Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Iran "will press on with enrichment:" nuclear chief

World News : Iran "will press on with enrichment:" nuclear chief World News : Iran "will press on with enrichment:" nuclear chief Iran will go on enriching uranium "with intensity" and the number of enrichment centrifuges it has operating will rise substantially in the current year, the country's nuclear energy chief was quoted as saying on Wednesday.

World News : Egypt protests continue in crisis over Mursi powers

World News : Egypt protests continue in crisis over Mursi powers World News : Egypt protests continue in crisis over Mursi powers Hundreds of demonstrators were in Cairo's Tahrir Square for a sixth day on Wednesday, demanding that President Mohamed Mursi rescind a decree they say gives him dictatorial powers, while two of Egypt's top courts stopped work in protest.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Fed's Evans wants more easing, Fisher wants limits

Business News : Fed's Evans wants more easing, Fisher wants limits Deep divisions at the Federal Reserve were on display on Tuesday, just two weeks before the U.S. central bank's next policy-setting meeting, with one top Fed official pushing for more easing, and another advocating limits.

Obama promotes tax agenda, Congress in stand-off

Business News : Obama promotes tax agenda, Congress in stand-off President Barack Obama on Tuesday launched a public relations push for his bid to raise taxes on wealthy Americans, but U.S. lawmakers remained deadlocked over dramatic, year-end tax increases and spending cuts known as the "fiscal cliff."

Pakistan plans to hold national elections in May

World News : Pakistan plans to hold national elections in May World News : Pakistan plans to hold national elections in May Pakistan plans to hold landmark national elections in May, the country's information minister said Tuesday. The vote would mark the first time a civilian government completed a full five-year term in the country and transferred power through the ballot box.

10 killed in central Nigeria violence

World News : 10 killed in central Nigeria violence Gunmen sprayed bullets from a moving van Monday night, killing ten people in a predominantly Christian town in a region beset by religious tensions, Nigeria's military said Tuesday.

UK workplace pension pot charges should be revealed - new code

World News : UK workplace pension pot charges should be revealed - new code Pension firms and insurers are calling for the costs taken automatically by people running UK pension schemes to be divulged to employers when they set up auto-enrolment schemes between 2012 and 2017.

Israeli PM Netanyahu suddenly seems vulnerable

World News : Israeli PM Netanyahu suddenly seems vulnerable World News : Israeli PM Netanyahu suddenly seems vulnerable Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who appeared to be cruising to re-election a few weeks ago, suddenly appears vulnerable as the country prepares to go to the polls in January.

World News : Rebels patrol in Congo city as deadline passes

World News : Rebels patrol in Congo city as deadline passes World News : Rebels patrol in Congo city as deadline passes Rebels widely believed to be backed by Rwanda and Uganda held their positions in this key eastern Congolese city that they seized last week, letting a midnight deadline for their withdrawal expire in the early hours of Tuesday.

Health tips : Personal coaching app tracks sleep, diet, fitness

Trying to get fit or lose weight but lacking the motivation and willpower? A new app that acts like a digital personal coach monitors fitness, activity, sleep and diet and provides tips for health and productivity. The app called Larklife gathers data via a wristband and provides personalized advice which is displayed on the smartphone app. It can deduct if the wearer is not getting enough sleep and how sedentary they are, according to its creators. "In the background it's as if you had your own personal fitness trainer, productivity coach and sleep coach all working together to give you the easiest way to improve at this moment," said Julia Hu, CEO and co-founder of the Mountain View, California-based company Lark. After a poor night's sleep, for example, the app might suggest extra protein for breakfast, based on research that it can improve mental focus when someone is sleep deprived. Thirty minutes after a workout, it might remind the user to drink water to keep hydrated. The app is part of the growing wearable technology market, which is expected to nearly double by 2014, according to a report by research firm Juniper Research. Many wearable technology devices connect with smartphone apps to display the data they gather. There is a growing supply of health and fitness tracking apps and gadgets on the market, including the Nike+ FuelBand, Fitbit and Jawbone UP, but Hu said her product provides real-time advice and does not focus on tracking metrics like calories burned or distance traveled. "Data is incredibly important as the first step, but the layer on top that everyone is missing is ‘what does this actually mean for me?" she said. Most people don't care about shaving 10 seconds off their running time, she added, but they do want to lose a few pounds, improve productivity and have more energy. The Larklife app provides its coaching wirelessly in real-time. "When we're building good habits it's important to have that positive reinforcement in real-time," Hu explained. All the advice that the app provides is based on real-time data from the wristband, such as a reminder that the wearer has been sitting for more than 100 minutes and should walk around. "It's a gentle nudge and friendly reminder at the time when you're supposed to be doing it that just pushes you to take that extra little step," explained Hu. The company said it developed the app with sleep, nutrition, fitness and circadian rhythm experts and neuroscientists. For dieters the app automatically logs meal times and can record more detailed information, such as type of food consumed. It will be available for iPhone and iPod touch devices in December. The wristband will be sold in Apple stores and online in the United States in December for $149.99. (Editing by Patricia Reaney) ppg | pcy | dofollow Business | entertainment marketing | sport travel | Bussiness marketing sport technology |travel world news education entertainment health article about bussiness sport articles Girl Xinh Hot Girl Hot Girl Asian | Girl Xinh Hot Girl | Girl Xinh | Lexi Belle | Ngoc Trinh | Minh Hang | Midu | Hot Girl Asian | elly tran weight lost proxy free | socks5 | socks proxy | socks proxy free

Tech News : Struggle over Internet regulation to dominate global summit

Tech News : Struggle over Internet regulation to dominate global summit Tech News : Struggle over Internet regulation to dominate global summit

Tech News : Samsung to ship 19 million Windows 8 computers this year: executive

Tech News : Samsung to ship 19 million Windows 8 computers this year: executive Tech News : Samsung to ship 19 million Windows 8 computers this year: executive

Monday, November 26, 2012

Travel :Following in Lawrence of Arabia's footsteps in Jordanian desert

Travel :Following in Lawrence of Arabia's footsteps in Jordanian desert Travel :Following in Lawrence of Arabia's footsteps in Jordanian desert

Travel : Hong Kong most popular destination for Asian travelers

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Education : What motivates children to learn?

Education : What motivates children to learn? Every child learns a little differently. It would be convenient if each child fit into one of the traditional learning styles, such as visual learner, kinesthetic learner, or auditory learner. The truth is that each child is a unique combination of these learning styles as well as other points in their personalities that make their learning style unique to each child.

Education : Entertaining Kids With Fairy Books

Education : Entertaining Kids With Fairy Books You can impart extra knowledge to your children through books. Extra books may help in better understanding of different subjects. You can impart specialized information and knowledge to your children in an exciting manner by using fairy books. Children fairy books are available in schools and market.

Business News : HP hit with civil securities lawsuit over Autonomy deal

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World News : Egypt's Islamists seek to defuse crisis over decree

World News : Egypt's Islamists seek to defuse crisis over decree World News : Egypt's Islamists seek to defuse crisis over decree Egypt's ruling Islamists tried to defuse a political crisis on Monday, with President Mohamed Mursi backing a compromise over his seizure of extended powers and his Muslim Brotherhood calling off a planned demonstration.

World News : Euro zone, IMF reach deal to cut long-term Greek debt

World News : Euro zone, IMF reach deal to cut long-term Greek debt World News : Euro zone, IMF reach deal to cut long-term Greek debt Euro zone finance ministers and the International Monetary Fund clinched agreement on reducing Greece's debt on Monday in a breakthrough to release urgently needed loans to keep the near-bankrupt economy afloat.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Pizza with an Asian twist

With the cool weather of Ho Chi Minh City this festive season, we decided to visit Pizza 4P’s last week.

It was around 8 p.m. and the restaurant was full of young local people and foreigners. My friend booked a table with a view of the wood oven and a spacious spiral staircase with stonewalls that created a “stone city” atmosphere reminiscent of ancient Rome.

Pizza 4P’s offers a very creative menu. In addition to traditional pizza, this restaurant also has modern Asian versions which use unconventional Japanese sauces, seaweed, Vietnamese fresh vegetable flowers and other local ingredients such as shrimp, pork and beef.

If you are after a fusion of new pizza culture you will surely have to try the Calamari Seaweed Pizza (squid, mushroom, homemade mozzarella, parmesan, olive oil, seaweed and soya sauce), or Teriyaki Chicken pizza (chicken, homemade mozzarella, seaweed, shiso leaves, mayonnaise, olive oil and teriyaki sauce). At Pizza 4P’s you can taste something Italian and something Japanese in a single pie, all smothered in homemade cheese.

For an appetizer we opted for “today’s marinade” which turned out to be our beloved mushrooms, and for the main course we choose something classic and something innovative: Margherita Pizza and Quattro Flowers Pizza (pumpkin, leek flower and daylily flowers and homemade parmesan with sweet chili sauce).

To encourage customers to try the diversified dishes, at Pizza 4P’s you can order one pizza with two different styles, split half and half. The simple Margherita was out favorite with its generous distribution of wonderful cheese while the Quattro Flowers Pizza gave us a taste of the exotic, the succulent homemade cheese mixing nicely with the light fragrance of vegetable flowers.

PIZZA 4P'S

8/15 Le Thanh Ton Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Tel: (08) 3 822 9838

For dessert my friend chose her favorite tiramisu which was very tasty and had a delightful presentation. (This dinner cost us about VND200,000 each).

“We targeted Vietnamese customers so we conducted research before opening the restaurant. We invited 50 Vietnamese people to come to taste our pizza twice a week and gathered their opinions. This menu was designed by Vietnamese people,” said the restaurant’s young CEO, Yosuke Masuko.

Masuko said he came to Vietnam from Tokyo three years ago to work in the financial sector. After this restaurant he plans to open an eco resort. “10 years ago I wanted to open an eco resort. That is why I came to Vietnam. Resorts and restaurants are similar businesses and I started with a restaurant first,” said Masuko.

After spending one year in Hanoi, Masuko moved to Saigon two years ago and together with his wife, opened Pizza 4P’s last August. The four P’s acronym stands for: Platform of Personal Pizza for Peace.

Now Masuko said works with former film director turned pizza chef, Takaaki Yoshikawa, a good friend for over 20 years.

Masuko said Yoshikawa has a good time making pizza and meeting customers in Saigon. “Six years ago, we made a pizza oven in the garden (in Japan) and cooked pizza as a hobby. We also offered pizza making classes for children,” said Masuko.

Pizza 4P’s follows an open minded concept. Masuko said pizza lovers could submit ideas for new dishes and after tests, the most popular innovation would be added to the menu. In addition to minor fame, the winner will receive copyright royalties for as long as the dish remains on the menu.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Vietnam Airlines offers discounts to Europe, Northeast Asia flights

Vietnam Airlines has slashed prices on flights to Europe and Northeast Asia by as much as 46 percent from now until March 31 , Thoi bao kinh te Saigon quoted the national carrier as saying Saturday.

According to the report, the round-trips fare from Ho Chi Minh City to London is now only US$699, down 46 percent from normal. A trip from HCMC to Moscow and back now costs $700, a 39 percent discount.

Meanwhile, customers can expect to pay $480 for a round-trip ticket from HCMC to Tokyo and $449 from HCMC to Seoul.

Quoted fares do not include taxes and surcharges, the report said.

Vietnam Airlines currently operates 25 flights per week from HCMC to Japan and 14 to South Korea. The national carrier also offers 25 flights to England, France and Germany each week, and seven to Russia.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Lanta Viet resumes operation in Mui Ne

Russian-invested tour operator Lanta Viet has resumed its operations in the Mui Ne resort area on February 2 after its sudden close following the bankruptcy of its parent firm Lanta Tour Voyage the previous week.

Nguyen Van Khoa, chairman of the Binh Thuan Tourism Association, said Lanta Viet director Konstantin Prikhodko opened the office in the late afternoon.

“Dozens of resort owners immediately came to the office to request him to sign debt notes for hosting the company’s Russian tourists over the past several days,” he said.

At a meeting with Vietnamese tourism authorities and the People's Committee of Binh Thuan Province on February 1, Prikhodko said he and his employees left the office in fear that some frustrated people could surround the place as happened at Lanta’s office in Thailand.

However, the resort owners said they had taken good care of the Russian tourists to maintain their reputation despite being aware of Lanta Tour Voyage’s bankruptcy.

Meanwhile, tourism authorities said they had instructed the resorts to continue taking good care of the tourists as a move to promote Mui Ne tourism.

Dozens of Russian tourists stranded in Mui Ne have left Vietnam over the past days and all of those sent to Vietnam through Lanta Viet are expected to leave by February 8.

Prikhodko committed to pay the resorts but did not offer a payment time.

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Russian tourists stranded in Vietnam as tour operator goes bust

Lanta Tour Voyage, one of Russia’s largest tour operators, declared bankruptcy January 27 and shut down after being unable to provide funding for contracted services, leaving thousands of Russian tourists stranded abroad including 309 in Vietnam.

Russia's state development bank VTB on February 1 said it will lend Lanta Tour Voyage US$7 million at an interest rate of 12 percent, according to the Russian daily newspaper Vedomosti.

Friday, February 10, 2012

A slice of Nha Trang in Ho Chi Minh City

To enjoy authentic food from the coastal resort town, visit Khoai Restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City


Ốc cuộn mỡ chài nướng
(Grill snail wrapped in caul fat) at Khoai Restaurant in
Ho Chi Minh City

Nha Trang, with its beautiful white sand beaches and range of seafood, is clearly a land that Mother Nature looks upon kindly.

Locals have taken advantage of the bounty and created many marvelous dishes from seafood that entrance visitors.

Nha Trang residents who move to Ho Chi Minh City take with them their love for the specialties of their land, but find it hard to satisfy their craving in the southern metro. Hard but not impossible, for there is Khoai Restaurant on Le Quy Don Street, District 3.

This Nha Trang specialty restaurant claims to get all its ingredients from the coastal town as also its chefs to ensure the food remains authentic.

It does serve many of the delicacies of the coastal city - like nem nướng (grilled minced pork). The dish is made by grilling minced pork and rolling it in soft rice paper with lettuce and fresh herbs, and is served with peanut dipping sauce.

Bún sứa (jellyfish vermicelli soup) comprised of crispy jellyfish and delicious soup; bún cá (fish vermicelli soup) gets its delicately sweet flavor from the fish.

Khoai also serves some traditional cakes such as bánh bèo (small steamed savory rice cakes), bánh xèo (fried rice pancake folded in half and filled with shrimp, meat, and soya bean sprouts), and bánh ướt (steamed rice paper). The cakes are simple and rural but delicious.


The restaurant is also easy on the eye with its simple but pleasant décor – it has rough stone walls, magnificent pictures of Nha Trang Bay, and storm lanterns hung everywhere.

It is suitable for gatherings of families, friends, colleagues, and others.

Valentine awaits in beautiful Nha Trang

Michelia Hotel is offering a sweet Valentine in one of the world’s most beautiful bays -- Nha Trang in central Vietnam.

The romantic package, valid between February 13 to 29, will allow couples to enjoy three nights together in a romantic setting in well-equipped rooms with champagne, chocolate, breakfast in bed, and roses on the bed every evening.

A candlelight dinner to the sound of a violin will be served on February 14 by the hotel pool. Couples can take photos with a Cupid to record the moment.

The package also offers free use of the gym, Internet, and the hotel’s exclusive beach, and a 20 percent discount on laundry.

It costs just VND3.83 million (US$182).

The four-star hotel at 4 Pasteur is located in the heart of the central town, which in 2010 was listed by Worldbays as having one of the 29 most beautiful bays in the world.

It takes around a minute to walk to the beach, and several minutes to shopping centers and many of the town’s attractions.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Victoria group presents 12-night Indochina tour

Victoria Hotels & Resorts, the group that runs six properties across Vietnam and Cambodia, is offering a 12-night Indochina exploration package.

The Indochina Explorer package will highlight the attractions of the region. Tourists will be taken on train, boat and bus tours through ethnic minority regions in the northern Vietnam, the UNESCO heritage town Hoi An and its beach in central Vietnam, the floating markets of Can Tho and the mystic Sam mountain in An Giang Province in the southern region.

Customers will then travel by speedboat to Phnom Penh, and see vestiges of the Khmer civilization in Siem Reap.

The package includes accommodation with daily breakfast in superior rooms at each Victoria Hotels & Resorts in Sa Pa, Hoi An, Can Tho, Chau Doc and Siem Reap. The group operates five hotels in Vietnam, including one in the south central resort town Phan Thiet.

Customers will also receive welcome drink and towel upon arrival, daily fresh flowers and fruit basket, souvenir gifts from the tour operator, and early check-in or late check-out if available.

The package costs US$1,563 a twin sharing room and a further $867 for a single supplement.