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Prominent Shiite political leader dies in Iran

BAGHDAD — Abdul Aziz al Hakim , the leader of one of Iraq's dominant Shiite Muslim political parties and a renowned cleric who resisted Saddam Hussein's regime for more than 20 years while in exile, died Wednesday in Tehran .

Hakim, 59, was one of the key figures who brought Shiite Muslims to power after Saddam's fall, using the muscle of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq — a party he helped build — to become a prevailing force in Iraqi politics.

His death leaves a vacancy at the top of his party as the country heads into its first national elections since 2005 and as the governing Shiite political alliance shows signs of breaking apart, with Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki separating from Hakim's bloc.

" Sayed al Hakim was a bigger brother and a strong support during the period of fighting the former regime and a fundamental cornerstone in the process of building the new Iraq ," Maliki said. "His departure at this sensitive phase that we are going through is considered a great loss for Iraq ."

Hakim hadn't been seen in public frequently since Iraq's provincial elections in January. His son, Ammar al Hakim , took on some of Hakim's responsibilities as Hakim suffered from lung cancer during the past two years.

He was a well-loved figure in Iraq because of his and his family's efforts to fight Saddam and publicly advocate for Shiite Muslims, a long-oppressed majority under Saddam.

His legacy is mixed, however, because of charges that the Islamic Supreme Council's armed wing, the Badr Organization , participated in the sectarian killings that rocked the country since Saddam's fall.

His reputation also suffered in some quarters because of several high profile visits he had with President George W. Bush , occasions that his rivals, mainly followers of radical cleric Moqtada al Sadr, cited to accuse him of caving to Americans.

Black funeral banners announcing Hakim's death went up in Najaf, a holy city for Shiite Muslims. A ceremony is expected to be held Thursday in Tehran , where he was being treated, followed by a funeral that could draw hundreds of thousands of people to Najaf on Friday.

His family is one of Iraq's preeminent Shiite lines. His father, Grand Ayatollah Muhsin al Hakim, led the Shiite world from 1955 to 1970.

Hakim's death was rare in his family, in that he died of natural causes. Six of his brothers were killed during Saddam's regime.

One brother, the Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Bakir al Hakim, the founder of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq , was killed by a bomb in August 2003 . He'd spent 23 years in exile before returning to Iraq after the American military ousted Saddam.

A prominent member of the Islamic Supreme Council said the party hadn't announced a successor, though a central committee met Wednesday to discuss choosing one.

"In his absence, his followers and others will become aware of the responsibility that he was carrying. They will be aware of the great care he took in order to look after his people and his establishment said Sheik Humam Hammoudi , an Islamic Supreme Council member and member of Iraq's parliament.

Hakim had a hand in founding the Islamic Supreme Council's armed wing, the Badr Organization , while the party was in exile in Iran during Saddam's dictatorship. He also founded two charitable organizations and sought care for Shiite refugees who suffered under Saddam's regime after the Gulf War.

Hakim also was a member of the Iraqi Governing Council , the first Iraqi body that began to lead the country after the American occupation began.

Hakim was "active in bringing down the dictatorship, and after liberation, he worked hard to build a well-organized establishment in order to forward the beliefs and goals of this party," Hammoudi said.

The Islamic Supreme Council is widely viewed as closely aligned with Iran . It is strongest in Iraq's southern provinces and has attempted to have the region designated as a semi-autonomous zone similar to the provinces Kurds govern in Iraq's north.

The Badr Organization was once a feared militia that was believed to have infiltrated several government ministries, but it has reinvented itself as an unarmed humanitarian group.

The party was Iraq's dominant group until this year, when Maliki's Dawa Party ascended on his efforts to be seen as a national leader unconcerned with sectarian divides.

Dawa and the Islamic Supreme Council are allies in parliament, but they have split for January's elections.

(Ashton reports for the Modesto Bee .)

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Honduras' interim government offers crisis plan

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – Honduras' interim leader has offered to resign and back exiled President Manuel Zelaya's return home, provided the ousted leader give up his claim to the presidency.

The offer appears to contain little new, other than allowing Zelaya to return without facing arrest.

A representative of interim President Roberto Micheletti says Congress would still have to approve an amnesty for Zelaya, who was ousted in a June 28 coup.

Arturo Corrales said Thursday the deal was presented to a delegation from the Organization of American States on Tuesday.

Under the proposal, whoever is next in line of succession under the Constitution would assume the presidency.

Corrales said the delegation had not responded to the offer.

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Cost Plus reports smaller loss in 2Q

OAKLAND, Calif. – Specialty home retailer Cost Plus Inc. said Thursday its fiscal second-quarter loss narrowed as the company cut costs to offset lower sales of big-ticket items such as living room and dining room furniture.

Its loss for the quarter that ended Aug. 1 narrowed to $20.8 million, or 94 cents per share, from $26.6 million, or $1.21 per share, in the same period a year earlier.

Revenue fell 13 percent to $183.4 million from $210.7 million last year.

Sales in Cost Plus stores open at least one year, a key retail metric known as same-store sales, fell 10.9 percent during the quarter. The company had forecast a same-store sales decline between 9.5 percent and 14.5 percent.

It said same-store sales fell because the average ticket per customer fell 8 percent — mainly due to lower dining and living furniture sales — and because 3.4 percent fewer shoppers made it to the checkout.

Retailers have reduced their inventory of more expensive items such as furniture to cut costs amid the recession.

Selling, general and administrative expenses fell 15 percent because of other cost-cutting measures such as closing stores, which lowered payroll, and trims in advertising and other expenses.

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The Beijing News: Medical information disclosure is not only a matter for the hospital

Of course, it must be recognized that information disclosure is only to solve medical and health information technology, asymmetric means to belong to a stopgap policy, the fundamental solution lies in the supply and demand of medical services at two levels scheme.



Recently, the Ministry of Health on "medical and health institutions to implement information disclosure approach" (hereinafter referred to as "methods"), extensively solicit public views. "Procedures" specify that hospitals should focus on public health service prices, seven categories of information. ( "Beijing News" August 25)



Medical and health institutions as a medical and health system, one of the terminals, to provide true and reliable public source of information is supposed to its statutory responsibility.



The implementation of the medical and health information disclosure, an important reason is that this industry has a serious information asymmetry. Medical services was concentrated expertise: good health or not, the severity of the disease need to take medicine disposal, the patient has no ability to distinguish, everything depends on the doctor's look Smelling cut. It is a monopoly of information by virtue of this technology, the patient's medical consumer behavior have complete control over the hands of a doctor's prescription --- big red envelope kickbacks and excessive medical and other strange status quo, are the source for this.



And other goods and services are different, medicine consumption is often difficult to pre-determined price. While China's medical services and drugs are already being implemented strict price controls, but this means that a lower nominal prices, however, the actual price is another matter. Whether to buy a TV, or enjoy the travel agency services, there were not clearly marked in advance, the customer has a price before the full right to choose. Medical services are not, a pre-agreed standards for fees and medicines can not be the actual cost of a fixed limit. As the complexity of disease and individual differences, the doctor may have different treatment options, the prices are also nominal He also goes to be hundreds of combinations of the cost difference is heaven and on earth. With a cold, ranging from two hundred to spend, while in a thousand dollars, is hardly new.



Is for this reason alone, the open medicine prices and fees, for the people, but more than mere symbolic significance. Proposed "measures" might be more in-depth step, the actual cost of medical services to include, such as in-patient public hospital out-patient meeting all costs, the average cost of medicines in different disease, and other information, and different hospitals in different diseases, the average costs of comparison, the public will see a doctor prior to the actual price of the medicine a relatively clear-cut judgments can be made "shop around" and rational choice, but also conducive to promoting competition in the hospital. Of course, this price information platform is not only a hospital can to whom the health sector should assume the information collection, analysis, comparison and release functions.



In fact, the price of in-depth medical and health services open, Beijing has been trying. From the second half of 2002, the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau to the public some hospitals in Beijing, "acute appendicitis, nodular goiter, benign ovarian tumors, uterine fibroids, ectopic pregnancy, cesarean section" and six kinds of single disease The average cost of hospitalization and hospital stay of indicators. This measure has achieved good social effects. However, such disclosure of the diseases covered by little, excluding only for hospital out-patient clinic, and the range is only part of Beijing's hospitals, there is much room for improvement.



Of course, it must be recognized that information disclosure is only to solve medical and health information technology, asymmetric means to belong to a stopgap policy, the fundamental solution lies in the supply and demand of medical services at two levels scheme. Some experts believe that, because health care information asymmetry, so the Government can not open up the medical services market, otherwise there will be more supply-induced demand, medical expenses will be accelerated. The logic and practical experience poles apart, may I ask: compare the full competition and monopolies, under conditions in which unscrupulous business practices and will be less? The correct logic with these experts, advocates the opposite: the regional health planning and tax policies to encourage access, should make significant policy adjustments, to mobilize all the resources can be mobilized supply, through full competition to restrain supply-side behavior to reduce their information monopoly advantage.



In addition to supply-side constraints, the demand-side constraints are also essential. With only the individual patient, it is difficult with the hospital the doctor's professional knowledge and skill to compete. Health insurance institutions as the purchaser of the concentration of agent, can be professional and technical strength and service management tools to make up for this deficiency. Similarly, the district where the limited power of individual owners, but once the group transformed into owners associations negotiating power, the property situation of one party dominance probably should have been balanced. (This article Source: The Beijing News)

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Bin Hu and India: Public mayor elected to comply with procedures in the name of fake public opinion

The public is not particularly concerned about the elected officials have the right of future generations. After the public officials concerned about is that even if elected, he should follow the basic procedure to achieve a minimum of procedural justice. In other words, Gushi County, even if the particular want government officials to share even after the election of rights, but also should design a set of image point kind of procedures to allow the public a sense of participation, see the past, think it is useful to do with their relationship.



Author: Bin Hu India



Gushi County, Henan Province in 2008, the selection Zheng Keji county officials and county bureau-level cadres appointments, the "open" selection of the township and village heads (Zheng Keji) cadres, the cadres, mostly children and the two county real estate the boss's relatives. Gushi County Standing Committee, the Organization Department of Hui Zhou acknowledged that the public elected the last 12 village chiefs and indeed, after mostly government officials. The Ministers of the Organization said: "They have been elected terms, should elected officials have no right after it?" ( "Guangzhou Daily" August 25)



Questioned by the public a clear-cut: how the public and elected officials, village chiefs actually mostly children? The Ministers of the Organization's response and forcefully: the children of eligible officials, should have no right to election to begin? This dispute is not likely to have a clear conclusion. Because in the public election of Gushi County, township and village heads on this matter, we are the Government's wish to see more freedom of expression, public opinion is so thin, so can only be cynical in a way to express their dissatisfaction.



Gushi County, according to the interpretation of, this election is divided into three steps to the public, the first step, consistent with 43 years of age, Ren Fu Keji two years or more conditions such as recommend yourself out of more than 270 last Zijian. The second step, after the county department level, Zheng Keji on behalf of veteran cadres, there are more than 300 people voted, and launch more than 60 people. The third step, after several days of inspection, the Standing Committee and other officials from the county more than 50 people vote for mayor the last 12. We see that the first step the time being could not see any, are eligible to enter the big list of people who are cadres above the county Fu Keji basically see a portion; lies in the second step, third step, if there The so-called tricky words, but also these two steps. 300 people voting group are those people? The old and new leadership. Such a program designed from the start to play inside in the official groups around in circles, circling circle. The last election who is not a bureaucracy in the various forces game winner, is the elite who split up the spoils game winners, and "public opinion" has nothing to do.



I think the public is not particularly concerned about the elected officials have the right of future generations. After the public officials concerned about is that even if elected, he should follow the basic procedure to achieve a minimum of procedural justice. In other words, Gushi County, even if the particular want government officials to share even after the election of rights, but also should design a set of image point kind of procedures to allow the public a sense of participation, see the past, think it is useful to do with their relationship. In this way, the results of the last elected before they have credibility, rather than incur a wide range of questions.



How can I be considered "decent program" mean? Now known as "Public Choice", want to come there should be more broadly representative, Or we can say there is the public will participate. Gushi County, the public can not see the election from start to finish has always been the involvement of public opinion, are among current and former officials, "Public Choice", needless to say the selection of the general public, that is, the ordinary cadres inside the county can not participate in the selection, Such a "public election" is clearly not a representative of the broad, far from public participation. The list came out, elected people's delineation, but also a coterie of the game, so programming does not want to speculate on people criticized bad if it tried.



Can be a closer look at another one of "public election." August 12, Hubei Province in 2009 started interviewing the public and selecting cadres examination, and different from the past is that this interview for the first time the public opening of the judges in order to enhance the people's right of public participation in cadre selection and influence. 39 judges, there are nine leading cadre or by an expert jury composed of experts and scholars, while 30 others are the public judge, the public will account for an interview the judges scoring the total score of 20%. ( "Chutian Metropolis Daily," August 13) It was revealed that 30 popular judges, 10 were party representatives, the deputies and CPPCC members, 10 were exam-oriented units, cadres and workers who apply for and 10 people apply for units The service targets. The participation of the public judges, natural selection will make the public because of the involvement of public opinion show vigor and vitality. (This article Source: China Youth Daily)

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adidas Style Essentials系列09秋冬新品

adidas旗下全新品牌Style Essentials在2008年推出后，即以百变好搭的清新风格席卷青少年休闲市场，为了替消费者带来全新的运动活力。2009年8月将发售的Style Essentials秋冬新品，第一波主打商品将以多样化的鞋款展示新生代adidas能量，超大LOGO一定震撼你的双眼。

关于adidas Style Essentials
2008年adidas整合旗下各品牌，并依照属性分为“Sport Performance运动专业”、“Sport Style运动时尚”两大分支。其中归属于adidas Sport Style的品牌包括代表运动未来先驱的Y-3、呈现纯粹时尚的SLVR、讲求经典原创力的Originals，以及展露年轻世代新鲜活力的adidas Style Essentials，目标在将adidas独特的纯正运动传统扩展到时尚品味市场。“运动功能”已是adidas的优势，“设计风格”更会在此类别中得 到延续。

adidas Style Essentials系列09秋冬新品

adidas Style Essentials系列09秋冬新品

adidas Style Essentials系列09秋冬新品

adidas Style Essentials系列09秋冬新品

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阿迪达斯09年二季度净利润同比暴降93%

　　最新财务报告显示，阿迪达斯今年二季度归属于股东的净利润仅有900万欧元，同比暴降93%，业内人士认为，随着阿迪达斯在国内市场销售的持续疲软，本土品牌李宁的国内销售额有可能在今年超过阿迪达斯。

　 　阿迪达斯5日公布的财报显示，由于世界范围的需求下降，导致公司净利润同比锐降。另外，阿迪达斯第二季度销售收入下降3%，为24.6亿欧元; 营业利润下降66%，仅为7200万欧元。今年上半年，阿迪达斯集团净利润同比下降95%，至1300万欧元;销售收入下降2%，至50.3亿欧元。

　　体育用品观察人士关圣昆对CBN记者表示:“在南京市场，阿迪达斯全场上架新品打7折，而经销商以5.1~5.2折的价格进货，加上经销商的营运成本，新品以7折的价格出售对经销商来说意味着亏损。”

　 　在过去的半年里，阿迪达斯在全球的各个区域市场几乎都陷入泥潭。扣除汇率因素，阿迪达斯欧洲市场销售额同比减少8%，北美市场销售额同比减少 10%，以中国和日本为主的亚洲市场销售额同比减少9%，仅拉丁美洲市场销售额同比增加24%，但也只有4.43亿欧元，无法扭转大局。

　　其实，受金融危机波及的并不仅仅只有阿迪达斯，国内运动品 牌同样受到冲击，但影响相比阿迪达斯小得多。关圣昆介绍:“阿迪达斯以前的销售折扣率平均是9折，现在变为8.2~8.3折;国内运动品牌的销售折扣率一 般是8.5~8.6折，现在降为7.5~7.6折，毛利润率从2008年奥运时期的45%左右降至30%左右，但是国内体育品牌并没有伤筋动骨。”

　 　业内人士马岗说:“存货过多对阿迪达斯造成的影响非常深远。阿迪达斯在国内的主要市场位于一线城市，一线城市开新店的成本很高，门店的数量不可 能大量扩张，去二三线城市它的产品价格没法跟国内品牌200元左右的产品相竞争，因此阿迪达斯的销售额要增加只能靠同店增长。然而由于存货太多，原来每周 可以更新一次货品，现在只能2周更新一次，货品更新频率降低导致销售额的同店增长很有限。”阿迪达斯财务报告显示，今年上半年，阿迪达斯存货价值为 20.41亿欧元，同比增长13%，扣除汇率因素，同比增长8%。

　 　马岗表示，国内体育品牌的市场大部分在二三线城市，销售额的增长不是依赖同店增长，而是靠门店数量的迅速扩张，在国际金融危机的冲击下，即便一 个门店销售额减少，新开门店的销售额还可以抵消减少的那部分，因此国内品牌业绩增长的幅度今年上半年仍然可观，某些品牌的销售额可以同比增长20%左右。

　　阿迪达斯与国内体育品牌在业绩上的一减一增已经对其在中国市场的位置构成威胁。业内人士分 析，2008年在中国体育用品市场，耐克品牌约有 100亿元收入，阿迪达斯品牌约80亿元收入，李宁品牌约有60亿元收入，安踏品牌约有40亿元收入，由于阿迪达斯在中国市场的销售陷入持续疲软，而国内 运动品牌仍然保持两位数以上的增长速度，李宁的销售额很有可能在今年超过阿迪达斯，坐上国内运动品牌的第二把交椅。

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