Defences bolstered as floods threaten Thai capital (Reuters)

BANGKOK (Reuters) ? Rescue workers reinforced make-shift walls and sand-bags around Bangkok on Saturday as the worst floods in half-a-century threatened Thailand's low-lying capital after swamping entire provinces in the north.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra sought to reassure Bangkok's 12 million people they would largely escape floods that have swept over a third of Thailand since July, killing at least 297 people, causing about $3 billion in damage and turning villages and industrial parks into lakes.

The north, northeast and centre of Thailand have been worst hit and Bangkok -- much of it only two metres (6.5 ft) above sea level -- is at risk as water overflows from reservoirs in the north, swelling the Chao Phraya river that winds through the densely populated city.

Yingluck said Bangkok is well fortified after authorities raised embankments at the three outer areas.

Despite official assurances, residents stocked up on bottled water, instant noodles, rice and canned goods, emptying shelves in some major markets. Many parked their cars in elevated garages, or piled sand-bags in front of shop-houses and homes.

"If we are not prepared for the floods, it is hard to imagine what will happen if the government cannot help us in time," said Sompong Pinmaninsab, a bank worker in Ta Prachan, a Bangkok district known for its markets next to the Chao Phraya river. "Anything can happen."

Water released from several dams should reduce the chance of floods, Yingluck said, as northern run-off water approaches Bangkok over the weekend, coinciding with high estuary tides that hamper the flow of water into the sea.

"We will protect strategic areas and the heart of the economy such as industrial zones, the central part of all provinces and the Thai capital as well as Suvarnabhumi Airport, industrial estates and evacuation centres," she said, referring to Bangkok's main international airport.

The United States dispatched a C-130 military transport aircraft with 1,000 sand-bags and 10 Marines in a humanitarian mission, U.S. embassy spokesman Walter Braunohler said in a statement.

LAST DEFENCES

Twenty-five of Thailand's 77 provinces are flooded with 4 million acres (1.62 million hectares) of farmland under water -- about 16 times the size of Hong Kong. Nearly 800,000 homes have been destroyed or damaged. Thousands of people huddled in evacuation centres.

Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani and Nakhon Sawan provinces north of Bangkok have been devastated. Floods have swallowed up homes, swamped streets and destroyed industrial parks, partly a result of desperate measures to shield the capital.

To protect the Bangkok, authorities have reinforced its last defences -- a 4 km (2.5-mile) flood barrier along a canal and a sluice gate in Pathum Thani province north of the city, where offices, shops and restaurants have been submerged in chest-high water and many residents now get around in boats.

Bangkok, known for historic temples, bustling markets and raucous nightlife, is on edge amid bickering between the government and the city's governor. The two are on either side of a political divide that sparked violent protests last year.

Bangkok, the business heart of Thailand, accounts for 41 percent of its economy. In comparison, the badly flooded central region accounts for 8 percent of the economy, Southeast Asia's second largest.

Parts of the central province of Ayutthaya, home to an ancient Siamese capital founded in the 14th century, are deep under water, forcing at least three big industrial estates to shut temporarily. Several spectacular monuments and temples have been flooded for days.

Cresting water breached the flood-walls at the Bang Pa-In industrial estate on Saturday in Ayutthaya, about 60 km (37 miles) north of Bangkok, forcing authorities to evacuate plant workers, Defence Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa told Reuters.

"We tried hard but could not stop it," Yutthasak said.

There are 84 companies in the estate including foreign firms from Japan, Taiwan and Germany along with Thai-Japanese and Thai-U.S. joint ventures, according to information on its website.

On Friday, Japanese automaker Honda Motor Co Ltd shut its Ayutthaya plant that accounts for 4.7 percent of its global output. It will stay closed until Oct. 21.

Thailand is Southeast Asia's biggest auto-manufacturing hub with most factories located in the east, which has been little affected by the flooding. But their operations could still suffer because car parts firms have been hit.

Thai media said floods had almost completely isolated Samkok, a district in Pathum Thani province, making it inaccessible by car and stranding locals.

(Additional reporting by Jutarat Skulpichetrat and Pracha Hariraksapitak. Writing by Jason Szep; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/india/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111015/india_nm/india599055

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Herman Cain says foreign policy views influenced by Bolton and Kissinger (Daily Caller)

Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain said Sunday that the writings of former United Nations ambassador John Bolton and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger have shaped his views on foreign policy.

?I have looked at the writings of people like ambassador John Bolton,? Cain said on NBC?s Meet the Press. ?I?ve looked at the writings of people like Henry Kissinger.?

But he wouldn?t go so far as to describe himself as a neo-conservative when pressed by moderator David Gregory: ?I?m not sure what you mean by neo-conservative. I am a conservative, yes. Neoconservative? Labels sometime put you in a box.?

In an interview with The Daily Caller outside NBC?s studios, Cain said he has spoken with Bolton before, but wouldn?t go so far as to call him an informal adviser.

?He influences me on foreign policy based upon his ideas and based upon his decisions, et cetera,? Cain said. ?But I don?t want to implicate Ambassador Bolton by saying he is advising me informally. We met, we have a good relationship. I can call and ask him questions.?

A spokesman for Bolton, Christine Samuelian, told TheDC that, ?Mr. Bolton has not endorsed any candidate for the Republican nomination, and he is happy to discuss national security issues with any of those running.?

After considering entering the presidential race himself, Bolton recently announced his decision not to run.

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/un/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/dailycaller/20111016/pl_dailycaller/hermancainsaysforeignpolicyviewsinfluencedbyboltonandkissinger

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Militants assault US base in eastern Afghanistan (AP)

KABUL, Afghanistan ? Militants tried to blast their way into an American base in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, striking before dawn with rocket-propelled grenades and a vehicle packed with explosives.

The attackers failed to breach the gate of the base in Panjshir province's Rakha district, though they did hit a security tower with a rocket-propelled grenade, said provincial Police Chief Gen. Mohammad Qasim Jangalbagh.

Three of the men attacked on foot, shooting, while a fourth detonated the explosives-laden vehicle outside the gate, Jangalbagh said. All four of the attackers were killed and two Afghan security guards were wounded, he said.

A NATO spokeswoman confirmed the attack but said there were no American deaths or injuries and no significant damage to facilities.

"There was a complex attack attempted, but it was repelled," Capt. Ebony Calhoun said. She said the guards' wounds were not life-threatening but they had been evacuated to a larger U.S. base for treatment. The base houses a provincial reconstruction team ? a mix of military and international civilians who work to improve provincial governance, services and infrastructure.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in a text message sent to The Associated Press.

The attack in Panjshir followed on the heels of violence Friday which left at least 30 dead across the country.

NATO reported Saturday that 23 insurgents were killed in five separate operations throughout the east. In the largest strike, seventeen insurgents were killed in an airstrike in Kunar province. The remaining six deaths were in operations in Wardak, Kunar and Ghazni provinces.

In southern Afghanistan, a suicide bombing killed three Afghan border police officers and one civilian. The bomber blew up his explosives-packed car Friday afternoon while it was being inspected at a checkpoint.

The explosion happened in Spin Boldak, near the Pakistani border, in the early evening, said Gen. Abdul Raziq, the head of the border police in the south.

The checkpoint had been set up because of an intelligence warning that an attack was imminent, provincial government spokesman Zalmai Ayubi said.

Three NATO service members were also killed Friday in separate attacks, according to statements from the military coalition, making 11 killed so far this month and at least 464 since the beginning of the year.

___

Associated Press writer Amir Shah contributed to this report from Kabul.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/usmilitary/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111015/ap_on_re_as/as_afghanistan

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Efficient Web sites rich in Quality Web Hosting Services | Business ...

Finding achievement for the on the web website isn?t a easy process. The broad area in the web and also the growing levels of competition set a lot of pressure online. Business people utilize a selection of strategies and architectural improvements to ensure the correct and clean working of their web site constantly. One of many important components to do this target is using the best hosting.The expanding demand put on internet sites and share on the on-line revenue from the organization has combined with the significance of inexpensive web hosting services out there. Read intriguing gogax reviews to understand the efficiency of top quality web hosting services.

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Source: http://www.anapankratoff.com/efficient-web-sites-rich-in-quality-web-hosting-services.html/

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Reasons why Travel Insurance Is Totally necessary for an Overseas ...

Reasons why Travel Insurance Is Totally necessary for an Overseas Trip.

Article by Mike H

An oversees travelling is a time of fantastic enjoyment and it seems a disgrace to think of the things that can go wrong, but just because you are in another country there is no reason to assume that you are less likely to fall foul of any of the dangers of everyday life. Theft, loss and medical emergencies are at least as likely to affect you when on holiday, and the experience will be even more traumatic if you are not covered and have to bear the full weight of any financial losses. Instead of seeing travel insurance as an undesired expense, remember that what you are paying for is the peace of mind that will allow you to relax and enjoy your travel, without worrying how you will cope if something goes wrong. Travel insurance is a vital part of any overseas vacation, whether you are a fit young backpacker, an elderly traveller joining a group tour or a young family on a resort travelling.

For everybody who is still not convinced, start looking at these reasons why you might need travel insurance.

1) Medical. Australian government statistics tell us that each year Australian Consulates deal with 900 deaths and 1200 cases of overseas travellers being hospitalised. Hospitals in South East Asia can cost up to $ 1000 per day and if the traveller has no insurance plans cover then they are likely to be wholly responsible for the cost. The same government statistics point to approximately 50 medical evacuations per year. When you consider that you might have to pay $ 100,000 to be evacuated from the USA, you can see how important it is to be insured.

2) Loss. Stuffs get lost when you are traveling. Baggage gets lost at airports and wallets get stolen when you are sightseeing in unfamiliar cities where you are not as streetwise as you would be at home. As long as you have insurance policy cover however there is no need to be paranoid. Losing your personal property is always frustrating, but having insurance policy is the difference between a temporary inconvenience and an expensive disaster that could ruin your entire vacation.

3) Flight Cancellation. Flight cancellations are quite common and extremely stressful. At the very least you can find yourself hanging around at an flight destination for hours. Those who have connecting flights or transfers, the knock on effect can be much worse ? and very expensive. Even if you do n?t, you may find that you suddenly need to arrange extra accommodation at the last minute, or you might miss out on one or more nights accommodation already paid for at your destination. Take out basic travel insurance and you will be covered for each of these problems.

4) Acts of Nature. Those who get stranded overseas as a result of an act of nature such as a hurricane or typhoon, you may be covered by your insurance policy. For everybody who is going to an area with a high risk of such phenomena it is a good idea to make this a priority when choosing your policy, as it is not always covered.

5) Personal Circumstances. Sudden circumstances in your personal life might mean that you have to cut short your trip, or even postpone it completely. You never know when you are going to fall ill or suffer a family bereavement. Travel insurance will allow you to recover some of the costs of your postponed or curtailed travelling.

Far from being a necessary evil, travel insurance is a safety net to ensure that you do not find yourself unnecessarily out of pocket as a result of your overseas travel. It does n?t need to be expensive either. There are plenty of cheap travel insurance deals available, so there is no reason ever to leave home without it.

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Source: http://www.compareinsurance-rates.com/reasons-why-travel-insurance-is-totally-necessary-for-an-overseas-trip

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EU plans 'greener' farm subsidies

The European Union has announced plans to reform its Common Agricultural Policy - its most expensive scheme, and one of the most controversial.

The CAP cost 58bn euros (?51bn; $80bn) last year - 47% of the whole EU budget.

The European Commission does not want to cut the budget, but change its priorities - including linking direct payments to environmental measures.

But farming, environmental and taxpayer groups all have their own concerns about the plans.

The proposals include:

  • keeping EU farm spending level until 2020, though it may be reduced by inflation
  • capping the total subsidy a large farm can receive at 300,000 euros
  • levelling imbalances in payments: to subsidise acreage farmed rather than production totals; and bring payments in the eastern EU up to levels in the west
  • ending sugar production quotas
  • making 30% of the "direct payment" income support payments received by farmers dependent on environmental criteria.

Those environmental criteria include:

  • arable farmers growing at least three different crops, with none exceeding 70% of the total farm area
  • farmers leaving 7% of their land fallow
  • ensuring permanent pasture is maintained

The Commission said the aim of the reforms was to "strengthen the competitiveness, sustainability and permanence of agriculture throughout the EU in order to secure for European citizens a healthy and high-quality source of food, preserve the environment and develop rural areas".

It said the changes would gradually move rewards away from intensive farming to more sustainable practices.

Presenting the reforms, EU Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos said: "Europe needs its farmers. Farmers need Europe's support. The Common Agricultural Policy is what feeds us, it's the future of more than half of our territory."

'Sofa farmers'

Farming unions fear farmers will face even more bureaucracy in order to qualify for the payments on which they rely to continue in business.

Gail Soutar of Britain's National Farmers Union also said it was important to direct support to "active farmers... who are producing a crop or a litre of milk, we don't want support to go to people who are no longer producing... sofa farmers".

Lobby group Friends of the Earth said the proposals would continue subsidising factory farming, and not do enough to change farming practices.

A spokesman said the changes would have "devastating consequences for rainforests, the climate and some of the world's poorest people".

The British government, which has called for a reduction in the overall size of the CAP, said the reforms should have focused more closely on food security and biodiversity.

But British Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said she was worried that the Commission's proposals "will be far too backward-looking and this precious opportunity will be lost".

The Commission's plans will be subject to debate and revision, before they are agreed by EU governments and the European Parliament.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-europe-15272815

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goto; Aarhus 2011 ? Day 1 | Post Post Technical

It?s been a pretty awesome first day at goto; in Aarhus ? after the first keynote, I found myself gravitating towards the DevOps sessions, which were really interesting. The .NET track was also good, and I was sorry to miss Rebecca Parsons ? whose idea was it to put both Rebecca and Jez on at the same time?!

Keynote: Dart

Lars Bak and Gilad Bracha present a technology preview of Dart, a new language for programming on the web. Syntactically, it looks a bit like a cross between C# and JavaScript ? which is unsurprising as there was a deliberate attempt to keep the syntax familiar. Types are optional and type errors don?t prevent the program running, instead the type checker is designed to help the programmer. The code compiles into JavaScript to run in the browser, and in future we may see support added to Google Chrome. My first impression was that it looks like it?d be pretty cool to work with, so excited to have a go.

They presented a news reader and a cool clock project running in the browser, both written in Dart.

More info: Tutorials and language specification, open source project

.NET track: Conventions ? make your code consistent

Mark Seeman presented an interesting and very technical talk, using dependency injection with Castle Windsor as an example of where we can introduce conventions to reduce the amount of code we need, therefore making the code more maintainable. He used a series of well prepared code examples, also demonstrating the app working, to make his points. By describing the conventions we want to use within the code itself. Enabling conventions make it more straightforward to extend the code using the conventions, restraining conventions such as unit tests ensure developers are following the conventions in place. Mark presented an interesting example of a unit test used to prevent references to the DI container popping up in any assembly except the outermost one.

Mark?s code on github

DevOps Track: Evolving Continuous Delivery

Like all of his DRW colleagues I?ve heard speak or follow, Chris Read succeeds in making me quite jealous when he describes their working environment, with clients sitting next to developers, and happy to accept a higher level of production bugs than most places I?ve ever worked! This acceptance of risk means that they are able to push out changes within 30 minutes of writing the code ? on average. What I liked the most about Chris? talk was the message that the things we?re told when we start doing agile ? continuous integration is important, automate tests ? still hold, but the implementation of them varies greatly. Just like with agile practices, how we manage continuous delivery must also vary to suit the team.

DevOps Track: Scaling DevOps

Jez Humble?s talk was polished and engaging, covering the need to bring ops and development together in large organisations in order to deliver better quality software, faster ? which is of course what he?s best known for writing and speaking about! The two key insights for me were that reducing the cycle time will mean people are less than 100% utilised (and conversely, aiming for 100% utilisation increases cycle time), and that deployment pipelines can actually be a great tool for helping audit software delivery, possibly for SOX or ITIL compliance. I only wish that more companies grasped these concepts from the top, and used them to manage projects.

DevOps Track: DevOps Fools, Tools, and other smart things

Patrick Debois? talk was focussed on how tools can help us to change our ways of thinking, and cultures. He talked how tools can encourage about collaboration and how two people from different backgrounds, like development and operations, can combine to make ?creative chaos? ? and that may not see the benefit of collaboration until we look around to see its effects. He emphasised that we should use tools to find new ways of working ? be creative and look under the hood. If a tool only has one way of using it, that?s a problem ? given an API, we can find new ways to innovate with the tools we have.

.NET track: Developers have a mental disorder

Greg Young was loud and entertaining, the perfect talk for nearly the end of the day. Taking the view that abstraction is ?programmer porn? and developers love to solve problems that nobody actually has, with abstract solutions, he tore holes in many common development practices. A couple of things that made me think: it?s easy to measure DRY, but the flip side of removing duplication (coupling and complexity) is much harder to measure, so we optimise for DRY. Many tools take away the pain we cause ourselves by writing bad code, making it much easier to do just that. Most complicated problems can be worked around without the tools. Many of his observations had me laughing, or groaning in recognition, but I still have no idea how to convince others of the truth behind them.

Keynote: Cool Code

In other careers, like writing for example, we would look at other people?s work, particularly good examples of it. Kevlin Henney suggested we should do the same for code, and produced many examples of ?beautiful? code. Some is literally beautiful, like the C program that depicts a part of the globe ? and when run, outputs itself with a 45 degree movement. Another example was the chess program as long as 4.8 tweets. Some of the best code will never be used in enterprise applications, but it?s ingenuity and sometimes sheer playfulness makes it provocative.

Source: http://postposttechnical.com/?p=18

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SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING Company? Get Your ...

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Best Home Improvements for Resale | Home Improvement

[unable to retrieve full-text content]There are several best home improvements for resale project of your house in the future. If you intend in selling your house in the near future, renovating your.

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