A successful shopping mall in Jakarta

Taman Angrek is a successful shopping maill in Jakarta. It has a large atrium and an indoor skating rink.

Islamists claims victory in landmark Tunisia vote

TUNIS?? Tunisia's leading secularist party conceded defeat on Monday after unofficial tallies from the country's first free election showed a victory for an Islamist party.

The election came 10 months from from the moment street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in a protest that started the Arab Spring uprisings.

More than 90 percent of the 4.1 million registered voters cast ballots, officials said.

Full official results were not expected until late Monday, but early results from individual voting stations carried by local radio stations Monday put the moderate Islamist Ennahda Party in the lead in many constituencies. The Ennahda party took half of the seats reserved for Tunisians living abroad, according to the first official returns.

The party claimed it was the top vote getter, receiving more than 30 percent of the vote counted so far.

"The first confirmed results show that Ennahda has obtained first place nationally and in most districts," campaign manager Abelhamid Jlazzi said at a press conference.

The top secular party isssued a statement congratulating the winner.

"The PDP (Progressive Democratic Party) respects the democratic game. The people gave their trust to those it considers worthy of that trust. We congratulate the winner and we will be in the ranks of the opposition," a PDP statement sent to Reuters said.

The prospect of Ennahda emerging with the biggest share of the vote worries secularists.

High turnout in the vote, for an assembly which will sit for one year and draft a new constitution, was a mark of Tunisians' determination to exercise their new democratic rights after decades of repression.

'Changed the course of history'
President Barack Obama said Tunisia's revolution in January, which began with Bouazizi and ended with autocratic President Zine Al-Abidine Ben Ali fleeing abroad, had "changed the course of history."

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"Just as so many Tunisian citizens protested peacefully in streets and squares to claim their rights, today they stood in lines and cast their votes to determine their own future," he said.

The suicide of vegetable peddler Bouazizi, prompted by despair over poverty and government harassment, provoked mass protests which ended Ben Ali's 23-year grip on power.

Slideshow: State of emergency in Tunisia (on this page)

This in turn inspired uprisings in Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria and Bahrain which have re-shaped the political landscape of the Middle East and North Africa.

With an unexpectedly large number of ballot papers to count, election officials said it was likely to be Monday or even later before they have results to announce.

State radio reported that incomplete counts in two provincial cities, Sfax and Kef, had the Islamist Ennahda party in the lead. The Congress for the Republic, a leftist secular party, was in second place in Sfax and Ettakatol, another socialist group, was runner-up in Kef, the radio said.

Ennahda, citing its own, unofficial tally from votes cast by the large Tunisian diaspora, said indications were that it had done well. Overseas voting was held days before Sunday's election.

"Ennahda was first in all the foreign polling stations," its campaign manager, Abdelhamid Jlazzi, told a gathering of party workers. "We got more than 50 percent."

Video: How rap fueled the Arab Spring (on this page)

Ennahda's fortunes may have a bearing on Egyptian elections set for next month in which the Muslim Brotherhood, an ideological ally, also hopes to emerge strongest.

The 217-seat assembly Tunisians are electing will, as well as re-writing the constitution, choose a new interim government and set dates for parliamentary and presidential elections.

Western diplomats say Ennahda is unlikely to win a majority of seats in the assembly in its own right, forcing it to make alliances with secularist parties and therefore diluting its influence.

Ennahda's leader Rachid Ghannouchi, who spent 22 years in exile in Britain, models his party on the moderate Islamist rule of Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan.

He says his party will respect women's rights and not try to enforce any personal morality code on Tunisians.

Interactive: Tunisia protests, country profile (on this page)

But the prospect of it winning a share of power still makes some people feel uncomfortable in Tunisia. It has secular traditions which go back to its first president after independence from France. He called the hijab, or Islamic head scarf, an "odious rag."

'On duty for my country'
When Ghannouchi emerged from the polling station where he cast his vote Sunday, about a dozen secularists shouted at him: "Degage," French for "Go away," and "You are a terrorist and an assassin! Go back to London!"

"I'm not so optimistic about the result of the vote," said Ziyed Tijiani, a 26-year-old architect after he cast his ballot Sunday.

"I think the Islamists could win. It's not want I want. They may try to change the way I live," he said, accompanied by a young woman in jeans and T-shirt.

Across the country Sunday, queues stretching hundreds of meters long formed outside polling stations from earlyearly in the morning for an election which could set the template for other states emerging from the Arab Spring.

"This is the first time I have voted," said Karima Ben Salem, 45, at a polling station in the Lafayette area of Tunis.

"I've asked the boys to make their own lunch. I don't care ... Today I am not on duty. Or rather, I am on duty for my country," she said.

Story: Tunisians turn out in force for first free vote

An Ennahda victory would be the first such success in the Arab world since Hamas won a 2006 Palestinian vote. Islamists won a 1991 election in Algeria, Tunisia's neighbor, but the army annulled the result, provoking years of conflict.

Tunisia has a tiny minority of hardline Islamists, but the policies Ennahda espouses are more in keeping with mainstream Tunisia, where most people take a laid-back view of Islam's strictures on things like drinking alcohol.

"This morning I voted for Ennahda and this evening I am going to drink a few beers," said Makram, a young man from the working class Ettadamen neighborhood of Tunis.

Video: Protests drive Tunisian president into exile (on this page)

Yet observers say there is tension inside the party between Ghannouchi's moderate line and more vehement Islamists among the rank and file.

A final election rally Friday illustrated the party's contradictions as Suad Abdel-Rahim, a tall, glamorous female Ennahda candidate who does not wear a veil, addressed the crowd.

But many books on sale on the fringes of the rally were by writers who belong to the strict Salafist branch of Islam. They believe women should be segregated from men in public and that elections are un-Islamic.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45011316/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/

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How income inequality harms society

http://www.ted.com/talks/richard_wilkinson.html?utm_source=newsletter_weekly_2011-10-25&utm_campaign=newsletter_weekly&utm_medium=email

Singapore fares quick badly on several indicators.

For decades, Richard Wilkinson has studied the social effects of income inequality and how social forces affect health. In The Spirit Level, a book coauthored with Kate Pickett, he lays out reams of statistical evidence that, among developed countries, societies that are more equal – with a smaller income gap between rich and poor -- are happier and healthier than societies with greater disparities in the distribution of wealth.

While poverty has long been recognized as an indicator for such social ills as crime, obesity, teen pregnancy, Wilkinson and Pickett have demonstrated that societal well-being bears no relation to per capita income. They’ve also found that the symptoms of inequality trouble all levels of society. Across the board, mental health, levels of violence and addiction, even life expectancy are affected by the psycho-social stress caused by income gaps and status anxiety.

In the UK, The Spirit Level won support from politicians both left and right. Wilkinson, who is Professor Emeritus of Social Epidemiology at the University of Nottingham, also cofoundedThe Equality Trust, a nonprofit that aims to reduce income inequality by educating and engaging the public while supporting political commitment to address the problem.

He says: "While I'd always assumed that an equal society must score better on social cohesion, I never expected to find such clear differences between existing market economies."

White House studies student loan relief plan

The White House is introducing a student loan relief plan. This will add to the deficit and shows how bad the debt situation has become. Many sectors, including the government, home buyers and students are not able to pay off their debts.

http://www.cnbc.com//id/45037241

Rental Car Insurance - Should You Buy Rental Car Insurance?

Your flight landed an hour late. Now, you'll be late for that important meeting. You can already imagine your customers sitting around a conference table waiting impatiently. You step to the front of the line at the car rental counter, with six other exasperated businessmen behind you who are late for their meetings, too. The rental agent plunks the contract down in front of you, and circles all the places on the contract that you're supposed to sign or initial. Then she stares at you, as if to say, "Hurry up!" The print is small. The sentences are written in Legalese. You'd like to stop and read the fine print, but you can feel the people behind you getting more upset. You thought you were renting a car for .00 per day. With all the add-ons, the cost is now .00 per day.

Oh...the pressure...the panic! You cave in, signing and leaving your initials in all the right places. You take your contract and keys and head for your car, inwardly feeling like a failure and mad because you didn't stand up for yourself.

We Buy Any Car

If the preceding story is too familiar, there's hope just ahead!

It doesn't matter if you're a regular car renter or just an occasional traveler who needs to rent a car, you'll likely face these kinds of choices at the car rental counter. Some folks just decline everything. Some folks purchase all of the coverage offered.

But...are you wasting bunches of money on unneeded coverage or leaving yourself dangerously under insured? Before leaving on your trip, I recommend that you make two phone calls - one to your auto insurance company and another to the credit card company you'll be using to pay for the rental car. You'll need to find out if you have automatic coverage for your car rental from each company, and the various terms and conditions for that automatic coverage.

FIRST...CALL YOUR CAR INSURANCE COMPANY

In your personal or business auto insurance policy, there is coverage for damage to your auto. The Insuring Agreement in most policies says: " We will pay for direct and accidental loss to 'your covered auto' or any 'non-owned auto,' including their equipment, minus any applicable deductible shown in the Declarations."

Another phrase is VERY IMPORTANT!

"If there is a loss to a 'non-owned auto', we will provide the broadest coverage applicable to any 'covered auto' in the Declarations." Here's an example of how this would work for you:

You have two vehicles. One is a 2006 Toyota Camry with full coverage. It's worth ,000. The other is a 1980 Chevy S-10 pickup worth ,500 that you only use for trips back and forth to the local home improvement store, and you only have liability coverage on the pickup. If you rented a car and it got damaged, your insurance company would provide the full coverage for the rental car, which is the broadest coverage in your policy.

If you normally drive an older car with only liability insurance on it, there will not be any property damage insurance extended to the rental car. In this instance, you should either use the credit card's Collision Damage Waiver or buy the CDW from the car rental company.

Ask your insurance company representative how much coverage you have on your car. Ask if there is a limit of value on your Collision coverage. If there is a limit, and you drive a 7 year old Ford Taurus that's worth ,500...and you rent a new Cadillac Escalade that's worth ,000...will your personal auto insurance cover the damage to the higher valued vehicle? REALLY important to know this...you could owe the rental car company tens of thousands of dollars to repair or replace a high value rental vehicle if you're not properly covered.

Find out the limits of liability. Make sure that your limits are higher than the minimum limits required by your state. Limits above 0,000 per person/0,000 per accident for Bodily Injury, and 0,000 for Property Damage are very inexpensive. Make sure that you limits are no less than that amount...higher would be better.

Find out what collision and comprehensive deductibles you have on your car, because those deductibles will apply when you rent a car and use your own insurance for rental coverage.

Make sure that you have Uninsured Motorist and Underinsured Motorist coverage on your personal or business policy. If you are in an accident with an uninsured motorist, and the accident is his fault, recovery will be practically impossible. Likewise with a motorist who is underinsured. Best to have your own coverage protection.

Q: What if I don't own a car, and don't have car insurance?

A: If you do not own a car, you won't have an automobile policy. You should buy the rental car coverage, both the CDW and liability coverage. Or, you should use your credit card's CDW and buy the optional liability coverage from the rental car company. If you're a frequent car renter, however, you can still buy a "non-owner" liability policy. This solution might save you money over the coverage available through the car rental company.

Q: What happens if my personal property inside the car gets damaged or stolen?

A: Most Collision Damage Waivers provide coverage for theft of the vehicle, but not any personal property stolen or damaged inside the vehicle. Check your homeowners or renter's insurance policy because you may have coverage through them for your stolen or damaged personal property. A deductible will likely apply.

Here's a super important tip! Some people think that, if they purchased the Collision Damage Waiver or used the CDW from their credit card, and the rental car got damaged, they don't have to report it to their own insurance company. They are hoping that because the CDW covers the damage, it won't affect their own insurance policy....and they won't get a rate increase. WRONG!!! Don't be misled into thinking that you can get away without reporting your accident to your own insurance company. In most accidents, more things get damaged than just the rental car. Even if your accident is just you running into a guardrail, whoever owns that guardrail is going to look to you to pay for the damages. Also, other people might have been injured. You could have a large liability exposure, and you might need your personal or business auto policy to cover your loss. Your insurance policy includes legal representation if someone files a lawsuit against you for damages.

If you're going to use your own personal or business auto coverage, decline the Collision Damage Waiver on the car rental contract.

NEXT...CALL THE CREDIT CARD COMPANY

Ask your credit card company about the benefits they offer. Each company is different, and each level of credit is different. For example, a regular card might have different insurance benefits than a gold or platinum card. Ask the card company to send you your benefits IN WRITING. If you're in a hurry, ask them to fax or email it to you.

Some cards may only cover collision and comprehensive, and leave you uninsured for liability. Some cards only offer coverage when you rent from a certain rental company. Some restrict the number of days of coverage. Some cards don't automatically cover you and require you to sign up for a particular program. Still others limit the kinds of vehicles you can rent. (see below for some exclusions)

If you have more than one credit card, call each one and find out the card with the best benefits. Then, use that credit card to pay for your rental car, and use their benefits.

If you're planning on using the credit card company's coverage, you must decline the Collision Damage Waiver shown in the rental car contract. Otherwise, the credit card company's coverage will become excess to the coverage in the rental car company's Collision Damage Waiver. "Excess" means that any other available coverage would pay first, and the credit card coverage would pay any remaining portion of the loss.

Credit card Collision Damage Waivers cover:

o vehicle damage

o theft

o loss of use

o towing

See your credit card company's written CDW for all the details.

Collision Damage Waivers exclude:

o Injury to anyone or damage to anything inside or outside the rental vehicle.

o Loss or theft of personal belongings.

o Liability

o Loss due to intentional acts, like DUI, drug use or other illegal activities.

o Off-road operations. If you rent an SUV and take it off-road, no coverage.

o Rental periods of more than 15 days within your country of residence, or more than 31 days in a foreign country.

o Vehicles that do not meet the definition of "covered vehicles," such as:

- expensive, exotic and antique vehicles

- certain vans

- pickup trucks

- other trucks

- motorcycles and ATVs

See your credit card company's written CDW for all the details.

CAR RENTAL INSURANCE

Most major rental car companies offer these four coverages.

o Collision Damage Waiver (CDW). This covers a rental vehicle damaged by an accident, vandalism, theft or loss of use. Costs range between and per day.

The most misunderstood part of car rental coverage is the Collision Damage Waiver, or sometimes called the "Auto Rental CDW."

Remember...the car rental CDW provided by the car rental company is not insurance. Insurance is regulated by each state. Collision Damage coverage is a waiver. The car rental companies agree to not hold the renter responsible if the rental car is damaged or stolen, and they guarantee that they will pay for certain damages listed in their coverage agreement.

In many cases, the waiver also provides "loss of use" coverage, which pays the rental company if the damaged or stolen car cannot be rented. In most states, car insurance policies don't cover loss of use. So, if you choose not to buy the Collision Damage Waiver, you might have a loss of use exposure if the rental car gets damaged. But if you're using your credit card's automatic coverage, it will pay for that loss of use.

Some car rental companies will require you to pay for repairs or replacement costs out of your own pocket up front, and then you have to get reimbursed by your own insurance company. Being forced to come up with thousands of dollars in immediate cash could ruin a vacation. You're protected from these up-front costs by the CDW. Read your rental contract CAREFULLY!

o Personal Effects Coverage. This provides coverage for theft or damage to personal items inside the rental car. Costs range between and per day.

o Supplemental Liability Insurance. This provides liability coverage up to million. Costs range between and per day.

o Personal Accident Insurance. This covers you and passengers in your vehicle for medical expenses. If you already have personal health policies or travel policies, it won't be necessary to buy this optional coverage. It usually costs between and per day.

Corporate Travelers. If you're a frequent traveler for business, do one other thing. Check with your company to find out if they have a corporate travel policy. If they do, find out what that policy covers, and then simply don't buy duplicate coverage on the rental car contract.

Car rental outside your country of residence. Some insurers exclude coverage if you're driving in a foreign country. Some will cover you, but only a limited time. Some credit card companies cover car rentals outside your country of residence. Check with your insurance company and credit card company for specific details, and GET IT IN WRITING!

Q: Can I allow others to drive my rental car?

A: If you're using your personal or business auto coverage to cover your rental car, the chances are all "authorized drivers" are covered. An "authorized driver" is anyone listed on the policy. However, here's a BIG GOTCHA! If your teenaged son drives your rental car and he allows his girlfriend to drive the car, you're covered. If the girlfriend allows another person to drive, NO COVERAGE!

Some car rental companies have exclusions for young drivers. Some charge extra for young drivers. Find out this information BEFORE you arrive at the car rental counter.

Q: How do I file a claim if I've had an accident?

A: When you experience the damage or theft, immediately get a camera and take lots of photos of the damage, including any other autos or property that was damaged. Keep those photos! Notify the rental company IMMEDIATELY of the damage.

Report the damage to your own auto insurance company if you have personal or business coverage.

When you return the vehicle to the rental company immediately ask for:

o A copy of the accident report and any claim documents, which should show the amount you're responsible to pay, as well as any amounts that have been paid toward the claim.

o A copy of the initial and final auto rental agreements.

o A copy of the repair estimate or the paid repair invoice.

o A police report, if one exists.

So the bottom line is this:

If you have personal auto insurance, commercial auto insurance or corporate travel coverage, it is usually not necessary to pay for the Collision Damage Waiver or extra coverages offered to you by the rental car contract. Your situation may vary.

Get everything in writing, and make an informed decision. Then enjoy your car rental experience!

Rental Car Insurance - Should You Buy Rental Car Insurance?

French first lady takes new baby girl home (AP)

PARIS ? Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is heading home with her newborn girl Giulia, the first baby born to a sitting French president.

Bruni-Sarkozy left a Paris clinic Sunday with her daughter and bodyguards, after giving birth Wednesday.

President Nicolas Sarkozy said he and his wife felt a "very profound happiness" over the birth of their first child together. He has three sons from his two previous marriages. She has one son from a previous relationship.

Sarkozy is expected to seek a second term in elections in six months.

When the first lady gave birth, Sarkozy was in Frankfurt for an emergency meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, trying to solve the deepening European debt crisis.

Sarkozy is in Brussels all day Sunday for a summit of European Union leaders.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111023/ap_on_re_eu/eu_france_president_s_baby

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