WikiLeaks: Snowden going to Ecuador to seek asylum

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Admitted leaker Edward Snowden took flight Sunday in evasion of U.S. authorities, seeking asylum in Ecuador and leaving the Obama administration scrambling to determine its next step in what became a game of diplomatic cat-and-mouse.

The former National Security Agency contractor and CIA technician fled Hong Kong and arrived at the Moscow airport, where he planned to spend the night before boarding an Aeroflot flight to Cuba. Ecuador's Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said his government received an asylum request from Snowden, and the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks said it would help him.

"He goes to the very countries that have, at best, very tense relationships with the United States," said Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., adding that she feared Snowden would trade more U.S. secrets for asylum. "This is not going to play out well for the national security interests of the United States."

The move left the U.S. with limited options as Snowden's itinerary took him on a tour of what many see as anti-American capitals. Ecuador in particular has rejected the United States' previous efforts at cooperation, and has been helping WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, avoid prosecution by allowing him to stay at its embassy in London.

Snowden gave The Guardian and The Washington Post documents disclosing U.S. surveillance programs that collect vast amounts of phone records and online data in the name of foreign intelligence, but often sweep up information on American citizens. Officials have the ability to collect phone and Internet information broadly but need a warrant to examine specific cases where they believe terrorism is involved.

Snowden had been in hiding for several weeks in Hong Kong, a former British colony with a high degree of autonomy from mainland China. The United States formally sought Snowden's extradition from Hong Kong but was rebuffed; Hong Kong officials said the U.S. request did not fully comply with their laws.

The Justice Department rejected that claim, saying its request met all of the requirements of the extradition treaty between the U.S. and Hong Kong.

During conversations last week, including a phone call Wednesday between Attorney General Eric Holder and Hong Kong Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen, Hong Kong officials never raised any issues regarding sufficiency of the U.S. request, a Justice spokesperson said.

A State Department official said the United States was in touch through diplomatic and law enforcement channels with countries that Snowden could travel through or to, reminding them that Snowden is wanted on criminal charges and reiterating Washington's position that Snowden should only be permitted to travel back to the U.S.

Those officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the case.

The Justice Department said it would "pursue relevant law enforcement cooperation with other countries where Mr. Snowden may be attempting to travel."

Russia's state ITAR-Tass news agency and Interfax cited an unnamed Aeroflot airline official as saying Snowden was on the plane that landed Sunday afternoon in Moscow.

Upon his arrival, Snowden did not leave Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport. One explanation could be that he wasn't allowed; a U.S. official said Snowden's passport had been revoked, and special permission from Russian authorities would have been needed.

Caitlin Hayden, a spokeswoman for the White House's National Security Council, said, "Given our intensified cooperation after the Boston marathon bombings and our history of working with Russia on law enforcement matters ? including returning numerous high-level criminals back to Russia at the request of the Russian government ? we expect the Russian government to look at all options available to expel Mr. Snowden back to the U.S. to face justice for the crimes with which he is charged."

The Russian media report said Snowden intended to fly to Cuba on Monday and then on to Caracas, Venezuela.

U.S. lawmakers scoffed. "The freedom trail is not exactly China-Russia-Cuba-Venezuela, so I hope we'll chase him to the ends of the earth, bring him to justice and let the Russians know there'll be consequences if they harbor this guy," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

With each suspected flight, efforts to secure Snowden's return to the United States appeared more complicated if not impossible. The United States does not have an extradition treaty with Russia, but does with Cuba, Venezuela and Ecuador. Even with an extradition agreement though, any country could give Snowden a political exemption.

The likelihood that any of these countries would stop Snowden from traveling on to Ecuador seemed remote. While diplomatic tensions have thawed in recent years, Cuba and the United States are hardly allies after a half century of distrust.

Venezuela, too, could prove difficult. Former President Hugo Chavez was a sworn enemy of the United States and his successor, Nicolas Maduro, earlier this year called Obama "grand chief of devils." The two countries do not exchange ambassadors.

U.S. pressure on Caracas also might be problematic given its energy exports. The U.S. Energy Information Agency reports Venezuela sent the United States 900,000 barrels of crude oil each day in 2012, making it the fourth-largest foreign source of U.S. oil.

"I think 10 percent of Snowden's issues are now legal, and 90 percent political," said Douglas McNabb, an expert in international extradition and a senior principal at international criminal defense firm McNabb Associates.

Assange's lawyer, Michael Ratner, said Snowden's options aren't numerous.

"You have to have a country that's going to stand up to the United States," Ratner said. "You're not talking about a huge range of countries here."

That is perhaps why Snowden first stopped in Russia, a nation with complicated relations with Washington.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is "aiding and abetting Snowden's escape," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

"Allies are supposed to treat each other in decent ways, and Putin always seems almost eager to put a finger in the eye of the United States," Schumer said. "That's not how allies should treat one another, and I think it will have serious consequences for the United States-Russia relationship."

It also wasn't clear Snowden was finished with disclosing highly classified information.

"I am very worried about what else he has," said Rep. Loretta Sanchez, a California Democrat who sits on the House Homeland Security Committee.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said she had been told Snowden had perhaps more than 200 sensitive documents.

Ros-Lehtinen spoke with CNN. Graham spoke to "Fox News Sunday." Schumer was on CNN's "State of the Union." Sanchez appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press." Feinstein was on CBS' "Face the Nation."

___

Associated Press White House Correspondent Julie Pace and Associated Press writers Matthew V. Lee and Frederic J. Frommer in Washington, Lynn Berry in Moscow, Kevin Chan in Hong Kong and Sylvia Hui in London contributed to this report.

___

Follow Philip Elliott on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/philip_elliott

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/wikileaks-snowden-going-ecuador-seek-asylum-170935684.html

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Medium-size Exotic Bird | Small Mammal Cage | Aurora | eBay ...

Dimensions: 29? x 16? x 15? x 29 (HxWxD)

This Medium-size sturdy cage is ideal cage for snakes or small mammals. The bottom grill (which is over the pull-out tray) also pulls out making cleaning and placement of over-sized toys and branches easy. A pull out plastic tray for easy cleaning is also included.

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Source: http://denver.ebayclassifieds.com/accessories/aurora/medium-size-exotic-bird-small-mammal-cage/?ad=28590394

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Champions needed for an Order of Peace Keepers and Guardians

I'm currently seeking more players for a revered order of champions and peacekeepers on a planet within the Multiverse Roleplay. Characters of all nature are welcome. The Patronus order may be steeped in honor and sacrifice, but it is compromised of individuals with their own minds, desires, and morality that may or may not fall in line with that of the order. Members could be valiant and noble champions, misguided zealots, or perhaps criminals looking to bring the order down from the inside.

Though the Patronus order is largely comprised of fantasy based characters, the Multiverse is a sandbox style RP in which all genres are welcomed and embraced in a mixup of realms and worlds spanning between archaic and primitive to highly fantastical lands, and over to sci-fi and everything else in between.

If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact me via this thread or PM.

---

5 years ago

Bound together by a common cause, The Patronus grew to its prime at the peak of the Orsa of Terminus' rise to power. With its sworn foe defeated these legendary warriors have scattered across the verse to resume their lives, but old ties are not easily severed. With a kinship forged through blood and sacrifice, perhaps these champions of old only await a time when Terra might have need of their strength once more, a time where one might call them back together again.

---

Present

The call has been sounded across the realms for all with a heroes heart. Whether you be old, young, veteran, novice, or wayward soul in need of new beginnings, all with the seed of a champion within them will feel the tug of the resonating call. The compulsion to seek out the temple from your dreams calls you northward into the icy peaks of Aslund on the planet of Terra.

The Patronus is an order of peace keepers sworn to the defense of Terra. Warriors, scholars, ambassadors, teachers, heroes and even reformed criminals, the patroni come from all walks of life before swearing off home and country in favor of a deeper purpose. Though The Patronus exists outside of the authority of any singular governmental body and maintains a stance of neutrality on matters of political strife, its members frequently serve in the capacity of ambassadors and negotiators to assist in stemming conflicts.

The Patronus is comprised of several branches and splinter groups all across Terra; though, its primary place of operation is located within the Icy Peaks of Aslund. The temple situated atop the snowy mountains was built to honor the fallen heroes who lay down their lives for Terra and it serves both as a place of remembrance and as a symbol of hope where new patronri are trained to one day join the ranks of these venerable champions.

Though once a prominent and revered order, The Patronus has only just begun to regain its former presence within Terra. With a life-long service that spans generations of blood and sacrifice, this order still commands a great deal of respect, but its global influence has waned with the years. Will this ancient and archaic order rise to the challenge of claiming a place for itself in a changing world, or will it succumb to the ravages of time and fading memories.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/WC8Ut_JhSHk/viewtopic.php

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Diamond Multimedia AMP Android Media Player review

The Google Nexus Q may have died before hitting the shelves, but there are a number of devices that look to add Android to your TV viewing pleasure. We received the Diamond AMP device for review. It makes a lot of promises, including: Enjoy your favorite Android Apps on your Big Screen TV App Installer [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/06/23/diamond-multimedia-amp-android-media-player-review/

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Kerry: Russia must back transition in Syria

AAA??Jun. 22, 2013?7:53 AM ET
Kerry: Russia must back transition in Syria
By DEB RIECHMANNBy DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press??

U.S. Ambassador to Qatar Susan Ziadeh, left, walks with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, second from left, and Ambassador Ibrahim Fakhroo, Qatari Chief of Protocol, on Kerry's arrival in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday, June 22, 2013. Kerry began the overseas trip plunging into two thorny foreign policy problems facing the Obama administration: unrelenting bloodshed in Syria and efforts to talk to the Taliban and find a political resolution to the war in Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

U.S. Ambassador to Qatar Susan Ziadeh, left, walks with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, second from left, and Ambassador Ibrahim Fakhroo, Qatari Chief of Protocol, on Kerry's arrival in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday, June 22, 2013. Kerry began the overseas trip plunging into two thorny foreign policy problems facing the Obama administration: unrelenting bloodshed in Syria and efforts to talk to the Taliban and find a political resolution to the war in Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, center, walks through the airport with Ambassador Ibrahim Fakhroo, Qatari Chief of Protocol, left, after being greeted on arrival in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday, June 22, 2013. Kerry began an overseas trip plunging into two thorny foreign policy problems facing the Obama administration: unrelenting bloodshed in Syria and efforts to talk to the Taliban and find a political resolution to the war in Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, not pictured, is secured in his vehicle on arrival in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday, June 22, 2013. Kerry is expected to attend a meeting of the London 11. The Secretary has begun the overseas trip with two thorny foreign policy problems facing the Obama administration: unrelenting bloodshed in Syria and efforts to talk to the Taliban and find a political resolution to the war in Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

DOHA, Qatar (AP) ? U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is pressing hard on Russia to back an international conference intended to end the bloodshed in Syria and allow a transitional government to move the country beyond civil war.

Kerry met with officials from nearly a dozen countries on Saturday in Doha (DOH'-hah), Qatar (GUH'-tur), to discuss aid to the Syrian opposition and push forward on a political resolution to the crisis, which has claimed more than 93,000 lives.

Russia has been the key ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime throughout the two-year conflict.

Kerry says top U.S. diplomats are ready to go to Geneva to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (SEHR'-gay LAHV'-rahf) and other officials in coming days to advance the political process.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-06-22-Kerry/id-c5893620d4384f2daf94c2996a28a1f8

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Britney Spears: Yoga Helps Me with My Anxiety ... - Just Jared

Britney Spears hops into a car with her boyfriend David Lucado while out and about on Thursday afternoon (June 20) in Los Angeles.

The 31-year-old entertainer recently chatted with Ryan Seacrest while premiering her new single ?Ooh La La? and she revealed what helps her cope with anxiety ? yoga!

?I love my yoga!? she said. ?I?m doing a lot of yoga right now. It?s like my go-to between all anxiety and everything.?

?The first time I did yoga I didn?t like it at all,? Britney added. ?I think the key is finding a good teacher, someone you kind of connect with and if you do find that person then it doesn?t feel like you?re bored or impatient because I?ve been in tons of classes where I?m so over it and I can?t deal and want it to end, but I think if you find the right instructor, it does wonders for your body.?

FYI: Britney is wearing Sunday Somewhere sunglasses and carrying a Melie Bianco handbag.

10+ pictures inside of Britney Spears out and about?

Like Just Jared on Facebook

Source: http://www.justjared.com/2013/06/20/britney-spears-yoga-helps-me-with-my-anxiety/

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Mobile Helix launches HTML5 platform - Computer Business Review

Duncan Macrae Published 21 June 2013

Mobile Helix, the enterprise application and data security platform provider, has launched Link, which it describes as the industry?s first pure HTML5 platform.

Link unlocks enterprise productivity by combining unparalleled security for enterprise data; a unique, open HTML5 application development and delivery platform; and breakthrough patent-pending performance enhancement technology.

Link is designed with data security rather than device security at its core, delivering unparalleled security irrespective of the endpoint. The technology bridges the fixed/mobile application divide by allowing any existing or new browser-based enterprise application to be deployed across multiple device types, including mobile devices, PCs and laptops. Link supports iOS and Android now, and will support Windows 8, Mac OSX and Blackberry 10 later this year.

Link embraces HTML5 and extends the standard to meet the most exacting set of enterprise requirements, including data security, device capability integration and performance optimization. HTML is the most commonly used development platform within enterprises, meaning companies using Link do not have to invest in any additional skills or infrastructure to enable secure mobility across their business.

Seth Hallem, CEO of Mobile Helix, said: "Link is designed with unrestricted enterprise productivity at its core. It is the first product on the market to combine the unmistakable benefits of device-independent applications built using HTML5, with a disruptive data security platform that ensures sensitive corporate data is safe on any device.

"We believe the notion that fixed and mobile applications require different development, delivery and security solutions is fundamentally flawed. Enterprises don't have the time or budget to simply throw out years of investment in standards-based IT and take a completely new, and often proprietary, approach to mobility. IT needs a unified strategy for building new apps and converting existing ones, while still ensuring data is protected under any circumstance and on any computing device. Link achieves this goal without requiring complicated and costly new infrastructure or expertise."

Link is constructed with optimised data security, rather than device security at its core. This is a fundamental shift in the enterprise security model that leverages unique features of both mobile operating systems and modern browser technology. The result is a more robust, yet simpler, security system than existing PC-based and mobile-device-based solutions. Link achieves this without placing any restrictions or limitations on the devices used. Even when devices are 'rooted' or 'jailbroken', Link ensures that corporate data is not at risk. Link includes a secure container on the device, fully device-independent encryption of all data in motion and at rest, a sophisticated key management architecture that ensures encrypted data remains safe, and a comprehensive policy engine that allows IT to enforce policies on applications and data rather than on devices.

Maribel Lopez, founder and principal analyst of Lopez Research, commented: "Contrary to popular opinion, mobile operating systems aren't necessarily less secure than PC operating systems. A tablet or smartphone with the right data security posture can be as, if not more, secure than a typical corporate laptop. PCs are perceived to be safe because of the numerous security 'band aids' that are applied to them, such as anti-virus, full-disk encryption, DLP and network access control."

Link creates a common application environment by deploying applications through Internet browsers, embracing standards-based technology to deliver an open, end-to-end solution. This, in turn, extends existing enterprise application development, delivery infrastructure and expertise to mobile devices. Link integrates with existing IT processes and infrastructure to enable a simplified 'download free' application delivery and support model, removing the need for a separate enterprise app store, app catalogue, and dedicated distribution and update processes for every different application and mobile operating system.

Lopez added: "For employees to be effective in their roles, critical enterprise data and applications must flow unrestricted across devices and networks. The power of mobility is clear, yet the enterprise mobility market today is crowded and confusing. Firms need mobile solutions that can integrate with existing enterprise infrastructure."

Source: http://www.cbronline.com/news/mobile-helix-launches-html5-platform

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Dolores Huerta Receives Jefferson Award For Public Service

Fox News Latino:

A year after she was awarded the country?s highest civilian honor, lifelong unionist and immigrant rights activist Dolores Huerta received the Jefferson Award, a national prize for public service.

Huerta, 83, received the award Wednesday in Washington D.C.

It came one year after she received the Medal of Freedom.

Besides Huerta, Jefferson Award honorees included two U.S. Senators, the winner of a Nobel Prize for peace, and the owner of a professional tennis team.

Read the whole story at Fox News Latino

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/20/dolores-huerta-receives-j_n_3471402.html

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Targets Scarce for NASA's Asteroid-Capture Mission

NASA's audacious plan to grab an asteroid and park it near the moon is short on candidate space rocks at the moment, one researcher says.

It's possible that not a single known object meets the current criteria of NASA's asteroid redirect mission (ARM), astrodynamical consultant Dan Adamo said during a presentation with NASA's Future In-Space Operations working group on Wednesday (June 12).

To pull the mission off in a timely fashion, Adamo added, it may be necessary to mount a dedicated, space-based asteroid survey in the near future or consider snagging a chunk of a larger asteroid rather than returning an entire (relatively small) space rock. [NASA's Asteroid-Capture Plan (Video)]

Capturing an asteroid

NASA unveiled the asteroid-retrieval mission in April. The current plan is to drag a roughly 500-ton, 23-foot-wide (7 meters) asteroid to a stable orbit near the moon using an unmanned probe.

Astronauts would then visit the object using NASA's Orion capsule and Space Launch System rocket, which are slated to fly together for the first time in 2021.

The ARM concept fits within President Barack Obama's vision for NASA's manned exploration program, which calls for the agency to send astronauts to a near-Earth asteroid (NEA) by 2025, then on to the vicinity of Mars by the mid-2030s.

ARM is similar to an idea proposed last year by scientists based at Caltech's Keck Institute for Space Studies in Pasadena, Calif. The Keck study estimated that a robotic spacecraft could drag a 23-foot NEA into a high lunar orbit for $2.6 billion.

Such a mission would help develop asteroid-mining technology and advance scientists' understanding of the early solar system, advocates say. Capturing an asteroid could also have big returns in the manned exploration arena.

"Experience gained via human expeditions to the small, returned NEA would transfer directly to follow-on international expeditions beyond the Earth-moon system ? to other near-Earth asteroids, [the Mars moons] Phobos and Deimos, Mars and potentially, someday to the main asteroid belt," the Keck team wrote in a feasibility study of their plan. [NASA's Asteroid-Capture Mission in Pictures]

Scarce targets

Scientists think at least 1 million asteroids zip through Earth's neighborhood, but only 10,000 or so of these close-flying space rocks have been identified and catalogued to date.

Adamo scrutinized the known objects, looking for potential ARM targets. He first zeroed in on bodies with "sufficiently Earthlike" orbits ? nearly circular paths in much the same plane as Earth, with an average separation from the sun within 20 percent of the Earth-sun distance (which is about 93 million miles, or 150 million kilometers, and is known as an astronomical unit, or AU).

Adamo then excluded any asteroids in this group that would zoom past Earth at too great a speed ? more than 4,475 mph (7,200 km/h) relative to Earth ? and came up with a list of 18 "highly accessible" space rocks.

But some of these 18 are definitely too big for ARM as it's currently envisioned, and many others may not fit the size criterion (estimates of the space rocks' diameters are generally imprecise).

Further, most of these rocks won't approach Earth closely enough in the near future to be viable targets. In fact, just seven of the 18 asteroids will fly within 0.1 AU of Earth before 2030, and only four will do so before 2021, Adamo said. (This 0.1 AU threshold provides a good rule of thumb to help narrow down the candidate field, he explained.)

In short, the cupboard is looking pretty bare at the moment, with no slam-dunk asteroid targets just begging to be captured.

What to do about it

Two strategies could help give ARM the best chance to succeed in the near future, Adamo said.

The first is to find more potential targets, by launching an asteroid-hunting space telescope as soon as possible. The second idea involves modifying ARM to retrieve a chunk of a big asteroid ? a 100-ton piece of a 330-foot (100 m) object, perhaps ? rather than an intact small space rock.

There are several advantages to targeting larger near-Earth objects (NEOs), Adamo said. They're easier to find and track, for example, and are more likely to exhibit stable and slow rotation.

"Larger NEOs are just going to be easier to approach and get close to," Adamo said.

Bigger asteroids are also more likely to be compositionally diverse, offering a probe several different sampling targets, he added.

"You're like a kid in a candy store instead of just out there with one object, as the current concept would advocate," Adamo said.

However NASA decides to proceed with ARM, the agency will need to work quickly if it hopes to execute the bold mission in the next decade or so, Adamo said. That's especially true if NASA aims to launch a precursor mission to verify the suitability of an intended target.

"This is a compressed schedule any way you slice it, particularly if you want some kind of mission assurance," Adamo said.

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter?@michaeldwall?and?Google+.?Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook?or Google+. Originally published on?SPACE.com.

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

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/targets-scarce-nasas-asteroid-capture-mission-104327499.html

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Skylanders Giants Life Skylanders Guide: Camo | Video Game Blog ...

?Thousands of years ago, the Giants fought epic battles in Skylands but were banished to Earth. With a new threat looming, it?s time to bring them back to join forces with the Skylanders to defeat KAOS. Only you can put them on the Portal of Power to unleash their strength in the ultimate battle to save Skylands!?

The Skylanders in Skylanders Giants are many and all come with some unique capabilities: players are able to use the all new Skylanders created specifically for Giants as well as the older Skylanders released for Spyro?s Adventure.

The Skylanders in Giants are divided into different types:

Lightcore Figures are Skylanders that light up when used on the Portal of Power: they also have a special Wow-Pow in-game ability

Giants Figures are the biggest Skylanders you can find, twice more powerful than regular Skylanders. Giants are the only Skylanders that can be used in the Feats Of Strength special events.

The Series 2 Figures are Skylanders from the previous Skylanders game who have received new stats and abilities

Legendary Figures are Skylanders wearing a gold armor: they come with increased Damage and Armor stats.

Special Edition figures are the rarest and hardest to find: they look like regular Skylanders but come with different colors, designs and abilities.

Skylander are also divided by different elements:

• Air
• Earth
• Fire
• Life
• Magic
• Tech
• Undead
• Water

All Skylanders figures will keep information about them stored inside of it, not inside the game: here?s everything that?s saved into the figure.

• Experience Points and Experience Level
• The ?Nickname? that you give to your Skylander
• Currency
• Upgraded abilities and Statistics
• The Hat your Skylander is wearing
• The Quest ranking of your Skylander

It?s also possible to reset all the information by selecting Reset in the Manage section of the Skylander Info menu.

Before starting to analyze all the new Skylanders of Giants, we have to mention the fact that all the Skylanders from Spyro?s Adventure can be used in this game as well: you can also level them up to Level 15. The only difference from Giants Skylanders is that the older SKylanders don?t unlock Heroic Challenges: you will have to use Series 2 figures to do it.

Camo is a Skylander from Spyro?s Adventure and just like all the others, this one is fully compatible with Skylanders Giants.

?This plant-dragon hybrid was born by the roots of the Tree of Life, and so possesses the amazing ability to speedily cultivate fruit and vegetables that explode when they are ripe (creating both an everyday eating hazard and a hilarious dinner-party prank). Master Eon found himself at the butt end of this juicy-fruit joke when he visited Camo?s idyllic island. While out for a stroll, Eon spotted a perfect melon waiting to be picked. But as he bent over the scrumptious speciment, it exploded, splattering the Portal Master?s robe and alarmed old face. As he wiped away the sticky seeds, Eon noticed a pair of prying eyes nearby, clearly enjoying the scene. Eventually, Camo stepped forward and introduced himself. Eon soon invited him to be a Skylander ? and, on his days off, the Portal Master?s personal gardener.?

Max Health ? 300
Speed ? 50
Armor ? 34
Critical Hit ? 30
Elemental Power ? 25

Sun Burst Default
Firecracker Vines Default
Searing Sun Blast 500
Melon Fountain 700
Firecracker Food 900
Vigorous Vines 1200
Orbiting Sun Shield 4000

Martial Bounty 1700
Peppers of Potency 2200
Proliferation 3000

Ring of Might 1700
Melon GMO 2200
Melon Fortress 3000

Article from Gamersyndrome.com

Related posts:

1. Skylanders Giants Skylanders Guide: Overview
2. Skylanders Giants Fire Skylanders Guide: Ignitor
3. Skylanders Giants Earth Skylanders Guide: Terrafin
4. Skylanders Giants Fire Skylanders Guide: Sunburn
5. Skylanders Giants Earth Skylanders Guide: Prism Beak

Source: http://gamersyndrome.com/2013/video-games/skylanders-giants-life-skylanders-guide-camo/

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Penn Virginia: Strong Value Upside Driven By Quality Of Eagle Ford Assets

Penn Virginia (PVA) stock has gained 16% since the company announced its acquisition of Magnum Hunter's (MHR) Eagle Ford properties and highly successful $775 million debt refinancing (the stock closed at $4.64 on June 17, up $0.64 from the closing price of $4.00 on April 9). However, the move translates to only a small change in the company's enterprise value (less than 3%), leaving the stock's risk/reward profile and valuation thesis largely intact.

(click to enlarge)
(Source: Yahoo Finance)

The Magnum Hunter transaction was indeed a transformational - and very daring - strategic move by Penn Virginia that redefined the company's operational complexion and valuation. Penn Virginia has emerged as a focused Eagle Ford pure play with a high-quality, concentrated acreage position in what increasingly appears to be the continuation of the core area of the volatile oil window in Gonzales and Lavaca Counties. Despite the company's extreme financial leverage (which leads to the shares' high price volatility and market "beta"), the stock is highly intriguing from an investment perspective and deserves a close look.

(click to enlarge)
(Source: Penn Virginia's May 2013 Investor Presentation)

Penn Virginia is akin to an LBO situation: the underlying assets are of high quality with significant potential upside; the business plan is defined and focused; financing is in place; and while risks are clearly amplified by financial leverage, a disciplined and effective operational execution may lead to substantial rewards.

NOTE: Please read Disclaimer at the end of this article.

Investment Considerations

Several aspects make Penn Virginia stock intriguing from an investment perspective:

• Operationally, Penn Virginia is essentially a single-asset development "story." With over 120 wells drilled to date on the company's acreage - which is compact and highly contiguous - a significant part of the leasehold is now thoroughly delineated. Well performance data provided by Penn Virginia and Magnum Hunter, as well as results by offset operators (EOG Resources (EOG) and Marathon Oil (MRO)), indicate that a large portion of the block is within the highly productive section of the volatile oil window. Notably, some of the most prolific wells in the Eagle Ford drilled by EOG (including the play's best well to date) are located less than five miles away from the southern tip of Penn Virginia's acreage.
• Despite the block's ostensibly small size (54,000 net acres), Penn Virginia has been able to identify 420 net future drilling locations on its acreage - the result of the exceptionally tight downspacing that has been proven effective in the play. Even assuming that only half of the identified drillsites are "top tier" locations, those best locations should be sufficient for half a decade of low-risk exploitation drilling.
• The highly successful refinancing in April has substantially improved the company's liquidity and pushed out bond maturities. On a pro forma basis, as of March 31, 2013, Penn Virginia had no draw down on its revolver (which has been recently increased to $350 million, the high end of expectation) and there are no bond maturities until 2019.
• Based on the estimates for well economics provided by Penn Virginia (which are in line with the estimates previously communicated by Magnum Hunter), even after a 50% "haircut" to the 420 drilling location count, there can still be significant upside to the company's current Enterprise Value - as much as $0.4-$0.7 billion, or ~25%-45%. Given the very high proportion of debt in Penn Virginia's capital structure, this implies that the stock price could potentially double or even triple over the next two-three years, should the company's operational performance during that period remain in line with recent drilling results (current market value of Penn Virginia's equity is approximately $0.4 billion, including the convertible, while the Enterprise Value is ~$1.5 billion).
• Additional, potentially significant, upside may come from the ongoing delineation of the Upper Eagle Ford, the second productive interval that the company has recently discovered on its acreage, and additional drilling locations from bolt-on leasing and unitizations with offset operators.
• However, the greatest potential upside to the stock would be from a better-than-expected well performance which should not be ruled out. The much stronger well results that EOG Resources has been able to achieve on some of its leases that are adjacent to Penn Virginia's block suggest that the performance gap may be attributable at least to some degree to EOG's superior well design and completion techniques. If true, this would open the possibility for better wells on Penn Virginia's acreage as the company moves up on the learning curve. The ongoing transition to full development mode should enable Penn Virginia to focus on perfecting its extraction techniques and improve drilling economics.
• Monetization of non-Eagle Ford assets may provide additional catalysts for the stock.

The stock is clearly not without risk:

• The valuation discussed further in this article is derived from the type curve and well economics estimates provided by the company. Given the very steep production decline profiles in the Eagle Ford, estimates of future well performance and ultimate recoveries contain significant, unavoidable uncertainty that cannot be resolved until at least several years of production history is accumulated. This aspect of investment in oil shales is obviously not unique to Penn Virginia. The fact that several highly successful operators, including EOG Resources and Marathon Oil, have allocated the largest portion of their capital spending towards the Eagle Ford and have on multiple occasions characterized it as North America's top horizontal oil play, provides some degree of comfort. Extraction techniques and economics in "young" shale plays also tend to improve with time. Still, well performance remains a risk factor.
• Despite the relatively small size of Penn Virginia's acreage, the geology varies across the block. Drilling economics will vary accordingly.
• High leverage and tight liquidity will remain persistent challenges for the stock for some time. Assuming well performance lives up to the estimates, Penn Virginia certainly has enough drilling inventory in the Eagle Ford to "grow into" its very elevated debt. However, the process will take at least few years. The company's current business plan envisions accelerated drilling pace which will translate in budget deficits for another two years. While the underlying asset base will grow, so will the debt. While in the immediate term liquidity is sufficient, funded with the fully undrawn bank credit facility, the company's credit metrics will remain weak for some time.

Asset Discussion

While Penn Virginia's portfolio includes several producing areas (picture below), the company expects the Eagle Ford to be its only active development asset for the foreseeable future. Only minimal amount of capex (~7% of the total in 2013) will be directed towards other areas, mostly for outside-operated capital commitments. However, production contribution (~40% of estimated company-wide production in 2013) and monetization potential of those other areas, particularly the liquids-rich Granite Wash and Cotton Valley plays, should not be overlooked.

(click to enlarge)
(click to enlarge)
(Source: Penn Virginia's May 2013 Investor Presentation)

The Eagle Ford dominates Penn Virginia's asset portfolio both operationally and in terms of its value contribution. The acreage is still in early stages of development. While a larger part of the acreage block is thoroughly mapped out with ~120 wells drilled to date, some smaller areas may still require additional delineation, as can be seen from the drilling location map below. In addition to Penn Virginia's wells, a significant number of wells have been drilled by offset operators, primarily EOG Resources and Marathon Oil, in the immediate proximity to Penn Virginia's properties (discussed in greater detail in the next section).

(click to enlarge)
(Source: Penn Virginia's May 2013 Investor Presentation)

Overall, Penn Virginia's drilling results in the Eagle Ford have been very strong. The average peak IP rate per well for the 104 operated wells completed through the end of April was 1,069 Boe/d. The initial 30-day average IP rate for the 98 of these 104 wells with a 30?day production history was 683 Boe/d.

The average peak gross production rate per well for the 15 most recent operated wells was 1,399 Boe/d. The initial 30-day average gross production rate for the 11 of these 15 wells with a 30-day production history was 830 Boe/d. These recent production improvements are likely attributable to a majority of these recent wells being located in Lavaca County, which is structurally downdip of Gonzales County and, therefore, have an increased reservoir pressure and higher oil and gas production rates. In addition, many of these wells had longer lateral lengths and an increased number of frac stages.

(click to enlarge)
(Source: Penn Virginia)

The table above includes wells drilled both on Penn Virginia's legacy acreage and the acreage acquired from Magnum Hunter. In general, Magnum Hunter's wells have tended to be drilled with longer laterals and more frac stages which explains the differential in the average IP rates.

(click to enlarge)
(Source: Magnum Hunter)

Penn Virginia's most recent effort has been focused on its acreage in Lavaca County which remains the Eagle Ford's "frontier" area. The company has recently commented that it has "completely derisked" and is holding by production its Lavaca County acreage and believes that all of this acreage is "prospective for development drilling." Well results for Lavaca County shown in the table above are uniformly strong and have been a positive surprise. Two recent wells drilled in the far eastern portion of the acreage position confirm the productivity of the company's Lavaca County acreage all the way to the easternmost and southernmost edges. In fact, the Martinsen #1H well which was one of those wells tested ~1,900 Boe/d, including ~1,200 B/d of oil, which is the company's second best Eagle Ford well on all of its acreage.

Penn Virginia is continuing to add to its position in Lavaca County. The company has been able to lease ~2,800 net acres over the past 12 months, with another 4,400 net acres currently in the negotiation stage. According to the company, land costs associated with this "bolt-on" leasing activity can be as low as $1,000 - $1,500 per acre.

(click to enlarge)
(Source: Penn Virginia's May 2013 Investor Presentation)

Well productivity and economics in the Eagle Ford have proven to vary drastically depending on the position within the play's fairway. Some of the most prolific wells in the entire Eagle Ford play have been drilled along the relatively narrow band of depths (which define thermal maturity) corresponding to the volatile oil window of the fairway. The slide above shows that a larger part of Penn Virginia's acreage corresponds to the "premium" vertical depth range of 9,000'-12,000'. The map also leads to think that the portion of the company's acreage along the western edge of the block - which corresponds to the shallower part of the fairway (color-coded in pink on the map above) - may not be as productive as the central and eastern portion of the acreage (located within the white and blue bands on the map above). The shallower portion of the acreage is certainly not "condemned" but one would probably want to see drilling results confirming economic competitiveness of this portion of the leasehold.

Offset Operator Results

Well results by other operators drilled on adjacent (offset) acreage are of interest as they are not only valuable delineation data points but may indicate what can be achievable if best practices in well design and completion techniques are implemented. Penn Virginia's acreage is offset by EOG Resources and Marathon Oil's positions. EOG's results are of particular importance as EOG is considered a leader in the Eagle Ford in terms of demonstrated well productivity and drilling efficiencies. EOG has commented on multiple occasions that they believe their completion technology is ahead of competition.

Notably, some of the most prolific EOG's wells in Gonzales County (EOG refers to them as "monster wells") have been drilled in very close proximity - less than five miles away, and some of the wells as close as two miles away, - from the southern tip of Penn Virginia's acreage. In its recent presentations, EOG has highlighted IP rates for select wells drilled in Q4 2012 (Boothe Unit) and Q1 2013 (Guadalupe, Lefevre, and Otto Units). Those wells are located in the south-central part on the map below (circled area):

• Boothe #1H: 5,380 b/d of oil + 625 b/d of NGLs + 3.6 MMcf/d of gas (Eagle Ford record)
• Boothe #2H: 3,810 b/d of oil + 525 b/d of NGLs + 3.0 MMcf/d of gas
• Guadalupe #01H, #02H, #03H, #04H: 2,300-3,180 b/d of oil + 265-510 b/d of NGLs + 1.5-2.9 MMcf/d of gas
• Guadalupe #09H, #10H, #11H, #12 H: 2,175-4,490 b/d of oil + 265-630 b/d of NGLs + 1.5-3.6 MMcf/d of gas
• Lefevre #1H: 3,195 b/d of oil + 425 b/d of NGLs + 2.4 MMcf/d of gas
• Lefevre #2H: 3,180 b/d of oil + 525 b/d of NGLs + 3.0 MMcf/d of gas
• Otto #4H, #5H, #6H: 3,125-3,915 b/d of oil + 485-570 b/d of NGLs + 2.8-3.3 MMcf/d of gas

While it would be incorrect to extrapolate these truly extraordinary well results on to Penn Virginia's acreage, the immediate proximity of what appears to be a distinct sweet spot is very intriguing.

(click to enlarge)
(Source: Penn Virginia, Texas RRC, Zeits Energy Analytics)

EOG has also drilled or permitted ~30 wells on its leases further north that are located right in the middle of Penn Virginia's position (Hill, McClure and Stafford Units). Production history for those leases, based on Texas RRC data, indicates solid but not extraordinary ("monster") wells. Production history for the Hill Unit lease, which combines production contribution from six wells, is shown below. The six wells have produced 150+ MBoe on average, with the average time on production of ~18 months.

Upper Eagle Ford Discovery

Penn Virginia has recently reported an important discovery well, the Fojtik #1H in Lavaca County, that tested with a strong 24-hour IP rate of ~1,200 MBoe/d, of which 865 b/d is oil. According to the company, the IP rate would correspond to a ~500 MBoe EUR, assuming the existing type curve. The well was completed in the Upper Eagle Ford zone which is different from the Lower Eagle Ford zone where all of the company's previous wells were completed. The upper zone is located about 100 feet above the lower zone and is a calcareous interval, that can be easily fracked, with good porosity characteristics. Penn Virginia is "convinced" that the Lower Eagle Ford and Upper Eagle Ford are actually separate reservoirs and it will take a well in each interval to exploit them. The company does not believe that there will be significant fracture system interference between well completions in the two zones, but recognizes that confirmation by well test results and microseismic will be required to firmly determine that.

Penn Virginia is currently working to determine what parts of its acreage are prospective for the Upper Eagle Ford. By very preliminary estimate, as much as one third of its position may be prospective.

As shown on the map above, the Fojtik well is located at the far eastern edge of the company's acreage. Penn Virginia is drilling another test well in the Upper Eagle Ford about 17 miles southwest of the Fojtik, on the far western part of its acreage in Gonzales County. The well is the middle wellbore of the three-well pad, with two adjacent wellbores (about 700-foot separation) landed in the Lower Eagle Ford. The test should provide relative performance data for the two zones.

Penn Virginia has also suggested that it has seen good shows on logs in a third interval located in the Austin Chalk formation, which is above the Eagle Ford, and has potential to be productive.

While it would be premature to give much valuation credit to the Upper Eagle Ford, the zone has the potential to make a meaningful contribution to the drilling inventory.

Liquidity Considerations

Penn Virginia's business plan anticipates a fast-pace development in the Eagle Ford, which will result in capital spending exceeding operating cash flow in the near term. Current outspending run rate is approximately $50-$60 million per quarter, in my estimate, which will be funded from the revolver. As the company's cash flow from the growing oil production continues to increase, its borrowings under the revolver are expected to continue to decrease as time goes on.

The company projects its Eagle Ford production volumes to grow at a fast rate. During the last nine months of 2013, Eagle Ford production has been guided to average ~13,000 Boe/d net, up from ~10,000 Boe/d net produced during Q1 on a pro forma basis. This implies a 30% growth rate over a six-month period. Penn Virginia expects to be able to self fund its capital program by late 2015 - early 2016. In addition to the undrawn revolver capacity ($350 million currently, expected to increase to $400 million by the end of the year), some asset sales are expected at the end of 2013 or early in 2014 to further improve liquidity. The Selma Chalk properties (106 MMcf of proved reserves as of 12/31/2012, 99% natural gas, 54% developed) may be the first package to be put on the market.

The company may also receive some proceeds if its AMI partners in the Eagle Ford exercise their preference rights to purchase proportional interest in the Magnum Hunter assets (in which case the purchase price of the $400 million would be adjusted down by ~$70 million). The partners' decision should be known this month.

Valuation Considerations

Penn Virginia has recently provided details of its expected drilling economics in the Eagle Ford which are summarized in the following two slides from the company's latest presentation. The slides show economics based on the company's current and projected well costs. The assumed $1 million reduction in drilling and completion cost per well may in fact prove conservative. Penn Virginia commented on its Q1 earnings call that it expects to be able to reduce its well stimulation costs by about a $1.0 million to $1.5 million a well, with the biggest contributing factor being the overall softening of the pressure pumping market in the Eagle Ford. Penn Virginia's existing service contract, which has above-spot-market pricing built into it, is rolling over in July and the company is currently in the process of negotiating a new agreement. On the drilling side, cost reductions are expected to be another $200,000 to $500,000 per well, driven by the transition to pad drilling.

(click to enlarge)
(click to enlarge)
(Source: Penn Virginia's May 2013 Investor Presentation)

The economics are being estimated for two areas - the Peach Creek Field and Shiner Field - that include the company's ~30 existing producing wells. While these estimates may not necessarily represent the average for the entire acreage position, they should provide a reasonable proxy for at least a significant portion of the company's estimated 420 drilling locations.

The slides indicate that investment returns are approximately equal between Peach Creek Field and Shiner Field. The former can be thought of as a proxy for the shallower, oilier acreage on the Gonzales County side of the position, and the latter can serve as a proxy for the deeper, gassier acreage in Lavaca County.

It is important to note that Magnum Hunter, in one of its pre-divestiture presentations, provided drilling economics estimates (shown below) for their Eagle Ford acreage which were similar to Penn Virginia's current assumptions. This provides additional confidence in the applicability of Penn Virginia's drilling economics estimates to a significant portion of the company's acreage.

(click to enlarge)
(Source: Magnum Hunter)

The following illustrative valuation analysis for Penn Virginia's Eagle Ford acreage is based on the company's drilling economics estimates discussed above and assumes a 6-rig development program. The model assumes that the company will drill and complete 46 net Eagle Ford wells each year, with the total number of wells split 50:50 between the shallower and deeper portions of the acreage. Each well is assigned a NPV-10% value based on the company's estimated ranges for Peach Creek and Shiner Fields. Full credit is given to the expected $1 million well cost reduction. The NPVs created in future years are discounted to present time at a 10% rate. The calculation "risks" the company's estimate for the total number of drilling locations by assuming that only half of the 420 locations identified by the company will have economics comparable to Peach Creek and Shiner wells. No credit is given to the remaining potential locations. The model also assumes that Penn Virginia will be able to extend its drilling inventory by ~10% through low-cost bolt-on leasing and unitization with offset operators. The resulting drilling inventory equals to ~230 wells.

(click to enlarge)

The calculation results in a NPV-10% valuation range of $1.2-$1.5 billion which reflects the assumed 230 "premium" drilling locations. The value of existing production or potential value upside from "Tier I" locations and the Upper Eagle Ford potential are not included in this valuation range.

One important observation is in order. The 10% rate used in the illustration above is clearly on the low side, given that uncertainties associated with well economics are still significant. The 10% discount rate should become valid once the drilling inventory (the ~230 wells used in the calculation) is substantially de-risked. Assuming Penn Virginia continues to deliver consistently strong drilling results and the type curve is re-confirmed by well performance, the valuation illustrated above may become very real already in two-three years' time (the entire inventory equates to five years of drilling). In this context, the $1.2-$1.5 billion valuation range is meant to illustrate a "target" valuation for the Eagle Ford asset (discounted to present time) assuming execution lives up to the expectation. This "target" valuation range may prove very conservative with regard to the drilling location count, the Upper Eagle Ford potential, and the possibility of improved well results due to the "learning curve."

Using this valuation range for the Eagle Ford, the following Net Asset Value per share can be derived:

(click to enlarge)

The NAV range per share suggests that the stock price has a potential to double or even triple over the next two-three years, assuming solid execution. Substantial additional upside can exist on top of that. The illustration also suggests that the stock's risk/reward profile is strongly skewed to the upside.

In the short term, the presence of the convertible preferred ($6 per share conversion price) in the capital structure is likely to create a resistance level around $6, which represents a ~30% premium to current price.

Conclusions

When it comes to the E&P business, there are hardly any guarantees that one should expect in terms of drilling results, long-term production profile, or direction of commodity prices. In the case of Penn Virginia, these risks are exacerbated by very high financial leverage. However, as illustrated by the discussion above, the company's acreage position in the Eagle Ford may prove to contain very significant economic value, despite its ostensibly small size. To appreciate full upside potential of Penn Virginia's assets, it is instructive to model the outcome of a development scenario two-three years forward. Assuming future performance is in line with recent results, the upside to the stock price may be very substantial and may materialize already in a two-three year time frame.

Until recently, Penn Virginia's micro-cap status, stretched-to-the-limit balance sheet, and unfocused asset portfolio may have kept the stock off many institutional investors' radar screens. After the Magnum Hunter acquisition, this may begin to change.

DISCLAIMER: Opinions expressed in this article by the author are not an investment recommendation and are not meant to be relied upon in investment decisions. The author is not acting in an investment advisor capacity. The author's opinions expressed herein address only select aspects of potential investment in Penn Virginia's securities and cannot be a substitute for comprehensive investment analysis. Any analysis presented herein is illustrative in nature, limited in scope, based on an incomplete set of information, and has limitations to its accuracy. In the author's opinion, investing in Penn Virginia's securities may not be suitable for many investors and investment risks should be considered very carefully. The author recommends that potential investors conduct thorough investment research and consult a qualified investment advisor. The information upon which this material is based was obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but has not been independently verified. Therefore, the author cannot guarantee its accuracy. Any opinions or estimates constitute the author's best judgment as of the date of publication, and are subject to change without notice.

Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. (More...)

Source: http://seekingalpha.com/article/1507352-penn-virginia-strong-value-upside-driven-by-quality-of-eagle-ford-assets?source=feed

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How aspirin can effectively battle cancer

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Source: http://www.aninews.in/newsdetail9/story116810/How-aspirin-can-effectively-battle-cancer-.html

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Seismic gap outside of Istanbul: Is this where the expected Marmara earthquake will originate from?

June 18, 2013 ? Earthquake researchers have now identified a 30 kilometers long and ten kilometers deep area along the North Anatolian fault zone just south of Istanbul that could be the starting point for a strong earthquake. The group of seismologists including Professor Marco Bohnhoff of the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences reported in the current online issue of the scientific journal Nature Communications that this potential earthquake source is only 15 to 20 kilometers from the historic city center of Istanbul.

The Istanbul-Marmara region of northwestern Turkey with a population of more than 15 million faces a high probability of being exposed to an earthquake of magnitude 7 or more. To better understand the processes taking place before a strong earthquake at a critically pressurized fault zone, a seismic monitoring network was built on the Princes Islands in the Sea of Marmara off Istanbul under the auspices of the Potsdam Helmholtz Centre GFZ together with the Kandilli Earthquake Observatory in Istanbul. The Princes Islands offer the only opportunity to monitor the seismic zone running below the seafloor from a distance of few kilometers.

The now available data allow the scientists around GFZ researcher Marco Bohnhoff to come to the conclusion that the area is locked in depth in front of the historic city of Istanbul: "The block we identified reaches ten kilometers deep along the fault zone and has displayed no seismic activity since measurements began over four years ago. This could be an indication that the expected Marmara earthquake could originate there," says Bohnhoff.

This is also supported by the fact that the fracture zone of the last strong earthquake in the region, in 1999, ended precisely in this area -- probably at the same structure, which has been impeding the progressive shift of the Anatolian plate in the south against the Eurasian plate in the north since 1766 and building up pressure. The results are also being compared with findings from other fault zones, such as the San Andreas Fault in California, to better understand the physical processes before an earthquake.

Currently, the GFZ is intensifying its activity to monitor the earthquake zone in front of Istanbul. Together with the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency of Turkey AFAD, several 300 meter deep holes are currently being drilled around the eastern Marmara Sea, into which highly sensitive borehole seismometers will be placed. With this Geophysical borehole Observatory at the North Anatolian Fault GONAF, measurement accuracy and detection threshold for microearthquakes are improved many times over. In addition, the new data also provide insights on the expected ground motion in the event of an earthquake in the region. Bohnhoff: "Earthquake prediction is scientifically impossible. But studies such as this provide a way to better characterize earthquakes in advance in terms of location, magnitude and rupture progression, and therefore allow a better assessment of damage risk."

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/OIMK5ix7IhU/130618113717.htm

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Syrian rebels cling to enclave in eastern Lebanon

The wounded Syrian, his bloodcrusted face swathed in bandages, is gently lifted from the back of a pickup truck that had just made the perilous journey across Lebanon?s remote northeastern border with Syria.

?Slowly, slowly,? says Ahmad Hujairy, a Lebanese medic, as the stretcher is eased into the back of an ambulance.

The man was wounded two weeks ago by an exploding mortar round as the strategic rebel-held town of Qusayr fell back into the hands of the Syrian Army and Lebanese Shiite militant group, Hezbollah.

The survivors, civilians and rebel fighters alike, have since trekked across a desolate mountainous landscape, where missile-firing Syrian helicopters often prowl, to reach Arsal, a Sunni-populated Lebanese town near the border with Syria.

RECOMMENDED: Sunni and Shiite Islam: Do you know the difference? Take our quiz.

Arsal has been a bastion for the rebels since early in the uprising. The dirt tracks that cut across the rugged landscape to the north and east were used by rebels to ferry weapons and ammunition into Syria and by refugees headed the other direction, fleeing the violence.

But now that the Syrian regime has taken Qusayr, just five miles north of the border, the northern route into Syria is blocked. And the Syrian Army, backed by Hezbollah fighters, appears poised to seal the border east of Arsal as well, potentially bottling up several thousand Lebanese and Sunni rebels in this remote area. Last week, a Syrian helicopter fired missiles into the centre of Arsal for the first time, wounding one man. The attack drew a rare complaint from the Lebanon, which has long lived in the shadow of its larger neighbor.

"Arsal will meet the same fate as Qusayr because there's nothing but rebels here," says Samar Attar, a Syrian fighter from Qusayr.

'PRESSURE COOKER'

The concerns felt by Arsal's residents are compounded by the town's isolation. There is only one asphalt road linking it to the rest of Lebanon. The road crosses a barren mountainous ridge west of Arsal before dropping into the flat plain of the Bekaa Valley, a mainly Shiite-populated area and stronghold of Hezbollah.

The fall of Qusayr has cut the logistical supply chain that previously extended north from Arsal, over the border to Qusayr, and on to Homs, Syria's third largest city. But the tracks heading east from Arsal that connect to the rebel-held areas around the Syrian towns of Yabroud and Nabk remain open for now. This allows rebels to slip into Syria and head south toward the frontlines around Damascus.

The sources close to Hezbollah have indicated that the Syrian army and Hezbollah will focus efforts on restoring the area between Damascus and Homs fully to regime control. Seizing Yabroud and Nabk will be key to this strategy as it will allow the regime to control the border east of Arsal.

If Arsal is neutralized, it will greatly diminish the ability of Lebanese rebel sympathizers to provide any significant logistical support to the rebel forces in terms of weapons and volunteers.

It will also turn Arsal into a dangerous pressure cooker with thousands of frustrated fighters unable to reach the frontlines in Syria. Tensions are already running high between Arsal and its Lebanese Shiite neighbors to the west, not just because they back opposing sides in Syria, but because of a spate of tit-for-tat kidnappings and killings.

The northern Bekaa is a tribal area where notions of clan loyalty and revenge run deep. Last week, the brother of a sheikh in Arsal was killed while driving through a Shiite area near Hermel. On Sunday, four Shiites were ambushed and gunned down while driving along a track near Arsal. Three of them were from the powerful Jaafar clan and dead men's relatives have sworn revenge.

FURY TOWARD HEZBOLLAH

The conflict in Syria has been seeping into the northern Bekaa for months. Syrian rebels have fired Katyusha rockets across the border, striking a swathe of Shiite towns and villages and killing and wounding several people. Sources close to Hezbollah say fighters have deployed into the barren mountain chain along Lebanon's eastern border to intercept Syrian rebel rocket-firing groups.

The Syrian rebels from Qusayr who are now recovering from wounds, hunger, and exhaustion in Arsal relate harrowing tales of their 17-day ordeal when the town was subjected to heavy artillery shelling and air strikes. Hezollah led the assault on Qusayr, deploying some 1,200 of its battle-hardened special forces fighters.

?They were very fierce fighters. You would shoot at them but they kept on coming. They wore headbands with 'O Hussein? written on them,? says Mr. Attar, referring to the grandson of the prophet Muhammad and a revered figure in Shiite Islam.

Khaled, a slim fighter from Qusayr with a spade-like beard and cropped hair, says he captured a 15-year-old Lebanese Shiite.

?He wore a headband inscribed with 'martyrdom is the key to heaven.' I asked him why he has fighting in Qusayr. He said that he was waging jihad,? Khaled says.

What did he do with the boy?

?I killed him, of course,? Khaled says with a chuckle.

It was impossible to verify his story, although Hezbollah does not permit men below the age of 18 to serve in a combat role.

The battle for Qusayr and Hezbollah's intervention in the Syria war has left upon the rebel fighters an indelible imprint of fury and bitterness toward the Lebanese group and a burning desire for revenge that even dwarfs their hostility toward the Assad regime, which is dominated by members of the Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam.

The rebels refer to Hezbollah as the "Party of the Devil," a play on the group's name which means "Party of God" in Arabic.

?We will never make peace with Hezbollah,? says Abu Mohammed. ?We will never forgive nor forget. They have killed our people. Even after Assad is gone, we will continue to go after the Party of the Devil. I would release four Alawite prisoners for the pleasure of killing one Shiite. They will remain our enemy forever.?

RECOMMENDED: Sunni and Shiite Islam: Do you know the difference? Take our quiz.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/syrian-rebels-cling-enclave-eastern-lebanon-160400969.html

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Artificial sweetener a potential treatment for Parkinson's disease

June 17, 2013 ? Mannitol, a sugar alcohol produced by fungi, bacteria, and algae, is a common component of sugar-free gum and candy. The sweetener is also used in the medical field -- it's approved by the FDA as a diuretic to flush out excess fluids and used during surgery as a substance that opens the blood/brain barrier to ease the passage of other drugs.

Now Profs. Ehud Gazit and Daniel Segal of Tel Aviv University's Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology and the Sagol School of Neuroscience, along with their colleague Dr. Ronit Shaltiel-Karyo and PhD candidate Moran Frenkel-Pinter, have found that mannitol also prevents clumps of the protein ?-synuclein from forming in the brain -- a process that is characteristic of Parkinson's disease.

These results, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry and presented at the Drosophila Conference in Washington, DC in April, suggest that this artificial sweetener could be a novel therapy for the treatment of Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases. The research was funded by a grant from the Parkinson's Disease Foundation and supported in part by the Lord Alliance Family Trust.

Seeing a significant difference

After identifying the structural characteristics that facilitate the development of clumps of ?-synuclein, the researchers began to hunt for a compound that could inhibit the proteins' ability to bind together. In the lab, they found that mannitol was among the most effective agents in preventing aggregation of the protein in test tubes. The benefit of this substance is that it is already approved for use in a variety of clinical interventions, Prof. Segal says.

Next, to test the capabilities of mannitol in the living brain, the researchers turned to transgenic fruit flies engineered to carry the human gene for ?-synuclein. To study fly movement, they used a test called the "climbing assay," in which the ability of flies to climb the walls of a test tube indicates their locomotive capability. In the initial experimental period, 72 percent of normal flies were able to climb up the test tube, compared to only 38 percent of the genetically-altered flies.

The researchers then added mannitol to the food of the genetically-altered flies for a period of 27 days and repeated the experiment. This time, 70 percent of the mutated flies could climb up the test tube. In addition, the researchers observed a 70 percent reduction in aggregates of ?-synuclein in mutated flies that had been fed mannitol, compared to those that had not.

These findings were confirmed by a second study which measured the impact of mannitol on mice engineered to produce human ?-synuclein, developed by Dr. Eliezer Masliah of the University of San Diego. After four months, the researchers found that the mice injected with mannitol also showed a dramatic reduction of ?-synuclein in the brain.

Delivering therapeutic compounds to the brain

The researchers now plan to re-examine the structure of the mannitol compound and introduce modifications to optimize its effectiveness. Further experiments on animal models, including behavioral testing, whose disease development mimics more closely the development of Parkinson's in humans is needed, Prof. Segal says.

For the time being, mannitol may be used in combination with other medications that have been developed to treat Parkinson's but which have proven ineffective in breaking through the blood/brain barrier, says Prof. Segal. These medications may be able to "piggy-back" on mannitol's ability to open this barrier into the brain.

Although the results look promising, it is still not advisable for Parkinson's patients to begin ingesting mannitol in large quantities, Prof. Segal cautions. More testing must be done to determine dosages that would be both effective and safe.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/QAS771ZAlMA/130617122401.htm

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EU, US to launch trade talks next month

ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland (AP) ? Talks on a sweeping trade deal between the European Union and the United States, the world's two largest trading partners, are to get underway in Washington next month, President Barack Obama and top European Union officials said Monday.

"The EU-U.S. relationship is the biggest in the world," Obama said after meeting with European leaders at the G-8 summit in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, citing roughly the $1 trillion in trade in goods and services between the two every year.

"This potentially ground-breaking partnership would deepen those ties."

The head of the EU's executive arm, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, said a deal could bring "huge economic benefits" to both sides. Summit host British Prime Minister David Cameron said the trade pact could create 2 million jobs and "could be the biggest bilateral trade deal in history."

The aim of the trans-Atlantic deal would be to promote economic growth by eliminating the import tariffs and changing regulations that keep goods made on one side of the Atlantic from being sold on the other.

When the start of negotiations were first announced by Obama in his State of the Union address in March, it was estimated that a deal could boost each economy by more than a half-percentage point annually and significantly lower the cost of goods and services for consumers.

Officials have said a deal could be reached next year. But securing one will be tricky. The talks will be watched warily by interest groups and would have to be approved by each side's lawmakers and leaders before the new trade arrangements take effect.

The EU has already yielded to pressure. When it was putting together its mandate for the negotiations last week, France managed to get state assistance of the TV and movie industries taken off the table. Barroso said the issue could be revisited later. Meanwhile, U.S. labor officials have also expressed skepticism.

The statement of support for the trade deal came just ahead of the opening of the Group of Eight Summit among the leaders of leading industrial nations: The U.S., Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Canada and Russia, plus the European Union.

Host Cameron greeted the arriving leaders against a backdrop of green grass and lake views at the Lough Erne golf resort near the small town of Enniskillen.

Later Monday over a working dinner, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia's support for the Syrian government will be a topic for discussion.

Cameron said he wanted the summit to deliver a firm plan for promoting multi-faction talks in Geneva aimed at ending the country's bloody civil war. Moscow officially shares that goal but continues to ship military aid to the army of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Following a frosty Putin-Cameron meeting Sunday in London, the Russian leader remains opposed to plans by the West to start shipping weapons to rebels struggling to topple Assad.

Obama announced Friday that the U.S. would start sending weaponry, while Britain and France remained concerned that the firepower might end up helping anti-democratic extremists linked to Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah militia.

"How can you allow Russia to continue to send weapons to the regime of Bashar al-Assad while the opposition gets so few weapons? " asked French President Francois Hollande. "We will have this discussion ... Not to point the finger at Vladimir Putin, but for him to understand that it is in the interest of world peace to have this conference in Geneva."

The summit is taking place under heavy security, with some 7,000 police lining roads and checking vehicles.

A protest Monday attracted far fewer than the 2,000 expected by police. About 200 people gathered ahead of the march at a library in Enniskillen. Activists waved flags and placards for a range of causes as a heavy metal band played, including gay marriage, anti-capitalist criticism of the G-8 forum itself, and opposition to fracking.

__

Associated Press writers Cassandra Vinograd and Vladimir Isachenkov in Enniskillen contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/eu-us-launch-trade-talks-next-month-160424544.html

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EU, US to launch trade talks next month

ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland (AP) ? Talks on a sweeping trade deal between the European Union and the United States are to get underway in Washington next month, President Barack Obama and top European Union officials said Monday.

"The EU-US relationship is the biggest in the world," Obama said after meeting with European leaders at the G-8 summit in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, citing roughly the $1 trillion in trade in goods and services between the two every year.

"This potentially ground-breaking partnership would deepen those ties."

The head of the EU's executive arm, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, said a deal could bring "huge economic benefits" to both sides.

Summit host British Prime Minister David Cameron said the trade pact could create 2 million jobs.

The aim of the trans-Atlantic deal would be to promote economic growth by cutting the import tariffs and changing regulations that keep goods made on one side of the Atlantic from being sold on the other side.

Officials have said a deal could be reached next year. But securing one will be tricky. The talks will be watched warily by interest groups and would have to be approved by each side's lawmakers and leaders before the new trade arrangements are introduced.

The EU has already yielded to a demand from France to exempt the TV and movie industries from the talks. Barroso said the exception for movies and TV shows could be revisited later. Meanwhile, US labor officials have also expressed skepticism.

__

Associated Press writers Cassandra Vinograd and Vladimir Isachenkov in Enniskillen contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/eu-us-launch-trade-talks-next-month-160424544.html

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