World powers, Iran brace for second day of nuclear talks

Geneva (AFP) - World powers and Iran braced Wednesday for a second day of talks aimed at ending their decade-long standoff over Tehran's nuclear programme, after the Islamic republic put a new proposal on the table.

With all sides praising the changed tone from new President Hassan Rouhani's team, senior negotiators backed by experts on nuclear affairs and sanctions were to comb through the details of what Iran billed as a breakthrough offer.

Iranian negotiators and counterparts from the European Union-chaired P5+1 group -- the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia, plus Germany -- were set to meet behind closed doors from 9:30 am (0730 GMT).

The Geneva talks, which began Tuesday, ended a six-month freeze sparked by Iran's refusal to curb uranium enrichment in exchange for easing the punishing international sanctions that have battered its economy.

The P5+1 and Iran's archfoe Israel fear that Tehran's atomic programme is a disguised effort to build a nuclear bomb, a claim it denies vehemently.

Rouhani succeeded conservative president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in August.

Seen as more moderate, he has pledged transparency on the nuclear programme and engagement with the international community to try to get the sanctions lifted -- but Israel has warned against being taken by his "sweet talk".

On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his team made an hour-long presentation to the P5+1 -- in English, for the first time, which Western diplomats said underlined the new mood.

"The proposal that we have introduced has the capacity to make a breakthrough," Iran's lead negotiator Abbas Araqchi said, telling reporters it was "very comprehensive" but that all parties had agreed to keep it under wraps.

He indicated what was not on the table, however, with Iranian state news agency IRNA quoting him as saying that an additional protocol to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty allowing snap inspections was not part of the offer.

Iran's other red lines include suspending uranium enrichment or shipping stockpiles of purified material abroad.

Earlier, Zarif said Tehran's plan contained three steps that could settle the long-running nuclear standoff "within a year", with the first achievable "within a month or two, or even less".

Araqchi said the "reaction was good" to the proposal.

"We are very serious. We are not here symbolically, to waste our time," he added.

Western officials at home and in Geneva were tight-lipped.

"We're not going to negotiate this in public or go into the details of what was in their proposal," said White House spokesman Jay Carney.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that "since the technical conversations and discussions are ongoing, I don't think we'd characterise it as a breakthrough at this stage".

"However, it certainly is positive that there was enough information to have technical discussions," she added.

A senior US official in Geneva said any easing of sanctions would be "proportional" to what Iran pledged, with "concrete, verifiable actions" needed.

Also in Geneva, EU foreign policy spokesman Michael Mann said discussions had been "very detailed". He praised the "very different" atmosphere from previous talks but saying the ball remained in Iran's court.

Israel -- believed to be the Middle East's only nuclear armed state -- warned Tuesday against accepting "cosmetic concessions" that would not stop Iran from pursuing nuclear weapons. It has not ruled out a military strike to halt Iran's drive.

Given what they say is Tehran's past playing for time via talks, Western negotiators say they are far from naive, and Washington underlines it is serious about never allowing a nuclear-armed Iran.

But in another sign of the changed tone, Iran's Araqchi and his US counterpart Wendy Sherman met Tuesday evening in Geneva, in the first direct talks between nuclear negotiators from the two countries since 2009.

Last month, Rouhani and US President Barack Obama held telephone talks during the UN General Assembly in New York, where Zarif held a landmark two-way meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry on the sidelines of a P5+1 gathering.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/world-powers-iran-brace-second-day-nuclear-talks-022501206.html
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Broncos unanimous No. 1 in AP Pro32 rankings

It's unanimous for Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, even after their shakiest performance of the season.

Denver received all 12 first-place votes for the first time in the AP Pro32 rankings released Tuesday.

The Broncos (6-0) struggled with winless Jacksonville until scoring the last two touchdowns in a 35-19 victory Sunday.

Manning matched his season low with two TD passes against the Jaguars but still has a record 22 through six games heading into Sunday night's return to Indianapolis, where Andrew Luck is in charge of the Colts' offense now.

"Coming to Peyton's Place should bring out the best in Mr. Manning," wrote Ira Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune.

No. 2 Seattle (5-1) and third-ranked Kansas City (6-0) are separated by just two points. Both teams moved up one spot.

The Seahawks won their 11th straight at home, 20-13 over Tennessee.

"They keep winning and overcoming injuries in the offensive line," wrote Rick Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News. "Their defense and run game will keep them in every game."

The Chiefs had just 216 yards of offense in a 24-7 win over Oakland but intercepted Terrelle Pryor three times and had 10 sacks to give them 31 for the season.

"Not much to look at when they play offense, but it is must-see TV on defense," wrote Herm Edwards of ESPN.

New England jumped from seventh to fourth after handing New Orleans its first loss 30-27 on Tom Brady's last-second touchdown pass. The Saints, who were second a week ago with the only other first-place vote, dropped to fifth.

The Patriots and Brady got another chance in the final 2 minutes after Drew Brees and the Saints couldn't run out the clock following an interception by Keenan Lewis with 2:16 remaining.

"That pained expression of Rob Ryan on the sidelines said it all, as his Saints' defense can't hold off Brady at the end," wrote Bob Glauber of Newsday.

San Francisco kept the No. 6 spot, and the Colts dropped two spots to seventh after a 19-9 loss at San Diego. Green Bay stayed No. 8 and Cincinnati at ninth, while Detroit moved up a spot to round out the top 10.

Chicago climbed a spot to No. 11 and was followed by Baltimore, Dallas and Miami.

San Diego and Philadelphia were 15th and 16th with the two of the biggest jumps of the week. The Chargers moved up from 20th, and the Eagles climbed from No. 22.

Tennessee and Arizona were 17th and 18th, with the New York Jets and St. Louis tied at 19th. The Rams moved up six spots from No. 25.

Cleveland dropped five spots to 21st, and Carolina jumped six spots to No. 22, followed by Buffalo, Atlanta and Houston, which fell from 19th to 25th with its fourth consecutive loss.

"The biggest mystery team in the NFL," wrote Pat Kirwan of SiriusXM NFL Radio and CBSSports.com.

Pittsburgh jumped three spots to 26th after its first win, followed by Oakland, Washington, Minnesota.

The league's three winless teams held the bottom three spots — the New York Giants, Tampa Bay and Jacksonville.

___

Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/broncos-unanimous-no-1-ap-pro32-rankings-214058467--spt.html
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Tigers turn to Verlander after Game 2 collapse

DETROIT (AP) — The last time Justin Verlander took the mound, his team's season was on the line.

The stakes won't be quite that high for his next start, but the Detroit Tigers could certainly use another brilliant performance from their star right-hander after blowing a chance to take control of the AL championship series.

Detroit wasted a five-run lead Sunday night in Game 2, allowing the Boston Red Sox to even the series with a 6-5 victory. David Ortiz's tying grand slam in the eighth inning snapped the Red Sox out of a hitting funk, and if Boston goes on to win the pennant, there may be little doubt about the turning point in this series.

Verlander's job is to steady the defending AL champion Tigers.

"Obviously that was a tough one," Verlander said. "At the same time you know this series is going to be a dogfight. Nobody is going to walk over anybody."

The Tigers looked like they were ready to roll through the series after they won the opener and took a 5-0 lead in Game 2. Anibal Sanchez held Boston hitless for six innings on Saturday, and Max Scherzer allowed a run and two hits in seven innings Sunday.

Boston trailed 5-1 in the eighth in Game 2 before a remarkable rally against four relievers. Ortiz tied it with a two-out grand slam off closer Joaquin Benoit.

"I made a mistake that I take full responsibility for," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "I should have just reminded him that we didn't want Ortiz to really beat us. He tried to make a great pitch. He tried to get it low and away out of the strike zone, but he didn't get it there."

Boston managed to win one of two at home despite striking out 32 times — eight more than the previous record for the first two games of an LCS, set by the Los Angeles Dodgers a day earlier. The Red Sox are hopeful their bats will come around, starting against Verlander in Game 3 at Comerica Park on Tuesday.

"I think we certainly gained some confidence in the last couple innings," Boston manager John Farrell said. "The work of Sanchez and Scherzer has been nothing short of spectacular. ... We feel like tomorrow's starter in Verlander is going to be a similar, if not a more difficult, challenge than what we faced already."

After a pedestrian regular season by his standards, Verlander pitched15 scoreless innings in the division series against Oakland, including eight in a winner-take-all Game 5. The Tigers have taken no-hitters into at least the sixth inning in three straight games, a remarkable feat even for a staff that set a major league record with 1,428 strikeouts during the regular season.

Detroit's starters have picked up where they left off during last year's American League playoffs, when the Tigers' rotation posted a 1.02 ERA through the division series and ALCS. Detroit won the AL pennant before being swept by San Francisco in the World Series.

"We've got a starting rotation that's relentless, and I said that before the series started. Every guy has their unique ability to shut down a team in their own way," Verlander said. "I'm just one of the four guys right now."

The Red Sox will send John Lackey to the mound to face Verlander. Lackey was able to make 29 starts during the regular season, posting a 3.52 ERA after missing all of 2012 following elbow ligament-replacement surgery.

Lackey will try to hold Detroit's offense in check and hope the Red Sox can become the first team this postseason to break through against Verlander.

"We've got a great lineup. I'm going into the game with a great group of guys behind me," Lackey said. "Those guys are going to fight him. He's kind of our lineup's problem. I've got my own problems with their lineup."

Leyland says he'll probably play Jhonny Peralta at shortstop for a second straight game, with Andy Dirks in left field instead of Don Kelly. Boston's Mike Napoli is expected to be back at first base in a lineup similar to what the Red Sox used in Game 1.

Those are minor adjustments, obviously. Don't expect too many drastic changes as this series progresses. Both teams rely on established stars who have played in their share of big postseason games.

"It's always nice to have Justin Verlander on the mound no matter what the situation is," Leyland said. "There won't be any carry-over for our guys from that game last night. That's over with."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tigers-turn-verlander-game-2-collapse-204325482--spt.html
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Donald Glover Reveals Darkest Fears on Instagram: "I Feel Like I'm Letting Everyone Down"

Donald Glover took to his Instagram account on Monday, Oct. 14, to share a few brutally honest confessions with his fans on everything from his career to his love life to his own shortcomings.

"I feel like I'm letting everyone down," he wrote in all-caps on a sheet of hotel stationary. "I'm afraid people hate who I really am. I'm afraid I hate who I really am."

PHOTOS: Biggest celebrity meltdowns

The Community star goes on to address his decision to leave the NBC comedy this past August, clarifying that he didn't leave the series in order to pursue his rap career, as the public previously assumed (Glover performs under the alias Childish Gambino).

"I don't wanna rap," he wrote. "I wanted to be on my own."

Donald Glover shared a series of handwritten notes detailing his biggest fears on Instagram on Monday, Oct. 14.
Credit: Courtesy of Donald Glover

Glover, who turned 30 this past September, took down his website and stopped tweeting for much of the past year, though he had previously been quite active on both.

His Community costar Joel McHale told The Hollywood Reporter this past August that he could understand Glover's wishes to move on from the series.

PHOTOS: Infamous celebrity feuds

"Obviously, Donald is a comic genius," he said of the former 30 Rock writer. "His level of talent is pretty extraordinary and rare. His rap career is exploding, so I get why he wants to focus on it."

Glover currently has a new music-centric comedy, FX series Atlanta, as well as a sophomore studio album, Because the Internet, in the works. But the actor and comedian doesn't seem too confident about either project, based on his posts. 

Donald Glover shared a series of handwritten notes detailing his biggest fears on his Instagram account on Monday, Oct. 14.
Credit: Courtesy of Donald Glover

"I'm afraid this is all an accident," he wrote of his fame. "I'm scared I won't know anything ever again. I'm scared I never knew anything. I'm afraid I'll regret this. I'm afraid this doesn't matter at all."

PHOTOS: Fall TV's rising stars

"I wanted to make something that says, no matter how bad you f--k up, or mistakes you've made during the year, your life, your eternity," he wrote of his upcoming album, "you're always allowed to be better. You're always allowed to grow up. If you want."

Source: http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/donald-glover-reveals-darkest-fears-on-instagram-i-feel-like-im-letting-everyone-down-20131510
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Apple hires Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts to sharpen up retail division, starts work as SVP in Spring 2014

Apple has hired a new retail chief, with the announcement that current Burberry CEO, Angela Ahrendts, will be joining Cupertino in Spring 2014. The exact position she will be filling will be created specially when she joins Apple next year, as Senior VP reporting to Tim Cook for "strategic direction, expansion and operation of both Apple retail and online stores."

“I am thrilled that Angela will be joining our team,” said Cook. “She shares our values and our focus on innovation, and she places the same strong emphasis as we do on the customer experience. She has shown herself to be an extraordinary leader throughout her career and has a proven track record.”

“I am profoundly honored to join Apple in this newly created position next year, and very much look forward to working with the global teams to further enrich the consumer experience on and offline,” said Ahrendts. “I have always admired the innovation and impact Apple products and services have on people’s lives and hope in some small way I can help contribute to the company’s continued success and leadership in changing the world.”

Apple's shopping experience is unparalleled, and the retail division has been without a chief for a while now. It's also not Apple's first recruit from the fashion world either, with Paul Deneve joining from Yves Saint Laurent earlier this year. For Apple and Tim Cook, it appears the executive team is beginning to fall into place.

Source: Apple

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/Jw_dEdhADwQ/story01.htm
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An unusually cheery Phoenix at 'Her' NYFF premiere

NEW YORK (AP) — The colorful palette of Spike Jonze's wistful, slightly futuristic digital romance "Her" had an unlikely inspiration: Jamba Juice.

Jonze premiered his highly anticipated film Saturday at the New York Film Festival, where he and his cast, including star Joaquin Phoenix, exemplified none of the interpersonal disconnect of the movie's sleek but melancholy future. They entertainingly debuted the film for critics and film industry members ahead of an evening red-carpet premiere that was to draw the 51st New York Film Festival to a close.

Phoenix stars in the film as a recent divorce who purchases and gradually falls in love with an artificial operating system named Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson). The system, dubbed OS1, is something like a far more advanced version of the iPhone's Siri, advertised as an "intuitive entity" and "a consciousness."

Jonze said in a post-screening news conference that he wanted to set "Her" in a somewhat utopic Los Angeles that "felt nice to be in." It shares some of the color of the smoothie franchise Jamba Juice and is forested by skyscrapers. Jonze, who wrote and directed the film, borrowed the skyline from Shanghai, where much of the movie was shot.

It was an interesting acting challenge for Phoenix, given that his primary co-star was a disembodied voice. The character was initially voiced by Samantha Morton before Johansson took over the role.

"I'd like to say that I trained, but as an actor, I'm accustomed to walking around my house and talking to myself," Phoenix said. "We rehearse all the time so I don't think it was that dissimilar."

Phoenix is known for his distaste for public appearances and media interaction, but he was in good spirits Saturday, playfully answering questions or cheerfully ignoring them. On capturing the loneliness of his character, Phoenix replied that "Spike just broke me."

"Going into the movie, all I was concerned about was trying to feel natural in something that wasn't there," he said. As to how he managed to "break" Phoenix, Jonze fumbled for an answer before guessing, "I think he's joking?" while Phoenix nodded.

The actor even ironically admonished co-star Rooney Mara, who plays his ex-wife, for not eagerly answering questions.

"Rooney, don't do that," Phoenix said. "I'm so sorry everyone."

Warner Bros. will release "Her" on Dec. 18.

___

Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jake_coyle

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/unusually-cheery-phoenix-her-nyff-premiere-225310205.html
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Va. gov race previews shutdown politics for 2014

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The Virginia governor's race has turned into a real-time test of Republican and Democratic positions in the congressional budget battle raging on Capitol Hill.

The federal work stoppage directly affecting thousands of Virginia residents has forced Republican Ken Cuccinelli on the defensive while giving Democrat Terry McAuliffe an opening in a race that had been neck-and-neck for months.

Now, public and internal surveys show voter support has started breaking McAuliffe's way during the past few weeks.

The outcome of the Nov. 5 election in this swing-voting state could provide clues about how the issue will play with frustrated voters in next fall's House and Senate midterm elections.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/va-gov-race-previews-shutdown-politics-2014-060745042--election.html
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