Kenya's economic growth quickens in Q1 helped by farming

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya said on Friday its economy expanded by an annualised rate of 5.2 percent in the first quarter of 2013 from 3.9 percent in the same period last year, helped by a buoyant agricultural sector.

A presidential election in March had been expected to drag on growth in the first quarter, because of fears that Kenya could see a repeat of the violence that marred the previous vote five years earlier and put a brake on the economy.

"Given what we know now of the smooth passage of elections, and the rapid recovery in confidence post-election, the outlook for full year 2013 growth looks very positive," Razia Khan, head of Africa research at Standard Chartered Bank, wrote in a note.

The statistics office said the looming presidential vote had dampened business activity in the first quarter, but said in its statement that the agricultural sector had performed well.

"The first quarter of 2013 experienced improved weather conditions for some key crops compared to the same quarter of 2012," it said.

Mark Bohlund, senior economist at Global Insight, was more circumspect about prospects, saying the fact that agriculture based on good weather was the main driver suggested underlying economic momentum remained relatively weak.

He forecast 2013 growth of 4.6 percent, below the 5.5 percent predicted in a Reuters poll earlier in June.

Noting an upwardly revised growth estimate of 5.1 percent for the fourth quarter of 2012, Khan said the second quarter could expect a bounce back in the restaurant and hotel business, the sector that was most affected by concerns about the vote.

"The challenge for Kenya will be to steer a steady course, maintaining this positive momentum, while avoiding any new credit or asset market bubbles," she wrote.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kenyas-economic-growth-quickens-q1-stats-office-140519150.html

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Judge bars Obamacare contraceptive requirement for a Christian-owned business

A federal judge in Oklahoma issued a preliminary injunction Friday blocking the Obama administration from enforcing its contraceptive mandate against the craft chain store Hobby Lobby.

The action by US District Judge Joe Heaton came after the full Tenth US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that forcing Hobby Lobby and its Christian owners to pay for certain kinds of contraceptive methods would substantially burden their religious rights.

The appeals court overturned an earlier ruling by Judge Heaton denying an injunction. The appeals court then sent the issue back to the judge.

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Judge Heaton reviewed pleadings and heard oral argument via a telephone conference on Friday before issuing a two-page order.

?The court concludes plaintiffs have made a sufficient showing to warrant the issuance of a temporary restraining order in the circumstances existing here,? the judge wrote.

The health-care law with its contraceptives mandate is set to take effect on Monday, July 1, and would trigger potential multi-million dollar penalties if the company failed to comply.

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Hobby Lobby has more than 500 stores and employs 13,000 workers nationwide. The injunction also applies to Mardel, Inc., which runs 35 Christian bookstores and employs 400 workers. Both companies are owned and run by the Green family, who are devout Christians.

The family believes that life begins at conception and that any interference with the implantation of a fertilized egg is intentionally causing the death of a human being.

Of 20 contraceptive methods required under Obamacare, the family objects to four, involving two versions of an IUD and two kinds of the so-called morning after pill.

Government lawyers have argued that the contraceptive mandate is no burden to the corporation?s religious rights or those of the owners because the choice to use a particular contraception method belongs to the employee, not the employer.

Lawyers for Hobby Lobby counter that the employer is being asked to subsidize an activity that violates their sincerely-held religious beliefs. They charge it violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

The judge scheduled a full hearing on the injunction issue for July 19 in Oklahoma City.

?Hobby Lobby and the Green family faced a terrible choice of violating their faith or paying massive fines starting this Monday morning,? said Kyle Duncan of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which is representing Hobby Lobby in the case.

?We are delighted that both the Tenth Circuit and the district court have spared them from this unjust burden on their religious freedom,? Mr. Duncan said.

The case is one of 60 lawsuits filed by individuals, companies, and organizations across the country challenging the portion of the president?s health care initiative that requires employers to provide a full range of contraceptive services to their employees.

The judge?s order came hours after the Department of Health and Human Services issued its final rules for contraception coverage, including by certain religious organizations.

In a statement, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the health-care law would guarantee millions of women access to preventative health services at no cost.

?Today?s announcement [of final rules] reinforces our commitment to respect the concerns of houses of worship and other nonprofit religious organizations that object to contraceptive coverage, while helping ensure that women get the care they need, regardless of where they work,? Secretary Sebelius said.

Under the administration?s rule, religious employers ? primarily houses of worship ? are exempt from providing contraception coverage in health plans for their employees.

The final rules also include an accommodation for other nonprofit religious organizations, such as church-affiliated hospitals and religious schools. Under the arrangement, such organizations that object to contraception coverage are to provide notice of their objection to their health insurance company. The insurer will then provide that portion of the coverage to the employee directly.

The final rules do not include an accommodation for for-profit companies like Hobby Lobby.

?Unfortunately the final rule announced today is the same old, same old,? said Eric Rassbach, also of the Becket Fund. ?This doesn?t solve the religious conscience problem because it still makes our nonprofit clients the gatekeepers to abortion and provides no protection to religious businesses.?

He added: ?The easy way to resolve this would have been to exempt sincere religious employers completely, as the Constitution requires. Instead this issue will have to be decided in court.?

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/judge-bars-obamacare-contraceptive-requirement-christian-owned-business-235916641.html

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Oh, Canada: Cavaliers take Bennett with No. 1 pick

NBA Commissioner David Stern, left, shakes hands with UNLV's Anthony Bennett, who was selected first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA basketball draft, Thursday, June 27, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

NBA Commissioner David Stern, left, shakes hands with UNLV's Anthony Bennett, who was selected first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA basketball draft, Thursday, June 27, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

NBA Commissioner David Stern, left, shakes hands with UNLV's Anthony Bennett, who was selected first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA basketball draft, Thursday, June 27, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

Indiana's Victor Oladipo, left, and Cody Zeller chat before the NBA basketball draft got underway, Thursday, June 27, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Indiana's Victor Oladipo waits for the NBA basketball draft to begin, Thursday, June 27, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Alex Len, of Ukraine, gestures after being selected by the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Thursday, June 27, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Anthony Bennett learned he would be making NBA draft history the same time as everyone else.

"When they said my name," Bennett said. "That's when I knew it happened. I had no idea before."

Who did?

The Cleveland Cavaliers surprisingly made Bennett the first Canadian No. 1 overall pick, and Nerlens Noel tumbled out of the top five and right into a trade Thursday night in an unsettled first round of the draft.

"It was chaotic from the first pick," Minnesota president Flip Saunders said. "When Bennett was taken off the board, that set the tone for the whole draft."

There were moves all night, all of them taking a back seat to one in the works for the team that calls Barclays Center home.

The Brooklyn Nets will acquire Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett from Boston in a blockbuster deal that was still developing as the draft neared its conclusion, according to a person with knowledge of the details.

"There was a lot of activity," said Nets general manager Billy King, who wouldn't comment on the trade. "As you guys will find out, there will be a lot of trades that are announced."

His can't be until July 10, after next season's salary cap is set.

As for the draft, it was as unpredictable as expected, capped by Hakeem Olajuwon coming on stage at the end of the first round to greet David Stern, dressed in the same tuxedo style he wore when Stern called his name to start the soon-to-be retired commissioner's first draft in 1984.

One of the favorites to be taken first Thursday night, Noel fell to No. 6, where the New Orleans Pelicans took him and then dealt his rights to the Philadelphia 76ers for a package headlined by All-Star guard Jrue Holiday, according to a person familiar with the details. That trade can't become official until July 10 because of salary cap concerns, according to another official with knowledge of the deal.

The Cavaliers started things by passing on centers Noel and Alex Len, who went to Phoenix at No. 5, in favor of Bennett, the UNLV freshman forward who starred for Canada's junior national teams and was the Mountain West Conference freshman of the year. Bennett led a record 12 international players who were taken in the first round.

"I'm just as surprised as anyone else," Bennett said.

There was suspense right until the end of the Cavs' 5-minute window to make their selection, either because they were unsure who they wanted or were trying to trade the pick. Most predictions had them taking one of the big men, with Noel largely considered the favorite for the No. 1 choice even after a torn ACL that ended his lone season at Kentucky in February.

"I thought everything was in the air, so I wasn't thinking I was the No. 1 pick," Noel said.

Stern, booed heavily for most of his final draft, added to the surprise of the moment by pausing slightly before announcing the Cavs' pick, their first at No. 1 since taking All-Star Kyrie Irving in 2011.

Orlando passed on both of the big men, too, going with Indiana swingman Victor Oladipo with the No. 2 pick. Washington took Otto Porter Jr. with the third pick, keeping the Georgetown star in town.

Ten years after the Cavaliers selected LeBron James to start a draft that included future NBA championship teammates Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in the top five, this one lacked star power and perhaps even the promise of stardom.

Bennett, Noel and Len are all coming off injuries and couldn't even work out for teams, but the Cavs decided Bennett's shoulder surgery wasn't enough cause for concern.

Len walked up to meet Stern and collect his orange Suns hat, then sat down near the stage to put on the walking boot he needs for the stress fracture of his left ankle that was discovered after Maryland's season.

Noel finally went to New Orleans with the next pick. He didn't seem upset at his fall down the draft board, hugging his mother and shaking hands with Kentucky coach John Calipari.

It was a good start to the night for the Hoosiers, with Cody Zeller going to the Charlotte Bobcats two places after Oladipo.

Kansas guard Ben McLemore, another player who was considered a potential top-three pick, also dropped, going seventh to Sacramento.

Headed by a lackluster class, the draft promised confusion and second-guessing, with no consensus No. 1 pick and little agreement among the order of the top five.

And with lesser-known names in the draft, veterans soaked up the spotlight in the hours leading up to it.

Yahoo Sports first reported that the Nets and Celtics were working on the trade that would complete the breakup of the Celtics' veteran core.

ESPN reported earlier Thursday that Dwight Howard was unlikely to return to the Los Angeles Lakers when he becomes a free agent next month.

The guys coming into the league were glad for the attention they did finally get once their names were called.

"It's like a weight vest you took off after running five miles," Oladipo said. "It's relaxing, man. But at the same time, you know it's just getting started."

National player of the year Trey Burke of Michigan also was traded, the Timberwolves sending his rights to Utah for the rights to Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng, the 14th and 21st picks.

Lehigh's C.J. McCollum rounded out the top 10 by going to Portland.

Stern, retiring in February, seemed to play up the boos, which turned to cheers after every pick, fans perhaps as puzzled as some of the players at the names they were hearing.

"I was just kidding my agent because he didn't bail me out," Zeller said. "He didn't tell me. I didn't know until David Stern announced it. It's a crazy process not knowing, but I'm definitely excited that I ended up with the Bobcats."

Other players couldn't get too excited about their new addresses, because they changed quickly.

Stern was announcing deals by the middle of the first round and they kept coming after he called it a night and turned things over to Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver for the final 30 picks.

The flurry of trades wasn't surprising with so much uncertainty surrounding this class and so much hope in other areas. Teams such as Houston, Dallas and Atlanta already have an eye on Howard's future, needing to have necessary salary cap space to offer a maximum contract that could lure him away from Los Angeles.

The 2014 class ? which could be topped by a second straight Canadian in incoming Kansas freshman Andrew Wiggins ? will be higher regarded than this one, with James perhaps heading the available free agents to follow.

Local fans seemed pleased with their picks, cheering loudly when the Nets took Duke forward Mason Plumlee at No. 22 and the New York Knicks grabbed Michigan's Tim Hardaway Jr. two picks later.

Stern made his final pick to close the first round to cheers of "David! David!" before handing things off to Silver. Seven deals were official by the time Silver wrapped it up, with some, including the Noel trade, still being worked on even after the draft was finished.

___

AP Basketball Writer Jon Krawczynski in Minneapolis contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-06-28-NBA%20Draft/id-cf98aafe0e0b498cb2c6c851582b3ab5

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US consumer confidence at five-year high in June

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Americans' confidence in the economy rose to its highest level in more than five years, bolstered by a more optimistic outlook for hiring.

The Conference Board, a New York-based private research group, said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index jumped to 81.4 in June. That's the best reading since January 2008. And it is up from May's reading of 74.3, which was revised slightly downward from 76.2.

Consumers' confidence in the economy is watched closely because their spending accounts for about 70 percent of U.S. economic activity.

The report shows consumers are more positive about current economic conditions and have a more optimistic view of the economy and job market in the next six months.

Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators at the Conference Board, said that "suggests the pace of growth is unlikely to slow in the short-term, and may even moderately pick up."

Employers added 175,000 jobs in May, nearly matching the average monthly gain for the past year. That's enough to slowly lower the unemployment rate. The rate ticked up to 7.6 percent last month but has fallen 0.6 percentage points in the past year.

Americans have been resilient this year, despite tax increases and steep government spending cuts. Consumer spending rose at the fastest pace in two years in the first three months of the year. That helped the overall economy grow at a 2.4 percent annual pace during the January-March quarter.

Economists forecast that overall economic growth is slowing to a 2 percent annual pace in the April-June quarter, in part because they expect consumers have eased up on spending from the robust first-quarter pace.

So far, reports on consumer spending for the second quarter have been mixed. In April, consumer spending fell as income was unchanged. But spending appears to have rebounded in May, based on a preliminary report on retail sales. Americans spent more on cars, home improvements and sporting goods, boosting retail sales 0.6 percent.

The Commerce Department will release a more complete report on May consumer spending and income on Thursday.

The Conference Board survey is conducted in the first half of the month. So the June report didn't capture the impact of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's comments last week after the Fed's policy meeting.

Bernanke said the Fed could begin to slow its bond purchases by the end of the year. Since then, stocks have plunged and interest rates have spiked.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-consumer-confidence-five-high-june-140911097.html

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To Store More Carbon, Make Grasshoppers Nervous

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The grasshopper is a carefree creature?according to Aesop's fables. But in real life, grasshoppers can have a lot to worry about. For example, grasshoppers get quite anxious when they know there's a deadly spider about, and it puts them off their food. Since their food is grass, nervous grasshoppers leave more grass intact to perform photosynthesis, turning sunlight and carbon dioxide into plant food. More CO2 in these grasses and their roots means less CO2 in the air. That's according to a new paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Yale researchers tracked CO2 as it cycled through Plexiglass cages containing just grass, grass and grasshoppers, or grass, grasshoppers and spiders. Grasses stored 1.4 times as much carbon with spiders about than when grasshoppers were allowed to roam unmolested. That's even better than when there were no grasshoppers at all because nervous grasshopper grazing did little damage but spurred greener growth. In other words, spiders protect the climate, just by being spiders and scaring grasshoppers. Similar results may also prove true in ecosystems with larger predators, whether wolves and caribou or lions and zebras. Keeping predators around may be another way to combat climate change. ?David Biello Follow Scientific American on Twitter @SciAm and @SciamBlogs. Visit ScientificAmerican.com for the latest in science, health and technology news.
? 2013 ScientificAmerican.com. All rights reserved.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/store-more-carbon-grasshoppers-nervous-140008078.html

Bath And Body Works

Edward Snowden stops off in Moscow with US extradition request snapping at his heels

Even if he anticipated the risks involved in turning whisteblower, Edward Snowden can't have imagined the rushed, convoluted journey he'd have to take to avoid the full wrath of the US government. First to Hong Kong; most recently to Moscow, and perhaps soon to Ecuador (via Cuba and Venezuela) where he has apparently made a request for asylum. Strongly worded demands for his capture have followed every step of the way, with the White House National Security Council expressing "disappointment" that Hong Kong allowed Snowden to flee and now urging Russia (which has no formal extradition treaty with America) to "expel Mr. Snowden back to the US to face justice for the crimes with which he is charged." In an effort to help the fugitive navigate the maze of diplomatic fault lines, WikiLeaks has stepped up to say that its own legal advisors are "escorting" Snowden towards his final destination, likely making use of the knowledge they gained while protecting Julian Assange, and that it sees US efforts to arrest him as an "assault against the people."

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Source: WikiLeaks, CBS News, @RicardoPatinoEC (Twitter)

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AP EXCLUSIVE: Taliban offer to free US soldier

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? The Afghan Taliban are ready to free a U.S. soldier held captive since 2009 in exchange for five of their senior operatives imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay as a conciliatory gesture, a senior spokesman for the group said Thursday.

The offer came as an Afghan government spokesman said President Hamid Karzai is now willing to join planned peace talks with the Taliban ? provided that the Taliban flag and nameplate are removed from the militant group's newly opened political office in Doha, the capital of the Gulf state of Qatar. Karzai also wants a formal letter from the United States supporting the Afghan government.

The only known American soldier held captive from the Afghan war is U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, 27, of Hailey, Idaho. He disappeared from his base in southeastern Afghanistan on June 30, 2009, and is believed held in Pakistan.

In an exclusive telephone interview with The Associated Press from his Doha office, Taliban spokesman Shaheen Suhail said on Thursday that Bergdahl "is, as far as I know, in good condition."

Suhail did not elaborate on Bergdahl's current whereabouts. Among the five prisoners the Taliban have consistently requested are Khairullah Khairkhwa, a former Taliban governor of Herat, and Mullah Mohammed Fazl, a former top Taliban military commander, both of whom have been held for more than a decade.

Bergdahl's parents earlier this month received a letter from their son through the International Committee of the Red Cross. They did not release details of the letter but renewed their plea for his release. The soldier's captivity has been marked by only sporadic releases of videos and information about his whereabouts.

The prisoner exchange is the first item on the Taliban's agenda before even opening peace talks, said Suhail, who is a top Taliban figure and served as first secretary at the Afghan Embassy in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad before the Taliban government's ouster in 2001.

"First has to be the release of detainees," Suhail said when asked about Bergdahl. "Yes. It would be an exchange. Then step by step, we want to build bridges of confidence to go forward."

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was expected in Doha ahead of Saturday's conference on the Syrian civil war. He was not expected to meet with the Taliban although other U.S. officials might in coming days.

On Wednesday in Washington, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the U.S. had "never confirmed" any specific meeting schedule with Taliban representatives in Doha.

The reconciliation process with the Taliban has been a long and bumpy one that began nearly two years ago when the U.S. opened secret talks that were later scuttled by Karzai when he learned of them.

It was then that the U.S. and Taliban discussed prisoner exchanges and for a brief time it appeared that the five Guantanamo Bay prisoners would be released and sent to Doha to help further the peace process. But Karzai stepped in again and demanded they be returned to Afghanistan over Taliban objections.

Since then, the U.S. has been trying to jumpstart peace talks and the Taliban have made small gestures including an offer to share power. The Taliban have also attended several international conferences and held meetings with representatives of about 30 countries.

If the Taliban hold talks with American delegates in the next few days, they will be the first U.S.-Taliban talks in nearly 1 ? years.

Prospective peace talks were again thrown into question Wednesday when Karzai became infuriated by the Taliban's move to cast their new office in Doha as a rival embassy.

The Taliban held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday in which they hoisted their flag and a banner with the name they used while in power more than a decade ago: "Political Office of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan." Later, the Taliban replaced the sign to read simply: "Political office of the Taliban."

At the ceremony, the Taliban welcomed dialogue with Washington but said their fighters would not stop fighting. Hours later, the group claimed responsibility for a rocket attack on Bagram Air Base outside the Afghan capital, Kabul, that killed four American service members.

Karzai on Wednesday announced his government is out of the peace talks, apparently angered by the way Kabul had been sidelined in the U.S.-Taliban bid for rapprochement.

The Afghan president also suspended negotiations with the United States on a bilateral security agreement that would cover American troops who will remain behind after the final withdrawal of NATO combat troops at the end of 2014.

However, Karzai spokesman Fayeq Wahidi said Thursday that the Afghan president is willing to join peace talks with the Taliban if the U.S. follows through with promises he said were made by Kerry in a phone call.

Wahidi said Kerry promised Karzai that the Taliban flag and a nameplate with their former regime's name would be removed and the U.S. would issue a formal letter supporting the Afghan government and making clear that the Taliban office would not be seen as an embassy or government-in-exile.

Once those commitments are met, Wahidi said, "We would see no problem in entering into talks with the Taliban in Qatar. "

On Thursday, the "Islamic Emirate" nameplate had been removed from the Taliban office. The flagpole inside the compound was apparently shortened and the Taliban flag ? dark Quranic script on a white background ? was still flying but not visible from the street. Journalists gathered at the office shot images of the flag through the gaps in the walls.

The Taliban have long refused to talk to Karzai's representatives but the opening of the office was seen as a first step toward those meetings.

Suhail said the Taliban are insistent that they want their first interlocutors to be the United States. "First we talk to the Americans about those issues concerning the Americans and us (because) for those issues implementation is only in the hands of the Americans," he said.

"We want foreign troops to be pulled out of Afghanistan," he added. "If there are troops in Afghanistan then there will be a continuation of the war."

Suhail indicated the Taliban could approve of American trainers and advisers for the Afghan troops, saying that "of course, there is cooperation between countries in other things. We need that cooperation."

He said that once the Taliban concluded talks with the United States, they would participate in all-inclusive Afghan talks.

Suhail ruled out exclusive talks with Karzai's High Peace Council, which has been a condition of the Afghan president, who previously said he wanted talks in Doha to be restricted to his representatives and the Taliban. Instead, the Taliban would talk to all Afghan groups, Suhail said.

"After we finish the phase of talking to the Americans, then we would start the internal phase ... that would include all Afghans," he said. "Having all groups involved will guarantee peace and stability."

____

Gannon reported from Islamabad, Pakistan. Associated Press writer Brian Murphy in Dubai contributed to this report.

____

Kathy Gannon is AP Special Regional Correspondent for Afghanistan and Pakistan and can be reached at www.twitter.com/kathygannon

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-exclusive-taliban-offer-free-us-soldier-073132683.html

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Mars had oxygen-rich atmosphere 4,000 million years ago

Public release date: 19-Jun-2013
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Contact: University of Oxford Press Office
press.office@admin.ox.ac.uk
44-186-528-3877
University of Oxford

Differences between Martian meteorites and rocks examined by a NASA rover can be explained if Mars had an oxygen-rich atmosphere 4000 million years ago well before the rise of atmospheric oxygen on Earth 2500m years ago.

Scientists from Oxford University investigated the compositions of Martian meteorites found on Earth and data from NASA's 'Spirit' rover that examined surface rocks in the Gusev crater on Mars. The fact that the surface rocks are five times richer in nickel than the meteorites was puzzling and had cast doubt on whether the meteorites are typical volcanic products of the red planet.

'What we have shown is that both meteorites and surface volcanic rocks are consistent with similar origins in the deep interior of Mars but that the surface rocks come from a more oxygen-rich environment, probably caused by recycling of oxygen-rich materials into the interior,' said Professor Bernard Wood, of Oxford University's Department of Earth Sciences, who led the research reported in this week's Nature.

'This result is surprising because while the meteorites are geologically 'young', around 180 million to 1400 million years old, the Spirit rover was analysing a very old part of Mars, more than 3700 million years old.'

Whilst it is possible that the geological composition of Mars varies immensely from region to region the researchers believe that it is more likely that the differences arise through a process known as subduction in which material is recycled into the interior. They suggest that the Martian surface was oxidised very early in the history of the planet and that, through subduction, this oxygen-rich material was drawn into the shallow interior and recycled back to the surface during eruptions 4000 million years ago. The meteorites, by contrast, are much younger volcanic rocks that emerged from deeper within the planet and so were less influenced by this process.

Professor Wood said: 'The implication is that Mars had an oxygen-rich atmosphere at a time, about 4000 million years ago, well before the rise of atmospheric oxygen on earth around 2500 million years ago. As oxidation is what gives Mars its distinctive colour it is likely that the 'red planet' was wet, warm and rusty billions of years before Earth's atmosphere became oxygen rich.'

###

The research was supported by the Science and Technology Facilities Council and the European Research Council.

---

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?

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

Public release date: 19-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: University of Oxford Press Office
press.office@admin.ox.ac.uk
44-186-528-3877
University of Oxford

Differences between Martian meteorites and rocks examined by a NASA rover can be explained if Mars had an oxygen-rich atmosphere 4000 million years ago well before the rise of atmospheric oxygen on Earth 2500m years ago.

Scientists from Oxford University investigated the compositions of Martian meteorites found on Earth and data from NASA's 'Spirit' rover that examined surface rocks in the Gusev crater on Mars. The fact that the surface rocks are five times richer in nickel than the meteorites was puzzling and had cast doubt on whether the meteorites are typical volcanic products of the red planet.

'What we have shown is that both meteorites and surface volcanic rocks are consistent with similar origins in the deep interior of Mars but that the surface rocks come from a more oxygen-rich environment, probably caused by recycling of oxygen-rich materials into the interior,' said Professor Bernard Wood, of Oxford University's Department of Earth Sciences, who led the research reported in this week's Nature.

'This result is surprising because while the meteorites are geologically 'young', around 180 million to 1400 million years old, the Spirit rover was analysing a very old part of Mars, more than 3700 million years old.'

Whilst it is possible that the geological composition of Mars varies immensely from region to region the researchers believe that it is more likely that the differences arise through a process known as subduction in which material is recycled into the interior. They suggest that the Martian surface was oxidised very early in the history of the planet and that, through subduction, this oxygen-rich material was drawn into the shallow interior and recycled back to the surface during eruptions 4000 million years ago. The meteorites, by contrast, are much younger volcanic rocks that emerged from deeper within the planet and so were less influenced by this process.

Professor Wood said: 'The implication is that Mars had an oxygen-rich atmosphere at a time, about 4000 million years ago, well before the rise of atmospheric oxygen on earth around 2500 million years ago. As oxidation is what gives Mars its distinctive colour it is likely that the 'red planet' was wet, warm and rusty billions of years before Earth's atmosphere became oxygen rich.'

###

The research was supported by the Science and Technology Facilities Council and the European Research Council.

---

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?

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

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-06/uoo-mho061813.php

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Scientist Drinks Billion-Year-Old Water Just to See What It's Like

So remember about a month ago when scientists in Canada found the oldest undisturbed water cache ever? The one that had been stagnant beneath a rock for roughly 1.5 billion years? And that might hold the remains of prehistoric life? Yeah, don't drink that; it tastes like crap. Or so says Dr. Barbara Sherwood Lollar. And she should know?she's tasted it.

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Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/yPT2VsFCDSk/scientist-drinks-billion-year-old-water-just-to-see-wha-513889261

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90% We Steal Secrets: The Story Of Wikileaks

All Critics (42) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (38) | Rotten (4)

A real-life cyber-thriller with real-life consequences, Alex Gibney's We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks is a riveting and revelatory documentary ...

Gibney builds a remarkable level of suspense, given how exhaustively WikiLeaks has been covered in the media.

Engaging, kinetic, revelatory and unexpected.

At once an awkward mingling of two complex life stories and a gripping, necessary look at how information is gathered, shared and, yes, stolen.

Who is "We" in the title We Steal Secrets? There's no need for a spoiler alert, but it's neither Gibney nor Assange.

Despite its wonky-Washington theme, We Steal Secrets ends up being a surprisingly soulful and, yes, even moving story of hubris, good intentions and mistakes.

Smart and opinionated, it's a great introduction to this ongoing story.

Gibney continues his run as the premier nonfiction filmmaker working today.

Arguably furthers WikiLeaks' stated purpose, but with a necessary whiff of the investigative filmmaker's instinctive skepticism.

The film is fascinating and provocative, deftly navigating complex personalities and shifting allegiances.

Who decides what stays secret? This brilliant documentary explores that question, itself a meta-narrative as the documentarian exposes the secrets of the secret-sharers.

Works...as a saga of self-destructive behavior by capable people whose judgment was perverted by smugness about their own oprinciples.

A fascinating account of a man who loved stirring the pot until he was the one sitting in it.

Gibney has created one of the signature discussions on the signature debate of the post-9/11 information-security age, namely: Who needs to know?

It doesn't offer any new or surprising information or any profound analysis, so it barely scratches the multifaceted surface of Assange and remains slightly undercooked.

Documentary tackles complex issues of truth and safety.

The movie is so beautifully crafted and realized that it might well be called flawless.

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Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/we_steal_secrets_the_story_of_wikileaks_2013/

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Filmmaking magic with polymers

June 12, 2013 ? Think about windows coated with transparent film that absorbs harmful ultraviolet sunrays and uses them to generate electricity. Consider a water filtration membrane that blocks viruses and other microorganisms from water, or an electric car battery that incorporates a coating to give it extra long life between charges.

The self-assembled copolymer block film that makes it all possible is now being fabricated with intricately organized nanostructures, giving them multiple functions and flexibility on a macroscale level never before seen.

Gurpreet Singh, a Ph.D. candidate in The University of Akron College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, led a team of researchers to devise a method that enables the films to assemble themselves and allows them to serve as templates or directly as end products. The films can be embedded with nanoparticles that enable everything from data storage to water purification.

Breakthrough with many functions

Superimposed with nanopatterns that allow them to be implanted with a variety of functions -- electronic, thermal or chemical -- the films can be produced at an industrial level, which is no small feat in the world of science, says research team member Alamgir Karim, associate dean of research for the college and Goodyear Chair Professor of Polymer Engineering. Other research collaborators include Kevin Yager of Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, N.Y., Brian Berry of the University of Arkansas and Ho-Cheol Kim of the IBM Research Division of Almaden Research Center in San Jose, Calif.

"We have moved films manufacturing from microns to meter scale, opening pathways from the lab to fabrication," Karim says. "Fundamentally, it allows us to practice nanoscience on a large scale. We can now produce these films quickly and inexpensively, yet with precision and without compromising quality."

Created with speed and uniformity, compatible with flexible surfaces, and subjected to temperature extremes, the copolymer thin films -- developed at the National Polymer Innovation Center at UA -- are noted in two recent American Chemical Society Nano journal articles: "Dynamic Thermal Field-Induced Gradient Soft-Shear for Highly Oriented Block Copolymer Thin Films"and "Large-Scale Roll-to-Roll Fabrication of Vertically Oriented Block Copolymer Thin Films."

Market-ready technology

Funded by the National Science Foundation, the research represents a market-ready revival of a technology developed by Bell Laboratories in the 1950s for metal and semiconductor purification and adapted in the 1980s for polymer crystallization. Since then, the technology remained dormant, until now.

"We revived the technology and made it scalable, opening opportunities for full-scale manufacturing," Karim says, noting that IBM has expressed interest in continuing the research and development of the technology, and is exploring applications ranging from membranes for batteries to high-density magnetic tape storage.

"The process should be of interest to a broad range of industries -- from high-tech to low-tech -- worldwide," Karim adds. "Manufacturing of these nanostructures can be done on industrial platforms such as UA's roll-to-roll manufacturing (developed by collaborator Distinguished Professor of Polymer Engineering Miko Cakmak) at relatively high speeds not possible previously."

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/matter_energy/electronics/~3/Is_HUnufp2Q/130612133147.htm

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Austin Mahone Shows Off 'Challenging' Dance Moves In 'What About Love' Video

'The more videos I do in the future, the dancing is just going to get better,' singer says during 'Live From MTV' appearance.
By Christina Garibaldi

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1708809/austin-mahone-what-about-love-video-choreography.jhtml

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Glowing Plants: Crowdsourced Genetic Engineering Project Ignites Controversy

Biohackers who promised to distribute genetically modified bioluminescent plants without regulatory testing defend their work

By Daniel Grushkin

GLOWING PLANT: A Kickstarter project to create a glowing plant has raised lots of money--and questions. Image: Courtesy of Glowing Plants

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In April three biohackers from a California Do-It-Yourself biology lab, BioCurious, posted a Kickstarter campaign to crowdsource their plan to bioengineer a glowing plant. They asked for $65,000. But by the close of their campaign at midnight on Thursday, June 6, they had raised a remarkable $484,013. (Meanwhile, BioCurious itself is in financial trouble.) It was the first time anyone had kick-started a genetic engineering project. The group had hit upon a new method for funding biotech, one that?s faster, cheaper and requires less expertise than traditional grants or venture capital. Crowdsourcing does require public buy in, however, and this case raises a thorny hitch?ethically, environmentally and perhaps legally.

In exchange for the donations Antony Evans, Kyle Taylor and Omri Amirav-Drory promised to distribute the genetically modified seeds to supporters. More than 6,000 backers across the U.S. will be rewarded with seeds that were not vetted by any regulatory body for human safety, environmental risk or any other safeguard that bio-based companies such as Monsanto must meet. The plant campaign has reignited the controversy over genetically modified organisms. The ETC Group, a technology watchdog, and Friends of the Earth have publicly petitioned the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Kickstarter and the team to kill the project. They even started a countercampaign called Kickstopper. At heart is the question: What can a team of DIYers do when they get their hands on biotechnology, and who can stop them?

Scientific American caught up with Evans and Taylor. An edited transcript of the interview follows.

Glowing plants have captured the imagination of your backers. Why?
Evans: It?s just such a simple idea. Ninety-nine percent of the people on the planet think that it?s science fiction. In fact, it has already been done to a degree. That combination of simplicity, science fiction and feasibility in one project doesn?t come along very often. The central goal behind this is to inspire people and educate them about this technology. That was the overarching vision for why to do this.

Taylor: For my senior project in high school I actually tried putting a green fluorescence gene (pGLOW) into an African violet. I?m embarrassed to say that I tried it?it was never going to work. I think we have an opportunity here to show a new model for how science and research can be conducted. For better or worse, I guess I drank the Kool-Aid. Academia has its playground that it plays in, industry has its playground that it plays in, and I think that leaves a gap for the DIYbio community to come in and do the sorts of projects that aren?t on the radar of either.

You?ve raised almost $500,000. How did it feel watching the dollars roll in on Kickstarter?
Taylor: At first it was exciting, and then I started having a freak-out. Where have we overpromised? What could we deliver? The science is still going to be challenging, and we?re not going to be replacing 60-watt lightbulbs with a plant anytime soon.

On the other hand, ETC asked Kickstarter to take your fund-raising campaign off the site. You?ve been criticized on two aspects: You have scientists who say this isn?t going to work. Then you have organizations that are saying that giving out genetically modified seeds poses an ecological disaster.
Evans: All the environmentalists are expressing concerns about light pollution and insects and things like that. That?s if we succeed. There?s no way we are going to affect any kind of light pollution. The glow from this project is, as we say, [nothing more than] glow-in-the-dark paint. We?ve really chosen something that is about as safe as you get?to quote George Church. We consulted with scientific advisors, but I think what?s become clear is that we should broaden that group to include ecologists.

Source: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=glowing-plants-controversy-questions-and-answers

colcannon

How PRISM Really Works, and How Tech Companies Protect Innocent Users (Little green footballs)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/311429726?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Chrysler won't recall 2.7 million feeps

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/video/chrysler-wont-recall-2-7-122523623.html

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Digital Marketing and China's Expanding Internet (Video) - CKGSB ...

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Source: http://knowledge.ckgsb.edu.cn/2013/06/05/marketing/digital-marketing/

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Cleanup continues as storms move toward East Coast

EL RENO, Okla. (AP) ? Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin says the death toll from weekend storms could rise as emergency workers search for missing residents.

Nine people, including two children, died in Oklahoma as a result of Friday evening's tornadoes and severe thunderstorms.

Fallin toured damage Sunday at a community college and stockyard in El Reno, and said afterward that eight counties in the metro Oklahoma City area sustained wind or flooding damage.

She said the Federal Emergency Management Agency has 600 workers assessing damage and working with state and local officials to prepare for recovery.

Fallin didn't say how many people are believed to be missing, but noted crews are searching flooded areas. She also said 115 people were injured.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cleanup-goes-storms-move-toward-east-coast-072551044.html

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Bruno Mars' mother dies of brain aneurysm at 55

12 hours ago

Ollie Millington/ Getty Images

Bruno Mars performs in Northern Ireland on May 26.

Bruno Mars' mother has passed away from a brain aneurysm.

Bernadette Hernandez, 55, died Saturday in Hawaii at Queens Medical Center in Honolulu, E! News has confirmed.

WATCH: Baby Bruno Mars shows off some Elvis impersonation moves

Hernandez was a former hula dancer and singer who immigrated to Hawaii from the Philippines, and nurtured her son's music career, according to Rolling Stone.

Back in 2011 when Mars was nominated for seven Grammys, Hernandez said in an interview, "Bruno I am so so proud of you. I knew this was going to happen but not this extent," she said. "I still think of him as my baby and keep forgetting he is a grown man.

"We're a very close family ... I think that's what I want my kids to develop and carry on for the next generation.

WATCH: Bruno Mars' "Locked Out of Heaven" music video

Mars wrote and recorded a song for his mom when he was just four years old, called "I Love You Mom," in which he sings, "I love you Mom, you are my favorite girl."

Our prayers go out to Mars and his family.

PHOTOS: 2013's fallen stars

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/bruno-mars-mother-dies-brain-aneurysm-55-6C10167267

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AP National News Calendar for the month of June

Eds: Major scheduled events for June, 2013. Note that many events, especially court appearances, are subject to change at the last minute.

The following economic reports will be issued in WASHINGTON(all times EST):

SATURDAY, JUNE 1

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel attends an annual security conference in Singapore, through JUNE 2, then attends a NATO defense ministers' meeting in Brussels, JUNE 4-5.

SUNDAY, JUNE 2

No events of note.

MONDAY, JUNE 3

WASHINGTON ? Supreme Court issues orders.

WASHINGTON ? Institute for Supply Management releases its manufacturing index for May, 10 a.m.; Commerce Department releases construction spending for April, 10 a.m.

DETROIT ? Automakers release vehicle sales for May.

TUESDAY, JUNE 4

WASHINGTON ? Commerce Department releases international trade data for April, 8:30 a.m.

WASHINGTON ? President Barack Obama meets with Chile's president, Sebastian Pinera.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5

WASHINGTON ? Labor Department releases first-quarter productivity data, 8:30 a.m.; Institute for Supply Management releases its service sector index for May, 10 a.m.; Commerce Department releases factory orders for April, 10 a.m.; Federal Reserve releases Beige Book, 2 p.m.

Myrlie Evers-Williams, widow of civil rights leader Medgar Evans, and daughter Reena Evers-Everette plan to attend at memorial service at Arlington National Cemetery.

THURSDAY, JUNE 6

WASHINGTON ? Labor Department releases weekly jobless claims, 8:30 a.m.; Freddie Mac releases weekly mortgage rates, 10 a.m.

NEW YORK ? Selected chain retailers release May sales comparisons.

FRANKFURT, Germany ? European Central Bank meets to set monetary policy for the eurozone.

FRIDAY, JUNE 7

WASHINGTON ? Labor Department releases employment data for May, 8:30 a.m.; Federal Reserve releases consumer credit data for April, 3 p.m.

SATURDAY, JUNE 8

No events of note.

SUNDAY, JUNE 9

No events of note.

MONDAY, JUNE 10

WASHINGTON ? Supreme Court issues orders.

TUESDAY, JUNE 11

WASHINGTON ? Commerce Department releases wholesale trade inventories for April, 10 a.m.; Labor Department releases job openings and labor turnover survey for April, 10 a.m.

WASHINGTON ? President Barack Obama meets with Peru's president, Ollanta Humala.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12

WASHINGTON ? Treasury releases federal budget for May, 2 p.m.

THURSDAY, JUNE 13

WASHINGTON ? Commerce Department releases retail sales data for May, 8:30 a.m.; Labor Department releases weekly jobless claims, 8:30 a.m.; Freddie Mac releases weekly mortgage rates, 10 a.m.; Commerce Department releases business inventories for April, 10 a.m.

FRIDAY, JUNE 14

WASHINGTON ? Labor Department releases the Producer Price Index for May, 8:30 a.m.; Commerce Department releases current account trade deficit for the first quarter, 8:30 a.m.; Federal Reserve releases industrial production for May, 9:15 a.m.

SATURDAY, JUNE 15

No events of note.

SUNDAY, JUNE 16

No events of note.

MONDAY, JUNE 17

President Barack Obama attends the summit meeting in Northern Ireland of the Group of Eight leading industrial nations, through JUNE 18. Obama plans to meet with Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, on the sidelines of the G-8 meeting. Obama also visits Germany, through JUNE 19.

WASHINGTON ? National Association of Home Builders releases housing market index for June, 10 a.m.

WASHINGTON ? Supreme Court issues orders.

TUESDAY, JUNE 18

WASHINGTON ? Labor Department releases Consumer Price Index for May, 8:30 a.m.; Commerce Department releases housing starts for May, 8:30 a.m.; Federal Reserve policymakers begin a two-day meeting to set interest rates.

BERLIN ? Germany's ZEW institute releases its monthly investor confidence index for Europe's biggest economy.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19

WASHINGTON ? Federal Reserve policymakers meet to set interest rates; statement and economic forecast due at 2:00 p.m.; Chairman Ben Bernanke holds press conference at 2:30 p.m.

THURSDAY, JUNE 20

WASHINGTON ? Labor Department releases weekly jobless claims, 8:30 a.m.; Freddie Mac releases weekly mortgage rates, 10 a.m.; National Association of Realtors releases existing home sales for May, 10 a.m.; Conference Board releases leading indicators for May, 10 a.m.

FRANKFURT, Germany ? Europe's financial stability watchdog, the European Systemic Risk Board, holds a regular quarterly meeting.

FRIDAY, JUNE 21

No events of note.

SATURDAY, JUNE 22

No events of note.

SUNDAY, JUNE 23

No events of note.

MONDAY, JUNE 24

WASHINGTON ? Supreme Court issues orders.

BERLIN ? Germany's Ifo institute releases its monthly index of business confidence, a closely watched indicator for Europe's biggest economy.

TUESDAY, JUNE 25

WASHINGTON ? Commerce Department releases durable goods for May, 8:30 a.m.; Standard & Poor's releases S&P/Case-Shiller index of home prices for April, 9 a.m.; Commerce Department releases new home sales for May, 10 a.m.; The Conference Board releases the Consumer Confidence Index for JUNE, 10 a.m.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama leave on a trip to Africa, with stops in Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania, through July 3.

WASHINGTON ? Commerce Department releases first-quarter gross domestic product, 8:30 a.m.

THURSDAY, JUNE 27

Secretary of State John Kerry plans to attend an ASEAN (Association of Southeast East Nations) regional forum in Brunei, and visit Southeast Asian countries.

WASHINGTON ? Labor Department releases weekly jobless claims, 8:30 a.m.; Commerce Department releases personal income and spending for May, 8:30 a.m.; National Association of Realtors releases pending home sales index for May, 10 a.m.; Freddie Mac releases weekly mortgage rates, 10 a.m.

BERLIN ? Germany releases JUNE unemployment figures.

FRIDAY, JUNE 28

No events of note.

SATURDAY, JUNE 29

No events of note.

SUNDAY, JUNE 30

No events of note.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-national-news-calendar-month-185847876.html

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