greece wins easier debt terms as european union hails ... - sreaves32

By?James G. Neuger, Stephanie Bodoni and Jonathan Stearns?-?Bloomberg

European finance ministers eased the terms on emergency aid for?Greece, declaring after three years of false starts that?Europe?has found the formula for nursing the debt-stricken country back to health.

In the latest bid to keep the 17-nation euro intact, the ministers cut the rates on bailout loans, suspended interest payments for a decade, gave Greece more time to repay and engineered a Greek bond buyback. The country was also cleared to receive a 34.4 billion-euro ($44.7 billion) loan installment in December. Greek bonds rose.

?This has been a very difficult deal,? Luxembourg Prime Minister?Jean-Claude Juncker?told reporters in Brussels after chairing a 13-hour meeting that ended early today. ?All initiatives decided upon today will bring Greece?s public debt clearly back on a sustainable path.?

After 240 billion euros in loan pledges and the biggest writedown of privately held debt failed to turn Greece around, the creditor governments led by?Germany?proclaimed the latest fix just as they grappled with swelling financing needs in Cyprus and a potential aid request by Spain, the fourth-largest euro economy.

?New Day?

In?Athens, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras went on national television after midnight to celebrate a ?new day? for Europe?s most debt-ridden country. While the financing pact rewarded the government?s budget cuts and steps to overhaul the economy, Greece will have to deliver on its commitments to earn each payout.

Gains made by the euro in the wake of the deal evaporated as investors asked how it will work. The currency was down 0.2 percent to $1.2950 at 12:50 p.m. in Brussels. Doubters questioned whether Greece can stomach further economic discipline and whether the bond buyback will generate enough savings. A shortfall would put outright debt relief, anathema to northern creditor countries, back on the agenda.

?This leaves some uncertainty over the deal,? said?Christian Schulz, an economist at Berenberg Bank in?London. Below-target proceeds from the buyback ?could again raise the discussion about an official sector debt writedown.?

Euro-area finance ministers sold the accord, blessed by the?International Monetary Fund?and?European Central Bank, as a milestone in fighting the debt crisis, much as the first two Greek loan packages were once touted as solutions.

Bond Holdings

The ECB chipped in by steering profits from its Greek bond holdings back into the rescue program. National governments will funnel their share of the profits to Greece?s bailout account, getting around rules that bar the politically autonomous central bank from directly lending to the state.

?I very much welcome the decisions taken by the ministers of finance,? ECB President?Mario Draghi?said. ?They will certainly reduce the uncertainty and strengthen confidence in Europe and in Greece.?

The batch of measures will help pare Greece?s debt from 190 percent of gross domestic product in 2014 to 124 percent of GDP in 2020, a target set by the IMF as its condition for continuing to fund a third of the Greek program. One IMF concession was to raise that target from 120 percent.

?These are solid commitments that should help Greece to recover enough and regain access to markets as planned if it takes reform measures to improve its competitiveness,? IMF Managing Director?Christine Lagarde?said.

10-Year Bonds

Greek 10-year bonds advanced, pushing the yield down 19 basis points to 16.32 percent. It took four crisis meetings to seal the accord, starting with a Nov. 12 decision to give Greece two extra years, until 2016, to cut its?budget deficit?? an admission that the austerity-first prescription for solving the crisis is strangling the?Greek economy.

Scraping together the money to fill the resulting financial hole while simultaneously slicing the debt was a math exercise with political overtones. From the start, Germany, the dominant country in the?crisis management, ruled out forgiving any of Greece?s publicly held debt.

Debt relief would be legally questionable, German Finance Minister?Wolfgang Schaeuble?said. It would also be politically toxic for?Chancellor Angela Merkel, running for a third term next year on the promise that Greece won?t cost German taxpayers an additional cent.

Greece?s Economy

With?Greece?s economy?shrinking unceasingly since the third quarter of 2008, the IMF had called for further concessions by the European creditors, doubting that Greece would generate enough output,?tax revenue?or asset-sale receipts to slash the debt.

?We didn?t discuss a debt cut,? Schaeuble said after the meeting. ?It?s out of the question.??Finland?and the Netherlands, also with top credit ratings, balked at debt relief as well, dismissing warnings by the IMF and some ECB officials that writeoffs might be the only way out.

?Finland?s conditions were fulfilled,? Finance Minister Jutta Urpilainen said. ?New loans won?t be granted to Greece.?

Still, lower bailout rates, the interest-payment suspension and the delay of Greece?s final repayment deadline until the 2040s will leave taxpayers in the northern creditor countries with smaller-than-planned profits from lending to Greece.

Parliaments in Germany, Finland and the Netherlands have insisted on approving the accord, with Dec. 13 set as the deadline for a formal decision to unlock the next Greek aid tranche. Final IMF endorsement hinges on Greece completing the bond buyback.

?Constructive Ambiguity?

In addition, the ministers vowed ?further measures and assistance? ? such as another cut in bailout rates and an increase in European infrastructure subsidies ? once Greece posts an operating budget surplus. French Finance Minister?Pierre Moscovici?said the possible future concessions were couched in ?constructive ambiguity,? a hint that the debt- relief debate may flare back up.

To make the package palatable for bailout-weary creditor parliaments, unprecedented controls were built into how Greece spends the money. An account devoted to debt servicing was strengthened and the payout of future aid installments was keyed to the Greek government delivering on economic pledges.

?Euro-zone countries have put their money where their mouth is,? said?Carsten Brzeski, an economist at ING Group NV in Brussels. ?However, it is clearly not a carte blanche for Greece but rather a very tight leash.?

The disbursement of 9.3 billion euros in the first quarter of 2013, for example, is tied to experts from the European Union, ECB and IMF certifying that the Greek government met a January deadline for carrying out a?tax reform.

?The big challenge now is to implement the decisions,? Greek Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras said. ?Greece has huge potential.?

Source: http://sreaves32.wordpress.com/2012/12/02/greece-wins-easier-debt-terms-as-european-union-hails-rescue-formula/

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RPT-WRAPUP 1-Delta among suitors for stake in Virgin Atlantic - sources

NEW YORK/SINGAPORE, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Singapore Airlines

said on Monday it was in talks with interested parties

to sell its 49 percent stake in British carrier Virgin Atlantic,

with sources revealing that Delta Air Lines Inc was

among the potential suitors.

Delta, the second-largest U.S. airline by operating revenue

after United Continental Holdings, wants to gain access

to Virgin Atlantic's landing rights at London's Heathrow

airport, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Delta has been looking to acquire a Virgin Atlantic stake

for more than two years but previous talks broke down over price

and other issues, and there is no guarantee that its recent

discussions would result in a pact, the people said.

Singapore Airlines said in a brief statement it was in talks

with interested parties but did not name them. It also cautioned

that the discussions might not result in a deal.

The European Union requires that EU carriers be under

European control, meaning Delta would need to involve an EU

airline as a partner if it wanted majority control of Virgin.

Delta has been considering ways to partner with Air

France-KLM, which could also take a stake in Virgin

and allow the two carriers to acquire majority ownership, one of

the people said. Virgin founder Richard Branson owns 51 percent

of the airline.

Delta has made clear that it would like to expand at

Heathrow, a lucrative airport for prized corporate passengers

where landing slots are generally hard to acquire. Virgin is the

second-largest carrier at Heathrow after IAG's British

Airways.

Delta's SkyTeam global alliance, which includes Air France

and 18 other airlines, trails its oneworld and Star Alliance

counterparts in slot access at Heathrow.

"Delta now finds itself going up against the combination of

American Airlines and British Airways," said George Hamlin, an

aviation consultant in Fairfax, Virginia, referring to the two

anchor members of the oneworld global alliance.

"British Airways brings along a feed from other destinations

- both Europe and intercontinental - at Heathrow. Delta is

basically a dead end at this point."

Branson, who set up Virgin Atlantic in 1984, has been

weighing the airline's future for years and two years ago

appointed Deutsche Bank to examine offers.

"We are always talking to many airlines on a number of

different matters but we never comment on the details of these

discussions," a Virgin Atlantic spokeswoman said on Sunday. News

of Delta's renewed interest in Virgin was first reported by the

Sunday Times of London.

Delta declined to comment. Air France were not immediately

available for comment outside regular business hours.

Heathrow, Europe's busiest airport, is operating at close to

full capacity after Britain's coalition government blocked its

expansion in 2010.

Virgin lost out in the battle to take over smaller UK

carrier bmi last year to IAG, giving the owner of British

Airways and Iberia more than 50 percent of the takeoff and

landing slots at Heathrow.

However in November, Virgin won all of the Heathrow takeoff

and landing slots that British Airways was forced to give up

after the acquisition of bmi.

Like other European carriers such as Air France and

Lufthansa, Virgin has been battered by rising fuel

prices and the euro zone crisis. It posted a loss of around 80

million pounds ($128 million) in its last full year.

Virgin, which is hunting for a new chief executive after

Steve Ridgway announced he would retire early next year, is not

a member of a global airline alliance.

Aviation consultant Hamlin said a tie-up with Delta could

give Virgin access to hundreds of markets on a one-stop

connecting basis in the United States. For Delta, such a deal

would help plug a weakness in its global network versus key

competitors and make it a strong player at Heathrow.

"London obviously is the premier market and Heathrow is by

and large the market leader. It's the lynchpin transatlantic

market in terms of size and revenue, particularly premium

traffic revenue," Hamlin said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/3-delta-talks-49-pct-virgin-atlantic-stake-001342799--sector.html

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How signal molecules for formation of various cell types are controlled

ScienceDaily (Nov. 30, 2012) ? The regulation of important signal molecules that are critical for the formation of various cell types can be influenced by a chemically produced variant of indirubin, a natural material used in traditional Chinese medicine. This was shown by scientists from Heidelberg University, Kaiserslautern and Jena. The researchers were also able to demonstrate for the first time that these signal molecules in the cell -- regulatory SMAD proteins -- are not only controlled through regulation of their activation but also through the available quantity of signal molecules in the non-activated state. Because cellular differentiation as well as tumour growth are tied to these processes, the studies suggest a new approach for both the preparation of induced pluripotent stem cells and the development of tumour treatments.

The results of the research were published in the journal Chemistry & Biology.

Cellular differentiation decides which functions can be assumed and carried out by cells in the body. Their precise regulation has a decisive influence on embryonic development and later also plays an essential role in maintaining the activity of organs. After toxic damage, among other things, it is important that cells can react appropriately to limit damage and regenerate the tissue. This requires close communication between the cells, which is controlled by numerous signal molecules. "Only when all the parts of a signal path are present, cells can react to the signals from the environment with a coordinated programme. If one of these components is missing, the proper cellular response is inhibited," explains Prof. Dr. Stefan W?lfl from Heidelberg University's Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology.

How cellular differentiation is controlled during embryonic development and in the mature organism significantly depends on the family of TGF?/BMP growth factors. Representatives of these specific signal molecules also participate in the genesis and development of tumour diseases. Through their work, the researchers have demonstrated that the cells themselves influence how sensitively they react to growth factor signals. This occurs through the availability of the complementary signal mediators within the cell adapting to the given situation. The amount of available regulatory SMAD proteins (R-Smad proteins) in the cell is controlled on the level of synthesis, but in particular through the control of their degradation. This is performed by a special control system present in every cell. This ubiquitin proteasome system makes it possible for cellular proteins to be degraded in a controlled manner.

Earlier research already demonstrated that the degradation of activated R-Smad proteins occurs through the ubiquitin proteasome system, resulting in termination of the signals. "Our results now prove that the reservoir of non-activated R-SMAD signal mediators is also strictly controlled. This prevents corresponding external signals from activating an internal programme," says Prof. W?lfl. "For example, if growing tumour cells are dependent on this signal, these cells could be kept from surviving and cell death may even occur if the signal mediators could be deliberately removed." According to Prof. W?lfl, R-Smad proteins are also important mediators in cellular differentiation. "Reducing or removing these signal mediators from stem cells would cause them to no longer react to differentiation signals, so they would retain their stem cell properties as a result."

In their experiments, the researchers worked with a variant of the natural product indirubin that they chemically synthesised. The studies showed that the indirubin derivative led to a degradation of the R-Smad proteins in human cells. Thus, the signals transmitted by the TGF?/BMP growth factors are blocked. In this procedure, the indirubin variant intervenes in various processes that all contribute to depleting the concentration of R-Smad proteins in the cell. In particular, the activity of specific regulating enzymes called ubiquitin proteases is diminished, which protect proteins from degradation in the ubiquitin proteasome system.

The research was funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) within a joint research project focussed on medical system biology. The research team at the Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology of Heidelberg University collaborated with scientists from the University of Kaiserslautern and the Jena University Hospital as well as the Heidelberg University Hospital's Institute of Human Genetics.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Heidelberg, Universit?t.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Xinlai Cheng, Hamed Alborzinia, Karl-Heinz Merz, Herbert Steinbeisser, Ralf Mrowka, Catharina Scholl, Igor Kitanovic, Gerhard Eisenbrand, Stefan W?lfl. Indirubin Derivatives Modulate TGF?/BMP Signaling at Different Levels and Trigger Ubiquitin-Mediated Depletion of Nonactivated R-Smads. Chemistry & Biology, 2012; 19 (11): 1423 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2012.09.008

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/sqeQVMq_zNw/121130110554.htm

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U.S. seeks to protect 66 kinds of coral

The federal government on Friday proposed protecting 66 kinds of corals under the Endangered Species Act, an acknowledgment that these reef-building animals are suffering so many insults they are threatened with extinction.

The proposal, which covers corals in the Pacific and the Caribbean, lists 19 ways that corals are under assault. They include overfishing, pollution, heat-stroke, disease and dissolving in seawater that is turning more acidic.

A team of scientists from the National Marine Fisheries Service spent more than three years reviewing the health of these reef-building corals before proposing their protection. Seven of the coral species can be found in U.S. waters off Florida and Caribbean islands. The other 59 are in the Pacific around the Hawaiian Islands, the Northern Marianas Islands, the Line Islands and American Samoa.

"Our science team found that these corals face many, many threats," said Lance Smith, a supervisory biologist in the fisheries service in Honolulu. "When you put them together, they act in ominous ways."

The government was prodded into action by the Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit group that sued in federal court and forced a decision that must be completed within a year.

The world's oceans contain more than 700 species of stony corals, small animals that live in colonies and form elaborate and colorful structures with exoskeletons that resemble everything from the folds of a human brain to the horns of elk or deer.

A third of these reef-building corals are listed as threatened with extinction by the World Conservation Union, an international consortium of scientists. The Center for Biological Diversity used this international list to push for U.S. protection of those in American waters.

The fisheries service also proposed to reclassify staghorn and elkhorn corals from "threatened" to the more severe category of "endangered." These two fast-growing corals helped form the Florida Keys and the reefs around most islands in the Caribbean. About 98% of staghorn and 90% to 95% of elkhorn coral have disappeared since 1980.

These corals have become overgrown by seaweed when too many algae-eating fish are removed from the reefs. They have suffered from disease and suffocation when bathed in nutrient-rich sewage and farm runoff, particularly in South Florida.

Corals have been hit by periodic "bleaching" events, which is a sort of heatstroke, when waters get too hot. It's a result of rising global temperatures because of the buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere ? mostly from burning fossil fuels.

The oceans have absorbed about a quarter of the C02 accumulated since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, setting off a chemical reaction that makes seawater increasingly acidic. That poses another long-term threat to corals, which rely on alkaline seawater to provide them building materials to form their exoskeletons.

Federal scientists cited ocean acidification as one of the most serious threats to corals surviving to the end of the century. The worst threats, according to federal rankings, were hot water causing bleaching and the spread of disease. Farther down the list were more localized problems from overfishing, nutrient pollution, the discharge of sediments and toxic chemicals from the land, and destructive fishing practices.

All this raises the question of what federal protections might accomplish.

Smith said it's easy to be cynical about the future of corals, especially in the face of global warming. But, he said, the law can make a difference.

"If you reduce the local threats," Smith said, "corals are more likely to be resilient to the global threats."

ken.weiss@latimes.com

Source: http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/news/science/~3/1_XFPBwPkww/la-me-1201-endangered-corals-20121201,0,425361.story

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New Xbox due out before Christmas 2013 ? Video Games Reviews ...

Evidence is mounting that Microsoft is entering the final stages of preparation for the next Xbox console. We?ve seen an increase in security at the Xbox buildings on the Microsoft campus, increased chatter from game developers about the next generation of consoles, and now comes a report that Microsoft?s next console will be hitting shelves before the 2013 holiday season. The report is complete with (some what sketchy) details about exactly how the company will actually unveil the new console.

There?s been a lot of talk about Microsoft?s future plans when it comes to gaming. We?ve seen the rumors of an Xbox tablet, we?ve seen supposed names like ?Xbox 720?, and we?ve hear talk of a lower cost Xbox that is used for casual gaming and streaming content. If you put all of that together, Microsoft?s Xbox division is pretty busy right now. A refresh to the popular console seems like a must at this point. Despite Microsoft?s talk of how proud they are that the industry has been able to change the rules regarding how long a console is supposed to last, a hardware refresh would open a lot of doors for the gaming industry as a whole.

As Project Durango gets closer and closer to reality, and patents for augmented reality glasses start to appear, the rumors surrounding what could be get pretty intense. There?s a few things that make a lot of sense, like a a deeper integration with Kinect 2 and a focus on delivering way more than just games to the console. Speculating on hardware at this point doesn?t make a lot of sense, though it seems likely that the controller will be up for tweaking to fit more with a Kinect 2 focused design. We know that companies like Crytek and Rare are already hiring developers to take advantage of the new hardware as well.

If Microsoft is to unveil new hardware this year, they are likely to make quite a show out of it. It?s possible that Microsoft would try to steal the show at E3, but it is just as likely that the company would assemble their own press event for the hardware. Microsoft had no problem using the Xbox 360 to stream their E3 announcement this year, delivering a massive captive audience to the news. Microsoft could easily take advantage of that same audience to announce their new hardware, whenever it actually arrives.

via Bloomberg

Source: http://www.geek.com/articles/games/new-xbox-due-out-before-christmas-2013-20121130/

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What You Need to Know About Fitness Equipment Reviews | Health ...

The Internet is an incredible resource for researching products.? In particular, you can find countless reviews from both professionals and customers.? For individuals in the market for fitness equipment, the Internet can assist you in the complicated procedure of selecting the right equipment for your body and budget. ?Because buying fitness equipment like treadmills, elliptical trainers or exercise bikes can be overwhelming.

There are countless models, and prices vary from a couple of hundred dollars to several thousand dollars.? So it is advantageous if you can find some online assistance and direction in selecting a product that can accommodate your fitness goals and physique within your price range.

So it would seem a no brainer to turn to one of the numerous fitness equipment reviews sites.? There are countless sites that review products like treadmills, elliptical trainer and exercise bikes.

However, there is a problem with the vast majority of these review sites.? Most of these sites are authored by people who have no background or experience in the industry.

They?ve built these sites and have gone to great length to get them ranked in the search engines for one reason ? Money!

Affiliate Marketing and Fitness Equipment Review Sites

Affiliate marketing is a multi-billion dollar business.?? This is how it works. Web sites refer traffic to merchant sites and if that referral results in a sale the originating site, the affiliate site, gets a commission. ?The sales are tracked through cookies that identify where the traffic originated.

In fact, you may have been to an affiliate site, clicked on a link to a merchant site left and came back several days later and the affiliate site still got the commission.? Some affiliate programs will credit an affiliate site up to 60 days from the original visit.? ?Practically all sites that review products are affiliate sites, in addition to most coupon and product and services comparison sites.

Most people who surf the Internet are unaware of this industry.? And in fact, many of the products you purchase online may have been initiated by going to an affiliate site.

There are affiliate programs for just about any product or service that is sold on the Internet, including clothing, automotive, health products, financial services, auctions, electronic, books, food products, housewares, telecommunication services, travel services and of course fitness equipment.

Affiliate marketing is not necessarily a bad thing, and in fact many affiliate sites offer a valuable service to their viewers.?? They provide insight and information into products and services and help you to sift through the details and the numerous options in order to make an informed purchasing decision.

However,? there is also the dark side of affiliate marketing, where sites offer up a bunch of bogus information that is more construed to making a profit than assisting their viewers.

What makes affiliate marketing so attractive is that there is a low threshold to enter the business.? You just need to be able to create a web site, add some content and manipulate the search engines, like Google, into ranking your web pages. ??It is an entrepreneur?s dream come true.

The Appeal of Fitness Equipment Affiliate Marketing

What draws so many people to fitness equipment affiliate marketing is the high price points and generous commissions.

For example, there are several fitness equipment merchants whose average online sale is $1,000, and their commissions to their affiliate could be as high as 12%.? It doesn?t take many commissions to make a very comfortable living.? And of course, you can conduct your business from anywhere in the world.

It is the easy entry into the business and the potential money that draws the uninitiated into the business of reviewing fitness equipment.? In fact, the majority of the fitness equipment reviews are done by individual with no experience in the fitness equipment industry.

Worse yet, many have never been on the products they review.? Their reviews are just a rehash of what is on the merchant site.? And not surprisingly their recommendations are based on which products are most likely to result in a commission.

I?ve?come across fitness equipment review sites that were written from individuals in either Eastern Europe or India.? They can barely write in English, and I know for a fact that none of the products they review are available in those countries.

I?ve come across treadmill review sites where the author?s claim to credibility is that they were runners.?? Another was a stay at home mother who works out at a health club and that made her an authority on treadmills.? The fact is there are only a handful of fitness equipment review site that are written by individuals with industry experience.

If you are in the market for fitness equipment you want to rely on authoritative sites.? How do you tell an authoritative site?? First, check out the ?About Us? page, if there?isn?t?one that is a red flag.? If they do have an ?About Us? page, but they have no industry experience, move on.

Buying fitness equipment can be complicated and expensive.? That is why you need the help of a professional, either online or off to assist you getting the right product for your fitness goals.

I have a confession to make, I am an affiliate marketer who reviews fitness equipment.? However, I have worked in the industry for over 17 years and work hard on offering my readers the best advice in purchasing fitness equipment.

Related posts:

1. Six Affordable Fitness Alternatives to Expensive Gym and Fitness Equipment
2. How Sports Help Mental, Social and Psychological Fitness In Addition to Physical Fitness
3. 7 Mobile Apps That Make Fitness Fun

Source: http://healthonabudget.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-fitness-equipment-reviews/

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U.S. soldier in WikiLeaks case says he was held in a 'cage'

FORT MEADE, Maryland (Reuters) - A U.S. Army private facing court-martial on suspicion of leaking secret documents to the WikiLeaks website testified on Thursday he was confined to a "cage" in the early days after his arrest in 2010, and thought he would die there.

Bradley Manning, in his first public comments since his arrest in Iraq, said his isolation quickly led to a breakdown, and his military captors eventually put him on suicide watch.

"My nights were my days and my days were my nights," Manning said. "It all blended together after a couple of days."

The low-ranking soldier Manning faces up to life in prison if convicted of charges he played a role in the massive leaking of secrets by WikiLeaks, which stunned governments around the world by publishing intelligence documents and diplomatic cables, mostly in 2010.

Manning's lawyers were working on a plea deal involving less serious charges that would result in a prison term of at least 16 years, one of his attorneys said.

His captors initially gave Manning little or no information about the charges against him as he was taken from Iraq to a U.S. detention facility in Kuwait, he said.

Manning said he was confined to a structure he called a "cage" of eight feet square inside a tent. He suffered a breakdown about a month after his May 2010 arrest, and guards later found a noose in the cage. Manning had made the noose but failed to recall he had done so because he was so disoriented, he said.

"I remember thinking I'm going to die stuck here in this cage," Manning said. "I thought I was going to die in that cage. That's what I saw - an animal cage."

Upon being transferred to Quantico, Virginia, in July of 2010, Manning was placed in solitary confinement for up to 23 hours a day, on suicide watch with a guard checking on him every few minutes. He was often noticed playing peek-a-boo in the mirror.

"The most entertaining thing in there was the mirror. I spent quite a lot of time with the mirror," Manning said. When asked why, he said, "Just sheer, complete, out-of-my-mind boredom."

The private's testimony, which was set to continue into Friday when he would be cross-examined, came on the third day of a hearing at Fort Meade, Maryland, to determine whether his case should proceed to a full court-martial.

In the absence of a plea deal, Manning's case could go to trial, where he faces possible life imprisonment if he is convicted of all the security breach charges against him.

LINKS TO WIKILEAKS

Charges include stealing records belonging to the United States and wrongfully causing them to be published on the Internet and aiding enemies of the United States, identified by prosecutors as al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, an affiliate of the militant network founded by the late Osama bin Laden.

Prosecutors have alleged that Manning, without authorization while on intelligence duty, disclosed hundreds of thousands of U.S. diplomatic cables, military reports and video of a military helicopter attack in Iraq in which two Reuters journalists were killed.

WikiLeaks has never confirmed Manning was the source of any documents it released.

In pre-trial litigation, prosecutors have presented testimony legal experts say could be used to build a case Manning had been in email contact with Julian Assange, WikiLeaks' Australian-born founder.

Assange has spent nearly six months in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, where he sought refuge to avoid extradition to Sweden for questioning in a sexual molestation case.

Assange and his supporters have said the Swedish case against him could be part of a secret plot to have him shipped for trial to the United States and either executed or imprisoned at the U.S. detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

U.S. officials have denied those assertions. But they have acknowledged a federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, has been collecting evidence about WikiLeaks. U.S. officials have not ruled out criminal charges against Assange.

Earlier on Thursday, Assange played down reports that his health was declining after Ecuadorean officials said he was suffering from a chronic lung ailment.

(Writing by Dan Burns; Editing by Daniel Trotta and Eric Walsh)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-soldier-wikileaks-case-says-held-cage-001100259.html

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