Small Business Merchant Accounts ? Benefit To Small Companies ...

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On Hold marketing is the kind of promotional and image building idea that some company executives may not want to take seriously enough just because it is not your typical kind of advertising. However this would be a mistake because it has numerous benefits that can greatly benefit a company of any size. Firstly it [...]

It seems that the crime rate is always on the rise, and in the current economy, it could even become worse. As many people struggle to survive, they could start doing things they would have never considered in the past. Protecting your personal and business property is more important than ever, and one of the [...]

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What are the best animation programs for children? In today?s high tech era, even little kids are already quite familiar with computer and also internet usage. It?s safe to say that today?s kids are mostly computer savvy. If parents want to provide the right educational tool that is suitable with the children?s needs without making [...]

Source: http://seonix.org/business/small-business-merchant-accounts-benefit-to-small-companies/

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Strategies For Physically Challenged Travelers | Home 2

When you intend a holiday to many other country, the first hint is ?get on your own a travel agent?. Alternatively, you can devise your personal individual itinerary constructing an unforgettable vacation experience. Is normally the hotel or resort capable of provide a doctor in case there is an emergency? There are also excursions intended designed for visitors to employ, not to mention visitors can easily consider camel taking walks. Their role will not be to find customers selling travel to, there role will be to sell travel towards the people referred because of the home-based independent travel and leisure agents the agency listed.

A ?seasoned traveler? as a result of an acclaimed academics institution became unwell on a trip for work functions. It?s a strong advice must taste your regional Mughal cuisine in this case. Travel materials in chiang mai info many cases can be just like agents. These might be low-paying jobs like creating a cruise mail, as a visit guide, bartender, adventure sport trainer, or simply enjoying a regular job within a exotic location. A reasoning behind saving cash while travelling is straightforward: Even if your own personal budget is highly tight, you can still please take a break and take it easy! If you are photograph looks delightful, it is saleable.

National Geographic is amongst the best adventure vacation sites. Some people prefer to produce a traveling checklist the moment they know they go on a getaway. While half of the rather long and tedious expedition is covered around getting introduced to the group; socializing and understanding them better accocunts for for the partner of it. Do you need to make the measures yourself or obtain the services of a specialist corporate travel representative? Go back to Hanoi around 5: 00 pm. 8: 30 pm: Transfer from some sort of prearranged meeting spot in the station for ones own night train to help you Sapa.

Practical Travel Tricks for Parents Of Kids. You will spot rare wildlife for their natural habitat, plant life indigenous towards the area, marine life not to mention breathtaking views. Take a trip nursing jobs are definitely the short term breastfeeding jobs (5 to 52 weeks) when the nurses have to go to different areas. A good California corporation, Travel To Go can be described as membership vacation solutions company, licensed as required from the states of Colorado, Florida, and Hawaii. When you can capture the animal?s wonder, your photo can be valuable.

Managing Movie director for Real Hotels, the parent company to the Royal Cancun, Fernando Garcia, commented on Holiday + Leisures recognition towards among their best Cancun resorts. The destination shares boundary having Malaysia, Thailand and it happens to be only few miles beyond India. I?ll bet that you simply didn?t have thinking about that for too much time. A skilled and knowledgeable service would deliver only the most impressive to its purchasers. Even that stones here whisper to your ears of the actual ages of previously and the surroundings we breathe is complete with the dust and fragrances in the past, as also of this fresh and piercing winds on the present.

Source: http://www.visitthezero1hotelmontreal.com/strategies-for-physically-challenged-travelers/

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Cheap cars to insure can be a good deal | car insurance|health ...

There?s a lot of talk about auto insurance in the last couple of years. First of all, the economy has made a lot of consumers review their fixed costs and vehicle insurance is just one of those services that can cost a lot if you budget is tight. Besides, the cost of insuring a car is constantly increasing year after year. And with the new gas price records we get every day the problem of making a car less costly has become quite important for millions of Americans. There are many different ways to cut insurance costs: shopping around, getting discounts, adjusting coverage, etc. But what most people tend to forget about is that the car they drive is actually the most important factor determining insurance rates. And depending on the type of car you have there will be a huge different in the rates you?ll be charged with. So, are there any special car types that can actually get you better rates than the average? Of course there are! If you want to get cheap car insurance with your cheap cars to insure you?ll simply have to consider the following factors when buying a vehicle:

cheap cars to insure

Cheap in repair

Auto insurance primarily deals with repair costs, covering the aftermath of the accident by paying for the repair shop services. And it?s evident that the more expensive your car is to repair and the more special items it needs the more the insurance company will charge you for covering such a vehicle. That?s why insuring a luxurious sports car will always be more expensive than a mid class sedan because it requires special expensive parts for the repair.

Increased safety

If the car you drive is more likely to inflict injuries to you and your passengers in the course of an accident then it will always be more expensive to insure than a car with better security ratings. Insurance companies always pay attention to how secure and safe the car is for the people in it because the insurer also pays for the medical costs. And if the car is more likely to cause serious injuries you?ll certainly get higher rates. So make sure to check the safety ratings for any car you consider buying.

Source: http://www.usainsu.com/cheap-cars-to-insure-can-be-a-good-deal/

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Throwing A Baby Shower : What You Need To Know | Article Torrent

Throwing baby showers is a time-honored way to celebrate the impending addition of a new member to a loved one?s family. Traditionally, a baby shower is a ?girls only? event, often hosted by the baby?s godmother, but today baby showers can be hosted by any friend or relative of the mother-to-be, and can be attended by whomever the host wishes to invite. The general purpose of a baby shower is to give useful gifts to the expectant mother, such as layette items, baby toys and clothes, and often gift certificates for useful things. It is not untoward for the expectant parents to draw up a ?wish list? of items they especially need but may be having difficulty affording.

Baby showers are a relatively recent tradition, generally credited as having their start in the US. A baby shower is usually a relatively casual event, held in the afternoon or early evening, often with refreshments provided and sometimes party games held as well. It is not uncommon to have a potluck shower, where guests each bring a food item along with a gift, although fully catered showers are also quite common. Party games, if the host chooses to have them, generally center around the general theme of the baby and pregnancy, ranging from themed versions traditional games like charades to activities such as guessing the circumference of the pregnant guest-of-honor.

While many parents-to-be look forward to having a baby shower, some social groups feel such celebrations are best left as family affairs, or believe that it is bad luck to celebrate a birth before it happens. If you offer to host a shower for an expectant friend, don?t be hurt if she politely declines. In other cases, the mother-to-be may have multiple showers!

Perhaps one for co-workers and casual friends, and one for close friends and family. Some women have a baby shower only for their first child, while others may choose to have one for every pregnancy.

Baby showers are not bound by rigid traditions to the same extent as weddings and other life events, so don?t be surprised if a new friend?s baby shower is nothing like the last one you attended. There is really no ?wrong? way to throw a baby shower, so if you have been charged with hosting a shower for a friend or relative, it?s an ?anything goes? affair (so long as you have the guest of honor?s stamp of approval for your plans!).

Want to find out more about Baby Sleep, then visit John Nightman?s site on Baby Tips for your needs.

Source: http://articletorrent.com/throwing-a-baby-shower-what-you-need-to-know

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Bad News for Obama in Latest Rasmussen Polls of Uncommitted Voters (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | In a video presentation, Scott Rasmussen of the Rasmussen Poll had some terrible news for Barack Obama and some puzzling news for Mitt Romney. The news concerned the attitude of currently uncommitted voters, 12 percent of the population.

Obama's approval number among uncommitted voters is only 20 percent. His disapproval number is an enormous 76 percent. That suggests that among people who have yet to make even a tentative decision on who to vote for president, Obama is extremely unpopular and will be hard for the president to win back over.

On the other hand, as much disdain as the uncommitted have for Obama, they have yet to decide on an alternative. This is a problem for Romney, as the front runner. He has to figure out how to attract these undecided voters, who have already rejected Obama, over to his corner.

The head to head match ups have bad news for Obama as well. Both Rasmussen and Gallup has the president tied with Romney at 45 percent and 48 percent respectively. Rasmussen also has Obama just two points ahead of Santorum, a candidate who has been an also ran since his razor thin victory in Iowa. Obama is eight points ahead of Gingrich, however.

Each of the polls consistently shows Obama at below 50 percent, a bad place to be for any incumbent. The rule of thumb among pollsters is that the undecided voters, the ones whom Rasmussen shows holds Obama in great disdain, usually break for the challenger.

This does not mean that Obama is doomed and that the Republicans could nominate a yellow dog and still win (though they might depending on the dog's views on taxes and immigration.) The numbers do mean that Obama is preparing to run for reelection with a great disadvantage. Using a Super Bowl metaphor, he is back by a touchdown going into the second quarter and the opposing team is on a roll.

Obama is hoping to run a Harry Truman come from behind campaign against a "do nothing Congress." That is not likely to work because the Senate is under the control of Democrats. The Republican House has been moving legislation to improve the economy, only to see it languish in the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has announced that for the third year running, the Senate will not pass a budget.

Do nothing Congress? Do nothing Senate, rather.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120205/pl_ac/10928356_bad_news_for_obama_in_latest_rasmussen_polls_of_uncommitted_voters

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Over 200 people killed in Syria's Homs before U.N. vote (Reuters)

BEIRUT (Reuters) ? More than 200 people were killed in shelling by Syrian forces in the city of Homs, activists said on Saturday, as the U.N. Security Council prepared to vote on a draft resolution backing an Arab call for President Bashar al-Assad to give up power.

Death tolls cited by activists and opposition groups ranged from 217 to 260, making the Homs attack the deadliest so far in Assad's crackdown on protests which erupted 11 months ago, inspired by uprisings that overthrew three Arab leaders.

Residents said Syrian forces began shelling the Khalidiya neighborhood at around 8 p.m. (1 p.m. EDT) on Friday using artillery and mortars. They said at least 36 houses were completely destroyed with families inside.

"We were sitting inside our house when we started hearing the shelling. We felt shells were falling on our heads," said Waleed, a resident of Khalidiya.

As news of the violence spread, a crowd of Syrians stormed the Syrian embassy in Cairo in protest, and rallies broke out outside Syrian missions in Britain, Germany and the United States.

It was not immediately clear what had prompted Syrian forces to launch such an intense bombardment, just as diplomats at the Security Council were discussing the draft resolution supporting the Arab League demand for Assad to step aside.

Some activists said the violence was triggered by a wave of army defections in Homs, a stronghold of protests and armed insurgents who Assad has vowed to crush.

"The death toll is now at least 217 people killed in Homs, 138 of them killed in the Khalidiya district," Rami Abdulrahman, head of the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told Reuters, citing witnesses.

"Syrian forces are shelling the district with mortars from several locations, some buildings are on fire. There are also buildings which got destroyed."

A Syrian activist said Assad forces bombarded Khalidiya, a key anti-Assad district, to scare other rebel neighborhoods. "It does not seem that they get it. Even if they kill 10 million of us, the people will not stop until we topple him."

The opposition Syrian National Council said 260 civilians were killed, describing it as "one of the most horrific massacres since the beginning of the uprising in Syria".

It added that it believed Assad's forces were preparing for similar attacks around Damascus and in the northern town of Jisr al-Shughour.

Another group, the Local Coordination Committees, gave a death toll of over 200. It is not possible to verify activist or state media reports as Syria restricts independent media access.

Video footage on the Internet showed at least eight bodies assembled in a room, one of them with the top half of its head blown off. A voice on the video said the bombardment was continuing as the footage was filmed.

One activist said residents were using primitive tools to rescue the people. They feared many were buried under rubble.

"We are not getting any help, there are no ambulances or anything. We are removing the people with our own hands," he said, adding there were only two field hospitals treating the wounded. Each one had a capacity to deal with 30 people, but he estimated the total number of wounded at 500.

"We have dug out at least 100 bodies so far, they are placed in the two mosques."

U.N. VOTE

At the United Nations, the Security Council was due to meet at 10 a.m. (1500 GMT) to vote on a draft resolution endorsing an Arab League plan calling for Assad to resign.

It was unclear if Russia, which has opposed significant council action on Syria would vote in favor, abstain or veto it.

Western diplomats in New York said the latest violence might make it more difficult for Russia to block it. "Would they dare, with what is happening in Homs?" one diplomat told Reuters.

Russia has balked at any language that would open to door to "regime change" in Syria, its crucial Middle East ally where Moscow operates a naval base.

In Cairo, a crowd stormed the Syrian embassy smashing furniture and setting fire to parts of the building in protest over the Homs bloodshed, an embassy official and a witness said.

The gate of the embassy was broken and furniture was smashed on the second floor of the building, a Reuters witness said. It was the second attack on the mission in a week.

In London, more than 100 Syrians hurled stones at the Syrian embassy overnight, smashing windows and shouting slogans, and five people were arrested after trying to break in, according to TV reports.

At a rally in Washington people shouted "Syria soon will be free" outside the mission, according to TV footage.

In the Syrian cities of Hama and Idlib, activists said hundreds of people took to the streets in solidarity. "Homs is bombarded, and you are still sleeping?" they chanted in Idlib.

In Hama, armed forces shot dead one person on Friday as they moved to break up a protest marking the anniversary of a 1982 massacre by troops loyal to Assad's father, activists said.

The Observatory said forces dispersed protests in the Janoub al-Malaab district of Hama where people had planned to release 1,000 red balloons to mark the killing of over 10,000 people when Hafez al-Assad's forces crushed an Islamist uprising.

Violence also returned to the commercial hub Aleppo, which had largely remained on the sidelines of the uprising.

(Additional reporting by Dominic Evans, Louis Charbonneau and Ahmed el-Shimy; Editing by Maria Golovnina)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120204/wl_nm/us_syria

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File your taxes with TurboTax 2011 for iPad

No one likes doing their taxes, but TurboTax is here to make the daunting chore a little easier. With TurboTax 2011 for iPad, you can files your federal and stated tax returns and receive your refund in as little as 7 days. If you used TurboTax online, iPad or Desktop, you can transfer all your info, speeding up the process.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/hqMR1SR8e1I/story01.htm

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In Retrospect, Maybe Rock Climbing With Your 2 Year Old On Your Back Not Such A Good Idea

Source: http://www.getoutdoors.com/goblog/index.php?/archives/4363-In-Retrospect,-Maybe-Rock-Climbing-With-Your-2-Year-Old-On-Your-Back-Not-Such-A-Good-Idea.html

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Removing Stains on Laminate Floors | Article Hub

Two reasons that most people choose laminate flooring is because it is generally stain- and scratch-resistant, and it is a lot simpler to maintain than traditional hardwood floors. This does not mean, but, that this type of system needs no attention at all. Ignoring a laminate floor, in fact, is probably the simplest way to ruin it. The act of cleaning laminate floors is a simple art, but one for which you must be well-informed.

Eliminating Hard Stains

There are a few typical a skin condition that could ostensibly hurt laminate wood floors. A few of these include:

-ink

-chewing chewing gum

-grease

-scrape represents

-blood

-and alcohol.

Even these menacing blemishes can be removed with a small elbow grease. For ink or alcohol stains, try a mild detergent and warm water on a cloth and rub the spot gently. Blood can be tackled with window cleaner and a damp cloth. It is vital to use a laminate floor cleaner that does not strip the material on the floor, so window cleaners should always be ammonia-free.

Sauces needs to harden and stay lightly scraped using any plastic material remover before clearing off using a smooth material as well as window better. Chewing gum also can be crawled using a new plastic material remover. And then use mineral state of mind : much like the ones accustomed to slim coloring ? on the drizzling material.

Regular Maintenance

Any secret to be able to preserving clean up wood flooring is always to produce them to clean frequently. Allowing debris and dust to accumulate cards the tougher job if it?s period pertaining to in fact cleanup laminate floors. An adaptable brush along with throw-away fabrics that capture along with lock dirt work best pertaining to daily capturing. They make it simpler collect head of hair allergens, light-weight airborne debris tennis balls along with post that could fall on to the floor.

If you choose to work with a vacuum cleaner in the course of normal servicing, it is vital to make use of a smooth bristle clean attachment to prevent damaging the bottom floor. The first parts utilized on floor coverings can be noisy along with probably abandon scars simply because they require you to stroke one hard surface area against one more.

Schedule cleaning carried out with a cloth or sponge cleaner as well as ground better specially formulated with regard to laminate flooring washing. These kinds of products are offered generally in most home improvement stores. Ground cleaners must be used on a tiny section of the ground at any given time along with wetmopping should be done with all the grain from the timber.

What NOT To Do

You will find surely some things that really should not be done to laminate flooring to prevent harm and keep all of them searching appealing:

-Even if it might be tempting because most of these flooring systems have a shiny topcoat, wax should never be used when cleaning laminate floors. Excessive waxing will make a erect-up that will become very tough to remove.

-Water or liquid spills should never be allowed to sit. Moist floors will start to warp and loose their even, smooth appeal. Spills should be wiped up immediately.

-Many conventional wood flooring surfaces have been well-maintained along with Murphy?s Essential oil Cleaning soap. This wipes your levelheaded wood and leaves a personal refreshing fragrance

This is simply not a excellent thought for laminate floors. Want . laminate floor is constucted from some sort of sealant upon it?s top materials along with particleboard as well as other man made substance, this specific cleaner could produce streaking. The cleanser doesn?t eliminate the ground, nonetheless it really does alter the means it appears. Does with regard to this tree cleansers, which usually have a tendency to place the soapy residue upon surfaces.

-It is always advisable to choose on household furniture upwards and place this as opposed to hauling this through the floor. It could perform long term injury. To be upbeat with regards to safeguarding a floor, it?s always best to use furnishings shields for the soles of chairs along with dining tables. They are very inexpensive in most cases are usually self-adhesive. Just stick these people on the bottom of furnishings and there?s no bother in this area friends that may maybe neglect in order to lift the simple chair upwards ahead of sitting down.

-Do not wear shoes that tend to scrape or place inscription. Even if the inscription can be removed with a simple pencil eraser, it is tough work removing scrape inscription from an entire floor. Even if there are cleaning products that shaped like markers that erase to help you do this job, it is simpler most often just to question family and friends to remove their shoes on the floor.

-Pets can be tough on laminate floors. If they have long nails that haven?t been clipped or dirty paws and place track inscription, cleaning can become a very time-consuming task. As soon as cleaning is done, there is dirt tracked on the floor again. A excellent rule of thumb is this: properly maintaining your pet ensures you can properly maintain your floor.

Cleaning laminate kitchen floors doesn?t need being a scary task. It should take a sound self-check to determine the quantity of time available for your daily work to be achieved. Taking excellent care of the bottom is not a job that is certainly carried out whenever it really is recalled or perhaps a few times per year in the course of holidays or even family events. This is a everyday method that demands perseverance. It does not need to be any dreadful task even so. Accomplished frequently, the cleanup course of action is not therefore labour demanding as much as it will become a consignment to having a lovely floor. Area of the elegance of laminate floors is that it looks like real timber, therefore the work relating proudly owning it is ensuring this often appears very excellent.

To get additional helpful information, please check out Cleaning laminate floors; or you should also visit How to clean laminate floors.

Source: http://articlehub.in/2012/removing-stains-on-laminate-floors/

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ConnecTV social companion beta launches for iPad, PC and Mac (hands-on)

The old guard's attempt at a social TV companion just got real with the launch of ConnecTV in open beta for iPad, PC and Mac -- smartphones and Android tablet versions are coming soon. The idea is you'll load up this app while watching TV and find a whole new way to discover details of your favorite content while at the same time share with your friends. The app uses a mic to detect what you're watching just like IntoNow and links up with both Facebook or Twitter (it'll also work on its own). Overall we were underwhelmed and quickly realizing that the other startups are way ahead in both release date and functionality. For starters, there are plenty of channels missing and not a single channel number. You can't even search for your favorite shows or channels. But even when it did manage to figure out what we were watching, we felt like we were being forced fed useless data like trivia and ads rather than having useful information like actors or players names at our finger tips. There's no doubt in our mind that the app was designed more to make us discover certain content rather than discover shows based on our actual tastes. Then again, this is the first version out of the gate, but somehow we think ConnecTV's business model will get in the way of ever making anything truly useful.

Gallery: ConnecTV social companion launches for iPad, PC and Mac (hands-on)

Continue reading ConnecTV social companion beta launches for iPad, PC and Mac (hands-on)

ConnecTV social companion beta launches for iPad, PC and Mac (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/7sCgS_I8SxA/

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Downtown Arts Expo highlights entertainment options for students ...

In an effort to increase knowledge about the numerous accessible arts-related events in Phoenix, the ASU Downtown campus hosted an informative Arts Expo on Jan. 24.

Despite low attendance, the expo showcased several unique options for students to experience within the downtown arts scene.

With representation from several theaters, venues and galleries, the surrounding city came together to promote its most interesting attractions and offer discounts to students. For those who claim there is little to do around the downtown area, the expo proved otherwise.

Although there was representation from a wide spectrum of arts venues, five stood out as especially appealing to college students restrained by a tight budget and limited transportation.

?

The Torch Theatre

The improv comedy group offers free drop-in acting courses at the nearby downtown location. Students can explore their performance potential in public speaking, acting and writing in laid-back workshops. For those who do not care to crack their own jokes, there are comedy shows Friday and Saturday evenings.

?

Spread The Weird

A plentiful mix of workshops in design, animation, crafting and cooking are available for enrollment at the studio. Students can expand their horizons beyond just required courses and delve into creative arts.

?

Herberger Theater Center

Designed especially for students, the theater presents a unique ?Lunch Time Theater? at a discounted price. Additionally, the center is currently running the charming comedy show ?My Mother?s Italian, My Father?s Jewish and I?m in Therapy? until Feb. 19.

?

Space 55

The eccentric show-house presents an unmatchable experience at any of their productions.? Entertainment seekers can expect unconventional comedy with the radio play ?Night of the Chicken II? beginning Feb. 10.

?

The Phoenix Symphony

The upscale venue offers a ?College Club Card? that reduces the price for Symphony Classics concerts. The symphony hall also hosts pops-style concerts for those who prefer more modern tunes.

?

Despite the plentiful assortment of workshops, studio classes, performances and concerts, downtown Phoenix?s artistic potential is often underestimated.

With an open mind to creative exploration, students may find themselves pleasantly surprised by the unmatchable arts and entertainment around campus.

?

Reach the reporter at ejnicho@asu.edu

?

Click here to subscribe to the daily State Press newsletter.

Hong Kong says economy slowed in 2011

HONG KONG (AP) ? Hong Kong's economic growth fell further in the final quarter of 2012 as global trade weakened, and the government forecast an anemic expansion this year.

The economy expanded by 3 percent in the three months ending in December, following a steady decline from 7.6 percent in the first quarter, Finance Secretary John Tsang said in an annual budget speech.

Inflation jumped to 5.3 percent from 2010's 1.7 percent as stimulus measures by major governments caused an influx of money into the territory, but pressures eased in the fourth quarter, Tsang said, according to a text released by the government.

Tsang forecast growth of no more than 1 to 3 percent for 2012. He said the government plans to spend 80 billion Hong Kong dollars ($10.3 billion) on stimulus measures.

Hong Kong's open markets and status as a major trading center have made it one of Asia's most prosperous economies but also left it exposed to the plunge in U.S. and European demand. Hong Kong is also one of Asia's busiest ports, handling a large share of goods from China, the world's biggest exporter.

"Given the bleak economic prospects in Europe and the U.S., the risk of a sharp deterioration of the external environment is increasing," Tsang said.

"I am not optimistic about Hong Kong's export performance in the first half of this year, and if exports of goods were to plunge in the first quarter, the overall economy might take a downturn in that quarter," he said.

Hong Kong is a Chinese territory but has a high degree of autonomy and its own currency and customs system.

Exports rebounded in 2010 following the global crisis but fell again in mid-2011, Tsang said. He said exports contracted in the third quarter and grew by just 3.6 percent for the full year.

Hong Kong chief executive Donald Tsang has warned that the territory faces an unusually severe shock due to the European debt crisis.

In an interview with broadcaster TVB from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the chief executive said conditions are more worrisome than they were during the 1998 Asian financial crisis.

"It's rare to see all these three problems emerge at the same time," he said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-01-31-AS-Hong-Kong-Economy/id-d665add1f8c94c9290e53dc658b6ff0c

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Experts build crab-like robot to remove stomach cancer (Reuters)

SINGAPORE (Reuters) ? Inspired by Singapore's famous chilli crab dish, researchers have created a miniature robot with a pincer and a hook that can remove early-stage stomach cancers without leaving any scars.

Mounted on an endoscope, it enters the patient's gut through the mouth. It has a pincer to hold cancerous tissues, and a hook that slices them off and coagulates blood to stop bleeding.

With the help of a tiny camera attached to the endoscope, the surgeon sees what's inside the gut and controls the robotic arms remotely while sitting in front of a monitor screen.

"Our movements are very huge and if you want to make very fine movements, your hands will tremble ... But robots can execute very fine movements without trembling," said enterologist Lawrence Ho, who helped design the robot.

Professor Ho, who is chair at the University Medicine Cluster of Singapore's National University Health System, said the robot helped remove early-stage stomach cancers in 5 patients in India and Hong Kong, using a fraction of the time normally taken in open and keyhole surgeries that put patients at higher risk of infection and leave behind scars.

Stomach, or gastric, cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide and is particularly common in east Asia. Diagnosis of gastric cancer usually occurs at a late stage of the disease when treatment is difficult and often unsuccessful.

Louis Phee, associate professor at Singapore's Nanyang Technological Institute's school of mechanical and aerospace engineering, helped design the robot with Ho.

They developed the robot after a seafood dinner in Singapore in 2004 with top Hong Kong surgeon Sydney Chung, who suggested they fashioned their device after the crab. Chung is best known for fighting SARS in Hong Kong in 2003.

"He (Chung) suggested we used the crab as a prototype. The crab can pick up sand and its pincers are very strong," said Ho.

"Many things are a certain way because they have evolved and adapted to certain functions ... we created something that followed the human anatomy and borrowed ideas from nature and incorporated the two."

The researchers formed a company last October and hope to make the robot commercially available in three years.

(Reporting by Tan Ee Lyn; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/cancer/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120201/hl_nm/us_cancer_singapore_robot

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