Damascus rocked by 'most intense' fighting of revolt

Syria's army blasted rebel strongholds in Damascus with mortars Sunday, sparking the "most intense" fighting in the capital since the revolt erupted 16 months ago, a monitoring group said.

The army's offensive, aimed at driving rebels of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) out of Damascus, was launched soon after the foreign ministry held a press conference to deny its troops had carried out a massacre in Treimsa village.

"The regular army fired mortar rounds into several suburbs" where FSA rebels are entrenched, said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The fighting was heaviest in the Tadamon, Kfar Sousa, Nahr Aisha and Sidi Qadad neighbourhoods, he said. Six civilians were reported killed in the city.

"(It has) never been this intense," Abdel Rahman told AFP.

"The security forces are attempting to take control of these neighbourhoods but so far they have not succeeded," he added.

The Local Coordination Committees, which organise anti-regime protests in Syria, said plumes of black smoke were billowing out of Tadamon late Sunday and that loud explosions had been heard in Nahr Aisha.

The Britain-based Observatory said violence across Syria on Sunday had killed 105 people -- 48 civilians, 16 rebels and 41 soldiers.

The main opposition coalition, the Syrian National Council (SNC), hailed the insurgents fighting army troops in the capital, accusing the regime of having transformed rebel neighbourhoods into "a battlefield."

"The revolution is spreading and has tightened the noose around the regime in zones where it thought it was beyond the anger of the people," SNC spokesman Georges Sabra said in a speech shown on Arab satellite networks.

"We place on the Arab League and the international community the responsibility for any disastrous result from what is going on in Homs and Damascus," he added.

Rights activists say more than 150 people were massacred by Syrian troops backed by pro-regime shabiha militiamen on Thursday in the central village of Treimsa.

If the number is confirmed, this would be one of the bloodiest episodes of the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, which rights activists say has cost more than 17,000 lives since March 2011.

But foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi vehemently denied both the allegations of a massacre and the number of people reportedly killed.

"What happened was not a massacre ... It was a clash between regular forces and armed groups who do not believe in a peaceful solution," Makdissi told reporters in Damascus.

Makdissi also denied activists' allegations that helicopters and heavy weapons had been used in the assault on Treimsa.

"This is absolutely not true. Only troop carriers and light weapons were used, the most powerful of weapons being RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades)," he said.

Makdissi said "only five buildings, where there were very sophisticated weapons, were targeted".

And dismissing allegations of more than 150 killed, he said that "37 armed men were killed and two civilians only", citing an unidentified source who claimed to have buried them.

The UN Supervision Mission in Syria said a team of "specialised civilian and military experts" had visited Treimsa on Sunday to continue their investigation into the reports of the mass killing.

"The integrated patrol ... observed over 50 houses that were burned and/or destroyed. Pools of blood and brain matter were observed in a number of homes," UNSMIS spokeswoman Sausan Ghosheh said in a statement.

"On the basis of some of the destruction observed in the town and the witness accounts, the attack appears targeted at army defectors and activists," she added.

"The number of casualties is still unclear."

The Treimsa incident has galvanised international diplomatic efforts over the crisis.

On Monday, UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon are headed respectively for Russia and China to press the two UN Security Council members to back tougher action against Assad's regime.

The visits by Annan and Ban come at a crucial new stage in the conflict.

The Security Council has until Friday to renew the UN mission in Syria but is divided over Western calls to add sanctions.

"So divided that maybe Annan and Ban now have the most influence over Russia and China to get anything done," said one senior UN council diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.

A draft statement which said the Syria government was in "violation" of its international commitments was circulated among the 15 Council nations on Friday, diplomats said.

Russia's envoys said they could not agree. Russia has led the resistance and Annan was to meet President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during two days of talks in Moscow, said his spokesman Ahmad Fawzi.

China has supported Russia's position and Ban heads for Beijing on Monday, officially for a China-Africa summit.

But Syria will top his agenda when he meets President Hu Jintao and other senior leaders, said a UN official.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/syrian-troops-storm-town-amid-calls-un-action-104507895.html

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The Benefits of Learning Forex Trading Online | Illinois SR22 ...

The business world is starting to become completely interconnected and online forex trading has exploded. Foreign exchange market is a global and decentralized market where trading of foreign currencies happens. This market is very liquid making it effortless for those who would want to get involve as traders.

Before the advent of the internet, this market is only available for those rich people and big financial institutions. Simple individual who also would want to participate are not allowed. However, when the internet was popularized in the 1990?s, the situation was completely altered. This development in technology paved way for the simple investors to penetrate the foreign exchange market. The stiff competition led many brokers to open online platforms where simple investors are also entertained. Today, the forex market population is believed to be composed on 2-3 percent online traders. For individual who are also having thought of joining this challenging world, personal computer, net access and a minimum capital is all that you will ever need.

Getting an education on what is spread in forex and trading forex online is a must. Learning forex trading strategies is highly recommended before even starting your venture. While this market can easily be penetrated, it is very complex once you are already in there. Taking courses in trading or doing some intensive self study about the market will prove beneficial in the long run. The more knowledge that you acquire the more confident player you will be. By trying to learn as much, you will surely develop that instinct necessary for trading.

Technical analysis should learn as this is a major factor in making correct trading decisions. You need to have some knowledge about the chart which will show you the changes happening in the prices of the different currencies. Since the change in currency trade last for long period, being able to identify them can earn you so much. Having an excellent technical analysis skill can bring you far in this competitive market. In addition to this, you also need to learn the fundamental skills. Included in this skill is acquiring knowledge about the factors in the economy which directly affects the trading of currency. This would mean that you have to know the amount of specific currency which is in the circulation on a specific time, interest rates and many other things. The level of employment and the happening of inflation on a country have a direct relation to trading of currency.

he situation of the political aspect of a state also brings an effect on the changes of price of currency. The combination of these two skills is lethal in the making of sound trading decision. These skills are what you need to have a successful venture on the world of forex online trading.

The key to making good money in Forex trading market is knowledge and experience. Check out our website Trading and the blog post Top Forex Platforms now!

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Source: http://illinoissr22online.com/finance/the-benefits-of-learning-forex-trading-online/

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Motorola Roadster 2

No, Motorola isn't selling a car. The Roadster 2 ($99.99 direct) is a hands-free Bluetooth speaker with an interesting, asymmetrical design and solid all-around performance. Thanks to good overall sound quality and some truly innovative features, the Roadster 2 is our Editors' Choice for hands-free Bluetooth speakerphones.

Design, Controls, and Performance
The Roadster 2 measures 3.5 by 2.8 by 0.6 inches (HWD) and weighs 3.5 ounces. It feels well built, with a taught mesh speaker grille, and front and back edges that angle upwards and downwards, respectively?ideal for mounting on a car visor. Once you mount the Roadster 2 you can just leave it there and be assured it won't go flying when you take a curved exit ramp off of a highway.

The front edge contains a Mute button, a multi-function Call button, and a Voice Dial button. The rear edge, which is angled down slightly and a little tough to see, holds four additional buttons: Play/Pause, Volume Up/FM Tune Up, Volume Down/FM Tune Down, and FM/Speaker (more on these later). On the right edge, you'll find a sliding two-position power switch and a micro USB charger jack. Motorola includes its standard DC charger, which plugs into your car's interior power jack. The charger has a coiled cable and a status LED.

The first time you power up the Roadster 2, it automatically enters pairing mode. The instructions tell you about entering a PIN, but you usually won't have to. I had no problem pairing the Roadster 2 with an iPhone 4. From there, controlling the Roadster 2 is simple. You can answer or ignore incoming calls with your voice, just by saying either of those two words. The Roadster 2 will speak the name of the person calling if it's in your phone's address book, or just recite the phone number if not. Otherwise, the Roadster 2 works as a standard A2DP streaming device, so you can pump music, voice prompts from GPS apps, audiobooks, or other audio data through it.

Motorola claims the Roadster 2 offers 8.5dB of noise reduction thanks to its dual-mic design, and the two-watt speaker provides plenty of gain. You won't fool anyone into thinking you're talking from a desk phone, but the Roadster 2 works quite well on the road nonetheless. In a voice mail test, transmissions through the microphone were easily intelligible, though I heard a touch of static around my voice. Turning up the air conditioning didn't affect the transmissions much; I heard very faint noise in the background but my voice sounded the same. With the windows open at a steady 75 miles per hour on the highway, I heard considerably more background noise, but even then, you could easily make out what I was saying, which is an impressive achievement.Motorola Roadster 2

Other Features and Conclusions
Whenever the Roadster 2 detects you've moved away from the car for more than a minute, it automatically powers down to conserve the battery. When you return and open the car door, it hears that, switches back on, and reconnects to the phone. Motorola also makes available its MotoSpeak app, which reads aloud incoming text messages, and lets you respond with your own voice. Unfortunately, there's no iOS version; just Android and BlackBerry.

The built-in FM transmitter is a novel idea, as it lets you transmit the current call, streaming music, or GPS navigation prompts from your phone to the car stereo speakers. I've never seen that before on a Bluetooth speakerphone; all you have to do is select an unused frequency once using the plus and minus buttons, tune your car stereo tuner to that frequency, and then press the FM button to toggle between streaming to the radio and to the Roadster 2.

Standard Bluetooth range is 33 feet, which usually works out to about 15 feet in practice. But since the Roadster 2 is primarily designed for in-car use, it'll never be a problem. The Roadster 2 is a multipoint device, so you can pair two phones to it simultaneously. As far as battery life is concerned, it lasts for up to 20 hours of talk time or three weeks of standby time on a single charge.

All told, the Motorola Roadster 2 is a winner. Our previous Editors' Choice, the SuperTooth HD ($129, 4 stars), offers a longer, slimmer design with a nifty magnetic clip, which is more convenient if you plan to use it on a desk indoors as well as in the car. The SuperTooth HD also sounds great, gets very loud, and also works with a companion iOS as well as Android app. But its voice prompt-based interface can get in the way of your conversations, it lacks an FM transmitter and auto on and off feature, and it costs $30 more.

Meanwhile, if you want to save money and just need a Bluetooth speaker for occasional calls, the SuperTooth Crystal ($69, 3 stars) will do the job, though it lacks the Roadster 2's clearer mic transmissions and extra features. The BlueAnt S4 ($129, 4 stars) is a little older, but still around, and easily found at a discount; it sounds great, but is a little buggy in comparison.

More Bluetooth Headset and Speakerphone Reviews:
??? Motorola Roadster 2
??? SuperTooth Crystal
??? Plantronics M55
??? Plantronics BackBeat Go
??? Looxcie 2
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/seUGMRFrduA/0,2817,2407039,00.asp

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Jesse Eisenberg and The Humane Society of the United States ...


(PRWEB) July 11, 2012

In a newly released video, Academy Award-nominated actor Jesse Eisenberg has joined forces with The Humane Society of the United States to speak out about the inhumane treatment of exotic birds. Eisenberg was the voice of a macaw in the hugely successful animated feature film Rio which highlighted the trafficking in exotic birds and the decimation of wild populations, and is set to reprise the role in the upcoming sequel, Rio 2.

In the video, Eisenberg asks that people think twice before buying an exotic pet bird, as the growing demand for parrots and other popular species fuels the global exotic bird trade and accounts for the countless homeless parrots overwhelming rescue groups and animal shelters across the United States.

If an animals natural home is in the wild, then chances are, thats where it belongs, Eisenberg states in the video. Unfortunately, the demand for these intelligent, complex creatures whether captive-bred or wild caught is decimating the wild parrot species.

We are grateful to Jesse Eisenberg for helping us to raise awareness of the growing problem of unwanted captive birds in this country, said Adam Parascandola, director of animal cruelty investigations for The HSUS. Parrots are highly intelligent, social, and long-lived animals whose complex needs cannot be met by most owners, which is why so many are abandoned.

Many of the millions of parrots kept as pets in the U.S. are captive-bred, but many still find their way here via the illegal trade in wild-caught parrots, despite the U.S. ban on their importation.

Those interested in helping parrots and other captive birds can explore adoption and supporting reputable bird rescues and sanctuaries. Visit humanesociety.org/helpparrots to learn more.

?30?

Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your Apple or Android device by searching for our HumaneTV app.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation?s largest animal protection organization backed by 11 million Americans, or one of every 28. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty On the Web at humanesociety.org.

Source: http://freereleasepress.com/jesse-eisenberg-and-the-humane-society-of-the-united-states-highlight-the-plight-of-exotic-birds/

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Achieving Happiness Through Self Improvement | The Secret Of The ...

If you are not fully satisfied with your life, you should consider taking action and making a few changes to your lifestyle. These tips are here to help you choose the right direction for your personal development journey.

A part of thinking positively consists in stopping with the blaming and the complaining. You will not establish positive relationships with people if you are always down or complain a lot about everything. Become the optimist in your group of friends and help out others with their problems. It is normal to feel like venting and complaining once in a while, but do not let this attitude keep you from accomplishing things. Remember that blaming yourself or others will not take you anywhere, and find more positive ways to use your energy.

Avoid the boredom of an unchanging routine. When life starts to look like the same day repeating itself over and over, it?s time for a change! You obviously need to remain committed to things like work and rent but there is always room for positive changes which alleviate boredom and enrich life. Paint your bedroom, sign-up for a karate class or volunteer somewhere. Boredom begets complacency and inhibits personal growth.

Enjoy the company of others. Friends not only provide entertaining times, they help us to learn and grow as well. By nature, humans were designed to interact with others. Work on your social skills, even if you have to begin with an online forum and progress toward finding fulfillment with other people. The exchange of benefits is greatly rewarding and will help you attain goals in personal development.

If one of your personal development goals is to become wealthy, ask yourself why. What do you think wealth will give you? Often people think wealth will give them power or prestige. While it?s true that wealth gives you the financial means to do more, personal power comes from within. So you may want to work on validating yourself more and learning new ways to achieve what you want in your current situation.

If wealth appeals to you simply because it?s part of your ideal lifestyle, then you are ready to move beyond the goal of ?become wealthy? and determine what it is you want to do to achieve wealth. The most wealthy people make money doing jobs that they love that contribute something of value to the world. Doing something meaningful will help increase your self-esteem and allow you to increase your wealth, too!

You?ll also need to develop determination, strength and the ability to focus. When you?re first starting out, you?ll encounter a lot of well-meaning people who will discourage you, telling you that you can?t succeed and that it would be better to just work at a conventional job and forget your dreams. You need to be able to ignore these people?s advice and keep going. You also need to be persistent in your marketing efforts and in taking action towards your goal. This isn?t always easy because sometimes it seems like all the doors are closed against you or that it?s too hard to do this while simultaneously making a living at your old job and spending time with your family. Finally, you?ll need to be able to manage your time, take action every day towards your goal, and focus on making yourself a success.

You owe it to yourself to be happy and fulfill your personal dreams, starting now. Putting your aspirations on hold will have you walking in circles, or chasing your tail, so to speak, for far too long. Make the decision to become your personal best and commit to the steps that will take you there.

Are you looking for the best ways to inspire yourself, then read more about time saving tips or you can also find out more about about wise quotes.

Source: http://www.secret-of-lawofattraction.com/achieving-happiness-through-self-improvement/

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Accounting Outsourcing | Praktikak

Advancement of technologies offers abundant help to all people most especially to people who venture more on businesses. Because of new innovative technologies, entrepreneurs and all businessmen and women have the alternative to ditch non-core, but essential district of its organization on companies practicing in those precise categories. Accounting Outsourcing is a much advantageous effort and a wise choice which provides services at a very low rate but with an exceptionally prolific mass work force.

More and more triumphant businesses of today have acquired this type of humble help wherein they are given more equally efficient assistance and providing them ample convenient time and cash load to spend on characterizing themselves in the commercial world.

Most firms of CPA and businesses have discovered that accounting outsourcing truly saves valuable time while freeing them from much unnecessary expenditures because apparently, much attention is needed in bookkeeping and payroll transactions. Business owners are more effective when they tend to have spent more effort and attention to their customers and to fully understand and sort every bit of a problem with them.

Now, experts and economists have specified that accounting outsourcing is growing faster than ever these days. Many believed that accounting outsourcing improved the performance of their financial capabilities and generally, making their strategic approach much forward and highly competent. By outsourcing the accounting of a company, it can focus on crucial and core operations of the business, get skillful staffs at affordable fees, experience state of the art technology at a very low rate, enlarge the business and excel with it and most importantly, the company can definitely improve customer satisfaction.

Accounting outsourcing is known to be a big help to many accounting firms and to different businesses and organizations whether big or small. This is serviced to save them from unworthy cash-outs and to aid them in managing their work well so they can thoroughly concentrate more to increasing their profits and also lessen the burden of accounting intricacies.

Primarily, the most prevalent reasons organizations, businesses, firms and enterprises choose to outsource accounting services are to decrease operational costs, increase company capabilities, raise quality and company focus, and decrease cycle time.

General Accounting

* Accounts payable

* Accounts receivable

* Financial reports

* Journal entry

* Invoice processing

* Financial Statements preparation

* Tax Returns Preparation

* Payroll

Source: http://praktikak.org/accounting-outsourcing-3

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South Africa?s Motribe launches Instagram for Africa, reaches 1M users

South African startup?Motribe?is proving that you don?t need to cater to smartphone users to build a million-strong community on the mobile web in under three months.

Motribe announced today that two apps that it launched on Africa?s largest social network,?Mxit, have each garnered over a million users.?The apps, JudgeMe and MxPix, let people and brands share photos and status updates from any mobile device, including low-end handsets.

The success of MxPix, Africa?s version of Instagram, proves that the magic of editing photos with vintage-inspired filters is universal. In the first two weeks, users uploaded over 70,000 photos and dished out 130,000 ?likes?.

The explosive uptake for these apps is unsurprising given that Africa is the fastest-growing mobile market in the world. The most popular handset is a low-cost slider phone like a Samsung e250.

Motribe is a high-performing mobile social networking platform that?s designed for users in the most rural parts of Africa and India.?The Cape Town?based company launched in 2010 to take advantage of the growing market in Africa ? a ?mobile first continent,? according to founder Nic Haralambous.

The founders told us they developed and marketed the technology with less than half a million dollars in seed funding ? an impressive feat.

The vision???We wanted to empower users in the emerging markets who can?t afford smartphones and can only access the Internet using a mobile phone,? ?Haralambous said.

Haralambous explained that he was inspired to start a company to give local people the capability to blog, share their photographs, and connect using feature phones.?He noticed that communities in his native South Africa like to congregate around specific topics and shared interests, like a soccer team or church group.

Cofounder Vincent Maher said the idea to build a mobile web platform was validated when he set up a small mobile community for his wife, and they made a profit from it within 2 months.

There is a huge opportunity for brands to reach an underserved market of 1 billion people. Already, Motribe is seeing competition encroach on the space from the likes of?Netbiscuits, Mobify, and?GoMobi.

?Motribe?s focus on connecting this demographic and building tools exclusively for them provides users, brands, and business across the globe with the ability to reach the mass market across a multitude of mobile devices,? Haralambous said.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Venturebeat/~3/DV5ZHUSmZwY/

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