This And That

Rohingya Muslims "persecuted" after Myanmar crackdown: report BANGKOK (Reuters) - Myanmar security forces killed, raped or carried out mass arrests of Rohingya Muslims after deadly sectarian riots in the northeast in June, a rights group said on Wednesday, adding the authorities had done little to prevent the initial unrest. Aid workers were blocked and in some cases arrested, and Rohingyas bore the brunt of a government crackdown in Rakhine state after a week of arson and machete attack by both ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingyas, New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a report. ... more info...

There Is No Escape: All Facebook users will soon be forced to switch to Timeline If you consider yourself one of the lucky people who haven't been forced to switch to Timeline yet, know that your luck may soon run out. According to Techcrunch, Facebook will force all of its 955 million accounts to use … Continue reading → more info... Courts mull whether illegal immigrants can be licensed to practice law SACRAMENTO (Reuters) - A law school graduate seeking to join the California bar despite his status as an illegal immigrant may soon become a test case for other young and undocumented professionals as the state's highest court weighs whether he can be admitted to practice law. The state Supreme Court is mulling the case of 35-year-old Sergio Garcia, who has already found strong support both from California's attorney general and the state bar association. The court has requested guidance from the U.S. Justice Department on the ma...

Mexico accuses U.S. of price dumping on chicken MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's economy ministry on Tuesday accused the United States of engaging in price dumping with its chicken exports, but said it would not be taking any action for now. In a statement, the ministry said it had concluded that U.S. exporters were guilty of engaging in an "unfair" trade practice with its sales of chicken legs and thighs to Mexico. It did not provide additional details of its findings. The ministry's foreign trade commission COCEX said it would not pursue retaliatory measures because of disruptions caused by a recent outbreak of bird flu in western Mexico. ... more info...

Flip Over Olympic Gymnastics Bingo The retina-blinding pink stage has been set. Now it's time for the world's top gymnasts to flip and twirl on the path towards gold at the London Olympics. more info... US embassy in Norway evacuated due to bomb scare Norwegian police say the U.S. Embassy in Oslo and surrounding buildings have been evacuated after a suspicious object was found beneath a car near the embassy. more info...

Even Mild Depression, Anxiety Hurts the Heart: Study TUESDAY, July 31 (HealthDay News) -- Even mild depression or anxiety may raise your risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and other causes, according to British researchers. more info... Google Delays Nexus Q Launch Google announced on Tuesday that it is holding shipments of its Nexus Q “cloud-connect jukebox” gadget while the company "works on making it even better." To make up for the delay, the company is sending the current model to customers who pre-ordered the device for free. more info...

This Military Homecoming Would Make Darth Vader Cry Colonel Rob Kiebler returned home from a tour of duty in Afghanistan just in time for his son Danny's fifth birthday. more info...

8 Percent of Olympians Have Asthma Asthma is the most common chronic disease among athletes at the Olympic Games, a new study says. more info... 'Missile Missy' is tearing up Olympic pool Life just keeps on getting bigger and better for Missy Franklin, the teenage swimming sensation whose fame is quickly spreading beyond the Olympic pool. more info...

Gaddafi son cannot get fair trial in Libya: lawyers AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Slain Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam cannot get a fair trial in Libya and he claims if he is executed it would be tantamount to murder, his defense lawyers said on Tuesday in a filing to the International Criminal Court (ICC). "I am not afraid to die but if you execute me after such a trial you should just call it murder and be done with it," Saif al-Islam said, according to his lawyers, referring to a possible trial in Libya, where he is being detained by tribesmen. ... more info... White House prepping for budget cuts, to shield military pay WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Tuesday it was starting to get ready for potentially painful year-end spending cuts, and was committed to shielding U.S. military pay from any government budget crunch. Jeffrey Zients, acting director of President Barack Obama's Office of Manag...

Spectacular Photo: Humpback Whale Surprises Fishing Trip Melissa Pelaez was visiting Panama to do research on yellowfin tuna for her master's degree in aquaculture, the cultivation or farming of fish. One fine morning she and her University of Miami classmates set out from the Achotines Laboratory to catch adult tuna, which they planned to bring back to the station from the Pacific Ocean to breed. more info...

William, Kate, Harry meet British Olympic team Prince William, the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry have dropped in on the British Olympic team's official residence to wish them good luck and to admire the bronze medal won by swimmer Rebecca Adlington. more info... Rising Cigarette Prices May Be Incentive to Quit TUESDAY, July 31 (HealthDay News) -- The recent increase in the Illinois cigarette tax is an example of how making smoking more expensive can convince some people it's time to quit. more info...

Germany wins Olympic equestrian team event Germany won its second consecutive Olympic gold medal in equestrian team eventing Tuesday, beating out hometown favorite Britain with Zara Phillips riding before her royal family. more info... White House sees more housing aid needed to boost economy WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Friday that housing rescue programs are still needed to help homeowners who remain behind on their mortgage payments due to the housing boom and bust that helped fuel the 2007-2009 recession. "We are far from where we want to be," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters when asked about the current state of the housing market. "We need to continue to take the steps necessary to assist responsible homeowners to keep making their payments, to stay in their homes. ... more info... Memes, Pixar and the Most Adorable Wedding Ever [VIDEO] Timothy Tiah Ewe...

'Olympic UFO' Bears Striking Resemblance to a Blimp About a billion Earthlings watched the Olympics opening ceremony Friday night. Did an out-of-this-world spectator tune in as well? A dimly lit, disk-shape object was spotted hovering above the stadium in NBC footage of the ceremony, and the Web has since come alive with exhaustive analysis of this "Olympic UFO." more info...

Tomb of Mayan Prince Discovered in Jungle Ruins Excavators have uncovered what they believe to be the 1,300-year-old remains of a Mayan prince entombed within a royal complex of the ancient city of Uxul, located in Mexico near the Guatemalan border. more info...

Snoop Dogg Documentary Reveals Journey to Snoop Lion [More from Mashable: AmEx Offers Deals Based On Your Facebook Likes] more info... Syrian aircraft strike Aleppo, rebels claim successes ALEPPO, Syria (Reuters) - Syrian combat aircraft and artillery pounded two areas of Aleppo on Tuesday as the army battled for control of the country's biggest city, but rebel fighters said troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad had been forced to retreat. Heavy gunfire sounded from the Salaheddine district in the southwest of the city, scene of some of the worst clashes. Large clouds of black smoke rose into the sky after attack helicopters turned their machineguns on eastern districts for the first time in the latest fighting and a MiG warplane later strafed the same area of the city. ... more info...

New Seal Flu Could Pose Threat to Humans TUESDAY, July 31 (HealthDay News) -- A new influenza strain found in New England harbor seals could potentially threaten people as well as wildlife, new research suggests. more info...

Google Maps Adds Service Alerts for New York City Subways Google announced on Tuesday it is rolling out planned service alerts for New York City's subway system within Google Maps. more info... New 'Bird Flu' Killing Baby Seals, Raises Concerns for Humans For about four months beginning in September 2011, 162 dead or dying harbor seals washed up along the New England coast. Most were pups, under 6 months old, and the obvious culprits, like starvation, did not appear to be at work. more info...

Former Global Warming Skeptic Makes a 'Total Turnaround' A prominent scientist who was skeptical of the evidence that climate change was real, let alone that it was caused by humans, now says he has made a "total turnaround." Richard Muller, a professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley, says he has become convinced that "the prior estimates of the rate of warming were correct," and that humans are "almost entirely the cause" of that warming. more info... Syrian army pounds Aleppo, rebels claim successes ALEPPO, Syria (Reuters) - Syrian helicopter gunships and artillery pounded two key areas of Aleppo on Tuesday, extending the army's campaign to control the country's biggest city, but rebel fighters said troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad had been forced to retreat. Heavy gunfire sounded from the Salaheddine district in the southwest of the city, where rebels denied they...

Russian opposition leader charged with theft MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian investigators charged opposition blogger and protest leader Alexei Navalny with theft on Tuesday, threatening one of President Vladimir Putin's most outspoken opponents with a 10-year jail sentence. The federal Investigative Committee said in a statement that Navalny had been charged over the theft of timber from a state firm while he was advising a regional governor in 2009, and ordered him to stay in Russia. The charges followed a series of moves since Putin began a new six-year term as president in May which opponents depict as a crackdown on dissent. ... more info... Popular Irish author Maeve Binchy dies at 72 Bestselling Irish author Maeve Binchy, one of Ireland's most popular writers who sold more than 40 million books worldwide, has died in Dublin after a brief illness, Irish media and national leaders reported. She was 72 years old. more info......

iPad App Lets You Create Collages With Your Pinterest Pins Want to get more creative with Pinterest? Now you can, thanks to Bazaart. more info... Russian opposition leader served with criminal charge MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian authorities charged opposition blogger and protest leader Alexei Navalny on Tuesday with a financial crime punishable by prison, increasing pressure on one of President Vladimir Putin's leading foes. The federal Investigative Committee said in a statement Navalny had been charged with organizing large-scale theft following losses suffered by a state forestry firm while he was advising a regional governor, and ordered him to stay in Russia. It was not immediately clear how long a sentence he could face if convicted. ... more info... Tunisia men next on menu for US Olympic hoop team With a massive budget, the U.S. Olympic men's basketball team has a treasure trove of information on ...

So far, London Olympics wins gold medal for gaffes An appearance by the hapless comic character Mr. Bean was one of the highlights of the London Olympics opening ceremony. Yet a series of Keystone Cops moments has games organizers hoping they don't keep up this slapstick routine in real life. more info... Japan's Toshiba beats forecasts on power system sales TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese electronics conglomerate Toshiba Corp trumped forecasts with a more than doubling of its quarterly profit on Tuesday, boosted by strong overseas earnings from sales of power systems and other energy products despite sluggish chip sales. Toshiba, Japan's leading chipmaker and the world's No.2 maker of NAND flash memory chips, logged an operating profit of 11.47 billion yen ($147 million) in the April-June quarter, up from 4.12 billion yen a year ago when Japanese firms were hit by the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami. ... more info...

2 medals for Phelps would cinch Olympic history Michael Phelps is chasing more Olympic history in his next two events at the London Games. Winning medals in the 200-meter butterfly and a relay would let him get it done in the same night. more info... Nepal harvest rush threatens "Himalayan Viagra" KATHMANDU (Reuters) - For decades a rare fungus valued as an aphrodisiac and dubbed "Himalayan Viagra" has been a source of income for poor villagers in Nepal's remote Himalayan foothills. Men, women and children stream into high meadows every year to harvest the fungus called Yarsagumba, which grows from dead moth larvae. High quality specimens fetch thousands of dollars a kilo. But experts say the fungus, found only above 3,500 meters (11,480 feet), is under threat and yields are falling, threatening the livelihood of thousands of people who depend on it for up to 70 percent of their income. ... more info... ...

Security in focus as Clinton heads to Africa WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton departs this week on a trip that will take her both to Africa's newest nation, South Sudan, and on a visit to the continent's elder statesman, 94-year-old anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela. While Clinton's public focus will be on Africa's democratic achievements and economic potential, the trip also underscores U.S. security ties in the face of an array of growing threats --from Islamist extremists to narcotics cartels. ... more info...

Security in focus as Clinton heads to Africa WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton departs this week on a trip that will take her both to Africa's newest nation, South Sudan, and on a visit to the continent's elder statesman, 94-year-old anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela. While Clinton's public focus will be on Africa's democratic achievements and economic potential, the trip also underscores U.S. security ties in the face of an array of growing threats --from Islamist extremists to narcotics cartels. ... more info... Best-seller on creativity featured fake Bob Dylan quotes A young star of American journalism has acknowledged he concocted quotes from Bob Dylan in his best-selling book of creativity featuring the American folk legend, a magazine article revealed. more info... Olympic viewing: NBC critics loud on social media In the age of social media, NBC now has mill...

20 TV Shows With the Most Social Media Buzz This Week The Olympics are world champions when it comes to event television, so it's no surprise that the NBC broadcasts are dominating this week's social TV charts. more info... Assange mom says WikiLeaks founder suffering The mother of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said Monday after meeting with Ecuador's foreign minister that she's worried about her son's health after nearly seven weeks' confinement at the South American nation's London embassy. more info... Masked Mexican thief hits cinemas showing Batman Prosecutors in northern Mexico say a man wearing a ski mask and carrying a gun robbed two theaters showing the Batman movie "The Dark Knight Rises." more info...

Report: Irish author Maeve Binchy dies at 72 Irish media reports say that bestselling author Maeve Binchy has died in Dublin after a brief illness. She was 72 years old. more info...

US men play Tunisia next in Olympic basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski says the U.S. Olympic men's basketball team has to always perform at its best, no matter the opponent. more info... Goodbye, Gmail Video Chat. Hello Google+ Hangouts If you enjoy video chatting over Gmail the way you've been doing it since 2008, better wave your last goodbyes to your buddy list. more info... Jackson estate limits access to home amid feud Michael Jackson's estate has acknowledged that they limited access to the home shared by the late singer's mother and children in response to a driveway disturbance last week. more info...

Judge clears Arizona late-term abortion ban to take effect PHOENIX (Reuters) - A federal judge refused on Monday to block an Arizona law banning most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, saying it does not impose a "substantial obstacle" to the procedure, and cleared the way for the statute to take effect on Thursday. The ruling marked a stinging legal defeat for abortion-rights advocates who cited the Arizona law as the most extreme example of late-term abortion prohibitions enacted in more than half a dozen states, and they vowed to immediately appeal the decision. U.S. ... more info...

U.S. women outclass Angola LONDON (Reuters) - The U.S. women's basketball team, evoking memories of the men's Dream Team of 1992, put on a hoops masterclass in routing African champions Angola 90-38 at the Olympics on Monday. It took a little while for the Americans to get in synch, but once they did the reigning four-times Olympic champions put on a fastbreak show to extend their Games winning streak to 35 in a row. The last time the U.S. ... more info... FDA rejects expanded use of Regeneron drug for gout (Reuters) - Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc said U.S. regulators have denied approval for it to expand use of its Arcalyst drug to prevent gout flares, asking that the company provide more clinical data. The rejection follows a unanimous vote against the drug's approval in early May by advisors to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, with panel members expressing concern that the company had only done a 16-week study. ... ...

Layoff notices unneeded before end-of-year budget cuts: Labor Department Washington (Reuters) - The Obama administration told defense contractors on Monday they would not have to issue notices just before the November presidential election warning workers of potential layoffs due to looming budget cuts. The Labor Department advisory said the circumstances surrounding the planned cuts were too uncertain to require defense and other federal contractors to comply with provisions of a law requiring employees to be notified 60 days before major layoffs or plant closures. Under current law, the U.S. ... more info... Safety becomes first player to leave Penn State Backup Penn State safety Tim Buckley has become the first player to transfer from Penn State in the wake of NCAA sanctions, while the future of a more prominent player, star tailback Silas Redd, remains in question. more info...

State police looking into Dyer traffic stop A state trooper who found marijuana and a gun in a car driven by Arkansas State running back Michael Dyer offered to call his coach even though he worried about "NCAA crap" and other fallout, according to video of a traffic stop released Monday. more info... Toby Keith postpones concert date after surgery Surgery has briefly sidelined country star Toby Keith. more info...

ABC pulls Fred Willard improv show after arrest Fred Willard's improv series is a wipeout with ABC. more info...

Alcohol Is a Social Lubricant, Study Confirms MONDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) -- You've seen those commercials with fun-loving people sharing a laugh over a cold brew. Now, a new study lends scientific support to the notion of alcohol as a social icebreaker. more info... Lochte falters again, but Franklin, Grevers shine Michael Phelps has yet to win a gold medal, and Ryan Lochte's star is fading. So along came Missy Franklin to restore American swim hopes with a gutty performance at the Olympics on Monday night. more info... 'Dark Knight' stays on top with $62 million "The Dark Knight Rises" dominated the box office for a second-straight week, making just over $62 million, according to studio figures Monday. more info...

Terrifying Zombies Run Amok in NYC to Protest AMC Drop from Dish Network [VIDEO] To protest the Dish Network's recent move to drop AMC and its popular The Walking Dead series, the network unleashed crew of Hollywood-caliber zombies onto the streets of New York, disguising themselves as police officers, hot dog vendors and pedestrians. more info... Judge says Arizona's abortion ban can take effect Arizona's ban on abortions starting at 20 weeks of pregnancy will take effect this week as scheduled after a federal judge ruled Monday that the new law is constitutional. more info... Drought's Positive Effect: Smaller Gulf Dead Zone Though the parched conditions have wreaked havoc on natural habitat and agricultural crops, drought may have one upside, bringing the fourth smallest dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico since mapping of this annual oxygen-free zone began in 1985. more info...

Why Mars again? A look at NASA's latest venture NASA's new robot rover named Curiosity has spent 8½ months hurtling through space toward its destination Sunday on Mars. It is set to land near the foot of a mountain rising from a giant crater. This marks NASA's 19th mission and eighth landing attempt. more info... Watch 4,000 Strangers Drench Each Other With Water Guns [VIDEO] Improv Everywhere's MP3 experiment is a public participatory event that's a mix of scavenger hunt and flash mob. more info... Livestock groups seek drought relief with ethanol waiver (Reuters) - Hard-hit livestock and poultry producers petitioned the government on Monday to reduce or cancel the required use of ethanol in gasoline for a year, asking for "a little help" to ride out the worst drought in 56 years. The request for a first-ever waiver from the federal Environmental Protection Agency's mandate, wh...

Swiss Olympic team expels player for racist tweet Swiss soccer player Michel Morganella has been expelled from the London Olympics for posting a racist message on Twitter. more info... McCartney paid 1 pound ($1.57) for Olympics gig Don't spend it all in one place, Paul. more info...

Journalist Suspended From Twitter After Anti-NBC Tweets Guy Adams, a Los Angeles correspondent for London paper The Independent, was suspended from Twitter on July 30 after tweeting the email account of Gary Zenkel, the President of NBC Olympics. more info... Police: Titans player dies in apparent suicide Police say a Tennessee Titans player has died of an apparent suicide. more info...

The Excited Baby Goat That Got Into the Coffee Pot [VIDEO] [More from Mashable: ‘Fund Me Maybe’ Is Tech World’s Parody of ‘Call Me Maybe’ [VIDEO]] more info... Marker, famed French director of 'La Jetee,' dies Chris Marker, the influential French filmmaker whose career spanned six decades, has died, France's Culture Ministry confirmed Monday. He was 91. more info... Aleppo rebels under fire, Syrian fighter jet flies over ALEPPO, Syria (Reuters) - The Syrian military stepped up its campaign to drive rebel fighters out of Aleppo on Monday, firing artillery and mortars while a fighter jet flew over a district the army said it had retaken the day before. However, opposition activists denied government forces had entered the Salaheddine district, which lies in the southwest of the country's biggest city and straddles the most obvious route for Syrian troop reinforcements coming from the south. ... ...

Watch: Ebola Outbreak: Deadly Virus Spreads in Uganda Health officials confirmed that the virus has killed at least 14 people. more info... Looming Postal Service default shakes mailers' confidence WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Postal Service is set this week to default on a giant payment, the latest blow illustrating Congress' slow progress toward fixing the agency's deep financial woes and one that could damage some customers' confidence. The Postal Service has said for months that it could not afford to make the $5.5 billion payment for future retiree health benefits, which was originally due in 2011 but was delayed by Congress until August 1. ... more info...

New Beetle Species Found in Remote Arizona Cave A newfound species of beetle has been discovered in remote caves in Arizona, boasting long antennae and slender legs with hairlike tufts. more info...

Syrian air force joins battle for Aleppo ALEPPO, Syria (Reuters) - The Syrian military stepped up its campaign to drive rebel fighters out of Aleppo on Monday, firing artillery and mortars while a fighter jet flew over a district the army said it had retaken the day before. However, opposition activists denied government forces had entered Salaheddine, in the southwest of Syria's biggest city. Hospitals and makeshift clinics in rebel-held eastern neighborhoods were filling up with casualties from a week of fighting in Aleppo, an commercial hub that had previously stayed out of a 16-month-old revolt against President Bashar al-Assad. ... more info...