Obama blasts Republicans over gun reform

Obama blasts Republicans over gun reform

Obama blasts Republicans over gun reform

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 11:07 PM PDT

As US Congress returns from a recess, some Republicans pledge to use filibuster tactics to prevent a gun legislation.

A Swedish Solar Startup's Nanowires Promise To Deliver A Big Energy Boost

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 11:12 PM PDT

A Swedish startup has figured out a way to increase the energy production of solar panels by 25% by using tiny wires made with gallium arsenide, an expensive material that excels at converting a greater amount of sunlight into electricity.

Data War Reaches The Supreme Court

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 08:15 PM PDT

About 9 months ago – the DNA Spit Kit from 23andMe was $299. From their website today – it's $99. But who owns the resulting genetic data and the rights associated with that data? That's the issue now headed for the Supreme Court. Oral arguments are Monday. One of the primary goals of The Human Genome project (completed in 2003) was to identify the 20-25,000 genes in human DNA. The good news, of course, is that they succeeded and today about 84% of those genes remain free of legal encumbrance. The bad news is that about 16% of those genes are now protected by one or more patents – and we're losing more and more of our genes to the patent process each year. According to an article last week in The New Yorker (here) there are now… "… more than 4,000 genes that are covered by at least one U.S. patent. These include genes for Alzheimer's disease, colon cancer, asthma, and two in particular—BRCA1 and BRCA2—that are highly associated with breast cancer [the most deadly cancer for women in the Western world]" In the case of BRCA1 and BRCA2, the patents are held by Myriad Genetics. Any research, testing or experimentation on either of those two genes by any other company is in violation of Myriad's patents.

Money talks: April 8th 2013

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 08:20 PM PDT

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Why Can't Google Make Its Own Version Of Facebook Home?

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 10:16 PM PDT

Facebook's new mobile product, Home, is a clever idea. A level up from its current existence as an app on mobiles, it puts Newsfeed notifications on the phone's home screen so that people use Facebook more. The potential is a huge uptick in user engagement with Facebook, bigger ad sales, and for limited capital spend.

Defense Secretary Hagel to visit Israel this month: official

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 10:18 PM PDT

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will pay a first visit to Israel since taking office later this month to bolster the allies' cooperation in the Middle East, an Israeli official told Reuters on Tuesday.

Defense Secretary Hagel to visit Israel this month: official

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 10:18 PM PDT

U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel gives a speech at Ft. McNair in WashingtonJERUSALEM (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will pay a first visit to Israel since taking office later this month to bolster the allies' cooperation in the Middle East, an Israeli official told Reuters on Tuesday. Hagel and his counterpart, Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon who is also newly appointed, discussed the visit by phone last month, the Israeli Defence Ministry said. The official said Hagel would visit between April 21-23. ...

Australia PM eyes trilateral naval exercises with China and U.S.

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 10:14 PM PDT

Australia's PM Gillard delivers a speech at the China's Executive Leadership Academy in ShanghaiBEIJING (Reuters) - Australia is hoping to see trilateral naval exercises with China and the United States and is pursuing new strategic partnership with Asia's biggest economy, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said on Tuesday. Gillard, speaking in Beijing at a trade forum, said Australia was seeking more cooperation with China in clean energy and emissions trading and was pursuing a more broad-based economic partnership that would extend beyond resources. (Reporting by David Stanway; Editing by Robeert Birsel)

Australia PM eyes trilateral naval exercises with China and U.S.

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 10:14 PM PDT

BEIJING (Reuters) - Australia is hoping to see trilateral naval exercises with China and the United States and is pursuing new strategic partnership with Asia's biggest economy, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said on Tuesday.

New leak found at Fukushima plant water storage pool: regulator

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 09:40 PM PDT

Underground water storage tank unit under construction is seen at TEPCO's tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in FukushimaTOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's nuclear regulator said on Tuesday another leak was found in Tokyo Electric Power Co Inc's (Tepco) underground water storage pool at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, where contaminated water was being transferred from an already leaking pool. The fresh leak was found in the No. 1 pool where contaminated water from the leaking No. 2 pool was being transferred, the Nuclear Regulation Authority said on Tuesday. The regulator said Tepco had halted the transfer of the contaminated water. ...

New leak found at Fukushima plant water storage pool: regulator

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 10:01 PM PDT

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's nuclear regulator said on Tuesday another leak was found in Tokyo Electric Power Co Inc's (Tepco) underground water storage pool at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, where contaminated water was being transferred from an already leaking pool.

Europe Woes Dominate Talks With U.S.

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 09:56 AM PDT

Europe's deep financial woes, from its troubled banks to the latest euro-zone upset in Cyprus, dominated the talks U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew held with European Union leaders in Brussels.

Measles Outbreak Hits U.K.

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 09:14 PM PDT

The U.K. is experiencing an outbreak of measles among unvaccinated children, prompting warnings from health officials and long lines at emergency vaccination clinics.

Manchester United Signs Deal With Aon

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 05:26 PM PDT

Manchester United and Aon have signed an eight-year sponsorship deal worth $240 million that will see the English soccer club's training ground renamed and its practice jersey rebranded.

What’s the price of a life?

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 08:57 PM PDT

It's going to be hard for the Defense Department to meet the challenges laid out by Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey.

"We can't afford excess equipment," Dempsey said at a March 28 news conference. "We have to reform how we buy weapons and services. We have to reduce redundancy."

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Practice Fusion Moves Into ZocDoc Territory By Offering Appointment Bookings

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 09:05 PM PDT

 Capitalizing on its customer base of 60,000 doctors, electronic health record provider Practice Fusion launched a free booking and review service for physicians and their patients. More than 27,000 have already signed up. Fast-growing appointment booking site ZocDoc does not disclose the number of doctors who use its service, but it is believed to be less than 30,000. Electronic health record vendor athenahealth partners with review site Vitals, in which it also has an investment. Patients who book through the newly created Patient Fusion site, and complete a doctor's visit—a process the company verifies, can post a review on the doctor's page. "We know whether the doctor is real, and all of our reviews are based on visits that happen. There's a lot more integrity," says Ryan Howard, Practice Fusion's founder and chief executive. To promote greater transparency, Practice Fusion doesn't allow doctors to only use the appointment booking service. They must also agree to submit to reviews. "They can't cherry pick," says Howard who adds that only a handful of doctors complained. Last year, Practice Fusion started collecting reviews from patients seen by doctors on its EHR, accumulating 1.5 million reviews. Recently, it contacted doctors about booking appointments online, making the pitch about freeing up staff, and scheduling more patient visits. For April alone, there are 3 million open appointments.

U.N. warns of risk of Mali war spillover in Western Sahara

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 09:10 PM PDT

U.N. Secretary-General Ban speaks at a news conference at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in the HagueBy Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The conflict in Mali threatens to spill over into the disputed territory of Western Sahara and the Polisario Front independence movement has warned the United Nations of the possibility of "terrorist infiltrations," the U.N. chief said in a new report. Morocco took control of most of Western Sahara in 1975 when colonial power Spain withdrew, prompting a guerrilla war for independence that lasted until 1991 when the United Nations brokered a cease-fire and sent in a peacekeeping mission known as MINURSO. ...

U.N. warns of risk of Mali war spillover in Western Sahara

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 09:10 PM PDT

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The conflict in Mali threatens to spill over into the disputed territory of Western Sahara and the Polisario Front independence movement has warned the United Nations of the possibility of "terrorist infiltrations," the U.N. chief said in a new report.

Isolation Feeds Paranoia in North Korea

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 09:39 PM PDT

Capital Journal: He may well be inexperienced, delusional and even a bit crazy, but North Korea leader Kim Jong Eun isn't entirely irrational if he's feeling hemmed in and isolated, Gerald F. Seib writes.

India use drones to protect rhinos from poachers

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 08:33 PM PDT

Remo Peduzzi, managing director of ResearchDrones LLC Switzerland prepares to fly an unmanned aircraft or drone at the Kaziranga National Park at Kaziranga in Assam state, India, Monday, April 8, 2013. Wildlife authorities used drones on Monday for aerial surveillance of the sprawling natural game park in northeastern India to protect the one-horned rhinoceros from armed poachers. The drones will be flown at regular intervals to prevent rampant poaching in the park located in the remote Indian state of Assam. The drones are equipped with cameras and will be monitored by security guards, who find it difficult to guard the whole 480-square kilometer (185-square mile) reserve. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)GAUHATI, India (AP) — Wildlife authorities are using aerial drones to oversee a sprawling natural game park in northeastern India to protect the one-horned rhinoceros from armed poachers.
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China's Xi Says Fast Growth Over

China's Xi Says Fast Growth Over

China's Xi Says Fast Growth Over

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 12:48 PM PDT

Chinese President Xi Jinping said China's days of breakneck growth are over as the world's No. 2 economy tries to balance expansion with sustainability and increasing environmental awareness.

France Orders Cabinet to Disclose Assets

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 12:54 PM PDT

The French prime minister ordered all cabinet members to disclose their assets publicly by next Monday, in a bid to contain the fallout from a former budget minister's dramatic confession that he held an illegal overseas bank account for years.

Putin Confronts Protesters During German Visit

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 12:49 PM PDT

Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel traded barbs over civil rights but largely stuck to business during a visit to a trade fair in Hannover.

Five killed in clashes in Russia's North Caucasus

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 12:44 PM PDT

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian security forces killed four militants but lost one of their own in a firefight on Monday in Ingushetia, where an Islamist insurgency has spread from the neighboring region of Chechnya, officials said.

Murdered woman 'altered plans'

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 12:11 PM PDT

The family of Guernsey woman Sarah Groves, who was murdered in Kashmir, says they asked her not to travel there.

Wary of Events in China, Foreign Investors Head to Cambodia

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 12:20 PM PDT

Foreign companies are flocking to Cambodia as a way to limit their overwhelming reliance on factories in China.

ArtsBeat: Talking ‘Mad Men’: Season 6 Premiere

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 09:59 AM PDT

Sunday's episode raises questions about Peggy's new role, whether Megan is a victim or the control in an experiment, and why Don is back to his old adulterous ways.

Tribesmen, army deserters clash in Yemen, seven killed

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 12:28 PM PDT

SANAA (Reuters) - Seven people were killed in clashes between army deserters and tribesmen in south Yemen on Monday, officials and residents said, in another sign of disorder in a country of multiple conflicts next to oil export giant Saudi Arabia.

Rebels inch closer to South Darfur capital

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 12:23 PM PDT

Latest violence comes as major donors conference in Qatar's capital pledges $3.6bn to help rebuild war-ravaged region.

UAE man jailed 10 months for tweeting on father's trial

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 11:53 AM PDT

DUBAI (Reuters) - A court in the United Arab Emirates sentenced a man to 10 months in jail on Monday after he tweeted details of the trial of his father and 93 other people accused of plotting to seize power in the Gulf Arab state, an Emirati activist said.

Bissau president implicated in U.S. drugs case

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 11:51 AM PDT

DAKAR (Reuters) - Guinea-Bissau's caretaker president may have cooperated with the planners of a doomed cocaine-and-weapons smuggling scheme meant to arm Colombian rebels, according to U.S. court filings reviewed by Reuters on Monday.

U.S. envoy says must fight mistrust for Middle East peace

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 12:54 PM PDT

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday he is trying to break down mistrust on both sides of the "festering" conflict between Israelis and Palestinians and would not rush into a new peace process.

Pakistan Court Orders Musharraf to Respond

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 11:19 AM PDT

Pakistan's top court ordered former military ruler Gen. Pervez Musharraf to respond to allegations that he committed treason while in power and barred him from leaving the country.

Lisbon Struggles to Find Needed Cuts

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 10:59 AM PDT

Portugal's international creditors said they would delay the next payment in the country's €78 billion bailout until the government finds €1.3 billion in new spending cuts—a task that some economists say may just be too big.

Margaret Thatcher leaves complicated, sometimes bitter legacy in U.K.'s former colonies

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 10:54 AM PDT

The historic leadership of U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher transformed her country and played an instrumental role in the final decade of the Cold War, for which she is still lionized in much of the Western world, particularly the United States. But her legacy is far more complicated in a number of former colonies, places that at the time were referred to as the "Third World" in the parlance of the Cold War.

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Margaret Thatcher helped invent ice cream as we know it

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 10:51 AM PDT

Here's one aspect of Margaret Thatcher's legacy we can all feel unequivocally good about: The Iron Lady, better known for her "bruising political style and free-market views," helped invent soft-serve ice cream as a chemist in the late 1940s.

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Kerry trying to build support for new Israel peace talks

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 09:55 AM PDT

JERUSALEM — Secretary of State John F. Kerry worked Monday to build support for new Arab-Israeli peace talks that would establish an independent Palestinian state and settle many other old Mideast grievances.

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Iran may have continued weapons research after 2003, IAEA chief says

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 09:43 AM PDT

The head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog said Monday his agency could not rule out the possibility that Iran was actively seeking nuclear weapons technology, citing intelligence on suspicious research by Iranian scientists that occurred as recently as a few years ago.

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'Irony Lady': How a Moscow propagandist gave Margaret Thatcher her famous nickname

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 09:41 AM PDT

On Jan. 24, 1976, a Saturday, a Soviet propaganda outlet known as Krasnaya Zvezda published an unremarkable article condemning an up-and-coming British politician named Margaret Thatcher. She had taken leadership of the U.K. conservative party, then the opposition party, less than a year earlier and had earned a reputation as an anticommunist crusader.

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Thatcher and Reagan: Was their 'special relationship' partly a myth?

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 09:35 AM PDT

U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who died Monday, and U.S. President Ronald Reagan are remembered as a geopolitical "power couple," a partnership that pushed for free-market conservatism and helped win the Cold War. In both U.S. and U.K. politics, their names are practically synonymous.

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