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Liverpool v Manchester United: arch rivals are playing for the game's credibility in emotional meeting at Anfield But should he become inured to the venom of the chuntering classes? Should any human being really be subjected to such vitriol? Anfield provides a focal point on Sunday with all eyes and ears on the fans, praying there will be no offensive chants about Hillsborough or Munich. Down the decades, across assorted controversies, English football has arrived at more turning-points than Karl Baedeker but today feels a genuine watershed moment. Can football maintain the compelling match-day emotion while drawing out the poison? Rivalry is healthy. The ideal atmosphere exists when there's an edge in the air but not an odious one. Mocking tragedies is "beyond the pale" to borrow the phrase of Sir Alex Ferguson. People died. Any chants about Hillsborough or Munich will damage the game markedly. Not just Sunday's meeting of old foe but the game generally. Football's critics, their slings loaded and arrows sharpened since the jolly Olympics, will unleash all manner of criticism, much of it justified, at the national game. If respect rules at Anfield, many of those considering drifting away, turning to less toxic sports, will have their faith in football restored. It is only a small step into the realm of hyperbole to claim that Liverpool and United are playing for the credibility of the game. Football is the sport of extremes, a home to mindless chants and yet capable of wrapping the grief-stricken in its embrace, reminding them they are not alone, that their pain is shared. Anfield will see floral tributes, the release of 96 red balloons, and mosaics forming the words "The Truth," "Justice" and "96," a visual reminder of the fans" and families" long campaigns. The concept of dignity is not an alien one in English football. While certain other sports carried on playing when news of Princess Diana's death filtered through in 1997, football immediately stopped, the first postponement coming at Anfield (where Liverpool were due to host Newcastle United). Football is not the complete sport of shame as depicted by its growing army of detractors. Rugby union is a wonderful sport, setting for some of the most civilised crowds around, but some nutters can be found. I'll never forget being at a rugby match in the Midlands when an Argentine's preparations for a penalty kick were interrupted by a gruff local voice shouting: "remember the f****** Belgrano." Every sporting terrace has its idiots, but football undeniably has more than others (probably combined). The majority of those attending today's game, a rite denied 96 Liverpool fans, will be models of decorum, showing respect, honouring those who died at Hillsborough and saluting their families who fought so long for justice. So the letter being handed to the 2,774 United fans as they enter the Anfield Road Stand, yards from the Hillsborough Memorial at the Shankly Gates, bears close inspection. It is from Ferguson and typically strikes to the heart of the matter. "Our rivalry with Liverpool is based on a determination to come out on top - a wish to see us crowned the best against a team that held that honour for so long,"" writes Ferguson. Just 10 days ago, we heard the terrible, damning truth about the deaths of 96 fans who went to watch their team try and reach the FA Cup final and never came back. Of all the words associated with the bard of Govan down the years, including the "football, bloody hell" response to the 1999 Champions League victory, to the observation that Ryan Giggs used to leave full-backs with "twisted blood," the Scot's plea to "awake the conscience" is powerful rhetoric. Ferguson's right. It is time to awake the conscience, to appeal to supporters" better traits. Some of the terrace taunters lack a conscience so it will require right-minded fans either to take them to task or sing louder, drowning them out. Detecting who chants what in a large crowd is hardly an exact science but CCTV is increasingly sophisticated. Those found guilty of offensive chants should be banned by clubs, just as earlier generations were expelled for acts of hooliganism. The authorities have been too lax for too long. Ask Sol Campbell. He had to endure some vile songs for years. The battle can never be fully won. We live in angry times. It is difficult to locate a conscience in those who greeted United with a banner outside one ground (not Anfield) that spelt out MUNICH as "Manchester United Never Intended Coming Home." It's impossible to know where to start to bring enlightenment to such dark minds. From board level to dugout and dressing-room, including some supporters" groups, Liverpool and United have strived hard to try to foster harmony today. One area that can still be improved - across many clubs - is the quality of stewarding and security in certain areas. If fans are treated disrespectfully, they may respond accordingly. The excessive cost of attending matches also shortens fuses when it comes to spleen-venting. Following the sombre build-up, the players of Liverpool and United come to the fore, contesting the points with usual hunger but also mindful of maintaining a tone of respect, as the captains Gerrard and Nemanja Vidic have done. They must resist the usual sparring and snarling that accompanies this fixture. It is a day for Luis Suárez and Patrice Evra to forget last season's dispute and, borrowing the Premier League motto, to "get on with the game." The managers, Ferguson and Brendan Rodgers, will be urging their men to play the game, not the occasion, mixing ice with the fire in their veins. It is a day for experienced players. It is a day of questions, on the field as well as off. Who will take any penalties for United (if they get one)? Will Raheem Sterling make life uncomfortable for Rafael? Will Robin van Persie repeat the type of movement that destroyed Liverpool's defence when Arsenal visited in March? The game is weighed down with so much significance. Rodgers admitted that the gap between Liverpool and United hurt him. "It does when you've been a club of this standing for so many years and the reality is that, on the field, you've fallen behind,"" said Rodgers. But it also brings great motivation that enhances my commitment to the cause to show that we're going to fight to keep moving forward. Hopefully over these coming years we can close the gap."" A show of closeness off the field today would be welcomed by all who love football. We need respite in angry times.

F1 diary: United States Grand Prix Head off early for a rare Heathrow start, from where Mark and I face more than 10 hours in a Houston-bound United Boeing 777. About 100 seats remain free and exit row berths can be purchased for an extra few dollars. Bonus legroom is hardly essential for someone who has never exceeded the lofty median of 5ft 9in, but I yield anyway. It's a comfortable gateway to the joys of US immigration. A slight confession here (at the risk of a possible bollocking next time I try to enter the States): I didn't renew my media visa on this occasion and arrived with the standard ESTA waiver. I don't tell any outrageous fibs at the frontier and confirm I'm here to watch the F1 race, but am surprised to be asked how much my ticket cost. "Nothing," I say, "it was arranged through a business contact." I'm told that's always the best way and waved through with a smile. We haven't booked a hotel - Houston being large enough to have zillions of the things - but Paul McCartney is playing a gig and there are two massive conventions taking place, so casual assumption proves to be our undoing. There appear to be no vacant rooms anywhere in the city, so we head towards Austin - an exercise complicated only mildly by the fact our rented satnav seems incompatible with the supplied cable. The battery is almost flat, too. We cover about 40 miles before finding accommodation - and even that's the last available room. We'd hoped to discover a flavour of the American South, but spend the first night eating in an almost deserted Italian restaurant on the fringe of an industrial estate. Welcome to Texas. November 14 We'd more or less established our bearings before the satnav expired, so head off once more in the general direction of Austin. There's no rush, though, and we're not sure when Tony will catch up. His most recent email tells me he's flying into Austin via Atlanta, but the next text I receive informs me he's just touched down in Detroit. It's a bit like one of those bird-tracking exercises you see in wildlife documentaries. We amble along the highway, pausing to look at a roadside classic car lot - an immaculate 1956 Ford Thunderbird drop-top for the equivalent of £17,000, or a rusty Nash Metropolitan for about threepence - before a swift lunch break and on towards Austin. All along the route, birds of prey swoop and dip above the carriageway: we haven't yet scratched the surface, but it feels like a good place to be. The original plan - through the friend of a friend of a friend - was to stay at the track in a motorhome that forms part of Steely Dan's touring fleet. Strange, but true. That was scuppered when somebody implemented a $15,000 parking fee - and for that kind of money I'd rather have half a Ford Thunderbird. A hotel has since sketchily been arranged from Thursday, but tonight we find a room at the Quality Inn & Suites, just across the road from the local airport. It's comfortable, affordable, has complementary wifi and lies about a 20-minute cab ride from the city centre. With Tony not due to arrive until later in the evening (as far as we know), Mark and I head first to the Circuit of the Americas, to complete a track walk, and the layout and facilities are mightily impressive. The climate is pleasant, too - a much better idea having the race now than in June, the date originally proposed, because that's when temperatures nudge into three figures. Inspection over, we hail a town-bound taxi and fall in love with the place almost immediately. It is vibrant, friendly and benefits from live music drifting through the open window of almost every bar. And there are lots of bars. It has a feelgood factor that all too many host venues lack (although Korea might be OK if they demolished the track and rebuilt it close to Seoul). If ever you happen to be passing through, try the Iron Cactus Mexican restaurant on 6th Street. Don't bother with a starter and a main, though: one course should suffice. November 15 Tony now having turned up to complete the set, we settle our bill and head towards our pre-booked hotel. First, though, we visit the airport to see whether Avis can supply the correct sat-nav cable. An amused parking attendant points out that there's nothing wrong with the sat-nav, but that the operator is clearly an idiot. That'll be me, then. I'd been so busy trying to make the cable fit one socket that I'd failed to notice another. We are now able to head straight to our digs, where we discover there's only one bed between three. We're told that there's no charge for cancellation, but that we're unlikely to find anything else at short notice. I look on-line and find a room at the hotel we've only just left, so less than half an hour after checking out we're checking back in, although the rate has obviously trebled overnight (standard practice throughout the world when F1 is nearby). Spend most of the day at the track, listening to media briefings and catching up with bits of Autocourse, then return to the hotel. Tony is busy doing whatever Tony does, so he orders a pizza while Mark and I head back to the Iron Cactus, this time with Andrew Benson from the Beeb. Order half as much food as the previous evening, but it's still more than enough. November 16 We're accustomed to leaving racetracks in the dark, but it's not often we drive in before sunrise. Action starts early in Texas, though, and a big crowd is anticipated - even on a Friday. Media-room catering tends to be a bit hit and miss in F1 - at one end of the scale you have Singapore, where you can eat as much as you want as often as you like, and at the other you have Monza, which used to have one water-cooler between 400 journalists (although croissants and coffee were added in 2012). America has always been generous in this regard and the COTA is no exception. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all available, with tortilla chips in between. As is customary, I spend the first day trackside, taking snaps and observing the different cars' body language. The best bit, though, occurs between the two F1 sessions, with practice for a 30-strong group of historic grand prix cars, from an ex-Chris Amon Ferrari 312 (1969) to an ex-Keke Rosberg Williams FW08C (1983). Modern cars might be infinitely more efficient, but they don't have the same visual or aural appeal. It's very impressive that a 2.4-litre V8 can be made to function at 18,000rpm, and that (most) teams can complete a whole race season using only eight such engines, but do they sound as sweet as a 3.0 Ferrari V12? No, frankly. It's probably the best first day I can recall at any new F1 track. The old cars play their part, but so does the effervescent ambience. Mark and Tony intend to head into town in the evening, while I plan to catch up with a few bits of prose. Traffic towards Austin is horribly congested, though, so three middle-aged blokes end up sitting in their hotel room and ordering a Chinese takeaway, washed down with a bottle of Pinot Grigio from the garage next door. It's much better than you'd imagine, believe me. November 17 Head off once more under cover of darkness as the pace of the weekend intensifies. Spend the morning jumping in and out of media shuttles, trying to over as much of the circuit as possible before settling at a spot suitable for appreciation of historic machinery. Pity the session lasts only half an hour. Qualifying looks like a one-Bull race, but Lewis Hamilton rises to the challenge and comes within a tenth of matching Sebastian Vettel's pole time. Vettel's title rival Fernando Alonso is back in ninth. "It's hardly a surprise," the Spaniard says, smiling ruefully. We were seventh and ninth in Abu Dhabi and we're seventh and ninth here. The difference, this time, is that he's slower than team-mate Felipe Massa. For some reason, which he has never been able to explain, the Brazilian often goes well at certain anti-clockwise venues: Istanbul Park, Interlagos and now the Circuit of the Americas. Massa points out that he's attempted a practice start from the dirtier side of the track - and that it feels more slippery than it usually does in the wet. At least, though, both Ferraris will be starting on the clean side... or they would if Romain Grosjean hadn't been penalised for an unscheduled gearbox change. A major talking point lurks just around the corner... We all have to work into the evening, so for the second straight night we eschew the delights of Austin for a Chinese takeaway. We suspect Lewis Hamilton might not be doing this. November 18 Reach the circuit at 7am and tuck into yoghurt, fresh fruit and croissants. We've not been there long when the murmurs begin: Ferrari is said to be contemplating a voluntary penalty for Felipe Massa, to move Fernando Alonso up one position and put both its cars on the clean side of the track for the start. Rumour soon becomes reality: Ferrari breaks a seal on Massa's gearbox - and in the letter of the regulations that symbolises that the unit has been replaced, even when it hasn't, so he gets a five-place penalty. Some consider this outside the spirit of the regulations, but I view it as pragmatic thinking that might just keep the team's talisman in the title hunt. And that, after all, is the primary objective. It might be tough luck for some, who are now obliged to shift to the dirty side of the grid, and Red Bull is asked whether it thought of sacrificing Mark Webber in a similar manner, to move Alonso back across to the dirtier part of the track. "We never considered it," says team principal Christian Horner. If everybody did it, the next thing you know Alonso might have ended up on the front row. For all the fears that it will be like starting one half of the grid in the wet and the other in the dry, the difference is not that pronounced. Alonso rises straight from seventh to fourth, though, so Ferrari's strategy has borne fruit. That later becomes third when Mark Webber suffers Renault's latest alternator failure. The event attracts more than 250,000 fans over three days and almost 120,000 for the race itself. The atmosphere is fantastic, a blend of enthusiastic locals and sing-song visitors from Mexico and Venezuela. Their passion is rewarded with a race to savour, a cat-and-mouse contest in which Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton leave the rest far behind. It's impossible to guess where the balance of power lies, but Vettel then loses momentum lapping Narain Karthikeyan's HRT and Hamilton is able to pounce. The result is enough to clinch Red Bull's third straight world championship for constructors, but Vettel leads Alonso by only 13 points with 25 still available. Fourth place in Brazil will be enough for the German to take a third world title, while Alonso needs to finish on the podium to have any chance at all of doing likewise. You wouldn't bet against either of them, but the weather always introduces random elements at Interlagos - and the long-term forecast hints at rain. We remain at the track until all deadline work is complete - but the slightly early start enables us to get away shortly before 11pm. With the circuit having supplied a spicy pasta salad, we have the luxury of being able to opt for sleep rather than a takeaway. November 19 It's a slightly cloudy day in Austin as I write - probably quite warm outside, but I'm sitting six inches from my hotel room's air-con unit. We're all staying locally for a couple of days, before the 10-hour haul to São Paulo (Mark and I only - Tony is going from Austin to Atlanta then Brasilia and São Paulo, he thinks). And if you're wondering why this is a particularly short paragraph, it's because I want to head outside to explore...

3 people killed, 3 injured in separate incidents in Quetta, Pakistan QUETTA, Pakistan, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Three people were killed in separate incidents Saturday in the Pakistani city Quetta, officials said. The first incident took place on Double Road when a gunman opened fire, killing one person, Dawn News reported. Another person was injured in the incident. A vehicle in the central commercial area of Quetta, known as Qandhari Bazaar, was fired upon by assailants; two people were killed in the incident, while two others were injured. The injured were rushed to CMH hospital in Quetta.

US declares Afghanistan major non-NATO ally, as Clinton makes unannounced visit KABUL, Afghanistan - The Obama administration on Saturday declared Afghanistan the United States' newest "major non-NATO ally," an action designed to facilitate close defense cooperation after U.S. combat troops withdraw from the country in 2014 and as a political statement of support for Afghanistan's long-term stability. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who arrived in Kabul on an unannounced visit to meet Afghan President Hamid Karzai, disclosed the alliance to diplomats at the U.S. Embassy. The designation allows for streamlined defense cooperation, including expedited purchasing ability of American equipment and easier export control regulations. Afghanistan's military, which is heavily dependent on American and foreign assistance, already enjoys many of these benefits. The non-NATO ally status guarantees it will continue to do so. "I am going to be announcing formally with President Karzai in just a little bit that President Obama has officially designated Afghanistan as what's called a major non-NATO ally of the United States," Clinton said. Afghanistan becomes the 15th such country the U.S. has declared a major non-NATO ally. Others include Australia, Egypt, Israel and Japan. Afghanistan's neighbor Pakistan was the last nation to gain the status in 2004. The declaration was part of a Strategic Partnership Agreement signed by Presidents Barack Obama and Karzai in Kabul at the beginning of May. On July 4, the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Ryan Crocker, and the country's foreign minister announced that the two countries had completed their internal processes to ratify the Agreement, which has now gone into force. Clinton and Karzai were expected to discuss U.S.-Afghan civilian and defense ties and stalled Afghan reconciliation efforts. From Kabul, Clinton is heading later Saturday to Japan for an international conference on Afghan civilian assistance. Donors are expected to pledge around $4 billion a year in long-term civilian support. Clinton arrived in Afghanistan from Paris, where she attended a 100-nation conference on Syria.

Assad: "I will live and die in Syria" President Assad has told Russian TV that any Western intervention would have catastrophic worldwide consequences, and said he would "live and die" in Syria. The United States is against me and the West is against me and many other Arab countries, including Turkey which is not Arab of course, are against me. If the Syrian people are against me, how can I be here?" he said. It is not about reconciling with the people and it is not about reconciliation between the Syrians and the Syrians; we do not have a civil war. It is about terrorism and the support coming from abroad to terrorists to destabilise Syria. This is our war. Russia has stood by Assad throughout the conflict. So far the US and its allies have held back from arming rebel groups or enforcing a no-fly zone. Syria's divided opposition is under growing international pressure to reach agreement on the formation of a new coalition including rebel groups inside the country. The various factions have been meeting in Qatar under the auspices of the Arab League, with Western powers also attending. They are due to decide on the formation of a new movement on Friday. The main group, the exiled Syrian National Council, has been criticised after failing so far to produce a united front. Some in opposition circles hope that the drive towards a broader, more representative movement will pave the way for regional powers to supply rebels with weapons. More about: Bashar al-Assad, Doha, Syria, Unrest in the Arab world

Cornwall councillor ordered to pay council tax

Violence Flares as Bahrain Revs for Forumula One Race JERUSALEM - Opposition activists in Bahrain have called for "days of rage" ahead of Sunday's Formula One race. As the Bahrain Grand Prix approaches, protesters calling for political reforms have taken to the streets in bigger numbers, trying to once again direct the world's attention to their bloody uprising against the ruling monarchy. On Wednesday, hundreds of demonstrators were met with stun grenades and tear gas. Opposition group Al Wefaq posted photos of protesters sprayed with what they said was birdshot. The Interior Ministry said they arrested "rioters in the act of sabotage." The ministry denied Al Wefaq's request for a Thursday rally, tweeting that "participation in the event is illegal." The Formula One world has been fiercely debating whether Bahrain is safe enough to hold the race. It was cancelled last year due to the mostly Shiite uprising against the Sunni ruling family that began last January at the start of the "Arab Spring" and has since left around 50 dead. Last weekend Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone called Bahrain "quiet and peaceful" and race organizers have insisted the country is safe for drivers and their teams. On Wednesday night, members of the Force India team on their way back to the team's hotel found themselves in the middle of a protest with demonstrators hurling Molotov Cocktails. No was injured, but the team was reportedly shaken and one team member has gone home. We just happened upon an incident that was ahead of us, a disruption in the road," a Force India spokesman told The Associated Press. Held since 2004, the race is a point of pride for Bahrain. The crown prince said this year's edition "would be a success for all of Bahrain and its people." "This race is more than a mere global sports event and should not be politicized to serve certain goals, which may be detrimental to this international gathering," said Sheikh Salman, according to Reuters. Amnesty International published a report last week accusing the authorities of "trying to portray the country as being on the road to reform, but we continue to receive reports of torture and use of unnecessary and excessive force against protests." The tiny island kingdom ruled by the Khalifa family is home to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet and has been the headquarters of American naval operations in the Persian Gulf since 1948. Opposition activists accuse the security forces of rounding up scores of fellow activists ahead of the race to keep the peace. Along with political reforms, protesters have been calling for the release of human rights activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, arrested last April and now more than 70 days into a hunger strike. An anonymous Bahraini reporter told the BBC in Bahrain that if Khawaja dies, "the streets will explode."

House staffers find K Street homes; Financial Services Committee tops list All roads lead to K Street. (Jeffrey MacMillan - FOR WASHINGTON POST) If a new watchdog report is correct, and the ranks of congressional staffers is the "farm team" for future lobbyist, which minor-league "team" is the best to play for? If you're a House staffer looking to cash in on K Street, the best place on the Hill to come from is the House Financial Services Committee, which according to a new analysis by the Sunlight Foundation, saw the highest percentage of staffers become lobbyists. The panel, which oversees Wall Street, lost 12.7 percent of its staff to the "other side," says the report, which covered 2009-2011. The committee that launched the next-most lobbyists was Judiciary (at 9 percent) and Oversight and Government Reform (8.7 percent). The data helps track many of the Democratic staffers who left after the crushing midterm elections - of the 147 Democratic staffers who left the Hill to become lobbyists, 63 came from the offices of members who were defeated or retired in 2010.

A New 'Law' for the Mobile Computing Era The new gadgetry at the International Consumer Electronics Show this week owes a lot to the crisp articulation of ever-increasing computer performance known as Moore's Law. First proclaimed in 1965 by Intel's co-founder Gordon Moore, it says that the number of transistors that can be put on a microchip doubles about every two years. But a new descriptive formulation that focuses on energy use seems especially apt these days. So much of the excitement and product innovation today centers on battery-powered, mobile computing - smartphones, tablets, and a host of devices based on digital sensors, like personal health monitors that track vital signs and calorie-burn rates. And the impact of low-power sensor-based computing is evident well beyond the consumer market. The trend in energy efficiency that has opened the door to the increasing spread of mobile computing is being called Koomey's Law. It states that the amount of power needed to perform a computing task will fall by half every one and a half years. The description of improving energy efficiency was the conclusion of an analysis published last year in the IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, with the title "Implications of Historical Trends in the Electrical Efficiency of Computing." An early draft [PDF] of the paper is here. Jonathan G. Koomey, a consulting professor at Stanford University, was the lead author. His collaborators were three other scientists - Stephen Berard of Microsoft, Maria Sanchez of Carnegie Mellon University, and Henry Wong of Intel. Mr. Koomey did not use the term "Koomey's Law," but others have. Like Moore's Law, the significance of Koomey's Law is more as an influential observation than a scientific discovery. Both are concepts that credibly measure what has happened and what is possible with investment and effort. The analysis of the Koomey team goes back to 1946 and the Eniac, when computers used vacuum tubes rather than semiconductor chips, and traces the progress of computing energy-efficiency through 2009. Here's a chart. Koomey's Law can be seen as unsurprising given the steady miniaturization of electronics - smaller circuits use less energy to accomplish the same computing tasks. "You can say it's obvious, but it's valuable to prove empirically that this is happening," Mr. Koomey said in an interview on Tuesday. Recognizing the energy-efficiency trendline - doubling of efficiency every year and a half, 100-fold in 10 years - becomes part of the thinking of engineers and executives, Mr. Koomey noted. It becomes an assumption in business planning and in imagining future products. The efficiency trend allows for two design options - using less power to do intensive computing tasks, and spreading data-collecting sensors across the economy. In a book to be published next month, "Cold Cash, Cool Climate: Science-based Advice for Ecological Entrepreneurs" (Analytics Press), Mr. Koomey sketches some of the applications in development or just around the corner. They include sensors that need no batteries because they "scavenge energy from stray television and radio signals," and "tiny sensors inside products that tell consumers if temperatures while in transit and storage have been within a safe range." The curve of power-efficiency in computing, Mr. Koomey writes, will "help us minimize the energy use and emissions from accomplishing human goals" with environmental implications that are "profound and only just now beginning to be understood."

Woman stripped, assaulted in Tahrir Square CAIRO, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- A foreign protester in Cairo was stripped of her clothing and sexually assaulted in Tahrir Square, witnesses said. "I saw the woman and then dozens of men surrounded her and started grabbing her, when she screamed for help some people came, but they were hit in the face," one witness said. The woman, whose identity and nationality were not reported, was taken to a hospital after being assaulted for 10 minutes Wednesday, Biykamasr.com reported. The number of reports of sexual harassment toward women grew throughout the day. Activists called the attacks "unacceptable" and demanded an end to all violence toward women. "What happened in Tahrir today has no justification and must be fully exposed even if it taints Tahrir!" wrote EgyptSecularist on Twitter.

Throughout her career, screenwriter Diablo Cody has seen subverting Hollywood's expectations of women as her most important responsibility. "I've been fortunate to have interest from actors in my scripts," she says, "and I honestly suspect this has nothing to do with the quality of my writing. There are so few good roles for women out there and I give them an opportunity to do a different kind of character" - which means writing roles in which women "get to do more than play Adam Sandler's wife." Young Adult Country: USA Directors: Jason Reitman Cast: Charlize Theron, JK Simmons, Patrick Wilson, Patton Oswalt In just four years, Cody's roster of leading female characters has included an angst-free pregnant teenager (her first film, Juno, for which she won an Academy Award), a high-school beauty queen who happens to be a demonic succubus (Jennifer's Body), a suburban housewife with multiple personality disorder (the TV show United States Of Tara, which ran for three seasons and was produced by Steven Spielberg) and now, in her new film, Young Adult, a profoundly selfish and immature thirtysomething who returns to her home town with the sole purpose of breaking up the marriage of her high-school boyfriend. Even Jason Reitman - who has worked with Cody on all her films, either as director (Juno, Young Adult) or executive producer (Jennifer's Body) - admitted in a recent interview that he had his qualms about this film because "the main character is so unlikable." That, Cody says when we meet in a hotel in Los Angeles, is precisely the point: "There are so many comedies in which a guy plays a man-child and that's seen as funny. So I wanted for a woman to do that and show, actually, how sinister that is. Also, women are always supposed to be likable in movies, it's the men who get the juicy parts. I wanted to make a female character who was unlikable but also interesting. At a preview of the film in New York last November, Annette Insdorf, the director of film studies at Columbia who chaired the evening, blithely suggested that Mavis, the young adult played by Charlize Theron, is an autobiographical character for Cody. Reitman, who was there to introduce the film, hastily insisted that the character "does not resemble Diablo at all - I felt closer to Mavis than she did"; in fact, Theron claims she modelled some of Mavis's mannerisms on Reitman's. Cody laughs when I tell her about this exchange, but isn't surprised. She gets called "Juno" occasionally, so closely is she associated with her characters. It just feels like sexism because it seems like people think that if a woman is writing, all she can do is write about herself. I don't see guys being asked, 'So, this guy in Moneyball, is that you, Aaron Sorkin?' And Reitman wasn't ever asked how closely George Clooney's character in Up In The Air resembled him. Exactly! Cody says. And what's crazy about that is, Clooney's character totally is Jason! Young Adult does not just invert Hollywood clichés about women. It takes jabs at pretty much the whole genre of the modern romantic comedy. It's not giving too much away to say that the film suggests that returning home and meeting up with one's high-school chums is not always a redemptive experience; that nice male friend in the wings is not always Mr Right; sometimes people don't change for the better. It's the originality and toughness of her female characters that remains Cody's defining trait. But the most striking female character Cody has thrust upon Hollywood is herself. When Juno was released in 2007, Cody became one of a very select handful of screenwriters - along with Tarantino, Sorkin, Charlie Kaufman and Nora Ephron - to become a near household name. Just like Tarantino, she instantly became famous from her debut script and, also like him, it was her quick dialogue and pop cultural references that initially grabbed attention, and then provoked parodies and a backlash. When her second film, the underrated Jennifer's Body, tanked at the box office, bloggers and onlookers, who felt that Cody's rise had been too fast and too smooth, crowed. Despite the criticism, Cody, now 33, has continued to write scripts that stay true to her original ambitions: "If I see one more movie set in Hollywood about rich people's problems," she says at one point, "I'm going to throw up." When we meet, her hair is in a dark bob and she is wearing a full-length patterned dress that gives glimpses of the various tattoos beneath. She is disarmingly honest, breezily referring to Jennifer's Body as "a failure," an unheard of breach of Hollywood etiquette, and one of the very few women in Hollywood happy to call herself a feminist. People are afraid to use that word because they don't want to be seen as a shrill, combative woman. I've never been afraid to be seen that way. If Tarantino came with an irresistible backstory - the guy from the video store who became the cool cult auteur - Cody's is even better. She was the "stripper turned screenwriter," the blogger who knocked out an Oscar-winning script in a coffee shop. Born Brook Busey, Cody changed her name in her 20s when she started blogging about her stripping experiences, so that her parents wouldn't find out what she was up to. Although her memorable pseudonym has arguably helped in terms of public recognition, it is something she now regrets. I wish so much I could revert to my real name. It's just hilarious, like seeing your Twitter handle on an Oscar. Has having a pseudonym helped her keep a certain distance from all the press coverage? I wish. I know there are some people who say they feel protected by their stage names because the people are writing about this other person" - she holds out her arm, as if embracing the shoulders of an imaginary friend - "but I don't feel that way. If anyone says something mean about Diablo Cody, I take it pretty personally. Cody grew up in a suburb outside Chicago. Her father worked for the government and her mother was a receptionist. I was surrounded by people with really normal jobs, so it never occurred to me that I could be a writer when I grew up. The most glamorous career I could imagine was..." She takes a few seconds to think. ..."being an attorney." Her teenage years were "really happy. And I feel bad saying that, because you're almost expected to say how much you hated high school. But honestly, high school was where I came alive. That's why I keep revisiting it in my movies. After graduating from the University of Illinois, she had a series of secretarial jobs, then spent a year working as a stripper when she was 25. Was that a way of rebelling against her Catholic and "super normal" upbringing? Yeah, probably. I often look back and try to rationalise that decision, because it seems so weird and I've come to a lot of different decisions, one of which was that I was just looking for something to write about. I needed something to happen. I wouldn't be sitting here if I hadn't done that, because it was writing about stripping that got me published. I don't know if writing about being a copy typist in an ad agency would have got me a book deal. Cody says that doing the blog was partly what enabled her to remain detached from stripping: "Also, I had a safety net that I think a lot of the women I was working with didn't have. I had a college degree, I was in a relationship, I wasn't an alcoholic or a drug addict. Other than the fact I was a stripper, I was a surprisingly stable person. An agent read the blog and, off the back of it, Cody wrote a memoir about her stripping days, Candy Girl: A Year In The Life Of An Unlikely Stripper. Her agent then encouraged her to come up with a screenplay. After a few months of sitting in a coffee shop with her laptop, she sent him Juno. Juno was made for about $6m and ultimately made back about $240m, and because of its success Cody became the target of some jealous sniping, with most of the criticism focused on the hyperarticulate dialogue of her teenage characters. Yet it wasn't the stylised words that bothered me, but rather the way the abortion issue was handled. In the film, a pregnant teenager goes to an abortion clinic only to be confronted by a schoolmate protesting outside who dissuades her from going through with it by telling her that the foetus "has fingernails." Juno later repeats that point to her stepmother to explain why she didn't have an abortion and her stepmother nods, understandingly. There are plenty of reasons someone might decide against an abortion, but capitulating to the scaremongering of an anti-choice protester seems an odd choice. That, plus Cody's unabashed defence of her previous career as a stripper, prompted some commentators to question her feminist credentials. Cody looks decidedly weary of the subject and briskly brushes it away: "Any feminist out there who doesn't support me gets a big boo because you've got one person out there who is advocating for women in Hollywood and you're going to slag that person? If you're a feminist, you should be up my butt. She sighs and adds, now sounding a little less sure of herself, "I have no idea if I've helped feminism or set it back, because people see me as such a polarising figure. I hope it's the former. But if I can't even get feminists on my side, maybe I'm not helping. Cody and her second husband, Dan, a TV writer (she was briefly married in her 20s), had their first child, a son, a year and a half ago. Becoming a mother hasn't changed me as a writer, but it has completely changed me as a person. That old cliché about how having a child is like having your heart on the outside of your body, that's how I feel. Next month, she will start to direct her first film, which she also wrote, about a devout Christian who goes to Las Vegas. It is, she says, "quite a heartwarming little story. Well, despite the grim, freak accident component. She is also finishing up her "dream project," the script for the film adaptation of the hugely popular teen novel series Sweet Valley High. I've not told anyone else this yet, but it's going to be a musical! And then she grins the grin of someone who has never had any truck with girly self-deprecation: "Yeah, it's pretty awesome. I'm so happy! Young Adult is on general release from 3 February.

Wrexham chief executive David Roberts resigns

Insight: Riddle persists of Ukraine gas deal that never was By Richard Balmforth and Pavel Polityuk KIEV (Reuters) - It was hailed as a historic $1 billion deal marking a major step towards ending Ukraine's reliance on imported Russian gas. But the ballyhoo had no sooner died down after the signing of the gas terminal deal than the alleged Spanish partner disowned it and the mysterious outsider involved vanished, leaving Ukrainian officials humiliated and embarrassed. The deal at the center of the high-profile signing ceremony on November 26 had seemed to tie in Spain's Gas Natural Fenosa as the main investor in building a liquefied gas (LNG) terminal on the Black Sea Coast - a strategic project for which the former Soviet republic has long been looking for foreign support. But, to the surprise of Ukrainian officials including Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and Yuri Boiko, the country's powerful fuel minister, who both attended the ceremony, the Spanish energy company swiftly denied joining any consortium. In the ensuing confusion, attention focused on the identity - and role - of the Spanish-speaking man who had signed on behalf of the company - a bald figure with a tufty beard who was well-known as a middle-man in deals between Spanish companies and Ukraine. He was identified by Ukraine's state investment agency - whose chief Vladislav Kaskiv was co-signatory of the agreement - as Jordi Sarda Bonvehi, who Reuters has learned is a 43-year-old ski instructor-turned-businessman from the Barcelona region. But Gas Natural said Bonvehi did not work for the company and, in a statement on November 28, suggested it might consider taking legal action. Bonvehi himself slipped away after the ceremony, left the country and his whereabouts are unknown although he was said to be in Spain last week. Speaking by mobile phone with Reuters, a man who identified himself as Bonvehi conceded he had not been authorized to sign for Gas Natural. "I thought I could sign it and then settle it with the company," he said. In subsequent telephone conversations with Reuters in Spain, apparently the same person declined to answer questions by telephone, but said that at some point he would make a statement. Collapse of the LNG terminal construction deal, particularly in such humiliating circumstances, is a setback for the Kiev government which is desperate for alternative energy sources to wean itself off dependency on Russian gas. Apart from figuring in energy discussions, Bonvehi has traveled to at least two parts of Western Ukraine where he sought to interest local authorities in waste-recycling projects, local officials say. Neither deal came to anything, they said. We had a visit but it came to nothing. We talked and that was all. There was not a single phone call from them afterwards," said Viktor Dobrorez, who heads the local investment department in the town of Khmelnitsky. Gas Natural, a leading LNG operator with stakes in liquefaction plants in Egypt and Qatar, says its engineering unit carried out a viability study into the LNG project at the behest of the Kiev government. The company says such studies do not necessarily entail final participation in a contract. In a press statement after the signing, the Ukrainian state investment agency initially identified the Spanish signatory as a Gas Natural executive called Jordi Garcia Tabernero. Gas Natural immediately denied this too, saying that Tabernero, the company's managing director of communications, had not been in Ukraine then. At the time of the signing, he had been in his Barcelona office, it said. It has declined to make any further statements on the matter beyond what it said in the immediate aftermath of the signing. Ukrainian officials now accept the deal is no longer valid and had been signed with an unauthorized person. Bonvehi, they say, acted "at his own discretion" and exceeded his authority. The planned LNG terminal, to be built near Odessa, would receive liquefied gas by tanker from foreign suppliers and then re-gasify it for feeding into Ukraine's pipeline network. The collapse of the deal is all the more embarrassing because the Kiev government often uses its LNG potential as a card to play in talks with Russia as it strives for a more equitable relationship and cheaper gas. Ambitious LNG plans foresee imports of about 10 billion cubic meters of gas in 2018 when the planned onshore terminal would be up and running - roughly a quarter of Ukraine's current gas consumption levels. Kaskiv, head of the state investment agency whose job is to identify foreign investors for key national projects, had been seeking foreign financing for some time for the LNG project. A 39-year-old former journalist who was once a foreign investment adviser to jailed ex-prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, Kaskiv was named to head the agency in December 2010. But despite a world-wide road show banging the drum for Ukrainian projects, his agency has notched up few successes. Kaskiv said he feared the collapse of the deal would hand a "trump-card to opponents" of LNG development in Ukraine - meaning Russia - though officials say they will continue the search for foreign investors despite the setback. Kiev-based diplomats said they had been surprised when the signing with Gas Natural was announced since a deal on the highly ambitious project was not known to be near. In the initial post-signing euphoria, Kaskiv said the deal provided for Gas Natural taking the lead in a group of foreign investors who would provide over 90 percent of the financing for the LNG terminal, the first to be built in Ukraine. Prime Minister Azarov, seizing on the moment to symbolically launch a new land pipeline to connect with the planned terminal, spoke of a "really historic moment ... the first real big step towards energy independence." But within a short time, Gas Natural came out with a flat denial of any participation. "Gas Natural has not signed any contract to invest in an LNG plant in the Ukraine, nor are we leading any consortium to develop such a terminal ... nor are we studying anything along these lines," it said. So where did the mystery Spanish signatory appear from? And why did the Ukrainian side think it had the grounds for a deal? In Spain, family members said Bonvehi, who left home when he turned 20 and became a ski instructor in Andorra, moved to Ukraine 10 years ago after visiting as a tourist and marrying a Ukrainian. His father, Joan Sarda, who still lives near Barcelona, was quoted by a local newspaper, Regio7, as saying his son set up two local businesses in Spain in 2008. Both concerns, which are registered as being involved in real estate, had been inactive for years, the father said. Jordi ... was never interested in business, neither in mine nor in that of his brothers or anyone else's. He never demonstrated any interest in business whatsoever," the father was quoted as saying. Joan Sorda could not be reached independently by Reuters for comment. Speaking to Reuters, Bonvehi's brother, Oriol Sarda Bonvehi, said Bonvehi had visited his parents on November 30 and then disappeared again. He never told me anything about it (his business). But to reach as far as he did he must be good at business, no? People who have followed the case in Ukraine say Bonvehi worked as a go-between in deals for Spanish companies and the Ukrainian authorities and is listed as general director of the Ukrainian branch of Grupo Hera, whose specialty is given as waste-recycling on its website. The Hera company name is still listed on an intercom panel at the three-storey building in Kiev from where it operated. But the first-floor office is occupied by another firm which says it has nothing to do with Hera. Bonvehi has traveled around Ukraine on business ventures and in September attended the YES conference, an annual economic forum in Yalta, where he took part in LNG discussions, energy officials say. A photograph from the conference shows him seated at a round table opposite Fuel Minister Boiko and Kaskiv. Speaking to Reuters on November 30, Kaskiv said Bonvehi emerged as a signatory at the Kiev ceremony in the absence of any other Spanish officials. He now admits though that Bonvehi had no authority to sign for Gas Natural. Ukrainians say that no money was lost - apparently ruling out immediate financial gain as a motive. They do not talk of duplicity, only of a "misunderstanding." "It (the signing) was the pressure of circumstance because at the last minute it became clear that there was no-one from the Spanish side who could, as far as we understood, sign the document," Kaskiv said. This person did not simply appear out of nowhere. He took part in negotiations and clearly positioned himself as a participant in the negotiating process in the preliminary stages when other official persons were there," he said. But he admits Bonvehi did not have the legal right to sign for Gas Natural. There was no legal document that would have authorized him to be the signatory of the agreement. But given that he had been participant in all preliminary stages of negotiations - things were clear for us," he said. Pressed on how Bonvehi had therefore been allowed to sign, Kaskiv said: "It was a mistake ... We discussed this question with him just before the signing and in the course of this discussion we took this decision (to allow him to sign). On the Ukrainian side, Kaskiv's role is likely to come under scrutiny in a government commission of inquiry which was set up on Wednesday. Speaking to Reuters on Wednesday, he suggested that the Ukrainian side were still hoping for a top-level meeting with Gas Natural executives to clear things up. "We have not received any clarifications beyond the information that they (Gas Natural) had not taken any decision at that particular time and that they are carrying out an investigation among themselves to clarify relations with Mr. Bonvehi," Kaskiv said. Was there any duplicity? I know there is no doubt that he (Bonvehi) took part in negotiations at various stages. As for what happened at the time - we are waiting impatiently for some clarification from the Spanish side. Reporting by Pavel Polityuk and Olzhas Auyezov in Kiev,; Tracy Rucinski in Madrid and Braden Phillips in Barcelona; Writing by Richard Balmforth; Editing by Giles Elgood

In Country of Runners, Kenyan Cycling Team Faces Uphill Climb Sven Torfinn for The New York Times The Kenyan Riders on the road between Eldoret and Iten, passing milk vendors along the way. ITEN, Kenya - Five years ago, Sammy Ekiru was negotiating traffic on his bicycle taxi for roughly three dollars a day in Kitale, a remote Kenyan town 20 miles from the Ugandan border. Today, he and his bike remain inseparable. His labor and his livelihood, however, have taken a substantially different course. Ekiru is a member of a trailblazing squad of Kenyan competitive cyclists who have managed to introduce cycling to a country with virtually no history of it. The Kenyan Riders, a project launched by a Singaporean entrepreneur, Nicholas Leong, in 2007, have not set their sights modestly. In the more than a century since the first Tour de France, a black African team has never been a contender. The Kenyan Riders aim to change that. That objective remains distant. The cyclists are pushing hard with their training as they eye smaller competitions in Europe over the next several months. In July, they will compete in L'Etape du Tour, in which riders cover the courses of two legs of the Tour de France. In August, the Kenyan Riders will ride the Houte Route, a seven-day traverse from Geneva to Nice, France. After placing two cyclists in the top 20 out of 10,000 riders at L'Etape du Tour last year, the team is not lacking in confidence. "Now we are training very hard because we think we can do something there in Europe," said Ekiru, 24. The squad set up camp in Iten, a town that has produced many world champions in distance running over recent decades. Leong was originally lured by the sheer athleticism of the town. The potential success of Kenyan Riders is based on the expectation that the region can also produce elite cyclists. That notion has been met by skepticism from some locals and athletic experts alike. But Leong remains resolute. "With people who have a large amount of confidence in their culture, everyone else can be a detractor, but they can still be successful," Leong said. In terms of sport, this will go down as something historic. And for Africa, we want to do something positive. The team comprises 16 cyclists. There are two on-location coaches, an external consultant and various other staff members. Financing appears to be a problem. The cyclists train on locally bought, poor-quality mountain bikes. They lift weights composed of emptied water jugs filled with concrete. Exercises involve boulders and slabs of wood. The de facto head coach, Simon Blake, says the team copes effectively with the resources it has. The problem, he says, lies in finding talent. The team hosts periodic races in which contestants compete on local cumbersome bikes, called Black Mambas, and try to beat a certain time to win a cash prize and probationary admittance to the team. The team built a BMX-style track at the camp. They carved trails out of the surrounding forests. Blake, however, says more money would benefit the project. "If we had a budget for talent ID, if Nick had money to buy an odd Black Mamba or take a teacher out to lunch, that would help us improve," said Blake, an Australian former distance runner and cycling instructor. We know the talent is here. In the initial stages of the project, Leong was the sole financial contributor. But several years ago a financial manager, Ferdinand Vermersch, and his wife, Marie-Anne, became involved. Marie-Anne says they share Leong's vision, which differs significantly from the traditional notion of Western development in Africa. "I met people who were involved in charity," she said. I thought it wasn't a solution to give someone clothes or money. It may be helpful, but we wanted to do something concrete. Blake says the unusual nature of the team could help attract more sponsors. "Kenyan Riders, an all-black cycling team," he said. Even if we're not the best, we'd still get the most amount of publicity. Leong has sponsored the Black Mamba races for years, and disseminating the message throughout surrounding towns has proved effective in heightening cycling awareness. John Ewaar, a 24-year-old bicycle taxi operator in Eldoret, 15 miles from Iten, says he became intrigued by the sport after seeing a race poster at a supermarket. "That's how I learned people can make money off cycling," Ewaar said, amid the clamor of a dozen bicycle taxi operators surrounding him on the street, discussing the races. "I want to race, but I need the bicycle," he said. This one is not mine. I borrowed it.

Libor scandal: Former Barclays COO Jerry del Missier and Adair Turner at TSC: live Part of the story of the FSA at that time is that we did have, we never used the word, a somewhat light touch regulation in particular in those areas of wholesale conduct. We were only to a small extent focused on the activities of investment banks. We only had about five people on Barclays and five people on RBS. At one stage we only had one person that was shared between Barclays and RBS. 18.23 He adds that the FSA has been in contact with the SFO throughout the investigation. He says the FSA is not able to bring a criminal case over Libor. 18.21 Lord Turner tells the committee that the FSA could have supervised the setting of Libor rates if it wanted to. 18.15 Lord Turner adds that in the past, the FSA did have a light touch approach to regulation particularly in wholesale areas. He says the FSA was focused in the past only to a small extent on investment banks. 18.13 Lord Turner says he would be amazed if market abuse wasn't more widespread than evidenced by emails and other electronic traces. 18.09 And Steve Hawkes of The Sun tweets: 18.07 This is what Faisal Islam, economics editor at Channel 4, makes of the testimony: 18.05 She is also explaining about how the FSA decided on the size of the fine. The US calculate their fines in a different way, she says. She believes the Barclays fine was appropriate - it's almost twice the highest penalty they've imposed in the past. 18.03 Tracey McDermott, acting director of enforcement and financial crime at the FSA, is also being quizzed by MPs. She says it was widely known in 2007/08 that the Libor market was not operating in the way it had previously done. 18.00 Lord Turner says the letter he sent to Barclays about the regulator's concerns was the only time he has sent such a message to a bank: This is the only letter of this sort that I have sent in my time at the FSA. 17.56 Bailey says he had never had a conversation with a bank like the one with Barclays and that the bank was an outlier. He says, though, that his relationship with Bob Diamond was not antagonistic. 17.55 This is what Mark Kleinman makes of the FSA testimony so far: 17.48 Bailey reckons that Bob Diamond did not capture the severity of the issue in his answers to an earlier committee hearing. 17.47 The minutes of the Barclays board meeting in February - which Bailey attended - say that resolving the perception of aggressive culture "was critical to the future of the group." 17.41 Bailey told Barclays that trust had broken down; he was concerned about Barclays' behaviour in relation to the FSA. He said there was a 'culture of gaming' at Barclays and the FSA had had enough. 17.38 Andrew Bailey, head of the Prudential Business Unit at the FSA, is also giving evidence alongside Lord Turner. 17.37 Lord Turner says there were historic concerns from the FSA over Barclays' risk appetite. 17.35 After a very brief break, Lord Adair Turner is now in front of the TSC. 17.29 Del Missier acknowledges that the episode is a 'poor reflection' on the bank. With that, Del Missier finishes giving evidence and we wait for Lord Adair Turner and co from the FSA to arrive. 17.22 Compliance unit was apparently told by the money market desk of the request to reduce Libor submissions. Del Missier says the compliance unit did not follow-up back to him or anyone in senior management. 17.18 Del Missier says he can understand that there is resentment towards Barclays and the banks. 17.16 Mark Dearlove was head of the money market desk, to whom Del Missier relayed the instruction. He adds that he explicitly passed on the instruction to lower Libor rates. 17.14 He's being asked about how much his bonus is predicated on good controls. Del Missier is asked for a percentage, but says he was never told. 17.12 "We're professional friends, but we don't socialise very often," says Del Missier when asked if he's friends with Bob Diamond. Del Missier does not think he's acting as the 'fall guy'. 17.11 The FSA cleared Del Missier of any wrongdoing in September 2011, he says. As Richard Partington of Dow Jones points out: 17.08 Mark Kleinman of Sky News reckons that the key question has not yet been asked of Del Missier: 17.02 Del Missier says he regrets the "control breakdowns." Earlier, he said there was "clearly a breach of fundamental control and that is exactly why we found ourselves in this position and why we paid a large fine and why we instituted significant enhancements as a result of that." 16.59 Del Missier says his October 2008 instruction to submit lower Libor rates only lasted for days and was not open-ended. He was not aware of Barclays submitting lower Libor rates before the October 2008 conversation with Bob Diamond. 16.57 Jonathan Sibun of the Telegraph tweets that Andrew Tyrie is not impressed with Del Missier: 16.52 Del Missier has said he was not aware of other market manipulation at the bank. 16.51 Jonathan Rosenthal, banking editor at The Economist, points out: 16.44 Del Missier has said that he was not aware of any pressure on Libor submitters to adjust rates in 2007, or prior illegal trading. 16.43 And the political correspondent of Sky News tweets: 16.40 Another tweet from Louise Armitstead, who believes: 16.38 On the point about where Del Missier believed the instruction to lower Libor rates had come from, he told the head of the money markets desk that the instruction to lower rates had come from the BoE. 16.36 Del Missier says that he did not take legal advice on Libor submissions. 16.33 Del Missier says that no disciplinary action over Libor was ever taken. 16.31 Louise Armitstead of the Telegraph tweets her reaction to those comments: 16.29 Del Missier regrets the fact that Barclays' reputation has been sullied. 16.28 He didn't consider lowballing as improper in October 2008. 16.25 Del Missier says he gave the instruction to the head of the money market desk head, he gave the instruction to one person and that he didn't follow it up. 16.24 David Ruffley has quizzed Del Missier over the legality of lowballing Libor. Del Missier disagrees that it was an illegal activity. 16.23 David Enrich of the Wall Street Journal says Del Missier is sticking to the script: 16.17 Del Missier relayed his conversation with Mr Diamond to the head of his money markets desk and after relaying this conversation, he expected the money markets desk to lower Libor submissions. 16.16 Del Missier has told the committee that Diamond told him in October 2008 that Bank of England was putting pressure on the bank to get Libor rates down. 16.15 Del Missier says the rate at the time was "hugely subjective." 16.12 He is providing some context on the financial crisis, saying it had resulted in much government intervention. He mentions the credit guarantee scheme and capital injection into Lloyds HBOS. 16.11 Jerry Del Missier is now up in front of the committee. 15.59 The scandal of banks having manipulated the Libor global interest rate benchmark is taking a toll on confidence in the markets, the International Monetary Fund said today. Jose Vinals, director of the IMF's Monetary and Capital Markets Department: The most serious consequence of this scandal, which is under investigation, is that it undermines the certainty and the trust that markets have in benchmarks. 15.49 Lord Turner is likely to face questions over the regulator's involvement and whether it was tough enough when rate rigging occurred. He could be asked too how involved he was in forcing Bob Diamond out of Barclays. He could also be challenged on why the FSA didn't react more to warnings about Libor and why the relationship with Barclays was strained. In April, he wrote to the chairman of Barclays Marcus Agius complaining about a "pattern of behaviour over the last few years" in which Barclays repeatedly appeared to push the rules. In the letter, released as Marcus Agius appeared before the Treasury Select Committee earlier this month, Lord Turner said: "Barclays often seems to be seeking to gain advantage through the use of complex structures, or through arguing for regulatory approaches which are at the aggressive end of interpretation of the relevant rules and regulations." 15.40 In a note released today, analyst Ian Gordon at Investec believes Barclays is being unfairly targeted but the bank will go from strength to strength despite the Libor rigging scandal: Barclays is fighting a war against prejudice and ignorance but, in our view, two weeks of gradual, grudging outperformance versus sector peers is just the beginning of the fightback. Ahead of first-half results on July 27, as focus returns to the numbers, we examine the exceptional flexibility and resilience of Barclays" operating model, which we believe underpins its ability to withstand a deteriorating economic outlook as well as a hostile regulatory and political environment. 15.35 In his evidence to the TSC, Bob Diamond implicated senior ministers in the last Labour government, by claiming that Barclays repeatedly warned them that banks were improperly fixing the Libor interest rate. 15.30 Last week, Barclays chairman Marcus Agius was blasted by TSC chairman Andrew Tyrie for the bank's "lack of candour" after it redacted parts of FSA statement used during grilling of Bob Diamond. 15.25 Also in front of the TSC today are Lord Turner, executive chairman of the FSA; Andrew Bailey, head of the FSA's prudential business unit; and Tracey McDermott, acting director of enforcement and financial crime at the FSA. Andrew Bailey is said to have been the senior regulator who warned Barclays' executives of failings in its culture. Earlier this month, it was reported that he told a board meeting in February of his misgivings about the bank's behaviour. 15.10 Del Missier will give his evidence at 4pm in what could be an embarrasing day for his former employer. He is accused of ordering his subordinates to rig the bank's Libor submission in 2008. Bob Diamond, the Barclays' former chief executive, told the committee that, although he had received some advice from the Bank of England on Barclays" borrowing levels, it was Mr Del Missier who misinterpreted it as an instruction to low-ball Libor. The TSC is likely to quiz Mr Del Missier on how the mistake was made and why he failed to check the instruction, given he knew it broke the rules. Sources at Barclays insist the former star executive has not been prepared for the hearing by the bank. 15.00 Welcome to the Telegrah's live blog following former Barclays chief operating officer Jerry del Missier facing MPs on the Treasury Select Committee.

Madonna reveals the meaning behind album title, M.D.N.A Madonna has revealed the title of her forthcoming 12th studio album, "M.D.N.A," is an abbreviation of her name. The director clarified the meaning of her title at the premiere of W.E but hinted it was a "triple entendre." The 53-year-old is expected to release her new music next month. Madonna wore a stunning Gaultier dress to the event and winked for the cameras.

Rhodri Marsden: Forever in chains Anyway. This little community of solicitors, estate agents, buyers and vendors have become quite close. We don't necessarily like each other; no chance of a reunion drink in 10 years' time. But we've got to know each other's hang-ups, anxieties and inventive ways of negotiating the dungheap that is the English property system. Delaying tactics, ultimatums, bluff and counter-bluff, it's like a massive game of Property Chicken, with the ultimate prize of an expensive lump of bricks and mortar that's in need of damp-proofing work. Our barefaced attempts to conceal the truth remind me of a drummer I once knew who felt compelled to play with things he shouldn't. He'd inevitably break them. Then he'd hide them. That's what it's like, continually, for months on end. Anthropologically fascinating; On every other level, a colossal pain in the arse. This current situation could be resolved by a man in Essex making a phone call to his solicitor. I've just heard that he's got the hump because he's received several phone calls in the last hour from desperate people pleading with him to call his solicitor. No, he says. He'll make the call when he wants to, not when we want him to. The deadline elapses in one hour. It's unspeakably tense. If someone can help me develop this into a screenplay, my contact details are below.

Doolittle's Tokyo Raid, at a Glance 70 Years Later THE TIME: Still reeling from the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, Americans in early spring 1942 were seeing Japanese forces rolling through the Pacific, taking thousands of prisoners in April 1942 for the beginning of the infamous Bataan death march. "Japan and Germany are winning the world war pretty handily," explains historian Hugh Ambrose. America has suffered a number of defeats in the Pacific Rim in rather startling fashion. There is a great deal of fear on the part of the American public. THE PLAN: Commanded by Lt. Col. James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle, 16 land-based B-25 bombers with crews of five men each launch from an aircraft carrier. Modified to maximize fuel capacity, the planes would drop their payloads on a variety of strategic targets on Japan's mainland, then head to friendly air bases in China. But they were spotted and launched earlier and farther out than planned; all but one crash-landed or was ditched off China's coast. THE TOLL: Eight Raiders were captured. Three were executed, a fourth died in captivity. Three were killed trying to reach China, and 10 more were killed in later war action. THE IMPACT: Historians say the raid, while doing relatively little military damage in comparison to the assault on U.S. forces at Pearl Harbor, boosted American morale while stunning the Japanese and stemming their tide. A major U.S. victory two months later at the Battle of Midway signaled the war was beginning to shift. THE FOOTNOTE: Raiders Maj. Thomas Griffin and Gen. David Jones were shot down in later missions, were reunited in the German prison Stalag Luft III, site of "The Great Escape" depicted in the 1963 movie. A 2002 documentary short narrated by actor James Coburn features Jones, who died in 2008, as a model for the character played by Steve McQueen. LEARNING MORE: Surviving Raiders recommend "The Doolittle Raid," a 1991 book by Carroll V. Glines, as a definitive recounting of their story, and "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo," a 1944 movie based on pilot Ted Lawson's story, with Spencer Tracy playing Doolittle. The movie will be shown during their reunion this week.

Camelot wins Epsom Derby - Telegraph Aidan O'Brien's 2000 Guineas winner was sent off the 8-13 favourite to complete the Classic double, and the trainer's son, Joseph, 19, was happy to sit towards the rear for much of the mile-and-a-half journey. O'Brien junior showed nerves of steel to hold on to his mount for so long, timing his run to perfection to secure his first Derby triumph. It was a third win in the Epsom Classic for the Ballydoyle trainer and his first since High Chaparral took Flat racing's greatest prize a decade ago. O'Brien has now saddled the winner of all four Classics run in Britain this season. There did not appear to be too many hard-luck stories in behind, with leading fancy Bonfire seemingly failing to get home. The winning jockey said: "I was a bit worried as he didn't come down the hill at all. He didn't handle the track that well, so he did well to win. He's a very special horse and I'm just very fortunate to be on his back. I owe a big thanks to the owners and everyone in the yard. Anne-Marie O'Brien, wife of the trainer and Joseph's mother, said: "I can't believe it, it's amazing. I met Lester Piggott last weekend and he said to tell Joseph not to be in any hurry (in the race). I'm really thrilled, it's incredible.

Iran rejects interference accusation by Gulf Arabs DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran rejected accusations from Gulf Arab states that it was meddling in their affairs, saying those countries were "running away from reality," an Iranian news agency reported on Wednesday. Six U.S.-allied states demanded Iran end what they called interference in the region, in a statement on Tuesday at the end of a two-day summit of the Saudi-led Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), reiterating a long-held mistrust of their main rival. The communique did not elaborate, but the most common Gulf Arab complaint relates to Bahrain, which has repeatedly accused Tehran of interference in its internal politics by provoking protests. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast dismissed the statement. "Shifting the responsibility for the domestic problems of the regional countries is a way of running away from reality, and blaming others or using oppressive methods are not the right ways to answer civil demands," he said, according to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA). In Manama, Bahraini Foreign Minister Khalid Bin Ahmed Bin Mohammed Al Khalifa told reporters on Tuesday that Iran posed a "very serious threat." "Politically, (there is) lots of meddling in the affairs of GCC states; an environmental threat to our region from the technology used inside nuclear facilities; and there is of course the looming nuclear programme," he said, referring to Iran's disputed atomic work. When asked about the Bahraini remarks, Mehmanparast said they were not worth responding to, ISNA said. The Sunni Muslim-dominated Bahrain government has been struggling since early last year to suppress pro-democracy unrest led mainly by the Gulf Arab kingdom's majority Shi'ite Muslims, who say they been politically and economically marginalized, erupted last year. Bahrain, where the U.S. Fifth Fleet is based, has accused Shi'ite power Iran of being behind the unrest. Bahrain's rulers brought in Saudi and United Arab Emirates forces last year to help quell the protests. Iran condemned the move, saying it could lead to regional instability. Iran is also at odds with the United States and its allies over its disputed nuclear activities which the West fears is aimed at making nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies. The GCC is made up of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait.

JPMorgan's blunder amplifies calls for tighter regulation Keith Bedford / Reuters Jamie Dimon, chairman and chief executive of JP Morgan Chase and Co, whose bank announced a massive trading loss of $2 billion, and counting, on Thursday. Wall Street probably is wishing it never heard of the "Dimon Principle." Major banks hoping to thwart calls for tighter banking restrictions were dealt a blow by news that JPMorgan Chase lost $2 billion in a trading blunder that proponents of new rules say more stringent regulation would curtail. The spectacular trading meltdown came despite assurances from bankers that existing layers of regulations, internal safeguards and proper oversight are adequate to prevent such disasters. Those critical mechanisms failed to surface a sprawling series of bad bets that reverberated through the global financial markets. JPMorgan's shares were slammed Friday after Jamie Dimon, CEO of the largest bank in the U.S., said in a conference call late Thursday that his bank's trading losses resulted from a 'flawed' hedging strategy that was "poorly constructed, poorly reviewed, poorly executed, and poorly monitored." Dimon has been a vocal opponent of a regulation that would restrict certain types of risk-taking by banks, aka the Volcker rule, proposed in the aftermath of the financial crisis by former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Paul Volcker. "This may not have violated the Volcker Rule, but it violates the Dimon Principle," Dimon said in the conference call. The losses apparently originated in the bank's London-based Chief Investment Office, where a trader named Bruno Michael Iksil, nicknamed the 'London Whale,' reportedly accumulated a large holding of investments that hedge funds began betting against. The full scope of the financial meltdown is unknown. Unlike a loss on a single trade, JPMorgan is holding investments that could continue to shed value. Until the web of interconnected hedges is fully unwound, the $2 billion figure could rise, perhaps by $1 billion more this quarter or next, according to Dimon. Some analysts suggest that investors could line up on the other side of JPMorgan's bad bets and widen the bank's losses. The bank is well-positioned to sustain the loss. Before the news broke, analysts were estimating the company would earn more than $4 billion in the current quarter alone. At the end of last year, JPMorgan had more than $2 trillion worth of assets on its books, including $380 billion in cash. But the loss has already amplified calls for tighter regulation on risky banking, more than three years after a wave of losses from bad mortgage bets swamped the global financial system and brought about the worst recession since the 1930s. JPMorgan's losses are "the latest evidence that what banks call 'hedges' are often risky bets that so-called 'too big to fail' banks have no business making," said Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations and an author of the "Volcker Rule." The final version of the Volcker Rule, included in the sweeping 2009 package of bank regulations known as Dodd-Frank, has yet to be implemented. Last week, Dimon and leaders of other large banks met Federal Reserve Governor Daniel Tarullo in New York to argue against trading restrictions, which bankers have suggested would burden them with costs that will eventually have to be passed to customers. But on Friday, the co-author of the law, Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., noted that, at $2 billlion, JPMorgan's losses from risky hedging would amount to "five times the amount they claim financial regulation is costing them." "The argument that financial institutions do not need the new rules to help them avoid the irresponsible actions that led to the crisis of 2008 is at least $2 billion harder to make today," Frank said. The Securities and Exchange Commission said Friday it was looking into JPMorgan's $2 billion botch for potential civil violations, the New York Times reported, citing people briefed on the matter. JPMorgan's multibillion-dollar losses were apparently self-inflicted by a sprawling web of interconnected investments designed to benefit from an improving U.S. economy, which would reduce the odds of defaults on corporate bonds. Those investments were described as "synthetic credit" because they were designed to mimic the performance of those bonds CNBC's Mary Thompson talks about a trade that reportedly resulted in a $2 billion loss. Opponents of tougher regulations argue that tighter restrictions on this type of hedging would make it harder for companies to manage risk. That, in turn, would cause them to be more cautious, slowing economic growth and employment and making U.S. companies less competitive globally. "That's what these banks do; you can't regulate them away from taking risk without making banks go away," said Jeff Harte, a banking analyst at Sandler O'Neill. And if you make banks go away, we're going to be bartering cows and eggs with our neighbors and the economy is going to be kind of destroyed. But proponents of tighter restrictions argue that allowing banks to make unrestricted bets simply concentrates risk in a just a few of large institutions. "We've got to have real controls and real regulation so this doesn't happen," said Jacob Zamansky, a New York securities lawyer. "When I invest in JPMorgan, I'm not assuming I'm taking this kind of a risk. I think I'm taking a modest risk and that the firm is under control. This shows that Dimon doesn't really know what's going on in the coal mine. After announcing the spectacular losses, Dimon conceded that the bank's massive hedging failure adds weight to the argument in favor of tighter regulations. "It plays into the hands of a bunch of pundits, but you have to deal with that and that's life," Dimon said in the conference call with analysts. The scope of the doomed trading scheme raised wider questions about whether the bank's internal controls were adequate to prevent future disastrous bets that could cause wide financial and economic damage. "What concerns me is risk management, size, scope," said Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Richard Fisher, who has called for the breakup of the top five U.S. banks. At what point do you get to the point that you don't know what's going on underneath you? That's the point where you've got too big," he told a Texas Bankers Association meeting Friday. Bankers shouldn't appear on the front page of a newspaper, he added, unless it's for Rotary Club or other community work. JP Morgan discloses $2 billion in trading losses Dimon: 'I understand the frustration'

Markets solid despite ongoing U.S., Italian concerns LONDON Markets retained their optimistic tone Tuesday even though U.S. leaders have yet to thrash out a budget deal that could prevent recession in the world's largest economy and despite ongoing concerns over Italy's political and economic future. However, the longer a U.S. deal to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff" of automatic tax increases and spending cuts at the start of next year fails to emerge, the more fidgety investors are likely to become. Coupled with concerns over upcoming Italian elections and their impact on the country's efforts to tackle its financial crisis, the outlook in the markets has the potential to turn around sharply. "The fiscal cliff and European sovereign debt situations remain lurking in the wings and could well provide some quick price action if we see any developments," said Fawad Razaqzada, market strategist at GFT Markets. In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was up 0.1 percent at 5,926, while Germany's DAX rose 0.5 percent to 7,566. The CAC-40 in France was 0.5 percent higher at 3,631. Wall Street was poised for a steady opening after modest gains Monday, with Dow futures and the broader S&P 500 futures up 0.1 percent. As has been the case for much of the period since President Barack Obama won re-election early last month, the gaze of U.S. investors remains on whether he and Congress can agree to a budget deal to avoid the fiscal cliff that many economists think would tip the U.S. back into recession. "Like the debt ceiling drama of 2011 investors expect the fiscal cliff debate to run to the wire, but overwhelmingly believe a solution will be found," said Mike McCudden, head of derivatives at Interactive Investor. Alongside the discussions over the U.S. budget, investors are keeping a close watch on developments in Italy following the surprise weekend announcement by Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti that he will resign after Italy's 2013 budget has gone through Parliament. Monti, a technocratic leader who has been credited with restoring confidence in Italy's economy, said he found it impossible to lead after former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's party, Parliament's largest, dropped its support for the government. Analysts fear Monti's unexpected resignation could spark a new round of Italian political turmoil and slow efforts to get one of Europe's largest economies back in shape. That prompted a big spike in Italy's borrowing costs Monday as well as falls on the Milan stock exchange. Some calm appeared to have been restored Tuesday, with the yield on Italy's 10-year bonds down 0.03 percentage point at 4.58 percent and the FTSE MIB in Mila up 0.7 percent. The euro was also solid, trading 0.2 percent higher at $1.2970. Earlier, markets in Asia appeared to take in stride news that HSBC, the British banking giant, will pay $1.9 billion to settle a money-laundering probe by federal and state authorities in the United States. HSBC shares rose 0.3 percent in Hong Kong and fell 0.3 percent in London. Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell 0.1 percent to 9,525.32, with Japanese utilities coming under pressure a day after a team of geologists said that a nuclear power plant in western Japan is likely located on an active fault. Japanese guidelines prohibit nuclear facilities above active faults. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.2 percent to 22,323.94 but shares in mainland China fell, with the main Shanghai index closing 0.4 percent lower at 2,172.50. Oil prices tracked equities higher, with the benchmark New York rate up 27 cents at $85.83 a barrel.

BBC News - Youths charged with Downpatrick car-jacking

Henry Qualtrough - Telegraph The operation was complicated by the fact that the civil labour force was not interested in taking safety precautions, and the local population went into the bunkers after dark scavenging for metal or retrieving explosives for fishing. Both men were awarded the George Medal. Henry Percival Qualtrough was born at Castletown, Isle of Man, on June 6 1924 and educated at King William's College, where he was in the first XV. After going up to Queen's University, Belfast, for a short course, he joined the Corps of Royal Engineers. He landed on Gold Beach on D-Day and cleared mines in the path of the Allied forces. The sappers took heavy casualties. In 1951 he was posted to Singapore during the Malaya Emergency and, after a three-year tour followed by a home posting, in 1958 he moved to Hong Kong as chief engineer. His work included personally taking charge of the disposal of three unexploded bombs. These were identified as being of American design, but the presence of Chinese markings indicated that there might have been modifications which did not appear in the instruction manuals. The impact fuze in the nose of one had become distorted and could not be moved; so he took the bomb to the docks, loaded it into a landing craft and dumped it at sea. A second bomb had what appeared to be a chemical delay fuze in its tail. Qualtrough removed this by remote means and supervised the removal of the nose and tail fuzes in the third bomb. He was appointed MBE (Military) in 1960 in recognition of this work. After a posting to the Bomb Disposal Unit at Horsham, Sussex, where he was the field engineer in charge of bomb disposals, he retired from the Army in 1966 and settled in the Isle of Man. A familiar figure on his motorised bicycle with his Dalmatian dog, Domino, running beside him, he afterwards became Clerk of Works to Castletown Commissioners. He was a qualified international rugby referee and, besides enjoying sailing, took a close interest in motorcycle racing. Henry Qualtrough married first (dissolved), in 1948, Audrey Peacock. He married secondly, in 1974, Anne Cringle. She survives him with two daughters and a son of his first marriage and a stepson and stepdaughter of his second. Henry Qualtrough, born June 6 1924, died March 8 2012

City guide: San Francisco - Arts blog - Scotsman.com SAN Francisco surely deserves its reputation as one of the US's coolest, most cultured, sophisticated and laid-back destinations. The "Bay City" has interesting architecture, great shopping, world-class museums and attractions, plenty of nightlife and countless excellent restaurants. It has also been voted one of the US's greatest walking cities, and one of the ten healthiest places to live. So why not take advantage and enjoy a healthy break by visiting the sights on the many walking and cycling trails and work off a few calories exploring the steep city streets, abundant open spaces and waterside attractions. Best Place to Stay BE KIND to the earth as well as your body and check into the Good Hotel. A hotel with a conscience, it has well-priced rooms with minimalist styling and eco-friendly touches like platform beds made from reclaimed wood and chandeliers constructed from reused Voss water bottles. There's also a recycling bin in every room and all bathrooms are fitted with kitsch Japanese-style toilet-top sinks. Situated in the SoMa district, one of San Francisco's most stylish areas, it's close to many attractions and good transport links. Best Open Space GOLDEN Gate Park is not only a strikingly picturesque destination but is also full of outdoor and indoor attractions, including the Botanic Gardens, the Academy of Sciences, Buffalo Paddock and the Japanese Tea Garden. With more than 1,000 acres to roam, it outdoes New York's Central Park for size, so offers plenty of space to stretch your legs. The western end of the park is a cultivated wilderness that backs on to the crashing waves of the Pacific. While visiting the Dutch Windmill and Tulip Garden, drop into the Beach Chalet for lunch and enjoy the view as surfers ride the break, or soak up the sun on the garden patio. A healthy selection of fish dishes and salads sits alongside a few American favourites from the grill. If you've earned a drink, the onsite microbrewery has an excellent selection of tasty organic brews. Best for a Rest TAKE a break and watch others be active at the AT&T stadium, home to the legendary San Francisco Giants. The passionate local fans will help you along if you're not sure of the rules and etiquette, while there is plenty to keep you amused between innings - be careful not to get caught on the kiss-o-cam. To rest your legs while exploring, pick up a San Francisco City Pass to enjoy free transport for a week and ride the iconic cable cars up the steep streets. The pass also includes a cruise of the bay and VIP entry to many major attractions such as the Modern Art Museum and Aquarium. www.sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com, www.citypass.com Best for a Rainy Day DRESS for the weather and head to the Presidio, on the northern tip of the San Francisco peninsula. Historically an old military base, in 1996 it was transferred to the National Park Service and has been redeveloped as a space for all. In one of the historic hangars you can enjoy an aerial extravaganza on the 42 conjoined trampolines. House of Air hosts numerous trampolining activities for all the family. If you are feeling very energetic, try trampoline dodgeball. WITH all this activity, you will surely have worked up a healthy appetite, and chef Steven Rojas at Chez Papa Resto will certainly cater to your needs. Set in an elegant warehouse-style dining room in the heart of the Civic Centre, it has a rich ambience and service that is second to none. Refined French classics such as a delicious and fresh kobe beef tartare or a twist on the classic French onion soup lead into succulent mains such as roasted rib-eye steak with sweetbread gremolata or grilled duck breast with fennel purée. The winelist is extensive and the knowledgeable waiters can help you make the perfect pairings. HOP on two wheels and enjoy a leisurely eight-mile cycle from historic Fisherman's Wharf over the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito. And it's not just a workout, as the guides at Blazing Saddles are full of geographical and historical facts. Learn about anything from earthquakes to how much housing cost in the 1800s (a lot) while you enjoy magnificent views of the bay and city. Back at Fisherman's Wharf, be sure to sample some fresh seafood and the famous local Dungeness crab at one of the many eateries. Alioto's has a great view over the marina and the menu includes its speciality seafood sausage. www.blazingsaddles.com, www.aliotos.com

Canada Clears $15 Billion Chinese Takeover of an Energy Company MONTREAL - Canada on Friday allowed a Chinese state-run oil giant to move forward with $15 billion takeover of a domestic energy company, but the government indicated that such deals might not pass muster in the future. The deal - the acquisition of Nexen by the China National Offshore Oil Corporation, or Cnooc - is the latest effort by the Chinese government to find new sources of oil and natural gas reserves to help drive the country's growth. The state-run Cnooc has been active, striking several partnerships in Canada and the United States. Canada, in part, has welcomed the alliances. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been trying to create new markets to export Canadian energy, which is largely dependent on the United States for its exports. He has been courting China since the United States stalled approval of the Keystone XL pipeline project, which would move more oil sands production to the Gulf Coast. On Friday, the government also approved a $5 billion acquisition of Progress Energy Resources of Canada by Petronas, the Malaysian state-owned oil and gas company. But the Nexen deal has also reignited the controversy over strategic assets ending up in the hands of foreign owners. Seven years ago, Cnooc gave up on an $18.5 billion bid for Unocal of the United States after political opposition. Two years ago, Sinochem, a Chinese chemicals maker, backed away from buying the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan for similar reasons. The Nexen bid prompted nationalistic concerns in Canada. Some conservative members of Parliament worried about Cnooc, which is an arm of the Chinese government, gaining control over energy assets generally controlled by Canadian provinces. Recognizing the sensitivity of the deal, Mr. Harper noted that foreign investment rules would be changed to block companies owned by foreign governments from acquiring properties in Alberta oil sands in all but "exceptional" circumstances. "Canadians generally, and investors specifically, should understand that these decisions are not the beginning of a trend, but rather the end of a trend," Mr. Harper said at a news conference. When we say that Canada is open for business, we do not mean that Canada is for sale to foreign governments. It is not clear how the directive will play out on the deal-making front. Gordon Houlden, director of the China Institute at the University of Alberta, said that the government's new position might not be well received in China despite Canada's approval of the Nexen transaction. "This will be a very mixed message for the Chinese," Mr. Houlden said. They had ambitions far beyond Nexen. He added that Canada's new stance could also constrain several major state-owned oil companies, particularly Statoil of Norway, which has significant investments in North America. "This will create a major barrier to investors with some of the deepest pockets and who are prepared to think in terms of decades rather than quarters," he said. The government's decision also did not necessarily quell criticism within Canada. Within seconds of the prime minister's release, Peter Julian, a member of Parliament for the opposition New Democrats, condemned the Nexen approval as an act of "rubber stamping" that did not reflect the views of most Canadians. The government's shifting sentiments could curb the deal-making spirits of Chinese companies. To help drive China's growth, the government has been amassing natural resources in North America, and in riskier areas like Africa and Venezuela. In North America, Chinese companies have mainly focused on taking stakes in energy companies, rather than buying them. In July, Sinopec, a competitor to Cnooc, agreed to pay $1.5 billion for a piece of the North Sea operations of Talisman Energy, another Canadian oil company. After agreeing to buy Nexen in July, Cnooc made several moves to gain the support of the Canadian government. The Chinese company announced plans to keep Nexen management and establish Calgary, Alberta, as its headquarters for North and Central America. "The Chinese are likely not to look at the oil sands for a while," said Oliver Borgers, a Toronto lawyer with McCarthy Tétrault who frequently represents companies seeking approval of takeovers under Canada's foreign investment laws. The policy is not directed at them specifically, but it's going to have a major impact. But Canada may find it difficult to entirely rebuff the overtures of well-financed Chinese players. Major oil and gas deals require enormous financing, and Canada needs to further develop the oil sands. All of that takes money, which the Chinese government-owned companies have. Nexen's own financial struggles prompted its relationship with the deep-pocketed Cnooc. Nexen, which was formed by the merger of two Canadian units of Occidental Petroleum in 1971, has struggled with weak production and profits. One of its core sources of reserves, Yemen, has been plagued by political instability. Nexen has also run into trouble in its own backyard. OPTI Canada, Nexen's partner in an oil sands operation in Long Lake, Alberta, went bankrupt after a series of production delays. Cnooc then acquired OPTI Canada for $2.1 billion, giving the Chinese a 35 percent holding in the project. "I'm not sure you can do without state-owned enterprises," said Burkard Eberlein, a professor of public policy at the Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto. They're saying, 'We are open for business, but we are very suspicious of that kind of investor.'

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Ebooks Lawsuit Could Wipe Out Publishing Industry, Charles Schumer Says The Department of Justice's lawsuit against Apple and major book publishers could make it harder for young authors to get published, New York Senator Charles Schumer wrote in The Wall Street Journal. The Department of Justice's lawsuit against Apple and major book publishers "sounds plausible on its face, [but] could wipe out the publishing industry as we know it, making it much harder for young authors to get published," New York Senator Charles Schumer writes in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. Schumer has been in touch with the WSJ about the ebook pricing suit for awhile. "Rarely have I seen a suit that so ill serves the interests of the consumer," he told the paper in April. Schumer's overall argument against the agency pricing lawsuit is that the lawsuit hurts competition by making Amazon the dominant player. "While consumers may have a short-term interest in today's new release e-book prices, they have a more pressing long-term interest in the survival of the publishing industry," he writes. MORE: Will Amazon Take Over the World? Overall, Schumer says, the lawsuit also has broad implications for "other industries that are coming up with creative ways to grow and adapt to the Internet." He says, "The administration needs to reassess its prosecution priorities. Justice Department officials currently have comprehensive guidelines in place to determine when they should challenge mergers, but they have no such guidelines for non-merger investigations. It's time to come up with some. The Department of Justice is suing Apple and five big publishers for allegedly colluding to set ebook prices. Three of the publishers - HarperCollins, Hachette and Simon & Schuster - have settled, while Penguin, Macmillan and Apple will fight the suit in court. The DOJ received over 800 public comments on the proposed settlement and is expected to post all of them, along with its response, around July 20, with the proposed final judgment on the settlement going through on August 3. The trial is set to begin June 3, 2013.

Six Amazing Easter Egg Hunts Easter egg hunts are not for the meek. In fact, one hunt in Colorado got so competitive it was canceled this year because there were too many "helicopter parents." For too many years, parents jumped into the hunt at Bancroft Park, even though the egg-hunt area was roped off for their children. Here's hoping the following six Easter egg hunts are left for the kids this year. The Chateau Vaux Le Vicomte, Maincy, France On Easter Sunday and Monday, this castle outside of Paris hosts an Easter egg hunt for kids in the morning and adults in the afternoon. Some 35,000 eggs are hidden for hunting. There's also face-painting, a chocolate-making workshop and pony rides. Colorado's Largest Easter Egg Hunt, Copper Mountain, Colo. At 10 a.m. on Easter Sunday, the search for 50,000 eggs kicks off in Center Village at Copper Mountain. Billed as the largest egg hunt in Colorado, the search is divided by age group and once it's over, there's an Easter egg decorating party for all. Eggstravaganza, Coconut Creek, Fla. With 60,000 eggs up for grabs, chances are even the littlest bunnies will find an egg. Eggstravaganza is South Florida's largest free Easter egg hunt. It takes place on April 7 -- the day before Easter -- and the egg hunting is divided into time categories by age group. In addition to the hunt, there are refreshments and bounce houses for the kids. Fabergé's Big Egg Hunt, London It's already over for this year, but it's never too soon to start planning for next. Besides, no list of Easter egg hunts would be complete without a mention of The Fabergé Big Egg Hunt. 200 designer eggs, each over two feet tall, are scattered around the city. This year's contest was an interactive one, with code-word clues participants would text message in order to be entered to win the grand prize: the Diamond Jubilee Fabergé egg, valued at about $160,000. The egg is on display at Harrods in Knightsbridge until April 8. Great Peter Rabbit Easter Egg Hunt 2012, Windermere, UK 110 ceramic eggs have been hand-crafted to celebrate Peter Rabbit's 110th birthday and the centenary year of "The Tale of Mr Tod." The eggs are hidden across the Lake District countryside and once they're all found, the hunt is over. White House Easter Egg Roll, Washington, D.C. On Monday April 9, 2012, the First Family will host the 134th annual White House Easter Egg Roll. There are 35,000 lucky people -- chosen by lottery system -- who will join the Obamas on the South Lawn for games, stories, singing, dancing and, of course, the traditional egg roll on the Lawn. This year's theme is "Let's Go, Let's Play, Let's Move," in keeping with the First Lady's initiative to promote fitness and healthy eating.

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How might commuters avoid Kessock Bridge congestion?

Kevin Pietersen row could still unsettle England in India, fears Andrew Strauss Strauss said reintegration was "possible" if both parties desperately want it to happen, but added:"If, deep down, he [Pietersen] still feels more loyalty to his IPL franchise then obviously it's going to be difficult for him." Strauss admitted though that Pietersen was not entirely at fault for the saga which led to his exile, conceding that is was "wrong" for England players to follow the spoof Twitter account KP Genius which mocked the batsman for his perceived arrogance. Looking ahead to England's tour of India, Strauss said Jonathan Trott should continue to bat at three, rather than move up the order to open. His own future is appears to involve a combination of media work, cricket administration and corporate speaking, but he ruled out following Michael Vaughan onto Strictly Come Dancing. "'ll be very disappointed if I end up doing that," added Strauss.

Joe for less dough: The best inexpensive coffee For some consumers, coffee ranks right up there with the mortgage payment and the electric bill as a vital expense. Of course, the surest way to shrink that slice of your budget is to forgo any trips to the coffee shop. It's the infamous "latte factor," a term originated (and trademarked) by David Bach and perpetuated by other personal finance gurus to illustrate the big savings that can result from resisting small, repeated purchases. If you've already bought into this idea and started brewing at home, as do 86 percent of Americans (although not necessarily exclusively), according to the National Coffee Association, you can still cut down on your coffee expenditures without sacrificing taste. Below are Cheapism's top picks for affordable coffee, ranging from about 11 to 22 cents a cup. Folgers Black Silk (starting at $7.64 for a 27.8-ounce canister) is the best-selling brand's darkest roast. Coffee drinkers posting reviews online note the strong, bold flavor, which may be too much for consumers used to milder brews but stands up well to the addition of milk and sugar. Eight O'Clock Original (starting at $4.98 for 12 ounces of whole beans) has been around for more than 150 years and continues to appeal to coffee drinkers with its mellow medium roast. It's also available as ground coffee, but experts recommend grinding whole beans yourself just before brewing for optimal taste. Café Bustelo (starting at $3.79 for a 10-ounce can) is Cuban-style coffee intended for coladas, café con leche, and other drinks that incorporate milk and sugar. Dark roast drinkers have embraced it as a way to get bold flavor on a budget. Melitta coffee (starting at $5.99 for an 11-ounce can) is more expensive but requires less coffee per cup, because it's finely ground for use in the company's manual, pour-over coffee makers (but also can be made with an automatic-drip machine). Consumers posting reviews find the 100 percent Colombian medium roast a smooth, affordable approximation of a pricier premium blend. Americans traditionally favor lighter roasts, but Starbucks and other specialty coffeehouses have popularized darker coffee in recent decades. The longer roasting process yields a richer, more intense brew -- but not necessarily a better one. Plenty of consumers, particularly those who drink their coffee black, prefer the more nuanced flavor and aroma of a light or medium roast. Both medium roasts on our list are made from 100 percent arabica beans, which are prized for their delicate flavor. They are typically expensive because they come from finicky plants that thrive only in particular conditions. Many cheap blends incorporate robusta beans, which don't require as much care to cultivate. They also contain more caffeine. If you're wondering about the price difference between beans and ground coffee, Daily Finance did the math and found that whole beans are only marginally more expensive -- if you already own a coffee grinder. The question is whether you consider a superior brew worth the extra step of grinding the beans. More from Cheapism: Cheap coffee Cheap coffee grinders Cheap espresso machines Cheap summer camps

Obama against the world - CBS News (TomDispatch) Since this is my version of an election piece, I plan to get the usual stuff out of the way fast. So yes, the smartest political odds-givers around believe President Obama has a distinct edge over Mitt Romney coming out of the conventions, the Senate is trending Democratic, and who knows about the House. In fact, it almost seems as if the Republicans put forward the only man in America incapable of defeating an economically wounded and deeply vulnerable president (other than, of course, the roster of candidates he ran against for the nomination). Romney: Middle East tumult "hardly" a bump in the road Trump: Obama a "Teflon" president No bilateral meetings for Obama at U.N.G.A. In every way that they can control, the Obama people have simply been smarter. Take those conventions: in each of them, the presidential candidate was introduced by a well-known figure who went on stage and ad-libbed. One was an 82-year-old guy talking to an empty chair (and I still thought he was the best thing the Republicans had to offer, including his shout-out about withdrawing all our troops from Afghanistan) and the other was... well, Bill Clinton. It wasn't even a contest. As for the upcoming debates, if you think Romney can outduel Obama without wandering in among the thorns, I have a Nigerian prince I'd like to introduce you to. In other words, it should really all be over except for the usual shouting and the gazillions of dollars of attack ads that will turn swing-state TV screens into a mind-numbing blur of lies. Even there, however, some Super PAC and dark-money types may evidently be starting to consider shifting funds from beating up on Obama to beating up on Democratic senatorial candidates. It's a sign that the moneybags of the Republican right fear the Romney campaign is a rerun of McCain World and the candidate is a Bain Capital version of John Kerry wind-surfing. After all, Romney seems almost incapable of opening his mouth without letting out a howler, his staff is in a state of civil war, and Republican candidates elsewhere are leaping from the ditched bandwagon, as are even conservative pundits. By now, Obama and his savvy campaign staff should really be home free, having run political circles around their Republican opponent as he was running circles around himself. There's only one problem: the world. These days it's threatening to be a bizarrely uncooperative place for a president who wants to rest on his Osama-killing foreign-policy laurels. An Administration of Managers Face the Tsunami So send Mitt to the Cayman Islands, stick Paul Ryan in a Swiss bank account, and focus your attention instead on Obama versus the world. For the next 43 days, that's the real contest. It could prove to be the greatest show on Earth, filled as it is with a stellar cast of Islamist extremists, Taliban militants, Afghan allies intent on blowing away their mentors, endangered American diplomats, an Israeli prime minister on the red-line express, sober central European bankers, and a perturbed Chinese leadership, among so many others. In such a potentially tumultuous situation, the president and his people are committed to a perilous high-wire act without a net. It involves bringing to bear all the power and savvy left to the last superpower on Earth to prevent some part of the world from spinning embarrassingly out of control, lest the president's opponent be handed a delectable "October surprise." Keep in mind that, despite the president's reputation as a visionary speaker, in global terms his has distinctly been an administration of managers. The visionaries came earlier. They were the first-term Bushites, including George W., Dick, and Donald, each in his own way globally bonkers, and all of them and their associates almost blissfully wrong about the nature of power in our world. They mistook the destructive power of the U.S. military for global power itself. As a consequence, they blithely steered the ship of state directly into a field of giant icebergs. Think of that wrecking crew, in retrospect, as the three stooges of geopolitical dreaming. The invasion and occupation of Iraq, in particular -- as well as the hubris that went with the very idea of a "global war on terror" -- were acts of take-your-breath-away folly that help explain why the Bush administration was MIA at the recent Republican convention (as was, of course, the Iraq War). In the process, they drove a stake directly through the energy heartlands of the planet, leaving autocratic allies there gasping for breath and wondering what was next. Since 2009, the managers of the Obama administration have been doing what managers do best: fiddling with the order of the deck chairs on our particular Titanic. This might be thought of as managing the Bush legacy. Tom Engelhardt, co-founder of the American Empire Project and author of "The United States of Fear" as well as "The End of Victory Culture," runs the Nation Institute's TomDispatch.com. His latest book, co-authored with Nick Turse, is "Terminator Planet: The First History of Drone Warfare, 2001-2050." To listen to Timothy MacBain's latest Tomcast audio interview in which Engelhardt discusses an "October surprise" world and the presidential election, click here or download it to your iPod here.

Man wins 'Birdman' title, lands in river MELBOURNE, March 12 (UPI) -- The winner in Australia's Moomba Birdman Rally for homemade flying machines was strapped to aluminum wings -- and landed in a river. Michael Paul added a sixth Birdman title in seven attempts Sunday in Melbourne, flying 82 feet, The Herald Sun of Melbourne reported. Paul landed in the Yarra River. He also raised the most cash for charity by getting pledges totaling more than $5,000 for Water Aid. Other attempted flyers at the event included Aaron Eidelson, who attempted to take flight in a homemade pink plane while dressed in a bridal gown, and Veronika Dragon, who jumped unaided into the water, saying she wanted "to taste the river."

Lisa Riley to star in stage show Strictly Confidential next year She may not have made it to the Strictly Come Dancing final, but all is not lost for ex-Emmerdale actress Lisa Riley who has been cast in the stage show Strictly Confidential. Written and directed by straight talking Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood, the stage production stars contestant Lisa Riley and professional dancers Artem Chigvintsev, Natalie Lowe and Ian Waite from the TV show. Strictly Confidential is said to be an "autobiographical take" on the stars" motivations during the BBC1 programme. It promises to take fans "on an epic journey told through music, song and breathtaking dance routines." "When I first signed up to Strictly I had no idea that I'd be able to ballroom dance, so I was thrilled to be asked to do the live tour," said Riley. Being able to be a part of Strictly Confidential as well is such a great opportunity and I'm really looking forward to continue working with Craig, Artem, Natalie and Ian well into next year. Judge Revel Horwood, whose former directing credits include the opening ceremony of the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games, said: "It's exciting to give fans an autobiographical take on this hit show, whilst also incorporating some of the show's favourite moments. I've been working on Strictly Confidential for a while now and it's a dream that everything is all coming together. Strictly Confidential will premier in theatres across the UK for two months from June 2013.

4 Policemen Killed in Afghanistan Four Afghan police officers were shot and killed Friday in Helmand Province in an insider attack by their colleagues, officials said. The police chief of the Grish district, Mohammad Toryali, said the shooting occurred at a police outpost during a shift change. The officers on duty were killed by four of their colleagues who had arrived to replace them, Mr. Toryali said. The killers fled. On Thursday, an American service member was killed in an insurgent attack in southern Afghanistan, a military statement said.

Cycling: One gold will do, but Chris Hoy is aiming higher Published on Wednesday 28 March 2012 01:48 OLYMPIC cycling legend Chris Hoy would be satisfied with one more gold at the London Games but the 36-year-old rates himself a firm chance to successfully defend all three of his Beijing titles should he win selection. Edinburgh's Hoy must first qualify to join an ultra-competitive British team at the London velodrome with his selection fate still hanging in the balance ahead of the world championships in Melbourne next week. Hoy will lock horns with sprint world champion Jason Kenny as he bids for the sole berths allocated in the individual sprint and keirin. He'll also be seeking a place in the team sprint event. Despite turning 36 last week, 10-times world champion Hoy appears to be peaking at the right time, having won the keirin and sprint at the London World Cup last month, but remains wary of Kenny in Melbourne, where the world championships will carry the greatest weight for the team's Olympic selection. "I'm pleased I've done pretty well this year so far and, if I can have another good performance, hopefully it'll be enough," Hoy said in Melbourne yesterday. You're never 100 per cent confident, you just go in there and hope that your performances are enough but Jason's had a fantastic few years. Since Beijing, he's been there or thereabouts at almost all the championships, so it's great to have Jason there and he's world champion just now, so technically it's me that's knocking on the door trying to beat him. He's a great guy, we're good friends, we're room-mates here, we get on really well and, obviously, that changes when you get on the track. Bolton-born Kenny, who shares the same birthday as Hoy but is 12 years his junior, was awarded the 2011 world sprint title in January after Frenchman Gregory Bauge was stripped of his title for a doping violation. He was knocked out of the quarter-finals in a major shock at the London World Cup but has pledged to hit back hard at Melbourne. Hoy's victories in the keirin, team and individual sprint at Beijing made him the first Briton to clinch three Olympic golds in a single Games since Henry Taylor 100 years before. He said he would not have put himself in the running for London if he did not believe he could repeat the triple success. "I would love to repeat my performances at Beijing but, to be honest, I'm just going to go out there and do my best and just hope to win a gold medal," said Hoy, who also won the kilometre event at the 2004 Athens Games before it was scratched from the Olympic schedule. I could win two or three, that would be an amazing result but really my aim is to be Olympic champion in London. I would only enter an event if I believed I could win it. I wouldn't jeopardise a gold medal to win three silvers or a number of medals that weren't gold. Hoy, a member of Britain's national team since 1996, is bidding for his fourth Olympics after taking a silver on debut in the team sprint at the Sydney 2000 Games. Despite new blood pushing for selection, Hoy remains reluctant to talk of a perfect swansong at London and has his eye on the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow where the track cycling will be held in a velodrome bearing his name. "Thirty-six now," he sighed. You find yourself reflecting on all these previous years and trips and you're telling stories to younger guys and they kind of look at you with glazed expressions when you're talking about names of guys from years gone by and you suddenly realise you're almost double the age of some of the younger lads. I still love it as much as I did 12, 16 years ago... I think the ideal swansong would be to have a successful Games in London and then to go onto the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow because I've never actually raced internationally in my home country. So that would be the ideal swansong, the great dream, to do the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games.

Kia Optima - Road Tests - Motoring - The Independent Price: from £19,595 Engine capacity: 1.7 litres Top speed (mph): 125 0-60mph (seconds): 10.2 Fuel economy (mpg): 57.6 The Optima is a thing of beauty, and you don't get a chance to say that about a Kia very often. Sleek, smooth and classy, its looks in part a deliberate attempt to mimic the proportions of expensive rear-wheel drive luxury saloons. The Optima, like all of its Mondeo-class competitors, has front-wheel drive, but visual tweaks and hard work mean that, badges and grille apart, it looks a bit like a Jaguar. It's a real credit to Kia's design chief, ex-Audi man Peter Schreyer, who has played a vital role in the company's rise since 2006. Once you get inside, though, the Optima is, perhaps inevitably, a lot less Jag-like. Instead of good old British wood and leather, or classy touches like Jaguar's famous gear selector that automatically rises from the centre console when you start the engine, you get a fairly standard cabin that's broadly comparable with its competitors. That means it's roomy, tasteful and well-equipped - but not too exciting. The relevant comparison here, though, is with Kia's previous big saloon, the Magentis. In many areas, that now looks and feels not so much like the Optima's immediate predecessor but a car two, or perhaps even three, generations older, and nowhere is the difference more obvious than in the Optima's interior. Compared with the Magentis's old-school Korean detailing, the Optima's cabin is a shrine to the principles of surprise and delight. And the big advance compared with the Magentis is also very noticeable when you get out on the road. The Optima is a reasonably tidy handler but it's the new car's drive-train that represents the big step forward. In other markets there are several engine options, including petrols and hybrids but UK models are all being fitted with Kia's smooth and strong 1.7-litre diesel, at least for the time being, a sensible decision given local buyers' preferences. A few years ago, I'd probably have been telling you that this was another area in which comparisons with Jags, despite the Optima's flowing looks, were out of place, but now I'm not so sure; even Jaguar has bowed to the inevitable and started offering four-cylinder diesel engines in its big cars, so some XFs won't actually sound that different to an Optima. One area where an Optima can't quite match a Jag, though, is in terms of its optional automatic gearbox, which has six speeds, whereas Jaguar has started rolling out eight-speed boxes to most of its models. On the other hand, Magentis automatic were four-speeders, and the last time anyone got excited about one of those was probably around 1982. Although the Optima is a pretty decent effort, Kia doesn't expect it to sell in huge numbers in the UK; the Magentis had such a low profile here that the company is now effectively a new entrant in the hard-fought Mondeo class. That won't bother the Koreans, though, because much of the buzz generated by this car's glamorous looks will rub off on the rest of the Kia range, and they can already sell pretty much every Optima they can make to the Americans, who have gone for it in a big way. Kia seems to be pretty much unstoppable at the moment, and the Optima can only add to the momentum. The competition: The Optima is most likely to be competing for sales with its half-sister, the Hyundai i40, and the established champ among budget badge big saloons, the Skoda Superb.

Romney sets stage for dueling events with Obama in Ohio WASHINGTON, DC -- Mitt Romney set the stage on Wednesday for a showdown tomorrow that pit the presumptive GOP nominee and President Obama against each other at public campaign events in the same state for the first time in the general election. Romney, appearing at a lunch meeting of the Business Roundtable, a group of executives that has also previously hosted Obama, fired a shot across the bow of the president's campaign. The former Massachusetts governor warned that Obama's words on Thursday at a campaign event in Cleveland are "cheap," and make for no substitute for actual action to improve the economy. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney addresses the quarterly meeting of the Business Roundtable at the Newseum June 13, 2012 in Washington, DC. "He said, as you know, just a few days ago that the private sector is doing fine," Romney said, again dredging up the president's gaffe at a press conference on Friday. But the incredulity that came screaming back from the American people, I think, has caused him to rethink that, and I think you're gonna see him change course when he speaks tomorrow, where he will acknowledge that it isn't going so well, and he'll be asking for four more years. "My own view is that he will speak eloquently, but that words are cheap, and that the record of an individual is the basis upon which you determine whether they should continue to hold on to their job," Romney continued. The record is that we have 23 million Americans that are out of work or stopped looking for work or underemployed. That is a compelling and a sad statistic. Both Romney and Obama will court voters in the pivotal swing state of Ohio during separate events scheduled roughly for the same time of day. The president will speak in Cleveland, while Romney will appear in the Cincinnati area. Today, Romney emphasized his pro-business agenda in front of the group of like-minded executives, hitting Obama for tax and regulatory policies he said were averse to business. I happen to believe that if you look at his record over the last three and a half years, you will conclude as I have that it is the most anti-investment, anti-business, anti-jobs series of policies in modern American history. The reason that it has taken so long for this recovery to gain traction and to put people back to work is in large measure because of the policy choices the president made," Romney said. He is not responsible for whatever improvement we might be seeing. Instead, he's responsible for the fact that it's taken so long to see this recovery and the recovery's been so tepid. The Obama campaign quickly responded, calling Romney's characterization of the president's record "dishonest." "In another in a long line of "major" economic speeches, Mitt Romney made dishonest after dishonest claim about the President's record and failed to offer any new ideas of his own on how to improve the economy and strengthen the middle class," Obama campaign spokeswoman Lis Smith said in a statement. Contrary to Romney's rhetoric, the President took our nation from losing 750,000 jobs a month to adding 4.3 million private sector jobs over the last 27 months, worked to reduce burdensome business regulations, and has put forward a plan to create more jobs and reduce the deficit while asking every American to pay their fair share. After delivering remarks in the Newseum, a museum in the nation's capital dedicated to the preservation of the free press and the First Amendment, Romney took questions during a closed-press question-and-answer session. During his visit with the same group in May, President Obama also took questions after the press was escorted out of the room.

Libya challenges International Criminal Court's order to hand over Saif Gadhafi October 9, 2012 -- Updated 0900 GMT (1700 HKT) Saif Gadhafi, son of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, speaks during an interview with AFP in Tripoli on February 26, 2011. The two-day hearing is scheduled to run through Wednesday Libyan authorities want to try the son of late strongman Moammar Gadhafi in Libya Libya and the ICC have been arguing over his case since his arrest last November (CNN) -- The Libyan government argued Tuesday that it should not have to hand over Saif al-Islam Gadhafi to the International Criminal Court because the court in the Hague, Netherlands, does not have jurisdiction in the case. Gadhafi, son of deposed strongman Moammar Gadhafi, was facing an arrest warrant from the ICC for alleged crimes against humanity at the time of his capture in November 2011. The court is still seeking to prosecute him and wants him handed over. Gadhafi has been held in the Libyan city of Zintan since his capture. The two-day hearing is being held in the Hague. The ICC has demanded that Libya hand Gadhafi over to face accusations of crimes against humanity. Libya appealed the decision, saying that he should be tried at home. Court-appointed attorneys Melinda Taylor and Xavier-Jean Keita said in April that Gadhafi has been mistreated and "physically attacked" since his capture. In a strongly worded statement, the lawyers described Gadhafi as being in a legal black hole, held in total isolation except for visits from officials. He also suffers dental pain because he hasn't had treatment, and Libyan authorities have given him nothing to remedy the pain, the lawyers said. The Libyan government wants to prosecute Gadhafi itself, as it "regards the trial of Saif al-Islam and Abdullah al-Senussi as a matter of the highest national importance, not only in bringing justice for the Libyan people but also in demonstrating that the new Libyan justice system is capable of conducting fair trials (that meet all applicable international standards) in complex cases." Al-Senussi, who was Libya's chief of intelligence under Moammar Gadhafi's, is wanted by both the ICC and the Libyan government. He was arrested in Mauritania in March. The appeal document also seeks to answer ICC concerns about Saif al-Islam Gadhafi's well-being, saying the government "has expended considerable resources in order to ensure the safe and secure temporary custody" of Gadhafi in Zintan and is negotiating to bring him to the capital, where facilities would be better. Amnesty International has previously called on Libya to hand over Gadhafi. "An unfair trial before a Libyan court where the accused could face the death penalty is no way to guarantee justice and accountability," the rights group said. Amnesty has said that Libya does not have a functioning court system and the country was "unable to conduct effective investigations," so "the ICC will be crucial in delivering accountability in Libya." Libya and the ICC have been going back and forth since his capture about where Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, once his father's heir apparent, will be tried. Moammar Gadhafi died after his capture by opposition forces a year ago.

The Fear: Peter Mullan plays crime boss with Alzheimer's

Ice threatens fuel shipment to Alaska town Ice threatens fuel shipment to Alaska town - Life updated 2 hours 52 minutes ago Ice threatens shipment of fuel to Alaska town 'The worst case scenario is the ice becomes too much,' says Coast Guard official ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The pace of a seagoing fuel convoy slowed on Monday as thick ice threatened the hull of the tanker carrying an emergency shipment of diesel and gasoline for the town of Nome. "The worst case scenario is the ice becomes too much for the progress, and we aren't going to make it to Nome," said U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class David Mosley. The 370-foot tanker Renda, a Russian-flagged tanker hauling 1.3 million gallons of fuel, had been scheduled to arrive by Tuesday, accompanied by the U.S. Healy icebrearker. But the Coast Guard on Monday said the convoy's speed had been halved to 2 mph and that it had no estimated time of arrival with the ships still some 165 miles out. The town of about 3,500 people on the western Alaska coastline did not get its last pre-winter fuel delivery because of a massive storm. If the delivery is not made, the city likely will run short of fuel supplies before another barge delivery can be made in spring. The tanker is carrying diesel fuel loaded in South Korea and unleaded gasoline picked up in Dutch Harbor in southwestern Alaska. "I would be happy if we never ship through ice again," Sitnasuak Native Corp. chairman Jason Evans told the Alaska Dispatch.

Leary penning holiday-themed book - UPI.com Denis Leary performs in concert at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida on April 26, 2009. UPI Photo/Michael Bush NEW YORK, Feb. 29 (UPI) -- U.S. writer-actor Denis Leary is penning a Christmas-themed novelty book, which will be the first offering from Comedy Central's new publishing division. Leary's book will become available in October as part of the cable television network's deal with Running Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group. The announcement was made Wednesday by Michele Ganeless, president of Comedy Central, and Christopher Navratil, publisher of Running Press. The joint publishing relationship will build on established and developing brands of the cable network. Success today means reaching our fans on all different platforms. This publishing relationship is another example of the kind of extension that keeps Comedy Central the No. 1 brand in comedy," Ganeless said in a statement. "I am truly delighted to be in business with Running Press and deliver a funny Christmas book based on a special I did for Comedy Central 7 1/2 years ago," Leary said. Sorry for the delay, but I was a tad busy with 'Rescue Me,' two teenaged kids, two Red Sox World Series victories, the 17th Boston Celtic NBA championship, the Bruins winning the Stanley Cup and online porn. Mostly the porn.

Garrett Gilbert, Southern Methodist bash Fresno St. in Hawaii Bowl HONOLULU, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- Garrett Gilbert threw for a touchdown and ran for another Monday and Southern Methodist rolled to a 43-10 win over Fresno State in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. Gilbert finished 14-of-28 through the air for 212 yards with two interceptions and carried the ball 18 times for 98 yards for the Mustangs (7-6), who scored 22 points in the second quarter to secure the victory. Austin Fuller made four grabs for 84 yards and Der'rikk Thompson contributed five catches en route to 82 receiving yards for the victors, who took advantage of four Fresno State turnovers. Zach Line picked up 71 rushing yards on 19 carries in the win. Derek Carr threw for 362 yards on 33-of-54 efficiency with a TD and two pick-offs for the Bulldogs (9-4). Davante Adams made 13 grabs for 144 yards with a score in the loss.

Damien Duff available to Fulham for short trip to Reading Fulham winger Damien Duff is available for tomorrow's Barclays Premier League clash at Reading after recovering from an illness. Midfielder Simon Davies is still sidelined with a hip problem and misses out. Otherwise boss Martin Jol has a fully fit squad to select from. Provisional squad: Schwarzer, Stockdale, Riether, Kelly, Hangeland, Hughes, Senderos, Baird, Smith, Riise, Briggs, Sidwell, Duff, Diarra, Richardson, Kacaniklic, Kasami, Karagounis, Frei, Dejagah, Ruiz, Berbatov, Petric, Rodallega, Trotta.

Italy cruise ship passenger: "I had to swim ashore"

Tremors Halted With Painless, Non-Invasive Brain Surgery Phyllis Walker's hands used to shake so badly she had to stop eating at the dinner table with her family. "As a normal thing, I pretty much ate over the sink, so that I wouldn't spill things," the 77-year-old grandmother from Ivor, Va., said. I could not use a fork and knife, couldn't -- just didn't want to sit at the table and be embarrassed. Just four hours away in Burtonsville, Md., 56-year-old Dot Highberg was also losing control of her hands. She tried medication after medication, each working for awhile, but eventually, the shaking would return with a vengeance. The tremors were just getting worse and worse. It wasn't getting better and it wasn't going to get better," Highberg said. It looked like I was gonna be on medication for the rest of my life. Diagnosed with essential tremors, a neurological disorder that causes patients to lose control of their hands, heads and voices, both women were desperate for help. They were each forced to stop doing the things they loved. Walker, who has two grandsons serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, was no longer able to write letters to give them a grandmother's advice, or receive communion at church. The shaking was so bad that it started affecting her everyday life. I couldn't cook, because I couldn't measure ingredients without spilling them. I couldn't take things out of the oven. I was afraid I would spill those or burn myself," she said. I couldn't brush my teeth like I wanted to, because I would injure my mouth. For the women and an estimated 10 million other Americans who suffer from the disorder, life was a struggle. It was… a matter of not being able to have control. It's like the tremor had control of you -- you didn't have control of it," said Highberg. Until one day they both got the chance to take back control of their lives. Dr. Jeff Elias, associate professor of neurology at the University of Virginia, and his team were beginning a clinical trial for patients suffering from essential tremors -- using a technique stripped right from a scene in a science fiction movie. Elias was planning to use ultrasound waves, focused to a specific point located by using an MRI machine, to treat the part of the brain that was causing the shaking. "We're able to focus these 1,024 ultrasound beams to a single point and -- treat or -- or disrupt a lot of the tremor cells that are causing the problem," he said. Essentially tremor's a neuro-degenerative problem, like Parkinson's disease. And it probably develops from an abnormal circuitry in the brain. And we're able to treat that circuit and restore it to a more normal condition. Walker, who learned about the surgery from her daughter-in-law, immediately took interest. "It sounded like a miracle," she said. I was considering the deep brain surgery...I really didn't want to do that. She was accepted into the trial and underwent the procedure in August 2011 for the shaking in her right hand. The results were immediately clear -- once the four-hour procedure had ended, Walker's shaking had stopped. The doctors and nurses were able to test the patients while they were wide awake to make sure they were hitting the correct spot with the ultrasound waves. The girl was in there testing whether I could draw circles or write my name and so forth. And it was immediate. I could write my name," said Walker, who's handwriting was illegible just hours before. I was surprised -- very pleased. "This M.R.I.-guided focused ultrasound allows us to actually visualize the entire treatment, while it's being delivered," said Elias. And we still have the ability to interact with a patient and refine and polish the procedure. The procedure was unique not only in that it could safely and immediately deliver results, but also because it's reportedly pain-free and there is virtually no recovery time. Patients were required to stay overnight in the hospital for observation, but both were able to walk, talk and perform tasks that they weren't able to in years after they left the MRI machine. For Highberg, who underwent the procedure in October, the surgery was a miracle. "I was able to eat fruit without it falling off of the spoon, without it falling off the fork, I was able to drink without using both hands and without shaking," she said, amazed that she could complete such a simple task. " It was wonderful. Walker's quality of life has done a complete 180 degree turn. I feel much better. I feel like I can do most anything I want to do, for 77 years old," she said. I would do it again in a minute. For Elias, a successful trial using focused ultrasound surgery is just the tip of the iceberg. We could send ultrasound waves to almost any organ of the body. So cancers, strokes, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy. They're really all potentially treatable with this type of technology," he said. For the people undergoing the procedure, like Walker and Highberg, their lives are completely changed in that they can finally live normal lives. Highberg is now back to performing her passions -- quilting and cooking -- and is even thinking about picking up an old hobby -- playing the piano. After the surgery...I can do it, I can do it! I just wanna say I'm just, out there, I just can do it, You name it, I can do it," she said. I felt like, alright I am back to normal, I can be a normal person again. Yeah, it was really cool.

"Nightline" Daily Line, March 19: Apple's Stock Dividends And a happy Monday to us all. 2:31 p.m. ET: "Nightline" anchor Terry Moran tweets: 1:03 p.m. ET: We've heard of model-slash-actress, but model-slash-drug-kingpin? Ed Hardy model Simone Farrow was arrested in Australia today after skipping bail. She's accused of masterminding an international drug ring out of her Los Angeles apartment. Read all about it here. 12:45 p.m. ET: Unless you own Apple stock, the news that company's will begin paying shareholders billions of dollars in dividends doesn't necessarily directly affect the consumer. But, as ABC News contributor Joel Siegel points out, this move represents the i-giant's first major break with the direction set by its visionary co-founder and chief executive, Steve Jobs. So that begs the question, what could they do next with their mountains of money?

Helpdesk: Reclassifying properties throws puzzled residents into a spin Q: I have lived at my address since 2005 and have voted in two general elections plus local election. I have a postal vote, as I am 86 and living in very sheltered housing. So I was surprised to receive a letter from the Electoral Registration Office which read: "I understand you are now resident at the above address." I phoned and was told that City of Edinburgh Council had decided that each room occupied by a resident in sheltered housing would be termed a flat. When I phoned to say my "new" address was exactly the same as my old one I was corrected: No. Before, your address was Number 8 (street name). Now it is Flat 8 (street name). I rang City of Edinburgh Council's department for street names and was told: "This is news to me. We have number 8 as one house. Most residents are in receipt of housing benefit and pension credit. So we will now apply for council tax credit. Up till now most sheltered housing residents pay one sum each month - this includes a contribution towards council tax, rent, heating, lighting, water, food and cleaning. Is this bureaucracy gone mad? Or is it a council desperate for money? Or desperate for fewer voters? I think we should be told. JH, Edinburgh A: Edinburgh City Council looked into the matter and said that, despite what Mrs JH had been told, the decision to re- classify the property had been taken by the Joint Valuation Board. Graeme Strachan, the depute acessor, sent this response and promised to work more closely to keep residents informed about the changes. He said: "The property concerned was previously entered in the Valuation Roll upon which a liability for commercial rates would exist. Following a re-assessment of the physical sub division within the property and the level of services provided to residents, it was considered that in terms of council tax legislation individual council entries for each residence within the property was appropriate. This move from a single entry in the Valuation Roll to a number of entries in the council tax list has a consequential impact on the relevant electoral registration entries for the property and changes are also required to be made in this regard. As can be seen, this is a complex matter and I can appreciate that it has caused confusion and concern for the residents. In order to provide a full explanation I shall arrange with the housing association concerned for members of my staff to visit the residents and explain why these changes have taken place and what further action is available to them.

Illinois lawmaker loses temper on House floor after pension plan switch An Illinois Republican lawmaker lost his cool in a big way Tuesday while discussing his state's pension overhaul on the House floor -- shouting and throwing papers in a rant that has since gone viral. GOP state Rep. Mike Bost flew into a rage after leaders of the Democrat-controlled General Assembly submitted an 11th-hour plan to overhaul the state's pension fund that excludes Chicago residents from sharing in the financial burden. "You should be ashamed of yourselves," GOP state Rep. Mike Bost screamed as he stood on the House floor and flung copies of the bill. Enough, when is it going to stop? The bill would instead shift the costs to suburban and down-state school districts, which could result in an increase of local property taxes in those more conservative regions. The Democratic leaders and other supporters of the plan argue the proposed change is fair because the property taxes of Chicago residents pay the retirement fund for city public schools, while the state pays part of the fund for down-state teachers. "I really don't normally act that way," a more subdued Bost told Fox News on Wednesday. He said the flashpoint came when state House Speaker Michael J. Madigan submitted a new bill at 7:40 p.m. Tuesday, as lawmakers tried to bring the 2012 Assembly session to a close. "They pulled the rug out from under us," said Bost. The pension fund, which covers such unionized workers like teachers, lawmakers and prison guards, is under-funded by roughly $83 billion. In addition, Illinois has a $1.8 billion deficit. "You cannot continue to spend money you don't have," Bost added.

"Living Wills" of How to Unwind Big Banks Are Released Federal regulators released so-called living wills on Tuesday for nine of the nation's largest banks - blueprints for how they could be dismantled in the event of a collapse - but some analysts and other banking experts warned that they were still too big to fail without sending shock waves through the financial system. "The living wills are simply an exercise to make some people feel better," said Mike Mayo, an analyst with Crédit Agricole Securities. The living wills, released by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Federal Reserve, outline plans prepared by the banks, including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Citigroup, for their liquidation. These contingency plans represent one more bit of fallout from the 2008 financial crisis, when the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers caused the entire banking system to freeze up, prompting government guarantees for lending and outright aid for many of the largest banks. The financial sector has bounced back for the most part since then, but public ire over the bailout remains strong. As of July 1, financial institutions with more than $250 billion in assets were required to submit living wills as part of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law. Under the law, more than 100 financial institutions will be required to submit such plans. While the wills aim to avert another government rescue of banks and dispel the notion that some institutions are too big to fail, they fall short, analysts cautioned. "These are vast institutions that can't be neatly unwound," Mr. Mayo said. When Lehman Brothers collapsed in 2008, it had roughly $639 billion in assets. JPMorgan Chase, the nation's largest bank, has $2.3 trillion in assets. Testifying before Congress last month about a multibillion-dollar trading blunder at his bank, Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan's chief, railed against the notion that the bank was too big to fail and emphasized that in the event of a crisis, the living wills would help stem larger economic damage. But analysts pointed out that the big banks were so intertwined that if one failed, it would probably take others with it, making it unlikely that enough healthy banks would remain to buy assets from the ailing ones. In its submission, UBS said that only large competitors would probably be able to buy its operations in the event of a crisis. "The theory of the living wills is that a failing institution could sell its subsidiaries to some other buyers," said Dwight C. Smith III, a lawyer specializing in bank regulatory issues for Morrison & Foerster. But the truth is that there wouldn't be an obvious buyer. Living wills are a good idea in theory, but their actual value in a real crisis would be limited, said Chris Kotowski, a longtime bank analyst with Oppenheimer. "When a financial institution fails, it usually happens suddenly and in an unpredictable way, and someone has to write a check," he said. Even in the wake of an overhaul of financial regulations by Washington, there still isn't a government entity with the combined authority and resources to manage the collapse of a leading financial institution without the event causing a shock to the economy, he said. "Nobody had the authority or resources to seize an institution like Lehman and plug the holes," he said. Mr. Kotowski suggested the industry should be forced to set up and pay for a fund, with tens of billions of dollars, to come to the rescue of a failing institution in the event of another crisis, much as the F.D.I.C. guarantees the accounts in banks that go under. This rescue fund would have to be considerably larger than the F.D.I.C."s fund, which banks themselves contribute to, and have broad legal powers. "The tragedy is that we weren't prepared for Lehman and four years later, we still aren't," he said. Federal authorities need a way to dismantle banks with debt holders, as well as stockholders, feeling the pain, Mr. Kotowski added. When Citigroup was rescued during the financial crisis, for example, shareholders suffered heavily but debt holders came out whole. Another deficiency in the living wills, some former regulators said, is that they were not prepared by the executives who would respond in the event of another financial crisis. "They are an exercise while things are fine, prepared by lawyers and not representative of what might happen," said Mark Williams, a former Federal Reserve bank examiner and a professor of finance at Boston University. It's false hope, unfortunately. Much of the information contained in the living wills has been available in other public filings, including quarterly filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and annual reports. In some cases, banks gave an overview of their efforts to build capital and lower risk. Bank of America, for example, highlighted its sale of more than 20 noncore assets since the beginning of 2010, raising liquidity by more than $50 billion while also paring the bank's balance sheet. As part of the living wills, banks outline potential buyers in the event that they fail. Credit Suisse, for example, identified banks, hedge funds and securities firms as possible purchasers. Meanwhile, JPMorgan Chase said that its core businesses would be "highly attractive" to other firms. If regulators determine that banks" plans are not credible, they can force them to unload business units. The living wills are part of a larger debate about whether Dodd-Frank has made progress toward ending too big to fail. Mr. Williams, the former regulator, said that the wills are a step, but not a fundamental solution. "It is just a fire drill," he said.

Engagement Media Technologies Launches Interactive Platform For Global, Real-Time Communication Outlets MIAMI, Feb. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Engagement Media Technologies (EMT), an enterprise brand structured to empower global, real-time communication, announced today the launch of its much anticipated proprietary engagement distribution platform that services a variety of interactive outlets such as Engage.Me™, OneNews™, and Gevius™, which all fall under the StringFly™ mobile application. Stemming from the immense success of its interactive news portal for citizen reporters, One News, Engagement Media Technologies expanded its services and overall platform capabilities in order to meet the growing demand for engaging user experiences and content. Through the use of a single mobile application, StringFly™, consumers are able to share their mobile content on all of the company's platforms, allowing brand owners, news outlets and a variety of other organizations immediate access to a wealth of user generated data. StringFly™'s multi-faceted engagement components include three targeted areas, designed to reach specific markets. The first segment is Engage.Me™, which is a technology that enables consumers to connect directly with brand owners and advertisers through actionable experiences. Accompanied by Engage.Me™ is OneNews™, an interactive news portal for "citizen reporters" to upload text, photos and videos of breaking news as it happens, thereby providing news outlets the ability to crowd source on-the-spot coverage. Lastly is Gevius™, an information hub designed to give organizations vital information from consumers when they need it the most - from product compliance to security - via user generated text, photos and video intelligence. "The company has drawn upon extensive expertise to incorporate all of the latest technological advancements into easy-to-use consumer products and business solutions that meet the needs of diverse groups world-wide," says Engagement Media Technologies' CEO, Vincent Butta. The StringFly™ app is centered on engagement media, which is the evolution of interactive media - the next step forward from social media. With its global, real-time, two-way interactive communication, individuals and brands can correspond through the mobile and web, thus empowering consumers with a truly engaging social experience. StringFly™ is designed to empower users to create relevant and meaningful content centered on a branded experience or sponsored assignment. StringFly™ delivers a multimedia experience with user-generated content that includes photo, video, voice and text messaging all shared in real-time. Sponsored assignments keep users engaged in a "gamified" experience that offers rewards and incentives for completing tasks provided to users as various assignments, thereby allowing them to stay continually engaged with an ongoing purpose to elevate their status. Status points and other compensatory prizes are awarded to users who share their experiences with friends. About Engagement Media Technologies Engagement Media Technologies (EMT) is an enterprise brand structured to empower global, real-time communication between individuals and enterprises using proprietary digital and mobile technologies. EMT's mobile application, StringFly™, distributes a new level of engaging experiences allowing users to create relevant and meaningful content centered on an incentive-based, branded experience or sponsored assignment. StringFly™'s multi-faceted engagement components include three targeted areas: Engage.Me™, where consumers can connect directly with brand owners and advertisers; OneNews™, an interactive news portal for "citizen reporters" to upload text, photos and videos of breaking news as it happens; and Gevius™, an information hub designed to give organizations vital information from consumers when they need it the most - from product compliance to security - via user generated text, photos and video intelligence. Contact: Matt Caiola 5WPR +1-212-999-5585 mcaiola@5wpr.com SOURCE Engagement Media Technologies

Norway intervenes to avert oil industry closure By Vegard Botterli and Nerijus Adomaitis OSLO (Reuters) - Norway's government ordered on Monday a last-minute settlement in a dispute between striking oil workers and employers in a move to alleviate market fears over a full closure of its oil industry and a steep cut in Europe's supplies. The strike over pensions had kept crude prices on the boil with analysts expecting far quicker action by the government to stop the oil industry from locking out all offshore staff from their workplaces from midnight (2200 GMT) on Monday. Oil markets breathed a sigh of relief on news of the intervention and crude prices dropped in early Asian trade. Under Norwegian law, the government can force the striking workers back to duty and has done so in the past to protect the industry on which much of the country's economy depends. But it was slow to intervene in the latest dispute, which was in its third week, and did so on Monday only minutes before the start of the lockout, citing potential economic consequences. I had to make this decision to protect Norway's vital interests. It wasn't an easy choice, but I had to do it," Labour Minister Hanne Bjurstroem told Reuters after meeting with the trade unions and the Norwegian oil industry association (OLF). A full closure of output in Norway - the world's No. 8 oil exporter - would have cut off more than 2 million barrels of oil, natural gas liquids (NGL) and condensate per day. But the minister said her main concern was the potential cut in gas supplies. Norway is the world's second-biggest gas exporter by pipeline, with the majority of supplies going to Britain, the Netherlands France and Germany. "This could have had serious consequences for the trust in Norway as a credible supplier," she added. The oil and gas industry makes up about one-fifth of Norway's $417 billion economy. Leif Sande, leader of the largest labour union Industri Energi, representing more than half of 7,000 offshore workers, said workers would return to work immediately. It's very sad. The strike is over," he told journalists. The dispute has raised eyebrows in Norway, where oil and gas workers are already the world's best paid, raking in an average $180,000 a year. Offshore workers clock 16 weeks a year but cite tough conditions for their call for early retirement at 62. The oil industry had refused to budge. "I am very happy that the minister chose to end a conflict that has cost Norway and the oil companies large sums," said Gro Braekken, leader of the OLF. The OLF said the 16-day strike came at a cost of some 3.1 billion Norwegian crowns ($509 million). The next step is compulsory arbitration to define a new wage agreement. "With this decision we can see that whenever the oil industry says jump, the government listens," Hilde Marit Rysst, leader of union SAFE, told Reuters. We will never leave this issue - it is completely unthinkable to stop fighting for those who are worn out at 62. She said unions would push their issues at the next suitable opportunity. Norway is keen to retain its image as a reliable supplier of energy, but analysts have said the Labour-led coalition government was slow to intervene as it faces general elections in a year, and labour unions are important partners. On Monday, Labour Minister Bjurstroem said she believed the lockout was not necessary and the oil industry will have to take responsibility. About 10 percent of the 7,000 offshore workers have been on strike since June 24. Brent crude dropped more than $1 to below $99 per barrel in early Asian trade on Tuesday on news of the intervention, after surging to above $101 on supply fears in the previous session. The strike had choked off some 13 percent of Norway's oil production and 4 percent of its gas output. State-controlled Statoil, which operates the affected fields, said it would resume production immediately and would be back at full capacity by the end of the week. The last lockout in the offshore sector occurred in 1986, shutting down production on the Norwegian continental shelf completely, and lasted for three weeks before the government intervened. In 2004, the center-conservative government stepped in to avert a lockout. ($1 = 6.0881 Norwegian crowns) Additional reporting by Victoria Klesty; writing by Mia Shanley and Dmitry Zhdannikov; editing by James Jukwey, Carol Bishopric and Himani Sarkar

EU says Nobel Peace Prize will help restore hope The European Union's three presidents are in Oslo to receive the Nobel Peace Prize on Monday for its transformation from a continent in war to one in peace. There has been much criticism of the Nobel committee's decision because of the economic crisis the bloc is currently mired in but the European Council President's is confident that positive change is coming. Europe is going through a difficult period. We are working hard, jointly as a union, and in all individual member states, to overcome these problems. And I'm sure we will succeed, we want Europe to again become a symbol of hope," said Herman Van Rompuy. The crisp, cold air in the Norweigan capital has not chilled enthusiasm for the Nobel Peace Prize, but like elsewhere, people have mixed feelings about this year's recipients. "I think it's good for everyone to be together and I think the EU as a whole is stronger, so I think they deserve the prize," enthused one man. But another shopper in the capital disagreed: "Well, we think there are many other people who work for peace, perhaps better than the EU. The EU is so impersonal. Our correspondent in Oslo, Isabelle Kumar says: "Amid an acute economic crisis, growing social unrest, increasing division between member states, the EU could appear a dubious choice. Following the controversial decision to award the peace prize to President Obama in 2009, some warn the Nobel committee is skating on thin ice. More about: European Union, Herman Van Rompuy, José Manuel Barroso, Nobel Prize, Oslo

Exchange-traded funds: From vanilla to rocky road IF STANDARDISATION IS one way to make financial innovations catch on, mutation is another. By experimenting furiously with new products, the industry can hit on iterations that work. And once something has taken hold, a host of incremental changes follow as firms compete for custom. "Any good idea is immediately copied and propagated like a virus," says Robert Litan of the Kauffman Foundation. If it's a bad virus, then you have a pandemic. The industry does little patenting. On the retail side there is some attempt to protect new technologies, but for capital-markets businesses this is not a priority. In a global ranking of firms assigned patents in America in 2011, drawn up by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services, the first financial firm in the list was American Express - in joint 259th place. One reason may be that in the capital markets ideas require liquidity to take off: the more institutions that imitate an instrument, the deeper liquidity is likely to be. Another is that copying is easy. "A financial product is about as conceptual as you can get," says Wilson Ervin, a senior adviser at Credit Suisse. You just need paper and ink. A patent has to be published after a year or so, enabling rivals to design around it. In any case, monetising an idea immediately opens the door to copying because of disclosure requirements under securities laws. Mr Ervin reckons that firms have a window of three to four months before rival products appear. It does not help that clients shop around to see if they can get the same sort of thing cheaper from another firm. There are cultural and technical barriers to using patents, too, according to Karen Hagberg of Morrison and Foerster, a law firm. The targets for enforcement would be other financial institutions and they are hesitant to sue each other. As a result, in the past courts have been asked to decide relatively few patent-litigation cases in the financial-services industry. Without an existing body of law to provide some insight into how courts would decide relevant issues in the future, such as what constitutes an infringement and how to calculate damages, it is riskier to call in the lawyers. Instead, products are left to spawn and mutate at their own pace, and not always in a healthy way. Few instruments so encapsulate the mutability of financial products as the exchange-traded fund, or ETF. No one has a bad word to say about the concept. Invented in the late 1980s by the Toronto Stock Exchange, the ETF is in essence a cheap mutual fund: a basket of securities that tracks an index, is wrapped in a fund structure and is listed on an exchange so that investors can trade in and out whenever they want. They are cheap and tax-efficient, and they allow retail investors access to diversified portfolios of assets that had previously been the sole preserve of institutional investors. "If you were inventing the mutual-fund industry today, it would look like this," says Salim Ramji, a consultant at McKinsey. Even so, the product did not gain momentum immediately. According to Dan Draper, who runs Credit Suisse's ETF business, the spark to spectacular growth came only after the dotcom bust had underscored the importance of diversification. The rise of fee-based financial advice also pushed more investors towards ETFs. In recent years the instrument has built up huge momentum (see chart 3), and the 2007-08 financial crisis did nothing to slow it. The number of ETFs on the market in America has mushroomed from 343 in 2006 to 1,098 in December 2011. A recent McKinsey report forecasts that global assets under management in exchange-traded products, a broader universe of listed portfolio-tracking products, could grow from about $1.5 trillion in 2010 to $3.1 trillion-$4.7 trillion in 2015. Finance's infectious creativity is again on full display. You can buy ETFs that are sharia-compliant, that invest in clean-energy stocks, that focus on emerging-market local-government debt, and many, many more. "We'll stop creating ETFs when you stop having ideas," boasts the website of iShares, BlackRock's ETF arm. Other exchange-traded products allow investors to gain exposure to commodities, from gold to palladium. In August 2011 the SPDR Gold Trust briefly wrestled the crown for the world's largest ETF from a fund tracking the S&P 500. Such vibrancy looks like a victory for the investor over the fund manager. Yet ETFs have lost some of their lustre recently as the debate about their potential risks has become more vocal. That debate started in spring 2011 as both the IMF and the Financial Stability Board (FSB), a global watchdog, voiced concerns about the instrument's hidden trapdoors. It was given further impetus by fierce disagreements within the industry about what kinds of products should bear the label "ETF." And it demonstrates just how hard it is to control the development of a financial innovation. Roughly speaking, there are two worries about ETFs. One is that they have become remarkably successful, and the other is that they are opaque. Their success is something that regulators fret about more than the industry does: in finance, anything systemic is a potential threat. The absolute size of the ETF market is relatively modest compared with estimated global assets under the control of fund managers of $100 trillion or more. But the institutions at its heart - in particular, investment banks such as Deutsche Bank and Société Générale - are huge, which makes people worry about how an ETF crisis might play out more broadly. And the rapid take-up of ETFs in itself is enough to cause concern. "If something is growing fast over a period of several years and attracting a broader set of players and new entrants, that is an alarm bell," says Nigel Jenkinson of the FSB. Inscrutable If ETFs had remained the "plain vanilla" products they were in their earliest incarnations, the regulators would have found little to get alarmed about. What troubles them is the instrument's opacity. The industry is still dominated by physical products, with fund managers going out and buying each individual constituent of the index they are tracking. But there is a slice of the ETF market, making up a little over 10% of global assets under management and concentrated in Europe, that is "synthetic." This means that the returns generated by the fund come from a swap with a counterparty, often an affiliate of the fund manager. Instead of using investors" cash to buy the underlying securities, the money is put into a basket of collateral whose returns are swapped with a counterparty for the returns of the index being targeted. That spooks plenty of people because it exposes investors to counterparty risk. If the swap counterparty defaults, that leaves the investor holding the contents of the collateral basket as security. This collateral may not bear even a passing resemblance to the assets that the ETF is ostensibly tracking. And some regulators worry that banks purposely choose synthetic structures so that they can dump their illiquid assets into the collateral basket and get funding that they otherwise could not. The fear that some investors may not understand what they are getting themselves into extends to other products. Exchange-traded notes, or ETNs, may sound like ETFs, but they are essentially unsecured debt instruments issued by banks. Another set of ETFs that are souped up by leverage and seek to make daily returns are particularly exposed to an effect called "compounding." Imagine a 10% rise on a $100 investment on day one, followed by a 10% fall on day two: the value of the investment will end up being $99, not $100, as many people intuitively assume. Now add in leverage designed to double the movements of the investment, so each day sees a 20% swing: the result will be an investment worth just $96. This compounding effect is also at work in "inverse" ETFs, which are designed to make money when markets fall. The risks inherent in leveraged and inverse products manifest themselves most in times of volatility. In October BlackRock put itself on the side of the angels by issuing a paper calling for better disclosure around derivatives-backed products, so that investors are clear about the identity of counterparties, the composition of collateral and so on, and for the use of multiple counterparties rather than a single swap dealer. It also outlined proposals for a formal classification of exchange-traded products so that only some instruments can be called ETFs. "I fear that an exchange-traded product will break down one of these days and the worry is that it will poison the entire sector," says Mark Wiedman, the head of iShares. BlackRock's boss, Larry Fink, has sounded warnings based on his own experience helping to pioneer mortgage-backed securities. "I do believe we have some responsibility for making sure that the market does not morph itself, the same way when I started in the mortgage market 35 years ago, watching a great market morph into a monster," he told a conference in November. Rivals claim that BlackRock's approach is self-serving: it is one of three dominant providers in America and offers a range of products made up almost exclusively of physical ETFs. Providers of synthetic ETFs argue that there is plenty of counterparty risk in physical funds, too, because the funds" securities are routinely being lent out to other investors in return for collateral. Derivatives have long been a feature of the ETF market in Europe. They are allowed by the EU's UCITS fund-management directives, which means that the synthetic products are tightly regulated. For example, the rules require the overnight market value of the collateral to be at least 90% of the value of the securities. And although much of the debate focuses on the retail investor, this product is heavily used by institutional investors too. Like the Red Queen in Alice Through the Looking-Glass, the regulators will always have to keep running just to stand still There are also perfectly good reasons to use derivatives when it is hard to run a fund as a physical structure, perhaps because of restrictions on investing directly in an asset such as commodities. "The row over synthetic versus physical ETFs is not helping regulators to have a clear view," says Patrice Berge-Vincent, a French regulator who is preparing a report on the product for IOSCO, a global body of securities supervisors. It depends on each individual ETF as to how dangerous things are. Providers of leveraged products, meanwhile, point out that leveraged mutual funds have existed for more than 15 years. ProShares, a provider of leveraged funds (or exchange-traded instruments, in BlackRock's proposed taxonomy), is irreproachably clear about the risks of compounding. Michael Sapir, its boss, believes that his customers are knowledgeable and use the products appropriately to manage risk or pursue investment opportunities. That said, it is difficult to argue against a call for more transparency or against the model of innovation governance exemplified by the debate on ETFs. Regulators congratulate themselves on having made the industry more introspective and point out that disclosure practices have improved immeasurably since they started waving red flags in the spring of last year. Most people in the industry seem to think that the end result of this debate will be some kind of product classification. Among customers the wind seems already to be blowing in favour of physical products. "Client demand is changing," says Mr Draper at Credit Suisse, which converted four swaps-based funds to physical ones last year. Perpetuum mobile It is in the nature of finance that experimentation never stops, however. So it is with ETFs. The pressure to innovate will intensify as competition increases. The McKinsey report reckons that the number of ETF managers in America has grown tenfold in the past decade. That guarantees the industry will keep pushing forward with new products. Mr Wiedman believes that there is still lots of room for growth in physical ETFs, not just in equities but in fixed income, too. Products could also move into ever more exotic areas in order to deliver higher returns, which may yet shove the pendulum back in the other direction and require the use of more derivatives to replicate the desired exposures. Intriguingly, there is plenty of talk of active ETFs that would combine elements of discretionary stock selection and the tracking of a benchmark. No one is sure how this would work, not least because it would require managers to reveal their strategies to marketmakers, but this is one of those rare areas where patents have been filed. All of these possibilities will require continuing vigilance on the part of financial watchdogs. Like the Red Queen in Alice Through the Looking-Glass, the regulators will always have to keep running just to stand still. The FSB paper points out that branching out from equities into other asset classes means moving into markets where liquidity is thinner, for example. If an ETF is active, presumably sometimes investors do not know what is in their portfolio as managers make discretionary bets: that hardly sounds transparent. Fiercer competition will also encourage providers to make more money from lending securities, which means that even investors in physical products could end up exposed to rising levels of counterparty risk. And all forms of growth will increase the weight of ETFs in determining stock prices, a prospect that worries people like Mr Litan. He argues that less liquid, smaller stocks already get buffeted by wider movements in index-tracking ETFs of which they are constituents, and that buying and selling bundles of stocks leads to excessive correlations between them. Whatever the merits of this argument, it opens the door to others: about the efficiency of modern markets, the consequences of passive investing, and in particular the role of the most turbocharged financial innovation of all: high-frequency trading.

Wanted: Woman Who Took Joy Ride on Manatee Courtesy: Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Authorities in Florida are searching for a mystery woman who hitched an illegal ride on the back of a manatee. Deputies from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office responded to a call at Fort De Soto Park Sunday afternoon after a concerned witness reported a woman riding a manatee in the waterway. Witnesses provided deputies with photographs of the woman on her joy ride and a description of her, but they were unable to locate her in the area. No manatees were believed to have been injured, but the woman could face a second degree misdemeanor charge for disturbing the mammal, police said. The Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act states, "It is unlawful for any person at any time, by any means, or in any manner intentionally or negligently to annoy, molest, harass, or disturb or attempt to molest, harass, or disturb any Manatee."

Home improvements: how to maximize your space in town or country Like others during the recession, Charles and Fenella have also just converted a small barn as a holiday let to create a further income stream. It is about how to get the most out of our home. We built a wooden field shelter for the sheep and now our lovely barn can make a little money. The sheep appear not to mind. Outbuildings are what house buyers are looking for now. All the clients on the books of Linda Jeffert of Stacks Property Search (01672 540927) have asked for sheds and barns. "People are looking at buying for the long term, so they want something to improve or add value to," she says. Fenella has made significant changes which add value to the house and to their quality of life, so value has been added in two different ways. The switch to homeworking as people adapt to hard economic times (over 2.3 million now run a business from home) means that creating work space is now highly desirable, while adding baubles like swimming pools and Jacuzzis has fallen from favour. "People are spending money on kitchens, bathrooms and attic conversions," says Linda. Rooms over garages are popular and not so expensive to do, or people add posh sheds. The ideal is to separate work space from home because if you work in the house you are much more likely to be disturbed or distracted. It makes a house more saleable. "People are thinking more strategically about their homes," says Sandy Mitchell, former editor of Country Life who recently launched an architectural agency called RedBook (redbookagency.com) to match architects to clients. He has seen home owners make clever moves such as dividing town house gardens into two and building on the second plot, or taking a Fifties house near the sea to add a whole new floor and catch the sea view. "If people want to modernise barns or do wonderful extensions, we want to help them find the right architect out of the 33,000 in this country," he says. Going for the best is one way to ensure you get the uplift you want. The same is true in the city. In 2006, Christopher and Emma Turner bought a three-bedroom Victorian house in the Bellevue Road pocket of Balham highly prized by families. "I just fell in love with it and I knew there was potential," says Emma. The previous owners had already pushed out the kitchen and extended it into the side return to make a large family room. They had also built a summerhouse with heating, electrics and phone lines which Christopher, a neurologist, uses as an office. "In 2010 we added a second floor at the back to create another bedroom," says Emma. Then we remodelled the loft to use space in the eaves and turn one bedroom into two. They did their research thoroughly. We asked an estate agent what people here want from their houses and they said they definitely wanted five bedrooms. A lot want a room for a nanny. They haven't dug out the basement as many have, but they have put a washing machine, dryer, spare fridge and freezer in the basement area. As we speak, two-year-old Toby and his friend scamper round the big downstairs kitchen in tiger and monkey outfits, before going with their mother to fetch Toby's sister Sophie from school. "We thought hard about whether we would get our money back but this is such a lovely family area with good schools, street parties in the summer, creative mornings and all kinds of activities," says Emma. Douglas & Gordon (020 8673 0191) is asking £1.8 million. As a four-bedroom house in the road recently sold at £1.095 million, the uplift in value is clear. Splitting a garden in two to create a second plot for a whole new house is an even bolder stroke. Robin Guy took the garden of a house in Glenthorne Road in London's Hammersmith and built Redmore House with three double bedrooms, a terrace and courtyard opening onto Redmore Road behind, which he is now selling through Douglas & Gordon (020 8563 7100) at £995,000. "When I looked at the house, the estate agent said there was room to build a garage," says Robin. I thought I could do better than that. It is a very tight space so I dug out the basement and used lots of glass to bring light in. It took 18 months to get planning permission, as it is in a conservation area, but we go it in the end. The new home improvements Open-plan layouts Extensions Home work space Posh sheds Wood floors Peel-back glass garden doors En suite bathrooms for stay-at-home young adults Swimming pools Tennis courts Mega makeovers Over-complex technology Extravagance

Elsewhere on Wednesday, Krugman plan for world domination moves to phase Reddit. Ishmael plan for world domination moves to phase Percolate. Stephen King is f@%&ing angry he isn't being taxed enough. Why no EU bank is safe. Coming to America: the Japan tsunami debris edition. How the unconscious leads us to make weird banking decisions. Status, ribbons and Lionel Richie at the Milken Conference. The solar tipping point. This entry was posted by FT Alphaville on Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012 at 8:20 and is filed under Uncategorised.

N.F.C. West Team Needs - NYTimes.com Thanks to the gluttony of N.F.L. draft hype, many fans have an idea of each team's major needs. This series will take a look at a more hidden weakness for each team. We'll make a quick mention of the "obvious need" just to fend off the "how could you ignore such-and-such!?" comments. We begin with the N.F.C. West. Arizona Cardinals Obvious need: Pass rusher, No. 2 cornerback Thanks to the defensive coordinator Ray Horton's blitz-happy scheme, the Cardinals finished tied for seventh in the league in sacks last season. Nevertheless, no defense can be great if it has to meticulously manufacture all of its pressure. If Horton wants to build the Steelers of the West, he needs a dynamic outside linebacker. At corner, ex-Steeler William Gay was signed, but that was to fill the larger-than-you-think void left from Richard Marshall's departure. The team has little confidence in the youngster A.J. Jefferson. Hidden need: Offensive tackle It might be hard to classify this need as "hidden" given how embarrassingly porous Arizona's front five has been at times. But surely some casual fans out there, seeing that the former No. 5 overall pick Levi Brown was re-signed this off-season, assume that the fifth-year pro is adequate. He's not. Brown was re-signed only because he'd been cut a few days earlier. Brown lacks initial quickness in pass protection and absorbs, rather than delivers, blows in the run game. He gets by because he's a 330-pounder (give or take). But at best, he's a middle-tier N.F.L. right tackle. The problem is, the Cardinals start him on the left side because they have no other options. Current starting right tackle Jeremy Bridges is a big liability. San Francisco 49ers Obvious need: Quarterback, Wide Receiver They've addressed both of these areas by re-signing Alex Smith and bringing in Mario Manningham and Randy Moss. But with all three of these players, particularly Smith and Moss, questions still linger about how effective they'll be in 2012. The fact that the Niners didn't invest big money or long-term years in any of these guys tells you they themselves are asking that question. Hidden need: Running back They're fine for 2012, especially with Brandon Jacobs coming aboard. But Jacobs, like incumbent Frank Gore, is nearing 30. He slowed last season. Gore has been an admirable stalwart for seven years but has a long history of injuries. If that suddenly catches up to him the way it has for most runners with his age and mileage, the Niners could decide not to carry his $3.3 million salary in 2013. During the second half of last season, it was apparent that the fourth-round rookie Kendall Hunter was giving the run game a jolt. With few glaring needs to address, San Francisco can afford to draft a running back as a luxury pick if the right guy is available. Seattle Seahawks Obvious need: Linebacker As it stands, if the season started today, their starting linebacking corps could look like this: Adrian Moten, K.J. Wright, Heath Farwell. That's a great group....if you're covering a punt. Hidden need: Wide Receiver Doug Baldwin was a breakout star in the slot last year, but what about the two outside spots? Sidney Rice can fill one of them, if healthy. That's become somewhat of a big "if" with him. And he has never had a particularly productive season without Brett Favre hurling him the ball. Mike Williams was paid and, predictably, seemed to slow, and he already had limited speed. Golden Tate remains a mystery leaning toward the "underachieving" side. He'll compete with the plodder Ben Obomanu for snaps. This could be a terrible group or a suddenly sensational group (they'll probably get more stable quarterback play from Matt Flynn than they got from Tarvaris Jackson). Either way, this is a corps that would benefit from more talent and competition. St. Louis Rams Obvious need: Wide Receiver Or, more accurately, "wide receiver times 3." They have plenty of role players but no starter to fear. Among the other needs are.... arguably every general position except quarterback. Maybe there's nothing hidden about the eventual need to replace a battering-Ram like Steven Jackson, who turns 29 in July. But with the number of outlandish holes St. Louis has - offensive line, defensive tackle, defensive end depth, linebacker, cornerback depth and, perhaps, safety - it will be easy to overlook an heir to Jackson. Understandable; can't blame the Rams for fixing holes before fixing mere cracks. That said, we couldn't cry foul if the Rams went for an especially skilled running back. Follow @Andy_Benoit E-mail andy.benoit@nfltouchdown.com

Asia shops for aircraft, arms under China's shadow SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Asian nations shopped for aircraft and military hardware at the region's biggest aerospace and weapons bazaar on Tuesday as a new report said China's defense spending would exceed the combined spending of all major countries in the region within three years. Aircraft and weapons manufacturers, military officers, arms dealers and airline executives rubbed shoulders as the 2012 Singapore Airshow kicked off in a vast hangar near the city-state's Changi airport. Deals worth about $10 billion were announced at the last show in 2010 and the number could well be higher this year as Asian nations ramp up defense spending. Among the early deals announced on Tuesday was an order given to Raytheon Corp by Boeing Co for advanced radar systems on eight of its P-81 anti-submarine and anti-surface surveillance aircraft being sold to the Indian navy. India signed a $2.1 billion deal with Boeing for eight P-81 planes in 2009, according to media reports. The first of the aircraft is scheduled to be delivered to India this year. On the civilian side, Boeing signed its largest ever order for commercial aircraft, a $22.4 billion deal with Indonesia's Lion Air. The deal was originally announced in November. IHS Jane's said in a report that while all major Asian nations are forecast to increase spending on defense, China's military budget will soar to $238.20 billion by 2015 from $119.80 billion last year, growing about 18.75 percent per annum. That number will exceed spending by all other nations in the region combined, but compares with a base U.S. defense budget of $525.40 billion for 2013. In Asia, Japan and India follow China in defense spending, but both may be constrained in coming years while China is likely to steam ahead, underpinned by strong economic growth, analysts said. Japan's government debt and the investment needed after Fukushima will impact defense spend. We will increasingly see budget channeled towards key programs and equipment," said Rajiv Biswas, chief economist in the Asia-Pacific for IHS Global Insight. India's government debt and fiscal deficit is very high as a share of GDP, and the rupee depreciated significantly in 2011, all of which will limit India's defense ambitions. Nevertheless, Japan's defense budget is forecast to rise to $66.60 billion by 2015 from $60.30 billion last year. India's military expenditure is likely to be $44.90 billion in 2015 from $35.40 billion in 2011. "China's rise is not the only motivator," said Paul Burton at IHS Jane's. There are a number of lingering security issues, driven by competition for untapped natural resources, that are prompting many states to increase their defense to GDP ratio. China itself prefers to indigenously build almost all its military requirements, but it is hawking its planes and weapons at the show as well. Considerable interest at the show's CATIC pavilion was shown in China's Harrier 1 unmanned surveillance aircraft and the JF-17 fighter jet built in collaboration with Pakistan. CATIC, or China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corp, is the country's biggest company for the trade of aviation and defense products. Europe's carbon emissions scheme and by defects plaguing the Airbus A-380 and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner are other issues likely to dominate the show. The EU's Emissions Trading Scheme, introduced on January 1, has drawn howls of protest from airlines around the world, with China banning its carriers from taking part. Europe's plan to charge airlines for carbon emissions could trigger a full-blown trade war with implications for plane deals and Europe's crippling sovereign debt crisis. Meanwhile, the discovery of hairline cracks on part of the frame inside A380 wings several weeks ago has embarrassed its maker, Airbus Industries, a unit of EADS. European safety authorities last week extended inspections for similar cracks to the entire fleet. Boeing has said it has found a problem with the 787's fuselage, but has said the "incorrect shimming" is easily fixed and will not affect production schedules. Shims are used to close tiny gaps in joints. Additional reporting by Tim Hepher and Harry Suhartono in SINGAPORE and Sakthi Prasad in BANGALORE; Editing by Matt Driskill

MSP Drew Smith wants organ donation presumed consent law

Sony confirms upcoming tablet computer TOKYO, July 17 (UPI) -- Sony says it will introduce a tablet computer by the end of the year to join its current Tablet P and Tablet S models launched last year, CIO Asia reported. Sony representatives did not discuss details of the unit or the exact timing of the release but one spokesperson told Britain's PC the new device would be released before Christmas. Sony's Tablet S and Tablet P models run Google's Android operating system, but it is unclear whether the upcoming tablet will stay with that OS or offer something different such as Windows 8, CIO Asia said. Sony could choose to offer different models of the new tablet for both Windows 8 and the next version of Android, 4.1 Jelly Bean. Windows 8 will launch by the end of October and almost all vendors are looking to offer a tablet for Microsoft's OS. Sony was not alone in announcing tablet plans, as HTC told PC Advisor it would be launching a follow-up to its Flyer tablet in Britain.

Nearly a million young people are 'Neet' The number of young people not in school, work or training has edged closer to a million, official figures revealed today. Over 950,000 people aged between 16 to 24 in England is now considered "Neet" (not in education, employment or training), according to data published by the Department for Education (DfE). Today's statistics showed that 954,000 young people were classed as Neet in the first three months of the year, compared to 925,000 in the same quarter a year ago. The figure was a record high for the first quarter of a year. The new figure of 954,000 is 143,000 higher than in the first three months of 2008. A Government spokesman said: "The number of young people not in education, employment or training has been too high for too long. We are driving up standards right across the schools system to bring the numbers down. We are investing almost £1 billion in the Youth Contract to support 16-24-year-olds into education, training and work. We are creating the biggest apprenticeships programme our country has ever seen and have launched the National Careers Service to provide expert advice. We are also overhauling vocational education, so all employers can be confident about the skills of our young people and the rigour of our qualifications.

Gibraltarian and Spanish police clash over fishing row

RBS calls for bids by end of month US investment bank Lazard has been hired by RBS to run the process, which could see the bank offload businesses such as equities and corporate finance. Consultants from McKinsey & Co have been advising RBS, which is 83pc owned by the taxpayer, on the plans. Senior managers in the investment bank have been required to submit multiple sets of plans for their businesses as RBS looks at a range of options. Among the businesses likely to be offloaded is the Hoare Govett corporate broking buisness, which could be sold on its own or as part of the complete disposal of the bank's equity business. Last month, George Osborne, the Chancellor, said he supported plans for RBS to dramatically shrink its investment banking arm. Stephen Hester, chief executive of RBS, is expected to announce the results of the strategic review of the markets division no later than the bank's full-year results on February 23. Mr Hester is known to be keen to announce details of any disposals when he makes the announcement, hence the pressure on potential buyers to make clear their intentions before the end of the month. The shrinkage of the global banking and markets division could see the size of its balance sheet fall from about £450bn to less than £200bn.

Lance Armstrong's Tour de France years are cast into the dark ages of cycling by UCI With the eyes of world sport on cycling following the downfall of its greatest champion, the UCI has bought time with the establishment of the independent panel. It has also shown a willingness to listen to those inside the sport with both the riders" union and the teams" association calling for just such a step. But the commission will have to be fully independent to have any credibility. In 2005 a similar commission set up by the UCI to investigate doping allegations against Armstrong was described by Wada as "so lacking in professionalism and objectivity that it borders on farcical." The board released a statement entitled the "UCI takes decisive action in wake of Lance Armstrong affair." It is a claim that is unlikely to mollify critics such as Greg LeMond, who earlier this week begged Verbruggen and McQuaid to go. "As I said on Monday, UCI is determined to turn around this painful episode in the history of our sport," said McQuaid. We will take whatever actions are deemed necessary by the independent commission and we will put cycling back on track. Today, cycling is a completely different sport from what it was in the period 1998-2005. Riders are now subject to the most innovative and effective anti-doping procedures and regulations in sport. Nevertheless, we have taken these additional decisive steps in response to the grave concerns raised. The last independent commission set up by the UCI was led by Dutch lawyer Emile Vrijman and investigated the alleged use of EPO use on the 1999 Tour, the first won by . That report ended up criticising WADA, its head Dick Pound and the French anti-doping laboratories used for the testing. The riders were exonerated. The task of clawing back the money from Armstrong is highly complex.The winnings were paid by different race organisers and federations in countries across the world. As it was not the UCI's money, it cannot sue Armstrong for its return but has offered to support the federations and organisers considering action. The commission will also be asked to examine whether convicted dopers can be thrown out of the sport for good. One recommendation could be to adopt Team Sky's zero tolerance policy, though that may be seen as legally problematic. The Kimmage libel case was due in court in Switzerland on Dec 12. Kimmage was made redundant by the Sunday Times last year and in an unusual move, McQuaid, Verbruggen and the UCI decided to sue him as an individual rather than take on his newspaper. An online fund was set up by two cycling websites to help with his legal bills and had raised more than £50,000 thanks to publicity by LeMond and other figures in cycling. The panel will probe Kimmage's allegation that the UCI accepted a donation from Armstrong and overlooked a positive doping test by him during the 2001 Tour of Switzerland. McQuaid faced intensive questioning over those allegations at a press conference in Geneva on Monday and described as "absolute rubbish" allegations that the board was paid £100,000 in hush money by Armstrong in two separate donations. I'm very privileged to be elected to UCI president. I will not accept to be called corrupt," said McQuaid. But his position has been weakened by the weight of bad publicity this week and it appears a final decision on pursuing the libel has been taken out of his hands and given to the independent commission. British Cycling President Brian Cookson said "nothing must be off the agenda" when the UCI's independent commission starts work. "The UCI has taken another worthwhile step in its response to the USADA investigation into Lance Armstrong," said Cookson who flew to Switzerland yesterday to attend the UCI meeting before returning to Manchester to host a British Cycling tirbute dinner for its many 2012 champions. Germany's Jan Ullrich, who finished runner-up to Armstrong three times in the Tour de France, would appear to be indifferent to the UCI's decision not to upgrade those riders who finished behind Armstrong. "I've ended my career and I have always said that I'm proud of my second places," said Ullrich, who was second in 2000, 2001 and 2003. It doesn't really bother me that much. Ullrich, Tour champion in 1997, was himself found guilty of doping by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in February.

Thanksgiving Day marked with parades, feasts in wake of Sandy NEW YORK (Reuters) - Americans celebrated Thanksgiving by cheering parades and cooking sumptuous feasts, some sharing the bounty at East Coast emergency shelters to say thanks for what they still had after Superstorm Sandy caused widespread damage throughout the region. "We're trying to do it Pilgrim style," said Louis DeCarolis, 51, roasting a turkey in a fire pit marked by an American flag and dug into the front yard of his son's home in Rockaway Beach, Queens, that lost power when it was flooded by the deadly storm. At an emergency shelter at a church in another coastal community, Belle Harbor, Queens, red cloths graced tables groaning with trays of stuffing and pumpkin pies for people displaced by the historic storm that destroyed homes and businesses in New York and New Jersey. Earlier in the day, the holiday kicked off with cheering crowds lining New York City streets for the 86th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the largest public event so far in a city still recovering from the storm. Under warm and clear skies, children climbed atop police vans and on their parent's shoulders to get a better view of an enormous inflatable Hello Kitty prowling between skyscrapers along with 15 other gigantic balloons, including a 60-foot-tall Kermit the Frog balloon and a huge Charlie Brown. The parade, which typically draws 3.5 million spectators and 50 million television viewers, also featured 28 floats, 11 marching bands, thousands of cheerleaders and dancers and Santa Claus. Macy's provided seats for some 5,000 people affected by Sandy, which inundated lower Manhattan with seawater, damaged shorelines and destroyed homes in New Jersey and New York. The October 29 storm killed 132 people in the United States and Canada. Basting his turkey in the fire pit a block from the beach, DeCarolis said he planned to deliver it to a homebound neighbor and her disabled child who are still without power. I'd rather give it to them. We have a lot to be thankful for - we didn't lose any loved ones," said DeCarolis, a building cleaner now homeless after his basement apartment was destroyed by the historic storm surge. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the city, in partnership with local community organizations and businesses, was providing 26,500 Thanksgiving meals for people hardest hit by the storm. Editing by Barbara Goldberg, Stacey Joyce and Andrew Hay

Should we raise the Medicare age?

Plane crashes in Nepal, 19 dead 27 (UPI) -- A Nepalese plane with tourists aboard, flying from Kathmandu to Lukla near Mount Everest, crashed early Friday, killing all 19 aboard, Nepalnews.com reported. The plane crashed near Bhaktapur minutes after taking off from Kathmandu, the report said. Nepalnews said the nationalities of the tourists were not immediately known, but they were believed to be foreigners on a trekking rip. Most tourists planning a trip to Everest, the world's tallest peak, usually fly to Lukla before embarking on a two- to three-day trek to the foot of the Himalayan peak. The plane, owned by a private airline, had a three-member crew of a pilot, co-pilot and a flight attendant, the report said. It went down about 6:20 a.m. Eyewitnesses were quoted as saying a fire broke out immediately after the plane struck the ground. A rescue team was at the scene. Nepalnews said there was low visibility at the site of the crash.

Comments From Conservatives About Romney's Tax Returns Conservatives Support Romney Releasing Tax Returns Mitt Romney is getting push-back for not releasing his tax returns, even from members of his own party. An apprehensive Romey told National Review Online, "I'm simply not enthusiastic about giving them hundreds or thousands of more pages to pick through, distort, and lie about." But just because the presumptive Republican presidential nominee doesn't want to talk about it, doesn't mean the rest of the conservatives are on board. ABC Contributor and Bush Campaign Adviser Mathew Dowd There's obviously something there, because if there was nothing there, he would say, 'Have at it.' If he had 20 years of 'great, clean, everything's fine,' it all would be out there. GOP strategist Rick Tyler There's clearly the problem with the tax returns, otherwise he would release, you know, 10 years of tax returns Former RNC Chairman Michael Steele Put out as much information as you can even if you don't release 12 years of tax returns -- at least three, four, five. Former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour "He ought to release his returns," Barbour tells National Review Online. "Any time this campaign's conversation is not about President Obama's failed policies," particularly his economic record, "then the [Romney] campaign isn't talking about the right thing." Alabama Governor Gov. Robert Bentley I was asked, today, that question, do you think that Governor Romney should release his tax returns, and I said, 'I do.' GOP Presidential Contender Ron Paul Politically, I think that would help him... North Carolina Congressman Rep. Walter Jones I think he should release his financial records and I think if he does it in July, it would be a lot better than in October. Texas Congressman Rep. Pete Sessions His personal finances, the way he does things, his record, are fair game. Gov. Rick Perry

FT Alphaville " "Yammer time," or how to generically write about Microsoft buying Yammer Step 1: Find amusing pic of Steve Ballmer. Oh, here's one. Step 2: Ho ho, they did an infographic. Note to self: aim gun at head, pull trigger. Step 3: Rush through the deal deets: $1.2bn - all-cash - so this is like Facebook for cubicles, isn't it? - 5m users, etc. Step 4: Don't forget to slip in something about Yammer's last funding-round valuation... ($500m-$600m.) See end of Step 2. Step 5: Hmm, all-cash. May as well look up Microsoft's cash flow last quarter. Step 6: Ah - the numbers on this Business Division... Brain wave! Step 8: They're right: Ballmerian Microsoft really is the world's biggest business services company. It keeps grinding on, racking up profit and platforms. Former world-changing corporations have had worse fates. Yammer, the yardstick. Step 9: Smugly change headline to "Yammer, the yardstick." Step 10: Also note Microsoft keeps putting its foot in it on anything consumer-related. Hello dummy Surface tablets, goodbye Nokia plan. Step 11: Reflect: Microsoft still hugs $30 a share. Step 12: Oh well, could just write a (nother) meta post... Related link: "Groupon offers" - FT Alphaville "Google Docks" - FT Alphaville This entry was posted by FT Alphaville on Monday, June 25th, 2012 at 21:25 and is filed under Capital markets. Tagged with microsoft, social networks, Yammer.

Lawmakers push bill to help homeowners refinance (MoneyWatch) Things may be looking up for homeowners who owe more on their home than it's currently worth. In a press conference Thursday, Senators Robert Menendez, D-N.J., and Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., announced legislation to help millions of homeowners who are "underwater" on their mortgages refinance at lower rates. The Menendez-Boxer bill, labeled the Responsible Homeowners Refinancing Act, could save responsible homeowners thousands of dollars each year, according to its sponsors. Boxer cited credit ratings agency Moody's (MCO) in saying the bill could lead to 3 million more refinancings, putting more money in the pockets of homeowners and back into the U.S. economy. Bank of America offers mortgage relief Record low mortgage rates: What to do now Foreclosures rise in many U.S. cities The measure would remove barriers to refinancing for borrowers with loans backed by Fannie Mae (FNMA) and Freddie Mac (FMCC). Menendez and Boxer say the legislation would: Extend streamlined refinancing for Fannie and Freddie borrowers Completely eliminate up-front fees on refinances Eliminate appraisal costs for all borrowers Remove additional barriers to competition Require second-lien holders who "unreasonably" block a refinance to pay restitution to taxpayers Require mortgage insurers who unreasonably fail to transfer coverage to refinanced loans to pay restitution to taxpayers Pay for itself, since reducing homeowners' mortgage payments also reduces default rates and foreclosures, reducing Fannie and Freddie's reliance on taxpayer bailouts "We know that helping responsible homeowners refinance is a win-win -- for our families and for the economy," Boxer said in a statement announcing the bill. By introducing more competition into the mortgage market, our bill will ensure that the benefits of refinancing will flow to homeowners struggling to make ends meet, not banks. Menendez said in a statement that the bill will "knock down barriers and help responsible homeowners refinance at lower rates. It will put thousands of dollars back in the pockets of hard working families and boost our economy. Despite recent changes to improve the federal Home Affordable Refinance Program, homeowners hoping to capitalize on the historically low mortgage rates are still running into roadblocks. Faulty property appraisals, along with liability and paperwork issues, mean many responsible homeowners are wrongly denied the chance to refinance. Boxer and Menendez emphasized that taxpayers are not on the hook for any costs that might result from enacting their bill. They say it would pay for itself by reducing default rates on Fannie- and Freddie-backed loans. In the press conference, Boxer also criticized Federal Housing Financing Agency chief Edward DeMarco, claiming that his policies are resulting in homeowners who are "captive" to their underwater mortgages and calling on him to support the bill. The legislation comes as the White House is urging Congress to do more to help struggling homeowners. "Congress needs to help the millions of Americans who have worked hard, made their mortgage payments on time, but still have been unable to refinance their mortgages with these historically low rates," President Obama said Wednesday. This would make a huge difference for the economy.

Seau death: Latest in string of similar deaths of ex-NFL players? (CBS News) There's shock and grief among National Football League players and fans over the apparent suicide of former San Diego Chargers star Junior Seau. His body was found Wednesday in his Oceanside, Calif. home. The future Hall of Famer died with no explanation. In his 20 year NFL career, Seau made more than 1,800 tackles, becoming one of the most feared linebackers in the game. With news of his death, family and friends gathered in shock at his home north of San Diego, where his mother's grief overflowed. I pray to God, please, take me. Take me. Leave my son," Luisa Seau sobbed. But it's too late. It's too late. Seau was found with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. "This case, at this point, is being investigated as a suicide," Oceanside Police Chief Frank McCoy told reporters. There was no suicide note, but Seau's ex-wife says he texted simply, "I love you" to her and their three children on Tuesday. His death comes after the suicide last year of former Chicago Bears safety Dave Duerson. He shot himself in the chest so his brain would be preserved for science. In a suicide note, Duerson asked that it be studied by researchers investigating brain damage in NFL players. Last month, former Atlanta Falcons safety Ray Easterling committed suicide. He was suffering dementia, at 62. More than 1,500 former players are now suing the league, claiming that, for years, it ignored evidence that repeated blows to the head trigger chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, which has been linked dementia and depression. Former tackle Kyle Turley, who knew Seau, speculates that he may have paid a price for being a football great. "He played hard, tough, and," Turley says, "there is no doubt that the toll his brain took at the position he played, it will most undoubtedly show that this is a factor." In San Diego, where Seau played with the Chargers for 13 seasons, he's also remembered for his philanthropy. "He couldn't do enough off the field for ... the youth, and anybody he could help, he helped," recalls Charges owner Dean Spanos. But on the field, Seau was known for his speed and power. And for pumping his fist in triumph.

Tom English: "England's penalty count had nothing to do with the fact that some dwarves got chucked around a bar" Published on Sunday 29 January 2012 02:25 STUART Lancaster, by most accounts, is doing a decent job as interim head coach of England. A PR job, that is. Until the last whistle goes in the Calcutta Cup on Saturday evening, we won't know how much substance he has as potential successor to Martin Johnson. But, in the business of image management, Lancaster is showing up well. In dealing with the fallout from the World Cup, he's been preaching the importance of respect and humility over ego and irresponsibility. He has spoken to his players individually and collectively about what is expected of them off the field as well as on. When the England boys talked of having had a good session last Monday they were referring to their heart-to-heart conversations with Lancaster, pictured, rather than any re-enactment of the kind of boozy marathon that landed Mike Tindall in such trouble in New Zealand. "You will see a change in behaviour," Lancaster promised. On Friday night, Corporal Simon Brown, an injured war veteran, gave a motivational speech to the players, as did Jamie Peacock, the England rugby league captain, and the former England footballer Gary Neville. Three lions addressing the 22 lions who will fetch up at Murrayfield this week. Clearly Lancaster wants to remind his players how privileged they are to represent their country while, at the same time, hammering home the message that all sorts of responsibilities come with wearing that jersey. Lancaster's respect agenda has been at the heart of his regime so far and that's understandable. But maybe too much has been made of English arrogance in New Zealand. Maybe the focus of their post mortem has been too heavily weighted on the drinking and the messing and not heavily enough on their obvious shortcomings as players. Yes, some of the England squad behaved awfully, but imagine for a second that their conduct had been impeccable. Do we believe that their performances would have been any better? Frankly, I doubt it. England's monstrous penalty count at the breakdown in New Zealand had nothing to do with the fact that some dwarves got chucked around in a bar in Queenstown. Their glaring deficiencies in the scrum had nothing to do with the fact that Tindall got transmogrified with drink. The fact that their attacking play was so utterly lacking in imagination and precision had more to do with a shortcoming in their technical ability - and coaching - than their creepy noising-up of a hotel worker. Until the day this column shuffles off towards the horizon, we will believe that Scotland would have beaten England in Auckland were it not for the fact that they were forced to gamble while chasing an eight-point winning margin. That possibility has never hit home among the England players. A few days after the match I put that scenario to Ben Foden. His response was not that of a man who was taking a lesson on board. "Woulda, coulda, shoulda," he said. None of their off-field misdemeanours helped England, of course, but to believe that the problems they experienced in New Zealand can be sorted with the introduction of a new moral code is a bit simplistic. Their issues go deeper than that. Last season, England began the Six Nations extremely well and before we knew it they were just one game away from a Grand Slam, the game in question being in Ireland against Declan Kidney's struggling side. The pressure was all on England and they couldn't handle it. They suffered a terrible beating at the Aviva Stadium that evening. Later in the season, there was another England versus Ireland clash, this time in the final of the Heineken Cup, where Northampton faced Leinster. Saints had seven of the current England squad in their starting line-up and led 22-6 at half time. And then they imploded. Leinster scored 27 unanswered points in the second half to take the trophy. There is no doubting that England have wonderfully talented players who, on their day, can cut open any defence. But, equally, there have to be serious reservations about their mental capacity on the biggest days. The Premiership is a vibrant competition but it's hard to avoid the conclusion that it produces teams that are lacking nous and big-game temperament. Harlequins are this season's standard bearers, a side who have had praise heaped upon them in England. They were going well in Europe, too, until the last weekend of the group stage when they had to go to Connacht - second bottom of the Pro12 - to win in order to guarantee their progress. And they lost. Harlequins had four members of Lancaster's squad in their starting team. They exited the Heineken on the same weekend that Munster went to Northampton and put 50 points on them, the same weekend that Edinburgh demolished London Irish, the same weekend that six of England's seven representatives in European rugby's premier club tournament were knocked out. It should be noted that Gloucester had a brilliant win over French giants Toulouse that weekend, too. But it was too late. Gloucester had already lost three of their first five matches and had been eliminated by the time they pulled off their biggest victory. There is no questioning the ability of these players when things are going right for them, but you really do have to wonder about their character under pressure. England folded in Dublin, Northampton folded in that Heineken final in Cardiff, Harlequins folded in Galway when qualification was at their mercy. Isolated collapses or a sign of a malaise in English rugby that runs a lot deeper than drinking and dwarf throwing? This coming Saturday and the weeks that follow will tell us what we need to know.

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10 arrested after Iraqi Finance Ministry abductions, state media reports Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, shown in Washington last year, is yet to comment on the abductions. NEW: Thousands protest in Falluja against arrests, call for release of those kidnapped Judicial spokesman says nine bodyguards and security chief have been arrested Iraqi finance minister says 150 staff and guards were taken from Baghdad offices Minister blames a "militia force" and holds Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki responsible Baghdad (CNN) -- Nine bodyguards for Iraq's finance minister have been arrested, a spokesman for the Supreme Judicial Council told Iraqi state TV on Friday, a day after the minister said 150 members of his staff and guards had been kidnapped. Spokesman Abdul Sattar al-Berqdar told Iraqiya State TV that the security commander of the finance minister's protection regiment had also been arrested two days ago, according a legal arrest warrant. He told the channel that the security chief had admitted during interrogation that he committed "terrorist" acts. Finance Minister Rafei al-Essawi said Thursday that he holds Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki responsible for the safety of the 150 people seized when "a militia force" raided his house, headquarters and ministry in Baghdad. Read more: 150 kidnapped from Finance Ministry, minister says Members of al-Essawi's staff and guards were among those kidnapped from the ministry Thursday, the finance minister said. He said his security commander had been arrested Wednesday at a Baghdad checkpoint for unknown reasons and that the compound now had no security. "My message to the prime minister: You are a man who does not respect partnership at all, a man who does not respect the law and the constitution, and I personally hold you fully responsible for the safety of the kidnapped people," al-Essawi said Thursday. Al-Essawi, who has a large base of Sunni support, said he had tried to reach al-Maliki, a Shiite, with no success. Neither al-Maliki nor his spokesman could be reached for comment Thursday. Thousands of people protested Friday against the arrest of the bodyguards in Falluja, a predominantly Sunni city west of Baghdad, and demanded the immediate release of those kidnapped. They also chanted "Stop this charade," referring to what they believe are al-Maliki's actions. The incident highlights a growing distrust between Sunni and Shiite politicians in Iraq, as well as concerns about the independence of Iraq's judiciary. Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlaq, who is Sunni, addressed reporters Friday on behalf of the Iraqiya List, which won the largest number of seats in the March 2010 national elections. "The Iraqiya List demands either to ensure the integrity and independence of the judiciary system in Iraq or it will withdraw completely from the Iraqi parliament and from the political process in general," al-Mutlaq said. The cross-sectarian Iraqiya List, headed by former Shiite Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, garnered most of the Sunni Arab vote. Sunnis largely boycotted the 2005 elections, leading to the emergence of a Shiite-led government. The move left the once-ruling minority disaffected, and that contributed to the bloody insurgency and sectarian warfare that gripped Iraq for years. The apparent kidnappings follow the troubles of Iraq's fugitive Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, who was sentenced to death in September, accused in the deaths of a lawyer and an army general. Al-Hashimi, who is also Sunni and now lives in Istanbul, denies the charges and says the accusations are politically motivated. Meanwhile, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani headed Thursday to Germany under the care of a specialized medical team for treatment, Kurdish lawmaker Mahmoud Othman said. Read more: More than two dozen dead in Iraq violence Read more: Iraqi president heads to Germany for medical treatment

Wilson puts up a United front in Steel City derby It came in Sheffield United's second toughest away fixture, against the League One leaders, Charlton, last month and for their manager, Danny Wilson, it signalled acceptance. Wilson's associations with the other half of a divided football city - more to the point his association with a relegated team when he was manager there - made his appointment last May so unpopular that 400 or so fans gathered outside the entrance to United's Bramall Lane stadium in noisy protest just as Wilson was being introduced to the media inside. This time, though, they chanted his name with approval. Wilson will face some hostility at Hillsborough this weekend when Wednesday and United lock horns in the 126th edition of the Steel City derby but at least he is no longer an outsider in his own ground. Yet he does not blame those fans who were sceptical. "It is not easy to support somebody that you are not very confident in," he said. Thankfully maybe one or two of them have changed their opinions. I feel there is a belief in what we are trying to do and that is very satisfying. But this is not about me wanting support. We need support as a team and a club and the players more than anyone. The fans singing my name comes from the performance of the players and the results they have achieved. Those results have lifted United to second place in League One. Clearly, winning over the players has not been nearly so difficult. "Right from day one he has wanted us to pass the ball and the players enjoy that," the veteran striker, Richard Cresswell, said. As a footballer, that's what you want to do - to pass the ball, keep the ball and be confident on the ball. Sometimes we'll give the ball away in bad positions but as the season has gone on I think we've got better and better and that's why we've been on such a good run. I played under Danny at Wednesday, which seems a long time ago now. He is not that much different as a manager - a bit calmer, maybe - but he has had something like a thousand games now at all levels and his knowledge of the game has grown with that experience. The irony for Wilson is that the perceived sins for which the May Day mob had held him accountable were a myth, as far as he was concerned. He may have played for Wednesday for three years and managed them for another two but, he says, his allegiance was never more than professional. Born and raised in Wigan, he is no more a Wednesdayite than Neil Warnock's service to Crystal Palace and Queen's Park Rangers made him a Londoner. If anything, his feelings towards the blue half of Sheffield can only sharpen his current perspective. His time as a player there took him to three cup finals but his affections were soured when he was sacked as manager in March 2000, a victim of political interference after a gang of four Sheffield MPs, led by cabinet minister David Blunkett, took it upon themselves to demand his dismissal. Happily, he has been able to find subsequent employers who did not share their view of his ability and it will not be his first time on the away bench at Hillsborough. He says that he cannot remember exactly how Wednesday fans reacted when he went back with Bristol City and MK Dons but is not expecting a particularly warm welcome. "If they are good [to me], they're good, if they're not, they're not - I can't really do much about it," he said. I'm not really bothered because we've got bigger fish to fry. People will have their opinions but the one thing they can be sure of is that I'm very committed to getting a result for Sheffield United. Such an outcome would take United closer to the promotion goal that would ensure Wilson unequivocal respect and the shortening odds are that they will achieve it. United squandered a two-goal lead when Wednesday took a point at Bramall Lane in October and their progress was stop-start for another month. Since then, however, 13 league games have yielded 11 wins. Another tomorrow against a Wednesday side beginning to falter would put them eight points ahead of their neighbours, whom they displaced in second spot only a week and a half ago. Not that Wilson would consider the job done, even then. He may have won promotion with Barnsley - famously, to the Premier League in 1997 - and later with Hartlepool but he has also suffered play-off failures at Bristol City and Swindon. We're in a good position and we've moved forward in great leaps since I've been here but it gets harder from here and promotion's not a given by any means. If you're seen as a big club the teams you come up against really raise their game. It's a tough division to get out off at the first attempt, as the likes of Southampton and Leeds have found out before us. It is an assessment with which Wednesday's Gary Megson would concur. After a run of one loss in seven matches appeared to have positioned his side for a decisive final push, the last four matches have all ended in defeat. Wilson discounts current form, however. "I don't think there is a fag paper between us, really," he said. We'll go there confident but you can't say it is just another game because it is not. From my point of view, as a professional, it is just about three points but a game of this intensity at this point of the season is fantastic because both teams are up there challenging, and the fans' expectation levels make it difficult to look at it in that way alone. Victory, therefore, would be particularly satisfying, especially if it sparks United fans to reprise the song they coined in Wilson's honour, belted out to the tune of "Winter Wonderland." "You used to be shite, but now you're all right" is hardly the most elegant variation on the all-important middle lines but to Wilson's ears none could be more eloquent.

New Google data shows Microsoft's piracy problems New Google data shows Microsoft's piracy problems - Tech and gadgets Tech and gadgets Search company shares information on complaints filed for copyright infringement By Michael Liedtke SAN FRANCISCO - Google's Internet search engine receives more complaints about websites believed to be infringing on Microsoft's copyrights than it does about material produced by entertainment companies pushing for tougher laws against online piracy. A snapshot of Microsoft's apparently rampant copyright headaches emerged in new data that Google released Thursday to provide a better understanding of the intellectual property abuses on the Internet. Msnbc is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC Universal. The report provides a breakdown on all requests Google has received since July 2011 to remove copyright-infringing content from its search index. Since July, Google has logged more than 2.5 million requests to remove links believed to be violating Microsoft's copyrights. Google isn't identifying the nature of the infringements, but Microsoft has long complained about illegal downloads of its Windows operating system and other software. Microsoft had no immediate comment. The websites spurring the most complaints logged by Google are: filestube.com (nearly 390,000 links requested for removal) and torrentz.eu (more than 147,000 links). More from Tech and gadgets

@BarackObama: Happy Birthday "Obamacare" - ABC News President Obama's re-election campaign, which has been celebrating the Affordable Care Act all week, has officially tweeted a "Happy Birthday" from the @BarackObama account. "Happy birthday to Obamacare: two years in, the Affordable Care Act is making millions of Americans" lives better every day," read the message, which was sent by campaign staff not the president himself. Tweets from Obama are signed -BO Note the use of the term "Obamacare" - which some Democrats have previously considered a pejorative since it is commonly used by Republicans to criticize the law. Later the account tweeted again about Obamacare. If you're proud of Obamacare and tired of the other side using it as a dirty word, complete this sentence: #ILikeObamacare because... At a fundraiser at the Tyler Perry studios in Atlanta last week, Obama also used the term and said he doesn't mind it because it shows he "does care." "Change is, yes, health care reform," Obama said to applause. You want to call it Obamacare - that's okay, because I do care. That's why we passed it. That is why we passed it - because I care about folks who were going bankrupt because they were getting sick. And I care about children who have preexisting conditions and their families couldn't get them any kind of insurance. And so now we've got reforms that will ensure that in this great country of ours you won't have to mortgage your house just because you get sick. Obama delivered a similar message in August during a bus tour through the Midwest.

Leveson Inquiry: Andy Coulson had access to top secret documents despite passing only basic vetting Mr Coulson told the inquiry that Mr Cameron took part in his vetting process and also asked him about the phone-hacking case to make sure he could not be dragged into the affair. Asked by Robert Jay QC, counsel to the inquiry, if he had access to information that was designated "top secret or above," he said: "I may have done." A Downing Street spokesman said Mr Coulson had never had unauthorised access to sensitive material. Setting out the process by which he was recruited by the Tories, Mr Coulson said the first approach came from George Osborne in March 2007 - the month after Goodman was jailed - when they met at a London hotel for a drink. Later the same day Mr Cameron called and asked him to meet, which he later did in Mr Cameron's parliamentary office. Mr Jay asked whether it had occurred to him why the Tories wanted him on board, suggesting that his close ties with Rebekah Brooks, then chief executive of News International, and Rupert Murdoch meant he could deliver the "prize" of the Murdoch press's support for the Conservatives. Mr Coulson said he felt he was taken on because of his "broad experience" in the media. Mr Jay suggested the News of the World had played down its coverage of a story in 2005 about Mr Osborne being photographed in his youth with a prostitute and what appeared to be cocaine on a table in front of them. Mr Jay pointed out a leader column in the newspaper, which said Mr Osborne should not be forced to resign over the matter. Mr Coulson said: "The front page headline, "Top Tory, coke and the hooker," I don't think can be in any way described as career-enhancing for George Osborne."

Louise Mensch feared she would be trounced by Labour, her husband says Then there was Louise's belief that she was only going to be an MP for three more years. She thought - and I wasn't going to argue with her - that she'd get killed in the next election. So, to her, it seemed much more short-term than my job as a manager, which is going to go on for another 20 years. And listen, they hadn't promoted her yet, and it's not like she thought she had a future because perhaps she felt she was too outspoken. She was doing her own thing regardless and maybe wasn't "Conservative party enough" to move up the food chain." Mr Mensch, who first met his wife when she was a student in 1990, also revealed that David Cameron is a big fan of US folk singer Gillian Welch and once went to an AC/DC concert. The couple were married in June last year, after Mrs Mensch, recently divorced, declared her love to the married music manager at a rock concert in Nottingham in 2009. The 59-year-old described his wife's MP job as "fun" but said "something had to give" as she didn't see her children very much. When I showed up and said we can make this simpler, but we'll probably have to make this simpler in New York, she weighed up all the stuff and the fact that she wanted to be with me and decided that, although she really like the job a lot, the idea of possible calm in her life with me, whatever that's worth, was greater than the lure of being Louise Mensch, MP for Corby. Asked whether how their new life is going, Mr Mensch said: "It's OK. I think she likes New York. I know she misses the job. He expressed surprise that his wife had been on call so much as an MP, saying he "couldn't manage Louise and that mushrooming situation." Mr Mensch also suggested his wife might find it hard to find fame in America. "People say will she go on TV in America?" he told The Sunday Times. And I say, sure, but there has to be a job where someone wants to have her. In America, she's just another Englishwoman with a good education. She's not going to instantly walk on TV like Piers Morgan, who was a big personality when CNN hired him. Louise is just an MP.

Ramble On by Sinclair McKay: review When I was younger and sprightlier, I would have agreed with Sinclair McKay's assertion that "the only way to understand a land is to walk it." These days creaking joints and declining muscle power have persuaded me that cycling is the way. It's quicker, less painful and just as revealing. But McKay makes a plausible case for his enthusiasm. His purpose is to give an account of how we reached an age where - in his words - "the walker at last has the moral high ground." And his approach is appropriately, even necessarily, discursive. Its one dramatic highlight is the famous mass trespass of Kinder Scout in 1932, and McKay plays this for all it is worth. Other significant developments are perhaps less thrilling - it is not easy, for instance, to get excited about the formation in 1931 of the National Council of Ramblers" Federations, described by McKay as "a key moment for all walkers." Along the way up hill and down dale we meet all sorts of literary rambling types, from Defoe and Jane Austen's Mr Knightley to Virginia Woolf and Buchan's Richard Hannay. It's good to be reminded what a crashing snob Wordsworth was about his precious lakes and fells, and to meet again the incomparably miserabilist Wainwright, of whom McKay observes "here was a man who allowed his love of the fells to crowd out everything else." The narrative is larded with stories of McKay's own adventures. He is evidently not what he refers to as a "hard-core walker." When treading in famous footsteps over Honister Pass in the Lake District, he suffers a touch of vertigo, encounters "a shockingly strong gust of wind" and turns back. One wonders what Wordsworth would have made of such faintheartedness. His method can be eccentric. One stroll around the Gower is undertaken in overcoat, cardigan and jeans for no obvious reason except to show that you don't have to wear "thermic trousers" and "black Neoprene." McKay also makes a point of walking without maps, which strikes me as absurd. There are some annoying mistakes. The river in Wiltshire is the Wylye, not the Wyle, and Wainwright would have growled and scowled at the mention of "Lake Derwent" instead of "Derwentwater." It's also a shame there are no illustrations of any kind. A book like this needs to provide visual relief from the text. Nevertheless, McKay makes an agreeable tramping companion. As a writer and observer he is no Robert Macfarlane or Roger Deakin, but his prose is pleasant enough and he cannot be accused of being too earnest about his subject. For McKay, walking is a serious pleasure, which is as it should be. Ramble On Sinclair McKay 4th Estate, £14.99, 292pp

Shadow banking: destructive and benign Shadow boxing offers all the benefits of the real thing without the danger. The same cannot uniformly be said of shadow banking, the gamut of banking services provided by non-banks. The financial crisis, after all, started in the securitised credit realm of shadow banking, revealing the destructive power of a mostly benign industry that has worked well for the US for most of the 75 years between Glass-Steagall and the 2008 crisis. Fannie and Sallie Mae, and Freddie Mac, are examples of shadow banks. How, then, should this industry be regulated and its benefits preserved, given that the need to regulate now is partly of regulators" own making? Pre-crisis, shadow banking took risks that banks kept off their balance sheets to reduce the capital tied up. Now, regulators" higher capital requirements have killed banks" urge to lend. The International Monetary Fund has noted the effect of European banks" $2.6tn deleveraging on growth. Basel III and Dodd-Frank have, in effect, formed near ideal conditions for shadow banking - be it in wholesale finance (hello GE) or, in the real economy, in peer-to-peer and even payday lending. Michel Barnier, the European commissioner with financial services oversight, reckons shadow banking accounts for up to a half of the global financial sector. The trouble is, regulators need definitions, and shadow banking is hardly homogeneous. They should focus regulation only on areas of shadow banking where risk concentrations can be systemically or socially detrimental. Lord Turner, chairman of the UK's Financial Services Authority, for example, has identified the $2.7tn US repo funding market, popular with money market funds, as one such area. He has suggested that margin requirements be eased in times of stress, so tuning out the "hardwired" procyclicality of rising margin requirements. Sensible stuff. But regulators should not ignore the relevance of many established forms of shadow banking that keep the real economy going, so saving the banks from their cyclical bind.

BBC News - EU to investigate Microsoft over anti-trust agreement

African champions Zambia dedicate victory to Kalusha Bwalya February 13, 2012 -- Updated 2008 GMT (0408 HKT) Crowning glory for Kalusha Poignant return A mark of respect Landmark moment We will remember them Africa Cup of Nations champions Zambia dedicate victory to former player Kalusha Bwalya Bwalya escaped 1993 plane crash that killed 30 people including 18 Zambian players Zambia beat Ivory Coast in penalty shootout to claim first ever Cup of Nations title Sunday (CNN) -- Zambia coach Herve Renard has dedicated the country's first ever Africa Cup of Nations title to former player Kalusha Bwalya, who escaped a plane crash that killed the squad of 1993. Bwalya, regarded as one of Zambia's best ever players, is also head of the country's soccer federation and he was in the Gabonese capital Libreville to see the Copper Bullets beat Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties Sunday. It was in the same city 19 years ago that Zambia's coach and 18 players were killed in a plane crash on their way to Senegal for a World Cup qualifying match. Bwalya survived as he traveled to Dakar to meet up with the squad from his base in Europe, where he played for Dutch club PSV Eindhoven. Zambia win maiden Africa Cup of Nations title Renard was Zambia coach between 2008 and 2010 before leaving to coach Angola, but Bwalya offered him a second stint last year. "He is the best Zambian player of the last century and he escaped the plane crash," Renard was quoted as saying on the Confederation of Africa's official website. He was criticized for giving me the second chance. I dedicate the victory to him because he gave me the opportunity to coach. We wanted to honor the dead players and that strengthened us. Our first game was against Senegal and the team was on its way to Senegal for a match when the plane crashed. The plane crashed in Gabon and we won the final in Gabon. It is a sign of destiny. In a dramatic final, Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba missed a penalty before the game was decided by a tense shootout, with Stoppila Sunzu striking the decisive blow. Zambia striker Collins Mbesuma added: "I also believe the departed Zambian team of 1993 was with us in this final match. When Drogba missed the penalty l just knew it that it was our night, the departed were making sure the Ivorians would not score. The Zambian squad flew back to the country's capital Lusaka on Monday to be greeted by thousands of cheering fans. February 13, 2012 -- Updated 1802 GMT (0202 HKT) Zambia triumph in the Africa Cup of Nations Sunday after beating the Ivory Coast 8-7 in a dramatic penalty shoot out in the final in Libreville. February 13, 2012 -- Updated 1446 GMT (2246 HKT) Zambians celebrate the Copper Bullets' Africa Cup of Nations success, while the beaten Ivory Coast suffer another final defeat. February 13, 2012 -- Updated 1422 GMT (2222 HKT) Zambian journalist Kennedy Gondwe reacts to his country's historic Africa Cup of Nations win in Libreville, Gabon.

Map shows ill health persists in same area for 114 years

Caruso, Torre pull Dodgers bid: source LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Los Angeles developer Rick Caruso and former Dodgers manager Joe Torre have withdrawn their joint bid to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, a person familiar to the bidding process said on Thursday, the day that second-round bids were due. The storied team is expected to be sold by late April. A spokesperson for the Dodgers had no immediate comment. Former Dodgers owner Peter O'Malley also retreated as a suitor this week, according to sources close to the bidding process for the Dodgers, which are expected to fetch more than $1.5 billion, a record for a baseball team. The auction has attracted a bevy of sporting and financial moguls and sources said on Thursday they believed former Lakers legend Magic Johnson, SAC Capital Advisors chief Steven Cohen, St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke and media executive Leo Hindery were all still in the game. "We're now at the point where people have to show their money and it becomes a much different process," said Marc Ganis, president of sports consulting firm Sportscorp Ltd, who noted that control of the parking lots, a lucrative revenue stream for any team owner, was likely to play a role in the process going forward. "I could see the Dodgers being worth about $1.2 billion and maybe as much as $1.5 billion with competitive bidding, but the status of the land, lots and other issues will help determine the final purchase price," he said. I think the land and the lots is an issue. For some bidders it will be a threshold, for others it will be a strong preference and others will simply hold their old nose and move forward," he said. Some of the suitors are likely to team up in coming weeks. Between 15 to 20 parties initially submitted non-binding preliminary bids, and some well-known bidders like former sports agent Dennis Gilbert and former Dodgers stars Steve Garvey and Orel Hershiser were cut from the process on January 27. The sale is being conducted by Blackstone Group and McCourt, who will make the final determination in the sale. Major League Baseball is vetting bidders during the process. News Corp's Fox Group, the current broadcast partner of the Dodgers, has also received a nondisclosure agreement from bankers involved in the sale and has been talking with bidders about potentially buying a minority stake. Reporting By Susan Zeidler; Editing by Bob Burgdorfer

11/07: Obama wins re-election; Nor'easter bears down on Sandy-ravaged shores Six billion dollars was spent on political campaigns and, when they were over, nothing much changed. Republicans will still control the House, Democrats will control the Senate, and Barack Obama will still be president. So, can they fix Washington now?; And, a nor'easter bears down on shores ravaged by Superstorm Sandy. We cover it all in this extended edition of the CBS Evening News.

Indonesia Airline Boom Raises New Safety Questions Dozens of fledgling airlines that have sprung up to serve Indonesia's island-hopping new middle class could jeopardize the archipelago's recently improved safety reputation, aviation experts say. The trend threatens to erode higher standards established during what one analyst called a "tremendous amount of soul searching" by major carriers and the government after 2007, when frequent crashes prompted the European Union to ban all Indonesian airlines from landing on its runways for two years. With growth rates of nearly 20 percent per year, Indonesia is one of Asia's most rapidly expanding airline markets, but the country is struggling to provide qualified pilots, mechanics, air traffic controllers and updated airport technology to ensure safety. And with so many new, small carriers, it's hard to monitor all their standards. "We are not ready for this boom," said Ruth Simatupang, an Indonesian aviation consultant and former safety investigator. Indonesia's two largest airlines - national carrier Garuda and rapidly expanding boutique airline Lion Air - haven't had a fatal accident in five years and eight years, respectively. But small passenger and cargo carriers plus military aircraft have kept the frequency of crashes to about once every two months, according to statistics compiled by the Aviation Safety Network. In this May 12, 2012 photo, a Lion Air passenger jet takes off from Juanda International Airport in Surabaya, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Trisnadi) Close Just how fast Indonesia's airline market is growing came under a spotlight with Wednesday's deadly crash of a Sukhoi Superjet-100 plane during a demonstration flight. While both the plane and the pilot were Russian, the flight was packed with representatives of local airlines that the manufacturer hoped would purchase the jetliner. The number of air passengers in Indonesia jumped by 10 million in a year to 53 million in 2010, according to the government statistics agency, and the upward trend continued last year. "Infrastructure hasn't kept pace with the growth of the airlines," said Shukor Yusof, an aviation analyst in Singapore for Standard & Poors. He said the government needs to "spend a vast amount of money" to expand safety monitoring for the new carriers and invest in airport runways and technology. He added that the relative ease with which new airlines can be established, though tightened in recent years, has been a concern in the aviation community for years. In the past five years, Indonesia has added 36 new passenger and cargo airlines, bringing the total to 86 - many of them small carriers serving outlying islands where the only travel alternatives are ferries. Feeding the demand for new air routes are Indonesia's population of 240 million, its geography of 18,000 islands and an economy that grew at a 6.5 percent clip last year, creating a larger middle class eager to travel. "Indonesia is a natural market for growth," said Brendan Sobie, chief Southeast Asia representative for the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation. It's one of the world's biggest populations and one of the world's most underserved markets for airlines. Transportation official Herry Bakti Singayuda insists that Indonesia's rapid airline growth is still compatible with safety. "We evaluate the operators," said Singayuda, who directs the Air Transport Department under the Ministry of Transportation. We control that growth based on their capability, their facilities and personnel.

Shares to profit from the double-dip recession Jonathan Jackson, head of equities at stock broker Killik & Co said that in a recession people cut back on their use of cars and turn to public transport. Good news for First Group, the leading transport operator in Britain and North America, operating bus and train groups including First Great Western, First Capital Connect and the Yellow School Bus.

Giants Beat Reds in 10th, Cut NLDS Deficit to 2-1 Hardly able to get a hit, the San Francisco Giants used a misplayed grounder to prolong their NL playoff series. Third baseman Scott Rolen's two-out error in the 10th inning gave the Giants the go-ahead run Tuesday night in a 2-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds, who couldn't shake 17 years of home postseason futility. The Giants avoided a sweep in Game 3, cutting their division series deficit to 2-1. Rolen, an eight-time Gold Glove winner, couldn't come up with Joaquin Arias' short-hop grounder, bobbled it and threw late to first. "I've gone through the play many times in my mind between then and now, and I think I would play it the same way," Rolen said. It hit my glove. I just couldn't get it to stick. The Giants managed only three hits against Homer Bailey and Reds relievers, but got two of them in the 10th - along with a passed ball by Ryan Hanigan - to pull it out. San Francisco won despite striking out 16 times. "We kept scratching and clawing down two games to none," reliever Jeremy Affeldt said. That's the way it is in the playoffs. Cincinnati finished with four hits, just one after the first inning. Left-hander Barry Zito will pitch Game 4 on Wednesday for the Giants, who have won the last 11 times he started. The Reds have to decide whether to try ace Johnny Cueto, forced out of the opener in San Francisco on Saturday with spasms in his back and side. Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Homer Bailey throws against the San Francisco Giants in the first inning during Game 3 of the National League division baseball series, Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Al Behrman) Close Manager Dusty Baker said after the game that they hadn't decided whether to let Cueto try it, bring back Mat Latos on short rest again, or replace Cueto with Mike Leake, who wasn't on the division series roster. Replacing Cueto would leave the Reds ace ineligible to pitch in the championship series should the Reds get that far. "It's very difficult, but it all depends on if your ace can't go or whatever it is," Baker said. That's part of the conversation - us going without him. We realize what's at stake. The Reds haven't won a home playoff game since 1995, the last time they reached the NL championship series. One win away from making it back there, they couldn't beat a Giants team that has barely been able to get a hit. Didn't need many in this one. Bailey made his first start at Great American Ball Park since his Sept. 28 no-hitter in Pittsburgh and allowed only one hit in seven innings, the latest dominating performance by a Reds starter. Marco Scutaro singled in the sixth for the only hit off Bailey. Fortunately for the Giants, Bailey's one lapse let to a run. He hit a batter, walked another and gave up a sacrifice fly by Angel Pagan in the third inning. That was it until the 10th, with the Giants going down swinging - the Reds set a season high for strikeouts. Closer Aroldis Chapman got a pair of strikeouts on 100 mph fastballs during a perfect ninth inning, keeping it tied at 1. San Francisco's one-hit wonders finally got it going against Jonathan Broxton, who gave up leadoff singles by Buster Posey - the NL batting champion - and Hunter Pence, who pulled his left calf on a wild swing before getting his hit. With two outs, Hanigan couldn't come up with a pitch, letting the runners advance. Arias' tough-chance grounder then put Rolen in a tough spot - charging the ball for a quick short-hop swipe. He couldn't come up with it cleanly, and Arias beat the throw.

Exploding dinosaur myth burst by scientists Now researchers based at Zurich and Basel universities in Switzerland say they have debunked the myth by proving that it would not have been possible for the gas, released as the bodies decomposed, to reach such pressures that it spontaneously exploded. Through measurements of the corpses of 100 humans, which are of a similar size to ichthyosaurs, they found that putrefaction gases, which build up as the body breaks down, only reach pressures of 0.035 bar. In contrast they calculated that for ichthyosaur skeletons to explode under 50 to 150 metres of water, the depth at which the fossils were found, would require internal gas pressures of between five and 15 bar. This is in part because the water pressure would neutralise the pressure building up inside the body, Christian Klug, one of the researchers, explained. He said: "It is completely impossible that the carcase explodes without further help. The gas would never get enough pressure to explode. The only exception would be if you stab the carcase, then it might happen but then it would usually just be the organs that got expelled. More likely is that certain situations where the oxygen levels, depth and water currents were just right, the carcases would have sunk to the sea bed and been left untouched by predators, the researchers said. As they decomposed gentle currents may have dispersed away the small embryo bones while leaving the larger adult skeletons in situ.

Review: Kim Stanley Robinson's '2312' a masterful, moving vision 2312 A Novel Kim Stanley Robinson Orbit: 576 pp., $25.99 As the author of the "Mars" trilogy, among other novels, Kim Stanley Robinson has established a superlative reputation for science fictional extrapolation. In his vibrant, often moving new novel, "2312," Robinson's extrapolation is hard-wired to a truly affecting personal love story. By the year of the book's title, humankind has (just barely) survived global warming, in part because of terra-forming technologies that have made possible the colonization of Mars, Mercury and Venus. Asteroids and moons have been transformed into a bewildering variety of biospheres. Personal artificial intelligences called "qubes" augment reasoning, and humans have gone well beyond traditional family units, with gender a fluid and self-determined part of one's identity. Meanwhile, Earth has become an ever more degraded place in which China is a major power with considerable influence throughout the solar system. Against this backdrop, Robinson introduces readers to the remarkable Swan Er Hong, a creator of biospheres who enjoys taking risks like experiencing the deadly fringe of Mercury's dawn, a "perpetual blue snarl of hot and hotter" that could easily kill her and her fellow sunwalkers. As the novel opens, Swan is attending the funeral of Alex, her grandmother, "my everything." The death may not have been accidental, given the nature of Alex's research. In fact, Alex may have come too close to uncovering part of a conspiracy to attack and destabilize off-Earth governments and biomes. When Swan discovers secret messages from Alex in a wall mirror, and she realizes Alex was looking into irregularities among the qubes, she is quickly caught up in a deadly conflict against unknown forces. But the often mind-blowing scope of "2312" is eclipsed by Robinson's genius-level portrait of one of the greatest odd couples in the history of science fiction. For, at the funeral, Swan makes the fateful acquaintance of the Titan diplomat Fitz Wahram, another of Alex's close associates. Wahram is a big, toad-like man - "prognathous, callipygous, steatopygous" - with a "deep gravelly voice." The truly inspired juxtaposition of the mercurial, bird-like Swan with Wahram's steadiness and size is played for both comic and serious effect. After an attack on a Mercury city, the trust between Swan and Wahram grows when the two must seek safety by traveling for days through an underground tunnel. These prolonged, brilliantly conceived scenes, with Swan often sick because of radiation, skillfully show the awkwardness between the two, their eccentricities, the difficulties in their budding relationship, and yet also their mutual respect and affection. Indeed later, during an argument, Wahram asks Swan, "Were we in the tunnel together, or not?" - a wise and resonant reminder of the ways in which shared experience forges deep bonds. Surviving the Mercury attack only hardens their resolve to honor Alex's work by getting to the bottom of things, aided by Inspector Jean Genette from the asteroid league. Swan's suspicions about her own qube amplify the tension, as do encounters with strangely human qubes. The twists and turns that follow - taking the two to Saturn's moons, Venus and Earth - are compelling and mysterious, with Robinson making readers feel the full weight of the stakes. Adding depth are chapters titled "Lists" and "Extracts," which Robinson scatters throughout "2312" in a virtuoso display of kinetic exposition. By novel's end, the reader has pieced together the entire future leading to this year through these fascinating morsels, which also add depth of character. For example, what appears to be Swan's "done/to do list" consists of items such as "Spending five hours in a spacesuit with only four hours of air." "2312" also contains moments of utterly jaw-dropping audacity, especially when Wahram and Swan come up with a plan to rejuvenate Earth that involves the off-world biomes tasked with protecting species diversity. Without ruining the surprise, there is a scene in "2312" - "It looked like a dream, but she knew it was real" - in which readers, especially those aware of our current environmental issues, may literally gasp and be moved half to tears. At one point, as the strands of the plot begin to come together (perhaps just a touch too neatly), Swan and Wahram are floating in space and hoping for rescue. As they wait in that uncertain time and place, Wahram says to Swan three simple words that can be so trite in both literature and life but that "2312" transforms not just into a commitment between beloved characters but a love song to the survival of humanity. Perhaps Robinson's finest novel, "2312" is a treasured gift to fans of passionate storytelling; readers will be with Swan and Wahram in the tunnel long after reaching the last page. VanderMeer's latest books are "The Steampunk Bible" and "The Weird: A Compendium of Strange and Dark Stories."

North Belfast boy accused of trying to stab mother

GM receives new credit lines totaling $11 billion DETROIT General Motors (GM) says it has received $11 billion in credit lines from 35 financial institutions in 14 countries, boosting its available cash and credit to more than $42 billion. The company wouldn't say specifically what it plans to do with the money, only that it's a source of "backup liquidity" that may be used for "strategic initiatives." But analysts said it could be hoarding the cash to help pay for restructuring in its troubled European operations, buying an auto finance arm in Europe from Ally Financial, or to further fund its pension plans. GM also could buy back stock, specifically from the U.S. government. The U.S. Treasury Department owns 26.5 percent of the company, which it got in exchange for a $49.5 billion bailout about four years ago. GM says the new lines have more favorable terms than the old one, and will allow the company to borrow in different currencies. One of the New York debt-rating agencies quickly gave the GM credit lines an investment-grade rating on Monday. Standard & Poor's gave the lines a "BBB rating." GM said it expected the new credit lines to get investment-grade ratings from all three major ratings agencies. But that doesn't mean GM's overall corporate credit rating changed from junk status. S&P's corporate rating on GM remains at "BB+," the highest junk rating. Moody's and Fitch, the two other ratings agencies, also both have GM's corporate credit at a notch below investment grade. GM's new lines of credit include a three-year $5.5 billion facility and a five-year $5.5 billion line. They replace GM's existing $5 billion credit line, which was to expire in 2015. GM also has $31.6 billion in cash and securities. Chief Financial Officer Dan Ammann said the lines are a vote of confidence in the company's financial strength. The automaker, known derisively as "Government Motors" for taking bailout money to avoid going under in 2008 and 2009, has long wanted the government to sell its stake and exit the business. But the government, which still owns 500 million GM shares, is waiting for the stock price to rise before making a move. The government is $27 billion in the hole on its investment, and to break even, GM shares would have to sell for $53. At this point, they're not even close. Shares fell 24 cents, or 1 percent, to $25.55 in Monday afternoon trading. It would cost GM about $12.7 billion to buy back all of the government's shares at the current price. Last week, GM announced a $1.48 billion third-quarter profit on strong North American earnings, big improvements in South America and strong earnings in international areas outside of China. But there are signs of weakness.

High speed rail line is the only viable to solution to overcrowding, say MPs The MPs argue that alternatives to the project, which will initially see a line running from Euston to Birmingham, will not meet the growing demand for rail travel. A report compiled by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for High Speed Rail said the existing rail network is close to being full and that growth in passenger demand has continued despite the recession. All of the available evidence makes clear that the very running of our railways is under threat as we fast approach total saturation on some of the major trunk lines. We are already seeing passenger numbers that were projected for a decades" time," said Graham Stringer, Labour MP for Blackley and Broughton and a joint chairman of the group, However some doubts about the project have emerged with the Cabinet Office's Major Projects Authority warning the scheme carried a number of serious risks. Joe Rukin campaign coordinator of Stop HS2 dismissed the MPs conclusions. It's hardly a surprise that the all party group for high speed rail has come out with a report backing it. In November Network Rail said the alternative proposal met capacity and the Department for Transport agreed in January. But a group of MPs with vested interests don't seem interested in that or the independent damning scrutiny by the Major Projects Authority and the Public Accounts Committee.

Rangers administration: ogilvie out of ibrox probe By Tom English Published on Sunday 4 March 2012 05:16 STEWART Regan, chief executive of the SFA, has confirmed that Campbell Ogilvie, the president of the association, will play no active part in their investigation into alleged secret, untaxed payments by way of reputed hidden contracts at Rangers going back a decade and more. Ogilvie was the Ibrox secretary throughout the period in question and though he sits on the board at Hampden and would normally be involved in all such business, he will be excluded when the SFA begins their examination. "Campbell won't play any part in any meeting, discussion or conclusion on any activities surrounding Rangers," said Regan on Friday. I think it's pretty obvious that he's heavily conflicted. We've been aware of the issue for a while. We've been aware that people have views and believe that pieces of evidence exist. What we're trying to do at the moment is get hold of as much information as we can. The board will meet to discuss it within a week or maybe slightly longer. Very, very quickly the board will get together to consider the facts. This will be the Scottish FA's main board. There are seven people on the board, but if you exclude Campbell it's six. He's not going to be able to take part. On Friday, former Ibrox director Hugh Adam claimed that secret payments were being made to Rangers players as far back as the mid-1990s. Employee benefit trusts (EBTs) were believed to have come into vogue at Ibrox in 2001 but Adam suggests they might have been in operation even earlier than that, a fact that has exercised the SFA and will, no doubt, have Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs looking on with interest at the outcome of the association's investigation. HMRC have already fought an epic battle with Rangers over their use of EBTs, the findings of which are imminent. If the verdict goes against the club, they could be looking at a tax bill of around £49m. It has been rumoured for some time that many Rangers players in the years from 2001 to 2010 operated with two contracts, one declared to the tax man and to the SFA and the other held privately. If Adam is right - and a tabloid newspaper claimed last week to have seen one of these redacted contracts - then the ramifications for Rangers could be immense. Secret contracts are in direct contravention of the SFA articles of association and would have rendered all players holding such a contract ineligible to play for their club. "Without having any specialist knowledge, I'm pretty sure [that EBTs were being used in the mid-1990s]," Adam told the Daily Mail. There was a lot of that going on at the time. You knew it was cheating but some of them (his fellow directors) not only hoped, but believed, it was above board... They were doing things they shouldn't have been doing... They were getting away with it but nobody thought they'd get away with it for ever... You could dodge your taxes that way. Adam, now 86, was removed from the Rangers board by Sir David Murray in 2002. Adam was a vocal critic of Murray's financial stewardship of the club and was forced out after a 30-year association with Rangers. Since speaking out on Friday, Adam has been criticised on supporters" websites. He has been accused of merely having an axe to grind with Murray while his recollection of events has also been called into question given that it is believed that EBTs only came into force at Ibrox in 2001, not years earlier as he seems to suggest. Sources said last night that the EBTs were not Ogilvie's domain at Rangers and that they were handled instead by the Murray Group. Indeed, it is at Murray's door that Adam lays the responsibility for whatever fallout comes from the club's use of the controversial trusts. The SFA have taken Adam's words extremely seriously. "It is one director's take on things but as a board we have to examine it," said Regan. Asked what the possible punishment might be if Rangers were found to be in breach of the regulations, the chief executive said it could be anything from Armageddon to a slap on the wrist. If you look at our articles of association it shows a range of powers that the judicial panel has. What will happen is that the matter will go to the Scottish FA main board and will then pass through to the judicial panel. There's a whole range of things from suspension and termination of membership at the extreme end to fines and ejection from Scottish Cup competition or other such penalties the panel deem appropriate. Regan did not rule out a more wide-ranging inquiry into the alleged double contracts saga. That will depend on the board's view of the facts and what information is there. The situation is changing daily and new information is emerging all the time. We've got our hands on certain pieces of information and we're exploring it and we're asking for further information. By the time the board meets we will have a fuller picture and if it's the board's opinion that they want a fuller investigation then that will be an option. If they feel they have enough facts to draw some conclusions then that will be their decision. In the next week or so, the SFA's independent inquiry into Craig Whyte's takeover of the club, headed by Lord Nimmo Smith, is due to report its findings. The terms of reference cover primarily the Craig Whyte era but in digging into facts it has taken us into other areas, so it's thrown up matters which are of interest to the committee. I'm there representing the board. We've got into the meat of what has been going on at Rangers now and the inquiry has gone in different directions, so I can't really comment on any particular area of it. We call witnesses and speak to people. That's what the inquiry has been doing. I'm not prepared to discuss who we've spoken to. People we think have got information that will be useful to the inquiry. The inquiry isn't judge and jury. The process is one of investigation and presenting the facts. The board will consider the facts and if the board feels that the facts are compelling they will pass that to the compliance officer and it will go through the normal disciplinary process. Asked about the perception that the SFA will not impose the maximum penalty on Rangers - termination of membership - even if they are found to be in serious contravention of their articles of association, Regan said: "You're asking me to make comment before the inquiry is concluded. That's inappropriate. When contacted last week, UEFA declined to comment on the happenings at Ibrox. "If you think about it," said Regan, "would FIFA get involved in a UEFA matter before the actual body itself had been allowed to conclude their investigation? You have got to let the governing body go through the facts and establish conclusions. UEFA don't run Scottish football, they run European football. They'll only get involved here if they feel that something has happened that hasn't been addressed and it impacts on their competitions. The new UEFA licence will be considered on or around 31 March and at that stage the matter will clearly be of interest to them. They are aware of what is going on at the club, though.

Pope creates 22 new cardinals Pope Benedict XVI led a solemn ceremony in Saint Peter's Basilica on Saturday to induct 22 new cardinals into the prestigious college that will one day elect his successor. The 84-year-old pope, who entered the vast basilica on a rolling platform wearing red and gold vestments, presented the new "princes of the Church" with scarlet-red birettas and gold rings during the consistory that Vatican observers say could increase the chances of the next pope being Italian. The new cardinals "are asked to serve the Church with love and vigour, with the clarity and wisdom of masters, with the energy and moral force of pastors (and) with the faith and courage of martyrs," the pope said. Eighteen of the 22 newcomers are under 80, the cut-off age for cardinal electors. Critics say the appointments show a strong bias towards Europe as out of the 125 "elector cardinals," 67 are now from Europe, with just 22 from South America, 15 from North America, 11 from Africa and 10 from Asia and the Pacific. Of the electors, 63 have been named by the German pope and the other 62 by his Polish predecessor John Paul II. The nomination of seven Italians in Benedict's fourth consistory also brings to 30 the elector cardinals from Italy -- almost a quarter of the total, far outweighing any other country. Some observers say the Vatican's increasingly powerful Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone is behind the promotion of Italians up the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy. The vast majority of previous popes -- more than 200 -- have been from Italy. The new cardinals include 16 Europeans, two Americans, one Canadian, a Brazilian, an Indian and a Hong Kong Chinese. Among the key appointments is New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan, Toronto Archbishop Thomas Collins, as well as the bishop of Hong Kong, John Tong Hon, and Archbishop George Alencherry from India. Dolan, an influential figure in the US Catholic Church, has spoken out against gay marriage. Brazilian Joao Braz de Aviz is the only new cardinal from Latin America, the region with the largest concentration of Catholics. Many of the nominations were virtually automatic -- for example, the bishops of Utrecht, Florence, Berlin, Prague, Toronto and New York, and certain long-serving Vatican prelates, of whom 10 were named Saturday. The consistory comes after days of high-profile leaks, corruption allegations and even a discredited report on a plot to kill the pope, which have raised fears of a power struggle at the heart of the Catholic Church. One of the reported rumours was that the pope is lining up Milan Archbishop Angelo Scola to be his successor. Another alleged that the Vatican's bank was failing to comply with money-laundering rules. Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi has denied the rumours, saying that the leaks were intended to "sow confusion" and put the Church "in a bad light." The key question being asked by Vatican insiders is whether Benedict -- who turns 85 in April and is well respected for his academic work as a theologian -- is becoming too distant from the day-to-day management of the Church. The issue is crucial as Bertone's ascendancy is seen as being one of the reasons behind the recent rash of revelations. Following Saturday's consistory, the pope is to announce dates for the canonisation of seven new saints including the first Native American saint, a 17th-century Mohawk girl named Kateri Tekakwitha.

McDonnell considers opting out of Medicaid expansion Gov. Bob McDonnell sent a letter to legislators Tuesday saying that he is considering whether Virginia should opt out of the federal health law's Medicaid expansion, but needs more information. Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (Bob Brown/ Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP) "A great expansion of Medicaid, without significant reform of the so-called "federal-state partnership," is not responsible,"" McDonnell wrote. Six other Republican governors have announced that they would not participate. In a seven-page letter to members of the General Assembly, McDonnell said he was weighing ramifications following the Supreme Court's health-care decision. But he reiterated that he would not call a special legislative session to deal with the issues. States are required to set up exchanges for residents to purchase health insurance, but the General Assembly did not do so this year in hopes that the Supreme Court would find the federal law unconstitutional. Virginia originally had until last month to apply for a grant to help pay to set up the health exchange, but the federal government has added additional deadlines for grants. "With multiple unanswered questions and great uncertainty, it is not prudent to spend a great deal of time and taxpayers" money on building a system that we may never need to implement or that may be materially different once the rules are finally established,"" McDonnell said. He said that he hopes a new Congress and president will repeal the law that he considers a massive unfunded mandate. McDonnell, chairman of the Republican Governors Association, also sent a letter on behalf of Republican governors to President Obama seeking clarification on critical outstanding questions related to the federal health-care law in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision.