Thousands of Greeks protest against new round of austerity cuts

THESSALONIKI, Greece (Reuters) - Thousands of Greeks marched at an annual fair in Greece's second-biggest city on Saturday to protest against a new round of wage and pension cuts demanded by international lenders in exchange for aid to stave off bankruptcy.

The demonstration by about 15,000 trade unionists and leftists was the first major protest against a nearly 12-billion-euro austerity package being readied by Prime Minister Antonis Samaras to appease EU and IMF inspectors who arrived in Athens on Friday to review Greece's reform progress.

A few protesters burned European Union flags while others threw watermelons and peaches in support of struggling farmers, but the largely peaceful protests otherwise passed off without incident as 3,500 policemen looked on.

Greece is struggling through its worst post-war economic crisis that has left nearly one in four jobless, pushed up poverty levels and shuttered thousands of businesses.

In a break with tradition, Samaras made only a brief appearance to inaugurate the event and to defend the planned cuts instead of making the customary annual economic policy speech delivered by his predecessors.

"We are trying to minimize the pain from the cuts as much as possible but we have to make the cuts, because there is no other way," Samaras told politicians and local officials.

"I am telling you the truth, there is no other way."

Opposition leader Alexis Tsipras, head of the radical leftist SYRIZA party that opposes Greece's foreign bailout, criticized Samaras for the unusually low-key appearance at the event.

"The prime minister came and left like a thief - perhaps he is ashamed," said Tsipras, who took part in the rallies.

Samaras opposed Greece's first bailout in 2010 but since taking power in June he has promised to push through another round of belt-tightening that a fatigued Greek public feels it cannot take anymore.

Samaras and Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras, a respected economist, have won cautious praise from European counterparts for refusing to back down on the cuts but face growing hostility at home as Greece's economic slump deepens.

The government, which is hoping to win two more years to implement the cuts - which are slated for 2013 and 2014 - says Greece's economy will contract by more than 7 percent this year.

A string of protests are expected in the coming days as the so-called troika of EU, International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank officials conclude a review that will determine whether Greece gets the next tranche of aid under its latest bailout and avoids a messy default.

(Writing by Deepa Babington; Editing by Andrew Osborn)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/thousands-greeks-protest-against-round-austerity-cuts-195804160.html

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Nigerian airline collapses as industry struggles

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) ? Almost half the aircraft had been pulled out of service at Air Nigeria, this West African nation's second-largest airline, and its staff hadn't received a paycheck in four months when its top executive summarily fired nearly all of its employees for "dishonesty."

"Corporations are like individuals, who naturally will get sick," Air Nigeria chairman Jimoh Ibrahim was quoted as saying. "The usual thing to do is to admit them in hospitals, either for corporate surgery or for treatment, as the case may be."

The collapse and the mass firing of about 800 workers at Air Nigeria comes as only four domestic airlines are currently flying in Nigeria, down from nine flying at the start of this year. The dramatic decrease highlights the current turmoil of the nation's troubled aviation sector.

While the federal government insists it conducts strict maintenance and financial audits of airlines, the financial mess left behind after Air Nigeria's shutdown and a June crash by another carrier that killed more than 160 people has left many Nigerians leery of flying and distrustful of official safety promises.

"I think that if in the future, if anybody's coming into this business, I think the government needs to put in a particular panel to check that person's mental state, first of all, and the financial records need to be checked so we can know if this person can even do the job," said Isaac Balami, president of Nigeria's National Association of Aircrafts Pilots and Engineers. "We've seen people that can't even manage an ordinary business. ... Aviation is not for a lazy man or somebody who doesn't know what he's doing."

Angered by their firing, more than 60 former Air Nigeria employees protested Friday outside of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and later marched past a domestic wing of Lagos' Murtala Muhammed International Airport. Former employees described a dysfunctional environment where bosses removed telephone lines and called Internet access and using an elevator to reach their high-rise office "a luxury."

Staff last received a paycheck in April and had been sitting at home for weeks for a call to return to work. At one point, employees also were forced to sign "loyalty oaths" to swear their allegiance to the company and promise not to be union members, workers said. Yet the company continued to collapse, even after it received money from a federal bailout fund, employees said.

"If they want to steal Nigerian money, don't use our hands or our heads to steal it," said an employee who asked only to be identified by her first name Barbara, out of hopes she might still receive the rest of her salary. "Just steal it and deal with your conscience."

Financial troubles have trailed Air Nigeria, a one-time darling of the country when billionaire Richard Branson helped create it as Virgin Nigeria in 2005. Branson pulled out of the airline and in 2010 Ibrahim took it over and renamed it.

Ibrahim, who also directs a major hotel chain, an insurance firm and an oil company, has strong ties to the country's political elite, as do many in business in the nation. But the engineers' strike earlier this year saw workers claim the company's finances stopped it from properly servicing its fleet. A top former company official also referred to airline's aircraft as "flying coffins" in local media reports.

The workers presented a letter outlining their complaints to officials at the civil aviation authority. Samuel Ogbogoro, a spokesman for Air Nigeria, did not respond to a request for comment Friday over the employees' allegations. The company has said, however, it hopes to reopen in 12 months, though it remains unclear how it will do that with the debts employees say it faces.

Experts believe Air Nigeria is not a unique case among airlines in Nigeria, however. Jet fuel purchases often must be made with cash in the country. Other executives with ties to government officials have floated airlines in the past.

Meanwhile, the country has suffered a series of fatal plane crashes over the last decades, with authorities never offering clear explanations for why the disasters happened.

In June, a Dana Air MD-83 crashed about five miles north of Lagos' airport, killing 153 onboard and 10 people on the ground. While an initial report suggests both engines failed on the flight, officials haven't explained why that happened, though they cleared the airline to fly again this week.

Meanwhile, other airlines appear to be grounded over financial concerns and other matters, leaving only four carriers flying and unable to meet the nation's growing demand for flights. That could put further pressure on an industry where corners have been cut in the past and pilots feel pressure to fly no matter what.

"The aviation industry is all about efficiencies, speed and accuracy," Balami said. "Can you imagine a pilot ... going through financial difficulties (and) he or she can't pay their bills and you expect them to concentrate?"

___

Jon Gambrell can be reached at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nigerian-airline-collapses-industry-struggles-140816435--finance.html

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Real Estate Internet Marketing | Internet Marketing Blog | SEO Blog ...

Labor Day marks the advent of cooler mornings and nights, fall leaves, apple picking, and a flurry of activity at Union Street Media. As REALTORS round out their busy summer season, our inboxes fill up, the phones start ringing and our team hits the road for the Fall Real Estate conventions.? We?re kicking things off at the NHAR Annual Convention in Portsmouth, NH next week (9/9-9/11).? As always, we?re excited to have the opportunity to catch up with our clients, get insights into New Hampshire markets and recent marketing strategies, and showcase all of the new features and initiatives we?ve been working on. We?ll be specifically highlighting our improved mobile platform as well as offering a sneak peek at our brand new detail views (to be released shortly)!

While we?ll be keeping you in the loop with blog posts, tweets, and status updates if you can?t attend the conference, we do hope to see many of you at our presentation, From Lawn Signs to Social Media on Monday from 11:00-1:00 pm.? Expect to get an understanding of how traditional marketing can be paired most effectively with new web-based marketing options.

Another presentation we have circled on our calendars is Monika McGillicuddy?s, always interesting, Social Media Nightmares on Tuesday from 1:45-3:45. Monika is great at breaking down social media strategy from a REALTOR?s perspective and she always provides a lively format and plenty of helpful takeaways.

Together, these two presentations can give you some great ideas for how to integrate your offline and online marketing. However, there?s a lot more to building your web presence than social media ? and some of us will never feel comfortable tweeting ? so stop by our booth (Thaxter #06) or email me to schedule a chat to discuss your web priorities.

We look forward to seeing many of you there but if you can?t make it, stay tuned for highlights from the Union Street Media team!

Tags: mobile websites, NHAR Convention, Real Estate Conferences

Source: http://blog.unionstreetmedia.com/internet-marketing/coming-up-nhar-in-portsmouth/

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Student Health Insurance for the University of Alabama

Finding a health insurance plan that will meet your school requirements is not an easy task, especially for an international student trying to get ready for classes and begin a new school year in a foreign land. Many schools try to simplify this process for their students by having a school health insurance plan. However, they also know that students like options! This is why many schools allow their students to waive out of the school plan. The University of Alabama is one example of a university that allows students to choose what coverage they would like to purchase, as long as it is sufficient coverage.

International students at the University of Alabama make up almost five percent of the student population. If you are included in that five percent international population, you have probably already started shopping for your health insurance and?discovered that it can be a confusing process. That is why we are here to make it easy for you. Students at the University of Alabama can purchase the Student Secure Select or Budget level and have their insurance waiver approved by the school.

The Student Secure plan meets the necessary requirements to waive the school?s student health insurance for the University of Alabama, plus, it includes coverage for hospitalization, doctor visits, emergency medical evacuation, repatriation of remains, maternity, mental health and organized sports. The Student Secure plan will even leave you with extra money in your pocket! Check out the price comparison:

Student Secure plan: $565????????????????????????????????????????????????????University of Alabama plan: $1,357

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After you purchase the Student Secure plan all you have to do is complete the student section of the University of Alabama waiver form then email or fax it to us to complete the rest. We will even?send it to your school for you!

If you would like more information on student health insurance for the University of Alabama contact our licensed agents today.

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Source: http://www.internationalstudentinsurance.com/blog/2012/09/student-health-insurance-for-the-university-of-alabama.html

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Maximum PC | Mobile Users Boast the Biggest Gaming Posse, NPD ...

Move over PC and console gamers, and make way for the mobile crowd. According to new data by NPD Group, mobile users are the new face of gaming and represent just one of two segments that saw growth in the games industry. The other, not surprisingly, is digital gaming. As a whole, the total number of gamers in the U.S. is down, declining 5 percent (since 2011) to 211.5 million people, NPD Group reports.

"While this study segments the gaming audience based on a number of key variables and attributes, looking across the total gaming audience we see a tremendous impact from mobile gaming, particularly on smartphones and tablets," said Anita Frazier, industry analyst for NPD Group. "Because of this, our next study, which will be released later this month, takes a deeper look into the area of mobile gaming."

So-called "Core Gamers" still spend more than any other category of gamer. On average, gamers spent $48 on physical games and $16 on digital games during the past three months, compared to Core Gamers, who spent $65 on physical games during the same time period.

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"Given the long lifecycles of the current consoles and the increasing installed base of smartphones and tablets, it's not surprising to see a slight decline in the Core Gamer segment," said Frazier. "It's the revenue contribution of the Core Gamer segment that continues to outpace all other segments, and remains vital to the future of the industry."

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Source: http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/mobile_users_boast_biggest_gaming_posse_npd_group_says

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5 Important Things That You Should Know About FDA Reporting For ...

Medical device manufacturers, device distributors, and healthcare facilities are required to submit annual reports to the Food and Drug Administration(FDA) regarding the safety of medical devices or other products. Although this process is time consuming and requires a lot of data gathering, it does have a great influence on the overall wellbeing of the US healthcare system.Read below to find out why FDA reporting for safer these products is important.

1. Although the FDA does put drugs and medical devices through a safety test before approving their release on the market, only a small batch out of each product is tested. Some issues may remain undiscovered during the testing period and appear only when the medical product is used at a larger scale. Reports submitted by manufacturers or by healthcare facilities can help the Administration intervene in time, before too much damage has been caused.

2. Personally assessing every single medical product is a virtually impossible task to accomplish, even for a large organization such as the FDA. The manpower and the amount of money the Administration would have to invest in order to do this are unimaginable. The annual reports submitted by manufacturers and device users help the Administration to focus only on situations that have proven to be dangerous and not waste time or money on evaluating perfectly safe medical equipment.

3. Reports submitted by medical device manufacturers and distributors help the FDA stop the release of certain, potentially hazardous, pieces of equipment to the general public. This can prevent people from getting hurt or even lose their life. Even if the device or drug has already been used on patients, the FDA still has the ability to limit its usage so no further harm can be caused.

4. Reports submitted regarding unsafe products help the FDA weed out the faulty medical products or correct their malfunctions if possible. In this way, the Administration strives to improve the overall safety of these products used in the United States and to increase the faith of the general public in FDA approved products.

5. By accepting reports from various sources, such as healthcare providers, manufacturers, distributors, and patients, the FDA can easily store and analyze data regarding a large variety of these products. The database the Administration has created based on the reports it receives allows any interested party to research the safety of a certain medical device or drug. The fact that report data is made public helps promote a safer and more transparent healthcare system, which both medical professionals and patients alike can trust.

The FDA reporting for safer products program was created as a means to make the US healthcare system a more secure environment and to protect the wellbeing of American patients. Taking into consideration all the reasons listed above, the importance of submitting reports to the Administration regarding unwanted effects of medical products in undeniable: it reduces costs, it saves time and most importantly, it guarantees the safety of these products available on the market.

To learn more, visit our website about FDA Reporting for Safer Medical Products today and bookmark it to share with others!

Source: http://toddsblogs.com/healthandfitness/2012/09/05/5-important-things-that-you-should-know-about-fda-reporting-for-safer-medical-products/

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The national debt topped $16 trillion yesterday, but David Gill says its "foolis...

As National Debt hits $16 Trillion, Dr. Radical David Gill says Balancing Budget is ?Foolishness?

www.drradical.com

As the national debt topped $16 trillion Tuesday and spending continues to go on unchecked in Washington, radical 13th District Congressional Candidate and Dr. Radical David Gill says requiring Congress to balance the budget is ?foolishness.?

Source: http://www.facebook.com/ilgop/posts/386889548043794

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Poll: Cellphone users dump apps to save privacy

By Bob Sullivan

Consumers have grown so concerned about privacy on their mobile phones that most avoid downloading some apps, and many others have removed apps out of concerns about data sharing, according to a survey released Wednesday. The Pew Internet & American Life survey also found that Americans lose their cellphones at alarming rates.

Slightly more than half (54 percent) of cell phone consumers who use mobile apps have decided not to install an app after realizing how much personal information they'd have to share; and nearly one-third (30 percent) of that group has uninstalled an app for privacy reasons, Pew found. Half of smartphone users had taken steps to clear their devices of personal data by either clearing their browser cache or search history. One-third of smartphone users had turned off location information on their phones, it said.


"There are lots of ways people are attempting to manage what information they are sharing about themselves,? said Aaron Smith, a Pew research associate who co-authored a report on the survey. "This data is illustrative of the sheer quantity of very sensitive, very personal information people have on their phones, and that people are obviously very cognizant of that."

Hesitation to use apps -- or the urge to remove them -- was fairly consistent among all types of users, Pew found.? Both iPhone and Android users dumped apps at the same rate; older users were only slightly more likely to avoid or delete apps.

The data hints that cellphone software developers are losing out on a lot of business by ignoring consumers' worries.

"In the context of the apps world, you don't have a lot of options,? said Smith. ?... It's a very binary choice for the consumer. Either you use the app or you don't. Often, the easiest solution is just not to use the app."

Young consumers aren't only worried about apps compromising their security. Twenty-five percent of smartphone users aged 18 to 24 said an unauthorized user had accessed personal information on their phone, compared with 18 percent for 25-34 year olds and 2 percent for the 65-and-older crowd.

Meanwhile, one-third of all cellphone users told Pew their phone had been lost or stolen at some point. That statistic probably won't surprise urban dwellers, who are reminded by public service announcements on mass transit that smartphone theft is a rising problem.? But Pew found roughly consistent loss and theft rates among city, suburban and rural dwellers.?

As one might expect, younger users were slightly more likely to lose phones: 45 percent of all 18-24 year old cellphone users said they'd misplaced one. But older users were hardly immune: 30 percent of those aged 35-54 said they'd lost a phone, and 20 percent of those 65 and older had, too.

"I was surprised with the relative age balance when it came to lost or stolen phones," Smith said.

Cellphone theft is a major problem. California-based Lookout Mobile Security recently estimated that lost phones will cost U.S. consumers $30 billion this year. Some relief was promised earlier this year, when the Federal Communications Commission announced that major U.S. carriers would begin to systematically disable lost phones, theoretically drying up the black market for stolen phones. At the time, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said that cellphone thefts accounted for 30-40 percent of all robberies nationwide.

Pew did not ask users who said they'd lost phones if they were returned, but an experiment run for NBC News earlier this year suggests that return rates are dismally low. That project also found that even otherwise honest people who find lost cellphones can't seem to stop themselves from rummaging around through their victims' data.

Despite all this data on lost and stolen phones, smartphone users aren't regularly backing up their information. Only 41 percent told Pew they'd ever done so -- and only 11 percent said they backed up photos, contacts, etc. on a regular basis.? Of note: Those who told Pew they had lost a phone in the past were no more likely to back up their data, suggesting consumers are still learning how to deal with carrying so much personal, vulnerable information in their pockets.

?The rise of the smartphone has dramatically altered the relationship between cell owners and their phones when it comes to monitoring and safeguarding their personal information,? Smith said. ?The wealth of intimate details stored on smartphones makes them akin to the personal diaries of the past. The information they contain is hard to replace if lost, and potentially embarrassing in the wrong hands.?

The survey, which was conducted in March and April, has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent.

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    Source: http://redtape.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/05/13664261-consumer-take-on-privacy-concerns-on-apps-and-lose-their-phones-often?lite

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