Just days after his ruling African National Congress (ANC) party discussed ways to alleviate the growing gap between rich and poor people in South Africa, President Jacob Zuma is on the verge of purchasing a $230-million presidential jet.
The Boeing 777 aircraft, seating about 300 people, will cost $150 million to purchase and another $80 million to customize, according to the Telegraph of London.
Zuma?s current presidential jet has been out of service for upgrades and maintenance.
South Africa?s Defense Department, which supervises the transport of senior government officials, may also purchase a second private plane -- a Global Express 600 -- for Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe at a cost of $28 million.
Defense Secretary Sam Makhudu Gulube is reportedly in the U.S. finalizing the transactions with Boeing, the Pan African News Agency reported.
Opposition politicians are outraged over the proposed lavish expenditures in a country where at least one-quarter of the population is unemployed and 40 percent live on less than $49 per month.
David Maynier, the defense and military veterans representative of the opposition Democratic Alliance, or DA, party, condemned Zuma for not using the state airline.
"If British Prime Minister David Cameron can use British Airways to fly, then Zuma can fly South African Airways," Maynier was quoted as saying by the Star newspaper of Johannesburg. "It is simply wrong to spend R2 billion on a presidential jet when so many people in the country are poor. I believe a presidential jet should only be used in exceptional circumstances. I hope delegates at the ANC?s national policy conference ask President Zuma to explain how a R2 billion presidential business jet will help our country tackle the triple challenge of unemployment, poverty and inequality."
The Star reported the government has not followed proper procedures -- requiring that such procurements be subject to competitive bidding -- in arranging the deal.
Maynier has asked Public Protector Thuli Madonsela to probe whether state spending on the new aircraft for Zuma and Motlanthe is warranted. The DA also said it will ask the Public Protector, Advocate Thuli Madonsela, to investigate the purchases.
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BEIRUT (AP) ? Syrian troops have regained control of a rebellious Damascus suburb after a 10-day assault that left dozens dead, hundreds wounded and caused a major humanitarian crisis, activists said Saturday.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and local activist Mohammed Saeed said troops recaptured Douma outside the capital late Friday.
The latest campaign was the worst of several assaults on the area, with dead bodies left in the streets, the Observatory said.
"The situation in Douma is catastrophic. The suburb is badly destroyed," said Saeed via Skype, adding that he was among dozens of residents who on foot through the fields to safer areas for fear of being captured by security forces.
Douma has been a hotbed of dissent since the uprising against President Bashar Assad began in March last year.
Troops loyal to Assad are strong in central Damascus, but have battled to control the ring of suburbs and settlements in the surrounding countryside. The army launches frequent offensives into the suburbs only to see them slip back into rebel control.
Saeed said troops stormed two makeshift hospitals where seriously wounded people were being treated. "The doctors fled and the wounded remained. Their fate is unknown," he said.
The latest violence came as representatives of global and regional powers tried Saturday to agree on a peaceful formula to end the bloody crisis in Syria, including the role of Assad in a transitional government.
The talks hosted by the United Nations at its European headquarters in Geneva are seen as a last-ditch attempt to salvage the peace plan brokered by the U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan.
Annan warned that if nations trying to end the country's violence fail to act they face an international crisis of "grave severity." He said history "will judge us all harshly if we prove incapable of taking the right path today."
Russia's determination to preserve its last remaining ally in the Middle East has collided head-on with the desire by the U.S. and other Western powers to replace Assad with a democracy. Diplomats are growing pessimistic that the U.N.-brokered conference can bridge the Russia-U.S. divide.
Activists say more than 14,000 people have been killed as the conflict has becoming increasingly militarized. Fighting also has left several rebel strongholds facing dire conditions.
Douma's residents suffer from daily shelling as well as shortages of food, electricity and running water, according to the Observatory. It also cited a shortage of cooking gas that has prevented people from cooking food since the latest campaign began on June 21.
The Observatory said about 100 families, mostly women and children, remain in Douma as men had to flee because of waves of arrests. Dozens of wounded people also are holed up in shelters and need urgent treatment after troops took over the main hospital in the area and damaged it, the Observatory said.
"Many of the wounded have died because of bad medical conditions," the Observatory said.
The state-run news agency SANA said troops continue to pursue "terrorist groups" in Douma, raiding their hideouts and destroying their communications and other equipment. Clashes resulted in the death of dozens of terrorists ? the official term authorities use for rebels ? and the wounding and arrest of many others, the statement said.
In other violence Saturday, a car bomb exploded in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria's largest, damaging a government building but causing no casualties since the building was closed for the weekend, according to SANA.
Activists also reported shelling by government troops and clashes between rebels and government forces in the central provinces of Hama and Homs, the eastern region of Deir el-Zour as well as Idlib and Aleppo to the north. Activists said at least 22 people were killed in violence Saturday.
In Egypt, Arab League deputy chief Ahmed ben Heli told reporters that a Syrian opposition meeting will be held Monday in Cairo.
More than 200 Syrians representing opposition groups from inside and outside the country have been invited along with foreign ministers from the five permanent U.N. Security Council members ? the United States, Britain, China, France and Russia, he said. Also invited were Annan and envoys from Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Turkey and Tunisia.
They will discuss agreeing on a common vision to deal with the next stage, he said.
The regional and international participation will only be in the opening and closing sessions while the opposition groups alone will discuss the issue for two days.
Previous attempts in the past weeks to hold a similar meeting at the league's headquarters in Cairo failed because of differences between opposition groups.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague welcomed next week's meeting.
"In our view the transition must involve representatives of all Syrian communities," he said in Geneva.
The landing of the crewed Chinese Shenzhou-9 capsule after 13 days docked with space station Tiangong-1 marks a major checkpoint in the nation's space programme and serves as a strong advertisement for Chinese capabilities. The three taikonauts, as Chinese astronauts are known, appear safe and healthy after 13 days in space.
The Chinese flight comes on the heels of SpaceX's landmark flight to the International Space Station (ISS), which while uncrewed was the first commercial spacecraft to do so.
"As we noticed, the whole nation, overseas Chinese, our foreign friends as well as the media both at home and abroad have all paid close attention to the completion of the mission," says Wang Zhaoyao, director of the China Manned Spaceflight Office.
The spacecraft, a capsule, landed among the hills of the northern Chinese province of Inner Mongolia on 29 June. The flight marks only the fourth crewed launch in Chinese history, with a crew of three - the largest to date -- that included the first female taikonaut. China is only the third nation to launch people into space.
The landing was heavily publicized and covered by major media. Press organizations covered President Hu Jintao's visit to the Beijing ground control station, where he transmitted a personal message to the taikonauts. Immediately following reentry, the taikonauts were brought out to sit in lawn chairs and speak with reporters.
?
??China Manned Spaceflight Agency
The visibility is unusual, given that China's unmanned space and launch programmes are largely reserved for military use. The human spaceflight programme functions as a sort of advertising for China's technical capabilities - though Tiangong-1 is to be used for some scientific experiments, the practical utility of the station is limited.
China is in the midst of an ambitious space programme. Having launched its first taikonaut in only 2003, the nation has declared its intent to send both crewed and uncrewed missions beyond LEO. A new launch facility on Hainan Island, closer to the equator than the current Jiuquan facility, will be used to launch a larger version of the standard Long March.
The taikonauts manually docked several times with the Tiangong-1 space station, an uninhabited station in low Earth orbit (LEO). The mission was declared successful by the Chinese government. Though a major achievement in its own right, the mission is seen as a prelude to launching a larger, more capable space station, which China has announced it intends to do by 2020. The station may be permanently manned, as is the International Space Station (ISS) in which China does not participate.
"As we celebrate our success, we also realize that there is still a gap between China and the leading countries in the field of manned space technology," says Zhaoyao. "Much remains to be done for us to live up to the state's and our people's expectation."
China's achievements to date have been impressive, but they put the nation roughly on par with the United States or Soviet Union in the early 1960s. Though Tiangong-1 is permanently in orbit, it is not permanently inhabited and boasts nowhere near the same sophistication or flexibility as the ISS, nor will the planned follow-on station.
The nation's space programme is spurring a regional space competition. Though Japan has traditionally been the largest space power in the region, with heavy participation in the ISS programme and training for human spaceflight, neighboring nations such as South Korea and Indonesia are joining the fray. India, a major geopolitical rival, boasts a similarly ambitious but significantly less developed space programme.
While China's space programme has historically been largely derivative of existing Russian designs, the nation has become a major space power in its own right. In 2011, China's launch rate surpassed that of the US, though the nation lags in weight and sophistication of its satellites. The nation suffered several high-profile launch vehicle failures in 2011.
[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]
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Google has just announced over 10 million users that have signed into Google Drive, Google's new cloud-syncing storage platform. The product only launched in April of this year, so this is quite the milestone. Clay Bevor, director of product management for Google Apps made the announcement, also mentioning that Google Drive is now available on iOS and Chrome OS. He demoed Drive on the iPad, searching through a file full of receipts in the search box. It used optical character recognition to find the search query inside an image. But going even a step further than that, he searched for pyramid and Drive offered up saved images of the Egyptian pyramids. Offline saving and collaboration have been added to the platform, and all of that is available later today on the iPad.
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How does birth command tablets? Generally contain two hormones, similar to the organic estrogen and progesterone. By taking them, the body is ?tricked? inhibiting ovulation and conversely mucus in the cervix changes its qualities, disfavored sperm penetration. It is usually assumed to be blocked plus the egg implanting in the uterus, if it absolutely was fertilized.
You can find a specific medical specialty dealing with birth command tablets? No, not a doctor and after that make an university specialization only to prescribe two or a few medication to healthier adult females! It would be considered a waste of time a lot of. Typically, birth control drugs are approved by your gynecologist, who can keep an eye on side consequences of this specialty, and supervision of exterior gynecological facet consequences might entail many healthcare specialties.
Together with the Administration of ?pill? contraceptive and other measures are needed to prevent being pregnant? Theoretically, birth control drugs are efficient if taken even the very first day of menstrual cycle, but their effectiveness is thought to be safe commences soon after 7 days of administration, throughout which a girl may be fertile. Within this time period are vital and other strategies of contraception.
Birth manage drugs shield from STDs? Not secure in opposition to transmission of sexual infections, but ? according to some views, can encourage, especially for HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea and Candida. These info are supported by all scientists, but to prevent any danger I imagine need to be considered for successful defense from these disorders. Only condoms ? and abstinence-Delayed gives you protection.
Soon after stopping birth command supplements may make quick kids? Some gals even routine right away just after stopping birth command pills and may perhaps be fertile, but normally to control the menstrual routine immediately after 6-12 months of discontinuing oral contraceptives. As a consequence of feasible dangers is advised that pregnancy following stopping birth manage to get preserved if designed soon after at least 3 regular cycles.
Birth command capsules influence upcoming fertility? A lot of girls have got a period of time of infertility soon after stopping birth regulate tablets, and this must be taken under consideration whenever you choose for hormonal contraceptives, especially due to the fact the onset of hormonal contraception is not nevertheless at an age when no pregnancy occurred. The typical period of time of infertility long lasting two to a few months soon after stopping birth control supplements, but contingent on the preparation used and also the human body, infertility may perhaps be prolonged up to 6-12 months, with or with out the presence of menstrual routine.
Birth management pills can cause birth defects Vitoria baby? Whilst this is not completely established, most health professionals propose that could observe immediately after being pregnant or birth normally requires position after no less than two or 3 ordinary cycles immediately after stopping birth regulate supplements. Can not assure that contraceptive use won?t impact the formation on the fetus. Warning: the primary cycle just after stopping birth regulate can manifest after one to twelve months!!.
Can I just take the tablet during breastfeeding? Hormones in birth manage capsules pass into breast milk, so their management is considered a hazard on the child is breastfeeding, in particular for anyone underneath 6 weeks, with immature liver and as a consequence unable to metabolize the hormones in birth control tablets. It should be noted the hormones in drugs may perhaps reduce milk manufacturing in the mom, often significantly, which can be why many physicians advocate working with other approaches of contraception in the first 3 months after birth during breastfeeding.
Birth command supplements may perhaps inspire a coronary heart and enhanced tendency for blood clots? Ordinary blood flow in the shape is beneath the impact of substances named clotting inhibitors, that are non-coagulated blood inside vessels (this is certainly coagulants on their own using the ship breaking). Pills are confirmed to reducing the activity of these inhibitors of coagulation, as a lot of scientific tests linking increased contraceptive use and chance of myocardial blood clotting lung, coronary heart, intestinal or stroke. That is why medical professionals recommend careful caution in overweight folks with varicose veins or thrombophlebitis in history, smoking, with hypertension or embolic stroke inside previous.
It?s claimed that birth control supplements guard towards cancer.
You can find a probability of cancer from birth? When utilizing contraceptives, there exists an clear probability for cancer: - Breast cancer risk grows according to the period of time of use, or treatment with anticonceptionaler beneath the age of twenty several years - Cervical cancer, the chance is higher when making use of antriconceptionalelor above 5 a long time starting treatment under the age of twenty years - Ovarian cancer and hepatic (liver) also are regarded as favored by long-term contraceptive use, as well as the physical appearance of liver adenomas (liver)
These dangers are highlighted by scientific tests Cancerr National Institute (Nationwide Cancer Institute) of USA, which suggests periodic monitoring by mammography and breast self-exam and test Papanicolu, just for the early detection of precancerous variations; The only constructive romantic relationship involving birth and stated the cancer is reduce danger of endometrial cancer (cancer).
If birth command capsules have lots of facet results, which are nonetheless used? Each and every drug has facet effects! You can find even water intoxication! These consequences are appropriate as long as they may be lessened in variety, thinking of the truth that medicines remedy a disorder, having said that. Facet outcomes of birth handle are many, nonetheless they are exceptional, since persons who rely on them are generally younger and nutritious. The situation is contraceptives are utilized to ask for patients without having deal with a disease and also the danger of aspect consequences and individual suppose that it is not obliged to consider these medications, and when not just take her issue is not going to worsen wellbeing.
Why not give birth management drugs with out a prescription in excess of the counter? These solutions are medications, with all their dangers, and with various facet effects. Thus, their recommendation is manufactured only by the medical professional, who must keep in mind all probable hazards into the man or woman who prescribe these drugs.
Can I get pregnant if using birth command pills correctly? Sure, there exists minimal probability of pregnancy even if the supplements are taken accurately. It is therefore proposed which the absence of two menstrual cycles to complete a pregnancy test. I do know quite a few people today who just take the capsule with no any aspect influence. Birth control supplements are medication, and that any drug facet from time to time incredibly critical risks, the accounting cure for the physique unnaturally. These outcomes tend not to occur in all adult females, but about 10-30% of them, determined by things related on the variety of contraceptives utilised, the woman?s human body, the genetic characteristics and habits (like cigarette smoking);
There are other further favorable effects from the Capsule? Besides defense from being pregnant Birth control drugs reduce the risk of uterine and ovarian cancer, can regulate the menstrual cycle and decrease bleeding routine.
What?s the usefulness with the tablet if I compensated? Vomiting occurred not less than two hrs following swallowing the tablet, followed by swallowing truly need to have a whole new tablet.
What exactly is risk and why you can get pregnant while taking birth control drugs? Birth regulate drugs pregnancy probability effectively is 1%, but this probability increases significantly for those who took per day tablet, for those who compensated, or in the event you have delayed a number of several hours in tablet creating. Also, some medications ? including some antibiotics, reduce tablet efficiency.
I know that I?m pregnant and I continued to just take the pill. A thing comes about to the baby? Although there may be no efficient information on low-dose contraceptives influence on product structure, we suggest stopping birth manage after you want to have a very being pregnant.
Any individual who needs is usually treated with supplements? Not every single female can control drugs to stop being pregnant.
Special Safeguards (question your health practitioner ahead of beginning medicine) need to be taken inside the subsequent scenarios: - Pregnancy feasible - Lactation - A lot less than six weeks just after birth - Unexplained vaginal bleeding - Liver illness, iron or nodules inside the liver inside the present or prior - Age over 35 ages - Cigarette smoking - Heart illness, stroke, blood clotting complications hypertension, diabetes mellitus within the present or prior - Breast cancer, or irregular growth in breast dimension within the existing or previous - Migraine or focal neurological signals (detected because of the neurologist) - Reluctant (doubts) moral / religious on contraception
Bodyweight gain is needed in Birth regulate pills? Bodyweight acquire though using Birth control capsules are the commonest facet effect of females accused, despite the fact that it is unclear connection with birth command capsules, and some adult females even reduce fat all through this period. Even though this is only supported by some scientific scientific tests, it is best to regulate your pounds repeatedly, and you will set up one particular truth about this concern.
Females who get pounds, diploma of pounds gain varies from individual to human being, currently being on normal 3kg in the 1st yr of use. Just after discontinuation of birth command capsules, body weight reduction is tough, but lots of women return to their preliminary pounds.
I forgot to take the capsule 1 day how to proceed? Take the forgotten tablet as quickly as possible to the next (so two supplements each day)
I forgot to get the pill two days within the first two weeks following the routine, what do I do? Get two pills every two days inside a row, get a being pregnant test a week-just in case.
?Hoax? Knowledge birth: - Women taking contraceptives have reduce danger of ectopic being pregnant ? is suitable, but it surely can be quite exceptional ectopic being pregnant. - Birth regulate drugs reduce the potential risk of noncancerous cysts or lumps from the breast ? is correct, but will increase the potential risk of breast cancer - Birth regulate tablets lower the chance of illness pelnive if condom use and also to just take no viral diseases ? even the very simple usage of condoms protect against transmission of sexual health conditions. - Use birth command supplements can often decrease the incidence of menstrual discomfort and enhancement in some cases of premenstrual syndrome ? the result is very unusual, and anyway cannot take birth command drugs have quite a few side effects, since to have-maybe less discomfort; ache relievers for not taking birth management drugs. - The usage of contraceptives minimize menstrual time period ? is doable, but if nature has set up a large number of decades a certain period of menstruation, in all probability contains an explanation and this reason will be the change uterine lining every month is ordinary, physiological, and fiziologicului any problem is usually adopted by severe outcomes.
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I am physician in obstetrics and ginecologie , physician in medical sciences with health care competence in colposcopy and experience gathered above 25 years
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Mark Hoffman
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I am physician in obstetrics and ginecologie , physician in medical sciences with health care competence in colposcopy and experience gathered above 25 years
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GRCC?s Race and Ethnicity Conference Presentation ?Reflecting the Community and Student Body: GRCC?s Efforts to Diversify Staff? Video Rating: 1 / 5
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MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican presidential front-runner Enrique Pena Nieto goes into Sunday's election with a wide lead over his rivals, opinion polls showed on Wednesday, putting him on track to return to power the party that ruled for much of the last century.
The final voter survey of the campaign by newspaper El Universal showed Pena Nieto, of the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, rising 4.2 percentage points to 41.2 percent from a poll published on June 18.
That gave him a 17.4-point lead over leftist and 2006 runner-up Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who rose 0.3 percentage points to 23.8 percent, the survey showed.
Josefina Vazquez Mota, candidate of the ruling National Action Party (PAN), trailed in third place with 20.6 percent, a drop of a 0.8 percentage point from the previous survey.
Two other polls published on Wednesday, legally the final day of campaigning, gave the PRI candidate a lead of between 10 and 16 points over Lopez Obrador, a former mayor of Mexico City.
Mexican financial markets already have factored in a Pena Nieto win, so a close finish that puts his mandate and economic reforms at risk could spook investors and hit asset prices.
Pena Nieto's PRI ruled Mexico between 1929 and 2000, when it was ousted by the PAN in a presidential election.
The PAN's victory was hailed as a triumph of democracy, but its record on the economy and its failure to contain violent crime opened the door to a return by the PRI.
President Felipe Calderon has struggled to improve weak growth, unable to push through many of his planned reforms because of opposition from the PRI and other parties in Congress, where the PAN has never had a majority.
Meanwhile rampant violence between drug cartels and their clashes with the state has claimed more than 55,000 lives since 2007, further eroding confidence in the government.
Calderon sent in the armed forces to bring the gangs to heel soon after taking office in December 2006, but despite capturing or killing many top bosses, the bloodshed has escalated.
BREAK FROM PRI'S PAST
The PRI laid the foundations for modern Mexico, though the latter part of its long rule in particular was tainted by corruption, vote-rigging and heavy-handed repression of dissent.
Pena Nieto has sought to distance himself from the PRI's criticized past legacy, saying the party has changed.
"There is a new PRI," Pena Nieto said in an interview with newspaper El Universal's Wednesday edition. "It's the others who have not changed. They are living in the past.
"But the PRI never left. It has lost and won, competed democratically and understood change," he said.
Pena Nieto has pledged a tax overhaul and to open up state oil monopoly Pemex to more private investment, breaking with the traditions of the PRI, which nationalized Mexico's oil industry in 1938.
The bold steps he has promised to boost outside involvement in oil exploration, refining and production are central to his bid to revamp the PRI's image and plans to boost the economy.
But even if he wins the election and his party secures a majority in Congress, Pena Nieto faces a challenge to shake up Pemex, which is struggling with a heavy tax burden, bloated workforce and oil fields in decline.
CONGRESSIONAL MAJORITY
Another poll published for the Excelsior newspaper put Pena Nieto's support at 44 percent, a 16-point lead over Lopez Obrador. That poll had Vazquez Mota, who is bidding to become Mexico's first woman president, in third place with 25 percent.
A third poll by the Reforma newspaper showed Pena Nieto maintaining a sizeable lead with 41 percent support, 10 percentage points ahead of Lopez Obrador on 31 percent.
The three polls were conducted between June 21 and 25 using samples of 1,200 to 2,000 eligible voters. The margin of error for the polls was 2.9 percentage points or lower.
Recent polls suggest the PRI could win a working majority in both the Senate and lower house of Congress.
That would help strengthen its mandate to push through fiscal and energy reforms that stalled under Calderon.
Lopez Obrador lost the 2006 election to Calderon in a tight finish and contested the results, staging months of protests and unnerving investors in Latin America's second-largest economy.
He has stirred up fears of a repeat of the chaos, accusing the PRI of trying to rig the vote, although any protests may be short-lived if Pena Nieto wins by a wide margin.
A close result would raise the risk of demonstrations, particularly as Lopez Obrador has the support of a newly emerged student movement that shook up the campaign with huge rallies.
"Lopez Obrador is showing a very different face, but he seems very like (Venezuela's) Hugo Chavez or (Bolivia's) Evo Morales or those kind of leaders," said Mario Genaro, 42, as he waited for Pena Nieto to speak at a closing campaign rally in the town of Toluca outside Mexico City.
"I hope we Mexicans have the vision to see he is not a person that is right for us," said Genaro, who lived for 10 years in Laredo, Texas, working for Ford but returned in 2010 after the U.S. recession to open his own business.
(With reporting by Mica Rosenberg in Toluca and Miguel Angel Gutierrez in Mexico City; Editing by Simon Gardner and Anthony Boadle)
SO, England sent home packing by the Italians in the penalty shoot-outs yet again. England did exceed most people?s expectations, and did so.....
SO, England sent home packing by the Italians in the penalty shoot-outs yet again. England did exceed most people?s expectations, and did so in an unconventional way to what most people are used to seeing.?
They topped their group amazingly and went to the quarter finals in which they drew 0-0 even after extra time. They did all this with being the second best team in each of their games, as they were dominated in most of their games. it was expected France would dominate England which they did, but England were expected to easily get past Sweden and Ukraine ?but even against them they didn?t fancy themselves too much in possession. after that, people were talking about a potential semi-final as Italy were their quarter final opponents, and people thought England should see through this game but they were not to be.
With them exiting the tournament, I?m going to rate the players that featured in the games for England throughout the tournament. This is just my opinion, so feel free to comment or criticise on the ratings of the players and comment on how you would rate them.
Joe Hart:He was peppered with one of the most amounts of shots throughout the tournament for any team but conceded only 3 goals, which is only of the least amount of goals conceded by a team. He made a lot of important saves and was very mature for his age and will have a gained a lot from this experience and he will be in the team for years to come. Rating = 8
Glen Johnson:Definitely one the better performers for England, as he showed a lot more of his defensive abilities rather than his attacking ones. But when he did go forward he was definitely more effect than Milner.He made quite a few important challenges and blocks.Rating = 8
John Terry:Was caught a few times for lack pace, but was good overall as part of a solid back four. His highlight will the controversial goal line clearance that he hacked away after crossing the line, but he was solid in make challenges and blocks.?Rating = 8
Joleon Lescott:With the injury to Gary Cahill, he became first choice partner for Terry. He didn?t disappoint, with solid defending overall and highlighted with a goal against France.Rating = 8
Ashley Cole:Missed a penalty in the shootouts. He was caught a couple times but overall a decent performance in the tournament.?Rating = 7.5
James Milner:Started all the games, was a workhorse in the tournament, running up and down the flank. Was relatively poor in attacking, as his crosses were not effective and he missed a glorious chance against France that could have won them the game.?Rating = 5.5
Ashley Young:Again, like Milner started all the games and wasn?t effective enough. Was largely disappointing throughout the tournament, which was compounded with a miss in the shootouts.Rating = 6
Scott Parker:Formed a good understanding with Gerrard in the centre of the pitch. He showed a lot of grit and determination, in constantly making last ditch blocks and challenges, and even producing some forward runs.?Rating = 7.5
Steven Gerrard:Given the captain?s armband, he has managed to unite the whole team together for the first time in a long time. He was surely England?s player of the tournament and as he was well disciplined and consistent in all of the games. Capped off with three assists for the tournament, overall a good tournament for him. Gave a glimpse to the world of why he is called Captain Fantastic in Liverpool. ?Rating = 8.5
Alex Oxalade-Chamberlian: A surprise inclusion, the wild card of the squad. He was put into the starting line-up in the opener against france and he showed flashes of brilliance. He will have benefitted from this tournament and will be a good asset come the world cup.Rating = 6.5
Theo Walcott: Was used as a sub in the games, he made an instant impact when he came on against Sweden and produced his best performance in England shirt to date by scoring the equaliser and assisting in the winner. In the other games, he didn?t really have enough time to make a big impact.?Rating = 7
Jordan Henderson: Called in after injuries to Lampard and Barry. He got a lot criticism from the majority of English media and fans. But he got on with his job and came on a couple of times as sub for Parker. Was relatively quiet but this tournament should give him more confidence in his game and he would have learnt a lot. Hopefully improves a lot next season and he does have good future ahead of him.?Rating = 6
Andy Carroll:Was nowhere near this squad a little over two months ago but with a good showing at the end of the PL season, he was called up. And he didn?t disappoint as in his first start of the tournament produced a good header to score the opener against Sweden. He was showing some good first touch, link up play and was threat to the opposition defence. He has a good future ahead if he keeps up his hard work.?Rating = 7
Danny Welbeck: Looked good at leading the line in the group stages, and produced a ?very good back heel to score the winner against Sweden. Could be a good future for him in the England shirt.Rating = 6.5
Wayne Rooney:Suspended for the first two games, came back and scored the winning goal against Ukraine that sent them through to the quarters. But that was only a tap in, and other than that he was severely lacking match sharpness. Didn?t make an impact in the quarters.Rating = 5.5
Roy Hodgson:Wasn?t the media favourite for the job, but came out of the tournament respectably. He has helped the team grow close together and has instilled an organised defence but he must work on the attacking side of the team?s game and be more aggressive. Rating = 7
Others:Forgot to mention Defoe but only featured once of the bench, so didn?t really make too much of an impact (Rating = 5). ?Defoe along with the others who weren?t used such as; Downing, Green, Baines and Jagielka, may not get another chance in the set-up as they time is coming to an end in the international stage.
But the young guns who didn?t feature such as; Jones, Kelly and Butland, will surely have learnt a lot from this experience and will be contesting for spots in world cup qualifiers and for the world cup.?
Lastly in my opinion, the England player of the tournament will probably have to go to captain Steven Gerrard, for his overall performance on and off the pitch, he was an inspiration and a great role model to others, especially the younger guys in the squad.
Some of?Apple's new MacBook Pros with the?Retina display may be seeing?ghosting images?appearing on the screen.
The issue has been noticed and commented on by those on Apple's community forums, on?YouTube?(see below),?as well as by long-time Mac pros. Among them is Lloyd Chambers, whose Mac Performance Guide website for pro photographers and "performance addicts," showed a photo of the ghosting problem.
"A latent image 'burns in'?to the deskop when a window is left on screen," wrote Chambers on his website. "This has now happened repeatedly.
"The problem occurs in as little as 20 minutes; close the window and the desktop is left with a latent image; a ghost image of whatever text or graphic was in the window left on screen."
Msnbc.com has contacted Apple for comment; we will update this post if we hear back. Individual users, sharing their stories on the company's support site, have said that when they've notified Apple, or taken their laptops into Apple stores, new laptops have been ordered for them as replacements. The reason for the problem has not yet been explained.
But the issue is frustrating, especially as the new laptop's starting price is $2,199. The Retina display, which has an?unprecedented 2880-by-1800 pixels, has received generally rave reviews.
Different users are seeing the problem in different areas of the display. "Aut0maticdan" wrote on Apple's support site:
Hey, those of you having this issue, I'd love to know what part of the screen your burn-in occurs.
I was messing with it last night and the mark goes from the bottom to about an inch above the bottom of the screen.? Its about two inches wide above the F8, F9, F10 keys. ...?I didn't notice it until I changed my desktop background to be a solid color, but its also noticeable in apps like Aperture.
Below is the YouTube video, posted by?Wilson Chan, of what he saw.
Check out Technolog, Gadgetbox, Digital Life and In-Game on?Facebook,?and on Twitter, follow Suzanne Choney.
The basic function of Digital Marketing Company is to make it easy to establish web presence of the client by providing a complete service from initial concepts, discussion and designs through to securing domain name, developing tailored solutions and delivering comprehensive help and support throughout. Also to bring modern, accessible web design, successful ecommerce web design and Marketing traffic building using the latest technologies for maximum impact and performance of the website of the client.
Digital marketing works best when it?s integrated with other brand marketing activities.? Unfortunately most companies have separate marketing departments and it can be a challenge to integrate them with other brand activities.? For example if a brand is planning a special BOGO (buy one get one) promotion the marketing people need to be involved so they can determine the best way to spread the word online.
The marketing budget should reside with the digital marketing team.? This includes SEO, online advertising, website upgrades and maintenance and new features.? I know a lot of brands have one agency handling all their media but how can you be sure the media is optimized for digital.? I have seen some really lousy online ads developed by media agencies that were executing all a brands advertising.
What I have seen, and it happens way too often, is that marketing is usually a separate group of people who are expected to execute rather than strategize the best way to use marketing to meet brand and business objectives.? This is a huge liability for any brand.
Digital marketing people should always be involved in branding/product plans at the earliest stages.? They need to know as much about the brand/product as possible including the why, where, when and how.? This will give them time to develop a strategy.
Digital marketing people should know as much about your target audience as your market research people.? We especially want to know the psychographics and micro segmentation so we can better create marketing that is effective.
It is Important to remember Never, ever, to let brand people, who aren?t fully committed to digital marketing company, to dictate marketing tactics.? Most times they just don?t have the in depth knowledge to create a great digital marketing experience for consumers.? I still remember one brand person telling me ?we?re not content providers?.? That, to me, shows they don?t get it.
Hold you digital marketing people accountable.? If you?re going to create a new digital tool or program ask them how you are going to measure success.? By the way one usability study should not be used to make a decision on new tools or features of your website.
As more and more people are getting aware of the importance of securing their houses by using the various home security products different companies are launching new home security products everyday. It?s a new market, yet the number of options available in each category of home security products can be overwhelming for the starters. Well, here is some good news, this article was written just for you and it summarizes some of the best home security products which you could use to make your house a safer place and reduce chance of burglaries and break-ins.
The best, and sometimes most effective home security products in preventing burglary, is just a signboard saying that your house is protected by this and that securitization system. Such a strategy is not effective in catching the criminal but researchers found it to be very effecting in preventing a crime in the first place. Most of the home security products generally come with such a signboard but they are mostly small or may not be visible in the background of your house, so you might consider buying one specially customized for your house. A similar product is the dummy camera for those on a tight budget. Installing a dummy camera on a very visible location outside your house might discourage the burglars right away as they might not want to risk entering your camera protected property.
Preventive measures are good for ?preventing? but sometimes the preventive home security products aren?t just good enough so you?ll need some actual home security products to completely safe guard your house. Alarms and cameras are the most commonly used home security product today, the two can be used separately or together for enhanced safety. Alarms generally go off when someone tries to force entry through windows or doors, make sound and try to attract your neighbor?s attention, while some can be linked with an alarm monitoring system which can notify the authorities after a routine check for accidental alarm.
For those who can afford high end products and need additional safety there are home security products like talking devices, master control panel, sensors, motion detectors, key pads, back up power supply for the home security products and so on.
Joe Manganiello, best known for his role as a werewolf in the HBO series "True Blood," appears in the upcoming movie "Magic Mike," playing a stripper named Big Dick Ritchie.?
He gave a sneak peek of a few quick stripper moves as he entered the studio, and Kathie Lee and Hoda were left wanting. ?That?s it?? KLG asked. ?There has to be more,? Hoda said.?
?We had our cash ready and everything,? said Kathie Lee, counting out her dollar bills. ?Show us, big boy.??
Ever the good sport, Manganiello took the ladies through a brief demo. He first showed off a top-to-bottom body roll and then a bottom-to-top body roll. ?Stripping is very basic,? he said. ?There are only a few moves.???
TODAY
He said one of the best parts of making the movie was that ?you?re basically having about 200 female extras scream, claw, grab, body cavity search.? For women, going to a strip club is just about trying to make a girl blush in front of her friends, he said, adding that he was happy to take that on as a mission, and that at the end of the day, it?s all about fun. ?You can?t really take yourself too seriously with your American flag thong and your sparkler.??
Would you go to a ladies strip club?
TODAY.com contributor Jillian Eugenios thinks there has to be more to stripping than just two moves. She would like to see Joe go through a few more examples.
More:
'Magic Mike' is a beefcake bonanza with heart What do you want more: Sex, or new sandals? Ask a sexologist: Why do we love 'Fifty Shades'? Do you get al fresco frisky in the summer?
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man on computer with woman in backgroundHere?s a stat to dislike: Nearly one-third of divorce filings in 2011 mentioned the word Facebook, according to a survey from Divorce-Online, a British legal service. ?You can?t blame Facebook for divorce, but it will exploit cracks that are already there,? says Charles J. Orlando, relationship expert and author of The Problem with Women? is Men. So does using Facebook doom your marriage? Hardly. Even Facebook founder Mark Zuckerburg?s status recently went from single to married. Before your marital status takes a turn toward ?It?s complicated,? try these expert strategies to protect your relationship. Photo credit: Thinkstock
1. Go beyond just being friends with your spouse.
Befriending your spouse and sharing your relationship status on Facebook are no-brainers, but go one step further, suggests Julie Spira, author of The Rules of Netiquette: How to Mind Your Manners on the Web . ?Both you and your spouse should be digitally proud of your marriage. So post your anniversary dinner photo together or a picture from a recent vacation,? she says. Orlando agrees, adding that not mentioning your husband is the online equivalent of not wearing your wedding band.
2. Consider sharing passwords.
Elizabeth Hanes of Albuquerque, NM, says she and her husband, Lee, know each other?s logins to everything, but not so they can snoop on each other. ?It shows that neither of us have anything to hide,? she says. It?s also practical. ?Once, a friend posted something inappropriate to Lee?s wall, but he couldn?t access Facebook from work so he asked me to delete the post for him,? she says.
That?s not to say that exchanging passwords is a must. ?Everyone needs personal space, both online and offline,? says Spira. ?While you might share a toothbrush, a little privacy and mystery is good for a marriage.? So even if you know each other?s logins, you should feel like you never have to use it.
3. Don?t be friends with exes.
People rarely have pure intentions when they seek out exes, says Orlando. His simple advice: ?Defriend, disassociate, disengage.? That?s because the protection of the Internet allows for more forward conversation, points out Karen Sherman, PhD, relationship specialist and author of Marriage Magic! Find It, Keep It and Make It Last. ?
Seeing what an old friend is up to, though, is part of the fun of Facebook, she adds. But-and here?s the important part-only if your partner is okay with it. If you know your spouse would be upset to see an old flame on your friends list, ignoring or rejecting a friend request is the right move. On the flipside, if you?re uncomfortable that your husband is friends with an ex, bring up the subject. ?Let him explain why they?re friends,? recommends Spira. ?Chances are, it?s not a big deal to him to add her to his many friends from the past.?
4. Avoid airing your dirty laundry.
Too many couples overshare their spats on Facebook, says Spira, ?and your friends don?t want to see the drama in your marriage.? Remember, posting about how your hubby annoyed you is like putting it on a neighborhood billboard. Even when your intentions are innocent, posting about your partner can hurt feelings, as *Barbara of St. Paul, MN, found out. Her husband dropped off their son late to a birthday party. The birthday boy?s mom made a passive aggressive remark on Facebook about people not arriving on time, and Barbara apologized for her husband who slipped up on ?daddy duty.? ?*Steve didn?t like that he was made to look irresponsible when he was late because the place was hard to find,? she explains. ?Now I only post positive stuff about my husband,? she says.
5. Set rules together.
Your page may be your own, but you have to respect your mate, says Dr. Sherman. ?Be aware of one another?s sensitivities,? she advises. For instance, maybe you?re not thrilled that your husband is posting vacation photos of you in your bikini. Or he doesn?t like when you tag him in posts that share a strong political view. Discuss posting no-nos to avoid future conflicts. 6. Support each other online, but don?t let it replace how you communicate.
If you and your spouse gush about each other online, but then barely have a conversation when you?re in the same room, make an effort to connect IRL (in real life, that is!). ?People show their love in different ways. Some men talk, some men write. But never let anything substitute a real connection in your relationship,? says Orlando.
On a related note, it?s easy to get swept up in your logged-on life that you prioritize it over your marriage, says Orlando. ?It?s a common relationship infraction, but you have to learn balance so you don?t end up losing connection with the people you care about most,? he says. He suggests designating tech-free times in your home, whether it?s during dinner, after 8 p.m. or every Sunday.
7. Don?t post anything that can be misinterpreted.
?You can?t hear the sound of someone?s voice when reading a Facebook post,? reminds Spira. For this reason, err on the side of caution with your posts, especially when communicating with members of the opposite sex. A harmless remark can sound anything but. For instance, refrain from posting that a male coworker was ?great last night.? You?d know you?re talking about his client dinner presentation, but that?s not how everyone else will take it.
Even when you tread carefully, a spouse?s reaction to a Facebook exchange might surprise you. *Rachel from Central PA shared an innocent exchange she?d had with a colleague. ?My husband was infuriated-and he?s not even the jealous type! He decided that the guy was pursuing me,? she says. Rachel realized from that incident that no one but the sender truly understands messages? context and that words easily can be misconstrued.
8. Ask and answer questions about Facebook friends.
If you notice your husband in the arms of another woman in a photo, it?s natural to draw a conclusion, admits Spira. But giving the benefit of the doubt is important in a trusting relationship. ?It could be a buddy?s sister who jumped in the photo, not the woman who wants to jump into bed with your husband,? she says. Always talk to your spouse in person about anything online that bugs you.
Try something like: ?I noticed a post from Jennifer on your wall, but I don?t remember you mentioning her. Can you tell me a little about her?? Be direct, and you won?t come across like you?re firing off accusations.
Gameloft seems to be cashing in on movie tie-up games for the mobile platform faster than the console counterpart.
Gameloft has announced an iOS and Android game based on the upcoming superhero movie, the Amazing Spider-Man. The company has released a trailer of the game that showcases the basic premise of the Spider-Man universe, ?With great power comes great responsibility.?
The trailer summarizes the story of Spider-Man ? average nerdy kid in school gets bitten by a genetically modified (or radioactive) spider, gains super hero powers, uses them for his own good till his uncle Ben is taken from him and then decides to devote his life to crime fighting and saving the world.
The trailer shows a nice shell shaded comic book style narration and we hope this translates into the narrative of the game as well. The trailer also shows off some gameplay where we can see spidey swinging through the city and taking down bad guys. How the story of the game ties into the movie is yet to be seen.
The iOS and Android game will be available on June 28 2012 a day before the movie hits theaters in India. There is no information available about the price of the game.
Gameloft has taken to making mobile games based on movies quite a bit. In the recent past, we have seen a game based on MIB3, a game based on the Dark Knight Rises and Ice Age.
There is also a console Amazing Spider-Man game in the works and will be available for the Xbox 360 and the PS3 when the movie releases.
LONDON (Reuters) - With the crisis in the shipping market now in its fourth year, bankers are putting to sea and seizing ships to protect the value of their loans to struggling shipowners.
Lenders to the shipping trade, themselves lashed by the euro zone crisis, are recruiting management companies to take over and operate defaulting owners' ships rather than sell them at a heavy loss or take a writedown on their loan books.
Earlier this month, Credit Suisse and a group of Chinese banks seized seven tankers from Singapore's Dongfang Shipbuilding to pay outstanding debts of around $250 million after the Singapore Supreme Court ruled in favor of the creditors.
"The banks have so many problem loans today - at a time of extreme political, social and regulatory pressure - that they don't know which way to turn," said Nigel Prentis, head of research, consulting and advisory with HSBC Shipping Services Ltd.
UK-headquartered Bibby Ship Management is among companies aiming to capitalize on the slump by offering to run vessels for a fee, including chartering out a ship on behalf of a bank. The group said it was in talks with a number of European banks.
"What we do is come in and provide technical management of the vessel and provide a full crew to run the vessel and get it to a standard where it is fit for resale by the bank or whatever they want to do," said Bibby's business development manager Brian Williams.
Bibby has teamed up with asset recovery specialist Marine Risk Management (MRM), whose staff includes former special forces personnel, which can arrest a vessel from its owner on behalf of a bank and sail it to another jurisdiction with a letter of authority from an admiralty court.
"The biggest difference to the 1980s, which was the last major crisis, is the value of the assets could be up to 10 times higher (than then), which is why banks have been reluctant up to now to force anything in the hope that the market was going to recover. Clearly that's not going to happen, and banks are looking at taking other action now," MRM's chief executive John Dalby said.
"We are providing them with an option to technically and commercially manage a vessel and then sell it as a going concern subsequently. The alternative is writing off massive loans, which is not something anyone wants to do in this climate."
OVERCAPACITY
Surplus capacity due to brisk ordering during the boom years has pushed the nominal resale value of a supertanker, used to transport crude oil, has fallen to around the $90 million level from $162 million in 2008.
The value of a capesize ship, one of the largest carriers of dry bulk commodities such as iron and coal, has also slumped to $44 million from just under $100 million in 2008.
"Many banks are thought to have contingency plans to take over ships and run them through the cycle rather than further undermine values with an auction process," said HSBC's Prentis said.
"The correction in values has been enough to wipe out equity in many cases, meaning that many ships will be worth less than the outstanding loan: negative equity. Hence, this is a problem for many European banks. Faced with big writedowns, on top of haircuts on peripheral euro zone bonds, they have generally chosen forbearance."
European lenders in particular are under growing pressure to cut their exposure to risky and dollar-denominated assets such as ship and trade finance to meet tougher capital rules and shore up reserves.
Global syndicated lending to the shipping sector slumped to $245 million in the second quarter of this year, down from over $1.6 billion in the first quarter and over $3.9 billion in the second quarter of 2011, Thomson Reuters LPC data showed.
"There is still pain on the horizon because of the deliveries and because of the slowing economy," said Harris Antoniou, managing director, energy, commodities & transportation with ABN AMRO Bank.
German ship operator Oldendorff Carriers is another group in talks with banks over providing them with options.
"These days we are offering banks to 'park' the ships with us ... where we effectively take care of the technical and commercial management," said its chairman Henning Oldendorff.
"It is very straightforward and transparent. If the banks want to sell the ship, we can terminate the charter."
A number of European banks, including France's two biggest listed banks Societe Generale and BNP Paribas , are looking to wind down their shipping books.
Industry officials say short-term asset plays such as hiring managers buys more time for banks.
"Banks are not ship owners, and therefore do not want to own lots of ships," said Keith McRae with DVB Bank's restructuring and asset management unit. "You may have to warehouse a ship for a period of time, but that's not a business plan for a bank - it's an expedient measure."
One of Germany's biggest lenders Commerzbank has already acted, mandating shipping firms to run vessels for the bank.
"We have seen a few ships which have been transferred to special purpose vehicles with the purpose of getting them into service again so that they can earn money and pay down loans," a spokeswoman with its shipping arm Deutsche Schiffsbank said.
"Naturally, we would like to see external shipping companies in such a company as they have the best knowledge of how to run these ships."
SHIP ARRESTS TO RISE
While banks have aimed to avoid ship seizures, the worsening conditions and growing frustration will lead to more vessel arrests, industry sources say.
An arrest occurs when a ship is detained by a court order to secure a maritime claim. The arrest may ultimately result in a judicial sale of the ship to pay the claim.
"Arresting vessels is an action of last resort for banks," said Basil Karatzas, chief executive of Karatzas Marine Advisors & Co, which is active on the bank advisory side.
In another sign of worsening conditions, Newlead Holdings Ltd said in May four vessels in its fleet were seized by lenders to pay for debt as part of restructuring efforts by the struggling Greek shipping group.
"Banks are starting to realize that it's going to get worse and they must change their game plan," MRM's Dalby said.
'All hands on deck' is the lenders' new rallying cry.
(Additional reporting by Arno Schuetze in Frankfurt; Editing by Will Waterman)
Singer Jennifer Hudson has inked a deal to guest star on the new musical series Smash.? Get the details surrounding Hudson’s role below. American Idol alumni Jennifer Hudson is set to appear in a multi-guest arc on NBC’s Broadway series ‘Smash’ that stars actors Debra Messing and Jack Davenport.? The news was revealed that Hudson will show up in the series’ upcoming second season as the character?Veronica Moore, who is described as a Tony Award-winning star of Broadway that will change? the lives of both series regulars Karen, who is played by former Idol star Katharine McPhee, and Megan Hilty’s Ivy. Both Steven Spielberg, who serves as an executive producer of the show, and NBC’s Chairman, Robert Greenblatt, were excited about Hudson joining the cast for a guest appearance. ?First ?Dreamgirls,? now ?Smash.? I have no doubt Jennifer will continue to deliver even more inspiration to the audience responsible for giving us a second season on NBC,? Spielberg stated. Robert Greenblatt was also enthusiastic. ?This series is a showcase for some of the best musical talent in the business and that?s a fitting description for Jennifer Hudson.”? Adding, ?Her character will represent someone who reached their Broadway dream but also [...]
Marc Leishman, of Australia, watches his putt on the ninth hole during the final round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament in Cromwell, Conn., on Sunday, June 24, 2012. Leishman shot a final round 62 to win the tournament at 14-under par. (AP Photo/Fred Beckham)
Marc Leishman, of Australia, watches his putt on the ninth hole during the final round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament in Cromwell, Conn., on Sunday, June 24, 2012. Leishman shot a final round 62 to win the tournament at 14-under par. (AP Photo/Fred Beckham)
Marc Leishman, of Australia, celebrates with the trophy after winning the Travelers Championship golf tournament in Cromwell, Conn., Sunday, June 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Fred Beckham)
Marc Leishman, of Australia, watches his drive on the 10th hole during the final round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament in Cromwell, Conn., on Sunday, June 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Fred Beckham)
Marc Leishman, of Australia, hits an approach shot on the ninth hole during the final round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament in Cromwell, Conn., on Sunday, June 24, 2012. Leishman shot a final round 62 to win the tournament at 14-under par. (AP Photo/Fred Beckham)
Marc Leishman, of Australia, celebrates with the trophy after winning the Travelers Championship golf tournament in Cromwell, Conn., Sunday, June 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Fred Beckham)
CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) ? Marc Leishman shot an 8-under 62 on Sunday in the Travelers Championship, then went back to the clubhouse to eat, watch some soccer and wait to see where he would finish.
More than two hours later, after Charley Hoffman blew a two-stroke lead on the final two holes, Leishman was hoisting his first championship trophy on the PGA Tour.
"I think Charley was on the 15th when I turned the golf on," Leishman said. "I watched that, then just went over and hit some balls and putted for a bit and it turned out well."
The 28-year-old Australian began the day six strokes behind the leaders, but made eight birdies in a bogey-free round. He finished at 14-under 266.
"I didn't think it was going to be enough," he said. "Golf is a funny game, a really funny game."
Hoffman was 16 under heading to the 17th hole, but pushed his tee shot right and into the water. He made a double bogey, and bogeyed the 18th after failing to get up and down from a greenside bunker.
"When it's said and done, obviously a bad finish and a bad taste in my mouth, but you learn from it," he said. "Any time you put yourself in contention, you learn from that."
Hoffman closed with a 66 to tie for second with Masters champion Bubba Watson, who shot a 65.
Leishman became the fifth player in seven years to break through with their first tour win at River Highlands, joining Fredrik Jacobson last year, Watson in 2010, Hunter Mahan in 2007 and J.J. Henry in 2006.
Leishman's 62 was the lowest score in a final round by a champion on tour this season.
"You'd almost rather make a few birdies coming in to win, rather than have someone hand it to you," he said. "But having said that, I'm not going to give this back or anything."
Hoffman seemed to be in command standing on the 17th tee, and still had a chance to win on 18. He put his tee shot onto a hill to the right and he put his second shot into the bunker. He ran that shot long and missed a 17-foot par putt.
Watson made a run at the lead on the front nine, with four birdies. But he had to scramble on the back nine, saving par on the 15th after putting his tee shot in the water. He also made par on 17 after hitting his second shot over the water and onto the green from the rough.
"Just didn't finish it off on the back," he said. "I made my run and just didn't kind of really have anything after that."
"I was just trying to give myself as many chances as I could," he said. "It was nice to have a couple of tap-in birdies."
Leishman's win gave him just his second top-10 finish this season. He didn't play in Memphis or at the U.S. Open and said he came back after two weeks off refreshed.
"I practiced I think two times in the three weeks," he said. "It's been close for a while actually. I just get a little bit streaky with the putter, and I haven't been lately."
Roland Thatcher, who was tied for the lead after three rounds, began his day with three bogeys on the first six holes. He seemed like an afterthought, until Hoffman's collapse. But he made an eagle on the par-5 13th after hitting his second shot within 15 feet of the pin.
He came up 18 with a chance to force a playoff, but put his second shot into a greenside bunker and bogeyed the hole.
"You never want to take the lead going into Sunday and then need two birdies on the last two holes to catch up," he said.
He and fellow co-leader Brian Davis both shot 70, putting them in a group at 12 under with Tim Clark and John Rollins.
Clark, who won the 2010 Players Championship, had elbow surgery last August and had missed the cut in five of the previous nine tournaments he played this season.
The course record at River Highlands is 60, set last year by Patrick Cantlay as an amateur. The 20-year-old missed the cut this year in his first professional tournament.
Rory Sabbatini finished six shots behind the leader, but took home a gold Rolex after making his first hole-in-one on tour. His shot on the 161-foot 16th hole hit and spun left into the hole.
"It felt really good coming off the club," he said. "It was just a question of having the right yardage. I kind of joked in the middle of the ball flight, and I said, 'Be the right one and go in the hole.'"
Hunter Mahan shot a career-low 61 and tied for 11th after he came within a stroke of missing the 54-hole cut.
Mahan, in the first pair of the day, joked that he was just trying to play fast and not hold up the field. He opened with five pars before making nine birdies on the final 13 holes.
He missed a 7-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole. His 20-foot birdie putt from the edge of the green on 18 put him at 10-under 270 for the tournament.
"Your adrenaline is pumping more than you are nervous, because nothing really bad can happen," he said. "I was just trying to hit it close and make a putt."
Mahan, whose first tour win came here in 2007, needed a 6-foot birdie on 18 Saturday to make the 54-hole cut.
"At that point, you're kind of like, God, do I want to even make this?" he said. "I'm glad I did."
Google has just announced over 10 million users that have signed into Google Drive, Google's new cloud-syncing storage platform. The product only launched in April of this year, so this is quite the milestone. Clay Bevor, director of product management for Google Apps made the announcement, also mentioning that Google Drive is now available on iOS and Chrome OS. He demoed Drive on the iPad, searching through a file full of receipts in the search box. It used optical character recognition to find the search query inside an image. But going even a step further than that, he searched for pyramid and Drive offered up saved images of the Egyptian pyramids. Offline saving and collaboration have been added to the platform, and all of that is available later today on the iPad.
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