Technology

Pet lovers take blogging to the next level

Agence France-Presse — Sun, 19 May 2013 01:00:44 +0000

Agence France-Presse

When Dexter the cocker spaniel tore a ligament in his hind leg a few weeks ago, he didn't suffer in silence.

Instead, his owner wrote a blog post.

"The vet told me my dog needed surgery, and I thought, 'You know, there's got to be something else'," said Carol Bryant, who writes a "canine-centric online magazine" called A Fidose of Reality.

Responding to her blog entries, readers told Bryant that Dexter didn't have to go under the knife. He had options, like laser therapy and a leg brace he'll be wearing for the next six months.

Pet lovers take blogging to the next level

Agence France-Presse — Sun, 19 May 2013 01:00:30 +0000

Agence France-Presse

When Dexter the cocker spaniel tore a ligament in his hind leg a few weeks ago, he didn't suffer in silence.

Instead, his owner wrote a blog post.

"The vet told me my dog needed surgery, and I thought, 'You know, there's got to be something else'," said Carol Bryant, who writes a "canine-centric online magazine" called A Fidose of Reality.

Responding to her blog entries, readers told Bryant that Dexter didn't have to go under the knife. He had options, like laser therapy and a leg brace he'll be wearing for the next six months.

France's disgraced ex-minister abandons re-election bid

Agence France-Presse — Sun, 19 May 2013 01:00:21 +0000

Agence France-Presse

France's disgraced former budget minister, forced out of office over a tax fraud scandal, will not seek re-election to his former parliamentary seat, a newspaper reported Sunday.

Jerome Cahuzac, who last month bowed to pressure and also resigned from parliament, told the regional daily Depeche du Midi he made the decision because he feared a violent hate campaign against him and incessant media harassment would make it impossible to get his message across to voters.

Pet lovers take blogging to the next level

Agence France-Presse — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:45:03 +0000

Agence France-Presse

When Dexter the cocker spaniel tore a ligament in his hind leg a few weeks ago, he didn't suffer in silence.

Instead, his owner wrote a blog post.

"The vet told me my dog needed surgery, and I thought, 'You know, there's got to be something else'," said Carol Bryant, who writes a "canine-centric online magazine" called A Fidose of Reality.

Responding to her blog entries, readers told Bryant that Dexter didn't have to go under the knife. He had options, like laser therapy and a leg brace he'll be wearing for the next six months.

Football: Violence flares between fans of Lyon, Marseille

Agence France-Presse — Sat, 18 May 2013 21:45:04 +0000

Agence France-Presse

A week after celebrations marking Paris Saint Germain's first French title win in two decades descended into violence, Saturday saw similar football-related disturbances after 16 people were injured in clashes between fans of Lyon and Marseille.

Lyon decried the troublemakers after "serious incidents" during the afternoon before Marseille's game in nearby Saint Etienne.

Lyon indicated on their official website that the club would seek to take legal action "in view of the seriousness of what has happened and the injuries."

Mexichem to buy affiliate of U.S. firm PolyOne for $250 mn

Agencia EFE — Sat, 18 May 2013 20:46:05 +0000

Agencia EFE

Mexico City, May 18 (EFE).- Mexichem, one of the leading companies of the Latin American chemical and petrochemical industry, announced that the cost of purchasing 100 percent of the PVC Specialty Resins business of the U.S. firm PolyOne will amount to $250 million.

Mexichem revealed the price of the operation upon filing with stock market regulators, recalling that on May 15 it received authorization for the purchase from regulatory authorities in the United States and Germany.

Bernanke says computer revolution likely to provide various future gains to economic growth

The Canadian Press — Sat, 18 May 2013 20:45:43 +0000

The Canadian Press

WASHINGTON - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says pessimists forecasting that the economy will not reap sizable benefits from the computer revolution are likely to be proven wrong.

Bernanke told a college graduating class Saturday that the long-range practical consequences of innovations such as faster computers and the Internet are hard to predict. But he said inventors have only scratched the surface of the commercial applications that can be obtained in such fields as medicine and clean energy.

Lotto fever strikes US as jackpot swells

Agence France-Presse — Sat, 18 May 2013 20:30:34 +0000

Agence France-Presse

Americans by the droves plunked down cold cash Saturday for a chance at a fulfilling their most feverish dream: winning the $600 million Powerball lottery jackpot.

Millions will be glued to their TV sets when the Powerball numbers are drawn in a live event broadcast just before 11:00 pm eastern time (0300 GMT Sunday). If there is no winner, the jackpot could rise to close to $1 billion by the next drawing on Wednesday.

The jackpot is "the largest in the 21-year history of the game," the Iowa state lottery agency said in a statement.

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford nixes weekend radio show in wake of video controversy

The Canadian Press — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:01:21 +0000

The Canadian Press

TORONTO - Toronto Mayor Rob Ford will not be hosting his weekly radio show this weekend after explosive allegations that he was recorded on a video appearing to smoke crack cocaine.

CFRB program director Mike Bendixen has tweeted that Ford and his brother Doug, a city councillor, won't be behind the microphones this Sunday for their two-hour talk show "The City" on the Toronto station.

Bendixen says the Ford brothers told the station on Friday the show would not go ahead as scheduled, but expected it would be back on the air next weekend.

Japan pledges $2 bil. in support of African resource development

Kyodo News International — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:00:56 +0000

Kyodo News International

The Japanese government on Saturday vowed to provide $2 billion in financial support for resource development projects by Japanese companies in Africa over the next five years, and to enhance training of personnel in the continent's resource industry.

The initiatives were unveiled during a meeting that brought together ministers and representatives from Japan and 15 African countries in charge of resource issues. The event was held ahead of a summit-level international conference on African development next month in Yokohama.

LDP wants citizens to open own websites to get more info from gov't

Kyodo News International — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:00:53 +0000

Kyodo News International

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party proposes to have each citizen open his or her own website so the government can provide administrative information customized to one's needs, according to a draft obtained by Kyodo News on Saturday.

Among the proposals of an LDP strategy to boost information technology, online information from the national and municipal level will be provided for every individual based on factors such as age and family composition, the draft showed.

Abe to make 3-day visit to Myanmar from next Friday

Kyodo News International — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:00:46 +0000

Kyodo News International

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to make a three-day visit to Myanmar from next Friday in a bid to strengthen bilateral ties, a Japanese government source said Saturday.

Abe, who will be accompanied by top executives from more than 30 Japanese companies, is expected to hold talks with Myanmar President Thein Sein on improving the investment environment in the southeast Asian nation for expansion of Japanese investments there.

Yahoo! sets event amid Tumblr talk

Agence France-Presse — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:00:06 +0000

Agence France-Presse

Yahoo! scheduled a news conference Monday amid reports it was in talks on with the popular blogging platform Tumblr about an acquisition or strategic alliance.

The California tech giant offered no details of the event, set for New York, but invited reporters to "join us as we share something special."

Tumblr, a fast-growing blogging platform popular with young Internet users, is headquartered in New York.

B.C. Liberal party poll pegged election result where media polls failed

The Canadian Press — Sat, 18 May 2013 15:46:07 +0000

The Canadian Press

OTTAWA - British Columbia's stunning election upset has turned on its head one of the strongest arguments pollsters have always used against banning or restricting public opinion surveys during campaigns.

Since George Gallup pioneered political polling some 75 years ago, pollsters have maintained their surveys are vital to the health of democracy.

Even before first drops flow, Uganda's oil beset by bribery charges, political interference

The Canadian Press — Sat, 18 May 2013 15:45:47 +0000

The Canadian Press

KAMPALA, Uganda - Even before the first drops flow, Uganda's oil sector is beset by bribery allegations against officials, tax-related cases abroad that cost the government millions in legal fees, and the alleged interference of a president whose firm control of the sector worries transparency campaigners.