Japan games market returns to growth after 2 years

By Rob Crossley for CVG UK

Fresh hopes for the sustainability of the Japan games market emerged today with new data suggesting that its two years of contraction have come to an end.

<--![bigpic:285885]-->Sales information compiled by Enterbrain suggests that total hardware and software revenue for the first six months of 2012 reached 193.4 billion yen.

That figure, if accurate, marks a 0.7 per cent year-on-year increase from the 192 billion yen made in the first half of 2011.

Since 2009, Japan's games market has failed to escape declining total revenues, due in part to the elongated downturn period of the current generation software cycle.

While PS3 led the way in home consoles with about 700,000 sales, it was the PS Vita and Nintendo 3DS handhelds that are rejuvenating interest on the high street.

Nintendo's portable has shifted about 2.2 million units since the start of the year in Japan, while the PlayStation Vita drew in 350,000 extra sales.

However, the success was masked by the general downturn in home consoles as the market saturates and people wait on the next generation of devices.

Hardware fell from 79.81 billion yen in 2011 to 70.73 billion in 2012.

Yet a blistering first six months of games sales overturned the hardware losses. Software revenue climbed 9.4 per cent to about 123 billion yen.

Pokemon Black & White 2 alone shifted more than 1.6m units in its first two weeks alone.

Full hardware chart for the first half of 2012 follows:

• Nintendo 3DS: 2,220,000 units year to date (lifetime total 6,000,000)
• PlayStation 3: 700,000 (8,100,000)
• PSP: (500,000) (18,700,000)
• PS Vita: (350,000) (750,000)
• Nintendo Wii: (265,000) (12,400,000)
• Xbox 360: 34,000 (total 1,500,000)
• Nintendo DS: 20,000 (total 32,800,000)

Top five games for the first half of 2012:

• Pokemon Black & White 2: 1,600,000 units year to date
• One Piece Pirate Musou: 800,000
• Dragon Quest Monsters Terry's Wonderland 3D: 750,000
• Mario Kart 7: 650,000 (total 1,750,000)
• Monster Hunter 3G: 650,000 (1,500,000)

Source: http://rss.computerandvideogames.com/c/674/f/8617/s/20d81be6/l/0L0Scomputerandvideogames0N0C3559970Cjapan0Egames0Emarket0Ereturns0Eto0Egrowth0Eafter0E20Eyears0C0Dcid0FOTC0ERSS0Gattr0FCVG0EGeneral0ERSS/story01.htm

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Facebook, Twitter make young girls seem more aggressive, expert says

Facebook and Twitter are making teenage girls come across as more aggressive, according to a language campaigner cited in the British media.

Language employed by social media users is becoming shorter, sharper and more "to the point," Marie Clair, from Britain's Plain English Campaign, told the Daily Mail.?

As a result, the many teenage users of such media have less time to deliberate carefully over their words, and can come across as curt, straightforward and even aggressive when speaking to one another and adults.

The change is more noticeable in girls than boys because they communicate more frequently, Clair said.

"Young people?s language in general is becoming more direct in comparison to their parents and the business community because of the communication channels they?re more familiar with.

"Those fast communication channels of Facebook, email and Twitter [that] they?ve grown up with mean they haven?t got as much time to deliberate and choose their words.

"That?s perhaps why they come across as being more aggressive. It?s not intentional. Curtness tends to be short, sharp and to the point. But it?s a fine line between being curt or aggressive and being straightforward."

Earlier this year, author Sir Terry Pratchett suggested the use of Twitter and texting had led to increasing frustration among youths, the Daily Telegraph reported.?

"Kids now seem unmotivated. Social media is not helping and texting certainly isn't. You have to have interaction with other people," Pratchett reportedly said.

"If you have the words to identify exactly what you mean, you can get your message across. I'm sure this is linked to rough behavior."

And actor Ralph Fiennes famously lamented that modern language was "being eroded" in "a world of truncated sentences, sound bites and Twitter."

"Our expressiveness and our ease with some words is being diluted so that the sentence with more than one clause is a problem for us, and the word of more than two syllables is a problem for us," Fiennes ? who does not use Twitter ? said, according to the Daily Mail reported.?

However, not everybody agreed that jargon commonly used in social media was harming the English language.

The Utah Statesman ? the Utah State University paper ? pointed out in a recent editorial that the English language had been "transforming constantly."?

"We?ve created a new language through social media... We believe that many elderly people would agree the English language was ruined with the invention of rap music. It?s all relative, really. A problem does exist when a social media user fails to capitalize sentences in employment cover letters due to poor tweeting habits. People can?t be that daft, can they? We prefer to think optimistically about our generation."

More from GlobalPost: Rich People have a dirty little secret...
?

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/weird-wide-web/facebook-twitter-young-girls-teenagers-teenage-aggression-english-language

Source: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/weird-wide-web/facebook-twitter-young-girls-teenagers-teenage-aggression-english-language

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Denver, July 4th: Monthly Political Prisoner letter writing night: Support OUR troops!

On Wednesday, July 4th, the Denver Anarchist Black Cross will host our monthly letter writing night to political prisoners and prisoners of [liberatory and social] war held captive by the United States. As people across the country celebrate the genocidal, colonial history of the U.S., dozens of freedom fighters continue to languish in cages, held away from their communities, comrades, neighbors, friends, and families.

We will spend the night supporting OUR troops, the freedom fighting warriors who have been kidnapped away from us. We will be focusing especially on the cases of three Puerto Rican Independentistas; Avelino Gonzalez Claudio, Oscar Lopez Rivera, and Norberto Gonzalez Claudio currently held captive by the U.S.

There will be a presentation about the cases of these comrades, as well as a brief presentation with updates on the cases of the Tinley Park 5, NATO 5, and Cleveland 5. As always, everything you need to write letters or cards of support will be provided including pens, envelopes, paper, addresses, stamps, and even DINNER!

Come join Denver ABC as we commemorate July 4th in a different way, without the jingoistic, colonialist revelry.

Denver ABC monthly political prisoner letter writing night
Wednesday July 4th, 6:30pm
27 Social Centre, 2727 W. 27th Ave Unit D Denver, CO 80211

Soli!
DABC CREW

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Filed under: ABC Event, Announcement Tagged: | Anarchists in Trouble, Avelino Gonzalez Claudio, Cleveland 5, DABC News, letter writing night, NATO 5, Norberto Gonzalez Claudio, Oscar Lopez Rivera, Political Prisoners, puerto rican, Tinley Park 5

Source: http://denverabc.wordpress.com/2012/06/29/denver-july-4th-monthly-political-prisoner-letter-writing-night-support-our-troops/

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radiomundoreal: Rio+muerte . Dos pescadores artesanales de R?o de Janeiro fueron asesinados por sus luchas ambientales: La noti... http://t.co/gQ1Vt8xP

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://twitter.com/radiomundoreal/statuses/218796085475426305

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Jordan king meets with Hamas chief

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/jordan-king-meets-hamas-chief-152037627.html

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Russia against Syria solutions 'dictated from abroad'

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Jack White announced for 2012 Voodoo Fest lineup

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Contest: Win yourself a brand new Google Nexus 7 Tablet

The Google Nexus 7 Tablet has gone up for preorder and we've gone hands on with it already. If you're still on the fence about picking one up for yourself, well, you may not have to. Why? Because we want to give you one that's why! Entering will take a little bit of effort on your part but hey, the good things in life never come easy so you do what you have to. So what is it that you need to do?

• Become a member of the Android Central Forums. If you're already a member, you're good to go.
• When your account is created, change your avatar from the default avatar. Make it personal; unique as long as it is not left as the default Lloyd version, you're in.
• Post in this thread with a comment, that way we can see that have indeed changed it from the default. If you're already not using the default forums avatar, just post a comment.

We all love Lloyd but adding a little personality to your forum avatar is a good and fun thing to do. Plus, it helps you stand out a little better. We'll pick out two winners to receive a brand new Google Nexus 7 Tablet, which everyone can appreciate and love. Everyone is welcome to enter, if you need to know how, exactly, to change your avatar you'll find details below. Remember though, comments on this post are NOT counted as an entry -- they must be in the forums.

read more

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#HighHeels High Price Tag on #FootHealth Info @skyyogastudio ...

As far back as 1000 BC, women wore heels to establish social status and sex appeal.? In addition to making us look great, they also cause a woman?s back to arch and chest to thrust out giving a super sexy "come-hither" stance.?? But current statistics show that 43 million Americans experience painful foot problems and high-heeled women comprise the vast majority of them.? For every five women in the US, one suffers from aching feet as a result of donning heels.

Expert podiatrist and global "foot whisperer", Phil Vasyli of Orthaheel notes the following issues as a result of wearing high heels and adds feedback on how to choose better shoes and save high heels for special occasions, not everyday wear.

Pump Bump

What most women do not know is that their most fabulous shoes render all of their other efforts to maintain sexy legs and pretty toes utterly useless.? Misshapen legs, arched backs, falling in ankles and knees, and foot deformities such as hammertoes, bunions, stress fractures, and Morton?s Neuroma, are all caused by excessively high heels.? In addition, "pump bump" is a bony enlargement on the back of the heel from pressure and rubbing due to women?s pumps and dress shoes.? Not sexy.

Arch Enemy

Lacking in arch support, excess pronation is common amongst high heel wearers and is the number one cause of heel, ankle, knee, hip, and lower back pain, and also potential foot and leg deformities, as described above.

Tortured Soles

Our genetic makeup was designed to walk on soft surfaces ? soil, sand, and grass, which acts as a cradling device to help hold the foot and maintain an ergonomic structure between the ground and the human body.? Walking in heels on a hard sidewalk leads to foot and arch collapse, pronation, and a lengthening of soft tissues. This causes the joint surfaces to function at unnatural angles to each other, leaving the joints to become loose and flexible.? The lower leg turns inward, which puts the knee and hip out of alignment and causes the back to be rotated or arched.

Back out of Whack

High heels can cause posture problems because the back and neck are forced to hyperextension due to the redistribution of body weight on the ball of the foot.

Consider these tips from Vasyli to make healthier decisions:

High heels are not (necessarily) bad for your feet, but set your limits. The normal human body was not intended to walk in high heels, so the most logical thing is to either not wear them or better, to save them for special occasions or the weekend. If you want to wear a heel, the best option is to aim for a? 1.5" to 2" heel with a wedge sole, more importantly with some contact with the arch.

Yoga for High Heels.? Pelvic tilts and calf stretches will minimize any muscle cramping and shortening.? Also, commit to stretching the muscles in the back of your leg before and after putting them on.

Orthotics, the Less(er) Evil. An orthotic is very similar to a human footprint which has ergonomic structure to reverse the angles of excess pronation and add needed support at that high level.? Orthotics also help keep the arch contours in place in lower heeled shoes.

Shop! Buy a wide variety of shoes, including sneakers, oxfords, and sandals, and vary your footwear day to day.? Look for the APMA seal of acceptance for the best options or go to their website, APMA.org, for a selection of brands.? Buy shoes in the afternoon or evening, as feet swell during the day.

June 26th, 2012 | Tags: foot, Health | Category: Guest Post | Subscribe to comments | Leave a comment | Trackback URL

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Gunmen storm pro-Assad Syrian TV channel

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Gunmen broke through the gates of a pro-government Syrian TV channel headquarters on Wednesday, bombing buildings and shooting dead three employees, state media said, in one of the boldest attacks yet on a symbol of the authoritarian state.

President Bashar al-Assad declared late on Tuesday that his country was at war and the attack on Ikhbariya's offices - located 20 km (15 miles) south of the capital - as well as overnight fighting on the outskirts of Damascus show that 16 months of violence is now rapidly encroaching on the capital.

Footage aired on Ikhbariya, which resumed broadcasting shortly after the attack, showed bullet holes pockmarked a two-storey concrete building and pools of blood on the floor. One building made of corrugated iron had been almost completely destroyed and flames licked at the metal frame.

"I heard a small explosion then a huge explosion and gunmen ran in. They ransacked the offices and entirely destroyed the newsroom," an employee who works at the offices in the town of Drousha told state media at the scene.

The Syrian press is tightly regulated by the Ministry of Information. Although Ikhbariya is privately owned, opponents of Assad say it is a government mouthpiece.

During the pro-democracy revolt against the Assad family's four-decade rule, Ikhbariya has been pushing to counter what it says is a campaign of misinformation by Western and Arab satellite channels on the uprising, which it describes as a foreign-backed terrorist conspiracy.

SYRIA AT WAR

"We live in a real state of war from all angles," Assad told a cabinet he appointed on Tuesday in a speech broadcast on state television. "When we are in a war, all policies and all sides and all sectors need to be directed at winning this war."

The declaration that marks a change of rhetoric from Assad, who had long dismissed the uprising against him as the work of scattered militants funded from abroad.

The rambling speech - Assad also commented on subjects as far afield as the benefits of renewable energy - left little room for compromise. He denounced the West, which "takes and never gives, and this has been proven at every stage".

The United Nations accuses Syrian forces of killing more than 10,000 people during the conflict, which began with a popular uprising and has built up into an armed insurgency against four decades of rule by Assad and his father.

Video published by activists on Tuesday recorded heavy gunfire and explosions in suburbs of Damascus. A trail of fresh blood on a sidewalk in the suburb of Qudsiya led into a building where one casualty was taken. A naked man writhed in pain, his body pierced by shrapnel.

Syria's state news agency SANA said "armed terrorist groups" had blocked the old road from Damascus to Beirut on Tuesday.

The U.N. peacekeeping chief said it was too dangerous for a U.N. observer team, which suspended operations this month, to resume monitoring a ceasefire. The truce, part of a peace plan backed by international envoy Kofi Annan, has long since been abandoned in all but name.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a group which compiles reports from rebels, said 135 people were killed across Syria on Tuesday, making it one of the bloodiest days of the conflict. Its toll included 87 civilians it said had been killed, including 28 in Qudsiya.

It described heavy fighting near the headquarters of the Republican Guard in Qudsiya, and in other Damascus suburbs of al-Hama and Mashrou' Dumar, just 9 km from the capital.

SANA said dozens of rebels were killed or wounded and others arrested in fighting on the old Beirut road. Government forces seized rocket launchers, sniper rifles, machineguns and a huge amount of ammunition, it said.

Accounts from the rebels and the government cannot be verified because access for journalists is restricted.

TURKISH FURY

In neighboring Turkey, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan ordered his armed forces to react to any threat from Syria near the border after Syrian forces shot down a Turkish warplane on Friday off the Mediterranean coast.

"Our rational response should not be perceived as weakness, our mild manners do not mean we are a tame lamb," he told a meeting of his parliamentary party. "Everybody should know that Turkey's wrath is just as strong and devastating as its friendship is valuable."

NATO member states, summoned by Turkey to an urgent meeting in Brussels, condemned Syria over the incident in which two airmen were killed. The Western alliance called the incident "unacceptable" but stopped short of threatening retaliation.

NATO's cautious wording demonstrated the fear of Western powers as well as Turkey that armed intervention in Syria could stir sectarian war across the region. So far there has been no sign of an appetite for intervention like that carried out last year by NATO against Libya's Muammar Gaddafi.

A Turkish official said Ankara's ambassador had not asked the NATO envoys for action "at this stage". Erdogan's speech was seen in Turkey as less belligerent than it might have been.

"Those who want war may be disappointed by the prime minister's speech," Turkish journalist Mehmet Ali Birand wrote. "But a big part of society breathed a sigh of relief."

Nevertheless, Turkish officials say they are ready for scenarios that include a possible need to protect civilians near the border. A Turkish official who asked not to be identified said: "For Turkey there are two bad scenarios: one, a mass influx of refugees and two, large-scale massacres in Syria."

"Ankara has not taken a decision for military intervention or a humanitarian corridor at the moment. But if these are needed, everybody would prefer that they will be done with international legitimacy. However, if things go really badly we have to be ready for any kind of eventuality," he added.

REAR BASE

Erdogan said the armed forces' rules of engagement had been changed as a result of the attack, which Turkey says took place without warning in international air space.

"Every military element approaching Turkey from the Syrian border and representing a security risk and danger will be assessed as a military threat and will be treated as a military target," he said.

Russia, which has acted as Assad's main defender in the U.N. Security Council, called for restraint and said shooting down the aircraft should not be "viewed as a provocation or a premeditated action."

Syria says it had no choice but to destroy the plane as it entered Syrian air space flying low and at high speed. It found out it was Turkish only after the engagement. Turkey insists its aircraft entered Syrian air space only briefly by mistake.

Turkey is the base for the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) and shelters more than 30,000 refugees - a number Erdogan worries could rise sharply as fighting spreads. Rebel soldiers move regularly across the border and defectors muster inside Turkey.

Moscow has close relations with Damascus and has a naval base at Syria's port city of Tartus close to the spot where the jet was downed. Some defense experts said the Turkish plane could have been testing Russian-supplied Syrian air defenses.

Moscow-based defense think-tank CAST said Russia was expected to deliver nearly half a billion dollars worth of air defense systems, repaired helicopters and fighter jets to Syria this year despite international pressure to halt the arms sales.

Russia said it was crucial Iran should also attend a meeting on Syria of the five permanent U.N. Security Council members and regional players organized by Annan in Geneva this weekend.

Western countries oppose Iran, Syria's closest regional ally, taking part in the meeting and some diplomats have said it was not entirely clear whether the meeting would take place.

(Additional reporting by Jon Hemming, Jonathon Burch and Tulay Karadeniz in Ankara, Ayla Jean Yackley and Daren Butler in Istanbul, Mirna Sleiman in Beirut, Khaled Yacoub Oweis in Amman, Justyna Pawlak in Brussels, David Brunnstrom in Washington and Louis Charbonneau at the United Nations; Editing by Jon Boyle)

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Our trip to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia was unforgettable, thanks to the people behind Masada Backpacker. The staff responded to my queries promptly. At some point in everybody?s lives, the thought of overseas travel will surface. The need to travel may arise soon after studying,

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Torquay holidays offer its travellers a huge list of attractions along with some great restaurants which do play an important role on anyone?s holidays.Have you ever seen white tea? The most popular tea is decidedly the black tea or the green tea, but there is another tea out there?white tea.

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Often times you are faced with the decision of whether to offer your guests a separate shampoo and conditioner or whether to just provide a Conditioning shampoo.Question: In what town in the United States can you relax on a sandy beach, wakeboard, snowboard, enjoy professional theatre, and drive to a pristine national park in less than 30 minutes?

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New Zealand has and will always be a massively popular travel destination.

With its clean, green image, rich Maori culture,Whether you?re an overseas tourist or a permanent resident of New Zealand, Christchurch is one stop over that should be at the top of your list of destinations.

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Choosing one of the spacious Torquay holiday cottages or the Devon holiday cottages is the best thing you can do when planning your holiday in Torquay. Although isolated from the rest of the world, New Zealand has established itself as a hugely popular tourist destination, one that people travel from across the other side of the world to explore.

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So you have just got yourself a motorbike and are planning a road trip somewhere, or perhaps you have been a biker for many years and ride long distances regularly. We?ve all had a bad hotel experience. It?s no fun ? rats, cockroaches, rude staff, derelict amenities. So, then, how does one pick a sure-fire bet for a hotel when traveling abroad?

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Australia is a hugely popular destination for a number of reasons. Whilst it may be largely isolated from the rest of the world, Adelaide is regarded by many as one of the best designed and planned cities in the world. As the capital city of South Australia, Adelaide is famous for its wide streets and lush green parks and gardens that sit on a tiny one mile square land area.

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The Cotswolds is a very popular place to holiday, and with good reason as it was designated an area of outstanding natural beauty back in nineteen sixty six. It has many pretty little villages to be explored. They are built in famous Cotswolds stone which has the colour of warm honey.

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'Paddington' Poster Holds Adorable Potential

It's a little bit "Harry Potter" (especially with producer David Heyman aboard) with a dash of "Hugo" (train station plus gold lettering), but what really matters in the first poster for "Paddington" (via ComingSoon.net) is the polite little fellow in the middle of the poster. Yes, this is the first one sheet for the upcoming [...]

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Hunter: She and John Edwards no longer a couple

This image released by ABC shows Rielle Hunter during an interview on the morning show "Good Morning America," Tuesday, June 26, 2012 in New York. Hunter says she and former presidential candidate John Edwards have ended their relationship. Hunter told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Tuesday that she and Edwards were still a couple until late last week, as details from Hunter's memoir "What Really Happened: John Edwards, Our Daughter and Me," became public. The breakup was painful, but Hunter said Edwards will still be involved with their daughter, Quinn, who is 4 years old and lives with Hunter. (AP Photo/ABC, Ida Mae Astute)

This image released by ABC shows Rielle Hunter during an interview on the morning show "Good Morning America," Tuesday, June 26, 2012 in New York. Hunter says she and former presidential candidate John Edwards have ended their relationship. Hunter told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Tuesday that she and Edwards were still a couple until late last week, as details from Hunter's memoir "What Really Happened: John Edwards, Our Daughter and Me," became public. The breakup was painful, but Hunter said Edwards will still be involved with their daughter, Quinn, who is 4 years old and lives with Hunter. (AP Photo/ABC, Ida Mae Astute)

This image released by ABC shows co-host George Stephanopolous, left, speaking with Rielle Hunter during an interview on the morning show "Good Morning America," Tuesday, June 26, 2012 in New York. Hunter says she and former presidential candidate John Edwards have ended their relationship. Hunter told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Tuesday that she and Edwards were still a couple until late last week, as details from Hunter's memoir "What Really Happened: John Edwards, Our Daughter and Me," became public. The breakup was painful, but Hunter said Edwards will still be involved with their daughter, Quinn, who is 4 years old and lives with Hunter. (AP Photo/ABC, Ida Mae Astute)

FILE - In this Aug. 6, 2009 file photo, Rielle Hunter leaves the Terry Sanford Federal Building and Courthouse in Raleigh, N.C. Hunter told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Tuesday, June 26, 2012, that she and former presidential candidate John Edwards are no longer a couple. She says the breakup was painful but that Edwards will still be involved with their daughter, Quinn. (AP Photo/Jim R. Bounds, File)

This image released by ABC shows co-host George Stephanopolous, left, speaking with Rielle Hunter during an interview on the morning show "Good Morning America," Tuesday, June 26, 2012 in New York. Hunter says she and former presidential candidate John Edwards have ended their relationship. Hunter told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Tuesday that she and Edwards were still a couple until late last week, as details from Hunter's memoir "What Really Happened: John Edwards, Our Daughter and Me," became public. The breakup was painful, but Hunter said Edwards will still be involved with their daughter, Quinn, who is 4 years old and lives with Hunter. (AP Photo/ABC, Ida Mae Astute)

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) ? Rielle Hunter says she and former presidential candidate John Edwards have ended their relationship.

Hunter told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Tuesday that she and Edwards were still a couple until late last week, as details from Hunter's memoir became public. The breakup was painful, but Hunter said Edwards will still be involved with their daughter, Quinn, who is 4 years old and lives with Hunter.

"We are a family, but as of the end of last week, John Edwards and I are no longer a couple," Hunter said on Tuesday's show. "We decided together to end it."

Asked why the relationship ended, Hunter responded, "I think that's private." She referenced "media scrutiny" the couple had endured but gave no specifics, only saying, "It's hard, and it wears you down after a while."

The book, "What Really Happened: John Edwards, Our Daughter and Me," is being released Tuesday through a Dallas-based boutique publisher, BenBella Books. The Associated Press reported on the book last week.

In the book, Hunter describes intimate details about her affair with Edwards, whose campaign hired her as a videographer, and sheds light on his thoughts as federal prosecutors mounted a case against him on illegal campaign contribution charges.

An attorney for Edwards said she would forward to him a message seeking comment.

Prosecutors had accused the Democratic politician of masterminding a scheme to use about $1 million in secret payments from two wealthy political donors to hide his pregnant mistress as he sought the White House in 2008.

According to Hunter, Edwards told her he would probably wind up in a low-security prison in Virginia if he was convicted, and Hunter said she planned to move nearby with their daughter if that happened. A judge declared a mistrial last month, and federal prosecutors have opted not to retry Edwards.

Hunter's memoir also includes intimate details about her affair with Edwards as his wife, Elizabeth, was dying of cancer. On Tuesday, Hunter said she felt it was necessary to tell the truth about her relationship, even if doing so was painful for her, Edwards or his other children.

Saying that she still loves Edwards, and that she believes he still loves her, Hunter said Tuesday that she was unsure of the future.

"We'll see what happens," she said. "I have no plans."

___

Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP .

Associated Press

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Zynga plans to build a gamers' social network

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Asian markets drift lower ahead of EU summit

A woman speaks on a mobile phone in front of a securities firm's electronic stock board in Tokyo Monday, June 25, 2012. Asian stocks mostly drifted lower Monday as investors grew cautious ahead of a critical European Union summit later this week where Greek leaders will attempt to renegotiate some terms of the country's international bailout. Japan's Nikkei 225 index was 0.4 percent lower at 8,765.54. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

A woman speaks on a mobile phone in front of a securities firm's electronic stock board in Tokyo Monday, June 25, 2012. Asian stocks mostly drifted lower Monday as investors grew cautious ahead of a critical European Union summit later this week where Greek leaders will attempt to renegotiate some terms of the country's international bailout. Japan's Nikkei 225 index was 0.4 percent lower at 8,765.54. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

HONG KONG (AP) ? Asian stocks mostly drifted lower Monday as investors grew cautious ahead of a critical European Union summit later this week where Greek leaders will attempt to renegotiate some terms of the country's international bailout.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index was 0.4 percent lower at 8,765.54 and South Korea's Kospi slid 1.4 percent to 1,822.19. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was down 0.9 percent at 4,012.00.

But Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.3 percent to 19,060.11 as it fluctuated between gains and losses.

Mainland China's Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.6 percent to 2,248.23. Benchmarks in Singapore, Taiwan and Indonesia also fell.

Investors are plagued by twin worries over an economic slowdown in China, the world's second biggest economy, and a debt crisis in Europe that seemingly has no end.

"Market sentiment is weighed down by a weakening Chinese economy and also the European debt crisis," said Louis Wong, a director Phillip Securities.

Investor pessimism about the state of the world economy prevailed even as the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Spain agreed over the weekend to push for a growth package worth up to ?130 billion ($163 billion) at the European Union summit scheduled for June 28-29 in Brussels.

The proposal was "predictably vague, lacking details on content and financing and thus was given scant regard," Stan Shamu of IG Markets in Melbourne said in a market commentary.

The summit, aimed at kick-starting the economy and safeguarding the currency bloc, will prove a key test of Greek leaders' pledges to loosen the terms of the country's bailout. Greece's new government said on the weekend it would seek to repeal some taxes, halt layoffs and extend a deadline for tough austerity measures by two years. But Germany, the biggest single contributor to the bailout, says Athens must stick to the current targets.

Previous summits and meetings have failed to deliver a "credible set of solutions to the Eurozone crisis," strategists at Credit Agricole CIB said, so "markets are likely to remain relatively range bound ahead of the summit."

On Wall Street on Friday, stock markets bounced back. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 0.5 percent to close at 12,640.78. The Standard & Poor's 500 index 0.7 percent to 1,335.02 and the Nasdaq composite index climbed 1.1 percent to 2,892.42.

Benchmark crude was up 45 cents to $80.22 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract settled at $79.76 a barrel on Friday.

In currencies, the euro slipped to $1.2536 to from $1.2561 in late trading Friday. The dollar fell to 80.25 Japanese yen from 80.45 yen.

Associated Press

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Eurozone Crisis Worries India, but Exporters are Full of Hope

As the Eurozone wrestles with a debt crisis, confidence level remains desperately low. And it has had a negative impact on India's economy as well. As Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee rightly pointed in recent press conference at Manila after taking over as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the crisis in the Eurozone had negatively impacted the Indian economy. "The unfolding of the Eurozone crisis has impacted the Indian economy through lower growth, falling business sentiments, declining capital inflows and exchange rate ??and stock market volatility with attendant implication for investor confidence, " he said.

And?the impact is being felt by the textile and apparel exports community, because, though both, the US and Europe are major importers of textile and apparel products from India. Europe accounts for nearly 50 per cent of India's total apparel exports and hence it is no surprise that its debt crisis has adversely hit apparel exports from India. Further, lethargic demand in domestic and export markets, besides heavy debt, weaved a scrambled web for India's textiles industry in 2011-12. While the US is showing a bit of a bounce back in terms of placing orders, orders from Europe are still showing no recovery.

However, the latest export figures are positive. Though India was looking to achieve an export target of $38 billion (about Rs 200,000 crores) this fiscal, 12 per cent higher than previous year, it has been able to close the fiscal at $13.5 billion (Rs 70,000 crore) compared to $11 billion (over Rs 55,000 crore) in 2010-11. Despite a slowdown in the western markets, exporters' strategy of exploring newer destinations like South Africa and Latin America has worked well in their favour.

Commenting on the achievement, A Sakthivel, Chairman of Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) said, "Rupee depreciation has bailed out Indian apparel exporters who were unsure of growth following weak consumer sentiment. The final figures are not yet in, but India expects to close the fiscal at $13.5 billion against $11 billion in 2010-11. "

Moreover, Indian exporters have also entered new destinations such as Latin America, southern and western Africa, Japan, Russia, Israel and Australia during the year. Also, Government's support through Focus Market Scheme and Market Linked Focus Product schemes and various FTAs have given apparel exporters market access especially in Japan. Newer markets brought in 10 per cent business for the industry. According to AEPC data, Japanese demand seemed to help Indian garment exporters. Exports to Japan rose to 4.4 per cent last year after a 2.1 per cent drop the previous year. The industry is also strongly working on moving from cotton to synthetic fibre, as it will help diversify into new products like sportswear, swim suits. This is expected to help double exports in the next five years.

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Germans looking for mole in the ranks

By NESHA STARCEVIC

AP Sports Writer

Associated Press Sports

updated 9:38 a.m. ET June 23, 2012

GDANSK, Poland (AP) -Who is the mole in the German ranks?

Germany coach Joachim Loew is trying to plug a leak that has allowed news of his lineup plans to be all over the country's media hours before matches at the European Championship.

The most recent case was ahead of Friday's quarterfinal against Greece, when Loew made three major changes to his attack. Germany still won comfortably 4-2, but Loew was not happy with the leak.

The players say it was none of them. Loew suspects their agents.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Left Out? Sony franchises we may miss in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale

Sony?s answer to Nintendo?s Super Smash Bros. pits some of the most popular PlayStation heroes and villains against each other. Recognizable characters like God of War?s Kratos, Uncharted?s Nathan Drake, and Twisted Metal?s Sweet Tooth have been confirmed as playable fighters, but the final roster is yet to be determined by the game?s developers.

Sadly, it?s unlikely that All-Stars Battle Royale will feature every Sony first-party series ? the publisher just has too many franchises for this to be a reasonable expectation. Let?s take a look at some Sony properties that probably won?t make it into the game due to poor sales, overall weirdness, or horrible design.

Robbit (Jumping Flash!) ? As a character in one of the most underrated titles on the original PlayStation, Jumping Flash?s Robbit soared over the competition in terms of sheer fun factor and charm. The robotic rabbit has been missing in action for over 10 years. It?s time to bring this tin can back.

Captain Blasto (Blasto) ? This muscle-bound, galactic hero?s quest was met with mixed emotions because it suffered from unbalanced controls and frustrating difficulty. Even worse, Blasto?s voice actor (Phil Hartman) passed away shortly after the game?s release, basically taking any possible sequels with him to the grave.

Polygon Man ? Early Sony magazine ads for the PlayStation featured the purple, blocky creep known as ?Polygon Man.? He was to become a spokesman for the console, but instead he became a magician and disappeared?forever.

Gaius (Shadow of the Colossus) ? The walking skyscraper is just too freaking tall to be a playable character in All-Stars. He, or any other colossus, would fit better as a stage obstacle where players would need to avoid his attacks and/or climb him.

Jet Moto driver (Jet Moto) ? While not as popular as Gran Turismo, some of you may remember SingleTrac?s futuristic, hover-bike racing game, Jet Moto. Sadly, the franchise lies parked in an abandoned, locked garage somewhere, and no one can find the keys.

EyePet virtual creature (EyePet) ? What the hell is an EyePet? A monkey? A goblin? A biological weapon? According to YouTube, it?s a sexual slave trained to please you, its master. I can?t even image this furry critter?s move set if it somehow makes it into PlayStation All-Stars.

PocketStation ? Sony?s fancy memory card never made it outside Japan, which is a shame because I always wanted to play that Chocobo World minigame from Final Fantasy VIII.

Clever game designers could go nuts turning the PocketStation into a playable character or a weapon/item of some sort.

If PlayStation All-Stars knocks off Smash Bros.?s trophies gallery, the PocketStation deserves a spot.

Block-rearranging guy (Intelligent Qube) ? What seems like a simple puzzler is really one of the most mysterious games ever made. Who is that tiny man? Is this hell? Why blocks instead of balls?

The diminutive, khaki-pants-wearing protagonist could annoy the hell out of his adversaries in All-Stars, similar to the Servbot in Marvel vs. Capcom 2. Sony, are you reading this?

Giant enemy crab (Genji: Days of the Blade) ? Sony?s 2006 E3 conference was a disaster, but one good thing came out of it: the giant enemy crab from Genji.

Ancient Japan saw an infestation of these gargantuan crustaceans. Luckily, brave heroes used their real-time, weapon-changing abilities to find the monsters? weak spot and attack it for massive damage.

Mental wealth girl ? Sony has made some peculiar print ads but nothing quite as disturbing as the ?mental wealth? commercial for the PlayStation 3.

The girl?s grotesque appearance and chilling laugh make me want to drive a hatchet through my skull. She would make a fantastic second-to-last final boss, right before fighting Sony Computer Entertainment of America president Jack Tretton.

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