শুক্রবার, ২৩ আগস্ট, ২০১৩

Sony Alpha 58 (SLT-A58K)


The Sony Alpha 58 ($599.99 direct with 18-55mm lens)?is the current entry-level D-SLR in the company's catalog. The 20-megapixel camera offers a few modest upgrades over the previous-generation Alpha 57, including an OLED viewfinder, but takes a step backwards in terms of burst shooting speed. If you're in the market for a D-SLR with an EVF, we think the Alpha 65 is a better buy, though it is a bit more money. Traditionalists who prefer an optical finder are better off with our Editors' Choice, the Nikon D5200.

Design and Features
The Alpha 58 is pretty typical in size for an entry-level D-SLR. It measures just 3.9 by 5.1 by 3.1 inches (HWD) and weighs 1.3 pounds without a lens. The Canon EOS Rebel T5i is about the same size (3.9 by 5.2 by 3.1 inches), but a bit lighter at 1.1 pounds. Like other Sony D-SLRs, the viewfinder is an EVF rather than an optical design. The camera still has a mirror, but it's semi-transparent and doesn't move. Most of the light hits the image sensor, but some is directed down to a dedicated phase detect autofocus sensor. This provides a seamless transition between the EVF and the rear LCD, and fast, accurate focus for both stills and video.

The EVF is an OLED design with a 1,440k-dot resolution. It's a step up in quality from the LCD found in the Alpha 57, but it's not the equal of the 2,336k-dot OLED viewfinder that Sony packs into its Alpha 65 and Alpha 77 cameras. That EVF is noticeably sharper, giving you a better idea of what you're shooting. The rear LCD on the Alpha 58 is a little lacking as well; it's a 2.7-inch panel with a hinged design so that it can tilt up or down. The resolution is 460k-dots, which is only half that of others in this class like the Pentax K-50.

The small LCD does leave a bit of extra room on the body for controls. On the rear you'll find buttons to record movies, activate exposure lock, and adjust exposure compensation. Below those, directly to the right of the LCD, you'll find the Fn button, which lets you control shooting settings via an on-screen menu, and a four-way control pad with directional buttons to adjust the information displayed over the live view feed, change the drive mode and activate the self-timer, adjust white balance, and control color output. The center AF button enables tracking focus, and there are also the standard image playback and delete buttons. The latter doubles as an on-screen guide that contains tips for the best settings for different types of photos. The menu button is located above the LCD, to the left of the EVF's eyecup.

Up top there's a mode dial, which has a few additional options beyond the standard settings. There's one for scene modes, which set the camera to correct settings to capture different types of photos, as well as a special telephoto crop extends the reach of your lens and increases the maximum burst shooting speed, but reduces photo resolution to 5 megapixels. To the right of the EVF are the power switch, shutter release, ISO control, a toggle to change between the rear LCD and EVF (there is an eye-sensor if you'd like that to be automatic), and a button marked Zoom. This enables Sony's Clear Image Zoom (for JPG shots only), which lets you enable as much as 2x digital zoom to extend the reach of your lens; images are saved at the full 20-megapixel resolution when using this function.

There's a single control dial on the front of the handgrip. Most cameras in this class only offer a single control dial (which changes function based on the mode you're in). Of the sub-$1,000 D-SLRs, only the Pentax K-50 (and it's non-weather-sealed sibling, the K-500) offer front and rear control dials. That's a feature that comes in handy when shooting in manual mode, but is also useful in other situations, including shooting manual with automatic ISO so that you can control shutter speed and depth of field without having to worry about calculating exposure. The Alpha 58 does support that function; to adjust the shutter speed in manual mode you simply use the front dial, and if you hold down the exposure compensation button the front dial function changes to control aperture.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/5aPtz1uujmk/0,2817,2423169,00.asp

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সোমবার, ৫ আগস্ট, ২০১৩

Cancer docs sick of high prices - The Daily Telegraph

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Source: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/health-fitness/cancer-docs-sick-of-high-prices/story-fni0dguz-1226691109490

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রবিবার, ৪ আগস্ট, ২০১৩

Tax-free weekend a hit in New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) - A lot of shoppers were out Saturday, hoping to save a lot of money during New Mexico's tax-free weekend. Inside the Target in Uptown many families were checking off their school supply lists.

Store managers at the Target in Uptown said on an average day, the store may see between 3,500 and 5,000 customers. On Saturday, they expected to be well above average in sales because Saturday is normally the busiest day of tax-free weekend.

Retailers spent all day trying to keep shelves stocked and customers helped.

"We do have our back to school lists here in the store, so if you have any questions, that?s great," said Sean Blackman, Executive Team Leader for Guest Experience at Target in Uptown. ?It?s nice because it?s not just only on our school supplies, but it?s also on clothing and various other items as well."

Malls have been busy this weekend, too.

Last year, statewide, shoppers saved an estimated $4 million by not paying taxes on their items and retailers had about a $25 million sales jump during New Mexico?s tax-free weekend.

This will be the ninth year New Mexico hosts tax-free weekend.

For a full list of tax-free items, click here .

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/krqe-topstories/~3/-3YzdPnJbVM/tax-free-weekend-a-hit-in-new-mexico

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COMMUNITY: Call for Public Input on Bike Share Stations

The city's Public Works Department and non-profit Bike Share of Austin are asking for help in identifying potential locations for bike share locations. Participants can also weigh in on the color of the bikes. We're going with red. Thu., July 25 - Sat., Aug. 31,.

www.votebikeshareaustin.com

Source: http://www.austinchronicle.com/calendar/civics-101/call-for-public-input-on-bike-share-stations-1462808/

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Obama administration overrules Apple import ban

President Obama's trade representative on Saturday vetoed a ban on imports of some Apple iPads and older iPhones, dealing a setback to rival South Korean electronics company Samsung.

U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman overruled a June decision by the U.S. International Trade Commission, which had banned imports of the iPhone 4 and some variations of the iPad 2. The commission ruled that the Chinese-made Apple devices violated a patent held by Samsung and couldn't be imported. The ban never went into effect, though, because the Obama administration had 60 days to decide if it would uphold the commission.

Obama is against import bans on the basis of the type of patent at issue in the Samsung case. The White House has recommended that Congress limit the ITC's ability to impose import bans in these cases.

Samsung and Apple are in a global legal battle over smartphones. Apple argues Samsung's Android phones copy vital iPhone features. Samsung is fighting back with its own complaints.

In an email, Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet said the company applauded the administration "for standing up for innovation." A message seeking comment from Samsung was not returned.

Froman wrote in a letter to the commission that he has concerns about patent holders getting too much leverage over competitors that use their technology under licenses.

Companies license patented technology to competitors so the devices can communicate as part of an industry standard for cellphones. Under the "standards-essential patent" legal theory prevailing in federal courts, holders of such patents are obligated to license them to all comers on "fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory" terms.

U.S. courts have ruled that such patents cannot be the basis for import bans. The International Trade Commission follows a different standard than the courts, but the Obama administration wants it to adhere to the same principles.

Froman wrote that he shares the Obama administration's concerns that the holders of standards-essential patents could get "undue leverage" over their competitors.

Last year, a federal court ruled that Samsung owed Apple $1 billion in damages for infringing on non-essential Apple patents. But the judge refused to impose an import ban on Samsung phones and later struck $450 million from the verdict, saying the jurors miscalculated. The case is set for a rematch in appeals court.

Samsung is the world's largest maker of smartphones. Analysts estimate it outsold Apple nearly 2 to 1 in the first three months of the year. However, Apple's smartphone business is more profitable

The iPhone 4 was launched in 2010 and is the oldest iPhone still sold by Apple. The ITC ruling applied only to the AT&T version of the phone. Apple is likely to retire the model.

Apple launched the iPad 2 in 2011. The ruling applies only to the version equipped with a cellular modem for AT&T's network.

The ruling also applies to older iPhones, though these are no longer sold by Apple.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-administration-overrules-apple-import-ban-201402283.html

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Thigpin hired as DSU women's hoops assistant coach

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

Source: http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20130802/SPORTS/308020019/1006/rss02

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শনিবার, ৩ আগস্ট, ২০১৩

Associate: Hernandez put guns in box in basement

ATTLEBORO, Mass. (AP) ? New court records say that an associate of Aaron Hernandez told police the former New England Patriot put guns in a box in his basement after returning from the industrial park where his friend was fatally shot.

An affidavit released by Attleboro District Court says Carlos Ortiz told investigators Hernandez put firearms in the black box after Odin Lloyd's killing. The document indicates one was a small gun Ortiz handed Hernandez after they returned home with another associate, Ernest Wallace. Ortiz said he earlier saw Hernandez with an additional "large handgun."

Hernandez has pleaded not guilty to murder in the death of Lloyd, a 27-year-old Boston semi-professional football player whose body was found June 17 about a mile from Hernandez's North Attleborough, Mass., home. His attorneys have said the case against him is circumstantial and they are confident he will be exonerated.

Authorities believe Lloyd was killed with a .45-caliber Glock, which hasn't been recovered. Prosecutors say video surveillance from Hernandez's home before and after the killing shows him holding a gun that appears to be a Glock.

Police divers have been searching this week in a lake in Bristol, Conn., Hernandez's hometown. Authorities have declined to comment on the search, but have confirmed it is linked to the investigation.

Prosecutors have not said who fired the fatal shots. But court records released in Florida say Ortiz told investigators Wallace said it was Hernandez.

The new documents released in Massachusetts indicate authorities seized a cellphone and credit and bank cards from a relative of Hernandez, identified as Tanya Singleton-Valderamma, of Bristol. Ortiz told investigators he and Wallace drove to Bristol after Lloyd's killing and that he was dropped off at Singleton-Valderamma's house, according to the affidavit. Ortiz said he discussed Lloyd's killing with her.

The records say that Singleton-Valderamma later purchased with a credit card, under a previous name, a Greyhound ticket from Macon, Ga., to Miami, Fla., and that Wallace traveled on a bus between those two points. He later turned himself in in Miramar, Fla., where his parents live, and is being held in Massachusetts on a charge of accessory to murder after the fact.

The affidavit says it is not known how Wallace traveled from Connecticut to Georgia.

Ortiz is facing a gun charge in connection with the case. Both Ortiz and Wallace have pleaded not guilty.

Hernandez is being held without bail and is next due in court on Aug. 22 for a probable cause hearing.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-08-02-US-Hernandez-Police/id-ce795519616a44ff9b03216e473c30a6

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Clearwater FL Real Estate Marketing Company Offering Powerful ...

ARME Media, a local Clearwater FL real estate marketing company is now offering new real estate internet marketing programs for real estate professionals in the Clearwater FL area.

Clearwater FL (PRWEB) August 02, 2013

ARME Media, a local Clearwater FL real estate marketing company, announces their newest local real estate marketing programs for realty professionals in the Clearwater FL area. With real estate prices coming back up around many parts of Pinellas County, many local experts consider this a prime time to attach a solid marketing plan to any local real estate marketing plan.

ARME Media is located in Clearwater FL and specializes in executing profitable online marketing programs for small to medium size businesses at the local level. The company uses the latest marketing strategies for real estate professionals ensuring that any real estate broker who signs up with the company is seeing a quick return on their minimal $199 monthly investment.

Simon Landers, a company spokesperson, has this to say about the company's local real estate marketing program offerings, "We pride ourselves on delivering top tier real estate marketing programs to local agents and brokers at highly competitive pricing. All of our competitors can't even come close to providing the level of service we do at our price point."

Mr. Landers continues, "Our multi prong attack allows brokers to reach their target audience using several different types of web properties such as blogs, video channels, responsive web sites, targeted squeeze pages, and more. With tradition internet marketing evolving all of the time, it is important for a real estate professional to have a dedicated marketing expert stay on top of the trends. ARME Media is that expert."

With programs starting at $199 for an all inclusive marketing program, many industry insiders agree that their program pricing for their published list of services can't be beat. The company has many samples of work they can show as well as a proven track record of generating a high traffic volume for real estate professionals nationwide.

For more information about ARME Realty.com and their programs call to request a brochure at (727) 459-8841 today.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/clearwater-fl/real-estate-marketing/prweb10994848.htm

Source: http://www.virtual-strategy.com/2013/08/02/clearwater-fl-real-estate-marketing-company-offering-powerful-new-local-real-estate-inter

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শুক্রবার, ২ আগস্ট, ২০১৩

Megan Fox, Brian Austin Green expecting 2nd child

FILE - In this Jan. 13, 2013 file photo, actress Megan Fox and actor Brian Austin Green arrive at the 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. A publicist confirmed Friday, Aug. 2, 2013, that Fox and her husband, Green, are expecting their second child. (Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 13, 2013 file photo, actress Megan Fox and actor Brian Austin Green arrive at the 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. A publicist confirmed Friday, Aug. 2, 2013, that Fox and her husband, Green, are expecting their second child. (Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 13, 2013 file photo, actress Megan Fox and actor Brian Austin Green arrive at the 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. A publicist confirmed Friday, Aug. 2, 2013, that Fox and her husband, Green, are expecting their second child. (Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP, File)

(AP) ? Less than a year after giving birth to her first child, Megan Fox is pregnant again.

A spokeswoman for the actress said Friday that Fox and her husband, Brian Austin Green, are expecting their second child together. Publicist Dominique Appel offered no other details.

Fox and Green welcomed a son, Noah, in September. Green also has a son named Kassius from a previous relationship with actress Vanessa Marcil.

Fox and Green were married in 2010. They began dating in 2004.

Fox was last seen on screen in Judd Apatow's 2012 comedy, "This Is 40." She is currently filming "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-08-02-US-People-Megan-Fox/id-41a8ad0e76614372a893cf57050bbf08

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Ninth woman accuses mayor of harassment

A ninth woman stepped forward Thursday accusing San Diego Mayor Bob Filner of sexual harassment.

Fox 5 San Diego

Emily Gilbert and her husband, Jason, say they do not want money, but that the mayor does need to resign."

Yet another woman has come forward to accuse San Diego Mayor Bob Filner of sexual harassment.

The accusation comes from a Marilyn Monroe impersonator, Emily Gilbert, who was allegedly accosted by the politician when she performed her act at a fundraiser in December.

RELATED: LAWYER FOR FILNER BLAMES CITY FOR NO SEX HARASSMENT TRAINING

She is the ninth woman to accuse Filner of sexual impropriety.

"He grabbed me a little too tight, then proceeded to slide his hand down my arm and then did a little grab on my derriere," Gilbert told FOX5 in San Diego.

RELATED: SAN DIEGO COUNCIL DENIES FUNDS TO EMBATTLED MAYOR BOB FILNER

"I didn't want to make a scene. There were kids around," she added.

She told the local news station that she was embarrassed and when she told her husband, Jason, he was livid.

RELATED: SAN DIEGO CITY COUNCIL ASKED TO PAY LEGAL FEES FOR BELEAGUERED MAYOR BOB FILNER

Her husband, a former major in the Marines, insisted the couple doesn't want money.

"He needs to resign," he told the news station.

RELATED: DIANNE FEINSTEIN CALLS ON SAN DIEGO MAYOR TO STEP DOWN

Filner faces allegations of unwanted advances from multiple women, including his former communications director, Irene McCormack Jackson, who filed a lawsuit on July 22 against the mayor and the city.

In the lawsuit, McCormack alleges Filner asked Jackson to work without panties, demanded kisses, told her he wanted to see her naked, and dragged her in a headlock while whispering in her ear.

RELATED: SAN DIEGO MAYOR ACCUSED OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT PROMISES TO UNDERGO THERAPY

The accusations have prompted a recall effort and a chorus of calls for Filner to resign, including from seven of nine City Council members.

Dealing a double rebuke to its mayor, the council voted unanimously Tuesday to sue Filner to require the mayor pay for any damages or attorney fees out of his own pocket if the city is held liable. It also moved to deny Filner funds for his legal defense.

RELATED: SAN DIEGO MAYOR BOB FILNER FACES MORE HARASSMENT ALLEGATIONS

With News Wire services

Source: http://feeds.nydailynews.com/~r/nydnrss/news/~3/jYgiwxdkpAw/story01.htm

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Park, seeking 4th straight major, opens with 69

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) ? Inbee Park wasn't just chasing history at St. Andrews. She was sprinting toward it.

All it took were three loose tee shots, a pair of three-putts and one double bogey on the back nine Thursday in the Women's British Open to remind her that winning an unprecedented four straight majors in one year is not going to be easy.

Park ran off six birdies in 10 holes to race to the top of the leaderboard, only to stumble coming back in for a 3-under 69 that left her three shots out of the lead.

"Felt like a roller coaster today," Park said.

Morgan Pressel, one spot out of making the Solheim Cup team this week, caught a break with the weather in the afternoon and made seven birdies in a round of 66. She was one shot clear of Stacy Lewis, the former No. 1 player in women's golf who shot 31 on the tougher back nine. Also at 67 were former U.S. Women's Open champion Na Yeon Choi, Nicole Castrale and Mi-Jeong Jeon.

Paula Creamer played bogey-free for a 68.

"Once the round started, and especially playing so good the first few holes, that really gave me a lot of confidence," Park said. "I didn't feel much pressure during the round. I'm just glad that it is already started and I got the first round under my belt."

The conditions were perfect for scoring on the Old Course, with light rain falling from a lead gray sky and barely any wind. Some of the biggest names in women's golf, including Park, Lewis and Creamer, teed off in front of the Royal & Ancient clubhouse with no more than a few dozen fans in tow.

Park already has won three majors this year. No golfer, male or female, has ever won four in one year. The 25-year-old South Korean said she was more nervous than usual before getting to the first tee, perhaps because of all the chatter about a Grand Slam.

It sure didn't show.

Park opened with a wedge into about 7 feet for birdie, and then she really poured it on with an amazing display of her putting stroke. She rolled in a 30-foot birdie putt on No. 3 with perfect pace. She hit a hybrid the perfect distance on No. 4, giving her a flat line between ridges for an 18-foot birdie putt. She made a 35-foot birdie putt on No. 6, another birdie just inside 20 feet on No. 8 and a sixth birdie on No. 10 after a wedge that stopped 5 feet from the hole.

Just like that, there was a feeling of inevitability about this Women's British Open, much as it was for Tiger Woods when he won the British Open for the first time at St. Andrews by eight shots to complete the career Grand Slam in 2000. But not for long.

Dressed in a black rain suit, her emotions never changed, even when she started to unravel.

It started with a tee shot into thick grass to the right of the 12th fairway. She saved par with another great putt, this one from 15 feet, but she couldn't save herself much longer. After another poor tee shot on the 13th, she came dangerously close to a large gorse bush. She chipped to 15 feet and made bogey, her first of the day. A delicate pitch-and-run helped her avoid another bogey on the 15th after a third tee shot to the right.

Her biggest mistake came from the left rough with a shot into a bunker short of the 16th green. The ball was a few feet from the lip, and Park was tempted to take it up over the high face of the vetted wall. Instead, she turned sideways and blasted out to the middle of the double green, the ball about halfway between the holes cut for No. 2 and No. 16. From about 90 feet away, she didn't hit it nearly hard enough, and her par putt from 15 feet caught the lip.

She also three-putted the 17th from 40 feet when her first attempt came up 10 feet short. Considered one of the best putters on the LPGA Tour ? and looking for a short time as though she couldn't miss ? Park had consecutive three-putt bogeys and had lost four shots in a five-hole span.

"I thought that I fixed my problems coming into this week. I was hitting it so good on the practice round and I didn't really miss any balls," Park said. "I thought I was really prepared, but those couple of bad shots really shocked me. I couldn't really concentrate on the greens when I hit those shots. I've learned my lesson. Good thing I've got my time to fix that today and tomorrow."

She still was only two shots behind, opening with a round that could have been much better. Even so, Park had no complaints.

"A little disappointing, but I'm glad that I've done that in the first round instead of the final round," she said.

Only four months ago, Park and Lewis were battling for No. 1 in the world until the South Korean left everyone in her wake by adding to her major championship collection. The Kraft Nabisco Championship put her in position to take No. 1 away from Lewis, and the playoff win at the LPGA Championship and four-shot win at the U.S. Women's Open brought her to the brink of something grand.

Lewis, however, has some history of her own at St. Andrews. In her final event as an amateur, Lewis was part of the Curtis Cup team that beat Britain & Ireland at the home of golf. Lewis won all five of her matches. She turned pro and played in the final group of the U.S. Women's Open at Interlachen, which Park rallied to win for her first major.

Lewis and Karrie Webb were on the 11th tee when they saw Park make birdie to reach 5 under through eight holes.

"We both looked at each other and shook our heads," Lewis said. "We knew she was going to be there, but it's like she keeps doing it over and over and over again. The front nine is usually where you score. For me, it was the opposite. And I feel lucky to get away with one today."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/park-seeking-4th-straight-major-opens-69-143703633.html

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বৃহস্পতিবার, ১ আগস্ট, ২০১৩

The world goes on vacation

It's the thick of summer, at least for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. And for many, that means it's time for the long-awaited annual vacation.

It can be about discovery, de-stressing, and spending time with those dearest to us. But vacation trends vary by geography, and they change with the times.

People's vacation choices shed light on this year's shifting patterns of globalization, which have been dominated by the rise of emerging economies.

While European travel is down, Russians, Chinese, Brazilians, and others are traveling abroad as never before. International tourism from advanced countries is projected to grow by 2.2 percent annually, while from emerging countries the rise will be double that. By 2030, 1 billion tourists from emerging economies will travel across borders.

These new travelers are part of a new global middle class that is traveling internationally for many reasons: to see parts of the world once closed off, to sample shopping abroad, to take advantage of cheaper and safer travel opportunities outside their own country, or to satisfy their curiosity. The Internet has already closed global divides, but it's the face-to-face contact tourists can have with locals in a cafes or street markets that ultimately provides deeper cultural understanding.

Take Russia, for example. Russians are relative newcomers to the global tourist scene. For much of the past century they were locked up inside the former Soviet Union, and most travel opportunities came in the form of a few weeks at a state-run sanitarium on the Black Sea or a Volga River cruise. Even now, the concept of a standard vacation is not of travel far and wide, but, as in the old days, to a dacha in the countryside to commune with nature and put down vegetables for winter consumption.

After the collapse of the USSR, it was mainly the freshly enriched "new Russians" who could travel abroad, earning a reputation for themselves, mainly across Europe, as loud and abrasive guests and wildly extravagant spenders.

Over the past decade, however, the relative mass prosperity of the Vladimir Putin years has created a new type of Russian tourist, a genuinely middle-class traveler who is stepping out into the world for the first time. "More than half of Russians these days prefer to leave home," says Yury Barzykin, vice president of the Russian Union of Tour Operators, an industry group.

These new travelers tend to be far more budget-conscious than their "nouveau riche" cousins, and also quieter, as well as more curious and respectful of foreign cultures. Millions of them flock each summer to eastern Mediterranean countries such as Turkey, Egypt, and Cyprus, where tour operators have designed cheap, often all-inclusive, Russian-speaking packages for them, and governments have eased visa requirements.

Chinese overseas tourism is also booming, as the growing army of middle-class Chinese broaden their horizons and spend more of their increasing disposable income on travel.

"Over the past decade China has been, and still is, by far the fastest-growing tourism source market in the world," according to a report published in April by the United Nations World Tourism Organization. In 2000, Chinese citizens made 10 million trips abroad; last year they made 83 million such trips, according to the UNWTO.

And their spending power has transformed the industry. Chinese travelers spent a record $102 billion in 2012, well ahead of Germans, the former top spenders, and Americans. With Chinese tourist numbers predicted to keep growing, they "will surely continue to change the map of world tourism," UNWTO chief Taleb Rifai said recently.

This does not always translate into cultural interchange ? at least outside shopping malls.

"Most Chinese tourists do not seek out great hotels or care much about the food," says Wei Xiao'an, a former senior official at China's National Tourism Administration. "Many of them don't even pay much attention to the scenery; their top priority is shopping."

That is partly because Chinese taxes on imported goods, especially luxury items, are high and because Chinese travel agencies strike deals with malls that pay them a commission on all their clients' purchases.

"It's the main way the agencies make money," says Mr. Wei.

Russians and Chinese are the globe's burgeoning tourists, but the trends are reflected across the emerging world. In June of this year, 155,000 South Koreans traveled overseas, a 21 percent increase over 2011, according to Hana Tour, South Korea's largest travel agency.

Over five years, the percentage of Brazilians who said they planned to travel abroad has risen steadily. In June 2008, 19 percent said they would go abroad, according to polling by the university Funda??o Get?lio Vargas and the Brazilian Tourism Ministry. In June of this year, that number rose to 29 percent.

Part of the impulse is the "been there" factor. Andr? Coelho, a specialist in tourism at Funda??o Get?lio Vargas, says that Brazilians travel often to Europe and the United States, as well as Caribbean beaches and popular South American sites.

"A Brazilian likes to say that he traveled abroad in his conversations, to say, 'I've been to Paris; I know that place,' " he says.

In Pakistan, foreign travel has been buoyed in part because of persistent problems at home. Pakistan's northern areas have become increasingly off limits to travelers, prompting them to look elsewhere for vacation options. Areas like the Swat Valley, a scenic and popular vacation spot, faced a brutal Pakistani Taliban insurgency and military operation, followed by flooding in 2010. A recent attack on foreign tourists on a mountaineering expedition to Nanga Parbat in the Himalayan range is also forcing potential travelers to stay away from the Gilgit-Baltistan region, which is home to several other popular vacation spots.

Instead, they are opting to leave the country, going to places that have more relaxed visa requirements, such as Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Turkey.

In some countries, travelers look beyond their borders simply because it's cheaper. In South Africa, for example, travel consultant Julia Barnett says that travel within the continent is too expensive for most South Africans, especially when compared with the Far East with its plethora of budget options.

That means certain countries are losing out on a growing industry ? like Russia, which still suffers from bad roads, undeveloped facilities, and surly service, to which the post-Soviet era has added extremely high prices. While domestic tourism grows by about 10 percent annually, foreign tourism is up 15 percent each year.

"We're a cold, northern country, and many of our compatriots understandably want to vacation near a warm sea," says Irina Shchegolkova, press spokeswoman for the governmental Federal Agency for Tourism. But she says the government is stepping up efforts to promote domestic tourism, from the Pacific Ocean to the Baltic Sea. "We think that with more investment, and a lot more efforts, most Russians in the future are going to start seeing their own country as the place they most want to take a vacation in."

But for now, the wanderlust of going "beyond" is driving the world's travelers, as the tourism landscape changes as quickly as the new global economic map.

? Jeremy Ravinsky provided additional research for this story.

GLOBAL TOURISM FACTS

? There were 1.035 billion tourists in 2012, the first time the number has ever broken the billion mark.
? Tourism provided 1 in 11 of the world?s jobs and accounted for 9 percent of the global GDP in 2012.
? Between January and April 2013, 298 million tourists traveled internationally ? 12 million more than during the same period last year.
? This year?s tourist season (May-August) is projected to see 435 million international tourists traveling.
? By 2030, there will be 1.8 billion international tourists. Emerging economies will account for 57 percent of that: more than 1 billion tourist arrivals per year.

Source: UNWTO

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/world-goes-vacation-160148544.html

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Facebook Flirts With $38 IPO Price

Article Excerpt

Rarely is there so much at stake in getting back to zero.

On Wednesday, Facebook Inc.'s stock briefly touched its initial public offering price of $38, hitting a marker that felt out of reach in autumn of last year, when the stock was in free-fall. While shares eventually drifted lower, to settle at $36.80, Facebook is still within striking distance of $38?a fact not lost on Facebook's investors, many of whom were burned in the company's botched IPO.

"There's some relief," said Chris Baggini, a senior portfolio manager at Turner Investments, a firm with about $9 billion under management that ...

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Bulgarian MPs Approve New BGN 1 B Foreign Debt

The Members of the Bulgarian Parliament approved Thursday a new loan in the amount of BGN 1 B, giving the government the authority to apply for it and receive it.

The vote happened in the frame of the second reading debates on revising State budget 2013.

According to the amendment to the State Budget Act, the Council of Ministries can now assume foreign State debt including through the issuing of government securities in international markets, totaling BGN 1 B or its equivalent in another currency, under the terms of follow-up ratification.

A total of 201 MPs were in plenary hall and took part in the vote.

107 voted for, 87 ? against, and 7 abstained.

Those against were from the opposition Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB.

The debates on the budget actualization continue.

Source: http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=152509

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Stewart fine after sprint car accident in Canada

CHARLOTTE, N.C. ? Tony Stewart was not injured in a scary accident in Canada in which his sprint car rolled five times.

A day after Monday's wreck, Stewart was still scheduled for the World of Outlaws race Tuesday night at Ohsweken Speedway in Ontario. He's the defending race winner.

But the three-time NASCAR champion will sit out a pair of races this weekend as his team takes its cars to Indiana for repairs.

Stewart finished fourth Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and said he'd be in a race car every day this week. Although he declined to reveal his entire schedule, he said he was testing Wednesday, racing Thursday and would be at Pocono Raceway this weekend.

Spokesman Mike Arning says races Friday and Saturday night have been scrapped only for car repairs.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bostonherald/sports/other_sports/auto_racing/~3/B7_mw5bm7a0/stewart_fine_after_sprint_car_accident_in_canada

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Budding Scientist Projects: Caterpillar Olympics

Our "caterpillar Olympics" course

My parents have an old birch tree in their backyard in Western Massachusetts. Each August, we watch a new generation of black-and-white? tussock moth caterpillars make its way down from the tree and toward the side of our house to weave cocoons. Last summer, there were so many of these fluffy creatures that they hung down from the trees on their lines of silk like decorations.

This year, we arrived at my parents? place too early to witness the great migration from birch tree to house siding. But we were lucky enough to find one? caterpillar and catch it. In the past, we?ve kept several of them in pickle jars ? with air holes punched in the lid ? and watched as they wove cocoons and turned into moths, then released them. This year, we?re not here long enough to observe the full lifecycle, so we decided to build the caterpillar its own ?Olympic park,? as my 7-year-old daughter calls it, and observe it climbing around. We used the inside of a box top, and built a slide, a seesaw, a tunnel, a ladder, a jungle gym, a bed and other ?equipment? out of paper. We?ve enjoyed watching the caterpillar?s agility as it makes its way around the course, tossing and waving its head from side to side once it reaches the top of a structure, perhaps searching for a higher tree branch to cling on to.?(Warning: Some people are allergic to the hairs on these caterpillars and can develop a rash. We haven?t had this problem, but to stay safe you may want to handle your caterpillars using small sticks or twigs)

Below is a video of our caterpillar on the slide.
Credits: Anna Kuchment

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/~r/sciam/basic-science/~3/oizZ5x-CiUI/post.cfm

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Eco-Moonbats Compare Anti-Fossil Fuel Movement To Fight Against Apartheid In South Africa?

I?m sure the people who suffered through apartheid would beg to differ.

Via National Review:

For a moment during his climate speech on June 25, President Obama joined the fossil-fuel-divestment movement when he said, ?Invest. Divest. . . . Make yourself heard.? The leading group of divestment activists, 350.org, said, ?Obama?s shout-out to the fossil fuel divestment movement is a huge endorsement.? But what did Obama endorse, exactly?

The goal of the fossil-fuel-divestment movement is for ?institutional leaders to immediately freeze any new investment in fossil fuel companies, and divest from direct ownership and any commingled funds that include fossil fuel public equities and corporate bonds within 5 years.?

Divestment activists claim their movement rests on the same moral foundation as the movement to divest from South Africa during apartheid. The website gofossilfree.org, a spin-off of 350.org,?tells?the success story of the latter movement:

?By the mid-1980s, 155 campuses ? including some of the most famous in the country ? had divested from companies doing business in South Africa. 26 state governments, 22 counties, and 90 cities, including some of the nation?s biggest, took their money from multinationals that did business in the country. The South African divestment campaign helped break the back of the Apartheid government, and usher in an era of democracy and equality.?

Comparing the anti-fossil-fuel movement to the anti-apartheid movement is shameful. The anti-apartheid movement fought to free oppressed South Africans from their racist government. The fossil-fuel-divestment movement, in contrast, isn?t fighting political oppression or racism. It?s fighting the energy Americans rely on to live their lives.

Keep reading?

Source: http://weaselzippers.us/2013/07/30/eco-moonbats-compare-anti-fossil-fuel-movement-to-fight-against-apartheid-in-south-africa/

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Several Tips To Your Home Improvement Job - House with soul

Many people are scared of doing their own home improvement job alone. With the right information, you may do almost any project with the tools available to you. Use the information in this article to tackle that home improvement project you are considering.

The decorating style that you choose will narrow down your choices in several different areas.It's easy to change decorative styles in the middle of your project without recognizing it until it's too late.

Use old shoe boxes for an aesthetic touch that adds storage to your home. Use fabric or old wallpaper on the shoe boxes to give them a modern design. This way you get an extra storage solution while adding drama to a room.

Do not underestimate the amount of effort that a project will require. Create a list of all the things you must take care of.You may also consider getting a second opinion to ensure you overlooked something. You will save money if you start a project with full knowledge of its scope.

Bathrooms are also key to anyone planning to flip a property. Buyers can easily customize the majority of rooms, but they want the bathrooms to be in excellent condition right from the get-go. If your shower and sink aren't in good condition, replace them right away. Swap out your linoleum floors for tile if they're linoleum.

Invest in a snake to save money on plumbing house calls. You will avoid the need to purchase drain cleaners a lot. Drain snakes aren't for people who are inexperienced, so you may want to have a plumber show you how to use it the first time. Snakes come in a variety of sizes and lengths so make sure you get the one right for your pipe.

A good thing to do when you are wanting to keep up with home improvements is to put aside some money for needs that arise.

If you're unhappy with your current home, or think you don't have enough space, consider renovating it instead of moving completely.

One good home improvement project that can increase the home's value is finishing the basement. You can increase the total square footage of livable space for your family when adding in a basement. You could purchase finishing materials from discount stores. Finishing your basement can increase your home's resale value upwards of 30%.

An unattractive air conditioner is a necessary evil in many places around the U.S. It can easily be disguised with latticework or any other feature. You can use a large plant like Pampas grass as a disguise, do not plant them too closely.

Adding a new sink can help spruce up your kitchen.This can instantly improve your kitchen.You can get new sinks in many colors, colorful new sink.

Consider the good and the bad of an alarm on your home during showings.

Keep water usage in mind when making home improvement plans. Low-flow toilets, water-saving toilets and tank-less water heaters can be easily purchased and installed.

Be flexible with your home renovation projects. You may think that something has to be done within a certain period of time, but sometimes it may take longer. You may expect to spend a given amount of money, but you could go over it.

Install a ceiling fan to help the air better.

Upgrading your appliances goes a lot for the overall quality and value of your house. No matter what appliances you choose to replace, updating your home's appliances will go a long way in improving your home.

Determine how you need to use for eliminating debris.

If you have cabinets that need to be redone and you do not have a lot of money, consider refacing them instead of completely replacing them with new ones. It can be expensive to replace all the cabinets in your kitchen. You can reface your cabinets for just a small fraction of the price of replacement.You will get a whole new look and save some money.

Green improvements are an excellent choice. This can improve both your home and it's environmentally friendly. Installing an air conditioning or furnace that is energy efficient will make your home more comfortable, saves energy costs and helps keep the earth clean.

There is a easy solution to reduce the energy consumption when making your home improvements.

Keep in mind that the lowest bid you receive doesn't necessarily a good one. At the start, you may think the low price is the best, but you could end up paying a lot more in the long run.

If you hire a professional, check the contract to ensure that the work is guaranteed. If you don't check the contract, you will have no one but yourself to blame if it ends up that there's no guarantee on the work. It is important that you know that the work is guaranteed work.

It is the first thing any visitor sees. Paint your home and set out some attractive plants in pots. The small things will add up in the difference.

Keep a little box of fasteners available at all times. If you do this, the small hardware that you need will be readily available.

Upgrading appliances is a simple way to make home improvements to slash utility bills. Upgrading old appliances can pay will itself by producing energy consumption. Installing appliances can be simple and can make for an easy home improvement plan.

You may think it's difficult taking on home improvement jobs with professional contractors. With the tips from this article, you can accomplish some of your home improvement goals on your own.
 Several Tips To Your Home Improvement Job

This post is also available in: French

Source: http://des-law.com/several-tips-to-your-home-improvement-job/

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Innovation Prize for Africa 2014 Announces USD 150 000 Prize for Innovative African Solutions to African Challenges

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Source: www.thenigerianvoice.com --- Tuesday, July 30, 2013
JOHANNESBURG, South-Africa, July 30, 2013/African Press Organization APO/ -- The African Innovation Foundation AIF announced the call for entries for the 2014 Innovation Prize for Africa IPA http://www.innovationprizeforafrica.org. The prestigious Prize, presented annually since 2012, aims a ... ...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNigerianVoiceNews/~3/Hgk3VyXW0gs/innovation-prize-for-africa-2014-announces-usd-150.html

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Where do Florida lawmakers stand on 'Stand your Ground' law?

TAMPA (FOX 13) -

We asked every Florida lawmaker: Do you support the Stand your Ground law, or would you like to review, change, or repeal it? Here are the responses we received.

Support as is:

House:

Rep. Dennis K. Baxley (R)

Rep. Greg Steube (R)

Rep. Dana Young (R)

Rep. Jake Raburn (R)

Rep. Jimmie Smith (R)

Rep. Cary Pigman (R)

Rep. Neil Combee (R)

Rep. Mike Fasano (R)

Rep. Jim Boyd (R)

Rep. Ray Rodrigues (R)

Rep. Carl Zimmermann (R)

Rep. Dane Eagle (R)

Rep. Charles Van Zant (R)

Rep. Ross Spano (R)

Rep. Carlos Trujillo (R)

Rep. Manny Diaz (R)

Rep. John Tobia (R)

Rep. Halsey Beshears (R)

Rep. David Santiago (R)

Rep. Mike Hill (R)

Rep. Elizabeth Porter (R)

Rep. Debbie Mayfield (R)

Sen. Keith Perry (R) (but open to review)

Rep. Ronald 'Doc' Renuart (R)

Rep. Jimmy Patronis (R)

Rep. Steve Crisafulli (R)

Rep. Larry Ahern (R)

27

Senate:

Sen. David Simmons (R)

Sen. Wilton Simpson (R)

Sen. Bill Galvano (R)

Sen. Greg Evers (R)

Sen. Rene Garcia (R )

Sen. Kelli Stargel (R)

Sen. President Don Gaetz (R)

Sen. Thad Altman (R)

Sen. Jack Latvala (R)

Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla (R)

Sen. Rob Bradley (R)

Sen. John Legg (R) (but open to review)

Sen. Jeff Brandes (R) (but open to review)

13

Review:

House:

Rep. Mike Clelland (D)

Rep. Ricardo Rangel (D)

Rep. Dwight R. Dudley (D)

Rep. Jared E. Moskowitz (D)

Rep David Richardson (D)

Rep. Michelle Rehwinkle Vasilinda (D)

Senate:

Sen. Darren Soto (D)

7

Change or Repeal:

House:

Rep. Randolph Bracy (D)

Rep. Perry Thurston (D)

Rep. Hazelle P. Rogers (D)

Rep. Joe Saunders (D)

Rep. Dwayne L. Taylor (D)

Rep. Clovis Watson, Jr. (D)

Rep. Irv Slosberg (D)

Rep. Elaine Schwartz (D)

Rep. Mia L. Jones (D)

Rep. Kevin Rader (D)

Rep. Karen Castor Dentel (D)

Rep. Darryl E. Rouson (D)

Rep. Larry Lee Jr. (D).

Rep. Victor Torres, Jr (D)

Rep. Janet Cruz (D)

Rep. Alan Williams (D)

Rep. Gwyndolen Clarke-Reed (D)

Rep. Joe Gibbons (D)

Rep. Mark Pafford (D)

Rep. Shevrin Jones (D)

Rep. Cynthia Stafford (D)

Rep. Betty Reed (D)

Rep. Lori Berman (D)

Rep. Bruce Antone (D)

Rep. Jim Waldman (D)

Rep. Barbara Watson (D)

Rep. Richard stark (D)

27

Senate:

Sen. Dwight Bullard (D)

Sen. Eleanor Sobel (D)

Sen. Arthenia Joyner (D)

Sen. Alan Hays* (R) (tweak current language but not repeal)

Sen. Geraldine Thompson (D)

Sen. Gwen Margolis (D)

Sen. Audrey Gibson (D) (There is no category for review and change and that is what I support.)

Sen. Chris Smith (D)

Sen. Jeremy Ring (D)

9

Would not answer:

Rep. James Grant (R)

Rep. Matt Caldwell (R)

2

Source: http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/story/22943161/2013/07/26/where-do-florida-lawmakers-stand-on-stand-your-ground-law

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Judge: Fed chair Bernanke should be deposed in AIG bailout case

bernanke

5 hours ago

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke testifies before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee July 18, 2013 in Washington, DC.

Win McNamee / Getty Images

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke testifies before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee July 18, 2013 in Washington, DC.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke should testify in the lawsuit by American International Group Inc's former chief Maurice "Hank" Greenberg against the United States over the insurer's 2008 bailout, a judge ruled on Monday.

Judge Thomas Wheeler of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims rejected the government's effort to keep Bernanke from being deposed, saying the Fed chairman was a "central figure" in the decision to bail out AIG.

"Indeed, the court cannot fathom having to decide this multi-billion dollar claim without the testimony of such a key government decision maker," Wheeler wrote. "These facts constitute 'extraordinary circumstances' for the taking of Mr. Bernanke's deposition."

(Watch: Who will succeed Bernanke?)

Greenberg's Starr International Co, which once had a 12 percent stake in AIG, is suing over the government's taking of a 79.9 percent stake in the insurer in September 2008 and a separate 1-for-20 reverse stock split in June 2009.

Greenberg's attorney, Alanna Rutherford of Boies, Schiller & Flexner, said his team was pleased with the judge's decision.

Earlier this year Greenberg tried to force AIG to join his suit against the government over the $182.3 billion bailout, an effort the company ultimately rejected.

Greenberg is seeking tens of billions of dollars in compensation over the losses he incurred when the government rescued the company.

"Because of Mr. Bernanke's personal involvement in the decision-making process to bail out AIG, it is improbable that Plaintiff would be able to obtain the same testimony or evidence from other persons or sources," Wheeler wrote in his four-page order.

Wheeler said the court would extend "appropriate deference and courtesies" to Bernanke in scheduling the testimony; the judge also said he would attend the deposition himself.

It is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 16, the order noted.

Reuters contributed to thisreport.

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Tim Draper, Bloom Energy's Sridhar: Why now is the perfect time to start up in Japan

San Francisco-based mobile payment startup Square started swiping credit cards in Japan two months ago. Bloom Energy Corp. is about to start selling its power-generating Bloom Boxes in Japan.

Advocates of U.S.-Japan business ties are hoping to build on these relatively isolated but promising expansions by fostering more startup activity. That's both in the form of home-grown Japanese entrepreneurship and by encouraging more American startups to jump into the market.

The Japanese startup cheerleaders include some serious Silicon Valley venture capital muscle.

?The Japanese economy has been flat for a very long time,? said Draper Fisher Jurvetson co-founder Tim Draper at the 2013 Japan Innovation Awards held Friday by the Japan Society of Northern California and Stanford?s U.S. Asia Technology Management Center at Stanford University. ?Now is the time for the entrepreneurs to soar.?

Japan?s economy remains sluggish, especially compared to neighboring China?s recent explosive growth, with even optimistic outlooks for Japan forecasting decades more of GDP stagnation. But on top of Bloom Energy and Square, incubators have started popping up in tech-savvy Japanese cities, according to University of Pennsylvania research.

Draper himself has also helped establish the Draper Nexus venture capital firm, with offices in Silicon Valley and Tokyo dedicated to funding Japanese entrepreneurs. The firm is part of DFJ?s international network of independent venture firms.

For Bloom Energy CEO KR Sridhar, whose company was honored with an award at the event Friday, the big Bloom opening in Japan came just last week.

Lauren Hepler covers economic development, sports, and hospitality for the Silicon Valley Business Journal. She can be reached at 408.299.1820

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10 Worst College Football Uniforms of the BCS Era

Wyoming's school fight song, "Ragtime Cowboy Joe," was composed by Lewis F. Muir and Maurice Abrahams. But in order to properly epitomize their uniforms, they ought to commission an updated version by The Clash.

The whole ensemble, when ingested at once, looks like a banana split after three days left on the table?the gross, brown, subpar hot fudge melting and coalescing with the rotten yellow fruit to form a puke-colored monstrosity.

Bonus points (in the wrong direction) since, unlike many of the jerseys on this list, Wyoming wears this every. single. week.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1716758-10-worst-college-football-uniforms-of-the-bcs-era

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Historic mosque in Homs falls to Syrian goverment troops

DAMASCUS, Syria -- Syrian government forces captured a historic mosque in the central city of Homs on Saturday, expelling rebels who had been in control of the 13th century landmark for more than a year.

State-run news agency SANA quoted a military official as saying that troops took control of the Khalid Ibn al-Walid Mosque in the heavily disputed northern neighborhood of Khaldiyeh.

Syrian TV aired a report Saturday night with footage from inside the mosque, showing heavy damage and the tomb's dome knocked out.

The footage showed debris strewn on the floor and a portion of the mosque appeared to have been burned.

The mosque, famous for its nine domes and two minarets, has been a symbol for rebels in the city that is known as "the capital of the revolution." On Monday, government troops shelled the mosque, damaging the tomb of Ibn al-Walid, a revered figure in Islam.

A Homs-based activist who identified himself only by his nickname, Abu Bilal, said regime forces now control more than 60 percent of Khaldiyeh. He said events were moving "very fast."

On top of its symbolic value, Homs is also a geographic lynchpin in Syria.

The main highway from Damascus to the north as well as the coastal region, which is a stronghold of President Bashar Assad's Alawite sect, runs through Homs.

Both rebels and the regime place a high strategic value on the city.

Source: http://www.twincities.com/national/ci_23746522/historic-mosque-homs-falls-syrian-goverment-troops?source=rss

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Tim Cook May Not Know Why, But Samsung Is Winning in China

Slashdot writes, An anonymous reader writes with this interesting snippet about the state of mobile tech in China: "Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook believes that 'over the arc of time' China is a huge opportunity for his pathbreaking company. But time looks to be on the side of rival Samsung Electronics, which has been around far longer and penetrated much deeper into the world's most populous country. Apple this week said its revenue in Greater China, which also includes Hong Kong and Taiwan, slumped 43 per cent to $4.65 billion from the previous quarter. That was also 14 per cent lower from the year-ago?

Continue reading Tim Cook May Not Know Why, But Samsung Is Winning in China at Slashdot

Source: http://technewstube.com/slashdot/247834/tim-cook-may-not-know-why-but-samsung-is-winning-in-china/

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Thousands protest government at Tunisia funeral

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) ? Thousands joined a funeral march through Tunisia's capital on Saturday with the body of assassinated opposition politician Mohammed Brahmi, chanting slogans in a display of the anger threatening the survival of a government once seen as a model for democracy in the region.

Adding to the tension in the North African country, a bomb exploded in the early morning underneath a car at the port in Tunis. Though there were no injuries, the rare attack helped deepen the sense of unease in Tunisia, where two opposition politicians have been gunned down in the last six months, apparently by the same weapon.

The latest assassination Thursday exacerbated the distrust between the ruling coalition led by moderate Islamists and the opposition, which has demanded the dissolution of the government because of its failures to rein in Islamist extremists, improve the economy and manage the transition to democracy.

"Down with the party of the Brotherhood," chanted mourners following the body of Brahmi, referring to the ruling Ennahda Party's affiliation with the regional Muslim Brotherhood religious group. "The people demand the fall of the regime."

Brahmi's body was taken in a military vehicle draped with a massive Tunisian flag through the city under a blazing summer sun to the Jellaz cemetery, where fellow assassinated politician Chokri Belaid was laid to rest in February.

The Interior Ministry, citing physical evidence and witnesses, said Friday that Brahmi's assassin was Boubakr Hakim, a known militant and weapons smuggler who was part of the same al-Qaida linked cell that murdered Belaid back in February.

Hakim allegedly shot Brahmi 14 times outside his home Thursday in full view of his family with the same 9mm semi-automatic handgun used to kill Belaid, before he sped away on the back of a moped.

The assassination has rocked the country and provoked anti-government demonstrations around the country by protesters holding the moderate Islamists elected in 2011 responsible for the lack of security in the country.

A 48-year-old political activist with the same leftist coalition as the assassinated Brahmi died Friday night after being hit in the head by a tear gas canister during a demonstration outside a police station in the southern mining town of Gafsa, said Abdessattar Ben Moussa, president of the League for Human Rights.

Protesters also clashed with police in the interior cities of Al-Kef and Sidi Bouzid.

The morning bomb blast caused no injuries and only blew out windows in the area but it represents a dangerous escalation for a country that has yet to experience serious terrorist incidents like its neighbors Algeria and Libya.

"As we were leaving the station for a routine patrol, we saw a suspicious package under the car," said police officer Mourad Mliki told The Associated Press. "We went back to the station to tell our superiors and there was a huge explosion ? it was set off remotely."

Mohammed Ali Aroui, the police spokesman told the state news agency that the remains of the explosive device were being examined by a special team.

"The explosion was so strong it was like an earthquake," said Walid Khammar, a fish seller living near the police station whose car was damaged by the blast.

Tunisians overthrew their dictator in January 2011, inspiring the pro-democracy uprisings of the Arab Spring across the region. The long-repressed moderate Islamist Ennahda dominated subsequent elections and now rules in coalition with two secular parties.

With two political assassinations and a faltering economy, the opposition says the government has lost its legitimacy and is demanding a new government.

Some 42 members of opposition parties announced late Friday their withdrawal from the 217-member elected assembly charged with completing the countries new constitution.

The opposition accuses Ennahda of turning a blind eye to the rise of ultraconservative Islamist movements known as Salafis, following the revolution ? especially those willing to use violence to push their views.

The government had said it did not want to replicate the repressive anti-Islamist policies of overthrown dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali but when thousands of salafis attacked the U.S. embassy in September over an anti-Islamic film produced in the U.S., the government cracked down on the movement.

In April, soldiers patrolling in a mountainous region near the Algerian tripped a roadside bomb causing severe injuries and sparking a search of the region that revealed the remains of training camps and more hidden explosives.

_____

Schemm reported from Rabat.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/thousands-protest-government-tunisia-funeral-113826351.html

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A&D Academy

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NBA free agency news roundup: Gerald Henderson going back to Charlotte, Elias Harris gets deal with Lakers

Gerald Henderson is re-signing with the Bobcats, Elias Harris is joining the Lakers, and the rest of the day's NBA news.

One of the notable restricted free agents still available on the NBA's free agent list is about to come off the board. Gerald Henderson is set to sign a three-year, $18 million contract extension with the Charlotte Bobcats that should be finalized by early next week, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

The re-signing of Henderson was a critical move for a Bobcats team that has made strives toward legitimacy this offseason. Charlotte had previously signed former Jazz forward Al Jefferson to a three-year deal to give the team some desperately needed scoring in the front court. The Bobcats used the No. 4 pick in the 2013 draft on Indiana center Cody Zeller, who drew rave reviews for his summer league performance. Throw in Henderson, the team's second leading scorer last year, and Charlotte could have its best team since the 2010 squad that reached the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Henderson is an athletic wing known for finishing strong at the rim, and also a sound perimeter defender. The 25-year-old showed improvements in his three-point stroke last season by hitting a career-high 33 percent of his shots from deep. If Henderson can continue to work on his efficiency from outside, the Bobcats could have a promising backcourt with he and Kemba Walker.

At Rufus on Fire, Ben Swanson detailed why it was so difficult for the team and player to agree to terms:

Both sides seemed to be separated on Henderson's value, resulting in the what seemed to be a deal fated to never come to agreement. The first news to leak was that the team and the four-year veteran were a vast distance apart in negotiations, resulting in the Bobcats searching out possible sign-and-trade partners. Recent reports said the two sides had continued discussions but were still far apart on the issue of compensation. However, there have been zero reports of Henderson signing any offer sheets, so the market demand for Henderson looks like it wouldn't meet his financial desire either.

Henderson averaged a career-best 15.5 points per game last season for Charlotte.

Mozgov gets $14 million from Nuggets

Timofey Mozgov is re-signing with the Denver Nuggets on a three-year, $14 million contract. Every Timofey Mozgov post is legally obligated to feature an embedded video of the time Blake Griffin dunked all over him:

*Memories*

Mozgov appeared in only 41 games for Denver last season while playing behind starter Kosta Koufos and JaVale McGee, but he should see more time this season after the Nuggets dealt Koufos for power forward Darrell Arthur earlier this offseason. Mozgov averaged only 2.6 points and 2.6 rebounds per game this past season, but he's a solid interior defender thanks to his massive 7'1, 250-pound frame.

The 27-year-old Mozgov has the first two seasons of his new deal guaranteed, while the third will be a team option.

Denver Stiffs outlined a few reasons for skepticism over the contract. Here's the first point:

Denver needed to re-sign Mozgov and the leverage was all his after the team traded starting center Kosta Koufos on draft night. The NBA is sever-footer starved and you typically have to pay big for bigs. While this deal for Mozgov is reasonable by itself, it looks odd when compared to 24 year-old Koufos' deal that will pay him just $3 million per season over the next two years. So, you can say the Nuggets determined that Mozgov was worth $5 million more over the life of the contract, but worth $3.2 million more over the next two seasons.

Elias Harris agrees to two-year deal with Lakers

Elias Harris went undrafted after a stellar career at Gonzaga, but the Los Angeles Lakers saw enough from the 6'8 forward in summer league to give him a two-year contract that includes a "significant" guarantee in the first season, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

The 24-year-old Harris lacks the quickness and range that most NBA small forwards boast, but at 6'8, 240 pounds, he does have tremendous size. Harris shot only 17 percent from three point as a senior for the Bulldogs, but he connected on 41.4 percent of his threes as a junior. He also shot over 50 percent from the field in every season at Gonzaga.

Harris posted 10.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game for a 3-2 Lakers team in Las Vegas Summer League.

Roberson only gets 80 percent of rookie scale from Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder haven't signed a free agent this offseason in hopes of staying just below the luxury tax threshold, a strategy that will have financial consequences for the team's rookies, as well. Most rookies get 120 percent of their slotted scale without much hassle, but Andre Roberson wasn't so lucky.

According to Mark Deeks of Sham Sports, Roberson has agreed to sign for 80 percent of the slot scale. He'll earn $740,560 next season and $1.16 million in his second season. The Thunder now have $70,375,510 committed in salaries, just below the luxury tax line of $71,600,000.

Roberson was selected at No. 26 overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2013 NBA Draft, and was later traded to the Thunder.

Nets agree to terms with Alan Anderson

The Brooklyn Nets continued to mold their bench on Friday by agreeing to a two-year contract with guard Alan Anderson. Anderson averaged 10.7 points and 2.3 rebounds per game for the Raptors last year, but did it on just 38.3 percent shooting from the field. While Anderson's overall efficiency was not good, he is a 34.9 percent shooter from three-point territory over his career.

Anderson, 30, spent four years playing overseas in between stops with the Bobcats and Raptors. He'll join a Brooklyn bench that already includes Andrei Kirilenko, Andray Blatche, Shaun Livingston and Jason Terry.

More from SB Nation:

? Kenny Anderson reveals being sexually abused

? The Dwight Howard Effect

? Ziller: Why extending DeMarcus Cousins isn?t a risk

? LBJ likely done with Team USA | Best (and worst) Olympic moments

? What cap space and exceptions do teams have left?

Source: http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2013/7/26/4561628/2013-nba-free-agency-news-rumors-gerald-henderson-lakers-elias-harris

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