Romanians vote on whether to impeach president

FILE - In this Friday, July 6, 2012 file photo, Romanian President Traian Basescu prepares to address the country's parliament prior to a vote to impeach him in Bucharest, Romania. Romania is holding a referendum on impeaching President Traian Basescu, part of a political battle that has raised questions about the rule of law in the fledgling EU member, Sunday, July 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda, File)

FILE - In this Friday, July 6, 2012 file photo, Romanian President Traian Basescu prepares to address the country's parliament prior to a vote to impeach him in Bucharest, Romania. Romania is holding a referendum on impeaching President Traian Basescu, part of a political battle that has raised questions about the rule of law in the fledgling EU member, Sunday, July 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda, File)

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) ? Romania's unpopular president was fighting for his political life on Sunday as Romanians voted on whether to impeach him, part of a political battle that has raised questions about the rule of law in the fledgling European Union member.

Basescu's rivals in the government are seeking to impeach him for the second time in five years. They claim the 60-year-old populist violated the constitution by meddling in government business, coddling cronies and using the secret services against enemies.

Traian Basescu, a 60-year-old former ship captain whose popularity has plummeted over austerity measures, says the impeachment process is a political vendetta carried out by opponents and has urged his supporters to boycott the vote ? a tactic that may help him survive thanks to a rule requiring turnout to be more than half of the total electorate.

The political turmoil has dented Romania's credibility, with the U.S. and EU expressing doubts about the left-leaning government's respect for the independence of the judiciary. Critics accuse Prime Minister Victor Ponta, himself the subject of a plagiarism scandal, of orchestrating the move as part of a power grab.

Polls opened at 7 a.m. (0400 GMT) and will close at 11 p.m. (2000 GMT) with 18 million Romanians eligible to vote. Most are expected to vote to impeach Basescu, but it is uncertain whether the government can muster the necessary turnout.

Basescu, who has been president since 2004, saw his approval numbers drop after government introduced austerity measures in 2010 to meet demands by the International Monetary Fund in exchange for a multibillion euro (dollar) loan. The government cut public wages by one-fourth and raised sales tax to 24 percent, one of the highest in the EU.

Ponta says that Basescu's confrontational style of governing and interfering in the justice system and government business are evidence that he is unfit for the job. He says that charges that plagiarized his 2004 doctoral thesis, a charge he has partially acknowledged, are orchestrated by Basescu's camp.

The foreign ministry has opened polling stations in embassies in the United States, Italy, Spain, France and elsewhere where an estimated 2 million Romanians are eligible to vote.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-07-29-Romania-President%20Referendum/id-e7305aac228d43a0b8fc736ca9fc08ee

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U.S. unions urge tougher enforcement in Russia trade bill

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. union groups, frustrated by what they describe as a decade of broken promises by China since the Asian economic giant joined the World Trade Organization, are pressing Congress to take a tougher approach with Russia, which is poised to enter the WTO.

The plea came as U.S. business groups push Congress to prepare for Russia's entry into the WTO on August 22 by lifting a Cold War-era human rights provision known as the Jackson-Vanik amendment to establish "permanent normal trade relations" (PNTR) between the two countries.

"We have had more than a decade of experience with China and their promises made, promises broken," the United Steelworkers and the Communication Workers of America said in a letter sent on Monday to every member of Congress.

"Farmers, workers and businesses should at least be able to have faith that if their government negotiates an agreement and tells them of its benefits, that those benefits will be available to them," the unions said.

The Jackson-Vanik measure made favorable U.S. tariff rates conditional on the rights of Jews in the former Soviet Union to emigrate freely. Russia has been judged in compliance with the emigration provisions since 1994. But the Jackson-Vanik provision remains on the books, at odds with WTO rules requiring members to unconditionally treat imports from all other members the same.

If lawmakers fail to act before Congress adjourns for its August recess, Russia could at least temporarily deny U.S. exporters some concessions it made to join the WTO.

The House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee is expected on Thursday to approve PNTR legislation based on a bill that sailed through the Senate Finance Committee last week on a 24-0 vote. But it is unclear if the full Congress will act before August.

The Finance Committee bill directs the U.S. Trade Representative's office (USTR) to report within six months on actions it has taken to ensure Russia is fulfilling its WTO commitments, and requires annual reports thereafter on USTR enforcement efforts and Russia's compliance with its obligations.

The union groups, in their letter to Congress, said that approach was not tough enough, and they endorsed another bill offered by Senator Sherrod Brown and Representatives Michael Michaud and Rosa DeLauro, all Democrats.

That bill would require USTR to provide a report within 90 days detailing all of Russia's WTO commitments, as well as the dates that each commitment is to be implemented.

Like the Finance Committee bill, it also would require USTR to produce an annual report on efforts it has made to ensure Russia honors its commitments.

The union groups said the language in the Brown-Michaud-DeLauro bill is more forceful than the Finance Committee version, which they called "woefully deficient."

The Brown-Michaud-DeLauro bill also would allow key congressional committees to formally request USTR to take action on a Russian trade concern, and require USTR to respond positively or negatively to the request within 15 days.

"These simple but effective provisions would prevent persistent unfair trade practices from going unaddressed and would strengthen any legislation that grants PNTR to Russia," Michaud and DeLauro said in a recent letter to top the top Republican and Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee.

(Reporting by Doug Palmer; Editing by Will Dunham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-unions-urge-tougher-enforcement-russia-trade-bill-165237803.html

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Kylie Minogue kisses girl in trailer for horror ... - BBC World News

The first trailer for Jack & Diane sees Kylie Minogue making a guest appearance as the tattooed love interest of Riley Keough?s character, Jack. Kylie?s character seduces Jack in Jack & Diane (Picture: Deerjen Films) The Australian pop star will play a supporting role in Bradley Rust Gray?s film about two teenage girls who fall for each other one night in New York City. Diane (played by Juno Temple) charms Jack (Riley Keough) after their night of passion, but when she learns that her new lover is moving away to France, Jack begins to experience werewolf-like visions and frightening transformations, as the movie slides from romance into horror. Minogue appears to play a temptation for Jack, seen in the trailer with tattoos in a low cut top leaning in for a kiss. Kylie returns to acting in Jack & Diane (Picture: Deerjen Films) She may be best known for her string of hits including Spinning Around and Timebomb but Kylie?s career started in acting, playing Charlene in Australian soap Neighbours. Cara Seymour, Dane DeHaan, Michael Chernus and Lou Taylor Pucci also feature in Jack & Diane, which is set to be released in the US on November 2 and is expected to arrive in UK cinemas shortly after. VIDEO: Watch the somewhat confusing trailer for Jack & Diane

Source: http://bbc-worldnews.net/2012/07/kylie-minogue-kisses-girl-in-trailer-for-horror-romance-jack-diane/

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Spider-Man adventure similar to actual science

ScienceDaily (July 24, 2012) ? In Spider-Man's latest adventure, scientists delve into the field of regenerative medicine as they work to re-grow a human limb. Koudy Williams, D.V.M., a self-described "Spider-Man geek" and real-life regenerative medicine researcher, says the plot of the latest comic book and movie isn't as far-fetched as some people might think.

"We're working on long-term projects to regenerate fingers and limbs," says Williams, a professor at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center's Institute for Regenerative Medicine. "But we have safer ways to do it than the researchers in Spider-Man."

Several of the science themes in Spider-Man's latest adventure -- from working to harness the body's natural regenerative powers to making use of natural materials such as the silk in spiderwebs -- are happening today in regenerative medicine laboratories, Williams said. Regenerative medicine is a relatively new field of science that works to replace or repair damaged or diseased tissues and organs.

In the latest adventure, a scientist attempts to re-grow his missing arm by combining human genes and genes from a salamander, which has a natural ability to re-grow its limbs. When the experiment goes awry, the scientist becomes a lizard villain.

"When I was watching the movie, I said to myself, 'We do that -- sort of,'" said Williams. "We do study the regenerative abilities of salamanders and other animals and we try to harness the body's innate ability to regenerate itself. But we would never combine human and animal genes -- we have much safer methods."

Williams said real-life researchers take three approaches in their efforts to repair and replace organs. One is to build, or engineer, replacement organs in the lab using a patient's own cells and an organ-shaped mold or scaffold to support cells as they grow. Bladders, urine tubes and sections of windpipes have all been built in this way and implanted in humans. A second method is to inject healing cells into a diseased organ. The third approach -- most like the science portrayed in Spider-Man -- is to use drug-like molecules to promote healing from within.

"The body has the capacity to heal naturally," says Williams. "When there's an injury, cells release substances known as chemokines that attract other cells to promote healing. That's how a broken bone repairs itself and the outer layer of the eye re-grows if it is scratched. In regenerative medicine, our aim is to boost this natural healing power.

"The body knows what it needs to heal. We work to see if we can improve on it. This is most like what scientists in the Spider-Man movie were doing. Our projects include evaluating the use of natural materials to speed up nerve regeneration, heal diseased kidneys and improve one of the current options for heart valve replacement."

Just like in the Spider-Man comic book and movie, researchers at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine and colleagues at other institutions have a long-term project to re-grow fingers and limbs to help wounded military personnel. "We're years away from being able to bioengineer an arm, or even a finger," Williams said. "But we're working on the component parts, including muscle, bone, fat, skin and tendons, and part of our work will be to use the body for the regeneration process."

Williams calls Spider-Man a "science genius" for determining the best substance for the web-like substance he shoots out from a device he made. "He figured out something that would carry his weight and be elastic so he could swing from rooftop to rooftop."

In the lab, scientists use natural materials such as silk -- found in spiderwebs -- as scaffolds for organs and tissues that they are engineering. Like Spider-Man, they must select materials that match their use -- looking for materials that are compatible with the body, promote cell growth and degrade into the body once the engineered tissue has integrated with existing tissue.

Also similar to Spider-Man, Wake Forest Baptist scientists developed a device that shoots out a spider-web-looking material. In this case, the material is caught on a spinning rod to create a tubular structure that can be used to engineer blood vessels.

Williams, who owned the first Spider-Man comic book -- and wishes he still had it -- said he got interested in science through Spider-Man, a super-hero who wins awards for his research. When Williams had difficulties with reading in grade school, his teacher encouraged his parents to let him read anything he wanted. He chose comic books and Spider-Man was the first one he bought.

"As a child, I always wanted to be Spider-Man. But now I have the next-best thing. I'm a researcher who uses some of the same technology as Spider-Man."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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

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

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120724171229.htm

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Hot Stocks: Halliburton, Avon Products, Yum ... - Business News Asia

Released on July 23rd, 2012

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 23, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ ? Pennystocksinsiders.com (PSI) has issued insider trading reports and Equity Research for the following companies: Halliburton (NYSE:HAL), Avon Products (NYSE:AVP), Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM), Onyx (NASDAQ:ONXX), People?s United Financial (NASDAQ:PBCT), and Telefonica (NYSE:TEF).

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prn/20120531/HK16417LOGO )

(Read full report by clicking the link below, you may need to copy and paste the full link to your browser.)

Report Highlights:

Halliburton Company (NYSE:HAL): On July 18, the Board of Directors of Halliburton Company (NYSE:HAL) approved a 2012 third quarter common dividend of US$0.09 a share, payable on September 26, 2012, to shareholders of record on September 5, 2012. Halliburton Company is an oilfield services company with a market capitalization of US$28.40 billion. The stock ended higher by 1.85% to US$30.77 on over 30.62 million shares, well above its average volume of 15.48 million shares. Did Halliburton Company insiders like CEOs, CFOs, and Directors purchase their shareholdings before the stock price increased? Pennystocksinsiders.com refers insider trading data to professional investors as it believes that Halliburton insiders have a better understanding about the company?s prospects. Academic studies have shown that company insiders traditionally make higher investment returns than ordinary investors.

Read Full Report: http://www.Pennystocksinsiders.com/PR/072312A/HAL/Halliburton.pdf

Avon Products, Inc. (NYSE:AVP): Avon Products, Inc. (NYSE:AVP) is scheduled to post its earnings for second-quarter 2012 on Wednesday, August 1, 2012. In addition, Kim Rucker, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer, will be leaving the company to become Executive Vice President, Corporate and Legal Affairs at Kraft Foods North America. She will also become General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Kraft Foods Group, Inc. Abnormal trading volume of Avon Products was found on July 20 reaching 43.48 million shares, 8 times heavier than usual day trading. The latest share price, US$15.73, was up 5.6% from its 52-week low price. Do you want to know when Avon Products, Inc. insiders will purchase their shares? Want to monitor this company on an on-going basis? See insider trade report for AVP here.

Read Full Report: http://www.Pennystocksinsiders.com/PR/072312A/AVP/AvonProducts.pdf

Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:YUM): By market close, shares of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:YUM) plunged US$0.91 per share (equivalent to -1.38%), where stock prices lowered to US$64.95. Share prices of Yum! Brands have traded as high as US$74.44 per share and as low as US$47.15 in the past 52 weeks. Its price, as of the latest close, was up 37.8% compared with the 52-week low and was 14.6% below the 52-week high. Yum! Brands, Inc. has a market capitalization of US$29.75 billion. Do you think Yum! Brands stock will rebound or continue to drop? Do you think now is a good time to sell the stock? Investors could get an idea by checking this insider trade report for YUM here.

Read Full Report: http://www.Pennystocksinsiders.com/PR/072312A/YUM/YumBrands.pdf

Today Pennystocksinsiders.com also observed abnormal trade volume for the following companies; insiders may involve trading in these companies. It will take some time for insiders to report their trades. Read these reports and add these companies into your Insider Trade Radar.

Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ONXX):

Read Full Report: http://www.Pennystocksinsiders.com/PR/072312A/ONXX/Onyx.pdf

People?s United Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:PBCT):

Read Full Report: http://www.Pennystocksinsiders.com/PR/072312A/PBCT/PeoplesUnitedFinancial.pdf

Telefonica S.A. (ADR) (NYSE:TEF):

Read Full Report: http://www.Pennystocksinsiders.com/PR/072312A/TEF/Telefonica.pdf

Insider Filing Source Reference: All observations, analysis and reports are based on public information released by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

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Pennystocksinsiders.com features a team of experienced data analysts striving to provide the investment community with the tools, software, and data necessary to carry out more effective investment research.

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Please visit Pennystocksinsiders.com/disclaimers/index.php for details.

Source: http://asiarelease.asia/hot-stocks-halliburton-avon-products-yum-brands-onyx-peoples-united-financial-and-telefonica/

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Double for Team Maini Racing

Hyderabad, July 22

Gujarat schoolgirl Mira Kirit Erda of Team Maini Racing took the honours in the Micro Max category while teammates Kush Maini (Juniors) and Chittesh Mandody (Mohite?s Racing, Seniors) topped in their respective categories in the second round of the JK Tyre Rotax Max National Karting Championship here Sunday.

Overcast sky and cooler temperatures made for near-perfect racing conditions as Mira clinched the title in a dominating style from two Mohite Racing entries Pradyum V. Dandigond and HB. Phaneesh.

In the Junior Max finals, Maini had to stave off a strong challenge from Team Rayo Racing?s Nayan Chatterjee who finished a close second after conceding lead at the last corner. Arya Gandhi, also of Rayo Racing came in third.

Defending champion Mandody ruled the Senior Max category as he won quite easily, sparing three seconds to Rayo Racing?s Anshuman Channeterjee, who finished ahead of team-mate Ameya Bafna.

Source: http://www.prokerala.com/news/articles/a315338.html

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Student in carjacking spree: 'I was drugged'

A college student accused of going on a bizarre crime spree claims his workout supplement was spiked.

By Amanda Guerra, NBCDFW.com

A college student accused of an erratic crime spree in North Dallas this week apologized to the victims in a jailhouse interview Thursday.

Investigators say Eric Keng carjacked someone, tried to rob a business and led police on a chase in a stolen vehicle on Tuesday.

"I apologize for anything that I did to anyone. It wasn't intentional. I don't know what happened," Keng told NBCDFW.com in an exclusive interview.

For more, visit NBCDFW.com

Police said Keng went on a wild rampage near the 18000 block of Marsh Lane, where officers said he smashed a driver's windshield with a golf club, tried to carjack two people, successfully carjacked a third and tried to rob a business.

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?Investigators said Keng then led police on a car chase in a stolen vehicle. Officers used spike sticks to get Keng to pull over. Police said he was so erratic, officers had to wrestle him to the ground using pepper spray.

Keng said he took an energy supplement earlier in the day.

"I was cleaning my mom's house to make sure she was happy when she got home, and then I took some pre-workout stuff called C4, and then I went completely nuts," he said.

Keng said he often takes the energy supplement and thinks someone, possibly a friend, slipped something in it that caused him to act out.

"I think I was drugged," he said.

"I sincerely believe someone put something in that C4, because I've taken it many times before, and the one time I took it this time, I wake up in jail and hear about this (expletive), and that's not me," he said.

Keng started crying several times during the interview.

He also apologized to his family.

"I just don't want my mom to be mad," he said, with tears running down his face. "It's not me, but clearly it is. I'm sorry."

Keng said he was enrolled to continue classes at Brookhaven Community College in the fall. He said was hoping to join the military or the Air Force but doesn't see any of that happening now.

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Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/13/12721162-dallas-crime-spree-suspect-believes-he-was-drugged?lite

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Scott Beaver: From Losing My First Boyfriend to Homophobia to Empowering LGBT Youth: It Gets Better

Editor's note: As a part of the 2012 Fullerton High School "Mr. Fullerton" pageant, senior Kearian Giertz was asked, "Where do you see yourself in 10 years?" Kearian responded that he hoped that in 10 years marriage equality would be legal so that he could marry the man of his dreams. As a result of his answer, a school administrator disqualified him from the competition. Immediately after the incident took place, Kearian's classmates, seniors Blake Danford and Katy Hall, started a letter-writing campaign, asking the question, "Where do you see yourself in 10 years?" They added their vision of what is needed to create safe and supportive schools. Blake and Katy teamed up with the Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center of Orange County and Youth Empowered to Act (YETA). The campaign became the foundation for YETA's comprehensive, student-led program to inform students, faculty, and administrators about California's school laws, provide support and advocacy for students, and create safe schools in Orange County and beyond.

The Huffington Post is sharing the stories of several youth involved in the campaign responding to Seth's Law, which was enacted last week. For more information, and to participate in the campaign, visit Youth Empowered to Act.

* * * * *

High school is a tough time for everyone; we're all trying to figure out who we are, how to be adults, and what "clique" we fit into. This is especially difficult if you're also trying to figure out if you're gay or not.

I knew by freshman year that I was gay, but that entire year was a lie for me. I thought being gay was bad, or wrong, or maybe just a phase, and I knew I could hide it. But the pressure of all the lies was deeply upsetting, so I told my best friend. She proceeded to tell everyone else, too, to spread rumors about me. My lie was over, people knew, and I felt like everyone was staring at me. But at least I still had the support I needed to stay alive: my boyfriend.

A week after I was outed, he disappeared. I didn't know what happened to him, and I felt like my life was over. It was a few weeks later, when I was at one of the lowest points in my life, that I came into contact with one of his friends and discovered what had happened to my boyfriend. He'd come out to his parents a few months before he met me, and they'd kicked him out of his house, so he'd begun living on the streets. He'd disappeared because he'd passed away.

I felt really alone, but I reached out for help. Then I met a great friend, the absolute strongest person I have ever met. She helped get me back on track. Now I've just finished high school and am about to head to college in New York! I completed a two-year internship at the sheriff's department and actively volunteer with Youth Empowered to Act (YETA) at the Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center of Orange County.

It's so important to reach out to LGBTQ youth and let them know that they are supported and embraced for who they are. Sometimes things get low, really low, but you'll find a way out of it and get back to the top. The trick is to stand tall and stay confident. Don't let people bring you down. Ignore the bullies. Especially now, with Seth's Law in place, you are protected. If someone harasses you, you have options. Schools are now legally obligated to stop the bullies. So if you're having troubles, find the support system you can trust, and stay tough. There will be hard times, times when you'll feel like there is nowhere to go, but I can tell you with certainty that it gets better.

?

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-beaver/from-losing-my-first-boyfriend-to-homophobia_b_1672557.html

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Conclusion of the 'heritage tax' campaign: VAT relief is lost

The Heritage Alliance is extremely disappointed that the Government has refused ? despite widespread opposition and strong challenges to the rigour of its evidence base ? to reconsider its Budget proposal to remove zero rating of VAT on approved alterations to listed buildings, dubbed ?the heritage tax.

The last chance to gain respite from the abolition of the VAT relief came and went during the Report Stage debate of the Finance Bill on 3 July. MPs of all parties piled in on the lack of evidence for the measure and the greater level of impact expected, with several citing The Heritage Alliance?s briefing near verbatim. But, despite our efforts, the campaign was lost.

Shadow Exchequer Secretary Rachel Reeves had tabled Amendment NC10 calling for a review of the impacts on jobs, living standards and businesses ? exactly what the Alliance?s campaign had been calling for ? and the Alliance had liaised with over 100 MPs to support the Amendment, but the Amendment was withdrawn without a division, with Exchequer Secretary David Gauke concluding: ?New clause 10, which requires an assessment of the impact of the VAT borderline changes, is virtually identical to new clause 3, which was debated and defeated in the Committee of the whole House on 18 April, and to amendment 200, which was withdrawn in the Public Bill Committee on 21 June. Given that the amendment was debated and defeated the first time and withdrawn the second time, I suggest that the Opposition withdraw new clause 10 on this occasion.?

HMRC ignores the holes in its rationale

Most discouraging though is what the HMRC?s response does not cover. It does not attempt to answer any of the many challenges levied at its evidence base, which was shown to be extraordinarily weak.

And it makes no acknowledgement of the importance of listed buildings as a major part of our cultural heritage. In arguing that ?it is hard to justify preferential treatment for altering a listed building over altering a non listed building? HMRC still fails to understand that heritage protection operates in the public interest, requiring all alterations to be approved in order to protect their integrity. Listed buildings are different to non-listed buildings ? their protected status is a recognition of their immense public value: financial, social, cultural and aesthetic.

Finally, HMRC?s response does not admit this measure is at odds with other Government policies such as Asset Transfer and the Big Society. Even with the National Planning Policy Framework, which as recently as 27 March explicitly acknowledged the importance of finding economically viable uses for historic buildings. This measure knocks a gaping hole through a range of Government policies, yet Government appears to have no answer to the question of consistency.

HMRC ignores outstanding weight of opinion

All this is even more alarming when we consider that the Government ignored an overwhelming outcry over this measure. Of the 1493 responses to the six VAT measures under examination in the Government?s consultation (including the contentious so-called ?pasty tax? and ?caravan tax?), over half ? 818 ? related to approved alterations to listed buildings. This oustanding response came from individuals (361) church representatives (177), businesses (90), professionals and professional bodies (52), charities (67), local government (28), trade bodies (18) and 25 others. Many will have come from Alliance members and Update readers ? an excellent result of our far reaching networks. But this outcry did not translate into shifting the Government?s policy ? a worrying confirmation of our suspicion that Government sees the heritage sector as an easy target which is not a vote-loser.

HMRC?s summary of responses accepts that ?most respondents opposed the measure on a number of grounds?, yet concludes ?HMRC are of the view that there remains a strong case for removing a relief that is illogical and poorly targeted?. HMRC goes on to suggest that support for the heritage is better channeled through expenditure than through ?poorly targeted? tax relief. What public money that might be is left to our imagination ? it would be na?ve to think that the revenue derived from abolishing the zero rate, however small,? will be returned in public funding to supporting the heritage.

Concessions not insignificant, but not enough

The major concession was made in May, not to retain the tax exemption but to allow listed places of worship to reclaim the VAT incurred on approved alterations as well as on repairs through the existing but increased Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. This fund, now ?42m per year, will recompense 100 per cent of the VAT.? The Alliance?s Historic Religious Buildings Group is working with DCMS on the operational details, and has responded to the DCMS and Treasury consultation on details of changes to the scheme.

A further concession was made in July on the implementation of the measure. Recognising the long-term nature of these capital projects, the end of the transitional period has been extended from March 2013 to September 2015, allowing qualifying projects to continue to benefit from zero rating for an additional two and a half years. Qualifying projects now include those where listed building consent had been applied for before 21 March 2012, as well as where a written contract was in place by that date or substantial reconstruction projects meet the 10 per cent test as before.

If the objective was to increase revenue, these concessions will put pay to that. Once the increase to the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme (?30m) and the extension of the zero rate for those projects underway until September 2015 are taken into account, the net revenue gain at least until 2015 will be negligible. As one Peer the Alliance worked with on the campaign commented, the heritage tax will do ?much damage to the heritage while making no discernible difference to the deficit?.

The next steps

As Chair of English Heritage, Baroness Andrews, commented during a Lords debate covering the ?heritage tax?, ?this is not a problem that is going to go away?. The Alliance and colleagues will be holding a series of ?debriefs? designed to analyse the campaign and identify next steps, and we shall continue to liaise with Government and stakeholders on tracking the implementation and impacts.

This entry was posted on Friday, July 13th, 2012 at 9:30 am and is filed under Latest. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

Source: http://www.theheritagealliance.org.uk/2012/07/13/conclusion-of-the-heritage-tax-campaign-vat-relief-is-lost/

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Ford Crown Victoria '03 [Police HW] *Head x1

Ford Crown Victoria '03 [Police HW] *Head x1 - Driver SF & Forza MS3

FEATURES
*Total Damage per Parts.
*Cop lights
*Nice Quality 3D
*Custom Police Livery

BUGS
*Anyone at the moment. if you found someone, please tell me.

REPLACE
*COPMIDSIZE (First lvl)

ABOUT
*Model extracted from Driver SF, rims from FMS3, Ripped by Riva and RacingFreak, and Converted and Edited by me.
*Model in LOD01.

CREDITS
*nfsmw - modtools by Arushan / *Texture Compiler by nfsu360 / *EA Games & Black Box: This pretty game / *Ubisoft: Model and Textures / *Microsoft Studios & Turn 10: Rims and textures / *Oleg: ZModeler / *Riva and RacingFreak: Mesh and Textures / *Seta127: Tutorial to conversion in MW / *LuckXR: Support / *Adobe Photoshop: DDS format

TOOLS
*NFSMW - ModTools / *Texture complier by nfsu360 / *ZModeler v1.07 / *ZModeler v2.2.1 (registred) / *Photoshop CS5

**Don't upload this file in another site without my permission.**

Thanks for Download!

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nfscars_latestcars/~3/Yu41gu5bUSs/16383.aspx

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Kristin Chenoweth injured on set of "Good Wife"

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[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kristin-chenoweth-injured-set-good-wife-013858849.html

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User:Qrops - LinuxCoin Wiki

From LinuxCoin Wiki

The Qrops Specialist offers you friendly and independent information on pension transfers and QROPS ( Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme ). Qualified financial advisers will answer any questions that you may have, explain every step and do the necessary paper work on your behalf. You can be sure that we will give you clear and straight forward facts, based on the guidance by HMRC. This is proven to be a success as 68% of new clients are referred to us by old and present clients. Many QROPS exist all over the world, each one offering a different variation when it comes to the solutions and structures they offer. The Qrops Specialist is here to guide you throught the maze of different solutions, removing the stress and hassle trying to find the most suitable QROPS jurisdiction for your circumstances. Our aim is to provide you with independent, factual information enabling you to make an informed decision resulting in the best solution for your requirements.Following this year?s Budget, demand for QROPS is expected to rise. If you are not a member of such a scheme already, it is worth looking into to offset changes to tax relief announced in the Budget. You should also not put off moving your pension, as further restrictions are expected as part of the Finance Bill in 2013. As a result of changes to current tax relief, there has been a sharp rise in the number of people transferring their pensions to HMRC-recognised overseas schemes.There are many reasons for transferring your UK pensions to a Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme?: unlocking tax free money, Inheritance tax planning (IHT), growth on the pension, greater investment freedom or a tax efficient jurisdiction. The UK Governement introduced new legislation in April 2006 making it possible for British expats to transfer their UK pensions to QROPS with the approval of HMRC. The British Government introduced the new rules to make retirement and retirement planning easier for British expats. What it really means is that you can take your UK pensions abroad when moving overseas or if you intend to leave the UK on a long term basis.

Source: http://www.linuxcoin.co.uk/wiki/index.php/User%3AQrops

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Republicans block quick vote on Obama tax plan

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Republicans have blocked a Democratic effort to hold a Senate vote on President Barack Obama's plan to renew expiring tax cuts for all but the highest-income Americans.

The move was a reversal from earlier Wednesday, when Democrats blocked a vote on Obama's proposal.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid proposed holding separate votes on Obama's plan and a rival GOP proposal extending the tax cuts for everyone, including the wealthiest earners.

Reid's condition: Letting either measure pass with a simple majority, instead of the 60 votes demanded for many Senate roll calls.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell objected, saying he had not seen details of the bills.

Reid can usually count on votes from 51 Democrats plus two independents, though some Democrats in close races are leery of Obama's proposal.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-07-11-Congress-Taxes/id-e0715a2a82454debbe7a4042ff097701

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Toshiba's new 2.5-inch AL13SE hard drives: up to 900GB of 10,500RPM storage

A 2.5-inch drive spinning at speeds up to 10,000RPM? Sure, we've seen it before, but only with enough room for 600GB worth of data. Toshiba, however, has trumped its forebears by upping the capacity to 900GB with its new 2.5-inch HDD, dubbed the AL13SE. 300GB, 450GB and 600GB flavors are offered as well, and all of them spin at up to 10,500RPM and promise a 32% increase in sustained transfer rates over previous-gen drives. Additionally, the AL13SE sends and receives data via a 6Gbps SAS 2.0 connection to make life easier on IT guys than those SATA drives most of us use. Unfortunately, Tosh isn't telling how much the new drives will cost, nor when they'll be available for purchase, but you can dig into all the drive details you can handle in the PR after the break and at the source link below.

Continue reading Toshiba's new 2.5-inch AL13SE hard drives: up to 900GB of 10,500RPM storage

Filed under: Storage

Toshiba's new 2.5-inch AL13SE hard drives: up to 900GB of 10,500RPM storage originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 00:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Toshiba  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/dL2AVi5ucOg/

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Advantages of Small Business Accounting Software

Running a business entails much skills as well as patience and perseverance. Oftentimes, it can be frustrating especially when things do not go well as planned. And in such situations, any business owner should consider the ways by which the business will benefit. And among these ways, and perhaps the most important and helpful, is the use of small business accounting software.


Such accounting software for small businesses is very useful and advantageous in different ways. Here are some of the most important advantages any company can gain.

1. Easy use and automation. Compared to doing things manually, using the online accounting can definitely make work a lot easier. More than that, it can also promote accuracy and speed thereby giving enough time for employees to work on other tasks for lesser time.
2. Report making. Presenting data and reports to investors and to the business owner can be a tedious job when done manually. That is why by the use of such software, the reports can be done more easily as the software can make presentations and interpretations of data in quick and easy steps.
3. Tax filing is made easier. The end of the year requires all businesses to file their taxes. And this can be a tedious job for the accountant. When one uses the accounting software for small business, the data are added and computed as they are being stores; so when the year-end comes, it is easier to import the data.
4. It promotes savings. Savings are an important aspect to any business owner. And this is another advantage of small business accounting software. There is no need to hire a bookkeeper and an accountant permanently as the basic tasks of these individuals can be done by the software. The one in-charge of it needs only the basic training and a lot can already be done.
5. Added speed. When one does filing, organization, and interpretation of data, speed is necessary. And this can be achieved by using small business accounting software.
6. It is convenient. Business owners and their accountants are people who are always on the go. And they need to always be attached or connected to their businesses. Such online accounting, like Shoebooks, allows these professionals to travel anywhere in the world but still have the connection to their business 24/7. By just having a laptop computer and an internet connection, they can easily manage their business without the hassle.
7. Email enabled. When sending invoices, one no longer needs to travel to the post office and send these. By using accounting software for small business, you only have to send invoices through email.

If you are convinced and are now looking for the best online accounting software, then look no further than Shoebooks. Shoebooks is Australia?s number one provider of online accounting software with services that suit every unique need of any business.

Source: http://online-accounting-bookkeeping.blogspot.com/2012/07/advantages-of-small-business-accounting.html

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Spain imposes more austerity amid protests

MADRID (AP) ? Spain's government imposed more austerity measures on the beleaguered country Wednesday as it unveiled sales tax hikes and spending cuts aimed at shaving ?65 billion ($79.85 billion) off the state budget over the next two and a half years.

A day after winning European Union approval for a huge bank bailout and breathing space on its deficit program, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy warned Parliament that Spain's future was at stake as it grapples with recession, a bloated deficit and investor wariness of its sovereign debt.

"We are living in a crucial moment which will determine our future and that of our families, that of our youths, of our welfare state," Rajoy said to catcalls from the opposition socialists and other parties as he revealed the biggest single amount of projected deficit savings in modern Spanish history.

He spoke as thousands of miners stung by a huge cut in government subsidies were joined by protesters to demonstrate outside the Industry Ministry in Madrid. The protests later turned violent with riot police firing rubber bullets on crowds after they were pelted with fireworks and rocks.

The spending cuts, designed to cut ?65 billion off state budgets by 2015, include a wage cut for civil servants and members of the national parliament and a new wave of closures at state-owned companies. Spain will also speed up a gradual increase in the retirement age from 65 to 67. They are to be approved officially Friday at a Cabinet meeting.

Spain has had to digest round after round of austerity measures since Rajoy's conservative government took power in December. Until now, there have been ?60 billion ($73.71 billion) in spending cuts and tax hikes by the central government or regional administrations. If you include measures taken by the previous, Socialist government, the number goes up to ?75 billion. Now, albeit spread over two-and-a-half years, comes another ?65 billion.

"This is the reality. There is no other, and we have to get out of this hole and we have to do it as soon as possible and there is no room for fantasies or off-the cuff improvisations because there is no choice," Rajoy told Parliament.

The measures are in exchange for the bank bailout of up to ?100 billion ($122.85 billion) granted to Spain by the other 16 countries that use the euro and extra time to cut the Spanish budget deficit. Finance ministers approved the bailout program at meetings in Brussels this week and as much as ?30 billion could flow to Spain's banks by the end of the month. The country's banks are saddled with billions of euros in toxic loans and assets following the collapse of the country's real estate market. The full amount Spain will seek is not yet known.

Europe's finance ministers also this week extended Spain's deadline for achieving a budget deficit of less than 3 percent of its annual economic output, until 2014. The size of Spain's economy in 2011 is estimated to have been $1.5 trillion.

The bank aid and the deficit-cutting come at the cost of greater EU supervision of Spain's finances, both for the government and the banks, even though Rajoy's government insists it has given up no sovereignty.

"In exchange for the bank bailout agreement, Brussels, the ECB and the IMF have placed Spain and its institutions in a situation of strict monitoring and control," Spanish newspaper El Pais said in an editorial Wednesday.

The concern among investors and Europe-watchers is that further austerity cuts will push Spain's economy further into recession in the short term, making it even harder for the government to trim its deficit.

Spain ? the fourth-largest economy in the eurozone ? has been struggling to keep a lid on its government deficit in the midst of a recession while trying to support its troubled banking industry. There are fears that should Spain need a bailout of its own as did Greece, Ireland and Portugal, the eurozone would struggle to finance it, pushing the region further into recession.

However, said Mark Miller of Capital Economics in London, markets are concentrating on the planned bank bailout, which could get the economy up and running again by providing businesses and households.

So if the bailout works, it should eventually compensate for the bitter cocktail of the new austerity package. "'It is the classic case of short-term pain for longer-term gain," Miller said.

Wednesday's increases in sales tax include a 3 percentage point hike on products and services like clothing, cars, cigarettes and telephone services to 21 percent and a 2 percentage point increase on goods such as public transport fares, processed foods and bar and hotel services to 10 percent. The sales tax on basic goods like bread, medicine and books stays at 4 percent.

Other measures outlined Wednesday included:

??660 million of cuts in government spending beyond the reductions already outlined in the 2012 budget

? wage cuts for civil servants and members of the national parliament

? further closures of state-owned companies

? tax deductions for homeowners to be scrapped

? a 30 percent cut in the number of town councilors

? slight reduction in unemployment pay, designed to encourage jobless people to seek work more quickly.

? 20 percent cut in government subsidies to political parties and labor unions.

? possible privatization of ports, railways and airports

In Brussels, spokesman Simon O'Connor said the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, welcomed the government's announcement of the new measures as "an important step to ensure that the fiscal targets for this year can be met."

Financial markets greeted news of the measures. The interest rate on Spain's benchmark 10-year bond dropped 0.23 percent to 6.57 percent, away from the 7 percent levels it reached earlier this week, while the country's IBEX stock index closed up 1.17 percent at 6,805.9.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/spain-imposes-more-austerity-amid-protests-162935347.html

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Health and Fitness For Children | Forever Orange

Health and Fitness For Children

Introducing your children early in life to proper health and fitness routines will go along way towards promoting their general heath as they grow up because body and fitness are very much important for their whole life. You need to tell them the importance so that they know whatever they are doing is for their own benefit.

It is important to let your children play games that will both keep then healthy and fit. You can make for them a health and fitness plan and encourage them to follow it by participating too once in a while. Children can easily be obese especially if you don?t regulate what and when they eat. The health and fitness plan can also be for the whole family in which case it will include the kids. If you don?t take the initiative, you will find that your children are relying heavily on the television for relaxation which is not very good for them in the long run.

Health and fitness routines can help your children deal with puberty anxiety in an easy way so as to avoid stress.

Introduce your children to the right exercises according to their age and ability and change them as they grow up and let them know the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle.

Health and fitness for your children also entails proper feeding. Good nutrition should have the right proportion of proteins, carbohydrates and vitamins and select foods that they love as long as you make it a balanced diet. Children learn by following example hence if you make a point of having a good health and fitness routine yourself, they most likely will follow suit.

This entry was posted in Forever Orange and tagged Children, Fitness, Health. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://www.forever-orange.com/134/health-and-fitness-for-children

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EmpowHER: A marriage between seniors can bring more dimensions in terms to the marital table than the union of a younger couple: http://t.co/4BKyrFQ4

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

Source: http://twitter.com/EmpowHER/statuses/222521787009859585

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Obama expands lead on Romney, voters more optimistic (reuters)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/237537726?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Peter Greenberg Worldwide ? Travel Tip: Insurance When ...

Audio Travel Tips, Daily Travel Tips, Driving, Car Rental & RVs, Travel Tips ? on July 9, 2012 12:54 pm

If you?re planning to skip the car rental in favor of borrowing a car from a friend or relative, pay attention.

You may not be covered just because the vehicle is insured. What you want to look for is something called ?permissive use coverage.?

This applies to use by another driver who is not part of the household. But this isn?t standard on all policies, so make sure the car owner calls to confirms whether it?s included in their policy.

If the vehicle is being used for business, ask if the plan covers work-related travel. Otherwise, if the policy is for personal use only, commercial claims can be denied. The coverage level may not be the same for people who aren?t policy holders.

Usually, permissive use coverage only extends the bare minimum for anyone else driving the car. Translation: Even if a policy is for $100,000 of coverage, permissive use may only be $10,000.

And remember insurance companies always have a right to deny a claim if the terms of the policy are broken. Unlicensed and even inexperienced drivers are often not covered by permissive use.

For more information, visit the Car Rental & Driving archives.

Click here to read more travel tips.

Source: http://www.petergreenberg.com/2012/07/09/travel-tip-insurance-when-borrowing-a-car/

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