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Witness: Islamist fighters execute Tuareg in Mali

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) ? Residents in Mali attempting to flee the northern city of Gao, occupied for the past week by rival rebel factions, said they saw Islamist fighters cut the throat of a gunman, who is assumed to belong to the secular rebel group.

The incident appears to show that the Islamists are asserting their control in Gao, the largest city in the north, a region as large as France that fell to the Tuareg rebels a week ago in the aftermath of a coup in Bamako, Mali's capital.

Dramane Maiga, an employee of a transport company, said a bus loaded with fleeing residents attempted on Sunday to leave Gao, located more than 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) from Bamako. The bus was driven off the road by Tuareg fighters who wanted to rob the occupants, and who are assumed to belong to the secular faction, known as the National Movement for the Liberation of the Azawad, or NMLA.

The NMLA declared the independence of the nation of Azawad on Friday, but it remains unclear if they have the upper hand in the three largest cities in the north, or if an Islamist faction attempting to impose Shariah law has greater sway. Maiga said the Islamists had handed out a hotline number and encouraged residents to call if they were in trouble, apparently in an effort to instill confidence in the local population.

He said that as soon as the bus was driven off the road by a group of four Tuareg gunmen at the exit to Gao, people began calling the hotline. The Islamists arrived 30 minutes later, and an argument ensued.

Maiga said that he and everyone else on the bus saw the Islamists cut the throat of one of the Tuareg fighters, while shouting "Allah Akbar," or "God is Great," in Arabic.

There is growing international concern the Islamist faction is gaining ground in northern Mali. The Ansar Dine faction which is at the fore of the fighting is believed to be providing cover for an al-Qaida offshoot, known as al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM. Their growing footprint in the vast northern stretches of Mali is especially worrying. AQIM bankrolls its operation by kidnapping foreigners and is holding French, Italian and Spanish nationals.

In the ancient northern town of Timbuktu, Mayor Ousmane Halle said the Islamists had taken over the downtown core of the city, while the NMLA was camped out at the airport.

"I do not know who our master is," he told The Associated Press this week.

The Tuaregs have been attempting to claim control of the north of Mali since at least 1958, two years before Mali's independence from France. That year, Tuareg elders wrote a letter addressed to the French president, requesting that they be given a separate nation. Mali's north where the lighter-skinned Tuaregs live was instead made part of the same nation as the country's south, where the darker-skinned Bambaras control the capital and the government.

They have fought numerous wars to try to wrest the north free, but it was not until the chaos caused by a March 21 coup in the capital that they were able to make significant gains. In the confusion that followed the military takeover, the rebel factions moved on the three largest cities, which fell over a three-day period last weekend.

The military chiefs of 13 of Mali's neighbors have held several meetings to plan a military invasion to take back the north. France has promised technical and logistical support.

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Iraq: Video appears to show top Saddam deputy

BAGHDAD (AP) ? A video posted online Saturday purports to show Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, the highest ranking member of Saddam Hussein's ousted regime still at large, lashing out against Iraq's Shiite-led government.

It was not possible to verify the authenticity of the video or determine when it was made.

The man in the video, posted on a website linked to Saddam's now-outlawed Baath party, was introduced as al-Douri and bore a striking physical resemblance to the former Saddam deputy. He noted that nine years had passed since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, suggesting the video was made recently.?

Wearing an olive military uniform and eyeglasses, he criticized Iraq's Shiite-dominated government, led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and what he said was meddling by neighboring Shiite powerhouse Iran.

"Everyone can hear the sounds of danger echoing daily and threatening this country," he said during the hour-long address, adding that al-Maliki's Dawa Party "has announced Iraq as the Shiite capital, and called on all Arab leaders to surrender to this reality."

Al-Douri has been reported dead or captured more than once in the past. He has not been seen in public since the U.S.-led invasion, though audio tapes purporting to be from him have been released. His whereabouts are not known.

Al-Douri is believed to have played a key role in financing Sunni insurgents seeking to undermine Iraq's post-Saddam government. He was the "king of clubs" in the deck of playing cards issued by the U.S. to help troops identify the most-wanted members of Saddam's regime.

Ali al-Moussawi, a media adviser for al-Maliki, said the tape is meant to "boost the morale of the terrorists."

"Al-Douri wants to spread terrorism and sectarian violence under the pretext of resistance," he said. "This will not affect the work of the government or the political process."

Al-Moussawi said al-Douri is still a wanted man, but that he doubts that al-Douri is still in Iraq because his need for extensive medical care in a well-equipped clinic would make it impossible to hide.

Also Saturday, a bomb hidden in a plastic bag blew up on a minibus, killing two passengers and wounding nine in Baghdad's commercial heart of Karrada, according to police and hospital officials. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

Deadly attacks have declined in Iraq in recent weeks, but dozens are still killed every month. March saw the lowest monthly toll for violent deaths since the 2003 U.S.-invasion.

___

Associated Press writers Mazin Yahya and Qassim Abdul-Zahra contributed reporting.

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Opening day all over: Aces, tributes and extras

The Cincinnati Reds and the Miami Marlins stand on the field during the National Anthem prior to an Opening Day baseball game, Thursday, April 5, 2012, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/David Kohl)

The Cincinnati Reds and the Miami Marlins stand on the field during the National Anthem prior to an Opening Day baseball game, Thursday, April 5, 2012, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/David Kohl)

Former teammates and loved ones of the late Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter pose for a photograph after unveiling a memorial logo on the outfield wall before the season opening baseball game at Citi Field between the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves, Thursday, April 5, 2012, in New York. From left, former teammate Darryl Strawberry, son DJ Carter, wife Sandy Carter, former teammate Mookie Wilson, and daughter's Kimmy and Christy. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Justin Verlander (35) throws during the second inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox in Detroit, Thursday, April 5, 2012. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Cleveland Indians' Jack Hannahan watches his three-run home run off Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Ricky Romero in the second inning of a baseball game Thursday, April 5, 2012, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

Washington Nationals' Ian Desmond, hits an RBI single off Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Carlos Marmol, scoring pinch runner Brett Carroll, during the ninth inning of a baseball game, Thursday, April 5, 2012, in Chicago. The Nationals won 2-1. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Standing in a concourse at Comerica Park during the seventh-inning stretch, wearing his Detroit Tigers windbreaker and hat, Walt Thompson seemed to speak for every fan on opening day.

"You look forward to it all season and when you get here again, you smell the hot dogs cooking and it's the best thing in the world," he said Thursday.

With a nod to the past and a glimpse at the future, baseball returned across America. Under sunny skies, too, with nary a snowflake in sight.

It really was Opening Day III. Oakland and Seattle officially started the season last week in Tokyo, and the Miami Marlins debuted their splashy new park Wednesday night.

In Cleveland, it almost felt like a doubleheader. The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Indians 7-4 in 16 innings, making it the longest opener in major league history.

Six more games were on tap, and new Boston manager Bobby Valentine was eager to get going.

"It's opening day and there's only one opening day. It's a very special day. It's the start of something new," he said.

Looked that way at Petco Park in San Diego, where the Padres hosted the Los Angeles Dodgers. That's where Magic Johnson, part of the group that's buying the Dodgers, sat with outgoing owner Frank McCourt and chatted away.

There was plenty of pomp elsewhere ? plus top performances by Justin Verlander, Roy Halladay and other aces.

At Citi Field, the New York Mets began the afternoon by paying tribute to late Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter. At Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Pete Rose and Joe Morgan stood together.

And at Wrigley Field, the Cubs crowd howled when comedian Bill Murray ran around the bases, slid across home plate and then bounced the ceremonial first pitch.

After that, the real arms amped up.

Stephen Strasburg pitched seven dominant innings and the Washington Nationals, with more than usual high hopes on opening day, beat Chicago 2-1.

"We've been chomping at the bit to get out there," said Ian Desmond, who singled home the go-ahead run in the ninth inning.

Verlander looked every bit the AL MVP and Cy Young winner as he blanked Boston Red Sox for eight innings. Even after Detroit closer Jose Valverde blew a save for the first time in more than a year, the Tigers wound up with a win in the bottom of the ninth.

Johan Santana also began in style. The two-time Cy Young winner missed last season while recovering from shoulder surgery, but looked sharp in helping pitch the New York Mets past Atlanta 1-0.

Same tight score in Pittsburgh, where Halladay led the Philadelphia Phillies past the Pirates. Most everywhere, runs were hard to come by.

"Long way to go, but it's good to get that first one under your belt and have it be a good one," Verlander said.

Celebrating their 50th anniversary, the Mets looked to their past. Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner, 89 and an announcer for the team since their expansion season, read the starting lineup from a podium at the plate.

There was a moment of silence for Carter, who died in February at 57 from a brain tumor. His wife and three children tossed out first pitches and the Mets will sport patches on their sleeves this season to honor him.

"It's an honor to wear his number today," Mets manager Terry Collins said.

Umpires remembered their own by wearing patches in tribute to the late Marty Springstead and Harry Wendelstedt.

At Rangers Ballpark, Texas unveiled a life-size bronze statue of the fan who died last year after falling over an outfield railing. It shows 39-year-old firefighter Shannon Stone and his young boy.

Stone had taken 6-year-old son Cooper to the game with hopes of catching a ball. Cooper and Rangers President Nolan Ryan said it depicted the happy times families have at games.

In Cincinnati, the Reds threw their annual parade ? former third baseman Aaron Boone was the grand marshal ? and got started against the Marlins under sunny skies and 60 degrees and brisk winds.

That was quite a turnaround for the Marlins. It was 79 degrees for the first pitch when they lost at home to St. Louis 4-1 on Wednesday night. The team took a postgame flight and arrived at their hotel in Cincinnati at 3 a.m. ? not much time to sleep before the 4 p.m. opener.

"I wish we could have stayed home," Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen said. "But they made that special schedule for us to play there."

___

AP Sports Writers Noah Trister, Tom Withers, Joe Kay, Mike Fitzpatrick, Howie Rumberg and Andrew Seligman, AP writer Angela K. Brown and AP freelance writer Scott Held contributed to this report.

Associated Press

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Shannon Elizabeth Talks 'American Reunion,' New Jewelry Line And More

The entire East Great Falls gang is back for another round of high school hijinks this weekend in "American Reunion," even if some alumni are bound to get more screen time than others. You'll see plenty of Oz, Finch, Stifler, Kev and Jim (perhaps too much Jim), but some of the other characters you've come [...]

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P&G To Not Enter Retail Laundry & Dry Cleaning Business ...

Case Type: new business.
Consulting Firm: Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH) second round job interview.
Industry Coverage: household goods, consumer products; business services.

Case Interview Question #00524: The client Procter & Gamble (P&G, NYSE: PG) is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of household products, consumer package goods and personal care products. In fiscal year 2011, P&G recorded $82.6 billion dollars in sales.

Recently, Proctor & Gamble wants to enter the clothes washing and dry cleaning business in the United States. They want to set up a chain of retail shops that will offer clothes washing and dry cleaning services to consumers. They would want about $1 billion in annual revenues and 10% operating profits from this new business in 3 years. They have hired your consulting team to help them decide 1) whether they should go ahead with the clothes washing and dry cleaning business; 2) whether their expected revenues and profit margin is feasible. How would you go about it?

Suggested Approach:

This ?launching a new line of business? case is more about understanding how the candidate thinks about the problem. One way to look at it is to use Porter?s 5 forces structure but it is too common a framework that interviewers don?t like it very much. A simple but powerful way to look at is as follows:

• The first step will be to see if there is sufficient demand for the clothes washing and dry cleaning service and if the client P&G can obtain a significant market share to generate required revenues.
• Then even if there is sufficient demand, can they make the required profits?
• Next, what capabilities does the client P&G have to enter this business? Why can the client do this business better than the other competitors?
• Is the new business aligned with the brand image and vision of the company?
• If the company decides to enter the new business, what will be the mode of entry?

Additional Information: to be provided when asked

• The laundry and dry cleaning industry will grow 10% in 3 years from now (About 3.25% per year).
• The industry size in the U.S. is about $9 billion. Of this 60% is retail full service shops, 20% is industrial washing like uniform washing services and 20% is coin operated self-service.
• There are about 30,000 retail stores in the US. About 80% of them are mom and pop stores and the remaining are small chains.
• The most common and most profitable form of dry-cleaning business is the ?full plant?, companies that perform all of the processing on the premises.
• These ?full plant? firms often include additional pick-up and drop-off points that provide the main plant with goods to dry-clean.
• The client P&G has some of the leading laundry detergent brands in the US like Tide.

Possible Answers:

A good candidate will explore the following issues:

1. How many stores should the client P&G open (or acquire) to achieve their revenue targets? However, acquisition is very difficult as the industry is very fragmented. Provide the following details for calculation:

• On average a laundry and dry cleaning store operates 300 days a year
• Each day they process about 0.1 tons of clothes
• And they charge about $6,000 per ton of clothes

Calculation:

P&G should open at least $1 billion / (300 days * 0.1 tons per day * $6,000 per ton) = 5,556 stores in next 3 years to generate a $1 billion in annual revenue.

2. How much market share can the client P&G capture in 3 years?

In 3 years, the market size would be $9 billion * 60% * (1 + 10%) = $6 billion. To generate $1 billion from this means capturing $1 billion / $6 billion = 16.67% of market share.

3. Is it possible for the client to achieve that kind of a market share in 3 years given the fragmented and highly competitive nature of the industry?

Candidate should make a compelling argument indicating the strengths and synergies that P&G can bring to make it happen (like branding, advertising, marketing, promotions, technology, economies of scale, logistics and distribution)

4. How will P&G be able to make 10% operating profits? For this part of the case, provide the following details and ask the candidate to calculate operating profits on a per store basis. This margin is the current industry performance level.

• Cost of labor = $7 per hour
• 5 laborers per store and they work 8 hours on average per day
• Cost of detergents, washing solvents = $2,000 per ton of clothes
• Water, electricity and effluent treatment charges = 6.667% of revenues
• Annual rental for real estate = $15,000

Calculations:

The annual revenues per store = 300 days * 0.1 tons per day * $6,000 per ton = $180,000

Labor costs = 300 days * 8 hours per day * $7 per hour per people * 5 people = $84,000
Costs of detergents, washing solvents = 300 days * 0.1 tons per day * $2,000 per ton = $60,000
Water, electricity and effluent treatment charges = 6.667% * $180,000 = $12,000
Annual rental for real estate = $15,000
Total annual costs per store = $84,000 + $60,000 + $12,000 + $15,000 = $171,000

Profits = Revenues ? Costs = $180,000 ? $171,000 = $9,000, which is 5% of revenues.

5. Will the client P&G generate 2 times the industry profit margins to get 10% profits? In addition, is this business in line with the vision of P&G to be the leading branded consumer packaged goods company?

Possible Answer:

Typically 50% candidates say they think P&G should enter this business and 50% say P&G should not. More important than the answer, the candidate?s thought process and ability to substantiate their answer with confident arguments is what really matters in this case.

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Small Business Marketing Guide for Entrepreneurs | Inbound ...

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Tiny Business Marketing and advertising Guide for Business people. Post by Chris ... A modest business advertising and marketing guide exhibits you step by phase how to strategically industry your goods and services. one.

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Earn Money Online ? Internet Marketing Tips | Free - Business in ...

A few companies have become giants in the business world, while many others have remained small and local. The majority of businesses, though, are destined to be gone in a short period of time. It is hard to keep a brick-and-mortar business going, and this is also true about online businesses. You can improve your chances of success, however, by following some of the common sense online marketing tips found here.

You possess the skills needed to be successful in internet marketing. Fancy computer programs and overpriced get-rich-quick schemes can?t compare to a person with knowledge and the desire to get the job done. Be diligent, and think thoroughly about the marketing decisions that you make.

Determine what audience you are attempting to reach, and what you need to do to being them to you. This gives you a good starting point when planning your content.

The internet is an effective free resource to help evaluate your market approach since you may not be able to afford a marketing consultant. Some of the marketing resources available online and locally at little to no cost are online business forums, informational blogs, eBooks, and local business seminars.

Before you even bother with trying to get your site ranked, you first have to build a great website. This needs to be the beginning step for anyone who is creating an online business. Attention to detail is important when creating your site. The effort that you put into making your site look great and work smoothly will pay off, as you will have less work to do down the road.

You should use your email settings to attach a signature to every email sent. It serves as an electronic calling card, and you should take advantage of the potential for broad distribution. It also offers your contact a way to see what is going on with your business.

Enable people from around the globe to have access to your site. In other words, try to implement different versions of your sites in many languages. This is a proven technique for drawing in more global customers. Customers who can read your website in their own language are more likely to make a purchase from the site.

Deciding what direction to take your website and business can be a daunting task. Start out broad and list interests and niches that are important to you. Pare down the list until you have your top pick. It is best to pick a niche that you know about, and that you enjoy. Nothing will help your success more than using goals to channel your website marketing.

If you fail at online business, you will know that it can just open up more opportunity. If you use these suggestions here in this article you can be successful.

Interested in more information about a online home business then make sure to checkout the Numis Network.

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Cut the Cord With the Only Wireless VoIP Conference Phone from ...

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BUFFALO, NY, March 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ ? VoIP Supply LLC (www.voipsupply.com), North America?s heading retailer of VoIP apparatus and finish solutions, is gratified to announce a further of innovative Revolabs FLX wireless VoIP conferencing systems.? Revolabs is a premier audio solutions provider of wireless one communications products for teeming workspaces uninhibited by cords.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111115/NY05533LOGO)

The Revolabs FLX VoIP discussion complement is a usually wireless IP discussion phone accessible today.? Used for both audio and video communications, a Revolabs FLX now advantages from Revolabs? insubordinate audio record that was once indifferent for a largest of discussion bedrooms and house rooms.? Now, with a FLX, tiny to medium-sized discussion rooms, executive offices, or home offices can precedence a best audio peculiarity with a leisure of wireless mobility.

Not your normal discussion phone, a Revolabs FLX complement is a dual-purpose resolution expelling a need for a apart desktop and discussion phone. The coherence of a enclosed wireless FLX dialer is not usually used to set adult a discussion call though it acts usually like a unchanging write handset for private calls before, during, or after a discussion call.

The Revolabs FLX might be neat and compress though distinct a tiny discussion phones you?re used to, your organisation no longer has to crowd around a device or scream opposite a room to be listened on a other end.? Instead, FLX users can suffer a some-more healthy discussion room environment since with a FLX?s apart wireless components we have some-more leisure to place a speaker, dialer, and microphones where they make a many sense.? The FLX comes customary with dual transmutable microphones in your choice of directional, omnidirectional, or a wearable indication so that a presenter can pierce openly about a room.? ?

The Revolabs FLX is also concordant with heading video conferencing complement brands, is Bluetooth enabled for tie to your dungeon phone or computer, has an encrypted voice vigilance for secure calls, and a FLX complement will not take Wi-Fi bandwidth or meddle with other radio signals.

?Revolabs is bringing a whole new dimension to VoIP conferencing,? pronounced Garrett Smith, Chief Marketing Officer during VoIP Supply.? ?Adding a usually wireless VoIP discussion phone on a marketplace with a Revolabs FLX allows VoIP Supply to yield so most some-more coherence for audio and video plan collaboration, webinars, Skype, and stretch learning.?

For additional information about Revolabs FLX wireless VoIP conferencing solutions accessible by VoIP Supply call toll-free 1-800-398-8647 or revisit http://www.voipsupply.com/manufacturer/revolabs.

About VoIP Supply

VoIP Supply, LLC (www.voipsupply.com) is North America?s heading retailer of VoIP apparatus and integrated communication systems for businesses of all sizes, use providers and resellers.? Widely famous for a abyss of product believe and attention expertise, VoIP Supply sets a customary for straight e.tailing ? providing value-based pricing opposite a extensive product catalog, consultant technical support, fast product provisioning and installation, tellurian logistics services and market-making promotions for manufacturers of all sizes.? In further to record and use prowess, VoIP Supply is a three-time INC 5,000 honoree and in 2007, was ranked series 45 on a Entrepreneur Magazine?s Hot 100 fastest flourishing companies in a U.S.? Buffalo?s Business First newspaper recently ranked VoIP Supply among Western New York?s tip 50 privately-held companies rating a association as one of a best places to work in a region, as good as a fastest flourishing association in WNY for 2006 by winning a Business First Fast Track 50 Award.

Contact:
Nathan Miloszewski
natem@voipsupply.com
VoIP Supply, LLC
80 Pineview Dr., Buffalo, NY 14228
1.800.398.8647
www.voipsupply.com

SOURCE VoIP Supply, LLC

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