Wednesday, July 31, 2013

India's Finance Minister Vows Not To Overspend

Indian Finance Minister P. Chidambaram (L) ges...

Indian Finance Minister P. Chidambaram gestures while he addresses a press conference after the Annual Conference of Chief Commissioners & Directors General of Excise and Customs in New Delhi on July 17, 2013. India will achieve its overall budgeted revenue target in the fiscal year to March, finance minister P Chidambaram said during the press conference. (Image credit: AFP/Getty Images via @daylife)

India?s Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram said despite the tough outlook for government finances, and an election coming up, New Delhi has no plans to overspend to win the hearts and minds of the electorate.

On Thursday, the Economic Times reported on a Chidambaram presser on the first anniversary of his role as the country?s finance ministry where he said that state-run companies would be encouraged to raise funds overseas in new bond issues. He also said that the foreign direct investment policy would be liberalized beyond just big box retail and airlines currently as the government tries desperately to bring in money from abroad. ?Meanwhile, the FinMin did the usual cheerleading, saying he was confident the government could finance the current account deficit ? now nearly 5% ? this year without pulling money out of India?s foreign cash reserves.

India has $279 billion in foreign reserves as of July 19, according to the Reserve Bank of India.? Emerging market countries often use reserves to fend off speculative attacks against its currency, and to provide a cushion against external debt service.

The FinMin said that India?s target for this year?s fiscal deficit was still 4.8%. ?It is a red line and it will not be breached,? he said on a day that economic data out of the country showed the government had run up a fiscal deficit of nearly half the budgeted amount in the first quarter.

The fiscal deficit for April-June quarter was 48.4% of the budgeted amount compared with 37.1% in the same period last year, the ET reported Thursday.

Chidambaram had unveiled a new fiscal consolidation road map soon after taking over as finance minister last year and managed to contain fiscal deficit at 4.9% of GDP by effecting aggressive expenditure cuts, joining countries around the world trying to streamline government.

Investors have turned away from India this year, though. ?The Wisdom Tree India (EPI) exchange traded fund, one of the favorite ways into that market for the retail investor and day trader, is off 19.5% year to date, while the MSCI Emerging Markets Index is down 12.03%. ?Within the big four emerging markets, only Brazil equity is doing worse than India at the moment as investors gauge a mix of Indian policy paralysis and the worst government accounts in the BRICs.

In India, if all goes according to plans, the economy should grow between?5.5% and 6% this year, the Finance Minister said.

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2013/07/31/indias-finance-minister-vows-not-to-overspend/

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The Man Who Scored The First Basket In NBA History Has Died

Ossie Schectman, who scored the very first basket in the very first game of the Basketball Association of America (the predecessor of the NBA), passed away today at the age of 94.

The 6-foot-0 point guard was a college star at LIU, leading the Blackbirds to an undefeated 1938-39 season that culminated in both NIT and NCAA titles. He joined the Knicks in their inaugural season, and on Nov. 1, 1946, the Knicks and the Toronto Huskies met in the BAA's first game. Schectman scored the first two points of that game, a perfectly exected layup in transition.

"It was a simple give-and-go," Schectman recalled in a 1997 NPR story. "It was one of those fast breaks, pass the ball, went to the basket, got a return pass."

The BAA was a major step up from the regional pro and semi-pro leagues at the time.

"I'd played pro in the old American Basketball League for $75 a game; the owner handed you an envelope with your money after the game," Schectman told the New York Times in 1996. "There was no contract, no training camp. Nobody taped your ankles. When we went to the Knicks' first training camp at the Nevele in the Catskills, I felt like a pioneer."

Schectman would spend just the one season in the BAA?including a $1,000 playoff bonus, he earned $9,000 that year. He was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1998, the LIU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001, and was a subject of The First Basket, a 2008 documentary about the Jewish roots of basketball.

In 2003, Schectman spoke with ESPN about the differences between his game and today's NBA. It's not what you think; he wasn't an old man pining for the good old days of basketball.

"When I watch the games on the TV," he says, "I can't help projecting myself into the action. Naturally, I concentrate on the point guards since that was my position. And it's a thrill to see guys like Mike Bibby, Steve Nash and John Stockton. Their fundamentals are outstanding ? footwork, balance, shooting techniques, ballhandling skills. Contrary to what some old fogeys might say, I think their fundamental skills are much better than ours ever were."

[via The Basketball Jones]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/deadspin/excerpts/~3/xR0DOuUILvQ/the-man-who-scored-the-first-basket-in-nba-history-has-965078135

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Kevo lock up for pre-order tomorrow, starts shipping in September

Amongst the seemingly endless stream of companies looking to replace your house keys, Kwikset and UniKey's Kevo system certainly seems one of the more promising options. When we had a chance to fiddle around with the device back in May, the companies didn't have much to say in terms of release schedule. Turns out you're going to have to wait until September to toss those keys in the trash -- though you can get on the list for a unit of your own tomorrow, when Kevo goes up for pre-order at $219 a pop. More info after the break.

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Source: Kwikset

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/29/kevo-pre-order/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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The CW to introduce The Flash on 'Arrow' season 2

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) ? The upcoming season of The CW's "Arrow" is getting some flash, as in the popular DC comic book character, the network announced at Tuesday's annual Television Critics Association press tour.

"We plan to introduce a recurring character and the origin story of Dr. Barry Allen, who you know as The Flash," said network President Mark Pedowitz. "We do want to expand upon the DC Universe. We think that there are rich characters we can use, and we felt like this was a very organic way to get there."

If all goes as planned, there could be a spinoff.

"Arrow" debuted in the 2012-2013 season and was The CW's most popular new show.

It stars Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen, who is based on the DC Comics character The Green Arrow. A spoiled billionaire who was stranded on an island for five years, Queen returns home as a secret hooded crime fighter out to rid his city from corruption using his newfound talent with a bow and arrow.

"Arrow" returns for its second season in October.

___

Online:

http://www.cwtv.com/shows/arrow

___

Alicia Rancilio covers entertainment for The Associated Press. Follow her online at http://www.twitter.com/aliciar

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cw-introduce-flash-arrow-season-2-175013375.html

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Video: Spain train crash driver was on phone

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Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/video/cnbc/52626568/

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FBI arrests 150 in three days in sex-trafficking sweep

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The FBI arrested 150 people across the United States on charges of holding children against their will for prostitution, a three-day weekend sweep that officials on Monday called the largest-ever operation against child sex-trafficking.

The suspects, whom the FBI referred to as "pimps," were arrested in 76 U.S. cities and are expected to face state and federal charges related to sex crimes and human trafficking, FBI and U.S. Justice Department officials said at a news conference.

FBI agents and local police recovered 105 children during the operation at truck stops, motels, casinos and other places where they were forced to work as prostitutes, officials said.

Of the 150 suspects, 18 were arrested by agents based in Detroit, 17 by agents from San Francisco and 13 by Oklahoma City agents, the FBI said.

The FBI said the suspects were not part of the same operation. It said some belonged to organized crime while others acted alone. The bureau did not immediately release a list of the suspects.

The FBI typically does not investigate adult prostitution, leaving it as a state and local matter, but in recent years it has made child prostitution a priority in a program the FBI calls Operation Cross Country. The program includes highway billboards asking people to call the FBI with tips.

About 1,350 people have been convicted as part of the program and at least 10 of them were sentenced to life in prison, officials said.

The latest sweep was the seventh and largest under Operation Cross Country, they said.

Children who are most vulnerable to being exploited for sex crimes are between 13 and 16 years old without strong ties to family members, officials said.

"We are trying to take this crime out of the shadows and put a spotlight on it," said FBI Assistant Director Ronald Hosko.

(Reporting by David Ingram; Editing by Howard Goller and Bill Trott)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fbi-says-arrested-150-three-days-child-prostitution-154521080.html

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Thompson, Joseph to suit up for Canada

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson and San Antonio Spurs guard Cory Joseph headline the list of 18 players who will be at training camp with the Basketball Canada senior men?s national team beginning Friday in Toronto.

While there are a couple of notable names missing from the list in Anthony Bennett, Andrew Wiggins and Kelly Olynyk, there will be a couple of other NBA players in camp as well.

Andrew Nicholson of the Orlando Magic and Joel Anthony of the Miami Heat are on board as is Kris Joseph who finished last season with the Brooklyn Nets.

Wiggins and Bennett weren?t expected to be in camp this summer as the former announced he was taking the summer off to prepare for his freshman season at Kansas while the latter continues to recover from offseason surgery. Olynyk is also sidelined by injury at the moment as well.

Basketball Canada general manager Steve Nash said he has been excited to see how Canadian players have progressed over the past year.

?It?s been exciting watching and monitoring the achievements of our many talented athletes this year,? Nash said. ?It truly is the golden age of basketball in this country and we plan to build upon this momentum over the next three years as we look toward the 2016 Olympics and beyond. Our immediate goal is to prepare the team over the next month to be in the best possible position to secure a berth to next year?s FIBA World Cup.?

This will be the first summer of competition with Nash and head coach Jay Triano at the helm after the pair reunited in the summer of 2012 to guide the program which they once famously led as player and coach.

The team?s first competition will be upcoming the 2013 Jack Donohue International Classic ? a two-game exhibition series where Team Canada will welcome the Jamaican National Team to the Mattamy Athletic Centre on August 8th and 10th. It will be a rare opportunity for Canadian basketball fans to see the team before they head off for international competition.

The Classic will serve as a preview for this fall?s FIBA Americas Championship where the Senior Men?s National Team will face Team Jamaica and eight additional countries from their FIBA zone for the right to represent their nations at the 2014 FIBA World Cup.

2013 Senior Men?s National Team ? Training Camp Attendees

Source: http://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/thompson-joseph-to-suit-up-for-canada/

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Ray J Mocks Kanye West, Slams Myla Sinanaj, Encourages Kids to Attend College

Listen closely, THGers. Ray J has some important words of wisdom to offer.

In a run-in last night with TMZ cameras, the former Kim Kardashian sex tape partner mocked Kanye West for his recent attack on a cameraman... scoffed at the suggestion that he would watch the Myla Sinanaj sex tape... and encouraged all young people to attend college.

It was a classic performance from our favorite D-lister/hip hop star/amateur pornography director.

Seriously, when Ray J speaks, you have to listen. So drop what you're doing now and watch below:

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/07/ray-j-mocks-kanye-west-slams-myla-sinanaj-encourages-kids-to-att/

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Firefly, Which Handles Co-Browsing The Web For Customer Support, Partners With Olark

firefly-logoFirefly, which took funding from First Round Capital’s Dorm Room Fund, is partnering with YC-backed Olark to give customer support specialists the ability to co-browse the web with clients that might be having trouble. Firefly has built a way for any website to insert a snippet of JavaScript so that it can be “co-browsed” with someone else. “Co-browsing” is kind of like screen-sharing, except it’s limited to the browser and doesn’t include surrounding applications that might be running in the background. The startup is laser-focused on co-browsing for customer support, in case a person is having trouble with a website or signing up for a service. A Firefly user might be able to help a lost customer by highlighting where to go in the browser, or even by taking control of the browser to help them fill out forms. Olark is a natural fit since it’s also a customer-support-focused startup: They build live chat widgets so specialists can talk to customers in real time. Now Olark users will be able to see what their customers are seeing, too. Firefly, which was founded by a group of current students and recent grads from the University of Pennsylvania, built their co-browsing product so that it doesn’t need any kind of application download. Already, the startup is on track to make in the hundreds of thousands of dollars of revenue this year, and Firefly is deployed with about 6,000 different businesses, according to co-founder Dan Shipper. The Olark partnership brings Firefly 5,000 customers.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/vb2Weja0L7g/

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Rapper Kat Dahlia arrested on DUI charges

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) ? Rapper Kat Dahlia has been arrested on charges of DUI and resisting arrest without violence.

Dahlia, whose real name is Katriana Huguet, was arrested early Tuesday in Miami Beach. Jail records show she's being held on $2,000 bail. It's not immediately known if she has an attorney. Huguet turned 23 the day before her arrest.

The arrest affidavit reports that an officer spotted Huguet speeding with the headlights off and pulled her over. The officer noticed a strong smell of alcohol in the car and noted that Huguet had blood shot eyes and her speech was slurred. She refused to perform any sobriety tests and cursed at the officer.

Huguet, of Cuban descent, is known for mixing rhythms like hip hop, R&B and soul.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rapper-kat-dahlia-arrested-dui-charges-152258723.html

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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Some Apple news to start your day with: The new iPhone will likely have a finger...

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Source: http://www.facebook.com/FastCompany/posts/10151577646324077

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Office gossip trouble | Stuff.co.nz

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Workplaces can be relatively diverse places, so topics around race, religion, sexual preference and politics are also off the cards, warns Jane Bartrum, human resources business partner of HR and recruitment firm, Randstad.

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/better-business/8981810/The-trouble-with-office-gossip

Sean Collier

Brody is going AWOL when 'Homeland' returns

TV

3 hours ago

Image: Damian Lewis

Mario Anzuoni / Reuters

Brody will be missing when "Homeland" returns, and star Damian Lewis joked that perhaps his character is in the French Riviera.

"Homeland" may be hard to imagine without Emmy-winner Damian Lewis? brooding Nicholas Brody, but it's going to be a reality this fall ? at least for the first two episodes of season three.

Showtime revealed at the Television Critics Association's summer press tour on Monday that Brody will be among the missing when the series returns on Sept. 29. The character went into hiding at the end of last season after his taped confession of a planned attack on the vice president ? which never happened ? was released after the terrorist bombing at Langley.

?The decision to not have Brody in the first two episodes was strictly a function of the story,? explained Alex Gansa, "Homeland?s" executive producer. Much of the action for the third season opens in Washington, D.C., and, ?Brody?s flight from America just made it impossible to include that story line in the first couple of episodes.?

?Brody?s on the lam,? confirmed Lewis, whose character escaped to Canada. ?He?s disappeared into a network of a tunnel system ... he?s the most wanted criminal in the world at this point, so he has to lay low.?

So what state will Brody be in when viewers do see him? Lewis remained vague on that point by being both comical and cryptic with reporters. ?Is he (on) a yacht off the C?te d?Azur surrounded by a bevy of Russian beauties ? that was the pitch I plugged in ? or is he lost? I hope that when you do see Brody for the first time, it will be ... interesting.?

Two episodes is a long time to go without seeing the fan favorite, which could potentially translate into an audience backlash.

?That?s completely out of our control,? Gansa said.

David Nevins, the president of entertainment for Showtime, isn't concerned. "He's the reigning Emmy winner for lead drama actor, he's popular, he's paid attention to," he said of Lewis Tuesday. "His character figures prominently in (the first two episodes). ... The ghost of Brody is very present."

Odds are good that viewers will stick with the popular series, which some say really arrived when it was lampooned on "Saturday Night Live" last fall. The skit featured host Anne Hathaway spoofing Claire Dane's bipolar CIA agent, Carrie Mathison.

?I?m friendly with Anne,? Emmy-winner Danes told TODAY.com. ?I was in Toronto at the time with Hugh (Dancy, my husband), who was doing ?Hannibal.? I got a series of texts from Anne saying, ?Hi, um, so I?m hosting 'SNL,' and I really hope we can still be friends.? ?

Hathaway also sent Danes a preemptive bouquet of flowers to let her know in advance that she didn?t mean any harm by impersonating her. Still, Danes knew when the posies arrived that the "Homeland" spoof stood to be scathing.

?I tried to look (the scene) up on my computer, but being in Canada created (a connection) difficulty,? Danes said. ?Then, I was like, 'I don?t need to look at that.' But it was all in good fun. I was very flattered. To be parodied on 'SNL? means we are relevant. We?re cool enough to be made fun of.?

"Homeland" kicks off season three sans Brody on Sunday, Sept. 29 at 9 p.m. on Showtime.

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/brody-going-awol-when-homeland-returns-6C10796483

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Israel to release 104 Palestinian prisoners

Israel has approved the release of 104 Palestinian prisoners as a goodwill gesture ahead of tomorrow?s scheduled re-opening of Middle East peace talks in Washington.

The veteran detainees, including many classified by Israel as having ?blood on their hands,? will be released in four batches, every two months, as the negotiations progress.

The cabinet also agreed that any peace agreement which requires Israel to relinquish sovereign territory will be put to a referendum. The referendum Bill, which is expected to be approved by the Knesset parliament, refers only to areas of east Jerusalem annexed by Israel, and not the West Bank which is not sovereign Israeli territory.

The referendum Bill passed with relative ease, although some ministers voted against arguing that holding Israel?s first-ever referendum would undermine the sovereignty of the elected government.

The discussions on the prisoner release were much more charged. Polls released over the weekend showed more than 80 per cent of the public opposed releasing militants who had taken part in some of Israel?s most notorious attacks resulting in the death of civilians.

Bereaved relatives campaigned against the move calling it immoral and a betrayal.

After a lengthy debate 13 ministers voted in favour, seven against and two abstained.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said the decision was not just, but necessary.

?This moment is not easy for me. It is not easy for the ministers. It is not easy especially for the bereaved families whose heart I understand. But there are moments in which tough decisions must be made for the good of the country and this is one of those moments.?

Palestinian officials had made it clear ahead of the vote that tomorrow?s talks would be in jeopardy unless all 104 detainees are set free.


Decision welcomed
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat welcomed the Israeli decision. ?We believe it is an important step and we hope to seize the opportunity provided by the efforts of the US administration to achieve a durable and just peace.?

The inclusion of 14 Israeli-Arabs on the list was especially problematic from the Israeli point of view, forcing Mr Netanyahu to promise another cabinet meeting to approve their release.

Minister Naftali Bennett, head of the right-wing Jewish Home party, was amongst the ministers voting against. He told families of terror victims protesting against the decision that terrorists should be eliminated not released.

Source: http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/851/f/10846/s/2f44ecfb/sc/20/l/0L0Sirishtimes0N0Cnews0Cworld0Cmiddle0Eeast0Cisrael0Eto0Erelease0E10A40Epalestinian0Eprisoners0E10B1477636/story01.htm

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NBA player faces battery charge in New Orleans

New Orleans police say unrestricted NBA free agent Daniel Gibson has turned himself in to face a second-degree battery charge.

Police spokeswoman Remi Braden says he's accused of breaking another man's jaw with a punch during an argument at a nightclub about 5:15 a.m. on July 8.

Gibson's wife, Keyshia (KEY-shuh) Cole, sang at the Essence Festival on July 6.

Braden says Gibson surrendered Monday with his attorney, Ike Spears. Online court records show he was released on $20,000 bond. Spears wasn't immediately available for comment.

Braden says Gibson's accuser is from St. Rose, about 25 miles from New Orleans.

The nightclub is about three blocks from the National World War II Museum.

Gibson played seven years for the Cleveland Cavaliers but was out with injuries much of last season.

Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/07/29/3530038/nba-player-faces-battery-charge.html

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Subic Bay decision could mean more U.S. troops in Philippines



By Jim Gomez


Associated Press

POSTED:
LAST UPDATED: 07:38 a.m. HST, Jul 28, 2013

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Riot police guard the sidewalk as protesters hold a rally against China outside the Chinese Consulate at the financial district of Makati city, east of Manila, Philippines, Wednesday.
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MANILA, Philippines >> The Philippines plans to relocate major air force and navy camps to a former U.S. naval base northwest of Manila to gain faster access to waters being contested by China in the South China Sea, according to the country's defense chief and a confidential government report.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said today that as soon as relocation funds are available the government plans to transfer air force and naval forces and their fleets of aircraft and warships to Subic Bay, which has become a busy free port since the 1992 departure of the U.S. Navy.

"It's for the protection of our West Philippine Sea," Gazmin said from South Korea, where he was on a visit, using the name adopted by the Philippine government for the disputed South China Sea.

Relocating about 250 air force officers and men to Subic, along with "increased rotational presence of foreign visiting forces" would bolster business and trade at the port, according to a confidential defense department document obtained by The Associated Press

Subic's international airport has been underutilized since U.S. courier giant FedEx transferred its lucrative regional hub from Subic to China in 2009, officials said.

The Philippines plans to grant visiting U.S. forces, ships and aircraft temporary access to more of its military camps to allow for a larger number of joint military exercises than are currently staged each year.

A larger U.S. presence could be used for disaster response and serve as a deterrent to what Philippine officials say have been recent aggressive intrusions by China into its territorials waters.

Subic Bay is a natural deep harbor that can accommodate two large warships acquired recently by the Philippines from the United States, a defense treaty ally, he said, especially compared to shallower harbor at the naval fleet base at Sangley Point in Cavite province, south of Manila.

The first U.S. Coast Guard cutter was relaunched as the Philippines' largest warship in 2011. President Benigno Aquino III will lead ceremonies on Aug. 6 to welcome the second ship at Subic, the Philippine navy said.

The defense department document obtained says Subic's location will cut reaction time by fighter aircraft to contested South China Sea areas by more than three minutes compared with flying from Clark airfield, also north of Manila, where some air force planes are based.

"It will provide the armed forces of the Philippines strategic location, direct and shorter access to support West Philippine Sea theater of operations," the document said.

The report said the cost of repairs and improvements for an air force base in Subic would be at least $119 million. It said that compares with an estimated $256 million that it would cost to build a new air force base, because the vast Subic complex about 50 miles west of Manila already has a world-class runway and aviation facilities.

The Philippines has backed Washington's efforts to reassert its military presence in Asia as a counterweight to China's rise. While it has taken diplomatic steps to deal with China's sweeping territorial claims in the South China Sea, the Philippines has struggled to upgrade its military, one of Asia's weakest.

Philippine vessels backed off from the disputed Scarborough Shoal last year after weeks of a tense standoff with Chinese surveillance ship, a move that gave China effective control over the vast fishing ground off the country's northwest.

Many fear the territorial conflicts in the South China Sea, which also involve Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan, could set off a serious conflict that could threaten Asia's growing economies.

Source: http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/20130728_Subic_Bay_decision_could_mean_more_US_troops_in_Philippines.html

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Nerds and Words: Week 30

I have dug through the Internet this week and uncovered all this geeky goodness. You can find the thousands of links from previous weeks here.


I have marked my favorite links with a ?. Enjoy.


Science to Read, Write, and Watch

When do kids understand death? A perplexing part of growing up.

? Why do some crocodiles eat fruit? Not quite sure, but we have some theories

?The first stars were born of hydrogen, but they died in a cloud of heavier atoms.?

Don?t worry, this ball of congregating flies isn?t a sign of the apocalypse

The dancing mud of New Zealand makes bubble physics all the more pronounced

Usain Bolt uses 92% of his energy just to fight the air he rushes through

Parasitic wasp gets a free ride on a damselfly?only to doom the fly?s eggs with her own

? How big is our solar system? Here?s a fun way to see for yourself

The Poets of Starlight. A lovely post on how the natural world calls to scientists.

Huh. Shrapnel isn?t a thing, it is the guy who invented it

Yes, we can trust Monsanto with our food.

? Mouseunculus: How The Brain Draws A Little You. The kind of science that makes your eyes widen.

With an electron microscope and some software, we now have incredible videos of up-close everything

FYI: You can get about a million miles from the Sun before dying

? Now Curiosity is a pale blue dot. Kinda poetic

It?s absolutely amazing to see ?real-live death? move through an animal

Sugar doesn?t make children act badly, but parents might

Thanks to one war photographer, two soldiers will live forever in the annals of fascinating physics

Need to chill out? This helped me: A Year of the Sky

Before we establish ?Bigfoot language?, we need to establish the existence of Bigfoot

There?s a name for when something obscure to you suddenly seems to be everywhere

? How Could We Stop An Asteroid? With LASER BEES

It?s a Myth That Cheetahs Overheat While Hunting. ?Nuff said.

New species of shrew has a spine of the Gods, Gods with flowing blonde hair and sexy stubble

It?s summer time, so get your bug drugs straight: Busting five myths of mosquito repellents

If you?re a tropical tourist, be gentle with coral! You?ll impale them with their own skeletons

Good. God. In Bacon Therapy, the Meat Isn?t for You: It?s for the Bugs Eating Your Skin

?Without loyalty, a meadow would be a much less colourful place.?

?Gravity waves? have little to do with gravity but are still very pretty from space

? Even the desert would rather put The Phantom Menace behind it. At least it was good for science.

You can learn a lot more than ?woah? from firing a gun underwater

Zebrafish neurons fluorescently labeled with the Brainbow method

Destroying priceless works of art with light, moisture, and xenophobia

? Stop it paleo-nerds, you can?t beat a T. rex in an arm-wrestle

The Lagoon So Beautiful (and Toxic) It Had to Be Dyed Black

Think you know where the hottest place on Earth is? Satellites do

? An ostrich can run a marathon in 40 minutes, so yes, feel bad about your stupid human legs

Why everything that movies told you about amnesia is probably wrong

?

Nerdery at its Finest

? Wolverine Science (Snikt!): What does a Wolverine without regenerative powers have to fear? Concussions, cancer, and magnets. Examining the healing powers of an X-man. What if Wolverine couldn?t heal [Infographic]. The science behind adamantium and alloys. Everything wrong with the second film.

What if You Were Fus Ro Dah?d? A fun analysis that gets a bit number-happy.

Where would you find a real Sharknado?

? Pacific Rim Science:How a Jaeger rocket punch is a 747 to a Kaiju face. How could you create dry land on the bottom of the ocean? Detonate a nuke. A biological guide to the film. What makes Pacific Rim?s battles look so epic? Scale.

Got time to kill? Find the 48 scientific errors in this photo

17 people you probably saw at Comic Con

?

GIFs and Image for Two Second of WOW

*Bad* taxidermy?Also ironically awesome

? These ?water as it is perfectly covering you? photos captivate me

When military snipers try to mimic great animal camouflage, they do a pretty damn good job

I don?t think cheetahs like the rain, but I watched this for about a minute before deciding that

Hungry, hungry water tension

A seahorse gives birth like a sneeze

? A skull at the shore of Very Salty Lake

? Sometimes a landslide looks like the Earth letter her hair down

A galaxy in a lighter

OMG the Earth from Saturn

I see your water tornado, and raise you a fire tornado.

Quicksand can be a non-Newtonian fluid

FYI: You can also release the kraken with calcium gluconate

? So awesome: Bees are nature?s 3D printer, and a great video of the ?3-B? printing process

It?s amazing to watch an animal other than a human be amazed by something

What happens when a wind turbine doesn?t properly brake during a storm

? DJ Chameleon. That is all

?

Oh yeah, other stuff happens too

Cosplay crossovers are officially over. These two win.

I?d train for the Olympics just for that meteorite-infused medal?

Tight-lipped prisoners are more cooperative than college kids in a classic moral dilemma

It?s my favorite image of Comic Con too.

The accurate scientific fear factor

Celebrate the Moon landing with 10 debunked ?Moon Hoax? arguments

Alan Turing is set to be pardoned. But only by teaching his full story can we honor his memory

And the winner for most annoying ringtone goes to?

Chinese ?nail houses? that refuse to be torn down are fascinating

The time when James Randi un-convinced Barbara Walters that Uri Geller was something special

Science makes little gods

You shall not pass: The weapon inspectors of San Diego Comic-Con

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/~r/sciam/basic-science/~3/TM__DFAUMF0/post.cfm

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Here's A Quick Breakdown Of Russia's Massive Military Exercise

Russia Military Training

Dmitry Korotayev/Getty Images

A week ago, the Russian military completed the largest spot check exercise it has conducted since 1991. The MOD has put out some information on the scale and units involved. The?slides?were helpfully reproduced by Ruslan Pukhov in his?blog. ?They are done in the usual Russian style ? it?s all about how many planes flew, how many tons of equipment were moved, etc. Nevertheless, there are some interesting tidbits. Here are some highlights.

The exercise involved 160,000 personnel from all three military branches. Ground forces from all four Eastern district armies and the 41st army of the Central district were involved, including 9 infantry brigades, the 18th artillery division (based in the Southern Kurils), a tank brigade, 2 air assault brigades, a naval infantry brigade, 5 signal brigades, 2 artillery brigades, 2 rocket brigades, 1 MRLS brigade, 2 air defense brigades, 2 NBC defense brigades, 4 logistics brigades, and 2 equipment storage bases. 12,000 vehicles were activated.

The air force activated 130 aircraft and helicopters from four commands (Long Range Aviation, Military-Transport Aviation,?2nd Air and Air Defense Forces Command ? Yekaterinburg, 3rd?Air and Air Defense Forces Command ? Khabarovsk). The specific air force units involved were the?6952nd LRA Base from Amur Oblast, the?6955th MTA Base from Tver, the?6980th aviation base from Chelyabinsk, and the?6983rd aviation base from Primorskii Krai.

Naval participation included 70 ships from the 36th surface ship division, 165th surface ship brigade,?10th and 25th submarine divisions, 19th submarine brigade, 100th assault ship brigade,?114th coastal defense ship brigade, and the 520th independent coastal missile-artillery brigade.

One infantry brigade arrived by sea, while 30 transport aircraft moved 8,500 personnel over 167 flights. 1000 reservists were involved, from Primorsky Krai. 45 field control centers were activated, most at the brigade level. 8 UAVs completed 22 flights. One of the 12 long range aviation planes failed to complete (or maybe to start?) its flight.

The overall assessment of these exercises from the military has been largely positive, though some areas did come in for criticism. Yuri Borisov?noted?that 3-4% of vehicles broke down during the exercise, either because of errors made by the ?operators or because the equipment was old. This is not ideal, but is certainly a better statistic than in the bad old days a decade ago. Shoigu?criticized?the state of the communications system, noting that military communications are only 18% effective. It?s not clear what that number actually means, but it?s clearly not good. Marksmanship also came in for criticism, in part because of a lack of practice. ?He was pleased with military transportation, highlighting in particular that railroad transportation functioned at almost double the allotted rate of travel (1000km/day vs 600km/day). He also noted that changes may be made to the structure of the air force, primarily by dividing up the air bases that were created a few years ago and and re-opening some of the military airports closed by?Serdyukov.

UPDATE: Aleksei Nikolskii wrote to say that Shoigu?s statement on the communications systems being 18% effective referred to R&D efforts on C2 systems not producing results, rather than the systems? effectiveness during the exercise itself.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/russia-just-completed-a-massive-training-exercise-2013-7

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Investors wince but keep calm as U.S. budget battle looms

By Steven C. Johnson

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Another year, another battle over the U.S. budget. It's hardly what investors need, but it looks like they're going to get it just the same.

That doesn't mean it's time to panic. Last December's showdown over tax policy, while unpleasant, turned out to be just a minor speed bump for the U.S. stock market, which raced to record highs after Congress struck a last-minute deal on New Year's Day.

But with investors already nervous about the Federal Reserve's plan to start scaling back its stimulus program, another fiscal policy standoff could be more disruptive this time around.

In recent days, both Democrats and Republicans have been digging in their heels, setting up another possible nerve-wracking battle over the debt ceiling, which the Treasury expects to hit by November.

"Hearing Washington banter back and forth over this again was like a recurring bad dream," said Ron Florance, deputy chief investment officer at Wells Fargo Private Bank, which manages $170 billion in assets.

"We've already had the Federal Reserve adding volatility to markets, which, frankly, it should be doing at this point. Now we may see the legislative branch adding volatility, which it should not be doing," Florance said.

A similar drama over the debt ceiling in 2011 wore on for months, ultimately costing the United States its top triple-A credit rating and unleashing a global market rout.

Of course, much depends on how the economy performs in the second half of the year and what the Fed decides to do. If growth picks up steam and the Fed only modestly pulls back in its $85 billion-a-month buying of debt securities, as expected, then it might be easier to overlook Washington gridlock.

But if the economy stumbles, or if the Fed puts on the brakes harder and causes long-term interest rates to rise further and faster than expected, things could get dicey.

"We do think the economy is in much better shape today, so dysfunction in Washington will have less influence. But it will still have some influence," Florance said.

STOCK MARKET RISKS

The disagreement stems from a familiar ideological divide: President Barack Obama wants to boost investment in areas he argues would spur growth and top Democrats in Congress want to raise taxes, while Republicans want to cut spending and force the White House to scale back its signature healthcare program.

House Speaker John Boehner warned last week that Republicans would not vote to raise the government's legal borrowing limit without spending cuts.

Complicating things this time is an October 1 deadline for funding the government. While few expect Washington to actually shut down, the acrimony around budget talks could make it harder to strike a deal on the debt ceiling later in the fall.

Ironically, the immediate budget outlook has improved despite - or perhaps because of - Congress' pig-headedness.

The last-minute New Year's deal to avoid across-the-board tax hikes resulted in higher taxes on the very wealthy. And broad spending cuts designed to save more than $1 trillion over the next decade came into effect this year after lawmakers failed to agree on a more detailed and targeted package.

Coupled with swifter growth, this helped ease the threat of new ratings downgrades. The Congressional Budget Office now estimates the deficit, which exceeded $1 trillion for several years after the financial crisis, will drop to $378 billion by 2015, or just 2.1 percent of total output.

"They didn't do it the right way, but they got the right result," Florance said.

That said, the prospect of yet another last-minute deal doesn't mean investors can breathe easier. Brian Singer, a portfolio manager at William Blair & Co, which oversees $53 billion, said it's the public bickering and down-to-the-wire brinkmanship that's most disruptive and costly to investors.

The biggest loser may be U.S. stocks. Having soared to an all-time high and outperformed markets overseas, the benchmark S&P 500 is ripe for a correction, said Singer, who holds put options on the index that expire in late October, around the time the debt ceiling impasse may come to a head.

What's more, with Europe in recession, China slowing and Japan stuck in neutral, Singer said investors have come to see the United States "as the only source of growth and stability."

"If the budget debate leads to fears of instability and policy uncertainty, that could push equity markets down, and if investors think this is going to be problematic for U.S. growth, that would also cause equities to go down," he said.

Singer is long European equities and sees value in Spain and Italy, where he says economic conditions are stabilizing.

TEST FOR BOND MARKET

Treasuries, meanwhile, have sailed through recent budget battles unscathed. When the last debt ceiling showdown spurred Standard & Poor's to strip the United States of its top AAA rating in 2011, government borrowing costs actually fell.

But Thomas Graff, a portfolio manager at Brown Advisory in Baltimore, which manages $40 billion, said investors "should not take it for granted that the market will always be so forgiving."

For one thing, the global demand for bonds in general and U.S. Treasuries in particular has waned considerably. Between 2009 and 2012, when markets were reeling from crisis to crisis, global investors poured $1.1 trillion into U.S.-domiciled bond funds, data from fund tracker Lipper shows, by far the biggest inflow for any four-year period back to 1992.

But since Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke first suggested in May that the central bank could ease up on its monthly $85 billion bond purchases this fall and possibly end them next year, investors have yanked $49.3 billion out of bond funds.

That drove the benchmark 10-year yield to nearly 2.75 percent, almost a two-year high, and more than 100 basis points above where it stood at the start of May. The 10-year yield is currently at 2.58 percent.

"We haven't had this sort of political wrangling at a time when bond flows were drying up. Until now, there were always other buyers out there," Graff said. "Maybe this time around, they won't be there."

Gregory Whiteley, a portfolio manager at DoubleLine Capital, which manages $55 billion in assets, said investors should be prepared for more bond market volatility. But he added that Fed support will not disappear overnight and a still uncertain outlook for the economy will keep interest rates capped.

"Could the 10-year get back to 2.75 percent or even 3 percent between now and the end of the year? Sure, but that doesn't mean the next stop is 4 percent," he said.

In the meantime, properly prepared investors should look on the bright side.

"This could make things bumpy, but at the same time it will hopefully create some opportunities," Whiteley said. "It's been tough with no volatility these past few years to generate much incremental return, particularly in Treasuries."

(Additional reporting by Sam Forgione; Editing by Martin Howell and Ken Wills)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/investors-wince-keep-calm-u-budget-battle-looms-122550415.html

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Japan's consumer renaissance may be short-lived

By GrabNetworks

Japan retail sales have posted their biggest gain in over a year, but with higher import costs and a controversial sales tax hike looming, companies -- and the government -- may not reap the benefits. Yonggi Kang reports.

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Source:GrabNetworks (c). All Rights Reserved

Source: http://www.itbusinessnet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=2727964

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After crash, Spanish officials defend lucrative train industry

Spain has pinned its hopes on high-speed rail to diversify its struggling economy.

By Andr?s Cala,?Correspondent / July 28, 2013

On Sunday, Workers were making repairs to the train tracks at the site of Spain's deadly rail accident last week in Santiago de Compostela.

Lalo R. Villar/AP

Enlarge

In the aftermath of last week?s deadly train derailment in Spain, as the human tragedy gives way to the security and legal investigations, all sides are working hard at defending their interests?? especially the state rail industry.

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Spain has the world?s second biggest high-speed railway system with 3,100 kilometers (1,900 miles), trailing only China. It?s one of the country?s signature success stories that President Barack Obama lauded. It's also a profitable high-tech industry, precisely the kind Spain needs to remodel its construction-dependent economy.

At least 79?people lost their lives, and more than two dozen remain in critical condition, after the train connecting Madrid and the northwestern Galician city of Ferrol on the Atlantic Ocean derailed just minutes from entering the Santiago station with more than 220 on board.

The train was reportedly traveling at more than twice the speed limit and the driver, who is under police custody, is due to testify in court?Sunday. It was Spain?s worst train accident in more than 40 years, although rail travel here, and generally in Europe, is statistically safer than any other mode of transportation.

Behind the scenes though, the rail industry and officials are going out of their way to defend the safety and record of the high-speed system given the economic stakes. Many others, including rail unions and fellow train drivers, are disputing the sole responsibility of the Santiago driver, even if there is little doubt the train was speeding.?

The court will weigh these and other narratives, often conflicting, that have emerged from the tragedy. ?

The investigation into the accident has only begun: The train equivalent to black boxes haven?t been reviewed. But Transport Minister Ana Pastor said drivers are responsible for disregarding safety guidelines, echoing the broader government conclusion that human error caused the tragedy.

The two state railway companies, Renfe in charge of trains and Adif in charge of rail infrastructure, have also publicly ruled out safety issues and suggested the accident was the driver?s fault. The train makers, which include state-owned companies, also suggested speed was the cause.

Protecting a cash cow?

Indeed, some of the preemptive defense of Spain?s railway industry is coming from officials, to the point that some are raising conspiracy theories.

?It?s obvious there are a lot interests involved, including a lot of economic interests from some companies or high-speed [system] suppliers,? Alberto Nu?ez Feij?o, regional leader of Galicia, said candidly on Saturday.?

Mr. Feij?o was referring to several multi-billion euro contracts that Spanish consortia are competing for around the globe, including a 12 billion euro plan to connect Rio de Janerio and Sao Paulo in Brazil ahead of the 2016 Olympics.

Some mega projects that have been awarded include one in Kazakhstan and a 6.8 billion euro line to connect Medina and Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Spanish companies are eyeing a 14 billion euro connection between Moscow and St. Petersburg in Russia and one in California to connect Sacramento and San Diego, along with other proposed projects.

Bigger investment than roads

The Spanish rail industry?s combined revenue in 2012 was 4.8 billion euros, of which it exported 2.8 billion euros, after 21 percent growth. The industry employs 18,000 people. And the government has allocated some 25 billion euros in state investment in its infrastructure plan until 2024, more than in road infrastructure.

The stakes for both private and public interests is best illustrated through the prized Brazil contract. One of the conditions to qualify to tender offers is to have had no fatal accidents in the previous five years.

That explains why Renfe, Adif, and other companies, along with government officials have all insisted that the Santiago derailment is not technically a high-speed one because it happened on conventional tracks that the train switched into a few kilometers back as it entered Santiago.

Indeed, the train and tracks involved don?t travel at the top velocities of other high-speed rails in the country. The locomotives used in this route are specially designed to be able to switch between conventional and high-speed tracks ?which are wider and slower.

Still, the state railway companies include the segment as part of its high-speed rail system, the first leg of work to connect Madrid and Galicia that will end in 2018.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/uhmTr_HKfAc/After-crash-Spanish-officials-defend-lucrative-train-industry

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Monday, July 29, 2013

Russian cargo ship docks with space station

MOSCOW (AP) ? Russia's space agency says that its cargo ship has docked successfully with the International Space Station.

Roscosmos says the unmanned Progress M-20M spacecraft moored at the station Sunday about six hours after its launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The docking was performed in automatic mode.

The agency says the ship has delivered about 2.4 metric tons of supplies to the space outpost, including fuel, food, water and scientific equipment.

The 2011 retirement of the U.S. shuttle fleet has left Russia's Soyuz spacecraft as the sole means to ferry crews to and from the space outpost. The unmanned cargo version of the Soyuz, the Progress, delivers the bulk of station supplies.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/russian-cargo-ship-docks-space-station-105417552.html

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USA vs Panama Live Stream Free Soccer: Watch Online Gold Cup 2013 Final CONCACAF Football

July 28, 2013|2:27 pm

The United States will have to complete their Gold Cup campaign without influential head coach Jurgen Klinsmann by their side. He has been banned from the sidelines in today's game after throwing a soccer ball in anger during the United States' semifinal match. Some will feel the punishment of missing the final is quite harsh, but Klinsmann will be disappointed at missing the final and will regret reacting in anger to a series of heavy tackles on his players from the opposition during that semifinal.

For Panama, they are in dreamland right now, as not many had expected them to get through to this year's final. They gained an emotional win over Mexico in their semifinal ? their second win over the Mexicans in this tournament alone following their opening game win against them.

The Panama and Mexico semifinal was a tense affair, and for long periods it was tough to see which way things would end up going, however, eventually a late goal saw Panama gain the victory that brings them to today's final against the United States.

The last time these two teams played in a Gold Cup final, the United States came out on top after winning a dramatic penalty shoot out. The United States will be hoping to make things a bit easier this time around and gain the win in regular time. However, Panama will be looking to complete their dream and cause another upset today, and gain revenge for their Gold Cup final loss to the USA in the past.

USA vs Panama takes place in the Gold Cup 2013 Final on Sunday afternoon with kick off at 4 p.m. ET, and all the action can be watched online through free live stream by clicking here.

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Source: http://www.christianpost.com/news/usa-vs-panama-live-stream-free-soccer-watch-online-gold-cup-2013-final-concacaf-football-101017/

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Speed limit set for ultrafast electrical switch

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Researchers have clocked the fastest-possible electrical switching in magnetite, a naturally magnetic mineral. Their results could drive innovations in the tiny transistors that control the flow of electricity across silicon chips, enabling faster, more powerful computing devices.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_technology/~3/Bb56I3oGLRE/130728134053.htm

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Writing Sample 1 | Stacey Deveca

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Writing Sample 1 ... ?This week, I was also a special guest at an event called 'Soulpreneurs', and I was asked to speak about how I've built my business based purely on authenticity? I told the audience about how I've been ...

Source: http://staceydeveca.wordpress.com/2013/07/29/writing-sample-1/

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Obama, Clinton Have a Date (ABC News)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/322385017?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Syrian troops 'tighten grip on Homs'

Syrian government forces backed by Lebanese Hezbollah militants are tightening their grip on a key rebel district in central Syria, activists say.

The military moves came a day after they expelled rebels from a 13th century landmark mosque they controlled for more than a year.

State-run Syrian TV broadcast live coverage from Khaldiyeh, an embattled northern neighbourhood in Homs, where the army has been advancing. Video showed extensive destruction. Activists said most of the buildings in the mainly residential district were no longer fit to live in.

Elsewhere, an opposition group said the death toll from nearly two weeks of clashes between al Qaida-linked fighters and Kurdish militiamen in northeastern Syria stands at 120. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the dead include 79 fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and Jabhat al-Nusra, both al Qaida-affiliated rebel groups. The group monitors the Syrian war through a network of activists on the ground,

This latest round of fighting flared in Ras al-Ayn on July 6 in the predominantly Kurdish Hassakeh province in the north, near the Turkish border. Kurdish gunmen are fighting to expel the militants, whom they see as a threat.

After capturing the strategic town of Qusair near the Lebanon border last month, government troops launched an offensive on rebel-held areas in Homs, Syria?s third largest city, late in June. They have been pushing into Khaldiyeh and other neighbourhoods in the Old City that have been under opposition control since 2011.

An unidentified Syrian army commander standing before a destroyed building in Khaldiyeh told state TV that the military expected to ?liberate? the last part of Khaldiyeh within the next two days.

Syrian government forces captured the ancient Khalid Ibn al-Walid Mosque in Khaldiyeh yesterday. Syrian TV aired a report with video from inside the mosque, showing heavy damage.

The mosque, famous for its nine domes and two minarets, has been a symbol for rebels in the city that is known as ?the capital of the revolution.? On Monday, government troops shelled the mosque, damaging the tomb of Ibn al-Walid, a revered figure in Islam.

The Observatory and other activists said government troops are backed by members of Lebanon?s Hezbollah, which has been fighting alongside regime forces in their assault on rebel-held territory in the central region.

In addition to its symbolic value, Homs is a geographic lynchpin in Syria. The main highway from Damascus to the north and the coast, a stronghold of President Bashar Assad?s Alawite sect, runs through Homs.

Also today, Syria?s main exiled opposition group condemned the reported execution of scores of government soldiers by rebels in a northern Syrian village several days ago.

The Syrian National Coalition made up of exiled opposition leaders said in a statement that it was forming a commission of inquiry to investigate the incident in Khan al-Assal. Syrian activists say rebels killed 150 government soldiers, some after they surrendered in the village outside Aleppo, the country?s largest city.

The state media said that 123 ?civilians and military personnel? were killed in a ?massacre? and others were still missing.

?Those involved in such crimes will be held accountable,? the Coalition statement said.

The Coalition said initial reports showed ?armed groups? not affiliated with the main rebel coalition were involved. It did not give details, but the al-Qaida-linked Jabhat al-Nusra says its fighters participated in the battle.

Source: http://feeds.breakingnews.ie/~r/bnworld/~3/gP3SO0MrRHY/syrian-troops-tighten-grip-on-homs-601967.html

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