Report: Saudi Arabia may try to end anonymity for Twitter users

Reuters ? ? ? 2 hrs.

Saudi Arabia may try to end anonymity for Twitter users in the country by limiting access to the site to people who register their identification documents, the Arab News daily reported on Saturday.

Last week, local media reported the government had asked telecom companies to look at ways they could monitor, or block, free internet phone services such as Skype.

Twitter is highly popular with Saudis and has stirred broad debate on subjects ranging from religion to politics in a country where such public discussion had been considered at best unseemly and sometimes illegal.

Early this month, the security spokesman for Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry described social networking, particularly Twitter, as a tool used by militants to stir social unrest.

The country's Grand Mufti, Saudi Arabia's top cleric, last week described users of the microblogging site as "clowns" wasting time with frivolous and even harmful discussions, local newspapers reported.

"A source at (the regulator) described the move as a natural result of the successful implementation of (its) decision to add a user's identification numbers while topping up mobile phone credit," Arab News reported.

That would not necessarily make a user's identity visible to other users of the site, but it would mean the Saudi government could monitor the tweets of individual Saudis.

The English-language daily and sister paper to the Saudi-owned pan-Arab Asharq al-Awsat newspaper did not explain how the authorities might be able to restrict ability to post on Twitter. Both newspapers belong to a publishing group owned by the ruling family and run by a son of Crown Prince Salman.

Internet service providers are legally obliged to block websites showing content deemed pornographic.

One of the big investors in Twitter is Saudi Arabian billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a nephew of King Abdullah who also holds significant stakes in Citi Group, News Corp and Apple through his Kingdom Holding Company.

The country's telecom regulator, Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) did not immediately responded to requests for comment on the report. Last week it did not comment on the report it was seeking to restrict Skype use.

A spokeswoman for Kingdom Holding said Prince Alwaleed was not available to comment.

"There are people who misuse the social networking and try to send false information and false evaluation of the situation in the kingdom and the way the policemen in the kingdom are dealing with these situations," said Major General Mansour Turki, the security spokesman, at a news conference on Mar 8.

At a separate interview with Reuters this month, Turki argued that a small number of supporters of al Qaeda and activists from Saudi Arabia's Shi'ite minority used social media to stir wider sympathy for their goals and social unrest.

However, he also argued against banning the site.

Two weeks ago one of Saudi Arabia's most prominent clerics, Salman al-Awdah, who has 2.4 million followers on the site, used Twitter to attack the government's security policy as too harsh and call for better services. He warned it might otherwise face "the spark of violence".

Two leading Saudi human rights activists were sentenced to long prison terms this month for a variety of offences including "internet crimes" because they had used Twitter and other sites to attack the government.

Some top princes in the monarchy now use Twitter themselves and Crown Prince Salman, King Abdullah's designated heir and also Defence Minister, recently opened an official account.

(Reporting By Angus McDowall; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653377/s/2a29c693/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Ctechnology0Ctechnolog0Creport0Esaudi0Earabia0Emay0Etry0Eend0Eanonymity0Etwitter0Eusers0E1C9144293/story01.htm

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Syria says rebels set fire to three eastern oil wells

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels have set three oil wells in the east of the country ablaze, causing a daily loss of nearly 5,000 barrels of oil and 52,000 cubic meters of gas, state media quoted an oil ministry official as saying on Sunday.

SANA news agency said the damage to the oil wells in Deir al-Zor province, much of which is in rebel hands, followed disputes among the fighters over "sharing out the stolen oil" from fields in areas they control.

It said Syria's Furat Petroleum Corporation was working to extinguish the three fires. A total of nine wells had been set on fire by the rebels, the agency added, without saying when the other six had been set ablaze.

Furat was not immediately able to comment on the report.

European Union sanctions imposed on Syria two years ago over President Bashar al-Assad's crackdown on protests - which have since developed into armed conflict - effectively halted Syria's modest oil exports.

Assad's government has also struggled to meet domestic energy requirements after losing control of large parts of the east of the country, where most of the oil wells are located.

But despite the fighting residents say oil production has continued in some fields, with rebels trading with local authorities and allowing oil to be shipped to government-controlled areas.

(Editing by Sophie Hares)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/syria-says-rebels-set-fire-three-eastern-oil-154038664.html

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Timeline: The long path to a Dell buyout

By Poornima Gupta and Greg Roumeliotis

SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Dell Inc founder Michael Dell's efforts to take the PC company private began last summer with an idea pitched by its top institutional shareholder, Southeastern Asset Management.

Here is a timeline of the discussions as disclosed on Friday in Dell's preliminary proxy statement:

June 15, 2012 -- Southeastern Asset Management, which owns 146.5 million shares or about 8.4 percent of Dell, contacts CEO Michael Dell to suggest "a going private transaction" and expresses the fund's interest in participating in it.

July 17 -- Michael Dell meets a representative of private equity firm Silver Lake Partners at a conference and they set up discussions in August. In these talks, Silver Lake suggests to Dell's founder he should take the company private.

August 11, 13 -- Michael Dell meets with a representative of another private equity firm, identified in the proxy only as "Sponsor A," to ask what it thought of such a transaction. Sources told Reuters Sponsor A is private equity firm KKR & Co LP. KKR declined to comment.

August 14 -- Michael Dell informs board member and lead independent director Alex Mandl that he is exploring a buyout but says he has made no decision.

August 17 -- The board has a teleconference during which Michael Dell briefs them on the take-private idea and discussions surrounding it. The board decides to consider a potential transaction and other strategic alternatives.

August 20 -- The board forms a special committee consisting of Mandl, former co-director of Goldman Sachs' Americas equity research unit Laura Conigliaro, Marathon Oil Chief Financial Officer Janet Clark and consulting firm Duberstein Group CEO Kenneth Duberstein. Mandl is subsequently appointed chairman of the special committee.

August 21 -- Dell reports weak second fiscal quarter results. Revenue of $14.5 billion was about $300 million less than what management had expected. The company lowers fiscal 2013 outlook.

August 24 to 29 -- Mandl holds discussions with investment bankers JPMorgan Chase & Co and Goldman Sachs Group Inc to select a financial advisor. JPMorgan is retained.

September 14 -- JPMorgan tells the special committee it has identified other financial sponsors as potential buyers but notes that Silver Lake and KKR are best placed as each could complete a transaction with significant committed equity.

October 23 -- Silver Lake and KKR submit preliminary proposals to acquire Dell. Silver Lake's purchase price is between $11.22 and $12.16 per share, and KKR's purchase price is between $12 and $13 per share. Both assume Michael Dell would participate in the deal. KKR also assumes Southeastern would participate.

October 27 - The special committee discusses with Dell Chief Financial Officer Brian Gladden potential strategic alternatives such as returning capital to shareholders through a leveraged recapitalization, accelerating the company's current plan, a transformative acquisition and separating certain businesses.

November 2 -- JPMorgan informs Silver Lake and KKR the special committee is not happy with the price ranges.

November 12 -- Dell hires Boston Consulting Group to review strategic alternatives.

Dec 3 -- KKR withdraws from the process, mainly because it is not comfortable with the risks associated with Dell.

December 4 -- Silver Lake submits an updated proposal to acquire Dell for $12.70 per share.

December 7 -- Mandl invites another firm, identified in the proxy only as "Sponsor B," to consider making a proposal. A source told Reuters Sponsor B is private equity firm TPG Capital LP. TPG did not respond to a request for comment.

December 10 -- Mandl informs Silver Lake its offer price is too low. Silver Lake seeks permission to involve Microsoft Corp, from which it intended to seek financing.

December 14-16 -- The company enters into confidentiality agreements with debt financing sources of Silver Lake: RBC Capital Markets, Credit Suisse Securities, Barclays Capital, and Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

December 17 -- Michael Dell meets with senior representatives of TPG to discuss a potential proposal.

December 23 -- TPG informs it is withdrawing from the process, primarily due to "risks and uncertainties in the PC business."

January 16, 2013 -- Silver Lake submits another proposal to acquire Dell for $12.90 per share.

January 19 -- Mandl tells Michael Dell the special committee is willing to support a transaction at a price of $13.75 per share. Michael Dell then discusses it with Silver Lake, which later proposes a price of $13.25 per share.

January 20 -- Silver Lake informs Dell it is willing to increase its offer price to $13.50 per share.

January 24 -- Silver Lake increases its offer to $13.60 per share.

January 24 -- A party identified as "Strategic Party A" expresses interest in purchasing Dell's financial business for about $3.5 billion to $4 billion. Blackstone Group LP also expresses interest in exploring a transaction. It could not be confirmed whether Strategic Party A IS General Electric Co, which sources previously said had been approached by Blackstone. GE has previously declined comment.

January 29 -- Southeastern informs special committee it would oppose any deal in the range of $14 or $15 per share that did not provide existing large stockholders with an opportunity to participate.

Michael Dell and Silver Lake say they are not interested in pursuing a deal in which any public stockholders would retain an interest.

February 3 -- Silver Lake submits a revised proposal, offering $13.60 per share if the company continues paying its regular dividend, or $13.75 per share if the company stops paying dividends.

February 4 -- Silver Lake ups its offer to $13.65 per share, with the Dell allowed to carry on paying its regular dividend.

Special committee recommends accepting Silver Lake's proposal.

February 5 -- A deal with Silver Lake is announced and a 45-day period starts to uncover other offers. Dell contacts 67 parties, including 19 strategic parties, 18 financial sponsors and 30 others such as sovereign wealth funds. Unsolicited inquiries are also received from four parties, including two strategic and two financial sponsors.

March 5 -- Activist investor Carl Icahn sends a letter to Dell's board stating he is a substantial holder of shares. Icahn later reveals he has $1 billion worth of Dell shares.

March 21 -- Dell advisor Evercore receives an indication of interest from Strategic Party A for a proposed acquisition of Dell's finance business.

March 22 -- Blackstone and Icahn Enterprises send proposals to the special committee. Blackstone, which teamed up with Francisco and Insight Venture partners, offers in excess of $14.25 per share for the whole company, while Icahn offers about $15 per share for 58 percent. Under both proposals, Dell would remain a public company.

March 25 -- Dell releases 274-page preliminary proxy statement on its buyout negotiations.

Sources: Dell's proxy statement, Reuters

(Reporting By Poornima Gupta in San Francisco and Greg Roumeliotis in New York)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/timeline-long-path-dell-buyout-014513138--sector.html

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Abrakadoodle Art Education Opens First Unit in Arkansas

Children's art and creativity programs set to get underway in Northwest Arkansas this spring.

March 29, 2013 // Franchising.com // Reston, VA - Abrakadoodle Remarkable Art Education is expanding its reach to children with the addition of its first franchise unit in Arkansas. The mother/daughter duo Cora J. and Joy Davis of Fayetteville will be providing a wide range of art programs to include visual arts classes, camps, workshops, as well as in-school field trips, special events and arty parties at schools, community centers, faith-based locations and other sites that serve children throughout Northwest Arkansas to include Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers and Springdale.

"We are delighted to welcome Joy and Cora to our award-winning Abrakadoodle franchise system," said Rosemarie Hartnett, CFE, President and Co-Founder of Abrakadoodle, Inc. "They bring impressive educational backgrounds and a true passion for education and creative literacy, which I am confident will help ensure their tremendous success in a community that values art, culture and creativity."

"Creative literacy is very important for children," stated Cora J. Davis, Director of Abrakadoodle-Northwest Arkansas. "Abrakadoodle will provide an educationally-rich learning environment enabling children to develop skills and imagination." Married to Paul, mother of three (Kendrick, Vanessa and Joy) and grandmother of two young children (Kennedy and Katelynn), Cora brings to Abrakadoodle 15 years of K-5 teaching experience, as well as a BS in Elementary Education, a Master's in Education, and she is working on her PhD in Public Policy and Education at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville. She explained that her daughter Joy approached her about the opportunity to operate a well-respected art education franchise, an idea she met with enthusiasm.

""I always dreamed of owning my own business," Joy Davis, Director of Abrakadoodle-Northwest Arkansas remarked. Joy discovered Abrakadoodle when she read a business magazine and saw a fit with Abrakadoodle's creative concept. From a long line of educators, Joy brings a BS in Biology and a Master's in Operations Management. "Through Abrakadoodle, we will stimulate creativity in children, which they will carry with them throughout their lives. I find that very exciting!"

To learn more about art programs or to bring Abrakadoodle classes and activities to your location, please go to www.abrakadoodle.com/AR01/ or contact Joy Davis at jdavis@abrakadoodle.com or 479-856-6651.

Abrakadoodle was the first American franchise company to bring a comprehensive, standards-based art education program to children in the U.S. More than just a drawing program, Abrakadoodle embraces art in its broadest scope - from public art to all types of painting, sculpture, animation, paper and fabric art, digital photography and more. Abrakadoodle students develop a fine arts vocabulary as they learn about the styles and techniques of such artists as Michelangelo, Monet, Picasso, Ansel Adams, as well as contemporary artists through its Artist of Distinction program. Abrakadoodle students use an abundance of creative materials (bamboo brushes, sculpting materials, fabric, watercolor, acrylics, and more) to explore the visual arts. Students often take home framed, labeled original creations that extend the learning at home, as well as boost self-confidence.

Abrakadoodle classes employ a "process art" methodology. These classes not only inspire a child's imagination, but they also build motor, language and cognitive skills. Abrakadoodle students develop an appreciation for art and a sense of craftsmanship. Research suggests that getting an early start in the arts can make a real difference in the lives of children, not only in terms of increased academic achievement but also greater problem solving, leadership capabilities, and confidence.

About Abrakadoodle

Abrakadoodle was co-founded in 2002 by award-winning educator/franchise developer Mary Rogers, CFE, MA.Ed, and children's services franchising expert Rosemarie Hartnett, CFE. Abrakadoodle is the most comprehensive creativity and art education company of its kind, offering extensive visual arts classes, camps and parties for children ages 20 months to 12 years old. Abrakadoodle has received seven First Place Awards from Nickelodeon's Parent Picks Awards for "Best Art Program to inspire your child's inner Picasso." Recently Abrakadoodle also received seven additional nominations for "Best Kids Party Entertainer" and "Best Kids Party Place."

SOURCE?Abrakadoodle

Contact:

Joy Davis
Director
479-856-6651
jdavis@abrakadoodle.com

Karin Machusic
Director of Public Relations
(Mobile) 925-708-2179
Karin@abrakadoodle.com

###

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Source: http://www.franchising.com/news/20130329_abrakadoodle_art_education_opens_first_unit_in_ark.html

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5 Headaches of Modern Publishing | Digiday

The economics of publishing are harder than ever, but there?s a raft of other challenges those on the sell side face. Whether it?s a Byzantine RFP process or uncertainty with mobile, publishers have a lot on their minds these days. Digiday spoke to publishers to narrow down the five areas giving them migraines.

The RFP Mess
There?s one thing both sides agree on: the RFP process is a stone-cold mess. This is best illustrated in the intricate flowchart constructed by NextMark detailing the cumbersome RFP process. By this count, there are some 42 steps. It?s a pain on all sides.

But for publishers it gets worse. Buyers are notoriously unrealistic, and firmly in control thanks to the vast supply-demand imbalance. That means asking publishers for what seems like the impossible. It can be to create products and programs that have never been done, something that?s innovative. And to top it off, publishers are asked to scramble and have it done in 10 minutes ? and with measurable results.

Click Pressure
Eighteen years ago, when banner ads arrived on the scene, their creators made the understandable decision to differentiate this new advertising medium by adding interactivity. That?s why the first banner copy read, ?Have you clicked here? You will.?
It turns out not that many people do click anymore. That doesn?t stop media buyers from hunting for clicks. Many will tell you it?s not all about clicks. These same people will turn around for a brand advertising campaign and hold a publisher accountable for, yes, clicks. The lesson: When they say it?s not about the click, it?s always about the click.

?People will call us up and say, ?We?ll give you this brand campaign? but will cancel it because the click-through rate wasn?t good,? said Larry Burstein, publisher of New York Magazine. ?But wait a minute. You?re asking for a very specific to a campaign about branding. Click-through rates mean nothing.?

The Mobile Morass
The Internet was bad enough for publishers, but then mobile came around. The old saw with the Web was it was trading analog dollars for dimes. With mobile, it?s down to fractions of pennies. This has moved from an annoyance to an existential threat as publishers typically see more than a third of their audiences on smartphone or tablets. (Tablets are, admittedly, a somewhat easier challenge on the monetization front.)

The challenge is pretty simple: Mobile ads are tiny, the opportunity for real creativity that will excite brands pretty much negligible. Most mobile banners on smartphones are difficult to even read, much less evoke emotion.

?Advertisers like a canvas to paint with, and mobile devices don?t allow for truly creative, custom or integrated advertising solutions,? said Brian Fitzgerald, co-founder of Evolve Media. ?For publishers, this means more of our inventory transitions to mobile, which doesn?t currently have the same revenue opportunity as PC.?

Standards Flux
The Internet ad community has long struggled to find the right balance between innovation and standardization. As a mass media, the Web needs standards to cut down on transaction costs. Yet in the case of banner ads, many blame those same standards for creating vanilla units that became irrevocably commoditized.

Native advertising has emerged as the great hope to fight against that commoditization. And yet here publishers run into the problem of scale. Ironically, in order to really become a meaningful part of the Internet ad economy, native-type products might need the same distribution mechanisms built for the banner world.

Programmatic Pressures
The separation of audience data from media context was akin to splitting the atom for publishers. The world changed. The rise of automated systems allowed advertisers to find their target audiences ? only their target audiences ? wherever they are on the Internet. This was an advertiser-driven innovation that?s left many publishers holding the bag. The promise of private exchanges, which theoretically give publishers the efficiency of exchange buys with protections they need, hasn?t yet panned out.

?This allows for the cost-effective and time-efficient practice of buying cookies and not consumers,? Fitzgerald said. ?Clients do value brands, content and environment and intrinsically understand the value of engaging influencers in the right context or environment and converting them into brand advocates. This can?t and doesn?t happen in a programmatic buying channel when targeting audiences by cookies outside the environments that are most likely to influence and engage them.?

Image via Shutterstock

Source: http://www.digiday.com/publishers/10-digital-plagues-of-publishing/

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Soaring Bee Deaths in 2012 Sound Alarm on Malady

[unable to retrieve full-text content]A mysterious ailment appears to have expanded drastically in the past year, wiping out as many as half of the hives needed to pollinate much of America?s produce.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/29/science/earth/soaring-bee-deaths-in-2012-sound-alarm-on-malady.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

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Clean fuel regulations: EPA, oil industry vie over effect on gas prices

EPA on Friday proposed new regulations to require refineries to make cleaner gasoline. The cost? EPA says less than a penny a gallon. Oil industry says nine cents a gallon ? and higher gas prices.

By Ron Scherer,?Staff writer / March 29, 2013

Suzanne Meredith, of Walpole, Mass., gases up her car at a Gulf station in Brookline, Mass., July 2012. Reducing sulfur in gasoline and tightening emissions standards on cars beginning in 2017, as the Obama administration is proposing, would come with costs as well as rewards.

Steven Senne/AP/File

Enlarge

The Obama administration proposed on Friday new ? and more costly ? regulations of the refining industry to produce cleaner gasoline and clearer skies.

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If the new rules are implemented as scheduled in 2017, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says, they will spare thousands of people from premature death and prevent respiratory problems in tens of thousands of children. The cost: on average less than a penny gallon.

Not so, says the oil industry, which has been battling the EPA over the proposed rules. The new rules will add as much as nine cents a gallon to the cost of making fuel and will produce ?ambiguous? results, says The American Petroleum Institute.?API, the industry?s lobbying arm in Washington, refers to the proposed new rules as part of a ?tsunami of regulations? the industry faces this year that could add as much as 65 cents to the cost of producing a gallon of fuel in the future.

Gasoline prices are politically sensitive. Consumers often know how much they have paid for a gallon of gasoline compared with their prior fill-up. When pump prices are rising, consumers grumble and, if prices get high enough, cut back on other discretionary purchases. As a result, economists refer to rising fuel prices as a tax on the economy.

But will Americans pay more for fuel and smile about if they believe it will result in cleaner air?

?Some will, but the majority won?t,? answers Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst at GasBuddy.com. ?There is a sense among a lot of people that we are entitled to cheaper fuel prices than the rest of the world.?

The proposed changes would make US standards the same as most of Europe, Japan, and South Korea, Mr. Kloza says. ?We would be joining 45 other countries with tougher fuel standards,? he says.

Republicans quickly attacked the proposed regulation. ?The Obama Administration is modeling our regulations after California, which has the worst economy in the nation, and today?s announcement is essentially a guaranteed energy tax hike and unfortunately is just one of many radical policies coming out of this Administration that will deal a heavy blow to middle-class families and small businesses,? said Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, chairman of the Republican Study Committee, in a statement.??

In January, Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, often associated with Democratic issues, conducted what it termed a ?bipartisan survey? of 800 registered voters for the American Lung Association on whether Americans favored tougher fuel regulations and improved antipollution laws. It found 62 percent of voters supported new gasoline and vehicle standards, and 32 percent opposed them.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/uyzMslT9zt4/Clean-fuel-regulations-EPA-oil-industry-vie-over-effect-on-gas-prices

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There Is Such Thing As a Beer Pong Arcade Game

If you combined a horizontal version of skee ball and a super small version of pop a shot, you would get this beer pong arcade machine. It takes all the basic tenets of beer pong (ping pong balls, red solo cups, etc.) but forgets the most important part: DRINKING. In the arcade version of beer pong, you just try and knock down as many cups as you can in 60 seconds... sober. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/84uSENhHqcM/there-is-such-thing-as-a-beer-pong-arcade-game

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Chinese Visitor Summit to return to Abu Dhabi - Breaking Travel News

The Chinese Visitor Summit, aimed at giving top Chinese tourism producers specific destination networking opportunities, is to return to the UAE capital this year on September 2nd-3rd with networking and conferences hosted at the recently-opened, beachfront Ritz-Carlton Grand Canal, Abu Dhabi.

Organised by Nicholas Publishing International in partnership with the Shanghai-based i2i Group and backed by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority, this year?s event will bring 75 top Chinese outbound tourism bookers to the UAE capital in a bid to increase the emirate?s Chinese visitor numbers to participating destinations, attractions and hotels.

The Chinese delegation, which will also comprise ten leading Chinese media, will include chief executives, general, product, outbound and MICE managers, sports events producers from wholesale, retail, leisure, golf, adventure and FIT operators.

?The summit is dedicated to building inbound Chinese visitor numbers by matching buyers to over 100 travel providers from throughout the UAE and Middle East including hoteliers, attractions and retailers keen to tap into this lucrative Asian market,? said Rob Nicholas, managing director, NPI.

?The market is wide open with the UAE currently representing less than ten per cent - or 31,980 travellers - of the delegation?s accumulative outbound business.

?And with more than half of the delegation having less than three years? experience working with UAE suppliers, their appetite for new product is extremely keen.?

A snap survey of the summit?s Chinese delegates has revealed specific MICE opportunities with bookers looking for existing opportunities with clients from the Chinese government, industry association, education, pharmaceuticals and medical, oil and gas, retail, construction, real estate, automotive,? as well as insurance, finance and corporate segments.

?What stands out in particular is that they are now focusing on suppliers of MICE, high-end travel and custom-designed products within the UAE market,? added Nicholas.

?While on the leisure side, the preference is for multi-experience packages combining two destinations or more such as Abu Dhabi and Ireland.?

Last year?s summit proved extremely successful for Abu Dhabi with 76 Chinese travel agents and tour operators, ten Chinese media and several Chinese government travel dignitaries receiving their first exposure to our destination.

?Summit partners and suppliers went above and beyond to impress the Chinese delegation.

?We are looking to build on this momentum and to particularly highlight our expanding tourism proposition which has been boosted over the past 12 months with new resort and attraction openings and tour product enhancements,? said Mubarak Al Nuaimi, director promotions & overseas offices, TCA Abu Dhabi, which operates a visitor and destination promotion centre in Beijing.

?What is clear though is that local suppliers will have to begin creating tailor-made product if they are to maximise penetration of this market with delegate members requesting specific high-end product such as Gulf luxury desert driving tours.

?The local suppliers joining us at the summit will be naturally out to sell product, but also to learn more about what is specifically required by the Chinese buyers and their customers.

?TCA Abu Dhabi now offers all its destination collateral and websites in Mandarin to be a source of information for the Chinese travel and travel trade and would actively encourage suppliers to follow suit.?

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Source: http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/chinese-visitor-summit-to-return-to-abu-dhabi/

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Heat start to move on after streak ends

Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade reacts as he watches a free throw by Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Chicago on Wednesday, March 27, 2013. The Bulls won 101-97, ending the Heat's 27-game winning streak. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade reacts as he watches a free throw by Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Chicago on Wednesday, March 27, 2013. The Bulls won 101-97, ending the Heat's 27-game winning streak. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Miami Heat forward Shane Battier grimaces after he was called for a foul during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls in Chicago on Wednesday, March 27, 2013. The Bulls won 101-97, ending the Heat's 27-game winning streak. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Miami Heat forward LeBron James, center, and guard Mario Chalmers, right, listen to guard Ray Allen during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls in Chicago on Wednesday, March 27, 2013. The Bulls won 101-97, ending the Heat's 27-game winning streak. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Their winning streak finally over, the Miami Heat did on Thursday what they had planned to do all along.

They took the day off.

While the circus atmosphere around the team may slow down now ? until the playoffs start, anyway ? the way the reigning NBA champions go about their business over the final 11 games of the regular season probably will not. Miami's epic, historic, sometimes-mindboggling 27-game winning streak ended with a 101-97 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night, and Heat guard Dwyane Wade was among those sounding absolutely relieved afterward.

"It really didn't matter to us," Wade said. "If you get it, it's awesome. If you don't, we still won 27 games in a row. That's pretty awesome. So, we really weren't like, 'We've got to get that record.' Not at all. And now that it's over, I'm glad it's over."

Next up: Friday night at New Orleans, where the Heat will try to return to their winning ways.

Miami's quest for NBA history ended with the Heat six games shy of matching the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers for the league's longest winning streak. The Lakers will keep their record, but the biggest Lakers star of this generation offered the Heat plenty of respect when their run was over.

"I think just as a student of the game, as a fan of the game, you appreciate those kind of streaks and you realize how difficult it is to put together that big of a streak," Lakers star Kobe Bryant said after learning of the Heat loss. "Obviously the Lakers winning 33 in a row was phenomenal, but the Heat's one was just as impressive."

Still, the Heat insist they can get better.

When Indiana beat the Heat on Feb. 1, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra's postgame theme was that his club had to get better. Nearly two months later, when the Heat streak ended in Chicago, much of Spoelstra's postgame remarks had the same theme.

Players understood his point.

"At the end of the day, a win is a win in our league," said reigning MVP LeBron James, who averaged exactly 27 points per game during the 27-game winning streak. "We've gotten better throughout the season. Each and every month we've improved. We've started from behind some games, but for the most part we've played some great basketball. We're not a team that builds bad habits. That's not even who we are so we're not worried about that."

No matter how they did it, no matter how many double-digit deficits they erased or fourth-quarter comebacks they pulled off, the bottom line was Miami enjoyed 7? weeks of dominance.

Entering Thursday, 10 NBA teams hadn't won 27 games yet this season.

"Really proud of the grind of the last few weeks from my guys," Miami forward Shane Battier, who was part of a 32-game win streak at Duke, 22 with the Houston Rockets and now 27 with the Heat, wrote on Twitter early Thursday. "The focus and effort (and luck) was phenomenal."

Battier closed that tweet with two hashtagged words ? onward and upwards.

Whether it was because they were revered or reviled, the Heat probably got more eyeballs on NBA regular-season basketball than any team had in some time, with people watching to root for either the streak continuing or the streak ending.

They were must-see TV, as proven by national networks like ESPN and NBA TV scrambling to pick up Heat games as the streak rolled along. ESPN said the overnight rating for Heat-Bulls was the fifth-best of any regular-season game ever shown on the network.

Media coverage was as intense as any time during the Big Three era in Miami. On Monday in Orlando, the visiting locker room was overwhelmed by reporters. And on Wednesday in Chicago, Wade freely said he was ready for the circus to end.

"I don't know who half you people are," Wade said.

For those who still need streaks to follow, there's plenty of options.

Women's basketball is chock-full of them right now, with Baylor (32), Notre Dame (28) and Delaware (27) all taking streaks that at least match the Heat run into NCAA regional games this weekend. The NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins were seeking for a 14th straight win against Winnipeg on Thursday night. In men's college basketball, Louisville takes a 12-game winning streak into its Midwest Regional semifinal against Oregon on Friday night.

As far as the NBA goes, the longest current winning streak now belongs to the New York Knicks ? a mere six games.

What the Heat did obviously won't be exceeded this season, and probably not for a while. If Miami won every game left on its schedule and swept all four playoff series, they would end the year with another 27-game winning streak.

Don't count on that one happening. Bryant may have tipped his cap to the Heat, but not all the Lakers were exactly heartbroken that their franchise will keep the record.

"We kept the streak," Lakers center Pau Gasol said. "And it's about time that Miami lost."

During the streak ? starting from the moment Miami lost in Indiana on Feb. 1 to the final buzzer in Chicago ? every other NBA team lost at least five times. Nearly two-thirds of the league lost at least 10 games. Orlando lost more than anyone else, falling on 23 occasions. Maybe the biggest sign of Miami's dominance was that 12 teams endured more defeats during the streak than the Heat had lost all season.

Starting Friday, they begin another chapter.

"Now that it's over," Wade said, "let's look back on it as something that was great."

___

AP Basketball Writer Jon Krawczynski in Minneapolis contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-03-28-BKN-Heat-Streak-Over/id-7417fe43e81b43f785e2a9be6957ce0c

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Spat between two Dutch companies sparks record-breaking 300Gbps DDoS attack

By Simon Evans MEXICO CITY, March 27 (Reuters) - United States central defenders Omar Gonzalez and Matt Besler went into Tuesday's game against Mexico at the Azteca Stadium with just two World Cup qualifying starts between them, but looked like they had been alongside each other for years in a spirited 0-0 draw. Gonzalez, making his third start in a qualifier and Besler making his first, held Mexico at bay in front of more than 95,000 fans as the U.S earned just their second point ever at the home of their arch-rivals. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/spat-between-two-dutch-companies-sparks-record-breaking-010927453.html

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UK banks told to raise another $38 billion

Mar 26 (Reuters) - Leading money winners on the 2013 PGATour on Monday (U.S. unless stated): 1. Tiger Woods $3,787,600 2. Brandt Snedeker $2,859,920 3. Matt Kuchar $2,154,500 4. Steve Stricker $1,820,000 5. Phil Mickelson $1,650,260 6. Hunter Mahan $1,553,965 7. John Merrick $1,343,514 8. Dustin Johnson $1,330,507 9. Russell Henley $1,313,280 10. Kevin Streelman $1,310,343 11. Keegan Bradley $1,274,593 12. Charles Howell III $1,256,373 13. Michael Thompson $1,254,669 14. Brian Gay $1,171,721 15. Justin Rose $1,155,550 16. Jason Day $1,115,565 17. Chris Kirk $1,097,053 18. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uk-banks-told-raise-another-38-billion-105032105--finance.html

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UK church exhumes grave rumored to house a king

Mar 26 (Reuters) - Leading money winners on the 2013 PGATour on Monday (U.S. unless stated): 1. Tiger Woods $3,787,600 2. Brandt Snedeker $2,859,920 3. Matt Kuchar $2,154,500 4. Steve Stricker $1,820,000 5. Phil Mickelson $1,650,260 6. Hunter Mahan $1,553,965 7. John Merrick $1,343,514 8. Dustin Johnson $1,330,507 9. Russell Henley $1,313,280 10. Kevin Streelman $1,310,343 11. Keegan Bradley $1,274,593 12. Charles Howell III $1,256,373 13. Michael Thompson $1,254,669 14. Brian Gay $1,171,721 15. Justin Rose $1,155,550 16. Jason Day $1,115,565 17. Chris Kirk $1,097,053 18. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uk-church-exhumes-grave-rumored-house-king-180833728.html

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Bar Refaeli Controversy: Model Criticized For Role in Pro-Israel Campaign

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/03/bar-refaeli-controversy-model-criticized-for-role-in-pro-israel/

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HP ENVY 120 e-All-in-One Printer

The HP ENVY 120 e-All-in-One Printer stands alone as virtually its own category of inkjet?at least, if you don't count earlier models, like the HP ENVY 110 e-All-in-One Printer that it's in the process of replacing. The one-word description of the category: stylish. If your home office is in a corner of your family room, and you want a printer that your interior decorator would approve of, the ENVY 120 is probably it. Whether it's worth the price, however, depends on how much you value good looks.

From a quick glance, The ENVY 120 could pass for a nicely designed, if slightly oversized, Blu-ray player. When it's off, it's simply a rectangular box, measuring 4.3 by 16.9 by 13.2 inches, made mostly of black plastic. There are no visible paper trays, no front panel buttons, and no other visual clues?aside from some easy to overlook text on the bottom front?to give away the fact that it's a multifunction printer (MFP).

Get a little closer and you can see a glass panel on the top, which happens to be a see-through lid for the letter-size flatbed scanner. Unless you've already seen that kind of scanner before, however, you probably wouldn't recognize it as one.

When you turn the printer on, by tapping on the touch-sensitive power icon, the 4.3-inch color touch screen on the front panel lights up to show some pretty icons including two labeled Scan and Copy. In addition, almost the entire front section of the printer opens up to about a 45-degree angle (which you can adjust manually if you care to). But there's still no visible input or output tray.

Only when you actually print something does the ENVY 120 reveal itself as a printer, automatically closing the front panel lid, then opening it to 90 degrees, and swinging out an arm in front of the printer to catch the pages coming out. When you take the pages off the arm, it then rotates the arm back into the printer, and partially closes the front lid again.

If you feel around under the lid, you'll find the paper drawer, which works like a DVD tray. There's even a touch-sensitive eject button you can use to tell the printer to move the front lid out of the way and eject the tray. You can then fill it with paper, touch the button again to close the tray, or push the tray in just a little, and let the printer grab it and take it the rest of the way.

Unfortunately, although these snazzy features add to the cost, they don't do anything for printing or for other basic MFP capabilities. That leaves the basics for the ENVY 120 comparable to what you'll find in much less expensive printers.

Basics
In addition to standard printing, copying, and scanning, the ENVY 120 lets you print from and scan to memory cards and USB memory keys, as well as preview images on its LCD before printing. It also supports HP's Web apps and printing through the cloud. However it offers only Wi-Fi for a network connection, which means you can't use the Web-related features unless you have Wi-Fi on your network. Partially making up for that is support for Wireless Direct (HP's version of Wi-Fi direct), which means that if you don't have Wi-Fi on your network, you can still connect directly to the printer by Wi-Fi to print from a phone or tablet.

Paper handling is a mixed bag. On the plus side, the printer offers automatic duplexing (for printing on both sides of a page) as a highly welcome extra. However, the 80-sheet input tray limits the printer to light-duty printing at best even by home or home-office standards. And unlike most printers, the ENVY 120 is limited to a maximum of letter-size paper, which means that if you ever wind up needing to print at legal size, you can't. As is typical for printers aimed primarily for home use, there's no automatic document feeder to supplement the letter-size flatbed.

Setup, Speed, and Output Quality
For my tests, I connected the ENVY 120 to a Windows Vista system by USB cable. Setup was standard for an inkjet. Print speed, unfortunately, was notably slow for the price. I timed the printer (using QualityLogic's hardware and software for timing) at just 2.1 pages per minute (ppm), the same speed as the much less expensive Canon Pixma MX522 Wireless Office All-In-One Printer and slower than the Editors' Choice Canon Pixma MX922 Wireless Office All-In-One Printer, at 2.4 ppm.

Print speed for photos is also on the slow side, at an average of 2 minutes 2 seconds for a 4 by 6. That makes it a little faster than the MX522, but significantly slower than the MX922, at 1:05.

Output quality is a little below par overall, mostly because the text is a step below the range that includes the majority of inkjet printers. Most people would consider it good enough for day-to-day business, home, or school needs. However, it's not suitable if you have an unusual need for small fonts or need the kind of crisp output that helps you make an impression of being fully professional.

Graphics output is absolutely par quality, making it suitable for almost any home need and most internal business needs. Depending on your level of perfectionism, you may or may not consider it good enough for PowerPoint handouts and the like. Photo quality is roughly equivalent to what you would expect from drugstore prints.

As should be clear, the HP ENVY 120 e-All-in-One Printer is a little like a high-priced restaurant dish with great presentation but merely adequate taste. The Canon Pixma MX922, for one, will give you a lot more capability at a lower price. But if you must have a printer that looks like a stylish consumer-electronics device, the HP ENVY 120 e-All-in-One Printer may be the only inkjet that fits the description. And that may be enough to make it your preferred choice.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/dWd2CQm6jRw/0,2817,2416956,00.asp

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Never Worry About Cushion Crumbs Ever Again With Wireframe Furniture

Like a 3D model awaiting textures and rendering, these Pamela wireframe chairs and footrests created by Dem Bitantes only barely exist. Available from A. Garcia Crafts in a small sampling of colors, the pieces won't collect crumbs, will never hide a TV remote, and if used outside won't collect rain. The only downside is that if change happens to fall out of a visitors pocket, they'll instantly know about it. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/kCIDlnU6MBQ/never-worry-about-cushion-crumbs-ever-again-with-wireframe-furniture

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MTV's Musical March Madness Rolls On To Round Two!

Tokio Hotel, Paramore survive to the second round, Mumford & Sons sent packing ... vote now in all round two matchups.
By James Montgomery

Paramore's Hayley Williams
Photo: Getty Images

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1704291/musical-march-madness-round-2-paramore-tokio-hotel.jhtml

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'Walking Dead' shocks with heartbreaking death

By Drusilla Moorhouse, TODAY contributor

As 'The Walking Dead' nears the conclusion of its third season, fans have been bracing for the death of at least one major character. Even so, many of us gasped aloud at the shocking demise of someone we've loved to hate since season one.

You know the drill: spoilers ahead.

Gene Page / AMC

RIP, Merle Dixon. By the standards of the redemption-equals-death TV trope, the villain's fate was sealed the moment he released Michonne. After secretly capturing her -- because he correctly predicted Rick would change his mind about sacrificing her to the Governor to save his group -- Merle had a change of heart.

As "This Sorrowful Life" slowly drifted to its horrifying final scene, a cloud of doom hovered above Daryl's incredibly damaged but increasingly sympathetic brother. Even Glenn, who aside from Michonne had the most reason to hate Merle, seemed to accept him as part of the group -- if not actually forgive him for humiliating his fianc?e.

Gene Page / AMC

With Hershel's blessing, Glenn proposed to Maggie, offering another ray of hope -- like the birth of Judith -- in the midst of so much tragedy and conflict. So what if he didn't buy his ring at Tiffany's? (And the bonus of hacking it off a zombie's finger means his bride also has "something borrowed." Win!)

But the Dixon brothers' bond was the true essence of this season's penultimate episode.

Daryl arrived at the Governor's armistice ambush too late to save Merle from his suicide mission. After setting up as a sniper with an army of walkers to back him up, Merle fired on the Woodbury contingent but was inevitably captured. And of course he was fed to the undead by the man who ordered him to kill 16 innocent people.

When Daryl arrived on the scene, it was too late: the Governor's gang was long gone -- and so was his brother. His discovery Merle devouring one of his victims (first revealed with a closeup of his homemade prosthesis) was both gruesome and heartbreaking.

Gene Page / AMC

At least Merle won't distract the troops -- now declared a democracy by Rick -- when they go to war in next week's finale.

Will you miss Merle? Who else do you think will fall in the finale's bloody battle? Tell us on our Facebook page!

Related links:

More in the Clicker:

Source: http://theclicker.today.com/_news/2013/03/25/17457969-walking-dead-shocker-horrifying-heartbreaking-death-and-redemption?lite

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2006 Ford F-250 - Seattle, WA, Tacoma, WA & Olympia, WA for $28,999

*The advertised price does not include sales tax, vehicle registration fees, finance charges, documentation charges, and any other fees required by law. We attempt to update this inventory on a regular basis. However, there can be lag time between the sale of a vehicle and the update of the inventory.

EPA mileage estimates are for newly manufactured vehicles only. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.

Before purchasing this vehicle, it is your responsibility to address any and all differences between information on this website and the actual vehicle specifications and/or any warranties offered prior to the sale of this vehicle. Vehicle data on this website is compiled from publicly available sources believed by the publisher to be reliable. Vehicle data is subject to change without notice. The publisher assumes no responsibility for errors and/or omissions in this data the compilation of this data and makes no representations express or implied to any actual or prospective purchaser of the vehicle as to the condition of the vehicle, vehicle specifications, ownership, vehicle history, equipment/accessories, price or warranties. 2006 Ford Seattle, WA 2006 Ford Tacoma, WA 2006 Ford Olympia, WA

Source: http://www.brucetitus.com/2006-Ford-F-250-Port-Orchard-WA/vd/14049924

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Twitter Ad Agency: Gimmick or Genius?

The digital media world is all about real-time marketing these days. It would only stand to reason there?s now an agency for that.

World?s Fastest Agency?is?a new virtual agency that purports to be, as the name suggests, the world?s fastest agency. It was started by Floyd Hayes, a former creative director at Cunning. Hayes took his over decade of agency experience to create his own creative consulting business in New York, which led Hayes to the creation of WFA. Hayes noticed the shift towards immediacy and speed in marketing and wanted to create a agency that would better facilitate this new model.

?The nature of media and how people are interacting with it is changing constantly?everything is speeding up,? said Hayes.??Clients are asking questions about ?real time media,? and agencies have to be faster and leaner or risk losing?relevancy.?

Of course the obvious question is whether this is just a gimmick. Hayes insists it is not, Clients must first pay a fee of $999 via Paypal, then follow ?@FastestAgency in order to then DM their creative brief in 140 characters. Haye?s will respond within 24 hours with a creative pitch, which is of course 140 characters or less.

?Clients can say goodbye to 100-page PowerPoint decks, meetings, weeks of fee negotiation, countless emails, more meetings, lunch, meetings, scope of work to-ing and fro-ing, meetings, more emails, Q&A sessions, tissue meetings, inaudible conference call, pitch, feedback, feedback on the feedback, re-briefing, re-pitching, another meeting, more feedback, focus groups, another meeting, more emails.?

One thing is for sure: clients will pay attention to anyone who wants to do things quicker and cheaper. Doing everything over Twitter forces both parties to be direct, succinct, focused, and most of all, fast. And, as Hayes noted, it?s less expensive for everyone involved. Hayes has a network of people that he knows and trusts from his years in the industry who he taps if and when necessary, depending on the brief. According to Haye?s WFA got its first client within six hours of launching, which resulted in an experiential PR stunt.

The fly in the ointment: WFA doesn?t actually do the creative work, it just supplies the plan. It?s up to clients to use their own incumbent agents or send out a RFP. ?That?s going to take time ? and probably reworking of the idea. Hayes will happily, at no extra charge, refer clients a production partner if they don?t have their own resources. Hayes is enthusiastic about WFA?s new agency model, but he?s not delusional about it being the model of the future.

?We?re just another way to engage a service ? there is room for many models. Smart clients use many?different?methods to solve?their?marketing?communication challenges.?

?Image via Shutterstock

Source: http://www.digiday.com/agencies/twitter-ad-agency-gimmick-or-genius/

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Cyprus locked in tough talks as deadline looms

People walk at the old city of capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Saturday, March 23, 2013. Politicians in Cyprus were racing Saturday to complete an alternative plan raising funds necessary for the country to qualify for an international bailout, with a potential bankruptcy just three days away. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

People walk at the old city of capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Saturday, March 23, 2013. Politicians in Cyprus were racing Saturday to complete an alternative plan raising funds necessary for the country to qualify for an international bailout, with a potential bankruptcy just three days away. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

People buy goods from a vegetable market, in central Nicosia, on Saturday, March 23, 2013. Politicians in Cyprus were racing Saturday to complete an alternative plan raising funds necessary for the country to qualify for and international bailout, with a potential bankruptcy just three days away. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

A man plays with his guitar as a woman passes at Ledras street in Nicosia, Cyprus, Saturday, March 23, 2013. Politicians in Cyprus were racing Saturday to complete an alternative plan raising funds necessary for the country to qualify for an international bailout, with a potential bankruptcy just three days away. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

A elderly woman buys goods from a vegetable market, in central Nicosia, on Saturday, March 23, 2013. Politicians in Cyprus were racing Saturday to complete an alternative plan raising funds necessary for the country to qualify for and international bailout, with a potential bankruptcy just three days away. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

A woman drinks a coffee and smokes in the old city of the capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Saturday, March 23, 2013. Politicians on Cyprus were racing Saturday to complete an alternative plan raising funds necessary for the country to qualify for an international bailout, with a potential bankruptcy just three days away. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) ? Cyprus officials and international representatives were caught up in tortuous negotiations late into the night Saturday as they sought to forge a plan to raise the money the island nation needs to qualify for a bailout package. Failure would mean Cyprus could declare bankruptcy in just three days and possibly have to exit the eurozone.

It was not clear how far the two sides were getting: the information seeping out was conflicting.

Late in the evening, a finance ministry official said an accord was "very close," and would likely include a hefty tax of a fifth to a quarter of deposits over 100,000 euros at the country's troubled largest lender, Bank of Cyprus. But a banking official with knowledge of the talks said no deal was in the offing and wouldn't likely arrive before Sunday.

Both spoke on condition of anonymity because negotiations were ongoing and they were not authorized to release details.

Meanwhile, the state-run Cyprus News Agency quoted an anonymous top official as saying an agreement was not within sight because of the "rigid stance" by the representative of the International Monetary Fund.

Cyprus has been told it must raise 5.8 billion euros ($7.5 billion) in order to secure 10 billion euros in rescue loans from other European countries that use the single currency, as well as from the IMF.

The IMF, European Central Bank and European Commission ? known as the troika ? will determine whether the plan that the Cypriots devise will meet the requirements for any international bailout package. Then, the plan is to be presented to the eurozone finance ministers for final approval.

The country's lawmakers soundly rejected an unpopular initial plan that would have seized up to 10 percent of people's bank accounts, and Cyprus is now seeking another way to raise the desperately needed money. But the idea of some sort of deposit grab returned to the fore after Cyprus' attempt to gain Russian financial aid failed.

According to a second finance ministry official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because he's not authorized to speak about the negotiations, new laws may not be needed if negotiators opt for a "voluntary contribution" from Bank of Cyprus savings accounts above 100,000 euros, which is the insurance limit.

Another option being considered is smaller tax on all bank deposits above 100,000 euros.

The ECB has said it will stop providing emergency funding to Cyprus' banks after Monday if no new plan is in place. Without the ECB's support, Cypriot banks would collapse on Tuesday, pushing the country toward bankruptcy and a potential exit from the 17-nation bloc that uses the euro currency.

"We recognize the progress now being made by the Cypriot government toward a solution which can pave the way for an agreement on a financial assistance program for Cyprus," European monetary affairs commissioner Olli Rehn said in Brussels. "Intensive work and contacts will continue in the coming hours."

President Nicos Anastasiades was among those locked in the late-night talks at his presidential palace with the troika and others. A eurozone finance ministers meeting is due to be held in Brussels on Sunday evening. Anastasiades was also expected to fly there.

Cypriot banks have been shut this past week while the plan was being worked out, and are not due to reopen until Tuesday. Cash has been available through ATMs, but many run out quickly, and those machines for the troubled Laiki Bank are only dispensing 260 euros a day.

Cyprus took significant steps toward cementing a new plan Friday night, when its lawmakers approved nine bills, including three crucial ones that will restructure ailing banks, restrict financial transactions in emergencies and set up a "solidarity fund" that will act as the vehicle for raising funds from investments and contributions.

The bank restructuring will include the country's troubled second largest lender, Laiki, which suffered heavy losses after being exposed to toxic Greek debt.

Thousands of angry bank employees afraid of losing their jobs marched through the center of Nicosia to the Finance Ministry and Parliament, some with placards around their necks reading: "No to the bankruptcy of Cyprus."

"We are protesting for our jobs, and jobs of all in Cyprus," bank employee Zoei Koiachi said.

Worried about her job after 36 years at Laiki, Eleni Koutsourdou said lawmakers should have approved the initial plan for the 10 percent deposit grab for the sake of protecting the financial sector. "It's unfair. They pocketed everything and we end up paying for it," she said.

The restructuring of Laiki and the sale of the toxic-asset laden Greek branches of Cypriot banks is expected to cut the amount the country needs to raise to about 3 billion euros instead of 5.8 billion euros, officials have said. Bank of Cyprus, which was also exposed to Greek debt, might also be involved in the restructuring.

"We have to be clear to protect the financial system and for banks to open Tuesday with a clear picture," Finance Minister Michalis Sarris said.

____

Elena Becatoros in Nicosia contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-03-23-Cyprus-Financial%20Crisis/id-503d3157fa1941c5987bbd27aff40e56

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