Iran's Rouhani: Occupation of Palestine is 'wound'

An Iranian cleric holding an anti-Israeli placard chants slogan, while attending an annual pro-Palestinian rally marking Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Aug. 2, 2013. Ahead of his inauguration, Iran?s new president, Hasan Rouhani, on Friday called Israel an ?old wound? that should be removed, while thousands of Iranians marched in support of Muslim claims to the holy city of Jerusalem. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

An Iranian cleric holding an anti-Israeli placard chants slogan, while attending an annual pro-Palestinian rally marking Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Aug. 2, 2013. Ahead of his inauguration, Iran?s new president, Hasan Rouhani, on Friday called Israel an ?old wound? that should be removed, while thousands of Iranians marched in support of Muslim claims to the holy city of Jerusalem. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Iranian women attend an annual pro-Palestinian rally marking Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Aug. 2, 2013. Ahead of his inauguration, Iran?s new president, Hasan Rouhani, on Friday called Israel an ?old wound? that should be removed, while thousands of Iranians marched in support of Muslim claims to the holy city of Jerusalem. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

An Iranian man chants slogans as he holds an anti-Israeli placard with a portrait and quotation of Lebanese Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah during an annual pro-Palestinian rally marking Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Aug. 2, 2013. Ahead of his inauguration, Iran?s new president, Hasan Rouhani, on Friday called Israel an ?old wound? that should be removed, while thousands of Iranians marched in support of Muslim claims to the holy city of Jerusalem. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Iranians attend an annual pro-Palestinian rally marking Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Aug. 2, 2013. Ahead of his inauguration, Iran?s new president, Hasan Rouhani, on Friday called Israel an ?old wound? that should be removed, while thousands of Iranians marched in support of Muslim claims to the holy city of Jerusalem. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Iranians attend an annual pro-Palestinian rally marking Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Aug. 2, 2013. Ahead of his inauguration, Iran?s new president, Hasan Rouhani, on Friday called Israel an ?old wound? that should be removed, while thousands of Iranians marched in support of Muslim claims to the holy city of Jerusalem. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? Iran's president-elect called Israel's control of Jerusalem and Palestinian lands a "wound" for the Islamic world in relatively moderate remarks Friday that contrasted with the harsh rhetoric of his predecessor and other Iranian leaders.

Speaking to reporters during an annual pro-Palestinian rally, Hasan Rouhani said: "In our region and under occupation of Palestine and dear Jerusalem, there has been a wound on the body of the Islamic world."

The comments, two days before Rouhani's inauguration, were tame compared with those frequently made by outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad calling for Israel's destruction. The country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, once called the Jewish state a "cancer" that needed to be cut away.

A semiofficial Iranian news agency initially quoted Rouhani as calling Israel a "wound that should be removed." That prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to retort that "the real face of Rouhani has been exposed earlier than expected."

But the news agency, ISNA, later said it was a misquote, confirmed by state TV footage of Rouhani's comment reviewed by The Associated Press. Netanyahu issued no statement on the corrected version.

Nevertheless, the mishap underscored the challenges facing the incoming president, who was elected in June with pledges to seek a calmer and more balanced outreach to the West.

It is Khamenei and the Revolutionary Guard who control Iranian policies, and the supreme leader has final say in all key matters.

Rouhani will effectively be the international face of Iran and has made no secret of his desire to project a new image of dialogue rather than diatribes. It remains to be seen to what extent he will be able to persuade the ruling clerics and military that interaction with Washington and its allies over Iran's nuclear program could bring dividends such as easing painful sanctions.

Israel has not ruled out a military option against Iran's nuclear facilities, which the West suspects are geared toward making a nuclear weapon. Tehran denies the charge and insists its nuclear program is meant for peaceful purposes only.

The Iranian leadership has long maintained harsh views on Israel, backing anti-Israeli factions such as Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group. But it now appears to recognize that Ahmadinejad's fiery denunciations of Israel and his questioning the extent of the Holocaust needlessly outraged the West and did not advance Iran's national interests.

Rouhani appears to be trying to maneuver in the tight space allotted in Iran's power structure. He is making clear that he stands with Iran's uncompromising positions on Israel but is also backing away from Ahmadinejad's fist-waving approach.

In his remarks Friday, Rouhani also expressed doubts about the possibility of an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal as the two sides resumed negotiations in Washington this week following a five-year freeze in Mideast talks.

"Israelis show a compromising face to the world but continue their expansionism in practice," Rouhani said, according to Fars, another semiofficial news agency. "This rally is a reminder that Muslim people will not forget their historical right and they will resist oppression and invasion."

Iran does not recognize Israel and has since the 1979 Islamic Revolution observed the last Friday of the Islamic month of Ramadan as "Al-Quds Day." Tehran says the occasion is meant to express support for Palestinians and emphasize the importance of Jerusalem for Muslims.

Jerusalem's eastern sector houses sensitive Jewish, Christian and Muslim shrines and is sacred to all three religions. Jerusalem is the holiest place in Judaism and the third holiest city in Islam, after the Saudi Arabian cities of Mecca and Medina.

Anti-Israeli rallies were held in cities and towns across Iran on Friday. In the capital, Tehran, tens of thousands took to the streets, chanting "Down with America" and "Death to Israel." Some protesters also burned American and Israeli flags.

Ahmadinejad spoke to the crowds after the rally in Friday prayers at the Tehran University campus. It was his last public speech before his term ends.

"You Zionists planted a wind but you will harvest a storm," the outgoing president said. "A destructive storm is on the way and it will destroy Zionism."

___

Associated Press Writer Ian Deitch in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-08-02-ML-Iran-Israel/id-36c6844bf0894b1b82dadbecf34db6ca

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Cleveland kidnapping victim: 'I cried every night'

CLEVELAND (AP) ? One of the victims of convicted Cleveland kidnapper and rapist Ariel Castro says at his sentencing hearing that she cried every night and that her years in captivity "turned into eternity."

Michelle Knight says she spent 11 years in hell and that Castro's hell is now beginning.

Her appearance is the first time she's been seen publicly since her rescue from the house where she was held captive for 10 years.

The 32-year-old Knight was the first woman abducted by Ariel Castro in 2002 after he lured her into his house with the promise of a puppy for her son.

Castro has pleaded guilty to charges that he repeatedly raped Knight and two other victims, and also forced Knight to miscarry after he impregnated her.

Knight was the only victim to testify. Relatives spoke for the other two victims.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cleveland-kidnapping-victim-cried-every-night-162017054.html

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Fundraising for Brantford's Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre going slow

The city's fundraising campaign for the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre is falling dramatically short of its goals so far.

The campaign kicked off with the hiring of KCI Ketchum Canada in December 2011. The initial work and reports from the fundraising consultants showed the potential to raise between $3 million and $5 million. About $1 million of that amount would support the construction of the Brantford Sports Hall of Recognition, with any remaining funds offsetting the construction costs of the centre's $64-million redevelopment. The campaign was officially launched in June 2012.

While KCI indicated at the time it can take up to two years to cement big-dollar donations, as of the last public announcement at the end of June, the campaign had raised a total of about $700,000. The largest donation to-date has been $200,000 from SC Johnson, targeted for an outdoor play structure.

Many of the other donations that have been made have been tied to specific parts of the centre or equipment within the centre, such as the $25,000 donation by BMO Bank of Montreal for a new timing system and display in the 25-metre pool.

The fundraising consultants were hired at a cost of $25,000 a month for 14 months. The last month KCI was working on this fundraising campaign was April of this year ? with the city having paid a minimum of $350,000 drawn from the pot of money being used to finance the overall reconstruction. The thought at the time was the payments for the professional fundraisers would be taken out of the monies raised for the overall project.

?People so far have been willing to donate for specific projects,? general manager of community services Greg Dworak said this week. ?There is still some money that will be general donations and that will go to payment of KCI's fees.?

Dworak said there are more sponsorship agreements coming to council for approval this fall and the volunteer committee continues to work to solicit donations and work to solidify potential donors who've shown an interest. But as of this week, when amounts dedicated to specific items are discounted, the dollars raised aren't enough to cover KCI's costs.

The campaign's shortfall to-date hasn't impacted the facility itself ? the third large phase of reconstruction that included a new gymnasium, six-lane 25-metre pool, warm-water therapy pool, new change rooms and fitness studios opened over the month of June. The fourth and final phase involves the reconstruction of the change rooms in the old 65-metre pool and should be complete by the spring.

hugo.rodrigues@sunmedia.ca

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Source: http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/2013/07/31/fundraising-for-brantfords-wayne-gretzky-sports-centre-going-slow

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White House condemns Egyptian military crackdown

A member of the Muslim Brotherhood and supporter of deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi walks near a huge poster of Mursi, after late night clashes, at the entrance to their campsite near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, close to Rabaa Adawiya Square, in Nasr city area, east of Cairo July 28, 2013.

Credit: Reuters/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Reuters/worldNews/~3/t07bJmLis4U/story01.htm

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Editorial: Stop threatening game developers ? One Of Swords

This morning a title update went through on Black Ops II on Xbox 360, and I expect this patch will propogate to other platforms soon as well. Here?s what I found on Twitter this morning:?

Okay, so I head off to read the patch notes. Most of it involves some needed tweaks to Buried, but apparently this is the part that has people violently angry:

Multiplayer Game Balancing

• AN-94:? Damage slightly reduced.

• DSR 50:? Rate of fire reduced.

• Ballista:? Rate of fire slightly reduced

That?s an assault rifle and two snipers that have, according to players who hadn?t even tried it yet, been ?messed up.? The negativity that followed is as melodramatic as you might expect.

So are the weapons truly messed up, or balanced? They are clearly altered, but to what degree? Vahn explains:

You know what? They are not.

One of Vahn?s many responsibilities is to keep the game as balanced as possible. Weapons are designed with pros and cons; they perform in specific ways for specific reasons. But if, in the course of millions of hours of gameplay and the data to go with it, weapons are found to be more effective or less effective than they should be to keep that performance balanced, they are adjusted. This has happened with every Call of Duty game that?s come out for the last few years, and it will continue to happen ? a gun?s stats being adjusted should not be a surprise to anybody at this point.

Yet Vahn often gets told he should die in a fire or kill himself or is a horrible person. If anybody thinks for a second that this is okay, it is not. But if the loudest voices in the Call of Duty ?community? act like an angry mob instead, guess how the entire world views Call of Duty? Now consider that these Internet Tough Guy rants and demands are not unique to COD, but exist everywhere, in many gaming communities. This is why the world often does not take gaming seriously; this is why gamers are assumed to be immature, whiny assholes. Because the immature, whiny assholes are louder.

Take a look at Vahn?s Twitter stream today; look at how he has responded to the people who found issues and sent him calm, useful feedback. It?s clear that many gamers understand basic human communication, and it?s doubly clear that developers respond positively and gratefully to this kind of feedback. Maybe Vahn is super patient. Maybe Vahn is super human. Maybe Vahn is heavily sedated. But the fact that he focuses on the useful feedback, puts that intel to good use fixing the problem, and doesn?t irrationally lash out at the immature, whiny assholes is amazing.

Role-play this for a second. When you make a mistake ? because you do, we all do ? or someone finds something wrong with something that you created, whether it be a meal or driving instructions or even a blog post, how would you prefer to find out that there is an issue? Would you like someone to just say ?hey, I noticed this and I think it?s not quite right; are you seeing what I see?? Or would you react better to having someone scream in your face that since your mother didn?t have an abortion, you should commit suicide instead? This is not the way to show a developer that what they do matters to you. Not at all.

If you enjoy your games, have a little respect for the people who make them ? and stop threatening them with bodily harm every time they do their job.

Source: http://oneofswords.com/2013/07/editorial-stop-threatening-game-developers/

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China quake death toll more than doubles to 54, hundreds hurt

By Megha Rajagopalan

BEIJING (Reuters) - The death toll from a 6.6 magnitude earthquake in China's western Gansu province on Monday more than doubled to 54 people, the municipal government said, with hundreds injured as many homes in affected areas collapsed.

The quake hit Minxian and Zhangxian counties, about 170 km (105 miles) southeast of the provincial capital of Lanzhou, at 7.45 on Monday morning (7.45 p.m. ET Sunday), the official Xinhua news agency said.

It put the number of people seriously injured at 296. Earlier reports by the official Xinhua news agency said 22 people had died.

Eight towns in the remote, mountainous area sustained serious damage in the quake and subsequent flooding and mudslides, state media said.

There were also power outages, while cell phone and Internet coverage was disrupted, residents and state media reported. The Red Cross Society of China said it had sent relief supplies to the affected areas, including jackets and tents.

"Many have been injured by collapsed houses," said a Minxian county doctor surnamed Du. "Many villagers have gone to local hospitals along the roads."

Photos posted on Chinese social media showed roads on the sides of riverbanks that had subsided and farmhouses reduced to piles of red bricks.

About 380 buildings had collapsed and 5,600 sustained damaged in Zhangxian county, the Dingxi municipal government said in a microblog post.

A school building in Minxian county was also damaged, a teacher in the area said, although he said he didn't believe any students were injured because they were away on summer holidays.

Heavy rain is also forecast for the areas hit by the quake, which officials fear would compound the damage by causing more landslides and flooding.

A second 5.6 earthquake struck the same region about 90 minutes after the first, Xinhua said, the most significant of several aftershocks. The United States Geological Survey said the first quake had a magnitude of 5.9.

Gansu abuts Sichuan province, where a 6.6 quake in April killed 164 people and injured more than 6,700, China's worst quake in three years.

That quake hit close to where a devastating 7.9 temblor killed some 70,000 people in May 2008.

Among those killed in the 2008 quake were thousands of children, raising suspicions that the schools that had collapsed on them had been poorly constructed, in part due to corruption.

(Additional reporting by Michael Martina, Ben Blanchard and the Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by Paul Tait)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/strong-earthquake-strikes-central-china-usgs-001746877.html

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