News & Updates

NASA officials say their new $150 million saucer-shaped vehicle is a success, despite tumultuous descent after ride over Pacific.

A thousand pieces of beef, 1,800 pieces of chicken, 2,000 challah rolls and 800 bottles of wine were served to the jubilant masses; no Jewish laws were broken. Good enough to eat. White City Shabbat’s Guinness World Record-breaking dinner. Photo by Courtesy of White City Shabbat And the Guinness World Record for largest Shabbat dinner in the world goes to… More than 2,000 people gathered at the Tel Aviv Port on Friday for a sacred cause: breaking the Guinness World Record for the largest Shabbat dinner. What does it take to set up a record-breaking meal? A year of preparation, 60 days of crowdsourced fundraising, 800 bottles of wine, 80 bottles of vodka, 50 bottles of whiskey, 2,000 challah rolls, 80 long tables, 1,800 pieces of chicken, 1,000 pieces of beef and 250 vegetarian plates. Some 2,300 people signed up (with 3,000 on the waiting list) for the event at Hangar 11, organized by the White City Shabbat, a non-profit organization that promotes Jew...

A Facebook logo on an Ipad is reflected among source code on the LCD screen of a computer, in this photo illustration taken in Sarajevo June 18, 2014. STOCKS Facebook Inc FB.O $67.71 +0.10 +0.16% 20:47:00 IDT Twitter Inc TWTR.N $40.74 -0.19 -0.46% 20:47:00 IDT PICTURE GA (Reuters) – With 1 billion posts, likes and comments in just the first half of the World Cup, the soccer tournament is already the most talked-about event in Facebook Inc’s decade-long history, data obtained by Reuters showed. The soccer conversation measured between June 12 and June 29 involved 220 million people and 1 billion interactions, the Facebook data showed. And since the ball will be rolling for another two weeks, the tournament is set to break new records as the biggest social media event to date. “People are having conversations on Facebook about what they watch in a really unprecedented scale,” Nick Grudin, the...

Source: Colin Marshall/NPR At the year’s halfway point, with summer just about to flip the calendar over to side B, it’s a challenge to get a satisfying picture of the year in music, even if you’re just looking at a single genre. Consider the voices of the couple dozen obsessive listeners from NPR Music and our public radio partners who made this list, and the only thing that remains undeniably true is that great albums come out of every genre, from every corner of the world. Music Lists NPR Music’s 50 Favorite Songs Of 2014 (So Far) What links them together? 2014 has, in its first six months, been a wonderful year for musicians who go deep. The 25 albums on this list (presented alphabetically) all start with a sound, a vibe, a concept or crucial idea. After that, they flower in different ways. One might display the range of sounds a band leader can pull out of a few fellow musicians or the depth of emotion a singer can plumb while mapping the course o...

The rail link funded primarily by China would connect Xinjiang’s western city Kashgar to the Gwadar deep sea port of Pakistan. — File photo A research study regarding an international railway project linking Pakistan with China’s Xinjiang province through Azad Jammu and Kashmir has been commissioned by China, according to a Times of India and China Daily report. The rail link funded primarily by China would connect Xinjiang’s western city Kashgar to the Gwadar deep sea port of Pakistan, said state-run China Daily while quoting the director of Xinjiang’s regional development and reform commission, Zhang Chunlin on the subject. “The 1,800-km China-Pakistan railway is planned to also pass through Pakistan’s capital of Islamabad and Karachi,” Zhang had said at the two-day International Seminar on the Silk Road Economic Belt being held in Urumqi, Xinjiang’s capital. Due to geo-strategic implications the project would be hard to proceed with, ...

http://isthattrue.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/plants-vs-zombies-2.jpeg EA is introducing another new twist to the popular Plants vs. Zombies 2. The mobile game developer said the latest iteration of the controversial Plants vs. Zombies game is now going medieval. Are you curious about it? It is going to the Dark Ages, literally. This latest twist is creating a whole new and different world for Plants vs. Zombies 2. And this means there would be more zombies for players to slay. Just like all the other additions in the past, this one goes free of charge. EA hopes that players would eventually spend cash for in-app purchases. For veteran players of Plants vs. Zombies, this new feature could be considered as an old hat. However, there’s a catch to the game play. Most of the game levels have sunlight that is falling from the sky. It can be used to cultivate sunflowers and in turn acquire more plants. The Dark Ages But in the Dark Ages of Plants vs. Zombies 2, the levels are mostly in th...

http://gon.cdn.on.net/uploads/2014/06/Planetside-2.jpg Hossin’s BGM is just an ominously slow rendition of dueling banjos. 2 years in the making, the swamps and marshes of Hossin are now available in  Planetside 2 , as of the most recent update. Branded an ‘Early Expedition’ update, Hossin is not completely finished – of the 80+ bases on the continent, currently only 50% are ‘done’ to the high standard of quality we’ve all come to expect from  Planetside 2 . Meanwhile another 25% are midway through the design process and the final 25% are identical placeholders, with the developers copying a base design they already know works and pasting it in place while they work on the others. As Creative Director Matt Higby explains in a recent forum post: There isn’t any other way to say it except to say that Hossin is not finished. If we wanted to “finish” Hossin without sacrificing the quality level we’ve established, it would probably be 3 months before it was ready to go live – we don’t want ...

http://isthattrue.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/1403987953-9977.jpg   WASHINGTON – While reiterating that the ongoing offensive in North Waziristan to clear the tribal area of militants is entirely a Pakistani-executed operation, the United States has said it is monitoring the situation of the internally displaced persons and was ready to cooperate in relief efforts. “We’ve long supported Pakistani efforts to extend writ of government throughout their country and increase internal stability,” Marie Harf, deputy spokesperson at the State Department, told reporters at the daily press briefing on Friday. “In terms of the displaced persons’ issue, we are closely monitoring the situation, in coordination with the humanitarian community,” she said, responding to question. “We do understand that the Pakistan government is working with the appropriate international and donor organisations to ensure that assistance is in place for displaced people and their families. The Un...

http://i2.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article3435783.ece/alternates/s615/Norwich-City-v-Liverpool-Premier-League.jpg Andrew Powell Luis Suarez has had direct talks with Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers since his expulsion from the World Cup. The controversial Uruguay star, banned for four months by FIFA after the third biting scandal of his career, is now in Montevideo. Boss Rodgers assured Suarez he has his backing. However, Anfield insiders have revealed the club were prepared for another summer of Suarez agitating for a move to La Liga – even before his World Cup exit last week. The lengthy ban has not changed the view of Liverpool’s American owners, who say the 27-year-old will not be sold unless their £70million valuation is met. Real Madrid and Barcelona believe the latest example of Suarez putting the bite on an opponent will save them £20million-plus because Liverpool have now become a selling club. But an Anfield insider said: “Anyone ...

http://isthattrue.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/mobile-phones.jpg FAISALABAD: All the security personnel of the police department and other agencies would be given latest android mobile phones to keep vigilant eyes on the suspects and to record the movement of the terrorists and criminals. A police spokesman told here Saturday that the home secretary had ordered to provide latest technology-equipped android mobile phones to the security officials throughout the province keep vigilant eyes on the suspects, terrorists and criminals and to record their movements. A comprehensive strategy has been chalked-out to keep vigilant eyes on the terrorists and extremists who have taken shelters in peaceful areas of the country so that their nefarious designs could be averted before the occurrence of any untoward incident, he added.

(Updates with U.S. attorney confirmation of 3:30 p.m. hearing) By Doina Chiacu WASHINGTON, June 28  (Reuters) – The Libyan militia leader suspected in the 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi that killed four Americans arrived in Washington on Saturday and will appear at a federal court hearing, the U.S. attorney’s office said. Ahmed Abu Khatallah was transferred into civilian law enforcement custody from a Navy warship where he had been held since his June 15 capture in Libya. “Ahmed Abu Khatallah arrived in the District of Columbia this morning to face prosecution for his alleged role in the September 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya,” said Bill Miller, spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office for the District of Columbia. He was scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court for a 3:30 p.m. hearing, Miller said. A.J. Kramer, the federal public defender in Washington, said legal representation likely would be discussed at the hearing. U.S. Amb...

http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2580094-planetside+2-.jpg Sony Online Entertainment today released a huge update for its free-to-play MMO shooter, Planetside 2, the most significant aspect of which is a whole new continent for players to explore and fight over. Known as Hossin, the new “swamp continent” will present new obstacles for players to deal with as they navigate the environment. SOE says Hossin is home to “unforgiving marshes, low hanging tree canopies, and slow-moving, boggy terrain,” all of which sounds like it could get in the way when facing off against dozens of enemies (not an uncommon occurrence in Planetside 2). “With its swamp-like terrain and natural barriers, players combat skills will be challenged like never before,” said creative director Matt Higby. “Facilities and bases are scattered throughout, making infantry combat the most important it’s ever been. Hossin adds an insane element to PlanetSide 2′s ground /...

LONDON, June 28  (Reuters) – Play resumed at Wimbledon on all courts following a four-hour rain delay on Saturday. With light rain falling over the All England Club, it meant only those holding Centre Court tickets could watch any live action as organisers closed the retractable roof. Among those left frustrated was world number one Serena Williams, whose match against Alize Cornet on Court One was halted at 1-1 in the first set. The men’s singles third round matches between Stanislas Wawrinka and Denis Istomin and Feliciano Lopez and John Isner were both cancelled and will be played on Monday. (Editing by Martyn Herman)  

http://dt.ecumenicalnews.com/en/full/4937/windows-phone-8-1-tiles.jpg?w=626&h=555&l=50&t=40 After the developer preview released earlier, Microsoft has promised to roll out its newest Windows Phone 8.1 update. Exactly when is not yet clear, however, although the update has already been piloted in Finland and Argentina. Adding many important features such as notification center, personalization of the Start Screen, inclusion of the digital assistant Cortana, integration of Skype and a keyboard which allows swiping, the Windows Phone 8.1 update has been anticipated by many users. The Redmond-based Windows Phone-maker was trying to catch up with Android and iOS, when it announced the Windows Phone 8.1 update during Microsoft’s Build 2014 conference back in April. The mobile OS update applies to all devices running Windows Phone 8.0. Mobile device owners can check what Windows Phone version their device is currently running by going to...

http://cdn.androidpolice.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/nexusae0_Screenshot_2014-06-27-19-59-59_thumb.png Let’s be clear about this: developers don’t have any kind of obligation to update their apps for the Android L preview release. It’s a preview – by definition, it’s not ready for prime time, and developers shouldn’t have to immediately treat it like consumer software. That said, it’s nice to see that some have already begun to prepare for the full Android L release later this year. Even relatively large players like Twitter are getting in on the action.     The primary Twitter app available on the Play Store is currently crashing when installed on Android L preview releases. But the beta build, available via the Google Groups program, has been given a speedy update just a few days after the release of Android L at Google I/O. According to plenty of testers and several of us here at Android Police, the new build downloaded from the beta-enabled Play Store page is working just fine. ...

http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/files/2014/06/lionfish-flare-fins-01-600x450.jpg A common lionfish swims along a reef at Jardines de la Reina National Park in Cuba. Photograph by Pete Oxford, Minden Pictures/Corbis For the first time, scientists have documented how lionfish use their pointed, venomous fins to hunt prey together. “Cooperation requires high cognition, but fish have traditionally been perceived as being at the bottom” of the cognition scale, said the study‘s lead author, Oona Lonnstedt, a graduate student in marine biology at James Cook University in Queensland, Australia. “But when you look at their social behaviors, you can see that these fish are way more advanced than we thought.” Lionfish are actually a group of several related species that were historically found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. With striped bodies and an array of venomous fins, they’ve become prized in the aquarium trade. (See “Top 5 Myths About Lionfish.”) They’re also known as consummate...

http://worldobserveronline.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/534804_290728761059522_1459491702_n.jpg This is interesting. After reading this, you’ll never look at a banana in the same way again. Bananas contain three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes. But energy isn’t the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet. DEPRESSION According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improv...

http://isthattrue.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/293-12ynCu.AuSt_.91.jpeg BERLIN  — After being injured fighting the Syrian government, 31-year-old Mohannad reached his home in Frankfurt, Germany, with a simple plan: rest, recuperate, then rejoin the fight with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. As related in German newspaper accounts, which by law couldn’t identify him by his full name, Mohannad even transferred the equivalent of $6,800 to a Syrian bank for use by the terror organization. With that as evidence that he was supporting a terrorist organization, German authorities seized his passport and prevented him from returning to Turkey _ the jumping-off point for radicals seeking to join the fight in Syria. But Mohannad was the exception. Officials concede that they rarely have such an extensive file against so-called “jihadi-tourists” to stop them from reaching Turkey _ and Syria beyond. At least 320 Germans and more than 2,000 other Europeans are thought to have made the trip _...

http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/22999-gullu-1403941762-803-640x480.jpg Games like these makes us insensitive and enforces the wrong concept. Smash it and thrash it, and who knows, you could be the next famous person with your face plastered on every television screen in Pakistan. The Model Town incident in Lahore not only brought with it a lot of bloodshed but also helped surface a notorious character,   Gullu Butt. Since then, the man has been the talk of the town, taking over social media with memes, tweets, posts and shares depicting his infamous act of smashing and thrashing cars. Photo: Google Play Lately, game developers, Weird Science, joined the bandwagon and came up with a game app called ‘Gullu’. It starts off with the scene similar to the reality of the incident, where you have the police force in the background and the baton-wielding Gullu ready to smash car windows with a swipe of your finger. The harder and more you smash, the more points you earn. ...

http://a.abcnews.com/images/International/AP_archduke_franz_ferndinand_assasination_jt_140628_16x9_992.jpg By DRAGANA JOVANOVIC via  WORLD NEWS This April 4, 2014 photo shows a reproduction of a London newspaper front page from 1914, which writes about the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, on display at the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Mo. Charlie Riedel/AP Photo The shot that killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand 100 years ago today – which started a bloodletting that didn’t stop until 10 million people died and four empires were ruined in World War I – had all the elements of an exaggerated “Game of Thrones” script. There was an heir to an empire, a royal couple in love, the wife resented by the ruling family, a clandestine group known as the “Black Hand,” careless security officials, a warning not passed along, nationalistic teenagers ready to die, a wrong turn, cyanide pills and a lucky shot. The archduke was assassinated along with his beloved wife Sophie by Gavr...

RAJAHMUNDRY  (AP): Fifteen persons were killed and 18 injured when a massive blaze raged through a village in Andhra Pradesh’s east Godavari district following a blast in an apparently leaking gas pipeline this morning. “Bodies of 13 people charred in the incident were recovered from the gutted houses. Two others succumbed to their burn injuries while undergoing treatment at different hospitals,” Amalapuram DSP M Veera Reddy told PTI. Eighteen injured people were shifted to different hospitals in the district, another police officer said, adding the deceased include five women, three girls and a boy. The leaping flames from the state-run Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) pipeline at Nagram village in Mamidikuduru Mandal of the district quickly swept through nearby houses and coconut plantations, leaving behind a trail of destruction. “The blast and subsequent blaze which started around 5 am spread swiftly engulfing houses, coconut farms and vehicles parked in the vicinity. In 15 mi...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan security authorities arrested last night sixty people in northwest Pakistan. Pakistani security sources said police, army and intelligence personnel waged a joint operation at Noshahr in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northwest Pakistan and arrested 60 suspects. They explained that the arrested persons, who reside near Rasalpur Air Base in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, were arrested because they do not carry identity cards. The sources added that the operation came in the wake of recent attacks on Karachi airport and Peshawar, adding that security measures have been tightened around Rasalpur Air Base.  (QNA)

The Kochi International airport at nearby Nedumbassery was today put on high alert after it received threatening calls stating that it would be attacked by terrorists with AK-47s, a top airport official said. Airport director A K C Nair told PTI that the Air Traffic Control tower received four calls this evening, three in Malayalam and one in Hindi, stating that the airport would be attacked by terrorists with AK-47s. The airport was immediately put on high alert, he said, adding visitors are not being allowed inside the airport and passengers are being throughly checked. Car parking area of the airport is under surveillance. The bomb squad, Police and CISF battalion are in the airport complex, he said. One of the calls has been traced to Saudi Arabia, Airport sources said. The airport has been put on 24 hours high alert, ending at 8 PM tomorrow. In accordance with Bureau of Civil Aviation protocol, a review meeting was held at 9 PM tonight at the Airport and the measures taken were sa...

http://isthattrue.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/images1.jpg LONDON: England left-back Luke Shaw became the most expensive teenage footballer in history after joining Manchester United from Premier League rivals Southampton in a four-year deal worth a reported £30 million (51m, 38m euros).  That figure surpassed the £25.6m fee United paid Everton for Wayne Rooney in 2004.  “Manchester United is delighted to announce the signing of Luke Shaw from Southampton Football Club,” a United statement said.  The 18-year-old Shaw, whose contract contains an option for a further year, signed for United on Friday.  His arrival at Old Trafford meant United had announced an estimated £60m of spending in two days after completing their first signing since Louis van Gaal, currently coaching the Netherlands at the World Cup, became their manager after midfielder Ander Herrera joined from Athletic Bilbao for a reported £28.5m on Thursday.  “I am thrilled and excited to be joining Manchester United,” the ...

UAE and Saudi authorities confirm holy month will begin on Sunday, June 29 By Staff/Wam Published   Friday, June 27, 2014 JUST IN:  Ramadan moon was not sighted in the UAE and Saudi Arabia on Friday evening so the holy month will begin in the UAE and Saudi Arabia from Sunday. The Saudi Supreme Court has confirmed that the holy month of Ramadan moon was not sighted today (Friday) so tomorrow (Saturday) is the last day of Shaabaan and Ramadan will begin on Sunday, June 29. The UAE moon sighting committee has also confirmed that the holy month will begin on Sunday, June 29. Earlier Story: Meetings of Ramadan moon sighting committees of the UAE and Saudi Arabia are underway in the two countries. The meetings began after Maghrib prayer in the two Gulf countries. An official announcement is expected after 9pm UAE time (5pm GMT). Muslims have been asked to report sighting of the moon to the authorities concerned. Most of the Arab, European, American and Canadian Muslims start the holy month ...

http://isthattrue.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/727044-tahirulqadrionline-1403715892-865-640x480.jpg   LAHORE:  Pakistan Muslim League – Quaid (PML-Q), Awami Muslim League (AML) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) have announced to form a grand alliance against the government. Leaders from the three parties gathered in Lahore on Wednesday to chalk out a strategy on inviting other political and religious parties to join their alliance. PML-Q leaders Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervez Elahi and AML leader Sheikh Rasheed met PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri at his residence in Model Town. Government’s attempt to foil their welcome reception, the GT road march and Qadri’s gathering at The Mall previously scheduled for Tuesday night were discussed. This was the Chaudhry brothers second meeting with Qadri in the last 24 hours. Sources said that they reviewed their strategy and urged Qadri to prepare his workers for a long struggle after Ramzan. Qadri was planning to postpone his visit to P...

http://isthattrue.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/727960-ImrankhanbahawalpurrallyjalsaphotoPTI-1403892439-731-640x480.jpg BAHAWALPUR:  Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chaimran Imran Khan announced at a rally in Bahawalpur on Friday evening that the time to verify votes  in the four constituencies was over,  Express News  reported on Friday. He warned that the government now had only one month to comply with the four demands otherwise there will be a tsunami on August 14, independence day, in Islamabad. “The entire Pakistan knows that the general elections were rigged,” he boomed from the stage. Khan demanded that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) reveal declared themselves victorious at 11:20pm on the day of the elections when only 15% of the results had come. The PTI leader further demanded to know why there weren’t any returning officers under the election commission of Pakistan (ECP) and what the former Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry was doing. He further demanded to know wha...

http://isthattrue.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/75868982_corner.jpg The spectacular eruption of Isis in Iraq has turned the country upside down with unimaginable speed, posing not only Iraqis but regional and international powers a challenge that has already upset parts of the regional order. With Sunni militants and rebels gradually moving in around the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, there is a dramatic race going on between slow-moving efforts to defuse the crisis politically and rapid developments on the ground. The latter could lead to a sectarian bloodbath in the capital and elsewhere, leaving Iraq in tatters. The tough position taken by Prime Minister Nouri Maliki – stressing military options and insisting on standing for a third term of office – is likely to slow down the political rescue effort, and risks aggravating the conflict. Confirmation that Syrian air force jets have been bombing Isis targets on Iraq’s western border shows how the upheavals have merged the conflicts in the t...

http://isthattrue.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/248fa7038161f4ca129ae4e1e8e39f1c.jpg A woman stripped of her crown as Miss Delaware because of her age said on Friday she had done nothing wrong by entering the pageant. Amanda Longacre said she learned on Tuesday that she was disqualified because the Miss Delaware pageant determined she violated the age requirement. On NBC’s “Today” show on Friday, a tearful Longacre said she was consulting a lawyer. Pageant rules say Miss Delaware contestants must be no older than 24 and cannot turn 25 before the end of the year. Longacre’s 25th birthday is Oct. 22. She said on Friday she had provided her birth certificate, driver’s license and other documents with her pageant application. “I did absolutely nothing wrong and I want to make that clear,” Longacre said in an interview with the News Journal of Wilmington. “Now I have lost everything, my scholarship money for school, my prizes and my crown, all because of a technicality that was not caught ...