InBev to buy out Modelo for $20.1 billion

FILE - In this April 1, 2010 file photo, a customer places a case of Corona Extra on the checkout counter for purchase at Susquehanna Beer and Soda in Marysville, Pa. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA agreed Friday, June 29, 2012, to buy the half of Corona maker Grupo Modelo it doesn't already own for $20.1 billion in cash, in a deal that will greatly increase the size and dominance of the world's largest brewer. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

FILE - In this April 1, 2010 file photo, a customer places a case of Corona Extra on the checkout counter for purchase at Susquehanna Beer and Soda in Marysville, Pa. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA agreed Friday, June 29, 2012, to buy the half of Corona maker Grupo Modelo it doesn't already own for $20.1 billion in cash, in a deal that will greatly increase the size and dominance of the world's largest brewer. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

FILE - In this March 5, 2009 file photo, the Anheuser-Busch InBev logo is seen at the brewery headquarters in Leuven, Belgium. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA agreed Friday, June 29, 2012, to buy the half of Corona maker Grupo Modelo it doesn't already own for $20.1 billion in cash, in a deal that will greatly increase the size and dominance of the world's largest brewer. (AP Photo/Thierry Charlier, File)

BRUSSELS (AP) ? Anheuser-Busch InBev SA agreed Friday to buy the half of Corona maker Grupo Modelo it doesn't already own for $20.1 billion in cash, in a deal that will greatly increase the size and dominance of the world's largest brewer.

In a statement, InBev said it has agreed with Modelo's management to pay $9.15 per share for the company, a 30 percent premium to the Mexican company's share price just before news of a possible deal came out on June 22.

The deal would join brands such as Corona, Modelo and Pacifico with InBev's Budweiser, Beck's and Stella Artois, among others. The combined company would have annual sales of $47 billion, and employ 150,000 workers in 24 countries.

The companies said the agreement was a "natural step," in light of InBev's current stake in Modelo.

"Grupo Modelo has been one of our most important partners for more than 20 years and we are very pleased to evolve our long and successful relationship into this combination," said InBev CEO Carlos Brito. "There is tremendous opportunity from combining two leading brand portfolios and further expanding Grupo Modelo's brands worldwide through AB InBev's extensive global distribution network."

Analysts said InBev appears to have paid highly for Modelo, but the deal makes strategic sense.

"This is likely to lead to higher margins for Modelo," said SNS Securities analyst Richard Withagen in a note. He said InBev will move rapidly to introduce more of its brands into the Mexican market.

"As a result, competition in the Mexican market is likely to remain fierce going forward."

Modelo has a share of around 56 percent of the Mexican beer market, while rival Dutch brewer Heineken NV controls around 41 percent, with brands such as Dos Equis and Tecate .

Shares in InBev rose 2.9 percent to ?60.70 ($76.42) in Brussels.

InBev said it expects the companies will save $600 million annually by combining operations. Regulators around the world, but most importantly in Mexico and the U.S. must approve the deal. InBev said it expects the deal to close during the first quarter of 2013.

In a related deal, Modelo agreed to sell its 50 percent stake in distributor Crown Imports LLC to its partner, winemaker Constellation Brands Inc. of New York, for $1.85 billion.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-06-29-EU-Belgium-InBev/id-e03f2c4cde1443cea0516449f4b0c310

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Disney California Adventure - Entertainment Capital of Anaheim?

Quick?can you name any 10 shows or groups currently performing at Disney California Adventure?

No? That's OK. until two weeks ago, I probably couldn't have either?and I'm the one who writes about the park every week. But the day after Cars Land and Buena Vista Street opened, my husband and I returned to DCA to spend some time outside the Radiator Springs city limits, and I was happily surprised by just how entertaining the refurbished Disney California Adventure is.

Over the course of the morning, we enjoyed the musicians at the Paradise Gardens Bandstand, watched Goofy conducting the "Instant Concert...Just Add Water" in Paradise Bay, and clapped along with the Trash Can Trio.

On Buena Vista Street, we saw Five and Dime entertaining a crowd outside the Carthay Circle Theatre, then caught a performance of the Red Car News Boys before heading to lunch.

In the afternoon, we checked out Dancin' with Disney, passed the Disneyland Resort All-American College Band in Hollywood Land, spent a moment chatting with one of the Citizens of Buena Vista Street, saw Pluto posing for photos outside Elias and Co. Department Store, and caught the end of Minnie's Fly Girls in Condor Flats.

As we left DCA for the day, I turned to my husband and asked, "When did this become the entertainment park?"

While Disneyland's signature performing groups?Billy Hill and the Hillbillies and the Dapper Dans?are probably the first things you think of when someone mentions Disney entertainment, Disney California Adventure actually has more live entertainment options this summer. Here are my favorites among the many new additions to the schedule.

Red Car News Boys

I always walk away from a performance by the Red Car News Boys humming one of the show's songs. It's hard not to be charmed by this engaging troupe of news boys (and one news girl), who roll up in a shiny new Red Car Trolley singing, "California, Here We Come!" Arriving in front of the Carthay Circle Theatre, they proceed to sing out the day's headlines in an effort to attract buyers for their papers.

Each headline is accompanied by a different song: "Take Me Out to the Ball game" for news about Babe Ruth; "Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie" for a story about Charles Lindbergh; "We're in the Money" for a financial headline. These songs provide every performer an opportunity to spend a moment as the lead. The performers also showcase their physical talents while they sing, such as dancing the Charleston or executing cartwheels.

Highlights of the Red Car News Boys show at Disney California Adventure. Video by Jeff Moxley and Steven Ng.

Mickey's just arrived in town, and the news boys want to see if he really has what it takes to become "the next big thing." This is a Mickey we rarely see?shy, bashful, somewhat uncertain. Encouraged by the news boys, Mickey joins the song?and of course, you know he nailed it.

The show ends with the Newsies anthem "Seize the Day," and includes a novel encounter with one of the Citizens of Buena Vista Street. Molly the Messenger arrives with a telegram for Mickey Mouse, with news of a big audition. I love the way the show's creators pulled Molly?a character you see riding around Buena Vista Street throughout the day?into the show for a cameo. It gives the show a sense of place and immediacy, and it's really a lot of fun.

Red Car News Boys is a Newsies-inspired show, with an appearance by Mickey Mouse. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

While some (including this writer) feel that the thumping bass beat behind some of the arrangements is a bit too modern for 1920s Los Angeles, the era re-created on Buena Vista Street, the show has an endearing quality that makes me enjoy the performance, and willing to overlook an anachronistic musical choice or two. With concealed speakers built right in, the Red Car Trolley makes a great backdrop and rolling stage, though I've noticed that the acoustics seem optimized for the crowd gathered around the performance space; from elsewhere on Buena Vista Street, the vocalists do not seem to blend or harmonize quite as well. That means you should try to grab a front-row seat if you want to catch the Red Car News Boys in any of their six daily performances on Buena Vista Street.

Five and Dime

Buena Vista Street also hosts Five and Dime, a jazz group that performs eight times per day outside the Carthay Circle Theatre. The story here is that the five musicians came from Chicago, following Route 66 to pursue their dreams in Hollywood. Along the way they, found singer Dime, "and it all made cents" (pun intended).

This show includes another Citizens of Buena Vista Street cameo?Goofy, drawn by the music, joins Dime in the opening number, dancing to "Ain't We Got Fun." As the song ends and Goofy saunters off, the band introduces themselves.

Highlights of the Five and Dime show at Disney California Adventure. Video by Jeff Moxley and Steven Ng.

Five and Dime features opportunities for audience participation, starting when Dime plucks an unsuspecting male from the audience and serenades him a la Betty Boop. A musician brings a female audience member on stage for a concert for one, and the resulting mash up of "I Wanna Be Loved By You" and "Oh, You Beautiful Doll" is surprisingly entertaining.

Kids get their chance to join the show as the band tells a tale of "courage, triumph, and pigs!" Dime leads the young volunteers in singing and dancing along to "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf,"

Though Five and Dime usually draws a smaller crowd than the Red Car News Boys (and unfortunately, some of the audience leaves when Goofy does), this is a performance that will appeal to a different segment of DCA visitors, and in some ways seems better themed to Buena Vista Street. It doesn't hurt that the singer is extremely talented and a joy to watch. If you need some change, catch Five and Dime eight times a day outside the Carthay Circle Theatre.

Instant Concert... Just Add Water

What was the size of a football field and completely wasted during daylight hours? The answer used to be the World of Color show platform, but the new Instant Concert... Just Add Water puts the nighttime spectacular's infrastructure to use for a charming, albeit too brief, daytime show along Paradise Bay.

Maestro Goofy conducts "Instant Concert... Just Add Water" at Disney California Adventure. Video by Tony Phoenix.

Six times a day, a tuxedo-clad Goofy attempts to conduct the fountains in a concert, with predictable results. The show is just five minutes long and easy to miss if you don't make a point of seeing it, but is definitely worth seeking out.

Maestro Goofy conducts the World of Color fountains with his usual skill and style. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Dancin' with Disney

The hidden gem of the new DCA entertainment line-up is Dancin' with Disney. Tucked away in stage 17 in a corner of Hollywood Land, with just a few signs to lure passersby, this is perhaps the best new offering for younger visitors, or older Disney fans who just want the opportunity to hang out with some rarely seen Disney characters.

The former "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" sound stage has been converted into a cavernous dance hall, with a colorful stage and live DJ at the far wall. The confetti-speckled carpeted dance floor is ringed by plastic furniture where weary parents can rest while their kids blow off some energy. It's not much to look at, and if you walk in between sets you might be tempted to walk right back out?but wait around and enjoy the air conditioning?the party is about to begin.

An informal dance party gives guests the ability to dance with lesser seen Disney characters. Video by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Every 30 minutes, an alternating group of Disney characters arrives and takes to the dance floor. One is a Villains-centric grouping that may include Jafar, Queen of Hearts, Big Bad Wolf, Captain Hook, Mr. Smee, Prince John, and the Sheriff of Nottingham. The second is an all-female assortment, where you might find Lilo, Marie, Clara Cluck, Clarbelle Cow, Clarice, Daisy, Drizella, and Anastasia.

The characters dance with the audience for about 15 minutes, while the DJ and a cast of character handlers and dance hosts lead the children in activities focused on each character. During the Villains set, kids might be encouraged to form giant crocodile jaws with their arms and "chase" Captain Hook around the dance floor to the tune of Elton John's "Crocodile Rock," or form a conga line with the Queen of Hearts. Air jets send a flurry of confetti leaves across the dance floor, as kids huff and puff with the Big Bad Wolf to Ke$ha's "Blow."

Marie from The Aristocats shows off her moves at the Dancin' with Disney venue. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The female characters are introduced with "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," and each take a turn in the spotlight. Everyone polkas along with Clara Cluck for "The Chicken Dance," and little boys run for cover when Drizella and Anastasia kick up their heels to Beyonce's "Single Ladies."

Cast members are careful to let parents know that this is not an autograph session, so leave the pens and books behind and just come dance with the characters. Dancin' with Disney is held daily from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. inside Stage 17 in Hollywood Land. The dance party is currently scheduled only through the summer.

These are just four of the newest entertainment options at Disney California Adventure, with nearly a dozen more offered throughout the park. If DCA has never been on your entertainment radar, now's the time to come be pleasantly surprised.

Source: http://www.mouseplanet.com/10035/Disney_California_Adventure__Entertainment_Capital_of_Anaheim

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The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Violates Can ...

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Confirmed Tips about Tips on how to Cut down Hair loss | Arty Apt

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Dr. Ewa Kleczyk on Business, the Pharmaceutical Industry and ...

InTech, in its mission to not only put the highlights on its open access, scientific books but on its perspective authors as well, talked to Dr. Ewa Kleczyk, author of the chapters ?Risk Management in the Development of New Products in the Pharmaceutical Industry? (from the book ?Risk Management Trends?, Giancarlo Nota, 2011), ?The Determinants of Corporate Debt Maturity Structure? (from the book ?Business Dynamics in the 21st Century?, Chee-Heong Quah, and Ong Lin Dar, 2012) and co-author with Darrell J. Bosch of ?Households? Preferences for Plumbing Materials? (from the book ?Corrosion Resistance?, Hong Shih, 2012).

Risk Management Trends

Dr. Kleczyk obtained her PhD in Economics from Virginia Tech in 2008 and is currently employed as the?Senior Director, Custom Analytics at ImpactRx (formerly TargetRx), firm that provides pharmaceutical and biotech companies with information regarding the criteria in product choice and adoption for their brands. Among other, Dr. Kleczyk has been awarded for her diligent work by Cambridge Who?s Who, TargetRx Excellence Award, the American Business Women?s Association and the National Association of Professional Women as Dr. Kleczyk has been known and praised for her engagement in promoting women in science.

We talked to Dr. Kleczyk about her career, her paper titled ?Risk Management in the Development of New Products in the Pharmaceutical Industry?, the controversial pharmaceutical research field in general and open access.

InTech: For how long have you been researching risk management in the pharmaceutical industry?

I have worked in the Pharmaceutical Consulting Industry for the past 6 years that includes working in the area of new product forecasting and risk management.

InTech: In your chapter ?Risk Management in the Development of New Products in the Pharmaceutical Industry? you state that deciding which new products to develop is a major challenge for many pharmaceutical companies with an excess of opportunities, but limited resources. Is it possible that these limited resources prevent some excellent new medicines to see the light of day and cure or relieve the symptoms of a certain population sub-group suffering from rare illnesses?

I think the current ways of selecting products has become subjective and cost driven, impacting negatively the types of products that are taken to the market. Some products should be brought to the market, but due to the scares resources and a number of potentially more profitable drugs in the pipeline, they might not be available for patient use.

For example, recently, Big Pharma has decided to decrease the research finding for neuroscience drugs, as they have high financial and time research costs. This unprecedented decision might result in inadequate treatments of the growing elderly population for diseases such as depression, sleep disorders, Alzheimer, and Parkinson.

?I think the current ways of selecting products has become subjective and cost driven, impacting negatively the types of products that are taken to the market.? ? Ewa Kleczyk

InTech: As you wrote, until the late 1980s, cash flows, expected returns, and net present value of income were the key variables in the decision-making process of the new drug development and investment. So according to your research, how have things changed?

The Consumer Theory and its research techniques have become an important part of the new product potential evaluation process. Understanding the product perceptions of potential consumer groups, their adoption speed and rate can help more precisely investigate the product uptake, as well as inform the investment decisions into the new drugs. However, this research should not be done in a vacuum, as this method only covers the demand aspect of the new product potential research. Joining this research with the Net Income Analysis would ensure looking at the production costs and risks, as well as the future potential sales of the product when available for use.

InTech: How would you like for your research to be perceived by risk assessment managers?

I would like my chapter to be viewed as helpful to the risk assessment managers in making new product decisions. Knowing the available evaluation methods of new product potential and knowing when to use each of the different technique should help the management in making their investment and research decisions.

?InTech: While researching this specific field, what information you came across which struck you the most?

The information that struck me the most while doing my research for this chapter was the small number of chemical molecules that become available for patient use. Only 1% researched molecules is brought to market. This finding underlines the importance of understanding the key issues of new product risk management to properly identify the chemical molecules for investment.

InTech: You are a successful researcher publishing articles in journals, books and lecturing at conferences. You are also socially active by encouraging women to pursue a career in fields such as mathematics, traditionally ruled by men. What is your perception of women in science today?

Women play a significant role in all areas in today?s world, including business, politics, academics, and sciences. It is very encouraging for many young women to know that they can be whoever they would like to be in their professional lives, as long as they work hard and are committed to their goals.

However, I think, we, the professional women, should continue mentoring and encouraging girls and young women to study mathematics, sciences, and economics, as the work is not done yet. In today?s world being a super model, reality star, and actress seems more interesting and appealing to many young women, due to greater public exposure and high financial rewards.

Promoting women in science

I think creating sponsorship or mentorship programs at educational institutions could help to promote women in sciences and business. In addition, the financial support many women receive to pursue education in these areas should continue to be distributed. The more support women get, the more likely they to follow their dreams, and become part of the scientific, political, and business cultures.

InTech: You published under the Open Access model. What is your personal opinion on unlocking scientific content to a wider audience then ever before, removing the barriers previously held by traditional scientific publishers?

Open Access Journals have revolutionized sharing of scientific information, and promoted innovation and timely dissemination of research results. Prior to the Open Access Journals, the publishing process was very lengthy, and able to reach only a limited number of readers. Today, within a couple of months (sometimes even a shorter time frame) information can be shared with a wide audience of readers. The timely research dissemination helps for quicker socialization of new concepts, as well as further improvements of researched topics.

InTech: Do you think Open Access is beneficial to all scientists and researchers?

I truly believe that the Open Access Journals are beneficial to all scientists and researchers. As mentioned above, the shorter time frame of research dissemination, and ability for sharing work with a greater audience, inspires innovation and collaboration within the scientific community. I would want to caution the journals though from publishing any documents they receive as a submission. Some of the published work is not to up to the research standards, impacting the credibility of these new venues. Greater oversight should be implemented to limit potentially low quality of work from publishing.

InTech: In terms of a more fertile, subsidised and collaborative scientific environment, how do you compare Northern America to Europe?

In the recent 30 years, the US has become the innovation centre for technology and sciences. Researchers from all over the world arrive to the US to participate in research opportunities provided by the US government as well as private companies. I believe this level of involvement is not seen in the continental Europe, although in order to compete with the US innovation, the European Union has increased research funding for European researchers to retain current and attract new talent.

InTech: What are your impressions on InTech as your Open Access publisher?

I think InTech is a respectable venue for all authors to publish their work in, and receive world-wide exposure to their research. I was very happy to see the number of scientists from different countries contacting me about my work, and sharing their perspectives on the risk management subject.

InTech: Are you satisfied with the editor?s work, the management of the publishing process and the InTech?s publishing team?

I had a wonderful experience working with the InTech Team. The attention to detail and professionalism has made the process quite simple and enjoyable. Overall, I am very delighted by the process of publishing with InTech, and have already submitted another chapter for review.

InTech: Tell us something about your future plans.

In 10 years from now, I would like to lead a market research / consulting company. Even with increased technology, informative data analysis is a necessity to making the optimal decisions for any business. With declining budgets, making the right decision has become even more important, consequently having a highly qualified team, working to help clients finding the right solutions for their business needs, will help to save money, and increase profitability of the company.

About Dr. Ewa Kleczyk:

Dr. Ewa Kleczyk

Dr. Kleczyk serves as the Senior Director, Custom Analytics at ImpactRx (formerly TargetRx). She received her PhD in Economics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 2008, and she is a member of the Who is Who, Healthcare Business Women Association, and Eastern Economic Association. She has given presentations at several conferences including Pharmaceutical Business Intelligence Research Group and Global Conference on Business and Economics and has been published in peer and non-peer reviewed journals including Journal of Medical Marketing, Marketing Bulletin, and International Journal of Business & Economics. Dr. Kleczyk began working for TargetRx as an econometrician, and was thereafter promoted to the Director position.

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Source: http://intechweb.wordpress.com/2012/06/28/dr-ewa-kleczyk-on-business-the-pharmaceutical-industry-and-women-in-science/

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Video of ESPNs Andy Katz at the NBA Draft saying that Jared Sullinger was medically redflagged by teams for having bulging d...

SbB LIVE FROM LA (Jun 29, 2012 @ 5:32pm ET)

Comments | SbB Live RSS Feed Friday, June 29, 2012

5:30 PM: A McEachern (Georgia) High School football, track & girls' basketball assistant coach has been arrested on charges of having a sexual relationship with a female student.

5:15 PM: Georgia Bulldogs RB Isaiah Crowell has been dismissed from the team following his arrest on weapons charges early Friday.

5:00 PM: Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz has reportedly agreed to a new multi-year contract extension.

4:45 PM: Video of ESPN's Andy Katz at the NBA Draft saying that Jared Sullinger was medically red-flagged by teams for having "bulging d*cks".

4:30 PM: A 15-year-old Ethiopian boy who took part in the Olympic torch relay in England has gone missing from his hotel in Nottingham.

4:15 PM: From The Onion: "Bill Simmons Releases 2,000-Page Book Exploring How F***ing Clever He Is"

4:00 PM: Texas A&M freshman QB Johnny Manziel was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct & using a fake ID after being involved in a fight in College Station early Friday morning.

3:45 PM: The Arizona Republic reports that Diamondbacks TV play-by-play guy Daron Sutton was suspended for wearing suits instead of polo shirts with the D-Backs' logo during broadcasts.

3:30 PM: Former L.A. Kings coach Terry Murray, who was fired during the season before the Kings won the Stanley Cup, has been hired as coach of the AHL's Adirondack Phantoms.

3:15 PM: The Washington Post reports a volunteer at the AT&T National golf tournament suffered cuts to his arteries on both sides of his neck when he drove a golf cart into a nylon rope that separated the course from the fans' area.

3:00 PM: The San Antonio Express-News reports Texas A&M has chosen Eric Hyman as its new athletic director. Hyman had spent the past seven years as AD at South Carolina.

2:45 PM: Arizona Diamondbacks rookie pitcher Trevor Bauer wanted to keep the ball from his first MLB career pitch, but he threw it to the Atlanta Braves dugout instead.

2:30 PM: Miami Heat guard Mike Miller is auctioning off his Florida house to the highest bidder with no minimum price: "There's risks with everything but that's my nature. The way I play basketball is the same way I do business, and that's aggressive."

2:15 PM: A 91-year-old grandmother of 10 & great-grandmother of 15 snagged a foul ball during a recent San Jose Giants minor league game.

2:00 PM: Being booed by the Prudential Center crowd to start last night's NBA Draft, David Stern reacts by holding his hand to his ear a la Hulk Hogan.

? previous entries

Source: http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/sbblive?eid=39067

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Blast hits Damascus as Turkey sends troops to border

BEIRUT/ISKENDERUN, Turkey (Reuters) - Rebel forces attacked Syria's main court in central Damascus on Thursday, state television said, while Turkey deployed troops and anti-aircraft rocket launchers to the Syrian border, building pressure on President Bashar al-Assad.

There was a loud explosion and a column of black smoke rose over Damascus, an Assad stronghold that until the last few days had seemed largely beyond the reach of rebels. State television described it as a "terrorist" blast.

Dozens of wrecked and burning cars were strewn over a car park used by lawyers and judges. State news agency SANA said three people were wounded by the bomb hidden in one of the cars.

The guerrilla attack in Damascus coincided with a Turkish military buildup on its border to the north and a growing sense of urgency in Western- and Arab-backed diplomatic efforts to forge a unity government and end 16 months of bloodshed.

Turkish military convoys moved slowly towards the Syrian frontier, reacting to Syria's shooting down of a Turkish warplane over the Mediterranean on Friday. A Turkish official said they were reinforcing air defenses.

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, speaking after Friday's incident, ordered his troops to treat any Syrian military element approaching the border as a military target.

He gave no details, but this could cover Syrian forces pursuing rebels towards the border, or patrolling helicopters or warplanes. Syria said at the weekend that it had killed several "terrorists" infiltrating from Turkey.

A first substantial convoy of about 30 military vehicles, including trucks loaded with anti-aircraft missile batteries dispatched from Turkey's coastal town of Iskenderun, was moving slowly towards the Syrian border 50 km (30 miles) away.

A Reuters reporter near the town of Antakya saw the convoy moving out of the hills and through small towns on a narrow highway escorted by police.

Early on Thursday, another convoy left a base at Gaziantep and headed for Kilis province, the site of a large camp for Syrian refugees. Video from the DHA agency showed the convoy, of about 12 trucks and transporters, filing through the gates of the base past the hanging Turkish red flag with white crescent moon and star.

David Hartwell, Middle East analyst at IHS Jane's called the Turkish action a 'pragmatic, rational response' after the shooting down of the Turkish aircraft, that Syria insists was flying low and fast in Syrian air space. "Damascus has been warned once. I doubt there will be a second warning."

Turkey, in the front line of Western efforts to press Assad from power, hosts over 33,000 Syrian refugees on its southeastern border as well as units of the rebel Free Syria Army (FSA).

REGIONAL FEARS

"I can confirm there are troops being deployed along the border in Hatay province. Turkey is taking precautions after its jet was shot down," a Turkish official said on condition of anonymity.

He said he did not know how many troops or vehicles were being moved but they were being stationed in the Yayladagi, Altinozu and Reyhanli border areas. He said anti-aircraft guns were being stationed along the border.

At a fortified Turkish border outpost near Reyhanli, a low building with red tile roof perched on a hilltop, troops stood on an observation platform looking across into Syria; but there was no sign of any unusual activity.

Members of the FSA, talking close to the border, told Reuters they did not believe the Turkish deployments were on a large scale or aimed at any crossborder intervention.

"The Turks know that any large scale military action would need international support," a senior FSA commander, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.

Turkey has in the past spoken of opening a humanitarian corridor on Syrian soil, if the refugee flow grew unmanageable or if the violence and killing became intolerable.

Wary of igniting a regional sectarian conflagration, it has always insisted this would be possible only with United Nations backing. Western- and Arab-backed efforts to forge a joint diplomatic approach with Russia have so far failed.

The FSA has stepped up pressure on Damascus in recent weeks, Thursday's attack marking a new stage in the campaign.

On Wednesday, rebels stormed a pro-Assad Syrian television channel and militants have targeted police and security personnel barracks. In April militants fired rocket-propelled grenades at the Central Bank building.

A senior opposition official said Syrian opposition groups would reject a political transition plan proposed by peace envoy Kofi Annan unless it explicitly required Assad to step down before a unity government is formed.

Diplomatic sources at the United Nations said Annan's proposal did not stipulate Assad's resignation although it does say the unity government could not include figures who jeopardize stability.

"The proposal is still murky to us but I can tell you that if it does not clearly state that Assad must step down, it will be unacceptable to us," said Samir Nashar, an executive member of the international Syrian National Council.

DIPLOMATIC STALEMATE

Annan's transition proposal is one of the main topics that Russia, the other four permanent U.N. Security Council members and key players in the Middle East will discuss at a meeting in Geneva on Saturday, according to United Nations diplomats.

Rebel fighters locked in the war to topple Assad said there was no part of the plan they could accept, and they had lost patience with U.N. envoy Annan's peace-making efforts.

"This is just a new labyrinth. It is new silliness for us to get lost in and haggle over who can participate and who can't," said Ahmed, a Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighter in Homs, epicenter of the revolt against four decades of Assad family rule in which the more than 10,000 people have been killed, by a U.N. count.

A member of the rebel group in Damascus suburb was also dismissive.

"I'll be direct. The FSA is doing its work, and it is not looking to the outside world. We don't want a transitional government unless it is the one formed by rebel military councils. The world is conspiring against the Syrian revolution," he said.

In April, Annan tried to implement a ceasefire to quell violence before embarking on peace talks. But the truce failed to take hold.

Diplomatic sources at the United Nations said the plan Annan will now pitch on Saturday aims to start the political process without waiting for a ceasefire. (Reporting by Erika Solomon in Beirut; Jonathon Burch and Jonathan Hemming in Ankara; writing by Ralph Boulton, editing by Janet McBride)

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Analysis: Republicans may take aim at Holder in court

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Best Practice: Tools and Tips for Divorced Parents and Divorce ...

? ?Relationships are key to successful negotiations. But when a working relationship is over-burdened by mistrust, the outcome will be frustrating and costly.? Although articles about trust usually describe the mutual biases and tit-for-tat behaviors that build mistrust, a frequent cause is when one party behaves well and the other does not. ?? To avoid setting a bad precedent?I will let you get by with your bad behavior? parents confronted with the other parent?s bad behavior should address the issue politely but directly before it erodes trust further: I?m frustrated that you?ve not followed through on paying these bills. It?s important that we meet our obligations to one another to maintain our working relationship.?

?? But when the other?s behavior continues to be problematic, parents may consider strategic ways to manage the situation. Consider these six strategies:

1.?Use a third party facilitator. In some instances, third party facilitators can hold parents accountable. Remember, however, facilitators can facilitate problem-solving, not enforce compliance.??

? ? 2. Anchor your position to legal precedent: One way to avoid the risk of informal agreements that will likely be ignored is to remain anchored to legal precedent (e.g., divorce decree, family code) rather than negotiating exceptions: Our decree specifies alternating spring break each year with the children. I prefer to do what the decree says rather than divide each spring break in half as you proposed. ? ? ? 3. ?Solve problems before they have to be negotiated.? Well-written parenting plans prescribe solutions before problems occur. For example, a sentence stating at exactly what time exchanges occur avoids having to negotiate who has responsibility for sick children on a school day. ? ? 4. Make contingent concessions. Make concessions that are contingent upon the other parent going first: I like your idea of sharing the cost of summer camp. I will pay for July after you pay for June.

? ? 5. Know your plan B. ?When negotiating with someone who is unreliable, it is important to know what you will do if the other does not live up to their responsibilities. Plan Bs include filing motions with the court or refusing to negotiate any changes in the existing parenting plan. One Plan B is to do nothing, anticipating that the other's unreliable behavior will eventually blow back on them. ?

? ? 6. Create workarounds.? Your ex won't take your daughters to soccer practice? Choose?extracurricular activities that occur exclusively on your time and don?t require the other parent?s cooperation.

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Virgin Galactic to Launch New Cargo Plan, Spaceship Design

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Guaranteed unsecured loans: everything you need to know

?

There are not too many people who know that they are allowed to use their guaranteed unsecured loans on a large variety of purposes. To be honest, these financial services can be used on numerous purposes. You should not make any worries about the fact that you will not be able to use the amount of money that is available through a guaranteed unsecured loan. However, before you apply for such a loan it is advisable to make sure that you sign the deal with a serious lender. Not all bad credit loan companies respect the needs of their customers and not all companies offer affordable financial services. This means that if you want to get an affordable guaranteed unsecured loan you will have to search for a bad credit loan company that offers cheap financial services.

?

Finding affordable guaranteed unsecured loans is not difficult if you know exactly where to search. Your internet connection could help you find a cheap guaranteed loan in less than 10 minutes. How is this possible? Well, in more than 50% of the cases, bad credit loan companies provide their customers with the chance to fill in the application form online. Of course, this is available only in those cases where the company has a website. Before you fill in the online application form it is advisable to ask for a free quote. In this way you will know what to expect.

?

Pros and cons of guaranteed loans

?

Guaranteed unsecured loans have their pros and cons. Some people say that these loans are not useful for those who have bad credit. Others say that these financial services represent the perfect option for people with bad credit. What do you think? Well, in order to form an opinion about these services it is recommended to visit some specialized websites. Here we are talking about those websites which were developed by different financial companies. The advice of a specialist will always be useful. However, the main benefit of getting a guaranteed unsecured loan is that it is offered immediately.?

?

Guaranteed unsecured loans also have disadvantages. People who choose to get these financial services complain about the fact that the lender forces them to repay the entire amount of money at once. This is not very convenient for those who run out of cash at the end of the month. Avoid getting a guaranteed unsecured loan if you do not want to make your financial situation worse.

?

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Analysis: China's 2012 growth target at risk, property curbs hurt

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's annual growth target for 2012 looks increasingly in jeopardy as demand at home falters and Europe's debt crisis worsens, complicating matters for Beijing as the country heads into a once-in-a-decade leadership transition.

The slowdown in the world's second-largest economy could be more entrenched than expected as Beijing's property tightening measures dilute the impact of any fresh policy stimulus, diminishing China's ability to offset faltering demand in Europe and the United States.

"I cannot see a bottom in economic growth. The general slowdown trend may not change anytime soon," Shi Xiaomin, vice president of the China Society of Economic Reform, a government think-tank in Beijing, told Reuters.

HSBC's flash PMI showed China's factory sector shrank for an eighth straight month in June as export order sentiment hit its weakest level since early 2009, indicating the economic trough may extend well into the third quarter.

"The economy is definitely on a downward slope," said Gao Shanwen, chief economist at China Essence Securities in Beijing.

Gao expects annual GDP growth to hover between 7-7.5 percent in the second- and third-quarter, before a modest recovery towards the year-end as policy stimulus gains traction.

Premier Wen Jiabao in March cut the 2012 growth target to 7.5 percent, which if realized would be the lowest since 1990.

While that target was seen as typically conservative for Chinese leaders, global conditions have deteriorated sharply since then, with much of Europe now facing a prolonged recession and the U.S. economy appearing to be losing steam.

Analysts forecast in a Reuters poll in May that China would deliver second-quarter economic growth of 7.9 percent from a year earlier, with full-year growth of 8.2 percent, which would be the lowest since 1999.

But weaker domestic and overseas data since then has prompted some to cut forecasts and many analysts now believe second-quarter growth could be just over 7 percent. In early June, the central bank surprised markets by cutting interest rates for the first time since 2008 to combat faltering growth.

Continued weak performance into the second half could increase the risk of missing Beijing's 2012 target, although most analysts still see that as the worst-case scenario.

"I think they are likely to achieve it, but obviously there could be a risk," said Yiping Huang, chief economist for emerging Asia at Barclays Capital in Hong Kong.

"The bottom-line is that they still want to stabilize growth because this is the year of leadership transition," said Huang, who still expects the economy to grow 8.1 percent in 2012.

But Shi maintained his bearish outlook that 2012 growth could slow to around 7 percent from last year's 9.2 percent.

IS POLICY EASING WORKING?

There is no authoritative definition of a hard landing in China, but analysts expect job losses to rise if GDP growth dips below 7 percent.

The last time Beijing's annual target was under threat was in 2009, when growth tumbled to just 6.6 percent in the first quarter, before Beijing's massive 4 trillion yuan ($629 billion) stimulus powered full-year expansion back to 9.2 percent.

Unlike in 2008/09, the job market has remained relatively tight so far this year, partly reflecting the country's demographic shifts, but evidence abounds that smaller and mid-sized private firms are increasingly struggling with slackening orders, rapid wage increases and higher raw material costs.

Sportswear brand Li Ning Co recently became the latest Chinese firm to issue a profit warning, saying earnings could drop sharply this year due to weaker sales, further dampening confidence in the power of the once-vaunted Chinese consumer to offset any external weakness.

Many local governments, bearing the brunt of economic slowdown, have been lobbying for Beijing to relax property controls and credit curbs to local projects, according government economists familiar with the policy-making process.

Local governments have seen revenues from property-related land sales tumbling, as they struggle to repay 10.7 trillion yuan ($1.68 trillion) in debt.

But Beijing has made clear that it will not repeat another massive fiscal stimulus similar to the one in 2008, which bolstered growth but left an unwelcome legacy of strong inflationary pressures and a potential property bubble.

Policymakers have so far offered a few modest and more targeted programs, such as extending a "cash for clunkers" program to boost car sales and offering incentives for consumers to buy more energy-efficient appliances.

However, analysts say the central bank may have to ease policy further by cutting banks' reserve requirement ratios (RRR) or interest rates again to help stabilize growth.

"Probably the second quarter will be the low in terms of the growth rate and growth will pick up in the third quarter. If they (policymakers) don't see it, they will ease more," said Tim Condon, head of Asia research at ING in Singapore.

Condon expects two more interest rate cuts and two cuts in the RRR, both in the third quarter. Gao at China Essence has penciled in one more rate cut and 2-3 RRR cuts by the year-end.

Still, some economists are skeptical about the effectiveness of policy easing, noting Chinese manufacturers are already facing overcapacity and are less likely to take out fresh loans.

While May bank lending was stronger than expected, many of the new loans were believed to be linked to Beijing's move to fast-track infrastructure investment as opposed to a rebound in broader economic activity.

"The government has been gradually relaxing monetary conditions, but credit has not shown a significant increase because demand for long-term loans is shrinking," said Wang Jian, a researcher with the National Development and Reform Commission, the country's top planning agency.

"The trend of economic slowdown may not change before the end of 2013," Wang wrote in an article published in the official China Securities Journal last week.

"HOT POTATO"

The biggest drag on domestic demand stems from a slowdown in the property sector, which was worth about 13 percent of China's GDP in 2011 and directly affects more than 40 industries.

"It's hard to do. Because the best way to boost domestic demand is property, it's the easiest way," said Condon. "In some sense, they tied their hands behind their backs a bit."

Beijing appears to be sticking to two-year-long campaign to curb property speculation, though home prices may be nearing their bottom as the government eases monetary policy and local governments look for ways around the property restrictions.

"At the central government level, they still want to keep some pressure, at least until the political transition," said Wei Yao, China economist at Societe Generale in Hong Kong.

President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen are due to make way later this year for a new generation of leaders.

"That's why we are not very positive about the second half. The property sector is still a big drag (on the economy)."

Property investment is slowing sharply this year as banks keep their purse strings tight for developers, who are struggling with mounting inventories due to fast development in the past.

Peng Wensheng, chief economist at CICC, believes annual growth in China's real estate investment could more than halve to 13 percent in 2012 from 27.9 percent last year, dragging the overall investment growth down to 18 percent from 23.8 percent.

Ironically, a sudden move by Beijing to roll back property curbs could be a sign that the economy is in much deeper trouble, some economists say.

Premier Wen, who has vowed to bring home prices down to a "reasonable level", may pass on the sensitive issue to his successor Li Keqiang, who will take office early 2013.

"It's a hot potato. We still need to watch how the new government might do," said He Yifeng, an economist at Hongyuan Securities in Beijing. ($1=6.3642 yuan)

(Editing by Kim Coghill)

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Court rejects corporate campaign spending limits

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Supreme Court on Monday reaffirmed its 2-year-old decision allowing corporations to spend freely to influence elections. The justices struck down a Montana law limiting corporate campaign spending.

By a 5-4 vote, the court's conservative justices said the decision in the Citizens United case in 2010 applies to state campaign finance laws and guarantees corporate and labor union interests the right to spend freely to advocate for or against candidates for state and local offices.

The majority turned away pleas from the court's liberal justices to give a full hearing to the case because massive campaign spending since the January 2010 ruling has called into question some of its underpinnings.

The same five justices said in 2010 that corporations have a constitutional right to be heard in election campaigns. The decision paved the way for unlimited spending by corporations and labor unions in elections for Congress and the president, as long as the dollars are independent of the campaigns they are intended to help. The decision, grounded in the freedom of speech, appeared to apply equally to state contests.

But Montana aggressively defended its 1912 law against a challenge from corporations seeking to be free of spending limits, and the state Supreme Court sided with the state. The state court said a history of corruption showed the need for the limits, even as Justice Anthony Kennedy declared in his Citizens United opinion that independent expenditures by corporations "do not give rise to corruption or the appearance of corruption."

Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia, as well as Sen. John McCain and other congressional champions of stricter regulations on campaign money, joined with Montana.

Two liberal justices who were in dissent in Citizens United ? Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer ? already had challenged Kennedy's view that the independent campaign spending could not be corrupting by virtue of the absence of links to a campaign.

When the court blocked the Montana ruling in February, Ginsburg issued a brief statement for herself and Breyer saying that campaign spending since the decision makes "it exceedingly difficult to maintain that independent expenditures by corporations 'do not give rise to corruption or the appearance of corruption.'"

Ginsburg appeared to be referring to the rise of unregulated super PACs that have injected millions of dollars into the presidential and other campaigns. She said the case "will give the court an opportunity to consider whether, in light of the huge sums currently deployed to buy candidates' allegiance, Citizens United should continue to hold sway."

The corporations that sued over the law said it could not remain on the books after the Citizens United decision.

Montana urged the high court to reject the appeal, or hold arguments and not issue what the court calls a summary reversal. The prevailing side in the lower court almost always strives to avoid high court review. But Montana and its supporters hoped a thorough debate over the Citizens United decision would lead to its reconsideration or at least limits on its reach.

The case is American Tradition Partnership v. Bullock, 11-1179.

Associated Press

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VA Maryland Health Care System Offers Tips to Beat the Holiday ...

Baltimore, MD (Vocus) November 29, 2009

Blues Busters:

To avoid or minimize holiday blues, Dr. Lorie Morris from the VA Maryland Health Care Systems Clinical Center recommends that those prone to depression have a safety plan in place. Anyone who is alone or lonely, who is battling urges to drink or use substances, is being offered drinks or drugs, is coping with pushy, annoying or aggressive people, or who is feeling stressed about money, family, and the future needs a safety plan. The safety plan can include setting time limits on social activities such as agreeing to spend 1-2 hours at a gathering. Morris recommends handling problems early before they escalate. Uncomfortable in social situations? Embrace other roles such as kitchen clean up, refilling glasses, passing out desserts to alleviate the exhaustion of keeping up holiday chatter. Other options include the following:

Most Popular Weight Loss Products

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Back to the Land: New Certification Program Focuses on Farm Animal Welfare and Consumer Education

June?22,?2012

Farmers forsake intensive confinement systems for more humane models

All Animals magazine July/August 2012

by Karen E. Lange

We wanted cheap food, and the market delivered?with ruthless efficiency. Past the point where it was healthy for us, or safe for the food supply, or good for the environment. Past the point where it benefited rural communities, or was in any way sustainable. And far past the point where the animals involved were treated like living, feeling beings.

Change came fast and seemingly irreversibly. Hens were jammed into small cages; chickens bred to quickly grow big breasts, their bones often unable to support the weight; sows imprisoned in spaces barely larger than their bodies; cattle crowded onto huge feedlots where they stood exposed to the cruelest weather. Farms transformed into CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations). To keep animals alive and profitable in the midst of the crowding, stress, filth, and uncollected corpses, farmers cut off beaks and tails, and administered a never-ending regimen of antibiotics. Staring at the shrink-wrapped packages in the grocery store, most people had no idea of their true cost.

Learn about the rise and fall of extreme confinement ?

Then came the obesity epidemic, and food scares, and runoff from manure pits, and undercover footage showing what was actually happening on the mega-farms that had taken over U.S. agriculture. Though we still want cheap food, increasingly, we also want meat that is safe, environmentally friendly, and produced in a more compassionate way. More and more, we?re even willing to pay more for it.

But how well an animal has been treated is a lot harder for consumers to determine than price per pound. And the nation?s food conglomerates know this, hiding the proliferation of factory farms behind idyllic red-barn imagery and appealing descriptions on product labels.

Enter Global Animal Partnership?s 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating system. Launched in 2009 as a pilot program with Whole Foods Market, the initiative?which certifies farms and ranches raising cattle, chickens, pigs, and turkeys?provides clear choices for grocery shoppers and markets for producers who reject the profit-at-any-cost model of intensive confinement.

?We think we can change agriculture,? says Edmund LaMacchia, a global vice president at Whole Foods.

Savvy consumers may already be familiar with other labels?Food Alliance Certified, Certified Humane, and Animal Welfare Approved are just a few examples. What distinguishes GAP is its tiered program that certifies farms at six levels of welfare and its diverse leadership of producers, academics, retailers, and animal protection advocates from The HSUS and other organizations. The levels mandate progressively higher welfare practices, starting with Step 1?s requirement prohibiting confinement in cages and crates and leading to Step 5+, which requires on-site or local slaughter (saving animals from the stress of transport).

GAP works with third-party auditors and certifiers to assess compliance with its standards. The auditors visit farms every 15 months and inspect not only animals and buildings but feed tags, medical records, and veterinary and other receipts. ?You can?t fake it,? says Joe Maxwell, The HSUS?s director of rural outreach and development and a Missouri pig farmer who?s certified at Step 3, a label that means his animals have daytime access to the outdoors.

By allowing entry into the system at more attainable levels, GAP motivates a broad spectrum of farmers and ranchers to earn the higher ratings that will further improve welfare and presumably bring premiums for their products. ?Even in our early years, we already work with producers who have moved up the step ladder,? says GAP executive director Miyun Park, a former HSUS vice president of farm animal welfare.

About 1 percent of the 9 billion animals raised each year in this country for meat come from farms certified under GAP standards, says Steven Gross, chairman of Farm Forward and a member of GAP?s board of directors. That represents 144 million animals raised each year on 1,815 farms, and there?s plenty of room for growth: Step 1, which gets animals out of cages and crates, and Step 2, which adds environmental enrichment, can be achieved by both big and small farms that still keep their animals indoors. On the demand side, an estimated 20 percent of food sold is purchased by people with what marketers call ?lifestyles of health and sustainability??just the sort who have an interest in animal welfare.

?We?re seeing customers buying up the ratings scale at a quicker rate than I thought we would,? Whole Foods? LaMacchia says.?

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Star Snapshots: Family Fun

Katie and Suri show off matching summer looks in N.Y.C. Plus, see more photos of celebs spending time with their loved ones!

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Mexico front-runner draws crowds, protests

MEXICO CITY (AP) ? With a promise to "leave behind the practices of the old politics," Mexican presidential front-runner Enrique Pena Nieto held his first and only mass rally in Mexico City, the nation's capital, on Sunday, one week ahead of the July 1 presidential elections.

Pena Nieto sought to break with the reputation of his Institutional Revolutionary Party, known as the PRI, as the sclerotic, antiquated party that governed Mexico for 71 uninterrupted years, until it lost the 2000 elections.

"I am part of a new generation that grew up under democracy," Pena Nieto told tens of thousands of cheering supporters at the Azteca soccer stadium on the city's southern edge. The 105,000-person capacity stadium appeared almost full, with only the upper ring of seats empty.

"We know how to govern democratically," Pena Nieto pledged. He added, "In this election, all of Mexico is going to win." He stressed increasing wages "so that you earn more."

However, some of the party's old practices were on display at the rally, where security was extremely tight.

Many supporters were trucked in by busloads from surrounding Mexico state, where Pena Nieto served as governor until last year. Many descended from the buses still clutching the bag lunches, hats and T-shirts they had been given. The stadium was awash in red shirts, the party's campaign colors.

"Our party provided the bus to bring us here and take us back," said Antonia Almaraz , 37, a housewife who came with her neighbors and children from the town of Tequixquiac, in Mexico state.

Access was by ticket only, which organizers, many of them PRI candidates for local office, handed out to their contingents outside the stadium.

Organizers reportedly moved the event up an hour to avoid the kind of anti-PRI protests that have dogged Pena Nieto in the capital, where the rival leftist Democratic Revolution Party is strong. A PRI spokesman denied the reported reasons for the change, saying the rally had only been moved up a few minutes.

Some at the rally weren't sure if the PRI had changed, or if Pena Nieto would be able to change it once in power. In its 71 years in power, the PRI often governed by a mix of hand-out programs, repression and vote fraud. Others were persuaded by Pena Nieto's message of a new PRI.

"They have learned from the errors ... that the party committed in the past," said Marina Gomez, 48, a financial industry employee from the nearby state of Tlaxcala.

Other parties, such as the ruling National Action Party, have had trouble filling stadiums.

Sunday also saw thousands of anti-Pena Nieto protesters gathered in the heart of Mexico City to demonstrate against what they claimed would be a return to the past under the candidate, who leads all major polls in the race.

Alma Hernandez, 41, a secretary, said she didn't think the PRI had changed.

"As far as I'm concerned, (Pena Nieto) is deceiving the people," Hernandez said.

She held up a banner showing photos of old, much-hated figures from past PRI governments, including ex-President Carlos Salinas de Gortari, who is widely blamed for the 1994 peso devaluation and ensuing economic crisis.

"(Pena Nieto) was brought up and supported by these people, who have stolen a lot from the country," Hernandez said.

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Saudis to permit women to compete in Olympics

LONDON (AP) ? A month before the London Games, Saudi Arabia appears to be moving closer to sending female athletes to the Olympics for the first time amid mounting pressure on the ultraconservative Muslim kingdom to grant women more rights.

Deliberations by Saudi officials on sending women to the games have been wrapped in secrecy for fear of a backlash from the powerful religious establishment within a deeply traditional society, in which women are severely restricted in public life and are not even allowed to drive.

Saudi Arabia is one of three countries that have never included women in their Olympic teams, along with Qatar and Brunei. The International Olympic Committee said talks have been ongoing with Saudi Arabia to ensure participation and a statement by the country's embassy in London said female athletes, who qualify, could be allowed to participate.

"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is looking forward to its complete participation in the London 2012 Olympic Games through the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee, which will oversee the participation of women athletes who can qualify for the games," the statement said.

Human Rights Watch said the announcement is "an important step forward," but the New York-based group cautioned that gender discrimination in the country remains "institutional and entrenched."

"It is only right that the Saudi government should play by the Olympic rules," Minky Worden, director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch, said. "But an 11th-hour change of course to avoid a ban does not alter the dismal and unequal conditions for women and girls in Saudi Arabia."

There are no written laws that ban or restrict women from participating in sport in Saudi Arabia, home to Islam's holiest shrines. The stigma of female athletes is rooted in conservative traditions and religious views which hold that giving freedom of movement to women would make them vulnerable to sin.

Saudi officials have been sending mixed signals for months. While some said that they had been working on an arrangement with the IOC, top sports officials in the kingdom were adamant in publicly denying the possibility of female athletes competing at the Olympics.

Saudi Olympic Committee president Prince Nawaf said in April that female participation had not been approved by the country's leaders and that Saudi-based women traveling to London would be contrary to the country's traditions and norms.

Nawaf left open the possibility of Saudi women who are studying abroad being able to compete outside of the team as independent athletes. However, that option was quashed after pressure from human rights groups and the IOC.

On Monday, a Saudi official said an announcement by King Abdullah about Saudi women's participation in the Olympics was expected some days ago, but was postponed after the death of Crown Prince Nayef.

King Abdullah has taken modest steps to reform and modernize the oil-rich nation since he ascended the throne in 2005. He has faced staunch opposition from the hardline members of the royal family on each proposal he's made toward easing restrictions on women.

Saudi women bear the brunt of their nation's deeply conservative values. They are often the target of unwanted attention from the kingdom's religious police, who enforce a rigid interpretation of Islamic Shariah law on the streets and public places like shopping malls and university campuses.

Women do participate in sports in the kingdom, including clandestine soccer and basketball leagues. There are no national competitions, however, that would allow Saudi women to compete in order to qualify for international events.

If the Saudis do send women to the games, then female athletes in judo and in track and field are considered possibilities for the games, sports officials familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press while speaking on condition of anonymity.

Because Saudi women may not meet the international qualifying standards, the IOC may grant them Olympic entry based on "special circumstances," an IOC official told the AP in March, adding that the IOC has insisted on more than one woman on the Saudi team, and hopes for at least two or three.

Saudi officials have repeatedly hinted they'd allow equestrian Dalma Rushdi Malhas, who won a bronze medal in showjumping at the 2010 Youth Olympics in Singapore, to compete at the London Games. But the International Equestrian Federation said Monday the 20-year-old athlete will not be competing at the Olympics because she has failed to achieve "the minimum eligibility standard required for the Olympic Games" by June 17.

Malhas' horse was sidelined by injury and missed a month's work during the qualifying period, the federation said in a statement.

IOC President Jacques Rogge has said he is "optimistic" that Saudi Arabia will send women athletes, but last month said any deal was far from complete. Describing talks with Saudi Arabia as "not an easy situation," Rogge said discussions were under way with Saudi Olympic authorities and with athletes themselves.

Qatar and Brunei are expected to include women, according to the IOC. If some arrangement can be made for the Saudis, all national Olympic committees in London would include women athletes for the first time in Olympic history.

About 10,500 athletes are expected to compete in London, representing more than 200 national Olympic committees.

Associated Press

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