Add Wings To Your Travel Ambitions With Cheap Air Tickets

By: dunitzsantrino The stunningly blown up prices tagged with air travel is a fact of the bygone era. This roadblock has been struck off the route of the economical air journey by the advent of strategic partnerships of top flight booking sites with leading air companies. Cheap air tickets are easy to avail these days.

More so, a discerning flyer stands to gain immensely from this environment conducive to attractive rate cuts by planning his tour in advance. Yes, you can get the tickets of cheap flights for your preferred destination at a fraction of the cost that you may experience during peak hours. This essentially translates into the fact that any procrastination on your part regarding booking of flight tickets can cost you dearly as the rates usually soar with the date of tour approaching close.

Flight ticket booking at competitive rates has been materialized owing to the opening up of flight routes to private players and the emergence of several premium sites to streamline the booking process. The benefits are passed on to the end user inevitably. Despite steep hikes in air fuel prices every year and increase in other incidental fees; the prices have never experienced a dramatic increase. Online flight tickets stay so economical owing to the alliances of the sites with air companies wherein the former purchases reservation slots in bulk and the associated discounts availed are used to rein in the fare prices effectively.

Another advantage of online flight tickets is that you can get your tickets cancelled with ease in the unfortunate event of you requiring calling off the tour at the last minute. Hassle free cancelling of seats is facilitated at nominal rates that come easy on your pocket. Your comfort level is no way compromised owing to the economical ticket fares. All the facilities are extended by the air companies on and off the board as usual. Flights to international locations have become even more competitive. Your relatives staying at distant foreign locations can now pay you regular visits availing the exciting cheap flight ticket booking options. Technological advancements, opening up of markets and new business tie-ups are spelling mind boggling benefits for the consumers. If you are a regular flyer, you just need to keep track of the points earned on each booking and after you have accumulated significant value, you can redeem the same for attractive rate cuts on flight tickets.

This is the most opportune moment to monetize on the awesome flight rates and allow your dream tours to take off the ground.

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About the Author:
Want to book flight tickets? Book cheap online flight tickets at BookingKhazana and make your travelling more pleasurable.

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Glencore says three S.Africa chrome mines hit by wildcat strikes

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Glencore Xstrata Plc said on Thursday three of its chrome mines in South Africa were at a standstill after up to 1,500 workers embarked on an illegal strike this week.

The dispute at the mines near Steelpoort, northeast of Johannesburg in the Limpopo province, adds to long-running friction in the mining industry that has caused production to slow, raised concerns about Africa's largest economy and sent the rand to new four-year lows.

"The strike started on Tuesday and all three mines are not in operation," said Glencore Xstrata chrome spokesman Christopher Tsatsawane. "We have dismissed 200 employees at Helena mine after they failed to return to work after three ultimatums."

He said more employees could be dismissed. Final ultimatums were yet to be issued to strikers at its Magareng and Thorncliffe mines.

Tsatsawane said the workers, most of whom belong to the militant Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU), had stopped work in solidarity with an individual who claims he was assaulted by a shift supervisor.

Dismissal of workers is not likely to go down well with trade unions, already embroiled in a turf war and on the brink of biennial wage negotiations.

South Africa, home to around 75 percent of the world's chromite reserves, has become a flashpoint of violent labour strife as AMCU and the dominant National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) battle for members.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/glencore-says-three-south-african-chrome-mines-hit-133927118.html

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Taco Bell Lover Gets Beefy Crunch Burrito Tattoo

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Google Maps? Street View to get panoramic images from the Galapagos Islands

Anyone with even the remotest interest in the natural world will know all about the Galapagos Islands ? they played a pivotal part in Darwin?s theory of evolution.

With that in mind, Google is now bringing panoramic images of the Galapagos Island to Street View, via a partnership with Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) and the Galapagos National Parks Directorate (GNPD).

The images aren?t yet available, but the Internet giant has given a glimpse of what we can expect when they?re pushed on to Google Maps later this year. Take this, for example, which shows a giant tortoise crawling along a path in front of a Googler as she collects imagery with the Street View Trekker:

?Our 10-day adventure in the Galapagos was full of hiking, boating and diving around the islands (in hot and humid conditions) to capture 360-degree images of the unique wildlife and geological features of the islands with the Trekker,? explains?Raleigh Seamster, Project Lead, Google Maps.

?We captured imagery from 10 locations that were hand-selected by CDF and GNPD. We walked past giant tortoises and blue-footed boobies, navigated through steep trails and lava fields, and picked our way down the crater of an active volcano called Sierra Negra.?

It seems that Street View will also be getting underwater imagery of the Galapagos Island too, as Google has partnered with Catlin Seaview Survey to collect sub-aquatic snaps of areas being studied by CDF and GNPD.

?This imagery will be used by Catlin Seaview Survey to create a visual and scientific baseline record of the marine environment surrounding the islands, allowing for any future changes to be measured and evaluated by scientists around the world,? explains Seamster. ?We hope this Street View imagery not only advances the important scientific research, but also inspires you to learn more about this special place.?

Google has previously added underwater imagery to Maps, letting users go ?virtual diving? in the Great Barrier Reef,?the Philippines and Hawaii. And it has been building a pretty extensive library of remote imagery from elsewhere too with the likes of Antarctica, as well as Svalbard which is 400 miles north of mainland Europe.

Source: http://thenextweb.com/google/2013/05/23/google-maps-street-view-to-get-panoramic-images-from-the-galapagos-islands/

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Senate panel OKs changes sought by tech firms in immigration bill

Nearly four months ago, Oklahoma Senators Tom Coburn and James Inhofe both voted?against?H.R.152, the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act that eventually sent $50.5 billion in relief to victims of Hurricane Sandy. And in the flurry of last night's devastation in Moore, Oklahoma. it was impossible not to forget that fact, knowing the federal government would soon rally to the cause.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/senate-panel-oks-changes-sought-tech-firms-immigration-232332037.html

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Founder Stories: Parse's Ilya Sukhar On Founding A Startup With Strangers

For this week's episode of Founder Stories, I sat down with Ilya Sukhar, co-founder and CEO of Parse. The interview was taped days before Parse was acquired by Facebook last month. Parse is a cloud app platform that provides a set of SDKs that enable developers to focus on the execution of their application instead of rebuilding backend functionality for every mobile platform. Sukhar shares his experience of leaving Salesforce and going through Y Combinator for the second time.

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

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China's Xi will meet Obama earlier than expected

BEIJING (AP) ? China's new leader Xi Jinping will confer with President Barack Obama next month in California, months earlier than their expected first meeting, as both sides seek to stem a drift in relations, troubled by issues from cyberspying to North Korea.

The June 7-8 meeting at a retreat southeast of Los Angeles, announced Monday by the White House, underlines the importance of the relationship between the countries as they work out ways for the U.S.-led world order to make room for a China that is fast accruing global influence and military power.

Xi has said that China wants its rise to be peaceful, but that Beijing will not compromise on issues of sovereignty ? a stance that has aggravated disputes over contested East and South China Seas islands with U.S. allies Japan and the Philippines and friend Vietnam.

Among the other pressing items on their agenda: the spotty global economic recovery, U.S. allegations of persistent Chinese cyber-attacks and espionage and Washington's desire for China to do more in international efforts to curb North Korea's nuclear program.

The issues are so many that the agenda was becoming crowded for any Obama and Xi meeting. The two leaders have spoken by telephone since Obama was re-elected and Xi elevated to Communist Party chief in November. But their first face-to-face meeting was not expected to be held until September on the sidelines of the summit of the Group of 20 large economies in Russia.

"They needed more than 20 minutes on the sidelines of another meeting," said Bonnie Glaser of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. "If they want to see U.S.-China relations on a solid footing, to manage the differences and find issues to cooperate on ? North Korea, Iran, climate change ? it has to start at the top. U.S. China relations are not managed from the bottom up but from the top down."

The White House, in its statement, said the two presidents will "discuss ways to enhance cooperation, while constructively managing our differences, in the years ahead."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said that "this meeting is important to the long-term, sound and steady development of China-US relations as well as regional and international peace, stability and prosperity."

The decision to hold a working visit instead of a pomp-filled state summit also underscores the government's decision to put protocol aside to focus on substance. Xi will make the stop-off in California after traveling to Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica and Mexico.

"The engagement has become more flexible, and that helps keep the contact at the highest levels, which is conducive to understanding each other's viewpoints and taking more effective measures," Zhu Feng, deputy director of the Center for International and Strategic Studies at Peking University.

U.S. diplomats have said that Chinese officials had wanted Obama to come to Beijing late this year or early next. His last visit was in 2009. Since then, Xi went to Washington in early 2012 as vice president, and his predecessor as president, Hu Jintao, was given a formal White House welcome a year earlier.

To prepare for the California meeting, Obama's national security adviser, Tom Donilon, will go to Beijing on May 26-28, White House press secretary Jay Carney said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/chinas-xi-meet-obama-earlier-expected-032851953.html

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Russia: Two Militants Planning Terror Attack Killed Near Moscow (Voice Of America)

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Nanoblock micro-sized building blocks review

A few weeks ago when I was in a Barnes & Noble bookstore, I happened to see Nanoblock micro-sized building blocks kits. As a huge LEGO fan, I was instantly captivated by these miniature LEGO-like bricks. My mind was whirling with ideas of cool models that I could build and display at home and work. [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/05/21/nanoblock-micro-sized-building-blocks-review/

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The first Jolla phone: 4.5-inch display, Android app compliant, 399 euros

Jolla's heavily teased launch day in Finland has already spilled some major news: pricing and specs for the first Sailfish OS handset. The phone seems to be called "The Other Half" -- or at least that's the working title for now -- and judging from Jolla's Facebook page it consists of a colorful plastic case, available in various shades including orange or green, which hooks onto the main chassis containing a 4.5-inch display (of unknown resolution), dual-core processor, microSD expansion with 16GB onboard, a "4G" modem, user replaceable battery and an 8MP rear camera. The chassis recognizes which case is attached and adapts the visual theme of the OS to match, creating "your other half, exactly as you want it to be."

Perhaps more usefully, the Sailfish operating system will also be Android app compliant out of the box, and we're currently on the ground in Helsinki trying to discover exactly how developers and users will be able to put that feature to work (while also chasing down the rest of the specs). Meanwhile, there's an emphatic video message from Jolla co-founder Marc Dillon after the break, seeking the world's assistance in taking the heritage of MeeGo into a new era.

Update: We now hear that the phone will simply be called the "Jolla."

Update #2: Jolla has just clarified that 4G means LTE. The display resolution has been vaguely described as "HD," which to our minds suggests 720p. Furthermore, it sounds like the way the "other half" interfaces with the main body of the device allows for much deeper functionality beyond just personalization. We've just added our own video tour with more information.

[Thanks, Toni]

Gallery: Jolla unites the halves

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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Video: Balloon crash in Turkey kills 1 injures 24

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) ? Two hot air balloons collided mid-air during a sightseeing tour of volcanic rock formations in Turkey on Monday, causing one of them to crash to the ground, officials said. One Brazilian tourist was killed while 24 other people on board were injured.

The ascending balloon struck another balloon's wicker basket above it, causing a tear that sent it plunging to the ground, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

The passengers on board the balloon that crashed were mostly tourists from Asia, Spain and Brazil, according to Abdurrahman Savas, the governor of Nevsehir province. Many had fractured bones and one of them, an elderly passenger, was in serious condition.

The balloons were flying above scenic canyons and volcanic cones of the Cappadocia region, a popular tourist destination some 300 kilometers (190 miles) from the capital, Ankara. Cappadocia is famed for its "fairy chimney" volcanic cones and its subterranean cities carved out of soft stone.

It was the second fatal accident in Cappadocia since balloon sightseeing tours were launched there more than a decade ago. In 2009, a British tourist died when two balloons also collided mid-air.

In February, a balloon caught fire and crashed in Egypt, killing 19 tourists.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/turkey-1-killed-24-injured-balloon-crash-070129371.html

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North Korea fires projectile into eastern waters

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? South Korea says North Korea has fired a projectile into waters off its eastern coast a day after launching three short-range missiles in the same area.

The South's Defense Ministry says the firing occurred Sunday afternoon. It did not say whether it was a missile or artillery.

North Korea routinely test-launches short-range missiles.

The launches come during a period of tentative diplomacy aimed at easing tension on the Korean Peninsula. The U.S. responded to the previous day's launches by saying threats or provocations would only further deepen North Korea's international isolation, while South Korea urged the North to take responsible actions.

Earlier this year, North Korea threatened to attack South Korea and the U.S. to protest annual joint military drills and U.N. sanctions imposed after its February nuclear test.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/north-korea-fires-projectile-eastern-waters-091823263.html

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Iran's Guard warns against post-election turmoil

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? A senior commander in Iran's Revolutionary Guard has warned that his forces will be on watch for possible unrest after next month's presidential election, calling the outcome "unpredictable" and sending the strongest message yet against any attempts to revive street protests, media reported Sunday.

The comments by Col. Rasool Sanaeirad point to a wide-ranging effort by Iranian authorities to intimidate opposition groups that could use the June 14 voting for possible political demonstrations.

Pro-reform groups have been under relentless pressure and crackdowns since major protests following the disputed re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2009. Ahmadinejad is not running in this election because Iran's constitution bars him from seeking a third term.

But the entry of former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani into the race has re-energized reformists and brought backlash from hard-liners. The Guardian Council, a group controlled by the ruling clerics, vets all candidates and a final ballot list is expected on Tuesday.

Sanaeirad was quoted Sunday as saying the "election is unpredictable," but did not elaborate.

He also warned that a "possible riot in Tehran could spread" to other regions, claiming chances for turmoil are heightened because Iran is for the first time holding both presidential and municipal balloting at the same time.

The remarks further suggest that more security controls could be imposed before the election, such as restrictions on the Internet, which was used as the critical tool by the opposition Green Movement in 2009.

Sanaeirad's comments were published in several papers, including the pro-reform Bahar daily.

Despite frequent denials by officials that Internet service will be reduced during the elections, many Web users have complained that services have become very slow and many websites have been blocked, including the pro-Rafsanjani Aftabnews.ir and Meyarnews.com, a site backing another hopeful contender, Ahmadinejad's close aide, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei.

On Friday, a member of the influential parliamentary committee of national security and foreign policy, Mohammad Saleh Jokar, said the government will block "enemies" using the Internet to "instigate people as we witnessed in 2009."

The pro-reform Aftab daily mocked the snail's pace of the Internet, calling it "escargot" and suggesting authorities would be better off to fully halt the net.

Iranians use proxy servers and other methods to bypass censors and access many popular websites, including Facebook and Twitter, and news sites such as BBC and Voice of America.

Presumed candidates on the ballot include Rafsanjani and rivals supported by the ruling clerics, such as top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, Tehran mayor Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and former foreign minister Ali Akbar Velayati.

A major question is whether the Guardian Council will clear Ahmadinejad's choice, Mashaei. His chances are severely hampered by his association with the president, who has fallen out of favor with the ruling theocracy over his challenges to the authority of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

On Friday, Council chief Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati said the body may disqualify candidates who seek full relations with the United States. Jannati mocked nominees who hope the international sanctions over Tehran's disputed nuclear program will end if the country restores relations with the U.S.

No high-profile candidate has proposed full restoration ? Tehran and Washington have had no diplomatic ties since 1979 ? but Rafsanjani has suggested that better relations are possible.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/irans-guard-warns-against-post-election-turmoil-082436418.html

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Blue Jays-Yankees finale scrubbed by rain

By RICK FREEMAN

AP Sports Writer

Associated Press Sports

updated 3:33 p.m. ET May 19, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) - Against the Toronto Blue Jays this season, the only thing that has stopped the Yankees was a day full of rain.

The Yankees would have been trying to make it seven in a row against the Blue Jays on Sunday, but rain began to fall in the late morning with no signs of letting up, and the game was postponed before it started. No makeup date was announced.

"It's going to rain until probably 9 o' clock," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "It's just not going to be playable."

The two AL East rivals are not scheduled to meet again in the Bronx until August.

Yankees starter CC Sabathia will pitch Monday in Baltimore, followed on Tuesday by Phil Hughes. This means rookie Vidal Nuno will be skipped and remain available out of the bullpen until the Yankees can find a way to work him back into the rotation.

Toronto right-hander R.A. Dickey will face Tampa Bay on Monday.

Dickey and the Blue Jays may have dodged some bad luck, with the rainout, which was announced more than half an hour before the scheduled start time of 1:08 p.m.

He has had outings in the past where wet weather appeared to nullify the effectiveness of his hard, darting knuckleball and leave him without his most effective pitch.

The Blue Jays had won four straight before dropping the first two of a three-game series in the Bronx.

New York has won its last nine home games against Toronto, since last season, as well as the last six in a row overall against the Blue Jays.

"There's no question they've had our number. They've out played us, too," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "This has always been a tough place to play."

The Yankees have outplayed pretty much everyone lately. They've won nine of their last 12 and facing Dickey on a wet day, appeared in a good spot to make it 10 out of 13.

"We weren't necessarily looking for a rainout," Girardi said.

Girardi said that Yankees officials met with umpire crew chief Joe West and consulted their metorologists about the forecast, which Girardi said showed rain falling in New York until after dark.

That made the decision a fairly easy one.

The delay pushed back Reid Brignac's debut with the Yankees, too.

The infielder was acquired in a trade with the Rockies for cash after Colorado designated the infielder for assignment. He arrived Saturday night. He was set to play shortstop and bat eighth.

"It was a little disappointing, I was really looking forward to getting the chance to play here today as a member of the Yankees," Brignac said.

"I'm tickled just to get the chance to be a Yankee."

Notes: Toronto's only win over the Yankees this season was an 8-4 win on April 21. . Dickey will face Tampa Bay RHP Jake Odorizzi, who is making his 2013 debut. RHP Ramon Ortiz will pitch Tuesday, followed by Mark Buehrle on Wednesday. The Blue Jays skipped the turn of RHP Chad Jenkins. .Yankees OF Curtis Granderson was going to lead off and return to center field a day after his first start in right. . . Yankees C Francisco Cervelli said he was still hoping to return from a broken hand before the All-Star break. He is on the 60-day DL. . "Waitin' on a Sunny Day" by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band was played on the PA shortly before the Yankees announced the postponement. . In Baltimore, the Yankees will send out Sabathia against Freddy Garcia on Monday. The veteran RHP spent the last two seasons as a mostly effective part of the Yankees rotation after a career mostly spent with the Mariners and White Sox. ... The Blue Jays claimed RHP Thad Weber on waivers from San Diego and optioned him to Triple-A Buffalo. Toronto transferred RHP Sergio Santos to the 60-day DL. The 28-year-old had a 2.00 ERA in nine innings for the Padres this season.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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The man who no longer matters

Posnanski: Albert Pujols' at-bats used to be buzzworthy, must-watch events. Now, they're not. Here's the result of his struggles the past few years.

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Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/51933847/ns/sports-baseball/

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PFT: Ravens face tough decisions on Suggs, Ngata

Getty Images

If Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano ever gets tired of having to tell people Josh Freeman is his starting quarterback, someone should probably mention to him that it?s kind of his own fault.

Schiano started singing like Tammy Wynette again in relation to Freeman Monday, the day after he was quoted as saying he was ?not against? the notion of starting rookie Mike Glennon instead.

?We have a starting quarterback, and it?s Josh Freeman,? Schiano said, via Stephen Holder of the Tampa Bay Times.

According to the report, Schiano said he?s trying to be honest, and doesn?t mean to put pressure on Freeman by saying such things in the national media.

?I guess nationally, they don?t sit here with me every day like you guys [local media] do,? Schiano said. ?From the day we arrived, our whole program has [been based on] competition, . . . That?s what we believe in. It?s the most competitive sports league in the world. It?s competition, and I love it.

?But we have our starting quarterback, and it?s Josh Freeman. I?m not looking to find another.?

If he really wanted to clear things up, he could always, you know, stop leaving the door open a crack every time he talks about Glennon.

Or, if he wanted a stronger statement on Freeman and how much he loves him under center, he could give him a new contract to replace the final year of his rookie deal.

But it doesn?t appear at the moment that Schiano intends to do either.

And that?s fine, as long as everyone?s clear about the implication sent by those actions.

He likes Freeman, right up until the point he decides he doesn?t.

So Schiano?s apparently going to have to keep clarifying all the things that he keeps saying, whether to the national or local media.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/05/20/ravens-have-tough-decisions-coming-on-suggs-ngata/related/

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Who is building what in Sochi for 2014 Olympics

SOCHI, Russia (AP) ? The cost of the 2014 Winter Games in the Russian city of Sochi now stands at $51 billion, making it the most expensive Olympics in history. More than half of the bill is being footed by Russian state-controlled companies and business tycoons. A look at what the major players are building in Sochi:

THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT

The government is building five of the six arenas in the coastal cluster, which will host indoor competitions such as ice skating, for about $10 billion. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak, who is overseeing the Sochi preparations, said the government will spend a total of about $18 billion before the games begin in February 2014.

GAZPROM

The world's largest natural gas producer, a publicly traded company, has many Olympic projects in Sochi, including building a cross-country skiing and biathlon center, one of the three Olympic villages and an Alpine ski resort. Gazprom is also building a power station in a Sochi suburb for about $740 million and a pipeline to bring gas supplies to the Sochi area for about $1 billion. The total price tag for Gazprom stands at roughly $3 billion.

POTANIN

Metals tycoon Vladimir Potanin, whose fortune is estimated at $14.3 billion, started building the Roza Khutor ski resort before Sochi was picked to hold the 2014 Olympics. Infrastructure required by the International Olympic Committee cost $500 million, boosting his total bill in Sochi to $2.5 billion. In addition to the Alpine ski runs at Roza Khutor, Potanin's holding company, Interros, has built an Olympic village and a snowboarding and freestyle park.

DERIPASKA

Metals tycoon Oleg Deripaska, estimated to be worth $8.5 billion, is mainly involved in infrastructure development in Sochi. His holding company, Basic Element, is building an Olympic village, a sea port and has just finished revamping the Sochi airport. Basic Element expects to spend a total of $1.4 billion in Sochi.

SBERBANK

The state-controlled bank is set to spend at least $1.3 billion building a media center in Sochi, as well as a ski jump complex.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-05-20-OLY-Sochi-Oligarchs-Box/id-146df299b9174b138ee45ad9cf689ca2

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Analyze this (Powerlineblog)

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Fox News Reporter James Rosen May Face Criminal Charges for Reporting on the CIA

The government will use any and all information at its disposal to find journalist sources, as shown in?The Washington Post's report this morning?on?a Department of Justice investigation into Fox News chief correspondent James Rosen, who may face criminal charges for reporting government secrets.

RELATED: Can Conservative Media Stomach Another Week of Weinergate?

In June 2009, Rosen reported on CIA analysis suggesting that North Korea might respond to new UN sanctions with renewed nuclear tests. In order to determine how Rosen learned of the analysis, which had been issued by the CIA only a few hours prior, FBI investigators used every tool at their disposal: analyzing Rosen's security access card to determine when he entered and left the State Department building, studying his phone records, and subpoenaing his personal email.

RELATED: MSNBC Produced Its Own Anti-Romney Video in February

Ultimately, agents determined the source of the leak was likely the State Department's Stephen Jin-Woo Kim. Rosen and Kim established a high-tech version of the red-flag-in-a-planter system used by Bob Woodward during Watergate: when Kim wanted to meet, he would allegedly send an email to Rosen's Gmail account containing an asterisk. Rosen detailed the sorts of things he wanted to discuss.

He also wrote, according to the affidavit: ?What I am interested in, as you might expect, is breaking news ahead of my competitors? including ?what intelligence is picking up.? And: ?I?d love to see some internal State Department analyses.?

According to the Post report, that's what Kim allegedly provided. And the way in which he did so appears to have been indiscreet. Their federally distributed security passes showed that Rosen and Kim left and returned to a building at the same time on the day of the leak. Kim's department phone records showed a number of calls between him and Rosen. When you work directly for Big Brother, you're likely to be caught.

RELATED: Obama Is Pushing for a Media Shield Law That Could Also Shield Him

That aside, the most alarming detail is the implication for Rosen. Another tool the FBI wants to use to make an example in this case is a federal indictment of the journalist.

[FBI agent Reginald] Reyes wrote that there was evidence Rosen had broken the law, ?at the very least, either as an aider, abettor and/or co-conspirator.? That fact distinguishes his case from the probe of the AP, in which the news organization is not the likely target.

Using italics for emphasis, Reyes explained how Rosen allegedly used a ?covert communications plan? and quoted from an email exchange between Rosen and Kim that seems to describe a secret system for passing along information.

The United States government wants to charge a reporter for reporting on classified information. By agreeing to authorize a search warrant in the case, the Post reports, the judge overseeing the case agreed with the FBI that Rosen might be a conspirator. Whether or not someone in Kim's position should receive whistleblower protection for revealing a state secret is one debate. Whether or not the person that hears the whistle should be charged is another issue altogether.

RELATED: Common Controversy Pushes Jon Stewart Close to the Edge

Linking the Kim case to Julian Assange, similarly investigated for sharing information leaked to him, The Guardian's Glenn Greenwald writes:

Under US law, it is not illegal to publish classified information. That fact, along with the First Amendment's guarantee of press freedoms, is what has prevented the US government from ever prosecuting journalists for reporting on what the US government does in secret. This newfound theory of the Obama DOJ - that a journalist can be guilty of crimes for "soliciting" the disclosure of classified information - is a means for circumventing those safeguards and criminalizing the act of investigative journalism itself.

Over the weekend, the CEO of the Associated Press, Gary Pruitt, was interviewed on CBS' Face the Nation. Pruitt indicated that Justice's recently revealed investigation into a 2012 leak is causing existing sources to balk.

Already, officials that would normally talk to us and people we talk to in the normal course of news gathering are already saying to us that they're a little reluctant to talk to us. They fear that they-- they will be monitored by the government.

How and when the government can seize records form the media is tightly described. As in the case of the AP, the Obama Justice Department has proven more than willing to try to loosen those restrictions. Now we learn that the idea includes extending the chilling effect of prosecutions to the reporters trying to hold them accountable.

RELATED: Obama Had Words with Fox News's Ed Henry

Photo: President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder outside the Capitol. (AP)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fox-news-reporter-james-rosen-may-face-criminal-133347923.html

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Report: Obama Administration Apologizes for Another National Security Leak

Damascus-Before-After-Bombing

Israel Channel 2 broadcast this satellite image showing a Damascus airport warehouse before and after the airstrike (Screenshot: Channel 2 News)

The Justice Department's seizure of Associated Press reporters' phone records was reportedly one element of a "sweeping" federal investigation to find out who leaked classified information about a failed Al-Qaeda plot to bomb an American airliner.

Now, the Obama administration has reportedly apologized to Israel for another leak of classified information to the media, one that occurred earlier this month and which Israeli officials are concerned could place Israeli lives at risk.

Israel Radio's diplomatic correspondent Chico Menashe reported Sunday morning (via the Jerusalem Post):

American officials apologized to their Israeli counterparts for confirming that Israel was behind the airstrikes on the Damascus airport earlier this month, Israel Radio reported on Sunday.

The confirmation reportedly came from the lower ranks at the Pentagon, and the reasons for the leak are being investigated.

Menashe tweeted: "The U.S. has apologized to Israel for leaking details of the attack in Syria. Senior administration officials said to their [Israeli] counterparts that they are examining the issue and that low-level [officials] were responsible for the leak."

Menashe also wrote, "US officials told that they [will] review the matter. The leak forced Assad to react harshly."

U.S. apologized for leaking details of Israel. US officials told that they review the matter.The leak forced assad to react harshly.

The New York Times attributed its report about the bombing on May 3 to an Obama administration official: "Israel aircraft bombed a target in Syria overnight Thursday, an Obama administration official said Friday night, as United States officials said they were considering military options, including carrying out their own airstrikes."

CNN, which broke the story first on May 3, quoted two unnamed U.S. officials:

The United States believes Israel has conducted an airstrike into Syria, two U.S. officials first told CNN.

U.S. and Western intelligence agencies are reviewing classified data showing Israel most likely conducted a strike in the Thursday-Friday time frame, according to both officials. This is the same time frame that the U.S. collected additional data showing Israel was flying a high number of warplanes over Lebanon.

One official said the United States had limited information so far and could not yet confirm those are the specific warplanes that conducted a strike. Based on initial indications, the U.S. does not believe Israeli warplanes entered Syrian airspace to conduct the strikes.

Two weeks later, Israel still has not officially taken responsibility for the bombings, which allegedly targeted Iranian Fateh-110 missiles intended to bolster Hezbollah's arsenal.

Israeli security analysts suggest that confirmation of Israel Defense Forces involvement - even if leaked via American sources - not only could potentially endanger any agents still on the ground in Syria, but would also put pressure on embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad to retaliate against the Jewish state.

Barry Rubin, director of the Global Research in International Affairs Center, told TheBlaze, "It requires the Syrians to react officially rather than deny that it happened or that it was an accident. It forces Syria and Hezbollah and Iran to react officially and say they want to seek revenge, which makes things more dangerous for Israel."

"Can you imagine if things were reversed and somebody did that to the U.S.?" he added.

Assad may already be responding. Britain's Sunday Times reported that the Syrian military has placed advanced weapons on standby to strike Israel, in the event Israel strikes targets again in Syria.

The report said that reconnaissance satellite images show Syria has surface-to-surface Tishreen missiles ready for use and aimed at Tel Aviv. Each can carry a half ton payload, according to the paper.

In an interview with CNN shortly after the airstrikes, Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al Mekdad called the attack a "declaration of war," adding that Syria would retaliate in its own time and way.

At the opening of the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to the tumult facing the Middle East, calling it "one of its most sensitive periods in decades with the escalating upheaval in Syria at its center."

"We are closely monitoring the developments and changes there and we are prepared for any scenario. The government of Israel is working responsibly and with determination and sagacity, in order to ensure the supreme interest of the state of Israel - the security of Israeli citizens in keeping with the policy that we have set, to - as much as possible - prevent the transfer of advanced weapons to Hezbollah and to [other] terrorist elements," he said.

"We will work to ensure Israelis' security interest in the future as well," Netanyahu added.

Last week, Russia said it would move forward with a sale of S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems to Syria, after Netanyahu made a visit to Moscow in person to try to convince the Russians to halt the deal. Once deployed, the advanced system will make future Israeli sorties over Syria more difficult, as well as rendering any notion of a U.S. or European-led no-fly zone much more complicated to implement.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/report-obama-administration-apologizes-another-national-security-leak-182208023.html

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Tumblr May Reject Yahoo's $1.1B Acquisition Offer For Being ?Too Low?

Sources close to acquisition talks between Yahoo and Tumblr say the blogging platform feels that Yahoo's $1.1 billion offer as "too low" and view it as "only a first offer". Yahoo may have to significantly increase the offer to close the deal. An acquisition by some tech giant is likely in the cards for Tumblr, though, as sources say the company only has a couple of months of cash runway left.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/pEP2DvjAtKw/

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Tea party looks to take advantage of moment

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) ? Is the tea party getting its groove back? Shouts of vindication from around the country suggest the movement's leaders certainly think so.

They say the IRS acknowledgement that it had targeted their groups for extra scrutiny ? a claim that tea party activists had made for years ? is helping pump new energy into the coalition. And they are trying to use that development, along with the ongoing controversy over the Benghazi, Libya, terrorist attacks and the Justice Department's secret seizure of journalists' phone records, to recruit new activists incensed about government overreach.

"This is the defining moment to say 'I told you so,' " said Katrina Pierson, a Dallas-based tea party leader, who traveled to Washington last week as the three political headaches for President Barack Obama unfolded.

Luke Rogonjich, a tea party leader in Phoenix, called the trio of controversies a powerful confluence that bolsters the GOP's case against big government. "Suddenly, there are a lot of things pressing on the dam," said Rogonjich.

It's unclear whether a movement made up of disparate grassroots groups with no central body can take advantage of the moment and leverage it to grow stronger after a sub-par showing in last fall's election had called into question the movement's lasting impact. Republicans and Democrats alike say the tea party runs the risk of going too far in its criticism, which could once again open the door to Democratic efforts to paint it as an extreme arm of the GOP.

"Never underestimate the tea party's ability to overplay its hand," said Democratic strategist Mo Elleithee. "Just because there is universal agreement that the IRS went too far, that should not be misread as acceptance of the tea party's ideology of anger."

At the very least, furor over the IRS devoting special attention to tea party groups claiming tax-exempt status is giving the tea party more visibility than it has had in months, and it's providing a new rallying cry for tea party organizers starting to plot how to influence the 2014 congressional elections. The law allows tax-exempt organizations to lobby and dabble in politics as long as their primary purpose is social welfare.

The tax-agency scandal ? it has led to the acting IRS commissioner's ouster, a criminal investigation and Capitol Hill hearings ? seems to validate the tea party's long-held belief among supporters that government was trampling on them specifically, a claim dismissed by ousted commissioner Steven T. Miller. He has called the targeting "a mistake and not an act of partisanship."

Nevertheless, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., elected in 2010 with tea party backing, said the IRS scandal "confirms many of the feelings that led to the tea party movement in the first place."

"What's happened here is a reminder of, this is what happens when you expand government," he said in an interview with The Associated Press. "That and the disaster that is Obamacare is going to be a real catalyst in 2014 and beyond."

Tea party activists hope they also can drive support ahead of the elections by stoking widespread suspicions that the Obama administration and State Department are hiding key details about the September 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya, that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans. The seizure of Associated Press phone records also plays into their argument that government is too intrusive.

Tea party activists have tried to take advantage of the issues that have put some of their central tenets ? limited government and civil liberties ? in the spotlight.

From around the country last week, they headed Washington to hold a news conference on the Capitol steps and meet with members of Congress. Those who stayed home jammed House and Senate phone lines with calls urging congressional action as the IRS saga unfolded. An email from Teaparty.org that was sent to activists proclaimed: "We've worked so hard these past few years and it's paying off! We're witnessing the unraveling of a presidency at an unprecedented rate."

Freedomworks, a national tea party group, spent the week circulating petitions for congressional hearings and encouraging leaders of local groups who believe they have been targeted by the IRS to include their story on a national database to build the case against the agency.

"Perhaps all this attention will break something loose," said Jim Chiodo, an activist from Holland, Mich.

It wasn't long ago that the tea party was the hot new political kid on the block, bursting onto the national scene during the contentious summer debate over health care in 2009. Over the next few years, the loosely affiliated conservatives and civil libertarians would leave their mark on the 2010 elections by helping Republican candidates win Senate races in Florida, Kentucky, Utah and Wisconsin and scores of House races.

Those victories resulted in House and Senate Republican caucuses getting pushed to the right in legislative battles, making life difficult for Obama and his Democrats in an era of divided government.

But the movement's success was muted in 2012 when Republicans nominated the establishment-backed Mitt Romney for president, though he did little to inspire the tea party. He lost, and so did many tea party-backed House and Senate candidates.

Now, tea party activists say they are emboldened and won't be afraid to recruit candidates to run in Republican primaries against incumbents who appear to go easy on the Obama administration, particularly in light of the IRS scandal.

"It's one of those issues we should just raise hell about," said Nashville Tea Party leader Ben Cunningham.

Some say they're now even more suspicious of government than before.

"I personally feel so vindicated," said Mark Falzon, a New Jersey tea party leader. But he added: "What's scaring me now is what's going on below the water line that we're not seeing."

Republicans say that the tea party will have an opportunity come 2014 to make its mark again, particularly with Obama not at the top of the ticket. Also, they say that with Obama's health care law going into effect and with the slew of latest controversies, they now have concrete issues to point to when arguing against government overreach.

"Suddenly, this is a very real demonstration of too much power ceded to government bureaucrats," said Matt Kibbe, president of Freedomworks. "This is no longer theoretical."

___

Associated Press writers Steve Peoples in Boston and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Follow Thomas Beaumont on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Tom_Beaumont

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tea-party-looks-advantage-moment-131128674.html

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Anchorman 2 Trailer: The Legend Continues!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/05/anchorman-2-trailer-the-legend-continues/

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Thyroid Disorders Doctor in California - Mental Health - Fitness ...

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Watch: Michele Bachmann: The IRS Targeting of Tea Party Groups Tied to Obama's Political Agenda (ABC News)

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Getting Into Internet Marketing? Read These Great Tips! ? Hot Article ...

Whether your business is conducted wholly online or not, internet marketing is an important part of corporate advertising in this modern, technological age. It is the most effective way of making sure the world knows of the products you have to sell or the message you want to be heard. Here are some ways that you can use this technique to its best advantage.

Try to combine your products together and offer a discount for people who purchase the entire package instead of one item at a time. People love to have the feeling that they got a deal on something. This will also increase exposure for the other products you have to offer on the site.

Are you ready to try internet marketing? Good for you! Make your website look professional! If your website obviously looks unprofessional, people will not trust it. They will not want to buy from you! You can easily find templates for business websites or even use a blog, if you cannot afford to hire a web designer!

One internet marketing tip that anyone can implement is to give your past customers a catalog of add on items that are directly related to items they have previously bought. You already know what sorts of items they have bought from you so sending them related products is a good way to get repeat customers.

They key to getting more visits is to write a good review of your website. A review is the short paragraph that appears when your website comes up in a search result. A good review should instantly grab the visitor?s attention and make them want to learn more about your website.

In order to have effective advertisements in terms of internet marketing, a good strategy to use is to add words such as ?you or your? in your advertisements. This will make your visitors feel at ease as they see that you are talking to them individually. For example you can say things like, ?You could be our next lucky customer to win $100?.

If you have a Facebook page that is related to your company, make sure to continue adding content all the time. When you post something new, it makes your page relevant and contemporary, as followers will notice this. Also, every post that you make will appear on the current news feed for your followers, increasing your visibility.

If you offer a seasonal promotion as a part of your Internet marketing strategy, always remember to update your website once the season or holiday has passed. A current offer makes it appear that you care for your website with great attention. There is nothing that lowers consumer confidence in your product more than seeing a summer promotion in October.

Have more than one web page set up since you may be trying to reach a few different demographics of people. The same web page that attracts a 30-year-old stockbroker will not be the same one that appeals to a 65-year-old army vet, so your best bet would be to have a few different pages available.

Choose your words carefully! When marketing online, telling someone they are ?investing in your product? is much more likely to increase your chances of getting a purchase than telling them to ?buy it.? Investing signifies that your product will be useful for the long term, which is exactly what customers want in a purchase.

It?s up to you to take everything you learn and turn it into success. The more you read, experience, or hear, the more you can turn into marketing strategies that work. Keep seeking knowledge and you will find that there is no situation you can?t deal with, and that will lead you to major profits.

Lifewave is a great business where you can work from home.find the best advice on internet business for you.

Source: http://hotarticledepot.com/getting-into-internet-marketing-read-these-great-tips-2/

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Iran's Farhadi and China's Jia make Cannes splash

CANNES, France (AP) ? Two directors from countries with tough film censorship brought bold and probing movies to the Cannes Film Festival on Friday ? one exploring China's social problems, the other delving into the mysteries of the human heart.

Jia Zhangke's "A Touch of Sin" depicts facets of fast-changing China the government prefers to avoid: corruption, greed, violent crime and the growing gap between economic winners and losers.

"The Past," by Academy Award-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, is an unsparing tale of domestic upheaval, set in and around Paris and made with a largely French cast.

Both films are competing for Cannes' top prize, the Palme d'Or ? and both have been cleared for release in their homelands, where filmmakers often fall foul of restrictions.

Iran's Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has approved "The Past" for screening, and "A Touch of Sin" is due to open in China in the fall.

The two directors are pleased their films will be seen at home, but they gave very different descriptions of working in settings where official censorship is an everyday reality.

"I'm someone who is deeply attached to my creative freedom, and I always do my utmost to ensure I don't indulge in any form of self-censorship," said Jia, who has explored China's rapid transformation throughout his career ? from early underground films such as "Unknown Pleasures" to documentaries to the Venice Film Festival prize-winning 2006 feature "Still Life."

Farhadi, though, said the effect of censorship was more insidious.

"One can try to free oneself of the past, but the past doesn't let you do that," he said ? both a theme of "The Past" and an observation of his own situation.

"There are two kinds of censorship," he told reporters. "You have official censorship which works in a certain way. But there is also self-censorship. You impose it on your innermost self."

Iran's authorities have long had an uneasy relationship with the country's filmmakers, and influential clerics have often denounced the domestic cinema as dominated by Western-tainted liberals and political dissenters. Some directors and actors have faced arrest or fled the country.

While Farhadi shot previous films including "A Separation" ? the 2012 foreign-language Oscar winner ? in Iran, "The Past" was made entirely outside the country. It follows an Iranian man (actor-director Ali Mosaffa), who returns to France to finalize a divorce from his ex (Berenice Bejo, from "The Artist"), but soon becomes entangled again with her, her children and her new love ("A Prophet" star Tahar Rahim).

The film premiered at Cannes on Friday and was hailed as the first Palme d'Or contender of the festival. Critics praised its meticulous and non-judgmental look at the messy effects of relationships and their breakdown, on adults and on children.

Farhadi admitted that he felt "more secure" shooting outside Iran, free of external restrictions ? but not of his own inner guidelines. He said he tried to see these "not as an obstacle but as an asset" ? part of his creative makeup as a director.

Like his previous work, "The Past" is emotionally revealing but not overtly political. The director said he was happy to keep working on an intimate canvas, exploring the dynamics of personal relationships.

"There is so much suffering and pain attached to a couple, but the suffering and pain is always unique," he said. "I could spend my whole career exploring this theme without ever exhausting it."

Farhadi said he doesn't know what he will make next ? or whether it will be in Iran.

"I won't decide where it will take place," he said. "It's history that will decide for me."

In contrast, "A Touch of Sin" feels strongly political. Made up of four linked episodes focusing on uprooted citizens of the new China, its story lines have been ripped from the headlines. There's a villager driven to violence by official corruption; an amoral killer roaming the land; a factory worker driven to suicide.

Jia ? whose film "24 City" played at Cannes in 2008 ? said he became preoccupied by the increasingly frequent stories of violence he saw in the media, and wanted to dramatize the stories for Chinese moviegoers.

"In society people often hear about these violent events, but they quickly forget," he said. "It's not by turning your back on violence or hiding violence that you make progress."

Jia said he didn't think the topics he depicted "are particularly touchy or secretive in any way, because they were already covered in the Chinese press and on the Internet."

But the director also was careful to stress ? and the censors no doubt happy to hear ? that the stories were timeless, not the product of modern politics, economics or technology.

"If these people were alive 100, 200, 300 years ago, at the time of the emperors, their motivation for acting like that would be exactly the same," he said. "We live in the era of the Internet and high-speed trains, but have people changed?"

___

Jill Lawless can be reached at http://Twitter.com/JillLawless

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/irans-farhadi-chinas-jia-cannes-splash-191949870.html

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