DFJ Restructures Firm Partner Network

Back in 1990, then relatively young venture firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson started thinking about how to expand the firm's presence outside of Silicon Valley and share ideas and diligence with other VCs in the industry. DFJ created a partner network of independent VC firms across the globe that adopted DFJ branding. It was the closest thing to VC franchising at the time.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/XRIP6xoEEs0/

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Hikers rescued trying to reach 'Into the Wild' bus

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) ? Three hikers, one slowed by an ankle injury, signaled a passing military helicopter with a mirror for rescue from the Alaska wilderness when they tried to reach a bus made famous by the book and movie "Into the Wild," a U.S. Army Alaska official said Friday.

It's the second rescue this summer of people making a pilgrimage to the abandoned Fairbanks city bus situated north of Denali National Park and Preserve.

The rescue, which was first reported by the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, happened Tuesday after the three hikers became stranded by the raging Teklanika River.

A CH-47F Chinook helicopter from Fort Wainwright was on a training mission west of Healy when the hikers spotted it, U.S. Army Alaska spokesman John Pennell said.

"As they were coming along, I guess, the Stampede Trail, the hikers signaled for them with mirrors and other stuff," Pennell said.

The helicopter, piloted by Chief Warrant Officer Rafael Calderia, landed and checked the hikers.

"One of the females had a twisted ankle, but I guess what was really keeping them in place was the water level of the Teklanika River," Pennell said.

The hikers told the members of the U.S. Army Alaska Aviation Task Force that they had crossed the river on Monday, but water levels had risen within a day to impassable conditions. They also had run out of food on Sunday.

The military crew assessed the situation, and the helicopter returned to Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks to refuel and to receive permission from the state's Rescue Coronation Center to take the hikers out.

The clearance was given to pick up the hikers.

"They loaded them onto the Chinook and flew them out to where their car was parked on Stampede Road and told them, 'Go report it,'" he said.

Pennell said recently a military crew rescued people from a plane crash after they were contacted by radio, but using mirrors is a different story.

"I would imagine it's fairly out of the ordinary," he said.

The hikers reported the incident as instructed to Alaska State Troopers, who encouraged them to take Nichole Pickering, 25, of Florida, to a nearby clinic to check her leg injury.

In May, three German hikers trying to reach the bus on the Stampede Trail, near Healy, located about 10 miles north of the entrance to Denali National Park and Preserve on the Parks Highway, also had to be rescued.

They told troopers the river they crossed getting to the bus had become impassable for the return due to high, swift-running water. The hikers had proper gear but only enough food for three days, troopers said.

Troopers flew the three hikers to their vehicle at the end of Stampede Road.

The green and white bus, used for years as a shelter for hunters, has become a destination for those seeking to retrace the steps of Chris McCandless.

"The Bus," as it has become known, has been the source of multiple rescues since it was made famous, first by Jon Krakauer's book published in 1996 and then by Sean Penn's 2007 film, both of which chronicled the life and death of McCandless, a 24-year-old Virginian who hiked into the Alaska wilderness in April 1992 with little food and equipment and spent the summer living in the bus. McCandless was found dead in the bus almost four months later after starving to death.

Since the book and movie came out, troopers have rescued numerous hikers who hiked out to the bus but could not return due to high water in the Teklanika River. A woman from Switzerland drowned in the river three years ago on the trail to the bus, but it was unclear whether she was hiking to the bus or just hiking in the area.

Alaska State Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters says the bus is a destination like anywhere else in Alaska, and noted they have been involved in farm more rescues of people trying to hike Flattop Mountain in Anchorage.

Like anything else, some people are fine, others have issues.

Getting rid of the bus wouldn't help.

"Even if you remove the bus, I'm pretty confident somebody would do some kind of makeshift memorial or people would just go out there anyway," Peters said. "And it's one of those things whether it doesn't matter whether it's a structure or not, it's the infamy."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hikers-rescued-trying-reach-wild-bus-164000442.html

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Leap Motion Teardown: Magic Made Simply

The motion-controlled, hover-hands future isn't quite here yet, but we've used a Leap Motion and we can tell you first hand that it's damned awesome. But what's inside that little box of magic? A developer at SparkFun electronics dove inside to find out. The guts are surprisingly modest.

Inside the tiny box's brushed-aluminum shell sit a pair of circular CMOS sensors that gaze out like a pair of googly eyes, both required for the device's stereoscopic vision; it fails if you cover one up. But otherwise, the gadget's innards suggest that almost all of the heavy lifting is being done on the PC side, with software. The Leap Motion itself if just watching your hands intently and sending all that data over to the computer as fast as it possibly can.

The little box with eyes will be hitting store shelves on July 29th for $80, or in your mailbox July 22nd if you pre-ordered. And that's when we'll get a chance to really dig in deep and see what kind of tricks the software side of this sucker can pull off. You can hop over to SparkFun to learn more about the nitty-gritty details. [SparkFun]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/leap-motion-teardown-magic-made-simply-608132248

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Report: Facebook's Testing a New Group Chat Feature

Hoping to compete against Apple's iMessages, Google's Hangouts and apps like WhatsApp, Facebook is reportedly testing a new chat room feature that would allow for hosted group chats on the web.

According to TechCrunch, the new feature called Host Chat may be launched directly from the status bar, where you currently update your status or add videos and photos. The hosted chat is said to be open-ended in the sense that anyone can jump in or out, unless the admin decides to keep it private. Otherwise, you might see that your friends are camped out in a chat room in your newsfeed and you're free to enter into whatever discussion is happening. It sounds like an extension of the chat feature already employed in Groups, and might also look just like the current Facebook messenger window.

While Facebook has confirmed that it is testing this feature to a limited number of users, it might not ever see the light of day. If deployed to the masses, however, it could help boost user engagement. Besides, who doesn't want yet another Facebook app on their phone? [TechCrunch]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/report-facebooks-testing-a-new-group-chat-feature-598255892

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Perry, filibuster star clash over Texas abortions

GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) ? Gov. Rick Perry on Thursday admonished the star of a Democratic filibuster that helped kill new Texas abortion restrictions, saying state Sen. Wendy Davis' rise from a tough upbringing to Harvard Law graduate should have taught her the value of each human life.

The Republican governor expanded on those remarks later, publicly wondering what might have happened if Davis' own mother had undergone an abortion rather than carry her child to term.

Davis, a Fort Worth Democrat, shot back that Perry's statement "tarnishes the high office he holds."

Before the white-hot battle over abortion in the nation's second-largest state turned personal, Davis staged a marathon filibuster Tuesday helping to defeat an omnibus bill that would have further limited abortions in a place where it's already difficult to undergo them. But Perry called lawmakers back for a second special session next week to try and finish the job.

"Who are we to say that children born in the worst of circumstances can't lead successful lives?" Perry said in a speech to nearly 1,000 delegates at the National Right to Life Conference in suburban Dallas. "Even the woman who filibustered the Senate the other day was born into difficult circumstances."

Davis, 50, has rocketed to sudden, national political stardom thanks to donning pink running shoes and delivering the marathon speech on the floor of the state Senate.

She started working at age 14 to help support a household of her single mother and three siblings. By 19, she was already married and divorced with a child of her own, but she eventually graduated with honors from Harvard Law School and won her Senate seat in an upset.

Davis' surge in popularity came as no surprise to Texas Democrats, who chose her as the face of the battle to block the bill. Since arriving at the Texas Capitol, she has earned derision and respect for her ability to dissect a complex bill and make her opponents squirm under tough questioning.

Perry pointed out Davis' personal history in his speech, adding "it's just unfortunate that she hasn't learned from her own example that every life must be given a chance to realize its full potential and that every life matters."

In comments to reporters afterward, he went even further.

"I'm proud that she's been able to take advantage of her intellect and her hard work, but she didn't come from particularly good circumstances," the governor said. "What if her mom had said, 'I just can't do this. I don't want to do this.' At that particular point in time I think it becomes very personal."

Davis quickly fired off an email blasting Perry's comments.

"They are small words that reflect a dark and negative point of view," she said. "Our governor should reflect our Texas values. Sadly, Gov. Perry fails that test."

Davis' supporters argued Perry never would have made such suggestions to a male politician.

"Rick Perry's remarks are incredibly condescending and insulting to women," Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said in a statement. "This is exactly why the vast majority of Texans believe that politicians shouldn't be involved in a woman's personal health care decisions."

The Texas Legislature adjourned May 27, but Perry called legislators into a first 30-day special session to pass stricter limits on abortion, including banning the procedure after 20 weeks of pregnancy. But with the extra session set to end at midnight on Tuesday, Davis was on her feet for more than 12 hours ? speaking most of that time ? as Senate Democrats attempted a filibuster.

Just before the final gavel, Republican lawmakers silenced her for addressing a topic other than the bill she was opposing ? only to have hundreds of abortion rights activists cheer so loudly from the public gallery that all business in the chamber halted until it was too late.

Perry, a conservative and devout Christian, has put the abortion measure at the top of the agenda for the second special session, which begins Monday. It would force many clinics that perform abortions to upgrade their facilities to be classified as ambulatory surgical centers. Doctors also would be required to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles.

Opponents say such improvements are so expensive that only five of Texas' 42 abortion clinics would remain in operation.

Abortion rights groups have promised to respond with more protests, including one scheduled Monday for the state Capitol. Perry, meanwhile, called those who oppose abortion to action, telling the conference, "the world has seen images of pro-abortion activists screaming, cheering. Going forward, we have to match their intensity."

Adding intrigue to his grudge match with Davis is the fact that Perry had been expected to announce this week if he will seek a fourth full term as governor next year. But he said Thursday that announcement will now be delayed until lawmakers can finish the extra work he's given them.

Davis is up for re-election too next year, but had been urged by Democratic operatives even before her filibuster to consider running for governor.

She has acknowledged mulling a run for statewide office but says she wants to wait for the right time. A Democrat hasn't won such a post in Texas since 1994, and the state Democratic Party would face a major challenge establishing the organization or infrastructure necessary to deliver enough votes.

Asked what he thought of Davis as a possible gubernatorial candidate, Perry shrugged and said: "I don't have a clue."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/perry-filibuster-star-clash-over-texas-abortions-175240836.html

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FCC listing exposes new Roku Streaming Stick remote with audio out

Roku introduced a new remote with audio out for its third-generation player, and an FCC filing reveals its Streaming Stick will get the same treatment soon. The new remote adds a headphone out and... that's it, since the Streaming Stick already used WiFi Direct for communication and control. Users shouldn't notice much difference however, in our review the batteries lasted for hours even with headphones plugged in. How does this revised unit align with Roku's plans to become the front end for your TV? We're not sure yet, but it appears the dongle is still a part of its plans.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/27/roku-streaming-stick-remote-audio-out/

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Poppy Hands On: Turn Your iPhone into a 21st Century View-Master

The Fisher-Price View-Master has entertained generations of kids with stereoscopic views of famous landmarks and cartoon characters since its advent in 1939. Problem was, these iconic gadgets could only display images, never record them. But the Poppy can. It turns your iPhone into a 3D camera.

The Poppy generates a pair of stereographic images from the iPhone's camera and recombines them into a 3D image when seen through the viewfinder. You just flip open the front end, slip your iPhone 4/4s/5 or iPod Touch into the slot on the top of the device and you're ready to go. And in addition to recording 3D content through the phone's camera, it can also be used to play back 3D content as well (such as the growing number of 3D trailers and user-generated content on YouTube).

I had the opportunity to sit down with Poppy co-creators, Ethan Lowry and Joe Heitzeberg, last week for a quick hands on ahead of the $50 product's Kickstarter launch and played with the Poppy for about 20 minutes. The device seemed a bit bulky at first blush, especially given that 3D content goes hand in hand with action sports?it's not like you're going to strap this to your face and try to land a triple frontside rodeo 1440. It was, however, surprisingly light and intuitive to use. The image quality for both recording and playback was solid (though that of course depends on your Internet connection and camera settings). The 3D playback feature is especially slick since it doesn't rely on (but can play) red-blue anaglyph 3D, which throws off the video's color. On the downside, this is an iOS accessory as it's built around the iPhone's corner-mounted camera, so Android users are out of luck.

I would gladly take a guided video tour through famous locales or vicariously BASE jump from sky scrapers using the Poppy?at least until I finish growing that spare arm and leg the Oculus Rift is going to cost me.

Source: http://gizmodo.com/poppy-hands-on-turn-your-iphone-into-a-21st-century-vi-576130963

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Hortonworks Raises $50M For Expansion And Development In Growing Hadoop Oriented Data Analytics Market

Hortonworks announced on its blog this morning that it has raised $50 million in new financing to accelerate the growth and development of its Hadoop distribution for data analytics and the application in operations and transaction-based systems. The investment was led by new investors Tenaya Capital and Dragoneer Investment Group, with participation from existing investors Benchmark Capital, Index Ventures and Yahoo!

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

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High court gay marriage decisions due Wednesday

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Supreme Court is meeting to deliver opinions in two cases that could dramatically alter the rights of gay people across the United States.

The justices are expected to decide their first-ever cases about gay marriage Wednesday in their last session before the court's summer break.

The issues before the court are California's constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which denies legally married gay Americans a range of tax, health and pension benefits otherwise available to married couples.

The broadest possible ruling would give gay Americans the same constitutional right to marry as heterosexuals. But several narrower paths also are available, including technical legal outcomes in which the court could end up saying very little about same-sex marriage.

If the court overturns California's Proposition 8 or allows lower court rulings that struck down the ban to stand, it will take about a month for same-sex weddings to resume for the first time since 2008, San Francisco officials have said.

The high court rulings are arriving amid rapid change regarding gay marriage. The number of states permitting same-sex partners to wed has doubled from six to 12 in less than a year, with voter approval in three states in November, followed by legislative endorsement in three others in the spring.

At the same time, an effort to legalize gay marriage in Illinois stalled before the state's legislative session ended last month. And 30 states have same-sex marriage bans enshrined in their constitutions.

Massachusetts was the first state to allow same-sex couples to marry, in 2004. Same-sex marriage also is legal, or soon will be, in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

Roughly 18,000 same-sex couples got married in California in less than five months in 2008, after the California Supreme Court struck down a state code provision prohibiting gay unions.

California voters approved Proposition 8 in November of that year, writing the ban into the state constitution.

Two same-sex couples challenged the provision as unconstitutional and federal courts in California agreed.

The federal marriage law, known by its acronym DOMA, defines marriage as between a man and a woman for the purpose of deciding who can receive a range of federal benefits. Another provision not being challenged for the time being allows states to withhold recognition of same-sex marriages from other states.

DOMA easily passed Congress and was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996, the year of his re-election.

Several federal district and appeals courts struck down the provision. In 2011, the Obama administration abandoned its defense of the law but continued to enforce it. House Republicans are now defending DOMA in the courts. President Barack Obama subsequently endorsed gay marriage in 2012.

The justices chose for their review the case of 83-year-old Edith Windsor of New York, who sued to challenge a $363,000 federal estate tax bill after her partner of 44 years died in 2009.

Windsor, who goes by Edie, married Thea Spyer in 2007 after doctors told them Spyer would not live much longer. She suffered from multiple sclerosis for many years. Spyer left everything she had to Windsor.

Windsor would have paid nothing in inheritance taxes if she had been married to a man.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/high-court-gay-marriage-decisions-due-wednesday-071439132.html

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Pleasure response from chocolate: You can see it in the eyes

June 24, 2013 ? The brain's pleasure response to tasting food can be measured through the eyes using a common, low-cost ophthalmological tool, according to a study just published in the journal Obesity. If validated, this method could be useful for research and clinical applications in food addiction and obesity prevention.

Dr. Jennifer Nasser, an associate professor in the department of Nutrition Sciences in Drexel University's College of Nursing and Health Professions, led the study testing the use of electroretinography (ERG) to indicate increases in the neurotransmitter dopamine in the retina.

Dopamine is associated with a variety of pleasure-related effects in the brain, including the expectation of reward. In the eye's retina, dopamine is released when the optical nerve activates in response to light exposure.

Nasser and her colleagues found that electrical signals in the retina spiked high in response to a flash of light when a food stimulus (a small piece of chocolate brownie) was placed in participants' mouths. The increase was as great as that seen when participants had received the stimulant drug methylphenidate to induce a strong dopamine response. These responses in the presence of food and drug stimuli were each significantly greater than the response to light when participants ingested a control substance, water.

"What makes this so exciting is that the eye's dopamine system was considered separate from the rest of the brain's dopamine system," Nasser said. "So most people- and indeed many retinography experts told me this- would say that tasting a food that stimulates the brain's dopamine system wouldn't have an effect on the eye's dopamine system."

This study was a small-scale demonstration of the concept, with only nine participants. Most participants were overweight but none had eating disorders. All fasted for four hours before testing with the food stimulus.

If this technique is validated through additional and larger studies, Nasser said she and other researchers can use ERG for studies of food addiction and food science.

"My research takes a pharmacology approach to the brain's response to food," Nasser said. "Food is both a nutrient delivery system and a pleasure delivery system, and a 'side effect' is excess calories. I want to maximize the pleasure and nutritional value of food but minimize the side effects. We need more user-friendly tools to do that."

The low cost and ease of performing electroretinography make it an appealing method, according to Nasser. The Medicare reimbursement cost for clinical use of ERG is about $150 per session, and each session generates 200 scans in just two minutes. Procedures to measure dopamine responses directly from the brain are more expensive and invasive. For example, PET scanning costs about $2,000 per session and takes more than an hour to generate a scan.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/sP3xYVux-9w/130624111014.htm

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Paula Deen re-commits to 'Today'

By Tim Molloy

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Paula Deen has agreed to do the "Today" show Wednesday, Matt Lauer said Monday morning, three days after she backed out of an appearance and was subsequently dropped from the Food Network following her admission to using the N-word.

"She has told us she will be here this time," Lauer said on the air Monday.

Deen's representatives cited "exhaustion" as she backed out at the last minute Friday from addressing her admission in a deposition last month that she has used the N-word in the past.

Deen, 66, and her brother are being sued by a former employee at their Savannah, Ga., restaurant who claims Deen's brother subjected her to sexist, racist and violent behavior. She accused Deen of using the word as recently as in 2007, while discussing an idea for a "plantation"-style wedding.

Deen denied using the word then, but conceded that she had used it previously: once to refer to a man who held her at gunpoint, and to recount conversations between African-Americans who used the word.

But she said in the deposition that times have changed and she no longer uses the word. Her representatives said in a statement Thursday that her use of it in the past was the result of growing up in the South 60 years ago. Then Deen offered a videotaped apology Friday.

But that wasn't enough for the Food Network. It announced Friday afternoon that it would not renew her contract when it ends this month.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/paula-deen-commits-today-180512737.html

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Syria says rebels will take years to match army's strength

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A decision by Western and Arab countries to arm rebels fighting to topple Syria's President Bashar al-Assad poses a danger to peace talks, the Syrian foreign minister said on Monday.

Walid al-Moualem told a news conference in Damascus that the opposition had little hope of matching the Syrian army's strength despite a pledge by the states that make up the "Friends of Syria" to increase military support to the rebels.

"If they expect or fantasize that they can create a balance of power, I think they will need to wait years for that to happen," he said during the televised news conference.

Western and Arab countries as well as Turkey, who have thrown their weight behind the opposition, said their decision to arm the rebels was to rebalance the conflict in which more than 93,000 people have been killed, most of them civilians.

Assad is seen as having gained momentum, seizing a strategic town near the Lebanese border which helps him cement control between the capital Damascus and his stronghold on the Mediterranean coast.

Moualem said that a move towards openly giving military support to the rebels would encourage terrorism and that radical Islamist groups linked to al Qaeda would benefit the most.

"The decision in Doha is dangerous...because it aims to prolong the crisis, to extend the violence and the killing, and to encourage the terrorists to carry out their crimes," he said.

The United States and Russia are planning a peace conference in Geneva between the opposition and Assad's government.

"Arming the opposition will obstruct Geneva. Arming the opposition will kill more of our people," Moualem said. "We head to Geneva not to hand over power to another side.

"Whoever on the other side imagines this, I advise them not to go to Geneva."

The government was willing to discuss forming a broad-based government of national unity in Geneva, he added.

The Syrian conflict began as peaceful protests against four decades of Assad family rule, but descended into a civil war that has drawn in foreign fighters to both sides of the fight, increasing regional ethnic and sectarian tensions.

Syria's opposition, led mostly by the Sunni Muslim majority, has attracted foreign Islamist fighters. Shi'ites from Iraq and Lebanon have joined the fight on the side of Assad, who is from the minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam.

Moualem said Syria wanted a ceasefire in order to hold talks at Geneva.

"We are insistent that if Geneva is held there must be a ceasefire, and we are ready to study mechanisms for observing it on the basis that neighboring states abide, by halting training, arming and financing and sending them to Syrian territory," he said.

In Brussels, a European Union report said the bloc should support a political settlement but also ease sanctions to help people in rebel-held areas, following steps to exempt the rebels from oil and banking sanctions.

The report from the EU's executive Commission and foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton also said the two-year-old Syrian conflict and a refugee exodus were putting severe strain on Syria's neighbors, threatening the internal stability of Lebanon and Jordan,

Having taken in more than half a million refugees, Lebanon authorities were unable to cope alone, the report said.

"It is imperative to shield the country from the efforts of some of the local and regional actors to wage the Syrian struggle on Lebanese soil," it said.

Lebanon has suffered growing violence at home as the conflict turns into a proxy war along sectarian lines. Lebanon's Hezbollah Shi'ite militia has joined the war on Assad's side.

(Reporting by Erika Solomon; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/syria-says-rebels-years-match-armys-strength-123228650.html

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Taliban attack presidential palace in Kabul

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? Suicide attackers set up a car bomb and battled security forces outside Afghanistan's presidential palace Tuesday after infiltrating one of the most secure areas of the capital. All the attackers were killed and one palace security guard was wounded, officials said.

Elsewhere, a minibus hit a bomb buried in the road in southern Afghanistan, killing 11 members of a family, said Kandahar governor's spokesman Ahmad Jawed Faisal. Faisal said the dead included eight women, two children and a man, and two other men were also wounded.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the Kabul palace attack, which came as reporters were gathering for a news event on Afghan youth at which President Hamid Karzai was expected to talk about ongoing efforts to open peace talks with the militant group.

The palace is in a large fortified area of downtown Kabul that also includes the U.S. Embassy and the headquarters for the NATO-led coalition forces. Access is heavily restricted. It houses Karzai's residence but it was not immediately clear whether the president was in the building at the time and his spokesman did not answer his phone.

Gunfire started around 6:30 a.m. inside a heavily guarded area near the east gate leading to the palace next to the Afghan Ministry of Defense and the former Ariana Hotel, which former U.S. intelligence officials have confirmed is used by the CIA.

Kabul police chief Gen. Mohamad Ayub Salangi said three or four gunmen jumped out of their SUV and opened fire after being stopped by security forces while trying to use fake documents to get through a checkpoint. All gunmen were killed, and one palace security guard was wounded, he said.

A car bomb then exploded as it tried to enter the area. About 20 journalists took cover behind a religious shrine, pulling a schoolboy off the street who had been caught in the open on his way to school.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility, saying in a text message the militants had "brought death to the enemy" with a suicide attack. He later suggested in an emailed statement that all three buildings had been targeted, saying the attack came "near the Ariana Hotel, the important CIA base, and also the presidential palace and Ministry of Defense."

Smoke could be seen coming from the area of the hotel, but there was no immediate indication any of the buildings were hit in the attack.

Mujahid claimed the attackers had inflicted "heavy casualties," but Afghanistan's Kabul division army commander Gen. Kadam Shah Shahim said he knew of no deaths among security forces or civilians.

He said his forces killed all of the attackers after they jumped out of their vehicle and opened fire.

The NATO-led coalition in Afghanistan instituted a camp lockdown during the incident and said in a short statement that its forces had been ready to assist but were not called in by Afghan authorities.

The U.S. Embassy cancelled all consular appointments and advised American citizens in Kabul to stay indoors but had no immediate comment on the incident.

The Taliban have indicated they are willing to open peace talks with the U.S. and the Afghanistan government and just last week opened an office in Qatar for possible negotiations.

But at the same time they have not renounced violence and attacks have continued across Afghanistan.

_____

Associated Press writers David Rising and Amir Shah contributed to this report

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/taliban-attack-presidential-palace-kabul-070200930.html

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Flight to Cuba for which Snowden booked departs

A TV screen shows a news report of Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee who leaked top-secret documents about sweeping U.S. surveillance programs, at a shopping mall in Hong Kong Sunday, June 23, 2013. The former National Security Agency contractor wanted by the United States for revealing two highly classified surveillance programs has been allowed to leave for a "third country" because a U.S. extradition request did not fully comply with Hong Kong law, the territory's government said Sunday. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

A TV screen shows a news report of Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee who leaked top-secret documents about sweeping U.S. surveillance programs, at a shopping mall in Hong Kong Sunday, June 23, 2013. The former National Security Agency contractor wanted by the United States for revealing two highly classified surveillance programs has been allowed to leave for a "third country" because a U.S. extradition request did not fully comply with Hong Kong law, the territory's government said Sunday. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

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Journalists show passengers arriving from Hong Kong a tablet with a photo of Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee who leaked top-secret documents about sweeping U.S. surveillance programs, at Sheremetyevo airport, just outside Moscow, Russia, Sunday, June 23, 2013. The former National Security Agency contractor wanted by the United States for revealing two highly classified surveillance programs has been allowed to leave for a "third country" because a U.S. extradition request did not fully comply with Hong Kong law, the territory's government said Sunday. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

FILE - In this June 21, 2013 file photo, a banner supporting Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee who leaked top-secret documents about sweeping U.S. surveillance programs, is displayed at Central, Hong Kong's business district. The Hong Kong government says Snowden wanted by the U.S. for revealing two highly classified surveillance programs has left for a "third country." The South China Morning Post reported Sunday, June 23, 2013 that Snowden was on a plane for Moscow, but that Russia was not his final destination. Snowden has talked of seeking asylum in Iceland. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

Ecuador's Foreign Mister Ricardo Patino speaks to reporters at a hotel during his visit to Vietnam Monday, June 24, 2013. Patino said that his government is analyzing an asylum request from Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor wanted for revealing classified secrets. (AP Photo/Tran Van Minh)

MOSCOW (AP) ? A plane took off from Moscow Monday headed for Cuba, but the seat booked by National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden was empty, and there was no sign of him elsewhere on board.

An Aeroflot representative who wouldn't give her name told The Associated Press that Snowden wasn't on flight SU150 to Havana. AP reporters on the flight couldn't see him.

The Interfax news agency also quoted an unidentified Russian security source in Moscow as saying that Snowden wasn't on the plane.

The airline said earlier Snowden registered for the flight using his U.S. passport, which American officials say has been annulled.

Snowden arrived in Moscow on Sunday from Hong Kong, where he had been hiding for several weeks to evade U.S. justice. Ecuador is considering Snowden's asylum application.

After spending a night in Moscow's airport, the former National Security Agency contractor ? and admitted leaker of state secrets ? had been expected to fly to Cuba and Venezuela en route to possible asylum in Ecuador.

Snowden, also a former CIA technician, fled Hong Kong to dodge U.S. efforts to extradite him on espionage charges. Ecuador's Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said his government had received an asylum request, adding Monday that the decision "has to do with freedom of expression and with the security of citizens around the world." The anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks also said it would help Snowden.

Ecuador has rejected the United States' previous efforts at cooperation, and has been helping WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange avoid prosecution by allowing him to stay at its embassy in London.

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

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

The Justice Department rejected that claim, saying its request met all of the requirements of the extradition treaty between the U.S. and Hong Kong. During conversations last week, including a phone call Wednesday between Attorney General Eric Holder and Hong Kong Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen, Hong Kong officials never raised any issues regarding sufficiency of the U.S. request, a Justice representative said.

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

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

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

Still, the United States is likely to have problems interrupting Snowden's passage. The United States does not have an extradition treaty with Russia, but does with Cuba, Venezuela and Ecuador. Even with an extradition agreement though, any country could give Snowden a political exemption.

The likelihood that any of these countries would stop Snowden from traveling on to Ecuador seemed remote. While diplomatic tensions have thawed in recent years, Cuba and the United States are hardly allies after a half-century of distrust. Another country that could see Snowden pass through, Venezuela, could prove difficult, as well. Former President Hugo Chavez was a sworn enemy of the United States and his successor, Nicolas Maduro, earlier this year called President Barack Obama "grand chief of devils." The two countries do not exchange ambassadors.

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

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

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

Snowden has perhaps more than 200 sensitive documents, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on CBS' "Face the Nation."

___

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

___

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

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-06-24-NSA-Surveillance-Snowden/id-d89f11e3dc3244fb986ab4c3eeb71323

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Funeral plans set for actor James Gandolfini

NEW YORK (AP) ? Funeral services for actor James Gandolfini will be Thursday at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in New York City.

An HBO spokeswoman speaking on behalf of the family says the funeral is scheduled for 10 a.m.

The 51-year-old star of "The Sopranos" died Wednesday in Rome. Family spokesman Michael Kobold says Gandolfini died of a heart attack.

Port Authority of New York & New Jersey spokesman Steve Coleman tells the Star-Ledger of Newark that a Signature Airlines flight carrying Gandolfini's body arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport from Rome Sunday night. The body was taken from the airport around 11:20 p.m. but Colman did not say where.

The actor had been headed to Sicily to appear at the Taormina Film Festival, which paid tribute to him Saturday.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/funeral-plans-set-actor-james-gandolfini-233347225.html

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FAA moving toward easing electronic device use

FILE - This Feb. 23, 2011 file photo shows United Airlines planes taxing at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco. The government is moving toward easing restrictions on the use of electronic devices by airline passengers during taxiing, takeoffs and landings. An industry-labor advisory committee was expected to make recommendations next month to the Federal Aviation Administration on easing the restrictions, but the FAA said Friday that deadline has been extended to September. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)

FILE - This Feb. 23, 2011 file photo shows United Airlines planes taxing at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco. The government is moving toward easing restrictions on the use of electronic devices by airline passengers during taxiing, takeoffs and landings. An industry-labor advisory committee was expected to make recommendations next month to the Federal Aviation Administration on easing the restrictions, but the FAA said Friday that deadline has been extended to September. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Relief may be on the way for airline passengers who can't bear to be separated even briefly from their personal electronic devices. The government is moving toward allowing gate-to-gate use of music players, tablets, laptops, smartphones and other gadgets, although it may take a few months.

Restrictions on cellphone calls and Internet use and transmission are not expected to be changed.

An industry-labor advisory committee was supposed to make recommendations next month to the Federal Aviation Administration on easing restrictions on using electronic devices during takeoffs and landings. But the agency said in a statement Friday the deadline has been extended to September because committee members asked for extra time to finish assessing whether it's safe to lift restrictions.

"The FAA recognizes consumers are intensely interested in the use of personal electronics aboard aircraft; that is why we tasked a government-industry group to examine the safety issues and the feasibility of changing the current restrictions," the statement said.

The agency is under public and political pressure to ease the restrictions as more people bring their devices with them when they fly in order to read e-books, listen to music, watch videos, and get work done.

Technically, the FAA doesn't bar use of electronic devices when aircraft are below 10,000 feet. But under FAA rules, airlines that want to let passengers use the devices are faced with a practical impossibility ? they would have to show that they've tested every type and make of device passengers would use to ensure there is no electromagnetic interference with aircraft radios and electrical and electronic systems.

As a result, U.S. airlines simply bar all electric device use below 10,000 feet. Airline accidents are most likely to occur during takeoffs, landings and taxiing.

Using cellphones to make calls on planes is regulated by the Federal Communications Commission. There is concern that making calls from fast-flying planes might strain cellular systems, interfering with service on the ground. There is also the potential annoyance factor ? whether passengers will be unhappy if they have to listen to other passengers yakking on the phone.

The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that a draft report by the advisory committee indicates its 28 members have reached a consensus that at least some of the current restrictions should be eased.

A member of the committee told The Associated Press that while the draft report is an attempt to reach consensus, no formal agreement has yet been reached. The member was not authorized to discuss the committee's private deliberations and requested anonymity.

There are also still safety concerns, the member said. The electrical interference generated by today's devices is much lower than those of a decade ago, but many more passengers today are carrying electronics.

Any plan to allow gate-to-gate electronic use would also come with certification processes for new and existing aircraft to ensure that they are built or modified to mitigate those risks. Steps to be taken could include ensuring that all navigational antennas are angled away from the plane's doors and windows. Planes that are already certified for Wi-Fi would probably be more easily certified.

Although the restrictions have been broadly criticized as unnecessary, committee members saw value in them.

One of the considerations being weighed is whether some heavier devices like laptops should continue to be restricted because they might become dangerous projectiles, hurting other passengers during a crash, the committee member said. There is less concern about tablets and other lighter devices.

FAA officials would still have the final say. An official familiar with FAA's efforts on the issue said agency officials would like to find a way to allow passengers to use electronic devices during takeoffs and landings the same way they're already allowed to use them when planes are cruising above 10,000 feet. The official requested anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak by name.

FAA Administrator Michael Huerta told a Senate panel in April that he convened the advisory committee in the hope of working out changes to the restrictions.

"It's good to see the FAA may be on the verge of acknowledging what the traveling public has suspected for years ? that current rules are arbitrary and lack real justification," Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., one of Congress' more outspoken critics of the restrictions, said in a statement. She contends that unless scientific evidence can be presented to justify the restrictions, they should be lifted.

Edward Pizzarello, the co-founder of frequent flier discussion site MilePoint, says lifting the restriction is "long overdue."

"I actually feel like this regulation has been toughest on flight attendants. Nobody wants to shut off their phone, and the flight attendants are always left to be the bad guys and gals," said Pizzarello, 38, of Leesburg, Va.

Actor Alec Baldwin became the face of passenger frustration with the restrictions in 2011 when he was kicked off a New York-bound flight in Los Angeles for refusing to turn off his cellphone. Baldwin later issued an apology to fellow American Airlines passengers who were delayed, but mocked the flight attendant on Twitter.

"I just hope they do the sensible thing and don't allow people to talk on their cellphones during flight," said Pizzarello, who flies 150,000 to 200,000 miles a year. "There are plenty of people that don't have the social skills necessary to make a phone call on a plane without annoying the people around them. Some things are better left alone."

___

Mayerowitz reported from New York.

___

Follow Joan Lowy on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AP_Joan_Lowy

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-06-22-Cellphones-Planes/id-8c15556d2f694e779e0bd018e3c6e952

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RolePlayGateway?

General Nuzlocke Deatails...

Nuzlocke:
If you are unaware of what exactly a "Nuzlocke Run" is I will be glad to tell you
1. You may only catch one Pokemon per area of the game.
2. If a pokemon faints, It is dead and may never be used again.
3. You may not catch more than one of the same species of pokemon.
4. All pokemon must be nicknamed.

I urge you to look up nuzloke comics. They are very enjoyable. I recomend Petty's nuzlocke as well as the original "Pokemon Hard-Mode"

General Storyline:
Red has retired to Evergrande City. His Pokemon have all been killed except for Pikachu. He teaches in a University there, teaching history. One day a number of his best students get together and decide that his lessons are too important to ignore, and choose to help fix the problem plaguing the Kanto Region. The students come from all over the world. Most from Hoenn, but many travelled from Johto, Sinnoh, and Unova. None are from Kanto.

They ask Red to help them get to Kanto to investigate the mystery, as well as a powerful pseudo monarch named Daimon. I will not divulgeany more aspects of the story just yet.

See me as the announcer from any Pokemon game. The text that reads "Congratulations.... or Youve recieved the ... badge" I wll be filling that role.

Starting Pokemon:
Every character will start with at least three pokemon including your starter. You may have any Pokemon from the region your OC was born in. This obviously excludes Leendaries. The maximum starting level of any pokemon is 30. You will level up during the roleplay. Starters include any starter you could get from that particular region. Ralts, Pikachu, and Eevee may not be starters. Starters will be first come first served, if you miss your favorite starter, bad luck, pick another. No shinies at the start. I will give a list of Off Limits pokemon until later on in the Roleplay, to keep everthing paced I dont want you to have too many powerful pokemon yet. You will be able to get these pokemon later.

Off Limits For EVER:
Mew, Mewtwo, Moltres, Zapdos, Articuno
Lugia, Ho-Oh, Entei, Suicune, Raiku, Celebi
Groudon, Kyogre, Rayquaza, Regice, Registeel, Regirock, Deoxys, Jirachi, Latios, Latias
Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, Cryselia, Darkrai, Heatran, Regigigas, Manaphy, Shaymin, Uxie, Mespirit, Azelf, Rotom, Arceus, Phione
Victini, Cobalion, Terrakion, Virizion, Tornadus, Thunderus, Landorus, Keldeo, Reshiram, Zekrom, Kyurem, Meloetta, Genesect, Zorua, Zoroark

Off Limits for now.
Dratini, Dragonair, Dragonite, Lapras
Larvitar, Pupitar, Tyranitar,
Aron, Lairon, Aggron, Bagon, Shelgon, Salamence, Beldum, Metang, Metagross
Spiritomb, Gible, Gabite, Garchomp, Deino, Zweilous, Hydregion

Deaths:
You will all lose pokemon. Dont be upset with me or anyone else, Its a nuzlocke, Itll happen. Heres how its going to happen.
1. You get to a part in the story where I think its time for someone to die.
2. I'll post a narration, stalling posts concerning this character until the Roleplayer and discuss things.
3. I'll Pm you asking "Pick one or Pick half" This means you pick one Pokemon for me to kill, or you pick half of your team to be granted immunity and I choose who dies from the rest of your team. If you have an odd number of pokemon you get to pick the majority.
Ex. You have five, I Pm you. You get to pick three to save or one to die.
4. I post, killing your pokemon.
5. you post. We all go on our merry way, and your chacter gets to mourn.

At certain points I will kill more than one of your pokemon. Not often. Only in very imporant battles. Everything will go the same, except you will post in between the death posts switching out your pokemon so the next one to die is out in the battle.

Dont worry, I wont go power hungry and kill a pokemon every twenty minutes. I will base deaths on the trainers age, skill, personality, and strategy.

Battles:
When battles occur that will directly affect the story I will post a stalling post, and in the OOC im going to tell you who is going to win the battle. This is to avoid the potential godmodding pokemon battles sometimes offer. Remember, this is only going to happen in important battles. Again, Im not power hungry, just trying to maintain my story and keep everything fair. Again, these wins will depend on my judgement of the players strategy, personality, and skill with their pokemon. Remember, you can lose a battle without losing pokemon. Running away is a very viable option.

H.Ms:
Hms do not take up a move spot if your pokemon could physically do the action without the move. Ex. Scyther may use cut, Lapras may use surf, and Fearow may use fly without the Hm, but cant attack with it.

Items:
All Items are fair game. You may use any item the games offer. Hold Items, potions, status healers, berries... anything you can potentially find in game can be used.

T.Ms:
T.Ms are fair as well, just Pm me and ask me for a Tm. Ill pick one that could benifit your team and place it in the general location of your character. Dont ask me for a specific Tm. I will give you one of my choosing. Dont worry, I wont screw you.

Shops:
Kanto is in shambles, so the PokeMarts dont exist anymore.

Random Pokemon Encounters:
Every so often I will decide to drop a special pokemon into the game. think of it as an "Event Pokemon."
When I do this I will post a Narration. "A "Blank" has Appeared on cycling road." Once i do, everyone should post a number from 1-15 in the OOC. Whoever is the closest to a number I pick without going over will have th chance to catch it.
These pokemon will be specia in many ways. Many will be shiny. Many will have very powerful moves that the pokemon may not usually be able to get. Some will be very rare, maybe another starter for example? An Example- "A shiny Lapras has appeared. There have been reports of it using the move Hydro Cannon."

Capturing:
Because this is a Nuzlocke each Character may only catch one Pokemon per area, and will not be allowed to catch the same one again. I wont deny you a pokemon you want as long as you post that you threw a ball at it. I will post a Narration. "Congratulations So and so has caught a Rattata" Ask me if you arent sure what pokemon are in your area.

Leveling:
I'll read your posts and tell you when I think your Pokemon has leveled up. I will post a narration. "Congratulations so and so has grown to level 16"
Feel free to post that you had a grinding session in some area, but if you do you cant post for a few hours, and wont be able to have another grinding session for a few days. I will gauge how many levels your team grew based on your location, your pokemon levels, your pokemon type, and the amount of time you spent there. So if you spend 3 hours in Viridian Forest ill post. "Congratulations So and so's team has grown two levels." 3 hours minus one because Viridian forest is weak. If your pokemon are more than twenty levels above the pokemon on a route you may not grind there.

Evolving:
When you reach the evolution level of a pokemon feel free to evolve it. If you find a stone, feel free to evolve. I will tell you when I think youve spent enough time with your pokemon for it to evolve from happiness, as well as when to hatch an egg.

Travel:
If you have a bird pokemon you may use Fly, but as in the games, you may only fly to somewhere youve been before. If you have a Water pokemon, you may surf, or if youve taught Surf to a pokemon you may surf.

Moves:
Pokemon can only have up to four moves. Simple

Character Profiles:
Fill them out as youd like. I just require a picture, age, name, history, and personality.
When writing in your pokemon I want it like so.

Picture of pokemon.
Name- "Nickname"
Level
Moves.
Moves.
Moves.
Moves.
hold item

For Pokemon pictures use these Links and find your Pokemon. Just hover over the picture and then click on "img code"
Kanto Pokemon Johto Pokemon Hoenn Pokemon Sinnoh Pokemon Unova Pokemon

*All Sprites Credited to DriftingPillow for usin her Photobucket Account.*

Thats all for now. If I missed something vital, let me know and Ill fix it.

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/RolePlayGateway

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US: Taliban must show good faith in Afghan talks

This photo taken on Thursday, June 20, 2013 shows the new office of the Afghan Taliban in Doha, Qatar after the opening of the office several days ago. The United States on Thursday welcomed Qatar's decision to take down a sign that cast the Taliban's new office in Doha as a rival Afghan embassy saying the militant group can't represent itself "as an emirate, government or sovereign." (AP Photo/Osama Faisal)

This photo taken on Thursday, June 20, 2013 shows the new office of the Afghan Taliban in Doha, Qatar after the opening of the office several days ago. The United States on Thursday welcomed Qatar's decision to take down a sign that cast the Taliban's new office in Doha as a rival Afghan embassy saying the militant group can't represent itself "as an emirate, government or sovereign." (AP Photo/Osama Faisal)

This photo was taken on Thursday, June 20, 2013 shows the Taliban flag visible through a gap in a wall of the new office of the Afghan Taliban in Doha, Qatar after the opening of the office several days ago. The United States on Thursday welcomed Qatar's decision to take down a sign that cast the Taliban's new office in Doha as a rival Afghan embassy saying the militant group can't represent itself "as an emirate, government or sovereign." (AP Photo/Osama Faisal)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, center, greets Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani for their dinner meeting in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday, June 22, 2013. Kerry began an overseas trip plunging into two thorny foreign policy problems facing the Obama administration: unrelenting bloodshed in Syria and efforts to talk to the Taliban and find a political resolution to the war in Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

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

This photo was taken on Thursday, June 20, 2013 shows the Taliban flag visible through a gap in a wall of the new office of the Afghan Taliban in Doha, Qatar after the opening of the office several days ago. The United States on Thursday welcomed Qatar's decision to take down a sign that cast the Taliban's new office in Doha as a rival Afghan embassy saying the militant group can't represent itself "as an emirate, government or sovereign." (AP Photo/Osama Faisal)

DOHA, Qatar (AP) ? The Taliban signaled a willingness to meet demands to keep their flag lowered as the U.S. warned Saturday that their newly opened political office in Qatar might have to be closed as talks aimed at ending nearly 12 years of war in Afghanistan remained in limbo.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the ball was in the Islamic militant movement's court, urging the Taliban to step back from the brink and begin what he called the "difficult" road ahead. He said the main U.S. envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan was in Doha and "waiting to find out whether the Taliban will respond."

The Taliban's office opened Tuesday to much fanfare and a simultaneous announcement that U.S. officials would begin formal talks with Taliban representatives, which eventually would be joined by the Afghan government raised hopes that the long-stalled peace process aimed at ending Washington's longest war could finally begin. But it ran into trouble from the outset when Afghan President Hamid Karzai temporarily withdrew from talks to protest the Taliban's use of its old flag and a sign bearing the name of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which the movement used during its five-year rule that ended in 2001 with the U.S.-led invasion.

After intervention from the Qatar government, the flag was lowered and the sign changed to the "Political Bureau of the Taliban Afghan in Doha." Both the U.S. and the Qataris said the Taliban had agreed on the pre-approved name but violated the pact at the ribbon cutting ceremony.

A Taliban spokesman in Doha, Shaheen Suhail, suggested the Taliban were willing to move forward despite "much anger" among some members over the removal of the name and the lowering of the Taliban flag ? a white flag emblazoned with a Quranic verse in black.

"In the past 12 years, the opening of the political office is the first ray in the direction of peace in Afghanistan," Suhail said. "Those who want real peace in the county should support this move. These are the first days. There should not be high expectations to see everything resolved in one day, nor should there be disappointments."

He told The Associated Press in a telephone call that the U.S. had not contacted the Taliban yet to discuss a meeting.

James Dobbins, U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, arrived in Doha on Saturday.

Kerry, in the Qatari capital for separate talks on Syria's civil war, said the Americans and the Afghan government's High Peace Council were ready, and he encouraged the Taliban to remain in the process.

"Nothing comes easily in this endeavor, we understand that. The road ahead will be difficult, no question about it, if there is a road ahead," he said at a press conference, adding "it's really up to the Taliban to make that choice."

"It remains to be seen in this very first test whether or not the Taliban are prepared to do their part," he said.

Suhail for the first time suggested the Taliban were willing to discuss a cease-fire, as well as the presence of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to train Afghan security forces after the end of the NATO combat mission in 2014. He even agreed to the rights of women being on the table, a nod to fears among women, mostly in Afghanistan's cities, that the Taliban would reinstate restrictive rules such as the mandatory wearing of the all- encompassing burqa. While most women in Afghanistan still wear the burqa, it was law during the Taliban rule. They also did not allow girls to attend school, which they have also backed away from.

"Yes there should be a cease-fire but first you have to talk about how to reach a cease-fire. How can it be done in one day?" he asked. "It can be part of the agenda and discussed, also foreign troops in Afghanistan can be part of the agenda, the general concern of the Afghan people, of the Afghan women can all be part of the agenda. It is only when this process goes forward can we make progress."

The Taliban earlier said they have agreed to free U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl ? a 27-year-old Hailey, Idaho, native who was captured four years ago June 30 in Afghanistan ? in exchange for five Taliban prisoners being held in the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

In Kabul, a member of the government's negotiation team said it was still prepared to begin talks in Qatar and called the removal of the sign and flag was a positive sign.

High Peace Council member Shahzada Shahid said it was too early to say when members of the council would travel to Qatar for talks. "Peace is very important and vital for us so we will take all measures for it," he said.

Meanwhile on the battlefield, 18 Taliban militants were killed Saturday when they attacked a local security post in northern Afghanistan, sparking fighting that also left two Afghan policemen dead, Afghan officials said.

A militant attack also killed a coalition service member in the south on Saturday, NATO said. The statement did not provide a nationality or further details.

____

Gannon reported from Islamabad, Pakistan. Associated Press writers Rahim Faiez and David Rising contributed from Kabul.

___

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

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-06-22-Afghan-Peace%20Talks/id-d518b658625046428e4da1575b074c19

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Ohio GOP agreement calls for larger income tax cut

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Ohio residents could see a 10 percent income tax cut paid for in part by a bump in the state sales tax under a Republican package of changes meant to be included in the state's budget.

GOP legislative leaders in the House and Senate announced the proposal, which also gives small businesses a break and closes certain tax loopholes on small cigars and magazine subscriptions, on Thursday.

State lawmakers are working to finalize Ohio's next two-year budget. They face a June 30 deadline to pass the almost $61.7 billion spending plan before the new fiscal year begins July 1.

The plan reduces the statewide income tax rate gradually over three years, beginning with an 8.5 percent tax cut on income earned in 2013 and moving to a 10 percent tax reduction by 2015.

A tax break targeted at small businesses would let people write off 50 percent of their first $250,000 in business income annually. That's similar to what the Senate passed in its version of the budget, which would let people deduct 50 percent of their first $750,000 in income.

"Make no doubt about it, we are making significant changes," said Senate President Keith Faber, a Celina Republican, at an afternoon news conference at the Statehouse.

The plan amounts to a $2.6 billion net tax reduction over three years, including more than $1 billion in the next budget year, GOP leaders said.

Among other changes, the tax package also would increase the state sales tax from 5.5 percent to 5.75 percent and apply it to digital goods such as electronic books and music downloaded online.

Virtually every Ohio business pays the commercial activities tax, but the proposal would change the threshold on who pays what.

The change would have little impact on larger businesses. But it would apply the current tax rate to those businesses making $500,000 in gross receipts, instead of those making $1 million and above.

Another change would get rid of property tax help that the state currently pays to homeowners who are subject to local levies, such as school issues. The elimination of the so-called property tax rollback wouldn't apply to existing levies, only deductions for future homeowners and new local levies. The move is expected to save the state nothing in the first fiscal year, about $34 million in 2015 and about $90 million annually in the years that follow.

Democrats argued the effect of the changes amounted to a tax increase for most.

"All Ohioans will have to pay higher taxes every time they go to the store or buy a car thanks to this Republican tax hike," state Sen. Eric Kearney, a Cincinnati Democrat, said in a written statement.

Kearney said it also would make it more difficult for schools and communities to pass levies.

The tax package is aimed at reconciling the separate tax proposals that passed the two Republican-controlled chambers of the Legislature.

The House had retained 7 percent of the 20 percent permanent income tax cut originally proposed by GOP Gov. John Kasich. Senators chose to restore a small business benefit, which Kasich also had pitched in his budget.

The governor praised the proposal in a written statement Thursday.

"This is another big step forward in Ohio's comeback," Kasich said.

A conference committee of six lawmakers, three from the House and three from the Senate, has started hashing out the differences between the two chambers' spending proposals.

Both chambers' versions of the budget also had omitted Kasich's proposed tax increase on high-volume oil and gas drillers and his plans for extending the state sales tax to professional services including those provided by legal, accounting and lobbying firms.

A House committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on the new tax package on Friday, while a Senate panel plans to hear from witnesses on Monday.

The conference committee is expected to vote on a compromise budget bill early next week.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ohio-gop-agreement-calls-larger-124814255.html

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