, which include a souk and pearl-diving exhibits.

Yas Island

Yas Island is home to some of the UAE?s most exciting attractions, including Ferrari World ? home of the world?s largest roller coast ? events, as well as concerts and much much more.

A style icon - Yas Viceroy Hotel

The flagship project of the $36 billion Yas Island development, the Yas Viceroy Hotel is a breath-taking fusion of architecture, design and technology, set half on land and half on water.

It is also the first hotel in the world built directly over a Formula One race track and in 2010 was voted ?World?s Leading New Hotel? by World Travel Awards.

Home of the world?s leading airline

The UAE flag carrier Etihad Airways also continues to blaze a trail in aviation. Established just eight years old, the Abu Dhabi based airline has grown into a global superbrand.

Its growth has never fallen below 40 per cent a year in that time. Last year it reached the milestone stage of moving into profit.

This year it was voted Middle East?s Leading Airline, Middle East?s Leading Airline First Class and Middle East?s Leading Cabin Crew by the World Travel Awards.

A total of 8.3 million passengers flew with the flag carrier in 2011, up 17 per cent on 2010.

James Hogan, chief executive of Etihad Airways, said: ?Despite the global financial crisis, continued high oil prices, regional instability and natural disasters, we have delivered.?

Meanwhile, attracting the luxury traveller forms an integral part of Abu Dhabi?s growth strategy.

Royal Jet, the private jet charter company, has just come off its most success year yet in its eight-year history.

Royal Jet offers unrivalled luxury service

The company, voted World?s Leading Private Jet Charter by the World Travel Awards, reported a 226 per cent increase in net profits year-on-year in 2012.

Cruise facilities

A new terminal, designed to accommodate 1,300 passengers has been built at Mina Zayed as Abu Dhabi continues to develop as a cruise destination.

A joint project from Abu Dhabi Ports Company and Abu Dhabi Terminals, the facility has been designed to cater for the 2012/2013 cruise seasons.

MSC Lirica became the first vessel to homeport in the emirate following the opening of the terminal in late 2011.

Abu Dhabi International Airport has ambitious plans for the future.

In the coming five years, the airport will be focusing on achieving new competitive milestones with the completion of the new Midfield Terminal Building, scheduled to open in 2017.

Abu Dhabi International Airport

The 700,000 square meter building is a landmark project being undertaken in Abu Dhabi and the UAE, and will be able to handle 27-30 million passengers per year when it opens.

Reasons to Celebrate

One of the highlights of the coming year is sure to be the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, scheduled to take place at the spectacular Yas Marina circuit on November 1st-3rd 2013.

Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is now an integral part of the F1 calendar

With United Arab Emirates flag-carrier Etihad Airways recently signing a deal with the Formula 1 group to extend its title sponsorship of the Grand Prix for a further four years, the event look sets to grow yet further.

The deal will see the airline sponsor the event through to the 2015 with two F1-liveried aircraft flying to destinations across its network.

Saadiyat Island?s cultural district is where the Louvre Abu Dhabi will open in 2015, followed by the Zayed National Museum a year later and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi in 2017.

Recommended

Source: http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/focus/article/abu-dhabi-rising-star-of-the-middle-east/

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Suntory Beverage prices $4 billion IPO near bottom of range

By Taiga Uranaka and Ritsuko Shimizu

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Suntory Beverage and Food Ltd will raise 388 billion yen ($4 billion) after it set its IPO price near the bottom of its marketing range, hurt by concerns about its valuation and weak appetite amid market volatility.

The food and soft drinks unit of Suntory Holdings Ltd set the price of its initial public offering at 3,100 yen per share, compared with its 3,000-3,800 yen indicative range, it said in a regulatory filing on Monday.

The maker of Boss canned coffee had been seeking as much as 470 billion yen in Asia's biggest IPO so far this year, to bolster its war chest for acquisitions in emerging markets like Southeast Asia and boost its competitiveness against rivals like Kirin Holdings Co Ltd .

"It's obviously a sign that the stock is not popular among institutional investors," said a hedge fund manager based in Singapore, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

"Given its valuation compared with its peers and high volatility in the market, I think even the price of 3,100 yen is too high for many institutional investors," he said.

The IPO price values Suntory Beverage at a price-to-earnings ratio of 23 based on its 2013 profit forecast. That is higher than 17 at domestic rival Asahi Group Holdings and 16 at Kirin, according to Thomson Reuters data.

At the IPO price, Suntory Beverage would have a market capitalization of 958 billion yen, behind Kirin's 1.5 trillion yen and Asahi's 1.2 trillion yen.

Suntory Beverage's IPO was also seen as a test of investor appetite for new listings at a time of high volatility in Japanese stock markets. The benchmark Nikkei <.n225> has lost about 18 percent since hitting a 5-1/2 year high in late May.

Still, the offering is almost twice the size of the $2.1 billion IPO by the infrastructure fund of Thailand's BTS Group Holdings Pcl , the second-biggest Asia IPO this year, and provides Suntory with the funds to ramp up its acquisition drive.

OVERSEAS EXPANSION

Privately held Suntory Holdings is led by President Nobutada Saji, the 67-year-old grandson of the company's founder. The group, which is known for its Premium Malt's beer and whisky, gets half of its revenue from non-alcoholic drinks unit Suntory Beverage.

Suntory Beverage said it expects its net profit to rise 50 percent to 35 billion yen and its revenue to increase 14 percent to 1.13 trillion yen this year. It has set a target for annual revenue growth of at least 5 percent over the next three years.

In Japan, Suntory is the second-largest soft drinks maker after Coca-Cola Co and the gap in their market share has been narrowing. "In terms of domestic share, Coca-Cola is 27.9 percent and Suntory 19.6 percent. The gap used to be much bigger," said Kazuhiro Miyashita, editor of a trade magazine.

Still, Suntory and its rivals see little room for growth in their saturated home market and have set their sights overseas in recent years.

Suntory acquired soft drinks maker Orangina Schweppes and New Zealand's No. 2 beverage firm Funcor Group, both in 2009. In 2011, it entered into a joint venture with Indonesian food and beverage group GarudaFood. Suntory has said that it is also eyeing the Middle East, Africa and Latin America through acquisitions.

But industry officials and analysts say that acquisitions, especially in Southeast Asia, are increasingly costly and difficult to execute.

Such concerns came to light earlier this year when Kirin lost the chance to buy Singapore-listed Fraser and Neave Ltd's (F&N) food and beverage business after Thailand's TCC Assets Ltd and Thai Beverage PCL successfully acquired the control of F&N.

Kirin sold its 15 percent stake in F&N to TCC Assets after a Thai beer baron won a two-month bidding war with an Indonesian group, a major setback for the Japanese company to gain quick access to the market.

"There are a host of enthusiastic buyers, and sellers tend to be bullish," Masaaki Kitami, an analyst at Merrill Lynch Japan Securities Co, said of the intensifying competition for beverage-company acquisitions in that region. ($1 = 97.4750 Japanese yen)

(Additional reporting by Emi Emoto and Nathan Layne; Editing by Chris Gallagher)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/suntory-set-price-4-8-billion-ipo-bolstering-040509583.html

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Obama to unveil climate plan in Tuesday speech

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama is preparing to unveil his long-awaited national plan to combat climate change in a major speech, he announced on Saturday.

"There's no single step that can reverse the effects of climate change," Obama said in an online video released by the White House. "But when it comes to the world we leave our children, we owe it to them to do what we can."

People consulting with White House officials on Obama's plan, to be unveiled Tuesday at Georgetown University, say they expect him to put forth regulations on heat-trapping gases emitted by existing coal-fired power plans. They were not authorized to disclose details about the plan ahead of the announcement and requested anonymity.

Environmental groups have been pleading with Obama to take that step, but the administration has said it's focused first on controls on new power plants. The Environmental Protection Agency, using its authority under the Clean Air Act, has already proposed controls on new plants, but the rules have been delayed ? to the chagrin of states and environmental groups threatening to sue over the delays.

An administration official said last week that Obama was still weighing whether to include existing plants in the climate plan. The official wasn't authorized to comment by name and requested anonymity.

The White House wouldn't disclose any details Saturday about what steps Obama may call for. But his senior energy and climate adviser, Heather Zichal, said last week that controls on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants would be a major focus. She also said the plan would boost energy efficiency of appliances and buildings, plus expand renewable energy.

Putting a positive spin on a contentious partisan issue, Obama said the U.S. is uniquely poised to deal with the serious challenges posed by climate change. He said American scientists and engineers would have to design new fuels and energy sources, and workers will have to adapt to a clean energy economy.

"We'll need all of us, as citizens, to do our part to preserve God's creation for future generations," Obama said.

Environmental groups have for months been pushing Obama to make good on a threat he issued to lawmakers in February in his State of the Union address: "If Congress won't act soon to protect future generations, I will." Obama's move to take the matter into his own hands appears to reflect a growing consensus that opposition in Congress is too powerful for any meaningful, sweeping climate legislation to pass anytime soon.

"They shouldn't wait for Congress to act, because they'll be out of office by the time that Congress gets its act together," Rep. Henry Waxman, the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said in an interview.

Environmental groups applauded the announcement that Obama was finally releasing a plan for executive action, but made clear they want to see firm proposals ? including controls for existing power plants.

"Combating climate change means curbing carbon pollution ? for the first time ever ? from the biggest single source of such dangerous gases: our coal-fired power plants," said Frances Beinecke, president of the National Resources Defense Council. "We stand ready to help President Obama in every way we can."

Another key issue hanging over the announcement ? but unlikely to be mentioned on Tuesday ? is Keystone XL, a pipeline that would carry oil extracted from tar sands in western Canada to refineries along the Texas Gulf Coast. A concerted campaign by environmental activists to persuade Obama to nix the pipeline appears to be an uphill battle. The White House insists the State Department is making the decision independently.

Obama's speech on Tuesday will come the day before he leaves for a weeklong trip to three African nations.

___

Online:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcL3_zzgWeU

___

Reach Josh Lederman on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joshledermanAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-06-22-US-Obama-Climate-Change/id-f720b89da85949c8a69abe7bac2e11fd

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98% Before Midnight

All Critics (140) | Top Critics (38) | Fresh (136) | Rotten (3)

Hawke and Delpy remain as charming as ever, and their combined goofiness is more endearing than annoying.

Love is messy here, life cannot be controlled, satisfaction is far from guaranteed. Romance is rocky at best. But romance still is.

Though "Before Midnight" is often uncomfortable to watch, it's never less than mesmerizing - and ultimately, a joy to walk with this prickly but fascinating couple again.

"Before Midnight" is heartbreaking, but not because of Jesse and Celine. It's the filmmakers' passions that seem to have cooled.

Before Midnight is fascinating to watch, and so long as Celine and Jesse are communicating, there's still hope.

How (Jesse and Celine) try to rekindle that flame is what drives Midnight, a film that feels so authentic it's like overhearing a conversation you're not sure you should be hearing.

The acting, the dialogue and direction are superb.

None of the films is faultless in itself, but, tinted with complementary tones, the complete cycle comes as close to perfection as any trilogy in cinema history.

Marvelous. It's impossible to shake the feeling that we are merely eavesdropping on reality. Witty, wise, and -- most important of all -- truly romantic in ways that movies usually aren't.

It's been 18 years since Hawke, Delpy and Linklater introduced us to Jesse and Celine, and their story just gets richer, funnier and more punchy each time we see them. In 1995's Before Sunrise, they were idealistic 23-year-olds.

Hawke and Delpy are as believably real as any screen couple can ever be.

This is one of the few sequels for which the cliche 'eagerly awaited' is truly applicable.

Predictably, it's just as great as the first two.

By the end, Before Midnight inches towards a dawn of charm. But it's a troubled trip.

As an organic experiment in collaboration between actors and director, it is a triumph, co-created and co-owned by Delpy, Linklater and Hawke.

Hawke and Delpy, who are both credited on the script too, have never found co-stars to bounce off more nimbly or bring out richer nuances in their acting.

The performances and dialogue are wonderfully naturalistic; a reminder that the best special effects are often the cheapest.

Before Midnight is about the nature of long-term relationships, and the way love deepens and grows but also finds itself subject to the complications of maturity. Smart, insightful, and poignant.

For those who witnessed Jesse and Celine's tentative getting together as inter railing students almost twenty years ago, it's reassuring to see them still in love.

Brilliantly directed, superbly written and impeccably acted, this is a thoroughly enjoyable, thought-provoking and emotionally engaging drama that perfectly complements the previous two films.

It remains as engaging, illuminating, honest and funny as its predecessor; here's hoping we revisit Jesse and C?line in another decade or so.

Nine-year gaps between films would sink a studio franchise, but the unforgiving impact of time and the slipperiness of its mysterious mental record, memory, are the very subjects of 'Before Midnight.'

Contains more shrewd and candid insights than many Hollywood midlife crisis dramas.

A couple persistently digging at each other might have been insufferable to watch except that Hawke and Delpy manage to be goofy, funny, witty and charming, even while they're fighting.

A bit tarter than its predecessors, but not skimping on their woozy, chatty charm, this perfectly played, gently incisive film is a welcome new chapter in one of cinema's most beguiling ongoing romances.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/before_midnight_2013/

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Hong Kong says Snowden has left for third country

HONG KONG (AP) ? A former National Security Agency contractor wanted by the United States for revealing highly classified surveillance programs has been allowed to leave for a "third country" because a U.S. extradition request did not fully comply with Hong Kong law, the territory's government said Sunday.

Hong Kong's government did not identify the country. Snowden, who has been in hiding in Hong Kong for several weeks since he revealed information on the highly classified spy programs, has talked of seeking asylum in Iceland.

However, Russia's ITAR-Tass news agency cited an unidentified Aeroflot official as saying Snowden would fly from Moscow to Cuba on Monday and then on to Caracas, Venezuela. The WikiLeaks anti-secrecy group tweeted that Snowden was "over Russian air space" and later said in a statement he was bound for an unnamed "democratic nation via a safe route for the purpose of asylum."

The White House had no immediate comment about the departure, which came a day after the United States made a formal request for his extradition and gave a pointed warning to Hong Kong against delaying the process of returning him to face trial in the U.S.

The Department of Justice said only that it would "continue to discuss this matter with Hong Kong and pursue relevant law enforcement cooperation with other countries where Mr. Snowden may be attempting to travel."

The Hong Kong government said in a statement that Snowden left "on his own accord for a third country through a lawful and normal channel."

It acknowledged the U.S. extradition request, but said U.S. documentation did not "fully comply with the legal requirements under Hong Kong law." It said additional information was requested from Washington, but since the Hong Kong government "has yet to have sufficient information to process the request for provisional warrant of arrest, there is no legal basis to restrict Mr. Snowden from leaving Hong Kong."

The statement said Hong Kong had informed the U.S. of Snowden's departure. It added that it wanted more information about alleged hacking of computer systems in Hong Kong by U.S. government agencies which Snowden had revealed.

WikiLeaks said it was providing legal help to Snowden at his request and that he was being escorted by diplomats and legal advisors from the group. Its founder, Julian Assange, who has spent a year inside the Ecuadorean Embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden to face questioning about sex crime allegations, told the Sydney Morning Herald that his organization is in a position to help because it has expertise in international asylum and extradition law.

Snowden's departure eliminates a possible fight between Washington and Beijing at a time when China is trying to deflect U.S. accusations that it carries out extensive surveillance of American government and commercial operations. Hong Kong, a former British colony, has a high degree of autonomy and is granted rights and freedoms not seen on mainland China, but under the city's mini constitution Beijing is allowed to intervene in matters involving defense and diplomatic affairs.

Hong Kong has an extradition treaty with the U.S., but the document has some exceptions, including for crimes deemed political.

The Obama administration on Saturday warned Hong Kong against delaying Snowden's extradition, with White House national security adviser Tom Donilon saying in an interview with CBS News, "Hong Kong has been a historically good partner of the United States in law enforcement matters, and we expect them to comply with the treaty in this case."

Snowden's departure came as the South China Morning Post released new allegations from Snowden that U.S. hacking targets in China included the nation's cellphone companies and two universities hosting extensive Internet traffic hubs.

He told the newspaper that "the NSA does all kinds of things like hack Chinese cellphone companies to steal all of your SMS data." It added that Snowden said he had documents to support the hacking allegations, but the report did not identify the documents. It said he spoke to the newspaper in a June 12 interview.

With a population of more than 1.3 billion, China has massive cellphone companies. China Mobile is the world's largest mobile network carrier with 735 million subscribers, followed by China Unicom with 258 million users and China Telecom with 172 million users.

Snowden said Tsinghua University in Beijing and Chinese University in Hong Kong, home of some of the country's major Internet traffic hubs, were targets of extensive hacking by U.S. spies this year. He said the NSA was focusing on so-called "network backbones" in China, through which enormous amounts of Internet data passes.

The Chinese government has not commented on the extradition request and Snowden's departure, but its state-run media have used Snowden's allegations to poke back at Washington after the U.S. had spent the past several months pressuring China on its international spying operations.

A commentary published Sunday by the official Xinhua News Agency said Snowden's disclosures of U.S. spying activities in China have "put Washington in a really awkward situation."

"Washington should come clean about its record first. It owes ... an explanation to China and other countries it has allegedly spied on," it said. "It has to share with the world the range, extent and intent of its clandestine hacking programs."

____

Sylvia Hui in London and Lynn Berry in Moscow contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hong-kong-says-snowden-left-third-country-081745849.html

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Egypt Morsi Protests: Army Ready To Save Nation From 'Dark Tunnel,' Defense Minister Says

CAIRO ? Egypt's army chief warned on Sunday that the military is ready to intervene to stop the nation from entering a "dark tunnel" of internal conflict.

Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi spoke a week ahead of mass protests planned by opponents of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. There are fears the demonstrations calling for Morsi's ouster will descend into violence after some of the president's hard-line supporters vowed to "smash" them. Others declared protesters were infidels who deserve to be killed.

El-Sissi's comments were his first in public on the planned June 30 protests. Made to officers during a seminar, they reflected the military's frustration with the rule of Morsi, Egypt's first freely elected president who completes one year in office on June 30.

His comments, posted on the military's Facebook page, could add pressure on Morsi as he braces for the protests after he spent his first year in office struggling with a host of problems that he is widely perceived to have failed to effectively tackle, like surging crime, rising prices, fuel shortages, power cuts and unemployment.

El-Sissi also appeared to lower the threshold for what warrants intervention by the military. Earlier he cited collapse or near collapse of the state.

He said that while the military has recently stayed out the political fray and focused instead on its combat capabilities, its patriotic and moral responsibility toward Egyptians obliges it to intervene and stop Egypt from "slipping into a dark tunnel of conflict, internal fighting." He said sectarian violence and the collapse of state institutions would also justify intervention.

He urged all parties to use the week left before the June 30 protests to reach a "genuine" understanding to defuse the crisis. "We have a week during which a great deal can be achieved. This is a call that is only motivated by love of the nation, its presence and future."

"Those who think that we (the military) are oblivious to the dangers that threaten the Egyptian state are mistaken. We will not remain silent while the country slips into a conflict that will be hard to control," he said.

In a thinly veiled warning to Morsi's hard-line backers, el-Sissi said: "It is not honorable that we remain silent in the face of the terrorizing and scaring of our Egyptian compatriots. There is more honor in death than watching a single Egyptian harmed while his army is standing idly by."

El-Sissi also warned that the military will no longer tolerate any "insults" to the armed forces and its leaders, a reference to a series of comments by leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, of which Morsi hails, that were perceived by the military as insults.

The military took over power after President Hosni Mubarak's ouster in 2011. They remained at the helm for nearly 17 months before handing over to Morsi. In August, Morsi retired the military's top two generals, ending the de facto military rule of Egypt that dates back to a 1952 coup that toppled the monarchy.

Morsi appointed el-Sissi as military chief and defense minister, leading many to believe he would be beholden to the president. But el-Sissi, through a series of subtle but telling hints, has shown his displeasure over Morsi's policies.

Morsi's comrades in the Brotherhood have made it clear that they want the military to focus entirely on protecting the nation against outside threats, but el-Sissi has countered by making clear that maintaining the security and stability of the nation was part of the military's mandate.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/23/egypt-morsi-protests-army-ready-to-save-nation-dark-tunnel_n_3486903.html

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91% Gimme The Loot

All Critics (57) | Top Critics (23) | Fresh (52) | Rotten (5)

'Gimme the Loot' is ... meandering and a little shallow. And even at 79 minutes it feels a little too long for what's essentially the film equivalent of a short story.

A thousand-watt jolt of mischief, a spunky, funky, ebullient indie that packs its 81 minutes with cinematic exhilaration.

It may be a slight movie, but it has its sunny charms.

A movie about teenage taggers in the Bronx should be fast and raw, scruffy and loose, and Adam Leon's Gimme the Loot is just that.

As it lopes along, the movie offers a warm but very sharp portrait of New York's have-nots and their uneasy relationship with the haves.

"Gimme the Loot" shouldn't be as appealing and exuberant as it is, it really shouldn't.

First-time feature director Adam Leon's shots are precise and full of detail.

The film's strong suit is its use of locations.

The film is episodic and determinedly offbeat, funny at its best, boring at its worst.

Shot on the streets of New York in a loose, freeform style, this lively comedy-drama feels somewhat underdeveloped, leaving us doubtful about its realism.

It's a great deal of fun, emotionally touching, and even surprisingly old-fashioned.

Some of the movie doesn't exactly convince, and some of the scenes have an actors-improv feel to them, but there's always plenty of humour and energy.

Endlessly entertaining, refreshingly light-hearted and bursting with summer soul, Gimme The Loot joins the pantheon of great New York movies.

It's a shaggy dog story with a certain amount of charm but not nearly enough drama.

The movie is unpolished, and it matters not a jot, because Leon has written super roles for these kids and invests their relationship with such sly feeling.

Hickson walks the line between bravado and vulnerability, while Washington has a charisma, spark and beauty that should ensure this won't be the last we see of her.

Bolstered by a low-key but assured aesthetic and a soundtrack of vintage soul and doo-wop, the film is infectiously enjoyable, with frequently amusing insights and an affable shagginess.

Out of nowhere, Adam Leon might just have delivered the first great New York film of the decade.

Charming and engaging low-budget indie with a witty script, likeable characters, a strong sense of time and place and a pair of terrific performances from its two young leads.

Funny and freewheeling, it's a joy.

A slim, low-budget coming-of-age tale whose richness lies entirely in its interstices. A keenly observed work that celebrates the unfettered joys of youth, and rewards by reminding of the power of a simple tale told well.

Simultaneously real and hopeful, "Loot" has almost no plot, but when the setting is so fresh and the characters feel so raw and alive, who needs one?

Ghetto laughs with a sophisticated point of view.

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Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gimme_the_loot_2012/

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