Popular News From Popular Sites: June 2014

Monday, June 30, 2014

Syrian state media say mortar shells hit government-held city in north, killing 14 people

A barrage of mortar shells hit government-held areas of the northern city of Idlib on Monday, killing 14 people and wounding at least 40, Syrian state media said. Idlib is the provincial capital in northwestern Syria and it has been under the control of President Bashar Assad's troops since the beginning of the Syrian conflict in March 2011. Rebels trying to overthrow Assad's government control the areas around the city. State TV blamed "terrorists" for the attacks, a term the Syrian government uses for rebels trying to overthrow Assad's government. Read More http://ift.tt/1rPh8VH

As caliphate is declared, Iraqi troops battle for Tikrit

By Oliver Holmes and Isra'a al-Rubei'i BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi troops battled to dislodge an al Qaeda splinter group from the city of Tikrit on Monday after its leader was declared caliph of a new Islamic state in lands seized this month across a swath of Iraq and Syria. Underscoring rising tensions in the region, the United States said it had sent about 300 additional troops into Iraq along with a detachment of helicopters and drone aircraft. Alarming regional and world powers, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) claimed universal authority, declaring that its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was now caliph of the Muslim world, a mediaeval title last widely recognized in the Ottoman sultan deposed 90 years ago after World War One.

Clashes between Uganda army, CAR gunmen kill at least 17

Ugandan troops in Central African Republic (CAR) have killed at least 15 fighters from the mainly Muslim Seleka force, a group that has carved out fiefdoms in the country since leaving power earlier this year, local sources said on Monday. Ugandan troops, backed by U.S. Special Forces, have been in CAR hunting down Ugandan Lords Resistance Army rebels, who have made the lawless nation one of their rear bases during a decade of preying on populations across the central African region. "The Ugandans fired on our men by mistake after confusing them with the LRA," Eric Massi, a senior Seleka official in Bangui, told Reuters. "We are trying to calm things down." Bienfait Walibanga, a priest in the Saint Joseph parish in Zako, in CAR's remote east close to the border with Democratic Republic of Congo, confirmed clashes between the two sides there and at the nearby village of Kono on Sunday and Monday. Read More http://ift.tt/TxJmrX

Boeing delivers first 787-9 to Air New Zealand

By Alwyn Scott SEATTLE (Reuters) - Boeing Co contractually delivered its first 787-9 to Air New Zealand on Monday, allowing Boeing to book the delivery of the new, stretched Dreamliner in its second-quarter results. Delivery of the 787-9, the latest of Boeing's carbon-composite aircraft, marks a major milestone for Boeing, showing the company's ability to move rapidly and on schedule through design, fabrication and testing. Boeing has said for months that it would deliver the first 787-9 around mid-year, and it hit that date precisely on Monday. "Boeing is proud to have contractually delivered the first 787-9 Dreamliner to Air New Zealand," spokesman Doug Alder said.

Caleg Gagal Satu Ini Menjelma Menjadi Penipu Miliaran Rupiah

TRIBUNNEWS.COM - Imam Krisetyono (47) ini mengaku, nekat menipu lantaran uangnya telah habis hingga ratusan juta rupiah untuk mengikuti kampanye beberapa waktu lalu.

Officials clash over beach contamination warnings

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — A federal plan to lower thresholds for warning the public about contaminated beach water is drawing protests from state officials in the Great Lakes region and along the ocean coasts who say the revisions could unnecessarily scare away swimmers. Read More http://ift.tt/1x74558

2nd spent-fuel pad sought at Vermont Yankee plant

The energy company that owns the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant has asked for permission to build a second concrete pad on which to store spent-fuel casks after the plant closes at the end of the year. New ... Read More http://ift.tt/1qspNQp

Up to 88 percent of ocean surfaces sullied by plastic

As much as 88 percent of the open ocean's surface contains plastic debris, raising concern about the effect on marine life and the food chain, scientists said Monday.

Japan ruling parties agree to plan to drop ban on collective self-defense: lawmaker

Japan's ruling parties agreed on Tuesday to a government proposal to end a ban that has kept the military from fighting overseas since World War Two, a ruling party lawmaker told reporters, a major step away from post-war pacifism and a political victory for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The change, expected to be adopted in a cabinet resolution later in the day, will significantly widen Japan's military options by ending the ban on exercising "collective self-defense", or aiding a friendly country under attack. The change will likely rile an increasingly assertive China, whose ties with Japan have chilled due to a maritime row, mutual mistrust and the legacy of Japan's past military aggression, but will be welcomed by Tokyo's ally Washington, which has long urged Japan to become a more equal partner in the alliance.

Ukraine's Poroshenko ends ceasefire, renews operations against rebels

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said he would renew operations against pro-Russian rebels on Tuesday, a statement on his website said, hours after a ceasefire to make way for peace talks with the rebels had expired. The decision not to continue the ceasefire is our answer to terrorists, militants and marauders," he said. Kiev had accused the rebels of numerous violations of the ceasefire, and a statement tweeted by the Foreign Ministry said 27 Ukrainian servicemen had been killed since the ceasefire began on June 20.

Poroshenko ends Ukraine ceasefire, renews operations against rebels

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Tuesday government forces would renew offensive operations against pro-Russian rebels and "free our lands", hours after a ceasefire to make way for peace talks with the rebels had expired. Shortly after a four-way phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and German and French leaders, Poroshenko blamed the rebels for failing to keep to the truce or follow a peace plan he had outlined. "The unique chance to implement the peace plan was not realised. They publicly declared their unwillingness to support the peace plan as a whole, and in particular the ceasefire." Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said on Monday 27 Ukrainian servicemen had been killed since the ceasefire began on June 20.

Many Women Don't Need Yearly Pelvic Exams, Doctors' Group Says

A woman's yearly health visit often involves a pelvic exam — a procedure some find uncomfortable and embarrassing — but new recommendations say many women do not need to have this procedure routinely. The recommendations, from the American College of Physicians (ACP), say that women should not undergo annual pelvic exams unless they have symptoms of possible pelvic disease — such as abnormal bleeding, pain or urinary problems— or are pregnant. "Routine pelvic examination has not been shown to benefit asymptomatic, average risk, non-pregnant women," Dr. Linda Humphrey, a co-author of the guidelines, said in a statement. For healthy women with no symptoms, the procedure's harms outweigh its benefits, the ACP said. Read More http://ift.tt/1r8hMAm

Ukraine's Poroshenko ends ceasefire, renews operations against rebels

BRAZIL BEAT: Doodling through the World Cup

SAO PAULO (AP) — A bright blue letter G boots ball after ball through an O-shaped life preserver hanging from a palm tree in a makeshift version of a World Cup shootout. A red "e'' lounges on the sand, sipping a tropical beverage through a straw.

New 'Supercooling' Technique Helps Preserve Organs

A new technique could more than triple the amount of time livers can be stored before an organ transplant, a study in rats suggests. The new strategy involves "supercooling" organs, to below freezing temperatures, but without freezing them solid. More than 120,000 patients are waiting to receive a donor organ in the United States today, and one cause of this organ shortage lies in the limitations in how long organs can be preserved — using current techniques, human organs can be preserved for only about six to 12 hours before they decay and become unusable. However, the new supercooling technique could change that. Read More http://ift.tt/1m3Ax4c

Officials clash over beach contamination warnings

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Federal and state officials are clashing over standards for warning the public about water contamination at the nation's beaches. Read More http://ift.tt/1x74558

Up to 88 percent of ocean surfaces sullied by plastic

As much as 88 percent of the open ocean's surface contains plastic debris, raising concern about the effect on marine life and the food chain, scientists said Monday.

Evacuation plans stir fresh doubts over Japan nuclear restarts

By Kentaro Hamada ICHIKIKUSHIKINO Japan (Reuters) - Japanese authorities, keen to restart nuclear power plants three years after the Fukushima disaster, may face an additional hurdle in securing approval - coming up with a cogent evacuation plan in the event of new accidents. The problem has come into focus as procedures for the first proposed restart enter the home stretch in Ichikikushikino, a town five km (three miles) from Kyushu Electric Power Co's Sendai plant. The government, facing the first summer in 40 years without nuclear power, is fielding complaints from residents who say key points have been missed in planning for any mass evacuation. Local authorities approve restarts, but Ichikikushikino, as only a neighboring town, does not get any final say in the matter.

U.S. sends 300 more troops, drones, helicopters to Iraq

The United States is again ramping up its military presence in Iraq, sending around 300 additional troops into the country as well as a detachment of helicopters and drone aircraft, the Pentagon said on Monday. Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said about 200 forces arrived on Sunday in Iraq to reinforce security at the U.S. embassy, its support facilities and Baghdad International Airport.

Fracking study finds new gas wells leak more

$FILE - This July 27, 2011 file photo shows a farmhouse in the background framed by pipes connecting pumps where the hydraulic fracturing process in the Marcellus Shale layer to release natural gas was underway at a Range Resources site in Claysville, Pa. In Pennsylvania’s fracking boom, new and more unconventional wells leaked far more than older and traditional wells, according to a study of inspections of more than 41,000 wells drilled. And that means that that methane leaks could be a problem for drilling across the nation, said the author of the study, which funded in part by environmental activist groups and criticized by the energy industry. The study was published Monday by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)$ WASHINGTON (AP) — In Pennsylvania's gas drilling boom, newer and unconventional wells leak far more often than older and traditional ones, according to a study of state inspection reports for 41,000 wells.

China's Xi heads to Seoul with North Korea on his mind

By Jack Kim SEOUL (Reuters) - The president of China, North Korea's only major ally, visits South Korea this week where the leaders of the two countries are expected to call on Pyongyang to end its pursuit of nuclear weapons, although Beijing will make sure it is not seen as taking sides. In a visit certain to be watched carefully in Pyongyang, President Xi Jinping will be holding talks with South Korean President Park Geun-hye for the fifth time in a year, without yet meeting the North's leader, Kim Jong Un. North Korea's nuclear and missile program, and its plans to hold a fourth nuclear test, will dominate the agenda, officials in Seoul said.

Massive Baby Boom in America 1,500 Years Ago 'a Warning Sign of Overpopulation'

A massive baby boom in North America 1,500 years ago should serve as a warning to modern man about the dangers of overpopulation, researchers have said. Scientists have discovered there was a massive growth in population among Native Americans between 500 and 1300 AD. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the scientists found that the boom came at a time when early signs of civilisation led to an increase in birth rates that "exceeded the highest in the world today". Researcher Tim Kohler, from Washington State University, said: "We can learn lessons from these people." Read More http://ift.tt/1r7ZsqO

Feds arrest 10 in New Hampshire marijuana trafficking bust

By Ted Siefer CONCORD N.H. (Reuters) - Federal prosecutors said on Monday they had arrested 10 men they contended were running a New Hampshire drug ring, and added they were looking for four others suspected of trafficking in marijuana and other drugs. Prosecutors said the move signaled in part they would aggressively combat sales of marijuana, even as a growing number of U.S. states and cities move to decriminalize possession of small amounts of the drug in some circumstances. "It's important for the public to understand that we will go after all organized drug distribution rings, regardless of the drug," First Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Feith told reporters. He said the group also dealt cocaine and the club drug MDMA, known colloquially as "Molly." New Hampshire is one of more than 20 U.S. states to have legalized marijuana for medical purposes, although it remains illegal for those who do not a doctor's prescription. Read More http://ift.tt/1m3tetz

Chris Hadfield, Guy Gavriel Kay, Rick Mercer to get Order of Canada

The latest appointments to the Order of Canada span the gamut from space exploration to fantasy literature and humour to gardening. Read More http://ift.tt/1m3tbOg

Tropical Storm Elida forms off Mexican coast

MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Elida formed Monday off the southwestern coast of Mexico, generating dangerous ocean surf and heavy rains. Read More http://ift.tt/1r7SFO0

Toronto Mayor Ford exits rehab, says was in 'complete denial'

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford said on Monday he had been in "complete denial" about his drinking and drug use and staff at the rehabilitation clinic where he spent two months had saved his life by helping him confront his personal demons. Ford made comments as he returned to city hall and rejoined a re-election campaign. Like a lot of people dealing with substance abuse, I was in complete denial.

Tropical storm Elida forms off Mexico's Pacific coast

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Tropical storm Elida formed on Monday, heading for Mexico's Pacific coast and threatening strong winds and rain across the country's western states, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. Tropical storm Douglas, meanwhile, slowly moved away from Mexico's Pacific coastline. Elida was about 120 miles (193 km) south of the major port of Manzanillo, the NHC said, with maximum winds of 50 miles per hour (80 kmh). The storm was moving northwest at 12 mph (19 kmh), the NHC added. ... Read More http://ift.tt/1iOm5hJ

Challenge to Mauritania president's election win rejected

Authorities in Mauritania have rejected a challenge to President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz's victory in this month's election, giving him another five years in power. Biram Ould Dah Ould Abeid, an anti-slavery campaigner who came second in the June 21 vote, last week lodged a complaint against Abdel Aziz's victory, in which he won 82 percent of the vote. Ould Abeid, who won nine percent of the vote, told Reuters on Monday that he would decide later what action to take but be did not for now plan to call for street protests. Abdel Aziz came to power in a 2008 military coup and then quit the army to run for election as president a year later.

Spanish activists remove part of fake reef from Gibraltan waters

Spanish activists on Monday removed part of a controversial artificial reef which was built in disputed waters near Gibraltar despite objections from Madrid.

GM adds 8.23 million cars to ignition-switch recall

By Bernie Woodall and Paul Lienert DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Co on Monday widened the list of older models it is recalling for potentially deadly ignition switches, adding 8.23 million compact and midsize cars that it has linked to seven crashes and three fatalities. GM this year has recalled 29 million vehicles, more than half of them - roughly 14.7 million - because of potentially defective ignition switches. GM last year sold 2.8 million vehicles in the United States and 9.7 million globally. Earlier on Monday, GM provided details of a compensation fund set up to provide at least $1 million to victims of crashes tied to defective switches in older compact cars, including the Chevrolet Cobalt and Saturn Ion.

Obama to use executive actions to advance immigration reform

By Jeff Mason and Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will announce on Monday his intention to take executive action to address the "broken" U.S. immigration system after hopes of passing a broad reform bill in Congress officially died. Republican John Boehner, speaker of the House of Representatives, informed Obama last week that the House would not vote on immigration reform this year, a White House official said, killing chances that a wide-ranging bill passed by the Senate would become law.

Suarez apologizes for biting opponent at World Cup, vows never to do it again

After a few days of reflection, Luis Suarez acknowledged what millions saw on TV — he did bite an opponent during a game at the World Cup. Ending a unified protest in Uruguay by everyone from Suarez to teammates, fans and even the country's president that the star striker had done nothing wrong, the Liverpool player on Monday offered an apology to Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini. "I apologize to Giorgio Chiellini and the entire football family. The Uruguay striker was banned for four months from all football by FIFA for biting the shoulder of Chiellini during the team's 1-0 win over Italy in their group-stage game in Brazil.

Study: Tons of plastic debris float on the world's oceans, but less than expected

Such ocean pollution has drawn attention in recent years because of its potential harm to fish and other wildlife. Researchers estimated the total amount of floating plastic debris in open ocean at 7,000 to 35,000 tons. Andres Cozar of the University of Cadiz in Spain, an author of the study, said that's a lot less than the 1 million tons he had extrapolated from data reaching back to the 1970s. Some floating pieces start out small, like the microbeads found in some toothpastes and cosmetics or industrial pellets used to make plastic products.

Vatican calls Israeli teenagers deaths hideous, threat to peace

The Vatican on Monday condemned the killing of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank as a "hideous and unacceptable crime" and a obstacle to peace. In an usually strong statement, the Vatican spokesman said Pope Francis, who visited Israel and the Palestinian territories in April, was united with the families of the victims who were suffering "unspeakable pain". "The killing of innocent people is always a hideous and unacceptable crime, a grave obstacle on the path towards peace ...," Father Federico Lombardi said, calling the news of the deaths "terrible and dramatic". The three missing teenagers were found in the occupied West Bank by Israeli forces after a nearly three-week-long search and a sweep against the Islamist Hamas group that Israel says abducted them. Read More http://ift.tt/1k7oyys

Challenge to Mauritania president's election win rejected

Ocean Garbage Patch Is Mysteriously Disappearing

Exactly what is happening to this ocean debris is a mystery, though the researchers hypothesize that the trash could be breaking down into tiny, undetectable pieces. "The deep ocean is a great unknown," study co-author Andrés Cózar, an ecologist at the University of Cadiz in Spain, said in an email. Ocean currents, acting as giant conveyer belts, then carry the plastic into several subtropical regions, such as the infamous Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch. In the 1970s, the National Academy of Sciences estimated that about 45,000 tons of plastic reaches the oceans every year. Read More http://ift.tt/1m3hxTG

Ocean Garbage Patch Is Mysteriously Disappearing

U.N. peacekeeper killed, six others injured in Mali blast

At least one United Nations peacekeeper was killed and six others injured in Mali on Monday when their vehicle struck a land mine in the north of the country, a U.N. spokesman said. Three of the peacekeepers, all from Burkina Faso, were seriously hurt in the blast, the latest in a serious of incidents underscoring insecurity in northern Mali despite the French and U.N. troops who deployed to drive out al Qaeda-linked Islamists last year. "A vehicle from the Burkinabe contingent hit a mine, injuring seven soldiers, four of them seriously," Olivier Salgado told Reuters. The explosion comes as Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore, a key figure in regional politics, visited Mali on Monday in a bid to revive dialogue with rebels still occupying positions in Mali's desert north. Read More http://ift.tt/1x6wTuk

Yosemite National Park Celebrates 150 Years of Splendor

The Yosemite Grant Act set aside Yosemite Valley's amazing cliffs and rushing waterfalls, and the Mariposa Grove's towering sequoias, for public use and recreation "for all time." The preservation of Yosemite Valley cleared the way for the national park movement in the United States, according to the National Park Service. The Yosemite high country became the country's third national park in 1890. More than 3 million people visit Yosemite National Park annually, according to the National Park Service.

Native Americans Had a Precolonial Baby Boom

For hundreds of years, Native Americans in the southwestern United States had a prolonged baby boom — which would average out to each woman giving birth to more than six children, a new study finds. "Birthrates were as high, or even higher, than anything we know in the world today," said study co-author Tim Kohler, an archaeologist and anthropologist at Washington State University. The researchers analyzed thousands of skeletal remains from hundreds of sites across the Four Corners region of the Southwest (the area that now makes up Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado) dating from 900 B.C. until the beginning of the colonial period in the early 1500s. The birthrate, about 0.049 in a year, was akin to that in modern-day Niger, where every woman has, on average, 6.89 children.

Why That Bass Beat Moves Us

"Music in diverse cultures is composed this way, from classical East Indian music to Gamelan music of Java and Bali, suggesting an innate origin,"said study co-author Laurel Trainor, director of the McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind and a neuroscientist at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada. To find out why lower tones might dominate rhythms in music, Trainor and her colleagues had 35 volunteers listen to two simultaneous streams of computer-synthesized piano tones, each of a different pitch. Read More http://ift.tt/1lsURaR

Distant comet 'sweats' two glasses of water per second

Unprecedented measurement of a deep-space comet has found the icy body to be losing about two small glasses of water every second, the European Space Agency (ESA) said on Monday.

New to Google Earth: Ancient Flying Reptiles

Want to find the nearest pterosaur? A newly developed website catalogs more than 1,300 specimens of extinct flying reptiles called pterosaurs, thus enabling users to map out the ancient creatures on Google Earth. "Having a very specific database like this, which is just for looking at individual fossil specimens of pterosaurs, is very helpful, because you can ask questions that you couldn't have answered with bigger databases [of more animals]," said Matthew McLain, a doctoral candidate in paleontology at Loma Linda University in California and one of the three developers of the site. McLain and his colleagues call their database PteroTerra.

Abu Ghraib torture lawsuit revived by U.S. appeals court

A federal appeals court has revived a lawsuit against CACI International Inc by four former Iraqi detainees who claimed the U.S. defense contractor's employees directed their torture at the Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, said the claims had sufficient ties to the United States to be heard in U.S. courts. Writing for a unanimous three-judge 4th Circuit panel, Circuit Judge Barbara Milano Keenan also said Congress has a "distinct interest" in not turning the United States into a "safe harbor" for torturers. The lawsuit accused CACI employees who conducted interrogation and other services at Abu Ghraib of directing or encouraging torture, in part to "soften up" detainees for questioning, while managers were accused of covering it up.

Two killed in gunbattle in Palestinian district of Beirut

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Two Palestinians were shot dead and seven people wounded in a gunfight in southern Beirut on Monday on the edge of the Palestinian refugee camp of Shatila, security sources said. It was not immediately clear what caused the confrontation in the Lebanese capital, which has been tense after three explosions shook the country last week, two in Beirut and one in the Bekaa Valley on the road towards Syria. ... Read More http://ift.tt/1oiy7yX

Distant comet 'sweats' two glasses of water per second

Unprecedented measurement of a deep-space comet has found the icy body to be losing about two small glasses of water every second, the European Space Agency (ESA) said on Monday.

New to Google Earth: Ancient Flying Reptiles

New Jersey’s Action Park, once known as the ‘world’s most dangerous’ theme park, reopens

Popular New Jersey destination Action Park was dubbed both "Traction Park" and "Class Action Park" before it closed its doors 1996. At one point in its terrifying history, there were 110 reported injuries in a single season at the 35-acre … Continue reading →

U.S. asks North Korea to release two U.S. citizens said to be tried

The U.S. State Department, citing "humanitarian concern," asked North Korea on Monday to release two Americans who North Korean official media said would be put on trial for committing crimes against the state. North Korea's official KCNA news agency, referring to the two imprisoned men, Jeffrey Fowle and Matthew Miller, said "their hostile acts were confirmed by evidence and their own testimonies." Asked about the report, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters, "Out of humanitarian concern for Mr. Fowle and Mr. Miller and their families, we request North Korea release them so they may return home." (Reporting By Arshad Mohammed;

Broccoli Brew Eases Air Pollution Effect, But Is This Detox?

Scientists have concocted a brew made with broccoli sprouts that may help protect against the toxic effects of air pollution. Read More http://ift.tt/1z1mMZS

Syria fighters hail declaration of Islamic 'caliphate'

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Militant Islamist fighters held a parade in Syria's northern Raqqa province to celebrate their declaration of an Islamic "caliphate" after the group captured territory in neighboring Iraq, a monitoring service said. The Islamic State, an al Qaeda offshoot previously known as Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), posted pictures online on Sunday of people waving black flags from cars and holding guns in the air, the SITE monitoring service said. ...

Broccoli Brew Eases Air Pollution Effect, But Is This Detox?

Scientists have concocted a brew made with broccoli sprouts that may help protect against the toxic effects of air pollution. Read More http://ift.tt/1z1mMZS

Jelang sidang tuntutan, Andi Mallarangeng bagikan dua buku

MERDEKA.COM. Pengadilan Tindak Pidana Korupsi Jakarta, hari ini bakal menggelar sidang lanjutan terhadap terdakwa Andi Alifian Mallarangeng. Mantan Menteri Pemuda dan Olahraga itu bakal mendengarkan pembacaan tuntutan dari jaksa penuntut umum pada Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi.Sebelum sidang, adik Andi, Rizal Mallarangeng beserta beberapa kerabat membagikan dua buah buku. Mereka nampaknya sengaja mempersiapkan buku itu. ...

North Korea launches two missiles, defies UN ban

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into seas east off its coast on Sunday, South Korea's military said, defying a U.N. ban on the isolated country testing such weapons. The launch came days before Chinese President Xi Jinping's scheduled state visit to South Korea. North Korea is also due hold talks with Japan this week to work out the details of Pyongyang's plan to reinvestigate the fate of Japanese citizens kidnapped by the reclusive state decades ago.[ID:nL4N0P6287] The missiles, which appeared to be Scud class, were launched from an area on the east coast of the peninsula and flew about 500 km (310 miles) before crashing harmlessly into the water, an official for the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The test firings on Sunday came three days after the North launched three short-range projectiles into the waters off its east coast, which flew about 190 km (120 miles) and landed in the sea. Read More http://ift.tt/1lF6DDV

Using iPads Could Help Older Adults' Thinking Abilities

For older adults, learning to use a tablet computer could improve their memory, and help them complete tasks faster, a new study suggests. Read More http://ift.tt/1z1l5eM

Thailand's military begins overhaul of electoral system

By Amy Sawitta Lefevre BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's military government said on Monday it had begun an overhaul of the electoral system following an announcement by junta leader General Prayuth Chan-ocha that polls could take place by late 2015. The military took power on May 22 in a bloodless coup following six months of street demonstrations that contributed to the ousting of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Permanent secretary for defense Surasak Kanchanarat said political party reform, decentralization of power and "investigations and penalties for those groups that commit electoral fraud" were top on the military's agenda. The junta, formally known as the National Council for Peace and Order, has scrapped the constitution and its leader, General Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Friday that a new, temporary charter would be ready in July.

Engineered Probiotics Prevent Obesity in Mice

Weight gain can be prevented with engineered probiotics, even when paired with a high-fat diet, at least in mice, a new study shows. Read More http://ift.tt/1k4DzkI

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Shire gets $248 million tax refund from Canada, more to come

LONDON (Reuters) - Shire, which is being pursued by U.S. drugmaker AbbVie in a $46 billion takeover attempt, said on Monday it had received a $248 million cash refund from the Canadian revenue authorities. Shire expects a further $162 million in late 2014. As a result, the group has recorded a net credit to income taxes amounting to $216 million, which will be excluded from non GAAP income and will not impact Shire’s core effective tax rate in 2014. The money will be used to repay debt. (Reporting by Ben Hirschler; editing by James Davey) Read More http://ift.tt/1qpWCNS

Modi pitches India's frugal space prowess at rocket launch

Newly elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a pitch for India to be the world's low-cost space technology supplier, minutes after witnessing the launch of a rocket carrying five satellites from France, Singapore, Germany and Canada on Monday. The launch of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle bolsters India's goal of capturing more of the $304 billion annual global space market, and Modi seized the moment with an uplifting speech about India's prowess in cheap space technology. "This fills every Indian's heart with pride and I can see it reflected in the joy and satisfaction on your faces," said Modi, from the launch site of India's southeastern coast. "Truly this is a global endorsement of India's space capability," he said, adding that India's current Mars mission cost less than the budget of the Hollywood science fiction film Gravity.

Modi pitches India's frugal space prowess at rocket launch

Lamprell sees full-year earnings ahead of forecasts

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil rig maker Lamprell said it expected its full-year earnings to be ahead of expectations, although it noted this would be heavily weighted towards the first half of the year. "The group has seen strong operational and financial performance since the start of 2014 with the delivery of four major projects in the first half," it said, adding that its bid pipeline remained strong. (Reporting by Kate Holton; Editing by Karolin Schaps) Read More http://ift.tt/1q81khA

Premier Oil sells UK North Sea stakes to Hungary's MOL

LONDON (Reuters) - Independent oil producer Premier Oil has sold a package of six licences in the North Sea to Hungarian energy company MOL for $130 million, the company said on Monday. The deal, which has an effective date of Jan. 1, 2014, includes Premier Oil's interests in the Scott, Telford and Rochelle fields which have produced around 3,700 barrels of oil equivalent per day for Premier Oil. "This sale will allow our team in the UK North Sea to focus principally on our operated Solan and Catcher developments," said newly appointed chief executive Tony Durrant. ... Read More http://ift.tt/1q7Zk9h

Jumlah pecandu tinggi, BNN Papua minta tempat rehabilitasi

MERDEKA.COM. Kepala Badan Narkotika Nasional (BNN) Provinsi Papua Kombes Pol Antonius Kandarmanta mengatakan Papua sangat membutuhkan tempat rehabilitasi untuk para pecandu narkoba yang jumlahnya cukup banyak di daerah itu."Di Papua belum ada panti rehabilitasi pecandu narkoba sampai saat ini," katanya saat dihubungi melalui telepon seluler di Jayapura, seperti dikutip dari Antara, Senin (30/6).Menurut dia, tempat rehabilitasi untuk para pecandu narkoba di wilayah itu sudah sangat diperlukan mengingat penggunanya telah mencapai 16.000-an orang."Data yang kami miliki adalah sebanyak 16. ...

Russian news cameraman killed in eastern Ukraine

A cameraman for Russia's state-owned Channel One television channel was killed overnight in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, the channel said on Monday, the third Russian journalist to die in the conflict. The channel said on its website Anatoly Klyan, 68, was shot in the stomach after his film crew came under fire when they went to film near a pro-Kiev military unit in the region. Russia has protested against the killings of its journalists, calling on Kiev to stop operations in Donetsk and the region of Luhansk, where separatists have seized state buildings and weapons arsenals. Sporadic violence has continued in eastern Ukraine despite a ceasefire declared by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on June 20 to allow for peace talks with the rebels. Read More http://ift.tt/1lr3wLd

On eve of court ruling, Americans oppose contraceptive ban: Reuters/Ipsos poll

By Joan Biskupic WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A majority of Americans oppose letting employers, based on their religious views, exclude certain contraceptives from workers’ insurance coverage, says a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll ahead of a U.S. Supreme Court decision expected on Monday. In one of the most closely watched cases of the year, the nine-member court will weigh whether for-profit corporations may raise religious objections to a mandate in President Barack Obama's signature 2010 healthcare law that their insurance cover contraceptives. It brings to the forefront thorny questions of religious freedom and reproductive rights, along with enduring politicking over the law known as Obamacare, itself broadly upheld by the Supreme Court in 2012. The poll asked whether employers should be able to choose what forms of contraceptives their health plans provide based on their religious beliefs.

China supreme court appoints top environmental judge

China's supreme court has appointed a senior judge to handle environmental cases as the environmentally challenged country bids to get tough on polluters and improve the way its laws are enforced, an official newspaper said on Monday. China Environmental News, published by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, said Deng Xuelin had been appointed as the presiding judge of the Environmental and Resources Tribunal of the Supreme People's Court. Beijing, hit by a series of pollution scares and scandals, has vowed to reverse some of the damage done by three decades of untrammeled economic growth, but it has traditionally struggled to impose its will on big industrial enterprises and the local governments that protect them. The report said the new state tribunal would give "unified guidance and coordination" to the 134 specialist environmental courts that have been set up by local governments, noting that the procedures used to handle such cases was "very informal". Read More http://ift.tt/1mxWMeG

Russian news cameraman killed in eastern Ukraine

Polres Banyumas tangkap komplotan pencuri ATM

MERDEKA.COM. Komplotan pencuri mesin anjungan tunai mandiri (ATM) dan brankas yang dilakukan di dua tempat di Purwokerto Jawa Tengah, ditangkap petugas Kepolisian Resor (Polres) Banyumas. Selain itu, petugas menyita sejumlah barang bukti berupa balok kayu, linggis, obeng, tang, mesin ATM dan brankas.Komplotan tersebut ditangkap petugas di sejumlah tempat. Kepala Polres Banyumas, Ajun Komisaris Besar Dwiyono, mengungkapkan pengungkapan kasus ini berawal dari penangkapan salah seorang tersangka berinisial TW di kompleks Pasar Wage Purwokerto pada Kamis (19/6). ...

Cinta tak direstui, Febri bawa lari pacarnya yang masih SMP

MERDEKA.COM. Seorang siswi kelas dua SMP sebut saja kembang (14) dibawa kabur oleh warga asal Nganjuk bernama Febri Eka Pratama (20). Orangtua korban yang khawatir anaknya tak kunjung pulang selama dua hari, melaporkan kejadian ini ke Polrestabes Surabaya. Menurut Kanit PPA Polrestabes Surabaya Kompol Suratmi, dari laporan tersebut akhirnya Febri ditangkap."Petugas langsung bergerak dan mendapati anak tersebut berada dirumah pelaku bernama Febri yang tidak lain adalah pacarnya," ujar Suratmi kepada merdeka.com, Senin (30/6). ...

Following long ban, U.S. could dominate global light oil supply

By Edward McAllister NEW YORK (Reuters) - After decades of isolation, the United States is set to become a major player in the global trade of ultra light oil as recent government export approvals attract interest across the world. Following rulings disclosed this week, U.S. companies can now export the light, gaseous petroleum known as condensate after a forty-year ban, giving them access to needy markets in Latin America and Asia and potentially threatening the dominance of other established producers in the Middle East and Africa. Companies are ready to ship condensate from some of the United States' massive oil and gas fields within weeks. "It could have an enormous impact," said Al Troner a condensate expert and president of Asia Pacific Energy Consulting.

After Iraq gains, Qaeda offshoot claims Islamic "caliphate"

By Sylvia Westall BEIRUT (Reuters) - An offshoot of al Qaeda which has seized territory in Iraq and Syria has declared itself an Islamic "caliphate" and called on factions worldwide to pledge their allegiance, a statement posted on Islamist websites and Twitter said on Sunday. The move poses a direct challenge to the central leadership of al Qaeda, which has disowned it, and to conservative Gulf Arab rulers who already view the group as a security threat. The group, previously known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and also known as ISIS, has renamed itself "Islamic State" and proclaimed its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as "Caliph" - the head of the state, the statement said. Read More http://ift.tt/1nVHhyt

Kasus suap migas, pesaing perusahaan Artha Meris diperiksa

MERDEKA.COM. Penyidik pada Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi terus mengembangkan penyidikan kasus dugaan suap dari Komisaris Grup Parna Raya, AMS (Artha Meris Simbolon), kepada mantan Kepala Satuan Kerja Khusus Pelaksana Kegiatan Usaha Hulu Minyak dan Gas Bumi, Rudi Rubiandini. Hari ini, lembaga penegak hukum itu menjadwalkan pemeriksaan seorang saksi dari pihak pesaing perseroan milik AMS.Saksi itu adalah Budi Gunawan. Dia merupakan Finance (Keuangan) PT Kaltim Pacific Amonia. Perusahaan itu merupakan saingan perseroan Meris, PT Kaltim Parna Indsutri. ...

Ohio man dies while hiking out of Grand Canyon

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. (AP) — Officials say an Ohio man has died as he hiked out of the Grand Canyon after a commercial river trip. Read More http://ift.tt/1iLkM33

Shell restarting unit at Scotford, Alberta facility

(Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell Plc reported it was restarting a unit at its Scotford facility near Edmonton, Alberta, according to a message recorded on a community information telephone line on Sunday. The activity could result in intermittent flaring over the next 24 hours, the message said. Shell runs a 255,000-barrels-per-day oil sands upgrader facility and a 100,000-bpd refinery at Scotford. (Reporting by Anupam Chatterjee in Bangalore)

China sentences 113 on terror crimes in Xinjiang

Courts in China's western Xinjiang region have sentenced 113 people to jail terms ranging from 10 years to life for terrorist activities and other crimes, the Xinjiang government said, the latest in a slew of prosecutions targeting militant separatism. The sentences come after Beijing has vowed to crack down on religious extremists and separatist groups, which it blames for a series of violent attacks in Xinjiang, the traditional home of the Muslim Uighurs, and elsewhere. Exiled Uighur groups and human rights activists say the government's repressive policies in Xinjiang, including controls on Islam, have provoked unrest, a claim Beijing denies. Xinjiang, resource-rich and strategically located on the borders of central Asia, is crucial to China's growing energy needs. Read More http://ift.tt/1q7moop

Japan says North Korea missile launch violates U.N. resolution

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's top government spokesman said on Monday North Korea's missile launch the previous day violated a United Nations resolution and that Tokyo would respond in cooperation with other nations, such as the United States and South Korea. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga also told a news conference Japan and North Korea would hold talks in Beijing from Tuesday as scheduled. North Korea agreed last month to reopen an investigation into the fate of Japanese citizens it kidnapped decades ago. ...

Darurat, Papua butuh tempat rehabilitasi narkoba

MERDEKA.COM. Kepala Badan Narkotika Nasional (BNN) Provinsi Papua Kombes Pol Antonius Kandarmanta, mengatakan Papua sangat membutuhkan tempat rehabilitasi untuk para pecandu narkoba yang jumlahnya cukup banyak di daerah itu."Di Papua belum ada panti rehabilitasi pecandu narkoba sampai saat ini," katanya di Jayapura, Senin (30/6).Seperti diberitakan Antara, menurut dia tempat rehabilitasi untuk para pecandu narkoba di wilayah itu sudah sangat diperlukan mengingat penggunanya telah mencapai 16.000-an orang."Data yang kami miliki adalah sebanyak 16. ...

U.S. soldier suspected of murder in Panama likely to face military justice

A U.S. soldier suspected of murdering a Panamanian woman will "most likely" face charges in a military court in the United States, a U.S. military spokesman said on Sunday. Master Sergeant Omar Velez is being held in pretrial confinement at the U.S. Army's Fort Bragg in North Carolina, but formal charges have not been filed against him, said Colonel William Bigelow, a spokesman for U.S. Southern Command. Velez was conducting trainings in Panama as part of the U.S. Army Security Assistance Training Management Organization, a unit generally associated with foreign sales of military equipment, Bigelow said by telephone. Panama's attorney general's office has not commented on the case. Read More http://ift.tt/1vlVrg9

Half Japanese voters oppose Abe's security shift

Half of Japanese voters oppose dropping a ban that has kept the military from fighting abroad since World War Two, a survey showed on Monday, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe readied a landmark shift in security policy that would ease the constraints of the pacifist constitution on the armed forces. A man set himself on fire at a busy Tokyo intersection on Sunday in an apparent protest against the policy change, police and witnesses said, a rare form of protest in Japan. The change will significantly widen Japan's military options by ending the ban on exercising "collective self-defense" or aiding a friendly country under attack. The change is likely to anger China, whose ties with Japan have chilled markedly due to a territorial row, mutual mistrust and the legacy of Japan's past military aggression.

Iraqi army presses Tikrit assault as lawmakers scramble to fill posts

By Ahmed Rasheed and Alexander Dziadosz BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's army sent tanks and armored vehicles to try to dislodge insurgents from the northern city of Tikrit on Sunday, the second day of a pushback against a Sunni militant takeover of large stretches of Iraq. The hardline Sunni group leading the insurgency, until Sunday known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), declared itself a "caliphate" on Sunday and called on factions worldwide to pledge their allegiance - a move analysts saw as a direct challenge to al Qaeda, which disowned ISIL in February, and to Gulf Arab rulers. In Baghdad, which is threatened by the rebel advance, top Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish lawmakers scrambled to agree cabinet nominations before parliament meets on Tuesday to try to prevent the rebel advance jeopardizing Iraq's future as a unitary state. They are racing against time as ISIL, which loathes Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Shi'ite-led government, consolidates its grip on the north and west.

China official cancels events in Taiwan amid violent protests

By Faith Hung TAIPEI (Reuters) - China's top official in charge of relations with Taiwan has returned to Beijing, hailing his visit to the self-ruled island as "historic", despite violent protests that forced him to cancel several meetings. The visit by Zhang Zhijun, director of China's Taiwan Affairs Office, marked the first such trip by such a senior mainland official in 65 years since the Nationalists fled after losing a civil war to China's Communists in 1949. Throughout his four-day tour of the island, Zhang was greeted by protesters, including at the high-speed train station in the pro-independence southern port of Kaohsiung on Friday. There hundreds of demonstrators gathered, some waving placards reading "Communist Zhang Zhijun, get the hell back to China".

Daimler and Nissan to invest $1.36 billion to build premium small cars

By Edward Taylor and Laurence Frost FRANKFURT/PARIS (Reuters) - Daimler AG and Nissan Motor Co are jointly investing $1.36 billion to develop premium small cars and build a factory in Mexico, the companies said on Friday, in a step that deepens cooperation between the Mercedes-Benz and Infiniti brands. The companies said they will build a plant with an annual production capacity of 300,000 vehicles in Aguascalientes in central Mexico, where Nissan already has a $2 billion (1.18 billion pounds) manufacturing complex. The first Infiniti cars will roll out of the new plant in 2017, followed a year later by Mercedes, the companies said, with both brands planning to market those vehicles globally.

Sewage at the beaches, piles of garbage mar Gaza's summer

By Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA (Reuters) - When Palestinians in the Gaza Strip seek some relief from the grind of life in an enclave plagued by conflict and hardship, they usually need to look no further than their sandy beaches. The blighted shoreline adds to the grind of Gazan life so far unrelieved by the reconciliation pact which the dominant Islamist group Hamas signed with Western-backed President Mahmoud Abbas. One Hamas official mooted retaking charge of the territory if the Abbas-led new government did not wade in with remedies. Baha al-Agha of the Gaza Environment Quality Authority said about 100,000 cubic metres of untreated waste water are being pumped into the sea daily.

North Korea says to try two detained U.S. citizens

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Monday that it would put on trial two detained American tourists for crimes against the state. "Their hostile acts were confirmed by evidence and their own testimonies," said the official KCNA news agency, referring to U.S. citizens Jeffrey Fowle and Matthew Miller who are being held by the isolated country. Another U.S. national Kenneth Bae, a Christian missionary who had been arrested in November 2012, was convicted and sentenced to 15 years hard labor last year. (Reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by James Pearson)