Tuesday, July 30, 2013

India to announce steps to narrow current account deficit: Rajan


NEW DELHI | Tue Jul 30, 2013 3:19pm IST

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India will announce measures to help narrow the current account deficit in the next few weeks, including looking at ways of bringing in foreign investments, Chief Economic Adviser Raghuram Rajan said at a news briefing on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, the RBI left interest rates unchanged as it supports a battered rupee but said it will roll back recent liquidity tightening measures when stability returns to the currency market.

India posted a record current account deficit of 4.8 percent of gross domestic product in the year ended in March, which has been a key source of weakness in the rupee.

The benchmark 10-year bond yield fell two basis points to 8.12 percent after Rajan's comments.

(Reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh; Writing by Swati Bhat; Editing by Rafael Nam)

Source: http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/07/30/india-current-account-deficit-idINDEE96T08R20130730?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews

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Israel agrees to release 104 long-held Palestinian prisoners ahead of peace talks

JERUSALEM ? Israel?s Cabinet approved the release of 104 long-held Palestinian prisoners Sunday, clearing a hurdle toward a possible resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks after five years of paralysis.

The prisoner release is part of a push by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to bring the two sides back to the table. Sunday?s 13-7 vote, with two abstentions, marks his first visible achievement after six months of shuttle diplomacy.

As a next step, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are set to hold preliminary talks in Washington on Tuesday, to be followed by up to nine months of negotiations on a peace deal.

Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, welcomed the Cabinet vote as ?a step toward peace.?

The fate of Palestinian prisoners is emotionally charged for both sides. Palestinians tend to view prisoners as heroes who made sacrifices in the struggle for independence. Most Israelis view them as cold-blooded terrorists.

The Cabinet approved the release in principle of the 104 prisoners, said a government official who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with briefing regulations. Under the deal brokered by Kerry, the prisoners would be freed in four stages over several months. Each step would be linked to progress in negotiations.

According to a list provided by the Palestinians, the prisoners have served between 19 and 30 years for involvement in deadly attacks on Israelis. Their release would go a long way toward giving Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas a popular mandate to resume negotiations with Israel, despite widespread skepticism on both sides after 20 years of intermittent talks that produced no results.

On the Israeli side, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced stiff opposition from within his governing coalition, including his own Likud Party. Two Likud ministers and those from the pro-settler Jewish Home Party voted against a prisoner release.

Outside the government complex, hundreds of Israelis who lost loved ones in Palestinian attacks demonstrated against the release.

Netanyahu told the Cabinet releasing prisoners involved in deadly attacks was difficult for him.

?This is not an easy moment for me, and is not easy for the ministers in the government and is especially difficult for the bereaved families,? Netanyahu said. ?But there are moments where I need to make tough decisions for the good of the country and this is one of those moments.?

?I believe that resuming the political process at this time is important for Israel,? he said, noting that any peace deal would have to be approved in a national referendum.

Along with the prisoner release, ministers also authorized the resumption of talks with the Palestinians and agreed that a team led by the prime minister would oversee negotiations.

They approved the draft of an amended bill that would require a referendum on any partition deal with the Palestinians.

A resumption of peace talks is not yet assured, though.

Abbas has said he won?t go back to talks unless Netanyahu accepts the pre-1967 war lines as a starting line for border talks. That refers to all of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem. The Palestinians want to establish their state those territories, captured by Israel in 1967, though they have said they are ready for minor adjustments.

Abbas told reporters Friday that the invitation to talks to be issued by Kerry will state that the basis for negotiations is the 1967 line. It?s not clear whether Netanyahu has dropped his long-standing objection to the idea.

In his comments Sunday, Erekat referred to the touchy issue.

?I hope that we can use this opportunity that the U.S. has provided for us to resume negotiations, in order to achieve peace with a state of Palestine that can live in peace and security next to the state of Israeli on the 1967 lines,? he said.

Before the Cabinet vote, hundreds of relatives of those killed by the prisoners protested the release outside parliament. Families held pictures of slain loved ones and chanted, ?Terrorists must not be freed.?

One of Netanyahu?s major coalition partners, Naftali Bennett of the Jewish Home Party, took part in the rally. ?Whoever demands the killers of women and children to be freed are not worthy to be called a partner,? he said, referring to Abbas. ?We have nothing to negotiate with he who praises the killers of women and children,? Bennett said.

Bennett has threatened to pull his party out of the government if the prime minister agrees to other Palestinian demands, such as recognizing the 1967 line as a base for talks.

Other Israeli leaders said freeing the prisoners is a necessary move in order to promote peace talks.

?This is a painful decision ? but it?s a step that will strengthen Israel strategically,? opposition leader Shelly Yachimovich of the centrist Labor party said. She called on Netanyahu to listen to an Israeli majority in favor of a peace deal and ?not to be led by extremists in his government.?

Israel has a history of releasing Palestinian prisoners, including those involved in attacks. In 2011, it exchanged some 1,000 Palestinians for a single Israeli soldier held by Gaza militants.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NP_Top_Stories/~3/A_yaJj82vyw/

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Saturday, July 27, 2013

An iPad for every La Crosse middle school student?

LA CROSSE, WI -

Students are no longer looking for the coolest trapper keeper to bring to school. They want the next generation of gadgets.

The La Crosse School District is working on getting an iPad in the hands of all middle school students.

A 7th grade teacher at Longfellow Middle School says it's the latest and greatest gadget for students, especially because it keeps everything in one place.

Students have access to assignments, lectures, and videos both in class and after they go home.

And a perk for parents is it cuts down on school supply costs. "And so the trapper keepers and all the pencils and the folders and all those calculators, all those materials parents used to have to go and buy, they no longer have to do that because it's all encased in one spot," said Longfellow teacher Jeanne Halderson.

One report says the cost of school supplies is going up nearly 7.5%.

Source: http://www.news8000.com/news/an-ipad-for-every-la-crosse-middle-school-student/-/326/21174170/-/dkert6z/-/index.html

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Infonetics: Politics Playing Role in Growth of Cable Broadband and Ethernet over Coax (EoC) in China

CAMPBELL, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Market research firm Infonetics Research released excerpts from its 2013 Ethernet over Coax (EoC) Equipment and Subscribers in China report, which tracks market size and subscribers for EoC master/headend and modem hardware in?China.

?After last year?s turnover among Communist Party leadership, as well as in key positions within SARFT, the emphasis on China?s NGB (next-generation broadband) network project has been called into question, and it?s adversely impacting infrastructure build-outs and subscriber additions?

ANALYST NOTE

?The biggest challenge facing cable operators in China has nothing to do with technology or competition. Instead, it?s politics that will make or break Ethernet over Coax rollouts,? cautions Jeff Heynen, principal analyst for broadband access and pay TV at Infonetics Research.

?After last year?s turnover among Communist Party leadership, as well as in key positions within SARFT, the emphasis on China?s NGB (next-generation broadband) network project has been called into question, and it?s adversely impacting infrastructure build-outs and subscriber additions,? adds Heynen. ?Still, there?s a huge opportunity for Chinese cable TV operators looking to break into broadband. It?s just going to take longer than anyone expected.?

EOC CHINA MARKET HIGHLIGHTS

  • Despite aggressive pricing and service bundling, Chinese cable operators are having a difficult time adding new subscribers: As of June 2013, nearly 25 million homes had been passed with EoC services, with only 4.9 million subscribers?a take rate of less than 20%
  • By 2017, Infonetics expects the Ethernet over Coax equipment market in China (including master/headend units and modems) to reach $431 million, with EoC master units making up around 60% of total revenue
  • C-DOCSIS is the fastest growing EoC master/headend technology, with an Infonetics-projected 2012?2017 CAGR of 225%

ABOUT THE REPORT

Infonetics? annual EoC report provides market size, forecasts through 2017, analysis, and trends for Ethernet over Coax (EoC) equipment and subscribers in China, including EoC master/headend units and modems (HomePlug AV/BPL, C-DOCSIS, HiNOC, MoCA, HomePNA/HCNA, and WiFi over Coax [WOC]) used by cable operators. To buy the report, contact Infonetics: http://www.infonetics.com/contact.asp.

RELATED RESEARCH

UPCOMING MARKET FORECASTS & SURVEYS

Download Infonetics? market research brochure, publication calendar, events brochure, report highlights, tables of contents and more at http://www.infonetics.com/login.

INFONETICS WEBINARS

Visit https://www.infonetics.com/infonetics-events to register for upcoming webinars, view recent webinars on demand or learn about sponsoring a webinar.

TO BUY REPORTS, CONTACT:

N. America (West), Asia Pacific: Larry Howard, larry@infonetics.com, +1 408-583-3335

N. America (East), Midwest, L. America: Scott Coyne, scott@infonetics.com, +1 408-583-3395

EMEA, India, Singapore: George Stojsavljevic, george@infonetics.com, +44 755-488-1623

Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan: http://www.infonetics.com/contact.asp

ABOUT INFONETICS

Infonetics Research (www.infonetics.com) is an international market research and consulting firm serving the communications industry since 1990. A leader in defining and tracking emerging and established technologies in all world regions, Infonetics helps clients plan, strategize and compete effectively. View Infonetics? About Us slides at http://bit.ly/QUrbrV.

Source: http://feeds.businesswire.com/click.phdo?i=68ce530ef907d65500f74b40739f463e

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Bacteria found in water puts humans, pets at risk | CJOnline.com

[unable to retrieve full-text content]The warm weather has placed people and pets, particularly dogs, at increased risk of exposure to a toxic, sometimes lethal, bacteria found in water, according to a news release from Kansas State University.University ...

Source: http://cjonline.com/news/2013-07-26/bacteria-found-water-puts-humans-pets-risk

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Friday, July 26, 2013

Telkom signs pay deal with one union

Telkom CEO Sipho Maseko. Picture: ARNOLD PRONTO

Telkom CEO Sipho Maseko. Picture: ARNOLD PRONTO

TELKOM signed a wage increase agreement with the Communications Workers Union (CWU) on Thursday, which will see low-paid workers receive an average rise of 6.8% over three years.

The agreement is intended to address the historical salary disparities that have seen employees on the same ranking and level paid differently. The South African Communications Union (Sacu) and Solidarity were against the proposed wage increase and even threatened a strike.

According to Telkom, Sacu is keen to sign the agreement. But Solidarity is yet to decide and has warned that if Telkom implements the agreement unilaterally it will go to court to block such a move as "it amounts to discrimination based on union affiliation", said Solidarity spokesman Marius Croucamp.

Telkom CEO Sipho Maseko said the deal would fix the "historical differentials as to how people were paid. We needed to fix that; it?s illegal and it?s not right. We don?t want people to be paid differently because they are male or white."

The three-year deal will assist the company on "its journey to restoring financial health and ensuring long-term sustainability by eliminating uncertainties over labour costs for the next three years", the company said.

CWU president Cecil Mokhontso said the agreement was "not perfect" but was "ideal" to eradicate salary differences between black and white employees at Telkom.

"It is not in our interest to see Telkom going down. We are committed to work with Telkom to ensure it succeeds," he said.

The agreement will benefit 16,800 employees who will receive increases while 1,700 will not receive salary adjustments but once-off monthly payments.

Meshack Dlamini, executive for employee relations, said members of both Sacu and Solidarity would benefit from the deal.

Mr Croucamp said Solidarity?s members were yet to decide whether to accept the offer or embark on an industrial action. He said Telkom was "undermining" Solidarity by signing an agreement with the CWU.

He said the CWU was not a majority union at Telkom and the agreement should not be enforced. "The model that Telkom wants to implement is flawed. Yes, there are disparities, but the model will cause problems. Some of the employees affected may end up leaving the company," he said.

Sacu?s president Michael Hare said the terms of the agreement with CWU were not enforceable on Sacu members. He said Sacu members could accept the offer if Telkom included among other things the "re-instatement of the support job salary to the maximum of their grade".

During the talks Telkom offered a 6% wage increase plus job security for three years. But it later withdrew the offer.

The settlement with CWU will increase the human capital costs by 6.8% over three yeas.

Mr Dlamini said the pay agreement signed with the unions in 2009 made provision to address the differences in salaries among employees on the same levels, but follow-up on that provision was not "rigorous enough".

"It was becoming difficult (for Telkom) to explain these discrepancies. This agreement (with CWU) is looking beyond race and gender. It will give the company a chance to focus on major issues," he said.

Meanwhile, members of Telkom?s board of directors on Thursday met new Communications Minister Yunus Carrim and Deputy Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams. The purpose of the meeting was to share information about government priorities and explore ways in which Telkom can contribute to government?s goal of reducing the cost to communicate, the Department of Communications said.

Source: http://www.bdlive.co.za/national/labour/2013/07/26/telkom-signs-pay-deal-with-one-union

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Sudan delays shutdown of oil pipelines

AfricaMap

http://sxc.hu/

Addis Ababa - Sudan has postponed the shutdown of pipelines carrying oil from South Sudan to allow time for investigating claims that both sides support rebels in one another's territories, Ethiopia's Foreign Affairs ministry said.

Sudan, the sole conduit for South Sudan's oil exports, said earlier this month it would close two cross-border oil pipelines within two months and insisted that South Sudan shut oil production by August 7 unless it gave up support for rebels operating across their border.

?The government of Sudan has agreed to postpone for at least two weeks the deadline by which it will shut down the pipelines carrying oil from landlocked South Sudan for export through Port Sudan,? the Ethiopian foreign ministry said on Friday.

The African Union and regional bloc IGAD stepped up efforts earlier this week to prevent the production shutdown by naming three generals to investigate Sudanese allegations that South Sudan is supporting anti-Khartoum rebels.

South Sudan has denied the claim and accuses Sudan of backing rebels in its Jonglei state.

The generals travelled to Khartoum on Tuesday and are set to visit Juba soon as part of a six-week mission.

South Sudan, which seceded from Sudan in 2011, depends on oil exports for its government budget, and diplomats worry that a shutdown could undermine its stability.

Closure of the pipelines would also hit the economy of Sudan, which needs South Sudan's payment of oil transit fees.

Ethiopia had hosted previous two-year talks between the two foes, which culminated in the signing of deals in September to restart oil exports and demarcate their border. - Reuters

Source: http://www.iol.co.za/sudan-delays-shutdown-of-oil-pipelines-1.1553467

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South Africa: Northern Cape Mec for Transport, Safety and Liaison Mac Jack Condemns the Senseless Killing of 'Abraham' the Camel in 8MYL Animal Farm

Northern Cape MEC for Transport, Safety and Liaison, Mr Mac Jack strongly condemns the senseless and barbaric killing of an innocent and most loved animal by ruthless and merciless poachers who were intending to slaughter the animal for its meat.

It is unfortunate and regrettable to have learned of such brutal incident, especially while focusing on strengthening our civilian oversights bodies, deepening our relationship with communities in our province, as well as building partnership with civil society and other role-players in the fight against crime.

Our society is being robbed of precious animals by these nefarious poachers, particularly camels which are a rare and imported animal in our game farms wherein tourists goes for animal sight-seeing during holidays.

Our MEC urges all members of the community living closer to 8MYL Animal farm petting zoo to work together with all law enforcement agencies for the swift arrest of these suspects in countering the on-going scourge of crime such as these.

We have faith in our justice system, as we need to ensure that such monsters who continue to degrade our animals in game farms are removed from society for life, so as it serves as a deterrent to potential poachers in our communities.

Our heartfelt sympathy to the owner, Ms. Ida Sonnenberg of 8myl Animal farm on one of their most beloved animal 'Abraham'.

Issued by: Northern Cape Transport, Safety and Liaison

Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201307251129.html

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Could The Delightful Scent Of Chocolate Wafting Through The Air ...

Bring on the chocolate wallpaper, chocolate fans and delicious chocolate fountains: A new study says shoppers are in a more personable, interested mood when the scent of chocolate is in the air at a bookstore. Researchers say there?s something about the smell of chocolate that entices them to look at the merchandise more and perhaps read what it?s about, and also talk to the employees in the store after a nice, leisurely browsing session.

The study in the Journal of Environmental Psychology (via Time) doesn?t say whether bookstores should pull the full Willy Wonka treatment and install chocolate rivers (do it, please!), but it does present an interesting idea.

Researchers in Belgium held the experiment over 10 days at a general-interest chain bookstore and looked at how customers behaved when the scent of chocolate was dispensed through the air, and compared it to a regular bookstore that just smells of books.

They observed ?purchase-related? customer behaviors like taking the time to peruse several books at length, hanging out in the store and talking to staff about books or asking questions. ?Customers were twice as likely to look at multiple books when chocolate was around, and three times as likely to talk to personnel with the delicious aroma tickling their olfactory receptors.

But alas, chocolate works best when paired with certain subject matter, it seems: It worked wonders int he food, drink and romance genres but not so much with history, mystery and crime books. In the first category, researchers saw a 40% increase with chocolate and only a 22% uptick with the second set of genres.

Get to work, brick-and-mortar stores. Start pumping those chocolatey smells through yours stores and maybe you won?t end up like Borders.

What I want to know if this chocolate smell thing is only going to be a tease, or if I?m going to get offered a plate of chocolate if I buy a book. Because otherwise I will cheated, cheated I tell you!

The Smell of Chocolate Could Help Boost Bookstore Sales [Time]

Source: http://consumerist.com/2013/07/25/could-the-delightful-scent-of-chocolate-wafting-through-the-air-save-bookstores/

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Thursday, July 25, 2013

Jennifer Lawrence, adorably goofy super-fan

Celebs

15 hours ago

Jennifer Lawrence won her first Oscar this year for lead actress in "Silver Linings Playbook," but there are times when we wish we could give her a special award for just being herself.

Take her recent geek out while appearing at a Comic-Con red-carpet event with Jeff Bridges. She rushed gushing over to the fellow Academy Award winner and seemed ready to take the microphone from the E! reporter and do the interview herself. It's just another instance of the gregariousness that makes her one of the most accessible Hollywood stars, a trait that doesn't seem to be waning as she becomes more famous.

Bridges was not her first celeb geek-out. Post Oscars, she caught Jack Nicholson's attention. The legendary actor crashed her on-camera interview and he flirted with her as she gracefully pulled herself together after freaking out a little bit like a fan girl. But here are a few more instances of why J. Law is "America's spirit animal," and we love her for it:

Four flubs, four minutes: Her L.A. Film Awards speech

Classily passing off her Oscars stumble

Teasing one of Hollywood's most powerful executives

And who could forget her Oscar red-carpet admiration for another great man, Al Roker: Just a few hours before winning her award in January, she told CNN's Piers Morgan that the person she was most looking forward to seeing was Roker, since she watched him every morning before school on TODAY.

The line may be, "Celebrities, they're just like us," but perhaps it's time to change that to, "Jennifer Lawrence, we want to be just like her."

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/jennifer-lawrences-most-adorable-flubs-super-fan-moments-6C10732132

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Forbes college rankings: Stanford edges out Princeton

Stanford tops the Forbes' 2013 college rankings. The annual report was just released and is good news for the California school. According to Reuters on July 24, 2013, Princeton was bumped down to third place.

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"Princeton University in New Jersey, which was No. 1 last year, slipped to third place, followed by Yale University in Connecticut in fourth place and Columbia University in New York City at No. 5."

Second place in the Forbes college rankings also went to a California school, Pomona College, east of Los Angeles. Apparently this is only the first time that west coast schools took the top two spots in the report. Massachusetts had three schools in the to 10, the most of any state, Harvard, Williams, and MIT.

Stanford was not the most expensive school in the top five at $58,846. Columbia University took top honors for cost per year at $61,640.

This is the 6th annual edition of the Forbes college rankings and was based on several factors. Criteria such as student satisfaction, post-graduate success, student debt, graduation rate, and nationally competitive awards were measured and rated. A total of 650 schools in the United States were included this year.

What do you think about the Forbes college rankings story? Please drop in your comments below.

For e-mail updates whenever a new article is posted, please subscribe at the bottom of the page and join my group on Facebook, Top Trending News.

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Source: http://www.examiner.com/article/forbes-college-rankings-stanford-edges-out-princeton

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Wednesday, July 24, 2013

China moves send shares higher but copper, oil slip

By Richard Hubbard

LONDON (Reuters) - World shares were propelled towards five-year highs on Tuesday by signs China was moving to avoid a hard landing for its slowing economy, but copper and oil prices slipped as worries over global demand lingered.

Stock index futures pointed to Wall Street extending its gains and testing fresh record highs when trading gets underway, though results from tech giant Apple due later in the day could keep a lid on any gains. <.n/>

Share markets worldwide gained after local media in China reported the government was looking to increase investment in railway projects as part of efforts aimed at ensuring annual economic growth does not sink below 7 percent.

Asian shares outside Japan <.miapj0000pus> rose by 1.3 percent to their highest since early June on the reports and Britain's mining-heavy FTSE index touched a seven-week high, though a lack of detail made some in the markets cautious.

"Managing to keep (Chinese growth) above 7 percent will certainly be viewed as a positive stance," said IG Markets analyst Alastair McCaig. "But they really have only five months to prove their words are worth their weight."

Deal-making in the telecoms sector fed the gains across Europe during the morning, lifting the broad FTSE Eurofirst 300 index <.fteu3> 0.3 percent to near a seven-week high. <.eu/>

The euro zone's blue-chip Euro STOXX 50 index <.stoxx50e> was up 0.6 percent to bring its gains since late June to 10 percent, mirroring sharp rises on Wall Street where the S&P 500 <.spx> hit a record closing high on Monday.

The recent rally has sharpened scrutiny on company statements in the corporate earnings season now underway.

"Earnings have been relatively good so far, although the bulk of results still have to come," said David Thebault, head of quantitative sales trading at Global Equities.

An upgraded economic outlook from Japan's government helped lift Tokyo's Nikkei <.n225> 0.8 percent and send the MSCI world equity index <.miwd00000pus> up 0.2 percent, within touching distance of May's five-year high.

JAPAN RISES

Heightened expectations that Japan's government will stick to expansionary policies after weekend elections also supported the yen, which hit a one-week peak against the dollar at 99.14 yen before the greenback recovered to close to 100 yen.

Demand for the dollar has been steadily draining away as the Federal Reserve reassures investors there will be no precipitous end to its bond-buying stimulus. "Yesterday we had some weaker U.S. housing data that reinforced that message," said Jane Foley, senior currency strategist at Rabobank.

However, a rise in the 10-year Treasury note yields though the 2.5 percent level during the European morning helped the dollar.

The euro meanwhile has been steady as political tensions across the region ease and was flat on Tuesday at $1.3187, close to a one-month high of $1.3218.

In emerging markets, the Turkish lira strengthened to 1.9081 against the dollar, a one-month high, after the central bank raised its overnight lending rate by 75 basis points to help narrow the gaping current account deficit.

GOLD EASES

Gold eased back below $1,330 an ounce as the dollar's bounce prompted buyers to pause after the metal's biggest one-day price rise in more than a year. The metal has recovered nearly $160 from a three-year low of $1,180.71 on June 28.

Brent oil inched down to just below $108. Investors were awaiting U.S. crude inventory data for further clues on demand from the world's largest oil consumer.

(Additional reporting by Blaise Robinson and Jan Harvey; Editing by Ruth Pitchford)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/asian-stocks-seek-inspiration-dollar-struggles-002734384.html

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Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Dealing with a debt collector? Tips for borrowers

Credit card logos are seen on a downtown storefront as a pedestrian passes in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File) (David Goldman)

Debt collection can be an unpleasant business, but it's a big one.

The industry generates $12.2 billion in revenue for the roughly 4,500 firms chasing down borrowers who owe money on credit cards, auto loans and other accounts, according to figures from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Laws on the books and recent initiatives by the CFPB, a federal government consumer watchdog agency, offer borrowers ways to push back when firms call them multiple times a day or continue collection efforts without verifying that the debt is owed, among other illegal tactics.

Last week, the CFPB expanded its consumer complaint system to include gripes over debt collection related to any consumer debt, including auto loans, medical bills and student loans. The collection firms are required to respond to such complaints within 15 days.

Here are six tips for dealing with debt collection firms:

1. Understand your rights

Debt collection agencies typically buy accounts that have gone unpaid from credit card issuers and other lenders for pennies on the dollar. Recovering even a small portion of what's owed on an account can be profitable. That's one reason firms have an incentive to go after borrowers over debt that's several years past due.

How they go about doing so, however, is restricted by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Consumer Financial Protection Act and other laws.

The laws don't resolve the underlying issue of whether a consumer owes a debt. They just address the proper conduct from collection firms.

"So many consumers are intimidated about the process and don't know their rights and don't know what to do," says Laura Udis, senior financial services advocate at the Consumer Federation of America, a research, education and advocacy organization.

Generally, collection firms are forbidden under the law from using unfair, deceptive or abusive tactics. That can include practices such as phone calls at all hours of the day or night, or using threats of violence or arrest.

For a broader list of debt collection agency no-nos: www.Consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0149-debt-collection .

2. File a complaint

Borrowers who believe they're being mistreated have several avenues to complain, including the Federal Trade Commission and their state's attorney general's office. Many states have their own debt collection laws that may differ from federal laws.

Another option is to complain directly to the debt collection company.

The law enables borrowers to ask a debt collector to cease contacting them. The FTC recommends sending the request via certified mail. Once the firm receives the letter, its representatives may only contact you again to inform you of a specific action being taken against you, like a lawsuit.

The CFPB has five sample letters that can be used as templates for raising a variety of issues with debt collection firms, including disputing the debt, or asking that they only communicate with your attorney.

You can find the letters and also file complaints with the CFPB on its website: www.Consumerfinance.gov/

3. Don't ignore the situation

Many borrowers often make matters worse by ignoring overdue payment notices or collection agency letters.

There is a window of time after the initial collection notice during which borrowers can exercise certain rights, such as asking for the name and address of the original creditor, as well as proof that they owe money.

To do so, borrowers must make the request in writing within 30 days of receiving the collection notice.

A bigger danger is missing a notice that the collection firm has sued you to recover the debt, says Udis. That opens the door for a court to issue a default judgment against you, which could lead to your wages being garnished and other penalties.

"You'll see attorneys in court with maybe 100 or more lawsuits at a time and no consumers showing up to defend," she says, "so they'll get default judgment after default judgment."

4. Realize that some debt may be too old to hurt your credit score

Unpaid loans may end up being bought and sold several times over the years by debt collectors. That can lead to collection attempts on accounts that have gone unpaid for many years.

When the statute of limitation expires on debts, collection agencies are no longer able to sue the borrower for payment. That doesn't stop collectors from trying to convince a borrower to pay up.

Setting aside the moral issue of meeting one's financial obligations, if the statute of limitations has expired on a debt, the borrower is, legally speaking, free to ignore the collection agency. But the claim can remain on your credit report after the statute of limitations for collecting the debt has expired. Such statutes vary from three to 15 years, depending on the state. Negative items remain on a credit report seven years; 10 years, if it's a bankruptcy.

A borrower should look up the statute of the state where they reside, as that's the one that would apply.

You can find a list here: www.Bankrate.com/finance/credit-cards/state-statutes-of-limitations-for-old-debts-1.aspx .

Statutes of limitations don't apply to child support payments, federal and state taxes, and federally guaranteed student loans.

5. Avoid debt-settlement programs

Experts advise against entering a debt-settlement program.

They are often run by for-profit companies that offer to negotiate a one-time payment that creditors can accept as a payoff in lieu of the total amount owed.

But some of those companies may suggest that borrowers stop paying creditors until they have accumulated enough money to make a settlement offer. That can lead to more interest and fees being tacked onto the bill ? more money the borrower will have to pay should the creditor decline to a settlement.

And the debt-settlement firms often require that borrowers deposit money in an account for 36 months or more before all debts are settled, according to the FTC.

6. Get qualified help

A nonprofit credit counseling organization can connect you with an expert who can help assess your financial situation and develop a plan to manage your debt, as well as offer advice on how to best to deal with specific debt collection issues.

Keep in mind that credit counselors will typically charge a fee for their services.

Source: http://feeds.denverpost.com/~r/dp-business/~3/dFi1jT2K06E/dealing-debt-collector-tips-borrowers

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Could HYCCUPS boost phone battery life?

[unable to retrieve full-text content]A new system that goes by the name of "hybrid contextual cloud in ubiquitous platforms comprising of smart phones" or HYCCUPS for short, has been developed by computer scientists. The system boosts phone battery life by booting power-consuming computational tasks on to an on-the-fly ad-hoc cloud in which smart phones are both clients and computing resources.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/computers_math/information_technology/~3/maW9eVmplkQ/130722123007.htm

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Police identify second victim of alleged Ohio killer

During a news conference, East Cleveland Mayor Gary Norton says he knew one of the alleged victims of suspected serial killer Michael Madison.

By Andrew Rafferty, Staff Writer, NBC News

A 28-year-old mother was identified as the second victim of a triple homicide in a Cleveland suburb where the bodies of three women were found wrapped in plastic bags.

Authorities on Tuesday identified Shetisha Sheeley, 28, as the woman whose body was recovered in a grassy field in East Cleveland on Saturday. Sheeley had been missing since September and has a 12-year-old daughter, NBC?s Cleveland affiliate WKYC reports.

A member of the public called authorities to help identify Sheeley based on information released about one of her tattoos.

Sheeley?s mother told The Plain Dealer newspaper that her daughter largely kept to herself and was surprised to learn her body was found in East Cleveland.

"I don't know what she was [doing] in East Cleveland because she did not live in East Cleveland,"? she told the newspaper.

A day earlier, police identified another of the three victims as 38-year-old Angela Deskins, who was found in the basement of an abandoned home.

Both women were residents of Cleveland. The third victim has not yet been identified and no cause of death has been released for any of the women.

In a statement to WKYC, Deskins? sister, Catana Deskins, said: ?Angela Deskins was a beautiful, sweet, kind hearted woman?Everyone who knew her loved her. She was a wonderful daughter, sister and aunt who truly cared about her family and friends. She is loved so much and will be missed by everyone who knew her.?

David Maxwell / EPA

Registered sex offender Michael Madison, 35, appears in court at his bond hearing in East Cleveland, Ohio, USA on 22 July 2013. Madison is the suspect in the killing of at least three women whose bodies were found in East Cleveland, Ohio, USA on 19 July 2013 and 20 July 2013. Police and volunteers searched the neighborhood of run-down and vacant houses on 21 July but found no additional bodies.

East Cleveland Mayor Gary Norton said at the news conference Tuesday that he has known the Deskins family and said they were always supportive of Angela.

Shortly after the discovery of the first body on Friday, police arrested 35-year-old Michael Madison. He appeared in court Monday, charged with three counts each of aggravated murder and kidnapping.

Madison, a registered sex offender, has indicated to police that he may have been influenced by Cleveland serial killer Anthony Sowell, who is on death row for killing 11 women ages 24 to 52 at his home in the city.

Sowell, a convicted sex offender, was captured in 2009. In court papers, prosecutors described him as "the worst offender in the history of Cuyahoga County and arguably the State of Ohio."

Following his arrest, Madison suggested to police that there may be more victims, according to Norton. Investigators and volunteers spent Sunday combing through the East Cleveland neighborhood in search of more bodies but found nothing.

??We are pursuing every lead. The goal is to leave no stone unturned,? Norton said Tuesday. ?We hope and pray that we do not find anything else.?

This story was originally published on

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/663306/s/2f100ba4/sc/8/l/0Lusnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A70C230C196396140Epolice0Eidentify0Esecond0Evictim0Eof0Ealleged0Eohio0Ekiller0Dlite/story01.htm

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Versatile Functions Make Restaurant POS Systems Indispensible

I am a happy-go-lucky kind of girl with a wonderful family, a good looking guy and lots of fun loving friends. I am software developer by profession and have been working as a freelancer for the last five years. However, I like to cook food and experiment with different kinds of recipes. Australian Masterchef keep me hooked to television. I love to shake my legs when I am not doing anything.

View all articles by Paula Kanellos

One of the most important recording and reporting tool for any restaurant or eatery to have in place is its restaurant point of sale software. At the very onset, you may find it difficult to understand the capabilities and features of a point of sale software for restaurants. So, read on for some valuable insights into the functionalities of a well equipped POS system.

Credit card processing

The ultimate requirement for a POS system is to take menu orders in an accurate manner and process the dues for these orders. As many clients prefer to pay through their credit cards, credit card processing is an important feature and applicability of a well programmed restaurant point of sale software.

Before purchasing this software, you need to have a clear idea about the compatibility of the POS system with particular merchant account providers. The software should be customized to add bar tabs and tips to the main order bill as well.

Organization tool

Apart from being accurate and reliable software for processing orders and collecting payments, POS systems also act as the perfect organization tool for handling several facets of your restaurant business. With less confusion in handling orders and servicing them in a timely manner, you can be assured of more loyal customers and repeated visits to your restaurant.

Some areas which need attention and benchmarked handling means are:

Table Management

It is good to have your restaurant packed to full capacity. But are you prepared to handle each client with expertise and care? A well programmed POS system helps in keeping track of the dining time preferences of regular clients and records reservations in an orderly fashion?thus allowing enough time to manage the servicing capacity of your wait staff, butlers and other floor employees.

Tracking of orders

Scribbling orders on small scraps of paper and passing the same on to chefs in a chaotic kitchen is pass?. Now restaurant POS software is geared to take in the order at the table print /display the same in a convenient manner inside the kitchen. The server is then left free to handle the needs of other customers who have just arrived or are waiting to take a decision on what to order.

Inventory Tracking

Some POS systems are also programmed to keep accurate track of the inventory and conduct comparisons with the items which have been sold. A clear perception of your requirements and in-possession inventory along with all that is going to waste, leads to cost effectiveness and greater savings for your business.

Along with the above, these systems are also capable of generating sales and cost reports, employee payroll slips and other functions like keeping track of cash receipts, recording of client preferences and so forth.

About the author:

With over 10 years of experience in developing?restaurant point of sale software?applications, the author of this article is a self made software developer, a good cook, and a globe trotter. She has developed different cloud based applications for?point of sale software for restaurants?that are being used by different hospitality industry players.

Source: http://www.articlesbd.com/articles/374847/1/Versatile-Functions-Make-Restaurant-POS-Systems-Indispensible/Page1.html

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HTC Appoints New U.S. Strategy Chief, Creates ?Emerging Devices? Unit To Focus On Innovation And Global Sales

HTC logoAfter months of internal turmoil and struggling sales, HTC is trying to reboot its strategy by establishing a new unit to develop "innovative" products and putting its its global sales president back in charge of U.S. operations.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/g3X7Rf2YExA/

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Rita Moreno to receive SAG Life Achievement Award

NEW YORK (AP) ? Rita Moreno will receive the Life Achievement Award for career and humanitarian accomplishments at the 20th annual SAG Awards.

Screen Actors Guild & American Federation of Television and Radio Artists Co-President Ken Howard made the announcement Monday. He said Moreno is the 50th recipient of the award, "the most prestigious honor we bestow."

Moreno, 81, won a best supporting actress Oscar for 1961's "West Side Story." She also has won two Emmys, a Tony and a Grammy Award, one of the few artists to win all four top show business awards.

She currently appears in TV Land's "Happily Divorced."

The SAG Awards will air Jan. 18, 2014, on TNT and TBS.

___

Online:

http://www.sagaftra.org

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rita-moreno-receive-sag-life-achievement-award-163043136.html

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Failure to destroy toxic protein -- not buildup of protein itself -- contributes to Huntington's disease

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Recycling is not only good for the environment, it's good for the brain. A study using rat cells indicates that quickly clearing out defective proteins in the brain may prevent loss of brain cells.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/dU-YABlouiw/130721161753.htm

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Royal baby watch: Live video from London, top tweets

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

Source: http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20130722/NEWS03/130722009/1001/RSS

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BMW i3 to cost $41,350 in the US, 34,950 euros in Germany

BMW readying vehicle loaner program to help i3 buyers avoid range anxiety

Remember when it was hoped that BMW's first fully-electric production vehicle would set you back around $35,000? Well, tough. The company has announced pricing for the car, with the i3 setting you back $41,350 before federal and state incentives, plus a handling fee of $925 in the US. Meanwhile, Germans itching to get their hands on the plug-in whip will be spending €34,950 ($45,990) -- but that small additional premium does have one benefit. While the US model won't arrive until the second quarter of 2014, the European i3 will land in Germany in this November.

Comments

Source: BMW USA, BMW Europe

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/6GaPux79yJ8/

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MMA plans $7M energy project

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BUZZARDS BAY ? As the dock wobbled beneath his feet on Tuesday, Capt. Thomas Bushy scanned the waters off Taylors Point. At the confluence of the Cape Cod Canal and waters flowing out of Buttermilk Bay, he saw a source of energy: the current.

The waters stand to become a national testing ground for the hydrokinetic energy industry in 2015, when Massachusetts Maritime Academy aims to complete an estimated

$7 million waterfront protection project with a dock jutting out toward the Cape Cod Canal to give energy firms a place to see how their turbines perform underwater.

The academy, which already has a wind turbine and solar panels, had long hoped to undertake a waterfront protection project to cordon off an area of calm water for its smaller boats.

But the project has evolved to include pens for aquaculture and, eventually, a system to lower hydrokinetic turbines to the seabed, offering companies an opportunity to test their designs and the academy's students, and faculty an opportunity to gain experience with the developing energy source.

Bushy, vice president of the academy's marine operations division, said the state school hopes to begin building next summer and plans to charge a fee to use the turbine system.

"Massachusetts Maritime Academy will be a facility that takes advantage of its real estate, its location and its willingness to help," Bushy said. "Once they have (a turbine) fabricated, they can take it here and we can put it in the water and test it."

Initial designs call for a dock extending 250 feet out into the ocean before turning left and extending toward the canal. Flowing about 4 miles per hour, the current is ideal ? slow enough to not overwhelm small, conceptual designs while strong enough to show whether a prototype can stand up against a harsh ocean environment, according to academy officials.

"You've got eelgrass out there, you've got fish out there. The windmills just have birds," Bushy said. "There's a lot more stuff in the water. Any number of things can upset it. ... Saltwater and electricity don't get along. It's a challenge."

But the location also puts the academy in a permitting "dance" among the Bourne Conservation Commission, environmental agencies and the Army Corps of Engineers, which oversees the canal, Capt. Fran McDonald, the academy's vice president of operations, said.

McDonald said a shellfish bed off Taylors Point behind the site would not be affected by the project. And Lt. Cmdr. Hung "Tom" Pham said the dock would not interfere with navigation on the canal, noting that any boat coming close to the dock would run aground on a sandbar. The academy plans to begin the permitting process as early as the fall, Pham said.

Officials with the Army Corps of Engineers and state DEP declined to speculate on the plans before receiving applications, but Bourne conservation agent Brendan Mullaney said the academy will face less stringent standards because it operates on state property.

"It didn't seem from the initial conversation I had that it was anything beyond the scope of what could be permitted," Mullaney said. "But we'll have to go through all the other state and federal agencies that have jurisdiction over projects like this."

The plans follow a 2011 demonstration of a small hydrokinetic turbine in the Muskeget Channel between Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. Funded by a $98,000 grant from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, the demonstration drew on research from the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, and employed a barge to test the small turbine's electrical output.

The energy center's director, John Miller, said the plans for a fixed system will allow for the testing of larger turbines and spare not just transportation costs but the permitting costs that eat up as much as 70 percent of the testing cost for companies ? one reason hydrokinetic energy has lagged behind wind and solar power.

"Obviously, taking up a barge and anchoring it out in the channel is pretty costly, so if you can have a fixed test site where you can put these devices, it would save a lot of money," Miller said. "If you can have test sites where people can come and the permitting is in place, it just makes the system more efficient and effective."


Source: http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130722/NEWS/307220313/-1/rss01

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Royals de France (3 Male Roles Open)

Link to RP

Hello! I have just started a RP called Royals de France...and, as I expected, all the female characters were quickly taken. Now, we need some male characters!

Here is some information:

1735. The year where Kings and Queens still ruled the lands and people depended on them. The year where you live and work for yourself. The year where villagers fended for themselves and their families. All seemed well. Children played. Husbands worked and went to war. Wives worked and stayed at home with the children. The villagers thought they had the hard lives...unlike the Royals. They had it all for them. Dressed in beautiful clothing. Had delicious foods on their plates everyday. Had a roof over their heads. Had no worries at all. The villagers were the people who had it hard.

Or did they?

Nobody knew what went on in the palace. Of course, people worried about their King and Queen...But did they really? Or were they just worried because if one of them were to die, the villagers would have no more. People thought the Royals had the dream life. Had it all. Had whatever they asked for when the asked for it. Everybody wanted to live the Royals lifes. The villagers were always jealous....But do they really know what goes on in the palace?


There we go! And here is the characters:

|| Name || Role || "Secret" || Gender || Extra || Age || Taken/Reserved/Open ||

|| L'Aurore Lemieux || Princess of France, Soon to be Queen || She is 4 months pregnant...but isn't sure who's baby it is || Female || Wife of Charles Lemieux. Been married to him since she was 14 || 20 || Taken ||

|| Charles Lemieux || Prince of France, Soon to be King || Deeply loves his wife, but has grown suspecious of her..Like she is hiding something. || Male || Husband of L'Aurore Lemieux. Been married to her since he was 15 || 21 || OPEN ||

|| Charlotte Deslori? || Younger sister of L'Aurore. Is next in line to be Queen || Isn't in love with her Husband || Female || She isn't really fond of being Queen. She actually doesn't care || 18 || Taken ||

|| Alexandre Deslori? || Next in line to be King || Knows that L'Aurore is carrying his child. Even though she claims she is not || Male || Deeply in love with his wife, Charlotte. Even though he cheated on her || 19 || OPEN ||

|| Genevi?ve Le Beau || Youngest sibling of L'Aurore and Charlotte. Isn't married || Has fallen in love with Lucas Landriault || Female || She is a kind spirit. Polite and Kind || 16 || Taken ||

|| Lucas Landriault || He is great royalty. || Has fallen in love with Genevi?ve Le Beau || Male || He has no siblings. His mother died after he was born. He lived with his father in the palace || 17 || OPEN ||
[hr][hr]

If you would like to reserve or take a male character, feel free to ask for one in the OOC chat of the RP!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/CCHUborT87s/viewtopic.php

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