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Central Africa army retreat puts rebels one step from capital Posted: 29 Dec 2012 02:25 PM PST BANGUI, Central African Republic: Rebels in the Central African Republic, defying mediation efforts, on Saturday seized another town in their advance on the capital, forcing an army retreat and putting them just one town away from Bangui. The rebels, who already have control of four other regional capitals in the centre and north of the country, faced no resistance as they entered the town of Sibut around 150 kilometres (95 miles) from Bangui, a military official told AFP. The streets of Bangui were deserted on Saturday night, according to an AFP journalist, after a curfew was imposed from 7:00 pm to 5:00 am (1800 GMT to 0400 GMT). Many shops were being guarded by men armed with machetes. “The bosses fear looting so they are paying guards,” said one guard. Officials on both sides said the rebels of the so-called Seleka coalition had also repelled army soldiers trying to recapture Bambari, a former military stronghold in the landlocked country, one of the world’s poorest despite vast mineral wealth. A soldier ensures security during a women’s march in Bangui on December 28, 2012 against the current conflict © AFP/File A military official described “extremely violent” fighting over the town, with detonations and heavy weapons fire audible to witnesses some 60 kilometres away. The rebel advance on Sibut, also a base for Chadian soldiers stationed in the country, forced government forces and their allies to retreat to Damara, 75 kilometres from Bangui and the last major town on the road to the southwestern capital. “The rebels entered Sibut. There was no fighting, the Central African Armed Forces (FACA) stationed there and the Chadian troops left the town last night (Friday) for Damara,” the military official told AFP. Djouma Narkoya, a Seleka leader, claimed that the army suffered “losses” in the fighting for Bambari, while the rebel side had “one killed and three injured” in the fighting. “We are continuing to progress,” he added. French soldiers unload equipment as they arrive at the Bangui airport on December 28, 2012 © Armee de Terre/AFP/File Sibut residents arriving in Bangui said they saw around 60 Chadian and Central African army vehicles converging on Damara late Friday. One of the towns under the control of the rebels, who launched their offensive in early December, is the garrison town and key diamond mining hub of Biraosince. Former colonial power France, meanwhile, boosted its military presence to 400 on Friday with the deployment of 150 paratroopers to Bangui airport, and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) announced reinforcements. French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault stressed again on Friday that French troops were there only to protect French and European nationals, not fight the rebels. Regional efforts to mediate a peaceful solution in the landlocked equatorial country were at a standstill. A day after announcing that the rebels and the government had agreed to hold unconditional peace talks and that more regional troops would head to the country, ECCAS said no dates had been set for either move. A seller carries bread on December 28, 2012, in a market in Bangui © AFP/File The bloc’s foreign ministers will meet again next Thursday “and that is when they will announce a date for the meeting in (the Gabonese capital) Libreville,” ECCAS’s communications director Placide Ibouanga told AFP, referring to talks between rebels and the government. The coalition of three rebel movements known as Seleka — or the “alliance” in the Sango language — says the government has not fulfilled the terms of peace pacts signed in 2007 and 2001, providing for disarmament and social reintegration for insurgents, including pay. Central African President Francois Bozize, who took power in a 2003 coup, has twice been elected into office. Bozize’s appeals for help from France and from the United States to fight the rebels have fallen on deaf ears. Neighbouring Chad, which has helped Bozize with rebellions in 2010, earlier sent a contingent to the country, however. In Bangui, food prices have soared, further spiking tensions and uncertainty. “I’m afraid of the rebels coming,” said vegetable vendor Euphrasie Ngotanga in the city’s huge Sambo market. “We’re not going to sell our produce if there’s no peace. And then how we will feed our children?” “We don’t eat properly any more,” said another vendor, Angele Bodero, with her baskets full of condiments before her. “Cassava has become more expensive, everything costs more,” she said, referring to the country’s staple food. A bag of cassava has risen nearly 50 percent from 13,000 CFA francs to 18,000 FCFA (19.80 to 27.40 euros, $26 to $32).

Ex-president George HW Bush rallies, out of intensive care Posted: 29 Dec 2012 02:14 PM PST Washington: Former US president George H.W. Bush is on the mend and has been released from intensive care, a spokesman said Saturday. “President Bush’s condition has improved, so he has been moved today from the intensive care unit to a regular patient room at The Methodist Hospital to continue his recovery,” spokesman Jim McGrath said. “The Bushes thank everyone for their prayers and good wishes.” Earlier in the week, McGrath said Bush had taken a turn for the worse, with a “series of setbacks” sending the 88-year-old to the intensive care unit at the Houston, Texas hospital with a “stubborn fever.” Bush, the oldest surviving former US president, was first admitted to the hospital on November 7 for bronchitis treatment and released on November 19. But he was readmitted four days later after his cough flared up again. Doctors had hoped to have the elder statesman home for Christmas, but he was instead forced to spend the holiday in the hospital, where he was joined by his wife Barbara, son Neil and grandson Pierce. Bush, a Republican, served just a single term in the White House from 1989 to 1993, despite sending US troops to victory in Iraq in the first Gulf War and expelling Saddam Hussein’s forces from Kuwait. The decorated World War II veteran served in a number of top government posts, including as vice president to Ronald Reagan, director of the Central Intelligence Agency and US ambassador to the United Nations. He was also chief of the US Liaison Office in China at a time Washington had official ties with Beijing’s foe Taipei. This made Bush the unofficial US ambassador to Beijing. His son George W. Bush served two terms as president and also went to war with Iraq, this time sending US-led troops all the way to Baghdad to overthrow Saddam, whom he had wrongly accused of hoarding weapons of mass destruction.

Bolivia nationalizes Spanish-owned electrical utilities Posted: 29 Dec 2012 12:50 PM PST La Paz: Bolivia on Saturday nationalized electrical utilities owned by Spanish company Iberdrola, sending in police and troops to enforce another expropriation ordered by the populist leader of South America’s poorest nation. President Evo Morales announced a decree targeting Iberdrola-owned utilities in the cities of La Paz and Oruro. They are called Electropaz and Elfeo, respectively. In La Paz, soldiers later took control of power plants that until now were run by Iberdrola, while police seized corporate offices. It was the latest in a series of such seizures by the outspoken leftist who is a key member of a group of populist South American presidents led by the now-ailing Hugo Chavez of Venezuela Back in May, Morales nationalized a subsidiary of another Spanish power group, Red Electrica Corporacion, which distributed electricity. Since coming to power in January 2006 Bolivia’s first president representing the country’s indigenous majority has nationalized the country’s oil wealth and smelters, in addition to electric power companies. This time, Morales said he was acting because Iberdrola charged more for electricity in rural areas than it did in cities, and service was also uneven. “We are forced to take this measure so that utility rates will be uniform” and service will be of the same quality in the country as in urban areas, the president said at a ceremony at the presidential palace. He said Iberdrola would be compensated after an evaluation of its seized assets. This will be done by a private Bolivian company and can take up to six months. Morales’ actions over the years have caused friction with Spain. Spain said after the Red Electrica nationalization that it had been given assurances from Bolivia that there would be no more such expropriations. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said in August that Spanish companies operating in Bolivia needed legal security for their investments. The May 2006 energy nationalization affected a dozen or so companies, including Spain’s Repsol, Petrobras of Brazil, Argentina’s PanAmerican and British Petroleum. Morales has also nationalized refineries and telecommunications companies.

Militants kill 21 of 23 kidnapped Pakistani soldiers Posted: 29 Dec 2012 12:38 PM PST Peshawar: Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan's Darra Adamkhel faction has reportedly killed 21 of the 23 personnel of Levies kidnapped on Thursday (December 27, 2012). Frontier Region Peshawar officials have confirmed that all the militiamen were shot dead. One militiaman, who managed to escape the militants, has reached home, sources said. Another official has been miraculously saved in the incident and has been shifted to the Peshawar's Lady Reading Hospital. “We found 21 bullet riddled bodies of security personnel a short while ago in an uninhabited area,” local government official Naveed Akbar told AFP. “One was found alive but wounded and admitted to hospital while another managed to escape unhurt.” Earlier, the political administration asked elders of the Frontier Region Peshawar to help the government to recover the personnel as it was the duty of the local people to find out the whereabouts of the militiamen. On Thursday, the militants overrun and destroyed three checkposts at Hassan Khal and Jina Kor areas, killing two and kidnapping 23 militia personnel.

Russia sees no chance of Assad stepping down Posted: 29 Dec 2012 12:02 PM PST Moscow: Russia on Saturday acknowledged that Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad would not be persuaded to leave power, but nonetheless insisted there was still a chance of finding a political solution to the Syrian conflict. Moscow’s caution came as forces loyal to Assad seized a district of the strategic central city of Homs after a fierce assault that a Britain-based watchdog said sparked a humanitarian crisis.  The latest diplomatic push saw Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meet UN-Arab League peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi for talks that represented a final end-of-year bid to accelerate moves to halt 21 months of bloodshed. The talks came amid emerging signs that Russia was beginning to distance itself from Assad’s government and urgent efforts by Brahimi to resurrect a failed peace initiative that world powers agreed to in Geneva in June. Brahimi bluntly stated that Syria was facing a choice between “hell or the political process” while urging the world to work tirelessly to bring about a diplomatic solution. “It is really indispensible that the conflict finishes in 2013 and really the beginning of 2013,” Brahimi said after the 90-minute talks. Lavrov said both he and Brahimi agreed there was hope for a solution as long as world powers put pressure on the warring parties to accept a mediated end to violence that has claimed more than 45,000 lives.  ”The confrontation is escalating. But we agree the chance for a political solution remains,” Lavrov said alongside Brahimi. Moscow has been under intense pressure to urge the leadership of its last Middle East ally to accept a face-saving agreement that would see the rebels assume gradual command as the fighting reaches Damascus itself. Yet analysts have questioned the actual sway the Kremlin has over Assad, and Lavrov appeared to betray a hint of frustration when revealing that Assad had this week told Brahimi that he does not intend to leave. “Regarding Bashar al-Assad, he repeatedly said, both publically and in private… that he is not planning to leave, that he will remain in his post,” Lavrov said. “There is no possibility to change this position.” ‘Hell or the political process’ Brahimi painted a stark picture of Syrian neighbours Jordan and Lebanon being overrun by a million refugees should heavy fighting for the seat of power break out in Syria’s five-million-strong capital. If this fighting “develops into something uglier… (refugees) can only go to only two places — Lebanon and Jordan,” warned Brahimi. “So if the alternative is hell or the political process, we have all of us got to work ceaselessly for a political process,” Brahimi said. “The magnitude of the problem that exists now and the magnitude of the problem that exists tomorrow cannot be ignored,” he added. Lavrov echoed that message by warning that Syria threatened to dissolve into a failed state similar to the Horn of Africa’s Somalia — a nation overrun by militants and warlords. “Syria must have a stable political process. That is one alternative,” said Lavrov. “The other alternative is the Somalisation of Syria — and you can only imagine the consequences of that,” Russia’s top diplomat said. Brahimi’s trip came amid a flurry of diplomatic activity in Moscow that this week also saw a rare visit by the Syrian deputy foreign minister as well as Egypt's top diplomat. Russia also confirmed on Thursday that it had invited the head of the opposition National Coalition — recognised by Western powers as Syria’s representatives — for the two sides’ first formal talks. The offer was widely interpreted as a bid by Moscow to cement a foothold in a post-Assad Syria — a radical shift from its earlier condemnation of those who recognised the rebel group. But National Coalition chief Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib rejected holding any meeting in Moscow. He also said the Kremlin must apologise for its past support of Assad before any meeting could be held in a third country. Lavrov did little to conceal his fury at Khatib’s response. “I understand that Mr. Khatib is not very fluent in politics and maybe he could benefit by hearing our position not from the media… but directly from us,” he said. Brahimi and Lavrov revealed no details of any peace initiative that may be under discussion and instead focused on urging world powers to convince Assad and the opposition to talk. But a deal that has Assad remaining in power on an interim basis would have difficulty winning acceptance from rebels who have made major advances in recent weeks. The Moscow meeting came as forces loyal to Assad seized a district of the central city of Homs that had been under prior rebel control. “The army launched an offensive several days ago on the neighbourhood of Deir Baalbeh with heavy bombing, and the fighting and attacks continued until the rebels withdrew,” said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

EPL 2012: Status quo intact as 10-man Man City match Man United Posted: 29 Dec 2012 11:50 AM PST London: Manchester United preserved their seven-point lead over Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday, defeating West Bromwich Albion 2-0 as the champions scraped a 4-3 win at Norwich City. United manager Alex Ferguson was the centre of pre-match attention at Old Trafford for an outspoken attack on Newcastle United counterpart Alan Pardew, but his side got down to business quickly and went ahead in the ninth minute. The scorer wore a blue and white shirt, however, with West Brom defender Gareth McAuley inadvertently shinning the ball into his own goal after Ashley Young drove a low cross across the face of goal. Former United goalkeeper Ben Foster tipped a Young shot onto the crossbar, but United were not able to breathe easily until substitute Robin van Persie curled a glorious shot into the top-left corner in the last minute. United have amassed 50 goals in their 20 league games to date, and Ferguson told the BBC: “We’re in a good position. “We’re halfway there. We’ve a game on Tuesday away from home at Wigan and we’ve got a few players to freshen it up. We’ll look forward to the next game and try and win it.” City lost Samir Nasri to a first-half red card at Norwich but edged an open-ended encounter thanks in no small part to Edin Dzeko, who scored twice and might have had a hat-trick. Southampton’s French midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin (L) vies with Stoke City’s Trinidadian striker Kenwyne Jones (R) © AFP The Bosnian, who has had to become accustomed to a role on the substitutes’ bench this season, struck twice inside the opening four minutes to put City in control at Carrow Road. But Norwich hit back through a deflected Anthony Pilkington free-kick and the visitors were then dealt a blow when Nasri was sent off for aiming a head-butt at Sebastien Bassong. Sergio Aguero’s deft, lobbed finish restored City’s two-goal cushion in the 50th minute and although Russell Martin headed in for Norwich, Dzeko made it 4-2 when his shot hit the post and bounced in off Norwich goalkeeper Mark Bunn. Martin scored again with 15 minutes to go, prodding in from close range after City failed to clear a corner, but Roberto Mancini’s men were able to hang on. “I don’t know why (Nasri was sent off) as the linesman was there and I don’t know what he saw,” said City manager Mancini, whose side lost 1-0 at Sunderland on Wednesday. “We saw the video — both players touch heads. With 10 men it was difficult. The guys played very well.” Aston Villa’s recent miseries continued as they sank 3-0 at home to Wigan Athletic. Goals from Ivan Ramis, Emmerson Boyce and Arouna Kone put paid to Paul Lambert’s young team, who have now shipped 15 goals in three games after losing 8-0 to Chelsea and 4-0 to Tottenham Hotspur. Sunderland’s Scottish striker Steven Fletcher (R) vies with Tottenham Hotspur’s English defender Michael Dawson (L) © AFP Villa would have slipped into the relegation zone had third-bottom Southampton not been denied victory in a 3-3 draw at Stoke City by a sensational 25-yard strike from Cameron Jerome. Southampton had led 3-1, and played against 10 men following the 71st-minute dismissal of Steven N’Zonzi, but second-bottom Reading did a better job of defending a lead in a 1-0 home win over West Ham United. Fulham’s dismal form continued, meanwhile, as they lost 2-1 at home to Swansea City. In the lunch-time game, Tottenham overturned a half-time deficit to win 2-1 at Sunderland, provisionally moving them into third place. Spurs bossed the first half at a rain-sodden Stadium of Light, hitting the bar through Emmanuel Adebayor, but fell behind in the 40th minute when John O’Shea scored after Hugo Lloris had saved superbly from Steven Fletcher. However, a Carlos Cuellar own goal saw the visitors draw level three minutes into the second period, before man-of-the-match Aaron Lennon completed the comeback with a composed finish in the 51st minute. Andre Villas-Boas’ side have taken 19 points from a possible 24 and are now a point above third-place Chelsea, who have two games in hand and visit Everton on Sunday. Arsenal, who began the day in seventh place, host Newcastle United in the evening game.

As clock ticks, US lawmakers seek fiscal cliff solution Posted: 29 Dec 2012 11:32 AM PST Washington: With the clock ticking toward a New Year’s time bomb of huge tax increases and spending cuts, US lawmakers worked feverishly Saturday to keep America from tumbling off the so-called fiscal cliff. The stakes in the game of holiday-interrupting brinkmanship are huge. Economists agree the $500 billion in fiscal pain due to kick in as soon as the new year starts will stifle the gathering US economic recovery and send the United States back into recession, spelling bad news for the global economy as well. Aides to leaders of the Democrat-controlled Senate worked behind closed doors Saturday morning to fashion a deal palatable to both Republicans, who control the House of Representatives, and the Democrats. A senior Republican aide said “discussions are underway.” He added that details of any deal will not come out until leaders brief their caucuses on Sunday. Both chambers would need to pass a deal by New Year’s Eve. They thus have three days to get done what has eluded the White House and Congress for weeks, and will interrupt their year’s end vacation in the process. As negotiations proceeded, President Barack Obama urged Congress to protect the middle class from higher taxes and lay the groundwork for economic growth. “We’ve got to do what it takes to protect the middle class, grow this economy, and move our country forward,” Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address. “Leaders in Congress are working on a way to prevent this tax hike on the middle class, and I believe we may be able to reach an agreement that can pass both houses in time,” he added. Obama met with top congressional leaders Friday and said Senate Democrats and Republicans would work overtime this weekend to try to head off the fiscal cliff. The president, sensing a mandate from his re-election last month, wants to raise taxes on the rich but exempt the middle class. Republicans want only to close tax loopholes to raise revenue and demand significant spending cuts in return. But if nothing is done by the deadline, all taxpayers will see an increase. Following the White House talks, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell are leading efforts to seek a deal before Tuesday. But any agreement would also have to pass the House of Representatives, where there is doubt that any deal signed off by the Democratic president would win favor with restive conservatives in the Republican caucus. According to The Washington Post, the deal — a “stripped-down” version of earlier proposals dealing mainly with taxes — is within reach. Citing unnamed people briefed on the talks, the newspaper said it would protect nearly 30 million taxpayers from paying the higher, alternative minimum tax rate for the first time and maintain unemployment benefits for two million people due to lose them, barring a deal. The plan also would halt a steep cut in Medicare reimbursements for doctors and preserve popular tax breaks for both businesses and individuals, such as those for research and college tuition, the report said. But The Post said the two sides were still at odds over where to set the limits of wealthy — at $250,000 a year or $400,000 a year — and over taxes on inherited estates. Nor was there agreement on spending cuts so dear to Republicans, the paper said. Hence, a deal will not include either them or an agreement to raise the debt ceiling, setting up another fierce battle over the government’s borrowing limit in the next two months, according to The Post. Obama warned, however, that if an agreement was not reached in time, he would then ask the Senate to hold an up-or-down vote on a basic package that protects the middle class from an income tax hike, extends vital unemployment insurance for Americans looking for a job, and, as he put it, “lays the groundwork for future progress on more economic growth and deficit reduction.” He did not elaborate. “I believe such a proposal could pass both houses with bipartisan majorities – as long as these leaders allow it to come to a vote,” the president said. “If they still want to vote no, and let this tax hike hit the middle class, that’s their prerogative — but they should let everyone vote.” Meanwhile, in a weekly Republican address, US Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri, vice chairman of the Senate’s Republican Conference, expressed some optimism Saturday, saying he believed that “going over the fiscal cliff is avoidable.” But he severely criticized the Democrats’ plan to focus mainly on taxes while setting aside the issue of government spending, arguing that inaction on spending “shouldn’t be an option.” “The president’s proposal to raise taxes on the top two percent of Americans won’t even pay one-third of the annual interest that’s now owed on this massive $16 trillion debt,” Blunt said. “In fact, the president’s tax hike would only fund the government for eight days. Americans deserve to know: What does the president propose we do for the other 357 days of the year?”

Kora Awards 2012: After last-minute confusion, African ‘Grammys’ due Sunday Posted: 29 Dec 2012 11:17 AM PST Abidjan: The Kora Awards, dubbed “Africa’s Grammys”, will take place Sunday in Abidjan, organisers said, after confusion about when the event would happen and when its star — US rapper Chris Brown — would arrive in Ivory Coast. “Everything will take place Sunday,” Kora spokesman Ernest Adjovi said late Saturday. The award extravaganza, which originated in South Africa in 1994, was originally to have been held Saturday in Ivory Coast’s economic capital. At the last minute, organisers claimed Brown had missed his flight and the show would be delayed until Monday. But a source close to the ceremony said Brown “is not the real reason” the event was delayed, and blamed the postponement on organisational issues. Past ceremonies have been attended by South African anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela and the late “King of Pop” Michael Jackson. Brown is known as much for his virtuoso dance steps as for his tumultuous relationship with singer Rihanna, whom he has admitted assaulting. He will arrive early Sunday on a private jet and, ahead of the award show, will perform at concert “for peace in Africa” at Abidjan’s main sport stadium on Sunday, Adjovi said. African artists including the Nigerian duo P-Square, winner of the last top Kora prize in Ouagadougou in 2010, will also take part. For Ivory Coast, which is still recovering from four months of post-election violence that ended in April 2011 after claiming some 3,000 lives, the event signals a return to normalcy. However, it has drawn criticism over the price of admission: one million CFA francs (1,500 euros, $2,000) for those who want a seat in the luxury hotel for the ceremony, or 50,000 CFA francs (75 euros, $100) for seats outside. These prices are far out of reach for most people in the poor west African country, the world’s top cocoa producer. Brown was sentenced to five years probation, a year-long domestic violence programme and 180 days of community labour after pleading guilty to assaulting Barbadian singer Rihanna on the eve of the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles in 2009.

Mubadala World Tennis Championship: Novak Djokovic beats Nicolas Almagro to clinch title Posted: 29 Dec 2012 11:05 AM PST Abu Dhabi: Novak Djokovic got his season off to a perfect start by defeating Nicolas Almagro 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-4 on Saturday in the final of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship exhibition tournament. Djokovic had looked in impressive early season form in Friday’s semi-finals, destroying world No.5 David Ferrer in straight sets, while Almagro, a late replacement for the injured Rafael Nadal, was taken all the way by Janko Tipsarevic. But it was the Spaniard who edged a close first set 7/4 on a tiebreaker, with Djokovic, the winner last year, looking listless at times. The world No.1 put that setback quickly behind him as he broke Almagro to start the second set, but he failed to turn that into a 2-0 lead as Almagro broke back to level in the next game. A double-fault from the Spaniard though saw the Serb take back the advantage and this time he held firm to level the set scores. The decider went with serve until the 10th game when Almagro served up three straight unforced errors to hand Djokovic the win. “It was a fantastic experience again for me coming to Abu Dhabi. This is a very nice tournament, you always get great matches, very tough matches against top opponents, and great attendance also,” said world number one Djokovic. Almagro added: “I have had a lot of fun and I have to thank the organisers for calling me in the last minute because it is amazing to be here.” The match for third place played earlier was won by Spain’s Ferrer as he defeated Tipsarevic of Serbia 7-6 (7/4), 6-2. All four players will head out for Australia to complete their preparations for the Australian Open which gets under way in Melbourne on January 14 where Djokovic will be the defending champion.

5.8-magnitude earthquake jolts various cities of Pakistan Posted: 29 Dec 2012 10:53 AM PST Islamabad: A 5.8 magnitude earthquake has jolted various cities of Pakistan on Saturday, US Geological Survey said. No casualties have been reported yet. The tremors of the earthquake were felt in Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Abbotabad, Haripur, Abbotabad, Mansehra, Mohmand, North Waziristan, Parachinar, Mirpur, Battagram, Nowshera, Shangla, Kohistan, Malakand, Mardan, Sargodha, Charsadda, lower Dir and Khyber agency of the tribal belt. USGS said that the epicentre of the earthquake was Hindu Kash region in Afghanistan, 130 km west of Chitral (Pakistan), at the depth of 115.9 km.

0 12 Principles for Responding to Negative Online Comments | Social Media Today Daily

12 Principles for Responding to Negative Online Comments | Social Media Today Daily





12 Principles for Responding to Negative Online Comments
Facebook’s Popularity And Privacy Policy During The Past Year
Content Brainstorming Tools for 2013
5 Corporate Event Trends for 2013
2013: Measuring The Intangibles of Social Media
From CEO to Intern – How to Make Sure Employees Are On Message
The Purpose of Twitter
Someone Shared My Supposedly Private Family Photo! The Nerve! – Randi Zuckerberg
Eric Pratum: Another Way to Measure Social Media Success
Friendster Back with Social Network
Emails Reach Their Best Results In the 1st Hour [Infographic]
We Should Stop Saying Influential When We Mean Popular
The Best Branded Content of the Year: 2012
5 Ways to Create Value for a Facebook Like


12 Principles for Responding to Negative Online Comments

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 04:47 AM PST


A recent study shows that the top Singaporean telecoms operators together receive an average 1,700 negative customer comments a day via social media. Such volume requires dedicated teams to pick through the debris and assess which complaints should be answered and how.


Facebook’s Popularity And Privacy Policy During The Past Year

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 04:16 AM PST


The past year was a socially good year for Facebook but its business side now reflects the opposite: Mark Zuckerberg's brainchild continues to drop share prices since going public earlier this year, and criticisms over proposed updates to its privacy policies worsen Wall Street figures.


Content Brainstorming Tools for 2013

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 04:15 AM PST


When it comes to content marketers, there is one question that always piques our interest – Where do others get their ideas? And with more brands creating content than ever before, it can be challenging to continually keep ahead of trends, churn out fresh concepts and repurpose ideas – let alone do so across multiple platforms.


5 Corporate Event Trends for 2013

Posted: 29 Dec 2012 07:44 AM PST


ACTIVE Network Business Solutions Group predicts technology will help make corporate events more efficient, engaging and profitable in the coming year.


2013: Measuring The Intangibles of Social Media

Posted: 29 Dec 2012 07:00 AM PST


Every business or an organized group of people exhibits four elements of intangible capital—human, relationship, structural and strategic—whether they realize it or not. In the Social Era success comes to those that enhance the intangible elements with the aim of producing an improved tangible result. In the Social Era it is more important to manage the cause of a result rather than simply managing the result.


From CEO to Intern – How to Make Sure Employees Are On Message

Posted: 29 Dec 2012 06:54 AM PST


The Sale Sharks rugby team for instance recently sacked their social media manager, after she took to her personal Facebook page to complain about fans berating her for the poor performance of the team (who are bottom). That in itself may not have been a hangable offence, but calling them f**kwits did ultimately prove to be.


The Purpose of Twitter

Posted: 29 Dec 2012 06:30 AM PST


If your Twitter broadcast frequency is 50 or more times a day and you already have scores of followers, such as @CNN, you have nothing to worry about. But the moment @CNN stops tweeting, or drastically reduces its frequency, you may ask questions but you'll quickly see other tweets in your river — and the river will keep flowing.


Someone Shared My Supposedly Private Family Photo! The Nerve! – Randi Zuckerberg

Posted: 29 Dec 2012 06:11 AM PST


Randi Zuckerberg – sister of Facebook co-creator, CEO and billionaire Mark Zuckerberg – flipped out on Twitter recently.Why? Because someone had the nerve to publicly share a family photo the lady Zuckerberg wanted to be for friends' eyes only.


Eric Pratum: Another Way to Measure Social Media Success

Posted: 29 Dec 2012 06:02 AM PST


"I work in marketing analytics. there is nothing more fun than having a knock-down, drag-out fight over the value of a tweet, a follower, or a like. If you have the right tracking set up, I can tell you, but whether or not I can tell you isn't that important to most businesses. The cost of getting an accurate measurement is."


Friendster Back with Social Network

Posted: 29 Dec 2012 05:54 AM PST


Now most users can get Friendster Social with Social Profile, Who's Viewed You, The Crush Game, Wall of Fame, VIP and Surprise Friendster Coins raffle. Who's Viewed Me is an option for the users to check out your profile. So now that the social networking granddaddy is coming back with social, whats going to happen? Lets watch and see.


Emails Reach Their Best Results In the 1st Hour [Infographic]

Posted: 29 Dec 2012 04:47 AM PST


According research by GetResponse, a complete email marketing solution, emails have the highest open rates and click thru rates within the first hour of being delivered in the subscriber's inbox. This is important because we know as marketers that the more people who see our email messages, the more will convert to paying customers.


We Should Stop Saying Influential When We Mean Popular

Posted: 29 Dec 2012 04:13 AM PST


No doubt Snooki is popular. But whether or not she's influential on these topics is arguable. People may look to Snooki for the latest in shoe styles since she's a pop icon… but it's doubtful she's going to help to influence your opinion on your next camera purchase, pizza purchase, armed force question, baking recipe or parenting question. I'm not knocking Snooki… just pointing out that Snooki is absolutely popular, but has questionable influence.


The Best Branded Content of the Year: 2012

Posted: 29 Dec 2012 04:00 AM PST


Though the time has come to say goodbye to 2012, in the New Year we will find ourselves saying hello to a new era of advertising. 2012 will be remembered as the year that content became king. 2013 will be the year that marketers begin to perfect their branded content. Because learning from the past is always the best way to move forward in the future, let's take a moment to remember a few of the best branded content campaigns of the past year.


5 Ways to Create Value for a Facebook Like

Posted: 29 Dec 2012 03:26 AM PST


Another misguided use of the Facebook Like, is forcing folks to Like your page before they comment — especially if they're unhappy. Forcing them to Like your Facebook page before they can leave a negative comment only makes them angrier. And, instead of just stopping by and posting their criticism, they're now part of your community and can continue poisoning the community.

0 The 7 Weirdest Graveyards in the World

The 7 Weirdest Graveyards in the World

When the human body dies, we all know where it may end up – in an urn, a cemetery, or the bottom of the ocean, to name a few – but what about our material possessions? Do we really know where our things end up after they've ran their course? Don't be so quick to assume that everything we discard is whisked away to the junkyard, the landfill, or the recycling center. Some objects are fortunate enough to be brought to a designated graveyard, where they can be discovered and cherished for many years to come. Before you chuck your toothbrush, consider the fact that maybe there's a place for you to respectfully lay it to rest. The same goes for other objects like neon signs, phone booths, and toilets. The world is filled with fascinating graveyards for abandoned things. Let's take a look at 7 of them. The Yellow Taxi Graveyard (Chongqing, China) Decades ago in China, consumer goods such as personal vehicles and T.V.s were reserved for only wealthy folks. The common man had no choice but to hail a taxi every time he needed to go somewhere. Because of that, China was overridden with yellow taxis. In 1978, the Chinese economy started growing and, thirty four years later, it's still going strong. Personal vehicles become more and more accessible to the Chinese middle class, and the yellow taxis eventually become obsolete. The government had to put them somewhere, so they created this yellow taxi graveyard. The Island of Abandoned Dolls (Mexico City, Mexico) This island, located in the middle of an ancient lake, is chock full of abandoned dolls hung from trees, tied to fences, and scattered across the ground. The story behind this is very strange. In the 1950s, an eccentric man named Don Julian Santana left his family and lived like a hermit on this island. One day, he found a little girl's body floating in the water, so he started collecting thousands of discarded dolls because he thought they would keep the little girl's spirit company on the lonely island. Don Julian spent the last 50 years of his life collecting dolls and decorating the island with them until his death in 2001. Visitors have reported hearing the dolls whispering as they passed them. The Neon Boneyard (Las Vegas, Nevada) Want to know what Vegas was like 30 years ago? This neon boneyard can show you. Located north of Old Vegas, the six-acre boneyard features old neon signs from iconic old casinos and other businesses. It's owned by the Neon Museum, an independent non-profit. Here, you'll discover some of the signs that were shown in old Hollywood movies like Mars Attacks, National Lampoon's Vegas Vacation, and Honey, I Blew Up the Kid. Cemiterio das Ancoras (Tavira Island, Portugal) Every anchor has its own story. This anchor graveyard on Portugal's Tavira Island has several hundred rusted anchors lined up among the dunes. Each anchor used to belong to a fisherman who lost his livelihood when the tuna population dwindled and eventually abandoned the coasts. Since Tavira Island thrived on the tuna fishing industry, its economy was hit pretty hard when the tuna supply dried up. The fishermen had to find a new field of work. This anchor graveyard serves as a memorial for the island's former tuna fishing industry. The Toothbrush Fence (Te Pahu, New Zealand) Located on a quiet rural road, this toothbrush fence boasts hundreds of used toothbrushes sent in from all over the world. This all began when a local man named Laird McGillicuddy Graeme Cairns started hanging up his own collection of used toothbrushes. Soon enough, people began adding their own toothbrushes to the fence. Even famous people like New Zealand's Prime Minister Helen Clark and Academy Award-winning musician Bret McKenzie added their toothbrushes to the collection. If you can't make it to New Zealand, you can mail in your toothbrush! The address is: The Toothbrush Bucket / 294 Limeworks Loop Road, / Te Pahu, R D 5 / Hamilton / New Zealand The Toilet Waterfall (Guangdong, China) After having served people for years, ten thousand used toilets went on to become part of a giant waterfall. Designed by famous Chinese artist Shu Yong, the waterfall is 328 feet long and 16.4 feet tall. While the toilets have a new purpose, the waterfall is still a collection of old and abandoned toilets, each of which has its own history. The Phone Booth Graveyard (Newark-on-Trent, UK) This unusual graveyard lies in an abandoned industrial estate. Scattered across it are red phone booths from various time periods. Some are 85-year-old kiosks, and some are modern state-of-the-art models. When one of Britain's red phone boxes gets damaged and cannot be repaired, it ends up here. Red phone booths are becoming popular, so people from all over the world are lining up to buy one from this graveyard. Be sure to check it out before the entire graveyard clears up! Honorable Mentions -       The coke machine graveyard in Guntersville, Alabama -       The FEMA trailer graveyard in Purvis, Mississippi -       The bicycle graveyard in Tokyo, Japan -       The train graveyard in Uyuni, Bolivia -       The airplane graveyard in Tucson, Arizona -       The Soviet tank graveyard in Kabul, Afghanistan -       The vending machine graveyard in Tamamura, Gunma-ken, Japan The 7 Weirdest Graveyards in the World is a post from: Lifed

0 4 Ways to Prepare a Facebook Content Plan for 2013

4 Ways to Prepare a Facebook Content Plan for 2013 | Social Media Today Daily

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4 Ways to Prepare a Facebook Content Plan for 2013 Posted: 28 Dec 2012 10:38 AM PST Content is now the asset of any business, it's how you make people talk about your brand and how search engines will reflect those sentiments.

4 CRM Lessons Learned from "The Great Social Customer Service Race" [Infographic] Posted: 28 Dec 2012 10:21 AM PST Ashley Verrill, CRM market analyst with Software Advice conducted "The Great Social Customer Service Race." The race was created to evaluate how efficiently the nation's top 14 brands across seven industries provided customer support on Twitter. The evaluations are based on the response time and the percent of total tweets that received a reply.

An Increase in Social Media Crimes Posted: 28 Dec 2012 10:07 AM PST According to police in the UK the number of alleged crimes involving social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook has increased eight-fold in Britain alone. During 2012, more than 650 people were charged and more than 4,900 offences reported in total...

Top 10 Best Uses of Twitter in 2012 Posted: 28 Dec 2012 05:30 AM PST Twitter is changing. Once a platform for quick and innocuous updates about people's day to day lives, it's become a resource for revolution, charity, politics and emergency relief. This may sound a bit overdramatic, which is why I've compiled a Top Ten list of the most awesome uses of Twitter in 2012 to prove my point.

Help the School Shooting Victims, Don't Exploit their Tragedy for Publicity Posted: 28 Dec 2012 04:10 AM PST Businesses from across the world have joined in to express their condolences, heartfelt wishes, prayers and thoughts. Unfortunately, despite the fact that our nation is still in shock and mourning, some businesses have outraged consumers by shamelessly, or more often unintentionally, seizing the opportunity to exploit the tragedy to make more sales.

10 Steps to Find that Job after College Posted: 28 Dec 2012 01:12 AM PST The problem is, however, that many students don't even know where to begin or where to even look for that entry-level position they want. The good news is that even in this less-than-stellar economy, students are not left up-creek without a paddle. There are definitive ways to increase your chances of landing that job after graduation.

0 Facebook stocks lower as Instagram loses users

US-Russia spat puts adoption couple, Heather and Aaron Whaley, in limbo Posted: 28 Dec 2012 02:55 PM PST Washington: Heather and Aaron Whaley just wanted to start a family with a four-year-old Russian girl nicknamed Addie who they found on the Internet but have yet to see in person. Never did they expect to find themselves caught up in a souring of relations between Moscow and Washington over human rights. The Whaleys are among several US couples whose pending adoptions of Russian children are in limbo after President Vladimir Putin signed legislation barring Americans from adopting Russian youngsters. “We’re both very worried and stressed right now,” Heather Whaley told AFP on Friday as she and her husband drove back to their Frederick, Maryland home after a Christmas holiday in her native Alabama. “President Putin originally said he would allow families which are ‘in process’ to complete their adoptions within the next year,” she said. “I don’t know if he’ll hold to that… but we’re hopeful.” When Putin signed the adoption ban earlier Friday, 46 Russian children had been cleared by Russian courts for adoption by American families, said Megan Lindsey of the National Council for Adoption, an advocacy group. Around 1,500 other applications were at some stage of being processed. The Whaleys, devout Christians who say God blessed them “with a heart for children,” discovered Addie — the girl’s Russian given name is Regina — last February on a website featuring Russian kids available for adoption. Someone else had applied to take her but dropped out after learning that Addie — like many unwanted Russian children — had special needs, something that did not at all deter the Whaleys. “She’s very, very tiny for her age — she’s only 24 pounds (11 kilograms), which is about the size of an 18-month-old,” said Heather Whaley, who has two adopted sisters and works part-time with youngsters with special needs. “We also know that she is developmentally delayed” and unable to speak at a level on a par with children her age, she added. The Whaleys started the paperwork with World Links International, an adoption agency in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and launched a blog (www.bringaddiehome.com) to chronicle their journey. They also drained their life savings, and reached out to family and friends, to help cover the estimated $65,000 in adoption fees and travel expenses to bring Addie to America. “We had felt that was going to be our biggest worry, just raising a huge amount of money,” Whaley said. They had been planning to travel to Vladivostok, in Russia’s far east, in early 2013 to actually see Addie in the flesh on the first of three visits that would-be adoptive parents are required by Russian law to make. “Russia is one of the hardest countries to adopt from. Their regulations and red tape are excruciating,” said Whaley, who has decorated her home with pictures of the smiling child. In the meantime, the Whaleys’ home has been inspected by adoption officials, and a pediatrician at Johns Hopkins University has gone over Addie’s medical file with a fine-tooth comb. Tatiana Suslin, chief executive of World Links International, said her agency has 16 families whose applications to adopt Russian children are currently in a bureaucratic pipeline that typically takes a year to clear. “They are just struggling,” she told AFP. “They are so upset. What can you tell them?” Two of those families won Russian court approval of their adoption applications on December 7, but even they are not 100 percent sure their children will be free to depart Russia as planned. “Those children, they are hostages of a political situation,” Suslin said.

FC recovers 150kg explosives in Quetta Posted: 28 Dec 2012 02:41 PM PST Quetta: The Frontier Constabulary (FC) has recovered huge quantity of explosives near Pak-Afghan border on Friday night. According to an FC spokesman, two motorcyclists dropped two bags full of explosives as FC personnel tried to stop them for routine checking. The officials took the bags in custody containing explosives nearly 150kg. The bikers, however, managed to flee, the spokesman said.

Obama to make statement after fiscal cliff talks Posted: 28 Dec 2012 02:39 PM PST Washington: President Barack Obama and top lawmakers Friday searched for a deal to stop the US economy tumbling off a “fiscal cliff” next week in a crisis that could cause a new recession and rock global markets. Obama was to make a statement on the crunch talks at the White House at 2245 GMT, after a sense of crisis built throughout the day over a $500 billion time bomb of tax hikes and spending cuts due to detonate on Tuesday. Wall Street picked up pessimistic signs, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 158.20 points or 1.21 percent, as Washington’s perennial dysfunction and gridlock threatened to deal a massive self inflicted wound to the economy. The president met Republicans House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and top Democrats, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, in the Oval Office. An aide to Boehner said the talks focused on “potential options and components for a plan that could pass both chambers of Congress” and told Obama that the Senate must go first, before the House acts. Mitch McConnell departs from the West Wing of the White House on December 28, 2012 © AFP Reid told reporters he hoped the meeting “bears fruit” but there were few concrete details of the talks ahead of Obama’s statement. If no deal is reached by January 1, all Americans will face a tax hike and massive and automatic budget cuts will come into force which budget experts say could trigger a new US recession and cause a spike in unemployment. The president is banking on a stopgap solution he suggested a week ago that would see taxes on American families earning more than $250,000 go up but would spare the middle class. Obama did not make a new offer to Republicans during the talks, a source familiar with the meeting said, adding that the president also asked for an extension of expiring unemployment insurance for two million people. He told Republicans that if they cannot come up with a counter-proposal to avert the fiscal cliff they must allow his plan to come up for a vote in both chambers of Congress, the source said. Nancy Pelosi waits for her car as she departs from the West Wing of the White House on December 28, 2012 © AFP Such a scenario would leave Republicans in a tough political spot as if they refuse, it would be easy for the White House to blame them for the economy toppling over the cliff. It is not clear whether the Obama plan would avert the massive spending cuts due to come into force on January 1 or deal with his separate request to raise the $16 trillion ceiling on government borrowing. Republicans want to extend George W. Bush-era tax cuts due to expire on Tuesday for everyone and accuse the president of failing to offer meaningful spending cuts in a bargain in return for them agreeing to raise revenues. Some top lawmakers clung to hope. “Sometimes, it’s darkest before the dawn,” said Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer on NBC, saying McConnell’s role could be a catalyst for action. But Republican Senator Bob Corker complained Obama and Democrats in Congress had balked at cutting spending on key social programs weighing on the budget, and inflating the deficit, accusing them of a “total dereliction of duty.” “We’re going to end up with a small, kick-the-can-down-the-road bill that creates another fiscal cliff to deal with this fiscal cliff. How irresponsible is that?” Corker told reporters. John Boehner arrives at the West Wing of the White House on December 28, 2012 © AFP Retiring Democratic Senator Ben Nelson warned: “If this meeting is not successful in achieving a proposal, I think you need to get a parachute.” Obama broke off his vacation in Hawaii in search of a last-minute deal and Boehner called the House back to work on Sunday. The president’s scaled-down solution calls for an extension of tax cuts for people earning less than $250,000, and an extension of unemployment benefits before a wider effort to trim the deficit next year. But it is doubtful the package could pass the House as restive conservatives last week rebuked Boehner by rejecting his fallback plan that would have raised taxes on people earning $1 million. While each side must for the sake of appearances be seen to be seeking a deal, the easiest way out of the mess might be to allow the economy to go over the cliff, but to fix the problem in the first few days of next year. In that scenario, Republicans, who are philosophically opposed to raising taxes, could back a bill to lower the newly raised rates on almost all Americans, thus sidestepping the stigma of raising taxes. Recent polls show a majority of Americans back Obama’s handling of the crisis, and would blame Republicans for a failure to fix it, so the president could get a short-term political boost from an early deal next year. Should the stalemate linger however, the crisis would cloud the early months of Obama’s second term, would dent his popularity and could detract from his key political goals like immigration reform and gun control.

Facebook stocks lower as Instagram loses users Posted: 28 Dec 2012 02:31 PM PST New York: Facebook shares fell Friday after a report said its photo-sharing app Instagram had lost millions of users following the release of planned policy changes since dropped on an outcry from users. According to audience tracker AppData.com, over the past week the number of daily Instagram users fell by 3.5 million to an average of 12.4 million users per day. Facebook shares sank about 2.5 percent lower in early trade, before rebounding to $25.71 in the early afternoon, off 1.2 percent. Earlier this month, Instagram backed off planned policy changes that appeared to clear the way for the mobile photo sharing service to sell pictures without compensation, amid protests from users. Changes to the privacy policy and terms of service had included wording that appeared to allow people’s pictures to be used by advertisers at Instagram or Facebook worldwide, royalty-free. Twitter and Instagram forums buzzed over the phrasing, as users debated whether to delete their accounts before the new rules kicked in. Facebook acquired Instagram earlier this year. The original price was pegged at $1 billion but the final value was less because of a decline in the social network’s share price.

Greek former finance minister ejected in tax scandal Posted: 28 Dec 2012 02:24 PM PST Athens: A Greek tax-dodging scandal took a new twist Friday with the revelation that a former minister supposedly scrubbed names from a list of alleged tax avoiders. Greece’s former finance minister George Papaconstantinou, who helped draw up the debt-ridden nation’s first austerity drive, was swiftly booted from his socialist Pasok party after the alleged discrepancies came to light. In a statement announcing his ejection, Pasok said there were “clear indications” that names of family members had been deleted from the list. Greek prosecutors are investigating some 2,000 holders of HSBC bank accounts in Switzerland for suspected tax evasion, according to media reports. Papaconstantinou “categorically” denied having altered the list, which had been given to him personally by France’s then finance minister Christine Lagarde in 2010, the current head of the International Monetary Fund. Media have dubbed the case the “Lagarde list”. Greek prosecutors provoked an outcry by going after a journalist who had printed names supposedly on the list. The list was originally leaked by an HSBC employee before being passed to Greece by Lagarde. Authorities have claimed the list was illegally obtained and hence could not be used in the battle against tax evasion, a chronic problem in the heavily indebted and recession-hit country. But mounting anger against a new round of austerity cuts, imposed by Greece’s international creditors, put pressure on the government to seek the list. Officials maintained that the original Lagarde list had gone missing, prompting Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras to ask France to re-send it. Papaconstantinou also denied knowing which family members had appeared on the list.

Neymar staying put in Brazil until 2014: father Posted: 28 Dec 2012 02:22 PM PST Barcelona: Brazil star Neymar is to stay with Santos in his homeland until at least after the 2014 World Cup, according to his father Neymar da Silva. Neymar senior said his son did want to play in Europe to further his career development but told Friday’s Barcelona-based Sport daily: “This is what he wants (but) he will do it in 2014.” He added that was why his son’s Santos contract had been shortened from 2015 to 2014 to allow him to showcase his talents through to the World Cup on home soil as a home-grown star. Even so, his father warned that “if Neymar is not happy” or Santos found that it would be better to sell him on financial grounds then that could conceivably be an option. Were that to transpire then the 20-year-old forward is set to head off to Spain’s La Liga with Barcelona. “Barca, of course. Barcelona’s football is similar to that of Neymar, isn’t that so?” said Neymar senior. Even so, while admitting to early contacts with the Catalan club, he conceded that “it could be Barca will not want him in 2014.” Barca’s Brazilian connections stretching back across the decades could play a part in Neymar’s future destination as “Neymar has his idols and it is normal that he would want to triumph where Romario or Ronaldo (played)”. Brazil are hoping the country’s growing emergence as a world power could allow Neymar to feel he can stay at home for now at least rather than follow the well-trodden path to Europe. “Neymar has broken the mould of Brazilian footballers who left to pursue the best financial offer without taking their own personal situation into account,” said Neymar da Silva. Neymar has already turned down one chance of a move to Europe — rejecting a 36 million euros move to Chelsea two seasons ago and his father said his son was only thinking about his development as a player. “Neymar needs to grow and mature … many (players) left and suffered abroad. What Neymar loves is to play football. We will do everything as well as possible to ensure he plays until he is 35.” Sport on Thursday quoted the player as saying he would see out his contract until 2014, insisting he is happy with Pele’s old club Santos, and only then think about whether a move to Europe would be in his interests.

‘Fiscal cliff’ talks won’t impact US rating: Standard and Poor’s Posted: 28 Dec 2012 02:14 PM PST Washington: Rating agency Standard and Poor’s said Friday it does not expect the negotiations over the fiscal cliff to spark another downgrade of the United States, nor improve the country’s rating. The agency said it had already accounted for the political stalemate over reducing the deficit when it cut the country’s rating from the top-level AAA to AA+ for the first time in history in August 2011, and labeled it with a “negative” outlook. At that time, S&P cited “the political brinkmanship of recent months (that) highlights what we see as America’s governance and policymaking becoming less stable, less effective, and less predictable”. “We believe that this characterization still holds,” it said in a statement Friday. The announcement came as President Barack Obama hosted a high-level meeting in the White House in a last-ditch effort to keep the United States from going over the so-called fiscal cliff — a mix of steep spending cuts and tax hikes set to kick in next month. Going into the Friday afternoon talks, neither the White House nor Republicans showed any sign of shifting from their entrenched positions. S&P maintained its negative outlook on the US rating, saying that any deal cobbled together in last-minute negotiations to avoid the cliff would neither improve nor immediately worsen Washington’s medium term debt outlook. The absence of any agreement, it said, would in fact improve the government’s fiscal position but also likely send the country back into recession. Moreover, it said, such a deal would amount to “fiscal consolidation enacted by default” and “centered on short-term measures,” rather than a long-term bipartisan deal to reduce the deficit. It would likely be “insufficient to place the US medium-term public finances on a sustainable footing.” Also, it added, any likely last-minute deal would “be vulnerable to reversal, especially in the first few weeks of the new year.”

Indian gang-rape victim dies in Singapore: Mount Elizabeth Hospital Posted: 28 Dec 2012 02:07 PM PST Singapore: An Indian gang-rape victim died Saturday, the hospital treating her in Singapore said, after suffering severe organ failure in an attack that has sparked widespread street protests. Authorities in India have been preparing for the possibility her death could ignite more protests amid simmering anger at the level of violence against women. “We are very sad to report that the patient passed away peacefully at 4.45 am (2045 GMT Friday) on 29 Dec 2012,” Kelvin Loh, the chief executive of Mount Elizabeth Hospital, said in a statement. Indian members of NGO ‘Aastha’ hold placards during a protest in Mumbai on December 27, 2012 © AFP/File “Her family and officials from the High Commission of India were by her side. The Mount Elizabeth Hospital team of doctors, nurses and staff join her family in mourning her loss.” The 23-year-old, who has not been named, was attacked by six men on a bus in New Delhi on December 16 and beaten with an iron bar. She had been in a critical condition since arriving at the hospital on Thursday after she was airlifted from India. “Despite all efforts by a team of eight specialists in Mount Elizabeth Hospital to keep her stable, her condition continued to deteriorate over these two days,” Loh said. “She had suffered from severe organ failure following serious injuries to her body and brain. She was courageous in fighting for her life for so long against the odds but the trauma to her body was too severe for her to overcome. “We are humbled by the privilege of being tasked to care for her in her final struggle.”

Tito Vilanova can return to work soon: Barcelona chairman Sandro Rosell Posted: 28 Dec 2012 01:55 PM PST Dubai: Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova, who underwent surgery on December 20 for a recurrence of a cancerous tumour, can envisage a return to work in “15 to 20 days,” club chairman Sandro Rosell said Friday. “I think he will return to work in 15 to 20 days,” Rosell said on the sidelines of the Dubai International Sports Conference. “He will be obliged to have occasional check-ups but the doctor has assured (me) that will not preclude him from taking charge of the team,” Rosell added. Vilanova, 44, left hospital on December 22, barely 48 hours after his surgery to remove a tumour from a salivary gland. He had similar surgery a year ago. He now faces some six weeks of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Vilanova has led Barca to the best league start in their history – the Catalan club lead the table by nine points with 16 wins and a draw to date.

KU announces entry tests for MBA, BSCS/SE, MSc, Applied Physics (Hons) Posted: 28 Dec 2012 01:52 PM PST Karachi: The University of Karachi (UoK) has announced to conduct entry tests on Sunday, December 30, 2012 for various faculties, Director Admission Committee Dr Khalid Iraqi. Dr Iraqi said that the test for admission in MBA and BSCS/SE would be conducted at 10 am while for MSc and Applied Physics (Hons) programmes at 2 pm. He added that all test would be conducted in the Faculty of Arts. Details about seating arrangements are given here. Candidates are required to bring their admit cards and original CNIC otherwise they will not be permitted to take the test, Dr Iraqi said.