Wednesday, February 20, 2013

'Bachelor' Sean Lowe: Tierra 'duped' me

Rick Rowell / ABC

By Tierney Bricker, E! Online

Sean Lowe doesn't hold his emotional punches! Sean sat down with host Chris Harrison for "The Bachelor: Sean Tells All" special, in which he spoke honestly about feeling "duped" by polarizing contestant Tierra LiCausi, who is now engaged to another man. He also reveals who he wishes he would have kept in the competition instead of Tierra.

During the special, Sean also talked about his tense conversation with Desiree's brother Nate during Tuesday night's episode, admitting, "I wanted to punch him." But was Nate the reason Sean ended up sending fan-favorite Des home?

Read Ali Fedotowsky's take on the hometown dates!

Though tensions between Tierra and the rest of the ladies had been building all season, it came to a head in St. Croix, which lead to Sean asking her to leave before the rose ceremony after her emotional breakdown.

"When I watch it back, I'm like, 'Man I was such a fool,' because I really do feel like I was duped," Sean admits. "Oh man. My take is Tierra never should have come on the show. She's not suited for this show. She doesn't know how to handle herself in this environment. I hope that she's learned from this, but she's a woman who simply can't get along with her peers."

Sean maintains that he had no idea what was going on in the house with the controversial contestant and reveals, "Had I caught wind of everything the girl did earlier, I wouldn't have kept her. In hindsight, I wish I would have kept Jackie on the 2-on-1."

Find out Tuesday night's biggest TV moments

But Tierra wasn't the only villain this season as fans were shocked to see how aggressive Des' brother Nate was with Sean during her hometown date, saying he didn't think Sean really liked his sister and calling him "a playboy."

When asked by Chris if Des had told him about her brother, Sean says, "Des had told me that her brother had gotten into some trouble as a youth and he's kind of straightened himself out, but he's still a little wild at heart. She definitely didn't prepare me for what transpired. At first I even thought maybe he's joking, but after 30 seconds of him ranting, I started to realize he's not joking."

And the conversation with Nate brought out a side of Sean viewers had never seen before. "I really wanted to hit him. I really did, because I can't think of a bigger insult to hurl towards me because that's not who I am at all," Sean reveals. "Anyone who knows me knows I'm the furthest thing from a playboy. Attacking my character is the quickest way to get me heated, but I knew Des and her parents were sitting just inside the house. I didn't want to make this a bigger ordeal than it already was. So it took everything in me just to basically control my emotion."

Relive last week's biggest TV moments

Something viewers didn't see was that Nate "was the first person I spoke to that evening," Sean reveals, as a clip of the brother telling Sean he "seems like a nice dude" plays. "I chalk it up to him being a jack---," the Bach says of Nate's change of heart during the night.

But was Des' brother's behavior the reason Sean sent her home? "I think I would be lying to myself if I didn't say her brother influenced me a little bit; just picturing myself being in their family. I'm not sure I want this guy as my brother-in-law," Sean admits, "but there were other areas in my relationship with Des that were lacking."

Were you surprised by Sean's turnaround about Tierra or his take on Des' brother? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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Source: http://theclicker.today.com/_news/2013/02/20/17029638-bachelor-sean-lowe-tierra-duped-me?lite

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Italy politicians make final drive for votes before poll

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's politicians on Tuesday stepped up their campaigns in the last few days before next weekend's election with the outcome deeply uncertain and up to a third of voters still up for grabs.

Opinion polls on party standings are banned in the last two weeks before the February 24-25 poll but one of Italy's leading pollsters, Renato Mannheimer, said 27.7 percent of Italians were still undecided or could abstain.

This makes the final few days of campaigning crucial for an election which has the potential to again destabilize the euro zone. Italy came close to a major debt crisis in November 2011 before Silvio Berlusconi stood down and was replaced by technocrat Mario Monti.

Mannheimer said in the Corriere della Sera daily that about 5 million people, or 10 percent of voters, would decide in the last few days.

Political leaders were all out on the dustings in a final drive for votes with Berlusconi basking in the adulation of the party faithful in a rally in Milan on Monday night and both anti-establishment leader Beppe Grillo and outgoing premier Monti campaigning on Tuesday night.

A succession of corruption scandals over recent weeks has boosted Grillo, a Genoese comedian famous for obscenity-laced rants against a widely detested political class.

His rise has increased uncertainty over the result although experts say Berlusconi may be the biggest loser from the surge by Grillo's 5-Star Movement.

Latest estimates say he could get as much as 20 percent of the vote, way ahead Monti who has failed to gain traction at the head of an uninspiring centrist coalition which is stuck below 15 percent.

Although pollsters believe the centre-left has maintained a lead of around 4-5 points over Berlusconi's centre-right since the last polls on February 8, they are widely predicting an inconclusive result in the Senate.

The most likely outcome is that centre-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani will be forced into the arms of Monti in order to win control of the Senate, which has equal law-making powers with the lower house.

FEAR OF GRILLO

Stefano Fassina, a top official of the Democratic Party, which dominates the center-left coalition, said on Tuesday their biggest fear was that Monti would fall short of the votes needed to ensure Senate control because of Grillo's rise and a resurgence in the last month by Berlusconi.

But he added: "Our feeling is that with Monti we will have a majority in the Senate large enough to have a stable government, this is what we understand from the latest polls."

Fassina dismissed fears that Monti would refuse to join an alliance with the center-left which includes the leftist SEL party led by the openly gay governor of the southern Puglia region, Nichi Vendola.

Although Monti, struggling to build votes as a separate centrist offering, reiterated on Tuesday that he had nothing in common with the center-left, Fassina said in the end he would have to join a coalition in the interests of stability after the election.

Fassina also tried to quash market fears of a weak government unable to pass urgent reforms to revive the euro zone's third largest economy because of internal divisions and opposition from leftist factions and trade unions.

"We are fully aware that inertia is not an option. We have no time to waste. Italy's problems are very serious and we cannot afford more recession or stagnation ... we need to deliver in terms of jobs, income, simplification," said Fassina, the PD's chief economic official.

Although international markets are so far taking the election in their stride, there have been a few jitters this week about the chances of paralysis after the vote, the opposite of what Italy needs as it struggles to make itself competitive after more than a decade of stagnant growth.

Berlusconi was greeted by adoring chants and cheers when he attended a rally at Milan's exhibition center on Monday night, assuring the party faithful that his center-right could still win the election.

He regaled an enchanted crowd of 1,500 diehard supporters for at least 90 minutes with attacks on German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Monti.

Despite a lurid scandal in which he is facing charges of having sex with an underage prostitute during "bunga bunga" parties at his Milan villa, many of the supporters were women.

"It is women who throw themselves on him," said supporter Stella D'Antonio, 42. "He is a good man, a good prime minister, a good dad, a good grandfather."

Angela Bruno, 30-year-old employee of a renewable energy company, this week demanded an apology from Berlusconi after he crudely joked about sex with her on stage at a business event and openly examined her bottom.

Bruno said her 13-year-old daughter had cried for days after seeing a video of the incident.

(Writing by Barry Moody; Editing by Giles Elgood)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/italy-politicians-final-drive-votes-poll-174838669.html

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Legislation Governing Lifetime Gift & Estate Tax Exclusions has ...

Although The Tax Relief Act of 2012 provides permanent lifetime gift and estate exclusions of $5.25 million, legislation governing exclusions has changed seven times in the last ten years. Consequently, persons with sizeable estates who did not take advantage of their entire exclusion prior to December 31, 2012 should sit down with their professional advisors in 2013.

Below are a few estate planning tools and strategies presently being recommended by estate planners, accountants, and financial planners.

1.?Incorporating a protection provision in your trust documents which facilitates amendments to comply with any type of new legislation in the future.

2.?Lock in the ?Dynasty? planning options in your trust documents that enable wealth to be insulated from taxes and other hazards over multiple generations.? Non-tax issues like divorce, substance abuse, litigation, medical disasters, and business failure destroy as much wealth as taxes.

3.?Be aware and prepared should legislators adopt devices to increase taxes in order to avoid bankruptcy of the U.S. such as:

  • Phasing out more exemptions;
  • Implementing means testing for retirement plan withdrawals;
  • Placing caps on deductions such as charitable giving;
  • Limiting the duration of grantor retained annuity trusts;
  • Limiting the number of years a trust can skip generations without transfer taxes;
  • Implementing carry-forward cost basis at death enabling the IRS to collect more? capital gains taxes;
  • Eliminating grantor status for trusts resulting in taxes at the higher trust rate;
  • Including ?grantor trusts? in the taxable estate which would make many life insurance trusts taxable; and
  • Eliminating installment payments of estate taxes.?

4.?Make sure you confer with all of your professional advisors before amending your estate planning documents.? Too many so-called estate plans leave gaps in the protection because there is little or no connection between the business and property structures and the estate structures, or because the accounting, legal, investment and insurance advisers are each doing their own thing without coordinating with each other.? Effective planning is a team event that covers the whole field for the entire game.? One star player making one good shot may look good for the moment, but it won?t win the game.? Don?t ever forget that you are the quarterback regardless of your level of knowledge.? Keep your advisors in the game.

Gary Ringel, CGREA

Source: http://www.hhcpa.com/blogs/business-valuation-litigation-blog/legislation-governing-lifetime-gift-estate-tax-exclusions-has-changed-seven-times-in-last-ten-years/

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Live from HTC's 2013 launch event!

Live from HTC's 2013 launch event!

It's been less than a month since HTC sent out our invite -- but you're still a little early. The company's gone for the surprise attack, ahead of Barcelona's huge phone show, MWC. However, we're sure HTC will have plenty of interesting tidbits to show us, just one year since the One X set our hearts a-flutter. The event kicks off at 10am ET.

February 19, 2013 10:00 AM EST

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/19/htc-2013-liveblog/

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Fergie, Josh Duhamel Confirm Baby On The Way

'#MyLovelyBabyBump,' the 'Safe Haven' actor wrote about starting a family with Fergie.
By Jocelyn Vena


Josh Duhamel and Fergie
Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/ Getty Images

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1702164/fergie-josh-duhamel-baby.jhtml

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Sunday, February 17, 2013

Recently released market study: Russia Real Estate Report Q1 2013


Boston, MA -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/16/2013 -- The Russia Real Estate report examines the commercial office, retail, industrial and construction segments throughout the country in the context of a construction market that has returned to growth.

With a focus on the principal cities of Moscow, St Petersburg, Ekaterinburg and Samara, the report covers the rental market performance in terms of rates and yields. It also examines how best to maximise returns in the commercial real estate market, while minimising investment risk and exploring the impact of external macroeconomic headwinds. The key growth areas driven by increasing (comparative) attractiveness for investors, as well as the potential offered through the hosting of the Winter Olympics and 2018 FIFA World Cup, are also addressed, alongside the buoyant outlook for the retail sector.

View Full Report Details and Table of Contents

The Russian economy continues to face enormous challenges of weakening external demand and continued uncertainty over the policy environment, which affects business sentiment. However, we continue to believe that the government will pursue a more business-friendly approach and seek to attract financing for major infrastructure projects, which should help to sustain a solid longer-term growth outlook for Russia's economy. In addition, we believe a number of factors should help ensure Russia's building industry achieves at least modest growth over the medium term, compounding the upside risks to our real estate outlook. Our latest data collection, conducted in July 2012, has compounded this view, with the commercial real estate sector performing well over H112, with over 75% of key indicators registering yearon- year (y-o-y) growth.

Key Points

- Our previously held view that 'political risk is the main element that can ultimately curtail growth as public policy remains opaque, convoluted and subject to frequent change' continues to play out. The planned privatisation scheme has yet to take hold, and on the back of continued capital outflows and strong vested interest, we believe the attractive assets potentially up for sale will remain without a buyer for the time being. Nevertheless, the construction sector remains buttressed by flagship projects for the 2014 Sochi winter Olympics and the 2018 FIFA World Cup, as well as a steady pipeline of projects within the extractive sector. Hence, we maintain our forecast for 2012 construction industry value growth, with 3.5% anticipated.

About Fast Market Research
Fast Market Research is an online aggregator and distributor of market research and business information. Representing the world's top research publishers and analysts, we provide quick and easy access to the best competitive intelligence available. Our unbiased, expert staff will help you find the right research to fit your requirements and your budget. For more information about these or related research reports, please visit our website at http://www.fastmr.com or call us at 1.800.844.8156.

Browse all Business research reports at Fast Market Research

You may also be interested in these related reports:

- India Real Estate Report Q1 2013
- Indonesia Real Estate Report Q1 2013
- Taiwan Real Estate Report Q1 2013
- Kuwait Real Estate Report Q1 2013
- Chile Real Estate Report Q1 2013
- Brazil Real Estate Report Q1 2013
- Hungary Real Estate Report Q1 2013
- Saudi Arabia Real Estate Report Q1 2013
- Germany Real Estate Report Q1 2013
- Japan Real Estate Report Q1 2013

Source: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/recently-released-market-study-russia-real-estate-report-q1-2013-206726.htm

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