Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Looking For A Legitimate Work From Home Business Opportunity?

Looking for A Legitimate Work From Home Business Opportunity?

Have you searched the internet for a legitimate work from home business opportunity? There is one home business opportunity that is safe and has a proven track record. You don?t need a huge investment to start this and since you are working for yourself, you don?t need to worry that you are being taken for a ride. This work from home business is called Affiliate Marketing.

What is Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate Marketing is setting up websites that provide a service for people looking for products. Your site offers products from various vendors and the vendors will pay you a commission based on the sales that you drive to their site. This is similar to the old sales forces like Kirby or Fuller Brush. The only difference is that you are online with your offer.

How do you get Paid?

The vendors will typically belong to a network that takes care of tracking your sales and directing the commissions to the correct place. Many of the Affiliate networks will pay by check but most will provide a payment directly to a PayPal account. PayPal is secure and is available in many countries throughout the world.

Where can I find an Affiliate network?

The largest affiliate network in the US is Amazon. A huge percentage of Amazon?s sales are generated by affiliates to their program. Unfortunately, due to some rather restrictive laws, Amazon will not allow affiliates to work from some states. This is not a huge problem as other networks are available that will allow affiliates to work from their states. Commission Junction is another that does allow businesses to operate in any location. This is set up a bit differently than Amazon in that the vendors sign up with CJ and you contact them through the network to promote their products directly. Commissions at CJ are typically higher than Amazon as well.

How do you promote a product on the Internet?

The first thing you need to provide for your readers is good solid content on your chosen topic. This isn?t as hard as you may think. All you need to do is pretend that you are talking to a friend about your topic or idea. You can certainly have a good conversation can?t you? Pretend that your friend is asking about your stuff. What would they ask, what would you tell them. Easy as that. Write it down.

Eventually, when you have lots of information on your site you will want to dress it up a bit. Find some compelling pictures to accompany your information. If it is funny or cute all the better. Give people a bit of a laugh if you can. This will get them in a better mood and make them more receptive to your information.

To get your website read on the internet it needs to have a good ranking in the search engines. The largest search engines are Google, Bing and Yahoo. Each will rank your site with the terms that you use in your writing. Using terms that have high search volume and low competition will help you to rank. There is a whole discipline called SEO (Search Engine Optimization) that will allow you to rank more easily. It is not hard to learn and there are quite a few places that will do this for you or even teach you to do SEO for your own site.

Make sure that you give Affiliate Marketing a look if you are looking for a legitimate work from home opportunity. It will provide you with an income with unlimited potential and a way to work on your own schedule. It takes discipline to run your own business, it also takes time to get your business up and running. It can however fill your needs and dreams.

Source: http://www.streetarticles.com/network-marketing/looking-for-a-legitimate-work-from-home-business-opportunity

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Military veterans with history of heavy alcohol use more likely to seek treatment and afterwards report better overall health than civilians

ScienceDaily (Oct. 29, 2012) ? Male military veterans with a history of heavy alcohol use are more likely to seek treatment and, later, report better overall health and less depression than their civilian counterparts, according to new research released tat the American Public Health Association's 140th Annual Meeting in San Francisco, Calif.

According to the National Institutes of Health-funded research from the Public Health Institute's Alcohol Research Group, 29 percent of veterans under 50 years old who reported a long history of heavy alcohol use sought treatment for alcohol dependence compared with just 17 percent of their civilian counterparts. Among these younger men who continued to drink heavily into their 30s, civilians were more than twice as likely (35 percent) to report current depression than veterans (15 percent).

The research also found that younger veterans who report a history of heavy drinking in their 30s reported better overall health and less depression than veterans who did not report heavy drinking in their 30s.

"The findings suggest not only that Veterans Affairs treatment is available to help young veterans who have a history of heavy drinking, but that it is an effective service outreach to young veterans that can improve their health and overall quality of life" said Katherine Karriker-Jaffe, PhD, researcher at the Public Health Institute and APHA Annual Meeting presenter. "Those younger veterans without alcohol or drug problems may benefit from additional outreach from targeted services to improve their mental and physical health."

Results were analyzed from the 2010 National Alcohol Survey. Heavy drinking was defined as drinking five or more drinks at a time at least once a week. Military service was not associated with heavy drinking histories of older men, although veterans over 49 years old were somewhat more likely than civilians to report heavy drinking in the year prior to the interview.

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/mind_brain/mental_health/~3/tYUC6jObldI/121029081213.htm

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Monday, October 29, 2012

Pole gets 30 years for killing 6 on Channel Island

LONDON (AP) ? A Polish builder who killed six people, including his wife and children, on the British Channel Island of Jersey has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Damian Rzeszowski, 31, carried out the knife attack in August 2011 at his home. He was said to have become depressed after his wife admitted to an affair.

Rzeszowski was convicted of six counts of manslaughter but cleared of murder. On Monday, Judge Michael Birt sentenced him to 30 years in jail for each victim, but the sentences are to run concurrently.

Rzeszowski's victims were his wife Izabela Rzeszowska, 30; 5-year-old daughter, Kinga; 2-year-old son, Kacper; father-in-law, Marek Gartska, 56; his wife's friend Marta De La Haye, 34; and her 5-year-old daughter, Julia.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pole-gets-30-years-killing-6-channel-island-195812942.html

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More Work - More Money - Prompt Payment - Only Native English ...

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$30-$250

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  • Project ID:

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Project Description:

I need content of different niches.
Each content only 355 words (excluding title and keywords)
Am willing to pay $ 1.25 per 355 words. Hence this project is for 24 Article.

Writers must write articles one by one. the flow goes like this,

We assign article 1 - > Write the article - > We check the article (with Copyscape check ) - > Assign article 2 - > ....
Deadline for each article would be 40 minutes to 1 hour.

Interested Writers can contact me immediately. (Milestone will be uploaded)
********* Strictly no Writers from India / Pakistan / Dubai / Srilanka / Bangladesh and other non English speaking countries. ***********

Note: Bidders stay online, so that we communicate with you in next 30 mins to 1 hour. and Hire you NOW ITSELF

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Source: http://www.freelancer.com/projects/Copywriting-Technical-Writing/More-Work-More-Money-Prompt.html

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Magnitude 7.7 quake strikes off Canadian coast

Erica Avegalio, center, and her brother Albert Avegalio, right, load up on water and food at the Times Supermarket after learning of a tsunami warning Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012, in Honolulu. A tsunami warning has been issued for Hawaii after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake rocked an island off the west coast of Canada. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center originally said there was no threat to the islands, but a warning was issued later Saturday and remains in effect until 7 p.m. Sunday. A small craft advisory is in effect until Sunday morning. (AP Photo/Eugene Tanner)

Erica Avegalio, center, and her brother Albert Avegalio, right, load up on water and food at the Times Supermarket after learning of a tsunami warning Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012, in Honolulu. A tsunami warning has been issued for Hawaii after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake rocked an island off the west coast of Canada. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center originally said there was no threat to the islands, but a warning was issued later Saturday and remains in effect until 7 p.m. Sunday. A small craft advisory is in effect until Sunday morning. (AP Photo/Eugene Tanner)

Mike Nakamoto of Honolulu prepare's his client's boat moored at the Ala Wai Harbor to take it to deep water after learning of a tsunami warning Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012, in Honolulu. A tsunami warning has been issued for Hawaii after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake rocked an island off the west coast of Canada. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center originally said there was no threat to the islands, but a warning was issued later Saturday and remains in effect until 7 p.m. Sunday. A small craft advisory is in effect until Sunday morning.(AP Photo/Eugene Tanner)

Tad Kanski of Newport Beach, Calif unties his family's sailboat moored at the Ala Wai Harbor after learning of a tsunami warning Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012, in Honolulu. A tsunami warning has been issued for Hawaii after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake rocked an island off the west coast of Canada. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center originally said there was no threat to the islands, but a warning was issued later Saturday and remains in effect until 7 p.m. Sunday. A small craft advisory is in effect until Sunday morning.(AP Photo/Eugene Tanner)

Lyndon Fong of Honolulu fills up his gas tank after learning of a tsunami waring Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012, in Honolulu. A tsunami warning has been issued for Hawaii after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake rocked an island off the west coast of Canada. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center originally said there was no threat to the islands, but a warning was issued later Saturday and remains in effect until 7 p.m. Sunday. A small craft advisory is in effect until Sunday morning.(AP Photo/Eugene Tanner)

(AP) ? A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the west coast of Canada, but there were no reports of major damage. Residents in parts of British Columbia were evacuated, but the province appeared to escape the biggest quake in Canada since 1949 largely unscathed.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the powerful temblor hit the Queen Charlotte Islands just after 8 p.m. local time Saturday at a depth of about 3 miles (5 kilometers) and was centered 96 miles (155 kilometers) south of Masset, British Columbia. It was felt across a wide area in British Columbia, both on its Pacific islands and on the mainland.

"It looks like the damage and the risk are at a very low level," said Shirley Bond, British Columbia's minister responsible for emergency management said. "We're certainly grateful."

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center lifted its tsunami advisory for Hawaii Sunday morning just before 4 a.m. local time, three hours after downgrading from a warning and less than six hours after the waves first hit the islands.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service canceled tsunami advisories for Canada, Alaska, Washington, Oregon and California.

Tsunami Warning Center officials said wave heights were diminishing in Hawaii, though swimmers and boaters should be careful of strong or unusual currents. The biggest waves ? about 5 feet (1.5 meters)high ? appeared to hit Maui.

There were no immediate reports of damage, though one person died in a fatal crash near a road that was closed because of the threat near Oahu's north shore.

Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie said the state was lucky to avoid more severe surges.

"We're very, very grateful that we can go home tonight counting our blessings," Abercrombie said.

Dennis Sinnott of the Canadian Institute of Ocean Science said a 69-centimeter (27 inch) wave was recorded off Langara Island on the northeast tip of Haida Gwaii, formerly called the Queen Charlotte Islands. The islands are home to about 5,000 people, many of them members of the Haida aboriginal group. Another 55 centimeter (21 inch) wave hit Winter Harbour on the northeast coast of Vancouver Island.

Canada's largest earthquake since 1700 was an 8.1 magnitude quake on August 22, 1949 off the coast of British Columbia, according to the Canadian government's Natural Resources website. It occurred on the Queen Charlotte Fault in what the department called Canada's equivalent of the San Andreas Fault ? the boundary between the Pacific and North American plates that runs underwater along the west coast of the Haida Gwaii.

In 1970 a 7.4 magnitude quake struck south of the Haida Gwaii.

The USGS said the temblor shook the waters around British Columbia and was followed by a 5.8 magnitude aftershock after several minutes. Several other aftershocks were reported.

The quake struck 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of Sandspit, British Columbia, on the Haida Gwaii archipelago. People in coastal areas were advised to move to higher ground.

Urs Thomas, operator of the Golden Spruce hotel in Port Clements said there was no warning before everything began moving inside and outside the hotel. He said it lasted about three minutes.

"It was a pretty good shock," Thomas, 59, said. "I looked at my boat outside. It was rocking. Everything was moving. My truck was moving."

After the initial jolt, Thomas began to check the hotel.

"The fixtures and everything were still swinging," he said. "I had some picture frames coming down."

Lenore Lawrence, a resident of Queen Charlotte City on the Haida Gwaii, said the quake was "definitely scary," adding she wondered if "this could be the big one." She said the shaking lasted more than a minute. While several things fell off her mantle and broke, she said damage in her home was minimal.

Many on the B.C. mainland said the same.

"I was sitting at my desk on my computer and everything just started to move. It was maybe 20 seconds," said Joan Girbav, manager of Pacific Inn in Prince Rupert, British Columbia. "It's very scary. I've lived here all my life and I've never felt that."

Residents rushed out of their homes in Tofino, British Columbia on Vancouver Island when the tsunami sirens sounded, but they were allowed to return about two hours after the quake.

In Hawaii, the tsunami warning spurred residents to stock up on essentials at gas stations and grocery stores and sent tourists in beachside hotels to higher floors in their buildings. Bus service into Waikiki was cut off an hour before the first waves, and police in downtown Honolulu shut down a Halloween block party. In Kauai, three schools used as evacuation centers quickly filled to capacity.

In Alaska, the wave or surge was recorded at 4 inches (10 centimeters), much smaller than forecast, said Jeremy Zidek, a spokesman for the Alaska Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. The first wave hit Craig about two hours after the earthquake.

_____

Associated Press writers Oskar Garcia in Honolulu, Hawaii, Mark Thiessen in Anchorage, Alaska, and Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/b2f0ca3a594644ee9e50a8ec4ce2d6de/Article_2012-10-28-Canada-Earthquake/id-68732de81f8748dea9bf8eb20971d20a

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Sunday, October 28, 2012

iPad Mini Almost Sold Out in Pre-Order

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Halloween local events and thing to do with your baby, toddler, pre ...

Looking for local Halloween events and things to do with your baby, toddler, pre-schoolHalloween local events and thing to do with your baby, toddler, pre-school child and family child and family? Just click on one of our selected events below or if you do not see any in your area click here to go to our Online Events Calendar where you will find something spooky going on near you.

Craft Fair ? Nuthall Temple Community Centre:?Nottingham. Quality stalls selling crafts, gifts, handmade items and products NOT for sale on the High Street. FREE ENTRY! FAMILIES WELCOME!

Halloween Scarefest:?West Cheshire. Join us throughout the half term holidays for ghoulish games, treasure hunt thrills and chilling crafts.

Things That Go Bump in High Barnet: a Halloween Ghost Walk:?Barnet. A special Halloween Ghost Walk through High Barnet and Monken, Hadley; the second most haunted village in England. Ideal for all those aged 4-84. Parental discretion is advised for those with very young children. Please bring a torch if possible, as we will be going through a churchyard.

Mere Fireworks Festival:?Bath. After the phenomenal success of our first Fireworks Festival last year, we?re all set for Sunday 28th October 2012. Inspired by the Queen?s Diamond Jubilee and the 50th anniversary of the James Bond film franchise, this year?s event will have a ?Diamonds are Forever? theme. The display will be set to music, and include choreographed fire performers and an illuminated remote control helicopter, flown by one of the UK?s leading remote control helicopter pilots.

Source: http://www.smallstepsonline.co.uk/news/3962/halloween-local-events-and-thing-to-do-with-your-baby-toddler-pre-school-child-and-family

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5 Emergency Apps to Download Before Hurricane Sandy Hits

Hurricane Sandy will make landfall on the East Coast within the next few days. If you've got a smartphone, you can quickly, easily and cheaply turn it into part of your emergency readiness kit by downloading a few useful apps.

[More from Mashable: Play ?Grand Theft Auto: Vice City? on Your Phone Very Soon [VIDEO]]

To keep your eye on Sandy's path, download the Hurricane Tracker app for iOS. It delivers the latest forecasts and National Hurricane Center data on the storm's path right to your iPhone. Also included: relevant Twitter feeds from storm centers, meteorologists and others.

Download iMap Weather Radio, an iOS and Android app which either tracks your location or follows a set of locations you select. If a weather alert is issued for where you are, the app will automatically alert you. It'll also let you tune in to local weather television broadcasts.

[More from Mashable: 10 Things You Didn?t Know Dropbox Could Do]

For drafting an emergency plan before the storm strikes, download the Insurance Institute's Your Plan app. You can use it to figure out what to pack in an emergency "go" kit, store contact numbers, figure out where to go and how to get there.

The Red Cross has a feature-packed and useful Hurricane app for iOS and Android with myriad features: It tracks weather information, it lets you broadcast an "I'm safe" message to friends and family with one button, and, if you need to evacuate your home, it maps the nearest Red Cross shelter. It also has a list of steps to take in case of an emergency. Hopefully, you won't have to use most of these features -- but if you do, you'll be glad you have it. Get it from the Red Cross.

Finally, every emergency preparedness kit should have a flashlight -- make sure the batteries are fresh and you know where to find them in your home. But for a quick backup solution, download a Flashlight app to turn your phone's camera flash into a solid beam of light. There's plenty out there for iOS and Android alike, but this free Flashlight app (ad-supported) is a favorite for iOS that doubles as an emergency beacon.

SEE ALSO: 6 Clever Ways to Charge Your Devices in a Pinch

What are your favorite apps in case of an emergency? Share them in the comments.

1. Drive

If you have a car charger, plug in your device during your next drive to the supermarket. You can find very inexpensive versions compatible with most portable devices on retail sites like Amazon. But try to preserve the environment ? don't cruise your car just to charge your phone. Kill two birds with one stone and make an errand out of it. Image courtesy of Flickr, e_walk

Click here to view this gallery.

This story originally published on Mashable here.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/5-emergency-apps-download-hurricane-sandy-hits-151248442.html

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Saturday, October 27, 2012

Whitehead scientists identify major flaw in standard approach to global gene expression analysis

Whitehead scientists identify major flaw in standard approach to global gene expression analysis

Friday, October 26, 2012

Whitehead Institute researchers report that common assumptions employed in the generation and interpretation of data from global gene expression analyses can lead to seriously flawed conclusions about gene activity and cell behavior in a wide range of current biological research.

"Expression analysis is one of the most commonly used methods in modern biology," says Whitehead Member Richard Young. "So we are concerned that flawed assumptions may affect the interpretation of many biological studies."

Much of today's interpretation of gene expression data relies on the assumption that all cells being analyzed have similar total amounts of messenger RNA (mRNA), the roughly 10% of a cell's RNA that acts as a blueprint for protein synthesis. However, some cells, including aggressive cancer cells, produce several times more mRNA than other cells. Traditional global gene expression analyses have typically ignored such differences.

"We've highlighted this common assumption in gene expression analysis that potentially affects many researchers," says Tony Lee, a scientist in Young's lab and a corresponding author of the article published in this week's issue of Cell. "We provided a concrete example of the problem and a solution that can be implemented by investigators."

Members of the Young lab recently uncovered the flaw while investigating genes expressed in cancer cells expressing high levels of c-Myc, a gene regulator known to be highly expressed in aggressive cancer cells. When comparing cells with high and low c-Myc levels, they were surprised to find very different results using different approaches to gene expression analysis. Further investigation revealed that there were striking differences in the total amounts of RNA from the high and low c-Myc -containing cells, yet these differences were masked by commonly used experimental and analytical methods.

"The different results we saw from different methods of gene expression analysis were shocking, and led us to reinvestigate the whole process on several platforms," says Jakob Lov?n, postdoctoral reseacher in Young's lab and co-author of the Cell paper. "We then realized that the common assumption that cells contain similar levels of mRNA is badly flawed and can lead to serious misinterpretations, particularly with cancer cells that can have very different amounts of RNA."

In addition to delineating this problem, the Whitehead scientists also describe a remedy. By using synthetically produced mRNAs, called RNA spike-ins, as standardized controls, researchers can compare experimental data and eliminate assumptions about total cell RNA amounts. The remedy applies to all three gene expression analysis platforms they studied.

Although the researchers believe the use of RNA spike-ins should become the new standard for global gene expression analyses, questions are likely to persist about the interpretations of much prior research.

"There are over 750,000 expression datasets in public databases, and because they generally lack information about the cell numbers used in the analysis, it is unclear whether they can be re-examined in order to validate the original interpretation" says David Orlando, a scientist in the Young lab. "It may be necessary to reinvestigate some important concepts."

###

Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research: http://www.wi.mit.edu/index.html

Thanks to Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 91 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/124858/Whitehead_scientists_identify_major_flaw_in_standard_approach_to_global_gene_expression_analysis

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windows - How do I define a folder for music videos? - Super User

I have a bunch of music videos stored locally in a single directory. I want XBMC to recognize them as music videos as such, i.e. separate from existing video categories of movies/TV shows, or as just music (audio). Is this possible?

To clarify, let's say I add my directory under 'videos'. I can only set the content as either movies or as TV shows, when it's neither. If I add the directory under 'music', it has no option to set content, and probably expects audio files there (which there aren't).

Source: http://superuser.com/questions/494227/how-do-i-define-a-folder-for-music-videos

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Berlusconi denounces fraud verdict as 'political'

FILE - In this Sept. 27, 2012 file photo, Italian former premier Silvio Berlusconi reacts during a press conference in Rome, Italy. A court in Italy has convicted, Friday, Oct. 26, 2012, former Premier Silvio Berlusconi of tax fraud and sentenced him to four years in prison. In Italy, cases must pass two levels of appeal before the verdicts are final. Berlusconi is expected to appeal. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)

FILE - In this Sept. 27, 2012 file photo, Italian former premier Silvio Berlusconi reacts during a press conference in Rome, Italy. A court in Italy has convicted, Friday, Oct. 26, 2012, former Premier Silvio Berlusconi of tax fraud and sentenced him to four years in prison. In Italy, cases must pass two levels of appeal before the verdicts are final. Berlusconi is expected to appeal. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)

In this photo released by the Berlusconi press office Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012, former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi tapes a video message where he announces he will not run for a fourth term as premier in spring elections. Berlusconi has until now been coy about his intentions. But the three-time former premier posted a statement on his movement's website yesterday, under the headline: "I won't run for premier.", following today with a video where he confirmes his intentions. (AP Photo/Livio Anticoli, Berlusconi press office)

FILE - In this Sept. 27, 2012 file photo, Italian former premier Silvio Berlusconi wipes his forehead during a press conference in Rome, Italy. A court in Italy has convicted, Friday, Oct. 26, 2012, former Premier Silvio Berlusconi of tax fraud and sentenced him to four years in prison. In Italy, cases must pass two levels of appeal before the verdicts are final. Berlusconi is expected to appeal. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)

FILE - In this Feb. 9, 2011 file photo, Italian former premier Silvio Berlusconi grimaces during a press conference in Rome, Italy. A court in Italy has convicted, Friday, Oct. 26, 2012, former Premier Silvio Berlusconi of tax fraud and sentenced him to four years in prison. In Italy, cases must pass two levels of appeal before the verdicts are final. Berlusconi is expected to appeal. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito, File)

File- In this Thursday, March 8, 2012 file photo, then Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, left, former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, center, and then Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, right, smile during their meeting in the mountain resort of Krasnaya Polyana near the Black Sea resort of Sochi, southern Russia. A court in Italy has convicted former Premier Silvio Berlusconi of tax fraud and sentenced him to four-years in prison. Berlusconi is expected to appeal. (AP Photo/RIA-Novosti, Dmitry Astakhov, Presidential Press Service)

(AP) ? A Milan court on Friday convicted former Premier Silvio Berlusconi of tax fraud and sentenced the media mogul to four years in prison ? a verdict that could see him barred from public office for five years.

The 76-year-old billionaire businessman ? who just two days ago said he would not run in Italy's spring election ? is expected to remain free until the appeals process is exhausted. In Italy, cases must pass two levels of appeal before verdicts are final.

Prosecutors had brought the case against Berlusconi and 10 other co-defendants over the purchase of rights to broadcast U.S. films on Berlusconi's Mediaset empire.

In addition to the prison sentence, the court said Berlusconi could not hold public office for five years or manage any company for three years, penalties that would take force only if the conviction is upheld.

"It is a political conviction that I can define perfectly well as incredible and intolerable," Berlusconi said in a phone call to his Italia 1 private network.

He denied that there was any connection between this case and his decision to step aside and allow another center-right candidate to seek the premiership.

"My lawyers and I never thought that such a conviction would be possible," he said.

Berlusconi has been convicted of lesser crimes in past trials, but they have always been thrown out on appeal. Other criminal investigations against him on charges including corruption have ended in acquittal or were thrown out because the statute of limitations had expired. He is also on trial in Milan on a charge of paying for sex with an underage Moroccan teen and trying to cover it up.

The court read its reasons for the fraud conviction immediately Friday, a rare event as judges have 90 days to write them. It's a sign they want to speed the case along to the appellate level before the charges expire ? sometime next year or in early 2014.

Berlusconi wasn't in the courtroom. In a statement, his lawyers denounced the verdict as "absolutely incredible" and said they would appeal.

For nearly 20 years, Berlusconi has dominated the Italian political scene. His star began to lose its luster, however, after a sex scandal pushed him into another trial in the same Milan courthouse and the European debt crisis effectively forced him out of office last November.

Berlusconi's designated political heir as the head of the center-right party he leads, Angelino Alfano, blasted Friday's verdict as "incomprehensible" and said he is confident an appeals court will throw out the conviction.

In this and other cases against him, the conservative Berlusconi has described himself as the innocent victim of prosecutors whom he contends sympathize with the left.

Prosecutors allege the 11 defendants were behind a scheme to purchase the rights to broadcast U.S. movies on Berlusconi's private television networks through a series of offshore companies and had falsely declared the payments to avoid taxes. They said the defendants then inflated the price for the TV rights of some 3,000 films as they relicensed them internally to Berlusconi's networks, pocketing the difference amounting to around ?250 million.

Berlusconi and three others were convicted, including a Hollywood producer, Frank Agrama, who received a three-year sentence.

Three other defendants were acquitted, including a close associate of Berlusconi's, Fedele Confalonieri, the chairman of Mediaset.

Four defendants were cleared because statute of limitations had run out on their charges.

Berlusconi and the three others convicted must deposit a total of ?10 million ($13 million) into a court-ordered fund while the appeals proceed.

In the other trial playing out in the Milan courthouse, Berlusconi is charged with paying for sex with an underage woman and trying to cover it up. He denies wrongdoing.

Berlusconi is not the first former Italian premier to be convicted on criminal charges.

Former Socialist Premier Bettino Craxi eluded an arrest warrant and turned up at his villa in Tunisia in 1994 after a court in Italy charged him in a massive corruption case. He was tried in absentia, convicted and sentenced to 8 1/2 years in prison. He never returned to Italy and died in exile. Craxi was considered Berlusconi's mentor thanks to his opening up Italy to private television from a state monopoly.

Former seven-time Christian Democrat premier, Giulio Andreotti, was convicted of involvement in a Mafia-murder but he was cleared on appeal and never went to jail.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-10-26-Italy-Berlusconi%20Trial/id-371deb957e2a4c1b81a9f08f6cc0396c

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Why don't these voters decide? Some like to mull

This photo taken Oct. 25, 2012 shows Kelly Cox, co-owner of Shehan?s Transport Refrigeration stands in one of his trucks, in Delhi, Calif. Who are these people who still can?t make up their minds? They?re undecided voters like Cox, who spends his days repairing the big rigs that haul central California?s walnuts, grapes, milk and much more across America. He doesn?t put much faith in Barack Obama or Mitt Romney. (AP Photo/Gary Kazanjian)

This photo taken Oct. 25, 2012 shows Kelly Cox, co-owner of Shehan?s Transport Refrigeration stands in one of his trucks, in Delhi, Calif. Who are these people who still can?t make up their minds? They?re undecided voters like Cox, who spends his days repairing the big rigs that haul central California?s walnuts, grapes, milk and much more across America. He doesn?t put much faith in Barack Obama or Mitt Romney. (AP Photo/Gary Kazanjian)

In this photo taken Oct. 25, 2012, Kelly Cox, co-owner of Shehan?s Transport Refrigeration is seen in Delhi, Calif. Who are these people who still can?t make up their minds? They?re undecided voters like Cox, who spends his days repairing the big rigs that haul central California?s walnuts, grapes, milk and much more across America. He doesn?t put much faith in Barack Obama or Mitt Romney. (AP Photo/Gary Kazanjian)

This photo taken Oct. 25, 2012, shows Kelly Cox, co-owner of Shehan?s Transport Refrigeration in Delhi, Calif. Who are these people who still can?t make up their minds? They?re undecided voters like Cox, who spends his days repairing the big rigs that haul central California?s walnuts, grapes, milk and much more across America. He doesn?t put much faith in Barack Obama or Mitt Romney. (AP Photo/Gary Kazanjian)

This photo taken Oct. 25, 2012 shows Kelly Cox, co-owner of Shehan's Transport Refrigeration reflected in the mirror of a truck in Delhi, Calif. Who are these people who still can?t make up their minds? They?re undecided voters like Cox, who spends his days repairing the big rigs that haul central California?s walnuts, grapes, milk and much more across America. He doesn?t put much faith in Barack Obama or Mitt Romney. (AP Photo/Gary Kazanjian)

This photo taken Oct. 25, 2012 shows Kelly Cox, co-owner of Shehan's Transport Refrigeration in Delhi, Calif. Who are these people who still can?t make up their minds? They?re undecided voters like Cox, who spends his days repairing the big rigs that haul central California?s walnuts, grapes, milk and much more across America. He doesn?t put much faith in Barack Obama or Mitt Romney. (AP Photo/Gary Kazanjian)

(AP) ? Who are these people who still can't make up their minds? They're undecided voters like Kelly Cox, who spends his days repairing the big rigs that haul central California's walnuts, grapes, milk and more across America.

He doesn't put much faith in either Barack Obama or Mitt Romney. But he figures he's got plenty of time ? a little more than a week ? to settle on one of them before Nov. 6. And he definitely does plan to vote.

"I'll do some online research," said Cox, co-owner of a Delhi, Calif., truck repair shop. "I don't have time to watch presidential debates because it's a lot of garbage anyway. They're not asking the questions that the people want to hear."

About 5 percent of Americans with solid plans to vote have yet to pick their presidential candidate, according to a new AP-GfK poll. When you add in those who lean only tentatively toward their choice or won't declare a favorite, about 16 percent of likely voters look ripe for persuasion. That's about the same as a month ago.

In a super-tight race, undecided voters have taken on almost mythic stature. Their questions at the town hall-style debate are parsed. Campaign techies wade through data to find them. The president dialed up 9,000 of them for an Air Force One conference call as he flew to Los Angeles this week.

But the undecided also endure Twitter sniping and late-night TV ribbing. They're derided as uninformed nincompoops who don't merit the power they wield. As David Letterman put it: "You're idiots! Make up your mind!"

Do these wafflers, ruminators and procrastinators deserve coddling ? or scorn? Are they just misunderstood?

A look at who they are and what they're waiting for:

___

THEY'RE NOT BLANK SLATES

Two-thirds of persuadable voters have an established party preference, the AP-GfK poll shows. They're roughly divided between those who call themselves Democrats or lean that way and those who are Republicans or lean to that side.

So why not just plan to vote with their party?

"They are really a little bit torn," said Lynn Vavreck, an associate professor of political science at the University of California, Los Angeles. "They may have some issue positions that are counter to their party, or they're not sure how they stand on some things."

Nancy Hoang, a University of Minnesota freshman studying mathematics, considers herself a fiscal conservative and leans Republican. Yet she vacillated because she agrees with the Democrats' support for gay marriage and opposition to voter ID laws.

"I could have gone either way," said Hoang, 18. Not until after the final debate Monday did she decide: Her first-ever presidential vote will go to Romney.

Most of these undecided voters will come home to their favored party by Election Day, predicts Vavreck, who studies an ongoing survey of registered voters as well as trends from past elections.

___

STILL, A GOOD CHUNK ARE INDEPENDENTS

About 30 percent of persuadable voters say they're political independents. That's three times the presence of independents ? just 8 percent ? among likely voters who have decided who they'll vote for, according to the AP-GfK poll.

In an increasingly polarized America, they stand out. Robert Dohrenburg, a small business owner in McAllen, Texas, voted for Republicans Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, but not for Bush's son, George W. He backed Obama in 2008, then had second thoughts this year.

Dohrenburg, 56, watched all three presidential debates before making up his mind to stick with Obama, in part because Romney "says one thing today and another thing tomorrow."

He wishes Ron Paul had won the Republican nomination.

"I'm a very strong independent," he said. "I choose the best candidate."

___

ARE THEY EVEN PAYING ATTENTION?

Professors have a euphemism: low-information voters. The bulk of registered voters who are still undecided fall into that group, researchers say.

"They're basically not that interested in politics," Vavreck said. "They pay less attention to news in general."

Her image of the typical undecided American, based on her research: "the single mom with a couple of kids who just doesn't have time to be attuned to politics but feels like it's her civic duty to vote, and may or may not show up at the polls."

Yet the still-deciding who are committed to voting don't see themselves as out of touch.

In the AP-GfK poll, 85 percent of the persuadables said they have a "great deal" or "quite a bit" of interest in following the campaign, almost as high as among other likely voters.

Rita Kirk, a communications professor at Southern Methodist University, seeks out these involved-but-undecided voters in swing counties of states with close presidential contests. She gathered the groups that recorded their live reactions on CNN during the debates. They are following the race, she insists.

"They know that they're in a county that's going to make a difference," Kirk said. "They're wanting to make a good choice, and they kind of feel the weight and gravitas of that."

___

SO WHAT DO THEY THINK?

They're of two minds.

Persuadable voters are more likely to trust Romney to do a better job handling the economy and the federal budget deficit, the AP-GfK poll shows. And they're about as comfortable with Romney as they are with Obama on foreign policy.

They are more likely to say Obama has a clear vision for the future, however. They tend to say he understands the problems of people like them better than Romney does. They also give Obama a broad advantage on making the right decision on women's issues.

They're worried about the future.

Only 3 in 10 persuadable voters think the economy will improve in the coming year, compared with 6 in 10 decided voters.

"I'm not sure that either candidate is going to be able to correct the issues," said Cox, 43, who watched California's Central Valley suffer through recession and drought. "I'd like to get the jobs back in the United States. I'd like to quit owing China everything. Put the farmers back to work."

___

WHAT'S TAKING THEM SO LONG?

Some see virtue in refusing to rush.

Victoria Cook, a 27-year-old psychology student at Arapahoe Community College near Denver, leans toward Obama. But she stood in line to see Romney and Ryan at a rally with rocker Kid Rock this week.

"I don't want it to get to the point where you just write off the other guys right away," Cook said as she waited. "So I'll listen to what they have to say."

Professor Kirk said many undecided voters are so annoyed by months of TV commercials and punditry and news coverage that they just tune it all out until Election Day nears.

"They want to pay attention at the time they're ready to make a choice," she said. "It's like someone buying a car. That's when they start looking at the consumer magazines and all the attributes and how many airbags do the different models have. Not months in advance."

___

WILL THEY DECIDE THIS ELECTION?

It's possible.

"That small group of people can make a difference if the vast majority of them swing in one direction," said Rutgers University political science Professor Richard Lau, who studies how voters decide.

But that would be unusual. Late deciders tend to be divided, not vote as a block ? unless they are swept up in a bigger wave, Lau said. In 1980, for example, October polls showed President Jimmy Carter in a tight race with Ronald Reagan.

"It was very close up until the last few days and somehow everybody just decided, 'Enough. We're going to change courses here,'" Lau said. "Usually what happens is that the independent voters change in the direction that somehow the nature of the times is already going."

Still, an advantage among procrastinators could swing the race in a hotly contested state.

In the last two presidential elections, about 1 in 10 voters surveyed as they left polling places said they'd settled on their candidate within the previous week. About 5 percent decided on Election Day.

No word on how many made up their minds while standing in the voting booth.

___

Associated Press News Survey Specialist Dennis Junius in Washington and Associated Press writer Philip Elliott in Denver contributed to this report.

___

Follow Connie Cass on Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/ConnieCass

Follow Jennifer Agiesta on Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/JennAgiesta

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/apdefault/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-10-26-Campaign-Still%20Undecided/id-e7ec61deb86a4623936591c2e94cbbb8

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Friday, October 26, 2012

Death Toll in Meningitis Outbreak Climbs to 25

Another person has died from fungal meningitis in an outbreak linked to tainted steroid injections, bringing the total to 25 deaths, health officials reported today.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has increased the tally of cases to 338: 331 cases of fungal meningitis and seven cases of joint infections. South Carolina became the 18th state affected by the outbreak on Sunday.

For a map of cases by state, click here.

The outbreak has been linked to contaminated vials of methylprednisolone acetate, an injectable steroid used to treat back and joint pain. Sealed vials of the steroid, made by the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass., contained exserohilum rostratum, a fungus found in soil and plants. It's unclear how the fungus landed in the sealed vials.

Minnesota Department of Health/AP Photo

Meningitis Outbreak: Death Toll Rises to 14 Watch Video Meningitis Outbreak Spreads, Full Recall Announced Watch Video

The New England Compounding Center has recalled all its products and shut down operations. Calls to the owners were not immediately returned.

As many as 14,000 patients are thought to have received injections of the suspect steroid.

Seventy-six clinics in 23 states that received methylprednisolone acetate from the recalled lots have been instructed to notify all affected patients. The "potentially contaminated injections were given starting May 21, 2012," according to the CDC.

For a full list of clinics receiving the recalled lots of spinal steroid injections, click here.

Meningitis affects the membranous lining of the brain and spinal cord. Early symptoms of fungal meningitis -- including headache, fever, dizziness, nausea, sensitivity to light, stiff neck, weakness or numbness, slurred speech and pain, and redness or swelling at the injection site -- can take more than a month to appear.

The longest duration from the time of injection to the onset of symptoms in the current outbreak is 42 days, according to the CDC's Dr. Benjamin Park.

"But we want to emphasize that we don't know what the longest will be," he added, stressing that patients who received injections of the recalled drug should stay attuned to the subtle symptoms "for months."

Fungal meningitis is diagnosed through a spinal tap, which draws cerebrospinal fluid from the spine that can be inspected for signs of the disease. Once detected, it can be treated with high doses of intravenous antifungal medications.

Unlike bacterial meningitis, fungal meningitis is not transmitted from person to person and only people who received the steroid injections are thought to be at risk.

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/meningitis-outbreak-331-cases-25-deaths/story?id=17570870

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Jay Cutler with Ronny Rockel : 2012 Mr. Olympia Backstage ...



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Lifting barriers could unlock Africa food trade: World Bank

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Africa could avoid food shortages if it reduces the tangled web of rules, fees and high costs strangling regional food trade and by putting large swathes of uncultivated land to productive use, a World Bank report said on Wednesday.

Just 5 percent of Africa's cereal imports are now provided by African farmers, according to the report released on the eve of an African Union summit on agriculture and trade in Ethiopia.

"Too often borders get in the way of getting food to homes and communities which are struggling with too little to eat," said Makhtar Diop, World Bank vice president for Africa.

The bank estimated that 19 million people are in danger of hunger and malnutrition in West Africa's Sahel region. Yet, removing cross-border restrictions could help avoid food crises if farmers were allowed to trade more easily with each other and get food to communities facing shortages.

In addition, the World Bank estimated that fewer restrictions on food trade could generate an estimated $20 billion in annual earnings for African governments.

Food trade barriers also increase the cost to the consumer and the farmer, the World Bank said. For example, farmers on holdings in Africa who sell surplus harvest typically receive less than 20 percent of the consumer price of their produce, with the rest being eaten up by various transaction costs and post harvest losses.

"This clearly limits the incentive to produce for the market," the World Bank said.

Soaring global food prices in 2008, which triggered social unrest in several African countries, highlighted the problem of decades of underinvestment in agriculture in Africa. It also stimulated interest among investors in Europe, the Middle East and Asia in Africa's untapped farming potential. Fears of land grabbing also increased.

TRANSPORT CARTELS

The World Bank said high transport costs were an impediment to more food trade across Africa, especially for small farmers. While poor roads and lack of infrastructure are a problem in Africa, transport cartels are also common with little incentive for investment in modern trucks.

Countries in West Africa could halve their transport costs within 10 years if governments undertook policy reforms that spurred more competition, the World Bank said. Roadblocks and bribes at border posts also add to the cost of getting food to markets.

The World Bank report said yields for many crops in Africa are a fraction of what farmers are achieving elsewhere in the world. More food trade in Africa could help raise yields, spread new technology and create jobs, it added.

The Bank said rules and regulations are preventing African farmers from using higher yielding seeds and better fertilizers. In some countries it can take two to three years for new seed varieties to be released, even if they are being used elsewhere in Africa.

"The challenge is how to create a competitive environment in which governments embrace credible and stable policies that encourage private investors and businesses to boost food production across the region," said Paul Brenton, World Bank economist and main author of the report.

(Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; editing by Christopher Wilson)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lifting-barriers-could-unlock-africa-food-trade-world-015453377.html

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In battle for House, party committees still shaping strategy (Los Angeles Times)

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Friday, October 19, 2012

Smart CCTV tracks consumers as they shop

ARE you enjoying your shopping experience? Video surveillance systems might soon be answering that question for you. CCTV security cameras are a familiar fixture in shops, but the same cameras can also be used to track and analyse your browsing habits.

Mirela Popa at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands and colleagues are developing software that can automatically categorise shoppers' behaviour using video footage from the fisheye cameras that many retail outlets have on their ceilings.

For example, the system can tell if customers appear to be disoriented, are looking around for a specific product, or are heading purposefully towards a particular section. When a customer seems in need of assistance, a member of staff can be directed to them. The aim is to help customers and increase retailers' profits, says Popa, who hopes the technology will lead to better customer service. "If I don't find what I'm looking for, I leave the shop," she says.

"This could be extremely valuable in terms of how to judge when a customer needs help," says Patrick O'Brien of retail analysts Verdict Research in London, UK. "In a busy shop it's difficult to know who it would be most productive to help next."

By installing additional cameras at eye level among shop displays, Popa's system can also build up a detailed picture of how a shopper interacts with particular products, providing instant feedback for retail analysts. In a mock-up shop in their lab, with volunteers posing as shoppers, the system was able to identify specific browsing behaviours, including what items were picked up or put back, or when shoppers tried clothes on.

The technology is based on motion-detection algorithms that track people's movements. It then learns patterns, based on what it has observed, that can be used to predict future customers' behaviour, says Popa.

The team reports an overall accuracy of 85 per cent in categorising customers' behaviour. They presented the latest version of the work at the International Conference on Image Processing in Orlando, Florida, this month.

But even if such technology could lead to a better experience for customers and retailers, will people accept a greater level of intrusion? The team conducted an early trial in a supermarket in Eindhoven, the Netherlands and, according to Popa, people have been positive so far. "I think that life is changing," she says. "You can't do anything about that."

"The real challenge is in turning that data into something of value," says Tim Denison, director of retail intelligence at Ipsos Retail Performance in Milton Keynes, UK, and co-founder of Retail Think Tank. He believes it is a challenge that's about to be met.

Within two years, video analysis systems that monitor consumer behaviour could be cost-effective for many retailers. He notes that there are already smart billboards with built-in cameras that use visual cues to guess whether you are male or female, and display a different advert accordingly.

As for privacy, Denison is pragmatic. "If it's clear both consumer and retailer derive benefit from the technology, then it's fair game," he says. "A win-win scenario."

Benefits to retailers are obvious: more customers, and more profit. Consumers could enjoy better customer service - the system can predict when a shopper appears to be in need of help - and improved shop layouts and displays that make it easier to find products.

Volker Roth at the Free University of Berlin, Germany, is less sanguine: "In general, any work that targets and profiles users, potentially without their consent or awareness, has a significant privacy dimension." He adds that many of the people being tracked may not value any improvement in customer service above their own privacy.

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Thursday, October 18, 2012

Thurman reveals baby girl's very long name

By Natalie Finn, E! Online

Jason Kempin / Getty Images

Uma Thurman and Arpad Busson have revealed the name of their baby girl.

No wonder?Uma Thurman?and?Arpad Busson?didn't reveal their daughter's name right away?they probably needed plenty of time to practice spelling it first!

But they have finally filled us in: Meet?Rosalind?Arusha Arkadina Altalune Florence Thurman-Busson.

More from E: Uma honored by 'Bel Ami' co-star Robert Pattinson

Or?Luna, as mom and dad call her for short, Thurman's rep?tells?People, adding,?"Each name has a special reason and meaning to her mother and father."

Alas, they're keeping those reasons to themselves for now, but we at least applaud the very Shakespearean choice of Rosalind.?

Luna was?born?July 15, Thurman's first child with her financier fianc?, who grew up in France.

More from E: Weird celebrity baby names

The 42-year-old "Kill Bill?star" also has two kids, daughter?Maya Ray?and son?Levon, with ex-husband?Ethan Hawke, while Busson, 49, has two sons,?Flynn?and?Cy, with ex?Elle MacPherson.

More in TODAY Entertainment:

Source: http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2012/10/17/14517500-uma-thurman-reveals-baby-daughters-incredibly-long-name?lite

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Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Ethiopia sees economy growing 11 pct in 2012/2013

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopia's economy is expected to maintain a growth rate of 11 percent in 2012/2013, newly-appointed premier Hailemariam Desalegn said on Tuesday, predicting a slump in crippling inflation rates that have plagued the country in recent years.

"Our economy has grown by a growth rate of over 11 percent in the past few years and we estimate this rate to be maintained this fiscal year," he told lawmakers on Tuesday during his first appearance in parliament as the country's leader.

The International Monetary Fund in June raised its economic growth forecast for Ethiopia to 7 percent from 5.5 percent owing to slowing inflation.

Official estimates have tended to be generally higher than the Washington-based body's growth projections.

Hailemariam was sworn in last month after his long-standing predecessor Meles Zenawi died from illness in August.

Under Meles, the Horn of Africa nation embarked on ambitious infrastructure projects to improve its economic competitiveness, including a multi-billion dollar plan to scale up energy generation.

Inflation, however, soared during his last four years in power, peaking at 64 percent in July 2008.

The rate slowed to 19 percent last month from 20.2 percent in August, helped by a slowdown in the rate of food price rises.

"We have managed to lower inflation by subsidising oil and wheat. We will work to raise agricultural productivity, subsidies and savings to reduce the inflation rate to single-digits this year," Hailemariam said.

The IMF has said tight monetary and fiscal policies have contributed to declining inflation, through the termination of central bank financing of the budget and significant sales of foreign exchange.

The body warned Ethiopia last year that excessive monetary growth was the principal cause of its rising inflation, while private bank lending restrictions and a tricky business environment would slow economic growth.

High coffee earnings in the past few years have also boosted the economy of Africa's biggest coffee producer, as have rising gold, oil seed and livestock exports.

Ethiopia is the world's fourth-largest sesame exporter after China, India and Myanmar.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ethiopian-economy-grow-11-pct-2012-2013-pm-121750221--business.html

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