10 Search Tricks for Smarter Googling

July 31, 2013 3:00 PM Text Size: A . A . A SEARCH tools site:popularmechanics.com

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SEARCH 1900..2000 presidents

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SEARCH fuzzy

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finds PowerPoint files that include airplanes

SEARCH recipes -bananas

finds recipes that don't include the word bananas

SEARCH recursion

finds one of Google's many Easter eggs

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/how-to/tips/10-search-tricks-for-smarter-googling-15754238?src=rss

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3 Utah sisters have 3 baby boys in July

This video frame grab, Mack Turner, left, Boston Stokes, and Stryker Hoffman are shown Tuesday, July 30, 2013 in Layton, Utah. Three sisters from Layton gave birth to three baby boys in the month of July, including two who were born about an hour apart. The cousins were all born in July. Mack and Stryker were born 65 minutes apart on July 27. Boston was born July 3. (AP Photo/Eric Betts, KSL-TV via Deseret News)

This video frame grab, Mack Turner, left, Boston Stokes, and Stryker Hoffman are shown Tuesday, July 30, 2013 in Layton, Utah. Three sisters from Layton gave birth to three baby boys in the month of July, including two who were born about an hour apart. The cousins were all born in July. Mack and Stryker were born 65 minutes apart on July 27. Boston was born July 3. (AP Photo/Eric Betts, KSL-TV via Deseret News)

LAYTON, Utah (AP) ? July is full-fledged baby season for one Utah family.

Three sisters from Layton gave birth to three baby boys in the month of July, including two who were born about an hour apart, The Deseret News reports (http://bit.ly/1co677m ).

Even in baby-centric Utah, that's pretty remarkable.

The trio says they didn't plan on getting pregnant at the same time. Misti Stokes, 24, said she found out first. Her younger sister, Courtnee Hoffman, 21, later asked her if she had a pregnancy test to spare. It was positive.

The sisters told their older sister, Kristal Turner, 25, then asked if she was sad she wasn't expecting, but she said no ? because she was also pregnant.

Stokes gave birth to her baby, Boston, on July 3. Hoffman had her son, Stryker, early Saturday, and Turner's baby, Mack, was born 65 minutes later in the same hospital.

At one point before the birth, Turner passed her mother in the hallways of the Circle of Life Women's Center, part of the Ogden Regional Medical Center. She was on her way to see Hoffman.

"She's like, 'What are you doing? Are you going to see Courtnee?'" Turner said. "And I'm like, 'No, I'm going to have my baby.'"

The sisters were in rooms across the hall from each other, both feeling bad they couldn't be with the other to provide support. Nurses helped by keeping each up-to-date on the other's contractions and the babies' heart rates.

"We couldn't go really into each other's room very much, but we would send pictures back and forth and text and ask how each other is doing," Hoffman told the Deseret News.

Their mother was bouncing back and forth between the rooms as each went through the stages of labor, said Dr. Darren Housel, who delivered both babies.

The fact that both babies came naturally, rather than being induced, made it even more remarkable, he said. It was something he hadn't seen before in his 20 years as a doctor.

"We are all kind of baffled that such a coincidental thing would occur," Housel said. "Over 5,000 babies, I can safely say that I've never delivered sisters on the same day. It was cool, a fun experience to be part of."

The three sisters say their bond is now stronger than ever.

"It's been fun to go through it together," Hoffman said.

The three baby cousins were together for the first time Tuesday.

"I really think that there's a reason why all three are born together," Turner said. "They are going to have a great support system for each other."

Utah had the highest birth rate in the country in 2009, U.S. Census data shows. Utah had 19.4 births per 1,000 people. The 3-year-old data is the latest available comparing state's birth rates.

___

Information from: Deseret News, http://www.deseretnews.com

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/aa9398e6757a46fa93ed5dea7bd3729e/Article_2013-07-31-Three%20Sisters-Three%20Babies/id-8e7f58d9a8694dbba4ba4d6d8bc2aa26

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Contact Synching App Sync.ME Launches ME Card, Another Attempt To Create A Unified Contact Card

It's been tried many times before. A way to keep all of your contact details up-to-date and have any changes automatically pushed to everyone in your address book, instead of having to email them or send an SMS and hope they 'got the memo'. The problem with any solution that I can think of, however, is that it requires all of your contacts to be signed up to the same service for it to work.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/2S4JMvmj7ik/

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BMW unveils i3 electric car in the carbon fiber flesh (video)

BMW's i3 concept has been kicking around for quite awhile, and so far we've seen the carbon fiber chassis, a you-wish prototype, many of the specs and even the price. All that remained was to see an actual car, and BMW has finally pulled the covers off of it today. The $41,350 (US pricing) vehicle will run for 80-100 miles on a charge while going from 0 to 60 MPH in seven seconds, thanks to the 22kWh battery, 170-horsepower electric motor and relatively slight 2,600 pound heft. If you opt to pay $45,200, you'll be able to nearly double the range, thanks to an optional 34-horsepower two-cylinder backup motor. That's pricier than the $39,145 Chevy Volt (which also has a backup gas motor), but BMW has equally high hopes for its premiere EV. It launched a dedicated sales channel for the i3 and future i-branded EVs, and even created a division dedicated to creating mobile apps for such cars. It'll arrive in Europe in November and we'll see it stateside during the second quarter of next year. Check the source or video after the break for more.

Gallery: BMW i3 Press Gallery

Filed under: Transportation

Comments

Source: BMW (International), (USA)

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/rpsfNK3TPz0/

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Source: http://www.facebook.com/SlashGear/posts/571770936195478

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Church of England?s holier-than-thou investment policy will cost it millions

Archbishop Justin Welby has ordered a review of the Church?s ethical investment policy after it emerged it had holdings in firms that profit from payday lending.

It has emerged that the Church?s existing ethical ?investment rules allow it to ?invest in companies that fund tobacco, gambling, alcohol or high interest lending as long as these activities do not form more than a quarter of its ?business.

Experts say if the Church decides to further ?reduce, or even cancel, its holdings in such firms, it will have a major knock-on effect on its finances.

Its ethical investment policy is already estimated to cost the Church more than ?10million a year in lost revenue and many within the organisation feel that with falling congregations, rising costs for maintaining its buildings plus an ever ?increasing pensions commitment, it can ill afford the luxury of becoming more ethical.

Promising to re-examine where the Church puts its money Archbishop Welby said: ?We have to review these ?levels and make sure we are ?consistent between what we are saying and what we are doing.?

He admitted he was ?irritated and embarrassed? to discover, after vowing to drive payday lenders out of business, that the Church had indirectly invested in payday loan firm Wonga, with a ?75,000 stake in US venture capital firm Accel Partners, which injected ?capital into Wonga in 2009.

It costs more than ?1billion a year to run the Church and by far the largest source of ?income, about ?750million, comes from revenue from the hire of its buildings and donations from parishioners.

Yet whereas 50 years ago more than half of Britain?s population went to church that figure is now 15 per cent and falling.

About 20 per cent of the Church?s annual income comes from revenue earned by its ?5.5billion portfolio of assets, managed by the Church ?Commissioners.

After suffering huge losses in 2008 as the global downturn bit, the Church doubled its ?investments in controversial hedge funds. It has also kept stakes in companies that have been dumped by other ?investors on moral grounds.

The biggest investment by the Church?s pension fund is in Royal Dutch Shell, which has been blamed by campaigners for oil spills and conflict in the Niger Delta in Africa.

Recent years have seen the Church win praise from experts for the performance of its investments with above average yields being achieved.

However an ?ethical? crackdown on where it can invest its money is likely to make that level of performance virtually impossible to maintain.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nsswtps/~3/j_Fh9wJEpZg/Fears-over-cost-of-church-crackdown

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Need a new laptop? Try AMD, save money.

Cash-strapped consumers, take note: buying a laptop with an AMD processor instead of an Intel one could save you up to 38 percent off of a new laptop. AMD systems tend to be outperformed by Intel, however, so take your needs into consideration when you're buying.

By Louis Ramirez,?Contributor / July 29, 2013

Visitors look at motherboards being displayed at the Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) booth exhibition in Taipei, Taiwan, in 2012. Although Intel dominates the laptop market, AMD processors can save consumers looking for a new laptop significant amounts of money.

Yi-ting Chung/Reuters/File

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These days it's easy to find any number laptop deals. Between back-to-school sales and falling consumer demand, notebook prices are at all-time lows. Furthermore, today's technology is so advanced that even last year's processors are still able to meet nearly all general computing needs.

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is devoted to finding the best deals on consumer goods, whether or not they're from an advertiser. For more great offers visit dealnews.com, which works with advertisers to craft offers for readers.

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However, for the truly cash-strapped who are in need of a laptop that can get online and smoothly stream some of those HD Netflix movies, there's one more laptop buying tip that we've left for last ? a tip that can slash up to 38% off your final price.

Intel Dominates the Market, But AMD Is Up to 38% Cheaper

There's no denying that when it comes to laptops, Intel owns the market. While AMD's processors have generally trumped Intel's CPUs in terms of graphics performance, Intel's Core series processors have outperformed AMD in every other test. In addition, with each CPU refresh Intel's integrated graphics have managed to ever so slightly close the gap between the two. As a result, Intel has dominated the laptop industry not just this year, but since the days of the Core 2 Duo.

However, AMD is far from doomed. Its APUs have boasted excellent graphics, power efficiency, and most importantly price. While Intel has concentrated on performance, AMD has dominated the budget market. Over the past year, our listings of 15" AMD dual-core systems have been, on average, 31% cheaper than 15" Intel dual-core systems, with prices at $251 versus $383, respectively. (Oddly, Intel's Core i3 systems have at times been pricier or equal to Intel's Core i5 deals, so for our purposes we compared AMD E- and A-series notebooks to the cheapest Core i3 or Core i5 laptops we could find for each month.) And some months the savings on AMD laptops reached as much as 58% over its Intel cousins.

That said, AMD's systems don't always stand toe-to-toe with Intel's laptops. For instance, prior to the release of Windows 8, most of the AMD systems we listed included a mere 2GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive, whereas dual-core Intel systems we listed included 4GB of RAM and a minimum 500GB hard drive. It wasn't until after the release of Windows 8 that the majority of AMD systems jumped to the standard 4GB of RAM, while Intel systems slowly crept up to 6GB.

The same can be said of quad-core systems. For the past year, AMD's quad-core laptop deals have been 38% cheaper than Intel's quad-core deals, with an average price of $359 against Intel's $590. Again, AMD's systems typically came with just 4GB of RAM, whereas Intel's quad-core systems generally included 6GB, and on a few occasions up to 8GB. Regardless, the savings are substantial, and to date, deals on Intel quad-core machines haven't come close to matching the low prices of AMD's best quad laptops.

Cheap AMD Laptops Deals

Scoring a deal on a budget AMD system isn't hard, as we list many of them in any given month. This summer, the average price for an AMD dual-core system has been $262, whereas the average price of a quad-core system has been $350. If shopping for the former, look for specs that include 4GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive. On the quad-core front, 6GB of RAM seems to be the max; a 4GB, 320GB hard drive setup is the norm.

Of course, these deals don't always last long, so the best plan of action is to set up an email alert for the AMD configuration you want; we'll notify you as soon as a deal is posted to the site.

Louis Ramirez is a senior features writer at dealnews.com, where this article first appeared. Original article:?http://dealnews.com/features/Opt-for-AMD-Instead-of-Intel-and-Save-Up-to-38-on-Your-Next-Laptop/793878.html

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/JoM_-Km3Z3E/Need-a-new-laptop-Try-AMD-save-money

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Animal health and welfare and food safety report published

The reports draw on evidence submitted to provide a wide ranging and balanced analysis of the EU?s ability to act, the impact that EU action has on the UK national interest and future challenges.

The Food Standards Agency and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs worked on the Animal Health and Welfare and Food Safety report. This covers food safety, including feed, food labelling and food compositional standards. A separate report on health, also published today, covers nutrition and related matters.

The reports and submitted evidence can be found via the 'External sites' links.

Source: http://www.food.gov.uk/news-updates/news/2013/jul/animal-health

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X-Arcade's rugged Solo Joystick: supports PC, Mac, Linux and nine ...

There's multifaceted, and then there's X-Arcade's Solo Joystick. Following up on the outfit's aptly-titled Dual Joystick, the Solo here is a 12-pound beast that's built to withstand just about anything. And, indeed, function just about anywhere. Up for pre-order now, the gamepad is set to ship to gamers everywhere on December 1st, bringing with it 11-inches of arcade-style glory. It'll function with PC, Mac and Linux rigs right out of the box for $99.99, while optional adapters enable support for nine different gaming consoles (PlayStation 1 / 2 / 3, Wii, Dreamcast, GameCube, Xbox, Xbox 360 and Wii U). Oh, and since you're wondering, they company claims that it's "hard at work on new adapters for the upcoming Xbox One and PS4," and it's throwing in a fully licensed version of Maximus Arcade Software for anyone who places an order before September 1st.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/28/x-arcade-rugged-solo-joystick-pre-order-available/

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Japan's Abe vows maritime help to Philippines amid China row

MANILA: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged increased maritime cooperation with the Philippines on Saturday amid growing territorial disputes with regional rival China.

"For Japan, the Philippines is a strategic partner with whom we share fundamental values and many strategic interests," Abe told a joint news conference with Philippine president Benigno Aquino after their meeting in Manila.

"In order to further reinforce this relationship... we confirm continued assistance to the capacity-building of the Philippine coastguard."

Abe's overnight visit came as tensions have steadily risen between China and Japan, which accuses its neighbour of sending an increasing number of ships to exert its claim over unpopulated Japanese-controlled islands in the East China Sea.

The Philippines has also charged that China is asserting claims in the conflict-riven South China Sea.

Japan earlier this year announced it would extend yen loans to allow the Philippines to purchase 10 Japanese patrol vessels for its coastguard.

The poorly-equipped Filipino coast guard and navy have been at the forefront of tense encounters with navy and maritime surveillance vessels from China, which claims most of the South China Sea including areas close to the Filipino coast.

China seized the Scarborough Shoal, a South China Sea outcrop just 230 kilometres (140 miles) east of the main Philippine island of Luzon, last year after Manila backed down from a lengthy stand-off.

This year, the Philippines has complained about the presence of Chinese navy vessels near Filipino-held Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly islands.

"The Prime Minister and I agreed to strengthen maritime cooperation which is a pillar of our strategic partnership," Aquino said on Saturday.

"We reviewed the security challenges that confront our nations and pledged to cooperate in advancing our common advocacy for responsible action from international players.

"We believe this can be done by upholding the rule of law in international affairs and finding just and peaceful solutions to our territorial disputes and maritime concerns."

Abe said on Saturday he intends to use his party's decisive victory in the upper house of the Japanese parliament to pursue his vision of Tokyo's role in the region, many parts of which were under brutal Japanese occupation in World War II.

"Against this backdrop I intend to further proceed with strategic diplomacy which will contribute to regional and global peace and security," he said.

"I intend to attach particular importance to our relationship with ASEAN."

Association of Southeast Asian Nations members Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam have overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea, as well as claims from China and Taiwan.

Abe earlier pledged to ease limits on the military in Japan's pacifist, post-war constitution and stand up to China over their East China Sea dispute.

Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera, who visited the Philippines last month, said the two countries would cooperate "in terms of the defence of remote islands... as well as protection of maritime interests".

Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/japan-s-abe-vows-maritime/758032.html

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Use These Affiliate Marketing Tips To Grow Your Business | Content ...

Author: Tony Shawrtz | Total views: 72 Comments: 0
Word Count: 914 Date: Sat, 27 Jul 2013 11:11 AM

This sort of system is so attractive because it is fairly cheap and easy to manage. There is no product involved for the affiliated businessman. It is not as easy as it first appears, however. It takes a committed effort if you want to develop a reliable income stream.

Make sure that your partners don't take advantage of cookies, and certainly don't do it yourself. At best, this is irritating to the visitor. You could possibly spread viruses or break the customer tracking chains.

Always disclose when you are using affiliate marketing and see how it affects your readers and visitors in a positive manner. Transparency is always appreciated, particularly in the field of affiliate marketing. If your readers understand the reasons you utilize affiliate marketing, they may be more positive and responsive to the links provided on your site.

Selecting an affiliate products company with several payment options should be high on your list, especially if you need a quick turn-around for your earnings. There are affiliate companies that only offer payment once you have reached a particular dollar amount, while others will direct pay you through a checking account or other online payment services.

As a time saving tip for affiliates who are dealing with many emails with instructions that need to be addressed, don't waste time continuing to go back to the emails to reread the message. Save time and be productive put them into a word document. By using the document as your reference, you can work more quickly and efficiently.

When visitors come to your sports-focused website, they are expecting information about sports. Providing affiliate links may prove to be unfruitful if the links are forwarding visitors to websites that do not pertain to sports. If your link is close to the website topic, your visitors are going to be more interested in it.

Paid advertising, such as Google Ads, is a good way to make money from affiliate marketing programs. Use targeted keywords in your ads to attract customers to your site.

When selecting prospective affiliates, do so with purpose and with a clear idea of who your target audience is. This allows you to drive traffic and connect with your target market through a sense of shared understanding.

Choose affiliate companies that are supportive and help their affiliates by sharing resources that can help sell their products. Generally, affiliate businesses are not stupid. They do research to learn what marketing techniques convert customers. Successful companies share their information with affiliates in an effort to create customized marketing campaigns to sell products.

If you employ banner ads try to put a question on it, some people will click and not be able to refuse clicking. Most people will be unable to leave without clicking on the banner. Reward the visitors by presenting discounts to those that answered the question correctly.

When you are reviewing a product, spice up your opinions with movies, pictures, and whatever else you can think of that will really make that product look good to others. You will be able to bring in more income with affiliate marketing if you go this route. These will help people see how great the product is and convince them to buy one. Be very precise and specific in your reviews. Buyers want to know everything there is to know about something before they buy it.

Knowing real time statistics is incredibly important. These will help you to track how much traffic your site is getting, and exactly how many of your products have been purchased.

A crucial element of affiliate marketing is obtaining as many backlinks as you can, but it can backfire on you if your visitors feel deceived by inappropriate content. A visitor will not be happy if the link they clicked on did not take them to the destination that he or she thought it would. This will speak of dishonesty to your visitors, no matter how well the strategy is planned.

You should not conclude that 100% commissions are a program scam. Take the time to read through it and you may find that there is no scam to it. There are legitimate companies that offer such programs. While you enjoy the 100 percent commission, the company makes money on subscriptions that follow the original purchase. This can greatly benefit you, so pay close attention to an offer similar to this.

You need to make sure that you remain relevant if you wish to find success with affiliate marketing. Keep up with your affiliates and what sort of promotions they may be offering. Check out the constantly evolving tools that will draw customers into your affiliate marketing goals.

Be upfront and disclose that you do make money when your readers buy from your affiliate link. Visitors to your site are likely savvy consumers; resist the temptation to cover up the nature of affiliate links. Early honesty will improve your chances of increasing repeat visits and affiliate customers.

Always try to push your goals further. One day you could turn this into a real profit opportunity. Keep on pressing forward, never let up on working hard, and you will see your profits continue to grow. It can be hard to get started but if you keep at it you can succeed.

If you enjoy making money onilne read this click here

Related to: affiliate marketing - online marketing - video marketing - article marketing - social marketing - SEO - search engine optimizitiongoogle - faceboo - Twitter - money

-- HTML code --

1: Article Marketing Strategy: Putting Together a "Class Schedule" For Your Article Topics

Businesses go to so much trouble when there is one sure-fire, simple, very inexpensive way to attract new clients to a business: Teach a free class. That is what article marketing is like. Your articles are just like free classes. You teach your target readers something helpful in your article. Your resource box then says, "If you enjoyed this article you can visit my website and apply what you have learned."

by: Steve Shaw on: Sat, 23 Apr 2011

2: Simple Article Writing: 5 Steps For Beginners Who Are Learning To Write Articles (Try This!)

When you look at an article, you may say, "That article looks great, but I have no idea how I would produce something that good." In this article I am going to help you break your article creation process down into "blocks"--smaller bits of information that when assembled together will form a top quality article submission.

by: Steve Shaw on: Sun, 21 Apr 2013

3: Why You Need To Build Multiple Streams of Income For Yourself

Being an entrepreneur and earning multiple streams of income is a dream that many have, but in reality it does take some initial hard work to achieve this. Earning multiple streams of income is the wave of the future, and here are some tips and advice for you when you are looking for ways in which to do this for yourself.

by: Michel Maling on: Sat, 29 Sep 2012

4: Understanding Online Business Success

Starting a home based business to earn income online takes a significant amount of time and energy upfront to get things going. Not seeing results immediately can be discouraging and cause people to give up too early. In this article, we look at the process of starting a home based business and working through the frustrations to be there when the sales come flowing in.

by: Mike Christie on: Sat, 29 Sep 2012

5: Back Link Building - 6 Methods You Can Use To Rank Your Blog Posts

Panda and Penquin Google has changed the game with back link building. Here are the backlink strategies I use to get quality backlinks.

by: Jen Thoden on: Wed, 13 Mar 2013

Source: http://www.content4reprint.com/internet-marketing/use-these-affiliate-marketing-tips-to-grow-your-business.htm

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Kuwaitis head to the polls for sixth time since 2006

By Sylvia Westall

KUWAIT (Reuters) - Kuwaitis voted for the sixth time in seven years on Saturday in a parliamentary election boycotted by the main Islamist and populist opposition, which may help liberals and independents win seats.

Turnout was expected to be low in summer temperatures hitting 44 degrees Celsius (111 Fahrenheit) during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, and as Kuwaitis become fed up with voting in short-lived parliaments.

The opposition boycott may produce a parliament more willing to cooperate with the government on economic development than some of its predecessors in a country where political infighting has held up investment.

"Voting is a national duty," said Mohsen Dashti, a 40-year-old doctor who was casting his vote in a coastal district south of the capital. "We need reconciliation between the parliament and the government as well as a focus on development."

The oil-producing U.S. ally has the most open political system in the Gulf Arab region. While it has witnessed sizeable street protests in the past two years over local issues, its generous welfare system and relative tolerance of dissent have helped to shield it from Arab Spring-style unrest.

But parliaments have been dissolved time and again, usually for getting too bold in challenging government ministers.

The snap election was triggered by a ruling from the top court in June, which said the process leading up to the last one in December was legally flawed.

Almost constant political upheaval and entrenched bureaucracy have held up major parts of a 30-billion-dinar ($105-billion) development plan announced in 2010 to build a refinery, airport, hospitals, housing and highways.

Kuwaitis say they face housing shortages, clogged roads and an old-fashioned airport despite living in one of the world's richest countries per capita. They point out that other Gulf states, such as Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, have pushed ahead with bold modernization projects.

"It is very difficult and it is very depressing for us to have so many elections in such a short time," said lecturer Wasmeyah al-Abbad after casting her ballot in an upmarket district close to Kuwait City.

Abbad, in her 50s, said the issues important to her were women's rights, inequality and the dominance of powerful families in politics and the economy: "Men get houses, but women don't, we don't get to choose our careers, and some names are dominating positions."

Campaign themes have included corruption, loan relief and concern over a $4 billion aid package to Egypt after the military overthrow of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi.

On Saturday Kuwaitis on Twitter vented frustration at the aid promise, saying the money could be better spent at home.

Kuwait and other Gulf states like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were glad to see the back of Mursi because they are fearful of Islamist influence in their own conservative, dynastically ruled countries.

"WASTE OF TIME"

Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (0500-1700 GMT) and results are expected early on Sunday.

The mainly Islamist and populist opposition is boycotting in protest against a new voting system announced last October, which cut the number of votes per citizen to one from four, and which it says would prevent it forming a majority in parliament.

In a country where political parties are banned, the old system helped opposition politicians to form alliances by offering reciprocal backing from their supporters.

"The election will lead to a sham parliament that the government will control," said Mohammad al-Dallal, a former Islamist MP who joined the boycott. He said many Kuwaitis believed the parliament would not last long and be invalidated by a court ruling or by the emir, like previous assemblies.

"Electing such parliaments is a waste of time," he said.

The government says the voting changes brought Kuwait into line with other countries and will ensure stability.

Saturday's vote will elect a 50-member assembly which can pass legislation and interrogate government ministers. But the 84-year-old emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, has the final say in state matters and can dissolve parliament.

The emir courted groups unhappy about the new voting system and encouraged several powerful tribes to endorse the election. That led to splits in the opposition, with liberals deciding to run as well as Salafi Islamists, who support the austere form of Islam practiced in Saudi Arabia.

(Additional reporting by Ahmed Hagagy and Mahmoud Harby, Editing by Mark Trevelyan and David Evans)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tired-short-lived-parliaments-kuwaitis-vote-again-082847628.html

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Coach Joel Quenneville contract extension kicks off Blackhawks convention

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Source: abclocal.go.com --- Friday, July 26, 2013
On Friday afternoon, fans poured into the Hilton on South Michigan for opening ceremonies of the Blackhawks convention. ...

Source: http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=9186684&rss=rss-wls-article-9186684

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Israel blocks EU projects in West Bank over settlement measures

By Allyn Fisher-Ilan

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel has blocked the European Union from aiding tens of thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank in retaliation for Brussels' ban on financial assistance to Israeli organizations in the occupied territories.

An Israeli official said on Friday the move was a result of the EU decision "to sanction or boycott the settlements".

"From our standpoint we cannot just ignore this or treat spitting in our face as though it is rain," the official said.

The EU imposed restrictions last week citing its frustration over the continued expansion of Jewish settlements in territory captured by Israeli forces in the 1967 Middle East War.

The guidelines render Israeli entities operating there ineligible for EU grants, prizes or loans, beginning next year.

Settler leaders say the aid they receive from Europe is minimal. But many in Israel worry about possible knock-on effects the EU steps may have on individuals or companies based in Israel that might be involved in business in the settlements, deemed illegal by the international community.

The Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon had decided to suspend contacts with the EU in the West Bank.

Yaalon, a former army chief and hardliner in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, has "frozen projects, canceled meetings, curtailed coordination and permits for Europe's operations" for Palestinians living in what is known as Area C, a West Bank area fully administered by Israel, he said.

The EU expressed concern about the Israeli steps, which may hurt its humanitarian work for Palestinians, an EU source in Israel told Reuters.

The organization had not been formally notified of the Israeli measures and was seeking clarification, he said.

A Western diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said several European humanitarian aid staff had had difficulty obtaining permits and some requests had gone unanswered.

Under the terms of a 1993 interim peace accord, some 150,000 Palestinians, many of them poor farmers and shepherds living in Area C, a West Bank zone where many settlements have been built, are fully under Israeli military control,

The Palestinians have limited self-rule over other parts of the West Bank, and share joint custody with Israel over yet other areas.

Some of Europe's assistance in the West Bank goes to Palestinians whose homes built with EU funding are demolished by Israel, often maintaining the structures were built illegally.

The Association of International Development Agencies, a coalition of 80 aid groups, said in a report in May that 600 settler houses had been built since mid-2012 while Israel demolished 535 Palestinian-owned homes and structures.

The United States, Israel's main backer, has been trying to revive peace talks that have been deadlocked for three years and aimed at reaching an agreement for the Palestinians to establish a state alongside Israel.

(Writing by Allyn Fisher-Ilan; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/israel-blocks-eu-projects-west-bank-over-settlement-150007319.html

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Liam Gallagher Ditches His Wedding Ring

British rocker Liam Gallagher has fuelled speculation over the state of his marriage after he was photographed out in London without his wedding ring.
The former Oasis star was seen leaving his home in the U.K. capital on Thursday without the band on his left hand, just days after his pop star wife Nicole Appleton was also snapped without her ring.
The couple?s union has come under scrutiny after it emerged Gallagher is facing legal action from New York-based showbusiness reporter Liza Ghorbani, over allegations he fathered her young daughter.
Gallagher recently returned from touring in Europe while his wife and son are enjoying a family vacation in Florida.
The former All Saints? singer?s mother Mary previously revealed Gallagher had been due to join his partner on the holiday, but he was instead snapped partying on the Spanish island of Ibiza before returning to London.
Mary also claimed her daughter was devastated by the love child allegations against her husband: ?My daughter?s whole world has suddenly collapsed? It?s a horrible mess??

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/wenn/dGjW/~3/bZ1EEgit62A/

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Douchecanoe NBA Player Demanded That His GF Sign An ?Abortion Contract?

This is probably the least romantic thing I can think of. I?m sure lots of fancy famous people require the people they date to sign all sorts of nondisclosure agreements and other contracts, but I?m having a hard time totally understanding how this all works out. According to the International Business Times, ?around six or so years ago when J.J. Riddick was a rookie playing with the Orlando Magic (He now plays for the LA Clippers) , he broke up with a model named Vanessa Lopez. Vanessa was all ?Not so fast dude, we can?t break up because I am pregnant!? (I am guessing this is what she said. I have no idea. She may have just said FFFfffFFFFFFffffFFFFFF and thrown a plate at his head) and then he went and lawyer?d up and presented Miss Vanessa with an ABORTION CONTRACT.

According to the terms of the abortion contract, lawyers stipulated that Redick would agree to ?establish and maintain a social and/or dating relationship? with Lopez for at least one year. In exchange, Lopez would agree to abort her pregnancy, and submit to a battery of pre- and post-operation tests to confirm that the abortion had indeed taken place. ?In the event that the foregoing establishes that Lopez was either not pregnant or did not terminate the pregnancy, Redick shall have no further obligations hereunder,? the document states.

The abortion contract also included several other stipulations. For example, if Redick determined that he was no longer willing or able to enter into a ?relationship? with Lopez after the abortion, he reserved the right to pay Lopez $25,000 in compensation, in lieu of staying with her. The document also included a confidentiality agreement, as well as an understanding that any attempts by Lopez to maintain contract after their ?relationship? would constitute stalking.

Are you guys swooning yet? This is pretty much exactly the script of The Notebook,?except a lot less swooningly romantic and with weird abortion rules thrown in. What a mess. But things ended sort of happily ever after for Lopez, who in 2010 had an affair with a married Shaq and accused him of threatening her but then that case was thrown out of court.

I would have countered with my own contract that said stuff like :

If I go through with the abortion you have to attend all my appointments with me and pay for me to go to a spa after and you are never allowed to man guilt me about it and oh yeah, you have to get a hell of a lot better about birth control and if you ever bring up my abortion again you have to pay me 50 thousand dollars and also, stop acting like this important life decision we are making is some sort of thing that can be solved with lawyers.

Andddd this is why I didn?t marry a basketball player. Tah-dah!

(Image: Wikicommons)

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/b5media/Mommyish/~3/s6pmN00TgNo/

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Comic-Con 2013: Marvel Debuts Haley Atwell in Agent Carter One-Shot

Marvel Studios' "One-Shot" short films are designed to flesh out the Marvel Cinematic Universe in five to 15-minute bursts of bonus material included on the DVD and Blu-ray releases of each major film. Last year, Marvel debuted Item 47 during Comic-Con International before fans worldwide experienced it on the Avengers home release, and this year the tradition continued with Agent Carter, starring Hayley Atwell's character from Captain America: The First Avenger. The short will be included on the Iron Man 3 Blu-ray and DVD, coming September 24.

The event began with a screening of the film, which starts with Captain America's plane going down as seen in the hero's movie. One year later, Agent Peggy Carter finds herself pushing papers rather than getting her hands dirty in the field, much to her own disappointment. "The war's over; we'll handle the rough stuff," her boss, Agent Flynn, tells her dismissively. But Carter happens to pick up a top secret tip on the location of a mysterious item called the Zodiac, and she answers the call in spectacular style. Dominic Cooper's Howard Stark and Neal McDonough's Dum Dum Dugan also made memorable cameos.

After the screening, writer Eric Pearson, executive producer Brad Winderbaum, director and Co-Head of Marvel Studios Louis D'Esposito, and Agent Carter herself, Hayley Atwell, sat at the front of the theatre for a discussion of the film.

Atwell said that she did not expect an opportunity to return to the role of Peggy Carter, given that Captain America: Winter Soldier will jump to the present day, leaving her World War II-era spy behind. After Captain America was finished, she said, "I went straight back to London to do a play. I thought that was the end of it."

Asked about the possibility of further appearances, perhaps on Agents of SHIELD, Winderbaum said, "we can't just freeze everybody," referring to Cap and Bucky's method of time displacement. But D'Esposito added, "We should have frozen her."

As to why the producers chose to tell this particular story, D'Esposito said "the time was right" for Agent Carter, with the Iron Man 3 Blu-ray and DVD release preceding Winter Soldier. He added that the main purpose of the shorts, for the fans and especially the creators, is "to be fun." "We're working so hard on the films," he said. "Those are fun, too," but the shorts offer a bit of creative release.

"When we first wanted to do the Blu-ray shorts, we had to prove it was worth it," Winderbaum added. The first Coulson shorts "were the right scale" to accomplish this, and were followed by the "slightly bigger" Item 47 and then Agent Carter, slightly bigger again.

While Marvel Studios has considerably greater resources than many companies making short films, the budgets are much more limited than what would be the case for a similar amount of content on a feature film, especially for the earlier installments. Pearson described some of his grand ideas for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer, but was told "the budget we have left is for two people talking."

Atwell said she enjoyed playing Agent Carter as a female role model, noting that she manages to break out of a system of entrenched gender roles. Plus, in the Agent Carter short, she "got to kick butt, which she didn't have much chance to do in Captain America."

The actor also said it was a challenge to learn how to commit to choreography in order to look like a trained agent -- though she did make some awkward mistakes. "I made my own sound effects," she said, vocalizing the sounds she thought her punches and kicks would make in an action film. "They told me, 'You don't have to do that -- that'll happen, actually.'"

Among the Easter eggs in the short, D'Esposito said Iron Man 3 director Shane Black played the Mysterious Voice who tips off Agent Carter to the Zodiac's location, and Tony Stark's robe from Iron Man 2 appears on Tony's father, Howard.

The "kicker" scene after the credits, featuring Stark and Dum Dum Dugan, was ad-libbed because the planned situation wouldn't work for very practical reasons. It was meant to take place in a pool, but "Neal McDonough isn't as big as Dum Dum; he wears a muscle suit," D'Esposito said, so obviously he couldn't go into the water. The scene that resulted instead takes place poolside, with Stark and Dugan bantering. "I think everybody got a kick out of that."

A fan asked whether the nature of the Zodiac would ever be revealed, to which D'Esposito responded, "It's the McGuffin." But Winderbaum added, "It will probably show up somewhere."

Another fan suggested a Ms. Marvel short as the next "One-Shot," to some applause. D'Esposito's reply: "It should be a feature, right?"

A question came up as to how Agent Carter felt compared to other shorts in which Atwell has performed. She said that films like Love Hate and Tomato Soup "did not have the production values of this." In this way, she said, it was "more like Captain America."

Agent Carter is included on the Iron Man 3 Blu-ray and DVD, arriving September 24.

---

Article originally published on Comic Book Resources.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1927943/news/1927943/

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Are you concerned this situation could lead to NCAA trouble for the Gamecock sup...

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EU PS Store update: Stealth Inc, Everybody's Golf

Sony has revealed this week's European PlayStation Store releases.

This week's highlights include the latest entry in the Everybody's Golf series on PS3 and hacking platformer Stealth Inc. For more information on the latter, read our Stealth Inc review.

Zoom

PS3 games

• Do Not Fall: Run For Your Drink - ?7.99/?9.99
  
• Dynasty Warriors 8 - ?49.99/?59.99
  
• Everybody's Golf - ?11.99/?14.99
  
• Shaun White Skateboarding - ?11.99/?14.99
  
• Stealth Inc: A Clone in the Dark (Cross-Buy) - ?7.99/?9.99
  
• Call of Juarez Gunslinger + Far Cry Blood Dragon - ?19.99/?24.99

Vita games

• Mahjong Royal Towers - ?2.39/?2.99
  
• Stealth Inc: A Clone in the Dark (Cross-Buy) - ?7.99/?9.99

PlayStation Mobile

• Chaos Rings - ?6.49/?7.99
  
• Tileogo - ?0.99/?1.29
  
• Attack of the Mutants - ?0.40/?0.49
  
• fishFishFISH - ?0.79/?0.99

PS3 DLC

• Aliens: Colonial Marines - Stasis Interrupted - ?7.99/?9.99
  
• Dust 514 - Battle Kit (?0.79/?0.99), Battle Kit With Skill Booster (?1.59/?1.99)
  
• Everybody's Golf - Kat From Gravity Rush Playable Character & Costume (?0.79/?0.99), Northern Fox Country Club (?1.99/?2.49), Various balls (?0.40/?0.49 each), Various clubs (?0.59/?0.75 each)
  
• God Of War: Ascension - Mythological Heroes Pack And 24-Hour 2X Xp Booster - ?9.99/?12.99
  
• GRID 2 - Peak Performance Pack - ?3.19/?3.99
  
• Guacamelee! - El Diablo's Domain (Challenge Level) - ?1.99/?2.49
  
• Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory - Gamindustri Memories - Free
  
• Injustice: Gods Among Us - S.T.A.R. Labs Mission Pack - ?1.59/?1.99
  
• Stealth Inc - The Teleporter Chambers - ?2.79/?3.49 (free for first 2 weeks)
  
• Street Fighter X Tekken - Sfxt 1St Gem Slot Expansion +1 (Free), Sfxt Sf/Tk Shared Assist Gem Pack 3 (?2.39/?2.99)
  
• Time And Eternity - A Hint Of Swimwear - ?2.39/?2.99

Vita DLC

• Dead Or Alive 5 Plus - Cheer Girl costumes - Eight costumes, ?0.79/?0.99 each
  
• Everybody's Golf - Kat From Gravity Rush Playable Character & Costume (?0.79/?0.99), Northern Fox Country Club (?1.99/?2.49), Various balls (?0.40/?0.49 each), Various clubs (?0.59/?0.75 each)
  
• Guacamelee! - El Diablo's Domain (Challenge Level) - ?1.99/?2.49
  
• Stealth Inc - The Teleporter Chambers - ?2.79/?3.49 (free for first 2 weeks)

PS3 Sing Star

• Negrita - Magnolia - ?1.15/?1.39
  
• Gianluca Grignani - Il Re Del Niente - ?1.15/?1.39
  
• Soul Asylum - Runaway Train - ?1.15/?1.39
  
• Plain White T's - Hey There Delilah - ?1.15/?1.39
  
• Wham! - Club Tropicana - ?1.15/?1.39
  
• Robbie Williams - Rock DJ - ?1.15/?1.39
  
• Mecano - Hoy No Me Puedo Levantar - ?1.15/?1.39
  
• The Wanted - Lightning - ?1.15/?1.39
  
• The Wanted - All Time Low - ?1.15/?1.39
  
• Drngarna - Vill Du Bli Min Fru - ?1.15/?1.39

Source: http://rss.computerandvideogames.com/c/674/f/8603/s/2f1b7295/sc/27/l/0L0Scomputerandvideogames0N0C420A710A0Ceu0Eps0Estore0Eupdate0Estealth0Einc0Eeverybodys0Egolf0C0Dcid0FOTC0ERSS0Gattr0FCVG0EGeneral0ERSS/story01.htm

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9 Reasons Content Marketing Programs Fail, and How to Ensure ...

July 23, 2013

Content marketing is gaining prominence, as marketers look for more impactful ways to connect with and engage customers. Unlike most forms of marketing, content marketing focuses less on selling, and more on communicating, informing, and educating the customer. Generating engaging content is all about knowing your audience, capturing their attention, and staying relevant?often easier said than done, which is why some content marketing strategies miss the mark.

Here are nine common mistakes in content marketing, and ways to avoid them:

You don't draw the reader in. ?Ninety percent of the battle is getting folks to the landing page or form or call-to-action,? says Paul McKeon, president of The Content Factor. ?If the teaser, headline, or abstract aren't compelling, even if the content is great it's an uphill battle.?

Do: Write catchy, compelling headlines, teasers, abstracts, and summaries. A good rule of thumb is to think about what would get you to click on a piece of content.

You don't know your numbers. ?Your board or investors wants to hear what you're doing to engage people with content?Facebook fans, blog subscribers, etc.?but, mostly, they want to hear how the content you're creating is moving your business forward,? says Mike Volpe, CMO at Hubspot. ?You should be able to easily, and readily, articulate how much it costs to create content, how it's moving the needle on your competitive landscape, lead flow, cost of customer acquisition, and customer acquisition, and you should always optimize your content approach based on those indicators each month.?

Do: Create a plan for how your content strategy will further your company's business objectives, and ?outline a baseline from which you're launching your content strategy so you can quantify impact and results over time,? Volpe advises.

You're impatient. ?Content marketing is a process, not a project,? McKeon says. ?I recently downloaded a content asset from a well-known provider of marketing automation solutions. No sooner had I clicked ?submit? than my phone rang with one of their salespeople on the line. Tongue in check, I asked if I had been ?nurtured' long enough.?

Do: Delay ?the inevitable salesperson call,? McKeon recommends. Failure to do so is likely to deter customers from engaging with your gated content in the future.

You don't promote it. Posting great content on a medium that gets little traffic is a mistake. ?Creating great content is only part of the puzzle; you have to promote it to get people to view, interact with, and share it with others,? Volpe says. ?Remarkable content will work wonders for your business, but to do so, people need to be able to find it, so ensure that you're promoting it effectively to maximize traction,? he explains.

Do: Leverage keyword trends to optimize your content for search, maintain a presence on social networks and blogs, and use co-marketing partnerships and PR to ensure your content is visible.

You don't know your audience. ?An accurate definition and prioritization of your buyer personas is critical,? says Amnon Mishor, founder of Leadspace. Often, marketers produce content without a specific audience in mind. ?Get to the job of creating content only when you have a good notion of who to target,? he adds.

Do: Analyze your existing customers. ?[Identify] who's a decision-maker and who's an influencer, and learn where key target personas are likely to congregate online,? Mishor says. Then, he says, ?model your ideal buyer profile manually, or with a social lead targeting technology.?

You don't understand your medium. ?Twitter is not the best place for your 14,000 word essay on the challenges facing your industry, nor will a meme perform well in a serious industry journal,? Volpe says. The channel your content is published or promoted on dictates the format and style of your content. Understanding the potential, as well as the limitations, of each channel is step one to creating content that doesn't ?make people [want to] hit the snooze button.?

Do: Use compelling images and infographics to ?keep your content visually appealing,? he says.

You don't share the content-creation love. ?Some of your best potential content creators may not be on your marketing team,? Volpe points out. ?Ask your founder, sales folks, services team, really anyone, who interacts with customers on a regular basis or knows your industry well for content ideas.? ?

Do: Tap into the content-creating potential of your entire team to deliver content that resonates with your leads and prospects.

You focus on the wrong company instead of the customer. ?Although it's getting better, there's still a lack of ?what's in it for me' content,? McKeon says. Too often, marketers generate content that revolves around the company and its products, and fails to provide value to the customer.

Do: ?Create prescriptive or informative content,? he says. ?One litmus test: Is the content you're sending good enough that the recipient would share it with their boss or customer?? If the answer is no, consider revising it.

You don't use data. ?One hundred percent of Americans like facts and figures, from what we can tell,? Volpe quips. Relevant stats and figures serve up information in bite-size pieces, to be consumed and shared more easily.

Do: ?Be a resource your prospects, customers, and leads turn to for data and information in a digestible format,? Volpe says. ?And make sure you tweet relevant stats, as well?they are highly shareable.?

Source: http://www.dmnews.com/9-reasons-content-marketing-programs-fail-and-how-to-ensure-they-dont/article/304217/

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Video: DuPont CEO: Earnings & restructuring

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Strong earthquake in western China kills 3

Strong earthquake in western China kills 56 people

Monday, Jul 22, 2:56 am

BEIJING (AP) - A shallow earthquake struck a dry, hilly farming area in western China early Monday, killing at least 56 people, injuring more than 400, and destroying thousands of homes, the local... Read more...

Source: http://www.ktar.com?nid=30&sid=1547577

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Wheat area in Britain down 19 percent - HGCA survey

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's wheat harvest area is expected to be down 19 percent this year at 1.61 million hectares, the Home-Grown Cereals Authority said on Monday, issuing results of a planting survey.

The planting of wheat crops last autumn was wrecked by wet weather and many farmers were forced to turn to spring crops, particularly spring barley.

"Although the fall in wheat harvest area is extreme, this is unlikely to come as a huge shock to the industry or the market which has been preparing for such a scenario for some time," HGCA senior analyst Jack Watts said.

Britain is on course to harvest its smallest wheat crop in more than a decade this year.

The HGCA said the spring barley area rose 54 percent to 922,000 hectares while winter barley dipped 18 percent to 311,000 hectares. The overall barley area showed a 26 percent increase to 1.23 million hectares.

The survey also showed the rapeseed harvest area in Britain is expected to be down 9 percent at 686,000 hectares, driven by a 19 percent fall in winter rapeseed which was partially offset by additional area for spring rapeseed.

(Reporting by Nigel Hunt; editing by James Jukwey and David Evans)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/wheat-area-britain-down-19-percent-hgca-survey-113529694.html

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Quake hits northwest China; 75 dead

Part of complete coverage on

By Hilary Whiteman, CNN

updated 10:09 AM EDT, Mon July 22, 2013

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: China quake death toll rises to 89, state media reported
• The Red Cross Society of China is sending tents and supplies
• Hundreds reported injured across a number of counties
• Fears rescue efforts may be hampered by recent heavy rain, more forecast

Are you there? Send your images, stories to iReport

(CNN) -- Rescue teams are scrambling to reach the site of Monday morning's strong and shallow earthquake in northwestern China that has killed at least 89 people, according to state media.

Another 584 people were injured and 17 were believed missing after the quake tore through Gansu Province, state media reported.

The quake hit along the border of two counties -- Min and Zhang -- at around 7:45 a.m. local time, according to state news agency Xinhua.

Emergency services are converging on the area, including the Red Cross Society of China, which is sending 200 tents and other supplies to shelter and sustain those left without homes.

According to state broadcaster CCTV, Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged crews to prioritize the rescue of survivors and minimize casualties.

The original quake and powerful aftershocks caused roofs to collapse, cut telecommunications lines and damaged a major highway linking the provincial capital of Lanzhou to the south, according to the China Daily newspaper.

More than 300 armed police troops and 64 heavy machines have been dispatched to repair National Highway No. 212, the paper reported. Train services in the area have also been suspended.

Rescue efforts are expected to be hampered by heavy rain that's soaked the region in recent weeks. More rain is forecast and experts have warned about potential landslides.

According to the Gansu Provincial Seismological Bureau, the quake registered a magnitude of 6.6, however the U.S. Geological Survey said it was a 5.9-magnitude tremor, which struck at the relatively shallow depth of about half a mile (1 kilometer).

The epicenter was eight miles (13 kilometers) east of Chabu and 110 miles (177 kilometers) south-southeast of Lanzhou, the USGS said.

Tremors were still being felt from the quake, Xinhua said, quoting sources within the Min County government. Locals said buildings and trees shook for about a minute.

Residents within the earthquake zone took to Weibo -- China's version of Twitter -- soon after to describe how the earth shook.

"This morning at 7:40 I was brushing my teeth, all of a sudden everything shook for a few moments, I thought I didn't get enough sleep last night and was feeling dizzy," @wyyy wrote. "Turns out it was an earthquake, sigh, seems that with the huge rain downpour outside, we really don't know how much longer this planet is going to let us live here."

Another, @dengdjianjyany, said: "Gansu earthquake. So many natural disasters in so short a time, another flood, another landslide, another earthquake, another something. And it's not finished, my God ~ is there any safe place left? Wish everybody a life of peace"

@Heidiping: "Another earthquake, life really is fragile, survivors, be at peace!"

Earthquake strikes New Zealand

Measuring the magnitude of earthquakes

CNN's Elizabeth Joseph contributed to this report.

Part of complete coverage on

Check out CNN's latest news, commentary, photos, and videos on our China special section.

updated 10:21 PM EDT, Tue July 16, 2013

On this month's episode of On China, host Kristie Lu Stout explores the "Chinese Dream," widely considered as the governing catchphrase of Chinese president Xi Jinping.

In Chengdu, Asia's first UNESCO-listed City of Gastronomy, Yu's Family Kitchen is giving Sichuan food a makeover.

updated 5:07 AM EDT, Thu July 18, 2013

Near the border with mainland China, lies a decrepit village where Hong Kong asylum seekers wait to have their claims processed.

updated 4:46 PM EDT, Wed July 17, 2013

Lacking sensitivity in her fingertips, a blind student in Hong Kong discovered an alternative way to read Braille?with her lips.

updated 9:41 PM EDT, Sun July 14, 2013

The Chinese government blames jihadists for violence in Xinjiang, while ethnic Uighurs say they're being scapegoated.

updated 12:02 AM EDT, Thu July 11, 2013

Jin Xing is one of the first Chinese to have a sex change operation -- and the first officially recognized by the Chinese government.

updated 6:47 AM EDT, Fri July 5, 2013

Millionaire Chinese admirers of the American way of life have found their own patch of liberty in a replica of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, inside China.

updated 5:43 AM EDT, Tue July 9, 2013

The two Chinese teenage casualties of the Asiana plane crash in San Francisco were looking forward to a summer trip to California to improve their English.

Share with us your photos and videos of life in China-- the everyday China. The best content could be featured online or on air.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_latest/~3/p3mKcJojy_8/index.html

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Japanese voters give boost to 'Abenomics'

The economic reforms put in place by Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe rest on firmer footing after his party won a comfortable victory in upper house elections Sunday.

By Justin McCurry,?Correspondent / July 21, 2013

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), listens to a question during an interview as rosettes are attached on the names of candidates expected to win, at LDP headquarters in Tokyo, Sunday. Abe's ruling bloc won a decisive victory in Japan's upper house election on Sunday, cementing his grip on power.

Issei Kato/Reuters

Enlarge

Voters in Japan have given the prime minister, Shinzo Abe, a mandate?to continue with his economic program, after his Liberal Democratic?Party (LDP) and its junior coalition partner won a comfortable victory?in upper house elections?on Sunday.

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The result means that the governing coalition will hold majorities in?both houses of the country?s parliament for the first time in six?years, raising hopes of an end to the political deadlock that has seen?several prime ministers come and go in quick succession.

In recent years, opposition parties have had control of the upper?chamber, enabling them to block or delay legislation in what has?become known as a ?twisted parliament.?

While a low turnout indicated widespread apathy toward the election ??in which half of the upper house?s 242 seats were contested ? LDP?officials interpreted the result as an endorsement of Abe?s attempts?to lift the world's third-biggest economy out of almost two decades of?stagnation.

Since becoming prime minister last December, Abe has implemented?monetary easing and massive fiscal stimulus, but has yet to explain?the third stage of ?Abenomics? to address structural problems such as?the rapidly ageing population, shrinking workforce, and huge public?debt.

"People wanted politics that can make decisions and an administration?with a stable grounding, which led to today's result," the LDP?s vice?president, Masahiko Komura, told public broadcaster NHK. "'Abenomics' is proceeding smoothly and people want us to ensure the?benefits reach them too. That feeling was strong."

Japanese media reported that the coalition was projected to win at?least 70 of the 121 seats being contested?on Sunday. The official?result will be announced early?Monday.

Nationalist agenda

With no elections due for another three years, Abe is expected to?devote more effort to his nationalist ?values agenda,? even at the?risk of raising tensions with China and South Korea.

Abe, a hawk whose first term as prime minister in 2006 ended after a?year following an upper house defeat and ill health, wants to revise?Japan?s pacifist constitution to give its self-defense forces a more?robust security role.

Any attempt to move away from the military?s strictly defensive role?would anger China and South Korea, with which Japan is already?embroiled in disputes over island territories.

Abe also faces potentially damaging domestic challenges.

He must decide whether to go ahead with unpopular plans the LDP?supported as an opposition party to raise the sales tax from 5 percent?to 8 percent next April ? a move that some experts could put the?brakes on the fledgling economic recovery.

Restarting nuclear

In addition, the LDP is the only party that opposes a phasing out of?nuclear power, a measure?supported by a slight majority?of Japanese?voters. Abe is expected to push for the restart of several reactors?that were taken offline after the meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi?nuclear power plant in March 2011.

Currently, only two of Japan?s 50 working reactors are in operation,?and Abe and the country's influential business lobby argue that the?economic recovery is being hampered by soaring cost of oil and gas?imports.

The election dealt another blow to the left-of-center Democratic Party?of Japan [DPJ], which ended more than 50 years of LDP domination when?it won the general election by a landslide in 2009.

The DPJ was soundly defeated in last December?s lower house election,?and was projected to win 21 or fewer seats in Sunday?s upper house?poll.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/XqFIj8te2yY/Japanese-voters-give-boost-to-Abenomics

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