workday pertinent

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Malaysia ruling coalition leads early poll results

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) ? Malaysia's ruling coalition took an early lead in results for national elections Sunday after a record number of voters cast ballots, with some choosing to extend the coalition's 56-year rule and others pressing for an unprecedented victory by an opposition that pledges cleaner government.

Prime Minister Najib Razak's National Front coalition captured 38 parliamentary seats while opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's three-party alliance seized 16 in early results released by Malaysia's Election Commission. At least 112 of the 222 parliamentary seats at stake are needed to win federal power.

Many of the seats won so far are in the National Front's traditional rural strongholds, especially in Borneo, where Anwar's alliance was hoping to make major inroads to bolster its chances of victory.

The National Front has triumphed in 12 consecutive general elections since independence from Britain in 1957, but it was facing its most unified challenge ever from an opposition that hoped to capitalize on widespread allegations of arrogance, abuse of public funds and racial discrimination against the ruling coalition.

Counting showed the opposition increased its support in key urban constituencies in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's biggest city, and was poised to retain control of northern Penang state, one of Malaysia's wealthiest territories, where middle-class voters have clamored for national change.

More than 10 million Malaysians cast ballots for a record turnout of 80 percent of about 13 million registered voters, the Election Commission said in preliminary estimates. They were also voting to fill vacancies in 12 of Malaysia's 13 state legislatures.

Some people lined up for more than an hour at schools and other voting centers, showing off fingers marked with ink to prevent multiple voting after they had finished.

The National Front held 135 seats in the 222-member Parliament that was dissolved last month. It is anxious to secure a stronger five-year mandate and regain the two-thirds legislative majority that it held for years but lost in 2008.

"The government has made some mistakes but the prime minister has made changes and I believe they (the National Front) will do their best to take care of the people's welfare," said Mohamed Rafiq Idris, a car business owner who waited in a long line at a central Selangor state voting center with his wife and son.

Andrew Charles, a Malaysian businessman working in Australia, flew home to vote for the opposition because he believes it can end corruption and mistrust between the Malay Muslim majority and ethnic Chinese, Indian and smaller minorities.

"I am really fed up. There are more abuses in the system and there is no equality among the races. After 56 years, it is time to give others a chance to change this country," he said after voting in a suburb outside Kuala Lumpur.

Najib says only the National Front can maintain stability in Malaysia, which has long been among Southeast Asia's most peaceful countries.

"Your support is paramount if we are to keep to our path of development, if we are to continue our journey toward complete transformation," Najib said in a statement to voters. "This election is about fulfilling promises, bringing hope and upholding trustworthiness."

If the opposition wins, it would mark a remarkable comeback for Anwar, a former deputy prime minister who was fired in 1998 and subsequently jailed on corruption and sodomy charges that he says were fabricated by his political enemies. He was released from jail in 2004.

Anwar and other opposition leaders voiced deep fears Sunday about electoral fraud. Claims of bogus ballots and an apparent ease in which some voters cleaned the ink stains off their fingers dominated social media.

Opposition leaders said the National Front was using foreign migrants from Bangladesh, the Philippines and Indonesia to vote unlawfully. Government and electoral authorities deny the allegations.

"We have in fact jointly condemned this, which is not only fraudulent but virtually attempting to steal the elections, which is unconstitutional, disregard for the law," Anwar told reporters.

The National Front's aura of invincibility has been under threat since three of Malaysia's main opposition parties combined forces five years ago. In recent years the National Front has been increasingly accused of complacency and heavy-handed rule.

Najib, who took office in 2009, embarked on a major campaign to restore his coalition's luster. In recent months, authorities have provided cash handouts to low-income families and used government-linked newspapers and TV stations to criticize the opposition's ability to rule.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/malaysia-ruling-coalition-leads-early-poll-results-141016715.html

school shootings Jenni Rivera Adam Lanza Facebook the hobbit mick jagger Newton Shooting Newtown Shooting

Mother's Day is coming. Five great gift ideas.

Mother's Day is a week away, but there's still time to get great deals on gifts for every type of mom.?

By Martin Schneider,?Contributor / May 5, 2013

A florist sorts roses in a flower shop in Vienna. On occasion of the Saint Valentine's Day. 1-800 Flowers is offering a 40 percent off coupon for Mother's Day flowers.

Herwig Prammer/Reuters/File

Enlarge

Today's roundup is dedicated to Mother?s Day presents, both the traditional and the techy. From jewelry to jeweled iPhone cases, we've got a little something sparkly for every mom. And for everything else, do check out the other extra special Mother?s Day deals we've stockpiled.

Skip to next paragraph Dealnews.com

is devoted to finding the best deals on consumer goods, whether or not they're from an advertiser. For more great offers visit dealnews.com, which works with advertisers to craft offers for readers.

Men In Black 4: It's Coming!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/05/men-in-black-4-its-coming/

heartbreak hotel don cornelius whitney houston i will always love you breaking news whitney houston carmen whitney houston last performance cpac straw poll

Saturday, May 4, 2013

US employers add 165K jobs; rate falls to 7.5 pct.

In this Thursday, April 11, 2013, photo, people wait in line before the Dr. King Career Fair at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany, N.Y. The government issues the April jobs report on Friday, May 3, 2013. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The U.S. economy showed last month why it remains the envy of industrialized nations: In the face of tax increases and federal spending cuts, employers added a solid 165,000 jobs in April ? and far more in February and March than anyone thought.

The job growth in April drove down the unemployment rate to a four-year low of 7.5 percent and sent a reassuring sign that the U.S. job market is improving.

In its report Friday, the Labor Department revised up its estimate of job gains in February and March by a combined 114,000. It now says employers added 332,000 jobs in February and 138,000 in March. The economy has created an average of 208,000 jobs a month from November through April ? above the 138,000 added in the previous six months.

"This is a good report," said John Silvia, chief economist at Wells Fargo. "There's a lot of strength... It's good for the economy. It's good for people's income."

The stronger job growth suggests that the federal budget cutting "does not mean recession," Silvia said. "It does not mean a dramatic slowdown."

Stock prices soared when trading began on Wall Street at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time. The Dow was up 155 points in early trading.

The unemployment rate has fallen 0.4 percentage point since the start of the year, though it remains high. The Federal Reserve has said it plans to keep short-term interest rates at record lows at least until unemployment falls to 6.5 percent.

The hiring last month was broad-based. The only sectors of the economy that cut jobs were construction and government.

Some higher-paying sectors added workers. Professional and technical services, which includes accounting, engineering and architecture, added 23,000 jobs. Education and health services added 44,000.

But some of the bigger job gains were in lower-paying fields, such as hotels and restaurants, which added 45,000 jobs, and retail, which added 29,000. Temporary help firms gained 31,000 positions.

The job growth is occurring while the U.S. economy is growing modestly but steadily. It expanded at a 2.5 percent annual rate in the January-March quarter, fueled by the strongest consumer spending in two years.

The global economy, by contrast, is slowing. The European Union warned Friday, for example, that the 17 countries that use the euro currency will shrink by a collective 0.4 percent this year. And unemployment across the eurozone is expected to hit an average of 12.2 percent. In Greece and Spain, it's forecast to reach 27 percent.

Both Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and European Central Bank President Mario Draghi have suggested that governments need to focus on stimulating growth and not just on spending cuts and deficit reduction.

In April, more Americans said they had part-time jobs even though they wanted full-time work. That figure rose 278,000 to 7.9 million, reversing a steep drop the previous month.

Some economists worry that restaurants, retail chains and other companies are hiring more part-time workers in preparation for the implementation of health care reform. Companies with more than 50 full-time employees in 2013 will be required to provide health insurance to their full-time staff next year.

The revisions to the March and February figures were unusually large. Retailers, restaurants and hotels added 48,000 more jobs in February than previously reported. They accounted for three-quarters of that month's revision.

The government revises each month's job totals twice in the following two months. The revisions occur because many companies in the survey submit their responses late.

The average workweek for private-sector employees declined 0.2 hour to 34.4 hours, but average hourly earnings rose 4 cents to $23.87. In the past year, wages have risen faster than inflation.

The number of people who have been unemployed for more than six months dropped 258,000 to 4.4 million. Over the past year, the number of long-term unemployed has declined by 687,000.

A fire overnight at the Labor Department's headquarters shut down the building for most employees. Members of the news media were allowed in for the release of the jobs report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-05-03-Economy/id-b9f4c7806ba5497295ee8183a959beb4

apple dividend snow white and the huntsman snow white and the huntsman rupaul drag race walking dead comic kratom broncos

Usher gets ready for role as Sugar Ray Leonard

FILE - This Nov. 17, 2011 file photo shows singer Usher Raymond at the "Pencils Of Promise" inaugural gala in New York. Usher is stepping into the boxing ring to portray Sugar Ray Leonard in the new film "Hands of Stone." Usher says he has spent more than a year preparing to play Leonard, who was known for his fast hands, quick feet and wide smile. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, file)

NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? Grammy-winning singer Usher believes his dancing skills will help him in his upcoming role as Sugar Ray Leonard in "Hands of Stone," a new boxing film about the great brawler Roberto Duran.

Usher said he has been preparing to play Leonard ? a fighter with fast hands, smooth feet and a wide smile ? for more than a year and still needs to lose nearly 25 pounds before shooting begins in October.

The movie is based on Duran, a world champion in four weight divisions over a career that spanned five decades. Duran, whose nickname was "Hands of Stone," rose from the slums of Panama to defeat an unbeaten Leonard in 1980 and claim the WBC welterweight title, only to lose the rematch several months later in the infamous "no mas" fight.

Usher said he was honored to play Leonard in the film.

"You couldn't find a more stylized boxer than Sugar Ray Leonard," Usher said by telephone. "He was an incredible motion guy, the way he moved around the ring, and I think my dancing will make it easier for me to pick up his moves. I've been working on familiarizing myself with the ring, sparring and just understanding how to move in the ring."

The role will mean dropping some weight. Usher said he's currently about 172 pounds but will need to get down to about 150.

The cast also includes Robert De Niro as Duran's Hall of Fame trainer, Ray Arcel. Edgar Ramirez, who was recently in "Zero Dark Thirty," will play Duran.

The biopic, written and directed by Jonathan Jakubowicz, is a love story and sports drama that includes the "Brawl in Montreal," the first fight between Duran and Leonard and the "no mas" fight, which took place in New Orleans. In the eighth round of that fight, Duran inexplicably quit, saying in Spanish "no mas," which means "no more." They fought one more time, and Leonard won again.

Usher said the rivalry between Leonard and Duran was one of the most exciting and unforgettable in sports.

"It's an incredible story to be told," he said. "The metaphor of determination and struggle is one we can all relate to."

Usher said he has had long conversations with Leonard and will meet him in person in coming weeks.

"He had such incredible discipline, and he was flashy and classy at the same time," said Usher, who's been studying videos from Leonard's boxing days. "I want to be as passionate and dedicated in preparing for this role as he was every time he stepped into the ring."

Usher is an eight-time Grammy-winner with more than 50 million records sold worldwide. He serves as a celebrity mentor on the reality TV show "The Voice." He made his Broadway debut in 2006 in "Chicago" as lawyer Billy Flynn and recently appeared in the off-Broadway play "Feurza Bruta."

This will be his first leading role in a feature film.

"I'm up for the challenge, and I'm looking forward to it," he said. "I think my overall feeling is one of anticipation. It seems like this is a real passion project. It's a film that everybody is so invested in, and I have the good fortune of having the character I'm playing still around."

Usher said he was thrilled to collaborate with De Niro, who will play Arcel, the first trainer to be elected to Hall of Fame. Arcel handled more than 2,000 fighters during his 70-year career.

It will be De Niro's third boxing film. He played Jake LaMotta in "Raging Bull" and stars in "Grudge Match" opposite Sylvester Stallone. That film, an action-comedy, is about two aging boxers and is due for release in early 2014.

"Hands of Stone" will be shot entirely in Panama.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-05-03-Film-Usher-Hands%20of%20Stone/id-8bc120e86bbe442d8277074b2f1b53a6

Target Black Friday PacSun apple store bestbuy bestbuy gamestop black friday deals

Rhode Island becomes 10th state with gay marriage

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) ? Rhode Island on Thursday became the nation's 10th state to allow gay and lesbian couples to wed, as a 16-year effort to extend marriage rights in this heavily Roman Catholic state ended with the triumphant cheers of hundreds of gays, lesbians, their families and friends.

Gov. Lincoln Chafee signed the bill into law on the Statehouse steps Thursday evening following a final 56-15 vote in the House. The first weddings will take place Aug. 1, when the law takes effect.

"I've been waiting 32 years for this day, and I never thought it would come in my lifetime," said Raymond Beausejour, a 66-year-old gay North Providence man who has been with his partner for 32 years. "For the first time in my life, I feel welcome in my own state."

After Chafee signed the bill, the hundreds of people who gathered on the Statehouse grounds erupted into cheers as a chorus sang "Chapel of Love."

"Now, at long last, you are free to marry the person that you love," Chafee told the crowd.

The day was bittersweet for Deborah Tevyaw, whose wife, state corrections officer Pat Baker, succumbed to lung cancer two years ago. Months before she died, Baker, relying on an oxygen tank, angrily told lawmakers it was unfair that Tevyaw wasn't considered her wife in Rhode Island despite their marriage in Massachusetts.

"I'm ecstatic, but sad she's not here to see this," Tevyaw said. "I'm sure she's watching, but she's not here next to me. Before she died, she told me, 'I started this, and now I'm leaving it in your hands.' We worked hard for this. There were petitions, door knocking, phone calls. I think people decided, 'just let people be happy.'"

Once consigned to the political fringe, gay marriage advocates succeeded this year thanks to a sprawling lobbying effort that included support from organized labor leaders, religious clergy, leaders including Chafee and Providence Mayor Angel Taveras and hundreds of volunteers. Their efforts overcame the opposition of the Catholic church and lawmakers including Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed, who voted no but allowed the issue to come to a vote anyway.

Supporters framed the issue as one of civil rights, arguing in daylong legislative hearings that gay and lesbian couples deserve the same rights and protections given to opposite-sex married couples. The Catholic church was the most significant opponent, with Bishop Thomas Tobin urging lawmakers to defeat what he called an "immoral and unnecessary" change to traditional marriage law.

On Thursday, Tobin repeated his opposition, writing in a letter to the state's Catholics that "homosexual acts are ... always sinful."

"Catholics should examine their consciences very carefully before deciding whether or not to endorse same-sex relationships or attend same-sex ceremonies," Tobin wrote. "... To do so might harm their relationship with god."

The Rhode Island legislation states that religious institutions may set their own rules regarding who is eligible to marry within the faith and specifies that no religious leader is obligated to officiate at any marriage ceremony and no religious group is required to provide facilities or services related to a gay marriage.

While ministers already cannot be forced to marry anyone, the exemption helped assuage concerns from some lawmakers that clergy could face lawsuits for abiding by their religious convictions.

Under the new law, civil unions will no longer be available to same-sex couples as of Aug. 1, though the state would continue to recognize existing civil unions. Lawmakers approved civil unions two years ago, though few couples have sought them.

Delaware could be the next state to approve gay marriage. Legislation legalizing same-sex marriage has narrowly passed the Delaware House and now awaits a vote in the state Senate.

Advocates in Rhode Island say that while they're proud the state is the 10th to legalize gay marriage, they expect other states to follow quickly as support for same-sex marriage grows around the country. According to a November Gallup poll, 53 percent of Americans support giving gay and lesbian couples the right to marry, up from 27 percent in 1996.

Rep. Frank Ferri, D-Warwick, who lobbied for gay marriage before becoming a lawmaker himself, recalled that years ago he asked a sitting lawmaker if he would consider supporting same-sex marriage. "He said, 'I'll pour gasoline on my head and light myself on fire before that bill passes,'" Ferri recalled.

That has changed, said Ferri, who is gay. Ferri said he hopes House Speaker Gordon Fox ? who is gay ? can marry him and his partner on Aug. 1, the day the new law takes effect, which also happens to be the couple's 32nd anniversary.

"Today a dream has come true," he said. "No more hiding in the shadows. No more being ashamed of who we are."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rhode-island-becomes-10th-state-gay-marriage-230100251.html

Black Ops 2 Secede ben roethlisberger Diwali elmo Kevin Clash Walmart Black Friday 2012

Friday, May 3, 2013

Obama in Mexico for talks on economy, security

President Barack Obama leaves Air Force One upon his arrival at Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City, Thursday, May 2, 2013. Obama is traveling on a three-day trip to Mexico an Costa Rica. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

President Barack Obama and Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto, right, arrive for their bilateral meeting at the Palacio Nacional, Salon de Recepciones in Mexico City, Thursday, May 2, 2013. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

President Barack Obama waves as he arrives to Benito Juarez International airport in Mexico City, Thursday, May 2, 2013. Obama arrived to Mexico for a two-day visit. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

Demonstrators protest outside the U.S. embassy before the arrival of President Barack Obama in Mexico City, Thursday, May 2, 2013. The protesters are from an organization that represents people who used to be part of a workers program between Mexico and the U.S. called "Braceros," members of the Mexican Union of Electricians (SME) and pro-migrant groups. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

MEXICO CITY (AP) ? Seeking to put a new spin on a long-standing partnership, President Barack Obama is promoting jobs and trade ? not drug wars or border security ? as the driving force behind the U.S.-Mexico relationship. But security concerns are shadowing his two-day visit, given Mexico's recent moves to limit American law enforcement access within its borders.

Arriving in Mexico City on Thursday on his first trip to Latin America since winning re-election, Obama was met at the steps of his plane by an honor guard and a trumpeting bugler. He greeted top Mexican officials before heading to the National Palace for meetings with President Enrique Pena Nieto, who took office in December. The two leaders were to speak at a joint news conference Thursday evening.

Obama is looking for more details from Pena Nieto about changes he is making to the robust security relationship between the neighboring countries. In a shift from his predecessor, Felipe Calderon, Pena Nieto has moved to end the widespread access U.S. security agencies have had in Mexico to help fight drug trafficking and organized crime.

The White House has stepped carefully in its public response to the changes, with the president and his advisers saying they need to hear directly from the Mexican leader before making a judgment.

"With the new Mexican administration coming into office, it certainly stands to reason that President Pena Nieto would want to take a look at the nature of our cooperation," said Ben Rhodes, Obama's deputy national security adviser. "So we're currently working with the Mexicans to evaluate the means by which we cooperate, the means by which we provide assistance."

The White House, hoping to move the discussion surrounding the president's trip beyond security, has emphasized in recent days a desire to boost economic ties to Mexico.

Already the economic relationship between the two countries is robust, with Mexico accounting for $500 billion in U.S. trade in 2011 and ranking as the second-largest export market for U.S. goods. A stronger Mexican economy would result in even more trade and job growth on both sides of the border, Obama aides say.

Among the cadre of advisers traveling with the president is Michael Froman, a longtime White House international economic adviser who was nominated by Obama just hours before the trip to serve as the next U.S. Trade Representative.

A host of other pressing issues are vying for Obama's attention as he launches his quick trip to Mexico and then to Costa Rica. Among those issues are possible chemical weapons use in Syria, the arrest of three more people in connection with the Boston Marathon bombings, and the delicate immigration negotiations underway on Capitol Hill.

Obama will be looking for a nod of support for the immigration effort from Pena Nieto. The Mexican leader is expected to back the effort, although it's unlikely he will take a public position on specific components of any pending legislation in order to avoid the impression that Mexico is meddling in U.S. domestic politics.

Still, Pena Nieto's support ? particularly for stricter border security efforts ? could help Obama sell the measure to wary Republicans, many of whom have long opposed giving legal status to people in the country illegally before securing the border. A bipartisan Senate bill Obama is backing would make a pathway to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally contingent on a secure border.

"They are critical to our ability to secure the border," Rhodes, the Obama adviser, said of Mexico. "All the immigration plans that have been contemplated put a focus on securing the border as an essential priority and starting point for immigration reform."

On Friday, Obama will speak to an audience of Mexican students before heading to Costa Rica for talks with Central American leaders. His meetings there are expected to focus on bolstering regional economic cooperation, as well as security issues.

___

Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-05-02-Obama/id-91f0994c23c142118607b13182894157

meghan mccain wilson chandler bristol motor speedway prometheus grand canyon skywalk tonga pid

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Recent posts

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Friday, May 3, 2013