Freelance Projects, Design and Programming Tutorials
How a team in Russia is working to prevent critically endangered Amur tigers from being killed in “human-tiger conflicts”.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
The last minute rush for presents is a common sight on Christmas Eve in the UK UK retailers have reported more brisk trade as consumers, previously hampered by bad weather, took their last chance to buy for Christmas.
Stores were expecting panic-buying after the big freeze led many to postpone shopping trips.
But early indications suggested that Thursday – which had longer opening hours – was a busier day.
Some retailers have started sales with others promising big reductions on Christmas Day via their websites.
Analysts at Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG) suggested that nearly five million shoppers would spend more than £150m online on Saturday.
Provisional figures from Experian have suggested that the number of people visiting stores on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week had been about 10% lower than in 2010.
However anecdotal evidence suggested a marked pick-up on Thursday which John Lewis described as “very busy” and which the Brent Cross shopping centre in north London said had been its best pre-Christmas trading day since it opened in 1976.
The failure of goods ordered online to arrive as a result of distribution chaos caused by the weather may have been a factor in large Christmas Eve turnouts said Robert Hall, director of Milton Keynes mall thecentre:mk.
“Considering the impact of the weather earlier this week, it is no surprise that shoppers are out in their droves and spending well,” he said.
“It’s been a case of the usual last-minute panic – particularly from men”
Peter Cook White Rose Shopping Centre
“Traditionally Christmas Eve shopping is about food, but this year we are expecting today to be another record day of footfall growth and spending across all the retail brands, particularly as many retailers have opted to start their sales earlier than expected.”
A survey by Sainsbury’s Credit Cards suggested that about four in ten UK adults would be doing some shopping on Friday.
“The extreme weather conditions this December have wreaked havoc with people’s shopping plans, which means that some of us will be dashing around the shops later than perhaps hoped,” said the firm’s head, Stuart McKeggie.
Meanwhile Capital Shopping Centres, which has interests in 13 regional shopping centres, said it was seeing a “very busy day” with demand high for last-minute gifts.
And at Birmingham’s Bullring complex about 140,000 shoppers were expected – after about 200,000 visited on Thursday.
Centre management admitted the chilly temperatures meant that footfall had been down on previous years but added it thought sales would be busy over Boxing Day and Bank Holiday Monday.
And managers at the White Rose Shopping Centre, outside Leeds, said shopper numbers were up with high demand for chocolates, perfume and underwear.
“It’s been a case of the usual last-minute panic – particularly from men,” said the centre’s director Peter Cook.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Mr Stewart was found murdered at his house in Middletown in County Armagh A 23-year-old man has been charged with murdering County Armagh dairy farmer Victor Stewart two years ago.
Mr Stewart was found beaten to death in his home in Middletown in October 2008.
The 23-year-old, who has also been charged with armed robbery, was detained by police in Bristol earlier this week before being brought to NI.
A 48-year-old man has been charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. Both men will appear in court in Newry on Friday.
The 48-year-old has also been charged with withholding information.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Experts are urging people to have the vaccine to protect them against flu viruses There has been a 50% rise in the number of patients in intensive care with flu in just three days, figures show.
Department of Health data from Thursday showed that 460 beds in England were occupied by flu patients, compared to 302 on Monday.
It comes after the number of patients visiting their GP with the illness doubled in the past week. Younger age groups are being particularly hard hit.
Despite the rise, the government said the levels of flu are to be expected.
So far 27 people have died with flu this winter. That compares to nearly 500 who died during last year’s pandemic.
And while there has been a sharp rise in the numbers in intensive care, the 460 figure still represents less than 14% of the total number of intensive care beds available.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
At least 30 travellers were killed in Ecuador when their bus tumbled off the road and fell down a 150m (500ft) ravine, officials say.
Some 30 more people were injured in the crash, and at least eight of the dead were reported to be children.
The bus came off the road near the town of El Carmen in western Ecuador.
Officials said the crash appeared to have been caused by a mechanical fault, but Red Cross workers suggested fog and rain might have played a part.
Local media reported that the brakes on the bus may have failed.
El Carmen firefighter Jairo Flores told El Tiempo newspaper that the bus was travelling between Quito and the town of Chone when it came off the road at 0400 (0900 GMT).
Police told Spanish news agency Efe that 30 people had died, but other reports gave higher death tolls and said the number was likely to rise.
BBC Mundo reported that the bus was supposed to carry only 40 passengers, but appeared to have more than 60 people on board when it crashed.
A bus crash that killed 38 people in Cotopaxi province in August was said to have been the deadliest road accident in Ecuador’s history.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
The French Alps are a popular destination for skiing and mountaineering A British man has been killed in a skiing accident in the French Alps.
The man is believed to have been on holiday with his wife and children when he crashed into a rock at the ski resort of Les Deux Alpes on Thursday.
A spokesman for the Foreign Office said they were aware of the death of a British national.
“We are attempting to contact the next of kin to offer consular assistance,” he said.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Ecowas may discuss boosting the peace force in Ivory Coast The UN General Assembly has formally recognised Alassane Ouattara as the winner of Ivory Coast’s disputed presidential election.
The move came ahead of a meeting of West African heads of state to urge President Laurent Gbagbo to step aside.
Earlier, the region’s central bank handed over control of Ivory Coast’s accounts to Mr Ouattara.
Correspondents say the moves are increasing the isolation of Mr Gbagbo, who has insisted that he won the vote.
The decision of the Central Bank of West African States could make it difficult for the incumbent president to pay the army.
Violence since disputed election in November has left 173 people dead in Ivory Coast.
A senior UN official said its investigators had also found evidence of extrajudicial executions, more than 90 cases of torture and 500 arrests, as well as abductions, kidnappings, acts of sexual violence, and destruction of property.
The 28 November poll was meant to unite the country after a civil war in 2002 split the world’s largest cocoa producer in two.
“There are three levers – diplomacy, finance and the army. Now there’s only the third lever to get”
Patrick Achi Ouattara spokesman
The country’s electoral commission ruled that Mr Ouattara had won, but the Constitutional Council said Mr Gbagbo had been elected, citing vote-rigging in some northern areas.
The UN, which has about 10,000 peacekeepers in the country overseeing the peace process, has backed Mr Ouattara as the winner.
He was given a further boost on Thursday when the General Assembly unanimously decided to recognise his choice of diplomats as the sole official representatives of Ivory Coast to the UN.
The West African heads of state are scheduled to meet later on Friday in the Nigerian capital Abuja.
The 15-nation the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) has already suspended Ivory Coast over Mr Gbagbo’s refusal to hand over power.
“It’s a one-item agenda, and that’s Cote D’Ivoire [Ivory Coast],” Sunny Ugoh, spokesperson for the regional body, told the BBC’s Network Africa programme.
Eleven years ago in the “Christmas Eve coup”, the army in Ivory Coast took power in the country’s first military rebellion.
Far from ruining the celebrations, the downfall of Henri Konan Bedie was a cause for celebration for many hoping for a refreshing change. Instead it heralded a decade of violence and instability.
But this year it will be a tough festive period financially for Ivorians. In the private sector, the economy has been hit by overnight curfews and the general reluctance of anyone to spend money and time away from the safety of their homes. Few are likely to get paid the “13th month of the year” bonus.
In the public sector, the payment of salaries has been marked by considerable uncertainty, even if most people thought the state would be able to pay salaries this month. Next month’s though is far from certain, so many will be guarding their money for a rainy day, for many fear storms on the horizon.
“I believe that what we have done so far has put them under pressure, but I think perhaps we need to work a lot harder to increase the pressure to make sure that there’s a transition to President Ouattara,” he said.
The BBC’s Tomi Oladipo in Nigeria says there have been suggestions that member nations send in troops, to strengthen the presence of the international peacekeeping force.
Nigeria, in particular, sent peacekeeping forces to Liberia and Sierra Leone during their civil wars in the 1990s, and is expected to do the same in Ivory Coast if the situation escalates, our reporter says.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, who is also Ecowas chairman, has ruled out the possibility of accepting power-sharing government.
In Ivory Coast Mr Ouattara and his supporters are currently holed up in the Golf Hotel in Abidjan, protected by 800 UN peacekeepers. They are in turn being blockaded by soldiers loyal to Mr Gbagbo.
“There are three levers – diplomacy, finance and the army. Now there’s only the third lever to get, and that will certainly be discussed today by Ecowas,” Mr Ouattara’s spokesman Patrick Achi is quoted by AFP news agency as saying.
Mr Gbagbo still has control of state television and the public support of the army.
The BBC’s John James in Abidjan says without access to Ivory Coast’s state accounts it is going to be extremely difficult to pay the salaries of soldiers and civil servants next month, even if Mr Gbagbo almost certainly has other financial reserves.
The incumbent president has demanded that UN and French troops leave the country immediately. A close ally even warned that they could be treated as rebels if they did not obey the instruction.
A US government specialist on Africa, William Fitzgerald, told the BBC that various options for defusing the crisis were being considered, but that “we’re really trying to avoid violence if at all possible”.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Those driving home for Christmas are advised to stick to main roads as they will be the ones that are gritted Motorists in Wales have been warned to take extra care on the roads as the Christmas getaway reaches a peak during more freezing weather.
Drivers are warned to check conditions both where they are, and the forecast for the whole route they will travel.
The assembly government says a “significant amount” of salt is on the way soon to keep main routes clear.
Meanwhile, retailers are expecting a surge of shoppers on the last shopping day before Christmas.
Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones said a review of current stocks showed enough grit to keep trunk roads open throughout Christmas.
Earlier in the week the Welsh Local Government Association warned that stocks were dwindling.
“As well as the remaining stocks of salt that we hold throughout Wales, there are also significant quantities purchased and due for delivery over the coming days and weeks,” Mr Jones said.
Forecasters say if temperatures remain low, Wales will be on course for its coldest December since 1894.
BBC Wales weather presenter Sue Charles said: “Christmas Eve should be a cold, crisp sunny day for most of us.
“There is still a small risk of a wintry shower along Cardigan Bay though, with some cloud further east.
“It will stay coldest where we have freezing fog across parts of Powys with temperatures no higher than -6C in Welshpool, up to 3C in Pembrokeshire, but the wind chill factor is making it feel colder than the temperatures suggest.”
The cold snap continues to affect the transport network.
Train operator First Great Western said they are planning to run a full service between south Wales and Paddington after cancelling a quarter of its trains between London and south Wales on Thursday.
On the roads, Tim Shallcross, spokesman in Wales for the Institute of Advanced Motorists, advised drivers to plan their getaway.
“Don’t be fooled into complacency by the weather where you are, check all the way along the route,” he said.
Snow makes for some beautiful pictures but motoring organisations have warned of black ice “Stick with the main roads, they will be the ones that are gritted.
“That’s really important as in some areas the temperature is going just above freezing during the day.
“That leads to snow melting off the fields, it runs across the road and then freezes so there will be a lot of black ice on the roads.”
Meanwhile, retailers across Wales are hoping for a last-minute rush.
Russell Lawson, public affairs manager at the Federation of Small Businesses, said many retailers were planning to open on Boxing Day, despite it falling on a Sunday, to make up for lost trade.
“In Wales retail trade for November was down 0.7% on last year,” he said.
“That’s telling because you would have expected people in November to be buying big ticket items such as washing machines, dishwashers, microwaves, even carpets and curtains in advance of the VAT rise in January.
“I think because of the difficult trading conditions you’ll find a lot of retailers will open on Boxing Day even though it’s on a Sunday, whereas they might not have started their sales until later.”
Kevin Critchley, manager of Eagle Meadows shopping centre in Wrexham said it would be open on Boxing Day.
Retailers are hoping for a last-minute rush on Christmas eve He said a number of retailers including Debenhams and Topshop were starting their sales on Boxing Day.
Mr Critchley added that trade at the shopping centre, which opened in 2008, had been steady throughout the Christmas period despite the snow.
“I think our key to success was that we planned for the bad weather,” he said.
“Back in May we started talking about how we could prepare for Christmas.
“We bought in grit and when the snow came we had staff clearing the snow and laying out grit to make the centre welcoming for shoppers.
“It seemed to work – one shopper said to me that the centre had done well because the snow had passed us. I said it hadn’t, we’d just cleared it away!
“In a way, we have also benefited from the snow as previously many people from Wrexham may have driven to Chester, Shrewsbury or Liverpool to shop.
“But when it snows people are even more likely to shop closer to home.”
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
The FTSE 100 index has closed above 6,000 points for the first time since June 2008.
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Top winner and loserResolution Ltd.239.50 p+
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Randgold Resources Ltd.5265.00 p–
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The index of blue chip shares broke through the symbolic mark to finish up 12.85 points, or 0.2%, at 6008.92.
A late rally in retail stocks helped the index as investors bet on a late surge in consumers’ Christmas spending.
However one analyst forecast that there would be a correction in share prices after an overly-strong rise in December.
Giles Watts, head of equities at City Index, added that the lack of trading volume meant that Friday’s rally was built on “hot air”.
The index has risen 8% so far this December, its strongest for the month since 1987.
With its move above 6,000 points, some observers are claiming London has regained a poise not seen since before the collapse Lehman Brothers in September 2008, which caused turmoil on world markets.
It is up 10.8% on the year, with several bullish market analysts predicting that the index may end 2011 between 6,600 and 6,900.
On Friday, Marks & Spencer, Next, B&Q parent Kingfisher, and supermarket giant Tesco were all in strong demand.
And troubled sports retailer JJB Sports added 22.6% after saying it hoped to raise more than £31.5m in a share sale.
France’s Cac-40 index slipped 0.3% to 3,900.4 but there was no trading in in Germany where on Thursday the Dax index had slipped 0.2% to 7,057.7.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
TAAG was only recently granted permission to fly its Boeing 777 planes to European Union countries Angola’s national airline has grounded its fleet of three Boeing 777 aircraft after one of the planes was forced to make an emergency landing.
A TAAG spokesman said a flight from Luanda to Dubai had to turn back after take-off because of engine trouble.
Another of the planes experienced similar trouble on take-off two weeks ago at Lisbon in Portugal.
TAAG was only recently granted permission to fly its 777s to European Union countries.
It had been been banned in 2007 over safety concerns.
“In the face of two similar incidents in the space of 17 days, TAAG has decided to suspend all flights for its Boeing 777-200ER fleet for the sake of caution and international security,” TAAG spokesman Rui Carreira told Angolan state radio station RNA.
“We will demand a report from the manufacturers of the motor and the plane, General Motors and Boeing, respectively, who will carry out an investigation to determine the causes.”
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
A Raja quit last month amid what has been described as India’s biggest corruption investigation Indian police have begun questioning former Telecommunications Minister A Raja over an alleged multi-billion dollar corruption scandal.
Mr Raja was forced to quit last month over the sale of mobile telephone licences for a fraction of their value.
Police have also raided the homes of Commonwealth Games organiser Suresh Kalmadi in a separate corruption case.
On Wednesday thousands of people rallied in Delhi against alleged abuse involving the ruling Congress party.
Further rallies are planned across the country in the coming weeks.
Investigators are looking into why so-called 2G spectrum phone licences were sold in 2008 for a fraction of their value, costing the government $37bn (£23bn) in lost revenue, according to the national auditor.
Mr Raja, who denies any wrongdoing, was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday.
He is a member of the DMK party, an important member of the Congress-led ruling coalition.
The 2G spectrum scandal has prompted the most serious political stand-off in recent times in India.
The winter session of parliament ended this month in deadlock, as the government rejected opposition demands for a top-level inquiry.
Earlier this week, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told a Congress party conference he had nothing to hide, and was happy to face a parliamentary panel over the 2G inquiry.
Suresh Kalmadi adopted a defiant tone outside his home after the police search Congress party president Sonia Gandhi told the same conference that corruption was a disease in India, as she unveiled a five-point action plan to tackle the problem.
Mr Singh has been accused of reacting slowly to the 2G scandal, which is described as the country’s biggest ever corruption investigation.
Another high-profile inquiry is continuing into claims that organisers of the Delhi Commonwealth Games swindled millions of dollars from the October event.
On Friday, the CBI searched Games chief organiser Suresh Kalmadi’s homes in the capital, Delhi, and in the western town of Pune, and the home of his personal secretary.
After police finished their search, Mr Kalmadi told journalists outside his Delhi home he was innocent until proven guilty.
“I am ready for any investigation on any issue,” he said, reports AFP news agency. “I am not running away.”
Three other senior officials from the Games organising committee, including its sacked treasurer, were arrested last month.
They are accused of forgery and cheating over the awarding of contracts before October’s event.
The Central Vigilance Commission, a national watchdog, has received complaints that up to $1.8bn (£1.1bn) of Games money was misappropriated.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
I want this done right now.
I have a two customized wordpress plugins that together allow someone to upload images to their wordpress site as a photography portfolio… and the second one lets the admin set a limit to the number of images they upload. There is a small problem in the way the limit plugin works. It blocks their access in such a way that the image is loaded but the code is not completed. As a result, the next person who tries to upload an image has the ability to make edit to the previous author image.
I have a proposed solution that would disable a button on the upload page when the limit is hit rather than unset the uploading page. If you can implement this with some kind of if/else statement the problem should be solved.
This should not take very long at all. You would need to do this on your own servers using the 2 plugins that I provide and be sure to do the project the way I want it done.
We need guys who are good at converting psd files to valid html and css. All the projects will be posted individually via scriptlance. Provide some links on pmb.
Hi , i want to make some edits in Joomla Module (mod_messaging)
Attachment will show it.
Note : i am using JUSER component.
Please bid on a monthly fee to provide SEO services for website www.tiredoflosing.net
keywords will all be provided, and initial SEO work has been done and I will provide you with the reports etc that were previously sent to me.