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Monday, July 1, 2013

The Importance of Being Online | A Bode Abode - Sarah E. Bode

(Pulled from my blog on Rumor Has It, PR?s website.)

You might be asking yourself why bother with the World Wide Web.? How would being www-savvy help my business?

According to a report on?www.internetworldstats.com, over 75% of North Americans are online?Googling, Facebooking, Tweeting, e-mailing, Skyping, shopping, searching, more!? That?s 273,785,413 people!? And the outlook is even better if you?re international, seeing how Asia has over 1,000,000,000 people online!

Just think about all those potential clients you?re missing out on?over 2.4 billion people worldwide!

The Internet is really a magical place.? People can do all sorts of things with it?research, forming communities, networking, sharing, caring, shopping, searching, reading, and all other sorts of things! ?That?s why so many people are utilizing the big ol? WWW.

Having a website for your business is really important, as it is a stable way for anyone to access information about your business.? Websites can also allow your customers to interact with your business?like online shopping and payment processing, commenting on blogs, filling out helpful surveys, etc. ?Rumor Has It, PR?can help you build your business a custom website to satisfy any and all your company?s needs.

Lots of businesses use their websites as central hubs for information and as a means for connection all over the Internet.? Think?all those social media sites (Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Tumblr, and soon MySpace is coming back!), search engines, online forums, and more!? Linking your website to those kinds of sites is helpful to your customers or potential customers.

Having a website for your business allows customers to seek you out.? You?re not merely serendipitously popping up in front of their glazed over eyes. ?Remember the phone book?? Where did that thing go?? It?s online now?although there is a surprising lack of yellow on the Yellow Pages website.? But most users tend to just Google or Bing it.? These are search engines and utilized by loads of people?they even set them as their Internet browser home pages, use installed SE toolbars, or use an integrated Internet browser (like Google Chrome). ?And now, with smartphones flooding the market, even more people are surfing the web in search of you!

There are 12 reasons why a business that isn?t online is missing out on clients, according to Pandecta. ?See the 12 pulled below. ?For the full article click?here.

Here are 12 reasons why businesses without an online presence are missing out on a goldmine of potential customers:

1:? Technology To Compete?? In bygone days, a small business usually lacked the resources of their larger competitors. Now even a small business can access much of the same technology as the giant corporations. They too can use auto-responders, accept online payments and even deliver products over the Internet.

2: Niche Markets Abound?? The Internet has opened up all sorts of niche marketing opportunities that either never existed before, or were too expensive to tap into.

3:? Lifting The Profile?? With a professionally designed web site, it?s now easy for a small business on the Internet to have the appearance and credibility of being a large corporation.

4:? Low Cost?? Compared to other media, the Internet enables a business to advertise at considerably lower prices. It may not be a replacement for other marketing, but the Internet is generally cheaper than advertising on television, radio, or in newspapers, magazines and even by direct mail. ?As an example; posting out a mailing to customers will probably cost around $1.50 a pop (allowing for printing, postage etc), whereas to email the same message to customers costs next to nothing!

5:? Open 24/7?? By automating a web site, a business can be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No extra staff costs and no overtime rates to pay!

6:? Serving The Local Area?? Not everyone wants to take the time to drive all over town to shop. It is a fast moving world and it seems that we all want things to be quick and easy. Using the Internet is a quick and easy way for people to access information about products and services from the comfort, convenience and privacy of their own home. No fuel costs, no traffic jams ? no time wasted.? Locally based businesses can usually get a free website listing in their local Internet directories.

7:? Reaching A Global Audience?? More countries are getting on the Net each year. The Internet breaks down geographical boundaries and limitation. With the help of search engines, people can now locate and buy products and services from every corner of the world.

8: ?Customer Feedback Made Easy?? The Internet makes it possible to capture visitor information. Keeping in touch (via email) helps to cultivate long-term relationships. Also, the widespread use of discussion forums is a popular way to get quick, low-cost customer feedback.

9:? Frequently Asked Questions?? Questions that may normally be answered by phone can be answered on the Internet. A website can list the answers to the most frequently asked product or service related questions. This can save on phone bills and free up a lot of time and maybe an extra employee.

10:? Interactivity?? The Internet is much more dynamic than a few years ago. Some examples of this include:

Automatic product updates through the use of databases.

Automatic web site content and image changing.

The increasingly common use of live video and audio streaming.

These and other Internet service can save money and increase business efficiency. They can also open the door to exciting new marketing opportunities.

11:? Test Marketing New Products?? The Internet offers quick and easy ways to conduct low-cost market research. A questionnaire on a web site, or by email, can test very quickly and inexpensively whether a product gets a good response. What?s more, different offers or marketing approaches can be tested using different pages on the same website.

12: Use of Time Sensitive Promotions?? It is easy to quickly change promotions or offers on the Internet. Emails can be sent out or a website offer changed almost instantly. Time sensitive promotions such as running contests, or product specials can be a good way to attract traffic and sales to an online business.

?

Do you want to deal with this question for the rest of eternity? Didn?t think so.

If you?re interested in maximizing your company?s accessibility to customers and gaining access to an even larger pool of potential customers, see what Sarah Bode at?Rumor Has It, PR?can do for you. ?Feel free to contact her here for your free initial consultation.

Source: http://sarahebode.com/main/the-importance-of-being-online/

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Foxx will resign as mayor Monday after confirmation as DOT head

Charlotte mayor Anthony Foxx says he will formally resign his position as the city's mayor after he was unanimously voted in as the U.S. Secretary of Transportation.

The US Senate confirmed Foxx as the nation's next transportation secretary in a vote of 100 in favor and none opposed at noon onThursday. The President was immediately notified.

"I am pleased that the Senate today voted unanimously to confirm Anthony Foxx as the next Secretary of Transportation," President Barack Obama released in a statement on Thursday afternoon.

"Anthony knows firsthand that investing in our roads, bridges and transit systems is vital to creating good jobs and ensuring American businesses can grow and compete in a 21st century global economy," he continued. "I welcome Anthony to my team, and I look forward to working with him as we aim to modernize the infrastructure that powers our economy."

After Foxx was confirmed by the Senate, North Carolina Senator Kay Hagan posted her congratulations to him on Twitter.

"Pleased the Senate has unanimously confirmed Mayor Foxx to become our next Secretary of Transportation. A proud day for NC," she tweeted. "Bipartisan vote indicative of Foxx's status as champion of transportation & infrastructure development that fuels economic growth."

Committee chair Senator Jay Rockefeller kicked off the vote in the Senate just after 11:30 a.m. Roll call began almost immediately due to the fact that there were no opposing speeches.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nevada, the majority leader, took a break from debating the immigration reform bill and hold a confirmation vote on Mayor Foxx.

The vote comes 60 days after the President nominated Foxx for the position to lead the US Department of Transportation.

Foxx sent a letter out to city council members and staff Thursday afternoon calling a special meeting at 4 p.m. on Monday, July 1st where he will formally resign his position as mayor of Charlotte.

The mayor also plans to discuss transition plans for a successor until a new mayor is elected in November.

Sen. Kay Hagan spoke on the Senate floor earlier in the morning - listing off Mayor Foxx's accomplishments while in Charlotte. Chief among them was the Lynx Blue Line and the growth and expansion at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

"Today is a proud day for all North Carolinians and a positive step for our nation as we continue the important work of rebuilding our infrastructure," Hagan said in a release after Foxx was confirmed.

"I am pleased that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle could come together to unanimously confirm Mayor Foxx, a true champion of transportation and infrastructure development with a proven record of making smart investments that fuel economic growth. Jobs are my number one priority, and I have full confidence that Anthony will approach this new job with an eye for how we can grow our economy as we update our nation's infrastructure.? Though he will be missed in North Carolina, I am eagerly anticipating the strong leadership he will bring to the Department of Transportation."

"I would also take this opportunity to thank outgoing Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood for his service," her statement continued. "I was honored to have Secretary LaHood join my transportation roundtable in Charlotte several years ago, and it was abundantly clear that his expertise and passion for keeping our nation's infrastructure updated is unparalleled. In particular, he is to be commended for his willingness to put politics in service to our country. His example of bipartisanship should be followed more often, and I wish Secretary LaHood the best in his next steps."

Amtrak Chairman Tony Coscia and President/CEO Joe Boardman issued a statement after Foxx's confirmation, as well.

"Amtrak congratulates Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx on his confirmation today by the U.S. Senate.? He will play a pivotal role in providing critical federal investments for advancing intercity and high-speed passenger rail projects that enhance service, improve reliability, expand capacity, reduce trip-times and increase speeds.

"We also welcome Secretary Foxx to the Amtrak board of directors where he will help shape the future of America's Railroad and further improve our record-breaking financial and operational performance.

"As a former mayor of Charlotte, N.C., an Amtrak-served community, we believe Secretary Foxx understands that intercity passenger rail is a vital and necessary part of the national transportation network and provides mobility, connectivity, and economic development across America in rural communities, small and medium sized towns, and major cities.

"The Amtrak family welcomes Secretary Foxx aboard and we look forward to working with him to deliver more and better intercity and high-speed passenger rail service to the nation."

The US Senate Committee on Commerce, Transportation and Infrastructure held a hearing in May and approved the mayor's nomination earlier this month with bipartisan support.

The mayor promised lawmakers at his hearing that he would work across party lines in his new position and work on continuing a multimodal approach to the nation's transportation network like his predecessor, Secretary Ray LaHood has.

Source: http://statesville.wbtv.com/news/politics/100782-foxx-will-resign-mayor-monday-after-confirmation-dot-head

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WHO: Treat people with HIV early to stop spread

FILE - In this Nov. 15, 2012 file photo a patient, right, is attended to at the U.S. sponsored Themba Lethu, HIV/AIDS Clinic at the Helen Joseph hospital in Johannesburg. To give people with HIV their best shot at survival and to stop the virus from spreading, patients should be treated much earlier than has previously been the case in developing countries, according to new guidelines issued Sunday, June 30, 2013, at an AIDS meeting in Malaysia by the World Health Organization. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell, File)

FILE - In this Nov. 15, 2012 file photo, Christinah Motsoahae has blood taken for testing at the U.S. sponsored "Right to Care", Themba Lethu, HIV/AIDS Clinic, at the Helen Joseph hospital, in Johannesburg. To give people with HIV their best shot at survival and to stop the virus from spreading, patients should be treated much earlier than has previously been the case in developing countries, according to new guidelines issued Sunday June 30, 2013 at an AIDS meeting in Malaysia by the World Health Organization. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell, File)

FILE - In this Nov. 15, 2012 file photo a newly mechanized pharmaceutical machine that helps pharmacists dispense medicine is loaded with ARV medication, at the U.S. sponsored Themba Lethu, HIV/AIDS Clinic, at the Helen Joseph hospital, in Johannesburg. To give people with HIV their best shot at survival and to stop the virus from spreading, patients should be treated much earlier than has previously been the case in developing countries, according to new guidelines issued Sunday June 30, 2013 at an AIDS meeting in Malaysia by the World Health Organization. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell, File)

LONDON (AP) ? Young children and certain other people with the AIDS virus should be started on medicines as soon as they are diagnosed, the World Health Organization says in new guidelines that also recommend earlier treatment for adults.

The advice will have the most impact in Africa, where nearly 70 percent of people with HIV live. Many rich countries already advocate early treatment. WHO's new guidelines were released Sunday at the International AIDS Society meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

About 34 million people worldwide have HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. HIV attacks key infection-fighting cells of the immune system known as T-cells. When that count drops to 200, people are considered to have AIDS. In the past, WHO recommended countries start treating people with HIV when their T-cell count fell to 350; a normal count is between 500 and 1,600.

The new recommendations say to treat earlier, when the T-cell count hits 500.

In addition to children younger than 5, WHO says several other groups should also get AIDS drugs as soon as they're diagnosed with HIV: pregnant and breast-feeding women, people whose partners are uninfected and those who also have tuberculosis or hepatitis B.

The guidelines mean an additional 9 million people in developing countries will now be eligible for treatment. At the moment, only about 60 percent of people who need the life-saving drugs are getting them.

"WHO has recognized that time is the most important commodity when it comes to battling the HIV epidemic," said Sharonann Lynch, HIV policy adviser at Doctors Without Borders, which contributed to the new guidelines.

She said that while the costs for rolling out this treatment might be expensive, the strategy would ultimately result in fewer HIV infections and deaths in the future.

"It's pay now or pay later," she said.

The guidelines also mean the total global spending on AIDS ? about $23 billion a year ? will rise by about 10 percent, according to Gottfried Hirnschall, director of WHO's HIV department. It's unclear how willing donors will be to pitch in for even more AIDS treatments.

Hirnschall said the cheapest course of the drugs costs $127 per person every year under programs that have negotiated prices for poor countries, but the price can be much higher elsewhere. WHO's recommended treatment is a single pill that combines three powerful drugs taken once daily.

In the U.S., officials recommend that everyone who has HIV should be on treatment but say there is only "moderate" evidence for starting therapy when the immune system is still working normally.

WHO's new guidelines are based largely on recent studies suggesting people with HIV who start treatment before their immune systems weaken live longer. The case of a U.S. baby girl with HIV who was treated aggressively within 30 hours of being born suggests very early treatment could prevent the virus from ever getting a foothold. Earlier this year, doctors announced the little girl from Mississippi was apparently cured after stopping medication for about a year with no signs of infection.

Several studies have also hinted that starting therapy early dramatically cuts the chances an infected person will pass the virus to a sexual partner.

If all countries start treating people with HIV in line with the new recommendations, WHO estimates 3 million lives could be saved and 3.5 million new infections could be avoided in the next decade.

But convincing people to take a lifelong regimen of drugs that come with side effects including liver problems and severe skin reactions, will be challenging.

"These drugs are not like sweeties," said Dr. Sarah Fidler, an HIV expert at Imperial College London who is leading a trial in Africa studying issues including the effectiveness of immediate treatment for people with HIV. She had no role in the WHO guidelines.

Studies in Africa have shown varying compliance rates from 50 percent to more than 90 percent, similar to elsewhere in the world. If patients aren't taking their medicines at least 70 percent of the time, that could also lead to drug resistance.

Fidler said that while the WHO guidelines are a step in the right direction, implementing them would not be easy.

"For people struggling with other issues like poverty, taking pills for a disease that isn't making them sick yet might not seem like the most important thing in the world," she said. "This is not going to be as simple as just giving drugs to everybody."

___

Online:

WHO: www.who.int/hiv/en

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2013-06-30-EU-MED-New-AIDS-Advice/id-755e0e79b18e493cb5d858ff87a6f85e

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Hollande urges talks to resolve EU-China trade row

A bitter row between the European Union and Beijing over new duties on Chinese solar panels should be settled amicably through talks, French President Francois Hollande said Tuesday.

"France has always wanted such differences to be resolved through negotiation and in a spirit of appeasement," Hollande told a team of visiting Chinese business leaders.

He also urged them to step up investments in France to attain a balance.

"There are a lot of French investments in China," said Hollande, adding that "we have nothing to fear ... from Chinese investments on the condition support creating jobs and production."

China accounts for just four percent of foreign investments into France, compared to 16 percent in Germany and 23 percent in the United States.

The visit comes amid an escalating trade dispute between China and the EU.

The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, imposed an average tariff of 11.8 percent on solar panel imports from China -- which will rise to more than 47 percent in August if negotiations fail to resolve the dispute.

China hit back at the tariffs by launching an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy inquiry into sales of European wine, which analysts said could hit wine exports from France and Italy, stoking fears of the dispute escalating.

The solar panel tariffs, which were introduced this month on a provisional basis, have sparked divisions among EU nations, who will vote in December on whether to make them permanent.

France had supported the Commission's decision to impose the temporary tariffs in order to bring China to the negotiating table.

In addition to the solar cells, the EU also decided this month to challenge China at the World Trade Organization after Beijing slapped duties on some steel products, and has threatened an investigation into China's telecom equipment firms.

Total trade between the two sides fell 3.7 percent year-on-year in 2012, with China's imports from the bloc rising 0.4 percent to $212 billion, while shipments in the opposite direction tumbled 6.2 percent to $334 billion, according to Chinese customs data.

Source: http://www.energy-daily.com/reports/Hollande_urges_talks_to_resolve_EU-China_trade_row_999.html

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When Does iOS 7 Beta 2 Expire and Beta 3 Release? Downgrade To iOS 6.1.3, 6.1.4 on iPhone, iPad and iPod [How-To Tutorial]

iOS 7 Beta 2 released Monday June 24, 2013?and though it is not set to expire for another month people are already curious about when the exact expiration date is, how soon to expect the iOS 7 Beta 3 and how to downgrade iOS 7 beta 2, to restore iOS 6.1.3 or 6.1.4 on iPhone 5, 4S, 4, iPad, iPad Mini and other devices capable of running Apple's latest firmware beta.

If you need to know how to downgrade from iOS 7 beta 2 to 6.1.3 or 6.1.4?on your iPad, iPhone, iPod or iPad Mini, continue below to our simple tutorial guide below.

When Does iOS 7 Beta 2 Expire? When Does iOS 7 Beta 3 Release?

As to those hoping to continue previewing Apple's upcoming firmware, it has been rumored that iOS 7 Beta 3 could release as early as Monday, July 8^,2013 -- just a little over a week from now. These rumors were first reported by BGR. ?iOS 7 Beta 3 would arriving 2 weeks after Beta 2 seems to make sense as iOS 7 Beta 1 arrived June 10^,2013 and expired June 24, 2013. Beta 2 released the same day as the expiration of Beta 1 -- exactly two weeks after the first release. If Beta 3 releases July 8, 2013, it would also be two weeks after the preceding. This is similar to the pattern used in the Beta releases of iOS 6 in 2012.

iOS 7 Beta 2 users have a little bit wider of a window for upgrading or downgrading, however, as iOS 7 Beta 2 doesn't expire until August 8, 2013.

It is important, however, to bear the expiration dates of these betas in mind for upgrade and downgrade purposes. As any iOS developer knows, if you neglect to upgrade your device to the next iOS 7 Beta 3 or downgrade and restore to iOS 6.1.3 or 6.1.4, prior to the expiration date, your device will enter recovery mode, rendering in unusable.

When and Where Can I Download iOS 7 Beta 3?

Once the iOS 7 Beta 3 becomes available we will be sure to post instructions and direct download links for installing the firmware on your iPhone 5, 4S, 4, iPad 2, 3,4, iPad Mini and iPod Touch. If you haven't had a chance to install the current iOS 7 Beta 2 click here for those instructions and download links.

iOS 6 - 6.1.2 Untethered Jailbreak Users Be Warned

If you have an iOS 6 -6.1.2 untethered jailbreak on your iPhone 5, 4S, iPad or iPad Mini, installed you need to keep one thing in mind. Installing the iOS 7 Beta 2 will lose your jailbreak and there is no downgrading or restoring to iOS 6 - 6.1.2 or below.

For instructions to downgrade your iOS 7 Beta 2 to 6.1.3 or 6.14 check out our simple how-to guide below along with the helpful video from iDownloadBlog's Jeff Benjam.

How To Downgrade iOS 7 Beta 2 to iOS 6.1.3/6.1.4 for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch (Via iDownloadblog.com)

To downgrade your firmware from iOS 7 beta 2 to iOS 6.1.3, do the following:

Step 1:?Download the iOS 6.1.3 (or 6.1.4 for the iPhone 5) to your desktop from our downloads page.

Step 2: connect your iOS device running iOS 7 beta to your computer.

Step 3: open iTunes, select your device, and option+click (shift+click in Windows) on the Restore button.

Step 4: point to the firmware you downloaded in step 1.

Step 5:?watch as your device restores back to iOS 6.1.3 successfully.

Note:?keep in mind that you may only downgrade to the latest publicly available firmware for iOS on an A5 device, even if you have SHSH blobs saved. For older devices like the iPhone 4, you may be able to downgrade to lesser firmware if you happen to have your SHSH blobs saved via Redsn0w. Instructions for downgrading to iOS 6 - 6.1.2 or below via Redns0w can be found here.

About iOS 7

iOS 7 was introduced at Apple's 2013 Worldwide Developer's Convention in Cupertino, CA June 10.^?The new mobile operating system brings with it a number of notable changes including a visually distinct User Interface (UI) with redesigned apps, lock screen, homescreen, Safari and settings features including a new control center favored by power iOS users. The new iOS is being raved about and critiqued more than any other iOS thus far. Biggest complaints for iOS 7 encompassed the drastic changes to app design, slow transitions and short battery life, though improvements were reported in Beta 2. iPads and iPad Mini were included in testable device with the Beta 2 and new features were added such as iCloud keychain, Voice Memos, and answer-a-call buttons. We look forward to seeing all the changes that will occur as each new iOS 7 beta releases.

What are your favorite changes in iOS 7 thus far? What do you hope to see changed in upcoming Betas? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Source: http://www.idesigntimes.com/articles/6460/20130629/when-ios-7-beta-2-expire-3-release-downgrade-6-1-2-iphone-ipad-ipod.htm

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Sunday, June 30, 2013

Voyager 1 comes closer to leaving the solar system...again

Scientists have detected one of the critical signs that the Voyager 1 is nearly in interstellar space. But this has happened before.

By Elizabeth Barber,?Contributor / June 27, 2013

This artist's concept shows NASA's twin Voyager spacecraft exploring a turbulent region of space known as the heliosheath.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/Reuters

Enlarge

No, we aren?t there yet. But we're closer.

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Spacecraft Voyager 1 is closer to being the first human-made object to leave the solar system ? but what exactly ?closer? means is still unknown.

Researchers are waiting for Voyager 1, launched some 35 years ago and now more than 11 billion miles away, to exit the heliosheath,?a region that extends past all the planets in our solar system by about 8 billion miles, into interstellar space. But ?about? is the critical word here, because the trouble is that scientists don?t know exactly how big that region is.?

Still, three papers, published in Science, report that scientists have observed one of the signs that they expect to see as Voyager 1 nears the solar system?s edge: the total disappearance of charged particles, known as termination shock particles, that had been steadily present for seven years.

That means Voyager 1 entered a previously unknown space region called the magnetic highway, or the depletion region, on August 25th, 2012, when the disappearance was observed. In that zone, the charged particles travel in and out of the heliosheath along a smooth magnetic field line. Scientists believe that it is the final zone through which the spacecraft must pass before it reaches the heliopause, the exact boundary between the heliosheath and interstellar space.?

?We entered an entirely new region on August 25th,? Ed Stone, lead project scientist for the Voyager spacecraft told the Monitor. ?We think this is the zone that connects to interstellar space.?

Scientists have not yet seen the critical third sign that would mark Voyager 1?s actual passage into interstellar space: a shift in the direction of the magnetic field. The heliosheath's queen is our sun, and the sun?s east-west magnetic field governs the zone. As the space probe exits the solar system, scientists would expect to see a magnetic shift as it enters a regional field with a completely different orientation.

Another sign that Voyager 1 is still in our solar system is that the cosmic rays the craft has begun to detect from interstellar space are traveling unevenly in multiple directions. In interstellar space, scientists expect those rays to be distributed uniformly, Stone said.

Voyager 1 was launched with its sibling, Voyager 2, in 1977, and both craft have already made tours of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune before veering toward interstellar space in 1990. Even though it was launched 15 days earlier, Voyager 2 is some 2 billion miles Voyager 1.

Voyager 1?s triumphant departure has been heralded before. In December 2004, the Voyager reached what is now known as the termination shock boundary, where particles blown outward from the sun suddenly slow down.?

Voyager 1 saw this solar wind hit a dead calm in April 2010, which again suggested that the craft was coming tantalizingly close to the edge of the solar system. That region is now known as the stagnation zone. At that time, the existence of the depletion zone up ahead was unknown.

Scientists aren?t being deliberately cruel by repeatedly announcing that Voyager 1 has departed. The heliosheath is a baffling, mysterious place, and information about its outer reaches is collected only as Voyager 1 continues its unprecedented journey.

So we don't know how long it will be before Voyager 1 leaves for good.

?It could be several more months, or it could also be several more years,? said Stone. ?There could be things we still don?t know about out there. Almost every day we?re learning something new.?

?That?s the nature of exploration ? you find out how nature really does things,? he said.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/n8A8OM11KiA/Voyager-1-comes-closer-to-leaving-the-solar-system-again

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Egypt protests set for showdown, violence feared

By Alastair Macdonald and Tom Perry

CAIRO (Reuters) - Mass demonstrations across Egypt on Sunday may determine its future, two and half years after people power toppled a dictator they called Pharaoh and ushered in a democracy crippled by bitter divisions.

The protesters' goal again is to unseat a president, this time their first freely elected leader, the Islamist Mohamed Mursi. Liberal leaders say nearly half the voting population - 22 million people - have signed a petition calling for change.

But with the long dominant, U.S-funded army waiting in the wings, and world powers fearing violence may unhinge an already troubled Middle East, Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood and militant allies pledge to defend what they say is the legitimate order.

Several people have been killed, including an American student, and hundreds were wounded in days of street fighting.

Mursi calls opponents bad losers backed by "thugs" from the rule of Hosni Mubarak. He is banking on the "Tamarud - Rebel!" coalition fizzling out, as other challenges in the streets have done since he took power a year ago on Sunday.

An economic crisis deepened by unrest and political deadlock may spur many less partisan Egyptians to join the rallies, due to start in the afternoon in Cairo. But many, too, are weary of turmoil and are skeptical that the opposition's demand to reset the rules of the new democracy is better than soldiering on.

U.S. President Barack Obama called on Egyptians to focus on dialogue. His ambassador to Egypt has angered the opposition by suggesting protests are not helping the economy.

Liberal leaders, fractious and defeated in a series of ballots last year, hope that by putting millions on the streets they can force Mursi to relent and hand over to a technocratic administration that can organize new elections.

"We all feel we're walking on a dead-end road and that the country will collapse," said Mohamed ElBaradei, former U.N. official, Nobel laureate and liberal party leader. "All Egypt must go out tomorrow to say we want to return to the ballot box, and build the foundations of the house we will all live in."

'CIVIL WAR'

Religious authorities have warned of "civil war". The army has said it will step in if violence gets out of control but insists it will respect the "will of the people".

Mursi, who on Saturday met the head of the military he appointed last year, interprets that to mean army support for election results. Opponents believe that the army may heed the popular will as expressed on the streets, as it did in early 2011 when the generals decided Mubarak's time was up.

That would depend on a massive turnout, which is uncertain. Islamists suspect that agents of the old order are intent on shedding blood to trigger a military intervention.

In Cairo, thousands of people gathered on Tahrir Square, the seat of the January 25 uprising of 2011, some saying they will camp out until Mursi goes. Others gathered outside the presidential palace several miles away, which was under heavy guard.

In a nearby suburban neighborhood, the Muslim Brotherhood and allies who include former militant organizations, have set up camp outside a mosque. Guarded by baton-wielding civilians in protective clothing, the Islamists say they will defend Mursi.

Both sides say they want to avoid violence but that has not prevented incidents in which the Brotherhood says several of its offices around the country have been attacked and at least five of its supporters killed in the past week.

"It will be imperative for peaceful protesters to clearly separate themselves from the thugs that use them as cover," an aide to Mursi said. "And it will be more important for the leaders calling for these protests to back away from the language of violence and demonization."

On Saturday evening, Mursi hosted representatives of the Islamist political parties that have been backing him on the streets for a meeting on the "current internal situation," a statement from the presidency said.

Mursi stressed the role of state institutions in protecting citizens and public and private facilities, it said.

Attendees from all of the major Islamist political forces in the country affirmed their adherence to "legitimacy," the statement read, echoing the word used by many Islamists in their recent rallies in support of the elected president.

U.S. CONCERN

The United States has evacuated non-essential diplomatic staff and families and Obama said protecting U.S. missions was a priority. He was criticized at home when the ambassador to Libya was killed last year in an attack on the consulate in Benghazi.

The Egyptian army, half a million strong and financed by Washington since it backed a peace treaty with Israel three decades ago, says it has deployed to protect key installations.

Among these is the Suez Canal. Cities along the vital global waterway are bastions of anti-government sentiment. A bomb killed a protester in Port Said on Friday. Beyond the canal, in the Sinai peninsula which borders Israel and the Gaza Strip, a police general was gunned down in an ambush on Saturday.

Visiting the other end of Africa, Obama said in Pretoria: "Every party has to denounce violence ... We'd like to see the opposition and President Mursi engage in a more constructive conversation about how they move their country forward because nobody is benefiting from the current stalemate."

Mursi renewed an offer last week to include opponents in a new panel to review a controversial new constitution and has complained of a media campaign of vilification. The authorities have taken legal action against journalists and owners.

Opponents cite that among evidence that the Brotherhood, suppressed for decades under Mubarak, aims to use its organized, vote-winning power to entrench itself and its Islamic agenda deep in the state, in much the same way as the ousted leader.

Observers note similarities with protests in Turkey this month, where an Islamist prime minister with a strong electoral mandate has been confronted in the streets by angry secularists.

With much of the Arab world in turmoil after the uprisings that also brought sectarian civil war to Syria, the fate of its biggest nation may be determined by events in the coming days.

(Reporting by Asma Alsharif, Alexander Dziadosz, Shaimaa Fayed, Maggie Fick, Alastair Macdonald, Shadia Nasralla, Tom Perry and Yasmine Saleh in Cairo, Yusri Mohamed in Ismailia and Abdelrahman Youssef in Alexandria; Writing by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Alison Williams and Xavier Briand)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-protests-set-showdown-violence-feared-003343388.html

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