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Source: http://www.cricwaves.com/1170/south-africa-vs-sri-lanka-04-jan-2012/Scorecard.html
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melaniehewitt পোস্ট করেছে @ ৮:৫২ PM
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NEW YORK ? The stock market ended a tumultuous year right where it started.
In the final tally, despite big climbs and falls, unexpected blows and surprising triumphs, all the hullabaloo proved for naught. On Friday, the Standard & Poor's 500 index closed at 1,257.60. That's exactly 0.04 point below where it started the year.
"If you fell asleep January 1 and woke up today, you'd think nothing had happened," says Jack Ablin, chief investment officer of Harris Private Bank. "But it's been up and down all year. It's been crazy."
It was a year when U.S. companies were supposed to run out of ways to make big profits. But they didn't, and in fact generated more than ever. It was a year when the U.S. lost its prized triple-A credit rating, which should have spooked buyers of its bonds. Instead investors bought more of them and made Treasurys one of the best bets of 2011. It was a year when stocks caught fire, then collapsed to near bear-market lows.
Among stocks, there were some surprising winners. Scaredy-cat investors who bought the most conservative and dullest of stocks ? utilities ? gained 15 percent this year, the biggest price rise of the ten industry sectors in the S&P 500. Other winning groups were consumer staples, up 11 percent, and health care companies, 10 percent.
Other market curiosities:
? Bad year, great quarter. Despite disappointing returns in 2011, the last three months of the year were impressive, which could bode well for the new year. The S&P 500 rose 11 percent. The Dow Jones industrial average, comprising 30 big stocks, climbed 1,344 points, or 12 percent. That was the largest quarterly point gain in its history. The Dow closed up 5.5 percent for the year.
? Best of the bad. U.S. stocks delivered little this year, but other markets did even worse, including ones in fast-growing economies. Brazil's Bovespa index fell 18 percent in 2011. Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped 20 percent. In Europe, many of the biggest markets ended down in 2011. Britain's FTSE 100 lost 5.6 percent, Germany's DAX 14.7 percent.
? Buy American is back. A broad index of the Treasury market gained 9.6 percent, despite the fact that the U.S. government is now slightly less likely to repay its debt, at least according to Standard & Poor's. In August, the rating agency stripped the U.S. of its triple-A rating, citing mounting U.S. debt and political squabbling over what to do about it.
For stock investors, 2011 wasn't supposed to end this way.
At the start of the year, the Great Recession was officially 1 1/2 years behind us and the recovery was finally gaining momentum. The economy added an average of more than 200,000 jobs a month in February, March and April. And U.S. companies kept reporting big jumps in profits, defying naysayers.
The stock market roared in approval. On April 29, the S&P closed at 1,363, double its recessionary low of March 2009.
Then manufacturing slowed, companies stopped hiring and consumer confidence plummeted, taking with it those hopes of big stock gains for the year. Adding to the misery, Japan was rocked by an earthquake and tsunami. That shut down factories run by crucial parts suppliers to U.S. firms, in particular auto makers.
Gridlock in Washington didn't help. After much squabbling, politicians eventually decided to raise the cap on how much the federal government can borrow in early August. But the heated debate took its toll. The Dow Jones industrial average swung more than 400 points four days in a row ? down and up and down and up.
Overhanging it all was fear that the debt crisis in Greece had spread to Italy and Spain, countries too large for other European nations to bail out.
Talk of another blockbuster year for stocks turned to dark musings about the possibility of another U.S. recession. And so stocks kept falling. On Oct. 3, stocks had dropped 19 percent from their April high. That was just one point short of an official bear market.
Since then, U.S. housing starts have increased, factories are producing more, unemployment claims fell and U.S. economic growth rose. And companies are still generating impressive profits. Those in the S&P 500 have increased profits by double-digits percentages for nine quarters in a row.
The good news pushed stocks up in the closing months of the year.
The biggest winner in the Dow was McDonald's Corp, up 31 percent for the year. Bank of America Corp. was the worst performing stock, down 58 percent.
Including dividends, the S&P 500 returned 2.11 percent for 2011. That means investors lost money after inflation, which was running at 3.4 percent in the 12 months ending in November. At least they're getting more than investors in the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which currently pays a yield of just 1.88 percent.
The outlook for stocks in the new year is either great or grim, depending on your focus.
Italy has to repay holders of $172 billion worth of it national bonds in the first three months of 2012. It will do so by selling new bonds. The question is how much interest they will demand to be paid to compensate for the risk they're taking on. If they demand too much, fear could spread that the country will default. That could sink stocks.
After Italy was forced to pay unexpectedly high rates in a bond auction earlier this month, stocks fell hard around the world.
There are also questions about whether China's economy is slowing too much and whether the U.S. politicians will agree to raise the debt ceiling again in 2012 or extend Bush-era tax cuts.
On the bright side, stocks seem to be well-priced.
The S&P 500 is trading at 12 times its expected earnings per share for 2012 versus a more typical 15 times. In other words, they appear cheaper now. Partly based on that many strategists, stock analysts and economists expect the index to end next year at 1,400 or more, up 10 percent or so.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 5.42 points, or 0.4 percent on Friday. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 69.48 points, or 0.6 percent, to 12,217.60. The Nasdaq composite index fell 8.59 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,605.15 The Nasdaq is down 1.8 percent for the year.
Trading has been quiet this week with many investors away on vacation. Volume on the New York Stock Exchange has been about half of its daily average. Markets will be closed Monday in observance of New Year's Day.
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melaniehewitt পোস্ট করেছে @ ৭:৩৪ PM
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melaniehewitt পোস্ট করেছে @ ৬:৪৭ PM
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LACEY, Wash. -- Janice Langbehn considers herself an accidental activist. And this year, she is being honored greatly for her efforts.
Langbehn will be on the Donate Life float at the Rose Parade Monday morning. She will ride in honor of her partner, Lisa Pond, an organ donor who died nearly five years ago from a brain aneurysm while they were vacationing. Their story received national attention because Langbehn and their children were not allowed to visit Pond as she passed away in a hospital.
Following Pond's death, Langbehn worked tirelessly to change the laws. President Obama recently revised hospital visitation rights for same-sex couples at hospitals receiving federal Medicare or Medicaid funds. For her efforts, Langbehn received the prestigious Presidential Citizens Medal in October, an honor that was awarded to only 13 people this year.
Langbehn is now preparing to honor her partner by riding in the Rose Parade. The Donate Life float will feature dozens of organ donors by displaying giant pictures of the donors that are made of flowers -- known as floragraphs.
"I'm sure it'll be emotional," Langbehn said. "I still miss her. We were together 18 years."
Langbehn wanted Jerry Lawrence, the Florida man who received Pond's heart, to be in the grandstand during the parade. Lawrence was prepared to make the trip, but other health issues, not connected to his heart, kept him from flying.
So he will watch the parade on TV. And Langbehn knows her partner will be watching from above.
"I'm just honored they asked us," she said. "To continue Lisa's legacy."
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45813207/ns/local_news-seattle_wa/
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melaniehewitt পোস্ট করেছে @ ৫:২৯ PM
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Source: http://wik.io/info/US/306933811
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melaniehewitt পোস্ট করেছে @ ৪:৪৫ PM
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melaniehewitt পোস্ট করেছে @ ৪:৪২ PM
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melaniehewitt পোস্ট করেছে @ ৮:২৪ AM
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Iran has alarmed American officials and the world by declaring it would close the main artery for oil exports from the Persian Gulf if the West imposes sanctions over its nuclear program. NBC?s Andrea Mitchell reports.
Related Links:
TODAY.com home page
Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/45814182/
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melaniehewitt পোস্ট করেছে @ ৬:১৯ AM
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melaniehewitt পোস্ট করেছে @ ৫:০০ AM
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We're down to the final two.
With the remaining moments of 2011 ticking down by the day (there are only two left!), THG has been ranking the most newsworthy celebrities of the past year.
Starting at #10 with Lindsay Lohan, the countdown moved on to Jennifer Lopez, Selena Gomez, viral video stars, Katy Perry and Justin Bieber. All worthy peeps.
Pretty much everyone in the British Royal Family came in at #4, followed by the winner himself, Charlie Sheen, at #3. Which brings us to COTY finalist #2 ...
... Ms. Lady Gaga!
Yes, Lady Gaga knows how to use shock value and outrageous antics to get attention, but she's so much more than a flash in the pan. The 25-year-old is an artiste, a powerhouse performer and a pop cultural sensation, through and through.
Can anyone really dispute that after the 2011 she's had?
With the release of her epic album Born This Way, and the premiere of its title track at the Grammy Awards, which featured her hatching from an egg on stage, Gaga put the planet on notice that she's just getting started as her generation's pop icon.
Lady Gaga characterized BTW as "something so much deeper than a wig or lipstick or a fucking meat dress." Fans and critics agreed she is taking music to the "next level."
An advocate for self-acceptance regardless of race or sexual orientation, her music is known for not only its catchy beats, but for its artistic and cultural references.
Subsequent singles "Judas" and "The Edge of Glory" continued to push the envelope, receiving criticism for some concepts but acclaim for her overall delivery and range.
Later in the year, "You and I" and "Marry the Night" gained recognition for their elaborate music videos, not to mention introspective looks inside the mind of Gaga.
That alone is an impressive list, but it's not even half the story with the girl born Stefani Germanotta who went on to become the hardest working woman in showbiz.
Hardly a day goes by without her shutting it down with monster live efforts, collaborating with new artists, dreaming up new ideas ... or chatting with fans on Twitter.
A self-proclaimed student of fame, she always has her finger on the pulse of pop culture, and has become a living, breathing, one-woman Internet meme in a sense.
Take a bow, Lady Gaga. Here's a look at some of her MANY performances from the past year, which has been one we'll always remember for how exciting she made it:
Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/12/celebrity-of-the-year-finalist-2-lady-gaga/
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melaniehewitt পোস্ট করেছে @ ৪:১৭ AM
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InterOil Corporation of Papua New Guinea had secured a preliminary sales deal with Chinese company ENN for its first natural gas output, in what could be a thrust for InterOil to finally push its planned $6 Billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) project.
Under its agreement with ENN, InterOil will supply 1 to 1.5 mtpa of LNG for a period of 15 years.
InterOil's Gulf LNG project is a joint venture with Pacific LNG. It has an initial capacity of 5 million tons per annum (mtpa), with possible expansion to 10 mtpa in phases. The joint venture company target 2015 for the delivery of its 'first gas'.
Since InterOil plans to spend $6 billion in its newest venture, it needs to secure some 85 per cent in supply agreements of the total capacity before it finally stamps it approval to push through with the project.
Earlier, InterOil has sealed a commitment to deliver 2.3 mtpa in preliminary sales pacts with Gunvor,?Noble?and the Philippines' EWC. Together with the ENN deal, its total commitment now stands between 3.3 mtpa and 3.8 mtpa. To complete the 85 per cent supply agreement requirement, InterOil needs to get sales amounting to 4.25 mtpa.
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Papua New Guinea holds an estimated 226.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas reserves that can be commercialised through LNG terminals, the very reason why many?oil companies are building bases in the South Pacific.
ConocoPhillips?is already working with Australia Pacific LNG, while?Chevron,?Royal Dutch Shell?and?Apache?through the Wheatstone LNG project.?Exxon is likewise building an LNG export facility in the Papua New Guinea fields.?
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Source: http://uk.ibtimes.com/articles/274388/20111230/papua-new-guinea-s-interoil-close-finalizing.htm
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melaniehewitt পোস্ট করেছে @ ২:৫৬ AM
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Beyond the Arc: Georgetown's win over Louisville on Wednesday is the sort of thing we'll be seeing a lot of this season in the Big East, a league stocked with good teams, but no great ones beyond Syracuse.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/45808888#45808888
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melaniehewitt পোস্ট করেছে @ ১২:৫১ AM
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BAGHDAD (Reuters) ? The head of the Sunni-backed Iraqiya political bloc said Iraq "stands on the brink of disaster" and issued a list of demands on Wednesday in a political crisis triggered by charges against a Sunni leader.
Iraqiya leader Iyad Allawi, in an editorial for the New York Times, said Iraq was heading towards a "sectarian autocracy that carries with it the threat of devastating civil war."
Sectarian tensions are running high in Iraq ten days after the last U.S. troops pulled out. Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has sought the arrest of Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi, accused of running death squads.
The commentary, co-authored by Iraqiya officials Osama al-Nujaifi, the parliament speaker, and Rafie al-Esawi, the finance minister, said bloc leaders were being "hounded and threatened by Mr. Maliki, who is attempting to drive us out of Iraqi political life and create an authoritarian one-party state."
The political crisis, Iraq's worst in a year, threatens Maliki's fragile year-old coalition government, an alliance of Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish political blocs.
Nujaifi and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, on Tuesday proposed a national conference of political leaders to try to resolve the crisis and said allegations against Hashemi should be left to the courts.
But Allawi, in a separate statement, listed a series of demands before he would agree to any conference, including the release of "all detainees held on false charges" and the formation of a panel of top politicians to oversee and prevent interference in legal procedures.
Iraqiya has criticized a recent arrest campaign against hundreds of former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party over what some officials said was a plot to seize power after U.S. troops left.
Allawi also demanded the government implement an accord reached last year before the coalition government was formed that would have given him leadership of a new national policy council. Allawi has accused Maliki of reneging on the pact.
Allawi said "all options are still open" to resolve the crisis, including early elections and the possibility of a new candidate for prime minister.
Both Iraqiya and the Sadrist movement of anti-American Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr have called for new elections, currently not due until 2014.
Iraq's latest crisis was triggered by the charges against Hashemi and Maliki's request to parliament to fire Sunni Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlaq. Hashemi and Mutlaq are two of the most senior figures in Iraqiya.
In the editorial, Allawi, a former prime minister, said Maliki had "laid siege to our party," surrounding leaders' homes and offices in Baghdad's Green Zone with government forces.
"...as Iraq once again teeters on the brink, we respectfully ask America's leaders to understand that unconditional support for Mr. Maliki is pushing Iraq down the path to civil war," the editorial said.
"Unless America acts rapidly to help create a successful unity government, Iraq is doomed."
U.S. and Iraqi officials have been engaged in a flurry of talks to try ease tensions in a crisis that could have wider impact in the region with Iraq's Sunni and Shi'ite neighbors.
(Additional reporting by Ahmed Rasheed)
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melaniehewitt পোস্ট করেছে @ ৫:৫০ PM
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SYDNEY -- Australian police have arrested a man accused of robbing a Sydney bar and then inadvertently fleeing to the grounds of the Chinese consulate, sparking a tense manhunt.
New South Wales Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Murdoch says police were chasing the man Friday when he scaled the fence surrounding the nearby consulate grounds. Murdoch says the man and police traded gunfire, but no one was hit.
Police shut down roads around the consulate and secured the complex before finding the man in a building outside the consulate grounds several hours later. He was arrested.
Police also arrested the man's alleged accomplice outside the bar. Officials did not release the men's names.
Murdoch says the man's decision to flee to the consulate grounds was random.
Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/12/29/2566281/accused-sydney-robber-flees-to.html
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melaniehewitt পোস্ট করেছে @ ৩:৫০ PM
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Getty ImagesOn the surface, it?s easy to shrug at Sunday?s slate of games, given the sense that only a few postseason loose ends remain.? But as our good friend Ricky Diamond, producer extraordinaire at NBC Sports, points out, all but three of the games have meaning.
Unfortunately for FOX, all three of the meaningless games ? Redskins-Eagles, Bears-Vikings, Seahawks-Cardinals ? will be televised on its network.
Here are the implications of each of the other games.
Bills at Patriots:? New England clinches the top seed in the AFC with a win.? A loss combined with a win by the Steelers or Ravens would push the Pats to No. 2.
Jets at Dolphins:? New York remains alive for the second wild-card berth in the AFC.
Titans at Texans:? Ditto for the Titans.
Colts at Jaguars:? The Colts secure the No. 1 pick if they lose; if they win (and if the Rams lose to the 49ers), the pick goes to St. Louis.
Ravens at Bengals:? The Ravens need a win to clinch the AFC North and the No. 2 seed.? The Bengals must win to secure the second wild-card berth in the AFC.
Steelers at Browns:? A Steelers win plus a Ravens loss gives Pittsburgh the AFC North title and the No. 2 seed.? Throw in a Patriots loss, and the Steelers emerge with the No. 1 seed.
Chiefs at Broncos:? Denver clinches the AFC West with a victory.
Chargers at Raiders:? Oakland takes the AFC West with a victory and a loss by the Broncos.? The Raiders with a win also have a shot at the second AFC wild-card berth.
Panthers at Saints:? The Saints can capture the No. 2 seed in the NFC with a win and a 49ers loss.
Buccaneers at Falcons:? With a Falcons win and a Lions loss, Atlanta secures the No. 5 seed in the NFC, avoiding a potential return trip to New Orleans.
Lions at Packers:? With a win, the Lions clinch the fifth seed, avoiding the Saints in the wild-card round.
49ers at Rams:? A win by San Fran nails down the No. 2 seed; a loss by the Rams could deliver the top pick in the draft, if the Colts beat the Jaguars.
Cowboys at Giants:? A true playoff play-in game, the winner takes the NFC East.? The loser goes home.
And so be sure to ring in the New Year by keeping your eyes on every NFL game on Sunday.? (Except the three that don?t matter.) We?ll be watching them all ? including the three that don?t matter ? and bringing you all the pertinent information right here.
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melaniehewitt পোস্ট করেছে @ ১২:২২ PM
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http://preview.tinyurl.com/cchar8z
Matches details:
TEAM: Oklahoma City Thunders vs Memphis Grizzlies live
DATE : Dec. 28, 2011
GAME START: 8:00 PM ET
COMPETITIONS: NBA Regular Season 2011/2012
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You can check the match up between Oklahoma City Thunders vs Memphis Grizzlies ,Free Online or Live Online sites that gives us live online streaming or Live Scores, like Sopcast Channels, Justin TV, Ustream and many more sites or you can drop by to ESPN.com for Oklahoma City Thunders vs Memphis Grizzlies.
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melaniehewitt পোস্ট করেছে @ ৫:২২ AM
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With the college basketball season now in full swing, we get a better idea of which players project for the 2011 NBA Draft. Team needs have not...
Well, we?re about half way through the 2009-2010 NBA season and so it seems like it would be a good time to check in on the award races. So,...
On a sports day that had been dominated by news of Albert Pujols leaving the St. Louis Cardinals to head to Anaheim and the Angels, one could have...
The Lakers and Celtics are in the Finals. How much better could it get for an NBA fan? Not much! So now that we've arrived into June ball, it's...
It just doesn't look right. No matter how many times I see Ronny Turiaf in a Golden State Warriors jersey I cringe and can't help but wonder if he...
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melaniehewitt পোস্ট করেছে @ ১:১৭ AM
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Source: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/haattennis/2011/12/27/diversity-in-college-tennis
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melaniehewitt পোস্ট করেছে @ ১১:৫৫ PM
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A local public insurance adjuster and the president of a home inspectors group allege that parts of property insurance laws passed this year and last hurt their industries and are unconstitutional.
Public adjuster restrictions
In a lawsuit filed this month in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court, Eduardo Rodriguez is suing the state over changes made by a a sweeping law this year that prevent public adjusters who represent state-backed Citizens Property Insurance policyholders from getting paid for their services until the insurer makes an offer. The law also limits what they can charge after that.
Public adjusters are hired by policyholders to prepare, file or complete claims. The new law restricts fees for public adjusters representing Citizens policyholders to 10 percent over the original amount the insurer offered for a claim.
Rodriguez, president of Expert Claims Adjusters in Miami, notes in the suit that the law doesn't define an original offer but documents from Citizens imply it's a written offer after the insurer has adjusted and investigated the claim. He said the time before that is critical because a policyholder may make decisions that affect how much money they'll receive such as finding all the damages and preserving evidence.
The law "does not allow a public adjuster remuneration for performing inherent and necessary tasks until Citizens Property Insurance Corporation has made a nebulous, vague and undefined 'original offer,'" according to the suit. That violates a public adjuster's "right to contract and [other rights] such as the right to be rewarded for industry."
The same restriction doesn't apply to private insurers' policyholders: State law caps their public adjusters' fees at 10 percent for hurricane claims made during the first year and 20 percent for all other claims.
Home inspector restrictions
Steve Taylor, president of the Florida chapter of the American Society of Home Inspectors, wrote a letter to state officials recently saying changes that allow licensed contractors or engineering firms to hire unlicensed people to do inspections to verify hurricane insurance discounts but bar home inspection firms from doing the same violate unfair trade practice regulations.
"The contractor and engineer business owner can hire a non-licensed individual at a much lower wage than the other business entities who can only hire licensed individuals...As a result, the contractor and engineer business owner can deliver the wind mitigation service to the consumer at a much lower fee than the other business entities, thus creating an unfair market advantage," Taylor wrote to the Financial Services Commission, which is made up of the Cabinet.
Regulators made changes to a form used to verify hurricane insurance discounts based on changes required by a 2010 law. Despite the letter from Taylor, the Florida Cabinet approved the new form this month.
The state Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on a lawsuit alleging a 2009 law barring public adjusters from soliciting business right after a disaster violates free speech.
Photo: An employee of Category 5 Hurricane Shutters installs shutters on a home in Delray Beach. (Jim Rassol, Sun Sentinel)
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melaniehewitt পোস্ট করেছে @ ৯:৫১ PM
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In a lawsuit filed December 14, Lady Gaga's former personal assistant, Jennifer O'Neill, is seeking nearly $380,000 from the pop star's touring company.
MORE: Lady Gaga Talks Bullying Prevention at White House
In the papers, O'Neill claims that she worked 7,168 unpaid overtime hours prior to her termination on March 5, 2011.
MORE: The Secret Gaga Never Told Beyonce
According to the documents, there were times when O'Neill didn't have the luxury of breaking for meals "or, at times, even sleep," due to Gaga's demanding schedule. O'Neill claims that her duties ranged from being Mother Monster's "personal alarm clock" to "ensuring the promptness of a towel following a shower."
CNN reports that Gaga's reps called the suit "completely without merit."
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melaniehewitt পোস্ট করেছে @ ৩:৫৩ PM
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Source: http://icanhascheezburger.com/2011/12/27/funny-pictures-chanukah-pets/
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melaniehewitt পোস্ট করেছে @ ৮:২৩ AM
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NEW DELHI (Reuters) ? The Gandhi dynasty that has ruled India for most of the 64 years since independence has kept the world's largest democracy in poverty, leaders of a protest movement said on Monday as they prepared renewed rallies to target the government on corruption.
A three-day fast led by 74-year-old activist Anna Hazare and a plan for thousands of people to picket the home of Congress party leader Sonia Gandhi on New Years Eve will be a test of strength for the anti-corruption movement that forced a government U-turn in the summer.
"India was not destined to be a poor country, India was destined to be a developed country but corruption has kept it poor," said Kiran Bedi, a member of Hazare's inner circle.
"Who has exercised corruption? The party in power, and the party in power for the majority of the years has been the Congress party and in the Congress party, the Gandhi family."
India's fast-growing economy is Asia's third largest but many of the country's 1.2 billion people suffer from inadequate nutrition and have no electricity.
Hazare plans to begin his hunger strike in Mumbai on Tuesday. Almost 100,000 people have signed up online to express support for a the three-day "fill the jails" protest picketing politicians homes and courting arrest.
A fast led by Hazare in August brought tens of thousands of people onto the streets. After initially arresting him and dismissing him as an anarchist, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government caved in to his demands to quickly pass a tougher version of anti-graft legislation first proposed decades ago.
The protests also triggering an ongoing debate about the nature of India's democracy.
Hazare's supporters say voting in elections must be supplemented by direct pressure on politicians, while traditional parties say the protests risk "mobocracy."
"If hundreds of thousands of people coming onto the street can't get their government to hear their voices, there is something seriously wrong with the way our democracy is being implemented," close Hazare aide Arvind Kejriwal told Reuters.
Corruption scandals have tainted Singh's second term, with a multi-billion dollar telecoms scam landing a former minister and other senior officials in jail.
The focus on the Gandhi family drew criticism from the ruling Congress party, which accused the protesters of being a front for the opposition.
Hazare and his aides have turned their fire on Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul ahead of five state elections in the next two months, accusing the family of amassing too much power and watering down a bill in parliament for a powerful ombudsman to tackle graft.
The protesters are pressuring parliament to bring the federal police force under the remit of the ombudsman, along with other demands.
Parliament is due to debate the bill on Tuesday.
"There are one or two people in the ruling party who run the government and run the parliament," this is not democracy, Kejriwal said.
Three of India's prime ministers since the end of colonial rule in 1947 have come from the family.
Sonia Gandhi is widely considered to be at least as powerful as Singh in the current government, and her son is being groomed to lead the country in the future.
The Gandhis enjoy almost regal status, and direct criticism of them is rare outside of political campaigns.
Rahul Gandhi is now running the party's campaign ahead of an election in Uttar Pradesh, the country's most populous state, in February.
Hazare threatens to campaign against Congress in Uttar Pradesh and four other state elections to be held in the next two months that will serve as a barometer of the government's support half way through its term.
"The entire movement has raised very serious and fundamental issues about India's democracy," Kejriwal said.
"Is it really by the people, of the people, for the people, or by the party high command, of the party high command, for the party high command?"
(Reporting By Frank Jack Daniel; Additional reporting by Annie Banerji; Editing by Ted Kerr)
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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) ? Abu Dhabi's cash-strapped Aldar Properties agreed Wednesday to accept an additional $4.6 billion from the emirate's government in exchange for real estate and services, marking its second state rescue this year.
Aldar, which is partly owned by the government, said the 16.8 billion dirhams in fresh funds will help shore up its balance sheet following a wide-ranging review of the company's business model and finances.
"The transactions we are announcing today ... are designed to create the solid financial foundation needed to drive returns to shareholders. Moreover, we have realigned our organizational structure, reduced headcount and refined our business strategy," Chairman Ali Eid al-Mehairi said in a statement.
Under the terms of the deal, Aldar is handing over 760 villas at its Al Raha Beach development in Abu Dhabi, the oil-rich capital of the United Arab Emirates. That part of the transaction is valued at 3.5 billion dirhams ($954 million).
Abu Dhabi's government will also settle a 5 billion dirham loan Aldar owes related to infrastructure at the waterfront site.
In addition, Aldar is selling for 5.7 billion dirhams an area being redeveloped in downtown Abu Dhabi known as Central Market. The government will pay the property company an additional 2.6 billion dirhams for Aldar to manage the completion of the project and handle the site's day-to-day operations.
Aldar said it expects to receive proceeds from the sales over the next four years, with 4.5 billion dirhams expected to arrive in the next two months.
Aldar's finances have been hurt by an ongoing property slump in the United Arab Emirates, the Arab world's second largest economy, which also includes the Mideast commercial hub of Dubai.
In January, it agreed to sell bonds and real estate holdings to the government to raise $5.2 billion of critically needed cash. At the time, it also took a $2.9 billion impairment charge to write down the value of its assets.
Aldar was set up in 2004 to accelerate real estate growth in Abu Dhabi. It spearheaded development of large-scale residential projects and its signature development of Yas Island, home of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix auto race.
Like state-linked property companies in neighboring Dubai, it borrowed heavily to fund its growth and fell on hard times when the global economy faltered.
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This image made from amateur video and released by Shaam News Network Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011 Monday, Dec. 26, 2011, purports to show a woman mourning over a close relative in Homs, Syria Monday, Dec. 26, 2011. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via APTN) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL. TV OUT
This image made from amateur video and released by Shaam News Network Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011 Monday, Dec. 26, 2011, purports to show a woman mourning over a close relative in Homs, Syria Monday, Dec. 26, 2011. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via APTN) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL. TV OUT
This image made from amateur video and released by Shaam News Network Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011, purports to show the blood of men killed from shells in Homs, Syria, Monday, Dec. 26, 2011. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via APTN) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL. TV OUT
This image made from amateur video and released by Shaam News Network Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011, purports to show men carrying an injured man in Homs, Syria, Monday, Dec. 26, 2011. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via APTN) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL. TV OUT
This image made from amateur video and released by Ugarit News Group Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011, purports to show a Syrian military tank in Homs, Syria. (AP Photo/Ugarit News Group via APTN) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL. TV OUT
This image made from amateur video and released by Shaam News Network Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011, purports to show a woman mourning over a relative who has been killed in Homs, Syria Monday, Dec. 26, 2011. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via APTN) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL. TV OUT
BEIRUT (AP) ? Tens of thousands of defiant Syrian protesters thronged the streets of Homs Tuesday, calling for the execution of President Bashar Assad shortly after his army pulled its tanks back and allowed Arab League monitors in for the first time to the city at the heart of the anti-government uprising.
The pullback was the first sign the regime was complying with the League's plan to end the 9-month-old crackdown on mostly unarmed and peaceful protesters.
Yet amateur video released by activists showed forces firing on protesters even while the monitors were inside the city. One of the observers walked with an elderly man who pointed with his cane to a fresh pool of blood on the street that he said had been shed by his son, killed a day earlier.
The man, wearing a red-and-white checkered headdress, then called for the monitor to walk ahead to "see the blood of my second son" also killed in the onslaught.
"Where is justice? Where are the Arabs?" the old man shouted in pain.
Syrian tanks had been heavily shelling Homs for days, residents and activists said, killing dozens even after Assad signed on early last week to the Arab League plan, which demands the government remove its security forces and heavy weapons from city streets, start talks with opposition leaders and allow human rights workers and journalists into the country.
But a few hours before the arrival of the monitors, who began work Tuesday to ensure Syria complies with the League's plan, the army stopped the bombardment and pulled some of its tanks back.
The British-based activist group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that government forces fired on protesters while the monitors were inside Homs and said at two people were killed from the fire.
About 60 monitors arrived in Syria Monday night ? the first foreign observers Syria has allowed in since March, when the uprising against Assad's authoritarian rule began. The League said a team of 12 visited Homs.
After agreeing to the League's pullback plan on Dec. 19, the regime intensified its crackdown on dissent; government troops killed hundreds in the past week and Syria was condemned internationally for flouting the spirit of the agreement.
On Monday alone, security forces killed at least 42 people, most of them in Homs. Activists said security forces killed at least 16 people Tuesday, including six in Homs.
One group put Tuesday's toll at 30, including 13 in Homs province. Different groups often give varying tolls. With foreign journalists and human rights groups barred from the country, they are virtually impossible to verify.
Amateur videos show residents of Homs pleading with the visiting monitors for protection.
"We are unarmed people who are dying," one resident shouts to one observer. Seconds later, shooting is heard from a distance as someone else screams: "We are being slaughtered here."
Given the intensified crackdown over the past week, the opposition has viewed Syria's agreement to the Arab League plan as a farce. Some even accuse the organization of 22 states of complicity in the killings. Activists say the regime is trying to buy time and forestall more international condemnation and sanctions.
"The Syrian government will cooperate symbolically enough in order not to completely alienate the Arab League," said Bilal Saab, a Middle East expert at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in California. "But make no mistake about it, its survival strategy is to keep kicking the can down the road, until domestic and international circumstances change in its favor."
Opponents of Assad doubt the Arab League can budge the autocratic leader at the head of one of the Middle East's most repressive regimes. Syria's top opposition leader, Burhan Ghalioun, called Sunday for the League to bring the U.N. Security Council into the effort. The U.N. says more than 5,000 people have been killed since March in the political violence.
Shortly after the tanks pulled back and stopped shelling, the videos showed tens of thousands flooding into the streets and marching defiantly in a funeral. They carried the open casket overhead with the exposed face of an 80-year-old man with a white beard.
"Listen Bashar: If you fire bullets, grenades or shells at us, we will not be scared," one person shouted to the crowd through loudspeakers. Many were waving Syria's independence flag, which predates the 1963 ascendancy of Assad's Baath party to power.
"The people want to execute Bashar," chanted a group as they walked side-by-side with monitors through one of Homs' streets. "Long live the Free Syrian Army," they chanted, referring to the force of army defectors fighting Assad's troops.
The amateur video also showed a man picking up the remains of a mortar round and showing it to the observers.
In another exchange, a resident tells a monitor: "You should say what you just told the head of the mission. You said you cannot cross to the other side of the street because of sniper fire."
The monitor points to the head of the team and says: "He will make a statement." The resident then repeats his demand, and the monitor, smoking a cigarette, nods in approval.
The Observatory for Human Rights said as the monitors visited Homs, tens of thousands of protesters gathered in some neighborhoods to "reveal the crimes committed by the regime."
Later, the Observatory said some 70,000 protesters tried to enter the tightly secured Clock Square but were pushed back by security forces that fired tear gas and later live bullets, killing at least two, to prevent them from reaching the city's largest square. The Local Coordination Committees, another activist group, said security forces were shooting at protesters trying to reach the central square.
Homs, Syria's third-largest city, has a population of 800,000 and is at the epicenter of the revolt against Assad. It is about 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of the capital, Damascus. Many Syrians refer to it as the "Capital of the Revolution."
Opposition activist Mohammed Saleh said four days of heavy bombardment in Homs stopped in the morning on Tuesday and tanks were seen pulling out. Another Homs activist said he saw armored vehicles leaving early on a highway leading to the eastern city of Palmyra. He asked that his name not be made public for fear of retribution.
"Today is calm, unlike previous days," Saleh said. "The shelling went on for days, but yesterday was terrible."
The Observatory said some army vehicles pulled out of Homs while other relocated in government compounds "where (they) can deploy again within five minutes."
A local official in Homs told The Associated Press the team of monitors, headed by Sudanese Lt. Gen. Mohamed Ahmed Mustafa al-Dabi, met with Ghassan Abdul-Aal, the governor of Homs province. After the meeting, the monitors headed to several tense districts including Baba Amr and Inshaat, sites of the most intense crackdowns since Friday.
The official later said that most members of the Arab team headed back to Damascus, while three will spend the night in Homs. The official refused to give details about where the observers will stay for security reasons.
In addition to the deaths reported by activist groups Tuesday, Syrian state-run news agency SANA said two roadside bombs targeted a bus carrying employees of a state company in Idlib, killing six and wounding four.
Also Tuesday, a Lebanese-based al-Qaida-linked group, Abdullah Azzam Brigades, claimed that two suicide attacks against Damascus security offices that killed at least 66 Friday were the work of the Syrian regime, and not al-Qaida as Syrian authorities said.
And in Lebanon, security officials said Syrian troops opened fire at a car that crossed illegally into northern Lebanon, killing three Lebanese men. Some Syrians have fled to Lebanon to escape the fighting, and Syria has complained that weapons are smuggled across its borders. It was not immediately clear if the shooting was related to the uprising in Syria.
___
Associated Press writer Albert Aji contributed to this report from Damascus, Syria.
___
Bassem Mroue can be reached on http://twitter.com/bmroue
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