CUIL - The New Search Engine

Welcome to Cuil—the world’s biggest search engine. The Internet has grown. We think it’s time search did too.

The Internet has grown exponentially in the last fifteen years but search engines have not kept up—until now. Cuil searches more pages on the Web than anyone else—three times as many as Google and ten times as many as Microsoft.

Rather than rely on superficial popularity metrics, Cuil searches for and ranks pages based on their content and relevance. When we find a page with your keywords, we stay on that page and analyze the rest of its content, its concepts, their inter-relationships and the page’s coherency.

Then we offer you helpful choices and suggestions until you find the page you want and that you know is out there. We believe that analyzing the Web rather than our users is a more useful approach, so we don’t collect data about you and your habits, lest we are tempted to peek. With Cuil, your search history is always private.

Cuil is an old Irish word for knowledge. For knowledge, ask Cuil.

What does the name Cuil mean?

Tom Costello, our founderand CEO, comes from Ireland, a country with a rich mythology around thequest for wisdom. Cuil is the Gaelic word for both knowledge and hazel,and features prominently in ancient legend. One famous story tells of a salmon that ate nine hazelnuts that had fallen into the Fountain of Wisdom and thereby gained all the knowledge in the world. Whoever ate the salmon would acquire this knowledge.

A famous poet fished for many years on the River Boyne hoping to catch the Salmon of Knowledge. When he finally caught it, he gave it to his young apprentice Finn McCuil to prepare, warning him not to eat any. As Finn cooked the salmon he burnt his thumb and instinctively sucked it to ease the pain. And so it was Finn and not the poet who gained all the wisdom of the world. Finn went on to become one of the great heroes of Irish folklore. Any time he needed to know the answer to a question, he sucked his thumb.

As a child Tom poached salmon from the same spot on the Boyne where it is said the Salmon of Knowledge was caught.

How does Cuil improve search results?

Cuil’s goals are to index the whole Web, to analyze deeply its pages and to organize results in a rich and helpful way that allows you to explore fully the subject of your search.

So we started from scratch—with a fresh approach, an entirely new architecture and breakthrough algorithms.

Our approach is to focus on the content of a page and then present a set of results that has both depth and breadth.

Our aim is to give you a wider range of more detailed results and the opportunity to explore more fully the different ideas behind your search. We think this approach is more useful to you than a simple list.

So Cuil searches the Web for pages with your keywords and then we analyze the rest of the text on those pages. This tells us that the same word has several different meanings in different contexts. Are you looking for jaguar the cat, the car or the operating system?

We sort out all those different contexts so that you don’t have to waste time rephrasing your query when you get the wrong result.

Different ideas are separated into tabs; we add images and roll-over definitions for each page and then make suggestions as to how you might refine your search. We use columns so you can see more results on one page.

We think that if you are interested in content rather than popularity, you’ll find our approach more useful.

$2mn dinosaur on show at airport

Visitors to Abu Dhabi International Airport will be forgiven for thinking they’ve stepped back in time or onto the set of the latest Spielberg blockbuster or an episode of The Flintstones.




Einstein, a 23 metre, 4.5 tonne skeleton of an Apatosaurus, will spend
the next two and a half months on display in the Arrivals Hall in
Terminal 1.

Discovered in Dakota, USA, Einstein has been
transported in ten cargo crates to Abu Dhabi courtesy of Abu Dhabi
Airports Company (ADAC) and Etihad Airways.

Accompanied and reconstructed by a team of paleontology experts, the entire process was achieved in less than a day.

Einstein’s
skeleton is now in situ, and the exhibition will formally open to the
public next week, with information available on the dinosaur’s past and
vital statistics, as well as opportunities for visitors to have their
photos taken with the relic.

The exhibition will be free of
charge, and visitors will be able to see Einstein without checking in
or making a journey through the airport.

Dan Cappell, vice
president non-aeronautical revenue, Abu Dhabi Airports Company, said:
“This is a unique moment for Abu Dhabi. Einstein is an incredible relic
from prehistoric times and provides a great educational opportunity for
children and their families, allowing people young and old to learn
about a part of the world’s history that is normally only accessible in
museums.

In October, Einstein’s skeleton will be auctioned off
internationally at a reserve price of $2 million, with 20 percent above
the reserve of the auction price going to the charity for endangered
species of Arabian wildlife.

Einstein is an Apatosaurus (also
known as a Brontosaurus), a long-necked vegetarian dinosaur who lived
during the Jurassic Period, approximately 150 million years ago.

Although
no dinosaur remains have been found in the UAE, the recent discovery of
dinosaur footprints in Yemen have reinvigorated interest in the
region’s prehistory, and Abu Dhabi has its own Department of Cultural
Landscapes within the Authority for Culture and Heritage who are
responsible for investigating remains across the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Emirates unveils London’s newest landmark

Emirates Airline unveiled a new landmark for London, a giant model of an Airbus A380 at the gateway to Heathrow Airport.



Tim Clark said: “The gateway to the world’s busiest international airport is a fitting home for Emirates. We expect this landmark site to become an icon for both Heathrow and Emirates. While the previous Concorde model represented the past, our A380 represents the future and it is a future of cleaner, quieter aircraft.

Mr Clark added: “You will be seeing the Emirates A380 at Heathrow for real from December 1st, and in the near future, Emirates will be the largest operator of A380s at this airport. In the meantime, our model is a taste of things to come.”


Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers, John Leahy, was on hand to see the model unveiled. He said: “It is fitting that the world’s largest commercial aircraft is replicated by what we believe is the world’s biggest aircraft model at the world?s busiest international airport. The A380 cements Airbus' reputation for innovation and cutting edge technology, allowing the world's premier airlines like Emirates to do more with less: more passengers with less fuel, more comfort with less noise, and more travel with less environmental impact.”



(c) Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation. Date posted: 24-Jul-08

'Batman' star arrested and released in London

(07-23) 04:00 PDT London - --

The darkness around Batman has deepened: While audiences were shattering weekend box-office records in the United States, Christian Bale was in London, where his mother and sister reportedly leveled assault allegations against the star of "The Dark Knight" that have yet to become clear.

The Wales-born actor said the allegations were false Tuesday, hours after he was arrested, questioned by London police and released on bail. Bale, 34, spent four hours talking with authorities but was not charged.

British media reported that Bale's mother and sister told police he assaulted them at the Dorchester Hotel in London on Sunday night, a day before attending the European premiere of "The Dark Knight." The Sun newspaper said the complaint was filed by sister Sharon Bale and mother Jenny Bale.

"Christian Bale attended a London police station today on a voluntary basis," read a statement from Bale's lawyer, Simon Smith, of the London-based firm Schillings. "Bale, who denies the allegation, cooperated throughout, gave his account in full of the events in question, and has left the station without any charge being made against him by the police."

A woman thought to be Bale's sister Sharon told reporters "it's a family matter" from her home in Corfe Mullen, 110 miles southwest of London. A man who answered the door at the home of Jenny Bale in nearby Bournemouth said she did not want to comment.

The reports surfaced just days after "The Dark Knight," which co-stars the late Heath Ledger as Batman's nemesis the Joker, took a record $158.4 million at the box office in its opening weekend.

Asked Tuesday whether Bale had been arrested, a London police spokesman did not refer to him by name but said: "A 34-year-old man attended a central London police station this morning by appointment and was arrested in connection with an allegation of assault."

The spokesman requested anonymity because he is not authorized to be identified under police policy. British police do not name suspects who have not been formally charged.

The police force later said in a statement that the man had been released on bail pending further inquiries and told to return in September. It did not specify the date.

This article appeared on page A - 2 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Thai authorities suspend service of budget airline for 30 days on poor safety standard

Jul 21, 2008

BANGKOK, Thailand - The Thai budget airliner One-Two-Go, which suffered a deadly crash last year, will be forced to suspend the bulk of its operations starting Tuesday, the Thailand's Civil Aviation Department said.

Chaisak Angkasuwan, director of Thailand's Civil Aviation Department, said Monday that eight out of twelve planes operated by One-Two-Go Airlines will be suspended for 30 days.

"We found that their system to ensure aviation safety is not up to standard," Chaisak said in a telephone interview. "Their pilot screening is also not systematic and not up to standard."

The eight planes suspended are all MD-82, he said, adding that the airline's remaining four jets would not be grounded.

Airlines officials could not be reached for comment.

The partial suspension coincides with the company's decision Friday to cease operations temporarily starting Tuesday for financial restructuring. It cited the rising cost of oil, increased competition and a drop in domestic traffic for its suspension.

The airline has struggled to recover from a crash in September on the tourist island of Phuket that killed 89 people. The plane skidded off a runway while landing in strong wind and rain and then it caught fire. Pilot error was the cause of the accident, Chaisak told The Bangkok Post on Monday.

The dead came from at least 10 countries, including the United States, Australia, Britain, France, Germany, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Sweden and Thailand. Official tallies confirm that Thailand had the most victims — 36 — followed by Iran with 18.

iht.com

Chatterbox voted as new "Hainanese Chicken Rice Heavenly King"

(Forimmediaterelease.net) Singapore, 21 July 2008: Chatterbox, Meritus Mandarin Singapore has been voted as one of the new “Hainanese Chicken Rice Heavenly Kings” for its signature Mandarin Chicken Rice dish!

The search for the new “Four Hainanese Chicken Rice Heavenly Kings” which was jointly organised by Singapore Press Holdings’ Lianhe Wanbao and OMY, took place over a month, where ten Hainanese Chicken Rice stalls in Singapore were shortlisted and readers were invited to vote for the best Chicken Rice via SMS, MMS and the OMY website.

Chatterbox’s history goes way back to the year 1971, in conjunction with Meritus Mandarin Singapore’s grand opening. It quickly became the talk of town because it was the first time local hawker fare was served in a hotel.

Hainanese chicken rice was served on its menu as it was one of the favourite local hawker dishes. As the dish grew in popularity, it became branded as “The Mandarin Chicken Rice”, as Chatterbox’s signature dish, due its widely publicised fragrant rice, specially bred chicken, special-graded soya sauce as well as its house-made chilli sauce and grounded ginger.

To thank customers for their support, Chatterbox is offering a 15% discount on its Mandarin Chicken Rice, from 18 July to 7 August 2008, to Lianhe Wanbao and OMY readers. A copy of the discount coupon can be obtained in the 18 July edition of Lianhe Wanbao and is also available from the OMY website.

About Meritus Mandarin Singapore
Home of Asian grace, warmth and care.

Voted as one of the Gold List Hotels in Asia, Australia and Pacific Nations in the 2005 Readers’ Choice Gold List of Conde Nast Traveller, Meritus Mandarin Singapore is a deluxe business and convention hotel conveniently located in the heart of Singapore’s prime shopping and entertainment district.

A prominent and familiar landmark on Orchard Road, the opulent 1200-room hotel offers luxurious accommodation and gracious hospitality along with a host of multi-award winning cuisine.
The South Tower guestrooms have emerged with a new look featuring tastefully appointed rooms equipped with elegant furnishings and amenities in July 2005. The latest inclusion of four floors of new Mandarin Club provides distinctive amenities and services customised for the savvy travellers for that seamless experience from Business Class in the air to the ground.

For further press information, please contact: Lim Ee Jin Director of Marketing Communications Meritus Mandarin Singapore Tel: (65) 6831 6118 Mobile: (65) 9188 8235 Email: eejin.tms@meritus-hotels.com Cindy Lim Assistant Marketing Communications Manager Meritus Mandarin Singapore Tel: (65) 6831 6055 Mobile: (65) 9061 6096 Email: cindylim.tms@meritus-hotels.com Andrea Cher Assistant Marketing Communications Manager Meritus Mandarin Singapore Tel: (65) 6831 6051 Mobile: (65) 9003 4651 Email: andreacher.tms@meritus-hotels.com Lin Ziyu Marketing Communications Executive Meritus Mandarin Singapore Tel: (65) 6831 6052 Email: linziyu.tms@meritus-hotels.com

ADP signs contract to design new facilities at Jeddah airport

(XFN-ASIA) ADP said it has signed a contract to design new facilities for the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The French airport operator's ADPI unit is to design all facilities planned under a multi-billion development of the Jeddah airport, including a new terminal.

ADP previously won a contract to conduct studies and provide technical support for the upgrading of the three existing terminals at Jeddah's airport.



(c) Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation. Date posted: 23-Jul-08

Internet Pornography Facts

• About 75 percent of Internet pornography originates in the United States. Close to 15 percent originates in Europe.
• It is estimated that some 70 million people a week visit
  pornographic Web sites. About 20 million of these users are in Canada
  and the United States.
• A study revealed that during a recent one-month period, Germany had
  the largest audience for on-line pornography in Europe, followed by
  Great Britain, France, Italy, and Spain.
• In Germany, Internet pornography users spend an average of 70 minutes each month viewing pornographic sites.
• Among European viewers of Internet pornography, those above 50 years of age spend the most time connected to adult Web sites.
• According to one source, 70 percent of Internet pornography traffic occurs during the day.
• It is estimated by some that 100,000 Internet sites include material on child pornography.
• About 80 percent of the Internet's commercial child pornography originates in Japan.

PORNOGRAPHY Harmless or Harmful?

LASCIVIOUS material designed to arouse sexual feelings dates back thousands of years. But during much of its history, pornography was difficult to produce and was therefore available primarily to the rich and the ruling classes. Mass printing and the invention of photography and moving pictures changed all that. Pornography became affordable and available to the less affluent.

The development of the videocassette recorder escalated this trend. Unlike cinema reels and old photographs, videocassettes were easy to store, copy, and distribute. They also allowed for private viewing at home. Recently, the proliferation of cable systems and the Internet has made pornography even more readily available. The consumer who is afraid that his neighbor will see him in the adult section of a video store can now "stay at home and order by pushing a button on his cable system, or his direct TV," says media analyst Dennis McAlpine. Easy access to this kind of programming has, according to McAlpine, contributed to "a lot more acceptability."

Pornography Becomes Mainstream

Many are ambivalent toward pornography because it has now entered the mainstream. "It is already a vastly bigger cultural presence than all our opera, ballet, theatre, music and fine art put together," says writer Germaine Greer. Modern attitudes toward pornography may be reflected by the 'prostitute-chic' fashions many celebrities sport, the music videos that increasingly flaunt sexual imagery, and the advertising media's adoption of a "porno aesthetic." McAlpine concludes: "Society is accepting what is being spoon-fed to it. . . . That's helping create the idea that all of this is good." As a result, "people don't seem to have a sense of outrage," laments author Andrea Dworkin. "They don't seem to care."

Pornography has become more accessible

Pornography's Rationale

Echoing author Dworkin's comments, retired FBI agent Roger Young points out that many people "just don't see the big picture of obscenity and the problems that it causes." Some are swayed by those who defend pornography, claiming that there is no proof that pornographic images have a negative effect on people. "Pornography is fantasy after all," writes author F. M. Christensen, "a fact that its opponents seem to have difficulty keeping in focus." But if fantasy has no power, then upon what is the advertising industry based? Why would corporations spend millions of dollars producing commercials, videos, and printed ads if they have no lasting impact on people?

The fact is that like all successful advertising, pornography's main purpose is to create appetites where none existed before. "Pornography is about profits, pure and simple," write researchers Steven Hill and Nina Silver. "And in this marketplace gone amok, anything is considered an exploitable and expendable resource, particularly women's bodies and human sexual relations." Greer compares pornography to highly addictive fast food, devoid of nutrition and laced with taste-enhancing additives and chemicals. "Commercial fast sex," she says, "is fake sex . . . Food advertising sells fantasy food and sex advertising sells fantasy sex."

Some doctors claim that pornography can spark an addiction that is far more difficult to overcome than drug addiction. Treatment for drug addicts usually starts with detoxification to remove the substance from the body. But addiction to pornography, explains Dr. Mary Anne Layden of the University of Pennsylvania, "produces mental imagery which is permanently implanted in the mind of the user and is scaled in by brain chemistry." That is why individuals can vividly recall pornographic images from years past. She concludes: "This is the first addictive substance for which there is no hope for detoxification." But does that mean it is impossible to break free from pornography's influence? And what specific harm does pornography cause?

Passengers face huge price hikes

ArabianBusiness.com
by James Regan on Wednesday, 16 July 2008

Passengers will have to pay more to fly as airlines struggle to
eke out further savings to cover soaring fuel bills, airline executives
said at Farnborough Airshow on Wednesday.

Airlines will likely plunge back into billions of dollars of losses
this year as fuel costs grow to $190 billion, or 34 percent of
operating costs, according to the International Air Transport
Association (IATA).

Many carriers are imposing fuel surcharges, cutting flight capacity and
even flying more slowly to lower costs, but higher air fares may also
be inevitable with oil recently nudging $150 a barrel, the executives
said.

"There is absolutely no doubt that prices will have to go
up," British Airways Chief Executive Willie Walsh said at a conference
at the air show. "We have got to price $150 oil into our tickets. We do
not have the scope to take that level of cost out of the business."

Rising prices would likely have an impact on demand that would lead to
some reduction in capacity, Walsh said. "This is a massive challenge
and it is a challenge that will not be solved by cost cuts alone," he
added.

It was not clear to what extent the market would absorb
further increases in fares, Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Tony Tyler
told the conference.

"The airlines are, I think, going to have to test the elasticity or the inelasticity of demand," Tyler said.

Economy
class passengers were not even paying enough to cover the cost of being
flown with fuel prices at current levels, but there may be limits to
how much first and business class travellers were prepared to subsidise
the rest of the cabin, he said.

"[Premium fares] are getting to
the point where you have to wonder whether people are going to continue
to pay that," Tyler said. (Reuters)

Growth of private jet industry surges 18%

Original Article @ Arabian Business

by Amy Glass on Thursday, 10 July 2008

The Middle East’s private jet industry is growing by
a massive 18 percent annually, despite increasing fuel prices and a
slumping global economy, Dubai’s aviation leaders said Wednesday.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of Emirates and Dubai City of Aviation Corporation, said the region’s 18 percent annual growth rate is compared to the global average of 10 percent.

“This (high growth) is boosting global sales despite increasing fuel prices and the US credit crisis which has seen fewer Americans placing orders for private jets last year,” Sheikh Ahmed said in a statement.

“The Middle East business aviation market is expected to reach $800 million by 2012," he added. Khalifa Al Zaffin, executive chairman of Dubai World Central, said the region has a "huge market" for the private jet industry.

“The region’s share of the overall aviation market is expected to double to 40 percent and with DWC building the region's largest executive jet terminal with handling capacity of 100,000 flight movements annually, the region will have unrestrained capacity for business aviation flights.”

According to industry analysts, manufacturers expect to sell over 1,250 private jets this year, compared to 1,138 in 2007. Currently, there are 22 private jet operators in the Middle East.

The region's aviation sector is forecast to grow at more than 30 percent annually for the next five years and the current growth of over 9 percent for the Middle East maintenance repair operations (MRO) market is expected to continue for the same period.

More Theater Over Iran's Nukes

Original Article @ Time.com

by Evan Vucci / AP

George W. Bush and the Iranians are locked in a diplomatic game
of "Who's crazier?" With six months left in office, no political
capital at home or abroad, and a uniformed military ready to rebel at
the first talk of a new war, the Bush administration is left with
simply the threat of military strikes, kept eternally "on the table" in
hopes of bluffing Tehran into a compromise on its nuclear program.

Tehran's response
has been predictable enough: After Iran tested nine medium-range
missiles on Wednesday, the country's state news agency quoted a
representative of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying
that if the U.S. or Israel attacked Iran, "Tel Aviv and the U.S. fleet
in the Persian Gulf would be the first targets to burst into flames
receiving Iran's crushing response." Tehran's message was clear: If
Bush wants to play Crazy Cowboy, we're happy to play Mad Mullahs right
back at him.

The crazy talk, in fact, is mostly theater. U.S. and Iranian
flashpoints in Iraq and the Persian Gulf have been quiet recently, as
both sides have been careful to avoid a sustained clash that could
escalate into outright conflict. And Iran showed no new military
capabilities with the tests. At the same time, diplomacy is deadlocked
as Iran takes advantage of soaring oil prices to trump U.N sanctions,
while the U.S. sticks to its insistence that Iran suspend its uranium
enrichment program before Washington will hold negotiations. European
efforts to end the impasse have so far served largely as a convenient
stalling mechanism for the Iranians.

So, what does it matter that Iran test-fired nine missiles Wednesday?
"It's mostly relevant because of how it plays out in the campaign,"
says Suzanne Maloney, an Iran expert at the Brookings Institution.
After a week of bad news, campaign restructuring and silly television
spots, the missile tests are a boon for John McCain. Wednesday his
campaign made hay with them, saying they showed Barack Obama's
inexperience and the danger of his willingness to negotiate with
Tehran. For his part, Obama tried to spin the tests to his advantage,
saying they showed the administration's policies were failing and
needed to be changed.

Away from the din of campaign sound bites, there is not much
difference on the Iran issue between McCain and Obama. McCain's camp
tried to argue on Wednesday that Obama is soft on missile defense, but,
in fact, he supports it. Obama wants voters to believe McCain is as
much of a cowboy diplomat as Bush has been, but McCain's advisers
include people like Richard Armitage, erstwhile deputy Secretary of
State to Colin Powell, who has advocated for negotiations with Iran in
the past.

When asked whether McCain supports Bush's pre-condition for talks
with Iran — that it suspend uranium enrichment — the candidate's top
foreign policy adviser, Randy Scheunemann, fudged. "McCain does not
support unilateral concessions to Iran that would undermine
multilateral diplomacy," Scheunemann said. Mccain would drop the
condition and talk to Iran, Scheunemann seems to be saying, as long as
the allies agree. The allies, of course, are dying to be asked, so if
McCain wins in November, look for talks with Iran early in his
presidency. Likewise Obama, who says outright he'll drop the enrichment
condition. In fact, once past the posturing, there seems little
substantive difference between the two on talks.

On balance, McCain has the advantage in this news cycle. Obama's
inexperience on foreign affairs and previous slips on Iran are among
the few issues breaking the Republican Senator's way in voters' eyes
these days. But no matter which campaign reaps the most political
benefit from the Iranian tests, come January the next president find
that, talks or no talks, he has the same limited diplomatic, political
and military options that have forced Bush to bluff about the cards
he's holding.

McCain: Selling an Economic Policy

Carolyn Kaster / AP
Full Article can be found @ Time.com

John McCain has retooled his campaign — yet again — and put Steve Schmidt, a veteran of Karl Rove's old shop, in charge of the day-to-day operation. He's back out again doing what he says he loves best, mixing it up with voters in town hall settings. Where he once professed not to know much about the economy, it's now what he talks about constantly. But in spite of all the changes, there is still one key hurdle that McCain has yet to overcome, something a supporter in Portsmouth, Ohio, summed up pretty neatly in one of those question-and-answer sessions with the presumptive Republican nominee at the local high school: "When are you going to go out and say, 'Read my lips. I am not the third term of Bush?'"

McCain quickly launched into the ways his own presidency would differ from that of the last eight years, starting with his pledge to cut spending and balance the budget by 2013. He has yet, however, to back up that bold promise with the details of just of how he plans to accomplish it. And economists are dubious that he can, especially if he also stays true to his commitment to extend the tax cuts that were George Bush's signature economic achievement.

As frequently as he now talks about economic issues, his attempt to embrace two conservative economic models at once isn't helping his credibility. On the one hand, McCain argues for fiscal discipline, with his promises to end wasteful pork-barrel spending (which he mentioned five times during his appearance in Ohio). On the other, with his commitment to tax cuts, he embraces supply-side economics, which maintains that short-term deficits don't really matter.

But does it really matter to voters if the numbers don't add up? Not necessarily, argues former Republican Congressman Vin Weber, an influential conservative voice. In a time of economic anxiety, "voters want to know the candidate, first of all, understands the seriousness of the problem, and second of all, they have to believe there's a commitment to change." Weber says what voters listen for are "big signal issues."

On that first front, McCain has faced some questioning this week for referring to the economy as simply "slowing." But he fared better when listening to voters' personal plights at the town hall gathering. Mary Houghtaling, who runs a hospice in Wilmington, Ohio, choked up as she told McCain of DHL's plans to close its domestic air hub in her town, a move that could throw 8,600 people out of work. "This is a terrible blow," McCain told her. "I don't know if I can stop it. That's some straight talk. Some more straight talk? I doubt it."

It was not the kind of answer you often hear from a politician, and McCain is certainly hoping that kind of change will impress voters. When I talked to Houghtaling after the event, she was still wiping tears from her eyes. Houghtaling noted that she had supported McCain when he ran for President in 2000, and she intends to do it again. "Had he been elected," she said, "I believe it would have been a different world." But she didn't fault McCain for his answer: "I think he was honest, because I don't think there's any hope."

Candor should certainly help McCain — to a degree. But in an election year, he and his team have more work to do honing their message if they want to emerge with more than a moral victor.

Thousands of jobs go as the gloom deepens

Original article can be found at Times Online

by Gary Duncan, Economics Editor

Thousands of jobs were lost yesterday, house prices slumped again and shares
hit a new low as recession loomed larger over Britain.

Consumer confidence has fallen to its lowest ebb in years. A poll by
Nationwide Building Society shows that more than half of households believe that
the economy will be in a worse state in six months’ time.

The grim news increased pressure on the board of the Bank of England to help
borrowers by cutting interest rates tomorrow. It is expected to defer any cut
for several months.

The Council of Mortgage Lenders said that new lending in May was down 44 per
cent on the previous year. The property group Savills reported a 45 per cent
drop in sales in London.

Bradford & Bingley, the biggest buy-to-let mortgage lender, saw its
shares fall to a record low of 30p from a peak of 539p in March 2006.

Persimmon, the housebuilder, announced yesterday that it was cutting its
staff by 1,100 as it confronted the most challenging period in its recent
history. The construction industry is in crisis and Persimmon’s rivals, Taylor
Wimpey and Barratt Developments, have cut 2,000 jobs already.

Total unemployment has climbed by more than 20,000 since February. Roger
Bootle, one of the City’s most respected economic experts, predicts that
unemployment could eventually surge by one million.

Siemens, the German engineering conglomerate, announced that it would shed
17,000 jobs worldwide.

The stock market reflected the darkening mood. The FTSE 100 index of
blue-chip shares entered a “bear market”, trading 20 per cent below its peak
last June. Shares recovered from the day’s low point, but traders are braced for
a period of sustained losses.

A survey of businesses by the British Chambers of Commerce showed that
conditions in the services sector, which makes up three quarters of the economy,
are at their worst since the last recession in the early Nineties.

Airport traffic falls

As fuel prices soar, more airplane owners are staying grounded.

The Jackson County Airport has seen its traffic drop by about 22 percent in the past few years, sliding from 61,591 flights in 2003 to 48,198 in 2007.

Airport officials say the rise in fuel costs is the likely reason for the drop in traffic, which started to level out three years ago.

"I don't use the airplane just to go up and ride around anymore," said Steve Wellman, who cut back flying his Cessna 177 Cardinal by more than 20 hours last year because of fuel costs. "It really is a factor."

In June, the Michigan price of fuel for planes has ranged between $4.45 and $7.40, with Jet A fuel typically costing a few cents more per gallon. In May, Jackson County Airport charged pilots $5.49 for 100LL fuel and $5.58 for Jet A fuel.

Fuel prices have had the biggest impact on recreational fliers, said airport Manager Kent Maurer, who has noticed fewer pilots stopping at the airport during day trips.

"That discretionary type of flying is impacted most by fuel prices," Maurer said.

Though airport traffic has been trending downward, traffic appears to be up slightly compared to this time last year, Maurer said. The increase could be due to greater interest in Jackson Community College's Flight Center or more corporate jets stopping at the airport, he added.

Many are feeling the pinch in the cost to fill up their tanks, but Cheryl Blank, a secretary at JCC's flight school, said it hasn't stopped people from handing over the cash to learn to fly.

The school charges $139 per hour for duo flights and $110 per hour for solo flights — a cost that hasn't changed much as fuel prices increase.

She said the school buys a load of fuel through a Saline-based broker who splits it with other groups to keep the cost down. The reduced cost in fuel also helps the school, which averages about 200 flights per month, keep the cost of classes down, she said.

House prices: the latest forecasts, region by region

July 01, 2008

House prices: the latest forecasts, region by region

By Lauren Thompson

As the Nationwide announces UK house prices are now 6.3 per cent lower than a year ago, many of us are wondering when the property turmoil will end. The overall picture is bleak, with Savills, the estate agent, predicting a drop of 10 per cent this year and a further 15 per cent drop next year. But this figure masks widespread regional variations, and it could be higher or lower depending on where you live.

Here are the experts' predictions on how much further prices will fall this year in each region of the UK.

London

There is a lot of stock on the market in London at the moment as buyers are being very cautious. James Hyman, of Cluttons, an estate agent in London, says: “I am seeing sellers reduce asking price by 10 per cent at the moment. I expect prices to ease another 15 per cent over the next year as buyers try to safeguard themselves from further falls in the market. If vendors are keen to sell, most will simply have to drop asking prices.”

South East

Although the south-east is generally more resilient to house price drops than say the North, it has still taken a hammering recently. Mr. Hyman says: “Where as parts of the north have seen falling prices for the last three years, this has only happened in the last 12 months in the south-east.
“Again, unless vendors are selling something very special or rare, they will need to reduce asking prices significantly to secure a buyer.”

Scotland

Scotland has been more resilient to price falls than the rest of the UK. Nonetheless Savills predicts that the turmoil in the property market means prices will fall by 5 per cent this year.
Faifal Choudhry, of Savills, says: “The expected fall is still significantly less than in other parts of the UK. Scotland has resisted a lot of the pressures of the UK’s housing crash, not just because of steady demand in cities like Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow, but because the average house prices have remained relatively low at around £150,000 – so borrowers are less stretched than in, say, London or the south-east.”

South-West

Estate agents in the South West are predicting a "flat" market for the rest of the year. Jonathan Haward, of The County Homesearch Company based in Cornwall, says: “Sellers will have to price properties very competitively to attract buyers. With the exception of a few period properties with coastal views, which are still selling quite well, prices will stagnate until confidence returns to the market.”

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland continues to show by far the steepest correction in house prices across the UK with prices down 18 per cent over the last three months alone. Fionnuala Earley, chief economist at Nationwide, says: "The recent falls come on the back of unusually sharp increases in prices during 2006-7, when prices grew by 79 per cent. These increases were clearly not sustainable and leaves the market in Northern Ireland particularly vulnerable.”

Midlands

There are a very large number of houses unsold in Birmingham, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire. Nicholas Leeming, of Propertyfinder.com, says: “Vendors will have to continue reducing prices significantly to secure buyers this year.”

East Anglia

Andreas Bonney, regional director for Nolfolk, Suffolk and Essex at The County Homesearch Company, says: “It doesn’t surprise me that prices have already dropped 5 per cent in East Anglia. I would expect them to drop a further 5 per cent by the end of this year, with further small drops next year. I’m seeing buyers putting in offers of £250,000 on houses asking £325,000. It will be a long and slow recovery.”

North West

Gordon Roberts, who finds properties in Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire at The County Homesearch Company, says: “The market is still moving downwards and we expect to see some further falls later this year. The properties worst affected are new build apartments in the centre of Manchester and Liverpool, where there is a massive over-supply. I’ve seen these apartments sell at auction for half of what they were bought for.

"Overall sellers of City Centre flats may have to take 30 or even 40 per cent less than their asking price by the end of the year. But I expect ordinary family homes to see a less dramatic drop in prices, probably at around 10 or 15 per cent this year.”

North East

The north east is already amongst the worst hit by the property downturn – and estate agents expect the market to continue to deteriorate throughout the year. Nicholas Leeming, of Propertyfinder.com, says: “Newcastle began to see house price falls even before Northern Rock. In places such as Durham, Northumberland and Leeds the market has effectively ground to a halt.”

Wales

Carol Peett at The County Homesearch Company says: “Whilst holiday homes or second houses in Pembrokeshire and Carmarthem are holding up well, the more run of the mill new-builds are falling by up to 10 per cent, and I expect to see this continue throughout the year. Properties in ex-mining communities are being badly hit, because there are simply too many houses.”

By Lauren Thompson

Witnesses begin series of “Guided by God’s Spirit” conventions

JEHOVAH’S WITNES SES
O F F I C E O F P U B L I C I N F O R M A T I O N
www.jw-media.org

For Immediate Release May 23, 2008

Witnesses begin series of “Guided by God’s Spirit” conventions
NEW YORK—Jehovah’s Witnesses announce the start of their 2008 “Guided by God’s
Spirit” three-day conventions and enthusiastically invite all to attend. The first six of these events begin today in various locations across the United States: Long Beach, California; Pueblo,
Colorado; Bloomington, Illinois; Portland, Maine; Jersey City, New Jersey; and Green Bay, Wisconsin. Continuing through mid-September, there will be a total of 305 conventions in 76
cities in the United States. Conventions will be held in English, as well as in Spanish and 14
other languages, including American Sign Language.

The convention explains why humans need reliable guidance and how God’s holy spirit
provides it. The convention theme will develop Jesus Christ’s assurance to his followers, as
recorded at John 16:13, that God’s spirit will guide them. Other key texts that will be discussed
at the convention include Jeremiah 10:23, Romans 8:6, and Galatians 5:16.
All are invited to attend free of charge, since there is no admission fee or collection taken
at any convention or meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses. There are nearly 7,000,000 Witnesses
associated with more than 101,000 congregations worldwide.

Eco Watch

International Energy Agency stated a reduction in OPEC spare capacity and delays to production projects will keep the oil market “tight”, despite a 3% cut in forecast global demand under its 2009-2012 outlook (Bloomberg, 01-Jul-08). OPEC President, Chakib Khelil, meanwhile stated members are concerned future demand for oil might not be strong enough to justify investment to boost oil production, as investment increases in alternative energy sources (AP, 02-Jul-08).

Equities tumble as bad news hits home

By Edmund Conway, Economics Editor

Last Updated: 12:57am BST 02/07/2008

Shares in London have suffered their biggest slide since the collapse of Bear Stearns in March, amid a barrage of bad news on the domestic and international economy.

Markets were shaken by a double dose of bad news for housing and manufacturing, followed by rumours that some of Europe's biggest banks are about to see their profits plunge even further.

As the second half of the year started, the FTSE 100 index of leading UK shares was 146 points or 2.6pc down to 5479.9 - the lowest close, and biggest fall, since March.

It came as:

• Economists warned that the manufacturing sector is now in recession territory after activity unexpectedly collapsed in June.

• Nationwide said house prices are now falling at the fastest rate in 16 years, with the average property having lost £14,000 of its value since prices peaked in October last year.

• Oil prices touched a new record high, with crude touching $143 a barrel.

• A YouGov/Citigroup survey showed that households' expectations for the rate of inflation leapt to a record high of 4.6pc in June, putting more pressure on the Bank of England to consider raising interest rates.

The financial crisis in full

Markets were perhaps most shaken by the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply's surprise announcement that manufacturing activity has fallen to the lowest level since the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.

In what economists described as a "truly dreadful report" on industry, its purchasing manager's index dropped to 45.5 points last month - well below the 50 point that separates expansion from contraction. The May reading was also revised down to 49.5.

The news will disappoint many economists, who had predicted that the pound's recent weakness would help drive manufacturing in the coming months, supporting the wider economy. In fact, most measures of activity, including exports, dropped again in June, the report showed.

The pound touched the $2 mark briefly yesterday, although it finished the day up only slightly at $1.9914 against the US currency.

In a sign that the Bank of England may not be able to cut interest rates any time soon, the survey also showed that price pressures remain extremely high, with the input price index up to 82.1 and output prices up to 62.9 - both the highest levels since the series started a decade ago.

More on economics

Howard Archer of Global Insight said: "This is a truly dreadful report in every respect, which encapsulates the extremely difficult position that the Bank of England is in. It shows sharply contracting manufacturing output, orders, backlogs of work and employment in June but still rising price pressures."

However, Holger Schmieding of Bank of America said: "The Bank of England, presiding over the City of London, one of the top two financial centres of the world, will be likely to pay more attention to the recent drop in equity prices than other central banks."

In a further blow, a report published today by accountant BDO Stoy Hayward shows that confidence among businesses has fallen to a 16-year low, in a sign that companies are gearing up for a major slowdown or recession.

Activity in the construction industry has collapsed, a report from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors shows, as workloads fall for the first time in 11 years.

Meanwhile, amid suspicions that the financial sector will have to make further write-downs and raise more cash in the coming months, all major bank shares fell.

The atmosphere in the City was febrile, with rumours floating around that UBS and Deutsche are poised to deliver more bad news in the coming weeks.