Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Round House Theatre's Over the Line Festival - Forum Theatre: Church

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Round House Theatre's Over the Line Festival - Forum Theatre: Church

These are general admission seats. We are unable to accommodate special requests.

Sunday, July 29, 2012 at 2:00 PM
Round House Theatre Silver Spring
8641 Colesville Road
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Website: culturecapital.com/event.php?id=20450
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Source: http://culturecapital.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=487509

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Chinese College to open in Armenia

July 30, 2012 | 22:01

YEREVAN. ? Total of 28 students from Armenia will go to China to study there. Undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships were granted by China in a competition within the frameworks of the international treaty between Armenia and China. The scholarships were granted by the Armenian Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan, the Chinese Ambassador to Armenia Tian Changchun and the Armenian Deputy FM Sergey Manasaryan.

Wishing students the success, Ashotyan stated that China was the most of all to provide for university positions, which meets the great interest and desire of the Armenian students to get familiarized with the Chinese culture and policy.?

He also added that 15 Chinese students will study in Armenia on the skill exchange program. Besides, a college teaching the Chinese language and meeting international criteria is planned to open in the near future in Armenia.?

Source: http://news.am/eng/news/115335.html

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The Way In Which Get Valuable Keyword Methods for PPC | Internet ...

In general Pay Per Click is an advertising technique basically used on any kinds of websites, advertising technique and search engines. Advertisers can get good earning as well as good position on the Search Engine Ranking Page by using this method through a bidding process.

Really for your specific keywords and phrases and phrases the entrepreneurs will publish the particular words the customers or clients like according to their business. The marketer?s pays the cost based on the final results only according to ?pay per click?.

Website visitors of PPC

Everybody ought to know about PPC essentially. Possibly all business owners will follow lot of techniques to get website visitors regularly. But because of some reasons like not stick to the updates regularly, or some amount issues they couldn?t bring their very own site well-liked by the site visitors.

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Yet PPC is wonderful method just in case of your site is not showing the great ranking on search engines like Google you also you don?t need to spend some time and cash on further optimisation. Now this advertisement is definitely blinking or specified by the best side of the site or natural entries.

When people discover the entries from the advertiser?s one around the internet search engine ranking page on the particular key phrases or phrases as well as if follow the link, then your marketer have to pay some dollars based on predetermined putting in a bid cost.

PPC Management

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Also PPC advertisements is the largest and most popular form of internet advertising which means advertiser can pay for the ads which links to the landing page. It is mainly use on the search engines, advertising networks, blogs, forums and content sites etc.

If you wish to get traffic aimed at your website fast then there?s most likely no faster method of doing it than via PPC advertising, indeed all the major search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing, Which run PPC adverts.

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Decision

Firstly you have to select keywords to bid on, and be aware that they vary in price depending on how competitive they are. Indeed the more sort after the keyword, the higher the search engine will charge per click.

But ideally you need your cost-per-click being low, that is where the skill will come in if the involves selecting what keywords and phrases to purchase. Keywords and phrases play part here. Customers often buy based on doing research on keywords and phrases rather than browser keywords and phrases.

Hence, we can come to know from the above that What Is PPC exactly and it?s working system in cost effective method as well as in profitable system. PPC advertising will definitely offer good return of investment for the internet marketers.

Source: http://www.4mpu.com/blog/the-way-in-which-get-valuable-keyword-methods-for-ppc/

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Monday, July 30, 2012

Latinas Interested in Genetic Testing for Breast Cancer Risk, But ...

Amelie Ramirez

Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez

Latinas tend to have positive attitudes and strong interest in genetic testing for breast cancer risk, yet lacked general knowledge about testing, its risks and benefits, according to a new study led by researchers at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind SaludToday.

The study, published recently in the journal Community Medicine & Health Education, conducted focus groups with 58 Latinas in Hidalgo County, a largely Latino part of South Texas.

Researchers used analyzed focus group responses and themes and uncovered several cultural factors, such as religious beliefs, that impacted Latinas? decisions to get genetic testing.

?Key Latino values?religiosity, importance of family and the influential role of health care providers in health decisions?should be considered when designing strategies to deliver culturally adapted risk information to increase and ensure Latinas? understanding of breast cancer genetic testing during their decision-making processes,? said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, the study?s corresponding author and director of the IHPR at the Health Science Center.

Genetic testing for breast cancer risk may facilitate better-informed decisions regarding cancer prevention, risk reduction, early detection, and better determination of risk for family members.

However, among women who are tested, less than 4% are Latina.

Finding reasons for Latinas? low participation was the goal of Dr. Ramirez and her team, which included IHPR researchers Dr. Patricia Chalela and Edgar Mu?oz and investigators from the University of North Texas Health Science Center and the University of Texas-Pan American.

The researchers found that none of the focus group participants had ever had a genetic test, and most didn?t know what the test was or how it is done.

Most women, after learning what a genetic test was, indicated they would get a genetic test in the next six months if it were available?at no or low cost?to be able to prevent cancer through healthy lifestyle changes or act as soon as possible to treat disease.

But among some of lesser-educated focus group participants, lack of accurate information about testing and cultural beliefs may hinder their use of genetic testing for breast cancer.

For example, some Latina participants viewed God as the only one who can cure cancer, which might impact their preventive health behaviors. And given Latinos? tendency to trust the advice of health care providers, some Latinas who lacked health insurance or access to a regular doctor may have fewer opportunities to learn about genetic testing.

?Further research is needed to identify effective ways to communicate genetic risk susceptibility information to Latinas to help them make informed testing decisions,? Ramirez said.

Read more about the study here.

Source: http://www.saludtoday.com/blog/latinas-interested-in-genetic-testing-for-breast-cancer-risk-but-barriers-persist/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=latinas-interested-in-genetic-testing-for-breast-cancer-risk-but-barriers-persist

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Keep Foods Out of Bacteria: Use Refrigerators











Recently, many people are alarm with an increasing number of children getting sick throughout the world because of unidentified virus. Thus, many persons are showing concern about making precautionary measures to avoid acquiring any kind of this illness.

Most health departments' advice people not to panic however, they promote to have proper ways of storing and preparing foods to prevent bacteria to spread. One way to store foods is by using containers and refrigerators. Instead of keeping foods in disposable and non-biodegradable plastics, everyone must find a good place to store their food supplies.

How to Use Refrigerators Effectively

Since this kind of appliance is capable of preserving foods for months. People will not worry about their purchase products such as eggs, vegetables, milks as well as meats that can easily be damage if not freeze in a temperature below 28? F.

Organize Foods in Hoover Fridge or Blomberg Fridge

Whenever you have leftovers during your dinner, you can still eat it the next day if you can store it properly. Use food storage containers to keep your foods then put it inside your refrigerators. You need to organize the items that you will put inside the fridge. This means you need to separate the meats, eggs and vegetables and put it in a particular area. This is for you to avoid getting the foods in and out every time you search for an item.

There are different fridge out in the market in different sizes like Hoover and Blomberg. It is important that you can maintain the cleanliness of the fridge so there will be no doubt that you can store your products for a longer time.

Avoiding Bacteria on Food

Refrigeration is essential to keep foods away from pathogenic bacteria that affecting the foods. Various food items needs to be stored in a cool place to be freeze. This will prevent the bacteria to multiply and spread through other foods. There are studies prove that microorganisms such as bacteria grow rapidly in a warm temperature. Therefore, if you can put all your items inside the fridge you will be sure that the foods that you will eat are free of bacteria.

Storing the foods properly in a container and a fridge can solve this problem easily. Moreover, you will save more many if you can have this appliance for your own house. One must remember that prevention is always better than the cure. Do not wait that something bad will happen to you because you ignore having this kind of method. If you can secure the safety of your foods from storing until you prepare it you can surely be away of any illnesses that may occur in the future.

Euronics offers you the best of all experience upon using their appliances. Choose from the available refrigerators like Hoover Fridge and Blomberg Fridge to store your food items at home.If you want to know more about Blomberg Fridge click here, .

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Source: http://www.ideamarketers.com/?articleid=3437564

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The Tattoo And Physique Piercing Industry Has Ongoing To Gain



The tattoo and physique piercing industry has ongoing to gain reputation over the final 10 years or so. Instead of tattoos becoming reserved for just rebels and rock stars, people from all walks of life are beginning to appreciate tattoos, and its not uncommon to discover that most individuals have at least one small tattoo. Even though at 1 time in history tattoos had been only shown off by criminals, pirates, and sailors, they are now an taken part of culture and youd be surprised to discover that your insurance coverage agent or attorney has a tattoo beneath their suit.

Likewise to physique piercings, tattoos are place onto someones pores and skin by using needles. Even though it might audio like a torturous process, many people are shocked to find that sitting via a tattoo actually isnt all that bad, and for most individuals, the pain of a tattoo starts to fade away after a few minutes of sitting through it, as the body naturally places up opposition to the discomfort and blocks the pain. For any tattoo artist, theyre used to this, which is why theyre always on the hunt for good tattoo suppliers that will provide good tattooing supplies so they can attempt and cut back on their clients pain. Tattoo artists know that utilizing the very best tattooing provides not only produces an easier experience for them as theyre really tattooing someone, but that it also can play a huge part in the expertise of the customer. If a tattoo artist is utilizing tattooing provides that are badly or cheaply produced, the consumer will certainly feel it, and this indicates from a company standpoint that the customer is much less most likely to arrive back for another tattoo, or even to have that artist finish a big tattoo.


For some customers, tattoos are a large component of their life, so if theyre skilled tattoo enthusiasts, they will be able to tell when a tattoo artist is using inexpensive tattooing provides on them, and this will certainly be a turn off for them. Tattoo retailers want to do every thing they can to maintain business coming back again, and this means making certain that even the mother of three that surprisingly will get a tattoo will be so pleasantly surprised at her expertise that shell come back for an additional. Cutting corners and purchasing inexpensive tattooing provides just isnt really worth the loss of company, and the money lost will not make up for what the tattoo artist saved.

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Source: http://www.convivium.co.za/the-tattoo-and-physique-piercing-industry-has-ongoing-to-gain

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What Boston SEO Can Do For Your Online Business | Go Crazy ...

Each search website has its own way of locating info but most of them perform 3 basic jobs. First they search the net depending on certain words or key terms. After which it, they keep an index of anything they find & where they observed it. Then, if they have indexed web sites that are within their listing, they could arrange them in a database so it can be simply retrieved when a user requests searching.

Now you realize the way a search site operates, you?ll roughly have an idea which type of work is concerned in doing Boston SEO. Seo targets to raise a site?s ranking in look web-site search results page and traffic volume by making it simpler for the search engines to discover your websites. There are lots of ways to try this. The most prevalent method is to boost website content. Since search engine are text-driven, the ideal keeping of key terms related to a web site can make it better to be traced. Different methods that SEOs could develop ranking & visitors are through accelerating link popularity. Link renown is definitely the way of measuring the total quantity of other internet web-sites which hyperlink to a selected website on the net.

Link acceptance plays a urgent role in the visibility of a website at the pinnacle of serp?s as it is often a significant factor utilised by the search engines to build a website?s ranking. Usually, the greater one way links a web site has, the greater the position it truly is getting on the search list compared against another similar website which contains less links. Likewise, some the search engines need more than one links going to a website or otherwise it?s going to dropped from their index. Google, as an illustration, uses a special system to accomplish link research and then rank website pages based totally on that. Another technique concerns meta tags.

These are typically located in the section of net pages. In such a way, meta data are codes.The search engines recognize the codes of the website and have to find the key phrases inside the text of all of that code. If there?s excessively code but not enough text, then this net page can be regarded less topical into a keyword. To all or any intents and purposes less significance to keyword means lower search internet site recent results for a web page.

This entry was posted in SEO and tagged online business, seo by gocr7434. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://gocrazyseo.org/what-boston-seo-can-do-for-your-online-business/

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Sunday, July 29, 2012

Sarasota and Bradenton Florida Real Estate News: Sarasota Home ...

? ? During the 2nd Quarter of 2012, the Sarasota real estate market achieved the highest level of home and condominium sales in the past 7 years with 2,604 homes and condos sold in the April - June period.

? ? The 864 closed transactions in June alone represents the second highest number of home and condominium sales since September of 2005. The only higher point, according to one knowledgable Sarasota luxury homes Realtor, was in April of this year when sales were slightly higher at 886. As expected with the migration north of our snowbirders, the number of pending sales (properties under contract but not yet closed) dropped just slightly in June to 860 after four months in a row when pending sales topped 1,000.

? ? The available inventory of homes and condos on the market dropped again to another 10-year low of 3,816. The June inventory of homes for sale was a 4.1 month supply of single family homes and a 5.2 month inventory for condos. Whenever the number of housing units on the Sarasota MLS falls below a 6 month supply, pressure begins to build and prices start to rise. Demonstrating this market dynamic, the median sale price of single family homes in June was $178,500 while the median price on condominiums was $195,000, both numbers well above their 12 month running averages. Even as prices have begun to move upward, the most attractive waterfront and golf course homes and condos in excellent condition and reasonably priced are not only selling quickly, they are receiving multiple offers, something not seen for several years.

? ? The president of the Sarasota Association of Realtors (SAR) reported that the only two factors holding back the Sarasota real estatre market now are the remaining inventory of distressed properties which tend to hold down prices and the tight credit policies of banks and other lendedrs which limits the number of qualified potential buyers, especially first-time buyers.?

? ? Given the attractiveness of the Sarasota Bradenton area; warm climate, gorgeous beaches, abundant golf courses, a wide ranging and active arts and cultural environment, and plenty of things for retirees and others to do virtually every weekend, the metro Sarasota area remains a place very attractive to people of all ages.

? ? Upscale Sarasota luxury waterfront properties are very popular right now as are the most attrative golf course homes and estates. ?Sales of such luxury properties will accelerate even further as the economy improves,? says Sarasota homes for sale Realtor, Brian Ward.

? ? Another well-known Realtor, Bob Henley who serves the southern areas of the Sarasota real estate market including Siesta Key, Osprey and Venicem commented, ?People come to Florida to be on or near a beautiful beach and there?s just no better place for that than here in Sunny Sarasota Florida.?

Source: http://sarasota-manatee-county-realestate.blogspot.com/2012/07/sarasota-home-sales-hit-7-year-high.html

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$419900 :: 29 Partridge LN, Lake Oswego OR, 97035 ? Lake ...

Property Photo

Mls Icon

3 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths
Home size: 3,109 sq ft
Lot Size: 8,712 sq ft
Property Type: DETACHD
MLS Number: 12015009
Community: Mountain Park

A true custom built home in terrific neighborhood. Beautiful REDWOOD siding, roof, porch decks. Lots of space in this light-filled home; 7 skylights, wall of windows in living room & vaulted ceilings. Beautiful, pine back decks, hot tub, & more. Ext re-stained 2011/12, bathrm updates 2011. Deep 3-car garage. Great schools! Enjoy Mt Park rec ctr & trails; dwntown 12 min,

Listed with Keller Williams Realty Profes.


Brought to you by Chris Larsson, Coldwell Banker Seal. Call me today at 503-683-2897!

The content relating to real estate for sale on this web site comes in part from the IDX program of the RMLS? of Portland, Oregon. All real estate listings are marked with the RMLS? logo, and detailed information about these properties includes the names of the listing brokers. Listing content is ? 2009 RMLS?, Portland, Oregon.


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Source: http://www.97034realestate.com/blog/419900-29-partridge-ln-lake-oswego-or-97035-lake-oswego-homes-for-sale-lake-oswego-real-estate-97034-lake-oswego-real-estate-agent/

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Saturday, July 28, 2012

Chinook Communications Introduces Hosted Lync and Enterprise ...

Chinook?s Total Connect for Office 365 bundle enables small and medium-sized businesses to integrate cloud-based phone service across all Microsoft Office 365 Unified Messaging applications

SEATTLE, July 9, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ ? Chinook Communications has announced the introduction of a new service offering that enables small and medium-sized businesses to easily integrate enterprise voice and other hosted Lync services with Exchange Online Unified Messaging hosted by Microsoft Office 365. The new service, Total Connect for Office 365, is designed for businesses seeking to maximize the productivity and cost benefits of hosted unified messaging with integrated, cloud-based phone service.

Total Connect for Office 365 includes the full support of Exchange Online Unified Messaging, including voice mail, voice to text translation, and Outlook voice access. In addition to extensive voice capabilities (including PSTN inbound and outbound calling, response groups, call hold, forward and transfer, and simultaneous ring), Lync will provide secure instant messaging, presence, audio conferencing, online conferencing, video conferencing, desktop sharing, white boarding. Customers on E3 or E4 plans can be up and running with a complete enterprise voice and unified communications solution in less than four hours.

?We are very excited about the introduction of this new product,? said David Sommerville, vice president of sales and marketing. ?Microsoft?s Office 365 team has done an incredible job introducing people to the benefits of Unified Communications. Chinook?s new service completes the experience by integrating our cloud based phone service, which includes all the features a business demands, with their existing Office 365 subscription. Office 365 customers can now replace all of their communication services, and significantly reduce their overhead burden, with a complete communications offering in the cloud.?

The Total Connect for Office 365 announcement follows on the heels of Chinook Communications? release of Total Connect, the first ever production release worldwide of the Microsoft-supported Lync Server 2010 Multitenant Pack for Partner Hosting.

More at? chinookcommunications.com

Tags: Unified Messaging, David Sommerville, Office 365, voice capabilities, voice to text translation, phone service, Chinook Communications

Source: http://mybestwebhosting.net/13877/chinook-communications-introduces-hosted-lync-and-enterprise-voice-integration-for-microsoft-office-365/

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Russia blames West and Syria's neighbors for bloodshed

SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned on Saturday that international support for Syrian rebels would lead to "more blood" and the government could not be expected to willingly give in to its opponents.

Lavrov, whose country has vetoed three U.N. Security Council resolutions intended to increase pressure on Syria's government to end 16 months of violence, said Western and Arab nations should exert more influence on rebels to stop fighting.

He said "tragedy" could be imminent in the Syrian city of Aleppo, but indicated rebels would be at least partly to blame.

"Pressure must be put on everyone," Lavrov said at a joint news conference with Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba after talks in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, President Vladimir Putin's summer base.

"Unfortunately, our Western partners prefer to do something a bit different and essentially, along with some countries neighboring Syria, encourage, support and direct the armed fight against the regime," he said.

"The price of all this is still more blood."

In the wake of the Security Council vetoes by Russia and China, the United States has said it will seek ways to tackle the crisis outside the U.N. [ID:nL2E8INLYP]

Gemba said it was "very serious moment" in Syria and it was primarily up to the government to stop the bloodshed.

"The position of the Russian side has great influence, and there is also the voice of the international community. We are counting on a constructive Russian position," he said, speaking through an interpreter.

Lavrov said Russia was calling on the government to "take the first steps" but that the rebels should not take advantage of any such government actions by occupying cities and towns.

"The city of Aleppo is occupied by the armed opposition and the next tragedy is brewing there, as I understand it," he said.

"Well-armed opposition groups are occupying cities, intending to create some sort of buffer zones for a transitional government. How can one expect that the Syrian government will say, 'Yes, go ahead, overthrow me,'" he said.

"This is unrealistic - not because we are holding onto the regime but because it just doesn't work," he said.

(Writing by Steve Gutterman; editing by Andrew Roche)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/russia-blames-west-syrias-neighbors-bloodshed-101729372.html

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How To Stop Snoring Without Surgery ? Leeel Ementary Directory

Snoring can be troublesome in regard to both the sufferer and his/her family. Sleep disruptions are rather cheap in a household where snoring is baksheesh and can frequently go first to headaches, an inability to apply oneself and an entire feeling of exhaustion. That is the bad gossip, but the beneficent rumour is that you can quit snoring. In fact, you can unvaried give up snoring tonight.

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Source: http://leeelementary.us/health-and-fitness/medicine/2863-how-to-stop-snoring-without-surgery.html

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Friday, July 27, 2012

China raises Beijing storm toll to 77 after outcry

In this Saturday, July 21, 2012 photo, people watch as rescuers search for victims near a flooded underpass after heavy rains in Beijing. Residents impatient for official updates compiled their own death tolls Thursday, July 26, 2012, for last weekend's massive flooding in Beijing and snapped up survival gear following new forecasts of rain, reflecting deep mistrust of the government's handling of the disaster. (AP Photo) CHINA OUT

In this Saturday, July 21, 2012 photo, people watch as rescuers search for victims near a flooded underpass after heavy rains in Beijing. Residents impatient for official updates compiled their own death tolls Thursday, July 26, 2012, for last weekend's massive flooding in Beijing and snapped up survival gear following new forecasts of rain, reflecting deep mistrust of the government's handling of the disaster. (AP Photo) CHINA OUT

Commuters try to get on a bus on a flooded road following a heavy rain, in Tianjin, China Thursday, July 26, 2012. Residents impatient for official updates compiled their own death tolls Thursday for last weekend's massive flooding in Beijing and snapped up survival gear following new forecasts of rain, reflecting deep mistrust of the government's handling of the disaster. (AP Photo) CHINA OUT

Chinese soldiers carry sandbags to build a makeshift dam to prevent flooding on Dongsha River in Fangshan district in Beijing, China Wednesday, July 25, 2012. Last Saturday's heavy rain was unusual in normally dry Beijing. On Wednesday, July 25 evening, more heavy rain fell on the capital as forecast by the Beijing Meteorological Bureau, which warned of possible flash flooding and mudslides in the capital's mountainous outskirts, including already hard-hit Fangshan. (AP Photo)

(AP) ? Chinese authorities on Thursday raised Beijing storm's death toll to 77 after the public questioned the days-old tally of 37, with some residents even compiling their own totals in a reflection of deep mistrust of the government's handling of the disaster.

The Beijing city government said 77 bodies of victims from Saturday's downpour had been found in the city as of Thursday, 66 of whom have been identified. Nearly half of the victims were found in worst-hit Fangshan district, a rural community in the city's mountainous outskirts, the government said on its microblog.

In a rare expression of humility, Beijing's flood and drought prevention headquarters offered condolences to the families of the victims and pledged that it would "conscientiously sum up and reflect and learn lessons from" the flood and improve the city's resilience against disasters, the city government said.

Previously, no new death toll figures had been issued since Sunday, the day after Beijing's biggest downpour in 61 years overwhelmed drainage systems, swamped downtown underpasses and sent flash floods roiling through the city's outskirts.

Officials have kept a tight lid on information, mindful that any failure to cope with the flooding could undermine the country's leadership as it undergoes a once-a-decade transition, with Beijing city leaders a part of that reshuffling. China's communist government has justified its one-party rule in part by delivering economic growth and maintaining stability in the face of bubbling unrest and periodic mass disasters like Saturday's flooding.

In explaining why it has taken days for the authorities to update the death toll, flood prevention officials said mudslides that were triggered by the heavy rains hindered rescuers' searches for bodies, the government said. Identifying victims requires repeated investigation and verification, it said, adding that search efforts were ongoing.

The jump in the death toll could reflect the normally arid city's general unpreparedness for heavy rains, said Dong Liming, a professor at Peking University's College of Urban and Environmental Sciences. "Beijing has long been preparing for drought and not floods, so when a major flood hit the city, it resulted in big losses," Dong said.

Earlier Thursday, residents in Beijing's worst-affected Fangshan district were compiling their own death toll online using both public and private chat rooms on the popular Baidu website. The toll was not being posted publicly, but some online accounts said the number was more than 300. There was no way to independently confirm the tally.

A woman with the information office of the Fangshan district government said of that figure, "I don't know where those numbers came from." She would only give her surname, Xu, a common practice among ordinary Chinese officials.

Calls to the information office of the Beijing municipal government rang unanswered.

Li Chengpeng, a writer based in the southwestern province of Sichuan, said he was collecting names of the dead from flooding in Beijing and elsewhere. The official Xinhua News Agency reported at least 95 were killed after weekend storms hit 17 provinces and cities, a toll that was not adjusted after Beijing's new tally was released.

"We need to commemorate the people who have died in tragic events," Li said. "But there are so many of them now, and they go uninvestigated, unaccounted for. Nothing happens after these incidents, and the people die and no figures are given to the public? No acknowledgment? No explanation?"

"We know we cannot expect the government to do this work, so we have to do it. Civil society needs to do it," Li said. "Now people are using the Internet ... to do the job the government does not want to do."

Although China can be tight-lipped when it comes to mass casualties from natural and manmade disasters, it has improved since 2003 when its lack of transparency during the SARS outbreak was blamed for public panic. Death tolls are usually released in a more timely fashion, but the government still routinely withholds the names and biographical details of the deceased, making it hard for citizens to check their accuracy.

The death toll disputes were playing out against the backdrop of an ill-timed power shift, with both Beijing's mayor and vice mayor resigning on Wednesday. Some speculated that the outgoing mayor, Guo Jinlong, who is expected to join the central government's top 25-member politburo in the fall, might have been shedding his mayoral duties in order to avoid further taint from the scandal. But that seemed unlikely since Guo has actually moved into the city's most senior post, Beijing's Communist Party secretary.

The reshuffle was not unexpected but the timing was likely to deepen the public's frustration over the city's lack of leadership and accountability.

More rain was expected for much of north China Thursday, the Beijing Meteorological Bureau said.

___

Associated Press writers Alexa Olesen and Isolda Morillo and researchers Zhao Liang and Flora Ji contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-07-26-AS-China-Storm-Deaths/id-0d3fba3c42294540970ac1899f7f781d

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Starwood Reports Second Quarter 2012 Results | Timeshare News ...

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide logoSTAMFORD, CT (July 27, 2012) ? Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) has reported second quarter 2012 financial results.

Second Quarter 2012 Highlights

  • Excluding special items, EPS from continuing operations was $0.70, including income from the St. Regis Bal Harbour residential project. Including special items, EPS from continuing operations was $0.66.
  • Adjusted EBITDA was $323 million, which included $35 million of EBITDA from the St. Regis Bal Harbour residential project, up 23.3% compared to 2011.
  • Excluding special items, income from continuing operations was $138 million, including income from the St. Regis Bal Harbour residential project. Including special items, income from continuing operations was $129 million.
  • Worldwide Systemwide REVPAR for Same-Store Hotels increased 6.9% in constant dollars (4.2% in actual dollars) compared to 2011. Systemwide REVPAR for Same-Store Hotels in North America increased 7.3% in constant dollars (6.8% in actual dollars).
  • Management fees, franchise fees and other income increased 10.4% compared to 2011.
  • Worldwide Same-Store Company-Operated gross operating profit margins increased approximately 150 basis points compared to 2011.
  • Worldwide REVPAR for Starwood branded Same-Store Owned Hotels increased 3.1% in constant dollars (decreased 0.4% in actual dollars) compared to 2011.
  • Margins at Starwood branded Same-Store Owned Hotels Worldwide increased approximately 140 basis points compared to 2011.
  • Earnings from Starwood?s vacation ownership and residential business increased approximately $41 million compared to 2011, including $35 million of earnings from the St. Regis Bal Harbour residential project.
  • During the quarter, the Company signed 34 hotel management and franchise contracts, representing approximately 8,300 rooms, and opened 14 hotels and resorts with approximately 2,700 rooms.

Second Quarter 2012 Earnings Summary

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (?Starwood? or the ?Company?) has reported EPS from continuing operations for the second quarter of 2012 of $0.66 compared to $0.77 in the second quarter of 2011. Excluding special items, EPS from continuing operations was $0.70 for the second quarter of 2012, including income from The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort residential project (?Bal Harbour?), compared to $0.50 in the second quarter of 2011. Special items in the second quarter of 2012, which totaled a charge of $9 million (after-tax), primarily related to costs associated with the early extinguishment of debt. Special items in the second quarter of 2011, which totaled a benefit of $53 million (after-tax), primarily related to a tax benefit associated with the sale of two wholly-owned hotels. Excluding special items, the effective income tax rate in the second quarter of 2012 was 31.5%, including the tax effects associated with income from Bal Harbour, compared to 25.4% in the second quarter of 2011.

Income from continuing operations was $129 million in the second quarter of 2012, compared to $150 million in the second quarter of 2011. Excluding special items, income from continuing operations was $138 million in the second quarter of 2012, including income from Bal Harbour, compared to $97 million in the second quarter of 2011.

Net income was $122 million and $0.62 per share in the second quarter of 2012, compared to $131 million and $0.68 per share in the second quarter of 2011.

Frits van Paasschen, CEO, said, ?We kept up our momentum in the second quarter, despite a choppy global economy. Our REVPAR grew 6.9%, with occupancy over a healthy 71%. Despite the uncertain global environment, we expect the trends we saw in our business for the past quarter to continue through the second half of the year.?

?Our approach to an uncertain global marketplace is to be both smart and bold. What we mean by ?smart? is having a business model, balance sheet, and cost structure that can weather economic turbulence. At the same time, we are being bold in our efforts to grow our footprint in the right way, and to invest in building guest loyalty to gain more than our fair share of business.?

Six Months Ended June 30, 2012 Earnings Summary

Income from continuing operations was $258 million in the six months ended June 30, 2012 compared to $179 million in the same period in 2011. Excluding special items, income from continuing operations was $262 million in the six months ended June 30, 2012, including income from Bal Harbour, compared to $155 million in the same period in 2011.

Net income was $250 million and $1.27 per share in the six months ended June 30, 2012 compared to $159 million and $0.82 per share in the same period in 2011.

Adjusted EBITDA was $620 million in the six months ended June 30, 2012 compared to $470 million in the same period in 2011.

Second Quarter 2012 Operating Results

Management and Franchise Revenues

Worldwide Systemwide REVPAR for Same-Store Hotels increased 6.9% in constant dollars (4.2% in actual dollars) compared to the second quarter of 2011. International Systemwide REVPAR for Same-Store Hotels increased 6.3% in constant dollars (0.9% in actual dollars).

Changes in REVPAR for Worldwide Systemwide Same-Store Hotels by region:

REVPAR
Region Constant
Dollars
Actual
Dollars
North America 7.3 % 6.8 %
Europe 2.3 % (8.0 )%
Asia Pacific 9.3 % 7.2 %
Africa and the Middle East 11.2 % 8.5 %
Latin America 6.1 % 6.1 %

Increases in REVPAR for Worldwide Systemwide Same-Store Hotels by brand:

REVPAR
Brand Constant
Dollars
Actual
Dollars
St. Regis/Luxury Collection 4.5 % (0.5 )%
W Hotels 8.8 % 7.3 %
Westin 7.5 % 5.2 %
Sheraton 6.3 % 4.4 %
Le M?ridien 6.9 % 0.8 %
Four Points by Sheraton 7.0 % 5.3 %
Aloft 9.7 % 8.7 %

Worldwide Same-Store Company-Operated gross operating profit margins increased approximately 150 basis points compared to 2011. International gross operating profit margins for Same-Store Company-Operated properties increased 160 basis points. North American Same-Store Company-Operated gross operating profit margins increased approximately 150 basis points, driven by REVPAR increases and cost controls.

Management fees, franchise fees and other income were $222 million, up $21 million, or 10.4% compared to the second quarter of 2011. Management fees increased 13.5% to $126 million and franchise fees increased 6.1% to $52 million. Year-over-year base management fee and franchise fee comparisons were impacted by the conversion of some franchise agreements to management contracts in Germany.

Development

During the second quarter of 2012, the Company signed 34 hotel management and franchise contracts, representing approximately 8,300 rooms, of which 30 are new builds and four are conversions from other brands. At June 30, 2012, the Company had approximately 365 hotels in the active pipeline representing approximately 95,000 rooms.

During the second quarter of 2012, 14 new hotels and resorts (representing approximately 2,700 rooms) entered the system, including The St. Regis Doha (Qatar, 336 rooms), The Westin Xiamen (China, 304 rooms), The Sheraton Madrid Mirasierra Hotel & Spa (Spain, 182 rooms), Four Points by Sheraton Perth (Australia, 277 rooms), and Aloft, Ontario (Canada, 131 rooms). Five properties (representing approximately 1,000 rooms) were removed from the system during the quarter.

Owned, Leased and Consolidated Joint Venture Hotels

Worldwide REVPAR at Starwood branded Same-Store Owned Hotels increased 3.1% in constant dollars (decreased 0.4% in actual dollars) when compared to 2011. REVPAR at Starwood branded Same-Store Owned Hotels in North America increased 1.1% in constant dollars (decreased 0.1% actual dollars). Excluding Canada, REVPAR at Starwood branded Same-Store Owned Hotels in North America increased approximately 4%. REVPAR at Canadian owned hotels decreased 6.5% in constant dollars as group business continues to be negatively impacted by the strong Canadian dollar. Internationally, Starwood branded Same-Store Owned Hotel REVPAR increased 5.3% in constant dollars (decreased 0.8% in actual dollars).

Revenues at Starwood branded Same-Store Owned Hotels Worldwide increased 2.0% in constant dollars (decreased 1.4% in actual dollars) while costs and expenses decreased 0.1% in constant dollars (3.3% in actual dollars) when compared to 2011. Margins at these hotels increased approximately 140 basis points.

Revenues at Starwood branded Same-Store Owned Hotels in North America decreased 0.7% while costs and expenses decreased 1.7% when compared to 2011. Margins at these hotels increased approximately 70 basis points.

Internationally, revenues at Starwood branded Same-Store Owned Hotels increased 3.6% in constant dollars (decreased 2.2% in actual dollars) while costs and expenses increased 0.5% in constant dollars (decreased 5.1% in actual dollars) when compared to 2011. Margins at these hotels increased approximately 220 basis points.

Revenues at owned, leased and consolidated joint venture hotels were $453 million, compared to $478 million in 2011. Expenses at owned, leased and consolidated joint venture hotels were $360 million compared to $381 million in 2011. Second quarter results were negatively impacted by five asset sales that took place since the second quarter of 2011.

Vacation Ownership

Total vacation ownership revenues increased 2.8% to $148 million in the second quarter of 2012 when compared to 2011, primarily due to the timing and recognition of deferred revenues and favorable trends with respect to default rates on notes receivable. Originated contract sales of vacation ownership intervals and numbers of contracts decreased 5.0% and 1.8%, respectively, primarily due to lower closing efficiency partially offset by increased tour flow. The average price per vacation ownership unit sold decreased 2.6% to approximately $14,400, driven by inventory mix.

Residential

The Company?s residential revenues were $168 million compared to $2 million in 2011. The Company realized residential revenues from Bal Harbour during the second quarter of 2012 of $167 million and generated EBITDA of $35 million. During the second quarter of 2012, the Company closed sales of 45 units and realized incremental cash proceeds of $148 million associated with these units. From project inception through June 30, 2012, the Company has closed contracts on approximately 60% of the total residential units.

Selling, General, Administrative and Other

Selling, general, administrative and other expenses decreased 2.3% to $86 million compared to $88 million in 2011, primarily due to changes in foreign exchange rates. The Company continues to target a 4% to 5% increase for the full year.

Capital

Gross capital spending during the quarter included approximately $22 million of maintenance capital and $70 million of development capital.

Share Repurchase

In the second quarter of 2012 and through July 25, the Company repurchased 2.84 million shares at a total cost of approximately $140.0 million. As of July 25, 2012, approximately $110.0 million remained available under the Company?s share repurchase authorization.

Balance Sheet

At June 30, 2012, the Company had gross debt of $1.652 billion, excluding $449 million of debt associated with securitized vacation ownership notes receivable. Additionally, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $410 million (including $140 million of restricted cash), and net debt of $1.242 billion, compared to net debt of $1.383 billion as of March 31, 2012. Net debt at June 30, 2012, including debt and restricted cash ($18 million) associated with securitized vacation ownership notes receivables, was $1.673 billion.

At June 30, 2012, debt was approximately 88% fixed rate and 12% floating rate and its weighted average maturity was 4.4 years with a weighted average interest rate of 7.05%, excluding the securitized debt. The Company had cash (including current restricted cash) and availability under the domestic and international revolving credit facility of approximately $1.912 billion.

During the second quarter of 2012, the Company redeemed all $495 million of its 6.25% Senior Notes due February 2013. Redemption premiums and other costs associated with the redemption were approximately $15 million. Additionally, the Company prepaid a loan secured by one owned hotel of approximately $52 million.

Outlook

For the Full Year 2012:

  • Including Bal Harbour, which is expected to contribute at least $120 million of EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA is expected to be approximately $1.190 billion to $1.210 billion.
  • Excluding Bal Harbour, adjusted EBITDA is expected to be approximately $1.070 billion to $1.090 billion, assuming:
    • REVPAR increases at Same-Store Company-Operated Hotels Worldwide of 6% to 8% in constant dollars (approximately 300 basis points lower in dollars at current exchange rates).
    • REVPAR increases at branded Same-Store Owned Hotels Worldwide of 4% to 5% in constant dollars (approximately 300 basis points lower in dollars at current exchange rates).
    • Margins at branded Same-Store Owned Hotels Worldwide increase 100 to 150 basis points.
    • Management fees, franchise fees and other income increase approximately 9% to 11%.
    • Earnings from the Company?s vacation ownership and residential business of approximately $150 million to $155 million.
    • Selling, general and administrative expenses increase 4% to 5%.
  • Full year outlook is negatively impacted by exchange rate shifts and weaker Owned hotel trends in Canada and Argentina
  • Depreciation and amortization is expected to be approximately $285 million.
  • Interest expense is expected to be approximately $192 million, excluding the $15 million of redemption premiums and other costs associated with the Senior Notes redemption in the second quarter of 2012.
  • Including Bal Harbour, full year effective tax rate is expected to be approximately 31%, and cash taxes are expected to be approximately $100 million.
  • Including Bal Harbour, EPS before special items is expected to be approximately $2.49 to $2.56.
  • Full year capital expenditures (excluding vacation ownership and residential inventory) is expected to be approximately $200 million for maintenance, renovation and technology. In addition, in-flight investment projects and prior commitments for joint ventures and other investments are expected to total approximately $375 million.
  • Vacation ownership (excluding Bal Harbour) is expected to generate approximately $150 million in positive cash flow. Bal Harbour is expected to generate at least $350 million in net cash flow.

For the three months ended September 30, 2012:

  • Including Bal Harbour, which is expected to contribute at least $5 million of EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA is expected to be approximately $260 million to $270 million.
  • Excluding Bal Harbour, adjusted EBITDA is expected to be approximately $255 million to $265 million, assuming:
    • REVPAR increases at Same-Store Company-Operated Hotels Worldwide of 6% to 8% in constant dollars (approximately 500 basis points lower in dollars at current exchange rates).
    • REVPAR increases at branded Same-Store Company Owned Hotels Worldwide of 4% to 5% in constant dollars (approximately 500 basis points lower in dollars at current exchange rates).
    • Management fees, franchise fees and other income increase approximately 9% to 11%.
    • Earnings from the Company?s vacation ownership and residential business are flat to up $5 million year over year.
  • Third quarter outlook is negatively impacted by approximately $5 million due to exchange rate shifts and weaker Owned hotel trends in Canada and Argentina.
  • Depreciation and amortization is expected to be approximately $71 million.
  • Interest expense is expected to be approximately $45 million.
  • Including Bal Harbour, income from continuing operations is expected to be approximately $99 million to $106 million, reflecting an effective tax rate of approximately 31%.
  • Including Bal Harbour, EPS is expected to be approximately $0.50 to $0.54.

Special Items

The Company?s special items netted to a charge of $16 million ($9 million after-tax) in the second quarter of 2012 compared to a benefit of $2 million ($53 million after-tax) in the same period of 2011.

Starwood will be conducting a conference call to discuss the second quarter financial results at 10:30 a.m. EDT today at (866) 921-0636 with conference ID 86194681. The conference call will be available through a simultaneous webcast in the News & Events section of the Company?s website at?http://www.starwoodhotels.com/corporate/investor_relations.html. A replay of the conference call will also be available from 1:30 p.m. EDT today through Thursday, August 2, 2012 at 12:00 midnight EDT by telephone at (855) 859-2056 with conference ID 86194681. A webcast replay will be active beginning at 1:30 p.m. EDT today and will run for one year.

Definitions

All references to EPS, unless otherwise noted, reflect earnings per diluted share from continuing operations attributable to Starwood?s common stockholders. All references to continuing operations, discontinued operations and net income reflect amounts attributable to Starwood?s common stockholders (i.e. excluding amounts attributable to noncontrolling interests). All references to ?net capital expenditures? mean gross capital expenditures for timeshare and fractional inventory net of cost of sales. EBITDA represents net income before interest expense, taxes, depreciation and amortization. The Company believes that EBITDA is a useful measure of the Company?s operating performance due to the significance of the Company?s long-lived assets and level of indebtedness. EBITDA is a commonly used measure of performance in its industry which, when considered with GAAP measures, the Company believes gives a more complete understanding of the Company?s operating performance. It also facilitates comparisons between the Company and its competitors. The Company?s management has historically adjusted EBITDA (i.e., ?Adjusted EBITDA?) when evaluating operating performance for the Company, as well as for individual properties or groups of properties, because the Company believes that the inclusion or exclusion of certain recurring and non-recurring items, such as restructuring, goodwill impairment and other special charges and gains and losses on asset dispositions and impairments, is necessary to provide the most accurate measure of core operating results and as a means to evaluate comparative results. The Company?s management also uses Adjusted EBITDA as a measure in determining the value of acquisitions and dispositions and it is used in the annual budget process. The Company has historically reported this measure to its investors and believes that the continued inclusion of Adjusted EBITDA provides consistency in its financial reporting and enables investors to perform more meaningful comparisons of past, present and future operating results and provides a means to evaluate the results of its core on-going operations. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not intended to represent cash flow from operations as defined by GAAP and such metrics should not be considered as an alternative to net income, cash flow from operations or any other performance measure prescribed by GAAP. The Company?s calculation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA may be different from the calculations used by other companies and, therefore, comparability may be limited.

All references to Same-Store Owned Hotels reflect the Company?s owned, leased and consolidated joint venture hotels, excluding condo hotels, hotels sold to date and hotels undergoing significant repositionings or for which comparable results are not available (i.e., hotels not owned during the entire periods presented or closed due to seasonality or natural disasters). References to Company-Operated Hotel metrics (e.g. REVPAR) reflect metrics for the Company?s owned, leased and managed hotels. References to Systemwide metrics (e.g. REVPAR) reflect metrics for the Company?s owned, managed and franchised hotels. REVPAR is defined as revenue per available room. ADR is defined as average daily rate.

All references to revenues in constant dollars represent revenues, excluding the impact of the movement of foreign exchange rates. The Company calculates revenues in constant dollars by calculating revenues for the current year using the prior year?s exchange rates. The Company uses this revenue measure to better understand the underlying results and trends of the business, excluding the impact of movements in foreign exchange rates.

All references to contract sales or originated sales reflect vacation ownership sales before revenue adjustments for percentage of completion accounting methodology. All references to earnings from vacation ownership and residential represents operating income before depreciation expense.

All references to management and franchise revenues represent base and incentive fees, franchise fees, amortization of deferred gains resulting from the sales of hotels subject to long-term management contracts and termination fees.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1,112 properties in nearly 100 countries and 154,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis?, The Luxury Collection?, W?, Westin?, Le M?ridien?, Sheraton?, Four Points? by Sheraton, Aloft?, and ElementSM. The Company boasts one of the industry?s leading loyalty programs, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG), allowing members to earn and redeem points for room stays, room upgrades and flights, with no blackout dates. Starwood also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., a premier provider of world-class vacation experiences through villa-style resorts and privileged access to Starwood brands. For more information, including reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to GAAP financial measures, please visit?www.starwoodhotels.com or contact Investor Relations at (203) 351-3500.

Note: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities regulations. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated at the time the forward-looking statements are made. Further results, performance and achievements may be affected by general economic conditions including the impact of war and terrorist activity, natural disasters, business and financing conditions (including the condition of credit markets in the U.S. and internationally), foreign exchange fluctuations, cyclicality of the real estate (including residential) and the hotel and vacation ownership businesses, operating risks associated with the hotel, vacation ownership and residential businesses, relationships with associates and labor unions, customers and property owners, the impact of the internet reservation channels, our reliance on technology, domestic and international political and geopolitical conditions, competition, governmental and regulatory actions (including the impact of changes in U.S. and foreign tax laws and their interpretation), travelers? fears of exposure to contagious diseases, risk associated with the level of our indebtedness, risk associated with potential acquisitions and dispositions and the introduction of new brand concepts and other risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties are presented in detail in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Future vacation ownership units indicated in this press release include planned units on land owned by the Company or by joint ventures in which the Company has an interest that have received all major governmental land use approvals for the development of vacation ownership resorts. There can also be no assurance that such units will in fact be developed and, if developed, the time period of such development (which may be more than several years in the future). Some of the projects may require additional third-party approvals or permits for development and build out and may also be subject to legal challenges as well as a commitment of capital by the Company. The actual number of units to be constructed may be significantly lower than the number of future units indicated. There can also be no assurance that agreements will be entered into for the hotels in the Company?s pipeline and, if entered into, the timing of any agreement and the opening of the related hotel. Although we believe the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that our expectations will be attained or that results will not materially differ. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Related Posts

  1. Wyndham Worldwide Reports Second Quarter 2012 Earnings
  2. Interval Leisure Group Reports First Quarter 2012 Results
  3. Marriott Vacations Worldwide Reports First Quarter 2012 Financial Results
  4. Starwood Reports First Quarter 2012 Results
  5. Wyndham Worldwide Reports First Quarter 2012 Results

Source: http://www.insidethegate.com/2012/07/starwood-reports-second-quarter-2012-results/

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Thursday, July 26, 2012

Stocks soar after ECB vows to protect the euro

Specialist Philip Finale, left, works at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Thursday, July 26, 2012. U.S. stocks soared at the opening bell after the president of the European Central Bank vowed to do what it takes to preserve the continent's monetary union. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Specialist Philip Finale, left, works at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Thursday, July 26, 2012. U.S. stocks soared at the opening bell after the president of the European Central Bank vowed to do what it takes to preserve the continent's monetary union. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Specialist Michael Gagliano works at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Thursday, July 26, 2012. U.S. stocks soared at the opening bell after the president of the European Central Bank vowed to do what it takes to preserve the continent's monetary union. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

A trader works in his booth on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Thursday, July 26, 2012. U.S. stocks are soaring at the opening bell after the president of the European Central Bank vowed to do what it takes to preserve the continent's monetary union. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Traders gather at a post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during the IPO of Northern Tier Energy, Thursday, July 26, 2012. U.S. stocks soared at the opening bell after the president of the European Central Bank vowed to do what it takes to preserve the continent's monetary union. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

(AP) ? Stocks soared in the U.S. and Europe Thursday after the European Central Bank president vowed to "do whatever it takes" to keep the continent's monetary union intact.

The Dow Jones industrial average jumped 211 points, or 1.7 percent, to 12,887 as of 3:20 p.m., following European markets sharply higher. Benchmark stock indexes surged 6 percent in Spain and Italy and 4 percent in France.

The comments from Mario Draghi at an investor conference at the Olympics raised hopes that Europe's central bank might intervene in markets to bring down the cripplingly high borrowing costs for financially strapped European countries like Spain and Italy.

After insisting for months that it was up to European governments to restore confidence in the currency shared by 17 nations there, Draghi pledged that "The ECB is ready to do whatever it takes to preserve the euro."

A commitment of that sort is a big boost to global markets because "the No. 1 problem in the world now is Europe's finances," said John Fox, director of research at Fenimore Asset Management. "When the head of the ECB comes out and says he's willing to do anything, that's code for 'We are going to agree to resolve this issue.' "

In other signs that investors were becoming more confident that Europe's financial crisis would not spin out of control, borrowing costs for Spain and Italy fell sharply, the euro surged a penny to $1.23 against the dollar and the yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.43 percent from 1.40 percent late Wednesday. Investors tend to sell low-risk assets like Treasurys when they're less fearful about global markets and the economy.

"Close to 20 percent of the S&P 500 companies' revenues comes from Europe," said Lawrence Creatura, portfolio manager at Federated Investors. "We're in a global, interconnected economy and Europe's troubles are our own today."

The broader the Standard & Poor's 500 index rose for the first time in five days. It was up 20 points to 1,359 on the European news. The gains in the U.S. stock market were broad. All 10 of the industry groups in the S&P 500 index rose, led by telecommunications companies.

In other trading, and the Nasdaq composite index rose 36 points to 2,890, despite more disappointing news from technology companies including the online game maker Zynga.

Several U.S. companies were also rising sharply after reporting stronger earnings. Sprint Nextel jumped 67 cents, or 20 percent, to $4.04. The country's third-largest wireless carrier was successful in convincing smartphone subscribers to pay up for "unlimited data" service, and its service revenue zoomed higher, beating analysts' estimates.

In Europe, Draghi's comments came after days of uncertainty in Europe and rising concern over Spain's recession and the country's banks, which are reeling following the implosion of a real estate bubble. As borrowing costs for both Spain and Italy rose in the past week, investors feared that both countries might need to be rescued, as Greece, Portugal and Ireland have been. .

Borrowing costs for Spain's government plunged following Draghi's comments as investors anticipated that the European Central Bank might step up its purchases of Spanish government bonds.

The yield on Spain's benchmark 10-year bond dropped almost half a percentage point, an enormous move, to 6.89 percent. That rate surged as high as 7.54 percent this week as investors dumped the country's bonds and lost confidence in Spain's ability to manage its debts.

Technology companies continued to report disappointing earnings following industry leader Apple's rare earnings disappointment earlier this week.

Zynga, which produces popular social network games "CityVille" and "FarmVille" posted poor quarterly results and cut its outlook, prompting a number of analyst downgrades. Its stock fell $1.97, or 39 percent, to $3.10.

The news also dragged down shares of Facebook, which got about 12 percent of its 2011 revenue from Zynga. The poor results may hurt Facebook's second-quarter revenue when it reports its own quarterly results later Thursday. Facebook fell $2.07, or 7 percent, to $27.27.

Among other stocks that were making big moves were:

? PulteGroup gained $1.77, or 18 percent, to $11.79 after the homebuilder posted a quarterly profit, beating Wall Street's forecasts thanks to higher house prices and sales.

? United Continental slumped $1.26, 6 percent, $19.15 after the combined airline's second-quarter net income dropped 37 percent as it continued to wrestle with merger-related issues.

? Whole Foods Market jumped $8.80, or 10 percent, to $93.33 after the natural and organic foods store chain lifted its profit outlook for the year. Its net income jumped 32 percent in the latest quarter as shoppers spent more.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-07-26-Wall%20Street/id-a5ed6f223ed049bfa9e9a983fabb2c82

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Dr. Sami Basha to Speak on Autism in Israel | ICare4Autism

By Kim

ICare4Autism welcomes Dr. Sami Basha as an invited speaker for next week?s International Autism Conference in Jerusalem, Israel.? Dr. Basha will be presenting a talk entitled, ?New Prospectives in Utilizing Basha Behavioral Autism Spectrum Disorder Screening Test (BAT).?

The presentation will highlight the progress of BAT, Dr. Basha?s work that has developed over the course of the last three years, and has been published in various languages.? His ultimate goal with his research is to utilize the BAT system to serve as a reference point for the education of children with ASD, in addition to a crucial diagnostic test that could potentially lead to earlier pedagogical interventions.?

Dr. Basha will highlight his research, describing this pilot study, which introduces a diagnostic instrument in the Palestinian Territories for the first time.? The study incorporated 180 student participants, and researchers were able to conclude that in the BAT, the length of diagnosis helped the researchers to learn more about each child?s individual conditions along the spectrum, and also gives reference to the severity of the disorder in order to highlight areas of attention in future treatments.

Dr. Sami Basha is the president assistant for quality and scientific research and the director of the special education center at Palestine Ahliya University College in Bethlehem.? His main interests in research focus on special and inclusive education as well as intercultural studies and minorities.? He has taught at various universities, and has been a consultant at institutions both on the local and international levels.? He completed his master?s and Ph.D. t the Salesian Pontifical University in Rome, Italy.

Source: http://www.icare4autism.org/news/2012/07/dr-sami-basha-to-speak-on-autism-in-israel/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dr-sami-basha-to-speak-on-autism-in-israel

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Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Short Arctic night challenges fasting Muslims

How do you observe dawn-to-dusk fasting when there is neither dawn nor dusk?

It's a question facing a small but growing number of Muslims celebrating the holy month of Ramadan on the northern tip of Europe, where the the sun barely dips below the horizon at this time of year.

In Rovaniemi, a northern Finland town that straddles the Arctic Circle at 66 degrees north, the sun rises around 3:20 a.m. and sets about 11:20 p.m. That means Muslims who observe Ramadan could be required to go without food or drink for 20 hours.

'Common sense'
In a few years, Ramadan will begin even closer to the summer solstice in late June, when the sun doesn't set at all.

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"We have to use common sense," said Mahmoud Said, 27, who came to Finnish Lapland from Kenya three years ago.

To Said, that means following the fasting hours of the nearest Muslim country: Turkey.

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"It involves 14 or 15 hours of fasting which is okay, it's not bad," said Said, who works for a non-governmental organization helping immigrants settle in the area. He estimates there are a little over 100 Muslims in Rovaniemi, mainly from Iraq, Somalia and Afghanistan.

Increasingly pressing issue
There is no unanimity on how to deal with the issue, which is becoming more pressing as more Muslim immigrants find their way to sparsely inhabited areas near the Arctic.

In Alaska, the Islamic Community Center of Anchorage, "after consultation with scholars," advises Muslims to follow the fasting hours of Mecca, Islam's holiest city.

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The Dublin-based European Council for Fatwa and Research, however, said Muslims need to follow the local sunrise and sunset, even up north.

"The debate on how to do this in the north has been on going on for a few years," said Omar Mustafa, the chairman of the Islamic Association of Sweden. "We fast according to the sun. As long as it is possible to tell dusk from dawn. This applies to 90 percent of Sweden's Muslims."

The few Muslims who live so far north that they are awash in 24-hour daylight should follow the daylight hours the closest city in Sweden where you can tell dawn from dusk, he said, noting that it is permitted to break the fast for health reasons.

Kaltouma Abakar and her extended family of nine relatives came to Finland from Sudan's Darfur region four years ago. She opts to observe the local Lapland sunrise and sunset times before breaking the fast in her downtown Rovaniemi apartment.

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Kaltouma explains that she gets up early and works until the afternoon, then starts cooking the family's iftar meal around 5 p.m.

"The time of Ramadan fasting is very long, and breaking the fast can be around 11:30 in the evening. The time you're supposed to eat your breakfast is 2 o'clock in the morning," the 31-year old said.

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In the kitchen, Kaltouma's two daughters ? aged 11 and 6 ? help prepare the food. They fry chicken and pastries filled with tuna in scalding hot oil. A pot of rice simmers on the stove while one girl kneads cornmeal dough which they'll dip into a chicken broth and eat with their fingers ? traditional Sudanese style ? a few hours later.

Finding halal food also a challenge
Apart from the late sunset times, Kaltouma said the lack of "Muslim food" locally in Rovaniemi can be a challenge. She sometimes has to wait several days for halal meat and other traditional ingredients to come from the larger cities of Oulu, or Helsinki in the south.

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Even though, technically, there is nightfall in Rovaniemi at this time of year, there is no true darkness. Instead, there's a gray gloaming with occasional dappled rays of sun reaching over the northern horizon, giving the city a mystical quality even in the supposed dead of night.

The dates of Ramadan change according to the lunar calendar, moving back 11 days each year. That means that by 2015 there will be no sunset for a month when Ramadan falls closer to midsummer.

Still, Kaltouma says "there is going to be at least 10 minutes for us to break the fast."

She said there is one positive aspect of observing long fasting hours in the Arctic during Ramadan: the cool temperatures.

"Unlike Africa, here in Finland you don't get thirsty often. No matter how long you fast, you don't get the urge for water."

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48300752/ns/world_news-europe/

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