Rocket's Africa Internet Holding Launches Hotel Booking Site ...

It?s often said that the question, ?what if Google launches something similar??, is the kind of thing that keeps entrepreneurs up at night. But if you?re a burgeoning e-commerce startup in an emerging market, the same could also be said of the Samwer brothers? Rocket Internet. In the last few years, the German startup factory has ventured outside of its European roots to aggressively focus on emerging markets, such as Latin America, Asia, and Africa, to the chagrin of local players.

Today sees Rocket launch its first hotel booking site in Africa, via Africa Internet Holding, its Joint Venture with telecoms operator Millicom. Headquartered in and initially targeting customers in Nigeria, Jovago launches with an inventory of 140,000 bookable hotels online, but only lists 200 locally. That?s because each local hotel is vetted in person by the startup?s staff to ensure details are accurate and the quality of the hotel?s service and provision can be ensured, which also points to the specific market problem that Jovago is aiming to solve.

In the words of the company, the hotel-booking market in Nigeria is ?unsorted?, and lacks a convenient way for travellers to book hotel accommodation online (though local player Hotels.ng might have something to say about that). Instead, the norm, says Jovago, is to use ?time-consuming? booking agencies, or to simply book a hotel face-to-face at the point of arrival. Likewise, credit card penetration is lower in Africa, so, perhaps unsurprisingly, Jovago offers customers the option to choose between paying at the hotel or using the secure online payment option. Interestingly, it doesn?t pass on a booking fee to consumers, even though it does take commission on each transaction from the hotels it?s signed up to its platform, which is the standard agency model.

When questioned about Jovago?s competitive advantages over local players, Africa Internet Holding is talking up its online marketing experience. ?Plus we visit personally every hotel listed on our website to ensure our customers about the quality of information about the hotels,? says Africa Internet Holding co-founder Jeremy Hodara. ?Soon we?re gonna have the widest range of hotels available for booking in Africa thanks to our local sales teams.? To that end, Jovago says it currently has a head-count of about 50 people.

In contrast to the 200 or so local hotels available to book through Jovago, the current number one player in the country, Hotels.ng, lists over 4,000. Mark Essien, Chief Product Officer at Hotels.ng, tells me that?s out of almost 10,000 hotels that are in existence in Nigeria alone. ?To get this inventory, we have 40 people across Nigeria visiting hotels and striking deals with the hotels,? he says. ?It?s long, grueling work, and in some cases quite dangerous. It?s worth it though, because we have been able to outstrip all incumbents in terms of inventory and bookings.?

Essien says that in the last 4 months, Hotels.ng has locally outgrown international brands such as Expedia, and Bookings.com, along with local competitors Wakanow, and Nitestay. However, with rumours of Rocket?s imminent arrival, he?s already had to field questions on how the company plans to stand up to its new rival. ?Rocket Internet have deep pockets and are good in executing in emerging markets,? he concedes, but argues that Hotels.ng can hold its own.

?We have quickly become the biggest Nigerian hotel booking site by rapid and efficient execution in a way that works for Africa,? says Essien. ?We think we will out-execute Rocket in Nigeria and Africa. Moving this business online has to be done manually and via direct negotiation. This is a hard problem, but it?s in the hard problems that opportunity lie.?

Meanwhile, the hotel booking site is more evidence of Rocket Internet/Africa Internet Holding bedding down in Africa. Other properties in its African portfolio include Jumia (online retailer), Hellofood (online food delivery), Kaymu (online marketplace), and Vamido (real estate market place). Africa Internet Holding currently employs more than 1,500 staff through its incubated startups.

Finally, I?m told that, along with rapidly expanding the number of local hotels it lists, Jovago plans to also introduce bus ticket and flight ticket booking and car rentals.

Africa Internet Holding (AIH) is the largest, fastest and most successful African Internet Group. It was founded in 2011 by Rocket Internet and is headquartered in the most vibrant continent in the world: Africa. AIH has also entered into a capital partnership with Millicom, a leading African Telecom operator. We are currently operating 5 companies in 8 countries, all of which already at leading positions: Jumia, Hello Food, Kaymu, Vamido and other online startups across Egypt, Ivory Coast, Ghana,...

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Rocket Internet GmbH invests in the development of innovative companies in the internet industry. Their passionate, dynamic, highly motivated team works to establish promising business models in the market.

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Jovago is an online hotel booking platform that focuses on the Nigerian market. Jovago launched in August 2013 with an inventory of 140,000 bookable hotels online, but only lists 200 locally? each local hotel is vetted in person by the startup?s staff to ensure details are accurate and the quality of the hotel?s service and provision can be ensured. Jovago offers customers the option to choose between paying at the hotel or using the secure online payment option.

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Source: http://techcrunch.com/2013/08/05/jovago/

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Part-Time Work Made Up More Than 65 Percent Of New Jobs Created In July

WASHINGTON -- The 162,000 jobs the economy added in July were a disappointment. The quality of the jobs was even worse.

A disproportionate number of the added jobs were part-time or low-paying ? or both.

Part-time work accounted for more than 65 percent of the positions employers added in July. Low-paying retailers, restaurants and bars supplied more than half July's job gain.

"You're getting jobs added, but they might not be the best-quality job," says John Canally, an economist with LPL Financial in Boston.

So far this year, low-paying industries have provided 61 percent of the nation's job growth, even though these industries represent just 39 percent of overall U.S. jobs, according to Labor Department numbers analyzed by Moody's Analytics. Mid-paying industries have contributed just 22 percent of this year's job gain.

"The jobs that are being created are not generating much income," Steven Ricchiuto, chief economist at Mizuho Securities USA, wrote in a note to clients.

That's one reason Americans' pay hasn't kept up with even historically low inflation since the Great Recession ended in June 2009. Average hourly pay fell 2 cents in July to $23.98 an hour.

Among those feeling the squeeze is Elizabeth Wilkinson, 28, of Houston. After losing a $39,000-a-year administrative job at Rice University in January, Wilkinson found work at an employment agency for $15 an hour. Yet she's had to supplement that job with part-time work as a waitress.

"This morning I put $1.35 worth of gas in my car because that is all the money that I had," Wilkinson said via email. "It's very difficult to survive on $30,000 (a year), and I am living paycheck to paycheck."

Part-time work has made up 77 percent of the job growth so far this year. The government defines part-time work as being less than 35 hours a week.

Analysts say some employers are offering part-time over full-time work to sidestep the new health care law's rule that they provide medical coverage for permanent workers. (The Obama administration has delayed that provision for a year.)

Weak economies overseas have also reduced demand for U.S. goods and, as a result, for better-paying U.S. jobs in manufacturing. Government spending cuts have taken a toll on some middle-class jobs, too.

Many employers have also discovered that they can use technology to do tasks more cheaply and efficiently than office workers used to do. And some have found that they can shift middle-class jobs to low-wage countries such as China.

By contrast, most lower-paying jobs ? from waiters and hotel maids to store clerks, bartenders and home health care aides ? can't be automated or shipped abroad.

"You're always going to have jobs in the retail sector," says Michael Evangelist, a policy analyst with the liberal National Employment Law Project, which advocates on behalf of low-wage workers.

Consider Mike Ulrich, 30, who earned a master's degree in public administration in May from the University of Colorado. Ulrich hasn't been able to find work that requires a college degree. Instead, he works at a hardware store in Spokane, Wash., earning the state's minimum wage: $9.19 an hour.

Not all July's new jobs were low-paying. Local schools hired more than 10,000 teachers and other employees. Financial firms added 15,000.

And Scott Anderson, chief economist at Bank of the West, thinks concerns about the surge in part-time work might be overblown. The government's figures on part-time jobs are highly volatile, Anderson notes. The big gain this year could quickly reverse, he says.

Yet for the most part, Daniel Alpert, managing partner of Westwood Capital, wrote in a report last month, "the only folks engaging in meaningful hiring are doing so because labor is cheap."

The low quality of the added jobs could help explain something that has puzzled economists: How has the U.S. economy managed to add an average of roughly 200,000 jobs a month this year even though it grew at a tepid annual rate below 2 percent in the first half of the year?

Some are proposing an answer: Perhaps a chronically slow-growth economy can't generate many good-paying jobs ? but can produce lots of part-time or lower-wage retail and restaurant work.

Diane Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial, recalls that the robust economic growth of the late `90s generated millions of middle-class jobs. And it pushed unemployment so low that short-staffed companies were forced to convert part-time jobs into full-time ones.

"Faster growth would fix things," Swonk says. "That's the magic fairy dust."

Also on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/03/part-time-work-july-jobs_n_3700930.html

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Harris Chooses Miami Over Florida & Ohio State

Al Golden continues working his magic as the Miami Hurricanes picked up their twenty-fourth verbal commitment on Tuesday. Winter Park defensive end Trent Harris has pledged his allegiance to The U.

The 6-foot-2, 241-pound Harris is a three- or four-star prospect, depending on the recruiting site, and chose Miami over Florida and Ohio State. Harris grew up a lifelong Gators fan, his room decked in orange and blue and now in need of a full-on makeover as UM seemed the better overall decision.

?It was very difficult ? extremely difficult,? Harris said. ?I liked Florida since I was little, but I?m not little any more. I needed to make a grown man?s choice of what to do and what will be best to further my abilities. Florida just wasn?t going to work out for me and so Miami is the best choice.?

Harris had fifty tackles and eleven sacks as a junior last season and before narrowing his top three to Miami, Florida and Ohio State, also had Georgia, Alabama and Florida State on his radar.

Always a good day when the Canes pick up a good one. Even better when the Gators and Buckeyes lose out, too. Greg Cote of the Miami Herald touched on Golden?s reel-in earlier:

?Trent Harris, a highly recruited defensive end from Winter Park, made official his oral commitment to UM for 2014, and it was significant both literally and, I thought, symbolically.

Literally because the kid is a four-star recruit who ultimately picked UM over Florida ? whose colors and mementoes fill his bedroom ? and Urban Meyer?s Ohio State, where his position coach would have been recent NFL Patriots star Mike Vrabel.

?I liked Florida since I was little, but I?m not little anymore,? Harris said Monday. ?I needed to make a grown man?s choice.?

The 22 schools that offered him a scholarship also included reigning champion Alabama. If Nick Saban wants you, you are really good. You are blue-chip, national-caliber good.

Instead, Harris puts his faith and future in Miami, despite the Nevin Shapiro-related investigation that has caused two seasons of self-imposed penalties and could bring yet more sanctions when the NCAA finally concludes the case within the next two weeks.

Harris? decision so close to the NCAA decision makes it a symbolic victory for Miami as well, a final verification that Golden has navigated the program through this.?

The tide is finally turning in Coral Gables. Finally. Welcome to The U, Trent.

Source: http://blog.allcanes.com/trent-harris-defensive-end-orlando-winter-park-florida-gators-ohio-state-buckeyes-miami-hurricanes

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?Flossing?: Fox News? Todd Starnes Rips President Obama For Golfing On His Birthday Weekend

Fox New radio host Todd Starnes became just the latest conservative to blast President Obama for having the nerve to think he has a place on the golf course, even on his birthday weekend. Referencing the recent international terrorism alert, Starnes tweeted ?There?s a worldwide terror alert, 21 embassies are shutting down ? but Obama?s got time to play golf today,? and hashtagged another tweet about the outing with the hip-hop slang term ?flossing,? which refers to an ostentatious display of material wealth.

Although substantive criticism is clearly not Starnes? point, it seems illogical to list everything that has already been done to mitigate the threat, and then observe what the President has time for, rather than list the things he thinks have been left undone on the President?s birthday weekend. It?s like telling your kids ?Your room is spotless and the lawn is mowed, yet you have time to play Nintendoes??

Starnes doesn?t stop at that, though, also taking pains to separate out certain members of the golfing party. From Twitter:

There?s a worldwide terror alert, 21 embassies are shutting down ? but Obama?s got time to play golf today.

Obama is whacking balls with Reggie Love today! #flossing

Among those golfing with Obama today are ? Muhammed Hasan Chandoo and Wahid Hamid.

According to pool reports, the President is golfing with eleven other people:

Rolling up to Andrews at 8:36 am. We hear it?s quite the birthday golf party.
Three groups of four:

Greg Orme
Marty Nesbit
Hasan Chandoo
Bobby Titcomb
Mike Ramos
Wahid Hamid
Eric Whitaker
Reggie Love
Sam Kass
Laurent Delanney
Marvin Nicholson

The President?s opponents have tried to make an issue of several of President Obama?s leisure activities, partially in response to their own misunderstanding of a popular knock against former President George W. Bush, one which seems to be a tailor-made refutation of Starnes? criticism. In a moment made famous by filmmaker Michael Moore, then-President Bush spoke with reporters about terrorist attacks in the Middle East that had claimed the lives of a dozen Israelis:

Conservatives will often point to this moment in Moore?s Fahrenheit 911 as all the justification they need to criticize President Obama for golfing, but they miss the entire point of that moment, as Bush did. It doesn?t matter that he was golfing, he could have been playing hacky-sack or clearing brush, or even doing something useful. The problem with that clip is the way he instantly pivots, from sincere concern about terrorism to cheerful braggadocio about a mundane task. ?This is tragic, just tragic. Now watch me cannonball!?

As CBS News? Mark Knoller noted on the occasion of President Obama?s 100th presidential golf game in June of 2012, President Bush claimed, in a 2008 interview, to have quit golf in August of 2003, because he thought ?playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal.?

This is typically backwards Republican thinking. Faced with the poor optics of sending thousands of Americans to be maimed and killed while the President plays golf, Bush elected to quit the golf, and continue the dying and maiming. As it turns out, though, he didn?t actually quit the golf, at least not when and why he said he did:

Whatever you thought of George W. Bush?s golfing habits, no one ever accused him, or his golf partners, of ?flossing,? and no conservative, including Starnes, had anything at all to say when Bush played golf (or when Bill Clinton played at a whites-only club), and why would they, right? An avid golfer himself, Todd Starnes is well-qualified to decide who belongs on a golf course, and who doesn?t.

Source: http://www.mediaite.com/online/flossing-fox-news-todd-starnes-rips-president-obama-for-golfing-on-his-birthday-weekend/

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A new book considers the interaction between public spaces and drug use

Public release date: 2-Aug-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Megan Beech
m.beech@hud.ac.uk
01-484-473-053
University of Huddersfield

Influenced by the theories of Pierre Bourdieu and with a strong focus on harm reduction, Habitus and Drug Using Environments provides a sociological analysis of public environments affected by injecting drug use.

Drawing on ethnographic research across several locations, this book offers an account of the social organisation of public settings used for the preparation and administration of illicit drugs. The book contains interviews with both injecting drug users and those whose employment is directly affected by public injecting drug use.

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-08/uoh-anb080213.php

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Hillsong Church's Creative Pastor & worship singer Annie Garratt talked with TCW...

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Cory Monteith Death to Be Addressed in Third Episode of Glee Season 5

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/08/cory-monteith-death-to-be-addressed-in-third-episode-of-glee-sea/

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Ravens CB Asa Jackson suspended for PED use

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) ? Baltimore Ravens cornerback Asa Jackson has been suspended without pay for the first eight games of the regular season for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances.

"My reaction to that is that you've got to follow the rules," coach John Harbaugh said after practice Friday. "If you don't follow the rules, you get suspended. That's a fair rule, there's no place for that, and he's getting what he deserves.

"As far as what it does to our corner depth, that's one less corner that we have. We'll be missing Asa those first eight weeks. Whether he'll back after that, time will tell."

Jackson received a four-game suspension as a rookie last season for the same reason. This suspension is for eight games because it's his second violation.

Drafted in the fifth round out of Cal Poly, Jackson played in only two games last season for the Super Bowl champions.

Jackson will be eligible to return to the active roster Nov. 4 after the team's game against Cleveland on Nov. 3. He is eligible to participate in all preseason practices and games.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ravens-cb-asa-jackson-suspended-ped-205803611.html

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iPhone 5S release date, news, rumours and price

The iPhone 5S is likely to be the next iPhone to emerge from the Apple labs, and we're getting dangerously close to its release. But how will it differ from the current iPhone 5? Here?s everything we currently know about the next-gen model.

iPhone 5S ? Release Date

The latest reports online suggest that the iPhone 5S will be announced on 18 September, alongside a new, cheaper edition of the iPhone variously dubbed the iPhone 5c, the iPhone lite and a half-dozen other unlikely names besides.?

This news comes from website CurrentEditorials, citing an unnamed source.

Just days before, Apple blog iFun wrote that the iPhone 5S would be launched on 6 September, a couple of weeks earlier.

There?s no consensus about the iPhone 5S?s exact release date, then, but virtually all sources agree that the next iPhone will be announced in September.

This sits happily with iPhone release timings in recent years. The iPhone 5 launched on 12 September 2012, and went on sale a week and a half later on 21 September.

Spotlight on tech ? iPhone 5S fingerprint reader

Earlier this year, it was rumoured that the iPhone 5S will feature a fingerprint scanner as a method of identification. Although initially dismissed by many as an unlikely addition, unearthed iOS 7 code suggests it might actually exist.

The fingerprint reader ? if real ? will be built into the home button, letting it slide into the phone without forcing any drastic changes in the phone?s design.?

The code suggests the iPhone 5S will ask you to scan your right thumb during the setup process, which will them be used to identify you ? presumably cutting down the passwords and such you?ll have to enter.

It could also be used to load discrete user profiles, which would be particularly useful for iPhones that?ll be used by kids as well as adults. Nice idea, Apple. If it works, that is.

iPhone 5S Design

History suggests the iPhone 5S will have roughly the same design as the iPhone 5. The iPhone 3GS looked a lot like the iPhone 3G and the iPhone 4S was the dead spit of the iPhone 4. Isn?t it a bit soon for a full iPhone redesign?

Some sources do not agree. Commmercial Times suggests the iPhone 5S will have a 4.3-inch screen ? 0.3 inches up from the iPhone 5. However, there are plenty of conflicting rumours that suggest Apple will stick with the 4-inch form.

For example, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests that the iPhone 5S?s design will be near-identical to the current model.

iPhone 5S Camera

Several rumours that surfaced in 2013 suggest that the iPhone 5S will, like its key rival the Samsung Galaxy S4, have a 13-megapixel camera sensor.

If these turn out to be true, it?s also likely that the iPhone 5S will use the Sony sensor seen in several of this year?s top phones. By itself, this is not particularly interesting ? both the iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S used 8-megapixel Sony sensors.

What?s more interesting is what surrounds the sensor. The iPhone 5S is rumoured to have a dual-LED flash, where most phones have simpler single-LED flashes, and an f/2.0 lens.

This figure is the lens?s f-stop rating, and roughly tells you how much light it can take in relative to its peers ? often called the ?speed? of the lens. We?ve only used one camera with a faster lens ? the f/1.9 Lumia 720.

iOS 7 will also change the style of the iPhone camera app ? rather than being completely stripped-back, the iPhone 5S camera will offer a bunch of new features. That includes filters, which you?d? currently have to get from a separate app.

iPhone 5S CPU

Leaked photos posted by iLounge suggest that the iPhone 5S CPU won?t be a simple upgrade from the A6 chip used in the iPhone 5. But what does that mean for the next-gen model?

The iPhone 5 uses a rather unimpressive-sounding dual-core 1.3GHz processor, which seems a little weak compared with the top Android phones.

A quad-core processor is likely, and an upgrade from 32nm architecture to 28nm is also possible.

iPhone 5S Screen

Whether the iPhone 5S has a 4-inch screen ? most likely ? or a 4.3-inch display, the top rumour surrounding it is that it?ll use an IGZO panel. This is a new-ish technology from Sharp that?s designed for both high pixel density and great power consumption. Both of these are pretty important for a phone.

Few phones have used an IGZO display so far, the most famous being the Asus Padfone 2 - hardly a smartphone superstar.

iPhone 5S Battery

Leaked photos that show what appears to be the iPhone 5S with its rear casing removed, revealing a 5.92Whr unit. This is just a little more powerful than the 5.45Whr battery of the iPhone 5, but if coupled with the power saving features of an IGZO screen then battery life could be substantially improved.

It?s a spec that supports the idea that the iPhone 5S will have the same screen size as the current model.

Early Impressions
The iPhone 5S is likely to be an important, but hardly earth-shattering upgrade to the iPhone 5. Improvements to most elements, including camera and CPU are likely. ?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TRVNews/~3/jpsSjEj-FdI/iphone-5s-release-date-news-rumours-and-price

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Pre-caffeine tech: Future tech, Pee Wee Herman

Technology

Helen A.S. Popkin NBC News

17 hours ago

The Final Moments of Karl Brant

Our pre-caffeine roundup is a collection of the hottest, strangest, and most amusing stories of the morning.

A British lawmaker who was subjected to rape and death threats on Twitter has said those responsible should be prosecuted in the name of free speech.

Meanwhile, the United Nations investigators hoped they would get some help from Facebook when they asked to see information on suspected pirates operating in Somalia. But Facebook refused.

Oh! And guess what: A federal court once again found that? cops don?t need a warrant for cellphone location data.

And that Bradley Manning verdict? Still bad news for the press?

Divided as we may be on the right and wrong places to wear Google Glass, that tech is also reaching our four-legged friends.

Amazon's popular Kindle Fire tablets are slated for a major update say anonymous sources: New screens, better build quality, and an internal overhaul should bring the devices more in line with the latest from Google and Apple.

Speaking of Apple, here's a patent that reveals a three-lens, three-sensor iPhone camera.

And Microsoft patented a futuristic transparent laptop display.

Tom Friedman a modern-day Ayn Rand? Regarding his recent AirBnB column, "the NY Times columnist idealizes the Internet's winner-take-all economy while overlooking real-world concerns."

In closing: A Dark, Brilliant Short Film? Starring Pee Wee Herman.

Compiled by Helen A.S. Popkin, who invites you to join her on Twitter and/or Facebook.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/663301/s/2f635b4a/sc/7/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Ctechnology0Cpre0Ecaffeine0Etech0Efuture0Etech0Epee0Ewee0Eherman0E6C10A80A5958/story01.htm

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WikiLeaks on Manning verdict: 'Extremism'

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange branded Pfc. Bradley Manning's espionage conviction an episode of "national security extremism" while other supporters expressed relief that he was acquitted of the most serious charge. Among Manning's critics, House intelligence officials said justice was served.

From the courtroom to world capitals, people absorbed the meaning of a verdict Tuesday that cleared the soldier of a charge of aiding the enemy, which would have carried a potential life sentence, but convicted him on other counts that, together, could also mean a life behind bars. Manning faces up to 136 years in prison if given maximum penalties in a sentencing hearing that starts Wednesday.

In Washington, the Republican and Democratic leaders of the House Intelligence Committee joined in a statement declaring "justice has been served today."

"Manning harmed our national security, violated the public's trust, and now stands convicted of multiple serious crimes," said Rep. Mike Rogers of Michigan, chairman of the House Intelligence committee, and Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger of Maryland, the panel's top Democrat.

Assange, whose website served as the conduit for exposing Manning's spilled U.S. secrets to the world, saw nothing to cheer in the mixed verdict.

"It is a dangerous precedent and an example of national security extremism," he told reporters at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, which is sheltering him. "This has never been a fair trial."

Glenn Greenwald, the journalist, commentator and former civil rights lawyer who first reported Edward Snowden's leaks of National Security Agency surveillance programs, said Manning's acquittal on the charge of aiding the enemy represented a "tiny sliver of justice."

And Christian Stroebele, a German lawmaker for the opposition Green Party, tweeted, "Manning has won respect by uncovering the U.S.'s murderous warfare in Iraq."

But the advocacy group Reporters Without Borders said the verdict is a warning to whistleblowers, "against whom the Obama administration has been waging an unprecedented offensive," and threatens the future of investigative journalism because intimidated sources might fall quiet.

Another advocate of less government secrecy, Steven Aftergood of the Federation of American Scientists, questioned whether the implications will be so dire, given the extraordinary nature of the Manning case.

"This was a massive hemorrhage of government records, and it's not too surprising that it elicited a strong reaction from the government," Aftergood said.

"Does that mean that every leak from every journalist is likely to do the same?" he asked. "No it doesn't. Most journalists are not in the business of publishing classified documents, they're in the business of reporting the news, which is not the same thing. This is not good news for journalism, but it's not the end of the world, either."

Daniel Ellsberg, whose sensational leak of the Pentagon papers in the early 1970s exposed U.S. government lies about the Vietnam War, said Manning's acquittal on aiding the enemy limits the chilling consequences of the WikiLeaks case on press freedoms.

"American democracy just dodged a bullet, a possibly fatal bullet," Ellsberg said. "I'm talking about the free press that I think is the life's blood of the democracy."

Outside the courtroom, Manning supporters gave his lawyer, David Coombs, a round of applause and shouted "thank you." But they also pressed him on what the verdict meant for the soldier's fate.

"Today is a good day," Coombs said, "but Bradley is by no means out of the fire."

Manning acknowledged giving WikiLeaks more than 700,000 battlefield reports and diplomatic cables, and video of a 2007 U.S. helicopter attack that killed civilians in Iraq, including a Reuters news photographer and his driver. He said during a pretrial hearing he leaked the material to expose U.S military "bloodlust" and diplomatic deceitfulness but did not believe his actions would harm the country.

His defense portrayed him as a naive but well-intentioned figure. Prosecutors branded him an anarchist and traitor.

Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon, R-Calif., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, welcomed the outcome.

"Bradley Manning endangered the security of the United States and the lives of his own comrades in uniform when he intentionally disclosed vast amounts of classified data," he said. "His conviction should stand as an example to those who are tempted to violate a sacred public trust in pursuit of notoriety, fame, or their own political agenda."

Many supporters in and outside the courtroom wore black T-shirts with "truth" on them to show they consider him a whistleblower just trying to expose government misconduct.

"The government's priorities are upside down," Widney Brown, senior director of international law and policy for Amnesty International, said at the scene.

Officials have "refused to investigate credible allegations of torture and other crimes under international law despite overwhelming evidence," Brown said, but "decided to prosecute Manning, who it seems was trying to do the right thing ? reveal credible evidence of unlawful behavior by the government."

"It seems clear that the government was seeking to intimidate anyone who might consider revealing valuable information in the future," said Ben Wizner of the ACLU Speech, Privacy & Technology Project.

Overseas, Anatoly Kucherena, the Russian lawyer who's been working with Snowden, merely said: "All cases are individual. We shouldn't take the Manning case and compare it to Snowden."

___

Associated Press writers Raphael Satter in London, Donna Cassata in Washington, and David Dishneau and Pauline Jelinek in Fort Meade, Md., contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/wikileaks-manning-verdict-extremism-175700015.html

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Union J to bring out range of dolls in January

Taking the whole 'Carry You' thing a bit far isn't it?

Before we even start discussing this, let's all just admit something first - most of us have got a One Direction doll sitting in our bedrooms and no, we shall no longer be ashamed of it. And considering our Louis figure is just *so* 2011 with it's stripes and chinos, thank God there's going to be some new boyband dolls hitting shelves soon in the form of Union J.

Yep, if you've found yourself wondering just what JJ's tatts would look like in miniature form, or how George's hair could handle being transformed into shiny plastic than WONDER NO MORE, because in a matter of months you'll have all your answers to these essential questions.

Coming out in January, just in time to lift our Christmas blues, Union J will be treating us to some collectable dolls, accessories, games and puzzles and suddenly, we've got an amazing new reason to bring puzzles back into fashion.

'Collectable' dolls eh? Well as much as we'd love to keep Josh and his quiffy goodness in mint condition in his little plastic box, we have a sneaky suspicion he'll be busy having a few hair wars with miniature Zayn Malik while Jaymi and Louis get into a heated sass-off. OHH IT'S GOING TO BE GOOD.

It looks like those Union J lads will be having a bit of a busy Winter, seeing as they'll be taking their Magazines and TV screens tour around the UK from December and leaving a trail of sobbing girls in their wake - us included.

But what do you think? Can't wait to get your hands on a George Shelley of your own? Excited to see what they'll be wearing? WE ARE. Comments please...

Union J reveal all about their upcoming UK tour: "We want animals backstage and we want to fly"

Union J Week Day 3: The lads take the Onion J challenge - watch

WIN! Union J meet and greet plus tickets to Fusion Festival

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sugarscape/~3/TkvT7ceHBjc/union-j-bring-out-range-dolls-january

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new windows 8 problems hit me in face

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

Source: forum.notebookreview.com --- Sunday, July 21, 2013
First I tought w8 would be good. So I open my laptop and run first setup of Windows 8. Well it looked kid toy interface etc but also cool. Then when I get into desktop. First problem was that Windows update freezed few ten seconds and then started to download. But it stayed in 0 as long as I kept it downloading. Then when I messed little but with around I but power options and there was update and restart. I hit that and it installed few Windows updates but not them all. After restared I spent some time again and there was again update and restart option. And it installed few more. Im not sure if you dont understand what Im meaning but anyway Windows update lagged badly ...

Source: http://forum.notebookreview.com/windows-os-software/725892-new-windows-8-problems-hit-me-face.html

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Iraq News Headlines - Yahoo! News

http://news.yahoo.com/iraq/ en-USCopyright (c) 2013 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reservedFri, 19 Jul 2013 20:53:08 -04005http://news.yahoo.com/iraq/ http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/nws/th/main_142c.gif<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/marine-ordered-freed-iraq-war-crime-case-190533937.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/aL2y.o90WmHb3g2iU7gGrg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/f4a588f5269c0518380f6a7067005468.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - In this June 29, 2010, file photo, U.S. Marine Sgt. Lawrence Hutchins III poses for a portrait in Oceanside, Calif. The military&#039;s highest court has denied a government request to reconsider the overturned murder conviction of Hutchins, who has served more than half of his 11-year sentence in one of the biggest war crime cases to emerge from the Iraq war. Hutchins&#039; military attorney said he was expected to be released Friday, July 19, 2013, and reassigned to Camp Pendleton north of San Diego. (AP Photo/Adam Lau, File)" align="left" title="FILE - In this June 29, 2010, file photo, U.S. Marine Sgt. Lawrence Hutchins III poses for a portrait in Oceanside, Calif. The military&#039;s highest court has denied a government request to reconsider the overturned murder conviction of Hutchins, who has served more than half of his 11-year sentence in one of the biggest war crime cases to emerge from the Iraq war. Hutchins&#039; military attorney said he was expected to be released Friday, July 19, 2013, and reassigned to Camp Pendleton north of San Diego. (AP Photo/Adam Lau, File)" border="0" /></a>SAN DIEGO (AP) ? The U.S. Marine Corps released a sergeant Friday whose murder conviction was overturned in a major blow to the military&#039;s prosecution of Iraq war crimes.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/marine-ordered-freed-iraq-war-crime-case-190533937.htmlFri, 19 Jul 2013 20:53:08 -0400Associated Pressmarine-ordered-freed-iraq-war-crime-case-190533937<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/marine-ordered-freed-iraq-war-crime-case-190533937.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/aL2y.o90WmHb3g2iU7gGrg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/f4a588f5269c0518380f6a7067005468.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - In this June 29, 2010, file photo, U.S. Marine Sgt. Lawrence Hutchins III poses for a portrait in Oceanside, Calif. The military&#039;s highest court has denied a government request to reconsider the overturned murder conviction of Hutchins, who has served more than half of his 11-year sentence in one of the biggest war crime cases to emerge from the Iraq war. Hutchins&#039; military attorney said he was expected to be released Friday, July 19, 2013, and reassigned to Camp Pendleton north of San Diego. (AP Photo/Adam Lau, File)" align="left" title="FILE - In this June 29, 2010, file photo, U.S. Marine Sgt. Lawrence Hutchins III poses for a portrait in Oceanside, Calif. The military&#039;s highest court has denied a government request to reconsider the overturned murder conviction of Hutchins, who has served more than half of his 11-year sentence in one of the biggest war crime cases to emerge from the Iraq war. Hutchins&#039; military attorney said he was expected to be released Friday, July 19, 2013, and reassigned to Camp Pendleton north of San Diego. (AP Photo/Adam Lau, File)" border="0" /></a>SAN DIEGO (AP) ? The U.S. Marine Corps released a sergeant Friday whose murder conviction was overturned in a major blow to the military&#039;s prosecution of Iraq war crimes.</p><br clear="all"/>By Jessica Dye (Reuters) - The government can pursue "enhanced" penalties from Houston-based defense contractor KBR Inc over allegations that employees took kickbacks involving military contracts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait, a federal appeals court ruled on Friday. The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruling reinstates the government's civil claim against KBR in connection with employees' alleged violations of the Anti-Kickback Act, a law that bars government contractors and subcontractors from using bribes to influence awards. In 2010, the U.S. ...http://news.yahoo.com/kbr-must-face-u-lawsuit-over-alleged-kickbacks-003938973.htmlFri, 19 Jul 2013 20:39:38 -0400Reuterskbr-must-face-u-lawsuit-over-alleged-kickbacks-003938973A former supervisor of Pfc. Bradley Manning testified Friday that Manning told her the American flag meant nothing to him and he had no allegiance to the United States. The testimony of Jihrleah Showman ...http://news.yahoo.com/witness-manning-said-had-no-202008075.htmlFri, 19 Jul 2013 16:20:08 -0400Associated Presswitness-manning-said-had-no-202008075BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) ? Romania's president said Friday that Romanian authorities carried out "an unauthorized operation" abroad to capture a fugitive Syrian-Romanian businessman convicted of ordering the kidnapping of three Romanian journalists in Iraq.http://news.yahoo.com/romania-catches-syrian-wanted-abductions-200646341.htmlFri, 19 Jul 2013 16:06:46 -0400Associated Pressromania-catches-syrian-wanted-abductions-200646341Following a testy exchange between Sen. John McCain (R) of Arizona and Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Senator McCain said he?d place a hold on Dempsey?s confirmation for a second term.http://news.yahoo.com/why-does-john-mccain-problem-chairman-joint-chiefs-194100705.htmlFri, 19 Jul 2013 15:41:00 -0400Christian Science Monitorwhy-does-john-mccain-problem-chairman-joint-chiefs-194100705<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/iraq-sunni-mosque-bombing-other-attacks-kill-26-183852847.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/Bi1jLlnVoKP8337_P_snBQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/2de16b3e27c60a18380f6a7067008bbd.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="An Iraqi army soldier inspects the damage inside the Abu Bakr Mosque in Baqouba, northeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, July 19, 2013. A bomb hidden in an air conditioner that ripped through a Sunni mosque during midday prayers and other attacks killed dozens in Iraq on Friday, extending a wave of violence targeting worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan.The violence is an extension of a surge of attacks that has roiled Iraq for months, reviving fears of a return to the widespread sectarian bloodshed that pushed the country to the brink of civil war after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. (AP Photo)" align="left" title="An Iraqi army soldier inspects the damage inside the Abu Bakr Mosque in Baqouba, northeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, July 19, 2013. A bomb hidden in an air conditioner that ripped through a Sunni mosque during midday prayers and other attacks killed dozens in Iraq on Friday, extending a wave of violence targeting worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan.The violence is an extension of a surge of attacks that has roiled Iraq for months, reviving fears of a return to the widespread sectarian bloodshed that pushed the country to the brink of civil war after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. (AP Photo)" border="0" /></a>BAGHDAD (AP) ? A bomb hidden in an air conditioner that ripped through a Sunni mosque during midday prayers and other attacks killed at least 26 in Iraq on Friday, extending a wave of violence targeting worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/iraq-sunni-mosque-bombing-other-attacks-kill-26-183852847.htmlFri, 19 Jul 2013 14:38:52 -0400Associated Pressiraq-sunni-mosque-bombing-other-attacks-kill-26-183852847<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/iraq-sunni-mosque-bombing-other-attacks-kill-26-183852847.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/Bi1jLlnVoKP8337_P_snBQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/2de16b3e27c60a18380f6a7067008bbd.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="An Iraqi army soldier inspects the damage inside the Abu Bakr Mosque in Baqouba, northeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, July 19, 2013. A bomb hidden in an air conditioner that ripped through a Sunni mosque during midday prayers and other attacks killed dozens in Iraq on Friday, extending a wave of violence targeting worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan.The violence is an extension of a surge of attacks that has roiled Iraq for months, reviving fears of a return to the widespread sectarian bloodshed that pushed the country to the brink of civil war after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. (AP Photo)" align="left" title="An Iraqi army soldier inspects the damage inside the Abu Bakr Mosque in Baqouba, northeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, July 19, 2013. A bomb hidden in an air conditioner that ripped through a Sunni mosque during midday prayers and other attacks killed dozens in Iraq on Friday, extending a wave of violence targeting worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan.The violence is an extension of a surge of attacks that has roiled Iraq for months, reviving fears of a return to the widespread sectarian bloodshed that pushed the country to the brink of civil war after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. (AP Photo)" border="0" /></a>BAGHDAD (AP) ? A bomb hidden in an air conditioner that ripped through a Sunni mosque during midday prayers and other attacks killed at least 26 in Iraq on Friday, extending a wave of violence targeting worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/iraq-sunni-mosque-bombing-other-attacks-kills-26-183143049.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/Bi1jLlnVoKP8337_P_snBQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/2de16b3e27c60a18380f6a7067008bbd.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="An Iraqi army soldier inspects the damage inside the Abu Bakr Mosque in Baqouba, northeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, July 19, 2013. A bomb hidden in an air conditioner that ripped through a Sunni mosque during midday prayers and other attacks killed dozens in Iraq on Friday, extending a wave of violence targeting worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan.The violence is an extension of a surge of attacks that has roiled Iraq for months, reviving fears of a return to the widespread sectarian bloodshed that pushed the country to the brink of civil war after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. (AP Photo)" align="left" title="An Iraqi army soldier inspects the damage inside the Abu Bakr Mosque in Baqouba, northeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, July 19, 2013. A bomb hidden in an air conditioner that ripped through a Sunni mosque during midday prayers and other attacks killed dozens in Iraq on Friday, extending a wave of violence targeting worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan.The violence is an extension of a surge of attacks that has roiled Iraq for months, reviving fears of a return to the widespread sectarian bloodshed that pushed the country to the brink of civil war after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. (AP Photo)" border="0" /></a>BAGHDAD (AP) ? A bomb hidden in an air conditioner that ripped through a Sunni mosque during midday prayers and other attacks killed at least 26 in Iraq on Friday, extending a wave of violence targeting worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/iraq-sunni-mosque-bombing-other-attacks-kills-26-183143049.htmlFri, 19 Jul 2013 14:31:43 -0400Associated Pressiraq-sunni-mosque-bombing-other-attacks-kills-26-183143049<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/iraq-sunni-mosque-bombing-other-attacks-kills-26-183143049.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/Bi1jLlnVoKP8337_P_snBQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/2de16b3e27c60a18380f6a7067008bbd.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="An Iraqi army soldier inspects the damage inside the Abu Bakr Mosque in Baqouba, northeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, July 19, 2013. A bomb hidden in an air conditioner that ripped through a Sunni mosque during midday prayers and other attacks killed dozens in Iraq on Friday, extending a wave of violence targeting worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan.The violence is an extension of a surge of attacks that has roiled Iraq for months, reviving fears of a return to the widespread sectarian bloodshed that pushed the country to the brink of civil war after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. (AP Photo)" align="left" title="An Iraqi army soldier inspects the damage inside the Abu Bakr Mosque in Baqouba, northeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, July 19, 2013. A bomb hidden in an air conditioner that ripped through a Sunni mosque during midday prayers and other attacks killed dozens in Iraq on Friday, extending a wave of violence targeting worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan.The violence is an extension of a surge of attacks that has roiled Iraq for months, reviving fears of a return to the widespread sectarian bloodshed that pushed the country to the brink of civil war after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. (AP Photo)" border="0" /></a>BAGHDAD (AP) ? A bomb hidden in an air conditioner that ripped through a Sunni mosque during midday prayers and other attacks killed at least 26 in Iraq on Friday, extending a wave of violence targeting worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/shells-hit-major-shiite-shrine-near-damascus-174449259.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/NCXL82GNFnVsLB_U4IAhqg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/63ba427f8d309217370f6a706700fd70.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Syrian soldiers cheer after battling with rebels during a tour for journalists organized by the Syrian Information Ministry in the Damascus suburb of Jobar, Syria, Sunday, July 14, 2013. Government troops fired tank shells and artillery in heavy clashes between Syrian forces and rebels Sunday on the edge of Damascus, where the military has been pushing its offensive to retake key districts that have been in opposition hands for months. (AP Photo/Bassem Tellawi)" align="left" title="Syrian soldiers cheer after battling with rebels during a tour for journalists organized by the Syrian Information Ministry in the Damascus suburb of Jobar, Syria, Sunday, July 14, 2013. Government troops fired tank shells and artillery in heavy clashes between Syrian forces and rebels Sunday on the edge of Damascus, where the military has been pushing its offensive to retake key districts that have been in opposition hands for months. (AP Photo/Bassem Tellawi)" border="0" /></a>BEIRUT (AP) ? Mortar shells struck near a major Shiite shrine outside Damascus on Friday, killing its caretaker in an attack that threatens to further escalate sectarian tensions in Syria&#039;s civil war, the government and activists said.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/shells-hit-major-shiite-shrine-near-damascus-174449259.htmlFri, 19 Jul 2013 13:44:49 -0400Associated Pressshells-hit-major-shiite-shrine-near-damascus-174449259<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/shells-hit-major-shiite-shrine-near-damascus-174449259.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/NCXL82GNFnVsLB_U4IAhqg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/63ba427f8d309217370f6a706700fd70.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Syrian soldiers cheer after battling with rebels during a tour for journalists organized by the Syrian Information Ministry in the Damascus suburb of Jobar, Syria, Sunday, July 14, 2013. Government troops fired tank shells and artillery in heavy clashes between Syrian forces and rebels Sunday on the edge of Damascus, where the military has been pushing its offensive to retake key districts that have been in opposition hands for months. (AP Photo/Bassem Tellawi)" align="left" title="Syrian soldiers cheer after battling with rebels during a tour for journalists organized by the Syrian Information Ministry in the Damascus suburb of Jobar, Syria, Sunday, July 14, 2013. Government troops fired tank shells and artillery in heavy clashes between Syrian forces and rebels Sunday on the edge of Damascus, where the military has been pushing its offensive to retake key districts that have been in opposition hands for months. (AP Photo/Bassem Tellawi)" border="0" /></a>BEIRUT (AP) ? Mortar shells struck near a major Shiite shrine outside Damascus on Friday, killing its caretaker in an attack that threatens to further escalate sectarian tensions in Syria&#039;s civil war, the government and activists said.</p><br clear="all"/>BEIRUT (Reuters) - A rocket strike near a Shi'ite Muslim shrine in Damascus killed a custodian of the site on Friday, activists and residents said, in an attack that could inflame sectarian tensions in Syria's 28-month-old conflict. Opposition activists and residents said shrapnel killed Anas Romani, the respected caretaker of the gold-domed Sayyeda Zainab shrine in the capital's southern suburbs, a renowned pilgrimage destination for Shi'ites from Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and beyond. There were conflicting reports about damage to the shrine. ...http://news.yahoo.com/rocket-attack-kills-custodian-syrian-shiite-shrine-154012081.htmlFri, 19 Jul 2013 11:40:12 -0400Reutersrocket-attack-kills-custodian-syrian-shiite-shrine-154012081By Braden Reddall (Reuters) - A three-decade high for drilling activity outside North America lifted Schlumberger Ltd to a seventh straight estimate-topping quarterly profit, while U.S.-focused Baker Hughes Inc came up short in a tough quarter closer to home. Shares of global oilfield services leader, Schlumberger rose 4.3 percent to $81.88, touching a near-two-year high briefly, while Baker Hughes fell 4 percent to $47.14. UBS analyst Angie Sedita was impressed by Schlumberger's strong execution in almost every region. ...http://news.yahoo.com/schlumberger-soars-global-drilling-boom-baker-hit-home-124229900.htmlFri, 19 Jul 2013 10:47:11 -0400Reutersschlumberger-soars-global-drilling-boom-baker-hit-home-124229900<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/irans-ahmadinejad-visits-shiite-sites-iraq-100256928.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/uKzwK..bSMxcRsRAf39x1Q--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/0a5ffae8265e0318380f6a706700ba5d.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, center, reacts during his visit to the Imam Ali shrine in Najaf, Iraq, Friday, July 19, 2013. The outgoing Iranian president?s visits to the cities of Najaf and Karbala during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan followed meetings with top Iraqi officials in Baghdad on Thursday that highlighted the tightening bonds between Shiite-led Iraq and Iran. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim, Pool)" align="left" title="Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, center, reacts during his visit to the Imam Ali shrine in Najaf, Iraq, Friday, July 19, 2013. The outgoing Iranian president?s visits to the cities of Najaf and Karbala during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan followed meetings with top Iraqi officials in Baghdad on Thursday that highlighted the tightening bonds between Shiite-led Iraq and Iran. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim, Pool)" border="0" /></a>NAJAF, Iraq (AP) ? Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad traveled to southern Iraq on Friday to visit two of the most sacred cities for Shiite Muslims amid tight security on the second day of his two-day visit to the country.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/irans-ahmadinejad-visits-shiite-sites-iraq-100256928.htmlFri, 19 Jul 2013 10:15:10 -0400Associated Pressirans-ahmadinejad-visits-shiite-sites-iraq-100256928<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/irans-ahmadinejad-visits-shiite-sites-iraq-100256928.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/uKzwK..bSMxcRsRAf39x1Q--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/0a5ffae8265e0318380f6a706700ba5d.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, center, reacts during his visit to the Imam Ali shrine in Najaf, Iraq, Friday, July 19, 2013. The outgoing Iranian president?s visits to the cities of Najaf and Karbala during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan followed meetings with top Iraqi officials in Baghdad on Thursday that highlighted the tightening bonds between Shiite-led Iraq and Iran. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim, Pool)" align="left" title="Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, center, reacts during his visit to the Imam Ali shrine in Najaf, Iraq, Friday, July 19, 2013. The outgoing Iranian president?s visits to the cities of Najaf and Karbala during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan followed meetings with top Iraqi officials in Baghdad on Thursday that highlighted the tightening bonds between Shiite-led Iraq and Iran. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim, Pool)" border="0" /></a>NAJAF, Iraq (AP) ? Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad traveled to southern Iraq on Friday to visit two of the most sacred cities for Shiite Muslims amid tight security on the second day of his two-day visit to the country.</p><br clear="all"/>BAGHDAD (AP) ? A bomb ripped through a full Sunni mosque in central Iraq during midday prayers Friday, killing at least 17 people in the latest outburst of deadly violence targeting worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan.http://news.yahoo.com/bombing-sunni-mosque-iraq-kills-least-17-131058042.htmlFri, 19 Jul 2013 09:55:39 -0400Associated Pressbombing-sunni-mosque-iraq-kills-least-17-131058042Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura's defamation lawsuit against slain "American Sniper" author Chris Kyle will be allowed to go forward with Kyle's widow as the defendant, a federal judge ruled ...http://news.yahoo.com/ventura-suit-against-sniper-author-135439986.htmlFri, 19 Jul 2013 09:54:39 -0400Associated Pressventura-suit-against-sniper-author-135439986<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/kurdish-group-battles-extremist-rebels-syria-135206560.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/NCXL82GNFnVsLB_U4IAhqg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/63ba427f8d309217370f6a706700fd70.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Syrian soldiers cheer after battling with rebels during a tour for journalists organized by the Syrian Information Ministry in the Damascus suburb of Jobar, Syria, Sunday, July 14, 2013. Government troops fired tank shells and artillery in heavy clashes between Syrian forces and rebels Sunday on the edge of Damascus, where the military has been pushing its offensive to retake key districts that have been in opposition hands for months. (AP Photo/Bassem Tellawi)" align="left" title="Syrian soldiers cheer after battling with rebels during a tour for journalists organized by the Syrian Information Ministry in the Damascus suburb of Jobar, Syria, Sunday, July 14, 2013. Government troops fired tank shells and artillery in heavy clashes between Syrian forces and rebels Sunday on the edge of Damascus, where the military has been pushing its offensive to retake key districts that have been in opposition hands for months. (AP Photo/Bassem Tellawi)" border="0" /></a>BEIRUT (AP) ? Pro-government Kurdish fighters and al-Qaida-linked rebels fought fierce battles Friday in northeastern Syria, the latest in clashes that have killed more than 40 on both sides this week, activists said.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/kurdish-group-battles-extremist-rebels-syria-135206560.htmlFri, 19 Jul 2013 09:52:06 -0400Associated Presskurdish-group-battles-extremist-rebels-syria-135206560<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/kurdish-group-battles-extremist-rebels-syria-135206560.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/NCXL82GNFnVsLB_U4IAhqg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/63ba427f8d309217370f6a706700fd70.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Syrian soldiers cheer after battling with rebels during a tour for journalists organized by the Syrian Information Ministry in the Damascus suburb of Jobar, Syria, Sunday, July 14, 2013. Government troops fired tank shells and artillery in heavy clashes between Syrian forces and rebels Sunday on the edge of Damascus, where the military has been pushing its offensive to retake key districts that have been in opposition hands for months. (AP Photo/Bassem Tellawi)" align="left" title="Syrian soldiers cheer after battling with rebels during a tour for journalists organized by the Syrian Information Ministry in the Damascus suburb of Jobar, Syria, Sunday, July 14, 2013. Government troops fired tank shells and artillery in heavy clashes between Syrian forces and rebels Sunday on the edge of Damascus, where the military has been pushing its offensive to retake key districts that have been in opposition hands for months. (AP Photo/Bassem Tellawi)" border="0" /></a>BEIRUT (AP) ? Pro-government Kurdish fighters and al-Qaida-linked rebels fought fierce battles Friday in northeastern Syria, the latest in clashes that have killed more than 40 on both sides this week, activists said.</p><br clear="all"/>BAQUBA, Iraq (Reuters) - A suicide bomber blew himself up inside a Sunni mosque in central Iraq, killing at least 20 people in the middle of a sermon on Friday. The explosion took place in the town of Wajihiya in the ethnically and religiously diverse province of Diyala, which has seen an increasing number of attacks in recent weeks. It was unclear who was behind the blast, the latest in a campaign of attacks that has raised fears of a return to full-blown sectarian conflict in a country where Kurds, Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims have yet to find a stable way of sharing power. ...http://news.yahoo.com/bomb-blast-inside-iraq-sunni-mosque-kills-20-112331099.htmlFri, 19 Jul 2013 09:49:45 -0400Reutersbomb-blast-inside-iraq-sunni-mosque-kills-20-112331099CANBERRA, Australia (AP) ? Australia's prime minister warned Friday that all refugees who arrive in the country by boat will be resettled on the island nation of Papua New Guinea, a policy shift that rights groups immediately condemned.http://news.yahoo.com/australia-send-refugees-papua-guinea-095228523.htmlFri, 19 Jul 2013 09:30:02 -0400Associated Pressaustralia-send-refugees-papua-guinea-095228523<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/military-court-denies-navy-appeal-iraq-war-case-030340856.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/aL2y.o90WmHb3g2iU7gGrg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/f4a588f5269c0518380f6a7067005468.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - In this June 29, 2010, file photo, U.S. Marine Sgt. Lawrence Hutchins III poses for a portrait in Oceanside, Calif. The military&#039;s highest court has denied a government request to reconsider the overturned murder conviction of Hutchins, who has served more than half of his 11-year sentence in one of the biggest war crime cases to emerge from the Iraq war. Hutchins&#039; military attorney said he was expected to be released Friday, July 19, 2013, and reassigned to Camp Pendleton north of San Diego. (AP Photo/Adam Lau, File)" align="left" title="FILE - In this June 29, 2010, file photo, U.S. Marine Sgt. Lawrence Hutchins III poses for a portrait in Oceanside, Calif. The military&#039;s highest court has denied a government request to reconsider the overturned murder conviction of Hutchins, who has served more than half of his 11-year sentence in one of the biggest war crime cases to emerge from the Iraq war. Hutchins&#039; military attorney said he was expected to be released Friday, July 19, 2013, and reassigned to Camp Pendleton north of San Diego. (AP Photo/Adam Lau, File)" border="0" /></a>SAN DIEGO (AP) ? The military&#039;s highest court has denied a government request to reconsider the overturned murder conviction of a Marine who has served more than half of his 11-year sentence in one of the biggest war crime cases to emerge from the Iraq war.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/military-court-denies-navy-appeal-iraq-war-case-030340856.htmlFri, 19 Jul 2013 09:13:57 -0400Associated Pressmilitary-court-denies-navy-appeal-iraq-war-case-030340856<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/military-court-denies-navy-appeal-iraq-war-case-030340856.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/aL2y.o90WmHb3g2iU7gGrg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/f4a588f5269c0518380f6a7067005468.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - In this June 29, 2010, file photo, U.S. Marine Sgt. Lawrence Hutchins III poses for a portrait in Oceanside, Calif. The military&#039;s highest court has denied a government request to reconsider the overturned murder conviction of Hutchins, who has served more than half of his 11-year sentence in one of the biggest war crime cases to emerge from the Iraq war. Hutchins&#039; military attorney said he was expected to be released Friday, July 19, 2013, and reassigned to Camp Pendleton north of San Diego. (AP Photo/Adam Lau, File)" align="left" title="FILE - In this June 29, 2010, file photo, U.S. Marine Sgt. Lawrence Hutchins III poses for a portrait in Oceanside, Calif. The military&#039;s highest court has denied a government request to reconsider the overturned murder conviction of Hutchins, who has served more than half of his 11-year sentence in one of the biggest war crime cases to emerge from the Iraq war. Hutchins&#039; military attorney said he was expected to be released Friday, July 19, 2013, and reassigned to Camp Pendleton north of San Diego. (AP Photo/Adam Lau, File)" border="0" /></a>SAN DIEGO (AP) ? The military&#039;s highest court has denied a government request to reconsider the overturned murder conviction of a Marine who has served more than half of his 11-year sentence in one of the biggest war crime cases to emerge from the Iraq war.</p><br clear="all"/>-- NPC's Honor one of the Most Prestigious Awards in American Journalism --WASHINGTON, July 19, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Andrea Mitchell, veteran NBC Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent and host of MSNBC's?Andrea Mitchell Reports, has been selected as the 2013 recipient of the Fourth Estate Award, the National Press Club's most-honored prize.(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080917/NPCLOGO)Mitchell will receive the award at a gala dinner Friday, October 4. ...http://news.yahoo.com/andrea-mitchell-named-recipient-2013-national-press-club-130000743.htmlFri, 19 Jul 2013 09:00:00 -0400PR Newswireandrea-mitchell-named-recipient-2013-national-press-club-130000743BAGHDAD (AP) ? A bomb exploded inside a Sunni mosque in central Iraq during midday prayers Friday, killing at least 15 people in the latest outburst of deadly violence roiling the country during the holy month of Ramadan.http://news.yahoo.com/bombing-sunni-mosque-iraq-kills-least-15-122414374.htmlFri, 19 Jul 2013 08:24:14 -0400Associated Pressbombing-sunni-mosque-iraq-kills-least-15-122414374By Daren Butler ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Kurdish militants issued what they said was a final warning to Turkey on Friday to take concrete steps to advance a peace process aimed at ending a three-decade insurgency, or be responsible for it grinding to a halt. Jailed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan and the Ankara government began peace talks last October to halt a conflict which has killed 40,000 people and blighted Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast. ...http://news.yahoo.com/kurd-militants-turkey-final-warning-peace-deal-121753779.htmlFri, 19 Jul 2013 08:17:53 -0400Reuterskurd-militants-turkey-final-warning-peace-deal-121753779By Erika Solomon and Isabel Coles BEIRUT/ARBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - A Syrian Kurdish group said on Friday it aims to set up an independent council to run Kurdish regions until Syria's civil war has ended, a move likely to alarm Syrian rebels and neighboring Turkey, both wary of a possible Kurdish state. Kurdish militias have seized control of districts in northern Syria in the past year since President Bashar al-Assad's forces focused elsewhere, and are now seeking to consolidate those gains despite deep divisions in their ranks. ...http://news.yahoo.com/syrian-kurdish-group-aims-independent-local-administration-120057985.htmlFri, 19 Jul 2013 08:00:57 -0400Reuterssyrian-kurdish-group-aims-independent-local-administration-120057985BAGHDAD (AP) ? Officials say a bomb has exploded in a Sunni mosque in central Iraq, killing at least 10 people.http://news.yahoo.com/bombing-sunni-mosque-iraq-kills-least-10-115302492.htmlFri, 19 Jul 2013 07:53:02 -0400Associated Pressbombing-sunni-mosque-iraq-kills-least-10-115302492CANBERRA, Australia (AP) ? Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has warned that all refugees who arrive in Australia by boat will be resettled on the South Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea as his government struggles to stem an influx of asylum seekers.http://news.yahoo.com/australia-send-migrants-papua-guinea-080805490.htmlFri, 19 Jul 2013 05:40:34 -0400Associated Pressaustralia-send-migrants-papua-guinea-080805490<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/judge-u-wikileaks-case-declines-dismiss-charge-aiding-235818559.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/k9GWryCIeSMO4wtw1KukfA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-07-18T235818Z_1_CBRE96H1UL900_RTROPTP_2_USA-WIKILEAKS-MANNING.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="U.S. Army Pfc. Bradley Manning is escorted out of a courthouse at Fort Meade in Maryland" align="left" title="U.S. Army Pfc. Bradley Manning is escorted out of a courthouse at Fort Meade in Maryland" border="0" /></a>By Medina Roshan FORT MEADE, Maryland (Reuters) - The military judge hearing the court-martial of the U.S. soldier accused of the biggest leak of classified material in the nation&#039;s history refused on Thursday to dismiss the most severe charge the defendant faces, aiding the enemy. That is one of 21 counts that U.S. Army Private First Class Bradley Manning is charged with, but it carries the possibility of life in prison. &quot;He was knowingly providing intelligence to the enemy,&quot; said Judge Colonel Denise Lind in rejecting a motion by Manning&#039;s lawyer to dismiss that charge. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/judge-u-wikileaks-case-declines-dismiss-charge-aiding-235818559.htmlThu, 18 Jul 2013 19:58:18 -0400Reutersjudge-u-wikileaks-case-declines-dismiss-charge-aiding-235818559<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/judge-u-wikileaks-case-declines-dismiss-charge-aiding-235818559.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/k9GWryCIeSMO4wtw1KukfA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-07-18T235818Z_1_CBRE96H1UL900_RTROPTP_2_USA-WIKILEAKS-MANNING.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="U.S. Army Pfc. Bradley Manning is escorted out of a courthouse at Fort Meade in Maryland" align="left" title="U.S. Army Pfc. Bradley Manning is escorted out of a courthouse at Fort Meade in Maryland" border="0" /></a>By Medina Roshan FORT MEADE, Maryland (Reuters) - The military judge hearing the court-martial of the U.S. soldier accused of the biggest leak of classified material in the nation&#039;s history refused on Thursday to dismiss the most severe charge the defendant faces, aiding the enemy. That is one of 21 counts that U.S. Army Private First Class Bradley Manning is charged with, but it carries the possibility of life in prison. &quot;He was knowingly providing intelligence to the enemy,&quot; said Judge Colonel Denise Lind in rejecting a motion by Manning&#039;s lawyer to dismiss that charge. ...</p><br clear="all"/>WASHINGTON -- Ever since the slaughter in Syria began two years ago, the most accepted explanation for the heinous cruelty there has been that this was a fight between historically warring ethnic groups.The French protectorate that became Syria early in the 20th century had the added incentive to hatred in that the ruling al-Assad family dictatorship came from the mountaintop Alawites, a tribe always tiny and bitterly persecuted.But now, some acute analysts are examining the awful fighting that goes on and on with a depth that should give us pause to reconsider the conventional wisdom. ...http://news.yahoo.com/environmental-disaster-plays-leading-role-revolutions-220011721.htmlThu, 18 Jul 2013 18:00:11 -0400Georgie Anne Geyerenvironmental-disaster-plays-leading-role-revolutions-220011721<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/sen-mccain-plans-stall-dempseys-nomination-193216256.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/m5GrX9Mt6Vun2oZ2MtP8XQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/10d3b8860847ef18370f6a706700aefb.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, holds up a photo of a deployed American soldier as he testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee at his reappointment hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, July 18, 2013. Dempsey said during congressional testimony Thursday that he has provided President Obama with options for the use of force in Syria. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)" align="left" title="Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, holds up a photo of a deployed American soldier as he testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee at his reappointment hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, July 18, 2013. Dempsey said during congressional testimony Thursday that he has provided President Obama with options for the use of force in Syria. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)" border="0" /></a>WASHINGTON (AP) ? Sen. John McCain said Thursday he will block Army Gen. Martin Dempsey&#039;s nomination for a second term as Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman due to his dissatisfaction with the officer&#039;s responses to questions about the potential use of U.S. military power in Syria.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/sen-mccain-plans-stall-dempseys-nomination-193216256.htmlThu, 18 Jul 2013 17:04:58 -0400Associated Presssen-mccain-plans-stall-dempseys-nomination-193216256<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/sen-mccain-plans-stall-dempseys-nomination-193216256.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/m5GrX9Mt6Vun2oZ2MtP8XQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/10d3b8860847ef18370f6a706700aefb.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, holds up a photo of a deployed American soldier as he testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee at his reappointment hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, July 18, 2013. Dempsey said during congressional testimony Thursday that he has provided President Obama with options for the use of force in Syria. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)" align="left" title="Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, holds up a photo of a deployed American soldier as he testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee at his reappointment hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, July 18, 2013. Dempsey said during congressional testimony Thursday that he has provided President Obama with options for the use of force in Syria. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)" border="0" /></a>WASHINGTON (AP) ? Sen. John McCain said Thursday he will block Army Gen. Martin Dempsey&#039;s nomination for a second term as Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman due to his dissatisfaction with the officer&#039;s responses to questions about the potential use of U.S. military power in Syria.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/un-envoy-warns-trauma-children-syria-war-210454503.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/HpIAYwsUlIzAopWnKC14pQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/da49d5210878f018370f6a7067000696.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - In this Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012 file photo, Syrian children, who fled their home with their family due to fighting between the Syrian army and the rebels, lie on the ground, while they and others take refuge at the Bab Al-Salameh border crossing, in hopes of entering one of the refugee camps in Turkey, near the Syrian town of Azaz. The U.N. warns that Syria?s war is creating a generation of children who will grow up illiterate and filled with hate. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen, File)" align="left" title="FILE - In this Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012 file photo, Syrian children, who fled their home with their family due to fighting between the Syrian army and the rebels, lie on the ground, while they and others take refuge at the Bab Al-Salameh border crossing, in hopes of entering one of the refugee camps in Turkey, near the Syrian town of Azaz. The U.N. warns that Syria?s war is creating a generation of children who will grow up illiterate and filled with hate. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen, File)" border="0" /></a>BEIRUT (AP) ? Abdullah, a 9-year-old orphaned by Syria&#039;s civil war, was piled in to van by his uncle as gunfire rattled around them. One of the last things the boy says he saw in his hometown was the uncle falling, shot, as the van full of strangers took him away on a treacherous, 3-day journey to neighboring Lebanon.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/un-envoy-warns-trauma-children-syria-war-210454503.htmlThu, 18 Jul 2013 17:04:54 -0400Associated Pressun-envoy-warns-trauma-children-syria-war-210454503<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/un-envoy-warns-trauma-children-syria-war-210454503.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/HpIAYwsUlIzAopWnKC14pQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/da49d5210878f018370f6a7067000696.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - In this Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012 file photo, Syrian children, who fled their home with their family due to fighting between the Syrian army and the rebels, lie on the ground, while they and others take refuge at the Bab Al-Salameh border crossing, in hopes of entering one of the refugee camps in Turkey, near the Syrian town of Azaz. The U.N. warns that Syria?s war is creating a generation of children who will grow up illiterate and filled with hate. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen, File)" align="left" title="FILE - In this Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012 file photo, Syrian children, who fled their home with their family due to fighting between the Syrian army and the rebels, lie on the ground, while they and others take refuge at the Bab Al-Salameh border crossing, in hopes of entering one of the refugee camps in Turkey, near the Syrian town of Azaz. The U.N. warns that Syria?s war is creating a generation of children who will grow up illiterate and filled with hate. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen, File)" border="0" /></a>BEIRUT (AP) ? Abdullah, a 9-year-old orphaned by Syria&#039;s civil war, was piled in to van by his uncle as gunfire rattled around them. One of the last things the boy says he saw in his hometown was the uncle falling, shot, as the van full of strangers took him away on a treacherous, 3-day journey to neighboring Lebanon.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/iran-president-highlights-ties-final-iraq-visit-162556254.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/3bB.r3o65uYldvAuvQa2TQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/b7bb7d85084fef18370f6a706700fb4a.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Iran&#039;s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad listens to a question during a joint news conference with Iraqi Vice President Khudier al-Khuzaie, not shown, in Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, July 18, 2013. Iran&#039;s outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has landed in Iraq on his second visit as head of government, highlighting the growing ties between the two Shiite-led neighbors. (AP Photo/ Hadi Mizban, Pool)" align="left" title="Iran&#039;s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad listens to a question during a joint news conference with Iraqi Vice President Khudier al-Khuzaie, not shown, in Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, July 18, 2013. Iran&#039;s outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has landed in Iraq on his second visit as head of government, highlighting the growing ties between the two Shiite-led neighbors. (AP Photo/ Hadi Mizban, Pool)" border="0" /></a>BAGHDAD (AP) ? Outgoing Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad paid a final official visit to Iraq on Thursday, seeking to emphasize the growing relations between the Shiite-led neighbors just weeks before he steps down from the job.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/iran-president-highlights-ties-final-iraq-visit-162556254.htmlThu, 18 Jul 2013 16:31:22 -0400Associated Pressiran-president-highlights-ties-final-iraq-visit-162556254<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/iran-president-highlights-ties-final-iraq-visit-162556254.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/3bB.r3o65uYldvAuvQa2TQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/b7bb7d85084fef18370f6a706700fb4a.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Iran&#039;s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad listens to a question during a joint news conference with Iraqi Vice President Khudier al-Khuzaie, not shown, in Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, July 18, 2013. Iran&#039;s outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has landed in Iraq on his second visit as head of government, highlighting the growing ties between the two Shiite-led neighbors. (AP Photo/ Hadi Mizban, Pool)" align="left" title="Iran&#039;s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad listens to a question during a joint news conference with Iraqi Vice President Khudier al-Khuzaie, not shown, in Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, July 18, 2013. Iran&#039;s outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has landed in Iraq on his second visit as head of government, highlighting the growing ties between the two Shiite-led neighbors. (AP Photo/ Hadi Mizban, Pool)" border="0" /></a>BAGHDAD (AP) ? Outgoing Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad paid a final official visit to Iraq on Thursday, seeking to emphasize the growing relations between the Shiite-led neighbors just weeks before he steps down from the job.</p><br clear="all"/>The judge in the military trial of Pfc. Bradley Manning ruled Thursday that she would not dismiss charges against him of ?aiding the enemy.?http://news.yahoo.com/bradley-manning-trial-aiding-enemy-charges-stand-hard-195729804.htmlThu, 18 Jul 2013 15:57:29 -0400Christian Science Monitorbradley-manning-trial-aiding-enemy-charges-stand-hard-195729804<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/republican-senator-vows-delay-dempsey-nomination-u-military-193908313.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/3W4e6LeNFRQr5lKWzXSN_A--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-07-18T193908Z_1_CBRE96H1ILB00_RTROPTP_2_USA-DEFENSE.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey testifies at a Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing on &quot;Department Leadership.&quot; on Capitol Hill in Washington" align="left" title="U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey testifies at a Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing on &quot;Department Leadership.&quot; on Capitol Hill in Washington" border="0" /></a>By David Alexander and Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Army General Martin Dempsey&#039;s nomination to a second term as the top U.S. military officer hit an unexpected bump on Thursday when a senior Republican lawmaker denounced his stance on Syria during a Senate hearing and vowed to block a vote on the appointment. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/republican-senator-vows-delay-dempsey-nomination-u-military-193908313.htmlThu, 18 Jul 2013 15:39:08 -0400Reutersrepublican-senator-vows-delay-dempsey-nomination-u-military-193908313<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/republican-senator-vows-delay-dempsey-nomination-u-military-193908313.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/3W4e6LeNFRQr5lKWzXSN_A--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-07-18T193908Z_1_CBRE96H1ILB00_RTROPTP_2_USA-DEFENSE.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey testifies at a Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing on &quot;Department Leadership.&quot; on Capitol Hill in Washington" align="left" title="U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey testifies at a Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing on &quot;Department Leadership.&quot; on Capitol Hill in Washington" border="0" /></a>By David Alexander and Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Army General Martin Dempsey&#039;s nomination to a second term as the top U.S. military officer hit an unexpected bump on Thursday when a senior Republican lawmaker denounced his stance on Syria during a Senate hearing and vowed to block a vote on the appointment. ...</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/senior-gop-senator-puts-hold-dempsey-nomination-181402099.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/p82mfTHfxdOQA3_nOhM89w--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/0ff2c991082def18370f6a70670028bd.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, appears before the Senate Armed Services Committee for a reappointment hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, July 18, 2013. Dempsey said during congressional testimony Thursday that he has provided President Obama with options for the use of force in Syria. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)" align="left" title="Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, appears before the Senate Armed Services Committee for a reappointment hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, July 18, 2013. Dempsey said during congressional testimony Thursday that he has provided President Obama with options for the use of force in Syria. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)" border="0" /></a>WASHINGTON (AP) ? A senior Republican senator said Thursday he will block Army Gen. Martin Dempsey&#039;s nomination for a second term as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff due to his dissatisfaction with the officer&#039;s responses to questions about the potential use of U.S. military power in Syria.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/senior-gop-senator-puts-hold-dempsey-nomination-181402099.htmlThu, 18 Jul 2013 14:14:17 -0400Associated Presssenior-gop-senator-puts-hold-dempsey-nomination-181402099<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/senior-gop-senator-puts-hold-dempsey-nomination-181402099.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/p82mfTHfxdOQA3_nOhM89w--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/0ff2c991082def18370f6a70670028bd.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, appears before the Senate Armed Services Committee for a reappointment hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, July 18, 2013. Dempsey said during congressional testimony Thursday that he has provided President Obama with options for the use of force in Syria. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)" align="left" title="Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, appears before the Senate Armed Services Committee for a reappointment hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, July 18, 2013. Dempsey said during congressional testimony Thursday that he has provided President Obama with options for the use of force in Syria. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)" border="0" /></a>WASHINGTON (AP) ? A senior Republican senator said Thursday he will block Army Gen. Martin Dempsey&#039;s nomination for a second term as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff due to his dissatisfaction with the officer&#039;s responses to questions about the potential use of U.S. military power in Syria.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/judge-wont-dismiss-serious-charge-175603490.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/3xG9.2eugQ9d5VnJQDMN6w--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/images/US_AHTTP_AP_FINANCIALTIMES/c98237c007a3ec18370f6a706700af69_original.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Judge won&#039;t dismiss serious charge in Manning case" align="left" title="Judge won&#039;t dismiss serious charge in Manning case" border="0" /></a>A military judge refused Thursday to dismiss the most serious charge against Bradley Manning, the Army private who gave reams of classified information to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks. The charge ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/judge-wont-dismiss-serious-charge-175603490.htmlThu, 18 Jul 2013 13:56:03 -0400Associated Pressjudge-wont-dismiss-serious-charge-175603490http://rss.news.yahoo.com/rss/iraq

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