Report: Gunmen kill 3 Lebanese troops near Syria

BEIRUT (AP) ? Lebanon's official news agency says gunmen have fired on a government checkpoint near the Syrian border, killing three Lebanese soldiers.

The state-run National News Agency says gunmen attacked the roadblock near the town of Arsal on Tuesday morning.

The shooting appears linked to the civil war in neighboring Syria, where predominantly Sunni Muslim rebels are fighting to topple President Bashar Assad's regime, dominated by Alawites, an offshoot Shiite sect.

Lebanese are divided over Syria's civil war, with Shiite militant group Hezbollah fighting alongside Assad's troops while large numbers of Sunnis back the opposition.

Clashes between factions backing the opposing sides in the Syrian conflict have been raging in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli for days.

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Source: http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2013/may/27/report-gunmen-kill-3-lebanese-troops-near-syria/

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Israel's president calls for return to peace talks

SOUTHERN SHUNEH, Jordan (AP) ? Israel's president on Sunday urged Israeli and Palestinian leaders to overcome differences and resume peace negotiations, saying the sides could not afford "to lose this opportunity."

President Shimon Peres issued his call ahead of a gathering of Mideast leaders on the sidelines of a World Economic Forum meeting on the shores of the Dead Sea in Jordan. Sunday's conference was expected to include a rare face-to-face meeting between Israeli and Palestinian leaders, with the participation of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who has devoted much of the past two months to restarting long-stalled peace talks.

"We shouldn't lose the opportunity because it will be replaced by a great disappointment," Peres told reporters in Jordan. "For my experience, I believe it's possible to overcome it. It doesn't require too much time."

Palestinian-Israeli peace talks broke down nearly five years ago, in large part due to disagreements over Israeli settlement construction on occupied territories claimed by the Palestinians. The Palestinians say there is no point in negotiating while Israel continues to build Jewish settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, which they say undermines their quest to set up an independent state. The Palestinians want both areas, captured by Israel in 1967, as parts of their state.

Kerry, who met with Israeli and Palestinian officials last week during a swing through the region, said both sides must make hard decisions to move toward direct negotiations.

Peres, who won the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize for helping forge an interim deal with the Palestinians, sounded upbeat and determined to help in peacemaking with Palestinians.

"It is time for peace," he said. "I believe this is an important opportunity to (engage), not to waste time, return to negotiations and complete the negotiations with the Palestinians."

He said a peace agreement must be "based on a two state solution: an Israeli state, a Palestinian state living as good neighbors cooperating economically and bringing a message to the young generation."

For decades an ardent supporter of peace with the Palestinians, Peres holds a ceremonial role in Israel, and his views are highly respected in Israeli society. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has most decision-making powers, holds more hawkish positions than Peres and has given few signs of how he sees a final peace deal with the Palestinians.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, asked to comment on Peres' peace, blamed Israel for the stalled negotiations.

"President Peres know very much ... that we (the Palestinians) are not the obstacle," he told The Associated Press.

"I hope that President Peres can convince the prime minister of Israel to accept ... the two states, that it is time to make peace and not talk about peace," Erekat added.

While Netanyahu has endorsed the concept of a two-state solution, the Palestinians accuse him of undermining that goal through his actions. In particular, they object to continued settlement construction and Netanyahu's refusal to endorse Israel's pre-1967 lines as the basis for a future border.

Netanyahu has called for resumption of peace talks without preconditions, saying all those issues would be on the table.

Israeli media reported that the president discussed with Netanyahu some key issues he is expected to raise at Sunday's forum.

Peres has scheduled meetings with Jordan's King Abdullah II, whose country maintains cordial ties with Israel under a peace treaty signed in 1994, and possibly Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who is also attending the WEF.

On his fourth visit to the Middle East since taking office in February, Kerry held talks with Netanyahu and Abbas last week. Jordanian officials said privately Kerry was expected to meet Peres and Abbas while in Jordan.

In a related development, a group of Israeli and Palestinian businessmen at the conference unveiled a plan to push their leaders to begin serious peace negotiations.

"We're using our collective business experience and influence to convince leaders on both sides that peace is a must," said Palestinian business tycoon Munib Masri.

Masri said he was leading the initiative, called "breaking the impasse," along with Israeli high-tech guru Yossi Vardi. He said they would lobby both sides to make peace.

___

Associated Press writer Jamal Halaby contributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/israels-president-calls-return-peace-talks-142510503.html

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The man behind successful gay marriage drive: Richard Carlbom (Star Tribune)

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CSN: Giants take rubber match vs. Rockies

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO ? First impressions can be deceiving.

Matt Cain looked to be in a world of hurt early in the Giants 7-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday. He gave up two runs before many fans had found their seats and he walked five in the first two innings. But Cain hung in and gave the Giants a chance to battle their way back.

The result was San Francisco?s 15th come-from-behind win in 28 victories overall this season.

After dropping Friday?s opener to the Rockies, the Giants rebounded to take two of three from a division rival that has been an early surprise this season.

Unlike Saturday?s walk-off thriller, the Giants took control with a three-run fifth inning Sunday that gave them a 5-2 lead. All in all, it was an encouraging way for the Giants (28-22) to enter a four-game series with the cross-bay rival A?s beginning Monday.

Starting pitching report

Cain?s final line: 5 innings, 2 runs, 2 hits, 5 walks, 6 strikeouts.

No use trying to make sense of it. Just realize he threw 38 pitches in a two-run first inning, and he was up to 65 pitches after the second.

Then, with the bullpen on early alert, the Giants ace steadied the ship and gutted his way through five innings without allowing any more damage. The five walks were a season high. But Cain (4-2) seemed rejuvenated after escaping a second-inning jam with runners on the corners and one out.

He retired 11 of his last 12 batters, and he stranded another runner at third with one out in the fifth, striking out Carlos Gonzalez and getting cleanup man Troy Tulowitzki on a soft comebacker.

Think Gonzalez was happy to see Cain leave the game? The Rockies outfielder came in 5 for 9 with two homers in this series, but he went down swinging in all three at-bats against Cain. For his career, Gonzalez is 4 for 38 with 14 strikeouts against the right-hander.

Bullpen report

George Kontos worked his way out of trouble in the sixth.

Chad Gaudin also flirted with damage when he put two runners on to start the seventh. But he recorded two outs and then handed the ball to Javier Lopez, who struck out Charlie Blackmon looking to end the threat.

Sandy Rosario gave up a run in the eighth.

With the announcement that Santiago Casilla will have surgery on his right leg, it appears Gaudin takes on a more significant relief role in the late innings. Machi also is being used in key situations.

At the plate

A couple of innocent looking pop-ups off the bat of Hunter Pence wound up doing big damage. His fifth-inning pop got lost in the sun by Rockies second baseman D.J. LeMahieu and fell in with two outs to extend the inning (it was ruled an error).

The Giants capitalized by scoring three runs. Brandon Belt drove a two-run double deep to center to give the Giants a 4-2 lead, and Andres Torres followed with a run-scoring double of his own.

Pence did it again in the sixth, when his bloop fell just in front of a sliding Charlie Blackmon in right field and went for a two-run double and a 7-2 Giants lead.

Buster Posey is clicking right now. He homered to left off Jon Garland (3-6) in the second to get the Giants on the board. He lined a single up the middle in the sixth and hit the ball on the screws on a third-inning lineout.

Marco Scutaro had two hits and is batting .324.

In the field

Manager Bruce Bochy talked before the game of the need for the Giants to play tighter defense. They turned in an errorless game Sunday, highlighted by first baseman Brandon Belt?s diving stop of a Todd Helton grounder and flip to Cain to end the third.

Attendance

A sellout crowd of 42,597 showed up on Barry Zito Bobblehead day. Zito also took part in a pregame Memorial weekend salute to troops.

Up next

Monday?s 1:05 p.m. opener pits lefty Madison Bumgarner against Dan Straily, the only game where the pitching matchup obviously tilts in the Giants? favor.

San Francisco has yet to announce a Tuesday starter to oppose the A?s Jarrod Parker.

Tim Lincecum takes the ball Wednesday against Tommy Milone, and Barry Zito opposes A.J. Griffin on Thursday.

?

Source: http://www.csnbayarea.com/giants/instant-replay-giants-take-rubber-match-colorado

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Using Personal Development To Improve Your Mind, Body And ...

Improving your character and personality are vital to any program of self improvement. It deals with improving self-awareness and knowledge, spiritual development and fulfilling personal goals. Steps for improving yourself are available in the below article. In the end, you?ll not only know yourself better, you?ll like yourself better.

Unfortunately, stress is quite a killjoy to a person?s state of happiness and joy. Stress in the mind hurts us both mentally and physically across our body. Take care of the stress you have in your mind by thinking clearly. Find some spare time during the day to be by yourself and to clear out your mind by relaxing. You can increase how good you feel about yourself and how at peace you feel by using this time to relax.

Pick up a book to find out more about self improvement. A good self improvement book can give you great advice and ideas that can change your life. Be sure that you pick out a book that has been favorably reviewed because a lot of the times, these type of books can be poorly written.

To grow in your own development, you must first acknowledge areas in which you are weak. The more humble you are, realizing that there is room for growth, the more willing you are to gain knowledge. After accepting this fact, you will have a desire to seek out knowledge, which will cause you to grow and develop as a person.

Go out of your way to give other people compliments. Instead, show kindness and compassion for others and you will see how much better you will feel about yourself.

Start each morning believing that it will be better that day than it was the day before. Put the effort that is needed to accomplish this. You should never stop trying to find ways to do things better, and better yourself. Encourage yourself to top yesterday?s accomplishments and set the stage for tomorrow?s successes.

People who have particularly intractable problems should try therapy. Books can be very helpful to help you understand your problems, but they tend to lack the insight and knowledge which a therapist can give you. Talking can be the motivation that some need in order to be successful. A book can not talk to you like a therapist can.

Whether or not a person can make things happen for you, you must treat everyone with respect and gratitude. Treat people well, it says a lot about what kind of person you are.

Do you find yourself consuming alcohol far too often? Do you smoke or do other activities that may be harmful to your health? Your body should be treated with the respect it deserves. A great way to improve your life is to say goodbye to bad habits that are only hurting you. Carefully examine your attitudes and actions and identify areas for improvement.

Regardless of what your needs are and how you decide to pursue them, there is one thing that is absolutely crucial. That one thing is you must choose to be an active person and live your life, not be a spectator. Being alive means learning, exploring, and forever enhancing your own self improvement.

You can learn how to approach tough situations in your life without losing your cool. Learning to relax during stressful situations will allow you to be a more confident person. Take time each day to just breathe.

Determine which aspects of your life you truly value, and concentrate solely on those. Many peoples? focus tends to wander to negative things and worries. Check in with yourself and focus on the things that are positive. The result will be much greater inner calm and peace.

Eradicate disorganization from your life entirely. Getting organized is an accomplishment, and continually staying organized boosts your confidence. Your stress level will also diminish as your life becomes more orderly. There is something very calming about knowing that everything is in its place.

Self discipline is a requirement for successful personal development. It is important that you refine your sense of control over physical urges. For example, you may need to overcome the urge to eat more than you should or to refrain from consuming too much alcohol. You can keep vices from harming you in body and spirit if you learn to control yourself and resist them.

Your mind?s health depends on how healthy your body is. Eat right, avoiding high fat foods and sugar, and get plenty of exercise. Like salt and pepper, a mind and body that are cared for and healthy go well together.

Be on the lookout for new challenges all the time. You can always open up new possibilities for yourself. Perhaps you will gain some knowledge or a new skill. Maybe you can set a new standard by doing some type of groundbreaking work. Take on a challenge that is unique and personally meaningful, instead of tackling something that someone else has already accomplished.

You should seek to eliminate needless stress from your life. Reacting too strongly to negative events will just make you more stressed, which is the last thing you need. Sometimes, circumstances will be not be in your complete control. Taking time to come up with reasonable resolutions will afford you peace of mind.

In order to continue on your self improvement journey, you need a way to measure your successes. The above tips are just what you need to determine what you should do next. Write down the processes you use on a regular basis and record changes that occur.

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Source: http://mysparetime.net/using-personal-development-to-improve-your-mind-body-and-mood/

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PFT: Bears will retire Ditka's No. 89 in December

AP

Earlier this week, Vikings defensive end Jared Allen said that he and the Vikings ?haven?t talked one iota? about a new contract, but you can?t say the same about his conversations with the media.

Allen told Dan Wiederer of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that he has ?absolutely no idea? where he will wind up playing in 2014 after his contract, which will pay him more than $14 million in 2013, with the Vikings expires. He?s seen veteran teammates like Matt Birk and Antoine Winfield wind up heading elsewhere and knows that this might be it for him in Minnesota, something that he admits would not be the case in his best-case scenario.

?Best-case scenario would have been that we would have never gotten to this point. Best-case scenario would have been the organization would have gotten something done a few years back,? Allen said. ?Well ya know what? That?s not the case. And I understand it. ? I?m just happy I?m in a spot where both sides are honoring the contract.?

As Wiederer points out, the Vikings and Allen could split up no matter how this year plays out. If Allen plays well, he?ll likely be too expensive for the Vikings to keep. If he doesn?t, they might feel like it is time to move on to a younger and cheaper player at defensive end. Allen isn?t overly concerned about either scenario.

?I kind of feel like I hold all the cards in that aspect,? Allen said. ?And if it doesn?t work out with the Vikings, I?m not too worried that I won?t be able to find a job, ya know??

The lack of dialogue on an extension, which would make Allen?s cap hit significantly lower, suggests that the Vikings are just as willing to let the chips fall where they may after the 2013 season. And that makes it a lot likelier that this is Allen?s final year in purple.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/05/24/bears-to-retire-mike-ditkas-number-in-december/related/

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18 hurt in shuttle bus crash near Atlanta airport

ATLANTA (AP) ? Authorities say 18 people have been taken to the hospital following a crash between a hotel shuttle bus and a tractor-trailer near Atlanta's airport.

Atlanta Fire Rescue Department spokeswoman Janet Ward says the accident happened around 10:30 a.m. Friday. She says it's not immediately clear what caused the accident.

Ward says there were 18 people on the bus at the time of the accident. Nine were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, including one who was in critical condition. The other nine were taken to Atlanta Medical Center.

Ward says the bus served Hampton Inn, Fairfield Inn and Hilton hotels and was headed to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International airport.

Overhead shots from WSB-TV show the shuttle ran into the left side of the trailer that was stretched across the road.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/18-hurt-shuttle-bus-crash-near-atlanta-airport-152312122.html

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