Portugal crippled by strikes

Country grinds to a halt as general strike by unions affects transport, media and petrol services.

Public services in Portugal have been halted as unions staged the country's first general strike in more than two decades to protest spending cuts that the government says are vital to avoid financial disaster.

Both public and private sector workers joined the one-day strike on Wednesday, which follows similar strikes in other troubled Euro economies such as Greece and France, as governments are forced to implement unpopular austerity measures.

The transport sector was crippled by the stoppage with no flights taking off or landing at any airport.

More than three-quarters of train services were also cancelled and 60 per cent of bus services were also scrapped, officials have said.

The metro system in Lisbon was also closed for the day while the capital's ferries stayed in their docking berths.

The strike, the first that brought together private and public sector workers since 1988, also hit banks, media organisations and petrol deliveries.

Union leaders said the strike had a "massive impact" on the private sector, in particular on the auto sector with less than 10 per cent of the workforce turning up at Volkswagen's Autoeuropa plant near the northern city of Porto.

"The mobilisation of workers is enormous," said Manuel Carvalho da Silva, the head of the major CGTP syndicate.

Drastic cuts

The strike began on the stroke of midnight with union members setting up picket lines across the country, including outside Lisbon's international airport.

The unions' anger has been stoked by government plans for a drastic round of spending cuts and tax rises, worth some $6.85bn which are currently being pushed through parliament.

The package of cuts is intended to reduce the deficit from 7.3 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) to 4.6 per cent next year in a bid to quell growing international unease over the state of its finances.

Portugal's main opposition party said on Tuesday it would not block the government's 2011 budget, paving the way for its adoption on Friday.

But the unions say the cuts are intolerable, particularly from a Socialist government led by Jose Socrates, the prime minister .

"It is unacceptable that workers are making all the sacrifices," said Joao Proenca, a unionist, told AFP news agency.

"We cannot accept that the first, second and third priority of Portugal is the deficit," he added, referring to the country's 10.9 per cent unemployment rate - a record high.

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UK students begin fees protests

Heavy police presence as thousands take to the streets in protests against government plans to raise university fees.

Students and school pupils have begun protests across the United Kingdom against government plans to raise university tuition fees, two weeks after a demonstration in central London turned violent.

Thousands of campaigners have taken to the streets in London, many holding anti-government placards, calling for free education.

"There is a very heavy police presence - tens of vans, horses, motorbikes and scores of officers," Al Jazeera's Jacqueline Head, reporting from the scene of the demonstrations in London, said.

"In front of them is a very loud crowd shouting their opposition to the tuition fee hike.

"Protesters are burning placards sending up a huge cloud of black smoke. Riot police and horses have been sent in."

TV footage showed a police vehicle surrounded by a crowd of protesters, some of them hitting it with bars and sticks, while others had climbed on top of it.

Lib Dem focus

The protests were planned after the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government proposed to almost triple tuition charges to up to $14,500 a year.

Organisers are expecting 20,000 young people to participate in Wednesday's demonstrations.

Two weeks ago, protesters stormed the Conservative Party headquarters in London. It was the first major demonstration directly linked to the $130bn spending cuts announced by the government last month.

Al Jazeera's Head said that the police appeared to have a strategy to contain Wednesday's protest, after the previous in violence at the previous demonstration.

"They've moved in and 'kettled' the protesters about 200 metres from the Houses of Parliament. Its proving effective right now. No one is getting in or out."

The head of the London police force acknowleged that they had not been prepared for the trouble, but this time senior officers say that they are ready for any eventuality.

Commander Bob Broadbent, heading up the capital's operation said: "Anyone who plans to take to the streets of London, intent on disorder, violence and crime should understand that it won't be tolerated and they will be arrested."

Violence 'not acceptable'

David Cameron, the prime minister, described the violence two weeks ago as unacceptable and his spokesman said that he was "looking forward to a peaceful protest" on Wednesday.

Students and campaigners have been outraged by the plans for university funding.

Their anger is particularly directed at Liberal Democrat politicians, as they all signed a pledge during this year's election campaign to vote against any rise in fees.

Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader, has defended the plans in a speech saying that the policy was the best available in the circumstances.

"I make just one request of those planning to protest: examine our proposals before taking to the streets. Listen and look before you march and shout," he said.

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Formula D Fans: Show Your Support for the Sport

Are you a fan of Formula D, otherwise known as Formula Drifting? If you have a love for cars, racing, or anything else along those lines, there is a good chance that you are. Drifting has always been a relatively popular sport in the United States, but its popularity climaxed with the development of a professional Formula D series. Despite that popularity, the sport is still unknown by many. Formula D needs your help to keep its popularity on the rise. If you are wondering how you can go about doing this, you are not alone.

When it comes to helping Formula Drifting increase in popularity, there are many individuals who over analyze the situation. There are even others who think it is too much work. Well, this is simply not true. If you want to help Formula D become all that it can be, all that you have to do is be a fan. Sounds simple enough doesn’t it? While it is important to be a fan, you want to be more than just a fan. You want to be a fan that has a love and a passion for the sport. There are a number of different ways that you can go about accomplishing this.

Perhaps, the easiest way is to watch television programming that is focused on Formula D, including coverage of live events. To do this, you will need to have access to G4TV. G4TV is one of the few television networks that airs Formula D programs. The only problem with this is that the network has recently scaled back their coverage. Not as many programs are shown as they were in the past and many are being repeated, without cycling through old repeats first. To not only keep newer Formula D programs featured on G4TV, but to ensure that they keep their partnership with Formula Drift, you are advised to tune in as much as possible.

When it comes to television and the programming that airs on it, networks will not air programs that no one watches. Of course, in a way, this defeats the purpose of repeats. Most individuals can only watch a certain program a couple of times before it becomes too much to handle. Although these may prevent you from tuning into the Formula D coverage offered on G4TV, you are advised to think about the bigger picture. High ratings are the only way that a network will know that their viewers are interested. By tuning in or writing to the G4TV staff, you may help to keep the sport of drifting alive and interesting, at least on television.

In addition to watching Formula D events on television, you are also encouraged to watch them live, in person. The only problem with this is that there are a select number of locations in which Formula D events take places. These locations tend to include California, Georgia, Washington, Illinois, and New Jersey. If you are in the area, when one of these events are taking place, you are advised to attend one. In addition to having an exciting day, full of action, you will also find that these events are fairly easy to afford. Many venues only charge an admission fee of around twenty dollars per person. This means that you could easily afford to attend a Formula D event on your own or with your family.
When it comes to attending a live Formula D event, many fans are unsure exactly how it may help to increase the popularity of the sport. When a large number of fans turn out for a particular event, the event promoters are usually pleased. A large fan turnout will almost always guarantee that the event will occur again, often at a later date. A large fan turn out may also help to spark new Formula D event venues. If and when this does occur, they will likely be in new areas; thus giving fans, who were previously unable to attend an event the opportunity to do so.

As you can easily see, there are a number of different ways that you can go about supporting Formula Drifting. In fact, as a fan, it is likely that you already attend live events or watch sports coverage on television. If so, did you know that you are helping out the sport, likely in more ways than one?

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Buying Formula D Drifting Merchandise

All across the country, millions of Americas sport a football jersey from their favorite football player or team. While you may not necessarily wear a jersey, you should still support your favorite Formula D driver or, at least, the sport as a whole. You can easily do this by purchasing Formula D drifting merchandise. If you have never tired to purchase this type of merchandise before, you may be wondering how you can go about doing so.

When it comes to buying Formula D merchandise, it is important to focus on a particular type of product or item. This is because, in most cases, you will find that you need to use different search methods when looking for a shirt versus looking for a book on the sport. So, for that reason, you are advised to try and narrow down your search. Of course, you can also search for additional products later. Plus, there is also a good chance that you will come across additional merchandise that catches your eye, when searching for a particular Formula D product.

When it comes to apparel, many fans like to wear apparel that has a focus on their favorite athlete. If this is the case with you, you will want to select your favorite Formula D driver and then search for any merchandise that they may have available for sale. If your favorite drifter has an online website, there is a good chance that merchandise, including clothing and apparel, could be found on their online website. If you are unable to find this apparel, you could also order your own. A large number of online websites allow you to custom order products, such as hats, shirts, and much more.

If you are interested in purchasing merchandise that has a general focus on Formula Drifting, instead of just a particular competitor, you may find it a little bit easier to find what you are looking for. Whether you want to purchase a book or a DVD, you should easily be able to find a number of different products online, not to mention in storefront retail locations. Although books and media items are available in most storefront retail locations, you may have better luck searching online. Most storefront retail stores are limited on the number of items that they carry. Essentially, this means that for a larger product selection, you are advised to shop online.

When shopping online, you will find that you have a number of different options. Online, you can find a large number of online retailers, as well as online auction sites. While your first impulse may be to purchase the cheapest products, you may want to think about who you are purchasing Formula D merchandise from. Although online auction websites are nice, you could be giving back to the sport by directly ordering merchandise from the Formula Drift Championship Series or from professional Formula D drivers.

In addition to ordering merchandise online, there is also a good chance that you could find the same or similar products at live Formula D events. During these events, vendors tend to setup display booths. The type of merchandise available for sale will all depend on where you are, but you should have a wide variety of different products to choose from. These products are likely to include Formula D apparel, as well as movies, books, and other media items.

By keeping the above mentioned points in mind, you should be able to find whatever you are looking for. Whether you are looking to purchase a Formula D shirt or the newest video game, you now know where to search. Now that you know where to go, what are you waiting for?

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Shoe Sale For The Big Boys: The Car Stereo Sale.

Announce a shoe sale, and the women come a’running. Announce a car stereo sale and the men, or more appropriately, the Big Boys come thundering with their checkbooks and wallets waving in the air.

The car stereo sale. This is every car audio, or even the regular audio enthusiasts’ Mecca. Only intense prayer is replaced by intense spending.

Car stereo sales happen at audio stores regularly. When a car audio manufacturer launches a new product, the prices of prior models drop drastically which may prompt the store or the brand name to initiate a car stereo sale. Most especially when a new technology comes out, a good example would be like the introduction of the Compact Disc technology, suddenly all cassette player car stereos became dirt cheap, no matter how cool that LED display might be.

Another avenue of car stereo sales are at expos and conventions. Most of the time, the good stuff come out at expos’, whether it be a car expo, audio system expo, but usually the largest car stereo sale happens at a gathering of car audio manufacturers. Well, at these kinds of expos’ and conventions, it’s not usually a sale because the manufacturers usually try to get buyers for their newest product. If you have the money and you’re out there to buy some serious hardware, then by all means, SPLURGE AWAY!

But first you have to know what it is you want to buy. Don’t go running off to a car stereo sale without knowing what it is your system needs. There are a lot of items in a car stereo sale, shiny, glittery and LOUD items that might get your attention but don’t let it tempt you to whip out your wallet just yet. Although most car audio enthusiasts need not be reminded of this (because they know their stuff well, it’s probably all they think about all day) any car stereo sale newbie might get the itch to impulse buy, especially when the item displays high wattage. Or even if it just looks spacy and high-tech.

When planning to go to a car stereo sale, you have to prepare, prepare, PREPARE. Take a good look at your audio system. What does it need? Do you need a complete overhaul of your stereo system? If it doesn’t really need anything but you just want to take it up a notch and upgrade it, make sure what you’re planning to buy is compatible with your existing system. Don’t but a high watt bazooka speaker if your amplifier can’t handle it. Although audio parts like these have very high resale value, save yourself some trouble and buy the right parts. You don’t want to end up buying a very expensive paperweight.

Also, do what other enthusiasts’ are doing. READ MAGAZINES! These car audio magazines contain reviews and price listings of the items you may be looking for. You’ll also get acquainted with products you might have never heard before, it will surely open up your choices and options.

Going to a car stereo sales is also a good way to meet other car audio enthusiasts’ like yourself. Who knows, you might meet someone who might be willing to just trade items. It will save you the money and gain you some new friends.

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How to: A Car Stereo Installation Guide

Want to save some money? Ever wonder if you could do a car stereo installation yourself? Yes, you can do it yourself! Go ahead, spend that money on your hardware! Don’t spend it on labor. Besides, doing a car stereo installation yourself can be a very rewarding experience, not to mention you can learn a lot from it too. Nothing beats the feeling of seeing your “creation” in action, running smoothly and perfectly.

But be very careful, you really won’t want to damage your expensive hardware. Well, most car audio hardware are no-brainers to install, you’d find that most of the time the parts have specially shaped sockets and slots etc. and would only fit where it’s supposed to be installed. Still, it’s best to proceed methodically.

In a car stereo installation, you have to determine what kind of rig you’re going to put into your vehicle. If you’re a beginner, it’s best you do a car stereo installation if it’s just a simple system. You may want to leave the complicated stuff to the professionals, like installing delicate equipment like LCD panels, motorized parts etc. especially if it requires the creation of custom panels and such.

Head units are one of the easiest to do in a car stereo installation. Fortunately, most units follow the same size standards (DIN). In many cars, once the factory radio is removed the aftermarket radio will fit in the hole. In many other cars, a kit is needed if the factory hole is too big, or not deep enough. In some cases the dash has to be cut. Any car stereo store should have kits required for installation.

There are two types of mounting in a car stereo installation. ISO mounting is when the radio can be screwed to existing factory radio brackets, such as in most Japanese cars. Ring mounting is when an aftermarket radio comes with a metal ring that gets mounted to the factory radio hole or aftermarket kit via bendable tabs. In many cars, dash and trim rings have to be filed to enlarge the radio hole. Once the ring is installed, the radio slides in and is held by snaps. In most cases, special tools are required to remove the radio.

Speakers are very critical in a car stereo installation. No matter how expensive your speakers are, if they are not properly installed, the sound will not be up to par.

In a simple car stereo installation, you’ll probably be using speakers that fit into a factory location. Just make sure there are no gaps or holes. Sometimes building a wood or fiberglass baffle helps reduce holes and gives you much better sound. But always be careful when using power tools around speakers. Car stereo installation warranties usually don't cover holes in speakers.

For unconventional speaker locations, sometimes metal has to be cut. You might want to leave this to the professionals, tools like plasma cutters and pneumatics drills are required. But if you’re going to insist, a pair of metal snips (left and right cut) will do.

A car stereo installation has to put up with vibrations and other noise sources in its environment. Even though it is impossible to eliminate these completely, there are products that will greatly decrease the noise and rattling, particularly on non-luxury cars. Liners, sprays and adhesive strips and even carpeting applied onto the panels can make a world of difference.

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Arrests in Europe 'terror plot'

Officials arrest 10 suspects in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany for allegedly plotting an attack.
Ten people have been detained by police in three European countries for allegedly plotting an attack in Belgium, officials have said.

A spokesman for the country's federal prosecutors office said in a statement that the suspects were arrested in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany on Tuesday, as part of "an inquiry into international jihadist terror".

"In total 10 people suspected of preparing an attack in Belgium were arrested in Belgium, Holland and Germany," the statement said.

The target of the plot had "not been determined yet" when the raids took place.

The statement added that the suspects are from Belgium, the Netherlands, Morocco and
Chechnya. Most are said to live in the Belgian city of Antwerp.

The arrests followed a months-long investigation launched by authorities in Antwerp in
late 2009. The investigation focused on recruiters, would-be "jihadists" and the financing of a Chechen "terrorist organisation".

Previous arrests

Several other people have already been arrested in Spain, Morocco and Saudi Arabia as part of the probe, according to Belgian officials.

The investigation was conducted in collaboration with several countries and Eurojust, the European Union's judicial cooperation unit.

Europe has been on high alert for several weeks over heightened fears of attacks.

Western security officials have warned that al-Qaeda may be planning attacks in Europe similar to those that struck the Indian city of Mumbai in 2008.

On October, the United States issued a travel alert for its citizens travelling in Europe, citing the risk of potential attacks on transportation systems and tourist attractions.

Similar alerts were issued by Japan, Sweden, Britain and France.

A plot to blow up cargo planes was uncovered at the end of last month after explosives-laden parcels were found at airports in Dubai and Britain.

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Blatter promises 'new Fifa'

World football chief vows a fresh organisation in selecting the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts following voting scandal.

Sepp Blatter, the world football chief, has promised that a "new Fifa" will choose the 2018 and 2022 hosts for the World Cup next month but admitted that changes would be needed in the future.

Blatter was speaking at a news conference in Geneva following his organisation's decision on Thursday to fine and ban two of its executive committee members following an investigation into allegations that they offered to sell their votes in support of a country bidding to host the 2018 World Cup.

The Fifa president said on Friday that he was satisfied with the outcome of the corruption investigation, which also punished four other senior officials.

"I am very satisfied, but I'm not happy, you cannot be happy when you have to sanction members of our family, it is not a pleasure, but I'm satisfied with the work done by the ethics committee," he said.

Reynald Temarii, a Tahitian, and Nigeria's Amos Adamu allegedly told Sunday Times journalists posing as lobbyists that they would endorse the bids to host the World Cup in return for large sums of money.

Adamu has been forbidden from engaging in any form of football activities for three years, and he will be fined about $10,000. Temarii has been banned from football activities for one year and fined approximately $5,000.

Both men were suspended temporarily last month pending the full investigation by the ethics committee.

Blatter admitted that the decision on punishments had not "found the total support of all of the members of the executive committee" but that the committee "abides by the decisions handed down by the ethics committee".

Blatter said all of those sanctioned would be able to appeal against the rulings.

Collusion claims

Andrew Simmons, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Geneva, said: "He [Blatter] didn't really seem to be in buoyant form but it was clear that he feels that this whole thing is now put behind Fifa. He's drawn a line under the whole affair.

"He described the Sunday Times expose, the sting operation, effectively as something he said was unfair ... and he was unhappy about it, he did not welcome what they did."

Blatter said he was optimistic and looking forward to the last few days before the bid decisions on December 2 but also said that collusion was difficult to avoid.

"You cannot avoid collusion, but if there is something wrong in such collusion, then somebody should intervene," he said.

"You find collusion in politics, in elections ... where two parties are enemies during the year but then they go together. That's collusion, this has not been banned."

The ethics committee found no evidence of alleged collusion between the Spain/Portugal and Qatar bids.

England, Russia, Spain-Portugal and Netherlands-Belgium are bidding to host the 2018 World Cup with Japan, South Korea, Australia, United States and Qatar the candidates for 2022.

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Small Business Owners: Are You Making These 3 Deadly Website Copywriting Mistakes?

It’s a common question. “What copywriting mistakes should I avoid?” There are many, but the 3 I chose might surprise you. Why? Because while these can potentially cause the greatest amount of damage they are not ones most copywriters talk about.

Why? Because these aren’t the “sexy” copywriting mistakes. They aren’t the quick-fix aspects. They require thinking and judgment and work! However, they are the ones that – when implemented correctly – can drastically boost the performance of
your copy and content whether that be a blog post, article, web page, email or other forms of text.

Copywriting Mistake #1 – Writing Without a Plan

Regardless of what you write, you’ll get better results if you perform due diligence with a little prior planning. In fact, if you go through the planning phase of copywriting, chances are the copy will all but write itself. How so?

Because research allows you the opportunity to get to know your target customer, organize your thoughts, outline features, benefits and end results, get your creative juices flowing, and much more. It also allows you to overcome what might otherwise become copywriting mistakes.

Take this article, for instance. When I started, I didn’t just lay fingers to keyboard and begin rambling on. I thought about the topic I’d like to approach. I looked into keyphrases that might be a good fit. (For this piece, I chose “copywriting mistakes” and “copywriting mistake.”)

Then, I gave some thought about what – specifically – I’d like to accomplish in the article. What, precisely, did I want to communicate to you? Those became the “3 copywriting mistakes” mentioned in the headline as well as the outline for my writing.

All that was left to do was fill in the blanks.

The same applies to writing website copy. When you follow a process for outlining features, benefits and end results, researching keywords, and creating a skeleton of what the page should accomplish, it all falls into place much easier.

Copywriting Mistake #2 – Writing About Your Company/Product Instead of To Your Site Visitor

One of my biggest pet peeves – and one of the most common copywriting mistakes I see – is ignoring your site visitors. Indulge me for a minute as I climb on my soapbox.

If someone walked into your office, shook your hand and asked how you could help them, you would not immediately begin to rattle off everything you believed to be a strong point about your product or company. No. What would you do? You’d start getting to know the customer.

You would ask questions. You would find out what their problems/challenges are. You’d get details on specifically what they want to do/accomplish and then you would address their exact issues.

Instead of “we do this and we do that and our company, let us help, we, we, us, us, our, our, our, blah, blah, blah” you would speak to the customer who is seated in front of you. Instead of “we-ing all over yourself,” you’d say something like this:

“Mr. Smith, you can get to where you want to go. It’s not as hard as you think. You can improve the image others have of your company and help reinforce your brand with a system that offers 3 important advantages. First, you’ll find that ____________________________….” You get the idea.

Does that mean you can never use “us” or “we” or “our?” Certainly not! But keep it to a minimum. I’d venture to guess you should you those words less than 10% of the time. After all, it’s not about you. it’s about the ones who have the money: your customers.

Copywriting Mistake #3 – Thinking Copywriting Only Happens on Your Web Page

If you plan to write search engine optimized copy, you’ll have to understand that your copy actually begins in the search engine results pages (SERPs). The title tag and the META description tag create a little advertisement for you in Yahoo!, Google, Bing and the other engines.

Let’s say a surfer types in “black cowboy boots” (for example). The very first exposure that customer has to your web page is what they find in the SERPs. Which of these tag sets grabs your attention?

Black Cowboy Boots – Black Cowboy Boots
Black cowboy boots are manufactured by all of the major cowboy boot makers. This most popular boot comes in various styles depending on your needs.

Black Cowboy Boots – Free Shipping and Return Shipping
Buy cowboy boots with a price guarantee and top rated customer service. You can compare multiple … Dan Post Boots Eel Cowboy – Black (Men’s) $249.95 …

Western Spurs, Tshirts, Western Wear, Art, Posters Black Cowboy Boot with Spurs keychains . Black Cowboy Boot with Spurs Key Chain by White_Wedding. praying cowboy pet clothing praying cowboy dog shirt …

I don’t know about you, but I’d be clicking that free shipping one with the price guarantee!

You have to write your title tag and META description tag as an advertisement. Tell the surfer why they should click to your page as opposed to the other 10,000 in the SERPs. What’s in it for them if they click to you?

So, now you know. And now that you know, you can avoid making the 3 most deadly copywriting mistakes small business owners make.

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Website Legal Compliance for Blog Sites Now More Risky Than Ever

Unfulfilled promises by blog site personnel to remove objectionable materials from blogs continue to create headaches – and increased legal exposure – for blog site operators. A recent case involving craigslist.org teaches a critical lesson for blog site operators: be very careful what you and your personnel promise; be very, very careful.

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act

If you’re a blog site operator, you should have a clear understanding of the protections – and pitfalls – provided by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 (Section 230).

Prior to the enactment of Section 230, a blog site could be held liable for defamatory posts by its visitors, even if the blog site operator had no knowledge of it. Think about it – posters to your blog often have an axe to grind; many believe that they can post almost any derogatory comment on the Web. Section 230 was passed by the U.S. Congress to provide relief for websites that allow visitors to post comments.

Section 230 was a significant breakthrough for websites that qualify as “interactive computer services.” Today, blogs and blog sites should qualify for protection under Section 230’s umbrella immunity.

Section 230 provides two immunity clauses:

* a website operator may not be treated as the “publisher or speaker” of any information provided by another;

* however, a website operator may be held liable for any good faith action it takes to restrict access to “objectionable” materials.

In 1997, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Section 230 immunity by ruling in the case of Zeran v. America Online, Inc. that Section 230 immunized America Online from suit regarding content posted by third parties, even if there was an unfulfilled promise to remove the offensive material.

Despite the fact that Zeran and other early cases ruled in favor of Section 230’s immunity for website operators, two recent cases show that the immunity is not bullet proof – the most recent one being Scott P. v. craigslist, Inc.

Scott P. v. craigslist, Inc.

Scott claimed that his supervisor was harassing him due to sexual orientation. Scott even alleged that his supervisor created false ads about his sexual orientation and posted them on craigslist.org.

Scott called craigslist and complained about the alleged false ads requesting craigslist to not post future ads that would identify him. According to Scott, craigslist personnel promised to “take care of it.”

About a month later the supervisor successfully posted six new ads on craigslist that identified Scott. Scott then sued craigslist.

Craigslist moved to dismiss Scott’s suit on the grounds of Section 230 immunity, but the motion was rejected based on the doctrine of promissory estoppel, and the rejection was upheld by the California Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.

Promissory estoppel allows a plaintiff to recover damages from a defendant who makes an unfilled promise on which the defendant reasonably relies to the defendant’s detriment. The significance of promissory estoppel is that plaintiff may recover damages for an unfulfilled promise even in the absence of an enforceable contract.

Conclusion

Scott P. v. craigslist, Inc. and the 2009 case of Barnes v. Yahooo!, Inc. both hold that despite the statutory immunity of Section 230, a website operator may waive the immunity by promising to remove objectionable materials and then failing to live up to the promise.

The lesson for sites with blogs and blog sites – in order to avoid this major pitfall involving promissory estoppel, be careful to avoid promising to remove objectionable material. Don’t even make statements that could be construed to be a promise such as “we’ll take care of it.” The best course of action is to state explicitly that you are “not promising” to remove objectionable content, but that you will “take it under advisement.”

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twitterjoketrial: Stephen Fry defends Twitter joke in the innocence of the lost

twitterjoketrial is one of many currently trending topics on Twitter, on how the UK justice system is convicted people for tweeting. The Guardian wrote last week that arrests, convictions and libel claims look like tweeting has lost its innocence.

First up is a conviction passed to Paul Chambers, for “menace” after he made a joke on Twitter about blowing up an airport. This is what he said: “Crap! Robin Hood airport is closed. You’ve got a week and a bit to get your shit together otherwise I’m blowing the airport sky high!” This was sent to a mother in Northern Ireland he met online. It was said to be a “menacing threat to security”.

For those that don’t know, Robin Hood is a heroic outlaw in English folklore, known for “robbing from the rich and giving to the poor”. And no, there is no airport named after him. To my knowledge Sherwood Forest, where he is supposed to have lived in Nottinghamshire, is far too remote to warrant an airport. He may have been a menace to the Sheriff years ago, but a threat to national security?

Then earlier last week, the high court in the UK was uncomfortably discombobulated with the question of whether a tweet about match-fixing in cricket was defamatory. Libel judge Mr Justice Tugendhat was said to have “needed the help of two experts” to understand what a tweet actually is, how it is “distributed” and exactly what to call “individuals who have received in the jurisdiction a direct and automatic communication of the tweet from the defendant”, which is long-winded legalese for “followers”.

In this case, an influential man in Indian cricket accused a New Zealand cricketer of match fixing. He was sued and the Indian cricketer argued in court that “the case could not proceed because no one in England had actually read his tweet”.

In the former case, Stephen Fry was first on the scene to decry the verdict of Paul Chambers and tweeted the offer to pay his fine, which stands at £3,600 when combined with prosecution costs. “My offer still stands,” he said. “Whatever they fine you, I’ll pay.”

Again, early last week, a Conservative councillor tweeted what he only admits to as “a glib comment”: “Can someone please stone Yasmin Alibhai-Brown to death?” This was in response to the writer’s criticism of Prime Minister David Cameron’s performance in China.

A party spokesman then said the rogue councillor had been “suspended indefinitely” over the alleged tweet and that “language of this sort is not acceptable and as a result Gareth Compton’s membership of the Conservative party has been indefinitely suspended pending further investigation.”

For the rather timid joke about Robin Hood airport, a comedian was said to be “rendered gag-less” at the news and commented: “An astonishing, ludicrous result in #twitterjoketrial. A victory for crushing literalism and scaremongering by the judiciary…So that’s the banning of sarcasm, irony, sub-text and any of the other subtleties of language that we use…” Another comedian said of the trial, with which I agree: “Flippancy is important”.

Now this is where it all gets very messy. While freedom of expression groups, like Index on Censorship, say the law is being used to “stifle [online communication] through unsuited legislation”, the legal profession is sending its senior lawyers to a “Tweet School” where they can learn how to use it. Alibhai-Brown said she regarded the “stoning” comments as incitement to murder.

Meanwhile, back in the “real world”, The Sun newspaper published a story about “fanatical Muslims” burning a giant poppy in an Armistice Day “outrage” when a 40-strong radical group Islam4UK screamed insults about Britain’s war dead during the nation’s two-minute silence last Thursday, demanding Sharia law be imposed in the UK.

And that’s the point where flippancy, libel and lawyers attending “Tweet School” all get lost in the legal haze of Twitter trials — the alleged innocence of the lost.

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Aston Villa 2 - 2 Man Utd

Manchester United came back from two goals down to salvage a point against a youthful Aston Villa.

James Collins and Gabriel Agbonlahor each struck the United woodwork before Villa went ahead when Ashley Young scored from the penalty spot.

Marc Albrighton slotted in from close range as he added to Villa's lead.

But Federico Macheda gave United hope with a powerful shot and Nemanja Vidic stooped to head in a Nani cross to equalise for the visitors late on.

United's comeback provided a thrilling finale to the match but manager Sir Alex Ferguson must have been left wondering why his team waited until they were 2-0 down before sparking into life.

Ferguson took off misfiring strikers Javier Hernandez and Dimitar Berbatov and sent on Gabriel Obertan and Macheda with his side looking beaten but they raised themselves for a late rally to earn a point that had appeared out of reach following the stirring efforts of Villa.

It was the sixth draw in seven Premier League outings for United on their travels this season and, although they kept up their unbeaten record for the campaign, they have now dropped 12 points away from home.

United had the motivation of knowing a win at Villa would close the gap to one point on league leaders Chelsea, who will be playing on Sunday, but the visitors lacked urgency.

They were almost caught napping early on when Barry Bannan slid a ball inside right-back Wes Brown to find Stewart Downing and it needed centre-back Rio Ferdinand to come across and clear out the danger.

United briefly threatened when Hernandez's pass released Berbatov but his early season confidence in front of goal was missing as the Bulgarian sidefooted disappointingly wide.

The visitors' lacklustre play was epitomised when a well-worked free-kick saw Nani play in Evra on the left only for his low whipped ball to fly across the Villa goalmouth without a team-mate showing a desire to get to it.

United needed a creative player in the same mould as the suspended Paul Scholes, whose ability to spray the ball around and get forward from midfield was badly missed.

Hernandez and Berbatov were well-marshalled by a resolute and experienced Villa defence, but the rest of the home side was predominantly made up of up-and-coming talent and the more their opponents struggled the more they grew into their task.

Albrighton was a threat on the right flank, while the central midfield pairing of Bannan and Jonathan Hogg, the latter making his league debut, showed plenty of youthful zest.

Young had a half-volley saved by Edwin van der Sar and Downing saw a shot deflected narrowly wide off Ferdinand as the home side sensed United's fragility.

Not even a half-time teamtalk from Ferguson inspired United to positive action and they looked increasingly vulnerable after the break.

Albrighton sent a far post shot wide as Villa pressed and he then headed an inviting Downing cross across goal and wide.

A fleet-footed Villa full of energy and verve were piling on the pressure and United were rescued by the woodwork when Downing sent in another threatening ball from the left and Collins rose highest to plant a header against the crossbar.

United were rocking and when the ball broke loose after a Vidic tackle on Young, Agbonlahor crashed a shot off the United post.

Villa were finally rewarded when a counter-attack ended with Brown felling Young, who picked himself up to score emphatically from the spot.

And it got even better for the home side after Macheda gave the ball away and a swift and clinical Villa break ended with Albrighton slotting in Downing's perfect cross to the far post.

But United are renowned for their ability to keep fighting until the final whistle and Macheda drilled in an 18-yard shot to give them a renewed belief.

When Vidic met a Nani cross at the far post and nodded in an angle header, the visitors suddenly felt victory was within reach.

Villa held on for a point but a home league win over United, last achieved in 1995, continues to elude them.

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Unrest rocks Bangladesh capital

Bangladesh police clash with demonstrators over the state's bid to evict opposition leader Khaleda Zia from her home.

Police in Bangladesh fired tear gas and rubber bullets on demonstrators trying to prevent authorities from evicting the leader of the opposition from the house where she has lived for 40 years.

At least 50 people were injured on Saturday, and more than 20 demonstrators detained in the capital Dhaka, police said.

Witnesses and security officials said up to 4,000 protesters armed with sticks and stones set fire to vehicles and attacked officers near the headquarters of former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

Several thousand protesters skirmished with police close to Khaleda's residence in the garrison area, and the clashes intensified as security forces cordoned off the building as a High Court deadline for her to vacate the house neared.

Khaleda later told a news conference she had been forcibly evicted from the house where she had lived for 40 years.

"They entered my bedroom and ransacked all the furniture. They even beat my personal staff," said a
tearful Khaleda, speaking at her party office at Gulshan.

"I am not only humiliated but ashamed at the behaviour of the government. Now I seek justice from the people," she added.

Spreading violence

Violence erupted in more than 20 other towns and dozens of people were injured in clashes with police. Around 50 people were injured in Serajganj, 150 km northwest of Dhaka, local television channels reported.

At least three people were killed and five, including a lawmaker of the ruling party, injured in a possible suicide attack on Saturday, police said.

According to authorities, the bomb was detonated at the residence of Afaz Uddin, an Awami League member of parliament, near Khustia, 300 km west of the capital Dhaka. Authorities would not say whether they thought the attack was related to the widespread violence over Khaleda's eviction.

Rising tensions

The situation remained tense as the BNP called for a one-day strike.

"To protest the (eviction) order we have called for a countrywide dawn to dusk general strike on Sunday," Khondaker Delwar Hossain, secretary general of the BNP, told journalists. The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry asked the BNP to call off the strike.

Khaleda's residence in a sprawling compound was leased to her by the government in 1982, after her husband and ex-president, General Ziaur Rahman, was killed in an abortive coup. They had lived in the house for several years.

The current government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina cancelled the lease last year, intending to put up multi-storey buildings for families of army officers killed in a mutiny in a paramilitary unit headquarters in Dhaka.

Hasina was elected for the first time in 1996 and again in 2008 in an election held under an army-backed interim government.

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Mobile Touch Screen Presenter

Touch screen technology has almost become mandatory in today’s society. Most people interact with touch screen display technologies everyday and this is backed up by sales of products like the iphone, ipad, ipod and so many other interactive devices we use every day.

Social media is about interaction and involving yourself in others lives and allowing others into your life. It is important to realize that this is only the beginning of the use of this technology and it will only increase as the years go by. Prospective prospects are looking for more than the standard PowerPoint or flip chart.

Now it is time for you to allow your customers and potential customers to engage and interact on a very personal level with your presentation. By doing this you are going to see almost instantly the benefits, results and impact of allowing people the opportunity to engage them in the presentation itself and no longer sit on the sidelines with their hands tied and mouth gagged.

Much like the story books we read when we were kids that allowed us to choose an alternative ending; who among us didn’t go and read the two or three different endings to see what happens when we made a different choice. With all the different endings in those books have you ever met someone that has not read them all – WHY, because curiosity is attractive and powerful and we do not like to not know when we know we could know. People in general like to decide how, when, where and why things happen to them and further more who is going to be involved when they do actually happen.

Most events in life are not predictable and cannot be planned but preparation can put you ahead of the game. There is no reason that a presentation of any kind cannot be delivered effectively when you allow for audience or viewer participation and interaction. Everyone learns differently and when you allow and give people the freedom to learn at their speed, direction and interest that is when the magic happens.

This creates truer, richer and more meaningful presentations that will have far reaching impact on you and your bottom line. Society is now accustomed to interacting and being an active part of what they are doing even the ATM, GPS, and you’re in-car stereo and comfort systems are now completely interactive. This allows you the ability to control many functions from a touch screen display in the console. Websites and Cell Phones have complete interactivity that allows you to control your experience practically without limits. “Customize, tweak and make it yours!” is the motto.

Why go Mobile with your Interactive Display? Take your interactive presentation on the road to your next sales meeting, presentation, conference, board meeting, client demo, exhibit, trade show, corporate event, chamber mixer and more. Allow your audience the opportunity to choose their own path. No longer will your prospective clients stare blankly at you like a deer caught in the headlights. Counting every minute until they’re out the door as the presenter continues on with the same laborious pitch he or she has presented a million times and insists on going through everything they have to cover.

With an Interactive Touch Screen Mobile Presenter you can truly get your clients involved. Express an interest in their needs, wants and desires and show that you care about them and what they have an interest in – reach out and engage with them it makes all the difference in their buying experience. Your presentation will now electrify any audience as you put them in control and give them the same freedom the rest of their life gives them. Go mobile with your presentation because that is where the clients are. Bring an interactive element into any presentation.

Mobile interactive touch screen displays give you freedom and the ability to increase conversions by engaging your clients. In this “wow age” that we live in show your clients that you care by giving them a presentation worthy of their time investment and backs up your desire to communicate effectively in your business relationship. Actions speak louder than words so show your clients you care by your investment in effectiveness.

Everyone has a learning style that works best for them. You cannot anticipate everyone’s style but having choices for them is taking a step in the right direction. Most people learn more by doing and being involved in the learning than simply by watching someone talk about a given subject. The ability to interact with a presentation will maintain interest in your talk.

Instead of going through the motions from slide to slide and working down the traditional process. You will build a momentum and eventually solidify an order because you allowed your client to guide you on how to communicate to them effectively in a presentation that was powered by interactivity. You will be surprised at just how quick your audience will get involved and probe you for more information; ask questions and engage in a two way conversation with you.

You can lead clients onto your freeway and then they can choose their own destination, detours, on ramps and off ramps. Showing the customer what it is they are actually interested in; you have just traded in your very wide sales tools in for an extremely focused. When the customer reaches out and puts a finger on your display and begins to interact you will instantly begin to develop a relationship, a trust and a connection that would sometimes take months and even years to develop.

As soon as they touch the screen and you engage additional physical senses you have just created a bond that will reach past a competitor’s lower price or smooth talking.

Remember marketing is why people buy and not price. The only reason people do not buy from you is because you failed to satisfy their need for information. They are still searching for fulfillment of their outstanding needs and will buy from the person or place that provides that.

So what can you show on this interactive touch screen display and how can you apply this information? The shortest answer is this – anything you can control on your computer with a mouse you can control or operate with your finger. From Websites to Power Point, Flash Programming, Desktop Software and anything you can do on your computer.

Your finger becomes the mouse and can scroll through pictures in a gallery, advance slide shows, start and stop videos, click hyperlinks and go to web pages (if connected to the web), pull up data sheets, look at case studies and then cost factors, lead times, and so much more. Then bring the presentation right back to the PowerPoint where it all started if need be.

The uses and applications are limitless and this technology will catapult your meetings into hyper drive and thrust them to the next level almost as quickly as you began. Typically we give so much information and leave the client in a state of shock or push them to hard and scare them off. Now you can skip the awkward middle point and transition all the way through the sales process to the order. Your meetings may go a little longer but your clients will be intensely satisfied, interested and riveted. You and your presentation are going to stick out amongst the others. You may get applause afterward because you decided to get out of the box and spice up your meeting a bit.

Client development is based on connection and trust. This system helps you cut through all the noise in the sales world and stick out amongst all the other presentations. A company may have had an average of 3-5 presentations on any given product or service which means the mobile presenter can easily place you at the top.

Marketing and Products are the two core functions of any business. By marketing your products effectively you instantly will begin to increase your revenues by communicating effectively with your clients. Soon people will begin to spread the word of your unusual presentation style and you will have more referrals pouring in than ever before because you dared to be original and leap out of the box. People learn better visually and when they are a part of the visual learning experience it will increase their receptivity rapidly.

Tutorials, trainings, videos, data sheets, sales presentations, product orientation, marketing, security briefings are now more informative and descriptive with the use of Interactive Mobile Presentation Kits. Impact your audience with large touch screen monitor interactive digital displays that you can pack up and carry over your shoulder for an interactive display anywhere.

Allow your clients the opportunity to engage themselves – Integrate Media, Documents, Articles, Hyperlinks, Case Studies, White Papers and so much more into your presentation.

source: sitepronews.com

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Obama joins call to end congressional earmarks

Reporting from Washington — President Obama and House Republican leaders have found something to agree on: the need to eliminate congressional earmarks from the federal budget.

These designated projects represent less than 1% of federal spending, but they have come to symbolize Washington's wasteful ways. When huge spending bills are working their way through Congress, legislators often tuck in a provision that requires the government to fund a particular local project, even when the agency officials think the money could be better spent elsewhere.

In his Saturday radio address, Obama said that curtailing or eliminating earmarks would be a first step toward restoring fiscal responsibility.

"I agree with those Republican and Democratic members of Congress who've recently said that, in these challenging days, we can't afford what are called earmarks," Obama said. "We can't afford 'Bridges to Nowhere' like the one that was planned a few years back in Alaska."

On Friday, the top two House Republicans said they planned to hold a vote in the Republican conference to call for "an immediate ban on earmarks" in the new Congress.

"Earmarks have become a symbol of a dysfunctional Congress and serve as a fuel line for the culture of spending that has dominated Washington for too long," said Reps. John Boehner of Ohio, the incoming House speaker, and Eric Cantor of Virginia, who will be the majority whip. "We welcome President Obama's remarks on earmark reform, and we call upon him to urge congressional Democrats to vote on a similar measure next week."

But it is not clear that Republican leaders on Capitol Hill agree on eliminating earmarks.

In the Senate, Republican Jim DeMint of South Carolina has also called for a ban on earmarks, but Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has questioned the idea now that the GOP has taken control of the House.

Ending earmarks would give the Obama administration a "blank check" on deciding where to spend federal money, McConnell said recently.

In the past, lawmakers have defended earmarks by arguing that elected officials, rather than "bureaucrats," should decide where public money is spent.

"You could eliminate every congressional earmark and you would save no money," McConnell said in a speech to the Heritage Foundation. "It's really an argument about discretion."

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Parma beat Sampdoria in the fog

Parma climb three places from the bottom of the table, while Sampdoria continue a string of non-scoring games.

Parma have beaten Sampdoria in Serie A in a fog-shrouded match, to raise themselves to third from bottom of the league table.

The northern-city side won the game 1-0 at the Stadio Tardini on Thursday evening, with Valeri Bojinov, the Bulgarian striker, capitalising on confusion caused by the poor visibility to put the ball in the back of the net.

It was Parma's first win since August 29, easing pressure on Pasquale Marino, their coach.

Parma's offensive play threatened the visitors in both halves, but Sampdoria had the best chance before the goal, with forward Giampaolo Pazzini smashing a free-kick against the underside of the crossbar.

Bojinov then scored with a shot into the corner of the goal from a reverse pass by Christian Zaccardo - the club's first goal in more than 400 minutes.

Sampdoria patently lacked suspended Antonio Cassano, their inventive Italian forward, and have now failed to score a goal for four games on the trot.

The temperamental Cassano was suspended by the club for swearing at Riccardo Garrone, the president, and failing to attend an awards dinner, but the team is suffering without him.

Despite apologising several times Cassano remains unfavoured and unselected, while an arbitration panel is due to rule on the legality of the suspension.

The team from the northwest of Italy are in seventh place.

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EU 'will bailout Ireland if needed'

EU mulls support for Ireland after Irish bond yields soared to record levels on public debt fears.
Jose Manuel Barroso, the European Commission president, says the EU is able to take action to support Ireland if it is needed.

"What is important to know is that we have all the essential instruments in place in the European Union and euro zone to act if nececessary, but I am not going to make any speculation," Barroso said on Thursday.

He was speaking to journalists ahead of the Group of 20 leaders' summit in Seoul, South Korea.

Ireland is trying to tackle the worst budget deficit in the EU and convince markets it does not need a bailout. But two-thirds of economists and bond strategists polled by the Reuters news agency on Thursday said Ireland will seek international rescue funds before the end of next year.

Irish bond yields - the rate of return paid to investors holding the government debt instruments - have soared in the face of mounting investor unease at the country's shaky public finances, which were ravaged by recession and banking-sector rescues.

The country's cost of borrowing hit fresh record highs on Thursday, fuelling fears that the eurozone debt and deficit crisis could be entering a dangerous second phase just six months after a bailout of Greece.

Irish 10-year government bond yields jumped to 8.929 per cent, the highest level since the euro was created in 1999, placing Europe's bond markets under serious strain.

Monitoring developments

European banking stocks fell, with the Bank of Ireland losing 7.8 per cent, Credit Agricole down 2.4 per cent and Royal Bank of Scotland down 2.7 per cent.

European officials said they were monitoring developments but denied for a second day running that Dublin was seeking financial aid.

Major economies are battling soaring deficits after the global financial crisis forced many nations to rescue their banks, while the subsequent vicious recession also cut tax revenues.

Greece was bailed out in May by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund with an enormous €110bn [$150bn] rescue package as it came close to default, putting huge stains on the eurozone.

Ireland's bond market has been hit very badly this week despite assurances by Brian Cowen, the Irish prime minister, that the country would not be forced to seek help from a massive European bailout fund.

The government, which will unveil a four-year strategy to cut its public deficit later this month, that will involve a €15bn correction to rein in a gaping public finances deficit, has already stated that it is fully funded until July 2011 and does not need to return to bond markets this year.

However, those assurances have failed to prevent renewed speculation that Ireland may require external help.

On Thursday the government said that Brian Lenihan, Ireland's finance minister, would not be making any statement about ongoing bond-market turmoil, but the crisis has nevertheless raised the spectre of a repeat of Greece's near-bankruptcy.

Portuguese bond yields also hit historic highs on Thursday.

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Anger at Amazon 'paedophile guide'

Online retailer sparks global outrage by allowing a "guidebook" for paedophiles to be sold on its US website.

Amazon has sparked outrage for selling a self-published digital book called The Pedophile's Guide to Love and Pleasure: A Child-Lover's Code of Conduct on its website.

The reviews page for the "guidebook", available for Amazon's Kindle e-reader, were flooded with criticisms of the online retail company for offering it for sale.

Phillip R Greaves, listed as the author of the book , writes that paedophiles are misunderstood, as the word literally means to love a child.

He argues that it is only a crime to act on sexual impulses toward children, and offers advice that purportedly allows paedophiles to abide by the law.

"This is my attempt to make pedophile situations safer for those juveniles that find themselves involved in them, by establishing certain rules for these adults to follow," the author writes.

"I hope to achieve this by appealing to the better nature of pedosexuals, with hope that their doing so will results in less hatred and perhaps liter [sic] sentences should they ever be caught."

Calls for removal

The majority of the 305 reviews posted on the site urged the online retail giant to remove the book for ethical reasons.

"This is a joke, right? What reputable business would even consider allowing this book to be sold from their website?" a visitor going by the pseudonym of "Emerald Storm" wrote.

"Shame on you, Amazon, for allowing a book like this to be uploaded for purchase!" another customer wrote.

"This book gives advice to people about something that is ILLEGAL in every state in this nation. It needs to be removed from the site immediately."

A discussion group headed "I contacted the FBI and made a formal complaint" attracted more than 150 posts sharing advice on how to contact legal authorities.

Amazon defended the presence of the book, selling for $4.75, on the grounds of free speech.

"It is censorship not to sell certain books simply because we or others believe their message is objectionable," the US company wrote in a statement.

"Amazon does not support or promote hatred or criminal acts, however, we do support the right of every individual to make their own purchasing decisions".

But later on Thursday the company appeared to bow to pressure and pulled the page from its website.

Amazon allows authors to submit their own works and shares revenue with them. The company issues guidelines banning certain materials, including those deemed offensive.

Exactly what it considers "offensive" is not clarified.

The incident is not the first time Amazon has come under attack for selling objectionable content in its store.

In 2002, the United States Justice Foundation, a conservative group, threatened to sue Amazon, based in Seattle, Washington, for selling Understanding Loved Boys and Boylovers – a title that is still available on the site.

In 2009, Amazon stopped selling RapeLay, a video game in which the protagonist stalks and then rapes a mother and her daughters, after it was widely condemned in the media and by various interest

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Pessimism rules at G20 summit

World's leading economies hold talks in Seoul on trade imbalances and currency policies that threaten world growth.

A strong sense of pessimism has shrouded the first day of the G20 summit of rich and emerging economies, with world leaders sharply divided over currency and trade policies.

The US clashed with exporting giants China and Germany on Thursday over a plan to rebalance skewed trade between deficit and surplus countries.

The summit, held in Seoul, South Korea's capital, has become the centrepiece of international efforts to revive the global economy and prevent future financial meltdowns.

Behind the scenes, negotiators squabbled over the language in a closing statement to be issued at the summit's conclusion on Friday, but so far, officials cannot even agree on the agenda, much less a draft statement.

Barack Obama, the US president, who is working to salvage a deal at the summit after suffering an economy-linked drubbing in US elections last week, said his administration wanted to boost growth via "prudent" economic policies.

"It is difficult to do that if we start seeing the huge imbalances redevelop that helped to contribute to the crisis that we just went through," he told a news conference with the summit's host, Lee Myung-Bak, the South Korean president.

"I don't think this is a controversial proposition."

Currency controversy

Several G20 members are upset after the US Federal Reserve's decision to pump a further $600bn into the faltering US economy, in a step that foreign critics say is likely to trigger tit-for-tat currency devaluations.

Chinese officials sought to throw the onus back on the US by arguing that Beijing has an "unswerving" commitment to reform its currency regime, but needs stability in the world economy to do it.

"If you're sick yourself, don't ask others to take medicine," Yu Jianhua, the commerce ministry spokesman, said, demanding the debt-ridden US fix its own house first.

In one-on-one talks with Obama, Hu Jintao, the Chinese president, said: "I believe that with the concerted efforts of all the parties, the summit in Seoul will produce positive outcomes."

David Cameron, the UK prime minister, conceded that the G20 was not in a "heroic phase" compared to its determined response to the 2008 financial crisis, and that it needed to do "a lot more work" on fixing economic imbalances.

Harried negotiators have been meeting long into the night all week in Seoul to try to pin down language that the G20 leaders can adopt in the closing communique.

The talks were likely to drag long into Thursday night, South Korean officials said, after the G20 heads of government opened their two-day summit with a working dinner of Korean beef and halibut.

"China is being very difficult in finalising the texts, so there might be brackets left for the leaders to fill in after all," a German government source said on Thursday.

Final statement

South Korean and German officials said tha at best the G20 may settle for a watered-down deal to task the International Monetary Fund with crafting guidelines to trim the yawning imbalances between creditor and debtor nations.

Ahead of her own bilateral meeting with Obama, Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, lashed out at a more detailed US plan to rectify lopsided commerce by limiting the current account surpluses of big exporters.

The US wants the G20 to agree to curtail "excessive imbalances" as a back-door way of forcing China to realign its currency, which critics say is keeps deliberately cheap to support Chinese exporters.

But the proposal has run into trouble not just from China but from an array of nations including Germany, another export champion that insists its own trading prowess has nothing to do with any currency chicanery.

"To set political limits on trade surpluses and deficits is neither economically justified nor politically appropriate," Merkel told a G20 business summit.

Emerging economies around the world are worried that the billions in new money from the Federal Reserve will stoke speculative flows of foot-loose "hot money", and some are resorting to capital controls in a bid to stem the tide.

There is anxiety that G20 nations could be heading for a return to 1930s-style trade protectionism, with damning consequences for the world economy two years after the start of the global financial crisis.

Naoto Kan, the Japanese prime minister, said the risk was of "competitive devaluation of currencies reminiscent of the Great Depression".

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Hezbollah to block Hariri arrests

Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, has warned that his group will "cut off the hand" of anyone who tries to arrest members of his Shia movement over the 2005 assassination of Rafiq al-Hariri, Lebanon's former prime minister.

"Whoever thinks the resistance could possibly accept any accusation against any of its jihadists or leaders is mistaken - no matter the pressures and threats," Nasrallah said on Thursday.

"The hand that attempts to reach [our members] will be cut off," he added, prompting thunderous applause from hundreds of his party supporters gathered in a stadium in the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburb of Beirut.

The Hezbollah chief held his speech, aired via closed-circuit television, to mark the group's Martyr's Day.

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), a UN-backed investigation into al-Hariri's murder, is reportedly set to issue an indictment soon that will implicate high-ranking members of Hezbollah as being involved in his death.

Nasrallah, whose party fought a devastating war with Israel in 2006, said his movement would defend itself against any accusation through whatever means it found appropriate.

"Whoever thinks that the resistance will not defend itself and its honour against any accusation or attack by whatever means it finds appropriate in agreement with its allies in Lebanon is mistaken," he said.

Prepared for war

Nasrallah, who has not appeared in public for more than two years, also said his movement - the most powerful military and political force in the country - was ready for another round with Israel, its arch-foe.

"We await the day the indictment will be released," he said. "We are ready for any Israeli war on Lebanon and will again be victorious, Inshallah [God willing].

"Whoever thinks that threatening us with another Israeli war will scare us is mistaken.

"On the contrary, whoever speaks of another war is bearing good news and not threatening us."

Nasrallah's speech was the latest move in an increasingly heated campaign to fend off the anticipated STL findings in connection with the killing of Hariri and 22 others in a Beirut bombing on February 14, 2005.

The head of the Iranian and Syrian-backed movement has warned against any accusations by the tribunal and said further Lebanese co-operation with the court would be tantamount to an attack on Hezbollah.

Despite Nasrallah's warnings, Saad Hariri, the Lebanese prime minister and son of the slain former premier, has vowed to see the tribunal through.

Analysts have warned the standoff could lead to the collapse of the government and a repeat of the 18-month political deadlock that degenerated into deadly clashes and brought Lebanon close to civil war in May 2008.

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Yemeni leader arrest sparks protest

Thousands of separatists have marched through two cities in southern Yemen to demand that authorities release a leader of the southern secessionist movement.

Thursday is the second day of protests sparked by the arrest of Hassan Bamoum, the leader of the southerners' main faction, The Supreme Council for the Peaceful Southern Movement. The reason for his arrest was not clear.

Abdu al-Maatari, a spokesman for the southern movement, said around 5,000 protesters set fire to tyres and blocked streets in the city of Daleh on Wednesday before security forces cleared the crowds

On Thursday protesters attacked a military checkpoint and also tried to break into a jail, according to local officials.

The checkpoint clash occurred hours before about 4,000 people, according to local residents, took to the streets in the city of Daleh for a second day.

Hours after the protest, armed men threw a grenade at a military vehicle at a checkpoint, setting it ablaze and wounding four soldiers.

Two of the armed men, suspected to be separatists, were wounded in the attack, a security official said.

Other marches were held in Habilayn and Loder, two centres of protest in south Yemen, where marches are held every Thursday to advocate the release of prisoners.

Many in the south, home to most of impoverished Yemen's oil facilities, complain of discrimination by a government that freely exploits the area's resources.

The Arabian Peninsula state is under international pressure to quell domestic conflicts like the southern separatist movement and bolster a shaky truce with Shia rebels in the north in order to focus on fighting a resurgent wing of al-Qaeda, which is said to be exploiting the country's instability.

North and south Yemen united in 1990 under Ali Abdullah Saleh, who is still the president. The bumpy merger led to a brief civil war in 1994 won by the north.

Yemen surged to the forefront of Western security concerns over the past year and last month the United Arab Emirates and Britain intercepted US-bound parcel bombs sent from Yemen and claimed by al-Qaeda's Yemen-based regional wing.

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Obama: US-Muslim mistrust must end

Building on his Cairo speech, the US president said much more needs to be done to repair frayed US-Muslim relations.

Delivering a keynote speech in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, the US president has said much more needs to be done to repair frayed US relations with the Muslim world.

Barack Obama addressed a 6,000-strong audience, mainly students, at the national university in the capital, Jakarta, on Wednesday.

"Just as individuals are not defined solely by their faith, Indonesia is defined by more than its Muslim population," he said.

"But we also know that relations between the United States and Muslim communities have frayed over many years. As president, I have made it a priority to begin to repair these relations."

Obama, who spent four years in Indonesia as a young boy, praised the world's most populous Muslim nation as an example of successful religious co-existence.

"Even as this land of my youth has changed in so many ways, those things that I learned to love about Indonesia - that spirit of tolerance that is written into your constitution, symbolised in your mosques and churches and temples, and embodied in your people - still lives on," he said.

'New beginning'

His speech was an update to a major address he gave 17 months ago in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, where he declared a "new beginning" in US-Muslim relations after the tensions over the 9/11 attacks on the US and the former US administration's response to them.

"In the 17 months that have passed we have made some progress, but much more work remains to be done," Obama said.

"I said then, and I will repeat now, that no single speech can eradicate years of mistrust. But I believed then, and I believe today, that we have a choice. We can choose to be defined by our differences, and give into a future of suspicion and mistrust. Or we can choose to do the hard work of forging common ground, and commit ourselves to the steady pursuit of progress."

Al Jazeera's Step Vaessen, reporting from Jakarta, said Obama's speech went down very well in Indonesia.

She said Indonesians were generally receptive to the president's speech.

Middle East peace

Mentioning the Middle East specifically, Obama said the Israeli-Palestinian peace process faces "enormous obstacles" after he relaunched talks in September only to see the dialogue bogged down over disputes between the parties.

"But let there be no doubt: we will spare no effort in working for the outcome that is just, and that is in the interest of all the parties involved: two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security."

The president gave his speech on a twice-postponed visit to Indonesia, which was the second stop in his four-country tour of Asia.

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US panel faults oil spill firms

A White House inquiry into the Gulf of Mexico oil spill has strongly criticised the three companies involved in the deadly accident and called for change.

The panel in Washington DC, the capital, said on Tuesday that BP, Halliburton and Transocean lacked a safety culture and that they need "top-to-bottom reform".

It said that while no entity purposefully traded safety for reduced costs and therefore profits, a number of perceived acceptable risks were taken that added up to the incident that caused the deaths of 11 workers. About 650 million litres of oil were spilled into the sea.

The panel highlighted more than 12 decisions that led to the April 20 rig failure, saying they were both questionable and explainable.

The panel said that BP was hurried and made confusing, last-minute changes to plans that were unusual in the complex environment of deep water.

'Rush to completion'

In the first apolitical and independent investigation of the disaster, the panel leaders said that the findings in sum exposed a lack of safety culture on the rig, with Reilly stating that all three companies were "laggards" in the industry and in "need of top-to-bottom reform".

They said BP could have operated more safely if the company took the time to get the necessary equipment and materials.

"We are aware of what appeared to be a rush to completion,'' William K Reilly, a commission co-chairman, said.

Reilly said that it was unclear what drove people to determine they could not wait for equipment and materials to perform operations more safely.

'Pressure'

The investigation spoke to an engineer who alleged that workers were pressured to complete work on the well, before the explosion.

"I know that there was pressure on this group of people to get done and move on," Steve Lewism, the petroleum engineer, said.

"I have seen internal BP communications at the senior management level inquiring as to whether or not the well was going to be done on time, whether or not the rig would be released on time," he said.

The firms' representatives asserted that no corners were cut in safety procedures due to cost on the BP-leased offshore drilling rig.

While commission officials said they were not excusing BP, they wanted to stress that there was no clear single decision that came down solely to money that led to the disaster.

"Anytime you are talking about a million and a half dollars a day, money enters in. All I am saying is human beings did not sit there and sell safety down the river for dollars on the rig that night," Fred H Bartlit Jr, the commission chief attorney, said.

However, Bob Graham, the commission co-chairman, said that a general culture of cost-cutting could not be completely dismissed as an issue.

Graham, the former Florida senator and governor, ended Tuesday's proceedings by stating that he was worried that there was "a compulsion" to get the rig completed by a April 19-20 timetable set for it.

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Cameron urges democracy in China

British prime minister calls for greater political and press freedoms during a visit to Beijing.

David Cameron, the British prime minister, has urged China to introduce greater political and press freedoms, saying it would ensure social stability and economic growth.

"The rise in economic freedom in China in recent years has been hugely beneficial to China and to the world," he said in a speech at Peking University on Wednesday.

"I hope that in time this will lead to a greater political opening ... because I am convinced that the best guarantor of prosperity and stability is for economic and political progress to go in step together."

His comments come a day after Chinese officials barred the lawyer for Liu Xiaobo, a Nobel peace prize winner jailed for calling for political reform, from travelling to Britain.

Some British press have viewed Cameron's comments as direct condemnation of the Chinese government's human rights record, but Paul Brennan, Al Jazeera's correspondent in London, said the remarks were "frank dialogue rather than criticism".

"David Cameron has been under significant domestic pressure to raise the issue of human rights with his Chinese hosts, but without going so far as to sour what has been a highly successful trade visit.

"His political aides will hope that the measured tone of his speech to Beijing students will be enough to appease both sides," he said.

Press freedoms

Cameron did not specifically mention Xiaobo or any cases of political repression during his speech, but is believed to have brought up the case of Xiaobo in meetings with Wen Jiabao, the Chinese premier.

He also talked about the virtues of the rule of law and Western-style democracy in Communist Party-ruled China, noting that a British government was always subject to the rule of law.

"At times they can be frustrating when the courts take a view with which the government differs," he said.

"But ultimately we believe that they make our government better and our country stronger."

He added that having free media was important despite the criticism and discomfort it sometimes brings for governments.

China defended its human rights record on Tuesday, saying its citizens were "enjoying more extensive rights and freedoms".

Cameron is the first Western leader to visit China since dissident Liu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on October 8 - an honour hailed in the West but condemned by Beijing as tantamount to "encouraging crime".

The British prime minister also called on Beijing to exert more pressure on Myanmar, which has just held elections condemned as a farce by the West, to improve the human rights situation there.

"I believe China can work with us to improve the situation for the Burmese people," he said.

"China is one of the few countries that Burma [Myanmar] will listen to on this point."

Trade ties

His speech comes on the second and final day of a visit focused on boosting business ties as part of Cameron's stated aim of doubling bilateral trade by 2015 to more than $100bn.

The British prime minister, who is travelling with Britain's largest-ever delegation of bosses and ministers to China, wants to take their trade relations "to a new level".

By far the biggest deal announced on Tuesday was worth $1.2bn between Rolls-Royce and China Eastern Airlines Corp under which the British group will provide jet engines to power 16 Airbus A330 aircraft.

Cameron is travelling with 43 bosses from major British companies and four government ministers on his first official visit after taking power in May.

However human rights advocates have accused Cameron of soft-pedalling political criticism of his hosts as he pursues trade ties.

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Blackberry, iPhone or Android: Which Wholesale Cell Phones Are Better?

Wholesale cell phones dealers get fired a lot of tough questions from their customers: how is this model better from this model, what’s this manufacturer’s track record, and how does this brand compare to other brands? And the hottest topic of the moment seems to be whether the Blackberry, iPhone or Android is better. Here is a quick overview of each of these wholesale cell phones.

1. Blackberry - The Blackberry started out as business device, and although it’s now widely used, it’s still primarily a business phone. It has fewer apps than other phones, and the apps it does have are business-focused.

Experts say that of all the smart wholesale mobile phones, the Blackberry offers the best email platform, thanks to its rock-solid Enterprise Server, the most user friendly keyboard, and an excellent security and remote monitoring system. Also, apps can be run in the background, unlike with the iPhone. Experts also agree that the Blackberry is built to last: it has the toughest hardware of all the smart phones, and it also has a long battery life.

Blackberry can be used with the main carriers – AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile – along with smaller carriers such as Metro PCS.

2. iPhone - The iPhone started out as a personal, consumer device, and this is still its primary function, though more consumers are using it for business purposes. Many Blackberry users originally switched to the iPhone as it offered device consolidation: the iPhone was a smart phone and an iPod in one. According to experts, the iPhone’s biggest weakness is that Apple has no central management portal, which means security is not nearly as strong as Blackberry’s. Also, you can’t run apps in the background on an iPhone, and you can’t swap out the battery. The iPhone is not as hardy as the Blackberry, and broken screens are a common problem for users. But weaknesses aside, most users swear by their iPhone, saying that it allows them to do everything they’d do at their desk: write emails, listen to music, surf the web, watch videos, and more. AT&T is the only carrier for the iPhone.

3. Android – Google’s Android is the new kid on the block, and, after hitting the market just two years ago in 2008, it’s already proving a formidable force to beat in the smart phone world, giving Apple a run for its money. A recent Nielsen report showed that the Android represents 27 percent of new smart phone purchases in the United States, while the iPhone commands only 23 percent of purchases.
Wholesale cell phones experts agree that the Android’s biggest strength is its open platform, which is allowing a large community of developers to create powerful and flexible platforms that improve the functionality of the devices and enhance the user experience. Currently, there are 70,000 apps (and counting) available for Android, which is now supported by every phone carrier in the U.S.

So, there are pros and cons to Blackberry, iPhone and Android, and the choice comes down to which device best suits your wholesale cell phones customers’ main requirements.

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