Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Mideast protests, uncertainty 'dampen economies'

Growth in the Middle East and North Africa took a dive in 2011 because of the Arab Spring protests and resulting political upheaval, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the region, stretching from Iran to Mauritania, grew by 3.5 percent last year, down from a healthy 4.9 percent in 2010, the IMF said in its World Economic Outlook.

However, the IMF projected that the region would grow by 4.2 percent this year, up 0.6 percent on its January estimates, and by 3.7 percent in 2013, down 0.2 percent on earlier projections.

The report said social unrest that swept the Arab world negatively impacted tourism and capital flow, both badly needed by the region's poor nations.

Besides internal challenges and geopolitical risks associated with Iran, there are also large potential spillovers from the European debt crisis on oil prices and trade links with Arab Maghreb states, the IMF said.

"A more intense recession in Europe could further undermine the already shaky tourism sector," which could also spill over into slower global growth, negatively impacting oil prices, said the IMF.

The economies of oil exporters, which include some of the world's main crude producers Saudi Arabia, Iran, Libya and other Gulf countries, grew by just 4.0 percent despite exceptionally high oil prices, the IMF said.

Growth in oil-importing nations, such as Egypt and Tunisia which saw their long-time leaders toppled, was up a modest 2.0 percent even after excluding violence-hit Syria, the IMF said. They grew by 4.5 percent in 2010.

"This low growth is a direct reflection of the effects of social unrest... Regional spillovers from the social unrest have been large, particularly on tourism and capital flow, which have declined throughout the region," the report said.

GDP in Tunisia, the North African nation where the region-wide protests began, shrank by 0.8 percent for the first time in many years, the IMF said. The Tunisian economy grew by 3.1 percent in 2010.

The economies of the Arab Maghreb, consisting of Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, Morocco and Mauritania, contracted by 1.7 percent in 2011, apparently because of low performance by Tunisia and Libya, which was hit by a violent rebellion.

No separate figures for Libya were provided.

However, the IMF projected the Maghreb's economy to rebound by as high as 11.0 percent in 2012 and 5.9 percent next year.

In Egypt, the most populous Arab nation hit by revolution, the economy grew by 1.8 percent last year, far below the trend of previous years.

Egypt's economy is projected to grow by 1.5 percent and 3.3 percent in 2012 and 2013 respectively, but it will have double-digit inflation and a negative current account balance, the IMF said.

The region will continue to face serious policy challenges mainly to "secure economic and social stability," but there is a "short-term need to place public finances on a sustainable footing," it said.

In the medium term, the IMF called for the "reorientation of fiscal policies toward poverty reduction and the promotion of productive investment."

The economy of non-Arab oil-exporting Iran grew by just 2.0 percent last year. It is forecast to grow by a meagre 0.4 percent in 2012 and by 1.3 percent in 2013 with inflation rates above 20 percent.

Growth in the energy-rich Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and Iraq remained strong, led by gas-rich Qatar with a massive 18.8 percent, the IMF said.

Qatar's economy, however, is projected to slow to 6.0 percent this year and 4.6 percent in 2013.

Growth in Saudi Arabia, the world's leading oil producer and exporter, was 6.8 percent last year and is forecast to slow slightly to 6.0 percent in 2012 and 4.1 percent next year, the IMF said.

The United Arab Emirates economy, the second largest in the GCC, grew by 4.9 percent and Kuwait by a strong 8.2 percent last year. They are forecast to grow by 2.3 percent and 6.6 percent respectively in 2012.

The IMF warned oil exporters about rising government expenditure, mainly on salaries.

"Government expenditures have risen to such a degree that a relatively modest fall in the price of oil can lead to budget deficits," the IMF said.

Iraq's economy grew a massive 9.9 percent in 2011 and the strong growth is expected to continue over this year and the next with projections at 11.1 percent and 13.5 percent, the IMF said.

The economy of war-torn Sudan shrank by 3.9 percent last year. It is forecast to contract by 7.3 percent this year and 1.5 percent in 2013, coupled with high inflation.

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Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Miley Cyrus Rushed To Hospital After Blender Mishap

'I'm all stitched up & have on a splint so I'm good,' singer/actress tweets after the incident.
By Kara Warner


Miley Cyrus leaves the hospital with her grandmother and bandaged index finger Tuesday
Photo: StarFeine.com/Splash News

Miley Cyrus suffered a minor mishap in attempting to channel her inner Rachael Ray on Tuesday (April 17) when she cut her finger while cooking and had to be rushed to the hospital for stitches. Gossip website Starfeine broke the news and obtained the photographic evidence via a snapshot of Cyrus headed to the hospital, holding the injured finger wrapped in gauze.

"She cut her finger while cooking," Cyrus' rep told Us Weekly. "[She] had to get a few stitches. She's doing fine."

Cyrus later tweeted an update about the incident via a back-and-forth Twitter conversation with fan site MileyCyrus.bz and let everyone know she was doing fine, aside from being peeved that paparazzi followed her to the hospital.

"@MileyCyrusBz as you can tell by the horrible faces I'm making I obviously didn't know they were there," Cyrus tweeted in response to the paparazzi shots. "Pretty messed up following me to ER. I'm all stitched up & have on a splint so I'm good," she added via a follow-up tweet. "As you can tell by my expression, didn't feel so good. Curse u blender!"

We're not exactly sure what Cyrus was doing sticking her hands into a blender, but we're happy she's all stitched up and on the mend.

Starfeine claimed the 19-year-old singer/actress was accompanied by a substantial support team on her trip to the emergency room. Her mother, grandmother and boyfriend Liam Hemsworth were reportedly all by her side during the ER visit.

Share your get-well wishes for Miley in the comments below!

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The way to Raise a Kid with Asthma (part 2) | Faith Questions

Heres the continuation from the article captioned over.

Id pointed out altering the kids (as well as the familys diet regime for that make any difference) as the basis to get an organic asthma remedy.

Naturally, I introduced a vegetarian diet within the 1st part and Im conscious that as a father or mother you may ask: where will my Expanding kid get protein from ?

Youll find over adequate quantities of proteins in Vegetables and fruit and documented info around the precise demands for protein based on Dr. Stanley Burroughs is really about a nickels fat really worth per-day.

Now the complete protein propaganda is another subject into by itself, but for increasing children, 1 should be much more involved about them getting adequate vitamins and minerals.

Thankfully, they are over plentiful in vegetables and fruit and particularly the Banana, Dates, Avocadoes, Olives, Cabbage, Lettuce, Durian, Young Coconuts as well as the Apple give over sufficient protein for growing kids and even you.

Here are various other rapid variables to contemplate and ideally place you comfortable:

1. Its been scientifically proven that mothers milk is about 2% protein, now if this is the ideal of the increasing child for the very first 3 years; of course it shows the minimal need of it.

2. 98% from the human population is sweet toothed?which shows that carbs are our primary want opposite to well-liked perception.

3. Depending on the John Robbins work titled: Diet regime for a new The usa, the number of individuals in the US suffering from diseases brought on by protein excess can be a mind-boggling 40, 000, 000 in comparison with a measly 3 folks struggling with the deficiency of the substance.

Within the perception the topic of diet has been adequately coated, Ill mention various other variables that might aid in raising a kid with asthma.

To restore physical fitness for the child, you can bring in him to mild exercises like Yoga. Most local YMCA and YWCA branches have classes designed particularly for kids or you might appear into Yoga studios that provide them.

As an option, you can go to your preferred this kind of engine and type up Sun Salutations. They are the core of yoga and have confidence in me after i let you know the execution of them is enjoyable and you are going to experience Yogas positive aspects for asthma and general health and fitness by performing these easy exercises. Oh, and children adore them. I have examine in India exactly where they originated, they in fact maintain competitions to see that can do probably the most.

To suit your needs as being a parent, if intrigued, Yoga of course can can be found in helpful for you personally for simple stress relief and of course like a selection for physical exercise.

Whenever your kids fitness has improved, you might progressively at your discretion re-introduce other forms of exercise. But obviously, they enjoy to perform to ensure that should not be a problem.

Other simple methods to curb the impact of Asthma inside your kids daily life are to:

1. Stay away from excessive temperature alterations.
2. Make certain dust mites are decreased as a lot as feasible in your residence
3. Use a humidifier in the chilly seasons.
4. Keep refreshing air circulating as significantly as feasible inside the residence.

It really is my hope that these actions may possibly can be found in handy in restoring your kids respiratory health. Of course your own parental discretion is suggested when it comes to these ideas. But hopefully they would come in useful in helping you boost a kid with asthma.

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For Success, You Need To Commit to Consistent Self-Improvement ...

It does not matter if you are a manager for somebody else's business, or a business owner yourself, you need to keep ahead of new trends and changes in the market place and the general business environment. If we, as entrepreneurs, don't make an effort to adapt to today's changing technology in the business realm, we're going to simply be left behind. If we remain updated and can comprehend what is going on, we're going to find infinite opportunities open to us. Just know that, in order to be successful, you need to take it upon yourself to continue your education and self-growth in your role as business owner or manager. In this article we are going to take a look at ways that you can commit yourself to self improvement and broaden your knowledge.

It is vital that you have the ability to get your message across to both your personnel and potential prospects and public speaking is an excellent attribute to have in this regard. If you want to sell a product or idea, the potential of having a group of buyers all in one place to see your presentation can be extremely powerful. However, a majority of business people and managers, are terrified of public speaking. It would be a huge benefit to them if they take a course in public speaking, or join a group like Toastmasters, and hone their skills in this area. Their organizations or their careers will improve significantly. I am positive you have been influenced yourself by someone who is confident in presenting to other people and who can keep a crowd interested in what they have to say.

People skills are, without a doubt, very important. You can't push away your clients and employees. However, you could be the best orator in the world, but if you let technology pass you by, and do not keep updated on market trends and consumer buying habits, you will still not become successful. If you turn away from opportunities like social media and mobile marketing, chances are you'll lose out to a rival who will steal market share since they align themselves with new trends. If you embrace these new technologies and make it your primary goal to learn all about them, you can start to use the benefits to advance your company or career. One other factor to keep in mind is that your workers, assistants, or partners may benefit also by learning anything new in technology in your chosen area. Find an expert trainer or mentor who knows the new technology and set up training sessions for anyone who will benefit.

It can be a good idea to use the services of business coaches who can help you with particular skills or knowledge that you require in your business or career. It is a fact that you can never be a pro in everything and in a number of areas you will want help to reduce your learning curve quickly where new skills are needed. Another benefit of talking to a business coach is that typically he or she will be able to pinpoint other areas of weakness that you can develop to be even more effective. If you view this ongoing education as a vital component of making progress in your career, then this can only have a positive impact on your future success.

If you wish to follow in the footsteps of those who are most successful in business and management, you, too, need to look on self-improvement and keeping up to date on new skills and technology as the cornerstone to achieving your goals. You, too, stand more of a chance of becoming successful if you follow their example and continually make a commitment to improve your knowledge and learn the skills that will help you prosper in business.

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Monday, April 16, 2012

Tupac hologram performs at Coachella, keeps all eyez on him

Tupac hologram performs at Coachella, keeps all eyez on him

Have you been getting a kick out of Coachella's jams and arts in Indio, California? Or, did you decide to peacefully enjoy it from home via YouTube's site? Either way, you may have heard Tupac made an on-stage holographic appearance over the weekend, performing Hail Mary and 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted alongside Snoop Dogg. Tupac's hologram was made possible by AV Concepts in partnership with Dr. Dre's production company, after reportedly working on the project for a few months. The outfits used a display technology dubbed "Eyeliner" that, with the help of a custom rig and a mechanical solution, was able to shoot out a life-sized, 3D illusion of Mr. Shakur onto the Coachella platform. Don't believe us? Hit 'em up at the source below, though we feel compelled to tell you language isn't exactly for all ages.

Continue reading Tupac hologram performs at Coachella, keeps all eyez on him

Tupac hologram performs at Coachella, keeps all eyez on him originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceYouTube (SWAG)  | Email this | Comments


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That Ashton Kutcher Steve Jobs Movie Sounds Pretty Awful Already [Steve Jobs]

Ashton may or may not be the perfect fit to play the world's favorite tech tyrant, but the rest of the film seems terrible and terribly boring. Even the title is horrendous. More »


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Sunday, April 15, 2012

Adopting a Money-Sniffing Border Patrol Beagle Seems Like a Prudent Investment, Right? [Canada]

Seriously, think about it. These are nineteen highly-trained sniffer dogs capable of detecting money, drugs, and guns that Canada just fired and put up for adoption. And one of them, along with that golden nose, could be yours. More »


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Saturday, April 14, 2012

National Geographic, The Daily Show, and More [Ipad Apps Of The Week]

This week brings apps that will add a little more knowledge into your life. From satire and current events, to math and nature facts, you'll be using your tablet to flex the old brain muscle.
More »


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APNewsBreak: Mellencamp unhappy with Gov. Walker

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VizTools reveals HandiZoom video accessory for Canon DSLRs

VizTools reveals HandiZoom video accessory for Canon DSLRs
Wanna shoot really serious video of the sidewalk on your DSLR, but can't get along with those dicey standard controls? Then maybe VizTools has a solution -- or at least a working prototype it's readying for NAB. The HandiZoom can be operated with only one hand and does motorized zoom with adjustable speed settings, as well as various other primary controls. It hooks up to compatible Canon DSLRs using USB and a rail system, with the aim of making the camera feel more like a traditional news shooter. Check out the video after the break, and then maybe throw down a few more pennies to pair it with one of these.

Continue reading VizTools reveals HandiZoom video accessory for Canon DSLRs

VizTools reveals HandiZoom video accessory for Canon DSLRs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gizmodo  |  sourceDSLR News Shooter  | Email this | Comments


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Friday, April 13, 2012

Israel PM to seek direct talks with Abbas at Fayyad meet

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'Girls': The Reviews Are In!

Critics praise HBO show while questioning whether it will connect beyond urban audiences.
By John Mitchell


Lena Dunham in "Girls"
Photo: HBO

HBO's new comedy "Girls" is easily the most buzzed-about series debut so far this year. From the almost uncomfortably realistic sex scenes and sharp dialogue to series creator/producer/writer/star Lena Dunham's Louis C.K.-style multitasking — not to mention the show's similarities to and differences from that other landmark show about four single females in New York — people cannot stop talking about "Girls." Luckily for everyone involved, most of the things being said range from good to rave.

"Girls," which premieres Sunday at 9 p.m. on HBO, has critics using words like "groundbreaking" and "revolutionary" to describe the series, about four friends (Dunham and co-stars Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke and Zosia Mamet) in their early 20s trying to get their lives off the ground in NYC.

Here in the MTV Newsroom, we're as enraptured with the show as everyone else seems to be, but in her otherwise rave review in Salon, Willa Paskin makes an observation about "Girls" that has come up often during chatter about the new series: that its specificity, minus the fantasy element that made middle America fall in love with "Sex and the City," may make the show unrelatable to those outside East Coast urban centers.

"My concern was that 'Girls' speaks so specifically and accurately to the experience of me and my census buddies — and to be clear, that's urban white girls with safety nets; have at us in the comments — that people would either write it off as navel-gazing, snark at the innate privilege undergirding the whole thing, or find it unrelatable," Paskin writes.

That concern doesn't diminish the show's quality, though, and the site goes on to call the show "smart, bracing, funny, accurately absurd, confessional yet self-aware."

"Few series come out of the box as brilliant as 'Girls' does," Tim Goodman rhapsodizes in The Hollywood Reporter. "The new HBO series from Lena Dunham ('Tiny Furniture') is one of the most original, spot-on, no-missed-steps series in recent memory. For her part, Dunham, who writes, directs, stars in, created and executive produces the series, is a talent as unique and refreshing to the medium as Louis C.K. — high praise indeed, as FX's 'Louie' is one of the most critically acclaimed series on television."

Sex factors heavily in "Girls," but unlike the glamorized romps we saw on its HBO foremother "SATC," the sex acts depicted here are graphic, button-pushing and realistic but not gratuitous. According to Verne Gay in Newsday, the sex serves as a visual manifestation of the characters' internal issues. In a four-star review, Gay writes, "Hannah [Dunham's character] and the show are all about internal conflict and so is the humor, while sex — and fair warning, it's pretty graphic here, which may be the handiwork of Apatow — is the metaphor for all that conflict. It's grotesque, malignant, unpleasurable and a particularly devious torture chamber, at least for the women, who still submit to it."

The Los Angeles Times isn't as unconditional in its praise, calling the show "nothing short of revolutionary" but "hard to love." "There is a cool cleverness to the show that is both attractive and off-putting," Mary McNamara writes. "The characters are flawed and hyper-aware of their flaws, the stories so bent on covering every angle of self-examination that there is no real role for the viewer to play. Which makes watching it an intellectual rather than emotional experience."

The show positions itself as being a far more realistic version of the girls in the big city trope that "SATC" glamorized, which the Atlantic Wire's Richard Lawson sees as a reflection of the times the two shows premiered in. " 'SATC' was fantasy and fable, with a few bits of relatable relationship stuff thrown to the commoners like chum. 'Girls' is something else; it's a very particular, very of the moment dissection of mundanely funny minutiae, of boredom and anxiety in these brownly grim times," Lawson writes. "Though I guess it's possible the difference really is merely generational — the rich late '90s gave us Sex, while the wobbly '10s give us Girls, a witty and occasionally touching glimpse into our immediate neighbors' lives. They've got something here, it just remains to be seen how big a thing it is."

That "Girls" could be the next big things seems like the consensus opinion of critics, but will this story of a group of friends struggling to discover themselves and succeed in the big city connect with audiences in Peoria, Illinois? Lawson seems to think it may. "Who knows, it could be that soon enough young women the nation over will be saying they're 'such a Hannah' or 'totally a Marnie,' " he writes. "Maybe fabulous is officially out. Maybe the new aspiration in these punishing times is, simply, to aspire."

Are you excited for the series premiere of "Girls" Sunday on HBO? Let us know if you'll be watching in the comments below!

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