tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9331943937486293762024-03-13T19:58:07.184-07:00NST Onlineblog2http://www.blogger.com/profile/04250645119730839480noreply@blogger.comBlogger1854125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933194393748629376.post-61408620077376179202014-06-05T09:08:00.001-07:002014-06-05T09:08:27.742-07:00NST Online Top Stories - Google News<style type="text/css"> h1 a:hover {background-color:#888;color:#fff ! important;} div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div ul { list-style-type:square; padding-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div blockquote { padding-left:6px; border-left: 6px solid #dadada; margin-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div li { margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:1em; } table#itemcontentlist tr td a:link, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:visited, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:active, ul#summarylist li a { color:#000099; font-weight:bold; text-decoration:none; } img {border:none;} </style> <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" id="emailbody" style="margin:0 2em;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <table style="border:0;padding:0;margin:0;width:100%"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top" width="99%"> <h1 style="margin:0;padding-bottom:6px;"> <a style="color:#888;font-size:22px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;" href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en" title="(http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en)">NST Online Top Stories - Google News</a> </h1> </td> <td width="1%" /> </tr> </table> <hr style="border:1px solid #ccc;padding:0;margin:0" /> <table id="itemcontentlist"> <tr xmlns=""> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="1" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNGPp8kkJS0TetkbdR34SHstF508RQ&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778522974553&ei=AZGQU4DnMZTAwQHdkIHoBg&url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2014/06/05/gm-barra-report-valukas-failure/9985709/">GM CEO axes 15 over switches, says 'no conspiracy' - USA TODAY</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 05 Jun 2014 08:31 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"><div id="module-position-NQBor6TmtOU" class="story-asset story-metadata-asset"><div class="article-metadata-wrap"><section id="module-position-NQBor6TzDVE" class="storymetadata-bucket expandable-photo-module" readability="5"><aside itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" class="single-photo expandable-collapsed" readability="10"><p class="image-credit-wrap"><span class="js-caption-wrapper"><span class="cutline js-caption">General Motors President Dan Ammann, left, CEO Mary Barra, and Executive Vice President Mark Reuss hold a press conference at the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Mich., on Thursday.</span><meta itemprop="copyrightHolder" content=""/><span class="credit">(Photo: Carlos Osorio, AP)</span></span></p></aside></section></div></div><p>General Motors CEO Mary Barra said this morning she fired 15 people who either were incompetent or irresponsible in their actions involving fatally flawed ignition switches that are linked to 13 deaths in crashes where airbags failed to inflate.</p><p>"A disproportionate number of those were in senior roles or executives," she said. Two high-ranking engineers previously put on paid leave were among them, Barra said. That would be switch engineer Ray DeGiorgio and development engineer Gary Altman.</p><p>Barra wouldn't identify others.</p><p>Barra said five more -- "one level removed" -- were disciplined in unspecified ways because they "simply didn't take action." She wouldn't name them.</p><p>"A unique series of mistakes was made," she said. And the problem was misunderstood to be one of owner satisfaction and not safety. GM engineers didn't understand that when the switches failed, they cut power to the airbags.</p><p>"I wish I could" understand how they made that mistake, she said. "It was a mis-diagnosis."</p><p>The 15 were terminated after an internal report she commissioned, conducted by former U.S. attorney Anton Valukas. She said the the Valukas report "is enormously painful" and details "fundamental failure" by GM in dealing with safety issues in years past.</p><p>Valukas reviewed more than 41 million GM documents, she said.</p><p>There was "no conspiracy found" within GM and no specific decision "to trade off safety" for costs, she said the report found.</p><p>The Valukas report shows a pattern of "Incompetence and neglect" and discloses that "numerous individuals" failed to fix the switch instead of "finding ways to protect our customers."</p><p>"I hate sharing this with you as much as you hate hearing it," she told 1,200 GM employees assembled at the company's technical and engineering center in Warren, Mich. The 15-minute speech, marbled with references to her pride in GM and its high-quality workforce, was broadcast live to other GM employees located elsewhere.</p><p>In a press conference afterwards, she said GM will compensate "everyone who has lost a loved one or suffered a serious injury" as a result of the defect. But she gave no details on how much compensation amounts.</p><p>At the press conference, GM President Dan Amman said GM's official number of deaths linked to the flawed switches remains 13, but he said many more than that will be eligible for compensation: "Rules on eligibility for compensation are being determined independently by (Kenneth) Feinberg," the mediation and compensation specialists that GM hired to run its victim compensation program, Amman said. .</p><p>Amman said it will be entirely up to Feinberg to decide who gets paid, how much, and thus, the amount GM ultimately will have to spend on compensation.</p><p>Claims for compensation will begin Aug. 1.</p><p>At the press conference, Barra said more than 113,000 defective switches have been replaced, "as of last night."</p><p>"Despite the damaging nature of this situation, Mary Barra has handled it as well as any CEO in her position could," Karl Brauer, senior analyst at Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com said.</p><p>Barra "has already taken several steps to address the issue of 'internal silos' that restricted information and caused a lack of accountability within the company," Bauer said.</p><p>Among them, overhauling the company's safety decision-making process to be sure top executives know of potential problems.</p><p>Barra told a U.S. House committee on April 1, during tough questioning, that she had hired Valukas "to conduct a thorough and unimpeded investigation of the actions of General Motors. He has free rein to go where the facts take him, regardless of the outcome.</p><p>"The facts will be the facts. Once they are in, my management team and I will use his findings to help assure this does not happen again. We will hold ourselves fully accountable."</p><p>Valukas led a similar inquiry after the 2008 collapse of Lehman Brothers.</p><p>GM on May 16 agreed to pay the maximum fine, $35 million, because it failed to tell the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration within five business days after determining the switches were a safety defect.</p><p>It also agree to "unprecedented oversight" by the government of its safety processes and agreed to turn the entire Valukas report over to Congress and NHTSA. Barra had fought to keep some parts of the report confidential.</p><p>Though the details spotlight dramatic failures within GM to aggressively seek out and fix safety problems, there is a bit of anti-climax to it.</p><p>GM already had blown the whistle on itself. In documents submitted to NHTSA as part of the recall of 2.6 million 2003-2011 small cars worldwide for the defective switches, GM disclosed that its engineers first knew in 2001 the switches could unexpectedly move out of the "run" position.</p><p>That kills the engine, shuts off the power assist to steering and brakes, and usually disables front airbags.</p><p>In 2003, a dealership technician cited the switch failure, the GM documents show..</p><p>And in 2004, development engineer Altman noted the switch problem.</p><p>In 2006, according to GM documents, switch engineer DeGiorgio approved a revised switch that was less likely to move out of "run," but didn't give it a new part number.</p><p>Barra said in congressional hearings in April that failing to distinguish a revised part with a new part number is "unacceptable" and violates GM engineering rules.</p><p>In a 2007 meeting with NHTSA about another matter, GM disclosed, it was told about a 2005 fatal crash in which the switch apparently moved out of the "run" position and the front airbags failed to inflate.</p><p>GM's legal staff got involved, but the matter apparently didn't percolate to upper management until late 2013, and a recall was begun in February this year.</p><p>GM also is under investigation by the Department of Justice over whether there were criminal acts committed in a cover-up of the deadly flaw.</p><p>The Securities and Exchange Commission is probing GM to see if it misled investors.</p><p>Lawyers are suing on behalf of owners who claim their recalled vehicles have lost value. GM is fighting that in court in New York, citing the 2009 bankruptcy reorganization's protection from liability for "economic loss" due to pre-bankruptcy actions of what's called "old GM."</p><p>Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1heUGoe</p></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="2" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNFCz3oTAPaCYRkUZJSMb91MRFX76w&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778527705018&ei=AZGQU4DnMZTAwQHdkIHoBg&url=http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/06/05/3-police-officers-dead-2-injured-in-new-brunswick-shooting/">Authorities launch manhunt for suspect in New Brunswick police killings - Fox News</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 05 Jun 2014 08:25 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <div class="slides"> <div> <ul class="encapsulate"><li> <div class="m" readability="8.5"> <img src="http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/U.S./876/493/new-brunswick-police-checkpoint-060514.jpg?ve=1&tl=1" alt="new-brunswick-police-checkpoint-060514.jpg" itemprop="image"/><div class="caption" readability="12"> <p itemtype="http://schema.org/Organization" itemscope="" itemprop="sourceOrganization">June 5, 2014: Royal Canadian Mounted Police check a van at a roadblock in Moncton, New Brunswick. A Royal Canadian Mounted Police manhunt for a gunman suspected of killing three Mounties and wounding two others passed the 12-hour mark Thursday in Moncton as a large section of the New Brunswick city was under a virtual siege.<span itemprop="name" class="source">AP/The Canadian Press</span></p> </div> </div> </li> <li> <div class="m" readability="8.5"> <img src="http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/U.S./876/493/new-brunswick-manhunt-060514.jpg?ve=1&tl=1" alt="new-brunswick-manhunt-060514.jpg" itemprop="image"/><div class="caption" readability="12"> <p itemtype="http://schema.org/Organization" itemscope="" itemprop="sourceOrganization">June 5, 2014: Royal Canadian Mounted Police check the trunk of a taxi at a roadblock in Moncton, New Brunswick. A RCMP manhunt for a gunman suspected of killing three Mounties and wounding two others passed the 12-hour mark Thursday in Moncton as a large section of the New Brunswick city was under a virtual siege.<span itemprop="name" class="source">AP/The Canadian Press</span></p> </div> </div> </li> <li> <div class="m" readability="10"> <img src="http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/876/493/Canada Shooting_Cham640.jpg?ve=1&tl=1" alt="Canada Shooting_Cham640.jpg" itemprop="image"/><div class="caption" readability="15"> <p itemtype="http://schema.org/Organization" itemscope="" itemprop="sourceOrganization">June 4, 2014: Police officers take cover behind their vehicles in Moncton, New Brunswick. Three police officers were shot dead and two others injured Wednesday in the east coast Canadian province of New Brunswick, officials said, and authorities were searching for a suspect. (AP Photo/Moncton Times & Transcript, Ron Ward via The Canadian Press)<span itemprop="name" class="source"/></p> </div> </div> </li> <li> <div class="m" readability="7.5"> <img src="http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/U.S./876/493/canada-shooting-060514.jpg?ve=1&tl=1" alt="canada-shooting-060514.jpg" itemprop="image"/><div class="caption" readability="10"> <p itemtype="http://schema.org/Organization" itemscope="" itemprop="sourceOrganization">June 4, 2014: Employees of a grocery store lock down their store in Moncton, New Brunswick.<span itemprop="name" class="source">AP/The Canadian Press</span></p> </div> </div> </li> </ul></div> </div> <p>The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have launched a manhunt for a gunman after three of its officers were killed and two others were wounded in shootings Wednesday in Moncton, New Brunswick. </p> <p>Since the attacks, Justin Bourque, 24, has been seen in three different places around Moncton, the latest instance after daylight Thursday morning, said Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commander Marlene Snowman.</p> <p>Heavily armed RCMP officers are combing streets and woods in search of Bourque, who was wearing military camouflage and carrying two rifles in a picture released by police on Twitter. Schools and government offices were closed, and the city pulled its buses off the roads. Mail delivery was suspended.</p> <p>Police have commandeered armored trucks and told residents to stay indoors. They warned people to expect roadblocks and traffic disruptions. </p> <p>Moncton, a city of about 69,000 people, is about 95 miles northeast of St. John, New Brunswick.</p> <p>Police released a map of a large portion of the northwest section of the city, including a heavily wooded area, where they wanted people to remain inside with their doors locked.</p> <p>RCMP Constable Damien Theriault said the officers were shot responding to a call about an armed man in the north end of the city at around 7:30 p.m on Wednesday. The two officers who were injured received non life-threatening injuries and were in stable condition.</p> <p>"We are still actively looking for the shooter," Theriault said. "He is believed to still be in the Pinehurst subdivision area of Moncton. We are urging people in that area to stay inside and lock their doors and for people to say away from that area."</p> <p>Asked how he was dealing with his grief, Theriault said he personally knew the officers before breaking down and excusing himself because he couldn't complete his sentence. </p> <p>Danny Leblanc, 42, said he saw the shooter in the distance Wednesday evening, wearing a camouflage outfit and standing in the middle of the street with his gun pointed at police cars.</p> <p>The construction worker said he believed it was an RCMP officer until he heard a burst of automatic gunfire coming from the man's gun.</p> <p>"That guy was standing on the road afterwards and he was looking towards us," he said.</p> <p>He said he quickly retreated into his home and remained there with his family. At one point a neighbor posted on social media that their kitchen window was shattered by gunfire.</p> <p>Leblanc, who was in contact with friends on Facebook, said few people on his normally quiet street were sleeping as they awaited word at midnight on whether arrests had been made.</p> <p>Word that police had been killed shocked the city, Leblanc said.</p> <p>"It's devastating. I don't know if he was on a hunt for them, or what," he said.</p> <p>Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc urged all residents to pay strict attention to the RCMP warnings.</p> <p>"It is a terrible tragedy," he said. "We as a city must pull together as a family to support those who have suffered losses."</p> <p>Such violence is rare in Canada, particularly on Canada's East Coast. Theriault said the city of Moncton didn't have a homicide last year or this year until Wednesday evening.</p> <p>"We have been blessed until this point," he told The Associated Press.</p> <p>He said other RCMP officers from around Atlantic Canada are in Moncton assisting with the search.</p> <p>The shootings brought back memories of when four Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers were shot and killed in the western Canadian province of Alberta in 2005 in the deadliest attack on Canadian police officers in 120 years. They had been investigating a farm in Mayerthrope, a small hamlet in Alberta when a man shot them before he was killed.</p> <p>Sean Gallacher, who lives near the area where police were concentrating their search, said he heard what he now believes were gunshots but initially thought his daughter had dropped some toys on the floor above him.</p> <p>"I was downstairs and heard a few bangs," said Gallacher, 35.</p> <p>Will Njoku told the CBC that he was emptying his dishwasher and putting his children to bed at around 8 p.m. local time when he heard popping sounds.</p> <p>"Within 30 seconds I heard sirens," he said, before adding that he heard five more shots after the sirens. When news broke that there was a shooter, he said he went outside to warn his neighbors. </p> <p>"I felt pretty dumb. But there was people going down there," he said. "I just know my neighborhood. It's just kid city." </p> <p>Canadian Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney tweeted that he was "shocked by the tragedy" and that his thoughts and prayers were with frontline RCMP officers.</p> <p><b><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/3-rcmp-officers-dead-2-wounded-in-moncton-shooting-1.2665359">Click for more from CBC.ca</a>.</b></p> <p><i>The Associated Press contributed to this report. </i></p></div> </td> </tr> </table> <table style="border-top:1px solid #999;padding-top:4px;margin-top:1.5em;width:100%" id="footer"> <tr> <td style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">You are subscribed to email updates from <a href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en">Top Stories - Google News</a> <br />To stop receiving these emails, you may <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailunsubscribe?k=vNU6gfBaGNiEci8BSSOBNzdQZg0">unsubscribe now</a>.</td> <td style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;text-align:right;vertical-align:top">Email delivery powered by Google</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610</td> </tr> </table> </div> blog2http://www.blogger.com/profile/04250645119730839480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933194393748629376.post-64060084703745122992014-06-04T10:33:00.001-07:002014-06-04T10:33:08.452-07:00NST Online Top Stories - Google News<style type="text/css"> h1 a:hover {background-color:#888;color:#fff ! important;} div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div ul { list-style-type:square; padding-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div blockquote { padding-left:6px; border-left: 6px solid #dadada; margin-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div li { margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:1em; } table#itemcontentlist tr td a:link, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:visited, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:active, ul#summarylist li a { color:#000099; font-weight:bold; text-decoration:none; } img {border:none;} </style> <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" id="emailbody" style="margin:0 2em;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <table style="border:0;padding:0;margin:0;width:100%"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top" width="99%"> <h1 style="margin:0;padding-bottom:6px;"> <a style="color:#888;font-size:22px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;" href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en" title="(http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en)">NST Online Top Stories - Google News</a> </h1> </td> <td width="1%" /> </tr> </table> <hr style="border:1px solid #ccc;padding:0;margin:0" /> <table id="itemcontentlist"> <tr xmlns=""> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="1" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNHIMQHhEbsSfTOkq5-gjKdbMOjjww&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778522305416&ei=hvCOU9g2lMDBAd2QgegG&url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/10873996/Bowe-Bergdahl-prisoner-release-Taliban-publish-footage-of-handover-to-US-forces.html">Bowe Bergdahl prisoner release: Taliban publish footage of handover to US forces - Telegraph.co.uk</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 03 Jun 2014 11:27 PM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <div class="firstPar" readability="9.01960784314"><p> A video released through the Taliban's media arm appears to show the moment <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/10872450/US-army-could-still-pursue-desertion-charges-against-Bowe-Bergdahl.html">Bowe Bergdahl</a>, the <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/">US</a> soldier who spent five years in captivity, is released. </p></div><div class="secondPar" readability="12"> <p> Sgt Bergdahl, 28, looking relaxed with a blanket draped over his shoulders, is filmed in the back of a vehicle waiting for the handover. He is then brought out as a Black Hawk helicopter lands in a clearing. </p></div><div class="thirdPar" readability="12"> <p> Special forces soldiers stay at the aircraft as three men, not wearing uniforms, come forward to receive the prisoner, hugging Sgt Bergdahl. As he boards the aircraft one of the men can be seen frisking Sgt Bergdahl. </p></div><div class="fourthPar" readability="9"> <p> The operation is all over in 10 carefully choreographed seconds and is carried out under the watch of militants, armed with rocket propelled grenades. </p></div> </div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="2" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNELHI9Z0JrwkHMwcZeOhSwXqw0Axw&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778523353230&ei=hvCOU9g2lMDBAd2QgegG&url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/06/04/cochran-mcdaniel-compete-in-mississippi-senate-primary-race/">Mississippi GOP Senate primary race too close to call, Ernst wins in Iowa - Fox News</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 04 Jun 2014 02:41 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <p>Six-term Mississippi GOP Sen. Thad Cochran and Tea Party-backed state Sen. Chris McDaniel were locked overnight in a too-close-to-call race for Cochran's Senate seat and appear headed for a runoff later this month. </p> <p>McDaniel had nudged ahead of Cochran early Wednesday, with 98 percent of the state's precincts reporting. McDaniel garnered 49.6 percent of the vote to Cochran's 48.8 percent.</p> <p>One candidate would have needed 50 percent of the vote to win outright and avoid the June 24 runoff. The third GOP candidate, Thomas Carey, had 2 percent of the vote.</p> <p>Mississippi was just one of six states Tuesday holding Senate primaries, with Iowa's GOP race considered the other closely-contested contest.</p> <p>The other Senate primary races were in Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota. </p> <p>Republicans need to win a net six Senate seats this year to take control of the upper chamber.</p> <p>In Mississippi, the Tea Party-backed McDaniel gave supporters an upbeat speech shortly after midnight at his post-election party.</p> <p>"Because of your hard work, we sit here tonight leading a 42-year incumbent," he said. "We will stand victorious. … We will win this fight."</p> <p>The 76-year-old Cochran is facing the toughest challenge of his political career against McDaniel, who entered the race deadlocked with the veteran lawmaker.</p> <p>"It's been a long night and it's not over," said a Cochran campaign staffer. "It looks like a runoff."</p> <p>The winner will face former Rep. Travis Childers, who Tuesday night won the state Democratic nomination, and Reform Party candidate Shawn O'Hara in the November election.</p> <p>In Iowa, state Sen. Joni Ernst won the GOP primary. The 43-year-old Ernst won the nomination over five candidates including challenger Mark Jacobs, who led the race early.</p> <p>Ernst will face Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley in November for the seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin.</p> <p>All the Republicans seeking the nomination described themselves as deeply conservative, but Ernst managed to stand out in part due to two television ads. One featured her on a farm, talking about her experience castrating hogs, and the other showed her firing a handgun.</p> <p>Ernst also received endorsements from a variety of groups and individuals, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Rifle Association and Sarah Palin.</p> <p>The Cochran-McDaniel contest drew top billing, featuring a pillar of the GOP establishment who has helped funnel millions of dollars to his state and a younger state lawmaker who drew backing from Tea Party groups and former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.</p> <p>The campaign took a turn toward the sensational when four men, all McDaniel supporters, were arrested and charged with surreptitiously taking photographs of the senator's 72-year-old wife, who suffers from dementia and has long lived in a nursing home.</p> <p>Police said they wanted to use the photo to further allegations that Cochran was having an inappropriate friendship with a female staffer who accompanied him on numerous overseas trips.</p> <p>In Montana, Democrat John Walsh won his party's nomination for Senate, and Steve Daines won the GOP primary.</p> <p>In New Jersey, former Washington policy analyst Jeff Bell won a tight GOP primary, narrowly defeating computer consultant Richard Puzzollo.</p> <p>The other two Republicans running in the low-budget primary were concrete contractor Brian Goldberg and business professor Murray Sabrin. Bell will in November face incumbent Democratic Sen. Cory Booker, who is considered a heavy favorite.</p> <p>In New Mexico, former state GOP chairman Allan Weh won the party primary and will face incumbent Democratic Sen. Tom Udall in the fall.</p> <p>In South Dakota, former Gov. Mike Rounds won the GOP primary and enters the November race as the favored to win the seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson. He will face Democrat Rick Weiland, who ran unopposed.</p> <p><i>The Associated Press contributed to this report.</i></p></div> </td> </tr> </table> <table style="border-top:1px solid #999;padding-top:4px;margin-top:1.5em;width:100%" id="footer"> <tr> <td style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">You are subscribed to email updates from <a href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en">Top Stories - Google News</a> <br />To stop receiving these emails, you may <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailunsubscribe?k=vNU6gfBaGNiEci8BSSOBNzdQZg0">unsubscribe now</a>.</td> <td style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;text-align:right;vertical-align:top">Email delivery powered by Google</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610</td> </tr> </table> </div> blog2http://www.blogger.com/profile/04250645119730839480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933194393748629376.post-20430374851608157362014-06-03T10:07:00.001-07:002014-06-03T10:07:43.446-07:00NST Online Top Stories - Google News<style type="text/css"> h1 a:hover {background-color:#888;color:#fff ! important;} div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div ul { list-style-type:square; padding-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div blockquote { padding-left:6px; border-left: 6px solid #dadada; margin-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div li { margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:1em; } table#itemcontentlist tr td a:link, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:visited, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:active, ul#summarylist li a { color:#000099; font-weight:bold; text-decoration:none; } img {border:none;} </style> <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" id="emailbody" style="margin:0 2em;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <table style="border:0;padding:0;margin:0;width:100%"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top" width="99%"> <h1 style="margin:0;padding-bottom:6px;"> <a style="color:#888;font-size:22px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;" href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en" title="(http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en)">NST Online Top Stories - Google News</a> </h1> </td> <td width="1%" /> </tr> </table> <hr style="border:1px solid #ccc;padding:0;margin:0" /> <table id="itemcontentlist"> <tr xmlns=""> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="1" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNH_DHn9yBLwQc5AhSua3S9LbGXCCQ&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778522505712&ei=3gCOU4DNEIi-wAHkwoDwAg&url=http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/06/03/wisconsin-girl-stabbed-1-times-in-woods-recovering/">Wisconsin girl stabbed 19 times in woods recovering - Fox News</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 03 Jun 2014 09:03 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <p>A court document says the 12-year-old girl stabbed 19 times in some woods in Waukesha narrowly escaped death.</p> <p>Doctors at Waukesha Memorial Hospital told police the girl was "one millimeter away from certain death" because one of her stab wounds missed a major artery near her heart by a millimeter.</p> <p>The document says a surgical team performing laparoscopic surgery on the girl found injuries to her liver, pancreas and stomach.</p> <p>The hospital declined to update the girl's condition Tuesday. Police said Monday the girl's condition was stable.</p> <p>Two of the victim's friends, both 12,<a href="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/06/02/two-12-year-old-wisconsin-girls-lure-then-stab-friend-1-times-in-failed-plot-to/"> are charged in adult court</a> with first-degree attempted homicide. They are each being held on $500,000 cash.</p> <p>According to a criminal complaint, the girls said they had been planning to kill their 12-year-old friend for months to please Slenderman, a fictional online character.</p> <p>The complaint said they invited the girl to a sleepover Friday. They planned to tape her mouth shut, stab her in the neck and run away to Slenderman's mansion.</p> <p>Instead, they attacked the girl in Waukesha on Saturday, handing the knife back and forth between them before one girl held the victim down and the other stabbed her 19 times.</p> <p>One girl told detectives she regretted it. The other said she was sorry.</p> <p><i>The Associated Press contributed to this report </i></p></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="2" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNEwOI23hWYNByK7ibnEWSK1TbUyYg&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778524744247&ei=3gCOU4DNEIi-wAHkwoDwAg&url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/03/poland-obama-idUSL1N0OK0AB20140603">UPDATE 3-Obama offers military help to E.Europe allies worried by Russia - Reuters</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 03 Jun 2014 09:36 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <span id="midArticle_start"></span> <span class="focusParagraph"><p>* Obama under pressure for muscular response to Kremlin</p> </span><span id="midArticle_0"></span><p>* In Warsaw, he unveils support and training for NATO allies</p><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>* White House to review force presence in Europe</p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>* Kremlin says no plan for Putin-Obama meeting this week (Updates with Walesa comment, NATO meeting)</p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>By <a href="http://blogs.reuters.com/search/journalist.php?edition=us&n=roberta.rampton&">Roberta Rampton</a> and Marcin Goettig</p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p>WARSAW, June 3 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama promised on Tuesday to beef up military support for eastern European members of the NATO alliance who fear they could be next in the firing line after the Kremlin's intervention in Ukraine.</p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>Under attack from critics at home who say his leadership on the world stage has not been muscular enough, Obama unveiled plans to spend up to $1 billion in supporting and training the armed forces of NATO states on Russia's borders.</p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p>The White House also said it would review permanent troop deployments in Europe in the light of the Ukraine crisis -- though that fell short of a firm commitment to put troops on the ground that Poland and some of its neighbours had sought.</p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p>Stationing troops permanently in eastern Europe would be tricky: many NATO members in Western Europe would baulk at the cost, and a big increase in U.S. forces could prompt reciprocal steps by Moscow and spiral into an arms race.</p><span id="midArticle_8"></span><p>Moments after landing at Warsaw's Okecie airport at the start of a four-day visit to Europe, Obama set the tone by striding into an aircraft hangar to inspect U.S. fighter jets in Poland for a joint programme with the Polish air force.</p><span id="midArticle_9"></span><p>"We need to make sure that the collective defense ... is robust, it is ready, it is properly equipped," Obama later told a joint news conference with Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski in Warsaw at the start of a four-day visit to Europe.</p><span id="midArticle_10"></span><p>"The United States is proud to bear its share of the defense of the transatlantic alliance," he said after their talks in Warsaw. "It is the cornerstone of our security."</p><span id="midArticle_11"></span><p>As they met, fighting raged in eastern Ukraine for a second straight day as Kiev's army pressed an offensive against pro-Russian separatists holding the city of Slaviansk and said it had inflicted losses on the rebels.</p><span id="midArticle_12"></span><span id="midArticle_13"></span><p>UKRAINE'S INTEGRITY</p><span id="midArticle_14"></span><p>Obama was to meet Ukraine's President-elect Petro Poroshenko in Warsaw on Wednesday and will attend celebrations in France with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday to mark the 70th anniversary of the World War Two D-Day landings.</p><span id="midArticle_15"></span><p>The Kremlin said Putin would hold private meetings on the sidelines with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and British Prime Minister David Cameron, but the Russian leader had no plans to meet Obama.</p><span id="midArticle_0"></span><p>The U.S. leader said he had no interest in threatening Russia, but that it must respect Ukraine's sovereignty, rein in separatist fighters there, and work together with Poroshenko. If Russia did not, Obama said, more sanctions have been prepared.</p><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>"Mr Putin has a choice to make," Obama said. "That's what I will tell him if I see him publicly. That's what I have told him privately."</p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>Obama said he would offer Poroshenko U.S. support for the Ukrainian economy to help ensure it can get through the winter if Moscow turned off gas supplies in a row over payment.</p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>"I want to hear from him (Poroshenko) what he thinks would be most helpful," Obama said. "We're going to spend a lot of time on the economics of Ukraine."</p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p>Washington recognised that Russia had a historic relationship with Ukraine and had legitimate interests in what happened along its border, he said.</p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>"But we also believe that the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty have to be respected," he said. "We have prepared economic costs on Russia that can escalate if in fact we continue to see Russia actively destabilising one of its neighbours in the way that we've seen of late."</p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p>While Washington proposed enhancing its military presence on Russia's western border, on another flank it stepped back in the face of a resurgent Kremlin.</p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p>U.S. forces ceremonially handed over the Manas air base in former Soviet Kyrgyzstan to the local authorities after using it for years as a key staging post for Western military operations in Afghanistan. The Kyrgyz parliament, seeking to curry favour with Moscow, had ordered Washington to vacate the base.</p><span id="midArticle_8"></span><span id="midArticle_9"></span><p>HAWK SATISFIED</p><span id="midArticle_10"></span><p>Poland, which spent much of its history under Russian domination and is now one of the most hawkish NATO members, has previously said it wanted a large U.S. force on its soil as soon as possible.</p><span id="midArticle_11"></span><p>However, Komorowski said the U.S. pledge on military support was a good response to the security threats in the region since Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula earlier this year.</p><span id="midArticle_12"></span><p>"For us it is most important that ... there are no countries that are told by some outside countries, particularly Russia, whether U.S. forces can or cannot be stationed there," Komorowski said.</p><span id="midArticle_13"></span><p>The military assistance for Europe proposed by the White House, called the European Reassurance Initiative, is to include greater U.S. participation in training and exercises, deploying U.S. military planners, and more persistent naval deployments in the Black Sea and Baltic Sea, on Russia's doorstep.</p><span id="midArticle_14"></span><p>The White House said in a statement it would help build the defence capacity of Ukraine and two other Western-leaning states on Russia's borders, Georgia and Moldova. Obama would be seeking the support of the U.S. Congress for the plan, it said.</p><span id="midArticle_15"></span><p>"In addition to this initiative, we are reviewing our force presence in Europe in the light of the new security challenges on the continent," it said.</p><span id="midArticle_0"></span><p>At a separate meeting in Brussels of NATO states, U.S Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel urged allies to raise their defence budgets in response to the Ukraine crisis, something several of them are reluctant to do.</p><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>Obama's visit to Poland coincides with the "Freedom Day" anniversary, marking the holding of the country's first partially-free elections 25 years ago, which led to the end of communist rule and the victory of the Solidarity trade union.</p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>Lech Walesa, the man who led the Solidarity movement, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Price, accused Washington of failing to show leadership today, echoing some of Obama's critics at home in the Republican Party.</p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>"The world does not have politically moral leadership at the moment," Walesa said in an interview with broadcaster CNN. "The world is a very dangerous place if there is no world leadership... They (the Americans) should finally start acting like a superpower again." (Additional reporting by <a href="http://blogs.reuters.com/search/journalist.php?edition=us&n=lesley.wroughton&">Lesley Wroughton</a> and Jakub Iglewski in WARSAW and <a href="http://blogs.reuters.com/search/journalist.php?edition=us&n=adrian.croft&">Adrian Croft</a> in BRUSSELS; Writing by Jeff Mason and Christian Lowe; Editing by Paul Taylor and Anna Willard)</p><span id="midArticle_4"></span></div> </td> </tr> </table> <table style="border-top:1px solid #999;padding-top:4px;margin-top:1.5em;width:100%" id="footer"> <tr> <td style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">You are subscribed to email updates from <a href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en">Top Stories - Google News</a> <br />To stop receiving these emails, you may <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailunsubscribe?k=vNU6gfBaGNiEci8BSSOBNzdQZg0">unsubscribe now</a>.</td> <td style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;text-align:right;vertical-align:top">Email delivery powered by Google</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610</td> </tr> </table> </div> blog2http://www.blogger.com/profile/04250645119730839480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933194393748629376.post-50064373692128071732014-06-02T09:21:00.001-07:002014-06-02T09:21:29.797-07:00NST Online Top Stories - Google News<style type="text/css"> h1 a:hover {background-color:#888;color:#fff ! important;} div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div ul { list-style-type:square; padding-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div blockquote { padding-left:6px; border-left: 6px solid #dadada; margin-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div li { margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:1em; } table#itemcontentlist tr td a:link, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:visited, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:active, ul#summarylist li a { color:#000099; font-weight:bold; text-decoration:none; } img {border:none;} </style> <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" id="emailbody" style="margin:0 2em;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <table style="border:0;padding:0;margin:0;width:100%"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top" width="99%"> <h1 style="margin:0;padding-bottom:6px;"> <a style="color:#888;font-size:22px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;" href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en" title="(http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en)">NST Online Top Stories - Google News</a> </h1> </td> <td width="1%" /> </tr> </table> <hr style="border:1px solid #ccc;padding:0;margin:0" /> <table id="itemcontentlist"> <tr xmlns=""> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="1" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNH5U0rUKdUI1dkLQFOPe3yNkc9T3w&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778516491359&ei=iKSMU9ivLOHKwAHzxYH4DQ&url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/06/02/epa-proposes-sharp-cuts-power-plant-emissions/9859913/">EPA seeks 30% cut in power plant carbon emissions by 2030 - USA TODAY</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 02 Jun 2014 08:50 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"><div id="module-position-NPi_wkqFAYg" class="story-asset story-metadata-asset"><div class="article-metadata-wrap"><section id="module-position-NPi_wkqIysc" class="storymetadata-bucket expandable-photo-module" readability="2.5"><aside itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" class="single-photo expandable-collapsed" readability="5"><p class="image-credit-wrap"><span class="cutline">Emissions spew out of a large stack at the coal-fired Morgantown Generating Station on May 29 in Newburg, Md.</span><meta itemprop="copyrightHolder" content=""/><span class="credit">(Photo: Mark Wilson, Getty Images)</span></p></aside></section></div></div><p><span>Taking a historic step to fight climate change, the Environmental Protection Agency today proposed a plan that aims to slash carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants 30% by 2030 and could accelerate the nation's shift away from coal.</span></p><p>"By leveraging cleaner energy sources and cutting energy waste, this plan will clean the air we breathe while helping slow climate change so we can leave a safe and healthy future for our kids," said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, adding it will spur innovation and create jobs. She <span>said the plan will give states flexibility to lower power plant emissions, setting goals tailored to their circumstances.</span></p><p><span>Yet the controversial proposal, a major part of President Obama's climate initiative, will set a national target of lowering these heat-trapping CO² emissions — from 2005 levels — of 30% by 2030. The EPA says that reduction amount is equal to the emissions from powering more than half of U.S. homes for one year.</span></p><p><span>Thwarted by Congress' inability to pass a bill to lower carbon emissions, Obama is pushing his own approach. Last June, he asked the EPA to use its authority under the Clean Air Act to limit power plant emissions, which account for the largest share — nearly 40% — of total U.S. emissions. Coal-fired facilities will be hardest hit, because they emit more carbon than other power plants.</span></p><p>The rule, expected to trigger legal challenges, will not take effect for at least two more years. Obama has asked the EPA to finalize it in June 2015, after which the states will have at least a year to craft their plans. If states balk at submitting them, the EPA could step in with its own version.</p><p>Opponents are already lining up against the proposal. Today, Rep. Nick J. Rahall, D- W.V., said he will work with his state's GOP colleague, Rep. David McKinley, to introduce legislation to stop both the new rule for existing power plants as well as one proposed last year for future plants.</p><p><span>"This new regulation threatens our economy and does so with an apparent disregard for the livelihoods of our coal miners and thousands of families throughout West Virginia," Rahall said.</span></p><p><span>Last week, the Chamber of Commerce released a report saying such regulation could raise consumer prices for electricity, kill jobs and slow economic growth. </span><span>In the GOP Saturday radio address, Wyoming's Sen. Mike Enzi said the Obama administration has "set out to kill coal and its 800,000 jobs." If it succeeds, he warned, "we'll all be paying a lot more money for electricity — if we can get it."</span></p><p><span>McCarthy said critics have "time after time ... cried wolf to protect their own agenda." She said their dire predictions about the economic costs of reducing urban smog in the 1960s and acid rain in the 1990s have been proven wrong.</span></p><p><span>"We can innovate our way to a better future," McCarthy said. "From the light bulb to the locomotive; from photovoltaic cells to cellphones, America has always turned small steps into giant leaps."</span></p><p><span>Obama said Saturday that </span><span>the proposal will reduce air pollution, improve health and spur a clean energy economy that can be "an engine of growth." He spoke from the Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., after visiting with kids being treated for asthma and other breathing problems that he said are aggravated by dirty air.</span></p><p><span>The administration says its proposal will save more than</span><span> $90 billion in climate and health benefits and will </span><span>avoid up to 100,000 asthma attacks and 2,100 heart attacks annually.</span></p><p>The EPA says it expects coal, which now provides 37% of the nation's electricity — down from 52% in 2000 — will still provide 30% of U.S. power by 2030. It says the increasing retirements of coal-fired plants, which now average 42 years, are because of economics such as the plunging price of natural gas — not its proposal.</p><p><span>Coal-fired power plants have already been closing. DOE data indicate the number has fallen from 633 in 2002 to 557 in 2012 and it expects 60 gigawatts of coal-fired power — one-fifth of total U.S. coal capacity in 2012 — will retire by 2020.</span></p><p><span>In contrast, natural gas has seen its share of U.S. electricity generation nearly double, from 16% in 2000 to 30% in 2012. McCarthy said U.S. wind energy has tripled and solar has grown ten-fold since 2009 — two sources that she says can help states meet carbon emissions cuts.</span></p><p>"This rule would accelerate that shift" away from coal, says Kyle Aarons, a senior fellow at the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, a non-profit group.</p><p>The carbon limits could lead to "draconian changes" in the U.S. energy mix, says Karen Harbert, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for 21st Century Energy.</p><p>As coal use and total energy consumption has declined, so too have total U.S. carbon emissions, which have fallen about 10% since 2005. DOE forecasts a slight rise in the near future without new emission caps. In 2009, Obama pledged to lower U.S. emissions 17% below 2005 levels by 2020.,</p><p>Power plants account for roughly one-third of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, While plants are limited in how much arsenic, mercury, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particle pollution they can emit, they currently face no federal limits on carbon releases.</p><p>Some states that rely heavily on coal might struggle more than others to meet the EPA limits. Kentucky, Wyoming, West Virginia, Indiana and North Dakota have the highest carbon emission rates while Idaho, Vermont, Washington, Oregon and Maine have the lowest, according to a May report co-authored by Ceres, a non-profit group that promotes corporate sustainability.</p><p>Dan Bakal, Ceres' director of electric power, says coal-reliant states "have the most opportunities to reduce emissions, because there are many options they've not yet deployed." Given the state-specific goals in the EPA plan, he says the reductions are "achievable."</p><p>Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1gYlEQQ</p></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="2" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNG4o0JYyfu_c9DhK20vyqAwwES-7A&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778524668044&ei=iKSMU9ivLOHKwAHzxYH4DQ&url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/02/world/europe/spain-king-abdication/">Spain's King Juan Carlos I to abdicate - CNN</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 02 Jun 2014 08:57 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <!--startclickprintexclude--> <div class="cnnStryVidCont" style="background-color:transparent"> <div id="cnnCVP1"> </div> </div> <a name="em0"/> <div class="cnn_strylftcntnt"><div class="cnn_strylctcntr"> <div><strong>STORY HIGHLIGHTS</strong></div> <ul class="cnn_bulletbin cnnStryHghLght"><!--google_ad_section_start--><li>It is "time to hand over to a new generation," the king said in a televised statement </li> <li>Crown Prince Felipe will succeed the king </li> <li>Juan Carlos' finest hour was his decisive stand against a coup</li> <li>But his popularity has been dented in recent years by scandals</li> <!--google_ad_section_end--> </ul></div></div> <div class="cnn_strylftcntnt adtag15090"> <!-- CALLOUT|http://ads.cnn.com/html.ng/site=cnn&cnn_position=150x90_spon1&cnn_rollup=us&page.allowcompete=no¶ms.styles=fs|CALLOUT --> <!-- ADSPACE: us/spon1.150x90 --> <div id="ad-8db414730d2c2780" align="center" style="padding: 0; margin: 0; border: 0;"/> <!-- ADSPACE-END --></div> <!--endclickprintexclude--><!--google_ad_section_start--><!--startclickprintinclude--> <p class="cnnEditorialNote"><em>Read this story at CNN Espanol: <a href="http://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2014/06/02/abdica-el-rey-de-espana/">Abdica el rey de España.</a></em></p> <p><strong>Madrid, Spain (CNN)</strong> -- After nearly 40 years on the throne, King Juan Carlos I of Spain said Monday that he will be stepping down.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph2">It is "time to hand over to a new generation -- younger, with a lot of energy -- that can, with determination, take on and carry out the changes that the current situation demands, and to face with intensity and determination the challenges of tomorrow," he said in a televised statement, according to a CNN translation.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph3">"The long, deep economic crisis we are going through has left a lot of scars socially, but it has also pointed toward a future of hope," he said.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph4">Crown Prince Felipe, 46, will succeed his father. The king said he decided it was "time to prepare and pave way so that he who is in better conditions can continue."</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph5">Felipe is "stable" and has "the maturity, the preparation, and the sense of responsibility necessary" to serve as king and "to lead to a new stage of hope using his experience and the drive of a new generation," Juan Carlos added.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph6">Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy first announced the king's decision.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph7">Spaniards generally hold Juan Carlos, 76, in high regard for his service to the nation and his defense of democracy after the death of the dictator Francisco Franco in 1975.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph8">But the king's popularity took a hit in 2012 over a controversial elephant hunting trip to Africa while the nation was mired in a deep economic crisis.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph9">The focus of his reign was to bring about reconciliation between Spaniards of different political persuasions, and from different regions.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph10">Many consider the king's finest hour to be his decisive stand to halt a right-wing military coup in 1981, when he went on television to say that the monarchy would not tolerate attempts to interrupt democracy by force.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph11"><strong>Oversaw democracy's return</strong></p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph12">Born in Rome in 1938, Juan Carlos didn't set foot in Spain until he was 10. In Franco's Spain, he carried out military training and became the first Spanish officer to hold the rank of lieutenant in all three branches of the military.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph13">In 1969, he was invested as crown prince and the designated successor to Franco.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph14">On November 22, 1975 -- two days after Franco's death -- Juan Carlos was crowned king of Spain, restoring the monarchy after a 44-year interregnum.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph15">In 1977, he enacted political reforms that led to Spain's first democratic election since 1936.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph16">During his reign, Spain grew into an economic powerhouse and a vacation playground for Europe.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph17">The king and Queen Sofia had three children and numerous grandchildren, styling their monarchy as accessible and relatively austere.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph18"><strong>Hunting trip dented image</strong></p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph19">The private trip to Botswana became public only after Juan Carlos fell, broke his hip and was rushed back to Madrid for surgery.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph20">With millions of Spaniards unemployed, the expense of the African trip caused an outcry. That prompted the king to make a rare apology in which he said he had made a mistake that would not happen again.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph21">The king had previously expressed his concern about the impact of the crisis on Spaniards and called on the nation to come together to get through the tough times.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph22">Other recent scandals have also damaged the monarchy's image.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph23">Princess Cristina, the king's youngest daughter, is caught up in a tax fraud and money laundering investigation. She and her husband, Inaki Urdangarin, have denied any wrongdoing over his business dealings and the alleged diversion of public funds.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph24">The scandal has created unprecedented problems for the royal family and kept the country riveted.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph25">There have been open calls for the king to abdicate in favor of Felipe, who is seen as untouched by the scandals.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph26"><a href="http://cnn.com/2012/12/14/world/europe/king-juan-carlos-i---fast-facts/index.html">Juan Carlos: All you need to know</a></p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph27"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/21/world/europe/belgium-new-king/index.html" target="_blank">Belgium's King Albert II gives up throne to son</a></p> <p class="cnn_strycbftrtxt">CNN's Al Goodman reported from Madrid; Jethro Mullen wrote from Hong Kong.</p> <!--endclickprintinclude--><!--google_ad_section_end--> <!--no partner--> <div class="cnn_stryshrwdgtbtm"> <div id="cnn_sharebar2"> <div class="c_sharebar_cntr c_sharebar_loading"> <div class="cnn_stryswdgtbtm1"> <div class="cnn_stryswdgtbtm1a"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/02/world/europe/spain-king-abdication/index.html#disqus_thread">0</a></div> <div class="cnn_stryswdgtbtm1b"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/02/world/europe/spain-king-abdication/#cnn-disqus-area">Comments »</a></div> </div><!-- /cnn_stryswdgtbtm1 --> <div class="cnn_stryswdgtbtm2"> <div class="c_sharebtmcol1"> <div class="c_sharetitle">SHARE THIS</div> <div class="c_sharebtns"> <ul><li class="c_sharebtn c_sharebtnfb"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="cnnsocial.share.click('cnn_sharebar2', 'facebook');"/></li> <li class="c_sharebtn c_sharebtntwtr"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="cnnsocial.share.click('cnn_sharebar2', 'twitter');"/></li> <li class="c_sharebtn c_sharebtngplus"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="cnnsocial.share.click('cnn_sharebar2', 'googleplus');"/></li> <li class="c_sharebtn c_sharebtnlnkn"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="cnnsocial.share.click('cnn_sharebar2', 'linkedin');"/></li> </ul><div class="cnn_clear"/> </div> </div><!-- /c_sharebtmcol1 --> <div class="c_sharebtmdiv"/> <div class="c_sharebtmcol2"> <div class="fb-like" data-send="false" data-layout="box_count" data-width="90" data-show-faces="false" data-action="recommend" href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/02/world/europe/spain-king-abdication/index.html"/> </div><!-- /c_sharebtmcol2 --> <div class="c_sharebtmdiv"/> <div class="c_shareweb c_sharebtmcol3"> <ul><li class="cnn_sswdgtweb1"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/02/world/europe/spain-king-abdication/#" onclick="if(typeof CleanPrintPrintHtml!='undefined' && CleanPrintPrintHtml) CleanPrintPrintHtml(); else window.print(); return false;">Print</a></li> <li class="cnn_sswdgtweb2"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/02/world/europe/spain-king-abdication/#" onclick="return(ET());">Email</a></li> <li class="cnn_sswdgtweb3"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="$j('#cnn_sharebarmore2').toggle();">More sharing</a> </li> </ul></div><!-- /c_sharebtmcol3 --> <div class="cnn_clear"/> </div> <div class="cnn_clear"/> </div> </div> </div> <!-- CALLOUT|http://ads.cnn.com/html.ng/site=cnn&cnn_pagetype=mmst&cnn_position=607x95_adlinks&cnn_rollup=world&page.allowcompete=no¶ms.styles=fs|CALLOUT --><!-- ADSPACE: europe/mmst/adlinks.607x95 --><div id="ad-389563dd34225c52" align="center" style="padding: 0; margin: 0; border: 0;"/> <!-- ADSPACE-END --><div class="cnn_divline cnn_divln3pxblck" style="margin-top:20px;" id="cnn-disqus-area"/> <div id="disqus_thread"/> </div> </td> </tr> </table> <table style="border-top:1px solid #999;padding-top:4px;margin-top:1.5em;width:100%" id="footer"> <tr> <td style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">You are subscribed to email updates from <a href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en">Top Stories - Google News</a> <br />To stop receiving these emails, you may <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailunsubscribe?k=vNU6gfBaGNiEci8BSSOBNzdQZg0">unsubscribe now</a>.</td> <td style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;text-align:right;vertical-align:top">Email delivery powered by Google</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610</td> </tr> </table> </div> blog2http://www.blogger.com/profile/04250645119730839480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933194393748629376.post-91519395377244596352014-06-01T10:28:00.001-07:002014-06-01T10:28:10.785-07:00NST Online Top Stories - Google News<style type="text/css"> h1 a:hover {background-color:#888;color:#fff ! important;} div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div ul { list-style-type:square; padding-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div blockquote { padding-left:6px; border-left: 6px solid #dadada; margin-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div li { margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:1em; } table#itemcontentlist tr td a:link, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:visited, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:active, ul#summarylist li a { color:#000099; font-weight:bold; text-decoration:none; } img {border:none;} </style> <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" id="emailbody" style="margin:0 2em;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <table style="border:0;padding:0;margin:0;width:100%"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top" width="99%"> <h1 style="margin:0;padding-bottom:6px;"> <a style="color:#888;font-size:22px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;" href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en" title="(http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en)">NST Online Top Stories - Google News</a> </h1> </td> <td width="1%" /> </tr> </table> <hr style="border:1px solid #ccc;padding:0;margin:0" /> <table id="itemcontentlist"> <tr xmlns=""> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="1" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNG-1SlMKhfEwk_sTHtqJY25SUnFlQ&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778522305416&ei=qWKLU6jgIfKGwAGZroFg&url=http://online.wsj.com/articles/chuck-hagel-says-health-concerns-justified-bergdahl-swap-1401615231">Chuck Hagel Says Health Concerns Justified Bergdahl Swap - Wall Street Journal</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 01 Jun 2014 10:01 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <p>BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan—U.S. officials had intelligence suggesting Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's "safety and health were in jeopardy," justifying a prisoner swap without the required congressional notification, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Sunday.</p> <p>Mr. Hagel, speaking on his plane while flying to Afghanistan to speak to troops and commanders, declined to provide details of Sgt. Bergdahl's condition, citing privacy... </p> </div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="2" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNGQWwW1fO9JhI24oS0pMTRHUVLJFA&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778523497041&ei=qWKLU6jgIfKGwAGZroFg&url=http://www.cbs8.com/story/25662838/philadelphia-inquirer-co-owner-dies-in-plane-crash">Philadelphia Inquirer co-owner dies in plane crash - KFMB News 8</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 01 Jun 2014 08:46 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;">PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia Inquirer co-owner Lewis Katz was killed along with six other people in a fiery plane crash in Massachusetts, his business partner said Sunday.<p>Harold H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest confirmed Katz's death to The Associated Press, saying he was informed by their lawyer, Richard Sprague. The crash came just days after Katz and Lenfest gained full control of The Inquirer by buying out their co-owners for $88 million in a deal that ended an ugly monthslong feud among the partners.</p><p>The Gulfstream IV crashed as it was leaving Hanscom Field at about 9:40 p.m. Saturday for Atlantic City, New Jersey. There were no survivors.</p><p>The identities of the other victims weren't immediately released. Nancy Phillips, Katz's longtime companion and city editor at the Inquirer, was not on board.</p><p>Officials gave no information on the cause of the crash. They said the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.</p><p>When bidding on the company, which also operates the Philadelphia Daily News and the news website Philly.com. Katz and Lenfest vowed to fund in-depth journalism to return the Inquirer to its former glory and to retain its editor, Bill Marimow.</p><p>"It's going to be a lot of hard work. We're not kidding ourselves. It's going to be an enormous undertaking," Katz said then, noting that advertising and circulation revenues had fallen for years. "Hopefully, (the Inquirer) will get fatter."</p><p>Katz, who grew up in Camden, New Jersey, made his fortune investing in the Kinney Parking empire and the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network in New York. He once owned the NBA's New Jersey Nets and the NHL's New Jersey Devils and was a major donor to Temple University, his alma mater.</p><p>The fight over the future of the city's two major newspapers was sparked last year by a decision to fire the Inquirer's Pulitzer Prize-winning editor. Katz and Lenfest wanted a judge to block the firing. Katz sued a fellow owner, powerful Democratic powerbroker George Norcross, saying his ownership rights had been trampled. The dispute culminated last week when Katz and Lenfest, a former cable magnate-turned-philanthropist, bought out their partners.</p><p>Lenfest said Sunday that the deal to buy out the company will be delayed but will proceed.</p><p>Three previous owners of the company, including Norcross, said in a joint statement that they were deeply saddened to hear of Katz's death.</p><p>"Lew's long-standing commitment to the community and record of strong philanthropy across the region, particularly Camden where he was born and raised, will ensure that his legacy will live on," they said.</p><p>When the crash occurred, nearby residents saw a fireball and felt the blast shake their homes.</p><p>Jeff Patterson told The Boston Globe he saw a fireball about 60 feet high and suspected the worst.</p><p>"I heard a big boom, and I thought at the time that someone was trying to break into my house because it shook it," said Patterson's son, 14-year-old Jared Patterson. "I thought someone was like banging on the door trying to get in."</p><p>The air field, which serves the public, was closed after the crash. Responders were still on the scene Sunday morning.</p><p>Hanscom Field is about 20 miles northwest of Boston. The regional airport serves mostly corporate aviation, private pilots and commuter air services.</p><p>___</p><p>Associated Press writer Rodrique Ngowi in Bedford, Massachusetts, contributed to this report.</p><p>Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</p></div> </td> </tr> </table> <table style="border-top:1px solid #999;padding-top:4px;margin-top:1.5em;width:100%" id="footer"> <tr> <td style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">You are subscribed to email updates from <a href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en">Top Stories - Google News</a> <br />To stop receiving these emails, you may <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailunsubscribe?k=vNU6gfBaGNiEci8BSSOBNzdQZg0">unsubscribe now</a>.</td> <td style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;text-align:right;vertical-align:top">Email delivery powered by Google</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610</td> </tr> </table> </div> blog2http://www.blogger.com/profile/04250645119730839480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933194393748629376.post-29095491474907755522014-05-31T12:55:00.001-07:002014-05-31T12:55:06.345-07:00NST Online Top Stories - Google News<style type="text/css"> h1 a:hover {background-color:#888;color:#fff ! important;} div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div ul { list-style-type:square; padding-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div blockquote { padding-left:6px; border-left: 6px solid #dadada; margin-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div li { margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:1em; } table#itemcontentlist tr td a:link, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:visited, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:active, ul#summarylist li a { color:#000099; font-weight:bold; text-decoration:none; } img {border:none;} </style> <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" id="emailbody" style="margin:0 2em;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <table style="border:0;padding:0;margin:0;width:100%"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top" width="99%"> <h1 style="margin:0;padding-bottom:6px;"> <a style="color:#888;font-size:22px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;" href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en" title="(http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en)">NST Online Top Stories - Google News</a> </h1> </td> <td width="1%" /> </tr> </table> <hr style="border:1px solid #ccc;padding:0;margin:0" /> <table id="itemcontentlist"> <tr xmlns=""> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="1" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNGPMo_xA6K0ZizetF5DF8LxoGaX0w&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778522305416&ei=mDOKU5CmN6qQwAHqzIHIDQ&url=http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20140531-701226.html">US Soldier Bowe Bergdahl Released by Taliban in Swap for Guantanamo ... - Wall Street Journal</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 31 May 2014 12:34 PM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"><pre> By Adam Entous and Julian E. Barnes </pre><p> WASHINGTON--Taliban militants in Afghanistan on Saturday handed over Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who had been held as a prisoner of war for almost five years, to U.S. Special Operations Forces in exchange for the release of five Afghan Taliban prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay prison. </p> <p> The breakthrough was brokered by Qatar, which sent representatives to the U.S. military prison in Cuba to take custody of the five Afghan detainees. The five were being flown to the small Gulf state where they will be required to stay for at least a year to ensure they don't return to Afghanistan to join the war there, U.S. officials said. </p> <p> The exchange marked the culmination of years of on-again, off-again talks aimed at securing the release of Sgt. Bergdahl, who was captured near his base in Afghanistan and was the only American prisoner of war. Broader U.S. attempts to broker reconciliation talks in Afghanistan have foundered. </p> <p> The 28-year-old sergeant was released by the Taliban at 10:30 a.m. EDT to several dozen U.S. Special Operations Forces who arrived at a rendezvous point in eastern Afghanistan by helicopter. There, the Americans were met by roughly 18 members of the Taliban, who handed over Sgt. Bergdahl without incident. </p> <p> Sgt. Bergdahl was then loaded onto a helicopter and flown to an American base for evaluation. On the helicopter, Sgt. Bergdahl wrote on a paper plate "SF?" A member of the U.S. Special Operations Forces team replied, "Yes, we have been looking for you for a long time." </p> <p> Sgt. Bergdahl then broke down and cried, a U.S. official said. </p> <p> His parents, who live in Hailey, Idaho, were in Washington, D.C., and were notified that their son had been released. President Barack Obama said in a written statement that he was honored to call Sgt. Bergdahl's parents "to express our joy that they can expect his safe return, mindful of their courage and sacrifice throughout this ordeal." </p> <p> U.S. officials said Mr. Bergdahl appeared to be in good condition and was able to walk. </p> <p> Though Taliban leaders have so far balked at entering peace talks with the U.S., Obama administration officials said they hoped the prisoner exchange would lead to a broader dialogue as the U.S. withdraws its forces from Afghanistan. </p> <p> "It is our hope Sergeant Bergdahl's recovery could potentially open the door for broader discussions among Afghans about the future of their country by building confidence that it is possible for all sides to find common ground," Mr. Obama said in his statement. </p> <p> Some U.S. lawmakers had voiced concerns about releasing the Taliban detainees when the swap was first proposed. But a defense official said the transfer was done in compliance with current U.S. law that mandates notification of Congress before detainees are transferred. "We have a memorandum of understanding with the government of Qatar, we have the appropriate security assurances from them," the defense official said. </p> <p> In a statement Saturday, Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican, welcomed Sgt. Bergdahl's release but called the Taliban detainees being transferred to Qatar "hardened terrorists who have the blood of Americans and countless Afghans on their hands." </p> <p> Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) praised "the diplomats, service members, and others who worked tirelessly to bring Sergeant Bergdahl home." President Obama, he added, "rightly recognized our solemn obligation to take every possible measure to protect and defend the men and women who serve our nation." </p> <p> Then-Pfc. Bergdahl was captured on June 30, 2009, by militants after leaving his U.S. base in Paktika province in eastern Afghanistan. The circumstances surrounding his decision to walk of the base have remained murky. </p> <p> While a prisoner, he has received regular military promotions. However, the circumstances of his captivity have never been clear. U.S. officials have said he was believed to be held for most of the last five years in Pakistan by the Haqqani network, an insurgent group that is allied with but separate from the Taliban, and not directly by the Taliban. </p> <p> But officials said Sgt. Bergdahl was handed over by Taliban, not Haqqani militants. </p> <p> The U.S. held secret discussions with the Taliban starting in late 2011 and early 2012, but the Taliban broke those contacts off. The U.S. hasn't had any direct talks with the Taliban since then, except for messages relayed back-and-forth through intermediaries, most important the government of Qatar. </p> <p> Last year, the Taliban opened an office in Qatar, a move backed by the U.S. as part of negotiations aimed at securing Sgt. Bergdahl's release. That effort soon bogged down in controversy and was abandoned. </p> <p> Then last November, the Taliban signaled to the U.S. that it was prepared to restart indirect talks on the limited issue of a prisoner exchange. The Taliban leaders involved, however, made clear that they weren't prepared to discuss the broader issue of reconciliation, U.S. officials said. </p> <p> The talks progressed relatively quickly. First, the Taliban provided the U.S. with a "proof of life"--a video released earlier this year that showed Sgt. Bergdahl alive. The Americans, in turn, agreed to release all five Afghan Taliban detainees at Guantanamo Bay at one time, instead of in stages. </p> <p> "Several weeks ago an opportunity arose to resume talks on Bergdahl and we seized that opportunity," a senior defense official said. </p> <p> The final prisoner swap negotiations were secretly conducted through Qatar, which acted as a mediator, passing messages back and forth. </p> <p> Qatar sent representatives to the Guantanamo Bay prison to take custody of the five Afghan detainees, whom U.S. officials identified as Mohammed Fazl; Noorullah Noori; Abdul Haq Wasiq and Khairullah Khairkhwa; and Muhammad Nabi Omari. </p> <p> U.S. officials said the five had departed Saturday from Guantanamo Bay to Qatar aboard a U.S. military aircraft. </p> <p> Qatar has provided the U.S. with assurances that the five detainees, once they arrive in Qatar, won't pose a threat to the U.S. These assurances, according to U.S. officials, include at least a one-year travel ban, which bars them from leaving Qatari territory. </p> <p> Sgt. Bergdahl is being evaluated at a forward operating base in Afghanistan. When doctors clear him, he will be moved to Bagram Air Base and then returned to the U.S. </p> <p> Prisoner swaps have been rare, but not unprecedented, during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The Qais and Laith Qazali, two brothers accused of killing U.S. soldiers in Iraq, were released by Iraqi officials in exchange for a British hostage and the bodies of four other U.K. nationals, although the U.S. publicly denied the brothers were freed as a prisoner exchange. </p> <p> Write to Adam Entous at adam.entous@wsj.com and Julian E. Barnes at julian.barnes@wsj.com </p> <pre></pre><pre></pre><!-- article end --> </div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="2" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNGeO_aEO_PHt3i6dNJMNEpxxtfj2Q&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778519145229&ei=mDOKU5CmN6qQwAHqzIHIDQ&url=http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/01/world/asia/china-accuses-us-and-japan-of-sowing-discord-in-asia-pacific.html">China Accuses US and Japan Of Incitement - New York Times</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 31 May 2014 12:14 PM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;">[unable to retrieve full-text content]<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="7" style="vertical-align:top;"><tr><td width="80" align="center" valign="top"><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNGz7NYJ7sE5rTBIYB-h_AlHP_kE6Q&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778519145229&ei=mDOKU5CmN6qQwAHqzIHIDQ&url=http://www.livemint.com/Politics/TswFur5C7JZJE0mIPE8DkI/Japanese-Prime-Minister-offers-support-to-Southeast-Asia-on.html"><img src="//t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQe3uVEqKpRM9PZdX8Wo1svtEaEa2EPcUf2pDAeaFAN-rRqQ3OzggffRKO0xmNfgGr9yaUS3IZ0" alt="" border="1" width="80" height="80" /><br /><font size="-2">Livemint</font></a></font></td><td valign="top" class="j"><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br /><div style="padding-top:0.8em;"><img alt="" height="1" width="1" /></div><div class="lh"><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNGeO_aEO_PHt3i6dNJMNEpxxtfj2Q&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778519145229&ei=mDOKU5CmN6qQwAHqzIHIDQ&url=http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/01/world/asia/china-accuses-us-and-japan-of-sowing-discord-in-asia-pacific.html"><b>China Accuses US and Japan Of Incitement</b></a><br /><font size="-1"><b><font color="#6f6f6f">New York Times</font></b></font><br /><font size="-1">SINGAPORE — China struck back harshly at the United States and Japan on Saturday, as a senior Chinese military official accused Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan of acting in concert to sow controversy and division ...</font><br /><font size="-1"><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNGFcMu-GHpEv1rbvw8TYJ4zgtq8WA&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778519145229&ei=mDOKU5CmN6qQwAHqzIHIDQ&url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/hagel-criticizes-chinas-destablizing-actions-against-its-neighbors/2014/05/31/6ec295d8-e8b5-11e3-8f90-73e071f3d637_story.html">China reacts sharply to Hagel's criticisms of its 'destabilizing' actions against <b>...</b></a><font size="-1" color="#6f6f6f"><nobr>Washington Post</nobr></font></font><br /><font size="-1"><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNF-16N9UXQFdn7yVuXT7NfO1cOW-Q&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778519145229&ei=mDOKU5CmN6qQwAHqzIHIDQ&url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-31/an-us-china-concerns/5491730">US concerned by China's 'destabilising' actions in the South China Sea and <b>...</b></a><font size="-1" color="#6f6f6f"><nobr>ABC Online</nobr></font></font><br /><font size="-1"><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNGTpD8E1yh6RitroMKYgbhHvkfTcw&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778519145229&ei=mDOKU5CmN6qQwAHqzIHIDQ&url=http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-05-31/hagel-offers-litany-of-u-s-actions-on-asia-rebalance-skepticism.html">Hagel Offers Litany of US Actions on Asia Rebalance Skepticism</a><font size="-1" color="#6f6f6f"><nobr>Bloomberg</nobr></font></font><br /><font size="-1" class="p"><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNFVpCWRGKbuaQgVIAU7MK9uIS66cQ&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778519145229&ei=mDOKU5CmN6qQwAHqzIHIDQ&url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/japan-boosts-regional-security-role-china-wary/article6070350.ece"><nobr>The Hindu</nobr></a> -<a 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blog2http://www.blogger.com/profile/04250645119730839480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933194393748629376.post-57894421070557951412014-05-30T14:16:00.001-07:002014-05-30T14:16:43.401-07:00NST Online Top Stories - Google News<style type="text/css"> h1 a:hover {background-color:#888;color:#fff ! important;} div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div ul { list-style-type:square; padding-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div blockquote { padding-left:6px; border-left: 6px solid #dadada; margin-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div li { margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:1em; } table#itemcontentlist tr td a:link, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:visited, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:active, ul#summarylist li a { color:#000099; font-weight:bold; text-decoration:none; } img {border:none;} </style> <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" id="emailbody" style="margin:0 2em;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <table style="border:0;padding:0;margin:0;width:100%"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top" width="99%"> <h1 style="margin:0;padding-bottom:6px;"> <a style="color:#888;font-size:22px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;" href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en" title="(http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en)">NST Online Top Stories - Google News</a> </h1> </td> <td width="1%" /> </tr> </table> <hr style="border:1px solid #ccc;padding:0;margin:0" /> <table id="itemcontentlist"> <tr xmlns=""> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="1" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNFTi5dtJmkbOw0CnKruE6ArOZiSXw&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778519080088&ei=OvWIU7gXhvvBAa-PgJgD&url=http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-shinseki-resigns-20140530-story.html">Eric Shinseki steps down as VA chief amid wait list scandal - Los Angeles Times</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 30 May 2014 02:03 PM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"><div data-role="pagination_page" data-content-page="1" readability="180.318111127"> <p>After weeks of being bombarded by some veterans groups and lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle, Eric K. Shinseki bowed to the inevitable Friday and stepped down as secretary of Veterans Affairs, saying he wanted to avoid being a distraction as the nation tries to fix the scandal in the delivery of healthcare to veterans.</p><p>The problems at the agency appeared even more acute in an audit released by the White House later Friday.</p><p>Waiting times for care at the majority of the 216 facilities examined appeared to be manipulated, the audit found. That audit followed another preliminary report, released earlier this week, that showed the agency's problems were widespread.</p><aside class="trb_embed " data-content-id="80358446" data-content-size="small" data-content-type="story" data-content-subtype="storygallery" data-role="socialshare_item imgsize_ratiosizecontainer " data-state=" "/><p>Earlier Friday, Shinseki made his first public appearance since a scathing VA inspector general's report on the healthcare scandal on Wednesday, and apologized for how his agency mishandled the delivery of medical treatment and the matter of deliberately hiding wait times to make it appear that veterans were receiving their care. The retired Army general then went to the White House, where he offered his resignation to President Obama, who said he accepted it "with considerable regret."</p><p>Shinseki "has worked hard to investigate and identify the problems with access to care, but as he told me this morning, the VA needs new leadership to address them. He does not want to be a distraction, because his priority is to fix the problem and make sure our vets are getting the care that they need," Obama said.</p><p>"I agree," the president continued. "We don't have time for distractions. We need to fix the problem."</p> <aside class="trb_panelmod_container" data-role="panelmod_container imgsize_ratiosizecontainer" data-load-type="noop" data-panelmod-type="relatedContent"/><p>Sloan Gibson, a West Point graduate who served as an Army infantry officer and is currently the VA's deputy secretary, will take over as acting secretary, the president announced. Gibson is a former banker and former president and chief executive of the USO, which supports U.S. troops on morale and welfare issues.</p><p>There have been problems and questions concerning the delivery of some healthcare services from Veterans Affairs for years, and the issue has been investigated by internally and by Congress many times. In recent weeks, though, the complaints have taken on a greater urgency with many veterans returning from long stints in Iraq and Afghanistan flooding the beleaguered system, which operates 1,700 hospitals and clinics and handles 85 million appointments a year.</p><p>Beginning in December, whistle-blowers, first in Phoenix and then across the county, complained. The preliminary inspector general's report found delays in care at the Phoenix facility were running at an average of 115 days, about five times what the hospital had reported. As many as 1,700 veterans were kept off the official list to hide that they weren't being served, the report found.</p><aside class="trb_embed " data-content-id="80355720" data-content-size="small" data-content-type="pullquote" data-content-subtype="pullquote" data-role="socialshare_item " data-state=" "/><p>From Phoenix, the scandal spread, according to that report, which said 42 facilities are under investigation. According to the audit released Friday, wait times appear to have been manipulated in more than 60% of the reports from 216 sites examined.</p><p>"Information indicates that in some cases, pressures were placed on schedulers to utilize inappropriate practices in order to make waiting times appear more favorable," the audit noted. "Such practices are sufficiently pervasive to require VA re-examine its entire performance management system and, in particular, whether current measures and targets for access are realistic or sufficient."</p><aside class="trb_panelmod_container" data-role="panelmod_container" data-panelmod-type="comments"> </aside><p>Political pressure has grown throughout the week on Shinseki a retired four-star general, whom Obama appointed to lead the VA in 2009. The 71-year-old former Army chief of staff, who held the VA secretary's job longer than any of his predecessors, was widely admired for a 38-year military career that cost him half of his foot in Vietnam. But not even such an illustrious military career could protect him from the outrage from both Democrats and Republicans, especially in an election year. More than 125 members of Congress, including 42 Democrats, called for Shinseki to resign or be replaced.</p><p>Shinseki took a number of actions in response to the reports. He told veterans advocates at that he was moving to remove the senior leadership from the Phoenix VA facility. He also said he was forbidding any bonuses this year for senior executives and removing patient wait times from performance reviews as a measure of success. He said he had ordered VA staff to immediately contact each of the 1,700 veterans in the report and help arrange treatment.</p><p>But lawmakers from both parties grew impatient and critics argued that the VA needed a fresh face at the top to restore confidence in the department, which operates 1,700 hospitals and clinics handling 85 million appointments a year.</p><aside class="trb_embed " data-content-id="80358168" data-content-size="small" data-content-type="story" data-content-subtype="storylink" data-role="socialshare_item delayload imgsize_ratiosizecontainer " data-state=" " data-load-type="comment" data-load-method="innerHtml"><!-- <div class="trb_embed_media " > <span class="trb_embed_media_kicker">Document</span><a class="trb_embed_media_link" href="http://documents.latimes.com/access-audit-va-medical-centers/?v=1" data-content-media-present="true"><figure data-role=" delayload delayload_done imgsize_item" class="trb_embed_imageContainer_figure"><img data-baseurl="http://www.trbimg.com/img-5388ddae/turbine/la-na-audit-va-medical-centers" alt="Read audit of VA Medical Centers released by the White House" class="trb_embed_imageContainer_img" title="Read audit of VA Medical Centers released by the White House" data-content-naturalwidth="471" data-content-naturalheight="258" /></figure></a><div class="trb_embed_related" data-role='lightbox_metadata' > <a class="trb_embed_media_link" href="http://documents.latimes.com/access-audit-va-medical-centers/?v=1"><span class="trb_embed_related_title">Read audit of VA Medical Centers released by the White House</span> <a href="http://documents.latimes.com/access-audit-va-medical-centers/?v=1" class="trb_embed_related_cta">Open link</a></a> </div> </div> --></aside><p>Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla), chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, said it was appropriate for Shinseki to take responsibility, but the lawmaker said there were others in the VA who also should be blamed.</p><p>"Those who surrounded Shinseki shielded him from crucial facts and hid bad news reports," the lawmaker said. "Right now, VA needs a leader who will take swift and decisive action to discipline employees responsible for mismanagement, negligence and corruption that harms veterans while taking bold steps to replace the department's culture of complacency with a climate of accountability. VA's problems are deadly serious, and whomever the next secretary may be, they will receive no grace period from America's veterans, American taxpayers and Congress."</p><p>William A. Thien, national commander of the 1.9 million-member Veterans of Foreign Wars, said his group supported Shinseki's decision to step aside, "because the outside calls for his resignation were overshadowing the crisis in healthcare issues veterans face.''</p><p>"In keeping with General Shinseki's stellar character, he offered his resignation because he realized, as every good soldier does, that the buck stops at the top and that accountability in government is vital, particularly when it comes to serving our veterans," Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a statement. "We must also find out why the Department of Veterans Affairs did not treat our veterans appropriately and provide the resources, focus and direction so that this never happens again."</p><p>But the issue of how to fix the system remains a bipartisan problem.</p><p>In a column in Politico, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) wrote: "We cannot sit back and believe the problem has been fixed now that one man has resigned. Shinseki, a former Army chief of staff and four-star general, served his nation in more ways than many of us can appreciate. But the job he was charged with simply was not getting done. The same is true for many other officials in the VA who may have sincere intentions but are not getting the job done either."</p> </div><div data-role="pagination_page" data-content-page="2" readability="96.2406015038"> <p>The issue has also been a factor in campaigns in the upcoming midterm elections.</p><p>Alison Lundergan Grimes, who is challenging Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell this November in Kentucky, noted in a statement that she was the first Democratic candidate to call on Shinseki to resign.</p><p>"As a senator, I will demand that we hold government officials accountable for the operations of their departments," she said.</p><aside class="trb_embed " data-content-id="80335593" data-content-size="small" data-content-type="story" data-content-subtype="hyperlink" data-role="socialshare_item delayload imgsize_ratiosizecontainer " data-state=" " data-load-type="comment" data-load-method="innerHtml"><!-- <div class="trb_embed_media " > <span class="trb_embed_media_kicker">Document</span><a class="trb_embed_media_link" href="http://documents.latimes.com/review-wait-times-va/?v=1" data-content-media-present="true"><figure data-role=" delayload delayload_done imgsize_item" class="trb_embed_imageContainer_figure"><img data-baseurl="http://www.trbimg.com/img-53862ade/turbine/la-na-va-oig-report" alt="Read the VA Inspector General's review of wait times" class="trb_embed_imageContainer_img" title="Read the VA Inspector General's review of wait times" data-content-naturalwidth="399" data-content-naturalheight="225" /></figure></a><div class="trb_embed_related" data-role='lightbox_metadata' > <a class="trb_embed_media_link" href="http://documents.latimes.com/review-wait-times-va/?v=1"><span class="trb_embed_related_title">Read the VA Inspector General's review of wait times</span> <a href="http://documents.latimes.com/review-wait-times-va/?v=1" class="trb_embed_related_cta">Open link</a></a> </div> </div> --></aside><p>Sen. Mark Udall of Colorado, who noted he had called for Shinseki to resign earlier this week, called on the president and Gibson to "take immediate steps to restore veterans' faith in the VA." Sen. Jean Shaheen (D-N.H.), whose likely opponent, Scott Brown, served for 35 years in the Army National Guard, said she planned to introduce new legislation that would address some of the issues highlighted by the interim inspector general's report.</p><p>Speaking to a conference on homeless veterans earlier Friday morning, Shinseki acknowledged that the problems in his agency were systemic and said he accepted responsibility for them. He said he had earlier thought the difficulties were an isolated problem at the Phoenix VA hospital, but that he now realized they were broader "I was too trusting of some," Shinseki said. "I can't explain the lack of integrity among some of the leaders of our healthcare facilities. This is something I rarely encountered during 38 years in uniform.''</p><p>"I will not defend it because it is indefensible. But I can take responsibility for it, and I do," he said. "Given the facts I now know, I apologize as the senior leader of the Department of Veterans Affairs.''</p> <aside class="trb_panelmod_container" data-role="panelmod_container imgsize_ratiosizecontainer" data-load-type="noop" data-panelmod-type="relatedContent"/><p>Edward Laird, a 76-year-old Navy veteran who had more than half his nose cut away because of what he described as years of delayed care at the Phoenix VA facility, agreed with Shinseki's resignation.</p><p>"The buck stopped with him. It happened on his watch. He took the job and he didn't do nothing," Laird said. "He should have stood up and taken a few bullets for us."</p><p>Still, Laird said the removal of one man will not fix what he called a deeper problem.</p><p>"He's just what you call collateral damage," he said of Shinseki. "They need to start all over. They are so steeped in bureaucracy and red tape that the guy before [Shinseki] couldn't do anything and got stonewalled, too."</p><p>"You've got an organization that has too many patients, I think," Simon reported from Washington and Muskal reported from Los Angeles. Mike Memoli contributed from Washington and Cindy Carcamo contributed from Arizona.</p><p><em>Simon reported from Washington and Muskal reported from Los Angeles. Mike Memoli contributed from Washington and Cindy Carcamo contributed from Arizona.</em></p> <span class="trb_mainContent_copyright">Copyright © 2014, <a href="http://www.latimes.com">Los Angeles Times</a></span> <div class="trb_background" readability="11"><p><strong>11:54 a.m.: </strong>This post updated with additional details from Obama's statement, remarks by Shinseki earlier in the day and background about the issues facing the VA.</p><p>This story was originally published at 8:23 a.m.</p></div> </div></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="2" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNGeriqSy3gNUPuQDb5anHElGS3YFw&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778519574740&ei=OvWIU7gXhvvBAa-PgJgD&url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/30/us/nba-clippers-sterling/">Sources: Donald Sterling found to be mentally incapacitated - CNN</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 30 May 2014 01:48 PM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <!--startclickprintexclude--> <div class="cnnStryVidCont" style="background-color:transparent"> <div id="cnnCVP1"> </div> </div> <a name="em0"/> <div class="cnn_strylftcntnt"><div class="cnn_strylctcntr"> <div><strong>STORY HIGHLIGHTS</strong></div> <ul class="cnn_bulletbin cnnStryHghLght"><!--google_ad_section_start--><li><b>NEW:</b> Sources say neurologists found Sterling to be mentally incapacitated</li> <li>Statement from his wife, Shelly Sterling, confirms deal for NBA team to be sold</li> <li>Ex-Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer will pay $2 billion for the Clippers</li> <li>Deal would be the largest sum paid for an NBA franchise</li> <!--google_ad_section_end--> </ul></div></div> <div class="cnn_strylftcntnt adtag15090"> <!-- CALLOUT|http://ads.cnn.com/html.ng/site=cnn&cnn_position=150x90_spon1&cnn_rollup=us&page.allowcompete=no¶ms.styles=fs|CALLOUT --> <!-- ADSPACE: us/spon1.150x90 --> <div id="ad-8db414730d2c2780" align="center" style="padding: 0; margin: 0; border: 0;"/> <!-- ADSPACE-END --></div> <!--endclickprintexclude--><!--google_ad_section_start--><!--startclickprintinclude--> <p><strong>(CNN)</strong> -- Two neurologists have deemed Los Angeles Clippers co-owner Donald Sterling to be mentally incapacitated, two sources with detailed knowledge of the situation told CNN on Friday.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph2">Sterling's lawyer, Maxwell Blecher, called the declaration a "vast overstatement," and said the 80-year-old's diagnosis was of a "modest mental impairment" or a "slowing down."</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph3">Sterling, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/29/us/clippers-sterling-scandal/" target="_blank">who was banned from the NBA in April</a> over racist comments he made in a private conversation that was taped, is "far from being incapacitated," Blecher told CNN.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph4">The designation of "mentally incompetent" could factor in the sale of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers.</p> <a name="em1"/> <style><![CDATA[ .cnnArticleGalleryNav{border:1px solid #000;cursor:pointer;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavOn{background-color:#C03;border:1px solid #000;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:20px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavDisabled{background-color:#222;border:1px solid #000;color:#666;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleExpandableTarget{background-color:#000;display:none;position:absolute} .cnnArticlePhotoContainer{height:122px;width:214px} .cnnArticleBoxImage{cursor:pointer;height:122px;padding-top:0;width:214px} .cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControl{background-color:#000;color:#FFF} .cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControlText{cursor:pointer;float:right;font-size:10px;padding:3px 10px 3px 3px} .cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer cite{background:none repeat scroll 0 0 #000;bottom:48px;color:#FFF;height:auto;left:420px;opacity:.7;position:absolute;width:200px;padding:10px} .cnnArticleGalleryClose{background-color:#fff;display:block;text-align:right} .cnnArticleGalleryCloseButton{cursor:pointer} .cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNext span{background-color:#444;color:#CCC;cursor:pointer;float:left;height:23px;text-align:center;width:26px;padding:4px 0 0} .cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNextDisabled span{background-color:#444;color:#666;float:left;height:23px;text-align:center;width:25px;padding:4px 0 0} .cnnVerticalGalleryPhoto{padding-right:68px;width:270px;margin:0 auto} .cnnGalleryContainer{float:left;clear:left;margin:0 0 20px;padding:0 0 0 10px} ]]></style><a name="em2"/> <div id="expand25" class="cnnGalleryContainer cnn_strylftcntnt"> <div class="cnnStoryElementBox"> <div id="expandableTarget25" class="cnnArticleExpandableTarget" style="width:640px"> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryClose"><img class="cnnArticleGalleryCloseButton" src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.e/img/3.0/mosaic/bttn_close.gif" onclick="expGallery52.shrinkPicture('5','2')" alt="" border="0" height="23" width="58"/></div> <div style="height:360px"> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> <img style="display:block" id="articleGalleryPhoto521" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/140529202939-ballmer-clippers-face-file-horizontal-gallery.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="Steve Ballmer, the former CEO of Microsoft, appears set to buy the L.A. Clippers. Ballmer, seen here at a NBA playoff game on April 29, is not one to hide his emotions. Rather, he is known for his exuberant persona at tech events. Here's a look at some of his many mugs:" border="0"/><cite style="display:block;bottom:74px" id="galleryCaption521">Steve Ballmer, the former CEO of Microsoft, appears set to buy the L.A. Clippers. Ballmer, seen here at a NBA playoff game on April 29, is not one to hide his emotions. Rather, he is known for his exuberant persona at tech events. Here's a look at some of his many mugs:</cite> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div class="cnn_clear"/> </div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControl"> <div id="gallerySlideTitle521" style="float:left;font-size:24px;font:weight:700px;margin-left:10px;width:500px;height:36px;overflow:hidden">The many faces of Steve Ballmer</div> <div id="galleryCaptionControl52" class="cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControlText" onclick="expGallery52.toggleArticleGalleryCaption(5,2)">HIDE CAPTION</div> <div class="cnn_clear"/> </div> <div style="background-color:#000;color:#FFF;height:27px"> <div id="articleGalleryNav52JumpPrev" onclick="expGallery52.galleryJumpPrev(5,2)" class="cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNextDisabled"><span><<</span></div> <div id="articleGalleryNav52Prev" onclick="expGallery52.galleryPrev(5,2)" class="cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNextDisabled"><span><</span></div> <div class="articleGalleryNavContainer"> <div style="" id="articleGalleryNav521" class="cnnArticleGalleryNavOn" onmouseout="expGallery52.hideArticleThumb(5,2,1)" onmouseover="expGallery52.showArticleThumb(5,2,1)" onclick="expGallery52.changePage(5,2,1)"> <span style="height:21px;padding:4px 0 0 0">1</span> </div> <div style="" id="articleGalleryNav522" class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" onmouseout="expGallery52.hideArticleThumb(5,2,2)" onmouseover="expGallery52.showArticleThumb(5,2,2)" onclick="expGallery52.changePage(5,2,2)"> <span style="height:21px;padding:4px 0 0 0">2</span> </div> <div style="" id="articleGalleryNav523" class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" onmouseout="expGallery52.hideArticleThumb(5,2,3)" onmouseover="expGallery52.showArticleThumb(5,2,3)" onclick="expGallery52.changePage(5,2,3)"> <span style="height:21px;padding:4px 0 0 0">3</span> </div> <div style="" id="articleGalleryNav524" class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" onmouseout="expGallery52.hideArticleThumb(5,2,4)" onmouseover="expGallery52.showArticleThumb(5,2,4)" onclick="expGallery52.changePage(5,2,4)"> <span style="height:21px;padding:4px 0 0 0">4</span> </div> <div style="" id="articleGalleryNav525" class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" onmouseout="expGallery52.hideArticleThumb(5,2,5)" onmouseover="expGallery52.showArticleThumb(5,2,5)" onclick="expGallery52.changePage(5,2,5)"> <span style="height:21px;padding:4px 0 0 0">5</span> </div> <div style="" id="articleGalleryNav526" class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" onmouseout="expGallery52.hideArticleThumb(5,2,6)" onmouseover="expGallery52.showArticleThumb(5,2,6)" onclick="expGallery52.changePage(5,2,6)"> <span style="height:21px;padding:4px 0 0 0">6</span> </div> <div style="" id="articleGalleryNav527" class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" onmouseout="expGallery52.hideArticleThumb(5,2,7)" onmouseover="expGallery52.showArticleThumb(5,2,7)" onclick="expGallery52.changePage(5,2,7)"> <span style="height:21px;padding:4px 0 0 0">7</span> </div> <div style="" id="articleGalleryNav528" class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" onmouseout="expGallery52.hideArticleThumb(5,2,8)" onmouseover="expGallery52.showArticleThumb(5,2,8)" onclick="expGallery52.changePage(5,2,8)"> <span style="height:21px;padding:4px 0 0 0">8</span> </div> <div style="" id="articleGalleryNav529" class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" onmouseout="expGallery52.hideArticleThumb(5,2,9)" onmouseover="expGallery52.showArticleThumb(5,2,9)" onclick="expGallery52.changePage(5,2,9)"> <span style="height:21px;padding:4px 0 0 0">9</span> </div> <div style="" id="articleGalleryNav5210" class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" onmouseout="expGallery52.hideArticleThumb(5,2,10)" onmouseover="expGallery52.showArticleThumb(5,2,10)" onclick="expGallery52.changePage(5,2,10)"> <span style="height:21px;padding:4px 0 0 0">10</span> </div> </div> <div id="articleGalleryNav52Next" onclick="expGallery52.galleryNext(5,2)" class="cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNext"><span>></span></div> <div id="articleGalleryNav52JumpNext" onclick="expGallery52.galleryJumpNext(5,2)" class="cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNextDisabled"><span>>></span></div> <div class="cnn_clear"/> </div> </div> </div> </div> <a name="em3"/> <a name="em4"/> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph5">According to one of the sources, there is a provision in the Sterling family trust that says if either Donald Sterling or his <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/21/us/donald-sterling-nba/" target="_blank">estranged wife, Shelly Sterling</a>, become mentally incapacitated, then the other becomes the sole trustee.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph6">According to the source, this is why the deal reached to sell the Clippers to <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/08/us/steve-ballmer-fast-facts/index.html" target="_blank">former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer</a> was negotiated by Shelly Sterling.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph7">Donald Sterling's view on the impending sale of his team, Blecher said, is to look at the "whole situation."</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph8">"He doesn't want to fight with Shelly. That's the bottom line," he said.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph9">Earlier Friday, Shelly Sterling confirmed that a deal has been reached for the sale of the Clippers.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph10">She signed a binding contract to sell the basketball franchise to <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/08/us/steve-ballmer-fast-facts/index.html" target="_blank">Ballmer</a> for $2 billion.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph11">Earlier, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/29/us/nba-clippers-sterling/index.html" target="_blank">CNN had reported on the planned sale</a>, citing sources familiar with the negotiations.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph12">In April, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/29/us/clippers-sterling-scandal/" target="_blank">banned Donald Sterling over the racist comments</a> and fined him $2.5 million. The move prompted the league's other 29 owners to begin proceedings to strip the longtime owner and his wife of the team<strong>.</strong></p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph13">The sale will have to be approved at a <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/19/us/donald-sterling-nba/" target="_blank">NBA Board of Governors meeting</a>. And the sale still may have to be approved by Donald Sterling, according to earlier comments by his attorney.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph14">In a statement, the NBA said the commissioner's preferred outcome from the beginning has been a voluntary sale. The NBA has been notified of the agreement, and is awaiting paperwork from Shelly Sterling.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph15">Shelly Sterling praised Ballmer's purchase.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph16">"We have worked for 33 years to build the Clippers into a premiere NBA franchise," she said in a statement. "I am confident that Steve will take the team to new levels of success."</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph17">If the deal goes through, it would be the largest sum paid for an NBA franchise. Last month, the Milwaukee Bucks, a team with a losing record in a small television market, sold for $550 million.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph18">Ballmer is worth $20 billion, <a href="http://www.forbes.com/profile/steve-ballmer/" target="_blank">according to Forbes magazine</a>.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph19">"I love basketball. And I intend to do everything in my power to ensure that the Clippers continue to win -- and win big -- in Los Angeles," Balmer said Friday.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph20">Donald Sterling has been the controlling owner of the Clippers since buying the team in 1981 for $12 million.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph21"><a href="http://money.cnn.com/2014/05/30/news/companies/ballmer-clippers-sales-price/index.html" target="_blank">How Ballmer's $2 billion Clippers deal could pay off</a></p> <p class="cnn_strycbftrtxt">CNN's Poppy Harlow and Kevin Wang contributed to this report. </p> <!--endclickprintinclude--><!--google_ad_section_end--> <!--no partner--> <div class="cnn_stryshrwdgtbtm"> <div id="cnn_sharebar2"> <div class="c_sharebar_cntr c_sharebar_loading"> <div class="cnn_stryswdgtbtm1"> <div class="cnn_stryswdgtbtm1a"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/30/us/nba-clippers-sterling/index.html#disqus_thread">0</a></div> <div class="cnn_stryswdgtbtm1b"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/30/us/nba-clippers-sterling/#cnn-disqus-area">Comments »</a></div> </div><!-- /cnn_stryswdgtbtm1 --> <div class="cnn_stryswdgtbtm2"> <div class="c_sharebtmcol1"> <div class="c_sharetitle">SHARE THIS</div> <div class="c_sharebtns"> <ul><li class="c_sharebtn c_sharebtnfb"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="cnnsocial.share.click('cnn_sharebar2', 'facebook');"/></li> <li class="c_sharebtn c_sharebtntwtr"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="cnnsocial.share.click('cnn_sharebar2', 'twitter');"/></li> <li class="c_sharebtn c_sharebtngplus"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="cnnsocial.share.click('cnn_sharebar2', 'googleplus');"/></li> <li class="c_sharebtn c_sharebtnlnkn"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="cnnsocial.share.click('cnn_sharebar2', 'linkedin');"/></li> </ul><div class="cnn_clear"/> </div> </div><!-- /c_sharebtmcol1 --> <div class="c_sharebtmdiv"/> <div class="c_sharebtmcol2"> <div class="fb-like" data-send="false" data-layout="box_count" data-width="90" data-show-faces="false" data-action="recommend" href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/30/us/nba-clippers-sterling/index.html"/> </div><!-- /c_sharebtmcol2 --> <div class="c_sharebtmdiv"/> <div class="c_shareweb c_sharebtmcol3"> <ul><li class="cnn_sswdgtweb1"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/30/us/nba-clippers-sterling/#" onclick="if(typeof CleanPrintPrintHtml!='undefined' && CleanPrintPrintHtml) CleanPrintPrintHtml(); else window.print(); return false;">Print</a></li> <li class="cnn_sswdgtweb2"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/30/us/nba-clippers-sterling/#" onclick="return(ET());">Email</a></li> <li class="cnn_sswdgtweb3"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="$j('#cnn_sharebarmore2').toggle();">More sharing</a> </li> </ul></div><!-- /c_sharebtmcol3 --> <div class="cnn_clear"/> </div> <div class="cnn_clear"/> </div> </div> </div> <!-- ADSPACE: us/mmst/adlinks.607x95 --><!-- CALLOUT|http://ads.cnn.com/html.ng/site=cnn&cnn_pagetype=mmst&cnn_position=607x95_adlinks&cnn_rollup=us&page.allowcompete=no¶ms.styles=fs|CALLOUT --><div id="ad-78d64dc3cb428907" align="center" style="padding: 0; margin: 0; border: 0;"/> <!-- ADSPACE-END --><div class="cnn_divline cnn_divln3pxblck" style="margin-top:20px;" id="cnn-disqus-area"/> <div id="disqus_thread"/> </div> </td> </tr> </table> <table style="border-top:1px solid #999;padding-top:4px;margin-top:1.5em;width:100%" id="footer"> <tr> <td style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">You are subscribed to email updates from <a href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en">Top Stories - Google News</a> <br />To stop receiving these emails, you may <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailunsubscribe?k=vNU6gfBaGNiEci8BSSOBNzdQZg0">unsubscribe now</a>.</td> <td style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;text-align:right;vertical-align:top">Email delivery powered by Google</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610</td> </tr> </table> </div> blog2http://www.blogger.com/profile/04250645119730839480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933194393748629376.post-57973015384613242812014-05-29T10:30:00.001-07:002014-05-29T10:30:51.456-07:00NST Online Top Stories - Google News<style type="text/css"> h1 a:hover {background-color:#888;color:#fff ! important;} div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div ul { list-style-type:square; padding-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div blockquote { padding-left:6px; border-left: 6px solid #dadada; margin-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div li { margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:1em; } table#itemcontentlist tr td a:link, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:visited, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:active, ul#summarylist li a { color:#000099; font-weight:bold; text-decoration:none; } img {border:none;} </style> <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" id="emailbody" style="margin:0 2em;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <table style="border:0;padding:0;margin:0;width:100%"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top" width="99%"> <h1 style="margin:0;padding-bottom:6px;"> <a style="color:#888;font-size:22px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;" href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en" title="(http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en)">NST Online Top Stories - Google News</a> </h1> </td> <td width="1%" /> </tr> </table> <hr style="border:1px solid #ccc;padding:0;margin:0" /> <table id="itemcontentlist"> <tr xmlns=""> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="1" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNGbKu17hMXVVLfdkjRUZ2FkFzq9Fw&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778519080088&ei=ym6HU5iqGeW7wQG9iIEw&url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/05/29/obama-under-bipartisan-pressure-to-oust-shinseki-on-heels-ig-report/">Obama under bipartisan pressure to oust Shinseki on heels of IG report - Fox News</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 29 May 2014 10:19 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <p>President Obama is coming under heavy pressure from both sides of the aisle following a scathing inspector general report to tackle the problems at the Department of Veterans Affairs head-on -- first, by relieving VA Secretary Eric Shinseki of his command. </p> <p>More than a half-dozen Democratic senators are now calling for Shinseki's resignation, since the Office of Inspector General released an interim report on Wednesday finding "systemic" problems with clinics lying about patient wait times. </p> <p>Other influential Republican lawmakers, including Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., also pressed Obama to clean house in the wake of that report. </p> <p>A senior White House official told Fox News on Thursday that there is currently "no change" in the president's prior position that he has confidence in Shinseki. But the chorus of lawmakers, and powerful organizations, calling for Shinseki's ouster is growing by the day, raising questions about how long the president can keep his current leadership team in place. </p> <p>Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., among the latest Democrats to break ranks with the administration, said the controversy over the secretary has drawn attention away from the "real issue" of the need to reform the VA. </p> <p>"Gen. Shinseki has served our country with distinction," Warner said in a statement. "I now believe he should step aside in order to allow our focus and our efforts to be on making the critically needed changes to fix the VA." </p> <p>Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., on Thursday also called on Obama to appoint a new secretary, saying veterans "deserve nothing less than the very best service our nation has to offer." </p> <p>More broadly, lawmakers want the president to get more deeply engaged in cleaning up the VA. </p> <p>The administration is still awaiting a final IG report as well as the results of a separate internal review. Shinseki released a statement on Wednesday calling the latest findings "reprehensible," but did not offer his resignation. </p> <p>The interim report released Wednesday, though, was enough to trigger a new round of calls for Shinseki to leave. It disclosed troubling statistics suggesting workers under-stated wait-times in order to make their internal figures look good. </p> <p>The office, in its preliminary findings, determined that veterans at the troubled Phoenix office waited an average of 115 days for a primary care appointment -- far longer than the VA's official statistics showed. Such inappropriate scheduling tactics, according to the report, may be the basis for claims of "secret" waiting lists. </p> <p>McCain, who until now had held off on urging Shinseki to resign, said during a press conference at his Phoenix office Wednesday afternoon that "it's time for Secretary Shinseki to step down" -- and that if he won't, "then I call on the president of the United States to relieve him of his duties, fire him." </p> <p>The longtime senator and Vietnam veteran also called on the Justice Department to get involved, saying the allegations detail not just administrative issues, but "criminal problems." </p> <p>In the wake of the report's release, several Senate Democrats -- including Colorado's Mark Udall, Montana's John Walsh, Kay Hagan of North Carolina, Al Franken of Minnesota and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire -- called for Shinseki to leave. </p> <p>House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., also called for Shinseki to "resign immediately." </p> <p>The report released Wednesday focused on the Phoenix VA facility, while noting that reviews at a "growing number" of facilities have exposed inappropriate scheduling practices throughout the VA system. According to the office, the investigation has now expanded to 42 VA medical facilities nationwide. </p> <p>The IG's office released figures showing the Phoenix office "significantly understated" the amount of time patients waited for appointments. </p> <p>"To date, our work has substantiated serious conditions at the Phoenix" center, the report said, claiming the delays have "negatively impacted the quality of care." </p> <p>According to the IG's office, about 1,400 veterans awaiting a primary care appointment were appropriately included on the electronic wait-list -- but an additional 1,700 veterans waiting for an appointment were left off that list. The omission, the report warned, raises the risk that these veterans will be "forgotten or lost" in the "convoluted" Phoenix system. </p> <p>Shinseki, in his statement, said he's ordered the Phoenix system to "immediately triage" each of the 1,700 veterans in order to "bring them timely care." </p> <p>The IG's office also said VA national data had claimed patient wait times among a sample of Phoenix veterans typically was about 24 days. But the IG's own review found the average wait was actually 115 days. </p> <p>The report would appear to substantiate allegations that clinics played around with the schedules to make it seem like patients were being seen sooner. The VA offices at Phoenix and several other locations have been accused of covering up the long waits by using improper scheduling tactics. About 40 veterans are said to have died while awaiting care in Phoenix.</p></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="2" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNG1C_CEJM85JGsVQ9ud23lN4OYnKw&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778519317134&ei=ym6HU5iqGeW7wQG9iIEw&url=http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-05-29/why-the-gdp-drop-is-good-for-the-u-dot-s-dot-economic-outlook">Why the GDP Drop Is Good for the US Economic Outlook - Businessweek</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 29 May 2014 09:42 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <p>The U.S. economy shrank at a 1 percent annual rate in the first quarter, but the red ink isn't nearly as scary as it looks. In fact, the downward blip sets the U.S. up for <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-05-29/u-s-economy-shrank-early-this-year-for-first-time-since-2011.html">strong growth</a> in the current quarter covering April to June. "As far as terrible reports go, GDP wasn't too bad," reads the headline on the report today by Michael Feroli, chief U.S. economist of <span class="ticker_wrap"><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Corporation"><span itemprop="name">JPMorgan Chase</span></span> (<a href="http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?ticker=JPM" class="ticker" data-symbol="JPM">JPM</a>)</span>.</p> <p>Most of the decline in gross domestic product occurred because companies slowed the pace of inventory accumulation, according to data <a href="http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/national/gdp/gdpnewsrelease.htm">released on Thursday</a> by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In other words, output slowed because they weren't producing as much stuff to go on shelves. Now companies have an incentive to speed up production to rebuild those inventories.</p> <p>"The economy is in the process of reaccelerating," David Rosenberg, chief economist and strategist at <span class="ticker_wrap"><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Corporation"><span itemprop="name">Gluskin Sheff + Associates</span></span> (<a href="http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?ticker=GS:CN" class="ticker" data-symbol="GS:CN">GS:CN</a>)</span>, wrote to clients. He said his firm's model of the economy "suggests near-0% odds of recession for the coming year."</p> <p>Another not-to-be-repeated drag on the economy in the first quarter was poor weather. Investment in structures fell at a 7.5 percent rate, partly because construction workers couldn't work effectively in the unusually excessive cold and snow. Adding to growth was health-care spending, which, boosted by the Affordable Care Act, grew at a 9.1 percent pace.</p> <p>There were some not-so-good figures in the report. Corporate profits fell at a 9.8 percent annual rate, the biggest decline since the 2007-09 recession. "Our guess is profits rebound in Q2," Steve Blitz of <span class="ticker_wrap"><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Corporation"><span itemprop="name">ITG Investment Research</span></span> (<a href="http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?ticker=ITG" class="ticker" data-symbol="ITG">ITG</a>)</span> wrote to clients.</p> <p><span class="ticker_wrap"><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Corporation"><span itemprop="name">IHS Global Insight</span></span> (<a href="http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?ticker=IHS" class="ticker" data-symbol="IHS">IHS</a>)</span> forecast that GDP would grow about 3.5 percent this quarter, while Blitz predicted "3%+." JPMorgan Chase kept its second-quarter estimate at 3 percent.</p> <p>Lindsey Piezga, chief economist at Sterne Agee, drew more pessimistic conclusions for the report. She wrote that unless business spending picks up, "the economy is going to not only fall well short of some of the more optimistic expectations for 3-4% GDP, but struggle to return to the average 1.5-2% pace of the past few years."</p> </div> </td> </tr> </table> <table style="border-top:1px solid #999;padding-top:4px;margin-top:1.5em;width:100%" id="footer"> <tr> <td style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">You are subscribed to email updates from <a href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en">Top Stories - Google News</a> <br />To stop receiving these emails, you may <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailunsubscribe?k=vNU6gfBaGNiEci8BSSOBNzdQZg0">unsubscribe now</a>.</td> <td style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;text-align:right;vertical-align:top">Email delivery powered by Google</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610</td> </tr> </table> </div> blog2http://www.blogger.com/profile/04250645119730839480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933194393748629376.post-53260585914208802432014-05-28T09:32:00.001-07:002014-05-28T09:32:39.991-07:00NST Online Top Stories - Google News<style type="text/css"> h1 a:hover {background-color:#888;color:#fff ! important;} div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div ul { list-style-type:square; padding-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div blockquote { padding-left:6px; border-left: 6px solid #dadada; margin-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div li { margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:1em; } table#itemcontentlist tr td a:link, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:visited, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:active, ul#summarylist li a { color:#000099; font-weight:bold; text-decoration:none; } img {border:none;} </style> <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" id="emailbody" style="margin:0 2em;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <table style="border:0;padding:0;margin:0;width:100%"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top" width="99%"> <h1 style="margin:0;padding-bottom:6px;"> <a style="color:#888;font-size:22px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;" href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en" title="(http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en)">NST Online Top Stories - Google News</a> </h1> </td> <td width="1%" /> </tr> </table> <hr style="border:1px solid #ccc;padding:0;margin:0" /> <table id="itemcontentlist"> <tr xmlns=""> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="1" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNHJ3rNfsiY_h9ur9m8hKeXv3iiing&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778515275254&ei=Kg-GU5CaO6b6wAGaioHICA&url=http://www.latimes.com/world/afghanistan-pakistan/la-fg-obama-troops-afghanistan-20140528-story.html">US to reduce troop level in Afghanistan to 9800 by year's end - Los Angeles Times</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 28 May 2014 09:25 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"><div data-role="pagination_page" data-content-page="1" readability="198.864275466"> <p>President Obama's plan to reduce the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to fewer than 10,000 by year's end seeks to balance fear that a speedier withdrawal would push Afghan forces to collapse against his desire to end more than a decade of war.</p><p>The result is to keep some U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan until the end of his presidency but potentially leave the final outcome of the war to his successor.</p><p>After the experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, "I think Americans have learned that it's harder to end wars than it is to begin them," Obama said Tuesday in a brief statement in the White House Rose Garden, where he announced the decision on troop levels.</p><p>But, he said, "we have to recognize Afghanistan will not be a perfect place, and it is not America's responsibility to make it one."</p><aside class="trb_embed " data-content-id="80329864" data-content-size="small" data-content-type="pullquote" data-content-subtype="pullquote" data-role="socialshare_item " data-state=" "/><p>Four years ago, in a major speech at West Point announcing a buildup of troops in Afghanistan, Obama said that he was "convinced that our security is at stake" in the outcome there. That led to a deployment of additional U.S. troops that for a time brought the total to 100,000.</p><p>In his remarks Tuesday announcing the withdrawal of most of the 32,000 who remain, he suggested the U.S. had achieved the major goals that justified the war.</p><p>"We have struck significant blows against Al Qaeda's leadership, we have eliminated Osama bin Laden, and we've prevented Afghanistan from being used to launch attacks against our homeland.</p><p>"It's time to turn the page on more than a decade in which so much of our foreign policy was focused on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq," he said.</p> <aside class="trb_panelmod_container" data-role="panelmod_container imgsize_ratiosizecontainer" data-load-type="noop" data-panelmod-type="relatedContent"/><p>Starting next year, Obama said, the U.S. will end its combat missions in Afghanistan, and though 9,800 American troops will remain, as well as some from allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Afghans will be "fully responsible" for securing their country, with the U.S. no longer patrolling "Afghan cities or towns, mountains or valleys."</p><p>The remaining U.S. troops will train Afghan units, protect U.S. diplomats and intelligence agents and take part in counter-terrorism efforts in Afghanistan and Pakistan, officials said.</p><p>Obama plans to return to West Point on Wednesday for what aides are billing as a major foreign policy speech, albeit one designed to lay out a broad vision rather than to revisit a difficult war. More than 2,300 U.S. troops have died in Afghanistan and thousands more have been injured since the war began in 2001. The death toll this year — just over 20 — is far lower than in previous years, reflecting the decline in U.S. combat operations.</p><p>The president's decision gave the U.S. military fewer troops than it had requested for next year and for significantly less time than it had sought.</p><aside class="trb_embed " data-content-id="80329672" data-content-size="medium" data-content-type="image" data-content-subtype="photo" data-role="socialshare_item delayload imgsize_ratiosizecontainer lightbox_container " data-state=" " data-embed-id="80329672" data-load-type="comment" data-load-method="innerHtml"><!-- <div class="trb_embed_modalBox"> <span class="trb_embed_media_close" data-role="lightbox_close"></span> <div class="trb_embed_media " > <span class="trb_embed_media_info" data-role="embed_info lightbox_info"></span> <figure data-role=" delayload delayload_done imgsize_item" class="trb_embed_imageContainer_figure"><img itemprop="image" data-baseurl="http://www.trbimg.com/img-53854866/turbine/la-apphoto-obama-afghanistan-jpg-20140527" alt="President Obama" class="trb_embed_imageContainer_img" title="President Obama" data-content-naturalwidth="2048" data-content-naturalheight="1455" /></figure> <span class="trb_embed_media_open" data-role="lightbox_open"></span><div class="trb_embed_related" data-role='lightbox_metadata' > <span class="trb_embed_related_title">President Obama</span> <div class="trb_embed_related_credit">Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press</div> <div class="trb_embed_related_caption">Starting next year, President Obama said, Afghans will be “fully responsible” for securing their country, with the U.S. no longer patrolling "Afghan cities or towns, mountains or valleys."</div> <div class="trb_embed_related_credit_and_caption" >Starting next year, President Obama said, Afghans will be “fully responsible” for securing their country, with the U.S. no longer patrolling "Afghan cities or towns, mountains or valleys." (Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press)</div><div class="trb_socialize" data-role="socialshare_information socialshare_container" data-socialshare-context="page" data-socialshare-url="http://www.latimes.com/world/afghanistan-pakistan/la-fg-obama-troops-afghanistan-20140528-story.html#page=1&lightbox=80329672" data-socialshare-title="President Obama" data-socialshare-thumbnail="http://www.trbimg.com/img-53854866/turbine/la-apphoto-obama-afghanistan-jpg-20140527" data-socialshare-description="Starting next year, President Obama said, Afghans will be “fully responsible” for securing their country, with the U.S. no longer patrolling "Afghan cities or towns, mountains or valleys."" data-socialshare-slug="la-apphoto-obama-afghanistan-jpg-20140527" data-socialshare-content="photo" data-socialshare-newspapername="Los Angeles Times" data-socialshare-content-id="80329672" data-socialshare-default-image=""><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share " data-socialshare-type="facebook" ></span><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share " data-socialshare-type="twitter" ></span><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_shareParent " data-socialshare-type="shareParent" ><div class="trb_socialize_submenu" ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="pinterest"></span ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="googleplus"></span ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="linkedin"></span ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="stumbleupon"></span ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="digg"></span ></div></span><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_email " data-socialshare-type="email" ></span><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_print " data-socialshare-type="print" ></span></div></div> </div></div> --></aside><p>Marine Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., the commander in Afghanistan, had requested at least 10,000 troops and for months had pushed to keep them at least through 2015.</p><p>The White House accepted much of that plan, including Dunford's call to array forces around the country, especially in the south and east, where the insurgency is strongest. But Obama and his advisors, who had been skeptical that more time would significantly change the situation, opted for a relatively quick drawdown.</p><p>The force will be down to 5,000 troops by the end of 2015, based solely in Kabul and at the Bagram air base, north of the capital. By the time Obama leaves office, the troop presence will have shrunk to no more than a "normal embassy presence" based in Kabul, officials said.</p><aside class="trb_panelmod_container" data-role="panelmod_container" data-panelmod-type="comments"> </aside><p>Keeping any forces in Afghanistan after the end of this year is contingent on that country's next president signing a security deal that will authorize their presence and give them immunity from prosecution in Afghan courts. Afghan President Hamid Karzai, a harsh critic of U.S. policy in his country, has refused for months to sign a bilateral security agreement his government negotiated with Washington last fall. But both of the candidates in next month's runoff election to replace him have indicated they would sign it.</p><p>During months of debate over the size and mission of the remaining force, some White House officials had talked of a so-called zero option, in which no U.S. forces would remain in Afghanistan after this year. Others pushed a plan that would have kept 7,000 to 8,000 troops, based mostly at Bagram and in Kabul, with a narrow mission focused on going after the remnants of Al Qaeda and its affiliates in Afghanistan and Pakistan.</p><aside class="trb_embed " data-content-id="80143068" data-content-size="small" data-content-type="gallery" data-content-subtype="photogallery" data-role="socialshare_item delayload gallery carousel gallery_container imgsize_ratiosizecontainer lightbox_container " data-state=" gallery_captionClosed" data-embed-id="80143068" data-load-type="comment" data-load-method="innerHtml"><!-- <div class="trb_embed_modalBox" data-role="carousel_view"> <span class="trb_embed_media_close" data-role="lightbox_close"></span> <div class="trb_embed_media " > <span class="trb_embed_media_kicker">Photos</span><span class="trb_embed_media_next" data-role="carousel_transitionadnext carousel_nextpage lightbox_next"></span> <span class="trb_embed_media_prev" data-state="carousel_hidden" data-role="carousel_transitionadprev carousel_prevpage lightbox_prev"></span> <span class="trb_embed_media_info" data-role="embed_info lightbox_info"></span> <aside class="trb_embed " data-content-id="80143112" data-content-size="small" data-content-type="image" data-content-subtype="photo" data-role="socialshare_item carousel_page " data-state=" carousel_activepage "> <div class="trb_embed_media " > <figure data-role="lightbox_open delayload delayload_done imgsize_item" class="trb_embed_imageContainer_figure"><img itemprop="image" data-baseurl="http://www.trbimg.com/img-536bbb17/turbine/la-fg-cia-withdrawal-afghanistan-pictures-001" alt="Afghanistan patrol" class="trb_embed_imageContainer_img" title="Afghanistan patrol" data-content-naturalwidth="2048" data-content-naturalheight="1365" /></figure> <span class="trb_embed_media_open" data-role="lightbox_open"></span><div class="trb_embed_related" data-role='gallery_item lightbox_metadata' data-pageNumber="1" data-pageCount="5"> <span class="trb_embed_related_galleryToggleCaption" data-role="gallery_toggleCaption">Caption</span> <span class="trb_embed_related_title">Afghanistan patrol</span> <div class="trb_embed_related_credit">Scott Olson / Getty Images</div> <div class="trb_embed_related_caption">The CIA is planning to close its satellite bases in Afghanistan and pull all its personnel back to Kabul by early summer. The U.S. military says it needs the intelligence the CIA provides. Above, Army 1st Lt. Eric Cannon speaks by radio on patrol near a village south of Kabul.</div> <div class="trb_embed_related_credit_and_caption" >The CIA is planning to close its satellite bases in Afghanistan and pull all its personnel back to Kabul by early summer. The U.S. military says it needs the intelligence the CIA provides. Above, Army 1st Lt. Eric Cannon speaks by radio on patrol near a village south of Kabul. (Scott Olson / Getty Images)</div><div class="trb_socialize" data-role="socialshare_information socialshare_container" data-socialshare-context="page" data-socialshare-url="http://www.latimes.com/world/afghanistan-pakistan/la-fg-obama-troops-afghanistan-20140528-story.html#page=1&lightbox=80143068&slide=1" data-socialshare-title="Afghanistan patrol" data-socialshare-thumbnail="http://www.trbimg.com/img-536bbb17/turbine/la-fg-cia-withdrawal-afghanistan-pictures-001" data-socialshare-description="The CIA is planning to close its satellite bases in Afghanistan and pull all its personnel back to Kabul by early summer. The U.S. military says it needs the intelligence the CIA provides. Above, Army 1st Lt. Eric Cannon speaks by radio on patrol near a village south of Kabul." data-socialshare-slug="la-fg-cia-withdrawal-afghanistan-pictures" data-socialshare-content="photogallery" data-socialshare-newspapername="Los Angeles Times" data-socialshare-content-id="80143112" data-socialshare-default-image=""><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share " data-socialshare-type="facebook" ></span><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share " data-socialshare-type="twitter" ></span><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_shareParent " data-socialshare-type="shareParent" ><div class="trb_socialize_submenu" ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="pinterest"></span ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="googleplus"></span ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="linkedin"></span ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="stumbleupon"></span ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="digg"></span ></div></span><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_email " data-socialshare-type="email" ></span><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_print " data-socialshare-type="print" ></span></div><a class="trb_lightbox_moreGalleriesLink" href="">See more galleries</a> </div> </div></aside> <aside class="trb_embed " data-content-id="80143113" data-content-size="small" data-content-type="image" data-content-subtype="photo" data-role="socialshare_item carousel_page " data-state=" carousel_nextpage "> <div class="trb_embed_media " > <figure data-role="lightbox_open imgsize_item" class="trb_embed_imageContainer_figure"><img itemprop="image" data-baseurl="http://www.trbimg.com/img-536bbb18/turbine/la-fg-cia-withdrawal-afghanistan-pictures-002" alt="Afghanistan patrol" class="trb_embed_imageContainer_img" title="Afghanistan patrol" data-content-naturalwidth="2048" data-content-naturalheight="1365" /></figure> <span class="trb_embed_media_open" data-role="lightbox_open"></span><div class="trb_embed_related" data-role='gallery_item lightbox_metadata' data-pageNumber="2" data-pageCount="5"> <span class="trb_embed_related_galleryToggleCaption" data-role="gallery_toggleCaption">Caption</span> <span class="trb_embed_related_title">Afghanistan patrol</span> <div class="trb_embed_related_credit">Scott Olson / Getty Images</div> <div class="trb_embed_related_caption">The CIA informed U.S. military commanders in March that it would shutter its operations outside Kabul, a plan that has strained relations between the agency and the military. Above, Army Sgt. Maj. Brian Hamm, left, and 1st Lt. John Levulis patrol a mountainside south of Kabul.</div> <div class="trb_embed_related_credit_and_caption" >The CIA informed U.S. military commanders in March that it would shutter its operations outside Kabul, a plan that has strained relations between the agency and the military. Above, Army Sgt. Maj. Brian Hamm, left, and 1st Lt. John Levulis patrol a mountainside south of Kabul. (Scott Olson / Getty Images)</div><div class="trb_socialize" data-role="socialshare_information socialshare_container" data-socialshare-context="page" data-socialshare-url="http://www.latimes.com/world/afghanistan-pakistan/la-fg-obama-troops-afghanistan-20140528-story.html#page=1&lightbox=80143068&slide=2" data-socialshare-title="Afghanistan patrol" data-socialshare-thumbnail="http://www.trbimg.com/img-536bbb18/turbine/la-fg-cia-withdrawal-afghanistan-pictures-002" data-socialshare-description="The CIA informed U.S. military commanders in March that it would shutter its operations outside Kabul, a plan that has strained relations between the agency and the military. Above, Army Sgt. Maj. Brian Hamm, left, and 1st Lt. John Levulis patrol a mountainside south of Kabul." data-socialshare-slug="la-fg-cia-withdrawal-afghanistan-pictures" data-socialshare-content="photogallery" data-socialshare-newspapername="Los Angeles Times" data-socialshare-content-id="80143113" data-socialshare-default-image=""><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share " data-socialshare-type="facebook" ></span><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share " data-socialshare-type="twitter" ></span><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_shareParent " data-socialshare-type="shareParent" ><div class="trb_socialize_submenu" ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="pinterest"></span ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="googleplus"></span ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="linkedin"></span ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="stumbleupon"></span ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="digg"></span ></div></span><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_email " data-socialshare-type="email" ></span><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_print " data-socialshare-type="print" ></span></div><a class="trb_lightbox_moreGalleriesLink" href="">See more galleries</a> </div> </div></aside> <aside class="trb_embed " data-content-id="80143114" data-content-size="small" data-content-type="image" data-content-subtype="photo" data-role="socialshare_item carousel_page " data-state=" carousel_nextpage "> <div class="trb_embed_media " > <figure data-role="lightbox_open imgsize_item" class="trb_embed_imageContainer_figure"><img itemprop="image" data-baseurl="http://www.trbimg.com/img-536bbb1a/turbine/la-fg-cia-withdrawal-afghanistan-pictures-003" alt="Afghanistan patrol" class="trb_embed_imageContainer_img" title="Afghanistan patrol" data-content-naturalwidth="2048" data-content-naturalheight="1365" /></figure> <span class="trb_embed_media_open" data-role="lightbox_open"></span><div class="trb_embed_related" data-role='gallery_item lightbox_metadata' data-pageNumber="3" data-pageCount="5"> <span class="trb_embed_related_galleryToggleCaption" data-role="gallery_toggleCaption">Caption</span> <span class="trb_embed_related_title">Afghanistan patrol</span> <div class="trb_embed_related_credit">Scott Olson / Getty Images</div> <div class="trb_embed_related_caption">"They are beginning their own retrograde and they kind of sprung it on the military, which is raising concern," said a senior military official about the CIA plan. Above, Army Spec. Romik Hazarian patrols up a mountainside south of Kabul.</div> <div class="trb_embed_related_credit_and_caption" >"They are beginning their own retrograde and they kind of sprung it on the military, which is raising concern," said a senior military official about the CIA plan. Above, Army Spec. Romik Hazarian patrols up a mountainside south of Kabul. (Scott Olson / Getty Images)</div><div class="trb_socialize" data-role="socialshare_information socialshare_container" data-socialshare-context="page" data-socialshare-url="http://www.latimes.com/world/afghanistan-pakistan/la-fg-obama-troops-afghanistan-20140528-story.html#page=1&lightbox=80143068&slide=3" data-socialshare-title="Afghanistan patrol" data-socialshare-thumbnail="http://www.trbimg.com/img-536bbb1a/turbine/la-fg-cia-withdrawal-afghanistan-pictures-003" data-socialshare-description=""They are beginning their own retrograde and they kind of sprung it on the military, which is raising concern," said a senior military official about the CIA plan. Above, Army Spec. Romik Hazarian patrols up a mountainside south of Kabul." data-socialshare-slug="la-fg-cia-withdrawal-afghanistan-pictures" data-socialshare-content="photogallery" data-socialshare-newspapername="Los Angeles Times" data-socialshare-content-id="80143114" data-socialshare-default-image=""><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share " data-socialshare-type="facebook" ></span><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share " data-socialshare-type="twitter" ></span><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_shareParent " data-socialshare-type="shareParent" ><div class="trb_socialize_submenu" ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="pinterest"></span ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="googleplus"></span ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="linkedin"></span ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="stumbleupon"></span ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="digg"></span ></div></span><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_email " data-socialshare-type="email" ></span><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_print " data-socialshare-type="print" ></span></div><a class="trb_lightbox_moreGalleriesLink" href="">See more galleries</a> </div> </div></aside> <aside class="trb_embed " data-content-id="80143115" data-content-size="small" data-content-type="image" data-content-subtype="photo" data-role="socialshare_item carousel_page " data-state=" carousel_nextpage "> <div class="trb_embed_media " > <figure data-role="lightbox_open imgsize_item" class="trb_embed_imageContainer_figure"><img itemprop="image" data-baseurl="http://www.trbimg.com/img-536bbb1b/turbine/la-fg-cia-withdrawal-afghanistan-pictures-004" alt="Afghanistan patrol" class="trb_embed_imageContainer_img" title="Afghanistan patrol" data-content-naturalwidth="2048" data-content-naturalheight="1217" /></figure> <span class="trb_embed_media_open" data-role="lightbox_open"></span><div class="trb_embed_related" data-role='gallery_item lightbox_metadata' data-pageNumber="4" data-pageCount="5"> <span class="trb_embed_related_galleryToggleCaption" data-role="gallery_toggleCaption">Caption</span> <span class="trb_embed_related_title">Afghanistan patrol</span> <div class="trb_embed_related_credit">Scott Olson / Getty Images</div> <div class="trb_embed_related_caption">Pentagon officials warn that the CIA withdrawal is coming just as insurgent attacks are normally at their peak. Above, a child watches as Army Spec. Wilmer Bolivar digs in while providing security for a patrol through a village near Kandahar, Afghanistan.</div> <div class="trb_embed_related_credit_and_caption" >Pentagon officials warn that the CIA withdrawal is coming just as insurgent attacks are normally at their peak. Above, a child watches as Army Spec. Wilmer Bolivar digs in while providing security for a patrol through a village near Kandahar, Afghanistan. (Scott Olson / Getty Images)</div><div class="trb_socialize" data-role="socialshare_information socialshare_container" data-socialshare-context="page" data-socialshare-url="http://www.latimes.com/world/afghanistan-pakistan/la-fg-obama-troops-afghanistan-20140528-story.html#page=1&lightbox=80143068&slide=4" data-socialshare-title="Afghanistan patrol" data-socialshare-thumbnail="http://www.trbimg.com/img-536bbb1b/turbine/la-fg-cia-withdrawal-afghanistan-pictures-004" data-socialshare-description="Pentagon officials warn that the CIA withdrawal is coming just as insurgent attacks are normally at their peak. Above, a child watches as Army Spec. Wilmer Bolivar digs in while providing security for a patrol through a village near Kandahar, Afghanistan." data-socialshare-slug="la-fg-cia-withdrawal-afghanistan-pictures" data-socialshare-content="photogallery" data-socialshare-newspapername="Los Angeles Times" data-socialshare-content-id="80143115" data-socialshare-default-image=""><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share " data-socialshare-type="facebook" ></span><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share " data-socialshare-type="twitter" ></span><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_shareParent " data-socialshare-type="shareParent" ><div class="trb_socialize_submenu" ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="pinterest"></span ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="googleplus"></span ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="linkedin"></span ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="stumbleupon"></span ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="digg"></span ></div></span><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_email " data-socialshare-type="email" ></span><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_print " data-socialshare-type="print" ></span></div><a class="trb_lightbox_moreGalleriesLink" href="">See more galleries</a> </div> </div></aside> <aside class="trb_embed " data-content-id="80143116" data-content-size="small" data-content-type="image" data-content-subtype="photo" data-role="socialshare_item carousel_page " data-state=" carousel_nextpage "> <div class="trb_embed_media " > <figure data-role="lightbox_open imgsize_item" class="trb_embed_imageContainer_figure"><img itemprop="image" data-baseurl="http://www.trbimg.com/img-536bbb1c/turbine/la-fg-cia-withdrawal-afghanistan-pictures-005" alt="Afghanistan patrol" class="trb_embed_imageContainer_img" title="Afghanistan patrol" data-content-naturalwidth="2048" data-content-naturalheight="1365" /></figure> <span class="trb_embed_media_open" data-role="lightbox_open"></span><div class="trb_embed_related" data-role='gallery_item lightbox_metadata' data-pageNumber="5" data-pageCount="5"> <span class="trb_embed_related_galleryToggleCaption" data-role="gallery_toggleCaption">Caption</span> <span class="trb_embed_related_title">Afghanistan patrol</span> <div class="trb_embed_related_credit">Scott Olson / Getty Images</div> <div class="trb_embed_related_caption">The Pentagon is seeking to persuade the CIA to slow its withdrawal, to prevent a surge in insurgent attacks before the end of the year when most U.S. troops are due to leave. Above, Army Sgt. Kurtis Scheinder patrols on the edge of a village south of Kabul.</div> <div class="trb_embed_related_credit_and_caption" >The Pentagon is seeking to persuade the CIA to slow its withdrawal, to prevent a surge in insurgent attacks before the end of the year when most U.S. troops are due to leave. Above, Army Sgt. Kurtis Scheinder patrols on the edge of a village south of Kabul. (Scott Olson / Getty Images)</div><div class="trb_socialize" data-role="socialshare_information socialshare_container" data-socialshare-context="page" data-socialshare-url="http://www.latimes.com/world/afghanistan-pakistan/la-fg-obama-troops-afghanistan-20140528-story.html#page=1&lightbox=80143068&slide=5" data-socialshare-title="Afghanistan patrol" data-socialshare-thumbnail="http://www.trbimg.com/img-536bbb1c/turbine/la-fg-cia-withdrawal-afghanistan-pictures-005" data-socialshare-description="The Pentagon is seeking to persuade the CIA to slow its withdrawal, to prevent a surge in insurgent attacks before the end of the year when most U.S. troops are due to leave. Above, Army Sgt. Kurtis Scheinder patrols on the edge of a village south of Kabul." data-socialshare-slug="la-fg-cia-withdrawal-afghanistan-pictures" data-socialshare-content="photogallery" data-socialshare-newspapername="Los Angeles Times" data-socialshare-content-id="80143116" data-socialshare-default-image=""><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share " data-socialshare-type="facebook" ></span><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share " data-socialshare-type="twitter" ></span><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_shareParent " data-socialshare-type="shareParent" ><div class="trb_socialize_submenu" ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="pinterest"></span ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="googleplus"></span ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="linkedin"></span ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="stumbleupon"></span ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="digg"></span ></div></span><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_email " data-socialshare-type="email" ></span><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_print " data-socialshare-type="print" ></span></div><a class="trb_lightbox_moreGalleriesLink" href="">See more galleries</a> </div> </div></aside><span class="adcontainer" data-role="carousel_adcontainer" data-carousel-adoffset="7"> <div id="" class="trb_gptAd" data-role="adloader adloader_ad carousel_ad" data-state="adloader_unloaded" data-withinviewport-options="bottomOffset=100" data-adloader-position="index" data-adloader-size="320x50" data-adloader-adtype="photobanner" data-adloader-positionoverride="photo" data-adloader-label></div ><div id="" class="trb_gptAd" data-role="adloader adloader_ad carousel_ad" data-state="adloader_unloaded" data-withinviewport-options="bottomOffset=100" data-adloader-position="index" data-adloader-size="300x250" data-adloader-adtype="photocube" data-adloader-positionoverride="photo" data-adloader-label></div ></span><div class="trb_embed_related" data-role='gallery_whole lightbox_metadata' > <span class="trb_embed_related_title">CIA withdrawal in Afghanistan</span> <div class="trb_embed_related_title_and_credit">CIA withdrawal in Afghanistan</div><div class="trb_socialize" data-role="socialshare_information socialshare_container" data-socialshare-context="page" data-socialshare-url="http://www.latimes.com/world/afghanistan-pakistan/la-fg-obama-troops-afghanistan-20140528-story.html#page=1&lightbox=80143068" data-socialshare-title="CIA withdrawal in Afghanistan" data-socialshare-thumbnail="http://www.trbimg.com/img-536bbb15/turbine/la-fg-cia-withdrawal-afghanistan-pictures" data-socialshare-slug="la-fg-cia-withdrawal-afghanistan-pictures" data-socialshare-content="photogallery" data-socialshare-newspapername="Los Angeles Times" data-socialshare-content-id="80143068" data-socialshare-default-image=""><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share " data-socialshare-type="facebook" ></span><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share " data-socialshare-type="twitter" ></span><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_shareParent " data-socialshare-type="shareParent" ><div class="trb_socialize_submenu" ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="pinterest"></span ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="googleplus"></span ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="linkedin"></span ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="stumbleupon"></span ><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_share" data-socialshare-type="digg"></span ></div></span><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_email " data-socialshare-type="email" ></span><span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_print " data-socialshare-type="print" ></span></div></div> </div></div> --></aside><p>In the end, Obama sided with military commanders who warned that Afghanistan's security forces, which still cannot conduct complicated missions on their own, might collapse entirely if the U.S. pulled out so quickly. U.S. officials also worried that without the presence of American troops, Congress would cut funds for the Afghan forces, a move that they warned could allow the Taliban insurgency to rapidly overwhelm the government.</p><p>Afghanistan now has more than 340,000 soldiers and police officers, and many units have performed well in recent years. But high desertion rates, drug use and illiteracy continue to beset the force, and many basic parts, including an air force, medical care and logistics, are still in their infancy.</p><p>As with most such compromise decisions, Obama's announcement drew attacks from both sides, with Republicans and other hawks saying that he was putting Afghanistan at risk by too rapid a withdrawal while some liberal Democrats said he was moving too slowly to bring the war to an end.</p><p>Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who leads his party's hawkish wing, decried Obama's decision to "set an arbitrary date" for the full withdrawal of U.S. troops. He called it "a shortsighted decision that will make it harder to end the war in Afghanistan responsibly."</p><p>House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) said he welcomed the president's decision to "support a troop presence in Afghanistan next year" but also said the biggest risk would lie in "quitting just short of the goal line."</p><p>On the other side of the aisle, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland), one of her party's most liberal members, said it was "far past time to end the war and bring all of our troops home."</p><p>Stephen Biddle, a national security expert and professor at George Washington University, called the Obama plan a "split decision" that will keep U.S. troops in place, but for too short a period for the Afghan army to defeat the Taliban insurgency or for the two sides to reach a negotiated settlement to the conflict.</p><p>Congress is unlikely to continue to fund the Afghan army and police after 2016, when virtually all U.S. troops will depart. Without U.S. backing for the Afghan security forces, the Taliban could regain the upper hand and the government in Kabul could face collapse, Biddle said.</p> </div><div data-role="pagination_page" data-content-page="2" readability="58.4397810219"> <p>Others noted that Obama's plan offered no solution to one of the problems at the root of the Afghan conflict: the sanctuary that insurgent groups enjoy in neighboring Pakistan.</p><p>"I just don't see what this is supposed to accomplish," said C. Christine Fair, an Afghan expert and a Georgetown University professor. "Now we have the worst of all worlds: a very small troop presence while we still haven't dealt with the Pakistan problem."</p> <aside class="trb_panelmod_container" data-role="panelmod_container imgsize_ratiosizecontainer" data-load-type="noop" data-panelmod-type="relatedContent"/><p>The decision came a day before Obama's address to the graduating class at the U.S. Military Academy, where in 2009 he first embraced the war in Afghanistan by announcing the troop buildup. Some of Wednesday's 1,000 graduates will be bound for the final tours of duty in Afghanistan.</p><p>After months of a foreign policy dominated by the need to respond to fire alarms around the world, Obama is planning to use this year's commencement speech to lay out an overall explanation of his vision of U.S. leadership, one that is "interventionist," but not unilateral in its actions, according to a senior administration official familiar with the speech who discussed it on condition of anonymity.</p><p>Alluding to that message, Obama said Tuesday that the Afghanistan withdrawal is part of a larger plan at a time of global change.</p><p>"This new chapter in American foreign policy will allow us to redirect some of the resources saved by ending these wars to respond more nimbly to the changing threat of terrorism while addressing a broader set of priorities around the globe," Obama said.</p> <span class="trb_mainContent_copyright">Copyright © 2014, <a href="http://www.latimes.com">Los Angeles Times</a></span> </div></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="2" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNECmjH1CaQZlxOXyKVimSwYmVAePg&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778518758748&ei=Kg-GU5CaO6b6wAGaioHICA&url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/28/us/maya-angelou-obit/">Legendary author Maya Angelou dies at age 86 - CNN</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 28 May 2014 09:05 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <!--startclickprintexclude--> <div class="cnnStryVidCont" style="background-color:transparent"> <div id="cnnCVP1"> </div> </div> <a name="em0"/> <div class="cnn_strylftcntnt"><div class="cnn_strylctcntr"> <div><strong>STORY HIGHLIGHTS</strong></div> <ul class="cnn_bulletbin cnnStryHghLght"><!--google_ad_section_start--><li>Maya Angelou had an illustrious career as a poet, singer, dancer and director</li> <li>She died at home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, her literary agent said </li> <li>One of her most famous works was "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"</li> <!--google_ad_section_end--> </ul></div></div> <div class="cnn_strylftcntnt adtag15090"> <!-- CALLOUT|http://ads.cnn.com/html.ng/site=cnn&cnn_position=150x90_spon1&cnn_rollup=us&page.allowcompete=no¶ms.styles=fs|CALLOUT --> <!-- ADSPACE: us/spon1.150x90 --> <div id="ad-8db414730d2c2780" align="center" style="padding: 0; margin: 0; border: 0;"/> <!-- ADSPACE-END --></div> <!--endclickprintexclude--><!--google_ad_section_start--><!--startclickprintinclude--> <p class="cnnEditorialNote"><em>Inspired by Maya Angelou? Read your favorite Angelou quote on video and send it to <a href="http://ireport.cnn.com/topics/1101894" target="_blank">CNN iReport</a>.</em></p> <p><strong>(CNN)</strong> -- A literary voice revered globally for her poetic command and her commitment to civil rights has fallen silent.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph2"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/04/us/maya-angelou-fast-facts/index.html" target="_blank">Maya Angelou</a> died at her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on Wednesday, said her literary agent, Helen Brann.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph3">The 86-year-old was a novelist, actress, professor, singer, dancer and activist. In 2010, President Barack Obama awarded her the Medal of Freedom, the country's highest civilian honor.</p> <style><![CDATA[ .cnnArticleGalleryNav{border:1px solid #000;cursor:pointer;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavOn{background-color:#C03;border:1px solid #000;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:20px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavDisabled{background-color:#222;border:1px solid #000;color:#666;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleExpandableTarget{background-color:#000;display:none;position:absolute} .cnnArticlePhotoContainer{height:122px;width:214px} .cnnArticleBoxImage{cursor:pointer;height:122px;padding-top:0;width:214px} .cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControl{background-color:#000;color:#FFF} .cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControlText{cursor:pointer;float:right;font-size:10px;padding:3px 10px 3px 3px} .cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer cite{background:none repeat scroll 0 0 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src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.e/img/3.0/mosaic/bttn_close.gif" onclick="expGallery41.shrinkPicture('4','1')" alt="" border="0" height="23" width="58"/></div> <div style="height:360px"> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> <img style="display:block" id="articleGalleryPhoto411" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/140528093525-restricted-02-maya-angelou-0528-horizontal-gallery.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="Maya Angelou, a renowned poet, novelist and actress best known for her book "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," has died at the age of 86, according to her literary agent, Helen Brann." border="0"/><cite style="display:block;bottom:74px" id="galleryCaption411">Maya Angelou, a renowned poet, novelist and actress best known for her book "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," has died at the age of 86, according to her literary agent, Helen Brann.</cite> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div class="cnn_clear"/> </div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControl"> <div id="gallerySlideTitle411" style="float:left;font-size:24px;font:weight:700px;margin-left:10px;width:500px;height:36px;overflow:hidden">Maya Angelou: Poet, novelist and actress</div> <div id="galleryCaptionControl41" class="cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControlText" onclick="expGallery41.toggleArticleGalleryCaption(4,1)">HIDE CAPTION</div> <div class="cnn_clear"/> </div> <div style="background-color:#000;color:#FFF;height:27px"> <div id="articleGalleryNav41JumpPrev" onclick="expGallery41.galleryJumpPrev(4,1)" class="cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNextDisabled"><span><<</span></div> <div id="articleGalleryNav41Prev" onclick="expGallery41.galleryPrev(4,1)" class="cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNextDisabled"><span><</span></div> <div class="articleGalleryNavContainer"> <div style="" id="articleGalleryNav411" class="cnnArticleGalleryNavOn" onmouseout="expGallery41.hideArticleThumb(4,1,1)" onmouseover="expGallery41.showArticleThumb(4,1,1)" onclick="expGallery41.changePage(4,1,1)"> <span style="height:21px;padding:4px 0 0 0">1</span> </div> <div style="" id="articleGalleryNav412" class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" onmouseout="expGallery41.hideArticleThumb(4,1,2)" onmouseover="expGallery41.showArticleThumb(4,1,2)" onclick="expGallery41.changePage(4,1,2)"> <span style="height:21px;padding:4px 0 0 0">2</span> </div> <div style="" id="articleGalleryNav413" class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" onmouseout="expGallery41.hideArticleThumb(4,1,3)" onmouseover="expGallery41.showArticleThumb(4,1,3)" onclick="expGallery41.changePage(4,1,3)"> <span style="height:21px;padding:4px 0 0 0">3</span> </div> <div style="" id="articleGalleryNav414" class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" onmouseout="expGallery41.hideArticleThumb(4,1,4)" onmouseover="expGallery41.showArticleThumb(4,1,4)" onclick="expGallery41.changePage(4,1,4)"> <span style="height:21px;padding:4px 0 0 0">4</span> </div> <div style="" id="articleGalleryNav415" class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" onmouseout="expGallery41.hideArticleThumb(4,1,5)" onmouseover="expGallery41.showArticleThumb(4,1,5)" 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onmouseout="expGallery41.hideArticleThumb(4,1,9)" onmouseover="expGallery41.showArticleThumb(4,1,9)" onclick="expGallery41.changePage(4,1,9)"> <span style="height:21px;padding:4px 0 0 0">9</span> </div> <div style="" id="articleGalleryNav4110" class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" onmouseout="expGallery41.hideArticleThumb(4,1,10)" onmouseover="expGallery41.showArticleThumb(4,1,10)" onclick="expGallery41.changePage(4,1,10)"> <span style="height:21px;padding:4px 0 0 0">10</span> </div> <div style="" id="articleGalleryNav4111" class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" onmouseout="expGallery41.hideArticleThumb(4,1,11)" onmouseover="expGallery41.showArticleThumb(4,1,11)" onclick="expGallery41.changePage(4,1,11)"> <span style="height:21px;padding:4px 0 0 0">11</span> </div> <div style="" id="articleGalleryNav4112" class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" onmouseout="expGallery41.hideArticleThumb(4,1,12)" onmouseover="expGallery41.showArticleThumb(4,1,12)" onclick="expGallery41.changePage(4,1,12)"> <span style="height:21px;padding:4px 0 0 0">12</span> </div> <div style="" id="articleGalleryNav4113" class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" onmouseout="expGallery41.hideArticleThumb(4,1,13)" onmouseover="expGallery41.showArticleThumb(4,1,13)" onclick="expGallery41.changePage(4,1,13)"> <span style="height:21px;padding:4px 0 0 0">13</span> </div> <div style="" id="articleGalleryNav4114" class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" onmouseout="expGallery41.hideArticleThumb(4,1,14)" onmouseover="expGallery41.showArticleThumb(4,1,14)" onclick="expGallery41.changePage(4,1,14)"> <span style="height:21px;padding:4px 0 0 0">14</span> </div> <div style="" id="articleGalleryNav4115" class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" onmouseout="expGallery41.hideArticleThumb(4,1,15)" onmouseover="expGallery41.showArticleThumb(4,1,15)" onclick="expGallery41.changePage(4,1,15)"> <span style="height:21px;padding:4px 0 0 0">15</span> </div> </div> <div id="articleGalleryNav41Next" onclick="expGallery41.galleryNext(4,1)" class="cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNext"><span>></span></div> <div id="articleGalleryNav41JumpNext" onclick="expGallery41.galleryJumpNext(4,1)" class="cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNextDisabled"><span>>></span></div> <div class="cnn_clear"/> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph4">One of Angelou's most revered books was "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings."</p> <style><![CDATA[ .cnnArticleGalleryNav{border:1px solid #000;cursor:pointer;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavOn{background-color:#C03;border:1px solid #000;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:20px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavDisabled{background-color:#222;border:1px solid #000;color:#666;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleExpandableTarget{background-color:#000;display:none;position:absolute} .cnnArticlePhotoContainer{height:122px;width:214px} .cnnArticleBoxImage{cursor:pointer;height:122px;padding-top:0;width:214px} 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</div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div class="cnn_clear"/> </div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControl"> <div id="gallerySlideTitle511" style="float:left;font-size:24px;font:weight:700px;margin-left:10px;width:500px;height:36px;overflow:hidden">Maya Angelou: In her own words</div> <div id="galleryCaptionControl51" class="cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControlText" onclick="expGallery51.toggleArticleGalleryCaption(5,1)">HIDE CAPTION</div> <div class="cnn_clear"/> </div> <div style="background-color:#000;color:#FFF;height:27px"> <div id="articleGalleryNav51JumpPrev" onclick="expGallery51.galleryJumpPrev(5,1)" class="cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNextDisabled"><span><<</span></div> <div id="articleGalleryNav51Prev" onclick="expGallery51.galleryPrev(5,1)" class="cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNextDisabled"><span><</span></div> <div class="articleGalleryNavContainer"> <div style="" id="articleGalleryNav511" class="cnnArticleGalleryNavOn" 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brutality of a Jim Crow South, portraying racism in stark language. Readers learned of the life of Marguerite Ann Johnson (Angelou's birth name) up to the age of 16: how she was abandoned by her parents, was discriminated against in rural Arkansas, was raped by her mother's boyfriend, lived on the streets and gave birth as a teenager.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph6">It's publication was both daring and historic given the era of its debut in 1969.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph7">"All of the writers of my generation must honor the ground broken by Dr. Maya Angelou," author Tayari Jones posted on her Facebook page Wednesday.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph8">"She told a story that wasn't allowed to be told," Jones said. "Now, people tell all sorts of things in memoir, but when she told the truth, she challenged a taboo -- not for shock value, but to heal us all."</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph9">Black American novelist Julian Mayfield is said to have described the autobiography as "a work of art which eludes description."</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph10">"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" was an international bestseller and nominated for a National Book Award in 1970. In six other autobiographical books she subsequently penned, Angelou revealed myriad interests and occupations of her life.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph11">Angelou spent her early years studying dance and drama in San Francisco but dropped out at age 14.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph12">When she was 16, Angelou became San Francisco's first female streetcar driver.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph13">Angelou later returned to high school to get her diploma. She gave birth a few<strong> </strong>weeks after graduation. While the 17-year-old single mother waited tables to support her son, she developed a passion for music and dance, and toured Europe in the mid-1950s in the opera production "Porgy and Bess."</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph14">In 1957, she recorded her first album, "Miss Calypso."</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph15">In 1958, Angelou become a part of the Harlem Writers Guild in New York and played a queen in "The Blacks," an off-Broadway production by French dramatist Jean Genet.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph16">"I created myself," Angelou once said. "I have taught myself so much."</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph17">Affectionately referred to as Dr. Angelou, the professor never went to college. She has more than 30 honorary degrees and taught American studies for years at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph18">"Maya Angelou has been a towering figure -- at Wake Forest and in American culture. She had a profound influence in civil rights and racial reconciliation," Wake Forest University President Nathan O. Hatch said Wednesday. "We will miss profoundly her lyrical voice and always keen insights."</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph19">Angelou spoke at least six languages and worked as a newspaper editor in Egypt and Ghana. It was during that time that she wrote<strong> </strong>"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," the first in a series of autobiographical books.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph20">"I want to write so well that a person is 30 or 40 pages in a book of mine ... before she realizes she's reading," Angelou said.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph21">Angelou was born April 4, 1928, in St. Louis. She grew up between St. Louis and the then-racially segregated town of Stamps, Arkansas.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph22">The famous poet got into writing after a childhood tragedy that stunned her into silence for years. When she was 7, her mother's boyfriend raped her. He was beaten to death by a mob after she testified against him.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph23">"My 7-and-a-half-year-old logic deduced that my voice had killed him, so I stopped speaking for almost six years," she said.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph24">From the silence, a louder voice was born.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph25">Her list of friends is as impressive as her illustrious career. Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey referred to her as "sister friend." She counted Rosa Parks, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr., with whom she worked during the civil rights movement, among her friends. King was assassinated on her birthday.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph26">In an interview with CNN in January 2009, just days before President Obama was inaugurated for his first term, she gave her thoughts about the United States' election of its first black president.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph27">"It was as if someone in the outer sphere said, 'What can we do to really show how important Martin Luther King was?'"</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph28">Seeing Obama about to take office made her feel proud, she said.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph29">"I'm excited. I'm hopeful. I'm talking all the time to people, and sometimes I've really said it so many times I wonder if I'm coming off like a piece of tape recording, but I'm very proud to be an American.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph30">"In 30 or 40 years, (the election) will not be considered so incredibly important. ... There will be other people in those next three or four decades who will run for the presidency -- some women, some native American, some Spanish-speaking, some Asian. We're about to grow up in this country."</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph31">Then Angelou spoke in the way that she came to be famous for, each sentence a crescendo of emotion, a call to everyone to act and to be better.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph32">"Our country needs us all right now to stand up and be counted. We need to try to be great citizens. We are necessary in this country, and we need to give something -- that is to say, go to a local hospital, go to the children's ward and offer to the nurse in charge an hour twice a month that you can give them reading children's stories or poetry," she said. "And go to an old folks' home and read the newspaper to somebody. Go to your church or your synagogue or your mosque, and say, 'I'd like to be of service. I have one hour twice a month.'</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph33">"You'll be surprised at how much better you will feel," she said. "And good done anywhere is good done everywhere."</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph34"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/28/showbiz/celebrity-news-gossip/maya-angelou-speeches/index.html" target="_blank">Some of Angelou's most powerful speeches</a></p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph35">Angelou was also one of the first black female film directors. Her work on Broadway has been nominated for Tony Awards.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph36">Before making it big, the 6-foot-tall wordsmith also worked as a cook and sang with a traveling road show.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph37">"Look where we've all come from ... coming out of darkness, moving toward the light," she once said. "It is a long journey, but a sweet one, bittersweet."</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph38"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/living/2009/07/24/bia.angelou.rise.cnn&iref=allsearch" target="_blank">Angelou reads her poem 'And I Still Rise'</a></p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph39"><a href="http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2013/08/28/web-exclusive-andersons-conversation-with-dr-maya-angelou/" target="_blank">2013: Anderson Cooper's conversation with Angelou</a></p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph40"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/world/obituaries-2014/index.html" target="_blank">People we've lost in 2014</a></p> <p class="cnn_strycbftrtxt">CNN's Eliott C. McLaughlin and Marlena Baldacci contributed to this report.</p> <!--endclickprintinclude--><!--google_ad_section_end--> <!--no partner--> <div class="cnn_stryshrwdgtbtm"> <div id="cnn_sharebar2"> <div class="c_sharebar_cntr c_sharebar_loading"> <div class="cnn_stryswdgtbtm1"> <div class="cnn_stryswdgtbtm1a"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/28/us/maya-angelou-obit/index.html#disqus_thread">0</a></div> <div class="cnn_stryswdgtbtm1b"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/28/us/maya-angelou-obit/#cnn-disqus-area">Comments »</a></div> </div><!-- /cnn_stryswdgtbtm1 --> <div class="cnn_stryswdgtbtm2"> <div class="c_sharebtmcol1"> <div class="c_sharetitle">SHARE THIS</div> <div class="c_sharebtns"> <ul><li class="c_sharebtn c_sharebtnfb"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="cnnsocial.share.click('cnn_sharebar2', 'facebook');"/></li> <li class="c_sharebtn c_sharebtntwtr"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="cnnsocial.share.click('cnn_sharebar2', 'twitter');"/></li> <li class="c_sharebtn c_sharebtngplus"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="cnnsocial.share.click('cnn_sharebar2', 'googleplus');"/></li> <li class="c_sharebtn c_sharebtnlnkn"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="cnnsocial.share.click('cnn_sharebar2', 'linkedin');"/></li> </ul><div class="cnn_clear"/> </div> </div><!-- /c_sharebtmcol1 --> <div class="c_sharebtmdiv"/> <div class="c_sharebtmcol2"> <div class="fb-like" data-send="false" data-layout="box_count" data-width="90" data-show-faces="false" data-action="recommend" href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/28/us/maya-angelou-obit/index.html"/> </div><!-- /c_sharebtmcol2 --> <div class="c_sharebtmdiv"/> <div class="c_shareweb c_sharebtmcol3"> <ul><li class="cnn_sswdgtweb1"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/28/us/maya-angelou-obit/#" onclick="if(typeof CleanPrintPrintHtml!='undefined' && CleanPrintPrintHtml) CleanPrintPrintHtml(); else window.print(); return false;">Print</a></li> <li class="cnn_sswdgtweb2"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/28/us/maya-angelou-obit/#" onclick="return(ET());">Email</a></li> <li class="cnn_sswdgtweb3"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="$j('#cnn_sharebarmore2').toggle();">More sharing</a> </li> </ul></div><!-- /c_sharebtmcol3 --> <div class="cnn_clear"/> </div> <div class="cnn_clear"/> </div> </div> </div> <!-- ADSPACE: us/mmst/adlinks.607x95 --><!-- CALLOUT|http://ads.cnn.com/html.ng/site=cnn&cnn_pagetype=mmst&cnn_position=607x95_adlinks&cnn_rollup=us&page.allowcompete=no¶ms.styles=fs|CALLOUT --><div id="ad-78d64dc3cb428907" align="center" style="padding: 0; margin: 0; border: 0;"/> <!-- ADSPACE-END --><div class="cnn_divline cnn_divln3pxblck" style="margin-top:20px;" id="cnn-disqus-area"/> <div id="disqus_thread"/> </div> </td> </tr> </table> <table style="border-top:1px solid #999;padding-top:4px;margin-top:1.5em;width:100%" id="footer"> <tr> <td style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">You are subscribed to email updates from <a href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en">Top Stories - Google News</a> <br />To stop receiving these emails, you may <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailunsubscribe?k=vNU6gfBaGNiEci8BSSOBNzdQZg0">unsubscribe now</a>.</td> <td style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;text-align:right;vertical-align:top">Email delivery powered by Google</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610</td> </tr> </table> </div> blog2http://www.blogger.com/profile/04250645119730839480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933194393748629376.post-38249180485932090402014-05-27T09:31:00.001-07:002014-05-27T09:31:16.317-07:00NST Online Top Stories - Google News<style type="text/css"> h1 a:hover {background-color:#888;color:#fff ! important;} div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div ul { list-style-type:square; padding-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div blockquote { padding-left:6px; border-left: 6px solid #dadada; margin-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div li { margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:1em; } table#itemcontentlist tr td a:link, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:visited, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:active, ul#summarylist li a { color:#000099; font-weight:bold; text-decoration:none; } img {border:none;} </style> <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" id="emailbody" style="margin:0 2em;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <table style="border:0;padding:0;margin:0;width:100%"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top" width="99%"> <h1 style="margin:0;padding-bottom:6px;"> <a style="color:#888;font-size:22px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;" href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en" title="(http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en)">NST Online Top Stories - Google News</a> </h1> </td> <td width="1%" /> </tr> </table> <hr style="border:1px solid #ccc;padding:0;margin:0" /> <table id="itemcontentlist"> <tr xmlns=""> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="1" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNE2QonmGDifAR8wmJ9BrZpdI5WDNQ&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778515275254&ei=oreEU4PhGfGjwQGTmYHYBw&url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/white-house-u-s-will-have-9800-troops-in-afghanistan-after-2014/">White House: US will have 9800 troops in Afghanistan after 2014 - CBS News</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 27 May 2014 08:36 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"><p>President Obama speaks to U.S. troops deployed in Afghanistan during an unannounced visit to Bagram Air Base in Kabul, May 25, 2014. <span class="image-credit "> REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst</span> </p><div itemprop="articleBody" id="article-entry" readability="78.8405172414"> <p>President Obama is set to announce that the U.S. will leave 9,800 troops in Afghanistan after 2014 if the Afghan government signs a bilateral security agreement allowing their presence, a senior administration official said Tuesday. The announcement is scheduled for 2:45 p.m.</p><p>The president reiterated his pledge to bring the nearly 13-year war to a close by the end of 2014 this week during a surprise Memorial Day Weekend <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-lands-in-afghanistan-for-surprise-memorial-day-visit/">visit to Afghanistan</a> on Sunday and his <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-honors-profound-sacrifice-of-nations-fallen-service-members/">remarks at Arlington National Cemetery</a> commemorating the holiday on Monday. But the future of U.S. troop presence has been uncertain for months as Afghan President Hamid Karzai has refused to sign a security agreement allowing U.S. troops to stay after the combat mission is concluded at the end of this year.</p><p>The candidates running to replace Karzai have indicated they will sign an agreement, but the uncertainty has delayed the U.S. military's ability to plan for the future.</p><p>The senior administration official said the number of troops would be reduced by half by the end of 2015 and moved to a normal embassy presence with a security assistance office in Kabul, as is the case in Iraq, by the end of 2016.</p><p>The president has identified two missions in the country after 2014: training Afghan forces and supporting counter terror operations against the remnants of al Qaeda.</p><p>Speaking to soldiers at Bagram Air Field this weekend, the president said he hoped to sign a bilateral security agreement to "preserve all the gains that you have helped win." He said he wants to ensure that Afghanistan will never again be used to launch an attack on the U.S., as it was in September 2001.</p><p>Mr. Obama will also deliver the commencement address at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point Wednesday, where he is expected to expand on and defend his approach to the recent foreign policy crises the country has faced.</p> </div><p> © 2014 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. </p></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="2" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNEIlRYsYsupa4xrBzDz2XZFFGUPKg&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778516624866&ei=oreEU4PhGfGjwQGTmYHYBw&url=http://www.voanews.com/content/malaysia-releases-raw-satellite-data-in-mh370-search/1923231.html">Australia Says Missing Malaysia Jet Ran Out of Fuel - Voice of America</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 27 May 2014 08:07 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <div class="zoomMe" readability="48.0633802817"> Australia has concluded that the Malaysian passenger jet missing since early March likely crashed into the Indian Ocean after running out of fuel.<p>The Australian report Tuesday said the conclusion was based on analysis of the final brief data exchange between the jet with 239 people aboard and a satellite monitoring air traffic.</p><p>The report came as Malaysia released <a href="http://www.dca.gov.my/mainpage/MH370%20Data%20Communication%20Logs.pdf" target="_blank">45 pages of raw satellite data</a> collected by Britain's <a href="http://www.inmarsat.com/news/malaysia-dca-releases-flight-mh370-data-communication-logs/" target="_blank">Inmarsat</a> telecommunications company used to calculate the suspected crash site, believed to be off the western coast of Australia. Flight 370 had been headed from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it disappeared in the early hours of March 8, but weeks of intensive air and sea searches have found no trace of the Boeing 777. </p><p>Relatives of the missing people had demanded the release of the satellite data, so independent analysts can try to determine whether searchers have been looking in the right location. But some air safety analysts said the newly released information is still incomplete. A relative of a missing passenger, Steve Wang, also found the new information lacking.</p><p>"Well, since I have already looked at the report, it only contains the data, but what we want is the full version of the Inmarsat report including the data, and also the way how you calculate. The method and the formula you use. That is also very important, because only simply data means nothing. Only data cannot lead to the conclusion, only data cannot lead to the ending. There must be other analyzing and we want to see the full version of the report," he said.</p><p>A Malaysia-led international investigation team used the data to determine the plane crashed in the southern Indian Ocean off the coast of Australia.</p><p>The plane disappeared without any distress calls, about half an hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur. Malaysian officials believe someone with knowledge of flight systems intentionally diverted the jet.</p><p><cite>Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.</cite> </p></div> </div> </td> </tr> </table> <table style="border-top:1px solid #999;padding-top:4px;margin-top:1.5em;width:100%" id="footer"> <tr> <td style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">You are subscribed to email updates from <a href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en">Top Stories - Google News</a> <br />To stop receiving these emails, you may <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailunsubscribe?k=vNU6gfBaGNiEci8BSSOBNzdQZg0">unsubscribe now</a>.</td> <td style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;text-align:right;vertical-align:top">Email delivery powered by Google</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610</td> </tr> </table> </div> blog2http://www.blogger.com/profile/04250645119730839480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933194393748629376.post-4570440684811419922014-05-26T10:24:00.001-07:002014-05-26T10:24:24.257-07:00NST Online Top Stories - Google News<style type="text/css"> h1 a:hover {background-color:#888;color:#fff ! important;} div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div ul { list-style-type:square; padding-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div blockquote { padding-left:6px; border-left: 6px solid #dadada; margin-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div li { margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:1em; } table#itemcontentlist tr td a:link, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:visited, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:active, ul#summarylist li a { color:#000099; font-weight:bold; text-decoration:none; } img {border:none;} </style> <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" id="emailbody" style="margin:0 2em;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <table style="border:0;padding:0;margin:0;width:100%"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top" width="99%"> <h1 style="margin:0;padding-bottom:6px;"> <a style="color:#888;font-size:22px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;" href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en" title="(http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en)">NST Online Top Stories - Google News</a> </h1> </td> <td width="1%" /> </tr> </table> <hr style="border:1px solid #ccc;padding:0;margin:0" /> <table id="itemcontentlist"> <tr xmlns=""> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="1" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNG_l4Gyro9RPesR5a-NwDK97Z-geQ&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778513300080&ei=aHiDU7irI6_9wAHisoHAAg&url=http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/05/25/sheriffs-never-saw-menacing-videos-before-california-rampage/">Alleged target of California gunman says 'it's an absolute miracle' she's alive - Fox News</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 26 May 2014 10:07 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <p>An alleged target of Elliot Rodger's shooting rampage says it's a "miracle" she wasn't struck when the 22-year-old gunman fired multiple shots at her during a killing spree Friday night that left 6 dead and several others injured.</p> <p>In a lengthy manifesto that blamed his rage largely on rejection by women, Rodger wrote that, "I will destroy all women because I can never have them," citing in particular "blonde girls" from the Alpha Phi Sorority at the University of California Santa Barbara.</p> <p>Sierra Swartz, a Santa Barbara City College sophomore, was walking to her boyfriend's house Friday night when Rodger pulled up alongside her in his vehicle and briefly spoke to her before opening fire.</p> <p>"It's an absolute miracle that he didn't shoot me from how close he was to me," Swartz said. "There was no one else around. I was the only person on the streets."</p> <p>"He looked directly at me. He talked to me and then he just shot at me multiple times and somehow, even though I hadn't even ran yet, he didn't hit me," she said.</p> <p>It's not clear whether Rodger knew Swartz or if she was a sorority member. </p> <p>Rodger, son of The Hunger Games Assistant Director Peter Rodger, killed six people, wounded 13 and killed himself in Friday's massacre, which he had referred to as the "Day of Retribution" in the 137-page manifesto he wrote.</p> <p>The first three killed Friday -- Cheng Yuan Hong, 20, George Chen, 19, and Weihan Wang, 20 -- were male stabbing victims in Rodger's own apartment, authorities say. Two of them were Rodger's housemates, whom he described as the "biggest nerds I had ever seen." He wrote in the manifesto that he'd "enjoy stabbing them both to death while they slept."</p> <p>At about 9:30 p.m., the shooting rampage began. Rodger killed 20-year-old Christopher Ross Michaels-Martinez, a student who was shot and killed inside the IV Deli Mart in Goleta. He also killed 22-year-old Katie Cooper, who was shot and killed by Rodger across the street from the Alpha Phi sorority house. Veronika Weiss, 19, a talented water polo player, was shot and killed alongside Cooper.</p> <p>Authorities who appeared at Rodger's doorstep last month to check on his mental health hadn't seen online videos in which he threatens suicide and violence, despite his parents contacting police about the alarming recordings.</p> <p>By the time law enforcement did see the videos, it was too late: The well-mannered if shy young man that deputies concluded after their visit posed no risk had gone on a deadly rampage on Friday.</p> <p>The sheriff's office "was not aware of any videos until after the shooting rampage occurred," Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Kelly Hoover told The Associated Press.</p> <p>Sheriff Bill Brown has defended the officers' actions, but the case highlights the challenges that police face in assessing the mental health of adults, particularly those with no history of violent breakdowns, institutionalizations or serious crimes.</p> <p>"Obviously, looking back on this, it's a very tragic situation and we certainly wish that we could turn the clock back and maybe change some things," Brown told CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday.</p> <p>"At the time deputies interacted with him, he was able to convince them that he was OK," he said.</p> <p>It's not clear why the sheriffs did not become aware of the videos. Attorney Alan Shifman said the Rodger family had called police after being alarmed by YouTube videos "regarding suicide and the killing of people" that their son had been posting.</p> <p>Doris A. Fuller, executive director of the Virginia-based Treatment Advocacy Center, said California law has provisions that permit emergency psychiatric evaluations of individuals who pose a serious threat, but that was never triggered.</p> <p>Rodger's family has disclosed their son was under the care of therapists.</p> <p>"Once again, we are grieving over deaths and devastation caused by a young man who was sending up red flags for danger that failed to produce intervention in time to avert tragedy," Fuller said in a statement.</p> <p>"In this case, the red flags were so big the killer's parents had called police ... and yet the system failed," she said.</p> <p>Rodger, writing in a manifesto, said he was relieved his apartment wasn't searched because deputies would have uncovered the cache of weapons he used in the beach town rampage Friday in which he killed six people and then, authorities say, himself.</p> <p>He posted at least 22 YouTube videos. He wrote in his manifesto that he uploaded most of his videos in the week leading up to April 26, when he originally planned to carry out his attacks. He postponed his plan after catching a cold.</p> <p>Because many of the videos were removed from YouTube then re-added in the week leading up to the killings, it's unclear which of the videos alarmed his family, or whether others were reported that were not uploaded again.</p> <p>He voices his contempt for everyone from his roommates to the human race, reserving special hate for two groups: the women he says kept him a virgin for all of his 22 years and the men they chose instead.</p> <p>At least two other people who saw Rodger's videos before Friday compared him to a serial killer, through a message board on a bodybuilding website and the social network Reddit.</p> <p>The rampage played out largely as he sketched it in public postings, including a YouTube video where he sits in the BMW in sunset light and appears to be acting out scripted lines and planned laughs.</p> <p>"I'll take great pleasure in slaughtering all of you," the son of a Hollywood director who worked on "The Hunger Games" says in the video posted Friday and taken down by YouTube Saturday with a message saying it violated the site's terms of service.</p> <p>Brown told CNN on Sunday that investigators are close to having a "pretty clear picture of what happened."</p> <p>Deputies found three semi-automatic handguns along with 400 unspent rounds in his black BMW. All were purchased legally.</p> <p>A father whose son was among the victims <a target="_blank" href="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/05/25/authorities-detail-moments-terror-in-california-shooting-rampage/">voiced anger</a> at gun laws Saturday.</p> <p>"The talk about gun rights. What about Chris' right to live?" said Richard Martinez, the father of Christopher Ross Michaels-Martinez. "When will enough people say: 'Stop this madness! We don't have to live like this! Too many people have died!"</p> <p><i>The Associated Press contributed to this report.</i></p></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="2" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNHqbWCiw1GnPxknzV61qvgLhKK5dg&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778511060468&ei=aHiDU7irI6_9wAHisoHAAg&url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/05/26/russia-new-ukrainian-president/9588549/">New Ukraine leader vows peace bid; rebels seize airport - USA TODAY</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 26 May 2014 09:33 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"><div id="module-position-NObVQzBypsk" class="story-asset story-metadata-asset"><div class="article-metadata-wrap"><section id="module-position-NObVQzBgo7E" class="storymetadata-bucket expandable-photo-module" readability="2.5"><aside itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" class="single-photo expandable-collapsed" readability="5"><p class="image-credit-wrap"><span class="cutline">Smoke rises at the airport outside Donetsk, Ukraine, on May 26.</span><meta itemprop="copyrightHolder" content=""/><span class="credit">(Photo: Ivan Sekretarev, AP)</span></p></aside></section></div></div><p>Even as Ukraine's new president-elect pledged to travel to eastern regions to seek peace with insurgents, Ukrainian fighter jets attacked armed militants who took over Donetsk airport on Monday, Ukraine security officials said.</p><p>Vladislav Seleznyov, a spokesman for Kiev's anti-terrorist operation, wrote on his Facebook page that the military had given an ultimatum to the armed men to lay down their arms. He said the gunmen didn't comply and the military launched an air strike.</p><p>Several helicopters also joined the initial attack, which lasted at least a half hour and involved Ukrainian paratroopers, the BBC<a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27573622" title="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27573622"> reports</a>.</p><p>The airport was shut down earlier after insurgents showed up to demand that Ukrainian forces, which have been patrolling the airport perimeter, be withdrawn, Reuters <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/26/us-ukraine-crisis-airport-idUSBREA4P03720140526" title="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/26/us-ukraine-crisis-airport-idUSBREA4P03720140526">reports</a>.</p><p>Denis Pushilin, a leader of the separatists, said they had sent their men to the airport after some of their supporters were detained.</p><p>A Reuters photographer earlier saw three trucks carrying dozens of armed men toward Sergei Prokofiev International Airport.</p><p>"The rebels are in the terminal. The rest of the airport area is controlled by the (Ukrainian) National Guard. The two sides are in talks now," airport spokesman Dmitry Kosinov told Reuters before the gunfire broke out.</p><p>It was not clear whether the attack by rebels was a demonstration of defiance or a last-gasp effort following voting on Sunday that elected chocolate magnate Petro Poroshenko, 48, as president.</p><p>Poroshenko promised to negotiate an end to a pro-Russia insurgents in the east and said he was willing to begin talks with Moscow.</p><div id="module-position-NObVQzBFasI" class="story-asset image-asset" readability="32"><aside itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" class="wide single-photo" readability="4"><img itemprop="url" src="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/4373f86fa760b00df83f8793927cf81383c23ff4/c=0-63-2884-2232&r=x383&c=540x380/local/-/media/USATODAY/USATODAY/2014/05/26//1401097421000-AP-Ukraine.jpg" alt="Petro Poroshenko" width="540"/><meta itemprop="name" content="Petro Poroshenko"/><meta itemprop="height" content="380"/><meta itemprop="width" content="540"/><p>Ukrainian presidential candidate Petro Poroshenko reacts during his news conference in Kiev on May 25.<meta itemprop="copyrightHolder" content="Mykola Lazarenko, AP"/><span class="credit">(Photo: Mykola Lazarenko, AP)</span></p></aside></div><p>Russia quickly welcomed the offer, raising hopes that his election will indeed ease the protracted crisis that has fueled tensions unseen since the end of the Cold War.</p><p>Upon claiming victory in Sunday's vote, he said his first step as president would be to visit the Donbass eastern industrial region, where pro-Russia separatists have seized government buildings, declared independence and battled government troops in weeks of fighting.</p><p>"Peace in the country and peace in the east is my main priority," Poroshenko said Monday, signaling that he would bring to an end the Ukrainian army's much-criticized campaign to drive out the armed pro-Russia separatists.</p><p>"The anti-terrorist operation cannot and should not last two or three months," he said. "It should and will last hours."</p><p>The military operation has caused civilian deaths and destroyed property — angering many eastern residents — while still failing to crush the rebellion.</p><p>With votes from 80% of the precincts counted Monday, Poroshenko was leading with about 54% in the field of 21 candidates. Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was running a distant second with 13%. If those results hold, Poroshenko would avoid a runoff election next month.</p><p>A group of European election monitors said Monday that while masked gunmen intimidated votes in eastern regions and kept the turnout low that the overall voting met international standards.</p><p>Officials did note problems in the east, especially in Donetsk and Luhansk, where masked gunmen intimidated voters by smashing ballot boxes, shutting down polling centers and issuing threats.</p><p>Less than 20% of polling places were open in the eastern regions, officials said. In Luhansk, voting did not take place in 10 of 12 election districts and 14 of 22 in Donestk, officials said.</p><p>But nationwide, about 60% of Ukraine's 35.5 million eligible voters turned out Sunday, and long lines snaked around polling stations in the pro-Western capital, Kiev.</p><p>"The electoral and security authorities of Ukraine should be commended for their efforts — under extraordinary circumstances — to facilitate an election that largely upheld democratic commitments," Joao Soares, the short-term mission coordinator for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said Monday.</p><p>One official told reporters that the fact that separatist groups tried to keep voters away from Sunday's election showed that their claims that voters supported their own referendum vote for independence was bogus.</p><p>Even before the Donetsk airport takeover, the president-elect also had harsh words for the pro-Russia gunmen, comparing them to Somalia pirates.</p><p>"Their goal is to turn Donbass into a Somalia where they would rule with the power of machine guns. l will never allow that to happen on the territory of Ukraine," Poroshenko said, adding he hoped Russia would support his efforts to stabilize the east.</p><p>In Moscow, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia appreciated Poroshenko's statements about the importance of Ukraine's ties with Russia and his pledge to negotiate an end to fighting in the east. He also noted Russia's longstanding call for the Kiev government to end its military operation in eastern Ukraine.</p><p>"We are ready for dialogue with representatives of Kiev, with Petro Poroshenko," Lavrov said at a briefing, adding it was a chance that "cannot be wasted." He emphasized that Moscow saw no need for any involvement by the United States or the European Union in those talks.</p><p>"We don't need any mediators," he said pointedly.</p><p><span>Speaking to reporters, Poroshenko struck a tone of unity Monday, saying he had no "rivals or political opponents in the race" and all of the other main candidates have congratulated him on his win.</span></p><p>"More than ever, Ukraine now needs to be united," he said.</p><p>Mykhaylo Okhendovsky, chairman of the Central Election Commission, said official results of Sunday's vote would be announced by June 5.</p><p>The election, which came three months after pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych was chased from office by crowds following months of street protests and allegations of corruption, was seen as a critical step toward resolving Ukraine's protracted crisis.</p><p>Since his ouster in February, Russia has annexed the Crimea Peninsula in southern Ukraine, the eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk have declared their independence from Kiev, and the interim Ukrainian government has launched an offensive in the east to quash an uprising.</p><p>The interim Kiev government and the West have accused Russia of backing the separatist uprising. Moscow has denied the accusations.</p><p>Unlike many other Ukrainian billionaires, Poroshenko did not make his fortune in murky post-Soviet privatizations but instead built his chocolate empire from scratch. His Willy Wonka-like chocolate stores and candies are on sale in every kiosk across the country, helping lead to the perception that he is the "good tycoon."</p><p>Many voters appreciate Poroshenko's pragmatism and his apparent knack for compromise.</p><p>President Obama praised Ukrainians for participating in the voting "despite provocations and violence." Obama said the U.S. supports Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, rejects Russia's "occupation and attempted annexation of Crimea" and is eager to work with the next president.</p><p><i>Contributing: Associated Press</i></p><p>Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1k8uTZf</p></div> </td> </tr> </table> <table style="border-top:1px solid #999;padding-top:4px;margin-top:1.5em;width:100%" id="footer"> <tr> <td style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">You are subscribed to email updates from <a href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en">Top Stories - Google News</a> <br />To stop receiving these emails, you may <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailunsubscribe?k=vNU6gfBaGNiEci8BSSOBNzdQZg0">unsubscribe now</a>.</td> <td style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;text-align:right;vertical-align:top">Email delivery powered by Google</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610</td> </tr> </table> </div> blog2http://www.blogger.com/profile/04250645119730839480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933194393748629376.post-77747845859271318472014-05-25T10:59:00.001-07:002014-05-25T10:59:26.886-07:00NST Online Top Stories - Google News<style type="text/css"> h1 a:hover {background-color:#888;color:#fff ! important;} div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div ul { list-style-type:square; padding-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div blockquote { padding-left:6px; border-left: 6px solid #dadada; margin-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div li { margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:1em; } table#itemcontentlist tr td a:link, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:visited, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:active, ul#summarylist li a { color:#000099; font-weight:bold; text-decoration:none; } img {border:none;} </style> <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" id="emailbody" style="margin:0 2em;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <table style="border:0;padding:0;margin:0;width:100%"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top" width="99%"> <h1 style="margin:0;padding-bottom:6px;"> <a style="color:#888;font-size:22px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;" href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en" title="(http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en)">NST Online Top Stories - Google News</a> </h1> </td> <td width="1%" /> </tr> </table> <hr style="border:1px solid #ccc;padding:0;margin:0" /> <table id="itemcontentlist"> <tr xmlns=""> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="1" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNGNAdmyL_n7yAm6uLMI2WKukjQyAQ&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778513300080&ei=fS-CU4iaLvKGwAGZroFg&url=http://www.boston.com/news/nation/2014/05/25/tearful-plea-from-victim-dad-deadly-rampage/1VtYQW2kywTclBMp5D9NJP/story.html">Tearful Plea From Victim's Dad in Deadly Rampage - Boston.com</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 25 May 2014 10:46 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"><div readability="30.6936026936"> <!-- /story-tools-sidecar--> <!-- Story uuid = f1bdee26-e430-11e3-a8b5-29523276afff --> <!-- Story Share Tools: Sidecar --> <p class="article-p">GOLETA, Calif. (AP) — A man whose son was among the victims killed in a shooting rampage near a California university quaked with grief and rage Saturday as he described his ''lost and broken'' family and the proliferation of guns he believes led to his son's death.</p> <p class="article-p">''Our son Christopher and six others are dead,'' Richard Martinez told reporters gathered outside a sheriff's station for a news conference the day after the shootings near the University of California, Santa Barbara, where the 20-year-old son was a sophomore. ''You don't think it'll happen to your child until it does.''</p><!-- linkNumber = 7.0 --> <!-- firstRelated = Watch: Grief-Stricken Dad Speaks --> <!-- Related Links --> <aside class="article-related-links"/><!-- /article-related --></div><div readability="129"> <p class="article-p">Christopher Ross Michaels-Martinez, of Los Osos, Calif., was the last of six people killed by suspect Elliot Rodger before the gunman apparently shot and killed himself, authorities said.</p> <p class="article-p">Martinez choked back tears as he spoke, then grew angrier as he talked about gun laws and lobbyists.</p> <p class="article-p">''The talk about gun rights. What about Chris' right to live?'' Martinez said. ''When will enough people say: 'Stop this madness! We don't have to live like this! Too many people have died!''</p> <p class="article-p">He then punctuated his words as he said, ''We should say to ourselves: 'Not! One! More!''' before dissolving into tears and falling to his knees as he stepped from the podium.</p> <p class="article-p">Martinez said he talked to his son just 45 minutes before he died inside the IV Deli Mart, where bullet holes and blood could still be seen on Saturday. After already killing five others at his apartment and outside a sorority house, Rodger walked into the deli and shot Michael-Martinez, authorities said.</p> <p class="article-p">Michaels-Martinez was an English major who planned to go to London next year and to law school after graduation, his father said.</p> <p class="article-p">He pulled out a photo of his son as a small child in Chicago Cubs baseball uniform and said they used to call him ''mini-Sammy Sosa,'' referring to the former Cubs star.</p> <p class="article-p">''Chris was a really great kid,'' Martinez said. ''Ask anyone who knew him. His death has left our family lost and broken.''</p> <p class="article-p">Friends said Michaels-Martinez, who served as residential adviser at a dorm last year, was the kind of guy who welcomed strangers into his home.</p> <p class="article-p">___</p> <p class="article-p">It's not clear whether Rodger knew Katherine Cooper and Veronika Weiss, but they were standing outside a sorority house he was targeting and square in the path of his rampage, authorities said. They became the first ones fatally shot.</p> <p class="article-p">Rodger had stabbed and killed three male victims at his apartment already, then drove to the Alpha Phi sorority house, where he fired from across the street and shot three women who were nearby. One of them, whose name has not been released, was injured. Cooper, 22, and Weiss, 19, both UC Santa Barbara students, were killed.</p> <p class="article-p">Cooper, who was from Chino Hills, Calif., was about to graduate with a degree in art history. Her friend Courtney Benjamin said Cooper was a painter with an outgoing side.</p> <p class="article-p">''She was a self-proclaimed princess and I love her for that,'' Benjamin said. ''And I know she has a crown on her head today.''</p> <p class="article-p">Weiss was first-year student from Westlake Village.</p> <p class="article-p">''She was always a happy person,'' said Eric Pursley, who worked with Weiss at a Target store in Thousand Oaks last year.</p> <p class="article-p">A pile of flowers grew on the lawn Saturday as crying students wandered up to the spot, shook their heads and hugged each other.</p> <p class="article-p">UCSB senior Kyley Scarlet, who lives next door and has served as president of her own sorority, said all three who were shot are sorority members, but neither of Alpha Phi nor her own.</p> <p class="article-p">Scarlet said she was very disturbed by the video describing his anger at sorority girls.</p> <p class="article-p">''It's hard thinking my actions, being part of a sorority, led him to do this,'' she said. ''When I saw that video I was shaking and crying.''</p></div></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="2" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNFcbwavpxHfamioJi9XSGmpXsUo9w&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778515275254&ei=fS-CU4iaLvKGwAGZroFg&url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/25/us-usa-afghanistan-obama-idUSBREA4O08E20140525">Obama, in Afghanistan, says he will make troop announcement soon - Reuters</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 25 May 2014 10:53 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"><div class="yui-sldshw-frame" id="frame_fd1fade"> <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/slideshow?articleId=USBREA4O08E20140525&slide=1" id="photoFullSize" target="_top"><img src="http://s1.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20140525&t=2&i=899856273&w=&fh=&fw=&ll=580&pl=378&r=CBREA4O1AHJ00" border="0" alt="U.S. Marine General Joseph Dunford (L) and U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan James Cunningham (2nd L) greet U.S. President Barack Obama as he arrives aboard Air Force One at Bagram Air Base in Kabul May 25, 2014. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst" /></a> </div><span id="articleText"> <span id="midArticle_start"></span> <span id="midArticle_0"></span><span class="focusParagraph"><p> (Reuters) - President Barack Obama, on a visit to Afghanistan, said on Sunday his administration would likely announce soon how many troops the United States will keep in the country, as it winds down its presence after nearly 13 years of war.</p> </span><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>Speaking at a briefing by military commanders at Bagram Air Base, Obama said one of the reasons for his visit was to discuss the U.S. footprint for the rest of this year - when the bulk of troops are scheduled to be withdrawn - and afterward.</p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>"We'll probably be announcing some decisions fairly shortly," said Obama, who flew into Bagram for a brief, surprise visit.</p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>Obama also planned to deliver remarks to troops and to visit wounded soldiers at Bagram, which is the main U.S. base in Afghanistan.</p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p>The trip on Memorial Day weekend, his fourth visit to Afghanistan, comes as Obama is buffeted by criticism at home that his handling of foreign policy has been too passive in dealing with crises from Syria to Ukraine and Russia. He is to respond to the criticism in a speech on Wednesday at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.</p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>Obama's Afghan visit is bound to be seen by some critics as an attempt to redeem himself in the eyes of military veterans who are alarmed at allegations that government-run medical facilities in the United States have not provided timely care for veterans.</p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p>At Bagram, Obama was briefed by Army General Joseph Dunford, who heads U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, and U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan James Cunningham.</p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p>NO PLANS TO VISIT KARZAI</p><span id="midArticle_8"></span><p>Obama had no plans to visit the Afghan capital Kabul or meet Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai and other government officials during a trip expected to last only a few hours. This allows him to avoid getting immersed in the country's presidential election campaign to choose a successor to Karzai, who has long been out of favor in Washington.</p><span id="midArticle_9"></span><p>Obama's deputy national security adviser, Ben Rhodes, said Karzai was to have been informed about the visit shortly before Obama's arrival.</p><span id="midArticle_10"></span><p>Karzai has irked Obama by refusing to sign a bilateral security agreement that Washington wants before it will agree to leave a contingent of U.S. troops behind in Afghanistan for training Afghan forces and counter-terrorism operations, after the formal U.S. troop drawdown.</p><span id="midArticle_11"></span><p>The number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan may drop well below 10,000 - the minimum demanded by the U.S. military to train Afghan forces, Obama administration officials briefed on the matter say.</p><span id="midArticle_12"></span><p>There are now about 33,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, down from 100,000 in 2011, when troop numbers peaked a decade into a conflict in which more than 2,100 Americans have been killed.</p><span id="midArticle_13"></span><p>Obama left Washington under cover of darkness on Saturday night and flew for more than 13 hours to arrive at Bagram on Sunday night local time. He brought with him country music star Brad Paisley to provide entertainment for the troops.</p><span id="midArticle_14"></span><p>SALUTING TROOPS</p><span id="midArticle_15"></span><p>Wearing an Air Force One bomber jacket when he got off the plane, Obama was also joined by national security adviser Susan Rice and special counselor John Podesta, who has a son stationed in Afghanistan.</p><span id="midArticle_0"></span><p>Obama inherited two wars from his Republican predecessor, George W. Bush, when he took office for his first term in 2009. He ended U.S. involvement in Iraq, a war he opposed, and his visit to Bagram was seen as a final trip to Afghanistan to salute American forces who are to leave soon.</p><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>In recent months he has recognized the valor of troops who faced combat in both Iraq and Afghanistan and earlier this month he was on hand for the formal dedication of the National September 11 Memorial Museum in New York at the site where the World Trade Center towers were brought down by hijacked-plane attackers in 2001.</p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>On June 6, Obama will be in France to mark the 70th anniversary of the D-Day invasion when U.S. and Alllied troops stormed ashore and turned back the Germans. He calls the veterans of the Afghan conflict "the 9/11 generation, that has proven itself to be one of America's greatest."</p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>The controversy involving the Veterans Administration has been particularly biting for Obama because he and his wife, Michelle, have stressed the need to take care of veterans.</p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p>"This is more than a government failure. It is a violation of a solemn vow. And the buck stops with the president of the United States," said Vietnam War-veteran and Republican Senator John McCain in an opinion article for the Wall Street Journal.</p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>(Additional reporting by <a href="http://blogs.reuters.com/search/journalist.php?edition=us&n=jeff.mason&">Jeff Mason</a>; Editing by <a href="http://blogs.reuters.com/search/journalist.php?edition=us&n=caren.bohan&">Caren Bohan</a> and <a href="http://blogs.reuters.com/search/journalist.php?edition=us&n=frances.kerry&">Frances Kerry</a>)</p><span id="midArticle_6"></span></span></div> </td> </tr> </table> <table style="border-top:1px solid #999;padding-top:4px;margin-top:1.5em;width:100%" id="footer"> <tr> <td style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">You are subscribed to email updates from <a href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en">Top Stories - Google News</a> <br />To stop receiving these emails, you may <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailunsubscribe?k=vNU6gfBaGNiEci8BSSOBNzdQZg0">unsubscribe now</a>.</td> <td style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;text-align:right;vertical-align:top">Email delivery powered by Google</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610</td> </tr> </table> </div> blog2http://www.blogger.com/profile/04250645119730839480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933194393748629376.post-84683696590912402312014-05-24T10:27:00.001-07:002014-05-24T10:27:53.838-07:00NST Online Top Stories - Google News<style type="text/css"> h1 a:hover {background-color:#888;color:#fff ! important;} div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div ul { list-style-type:square; padding-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div blockquote { padding-left:6px; border-left: 6px solid #dadada; margin-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div li { margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:1em; } table#itemcontentlist tr td a:link, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:visited, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:active, ul#summarylist li a { color:#000099; font-weight:bold; text-decoration:none; } img {border:none;} </style> <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" id="emailbody" style="margin:0 2em;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <table style="border:0;padding:0;margin:0;width:100%"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top" width="99%"> <h1 style="margin:0;padding-bottom:6px;"> <a style="color:#888;font-size:22px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;" href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en" title="(http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en)">NST Online Top Stories - Google News</a> </h1> </td> <td width="1%" /> </tr> </table> <hr style="border:1px solid #ccc;padding:0;margin:0" /> <table id="itemcontentlist"> <tr xmlns=""> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="1" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNF5Mkn5-nudhlBr61q909sADPJA-g&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778513300080&ei=l9aAU9jxForWwAH-94CQDA&url=http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/05/24/at-least-3-dead-in-shootings-in-santa-barbara-area/">Gunman, six others killed in drive-by shooting, Santa Barbara police say - Fox News</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 24 May 2014 10:18 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <p>A crazed gunman went on a shooting rampage in a popular Santa Barbara student enclave, killing six people and wounding seven others before being found dead in his car, in what authorities said was a "premeditated mass murder."</p> <p>Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said early Saturday that written and videotaped preliminary evidence indicates that this was a "premeditated mass murder," and called the suspect "severely mentally disturbed." </p> <p>Brown said that investigators were familiar with a YouTube video titled "Retribution" and were looking into whether the person in the video was linked to the killings, KEYT-TV reported on its website. </p> <p>The young man in the video promises to take revenge on sorority girls who had rejected him over the years. "Tomorrow is a day of retribution," the man in the video says into the camera while sitting in the driver's seat of a luxury car. </p> <p>The shootings began around 9:27 p.m. Friday when the driver of a BMW began spraying bullets at people gathered in the beachfront city's Isla Vista enclave to enjoy the start of the holiday weekend.</p> <p>As sheriff's deputies were attending to several victims, they were gathering suspect information and hearing reports of additional shots fired in several other areas of Isla Vista, the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Office said in a press release.</p> <p>The statement said at one point sheriff deputies exchanged gunfire with the suspect who fled in his vehicle.</p> <p>"Seconds later the suspect was again spotted by another deputy and another exchange of gunfire occurred," the press release said.</p> <p>The suspect tried to flee and crashed into a parked vehicle. When deputies approached the suspect, he was dead from an apparent gunshot wound. It is unknown if the gunshot was self-inflicted or if the suspect was shot by a deputy.</p> <p>A semi-automatic handgun was recovered.</p> <p>Seven people were sent to local hospitals and were treated for gunshot wounds and trauma, and one person has undergone surgery for life-threatening injuries, Brown said.</p> <p>A student told KEYT station he saw shots from a BMW fatally striking one woman and critically injuring another woman.</p> <p>"I heard shots, scream, pain," Michael Vitak said. "All emotions. I hope she is going to be fine."</p> <p>The shooting prompted officials to issue alerts urging people to stay indoors.</p> <p>Isla Vista is known for parties, including an annual spring bash that turned into a violent blowout last month as young people clashed with police and tossed rocks and bottles. A university police officer and four deputies were injured and 130 people were arrested.</p> <p><a href="http://www.keyt.com/news/shooting-in-isla-vista/26152454"><b>Click for more from KEYT-TV. </b></a></p> <p><i>The Associated Press contributed to this report.</i></p></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="2" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNH9SxEfQIxvCDihP2nah_JJcW63tw&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778510487096&ei=l9aAU9jxForWwAH-94CQDA&url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/pope-francis-touches-jordan-leg-middle-east-trip-article-1.1804319">Pope Francis touches down in Jordan for first leg of Middle East trip - New York Daily News</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 24 May 2014 09:23 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <p> AMMAN, Jordan - Pope Francis called on Saturday for an "urgent" end to the Syrian civil war and lamented the refugee crisis it has spawned as he opened a three-day trip to the Middle East.</p> <p> During his first stop in Jordan, Francis also urged greater religious rights for minority Christians across the region, thanking King Abdullah II for encouraging a "climate of serene coexistence" between Christians and Muslims.</p> <p> "Religious freedom is in fact a fundamental human right and I cannot fail to express my hope that it will be upheld throughout the Middle East and the entire world," he said in an opening speech to Abdullah and Jordan's religious and political leaders.</p> <p> Francis' plane touched down at Amman's Queen Alia International Airport, where he was met by an honor guard, Catholic leaders and Prince Ghazi bin Mohammed, the king's chief adviser for religious and cultural affairs. He immediately headed to the king's palace in a simple, four-door sedan, a group of motorcycles riding alongside him. Small groups of people waving Jordanian and Vatican flags cheered him as he passed.</p> <p> At the palace, Francis met with Abdullah, Queen Rania and their children. In his palace speech, Francis said Jordan's "generous welcome" to Syrian refugees warranted international appreciation and support.</p> <p> Jordan last month opened a third refugee camp for Syrians who fled the civil war at home, evidence of the strains the conflict is creating for the country. Jordan is currently hosting 600,000 registered Syrian refugees, or 10 percent of its population, but Jordanian officials estimate the real number is closer to 1.3 million.</p> <p> "I thank the authorities of the kingdom for all they are doing and I encourage them to persevere in their efforts to seek lasting peace for the entire region," Francis said. "This goal urgently requires that a peaceful solution be found to the crisis in Syria, as well as a just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."</p> <p> Francis returned to the theme of peace during Mass at Amman's windswept international stadium, urging the faithful to "put aside our grievances and divisions" for the sake of peace and unity.</p> <p> "Peace isn't something which can be bought; it is a gift to be sought patiently and to be crafted through the actions, great and small, of our everyday lives," he said. The crowd, which the Vatican had estimated could exceed 25,000, gave him a warm welcome as he zipped around the stadium in his open-topped car, kissing children who were held up to him.</p> <p> Later Saturday, the pope was to see first-hand the plight of Syrian refugees when he meets with some 600 refugees and disabled children at a church in Bethany beyond the Jordan, which many believe is the traditional site of Jesus' baptism.</p> <p> Christians make up about 5 percent of Syria's population, but assaults on predominantly Christian towns by rebels fighting President Bashar Assad's rule have fueled fears among the country's religious minorities about the growing role of Islamic extremists in the revolt. Christians believe they are being targeted in part because of anti-Christian sentiment among Sunni Muslim extremists and partly as punishment for what is seen as their support for Assad.</p> <p> Francis and his predecessors have decried the flight of Christians from the region, insisting recently: "We will not be resigned to think about the Middle East without Christians!"</p> <p> On Saturday, Francis sought to encourage those who had decided to remain, lauding Jordan for welcoming in refugees and ensuring all Christians in the kingdom could freely profess their faith.</p> <p> In his opening remarks, Abdullah said Christian communities were an "integral part" of the Middle East and that he had sought to uphold "the true spirit of Islam, the Islam of peace," which extends to protecting holy sites for Christians and Muslims alike. He urged the pope to use his "humanity and wisdom" to help end the conflict in Syria and to encourage leaders to take the courageous steps needed to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.</p> <p> "The status-quo of 'justice denied' to the Palestinians; fear of the other; fear of change; these are the way to mutual ruin, not mutual respect," he said.</p> <p> For the refugees who will greet Francis on Saturday, his presence in Jordan is a chance to show the world their hopelessness as the Syrian conflict drags on.</p> <p> "We are very happy because he will see Christians in the Arab world, he will see us and see our suffering," said Nazik Malko, a Syrian Orthodox Christian refugee from Maaloula who will be among the 600 or so people to greet the pope at Bethany beyond the Jordan. "We wish that peace will be restored in the whole world, and in Syria."</p> <p> Francis has a packed schedule for the three-day visit: He will visit a Palestinian refugee camp Sunday when he travels from Amman directly to the West Bank city of Bethlehem. It's the first time a pope has landed in the West Bank rather than Tel Aviv first in a nod by the Vatican to the "Palestinian state."</p> <p> Technically, the main reason for the trip is for Francis and the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians to mark the 50th anniversary of a historic meeting in Jerusalem by their predecessors which ended 900 years of Catholic-Orthodox estrangement. That highlight will come on Sunday, when Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I preside over a joint prayer service in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where Christians believe Jesus was crucified and resurrected.</p> <p> Francis will spend Monday in Jerusalem, visiting the grand mufti of Jerusalem and Israel's chief rabbis, albeit separately. He'll also pray at the Western Wall and visit the Holocaust memorial at Yad Vashem.</p> <p> The Vatican spokesman had suggested that with such a grueling schedule, Francis might not have the strength for an on-board press conference on the return flight from Israel on Monday night. Francis, 77, who has only one full lung and has battled a cold and fatigue that forced him to cancel some recent appointments, set the record straight at the start of the trip.</p> <p> "One of you said a press conference wouldn't be possible because this is a 'deathly' trip," he told reporters. "But returning home, I intend to have one."</p> <p> He then greeted reporters one by one - and even posed for a "selfie."</p> </div> </td> </tr> </table> <table style="border-top:1px solid #999;padding-top:4px;margin-top:1.5em;width:100%" id="footer"> <tr> <td style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">You are subscribed to email updates from <a href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en">Top Stories - Google News</a> <br />To stop receiving these emails, you may <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailunsubscribe?k=vNU6gfBaGNiEci8BSSOBNzdQZg0">unsubscribe now</a>.</td> <td style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;text-align:right;vertical-align:top">Email delivery powered by Google</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610</td> </tr> </table> </div> blog2http://www.blogger.com/profile/04250645119730839480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933194393748629376.post-78795297282959422172014-05-23T10:38:00.001-07:002014-05-23T10:38:58.438-07:00NST Online Top Stories - Google News<style type="text/css"> h1 a:hover {background-color:#888;color:#fff ! important;} div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div ul { list-style-type:square; padding-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div blockquote { padding-left:6px; border-left: 6px solid #dadada; margin-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div li { margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:1em; } table#itemcontentlist tr td a:link, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:visited, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:active, ul#summarylist li a { color:#000099; font-weight:bold; text-decoration:none; } img {border:none;} </style> <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" id="emailbody" style="margin:0 2em;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <table style="border:0;padding:0;margin:0;width:100%"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top" width="99%"> <h1 style="margin:0;padding-bottom:6px;"> <a style="color:#888;font-size:22px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;" href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en" title="(http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en)">NST Online Top Stories - Google News</a> </h1> </td> <td width="1%" /> </tr> </table> <hr style="border:1px solid #ccc;padding:0;margin:0" /> <table id="itemcontentlist"> <tr xmlns=""> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="1" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNFep4BaNhnL98jzVhEsXsLraww8bQ&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778510790353&ei=sId_U-iSJojLwQGQ_4DACg&url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/clippers/2014/05/23/donald-sterling-shelly-sterling-agree-to-sell-clippers/9485681/">Donald Sterling agrees to allow wife to sell Clippers - USA TODAY</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 23 May 2014 10:13 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"><div id="module-position-NN8iM9WDJvY"><p><span itemprop="name" class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item"> Brent Schrotenboer and Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY Sports </span><span class="asset-metabar-time asset-metabar-item nobyline">1:24 p.m. EDT May 23, 2014</span></p></div><div role="main" itemprop="articleBody" readability="69.2967338429"><div id="module-position-NN8iNLylEBY" class="story-asset story-metadata-asset"><div class="article-metadata-wrap"><section id="module-position-NN8iNAlfAdA" class="storymetadata-bucket expandable-photo-module" readability="7"><aside itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" class="single-photo expandable-collapsed" readability="14"><p class="image-credit-wrap"><span class="cutline">FILE - In this Nov. 12, 2010, file photo, Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald T. Sterling, right, sits with his wife Rochelle during the Clippers NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons in Los Angeles. An attorney representing the estranged wife of Clippers owner Donald Sterling said Thursday, May 8, 2014, that she will fight to retain her 50 percent ownership stake in the team. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File) ORG XMIT: NY154</span><meta itemprop="copyrightHolder" content=""/><span class="credit">(Photo: Mark J. Terrill AP)</span></p></aside></section></div></div><p>Donald Sterling has authorized his wife Shelly to sell the Los Angeles Clippers, and she will try to sell the team voluntarily, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.</p><p>The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports Friday on condition of anonymity because of the private nature of the talks.</p><p><b>RECORDING: </b><a title="http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/05/v-stiviano-says-she-recorded-donald-sterling-to-help-him-learn-things-about-himself" href="http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/05/v-stiviano-says-she-recorded-donald-sterling-to-help-him-learn-things-about-himself">V. Stiviano explains why she taped Sterling</a></p><p><b>TAX ISSUES: </b><a title="http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2014/05/21/donald-sterling-boyhood-home-los-angeles-clippers/9393061/" href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2014/05/21/donald-sterling-boyhood-home-los-angeles-clippers/9393061/">Questions about Sterling's boyhood home</a></p><p>The person declined to say why Shelly Sterling decided to change her mind after previously saying she would fight to keep her 50% ownership share of the team.</p><p><span>There are contingencies in the agreement, a second person with direct knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports. Shelly Sterling has agreed to sell the team as long as she retains a minority interest in the Clippers, according to the second person, who also </span><span>requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the negotiations.</span></p><p>It was not immediately clear whether the NBA will agree to Shelly Sterling's terms. The NBA, which banned Sterling for life on April 29, has said its move to terminate Donald Sterling's ownership would also terminate any other ownership interest in the team.</p><p>A person with knowledge of her interest told USA TODAY Sports that Oprah Winfrey is still interested in putting together a bid with David Geffen and Larry Ellison. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no other announcement was being made.</p><p><b>VIDEO: FIVE BEST CANDIDATES TO BUY CLIPPERS</b></p><div id="module-position-NN8iNLzlRKs" class="story-asset video-asset"><div class="ui-video-wrapper" itemprop="video" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/VideoObject" readability="6"><div class="ui-video-controls" readability="7"><p class="video-desc" itemprop="description"> For The Win's Nate Scott has a list that includes Oprah and Floyd Mayweather. <span class="credit"/></p></div></div></div><p>On Tuesday at a press conference before the draft lottery, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said he was open to the idea of the Sterlings selling the team without conducting the special hearing on June 3 to terminate their ownership.</p><p>"I'll only say that Mr. Sterling still owns the Los Angeles Clippers. Mrs. Sterling as I understand it through a trust owns 50% of the team, as well," Silver said. "It is their team to sell, and so he knows what the league's point of view is, and so I'm sure if he wanted to sell the team on some reasonable timetable, I'd prefer he sell it than we go through this process. … I'm open to that."</p><p><span>The Clippers are owned by the Sterling Family Trust, in the names of Donald and Shelly Sterling. The trust will be bequeathed to their children upon death.</span></p><p>Shelly Sterling's attorney, Pierce O'Donnell, has been in ongoing talks with the NBA as she tried to keep her stake in the team.</p><p>The NBA charged Sterling with damaging the league and its teams with his racist comments and said he engaged in other conduct that hurt its relationship with fans and merchandising partners.</p><p>Sterling was banned for life and fined $2.5 million by Commissioner Adam Silver after the release of a recording in which he made racist remarks. His attorney had said last week that Sterling would not pay the fine and did not warrant any punishment.</p><p><b>PHOTOS: DONALD STERLING THROUGH THE YEARS</b></p><div id="module-position-NN8iNLzqlgg" class="story-asset gallery-asset"><div class="sports-story-gallery"><div class="sports-galleries embedded_story hasendslate" data-gallery-id="8316525" data-title="Clippers owner Donald Sterling through the years:Clippers owner Donald Sterling through the years" data-seo-title="clippers-owner-donald-sterling-through-the-years" data-cst="sports/basketball/nba" data-ssts="sports/nba/clippers" data-topic="sports_nba" data-gal-pageurl="http://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/sports/nba/clippers/2014/04/27/clippers-owner-donald-sterling-through-the-years/8316525/"><div class="feature-btns"><p><span class="playbtn feature-btns-label">Autoplay</span></p><p><span class="thumbLabel feature-btns-label">Show Thumbnails</span></p><p><span class="captionLabel feature-btns-label">Show Captions</span></p></div><a class="slide-nav prev gallery-prev" rel="prev">Last Slide</a><a class="slide-nav next gallery-next" rel="next">Next Slide</a></div></div></div></div></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="2" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNGXwS7uoPC5yqNKKSHUBFw-2Vnu5w&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778511060468&ei=sId_U-iSJojLwQGQ_4DACg&url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/23/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/">Putin: Russia will respect Ukrainians' will in presidential election - CNN</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 23 May 2014 10:26 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <!--startclickprintexclude--> <div class="cnnStryVidCont" style="background-color:transparent"> <div id="cnnCVP1"> </div> </div> <a name="em0"/> <div class="cnn_strylftcntnt"><div class="cnn_strylctcntr"> <div><strong>STORY HIGHLIGHTS</strong></div> <ul class="cnn_bulletbin cnnStryHghLght"><!--google_ad_section_start--><li>Vladimir Putin says "dangerous civil war" in Ukraine is result of "state coup" backed by West</li> <li>Russia's President says he will respect the will of the Ukrainian people in Sunday's vote</li> <li>New violence erupts ahead of Ukraine's presidential election Sunday</li> <li>Separatists and pro-Ukrainian militants clash near town of Karlivka</li> <!--google_ad_section_end--> </ul></div></div> <div class="cnn_strylftcntnt adtag15090"> <!-- CALLOUT|http://ads.cnn.com/html.ng/site=cnn&cnn_position=150x90_spon1&cnn_rollup=us&page.allowcompete=no¶ms.styles=fs|CALLOUT --> <!-- ADSPACE: us/spon1.150x90 --> <div id="ad-8db414730d2c2780" align="center" style="padding: 0; margin: 0; border: 0;"/> <!-- ADSPACE-END --></div> <!--endclickprintexclude--><!--google_ad_section_start--><!--startclickprintinclude--> <p><strong>Kiev, Ukraine (CNN)</strong> -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Russia would respect the will of the Ukrainian people when the country votes in key presidential elections this weekend.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph2">But he said Russia would be watching closely what happened as violence continues to roil the east of the country.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph3">Putin, addressing an international economic forum in St. Petersburg, also warned of a "dangerous civil war" in Ukraine.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph4">This, he said, was the result of a "state coup" carried out "with support of the West, the United States."<strong> </strong></p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph5">His remarks come as the interim government in Kiev prepares to hold presidential elections Sunday to choose a successor for ousted pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych.</p> <a name="em1"/> <a name="em2"/> <a name="em3"/> <style><![CDATA[ .cnnArticleGalleryNav{border:1px solid #000;cursor:pointer;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavOn{background-color:#C03;border:1px solid #000;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:20px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavDisabled{background-color:#222;border:1px solid #000;color:#666;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleExpandableTarget{background-color:#000;display:none;position:absolute} .cnnArticlePhotoContainer{height:122px;width:214px} .cnnArticleBoxImage{cursor:pointer;height:122px;padding-top:0;width:214px} .cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControl{background-color:#000;color:#FFF} .cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControlText{cursor:pointer;float:right;font-size:10px;padding:3px 10px 3px 3px} .cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer cite{background:none repeat scroll 0 0 #000;bottom:48px;color:#FFF;height:auto;left:420px;opacity:.7;position:absolute;width:200px;padding:10px} .cnnArticleGalleryClose{background-color:#fff;display:block;text-align:right} .cnnArticleGalleryCloseButton{cursor:pointer} .cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNext span{background-color:#444;color:#CCC;cursor:pointer;float:left;height:23px;text-align:center;width:26px;padding:4px 0 0} .cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNextDisabled span{background-color:#444;color:#666;float:left;height:23px;text-align:center;width:25px;padding:4px 0 0} .cnnVerticalGalleryPhoto{padding-right:68px;width:270px;margin:0 auto} .cnnGalleryContainer{float:left;clear:left;margin:0 0 20px;padding:0 0 0 10px} ]]></style><a name="em4"/> <div id="expand46" class="cnnGalleryContainer cnn_strylftcntnt"> <div class="cnnStoryElementBox"> <div id="expandableTarget46" class="cnnArticleExpandableTarget" style="width:640px"> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryClose"><img class="cnnArticleGalleryCloseButton" src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.e/img/3.0/mosaic/bttn_close.gif" onclick="expGallery64.shrinkPicture('6','4')" alt="" border="0" height="23" width="58"/></div> <div style="height:360px"> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> <img style="display:block" id="articleGalleryPhoto641" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/140523094546-01-ukraine-0523-horizontal-gallery.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="A man looks at a bullet shell next to a destroyed car after a gunfight between pro-Russian militiamen and Ukrainian forces in Karlivka, Ukraine, on Friday, May 23. Tensions remain high across the country's east, where pro-Russian separatists staged referendums on independence earlier this month." border="0"/><cite style="display:block;bottom:74px" id="galleryCaption641">A man looks at a bullet shell next to a destroyed car after a gunfight between pro-Russian militiamen and Ukrainian forces in Karlivka, Ukraine, on Friday, May 23. Tensions remain high across the country's east, where pro-Russian separatists staged referendums on independence earlier this month.</cite> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> 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class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph6">While saying he would respect the Ukrainians' choice,<strong> </strong>Putin reiterated Russia's assertion that according to Ukraine's Constitution, Yanukovych remains the legitimate president.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph7">He also questioned whether the election should be held now given the current violence in eastern regions of the country.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph8">Russian state media cited Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meshkov as saying Friday that Russia would decide whether or not to recognize the polls only after the vote takes place.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph9">"Let's wait for the elections first. Naturally, when Russia considers this issue (on legitimacy) we will take into account all factors," official news agency ITAR-Tass quotes Meshkov as saying.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph10"><strong>Unpaid gas bill</strong><strong>s</strong></p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph11">Addressing business leaders, Putin said Russia had tried to help Ukraine in its difficult economic situation.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph12">But he said Ukraine must pay off the hefty arrears owed to Russian energy giant Gazprom for natural gas.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph13">"The risks today of delivery of the gas supply are not our fault but quite honestly, everyone understands that this is because of the transit country Ukraine, which has abused its situation," he said.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph14">"We provided Ukraine with 10 billion cubic meters of gas for free," he added. "This is not sensible; this is really stupid, and we must have limits."</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph15">Asked if he could work with a Ukrainian government led by Petro Poroshenko, a billionaire businessman and seasoned politician seen as a front-runner in Sunday's election, Putin joked that he could -- if Ukraine pays the $3.5 billion it owes.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph16">Kiev and European Union leaders have urged Russia not to use the energy supply as a weapon.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph17">Putin also called for dialogue between Russia and the United States over the crisis in Ukraine, suggesting Washington had not taken Russia's interests into account until now.</p> <a name="em5"/> <a name="em6"/> <a name="em7"/> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph18">He was critical of the sanctions imposed on Russia by the West, warning that they would have a "boomerang" effect and hurt the United States and EU.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph19">The Russian President also suggested the U.S. sanctions could be a ploy to give American companies a competitive advantage in Europe.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph20">At the same time, Putin said he was "optimistic" the crisis in Ukraine could be resolved.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph21">And he said Russia was continuing to cooperate with the United States in areas such as anti-piracy efforts and access to Afghanistan.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph22">Putin also defended Moscow's recent disputed annexation of Crimea, saying its action had prevented violence there and ensured the "possibility of free will for the people" who chose to join Russia in a democratic referendum.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph23"><strong>Separatists, right-wing militants clash</strong></p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph24">Clashes between separatists and pro-Ukrainian militants, the latter from the so-called "Donbass battalion" and far-right group Right Sector, were reported Friday morning near the town of Karlivka.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph25">According to the Donetsk state administration, one person died and nine were wounded there.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph26">The chief of staff for Right Sector, Andriy Denysenko, earlier<strong> </strong>told CNN that the pro-Ukrainian forces wanted to take down a separatist checkpoint in the area but were "attacked" by about 100 separatists.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph27">After a battle lasting about two hours, he said, most of the pro-Ukrainian forces were able to pull back to a Ukrainian military checkpoint near Krasnoarmiysk, but four remained trapped in a cafe.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph28">Pro-Ukrainian forces said they were either killed or taken hostage, Denysenko said. But he denied reports that 10 Right Sector members had been killed.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph29">Disturbances were also reported Friday in Slovyansk, a stronghold for the separatists in the eastern Donetsk region.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph30">A CNN team in Slovyansk heard about 10 explosions in what sounded like the outskirts of the town, following shelling overnight around a militant barricade.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph31">The self-declared mayor of Slovyansk, Vyacheslav Ponomaryov, has said that anyone who tries to vote in the presidential election will be arrested.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph32">Speaking with CNN, Ponomaryov also suggested that a gap had opened up between his group and fellow separatist leader Denis Pushilin in the regional capital, Donetsk.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph33">Divisions within the separatist movement are likely to make future political negotiations more difficult.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph34">In another indication of the heightened tensions,<strong> </strong>Ukraine's Border Service said Friday that its guards had thwarted another attempt by armed men illegally to bring weapons and ammunition over the border from Russia.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph35"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/21/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/index.html" target="_blank">Some Russian troops at Ukraine border may be 'packing up'</a></p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph36"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/21/world/europe/prince-charles-putin-hitler-comparison/index.html" target="_blank">Prince Charles draws fire for reportedly comparing Putin to Hitler</a></p> <p class="cnn_strycbftrtxt">Journalist Victoria Butenko reported from Kiev, and CNN's Laura Smith-Spark reported and wrote from London. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh and Ben Brumfield contributed to this report.</p> <!--endclickprintinclude--><!--google_ad_section_end--> <!--no partner--> <div class="cnn_stryshrwdgtbtm"> <div id="cnn_sharebar2"> <div class="c_sharebar_cntr c_sharebar_loading"> <div class="cnn_stryswdgtbtm1"> <div class="cnn_stryswdgtbtm1a"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/23/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/index.html#disqus_thread">0</a></div> <div class="cnn_stryswdgtbtm1b"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/23/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/#cnn-disqus-area">Comments »</a></div> </div><!-- /cnn_stryswdgtbtm1 --> <div class="cnn_stryswdgtbtm2"> <div class="c_sharebtmcol1"> <div class="c_sharetitle">SHARE THIS</div> <div class="c_sharebtns"> <ul><li class="c_sharebtn c_sharebtnfb"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="cnnsocial.share.click('cnn_sharebar2', 'facebook');"/></li> <li class="c_sharebtn c_sharebtntwtr"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="cnnsocial.share.click('cnn_sharebar2', 'twitter');"/></li> <li class="c_sharebtn c_sharebtngplus"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="cnnsocial.share.click('cnn_sharebar2', 'googleplus');"/></li> <li class="c_sharebtn c_sharebtnlnkn"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="cnnsocial.share.click('cnn_sharebar2', 'linkedin');"/></li> </ul><div class="cnn_clear"/> </div> </div><!-- /c_sharebtmcol1 --> <div class="c_sharebtmdiv"/> <div class="c_sharebtmcol2"> <div class="fb-like" data-send="false" data-layout="box_count" data-width="90" data-show-faces="false" data-action="recommend" href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/23/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/index.html"/> </div><!-- /c_sharebtmcol2 --> <div class="c_sharebtmdiv"/> <div class="c_shareweb c_sharebtmcol3"> <ul><li class="cnn_sswdgtweb1"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/23/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/#" onclick="if(typeof CleanPrintPrintHtml!='undefined' && CleanPrintPrintHtml) CleanPrintPrintHtml(); else window.print(); return false;">Print</a></li> <li class="cnn_sswdgtweb2"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/23/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/#" onclick="return(ET());">Email</a></li> <li class="cnn_sswdgtweb3"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="$j('#cnn_sharebarmore2').toggle();">More sharing</a> </li> </ul></div><!-- /c_sharebtmcol3 --> <div class="cnn_clear"/> </div> <div class="cnn_clear"/> </div> </div> </div> <!-- CALLOUT|http://ads.cnn.com/html.ng/site=cnn&cnn_pagetype=mmst&cnn_position=607x95_adlinks&cnn_rollup=world&page.allowcompete=no¶ms.styles=fs|CALLOUT --><!-- ADSPACE: europe/mmst/adlinks.607x95 --><div id="ad-389563dd34225c52" align="center" style="padding: 0; margin: 0; border: 0;"/> <!-- ADSPACE-END --><div class="cnn_divline cnn_divln3pxblck" style="margin-top:20px;" id="cnn-disqus-area"/> <div id="disqus_thread"/> </div> </td> </tr> </table> <table style="border-top:1px solid #999;padding-top:4px;margin-top:1.5em;width:100%" id="footer"> <tr> <td style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">You are subscribed to email updates from <a href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en">Top Stories - Google News</a> <br />To stop receiving these emails, you may <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailunsubscribe?k=vNU6gfBaGNiEci8BSSOBNzdQZg0">unsubscribe now</a>.</td> <td style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;text-align:right;vertical-align:top">Email delivery powered by Google</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610</td> </tr> </table> </div> blog2http://www.blogger.com/profile/04250645119730839480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933194393748629376.post-40610721419402156692014-05-22T09:57:00.001-07:002014-05-22T09:57:27.473-07:00NST Online Top Stories - Google News<style type="text/css"> h1 a:hover {background-color:#888;color:#fff ! important;} div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div ul { list-style-type:square; padding-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div blockquote { padding-left:6px; border-left: 6px solid #dadada; margin-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div li { margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:1em; } table#itemcontentlist tr td a:link, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:visited, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:active, ul#summarylist li a { color:#000099; font-weight:bold; text-decoration:none; } img {border:none;} </style> <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" id="emailbody" style="margin:0 2em;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <table style="border:0;padding:0;margin:0;width:100%"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top" width="99%"> <h1 style="margin:0;padding-bottom:6px;"> <a style="color:#888;font-size:22px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;" href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en" title="(http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en)">NST Online Top Stories - Google News</a> </h1> </td> <td width="1%" /> </tr> </table> <hr style="border:1px solid #ccc;padding:0;margin:0" /> <table id="itemcontentlist"> <tr xmlns=""> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="1" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNEkXCPrkOl1n8wbNZ5CQY2L_CkvKw&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778504936334&ei=Xyx-U6DFHfKGwAGUoYCgCA&url=http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Security-Watch/Backchannels/2014/0522/Can-Thailand-s-coup-break-the-country-s-deep-political-impasse">Can Thailand's coup break the country's deep political impasse? - Christian Science Monitor</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 22 May 2014 09:46 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <p>Thailand's latest coup was presented as a way to bring the nation back to "peace and love." But if not handled carefully, it could lead to more bloodshed.</p> <p class="sByline"> By <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/About/Staff/Dan-Murphy" rel="author"><span class="ui-author">Dan Murphy</span></a>, <span class="ui-staffline">Staff writer</span> / May 22, 2014 </p> <div class="podStoryGal p402_hide"> <div class="podC" readability="8.25614754098"> <div class="pod" readability="12"> <p class="caption" id="pgallerycarousel_caption" title="Photo Caption">Thai soldiers move in to pro-government demonstration site after the coup, May 22, on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand. Thailand's new military junta has announced that it has suspended the country's constitution.</p> <p class="caption" id="pgallerycarousel_credit" title="Photo Credit">Wason Wanichakorn/AP</p> <span id="pgallerycarousel_related"></span> </div><!-- /pod --> <a id="pgallerycarousel_enlarge" class="thickbox pEnlarge">Enlarge</a> </div> </div> <div class="sBody p402_premium" readability="23.6079155673"> <p>No shots were fired on Tuesday when the Thai military imposed martial law, insisting that this was not a coup.</p> <a class="hide" href="http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Security-Watch/Backchannels/2014/0522/Can-Thailand-s-coup-break-the-country-s-deep-political-impasse#nextParagraph">Skip to next paragraph</a> <div class="podStoryRel p402_hide" readability="25.3407155026"> <div class="podBrdr" readability="10.6604938272"> <div class="pod" readability="16.475308642"> <strong><a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/About/Staff/Dan-Murphy" rel="author">Dan Murphy</a></strong> <p><i> Staff writer</i></p> <p>Dan Murphy is a staff writer for the Monitor's international desk, focused on the Middle East. Murphy, who has reported from Iraq, Afghanistan, Egypt, and more than a dozen other countries, writes and edits Backchannels. The focus? War and international relations, leaning toward things Middle East.</p> </div> </div> <h3>Recent posts</h3> <p>' + google_ads[0].line2 + '<br />' + google_ads[0].line3 + '</p>'; } else if (google_ads.length > 1) { ad_unit += ''; } } document.getElementById("ad_unit").innerHTML += ad_unit; google_adnum += google_ads.length; return; } var google_adnum = 0; google_ad_client = "pub-6743622525202572"; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '1'; google_feedback = "on"; google_ad_type = "text"; // google_adtest = "on"; google_image_size = '230x105'; google_skip = '0'; // --> <!-- subscribe ad: Article body left column --><div id="leftcol_subscribe" readability="7.30769230769"> <p class="subscribe-ad_title">Subscribe Today to the Monitor</p> <p class="subscribe-ad_message"><a class="click" href="https://w1.buysub.com/servlet/OrdersGateway?cds_mag_code=CSZ&cds_page_id=137455&cds_response_key=I3FZSPTL1">Click Here</a> for your <a href="https://w1.buysub.com/servlet/OrdersGateway?cds_mag_code=CSZ&cds_page_id=137455&cds_response_key=I3FZSPTL1">FREE 30 DAYS</a> of<br />The Christian Science Monitor<br />Weekly Digital Edition</p> </div> </div> </div> <a name="nextParagraph" id="nextParagraph"></a> <p>Sure, armored personnel carriers rolled out into the streets, the army shut down partisan media outlets, and the prime minister was cut out of the loop, but Thai Army Chief Prayuth Chan-ocha at first <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Latest-News-Wires/2014/0519/Thailand-s-army-declares-martial-law-This-is-definitely-not-a-coup-video" target="_blank">insisted</a> this was no coup.</p><p>Well, today the pretense was emphatically dropped, with Gen. Prayuth announcing that he was taking charge of Thailand. For years, the country has been roiled by political turmoil that broadly pits elites and the urban middle class against rural and poorer Thais who repeatedly vote for leaders deemed unpalatable by traditional elites.</p> <p>An interim cabinet now answers to the military, TV news broadcasts have been cut, and political meetings and protests have been banned. Prayuth presented the coup as a necessary step in his televised address Thursday.</p><p>"In order for the situation to return to normal quickly and for society to love and be at peace again ... and to reform the political, economic and social structure, the military needs to take control of power," he said, according to a translation by Reuters.</p><p>But what comes next could be bloody confrontation, not peace. Thailand's so-called "red shirts," supporters of Thaksin Shinawatra, who was deposed as prime minister by a coup in 2006, and his sister Yingluck Shinawatra, who was deposed by a court order earlier this month, are likely to be made even angrier by this move. The military has already begun roughly dismantling a red shirt encampment in Bangkok, while also dispersing followers of anti-Shinwatra firebrand Suthep Thaugsuban. </p><p>Mr. Suthep led months of protests against Ms. Yingluck's premiership, and opposed plans announced on May 1 for July elections as a possible exit from the crisis. The reason is simple: Yingluck was tipped to win at the polls. Instead Suthep, a veteran opposition politician, called for an appointed government whose members he and his allies would select to run the country for an unspecified period of time. </p><p>The gap between these two factions remains as wide as ever, and whether the military will be able to cajole a political compromise now, something it failed to accomplish after its 2006 coup, is uncertain at best.</p><p>The Thai coup is forcing the US to confront an uncomfortable reality with parallels to Egypt, where the military staged a coup last July. As with Egypt, the US has close military ties with Thailand. Many Thai officers attending US military training courses, and the two militaries share intelligence on counterterrorism and stage annual multinational war games called "Cobra Gold." This year's Cobra Gold in February involved almost 4,000 US troops and around 9,000 soldiers from Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan and Malaysia.</p><p>The US Leahy Amendment bans the US military from doing business with foreign militaries that engage in coups. The Obama administration has finessed this in the case of Egypt and is likely to do so in the case of Thailand, as foreshadowed by its reaction to the declaration of martial law in Thailand.</p><p>State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki <a href="http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/052014_statements.html" target="_blank">said in a statement</a> after that declaration (emphasis mine):</p><blockquote readability="10"><p>We are aware of reports that Thailand's army has declared martial law and are monitoring developments closely. We remain very concerned about the deepening political crisis in Thailand and urge all parties to respect democratic principles, including respect for freedom of speech. <i>We understand the Royal Thai Army announced that this martial law declaration is not a coup</i>. <i>We expect the Army to honor its commitment to make this a temporary action to prevent violence, and to not undermine democratic institutions</i>. The United States firmly believes all parties must work together to resolve differences through dialogue and find a way forward. This development underscores the need for elections to determine the will of the Thai people.</p></blockquote><p>Thai democratic institutions, such as they are, were undermined by the 2006 coup, the court-ordered removal of Yingluck, and the declaration of martial law on Sunday. They have been further undermined by the military's actions today.</p><p>US training of foreign military officers is often claimed to be a means to make their military more receptive to democracy and subordination to elected civilians, though is hasn't always worked in practice. The US <a href="http://www.state.gov/t/pm/65533.htm" target="_blank">says its International Military Education and Training Program (IMET)</a> "facilitates the development of important professional and personal relationships, which have proven to provide U.S. access and influence in a critical sector of society that often plays a pivotal role in supporting, or transitioning to, democratic governments."</p><p>If US officials are to be believed, they were blindsided by the Thai military's swift action. Amy Searight, the US Department of Defense's director for East Asia, <a href="http://csis.org/publication/southeast-asia-scott-circle-thailand-crisis-options-us-policy#commentary" target="_blank">told a conference</a> in Washington at the end of last week that the US was "reasonably confident" that the military would not carry out a coup.</p><p>That confidence was clearly misplaced.</p><p>Coups are nothing unusual in Thailand. The country <a href="http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2011/03/08/counting-thailands-coups/" target="_blank">has witnessed 21 coups</a>, attempted and successful, since 1912, and nine since 1971 (that's a coup every 4.8 years).</p><p>However, they have not been as damaging to the prosperity of the nation as one would expect. The nine coups since 1971 may have acted as a drag on economic progress, but the country's gains have still been remarkable. Thai GDP growth has averaged 7.7 percent a year between 1970 and 2012, and key indicators of well-being have also soared. Life expectancy at birth was 62 in 1970. It is now at about 77 years.</p><p>To be sure, there are signs that the political impasse of the past seven years is finally taking a toll. GDP contracted 0.6 percent in the first quarter of this year, compared to the same quarter in 2013, and there's little reason for economic optimism in the short term. </p><p>Beyond that, it's now up to Thailand's generals, and perhaps the still widely-respected monarchy, to forge some kind of workable compromise.</p> </div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="2" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNFk-OwDOe1UOosx9nLH2BFFnedGXg&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778508609559&ei=Xyx-U6DFHfKGwAGUoYCgCA&url=http://www.rferl.org/content/ukraine-violence-deaths-volnovakha/25394775.html">At Least 14 Soldiers Killed In Attacks In Eastern Ukraine - RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 22 May 2014 08:54 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> Acting Ukrainian President OIeksandr Turchynov says 13 soldiers were killed in an overnight attack by separatists forces in the Donetsk region.<br /> <br />The Defense Ministry earlier said one soldier was killed in another overnight attack in the neighboring region of Luhansk.<br /> <br />The attackson May 21-22 were the deadliest for Ukraine's military since it launched an offensive six weeks ago against pro-Russian separatists who have declared their so-called "people's republics" in two eastern regions.<br /> <br />In the worst of the two overnight attacks, insurgents used grenades and mortar shells to attack a roadblock set up by government troops near the town of Volnovakha, in the Donetsk region.<br /> <br />The attacks came three days before Ukraine holds a crucial presidential election on May 25.<br /> <br />Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk accused Russia of trying to escalate the conflict ahead of the vote.<br /> <br />Yatsenyuk <strong><a href="http://www.rferl.org/content/ukraine-troops-killed-fighting/25394135.html" target="_blank">called on the UN Security Council </a></strong>to hold an urgent meeting on the crisis.<br /> <br />NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, meanwhile, said on May 22 that limited Russian troop movements near the border with Ukraine "may suggest" preparations for a withdrawal.<br /> <br />NATO's top military commander also said NATO has noted some movement of Russian troops away from the Ukrainian border, but that it was "too early" to assess their size or importance.<br /> <br />Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, U.S. General Philip Breedlove, said that a "very large and very capable force" still remains near the border.<br /> <br />Ukrainian officials said that even if the Russian forces were moving away from the border, "armed terrorists" were still infiltrating Ukraine. <h5><br /><strong><a href="http://www.rferl.org/contentlive/ukraine-live-blog/25382555.html" target="_blank">LIVE BLOG: Ukraine In Crisis</a></strong></h5> <br />Russian President Vladimir Putin rejects the legitimacy of the pro-Western Ukrainian government but he says he ordered the withdrawal to help create "favorable conditions" for the May 25 election.<br /> <br />Wolfgang Ischinger, the mediator for a peace plan for Ukraine sponsored by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), has urged both government forces and the separatists to refrain from violence in the run-up to the election.<br /> <br />Ukraine's Central Election Commission said on May 22 that separatists were blocking the work of election officials in 16 out of the 34 electoral districts in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.<br /> <h6>With reporting by Reuters, AFP, UNIAN</h6> </div> </td> </tr> </table> <table style="border-top:1px solid #999;padding-top:4px;margin-top:1.5em;width:100%" id="footer"> <tr> <td style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">You are subscribed to email updates from <a href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en">Top Stories - 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Google News</a> </h1> </td> <td width="1%" /> </tr> </table> <hr style="border:1px solid #ccc;padding:0;margin:0" /> <table id="itemcontentlist"> <tr xmlns=""> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="1" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNHKRuY102k3RCh7BptjjiziACB7hA&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778507516982&ei=cdt8U4DtL4bpwAHyzIHIAg&url=http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/22/us/eric-shinseki-criticized-on-va-hospital-scandal.html?partner=rss&emc=rss">Eric Shinseki Criticized on VA Hospital Scandal - New York Times</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 21 May 2014 09:40 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;">[unable to retrieve full-text content]<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="7" style="vertical-align:top;"><tr><td width="80" align="center" valign="top"><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNGDf1FN0YrdhX4FGfccLe7oSOe_zw&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778507516982&ei=cdt8U4DtL4bpwAHyzIHIAg&url=http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/obama-allegations-va-misconduct-stand/story?id%3D23809975"><img src="//t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRtHl8hFKpQyegbG0hYq8qRa2hJuK8oYLTJZqk0PdqPM1JcyzA1F_EIh_Svf2lNmSlmUfq70OI" alt="" border="1" width="80" height="80" /><br /><font size="-2">ABC News</font></a></font></td><td valign="top" class="j"><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br /><div style="padding-top:0.8em;"><img alt="" height="1" width="1" /></div><div class="lh"><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNHKRuY102k3RCh7BptjjiziACB7hA&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778507516982&ei=cdt8U4DtL4bpwAHyzIHIAg&url=http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/22/us/eric-shinseki-criticized-on-va-hospital-scandal.html?partner%3Drss%26emc%3Drss"><b>Eric Shinseki Criticized on VA Hospital Scandal</b></a><br /><font size="-1"><b><font color="#6f6f6f">New York Times</font></b></font><br /><font size="-1">Eric Shinseki, head of the Department of Veterans Affairs, center, at the Senate Veterans Affairs hearing last week. Credit Gabriella Demczuk/The New York Times. Continue reading the main story. Continue reading the main story. Continue reading the main ...</font><br /><font size="-1"><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNHLRw81H_k7_TtJzDJ8KWTSmD1RhA&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778507516982&ei=cdt8U4DtL4bpwAHyzIHIAg&url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/sns-rt-us-usa-obama-veterans-20140519,0,7148149.story">Obama says he will get to the bottom of Veterans mess</a><font size="-1" color="#6f6f6f"><nobr>Chicago Tribune</nobr></font></font><br /><font size="-1"><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNETKIkqfS7t_FVU_jHkLw8NIUAQTg&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778507516982&ei=cdt8U4DtL4bpwAHyzIHIAg&url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/21/us-usa-obama-veterans-idUSBREA4K0EC20140521">Obama says determined to get to bottom of Veterans Affairs mess</a><font size="-1" color="#6f6f6f"><nobr>Reuters</nobr></font></font><br /><font size="-1"><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNFsLA-sDTPWlOP2e5Xx_iCIZk-70A&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778507516982&ei=cdt8U4DtL4bpwAHyzIHIAg&url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/21/politics/va-waiting-lists/">Obama on VA allegations: 'I will not stand for it'</a><font size="-1" color="#6f6f6f"><nobr>CNN</nobr></font></font><br /><font size="-1" class="p"><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNGeCL29gdFXN2lRnc3qoG8xqYZ5DQ&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778507516982&ei=cdt8U4DtL4bpwAHyzIHIAg&url=http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/obama-vows-action-address-va-scandal"><nobr>MSNBC</nobr></a> -<a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNEnazVH0HoIkVDd7unWHmhRxBWDow&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778507516982&ei=cdt8U4DtL4bpwAHyzIHIAg&url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/05/21/va-health-care-inquiry-expands-as-house-prepares-bill-to-enhance-secretary/"><nobr>Fox News</nobr></a> -<a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNGGrE2141XoXMUalTkaShidEOejnQ&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778507516982&ei=cdt8U4DtL4bpwAHyzIHIAg&url=http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20140521-709714.html"><nobr>Wall Street Journal</nobr></a></font><br /><font class="p" size="-1"><a class="p" href="http://news.google.com.my/news/more?ncl=dymfOfNjx4Hg8EMWrez4Kr1_a2-jM&authuser=0&ned=us&topic=h"><nobr><b>all 1,145 news articles »</b></nobr></a></font></div></font></td></tr></table></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="2" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNFqx_UedTAICuowLeR-yffB3a912w&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778508609559&ei=cdt8U4DtL4bpwAHyzIHIAg&url=http://www.bloomberg.com/video/russia-china-ink-natural-gas-deal-celebrate-AjLQbsRUSBa20RlmW781PQ.html">Russia China Ink Natural Gas Deal, Celebrate - Bloomberg</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 21 May 2014 09:39 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"><div readability="43"> <p> We will wrap it up with a little drink of fireball whiskey. </p><p>We will kick it off with what everyone is talking about. </p><p>Today's theme is all about the money. </p><p>First, we will start with a big international deal. </p><p>Russia and china signing a long-awaited deal 10 years in the making. </p><p>About $400 billion. </p><p>I'm going to say that again. </p><p>$400 billion. </p><p>That is about the entire gdp of austria. </p><p>They signed the deal earlier today. </p><p>This is the chinese president. </p><p>This was a complex agreement. </p><p>It gives them on lot of wiggle room. </p><p>It allows them to send the message that if you don't want to do business with us then we will find other partners. </p><p>Not just partners, neighbors. </p><p>So, can we just take a step back and remind ourselves how big russia really is? </p><p>It is the largest country in the world. </p><p>Everything else to the east. </p><p>There is an auto lot of people -- there's a lot of land, not a lot of people. </p><p>In the late 1960's, there was a border skirmish between china and the ussr and historically there has been a lot of suspicion between the two countries. </p><p>Russia is very underpopulated in the east china is not underpopulated anywhere. </p><p>There are fears of china expanding. </p><p>They have the energy deal to look forward to. </p><p>That means tapping the natural gas fields in siberia. </p><p>Ultimately, they will funnel 1.3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas annually to china. </p><p>This will be each year over the next 30 years. </p><p>The amount of gas that the russians have agreed to supply china is about a fifth of what they are supplying western europe. </p><p>If the western europeans were able to find some way to diverse affiant away from russian gas, then the russians will still need a lot more than this deal </p> </div><div id="video-text-disclaimer" readability="32"> <p> This text has been automatically generated. It may not be 100% accurate. </p> </div></div> </td> </tr> </table> <table style="border-top:1px solid #999;padding-top:4px;margin-top:1.5em;width:100%" id="footer"> <tr> <td style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">You are subscribed to email updates from <a href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en">Top Stories - Google News</a> <br />To stop receiving these emails, you may <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailunsubscribe?k=vNU6gfBaGNiEci8BSSOBNzdQZg0">unsubscribe now</a>.</td> <td style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;text-align:right;vertical-align:top">Email delivery powered by Google</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610</td> </tr> </table> </div> blog2http://www.blogger.com/profile/04250645119730839480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933194393748629376.post-45534799690856531752014-05-20T09:54:00.001-07:002014-05-20T09:54:58.746-07:00NST Online Top Stories - Google News<style type="text/css"> h1 a:hover {background-color:#888;color:#fff ! important;} div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div ul { list-style-type:square; padding-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div blockquote { padding-left:6px; border-left: 6px solid #dadada; margin-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div li { margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:1em; } table#itemcontentlist tr td a:link, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:visited, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:active, ul#summarylist li a { color:#000099; font-weight:bold; text-decoration:none; } img {border:none;} </style> <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" id="emailbody" style="margin:0 2em;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <table style="border:0;padding:0;margin:0;width:100%"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top" width="99%"> <h1 style="margin:0;padding-bottom:6px;"> <a style="color:#888;font-size:22px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;" href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en" title="(http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en)">NST Online Top Stories - Google News</a> </h1> </td> <td width="1%" /> </tr> </table> <hr style="border:1px solid #ccc;padding:0;margin:0" /> <table id="itemcontentlist"> <tr xmlns=""> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="1" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNHRW5YnelLTHL1HCQzswll9gqxpqA&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778504936334&ei=4Yh7U-zEJYi-wAGakoFo&url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/20/world/asia/thailand-martial/">Army declares martial law in Thailand; government wasn't informed, aide says - CNN</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 20 May 2014 09:02 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <!--startclickprintexclude--> <div class="cnnStryVidCont" style="background-color:transparent"> <div id="cnnCVP1"> </div> </div> <a name="em0"/> <div class="cnn_strylftcntnt"><div class="cnn_strylctcntr"> <div><strong>STORY HIGHLIGHTS</strong></div> <ul class="cnn_bulletbin cnnStryHghLght"><!--google_ad_section_start--><li>Military says it wants to bring stability after protests and Prime Minister's removal</li> <li>Analyst: Military is trying to persuade protesters to go home, "dial down the tensions"</li> <li>Government aide calls situation "half a coup d'etat," says military's action was unilateral</li> <li>Thailand's army has declared martial law but stresses the move is not a coup</li> <!--google_ad_section_end--> </ul></div></div> <div class="cnn_strylftcntnt adtag15090"> <!-- CALLOUT|http://ads.cnn.com/html.ng/site=cnn&cnn_position=150x90_spon1&cnn_rollup=us&page.allowcompete=no¶ms.styles=fs|CALLOUT --> <!-- ADSPACE: us/spon1.150x90 --> <div id="ad-179cc9ea480c1691" align="center" style="padding: 0; margin: 0; border: 0;"/> <!-- ADSPACE-END --></div> <!--endclickprintexclude--><!--google_ad_section_start--><!--startclickprintinclude--> <p><strong>Bangkok, Thailand (CNN)</strong> -- It's tense in Thailand, where violence has spilled into the streets, people have died or been injured, and the army declared martial law Tuesday.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph2">Underscoring the instability, the army's decision to take control of the country came as a surprise to embattled Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, an aide to the leader told CNN.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph3">The army "took this action unilaterally," said the aide, who did not wish to be named. The person described the action as "half a coup d'etat."</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph4">Lt. Gen. Nipat Thonglek told CNN the move was not a coup.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph5">"The army aims to maintain peace, order and public safety for all groups and all parties," a ticker running on the army's television channel said. "People are urged not to panic, and can carry on their business as usual," he said.</p> <style><![CDATA[ .cnnArticleGalleryNav{border:1px solid #000;cursor:pointer;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavOn{background-color:#C03;border:1px solid #000;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:20px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavDisabled{background-color:#222;border:1px solid #000;color:#666;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleExpandableTarget{background-color:#000;display:none;position:absolute} .cnnArticlePhotoContainer{height:122px;width:214px} .cnnArticleBoxImage{cursor:pointer;height:122px;padding-top:0;width:214px} .cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControl{background-color:#000;color:#FFF} .cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControlText{cursor:pointer;float:right;font-size:10px;padding:3px 10px 3px 3px} .cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer cite{background:none repeat scroll 0 0 #000;bottom:48px;color:#FFF;height:auto;left:420px;opacity:.7;position:absolute;width:200px;padding:10px} .cnnArticleGalleryClose{background-color:#fff;display:block;text-align:right} .cnnArticleGalleryCloseButton{cursor:pointer} .cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNext span{background-color:#444;color:#CCC;cursor:pointer;float:left;height:23px;text-align:center;width:26px;padding:4px 0 0} .cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNextDisabled span{background-color:#444;color:#666;float:left;height:23px;text-align:center;width:25px;padding:4px 0 0} .cnnVerticalGalleryPhoto{padding-right:68px;width:270px;margin:0 auto} .cnnGalleryContainer{float:left;clear:left;margin:0 0 20px;padding:0 0 0 10px} ]]></style><a name="em1"/> <div id="expand16" class="cnnGalleryContainer cnn_strylftcntnt"> <div class="cnnStoryElementBox"> <div id="expandableTarget16" class="cnnArticleExpandableTarget" style="width:640px"> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryClose"><img class="cnnArticleGalleryCloseButton" src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.e/img/3.0/mosaic/bttn_close.gif" onclick="expGallery61.shrinkPicture('6','1')" alt="" border="0" height="23" width="58"/></div> <div style="height:360px"> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> <img style="display:block" id="articleGalleryPhoto611" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/140519220254-08-thai-martial-law-0519-horizontal-gallery.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="Thai soldiers stand guard outside the Government Public Relations Department in Bangkok on Tuesday, May 20. Thailand's army has declared martial law in a surprise move that an aide to the country's embattled Prime Minister said the government didn't know about beforehand." border="0"/><cite style="display:block;bottom:74px" id="galleryCaption611">Thai soldiers stand guard outside the Government Public Relations Department in Bangkok on Tuesday, May 20. Thailand's army has declared martial law in a surprise move that an aide to the country's embattled Prime Minister said the government didn't know about beforehand.</cite> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer"> </div> </div> <div class="cnn_clear"/> </div> <div class="cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControl"> <div id="gallerySlideTitle611" style="float:left;font-size:24px;font:weight:700px;margin-left:10px;width:500px;height:36px;overflow:hidden">Thai army declares martial law</div> <div id="galleryCaptionControl61" class="cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControlText" onclick="expGallery61.toggleArticleGalleryCaption(6,1)">HIDE CAPTION</div> <div class="cnn_clear"/> </div> <div style="background-color:#000;color:#FFF;height:27px"> <div id="articleGalleryNav61JumpPrev" onclick="expGallery61.galleryJumpPrev(6,1)" class="cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNextDisabled"><span><<</span></div> <div id="articleGalleryNav61Prev" onclick="expGallery61.galleryPrev(6,1)" class="cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNextDisabled"><span><</span></div> <div class="articleGalleryNavContainer"> <div style="" id="articleGalleryNav611" class="cnnArticleGalleryNavOn" 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onmouseover="expGallery61.showArticleThumb(6,1,8)" onclick="expGallery61.changePage(6,1,8)"> <span style="height:21px;padding:4px 0 0 0">8</span> </div> <div style="" id="articleGalleryNav619" class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" onmouseout="expGallery61.hideArticleThumb(6,1,9)" onmouseover="expGallery61.showArticleThumb(6,1,9)" onclick="expGallery61.changePage(6,1,9)"> <span style="height:21px;padding:4px 0 0 0">9</span> </div> <div style="" id="articleGalleryNav6110" class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" onmouseout="expGallery61.hideArticleThumb(6,1,10)" onmouseover="expGallery61.showArticleThumb(6,1,10)" onclick="expGallery61.changePage(6,1,10)"> <span style="height:21px;padding:4px 0 0 0">10</span> </div> <div style="" id="articleGalleryNav6111" class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" onmouseout="expGallery61.hideArticleThumb(6,1,11)" onmouseover="expGallery61.showArticleThumb(6,1,11)" onclick="expGallery61.changePage(6,1,11)"> <span style="height:21px;padding:4px 0 0 0">11</span> </div> <div style="" id="articleGalleryNav6112" class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" onmouseout="expGallery61.hideArticleThumb(6,1,12)" onmouseover="expGallery61.showArticleThumb(6,1,12)" onclick="expGallery61.changePage(6,1,12)"> <span style="height:21px;padding:4px 0 0 0">12</span> </div> <div style="" id="articleGalleryNav6113" class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" onmouseout="expGallery61.hideArticleThumb(6,1,13)" onmouseover="expGallery61.showArticleThumb(6,1,13)" onclick="expGallery61.changePage(6,1,13)"> <span style="height:21px;padding:4px 0 0 0">13</span> </div> <div style="" id="articleGalleryNav6114" class="cnnArticleGalleryNav" onmouseout="expGallery61.hideArticleThumb(6,1,14)" onmouseover="expGallery61.showArticleThumb(6,1,14)" onclick="expGallery61.changePage(6,1,14)"> <span style="height:21px;padding:4px 0 0 0">14</span> </div> </div> <div id="articleGalleryNav61Next" onclick="expGallery61.galleryNext(6,1)" class="cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNext"><span>></span></div> <div id="articleGalleryNav61JumpNext" onclick="expGallery61.galleryJumpNext(6,1)" class="cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNextDisabled"><span>>></span></div> <div class="cnn_clear"/> </div> </div> </div> </div> <a name="em2"/> <a name="em3"/> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph6">The people of Thailand are all too familiar with coups. There have been at least 18 actual and attempted military takeovers since Thailand became a constitutional monarchy in 1932.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph7"><strong>Boiling point</strong></p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph8">The current turmoil in Thailand has been building for some time.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph9">On May 7, Shinawatra was removed from government after the Thai Constitutional Court ruled that she was guilty of violating the constitution.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph10">The charges against her were brought in a lawsuit that anti-government senators filed. They accused her of abusing her power by unlawfully transferring National Security Council chief Thawil Pliensri from his role in September 2011, alleging the move was intended to benefit her Puea Thai Party and a family member.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph11">"I didn't do anything against the law," Shinawatra insisted in court. "I have performed my duty in the administration with the intention of benefiting the country."</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph12">Her ascension to power -- in a caretaker role -- came about because of more instability. She dissolved parliament in December, ahead of a general election in February that was disrupted by anti-government protesters. The Constitutional Court subsequently ruled the election invalid.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph13">In November, protesters had taken to the streets against the government's botched attempt to pass an amnesty bill that would have made it possible for the return of her brother -- former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a communications tycoon. He was ousted in a coup in 2006 and has been living in self-imposed exile in Dubai.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph14">Much of the tension between protesters in Thailand, who have clashed violently in recent years, center on him. There are those who vehemently oppose him and those who want him back in power.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph15">Many of Yingluck Shinawatra's opponents <a href="http://amanpour.blogs.cnn.com/2014/03/10/exclusive-thai-prime-minister-comments-on-flight-370/">say her brother is calling the shots in Thailand</a> through her.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph16">In March, she answered that accusation in an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph17">"May I say that I am ... a Prime Minister, who (has been) able to run the country for over two years," she said. "But I understand their feeling, as I was born from that country, so I have used my ability to win the peoples' trust."</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph18"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/20/world/asia/thailand-martial-law-explainer/index.html">READ MORE: Thailand wakes to martial law: What it means</a></p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph19"><strong>Martial law helping or hurting?</strong><strong> </strong></p> <a name="em4"/> <a name="em5"/> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph20">It's too soon to tell whether the military's declaration of martial law will ease tensions or heighten them, analysts said.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph21">Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political science professor at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, described the situation as "very volatile."</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph22">"This is a precarious time now for the army," he said. "They have to be even-handed."</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph23">"If it's seen as favoring one side or the other side, then we could see more violence and turmoil against the military."</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph24">Paul Quaglia, director at Bangkok-based risk assessment firm <a href="http://www.pqaassociates.com/index.php/site/contact" target="_blank">PQA Associates</a>, described the situation as "martial law light."</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph25">"Right now, the military has deployed troops around key intersections of the city. Traffic is a real mess here at the moment, but there's no violence," he said. "I think what the military is trying to do with this ... is to convince protesters to go home. They're trying to dial down the tensions here as well as preempt several large rallies and strikes that were scheduled for later this week."</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph26">Sunai Phasuk, a senior researcher on Thailand in Human Rights Watch's Asia division, said declaring martial law is a serious step away from democracy.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph27">"With the enforcement of martial law, the army is one step closer to taking over power completely from civilian administration," he said. "There is no check and balance; there is no safeguards against rights violations."</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph28"><strong>Guarding the media</strong></p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph29">As the sun came up Tuesday, the military was guarding all Thai TV stations, Thai public television announced, showing pictures of soldiers and armored vehicles taking positions outside broadcast facilities in the country's capital.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph30">In a statement read on Thai television, the military declared that all of the country's radio and television stations must suspend their normal programs "when it is needed."</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph31">The dramatic announcements come days after <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/14/world/asia/thailand-protests-shooting-attack/" target="_blank">the head of the army issued a stern warning</a> after political violence had surged in the country's capital.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph32">The U.S. Embassy in Bangkok alerted American citizens in the country that martial law had been imposed. It warned them to pay attention to media coverage of Thailand and avoid protests and public gatherings, cautioning that peaceful events could turn violent.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph33"><a href="https://twitter.com/Michael_Yon/status/468569624275992576 " target="_blank">Journalists</a> inside the country posted on Twitter that some of their social media accounts were being blocked.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph34"><strong>Command and control</strong></p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph35">The military has established a security task force called the Peace Keeping Command Center, which is headed by army Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha and operates from the Thai Army Club in Bangkok.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph36">The task force has ordered officials to appear before it. Local and international journalists formed a crowd outside the building waiting for Prayuth to speak.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph37">At a news conference, the general said he wanted "all political parties" to start a dialogue aimed at ending the political crisis in Thailand, saying the military "won't allow any bloodshed."</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph38">"We cannot keep having" conflict, Prayuth said.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph39">He apologized for banning some TV broadcasts, justifying the measure for reasons of national security. He would not say when martial law would end but indicated he did not foresee it lasting for three to six months.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph40"><strong>Going forward</strong></p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph41">What happens next will depend on how protesters react, Quaglia said.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph42">"The military is taking a step-by-step, gentle approach to see if they can get things to improve," he said. "If not, they'll of course have to ratchet up their actions."</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph43">Nipat, the lieutenant general, said the<strong> </strong>precise restrictions of martial law were being worked out.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph44">Members of the government's "red shirt" support base, many of whom hail from the country's rural north and northeast, view Yingluck Shinawatra's ouster as a "judicial coup" and have been protesting what they consider an unfair bias by many of the country's institutions against their side.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph45">Anti-government protesters are seeking a new government -- but not through elections, which members of the opposition Democrat Party has boycotted, arguing the alleged corruption of their political rivals makes widespread reform necessary before any meaningful vote can be held.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph46">Increased government efforts to improve security are a positive step, Quaglia said.</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph47">"That being said, martial law will not solve the political problems that continue to haunt this country," he said. "The differences are stark, and I don't think the military can step in and by force fix the political issues."</p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph48"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/19/world/asia/thailand-martial-law/index.html" target="_blank">Army declares martial law, government wasn't informed</a></p> <p class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph49"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/19/world/asia/thailand-protests-miss-universe/index.html" target="_blank">Newly-crowned Miss Universe Thailand in hot water over 'red shirts' remarks</a></p> <p class="cnn_strycbftrtxt">CNN's Ben Brumfield, Catherine E. Shoichet and Ashley Fantz reported from Atlanta. Kocha Olarn reported from Bangkok. CNN's John Vause, Saima Mohsin and Tim Hume contributed to this report.</p> <!--endclickprintinclude--><!--google_ad_section_end--> <!--no partner--> <div class="cnn_stryshrwdgtbtm"> <div id="cnn_sharebar2"> <div class="c_sharebar_cntr c_sharebar_loading"> <div class="cnn_stryswdgtbtm1"> <div class="cnn_stryswdgtbtm1a"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/20/world/asia/thailand-martial/index.html#disqus_thread">0</a></div> <div class="cnn_stryswdgtbtm1b"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/20/world/asia/thailand-martial/#cnn-disqus-area">Comments »</a></div> </div><!-- /cnn_stryswdgtbtm1 --> <div class="cnn_stryswdgtbtm2"> <div class="c_sharebtmcol1"> <div class="c_sharetitle">SHARE THIS</div> <div class="c_sharebtns"> <ul><li class="c_sharebtn c_sharebtnfb"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="cnnsocial.share.click('cnn_sharebar2', 'facebook');"/></li> <li class="c_sharebtn c_sharebtntwtr"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="cnnsocial.share.click('cnn_sharebar2', 'twitter');"/></li> <li class="c_sharebtn c_sharebtngplus"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="cnnsocial.share.click('cnn_sharebar2', 'googleplus');"/></li> <li class="c_sharebtn c_sharebtnlnkn"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="cnnsocial.share.click('cnn_sharebar2', 'linkedin');"/></li> </ul><div class="cnn_clear"/> </div> </div><!-- /c_sharebtmcol1 --> <div class="c_sharebtmdiv"/> <div class="c_sharebtmcol2"> <div class="fb-like" data-send="false" data-layout="box_count" data-width="90" data-show-faces="false" data-action="recommend" href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/20/world/asia/thailand-martial/index.html"/> </div><!-- /c_sharebtmcol2 --> <div class="c_sharebtmdiv"/> <div class="c_shareweb c_sharebtmcol3"> <ul><li class="cnn_sswdgtweb1"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/20/world/asia/thailand-martial/#" onclick="if(typeof CleanPrintPrintHtml!='undefined' && CleanPrintPrintHtml) CleanPrintPrintHtml(); else window.print(); return false;">Print</a></li> <li class="cnn_sswdgtweb2"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/20/world/asia/thailand-martial/#" onclick="return(ET());">Email</a></li> <li class="cnn_sswdgtweb3"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="$j('#cnn_sharebarmore2').toggle();">More sharing</a> </li> </ul></div><!-- /c_sharebtmcol3 --> <div class="cnn_clear"/> </div> <div class="cnn_clear"/> </div> </div> </div> <!-- CALLOUT|http://ads.cnn.com/html.ng/site=cnn&cnn_pagetype=mmst&cnn_position=607x95_adlinks&cnn_rollup=world&page.allowcompete=no¶ms.styles=fs|CALLOUT --><!-- ADSPACE: asia/mmst/adlinks.607x95 --><div id="ad-2bbec177a56fa20e" align="center" style="padding: 0; margin: 0; border: 0;"/> <!-- ADSPACE-END --><div class="cnn_divline cnn_divln3pxblck" style="margin-top:20px;" id="cnn-disqus-area"/> <div id="disqus_thread"/> </div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="2" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNHloCD_yKSQAj1r96QKVjBtNiaJ9w&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778509850179&ei=4Yh7U-zEJYi-wAGakoFo&url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2014/05/20/gm-recall-belts-airbags-transmission/9322725/">GM recalls another 2.4M vehicles for belts, bags, more - USA TODAY</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 20 May 2014 09:52 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"><div id="module-position-NNdU57g4NgQ" class="story-asset story-metadata-asset"><div class="article-metadata-wrap"><section id="module-position-NNdU57gizvA" class="storymetadata-bucket expandable-photo-module" readability="2"><aside itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" class="single-photo expandable-collapsed" readability="4"><p class="image-credit-wrap"><span class="cutline">The Buick Enclave is one of the models recalled on Tuesday for faulty seat bealt cables.</span><meta itemprop="copyrightHolder" content=""/><span class="credit">(Photo: Justin Munter, GM)</span></p></aside></section></div></div><p>General Motors is recalling a total 2.42 million vehicles to fix four separate safety flaws, nearly matching the 2.6 million cars GM recalled in three stages earlier this year for a deadly ignition switch flaw.</p><p>Last week GM announced five separate recalls that totaled 3 million vehicles.</p><p>GM says it now plans to take a $400 million charge against first-quarter earnings for the costs of the recalls -- double the $200 million it had forecast after the five recalls announced May 16.</p><p>The automaker says the huge new recall is part of its "continuing effort to quickly address emerging safety issues."</p><p>By GM's count, it has announced 29 recalls in the U.S. so far this year, including today's. Two of the recalls involve fewer than 100 vehicles.</p><p>The ignition switch fault is linked to 12 deaths in 46 accidents that involved injury or death in the U.S. and one fatal crash in Canada.</p><p>There have been 18 crashes due to one of the problems in the latest recall, GM says, but no fatalities.</p><p>The vehicles involved, and their defects:</p><p>•1,339,355 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia full-size crossover SUVs from the 2009-2014 model years and Saturn Outlooks from 2009-2010 Front safety lap belt cables can wear out due to people moving while wearing the belts. GM told dealers they can't sell new or used versions of the vehicles until they are repaired.</p><p>•1,075,102 vehicles were added to an April 29 recall to fix a transmission shift cable that can wear and fail to indicate the correct gear. Added in this action: 2004-2008 Chevrolet Malibu and Maxx, 2007-2008 Saturn Aura, 2005-2008 Pontiac G6.</p><p>That's the fault linked to the 18 crashes.</p><p>•1,402 Cadillac Escalades and Escalade ESVs from the 2015 model year because a flaw in how the passenger-side front air bag is connected to the dashboard that could cause the bag to inflate improperly in a crash.</p><p>Only 224 of those had been sold, and GM sent those owners overnight letters warning of the condition.</p><div id="module-position-NNdU57goC4M" class="story-asset image-asset" readability="31"><aside itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" class="wide single-photo" readability="2"><img itemprop="url" src="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/fdd7bd1598a14e13dac6ae61f20ed96210b60ade/c=858-312-2832-1800&r=x383&c=540x380/local/-/media/USATODAY/USATODAY/2014/05/20//1400603168000-XXX-2015-Cadillac-Escalade.jpg" alt="XXX 2015 Cadillac Escalade" width="540"/><meta itemprop="name" content="XXX 2015 Cadillac Escalade"/><meta itemprop="height" content="380"/><meta itemprop="width" content="540"/><p>2015 Cadillac Escalade<meta itemprop="copyrightHolder" content="General Motors"/><span class="credit">(Photo: General Motors)</span></p></aside></div><p>•58 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD full-size pickups from the 2015 model year because loose electrical connections in the engine compartment could cause a fire.</p><p>Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1gL37rm</p></div> </td> </tr> </table> <table style="border-top:1px solid #999;padding-top:4px;margin-top:1.5em;width:100%" id="footer"> <tr> <td style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">You are subscribed to email updates from <a href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en">Top Stories - Google News</a> <br />To stop receiving these emails, you may <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailunsubscribe?k=vNU6gfBaGNiEci8BSSOBNzdQZg0">unsubscribe now</a>.</td> <td style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;text-align:right;vertical-align:top">Email delivery powered by Google</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610</td> </tr> </table> </div> blog2http://www.blogger.com/profile/04250645119730839480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933194393748629376.post-43303741509651294432014-05-19T10:39:00.001-07:002014-05-19T10:39:15.551-07:00NST Online Top Stories - Google News<style type="text/css"> h1 a:hover {background-color:#888;color:#fff ! important;} div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div ul { list-style-type:square; padding-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div blockquote { padding-left:6px; border-left: 6px solid #dadada; margin-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div li { margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:1em; } table#itemcontentlist tr td a:link, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:visited, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:active, ul#summarylist li a { color:#000099; font-weight:bold; text-decoration:none; } img {border:none;} </style> <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" id="emailbody" style="margin:0 2em;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <table style="border:0;padding:0;margin:0;width:100%"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top" width="99%"> <h1 style="margin:0;padding-bottom:6px;"> <a style="color:#888;font-size:22px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;" href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en" title="(http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en)">NST Online Top Stories - Google News</a> </h1> </td> <td width="1%" /> </tr> </table> <hr style="border:1px solid #ccc;padding:0;margin:0" /> <table id="itemcontentlist"> <tr xmlns=""> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="1" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNHF4fbjmJ_r2RZMwKDc26gxXv53vw&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778508661456&ei=wkF6U8jNCIKIwgHJLw&url=http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-05-19/u-dot-s-dot-charges-five-chinese-military-hackers-with-online-spying">US Charges Five Chinese Military Hackers With Online Spying - Businessweek</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 19 May 2014 10:34 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <p>The Justice Department today announced the <a href="http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/May/14-ag-528.html">indictment</a> of five Chinese military hackers for online spying against U.S. steel, nuclear power, and solar companies, marking the first charges of this kind by the U.S. against another state.</p> <p>The U.S. charges that the five conspired to break into the computers of major U.S. companies, including Alcoa, and steal trade secrets that provided competitive advantage to Chinese state-owned companies, according to an indictment unsealed today in the Western District of Pennsylvania.</p> <p>"For too long, the Chinese government has blatantly sought to use cyber espionage to obtain economic advantage for its state-owned industries," said FBI Director James B. Comey in a press release. "The indictment announced today is an important step. But there are many more victims, and there is much more to be done."</p> <p>Starting in 2006 and continuing until last month, the spies—with memorable online handles such as UglyGorilla and KandyGoo—stole proprietary information and internal communications from Westinghouse Electric, <span class="ticker_wrap"><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Corporation"><span itemprop="name">U.S. Steel</span></span> (<a href="http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?ticker=X" class="ticker" data-symbol="X">X</a>)</span>, <span class="ticker_wrap"><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Corporation"><span itemprop="name">Allegheny Technologies</span></span> (<a href="http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?ticker=ATI" class="ticker" data-symbol="ATI">ATI</a>)</span>, <span class="ticker_wrap"><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Corporation"><span itemprop="name">Alcoa</span></span> (<a href="http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?ticker=AA" class="ticker" data-symbol="AA">AA</a>)</span>, and subsidiaries of <span class="ticker_wrap"><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Corporation"><span itemprop="name">SolarWorld</span></span> (<a href="http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?ticker=SWV:GR" class="ticker" data-symbol="SWV:GR">SWV:GR</a>)</span>, according to the indictment.</p> <p>The U.S. government and private security researchers have been tracking the depredations of Chinese hackers on U.S. companies for years, including the online footprints of Ugly Gorilla, the alias of one of the indicted hackers, Wang Dong. Ugly Gorilla has been identified with the campaigns of <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-26/china-hackers-hit-eu-point-man-and-d-c-with-byzantine-candor.html">Comment group</a>, one of the best-known teams that has been linked to intrusions at hundreds of organizations in the past decade.</p> <p><span class="ticker_wrap"><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Corporation"><span itemprop="name">Mandiant</span></span> (<a href="http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?ticker=FEYE" class="ticker" data-symbol="FEYE">FEYE</a>)</span> released a public <a href="https://www.mandiant.com/blog/mandiant-exposes-apt1-chinas-cyber-espionage-units-releases-3000-indicators/">report</a> in February 2013 detailing hacking linked to a Shanghai-based unit of the People's Liberation Army, and last May the Pentagon for the first time directly accused China of a cyber-espionage campaign against the U.S. government. Last June, President Barack Obama held talks on cybersecurity with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Sunnyland estate in Rancho Mirage, Calif. At the time, Xi rejected charges that China is responsible for anti-U.S. cyber assaults.</p> <p>Then the Edward Snowden leaks hit, and most of the world's attention has since been focused on U.S. spying by the National Security Agency. The U.S. government has sought to draw a distinction between its own activity and China's targeting of corporate secrets to give its own companies an economic advantage. Reports that the NSA has spied on the Chinese company <span class="ticker_wrap"><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Corporation"><span itemprop="name">Huawei Technologies</span></span> (<a href="http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?ticker=002502:CH" class="ticker" data-symbol="002502:CH">002502:CH</a>)</span> have undercut those distinctions, and today's indictment is going to be seen in both China and the rest of the world as hypocritical, says, <a href="http://www.cfr.org/experts/china-innovation-cybersecurity/adam-segal/b8863">Adam Segal</a>, a specialist in cybersecurity and China at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.</p> <p>The legal action against Chinese hackers, rich as it may be in symbolism, won't do much to solve the actual problems the U.S. faces, he adds.</p> <p>"I just don't know how it plays out really—they can't get their hands on them, and what do the Chinese do in response?" said Segal. "Symbolically, yes, important. Calling out the Chinese is important. Not going to change very much on the ground."</p> </div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="2" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNE-VatoVkZZLv1O7pkXxE1_f7W0DA&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778505234440&ei=wkF6U8jNCIKIwgHJLw&url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act-four/wp/2014/05/19/five-things-we-can-learn-from-jill-abramsons-commencement-speech-at-wake-forest/">Five things we can learn from Jill Abramson's commencement speech at Wake ... - Washington Post</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 19 May 2014 10:04 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <p>Former New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson spoke at the Wake Forest commencement this morning, taking the podium at a moment when the debate about why <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act-four/wp/2014/05/15/what-jill-abramson-and-anita-hill-now-have-in-common/">she was really fired from the paper</a> shows no sign of concluding quickly.</p> <p>Given the recentness of her departure — and presumably, the terms of whatever settlement Abramson reached with her former employers — the speech was a bit awkward. Abramson could not have really made a detailed case for herself without looking petulant, and besides, Bloomberg's Al Hunt did that for her in his introduction. "It is said she can be a tough, no-nonsense, even pushy in her passionate commitment to truth and accountability, no matter rank or party. That's what makes a great editor," Hunt told the graduates. An inspiring message might have seemed deluded, platitudinous or even hypocritical.</p> <p>The short text Abramson delivered did not manage to transcend the difficulty of the situation. But in her demeanor even more so than her words, Abramson managed to make some good points for the graduates.</p> <p><strong>1. A great deal of life is in showing up, not just when it's easy, but particularly when you would rather not:</strong> It might have been natural for Abramson to cancel, even if it created an awkward situation for Wake Forest, which would have needed to replace her on short notice. She could have avoided the spotlight, and the students would not have had a speaker who was in the awkward situation of having been recently terminated. But Abramson showed up, and she was game. "Leaving the protective cocoon of school for the working world must seem scary," she told the graduates. The example she set, of coming and doing what was asked of her even when she might not have felt like it, is Adulthood 101 in that working world.</p> <p><strong>2. It is not always about you, and a sense of occasion counts for a lot:</strong> Abramson was smart enough to start her speech by downplaying the reason that so many people with no connection to Wake Forest were watching it. "I think the only real news here today is your graduation from this great university," she said. The speech was at its strongest when Abramson stuck to the idea that her job was to serve the graduates. It was most awkward when she turned the attention back to herself, particularly when Abramson mentioned something newsworthy but a little self-pitying (and not terribly in keeping with the ideals of journalistic objectivity): that Anita Hill, about whom she co-wrote a book with Jane Mayer, had written Abramson with condolences.</p> <p><strong>3. Proportion will always serve you well:</strong> Abramson's address was awfully brief, and she might have done well to spend some more time on the examples of resilience she gave the graduates. She told the story of Patrick Zuo, a Times employee in China, who went back to work immediately after he was detained for his journalistic work. And Abramson talked about Dana Lerner, the mother of Cooper Stock, a young boy killed by a taxi, who reached out to Abramson after she and her colleagues wrote a piece about the dangers pedestrians face. Rather than staying mired in grief, Lerner and her husband have <a href="http://nypost.com/2014/02/15/mother-of-boy-killed-by-cab-pushes-for-coopers-law/">become advocates for pedestrian safety legislation</a>.</p> <p>Abramson hit a bit of a false note when she told the graduates: "What's next for me? I don't know. So I'm in the same boat as many of you. And like you, I'm a little scared, but also excited." She has many more financial and professional resources than any of the young people who got their degrees today. But for the most part, Abramson was right to play down her own troubles. Embarrassment and anger are uncomfortable, but they are not crippling disasters.</p> <p><strong>4. As will a sense of humor about yourself:</strong> One of the many minor questions floating around in the wake of Abramson's departure from the Times is what she might do about the paper's "T," which she has tattooed on her back. Abramson was smart enough to include an answer in her speech, after Wake Forest students asked her about it. Will she cover it up or get it removed? "Not a chance," Abramson said, combining humor and a sense of graciousness for her former institution.</p> <p><strong>5. Always keep working:</strong> Abramson's speech, which one presumes was somewhat hastily written, did not always hang together or pace well. But she closed out strong, invoking <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=Fg66IING1f0C&pg=PA67&lpg=PA67&dq=robert+frost+colby+commencement&source=bl&ots=4RJ23InYff&sig=mKHnyboS3MFJOq8qo1SM1XYdUaI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=QBN6U8C0LtOMqgbukIHoBw&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=robert%20frost%20colby%20commencement&f=false">Robert Frost's 1956 Colby commencement speech</a> and his charge to the graduates to mind their knitting. "My mother was a great knitter, and she made some really magnificent things, but she also made a few itchy, frankly hideous sweaters for me," Abramson told the students and their parents at Wake Forest. Sometimes the work will be good. Sometimes it will fail. But making sure you always have something to do, and something to work towards, is the best possible cure for melancholy and discouragement.</p> </div> </td> </tr> </table> <table style="border-top:1px solid #999;padding-top:4px;margin-top:1.5em;width:100%" id="footer"> <tr> <td style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">You are subscribed to email updates from <a href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en">Top Stories - Google News</a> <br />To stop receiving these emails, you may <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailunsubscribe?k=vNU6gfBaGNiEci8BSSOBNzdQZg0">unsubscribe now</a>.</td> <td style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;text-align:right;vertical-align:top">Email delivery powered by Google</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610</td> </tr> </table> </div> blog2http://www.blogger.com/profile/04250645119730839480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933194393748629376.post-75189627062170422262014-05-18T09:30:00.001-07:002014-05-18T09:30:24.634-07:00NST Online Top Stories - Google News<style type="text/css"> h1 a:hover {background-color:#888;color:#fff ! important;} div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div ul { list-style-type:square; padding-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div blockquote { padding-left:6px; border-left: 6px solid #dadada; margin-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div li { margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:1em; } table#itemcontentlist tr td a:link, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:visited, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:active, ul#summarylist li a { color:#000099; font-weight:bold; text-decoration:none; } img {border:none;} </style> <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" id="emailbody" style="margin:0 2em;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <table style="border:0;padding:0;margin:0;width:100%"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top" width="99%"> <h1 style="margin:0;padding-bottom:6px;"> <a style="color:#888;font-size:22px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;" href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en" title="(http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en)">NST Online Top Stories - Google News</a> </h1> </td> <td width="1%" /> </tr> </table> <hr style="border:1px solid #ccc;padding:0;margin:0" /> <table id="itemcontentlist"> <tr xmlns=""> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="1" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNF58tJ4nHxFzyNKBt7nmdC-wrA90A&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778505384810&ei=H-B4U6jDAZTAwQH9-AE&url=http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-05-18/clinton-bears-responsibility-over-benghazi-attack-cheney-says">Clinton Bears Responsibility Over Benghazi Attack, Cheney Says - Businessweek</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 18 May 2014 08:39 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <p>Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton bears responsibility for the attacks on a U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya, and will be held accountable should she run for president in 2016, former Vice President Dick Cheney said. </p> <p>"It's a major issue," Cheney, who served under President George W. Bush, said in an interview on the "Fox News Sunday" TV program. "I don't think we've heard the last of it yet." </p> <p>The Republican-controlled House voted this month to create a select committee to continue investigating the Sept. 11, 2012, attacks, which killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans. The panel will probe whether President Barack Obama's administration intentionally misled the public when officials initially asserted the violence didn't stem from planned terrorism. The officials later said it did. </p> <p>Democrats say the attack and the administration's comments on it have been thoroughly vetted. </p> <p>"It's a hunting mission for a lynch mob," Senator Dianne Feinstein, the California Democrat who is chairman of the chamber's intelligence committee, said on CNN's "State of the Union." </p> <p>She said questions about the attacks have been "answered to the satisfaction" of her committee, citing past hearings and four reports. </p> <h2>Ukraine Crisis </h2> <p>Clinton, whose 2008 presidential run was derailed by the surging popularity of fellow Democratic candidate Obama, has said she'll make a decision on a 2016 White House run by the end of this year. </p> <p>Cheney, who was vice president from 2001 to 2009, also criticized Obama for his handling of the crisis in Ukraine. Obama has "demonstrated repeatedly" that he can "be pushed around" by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Cheney said. </p> <p>Putin is "taking advantage of this opportunity when he thinks we have a weak president to try to restore some of the old Soviet Union," Cheney told Fox News. </p> <p>The U.S. and U.K. imposed sanctions on Russian companies and individuals in Putin's inner circle after he annexed the Crimean peninsula in March. </p> <h2>Rebel Fighting </h2> <p>Fighting is escalating in Ukraine's eastern regions as the country's government pursues a national-unity discussion without the participation of separatists. Unofficial referendums on secession earlier this month in Donetsk and Luhansk ended with rebels declaring independence. The violence is threatening to disrupt Ukraine's May 25 presidential election, which the U.S., European Union and NATO say is being undermined by Russian intervention. </p> <p>The government in Kiev and its allies in the U.S. and EU have rejected the secession referendums as illegal, and accuse Putin of stirring unrest after annexing Crimea. NATO says Putin still has 40,000 troops arrayed on Ukraine's border and hasn't fulfilled promises to pull them back. </p> <p>Cheney, who before his stint as vice president served as a U.S. secretary of defense and in the U.S. House of Representatives, appeared on the Fox program with his wife, Lynne Cheney. She is the author of "James Madison: A Life Reconsidered," a new book examining the life and legacy of the fourth U.S. president. </p> <p>To contact the reporters on this story: Alan Bjerga in Washington at abjerga@bloomberg.net; Greg Giroux in Washington at ggiroux@bloomberg.net </p> <p>To contact the editors responsible for this story: Romaine Bostick at rbostick@bloomberg.net Don Frederick, Bernard Kohn </p> </div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="2" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNHN7UmFk5f0RdBQJyJevai4R0x7fg&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778505788031&ei=H-B4U6jDAZTAwQH9-AE&url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/nigeria/10839247/Nigeria-kidnapped-schoolgirls-will-the-Nigerian-government-do-a-prisoner-swap-with-Boko-Haram.html">Nigeria kidnapped schoolgirls: will the Nigerian government do a prisoner swap ... - Telegraph.co.uk</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 18 May 2014 09:10 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <p> Boko Haram's bushfighters may not have the skills of the SAS, but what they do not lack is ruthlessness. </p> <p> <image version="c" refid="2913368" width="460" height="287" caption="Christopher McManus was killed by Boko Haram in 2011" declared-caption="" src="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02913/christopher-mcmanu_2913368c.jpg" photographer="" name="christopher-mcmanus" alttext="Christopher McManus was killed by Boko Haram in 2011"></image><br /><sup>Chris McManus' captors shot him dead during a rescue attempt</sup></p> <p> Diplomats believe that at the first sign of an armed rescue attempt, the group will slaughter its captives straightaway – just as they did in the joint British-Nigerian effort to free Chris McManus, the British hostage shot dead during a rescue attempt in March 2012. </p> <p> Likewise, if the girls are split up into separate groups – possibly eight or more – a successful operation to recapture one could lead immediately to reprisals against the others. </p> <p> Somali pirates have already pioneered this technique, and it has been successful in keeping special forces attacks on their hostages to a minimum. </p> <p> No foreign government, of course, is anxious to spell out these difficulties too publicly. But only last week, US officials privately conceded that a rescue operation was not an option. </p> <p> That, in other words, leaves two other options, neither admittedly attractive. </p> <p> Option one is to simply sit it out, and gamble that Boko Haram might eventually just hand the girls back. Even jihadist groups have an image to think about, and it might just calculate that killing the girls or selling them into slavery might actually discredit them in the eyes of fellow radicals, making it harder to get outside help when they need it. </p> <p> But that would also amount to doing nothing, and given that Mr Jonathan has already been accused of doing just that for the past month, it would not be politically attractive. </p> <p> Option two, then is to do a trade, which seems to be what Boko Haram is pushing for. Already, the group is making public gestures at compromise – last week, it said it wanted the release of all its prisoners, including senior militants, but on Sunday, sources close to the group told The Telegraph that it had reduced that demand to just low-level fighters and the wives and children of sect members, many of whom have been detained purely to put pressure on the sect members themselves. </p> <p> Human rights groups say the Nigerian government should never have detained wives and children in the first place, and that many of the low-level prisoners are either ignorant, brainwashed foot soldiers or mere innocents caught up in Nigerian army sweeps. The Nigerian government, of course, denies that. </p> <p> Right now, though, it might want to think again. For it might just give a fig-leaf of credibility to what in any event will feel like a very dirty deal. </p> </div> </td> </tr> </table> <table style="border-top:1px solid #999;padding-top:4px;margin-top:1.5em;width:100%" id="footer"> <tr> <td style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">You are subscribed to email updates from <a href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en">Top Stories - Google News</a> <br />To stop receiving these emails, you may <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailunsubscribe?k=vNU6gfBaGNiEci8BSSOBNzdQZg0">unsubscribe now</a>.</td> <td style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;text-align:right;vertical-align:top">Email delivery powered by Google</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610</td> </tr> </table> </div> blog2http://www.blogger.com/profile/04250645119730839480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933194393748629376.post-63365913198398408592014-05-17T09:45:00.001-07:002014-05-17T09:45:13.266-07:00NST Online Top Stories - Google News<style type="text/css"> h1 a:hover {background-color:#888;color:#fff ! important;} div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div ul { list-style-type:square; padding-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div blockquote { padding-left:6px; border-left: 6px solid #dadada; margin-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div li { margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:1em; } table#itemcontentlist tr td a:link, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:visited, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:active, ul#summarylist li a { color:#000099; font-weight:bold; text-decoration:none; } img {border:none;} </style> <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" id="emailbody" style="margin:0 2em;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <table style="border:0;padding:0;margin:0;width:100%"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top" width="99%"> <h1 style="margin:0;padding-bottom:6px;"> <a style="color:#888;font-size:22px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;" href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en" title="(http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en)">NST Online Top Stories - Google News</a> </h1> </td> <td width="1%" /> </tr> </table> <hr style="border:1px solid #ccc;padding:0;margin:0" /> <table id="itemcontentlist"> <tr xmlns=""> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="1" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNEra4gIGarBB-6bYM5TU24z6UwxIA&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778501729634&ei=EJJ3U8CFE4KIwgHJLw&url=http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/18/world/asia/victor-in-india-promises-to-make-country-strong.html">Victor in India Promises to Make Country Strong - New York Times</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 17 May 2014 09:08 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;">[unable to retrieve full-text content]<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="7" style="vertical-align:top;"><tr><td width="80" align="center" valign="top"><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNG0Gwg1CSg5Bq10iSxlSskVT2j-rw&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778501729634&ei=EJJ3U8CFE4KIwgHJLw&url=http://www.financialexpress.com/news/live-post-victory-march-narendra-modi-arrives-at-bjp-hq-all-congress-ministers-resign/1251919"><img src="//t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRnMIavc2Zu4RXLPkw9xZ_he4Q45EJyf9lQH9aXIOffpzCGgmBt4f-WepEv00lLd2wRtPC9qZk" alt="" border="1" width="80" height="80" /><br /><font size="-2">Financial Express</font></a></font></td><td valign="top" class="j"><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br /><div style="padding-top:0.8em;"><img alt="" height="1" width="1" /></div><div class="lh"><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNEra4gIGarBB-6bYM5TU24z6UwxIA&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778501729634&ei=EJJ3U8CFE4KIwgHJLw&url=http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/18/world/asia/victor-in-india-promises-to-make-country-strong.html"><b>Victor in India Promises to Make Country Strong</b></a><br /><font size="-1"><b><font color="#6f6f6f">New York Times</font></b></font><br /><font size="-1">Narendra Modi greeted supporters outside the Bharatiya Janata Party's headquarters in Delhi, on Saturday. Credit Kuni Takahashi for The New York Times. Continue reading the main story. Continue reading the main story. Continue reading the main story ...</font><br /><font size="-1"><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNGB5NOIsFRDbGLmsDQ83miBgGae9A&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778501729634&ei=EJJ3U8CFE4KIwgHJLw&url=http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-05-17/modi-greeted-by-thousands-in-new-delhi-after-historic-india-win">Modi Tells India's Hindu Heartland He's Doing God's Work</a><font size="-1" color="#6f6f6f"><nobr>Businessweek</nobr></font></font><br /><font size="-1"><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNEdigUOc9WTT7aQzvT-cm74vRBSHA&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778501729634&ei=EJJ3U8CFE4KIwgHJLw&url=http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-05-16/burning-photos-set-17-year-old-modi-on-path-to-india-premiership.html">Burning Photos Set 17-Year-Old Modi on Path to Peak of Indian Leadership</a><font size="-1" color="#6f6f6f"><nobr>Bloomberg</nobr></font></font><br /><font size="-1"><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNEAk7WsMVYOGq-3Y5TnJHBiTFLkZA&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778501729634&ei=EJJ3U8CFE4KIwgHJLw&url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-27452718">India election: Modi mobbed amid Delhi celebrations</a><font size="-1" color="#6f6f6f"><nobr>BBC News</nobr></font></font><br /><font size="-1" class="p"><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNHHqQLD4lOXsO4FE-Qzfcx5RxAtmw&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778501729634&ei=EJJ3U8CFE4KIwgHJLw&url=http://gulfnews.com/business/economy/india-s-modi-faces-huge-burden-of-expectation-1.1333987"><nobr>gulfnews.com</nobr></a> -<a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNEjgh-faovU3VciinvkAP05aTT0NA&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778501729634&ei=EJJ3U8CFE4KIwgHJLw&url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/elections2014/election-beat/all-well-in-bjp-now-as-leaders-fall-in-line/article1-1220349.aspx"><nobr>Hindustan Times</nobr></a> -<a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNG5CBy1U-eS4d1WcaMJLbwtKJkl3w&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778501729634&ei=EJJ3U8CFE4KIwgHJLw&url=http://time.com/103752/after-huge-win-next-indian-pm-begins-victory-lap/"><nobr>TIME</nobr></a></font><br /><font class="p" size="-1"><a class="p" href="http://news.google.com.my/news/more?ncl=desfUc3LbhmdaiMhw85AkQEm45hBM&authuser=0&ned=us&topic=h"><nobr><b>all 6,192 news articles »</b></nobr></a></font></div></font></td></tr></table></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="2" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNHNnRMnX5l3i-E8K6beCLtelSa39g&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778502206150&ei=EJJ3U8CFE4KIwgHJLw&url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/05/17/turkey-mine-search-ends/9213419/">Turkey mine search ends; last of 301 bodies found - USA TODAY</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 17 May 2014 09:21 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"><div id="module-position-NM_X6belYlE"><p><span itemprop="name" class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item"> AP </span><span class="asset-metabar-time asset-metabar-item nobyline">12:20 p.m. EDT May 17, 2014</span></p></div><div role="main" itemprop="articleBody" readability="54.5767195767"><div id="module-position-NM_X6cMI3vE" class="story-asset story-metadata-asset"><div class="article-metadata-wrap"><section id="module-position-NM_X6cLQtCA" class="storymetadata-bucket expandable-photo-module" readability="3.5"><aside itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" class="single-photo expandable-collapsed" readability="7"><p class="image-credit-wrap"><span class="cutline">Miner Erdal Bicak, center, speaks to journalists as he joined fellow miners and their family members to commemorate the Soma mine accident victims and protest the government's labor policy in Savastepe, Turkey.</span><meta itemprop="copyrightHolder" content=""/><span class="credit">(Photo: Emrah Gurel)</span></p></aside></section></div></div><p>SAVASTEPE, Turkey (AP) — Turkish rescue workers have retrieved the bodies of the last two missing miners in the nation's worst mining disaster, putting the final death toll at 301, the energy minister said Saturday.</p><p>Taner Yildiz said 485 miners escaped or were rescued after Tuesday's explosion and fire that devastated a coal mine in Soma, western Turkey.</p><p>"All corners of the mine were searched by a large team and there was no other body or living person," he said. "Until today we had focused on search and rescue efforts. Now we will be focusing on investigations, on what will happen about production."</p><p>"We won't be leaving (Soma) because the search efforts are ending," he added. "There will be psychological and social support."</p><p>Government and mining officials have insisted that the disaster was not due to negligence and that the mine was inspected regularly. Akin Celik, the mine's operations manager, has said thick smoke from the underground fire killed many miners who had no gas masks. High levels of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide have been a problem for rescue workers as well.</p><p>But one miner, 24-year-old Erdal Bicak, told The Associated Press that he believes the disaster was due to the mining company's negligence.</p><p>"The company is guilty," Bicak said. He said managers had machines that measure methane gas levels: "The new gas levels had gotten too high and they didn't tell us in time."</p><p>Yildiz said it is too early to say why the explosion occurred.</p><p>"The true cause of the accident will be assessed ... through different dimensions," he said. "There will be lessons to draw for the mining world."</p><p><em>Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</em></p><p>Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1n7Likr</p></div></div> </td> </tr> </table> <table style="border-top:1px solid #999;padding-top:4px;margin-top:1.5em;width:100%" id="footer"> <tr> <td style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">You are subscribed to email updates from <a href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en">Top Stories - Google News</a> <br />To stop receiving these emails, you may <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailunsubscribe?k=vNU6gfBaGNiEci8BSSOBNzdQZg0">unsubscribe now</a>.</td> <td style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;text-align:right;vertical-align:top">Email delivery powered by Google</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610</td> </tr> </table> </div> blog2http://www.blogger.com/profile/04250645119730839480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933194393748629376.post-45901235112546144392014-05-16T09:05:00.001-07:002014-05-16T09:05:30.457-07:00NST Online Top Stories - Google News<style type="text/css"> h1 a:hover {background-color:#888;color:#fff ! important;} div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div ul { list-style-type:square; padding-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div blockquote { padding-left:6px; border-left: 6px solid #dadada; margin-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div li { margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:1em; } table#itemcontentlist tr td a:link, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:visited, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:active, ul#summarylist li a { color:#000099; font-weight:bold; text-decoration:none; } img {border:none;} </style> <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" id="emailbody" style="margin:0 2em;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <table style="border:0;padding:0;margin:0;width:100%"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top" width="99%"> <h1 style="margin:0;padding-bottom:6px;"> <a style="color:#888;font-size:22px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;" href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en" title="(http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en)">NST Online Top Stories - Google News</a> </h1> </td> <td width="1%" /> </tr> </table> <hr style="border:1px solid #ccc;padding:0;margin:0" /> <table id="itemcontentlist"> <tr xmlns=""> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="1" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNFdspT5r8NanJppcNHgesUUWKXllw&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778501729634&ei=STd2U_n1EvKGwAGUtwE&url=http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-05-16/the-twin-deficits-that-threaten-modis-india">The Twin Deficits That Threaten Modi's India - Businessweek</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 16 May 2014 09:00 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <p>For Narendra Modi, getting elected as prime minister of India is the easy part. Now comes dealing with the twin deficits—in the national budget and in foreign trade—that endanger the world's largest economy.</p> <p>Overnight poll results show that Modi's opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies scored the biggest Indian election win in 30 years. "Voters tired of sluggish economic growth and corruption handed a historic defeat to the Gandhi dynasty that has dominated politics since the country's founding," Bloomberg News <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-05-15/india-to-count-551-million-votes-as-modi-projected-to-take-power.html">reported</a> today.</p> <p>In April, the International Monetary Fund issued a 66-page report on India that highlighted the challenges facing India.<span class="inline_image right"><img src="http://images.bwbx.io/cms/2014-05-16/4261-20140516133713000000000.png" alt=""/></span> The report notes that India is not the only Group of 20 country with high budget deficits, nor is it the only one with high trade deficits. What's unusual is that it's high in both.</p> <p>Despite notable progress in shrinking both deficits, India remains vulnerable to a crisis of confidence among global investors, the IMF report says. Advanced economies are vulnerable to rapid fiscal deterioration, the report says, when they have debt-to-GDP ratios above 80 percent of GDP and persistent deficits in the current account, the broadest measure of trade in goods and services. Emerging economies such as India's are vulnerable even at lower debt levels, the report says, citing work by Harvard economists Kenneth Rogoff and Carmen Reinhart.<span class="inline_image right"><img src="http://images.bwbx.io/cms/2014-05-16/4263-20140516134133000000000.png" alt=""/></span></p> <p>The report by IMF economists Muneesh Kapur and Rakesh Mohan contains the following recommendations for the Indian government:</p> <p>• Raise taxes to shrink the budget deficit, including the proposed countrywide goods and services tax.<br/>• Hold down subsidies.<br/>• Open up the debt market to foreign investors at a "prudent" pace.<br/>• Bring down inflation by shrinking the budget deficit and reforming labor laws to make supply more flexible.<br/>• Invest in "physical and social infrastructure"—that is, roads and schools.</p> <p>The authors say that while the first generation of reforms was aimed at empowering the private sector, the next reforms need to be about "a similar empowerment of the public sector to deliver public goods and services."</p> </div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="2" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNFBc00RqArUhU329LG3JNfkW9GIiw&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778503863872&ei=STd2U_n1EvKGwAGUtwE&url=http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/17/business/us-fines-general-motors-35-million-for-lapses-on-ignition-switch-defect.html">US Fines General Motors $35 Million for Lapses on Ignition-Switch Defect - New York Times</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 16 May 2014 09:00 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;">[unable to retrieve full-text content]<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="7" style="vertical-align:top;"><tr><td width="80" align="center" valign="top"><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNGEUEV92ePgPa51fdSQZPEMaMg77w&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778503863872&ei=STd2U_n1EvKGwAGUtwE&url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/another-gm-recall-this-time-to-fix-malibu-brakes/2014/05/15/13f5db5c-dc20-11e3-a837-8835df6c12c4_story.html"><img src="//t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSJhcXj1IbQqNzAFYrexB1iaciapZj2g6bb-vXmjFF4odeX1hRxnr7RId4L-RLtX4lDauS8bss" alt="" border="1" width="80" height="80" /><br /><font size="-2">Washington Post</font></a></font></td><td valign="top" class="j"><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br /><div style="padding-top:0.8em;"><img alt="" height="1" width="1" /></div><div class="lh"><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNFBc00RqArUhU329LG3JNfkW9GIiw&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778503863872&ei=STd2U_n1EvKGwAGUtwE&url=http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/17/business/us-fines-general-motors-35-million-for-lapses-on-ignition-switch-defect.html"><b>US Fines General Motors $35 Million for Lapses on Ignition-Switch Defect</b></a><br /><font size="-1"><b><font color="#6f6f6f">New York Times</font></b></font><br /><font size="-1">The faulty ignition switch was prone to turn off, shutting the engine of a car and disabling its air bags. Credit Michael Spooneybarger/Reuters. Continue reading the main story. Continue reading the main story. Continue reading the main story Share This Page.</font><br /><font size="-1"><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNHcz_GBkctWfHoRL5w4M_BCDKB55A&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778503863872&ei=STd2U_n1EvKGwAGUtwE&url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2014/05/16/gm-recall-probe/9169355/">GM to pay maximum $35 million fine for recall delay</a><font size="-1" color="#6f6f6f"><nobr>USA TODAY</nobr></font></font><br /><font size="-1"><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNHAjeqaOKnP8KlvJkPMOTXELcJ8Pg&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778503863872&ei=STd2U_n1EvKGwAGUtwE&url=http://time.com/102906/gm-fine-ignition-recalls/">GM to Pay Record $35 Million Fine Over Ignition Switch Recalls</a><font size="-1" color="#6f6f6f"><nobr>TIME</nobr></font></font><br /><font size="-1"><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNHZNehGsq4DKHOmFLrpY0j_EXJhPw&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778503863872&ei=STd2U_n1EvKGwAGUtwE&url=http://www.seattlepi.com/news/crime/article/Government-fines-GM-maximum-35M-in-safety-case-5483211.php">Government fines GM maximum $35M in safety case</a><font size="-1" color="#6f6f6f"><nobr>seattlepi.com</nobr></font></font><br /><font size="-1" class="p"><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNEwRUx6LDeh9wDSm00OGua3V1k1tQ&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778503863872&ei=STd2U_n1EvKGwAGUtwE&url=http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-05-16/gm-said-to-agree-to-u-s-fine-over-ignition-switch-recall.html"><nobr>Bloomberg</nobr></a> -<a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNGMV5ZK81MLPTtZjYvXBjBAHXOwPA&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778503863872&ei=STd2U_n1EvKGwAGUtwE&url=http://www.latimes.com/business/la-government-fines-gm-maximum-35m-in-safety-case-20140516-story.html"><nobr>Los Angeles Times</nobr></a> -<a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNFzDWLfrVQ77HNptcTYFabspz0rpA&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778503863872&ei=STd2U_n1EvKGwAGUtwE&url=http://www.dallasnews.com/business/business-headlines/20140516-us-fines-gm-maximum-35m-for-delayed-ignition-switch-recall.ece"><nobr>Dallas Morning News</nobr></a></font><br /><font class="p" size="-1"><a class="p" href="http://news.google.com.my/news/more?ncl=dVaZrlVzVvHzeGMqh41e6bz1yXuMM&authuser=0&ned=us&topic=h"><nobr><b>all 1,009 news articles »</b></nobr></a></font></div></font></td></tr></table></div> </td> </tr> </table> <table style="border-top:1px solid #999;padding-top:4px;margin-top:1.5em;width:100%" id="footer"> <tr> <td style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">You are subscribed to email updates from <a href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en">Top Stories - Google News</a> <br />To stop receiving these emails, you may <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailunsubscribe?k=vNU6gfBaGNiEci8BSSOBNzdQZg0">unsubscribe now</a>.</td> <td style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;text-align:right;vertical-align:top">Email delivery powered by Google</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610</td> </tr> </table> </div> blog2http://www.blogger.com/profile/04250645119730839480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933194393748629376.post-12707804901639474562014-05-15T09:41:00.001-07:002014-05-15T09:41:50.500-07:00NST Online Top Stories - Google News<style type="text/css"> h1 a:hover {background-color:#888;color:#fff ! important;} div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div ul { list-style-type:square; padding-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div blockquote { padding-left:6px; border-left: 6px solid #dadada; margin-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div li { margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:1em; } table#itemcontentlist tr td a:link, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:visited, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:active, ul#summarylist li a { color:#000099; font-weight:bold; text-decoration:none; } img {border:none;} </style> <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" id="emailbody" style="margin:0 2em;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <table style="border:0;padding:0;margin:0;width:100%"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top" width="99%"> <h1 style="margin:0;padding-bottom:6px;"> <a style="color:#888;font-size:22px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;" href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en" title="(http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en)">NST Online Top Stories - Google News</a> </h1> </td> <td width="1%" /> </tr> </table> <hr style="border:1px solid #ccc;padding:0;margin:0" /> <table id="itemcontentlist"> <tr xmlns=""> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="1" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNF3hubWhc8QkDO9x0oHnaP-AUqiPA&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778502281786&ei=S-50U8CRD4b7wQHmbA&url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2014/05/15/aaron-hernandez-indictment-murder-2012/9120557/">Aaron Hernandez named shooter in 2012 slayings - USA TODAY</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 15 May 2014 09:22 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"><div id="module-position-NMpvTsy9z3g" class="story-asset story-metadata-asset"><div class="article-metadata-wrap"><section id="module-position-NMpvTszPmSw" class="storymetadata-bucket expandable-photo-module" readability="2"><aside itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" class="single-photo expandable-collapsed" readability="4"><p class="image-credit-wrap"><span class="cutline">Former Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez has been incarcerated since last summer.</span><meta itemprop="copyrightHolder" content=""/><span class="credit">(Photo: Jonathan Wiggs, AP)</span></p></aside></section></div></div><p>Former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez was indicted Thursday in a July 16, 2012 double slaying of two Boston men as "the principal, the shooter, the person responsible for taking these lives,'' Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said at a morning news conference.</p><p>The two men, Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado, were shot as they sat in a car at a stop light in Boston's South End.</p><p>Conley said Hernandez would be arraigned next week and that after a "chance encounter" in a Boston night club, Cure, the former Patriots tight end followed behind in an SUV, then pulled up alongside the victims' car on the right and fired a .38 Smith and Wesson revolver multiple times from the driver's side into the passengers side of the victims' vehicle.</p><p>Hernandez also faces charges in the death of 27-year-old Odin Lloyd in North Attleborough, Mass. last year.</p><p>Hernandez has pleaded not guilty to murder in the Lloyd case. He was arrested and charged last June 26 and is being held without bail after Lloyd's body was found near his North Attleborough home June 17.</p><p>Messages left with Hernandez's lawyer, Michael Fee, by USA TODAY Sports were not immediately returned.</p><p>Police have said they were shot by someone who drove alongside the two victims in an SUV with Rhode Island license plates and opened fire.</p><p>"For us this case was never about Aaron Hernandez,'' Conley said. "This was about two victims who were stalked, ambushed and senselessly murdered in the streets of the city they called home.''</p><p>"This case was never about Aaron Hernandez and his notoriety; this case is about the victims, about accountability about getting justice.''</p><p>Boston Police Commissioner William Evans characterized it as "a chance encounter.''</p><p>"Mr. de Abreu and Mr. Furtado were ambushed and executed as they drove home along Shammut Avenue in Boston's South End in the early morning hours of July 16, 2012,'' Conley said.</p><p>The indictment also alleges three counts of armed assault with intent to murder and one count of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon.</p><p>Said Conley: "These indictments reflect shots fired at three surviving victims who were in the automobile with Mr. Abreu and Mr. Furtado at the time of the homicides. The indictments further charge Aaron Hernandez for unlawfully carrying a .38 caliber Smith and Wesson revolver he used in the attack.''</p><p>Conley said the victims arrived at the Boston night club Cure around 12:30, while Hernandez and another man entered the club at the same time.</p><p>Their chance encounter triggered a series of events that culminated in their deaths.</p><p>Conley made a point to say the two victims were not members of a Cape Verdean gang, adding "Nothing could be further from the truth.''</p><p>Conley said from last June forward, there were a number of significant developments, including the recovery of the car used in the slayings from a Hernandez relative's garage in Bristol, Conn., plus the recovery of the weapon from a person with ties to Hernandez.</p><p>Conley said it is possible other charges could be brought as the grand jury remains open.</p><p>As to the indictment returned against Hernandez's cousin Tanya Singleton, she was provided immunity. But she refused to testify.</p><p>Conley said the indictments represent nearly two years of investigation and over 80 exhibits to the grand jury.</p></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="2" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNF-W49GXlXRTyuNsWCUpQErurghnw&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778502206150&ei=S-50U8CRD4b7wQHmbA&url=http://www.voanews.com/content/workers-union-strikes-as-turkey-mine-death-toll-rises/1914951.html">Turkey Mine Death Toll Climbs - Voice of America</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 15 May 2014 09:20 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> The image of an adviser to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan kicking a mourner who was protesting the prime minister's Wednesday visit to Soma has exacerbated tensions as four Turkish labor unions hold a national strike.<p>A major workers' union in Turkey called for the nationwide strike on Thursday, as the death toll in the country's worst-ever mine disaster rose to 282.<br /> <br /> Turkey's Public Workers Union Confederation represents hundreds of thousands of employees. The union says the one-day strike is a protest against the nation's poor mining safety standards.</p><p>According reports by Reuters, Erdogan was greeted by the boos and heckles of furious protesters as he toured Soma, the site of the disaster and home to some 16,000 miners, many of whom are angry over Ankara's close relationships with the mining executives they fault for the deadly explosion.<br /> </p> Emergency workers continued to search for survivors after an electrical explosion erupted deep inside a coal mine Tuesday in the mining town south of Istanbul. Officials say a fire still blazing inside the mine is hindering efforts to reach the 120 people thought to be trapped in the pit.<br /> <br />Rescuers hope the trapped miners have taken refuge inside one of the so-called safe rooms to avoid thick smoke and poisonous gases in the mine.<br /> <br />Government and mining company officials say nearly 450 miners have been rescued.<br /> <br />Anxious crowds outside the mine Wednesday cheered when some of the men emerged with blackened faces but remarkably unharmed. As the day wore on, the cheers became sobs when rescuers started bringing out bodies.<br /> <br /><strong>Erdogan infuriates crowd </strong><p>Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan infuriated the crowd in Soma by calling workplace accidents "ordinary things."<br /> <br /> "Such mine accidents do not happen only in Turkey. It also happens in many countries such as the United States, China, France, India and Belgium. I give, for example, figures for death tolls, many people died in such coal mine accidents. Our country is in a much better position," he said.</p><p>Erdogan had to take refuge in a grocery store. He also said the disaster in Soma will be thoroughly investigated.<br /> <br /> Police in Ankara used tear gas and water cannons to disperse hundreds of protesters who tried to march on the energy ministry. In Istanbul, dozens gathered outside the headquarters of the company that owns the mine.<br /> <br /> Officials say 787 people were inside the mine at the time of the blast, but a VOA reporter who spoke to miners taking part in the rescue operation said they say that the number of miners is usually closer to 1,000.<br /> <br /> Officials say most of the workers died from carbon monoxide poisoning after an electrical unit exploded, causing a fire inside the mine. The mining company, Soma Komur Isletmeleri, says it is unsure what caused the explosion.<br /> <br /> Turkey's coal mines are notoriously dangerous, prompting some in parliament to demand an investigation into poor safety conditions.<br /> </p><div> <div class="html5Player htmlPhg"> <ul class="htmlPhgList"><li class="htmlPhgListItem" readability="1"><img class="htmlPhgImage" data-src="http://gdb.voanews.com/3AA5216E-4F5E-4FD3-8A3C-9EE4242459F6_mwdynamic_mhdynamic_s.jpg" src="http://www.voanews.com/img/spacer.gif" alt="" /><div class="htmlPhgCaption" readability="13"> <p> People mourn at the grave of a miner after the burial service, in Soma, western province of Manisa, Turkey, May 15, 2014. </p> </div></li><li class="htmlPhgListItem" readability="0"><img class="htmlPhgImage" data-src="http://gdb.voanews.com/2F6F431A-DD3A-446B-9517-09D784E23930_mwdynamic_mhdynamic_s.jpg" src="http://www.voanews.com/img/spacer.gif" alt="" /><div class="htmlPhgCaption" readability="11"> <p> Miners and members of rescue services wait outside a coal mine in Soma, western Turkey, May 15, 2014. </p> </div></li><li class="htmlPhgListItem" readability="-0.5"><img class="htmlPhgImage" data-src="http://gdb.voanews.com/A217B174-EC17-4549-82EE-2EADDD8F0AF4_mwdynamic_mhdynamic_s.jpg" src="http://www.voanews.com/img/spacer.gif" alt="" /><div class="htmlPhgCaption" readability="10"> <p> People prepare graves for the coal mine disaster victims in Soma, Turkey, May 15, 2014. </p> </div></li><li class="htmlPhgListItem" readability="0"><img class="htmlPhgImage" data-src="http://gdb.voanews.com/FF7634AC-7720-4648-AAE0-EA1A9BBC26DE_mwdynamic_mhdynamic_s.jpg" src="http://www.voanews.com/img/spacer.gif" alt="" /><div class="htmlPhgCaption" readability="11"> <p> Members of the rescue team sit outside the coal mine, in Soma, western Turkey, May 15, 2014. </p> </div></li><li class="htmlPhgListItem" readability="1"><img class="htmlPhgImage" data-src="http://gdb.voanews.com/10AA7FD7-1EB1-4B00-AD39-0A8231C091C1_mwdynamic_mhdynamic_s.jpg" src="http://www.voanews.com/img/spacer.gif" alt="" /><div class="htmlPhgCaption" readability="13"> <p> Relatives of the miners wait near the coal mine where disaster struck, in Soma, western Turkey, Thursday, May 15, 2014. </p> </div></li><li class="htmlPhgListItem" readability="-0.5"><img class="htmlPhgImage" data-src="http://gdb.voanews.com/292BA31D-F04E-493B-B987-EE7ADEC04BD6_mwdynamic_mhdynamic_s.jpg" src="http://www.voanews.com/img/spacer.gif" alt="" /><div class="htmlPhgCaption" readability="10"> <p> A young man waits outside the coal mine in Soma, western Turkey, May 15, 2014. </p> </div></li><li class="htmlPhgListItem" readability="-0.5"><img class="htmlPhgImage" data-src="http://gdb.voanews.com/2B760A1D-0CC5-49BE-9CF0-37214C53C44A_mwdynamic_mhdynamic_s.jpg" src="http://www.voanews.com/img/spacer.gif" alt="" /><div class="htmlPhgCaption" readability="10"> <p> Members of a rescue team wait outside the coal mine in Soma, western Turkey, May 15, 2014. </p> </div></li><li class="htmlPhgListItem" readability="2.5"><img class="htmlPhgImage" data-src="http://gdb.voanews.com/667A3D6B-C6C5-4988-A418-70B4FEBE4FB7_mwdynamic_mhdynamic_s.jpg" src="http://www.voanews.com/img/spacer.gif" alt="" /><div class="htmlPhgCaption" readability="16"> <p> A protester is kicked by Yusuf Yerkel (left), advisor to Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, as Special Forces police officers detain him during a protest against Erdogan's visit to Soma, where the mining disaster occurred, western province of Manisa, Turkey, May 14, 2014. </p> </div></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </td> </tr> </table> <table style="border-top:1px solid #999;padding-top:4px;margin-top:1.5em;width:100%" id="footer"> <tr> <td style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">You are subscribed to email updates from <a href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en">Top Stories - Google News</a> <br />To stop receiving these emails, you may <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailunsubscribe?k=vNU6gfBaGNiEci8BSSOBNzdQZg0">unsubscribe now</a>.</td> <td style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;text-align:right;vertical-align:top">Email delivery powered by Google</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610</td> </tr> </table> </div> blog2http://www.blogger.com/profile/04250645119730839480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933194393748629376.post-62474278589724174442014-05-14T09:43:00.001-07:002014-05-14T09:43:51.842-07:00NST Online Top Stories - Google News<style type="text/css"> h1 a:hover {background-color:#888;color:#fff ! important;} div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div ul { list-style-type:square; padding-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div blockquote { padding-left:6px; border-left: 6px solid #dadada; margin-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div li { margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:1em; } table#itemcontentlist tr td a:link, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:visited, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:active, ul#summarylist li a { color:#000099; font-weight:bold; text-decoration:none; } img {border:none;} </style> <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" id="emailbody" style="margin:0 2em;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <table style="border:0;padding:0;margin:0;width:100%"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top" width="99%"> <h1 style="margin:0;padding-bottom:6px;"> <a style="color:#888;font-size:22px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;" href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en" title="(http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en)">NST Online Top Stories - Google News</a> </h1> </td> <td width="1%" /> </tr> </table> <hr style="border:1px solid #ccc;padding:0;margin:0" /> <table id="itemcontentlist"> <tr xmlns=""> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="1" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNEBjJ8Bbz2RztnlmiAZ8oiPIae_TQ&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778502206150&ei=dplzU9iaM6b6wAH80wE&url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27408394">Turkey coal mine disaster: Desperate search at Soma pit - BBC News</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 14 May 2014 09:09 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <span class="story-date"> <span class="date">14 May 2014</span> <span class="time-text">Last updated at </span><span class="time">17:09</span> </span> <!-- Embedding the video player --> <!-- This is the embedded player component --> <!-- wwrights check --> <!-- Empty country is used on test environment --> <div class="videoInStoryB"> <div id="emp-27409476-2334" class="emp"> <noscript> <div class="warning"> <img class="holding" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/74848000/jpg/_74848717_erdogan.jpg" alt="Recep Tayip Erdogan at Soma mine"/><p><strong>Please turn on JavaScript.</strong> Media requires JavaScript to play.</p> </div> </noscript> <object width="0" height="0"> <param name="id" value="embeddedPlayer_27409476"/><param name="width" value="448"/><param name="height" value="252"/><param name="size" value="Large"/><param name="holdingImage" value="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/74848000/jpg/_74848717_erdogan.jpg"/><param name="externalIdentifier" value="p01z2lcc"/><param name="playlist" value="http://playlists.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27409476A/playlist.sxml"/><param name="config_settings_autoPlay" value="false"/><param name="config_settings_showPopoutButton" value="false"/><param name="config_plugin_fmtjLiveStats_pageType" value="eav2"/><param name="config_plugin_fmtjLiveStats_edition" value="Domestic"/><param name="fmtjDocURI" value="/news/world-europe-27408394"/><param name="config_settings_suppressItemKind" value="advert, ident"/><param name="config_settings_showShareButton" value="true"/><param name="config_settings_showUpdatedInFooter" value="true"/></object> <!-- embedding script --> </div> <!-- caption --> <p class="caption">Mr Erdogan said the government would leave "no stone unturned" when investigating the cause of the disaster </p> <!-- END - caption --> </div> <!-- end of the embedded player component --> <!-- Player embedded --> <p class="introduction" id="story_continues_1">Rescuers are hunting desperately for scores of Turkish coal miners still missing after an explosion caused a pit to collapse, killing at least 245.</p> <p>Dozens escaped the pit in the western town of Soma, but officials say about 120 are still unaccounted for.</p> <p>On a visit to Soma, PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan said every aspect of the tragedy would be investigated and "no stone would be left unturned".</p> <p>But protests erupted in the town, with crowds hurling abuse at the government.</p> <p>Frantic relatives have gathered at the mine, waiting for news of loved ones.</p> <p id="story_continues_2">As ambulances took away an increasing number of bodies, some of the bereaved wailed uncontrollably and were carried away by their families.</p> <p>Nearly 450 workers have been rescued, according to the mine operator. However, no survivors have been found in the last few hours.</p> <p>Mr Erdogan said 80 of those rescued had been treated for injuries, none of which were serious. Nineteen of these had already been discharged from hospital.</p> <p>"I just want everybody to know that the disaster will be investigated in every aspect and will continue to be investigated and we are not going to allow any negligence, or leave any stone unturned," he told journalists in Soma.</p> <p>Earlier he announced three days of mourning for the victims.</p> <p>The BBC's James Reynolds in Soma says family members of missing miners are gathered at the hospital. They told him they would not move from there until they got information about their loved ones.</p> <p>Meanwhile police fired tear gas and water cannon at about 800 protesters angered by the disaster as they tried to march from a university in Ankara to the energy ministry. </p> <!-- Embedding the video player --> <!-- This is the embedded player component --> <!-- wwrights check --> <!-- Empty country is used on test environment --> <div class="videoInStoryB"> <div id="emp-27403684-2335" class="emp"> <noscript> <div class="warning"> <img class="holding" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/74840000/jpg/_74840009_74837595.jpg" alt="Relatives of miners who were killed or injured in a mine explosion react as rescuers work in Soma"/><p><strong>Please turn on JavaScript.</strong> Media requires JavaScript to play.</p> </div> </noscript> <object width="0" height="0"> <param name="id" value="embeddedPlayer_27403684"/><param name="width" value="448"/><param name="height" value="252"/><param name="size" value="Large"/><param name="holdingImage" value="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/74840000/jpg/_74840009_74837595.jpg"/><param name="externalIdentifier" value="p01z23f4"/><param name="playlist" value="http://playlists.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27403684A/playlist.sxml"/><param name="config_settings_autoPlay" value="false"/><param name="config_settings_showPopoutButton" value="false"/><param name="config_plugin_fmtjLiveStats_pageType" value="eav2"/><param name="config_plugin_fmtjLiveStats_edition" value="Domestic"/><param name="fmtjDocURI" value="/news/world-europe-27408394"/><param name="config_settings_suppressItemKind" value="advert, ident"/><param name="config_settings_showShareButton" value="true"/><param name="config_settings_showUpdatedInFooter" value="true"/></object> <!-- embedding script --> </div> <!-- caption --> <p class="caption">The BBC's Rengin Arslan filmed the scene on the ground, with anxious relatives waiting close to the rescue operation</p> <!-- END - caption --> </div> <!-- end of the embedded player component --> <!-- Player embedded --> <p>There were also reports of a protest in Istanbul outside the headquarters of Soma Holding, the company that owns the mine.</p> <span class="cross-head">Far below ground</span> <p>Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said 787 people had been inside the mine when an electrical fault triggered the blast.</p> <p>He added that carbon monoxide poisoning had claimed many lives. </p> <p>The electrical fault triggered a power cut, making the mine cages unusable. Those trapped are reported to be 2km (1.2 miles) below the surface and 4km from the mine entrance. </p> <p>The blast happened at about 12:30 GMT on Tuesday. </p> <div class="caption full-width"> <img src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/74853000/jpg/_74853962_turkish_mine_disaster_624_3.jpg" width="624" height="510" alt="Map: Turkey mine disaster"/></div> <div class="caption full-width"> <img src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/74852000/jpg/_74852364_74852363.jpg" width="624" height="351" alt="Anxious relatives wait for news of missing miners - 14 May"/><span style="width:624px;">People still waiting for news of missing relatives gathered at the hospital in Soma, Manisa province</span> </div> <div class="caption full-width"> <img src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/74841000/jpg/_74841805_602fe170-93bb-4cc8-b9dc-c3a73b7cdee0.jpg" width="624" height="351" alt="Miner rescued from Soma mine. 14 May 2014"/><span style="width:624px;">An injured miner is rescued from the mine</span> </div> <div class="caption full-width"> <img src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/74841000/jpg/_74841367_4c5f08df-bcac-46ae-a73b-f552809075e9.jpg" width="624" height="351" alt="Man kisses son after his rescue from the mine in Soma, Manisa, Turkey, on 13 May 2014"/><span style="width:624px;">For some, such as this father reunited with his son, it is good news</span> </div> <div class="caption full-width"> <img src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/74836000/jpg/_74836333_022245354.jpg" width="624" height="351" alt="Relative waits for news of trapped miners. 13 May 2014"/><span style="width:624px;">But the agonising wait continues for many others</span> </div> <p>TV footage overnight showed rescuers helping workers from the mine, their faces and hard-hats covered in soot and dust. Some were carried on stretchers to waiting ambulances.</p> <p>But by mid-morning, reporters at the scene said only the dead were being recovered.</p> <a class="hidden" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27408394#story_continues_3">Continue reading the main story</a> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/news/special/2014/newsspec_7826/css/style.css" media="screen" type="text/css"/><div id="newsspec_7826" class="storybody-halfwide-include newsspec_infographic_holder"> <div class="ns_outer_wrapper"> <div class="ns_inner_wrapper"> <h1 class="ns_title">Turkish mining industry</h1> <h2 class="ns_subtitle"> </h2> <div class="ns_header"> <div class="ns_header_left"> <p class="ns_super_impact"/> <p/> </div> <div class="ns_header_right"> <p class="ns_super_impact">1,308</p> <p>Fatal accidents since 2000</p> </div> </div> <ul class="ns_separator"><li> <p><span class="ns_impact">263</span> Died in worst mining disaster in 1992</p> </li> <li> <p><span class="ns_impact">13,000</span> Miners involved in accidents in 2013</p> </li> <li> <p><span class="ns_impact">10.4%</span> Of all work-related accidents last year</p> </li> </ul><div class="ns_footer">ILO, Turkish Statistical Institute</div> </div> <div class="ns_outer_wrapper_img_src">AP</div> </div> </div> <p id="story_continues_3">Emine Gulsen, one of a group of women sitting near the entrance to the mine, cried: "My son is gone, my Mehmet." Mehmet, 31, had been working there for five years. </p> <p>Coal mining is a major industry in the Soma area, helping to supply a nearby lignite-fired thermal power plant, but safety has long been a concern. Nearly 40% of Turkey's electricity production depends on coal.</p> <p>The Soma mine was privatised in 2005.</p> <p>An MP with Turkey's opposition CHP party has accused the government of rejecting a recent proposal for a parliamentary inquiry into mine accidents in Soma. </p> <p>Ozgur Ozel told Today's Zaman newspaper that the motion had substantial support among opposition parties. </p> <p>Our correspondent says Prime Minister Erdogan will see this tragedy as a test of his reputation, and he will be aware that the previous government lost an election after being seen to have mishandled the 1999 earthquake.</p> <p>Turkey's worst mining disaster was in 1992, when 263 miners were killed near Zonguldak, on the Black Sea. </p> <p><strong>Are you in Manisa? How have you been affected by the explosion? You can email your experiences to </strong><a href="mailto:haveyoursay@bbc.co">haveyoursay@bbc.co</a><strong>.uk, using the subject line 'Turkey'.</strong></p> <div class="comment-introduction"> <p class="introduction">Or send us your experiences using the form below.</p> </div> <p><i>Send your pictures and videos to <b>yourpics@bbc.co.uk</b> or text them to <b>61124</b> (UK) or <b>+44 7624 800 100</b> (International). If you have a large file you can</i> <a class="inlineText" href="http://bbcnewsupload.streamuk.com/">upload here</a><i>.</i></p> <p><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/2780295.stm#yourpics">Read the terms and conditions</a></p> </div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="2" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNExAuGuNoLgfz4I0AQr2n33cGxFXQ&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778503180259&ei=dplzU9iaM6b6wAH80wE&url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27413632">Kate Middleton 'hacked 155 times' - BBC News</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 14 May 2014 09:06 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <span class="story-date"> <span class="date">14 May 2014</span> <span class="time-text">Last updated at </span><span class="time">17:00</span> </span> <div class="caption full-width"> <img src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/74851000/jpg/_74851749_74851748.jpg" width="624" height="351" alt="Kate Middleton "/><span style="width:624px;">The Old Bailey heard Kate Middleton's phone was hacked on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day 2005</span> </div> <p class="introduction" id="story_continues_1">Former News of the World royal editor Clive Goodman hacked Kate Middleton's phone 155 times, a court has heard.</p> <p>The phone-hacking trial was told Mr Goodman first hacked the now-Duchess of Cambridge's voicemail in December 2005.</p> <p>He also hacked Prince William 35 times and Prince Harry on nine occasions.</p> <p>This is the first time the jury has heard of a royal's phone being hacked. Mr Goodman, who denies conspiring to commit misconduct in public office, previously said he only hacked aides. </p> <p>Mr Goodman is one of seven defendants, including ex-News of the World editors Andy Coulson and Rebekah Brooks, on trial at the Old Bailey. They all deny the charges against them.</p> <p>He returned to the trial to resume giving evidence after a long period away due to illness.</p> <p>The court heard how Mr Goodman hacked Ms Middleton on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day in 2005 - more than five years before she married Prince William.</p> <p>He also hacked her on 7 August 2006, the day before he was arrested over allegations of phone hacking.</p> <div class="caption full-width"> <img src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/74852000/jpg/_74852224_74852223.jpg" width="624" height="351" alt="Prince William "/><span style="width:624px;">Prince William, pictured here hosting a charity gala on Tuesday night, was first hacked in January 2006</span> </div> <p>Prince William's voicemail was first intercepted in late January 2006, the court heard.</p> <p>This was the first time that the jury has heard that a mobile belonging to Prince William was hacked. </p> <span class="cross-head">'Semi-royal status'</span> <p>Mr Goodman, 56, denied he had "forgotten" about targeting the young royals when he said in evidence earlier in the trial that he had only hacked aides working for the royals. </p> <p>The jury was also told that Mr Goodman hacked Michael Fawcett, a trusted aide of Prince Charles, 35 times.</p> <p>Upon his return to the witness box, he was accused of being more heavily involved in phone hacking than was previously heard.</p> <p>Mr Goodman and private detective Glenn Mulcaire were convicted in 2006 of intercepting voicemails of royal aides. But jurors were told their activities went much further.</p> <p>Under cross-examination by Mr Coulson's lawyer Timothy Langdale QC asked him why Ms Middleton had been targeted.</p> <p>"She was a figure of increasing importance around the Royal Family," Mr Goodman said. </p> <p>"There were discussions about her and Prince William marrying, moving in, settling down. She started to receive semi-royal status and things were moving on."</p> <span class="cross-head">'Open and honest'</span> <p>The witness said he had been assured by the Crown Prosecution Service he would face no more hacking charges.</p> <p>He told the court he was "not on trial for hacking" when he was presented with a list of victims, saying: "There has been no intention to deceive you or anybody else in relation to phone hacking."</p> <p>He said he had been as "open and honest" about hacking as possible and that no-one had asked him questions about hacking royals.</p> <div class="caption full-width"> <img src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/74857000/jpg/_74857878_74852227.jpg" width="624" height="351" alt="Prince Harry, Kate Middleton, Prince William"/><span style="width:624px;">Mr Goodman says Ms Middleton was a "figure of increasing importance" when he began hacking her voicemail</span> </div> <p>Mr Langdale said: "You knew perfectly well you hacked Prince Harry and Prince William didn't you?"</p> <p>The defendant replied: "Nobody asked me."</p> <p>The former royal editor had not been in court since the end of March after he was declared unfit to carry on. The trial continued in his absence.</p> <p>The judge told the jury that Mr Goodman had been "ill", but the court was given a report from an independent medical expert declaring him "now fit" to continue. </p> <p>Mr Justice Saunders also told the jury that he had "no alternative" but to keep them waiting because medical assessments were continually being submitted. </p> <p>Mr Goodman will be allowed more time than usual to give the remainder of his evidence because medical experts have advised he may get tired more quickly. </p> <p>The jury previously heard that the former royal editor of the now-defunct tabloid had undergone a minor heart procedure during the trial. </p> <span class="cross-head">'Wider scale hacking'</span> <p>Appearing on Wednesday in the witness box, with a small bandage over his left hand, he was asked what he knew about phone hacking before January 2005, when he said he had been told about it by a colleague.</p> <div class="caption body-narrow-width"> <img src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/74852000/jpg/_74852220_74852219.jpg" width="304" height="405" alt="Clive Goodman "/><span style="width:304px;">Clive Goodman returned to court after illness</span> </div> <p>Before then, the News of the World colleague had passed pieces of information to Mr Goodman for stories. But the defendant said he never knew where it came from.</p> <p>Mr Langdale asked Mr Goodman what he had known about Mulcaire. He replied that the private detective was known at the newspaper as someone who "provided results to a story that could not be cracked". But he denied he had put two and two together.</p> <p>Mr Langdale said: "I'm going to suggest to you, you knew a great deal about phone hacking much earlier than you have told us."</p> <p>The defendant said he could not recall at this distance.</p> <p>Mr Langdale added: "I'm going to suggest you had direct contact with Glenn Mulcaire significantly before the time you have told us - that you yourself had been hacking on a much wider scale than you have told this court about."</p> <p>Later, Mr Goodman told the court just how "valuable" Mulcaire had been to the paper.</p> <p>"Like him or hate him - and people can make their own judgements about what we did - he was a valuable resource for the paper," he said.</p> <p>"Virtually every story on the paper ground through the Glenn Mulcaire mill."</p> </div> </td> </tr> </table> <table style="border-top:1px solid #999;padding-top:4px;margin-top:1.5em;width:100%" id="footer"> <tr> <td style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">You are subscribed to email updates from <a href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en">Top Stories - Google News</a> <br />To stop receiving these emails, you may <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailunsubscribe?k=vNU6gfBaGNiEci8BSSOBNzdQZg0">unsubscribe now</a>.</td> <td style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;text-align:right;vertical-align:top">Email delivery powered by Google</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610</td> </tr> </table> </div> blog2http://www.blogger.com/profile/04250645119730839480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933194393748629376.post-4413298174537579442014-05-13T09:09:00.001-07:002014-05-13T09:09:43.551-07:00NST Online Top Stories - Google News<style type="text/css"> h1 a:hover {background-color:#888;color:#fff ! important;} div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div ul { list-style-type:square; padding-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div blockquote { padding-left:6px; border-left: 6px solid #dadada; margin-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div li { margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:1em; } table#itemcontentlist tr td a:link, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:visited, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:active, ul#summarylist li a { color:#000099; font-weight:bold; text-decoration:none; } img {border:none;} </style> <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" id="emailbody" style="margin:0 2em;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <table style="border:0;padding:0;margin:0;width:100%"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top" width="99%"> <h1 style="margin:0;padding-bottom:6px;"> <a style="color:#888;font-size:22px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;" href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en" title="(http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en)">NST Online Top Stories - Google News</a> </h1> </td> <td width="1%" /> </tr> </table> <hr style="border:1px solid #ccc;padding:0;margin:0" /> <table id="itemcontentlist"> <tr xmlns=""> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="1" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNF13YvlbxNINlWxN7Y-P8GjpfCQvA&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778500385496&ei=xkNyU4CXIuf1wAGbPw&url=http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-05-13/europe-orders-google-to-let-people-sanitize-their-search-results">Europe Orders Google to Let People Sanitize Their Search Results - Businessweek</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 13 May 2014 08:34 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <p>Ever wish you could make <span class="ticker_wrap"><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Corporation"><span itemprop="name">Google</span></span> (<a href="http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?ticker=GOOG" class="ticker" data-symbol="GOOG">GOOG</a>)</span> delete that embarrassing tidbit of personal information that turns up whenever someone searches your name? Europeans may soon be able to do just that.</p> <p>The European Union's top court <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-05-13/google-faces-data-demand-as-eu-court-backs-right-to-be-forgotten.html">ruled today </a>that individuals can demand the removal of links and other information in search results that could threaten their privacy. People "have a right to be forgotten," the court said.</p> <p>The case involved a Spanish man who wanted Google to delete a 16-year-old newspaper article about his house being auctioned off for failure to pay taxes. But the ruling, by the Luxembourg-based European Court of Justice, is binding on all 28 EU member countries and involves all search engine owners, not just Google. EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding called it "a clear victory for the protection of personal data of Europeans."</p> <p>Google, not surprisingly, told Bloomberg News that the decision is "disappointing."</p> <p>The ruling drew sharp criticism from Internet privacy rights advocates who warned it could undermine freedom of speech. "The principle that you have a right to be forgotten is a laudable one, but it was never intended to be a way for people to rewrite history," says Emma Carr, acting director of the British group Big Brother Watch. "Search engines do not host information, and trying to get them to censor legal content from their results is the wrong approach."</p> <p>Big Brother Watch said that any removal of personal information should be "tackled at the source," not through intermediaries such as Google. A second data-protection advocacy group, London-based Open Rights Group, took a similar position, adding that the decision "has major implications for all kinds of Internet intermediaries," not just search engines.</p> <p>Compliance with the ruling could be a nightmare, warns Peter Church, an attorney with the Linklaters law firm in London. Search engine owners "may receive thousands, if not more, requests from individuals asking that their information be removed." But they would have to weigh each case carefully, Church says, because in some instances "there will be a clear public interest in keeping the information" visible online, such as when public officials are involved.</p> <p>Americans and other non-EU citizens might also be able to take advantage of the ruling, Church says, by demanding removal of data that's visible on European sites. "You might get balkanized search results," he says–so that, for example, certain personal data might be scrubbed from Google's Spanish site while remaining on its U.S. site.</p> <p>Google is already battling regulators in several European countries over privacy issues as it adds services and steps up competition with <span class="ticker_wrap"><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Corporation"><span itemprop="name">Facebook</span></span> (<a href="http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?ticker=FB" class="ticker" data-symbol="FB">FB</a>)</span> for users and advertisers. Last month, Italy fined the company €1 million ($1.38 million) for privacy violations by its Street View service that photographed people without their knowledge. France and Spain also have fined Google over privacy issues.</p> </div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="2" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNGoT1kZLBdjwLhblOPxuHyO5HkIqA&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778500082583&ei=xkNyU4CXIuf1wAGbPw&url=http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/05/gilbert-arenas-donald-sterling-apology">Former NBA All-Star accepts Donald Sterling's apology: 'forgiveness will destroy ... - USA TODAY</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 13 May 2014 08:38 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <div class="articleBody" itemprop="articleBody"><div id="attachment_374287" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/05/gilbert-arenas-donald-sterling-apology/usp-nba-washington-wizards-at-los-angeles-lakers-s-bkn-usa-ca-3#main" rel="attachment wp-att-374287"><img class="size-full wp-image-374287" src="http://usatftw.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/usp-nba_-washington-wizards-at-los-angeles-lakers.jpg?w=1000&h=689" alt="Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports" width="1000" height="689"/></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports</p></div> <p>Three-time All-Star Gilbert Arenas wrote on Instagram Tuesday that he accepts the apology of maligned <a href="http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/05/shelly-sterling-today-show">Clippers owner Donald Sterling</a> following his lifetime ban from the NBA. Sterling denied that he is a racist in his first <a href="http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/05/donald-sterling-anderson-cooper-interview">extended television interview</a> with CNN's Anderson Cooper Monday night, and also called his racially insensitive comments "stupid" and "uneducated." Gilbert Arenas, for one, is willing to give Sterling a second chance.</p> <blockquote><p>"I'll be the first to accept ur apology. as a man who's made a mistake or two in life I know how hard it is to look at your self in the mirror when you let so many ppl down but for anybody who can't and won't accept his apology u need to look in the mirror because were not perfect. forgiveness will destroy racism not more hatred"</p></blockquote> <p>Arenas was convicted on felony gun charges <a href="http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/story/2012-04-11/Arenas-happy-with-Memphis-blues-over-Agent-Zero/54188368/1">stemming from a locker room incident</a> with former teammate Javaris Crittenton in 2009. Arenas spent 30 days in a halfway house and was suspended 50 games without pay by then-commissioner David Stern. Arenas explained years later that the argument occurred after Crittenton had lost a card game to JaVale McGee. It was one of many controversial moments during Arenas' years in Washington — but three years after the incident, Arenas was out of the league entirely.</p> <div id="attachment_374286" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/05/gilbert-arenas-donald-sterling-apology/xxx-791-jpg-spo-bkn-usa-pa#main" rel="attachment wp-att-374286"><img class="size-full wp-image-374286" src="http://usatftw.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/c02-gilbert-b-12.jpg?w=1000&h=709" alt="Jesse D. Garrabran/Getty Images" width="1000" height="709"/></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Jesse D. Garrabran/Getty Images</p></div> </div> <p class="post-tags"> <a href="http://ftw.usatoday.com/tag/donald-sterling" rel="tag">Donald Sterling</a>, <a href="http://ftw.usatoday.com/tag/gilbert-arenas" rel="tag">Gilbert Arenas</a>, <a href="http://ftw.usatoday.com/tag/washington-wizards" rel="tag">Washington Wizards</a>, <a href="http://ftw.usatoday.com/category/nba" title="View all posts in NBA" rel="category tag">NBA</a> </p> <div class="after-article"> <div class="article-social-overlay"> <h2>What are fans talking about?</h2> <p>Follow For The Win to know what's up.</p> <div class="social-container "> <div class="fb"> </div> <div class="tw"> <a href="https://twitter.com/forthewin" class="twitter-follow-button" data-dnt="true" data-align="right" data-show-count="true"/> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </td> </tr> </table> <table style="border-top:1px solid #999;padding-top:4px;margin-top:1.5em;width:100%" id="footer"> <tr> <td style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">You are subscribed to email updates from <a href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en">Top Stories - Google News</a> <br />To stop receiving these emails, you may <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailunsubscribe?k=vNU6gfBaGNiEci8BSSOBNzdQZg0">unsubscribe now</a>.</td> <td style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;text-align:right;vertical-align:top">Email delivery powered by Google</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610</td> </tr> </table> </div> blog2http://www.blogger.com/profile/04250645119730839480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933194393748629376.post-2028319577089715512014-05-12T09:19:00.001-07:002014-05-12T09:19:51.772-07:00NST Online Top Stories - Google News<style type="text/css"> h1 a:hover {background-color:#888;color:#fff ! important;} div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div ul { list-style-type:square; padding-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div blockquote { padding-left:6px; border-left: 6px solid #dadada; margin-left:1em; } div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div li { margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:1em; } table#itemcontentlist tr td a:link, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:visited, table#itemcontentlist tr td a:active, ul#summarylist li a { color:#000099; font-weight:bold; text-decoration:none; } img {border:none;} </style> <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" id="emailbody" style="margin:0 2em;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <table style="border:0;padding:0;margin:0;width:100%"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top" width="99%"> <h1 style="margin:0;padding-bottom:6px;"> <a style="color:#888;font-size:22px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;" href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en" title="(http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en)">NST Online Top Stories - Google News</a> </h1> </td> <td width="1%" /> </tr> </table> <hr style="border:1px solid #ccc;padding:0;margin:0" /> <table id="itemcontentlist"> <tr xmlns=""> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="1" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNE-2vFUytpPbJClllCqlSXeWragyQ&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778501287999&ei=pfRwU4jBIeObwgHMSw&url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27373287">Nigeria kidnapped girls 'shown in Boko Haram video' - BBC News</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 12 May 2014 08:57 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"> <span class="story-date"> <span class="date">12 May 2014</span> <span class="time-text">Last updated at </span><span class="time">16:39</span> </span> <!-- Adding hypertab --> <!-- end of hypertab --><!-- Embedding the video player --><!-- This is the embedded player component --><!-- wwrights check --><!-- Empty country is used on test environment --><div class="videoInStoryB"> <div id="emp-27370041-6335" class="emp"> <noscript> <div class="warning"> <img class="holding" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/74791000/jpg/_74791435_74791434.jpg" alt="Image taken from video released by Boko Haram"/><p><strong>Please turn on JavaScript.</strong> Media requires JavaScript to play.</p> </div> </noscript> <object width="0" height="0"> <param name="id" value="embeddedPlayer_27370041"/><param name="width" value="448"/><param name="height" value="252"/><param name="size" value="Large"/><param name="holdingImage" value="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/74791000/jpg/_74791435_74791434.jpg"/><param name="externalIdentifier" value="p01yylj1"/><param name="playlist" value="http://playlists.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27370041A/playlist.sxml"/><param name="config_settings_autoPlay" value="false"/><param name="config_settings_showPopoutButton" value="false"/><param name="config_plugin_fmtjLiveStats_pageType" value="eav2"/><param name="config_plugin_fmtjLiveStats_edition" value="Domestic"/><param name="fmtjDocURI" value="/news/world-africa-27373287"/><param name="config_settings_showShareButton" value="true"/><param name="config_settings_showUpdatedInFooter" value="true"/></object> <!-- embedding script --> </div> <!-- companion banner --> <!-- END - companion banner --> <!-- caption --> <p class="caption">In the video, released by Boko Haram, its leader says the girls will freed only if imprisoned militants are released</p> <!-- END - caption --> </div> <!-- end of the embedded player component --> <!-- Player embedded --> <p class="introduction" id="story_continues_1">Islamist militants Boko Haram have released a video apparently showing about 130 girls kidnapped from a school in northern Nigeria on 14 April.</p> <p>Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau said the children would be held until all imprisoned militants had been freed. </p> <p>Interior Minister Abba Moro rejected the deal, telling the BBC that it was "absurd" for a "terrorist group" to try to set conditions.</p> <p>Boko Haram abducted more than 200 girls and threatened to sell them. </p> <p id="story_continues_2">The BBC's John Simpson in the northern city of Maiduguri says Boko Haram's comments show signs that the group is willing to negotiate. </p> <p>Three of the girls - wearing full-length cloaks - are shown speaking in the 27-minute video, obtained by French news agency AFP.</p> <p>Two girls say they were Christian and have converted to Islam, while the other says she is Muslim. </p> <p>"These girls, these girls you occupy yourselves with... we have indeed liberated them. These girls have become Muslims," Abubakar Shekau says in the video.</p> <p>He said his offer to swap the girls for imprisoned militants only referred to the children who had not converted to Islam.</p> <p>It is thought the majority of the abducted girls are Christians, although there are a number of Muslims among them.</p> <p>A man who is related to three of the abducted girls said the video at first gave him hope, but then made him anxious and tearful.</p> <p>"Maybe they are converted into another religion by force, so it truly is a kind of terrifying situation," said the man, who did not want to be named.</p> <div class="caption full-width"> <img src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/74790000/jpg/_74790221_blurred-image.jpg" width="624" height="351" alt="Still from video"/><span style="width:624px;">Three girls are seen speaking in the video and one says the group have not been harmed</span> </div> <div class="caption full-width"> <img src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/74789000/jpg/_74789082_74789081.jpg" width="624" height="351" alt="Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau pictured in a video released by the group - 12 May 2014"/><span style="width:624px;">Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau uses the video to call for the group's imprisoned fighters to be freed</span> </div> <p>Some 136 girls are shown in the video, just under half of the 276 pupils abducted from their school in the northern state of Borno.</p> <p id="story_continues_3">Our correspondent says this could mean those abducted had been split into smaller groups to help avoid detection. </p> <p>Local officials said they had started making copies of the video to show relatives and friends of the abducted girls in an attempt to identify them.</p> <p>Boko Haram, which means "Western education is forbidden", had previously said the girls should not have been at school and should get married instead. </p> <p>The militants have been engaged in a violent campaign against the Nigerian government since 2009.</p> <p>The government has faced heavy criticism of its response to the mass abduction.</p> <p>President Goodluck Jonathan said on Sunday that assistance from abroad had made him optimistic of finding the girls. </p> <p>The UK and US already have teams helping on the ground in Nigeria and an Israeli counter-terrorism team is also on its way to the country. </p> <div class="caption full-width"> <img src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/74750000/jpg/_74750377_nigeria_borno_624map_v2.jpg" width="624" height="365" alt="Map"/></div> </div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-bottom:0;line-height:1.4em;"> <p style="margin:1em 0 3px 0;"> <a name="2" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNGu68kD4z2gjANNRsxhoOkVqaku5w&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778500315561&ei=pfRwU4jBIeObwgHMSw&url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/12/us-ukraine-crisis-idUSBREA400LI20140512">Rebels appeal to join Russia after east Ukraine vote - Reuters</a> </p> <p style="font-size:13px;color:#555;margin:9px 0 3px 0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;"> <span>Posted:</span> 12 May 2014 08:51 AM PDT</p> <div style="margin:0;font-family:Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;line-height:140%;font-size:13px;color:#000000;"><div class="yui-sldshw-frame" id="frame_fd1fade"> <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/slideshow?articleId=USBREA400LI20140512&slide=1" id="photoFullSize" target="_top"><img src="http://s1.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20140512&t=2&i=896191452&w=&fh=&fw=&ll=580&pl=378&r=CBREA4B10H400" border="0" alt="A local woman welcomes armed pro-Russia militia men marching towards a polling station during a referendum in the eastern Ukrainian city of Slaviansk May 11, 2014. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis" /></a> </div><span id="articleText"> <span id="midArticle_start"></span> <span id="midArticle_0"></span><span class="focusParagraph"><p> (Reuters) - Pro-Moscow rebel leaders in eastern Ukraine called on Monday for their region to become part of Russia after declaring victory in a weekend referendum on self-rule.</p> </span><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>The separatist region of Donetsk appealed to Moscow to consider its absorption into Russia, a move that would echo the annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula after a similar referendum earlier this year.</p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>The call is likely to anger the government in Kiev and Western nations that accuse Russia of stirring up unrest in the east following the overthrow of a pro-Moscow president in February by protesters demanding closer links with Europe.</p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>"The people of Donetsk have always been part of the Russian world. For us, the history of Russia is our history," said Denis Pushilin, a leading member of the self-declared "Donetsk People's Republic".</p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p>"Based on the will of the people and on the restoration of a historic justice, we ask the Russian Federation to consider the absorption of the Donetsk People's Republic into the Russian Federation," he told a news conference.</p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>Moscow denies any ambitions to absorb the mainly Russian-speaking east into the Russian Federation. However, it has massed troops on the Ukrainian border, and Kiev fears they may be sent in.</p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p>Ukrainian President Oleksander Turchinov accused Russia of working to overthrow legitimate state power in Ukraine.</p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p>He said the Kremlin was trying to disrupt a presidential election later this month, which is taking center stage in a confrontation pitting Moscow and the separatists against the government in Kiev and its Western backers.</p><span id="midArticle_8"></span><p>RIA news agency quoted a rebel leader as saying the eastern Luhansk region would boycott the May 25 election. What he called the "Republic of Luhansk" may hold a further referendum on union with Russia, as Ukraine's Crimea region did under Russian military occupation before its annexation by Moscow in March.</p><span id="midArticle_9"></span><p>Ukraine's election is intended to secure democratic continuity and legitimacy after pro-Moscow president Viktor Yanukovich fled the country in February, and Western governments have threatened more sanctions in the vital areas of energy, financial services and engineering if Moscow disrupts the vote.</p><span id="midArticle_10"></span><p>Moscow said it respected the outcome of Sunday's referendums, in which separatists claimed 80 percent support in the industrial Donetsk region, while RIA, a Russian state news agency, reported 96.2 percent backing in Luhansk region.</p><span id="midArticle_11"></span><p>The results should be implemented peacefully, Russia said, without saying what further action it might take.</p><span id="midArticle_12"></span><p>Eastern Ukraine has been plagued by turmoil as Kiev has tried to regain control, and authorities said 49 people have been killed in violence in the region of Donetsk since March 13.</p><span id="midArticle_13"></span><p>The European Union declared the referendums illegal and increased pressure on Russia on Monday by taking a first step towards extending sanctions to companies, as well as people, linked to Crimea's annexation.</p><span id="midArticle_14"></span><p>However, revealing cracks in the West's united front, diplomatic sources said France would press ahead with a 1.2 billion-euro ($1.7 billion) contract to sell helicopter carrier ships to Russia because cancelling the deal would do more damage to Paris than to Moscow.</p><span id="midArticle_15"></span><p>REPUBLIC OF LUHANSK</p><span id="midArticle_0"></span><p>The rebels have given differing accounts of their plans. However, one spokesman said these did not include taking part in electing a replacement for Turchinov, who has been acting president since pro-EU protesters forced Yanukovich from office.</p><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>"As of today, we are now the Republic of Luhansk, which believes it to be inappropriate and perhaps even stupid to hold a presidential election," RIA cited the spokesman as saying.</p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>Some rebels have publicly supported pressing for annexation by Russia.</p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>"This land was never Ukraine ... We speak Russian," said Vyacheslav Ponomaryov, rebel mayor of the separatist stronghold of Slaviansk, who threatened to kick out the Ukrainian army.</p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p>Asked about the possibility of holding a second referendum, on union with Russia, he said: "There has been no decision, but this referendum showed we are prepared ... We can put on an election or referendum at short notice at barely any cost."</p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said rebels had made a new attempt overnight to seize a television tower on the edge of Slaviansk, heartland of a rebellion that has reduced relations between Russia and the West to their lowest point since the fall of the Berlin Wall.</p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p>"The information war that they are waging against us in the Donbass (east) is more dangerous than a bullet. We must answer back ... The enemy fears this more than special forces," he wrote on Facebook.</p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p>But there was some hint of compromise in the port city of Mariupol, scene of fierce fighting between Ukrainian forces and rebels over the last week.</p><span id="midArticle_8"></span><p>Turchinov said local police had begun patrols with a volunteer militia set up by a company, Metinvest, mostly owned by Ukraine's wealthiest businessman, Rinat Akhmetov.</p><span id="midArticle_9"></span><p>RUSSIA RESPECTS "WILL OF THE PEOPLE"</p><span id="midArticle_10"></span><p>Turchinov dismissed the separatist vote as a farce.</p><span id="midArticle_11"></span><p>"These processes are inspired by the leadership of the Russian Federation and are destructive to the Donetsk and Luhansk regions' economies, threaten the lives and welfare of citizens and have the aim of destabilizing the situation in Ukraine, disrupting presidential elections and overthrowing Ukrainian authorities," he said in a statement.</p><span id="midArticle_12"></span><p>The referendum opened a new phase of uncertainty in a country historically divided between a Russian-speaking east and a more westward-looking west. One man was killed in a confrontation on Sunday between a National Guard unit and a crowd of pro-Russian activists.</p><span id="midArticle_13"></span><p>Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, did not comment personally, but the Kremlin released a statement on the referendum.</p><span id="midArticle_14"></span><p>"We condemn the use of force, including of heavy weapons against civilians ... In Moscow, we respect the will of the people of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and are counting on practical implementation of the outcome of the referendum in a civilized manner, without any repeat of violence and through dialogue," it said.</p><span id="midArticle_15"></span><p>European Union foreign ministers added two Crimean companies and 13 people to the bloc's sanctions list, EU diplomats said. These are in addition to 48 Russians and Ukrainians who have already been targeted with EU asset freezes and visa bans.</p><span id="midArticle_0"></span><p>But the EU remains far behind the United States in the severity of the sanctions it has imposed on Russia. Some European governments fear tough trade sanctions on Russia could undermine their own economies, just recovering from the financial crisis, and provoke Russian retaliation.</p><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>(Additional reporting by Pavel Polityuk in Kiev, Lidia Kelly in Moscow, <a href="http://blogs.reuters.com/search/journalist.php?edition=us&n=adrian.croft&">Adrian Croft</a> and <a href="http://blogs.reuters.com/search/journalist.php?edition=us&n=justyna.pawlak&">Justyna Pawlak</a> in Brussels, <a href="http://blogs.reuters.com/search/journalist.php?edition=us&n=john.irish&">John Irish</a>, Marine Pennetier and <a href="http://blogs.reuters.com/search/journalist.php?edition=us&n=elizabethpineau&">Elizabeth Pineau</a> in Paris, Writing by Ralph Boulton, Editing by Timothy Heritage, <a href="http://blogs.reuters.com/search/journalist.php?edition=us&n=david.stamp&">David Stamp</a>, <a href="http://blogs.reuters.com/search/journalist.php?edition=us&n=giles.elgood&">Giles Elgood</a> and Will Waterman)</p><span id="midArticle_2"></span></span></div> </td> </tr> </table> <table style="border-top:1px solid #999;padding-top:4px;margin-top:1.5em;width:100%" id="footer"> <tr> <td style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">You are subscribed to email updates from <a href="http://news.google.com.my/news?pz=1&amp;ned=us&amp;hl=en">Top Stories - Google News</a> <br />To stop receiving these emails, you may <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailunsubscribe?k=vNU6gfBaGNiEci8BSSOBNzdQZg0">unsubscribe now</a>.</td> <td style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;text-align:right;vertical-align:top">Email delivery powered by Google</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="text-align:left;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:11px;margin:0 6px 1.2em 0;color:#333;">Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610</td> </tr> </table> </div> blog2http://www.blogger.com/profile/04250645119730839480noreply@blogger.com0