Iran says use of chemical arms by anyone in Syria is "red line"

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran said on Tuesday it regarded the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria's civil war as a "red line", echoing major adversary the United States but saying Syrian rebels were the main culprit and not the Damascus government.

Last week Washington said it had "varying degrees of confidence" that Syrian government forces had likely used the nerve agent sarin on a small scale against rebels fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad.

U.S. President Barack Obama has warned Damascus that deployment of chemical weapons could trigger consequences for Assad - language widely interpreted to include military intervention so far shunned by Washington. Obama has also called resort to chemical arms a "red line" Assad must not cross.

In calling chemical weapons use a "red line" for Iran, Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi did not indicate what action Tehran - one of Assad's staunchest political and military allies - might take in the case that a poison gas attack by either side in the conflict were to be proven.

"We have always emphasized that the use of chemical weapons on the part of anyone is our red line," Salehi said, according to the ISNA news agency. "Iran is opposed to the use of any kind of weapon of mass destruction, and not just their use but their production, accumulation, and use."

Salehi also reiterated calls for the United Nations to investigate assertions by the Syrian government that Syrian insurgents had used chemical weapons.

"On Syria," he said, "we have also requested that in accordance with the Syrian government, which emphasizes that the opposition has used these weapons, the United Nations...identify the main culprit in this regard, which is the opposition."

The Syrian government and the opposition blame each other for alleged chemical attacks in Aleppo in March and Homs in December. Syria wants U.N. investigators to look into only the reported Aleppo attack, but U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon wants the inquiry he has ordered to cover both incidents.

Ban said on Monday that investigators have been gathering and analyzing available information on alleged chemical attacks in Syria, but access to the war-torn country was essential for a "credible and comprehensive inquiry.

Iran counts itself as the biggest victim of chemical weapons attacks in recent history, saying up to 100,000 Iranians were exposed to the effects of Iraqi poison gas during the two neighbors' 1980-88 war. Other studies have estimated that around 60,000 were affected.

Tehran, however, is suspected by Western powers of seeking another form of mass-destruction weapons capability - nuclear - with its shadowy uranium enrichment program. Iran denies this, saying it seeks nuclear energy only for peaceful purposes.

(Reporting By Yeganeh Torbati; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iran-says-chemical-arms-anyone-syria-red-line-113122661.html

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Twitter Ads Are Finally Available To All US Businesses, No Longer ...

After three years of slow roll outs and testing with specific partners, Twitter?s?Senior Director of Product for Revenue Kevin Weil just announced the general availability of its advertising options for all US business. Businesses don?t need an invite any more. Weil revealed the move on stage at TechCrunch Disrupt, which could ramp up revenues and prep Twitter for a widely anticipated IPO.

Twitter first announced in April 2010 that it would begin showing ads. Since then it?s revealed Promoted Tweets and Promoted accounts, which let businesses pay to get their updates seen and their profiles followed. More recently, Twitter announced limited availability of a self-serve tool for buying ads in March 2012, and an Ads API for programmatic buying of huge campaigns in February 2013. Then just last week, Twitter announced that its ads could be targeted based on keywords?tweeted or within tweets engaged with by users, which lets Twitter move toward demand fulfillment like Google Search ads.

Weil explained on stage, ?As most of you guys know, the Twitter advertising platform has until today has been invite only. We?ve had brands and agencies, thousands of small businesses using the platform but all on an invite-only basis. Today we?re taking the next step and opening up Twitter ads to everyone in the US. Every brand, every business, every account, every individual. Businesses have been on Twitter since day one and we?re really excited that today every business in the US is going to be able to leverage the power of Twitter advertising, either through Promoted Accounts to build a loyal follower-base, or through Promoted Tweets to reach a broader audience.? In a bit of a cheeky move, he said on stage that he would tweet this link, giving the first 100 people to click $50 in free Twitter ad credits. You can watch the announcement below.

Anyone can now go to Twitter?s newly opened self-serve interface to start buying Twitter ads. Advertisers can choose a location to target, and the interests of the people they want to reach, decide what type of ads to run, and set a daily budget. Along with Promoted Tweets and Promoted Accounts, businesses can use Twitter?s business analytics system to track the impact of their spend.

The ads rollout means the microblogging platform can start more seriously competing with other social outlets like Facebook and LinkedIn for ad dollars.?Some expect Twitter to hit $950 million in revenue in 2014, largely from ads. That could be enough to lure advertisers to invest in the company if it in fact IPOs. Getting its ad business humming on mobile before announcing any move to go public could let Twitter avoid the bashing Facebook?s share price received when it IPO?d. Facebook had mobile ads running for just three months at that time despite users shifting to the small screen in droves, and the lack of proof that its mobile ad business would work was widely cited by investors as why $FB lost 30% of its value soon after hitting the market.

With so many businesses now competing for followers, the ability to pay for extra visibility can make the difference between obscurity and prominence. Meanwhile, direct advertisers with things to sell online can capitalize on Promoted Tweets to get extra clicks to their shopping pages. While once seen as a niche service for techies, Twitter has grown into a core way the world communicates about their opinions, media, and current events. The ability to insert themselves into these conversations and take advantage of digital word of mouth is drawing dollars away from one-way traditional media towards Twitter where businesses can have a real dialog with their customers.

Source: http://techcrunch.com/2013/04/30/twitter-ads-available/

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Pathological gambling caused by excessive optimism

Apr. 29, 2013 ? Compulsive gamblers suffer from an optimism bias that modifies their subjective representation of probability and affects their decisions in situations involving high-risk monetary wagers. This is the conclusion drawn by Jean-Claude Dreher's research team at the CNC (Centre de Neurosciences Cognitives, CNRS / Universit? Claude Bernard Lyon 1). These findings, published in the May print edition of Psychological Medicine, could help explain and anticipate certain individuals' vulnerability to gambling, and could lead to new therapeutic approaches.

A growing number of gamblers suffer from pathological gambling, a disease that is usually characterized as either a loss of impulse control or a behavioral addiction. It results in an inability to limit the frequency of gambling and the amount of money wagered. This increasingly common psychiatric disorder creates financial, professional and personal hardships that can have severe consequences for the patients and the people around them. The mechanisms responsible for its emergence and development remain largely unknown, which limits the clinician's ability to proceed with a diagnosis, prognosis or effective treatment for this condition.

In this study, the researchers set out to test and verify the hypothesis that links pathological gambling to an alteration of probabilistic reasoning. The capacity to reason in probabilistic terms appears only at an advanced stage of human intellectual development (in fact, the basic concept of probability is not fully understood until the age of 11 or 12). Pioneering research in the late 1970s had already shed light on the difficulties that people experience in situations involving risk or uncertainty. These difficulties are reflected in the development and perpetuation in adults of cognitive biases1 specific to probabilistic decision-making, one of the most common being probability distortion (2).

The researchers conducted an experiment on compulsive gambling patients using a standard experimental economics task and a mathematical model for measuring both probability distortion and a more general optimism bias in relation to high-risk bets. The primary result obtained confirms the general hypothesis of a distortion, associated with pathological gambling, in the subjective representation of probabilities. The results also show that the compulsion to gamble is not explained by an exaggerated distortion of probability, but rather by an increased optimism bias. In other words, regardless of the objective probability of winning a high-risk bet, gamblers tend to act as though this probability were greater than it actually is. The researchers also observed that in the patient population under study, the intensity of this bias was significantly correlated to the severity of the symptoms.

For clinical psychiatrists, the simplicity of the procedure used to reach this conclusion could offer a rapid and reliable way of measuring the representation of probability, thus allowing them to refine both their diagnoses and therapeutic decisions. This study raises many new questions for researchers in the cognitive neurosciences: how does the brain represent the probability of winning? How do the cerebral structures responsible for this representation interact with the structures involved in the development and perpetuation of an addiction? Is a pathological gambler's particular relationship to probability accompanied by an increased sensitivity to reward and/or insensitivity to monetary loss? These important questions are now being investigated at the CNC.

(1) Internal or external influence causing an alteration of human judgment or perception.

(2) Identified by the Nobel laureates Kahneman and Tversky in 1979, probability distortion is characterized by the overestimation of low probabilities and underestimation of high probabilities.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by CNRS (D?l?gation Paris Michel-Ange).

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. R. Ligneul, G. Sescousse, G. Barbalat, P. Domenech, J.-C. Dreher. Shifted risk preferences in pathological gambling. Psychological Medicine, 2012; 43 (05): 1059 DOI: 10.1017/S0033291712001900

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/6ThD_ZBimlQ/130429102400.htm

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Israeli first responder searches for the good among Sderot's rocket-pocked streets

One would expect Israeli Judith Bar-Hay to be angry after working for years in Sderot, which has been hit with more than 7,000 Palestinian rockets. ?She says that helping others keeps her sane.

By Christa Case Bryant,?Staff writer / April 29, 2013

Judith Bar-Hay works for the Trauma Center for Victims of Terror and War, known as NATAL, in communities along the border of Gaza, the skyline of which can be seen from this picnic area near Sderot, Israel, April 18.

Christa Case Bryant/TCSM

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Judith Bar-Hay works on the frontlines of one of the most battered areas of Israel: Sderot, a blue-collar town that has been hit with more than 7,000 rockets from Palestinian militants in nearby Gaza over the past decade.

Skip to next paragraph Christa Case Bryant

Jerusalem bureau chief

Christa Case Bryant is The Christian Science Monitor's Jerusalem bureau chief, providing coverage on Israel and the Palestinian territories as well as regional issues.

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So when Ms. Bar-Hay,?who works with?Israel's?Trauma Center for Victims of Terror and War, known as NATAL, offered to give me a tour of the town, I was expecting somber tales.

Instead, I was met by a spunky lady with spiky hair and funky jewelry outside Sderot?s hip cinematheque where, for $9, residents can choose from ?The good, the bad, and the ugly,? an array of French films, and the latest Israeli flicks.

Bar-Hay?s tour of Sderot featured more of the good than the bad and ugly. She was determined to show that there is much more to this community than pockmarked buildings and kids with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

To be sure, there are both of those in this town of 20,000, as well as memorials to the roughly two dozen Israelis killed by rockets ??about half of them residents of Sderot. One memorial takes the form of a community meeting place built by the parents of a girl who saved her brother?s life by shielding him with her body.

?I think they did a beautiful thing to remember her, because it continues life,? says Bar-Hay. ?This is very unique to the way Israel copes with tragic death.?

We visit?Sderot's?Sapir College, which has more than doubled enrollment since the rockets began, and drive down vibrant boulevards, which are punctuated by artwork fashioned from Qassam rockets.

Bar-Hay, who lives on a nearby kibbutz and is a veteran member of NATAL?s community department, knows the routes well. Her work as the coordinator of NATAL's mobile unit and a first responder in emergencies takes her to everyone from schoolchildren who have lost a fellow student to an elderly grandmother who was too scared to leave her front porch for a week, since only from there could she see the public bomb shelter that she would need to reach within 15 seconds when the rocket alarm went off.

?I think this is my coping ? my helping others,? she says. ?If I have to go home, I think I will go crazy.?

Things have been quieter in recent months. She takes me to a picnic area on the edge of the city with a clear view of Gaza?s skyscrapers, which was filled with locals on Israeli independence day in mid-April. As the smell of freshly cut hay wafts through the pines, she sounds almost wistful about the severing of relations between Israel and the Gaza Strip. Until 2005, Israeli citizens were free to live and shop there.

?If I want a good dentist, a good mechanic, the people in Gaza are the best,? she says, noting that many Gazans also used to cross into Israel, many for work. ?I think, and a lot of people think, that everybody lose in this war because the people of Gaza want the connection with us.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/jBQtv1vDwwo/Israeli-first-responder-searches-for-the-good-among-Sderot-s-rocket-pocked-streets

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Draft was light on glamour, heavy on intrigue

Minnesota went all in with three first-round picks.

Super Bowl champion Baltimore went for replacements for Ray Lewis and Ed Reed.

The New York Jets added to their quarterback uncertainty by taking Geno Smith in the second round.

Teams loaded up on linemen, making the big and beefy guys this year's stars.

The 2013 NFL draft was light on glamour at the skill positions, but heavy on intrigue (when would Manti Te'o go?) and burly bodies able to either get after or protect all those pricey passers.

Denver Broncos boss John Elway called the draft "deep in the trenches.

"It wasn't sexy, but there were a lot of good football players in this draft, he said. "It was deep in the other-than-glitzy positions."

The first round included 18 linemen, one quarterback and, for the first time since 1963, no running backs.

"That's a lot of love for the big boys up front, which we usually don't get," said No. 1 overall pick Eric Fisher, an offensive tackle from Central Michigan taken by the Kansas City Chiefs.

Here's a breakdown:

VALIANT VIKINGS

Nobody made more noise in this year's draft than the Vikings.

Coming of a surprising run to the playoffs spearheaded by MVP Adrian Peterson, they became the first team since the Rams in 2001 to have three first-round picks. They traded four selections to New England to move up and take Tennessee receiver Cordarrelle Patterson after grabbing Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd and Florida State cornerback Xavier Rhodes.

That's pushing all your chips into the center of the table.

"I don't think it could've worked out any better for the caliber of players we got coming into our program," Vikings GM Rick Spielman said after addressing three of his four major needs in a dizzying 30-minute span. "I'm very excited."

When the Vikings finally got back on the clock Saturday, Spielman addressed his other big need by grabbing Penn State linebackers Gerald Hodges in the fourth round and Michael Mauti in the seventh.

With that, Minnesota served notice that they're coming after Aaron Rodgers and everyone else in 2013.

QB CONUNDRUM

The Jets are testing out the old saying you can never have too many quarterbacks.

After Buffalo surprised nearly everyone by picking Florida State's EJ Manuel as the only QB in the first round (at No. 16), the Jets pulled off their own stunner by selecting West Virginia's Geno Smith in the second round, at No. 39.

Coach Rex Ryan's three-ring circus at QB now includes a half dozen passers. The others are Mark Sanchez, David Garrard, Tim Tebow, Greg McElroy and Matt Simms.

"I hope they're all thinking, 'Hey, I have an opportunity to go win a job,'" Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said.

Smith certainly is.

"My goal is to be a franchise quarterback," he said. "But as of now, there's lots of work to be done."

Smith put up great numbers in college but also had accuracy issues and fumbled the ball an alarming 32 times, and scouts also questioned his overall skills and leadership in some pre-draft reports.

"You know what," Smith said, "critics don't have a pick."

SUPER SELECTIONS

Will the Harbaugh brothers be making plans for another family reunion in February? Both Baltimore and San Francisco restocked for another Super Bowl run.

Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome launched a defensive makeover after Lewis retired and Reed led a free agency exodus following their title, signing with Houston. Newsome used his first four picks and six of 10 selections on defenders, beginning with safety Matt Elam and linebacker Arthur Brown, who have some huge cleats to fill.

San Francisco's 11-player haul included defensive back Eric Reid, defensive end Tank Carradine and tight end Vance McDonald, but the most intriguing pick was that of fourth-rounder Marcus Lattimore. The South Carolina running back suffered a career-threatening right knee injury last season just one year after tearing ligaments in his left knee.

San Francisco took a similar gamble several years ago when it spent a third-round selection on Frank Gore, who had suffered torn ligaments in each of his knees a year apart at the University of Miami, but has made the Pro Bowl four times and is the franchise's all-time leading rusher.

"I love the aggressive mental approach he has taken through this whole process, but we're going to slow down the aggressive physical things and make sure Marcus is 100 percent healthy before he goes out there on the field," 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said. "If he doesn't play this year, then he doesn't play this year."

REMAKING ROSTERS

The heavy turnover after last season ? eight new coaches and seven new general managers ? meant there were plenty of newbies making draft decisions.

Led by the Chiefs new brain trust of coach Andy Reid and GM John Dorsey, eight of the top 11 picks were made by teams that had turnover at the decision-making positions as the Jaguars, Eagles, Browns, Cardinals, Bills, Jets and Chargers also had a first-year coach and/or general manager.

Of those, the biggest splash was made by the Bills when GM Buddy Nix gave new coach Doug Marrone a new QB by trading out of the eighth spot and selecting Florida State's Manuel.

"If we can develop this guy, he has the talent to take you to the dance," Nix said.

Other than the decision to take a chance on Manti Te'o in the second round, the Chargers rookie tandem of GM Tom Telesco and coach Mike McCoy added right tackle D.J. Fluker of Alabama with the 11th pick and Cal wide receiver Keenan Allen in the third round, two players who should help embattled QB Philip Rivers right away.

BUSTS OR BRONZE

For all the money and hours spent watching tape and workouts, evaluating players' bodies and minds, recording height, weight, speed and strength, the draft remains an inexact science. There will be first-round busts like always and maybe some undrafted guys end up with bronze busts in Canton, Ohio.

"You never really know because you're dealing with humans," Elway said.

The Broncos have had at least one college free agent make the 53-man roster coming out of camp every year since 2004, but it's going to be hard for any of Denver's 15 undrafted additions to make it this year after Denver loaded up in free agency and the draft after a 13-3 season.

Elway wasn't called on to close the sale on any of the free agent candidates. He learned his lesson when he bought his first car dealership many years ago and a salesman called him in to seal the deal.

"So I go in and the guy says, 'You've got a lot more money than I do. Why would I want to pay you $1,000?" Elway recounted. "I said, 'OK, you can have it for $500.'

"So, ever since then, I've stayed out of the negotiating business."

___

Follow AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/draft-light-glamour-heavy-intrigue-201224881.html

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Comet of the century? ISON has 'potential' to be visible all day.

As sun-grazing comet ISON approaches the sun, it's getting progressively brighter ? and might even flare into a dazzling object bright enough to be visible in broad daylight.

By Joe Rao / April 25, 2013

Comet ISON was photographed by the Hubble telescope on April 10, 2013 when the comet was 386 million miles from the Sun (slightly closer than Jupiter's orbit). Around the time the 'comet of the century' makes its closest approach to the Sun, on November 28, it may briefly become brighter than the full Moon, say NASA researchers.

NASA Hubble telescope / Courtesy of NASA / Reuters

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An exceptional comet flying ever closer to the sun may offer an amazing naked eye sight to Earth dwellers this fall as it gradually brightens.

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As comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) continues to approach the sun, it is slowly responding to the increasing warmth of the sun and getting progressively brighter. The comet is getting considerable scrutiny from both amateur and professional scientists because it's a rare sungrazing comet, destined to approach to within 730,000 miles (1.17 million kilometers) of the surface of the sun on Nov. 28. Because of this extremely close approach, comet ISON holds the "potential" to flare into a dazzling object ? possibly becoming bright enough to be briefly glimpsed in broad daylight.?

Still, at this early stage in the comet's development, we can't be sure if this will actually happen.

A Swift look

Although still quite far from the sun and very faint, the comet has been imaged by two orbiting observatories. Astronomers from the University of Maryland at College Park and Lowell Observatory used NASA's Swift satellite to check out the comet during January and February. Using images acquired from Swift's Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope, the team was able to make initial estimates of the comet's water and dust production and then used these values to determine the size of ISON's icy nucleus.
?These observations revealed that each minute ISON was shedding about 56 tons (51,000 kg) of dust, or about two-thirds the mass of an unfueled space shuttle. Jets powered by sublimating ice also release dust, which reflects sunlight and brightens the comet.

By contrast, however, the comet was producing only about 130 pounds (60 kg) of water every minute, or about four times the amount flowing out of a residential sprinkler system. At the time, however, the comet was nearly half a billion miles from the sun. Typically, a comet's water content remains frozen until it comes within about three times Earth's distance to the sun ? about 280 million miles (450 million km) away. ISON won't be this close to the sun until early July at which time the water production rate should markedly increase.

The water and dust production rates from Swift were used to estimate the size of ISON's icy body. Comparing the amount of gas needed for a normal comet to blow off dust at the rate observed for ISON, the scientists estimate that the nucleus is roughly 3 miles (5 km) across, a typical size for a comet. This assumes that only the fraction of the surface most directly exposed to the sun, about 10 percent of the total, is actively producing jets.

Hubble's turn

More recently, Planetary Science Institute research scientist Jian-Yang Li led a team that imaged comet ISON with the Hubble Space Telescope on April 10 using the Wide Field Camera 3. At this point, the comet was slightly closer than Jupiter at 386 million miles (621 million kilometers) from the sun and 394 million miles (634 million kilometers) from Earth.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/PZCG5RmJADU/Comet-of-the-century-ISON-has-potential-to-be-visible-all-day

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Bangladesh building collapse death toll nears 350

SAVAR, Bangladesh (AP) ? Police in Bangladesh took five people into custody in connection with the collapse of a shoddily-constructed building that killed at least 348 people, as rescue workers admitted Saturday that voices of survivors are getting weaker after four days of being pinned under the increasingly unstable rubble.

Still, in a boost for the rescuers, 29 survivors were pulled out Saturday, said army spokesman Shahinul Islam.

Most of the victims were crushed by massive blocks of concrete and mortar falling on them when the 8-story structure came down on Wednesday morning -- a time many of the garment factories in the building were packed with workers. It was the worst tragedy to hit Bangladesh's massive garment industry, and focused attention on the poor working conditions of the employees who toil for $38 a month to produce clothing for top international brands.

Among those arrested Saturday were two owners of a garment factory, who a Dhaka court ruled can be questioned by police for 12 days without charges being filed. Also detained are two government engineers and the wife of the building owner, who is on the run, in an attempt to force him to surrender. Violent public protests continued sporadically in Dhaka and spread to the southeastern city of Chittagong where several vehicles were set on fire.

Working round-the-clock since Wednesday through heat and a thunderstorm, rescuers on Saturday finally reached the ground floor from the top of the mountainous rubble through 25 narrow holes they have drilled, said Brig. Gen. Ali Ahmed Khan, the head of the fire services.

"We are still getting response from survivors though they are becoming weaker slowly," he said, adding that rescue workers were now able to see cars that were parked at the ground level.

"The building is very vulnerable. Any time the floors could collapse. We are performing an impossible task, but we are glad that we are able to rescue so many survivors." He said the operations will continue overnight as chances fade of people surviving for a fifth day with possibly grievous injuries and the heat.

The building site was a hive of frenzied activity all day with soldiers, police and medical workers in lab coats working non-stop. Rescuers passed bottles of water and small cylinders of oxygen up a ladder leaning against the side of the building to be given to possible survivors inside.

They used bare hands and shovels, passing chunks of brick and concrete down a human chain away from the collapsed structure. On the ground, mixed in the debris were several pairs of pink cotton pants, a mud-covered navy blue sock and a pile of green uncut fabric.

Nearby, Abul Basar wept as he awaited news of his wife, who worked in one of the garment factories. "My son says that his mother will come back some day. She must return! " he cried.

Every once in a while a badly decomposed body would be brought out, covered in cloth and plastic, to a spot where ambulances were parked. Workers furiously sprayed air-fresheners on the bodies to cover the stench, leaving the air thick with the smell of death and cheap perfume.

The bodies were kept at a makeshift morgue at the nearby Adharchandra High School before being handed over to families. Many people milled around at the school, waving photos of their missing loved ones.

Junior local government minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak put the death toll at 348. Military spokesman Shahinul Islam said 2,429 survivors were accounted for, including 29 who were pulled out Saturday.

Junior Home Minister Shamsul Haque Tuku said police had arrested Bazlus Samad, managing director of New Wave Apparels Ltd., and Mahmudur Rahman Tapash, the company chairman. He told reporters that police had also detained the wife of Mohammed Sohel Rana, the owner of the collapsed Rana Plaza building, for questioning. The top three floors of the eight-story building were illegally constructed.

Authorities are still searching for Rana, a local politician, who hasn't been seen publicly since the building collapsed. Negligence cases have been filed against him. Police in Bangladesh often detain relatives of missing suspects as a way to pressure them to surrender.

Dhaka police superintendent Habibur Rahman said Rana was a local leader of ruling Awami League's youth front. His arrest, and that of the factory owners, was ordered by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is also the Awami League leader.

Police said they detained for questioning two engineers working for the Savar municipality, Imtemam Hossain and Alam Ali. They did not say what role they played in approving the design of the building but it was clear that the arrests amounted to a widening crackdown. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media.

A garment manufacturers' group said the factories in the building employed 3,122 workers, but it was not clear how many were inside it when it collapsed.

Police say they ordered an evacuation of the building on Tuesday after cracks in Rana Plaza were found, but the factories ignored the order and were operating when it collapsed the next day. Video before the collapse shows cracks in walls, with apparent attempts at repair. It also shows columns missing chunks of concrete and police talking to building operators.

Officials said soon after the collapse that numerous construction regulations had been violated.

The disaster is the worst ever for the country's booming and powerful garment industry, surpassing a fire five months ago that killed 112 people and brought widespread pledges to improve worker-safety standards. Since then, very little has changed in Bangladesh, where low wages have made it a magnet for numerous global brands.

Bangladesh's garment industry was the third largest in the world in 2011, after China and Italy, having grown rapidly in the past decade. The country's minimum wage is the equivalent of about $38 a month.

Among the garment makers in the building were Phantom Apparels, Phantom Tac, Ether Tex, New Wave Style and New Wave Bottoms. Altogether, they produced several million shirts, pants and other garments a year.

The New Wave companies, according to their website, make clothing for several major North American and European retailers.

Britain's Primark acknowledged it was using a factory in Rana Plaza, but many other retailers distanced themselves from the disaster, saying they were not involved with the factories at the time of the collapse or had not recently ordered garments from them.

Wal-Mart said none of its clothing had been authorized to be made in the facility, but it is investigating whether there was any unauthorized production.

___

AP writers Chris Blake and Gillian Wong in Dhaka, Stephen Wright in Bangkok, Kay Johnson in Mumbai, Matthew Pennington in Washington and AP Retail Writer Anne D'Innocenzio in New York contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bangladesh-building-collapse-death-toll-nears-350-134516592.html

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Exclusive: Boston bomb suspects' father abandons plan to return to U.S.

UNDISCLOSED LOCATION IN NORTH CAUCASUS, Russia (Reuters) - The father of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects has abandoned plans to travel to the United States to bury one son and help in the defense of the other, he told Reuters on Sunday in an interview in southern Russia.

Anzor Tsarnaev said he believed he would not be allowed to see his surviving son Dzohkhar, who was captured and has been charged in connection with the April 15 bomb blasts that killed three people and wounded 264.

"I am not going back to the United States. For now I am here. I am ill," Tsarnaev said. He agreed to the face-to-face interview on condition that his location in the North Caucasus, a string of mainly Muslim provinces in southern Russia, not be disclosed.

"Unfortunately I can't help my child in any way. I am in touch with Dzhokhar's and my own lawyers. They told me they would let me know (what to do)," he said.

Tsarnaev had said in the North Caucasus province of Dagestan on Thursday that he planned to travel to the United States to see Dzkhokhar and bury his elder son, Tamerlan, who was shot dead by police in a firefight four days after the bombings.

(Reporting by Maria Golovnina; Writing by Steve Gutterman; Editing by Peter Graff)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/exclusive-boston-bomb-suspects-father-abandons-plan-return-160819875.html

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Packers sign Rodgers to $110M contract extension

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) ? This ought to give Aaron Rodgers better memories of the NFL draft.

The Green Bay Packers signed their franchise quarterback Friday to a five-year contract extension through the 2019 season, eight years after they stopped his slide down the draft board and took him with the 24th pick in the first round.

The deal, according to a person with knowledge of the contract who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team has not released the details, is worth as much as $110 million, with $40 million guaranteed. The $22 million annual average of the extension is the highest salary in NFL history, slightly trumping the $120.6 million that the Baltimore Ravens gave quarterback Joe Flacco last month over six years.

"I'm excited to know my future is here and I'll be here for a lot longer," Rodgers said inside the locker room at Lambeau Field.

Locking up Rodgers was a priority for the Packers, who also reached a long-term extension with linebacker Clay Matthews this month worth as much as $66 million over five years. The Packers are 53-27 in five years with Rodgers as the starter, and he led them to the Super Bowl title following the 2010 season.

"An exciting day for our football program," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "Aaron is an excellent illustration of a Green Bay Packer. It is truly a blessing to witness his continued accomplishments, both on and off the field."

Rodgers has thrown for 21,661 yards and 171 touchdowns, and he has had a quarterback rating of 101.2 or better in all but one season as a starter. His quarterback rating of 122.5 in 2011 is an NFL record.

The finalization of the extension, which was worked on for the last few months, came on the same late-April weekend on which Rodgers was snubbed by almost every other team in the NFL draft. A standout at Cal, Rodgers was expected to be taken early in the first round in 2005. But he soon found himself alone in the green room.

Rodgers acknowledged that prove-the-doubters-wrong attitude he's used to his benefit throughout his career since that day he was ignored by so many in the draft.

"I have a good memory, and I'm driven to be the best," Rodgers said. "Obviously, there's a couple less critics out there now, but I still put a lot of pressure on myself to achieve the goals I set for myself here and enjoy trying to meet the challenge that those goals bring and also opposing teams bring."

Draft day wasn't the only rough spot for Rodgers in his career.

He arrived in Green Bay as the backup to Brett Favre, who wasn't thrilled the team had found his heir apparent. Favre kept fans and the franchise on their toes every offseason from then on, flirting with the idea of retiring but always coming back. When the tension finally snapped in 2008 ? Favre retired, changed his mind and asked for his job back ? Rodgers found himself in the middle of the most-bitter divorce in Wisconsin history.

Favre was traded to the New York Jets during training camp, but many fans remained loyal to him. They took their anger at the organization out on Rodgers, even booing him at the team's "Family Night" scrimmage. Rodgers kept his composure, never firing back at fans or even publicly criticizing Favre.

Rodgers played well in his first year as a starter. Despite a 6-10 record, he showed flashes of why general manager Ted Thompson had such faith in him, and fans began to come around. Any lingering animosity disappeared after he led the Packers to the playoffs following the 2009 season, and he's now one of the most beloved figures in Wisconsin sports history. The Wisconsin Legislature designated Dec. 12, 2012, as "Aaron Rodgers Day," and students and workers throughout the state were encouraged to celebrate by wearing his jersey.

When he was shown on the scoreboard at the Milwaukee Bucks' playoff game against the Miami Heat on Thursday, he got one of the biggest cheers of the night.

Rodgers holds four of Green Bay's top five single-season marks for passer rating (2009-12) and two of the top three for passing TDs (2011-12). He also has three of the top four records for completion percentage (2010-12) and two of the top three for passing yards (2009, 2011).

Rodgers will be 36 when the deal ends. He said he thinks he has at least eight years left in his legs and his body, when asked if wondered if this would be his last contract.

"A lot of times you don't see a deal all the way through if you're playing well. It's just the nature of some of these contracts. That's a long way off. In order to even get to that conversation, it's going to take many years in a row at a consistently high level of play for me, which I expect to do," Rodgers said. "And I'm going to get myself in the best shape mentally and physically to do that, and hopefully we can have that conversation in seven years where I can still play and maybe we can keep this thing going."

___

AP Pro Football Writer Barry Wilner in New York and AP National Writer Nancy Armour from Milwaukee contributed to this report.

___

Online: http://www.pro32.ap.org

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/packers-sign-rodgers-110m-contract-extension-225159904.html

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Gunmen kill 10 Iraqi security forces in 2 attacks

BAGHDAD (AP) ? Gunmen killed 10 people in Iraq, including five soldiers near the main Sunni protest camp west of Baghdad, the latest in a wave of violence that has raised fears the country faces a new round of sectarian bloodshed.

The attack on the army intelligence soldiers in the former insurgent stronghold of Ramadi drew a quick response from Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, whose Shiite-led government has been the target of rising Sunni anger over perceived mistreatment.

The attackers stopped a vehicle carrying the soldiers near the protest camp, prompting a gunbattle that left the five soldiers dead and two of the attackers wounded, police officials said.

Al-Maliki vowed his government would not keep silent over the killing of the soldiers. Iraqi officials have repeatedly claimed that insurgent groups, such as al-Qaida in Iraq and supporters of former Iraqi leader Saddam regime, have infiltrated the Sunni demonstrations.

"I call upon the peaceful protesters to expel the criminals targeting military and police," al-Maliki said in a statement posted on his official website.

Authorities announced a curfew in the whole province of Anbar. They also gave the protest organizers in Ramadi, the provincial capital, a 24-hours deadline to hand over the gunmen responsible for killing the soldiers or face a "firm response," said Maj. Gen. Mardhi Mishhin al-Mahalawi, the army's Anbar operations chief.

Members of Iraq's Muslim Sunni minority have been rallying for the past four months in several Iraqi cities to protest what they describe as unfair treatment by al-Maliki's government.

Tensions spiked earlier this week when fighting broke out in the northern town of Hawija during a security crackdown on a protest encampment. That provoked a series of clashes nationwide that left more than 170 people dead over the past five days.

In Cairo, Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood group, from which Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi hails, condemned the Iraqi government's actions in the crackdown. The Sunni political and religious organization decried the Iraqi government's "violence in dealing with the peaceful demonstrators and protesters that resulted in the killing and wounding of many innocent people, which is rejected by Islam and humanity."

It added: "this is not the way people are governed or the way to achieve security and reform." Morsi's government has itself come under criticized as scores of Egyptian protesters have been killed or wounded in police crackdowns and street clashes since the Islamist leader was elected after Hosni Mubarak's ouster in 2011.

For many Iraqi Shiites, the months of protests coupled with the latest unrest raise worrying parallels to the civil war engulfing neighboring Syria.

There, Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime is fighting largely Sunni rebels who draw support from Turkey and Sunni Gulf states. Assad's Alawite sect is a branch of Shiite Islam, and his regime is backed by Shiite powerhouse Iran, which also has significantly bolstered ties with Iraq in the years since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

In a speech Saturday, al-Maliki warned that sectarianism is an "evil thing" that can swiftly spread from country to country in the Islamic world ? an apparent reference to the divisions in Syria.

"If sectarianism erupts in one place, then it will erupt elsewhere too," he said. "And it is returning to Iraq because it has erupted in another area in the region."

That echoed previous concerns raised by the Iraqi premier. In a February interview with The Associated Press, al-Maliki predicted a victory for rebels in Syria would destabilize the wider Middle East, sparking sectarian wars in his own country and in Lebanon.

In further violence Saturday, gunmen also opened fire on a checkpoint manned by government-allied Sunni fighters, killing five of them, near the city of Tikrit, 130 kilometers (80 miles) north of Baghdad.

The militiamen, known as Sahwa, are among those who joined forces with U.S. troops to fight al-Qaida during the Iraq war. Since then, the group has been a target for Sunni insurgents who consider its members to be traitors.

Hospital officials confirmed the casualties. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

___

Associated Press writers Adam Schreck in Baghdad, and Maamoun Youssef in Cairo contributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gunmen-kill-10-iraqi-security-forces-2-attacks-133149811.html

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Video: Congress ends FAA furloughs (cbsnews)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/301908008?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Speedy fix for FAA sequester woes

By Doug Palmer and Richard Cowan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The House of Representatives is expected to act quickly on Friday to finalize a Senate plan to ease nationwide air-traffic delays caused by last month's automatic federal spending cuts.

The Senate plan, passed unanimously late Thursday, will give the Department of Transportation flexibility to use unspent funds to cover the costs of air traffic controllers and other essential employees at the Federal Aviation Administration who had been furloughed.

Lawmakers were eager to act quickly since many would be scrambling to catch flights home and to other destinations at the start of a weeklong recess.

They also sought to avoid the growing wrath of the traveling public, which had dealt with significant take-off and landing delays since the furloughs started on Sunday.

The legislative action marks a surprising bipartisan effort, especially after many Republicans had blamed the Obama administration for manipulating funds to maximize the impact of the budget cuts, in a perceived bid to damage Republicans.

It does come with the risk, though, of unleashing furious lobbying campaigns to ease other program cuts triggered by the controversial "sequestration" that took effect on March 1, requiring across-the-board spending cuts among most federal agencies.

The White House on Friday welcomed Congress' move, but said it falls short of broader action needed to address sequestration.

"It will be good news for America's traveling public if Congress spares them these unnecessary delays," White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement.

Carney said lawmakers need to take additional steps to alleviate the impact felt beyond the airline industry from the cuts, such as among poorer elderly people, defense industry workers and others brought on by sequestration.

"Ultimately, this is no more than a temporary Band-Aid that fails to address the overarching threat to our economy posed by the sequester's mindless across-the-board cuts," he said.

Transportation officials have made other cuts to their budget but furloughs of air traffic controllers began this week, prompting traveler backlash at major hubs like those in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta.

On Friday morning, departing flights at Newark Liberty International Airport were delayed more than an hour and 15 minutes, and Boston's Logan Airport had departure delays of more than 30 minutes, both due to staffing, the FAA said. Teterboro airport in New Jersey, which handles many corporate jets, also was experiencing delays of more than 90 minutes due to staffing.

(Reporting by Richard Cowan, Doug Palmer, Susan Heavey and Alwyn Scott; Writing by Karey Van Hall; Editing by Bill Trott)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/white-house-calls-effort-end-airport-delays-good-140534158.html

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Kindle app for Android gains carousel browsing, expanded side panel

Amazon is rectifying the long wait for a Kindle for Android update today with a version 4.0 refresh that carries with it a major UI redesign. The library view looks very different: instead of a basic grid, recently read items are presented in a rotating carousel at the top of the home screen, while the navigation panel has been expanded to provide quicker access to books, documents and periodicals. The actual reading pane remains untouched, so whether you're using a smartphone or a tablet, your e-copy of War and Peace should still look the same. To have a peek at Kindle's new look, Android users can go ahead and download it from the source.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Amazon

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Via: The Next Web

Source: Kindle (Google Play)

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/MMZ0Bem42ig/

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Cornell University Athletics - The Ivy League and NeuLion ...

PLAINVIEW, N.Y. and PRINCETON, N.J. ? April 25, 2013 ? The Ivy League, one of the nation's most diverse and successful intercollegiate athletics conferences, has partnered with NeuLion, Inc. (TSX: NLN), the leading enabler and provider of live and on-demand content to Internet-connected devices, to create the conference's first-ever digital sports network.

Available to subscribers in August, The Ivy League Digital Network will be accessible on multiple devices, including PCs, smartphones and tablets, allowing for an all-new nine (9)-channel network of Ivy League action anytime, anywhere.? Each of the conference's eight (8) schools will have their own individual channel and the Ivy League will have its own League-wide channel featuring all available digital content across the conference.

The new network, powered by the NeuLion College Platform, will provide live and on-demand video and audio content from each school with interactive touch points that will consistently offer a personalized experience for Ivy League fans everywhere.

?This partnership represents a monumental step forward in enhancing our connection to our fans and continuing to showcase our brand of intercollegiate athletics worldwide,? said Robin Harris, Ivy League Executive Director. ?Coupled with NeuLion's demonstrated experience in delivering digital content to any device, this new network will maximize our alumni's affinities for their schools by providing a single digital destination to access every school's sports content with multiple subscription options by school, sport or season.?

With a comprehensive view of sports for each school and across the conference including League-wide sports calendars and access to live and on-demand content from multiple devices, the new Ivy League Digital Network is expected to increase engagement with Ivy League fans and drive broader viewing of school and League content.

?It's not just about streaming video,? said Chris Wagner, EVP and Co-Founder of NeuLion. ?It's about the fan experience, the high quality video on any device, and the interaction with the game or match which includes stats, social media and more. The NeuLion College Platform is designed for all of that, each and every time, no matter where Ivy League fans are.?

About the Ivy League
Founded in 1954, the Ivy League is the most diverse intercollegiate conference in the country with over 8,000 athletes competing each year. Sponsoring conference championships in 33 men's and women's sports, and averaging more than 35 varsity teams at each school, the Ivy League provides more intercollegiate athletic opportunities per school than any other conference in the country. All eight Ivy schools are among the top 20 of NCAA Division I schools in number of sports offered for both men and women. The Ivy League annually finishes among the top conferences in the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics competitive rankings and enjoys regular competitive success at the highest championship levels of NCAA Division I athletics, including team and individual national championships in field hockey, fencing, men's ice hockey, women's rowing, men's and women's track and field and wrestling. Ivy League student-athletes annually compile the country's best records in the NCAA Academic Performance Ratings under the Ivy League model of athletics as a key part of the student's regular undergraduate experience. For more information, visit www.ivyleaguesports.com.

About NeuLion
NeuLion, Inc. (TSX: NLN) offers the true end-to-end solution for delivering live and on-demand content to any Internet-enabled device. NeuLion enables content owners and distributors, cable operators and telecommunications companies to capitalize on the massive consumer demand for viewing video content on PCs, smartphones, iPads and other similar devices. NeuLion's customers include major entertainment, sports, global content and news companies.? NeuLion is based in Plainview, NY.? For more information about NeuLion, visit www.neulion.com.

Source: http://cornellbigred.com/news/2013/4/25/GEN_0425131548.aspx

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CoAction Hero board comes with its own OS, simplifies desktop coding (video)

Although we've seen a deluge of tinker-friendly boards, many of them share a dirty secret: they're borrowing someone else's OS. The creator of the new CoAction Hero board, Tyler Gilbert, doesn't think that's good enough for those who want both control and ease of use. His stackable ARM Cortex-M3 design runs its own real-time platform, CoActionOS, that supports Raspberry Pi-style features like file systems and multitasking while abstracting the hardware enough to remove some of the usual headaches. Coding for the CoAction Hero is much like writing a desktop app, and a Qt-based developer kit helps owners write their own interface without knowing the circuitry inside-out. The board is being crowdfunded and won't ship until July if all goes according to plan, but a relatively low $10,000 target and $29 minimum pledge for a device should get the Hero into the hands of intrepid project builders.

Filed under: Misc

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Source: Kickstarter

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Sprint Galaxy S3 OTA bringing multi-view and home screen security fix

Software version L710VPBMD4 rolling out in stages to devices starting today

Sprint's version of the Galaxy SIII (S3) has a software update rolling out today with notable feature enhancements and fixes. The biggest welcome improvement will likely be Multi-View, which has been a staple for users of the Galaxy Note 2 and other versions of the S3. Multi-View lets users run two apps simultaneously, each on one half of the screen. Beyond that, we're looking at improvements to the Gallery and Camera experiences, as well as the Paper Artist app.

There's also what Sprint is calling a "home screen security fix", which is always important, along with fixes for group SMS. The update is set to roll out OTA (Over The Air) in stages starting today, and some users in the forums are reporting seeing it on their own devices. Seeing the update yet? Let other users know in the forums.

Source: Sprint; More: Sprint Galaxy S3 Forums

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/D4KnZ3_pPOQ/story01.htm

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Paytouch lets your fingerprints make purchases, hopes to expand into Europe and America next year

The business of commerce is alive and well, and while there's far too much noise for anyone to stand on the mobile side, Paytouch is hoping to add a new wrinkle on the conventional end. The Barcelona-based outfit was on hand here at The Next Web Conference, showcasing its biometric payment terminal and setting the stage for what's to come. For those unfamiliar, the Paytouch terminal is currently being used at Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel -- users with a Paytouch account simply link their credit card to their fingerprints, and a two-finger press is all it takes to order another glass of sangria. The benefits are fairly obvious for all parties involved. For the consumer, there's no longer a need to carry a credit card that can be skimmed, lost or stolen; for the retailer, it's able to encourage impulse buying in an entirely new way; for Paytouch, there's a commission paid on each purchase.

Gallery: Paytouch biometric payment terminal hands-on

Filed under: Software

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Source: Paytouch

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/25/paytouch-fingerprints-purchase-terminal-expansion/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Bittersweet News: Chocolate May Trigger Acne

Eating chocolate may change the immune system in ways that aggravate acne, a small new study from the Netherlands suggests.

In the study, researchers collected blood from seven healthy people before and after they ate 1.7 ounces of chocolate, each day for four days. (The chocolate contained about 30 percent cocoa.)

The researchers then exposed the blood cells to bacteria called Propionibacterium acnes, which contribute to acne when they grow inside clogged pores and cause pores to become inflamed, and to Staphylococcus aureus, another skin bacteria that can aggravate acne.

After eating chocolate, the participants' blood cells produced more interleukin-1b, a marker of immune system inflammation, when exposed to Propionibacterium acnes. This suggests chocolate consumption could increase the inflammation that contributes to acne, the researchers said.

In addition, eating chocolate increased production of another immune system factor called interleukin 10 after exposure to Staphylococcus aureus. Interleukin 10 is thought to lower our bodies' defenses against microorganisms, and thus, higher levels of interleukin 10 could create conditions that allow bacteria to infect pimples, and worsen them, the researchers said.

However, the results are preliminary, and the jury is still out on whether indulging in the sweet treat can really prompt a breakout.

Future studies should look into which components of chocolate (fats, sugars, etc.) might be responsible for the effects, and whether fat-free chocolate would have a different effect, the researchers said.

A 2011 study also found that chocolate consumption worsened acne, but the study involved only 10 men who consumed pure chocolate.

Although there's a lot of talk about chocolate and other foods playing a role in acne, there's very little evidence to show they do, said Dr. Kanade Shinkai, a dermatologist at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, who specializes in acne treatments.

"I think there's 10 times more discussion about it than there is data," Shinkai said.

There is some evidence that so-called high glycemic foods, such as white bread, which release sugar very quickly into the bloodstream, may be linked to acne, Shinkai said. For instance, one study found that a population in Papua New Guinea with a low glycemic diet had no cases of acne across all ages, while in the United States more than 80 percent of teenagers have acne. Other studies looking at a possible link between diary products and acne have had conflicting results, Shinkai said.

While there may be a subset of people whose acne is influenced by diet, this is probably not true for everyone, Shinkai said. Multiple factors contribute to acne, including genetics, hormones and certain medications. [See Acne in Women Can Signal Hormone Problems.]

Shinkai said most dermatologists do not recommend dietary changes to help with acne, unless a patient is certain that a particular food is linked with his or her acne. Shinkai cautioned against broad dietary restrictions, such as avoiding diary, because diary products are important sources of calcium and vitamin D for many people, and the nutritional benefits of the products outweigh the impact of acne, she said.

Eating small amounts of chocolate has been linked with health benefits, such as a reduced risk of heart attack and stroke.

The new study, conducted by researchers at the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center in the Netherlands, was published online March 1 in the journal Cytokine.?

Pass it on: For some people, chocolate consumption may worsen acne .

Follow Rachael Rettner @RachaelRettner. Follow MyHealthNewsDaily @MyHealth_MHND, Facebook & Google+. Originally published on MyHealthNewsDaily.

Copyright 2013 MyHealthNewsDaily, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bittersweet-news-chocolate-may-trigger-acne-162147774.html

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Toronto Travel Bloggers, Who to Watch for at TBEX - The Planet D

We always tell people that Toronto has the best travel community in the world. It amazes me. So many Toronto based Travel Bloggers are at the top of their field. We feel that some of the best travel bloggers, vloggers and industry peeps are based right here in Toronto, and since the entire world travel community is coming to Toronto in June, we wanted to highlight the Toronto Travel Bloggers that you should keep an eye out for and say hello to during the upcoming TBEX conference.

We normally hate doing posts like this. Inevitably someone awesome gets left out and we feel bad. But since TBEX is coming to Toronto in June, we felt compelled to show off our community. There are other amazing Canadian Travel bloggers that we could mention too, but then this post would go on forever. So for now, enjoy our recommendations for your reading pleasure.

My Life Unteathered?- Alicia Taggio not only puts together amazing travel videos, but she also splits her time between My Life Unteathered and being the Social Media Specialist at FlightCentre.ca. Alicia co-founded the Toronto Travel Massive with Mariellen or Breathe Dream Go and together they have transformed it from a small social gathering to a major industry event. Alicia is someone who gets you excited when you talk to her. She?s filled with ideas, has major connections and knows how social media works. We always say ?This girl gets things done!?

BreatheDreamGo?- Mariellen Ward has a passion for India. She?s been writing about it in both traditional media outlets around the world as well as at her successful travel blog. Recently she changed her niche to expand beyond India to a?meaningful adventure travel blog and has really hit her stride. An influencer and another leader in the industry who has won several awards in writing. And as mentioned above, Mariellen is the co-founder of Toronto Travel Massive with Alicia Taggio.

Travolution?- Before TBEX begins, we get to spend a week with Cristina in Italy as part of the BlogVille Campaign. A graduate of Journalism and Political Science, she turned down her dream job twice. A well rounded journalist she interviewed the likes of Justin Beiber, Tom Cruise and Raine Maida ?of Our Lady Peace?(like Cristina also, one of our favourite bands). She quit it all to become a travel blogger and if anyone can make it, she can. Cristina is also now a part of the people behind the Toronto Travel Massive with Alicia and Mariellen.

JourneyWoman - Evelyn Hannon runs the premiere online travel resource for women. She?s been featured everywhere from Time Magazine and Good Morning America to Reader?s Digest and Canada AM. We?ve known and admired Evelyn since we started travel blogging. Whenever we talk to friends or family oustide of the travel industry, they know of JourneyWoman. They may not know the rest of us, but she?s a household name with 65,000 people subscribing to her newsletter which was featured in People Magazine!

KickTheGrind - If you want to know about how to make travel videos, you want to follow Mike Corey. He has the best travel videos in the industry and it?s only a matter of time until he has his own travel show. His editing is awesome and we?re not the only ones who think so. He?s won several video competitions including the prestigious Cathay Pacific around the World in 80 Days video competition.

The Travel Society?- Our good friend Helen (And as some say, my sister, we look a lot a like) has started a new company The Travel Society. It?s a travel club for adventure travel around the world. That?s our kind of place! It?s so much so that we?re developing custom ThePlanetD tours with Helen for 2014. That will be coming soon, but in the meantime, check out everything there is to offer. We love her latest post?Misadventures in ?Antarctica, where she talks about being on a sinking ship in Antarctica. Yikes! The Travel Society is a boutique travel agency with a subscription based membership of 2000 people. Way to go Helen!

Red Hunt Travel?- Red has been everywhere. He is a travel consultant and social media consultant. He quit his job to travel the world long before it was trendy and has?become an avid travel photographer and has written more than 600 travel articles and newsletters. He?s a former journalist who now works in the world of travel marketing. All that and he still has time to share his spectacular travel stories on Red Hunt Travel.

Savoir Faire Abroad - You may know her from SpunkyGirlMonologues, but Pamela MacNaughten has rebranded and started off 2013 with some major travels through Central America.We first met her in Bangkok where she was helping refugees connect with their families. Pam has a huge heart and has made a living out of travel blogging for several years. She has been featured in Outpost, Travel and Escape and Up Magazines.

Seattles Travel - Featured on Mashable as one of the best people to follow on Instagram, Seattle Dredge has really made a name for herself. She?s been everywhere from Australia to Iceland and focuses on Adventure Travel. Her latest posts have been focusing on mountains and snow and ice and we?ve been loving following her journey. Our kind of gal indeed!

Have Baby Will Travel - Mom Bloggers have always been way ahead of travel bloggers and Corinne McDermett is definitely ahead of the game. I remember first talking to her a few years ago and was blown away with her ideas and vision. Besides her successful travel blog she?s been featured in traditional media and television such as Canada AM, Breakfast Television, Travel and Leisure and the Disney Channel. She has now started her own consulting company and ?is a family travel specialist for Thomas Cook.

Near Afar - Every time we see Natalie Taylor I just laugh and laugh. There?s something about her energy that makes me smile. A true Toronto Specialist, this is the blog to follow if you need information for the 2013 host city for TBEX ? Toronto. She?s been featured in the Sympatico Blog, Lucky Penny, National Geographic?s Intelligent Traveler and Trip Atlas just to name a few.

TheTraveller World Guide - I just love The Hogga, Aka Lindsay Hogg. Her writing is fresh and funny and this girl is busy. Not only is she the President extraordinaire at the Traveller World Guide where she has brought on two other people to work with the site, she is also?Captain Burrito?at?ChickenChunk?and?Monday Funnies Author?at?Travel and Escape. Funnies Author is a fitting title, whenever I read her stuff, I do it with a huge smile.

SoloTraveler?- Janice Waugh has taken the travel industry by storm, traveling the world speaking about how to make a business out of blogging. She started the Global Bloggers Network and founded The Traveler?s Handbook Series. Janice is always coming up with innovative ideas and is filled with wisdom when it comes to solo travel and the blogging industry. She?s a very giving and caring woman and a mentor to us all.

Professional Hobo ? ?Nora Dunn may have now settled in the Caribbean but she?s a Toronto gal. We actually have something in common, we both worked at YTV. Nora is one of the leading travel blogs on the net. She proved long before the rest of us joined the game that you can live a location independent lifestyle and make money doing it. She?s so financially savvy that she is the senior contributor for Wise Bread, a popular personal finance and frugal living website, she give regular round ups of how much money she made and how she does it and she?s just truly an inspiration.

Backpack with Brock - Brock is currently on an amazing journey through Asia with Viator as their video blogger. He came oh so close to winning $10,000 through Viator last year, but they loved him so much, they brought him back anyway! He?s now traveling Asia with them. Brock not only runs his travel blog, he is also an adventure consultant and entrepreneur who helps others plan their next world backpacking trip. Brock feels like the little brother we never had and is so much fun to be around. I hope he makes it back in time for TBEX so that he can share his adventures with everyone.

Bacon is Magic?- Ayngelina Brogan has slowed down work on her travel blog in recent years to return to her life in PR, but Bacon is Magic is still going strong and she has started working with the Navigate Media Group bringing travel bloggers together to collaborate on projects. Specializing in food, she writes engaging stories.

?A Nerd at Large - Stephanie has already made her living writing about the travel industry for over a decade. She?s now started a Nerd at Large and is a Travel and Escape featured blogger. I?ve been loving her photographs and she even was kind enough to post some right here on our website. Check out Los Angeles in Black and White. Right now Stephanie is in the process of pursuing her goal of trying 1000 new things. Now that makes for an exciting life.

Hopscotch The Globe - Kristen represented us on a press trip last year and ever since this girl has been on fire. We?ve been watching her travel the world working with various tourism boards. She won the VLogger award in Puerto Rico run by our good friends at Diamond PR and her youtube video ?How to Pee Standing Up has received nearly 150,000 views! This girl has an awesome youtube channel and she?s just dynamite!

Girls Getaway - Dian Emery is the managing editor of this popular website. It?s grown to become so big that there are six regular contributors and several guest writers. We?ve had the pleasure of going to Mexico with Dian and meeting her other half. She?s such a gracious and giving lady and it?s awesome to see so much success come her way!

Excellent Vacation Ideas - Melanie is another person who when we get together we just laugh and laugh. A savvy business woman, she has developed an amazing site with Excellent Vacation Ideas. I love talking blogging and website business with her (in between laughing). And value her opinion and advice. If you?re looking for vacation ideas for your next trip, this is the site for you. Her daily questions and inspiration always pop up in my facebook feed too!

KK Adventures ? Okay, Kieren and Karen may be from Britain, but they?ve made Toronto their home and are a huge part of our travel community. They?ve kept their full time jobs while running the blog on the side and have done a great job balancing both. And we?re happy to know that they love exploring their new home?Toronto! Karin has also become a part of the Toronto Travel Massive team joining Cristina in helping Alicia and Mariellen plan events around the city.

Oneika The Traveler - We met Oneika when we ran with the bulls last year while she was a part of the uber popular ?Girls Running with Bulls? Oneika was recently named one of the Top 7 Travel Bloggers to Watch on Twitter and has been featured on National Geographic?s Radar. She?s been to 60 countries on 6 continents and is one fabulous lady. While travel blogging isn?t her full time profession, she?s a high school English Literature and French teacher at international schools, she still manages to take 10 international trips a year and if she wanted to switch to be a full time blogger, she easily could.

Travel and Escape?- Well, you may have noticed that many of the people we?ve mentioned above have been featured on Travel and Escape. Did you know Travel and Escape is based in Toronto? They?ve been a great supporter of the Toronto Travel community and even though they are a Television network, they also keep a good travel blog up and running to. .

So there you have it. That?s our list of Toronto Tavel Bloggers. I?m going to die if I missed someone. If you know me and we missed you, please send us an email. I?ll add you in, somewhere in the middle so nobody will ever know that you weren?t put on in the first place! I hope you enjoyed these Toronto Travel bloggers, you won?t regret reading any of their blogs. Seriously, we?ve got a great world class community.

Source: http://theplanetd.com/toronto-travel-bloggers-who-to-watch-for-at-tbex/

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