Brent slips, below $112 as investors eye China data, cbank meetings

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Brent futures slipped below $112 per barrel on Wednesday as investors awaited Chinese trade data, U.S. corporate earnings and the outcome of a European Central Bank policy meeting to glean insights into the health of the world's biggest economies.

China, the world's biggest energy consumer, will release its December trade figures on Thursday and fourth-quarter economic growth numbers on January 18, while the ECB and Bank of England will begin their policy meetings later in the day.

Investor caution preceding the events also kept a lid on Asian stock gains. For the oil markets, inventory data showing a jump in U.S. crude stockpiles added to the pressure.

Front-month Brent futures shed 17 cents to $111.77 per barrel at 0400 GMT, after adding 54 cents on Tuesday. U.S. crude was trading down 12 cents at $93.03 per barrel.

"What we're seeing in the oil markets is the cautious sentiment playing up ahead of some key economic events this week," said Ker Chung Yang, senior investment analyst at Phillips Futures Pte in Singapore.

"Trading at the start of the year is typically steady and I expect prices to remain range bound in the first quarter."

U.S. crude futures slid while Brent rose in the previous session when the annual rebalancing of the S&P GSCI commodity index kicked in, prompting index funds to adjust their portfolios accordingly.

The rebalancing, announced in early November, will increase the index's holdings of Brent and reduce holdings of WTI as the output of Brent-related grades wanes and U.S. crude output surges. The passive index rolls its holdings between the fifth and ninth trading days of the month.

ECONOMIC HEALTH

U.S. corporate profits are expected to be higher than the third quarter's lacklustre results, but analysts' estimates are down sharply from where they were in October.

"Oil markets are watching the U.S. fourth-quarter earnings; from a general market point of view, a good start to the Q4 earnings season will set a bullish tone in the market," said Natalie Rampono, senior commodity strategist at ANZ.

The Bank of England and ECB policymakers will begin two-day meetings on Wednesday and investors will be looking for hints that the ECB may lower interest rates in 2013 to pull the regional economy out of recession.

China's data also remains in focus. Reuters polls predicted that the trade numbers may show marginal improvement in the economy, although weak U.S. and European demand may weigh on exports. Economic growth may have accelerated, ending seven quarters of weaker expansion.

"Global economic growth is expected to ramp up this year... this should bode well for oil demand," Deutsche Bank analysts wrote in their outlook for the year released on Tuesday.

"We forecast oil prices will pick up in the 2H 2013 in line with accelerating economic growth."

The bank expects Brent to average $115 per barrel and U.S. crude to average $100 per barrel in the second half of 2013.

HIGH U.S. PRODUCTION

Weighing on prices, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Tuesday that the country's crude oil production will rise by the biggest margin on record in 2013, and is set to soar by a quarter over two years.

The rapid increase underscores how improvements in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technology -- commonly referred to as 'fracking' -- have transformed the energy market in the last five years, allowing producers to tap shale oil from tight rock formations.

Adding to the pressure, the American Petroleum Institute (API) said crude stocks rose 2.4 million barrels last week, beating analysts' expectations of a 1.5 million barrel increase.

The increase was largely due to a 1.2 million barrel per day jump in crude imports, API said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/brent-slips-below-112-investors-eye-china-data-052304302--finance.html

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Poisoned lottery winner had no enemies, widow says

Urooj Khan, 46, won $1 million off a scratch lottery ticket he bought at a 7-11 in Chicago last June, but just one day after receiving his check, he died. NBC's Andrea Canning reports.

By Matthew DeLuca, Staff Writer, NBC News

The Chicago lottery winner who succumbed to cyanide poisoning had no reason to watch his back, his widow said Tuesday.

?I don?t think anyone would have a bad eye for him or that he had an enemy,??Shabana Ansari, Urooj Khan?s widow, told the?Associated Press?on Tuesday.

?I was shattered. I can?t believe he?s no longer with me,? the tearful Ansari said.?

The couple was married for 12 years.

Ansari described her husband?s final dinner in an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times on Tuesday.

Lottery winner killed by cyanide was immigrant, family man

?No, I loved him to death,? Ansari said in her interview with the paper, saying that she cooked her husband?s last meal. She said she had nothing to do with Khan?s death.

?I loved him and he loved me the same way,? she told the paper.

Khan's lottery winnings are tied up in probate proceedings, she said.

Police have confirmed that they are working with the Cook County Medical Examiner?s office on the case. Ansari told the paper she hopes investigators succeed in rooting out the cause of Khan's death.

?I really want them to go for it because I really want to know what exactly happened,? the 32-year-old said. ?I wish God will reveal the truth ? the sooner the better.?

'Utter shock'
Ansari and Khan both moved to the United States from Hyderabad, India, according to the AP. Khan also had a 17-year-old daughter, Jasmeen. The couple went on the Muslim pilgrimage known as the hajj in 2010.

?This has been an utter shock for me, and my husband was such a goodhearted person who would do anything for anyone,? Ansari told ABC News. ?Who would do something like this to him??

?He showered his love on me and now it?s gone,? she said. Khan treated her ?like a princess? she said.

$1 million lottery winner fatally poisoned by cyanide

Khan was buried in Chicago?s Rosehill Cemetery in July. Cook County Medical Examiner Stephen Cina has said that exhuming his body may be the next step in an investigation of his death.

?Work was his passion,? Ansari said of her husband, who also owned and rented five condominiums, according to the Chicago Tribune. She said she plans to continue running Khan?s businesses.

?I?m just taking care of his hard work,? Ansari said.

Urooj Khan died in July, one day after collecting about $425,000 on a winning $1 million Illinois Lottery scratch-off ticket. His death was first determined to be due to natural causes. Officials on Monday, however, announced that further toxicology reports have shown that the 46-year-old had a lethal dosage of cyanide in his system at the time of death. Police have said they are now pursuing it as a homicide.

Described by friends and relatives as a hard-working family man, Khan immigrated to Chicago from India in the late 1980s, and came to own three Chicago-area dry cleaning businesses, according to the AP.

Khan described his ecstatic reaction after hitting the jackpot in a June press release from the Illinois Lottery.

?I jumped two feet in the air, then ran back into the store and tipped the clerk $100,? Khan said at the time.

"Him winning the lottery was just his luck," Ansari told ABC. "He had already worked hard to be a millionaire before it."

?

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/09/16429772-poisoned-chicago-lottery-winner-had-no-enemies-widow-says?lite

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95% The Central Park Five

All Critics (60) | Top Critics (25) | Fresh (57) | Rotten (3)

Expect your blood pressure to rise during The Central Park Five.

The doc is rife with smart or wrenching or shameful moments. The fresh interviews with the accused, now men, are invaluable.

As grim a portrait of the criminal justice system as can be imagined.

How could this second crime have occurred? The film asks that question but only partly answers it, and in the process it raises an even more troubling one.

"The Central Park Five" is worth seeing, both for the ways it's timeless and for the ways it encapsulates an era.

What's amazing about listening to them speak now, often through tears, is the absence of bitterness.

The Central Park Five is such a moving piece of work, it is difficult to watch at times.

It shows what happens when police and prosecutors abuse their power.

Puts the crime and the times in sharp perspective.

Burns and company conduct a thorough, riveting investigation that does a far better job of assessing the tragedy than the justice system did two decades before. Of course, hindsight is an advantage we all take for granted.

It's a gripping story that comes in a well-crafted package.

A heartbreaking expose' about a rush to judgment which ruined five, innocent young lives.

Exclusive interviews with former heads of Israel's counter terrorism agency reveal insiders' analysis about the country's policies. Fascinating. Frightening.

"The Central Park Five" is a sobering indictment of racism and vigilante justice, yet it is constrained by a PBS-style deference to the very system it critiques.

You can't help but wonder why this film wasn't made 20 years ago, when it could have saved these men some time behind bars.

What keeps the film from being an impossible downer is the guts and spirit and smart words of the Central Park Five, four of whom, now freed, are interviewed at length.

A miscarriage of justice on this scale would have been tragic had it resulted from an honest mistake - but, as this meticulously researched movie makes clear, honesty had little to do with it.

The [documentary] team builds a solid story from the time of the crime through the release from prison those wrongly accused and railroaded into confessing to a crime they did not commit.

The result is both compelling and infuriating.

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Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_central_park_five_2012/

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CFW Foster Care Call to the Community

CFW Foster care Call to Community Part 2

CFW Foster care Call to Community Part 1

There is a call for help for families willing to open their homes and their hearts to children in need.

CFW Foster Care, which serves our community under the Department of Social Services, is looking to recruit foster families.

Leaders say they're especially looking for people willing to take in older kids, particularly teens.

Ilene Johnson is a Resource Family Coordinator with CFW Foster Care. She says, "We have the hardest time placing teenagers in our community and we really want to be able to keep our teens close to home, close to their friends, close to the things that are familiar to them."

There is state mandated 27 hour training you have to go through to become a foster parent.

Johnson is preparing for classes to start towards the end of this month. The classes are on the following dates from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.:
January 26, February 9, February 23 and March 9.

The fifth and final class is Monday, March 11 from 6 p.m-9 p.m.

You can contact Johnson by email at ilene.johnson@dss.virginia.gov or call her at 540-771-0893.

Click the attached video to watch the full interview with Johnson on Good Morning Winchester.

Source: http://www.tv3winchester.com/home/headlines/CFW-Foster-Care-Call-to-the-Community-186026452.html

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JOOMLA Theme Designer - ArticlesWide.com

JOOMLA is yet another revolutionary package used for website development. It is also known as open source software. This program is written by using PHP and it also has a combination with MYSQL. There are many features in JOOMLA which are page caching, RSS fields, Printable version of pages, blogs, polls and many more. People find it easy to build websites using JOOMLA as it is a process of a few steps. This software is also just as DRUPAL and MAGENTO which does the same service. Users have the privilege of picking the options they want to and within a few procedures you are good to go and get your own webpage.

If you have decided to own one website them your goal must be to find a professional JOOMLA theme designer. Finding the right person for this job is important. Professional work is the key to success. So if the developer is able to do all the work professionally without any issue, then you should consider them. There are other things you need to consider such as time management, creativity, communication, neatness, job completion etc. The developer should be able to have those as well.

As you know the design of website is very important because it is the look which attracts the visitors. When visitors come to your webpage the first thing that catches their eye is the theme. If the theme is messy and it has weird designs which people do not like, then they will not come back to your website. The design should be something simple and also an eye catcher. It should be pleasing to the eye. When a person looks at a webpage the first attention goes to the design and not to the content. If the theme is able to please the audience then obviously they will end up reading the content as well.

I know one professional JOOMLA Theme Designer who has designed my website recently and found excellent work. I am sure you may also like her work. My first impression on her was good. She had presented her work well. And she also has some sample portfolios of her. Through this I was able to view what kind of design she is into. So I hired her and I am one of the satisfied customers of her. She is really efficient, hard working, neat and she understand what I want. She communicates to you well and just as she promised in the deadline she delivers the work. It is indeed worth for the money I pay for her. She is also recommended by many other international clients who have worked with her. So if you are thinking of finding a JOOMLA theme designer, do hire her.

Hi, I am Zeba Akhter. I have been working as content writer for last 4 years. I have written content on different subjects. And among my lasted articles are regarding this types of subject.

Source: http://www.articleswide.com/article/12904-JOOMLA_Theme_Designer.html

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Bengal - Clark - Small - Adult - Male - Cat | San Juan Capistrano ...

Bengal - Clark - Small - Adult - Male - Cat

Handsome Clark is (we think) a Savannah mix. He is just so good looking with piercing green eyes. He is about 4 years old and loves everyone. He is extremely social and very active. He will need a home that understands his breed and his needs. Clark is neutered, viral negative, up to date on vaccines and micro chipped. The Ark of San Juan is an all-volunteer non-profit whose primary mission is to end needless euthanasia of adoptable pets. The Ark requires an adoption application, a home check, an adoption contract and a minimum $150 adoption donation.

CHARACTERISTICS:
Breed: Bengal
Size: Small
Petfinder ID: 25036056

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Pet has been spayed/neutered

CONTACT:
The Ark of San Juan, Companion Animal Rescue | San Juan Capistrano, CA | 949-388-0034

For additional information, reply to this ad or see: http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=25036056

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Opinion: The Rising U.S. Electorate Needs Its Own Leaders

It?s no coincidence that President Obama won?eight out of 10 Asian-American, black, and Latino votes. He ran an unparalleled and technologically sophisticated campaign, curried favor with immigrant communities by providing deferred action for Dreamers, and had a lousy opponent in Mitt Romney, who struggled to shake off his ?self-deportation? comment in the general election.

But, Obama was also called the first Asian-American president; his unique and compelling story resonates with the African, Asian and Latino American electorates. Democrats and Republicans alike are wondering which 2016 candidate could have similar appeal.

But, before we are swept up in the maelstrom of another presidential race, our attention should be focused on building a pipeline of diverse leaders for the 2013 municipal and 2014 state assembly elections. Given the dysfunction in Washington, it is at the state and local level where much of the important legislation that affects immigrant communities is being made. It is in these municipal and state assembly races where candidates can emerge from Latino and Asian-American communities, keep the ?new demographic coalition? engaged, and build a pipeline of progressive immigrant leaders for higher office. It is also where the Republican Party has been focusing a lot of attention.

Despite jokes about the stagecraft at the Republican National Convention?the juxtaposition of immigrant faces on the stage and the sea of white delegates?the GOP has actually done a far better job of identifying and grooming minority leaders for political leadership positions. Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio?s names have already been thrown in the ring as potential 2016 presidential contenders, for example. All four Asian-American and Latino governors in the country are Republicans, and at least one, Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, is considered a presidential or vice-presidential contender.

Furthermore, the GOP is building a robust pipeline of minority leaders at the state and local level. In 2011, the Republican State Leadership Committee launched the Future Majority Project, with the specific purpose of cultivating Hispanic candidates for state legislative positions and creating a pipeline of minority leaders for the future. It has set a goal of recruiting 100 new Hispanic leaders and electing 30 new Hispanic legislators to statehouses across the country.

While the Future Majority Project is still quite small, with a budget of $3 million, it still dwarfs the efforts of the Democratic Party, which has no similar effort or infrastructure to cultivate Asian-American and Latino leaders. Not one Asian-American or Latino American in the Democratic Party holds a governorship, and 2016 presidential hopefuls include only white males and Hillary Clinton. That isn?t to say that there are no Latino or Asian-American leaders in the party. There are far more, particularly at the state and local level, than in the GOP. But this is less a result of strategic leadership development by the party, and more a function of minority groups? historic allegiances to the Democratic Party. Far more can be done to establish a formal infrastructure within the party that can be used to identify, train, and elect more Asian and Latino leaders to local, state, and national posts.

Candidates from minority and immigrant communities are more likely to mobilize low-propensity and first-time voters in their communities, in much the same way the president has done. Engaging those voters is key, particularly in local, state, and non-presidential year elections, which have historically low turnout in general and more participation by high-propensity, established, typically older and white voters. In part because of increasing dysfunction in Washington, more legislation is being passed at the state and local level to affect minorities? and immigrants? day-to-day lives.

Just look at the spike in legislation related to immigrants proposed and passed in state legislatures over the last few years. In 2005, 300 bills were introduced and 39 enacted. By 2007, those numbers increased to 1,562 laws introduced and 240 passed, five and six times higher than just two years before. By 2011, 1,607 bills were introduced and 197 were passed. ?Congress has failed to pass comprehensive immigration reform, and a new equilibrium has been established in state legislatures that answer to different constituencies than Congress does.

Whether or not immigration reform passes in Congress in 2013, the activity in local and state legislatures is more important for immigrants and minorities than it has been in the past. At these levels, policy about education, health care, housing, and the environment helps to determine access and equity. The more we engage with democracy at the local level, the more we can ensure those policies represent immigrant and minority interests. For the Congress of the future tobe responsive to the policy concerns of all Americans regardless of race, ethnicity, or country of birth, we need to build a strong pipeline of progressive Asian and Latino leaders for the municipal and state legislatures of the present.

Sayu Bhojwani?is the founding director of?The New American Leaders Project. ?She has worked on immigrant integration in various capacities for more than 15 years.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/opinion-rising-u-electorate-needs-own-leaders-114820469--politics.html

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Self Improvement Times: Coping With Stress at the Workplace ...

The workplace is arguably the primary source of stress for most working people. From beating deadlines to dealing with co-workers, stress is part of the normal daily routines on the job. The intensity of stress varies depending on the type of work. Some jobs are innately more stressful than others, especially those that involve danger to life such as combat-related duties.

Fight or flight

Stress factors, job specifications and situations may vary but stress is fundamentally an instinctive physiological and psychological reaction. Stress is based on the "fight-or-flight" instinct reaction to danger or perceived danger. However, even without actual danger stress reactions still occur and usually lead to health-related problems if not properly managed.

Many of the debilitating and chronic diseases that plague humans today can be directly attributed to recurring stress reactions. Diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases and cancer are just some of the serious illnesses that could be prevented with the help of stress management.

Stress management

Coping with stress at work is primarily a psychological function that requires some practice. Different individuals may react with varying degrees of stress given the same situation and stress factors. Some people are easily irritable while others are more resilient. Regardless of the individual differences, effectively managing stress can be divided into three general categories.

Attitude - Coping with stress will largely depend on individual attitude. People who are generally optimistic in their outlook in life can adjust better to the various challenges in life. As the saying goes, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." Positive attitude can be learned and practiced. It is mainly about hope and good prospects, focusing on finding solutions rather than being burdened by problems.

Relaxation - When the situation becomes too stressful, simple deep breath exercise can help. It can increase blood oxidation and improve circulation. Relaxation techniques do not need to be expensive or complicated. Finding a quiet place at the office where one can collect composure, for instance, can help in relaxation. Listening to soft music may also provide some relief.

Efficiency - Being organized and highly efficient at work can help employees coping with stress simply because the piling up of tasks will be avoided. Accomplishing the required tasks will also provide some sense of accomplishment. Efficiency at work can be achieved by eliminating procrastinations and by having well-defined daily plans.

Social skills - People who are friendly and easy to like are less likely to experience stress due to uncooperative and rude co-workers, including bosses. Developing good social skills can also help employees move up in the corporate ladder and be given leadership responsibilities. Social skills are oftentimes more valuable than technical skills especially when it comes to large organizations.

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Source: http://selfimprovementtimes.blogspot.com/2013/01/coping-with-stress-at-workplace.html

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Eye-tracking accessory connects to computer

8 hrs.

Eye-tracking technology. It sounds somewhat creepy initially, but it has plenty of incredible applications. It can allow individuals with disabilities to control computers, it can change the way people read e-books, it can give games a twist and more.

A company named?Tobii has been working on eye-tracking technology for quite some time, and at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, it showed off an accessory dubbed Tobii REX.?Tobii REX connects to a computer via USB and is attached to the bottom of a display. It gives your computer the ability to track and interpret your gaze after a quick one-time calibration.

Before you get too excited, you should know this: Tobii REX doesn't replace your mouse or keyboard. But it definitely changes how you use these accessories.

For example, if you want to select something using TobII REX, you simply stare at it and tap a pre-designated button on your keyboard. (It's as if your eyes serve as a mouse and pressing?the keyboard button substitutes for a click.)

Despite a somewhat sloppy calibration process, I found that Tobii's eye-tracking technology was pleasantly accurate when I tested it out. I easily selected emails from a list, scrolled through websites (though the accuracy of this?was initially a bit inconsistent), selected map areas to zoom in on, and typed out numbers using an on-screen calculator ... with my eyes.

Eventually, the folks at Tobii hope to have their eye-tracking technology built straight into devices such as laptops, tablets and so on. But for now, they are focusing on putting the Tobii REX into developers' hands (in exchange for about a thousand bucks) and encouraging them to build eye-tracking friendly apps. There are no details as to when ordinary users will be able to get their hands on one of these accessories, or how much it will cost at that point.

Want more tech news?or interesting?links? You'll get plenty of both if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on?Twitter, subscribing to her?Facebook?posts,?or circling her?on?Google+.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/gadgetbox/peep-eye-tracking-capabilities-could-be-added-nearly-any-computer-1B7832679

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Starbucks enters entrenched Vietnam coffee market

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) ? Nghiem Ngoc Thuy has been slinging coffees to thirsty Vietnamese for 20 years in her colonial-style villa with peeling shutters, and she and her customers aren't too worried that the imminent arrival of U.S. giant Starbucks will alter their time-tested coffee traditions.

Starbucks announced Thursday that it will open its first cafe in Vietnam early next month in Ho Chi Minh City as part of its strategy to expand across Asia, and plans to add more shops throughout the country.

But compared with other Asian markets Starbucks has recently entered, the Seattle-based company faces a unique scenario in Vietnam, where French-inspired coffee culture reigns supreme, two homegrown chains have established presences and family-run sidewalk cafes are as ubiquitous as noodle shops.

"Our prices are affordable for average Vietnamese," Thuy said, pausing for just a moment during an afternoon rush at her family-run cafe in Hanoi, the capital. "Expensive coffee is just for the children of government officials, or people who have lots of money."

Vietnamese coffee, made from ballsy robusta beans, packs a stronger caffeine wallop than European-style espresso, which is made from effete arabica. It has a slightly bitter taste that usually is offset by sweetened, condensed milk known to rattle tourists' eyeballs.

Dang Le Nguyen Vu, whose Trung Nguyen Group owns 55 cafes in Vietnam, said he welcomes Starbucks and doesn't view the American newcomer as a threat.

"I could imagine Starbucks opening up to a hundred cafes at most in Vietnam in the next 10 years," Vu said. "But will people in a country with such a low GDP per capita, and a different taste in coffee, really accept Starbucks?"

Unlike China, where tea is the caffeinated drink of choice, Vietnam inherited a coffee culture from French colonizers in the 19th century. Vietnam also is the world's second-largest exporter of coffee behind Brazil. According to the government, it produced 1.73 million tons of coffee last year, for an export value of $3.7 billion.

Starbucks already operates more than 3,300 stores across 11 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, and its entry into Vietnam marks the latest salvo in a campaign to woo Asia's emerging middle classes despite a stagnating U.S. economy.

Jinlong Wang, president of Starbucks Asia-Pacific, said the company plans to expand across Vietnam in a way that celebrates the country's "coffee culture and heritage."

"We look forward to growing with Vietnam's already vibrant coffee industry, and making a positive impact in the communities where we operate," he said in comments emailed to The Associated Press.

Vietnam's economy has slowed recently in part because of a problematic banking sector, but Starbucks' upmarket brand will appeal to the growing Vietnamese middle class, said Anthony Emms, managing partner at Stanton Emms Strategy Consultants in Singapore, which advises international food and beverage companies on Asian markets.

"I don't believe there is a massive barrier to Starbucks in Vietnam," he said by telephone. "Starbucks is not really a coffee; it's a food-service concept."

More than 60 percent of Vietnam's population was born after the Vietnam War ended in 1975, and there is a strong demand among youth in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City for branded clothing and accessories, no matter that the labels often are fakes, and average annual income is only about $1,500.

Other international food chains have opened stores in Vietnam in recent years, including the Australian coffee chain Gloria Jean's Coffees International, the California-based Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and the American fast-food chains KFC and Burger King. And Nestle instant coffee ? engineered to suit the Vietnamese palette ? is sold widely in Vietnamese supermarkets.

But Starbucks would risk alienating some of its potential clients if it didn't include Vietnamese drip coffee on its menus here, Emms said. "Say you get a grandfather coming in with a younger relative ? he might not want to drink a cafe macchiato or latte," he said.

Starbucks' announcement that it is moving into Vietnam has been received without much fanfare in local blogs and state-controlled media, although some speculate about how the company will compete with Trung Nguyen Coffee and Highlands Coffee, a homegrown brand that credits Starbucks as an inspiration.

Nghiem Ngoc Thuy, meanwhile, is still swooping across the worn tiled floors of her cafe, setting down steaming coffees just as fresh customers arrive to order more.

15,000 dong (75 cents) per cup, she said on a recent weekday afternoon, as cigarette smoke curled toward the ceiling. 1,000 extra for condensed milk.

Thuy's family has been in business since the late 1980s, and watched as this leafy neighborhood ? called "cafe street" by some locals ? has welcomed luxury cars, sushi restaurants and upscale clothing boutiques.

A regular customer, electronics salesman Do Thanh Tung, said he is eager to see if Starbucks coffee really is different from the Vietnamese blends he has been drinking since he was 10 years old.

"Vietnamese young people will welcome Starbucks, once they get used to it," Tung, now 30, said as he hunched over a silver laptop.

But he added that he doesn't expect to become a regular Starbucks patron because he drinks five or six cups of coffee a day, and a latte habit would get expensive.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/starbucks-enters-entrenched-vietnam-coffee-market-062814192--finance.html

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