NEW YORK, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Nike Inc (NKE.N) unveiled anike dunk line of more eco-friendly products on Tuesday which aim to use more sustainable, recyclable materials that should also translate into better profit margins for the future. That strategy will help the world’s largest maker of athletic shoes and apparel keep its stride as consumers worldwide cut back on spending on worries about a deepening financial crisis, its top executive told Reuters. The new “Nike Considered” products are made with more efficient design patterns that use less material and are easier to recycle, adhesives made from water instead of toxic chemicals, and sustainable items like cork and organic cotton. “We’re trying to reduce costs and improve margins,” said Chief Executive Mark Parker in an interview. “To make the company more profitable while reducing the footprint we have on the planet.” Parker said streamlining the supply chain will offset increased buy shoes costs from the environmentally-preferred materials, which tend to be more expensive. As a result, sustainably-designed shoes and clothes will carry the same price tags and profit margins as others, he said, noting that over time, margins will improve. Parker was in New York for an event showcasing several dozen shoes, and some articles of clothing, made under the “Considered” principles to reduce waste and use of water, energy and toxic chemicals. The sustainable offerings represented 15 percent of Nike’s total Spring 2009 offering. Parker said that no company was immune to a retrenchment in consumer spending in the next few months. The reporter for an Iraqi television station based in Cairo became a hero in much of the Middle East and his protest was played by television stations around the world. Bush, whose support of Israel and decision to invade Iraq in 2003 to oust Saddam Hussein made him passionately disliked in the region, nimbly ducked out of the way of the first shoe and made light of the incident. The second shoe also missed the American president. The invasion plunged Iraq into six years gucci shoes of sectarian warfare and insurgency that killed tens of thousands of Iraqis. Although some in Iraq condemned Zaidi for disrespectful behaviour, the incident resonated among many ordinary Iraqis. Haider Ahmed, a government employee, called Zaidi a patriot. “He allowed us to hold our heads high,” he said. Zaidi’s lawyers lost an appeal to have the charges reduced to insulting Bush. They argued he could not have hurt Bush with a shoe. Zaidi himself said he could not be charged with assaulting a visiting head of state when that leader was also the chief of an occupation force. “How can he be a guest in an area that they themselves run?” he said. “I did not intend to kill U.S. President Bush. But I wanted to express what is inside of me and what nfl jerseys is inside all Iraqis, from north to south and east to west, the hatred we have for this man.” But Zaidi, whose unusual protest overshadowed Bush’s final visit to Iraq in December, insisted he had not planned to attack Bush this time. Instead, he said Bush’s smile as he talked about achievements in Iraq had made him think of “the killing of more than a million Iraqis, the disrespect for the sanctity of the mosques and houses, the rapes of women”, and enraged him. “He was talking and at the same time smiling icily at the (Iraqi) prime minister. He said to the prime minister that he was going to have dinner with him,” Zaidi told a three-judge panel, a small army of 25 defence lawyers lined up next to him. “Suddenly I saw no one in the room but Bush. I felt the blood of innocents was running under his feet while he was smiling coldly as if he had come to write off Iraqmbt shoes with a farewell meal.” Zaidi added: “After more than a million Iraqis killed, after all the economic and social destruction … I felt that this person is the killer of the people, the prime murderer. I was enraged and threw my shoes at him.” At the time, Zaidi shouted at Bush that the shoe-throwing was a “goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog”. The trial had barely begun at Iraq’s Central Criminal Court in the heavily fortified Green Zone before the judges postponed proceedings until March 12 so it could be determined if Bush was truly on an “official” visit to Iraq as a head of state. ZAIDI DRAPED WITH FLAG When Zaidi appeared in court, family members waiting for him ululated wildly and draped an Iraqi flag across his shoulders. Zaidi, 30, who faces up to 15 years in prison, has been detained for more than two months. BAGHDAD, Feb 19 (Reuters) -wholesale jordan An Iraqi reporter who hurled his shoes at George W. Bush said in the past he had videotaped himself practising the Arab insult to use against the president whose “icy smile” had filled him with uncontrollable rage. Muntazer al-Zaidi said on Thursday at the start of his trial in Baghdad on charges of assaulting a foreign leader that he took a recording of his shoe-throwing training two years ago and had hoped to accost Bush in Jordan but this did not take place. Zaidi, who was hailed across the Middle East by critics of the Iraq invasion and who also called Bush a “dog”, told the court he had acknowledged making a training film under interrogation after his arrest at a Baghdad news conference. “I said this before the guards of the prime minister after I was beaten and after my body was devoured by electricity,” said Zaidi, who added that his original plan had been to throw jordan shoes the shoes at Bush during a news conference in Amman. Speaking at the modern King Hussein bin Talal Mosque in Amman, he struck a note of harmony and shared purpose between the world’s two largest faith groups, urging Christians and Muslims to jointly defend religion from political manipulation. “I firmly believe Christians and Muslims can embrace (the task of cooperation), particularly through our respective contributions to learning and scholarship, and public service,” he told Islamic leaders and diplomats at the mosque. Addressing the pope, Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal reminded the pope of the “hurt” Muslims around the world felt in 2006 after Benedict quoted a Byzantine emperor who said Islam was irrational and violent. Ghazi, a ghd hair cousin of Jordanian King Abdullah, told the gathering the Muslim world “appreciated” the Vatican’s clarification and accepted that the pope was not expressing his own opinion at the time but making an historical citation. In one section of his address at the mosque, Benedict referred to God as “merciful and compassionate,” using the formula Muslims use when speaking of God. Benedict said while no one could deny a history of tensions and divisions, Christians and Muslims should prevent “the manipulation of religion, sometimes for political ends.” “That is the real catalyst for tension and division, and at times even violence in society.”

The Times WEDGWOOD FAMILY FIGHTS TO STOP US Nike series shoes,Nike air force 1 shoes TAKEOVER BID Members of the Wedgwood family are planning a finaladidas shoes attempt to halt the sale of china maker Waterford Wedgwood (WTF_u.I) to American fund KPS Capital. They plan to secure funding in Asia to start Nike series shoes,Nike air force 1 shoes a rival ceramics group that would operate under the family name and re-establish the company as an independent brand. The family fears KPS will shut Waterford Wedgwood’s UK factories, employing almost 1,900 people, leading the business to a “slow death”. Deloitte, the administrators,Nike series shoes,Nike air force 1 shoes have been in discussions with other interested parties, but the Wedgwood family now believes the offer by KPS will be accepted. “BLOODBATH” OF CUTS TO RATES ON FRIENDS PROVIDENT INVESTMENTS Life insurer Friends Provident (FP.L) has delivered bad news to more adidas shoes than 1.2 million with-profits policyholders after announcing significant bonus rate cuts, a move expected to be followed by other insurers Nike series shoes,Nike air force 1 shoes after a terrible year for investment returns in 2008. Danny Cox, of Hargreaves Lansdown, an independent financial adviser, described the move as a “bloodbath”, adding that the bonus reductions “are swingeing and some savers are receiving no return on their investment at all”. Andy Carr, Friends Provident’s chief actuary, defended the measures saying the company “needed to reduce bonus rates to reflect the fall in underlying investment values”. RBS LOOKS FOR BUYERS WITH FINANCE FORpuma shoes ITS 1,000 PUBS The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS.L) is believed to be seeking possible buyers for its estate of about one thousand leased and tenanted pubs, acquired from brewer Scottish & Newcastle between 2000 and 2001 for about 450 million pounds. At least three property investment groups and one potential trade buyer are understood to have expressed interest forNike series shoes,Nike air force 1 shoes the outlets, with earnings of about 70 million pounds, but analysts add that amid the current financial conditions it could be difficult to find a purchaser able to fund a deal. RBS’s latest move is part of an extensive review of the bank’s property portfolios and holdings, ranging from trains to hotels. Our homegirl Margaret Cho is lookin FIERCE in Nike shoes,jordan shoes,nike series shoes,jordan series shoesthe latest issue of Urban Ink. The beautiful badass is rockin a gold bikini showing off tattooNike shoes,jordan shoes,nike series shoes,jordan series shoes work by Don Ed Hardy, Mike Davis, Chris O’Donnell, Andrew Moore, Kat Von D, Mom’s Barnaby, and Nathan Kostechko. Over the past few years, Maragert has transformed her Nike shoes,jordan shoes,nike series shoes,jordan series shoesbellydancing bod into a walking work of art by top tattoo talent. She’s gucci sunglasses also been the subject of fine art recently as well. The wonderful Shawn Barber – who has Nike shoes,jordan shoes,nike series shoes,jordan series shoesa fab feature in Fecal Face — is working on this portrait of Margaret below (love the lollipop!): A hardcore Cho fan even has a portrait and autograph tattoo of the comedian. Ok, you know I love me that Margaret but maybe I’ll just jewelry that tattoo instead. I will be headin to dirty Jersey to see her perform at theNike shoes,jordan shoes,nike series shoes,jordan series shoes Bergen Performing Arts Center on March 6th. Check her other tour dates here. On Monday, fine art tattooist, painter and legend Don Ed Hardy filed suit against designer Christian Nike shoes,jordan shoes,nike series shoes,jordan series shoesAudigier (and his companies) for over $100 million in damages for twelves causes of action including trademark infringement, breach of contract, unfair competition and cybersquatting. Allow me an all-caps AMEN! The minute after Tiffany Jewelry I read the ANike shoes,jordan shoes,nike series shoes,jordan series shoesP article on the suit, I bought a copy of the 32-page complaint, which includes the licensing agreement, Nike shoes,jordan shoes,nike series shoes,jordan series shoesand was in awe of the allegations of Audigier’s flagrant violations of the agreement. Then again, did we really think Ed would be cool with the furs and energy drinks that bear his name? The highlights of the complaint: Hardy says that, not only did Audigier not pay the amounts promised in the licensing agreement, but Audigier also violatedNike shoes,jordan shoes,nike series shoes,jordan series shoes sub-licensing clauses by making deals against the terms of their contract. [The sublicensing accounts for all those products, like perfume and air fresheners, that seem bizarre in association with tattoos (eau de blood and green soap?).] So Hardy terminated the contract this past August 2008, but Audigier continued to distribute the brand in violation of Hardy’s trademark. The reason I geeked out over the news is because I’ve seen many tattooists be taken Nike shoes,jordan shoes,nike series shoes,jordan series shoesadvantage of in licensing of their art. It’s expensive and time consuming to fight back, so I’m glad Don Ed Hardy is protecting his rights and establishing this precendent for the tattoo community and artists entering into similar agreements. Speaking Ed Hardy Men Hoodyat the modern King Hussein bin Talal Mosque in Amman, he struck a note of harmony and shared purpose between the world’s two largest faith groups, urging Christians and Muslims to jointly defend religion from political manipulation.