Looking at the news and opinion out of London each day.

5-19-13

The Conservatives are becoming mired in arguments with themselves

Taking a cavalier approach to party management may be David Cameron’s biggest mistake

Don’t be fooled by Google’s Prius-driving babyfacery

Young tech firms would have us believe they represent a new model of business. Too often, their tax affairs tell a different story

5-18-13

David Cameron isn’t a disaster, yet I long for a radical new leader

At his best, the PM has brought firmness and clarity – but not to the big issue of our age

People are told EU migrants steal jobs – in truth bosses want cheap labour

The Conservatives are determined to be seen as the anti-Europe party, but an EU referendum that took Britain out of the union would be a disaster for the party

Nadine Dorries interview: why I want to run as a UKIP-Tory joint candidate

Nadine Dorries is back in the Conservative party fold – but will she be the first Tory/Ukip candidate?

On masculinity: My father’s generation were better at being men

Diane Abbott says the UK is facing a ‘crisis of masculinity’, with young men brought up on a diet of drugs and pornography, but it’s a lack of love that really separates the generations

How Jeremy Hunt plans to improve the NHS (and boost his own standing)

5-17-13

Nigel Farage condemns ‘fascist scum’ who forced him to take refuge in Edinburgh pub

The Ukip leader Nigel Farage has condemned “fascist scum” for haranguing him in Edinburgh and hung up on a BBC interview in outrage at its tone of “hatred”.

The truth is that we can’t afford a shiny new transport system like HS2

History is littered with failed projects that appealed to politicians in thrall to modernity

The Tory Blame Game

Who is to blame for last night’s Tory uprising on Europe? It’s more entertaining to pin the blame on everyone, rather than one person, and in this case, it’s wrong to insist that the leadership is entirely to blame for the confusing fiasco of the past week.

5-16-13

We need to talk about masculinity

The crisis facing men and boys cannot be solved by reviving the tired stereotypes that oppress and constrain them

An improving economy may rescue Cameron and Osborne, but it won’t deliver them from some tricky questions

Back in the early days of this Government, there was an easy consensus, among many commentators and politicians, about David Cameron chances in 2015. They would rise or fall, it went, on the strength of the economy. If the Coalition had delivered us from downturn, the Tory part of it would be rather difficult to defeat. If not, then even the Sons of Brown might be given another chance.

5-14-13

We must be ready to leave the EU if we don’t get what we want

There are pros and cons to staying in Europe – and it’s time to talk about them, says Boris Johnson

Across The Pond is edited daily by Steve Parkhurst. Steve is a political consultant, a writer at his blog as well as a Senior Editor here at US Daily Review. Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveParkhurst

By Institute for Research Middle East Policy, Special for USDR.

FBI files about the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) have been released under the Freedom of Information Act.  Now online at theIsrael Lobby Archive, they reveal tactics of ADL operatives working undercover to infiltrate and neutralize groups the ADL deemed subversive or hostile to Israel.  Files also reveal the ADL’s long-term —and often unsuccessful—efforts to forge and leverage and publicize formal liaisons with the FBI.

On August 5, 1940 the ADL confidentially supplied contact information (PDF file) of nearly 1,600 ADL members to the FBI to serve as informants and undercover sources.  An FBI letter (PDF file) advised that “the Anti-Defamation League does not wish it to become generally known that they do employ private investigators.” The ADL told McClure Newspaper “a certain number of FBI men have been taken into the ADL for coaching on the finer points of investigation work that have been developed by the voluntary organization.” FBI directors also ordered field offices to liaise with ADL regional offices in 1968 and 1985.

An ADL operative using illicit press credentials was arrested at a Madison Square Garden disrupting an anti-war rally in 1941.  “The ADL had then brought ‘tremendous pressure to bear on Commissioner Seery and the Mayor’s Committee on Press Cards to drop the Forster incident the preceding night.” The effort to quash prosecution included offering payoffs and planting hostile news reports, according to the FBI report. (PDF file)

A 1951 investigation of the Arab League and activities of Egypt and Saudi Arabia the ADL brought to the FBI quickly fell apart. FBI Director John Edgar Hoover wrote on November 23, 1951, “…material which the Anti-Defamation League has been channeling to this Bureau in the past is now believed by the officials of the League to be absolutely unreliable…”

A 1957 FBI review of ADL reports noted the ADL campaign to free captured Soviet atomic spy Morton Sobell .  ADL content, wrote a concerned special agent, consists “mainly restatements of the committee’s claims, reprints of book reviews of books sponsored by the committee, quotations from briefs being submitted to the courts by attorneys sired by the committee in support of their petition for a new trial, press releases announcing plans for new court actions…plans for meetings or dinners organized to raise funds.”  Sobell admitted spying for the Soviet Union in 2008.

In 1969, the FBI proposed investigating the ADL as an Israeli foreign agent after three ADL undercover operatives infiltrated and strategized the takeover of the Organization of Arab Students posing as news reporters. An in-depth report of the incident is available at FBI files reveal ADL spied on Arab Students. The FBI reported the “investigation conducted by ADL, using code name sources, pretexts such as local news reporters … recruiting of Jewish refugees from organizations such as HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aide Society) to infiltrate the OAS in NYC. Of course, there is no evidence to indicate this information is compiled on behalf of a foreign principal, however, it is felt incredible to assume it is not furnished to an official of the Government of Israel…”

In 1993 the FBI interviewed 40-year undercover ADL operative Roy Bullock, who had improperly obtained social security numbers and drivers licenses from San Francisco Police Department officer Tom Gerard .  Gerard and Bullock infiltrated and obtained information on California Pro-Palestinian and anti-Apartheid groups as paid agents of both the ADL and South African intelligence services.  The ADL paid tens of thousands in damages over the incident and promised not to collect confidential information in the future.

By GBTA BTT Outlook, Special for US Daily Review.

Economic uncertainty in Europe will dramatically slow the growth of business travel in the United States through the end of the year, according to the latest GBTA BTI Outlook – United States a report from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) and sponsored by Visa, Inc.  In addition, ongoing concern in the U.S. economy, including low job growth, falling consumer confidence and retail sales, and slowing corporate profits, have created significant headwinds for business travel in the near term.  Finally, there is increasing evidence that businesses may be entering into a holding pattern as they wait for the economic environment to solidify.

GBTA has significantly downgraded its outlook for U.S.-initiated business travel since last quarter. Despite the higher prices and relatively strong demand that have led to solid growth in business travel spend in the last few quarters; growth will moderate for the remainder of the year. GBTA now expects total business travel spending to grow just 2.2% for 2012, reaching $256.5 billion by the end of the year. This represents a downgrade of 1.4% since last quarter, when GBTA estimated growth would be 3.6%.

“Earlier this year, we created a number of shock scenarios modeling the potential impact of the European debt crisis on business travel here in the United States[1],” said Michael W. McCormick, GBTA executive director and COO. “In our Moderate Shock Scenario we predicted that a prolonged recession in Europe would result in a flattening of business travel spending in the U.S. Unfortunately, it now seems that this shock scenario is becoming a reality.”

“We’re entering a period of time in which many companies could overact and make significant changes to their travel budgets,” he added. “Our research has shown that businesses that slash their travel budgets end up weakening their competitive position, particularly when the economy improves.”[2]

“Despite projected slowdowns in business travel, there is still reason to be optimistic,” said Tad Fordyce, head of global commercial solutions at Visa Inc. “U.S. travelers increased international tourism spending on their Visa accounts by nine percent in Q1 2012 with Americans increasing travel purchases on their Visa accounts by 31 percent in China. Whether for business or pleasure, Visa supports global travelers with the most widely accepted card in the world and is working with lead banks to provide consistency across card products globally.”

Looking ahead to 2013, GBTA research suggests a slight drop (-0.7%) to 435 million total person trips. On the other hand, business travel spend for 2013 is forecast to grow 4.7% to $268.5 billion. GBTA forecasts 3.6% growth in transient spend, 5.1% growth in group spend, and 7.2% growth in international outbound spend for 2013. However, if the situation in Europe worsens further, the forecast for 2013 will necessarily be downgraded, as detailed in our European Shock Scenario from earlier this year.

Avoiding the Mistakes of the Past

“In a challenging economy, companies may look to cut their travel spending,” continued McCormick. “But GBTA research shows that that is the exact opposite of what they should be doing. In addition to the damage that slashing travel spending will do to a company’s bottom line, cuts to travel budgets could make a bad economic situation significantly worse due to business travel’s impact on the overall economy.”

McCormick concluded: “Beginning in December 2007, we saw companies make difficult decisions with their business travel budgets to the tune of 13% from the $271 billion peak in 2007 – a peak-to-trough decline of $34.7 billion. Companies cannot afford to overreact just because there may be clouds on the horizon. Benching road warriors will only impact sales exactly when companies need to focus on growth. The return on investment for business travel is too good to pass up.”

GBTA BTI — Stalling

The GBTA BTI, a proprietary index of business travel activity, for Q1 2012 came in at 116, two points lower than the projected value in GBTA’s last outlook. The slightly lower value has been driven by a more rapid deterioration in Europe, slower growth in Asia, and deepening signs of weakness in the U.S. While the GBTA BTI is four points higher than 2011 Q1, it has been relatively flat since reaching 117 in 2011 Q3.

GBTA is now predicting the GBTA BTI to reach the pre-recession level of 120 by 2013 Q1. The revision to the forecast points to slow growth in business travel through 2013, with the GBTA BTI gaining one point per quarter over the forecast horizon.

The GBTA BTI provides a way to distill market performance and the outlook for business travel into a single metric that can be tracked over time.

International Travel – Growth Slows in 2012, Rebounds in 2013

International outbound travel will continue to drastically outpace domestic travel. GBTA projects growth of 2.9% in 2012 followed by a more significant rise of 7.2% in 2013. GBTA has continued to pull back its projections as the trouble in Europe has continued.

Business travel to the Far East, particularly China, has been a boon for international outbound travel from the U.S. for the last few years. However, falling economic growth rates in China will likely lead to less trade and hence, fewer trips from the U.S. The projected slowdown in China and the economic challenges in Europe will lead to lower levels of international growth in the near term.

GBTA expects total international outbound trip volume to reach 6.8 million trips in 2012, only 0.4% growth over 2011. Stronger growth is expected in 2013, with 7 million trips projected, which is a 3.7% increase, but represents a full percent drop over earlier GBTA projections.

Group Travel Spend – Holding off on Growth

In 2012 Q1, spending on transient business travel is up 3.7% versus 2011 Q1. GBTA expects spending growth on transient business travel to finish 2012 at 2.4% before picking up the pace in 2013 when it will rise by 3.6%.

Group business travel has bounced back significantly from its bottom in 2009.  However, GBTA expects that much like transient travel, group travel will not pick up significantly until the U.S. economy experiences more robust growth. Spending on group business travel is projected to grow 1.8% in 2012 and 5.1% in 2013.

Key Metrics

The GBTA BTI Outlook – United States is free of charge to all GBTA Members (gbta.org/foundation/resourcelibrary). Non-members may purchase the report through the GBTA Foundation at research@gbta.org. Members of the media seeking report details should contact GBTA Communications at pr@gbta.org.

About the GBTA BTI Outlook – United States

The GBTA BTI Outlook – United States projects aggregate business travel trends over the next eight quarters. The report includes key buy-side metrics such as total business travel volume and spending, plus supply-side projections of changes in costs, across both transient and meetings travel.  GBTA BTI Outlook – United States is the eighth report in the series.  Releases are published on the second Tuesday of each quarter.

The GBTA BTI™ Outlook uses an econometric model to better inform the forecast process.  The model explicitly relates measures of business trip volume and spending, sourced from D.K. Shifflet & Associates to key economic and market drivers of business travel including: U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and its components, U.S. Corporate Profits and Cash Flow, U.S. Employment & Unemployment, ISM Business Sentiment Index, Key Travel Components of CPI (airfare, lodging, food away from home, rental cars, fuel, transportation), among other components.

By US Daily Review Staff. Source: Center for Immigration Studies

The Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) provides the first published estimates of shortfalls to government trust funds for senior citizens resulting from the hiring of certain categories of foreign workers. In the Center’s recent study, How Employers Cheat America’s Aging by Hiring Foreign Workers, CIS fellow David North examines how American employers and over half a million alien workers avoid paying payroll taxes to the detriment of American retirees and disabled workers.

By hiring certain classes of aliens, American employers and their foreign workers can avoid paying taxes to the Social Security, Medicare, and Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) trust funds. Employers save at least 8.45 percent of the total payroll, undermining the incentive to hire American citizens or legal residents. While employers are just playing by the rules outlined in legislation, it is clear that the legislation is written to benefit the non-citizen workers and their employers.

“We have in these programs a double whammy: a government program that subsidizes employers to hire alien workers, rather than resident ones, on one hand, and, on the other hand, the routine siphoning of moneys that should be going to the trust funds for the aging, moneys that instead wind up in the pockets of the foreign workers and their employers,” North comments.

“Although some may contend that foreign workers who won’t remain in the country long enough to benefit from these trust funds shouldn’t be required to contribute, there’s no rationale for the employer benefiting” said Mark Krikorian, Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies. “These trust funds are losing over $1.5 billion a year as a direct result of these foreign-worker programs. This is obviously a small part of the shortfall faced by these programs, but there is no excuse for retaining these loopholes carved out by Congress and special interests.”

Mr. North’s research provides calculations on trust fund losses for each of the relevant foreign worker programs, including Summer Work Travel, foreign students working off campus, cultural workers, and foreign college graduates working on OPT permits. The latter category permits foreign workers to stay for as long as two years and five months after graduation.

The Center for Immigration Studies is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit, research organization. Since its founding in 1985, the Center has pursued a single mission – providing immigration policymakers, the academic community, news media, and concerned citizens with reliable information about the social, economic, environmental, security, and fiscal consequences of legal and illegal immigration into the United States.

By US Daily Review Staff.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index (LEI) for Germany declined 0.8 percent in June to 103.2 (2004 = 100), following a 0.4 percent decline in May, and a 0.5 percent decline in April.

At the same time, The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index (CEI) for Germany, a measure of current economic activity, declined 0.1 percent in June to 107.0 (2004 = 100), following a 0.2 percent increase in May, and a 0.3 percent decline in April.

The Conference Board LEI for Germany decreased throughout the second quarter, and, as a result, its six-month growth rate has fallen back into negative territory. However, the strengths are still more widespread than the weaknesses among its components. Meanwhile, The Conference Board CEI for Germany decreased in two out of three months in the second quarter, but its six-month growth rate is still positive. Taken together, the recent behavior of the composite indexes for Germanysuggests that economic activity will probably continue to expand in the near term, though the rate of expansion will likely slow.

The composite economic indexes are the key elements in an analytic system designed to signal peaks and troughs in the business cycle. The leading and coincident economic indexes are essentially composite averages of several individual leading or coincident indicators. They are constructed to summarize and reveal common turning point patterns in economic data in a clearer and more convincing manner than any individual component – primarily because they smooth out some of the volatility of individual components.

With the Olympics just behind us, workplaces in Canada appear to be hosting competitions of their own, a new OfficeTeam survey suggests. Four in ten (40 per cent) senior managers interviewed said they believe employees are more competitive with each other today than they were 10 years ago. These results mirror those from a similar survey of senior executives conducted in 2008.

The survey was developed by OfficeTeam, a leading staffing service specialising in the placement of highly skilled administrative professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on telephone interviews with more than 303 senior managers at Canadian companies with 20 or more employees.

Managers were asked, “In your opinion, are employees more or less competitive with their coworkers than they were 10 years ago?” Their responses:

                                                2012         2008
                                                ----         ----
    Significantly more competitive ...........   15%           9%
    Somewhat more competitive ................   25%          29%
    No change ................................   39%          22%
    Somewhat less competitive ................   12%          28%
    Significantly less competitive ...........    3%           8%
    Don't know/no answer .....................    7%           4%
                                                ----         ----
                                                101%*      100%

    * Responses do not total 100 per cent due to rounding.

“A little friendly competition in the office is healthy if it inspires great individual and team performance,” said Robert Hosking, executive director of OfficeTeam. “Rivalry between coworkers can often become more intense when the economy is uncertain and people feel pressure to prove themselves. Although it’s natural for employees to want to stand out among their colleagues, it shouldn’t be at the expense of others.”

OfficeTeam identifies five types of workplace “competitors” that take it too far and provides tips for working with them effectively:

    1.  The Pole Vaulter. This person jumps to nab all of the high-profile
        assignments, leaving the less visible work to everyone else. To get
        the plum projects, proactively make your interests known. Volunteer
        for key assignments and acquire hard-to-find skills that make you
        indispensable.
    2.  The Boxer. This worker has a jab for everyone -- whether it's a snide
        remark during a staff meeting or a sarcastic email. Don't succumb to
        this person's negativity. Remain professional when interacting with
        him or her, and try to work out your differences. If the behaviour
        doesn't stop, alert your manager or human resources department to the
        situation.
    3.  The Sprinter. This person tries to curry favour by working quickly --
        even if the results are sloppy. Don't cut corners to compete with
        this individual. Instead, become known for delivering quality work.
    4.  The Gymnast. This employee bends and twists the facts, sometimes
        taking credit for others' work. When collaborating with this
        colleague, be sure to share your original ideas and contributions
        with your manager. Document the designation of duties and other
        critical conversations to avoid finger-pointing down the line.
    5.  The Marathoner. This person can go the full distance when it comes to
        spending time at the water cooler, sharing rumours with anyone who
        will listen. Although it can be useful to have a sense of the
        political undercurrents in your firm, avoid associating closely with
        office gossips, and don't share sensitive information with them.

By Hon. Ted Poe, Member of Congress, Contributor, US Daily Review

In 2004, then President Bush granted Pakistan major non-NATO ally (MNNA) status in an effort to get Pakistan to help the United States fight al-Qaeda and the Taliban. MNNA status is significant, granting critical benefits in the areas of foreign aid and defense cooperation. An MNNA country is eligible for priority delivery of defense material, an expedited arms sale process, and a US loan guarantee program, which backs up loans issued by private banks to finance arms exports. It can also stockpile US military hardware, participate in defense research and development programs, and be sold more sophisticated weaponry.

Eight years after its MNNA designation, the evidence shows that Pakistan is the Benedict Arnold nation in the list of countries that we call allies. Despite our pleas, Pakistan has stubbornly refused to go after in any meaningful way terrorists that are killing our troops. In fact, from November 2011-July 2012, it cut off the supply route to our troops in Afghanistan. It was not until the U.S. agreed to pay three times as much as before that Pakistan reopened the route.

In June 2011, Pakistan tipped off terrorists making IEDs not once but twice after we told them where the bomb-making factories were and asked Pakistan to go after them. Last fall, then Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mike Mullen called the terrorist Haqqani network in Pakistan’s tribal regions a “veritable arm” of Pakistan’s intelligence service. And in February 2012, a NATO report agreed, stating that the ISI is aiding the Taliban and other extremist groups in Afghanistan and Pakistan by providing resources, sanctuary, and training.  Most recently, Islamabad arrested and convicted the heroic doctor who, according to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, gave us “intelligence that was very helpful” in identifying the exact location of Osama bin Laden. You would think helping us get the world’s #1 terrorist, the terrorist that killed thousands of Americans, was a good thing, but apparently the Pakistanis disagreed. Pakistan sentenced him to thirty-three years in prison.

I believe we need to make a clean break with Pakistan and not give them another dollar more than the $21.5 billion they received from us since 2002. My colleagues in the House seem to be coming around to this fact- on July 18 they unanimously passed my amendment to cut military aid to Pakistan in half. The logical next step is stop providing them expedited access to our own sophisticated weaponry. To that end, I will soon introduce a bill to strip Pakistan of its major non-NATO ally status. Too many of our own men and women have died because of Islamabad’s treachery. We don’t have to pay Pakistan to betray us; they will do it for free.

As a 6^th generation Texan, Congressman Ted Poe learned very early on the meaning of “God and Texas.” Born and raised in Texas, his grandmother instilled in him a love for Texas, faith, public service and conservative principles.  Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2004 to represent the Second Congressional District of Texas, Congressman Poe brings his no-nonsense style to Washington, DC. He is a leading voice for Texans standing up for conservative principles, reducing the size of the federal government and promoting constitutional and individual liberties.  He is a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

By the NIA, Special for US Daily Review.

The National Inflation Association today released the results of its national survey of Americans who watched NBC’s coverage of the London Olympic Games. The survey focused on NBC’s multi-platform coverage of the 2012 London Summer Olympics, with NBC delivering over 100 million video streams including 45 million live video streams in just the first 10 days of the Olympics to nearly 10 million U.S. pay-TV subscribers who authenticated their laptops, desktops, iPads, and iPhones.

1,513 people responded to NIA’s survey from the evening of Friday August 10^th through the morning of Sunday August 12^th. 61.5% of the people who responded to NIA’s survey were pay-TV subscribers of a package that includes the channels CNBC and MSNBC, thereby giving them access rights to NBC’s Olympic TV Everywhere coverage. 39.7% of the people who responded to NIA’s survey reported that they successfully authenticated their Internet-connected devices for access.

Only the Americans who responded to NIA’s survey indicating that they had access rights and authenticated themselves for NBC’s Olympic TV Everywhere coverage were allowed to participate in the rest of NIA’s survey. 58.1% of those who authenticated themselves for access rated the TV Everywhere authentication process a 10, with 10 being the most easy/convenient and 1 being the most difficult/confusing. Only ½ of 1% of authenticated users rated the authentication process a 1.

77% of NBC’s Olympic TV Everywhere users recommended to their friends/family members that they also authenticate themselves to use the service.

When asked what motivated them to use NBC’s Olympic TV Everywhere service, the largest response came from 49% of users who wanted to watch the events live before they air on TV.

74% of NIA’s respondents indicated that TV Everywhere offerings like NBC’s Olympic TV Everywhere coverage will make them more likely to keep their pay-TV subscription in the future due to the value they receive at no additional cost. If NBC’s Olympic TV Everywhere coverage wasn’t free, 42.4% of users said they would pay at least $15 for access, with 13.5% of users saying they would pay $60 or more.

93.7% of users learned about TV Everywhere for the first time within the last 12 months, with 26.3% of users learning about TV Everywhere for the first time during the Olympics.

67.8% of users said that they feel TV Everywhere could offer a tremendous ground-floor investment opportunity. NIA recently purchased 2% of Synacor Inc., a publicly traded TV Everywhere services and solutions company that provided the TV Everywhere authentication technology used to authenticate the subscribers of approximately ½ of America’s top 25 largest multi-channel video programming distributors. NIA recently featured Synacor in its PDF report about the TV Everywhere industry and many survey respondents indicated that they are shareholders.

64.5% of respondents said that their pay-TV companies almost never advertise their TV Everywhere offerings, which NIA believes is the reason most U.S. pay-TV subscribers still have no idea that they have free access rights to many TV Everywhere services. 42.6% of respondents said that after using NBC’s Olympic TV Everywhere services, they plan to explore what other TV Everywhere services are available to them and begin using them right away.

The top 5 most popular TV Everywhere services previously used by respondents are FOX, HBO GO, CNN, WatchESPN, and TNT.

37.1% of respondents own an iPad. 45.2% of respondents who own an iPad have on more than one occasion watched live video streams on their iPad prior to the Olympics. 50.7% of respondents rated the quality of NBC’s iPad video steams a perfect 10 out of 10. 93.2% said they plan to watch live video streams on their iPads more often for now on because of the Olympics.

50.1% of respondents own an iPhone. 42.4% of respondents who own an iPhone have on more than one occasion watched live video streams on their iPhone prior to the Olympics. 50% of respondents rated the quality of NBC’s iPhone video steams a perfect 10 out of 10. 85% said they plan to watch live video streams on their iPhone more often for now on because of the Olympics.

The most popular web browsers used to watch NBC’s video streams on NBCOlympics.com were Internet Explorer: 42.7%, Firefox 22.8%, Google Chrome 22.4%, and Apple Safari 10.6%.

Internet Explorer had the most technical problems with 20% of users saying their video pictures would freeze periodically, 5% of users complaining of choppy video streams, and 2% of users having audio problems. Users with technical problems were the minority and 77% of respondents who used Internet Explorer indicated that they had no technical issues at all.

Apple Safari had the least technical issues with 96.2% of users indicating no technical problems. 3.8% of Apple Safari users complained of choppy video streams

Firefox was the second best browser in terms of the least technical problems. 89.1% of Firefox users indicated that they had no technical issues at all. 5.5% complained of video pictures periodically freezing, 5.5% complained of choppy video streams, and 1.8% indicated that their video player crashed.

Google Chrome had the second most reported issues with 11.1% reporting that their video pictures would periodically freeze, 5.6% complaining of choppy video streams, 5.6% reporting that their video player within their browser crashed, 3.7% reporting audio problems, and 1.9% reporting that their web browser crashed.

NIA experienced the most success with Google Chrome and had no technical issues using the browser. When NIA used Internet Explorer on the first couple of days of the Olympics, the browser would often crash, but NBC fixed this problem by about the 3^rd or 4^th day. Firefox mostly worked fine for us, except for the video player within Firefox crashing on a couple of occasions. NIA did not test out Apple Safari on its own.

Most users were very satisfied with NBC’s TV Everywhere services provided on NBCOlympics.com. The only area that stands out as needing major improvement appears to be NBC’s placement of advertisements, with the average rating for NBC’s placement of ads being far below the average rating in other categories. The average rating given for the quality of NBC’s video streams using a laptop or desktop (10 best – 1 worst) was an 8.73. The average rating given for the functionality of NBC’s TV Everywhere web portal was an 8.81. The average rating given for NBC’s placement of advertisements and how it affected the user experience was a 7.4. The average rating given for the overall user experience on NBCOlympics.com was an 8.62.

If NBC used a different type of advertising solution that was designed specifically for TV Everywhere, such as the one developed by Synacor, it is possible that the overall average rating for their NBCOlympics.com TV Everywhere services could have exceeded a 9. Prior to the Olympics, the biggest concern was that users would have trouble authenticating. However, with Synacor’s single sign-on TV Everywhere authentication system being used to authenticate the subscribers of nearly 40 of the approximately 100 pay-TV companies providing access, including 12 of America’s 25 pay-TV companies with the most subscribers, users gave the authentication process an average rating of 9.16.

We will likely look back at the London Olympic Games as being the very beginning of the U.S. multi-platform revolution and TV Everywhere boom. NBC received a large amount of hate postings on Twitter, but they were almost entirely from cord-cutters and cord-shavers who were upset about not being able to access NBC’s online video streams. Clearly, these individuals regret that they canceled their pay-TV service, which is exactly what NBC’s parent company Comcast was trying to achieve. Comcast/NBC is smiling ear to ear about the Twitter #NBCFail postings from Americans outraged about their gall to require a pay-TV subscription.

NBC has proven that TV Everywhere is about to become the hottest new emerging market for U.S. consumers, with Americans set to rapidly embrace TV Everywhere platforms over the next 6-12 months like they first embraced social networking sites in year 2005. NIA expects TV Everywhere to be the most talked about emerging growth market for the remainder of 2012, with investors on Wall Street looking for ways to capitalize at the ground-floor.

The TV Everywhere industry’s growth rate over the next 5 years will likely be similar to the consumer social networking industry’s growth rate over the previous 5 years. Synacor last quarter reported 58% year-over-year revenue growth with 100% year-over-year growth in both net income and EBITDA. For comparison, Facebook only grew revenues last quarter by 32.3% with very disappointing year-over-year profit growth of only 3.5%.

Synacor’s General Manager of TV Everywhere before joining the company was Vice President of HBO Broadband where he led the development and launch of HBO GO, the second most widely used TV Everywhere service according to NIA’s survey. It was just announced on Friday that HBO GO has now surpassed Netflix for the longest viewing sessions across all mobile apps. 18.1% of respondents to NIA’s survey said that they are current Netflix subscribers but will consider canceling their Netflix subscription due to their pay-TV company’s brand new TV Everywhere offerings.

Synacor recently developed for one of their clients Charter Communications, the 4^th largest cable TV company in the U.S., a TV Everywhere search feature that will also display results for videos found on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Videos. Features like this will allow consumers to see for themselves the true value of TV Everywhere and why Netflix is on the path towards becoming irrelevant.

TiVo has now announced their intentions to enter the TV Everywhere space. NIA believes that TiVo recognizes how TV Everywhere will soon make DVRs obsolete. For the time being while Americans still have a need for DVRs, Synacor recently developed and launched for the customers of Charter a new feature that provides the ability to remotely program their DVRs through Charter’s TV Everywhere web portal running off of Synacor’s industry leading TV Everywhere platform.

NBC is showing that it will respond to any fair criticism from viewers. Many of NBC’s authenticated TV Everywhere users complained about NBC not live streaming the opening ceremony of the Olympics. In response, NBC just announced that they will be live streaming the closing ceremony today at 4PMEDT exclusively to pay-TV subscribers who authenticate.

It should be interesting to see if NBC reports next week their total number of authenticated users throughout the full 16 days of the Olympics. NIA also looks forward to hearing from Synacor about the total number of consumers their TV Everywhere solutions authenticated for NBC. Comcast just announced the other day that the Olympics have far surpassed their highest expectations. Synacor wasn’t sure what to expect from the Olympics so they took the most conservative approach possible by excluding revenue from the Olympics in their 3Q guidance, which could mean that Wall Street has very low expectations and the company could have the potential to positively surprise in the near-future.

For detailed results of NIA’s NBC Olympic TV Everywhere survey please visit NIA’s homepage at: http://inflation.us
PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1kDhm)

By US Daily Review Staff.

MBA students around the globe are increasingly seeing the value of hands-on experience, rather than learning from just a textbook. And those studying at Hult International Business School are being given the chance to work with real-life problems impacting millions of dollars of business.

More than 700 students at Hult, which pioneered the process for integrating practical experience into its curriculum, have just completed a series of projects aimed at making them job-ready upon graduation. Throughout the six-week-long Action Project, held concurrently at Hult’s five global campuses, students worked closely with 47 global companies, including international powerhouses Procter & Gamble, IBM, Panasonic, Samsung, 3M, Siemens, Sephora, Habitat for Humanity, and Verizon.

Students were asked to help the companies come up with innovative solutions that would create lasting value. One client tasked students with finding a way to grow their business by US$ 150m in three to five years. Student teams – handpicked to ensure international diversity and a broad range of industry knowledge – weighed the options and responded with 25 opportunities for growth, incorporating a holistic and global perspective.

“Growth through innovation is a strategic imperative and our unique innovation methodology and diverse student teams deliver big, bold, and bankable business cases across different industries and geographies every single time,” said Dr. Hitendra Patel, Professor of Innovation at Hult.

Much has been written about this kind of ‘learning by doing’ and the benefits it can bring students and the companies they work with. Several business schools have noticed that companies are increasingly looking for the fresh ideas students can provide, and have responded by offering specialized programs that do a better job of preparing students for the practical elements of their employment. Hult’s Action Projects are designed to act like thought factories, giving companies the chance to harness the brainpower of hundreds of experienced students and grow their businesses in new and innovative ways.

According to Dr. Stephen Hodges, President of Hult International Business School, the Action Project concept is truly unique: “On its own our Action Project is a powerful thing, posing real-life problems and getting students ready for the challenges of the working world. But when combined with the other elements of our signature LEAP Method – like learning from experienced professors and meeting with industry experts – the effect for students and businesses is remarkable.”

By London 2012, Special for US Daily Review.

As always in the Olympic Games, the Athletics events are eagerly awaited and there is plenty of exciting action to look forward to in track and field.

Great Britain poster-girl Jessica Ennis starts her bid to win gold in the Heptathlon when she competes in two of her favoured events in the morning – the 100m hurdles and the high jump.

The Sheffield athlete, who will be making her Games debut after being ruled out of Beijing 2008 due to injury, will then compete in the shot put and the 200m in the evening.

The women’s 100m and 400m will also begin on Day 7, with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Carmelita Jeter two of the favourites to land gold in the shorter of the sprints.

Sanya-Richards Ross of the USA has high hopes of claiming gold in the 400m, while Great Britain will look to Christine Ohuruogu to challenge for a medal.

Javier Culson of Puerto Rico and Great Britain’s world champion Dai Greene are two of the leading contenders in the 400m hurdles, which also gets under way on a day when gold medals will be won in the women’s 10,000m and the men’s shot put in the Olympic Stadium.

In the Track Cycling at the Velodrome, Great Britain and Australia are the leading contenders for gold in the men’s Team Pursuit.

Australian Anna Meares is favourite for gold in the women’s Keirin, but Victoria Pendleton will be determined to triumph for the Host Nation.

Michael Phelps and Chad le Clos are set to go head-to-head once again in the 100m Butterfly at the Aquatics Centre.

Phelps, now the most decorated Olympian in history, was forced to settle for silver when South African Le Clos narrowly beat him in the 200m Butterfly earlier in the week, and the USA swimmer will be out to set the record straight.

Great Britain’s Rebecca Adlington will defend her 800m Freestyle title after winning a bronze in the women’s 400m Freestyle.

There will also be finals in the men’s 50m Freestyle and the women’s 200m Backstroke.

It promises to be another exciting day in the Rowing at Eton Dorney, with finals of the men’s Pair, the men’s Single Sculls, the men’s Quadruple Sculls and the women’s Double Sculls to look forward to.

The men’s Trampoline final will take place at the North Greenwich Arena, while the men’s Individual Archery final will be held at Lord’s.

The final of the men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol and men’s 50m Rifle Prone will take place at The Royal Artillery Barracks and Wembley Arena will be the venue for the medal decider in the Mixed Doubles Badminton competition.

Judo, Weightlifting and Fencing medals will also be decided.

Looking at the news and opinion out of London each day.

8-20-12

Be bold, Prime Minister, make Mr Cable your Home Secretary

A seismic shake-up of the Cabinet is the only option if the Tories are to revive their fortunes, argues Paul Goodman.

Fixing Britain’s work ethic is not the answer to this economic mess

It suits the Tory austerity narrative to blame ‘idle’ Britons for the recession rather than flaws in the modern labour market

How is the government getting on with deregulation?

In the Economic Policy Review  presented to Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne in opposition, we  recommended 33 specific items of deregulation. We also recommended that a Minister be responsible for constructing regulatory budgets, with a view  to cutting the total cost of regulations for business by £14 billion a year by the fifth year of a new government.

How to cut the cost of railways and keep fares down

8-19-12

Taxpayers’ money spent on lavish awards ceremony for “tenant participation”

8-18-12

Modernising the Conservatives

I was an early moderniser. In the  mid 1990s I felt the Conservative party needed to change.  The old fashioned approach based on supporting the pro European UK establishment in conjunction  with Labour and the Lib Dems  had led to national economic crisis  with the Exchange Rate Mechanism. The Tory brand was damaged by association with the high interest rates, decline in output and the boom and bust which our membership of the ERM caused.

Honesty is the best policy for a Prime Minister who puts pragmatism first

David Cameron should borrow one of the Liberals’ great slogans and trust the people

Philip Hammond has seen the light over privatisation. Sadly, the government hasn’t

The army’s Olympic performance challenged the defence minister’s private ‘ethos’. So why is the government currently negotiating £4bn of new tenders – many in defence?

8-17-12

Government now plan to proceed with Dilnot cap on £35,000 care bills

Young Tory MPs blame ‘lazy’ baby boomers for Britain’s economic decline

A group of rising young Conservative MPs claims that ‘idle’ British workers are damaging the economy by failing to compete with ‘grafting’ Asian countries.

Tackle ‘lazy’ Britain, fellow Tories tell David Cameron

David Cameron was today challenged by rising star Tory MPs to tackle “lazy” Britain — and bring in tough new work reforms.

It’s not about posh – it’s about privilege

8-16-12

We shouldn’t underestimate the electoral appeal of the Coalition not having made the economy worse

8-15-12

Here’s how we counter the BBC’s liberal bias

The Guardian-reading elite is waiting to hear from Right-thinking writers and comedians

This is not the time to put the brakes on reforming the state

Private companies can deliver key services as reliably as the public sector, and at lower cost

Inflation: when the commute costs £5,000

Which has gone up more in the five years since the financial crisis began: wages or food prices?

Build it, and jobs, wealth and worth will come

Private investment in infrastructure and construction would help get us growing again

Four objectives for David Cameron’s reshuffle

Over the next few days ConservativeHome will be looking at the looming reshuffle, the first and perhaps only big reshuffle that Mr Cameron will make in this parliament. Although my guess is that the really big one is actually a year or so away.

8-14-12

A health service for all citizens really would be patriotic

There’s a new spirit of post-Olympics goodwill, and politicians will be expected to respond to it

After Capitalism: ‘In the anti-worlds of daily struggles the world beyond capitalism is to be found’ – video

Marxist sociologist John Holloway argues that a world after capitalism is already being imagined in struggles around the world.

Relaxation of Sunday trading will upset churchgoers, family campaigners and a good number of Tory MPs

When the Government first flirted with the idea of relaxing Sunday trading laws Paul Goodman was very unimpressed. Is this the most anti-Christian government in British history?, he asked. But it’s not just churchgoers who don’t like the idea. By 52% to 36% most Britons oppose further deregulation of Sunday opening.

Must the poor go hungry just so the rich can drive?

Sports stars like Mo Farah at No 10 will not change a simple fact: people are starving because of the west’s thirst for biofuels

True blue? It’s about belief not boating parties

By US Daily Review Staff.

The average GDP growth rate during 2001-2011 made Poland one of the consistently growing economies in Europe and the world. During 2001-2011, Poland’s GDP grew at a high CAGR of 13.6%. Lucintel estimatesthe Polish economy to grow to $736.3 billion at current price by 2017 with a CAGR of 3.9% over the next five years.

Radio personality and US Daily Review Publisher/Editor in Chief, Kevin Price traveled to Poland after the fall of Communism and has watched its political and economic situation since. Price said, “I traveled throughout Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union and Poland offered the most promise in terms of its economic future. That seems to be proving true.”

Lucintel is a management consultingand market research firm, and it has analyzed Poland’s political, economic, social, and business risk and presents its findings in “Poland Country Analysis 2012-2017: An Evaluation of Political, Social, Economic, and Business Risk.”

One of the main factors making an unfavorable impact on the Polish economy is the rising current account deficit and devaluation of zloty, which have turned it into a net payable country. Poland is particularly facing such problems because of its exported-oriented economy. Despite the decline in population growth rate,the high unemployment rate is also adding fuel to the existing problems in the economy.

Polandhas its brighter side too. Being a major contributor to GDP, the service sector of Poland, especiallyautomotive, telecom, and retail industries, is a key driver for the economy’s growth. Permitting 100% FDI in most of these major industries has indeed proved to be a boonfor the country’s sustained growth.Strong domestic demandformsanother key driver of the Polish economy.
Automotive, telecom, and healthcareindustries are in tune with the latest technologies. The government is also focused on increasing R&D spending for developing new technologies for different industries.

This Lucintel research report provides insights into the country overview, Poland’s economic performance, and a detailed risk analysis of political, social, economic, and business aspects. This research study is designed and intended for use by new entrants, manufacturers, OEMs, investors, executives, and consultants focused on the market of Poland.

The data and analysis found in this report can be utilized for a variety of functional business reasons, including: Business development, strategic planning, determination of market size and trends, competitive analysis, investment decisions, and joint product development.

By London 2012, Special for US Daily Review.

After the disappointment of his opening-day defeat to Ryan Lochte in the men’s 400m Individual Medley, USA great Michael Phelps can bounce back and add to his incredible gold medal haul with the help of his team-mates in the men’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay.

That will be one of four medal races during the evening session, which also includes the finals of the men’s 100m Breaststroke, women’s 100m Butterfly and the women’s 400m Freestyle, when the home support could lift the roof off the venue if Rebecca Adlington can defend the title she won at Beijing 2008.

In between the morning heats and evening finals, the Diving competition also gets under way, and China will be planning a repeat of their dominance on home soil four years ago.

Wu Minxia will be out to make history by equalling fellow Chinese diver Guo Jingjing’s Olympic Games record of winning six medals when she competes in the women’s 3m Synchro alongside He Zi.

There will be royalty participating too – and not a parachute in sight – as Zara Phillips makes her long-awaited Olympic Equestrian debut at Greenwich Park.

In Cycling, it is the women’s turn to battle it out in the Road Race around a 140km course, which starts and finishes on The Mall and features two climbs of Box Hill.

Marianne Vos of the Netherlands is one of the favourites but will face tough competition from Britain’s defending champion Nicole Cooke and her team-mate Lizzie Armitstead, as well as the likes of Italy’s Giorgia Bronzini and Shelley Olds of the United States.

More Shooting medals will be handed out in the women’s 10m Air Pistol and women’s Skeet events, as well as the men’s -66kg and women’s -52kg judo competitions.

By US Daily Review Staff.

For the first time ever, viewers around the world will have access to thousands of hours of live Olympic event coverage online in what’s being called “the first truly digital Olympics”. While NBC and BBC will be providing unprecedented coverage to the US and UK, dozens of other international providers will be offering online coverage exclusively to their specific region. With so many providers to sort through and limited information on streaming sources, global viewers will need some way to make sense of it all.

FreeCast, the leading source for live streaming event coverage, is offering international viewers a simple way to access live Olympics coverage in their area by aggregating the many streaming sources into one comprehensive global guide. The guide quickly links users to official Olympic provider streams within their specific country, a selection that spans over 150 countries on six continents.

In order to satisfy cable and satellite distributors, several international providers require online viewers to authenticate their cable or satellite subscription before accessing streaming content. Additional limitations include location-based access to content from regional providers only.

FreeCast’s eMedia Guide has been a key part of their success since their launch in January, referring viewers to streaming coverage of such popular live events as the Super Bowl, Academy Awards, NBA Playoffs, Wimbledon and many others.

With over 1.5 million daily video updates, 5000 categorized channels, and dozens of live events each day, FreeCast’s guide consolidates what would normally be an overwhelming amount of content to search through, into one simple point of reference.

FreeCast also offers fully-functioning Facebook and mobile apps, allowing users to access the coverage from anywhere. FreeCast is available at no charge, and can be easily accessed with Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Linkedin account logins.

For additional information, visit:
Website - http://freecast.com
Facebook app - http://apps.facebook.com/freecasttv
Blog - http://freecast.com/news-blog/
PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1j9YV)

By US Daily Review Staff.

Van Andel Institute announces that researchers at Lund University in Sweden have published a study detailing how Parkinson’s disease spreads through the brain. Experiments in rat models uncover a process previously used to explain mad cow disease, in which misfolded proteins travel from sick to healthy cells.

“A major unmet medical need is a therapy that slows disease progression,” said Patrik Brundin M.D., Ph.D., Jay Van Andel Endowed Chair in Parkinson’s Research at Van Andel Research Institute (VARI), Head of the Neuronal Survival Unit at Lund University and senior author of the study. “We aim to better understand how Parkinson’s pathology progresses and thereby uncover novel molecular targets for disease-modifying treatments.”

Previous research demonstrates that a misfolded protein gradually appears in healthy neurons transplanted to the brains of Parkinson’s patients.  In the current study, published this week in the Public Library of Science (PLoS) One, researchers were able to follow events in the recipient cell as it accepts the diseased protein. The experiments also show how the transferred proteins attract proteins in the host cell leading to abnormal folding or “clumping” inside the cells.

“This is a cellular process likely to lead to the disease process as Parkinson’s progresses, and it spreads to an increasing number of brain regions as the patient gets sicker,” said Elodie Angot, Ph.D., of Lund University’s Neuronal Survival Unit, and lead author of the study.

Link to the study here:

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0039465

By Match.com, Special for US Daily Review.

Inspired by this year’s upcoming global games Match.com, the world’s largest dating website, conducted its own international challenge to examine how singles from different cultures match up — or differ — in the game of love. To tally the score, Match.com surveyed over 3,000 singles across six countries, including the U.S., France, U.K., Australia, Japan and Canada to learn more about each nation’s particular dating norms and beliefs.

The results revealed some stark cultural differences between singles on topics such as paying for the first date and who is most likely to move in with a partner first. Some countries, despite being oceans apart, were remarkably aligned in their beliefs and attitudes on dating. For example, France and Japan’s results shattered traditional cultural stereotypes, showing that singles from both countries have surprisingly similar views on dating. While each country came out victorious in at least one category, Match.com’s findings make it clear that the true international language is love!

Here are some of the highlights from Match.com’s Dating Championships survey:

U.S. singles win the gold for going on the most dates, with 76% reporting they have gone on two or more dates in the last year, followed by Canada (70%) and the U.K. (68%). Australia and Japan came in last place at 47%, showing singles in these two countries focus on quality over quantity in dating.

• Why are the U.S. and Canada winning the dating race? It could be due to an abundance of bold women, with 63% of Canadian women and 62% of U.S. women reporting that they have asked a man out on a date.

Aussies are the most likely to kiss on the first date, while the French take their time: 39% of Australian singles are willing to kiss on the first date, while 45% of Brits wait until at least the second date before locking lips. A majority of French singles prefer to wait until they’re in an exclusive relationship before having their first kiss (52%).

Kiss and tell? The French prefer to keep post-date details private, while U.S. singles bare it all: France wins the gold for being the least likely to kiss and tell, with 35% of respondents not sharing details of their dates with their friends, closely followed by Japan at 30%. On the opposite end of the spectrum, U.S. singles were the most likely to tell their friends everything that happened on a date — with 92% admitting they would share at least some details with their pals.

Who pays for the date? Overall, a vast majority of women across the globe reported picking up the bill occasionally, but the responses also indicated that the number of times these single ladies were willing to foot the bill varied wildly by country:

• U.K. women take the gold for splitting the check 50/50 with a majority (52%) reporting that they offered to pick up the check on alternating dates — far more often than women in other countries.
• Most likely to pay? Japanese ladies take the gold for the highest percentage (16%) of women who said they pay the tab on a date all the time, with Australia, France, U.K. and U.S. ladies all lagging behind in second place at 4%.
• Least likely to pay? French women take this spot, with 27% of respondents saying they would never pick up the check while on a date, followed by Australia (20%) and the U.S. (17%).

Australia wins for most PDA-friendly nation: Examining singles’ tolerance of public displays of affection, the survey showed that a majority of singles in all six countries felt that tasteful PDA (such as hand-holding) was tolerable. Aussie singles were the most open to exploring higher levels of PDA, with 22% of those surveyed saying the more affection, the better!

Love at first sight? Japanese singles were top believers in the phenomenon, with 82% affirming its existence vs. the more skeptical U.K, where a lesser 58% (though still a majority) of singles shared this belief.

Moving in: Japanese singles are quickest to take the plunge, while Canadians are last to give up their solo living arrangements. When asked how long they expected to date someone before moving in together, Japanese singles were the most willing to shack up with their partner after less than a year of dating (59%), followed by Australians (50%). Singles in Canada (31%) and the U.S. (34%) were the least willing to cohabitate with a partner after less than one year of dating.

Hottest singles in the world? Besides expressing loyalty to their own countries, those we surveyed agreed that Southern Europe is home to the hottest singles in the world. Japanese and Aussie respondents preferred the singles in Northern Europe.

By Jeremy Morris, Associate Editor, US Daily Review.

Labaton Sucharow LLP recently announced the results of its survey of 500 financial services professionals across the United States and United Kingdom. Conducted by Populus in June, Wall Street, Fleet Street and Main Street: Corporate Integrity at a Crossroads reveals startling data on corporate ethics, the regulatory landscape, and individuals’ willingness to blow the whistle on wrongdoing.  The survey is being released in conjunction with the launch of the firm’s SEC Whistleblower Eligibility Calculator, an innovative web-based tool to enable users to assess their eligibility for the SEC Whistleblower Program.

According to the survey, 24 percent of respondents reported a belief that financial services professionals may need to engage in unethical or illegal conduct in order to be successful, while 26 percent of respondents indicated that they had observed or had firsthand knowledge of wrongdoing in the workplace.  Particularly troubling, 16 percent of respondents reported that they would commit a crime—insider trading—if they could get away with it.

“When misconduct is common and accepted by financial services professionals, the integrity of our entire financial system is at risk,” said Jordan Thomas, partner and chair of the Whistleblower Representation Practice at Labaton Sucharow.  “In this era of corporate scandals, we must refocus our energies on corporate ethics and encourage individuals to report wrongdoing—internally or externally.”

Labaton Sucharow’s survey also revealed the following:

• 39 percent of respondents reported that their competitors are likely to have engaged in illegal or unethical activity in order to be successful;
• 30 percent of respondents reported their compensation or bonus plan created pressure to compromise ethical standards or violate the law, while 23 percent of respondents reported other pressures that may lead to unethical or illegal conduct; and
• 30 percent of respondents feel that the SEC/SFO effectively deters, investigates and prosecutes misconduct—despite the new leadership, record enforcement actions and new reforms; 29 percent of respondents feel the same way about FINRA/FSA.

Chris Keller, partner and head of case development at Labaton Sucharow commented: “It is shocking that four years after the global economic crisis began there continues to be a fundamental lack of integrity in the financial services industry.  For more than 50 years, Labaton Sucharow has been on the forefront of corporate governance reform.  Given the results of this survey, our work is more important than ever.”

Are Whistleblowers the Answer?

As a former assistant director and assistant chief litigation counsel in the Enforcement Division, Thomas played a leadership role in the development of the SEC Whistleblower Program.  The program has broad extraterritorial reach and offers eligible whistleblowers, regardless of nationality, significant employment protections, monetary awards and the ability to report anonymously.  Other jurisdictions around the world are considering initiatives that encourage individuals to break their silence and report possible violations of the law.

While Labaton Sucharow’s survey found that 94 percent of respondents would report wrongdoing given the protections and incentives such as those offered by the SEC Whistleblower Program, only 44 percent of respondents were aware of this important investor protection program.

Scepticism and uncertainty about employers’ handling of claims of misconduct persist.  One in five of the professionals surveyed weren’t sure of, or had serious doubts about, how their employers would handle a report of wrongdoing.  In addition, in the U.S., gender was a factor in attitudes toward retaliation; 22 percent of female respondents believe that they would be retaliated against if they reported wrongdoing in the workplace, compared with 12 percent of male respondents.

Responding both to the lack of awareness of avenues to report wrongdoing and the personal challenges inherent in blowing the whistle, Labaton Sucharow has launched a first-of-its-kind SEC Whistleblower Eligibility Calculator, which may be found at http://www.secwhistlebloweradvocate.com/eligibility/. This confidential web-based tool provides potential whistleblowers with a detailed eligibility report—empowering them to make an informed reporting decision.  This is the latest addition to secwhistlebloweradvocate.com, an innovative website that uses videos, comprehensive legal primers and timely blog entries to help responsible organizations establish a culture of integrity and courageous whistleblowers to report possible securities violations.

Between June 19-25, 2012, Populus conducted 250 online interviews in the U.K. and 250 in the U.S. with senior individuals within the financial services industry.  The full methodology is provided in the survey’s executive summary at www.labaton.com/en/about/press/upload/ US-UK-Financial-Services-Industry-Survey.pdf.

By US Daily Review Staff.

More than 100 cross-Party Parliamentarians rejected the call by the U.S. State Department on members of the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI/MEK) to vacate Camp Ashraf, their home for the past 26 years, without meeting their humanitarian needs. The MPs and Peers described the demand by the State Department as unjust.

They pointed out that Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Iraqi government and the United Nations, and the support of Secretary Clinton for the MoU on 25 December 2011, was the basis for the relocation of Ashraf residents. The residents and leadership of Ashraf have shown their commitments to the MoU. More than 2,000 residents of Ashraf have moved to Camp Liberty in five convoys, trusting UN and US promises that their basic humanitarian rights would not be violated. However the conditions in Camp Liberty and Iraq’s continuous violation of the articles of the MoU leave no room to extend that trust. The real obstacle is the persistent violations of the MoU and other agreements by the Government of Iraq and turning Camp Liberty into a prison.

The MPs and Peers underscored that it was tragic that the State Department and the UN had been silent in the face of the behaviour of the Government of Iraq while it urged the residents to forsake their basic humanitarian requirements and go to Liberty which has been turned into a prison by the Government of Iraq.

We find the demands of the Ashraf residents for the following 10 basic humanitarian needs completely fair and reasonable. None of the following demands are luxurious or non-essential:

1. Transfer of 300 air conditioners from Ashraf to Liberty.
2. Transfer of all the power generators that are currently in Camp Ashraf to Camp Liberty. If there is any dispute about the ownership of the generators, they can be resolved in the future, under supervision of the UN.
3. Transfer of 25 trucks, containing the belongings left over from the fourth and fifth convoys, and six utility vehicles about which there had already been an agreement.
4. Transfer of five forklifts from Ashraf to Liberty for the purpose of moving the residents’ belongings.
5. Transfer of three specially-designed vehicles and six specially-designed trailers for the disabled.
6. Transfer of 50 passenger cars from Ashraf to Liberty. It means one car for every 40 residents, which is absolutely necessary in the hot weather and for wounded and disabled residents.
7. Permission for construction, including the building of pavements, porches, canopies, ramps, special facilities for the disabled and green areas.
8. Connecting Liberty to Baghdad’s water network. Alternatively, the residents should be permitted to hire Iraqi contractors to pump the water into Liberty from a nearby water canal and bring their own water purification system from Ashraf.
9. Allowing merchants or bidders access to Ashraf to negotiate and buy the movable properties as soon as possible and to make advanced payment and start making partial payments to the residents before the resumption of the relocation of the next convoy.
10. Start of negotiations between the residents and their financial representatives and the Iraqi Government to sell the immovable assets and properties, or negotiations with third parties (Iraqi Government should provide permission) to sign the necessary agreements. Partial payments should be made before the relocation. At least 200 residents would remain at Ashraf to maintain and upkeep the properties until they are sold in their entirety.

We find it abhorrent that the US State Department and the UN recently have been involved in setting deadlines for the remaining residents of Ashraf and repeating Iraq’s threat of another attack and massacre at Ashraf. It is not clear to us as to why parallel to the Iranian regime, State Department officials are pushing for the implementation of the ridiculous 20 July deadline, to evict 1,200 defenceless individuals, while none of the 10 items outlined above has been implemented. As soon as they are, all residents will relocate to Liberty.

It is time for the State Department and the UN to put aside this attitude. Instead of setting deadlines for the Iranian dissidents, they should announce a deadline for the Iraqi government to respect the terms of its agreements and correct all breaches of the MoU.  Accepting Iraq’s deadlines for relocating the residents is equivalent to accepting the threat of another massacre and blaming the victims. This is not expected from the State Department.

The residents of Ashraf have repeatedly declared that they would move to Camp Liberty as soon as the above mentioned 10 humanitarian requirements are realised. So far, none has been fulfilled. The State Department should make sure these minimum demands are met by the Government of Iraq, and the transfer to Liberty could be facilitated immediately.

By US Daily Review Staff.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for Germany declined 0.1 percent in May to 104.3 (2004 = 100), following a 0.5 percent decrease in April, and a 0.2 percent increase in March.

At the same time, The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index (CEI) for Germany, a measure of current economic activity, increased 0.1 percent in May to 107.2 (2004 = 100), following a 0.2 percent decline in April, and 0.3 percent increase in March.

Chancellor Angela Merkel

The Conference Board LEI for Germany decreased for the second consecutive month, though its six-month growth rate remains in positive territory because of earlier gains. Meanwhile, The Conference Board CEI for Germany edged up in May, its fourth increase in five months. Taken together, the recent behavior of the composite indexes for Germany suggests that economic activity will probably continue to expand, though the rate of growth may moderate in the near term.

About The Conference Board Leading Economic Index (LEI) for Germany

The composite economic indexes are the key elements in an analytic system designed to signal peaks and troughs in the business cycle. The leading and coincident economic indexes are essentially composite averages of several individual leading or coincident indicators. They are constructed to summarize and reveal common turning point patterns in economic data in a clearer and more convincing manner than any individual component – primarily because they smooth out some of the volatility of individual components.

The seven components of The Conference Board Leading Economic Index for Germany include:

New Orders, Investment Goods

Yield Spread cumulated, 10 year minus 3 month

Change in Inventories

Gross Enterprise and Property Income

Stock Prices

New Orders, Residential Construction

Consumer Confidence Index

About The Conference Board

The Conference Board is a global, independent business membership and research association working in the public interest. Our mission is unique: To provide the world’s leading organizations with the practical knowledge they need to improve their performance and better serve society. The Conference Board is a non-advocacy, not-for-profit entity holding 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status in the United States.

For more information including full press release and technical notes:

http://www.conference-board.org/data/bcicountry.cfm?cid=4

For more information about The Conference Board global business cycle indicators:

http://www.conference-board.org/data/bci.cfm

Summary Table of Composite Indexes
	2012			6-month
	Mar	Apr	May	Sep to May
Leading Economic Index (LEI)	104.9 p	104.4 p	104.3 p
Percent Change	0.2 p	-0.5 p	-0.1 p	1.7 p
Diffusion	85.7	42.9	57.1	92.9
Coincident Economic Index (CEI)	107.3 r	107.1	107.2
Percent Change	0.3 r	-0.2 r	0.1	0.7
Diffusion	75.0	25.0	50.0	50.0
n.a. Not available p Preliminary r Revised Indexes equal 100 in 2004 Source: The Conference Board All Rights Reserved

By US Daily Review Staff.

Mayors of 86 global and regional cities around the world got a surprise gift for the International Chess Day on Friday, July 20 – a competition chess set, with a note from Vladimir Palikhata, President of the Moscow Chess Federation (MCF), extolling the virtues and benefits of chess – “a wise and ancient game,” which, according to the release, can “help reduce stress associated with managing a city” and “bring pleasure.”

Vladimir Palikhata decided to use this opportunity to reach out to the chief administrators of sister cities of Moscow, including London, Chicago, Vienna, Tokyo, and Santiago, to establish and reinforce relations with the chess-playing community in these cities.

“It gives me pleasure to congratulate Mayors of so many cities on our holiday,” said Palikhata. “I know that some are already very good players. Others may yet develop an interest in the game.”

First VP of the MCF Nikita Kim added that the gift chess sets were “one of several actions we are planning to strengthen MCF partnership relations overseas.” He emphasized that “Vladimir Palikhata sees developing MCF’s relations with international partners as very important.”

Russian capital has 85 sister cities; Paris is Moscow’s “partner city”.  Moscow Chess Federation, established in 1970, aims to develop and popularize chess in the Russian capital. It is headed by Vladimir Palikhata, successful Russian businessman and philanthropist. Under Palikhata’s watch, the Federation underwent rebranding, announced major chess tournaments and nurtured three new chess champions.

By Political Science & Politics, Special for US Daily Review.

Published by Cambridge University Press for the American Political Science Association, PS is the only quarterly professional news and commentary journal in the field of political science. The July edition offers fascinating articles on:

Rudeness in public life
In a six-article symposium, Political Civility, eight authors put incivility in politics in the spotlight, holding political leaders, campaign consultants, the media, and voters themselves to account for defaulting to a position of rudeness and entrenchment that undermines useful compromise. A common theme is that current levels of incivility are troubling and are preventing much-needed bipartisanship in the face of the nation’s problems. Although many established politicians regularly demonstrate an aptitude for civility, the media’s focus on conflict has led to a substantial cohort of voters who are trained to respond to the rude, uncompromising face of politicians, pushing the dream of a politics of compromise even further away.

Unleashing the pet-factor

"Pets in the White House" are Among Topics Covered

The way presidents use their pets to communicate with the nation and strengthen their position is examined in Unleashing Presidential Power: The Politics of Pets in the White House. Authors Forrest Maltzman, James Lebovic, Elizabeth Saunders, and Emma Furth demonstrate that pets can be both an important power center in the White House and a crucial part of a president’s strategy to engage the public. The authors outline the conditions under which presidents are most likely to trot out their four-legged friends and show that presidents give much careful thought to when to conduct a dog and pony show. In times of war or scandal, dogs are welcome public companions, but in periods of economic hardship they are best left in the kennel.

Obama’s GLB backlash?
How much Obama owes to the gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) vote and how much they may punish him for failing to pass employment laws to protect them come under discussion in President Obama and Gay Rights: The 2008 and 2012 Presidential Election. Mary McThomas and Robert Buchanan examine the past role and potential impact of GLB voters in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections to assess fluctuations in support for the Democratic Party by GLB voters. They estimate how much the GLB vote counted toward Obama’s victory margin in battleground states and argue that, with the Obama Administration’s failure to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, the president could be held accountable in the 2012 election for failing to protect GLB people from job discrimination.

Getting it Right in Left-dominated higher education
In Diversifying the Academy: How Conservative Academics Can Thrive in Liberal Academia, two Republican political scientists, Robert Maranto and Matthew Woessner, take on received wisdom that conservative academics face severe discrimination in a higher education world dominated by left leaning professors. Exploring emerging research and drawing on their own experiences, Maranto and Woessner find a more complex picture, arguing that conservative intellectuals can survive and even thrive (at least in political science). They go on to recommend steps that right leaning faculty can take to avoid needless political conflict and work happily in a profession largely dominated by the Left.

Women publish but still perish on the academic ladder
The well-known academic mantra, “publish or perish” holds true in political departments up and down the United States – except if you are a woman ambitious to move from assistant to associate professor. This is the shocking finding of Vicki Hesli, Jae Mook Lee, and Sara McLaughlin Mitchell outlined in their article Predicting Rank Attainment in Political Science: What Else Besides Publications Affects Promotion? The trio present research that substantiates “publish or perish” but with the notable exception of the movement of women up a ranking system where they found that men have a significant advantage in gaining tenure. Analyzing the main factors that have a bearing on climbing the ladder in political departments, they uncovered no discernible link among women between the number of publications they have produced and the likelihood of their being an associate professor. Hearteningly, they also found that those women who survive the tenure process are as likely as men to move up the academic ladder to full professor.

It all makes for great reading, says PS Managing Editor, Barbara Walthall, and that’s not all:

“We also have some superb reports on an analysis of polls that show that 25% of Americans think President Obama is Muslim, an examination of a growing trend of class disparities in youth voting, and the findings of a 13-year study comparing online and traditional learning.”

“It’s a really intriguing collection of timely articles, for specialist or nonspecialist,that are both interesting and exceptionally timely!”

By US Daily Review Staff.

“Low fares business travel specialist” Lets Fly Cheaper (LFC) has updated its list of international and domestic airports with the worst records for delayed flights. LFC’s new “World’s Worst Airports for Business Travelers” list rates the airports on the number of delayed flights as a percentage of overall monthly airport movement (flights).

“Our mid-year “worst airports” list looks at airports around the world from the perspective of a business traveler. We focus on delayed departing flights –- the most relevant statistic for the busy business traveler, who cannot afford to miss important meetings. What’s different this time around from our end-of-year 2011 list is that we’ve included context for the flight delay statistics,” said Ramon Van Meer, Lets Fly Cheaper marketing director. “In addition to the total number of delayed flights we looked at the monthly volume of flights, or aircraft movement at each airport. Thus  our new “world’s worst airports” list for July 2012 ranks the “winners” based not solely on number of delayed flights, but on percentage of delayed to total flights for the airport.”

LFC’s research found the most chronically backed up airports in Asia, with Beijing’s Capital Airport topping the charts with a whopping 67 percent of delayed flights, Shanghai’s Pu Dong registering 37 percent delayed flights and Singapore with 18 percent delays. Europe also has two in the top five:  Paris’ Charles De Gaulle Airport with 20 percent of flights delayed and London’s Heathrow with 17 percent. Chicago’s O’Hare, with 10,142 flights delayed in the past 30 days should be #3 worst — if the list were based strictly on number of delayed flights.

However, because of its high flight volume (73,040 aircraft movements/month) it actually ranks much better. In fact, it ties New York’s JFK and San Francisco at 14 percent of flights delayed, even though those airports have only about 50 percent of O’Hare’s volume.

“What we found is that airport “busyness” is not necessarily correlated with flight delays,” explained van Meer. “In the U.S. and Europe there is a large mid-section of performers that are all pretty comparable – and really not bad at all — in their delayed flight records.  What really stands out for us, however, is the super high-volume airports like Atlanta (80,000+ flights per month) coming in at only 9 percent delays against airports half as busy with significantly worse delay records.”

The “world’s worst airports for business travelers” list is based on these statistics:

The Lets Fly Cheaper “World’s Worst Airports for Business Travelers” findings are based on flight delay statistics from flightstats.com and airport flight volume numbers from Airports Council International.  *Shanghai Pu Dong information is from the airport’s website and based on self-reported volume of 400 flights/day (400 x 30 = 12,000 month). **Singapore Changi flight volume is from AirlinesAirports.com

By US Daily Review Staff.

A new Christian Solidarity International (CSI) report released today calls on Egypt’s Islamist government and the international community – especially the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton – to investigate and take strong measures to prevent the disappearance, forced marriage and forced conversion to Islam of Coptic Christian women and girls.

The report, entitled “Tell My Mother I Miss Her,” confirms that Coptic women and girls are deceptively lured or abducted into forced marriages with Muslim men and then to conversions to Islam, which frequently take place under duress and physical abuse.

The report’s co-authors, Michele Clark, adjunct professor at George Washington University, and Coptic human rights activist Nadia Ghaly, undertook research in Egypt in November 2011 in the midst of the uprising that resulted in the political ascent of the Muslim Brotherhood and other radical Islamist forces. According to Clark and Ghaly, the disappearance of Coptic women and girls has “escalated” since the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak in February 2011.

“Tell My Mother I Miss Her” was released in connection with today’s Congressional Helsinki Commission hearing on violence against Coptic women in Egypt, chaired by Congressman Chris Smith.  Speaking as a witness before the hearing, Professor Clark stated, “Coptic women in Egypt are disappearing from their homes, their schools and their jobs.  These cases are not allegations.”

The hearing also featured testimony from an Egyptian Christian woman who received asylum in the United States after narrowly escaping abduction in Alexandria in January 2011.  She was rescued by a doorman who saw her and her infant daughter being dragged into a taxi by a man shouting that she was “an enemy of Islam.”

“I’m here today, so I can tell you what happened to me,” she said. “I wonder about the others that weren’t saved.  What happened to them?”

Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), who chaired the hearing, called the forced disappearances “an outrageous crime,” and called the U.S. State Department’s failure to respond to repeated requests from the Commission to investigate the disappearances “appalling.”

“Unless the Copts and Coptic women and girls are protected,” he said, “Egypt will not be strong, Egypt will not be stable, and Egypt will not be a successful democracy.”

Dr. John Eibner, the CEO of CSI-USA, called on the U.S. State Department and non-governmental organizations that specialize in women’s rights, human trafficking and religious liberty to conduct further research into this crime, commenting that, “Denial and obfuscation will neither help victimized Christian women, nor challenge the religious bigotry and sexism that impedes the development of democracy in Egypt.”

The new report can be accessed online at:  http://csi-usa.org/TellMyMotherIMissHer.pdf. It should be read in conjunction with the 2009 report, which is available at http://www.csi-int.org/pdfs/csi_coptic_report.pdf.

By US Daily Review Staff. Source: Lucintel

Turkey’s 78.8 million citizens provide a large and growing market, well complemented by its geostrategic location. During 2001-2011, Turkey’s GDP, values at $763 billion in 2011, grew at a CAGR of 4%. Over the next five years, Lucintel estimates the Turkish economy will grow to $1,226 billion at current price by 2017 with a 13.2% CAGR.

Lucintel, a leading global management consultingand market research firm, has analyzed Turkey’s political, economic, social environment and business risk and presents its findings in “Turkey Country Analysis 2012-2017: An Evaluation of Political, Social, Economic and Business Risk.”

The Turkish economy has its own share of problems as it witnessed higher inflation in 2011 due to the depreciation of Turkish Lira, high import prices, and increasing food prices. Moreover, decreasing exports because of the ongoing Euro crisis is expected to have a negative growth impact in the coming years.

Yet, Turkey which is enriched in such natural resources as iron ores, coal, nuclear, hydro power, etc. is an attractive country for FDI. The prudent economic and developmental policies made by its stable government has acceleratedgrowthand blended this economy into the globalized world. In Turkey, fresh incentives are being provided to promote FDI with the intent of increasing its international competitiveness through innovation and technological development. Turkey has a favorable dependency ratio by having enough working age population to support older population in coming years. The government is focused on increasing research and development expenditure.

This Lucintel research report provides insights into the country overview, turkey’s economic performance, and a detail risk analysis of political, social, economic and business aspects. This research study is designed and intended for use by new entrants, manufacturers, OEMs, investors, executives, and consultants focused on the market of Turkey.

The data and analysis found in this report can be utilized for a variety of functional business reasons, including: Business Development, Strategic Planning, Determination of Market Size and Trends, Competitive Analysis, Investment Decisions, and Joint Product Development.

By US Daily Review Staff.

The following is being released by Global Strategic Communications Group:

A former official of the U.S. Department of State has called for Joris Demmink, Secretary-General of the Dutch Ministry of Security and Justice, to be barred from entry to the United States until he has answered accusations of child rape in a court of law.

In a UPI ”Outside View” column, Anthony T. Salvia, former special adviser to the U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs in the Reagan Administration, among other official assignments, urged a strong official U.S. response to charges that Demmink – his ministry’s top career official – sexually assaulted numerous boys, including two Turkish citizens who at the time were 14 and 12 years old.

“The Demmink case is an internal Dutch affair but there are things Washington can do to protect the rights of children in this affair,” writes Salvia.   “For one thing, it can and must deny Demmink the right to enter the United States until such time as he has answered the charges against him in a court of law.  For another, Congress should have hearings on child sex trafficking and the role governmental officials may be playing in surreptitiously aiding and abetting it — in whichever country — with a particular focus on the activities of Demmink.”

Salvia calls for additional Congressional attention to Demmink:  “The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs committees should throw a spotlight on the implications of having an alleged sexual predator as the highest-ranking civil servant in the justice ministry of one of the Netherlands – one of our closest and most valued allies. If aberrant sexual behavior on the part of government officials is believed to expose them to possible blackmail by enemies foreign and domestic, surely the grave crime of pedophilia leaves them uniquely vulnerable.”

“The Netherlands is a member of NATO and is undoubtedly privy to national security information,” observes Salvia.  “Do we really feel comfortable knowing that the secretary-general of the Dutch Ministry of Security and Justice stands accused of pedophilia and of using his powers of office to avoid investigation and prosecution? The Dutch legal authorities must deal with the charges that have been brought against Demmink swiftly and definitively. Meanwhile, he must not be allowed to take any official actions in cases having to do with the heinous practice of pedophilia, child pornography and child sex trafficking.”

Salvia also calls for action by the Department of State, where he formerly served:  “The U.S. Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons should address a sharp inquiry to its counterpart in the Dutch Foreign Affairs Ministry, and be prepared to suspend all bilateral cooperation with the Netherlands until this matter is satisfactorily resolved.”

Formerly special adviser to the U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs in the Reagan Administration,  Anthony T. Salvia also served as and director of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Moscow bureau and at the Department of Defense.)

By US Daily Review Staff.

AJC marks the 18th anniversary of the terror attack on the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires—the deadliest terrorist attack against a Jewish target in the Diaspora in decades—with a call to the international community to aid Argentina in bringing the Iranian and Hezbollah perpetrators to justice.

“Those governments truly committed to combating international terrorist organizations and their state sponsors must fully support the quest for justice,” said AJC Executive Director David Harris. “The fact that justice has not been done reminds us of the danger that Iran and its allies pose to the region.”

On the morning of July 18, 1994, a car bomb demolished the AMIA headquarters, killing 85 and wounding some 300. This came just two years after the 1992 bombing of the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires.

The special prosecutor assigned by the government of Argentina to the case unequivocally identified Iran and its proxy, Hezbollah, as the responsible parties, and provided Interpol with the names of six suspects. Interpol has issued red notices for their capture, but none has yet been extradited or arrested, and one of them, Ahmed Vahidi, the current Iranian defense minister, travels the world with impunity.

This anniversary comes as Iran is striving to attain nuclear capability in defiance of international opinion, and its president denies the Holocaust and threatens to destroy Israel. At the same time, Iran is engaged in an aggressive policy of outreach to several countries in Latin America, exploiting anti-American sentiment and offering monetary incentives.

AMIA is an AJC international partner, and AJC has stood at the side of the local Jewish community from the first moments of the tragedy, when an AJC group traveled to Buenos Aires, calling for justice and warning about the ongoing Iranian attempts to gain a foothold in the Western Hemisphere. This year once again, AJC Miami and its Latino and Latin American Institute are key conveners of a community-wide event to remember the atrocity and call for justice.

Looking at the news and opinion out of London each day.

7-16-12

Coalition will not make it to election, predicts senior Tory

The Coalition between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats is “very likely” to end before the general election scheduled for 2015, a senior Tory has predicted.

Ed Miliband will kiss and make up with the unions at the Durham Miners’ Gala

Ed Miliband will become the first Labour leader for more than 20 years to attend the Durham Miners’ Gala – but what’s behind his visit?

Double standards II?

7-15-12

7-14-12

Double standards?

7-13-12

Louise Mensch: give us a referendum on Lords reform

Conservative Louise Mensch called for a referendum on Lords reform saying concessions offered by Downing Street so far would not be sufficient to win over the rebels.

School-of-Brown politics is as destructive as ever

The reform bill fiasco has vindicated the militant oppositionism embodied by Ed Balls, and may yet threaten the coalition

In the Coalition’s darkest hour, it must return to the Rose Garden

After the Government’s defeat on reform of the House of Lords, a fresh agreement with the Lib Dems might just give the careworn PM a new lease of life

The war of the Lords

The first skirmish ended in stalemate, reports Martin Shapland. Now, the long, bloody entrenched war of attrition on Lords reform begins and a referendum may be both inevitable and desirable

7-11-12

The immorality of taxing the minimum wage

7-10-12

Lords retreat is an abject humiliation for Nick Clegg

Following crisis talks, the Prime Minister and his petulant Deputy have decided to drop the programme motion connected to the House of Lords reform bill.

Greece may have to choose between the euro and the radical left

The dominant forces in Syriza remain committed to the euro, but an increasingly powerful radical left has other ideas

Osborne is right about Balls. Tories must get behind him.

We must prove Lords reform is not a Lib Dem pet project

Unless Lib Dems can show House of Lords reform to be a matter of democratic importance, it could end up in the same heap of embarrassing failures as AV

Why the Right should claim Robin Hood for itself

View last weeks Across The Pond

By US Daily Review Staff. Source: Invest Victoria

Australia set a new world record on June 30, 2012 of 21 years of continued economic growth - an achievement unmatched by any other developed country in recent times. While the global economic crisis endured, Australia’s trade with Asia, mining industry, and business supportive government drove positive growth for the country in 2012.

Each of the first three quarters of the 2011/2012 Australian financial year reported positive economic growth of 1.0 percent, 1.0 percent and 0.9 percent respectively according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Exact growth for the fourth quarter will be reported by September, but it is forecasted by HSBC to continue the positive growth pattern.

“The Australian economy has proven itself to be dynamic and robust over the past 20 years,” said PricewaterhouseCoopers Economics and Policy leader Jeremy Thorpe. “Australia’s economic strength is envied across the world. Thanks to a resilient natural resources sector, the Australian economy is well positioned for future growth.”

While natural resources attracted investors to Australia from around the world, specific regions have benefited from a focus on high-tech sectors and reinvestment in local economies. Despite making up just 3 percent of Australia’s land mass, the state of Victoria – where the city of Melbourne is located – is responsible for almost a quarter (24 percent) of Australia’s economy and has AAA credit ratings from Standard and Poor’s and Moody’s. Victoria’s economy is larger than that of Singapore or Hong Kong.

A combination of household consumption, private business investment and Victoria’s exports has driven growth. Despite the high Australian dollar, Victorian goods exports grew by 4.6 percent in the last quarter and more than nine per cent over the year.

The most recent release of Australia’s National Accounts showed that final demand within the state of Victoria had increased by 1.8 percent over the March quarter and 2.7 percent over the year. Victoria’s growth over the last quarter was the strongest of all states with exception of Western Australia which is the beneficiary of the mining boom.

Melbourne is the center of the $1.4 trillion Australian pension industry as well as headquarters of the country’s leading sovereign wealth funds and half of Australia’s leading banks. It is one of the world’s foremost biotechnology hubs and home to more research universities than any other city of its size. Its expertise in information communications technology has drawn major investment from Microsoft, IBM and Computershare, and the network operations center for the ambitious National Broadband Network. Studies show that companies conducting R&D in Melbourne bear 88 percent less tax burden than in the United States.

“Victoria has always hosted a diverse and smart economy,” said Michael Kapel, Commissioner to the Americas for the Government of Victoria, Australia. “The government of Victoria continues to offer innovative ways to encourage growth, including recent incentives such as the R&D tax credit, which makes Melbourne one of the most attractive locations in the world for R&D. We are inviting US companies to follow the likes of Microsoft and IBM to come to Melbourne and be part of one of the world’s most reliable and dynamic economies.”

By US Daily Review Staff.

While remote villages in Africa may not be the most expected place to find solar, IndiGo is shining light on unheard of locations through a “Pay As You Go” solar program which allows rural villagers to generate their own power via a photovoltaic panel and battery pack.  They can then purchase the produced energy for as little as $1 a week.

This unique program has caught the eye of Soluxe Solar, a Connecticut-based solar company.  The IndiGo program receives this week’s Soluxe “Solar Flare” – a weekly honor the company bestows on an individual or company making great strides in the world of solar advancement.

“Each day we are seeing solar develop and create opportunities never before thought possible,” says Soluxe Solar CEO Jeffrey Mayer.  “The creativity behind the IndiGo program, which not only has tremendous potential to improve the lives of people in these remote locations but also have a positive impact on our environment as well is fantastic.  We felt this was the perfect choice for this week’s Solar Flare.”

The solar company announces its weekly “Solar Flare” honoree on the company’s facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/SoluxeSolar and website, www.soluxesolar.com.

For a more in-depth look at the IndiGo program, visit http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/16/world/pay-solar-africa/index.html

SOLUXE SOLAR Soluxe Solar is committed to helping homeowners and small business owners take advantage of the sun’s free energy using solar power systems.  Headquartered in Darien, CT, the Soluxe Solar leadership team combines decades of expertise in the energy markets and solar technology.  Soluxe Solar prides itself on delivering premium customer service, high quality products, and hassle-free installation.  Soluxe Solar aims to help customers save money and save the planet at the same time.

By US Daily Review Staff.

Singapore has been ranked the most innovative country in Asia and the third worldwide after Switzerland and Sweden in INSEAD’s recently released Fifth Global Innovation Index (GII). This represents Singapore’s second consecutive year at the top of the index. Singapore’s regional rival, Hong Kong, was placed in the eighth position, making it the only other Asian city within the top 20 positions.

The 2012 GII analyzed 141 countries based on seven broad categories that measure innovation capabilities and output namely:

1) institutions,
2) human capital and research,
3) infrastructure,
4) market sophistication,
5) business sophistication,
6) science outputs, and
7) creative outputs.

“According to GII, Singapore’s solid input performance can be attributed to its effective governance, attractive business and regulatory environment, trade sophistication, e-government services as well as high quality tertiary education and knowledge workers. It also offers world class innovation capabilities coupled with a robust research community.  Not to mention the fast growing tourist industry. Big travel companies such as Expedia even offers packet guide. In 2010, R&D expenditure and workforce in the country grew to over $6.4 billion and 43,000 respectively. In turn, it comes to no surprise that many technology investors and big players are keen to form a Singapore company or set up their R&D bases in Singapore,” said Mr. James Nuben, Head of Tax Division, Asiabiz Services, a Singapore company registration consultancy.

Mr. Nuben further highlighted the positive impact of the GII report, stating that it will boost Singapore’s efforts to attract more foreign investments.

“INSEAD’s index has once again affirmed that Singapore is the undisputed innovation leader in Asia and is on the right track to create the most conducive environment for innovation inputs. We are positive that the index underscores Singapore’s strengths as a research incubator and attract more firms to set up an R&D base in the country. In turn, this may attract more investors to choose Singapore relocation and develop high-potential technologies for the benefit of the larger global community,” added Mr. Nuben.

Researchers in Equatorial Guinea may have discovered up to four new species of amphibians on Bioko Island. They believe that the island may be a kind of “ark” for amphibians where species have developed immunities to at least some of the diseases that are currently affecting amphibian populations worldwide.

The researchers, Patrick McLaughlin and Professor Gail Hearn, both from Drexel University, are part of the Bioko Biodiversity Protection Program (BBPP), a joint research effort by Drexel and the National University of Equatorial Guinea, with funding from the Exxon-Mobil Foundation. Ph.D. candidate McLaughlin and Professor Hearn began their research together in 2009, studying the distribution and abundance of frog species on Bioko Island for insight into specialization and analysis of potential threats to the habitat of vital importance and to the populations.

On June 28, 2012, they issued the results of their study, which confirmed the initial estimates of high diversity of amphibians on the island. The results included four or more new species and the presence of two others that were thought to only exist in the Continental Region and are in danger of extinction.

Overall, the study reveals a broad diversity that includes more than 35 species of amphibians divided into eight families. The results also confirm the presence on the island of chytridiomycosis, a disease that is fatal to amphibians elsewhere. The disease is widely extended on Bioko but not fatal, which suggests that the amphibians of Bioko have developed resistance to it.

The future analysis will assess in detail the most endangered species and develop specific plans for the preservation of each. This study also revealed that Bioko contains many rare and endangered species, along with a host of other endemic species, and could be considered a kind of “amphibian ark” for the conservation of West Africa.

“We generally thought if there were substantial morphological differences from any other known frog species, it might well be a new species,” said Professor Hearn. “In one case, the frog had been photographed and collected back in the 1960s, but the only specimen was lost in transit back in Europe, so it was never described to science.”

According to Professor Hearn, the new species that McLaughlin discovered were vetted by other West African amphibian experts at a recent international workshop in Italy, which gave her reason to believe in their authenticity despite the morphological variability often found in these frogs.  “We will be collaborating on the final species descriptions and will be including the still-pending DNA analysis,” she said.

Bioko Island is located just off the coast of west central Africa, 20 miles from Cameroon. It is home to Africa’s greatest concentration of endangered primates and over fifty unique species of plants. In addition, Bioko now has over 35 species of amphibians accounted for thanks to the work of McLaughlin and Dr. Hearn.

About Equatorial Guinea

The Republic of Equatorial Guinea (Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial) is the only Spanish-speaking country in Africa, and one of the smallest nations on the continent. In the late-1990s, American companies helped discover the country’s oil and natural gas resources, which only within the last five years began contributing to the global energy supply. Equatorial Guinea is now working to serve as a pillar of stability and security in its region of West Central Africa. The country hosted the 2011 Summit of the African Union. For more information, visit http://www.guineaecuatorialpress.com.

By US Daily Review Staff.

This summer, as the London 2012 Olympic Games unfold, we’ll witness the flight of the “Social Media Butterflies,” digitally savvy moms who crave connection and conversation around major events. Expect these women to be one of the most active and engaging consumer segments as their use of social media often outpaces other demographic and user groups – including the hyper connected members of Gen Y and Gen Z. This is among the key findings from the 2012 Taylor Consumer Engagement Survey: Social Media and the Olympic Games.

Taylor  is the only agency that has been on the ground supporting consumer brands at every Olympic Games since 1984. Given how social media and digital technologies impact the consumer experience with global properties like the Olympics, Taylor designed and commissioned this survey of more than 1,000 U.S. consumers to fully understand how they will be viewing, sharing, and interacting with the London 2012 Games. The survey provides learning and insight across several important consumer targets, including: Avid Olympic Fans, Moms aged 25-54, Affluent Americans with HHI 100k+, Youth aged 13-23, and mobile device users (mobile phone, Smartphone, and Tablet). Fielded by MarketProbe International, a global research company, the survey was supplemented with trends research, analysis and insights from Taylor’s Brand Counsel Group.

London 2012 promises to be the first true “social media games” where fans (and the brands that want to appeal to them) have the opportunity to connect across time zones via 24 hours of content and coverage in real time across multiple platforms.

“Multiple screens mean multiple viewpoints when watching events like the Olympic Games. Everyone in the household – moms, dads, kids, family and friends – will have their own platforms to share their unique perspective. This creates a more personalized experience for fans,” said Jackson Jeyanayagam, Senior Vice President, Digital Strategy, Taylor.

Taylor’s survey reveals just how much computers and mobile devices will be pivotal platforms for the London Games. Of the total survey sample, 20% state if they could choose just one device to watch the Olympic Games it would be something other than TV.

To brand marketers, this is especially enticing as social media engagement around major sports and entertainment properties like the Super Bowl and the Grammy Awards has been intensifying exponentially. When considering the uniqueness of the Olympic Games, which are played out over 17 full days and feature thousands of athletes competing across 26 sports, the implications and opportunities for brands to connect with consumers via various touch-points throughout the day are unparalleled. In fact, Taylor’s survey shows from the early morning through lunchtime, more than half of Moms say they will be using social media sites to post original content and comments.

“Moms are the consummate social media butterflies in that they use and rely on these types of digital platforms for information, inspiration, and inclusion,” said Katina Scott, Vice President, Brand Planning Director, Taylor. “While many moms are not traditional sports fans, they have a strong affinity toward the Olympics. When looking for a trusted source of information on the Games, more than half of Moms say that social media is the most important source of information about the Olympics.”

Other insights and emerging trends of the survey include:

• Friends and Family: ”Sofalizing,” or socializing in person and on social media platforms while watching a televised event, will be an integral part of the Olympic Games experience. More than half (51%) of those surveyed say the Olympics are more fun to watch with friends and family, and even more Avid fans (72%) believe this to be true.
• Traditional Media Remains Relevant: Despite the proliferation of mobile devices and digital content platforms, more than 40% of those surveyed claim that newspapers are one of the three most important sources of information – more than sports websites or social media sites.
• Not APPropos: While there are half a million apps and counting, only 6% surveyed say they plan on downloading apps to help them watch/follow the Olympic Games and fewer than 10% say apps specifically for the Olympic Games are a big part of enjoying the event.

Source: PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1d5y9)

By Jeremy Morris, Associate Editor, US Daily Review.

Three quarters of Canadians (74 per cent) admit they have no financial plan to pay for long-term care if they needed it, according to a new poll by Leger Marketing on behalf of the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA).

“Canadians have not adequately prepared for their future long-term care needs,” says Frank Swedlove, President of the CLHIA. “Baby boomers are aging and unless action is taken now, they will fall well short in funding their long-term care. Governments and Canadians have to work together to help close the gap by being more effective in how long-term care is provided.”

The CLHIA estimates that it will cost almost $1.2 trillion to provide long-term care to the baby boomer generation as they pass through old age, and that current government programs and funding will only cover about half of this. The resulting $590 billion funding shortfall is the equivalent of about 95 per cent all individual registered savings plans in Canada today.

Most worrisome is that the polling also shows that 55 per cent of Canadians believe government health care programs cover half or more of the cost of their long-term care needs.

Today, the CLHIA released a policy statement setting out a number of recommendations to ensure that Canadians will have access to high quality long-term care services through old age.

Swedlove added, “Not only does the current long-term care system not have adequate capacity for our future needs, but patient care suffers as too often care is provided in inappropriate settings.” The Leger poll showed that 77 per cent would prefer to receive care in their own homes.

To address the funding shortfall, while also enhancing patient care, the CLHIA concludes that:

• Governments can help close the funding gap by being more effective in how long-term care is provided to Canadians;
• Canadians need incentives to take responsibility to protect themselves from the possible high long-term care costs of the future and governments can help; and
• In order to meet the increased demand for resources, including long-term care beds, health care professionals and volunteers, the public and private sectors must work together to find solutions.

The CLHIA’s paper makes a number of detailed recommendations for the consideration of governments, stakeholders and Canadians after significant consultations with academics, professionals and industry experts.

About the Survey

The survey was completed online from June 4th to June 6th, 2012 using Leger Marketing’s online panel, LegerWeb, with a sample of 1501 Canadians.

A probability sample of the same size would yield a margin of error of ±2.5%, 19 times out of 20.

According to a statement, “the Canadian life and health insurance industry provides a wide range of financial security products, including life insurance, annuities (including RRSPs, RRIFs and pensions) and supplementary health insurance, to about 26 million Canadians and their dependents.  Established in 1894, the CLHIA is a voluntary association whose member companies account for 99 per cent of Canada’s life and health insurance business.”

By Jeremy Morris, Associate Editor, US Daily Review.

A dramatic increase in new cars sales is likely to see more consumers visiting price comparison sites, such as comparethemarket.com, to ensure they’ve got the best price on insurance for their new cars.

Figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed that new car sales jumped to 162,288 last month, a 7.9% rise compared with May 2011.  This was the largest percentage increase in sales for 23 months, bringing the total car sales for 2012 so far to 868,166 – a 2.6% rise over the first five months of 2012.* The best-selling car in May was the Vauxhall Corsa, but the UK’s most popular car of the year so far is the Ford Fiesta with 50,507 sold so far.  But whatever car people choose, comparison sites like comparethemarket.com allow people to simply compare insurance products and ensure they get the right cover for their new car.Simon McCulloch, Director of Insurance at comparethemarket.com said: “With an increasing number of new cars on the road, drivers will be even more conscious of getting the right car insurance cover at the right price. comparethemarket.com offers drivers an easy way to compare quotes on car insurance from a wide range of insurers. ”

Specialising in more than just car insurance, comparethemarket.com provides customers with an easy way to find the right deal on a wide range of insurance and financial products including home insurance, van insurance, bike insurance, life insurance, pet insurance and credit cards.  It also offers comparisons for a range of household utilities including electricity, gas, phone, broadband and digital TV.

*http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18365145

About comparethemarket.com

• comparethemarket.com was launched in 2006 and has grown rapidly over the past six years to become one of the UK’s leading price comparison websites. 
• comparethemarket.com provides customers with an easy way to make the right choice for them on a wide range of products including motor, home, life, travel and pet insurance as well as utilities and money products such as, credit cards and loans.
• comparethemarket.com actively selects its brand partners, working with the best and most trusted organisations to ensure quality service to consumers.comparethemarket.com is a trading name of BISL Limited.  BISL Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Registered Address: Pegasus House, Bakewell Road, Orton Southgate, Peterborough, PE2 6YS. Registered in England number 3231094.

By US Daily Review Staff.

In 2011, man-in-the-street uprisings wrenched power from the hands of dictators in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. Popularly dubbed the Arab Spring, the events were also called the “Facebook Revolution” to reflect to the use of online communication channels to share information and organize protests. Author Say Dozeman’s novel “The White House Games” depicts a second Facebook Revolution in which the populace shifts the center of power from the White House to the smartphone.

“If I had to describe my book, I’d tell you to think of a combination of The Hunger Games, Survivor and Celebrity Apprentice,” said Dozeman. “Ultimately, it is 1776 all over again.”

“The White House Games” is Dozeman’s third book and the first in a planned series of political novels. The book begins with the main character, Ramsay Duncan, furious at the twisted predilection of politicians in near-future society for treating wartime missions as video games or reality shows. When he makes a change, his actions usher in a new generation of “Founding Fathers, Mothers, Brothers and Sisters.”

Originally from Nigeria but describing himself “an American by choice,” Dozeman is a member of royalty that has ruled in Nigeria since at least 1630 A.D., and his name is actually Prince (Dr.) Ade Dosunmu in his homeland. After earning his medical degree in Lagos, he emigrated to the United States and completed his psychiatry residency at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta while holding a variety of odd jobs.

Thereafter, he studied informatics at both Harvard and MIT simultaneously but did not complete the program. “I dropped out after 9/11,” he explained. “I could no longer stomach the idea of hiding in an ivory tower while the world was falling apart.” Nonetheless, Dozeman dreams of one day endowing a chair in informatics at Harvard or MIT, as well as Medilag and Morehouse, in honor of an influential professor.

Part of Dozeman’s motivation for writing “The White House Games” was his desire to contribute to the debate about America’s future in the hope of avoiding mistakes that have prevented his home country Nigeria from realizing its potential. Working on the frontlines of healthcare with everyday Americans helped inform his outlook on the disparities cited in the novel, which highlights the role of government and taxation in Americans’ lives.

“This book will appeal to free thinkers, market watchers, entrepreneurs, students, pundits and others who are not afraid to ask hard questions about where our country is heading,” commented Dozeman.

“The White House Games” (HellRaiser Enterprises, LLC, June 14, 2012, $2.99) is available in ebook format from Amazon and Barnes & Noble and can be downloaded onto iPad and iPhone, Sony eReader, Kobo, Diesel and other e-book readers.

Dozeman is currently working on a game version of “The White House Games” for iPhone and iPad, scheduled for release in mid-August.

About Say Dozeman

Say Dozeman is a writer, board-certified American psychiatrist and martial arts instructor. His other books include “Born Wild” and “Prepare for War.”

Dozeman is the founder and CEO of American Brain, LLC and received America’s Top Psychiatrists awards in 2009, 2010 and 2011. He is also the founder and CEO of HellRaiser Enterprises, LLC and Art of War Dojo. Dozeman has studied several styles of martial arts since 1972 and has won the Grand Championship Belt in the U.S. Open National Karate & Kung Fu Union Championships. He currently teaches Goju Karate under the direction of Hanshi Sinclair Thorne.

Survey reveals 71 per cent of companies forego increased productivity and enhanced customer service by not exploring cloud computing

By US Daily Review. Source: The Office of the President of Mongolia

During their “productive” forty-minute meeting prior to Secretary Clinton’s prepared remarks to an international conference, President Elbegdorj stressed his belief that mutually beneficial economic opportunities will play a significant role in continuing to elevate the relationship between the United States and Mongolia. He also stressed the importance of such bilateral partnerships to deepen democratic roots in the region.

During the meeting, President Elbegdorj stated to Secretary Clinton:

“Our economy has been rapidly growing.  This growth creates wonderful opportunities for us to further consolidate democracy, ensure human rights, invest in infrastructure and other sectors and expand our international relations.

“We are working to ensure that the revenues from mining are shared by each and every citizen in Mongolia. To establish justice, we are fighting against corruption and reforming our judiciary. Because our country is open and our people free, we are confident that we will succeed in overcoming the challenges and further strengthen democracy.”

The President expressed his interest in advancing discussions on a bilateral transparency agreement, and commended Secretary Clinton for her extraordinary work to elevate the role of women in Mongolia and around the world.

Secretary Clinton – who was in Mongolia to participate in the International Forum on Women’s Issues – was joined by Jonathan Addleton, U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia; Kurt Campbell, Assistant U.S. Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs; and Daniel Russell, Senior Director for Asia of the U.S. National Security Council.

President Elbegdorj was accompanied in the meeting by Mr. G. Zandanshatar, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade; X. Bekhbat, Mongolia’s Ambassador to the United States; Ms. M. Batchimeg, Member of Parliament and National Security Policy Advisor to the President; Mr. P. Tsagaan, Legal Policy Advisor to the President; Mr. G. Purevsuren, Foreign Policy Advisor to the President; and Mr. S. Badral, Ambassador-at-Large to the Community of Democracies.

Secretary Clinton shared with President Elbegdorj the U.S. Government’s appreciation for the manner in which Mongolia’s recent Parliamentary elections reflected a commitment to transparent and democratic processes, and to the rule of law.  Secretary Clinton additionally noted that United States looks forward to continued progress in Mongolia on human rights, anti-corruption efforts and transparency.

Secretary Clinton stated to President Elbegdorj:

“It is a goal of democratic countries to ensure human rights and freedom, enforce laws and ensure transparency. I value Mongolia’s steps toward successfully implementing these goals.

“I believe in Mongolia’s bright future. I found this belief 17 years ago when I first visited Mongolia. Your country is enjoying success within a short period of time because your people have always aspired to freedom and justice, and because your people are strong. I wish to reiterate our readiness to help you in your efforts to strengthen democracy.”

President Elbegdorj and Secretary Clinton agreed that the women play an important role in strengthening democracy, ensuring transparency and establishing justice.

At the conclusion of her remarks to the International Women’s Leadership Forum, Secretary Clinton said:

“There could not be a better place, Mr. President, to talk about the necessity of our working together to ensure that more nations in Asia look like Mongolia, provide opportunities to their people as you are working to do here, hold up women and their rights and opportunities as part of the national treasure of their country. So yes, let them come to Mongolia. They will not be disappointed.”

Looking at the news and opinion out of London each day.

7-9-12

Lords reform Minister Mark Harper says “very Conservative proposals” will strengthen Parliament

7-8-12

Government leaves a chap no time to think

Even to reflect on the working day of a political leader is to feel exhausted

The law cannot curb greedy bankers, but morals might

Perhaps capitalist enterprise cannot be properly conducted without religious principle

While politicians score points over Libor, politics itself loses

Public anger at the latest banking scandal will not be assuaged by party political conflict. Quite the opposite

Former East Hampshire MP Michael Mates selected as PCC candidate for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight

7-7-12

Vigilance and the memory of 7/7

There is a particularly poignant aspect to tomorrow’s anniversary of the 7/7 bombings of 2005, which killed 52 people and injured nearly 700.

Labour has to voice public anger, before it’s too late

As pillars of national life like banks and police crumble, our fury needs an outlet. It may well find one beyond conventional politics

Care costs to be capped for elderly

Pensioners who face selling their homes to pay for long-term care will be offered state protection for the first time under government plans to be outlined next week.

Richard Reeves’ parting gift to the Lib Dems

Britain gets the bankers, press and politicians it deserves

For all the malfunctions of the past few years, it’s assumed the structure of British society can’t possibly be refashioned

7-6-12

‘F-ing Bercow. Doesn’t he know I’m Right Honourable?’

7-4-12

Nick Clegg: I feel ‘lobotomised’ by Government

Nick Clegg has said he feels “lobotomised” by working in government, with the “frenetic” pace of politics leaving him with no time to think.

Only a change in culture can clean up these banks

Banking, like most spheres of life, has never been populated entirely by angels. More than a century before Gordon Gekko strode into Wall Street, declaring that “Greed is right, greed works”, Anthony Trollope had viciously satirised the world of finance in his novel The Way We Live Now.

7-3-12

By US Daily Review Staff.

Israel’s foreign intelligence agency, the Mossad, sends operatives into and out of Iran on a regular basis; and the mysterious men on motorcycles who have assassinated at least four Iranian nuclear scientists are Israelis.

Those are among the revelations in a new book about Israeli espionage, Spies Against Armageddon: Inside Israel’s Secret Wars by Dan Raviv and Yossi Melman (Levant Books: published July 9).

Raviv and Melman’s previous book about Israel’s intelligence community, Every Spy a Prince, was a national (New York Times) best seller for fourteen weeks in 1990.  They have more details on their blog, IsraelSpy.com.

According to their new book, Israeli spies have a multitude of routes for entering and exiting Iran, and the routes and safe houses inside Iran date back to before 1979, when a revolution brought the Islamic Republic’s ayatollahs to power.

The authors write that Israel – for decades using the Mossad as “an alternative foreign ministry” – maintains cooperative relationships with Kurds and other ethnic minorities inside Iran and just outside its borders.  But the book says the assassinations of scientists were not conducted by Iranian dissidents.

From the Website:

The authors write: ““For such a sensitive dangerous and daring mission as a series of assassinations in Iran’s capital, the Mossad would not depend on hired-gun mercenaries,” Raviv and Melman assert. “They would be considered far less trustworthy and there was hardly any chance that the Mossad would reveal to non-Israelis some of its assassination unit’s best methods.”

Al Monitor reports further: “One strength of the book is that the authors do not use euphemisms. The Mossad had a ‘kill list’ long before US President Barack Obama and has stolen military technology from the United States that Israel could not obtain by other means, they say.”

By US Daily Review Staff.

Australian local Jacques Phillips is offering to buy Greece out of Debt through his crowdfunding campaign, One Dollar Dare.

Crowdfunding is a new way of fundraising, where projects that would normally be turned down by banks or investors can find support from communities who like it and are able to give smaller sums of $20 to $50 to see that project come to life.

Normally projects would offer T-Shirts, Gifts and trinkets as thank yous to encourage contributors to pledge their support. One Dollar Dare puts a big twist on this.

Greece has been in serious trouble, could a "dollar dare" save it?

“This all started because some friends asked me to go to Europe with them and I didn’t have any cash. I heard about websites like Kickstarter, Indiegogo and Pozible and thought that crowdfunding might be able to help,” said Jacques Phillips.

Of course, if he’s asking the world to help fund his holiday, he needs to be able to offer something in return to the everyday people who could be putting their $50 towards their own holiday.

“So I decided to put my body and my dignity on the line. I called it the One Dollar Dare so that anybody who pledges support gets to dare me to do something and then I’ll have to put it online for everyone to see,” said Jacques Phillips.

Crowdfunding has raised millions of dollars globally so it’s no surprise that a $5,000 trip to Europe seems achievable.

“The best thing about crowdfunding is that when a supporter pledges – that’s all it is, a pledge. If I don’t make the target, the supporters keep their money. But if anyone has something that they couldn’t dare their friends to, then I’m the guy to get it done,” said Jacques Phillips.

So far in promoting the One Dollar Dare, Jacques has found himself getting humiliated in a variety of ways.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vi8odcrTtjk&feature=share&list=PL9F7E95CB7CC22704

And what does he hope to achieve from all of this?

“Well it’s just in the spirit of a good time, and that’s why I added in the bit about Greece. If everyone pitches in their dollar and this manages to raise $700 billion, that would be one hilarious adventure,” said Jacques Phillips.

Jacques stated that if it gets that far, he’ll buy Greece out of Debt and rename it to anything the crowd desires.

http://youtu.be/e7K7s5qJADA?t=39s