US ambassador says Obama's first Israel visit will address 'urgent' peacemaking agenda

JERUSALEM - President Barack Obama will bring an "urgent" peacemaking agenda to Israel on his upcoming visit, focusing on the region and the resumption of talks between Israel and the Palestinians, U.S. Ambassador Dan Shapiro said Wednesday.

Shapiro spoke a day after the White House announced Obama will visit Israel, the West Bank and Jordan in the spring, at the beginning of both his second term in office and also at the start of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's third term. Obama's previous term in office saw relations with Netanyahu deteriorate in part over failed talks with the Palestinians but also due to the two leaders' different world views. The visit will be Obama's first as president to the staunch U.S. ally.

Shapiro gave several interviews to Israeli media Wednesday morning with the same message.

"We have a very urgent agenda," Shapiro told Army radio. "We have a very complex agenda about Iran, Syria and the need to get Israel and the Palestinians back to the negotiating table, so it's important to begin as fast as possible," he said.

The White House has not released the date of Obama's trip or details about Obama's itinerary, but Israel's Channel 10 reported it had been scheduled for March 20. The visit raises expectations that peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, which collapsed about four years ago, can be rekindled.

Palestinians refuse to resume the talks unless Israel stops building in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, although the Jewish state has stepped up construction in the territories since the U.N. recognized a de facto state of Palestine there in November. Israel says all issues, including territorial disputes, must be resolved through negotiations. It has frequently called for talks to be restarted.

Shapiro said that Obama will meet with the Palestinian leadership in the West Bank along with the King of Jordan, who has had a role in peacemaking efforts, during his visit.

"President Obama is not coming with conditions or demands. He is coming to confer with all our partners about problems and challenges we are dealing with in the region," Shapiro told Israel radio.

He said that Obama isn't "seeking a specific result" but wants to confer about ways of "bringing Israel and the Palestinians back to the negotiation table."

Although Obama visited Israel and Jordan while running for president in 2008, he hasn't been back since, drawing intense criticism from some pro-Israel groups who have claimed he is insufficiently supportive of the United States' closest Mideast ally. Other top administration officials, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have visited, and Clinton's replacement, John Kerry, is expected to travel to Israel on his first Mideast trip.

Shapiro said Obama will visit after Israel's new government has been formed.

The announcement of the visit comes at a time of uncertainty for Netanyahu, who left January's election weakened. The emergence of a new centrist party in Israel's election offered hope to those urging the hawkish Netanyahu to make peace with the Palestinians a higher priority.

Shapiro shrugged off questions about relations between Obama and Netanyahu. "The personal chemistry between them is excellent. They know how to work together," he said.

Obama will also discuss Iran's nuclear program, the danger of Syrian chemical weapons reaching militants and other regional issues, Shapiro said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-ambassador-says-obamas-first-israel-visit-address-120144202.html

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Kristen Wiig Joins Cast of Anchorman 2!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/02/kristen-wiig-joins-cast-of-anchorman-2/

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OUYA video game console available for preorder on Amazon -

The video game console OUYA made a splash on Kickstarter last year when it managed to exceed its goal of $950,000 by almost 1000%. A funding of nearly a million is a lot even for Kickstarter terms and beating that goal by tenfold is certainly an indicator of the device?s appeal to a larger audience.

So what?s OUYA? It is a multimedia console for Android that you can plug right into your TV to play games, run apps or browse the Internet. While the focus of the system is gaming, it has been designed for other tasks as well like listening to Internet radio, watching videos and movies or running live streams on the TV.

If you missed to participate in the funding of the console on Kickstarter, you can now pre-order the OUYA console on Amazon. What?s interesting is that the price is nearly identical to the price on Kickstarter. For $99, you get the console and one controller.

Specs

• 1 OUYA wireless contorller and case
• Powered by NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core
• Memory 1 Gigabyte of RAM
• Internal Storage 8 Gigabyte of Flash memory
• One USB 2.0 port, one USB Micro port
• WiFi, Ethernet port and Bluetooth support
• HDMI output up to 1080p HD

What you also need to know is that every game on the console will be free to try and downloadable from the Internet. What?s interesting is that the console can tap into Android?s vast apps and game offerings. What?s missing right now is an overview of the games one can expect to play when it comes out. How many will be exclusive to the console, and how many will be taken from the Android store?

The console will certainly have its appeal to an audience, for instance those who like to play games on their smartphones and tablets, and would like to experience the very same games on a big screen.

Here are a couple of videos from users who got their hands on a developer console. They show games that play on the system which can give you a good impression of what you can expect.

The overall consensus seems to be that the system is ok for its price, but that you should not expect a full blown Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 for the price. What you will get are games that run on smartphones and emulated games mostly, so do not expect the next Call of Duty to make an appearance on the system.

Some reviewers noted that the 8 Gigabyte storage won?t be enough in the long run, that it is great for running emulators and smart TV.

I?d be interested in running the box as a media player. XBMC is one of the best frontends out there and if I can connect a large enough USB drive to it or stream directly from a computer, it could very well become my next media player for the TV since all gaming consoles do not get that right at all. I really miss the old xbox that you could run XBMC on for a great experience.

What about you? Are you interested in the OUYA console at all?

Enjoyed the article?: Then sign-up for our free newsletter or RSS feed to kick off your day with the latest technology news and tips, or share the article with your friends and contacts on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ using the icons above.

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About the Author:Martin Brinkmann is a journalist from Germany who founded Ghacks Technology News Back in 2005. He is passionate about all things tech and knows the Internet and computers like the back of his hand. You can follow Martin on Facebook or Twitter.

Source: http://www.ghacks.net/2013/02/06/ouya-video-game-console-available-for-preorder-on-amazon/

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Damon guest stars on TV comedy 'House of Lies'

This publicity photo released by Showtime shows Don Cheadle, left, as Marty Kaan and Matt Damon, as himself, in "House of Lies," Season 2, Episode 4, on Showtime. Damon is practically becoming a TV comedy regular. Showtime said Damon will guest star next week on "House of Lies," playing what the channel called a "maniacal megastar" version of himself. (AP Photo/Showtime, Michael Desmond)

This publicity photo released by Showtime shows Don Cheadle, left, as Marty Kaan and Matt Damon, as himself, in "House of Lies," Season 2, Episode 4, on Showtime. Damon is practically becoming a TV comedy regular. Showtime said Damon will guest star next week on "House of Lies," playing what the channel called a "maniacal megastar" version of himself. (AP Photo/Showtime, Michael Desmond)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Matt Damon is becoming a TV comedy regular.

Showtime said Monday that Damon will guest star next week on "House of Lies." He'll play what the channel called a "maniacal megastar" version of himself.

Last month, Damon staged a mock takeover of Jimmy Kimmel's ABC talk show, tying Kimmel to a chair and acting as host for a night. On NBC's just-ended "30 Rock," Damon appeared in several episodes as boyfriend to Tina Fey's character, Liz Lemon.

On the Sunday, Feb. 10, "House of Lies" episode, Damon seeks help in finding a charity to carry his name. The actor plays opposite "House of Lies" star Don Cheadle, his friend and a cast mate in the "Ocean's Eleven" movie franchise.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-02-04-TV-Matt%20%20Damon/id-fa5c4ad5acda473c86051b031a4bc7d6

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Turkish far-left group claims responsibility for US Embassy attack

SITE Intelligence Group via AFP - Getty Images

This image released by the SITE Intelligence Group on Feb. 2, shows a man identified as Ecevit Sanli on the website of the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front, a Turkey-based radical Marxist-Leninist group, that claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara on Feb. 1.

By Becky Bratu, Staff Writer, NBC News

The Turkish far-left group DHKP-C claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack on the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, according to a statement on a website linked to the group, news agencies reported.

The statement posted Saturday on "The People's Cry" website said Ecevit Sanli carried out "an act of self-sacrifice on Feb. 1, 2013, by entering the Ankara embassy of the United States, murderer of the peoples of the world," according to Reuters and The Associated Press.

The DHKP-C's statement also called Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan a U.S. "puppet," according to Reuters.

"Murderer America! You will not run away from people's rage," the statement read, warning Erdogan that he was also a target.

A picture the website claimed was of the bomber was posted with the statement. A government terror expert confirmed the authenticity of the website, the AP reported.

The Ankara governor's office said DNA tests showed Sanli had indeed been the attacker. Authorities said Sanli had fled Turkey 10 years ago and was wanted by the police, according to Reuters.

Sanli had previously been jailed in 1997 for attacks on a police station and a military staff college in Istanbul, but Reuters said his sentence was postponed because he became sick during a hunger strike. He was never imprisoned again.

After he was sentenced to life in prison in 2002, Sanli fled Turkey, according to Reuters. Interior Minister Muammer Guler said he was able to return to the country using false documents.

The Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front, or DHKP-C, is a far-left group designated a terrorist organization by the United States, Turkey and the European Union. Leftist groups such as the DHKP-C strongly oppose the United States' influence over Turkey.

Also on Saturday, Turkish state media said officials detained three people in Istanbul and Ankara in connection with the attack, Reuters reported.

A suicide bomber blew himself up at an entrance to the U.S. Embassy compound in Ankara on Friday. The bomber and a Turkish guard were killed in the attack, which the U.S. described as "an act of terror."

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The U.S. flag flies at half-staff a day after a suicide bomber struck the U.S. Embassy in Ankara.

The bomber, who was wearing a suicide vest, made it to the first X-ray machine in a screening area leading to the visa section, police sources said, and then detonated the device.

The Turkish security guard standing nearby was killed, but two guards on the other side of the checkpoint, behind bulletproof glass, survived. A Turkish journalist on her way to visit the ambassador was critically wounded.

On Sept. 11 last year, U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed in an attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, prompting concern about security for diplomats.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said on Friday that after Benghazi, every U.S. post in the world reviewed its security. She added that the embassy in Ankara is one of the posts due for a complete compound overhaul. The building housing the embassy was built in the 1950s and needs a full upgrade, Nuland said.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Related:

US Embassy compound in Turkey hit by 'terrorist' attack

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Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/02/16818679-turkish-far-left-group-claims-responsibility-for-us-embassy-attack?lite

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Video Interview: John Viera, Ford Motor Company

In this interview, John Viera, the Global Director of Sustainability and Vehicle Environmental Matters at Ford Motor Company, describes the Company?s innovative Sustainable Materials Strategy. Viera explains that the Strategy is oriented toward vehicles having less of an impact on the planet. Among additional trajectories, the Sustainable Materials Strategy diverts and transforms post-consumer and post-industrial waste otherwise destined for the landfill into source materials for new vehicle components.

To illustrate, Viera explains that used carpet can be salvaged from buildings and reprocessed into new engine components. Waste denim can be transformed into new vehicle carpet padding for increased soundproofing and interior comfort. Viera suggests that it is highly profitable to implement Sustainable Materials Strategy innovations. Viera also asserts that the diversion of post-consumer and post-industrial waste is an important approach toward reducing the use of our world?s limited natural resources. Overall, the Sustainable Materials Strategy sponsors innovation and sustainability, refines the manufacturing process and promotes new technologies.

John Viera is the Global Director, Sustainability and Vehicle Environmental Matters for Ford Motor Company, a position he has held since January 2007.

John Viera is responsible for developing global sustainable business plans and policies, interfacing with global regulatory bodies, reporting externally on the company?s environmental and social performance, and leading the company?s engagement and partnerships with non-government organizations (NGOs) and other key stakeholders.

____________________

Special thanks to Sustainable Brands?http://SustainableBrands.com

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Register at?Noble Profit?to gain valuable insights in related topics.

Noble Profit is brought to you by?Creative Entity Org?and?Creative Entity Productions?created by?Amy Seidman.

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Source: http://www.triplepundit.com/2013/02/noble-profit-moment-john-viera-ford/

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NKorea issues guidelines on strengthening military

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? North Korean leader Kim Jong Un issued "important" guidelines on how to bolster the army and protect the nation's sovereignty at a high-level ruling Workers' Party meeting, state media said Sunday, an indication that Pyongyang may be ready to conduct an atomic test anytime.

North Korea said last month that it would conduct its third nuclear test to protest international sanctions toughened over its long-range rocket launch in December. The U.S., South Korea and other countries have urged the North to scrap its nuclear test plans or face grave consequences.

North Korea says U.S. hostility and the threat of American troops in South Korea are important reasons behind its nuclear drive. The country also says it has the sovereign right to launch rockets to send satellites into orbit under a space development program; the U.S. says the December launch was a disguised test of banned missile technology.

Pyongyang's two previous nuclear tests, in 2006 and 2009, both occurred after it was slapped with increased sanctions for similar long-range rocket launches.

Recent satellite photos showed North Korea may have been sealing the tunnel into a mountainside where a nuclear device would be exploded.

Kim convened a meeting of the Workers' Party's Central Military Commission and made a "historic" and "important concluding speech" that serves as a guideline for strengthening the military and defending national security and sovereignty, the official Korean Central News Agency said. It did not say when the meeting took place.

Top party and military leaders who attended the meeting "evinced their firm determination to unconditionally and thoroughly implement the militant tasks set forth by him," KCNA said.

Analyst Hong Hyun-ik at the private Sejong Institute in South Korea said he believes Kim's guidelines refer to a nuclear test and suggest that North Korea appears to have completed formal procedural steps and be preparing to conduct a nuclear test soon.

By publicizing the Workers' Party meeting, North Korea also aims to "employ pressure on the West and unite its people" behind Kim, Hong said. Kim took power after the December 2011 death of his father, Kim Jong Il.

U.S. and South Korean troops are to conduct naval drills involving a nuclear-powered American submarine off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula this week. South Korean military officials said the maneuvers are part of regular joint military training that the allies had scheduled before the latest nuclear tensions began. But they still could be used as a show of force against North Korea.

North Korean state media on Saturday described the drills as a joint exercise for a pre-emptive attack on the country. North Korea has said similar things when South Korea and the U.S. conducted other drills, but the allies have repeatedly said they have no intention of attacking the North.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nkorea-issues-guidelines-strengthening-military-032416291.html

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