REUTERS - France opposes Syria conference if Iran to attend, May 18, 2013

 "(Reuters) - France spelled out on Friday that it would oppose a peace conference for Syria if Bashar al-Assad's regional ally Iran is invited, clouding the prospect for a U.S.-Russian initiative to end the two-year-old war. No date has yet been agreed for the international meeting, which appears to face growing obstacles. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday and said the conference should take place as soon as possible."
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NZ HERALD - John Roughan: Genetic risk poses dilemma, May 18, 2013

 "Isn't it a little disturbing that genetic science has caused Angelina Jolie to remove a perfectly fine pair of breasts? A "faulty gene" gave her good reason to watch them carefully, but preventive surgery? Now that science has mapped the human genome, is this the future? I have seen no criticism of her decision since her article appeared in the OpEd pages of the New York Times this week and I don't particularly want to be the first. Cancer is a fearful prospect and personal health decisions have to be respected even when someone wants to share her ordeal with the world. But the article went much further. She said, "I am writing about it now because I hope other women can benefit from my experience ... today it is possible to find out through a blood test whether you are highly susceptible to breast and ovarian cancer, and then take action. To "any woman reading this", she said, "I hope it helps you to know you have options ... It has got to be a priority to ensure that more women can access gene testing and lifesaving preventive treatment, whatever their means and background, wherever they live"."
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TEHRAN TIMES - Crazy ants’ invade southeastern U.S., displacing native species, May 18, 2013

" Invading Tawny “crazy ants” from South America are displacing native fire ants across the southeastern United States and could have a dramatic impact on the region’s ecosystem, according to a new study.    Native to northern Argentina and southern Brazil, the tawny crazy ant (Nylanderia fulva) was formally identified in 2012. Often referred to as Raspberry crazy ants, scientists have officially dubbed them “Tawny crazy ants.”   Although Tawny crazy ants do not sting humans like fire ants, they are far more intrusive, establishing super-colonies that push out local ant and arthropod populations. Sometimes they even take over entire homes."
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CHRON - George Michael injured in car crash, May 18, 2013

 "Singer George Michael has been injured in a car crash. The former Wham! star received treatment for “cuts and bruises” following the accident just north of London on Thursday evening but no further details of his condition have been released. A spokeswoman for the “Careless Whisper” hit maker says, “George Michael was a passenger in a vehicle involved in a traffic accident yesterday evening, no third party was involved. He is being treated for superficial cuts and bruises but is fine. We have no further comment at this time.” Michael hit headlines in 2007 and 2010 after twice crashing his car while high on cannabis."
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TIME - Turkey's Erdogan Visits the U.S.: 4 Problems That Won't Be Solved, May 18, 2013

"As domestic scandals clouded Washington, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived for a U.S. visit enveloped in his own fog. The Turkish Premier has been one of the most outspoken international statesmen on the need for intervention in the brutal Syrian civil war raging on his country’s border. The main agenda of his American sojourn was to seek support from an Obama Administration that has watched the conflict warily. At a joint press conference on May 16 in the White House’s Rose Garden, Erdogan and Obama stood in the rain and reaffirmed their shared wish that Syrian President Bashar Assad be removed from power. But much went unspoken. As Erdogan’s visit concludes, here are four geopolitical conundrums that underlie his country’s relationship with Washington."
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FORBES - 'Star Trek Into Darkness' Opens With $13.5m Thurs, Hopes For "'Shrek 2' Principle" May 18, 2013

"Paramount’s Star Trek Into Darkness opened yesterday with just $13.5 million, including $3.3 million in Wednesday night IMAX sneaks and nationwide midnight showings.  The film was supposed to open nationwide today, with IMAX offering the film two days early as a kind of a sneak preview gimmick that IMAX has been attempting to establish for the last couple years.  But for reasons I frankly cannot fathom, Paramount moved the nationwide debut of Star Trek Into Darkness to Thursday just a couple weeks ago and more-or-less forgot to tell anyone.  Unless you’re a hardcore movie nerd, you probably thought the film opened today.  That’s the good news when you look at the rather poor Thursday box office figures.  $13.5 million isn’t a disaster, but among Thursday openings it’s pretty low on the bar."
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REUTERS News, May 17, 2013

Pro-Assad hackers attack Financial Times Reuters UK LONDON (Reuters) - The website and Twitter feed of the Financial Times were hacked on Friday, apparently by the "Syrian Electronic Army", a group of online activists who say they support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The group posted links on the ... See all stories on this topic »