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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/qqLvAw6lwg4/
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January 30, 2013 - 12:06 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - French troops have been deployed at the airport of the northern Malian town of Kidal, the last rebel stronghold in the north, a French officer and a local official told Reuters on Wednesday, January 30, the news agency reported.
"I can confirm it. They arrived late last night and they deployed in four planes and some helicopters," said Haminy Belco Maiga, president of the regional assembly of Kidal.
A French officer said operations were "ongoing" in Kidal, the last of northern Mali's major towns to be retaken by French forces after they reached Gao and Timbuktu earlier this week.
Source: http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/143494/
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Telephone/mobile
Internet
Protective clothing and Cleaning products for car washing
Clothes for work
Use of house as office
Sundries (not sure what would come under this?)
Are there standard amounts that one can claim?
Any other suggestions of allowable expenses?
(I have not included in the list costs of diesel, repairs etc as these amounts are easily ascertained).
Thanks,
Jan
Source: http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=285986
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Photo by Prashant Gupta/FX
In?Slate?s?Justified?TV Club, Rachael Larimore will IM each week with a different fan of the FX drama set in Harlan County, Ky. She dissects Episode 4 with Jenn Lyon, who plays Lindsey Salazar. Disclosure: While Lyon plays Raylan?s girlfriend on television, in real life she's the girlfriend of Slate video producer Taige Jensen.
Rachael Larimore: Jenn, thank you for chatting with me. It?s fitting to be discussing Justified with someone who is affectionately known around the Slate offices as "Raylan's hot bartender girlfriend," because tonight's episode might as well have been called "Ladies' Night." Lindsey and Ellen May were both in the spotlight. I have a million questions for you about Lindsey.
Jenn Lyon: You?re welcome, and thank you for having me.
Larimore: In the big story line, Lindsey has disappeared with Randall (and Raylan's money), and we catch up with them at the slimy fight promoter's house. Lindsey had a moment where she seemed to be there reluctantly. Randall gave you a big hug and you turned away, a little distracted or conflicted. What was going on with Lindsey's emotions?
Lyon: The script said: ?Lindsey smiles, allowing herself to be manhandled by way of affection. But her eyes are on the money and nowhere else.? It was clear to me that they wanted the ambiguity and the distance between these conflicted actions she?s taking. You see her at the party and just think she?s bad, but then she makes that phone call from the gas station: Is she leaving clues for Raylan to follow or just flying by the seat of her pants? The writers don?t say one way or the other.
Larimore: I definitely felt that ambiguousness. Even up to the end, when Lindsey shot Raylan with the bean-bag gun but then turned and shot Randall, too. What does Lindsey get out of this adventure, besides Randall's car, which admittedly is a pretty great car? I feel like she got her freedom?Randall won't be able to bother again.
Lyon: I know! She?s pretty inscrutable and I like that. As the lady playing her, I had to make decisions as to why she is doing what she is doing, but I probably won?t tell those. It?s more fun to wonder: Did she love him or is she even capable of that? Is she just a predatory creature or is it a mix of appetites within one person? I will, personally, always go with the last one because its more interesting and gives you an obstacle to play. But yeah, she escapes with her freedom for now because the money has already been turned into fowl.
Larimore: Inscrutability is a great trait for Lindsey, but geez, but I?m talking to Jenn! Can you tell us a little bit about your take on Lindsey?
Lyon: ?OK, OK! Maybe I'm being too precious about all that. For me, Lindsey was falling for Raylan and was working hard to live on the straight and narrow. She imagined being a good woman, the right woman for Raylan, but then her old life came for her, and she had to do what she had to do to escape it.
Larimore: Lindsey?s escape kind of hits that note. We think she?s being sweet and good, when she tells Raylan his money was in the van, and then he makes his way over to the van and finds the chickens! That was a great comic moment, by the way.
Lyon: Dude, the whole episode is so funny. I laughed a lot watching it: the scene where Ellen May is trying to tell Ava that she would never let it slip that she killed Delroy and people keep walking past, or when Shelby hangs up on Boyd while he?s still talking, or Randall and Raylan?s repartee, or Rachel and the chicken breeder.
Larimore: Justified's comedy is underrated. And the best moments are when the characters aren't supposed to be funny. Like Ellen May with Ava, and all the people walking by. I'm sure that nailing the comedy aspect is as hard or harder than the drama. What are some of the other challenges you?ve encountered playing Lindsey?
Lyon: One challenge was wearing so little clothing: It was my first time ever making out on camera or just standing there half-naked and that?s real vulnerable and strange. Oh, and kissing Timothy and Robert was also a hardship that I had to endure for art.
Larimore: My (cough, cough) sympathies to you on all that making out with ruggedly handsome actors.
Lyon: if my boyfriend is reading this: "It was awful. They reeked of Chipotle." (It was great!! They smelled like dreamboats!!)
Larimore: A lot of actors and actresses mention that all that staged making out is awkward/boring/uncomfortable, but I?m sure that doesn?t stop the folks at home from thinking it must be simply dreamy. How do you prepare for those scenes?
Lyon: I prepare for those scenes by listening to hardcore rap and furiously brushing my teeth, both of which give me a false sense of confidence.
Larimore: I'll file that advice away! What would fans of Justified be surprised to hear about from behind the scenes? What is the creative process like on set?
Lyon: The speed and virtuosity of every department is crazy. From sound to lighting to art direction to props to hair and makeup/wardrobe, everyone is so on the ball and ready to collaborate, not just tell you what to do, which I?m told is pretty rare. The writers are constantly revising: The script you have worked on and memorized the night before could be totally different by the time you get to set, or they could change it while you?re rehearsing the scene. Tim might say that it feels clunky or the director doesn?t feel the right information is getting across, so the writers take that and go into a trailer and in five minutes you have a completely new monologue or they have pared down and reversed the order of things. On Tuesday you can get a version of a scene that has an armed robbery and a hostage crisis, and by Thursday, it?s been turned into a sweet conversation and a standoff. So, everybody has to be on their toes and the speed with which the regulars on the show can adjust and memorize new material is astounding. ?
Larimore: The show comes across as so carefully done, especially the dialogue. On the one hand you can imagine it going through a lot of rewriting; on the other, it's something else to think that it has to be relearned so quickly.
Lyon:??It?s such a specific kind of dialogue, too, and these writers are brilliant at it.
Larimore: Justified loves having parallels between its story lines, I've noticed. And in this episode we saw Lindsey disappear, and in the other storyline, Ellen May disappeared at the gas station after she wised up to the fact that Colt wasn't taking her to the bus stop. Ellen May has always represented to me a kind of "innocence lost." We see Boyd with his crime-lording and Ava with her brothel, and you don't necessarily think about how their actions trickle down to the people in Harlan. But then there's sad little Ellen May, who is an addict and a prostitute, but who somehow hangs on to this sweet na?vet?.
Lyon: I love it when you talk about the parallels and when people appreciate the show for how layered and multifaceted it is. I?m fucking nuts for Ellen May, and the actress that plays her is so wonderful both on the show and off. She plays her with such a lack of guile but at the same time, she is a survivor and has scrapped her way to staying alive many times.
Larimore: What do you think made Ellen May wise up to Boyd and Ava's plan to kill her? And do you think she'll be OK?
Lyon: Ellen May may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but she is sensitive and observant, and when you have always been dependent on someone else for your survival, you watch them for signs of pleasure or disapproval or abandonment, not to mention she has been sober since the church stuff happened and that heightens her senses. I think she could tell by the way Ava was saying goodbye to her and the way Colt was treating her. It was all too good to be true.
Larimore:?I wasn't totally surprised to see her gone when Colt came out (He's turning into a real liability for Boyd, I think), but I was glad. I have a feeling will see her again. I wish I could say the same for Lindsey, but I suppose that is up to the writers, isn't it? They have left themselves some wiggle room.
Lyon: The writers say that if you don?t take a bullet you could always come back, so maybe Lindsey could figure in later, but Raylan needs to be a lone wolf, I think. I?m incredibly grateful to have gotten to work on it at all, so I don?t mind disappearing into the ether.
Larimore: That is something to look forward to. In the meantime, it?s time for us to escape. Thanks for chatting and for not taking $20,000 money from my sock drawer or shooting me with a bean-bag gun.
Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=ce81efbd05f5cf403c85cb9a54dc1276
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A dog and baby rock band? Encore!
On Sunday, the Facebook page ?My Pitbull Is Family? shared a photo of the cutest jam session we've ever seen.
Story continues after photo
?Chance and his family are ROCKIN on a Sunday morning,? the caption read.
The organization, which aims to correct the perception of pitbulls as vicious, received the photo from the family who runs the blog "Our Loving Pack," the founder told The Huffington Post.
The blog description reads:
Chance is the newest member to our pack who originally started out as a foster, but quickly turned into a foster fail. He has brought us so much [more] love, laughter and happiness into our hectic lives.
H/T: Reddit
Also on HuffPost:
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17 hrs.
Robert Frank , CNBC
As apartments go, it's a palace, with 15 rooms, five of which have 18th-floor views of Central Park. At $95 million, you'd think it would come with a doorman too. But at high-end buildings in New York, basics like a doorman and a super come extra -- as much as $60,000 extra.The high cost of Manhattan real-estate is usually measured by the sales price. But for many buyers, it's the maintenance fees that break the bank.
Monthly maintenance fees in Manhattan have soared to an average of $1.70 per square foot, meaning that a 1,200 square foot condo will cost you $2,000 a month in maintenance fees, on top of your mortgage, utilities and (usually) property taxes.
Maintenance fees have continued to climb throughout the recession even as prices dipped. Average maintenance fees have risen 30 percent since 2008, according to Jonathan Miller at Miller Samuel, the New York appraisal firm. That's more than twice the rate of overall inflation.
More from CNBC: In the Hamptons, 'The deals are gone'
The increase has been driven mostly by higher costs of building insurance, underlying mortgages, fuel and building staff, like doormen and supers.
But Miller said high maintenance fees can derail a deal or cause even wealthy buyers to sell if the fees get too high.
He said that some of the newer developments that came with high prices and high maintenance fees were forced to reduce their prices when buyers balked at the high monthly payments.
"There was an assumption during the boom that the wealthy didn't care about maintenance and you could saddle an apartment with high fees and not have an impact," he said. "That turned out not to be true. There is an inverse relationship between carrying costs and market value."
Still, some rare apartments have both sky-high prices tags and high maintenance fees. The 18th floor of the Sherry-Netherland, currently on the market for $95 million, has monthly maintenance fees of $60,000.?
More from CNBC: America's Most Expensive Homes
The apartment is part of the hotel, so the fees include twice-daily maid service, spa services and other ultra-plush amenities.?
But the apartment is proof that some of New York's wealthy are still willing to pay more in monthly maintenance fees than some Americans pay for their house. We'll see, of course, whether the apartment sells at its price.
Watch CNBC's exclusive access to the "Secret Lives of the Super Rich: Mega-Homes." Premieres Jan. 28th, 9ET
? 2013 CNBC LLC. All Rights Reserved
Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/nyc-apartments-price-tag-95m-60k-monthly-fees-1C8133668
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As expected, the Senate passed a $50.5 billion aid package on Monday evening to help rebuild areas affected by Hurricane Sandy. With the $9.7 billion increase in national flood insurance that was passed earlier this month, Sandy victims now have $60.2 billion coming to their rescue. But who exactly gets all that money? And when?
RELATED: The Big Sandy Relief Bill is Almost Here ? Finally
Well, the next stop for the Sandy relief bill itself is obviously the president's desk. Obama is expected to sign it and will probably do so with a coy grin, since he literally got over 99 percent of what he asked for. (Obama's original budget request called for $60.4 billion in aid, which is only slightly more than the $60.2 billion in aid that Congress ended up passing.) But after the ink dries, things get a little complicated.
RELATED: The Most Unbelievable but Real Pictures of Sandy's Destruction
The Sandy Aid package must be divvied up between the completely devastated communities in coastal areas of New Jersey and New York, not to mention the less devastated parts of states like Maryland, Delaware and Connecticut. From a big picture perspective, some $50 billion will go towards disaster relief, while the remainder of the money will go towards mitigation -- that is, reducing the risk of a disaster like this happening again. Think infrastructure improvements, rather than an ultra powerful weather machine built by a mad scientist. Now because the original Obama proposal went through both the media's and the Republicans' gauntlet, some got the impression that the bill was "stuffed with pork." That was, however, not the case, and the final breakdown of aid dollars doesn't look too different from Obama's original breakdown.
RELATED: Another Bookstore Falls Victim to Sandy; New York Library Waives Overdue Fines
Based on the original breakdown, everyone from the New York City subway system to coastal New Jersey residents to the Statue of Liberty will receive relief aid. That $50 billion figure will be divided up between both national and local programs. Included is the $9.7 billion increase in National Flood Insurance which will go, in part, to help rebuild homes. Funds with similarly broad missions will receive the other major chunks. FEMA Disaster Relief Fund gets about $11 billion, and the Community Development Block Grant gets $15 billion. The various transportation agencies -- the MTA, Port Authority, NJTransit and NYC DoT, Amtrak -- get about $6.5 billion, while the Army Corp of Engineers gets $1.5 billion. Smaller sums will be awarded to?Health and Human Services, the National Parks Service, US DOT, Amtrak, Veterans Affairs and the Small Business Administration.
RELATED: Man vs. South African Penguins; Scientists Don't Like Jersey Shore's Fake Beaches
Mitigation spending is a bit simpler. The Federal Transit Administration takes the lion's share of the $13 million set aside for disaster prevention. The Army Corps of Engineers and Community Development Block Grant get $3.8 and $2 billion, respectively. The remaining $1.6 billion will be split up between the top federal environmental organizations, like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the?National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). If anybody has an ultra powerful weather machine built by a mad scientist, by the way, it's these guys.
RELATED: The Death of a Drugged Pony, a Mayorless Town, and 2013 in Culture
It's unclear exactly who will get how much money when, but let's put it this way. The victims of Hurricane Sandy have already waited three months for help from the federal government. What harm is a few more weeks going to do?
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/where-does-sandy-aid-012827081.html
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TOKYO (Reuters) - Support for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government rose by 4.7 percentage points to two-thirds of voters in the month since his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) returned to power, a poll by the Kyodo news agency showed on Sunday.
The poll, conducted on Saturday and Sunday, showed that support for the government rose to 66.7 percent, an apparent sign of approval for his efforts to boost the economy with a mix of easy monetary policy and fiscal spending.
The rise came after the Bank of Japan announced on Tuesday its most determined effort yet to end years of economic stagnation, saying it would switch to an open-ended commitment to buying assets next year and double its inflation target to 2 percent under pressure from Abe.
Ahead of an election to the upper house in summer, 37.2 percent of respondents said they would vote for the LDP, followed by 12.1 percent for the nationalist Japan Restoration Party (JRP) led by a former Tokyo governor. The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), ousted in last month's lower house election, stood at 8.8 percent.
The poll showed 62.0 percent supporting the Bank of Japan's 2 percent inflation target and 63.3 percent backing the government's handling of the Algeria hostage crisis, in which 10 Japanese nationals were killed.
Abe has made clear he hopes to become Japan's first long-term leader since Junichiro Koizumi's rare 2001-2006 term. The country was led by five different prime ministers in the five years up to the defeat last month of the DPJ's Yoshihiko Noda.
(Reporting by Osamu Tsukimori and Linda Sieg; Editing by Ron Popeski)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/support-japans-abe-government-rises-two-thirds-poll-105600616--business.html
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New Source: JusticeNewsFlash.com
01/23/2013 // WPB, FL, USA // Injury Lawyers News // Nicole Howley // (press release)
New York, NY ? Hy Cite Enterprises LLC and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) have announced a voluntary product recall on January 17, 2013, involving 1.7 million Royal Prestige 9-Ply Thermal Wall Cookware, the CPSC reported.
The cookware was recalled after discovering that it can collapse, crimp or severely deform when exposed to heat, which poses a burn and fire hazard to consumers.
The CPSC reported that this recall involves stainless steel 9-ply ?Thermal Wall? pans sold under the ?Royal Prestige? brand name. The products were sold individually and in sets. The following cookware is included in this recall:
? 1.5 qt. saucepan
? 2 qt. saucepan
? 3 qt. Dutch oven
? 4 qt. Dutch oven
? 6 qt. Dutch oven
? 8 qt. Dutch oven
? 8? skillet
? 10.5? skillet
? 10? paella pan
? 14? paella pan
Consumers are advised to contact Hy Cite for instruction for sending the cookware to the firm for repair. All damaged pots and pans will be replaced.
For more information concerning the product recall, consumers can contact Hy Cite Enterprises at (800) 609-9577 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. CT Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT on Fridays, and 8 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. CT on Saturdays or at www.royalprestige.com or www.hycite.com and go to the Recall Information link.
Legal News Reporter: Nicole Howley-Legal news for product liability lawyers.
Media Information:
Address:
Phone: 561-247-1646
Url: West Palm Beach Personal Injury Lawyer News News Source: JusticeNewsFlash.com - Press Release Distribution
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As I sat through the movie "Zero Dark Thirty," I shut my eyes in some of the "interrogation" scenes and reflected on the debate surrounding the movie. Some have said the movie shows torture did help in finding Osama bin Laden. Others have said the film reveals that torture really wasn't instrumental in tracking him down. To quote Hillary Clinton (on another topic), does it really matter???
Torture has no place in a civilized society. No matter the success or means to achieve a good end, torture (or as some leaders referred to it, enhanced interrogation techniques) reflects our darkest impulses and pulls all of us in this democracy to a dark place.
Would we as a society tolerate this kind of torture of our own citizens? I think not. Do we really deep down find that this behavior makes us a better people? I sure hope not. As I watched other folks in the theater in downtown Austin turn away at the water boarding and other torture techniques, I thought to myself if we have to turn away watching a movie then doesn't that really tell us that this is wrong, no matter all the rationalization about it helping to save lives and track terrorists.
READ: 'Zero Dark Thirty': Bin Laden Manhunt Film Based on Controversial Firsthand Accounts: 'Nightline' Exclusive
I also thought about my son who served in the army for five years who speaks Arabic and actually looks a good bit like the main terrorist character (when he hasn't shaved for a bit) who was tortured through most of the first half of the movie. It turned my stomach to think of my son tied up like that or treated like that by some tribal group in Iraq (where he was deployed for nearly a year and a half) who might think he was the aggressor in their country.
Putting my son in that terrorist's place just for a moment actually opened a truth for me. If we believe as underlined in the movie "Lincoln" and in President Obama's Inaugural Address, that it is a self-evident truth that "all men are created equal," then how can we as a free compassionate "Christian" nation allow this to go on. Does "all men" just stop at our shores? Does it stop when some person or group does something horrendous to us? It is not in the niceties that our values are tested, but when something horrible and awful and undeserved happens that we truly know who we are.
READ: Kathryn Bigelow Answers Critics on Torture
The debate surrounding "Zero Dark Thirty" shouldn't be about whether the means of torture actually helped in achieving the good end of tracking down bin Laden. It should really be about whether any good ends justify use of means we would never accept or tolerate on our citizens. In the end, it is the means with which we live life or the means in which our society and leaders act, that will determine what we will end up like in this great journey of life.
READ: 'Zero Dark Thirty' Director: Torture 'Reprehensible'
I am not arguing that we don't have a right to defend ourselves and fight back when innocents are threatened. I come from a large Irish Catholic family in Detroit who deeply believes in protecting each other and the vulnerable in our society. In fact, I have one brother who retired from the Coast Guard and one who served in the Marines, as well as my son who enlisted on his own as a 19-year-old.
I am just saying that if for a moment you closed your eyes in the awful torture scenes and put your son or daughter in the place of that terrorist or a brother or sister or a niece or nephew, would you think those were acceptable techniques to extract information. I believe we as a people are better than that, and if we really believe that "whatever you do to the least of my brethren, you do unto Me," then we deep down know the answer. Civil liberty and decency and justice are meant for all men and women. And each person in the world is our sister and brother or son and daughter.
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Mohammed Nouhan / AP
Families and supporters of those accused of soccer violence from the Port Said soccer club react to the announcement of death sentences for 21 fans.
By Yusri Mohamed and Yasmine Saleh, Reuters
PORT SAID/CAIRO - At least 30 people were killed on Saturday when Egyptians rampaged in protest at the sentencing of 21 people to death over a soccer stadium disaster, violence that compounds a political crisis facing Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.
Armored vehicles and military police fanned through the streets of Port Said, where gunshots rang out and protesters burned tires in anger that people from their city had been blamed for stadium deaths last year.
The rioting in Port Said, one of the most deadly spasms of violence since Hosni Mubarak's ouster two years ago, followed a day of anti-Morsi demonstrations on Friday, when nine people were killed. The toll over the past two days stands at 39.
The flare-ups make it even tougher for Morsi, who drew fire last year for expanding his powers and pushing through an Islamist-tinged constitution, to fix the creaking economy and to cool tempers enough to ensure a smooth parliamentary election.
That vote is expected in the next few months and is meant to cement a democratic transition that has been blighted from the outset by political rows and street clashes.
Amr Abdallah Dalsh / Reuters
Al Ahly fans, also known as "Ultras", celebrate and shout slogans in front of the Al Ahly club after hearing the final verdict of the 2012 Port Said massacre in Cairo Saturday.
The National Defense Council, led by Morsi and which includes the defense minister who commands the army, called for "a broad national dialogue that would be attended by independent national characters" to discuss political differences and ensure a "fair and transparent" parliamentary poll.
The statement was made on state television by Information Minister Salah Abdel Maqsoud, who is also on the council.
The National Salvation Front of liberal-minded groups and other opponents cautiously welcomed the call but demanded any such dialogue have a clear agenda and guarantees that any deal would be implemented, spokesman Khaled Dawoud told Reuters.
The Front spurned previous calls for dialogue, saying Morsi ignored voices beyond his Islamist allies. The Front earlier on Saturday threatened an election boycott and to call for more protests on Friday if demands were not met.
Its demands included picking a national unity government to restore order and holding an early presidential poll.
Threats of violence
The political statements followed clashes in Port Said that erupted after a judge issued a verdict sentencing 21 men to die for involvement in the deaths of 74 people after a local soccer match on February 1, 2012, many of them fans of the visiting team.
Visiting fans had threatened violence if the court had not meted out the death penalty. They cheered outside their Cairo club when the verdict was announced. But in Port Said, residents were furious that people from their city were held responsible.
Protesters ran wildly through the streets of Mediterranean port, lighting tires in the street and storming two police stations, witnesses said. Gunshots were reported near the prison where most of the defendants were being held.
A director for Port Said hospitals told state television that 30 people had been killed, many as a result of gunshot wounds. He also said the more than 300 had been wounded.
Inside the court, families of victims danced, applauded and some broke down in tears of joy when they heard Judge Sobhy Abdel Maguid declare that the 21 men would be "referred to the Mufti", a phrase used to denote execution, as all death sentences must be reviewed by Egypt's top religious authority.
There were 73 defendants on trial. Only a handful appeared in court in Cairo. Those not sentenced on Saturday would face a verdict on March 9, the judge said.
At the Port Said soccer stadium a year ago, many spectators were crushed and witnesses saw some thrown off balconies after the match between Cairo's Al Ahly and local team al-Masri. Al Ahly fans accused the police of being complicit in the deaths.
The fans, who call themselves "Ultras Ahlawy", said Saturday's ruling started the process of retribution, and hoped the rest would face the same fate when verdicts are issued on March 9.
Among those killed on Saturday was a former player for al-Masri and a soccer player in another Port Said team, the website of the state broadcaster reported.
Teargas rains down
On Friday, protesters angry at Morsi's rule had taken to the streets for the second anniversary of the uprising that erupted on January 25, 2011 and which brought Mubarak down 18 days later.
Police fired teargas and protesters hurled stones and petrol bombs. Nine people were killed, mainly in the port city of Suez, and hundreds more were injured across the nation.
On Saturday, some protesters again clashed with police. In the capital, youths pelted police lines with rocks near Tahrir Square. In Suez, police fired teargas where protesters angry at Friday's deaths hurled petrol bombs and stormed a police post.
"We want to change the president and the government. We are tired of this regime. Nothing has changed," said Mahmoud Suleiman, 22, in Cairo's Tahrir Square, the cauldron of the 2011 anti-Mubarak revolt and near where youths again stoned police.
Port Said, Ismailia and Suez, which have witnessed some of the worst violence in the past two days, lie on the Suez Canal but a canal official said there was no disruption to shipping through the waterway vital to international trade.
Morsi's opponents say he has failed to deliver on economic pledges or to be a president representing the full political and communal diversity of Egyptians, as he promised.
"Egypt will not regain its balance except by a political solution that is transparent and credible, by a government of national salvation to restore order and heal the economy and with a constitution for all Egyptians," prominent opposition politician Mohamed ElBaradei wrote on his Twitter account.
Morsi's supporters say the opposition does not respect the democracy that has given Egypt its first freely elected leader.
The Muslim Brotherhood, which propelled Morsi to office, said in a statement that "corrupt people" and media who were biased against the president had stirred up fury on the streets.
The political schism between Islamists and secular Egyptians and frequent bouts of violence have hurt Morsi's efforts to revive an economy in crisis as investors and tourists have stayed away, taking a heavy toll on Egypt's currency.
Mustapha Kamal Al-Sayyid, a professor of political science at Cairo University, said the latest violence reflected the frustration of many liberal-minded Egyptians and others.
"The state of polarization between Islamists and others is most likely to continue and will have a very negative impact on the state's politics, security and economy," he said.
Related:
Egypt court sentences 21 to death for stadium disaster
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FACE TO FACE: Scorpio Books owner Dave Cameron says customers still prefer to buy books at the Riccarton store rather than online
Many quake-displaced Christchurch retailers turned to online sales, took their first foray into Facebook or at the very least beefed up their company websites as a way to keep their businesses alive after the February 2011 quake.
But many also found online selling was no silver bullet.
A new survey of 11,000 people in 11 countries by PricewaterhouseCoopers reveals why.
The report debunks what it calls the 10 myths of multichannel retailing, which include beliefs that social media will soon be an indispensable retail channel, online retail is cannibalising sales in other channels, and physical stores will become simply showrooms in the future.
In fact, social media is not likely to become an important retail channel any time soon, the survey shows.
Seven out of 10 respondents said they never shopped through social media platforms, although nearly 40 per cent of respondents were following their favourite brands or retailers online, up from 33 per cent last year, as brand lovers were using social media as a "warmup" for future online or physical store shopping excursions.
Nick Paulsen, owner of clothing boutique Clash, said the business used social media mainly to develop the brand and personality of the business but it did not equate to sales.
Clash's Facebook page has 1249 "likes" and is focused on personality and style, music and trends.
"Sometimes we post pics [of new products] but we are not putting price points on there.
"I really want to develop a high level of customer service.
"I believe interaction between customers and retail staff members is so important.
A Facebook community took time to grow and was not a quick fix, Paulsen said.
Social media had limited impact on sales so far. "It's not as reactive as people think."
According to the report, other myths are that physical stores will become mainly showrooms in the future, and online sales are cannibalising sales in other channels.
In fact, respondents said although they researched online, they still preferred to buy products at a physical store.
And shoppers were spending more with their favourite multichannel retailers, not just shifting some purchases to a different brand.
For example, 23 per cent of respondents surveyed said they researched consumer electronics online and then went to a store to buy the product, compared with only 2 per cent who did it the other way around.
Clash does not sell items online.
"To me, online shopping is a real trend.
"I believe people want that interaction with a staff member on the shop floor.
"Online shopping doesn't give you that."
Christchurch bookstore Scorpio is holding its own against online competitors.
Scorpio Books co-owner David Cameron said most sales still came from traditional sales at its physical stores.
Scorpio Books has a website and online sales capacity but online sales were only a small part of the business, Cameron said.
"We do have a Facebook page and we put some quirky stuff up there and we get some favourable responses.
"But it is still not a great marketing tool.
"Despite all the hype about new technology, there is still strong demand for a range of titles that people can come and inspect at their leisure."
Cameron said he expected the trend of online sales would continue to grow but for now online sales were a "relatively tiny" part of overall sales.
After the February 2011 earthquake he had thought the company might have to push online sales but once the business established itself in Riccarton, it had not been necessary.
"The bricks-and-mortar sales have kept up with what we were doing in town, which was a good surprise."
Savoir Lingerie and Swimwear owner Kirsten Billcliff does not place much faith in selling online or using social media to drive sales.
Billcliff said the Merivale swimwear and lingerie boutique used its website to provide customers with information but did not offer online sales because it wanted to maintain relationships with customers.
"We do have Twitter and Facebook. Twitter I barely use at all, and Facebook I use . . . as a medium to keep customers up to date with the latest arrivals in stock," Billcliff said.
"It's about having a relationship with a retailer.
"And specifically, lingerie - it is one of those particular purchases that can't effectively be done online.
"A lot of women are left fairly dissatisfied with online purchases."
Facebook was great for things like getting information out quickly but the business did not "push it".
"We work on the basis our customers are busy, intelligent people. We don't consider our business the be-all and end-all in anybody's life.
"People don't need to spend more time sat at a computer."
Since the earthquakes, customers were doing a lot more pre-purchase research on Savoir's website before coming into the store, because it was harder to get around town since the earthquakes.
Billcliff had improved Savoir's website gallery so customers could have a look online and then come into the store.
However, other Christchurch retailers are reporting strong growth in online sales, include gift and homewares retailer Redcurrent, fashion retailer Lynn Woods and larger companies such as outdoor gear retailer Kathmandu, department store chain Smiths City and clothing retailer Hallenstein Glasson.
And for Christchurch confectionery business The Fudge Cottage, online sales are growing and are likely to be a major part of the business's revenue stream before too long.
The Fudge Cottage managing director Kevin Burns said that after the business was forced to leave its central Arts Centre premises and move to the Bishopdale Mall, the business had become a bit isolated from its central-city customers.
To "fill the gap" created by less foot traffic in between special occasions and seasonal events, and to reconnect with former customers, Burns invested in a responsive, shopper-friendly website designed by Christchurch web design company LeftClick.
Internet orders are already about 10 per cent of total sales, and the business is looking to grow that.
It has a wide network of customers overseas and elsewhere in New Zealand and it has just had its first direct order from Australia.
MULTICHANNEL RETAILING MYTHS OF MULTICHANNEL RETAILING:
? Social media will soon become an indispensable retail channel. On its own, social media isn't likely to become an important retail channel any time soon.
? Physical stores will become mainly showrooms in the future. Many multichannel shoppers research online, but more still prefer to buy at a physical store.
? The tablet will soon overtake the PC as the preferred online shopping device. Shoppers are still overwhelmingly using their PCs to shop online.
? As the world gets smaller, global consumers are becoming more alike. A wide range of local differences in consumer behaviours exists.
? China is the future model of online retail. China is leading in some key trends, but its multichannel and online model is unique.
? Domestic retailers will always have a "home field" advantage over global retailers.. Foreign retailers are making inroads into consumers' lists of favourite multichannel retailers.
? Global online players such as Amazon and eBay will always have a scale advantage over local online players. Many domestic pure players are holding their own.
? Retailers are better positioned than brands because they are closest to the customer. Consumers are shopping directly from manufacturers and many no longer distinguish between retailers and favourite brands.
? Online retail is cannibalising sales in other channels. Consumers are actually spending more with their favourite multichannel retailers, not just shifting some purchases to a different channel.
? Low price is the main driver of customer spending at favourite retailers.Customers value quality, innovative brands over price.
Source: PricewaterhouseCoopers
- ? Fairfax NZ News
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/8229759/Physical-stores-hold-own-against-online-sales
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Discuss Mexican black bean soup at the Food and Drink within the DigitalWorldz - Satellite, Cable, Console Forums; The blacks bean soup is a Mexican dish, very tasty and filling for the presence not only of vegetables, but also bacon that makes it really appetizing.
This bean soup is usually served with flour ...
The blacks bean soup is a Mexican dish, very tasty and filling for the presence not only of vegetables, but also bacon that makes it really appetizing.
This bean soup is usually served with flour tortillas, white bread and you can enjoy along with the bean soup.Ingredients
300 gr dried beans blacks
Bacon 150 gr
Chicken broth 1 lt
Red tomatoes 150 gr
2 cloves garlic
1 fresh chilli spicy
onions 1
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 bay leaves
Ground black pepper to taste
Salt as you like
Cinnamon 1 pinchMethod
Soak the beans blacks for 12 hours in cold water (do this in the evening prior to the preparation and let it soak overnight).
Rinse the beans and drain. Put in a pan with oil, pepper (whole or cut), onion and garlic, the whole piece of bacon and bay leaf,
saut? on low heat and then add the tomato cut into cubes , cinnamon, and ultimately blacks beans.
Add the chicken broth and cook for about 45 minutes over low heat, cover the pan with a lid, leaving a small vent. Once cooked beans, season with salt and pepper and serve the Mexican blacks bean soup accompanying it with white flour tortillas.For the tortillas I will post a new recipe for making it..
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Mexican black bean soup - Food and Drink - DigitalWorldz - Satellite, Cable, Console Forums;
The blacks bean soup is a Mexican dish, very tasty and filling for the presence not only of vegetables, but also bacon that makes it really appetizing.
This bean soup is usually served with flour tortillas, white bread and you can enjoy along with the bean soup.
Ingredients
300 gr dried beans blacks
Bacon 150 gr
Chicken broth 1 lt
Red tomatoes 150 gr
2 cloves garlic
1 fresh chilli spicy
onions 1
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 bay leaves
Ground black pepper to taste
Salt as you like
Cinnamon ...
Source: http://www.digitalworldz.co.uk/298879-mexican-black-bean-soup.html
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FRANKFURT (Reuters) - European Central Bank Executive Board member Joerg Asmussen called for international cooperation to address the current debate about competitive currency devaluation, saying central banks are not the ones to solve structural problems.
Policymakers in advanced countries, particularly Japan and the United States, have been acting aggressively to reflate their economies, which has the effect of weakening their currencies.
Central bankers and politicians have warned against the risk of competitive devaluations and Asmussen said the issue was best tackled in international groupings.
"We have well-established fora of economic governance like the G7 or the G20 and we should use them," he told the Sunday edition of Greek newspaper Kathimerini in an interview.
"We should not fall back to a situation where everyone is looking after his own interests," Asmussen said, adding that when the underlying problems were structural, asking the central bank to do more would not help.
"The mere appearance of political dominance threatens to undermine market confidence," he said.
Asmussen said he was "clearly against" a higher inflation target for the ECB, because merely debating one could upset inflation expectations. The bank has a mandate to pursue price stability, defined as an inflation rate of just below 2 percent.
He said there was no room for complacency, even though the ECB's new bond purchase program, which he called a game-changer, has taken some of the heat out of the euro zone crisis.
"The biggest risk this year for the euro area is doing nothing. The reduction of the pressure that came from elevated spreads may lead to complacency regarding reforms. This would be wrong. This is a year to show perseverance, to stay the course, in all member-countries," Asmussen said.
He said Greece was in the final stretch of its fiscal adjustment and could cut debt to sustainable levels without further debt relief if it carried out reforms prescribed by foreign lenders.
"The marathon was invented in Greece. As a country, you have now been through two-thirds of it, but everyone knows the last third is the hardest part," Asmussen said.
(Reporting by Eva Kuehnen in Frankfurt and Renee Maltezou in Athens; editing by Mark Trevelyan)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ecbs-asmussen-warns-against-unilateral-forex-moves-203417029--business.html
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BP New York and New Jersey station owners have launched a fundraising campaign in support of four local Paralympic Sport Clubs by selling window clings for $1 at participating BP stations that began January 14th and will continue through February 28, 2013. The proceeds will help fund new equipment, participant outreach, training for coaches and competitive athlete scholarships, to further the Paralympic Sport Clubs? mission of providing competitive and recreational sports opportunities for individuals with physical and visual disabilities.
While the focus of the Paralympic Sport Clubs is on providing opportunities to be physically fit and active, individuals who have the interest and skills to pursue sport at a higher competitive level are also supported by the Paralympic Sport Clubs. One such athlete is 18-year-old Raymond Martin, a Paralympian who won four gold medals in track and field at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. Martin, a product of the North Jersey Navigators Paralympic Sport Club, was named 2012 Paralympic Sportsman of the Year by the U.S. Olympic Committee and nominated for ESPN?s Athlete with a Disability of the Year ESPY. Martin is dedicated to helping raise awareness for the Paralympic Sport Clubs that helped him succeed.
While 80 percent of the U.S. Olympic Committee?s network of Paralympic Sport Clubs reported an increase in program recruitment and participation during the past year, the majority of them face funding challenges. Of the 186 Paralympic Sport Clubs in the U.S., 60 percent of them operate on a total budget of less than $150,000.
All proceeds from the window clings being sold at participating BP stations will go to four local Paralympic Sport Clubs at the following locations:
We got a chance to ask Ray a few questions about his involvement with the BP Team USA fundraiser and his experiences in London.? Our Q&A follows.
What was it like traveling to and competing in London?
Being at the London Games was a breathtaking experience. From the village to the stadium I was just always happy and excited to be at the Games. This was actually my first Games and I won Gold in all four of my races. Being at the Games was just a humbling experience. Not every athlete that aspires to go to the Games can get there, and I remind myself every day that the London Games could easily be my last. I appreciated every minute I was in London and soaked in the entire elite athlete experience. I will never forget the 2012 London Paralympic Games.
Are you already planning for 2016?s Paralympics in Rio?
Rio is definitely on my list of goals to accomplish in the next few years. London was my first Games and it would be a shame to stop there. In the same capacity, a lot can change in sport in the span of four years. But as of now, I will continue my Paralympic career and shoot for the Games in Rio.
How is your first year of college going?
My first year at the University of Illinois is going surprisingly well. After missing two weeks of class because of London, I bounced back and achieved a 3.15 GPA for the semester. I just started my spring semester and I have a little more on my plate in terms of credit hours. Knowing I would struggle coming back from the Games, I opted to take only 13 credit hours. To stay on the four year plan (graduate in four years), I decided to take on a 17 credit work load this semester. I?m really excited to tackle my second semester and hope to do even better than the fall.
Can you elaborate on what made you interested in kinesiology and becoming an occupational therapist?
I?ve been an athlete my entire life. I started athletics when I was five-years old and I?ve stuck with it 14 years later. To some extent, the interest in kinesiology was embedded into me because of my athletic career. Recently I?ve been really interested in the science behind sport such as the biomechanics of the human body. On top of that, I can use the knowledge I will learn about biomechanics and bioenergetics to further improve my athletic ability. I decided I wanted to become an occupation therapist because I knew I wanted to give back to those who are injured or who have a disability.
What?s your favorite thing about New Jersey and is there anything you miss now that you?ve been living in Illinois?
My favorite thing about New Jersey is the whole environment. I was born and raised in Jersey City which is rich in ethnic diversity and has a real ?city? feel to it. One thing I genuinely miss after being out here is the quality food there is in Jersey. I never realized how spoiled I was with how good the pizza, bagels, and even bread is. Sure, there is Chicago deep dish pizza, but after growing up in Jersey, I will never fully enjoy the pizza here like I did in Jersey.
How did New Jersey help you become a world-class athlete?
The North Jersey Navigators allowed me the opportunity to train regularly and ultimately provided me with the guidance I needed to help me succeed at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. I trained at their facilities to prepare for the Paralympics and really value all of the coaches and staff who helped me develop into the athlete and person I am today.
How did you get involved with BP and their fundraising campaign for NY/NJ Paralympic Sports Clubs?
BP is a partner of Team USA, which I?m a member of, and when they approached me with an opportunity to help give back to the Paralympic Sport Clubs that helped mold me into the athlete and person I am today, I was extremely excited to help out. BP stations in New York City, Long Island and northern and central New Jersey are selling $1 window clings from now until February 28. It?s a simple way to show your support for Paralympic Sport Clubs in the area.
How are you hoping to inspire future Paralympians?
I hope to give Paralympians the same opportunity that I had with the North Jersey Navigators. Paralympic Sport Clubs rely on limited resources to try and keep up with the growing number of participants. There are more than 21 million Americans with physical and visual disabilities and it?s important for them to know the opportunities they have with Paralympic Sport Clubs and so everyone understands the benefits they provide and why they should help BP donate to them. Additionally, if awareness for Paralympic athletes and the programs that support them increases so will interest for future Paralympic Games.
Ray is one reason we can be proud of New Jersey and the greatness that?s coming out of the Paralympics Sport Clubs.? So, make sure you stop in a nearby BP and get your window cling to support more athletes!
Copyright, You Don?t Know Jersey, LLC (2010-2013)
Tags: 2012 London, Interview, Jersey City, Paralympics, Ray Martin, Raymond Martin, track and field
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JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa has called out the police to join the hunt for as many as 10,000 crocodiles on the loose after escaping from a farm during floods and being washed into one of southern Africa's biggest rivers, officials said on Friday.
Crocodile farmers, locals and police have trapped thousands of the reptiles, using plastic bands to tie their legs behind their backs and then piling them into pick-up trucks.
The flood gates at the Rakwena Crocodile Farm close to the Botswana and Zimbabwe borders were opened on Sunday because it was feared that rising flood waters would crush the reptiles, releasing some 15,000 crocodiles into the Limpopo River.
"At night time we have more success. It is much easier to see them," Zane Langman, whose in-laws own the farm, told news channel ENCA.
Most of the crocodiles are less then two meters (78 inches) long. The area is home to several farms that supply crocodile skins to the fashion industry.
"We are working as a team with the stakeholders," police spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said on Friday. There have been no reports of injuries caused by the escaped reptiles.
Police in Zimbabwe, on the other side of the Limpopo, also issued warnings to people to avoid going into the water because of the crocodile threat.
Heavy rains and flooding have claimed at least 20 lives in Mozambique and South Africa and led to the evacuations of thousands.
(Reporting by Peroshni Govender, Jon Herskovitz and Nelson Banya, editing by Paul Casciato)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/south-africa-police-join-hunt-10-000-escaped-103139618.html
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? A daily summary of global reports on security issues.
North Korea today issued yet another verbal volley in response to the United Nations? condemnation of the launching of a satellite late last year, this time directing its threats at South Korea.
Pyongyang?s sharp words have exasperated the international community ? even China, its most critical ally, which voiced its frustration in an editorial today after backing punitive UN measures against the North earlier this week.
Pyongyang warned Seoul that if it signed on to the series of fresh international sanctions against the North, it would retaliate.
"Sanctions mean a war and a declaration of war against us,? the North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea said today, according to Reuters. "If the puppet group of traitors takes a direct part in the UN 'sanctions,' the DPRK will take strong physical counter-measures against it.?
RECOMMENDED: Kim 101: How well do you know North Korea's leaders?
Earlier this week, the UN Security Council members unanimously condemned Pyongyang?s rocket launch in December and expanded current sanctions. The US followed up with sanctions of its own yesterday, prompting North Korea to threaten additional rocket launches and nuclear tests against the US, its ?sworn enemy.?
Whether there is any substance to these threats is unclear. As The Wall Street Journal notes, ?North Korea often threatens the South with attack without following through with action.?
But South Korean defense ministry officials said this week that they believe the North could follow through with its threat to detonate a nuclear explosive at any time, and US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said that even if there are no signs that a test is forthcoming, "They have the capability, frankly, to conduct these tests in a way that make it very difficult to determine whether or not they are doing it,? according to The Wall Street Journal.
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The Christian Science Monitor?s Peter Grier writes that US officials seem torn over how seriously to take the North?s threats. Mr. Panetta said earlier this month, referring to a North Korean satellite launch in December, that ?North Korea just fired a missile. It?s an intercontinental ballistic missile, for God sakes. That means they have the capability to strike the United States.? His predecessor, Secretary Robert Gates, warned the North could reach the US with a missile by 2015 or 2016.
But, Mr. Grier also writes, ?North Korean officials have long talked with bellicosity unmatched in geostrategic circles.?
Some say that when it comes to their nuclear missile programs, this chest thumping is largely a bluff ? pro wrestling drama translated for an international stage.
Their past missile tests have been maximized to give the appearance of performance, and they have never exploded an actual nuclear warhead design, according to RAND analyst Markus Schiller.
Thus concerns about their missile tests are overblown, wrote Mr. Schiller in a lengthy 2012 report on North Korea?s missile programs.
?Every launch further depletes the limited North Korean arsenals, and North Korea gains no real experience from these events. Since the purpose of the launches seems to be political, the United States and other nations should downplay or even ignore them,? he writes.
China, Pyongyang?s biggest trading partner and most critical ally, has appointed itself the unofficial mediator between the North and the international community. In an editorial, the Global Times asserts that China cannot take sides, nor will it ?stay aloof? from the dispute between the North and South and its international backers.
But in the editorial, Beijing voiced exasperation with Pyongyang?s recalcitrance and provocative actions.
It seems that North Korea does not appreciate China's efforts. It criticized China without explicitly naming it in its statement yesterday: "Those big countries, which are obliged to take the lead in building a fair world order, are abandoning without hesitation even elementary principles, under the influence of the US' arbitrary and high-handed practices, and failing to come to their senses."
?
China's role and position are clear when discussing North Korea issue in the UN Security Council. If North Korea engages in further nuclear tests, China will not hesitate to reduce its assistance to North Korea. If the US, Japan and South Korea promote extreme UN sanctions on North Korea, China will resolutely stop them and force them to amend these draft resolutions.
Just let North Korea be "angry." We can't sit by and do nothing just because we are worried it might impact the Sino-North Korean relationship. Just let the US, Japan and South Korea grumble about China. We have no obligation to soothe their feelings.
RECOMMENDED: Kim 101: How well do you know North Korea's leaders?
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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/threatening-us-north-korea-turns-ire-south-korea-140900935.html
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