The spring iOS and OS X developer and designer conference season is in full swing and this year more the schedule looks jam packed.
NSConf has already wrapped up in Leicester, England, where it sounds like a good time was had by all. Run by Steve Scott, and with presenters like Evan Doll, Michael Jurewitz, Craig Hockenberry, Daniel Jalkut, Daniel Pasco, Manton Reece, Rob Rhyne, and Emily Loop, that was never in any doubt. Hopefully the sessions will be available soon.
If you missed it though, there are several more coming our way soon.
?ll - April 12-18, Dublin, Ireland - is run by Paul Campbell of Hypertiny abd Dermot Daly of Tapadoo. This year's slate of speakers includes Lex Friedman, Don Melton, Jennifer Brook, Matthew Panzarino, Jaimee Newberry, Matt Gemmel, and panels with Dave Wiskus, Neven Mrgan and Jim Dalrymple.
NSNorth - April 19-21, Ottawa, Canada - is being held by Dan Byers and Philippe Casgrain. Speakers lined up include Guy English, Luc Vandal, Sam Vermette, Rob Rhyne, Gus Mueller, Caroline Sauve, and more.
One more thing - May 24, Melbourne, Australia - is put on by Anthony Agius and Lauren Watson of MacTalk. Speakers include Lex Friedman, Jaimee Newberry, Dave Wiskus, Louise Duncan, and many more.
And, of course, Apple should be capping it all off in June with WWDC 2013...
All of the events have lots of valuable information to share and many of them still have tickets available. So, head on over and grab yours now.
(If I missed listing your event let me know ASAP and I'll add it in.)
BEIRUT (AP) ? Syrian rebels pushed into a strategic neighborhood in the northern city of Aleppo after days of heavy clashes, seizing control of at least part of the hilltop district and killing a pro-government cleric captured in the fighting, activists and state media said Saturday.
There were conflicting reports about the scale of the advance into the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood by rebel forces battling to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad. But the gains marked the biggest shift in the front lines in the embattled city in months.
Aleppo, Syria's largest city and a former commercial hub, has been a key battleground in the country's civil war since rebels launched an offensive there in July, seizing several districts before the fighting largely settled into a bloody stalemate.
The Aleppo Media Center opposition group and Aleppo-based activist Mohammed Saeed said rebels seized full control of Sheikh Maqsoud late Friday.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, however, said rebels took only the eastern part of the neighborhood, and reported heavy fighting there Saturday.
Syria's state news agency SANA said government troops "eliminated scores of terrorists" in other parts of Aleppo mainly in the neighborhoods of Sheikh Said, Masaken Hanano and Bustan al-Bacha. SANA did not mention the fighting in Sheikh Maqsoud.
Sheikh Maqsoud, which is predominantly inhabited by minority Kurds, is located on a hill on the northern edge of the city. The neighborhood used to be known as "Our Lady's Mountain" and is considered one of the most strategic locations in the city because it overlooks much of Aleppo.
Activists predicted that regime forces would launch counterattacks to try to retake the area because if rebels keep holding Sheikh Maqsoud it will be easy for them to target regime-held areas with mortar shells.
The media center and the Observatory both reported that residents were fleeing the neighborhood to safer areas. The media center said regime tanks around the neighborhood were shelling the area.
An amateur video showed about two dozen gunmen standing in front of a building owned by the Syrian government. In the video, one of the gunmen claims that rebels and their "Kurdish brothers liberated Sheikh Maqsoud of Assad's criminal gangs and shabiha" or pro-government militiamen.
The video appeared genuine and corresponded to other reporting that The Associated Press did on events depicted in the footage.
Saeed, the Aleppo-based activist, said several rebel groups, including Kurdish gunmen, took control of the neighborhood after launching an attack, titled "Kurdish Fraternity," on Thursday. He said that on Saturday fighting intensified on the eastern edge of the area around an army post known as Awamid.
The Observatory said rebels captured a pro-government Sunni Muslim cleric in the fighting, killed him and then paraded his body through the neighborhood.
State-run Al-Ikhbariya TV identified the cleric as Hassan Seifeddine. It said he was beheaded and his head was placed on the minaret of Al-Hassan Mosque where he used to lead the prayers.
The SANA state news said Seifeddine's body was "mutilated" after the "assassination."
The reports of the mutilation of the cleric's body could not be independently confirmed.
The killing of Seifeddine comes nearly 10 days after a suicide bomber blew himself up inside a mosque in the heart of the Syrian capital, Damascus, killing top Sunni preacher Sheik Mohammad Said Ramadan al-Buti as he was giving a sermon. The March 21 blast killed 48 others and wounded dozens.
Al-Buti, like Seifeddine, was a strong supporter of the Assad regime, which is dominated by members of the president's minority Alawite sect, an off-shoot of Shiite Islam. The opposition is made up of mostly Sunnis, who are the majority among Syrians.
Extremists have been playing a larger role among the rebel groups. They include the Islamic Jabhat al-Nusra, a powerful offshoot of al-Qaida in Iraq, which has claimed responsibility for most of the deadliest suicide bombings against regime and military facilities and, as a result, has gained popularity among some rebels.
A photograph recently posted online by activists showed Seifeddine, who was in his late 50s and had a white beard. A banner posted over the picture said: "A wanted agent." Another referred to him as wanted by the rebels and read: "An agent of Syria's ruling gang and wanted by the Free Syrian Army."
Aleppo-based Sunni cleric Abdul-Qadir Shehabi told state-run TV that Seifeddine's son was kidnapped months ago. Shehabi also lashed out at the rebels, saying they "mutilated" Seifeddine's body.
"Is this the freedom that they talk about? This is the freedom of Satan," Shehabi said, referring to rebels who say they are fighting Assad's regime because it is authoritarian.
Rami Abdul-Rahman, who heads the Observatory, said Seifeddine's name had been put on an opposition "death list."
"He was the imam of a mosque. He was not armed when he was killed," Abdul-Rahman said. "We cannot close our eyes when the opposition violates human rights."
Abdul-Rahman said that although Sheikh Maqsoud is predominantly Kurdish, the eastern areas where much of the fighting occurred are inhabited by pro-regime Sunni Muslims known as the "Mardilis." Many of them came to Aleppo decades ago from Turkey's southeastern province of Mardin. He said Seifeddine was one of them.
Elsewhere in Syria, activists reported violence in areas of the southern province of Daraa, the suburbs of Damascus and the northern regions of Idlib and Raqqa. The Observatory said the heaviest clashes were in Raqqa and Sheikh Maqsoud.
Abdul-Rahman said the fighting in Sheikh Maqsoud killed 14 pro-government gunmen, seven rebels, 10 civilians and Seifeddine.
The Observatory said rebels were fighting a fierce battle around an army post known as the Camp in the oil-rich eastern province of Deir el-Zour, which borders Iraq.
In Damascus, residents said power was cut on Saturday in some neighborhoods. Al-Ikhbariya TV quoted Minister of Electricity Imad Khamis as saying the network suffered a technical problem that would be fixed in 24 hours. Damascus has witnessed repeated cuts in recent months.
Also on Saturday, SWR, a regional broadcaster for Germany's ARD public television network, said that one of its reporters was shot on Friday in Aleppo. SWR said the reporter, Joerg Armbruster, 65, had emergency surgery in a Syrian hospital and then was taken to the Turkish border in an ambulance on Saturday. He was to be flown to Germany for further treatment when his condition improves.
The scientists' findings have major implications for the treatment of prostate cancer. Photograph: Getty Images/Visuals Unlimited
Scientists have hailed the "single biggest leap forward" in their understanding of the genetic causes of prostate cancer, from a huge study involving more than 1,000 scientists.
The research has also brought significant advances in unravelling the genetics of breast and ovarian cancers. This is how the Guardian's science correspondent Ian Sample described the research:
The study, the largest ever to look for faulty DNA that drives the cancers, revealed scores of genetic markers that can identify people most likely to develop the diseases at some point in their lives. Doctors said a simple ?5 spit-test based on the markers could provide patients with a personalised "risk profile" for the diseases and pave the way for individually tailored screening, with those most at risk having more regular health checks. The findings have major implications for the treatment of prostate cancer. A test based on genetic markers for the disease could identify men whose lifetime risk was a staggering 50%, nearly five times the national average. Ros Eeles, professor of cancer genetics at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, described the results as "the single biggest leap forward" in understanding the genetics of the disease. A screening service could be offered within five years, and would transform medical treatment for the most common cancer among British men. More than 40,000 men a year are diagnosed with prostate cancer in Britain, and almost 11,000 die from the disease.
We have invited Prof Douglas Easton, director of the Cancer Research UK Genetic Epidemiology Group at the University of Cambridge, who worked on the studies, to answer your questions about their significance and the implications for future genetic tests for the diseases and potential treatments. He will be answering your questions live online on Thursday between 1pm and 3pm GMT (9am and 11am EST). Please post your comments in the thread below.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? South Korean President Park Geun-hye's honeymoon was over before it even began.
Only a month on the job, Park has stumbled repeatedly in the face of bitter opposition to policy proposals and her choices for top government posts.
Half a dozen Cabinet appointees have quit under fire. The latest is Han Man-soo, who withdrew his nomination for antitrust chief Monday amid allegations he stashed millions of dollars overseas to avoid taxes. Other claims that have brought down Park appointees include real estate speculation, a sex-for-influence scandal, bribery and links to an arms broker.
"A couple of flops would've been acceptable, but having a total of six failures in the first few months means that the problem lies with her style," said Lee Cheol-hee, head of the Dumon Political Strategy Institute, a think tank in Seoul. "She seems to think she can just hand down a list of people she prefers, without thinking hard about whether those people's credentials and ethical records fit the jobs they will be handling."
Critics also complain that she's still short on specifics about how to deal with pressing issues including an increasingly belligerent North Korea and serious domestic anxiety about fewer stable jobs, heavy household debt and a wide income gap.
Park on Monday acknowledged the setbacks but said they should only make her administration more determined. "Because the launch of the new government has been delayed by one month, we should work harder to fulfill our vision," she said.
The presidential Blue House did not answer calls seeking additional comment.
The troubles of the country's first female president have a lot to do with the fiercely divided political and social landscape in this still relatively young and rambunctious democracy. She also carries the heavy historical baggage of being the daughter of a dictator whose legacy still divides South Koreans.
The 61-year-old president, who was elected in December and inaugurated Feb. 25, has long faced claims of being aloof and an "imperial" decision-maker. The genesis of this criticism comes from her upbringing.
She is the eldest child of late President Park Chung-hee, who led South Korea for 18 years in the 1960s and '70s and is both denounced for human rights abuses and praised as a strong leader. She grew up in the Blue House and served as her father's first lady for the last five years of his rule, after her mother was killed in 1974 by an assassin who said he was sent by North Korea.
"When her father ruled, no one questioned the president's picks," Lee said. "But things have changed since. ... It's like Park is driving a car with a navigator system that has only decades-old maps."
Even Park's own ruling Saenuri Party has been critical. A spokesman called for a better system of screening appointees, and said whoever vetted the failed candidates should be held responsible.
Park spent much of her first month in office negotiating with opposition lawmakers over an ambitious government reorganization plan that aims to focus on science and economic growth. An agreement was reached only last week, more than 50 days after Park's party floated the proposal.
Her economic team met for the first time since her inauguration only on Monday, and critics said there was little other than promises of major policy goals and specific plans in coming days and weeks. Her economic policies include buzzwords like "economic democratization" and "creative economy."
"These are slogans more rhetorical than real, and few seem to know exactly what they mean, let alone how to realize them," the Korea Times said in an editorial Wednesday.
Park has made some progress, including an announcement this week of the start of a $1.35 billion fund to provide debt relief for more than half a million people unable to repay loans. The fund, however, is less than one-tenth the size of the one she promised during her campaign.
Despite North Korean threats that have followed new U.N. sanctions over Pyongyang's recent nuclear test, Park has pressed forward with a vow to create trust and renew dialogue after five years of tension and animosity under her hard-line predecessor. She approved a shipment of anti-tuberculosis medicine to North Korea last week.
Things, however, may get worse if political gridlock and bickering continues.
Park faces an opposition with a strengthened veto power, and the possibility of organized resistance to her foreign policy initiatives by prominent liberal groups, Park Ihn-hwi, a professor at Ewha Womans University in South Korea, wrote on the Council on Foreign Relations' website.
Some also see growing cynicism with Park among young South Koreans, many of whom voted for her liberal opponent.
"If a political issue emerges to turn apathy into opposition, there is a real possibility that street demonstrations similar to those that occurred in the early days of the Lee Myung-bak administration could further hamper Park's ability to get things done," Scott Snyder, an analyst at the Council on Foreign Relations, said in a blog posting Wednesday.
Lee, Park's conservative predecessor, saw tens of thousands take to the streets in 2008 to protest what opponents called a hasty government decision to allow U.S. beef imports to resume.
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Reversing blood and freshening it upPublic release date: 25-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Martin Wahlestedt Martin.Wahlestedt@med.lu.se 46-462-220-313 Lund University
The blood of young and old people differs. In an article published recently in the scientific journal Blood, a research group at Lund University in Sweden explain how they have succeeded in rejuvenating the blood of mice by reversing, or re-programming, the stem cells that produce blood.
Stem cells form the origin of all the cells in the body and can divide an unlimited number of times. When stem cells divide, one cell remains a stem cell and the other matures into the type of cell needed by the body, for example a blood cell.*
"Our ageing process is a consequence of changes in our stem cells over time", explained Martin Wahlestedt, a doctoral student in stem cell biology at the Faculty of Medicine at Lund University, and principal author of the article.
"Some of the changes are irreversible, for example damage to the stem cells' DNA, and some could be gradual changes, known as epigenetic changes, that are not necessarily irreversible, even if they are maintained through multiple cell divisions. When the stem cells are re-programmed, as we have done, the epigenetic changes are cancelled."**
The discovery that forms the basis for the research group's method was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine last year.
The composition of blood is one example of how it ages; blood from a young person contains a certain mix of B- and T-lymphocytes and myeloid cells.***
"In older people, the number of B- and T-lymphocytes falls, while the number of myeloid cells increases", said Martin Wahlestedt.
When an elderly person is affected by leukaemia, the cancer often has its origin in the myeloid cells, of which the elderly have more. Being able to 're-start' the blood, as Martin and his colleagues have done in their studies on mice, therefore presents interesting possibilities for future treatment.
"There is a lot of focus on how stem cells could be used in different treatments, but all that they are routinely used for in clinical work today is bone marrow transplants for diseases where the blood and immune systems have to be regenerated", said Martin Wahlestedt, continuing:
"A critical factor that gives an indication of whether the procedure is going to work or not is the age of the bone marrow donor. By reversing the development of the stem cells in the bone marrow, it may be possible to avoid negative age-related changes."
Even if the composition of the blood in old and young mice is remarkably like that in young and elderly people, Martin Wahlestedt stressed that the science is still only at the stage of basic research, far from a functioning treatment. The research group is pleased with the results, because they indicate that it may not primarily be damage to DNA that causes blood to age, but rather the reversible epigenetic changes.
###
Publication
'An epigenetic component of hematopoietic stem cell aging amenable to reprogramming into a young state'
Blood. 2013 Mar 8.
Wahlestedt M, Norddahl GL, Sten G, Ugale A, Micha Frisk MA, Mattsson R, Deierborg T, Sigvardsson M, Bryder D.
Link to Blood: http://bloodjournal.hematologylibrary.org/content/early/2013/03/08/blood-2012-11-469080.abstract?sid=43720289-eae7-402a-9ff6-c926fffb5337
For more information, please contact: Martin Wahlestedt, doctoral student, tel: +46 46 222 03 13, Martin.Wahlestedt[at] med [dot] lu [dot] se; or David Bryder, Associate Professor and research group leader, David.Bryder@med.lu.se.
*About stem cells:
There are different types of stem cells. Embryonic stem cells, which can be extracted from an embryo at an early stage, have the capacity to develop into all types of cell. Stem cells are also found in adults, where they have more limited development potential, but can divide in principle an unlimited number of times. For example, blood cell-forming stem cells in bone marrow create all types of blood cell and stem cells in the brain create many different types of brain cell.
**About epigenetics:
Epigenetics is a term that has historically been used to describe the aspects of genetics that cannot be explained by the composition of an individual's DNA alone. For tissue and organs to form, a number of different types of cell must be developed. This happens through the activation and de-activation of different genes. When a cell formed in this manner then divides again, the gene expression can be maintained in the daughter cells. This is referred to as 'epigenetic inheritance'. The epigenetic mechanisms, or which genes are activated or de-activated, can be affected by factors such as age, chemicals, drugs and diet.
*** About the composition of blood:
B- and T-lymphocytes and myeloid cells are all white blood cells. Lymphocytes, as the name suggests, are particularly common in the lymphatic system. T-lymphocytes patrol the body and recognise a specific bacteria or virus. B-lymphocytes 'remember' old infections and can quickly be activated again if required. This memory capacity is the mechanism behind immunity. The myeloid cells belong to the blood system's 'big eaters' they neutralise damaged tissue, dead cells, and to a certain extent also bacteria.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Reversing blood and freshening it upPublic release date: 25-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Martin Wahlestedt Martin.Wahlestedt@med.lu.se 46-462-220-313 Lund University
The blood of young and old people differs. In an article published recently in the scientific journal Blood, a research group at Lund University in Sweden explain how they have succeeded in rejuvenating the blood of mice by reversing, or re-programming, the stem cells that produce blood.
Stem cells form the origin of all the cells in the body and can divide an unlimited number of times. When stem cells divide, one cell remains a stem cell and the other matures into the type of cell needed by the body, for example a blood cell.*
"Our ageing process is a consequence of changes in our stem cells over time", explained Martin Wahlestedt, a doctoral student in stem cell biology at the Faculty of Medicine at Lund University, and principal author of the article.
"Some of the changes are irreversible, for example damage to the stem cells' DNA, and some could be gradual changes, known as epigenetic changes, that are not necessarily irreversible, even if they are maintained through multiple cell divisions. When the stem cells are re-programmed, as we have done, the epigenetic changes are cancelled."**
The discovery that forms the basis for the research group's method was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine last year.
The composition of blood is one example of how it ages; blood from a young person contains a certain mix of B- and T-lymphocytes and myeloid cells.***
"In older people, the number of B- and T-lymphocytes falls, while the number of myeloid cells increases", said Martin Wahlestedt.
When an elderly person is affected by leukaemia, the cancer often has its origin in the myeloid cells, of which the elderly have more. Being able to 're-start' the blood, as Martin and his colleagues have done in their studies on mice, therefore presents interesting possibilities for future treatment.
"There is a lot of focus on how stem cells could be used in different treatments, but all that they are routinely used for in clinical work today is bone marrow transplants for diseases where the blood and immune systems have to be regenerated", said Martin Wahlestedt, continuing:
"A critical factor that gives an indication of whether the procedure is going to work or not is the age of the bone marrow donor. By reversing the development of the stem cells in the bone marrow, it may be possible to avoid negative age-related changes."
Even if the composition of the blood in old and young mice is remarkably like that in young and elderly people, Martin Wahlestedt stressed that the science is still only at the stage of basic research, far from a functioning treatment. The research group is pleased with the results, because they indicate that it may not primarily be damage to DNA that causes blood to age, but rather the reversible epigenetic changes.
###
Publication
'An epigenetic component of hematopoietic stem cell aging amenable to reprogramming into a young state'
Blood. 2013 Mar 8.
Wahlestedt M, Norddahl GL, Sten G, Ugale A, Micha Frisk MA, Mattsson R, Deierborg T, Sigvardsson M, Bryder D.
Link to Blood: http://bloodjournal.hematologylibrary.org/content/early/2013/03/08/blood-2012-11-469080.abstract?sid=43720289-eae7-402a-9ff6-c926fffb5337
For more information, please contact: Martin Wahlestedt, doctoral student, tel: +46 46 222 03 13, Martin.Wahlestedt[at] med [dot] lu [dot] se; or David Bryder, Associate Professor and research group leader, David.Bryder@med.lu.se.
*About stem cells:
There are different types of stem cells. Embryonic stem cells, which can be extracted from an embryo at an early stage, have the capacity to develop into all types of cell. Stem cells are also found in adults, where they have more limited development potential, but can divide in principle an unlimited number of times. For example, blood cell-forming stem cells in bone marrow create all types of blood cell and stem cells in the brain create many different types of brain cell.
**About epigenetics:
Epigenetics is a term that has historically been used to describe the aspects of genetics that cannot be explained by the composition of an individual's DNA alone. For tissue and organs to form, a number of different types of cell must be developed. This happens through the activation and de-activation of different genes. When a cell formed in this manner then divides again, the gene expression can be maintained in the daughter cells. This is referred to as 'epigenetic inheritance'. The epigenetic mechanisms, or which genes are activated or de-activated, can be affected by factors such as age, chemicals, drugs and diet.
*** About the composition of blood:
B- and T-lymphocytes and myeloid cells are all white blood cells. Lymphocytes, as the name suggests, are particularly common in the lymphatic system. T-lymphocytes patrol the body and recognise a specific bacteria or virus. B-lymphocytes 'remember' old infections and can quickly be activated again if required. This memory capacity is the mechanism behind immunity. The myeloid cells belong to the blood system's 'big eaters' they neutralise damaged tissue, dead cells, and to a certain extent also bacteria.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
BAGHDAD (AP) ? U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Iraq on an unannounced visit to urge Iraqi leaders to stop Iranian overflights of arms and fighters heading to Syria and to overcome sectarian differences that still threaten Iraqi stability 10 years after the American-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein.
Kerry flew into Baghdad on Sunday from Amman after accompanying President Barack Obama to Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan.
Officials traveling with him said Kerry would press Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and other senior officials on democratic reforms and directly urge them to stop overflights of Iranian aircraft carrying military personnel and equipment to support the Syrian government as it battles rebels. Iran and Iraq both say the flights are laden with humanitarian supplies, but the U.S. and others believe they are filled with weapons and fighters to help the Assad regime.
The overflights have long been a source of contention between the U.S. and Iraq and Kerry will tell the Iraqis that allowing them to continue will make the situation in Syria worse and ultimately threaten Iraq's stability.
A senior U.S. official said the sheer number of overflights, which occur "close to daily," as well as overland shipments to Syria through Iraq from Iran, was inconsistent with claims they are only carrying humanitarian supplies. The official said it was in Iraq's interest to prevent the situation in Syria from deteriorating further, particularly as there are fears that al-Qaida-linked extremists may gain a foothold in the country as the Assad regime falters.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to publicly preview Kerry's meetings, said there are clear links between al-Qaida linked extremists operating in Syria and militants who are carrying out terrorist attacks in Iraqi territory with increasing regularity.
A group of fighters in Syria known as Jabhat al-Nusra, a powerful offshoot of al-Qaida in Iraq, has claimed responsibility for most of the deadliest suicide bombings against regime and military facilities and, as a result, has gained popularity among some rebels.
However, the group has alienated secular-minded fighters, which is one reason the U.S. has not equipped the rebels with weapons. The Obama administration designated al-Nusra as a terrorist organization last December
Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton secured a pledge from Iraq to inspect the flights last year, but the official said that since then only two aircraft have been checked by Iraqi authorities.
Kerry will tell al-Maliki, a Shiite with close ties to Iran, that Iraq cannot be part of the political discussion about Syria's future until it clamps down on the Iranian shipments, the official said.
As Iraq approaches provincial elections next month, Kerry will also stress the importance of ensuring that all elements of society feel enfranchised, the official said. A recent decision to delay the polls in Anbar and Nineveh provinces is a "serious setback" to Iraq's democratic institutions and should be revisited, the official said.
In addition to al-Maliki, Kerry was seeing Iraqi parliament speaker parliament speaker Osama al-Nujaifi, a Sunni, whose faction is at odds with Maliki's Shiia. Kerry also plans to speak by phone with Massoud Barzani, the head of the Kurdish Regional Government based in Irbil to encourage the Kurds not go ahead with unilateral actions - especially involving oil, like a pipeline deal with Turkey.
He will stress the "importance of maintaining the unity of Iraq," say that "separate efforts undercut the unity of the country" and that "the Kurdish republic cannot survive financially without the support of Baghdad," the official said.
Kerry's visit to Iraq is the first by a U.S. secretary of state since Clinton went in 2009. During Obama's first term, the Iraq portfolio was largely delegated to Vice President Joe Biden.
Kerry's arrival came just three days after the anniversary of the U.S.-led war that began on March 20, 2003, with an airstrike on Dora Farms in southern Baghdad in a failed attempt to kill Hussein.
The invasion and toppling of Hussein sparked years of bloodshed as Sunni and Shiite militants battled U.S. forces and each other, leaving nearly 4,500 U.S. soldiers and more than 100,000 Iraqis dead.
Violence has ebbed sharply since the peak of Sunni-Shiite fighting that pushed the country to the brink of civil war in 2006 and 2007. But insurgents are still able to stage high-profile attacks, and sectarian and ethnic rivalries remain threats to the country's long-term stability.
Earlier this week, an al-Qaida in Iraq front group claimed responsibility nearly 20 attacks that killed 65 people across the country on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Islamic State of Iraq said it unleashed the car bombs and other explosions to avenge the executions and "massacres" of convicted Sunni inmates held in Iraqi prisons. Its claim came on the 10th anniversary of the start of the war, although it made no reference to the significance of the date.
MENDENHALL, Miss. (AP) ? Authorities say they are investigating the apparent suicide of a state legislator in Mississippi.
Simpson County Sheriff Kenneth Lewis tells WLOX (http://bit.ly/ZhXTa1 ) that Rep. Jessica Upshaw appeared to have shot herself in the head at a home in Mendenhall on Sunday. The town is about 30 miles southeast of Jackson, the state capital. She was 53.
The sheriff told The Clarion-Ledger (http://on.thec-l.com/X1xwqe) that Upshaw was found at the home of former state Rep. Clint Rotenberry. He has not been arrested.
Upshaw was an attorney who had been a lawmaker since 2004. She was a Republican from Diamondhead along the state's coast. Mendenhall is about 110 miles away from her hometown.
The sheriff did not return a phone call from The Associated Press. Rotenberry did not answer his phone.
Folks, this isn't your ordinary, average Friday. Why, you ask? Well, we've got a birthday to celebrate, and it's quite a milestone at that. Today marks the 20th anniversary of the Pentium processor, which was introduced on March 22, 1993. If you're old enough to recall, the chip ran circles around its 486DX2 predecessor, and thanks to a heavy dose of marketing from Intel, the brand quickly became synonymous with the PC. For you trivia types, the original Pentium P5 was available in 60MHz and 66MHz variants, and was manufactured with an 800-nanometer fabrication process, which is quite the contrast to the 22nm chips on the market today. Rather than burden your mind with specs, though, we'd rather celebrate -- and we're sure that you would, too. So join us past the break, where you'll find some of the more whimsical moments in the Pentium's storied history.
The Star Jet roller coaster sits in the water on Feb. 19 after the Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, N.J., collapsed from the forces of Superstorm Sandy.
Mark Wilson/Getty Images
The Star Jet roller coaster sits in the water on Feb. 19 after the Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, N.J., collapsed from the forces of Superstorm Sandy.
Mark Wilson/Getty Images
According to the historical record dating back to 1895, 2012 was the hottest year this country has ever seen. But it's not just that the temperature has risen ? from deadly tornadoes to the widespread coastal damage inflicted by Superstorm Sandy, we seem to be living through a period of intensified and heightened weather extremes.
Whether or not these harsh weather events are connected to global warming or are simply the random violence nature visits upon us is one of the central questions that environmental reporter Justin Gillis tackles in his "Temperature Rising" series for The New York Times. The series focuses on the arguments in the climate debate and examines the evidence for global warming and its consequences.
"It's an ongoing struggle for the scientists to puzzle out which of these things are linked and which ones aren't," Gillis tells Fresh Air's Dave Davies.
Justin Gillis writes about climate change for The New York Times.
Earl Wilson/The New York Times
Justin Gillis writes about climate change for The New York Times.
Earl Wilson/The New York Times
Gillis notes that there is "robust, healthy science" that provides evidence of climate change. Within the scientific mainstream, however, he says there is a considerable range of views about the risks we're running by causing what is essentially (on the geologic time scale) an instantaneous increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. One such risk is rising sea levels. Gillis says experts believe sea levels will rise at least 3 feet in the next century, and that number could be as much as 6 feet.
"When I look at the scientific majority, the scientific mainstream," Gillis says, "I would say that as a group, they fear this is going to be pretty bad. They don't know exactly how bad it's going to get, and they don't know how fast it's going to get that [bad], which might be the ultimate question."
Interview Highlights
On how melting sea ice will affect land ice
"As we get less and less sea ice in the summer and more and more heat absorption [in the northern latitudes], what is that going to do to the nearby land ice? For instance, the Greenland ice sheet is very near to the area we're talking about. Will we see a more rapid melting? ... We're already seeing a substantial speed-up in the melt of both the Greenland and the west Antarctic ice sheets, it would appear, and so scientists are pretty worried about that because over a fairly long time period it could be that we're going to get 20, 30, possibly even more feet of sea level rise from the melting of those ice sheets."
On how often he feels it's necessary to quote climate change skeptics
"I quote the climate skeptics or deniers ? whatever term you prefer ? when they're relevant. So when I'm doing a piece about the science itself and what the latest scientific findings are, especially if that's a short piece, I don't necessarily feel obliged to quote the climate skeptics the same way that if you were doing a story about evolution, a New York Times reporter wouldn't feel obliged to call up a creationist and ask them what they think. On the other hand, the climate skeptics are politically relevant at this point in American history [in a way that] the creationists are not, for example. So we have a fair chunk of the Congress ... that sees political traction right now in questioning climate science or purporting not to believe it, so in a political story or in a longer story, I usually do give some amount of space to the climate skeptics."
SYDNEY, March 22 (Reuters) - Socceroo young guns James Holland and Tommy Oar are hoping to put to good use the lessons they have learned the hard way in European football when Australia meet Oman in a crunch World Cup qualifier next week.
Playing thousands of kilometres from home has been the rule for top Australian footballers since former Middlesbrough and Liverpool midfielder Craig Johnston blazed the trail to England in the 1970s.
Both Holland and Oar experienced tough times in Europe after leaving Australia as teenagers but stuck it out and are now members of a band of twenty-somethings on whom the future success of their country's football rests.
Holland spent three confidence-sapping years at Dutch Eredivisie club AZ Alkmaar before finding his feet at Austria Vienna, where his performances this season have attracted interest from Bundesliga clubs.
The 23-year-old defensive midfielder, who started Australia's last match against Romania, has not quickly forgotten the years of frustration in the Netherlands.
"You are in a foreign country, you don't have that safety net or that family around you," he recalled in Sydney on Friday.
"You don't have the friends, you are adjusting to the culture, the language and the football, it's not an easy thing.
"When I left here I was, maybe not a somebody, but I was playing and I was involved, then all of a sudden I was a nobody and that was also something that was hard for me to deal with.
"Once you lose your confidence, all those things come together.
"(But) I never considered coming home ... that's my dream and I was always going to tough it out. All I ever wanted to do was play in Europe and I was going to give it everything."
Skilful left winger Oar has finally secured a regular first team place in his third season at Dutch club Utrecht, where he plays with fellow Socceroos Michael Zullo and Adam Sarota.
"It doesn't just happen overnight, it takes a lot of adjusting to the standard," the 21-year-old said of the transition.
"It's much less physical and a lot more technical so I think it's great to develop your technique and your skills.
"The Dutch style is that they value possession, it's not as direct as the Australian or the English football.
"In order to adapt to that style you have to improve your touch, your positioning, your tactical awareness. They are subtle things but they do help."
Oar played a major role in Australia's 2-1 win in their last World Cup qualifier against Iraq in Doha last October, coming off the bench to provide the cross for Archie Thompson's 83rd-minute winner.
Australia desperately need a win against Oman at Sydney's Olympic Stadium next Tuesday in their bid to secure a qualifying spot for the 2014 World Cup after a stuttering start to their campaign.
Holland, whose self-imposed exile means it is more than four years since he played on home soil, said he thought the influence of the younger players was starting to make itself felt in the national team.
"I think there's been a little bit of talk about the lack of youth coming through, but we have a lot of young players who are doing well in competitions in Europe," he said.
"We are gelling a lot, you've got the young boys coming through and the older boys and it looks good going forward, one hundred percent." (Editing by Ian Ransom)
The latest version of the long-running SimCity was a long time coming, and when it finally arrived, server issues kept many gamers from getting to the good stuff. It's been nearly a decade since the release of SimCity 4, and now the fifth version -- titled simply SimCity -- is offering gamers the chance to once again build the city of their dreams.
As far as group chat tools go, HipChat is among the best available options, and now the Atlassian-owned company is introducing a free tier to its existing pricing plans. The entry-level free plan will offer fully featured access to HipChat, but be limited to a maximum of five users ? once a sixth comes on board, pricing will revert back to the standard $2 per person. The introduction of the new pricing tier is obviously a great way to attract new users, and a means by which Atlassian and HipChat can fend off any challenges from would-be competitors just setting out with their own competitive platforms. Speaking with HipChat founder Pete Curley about the?decision, he admitted that it’s meant to give users who might otherwise look elsewhere for a free option a taste of what HipChat and its advantage in terms of years of experience. “This also works well for us because all of our adoption is all bottoms up,” Curley said, explaining how it’s meant to maximize the existing traction HipChat has seen. “Everyone starts from some small team as part of some small department and then it spreads like a virus from there.” HipChat reported 3,500 paying customers on board back in February, and Curley says the number of those customers affected by this new move could be in the “thousands.” That means in the short term at least, it could be sacrificing a lot of immediate revenue in exchange for a chance to dramatically increase the rate at which new users come on board. It’s a calculated risk, but it’s also a way that HipChat can help others who were in the position it was in when it first started out. “For the two and a half years that we were on our own we were bootstrapped, and so obviously saving money and finding any tools to get the job done were our primary concerns,” he said. “So there are a lot of HipChat customers, small teams, startup teams, college students who are in the same boat and who will be affected by this.” With its new native Mac app and other native apps for Linux and Windows planned soon, I suspect that HipChat will be a hard drug to kick for new users who sign up on the free plan, so I think this is a gamble that should ultimately pay off. And regardless of how
Logitech's G-prefixed gaming peripherals have been around for awhile, but they were never part of an official gaming line. That changes today, with the introduction of Logitech G, the company's official brand for PC gaming peripherals. "The overriding principal of G is that science wins," Logitech told us. "Just as gamers are compelled to beat levels, our engineers are compelled to test scientific theories." A fancy way to say that Logitech's gaming hardware is built using the latest technology.
The company points to its new line of peripherals as an example: eight products featuring hydrophobic coatings, Logitech's exclusive Delta Zero sensor technology and buttons capable of surviving over 20 million toggles. Headlining the new series are the G700s rechargeable gaming mouse and G19s keyboard, which promise anti-stick surfaces, more than a dozen programmable buttons apiece and $100 and $200 price tags, respectively. The company's rounding out its line up with a pair of audio devices, too -- the G430 and G230 surround and stereo gaming headsets. That's just the tip of the iceberg of course -- head past the break for Logitech's full roster of G series peripherals.
You can blame CNN all you want for its reporters feeling sorry for the now convicted rapists in the ongoing case in Steubenville, Ohio, but MSNBC, Fox News, and?CNN all just outed a 16-year-rape victim to millions. Seeking to report on an emotional case for all that it's worth, apparently, all three networks ran this unedited clip from the courtroom video feed, in which one of the defendants responds to Sunday's verdict by apologizing to the Jane Doe victim by name:
Mar. 19, 2013 ? A sequence of radar images of asteroid 2013 ET was obtained on March 10, 2013, by NASA scientists using the 230-foot (70-meter) Deep Space Network antenna at Goldstone, Calif., when the asteroid was about 693,000 miles (1.1 million kilometers) from Earth, which is 2.9 lunar distances.
The radar imagery suggests the irregularly shaped object is at least 130 feet (40 meters) wide. The 18 radar images were taken over a span of 1.3 hours. During that interval, the asteroid completed only a fraction of one rotation, suggesting that it rotates once every few hours.
The radar observations were led by scientists Marina Brozovic and Lance Benner of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
Radar is a powerful technique for studying an asteroid's size, shape, rotation state, surface features and surface roughness, and for improving the calculation of asteroid orbits. Radar measurements of asteroid distances and velocities often enable computation of asteroid orbits much further into the future than if radar observations weren't available.
NASA detects, tracks and characterizes asteroids and comets passing close to Earth using both ground- and space-based telescopes. The Near-Earth Object Observations Program, commonly called "Spaceguard," discovers these objects, characterizes a subset of them, and plots their orbits to determine if any could be potentially hazardous to our planet.
JPL manages the Near-Earth Object Program Office for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
More information about asteroids and near-Earth objects is at: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroidwatch. More information about asteroid radar research is at: http://echo.jpl.nasa.gov/. More information about the Deep Space Network is at: http://deepspace.jpl.nasa.gov/dsn.
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Mar. 19, 2013 ? Neurologists at Mayo Clinic in Arizona have taken a promising step toward identifying a test that helps support the diagnosis of concussion. Their research has shown that autonomic reflex testing, which measures involuntary changes in heart rate and blood pressure, consistently appear to demonstrate significant changes in those with concussion. They presented the findings at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting in San Diego this week.
Right now doctors rely primarily on self-reporting of symptoms to make a diagnosis of concussion. In addition, other than the absence of symptoms, there is no reliable test to determine when an athlete's brain has fully recovered from concussion. Doctors know from brain imaging research studies, that there is a lag between when the patient reports that their symptoms have resolved and the time when the brain has actually healed. Therefore, a rapid, reliable, cost-effective tool is needed to identify full brain recovery from concussion.
"This has the potential to change the way we approach concussion patients," says David Dodick, M.D., a neurologist and director of the Mayo Clinic Concussion Program. "One of the challenges of treating someone with a concussion is to reliably make a diagnosis: to know when the brain is injured and to know when the brain is actually recovered."
"Autonomic nervous system dysfunction has long been recognized as a possible complication of people with severe traumatic brain injury but has rarely been associated with people with concussions or milder forms of brain injury," adds co-author Brent Goodman, M.D., a Mayo neurologist and autonomic expert. The autonomic nervous system acts as an involuntary control system for functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, respiratory rate and perspiration.
In the study, Mayo Clinic doctors monitored 21 consecutive patients after concussion, and all experienced significant abnormalities in heart rate and blood pressure during autonomic testing. The physicians conclude that these abnormalities are tied to the concussion.
"Contrary to popular belief, the symptoms of 'dizziness' that patients feel just after a concussion may, in some cases, be symptoms of autonomic system impairment rather than a vestibular or inner ear disturbance," says Bert Vargas, M.D., a Mayo neurologist.
More research is needed, but the Mayo team is optimistic, Dr. Dodick says.
"This study shows a possible electrophysiological biomarker that indicates that a concussion has occurred -- we are hopeful that with more research this will be confirmed and that this may also be a biomarker for recovery," he says.
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WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that textbooks and other goods made and sold abroad can be re-sold online and in discount stores without violating U.S. copyright law. The outcome was a huge relief to eBay, Costco and other businesses that trade in products made outside the U.S.
In a 6-3 opinion, the court threw out a copyright infringement award to publisher John Wiley & Sons against Thai graduate student Supap Kirtsaeng, who used eBay to resell copies of the publisher's copyrighted books that his relatives first bought abroad at cut-rate prices.
Justice Stephen Breyer said in his opinion for the court that once goods are sold lawfully, whether in the U.S. or elsewhere, publishers and manufacturers lose the protection of U.S. copyright law.
"We hold that the 'first sale' doctrine applies to copies of a copyrighted work lawfully made abroad," Breyer said.
Had the court come out the other way, it would have crimped the sale of many goods sold online and in discount stores, and it would have complicated the tasks of museums and libraries that contain works produced outside the United States, Breyer said. Retailers told the court that more than $2.3 trillion worth of foreign goods were imported in 2011, and that many of these goods were bought after they were first sold abroad, he said.
Aaron Moss, a Los Angeles-based lawyer who is representsing Costco in a related case, said the court "correctly rejected the idea that this has anything to do with geography."
In a dissent for herself and Justices Anthony Kennedy and Antonin Scalia, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said the court was ignoring Congress' aim of protecting "copyright owners against the unauthorized importation of low-priced, foreign-made copies of their copyrighted works."
The movie and music businesses, software makers and other manufacturers worry that the decision allows unauthorized sales to undercut their businesses.
"The ruling for Kirtsaeng will send a tremor through the publishing industries, harming both U.S. businesses and consumers around the world. Today's decision will create a strong disincentive for publishers to market different versions and sell copies at different prices in different regions. The practical result may very well be that consumers and students abroad will see dramatic price increases or entirely lose their access to valuable U.S. resources created specifically for them," said Keith Kupferschmid, general counsel for the Software & Information Industry Association.
Justice Elena Kagan, joined by Justice Samuel Alito, said in a separate opinion that Congress is free to change the law if it thinks holders of copyrights need more protection. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Clarence Thomas also were part of the court's majority.
Kirtsaeng sold $900,000 worth of books published abroad by Wiley and others and made about $100,000 in profit. The international editions of the textbooks were essentially the same as the more costly American editions. A jury in New York awarded Wiley $600,000 after deciding Kirtsaeng sold copies of eight Wiley textbooks without permission.
The high court wrestled with what protection the holder of a copyright has after a product made outside the United States is sold for the first time. In this case, the issue was whether U.S. copyright protection applies to items that are made abroad, purchased abroad and then resold in the U.S. without the permission of the manufacturer.
The court earlier rejected copyright claims over U.S.-made items that were sold abroad and then brought back to the United States for resale.
The justices heard a similar case in 2010, but Kagan did not take part because she worked on it while serving in the Justice Department. The court divided 4-4 in that case, involving discount seller Costco and Swiss watch maker Omega.
The case decided Tuesday is Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons, 11-697.
What recent event is going to be more defining for the Republican Party, Sen. Rob Portman?s about-face on gay marriage or the stridentrhetoric of the Conservative Political Action Conference? The GOP ought to pray it?s the former and hope it keeps the party?s empathy gap from turning into the Grand Canyon.
Politicians shouldn?t have to be poor to understand what it?s like to be poor: to have no money for a doctor, the rent, tuition or even food; to understand how that hampers people?s ability to envision and move toward a better future; and to realize that making their lives more difficult isn?t the answer. They shouldn?t have to be sick, or have a sick child, to understand what it would be like to have no insurance or regular doctor. But too many Republicans apparently don't understand, to the detriment of their party and to their country as well.
There are stacks of speeches and policies, topped by the Paul Ryan budget and Mitt Romney?s 47 percent monologue, that suggest many Republicans are misreading the psychology and realities of poverty, the motivations of people who are trying to escape it, and the catalytic role government can play in nourishing productive citizens. They are looking at the safety net through the lens of people who have food, shelter, health insurance, a good education, a job, an American passport and a mom-dad-buddy-and-sis family, who have never been anything but blessed and mainstream in America.
Republicans don?t have to give up their principles or their critiques of federal safety-net programs, which could be streamlined and improved in many ways. But they should at least try to understand the lives of others and align their policies with reality. Here are five places to start:
A compelling response to Romney?s 47-percent debacle by New York Times columnist David Brooks, a Republican. Brooks eviscerated what he characterized as Romney?s view that ?people who are forced to make it on their own have drive. People who receive benefits have dependency.? ?Middle-class parents don?t deprive their children of benefits so they can learn to struggle on their own. They shower benefits on their children to give them more opportunities,? he wrote. ?People are motivated when they feel competent. They are motivated when they have more opportunities. Ambition is fired by possibility, not by deprivation.?
?I Was a Welfare Mother,? an essay that Larkin Warren published in The New York Times last fall. As a young single mother relying on tuition and housing aid, Warren realized she?d have to quit school unless she applied for welfare and food stamps for herself and her son. It was, she says, a responsible decision. She graduated, got a job, remarried, and doesn?t apologize for taking the help. ?My husband and I have paid big taxes and raised a hard-working son who pays a chunk of change as well,? she says. The gritty details ? what led to her problems, why her family couldn?t help, the exact types of aid she received and how it all came together ? are well worth reading.
An equally gritty Washington Post story about the role of food stamps in holding up the economy of an entire town in Rhode Island. The piece makes clear that deep cuts in federal programs would create huge hardship, not just for individuals but for businesses. More important, it illuminates the life of a couple on food stamps. They are young, they are married, they have two children, and they work. But much like the hunter-gatherers of old, they spend nearly all their time making sure their family is fed ? obsessively making lists, comparing prices, weighing the costs and benefits of lower prices versus a car trip across town. Their focus is on survival, not planning for a better future.
Social science research on the consequences of ?decision fatigue? ? constant choices and tradeoffs that result in an erosion of willpower and self-discipline. ?Decision fatigue helps explain why ordinarily sensible people get angry at colleagues and families, splurge on clothes, buy junk food at the supermarket and can?t resist the dealer?s offer to rustproof their new car,? John Tierney wrote in a fascinating New York Times magazine piece. Researchers, he said, believe it can help trap people in poverty: ?Because their financial situation forces them to make so many tradeoffs, they have less willpower to devote to school, work and other activities that might get them into the middle class.?
An ongoing study of the winners and losers in an Oregon lottery to expand Medicaid coverage. Findings so far suggest that people on Medicaid were more likely to visit a hospital, take medication, get preventive screenings and see a regular doctor. So yes, they cost the system money. They also reported themselves to be happier, healthier and more financially stable than those who did not receive Medicaid. I would argue that?s the more important outcome from the standpoints of both morality and productivity. However you feel about the much larger national expansion of Medicaid coming next year in the new health law, though, it?s probably not constructive for the GOP?s broader future to have South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley on national TV at CPAC vowing that ?we will not expand Medicaid. Ever.? She says her state takes care of its own, but more than 20 percent have no health insurance.
Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, is talking up a plan this week to rebuild the GOP. Its elements include fewer debates, a shorter primary season and a continuing presence in communities and on campuses. The idea is to publicize the party?s history and goals, become better known, minimize what Priebus calls intraparty "slicing and dicing," and thereby improve its brand. But none of that will help if most Republicans keep talking and acting as if people with problems are not their problem.
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Public release date: 25-Mar-2013
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As far as group chat tools go, HipChat is among the best available options, and now the Atlassian-owned company is introducing a free tier to its existing pricing plans. The entry-level free plan will offer fully featured access to HipChat, but be limited to a maximum of five users ? once a sixth comes on board, pricing will revert back to the standard $2 per person. The introduction of the new pricing tier is obviously a great way to attract new users, and a means by which Atlassian and HipChat can fend off any challenges from would-be competitors just setting out with their own competitive platforms. Speaking with HipChat founder Pete Curley about the?decision, he admitted that it’s meant to give users who might otherwise look elsewhere for a free option a taste of what HipChat and its advantage in terms of years of experience. “This also works well for us because all of our adoption is all bottoms up,” Curley said, explaining how it’s meant to maximize the existing traction HipChat has seen. “Everyone starts from some small team as part of some small department and then it spreads like a virus from there.” HipChat reported 3,500 paying customers on board back in February, and Curley says the number of those customers affected by this new move could be in the “thousands.” That means in the short term at least, it could be sacrificing a lot of immediate revenue in exchange for a chance to dramatically increase the rate at which new users come on board. It’s a calculated risk, but it’s also a way that HipChat can help others who were in the position it was in when it first started out. “For the two and a half years that we were on our own we were bootstrapped, and so obviously saving money and finding any tools to get the job done were our primary concerns,” he said. “So there are a lot of HipChat customers, small teams, startup teams, college students who are in the same boat and who will be affected by this.” With its new native Mac app and other native apps for Linux and Windows planned soon, I suspect that HipChat will be a hard drug to kick for new users who sign up on the free plan, so I think this is a gamble that should ultimately pay off. And regardless of how
