Rising NFL star paralyzed by hit

Oakland Raiders free safety Jack Tatum levels New England Patriots wide receiver Darryl Stingley with a helmet-to-helmet hit in a preseason game, leaving Stingley paralyzed for life. Despite the sport's hard hits and reputation for roughness, this was the first and only time a player was permanently paralyzed as a result of an injury sustained in a National Football League game.

Stingley, a wide receiver out of Purdue, was chosen by the Patriots in the first round of the 1973 draft. He showed rapid improvement in his first few NFL seasons and was thought to be one of the league's rising stars. In 1977, he had enjoyed the best year of his career, racking up 39 catches for 657 yards and five touchdowns. Tatum, known as a hard-hitting defensive back, had starred at Ohio State and was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the first round of the 1971 draft. Nicknamed "the assassin" at Ohio State for his vicious hits, Tatum had knocked Baltimore Colts star tight end John Mackey unconscious in his NFL debut. In Super Bowl XI, Tatum hit Minnesota Viking Sammy Knight so hard that Knight's helmet flew off?the move is often referred to as one of the hardest hits in Super bowl history.

The hit that Tatum would be best remembered for in his 10-year, three-time Pro Bowl career, though, came on August 12, 1978, during a pre-season game at the Oakland Coliseum. Stingley ran a shallow post pattern down the right hash mark toward the middle of the field to collect a pass from Patriot quarterback Steve Grogan. Tatum met him at full speed, hitting Stingley with his helmet and forearm and sending him to the ground with alarming force. The hit did not violate any NFL rules and no flag was thrown on the play, but Stingley's neck was broken between the fourth and fifth vertebrae, rendering the 26-year-old a quadriplegic, paralyzed from the chest down. The tragic injury sent a shockwave through the NFL and its massive audience of fans.

Raiders head coach John Madden visited Stingley in the hospital every day after the injury, made him an honorary member of his team and instructed the Raiders to treat him as such. When Tatum went to see Stingley in the hospital, however, Stingley's family would not allow him into the room. They weren't alone in being angry with Tatum for what seemed like a lack of remorse about the hit. Tatum explained his position this way: "...you can't get emotional about it. You don't like to see any player get hurt, but football is a contact sport and that's a real dangerous pattern. We don't even run it in practice. But I had to do what I had to do. It was my job, and he was doing his job."

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In the aftermath of Stingley's injury, the NFL was criticized for its violent nature. Partially in response to this event, the NFL worked to revise its rules to protect receivers on the field with tighter refereeing and stricter play calling. In addition, helmet-to-helmet hits were eventually ruled illegal anywhere on the field. Friends of Stingley also worked to secure better benefits for disabled NFL players.

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Darryl Stingley died on April 5, 2007, as a result of complications from his injury. Stingley and Tatum never reconciled.

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Source: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/rising-nfl-star-paralyzed-by-hit

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Westminster's aviation security business gets further endorsement ...

's () aviation division continues to do well - as it has been named a strategic partner for security to the trade association for the world's airlines.

WASS (Westminster Aviation Security Services) has been approved as the partner to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

The body represents 84% of total air traffic and aims to increase awareness of the benefits that aviation brings to national and global economies.

Westminster chief executive Peter Fowler said: "I am delighted to be able to announce this latest development with our aviation security division which continues to go from strength to strength.

"Our Strategic Partnership with IATA will provide us with a platform to build, as well as strengthen, relationships with key industry stakeholders and provide us with a unique insight into airlines' priorities whilst being recognised as working together with IATA in serving the air transport industry."

The latest development follows the announcement on August 1, that WASS, part of the firm's managed services division - had been chosen as a finalist in the international achievement category in the Security Excellence Awards 2013.

The award recognises a UK company that has realised an outstanding achievement or improvement in international sales or exports, or has been instrumental in a significant security application or project outside the UK.

And in July, the group announced that an independent audit of its operations at a West African airport showed Westminster had ?dramatically improved? the security of the airport ? so much so in fact that it is now considered on a similar level to those in Europe ? a view also expressed by a major European airline.

Ringing endorsements such as these will help Westminster win more contracts and boost sales in the future, it added.

Source: http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/59926/westminsters-aviation-security-business-gets-further-endorsement-59926.html

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Research shows negative effects of half-siblings

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Adolescents who have half-siblings with a different father are more likely to have used drugs and had sex by age 15 than those who have only full siblings, according to new research.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/mind_brain/child_development/~3/WkbaEcHok8c/130811005336.htm

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Public sector hit hard as Canada loses jobs in July

By Louise Egan

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Record job losses in the public sector and scarce opportunities for young people led to unexpected weakness in the Canadian labor market in July, hinting at a sluggish economic start to the third quarter.

Canada lost a net 39,400 jobs during the month, and the unemployment rate ticked up to 7.2 percent from 7.1 percent in June, Statistics Canada said on Friday.

Market players surveyed by Reuters had forecast the creation of 10,000 new jobs in July, and no change in the jobless rate.

"A definite disappointment," said David Tulk, chief macro strategist at TD Securities. "We sort of expected this as a continued hangover from the plus-95 (95,000 jobs) we saw in the month of May."

But analysts generally took the report with a grain of salt given the volatility of Canada's employment numbers, which are based on a household survey subject to a large margin of error.

The monthly jobs figures have whipsawed this year, peaking at 95,000 net new jobs in May after a loss of 54,500 in March.

The more reliable six-month trend showed average monthly jobs growth of 11,000 from February to July, still less than half the average gain in the previous six-month period, according to Statscan figures. Employment grew 1.2 percent in the year to July.

The trend is consistent with mild economic growth.

"You clearly want to see this decline partially reversed in August to make clear that we're not seeing a sharp deterioration in labor markets," said Paul Ferley, assistant chief economist at Royal Bank of Canada.

Almost all the jobs lost in July were in services, particularly in the healthcare and social assistance sectors in the province of Quebec. Public sector employment fell by 74,000 positions.

Employment among young people fell by a sharp 46,000 and the jobless rate was almost twice the national average at 13.9 percent. Summer employment for high school-aged students hit its lowest level since 1977.

Both full-time and part-time jobs disappeared, declining by 18,300 and 21,200, respectively.

On the bright side, 31,400 Canadians found private-sector jobs in July, and 13,500 joined the hard-hit manufacturing sector. The number of hours worked also edged up by 0.3 percent in the month, a possible boost to economic growth.

The Canadian dollar weakened to C$1.0352 against the U.S. dollar immediately after the release of the data but then rebounded a bit. At 10:15 a.m. (1015 ET) it was at C$1.0312 to the U.S. dollar, or 96.97 U.S. cents, compared with C$1.0324, or 96.86 U.S. cents, at Thursday's North American session close.

The report did little to change expectations that the Bank of Canada will hold its benchmark interest rate at the current 1 percent until late 2014.

"The Bank of Canada has already articulated that ... they plan to hold policy as is for quite some time and our expectation is that they are going to continue to do so," said Dov Zigler, economist at Scotiabank.

The Bank of Canada expects second-quarter annualized growth of just 1 percent but sees it bouncing back in the third quarter to a 3.8 percent gain.

Slowing wage inflation was another sign the bank may be in no rush to tighten monetary policy. Wage growth for permanent employees, closely tracked by the bank, slowed to 1.3 percent year-on-year in July from 2 percent in June.

(Additional reporting by Alex Paterson, Alastair Sharp, Allison Martell; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe, Lisa Von Ahn and Peter Galloway)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/canada-economy-loses-39-400-jobs-july-123040966.html

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35 Percent Of Friends See Your Facebook Posts - Business Insider

Each user post on Facebook is seen by an average?35% of the user's friends, according to a?comprehensive recent study led by?Stanford University researcher Michael Bernstein, who collaborated with three Facebook data scientists. ?

Facebook?changed?the algorithm determining what posts show up in your News Feed this week. So amid all the new attention paid to the algorithm, called EdgeRank, it's worth looking at how much it filters what you see.?

This study has the best data out there on that.?

The?changes Facebook made affect everyone, so although the Stanford study predates the changes, it's likely the average number of people who see user posts will remain the same.?

According to the study, posts that do not receive likes or comments tend to be seen by less friends: an average 28.9% of a user's network.?

Over the course of one month, Facebook users in the study had at least one of their posts seen by an average of?61% of their friends.?

This study whipped up some controversy a few weeks ago when a Facebook critic pointed out that the social network is not transparent about the relatively small proportion of friends who see your posts.?

But interestingly, the researchers found Facebook users actually underestimated the audience size for their posts. When asked about a specific post in the past, a sample of users surveyed directly said they believed an average of 60 friends had seen it, when the real average was 99.?

There were 220,000 Facebook users followed in the one-month study, with an average of 266 friends. All their posts in June 2012 were collected, but?analyzed in the aggregate to maintain privacy.?To determine whether a post was?actually seen?the researchers observed internal Facebook log data to see that the post had been in the viewable area of the friend's News Feed for at least 900 milliseconds.?

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In our view, these are the most important takeaways from the?study, published in April:?

1. The actual audiences for user posts on Facebook are larger than anyone might assume them to be.?
2. A post's visibility is positively correlated with comments and likes on the post.?
3. A small core of followers seem to be responsible for the lion's share of activity around user posts: 95% of the users in the one month study had less than 40 friends who liked their posts and 18 who commented.?

This chart and hundreds of others (including easy-to-use Excel datasets) are available to members of BI Intelligence, Business Insider's subscription research service. Our in-depth reports cover tech, mobile, and social and help members make smarter strategy decisions.?

Access All Reports, Plus The Chart And Data Library By Signing Up For A Free Trial Today >>

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/35-percent-of-friends-see-your-facebook-posts-2013-8

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California governor to seek to block San Francisco rail strike

By Laila Kearney and Jim Christie

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - California's governor said on Friday he would seek a court order for a two-month cooling off period to avert a threatened San Francisco-area rail strike, unless a deal could be quickly reached to prevent a walkout that could cripple the rush-hour commute as early as Monday.

Democratic Governor Jerry Brown's move came as managers for the rail system, dubbed BART, and its unions were still tens of millions of dollars apart on contract terms despite several months of negotiations.

"I urge all parties to think of the public and resolve this matter without delay, but if there's no resolution by Sunday, I will seek a 60-day cooling-off period," Brown said in a statement.

Brown temporarily blocked a strike last week to avert what would have been the second walkout this summer. A strike on Monday would cause rush-hour traffic chaos in the state's second-largest metropolitan area.

BART's management said on Wednesday it could take two months to reach a contract, while unions said they could settle by Sunday. A negotiator for one of BART's unions has said a strike notice on Friday remained an option.

"In the event that negotiations fail, we may issue a 48-hour notice," Josie Mooney of SEIU 1021 said in a statement on Thursday. The sides had yet to emerge from talks on Friday.

Brown said that a panel he appointed to investigate the labor dispute had determined that a strike would cause "significant harm to the public's health, safety and welfare."

Brown said if the two sides fail to resolve their dispute over the weekend, he would seek an order on Sunday morning from the San Francisco Superior Court to block a strike.

If granted, the order would keep about 2,600 BART employees on the job and keep the trains that carry 400,000 riders a day running for at least 60 days.

BART's unions shut the system down last month for four and a half days, forcing passengers to work from home, drive, carpool or crowd onto a limited number of buses and ferries for prolonged, frustrating commutes.

"It's simply not possible to replace BART should another strike occur," BART General Manager Grace Crunican said.

BART management have said they offered workers a 9 percent pay raise over four years. The unions said they want raises of 5 percent per year over three years and that additional pay increases would be needed to offset higher benefit contributions workers are being asked to take on.

BIGGER SHARE OF BENEFIT EXPENSES

BART managers also want employees to pay 5 percent of their pay toward pensions, to which workers currently do not contribute. The move by BART is in line with trends across the nation, with public-sector employees being required to pay more toward pension and other benefits.

Unions said they were $56 million apart from management on contract terms over three years; BART management pegged the gap over the same period at $62 million.

BART management says the average employee gets an annual salary of $79,500 plus $50,800 in benefits, and it is concerned the cost of benefits will continue to climb after increasing by nearly 200 percent in 10 years.

"We're trying to play catch-up," BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost said.

Union representatives peg salaries of BART workers at $64,000 on average, saying that management's figures included higher salaries for managers.

"We are not ashamed to be bargaining to defend a middle-class wage and benefit package," union attorney Vincent Harrington said.

Rating agencies are looking past the dispute. Moody's Investors Service's analyst Eric Hoffmann said BART finances can withstand a strike of moderate length. Moody's rates the district's general obligation debt Aaa.

Standard & Poor's rates the district's general obligation bonds AAA with a stable outlook. Although BART would lose fare revenue during a strike, funds for paying general obligation and revenue bond debt would not be directly affected, S&P analyst Alda Mostofi said.

BART has about $411 million in outstanding general obligation bonds backed by a property tax and approximately $742 million in outstanding debt backed by sales taxes and fares.

BART, which has an annual budget of $1.5 billion, gets about $215 million a year from sales-tax revenue, which more than covers its $53 million annual debt service on its revenue bonds.

Fitch Ratings has an AA rating on the district's most recent sales tax revenue bonds and rates its general obligation bonds AA-plus. "We describe (the district) as having a solid financial profile," said Fitch analyst Matt Reilly.

(Writing by Jim Christie; Reporting by Laila Kearney; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Eric Walsh)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/california-governor-seek-block-san-francisco-rail-strike-002156327.html

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Secret Garden Party 2013 Review - Skiddle.com

From lake stages to fireworks to pig racing, Katie Grange reviews the bonkersness of Secret Garden Party

Main Image: Marc Sethi

?Roll uuup, roll uuup for the mystery tour/ The magical mystery tour is hoping to take you awaaay/Hoping to take you awaaay?? To quote The Beatles is a brave move, but these famous lyrics seem to encapsulate what Secret Garden Party is all about. From the minute you walk through the gates it is clear that the aim is to take you on a journey.

From the stunning lake stage accessed only by boat, to the hidden forest wonderlands, random acts of debauchery, or art installations; every minute detail of the festival is well thought-out and integral to the Garden magic. Hedonism, patriotism, wonderfulness and weirdness; Secret Garden Party has it all.

This year?s theme was Superstition, and it is one of the only UK festivals where the fancy dress is as important as the programming. From day one people donned cat ears, feather headdresses and LOTS of glitter. The crowd is a blend of twenty-something hipsters, old school hippies and music loving families, and they all get involved in the dress-up? bar one or two naturists.

The Colo-Silly-Um, as you might guess from the name, is where you find much of the debauchery, from blindfolded boxing to naked mud wrestling, and even a game involving poppers. Move to dance-off stage and you have beatboxers and chicken dancers, or people who read your bums in the Clairvoyance tent and remember to dodge the pigs racing for their life. Only at Secret Garden.

With so much going on it can be easy to forget that SGP is still a music festival at heart. Shying away from the big headliners in favour of credible artists, breaking acts or underground musicians, a quick glance at the line-up would leave you feeling unimpressed, yet that would be missing the point. This festival is just as much about stumbling upon genres you?ve never heard of, as it is discovering new acts or reliving old ones.

An example was the feel-good sounds of group General Roots, who made us get our skank on to sun soaked reggae beats. Their high energy performance and personal nature created a great atmosphere and succeeded in getting everyone moving ? a perfect soundtrack to a sunny Friday afternoon.

On the main stage The Strypes, a young four piece rhythm and blues band, blasted out their classic rock n roll sound that was reminiscent of a 60?s Dr Feelgood. Django Django, who brought their psychedelic rock to the Garden, played their first ever main stage headline set to a roaring crowd, their perfect blend of guitars, synths and visuals creating an infectious vitality.

2ManyDJs and Faithless took the tempo to new levels on Saturday night with hits such as ?E talking?, from the former?s group Soulwax, and the latter?s festival staple ?Insomnia? making crowds erupt with fervour. Slot a 30 minute firework display in between these two and you have yourself the start of a pretty special evening.

Image: Marc Sethi

The festival is well-known for their fireworks, and this accompanied with the lighting of the Lake Stage this is by far one of the highlights of the weekend. There are not many events that you can congregate 80% of the audience in one space at once but this is exactly what makes it so extraordinary. It?s the shared passion and bond of 15,000 people in between the ?oohs? and the ?aahs? of the stunning pyrotechnics and cheesy tunes.

Another highlight of the weekend was the discovery of secret gigs and, like Glastonbury, many artists turn up just for the sheer love of the festival. We caught an outstanding set from 2manydjs and Jarvis Cocker in the Black Cat, a gem of a find and a climax to the weekend. The duo weaved in electronic stompers from the likes of Hercules & Love Affair and The Chemical Brothers with 80?s classics such as The Human League and the blistering seventies rock of Ram Jam?s ?Black Betty?, whilst the ever-so-smooth Jarvis crooned over the top.

This unlikely collaboration was exactly the feel-good set we needed and was made even more special by the intimate setting it was in. Other surprise gigs over the weekend included a DJ Set from Chase & Status, as well as not one but two back-to-back sets from Disclosure, Skream and Artwork. A bass and garage-lovers dream, the packed set was lively and every drop was met with sheer delight from the crowd.

However the best performance without a doubt was a short but sweet set from London Grammar on Sunday Night. The gorgeous band has become a new favourite after this exquisite set, with tracks such as ?Metal and Dust? and ?Wasting My Young Years? soaked in an aura of purple and green illuminated trees, quite literally taking our breath away.

As well as the live performance SGP also puts on a great dance program with stages such as The Drop, Temple of Boom and Pogoda providing the beats and taking the festivities into the small hours. One stage which we spent most of our sunrise shifts in was the appropriately-named Labyrinth. A hidden woodland passage filled with scenes from Alice in Wonderland made the find even more special, as we coasted our way through pianos, hanging mirrors, hidden doorways and a meeting with the Mad Hatter himself.

Once at the end we danced to sets from the likes of Eats Everything, Futureboogie and No Artificial Colours, taking in the summary house vibes under a canopy of lit-up trees. Our only criticism would be that the sound was way too quiet with no bass at all. In fact it?s the one downside of the festival as a whole, the sound was just too quiet after hours and sadly ruined some of the sets. Acts such as Public Service Broadcasting were hardly audible.

Image: Seb Barros

Other dance acts enjoyed over the weekend included Jamie Jones, Damian Lazarus and Matthew Johnson, who rocked the packed Sunday afternoon Pagoda stage with a tougher-than-average set. There wasn?t a Hot Natured tune in sight and instead we were delighted to hear classics such as ?Downpipe? from Mark Night & D.Ramirez Vs. Underworld.

Regina Spektor finished off a beautiful Sunday night and as we sat on the hill listening to the lovely Samson, we reflected on 4 days of utter exhilaration. Granted, the music programming could have been better. But where it falls behind in in big headliners and sound levels it more than makes up for in hedonism and brilliance.

The crowd is great, the fancy dress is fun, the food is delightful (the toilets not-so-much), the activities are bonkers and setting spectacular. Never before have we laughed, cried, cheered, booed, created or experienced as much as we had at this festival; and we can guarantee that you won?t either.

?

Originally published: 6th Aug 2013

Source: http://www.skiddle.com/news/all/Secret-Garden-Party-2013-Review-/18286/

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GE abandons plans for Aurora solar plant; 50 jobs lost at Arvada lab

In 2001 U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu visited the PrimeStar plant in Arvada. (Denver Post file)

The General Electric Co. has abandoned plans for a $300 million solar-panel factory in Aurora and instead struck a deal with the largest U.S. solar-panel maker, First Solar Inc.

GE is giving technology developed by a Colorado startup it bought to First Solar in exchange for 1.75 million shares in the Tempe, Ariz.-based company ? worth about $82 million based on Tuesday's closing share price.

The Arvada research center ? where the technology was created and which was formerly PrimeStar Solar ? will be closed, with 50 people losing their jobs, GE spokeswoman Lindsay Thiele said.

"There is a need for consolidation in the industry, but this really hurts Colorado," said Chris Shaphard, executive director of the Colorado Cleantech Industry Association.

The move is being driven by an overcapacity in solar-panel manufacturing and about a 50 percent drop in panel prices in the past two years.

"Solar-module manufacturing is very competitive, and only the most competitive technology at the most competitive cost position will succeed," Thiele said.

"We have decided that it is not in the best interest of GE, our customers or the Denver community to move forward with the build-out of this facility," she said.

Aurora officials and Gov. John Hickenlooper had lobbied GE for the solar plant, which would have employed about 350 people.

"It is like planting a seed," Hickenlooper said when the plant was announced in October 2011. "It will benefit the whole region."

By 2012, the market was being flooded by imported Chinese panels, and module prices plummeted. In July 2012, GE put the plant on an 18-month hold.

"Sometimes, timing is not on your side," said Wendy Mitchell, chief executive of the Aurora Economic Development Council. "It is not a good day when we lose a company."

The state had offered GE an incentive package, but none of it was paid out, said Ken Lund, director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade.

"GE has been a good partner and has kept us informed," Lund said. "It was a business decision, but it is disappointing."

First Solar is the largest maker of thin-film solar panels ? using a micro-layer of cadmium telluride on a flexible substrate to make a photovoltaic, or PV, panel.

One of the challenges with cadmium-telluride panels is their efficiency, an issue on which PrimeStar had made progress.

GE first invested in PrimeStar in 2007 and acquired the company in 2009.

A group of researchers associated with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden created the company in 2006.

Under the agreement, First Solar's factories will be used to deploy the technology, and the two companies will work on future research at the GE Global Research Center outside of Schenectady, N.Y.

"This was a way to get the technology to market more quickly," Thiele said.

While GE's decision might be a blow to Colorado, Brian Murphy, one of PrimeStar's founders, said the deal might be necessary for thin-film technology to compete against standard silicon panels.

"You're taking two big companies that have leading technology," Murphy said. "This gives CdTe (cadmium telluride) a better chance."

As for the closing of the Arvada lab, Murphy said, "It is was it is."

In a statement, First Solar CEO Jim Hughes said the addition of GE's technology and research will "advance our technology road map while realizing cost reduction in our manufacturing process."

Mark Jaffe: 303-954-1912, mjaffe@denverpost.com or twitter.com/bymarkjaffe

Source: http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_23807168/ge-abandons-plans-solar-panel-factory-aurora?source=rss

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Yemen again at forefront of fight against terror

Police in an armored vehicle secure a road leading to the U.S. embassy in Sanaa, Yemen, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013. The State Department on Tuesday ordered non-essential personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Yemen to leave the country. The department said in a travel warning that it had ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel from Yemen "due to the continued potential for terrorist attacks" and said U.S. citizens in Yemen should leave immediately because of an "extremely high" security threat level. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

Police in an armored vehicle secure a road leading to the U.S. embassy in Sanaa, Yemen, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013. The State Department on Tuesday ordered non-essential personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Yemen to leave the country. The department said in a travel warning that it had ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel from Yemen "due to the continued potential for terrorist attacks" and said U.S. citizens in Yemen should leave immediately because of an "extremely high" security threat level. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

A policeman checks a car at a checkpoint near the U.S. embassy in Sanaa, Yemen, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013. The State Department on Tuesday ordered non-essential personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Yemen to leave the country. The department said in a travel warning that it had ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel from Yemen "due to the continued potential for terrorist attacks" and said U.S. citizens in Yemen should leave immediately because of an "extremely high" security threat level. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

Travelers make their way to the departure lounge at Sanaa International Airport, Yemen, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013. The State Department on Tuesday ordered non-essential personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Yemen to leave the country. The department said in a travel warning that it had ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel from Yemen "due to the continued potential for terrorist attacks" and said U.S. citizens in Yemen should leave immediately because of an "extremely high" security threat level. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

A policeman on an armored vehicle secures a street leading to the U.S. embassy in Sanaa, Yemen, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013. The State Department on Tuesday ordered non-essential personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Yemen to leave the country. The department said in a travel warning that it had ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel from Yemen "due to the continued potential for terrorist attacks" and said U.S. citizens in Yemen should leave immediately because of an "extremely high" security threat level. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

Police stop cars at a checkpoint near the U.S. embassy in Sanaa, Yemen, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013. The State Department on Tuesday ordered non-essential personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Yemen to leave the country. The department said in a travel warning that it had ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel from Yemen "due to the continued potential for terrorist attacks" and said U.S. citizens in Yemen should leave immediately because of an "extremely high" security threat level. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

SANAA, Yemen (AP) ? Yemen was thrust back into the forefront of the international fight against terrorism Tuesday when the U.S. and Britain evacuated embassy staff due to a threatened attack, a suspected U.S. drone killed four alleged members of al-Qaida, and militants shot down a Yemeni army helicopter.

As Westerners flew out of the country, Yemeni authorities launched a wide investigation into the al-Qaida threat to multiple potential targets in the impoverished Arab nation. Security officials said they believed the terror network was seeking retaliation for a U.S.-backed military offensive that has dealt serious setbacks to the terror network's most active branch, including the death earlier this year of its No. 2 leader.

The Yemeni army, meanwhile, surrounded foreign installations, government offices and the airport with tanks and troops in the nation's capital, Sanaa, as well as the strategic Bab al-Mandeb straits at the entrance to the Red Sea in the southern Arabian Peninsula, drawing parallels with security measures following the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in Aden harbor that killed 17 American sailors.

Authorities also set up checkpoints across Sanaa, searching cars and individuals, especially after night fell. Top government officials, along with military and security commanders, were told to stay vigilant and limit their movements.

Although the immediate threat seemed to be focused on Yemen, the U.S. has temporarily shut down 19 diplomatic posts in the Middle East and Africa. A U.S. intelligence official and a Mideast diplomat told The Associated Press that the closures were triggered by the interception of a secret message between al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahri and Nasser al-Wahishi, the leader of the Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, about plans for a major terror attack. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Zawahri also made a public statement on July 30 that exhorted Muslims to kill Americans "in every spot on Earth."

Yemeni investigators looking into the threat said they believe the motive of the attack was retaliation for the killing of Saudi-born Saeed al-Shihri, who was released from the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay after nearly six years and later became the No. 2 al-Qaida leader in Yemen. Al-Shihri was critically wounded in a November drone strike and later died of his wounds, the militant group acknowledged.

The terror network has suffered a series of setbacks after the military launched an offensive in June with the help of U.S. forces that has succeeded in uprooting it from strongholds in the south. The group had taken advantage of the instability after the Arab Spring wave of revolutions that led to the resignation of Yemen's longtime leader, Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Yemen's current president, Abdo Rabby Mansour Hadi, met with President Barack Obama at the White House last week, where both leaders cited strong counterterrorism cooperation.

Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said the U.S. Air Force transported State Department personnel out of Sanaa early Tuesday. The department said in a travel warning that it had ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel "due to the continued potential for terrorist attacks," adding that U.S. citizens should leave immediately because of an "extremely high" security threat level.

A senior defense official said that between 50 and 100 diplomatic personnel were flown from Sanaa in a military transport to Ramstein Air Base in Germany. The official was not authorized to discuss the information publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The official said dozens of military troops remain in Yemen, including those providing security at the embassy and others training Yemeni troops.

Britain's Foreign Office also said it evacuated all staff from its embassy due to increased security concerns. The Foreign Office said the staff were "temporarily withdrawn to the U.K." And the Dutch Foreign Ministry has issued a call for about 40 of its citizens to leave Yemen, although it did not say whether that included its six embassy workers.

Yemen's government criticized the evacuations in a statement from its embassy in Washington, saying the diplomatic withdrawal "serves the interests of the extremists and undermines the exceptional cooperation" between Yemen and the international community in fighting terrorism. It insisted that its government has taken all precautions to ensure the security of foreign missions in Sanaa.

Meanwhile, there has been a spike in apparent U.S. drone strikes against al-Qaida leaders. The attack Tuesday was the fourth in two weeks.

Yemeni officials say the drone fired a missile at a car carrying four men in the al-Arqeen district of Marib province, setting it on fire and killing them. One of the dead was believed to be Saleh Jouti, a senior al-Qaida member.

In Sanaa, residents awoke to the sound of an aircraft overhead. Officials said it was American, and photos posted on Instagram appeared to show a P-3 Orion, a manned surveillance aircraft.

The rare overflight of the capital came shortly before the announcements of the evacuations.

The Yemeni military helicopter was shot down by a missile over the al-Qaida stronghold of Wadi Ubida in central Yemen, officials said. The helicopter was flying from Sanaa to Marib province, officials said. The eight who were killed, including a military commander, were part of a military force guarding oil installations in the province.

The Yemeni officials who provided the information on the suspected drone, the helicopter downing and the security in the capital all spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

Yemeni authorities also released the names of 25 wanted al-Qaida suspects Monday, saying they were planning terrorist attacks in Sanaa and other cities.

Officials say potential U.S. targets in Sanaa could include the embassy and other buildings used by the United States to house personnel, as well as a military facility a few kilometers (miles) outside used by U.S. aircraft.

The government statement said security forces will pay $23,000 to anyone coming forward with information leading to the arrest of any of the wanted men. Among them are alleged senior figures in al-Qaida's Yemen branch, including Saudi nationals Ibrahim Mohammed el-Rubaish and Ibrahim Hassan el-Assiri.

El-Rubaish was released from Guantanamo in 2006 and is believed to have played significant roles in al-Qaida's expanding offshoot in Yemen. He is a theological adviser to the group and his writings and sermons are prominent in its literature.

Military officials said the threat may be related to the Bab al-Mandeb, pointing to a visit Sunday by the defense minister, Gen. Mohammed Nasser Ahmed, to Yemeni forces positioned at the Red Sea entrance about 276 kilometers (170 miles) south of Sanaa.

Officials said the visit came after they received intelligence that al-Qaida could be targeting foreign or Yemeni interests at the vital maritime corridor, a main thoroughfare for international shipping but also a crossing point for smuggled weapons and illegal immigrants between east Africa and Yemen.

Ahmed urged the forces to stay "on alert against any sabotage operations aiming at destabilizing the country," according to the officials. They also spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the press.

Yemen, a decentralized and predominantly Muslim country that is the ancestral homeland of the late al-Qaida leader, Osama bin Laden, has been the site of numerous anti-U.S. plots and attacks.

Besides the strike against the USS Cole, al-Qaida attacked the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa in 2008, killing one American. Western embassies were locked up in 2010, days after the foiled plot on Christmas Day in which a passenger on a Detroit-bound plane allegedly tried to detonate explosives in his underwear. The Obama administration said the suspect was trained and armed by the al-Qaida affiliate in Yemen.

Washington considers the al-Qaida branch in Yemen to be among the terrorist network's most dangerous. The United States has also assisted Yemen in fighting the militants who, at one point in the country's recent turmoil, had overrun large sections of the south. The group has also carried out bold attacks on Yemeni security forces, killing hundreds in the past two years.

A Yemeni security council met later Tuesday to discuss security leaks, according to an official with knowledge of the meeting. Council members concluded that government officials had passed on information to al-Qaida under Saleh's rule and that some of those leaks continued even after Hadi took over, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the meeting.

___

Lee reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Maggie Michael in Cairo and Lolita C. Baldor and Deb Riechmann in Washington contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-08-06-ML-Yemen/id-ec6699ae879f4676aec5eff172477461

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Drone strike kills six militants in Yemen's Maareb

SANAA (Reuters) - A U.S. drone killed at least six suspected al Qaeda militants in Yemen's southeastern province of Maareb on Thursday, officials said, the sixth such strike in less than two weeks.

The strike follows Yemen's announcement on Wednesday that it had foiled a plot by al Qaeda to seize two major oil and gas export terminals and a provincial capital in the east of the country.

The drone killings also come after warnings of potential attacks by militants that pushed Washington to shut missions across the Middle East, and the United States and Britain to evacuate staff from Yemen.

Witnesses and local officials in Maareb, a mostly desert region where militants have taken refuge, said the drone fired at two vehicles suspected of carrying al Qaeda militants at dawn, killing six people.

Residents saw the two vehicles rise in flames and the drones circled the air for a while after the attack.

At least 20 suspected militants have been killed since July 28, when a drone strike killed at least four members of Ansar al-Sharia, a local militant group affiliated to Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), one of the most active branches of the network founded by Osama bin Laden.

Yemen, one of the poorest Arab countries, is one of handful of countries where Washington acknowledges targeting militants with strikes by drone aircraft, although it does not comment publicly on the practice.

U.S. sources have told Reuters that intercepted communication between bin Laden's successor as al Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, and the Yemen-based wing was one part of the intelligence behind the alert last week that prompted the closure of the embassies.

Security in Yemen is a global concern. Home to AQAP, considered one of the most aggressive branches of the global militant organization, it shares a long border with Saudi Arabia, a U.S. ally and the world's top oil exporter.

The U.S. government supports Yemeni forces with funds and logistical support.

Yemeni authorities issued a statement early on Tuesday listing 25 "most wanted terrorists" it said were planning to carry out attacks in the country during the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday which starts Thursday. They also offered a five million Yemeni riyals ($23,000) bounty for information leading to their capture.

An attack on September 11 last year killed the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans in Benghazi.

U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told CNN at the weekend that the recent actions taken to close the embassies showed President Barack Obama's administration had learned lessons from Benghazi.

(Reporting By Mohammed Ghobari; Writing By Maha El Dahan; Editing by Catherine Evans)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/drone-strike-kills-six-militants-yemens-maareb-055532202.html

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Societe Generale sees jump in Q2 earns

PARIS (AP) ? Societe Generale says its net profit more than doubled in the second quarter thanks to lower write-downs on past acquisitions.

The French bank reported Thursday net profit of 955 million euros ($1.3 billion) for the April to June quarter, compared to 436 million euros a year earlier when earnings were hit by writeoffs on assets in the U.S. and Russia.

However, in the first half, Societe Generale's operating profit slumped nearly 44 percent to 1.4 billion euros following a near 1 billion euro loss from the reevaluation of financial liabilities.

Societe Generale has been hit hard by Europe's debt crisis given its exposure to Greek bonds, which plummeted in value. The bank said earlier this year that it had completed a program to get rid of bad investments and loans.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-08-01-EU-France-Earns-Societe-Generale/id-13fdb8ac3f2c4277bae07d5dd00e1d7a

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U.S. economy finds momentum in second quarter, eyes further gains

By Lucia Mutikani

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. economic growth unexpectedly accelerated in the second quarter, laying a firmer foundation for the rest of the year that could bring the Federal Reserve a step closer to cutting back its monetary stimulus.

Gross domestic product grew at a 1.7 percent annual rate, the Commerce Department said on Wednesday, stepping up from the first quarter's downwardly revised 1.1 percent expansion pace.

The economic picture was further brightened by the ADP National Employment Report, which showed private employers added 200,000 jobs in July, maintaining June's pace. It offered hope the government's comprehensive employment report on Friday could show a recent run of fairly strong job gains extended to July.

"The economy is improving and the ADP report is emblematic of a pattern of growth that will continue to tilt to the upside," said Eric Green, chief economist at TD Securities in New York. "That is enough for the Fed to taper in September."

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the economy growing at a 1.0 percent pace after a previously reported 1.8 percent advance in the first three months of the year.

The surprisingly better GDP report buoyed U.S. stocks and lifted the dollar against a basket of currencies. Investors sold U.S. Treasury debt, with the price on the 30-year government bond falling a full point at one stage.

Rebounds in business spending and export growth, and a sharp moderation in the pace of decline in government outlays boosted economic growth in the April-June period, offsetting cooler consumer spending and a steady rate of inventory accumulation.

Still, the report marked a third straight quarter of GDP growth below 2 percent, a pace that normally would be too soft to bring down unemployment. But growth was poised to gain even more momentum in the second half of the year as the fiscal burden brought on by belt-tightening in Washington eases.

Federal Reserve officials, wrestling with a decision on the future of their $85 billion per month bond-buying program, will likely draw comfort from the pick-up in output last quarter. They wind up a two-day meeting later on Wednesday.

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said last month that the central bank would probably start curtailing the bond purchases later this year with an eye toward bringing them to a complete halt by the middle of 2014, if the economy progressed as expected.

REVISIONS GIVE ECONOMY A GLOW

Revisions to earlier GDP data released along with the report on Wednesday cast the economy in a better light than previously, and contributed to the report's solid tenor.

The government implemented a number of changes in how it calculates GDP. For example, research and development spending will now be treated as investment, and defined benefit pension plans will be measured on an accrual basis, rather than as cash.

The revisions showed the economy grew 2.8 percent last year, 0.6 percentage point faster than previously estimated.

They also yielded a higher rate of savings, a good omen for future consumer spending.

Still, higher taxes, as Washington tries to shrink the government's budget deficit, constrained consumer spending in the second quarter. Consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, slowed to a 1.8 percent growth pace after rising at a 2.3 percent rate in the first quarter.

The slow pace of consumption kept a lid on inflation pressures, with a price index in the report holding steady in the second quarter. Excluding food and energy, prices rose at a subdued 0.8 percent pace. Both measures were the weakest since the first quarter of 2009.

Tepid domestic demand also led businesses to keep close watch on their inventories. Inventory accumulation added 0.41 percentage point to growth, less than half its contribution in the prior quarter.

But higher savings and a firming labor market should help to spur consumer spending and encourage businesses to continue a steady pace of restocking.

"We remain confident that the economy will expand much faster in the second half of the year as the drag from fiscal tightening continues to fade," said Harm Bandholz, chief U.S. economist at UniCredit Research in New York.

"The most important support factor will remain the improving labor market, which already in the past has allowed consumer spending to weather most of the fiscal drag."

Private employers added 200,000 jobs in July after hiring 198,000 in June, the ADP report showed. The figure was in line with the pace of job growth seen since the start of the year.

Exports rebounded in the second quarter, showing the largest percentage gain since the third quarter of 2011, even as demand weakened in Europe and China.

But the increase was insufficient to offset strong import growth, leaving a trade deficit that weighed on GDP.

There was good news from the housing sector, with spending on residential construction rising at a double-digit rate. Housing, which triggered the 2007-09 recession, is growing strongly, helping to keep the economic recovery anchored.

However, a rise in mortgage rates on the back of growing expectations of a reduction in the Fed's bond purchases has cooled the appetite of some potential buyers.

Business spending reversed the prior quarter's decline, and while government spending contracted for a third straight quarter, the pace of the decline slowed sharply as state and local government spending rebounded.

(Reporting by Lucia Mutikani,; Additional reporting by Leah Schnurr in New York; Editing by Andrea Ricci)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-economy-likely-lost-step-second-expected-regain-050834234.html

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Richard Madden & Jenna Coleman Hold Hands in London

Game of Thrones actor Richard Madden holds hands with his girlfriend Jenna Coleman as they enjoy the gorgeous weather together on Sunday afternoon (July 28) in Primrose Hill, London, England.

The 27-year-old actress recently opened up about her Doctor Who co-star Matt Smith?s departure from the show.

?It?s kind of unimaginable for me at the moment, but as I say the new Doctor isn?t yet cast and my head is ? we?re just having great fun together and enjoying the time we have left,? Jenna said (via Access Hollywood). ?It?s a strange thing because I always knew he was gonna be leaving so it will be kind of bittersweet. But I think possibly there?s quite a bit of denial going on.?

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Source: http://www.justjared.com/2013/07/30/richard-madden-jenna-coleman-hold-hands-in-london/

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Tennessee GOP suggests Obama learn from state during visit

James Crichlow

President Barack Obama will visit an Amazon.com distribution facility Tuesday in Chattanooga.

The Tennessee Republican Party is airing a commercial in Chattanooga to "welcome" President Barack Obama to his visit today to an Amazon distribution center, Knoxville News Sentinel reports.

The ad declares Tennessee's success is "not because of your liberal policies, but in spite of them."

"Unlike Washington, we've got the lowest debt of any state in the nation," a narrator declares in the ad. "Maybe you can learn a thing or two while you're here, Mr. President."

The Tennessee Democratic Party issued a press release in response to the ad noting that Tennessee's unemployment rate of 8.5 percent is almost a percentage point above the national average, laying blame on Gov. Bill Haslam and Republican lawmakers.

During his tour of the Amazon facility ? which is part of Amazon's new push to add thousands of new jobs ? Obama is to tout plans to boost the middle class.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bizj_nashville/~3/Dkkzyt8HHPM/tennessee-gop-suggests-obama-learns.html

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India have disposed of Zimbabwe in predictable manner, says former India batsman...

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

Source: http://www.facebook.com/cricketnext/posts/10152066872214409

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Osbourne: Bieber 'doesn't realize he's white'

Celebs

Gael Fashingbauer Cooper TODAY

2 hours ago

Virginia Sherwood / NBC

Sharon Osbourne doesn't mince words when it comes to giving her opinion of other famous people.

Sharon Osbourne isn't afraid to give her honest opinion on anything -- or anyone. In a blunt interview with The Daily Beast, the TV personality and wife of rocker Ozzy Osbourne offered up her take on various musicians, including Justin Bieber.

"I feel really bad for him," Osbourne said of the teen pop sensation. "There?s this little kid with a huge dream, he?s cute, girls love him, and he wants to be a mean boy, and he?s about as mean as a (expletive) kitten, and he?s trying to act out."

Osbourne referred to Bieber infamously urinating in a mop bucket in a nightclub kitchen earlier this year while his friends laughed and filmed the event.

"It?s like, 'Oh, we?re the bad boys!' she said. "(Expletive) off! You don?t know what bad is. And I think that he?s lost, I really do. I think he doesn?t realize he?s white and not black, that?s a huge problem. And, at the point he?s at in his career, it?s so dangerous because we?ve seen it all before a million times. Where do you go when you?re a child entertainer and then you want to transition to be a man? Very few make it."

Osbourne also gave the interviewer her opinion on various other famous faces.

"I have no time for (Kanye West)," she said of the musician and Kim Kardashian baby daddy. "He bores me." But she had only praise for singers Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake.

Osbourne also had kudos for Angelina Jolie's decision to have a preventive double mastectomy upon learning she carried a gene making her highly likely to develop breast cancer. Osbourne herself had that same operation in 2012 upon learning she also had the gene.

"But my situation is nowhere near what Angelina?s was," she said. "She had lost her mother and her aunt to it, and she has all those babies to take care of. I?ve had my life, and she hasn?t yet."

Osbourne had nothing good to say about New York mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner, whose second sexting scandal has made headlines lately.

"You?re a grown man with a great education, and you think, in this day and age, you can send pictures of your penis over the Internet and not get caught? " Osbourne said. "Now, how (expletive) stupid are you? What makes him think that he has a sense of freedom to do that?"

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/sharon-osbourne-justin-bieber-doesnt-realize-hes-white-6C10791074

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rock n roll: Structured Settlements in Workers' Compensation

Self-insured employers often question how to resolve their high value and difficult to conclude claims. The financial expectations and medical needs of the injured employees create complicated issues preventing a claim settlement. Structured settlements can often be the bridge to achieving a settlement when the injured employee will have on-going financial and medical needs.

We have received many questions about the benefits of structured settlements and how to achieve a structured settlement.? Here are the most frequently asked questions about structured settlements.

Q. Exactly what is a structured settlement?
A. A structured settlement is financial agreement for a series of periodic payments an injured person receives over a set time period, or over the person?s life time, to settle any legal obligation, including a workers? compensation claim.

Q. Are all payments the same?
A. All payments can be the same, but often are flexible and will vary to meet the financial needs of the injured employee. For instance, in addition to biweekly or monthly payments to cover the employee?s on-going loss of income, an initial lump sum to cover transportation or housing needs can be included in the structured settlements. Other variations from the biweekly or monthly payment can be included, for example a future sum for the college tuition of the employee?s child.

Q. What about inflation? How does the structured settlement handle the future decline in purchasing power?
A. The structure settlement can be structured to increase the periodic payment amounts by a fixed amount on a fixed date(s) in the future.

Q. Workers? compensation indemnity payments are ?tax free?. Will the injured employee have to pay income taxes on the periodic payments?
A. No. Under the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code Section 104(a)(1), the periodic payments of a structured settlement are income tax free.

Q. Why would an employer obligate itself to a set of periodic payments that could last for many years into the future?
A. The employer purchases a fixed annuity from a life insurance company to fund the future periodic payments. The life insurance company assumes the responsibility of making all future payments. The employer obligation to make the payments is transferred to the life insurer eliminating the employer?s need to set aside any future reserves for the workers? compensation claim.

Q. What type of workers? compensation claims benefit from the use of a structured settlement?

A. An employer can reduce their long-term financial exposure on any serious or catastrophic injury claim with a structured settlement. Examples of cases that often involve a structured settlement include:

??? Brain/brain stem injuries
??? Spinal cord injuries
??? Amputations
??? Severe burns
??? Multiple trauma claims
??? Vision loss
??? Hearing loss
??? Occupational lung diseases
??? Any type of injury that leaves the employee permanently and totally disabled or disabled to the point the employee is unable to return to meaningful employment.

Q. How do structured settlements account for the medical expenses of an injured employee that could last a life time?
A. A separate medical account is set up to cover the employee?s future medical expenses as established by medical actuary. A third party professional administration company oversees the payment of future medical expenses from the account.

Q. What about an injured employee who is eligible for Medicare and/or Social Security Disability? How does a structured settlement handle the requirements for a Medicare Set-Aside (MSA) arrangement?
A. A structured settlement is highly beneficial for a MSA. A structured settlement for the MSA benefits the employer as it costs less because the MSA benefits from the time value of money. Instead of the third party professional administration company receiving all of the money for the MSA up front, the structured settlement insurer funds the MSA periodically as needed.

Q. What information is needed by the structured settlement company before they can quote the cost of the structured settlement?
A. There are several factors that come into play in calculating the cost of the structured settlement including the injured employee?s age, the expected life expectancy of the injured employee, the anticipated cost of future medical care and the employee?s need for lump sum payments both at the start of the structured settlement and at future specific dates.

Q. How can the employer know the life insurance company will be able to make the periodic payments twenty, thirty or forty years in the future?
A. The employer can check the life insurer?s financial strength through the service of A.M. Best, an independent evaluator of the financial strength of insurance companies. We recommend the use of an insurer rated A, or higher, by A. M. Best.

Q. What benefits does a structured settlement provide to the injured employee?
A. There are many benefits to the injured employee, including:

??? The structured settlement eliminates many of the financial concerns of the employee by allowing the employee to know what his/her future income will be.

??? The employee can receive payments both for immediate needs and periodic payments timed to meet future anticipated needs.

??? The employee does not have to worry about managing a large amount of money or fluctuations in the equity market or bond market.

??? The employee is provided is a provided a good fixed rate of return on the money invested in the structured settlement.

??? In most cases, the structured settlement provides the employee with more money over the long term than a lump sum settlement paid direct to the employee.

??? The employee/employee?s attorney no longer has to interact with the employer where the relationship may have become strained, but instead will interact with the life insurer who provides the structured settlement.

??? Also, if the employee invests a lump settlement on their own, the employee will be responsible for income taxes on the interest, capital gains or dividends earned by their investment.

Q. Are there any other reasons the injured employee would want a structured settlement?
A. There are several reasons an employee would prefer a structured settlement over the benefits provided by the workers? compensation system. Structured settlements give the employee freedom from the restraints of workers? compensation.

The workers? compensation payments have a time limit in many states (often 400 weeks or 500 weeks) after which the payments cease.

Statutory payments in death claims normally cease upon remarriage.

Workers? compensation indemnity payments can end if the employee is retrained for another job and returns to work in another field.

Q. The employee is represented by an attorney. How are the plaintiff attorney fees handled?
A. The plaintiff attorney fee can be paid as a lump sum settlement or the attorney fees can also be set-up in a structured settlement providing the attorney with a guaranteed source of future income.

Q. The closure of the claim through a structured settlement is the major benefit to the employer. Are there other benefits to the employer?
A. Yes. A structured settlement can avoid the uncertainty of litigation and end the on-going legal expense. In life time disability claims, the mortality risk and the investment risk is transferred to the life insurer. Also, the cost of funding a Medicare Set-Aside can be reduced through the use of a structured settlement.

Q. Other than workers? compensation claims, are there any other uses for structured settlements?
A. Yes, structured settlements are often used to resolve a wide variety of litigated matters including:

??? Long term disability claims
??? Automobile injuries
??? Product liability claims
??? Slip and fall injuries
??? General liability claims
??? Medical malpractice claims
??? Legal malpractice claims
??? Errors and Omissions claims
??? Wrongful death claims
??? Nursing home abuse claims
??? Punitive damage claims
??? Slander and libel claims
??? Construction defect claims
??? Disputed property claims
??? Sexual harassment claims
??? Age discrimination claims
??? Employment discrimination claims
??? Wrongful termination claims
??? Guardianship cases involving minors or incompetents
??? Environmental pollution claims
??? ? ? Asbestos
??????? Mold
??????? Lead
??????? Toxic chemicals

source: reduceyourworkerscomp.com

Source: http://rocknrollmusiczep.blogspot.com/2013/07/structured-settlements-in-workers.html

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Paola Guanche Wins ?La Voz Kids?; Coach Prince Royce Is Ecstatic [Video]

Paola Guanche, the 12-year-old ?La Voz Kids? sensation, won the competition in a stunning three hour extravaganza on Telemundo.

The young Cuban singer, a member of the Prince Royce team, will now get a Universal Music recording contract, as well as a life-changing cash prize of $50,000.

Paola, who comes from Florida, sang ?I Will Always Love You,? giving her best competition performance yet. She showed amazing presence on stage last night. She sang with confidence, as the rightful winner of the competition should. She received a standing ovation from all three judges after her performance, along with huge applause from the excited crowd.

Paola Guanche?s coach, Prince Royce, was clearly beaming with pride when he spoke about Paola:

?Paola is exceptionally talented and she has impressed us all. She demonstrated excellence in all musical genres during the competition. She clearly represents what ?La Voz Kids? is all about and I?m proud to be her coach. All of the kids proved themselves to be winners; I loved working with them all and I have tremendous respect for them, especially for Team Royce.?

Paola, who comes from a distinguished background of famous Cuban singers, has kept the family tradition. She has been singing for as long as she can remember and doesn?t seem to be the type to get fazed by large audiences. As she said about herself: ?I go up on stage and do what I have to do to win over the audience.?

Special performances, in the grande finale La Voz Kids show, included Ricky Martin singing his new track ?Come With Me?, Mexican singer, Ana Barbara, performed ?Yo Soy La Mujer.? Prince Royce himself sang his current hit single ?Darte un Beso?, to the clear delight of the crowd.

Source: http://www.inquisitr.com/878260/paola-guanche-wins-la-voz-kids-coach-prince-royce-is-ecstatic/

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Lu'an Capital & Energy Investment Inc. Acquires Shares of Sona Resources Corp.

By Marketwire .

Article Rating:

July 29, 2013 07:07 PM EDT

?

?

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/29/13 -- Lu'an Capital & Energy Investment Inc. (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a subscription agreement (the "Subscription Agreement") with Sona Resources Corp. ("Sona"), pursuant to which the Company has purchased, on a private placement basis (the "Transaction"), 3,665,000 units (the "Units") at an offering price of $0.30 per Unit, for gross proceeds of $1,099,500. Each Unit consists of one common share of Sona (a "Common Share") and one-half of one warrant (a "Warrant"), with each whole Warrant entitling the holder to purchase, for a period of 24 months following the closing date, one additional Common Share of Sona at a price of $0.50 for the first 12 months and $0.60 thereafter.

Pursuant to the Transaction, the Company acquired 3,665,000 Common Shares of Sona (the "Purchased Shares") representing approximately 13.3% of Sona's issued and outstanding share capital. The Company previously owned 500,000 Common Shares of Sona. Subsequent to the closing of the Transaction, the Company owns 4,165,000 Common Shares of Sona, which represents approximately 15.1% of Sona's issued and outstanding share capital. The Company now also owns 1,832,500 Warrants, which, if the Warrants were fully exercised, together with the Company's current shareholdings of Sona, would represent approximately 20.4% of Sona's issued and outstanding share capital on a diluted basis. The Transaction closed on July 25, 2013.

Pursuant to the Subscription Agreement, the Company will have the right to nominate one individual (a "Nominee") to serve on Sona's board of directors (the "Board"), if the Board comprises eleven or fewer directors. If the Board comprises twelve or more directors, the Company will have the right to nominate one additional Nominee.

As a condition of the Subscription Agreement, the Company and Sona have also entered into a voting agreement (the "Voting Agreement") with respect to any current and future Common Shares owned or controlled by the Company (the "Company's Shares"). Pursuant to the Voting Agreement, Sona will determine how to vote, or act or proceed on each and every of the matters referred to in any notice of shareholders meeting held by Sona (such determination being a "Decision"). Sona will deliver a written notice to the Company of the Decision and the Company will vote the Offeror's Shares in accordance with the Decision. The Voting Agreement will automatically terminate six years after the Subscription date.

The Purchased Shares were acquired for investment purposes. Depending on market conditions and other factors, the Company may from time to time acquire additional securities of Sona or dispose of securities of Sona in the open market, by private agreement or otherwise.

A copy of the requisite early warning report will be filed on the SEDAR profile for Sona Resources Corp. at www.sedar.com.

Source: http://www.sys-con.com/node/2748670

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Israeli-Palestinian talks begin amid deep divisions

By Arshad Mohammed and Lesley Wroughton

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Israeli and Palestinian negotiators held their first peace talks in nearly three years on Monday in a U.S.-brokered effort that Secretary of State John Kerry hopes will end their conflict despite deep divisions.

Top aides to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas began the talks over an iftar dinner - the evening meal with which Muslims break their daily fast during Ramadan - hosted by Kerry at the State Department.

Kerry, who has prodded, coaxed and cajoled the two sides to resume negotiations in a flurry of visits to the Middle East during his less than six months in office, urged Israelis and Palestinians to strike "reasonable compromises."

It was clear, however, from some public statements over the agenda for the talks - which are expected to run for nine months - and comments by Abbas, that there are major disagreements over issues such as borders and security.

"It is no secret this is a difficult process. If it were easy, it would have happened a long time ago," Kerry said with his newly named envoy for Israeli-Palestinian peace, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk, at his side.

"Many difficult choices lie ahead for the negotiators and for the leaders as we seek reasonable compromises on tough, complicated, emotional, and symbolic issues," Kerry added.

The talks started over dinner with Israel represented by Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and Yitzhak Molcho, a close aide to Netanyahu, and the Palestinians by chief negotiator Saeb Erekat and Mohammed Ishtyeh.

As the sides came together in Washington on Monday Kerry met separately with each, starting with the Israelis, before all came together around the dinner table. Kerry and his delegation of four, including new envoy Indyk, were seated on one side of the table and their guests on the other side, with the two main negotiators Livni and Erekat seated side by side.

"It's very, very special to be here," Kerry told his guests. "There isn't very much to talk about at all," he joked.

The parties have publicly sparred over how the negotiations will unfold, with an Israeli official saying all issues would be discussed simultaneously and a Palestinian official saying they would start with borders and security.

Speaking in Cairo on Monday, Abbas struck a hard line, saying that ultimately he did not want a single Israeli citizen or soldier on Palestinian land. His comments were made despite Kerry's wish that both sides refrain from talking publicly about issues.

Israel has previously said it wants to maintain a military presence in the occupied West Bank at the border with Jordan to prevent any influx of weapons that could be used against it.

"In a final resolution, we would not see the presence of a single Israeli - civilian or soldier - on our lands," Abbas said in a briefing to mostly Egyptian journalists in Cairo.

BREAKING BREAD

In an interview with Reuters Television in Washington, Livni voiced some hope about the talks. "It is not a favor to the United States or to the Palestinians, this is something that we need to do," she said.

Middle East analysts praised Kerry for persuading the two sides to resume talks but emphasized the difficulties ahead.

"Right now, there's almost no chance of achieving a conflict-ending agreement; yet by pressing the Israelis and Palestinians back toward the table, the United States has assumed responsibility for producing one," Aaron David Miller, a former U.S. peace negotiator, wrote in a New York Times opinion piece.

"Nobody appears to have a stake in the talks except the United States, and Mr. Kerry," added Miller, who is now at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars think tank.

The United States is seeking to broker an agreement on a "two-state solution" in which Israel would exist peacefully alongside a new Palestinian state created in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, lands occupied by the Israelis since a 1967 war.

The major issues to be resolved in the talks include borders, the future of Jewish settlements on the West Bank, the fate of Palestinian refugees and the status of Jerusalem.

'MISSION IMPOSSIBLE'

Even Indyk, Kerry's new envoy, who has previously served as the top U.S. diplomat for the Middle East, noted that when Kerry began his efforts this year almost no one thought he would succeed in reviving the negotiations.

"You took up the challenge when most people thought you were on a mission impossible," Indyk said.

Abbas and Netanyahu may have enormous difficulty convincing their own people to accept the compromises needed for peace, Middle East expert Rob Danin of the Council on Foreign Relations think tank wrote on Monday.

Resuming talks is unpopular among some of Abbas's supporters in his Fatah movement, which governs the West Bank, let alone with the Islamist Hamas group that rules the Gaza Strip and has condemned the effort.

Netanyahu's domestic politics are also difficult, with some of his coalition partners against the creation of a Palestinian state, Danin said, adding he may have to leave the Likud Party, as some of his predecessors did, in order to make concessions.

"Both sides will be negotiating, not only with each other across a table, but also with their own people back home."

Indyk is a veteran of U.S. efforts to resolve the conflict. He was a senior official during former President Bill Clinton's failed Camp David summit in 2000 after which violence erupted in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

The last direct negotiations collapsed in late 2010 over Israel's construction of Jewish settlements on occupied land it seized in the 1967 Middle East war.

Previous attempts to resolve the conflict have sought to tackle easier disputes first and defer the most emotional ones like the fate of Jerusalem and of Palestinian refugees.

The Palestinians, with international backing, want their future state to have borders approximating the boundaries of the West Bank, adjacent East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip before Israel captured them in the 1967 war.

In what it called a goodwill gesture to restart diplomacy, the Israeli Cabinet on Sunday approved the release of 104 long-serving Palestinian prisoners in stages. Thousands more Palestinians remain in Israeli jails.

(Reporting by Arshad Mohammed and Lesley Wroughton; Additional reporting by Dan Williams in Jerusalem and Ali Sawafta in Ramallah; Editing by Alistair Bell, Will Dunham and Eric Beech)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/israeli-palestinian-talks-begin-amid-deep-divisions-032552109.html

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