Currently, given the often-high costs of leasing office space, buying furniture and hiring team, many business owners prefer to work out of their homes or enlist the services of a digital office.And while working cost-effectively is key, it is much more important to consider what type of picture your business is portraying to the external world. Have you got your own Web site? Domain identity was dedicated by your own? How is your business telephone responded? And where could customers send correspondence?It is easy to create a strong company impression ? even if you do not have a huge, expensive company ? with only several personal resources. Listed here are five ways how.1. Get your own domain name. This allows you to brand your company along with your own unique domain name. Some organizations decide to use their actual names ?SmithCPAs.com? others use a descriptive tag, ?urCPA.com? and others purchase many domain names which are both descriptive and literal. Whatever name you decide on, make certain whatever name is an easy task to spell and that it is memorable.2. Build your company?s Web site. There is no explanation for any company today never to have an Internet Site. According to your time, skills and resources, you are able to develop one oneself or outsource it to a dependable company. These companies provides search engine optimization, domain name registration, Web hosting, design and content to assist you to improve your online presence.3. Customize your email address. Together with your special domain name, a professional business impression means upgrading your email address. While using the an email company such as Gmail or Yahoo! is perfectly acceptable for your personal communication, as a business the sense lacks a feeling of professionalism and permanence. Frequently when you buy your personal domain name and Internet site offer, you receive many customized mail addresses for you to make use of right away. High-quality spam filters and disease blockers ensure you get only the email you desire to receive.4. Don?t overlook your mailing address. Sure, we all are now living in a mostly personal world, but your business however needs a physical address to include on business cards, letterhead and to get mail. Naturally, for protection and privacy reasons many individuals are uncomfortable using their home address to get business correspondence. And a P.O. Confidence does not be just instilled by field when you are in certain types of vocations. A ?virtual? company option which includes a passionate physical address can safely signal for and obtain offers whether you are working from home, on the road or on vacation.5. Consider your phone presence. That?s answering your telephone when you are conducting business? Your better half, the kids or the family voice mail? A separate line dedicated to your business is crucial, as is really a program that could quickly and continually answer your phone so that it reflects favorably your company?s brand and receptive picture. Virtual and live receptionist services cost a fraction of selecting a staff to answer phones and just take messages, yet they feature the professional image and performance companies have to manage day-to-day operations and keep competitive.Taking your business from being seen a small, home-based operation to an important presence is as easy as employing a few electronic instruments.
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The city will provide $15 million in funding for a new data sciences institute, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced on campus Monday morning. While the proposal has undergone significant revisions since it was initially put forth in October?downsized from 1.1 million square feet to 44,000, and restricted to existing buildings and not new ones?the city's support is still critical.
By hiring 75 new faculty members over the next 15 years, the Institute for Data Sciences and Engineering will give the School of Engineering and Applied Science "a faculty that matches in size as well as quality the faculties of other top engineering schools," Bloomberg said.
The institute will be constructed in existing buildings on the Morningside Heights and Medical Center campuses?and not on Columbia's Manhattanville campus, as first proposed.
Columbia developed the data sciences institute as its entry in the city's Applied Science NYC competition, submitting plans in October to build a 1.1 million-square-foot, three-building complex on its Manhattanville campus.
While the institute will maintain its focus on five areas of research?smart cities, new media, health analytics, financial analytics, and cybersecurity?it is now slated to occupy space in existing campus buildings. Columbia will provide $80 million for the project, which will use more than 44,000 square feet in the Seeley W. Mudd Building and the Northwest Corner Building in its first phase.
The second phase allows for the potential expansion into the Audubon building on Columbia's medical campus in Washington Heights. Notably, the proposal does not specifically designate any space in Manhattanville for the institute. University President Lee Bollinger said, "We have designated a number of sites in Phase I ... one of which, one site, I have designated for the School of Engineering and Applied Science that can and probably will incorporate the work that's done in the Data Sciences institute, but other parts of SEAS as well."
Bloomberg estimated that the development will generate $3.9 billion in economic activity over the next 30 years, creating more than 4,200 permanent jobs and nearly 300 construction jobs. Of the 170 companies expected to spin off as a result of the research conducted in the institute, about 100 will be start-ups, Bloomberg said.
Interim Dean Donald Goldfarb called the creation of the institute "probably the most exciting moment in the engineering school's 150-year history."
Bloomberg announced in December that Cornell University had won the competition. But even though the partnership between Cornell and Technion?Israel Institute of Technology won the entirety of the city's $100 million grant, the city continued negotiating with Columbia and other finalists about ways to fund their proposed campuses and announced a $15 million grant to NYU's proposed urban sciences center in downtown Brooklyn in April. In February, 21 City Council members sent Bloomberg a letter urging him to provide engineering campus funding to Columbia and City College.
SEAS Interim Dean Donald Goldfarb said in a July 12 email to students that the school had been "waiting for several weeks now" for the city to announce the funding.
Computer science professor Kathleen McKeown will be the institute's director and that civil engineering professor Patricia Culligan will be its associate director.
TIP! If you have an interest in real estate investments, find a good broker or real estate agent to help you. They have access to many resources that aren?t open to the general public.
If you are new to the realm of real estate investments, you are probably looking for tips you can use to make the most of your initial purchases, so your long-term goals can be reached. Here are some ideas to help you on your way with real estate.
TIP! Unless you have guaranteed job stability, you should exercise caution when considering the purchase of a new home. Once your name is affixed on mortgage documents, the monthly payments will be due and payable for the life of the loan, regardless of your current situation.
Look for programs that assist with down payments. There are quite a few available, and there is sure to be one that is just right for you. The amount of savings required to purchase a home can be significantly reduced by this and closing costs that are paid by the seller.
TIP! See if your real estate agent has a checklist. A lot of Realtors have lists that contain all the important components of purchasing a home.
If you want to buy either a whole building, or space within a building to open a shop, be sure to do your own due-diligence check on the neighborhood to assure its stability. Deciding to launch a business enterprise in an undesirable area is likely to limit your pool of potential customers. Find the best location for your business by talking to a real estate company.
Real Estate
TIP! Hiring a quality Realtor is a necessity for you when you are ready to buy. You can find information about the real estate agent by checking with the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and also through good sources on the Internet.
If you are hiring an appraiser when buying real estate, make sure that they have at least five years experience. Never hire the appraiser recommended by your real estate agent. It could cause a conflict in the interest of appraisal. State agencies regulate all appraisers, so check your appraiser?s license or certifications before hiring him.
TIP! If you want to purchase a foreclosed home, be aware that it will most likely need repairs. Many of the foreclosed homes that are on the market have been vacant for quite some time.
Have your Realtor provide you with a checklist. Many Realtors will have a checklist that will cover every aspect of buying a home; from finding the right house that is in your budget to finalizing the mortgage. Your Realtor?s list will get everything done before you go to closing.
TIP! Lots of down payment assistance plans exist. You should aim to research any of the plans you think you could qualify for.
If you are planning on having a family, look for a house with enough space. Think about safety too. A swimming pool or stairs present a major risk for small children. A house that was previously owned by a family with children might feature a lot of built-in safety devices.
TIP! Pursue pre-foreclosure properties. If you have lots of time to devote to finding your investment property, then pre foreclosures may be the way to go for you.
The asking price for a home is the beginning point. You need to give a lot of thought to the price you want to actually offer. With help from the seller, you should be able to settle on a final selling price you are both happy with.
TIP! Staying organized is important if you are just starting out in buying real estate; organization makes it much easier. Keep all the information you get from all sources, like the internet, newspapers, and real estate agents, in one place, like a notebook.
Thanks to the Internet, it is easy to research a home and a neighborhood without stepping foot outside your current home. You can find out a good deal of information about even the smallest town. Think about the economy situation in the area prior to purchasing property in a town.
TIP! When you are trying to make a deal on real estate, do it moderately. Many people want to be aggressive and get the best deal, and they wind up shooting themselves in the foot.
So you want to find a place to purchase, but firstly you have to have a real estate agent who?s qualified. You will need to find someone you are able trust. The agent you select should have a good history of successful transactions. Always conduct sufficient research to identify those agents most dedicated to customer service.
Real Estate
TIP! Consider what the future may hold when you are in the market to buy a home. If you are planning to stay in the house you are purchasing for several years, you should consider the location of the house in relation to your preferred school district in case you decide to have children.
Do not rush into purchasing real estate without doing your homework. Don?t make the mistake of purchasing property on impulse because that can be a risk that results in the loss of a money and time investment. Therefore, before you purchase any real estate, you must find out important information like the neighborhood, crime rate, and how old the house is, among many other things.
TIP! Before purchasing a new home, make sure the property has adequate parking included in the price. This will be very important if the house doesn?t have a driveway.
When you first begin looking for property, it can seem like the process is too complicated to understand, but once you get some information and add your own common sense, it?s not so bad. By taking this advice, you will be a wise real estate
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South African independent power firm () today arranged new financing via the issue of loan notes.
It has re-financed existing loan notes, that initially raised ?650,000 in 2010, with new notes carrying an annual interest of 6 per cent, and also have a 10 per cent charge on their face value.
?s largest shareholder Sterling Trust, owning 26 per cent of the company, has subscribed for ?350,000 of the new loan notes.
It has also agreed a separate loan with Sterling Trust for its subsidiary Newcastle Cogeneration Ltd (Newcogen), which operates a power plant in Newcastle, South Africa.
At subsidiary level is borrowing ?550,000. This allows the firm to discharge a proposed settlement with Gas Ltd (in relation to a contract terminated in August 2009).
The Newcastle loan carries interest at a rate of 1.25 per cent per month on the first ?150,000 and 1 per cent a month on the balance of the loan. This adds to a separate ?300,000 loan from Sterling Trust to Newcogen.
"We are pleased to be in a position to settle the long-standing dispute with , and are thankful for the continued support of our creditors and lenders,? said chairman Richard Linnell.
says these neither of these new arrangements will provide working capital for the company.?And although Newcogen is cash generative, continues to rely on the continued support of all its creditors while it works towards a disposal of its two remaining turbines.
Drivers Save Hundreds of Dollars with Cheap Car Insurance Quotes Online ? 123carinsurance.org has announced an upgrade to its online car insurance aggregation service. Now offering free auto insurance quotes to drivers in all fifty states across America, drivers can use the website to find the most discounts possible among ? Read more on PR Web (press release)
Why You Shouldn't Rent A Car With A MasterCard That's why a recent study published by CardHub ranked MasterCard behind Visa, Discover and American Express when it comes to auto rental insurance. The study, which somewhat subjectively rates each of the four major card companies based on ?how ? Read more on Forbes
Use your credit card for auto rental insurance (MoneyWatch) Did you know that your credit card likely provides auto insurance that covers rental cars? If you said no, you're not alone. Many people don't realize that it's built into the benefits offered by Visa (V), American Express (AXP), Discover ? Read more on CBS Moneywatch
Skype helps keep more secrets than any software on Earth, but just how safe are those secrets? That question arose again in earnest this week, after a set of stories claimed new Skype technologies made it easier for law enforcement to eavesdrop on members.
With 250 million users, Skype ?owned since 2011 by Microsoft -- might be considered the world's most widely distributed communication tool. Because its software encrypts those conversations, it is certainly the world's biggest deployment of encryption tools.? That's served the service well for years: It has a reputation for helping dissidents foment revolutions, and for being a last bastion of privacy.?
Governments, of course, hate secrets, and secret-keeping technologies that might enable what they identify as criminal behavior. Skype makes it possible to have phone calls that can't be wiretapped -- making the service a battleground in this perpetual privacy vs. order fight.
Since Skype first went corporate in 2005, with its purchase by eBay, that battleground has grown even more complicated.? A scrappy start-up can ignore the Chinese government and the FBI for a while; a Wall Street company with billions in revenue cannot.
Since that time, privacy advocates like Chris Soghoian have called on Skype to clearly spell out its secret-keeping technologies and provide assurance that it's not cutting deal with government agencies, enabling secret wiretaps or other intrusions.? In his view, Skype has been coy, and only answered in generalities.
"There are a lot of people who deep in their gut mistrust Skype," said, Soghoian, a fellow at the Washington, D.C., advocacy group Open Society Foundations, which says it promotes democracy around the world.
That mistrust set the stage for a flurry of reports this week suggesting that the service is no longer fully private. A flurry of bloggers -- noting the introduction of centralized "supernodes" by Skype that might provide a central point for eavesdropping, and a Microsoft patent describing a technological method for eavesdropping -- put two and two together and speculated that Skype's communications tools were no longer fully private.
In a rare step, Skype responded with a detailed rebuttal on its website.
"Nothing could be further from the truth," wrote Mark Gillett, the firm's chief development and operations officer, speaking generally about accusations that Skype is acting "against our users' interests."? He issued a point-by- response to many charge specifically leveled against Skype, saying that nothing about Skype's "posture and policies" with regard to law enforcement had changed.?
?Supernodes,? which route Skype traffic through central servers rather than allowing point-to-point connections, merely improve the flow of information around the service, Gillett said. What's more, they connect only addressing information -- actual phone calls don't flow through those servers, so they do not provide a convenient access point for wiretaps. That denial is clear and specific.
"Skype to Skype calls do not flow through our data centers and the 'supernodes' are not involved in passing media (audio or video) between Skype clients," Gillett wrote.
Moreover, he pointed out, they were first deployed back in 2010, well before Microsoft purchased Skype. ?
There are, of course, plenty of other ways that law enforcement could theoretically crack its way into Skype calls. There could be a backdoor built into the service. Skype could create and keep a spare set of encryption keys to unlock message at government requests.? As Soghoian suggests, Skype could even authorize encryption keys that would allow the government to impersonate a user, and then perform a so-called "man in the middle attack," with a government agent secretly inserted into the middle of a phone call, able to eavesdrop.
Answering a query from NBC News,?Skype executive Chaim Haas, said in an email that the firm does not save keys for government use.
"Encryption keys ... are not revealed to users or escrowed to third parties and are discarded when the session ends," said Hass, the service's senior vice president for technology, emerging media and digital strategy. "(The) use of credential-based identities and end-to-end encryption to make 'man-in-the-middle' attacks very unlikely," he added.
Skeptics like Soghoian still aren't satisfied, however. He says the volume of the conspiracy theories from the past week shows how much people are suspicious of Skype, even if supernodes are the wrong reason to doubt the company.
"Skype is always very careful how (it) phrases things," he said.? "If they say they haven't changed their intercept policy since Microsoft purchased the company, then the question to ask is, 'What was that policy before?' If you ask them, they won't give a straight answer."
Indeed, the answer Skype gives consistently to that question is this: "When a law enforcement entity follows the appropriate procedures, we respond where legally required and technically feasible."
It's that ?technically feasible? part which bother Soghoian.
"Why don't they just come out and say how their technology works?" he said. "The company is extremely evasive and we wouldn't accept that anywhere else. ... Think about this: What other security company is there where the company won't describe how it secures user data, but people still assume it's safe?"
It's those assumptions that bother Soghoian. People say things on Skype that they wouldn't say elsewhere because they assume the conversation is completely safe from prying eyes.? If it's not, there's a real hazard.
"There's a solid body of research which shows that when people think they are safe, they will engage in riskier activities," he said. "People use Skype because they think it's secure, but Skype has done nothing to clarify what it does and doesn't offer." He's concerned that Skype is, in a sense, having it both ways -- benefitting from offering a communications tool with a reputation for being completely safe from government's prying eyes, while benefitting from relationships with governments that help its business.
Other technology companies, like Google, provide what are called "transparency reports," which give some information about the number of times they have fulfilled requests from government agencies. Twitter released its first such report earlier this month. So far, Skype has not done so.
Still, a transparency report is not likely to answer the key question: How safe are secrets on Skype? By the time that answer arrives, it will likely be too late to be relevant.? It's a bit of a Catch-22.? The day that data gleaned from a Skype-based wiretap shows up in a criminal indictment or lawsuit -- which is often how these mysterious business practices are revealed -- is the day that government agencies will no longer be that interested in eavesdropping on Skype.
"If people hear that Skype is not secure, they won't use it for those private conversations, and they will be less interesting to law enforcement," Soghoian said.?
Such was the case with once-popular encryption email service called "Hushmail." In 2007, it was revealed that Hushmail had helped the Canadian government obtain as massive number of emails while it tried to prosecute alleged illegal steroid dealers. ?Hushmail then fell out of favor, and became a less interesting place for law enforcement, Soghoian said.
"Several agencies learned their lesson from Hushmail," he said.? "They blew their cover ... that won't happen again."
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The 2012 Summer Olympics kick into full gear tomorrow, which means there will be a million and one events happening concurrently. Thanks to the magic of the internet, we have the ability to watch pretty much any event we want, whenever we want. More »
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Is it possible to keep long distance love alive? Many people find this love hard to maintain. But all types of relationships are not also easy to maintain as they require one to be committed in maintaining them.
Long distance relationships have become more common these days as the Internet has brought people together no matter how far partners are staying from one another.
It can be very hard and confusing times when you?re in a long distance relationship love. It takes much work for long distance relationships to function well when it comes to compromising, understanding and communicating.
Due to this folks think that long distance relationships do not work. Although a large number of long distance relationships fail, it doesn?t imply that yours will also fail if you get yourself into it. You can make yours to work if you put some more effort and planning well.
There are numerous benefits of being in a long distance love which many of us do not realize. You won?t waste time doubting your lover if you know how lucky you are to have him/her willing to be in a relationship with you in spite of the distance.
Long distance relationship involves 2 folk sharing the same interest and that same interest is love. They care for one another that their love keeps on growing stronger regardless of the long distance between them.
Long distance love needs a special understanding and willingness since there are tests in such a relationship compared with other types of relationships. For instance cheating on girlfriend..
Distance is the hardest thing for partners to handle in a long distance relationship. Nonetheless, with internet they can spend a little time together by playing cards or any other internet game. They can also use Skype to talk whatever they want.
Partners can also rent the same movie to watch when they have spare time. After watching it they can then discuss it over the phone. They can even buy electronic gifts like e-cards for each other. Therefore there are unlimited things that partners can do over the internet in enduring their long distance relationship.
Effective communication is among the most crucial things when it comes to making long distance relationship work. Both the partners should feel that they are an active part of each other?s life.
Feeling to be an active part of one another?s life is the best accomplishment towards having effective communication. Photographs, emails, web cams and letters can diminish distance but nothing of these substitutes the intimacy of hearing your spouse?s voice.
Since partners cannot be together physically, exchanging photos will keep them in remebering how their partners look like. When you feel lonely the pictures of your partner will remind you that you have somebody special in your life.
Partners in the long distance love might find it hard to trust each other. This is because they are going to have a difficult time in believing what people gossip about their relationship and what they tell each about the same.
Long distance relationship is in danger when trust and honesty is lacking. There will be a robust long distance relationship if both of the partners are trustful and faithful.
Kentis Nikenya, the writer of this article, is one of the members of team Nikenya. Go to their website for plenty of information, including the answer to the question: why do women cheat on their boyfriends?
When Hyleas Fountain was in eighth grade, she watched the state track-and-field meet, turned to a Central Dauphin East High School coach and vowed to compete there the next year.
She did. And that was just the beginning.
Fountain is scheduled to compete Aug. 3 and 4 in the Olympics heptathlon in London as she aspires to win her second Olympic medal. She won the silver medal in the heptathlon at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
The opening ceremonies take place today.
The former Swatara Twp. resident always knew how to make her dreams come true, said Al Moten, the former CD East track coach.
?I knew Hyleas was special from the first time I coached her,? said Moten, who was Fountain?s coach from ninth through 12th grades. ?An athlete like that comes to a coach every 15 or 20 years. I was blessed to coach her.?
Moten is optimistic that the 31-year-old Fountain can win another medal in the grueling event. The heptahlon includes the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, a 200-meter dash, long jump, javelin and 800-meter run.
Fountain, a 2000 graduate of CD East, is especially strong in the long jump. She once jumped 19? feet at Landis Field, and later jumped 23 feet, Moten said.
He said she is equally strong at the high jump, noting that she jumped 6 feet when she was a junior.
?Hyleas also is a very determined, strong runner,? said Moten, who is now an administrator at Gaudenzia and assistant pastor of Shiloh Church of God in Christ in Swatara Twp.
?In high school, she distanced herself from other females because she was at a much higher level. She always tried to do better, but she was humble and teachable, too.?
Moten called Fountain one of the star athletes in his coaching career, which also included Elizabethtown College and Lebanon Valley College.
By the time Fountain was a senior, competing against girls offered little challenge. Moten said she began competing against boys in track-and-field events, frequently winning. He said people came to the meets to watch the high school girl compete against the boys and beat them in the high jump.
?Hyleas would follow any suggestion I gave her, always trying to do better,? Moten said. ?She?s a sweet, humble kid who doesn?t feel she?s above everyone. She?s there for the team and encourages the other athletes.?
Yet even Fountain had her off days. After winning four gold medals at the district track-and-ield meet during her senior year, she had high hopes heading to the state meet in Shippensburg.
Instead, she was injured during her first event, which hindered her the rest of the day. She fell in her last race. She didn?t win any medals.
?When she cried, I told her that there would be better days ahead,? Moten said. ?Then we went to dinner at Red Lobster. She put everything behind her. Most kids would have ended their athletic careers there. Hyleas didn?t. That day became the catalyst that she wanted to make up for and do better. And she did. She has a great attitude.?
Fountain trains hours each day for the heptathlon. To keep her lean and muscular build, she eats a lot of fruits, vegetables and beans, some fish and a little meat.
Moten, who coached at Central Dauphin East for 15 years, follows Fountain?s competitions closely.
?I?m very proud of her,? he said. ?Next week will be ?Hyleas Fountain Week.? All eyes will be on her.?
Always an athlete
Fountain?s love of all things athletic date to her childhood, when she went to the Bressler and Oberlin parks to play and rode her bicycle through the ?triple cities? of Bressler, Oberlin and Enhaut.
As a 7-year-old, she ran competitively with the Harrisburg High Steppers.
She competed in the Swatara Twp. Recreation Department?s summer events, and won ribbons in field events at Tri-Community Elementary School and in track events at Central Dauphin East Junior High School.
By the time Fountain was in high school, she had hit her stride, Moten said.
The Olympics will feature another product of the Central Dauphin School District.
Ryan Whiting, a Central Dauphin High School graduate, will compete in the shot put.
?Hyleas and Ryan were good students, good teammates and represented our school district in their high school careers and beyond with class and integrity,? said Ford Thompson, Central Dauphin School Board president. ?Their achievements speak very loud and clear to their superior athleticism. Even more important, both are such quality people.?
More Olympics on PennLive.com
Olympics will provide plenty of action for any kind of fan ? Your weekend Olympics guide: Opening ceremony, local Olympians and more ? Six unusual Olympic sports of today and four from yesteryear ? Full Olympics coverage ?
AMMAN/BEIRUT (Reuters) - President Bashar al-Assad's forces renewed a ground and aerial bombardment of Aleppo on Friday, extending efforts to crush rebels in Syria's commercial capital in what the United States said it feared could become a massacre.
Insurgents targeted army roadblocks and security installations, with both sides avoiding close-quarters warfare in the city of 2.5 million people, Syria's biggest urban centre.
The U.S. State Department said credible reports of tank columns moving on Aleppo, along with air strikes by helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, represented a serious escalation of Assad's efforts to crush a rebellion that began 16 months ago.
"This is the concern: that we will see a massacre in Aleppo, and that's what the regime appears to be lining up for," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.
Troops stationed on the outskirts of Aleppo unleashed barrages of heavy-caliber mortar rounds on the western neighborhoods of Saladin, al-Sukkari and al-Fardos, while Russian MI-25 helicopter gunships struck al-Sakhour in the east with rockets, several opposition activists in the city said.
RISING CASUALTIES
In the first reported casualty on Friday, a man of about 60 wearing a traditional white prayer outfit was killed near a park in Saladin. His body was placed in a mosque pending identification.
Thirty-four people were killed in Aleppo and its environs on Thursday, according to opposition activists keeping a tally of casualties in the northern city.
"The rebels have so far been nimble, and civilians have mostly been the victims of the bombardment," said activist Abu Mohammad al-Halabi, speaking by phone from the city.
"There is lots of internal displacement, and schools have been turned to makeshift shelters that are packed. One shell hitting a school will result in a catastrophe," he said.
"The regime is massing troops and tanks at the entrances of Aleppo, but it seems it is for now content with bombarding the city, with the rebels constantly on the move."
Majed al-Nour, another activist, said rebels attacked a security outpost in the neighborhood of Bustan al-Joz, which is close to the Aleppo city center, on Thursday.
"The rebels are present in the east and west of the city, and have a foothold in areas of the center. The regime forces control the entrances of Aleppo and the main thoroughfares and commercial streets and are bombarding the residential districts that fell into rebel hands," he said.
Nour said tens of thousands of people had fled Aleppo to nearby northern rural regions close to Turkey from which the Syrian army has withdrawn in recent weeks to focus on urban areas where relatively lightly armed rebels have hunkered down.
The heavy fighting around Aleppo follows an audacious bomb attack that killed four of Assad's closest lieutenants in Damascus on July 18 and led some analysts to speculate that the government's grip was slipping.
With U.N. Security Council resolutions for sanctions against Syria vetoed by Russia and China for a third time last week, the United States has said it is stepping up assistance to Syria's fractured opposition, although it remains limited to non-lethal supplies such as communications gear and medical equipment.
Reuters has learned that the White House has crafted a presidential directive, called a "finding," that would authorize greater covert assistance for the rebels, while still stopping short of arming them.
It is not clear whether President Barack Obama has signed the document, and U.S. officials declined to comment on the finding, which is a highly classified authorization for covert activity.
UNITING THE OPPOSITION
A Syrian parliamentarian representing the northern province of Aleppo said on Friday she had defected to Turkey, becoming the first member of the rubberstamp assembly elected in May and dominated by President Bashar al-Assad's Baath Party to defect.
"I have crossed to Turkey and defected from this tyrannical regime ... because of the repression and savage torture against a nation demanding the minimum of rights," Ikhlas al-Badawi told Sky News Arabia.
One of the most senior figures to defect from Assad's inner circle, Brigadier General Manaf Tlas, put himself forward on Thursday as someone who could help unify the opposition inside and outside Syria on a plan for a transfer of power.
Tlas, speaking in a newspaper interview in the Saudi city of Jeddah, also said he was looking for support from Saudi Arabia and other powers. "I am discussing with ... people outside Syria to reach a consensus with those inside," Tlas told Thursday's edition of the Saudi newspaper Asharq al-Awsat.
Tlas went on to Turkey and met with Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. Turkey, a former ally of Assad and now one of his fiercest critics, has a heavy strategic stake in shaping any post-Assad leadership in neighboring Syria.
Tlas appeared briefly with Davutoglu at an official guest house, but made no statement.
Turkey closed its border posts with Syria on Wednesday to all traffic except Syrian refugees.
Russia, one of the few remaining allies of the authoritarian Assad whose family has run Syria for 42 years, said calls for him to quit power were hindering efforts to end the conflict.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said such calls, led by the United States, Turkey and other Western and Arab nations, were fanning violence. He reiterated Moscow's contention that support for Syrian rebel groups was tantamount to backing terrorism.
Iran promised to stand by Syria, come what may.
First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi told Iran's Press TV on Thursday that the Islamic Republic's support for Syria, its main Arab ally, was "unchangeable", countering suggestions that Iran could soften its backing for Assad.
(Additional reporting by Tabassum Zakaria, Matt Spetalnick and Andrew Quinn in Washington; Writing by Will Waterman; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Paul Simao)
According to J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study released today, Jaguar ranks second industry wide among nameplates in vehicle appeal and the Range Rover Evoque is most appealing in the Entry Premium Crossover SUV segment. For the second year in a row, Jaguar ranks second out of 34 brands measured in the industry - with the Jaguar XJ scoring as second highest large premium car. Land Rover placed sixth (in a tie) among 34 brands, and the new Range Rover Evoque receives the award for Most Appealing Entry Premium Crossover SUV.
"The J.D. Power and Associates APEAL study simply indicates how much your customers like their vehicles? design, performance and features, and clearly our customers are quite smitten," says Andy Goss, President of Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC. "Jaguar Land Rover is dedicated, as a premium automotive company, to providing the customers of both our brands with quality vehicles that deliver extraordinary performance, innovative technology, and desirable styling."
Jaguar is the second most improved nameplate. The gain is primarily driven by the Jaguar XJ with 901 points - one of only three models in the industry to score above 900. The Jaguar brand was also the most improved, and tied for 2nd highest in the industry, in the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Initial Quality Study (IQS). Land Rover placed sixth overall in the industry in a tie, showing that its line up of luxury SUVs is well regarded by its customers. Leading the Land Rover lineup is the new Range Rover Evoque, which in its first year in the survey scored higher than all other Entry Premium Crossover SUVs. According to the survey, customers of the award-receiving Range Rover Evoque most appreciate its design and fuel economy, compared to its segment. The Range Rover Evoque combines class-leading performance with dynamic and agile handling across all terrains. This is the 102nd global award for the Range Rover Evoque.
The J.D. Power and Associates APEAL study examines how gratifying a new vehicle is to own and drive based on owner evaluations of more than 80 vehicle attributes. The study's unique approach to measuring owner satisfaction and how much a customer likes or dislikes virtually every aspect of their new vehicle provides a powerful tool to manufacturers to influence future product development. The 2012 APEAL study is based on responses gathered between February 2012 and May 2012 from more than 74,000 purchasers and lessees of new 2012 model-year cars and trucks who were surveyed after the first 90 days of ownership.
Early last week, a screenshot of an internal T-Mobile document revealed the existence of a device perplexingly called the "HTC Era 42," which promptly caused some T-Mobile fans to drool uncontrollably. Some speculated that it would be the latest in T-Mobile's G-series of Android devices and would sport a physical keyboard because of HTC's track record with the carrier, but now TmoNews is calling it slightly differently. Instead of a brand new, keyboard-toting handset, editor David Beren has managed to confirm "with a small level of certainty" that the device is actually a tweaked version of the HTC One X called the One X+.
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New Zealand were 232/4 at the close on the opening day of the first of two Tests against the West Indies here on Wednesday as Martin Guptill spurned the chance of a century.
Things had been going slowly the tourists' way when Guptill, on 97 and looking for his first ton against a side other than Bangladesh or Zinmbabwe, slogged Sunil Narine to the grateful waiting Narsingh Deonarine just three overs before the end of the session.
It was Narine's third wicket and put the hosts back on an even keel after they had earlier looked to be toiling at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium after Kiwi captain Ross Taylor had won the toss.
Guptill had already had a scare when a review got him out of jail when he appeared to have been trapped lbw.
Taylor made 45 but was bowled by Narine, who ended the day with three for 73.
But it was the demise of Guptill which hit the tourists as he was replaced by Kane Williamson, who had made two at the close with debutant and nightwatchman Neil Wagner on four.
The match saw top-order batsman Chris Gayle return to the West Indies Test line-up for the first time since December 2010.
Gayle has been absent from the Test side due to a standoff between himself and the West Indies Cricket officials board sparked by critical comments he made about officials in a radio interview after a sponsorship row.
In a relatively sedate opening the Black Caps, beaten in the preceding one-day series, settled down as Daniel Flynn and Guptill moved the score along.
Flynn had a scare when Kemar Roach made an early leg-before appeal in a slow start as six overs brought only as many runs.
But the pace then quickened as Flynn hit two boundaries off Darren Sammy before Guptill survived a caught-behind appeal.
Flynn hit another boundary off Sammy in the 18th over to bring the score up to 50 before Guptill slogged Sunil Narine for six.
A review then went against the hosts as Guptill was given not out lbw to Sammy following an inside edge.
A flurry of maidens held up the visitors either side of lunch before Flynn smashed Narine to the ropes while Guptill twice did the same to Ravi Rampaul.
As the 100 mark beckoned Narine landed his first Test wicket as Flynn miscued an effort to Kieran Powell at point before Guptill secured his half-century in driving Roach for another boundary.
New partner Brendon McCullum survived a review for lbw but then was out driving to Narsingh Deonarine at mid-off having made 25.
The West Indies have dominated the tourists so far this summer, taking the Twenty20 series 2-0 in which Gayle was awarded man of the series, and the ODI series 4-1 in which Gayle made an aggressive century and half-century.
Winners of competition for most innovative skills-focused education modelsPublic release date: 24-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Nkem Wellington nwellington@resultsfordevelopment.org 202-470-5723 Results for Development Institute
Scaling up educational models that target learning and skills development in Africa & Asia
WASHINGTON Results for Development Institute (R4D) is excited to announce the winners of the 2012 Innovative Secondary Education for Skills Enhancement (ISESE) Competition a competition to uncover innovative, replicable models to equip youth with the skills for success in today's global economy.
"The winners and runners-up are very promising. Though having discovered this many innovative models in just 12 countries, imagine how many more outstanding examples there are for us to learn from in other parts of the world," says Nicholas Burnett, managing director at Results for Development Institute.
With support from the Rockefeller Foundation, R4D is working on projects that identify and explore innovative models of skills delivery at the secondary level in twelve African and Asian countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
R4D launched the ISESE Competition on the Ashoka Changemakers platform to recognize innovative models that are currently being implemented.
The competition's panel of judges, comprised of Angelique Kidjo, Grammy-winning West African singer, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and Founder of the Batonga Foundation; Bob Adamson, professor of Curriculum Studies, Hong Kong Institute of Education; Mwihaki Kimura Muraguri, Associate Director, Rockefeller Foundation; Nicholas Burnett, Managing Director, Results for Development Institute; and Rose Musau, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Preferred Personnel Africa, have selected the following participants for their outstanding education models:
Winners ($1,000 Cash Prize Each):
India's Yuwa: Kicking It New School provides girls the opportunity to develop self-confidence and leadership skills by joining soccer teams, and a better education through its building bridges programs.
Senegal's Improving the Quality and Relevance of Middle School program works with the Minister of Education, civil society, and businesses to reform middle-school curriculum to teach 21st century skills.
Runners-Up ($500 Cash Prize Each):
IT Training for Youth with Disabilities addresses Vietnam's lack of employment opportunities for people with disabilities by providing advanced technical training, soft-skills training, and networking with potential employers.
Lend-A-Hand India's Multi-Skill Vocational Training and Entrepreneurship Development as Part of Secondary Education program in government-aided schools blends traditional academic work and hands-on projects to emphasize relevant skills students need in rural areas.
Tanzania's Emusoi Centre provides academic and vocational education for secondary school age Maasai girls. The center helps young women transition from traditional lifestyles to multi-cultural/multi-tribal environments by providing academic, social and psychological mentorship.
In addition to the recipients listed above, special mentions of five additional models will be featured on the Results for Development website in our ongoing educational blog series (http://resultsfordevelopment.org/blog/2012-07-23/isese-competition-yuwa-%E2%80%93-kicking-it-new-school)
###
For more about the competition, visit http://changemakers.com/ISESE.
For more about R4D's work in global education, visit http://resultsfordevelopment.org/focus-areas/global-education
About the ISESE Competition
The ISESE Competition aims to identify and explore models that promote innovative secondary education for skills enhancement in Africa and Asia. High quality and relevant secondary education provides youth with the skills, knowledge and competencies needed for employment, which results in an increase in future income and economic development.
About Ashoka's Changemakers
Changemakers is a global online community that supports everyone's ability to be a changemaker and to inspire, mentor, and collaborate with other members of the community at every level of changemaking. Changemakers identifies and connects the best social innovators and implementers through online competitions and changeshops, an online network for scaling-up innovation. Participants compete to surface the most promising solutions, and then collaborate to re?ne, enrich, and implement them. Changeshops offer a place to plug game-changing ideas into networks of resources, talent, and support. Changemakers builds on Ashoka's three-decade history of transforming the citizen sector by building the largest association of leading social entrepreneurs in the world.
About Results for Development Institute
R4D is a non-profit organization whose mission is to unlock solutions to tough development challenges that prevent people in low- and middle-income countries from realizing their full potential. Using multiple approaches in multiple sectors including, Global Education, Global Health, Governance and Market Dynamics, R4D supports the discovery and implementation of new ideas for reducing poverty and improving lives around the world.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Winners of competition for most innovative skills-focused education modelsPublic release date: 24-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Nkem Wellington nwellington@resultsfordevelopment.org 202-470-5723 Results for Development Institute
Scaling up educational models that target learning and skills development in Africa & Asia
WASHINGTON Results for Development Institute (R4D) is excited to announce the winners of the 2012 Innovative Secondary Education for Skills Enhancement (ISESE) Competition a competition to uncover innovative, replicable models to equip youth with the skills for success in today's global economy.
"The winners and runners-up are very promising. Though having discovered this many innovative models in just 12 countries, imagine how many more outstanding examples there are for us to learn from in other parts of the world," says Nicholas Burnett, managing director at Results for Development Institute.
With support from the Rockefeller Foundation, R4D is working on projects that identify and explore innovative models of skills delivery at the secondary level in twelve African and Asian countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
R4D launched the ISESE Competition on the Ashoka Changemakers platform to recognize innovative models that are currently being implemented.
The competition's panel of judges, comprised of Angelique Kidjo, Grammy-winning West African singer, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and Founder of the Batonga Foundation; Bob Adamson, professor of Curriculum Studies, Hong Kong Institute of Education; Mwihaki Kimura Muraguri, Associate Director, Rockefeller Foundation; Nicholas Burnett, Managing Director, Results for Development Institute; and Rose Musau, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Preferred Personnel Africa, have selected the following participants for their outstanding education models:
Winners ($1,000 Cash Prize Each):
India's Yuwa: Kicking It New School provides girls the opportunity to develop self-confidence and leadership skills by joining soccer teams, and a better education through its building bridges programs.
Senegal's Improving the Quality and Relevance of Middle School program works with the Minister of Education, civil society, and businesses to reform middle-school curriculum to teach 21st century skills.
Runners-Up ($500 Cash Prize Each):
IT Training for Youth with Disabilities addresses Vietnam's lack of employment opportunities for people with disabilities by providing advanced technical training, soft-skills training, and networking with potential employers.
Lend-A-Hand India's Multi-Skill Vocational Training and Entrepreneurship Development as Part of Secondary Education program in government-aided schools blends traditional academic work and hands-on projects to emphasize relevant skills students need in rural areas.
Tanzania's Emusoi Centre provides academic and vocational education for secondary school age Maasai girls. The center helps young women transition from traditional lifestyles to multi-cultural/multi-tribal environments by providing academic, social and psychological mentorship.
In addition to the recipients listed above, special mentions of five additional models will be featured on the Results for Development website in our ongoing educational blog series (http://resultsfordevelopment.org/blog/2012-07-23/isese-competition-yuwa-%E2%80%93-kicking-it-new-school)
###
For more about the competition, visit http://changemakers.com/ISESE.
For more about R4D's work in global education, visit http://resultsfordevelopment.org/focus-areas/global-education
About the ISESE Competition
The ISESE Competition aims to identify and explore models that promote innovative secondary education for skills enhancement in Africa and Asia. High quality and relevant secondary education provides youth with the skills, knowledge and competencies needed for employment, which results in an increase in future income and economic development.
About Ashoka's Changemakers
Changemakers is a global online community that supports everyone's ability to be a changemaker and to inspire, mentor, and collaborate with other members of the community at every level of changemaking. Changemakers identifies and connects the best social innovators and implementers through online competitions and changeshops, an online network for scaling-up innovation. Participants compete to surface the most promising solutions, and then collaborate to re?ne, enrich, and implement them. Changeshops offer a place to plug game-changing ideas into networks of resources, talent, and support. Changemakers builds on Ashoka's three-decade history of transforming the citizen sector by building the largest association of leading social entrepreneurs in the world.
About Results for Development Institute
R4D is a non-profit organization whose mission is to unlock solutions to tough development challenges that prevent people in low- and middle-income countries from realizing their full potential. Using multiple approaches in multiple sectors including, Global Education, Global Health, Governance and Market Dynamics, R4D supports the discovery and implementation of new ideas for reducing poverty and improving lives around the world.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
The high charges involved with the particular aircraft sector usually are diverse. You know how high-priced fuel is now in recent years for our cars and also vehicles on the road. Aviation fuel is as high-priced, if not more pricey, because it ought to be really neat and good quality in order to meet safety expectations and for obvious risk minimizing factors. Additional fees involve providing a traveling machine. Light planes generally require the least level of maintenance but once it comes to helis or water jets it becomes costly. The safety restrictions requiring limited periodic program often mean quite a lot.
Aircraft products are made of mix steel in addition to titanium. They provide much more strength and stability with other main areas of the plane. High quality mounting bolts usually have a new marking for their head. If you notice no marks on the brain, do not use the item. It is probably some of those commercial grade bolts. Bolt markings vary according to the manufacturer. You should notice an ?X? level or an asterisk and also a name, and on the bolthead.
Most of these bolts are designed of stable alloy metal and titanium. Their major function will be to present far more energy and good balance to other the different parts of the group charters. To make sure you will get premium quality items, look into the markings in the head. Mounting bolts utilized in aircraft must have an asterisk or an ?X? mark, along with its brand name, within the head. If there is absolutely no marking, ask your supplier immediately. Bolt markings vary based on manufacturers.
You should also try to find licenses and proper records. Make sure they have got manufacturer certification. This probably is one of the most essential considerations while looking for aircraft or aerospace computer hardware.
Make a list from the services and options you would like to have, in addition to a list of what you should not do without. This will assist you narrow down the possibilities any time deciding recognise the business to use for the aircraft management requires.
A competent jet brokerage is needed to navigate aircraft buyers from the purchase of a great aircraft. S/he will make sure owner has provided whole disclosure and will guide arrange for any pre-buy inspection. The client will also be able to tap into loans, legal in addition to accounting suggestions from the dealer.
I had a hard time figuring out precisely what is in the web site. There is no website map. This can be a common problem and many other internet websites suffer from it. Navigating the pages is not hard enough to try and do. I certainly not got misplaced. But once I acquired down to the foot of the page hierarchy, it turned out very hard to estimate what I would definitely find. I used to be sometimes greeted by a web page full of details, which was a very pleasant shock. At other times, almost all I found ended up almost empty pages, that was not so good.
Fasteners crafted from aluminum tend to be light in weight. With aircraft hardware, aluminium is a common materials, like in this rivets of planes. Even though easy to use durable, aluminum fasteners tend to be responsive to high levels of heat as well as rust because of stresses about the material, despite having treatment.
Intended for serious individuals we have a couple of fairly handy and relevant insights pertaining to jet charter airports.
Early last week, a screenshot of an internal![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 24-Jul-2012
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