This Week In Real Estate: Beware Dated Data - Seeking Alpha

This coming week in real estate should prove interesting and likely misleading, with a slew of dated data being measured. Five major economic reports will reach the wire, covering the real estate market, and a majority of them will measure inconsequential periods of time. That is because of all the change that has occurred over the last several months around the Fed and mortgage rates. As a result of potentially positive results, real estate relative securities may find some support. But I would use any strength to sell the stocks further, as the environment has meaningfully changed because of Fed tapering.

Of the data points of greatest market interest, the S&P Case Shiller Home Price Index and the FHFA House Price Index are closely watched, but they also offer some of the longest lagged data to regularly reach the wire. Both reports will measure the month of April, though we are about to enter July. Considering that mortgage rates are significantly higher since April, the nascent trend of improving home prices might be finding some friction more recently, and that is not going to be reflected in these reports because of their age. For what it's worth, economists surveyed by Bloomberg see prices higher by approximately 1.5% (in April), as reflected by the forecast for the seasonally adjusted 20-City Index of S&P Case Shiller.

Also, New-Home Sales will be reported for May this week, and may begin to reflect the change in mortgage rates that began during the same month. However, considering the illiquidity of the real estate market and the time required to buy a home, this data point may also miss the latest trends dictated by the recent Fed tapering announcements. Economists are looking for just a slight increase here to an annual pace of 460K sales, which would be up from April's pace of 454K. The news will not likely help homebuilders, given the change in the market dictated by the Fed. Last week, the shares of homebuilders tumbled sharply, with the SPDR S&P Homebuilders (XHB) and the shares of major player KB Home (KBH) declining by 6.3% and 8.5%, respectively. I see that trend continuing near term. If any price strength is gained here on data this week, I would use it to sell homebuilders further.

What should play more importantly is the latest mortgage activity data from the Mortgage Bankers Association, because it is right on top of current housing activity. Over the last six or so weeks, this report has shown a significant drop-off in mortgage activity commensurate with rising mortgage rates. As a result, the shares of major mortgage bankers like Citigroup (C) and those dealing in mortgage-backed securities like American Capital Agency (AGNC) have been hard hit of late, and reflect the long-term damage of the latest rate trend. This latest report will be especially interesting, since it will capture the Fed announcement of last week (it will measure the week ending June 21). Some believe there may be a near-term spike in home purchases due to buyers on the fence coming to market out of fear of rising rates. This may be so, but it would be a short-term and probably limited phenomenon.

Security	Week Ending June 21
Bank of America (BAC)	-2.9%
Citigroup	-4.8%
Annaly Capital (NLY)	-7.3%
American Capital Agency	-8.1%

The latest Pending Home Sales data, due this Thursday, could be the most important data to reach the wire given that it measures contract signings and is a leading indicator for the huge existing home market. This latest report will cover the month of May, when rates began to edge higher. Even so, economists surveyed by Bloomberg see the Pending Home Sales Index up 1.0% for May. I think they may be missing the point, and the data could therefore disappoint them. This would offer more bad news for Bank of America, Annaly Capital, and the rest of the companies in the business of mortgage finance.

In conclusion, I'm suggesting real estate securities investors beware of deceptive and dated data this week, as it may offer some support to recently battered industry shares. Any strength gained on supported data should be used to sell the securities, in my view, given that the Fed is backing away from its extraordinary support of the real estate market.

Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. (More...)

Source: http://seekingalpha.com/article/1516552-this-week-in-real-estate-beware-dated-data?source=feed

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Nicki Minaj: Topless on Twitter!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/06/nicki-minaj-topless-on-twitter/

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Plane believed to be carrying Snowden in Moscow

MOSCOW (AP) ? A former National Security Agency contractor wanted by the United States for revealing 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.

An Aeroflot flight from Hong Kong believed to be carrying Edward Snowden landed in Moscow. Russia's state ITAR-Tass news agency cited an unnamed Aeroflot airline official as saying Snowden was on Flight SU213, which landed on Sunday afternoon in Moscow. The report said he intended to fly to Cuba on Monday and then on to Caracas, Venezuela.

Snowden had been in hiding in Hong Kong for several weeks since he revealed information on the highly classified spy programs. The WikiLeaks anti-secrecy group said it was working with him and he was bound for an unnamed "democratic nation via a safe route for the purpose of asylum."

The White House had no immediate comment about the departure, which came a day after the United States made a formal request for his extradition and gave a pointed warning to Hong Kong against delaying the process of returning him to face trial in the U.S.

The Department of Justice said only that it would "continue to discuss this matter with Hong Kong and pursue relevant law enforcement cooperation with other countries where Mr. Snowden may be attempting to travel."

The Hong Kong government said in a statement that Snowden left "on his own accord for a third country through a lawful and normal channel."

It acknowledged the U.S. extradition request, but said U.S. documentation did not "fully comply with the legal requirements under Hong Kong law." It said additional information was requested from Washington, but since the Hong Kong government "has yet to have sufficient information to process the request for provisional warrant of arrest, there is no legal basis to restrict Mr. Snowden from leaving Hong Kong."

The statement said Hong Kong had informed the U.S. of Snowden's departure. It added that it wanted more information about alleged hacking of computer systems in Hong Kong by U.S. government agencies which Snowden had revealed.

The signal that Hong Kong had let Snowden go on a technicality appears to be a pragmatic decision aimed at avoiding a drawn out extradition battle. The move swiftly eliminates a geopolitical headache that could have left it facing pressure from both Washington and Beijing.

Hong Kong, a former British colony, has a high degree of autonomy and is granted rights and freedoms not seen on mainland China, but under the city's mini constitution Beijing is allowed to intervene in matters involving defense and diplomatic affairs.

Hong Kong has an extradition treaty with the U.S., but the document has some exceptions, including for crimes deemed political.

Russian officials have given no indication that they have any interest in detaining Snowden or any grounds to do so. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that Russia would be willing to consider granting asylum if Snowden were to make such a request.

Russia and the United States have no extradition treaty that would oblige Russia to hand over a U.S. citizen at Washington's request.

WikiLeaks said it was providing legal help to Snowden at his request and that he was being escorted by diplomats and legal advisors from the group. Its founder, Julian Assange, who has spent a year inside the Ecuadorean Embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden to face questioning about sex crime allegations, told the Sydney Morning Herald that his organization is in a position to help because it has expertise in international asylum and extradition law.

The Obama administration on Saturday warned Hong Kong against delaying Snowden's extradition, with White House national security adviser Tom Donilon saying in an interview with CBS News, "Hong Kong has been a historically good partner of the United States in law enforcement matters, and we expect them to comply with the treaty in this case."

Snowden's departure came as the South China Morning Post released new allegations from Snowden that U.S. hacking targets in China included the nation's cellphone companies and two universities hosting extensive Internet traffic hubs.

He told the newspaper that "the NSA does all kinds of things like hack Chinese cellphone companies to steal all of your SMS data." It added that Snowden said he had documents to support the hacking allegations, but the report did not identify the documents. It said he spoke to the newspaper in a June 12 interview.

With a population of more than 1.3 billion, China has massive cellphone companies. China Mobile is the world's largest mobile network carrier with 735 million subscribers, followed by China Unicom with 258 million users and China Telecom with 172 million users.

Snowden said Tsinghua University in Beijing and Chinese University in Hong Kong, home of some of the country's major Internet traffic hubs, were targets of extensive hacking by U.S. spies this year. He said the NSA was focusing on so-called "network backbones" in China, through which enormous amounts of Internet data passes.

The Chinese government has not commented on the extradition request and Snowden's departure, but its state-run media have used Snowden's allegations to poke back at Washington after the U.S. had spent the past several months pressuring China on its international spying operations.

A commentary published Sunday by the official Xinhua News Agency said Snowden's disclosures of U.S. spying activities in China have "put Washington in a really awkward situation."

"Washington should come clean about its record first. It owes ... an explanation to China and other countries it has allegedly spied on," it said. "It has to share with the world the range, extent and intent of its clandestine hacking programs."

____

Chan reported from Hong Kong. Sylvia Hui in London contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/plane-believed-carrying-snowden-moscow-132626347.html

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Presidential palace in Afghanistan attacked

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? Suicide attackers blew 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. The army said the attackers were killed but knew of no other deaths.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the 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-afghanistan-030026459.html

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It’s Tuesday! These recommended reads will carry you through your afternoon: VIDEO: Alexis Denisof‘s very special father-daughter bond — PEOPLE.com 10 baby names inspired by summer’s barbecue season — Babble Family outraged after their disabled son is isolated in his class picture — HuffPost Parents Single moms share their secret to success in both their […]

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Clashes erupt in Egypt over Islamist governor

CAIRO (AP) ? Clashes have erupted between supporters and opponents of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood over the recent appointment of an Islamist governor in a northern city.

Security forces fired tear gas to separate the two groups on Tuesday in the Nile Delta city of Tanta, an anti-Brotherhood stronghold.

The fighting broke out after opposition protesters chained up the gate to the new governor's office in a symbolic rejection of his appointment.

Brotherhood supporters, armed with homemade forearms, swords and knives, started shooting at the protesters to clear them away and let Gov. Ahmed el-Baylie into his office.

President Mohammed Morsi, who hails from the Brotherhood, appointed el-Baylie on Sunday along with 16 other governors in an effort to consolidate power ahead of opposition protests on June 30 that will call for his ouster.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/clashes-erupt-egypt-over-islamist-governor-172145914.html

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Lost to the War on Terror: Canada Subsumed by U.S. Security Perimeter

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Source: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/lost-to-war-on-terror-canada-subsumed.html

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Venus Williams pulls out of Wimbledon, citing back

FILE - In this May 26, 2013, file photo, Venus Williams, of the United States, reacts after missing a return against Poland's Urszula Radwanska in their first round match of the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros stadium in Paris. Williams has pulled out of Wilmbledon because of a lower baback, her agent Carlos Fleming said, Tuesday, June 18, 2013. Williams, who turned 33 on Monday, was bothered by her back during a first-round loss at the French Open last month, (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File)

FILE - In this May 26, 2013, file photo, Venus Williams, of the United States, reacts after missing a return against Poland's Urszula Radwanska in their first round match of the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros stadium in Paris. Williams has pulled out of Wilmbledon because of a lower baback, her agent Carlos Fleming said, Tuesday, June 18, 2013. Williams, who turned 33 on Monday, was bothered by her back during a first-round loss at the French Open last month, (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File)

After 16 consecutive years of always showing up at Wimbledon, winning five titles along the way, Venus Williams pulled out of the grass-court Grand Slam tournament Tuesday, citing a lower back injury.

Williams, who turned 33 on Monday, never had missed Wimbledon since making her debut there in 1997, although she lost in the first round a year ago. She won the singles trophy ? it happens to be called the Venus Rosewater Dish ? in 2000-01, 2005 and 2007-08, to go with two more major championships at the U.S. Open in 2000-01.

But Williams has been dealing with a bad back for a while, playing only three matches in the last two-plus months. She was clearly hampered by the injury during a three-set, three-hour loss to 40th-ranked Urszula Radwanska of Poland in the first round of the French Open last month, then cited her back when she and younger sister Serena withdrew from the doubles competition in Paris.

The older Williams said after the singles loss at Roland Garros ? her first opening-round exit there in a dozen years ? that the inflammation in her back made it painful to serve hard, limiting one of the best parts of her game.

Once ranked No. 1, Williams is currently No. 34. Still learning to live as a professional athlete with an energy-sapping autoimmune disease, Sjogren's syndrome, she has two first-round losses in the past four Grand Slam tournaments. That includes her defeat at Wimbledon last year, the first time she'd left a major championship that early since she lost in the first round of the Australian Open in 2006.

"With what I've gone through, it's not easy. But I'm strong and I'm a fighter. You know, I don't think I'm just playing for me now. I think I'm playing for a lot of people who haven't felt well," Williams said after her loss to Radwanska. "I think for me today, it's a positive to be able to play three hours. I'm constantly finding ways to get better and to feel better."

Play begins at Wimbledon next Monday.

Serena Williams, who is ranked No. 1, will be a big favorite to win what would be her sixth Wimbledon title and 17th major championship overall. She's won 31 matches in a row, the longest single-season streak on the women's tour since Venus put together a 35-match run in 2000.

___

Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-06-18-TEN-Wimbledon-Venus-Out/id-93a745406cb9407f9af50568f860248b

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Microsoft says it freed millions of computers from criminal botnet

By Jim Finkle

BOSTON (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp said that an assault it led earlier this month on one of the world's biggest cyber crime rings has freed at least 2 million PCs infected with a virus believed to have been used to steal more than $500 million from bank accounts worldwide.

"We definitely have liberated at least 2 million PCs globally. That is a conservative estimate," Richard Domingues Boscovich, assistant general counsel with Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit, said in an interview on Tuesday.

He said the vast majority of infected machines were in the United States, Europe and Hong Kong.

Microsoft and the FBI, aided by authorities in more than 80 countries, on June 5 sought to take down 1,400 malicious computer networks known as the Citadel Botnets by severing their access to infected machines. Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit is working with its partners overseas to determine exactly how many of the Citadel botnets are still operational.

"We feel confident that we really got most of the ones that we were after," he said. "It was a very, very successful disruptive action."

The ringleader, who goes by the alias Aquabox, and dozens of botnet operators remain at large and the authorities are working to uncover their identities. Boscovich said he suspects Aquabox is in Eastern Europe.

The botnets, which were run from "command and control" servers at data hosting centers around the world, were used to steal from hundreds of financial institutions, according to court documents that Microsoft filed to get permission to shut down servers in the United States that were being used to run the operation.

Data center operators typically are not aware that their servers are being used to run botnets.

The ring targeted firms of all sizes, from tiny credit unions to global banks such as Bank of America, Credit Suisse, HSBC and Royal Bank of Canada.

Citadel is one of the biggest botnets in operation today. Microsoft said its creator bundled the software with pirated versions of the Windows operating system.

The FBI, which on Tuesday declined to comment on its progress in its investigation of Citadel, has said it is working closely with Europol and other overseas authorities to capture the unknown criminals.

Cyber criminals typically infect machines by sending spam emails containing malicious links and attachments, and by infecting legitimate websites with computer viruses that attack unsuspecting visitors. Some bot herders rent or sell infected machines on underground markets to other cyber criminals looking to engage in a wide variety of activities including credit card theft and attacks on government websites.

The Citadel software disables anti-virus programs on infected PCs so they cannot detect malicious software. It surfaced in early 2012 and is sold over the Internet in kits that cost $2,400 or more. (See graphic http://link.reuters.com/vem68t)

(Reporting by Jim Finkle; Editing by Richard Valdmanis and Steve Orlofsky)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/microsoft-says-freed-millions-computers-criminal-botnet-224325556.html

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How to Move Your International Business Job Search Forward

The job search process can be taxing.? Therefore, it is important for every international business professional to know how to keep the job hunt moving forward.

1. This can never be said enough ? No matter what job you are applying for in international business, your resume MUST be professional.? Avoid common resume mistakes by proofreading for grammar, spelling, and basic common sense mistakes.? A quick proof read can save your resume from the trash can so don?t neglect this important step.
2. One mistake many international business job seekers make is that they focus their resume, correspondence, and interview answers on themselves principally rather than skewing the focus on the job being sought and the company to which they are applying.? Focusing on the job and ensuring your answers discuss the primary concerns of the job for which you are applying and not just your past job titles.
3. You aren?t going to find a job if you don?t try.? During your job search you need to be diligent. You need to set aside specific time to work on your job search, respond timely to emails and voice mails, and network.? Being diligent in building relationships and applying for job can help you be on your way to your next international business job.
4. When asked in an international business interview or writing your cover letter and resume, it is important to focus on outcomes, leadership, and specific metrics that are applicable to the job for which you are applying and not be so set on just listing job descriptions with job titles.
5. Whether you are networking or interviewing in international business, it is important to focus attention on others and from yourself.? Ask questions about a job or company during an interview to help you understand what they are looking for in an employee when networking, ask questions about the other persons career, and their needs.? You can then better understand their questions of you during your international business interview.

If you are trying to figure out the best way to get your international business job search moving forward, using some of these suggestions can help you ensure you are moving your job search in the right direction. Once you have tried these techniques, you will find that your job search is recharged and moving you forward toward your next international business job.

Tagged as: international business job search tips, job search strategies in international business, tips for international business job seekers

Source: http://internationalbusinesstraining.org/how-to-move-your-international-business-job-search-forward/

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NIH scientists find promising biomarker for predicting HPV-related oropharynx cancer

Public release date: 17-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: NCI Press Office
ncipressofficers@mail.nih.gov
301-496-6641
NIH/National Cancer Institute

Researchers have found that antibodies against the human papillomavirus (HPV) may help identify individuals who are at greatly increased risk of HPV-related cancer of the oropharynx, which is a portion of the throat that contains the tonsils.

In their study, at least 1 in 3 individuals with oropharyngeal cancer had antibodies to HPV, compared to fewer than 1 in 100 individuals without cancer. When present, these antibodies were detectable many years before the onset of disease. These findings raise the possibility that a blood test might one day be used to identify patients with this type of cancer.

The results of this study, carried out by scientists at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, in collaboration with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), were published online June 17, 2013, in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Historically, the majority of oropharyngeal cancers could be explained by tobacco use and alcohol consumption rather than HPV infection. However, incidence of this malignancy is increasing in many parts of the world, especially in the United States and Europe, because of increased infection with HPV type 16 (HPV16). In the United States it is estimated that more than 60 percent of current cases of oropharyngeal cancer are due to HPV16. Persistent infection with HPV16 induces cellular changes that lead to cancer.

HPV E6 is one of the viral genes that contribute to tumor formation. Previous studies of patients with HPV-related oropharynx cancer found antibodies to E6 in their blood.

"Our study shows not only that the E6 antibodies are present prior to diagnosisbut that in many cases, the antibodies are there more than a decade before the cancer was clinically detectable, an important feature of a successful screening biomarker," said Aimee R. Kreimer, Ph.D., the lead Investigator from the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI.

Kreimer and her colleagues tested samples from participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Study, a long-term study of more than 500,000 healthy adults in 10 European countries. Participants gave a blood sample at the start of the study and have been followed since their initial contribution.

The researchers analyzed blood from 135 individuals who developed oropharyngeal cancer between one and 13 years later, and nearly 1,600 control individuals who did not develop cancer. The study found antibodies against the HPV16 E6 protein in 35 percent of the individuals with cancer, compared to less than 1 percent of the samples from the cancer-free individuals. The blood samples had been collected on average, six years before diagnosis, but the relationship was independent of the time between blood collection and diagnosis. Antibodies to HPV16 E6 protein were even found in blood samples collected more than 10 years before diagnosis.

The scientists also report that HPV16 E6 antibodies may be a biomarker for improved survival, consistent with previous reports. Patients in the study with oropharyngeal cancer who tested positive for HPV16 E6 antibodies prior to diagnosis were 70 percent more likely to be alive at the end of follow-up, compared to patients who tested negative.

"Although promising, these findings should be considered preliminary," said Paul Brennan, Ph.D., the lead investigator from IARC. "If the predictive capability of the HPV16 E6 antibody holds up in other studies, we may want to consider developing a screening tool based on this result."

###

---

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?

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

Public release date: 17-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: NCI Press Office
ncipressofficers@mail.nih.gov
301-496-6641
NIH/National Cancer Institute

Researchers have found that antibodies against the human papillomavirus (HPV) may help identify individuals who are at greatly increased risk of HPV-related cancer of the oropharynx, which is a portion of the throat that contains the tonsils.

In their study, at least 1 in 3 individuals with oropharyngeal cancer had antibodies to HPV, compared to fewer than 1 in 100 individuals without cancer. When present, these antibodies were detectable many years before the onset of disease. These findings raise the possibility that a blood test might one day be used to identify patients with this type of cancer.

The results of this study, carried out by scientists at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, in collaboration with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), were published online June 17, 2013, in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Historically, the majority of oropharyngeal cancers could be explained by tobacco use and alcohol consumption rather than HPV infection. However, incidence of this malignancy is increasing in many parts of the world, especially in the United States and Europe, because of increased infection with HPV type 16 (HPV16). In the United States it is estimated that more than 60 percent of current cases of oropharyngeal cancer are due to HPV16. Persistent infection with HPV16 induces cellular changes that lead to cancer.

HPV E6 is one of the viral genes that contribute to tumor formation. Previous studies of patients with HPV-related oropharynx cancer found antibodies to E6 in their blood.

"Our study shows not only that the E6 antibodies are present prior to diagnosisbut that in many cases, the antibodies are there more than a decade before the cancer was clinically detectable, an important feature of a successful screening biomarker," said Aimee R. Kreimer, Ph.D., the lead Investigator from the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI.

Kreimer and her colleagues tested samples from participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Study, a long-term study of more than 500,000 healthy adults in 10 European countries. Participants gave a blood sample at the start of the study and have been followed since their initial contribution.

The researchers analyzed blood from 135 individuals who developed oropharyngeal cancer between one and 13 years later, and nearly 1,600 control individuals who did not develop cancer. The study found antibodies against the HPV16 E6 protein in 35 percent of the individuals with cancer, compared to less than 1 percent of the samples from the cancer-free individuals. The blood samples had been collected on average, six years before diagnosis, but the relationship was independent of the time between blood collection and diagnosis. Antibodies to HPV16 E6 protein were even found in blood samples collected more than 10 years before diagnosis.

The scientists also report that HPV16 E6 antibodies may be a biomarker for improved survival, consistent with previous reports. Patients in the study with oropharyngeal cancer who tested positive for HPV16 E6 antibodies prior to diagnosis were 70 percent more likely to be alive at the end of follow-up, compared to patients who tested negative.

"Although promising, these findings should be considered preliminary," said Paul Brennan, Ph.D., the lead investigator from IARC. "If the predictive capability of the HPV16 E6 antibody holds up in other studies, we may want to consider developing a screening tool based on this result."

###

---

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?

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

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-06/nci-nsf061713.php

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As G8 kicks off, Snowden documents reveal snooping at past summit

The latest documents released by former NSA employee Edward Snowden reveal a broad range of surveillance rolled out during the 2009 G20 summit in London, targeting both allies and opponents.

By Arthur Bright,?Staff writer / June 17, 2013

President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron watch as students work on a school project about the G-8 summit during a visit to the Enniskillen Integrated Primary School in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, Monday, June 17, 2013. The visit takes place before leaders from the G-8 nations are to gather to discuss the ongoing conflict in Syria, and free-trade issues.

Evan Vucci/AP

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Skip to next paragraph Arthur Bright

Europe Editor

Arthur Bright is the Europe Editor at The Christian Science Monitor.? He has worked for the Monitor in various capacities since 2004, including as the Online News Editor and a regular contributor to the Monitor's Terrorism & Security blog.? He is also a licensed Massachusetts attorney.

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The latest leaks from the US National Security Agency - that the US and UK have used past summits as an opportunity to spy on foreign officials - have cast a pall over the G8 summit set to start today in Northern Ireland.

The NSA and and its UK counterpart, the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), conducted extensive surveillance during the 2009 G20 summit in London, according to information Edward Snowden provided to the The Guardian. The surveillance included intercepting communications, hacking smartphones, and even setting up fake Internet cafes where they could steal diplomats' passwords.

In the latest of its reports based on documents from Mr. Snowden, the Guardian writes today that internal GCHQ documents reveal a broad range of surveillance measures rolled out against opponents and allies alike during the summit, including:

??Setting up internet cafes where they used an email interception programme and key-logging software to spy on delegates' use of computers;

??Penetrating the security on delegates' BlackBerrys to monitor their email messages and phone calls;

??Supplying 45 analysts with a live round-the-clock summary of who was phoning who at the summit;

??Targeting the Turkish finance minister and possibly 15 others in his party;

? Receiving reports from an NSA attempt to eavesdrop on the Russian leader, Dmitry Medvedev, as his phone calls passed through satellite links to Moscow.

The information acquired was relayed to analysts "in near real-time" and to "ministers" in the government of then Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The operation ran for at least six months, according to one GCHQ internal review.

Another review said that "in a live situation such as this, intelligence received may be used to influence events on the ground taking place just minutes or hours later. This means that it is not sufficient to mine call records afterwards ? real-time tip-off is essential."

The revelations come at an uncomfortable moment for the US and Britain, as both President Barack Obama and Prime Minister David Cameron are in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland today for this year's G8 summit, hosted by Britain. The two leaders will likely face difficult questions from their fellow world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose predecessor and current prime minister was one of those being spied upon.

The Guardian reports that according to a briefing prepared by the NSA, the spy organization successfully eavesdropped on the communications of then Russian President Dmitry Medvedev during his visit to London for the G20 conference.

Medvedev arrived in London on Wednesday 1 April and the NSA intercepted communications from his delegation the same day, according to the NSA paper, entitled: "Russian Leadership Communications in support of President Dmitry Medvedev at the G20 summit in London ? Intercept at Menwith Hill station." ...

The report says: "This is an analysis of signal activity in support of President Dmitry Medvedev's visit to London. The report details a change in the way Russian leadership signals have been normally transmitted. The signal activity was found to be emanating from the Russian embassy in London and the communications are believed to be in support of the Russian president."

The Guardian notes that Russian and American intelligence services can be expected to spy on each other. Public confirmation of such spying is rare and highly embarrassing.

But geopolitical rivals were not the only targets of NSA and GCHQ scrutiny: allies were as well. The Guardian notes that the scrutiny of Turkey ? a British and American ally under NATO ? appears to have had no security implications at all. Rather, the communications observed were "the everyday talk of financial civil servants and central bankers," apparently watched to give British diplomats a slight advantage in negotiations over financial regulation and reform.

"So why is GCHQ bugging them if the potential gains are so marginal?" the Guardian writes in an editorial. "The answer seems to be because it can, both technically and legally."

The Guardian goes on to say that "[t]he only boundary GCHQ appears to recognise is membership of Five Eyes, the tight coalition of western English-speaking states that share their signals intelligence: the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand." Any surveillance involving the citizen of another member of the coalition requires informing that citizen's government.

The revelations about the GCHQ and NSA efforts may cause trouble on both sides of the Atlantic, due to the closeness of the two organizations. Richard Aldrich, a professor of international security who has studied GCHQ, told The Christian Science Monitor last week that ?All intelligence agencies share a lot of intelligence now because the targets are global, but the?Anglo-American relationship is special to the extent that, since the 1970s, with processes and projects, at various points GCHQ and NSA are effectively the same organization.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/HNg8TU4sadc/As-G8-kicks-off-Snowden-documents-reveal-snooping-at-past-summit

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Michael Shank: What Trans-Pacific and US-EU Trade Partnerships Must Tackle: Jobs

A high-level panel appointed by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon released its recommendations last month for a global development agenda when the Millennium Development Goals expire at the end of 2015 and when approximately one billion people will still be living in extreme poverty.

The panel recognized the tremendous achievement the world has made in lifting 600 million people out of extreme poverty but also warned of rising global inequality. Their number one priority going forward: Leave no one behind. This should sound familiar to Washington's "leave no child behind" agenda. Hopefully this one will be more successful.

One key component of that "leave no one behind" agenda is jobs. One of the biggest drivers of inequality is a lack of jobs; but not just any jobs, just jobs, ones that come with appropriate wages, rights, protections such as healthcare and pensions, and opportunities for economic mobility.

The "jobs" conversation in Washington, and around the world, often forgets to factor these in, the consequences of which are concerning. The International Labor Organization's (ILO) recently released Global Wage Report found that, since 1995, inequality between the highest and lowest wages has increased in nearly three quarters of the countries for which there is data.

The United States is one of the advanced countries in which the gap between the highest and the lowest wages is largest. While we've heard this before, the gap is getting worse.

This is not merely a blow to our American dream but a blow to our economy. The destabilizing effects of high levels of unemployment and poor working conditions inhibit the creation of socio-economically just societies, vibrant economies, and strong governments necessary to foster sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

The ILO study finds that, in addition to the rising inequality among wage earners, average labor productivity in developing countries, from 1999 to 2011, increased twice as fast as their average wages. This means that labor's share of the Gross Domestic Product -- the broadest measure of economic output -- has shrunk considerably. Even in China, where wages increased substantially, they did not grow quickly enough to increase workers' share of national income.

These trends do not bode well for the millions of workers across the globe, but they also adversely affect governments and businesses worldwide. A lack of good jobs and poor working conditions, and the resulting inequality, fosters social unrest, political instability and insecurity that can destabilize governments and create an uncertain business environment.

Worker-based protests from Cairo, Egypt, to Foxconn in China, and garment factories in Bangladesh easily prove that point. Why companies aren't quick to fix this is confounding. The purchasing power of global consumers is being reduced at a time when the world's economy needs it most. This means, for example, that U.S. products and services will find fewer buyers abroad, and foreign goods and services will find fewer buyers in America.

So how do we fix this problem? In New Delhi, India, in April, a "Just Jobs Index" was launched to identify and rank the countries that are providing the best employment opportunities, income and employment security, safety at work and healthy work conditions, and equality of treatment and opportunity. The top five performers in 2009, the latest year where the data were most available: Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Australia and Denmark. These countries are prioritizing a sustainable work environment and a quality workforce.

Other countries must follow suit. Countries need to make quality employment the cornerstone of their economic growth strategies. Globalization, and especially trade, must be in service of creating more and better jobs and providing workers with commensurate wages, benefits, rights and protections. Freedom of association and collective bargaining, furthermore, can help empower civil society to keep businesses and governments accountable in creating more equitable outcomes.

Too often we are eager to promote global integration, especially international trade, while failing to protect a safe and sustainable future for workers. The new ILO report shows how poorly we're performing at fostering better living standards for workers. As Washington weighs the pros and cons of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership and the U.S.-EU Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, this must be at the fore of the conversation.

Shank, Ph.D. is the director of Foreign Policy at the Friends Committee on National Legislation. Dewan is director of Globalization and International Employment at the Center for American Progress.

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Follow Michael Shank on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Michael_Shank

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Web companies strike deal with U.S.

By Joseph Menn and Gerry Shih

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook and Microsoft have struck agreements with the U.S. government to release limited information about the number of surveillance requests they receive, a modest victory for the companies as they struggle with the fallout from disclosures about a secret government data-collection program.

Facebook on Friday became the first to release aggregate numbers of requests, saying in a blog post that it received between 9,000 and 10,000 U.S. requests for user data in the second half of 2012, covering 18,000 to 19,000 of its users' accounts. Facebook has more than 1.1 billion users worldwide.

The majority of those requests are routine police inquiries, a person familiar with the company said, but under the terms of the deal with Justice Department, Facebook is precluded from saying how many were secret orders issued under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Until now, all information about requests under FISA, including their existence, were deemed secret.

Microsoft said it had received requests of all types for information on about 31,000 consumer accounts in the second half of 2012. In a "transparency report" Microsoft published earlier this year without including national security matters, it said it had received criminal requests involving 24,565 accounts for all of 2012.

If half of those requests came in the second part of the year, the intelligence requests constitute the bulk of government inquiries. Microsoft did not dispute that conclusion.

Google said late Friday that it was negotiating with the government and that the sticking point was whether it could only publish a combined figure for all requests. It said that would be "a step back for users," because it already breaks out criminal requests and National Security Letters, another type of intelligence inquiry.

Facebook, Google and Microsoft had all publicly urged the U.S. authorities to allow them to reveal the number and scope of the surveillance requests after documents leaked to the Washington Post and the Guardian suggested they had given the government "direct access" to their computers as part of a National Security Agency program called Prism.

The disclosures about Prism, and related revelations about broad-based collection of telephone records, have triggered widespread concern and congressional hearings about the scope and extent of the information-gathering.

The big Internet companies in particular have been torn by the need to obey U.S. laws that forbid virtually any discussion of foreign intelligence requests and the need to assuage customers.

"We hope this helps put into perspective the numbers involved and lays to rest some of the hyperbolic and false assertions in some recent press accounts about the frequency and scope of the data requests that we receive," Facebook wrote on its site.

Facebook said it would continue to press to divulge more information. The person familiar with the company said that it at least partially complied with U.S. legal requests 79 percent of the time, and that it usually turned over just the user's email address and Internet Protocol address and name, rather than the content of the person's postings or messages.

It is believed that FISA requests typically seek much more information. But it remains unclear how broad the FISA orders might be.

Several companies have said they had never been asked to turn over everything from an entire country, for example. However, the intelligence agencies could ask for all correspondence by an account holder, or even all correspondence from the users' contacts.

Among the other remaining questions are the nature of court-approved "minimization" procedures designed to limit use of information about U.S. residents. The NSA is prohibited from specifically targeting them.

"If they are receiving large amounts of data that they are not actually authorized to look at, the question then becomes what are the procedures by which they determine what they can look at?" said Kevin Bankston, an attorney at the Center for Democracy & Technology. "Do they simply store that forever in case later they are authorized to look at it?"

In addition, some legal experts say that recent U.S. laws allow for intelligence-gathering simply for the pursuit of foreign policy objectives, not just in hunting terrorists and spies.

Google, Facebook and Microsoft have already directly contradicted the Guardian and Washington Post reports about "direct access" to their servers.

Both newspapers have since backtracked, and it now appears that at least some of the companies allowed neither government-controlled equipment on their property nor direct searches without company employees vetting each inquiry.

Google has been the most forthright on the technology issue, saying that it provides information only on request via an old-school data-transfer protocol called FTP and that Google legal staff must approve each request.

Beyond that, it is now clear that many of the companies have objected, at times strenuously, to both individual requests and the broad sweep of the program. It remains unclear how successful they have been.

WRESTLING OVER SECRET ORDERS

The initial reports about Prism included an internal NSA slide listing the dates that each of nine companies began allowing Prism data collection, starting with Microsoft in 2007 and Yahoo in 2008. The other companies include Apple, AOL and PalTalk as well as YouTube and Skype, which are owned by Google and Microsoft respectively.

Sources familiar with the conversations between the government and the Internet companies say there are frequent disagreements over how to handle specific requests.

Only one company, Yahoo, is known to have taken the highly unusual step of appealing an order from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. The company argued in 2008 that the order violated the Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.

But U.S. District Judge Bruce Selya, who headed the FISA court's Court of Review, ruled the data collection program did not run afoul of the Bill of Rights.

Selya's ruling was published in redacted form, only the second time such a decision had ever been made public. A Justice Department spokesman said it was published at the court's behest, but the executive branch would have had to approve the waiving of secrecy rules.

Two days after that, according to the leaked NSA slides, Google joined the Prism data-collection effort.

"When Yahoo lost that case, it dissuaded everyone else from going to court," a person at another company told Reuters.

"A provider seeing that decision erases the doubt about whether a judge would approve this process," said a former lawyer for Yahoo.

Twitter, which has positioned itself as a hard-line defender of free speech and customer privacy, is still not participating in Prism. But people familiar with talks between the tech companies and the government said it will likely be forced to comply.

In Twitter's case, as in that of some other companies, the objections have ostensibly been about the technological difficulty in complying with orders and the format in which the information will be shared, people familiar with the situation say.

(Reporting by Joseph Menn and Gerry Shih in San Francisco. Additional reporting by Alexei Oreskovic. Editing by Jonathan Weber and Xavier Briand)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/companies-disclose-surveillance-deal-u-010442116.html

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NSA leaker Snowden says he's not avoiding justice

HONG KONG (AP) ? The former CIA employee who leaked top-secret information about U.S. surveillance programs has said in a new interview in Hong Kong that he is not attempting to hide from justice there but is using the city as a base to reveal wrongdoing.

Edward Snowden dropped out of sight after checking out of a Hong Kong hotel on Monday. The South China Morning Post newspaper said Wednesday that it was able to locate and interview him.

It said Snowden, who has been both praised and condemned for releasing documents about U.S. telephone and Internet surveillance programs, said he was "neither a traitor nor hero. I'm an American."

Asked about his choice of Hong Kong, Snowden said "I am not here to hide from justice; I am here to reveal criminality."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-06-12-AS-Surveillance-Snowden/id-e7c1579837814f50b97aa8beef994f8c

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Old NASA rover shows off new tricks

Almost 10 years into what was originally supposed to be a 90-day mission, NASA's Mars Opportunity Rover is doubling down on its recent triumph, beaming home 'some of the most important findings of our entire mission.'

By Liz Fuller-Wright,?Correspondent / June 10, 2013

Opportunity took this false-color view of Solander Point on its 3,325th day on Mars (June 1, 2013). Opportunity is heading south to Solander Point to spend the upcoming winter season on its northerly tilted rock layers, which it will investigate in detail during the winter science campaign.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell Univ./Arizona State Univ.

Enlarge

Mars Opportunity Rover, the little rover that could, has spent nearly 10 years on Mars, but its latest finding could be the biggest yet. A couple weeks ago, Opportunity found evidence that a small rock called "Esperance" was made of clay minerals.

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That may not sound like much ? clay is common here on Earth, after all ? but the scientists got excited. Why? You can't make clay without water. Lots of water.

"A lot of water moved through this rock," confirmed Steve Squyres, the principal investigator for the rover mission.

And not just the highly acidic water common near volcanoes, which is toxic to most life forms, he added: "This is water you could drink."

It's not yet a smoking gun for life, but it's a sign that neutral water once flowed on Mars, and thus could well have fallen in a gentle, life-supportive rain.

?The Esperance results are some of the most important findings of our entire mission," said Dr. Squyres, a professor at Cornell University.

"Esperance" comes from the Latin word for "hope," which seems appropriate, since this is one of the strongest signs yet that Mars was once friendly toward Earth-like life. The area where Esperance was found, called "Cape York," has been a gold mine for scientist over the past 20 months, even though only a few meters of rock layers are exposed.

Opportunity's next destination, "Solander Point," has about ten times as much exposed rock layering as Cape York. The scientists hope the different layers will reveal how Mars's environment has changed over time.

Next stop: A 'road cut' on Mars

Geologists love highway road cuts, where dynamite has revealed the inner face of a hill or mountain, so it's no surprise that the planetary geologists who are steering Opportunity are driving toward a thick stack of rock layers. Solander, like Cape York, is part of the rim of Endeavor Crater, which is about 14 miles across.

"Getting to Solander Point will be like walking up to a road cut where you see a cross section of the rock layers," said Ray Arvidson of Washington University, St. Louis, in a press release.

These rock layers will allow the research team to look back in time. As they go down through the layers, they're looking deeper and deeper into the history of Mars. In fact, Endeavor Crater has rock layers older than anything Opportunity saw in its first eight years on Mars, when it explored Eagle, Endurance, Victoria, and Santa Maria?craters.

Solander Point is still a few weeks away at Opportunity's travel speed of about a quarter-mile per week. The science team hopes Opportunity will get there before southern-hemisphere winter sets in, since the rover needs abundant sunlight to function. Solander's slopes tilt toward the equator, which will help maximize the amount of sun hitting Opportunity's solar panels.

"We're heading to a 15-degree north-facing slope, with a goal of getting there well before winter," says John Callas, the team's project manager. The depths of the Martian winter will come in February 2014, but the days are already getting shorter. Mars's autumn begins July 31.

10 candles on their Martian birthday cakes?

10 years ago today, NASA launched Opportunity's robot twin, Spirit. Opportunity took the second rocket, leaving Earth on July 7, 2003. Both landed in January 2004 to begin their research missions, which needed to last 90 days to count as a success. As it turned out, we needed to redefine "success" ? Spirit lasted more than five years, and Opportunity is still chugging along, racking up more and more science triumphs.

The rover is slowing down, the team says, and they're covering their bets. According to NASA's latest update, Opportunity is taking a quick detour from its trip to Solander Point to check out Nobby Head, another north-facing hill where it might have to spend the winter, if the 1.2 mile trek to Solander Point turns out to be too ambitious for the aging rover.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/1V_S3VS4GrE/Old-NASA-rover-shows-off-new-tricks

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Behind The Maps: WTF Is Waze And Why Did Google Just Pay A Billion+ For It?

The tech industry has seen its fair share of acquisition whoppers lately, with Salesforce acquiring ExactTarget for $2.5 billion this month, and Yahoo putting the icing on its acquisition spree by snatching up Tumblr for $1.1 billion. But the news today that Google is buying popular iOS map and navigation app, Waze, (reportedly for around $1.1 to $1.3 billion) is a little different. Here's why.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/t-R05ddZSi0/

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HTC One (T-Mobile)

T-Mobile's version of the nation's most beautiful smartphone brings a bit of a lighter touch, and a few fresh features, to the HTC One. While T-Mobile can't entirely stay off of the bloatware bandwagon, the HTC One makes a powerful and affordable competitor to the new Samsung Galaxy S 4. While the Galaxy S 4 keeps our Editors' Choice for being a little faster, a little more powerful, and a little more expandable, I personally prefer the One.?

This is the third HTC One we've reviewed, and all three carrier models are physically identical. To get a grip on the One's all-metal body, front-mounted Boomsound speakers and UltraPixel camera, read our Sprint HTC One review for details. We'll focus on the differences here.

Bloatware
T-Mobile goes lighter on the bloatware than AT&T does, but T-Mobile's phone still has a bunch of undeletable apps which bug you for additional subscriptions. The only one I really like is Lookout Mobile Security, which scans your apps for viruses. The $3.99/month Name ID gets up my nose because of the cost, and the tech-support tool LogMeIn Rescue stalled at one point.

T-Mobile TV shows why carriers should just step away slowly from the content provider game. It's buggy and expensive (at $12.99/month, it costs more than Netflix or Hulu). While you can download shows to your phone, I found it more often threw me weird error messages complaining about my location and Wi-Fi settings. There's just no consumer reason for this to exist any more.

Fortunately, in the default view, the T-Mobile bloatware is segregated into its own folder. I just wish you could delete it all.

If you're dissatisfied with the bloatware and you want T-Mobile, unfortunately, you're stuck. HTC's unlocked, "developer edition" and "Nexus experience" models all lack AWS HSPA+, so this is the only HTC One unit which will work well on T-Mobile's network.

T-Mobile also only sells the silver, 32GB model of the HTC One. If you want the 64GB model, you have to go to AT&T.

Call Quality and Networking
The HTC One runs on T-Mobile's HSPA+ 42 and LTE networks. The HSPA network is available nationwide, but LTE is still only in seven cities, although T-Mobile says it'll cover 100 million people by the end of this month.

T-Mobile's HSPA+ network offers LTE-like, 4G download speeds, although it's a bit hobbled by slow upload speeds and a long time to first byte which makes Web pages tend to pause before appearing. With the Ookla Speedtest.net app, I saw download speeds all over the map between 6 and 12Mbps, and upload speeds at a pretty consistent 1.2 to 1.3Mbps.?

The HTC One supports both T-Mobile's new HD Voice system and its Wi-Fi calling system for seamless phone calls on both cellular and Wi-Fi networks. Call quality was good. Generally, I've found that you'll prefer the HTC One if you like a more bassy tone and find intense treble "harsh" or "tinny." You'll prefer the Galaxy S 4 if you think a treble focus makes sounds "precise" and think tuning it down makes things "muddy." As with other HTC One units, the noise cancellation is imperfect; a little background noise comes through, and heavy background noise makes voice transmissions scratchy. The speakerphone, as before, really stands out because of those front-ported speakers.?

Because T-Mobile's LTE coverage is so limited, the One has a useful network toggle to save battery by stopping searching for unavailable networks: You can even kick it into 3G and 2G-only modes. (The GSM-only mode would really slow down network connections, but it would absolutely sip battery.)?

The T-Mobile HTC One kept failing our battery tests for odd provisioning-related reasons: There was a limit on the SIM which would cause it to hang up on our talk time test after a few hours, and our long YouTube streaming video simply wouldn't load on the phone, although shorter YouTube videos had no problem. So we'll have to go with the battery results from the AT&T model, which is very physically similar. That unit scored 5 hours, 43 minutes of LTE video streaming and 12 hours, 48 minutes of talk time, both solid results that suggest a full day's use, and better results than the Galaxy S 4 on T-Mobile.

Comparisons and Conclusions
The HTC One is beautiful, well-built, and less expensive than the Galaxy S 4. It's $99 plus $20/month, or $579 up front; the S 4 costs $50 more. (AT&T's HTC One is $199-599, if you're keeping track.) The Galaxy S 4 scores just a little bit better than the One thanks to its lighter weight, faster processor, high-res camera, and tunable call audio. That means the Galaxy S 4 keeps our Editors' Choice. But the big difference between the One and the GS 4 is really philosophy: The One is about all-metal elegance (all that bloatware aside) and the GS 4 is about more, more, more.?

Both phones are great choices on T-Mobile, and both have fresher technology than Apple's iPhone 5.?

You may still want to turn to the iPhone 5 for its more easily pocketable size and unbeatable library of apps. But the HTC One delivers the best combination of style and performance on T-Mobile today.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/UhJ3sOjwIiM/0,2817,2419994,00.asp

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AEG exec, lawyer spar in Jackson trial's 6th week

A look at key moments this past week in the wrongful death trial in Los Angeles between Michael Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson, and concert giant AEG Live LLC, and what is expected at court in the week ahead:

THE CASE

Jackson's mother wants a jury to determine that the promoter of Jackson's planned comeback concerts didn't properly investigate Dr. Conrad Murray, who a criminal jury convicted of involuntary manslaughter for Jackson's June 2009 death. AEG's attorney says the case is about personal choice, namely Jackson's decision to have Murray serve as his doctor and give him doses of a powerful anesthetic as a sleep aid. Millions, possibly billions, of dollars are at stake.

WHAT HAPPENED THIS PAST WEEK

? Jurors heard from AEG Live CEO Randy Phillips, the highest ranking executive to testify in the trial so far. He told jurors that he didn't consult a mental health professional for Jackson despite that recommendation from two high-level production workers on the singer's "This Is It" tour.

? Phillips testified that five days before Jackson's death, he emailed the singer's business manager that the singer might be in breach of his contract for the shows because he was skipping rehearsals. AEG executives have previously testified that rehearsals weren't required in Jackson's contract, but Phillips said he felt it was a requirement.

WHAT THE JURY SAW

? Phillips verbally spar with Katherine Jackson's lawyer, Brian Panish. The pair had numerous testy exchanges and had to be repeatedly warned by a judge to not argue with each other.

QUOTABLE MOMENTS

? "I wish you wouldn't call it a baseless shakedown because it's a derogatory," Phillips said moments after testifying that he believed the lawsuit against his company was an extortion attempt by the Jackson family.

? "I just expect doctors to be ethical. Their financial side of their life shouldn't affect their medical judgment," AEG executive Paul Gongaware said about why he never considering doing a background check on Jackson's personal physician.

OUTSIDE THE COURTROOM

? Jackson's daughter, Paris, was hospitalized after paramedics responded to her home on a report of a possible overdose. Her grandmother's attorney said the 15-year-old is physically fine and receiving appropriate medical treatment. A judge overseeing Paris Jackson's guardianship ordered an investigation into her wellbeing. The teenager is listed as a plaintiff in the case, has been deposed, and is on the witness list, although it remains unclear whether she will actually be called to the stand.

? A probate judge said he was inclined to unseal portions of legal filings by a choreographer who claims he was abused by Jackson over a seven year period while he was a child. The judge said he would likely redact portions of the documents that include private and personal details on Wade Robson, as well as a psychologist's report.

WHAT'S NEXT

? AEG Live CEO Randy Phillips is expected to remain on the stand for several more days.

? Katherine Jackson's case is expected to last at least another three weeks, and AEG Live may call numerous witnesses, including bringing back Gongaware for additional testimony.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/aeg-exec-lawyer-spar-jackson-trials-6th-week-181253018.html

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Feel-good 'Kinky Boots' wins at feel-good Tonys

Cyndi Lauper poses with her award for best musical score for "Kinky Boots" in the press room at the 67th Annual Tony Awards, on Sunday, June 9, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Cyndi Lauper poses with her award for best musical score for "Kinky Boots" in the press room at the 67th Annual Tony Awards, on Sunday, June 9, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Pam MacKinnon poses with her award for best direction of a play for "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" in the press room at the 67th Annual Tony Awards, on Sunday, June 9, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Cyndi Lauper arrives on the red carpet at the 67th Annual Tony Awards, on Sunday, June 9, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Andrea Martin poses with her award for best features actress in a musical for "Pippin" in the press room at the 67th Annual Tony Awards, on Sunday, June 9, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Cyndi Lauper poses with her award for best musical score for "Kinky Boots" in the press room at the 67th Annual Tony Awards, on Sunday, June 9, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

NEW YORK (AP) ? On a feel-good night for Broadway, it was only natural that the Tony award go to its most feel-good musical, the joyous "Kinky Boots." But most everything about Sunday's Tony telecast was warmhearted, from inspiring speeches about the theatrical community to the inspired antics of Neil Patrick Harris, who should officially be awarded the host job on a permanent basis.

It was an especially happy night for female theater artists: In a rare feat, women took home both directing prizes, for a musical (Diane Paulus for the high-energy "Pippin" revival) and for a play (Pam MacKinnon for the searing revival of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?").

And Cyndi Lauper won best original score for "Kinky Boots," a result that had many in the audience whooping with delight. "Girl, you're gonna have fun tonight!" shouted presenter Jesse Tyler Ferguson, the "Modern Family" actor ? a reference, of course, to Lauper's iconic "Girls Just Want to Have Fun."

In winning best musical, "Kinky" scored something of an upset over the terrific but decidedly darker "Matilda the Musical." And underscoring the sunny nature of this year's ceremony, a comedy ? Christopher Durang's dysfunctional-family satire "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike" ? won for best play over the more typical dramatic fare.

It wasn't a great night for movie stars. In a season where a number of Hollywood personalities were snubbed for Tony nominations ? Scarlett Johansson, Bette Midler and Jessica Chastain among them ? best-actor nominee Tom Hanks ("Lucky Guy") lost out to Tracy Letts, previously a Tony-winning playwright, for his wrenching performance in "Virginia Woolf."

As it was for women, it was a big night for African-American actors, with wins for best actor and actress in a musical, best actress in a play and featured actor in a play.

The ebullient Billy Porter won best actor in a musical for playing a drag queen with a heart of gold and a taste for, well, kinky boots, in "Kinky Boots." He graciously saluted his co-star and co-nominee, Stark Sands. "''You are my rock, my sword, my shield," he said, adding: "I share this award with you. I'm gonna keep it at my house ? but I share it with you."

And the effervescent Patina Miller won best actress in a musical for "Pippin," in a role ? the Leading Player ? that also won Ben Vereen a Tony in 1973. Like Vereen, Miller sings and dances expertly in the role, but unlike Vereen, she also soars on a trapeze and sings while hula-hooping.

Cicely Tyson, 88, had perhaps the evening's most emotional win ? and not one but two standing ovations ? for best actress in a play, in "The Trip to Bountiful." She told the audience that at her age, she had "this burning desire to do just one more ? one more great role. I didn't want to be greedy. I just wanted one more."

And Courtney B. Vance won best featured actor in "Lucky Guy," his first win in three nominations.

"It's a richer experience now," he said at the Tony after-party. "Being nominated is a whirlwind. Now I know how to pace myself." He was snapping photos of his wife, actress Angela Bassett, as fellow guests at the Tony after-party at the Plaza Hotel crowded around them. "Besides," he said, "we're the toast of Broadway now! That doesn't happen very often."

Wins or losses, the guests at the Tony gala seemed intent on having a wonderful time. One of them was Billy Magnussen, who plays a studly young boyfriend to Sigourney Weaver's character in "Vanya and Sonia." He had lost out to Vance but couldn't stop dancing (if you wanted to interview him, you had to twirl along.) "Who gets to dance at the Tonys?" he asked joyfully and rather rhetorically. "This guy!" He said it was "amazing to be honored for something that I would do for free anyway."

Shalita Grant, his colleague in "Vanya and Sonia," was boogying on the dance floor too. "Hey, it's a great night," she said. "Two months on Broadway and then a nomination? I can't complain."

The winner in Grant's category was Judith Light of "The Assembled Parties," her second Tony in the category in two years. The former star of TV's "Who's the Boss?" gave one of the most poignant and admired speeches of the night, along with Letts, who made similar remarks about the Tonys being not about competition, but about collaboration.

At the after-party, Light elaborated on her thoughts. "We are here to celebrate each other," she said in an interview. "That is the magic. We root for each other. If we didn't, our work would simply be too arduous."

"This is my family," Light added, pointing to a ballroom filled with theater folk. "I'm so happy to be at a party with my family."

Light's counterpart on the musical side was Andrea Martin, 66, who won best featured actress in a musical for "Pippin," in which she plays the title character's grandmother, Berthe, and stops the show every night by performing high-flying stunts that thrill the audience.

Her co-star, Matthew James Thomas, who plays Pippin, said at the party that he was backstage watching Martin's emotional speech, and found it so moving that he burst into tears. "She's usually so together, so it was amazing to see her like that," he said. "I'm so happy for her, and Diane, and the whole company."

Also accepting congratulations at the party was someone who never appeared onstage: the Tony-winning composer, actor, lyricist and rapper Lin-Manuel Miranda, who co-wrote with Tom Kitt the terrific opening number performed by host Harris. Miranda, who wrote and starred in "In the Heights," also wrote the rap number that Harris performed with Audra McDonald at the end of the show, with lyrics that referred to events that had happened only minutes earlier ? a trick used by Seth MacFarlane and Kristin Chenoweth in their musical closing of this year's Academy Awards.

But that may have been the only similarity to the Oscars. Harris showed no sign of wear on his fourth go as Tony host, earning as many laughs as ever with routines like a running reference to boxer Mike Tyson, or a number about theater actors (like him) who move on to glory and wealth on TV shows ? some of which then get canceled.

Harris opened the show as the Irish "Guy" in the musical "Once," holding a guitar in a pub and singing soulfully, but then quickly jumped into a flashy production number that showcased performers from almost a dozen musicals. Among other things, Harris jumped through a hoop, a la "Pippin," vanished from a box and somehow appeared at the back of the theater, and promised a "truly legendary show" before glitter guns went off.

Legendary or not, it certainly made its audience very happy; by the end of the number, the entire Radio City Music Hall crowd was on its feet.

___

AP Drama Writer Mark Kennedy contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-06-10-Tony%20Awards/id-2e3f2f0c5f77437dbbd4a036692f8834

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