'The King Of Comedy' At Tribeca: Robert De Niro, Jerry Lewis & Martin Scorsese Celebrate 30 Years Of Cult Classic

"Reluctant Fundamentalist" US Premiere - 2013 Tribeca Film Festival

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 22: Actress Kate Hudson attends the 'Reluctant Fundamentalist' US Premiere during the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on April 22, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)

Tribeca Talks - "I Got Something To Tell You" Premiere And Panel - 2013 Tribeca Film Festival

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 22: Director Whoopi Goldberg speaks onstage at the Tribeca Talks - 'I Got Something To Tell You' Premiere And Panel during the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on April 22, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)

"Kiss The Water" Premiere - 2013 Tribeca Film Festival

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 22: Actor Jerry Seinfeld attends the 'Kiss The Water' Premiere during the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on April 22, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)

"Reluctant Fundamentalist" US Premiere - 2013 Tribeca Film Festival

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 22: Actor Dean Winters and guest attend the 'Reluctant Fundamentalist' US Premiere during the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on April 22, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)

Will Forte

This April 19, 2013 photo shows actor Will Forte, right, with director Steph Green in New York. Forte, a cast member on "Saturday Night Live," stars in his first dramatic role in "Run and Jump," a film being shown at the TriBeca Film Festival. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Invision/AP)

Jessica Seinfeld, Jerry Seinfeld

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld, right, and his wife Jessica Seinfeld, attend the "Kiss the Water" premiere during the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on Monday, April 22, 2013, in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP)

Jerry Seinfeld

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld attends the "Kiss the Water" premiere during the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on Monday, April 22, 2013, in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP)

Julie Delpy

Actress Julie Delpy attends the "Before Midnight" premiere during the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on Monday, April 22, 2013, in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP)

Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke

Actress Julie Delpy, left, and actor Ethan Hawke, attend the "Before Midnight" premiere during the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on Monday, April 22, 2013, in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP)

Emma Roberts

Emma Roberts attends the premiere of "Adult World" during the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on Thursday, April 18, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

"Teenage" World Premiere - 2013 Tribeca Film Festival

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 20: Jason Schwartzman attends the 'Teenage' world premiere during the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on April 20, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)

"Teenage" World Premiere - 2013 Tribeca Film Festival

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 20: Adam Horovitz of The Beastie Boys attends the 'Teenage' world premiere during the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on April 20, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)

Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival Gala: "Big Shot" - 2013 Tribeca Film Festival

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 19: Tribeca Film Festival co-founder Robert De Niro (L) and filmmaker Kevin Connolly attend the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival Gala: 'Big Shot' during the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on April 19, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)

Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival Gala: "Big Shot" - 2013 Tribeca Film Festival

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 19: Filmmaker Kevin Connolly and Lydia Hearst-Shaw attend the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival Gala: 'Big Shot' during the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on April 19, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)

Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival Gala: "Big Shot" - 2013 Tribeca Film Festival

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 19: Filmmaker Kevin Connolly and Lydia Hearst-Shaw attend the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival Gala: 'Big Shot' during the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on April 19, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)

Felicity Huffman, Clark Gregg, Amanda Peet

Felicity Huffman, left, Clark Gregg and Amanda Peet attend the premiere of "Trust Me" during the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on Saturday, April 20, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Sam Rockwell

Sam Rockwell attends the premiere of "Trust Me" during the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on Saturday, April 20, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

"The Pretty One" World Premiere - 2013 Tribeca Film Festival

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 20: Actor Zoe Kazan attends the 'The Pretty One' World Premiere during the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on April 20, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)

"The Pretty One" World Premiere - 2013 Tribeca Film Festival

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 20: Julian Wass and Jenee LaMarque attend the 'The Pretty One' World Premiere during the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on April 20, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)

Tribeca Talks Director's Series: Mira Nair With Bryce Dallas Howard - 2013 Tribeca Film Festival

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 20: Actress Bryce Dallas Howard attends Tribeca Talks Director's Series: Mira Nair With Bryce Dallas Howard during the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on April 20, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

HBO's "Moms Mabley: I Got Somethin' To Tell You" Premiere At Tribeca Film Festival

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 20: (L-R) Robert De Niro, Whoopi Goldberg, Grace Hightower and Tom Leonardis attend HBO's 'Moms Mabley: I Got Somethin' To Tell You' premiere at Tribeca Film Festival on April 20, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Donald Bowers/Getty Images for HBO)

HBO's "Moms Mabley: I Got Somethin' To Tell You" Premiere At Tribeca Film Festival

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 20: (L-R) Tom Leonardis, Grace Hightower, Whoopi Goldberg and Robert De Niro attend HBO's 'Moms Mabley: I Got Somethin' To Tell You' premiere at Tribeca Film Festival on April 20, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Donald Bowers/Getty Images for HBO)

Tribeca Film Festival 2013 After Party "Trust Me" Sponsored By Ciroc

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 20: Director Clark Gregg attends the Tribeca Film Festival 2013 after party for 'Trust Me' sponsored by Ciroc on April 20, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for 2013 Tribeca Film Festival)

Tribeca Film Festival After Party 2013 "The Pretty One" Sponsored By BR Guest

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 20: Dan Stevens attends the Tribeca Film Festival after party 2013 for 'The Pretty One' sponsored by BR Guest on April 20, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for 2013 Tribeca Film Festival)

Tribeca Film Festival After Party 2013 "The Pretty One" Sponsored By BR Guest

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 20: Zoe Kazan attends the Tribeca Film Festival after party 2013 for 'The Pretty One' sponsored by BR Guest on April 20, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for 2013 Tribeca Film Festival)

Tribeca Film Festival After Party 2013 "The Pretty One" Sponsored By BR Guest

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 20: Actor Frankie Shaw attends the Tribeca Film Festival after party 2013 for 'The Pretty One' sponsored by BR Guest on April 20, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for 2013 Tribeca Film Festival)

Tribeca Film Festival 2013 Portrait Studio - Day 3

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 21: Actor Will Forte of the film Run and Jump poses at the Tribeca Film Festival 2013 portrait studio on April 21, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)

Tribeca Film Festival 2013 Portrait Studio - Day 3

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 21: Actors Will Forte, Maxine Peake, and Edward MacLiam pose with Director Steph Green of the film Run and Jump at the Tribeca Film Festival 2013 portrait studio on April 21, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)

Tribeca Film Festival 2013 Portrait Studio - Day 3

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 21: Michael Chen, Alex Wolff and Katie Chang, actors in the film A Birder's Guide To Everything pose at the Tribeca Film Festival 2013 portrait studio on April 21, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)

Tribeca Film Festival 2013 Portrait Studio - Day 3

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 21: Director Rob Meyer and screenwriter Luke Matheny of the film A Birder's Guide To Everything pose at the Tribeca Film Festival 2013 portrait studio on April 21, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)

"Some Velvet Morning" World Premiere - 2013 Tribeca Film Festival

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 21: Actress Alice Eve attends the 'Some Velvet Morning' World Premiere during the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on April 21, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)

"Some Velvet Morning" World Premiere - 2013 Tribeca Film Festival

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 21: Filmmaker Neil LaBute and actress Alice Eve attend the 'Some Velvet Morning' World Premiere during the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on April 21, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)

"Gasland Part II" World Premiere - 2013 Tribeca Film Festival

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 21: Director Josh Fox attends 'Gasland Part II' World Premiere at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on April 21, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)

"Gasland Part II" World Premiere - 2013 Tribeca Film Festival

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 21: Yoko Ono (C) and Josh Fox (R) attend 'Gasland Part II' World Premiere at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on April 21, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)

"The Director" World Premiere - 2013 Tribeca Film Festival

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 21: Actor/producer James Franco attends 'The Director' World Premiere during the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on April 21, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)

"The Director" World Premiere - 2013 Tribeca Film Festival

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 21: Director Christina Voros and producer/actor James Franco attend 'The Director' World Premiere during the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on April 21, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)

Padma Lakshmi

Padma Lakshmi attends the premiere of "Sunlight Jr." during the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on Saturday, April 20, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Naomi Watts, Matt Dillon

Naomi Watts and Matt Dillon attend the premiere of "Sunlight Jr." during the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on Saturday, April 20, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Jennifer Grey, Joel Grey

Jennifer Grey and Joel Grey attend the premiere of "Trust Me" during the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on Saturday, April 20, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Norman Reedus

Norman Reedus attends the premiere of "Sunlight Jr." during the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on Saturday, April 20, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Robert De Niro, Liza Minnelli

Liza Minnelli and Robert De Niro attend the premiere of "Mistaken For Strangers" during the opening night of the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on Wednesday April 17, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Richard Belzer

Richard Belzer attends the premiere of "Mistaken For Strangers" during the opening night of the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on Wednesday April 17, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Ari Graynor

Ari Graynor attends the premiere of "Mistaken for Strangers" during the opening night of the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on Wednesday April 17, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Matt Berninger, Tom Berninger, Carin Besser

Tom Berninger, from left, Carin Besser and Matt Berninger attend the premiere of "Mistaken for Strangers" during the opening night of the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on Wednesday April 17, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Josh Radnor

Josh Radnor attends the premiere of "Mistaken for Strangers" during the opening night of the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on Wednesday April 17, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Riley Keough

Riley Keough attends the premiere of "Mistaken For Strangers" during the opening night of the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on Wednesday April 17, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Josh Lucas, Jessica Henriquez

Josh Lucas, right, and Jessica Henriquez attend the premiere of "Mistaken For Strangers" during the opening night of the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on Wednesday April 17, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Mira Sorvino

Mira Sorvino attends the premiere of "Mistaken For Strangers" during the opening night of the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on Wednesday April 17, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Tribeca Film Festival Opening Night Co-Sponsored By American Express

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 17: Deborah Curtis, Vice President, Entertainment Marketing and Sponsorships, American Express, director Tom Berninger (C), Rich Lehrfeld (2nd R) and The National attend Tribeca Film Festival Opening Night co-sponsored by American Express on April 17, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for American Express)

2013 Tribeca Film Festival Opening Night After Party For "Mistaken For Strangers" Sponsored By American Express

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 17: Kenneth Lonergan and Jay Smith Cameron attend the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival opening night after party for 'Mistaken For Strangers' sponsored by American Express on April 17, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for 2013 Tribeca Film Festival)

Tribeca Film Festival Opening Night Co-Sponsored By American Express

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 17: A general view of atmosphere at the Tribeca Film Festival Opening Night co-sponsored by American Express on April 17, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for American Express)

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/28/king-of-comedy-tribeca_n_3172426.html

blue ivy carter meteorite lebron james NASA asteroid cruise ship Asteroid 2012 DA14

Kenya's new cellphone money model could disrupt global banking ...

By Agence France-Presse
Sunday, April 28, 2013 17:17 EDT

?

AFP -?Six months ago, Jane Adhiambo Achieng walked into a local Kenyan bank with the hope of getting a loan for her small grocery business.

After providing all the paperwork and after weeks of back and forth between her and bank officials, she was turned down.

?They just told me I don?t qualify. My income was too little,? said 42-year-old Achieng, who was asking for some $250 ? about half her monthly turnover ? to expand her fruit and vegetable stall in the Kenyan capital.

But in early March, she applied for the same amount through a different source ? and got the money in a matter of minutes.

She credits the Kenyan mobile telephone money application called M-Shwari that lent her the cash for facilitating the growth of her business.

M-Shwari is a new banking platform that allows subscribers of Kenya?s biggest mobile network, Safaricom, to operate savings accounts, earn interest on deposits, and borrow money using their mobile phones.

It expands on Kenya?s revolutionary use of sending money by mobile phone ? known as M-Pesa, ?mobile money? in Swahili ? launched in 2007 and now widely used across the east African nation, where some 70 percent of people have mobile phones.

With a minimum transfer of cash set at five shillings ? around five US cents ? the application revolutionised day-to-day banking for millions left out of the formal system, and is used for transactions ranging from sending money to far-away relatives to paying utility bills or even school fees.

Now it is hoped the new M-Shwari application ? meaning ?no hassle? ? can do the same for savers and borrowers.

?We have always been thinking of how to move M-Pesa forward. We knew there was a boundary to be broken and the next frontier was to be reached,? said Nzioka Muita, communications manager at Safaricom, which owns both the M-Pesa and M-Shwari systems.

Through this platform, Safaricom says clients can open a bank account, move money in and out of their savings accounts, and access instant micro-credit of a minimum of 100 Kenyan shillings ? slightly more than a dollar ? at any time, all through the mobile phone application.

While loans must be repaid within a month, a single fee of 7.5 percent is charged, a far lower interest rate than high-street banks. Maximum loans depend on how much clients have in their M-Shwari accounts.

The mobile banking application has been so successful that on its first day of operations late last year, more than 70,000 new accounts were opened.

?Up to this point in time, no one in the formal banking sector had thought of implementing such an idea,? said Tiberius Barasa, an economic expert with Kenya?s Institute of Policy Research and Analysis.

?I am sure that a few bank managers are looking at M-Shwari steadily to see if it is a potential threat to their business.?

At least 12 million Kenyans remain outside the formal banking system, according to central bank estimates.

Safaricom controls about 70 percent of the Kenya mobile-phone market, translating to some 19 million subscribers. Of those, some 15 million are already M-Pesa users, a customer base rivalling any banking institution.

On its own, M-Pesa transactions account for more than $50 million (38 million euros) every day in Kenya.

?This is a huge head start for the company,? Barasa said.

M-Shwari was launched in partnership with one of Kenya?s privately owned banks, the Commercial Bank of Africa (CBA), a deal that could see it boost its slice of the banking sector of east Africa?s largest economy.

The family of newly elected President Uhuru Kenyatta hold the major stake in CBA, which provides the banking infrastructure for M-Shwari.

Currently, even with its slightly over $1 billion asset base, it is still some distance away from east Africa?s largest banks, such as Equity Bank, Cooperative Bank and the Kenya Commercial Bank.

?In a matter of years, through the sheer volume of transactions that they will be handling on a daily basis, CBA may become a banking powerhouse in the region,? Barasa said.

Policy analysts believe that the biggest winners from the M-Shwari service will be those in the market previously thought unbankable, due to its meagre savings and individuals located in remote, inaccessible parts of the country.

?This will greatly change our lives. You can access credit from any part of the country,? Abbas Godana, a school teacher in Kenya?s remote eastern Tana River district, told AFP.

?You do not have to travel for miles to your bank just to complete some paperwork and wait for the manager to approve the loan.?

Godana?s village, Cha Mwana Muma, is some 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the nearest shopping centre in which his bank operates a branch ? which, in the impoverished coastal area, where roads are virtually nonexistent, can take a whole day to travel.

In February this year, three months after its launch, transactions on M-Shwari crossed the $35-million mark, with 1.6 million customers having used the service for deposits or loans.

M-Shwari was not the first: telecommunications company Bharti Airtel, an Indian-owned firm, launched a similar product last year known as Kopa Chapaa ? Swahili for ?borrow money? ? but the product has not had as much impact.

Smaller micro-credit loan companies have also set up similar schemes.

But ?Safaricom has the numbers,? Barasa said. ?All they need to do is ensure that whatever they come up with resonates with the majority of their subscribers.?

?

?

?

?

?

Source: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/04/28/kenyas-new-cellphone-money-model-could-disrupt-global-banking-industry/

invincible jesse jackson whitney houston funeral video tyler perry whitney houston r kelly r. kelly macular degeneration

Ghitis: How strong, really, is America? (CNN)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/301380711?client_source=feed&format=rss

Kanye West sex tape emmys emmys torrey smith torrey smith oakland raiders Jessica Lange

Car bomb targets French Embassy in Libya

Police tape closes the site of a car bomb that targeted the French embassy wounding two French guards and causing extensive material damage in Tripoli, Libya, Tuesday, April 23, 2013. The explosives-laden car was detonated just outside the embassy building in Tripoli's upscale al-Andalus neighborhood, officials said. (AP Photo/Abdul Majeed Forjani)

Police tape closes the site of a car bomb that targeted the French embassy wounding two French guards and causing extensive material damage in Tripoli, Libya, Tuesday, April 23, 2013. The explosives-laden car was detonated just outside the embassy building in Tripoli's upscale al-Andalus neighborhood, officials said. (AP Photo/Abdul Majeed Forjani)

Security personnel inspect the site of a car bomb that targeted the French embassy wounding two French guards and causing extensive material damage in Tripoli, Libya, Tuesday, April 23, 2013. An explosives-laden car was detonated just outside the embassy building in Tripoli's upscale al-Andalus neighborhood, officials said. (AP Photo/Abdul Majeed Forjani)

Security personnel and journalists inspect the site of a car bomb that targeted the French embassy wounding two French guards and causing extensive material damage in Tripoli, Libya, Tuesday, April 23, 2013. The explosives-laden car was detonated just outside the embassy building in Tripoli's upscale al-Andalus neighborhood, officials said. (AP Photo/Abdul Majeed Forjani)

A security officer using a sniffer dog inspects the site of a car bomb that targeted the French embassy wounding two French guards and causing extensive material damage in Tripoli, Libya, Tuesday, April 23, 2013. The explosives-laden car was detonated just outside the embassy building in Tripoli's upscale al-Andalus neighborhood, officials said. (AP Photo/Abdul Majeed Forjani)

Damaged cars are seen at the site of a car bomb that targeted the French embassy wounding two French guards and causing extensive material damage in Tripoli, Libya, Tuesday, April 23, 2013. An explosives-laden car was detonated just outside the embassy building in Tripoli's upscale al-Andalus neighborhood, officials said. (AP Photo/Abdul Majeed Forjani)

TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) ? A car bomb targeted the French Embassy in the Libyan capital early Tuesday, wounding two French guards and a Libyan teenager in an attack that President Francois Hollande denounced as an assault not only on France but all countries engaged in the fight against terrorism.

Two years after the country's civil war, Libya is struggling to maintain security, build a unified army and reining in militias, which include rebels who fought to oust the country's longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.

It was the first such assault on an embassy in the Libyan capital. On Sept. 11, four Americans ? including the U.S. Ambassador in Libya Chris Stevens ? were killed when militants attacked the U.S. diplomatic mission on the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi.

Terrorists with al-Qaida's North Africa branch, Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM, are believed to have played a key role in the Benghazi attack. But no group has claimed responsibility for the attack on the French Embassy in Tripoli.

Last week, AQIM, threatened to seek revenge against all countries taking part in the French-led war in Mali, warning that no one who "participated in this ferocious attack" will be safe. It called on "all Muslims to target France and its interests and subjects inside and outside France until it withdraws the last soldier from the land of the Muslims and lifts its support of rulers of the region." That threat came as part of a question and answer session on AQIM's new Twitter account.

French officials have expressed concerns about the possibility of greater instability in Libya, where they believe at least some rebel fighters from Mali fled following France's military onslaught to dislodge al-Qaida-linked militants who controlled the vast north of the West African country for months.

Also, in the post-Gadhafi turmoil in Libya, several diplomats, relief agencies and churches have come under attack and scores of Libyan security officials have been assassinated. In most cases, the government fails to nail down culprits or make arrests, either because of fear of counterattacks or the lack of capabilities to carry out a proper investigation.

In the latest attack, the explosives-laden car was detonated just outside the embassy building in Tripoli's upscale al-Andalus neighborhood early in the morning, before any of the embassy staff had arrived inside the diplomatic mission, two Libyan security officials said.

The strong explosion wounded two French guards and set off a fire at the embassy entrance that engulfed some of the offices inside, the officials said. A Libyan girl in her teens, who was in a nearby house, was also hurt from the blast.

Two cars parked outside the embassy caught fire and two other nearby buildings were also damaged, said the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. Firefighters rushed to the scene of the attack as smoke billowed into the sky. Video from the scene showed charred walls on surrounding houses.

The officials said the motives for the attack were not immediately clear. The Libyan government condemned the attack and said in a statement posted on its official website that it "rejects such actions, which are directly targeting Libya's security and stability."

In Paris, President Hollande denounced the attack, saying in a statement that it targeted not only France but "all countries in the international community engaged in fighting terrorism."

"France expects the Libyan authorities to shed the fullest light on this unacceptable act, so that the perpetrators are identified and brought to justice," Hollande added.

At Hollande's request, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius was to travel to Tripoli later Tuesday to assess the situation and bring home the two wounded French guards.

Ahead of his flight, Fabius said "this bombing was intended to kill, but France will not bend." He added that France was reinforcing security throughout the Mideast and the Sahel region of Africa.

Earlier, Fabius called the bombing an "abhorrent act," and said that the foreign ministry was "in liaison with the Libyan authorities" and that France will "do everything it can to shed light on the circumstances."

French institutions in Tripoli, including schools and cultural centers, were ordered to immediately suspend their activities.

France, along with Britain, took a leading role in the NATO-led air campaign against Gadhafi's forces.

Hollande's predecessor, President Nicolas Sarkozy, was hailed by many in Libya for France's role, and Paris has sought to maintain close economic and political contacts with the new leadership in Tripoli.

The war left Libya awash in weapons, adding to the country's security challenges. An expert panel wrote to the U.N. Security Council this month warning that "Libya has over the past two years become a significant and attractive source of weaponry in the region."

It said civilians and militias remain in control of most weapons in Libya, adding that "the lack of an effective security system remains one of the primary obstacles to securing military materiel and controlling the borders."

The two Libyan security officials said that one of the wounded guards sustained severe injuries while the other was lightly hurt, adding that an investigation into the attack was underway.

The attack site was later cordoned off, with heavy national guard and army units with armored vehicles surrounding the area. Libyan Deputy Prime Minister Awad al-Barassi and Foreign Minister Mohamed Abdelaziz visited the site.

In his official Facebook page, al-Barassi said that the explosion wounded a girl from the neighborhood while she was having breakfast in her house.

Libyan Saqr al-Qarifi, whose house is adjacent to the French Embassy, said the explosion woke him up around 7 a.m.

"I heard a loud boom and immediately after that, windows were shattered and parts of my house were damaged," he said. He recounted seeing less security troops around the embassy lately.

"It struck me over the past days that the guards had vanished from the vicinity of the embassy," he said. "I was wondering how come they leave the French Embassy with no security."

__

Associated Press writers Maamoun Youssef and Maggie Michael in Cairo and Thomas Adamson in Paris contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-04-23-Libya/id-07c4d14c43104293945eb345a18b405a

Allison Schmitt Olympic Schedule Kyla Ross Montenegro Olympic Games Dana Vollmer Ryan Dempster

Obama invites all women senators to dinner Tuesday

By Gregory Blachier MONTE CARLO, April 21 (Reuters) - Rafael Nadal admitted he is still trying to recapture his best form but remained optimistic for the French Open after losing his Monte Carlo crown to Novak Djokovic on Sunday. Nadal, who returned to action in March after seven months out with injury, went down 6-2 7-6 to the Serbian world number one, ending his eight-year reign on the principality's clay. "I need to put in a little bit more physical performance," the Spaniard told a news conference. "That's the real thing - to play all the points with the same intensity. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/obama-invites-women-senators-dinner-tuesday-221605341--politics.html

mike wallace mike wallace Paul Bearer Valerie Harper brandi glanville White Smoke Barcelona

Kebede wins London Marathon amid tight security

LONDON (AP) ? Tsegaye Kebede claimed a second London Marathon title on Sunday, cheered through the streets by thousands of spectators reassured by enhanced security at the first major race since the twin bombings at the Boston event.

A race that started with tributes to the Boston victims with a moment of silence ended with a thrilling conclusion under clear blue skies.

With a black ribbon pinned to his chest, Kebede chased down Emmanuel Mutai in the closing stages, and overtook the tiring Kenyan to cross the line first in front of Buckingham Palace.

Kebede clocked 2 hours, 6 minutes and 15 seconds to emulate his 2010 triumph in London, while compatriot Ayele Abshero was third.

The victory in the British capital came after Kebede was denied a shot at glory here at the Olympics last year after being overlooked by Ethiopian selectors.

The women's race saw Olympic silver medalist Priscah Jeptoo go one better in the annual London race.

The Kenyan cruised over the line in 2:20:15 seconds, the fastest time this year, ahead of compatriot Edna Kiplagat, while Yukiko Akaba of Japan was third.

"Today I'm very, very happy, I couldn't believe I could be the winner," Jeptoo told the BBC. "It is a very tough race because everybody who comes here is really prepared."

It was a miserable day for Olympic champion Tiki Gelana, who finished 16th after seeing her hopes thwarted by a collision about a third of the way in.

The Ethiopian collided with Canadian wheelchair racer Josh Cassidy as she went to get a drink.

"Every year we come to overtake the women, there's 10 chairs going at 20 mph and the poor women are scrambling to find their feet," said Cassidy, who finished 20th. "I have a brand new $2,000 pair of wheels that are damaged, who's going to pay for them? Things have to change."

It was the one blot on a day marked by the defiance of athletes and spectators in the bright London sunshine in a difficult week for the athletics community.

The specter of the bombings near to the Boston Marathon finish line, which killed three people and injured more than 180, loomed in London.

And it was apt that Tatyana McFadden, who won the wheelchair race in Boston just before the explosions, shrugged off security concerns in London to win her second title in a week.

London organizers pledged to donate 2 pounds ($3) for every finisher to The One Fund Boston set up to raise money for the bomb victims.

Before a minute's silence at the start of the marathon, event commentator Geoff Wightman urged athletes to "remember our friends and colleagues for whom a day of joy turned into a day of sadness."

Prince Harry mingled with the crowds and said he had never thought about canceling his visit following the bombings.

"It's fantastic, typically British," he said. "People are saying they haven't seen crowds like this for eight years around the route. It's remarkable to see."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kebede-wins-london-marathon-amid-tight-security-112244397--spt.html

brad pitt and angelina jolie brad and angelina herniated disc luke scott tom benson royals nicole richie

FAA furloughs starts, so do airport delays

Commercial airline flights started backing up and delayed some travelers Monday, a day after air traffic controllers started going on furlough because of government spending cuts.

Information from the FAA and others showed that flying Sunday was largely uneventful, with most flights on time. There were delays in parts of Florida, but those were caused by thunderstorms.

Mark Duell at the flight tracking website FlightAware said that John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia airports in New York indicated delays due to lower staffing starting late Sunday evening. The FAA website said that flights from Philadelphia and Orlando, Fla., into John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia and Westchester County airports were delayed due to staffing issues.

The trade group Airlines for America, which represents the airlines and had predicted a big traffic snarl, said Sunday evening that it was "not seeing a significant impact at this point." A spokeswoman said the group would continue to monitor the situation, and urged flyers to stay in contact with their airlines.

Delays were also affecting travelers in Los Angeles. The FAA said late Sunday night that staffing cuts were causing delays averaging more than three hours for flights arriving at Los Angeles International Airport. The agency did not say how many flights were affected.

Airport spokesman Marshall Lowe said about 70 flights had delays of about an hour or more Sunday, but he could not say what role the staffing cuts played in the delays.

The FAA said that "relatively good weather" and light traffic, which is typical of Sundays, helped keep delays in check. The agency said it would be working with airlines "to minimize the delay impacts of lower staffing" as the busy summer travel season approaches.

Government budget cuts that kicked in last month are forcing the FAA and other agencies to cut their spending. FAA officials have said they have no choice but to furlough all 47,000 agency employees, including nearly 15,000 controllers. Each employee will lose one day of work every other week. The FAA has said that planes will have to take off and land less frequently, so as not to overload the remaining controllers on duty.

Airline trade groups and the country's biggest pilots union sued the FAA on Friday to try to stop the furloughs. They predicted that the furloughs would delay or cancel flights for as many as one out of every three airline passengers across the country. Airlines have also directed their customers to tell the FAA to find other ways to cut costs.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/faa-furloughs-kick-flight-delays-000559405.html

Walking Dead Season 3 smash Richard III Superbowl Commercials 2013 Grammy nominations 2013 Lynsi Torres Fall Out Boy

Kids and Teens with Autism Vulnerable to Video Game Addiction ...

Parents and autism therapists have long noticed that many children and teens with autism become deeply engaged with video games and other forms of screen-based media. Indeed, many therapists and ?app? makers design autism-friendly video games around this tendency.

Two new studies suggest that caution may be warranted.

"We found that children with ASD spent much more time playing video games than typically developing children, and they are much more likely to develop problematic or addictive patterns of video game play," says University of Missouri psychologist Micah Mazurek, Ph.D.

The lead author of both studies, Dr. Mazurek is a co-investigator at the university?s Thompson Center, one of 17 sites in Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network.

In one study, Dr. Mazurek looked at time spent on TV, video games and social media in children ages 8 to 18. She compared the habits of 202 participants with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to those of 170 typically developing siblings. Those with ASD spent over 60 percent more time playing video games and watching TV than all non-screen activities combined. Boys with autism spent an average of 2.4 hours a day playing video games. Girls with autism spent an average of 1.8 hours. By contrast, their typically developing brothers spent 1.6 hours playing video games; the sisters, less than an hour. The children with autism spent relatively little time using social media.

Participants also completed the "Problem Video Game Playing Test," which assesses behavioral addiction to video games. Compared to their typically developing siblings, the children and teens with autism had higher levels of problematic, or addictive, video game use. Related behaviors include getting angry when interrupted from games, having trouble stopping game play when necessary and generally spending more time with games than with friends and family.

?Parents need to be aware that, although video games are especially reinforcing for children with ASD, children with ASD may have problems disengaging from these games," Dr. Mazurek says.

In another study, Dr. Mazurek tracked the behavior of 169 boys with ASD. She found an association between excessive video game use and increased oppositional behaviors. Such behaviors include arguing, refusing to follow directions and aggression. However, an association does not prove that one causes the other, Dr. Mazurek cautions. She plans to pursue further study to clarify her findings.

On the positive side, video games show promise for helping individuals with ASD overcome social and communication challenges. ?Using screen-based technologies, communication and social skills could be taught and reinforced right away," Dr. Mazurek says. "However, more research is needed to determine whether the skills children with ASD might learn in virtual reality environments would translate into actual social interactions."

?Video games can be useful for teaching social skills and other behaviors,? agrees Autism Speaks Senior Vice President for Scientific Affairs, Andy Shih, Ph.D. ?But we need to be sure that technology use is balanced with experience in the real world.??

Source: http://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science-news/kids-and-teens-autism-vulnerable-video-game-addiction

orcl the hartford illinois primary 2012 michael bay zsa zsa gabor illinois primary trayvon martin 911 call

Chinese Gaming Publisher Yodo1 Raises $5M In Round Led By ...

Yodo1, a Beijing-based company that works intensively with Western game developers to bring their titles to the Chinese market, raised $5 million from SingTel Innov8, the corporate venture arm of a mobile carrier. An earlier investor, Changyou Fund, also participated in the round.

Yodo1 has a co-production model where they actually get access to the code base of a Western developers? game. They modify the graphics, virtual goods and music for local Chinese tastes.

An example CEO Henry Fong points to is Ski Safari, a game from Brisbane, Australia?s Defiant Development. In the platformer title, a character races up and down ski slopes (kind of like last year?s indie hit Tiny Wings out of Germany). For the Chinese version, they made the architecture of the houses in the background more Chinese, added a zither to the music and put in terra cotta warrior outfits.

?We?re a full blown co-production team,? Fong said in an interview a few weeks ago at San Francisco?s Game Developer Conference. ?We deeply culturalize the game.?

Yodo1 says it now has 25 million monthly actives in China for games that it co-produces, including XMG?s Powder Monkeys, HandyGames? Clouds & Sheep, and Robot Entertainment?s Hero Academy. The company is also adding five to six million new players each month, and daily actives and revenue are doubling month-over-month.

That reach comes at a time when the Chinese smartphone market is finally reaching maturity. Mobile analytics startup Flurry said February was the month when China finally passed the U.S. in terms of the number of active Android and iOS devices.

At the same time, local payment options are getting better. In late 2011, Apple added local bank card payments, which cut down on fraud dramatically. Fong also said that the country?s three major carriers, China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom, did a re-start with local carrier billing that made it easier for mobile developers to monetize their users. A rival, CocoaChina, which does both first-party games and publishing, said it expects to see a mobile game do between $10 million and 15 million in revenue per month in China this year.

Fong chose SingTel as a lead for strategic reasons. The parent company of the fund has about 450 million mobile subscribers across Southeast Asia, which makes for a nice potential base of future customers.

Here?s a presentation he recently did on how to break into the Chinese market, and its unique distribution and monetization hurdles:

Yodo1 is a service that provides game developers with the opportunity to enter the China market. Yodo1 helps developers deal with the logistics of payment methods, advertisements, and analytic techniques to help them successfully adapt to the market. Yodo1 helps developers distribute their mobile applications through official stores to replace pirated versions.

? Learn more

Source: http://techcrunch.com/2013/04/17/yodo1/

mary j blige burger king islands 2013 nissan altima masters par 3 contest google augmented reality glasses wonderlic test texas tornado

Scots vote, replacement debate challenge British nuclear deterrent

By Peter Apps, Political Risk correspondent

FASLANE (Reuters) - Outside Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde, campaigners who have fought for decades for Britain to abandon nuclear weapons believe that they are closer than ever to victory.

In the 1980s, then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher brushed aside the protesters, saying that in the Cold War, atomic arms made the world a safer place.

Now, groups such as the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament believe their time has come. The referendum on Scottish independence and the looming retirement of the current Trident system herald change, they say.

The handful of activists who stay overnight in a camp of brightly-painted caravans and peace signs believe that Faslane's ballistic missile submarines will be the last of their kind.

"I think we do have a chance now," said activist Angus Chalmers. "Everything is coming together. It's possible to make the case we don't need these weapons in a way that just wasn't possible during the Cold War."

The Scottish Nationalist Party government that runs Scotland's devolved government say the nuclear weapons must go if they win the September 2014 referendum on independence.

Prime Minister David Cameron visited Faslane this month to argue a vote for independence could jeopardise British and Scottish security. The confrontation with North Korea showed that deterrent was as vital as ever, he said.

But that will not be the end of the battle. The British government has already extended the life of the current four Trident submarines towards 2030 and is spending 1.5 billion pounds already on preliminary design work for their successors.

A final decision will be made after the 2015 election, with the Defence Ministry estimating the cost of replacement at around 20 billion-25 billion pounds.

Opponents say money could be better spent elsewhere - it is enough to hire 120,000 new nurses a year for a decade.

Public opinion may be shifting. A 2009 Guardian/ICM poll showed for the first time most of those surveyed favouring outright nuclear disarmament over replacement.

"If the next British government decides that Britain is to remain a nuclear weapons state, it must be prepared to face - and defeat - the most articulate and agile single issue opposition it has ever faced," ballistic missile submarine captain Cmdr Andy Corbett told a panel at London's Royal United Services Institute last year. "It needs to be preparing now."

The United States, current and former officials said, is extremely keen Britain remains a nuclear power.

They have the closest co-operation of any two nuclear-armed states, with considerable shared planning and research and with London effectively leasing the U.S.-built Trident missiles.

DEPENDING ON SCOTLAND

Those in the immediate area are worried. Thousands were thrown out of work when the U.S. Navy abandoned its Scottish ballistic missile submarine base at nearby Holy Loch.

The Defence Ministry says it is not carrying out any contingency planning for Scottish independence as ministers believe the union will continue.

Ironically, it was the unpopularity of Thatcher's government in Scotland - as well as Tony Blair's Labour administration - that opened the door to the SNP and next year's referendum.

For now, opinion polls suggest the pro-independence camp will lose - although with up to a fifth of the electorate undecided, those on both sides say things could change.

What is clear is that in its current form - four submarines, one always at sea carrying eight missiles and 40 warheads - the British deterrent relies almost completely on its Scottish base.

While the warheads themselves are assembled in England at the Atomic Weapons Establishment in Aldermasten, Faslane is the only facility capable of handling the nuclear-armed submarines.

The two most promising alternate locations, experts say, would be Milford Haven in Wales or the existing naval dockyard at Devonport, Plymouth. But both come with problems.

If Scotland were to vote to leave the United Kingdom, moving the deterrent to Wales, which also has a vocal nationalist movement, might seem risky.

Devonport, meanwhile, stands at the centre of a densely populated area that would make any nuclear accident potentially harmful to many more people.

"Everyone in London is just hoping the referendum doesn't see a victory for the "yes" vote," says Mark Fitzpatrick, a former senior U.S. official specialising in nuclear issues and now a senior analyst at London's International Institute for Strategic Studies.

"It would be hugely difficult for what was left of the rump United Kingdom if Scotland left."

Anxious to rebuff talk of many job losses, the SNP says Faslane would remain a military centre of an independent Scotland, home to a navy of patrol boats and a handful of larger craft.

Cutting a deal on the nuclear deterrent would almost certainly be a part of negotiations between London and Edinburgh on dividing military resources. Some suggest Faslane could remain a "sovereign base" still under London's control.

"The issue of Trident is a totemic one in Scottish politics," said Angus Robertson, SNP leader in the Westminster parliament and its spokesman on defence issues. "We would want it gone."

The Defence Ministry says that if Britain is to retain a permanent nuclear deterrent, Trident replacement offers by far the best value for money.

Other potential solutions - fewer submarines, using low flying cruise instead of ballistic missiles - would be much less resilient and could be destroyed much more easily.

The ruling Conservative party says it is committed to replacing Trident with a similar submarine-based ballistic missile system. Junior coalition partners the Lib Dems, however, have long been opposed and are conducting their own study into potential alternatives.

The opposition Labour Party, which most opinion polls suggest will win or at least emerge as the largest single party after the next election, remains divided. The party's support for unilateral disarmament at the height of the Cold War is seen contributing hugely to its electoral defeats and it is seen likely to back a submarine missile system.

"Prime ministers do not want to take the decision to be the person to give up our deterrent," said Sir Richard Mottram, former permanent secretary in the British civil service.

"They worry that in 2050, something horrible will have happened and they will be the person who goes down in history as responsible."

(Reporting By Peter Apps; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/scots-vote-replacement-debate-challenge-british-nuclear-deterrent-145528293.html

irs forms kevin hart oklahoma city bombing Audrie Pott Bombing In Boston Rebel Wilson Patriots Day

Research finds invasive kudzu bugs may pose greater threat than previously thought

Research finds invasive kudzu bugs may pose greater threat than previously thought

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

The invasive kudzu bug has the potential to be a major agricultural pest, causing significant damage to economically important soybean crops. Conventional wisdom has held that the insect pests will be limited to areas in the southern United States, but new research from North Carolina State University shows that they may be able to expand into other parts of the country.

Kudzu bugs (Megacopta cribraria) are native to Asia, and were first detected in the U.S. in Georgia in 2009. They have since expanded their territory as far north as Virginia. The bugs have an interesting life cycle, which has been thought to be a limiting factor on far they can spread.

Eggs laid in the spring hatch into a first generation, which we'll call "Generation A." The immature bugs of Generation A normally feed on kudzu plants until they reach adulthood, when they have been known to move into commercial soybean fields. These mature adults lay eggs that hatch into Generation B during the summer months. Generation B kudzu bugs can feed on soybean crops during both their immature and adult life stages, causing significant crop damage.

Because the immature Generation A kudzu bugs have only been seen to feed on kudzu, researchers thought that the pest would not be able to migrate to northern and western parts of the United States, where kudzu doesn't grow. But now it's not so clear.

Under controlled conditions in a greenhouse laboratory, researchers at NC State found that immature Generation A kudzu bugs were not limited to feeding on kudzu ? they were able to feed exclusively on soybeans, reach maturity and reproduce.

"Researchers began seeing some of this behavior in the wild in 2012 and, while those data aren't quite ready for publication, our lab work and the field observations indicate that kudzu bugs are potentially capable of spreading into any part of the U.S. where soybeans are grown. And soybeans are grown almost everywhere," says Dr. Dominic Reisig, an assistant professor of entomology at NC State and co-author of a paper on the research. "It also means that both annual generations of kudzu bugs could attack soybean crops in areas where the bug is already established, which would double the impact on farmers."

###

The paper, "First-Generation Megacopta cribraria (Hemiptera: Plataspidae) Can Develop on Soybeans," is a "rapid communication" article in the April issue of the Journal of Economic Entomology. Lead author of the paper is NC State doctoral student Alejandro Del Pozo-Valdivia. The research was supported by the United Soybean Board and the North Carolina Soybean Producers Association.

North Carolina State University: http://www.ncsu.edu

Thanks to North Carolina State University for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 11 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127756/Research_finds_invasive_kudzu_bugs_may_pose_greater_threat_than_previously_thought

jon jones vs rashad evans earth day 2012 jon jones rashad evans ufc jones vs evans watergate pregnant man outside lands 2012 lineup

E.J. Johnson Addresses Sexuality, Support from Father, Internet Hates

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/04/ej-johnson-addresses-sexuality-support-from-father-internet-hate/

mardi gras 2012 the secret world of arrietty cee lo allen iverson jr smith chris anderson rondo suspended

China eyes ConocoPhillips' Kashagan stake-Kazakh minister

Apr 15 (Reuters) - Leading money winners on the 2013 PGATour on Monday (U.S. unless stated): 1. Tiger Woods $4,139,600 2. Brandt Snedeker $3,137,920 3. Matt Kuchar $2,442,389 4. Adam Scott (Australia) $2,100,469 5. Steve Stricker $1,935,340 6. Phil Mickelson $1,764,680 7. Dustin Johnson $1,748,907 8. Jason Day $1,659,565 9. Hunter Mahan $1,553,965 10. Keegan Bradley $1,430,347 11. Charles Howell III $1,393,806 12. John Merrick $1,375,757 13. Russell Henley $1,331,434 14. Michael Thompson $1,310,709 15. Kevin Streelman $1,310,343 16. Bill Haas $1,271,553 17. Billy Horschel $1,254,224 18. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/china-eyes-conocophillips-stake-kashagan-kazakh-minister-054339599--finance.html

Saanvi Venna vikings Colin Powell Tyrann Mathieu noaa Jessica Ridgeway ipad mini

Netherlands' Rijksmuseum opens to the public

Fireworks are seen during the official opening of the renovated Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Saturday April 13, 2013. The Rijksmuseum, home of Rembrandt's "The Night Watch" and other national treasures reopens its doors to the public after a decade-long renovation. The first day, Saturday April 13, admissions are free and the museum stays open until midnight. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Fireworks are seen during the official opening of the renovated Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Saturday April 13, 2013. The Rijksmuseum, home of Rembrandt's "The Night Watch" and other national treasures reopens its doors to the public after a decade-long renovation. The first day, Saturday April 13, admissions are free and the museum stays open until midnight. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Netherlands' Queen Beatrix admires the renovated Rijksmuseum as she arrives for the official opening in Amsterdam, Saturday April 13, 2013. The Rijksmuseum, home to Rembrandt's Night Watch and other national treasures reopens its doors to the public after a decade-long renovation. On the first day, Saturday April 13, admissions are free and the museum stays open till midnight. Queen Beatrix has announced she will relinquish the crown on April 30, 2013, after 33 years of reign, leaving the monarchy to her son Crown Prince Willem Alexander. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Fireworks are seen during the official opening of the renovated Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Saturday April 13, 2013. The Rijksmuseum, home of Rembrandt's "The Night Watch" and other national treasures reopens its doors to the public after a decade-long renovation. The first day, Saturday April 13, admissions are free and the museum stays open until midnight. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Dutch Queen Beatrix, center left, and museum director Wim Pijbes, center right, prepare to officially open the renovated Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Saturday April 13, 2013. The Rijksmuseum, home of Rembrandt's "The Night Watch" and other national treasures reopens its doors to the public after a decade-long renovation. The first day, Saturday April 13, admissions are free and the museum stays open until midnight. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Fireworks are seen during the official opening of the renovated Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Saturday April 13, 2013. The Rijksmuseum, home of Rembrandt's "The Night Watch" and other national treasures reopens its doors to the public after a decade-long renovation. The first day, Saturday April 13, admissions are free and the museum stays open until midnight. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

AMSTERDAM (AP) ? Amid brass bands and a daytime fireworks display, the Netherlands' Queen Beatrix on Saturday officially reopened the Rijksmuseum, the country's national museum, after a 10-year, 375 million euro ($480 million) renovation.

The museum houses the largest collection of treasures from the Netherlands' cultural history, including works painted by Dutch masters Jan Steen, Johannes Vermeer and Rembrandt van Rijn in the country's 17th-century Golden Age. Then the Netherlands was a major naval power and Amsterdam was one of the world's most influential and wealthy cities.

The renovation by Spanish architectural firm Cruz y Ortiz sought to bring light into the courtyards at the center of the 1885 brick structure, which resembles a fairytale castle. Meanwhile the museum's displays were completely redone to modern standards, with cultural items displayed alongside artwork from the same period ? and sometimes even directly related to the art or artist.

For instance, one room houses paintings portraying the June 1667 Raid on the Medway, a naval battle in which the Dutch defeated the English. The room centers on an intricate model of a ship from the period more than two meters (yards) long. It displays an actual sword and goblet once owned by the victorious Dutch Adm. Michiel de Ruyter.

And above one doorway hangs the actual metal stern-piece from the English flagship HMS Royal Charles, which features a lion and a unicorn. De Ruyter's forces towed the ship away during the battle, and then took it back to the Netherlands.

Only one of the 8,000 works in the Rijksmuseum's collection returns to its original display position: Rembrandt's "The Night Watch," widely considered his greatest masterpiece. It sits at the end of the museum's main gothic-style Gallery of Honor, acting as the symbolic altarpiece of a secular church.

That enormous canvas ? 4.35 meters wide and 3.79 meters high (14.86 x 12.43 feet) ? portrays a company of Amsterdam volunteer militiamen, rather than a religious work.

In honor of the opening by Queen Beatrix, who is the head of the Netherlands' ruling House of Orange, the museum has been outfitted with a large orange carpet leading to its new entrance. At an opening ceremony broadcast live on national television, museum Director Wim Pijbes handed the queen a ceremonial key to the museum.

Then the museum was opened to the public. It will remain open until midnight, free of charge. Tickets will normally cost 15 euros ($19).

The museum expects to welcome thousands of visitors Saturday, and up to 2 million visitors per year now that it is open again.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-04-13-Netherlands-Rijksmusuem/id-a2c151af754847acaac39233abd0ffd7

Little Things One Direction Bob Ross Hurricane Categories Hurricane Sandy new jersey atlantic city ocean city maryland

Euro zone to give Portugal, Ireland more time to repay loans: Dijsselbloem

CORK, Ireland (Reuters) - Euro zone finance ministers will probably agree on Friday to give Ireland and Portugal seven more years to repay loans from the European Union, a senior official said on Thursday.

"The intention is very positive," Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the chairman of the euro zone finance ministers, told a news conference. "I hope that we will be able to finalize that tomorrow," referring to the meeting of finance ministers on Friday in Dublin.

The extensions aim to ease the return to full market financing.

(Reporting by Conor Humphries; writing by Robin Emmott)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/euro-zone-portugal-ireland-more-time-repay-loans-130414303--business.html

victoria secret fashion show SEC Championship Rick Majerus Cotto vs Trout Robin Givens Gus Malzahn hyperemesis gravidarum

Price surge for tomatoes has Brazilians up in arms

A woman shops for tomatoes with her daughter at a supermarket in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, April 11, 2013. A longer-than-usual rainy season, high fuel prices and superheated demand have combined to send prices for the beloved vegetable soaring, and consumers are seeing red. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

A woman shops for tomatoes with her daughter at a supermarket in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, April 11, 2013. A longer-than-usual rainy season, high fuel prices and superheated demand have combined to send prices for the beloved vegetable soaring, and consumers are seeing red. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) ? The tomato has long been a near-obligatory garnishing for just about any Brazilian dish, yet it's becoming the country's apple of discord.

A longer-than-usual rainy season, high fuel prices and superheated demand have combined to send prices for the beloved food soaring, and consumers are seeing red.

Facebook pages have popped up for Brazilians to vent their anger, and some restaurants have even dropped tomato-based dishes from their menus. Opposition lawmakers pushed grocery carts laden with tomatoes and other pricey fruits and vegetables into the House of Representatives to complain about inflation, while people living near Brazil's southern border are crossing into Argentina and Paraguay to smuggle in tomatoes in defiance of customs laws.

The price of tomatoes has more than doubled over the past year, according to Brazil's IBGE statistics agency. A kilogram (2.2 pounds) now fetches as much as $6.50 at some Rio de Janeiro supermarkets ? a hefty sum in a country where the minimum wage is just $339 a month. While the price of a whole range of basic vegetables from carrots to cabbage to potatoes has risen steeply over the past year, only manioc flour, which saw a 140 percent price spike over the past 12 months, has risen more steeply than the tomato.

Clever cartoons and tongue-in-cheek photos on the "Tomatoes are very expensive" Facebook page cast them as a luxury, Brazil's newest status symbol. "Five star meal," reads the caption above a photo of a workaday lunch of breaded meat, rice and salad, crowned by two skimpy tomato slices. "Want to conquer her love? Give her this," says a cartoon featuring a shining gold band topped off with a pyramid of juicy red tomatoes.

According to a report in the newspaper O Globo, the online backlash started when an Italian restaurant in Sao Paulo announced that it was holding off on buying fresh tomatoes and suggested clients opt for spaghetti with shrimp sauce instead.

A segment on the Globo television network showed Brazilians stocking up on tomatoes at supermarkets across the border in Argentina. The piece ended with a stern admonishment from a Brazilian customs agent warning that crossing back into Brazil with such "contraband" could lead to its confiscation.

Vendors and buyers at an outdoor fruit and vegetable market in Rio's Flamengo neighborhood this week had tomatoes on the brain.

Chauffeur Otacilio Cavalcante sorted through a bin of mostly small and yellowish tomatoes, searching for the juiciest and reddest specimens for a special lunchtime treat.

"I've pretty much cut tomatoes out of my diet because at prices like these, who can afford then?" Cavalcante said with a shrug as he picked out four tomatoes destined for a salad. "I used to eat them all the time, but now they're a just for special occasions. It's crazy."

At $5 a kilogram, the small bin of tomatoes at vendor Adelina Dias stand garnered precious little attention.

"No one's buying, which is why I only stock half as much as I used to. What's the use if I'm just going to have to cart it away at the end of the day anyway," she said. "No one's buying tomatoes but they're all complaining about the prices. They're all crying like a bunch of babies."

While Brazil's economy grew just 0.9 percent last year, inflation has been steadily creeping up. In March, it hit a cumulated 6.6 percent over the past 12 months, the IBGE statistics agency reported Wednesday. The government had set 6.5 percent as its ceiling target for inflation for all of 2013.

Food is where many Brazilian consumers are feeling inflation the most. The price of the "cesta basica," the government-established basket of basic food products, went up in March in nearly all Brazilian state capitals.

In a media stunt aimed at scoring points with constituents up in arms over the rising cost of food, three opposition lawmakers wheeled shopping carts full of fruits and vegetables into the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

"Did you ever see such an expensive tomato," one of the lawmakers asked the television cameras as he plucked a plump red tomato from the cart.

___

Associated Press writer Marco Sibaja in Brasilia contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-04-12-LT-Brazil-Pricey-Tomatoes/id-37d8b5503fa543a4a9907a9340eda2f0

Michelle Jenneke batman Colorado Shooting News joe paterno British Open MC Chris Colorado shooting suspect

At least 45 die in shelling, executions in Syrian town: activists

BEIRUT (Reuters) - At least 45 Syrians were killed, some in cold blood, when government troops stormed the contested town of Sanamein in the southern province of Deraa, opposition activists and a monitoring group said on Thursday.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said dozens of civilians, including children, were killed on Wednesday in shelling and summary executions after forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad entered Sanamein.

There was no immediate comment from Syrian state officials.

Security forces had been fighting anti-Assad rebels in the town in Deraa, a province bordering Jordan that has become a focal point of battles as both sides seek to control Syria's frontiers and seize supply lines to the capital, Damascus.

Rami Abdelrahman, head of the Observatory, which uses a network of contacts in Syria, told Reuters by telephone that the situation was still too confused to determine how many people had died in the fighting and how many in cold blood.

"Residents say there were heavy clashes yesterday and later security forces stormed the town. As they entered, they started shelling some districts and other gunmen were executing people," he said, adding that 45 victims of what he called a massacre had been named, with the confirmed death toll likely to rise.

Dozens of houses had been destroyed in shelling or by fire, Abdelrahman said.

Activist groups in Deraa said more than 60 people had been killed.

Video uploaded by residents showed rows of corpses laid out in a building, their faces covered in blood and bodies wrapped in blankets, with names scribbled on sheets of paper placed on top of them. Some of the dead appeared to be young children.

"Sanamein, April 10, a massacre has happened in Sanamein. I put my faith in God," said the cameraman filming the scene.

Reports and videos from inside Syria are hard to verify, as access to the country for international media is limited.

The United Nations said in February around 70,000 people had been killed in the two-year-old uprising against Assad. At least another 10,000 people have died since then, activists say, and the violence has also spilled across Syria's borders.

In the Bekaa Valley of northeast Lebanon, residents said five people were wounded outside the border town of Arsal from a Syrian air strike. The area is a stronghold of Sunni Muslim rebels opposed to Assad, who is from Syria's Alawite minority.

The Observatory also published video showing the bodies of 10 people, seven of whom it said were aged 17 or under and had been killed by "shabbiha" fighters loyal to Assad in the western province of Homs, according to local residents.

(Reporting by Erika Solomon; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/least-45-die-shelling-executions-syrian-town-activists-122116723.html

Alexis Wright Monsanto Protection Act college board Jenna Wolfe miami heat Jarome Iginla Jessica Brown Findlay

Refurbished 27-inch iMacs hit the Apple store, start at $1,529

Lusting after Apple's giant, yet shockingly thin 27-inch iMac? The object of your desire just got a little cheaper -- well, as long as you don't mind refurbished goods. The extra large all-in-one is the latest Apple product to hit the company's certified refurbished store, offering as much as $270 the product's regular price. The iMac's 2.9GHz Core i5 base model can be had for $1,529, replete with 8GB of RAM, a 1TB HDD and that luxuriously large 2560 x 1440 display. Apple is also offering refurbished versions of the 3.2Ghz model for $1,699 and 3.4GHz Core i7 rigs for $1,869 and $2,199, depending on the configuration. As always, Cupertino promises that the machines have gone through a rigorous restoration process, but offers a included one-year warranty to put the concerns of cautious buyers to rest. Mosey on over to the source link to consider your savings. Still too rich for your blood? Well, there is a 21-inch model, too.

Filed under: Desktops, Apple

Comments

Via: MacRumors

Source: Apple

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/09/refurbished-27-inch-imacs-hit-the-apple-store/

ben flajnik hunger games premiere red meat