Olive oil, nuts dietary keys to cut heart risks: study - See more at: http://www.geo.tv/GeoDetail.aspx?ID=89880#sthash.C9ASLje0.dpuf

WASHINGTON: A Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil, nuts, fish, fruit, legumes and wine reduced the risk of heart attacks, strokes and deaths from heart disease by 30 percent, a major new study has found.

The study, published by the New England Journal of Medicine, followed 4,479 people in Spain -- men and women age 55 to 80 -- over a five year period, finding dramatic confirmation of previous observations of such a diet's health benefits.
"We observed that an energy unrestricted Mediterranean diet, supplemented with extra virgin olive oil or nuts, resulted in a substantial reduction in the risk of major cardiovascular events among high-risk persons," the study concluded.
It put the risk reduction at "approximately 30 percent, among high risk persons who were initially free of cardiovascular disease. These results support the benefits of the Mediterranean diet for cardiovascular risk reduction."
Participants in the study, which was led by Ramon Estruch, a professor of medicine at the University of Barcelona, were divided into three groups including a control group on a low fat diet.
One group followed a traditional Mediterranean diet supplemented by four tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil a day. A second group followed the same diet, but instead of the olive oil consumed about 30 grams a day of mixed nuts.
Participants in those two groups also ate at least three servings of fruits and two of legumes a day. They also ate fish three times a week and favored white meat like chicken instead of red meat.
They were also strongly encouraged not to eat commercially baked goods, pastries and sweets, and to limit their consumption of dairy products and processed meats.
For those who normally drank wine with their meals, their diet called for seven glasses of wine a week.
Researchers could tell whether the study participants were following the diets by measuring markers for olive oil in their urine or a blood marker for the mixed nuts.
They found that participants stuck to the Mediterranean diets, but that the low-fat control diet led to only small reductions in fat.
"The interventions were intended to improve the overall dietary pattern, but the major between-group differences involved the supplemental items," the study said.
"Thus, extra virgin olive oil and nuts were probably responsible for most of the observed benefits of the Mediterranean diets," it said.

Iran slams Hollywood, US 'excited' over 'Argo' Oscar win - See more at: http://www.geo.tv/GeoDetail.aspx?ID=89749#sthash.A2MRYSj1.dpuf

TEHRAN: Iran on Monday criticised Hollywood for awarding its top honour to the Iran hostage drama "Argo", with a senior official saying it "lacks artistic value" and media poking fun at US first lady Michelle Obama's surprise appearance at the Oscar ceremony.
"This anti-Iran movie lacks artistic value," Culture and Islamic Guidance Minister Mohammad Hosseini was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency.
"It was awarded the top honour through a massive financing and advertisement campaign ... so that it attracts more attention worldwide," said Hosseini, who also accused Hollywood of targeting the Islamic republic.
Iran's state television earlier slammed the 85th Academy Awards as "the most political Oscar ever," as it reported the news that "Argo" had won the coveted best film Oscar.
The Fars news agency, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, branded "Argo" as an "anti-Iran movie" financed by a "Zionist company" -- in a reference to the California-based Warner Bros. which produced it.
Meanwhile, The US State Department, still mourning the loss of its diplomats in a bloody attack on a mission in Libya, cheered the Oscar win for "Argo" based on a true life tale of diplomatic bravery.
"I think we all were excited to see it win," deputy acting spokesman Patrick Ventrell told journalists of Ben Affleck's film which picked up the coveted best picture award at the Oscars on Sunday night.
"We cooperated with them in some of the production aspects of, you know, filming inside of this building," Ventrell said.
New Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday tweeted ahead of the awards ceremony in Los Angeles wishing "Good luck @BenAffleck and #Argo" and adding "nice seeing @StateDept & our Foreign Service on the big screen - JK."
Affleck, who also stars in the movie, tweeted back his thanks, adding "Grateful for the outstanding service and sacrifice of US diplomats and their families!"

Batman to lose son Robin

NEW YORK: Batman may be able to save the world, but he'll lose his sidekick Robin -- who in his current incarnation is his son -- in the upcoming Batman Incorporated comic book series.
DC Comics said the caped crusader's acrobatic young assistant, Batman alter ego Bruce Wayne's son Damian, will die in Wednesday's issue number eight.
"This master theme of damaged and ruined families was nowhere more in evidence than in the creation of Damian, the first 'Son of Batman' to be acknowledged in the canon," series writer Grant Morrison said in a statement.
"In many ways this has been Damian's story as much as it has been the story of Bruce Wayne and it's a story that had its end planned a long time ago -- for what son could ever hope to replace a father like Batman, who never dies?"
The good news for those who might miss Robin is that this is the comics universe and characters who are killed can easily return. Even a previous incarnation of Robin was killed and resurrected before.
"You can never say never in a comic book," Morrison told the New York Post. "Batman will ultimately always have a partner."

A 1962 Nobel prize awaits bids at an auction house

NEW YORK: The Nobel prize awarded to Francis Crick in 1962 for discovering the structure of DNA has been put up for auction by his family along with one of his lab coats, his books and other memorabilia.
It is believed to be the first Nobel prize placed at auction in more than 70 years and the opening bid is set for $250,000, Heritage Auctions said Monday.
Some of the proceeds from the April 10 auction in New York will help fund research at the new Francis Crick Institute in London set to be completed in 2015.
His family said Crick was a modest man who preferred to outfit his office with a big chalkboard and a portrait of Charles Darwin than to display his many awards.
The Nobel has been in storage for much of the past 50 years and his family hopes to sell it to a museum or institute where it can be on public display.
"Our hope is that, by having it available for display, it can be an inspiration to the next generation of scientists," said granddaughter Kindra Crick.
Born in England in 1918, Crick's graduate work was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II. He returned to research in 1949 with a position at Cambridge University.
A critical influence in his career was his friendship with the American zoologist and geneticist James Watson.
Together, they proposed the double-helical structure for DNA and the replication scheme in 1953. Crick and Watson subsequently suggested a general theory for the structure of small viruses.
Crick's children have fond memories of the ceremony in Stockholm where the King of Sweden gave him the award, along with Watson and Maurice Wilkins, who also contributed to the discovery.
"It was a great honor to be there," said son Michael Crick, who is also a scientist.
"My Dad dressed for the occasion, gave a speech and danced with my sister Gabrielle."
His father then went right back to work.
"He was a very focused scientist and after DNA he went on to work on the mechanism of protein synthesis, deciphering the three-letter nature of the genetic code and determining the origins of life on earth," Crick said.
"He was a driven scientist his whole life. At 60, he turned his attention to theoretical neurobiology and for the next 28 years helped advance the study of human consciousness."
Crick's initials are engraved on the back of medal, along with the date of the award in Roman numerals. The two-page Nobel diploma is included with the medal.
His endorsed check for nearly 86,000 kroners is also up for auction, along with nautical logbooks and gardening journals. (AFP)

Australian tycoon unveils plan for new Titanic

NEW YORK: Flamboyant Australian tycoon Clive Palmer unveiled his plan Tuesday for building a perfect replica of the Titanic -- plus a lot of extra lifeboats.

More than a century after the original, supposedly unsinkable ocean liner hit an iceberg and went down in the North Atlantic, Palmer says he thinks the time has come to complete the unfinished journey to New York.
"The Titanic was the ship of dreams. Titanic II is the ship where dreams will come true," Palmer said in New York at the project's official launch.
Featuring the same rigid divisions as in 1912 between first, second and third class, passengers will eat either in an ornate dining room or at a long common table. "There'll be no mingling" between classes, Palmer said.
Passengers in the luxury section will enjoy the identical grand staircase and reproductions of the original Titanic's Turkish bath and swimming pool.
Rebuffing public skepticism about the project, Palmer said a contract could be signed with China's CSC Jinling Shipyard within days, with construction starting by the end of this year and the launch in 2016. He wouldn't say what it will all cost.
"Certain people, certain individuals spend too much time in the pub or the bar saying, 'Oh that will never happen'," he said. Palmer refused to give the estimated cost, stating bluntly: "I'm funding this myself because I want to spend the money I've got before I die."
A larger-than-life character who has made a fortune in mining, Palmer said he was unfazed by the seeming temptation of fate in giving one of the unluckiest shipping projects in history a second chance.
"I'm not too superstitious," he said.
Titanic II will closely resemble the original, although with important modifications, including a slightly wider hull and an extra layer of decking.
Passengers will be provided with period costumes appropriate to their class of ticket, Palmer said, joking that he will be in third class: "That's where the fun's going to be."
One modification that Palmer underlined is a vast improvement in the lifeboats, which were insufficient on the original ship, contributing to the loss of more than 1,500 people when it sank in icy waters.
Palmer said this time the ship would exceed regulatory requirements with top-of-the-range lifeboats that are "very safe."
"You could go round the world in them if you wanted," he said.
Markku Kanerva, from Deltamarin, the Finnish firm designing Titanic II, said "we go far beyond" latest regulations.
"I can assure you that from the safety point of view it will be absolutely the most safe cruise ship in the world when it's launched," he said.
But Palmer wouldn't fall into the trap of echoing the original "unsinkable" claim.
"It would be very cavalier to say anything like that. I think people have said that in the past," Palmer deadpanned.
At 833 feet (269 meters), the ship will be about a finger's length longer than the original, with room for 2,435 passengers and 900 crew.
If all goes according to plan, Titanic II will start by sailing from China to Southampton, England, and from there along the original, ill-fated route to New York. After, the ship would cruise mostly in the North Atlantic.
Not only will crew -- and possibly passengers -- be in costume, but there will probably be no televisions aboard, or Internet access, Palmer said.
That pleased Helen Benziger, a descendant of Titanic survivor Margaret "Molly" Brown. She hailed "the romance of the Titanic" and a chance "to spend five days on a ship where people are civil. I think we all crave a bit of civility in our lives, where there's grace, where there's, excuse me, manners."
Palmer said the lack of distracting modern gadgets for a few days would do even more than improve manners.
"You can fall in love with your wife again," he said, joking: "We want to reduce the trend on divorces in the United States." (AFP)

Smartphones and tablets meet in 'phablet' mania

BARCELONA: The "phablet" phenomenon is taking the mobile world by storm.
Manufacturers at the world's biggest mobile fair in Barcelona, Spain released a slew of outsized smartphones that can barely fit in one hand and tablets that have shrunk dramatically.
Further blurring the lines between smartphone and tablet, a selection of the latest tablets can be used as phones, albeit somewhat awkwardly.

At the February 25-28 World Mobile Congress, the Ascend Mate by Chinese manufacturer Huawei, the world's number three smartphone manufacturer, was the champion with a vast six-inch screen.
Not far behind in the smartphone screen real estate contest, rival Chinese handset maker ZTE released its Grand Memo boasting a 5.7-inch display.
South Korean giant LG trailed with its Optimus Pro, at 5.5 inches.
"It's a growing trend, especially in Asia, and a lot of these phones are favoured by women, women who don't have to worry putting it into their pockets, they carry it in their purse," said Ken Hong, communications director at LG.
More than 120 million tablets were sold worldwide in 2012, up 50 percent from the previous year, and shipments of smartphones are predicted to hit one billion this year according to global consultants Deloitte.
But the size of tablets is shrinking.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8, released just ahead of the congress, trimmed its screen to eight inches to compete with Apple's new iPad mini.
Taiwan's Asus has managed to marry the two devices.
Asus showed off the Padfone Infinity, a five-inch, high-definition screen smartphone that can harness the latest superfast fourth-generation wireless network and which slots into 10.1-inch tablet.
The smartphones of 2013 have to be fast, too, however, as the 4G network, also known as Long Term Evolution, or LTE, expands worldwide.
China's Huawei unveiled a new mobile at the show, the Ascend P2, which it claims is the fastest in the world.
Sharp-cornered and thinner than a pencil at 8.4 mm, the company said it can achieve speeds of 150 Mbps, fast enough to download a two-hour high-definition movie in less than five minutes.
The mobile, which has a more modest 4.7-inch, high definition screen, is powered by a 1.5 GHz quad-core processor and is able to use LTE networks.
Huawei held 5.3 percent of the market in the fourth quarter of 2012.
That is still well behind Samsung and Apple which held more than 50 percent of the sales combined -- 29.0 percent for Samsung and 22.1 percent for Apple.
If you can't be the biggest, smallest or fastest, there is another way to the hearts of mobile phone consumers.
Finnish manufacturer Nokia, once the leader of the mobile phone world, tried to lure shoppers with lower prices.
Nokia released two Windows Phone-operated smartphones -- the Lumia 520 and 720 -- to be offered with pre-tax price tags of 139 euros ($189) and 249 euros respectively.
But Nokia also offered the Nokia 105, the kind of mobile handset people use mostly for making telephone calls, for just 15 euros.- See more at: http://www.geo.tv/GeoDetail.aspx?ID=89894#sthash.WJCKHgTo.dpuf

Bale’s brilliance takes Spurs to third place

LONDON: Gareth Bale fired Tottenham into third place in the Premier League as his sublime last minute goal capped a majestic performance in a 3-2 win over West Ham at Upton Park on Monday.

Bale has been in the form of his life in recent weeks and the Wales winger added another chapter to his growing legend with a brilliant brace that would surely have been appreciated by Hammers legend Bobby Moore, whose death 20 years ago was marked by a moving pre-match tribute.
Moore, regarded as one of the best defenders in the history of the game, famously captained England to World Cup glory in 1966 and also led West Ham to FA Cup and Cup Winners' Cup triumphs.
But even Moore might have been hard pressed to subdue Bale in this mood.
Bale had given Spurs a first half lead but an Andy Carroll penalty and Joe Cole's strike put West Ham ahead by the hour mark.
Gylfi Sigurdsson came off the bench to equalise and Bale produced a simply remarkable long-range winner to move Tottenham, unbeaten in their last 11 league games, two points clear of Chelsea and four ahead of fifth placed Arsenal, who visit White Hart Lane on Sunday.
Bale underlined his claims as the best player in the Premier League with yet another moment of magic to put Spurs ahead in the 13th minute.
He was surrounded by West Ham defenders on the edge of the penalty area, but, drifting away from James Collins, he cleverly worked space for a shot and as West Ham's back-four hesitated the Welsh winger drove a low strike past Jussi Jaaskelainen.
That was Bale's 22nd goal for club and country this season, as well as his eighth in his last seven games.
But West Ham responded well to that setback and grabbed an equaliser in the 25th minute.
Kevin Nolan laid the ball off to Carroll in a dangerous position in the penalty area and former West Ham midfielder Scott Parker, lunging in to block, made clear contact on Carroll, forcing referee Howard Webb to give the spot-kick.
England forward Carroll, on loan from Liverpool, stepped up to smash the penalty past Hugo Lloris for his third goal of the season.
Jan Vertonghen almost restored Tottenham's lead in the opening moments of the second half when his cross deflected off Guy Demel and forced Jaaskelainen into a scrambling save.
Jaaskelainen, called into action again from the resulting corner to push away Steven Caulker's towering header, was keeping Spurs at bay almost single-handed.
He turned Sigurdsson's long-range shot onto a post and when the rebound fell to Emmanuel Adebayor, the Hammers goalkeeper leapt to his feet to block the follow-up.
After those escapes, West Ham moved ahead in the 58th minute when Cole collected Joey O'Brien's lofted pass with a fine first touch and turned to bury his shot beyond Lloris.
Tottenham kept pressing and, after Matt Taylor missed a golden chance to extend West Ham's lead, the visitors levelled when Sigurdsson prodded home at the far post from Bale's free-kick.
That set the stage for a pulsating finish and after more heroics from Jaaskelainen, Bale took charge, producing a truely stunning strike from 30 yards to seal the points.(AFP)

Vegalta Sendai, Buriram draw 1-1 in CL opener

SENDAI, Japan: Osmar Barba Ibanez gave away a penalty but scored the equaliser as Buriram United battled from behind to a 1-1 draw with Vegalta Sendai in the opening fixture of the AFC Champions League Tuesday.





The Spanish defender's handball allowed Sendai's captain and North Korea midfielder Ryang Yong-Gi to slot in a penalty kick in the 52nd minute before a sellout crowd of 20,000 at the Sendai Stadium, with heaps of snow outside.
But Osmar equalised on 75 minutes for the Thai FA Cup holders, when he knocked in a towering header from outside the near post after a right corner.
The Group E match kicked off the 2013 ACL season, with seven other games on the opening day's menu.
Sendai, the 2012 J-League runners-up, squandered their first chance in the 13th minute when Shingo Tomita caught a cleared ball outside the box but banged it wide after a right corner from Japan-born Ryang.
In the 32nd minute Ryang curled a right-footer over the net.
But the visitors threatened Sendai's net on the break as midfielder Anawin Jujeen intercepted a long ball from Osmar, only for his cross to go nowhere.
Three minutes before half-time, a 30-metre free kick by Yoshiaki Ota went outside the left post to deny the home side an opening goal.
Neither goalkeeper was seriously tested before Osmar's foul allowed the home side to open the scoring.
In the 60th minute the Spaniard's attempt to undo the damage failed when his powerful 30-metre shot flew over the bar.
Another long shot from the 24-year-old seven minutes later from outside the box went straight into the hands of Sendai keeper Shigeru Sakurai.
But Osmar finally managed to equalise in the 75th minute.
The result means J-League clubs remain unbeaten in their last six home matches against Thai clubs in the AFC Champions League, with three wins and three draws.
Sendai were making their debut in Asia's premier club tournament while Buriram are making back-to-back appearances. (AFP)

India thumps Australia by 8 wickets

CHENNAI: India beat Australia by 8 wickets in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar trophy at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai to go one up in the series.

On the fifth and final day of the Test match Australia could only add a further 9 runs to their overnight score of 232 and were all out for 241 leaving India to get only 50 runs for victory.
M.Henriques remained unbeaten on a fighting 81 to go with his first innings effort of 68.
Ashwin was once again the destroyer in chief sending back 5 Australian batsmen while conceding 95 runs. He also took 7-103 in the first innings giving him a match haul of 12-198.
India scored the required 50 runs in just 11.3 overs losing both the openers in the process.
The second Test of the series will be played at Hyderabad from March 2nd.

Hot air balloons banned in Luxor after crash: governor - See more at: http://www.geo.tv/GeoDetail.aspx?ID=89808#sthash.L9G1x9rd.dpuf

CAIRO: The governor of Egypt's southern province of Luxor on Tuesday ordered a ban of all hot air balloons flights in the ancient temple city following a deadly crash that killed 19 tourists.

"Governor Ezzat Saad ordered that all balloon companies stop working, and that no hot hair balloon flights take off from Luxor," the official MENA news agency reported, without specifying how long the ban would remain in place.

- See more at: 

Kerry sees 'diplomatic path' on Iran nuclear issue

BERLIN: US Secretary of State John Kerry insisted on Tuesday there was a "diplomatic path" to be forged with Iran on its disputed nuclear programme, as world powers and Tehran held crunch talks.


"There is a diplomatic path," said Kerry after meeting his German counterpart Guido Westerwelle in Berlin. He expressed his "hope" that "Iran itself will make its choice to move down the path of a diplomatic solution."

The five permanent UN Security Council members and Germany -- the so-called P5+1 -- are meeting the Iranian team headed by top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili in Kazakhstan in a bid to break the deadlock over Iran's programme.

Kerry said it "would really be a mistake in the middle of the talks for me to try to talk at any length about what the dynamics of those talks are."

"I want these talks to have their chance to work through before I comment," added the secretary.

Nevertheless, he urged Tehran to accept the offer of western powers, saying they included "reciprocal measures that encourage Iran to make concrete steps in order to begin addressing the international community's concerns."

The world powers are offering Iran permission to resume its gold and precious metals trade as well as some international banking activity, which are currently under sanctions, Western officials told AFP.

But in exchange, Iran will have to limit sensitive uranium enrichment operations that the world powers fear could be used to make a nuclear bomb, the sources added.

The two-day meeting in the Kazakh city of Almaty comes as sanctions bite against the Islamic republic and Israel still refuses to rule out air strikes to knock out Iran's suspected nuclear weapons drive.

Westerwelle for his part said the talks were "an opportunity that I really hope the Iranians will take."

"Our goal is a diplomatic solution in the nuclear argument with Iran but there must be substantial progress because a nuclear-armed Iran is unacceptable to us," added the minister.
"It would endanger not only the region but it would be a danger for the security architecture of the whole world."

Chuck Hagel confirmed as next US secretary of defense - See more at: http://www.geo.tv/GeoDetail.aspx?ID=89886#sthash.BMr5g05O.dpuf

WASHINGTON: The US Senate finally confirmed Chuck Hagel to be secretary of defense Tuesday, ending an acrimonious nominations process and handing President Barack Obama a boost as he fills his second-term cabinet.

After Hagel's bruising confirmation hearing and a 10-day delay thrown up by Republicans, Senators voted 58-41 to approve the former Republican senator and decorated Vietnam War as outgoing Pentagon chief Leon Panetta's replacement.
Hagel, 66, is likely to be sworn in on Wednesday.
Four Republicans -- surprisingly including Tea Party-backed Senator Rand Paul -- joined the majority Democrats in approving Hagel, compared with the 18 Republicans who had voted earlier in the day to overcome the blocking tactics and allow a full vote.
Obama welcomed the "bipartisan confirmation," saying it allowed him to "have the defense secretary our nation needs and the leader our troops deserve."
"I will be counting on Chuck's judgment and counsel as we end the war in Afghanistan, bring our troops home, stay ready to meet the threats of our time and keep our military the finest fighting force in the world."
The nomination had been held up by several Republicans' demands for more information on Hagel's finances and transcripts of speeches that he gave to international organizations.
But some of his strongest critics, including Republican Senators Bob Corker, Lindsey Graham and John McCain, agreed to allow an up-or-down floor vote after a one-week Senate recess, even though all three eventually voted against Hagel's confirmation.
The outcome ended a politically charged saga that saw Hagel unsettled in congressional testimony when critics savaged his record on issues related to the Middle East.
He also survived a tense committee vote that saw him subjected to such harsh comments that fellow Vietnam veteran McCain warned fellow Republicans that they should not impugn the patriotism of "an honorable man."
Hagel himself said he was honored by the Senate confirmation, and suggested he was eager to put aside the bitter political battle on Capitol Hill.
"I will work closely with Congress to ensure that we maintain the strongest military in the world and continue to protect this great nation," he said in a statement.
Senate majority leader Harry Reid sounded relieved at the outcome, but got in a few more digs at his opponents.
"Senator Hagel is the first nominee for secretary of defense to be filibustered in the history of the United States," Reid said.
"Politically motivated delays send a terrible signal to our allies and to the world," as well as to US troops serving in Afghanistan, Reid said.
Democrats had argued that the delay could harm US military readiness and credibility at a time of tension in the Middle East, concern over Iran's nuclear ambitions, and North Korea's recent atomic test.
Compounding the problems facing Hagel is $85 billion in across-the-board spending cuts set to begin Friday, which could ravage many military programs and lead to furloughs of the Defense Department's 800,000 civilian workers.
Despite Hagel's impressive Vietnam War record, some Republicans insist his previous allegedly dovish position on Iran and supposedly lukewarm support for US-ally Israel disqualify him to be defense chief.

19 dead as tourist balloon explodes at Luxor: Egypt security - See more at: http://www.geo.tv/GeoDetail.aspx?ID=89779#sthash.qPyEtiXb.dpuf

CAIRO: A hot air balloon exploded as it was flying over Egypt's ancient temple city of Luxor on Tuesday, killing 19 people including tourists from Hong Kong, Japan, France and Britain, a security official said.
"Nineteen people died," the official told AFP.

The balloon which was carrying 21 people was flying at 300 metres (yards) over Qurna, in Luxor's West Bank, when it caught fire before exploding, the official said. The two survivors, including the balloon's pilot, have been taken to hospital, he said.

Sony bills PS4 console as gaming's future

NEW YORK: Sony unveiled a new generation PlayStation 4 system Wednesday and laid out its vision for the "future of gaming" in a world rich with mobile gadgets and play streamed from the Internet cloud.

At a press event in New York, computer entertainment unit chief Andrew House said PS4 "represents a significant shift from thinking of PlayStation as a box or console to thinking of the PlayStation 4 as a leading place for play."

Absent from the Sony event was mention of what plans the company had regarding films, music, television shows and other digital content offered on the PS4.

In a move that was not lost on observers, there was no glimpse of a PlayStation 4 at the launch event.

"It was odd that Sony did not show a physical device," said Gartner consumer technologies research director Brian Blau.

"These days, people love beautiful devices, especially because of Apple."

Sony spoke ambiguously about the device, leaving much to the imagination during a two-hour presentation aimed primarily at gamemakers and players.

"They don't want to give it all away, which is the nature of the industry," Blau said. "Sony was really trying to get developers excited about what is going on."

PS4 was designed to get to know players, ideally to the point of being able to predict which games people will buy and have them preloaded and ready to play.

It also allows to gameplay to be broadcast in real time, letting friends virtually peer over one another's shoulders and gamemakers act as "directors" guiding players along.

Sony has also given a green light to building "the most powerful network for gaming in the world," according to David Perry, chief of the Gaikai cloud gaming company that Sony purchased last year.

Gaikai specializes in letting people play videogames streamed from the Internet "cloud" instead of buying titles on disks popped into consoles or computers.

"By combining PlayStation 4, PlayStation Network and social platforms, our vision is to create the first social network with meaning dedicated to games," Perry said during the event.

He spoke of letting people access and play videogames on the Internet using PS4, smartphones, tablets or PS Vita handheld devices.

"We are exploring opportunity enabled by cloud technology with a long-term vision of making PlayStation technology available on any device," Perry said.

"This would fundamentally change the concept of game longevity, making any game new or old available to get up and running on any device, anywhere."

Sony needs to adapt to changing lifestyles while not alienating videogame lovers devoted to its hardware.

Low-cost or free games on smartphones or tablet computers are increasing the pressure on videogame companies to deliver experiences worth players' time and money.

A PlaySation App will let iPhones, iPads or Android-powered smartphones or tablets be used as "second screens" augmenting play taking place on televisions connected to PS4 consoles, according to Sony.

Sony said the PS4 would hit the market in time for the year-end holiday season but did not provide details.

New-generation consoles are typically priced in the $400 to $500 range, and blockbuster game titles hit the market at $60 each.

Using Gaikai streaming technology to let people play PlayStation 3 titles on PS4 hardware was likely aimed at calming worries that fans switching to the new system would be forced to give up beloved older games, according to Blau.

He was unimpressed by word the PS4 would integrate with Facebook, saying that "pretty much everyone else" already has hopped on the trend of syncing with the leading social network.

"I'm a little worried about their integration of social," Blau said. "You would think that a company like Sony would have lots of experience in exposing users to social mechanisms, and I didn't see that today."

He referred to the PS4 as evolutionary rather than revolutionary.

"Sony believes the future will be like the past and has built the game console to prove it," Forrester analyst James McQuivey said in a blog post.

"While the technology that goes into the console is definitely of the future, the idea behind the PS4 is rooted firmly in the past," McQuivey continued. "Specifically, the PS4 yearns for a glory day of gaming."

Sony shares fell in the wake of the presentation, ending down 1.77 percent at 1,331 yen on Tokyo's Nikkei index.

Ratings agency Fitch meanwhile warned the new gadget was unlikely to turn the firm's fortunes around.

It was "unlikely to be Sony's savior," Fitch Ratings said, noting the company lost money on the PS3 for the first several years after its launch until production costs fell.

"The competitive nature of the market may also constrain profitability," the agency said in a note Thursday.

"The key to the product's success will be price, timing, content and how it compares with the yet-to-be-announced next generation Xbox. None of these details are currently available."

Dhoni hits double ton as India take control

CHENNAI: Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit a career-best undefeated 206 while Virat Kohli cracked 107 as India gained control of the first Test against Australia by taking a substantial 135-run first innings lead on Sunday.

Dhoni produced a stunning counter-attacking knock to notch up his maiden double hundred, his sixth Test century overall, while Kohli recorded his fourth in longer format as the hosts reached a commanding 515 for eight at close, on an eventful third day's play.

The Indian captain set the M A Chidambaram stadium ablaze with his amazing strokeplay as he smashed 22 boundaries and five sixes during his 243-ball assault which cheered the Indians as they went about consolidating their position in the match.

Dhoni, who was agonisingly run out for 99 against England in India last Test in Nagpur, changed the complexion of the game with his aggressive batting after the hosts lost Sachin Tendulkar (81) early in the morning session.

The Indians found the going a little tough in the pre-lunch session as the runs dried up but the second new ball ball saw the game slipping away from the Australians as both Dhoni and Kohli attacked the bowlers with an array of shots on both sides of the wicket.

The duo added 128 runs for the fifth wicket before off-spinner Nathan Lyon provided the breakthrough for the visitors with India still 56 runs short of Australia's first innings total.

Kohli paid the price for a lapse in concentration as he tried to lift a delivery from Nathan Lyon over mid-on but could not get the desired elevation and Mitchell Starc latched on to a good catch. Kohli clobbered 15 boundaries and a six during his 206-ball knock.

After Kohli's dismissal, India lost another three wickets in periodic intervals as Ravindra Jadeja (16), Ravichandran Ashwin (3) and Harbhajan Singh (11) were back in the pavilion.

However Bhuvneshwar Kumar (15 batting) complemented his skipper really well as they put on a record 109 runs for ninth wicket partnership against Australia.

The 31-year-old Dhoni recorded the highest score by an Indian wicket keeper, eclipsing Budhi Kundaran previous best of 192 scored against England in 1964 at Madras Corporation Stadium.

Dhoni also surpassed 4000 Test runs during his game-changing knock.

Great survivor Sarwan leads West Indies to victory

ST. GEORGE'S: Ramnaresh Sarwan capitalised on an outrageous bit of good fortune to hit his first one-day century for three years and guide the West Indies to a series-clinching seven-wicket win over Zimbabwe on Sunday.

Responding to Zimbabwe's challenging total of 273 for eight, the

32-year-old Guyanese right-hander put aside the torment of a short tour of Australia earlier in the month and finally stamped his return to the international scene with an unbeaten 120 -- his fifth and highest ODI score.

It ensured the target was overhauled off the final ball of the penultimate over to the delight of a boisterous home crowd.

It could have all gone so very differently however as he benefited from an umpiring error while the Zimbabweans also missed the opportunity to have the decision overturned which would have seen Sarwan run out for 53.

Sarwan's generous slice of luck came as he dashed for a single and Chamu Chibhabha's throw to the non-striker's end hit the stumps directly.

Presiding umpire Peter Nero ruled "not out" on the appeal, choosing -

against general convention - not to seek confirmation of the decision from the television umpire.

TV replays showed Sarwan to be well out of his ground when the bails were removed, and although it was reason for justifiable anguish for the Zimbabweans, they failed to exercise their right of referral via the same television technology before the next ball was bowled.

Opening the batting for only the second time in his near 13-year senior

international career, the former captain gave the hosts an excellent platform in an opening stand of 111 with Kieran Powell (57).

After Hamilton Masakadza had removed Powell and Darren Bravo in the space of three deliveries in the 26th over, Sarwan got good support from Narsingh Deonarine (42) before Kieron Pollard belted an unbeaten 41 off just 20 deliveries to ensure that victory was achieved.

Earlier, Masakadza was one of three Zimbabweans to hit half-centuries in justifying their captain's decision to bat first.

Craig Ervine led the way with 80 while Masakadza contributed 60, featuring in a 110-run fourth-wicket partnership with Ervine after Vusi Sibanda had set the tone for the innings with a stroke-filled 51 at the top of the order.

"Definitely the guys put their hands up and fought harder today," said

Zimbabean captain Brendan Taylor at the end.

"We have to give credit to Sarwan for his innings, but we can definitely

take a lot of positives from this match."

Despite Sarwan's match-winning hundred, the man of the match award went to Dwayne Bravo, the West Indies captain taking career-best ODI figures of six for 43, only the eighth West Indian bowler to claim six or more wickets in a one-day international innings.

It lifted him to fourth on the all-time list of West Indies wicket-takers

in one-dayers with 157.

"I'm very happy for Sarwan. His class really showed today," Bravo noted in reflecting on the victory.

"It's great to be among the wickets again and to be mentioned among the legends of West Indies cricket is something really special."

West Indies won the first match at the same venue by 156 runs on Friday while the third and final game will also be played in Grenada on Tuesday

Three separate suicide bombings, shoot out in Afghanistan

KABUL: A series of early morning attacks hit eastern Afghanistan Sunday, with three separate suicide bombings in outlying provinces and a shootout between security forces and a would-be attacker in the capital city of Kabul.

The deadliest attack was a suicide car bombing just after sunrise in the eastern city of Jalalabad that killed two guards at an intelligence agency office.

In that attack, a car approached the gate of the compound used by the National Directorate of Security and exploded, killing two guards and wounding three others, said regional government spokesman Ahmad Zia Abdulzai. The building was damaged in the attack, he added.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the bombing.

Shortly before the Jalalabad attack, an assailant detonated a van packed with explosives at a highway police checkpoint in Logar province, also in the east. That explosion wounded three police officers but no one was killed, said Deputy Police Chief Rais Khan Abdul Rahimzai.

In Kabul, meanwhile, local television stations showed footage of the aftermath of a shootout in which Afghan security forces killed a man who appeared to be an insurgent attacker. In the footage, intelligence agents step over the body of the man as they inspect the 4x4 vehicle he was driving. Officials declined to comment on the incident.

Later in the morning, a man wearing a suicide vest blew himself up outside the police headquarters for Baraki Barak district in Logar province. The man was stopped by police as he tried to force his way into the building, but still managed to detonate his vest, said Din Mohammad Darwesh, the provincial government spokesman. One policeman was wounded in the Baraki Barak attack, Darwest said.

Turkey says will not remain silent over Syria 'crimes'

DAMASCUS: Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan Sunday vowed his country will not remain silent over Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's "crimes", as Washington condemned a missile strike on Aleppo that left 58 dead.
"Every day a large number of innocent children and women fall dead in Syria," Erdogan, a key backer of Syria's opposition, said in a speech in the United Arab Emirates.
"We will not remain silent on those committing crimes against their people... We will not remain silent on the brutal dictator in Syria," Erdogan added.
Turkey's southern neighbour Syria has been locked in a 23-months-long conflict in which the United Nations estimates over 70,000 people have been killed.
Early in the revolt against Assad's regime, Turkey broke ties with Damascus and led international calls for his ouster.
Turkey has since backed the uprising against Assad by offering shelter to defectors from Assad's army and hosting opposition meetings. Some 200,000 Syrian refugees have fled the conflict in their country for Turkey, many of them living in insalubrious camps.
On February 15, Assad's government sent a letter to the United Nations blasting Turkey's "destructive" role in the Syrian conflict.
Damascus has systematically blamed foreign powers, key among them Turkey, the West and Gulf countries, for the war in Syria.
Erdogan's statement came as the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, updated its death toll from a powerful missile attack on Friday on the northern city of Aleppo, saying it killed at least 58 people, among them 36 children.
Washington condemned on Saturday "in the strongest possible terms" Assad's regime for the strike, which activists say was carried out using surface-to-surface missiles.
The army's deadly missile strikes were "the latest demonstrations of the Syrian regime's ruthlessness and its lack of compassion for the Syrian people it claims to represent", said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.
Nuland repeated Washington's call for Assad to step down. "The Assad regime has no legitimacy and remains in power only through brute force," Nuland said.
She added: "The United States sees no indication that the brave Syrian people fighting against this aggression will accept these regime leaders, with the blood of so many Syrians on their hands, as part of a transition governing authority."
The comments from Washington came after a statement from the main opposition Syrian National Coalition announcing a boycott of talks with world powers.
Coalition chief Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib said the group's withdrawal from meetings abroad was "a message of protest to all governments of the world" who were merely looking on as the Syrian people were being killed.
The opposition had earlier announced plans to form a government in rebel-held zones, as part of a bid to fill a security vacuum in areas where Islamists have the upper hand as well as to bolster its credibility.
"The opposition wants to establish a presence which may well give them more credibility than they currently have," said Salman Shaikh, director of the Brookings Doha Centre.
"Right now, they don't have much credibility and they certainly don't have much presence. In both cases, it (a government) is to their advantage," he added.
On the ground, violence raged in several flashpoints of the strife-torn country on Sunday, a day after at least 110 people were killed, according to the Observatory.
In northern Syria, rebels closed in on a police academy in the town of Khan al-Assal in the province of Aleppo, as warplanes bombarded their positions there, the watchdog said.
"Should they take the academy building, the whole of northern Aleppo province will fall out of regime control," said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman.
The rebels already have under their control large swathes of northern Syria, chiefly in Idlib province to the northwest, and Raqa and Hasake east of Aleppo.

Kabul orders US special forces out of Afghan province

KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai demanded Sunday the withdrawal of US special forces from Wardak within two weeks, accusing them of fuelling "insecurity and instability" in the volatile province neighbouring the capital Kabul.

"In today's national security council meeting... President Karzai ordered the ministry of defence to kick out the US special forces from Wardak province within two weeks," said presidential spokesman Aimal Faizi.

"The US special forces and illegal armed groups created by them are causing insecurity, instability, and harass local people in this province," he told a press conference.

The announcement would be another blow to the prestige of US-led forces as they prepare to withdraw combat troops from the war against Taliban Islamist insurgents by the end of next year.

The bulk of NATO's 100,000 troops are due to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

A US Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A) spokesman said he was aware of the reported comments by Faizi.

"We take all allegations of misconduct seriously and go to great lengths to determine the facts surrounding them," he said.

"Until we have had a chance to speak with senior (Afghan) officials about this issue we are not in a position to comment further. This is an important issue that we intend to fully discuss with our Afghan counterparts."

More than 3,200 NATO troops, mostly Americans, have died in support of Karzai's government in the war since the Taliban were ousted by a US invasion in 2001, but relations between the president and the US are often prickly. (AFP)

S. Korea swears in first woman president

SEOUL:Park Geun-Hye, the daughter of South Korea's late military ruler, will be sworn in as the country's first female president on Monday in a ceremony shadowed by North Korea's recent nuclear test.

As leader of Asia's fourth-largest economy, Park, 61, faces significant

challenges, including the belligerent regime in the North, a slowing economy and soaring welfare costs in one of the world's most rapidly ageing societies.

Her inauguration speech is expected to focus on job creation, welfare

expansion and national defence, while appealing for national unity at a time of growing concern with income and wealth disparity.

Park had campaigned on a promise of greater, "trust-based" engagement with Pyongyang and her speech will be closely parsed for any indication of how she intends to handle North Korea at the beginning of her five-year term.

Observers say her hands have been tied by the international outcry over the North's February 12 nuclear test, which will have emboldened the hawks in her ruling conservative party who oppose closer engagement.

Park is taking office a little more than 50 years after her father, Park

Chung-He, seized power in a military coup.

He went on to rule the country with an iron fist for the next 18 years

until his eventual assassination, and remains a divisive figure -- credited with dragging the country out of poverty but reviled for his regime's human rights abuses.

His daughter's political career has always been shadowed by her father's legacy -- a fact that has played both to her advantage and her detriment.

In an effort at reconciliation, she publicly acknowledged the excesses of her father's regime during her campaign and apologised to the families of its victims.

Park's mother was murdered five years before her father, and she has never married or had children.

She is adored by older conservative Koreans, who feel she shares her

father's leadership qualities and view her as something of an ill-fated

princess who lost both parents to assassination but managed to rise above the tragedy.

Critics accuse her of being autocratic and aloof and suggest her political legitimacy is largely derived from her background.

Jung Mi-Ae, a professor at Kookmin University, stressed that after Park's

father was killed, she built her political brand alone before winning a

national assembly seat in 1998.

"There's still a question mark over how Park will fare as a leader, but

she's not some figurehead who came to power solely because of her father, either," Jung said.

As South Korea's first-ever woman president, she will lead a country that is ranked below the likes of Suriname and the United Arab Emirates in gender equality.

South Korea's journey from war-torn poverty to Asia's fourth-largest

economy has done little to break the male stranglehold on political and

commercial power in what in many ways remains a very conservative nation.

Monday's two-and-a-half hour inauguration ceremony will include a 21-gun salute and a performance from Korean rapper Psy, whose song "Gangnam Style" was the global hit of 2012.

Kvitova beats Errani to capture Dubai title

DUBAI: Former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova scored her biggest success in 15 months when a 6-2, 1-6, 6-1 victory over Sara Errani earned her the Dubai Open title omn Saturday.

The hard-hitting 22-year-old Czech looked as though she was going to swamp the French Open finalist from Italy when she won the first four games and the first set in little more than half an hour.

But Errani adapted her tactics well, taking time away from Kvitova with earlier ball-striking and net rushes, and was rewarded with six games in a row in the second set.

But Kvitova took a comfort break, recovered her timing, and finished again looking like an improved player and a potential Grand Slam challenger again. (AFP)

Oldest marathon runner finishes last race at 101

HONG KONG: The world's oldest marathon runner ran his last race on Sunday at the age of 101.

Fauja Singh finished the Hong Kong marathon's 10-kilometer (6.25-mile) race in a time of 1 hour, 32 minutes and 28 seconds.

Singh, a Sikh, wore a saffron turban and sported a flowing white beard. As he followed the route along the northern lip of Hong Kong island, he was accompanied by a group from the city's local Sikh community, joining about 72,000 other runners taking part in the marathon.

The Indian-born runner, nicknamed the Turbaned Torpedo, had said that he would hang up his sneakers after the race in the southern Chinese city, just before his 102nd birthday.

‘I will remember this day. I will miss it,’ Singh said minutes after crossing the finish line.

Singh, a great-grandfather, became the oldest man to run a full marathon at Toronto in 2011, at the age of 100. But his record was not recognized by Guinness World Records because he doesn't have a birth certificate to prove his age. Singh has a British passport that shows his date of birth as April 1, 1911, while a letter from Indian government officials states that birth records were not kept in 1911.

‘I am feeling a bit of happiness and a bit of sadness mixed together. I am happy that I am retiring at the top of the game but I am sad that the time has come for me to not be part of it,’ Singh said in a pre-race interview.

‘And there will always be times in the future where I will be thinking, ‘Well, I used to do that (running),’ the Punjabi-speaking Singh said through his coach and interpreter, Harmander Singh.

Singh took up running as a way to get over depression after his wife and son died in quick succession in India. The death in 1994 of his son took a particularly hard toll on Singh because of its grisly nature. Singh and his son, Kuldip, both farmers, were checking on their fields in the middle of a storm when a piece of corrugated metal blown by the wind decapitated Kuldip in front of his father's eyes.

Singh, whose five other children had emigrated, was left all alone.

‘He didn't think his life was worth living without his son’ following the traumatic incident, coach Harmander Singh said. He went to live with his youngest son in London. That's where the sports enthusiast Singh attended tournaments organized by the Sikh community and he took part in sprints.

He met some Sikh marathon runners who encouraged him to take up long-distance running. One day he saw a marathon on television for the first time and decided that's what he wanted to do too.

In 2000, at the age of 89, he ran the London marathon, his first, and went on to do eight more. His best time was 5 hours and 40 minutes at the 2003 Toronto marathon. (AP)

Tendulkar, Kohli hit fifties as India avoid follow-on

CHENNAI: Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli hit unbeaten half-centuries as India recovered from two early jolts to leave the first Test. against Australia evenly poised on Saturday.

The 39-year-old veteran, who had been struggling for form for a long time, played with decisive footwork and a positive frame of mind to guide India to 182 for three in 52 overs on the second day at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, which saw local boy Ravi Ashwin grab a career-best seven-wicket haul.

Tendulkar (71) and Virat Kohli (50) were at the crease when stumps were drawn with India still trailing by 198 runs. The two have so far added 77 runs for the fourth wicket.

Resuming at the overnight score of 316-7, the Australians continued to frustrate the Indians with captain Michael Clarke (130) and the tailenders combining to score 64 more runs to take the score to a competitive 380.

Ashwin, who had scalped six wickets on the opening day, claimed the wicket of last man Nathan Lyon to return with figures of 7-103

The Indian reply was disastrous to start with as openers Virender Sehwag (10) and Murali Vijay (2) departed in close succession, falling to tearaway pacer James Pattinson, but Cheteshwar Pujara (44) and Tendulkar steadied the innings to some extent with a 93-run third-wicket partnership.

Just when the duo seemed to be cruising along comfortably, Pattinson provided the breakthrough when he came back for his second spell by accounting for Pujara.

Pujara fell to an off-cutter in the 29th over after striking six fours in his 76-ball stay at the crease.

Earlier, both the openers were out bowled. Vijay was the first to go after a 15-ball stay, which included two fours, done in by Pattinson's pace.

Sehwag quickly followed his partner back to the pavilion, failing to spot a slower one from Pattinson which bounced inside the crease and dislodged the bail of his leg stump.

But Pujara and Tendulkar steadied the rocking boat, bringing up the team's 50 in the 13th over. The two displayed patience but at the same time kept the scoreboard ticking.

They completed a half-century stand for the third wicket in 68 deliveries to rescue India from the precarious position.

Tendulkar was then joined by Kohli, who had a disappointing series against England, unleashed a flurry of shots to announce his return to form.