The business case for monarchies - Fortune Management

By Jeroen Ansink

Dutch King Willem-Alexander and his mother, recently abdicated Queen Beatrix

FORTUNE ? It's good to be the king. But, when it comes to a nation's economic health, it's also good to have a king -- or queen -- on hand. Monarchs open economic doors.

"In the presence of royalty, companies can enter circles they wouldn't be able to get in by themselves," says Ang?lique Heijl, deputy director of international economic affairs at VNO-NCW, the largest employers' organization in the Netherlands. "This holds particularly true for countries where the government plays a large role in the economy."

Monarchs typically serve their respective nations longer than democratically elected heads of state: The recently abdicated Dutch Queen Beatrix was on the throne for 33 years; Elizabeth II of Britain has held her position for 61 years and counting. This kind of leadership stability gives these particular figures additional sway in the business community.

"The presence of the queen gives a mission just a little bit more cachet," says Erik Oostwegel, vice-chair at engineering consultancy Royal HaskoningDHV, who joined Queen Beatrix on visits to Oman, Qatar, and the UAE.

MORE: Offshore account holders win a victory in government tax case

While the impact of these visits is hard to quantify, they do generate cultural, political, and economic benefits, says architect Ben van Berkel, whose agency UNStudio went along on a royal trip to Singapore. "For companies who already have established contacts, an essential benefit is that your clients become aware that you have royal and political support in your own country. This is extremely beneficial in generating trust."

"The use of the Queen, in a dignified capacity, is incalculable," wrote the 19th-century British businessman and editor-in-chief of The Economist Walter Bagehot in The English Constitution.

In a 2007 study, Harry van Dalen, economist at the Dutch University of Tilburg, attempted to determine the effects of a royal head of state on real GDP growth. Comparing World Bank data from constitutional monarchies with other forms of government, he concluded that, on average, the presence of a royal house accounts for 0.8 to 1.0 percentage points of additional economic growth. According to van Dalen, a ruler in a constitutional monarchy adds stability, efficiency, and social capital in the form of trust. In the case of the Netherlands, this "monarchy bonus" has added an estimated 4 to 5 billion euros to its 2006 GDP. Not a bad investment, considering the royal family's budget of roughly 100 million euros a year.

Dual-nation firms like Anglo-Dutch oil giant Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) and Unilever (UL) have the option of traveling with two monarchs. However, the royal bump will only take you so far, says Wim van de Wiel, spokesman for Royal Dutch Shell. "In the end, it is still up to us to prove ourselves."

Just the same, monarchies do offer a competitive edge when it comes to international trade, especially with other kingdoms, says Herman Matthijs, political scientist and monarchy expert at the Belgian Universiteit Gent. "Royal visits to monarchies such as Thailand, the Gulf States, or Brunei bring in much more government contracts than those to countries like Vietnam or China. For instance, when the British government organizes a trade mission to the Persian Gulf, they send Prince Charles. He always comes back with enormous orders for the defense industry."

MORE: Have headquarters, will travel

As members of an exclusive club, royals feel connected to each other, even though differences between countries and political systems may be enormous. "Autocratic rulers may not like democracies," Matthijs says, "but they do look up to royal titles. If King Willem-Alexander decides to go to Riyadh, the Saudi King will want to see him that very night. He will probably pick him up from the airport personally. I don't see that happening to, say, the president of Italy."

This diplomatic equality allows small European monarchies to punch above their weight. Although nothing trumps a trade mission led by a U.S. president. "That opens all doors," says Matthijs.

Royal families also offer several branding lessons to businesses, says Harvard Business School marketing professor Stephen Greyser, who collaborated in a study of monarchies as corporate brands. "Monarchy is a symbol of nationhood and has a target market of a wide range of stakeholders. In that respect, they almost behave like corporations themselves."

Businesses can profit when a royal family endorses high-end domestic brands. "These forms of co-branding show that the monarchy is supporting national products competing in a global market," Greyser says.

Monarchies also inspire businesses to do good. "Members of the royal family are making countless appearances in support of various organizations, especially in the philanthropic realm," says Greyser. "Corporations engaging in charitable causes can certainly learn from that."

Companies that operate within monarchies can also be awarded royal designations, a remnant of Napoleon's reign over large swaths of Europe. This royal stamp of approval indicates that an enterprise is of impeccable integrity, has national importance, is a leader in its field, and has been around for at least a century. Such companies can also incorporate a crown in their logos.

MORE: Suspicious spending: $605K for coffee with Apple's CEO

While a royal designation is considered somewhat old-fashioned in Western Europe, the effect is still tangible in the Middle East, says Oostwegel of Royal Haskoning. After designing the Port of Duqm in Oman, the company is aiming at developing its airports as well. "In those cases, it certainly helps to have a reputation as a solid and reliable partner."

Source: http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2013/04/30/the-business-case-for-monarchies/

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BPS Event: Psychological Wellbeing of Military Families and ...

Following the highly successful event last year our Wessex Branch are holding their 2nd Psychological Well-being Conference, focusing on the dual topics ?Military families? and ?Reservists?.

The conference will be held in Winchester on Wednesday 13 November 2013 and the call for papers closes tomorrow, 30 April.

The event draws upon the issues highlighted in the 2012 conference, including the challenges and issues raised for both reservists and military families living a dual life as part of the military and mainstream society.

Dr Kathryn Fielden, Past Chair of the Branch, said: ?With the changes in the military structure proposed post 2014, it is now appropriate to think beyond the past ten years of military operations in Afghanistan and consider what has been learned and what can be taken forward. With the increase of reservists being integrated into regular forces and the continuing support from families with military personnel the Wessex Branch anticipates the event will be timely and informative.?

The conference will be cross-discipline and of interest not only to clinical, counselling, educational, health and occupational psychologists, but also military personnel and civilians working closely with the military and their families (e.g. the NHS, charities, schools, and emergency and prison services). It will also be of interest to organisations, both public and private sector, that have employees who are reservists or military family members.?

If you are interested in presenting a paper (deadline 30 April) or a poster (deadline Friday 31 May) please visit the?KC Jones website.?

To download the presentations and posters from last year?s conference click here. If you would like to read an article about last year's event in The Psychologist please click here (you will need to log in to the website).

?

Source: http://www.bps.org.uk/news/bps-event-psychological-wellbeing-military-families-and-reservists-conference

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No benefit of evening primrose oil for treating eczema, review suggests

Apr. 29, 2013 ? Research into the complementary therapies evening primrose oil and borage oil shows little, if any, benefit for people with eczema compared with placebo, according to a new systematic review. The authors, who published their review in The Cochrane Library, conclude that further studies on the therapies would be difficult to justify.

Atopic eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is an itchy skin condition with no known cure. Usually emerging in childhood, it affects about 10 to 20% of school age children, who may suffer with tight, red, painful skin, sleepless nights and low self-esteem due to appearance, itching and scratching. For around 60% of people, the disorder will improve or clear up by adulthood. Creams, ointments, bath additives, topical steroids and antihistamines are some of the treatments prescribed to ease the condition. However, people often turn to complementary therapies such as evening primrose oil and borage oil in the belief that they will avoid side effects of conventional eczema treatments. Both evening primrose oil and borage oil contain high quantities of gamma linoleic acid, which was once thought to play a role in reducing skin inflammation in eczema.

The researchers analysed the benefits and side effects associated with evening primrose oil and borage oil in 27 studies involving a total of 1,596 people (adults and children) in 27 countries. Participants took evening primrose oil or borage oil, or a placebo, for between 3-24 weeks. Overall, the researchers found that taking evening primrose or borage oil offered no clear improvement of eczema symptoms over placebos. Commonly used placebos included olive oil and paraffin oil. There was also no improvement in quality of life with the complementary therapies, although only two studies considered this measure.

"There is no evidence that taking either evening primrose or borage oil is of benefit to eczema sufferers," said lead researcher Joel Bamford of the University of Minnesota Medical School and Essentia Health System in Duluth, Minnesota, US. "Given the strength of the evidence in our review, we think further studies on the use of these complementary therapies to treat eczema would be hard to justify."

Some participants in the studies experienced mild side effects such as headaches and stomach upsets or diarrhea as they also did while taking placebos. However, none of the selected studies evaluated or mentioned bleeding or anti-clotting effects, which have previously been associated with evening primrose oil. "Consumers need to be warned that oral evening primrose oil is listed as a known cause of increased bleeding for those taking Coumadin or warfarin, a very common medication," said Bamford.

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Journal Reference:

1. Katja Boehm, Max H Pittler, Niall Wilson, Christel van Gool, Rosemary Humphreys, Edzard Ernst. Oral evening primrose oil and borage oil for atopic eczema. Cochrane Review, 2013 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004416

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/-8uZ96WRgmw/130429210913.htm

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Germany charges 4 with sending Iran reactor parts

BERLIN (AP) ? Federal prosecutors say they have charged three German-Iranian dual nationals and a German man with breaking export laws for allegedly supplying Iran with parts needed to build a nuclear reactor in violation of the country's trade embargo.

Prosecutors said in a statement Monday suspect Hamid Kh., 80, set up contact for Gholamali Ka., 70, and his son Kianzad Ka., 25, with German businessman Rudolf M., 78, whose Thuringia firm produced valves needed for a nuclear reactor's construction. Their last names were not released in accordance with German privacy laws.

The group is accused of supplying Iran with 92 German-made valves, and another 856 Indian-made valves, in 2010 and 2011.

They're accused of supplying the parts through front companies in other countries in deals worth millions of euros in total.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/germany-charges-4-sending-iran-reactor-parts-103039909.html

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Microsoft working on redesigns for Xbox, Yammer, Skype and Bing

Considering Microsoft's efforts to rebrand, redesign and rebuild its Windows platform, it's no surprise to hear the company is tweaking the visual aesthetics of its other brands, too. Speaking at Design Day 2013, Wolff Olins creative director Todd Simmons and Windows Phone design studio manager Albert Shum talked about the challenges of rebranding a company like Microsoft. "We're still trying to figure out how to put a consumer face on this brand, as an ecosystem," Simmons said, explaining how the team wanted to get away from the idea of Microsoft being a top-down, monolithic entity. The discussion touched on the creation of the Windows 8 logo, but also shed light on efforts to revamp other Microsoft brands. "Other brands are coming along too," Simmons explained, teasing the audience with a pair of sketches. "Bing, Skype, Yammer, Xbox -- everything is under development." With Microsoft's next generation gaming hardware lurking just around the corner, the time for a new logo might just be nigh. Read on to see the pair's full 45-minute presentation for yourself.

Filed under: Misc, Microsoft

Comments

Via: Verge, Travis Lowdermilk (Twitter)

Source: Vimeo, Design Day 2013

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/L-Dt1TJwSJM/

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Wael al-Halqi, Syrian Prime Minister, Reportedly Escapes Assassination Attempt In Damascus

DAMASCUS, Syria ? Syria's prime minister escaped an assassination attempt Monday when a bomb went off near his convoy in Damascus, state media reported, the latest attack targeting a top official in President Bashar Assad's regime.

Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi was unhurt in the bombing in the capital's western neighborhood of Mazzeh, state TV said. The TV showed footage of heavily damaged cars and debris in the area as firefighters fought to extinguish a large blaze set off by the explosion.

The daring attack in the upscale neighborhood, which is home to many embassies and government officials, was another blow to the regime, exposing its vulnerability in the very seat of Assad's powerbase.

Syria's conflict started with largely peaceful anti-government protests in March 2011 but eventually turned into a civil war that has so far killed more than 70,000 people, according to the United Nations.

A Syrian government official told The Associated Press that an improvised explosive device was placed under a car that was parked in the area and was detonated as al-Halqi's car drove by. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

The state-run Al-Ikhbariya station said al-Halqi went into a regular weekly meeting with an economic committee straight after the bombing and showed him sitting around a table in a room with several other officials.

The TV said it was showing the video as a proof that al-Halqi was not hurt. But the prime minister's comments after the meeting did not refer to Monday's blast and he was not asked about it by reporters, leaving doubts as to whether the footage was filmed before or after the bombing.

Later Monday, state-run news agency SANA said al-Halqi condemned the blast, which killed "several citizens." The report did not give a casualty toll but claimed that the explosion shows how armed groups "are bankrupt" after the latest advances made by Syrian troops around the country.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Monday's bombing killed al-Halqi's bodyguard and that one of his drivers was in critical condition. The group relies on a network of activist around the country.

The brazen attack in the highly secure Mazzeh neighborhood took place only about 100 meters (yards) from the residence of the Swiss ambassador. The posh area is also home to a major military air base, and security forces sealed it off shortly after the blast, allowing only pedestrians to come close.

At the scene of the bombing, damaged cars were surrounded by debris, their seats soaked with blood. A blackened shell of a school bus was left standing. A man told state TV that none of the students on board were hurt because the explosion went off shortly after they had left the bus and headed into the school.

The attack was not the first targeting a high official in the Syrian capital over the past year.

On July 18, a blast at the Syrian national security building in Damascus during a meeting of Cabinet ministers killed the defense minister and his deputy, who was Assad's brother-in-law. That attack also wounded the interior minister.

In December, a car bomb targeted the Interior Ministry in Damascus, killing several people and wounding more than 20, including Interior Minister Mohammed al-Shaar. Initially, Syrian state media said al-Shaar was not hurt in the Dec. 12 blast. News of his wounds emerged a week later, after he was brought to neighboring Lebanon for medical treatment for a serious back injury.

Earlier in April, Ali Ballan, head of public relations at the Ministry of Social Affairs and a member of Syria's relief agency, was shot dead while dinning in a restaurant in Mazzeh.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Monday's attack.

Massive bombings like the one that struck the prime minister's convoy have been a trademark of Islamic radicals fighting alongside the Syrian rebels, raising concerns about the extremists' role in Syria's civil war.

Al-Halqi, a senior member of Assad's ruling Baath party, took office last year after his predecessor, Riad Hijab, defected to Jordan. Al-Halqi was Syria's health minister before taking the post. He is a member of Assad's ruling Baath party and hails from the southern city of Daraa, the birthplace of the Syrian uprising.

___

Associated Press writers Barbara Surk and Bassem Mroue contributed to this report from Beirut.

Earlier on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/29/syria-wael-al-halqi-assassination-attempt_n_3176607.html

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Cloze

Let's not call Cloze a social media aggregator, even though you could easily mistake it for one, because what it does is much smarter than just putting a lot of disparate conversations onto one page. Rather, the Web app Cloze takes a three-step approach to sifting through your online relationships to highlight people who are most relevant to you and bring greater context to their digital communication. ?

Here's how the three-step approach plays out: First, Cloze collects communication from various channels: LinkedIn, email, Twitter, and Facebook. Second, Cloze aggregates all those tweets and messages per person by day, letting you see, for example, every status update and LinkedIn post a client or your boss wrote today. Third, Cloze displays the per-person list of activity in a prioritized order based on that person's importance to you. This last part relies on a Cloze score, which is loosely similar to a Klout score. You can override the algorithm and mark anyone you want as a "key" contact to make sure you see their updates.

The system succeeds in adding context to online communication, which would be otherwise lost in just about any similar tool, such as HootSuite and the now unsupported but not quite dead Tweetdeck. Those two tools perform several functions that Cloze does not, however, so they aren't direct competitors. Both Tweetdeck and HootSuite let you keep an eye on messages directed right at you, whereas Cloze focuses on activity from important people regardless of whether they're trying to get your attention. But as with Tweetdeck and HootSuite, Cloze does let you "talk back" or respond to the activity you see from within the interface. A clean selection of response modes changes based on whether you're reading a tweet, Facebook status update, LinkedIn post, or email message. As much as I definitely see the value in using Cloze, I think it could be even better if it stole?er, "borrowed" some features from social media aggregators.

How Cloze Works
From the website Cloze.com you can sign up for a free Cloze account and authenticate access to your various social networks and email accounts. While you can connect multiple email accounts, and even multiple accounts from the same provider (e.g., two Gmail accounts), you can only connect one of each kind of social network, i.e., one Facebook account, one Twitter, one LinkedIn.

Cloze then analyzes all the communication you've had with various people across the systems you've initialized and assigns each of your contacts a score indicating the person's importance to you. People with the highest scores become your Key People, although you can customize who is and isn't among these VIPs. Cloze discloses a lot of information about its scoring algorithm, saying it takes into account dormancy (which measures the last time you and the person communicated), frequency (how often you two communicate), responsiveness (how quickly you respond to one another), privacy (how many of your conversations are private versus public), freshness (how often conversations cover new topics versus use the same language over and over), and balance (that is to say, two-way relationships).

Scores update daily, and you can see readouts of each person's score. It includes the breakdown of the score across the various factors, as well as information about whether the total score has increased or decreased since the prior day. A graph plotted over time even shows whether the person's monthly average score has shifted.

From the home page, Cloze shows you a summary of all the communication activity for the day by person. Key people rank highest, so you'll see their emails, tweets, and other social interactions first. The site is easy to navigate and very clearly arranged. A mute button lets you remove a person from this feed, which I found helpful for silencing people who post very frequently on Twitter in particular.

You can also interact with the updates coming from your network directly from the Cloze home page. A little wheel of options pops into view when you click to interact with someone, and the choices (such as reply, like, mark as favorite) change based on what kind of communication you're viewing. Cloze also has a check mark option for noting when you have already interacted with some activity and want to now remove it from the feed.

Hits the Nail on the Head
Between the customization options for adjusting Key People and the ability to interact right from my Cloze account, I felt like Cloze really did hit the nail on the head for increasing the relevancy and context of activity from my social network. Before using Cloze, I didn't even realize how much of this context and relevancy was lost on me. It's often extremely useful to be able to see someone's latest tweet paired next to her latest Facebook update and latest comment she made on someone else's update.

Although Cloze isn't a social media aggregator in the same way that Tweetdeck and HootSuite are, I think it would easily become my social media app of choice if it added a few features found in those app, such as the ability to schedule posts and tweets and get alerts of mentions and incoming message. It's a wonderful app designed for anyone who uses social media as part of their job, or who has a rich social life online.?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/xtzoeGWRNz4/0,2817,2418290,00.asp

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When Will Judgment Disappear From Credit? | Bankrate.com

Dear Debt Adviser,
I have a judgment and collections account on my credit report for an old debt. The collections account is scheduled to expire from my report in September. When that happens, will the judgment remain valid? If so, what are my options?
-- Elan

Dear Elan,
Owing money casts a shadow over many parts of your life, from finding a job to buying insurance. By this point, I imagine you must be getting pretty tired of it. I'm glad you wrote to me so you can get this mess behind you.

What you have here are two different clocks running at the same time but at different speeds. The judgment clock will run for a lot longer than the credit-reporting clock. Here's what I mean: In general, judgments remain enforceable for 10 years (in some states, such as my creditor-friendly state of Rhode Island, it's 20 years) from the date entered or filed with the courts. However, many states allow the creditor to renew the judgment if it is not paid during the initial 10-year period. The creditor must go back to court and request a renewal before the enforcement period ends. Considering that the creditor already spent some money to get the judgment, chances are they won't just let it expire.

What that means for you is that the creditor could decide at any time up until the judgment expires (which may include extensions) to execute the judgment. This means the judgment could be used to garnish your wages or install a bank levy or lien on your home or other property.

The only positive in this situation is that in September, the collection account will be removed from your credit report, which should improve your credit history. The judgment should also be removed from your credit report seven years from the date it was entered. The bad news is the judgment will still be there, even though you can't see it on your credit report, lurking in the shadows, waiting for the worst possible time to jump out and surprise you. Expect that the creditor will decide to execute the judgment before it expires.

Because the judgment has not expired and is still enforceable, I suggest you contact the creditor that received the judgment and make arrangements to pay or settle what you owe.

If you come to an agreement, put it in writing. And don't make any payments until you've received the written agreement and have had a chance to make copies. If you cannot afford to pay anything toward the judgment, consider borrowing the money from friends or family or selling any items of value that you might own. If you have no way to raise the funds required, you may need to seek the advice of a bankruptcy attorney. Filing bankruptcy will prevent the creditor from executing the judgment against you.

Whatever you decide, do something. It's time to get on with your life and not live under a cloud for the next four years and six months.

Good luck!

Source: http://www.bankrate.com/finance/credit/judgment-disappear-from-credit.aspx

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Kloudless Launches Service That Uses Connectors To Move Files Between Different Cloud Services

Kloudless launched at Disrupt NY 2013 today with its service for moving?data from email to different cloud platforms through connectors which act like pipes that flow between the different services. The service offers a plugin that the user installs in Outlook or as an extension through their web browser to use in Gmail or other apps, said CEO Eliot Sun. Kloudless does not store any data, nor files, the service sits in the middle, acting basically as just a pipeline. When looking at Kloudless, think of services such as ifttt but with less automation and more ability to customize how data flows out of email and into other services. The idea is to give people more flexibility when moving data. It may be that you want some ways to customize the data when pulling into Salesforce.com or some other app. It?pulls data on-demand from one cloud service to another. For example,?Sun said it has the capability to pull in data points from an analytics tool to a discussion in a service such a Yammer. Venture Capitalist Tim Draper and Yammer Co-Founder David Sacks liked the idea so much that they put a seed investment into the company. So far the company has raised $889,000.?They believe that Kloudless can be a wedge in the market, offering the automation and the flexibility that companies need. Plus, it provides a level of data governance that can be developed with more customized solutions.?There may be integrations that a company standardizes for reasons of compliance but also gives freedom in other ways that an automated system can’t offer. Kloudless is, in technical parlance, a “message bus” for the cloud. The message bus is a permanent layer, an intricate event-based system — a middleware essentially. Every event, every request, goes through the message bus. The data gets normalized and sent to the right place, in the right context.?Companies such as Tibco have made a fortune selling message bus technology. Other companies like Tibco, Mulesoft and SnapLogic?provide top down systems. Kloudless provides a bottom-up approach. It’s both a consumer type app and for managers, team leaders, and IT to provide dashboards for better visibility into data ownership/workflow and the ability to set cross-application policies. Kloudless uses a consumer enterprise style pricing. It’s free with limited features. Pricing starts at $3 a month.?It uses its foundation as an email platform to network. The idea is to build enough

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/gTQGhOD7dNw/

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TSX may open higher after Italy forms new government

(Reuters) - Canada's main stock index looked set to open higher, with investors encouraged by the formation of a coalition government in Italy that ended two months of political uncertainty in the troubled region.

TOP STORIES

* New Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta will seek the backing of parliament in a confidence vote, facing severe political and economic problems that will test the solidity of his coalition government in the months ahead.

* Confidence in the euro zone's economy fell further in April, data showed, strengthening the case for a cut in interest rates this week by the European Central Bank.

* A proposed merger of Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc and Actavis Inc was put on hold after the two drugmakers failed to agree on terms of a deal that would have created a healthcare giant with a combined market value of $35 billion, a person familiar with the situation told Reuters on Saturday.

* Germany's Bayer AG has agreed to buy U.S. contraceptive devices maker Conceptus for $1.1 billion, aiming to underpin its position as the world's largest women's healthcare provider.

* BHP Billiton has agreed to sell its Pinto Valley copper mine and a railroad in Arizona to Capstone Mining Corp for $650 million, the latest in a spate of asset sales by the top global miner as it tightens its belt in a weaker market.

MARKET SNAPSHOT

* Canada stock futures traded up 0.48 percent

* U.S. stock futures,, were up around 0.40 percent to 0.45 percent <.n/>

* European shares <.fteu3>, <.stoxx> were up <.eu/>

COMMODITY PRICE MOVES

* Thomson Reuters-Jefferies CRB Index <.trjcrbtr>: 286.8562; rose 0.33 percent

* Gold futures: $1,474.8; rose 1.46 percent

* US crude: $93.32; rose 0.34 percent

* Brent crude: $103.15; fell 0.01 percent

* LME 3-month copper: $7,116.75; rose 1.35 percent

CANADIAN STOCKS TO WATCH

* Imperial Oil Ltd : The oil company on Saturday said production is underway at its Kearl oil sands project in eastern Alberta, five months after the original target date for its biggest undertaking yet.

* Kinross Gold Corp : The gold miner is pushing ahead with plans to expand its Tasiast project in Mauritania with a feasibility study for a 38,000-tonne-per-day mill and said it expected the initial capital cost for the project to be about $2.7 billion.

* Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc : The U.S. FDA said the anti-seizure drug developed by the company and co-marketed with GlaxoSmithKline Plc may cause eye and skin problems.

ANALYSTS' RECOMMENDATIONS

Following is a summary of research actions on Canadian companies reported by Reuters.

* Barrick Gold Corp : HSBC cuts target price to $29 from $43 on lowered earnings estimates to reflect lower gold forecasts.

* Brookfield Office Properties Inc : Canaccord Genuity raises target price to $20.60 from $20 after the company reported in-line first-quarter funds from operations.

* Canadian Utilities : Canaccord Genuity raises target to C$80 from C$75 to reflect a more positive outlook on the current regulatory issues after the company reported in-line first-quarter results.

* Metro Inc : CIBC raises price target to C$67 from C$65 on valuation, says the company is a classic case of a well-managed, defensive stock with outstanding control over its business even in tough times.

* TransCanada Corp : Canaccord Genuity raises target price by C$1 to C$51 on valuation following first-quarter results given the company's revised outlook on the timing of a U.S. Department of State decision for Keystone XL.

ON THE CALENDAR

* No major Canadian economic data scheduled

* Major U.S. events and data includes personal income and spending, PCE price index, pending home sales and Dallas Fed manufacturing index data

(Reporting by Samarendra Sahoo in Bangalore; Editing by Jeffrey Hodgson)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tsx-may-open-higher-italy-forms-government-123053760.html

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NATO: 4 service members killed in plane crash

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? A plane crashed in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, killing four international service members, NATO said.

Initial reporting indicated there was no enemy activity in the area at the time, but coalition personnel secured the site and the cause of the crash was being investigated, NATO said.

The brief statement did not identify the nationalities of the victims, or say where the plane went down.

However, Mohammad Jan Rasoulyar, deputy governor of the southern province of Zabul, said an aircraft belonging to foreign forces crashed Saturday afternoon in Shah Joy district. He said the site had been surrounded by international forces.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nato-4-members-killed-plane-crash-170208072.html

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Iraq suspends Al-Jazeera and 9 Iraqi TV channels

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, center right, Iraqi acting Defense Minister Sadun al-Dulaymi, center left, government officials, and parliament members, attend the funeral procession of five slain soldiers at the headquarters of the Iraqi Ministry of Defense in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, April 28, 2012. Gunmen killed 10 people in Iraq, including five soldiers near the main Sunni protest camp west of Baghdad on Saturday, the latest in a wave of violence that has raised fears the country faces a new round of sectarian bloodshed. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, center right, Iraqi acting Defense Minister Sadun al-Dulaymi, center left, government officials, and parliament members, attend the funeral procession of five slain soldiers at the headquarters of the Iraqi Ministry of Defense in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, April 28, 2012. Gunmen killed 10 people in Iraq, including five soldiers near the main Sunni protest camp west of Baghdad on Saturday, the latest in a wave of violence that has raised fears the country faces a new round of sectarian bloodshed. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, center right, Iraqi acting Defense Minister Sadun al-Dulaymi, center left, government officials, and parliament members, attend the funeral procession of five slain soldiers at the headquarters of the Iraqi Ministry of Defense in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, April 28, 2012. Gunmen killed 10 people in Iraq, including five soldiers near the main Sunni protest camp west of Baghdad on Saturday, the latest in a wave of violence that has raised fears the country faces a new round of sectarian bloodshed. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)

Security forces escort the coffins of five slain soldiers at the headquarters of the Iraqi Ministry of Defense in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, April 28, 2012. Gunmen killed 10 people in Iraq, including five soldiers near the main Sunni protest camp west of Baghdad on Saturday, the latest in a wave of violence that has raised fears the country faces a new round of sectarian bloodshed. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)

Security forces escort the coffins of five slain soldiers at the headquarters of the Iraqi Ministry of Defense in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, April 28, 2012. Gunmen killed 10 people in Iraq, including five soldiers near the main Sunni protest camp west of Baghdad on Saturday, the latest in a wave of violence that has raised fears the country faces a new round of sectarian bloodshed. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)

BAGHDAD (AP) ? Iraqi authorities suspended the operating licenses of pan-Arab broadcaster Al-Jazeera and nine Iraqi TV channels on Sunday after accusing them of escalating sectarian tension. The move signaled the Shiite-led government's mounting worries over deteriorating security amid Sunni unrest and clashes that have left more than 180 people dead in less than a week.

The suspensions, which took effect immediately, appeared to target mainly Sunni channels known for criticizing Prime Minister Nouri al-Malik's government. Apart from Al-Jazeera, the decision affected eight Sunni and one Shiite channels.

The government's action comes as Baghdad tries to quell rising unrest in the country that erupted last week after Iraqi security forces launched a deadly crackdown on a Sunni protest site in the central city of Hawija, killing 23 people, including three soldiers.

Since then, more than 180 people have been killed in gunbattles with security forces and other attacks. The recent wave of violence follows more than four months of largely peaceful protests by Iraq's Sunni Muslim minority against Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government.

Iraqi viewers will still be able to watch the channels, but the suspensions issued by Iraq's Communications and Media Commission state that if the 10 stations try to work on Iraqi territory they will face legal action from security forces. The decree essentially prevents news crews from the stations from reporting on activities in Iraq.

Sunni lawmaker Dahfir al-Ani described the move as part of the government's attempts "to cover up the bloodshed that took place in Hawija and what is going on in other places in the country."

Al-Jazeera, based in the small, energy-rich Gulf nation of Qatar, said it was "astonished" by the move.

"We cover all sides of the stories in Iraq, and have done for many years. The fact that so many channels have been hit all at once, though, suggests this is an indiscriminate decision," it said in an emailed statement. "We urge the authorities to uphold freedom for the media to report the important stories taking place in Iraq."

The channel has aggressively covered the "Arab Spring" uprisings across the region, and has broadcast extensively on the civil war in neighboring Syria. Qatar itself is a harsh critic of the Syrian regime. The nation is a leading backer of the rebels and is accused by many supporters of the Iraqi government of backing protests in Iraq too.

Newspapers and media outlets sprang up across Baghdad after the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime in 2003, yet Iraq remains one of the deadliest countries for reporters with more than 150 killed since 1992, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Iraq and other governments across the Middle East have temporarily shut down Al-Jazeera's offices in the past because they were disgruntled by its coverage.

The other nine channels whose licenses were suspended by the Iraqi media commission are al-Sharqiya and al-Sharqiya News, which frequently criticize the government, and seven smaller local channels ? Salahuddin, Fallujah, Taghyeer, Baghdad, Babiliya, Anwar 2 and al-Gharbiya.

The Baghdad-based Baghdad TV said the decision was politically motivated.

"The Iraqi authorities do not tolerate any opposite opinions and are trying to silence any voices that do not go along with the official line," said Omar Subhi, who directs the news section.

He added that the TV station was concerned about the safety of its staff, fearing that security forces might chase them.

In a statement posted on its website, the government media commission blamed the banned stations for the escalation of sectarian tension that is fueling the violence that followed the deadly clashes in Hawija.

Iraq's media commission accused the stations of misleading and exaggerated reports, airing "clear calls for disorder" and "launching retaliatory criminal attacks against security forces." It also blamed the stations for promoting "banned terrorist organizations who committed crimes against Iraqi people."

Osama Abdul-Rahman, a Sunni government employee from northern Baghdad, said the government is adopting a double-standard policy regarding media outlets by turning a blind eye on several Shiite channels that he claims also incite violence.

"The channels close to main Shiite parties and even the state-run television also broadcast sectarian programs promoting violence all the time, yet, nobody stops them," he added.

Erin Evers, a Mideast researcher for Human Rights Watch, called the government's claim that it moved against the channels because they were inciting sectarianism suspicious given its "consistent history of cracking down on media ? particularly opposition media ? during politically sensitive times."

"The cancellation of these stations' licenses is further evidence that the government seeks to prevent the coverage of news they do not like," she said.

She accused the Iraqi media commission of confusing coverage of a speech with sectarian overtones with the active promotion of sectarian violence. "These are two completely different things and the first is protected under international and Iraqi law," she said.

The decision to suspend the stations came as al-Maliki made a rare appearance at an official funeral for five soldiers killed on Saturday by gunmen in Sunni-dominated Anbar province. Local police in the province said the soldiers were killed in a gunbattle after their vehicle was stopped near a Sunni protest camp.

Authorities had given protest organizers a 24-deadline to hand over the gunmen behind the killing or face a "firm response." No one has been handed over and the deadline passed.

Wrapped in Iraqi flags, the five caskets were loaded on military trucks next to flower bouquets, as soldiers held pictures of the deceased and grieved families gathered outside the Defense Ministry building in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone.

In Saturday violence, gunmen using guns fitted with silencers shot dead two Sunni local tribal leaders in two separate drive-by shootings south of Baghdad.

___

Associated Press writers Adam Schreck and Sinan Salaheddin in Baghdad contributed.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-04-28-Iraq/id-ee5cf76251ec4669b843df1f18ecd03f

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Oppo's 4.7-inch, 6.93mm-thick R809T pays homage to the Finder

No, this isn't the world's thinnest phone thanks to Alcatel and BBK, but Oppo's recently announced R809T is still a seemingly attractive device judging by the above official image. Measuring at 6.93mm thick (instead of the rumored 6.13mm), we're surprised that Oppo didn't set this to be the follow-up to the Finder: sure, it's 0.28mm thicker, but it also aces the latter with a 4.7-inch 720p in-cell display, a 1.2GHz quad-core chip with 1GB RAM (likely MediaTek's Cortex-A7-based MT6589 SoC), Android 4.2 and a sorely missed 3.5mm headphone jack -- so no micro-USB adapter required. Then there's also an 8-megapixel main camera plus an increasingly common 2-megapixel, 88-degree wide front-facing imager, which is obviously no match for the 5-megapixel counterpart on Oppo's Ulike 2.

Pricing and availability have yet to be announced, but given the "T" in the model name, chances are it'll only work on China Mobile's TD-SCDMA network, anyway; unless you really don't mind using just GSM. Close-up shot after the break.

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Mobile Miscellany: week of April 22nd, 2013

If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week, a familiar smartphone leaked that's said to join the prepaid ranks at Verizon Wireless, AT&T swung back against the DOJ, and Rogers issued its quarterly earnings. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that's happening in the mobile world for this week of April 22nd, 2013.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/27/mobile-miscellany/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Credit Suisse shareholders back pay plan

By Katharina Bart

ZURICH (Reuters) - Credit Suisse investors backed a plan to issue new shares to pay staff bonuses after more than two hours of criticism from individual shareholders angered by high pay for executives at the bank.

Just over 75 percent of votes were cast in favor of the plan at an investor meeting on Friday, despite a recommendation to reject it from shareholder advisory group ISS.

Banker pay and bonuses have become hot-topics across Europe since the financial crisis, when a string of major banks including Switzerland's UBS and Britain's Royal Bank of Scotland had to be bailed out by taxpayers.

Julius Baer shareholders last week rejected the pay plans of the Swiss private bank after ISS, which advises investors on corporate governance and other issues, had recommended shareholders vote it down.

On Thursday, British bank Barclays promised its shareholders a rigorous review of executive pay, as investors they were not convinced big bonuses would be abandoned by its new bosses as part of a new ethical drive.

Generally, though, most institutional shareholders continue to vote through remuneration plans, arguing that banks must pay to attract the best talent.

Prior to the Credit Suisse vote, more than 1,700 largely retail shareholders pressed Chairman Urs Rohner, Chief Executive Brady Dougan and other top executives on pay.

"Would you leave Credit Suisse if you only earned 700,000 Swiss francs a year, or would the quality of your work suffer?" shareholder and politician David Roth asked Dougan.

Dougan, who didn't respond to Roth publicly, received 7.8 million Swiss francs ($8.2 million) for 2012.

Most shareholders criticizing pay referred to a Swiss vote last month that will impose some of the strictest controls on executive pay and force companies to hold a binding shareholder vote on compensation.

"Credit Suisse's top management still doesn't want to believe it, even after the Minder initiative passed," retail shareholder Beda Dueggelin said, referring to the new rule.

"Next year, they will feel it when a non-binding vote is no longer enough."

Credit Suisse's general pay plan was approved by almost 88 percent of voting shareholders.

For some, the new pay curbs don't go far enough. The center-left Social Democrats, which Roth represents, are already pushing for another referendum on even tougher restrictions on executive pay - they want to limit the annual compensation of top managers to 12 times that of their lowest-paid worker.

Roughly a dozen Young Social Democrat activists campaigned for the 1:12 initiative at the shareholder meeting by knocking down a pyramid of barrels with an oversized ball, the top barrel emblazoned with Dougan's picture.

Swiss activist investor groups Ethos and Actares had asked shareholders to vote down Credit Suisse's pay plan, while ISS backed it. Instead, ISS asked shareholders to vote down the plan to issue new shares to pay bonuses to staff, some of whom have volunteered to receive bonuses in stock rather than cash as part of measures to bolster capital.

($1 = 0.9474 Swiss francs)

(Editing by Emma Farge and Mark Potter)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/credit-suisse-shareholders-overwhelmingly-back-2012-pay-plan-113621506.html

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RCI? Welcomes Travel Smart Vacation Club Resorts to Affiliate ...

Parsippany, N.J. (April 26, 2013) ? RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange and part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN), today announced an affiliation agreement with Travel Smart Vacation Club. The affiliation agreement includes two resorts, which will offer a more luxurious vacation experience for members through several resort upgrades: Royalton Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, and Royalton White Sands in Jamaica.

?We are very pleased to be affiliated with RCI and have them as collaborators for our Travel Smart Vacation Club,? said Luis Lara, global managing director, Travel Smart. ?Our company is making important investments in our resort properties to create true VIP experiences for our members traveling to the Caribbean. RCI will nicely complement our members? vacation options with a wide variety of quality vacation destinations around the world.?

Royalton White Sands?offers a luxurious experience in Falmouth, Jamaica, where white sand beaches, enchanting cliffs and coral reefs meet colorful markets and world-class golf courses. Guests at this resort can relax on the balconies from their beautifully-appointed rooms in the seven-story high rise or ground level cottages. When re-opened, the resort will feature access to the private beach, a fitness center, a full-service spa, an infinity pool, complimentary watersports, day and night tennis, supervised children?s activities, five new specialty restaurants and four bars, a game room, a night club and a piano bar.

Royalton Punta Cana?is situated in an area of the Dominican Republic made popular for its white sand beaches that face both the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, allowing for a wide range of water sports. For those who prefer to remain on land, the area also features several golf courses. In addition to beach activities, Royalton Punta Cana offers four adult-only pools, child-friendly pools, a variety of activities and entertainment, and both a Kids and Teens Club. All restaurants and bars are being rebuilt for modern gourmet experiences, and a spectacular water park is also under development.

?These gorgeous resorts are wonderful additions to our network of affiliated resorts, and we are happy to be involved at the start of the Travel Smart Vacation Club,? said Eugenio Macouzet, managing director, RCI Caribbean. ?And for our RCI subscribing members, this new agreement adds two quality, all-inclusive resort vacation options in the Caribbean.?

For more information, visit?www.RCI.com.

About RCI

RCI is the worldwide leader in vacation exchange with over 4,000 affiliated resorts in approximately 100 countries. RCI pioneered the concept of vacation exchange in 1974, offering members increased flexibility and versatility with their vacation ownership experience. Today, through RCI^?Weeks, the traditional week-for-week exchange system, and RCI Points^?, the industry?s first global points-based exchange system, RCI provides flexible vacation options to its approximately 3.7 million RCI subscribing members each year. RCI is part of Wyndham Exchange & Rentals and the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN). For additional information visit our?media center,?rciaffiliates.com?or?The RCI Blog. RCI also can be found on?Facebook,?YouTube?and?Twitter.

Source: http://www.insidethegate.com/2013/04/rci-welcomes-travel-smart-vacation-club-resorts-to-affiliate-network/

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Kate Middleton Polka Dot Dress Sells Out Within Hours

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Smartphones overtake 'dumb' phones worldwide

NEW YORK (AP) ? A research firm says that more smartphones than 'dumb' phones are being made this year, a milestone in a shift that's putting computing power and Internet access in millions of hands worldwide.

IDC says manufacturers shipped 216 million smartphones worldwide in the first three months of this year, compared with 189 million regular cellphones.

In the U.S., smartphones overtook regular cellphones in 2011. IDC analyst Ramon Llamas says the shift to a global majority of smartphones is now being driven by consumers in developing countries such as China, India and Indonesia.

Another firm, ABI Research, found that smartphones made up 49 percent of shipments in the first quarter. Samsung Electronics Co., the world's largest phone maker, doesn't provide a breakdown of its phone shipments, and analysts vary in their estimates.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/smartphones-overtake-dumb-phones-worldwide-192908040.html

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CA-NEWS Summary

Four arrested as Bangladesh building toll rises to 352

DHAKA (Reuters) - Two factory bosses and two engineers were detained in Bangladesh on Saturday, three days after the collapse of a building where low-cost garments were made for Western brands killed at least 352 people. More were being pulled alive from the rubble at the building, where police said as many as 900 people were still missing in Bangladesh's worst ever industrial accident.

Iranian scientist freed by U.S. returns home: local media

DUBAI (Reuters) - An Iranian scientist held for more than a year in California on charges of violating U.S. sanctions arrived in Iran on Saturday, Iranian media reported, after being freed in what the Omani foreign ministry said was a humanitarian gesture. Mojtaba Atarodi, 55, an assistant professor of electrical engineering at Iran's Sharif University of Technology, had been detained on suspicion of buying high-tech U.S. laboratory equipment, previous Iranian media reports said.

Palestinians' Abbas says to start talks on unity government

RAMALLAH (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Saturday he would begin talks with rival factions including Islamist Hamas to form a unity government, a crucial step towards healing years of damaging internal divisions. But, underscoring the chasm between Abbas's Fatah movement and Hamas, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said Abbas had not consulted his group about his move and the Islamists had only heard about it in media reports.

Militants kill five Iraqi soldiers, Sunni protesters form "army"

RAMADI, Iraq (Reuters) - Militants shot dead five Iraqi soldiers in the Sunni Muslim stronghold province of Anbar on Saturday and protesters said they were forming an "army" after four days of unrest that raised fears of a return to widespread sectarian civil conflict. More than 170 people have been killed since Tuesday when security forces stormed a Sunni protest camp in the town of Hawija, triggering clashes that spread to other Sunni areas in western and northern areas.

Ten dead, dozens hurt during Mexican prison riot

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Ten people were killed and dozens wounded in a prison riot early Saturday in the central state of San Luis Potosi, local officials said. State police said they had re-established control in an cell block of La Pila prison in the state capital of San Luis Potosi after a fight broke out between prisoners, according to a posting on the security ministry's official social media page.

German SPD leader woos Greens for anti-Merkel alliance

BERLIN (Reuters) - The leader of Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) took the stage at a Greens party congress on Saturday with an unashamed pitch for them to throw in their lot with the SPD to defeat Chancellor Angela Merkel in September. It was the first time an SPD leader had addressed a Greens congress. Sigmar Gabriel, whose party would need a coalition with the rising pro-environment party to have any chance of leading the next government, delivered a passionate plea to the Greens to stop flirting with Merkel's conservatives.

North Korea says detained American tourist to face trial

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Saturday that a Korean-American tourist, jailed by the reclusive state since late last year, will face trial for "committing crimes" against the North. The move comes amid a diplomatic standoff between North Korea and the United States, and as Pyongyang has threatened to attack U.S. military bases in the Pacific and the South.

Nigerian senator says 228 killed in gunfight with Islamists

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) - A gunbattle between security forces and Islamist insurgents in Nigeria a week ago killed 228 people, a local senator said on Saturday, putting the death toll six times higher than the government's estimate. A large number of civilian deaths will fuel accusations that the military acted heavy-handedly and failed to protect bystanders and might also increase pressure on the government to seek a negotiated settlement with the radical group Boko Haram.

Iceland's center-right set to return, five years after crash

REYKJAVIK (Reuters) - Icelanders fed up with years of belt-tightening looked set on Saturday to oust the ruling Social Democrats, wooed with pledges of tax cuts and debt relief from the center-right, which presided over a spectacular financial collapse five years ago. Leaden skies and driving sleet were a fair reflection of the mood of voters who have seen promises of a quick recovery fade, while mortgage debts rise, prices soar and crippling capital controls keep investment at a record low.

Yemen military intelligence official assassinated

ADEN (Reuters) - Two suspected Islamist militants shot dead a provincial military intelligence chief in Yemen on Saturday, a security official said, the latest in a series of assassinations in the impoverished state's lawless south and east. The gunmen opened fire from a motorbike, killing Colonel Ahmed Abdulrazzaq, intelligence head in Yemen's Hadramawt Province, outside his home in Mukalla on the Arabian Sea.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ca-news-summary-010829028.html

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Aeria Games Fires Off New Details for Soldier Front 2 - MMOsite.com

Discover loads of armies, arsenals, and aliens for the heavily anticipated Soldier Front 2! Aeria Games, a leading global publisher of free-to-play online games, has unveiled the full website for the forthcoming First-Person Shooter (FPS), giving players insight into the large variety of options to expect when they charge into combat.

As a primer, players can learn about the six Special Forces units that are playable in the game, all modeled off of real-world combat specialists such as Delta Force, Spetsnaz, and GAFE. In addition, a detailed account of the dozens of unique weapons available in the game provides statistics and descriptions for players to begin identifying their weapons of choice.

Players can also view a comprehensive list of the many different maps that will be available at launch, and which game modes each map is available for. Those modes include Soldier Front 2's highly unique and exhilarating offerings: battle in a tightly confined space with fragile glass floors over a pit of spikes in Shatter, hold out as long as possible against ravenous alien invaders in Survival, or push your army to victory in the MOBA-inspired Hero mode. Of course, more traditional FPS standbys like Team Deathmatch, Seizure, and Sabotage are included as well.

Soldier Front 2 will be free to download, and like all Aeria Games titles, will be free-to-play. Players can sign up for recruitment to closed beta now. Stay on target with news, events, and updates at Soldier Front 2's Facebook page.

Source: http://news.mmosite.com/content/2013-04-25/aeria_games_fires_off_new_details_for_soldier_front_2.shtml

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Desiree Hartsock: Advised By Catherine Giudici!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/04/desiree-hartsock-advised-by-catherine-giudici/

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Allen, Heat up 3-0 after 104-91 win over Bucks

Miami Heat's LeBron James (6) shoots during the first half of Game 3 in their first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks, Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Milwaukee. The Heat won 104-91 to take a 3-0 lead in the series. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Miami Heat's LeBron James (6) shoots during the first half of Game 3 in their first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks, Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Milwaukee. The Heat won 104-91 to take a 3-0 lead in the series. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Miami Heat's LeBron James, top, shoots over Milwaukee Bucks' Monta Ellis (11) during the second half of Game 3 in their first-round NBA basketball playoff series on Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Milwaukee. The Heat won 104-91 to take a 3-0 lead in the series. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)

Miami Heat's LeBron James, right, shoots over Milwaukee Bucks' Larry Sanders during the first half of Game 3 in their first-round NBA basketball playoff series on Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade, left, knocks the ball away from Milwaukee Bucks' Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (12) during the second half of Game 3 in their first-round NBA basketball playoff series on Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra reacts during the second half of Game 3 in their first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks, Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

MILWAUKEE (AP) ? For all Miami has accomplished with its Big Three ? and it's been plenty ? there's still one thing the Heat haven't done.

Yet.

The Heat have a chance to sweep a playoff series for the first time since LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade in Miami when they play the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 4 on Sunday afternoon.

And don't think they're not aware of it.

"This is the next step in our development," James said after the Heat went up 3-0 with a 104-91 victory over the Bucks on Thursday night.

The Heat have been in this position before, taking a 3-0 lead in their first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers two years ago and again against the New York Knicks last year. But they were forced to a Game 5 both times, a pattern they're determined to break against the Bucks.

"It's important for us to close them out because it's the next game," James said. "It's going to be different. It won't be the same as Game 1 or Game 2 or Game 3, today. But if we come in with the same mindset, or even more desperation as we did today, we give ourselves a good chance to win."

The defending champions still haven't played their best game. But it hardly matters with their ability to pull off one of their patented runs, as they did Thursday night.

After leading for much of the game, Milwaukee was trying to pull away early in the third. Brandon Jennings was fouled on a 3-point attempt and made all three free throws, then followed with a one-hand slam after Ersan Ilyasova's steal. Luc Mbah a Moute made two sets of free throws, and the Bucks were back up 61-55 with 7:14 left in the third.

But the Heat have made a habit of putting the Bucks away with runs, and this game was no different.

Udonis Haslem made a layup and a pair of free throws, Mario Chalmers followed with a layup and the Heat were off on what would be a 23-7 run to close out the quarter. The Bucks got to 67-66 on a layup by Mbah a Moute, but James answered with a monster 3. After a pair of free throws by Mbah a Moute, Chalmers stripped Monta Ellis and fed James, who sprinted to the other end for the layup as the Bucks watched helplessly. Chris Andersen scored on a reverse, James made a layup and then fed Andersen for another layup that gave Miami a 78-68 lead going into the fourth quarter.

The Bucks never got within single digits again.

"A three-, four-minute stretch just like in the first two games, where they kind of blitzed us," Bucks coach Jim Boylan said. "We dug ourselves a big hole that we could not come back from."

Allen made sure of that, knocking down a huge 3 from the right corner with 8:38 to play to give Miami a 90-73 lead. That was the 321st trey of his career in the playoffs, breaking Reggie Miller's previous record of 320, and he added one more two minutes later.

"I think about when I first stepped on this floor for the very first time, I thought about what I was going to be able to contribute to this game," said Allen, who spent his first six-plus seasons in Milwaukee. "It's ironic that I'm on this floor right now, because this is where it all started."

Allen finished with five 3s and a team-high 23 points. Chris Bosh added 16 points and 14 rebounds for the Heat, who have won 11 straight dating to the regular season and 40 of their last 42. Andersen had another big game, scoring 11 on 5-of-5 shooting and grabbing six rebounds in less than 14 minutes.

Wade had just four points, and his 1-of-12 shooting was his worst in a postseason game. But he contributed 11 assists, nine rebounds, five steals and two blocks.

"I shot the ball terrible," Wade, who is still nursing a bruised right knee, said with a laugh. "But we played a good game. Game 3 is a tough game. I thought, as a team, we showed a lot of guts, a lot of grit. When those guys came out hot, we stayed with it, we stayed with our game plan and were able to get a great win. There's nothing as satisfying as winning a Game 3 on the road. But it's over now. Now we have to focus on closing the series out."

Jennings and Larry Sanders had 16 each to lead six Bucks in double figures, and Sanders added 11 rebounds while Jennings contributed eight assists.

But the Bucks couldn't maintain the 10-point lead they took in the first quarter, when they shot 57 percent (12 of 21) and were 5 of 10 from 3-point range. Milwaukee was just 12 of 21 over the final three quarters (41 percent), and made only two more 3s.

"We had to fight for this one," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. "They came out with a great deal of intensity as we expected. Got us on our heels."

That the Heat will win the series is almost inevitable. No team has ever rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win a series in the NBA playoffs.

But it's when the series ends that matters now, for both the Heat and the Bucks.

"I hope we're still confident," Jennings said. "As a team, we need to stay together."

NOTES: Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was at the game. ... Bucks fans were tough on all of the Heat players, even Allen, who spent his first six-plus years in Milwaukee, and Wade, whose No. 3 at Marquette hangs from the rafters at the Bradley Center. "I expect that," Allen said. "Even though I played quite a while here and won some big games, I'm still the opposing team. I didn't expect any special favors." ... Wade is the first player since Rajon Rondo on March 23, 2011, to have at least 11 assists, nine rebounds and five steals in a game.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-04-26-BKN-Heat-Bucks-Folo/id-236dbde5c15a4a888810755553c1ba70

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