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Old Navy brand president resigns Jan 19 05:55 PM US/Eastern SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Gap Inc. says the president of its Old Navy brand is resigning The struggling retailer announced Thursday that Tom Wyatt will leave Old Navy Feb. 3. It named two senior executives to assume his duties while a search is held for a permanent replacement. The departure of Wyatt is another blow to Gap as it struggles to turn around its falling sales trends. Wyatt joined Gap in 2006 and took over as head of the Old Navy brand in 2008. Wyatt, 56, is leaving to become the CEO of Portland, Ore.-based childhood education company Knowledge Universe.

NHL: New York Rangers 3, Winnipeg 0 NEW YORK, Jan. 24 (UPI) -- Henrik Lundqvist logged his fifth shutout of the season and Ryan Callahan provided the offense Monday in the New York Rangers' 3-0 win over Winnipeg. Lundqvist recorded 22 saves while Callahan collected a goal and an assist for the Rangers, who took a two-game winning streak and a 31-12-4 record into the All-Star Game break. John Mitchell and Brad Richards scored for the Rangers, who grabbed sole possession of the Eastern Conference lead. Ondrej Pavelec turned aside 28 shots for the slumping Jets (22-22-6), who dropped their third straight.

Mario DeLuca Joins Aronson LLC as the Firm's Tax Practice Leader ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Aronson LLC, a nationally ranked top 50 accounting and consulting firm announced that, effective January 4, 2012, Mario DeLuca, CPA, JD, LLM has joined the firm as a partner to lead the firm's tax practice. DeLuca, formerly the tax partner-in-charge of the Washington, DC office of a large regional firm, brings more than two decades of experience in public accounting. His industry specializations include real estate, government contracting, mergers and acquisitions, and private equity. "We are very excited to welcome Mario," remarked Aronson Managing Partner Jeffery Capron. His experience and deep expertise in the industries we serve, and his demonstrated leadership abilities, make him a welcome addition to a practice area that already has a reputation as one of the best in the region. Aronson has tasked DeLuca with improving the quality and efficiency of services provided to existing clients, attracting new clients, recruiting top talent, enhancing the group's service offerings, and improving internal processes. Ultimately, he will not only provide management to the group but will also be the architect of the overall concept of Aronson's tax practice moving forward. DeLuca commented on his new role, "I'm looking forward to working with the firm's outstanding leadership and tax team members to take the practice to the next level. We have an experienced and enthusiastic group of professionals in place and an infrastructure that can support growth and innovation. The possibilities are endless. DeLuca earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Northeastern University, as well as a Juris Doctorate from Suffolk University Law School and an LL.M. in Taxation from Boston University School of Law. He is also an Adjunct Professor at American University in the graduate tax program at the Kogod School of Business. About Aronson LLC As the Mid-Atlantic region's premier accounting and consulting firm, Aronson has built a tradition of excellence spanning nearly 50 years. Hundreds of dedicated business experts provide innovative solutions designed specifically for each client. Aronson specializes in comprehensive audit, tax and consulting services for clients ranging from individual taxpayers up through publicly traded companies poised for continued success. Aronson's professionals stay ahead of trends to meet and exceed expectations through their unique combination of personal service and innovative expertise. Dedicated to providing a complete financial solution, Aronson is more than just a typical accounting firm - we are a trusted advisor to our clients. In 2008 and 2007, Aronson was named one of the Metro area's Best Places to Work by the Washington Business Journal. For more information about Aronson LLC, please visit http://www.aronsonllc.com.

SOPA blackout: Bills lose three co-sponsors amid protests Three co-sponsors of the SOPA and PIPA antipiracy bills have publicly withdrawn their support as Wikipedia and thousands of other websites blacked out their pages Wednesday to protest the legislation. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) withdrew as a co-sponsor of the Protect IP Act in the Senate, while Reps. Lee Terry (R-Neb.) and Ben Quayle (R-Ariz.) said they were pulling their names from the companion House bill, the Stop Online Piracy Act. Opponents of the legislation, led by large Internet companies, say its broad definitions could lead to censorship of online content and force some websites to shut down. In a posting on his Facebook page, Rubio noted that after the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously passed its bill last year, he has "heard legitimate concerns about the impact the bill could have on access to the Internet and about a potentially unreasonable expansion of the federal government's power to impact the Internet." "Congress should listen and avoid rushing through a bill that could have many unintended consequences," Rubio said in announcing he was withdrawing his support. While he's committed to stopping online piracy, Rubio called for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to back off plans to hold a key procedural vote on the bill on Tuesday. Rubio's withdrawal will reduce the number of co-sponsors to 39. Last week, two other co-sponsors, Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), joined four other Senate Republicans in a letter to Reid also urging him delay the vote. But Grassley and Hatch have not withdrawn their support. Terry and Quayle were among the 31 sponsors of the House legislation before they withdrew their support Tuesday. Quayle still strongly supports the goal of the House bill to crack down on foreign websites that traffic in pirated movies, music, medicine and other goods. "The bill could have some unintended consequences that need to be addressed," said Quayle spokesman Zach Howell. Basically it needs more work before he can support it. Terry said that he also had problems with the House bill in its current form and would no longer support it. Wikipedia, Reddit and about 10,000 other websites blacked out their pages Wednesday with messages warning of the dangers of the legislation and urging people to contact their congressional representatives. Howell said Quayle's office had not seen a major increase in calls or emails Wednesday, but that the piracy bills have been the main issue in recent weeks for people contacting the office. There has been a "manageable increase" in visits to House member websites Wednesday, said Dan Weiser, a spokesman for the House office of the chief administrative officer. "It's possible some users will see a short delay or slow loading of a member's web page," he said. More opponents of PIPA and SOPA emerge on the right SOPA blackout: Who's gone dark to protest anti-piracy bill? Wikipedia still accessible during SOPA blackout -- with a little effort Jim Puzzanghera in Washington Photo: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). Credit: Joe Burbank / Orlando Sentinel

OncoSec Provides Company Update and Announces 2012 Goals SAN DIEGO, Jan. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- OncoSec Medical Incorporated (OTCBB:ONCS), which is developing its advanced-stage OncoSec Medical System (OMS) ElectroOncology therapies to treat solid tumor cancers, presented its corporate strategy for 2012 and reported on progress since launch of the company last year at the Biotech Showcase and OneMedForum conferences held January 9-13 in San Francisco, CA. Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110314/MM64943LOGO "Despite a financially challenging year, 2011 was a pivotal and an exciting year for us, and our shareholders, as we laid the foundation for OncoSec's success," said Punit Dhillon, President and CEO. If we scored ourselves based on the milestones set forth by the OncoSec Board of Directors and management team, then 2011 was a resounding success. We now look forward to taking the next critical steps as a clinical development company with three cancer immunotherapy clinical studies beginning. It is our goal to address indications with substantial unmet medical needs and therefore allow patients with lethal skin cancers to evaluate eligibility in the pioneering OncoSec treatment. Unfortunately these are indications that have not seen new satisfactory options for patients in quite some time. The Company established a robust clinical development plan based on its novel, first-in-class OMS ElectroImmunotherapy treatment platform for the treatment of rare and deadly skin cancers, including (1) metastatic melanoma; (2) Merkel cell carcinoma; and (3) cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. OMS ElectroImmunotherapy employs electroporation to deliver, directly into the patient's own cells, a gene which expresses interleukin-12 (DNA-based IL-12), a potent, naturally occurring protein that is central to the regulation of the body's cellular anti-cancer immune responses. Preclinical and Phase I studies have shown that the therapy is safe, without toxic side effects, and has resulted in immune responses that produced both a local and systemic response against cancerous lesions. Positive clinical data of DNA-based IL-12, the first-ever to demonstrate electroporation-mediated delivery of a DNA plasmid designed to express a therapeutic protein in humans, were presented at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. In the Phase I human study, 15% of patients demonstrated 100% clearance of distant, untreated metastatic melanoma tumors; in retrospect only 0.25% would be expected to spontaneously resolve on their own if left untreated. If OncoSec's Phase II trials further validate this evidence, the DNA-based IL-12 electroimmunotherapy platform would represent an important advancement in the treatment of both local and metastatic cancers. All three Phase II studies will be physician-sponsored clinical trials. "With initiation of these three Phase II open label, multi-center clinical trials, OncoSec will demonstrate its commitment to developing revolutionary therapies for rare skin cancers," said Mr. Dhillon. Despite recent drug approvals for metastatic melanoma, there still remains a significant need for more durable and safer treatment alternatives. In the case of Merkel cell carcinoma and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, little, if any, treatment options are available for this population of patients destined to die with their disease. Phase II Melanoma Trial (OMS-I100) Over 9,000 people die from melanoma each year in the U.S. alone and it is estimated that the rate of growth for this deadly cancer will increase to over 150,000 new cases per year by 2020. OncoSec's melanoma trial, entitled "Phase II trial of intratumoral pIL-12 electroporation in advanced stage cutaneous and in transit malignant melanoma," will be an open-label, multicenter trial. The primary endpoint is objective response rate (local and distant) at six months. Secondary trial endpoints include time to objective response (complete and partial responses), duration of distant response and overall survival. Current outcomes for melanoma treated using standard chemotherapies alone, or new biologic and small molecule treatment approaches, have not proved encouraging because of low response rates, short duration, high toxicity, high refractory rates, and severe side effects, while only providing a modest improvement in survival. Phase II Merkel Cell Carcinoma Trial (OMS-I110) Merkel cell carcinoma is a lethal but rare form of skin cancer affecting approximately 1,500 people in the U.S. each year. Current outcomes to chemotherapy treatment have demonstrated short-lived responses with no clear impact on overall survival due to the 33% mortality rate inherent with Merkel cell cancer. OncoSec's clinical trial, entitled "A Phase II study of intratumoral injection of interleukin-12 plasmid and in vivo electroporation in patients with Merkel cell carcinoma," is a single dose, open-label, multicenter trial. The study's endpoint is DNA-based IL-12 gene expression in tumor tissue at three to four weeks post-treatment. Secondary endpoints will evaluate objective response rates, time to relapse or progression and overall survival. This study will evaluate the safety and tolerability of DNA-based IL-12 as a treatment for Merkel cell carcinoma and aims to further validate the findings of the previously referenced Phase I trial in metastatic melanoma patients. The recent discovery of a Merkel cell polyomavirus, coupled with strong evidence suggesting that patients with Merkel cell carcinoma carry significant immune dysfunction in the tumor microenvironment suggests that an immunotherapy, such as DNA-based IL-12, may be effective at treating this disease Phase II Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma (OMS-I120) OncoSec's electroimmunotherapy is a potential new treatment for patients suffering from cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, or CTCL. This cancer affects approximately 3,000 people in the U.S. each year. Today's systemically delivered treatment methods typically result in toxicities that preclude their long-term use for this chronic life-altering disease. Some immunotherapies have shown promising therapeutic benefit. For example, recombinant human IL-12 (rhIL-12) has been shown to have greater than 40% response rate in Phase I and II clinical trials. However, side effects of this systemically delivered therapy proved to be intolerable for most patients, and chronic use of rhIL-12 resulted in drug resistance. OncoSec's OMS ElectroImmunotherapy will locally deliver low-dose DNA-based IL-12 into the cancerous lesion with the goal of inducing a systemic immune response capable of destroying cancerous cells while avoiding toxicities and any chance of resistance. Strategic goals for OncoSec's OMS ElectroImmunotherapy program in 2012: Initiate and enroll (OMS-I100) Phase II melanoma study led by the University of California at San Francisco along with other cancer centers across the US. Initiate and enroll (OMS-I110) Phase II Merkel Cell Carcinoma study led by the University of Washington (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center) and University of California at San Francisco. Initiate and enroll (OMS-I120) Phase II Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma (CTCL) led by the University of California at San Francisco along with multiple centers across the US. Complete and report interim analysis of clinical data from each of the clinical studies Finalize sponsor IND based on positive Phase II clinical results in consultation with regulatory authorities. This past year also demonstrated the Company's ability to continue to create value from its advanced-stage OMS ElectroChemotherapy program for the treatment of primary and recurrent localized solid tumors. Since the acquisition of a clinical data set of over 400 patients, OncoSec has compiled, reviewed, and analyzed the data and presented preliminary results from its Phase IV European head & neck cancer trials and Phase I/II breast cancer trial. The preliminary data sets from the completed Phase III recurrent head and neck cancer studies are now being analyzed, and the Company expects to share this information with potential partners for the continued development of this program. "With positive results presented from the completed Phase I/II breast cancer and preliminary Phase IV skin and head and neck cancer studies in 2011, OMS ElectroChemotherapy has demonstrated the clinical benefit for patients with quite manageable side effects," said Mr. Dhillon. We strongly believe in the clinical relevance of our therapeutic approach and believe these results demonstrate tolerability and efficacy and point to the combinability of this novel treatment approach with current available therapies for the management of local tumors. Clinical experience from these programs supports the uniqueness of OMS ElectroChemotherapy in its ability to achieve selective destruction of cancerous tumors while sparing healthy normal tissue including highly vascularized and innervated surrounding structures, providing physicians with an important flexible treatment alternative. Strategic goals for OMS ElectroChemotherapy in 2012: Finalize and present data analysis of completed Phase III recurrent head and neck cancer study. Finalize and present data analysis of completed Phase IV recurrent and primary head and neck cancer study. Finalize and present data analysis of completed Phase IV recurrent and primary skin cancer study. Establish regulatory path with the FDA for clinical development of advanced stage skin cancer and other solid tumor targets in the US to achieve licensure. Consider out-licensing opportunities through potential regional partnerships or a global partner to maximize near term commercialization opportunities in Europe, Asia and potentially other emerging markets. The formation of OncoSec in 2011 occurred through the acquisition of certain non-DNA vaccine technology and intellectual property relating to the Company's OMS ElectroOncology therapies for treating solid tumor cancers. With seed capital secured, the Company moved quickly to attract and acquire an experienced and respected management team and scientific advisory board. The Company then established a clinical development plan based on its novel, first-in-class OMS ElectroImmunotherapy treatment platform for the treatment of deadly skin cancers, including metastatic melanoma, Merkel cell carcinoma and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. The Company will continue to build product value through next generation devices and drugs and generate additional intellectual property organically or through other in-licensing opportunities. In 2011, OncoSec completed its in-house capabilities to build, maintain and develop its own devices. In 2012, the Company expects to continue to boost its capabilities by meeting additional stringent quality assurance standards and increasing manufacturing capabilities for its ongoing and future clinical trials through additional efficiencies and ability to scale up production as needed to support potential partners. I am pleased that we have been able to leverage a large amount of existing investment into the OMS ElectroOncology platform to operate not only efficiently but resourcefully. I fully expect the Company to stay lean and agile while having the flexibility to outsource specific activities, where and when required, thereby allowing the Company to hold control over its operating expenditures," said Mr. Dhillon. Strategic goals for organizational efficiencies in 2012: Complete ISO13485 qualification and certification Acquire CE Mark of OncoSec Medical System Complete additional in-licensing opportunities Make additional hires in manufacturing, R&D, and administration to reflect program and business requirements About OncoSec Medical Inc. OncoSec Medical Incorporated (OTCBB: ONCS) develops novel OMS ElectroOncology therapies that combine its proprietary electroporation delivery technology with a chemotherapeutic or novel DNA-based immunotherapeutics. Targeted local delivery of these agents is designed to achieve selective destruction of cancerous tumors while sparing healthy normal tissue, resulting in improved functional, cosmetic and quality of life outcomes. OMS ElectroChemotherapy has achieved validating safety and efficacy data in early and late stage clinical studies of over 400 cancer patients. OncoSec's clinical programs include three Phase II clinical trials for OMS ElectroImmunotherapy targeting lethal skin cancers. More information is available at www.oncosec.com. Additional information may also be found at OncoSec's Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn sites. This press release contains forward looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements in this release that are not historical facts may be considered such "forward looking statements." Forward looking statements are based on management's current preliminary expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties which may cause our results to differ materially and adversely from the statements contained herein. Some of the potential risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those predicted include our ability to raise additional funding, our ability to acquire, develop or commercialize new products, uncertainties inherent in pre-clinical studies and clinical trials, unexpected new data, safety and technical issues, competition and market conditions. These and additional risks and uncertainties are more fully described in OncoSec's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Undue reliance should not be placed on forward looking statements which speak only as of the date they are made. OncoSec disclaims any obligation to update any forward looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances after the date they are made, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. SOURCE OncoSec Medical Incorporated

SuperPAC Satire: Colbert Explains Joke Running for president is hard work. But for comedian Stephen Colbert, who announced his plans to "explore" a presidential bid in South Carolina earlier this week, it's not the long hours of campaigning or the intense public scrutiny that weighed against his decision to run, it was giving up control of his Super PAC. "To do this exploratory committee, I had to give away my Super PAC," Colbert told ABC's George Stephanopoulos in an exclusive interview Sunday morning on "This Week." That's my baby. Do you know how hard it is to give away a baby? Now imagine if that baby had a whole lot of money. Imagine how much harder that would be to give away. Colbert is using his faux bid for the White House to draw attention to new campaign finance laws that allow unnamed donors to pour unlimited funds into super PACs, which can spend that money to support political candidates as long as they do not directly coordinate with a candidate. Why would you worry about what money is doing to the political process? Colbert said, a twinge of sarcasm in his voice. There are $11.2 million worth of ads being run in South Carolina. That just means more speech than ever before in South Carolina. Colbert's Super PAC, which was re-named The Definitely Not Coordinated With Stephen Colbert Super PAC after Colbert announced his exploratory committee, launched an ad in South Carolina this week labeling Mitt Romney a "serial killer." The Colbert ad is an obvious spoof of anti-Romney ads being run by the pro-Newt Gingrich super PAC in the Palmetto State. Gingrich has said any untrue statements should be removed from the ad, but, because the PAC does not coordinate with Gingrich, they have refused to re-edit the ads, which some say stretch the truth about Romney's time at Bain Capital. Colbert took a similar tone, saying he had "nothing to do" with the "serial killer" ads. "I am not calling anyone a serial killer," Colbert said. That's not my super PAC. Colbert handed the reins of his PAC over to fellow comedian Jon Stewart earlier this week. Colbert emphasized that he has not launched a campaign for president, but merely an exploratory committee to find out "if there is a hunger for a Stephen Colbert campaign." "I'm exploring right now," he said. I'm like one man Louis and Clark and I'm looking for my Sacagawea. Colbert, who launched a similar gig during the 2008 presidential race,first floated his 2012 aspirations earlier this week, noting that he is already beating GOP candidate Jon Huntsman in one South Carolina poll. "This just got real," Colbert said Wednesday on "The Colbert Report." Colbert, a South Carolina native, already has a super PAC, a dedicated fan base and even a lead in a South Carolina poll. But his purported campaign faces several uphill battles, namely that the deadline for getting his name on the ballot has passed and South Carolina's voting system does not allow for write-in candidates. The only place where someone could conceivably write in a vote for Colbert is on an absentee ballot, which are still being sent out as requested. However, those ballots would not be counted by the state. Colbert brushed off such ballot access issues. "They say I can't get on the ballot in South Carolina?" he said. They said you can't go to the moon. They said you can't put cheese inside a pizza crust, but NASA did it. According a South Carolina poll from the Democrat-leaning Public Policy Polling group, Colbert is beating Huntsman, who finished third in the New Hampshire primary. Matt Moore, executive director of the South Carolina Republican party, said Colbert's chances of winning his state's primary are "nonexistent." Moore sent a statement to ABC News dismissing the comedian's campaign efforts. South Carolina state law does not allow write-in ballots in presidential primaries. There is no 'blank' space on voting machines to write-in a candidate" writes Moore. Stephen Colbert has about as much a chance at being elected President in South Carolina as he does of being elected Pope. It didn't work four years ago, and it won't work now. The gag is worn out. After the South Carolina Republican Party reported having trouble financing their primary in December, Colbert offered to buy the state's primary for $500,000 from his super PAC, an offer the party declined. "Stephen is from South Carolina and he's going to do what he's going to do," Moore said. He's in the business of comedy and he's from South Carolina so it's no surprise he wants to be involved here.

The Seasons, Gabrieli Consort, Barbican, review Haydn's last oratorio, The Seasons, has always been in the shadow of its mighty neighbour, The Creation, not least because of its lame text. Conductor Paul McCreesh has produced a new translation of the original German words, and on Saturday it was unveiled in a performance by the Gabrieli Consort and Players. What a comfort it was to immerse ourselves in Haydn's orderly world. Here there's no global warming to mess the seasons up. Winter is snowy, but there's a roaring fire to come home to. Summers are baking hot, but conveniently provided with shady trees. Like Haydn's music in general, the piece celebrates the sane middle ground of life. The trouble with the golden mean is that it can seem a tad dull, but McCreesh avoided that. He launched the Introduction with a tremendous clattery din, representing the last squalls of winter before Spring. Later on, in Summer, Haydn conjures up an orchestral tempest that makes Beethoven's storm in the "Pastoral" Symphony seem not quite so original after all, and the orchestra made it thrilling. The sharp flavour of the period instruments meant that Haydn's numerous pictorialisms - twittery piccolos for birds, tripping violins for gambolling sheep, rustic dances with bagpipe drones - were charmingly vivid rather than twee. Really they were the stars of the show; the chorus and soloists just had to admire God's handiwork, which they did in tones that struck the right balance between outdoors straightforwardness and high-art sophistication. McCreesh's translation was a shrewd simulacrum of lofty 18th-century diction, softened for modern ears. Soprano Christiane Karg looked as wholesome as apple pie in her green frock, and made a sound of ringing clarity. Singing the tale of the country girl who outwits the would-be aristocratic seducer is hard to do without sounding arch, but Karg pulled it off. The combination of her tender innocence with tenor Alan Clayton's, with grey-haired Christopher Purves providing the hearty baritone voice of experience, added another layer of symbolism. It was all a delight, even the last chorus, which turns the grey skies of Winter into a moral lesson. What remains when ambition and riches melt away? Only virtue. An old-fashioned sentiment, but it could turn out to be useful yet.

Elster Announces CFO Transition ESSEN, Germany, Jan. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Elster (NYSE: ELT) announced today that, following more than six years as chief financial officer (CFO) of Elster, with accomplishments that include a successful initial public offering, secondary offering and refinancing, substantial improvements in profitability, efficiency and working capital, and the establishment of core public company infrastructure, Christoph Schmidt-Wolf plans to leave Elster at the end of March. "Christoph's exceptional record of delivering results with steady and robust revenue growth across the business and strong fiscal discipline speaks for itself," said Simon Beresford-Wylie, chief executive officer (CEO) of Elster. "He has guided the company through the transition from private equity ownership onto the New York Stock Exchange as a publicly traded company and we wish him all the best in his future endeavours," Beresford-Wylie added. Mr. Schmidt-Wolf will be succeeded as CFO by Mr. Rainer Beaujean. Mr. Beaujean will join Elster on February 1, 2012 and will formally take over as CFO in early March 2012, thereby providing for a two month transition period. Mr. Beaujean has spent the past five years as CFO and member of the management board of Demag Cranes AG. Demag Cranes AG, with 2010/2011 financial year revenues of more than 1.06 billion Euros, is one of the world's leading providers of industrial cranes, crane components, mobile harbor cranes and port automation technology and was a MDAX listed company on the Frankfurt stock exchange until the takeover by Terex Industrial Holdings in August 2011. Prior to Demag Cranes AG, Mr. Beaujean served six years at T-Online International AG, Europe's largest internet services provider, and the second largest worldwide. He was the CFO of T-Online International AG for four years before being appointed CEO. Mr. Beaujean left T-Online International AG after the merger with Deutsche Telekom AG in 2006. Mr. Beaujean started his business career with Deutsche Telekom AG, one of the world's leading telecommunications and information technology service companies. Mr. Beaujean worked in various senior finance functions at Deutsche Telekom before he was appointed as CFO of T-Online International AG. "Rainer's deep global experience leading publicly listed industrial manufacturing and technology solutions companies will be an outstanding addition to Elster as we continue to see dynamic growth opportunities in gas, electricity and water around the world," Beresford-Wylie said. "He brings a history of successful focus on process, growth and shareholder value, all of which fit precisely with our approach at Elster as we enter our second year as a public company," Beresford-Wylie added. "Elster has a 175 year track record of excellence and innovation and has today emerged as a very well positioned, growing public company establishing vital connections between gas, electric and water customers and the communities they serve," Beaujean said. "I look forward to joining Simon and the outstanding Elster senior management and finance teams as we enter a period of focus on applying technology solutions to resource conservation around the world," Beaujean added. Mr. Beaujean will be a managing director of the company and member of Elster's group executive board. It is also intended to propose the appointment of Mr. Beaujean as member of the Company's administrative board at the next Annual General Meeting.

Buffett secretary to attend State of the Union WASHINGTON (AP) - The secretary for one of the world's wealthiest men and the wife of late Apple cofounder Steve Jobs are among those invited by the White House to attend the State of the Union address. The State of the Union guest list has become an annual rite, with the first lady's box taking on the sort of gravitas shown at the Academy Awards' Red Carpet ceremony. The guests often have ties to a proposal or initiative the president will outline in the address. The White House said Debbie Bosanek, the secretary for billionaire Warren Buffett, would be among those attending the speech. Obama has frequently cited Buffett's complaint that the tax code is unfair because he pays a lower tax rate than his secretary. The White House said Laurene Powell Jobs, the wife of late Apple cofounder Steve Jobs, also would attend Obama's prime-time address. Adam Rapp, a cancer survivor the White House says benefitted from Obama's health care overhaul, also will join Michelle Obama in the first lady's box Tuesday night. Mark Kelly, former astronaut and husband of outgoing Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, will attend as well. Giffords is resigning from Congress to focus on her recovery after being shot, but will be on the House floor during the State of the Union.

Atty: DA probing NYC police boss' son Jan 26 02:48 AM US/Eastern NEW YORK (AP) - A lawyer says one of the New York City police commissioner's sons is under investigation by prosecutors and strenuously denies any wrongdoing. Greg Kelly's lawyer, Andrew Lankler, didn't immediately respond to questions Wednesday night about the focus of the Manhattan district attorney's investigation. The 43-year-old Kelly co-hosts "Good Day New York," a morning television show on local Fox affiliate WNYW-TV. He is a son of Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly. Police spokesman Paul Browne said he couldn't comment and was referring inquiries to the DA's office because of the potential conflict of interest. Lankler says that Greg Kelly is cooperating with the DA's investigation and that it will prove his innocence. Messages left for WNYW weren't immediately returned late Wednesday.

Restaurant review: Martha's, St Vincent Street Glasgow WANT cheeseburger. Pay 99p. Eat it. When it comes to traditional fast food, it's the lack of information that helps to define the genre. You don't expect to discover much about the provenance of your hot dog and skinny fries. Surely you pay extra for all those fancy details? Then along came Martha's. This "fast casual" style of eatery (a place that offers limited table service, but a better quality of food than your bog-standard fast food joint) operates on weekdays only. Its head chef is Alan Doig, formerly of Stravaigin, and they offer eco-friendly packaging by Vegware, utilise local suppliers, boast a seasonally changing menu and, when it comes to information, there's stacks to digest. The affordable menu is decorated with symbols: a cloud means that a dish is under 450 calories, a blazing sun indicates that something is low GI, 1/5 means that it includes one of your recommended five portions of fruit and veg per day, and so on. However, as skim readers with short concentration spans, my dining partner Rolf and I opted for the prettiest-looking options - the wintery Red Dragon Pork (£4.65) and Moroccan meatballs (£5.25) - which we chose from an overhead food list at the counter and paid for, before bagging a table for two at the window. The decor here was created by Graven Images and consists of kaleidoscopic floral mosaics against white walls. Nice enough, though the lighting is rather stark and the seating slightly awkward. We wanted to sit in one of the alcoves but, with minimal leg room, we didn't think we'd be able to fold our willowy pins under the low-slung table. But I guess this space has been designed as a fuelling stop, rather than somewhere to linger. It's more important that the food is impressive. Which it is. Presented in a compostable takeaway box, the shredded piggy option was beautifully slow-roasted, with only a whisper of chilli, ginger and sesame dressing (like Marilyn and her Chanel No.5, it didn't need to wear anything else) and clippings of spring onion. It came with nutty and filling brown rice, plus a large dollop of white cabbage, carrot, kohlrabi and natural yoghurt coleslaw. For under a fiver, I felt like I'd mugged and burgled them. We were also wowed by the helping of six coriander and cumin-flavoured meatballs, which tasted lamby, burly and sweet, with a blanket of tomato sauce and a chevron stripe of yoghurt. On the side, more rice and coleslaw. Satisfying. As side dishes, we bagged ready-made salads from the fridge - Martha's Triple M Salad (£4.95 to sit in, £4.15 to take away) and the Sunset Salad (£4.50 in, £3.75 out - bit odd that some things cost a few pennies more than others to eat in). My co-muncher found the latter - a hotchpotch of roasted carrot, parsnip and couscous - slightly starchy and stodgy. It had, however, been lifted somewhat by the addition of fruity pomegranate seeds and a dressing of mint, lemon and parsley. It just needed a little more sweetness and crunch. Thus, my vibrant combination won. There were cold grilled chicken slices, raw broccoli and spinach leaves, chunks of roasted squash, grasshopper-green edamame (soya) beans, slivers of cucumber and avocado, a salty crumbling of feta cheese, plus sesame and pumpkin seeds, all set off by a rather lovely orangey-lemon dressing. I'm still not sure what the Triple M moniker means (Martha's Marvellous Medicine?), but I would kick my Quaver habit for this kind of stuff. Of course, life would be a bit yawnsome if you couldn't have a little of what tickles your fancy. So, Rolf and I went for a choice of three desserts: a milk chocolate and praline crunch tart (£2.20) that was displayed among cakes and pastries on the counter, plus two mini-puds from the fridge - a crumbly and sticky sea salt and caramel shortcake pot (£1.40) and a rather runny mango and vanilla pannacotta (£1.30). The latter offerings had obviously been audited by the resident Calorie Inspector, as there were only around five spoonfuls in each doll-sized portion. Still, to be fair, it was all the sugary punctuation mark we really needed. In contrast, the cakey offering (rather unnecessarily boxed) was huge, and tasted like a Ferrero Rocher, with a crispy praline at the bottom of the shortcrust pastry case, and a topping of creamy ganache and chopped hazelnuts. Lovely. I hope this place survives. I'm only worried because the food is high quality, and I'm not sure how they keep their overheads down (there were almost as many staff as customers on our visit). It's also reminiscent of fast casual healthy eating outlet Sand, which opened in 2008, but didn't last long in Glasgow's city centre. I say get your 1/5 at Martha's while you can. Martha's 142a St Vincent Street, Glasgow (0141-248 9771, www.mymarthas.co.uk) Lunch for two, excluding drinks, £24.25

Pakistani Militants Claim to Have Killed 15 Soldiers They Kidnapped Last Month

Rutgers women rally to beat Louisville in OT PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) - Erica Wheeler scored 23 points, including an off-balance 3-pointer with the shot clock running out in overtime, and No. 8 Rutgers beat 16th-ranked Louisville 71-68 on Saturday. Trailing 68-67, Wheeler corraled the rebound off a miss from Khadijah Rushdan and dribbled out to the 3-point line. She barely recognized the shot clock was down to its last tick before turning around and connecting with 1:12 left in the extra period. The Scarlet Knights (15-2, 4-0 Big East) forced a shot clock violation on the other end. After Monique Oliver's lay-in rolled off the rim with 13 seconds left, Louisville had one last chance to tie it, but Bria Smith's drive came up short and Rushdan seal the win with a free throw with 1.2 seconds left. Freshman Shawnta' Dyer led the Cardinals (14-4, 3-2) with a season-high 16 points.

Video: Baby giant panda growing healthily in China The four month old giant panda was born to mother Ya Ya on September 4th last year. The little giant panda has grown to 7 kilograms since its birth. Taken care of by its mother, it is fed every few hours. It's in good health and its physical strength is growing gradually. Sometimes it even sucks her mother's breast when she is sleeping and exercises by itself. It sometimes imitates its mother which is very cute," said Hu Youlin, a giant panda keeper at Chongqing Zoo. The giant panda cub has to live in the panda maternity ward at the moment and it will be some time before it makes its public debut, says Hu.

China's Sovereign Wealth Fund Buys Minority Stake in British Utility LONDON - The China Investment Corporation, the country's sovereign wealth fund, announced on Friday that it had acquired an 8.68 percent stake in Thames Water, Britain's largest water and sewage company. It is the first investment in Britain by the China Investment Corporation, which was created in 2007 and has $410 billion of assets under management as of 2010, the latest figures available. The sovereign wealth fund was established to invest the proceeds from China's foreign currency reserves, which total more than $3 trillion. The value of the deal was not disclosed, but it was welcomed by George Osborne, Britain's chancellor of the Exchequer. "It is a vote of confidence in Britain as a place to invest and do business," Mr. Osborne said in a statement. This investment is good news for both the British and Chinese economies. The announcement follows a recent trip by Mr. Osborne to China in an effort to increase trade between the two countries. British officials announced on Friday the creation of a working group with the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the world's largest bank by market capitalization, to promote Chinese investment in British infrastructure projects. Earlier this week, Mr. Osborne also said he wanted to turn London into a major foreign exchange trading center for the Chinese renminbi to benefit from faster growth in Asia, while strengthening the city's position as a financial center in the wake of the banking crisis. Last year, the China Investment Corporation chairman, Lou Jiwei, said the sovereign wealth fund was looking to invest in the infrastructure of developed countries, including Britain. Thames Water, which oversees the water network in southern England, has attracted attention from sovereign wealth funds before. In December, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority said it had acquired a 9.9 percent share of Thames Water. The British water utility company is owned by a consortium of firms led by the Australian bank Macquarie. The group bought Thames Water, which has roughly 14 million customers, from German company RWE in 2006 for £8 billion, or $12.4 billion.

Spring Cottage: crop rotations - Telegraph By January I can definitely feel the sap rising and I am keen to sort out the seeds by ditching all the out-of-date ones and filing away the newly ordered packets. Unfortunately, this exciting and pleasurable task is always marred by a long discussion with the Best Beloved about rotation - the art of moving vegetables around to avoid soil-borne diseases and pests. It's amazing how two people gardening on the same plot can have entirely different recollections about what grew where. We have learnt, over many years, to have a piece of paper each and to smile sweetly through the lengthy procedure, while inwardly grinding our teeth. If you're organic, like us, a rotation plan is a vital calculation because, should your carrot foliage suddenly acquire a purple tint at the tips (an indicator that carrot root fly is active), you cannot apply an insecticide. If you pull out the offending carrot (and it normally starts with one) your fly problem will move along the row much faster, as if by magic, so you are stuck with it. Should it take hold, the roots will be marred by black horizontal banding and then cream grubs will wriggle free. Worse still, the sweet roots will acquire an unpleasant flavour designed to put off pests (and any other creature bent on munching the roots). That includes you. At Spring Cottage we try to follow a logical four-year rotation plan with each group of crops taking up a similarly sized space. Our four groups are potatoes, legumes, brassicas and roots, along with onions, in that order. Potatoes come first in the table, moving down year to year, and we grow all of our own. The blight-resistant maincrop 'Cara" does well on the allotment if lifted before the end of September. First and second earlies, including 'Lady Christl" and 'Foremost," are harvested before the muggy blight-prone month of August and some of these "earlies" are grown in the garden. We also enjoy 'Harlequin," 'Belle de Fontenay" and 'Victoria." Legumes come next in the plan and my prized varieties are the pea 'Hurst Greenshaft," broad bean 'Jubilee Hysor," climbing French bean 'Blauhilde" and the dwarf French bean 'Stanley." Runner beans include the fleshy, stringless red-flowered 'Polestar" and 'White Lady," which is a really tasty bean. I am also devoted to the recent hybrid, 'Moonlight," which has French bean and runner bean blood. It will crop well in hot temperatures, unlike runner beans, which have a tendency to drop their flowers. The nodular roots of all legumes provide extra nitrogen for the soil, helping the growth of hungry brassicas, so they normally follow beans in all rotation plans. Onions and roots are the fourth crop. Manure is added after these, but before potatoes, because root crops dislike freshly manured ground. The roots fang and divide. This simple system soon becomes complicated. Certain vegetables (sweetcorn, Witloof chicory, courgettes and squashes) don't fit into any of the four categories but must be added in somewhere. We must find room for our favourite winter squash 'Sunshine" (from Thompson & Morgan) because the chestnut flavour is outstanding and the small round orange fruits are perfectly proportioned for a couple of meals. Normally our squashes ramble over our allotment. Then there are the immovable feasts like strawberries, which should never be close to potatoes because both can suffer from verticillium wilt, a fungal disease. Some roots, like turnips and swedes, are brassicas and prone to the same pests and diseases, so they are put into that group. Lime is often recommended: I don't apply it. Adding lime to Cotswold soil would be the gardening equivalent of taking coal to Newcastle. The trouble is I throw a spanner into the works every July by planting up gaps with anything I fancy at the time, using up as many open packets as I can find. I call this my late-summer lottery because it's the nearest this sensible Yorkshire grandmother gets to gambling. It paid off brilliantly last year due to a clement autumn and a mild winter, despite the fact that August was too dry for germination. Dwarf French beans cropped into late November, protected from frost in the lea of the greenhouse. Carrots (which do have some fly) and the F1 beetroot 'Alto" are still being dug up and eaten. My preferred late-sown carrot is 'Amsterdam Forcing 3," a fast-maturing AGM variety normally recommended for early sowing. Autumn and winter varieties are too slow to mature from July sowings and I've discovered that the hard way. Our most productive areas are our double dug 8ft x 4ft beds. No guesses for who does the double digging: it's the rufty tufty male half of the partnership. These beds please him greatly, as they yield our target pound of produce per square foot. Everything is weighed and recorded - unless I can get to it first, of course. We have a strip of seven and a block of seven beds. They are double dug individually at the rate of three or four a year. This uses up most of our garden compost, so it's important to be careful about what's added to the heap. Diseased leaves and infested plants go in the green bin. Crop rotation began with the medieval strip system and Spring Cottage sits amid an ancient group of fields. Any illusions of grandeur I may have had were shattered by the 18th-century map of Cold Aston. Our cottage is clearly shown, labelled "the hovel in the waste." Such is life! Once the rotation plan is on the kitchen wall the Best Beloved treats it like scripture and regularly cites Ockham's razor. This principle, attributed to the 14th-century logician and Franciscan friar William of Ockham, concludes that when you have two competing theories that make exactly the same predictions, the simpler one is always better. And so it is with rotation plans - the simplest is best.

Monty Halls's holiday heaven and hell My dog, Reuben. He's the perfect holiday companion as he makes me roar with laughter at least once a day and he needs exercising, so it's incumbent on me to get out and explore. There's something very elemental about being with a dog in big wide open spaces and exploring new places. Travelodges take dogs and I use Alastair Sawday's guide to dog-friendly breaks in Britain. In the early days of our travelling together I did a lot of camping and I remember one time in Scotland we both got really cold and I could hear his teeth chattering in the darkness. Eventually we curled up together to stay warm. I read a lot and I'm not snobbish about what I read. I remember going on a rugby tour of Belgium and sitting down on the coach and opening my book and realising that the coach had gone deadly silent and all these hairy rugby players were looking at me because I was reading Bridget Jones's Diary. Never trust a man with a beard or anyone under the age of 35 who smokes a pipe. There's an island off Costa Rica called Cocos Island and it's meant to be the best place in the world to go diving with sharks. We went to Bimini because it's near one of the best places in the world, the Little Bahama Bank, to film spotted dolphins. The guy who was supposed to take us, however, turned out to be a complete rip-off artist. He took $25,000 off us as a group and the boat never left the quay. I went on a package holiday to Turkey with my then girlfriend and all the activities were included in the price, so I was windsurfing, diving, playing touch rugby on the beach and we got to know loads of people. It was brilliant. But after a few days a bug swept through the camp. I remember crawling into the shower and hauling myself upright only to throw up and pass out. I packed a lampshade when drunk. My girlfriend and I went to Falmouth on a mini-break and the hotel touted itself as the ultimate environment in which to kick back and relax. We arrived and I was expecting big fluffy white dressing gowns and visions of loveliness bringing me pots of earl grey tea. Instead we walked in and the first bloke I saw was a guy in overalls carrying a power drill. The backing track to our stay was hammering, drilling and chaos. Talking to people on planes. At the start of a 10-hour flight, if you engage the person next to you in more than the most basic of human exchanges, you are playing Russian roulette with the rest of those 10 hours. I hate ignorance - ignorance of other people's lives and cultures. Other than that, I love the whole process of travelling and the delicious anticipation of coming home. Sometimes you've got to go away to appreciate how nice it is to come back. Monty Halls's Great Escapes DVD box set is on sale now, priced £28.99

NBA: Chicago 114, Cleveland 75 CLEVELAND, Jan. 20 (UPI) -- Luol Deng paced Chicago's hot shooting performance Friday and the Bulls steamrolled over Cleveland 114-75. Playing their third straight game without Derrick Rose, the Bulls ran the NBA's best record to 14-3. Rose, the league's defending MVP, has been listed as day-to-day with a toe injury. His absence did not slow down the Bulls, who shot 55 percent from the field, missed only once in 17 attempts from the foul line and made 6-of-9 from 3-point range. Deng was 8-of-13 while scoring 21 points. Carlos Boozer had 19 points and 14 rebounds and C.J. Watson added 15. Chicago had an 18-point lead with 6:30 to go in the third period and then held the Cavaliers to just four points for the rest of the quarter. Anderson Varejao had 14 points to pace the Cavaliers.

Many Americans have poor health literacy By Sandra G. Boodman Kaiser Health News Monday, February 28, 2011; 8:37 PM An elderly woman sent home from the hospital develops a life-threatening infection because she doesn't understand the warning signs listed in the discharge instructions. A man flummoxed by an intake form in a doctor's office reflexively writes "no" to every question because he doesn't understand what is being asked. A young mother pours a drug that is supposed to be taken by mouth into her baby's ear, perforating the eardrum. And a man in his 70s preparing for his first colonoscopy uses a suppository as directed, but without first removing it from the foil packet. Each of these examples provided by health-care workers or patient advocates illustrates one of the most pervasive and under-recognized problems in medicine: Americans' alarmingly low levels of health literacy - the ability to obtain, understand and use health information. A 2006 study by the U.S. Department of Education found that 36 percent of adults have only basic or below-basic skills for dealing with health material. This means that 90 million Americans can understand discharge instructions written only at a fifth-grade level or lower. About 52 percent had intermediate skills: They could figure out what time a medication should be taken if the label says "take two hours after eating," while the remaining 12 percent were deemed proficient because they could search a complex document and find the information necessary to define a medical term. Regardless of their literacy skills, patients are expected to manage multiple chronic diseases, to comply with drug regimens that have grown increasingly complicated and to operate sophisticated medical devices such as at-home chemotherapy equipment largely on their own. Health literacy "affects every single thing we do," said Susan Pisano, a member of the Institute of Medicine's health literacy roundtable and vice president of communications for America's Health Insurance Plans, the industry trade association. The implications are mind-boggling. As recently as a decade ago, the problem of health literacy was largely the province of academic researchers who published study after study documenting the glaring mismatch between the dense, technical and jargon-heavy materials routinely given to patients, some written at the graduate school level, and their ability to understand them. These days, health literacy is the focus of unprecedented attention from government officials, hospitals and insurers who regard it as inextricably linked to implementing the health-care overhaul law and controlling medical costs. The new law, which contains explicit references to health literacy, requires that information about medications and providers be made accessible to those with limited skills. In October, President Obama signed the Plain Writing Act, which will boost that effort by directing federal agencies to use plain language in their materials. Adding urgency to those endeavors is the projected influx into the health-care system of 32 million currently uninsured Americans who will begin to get coverage in 2014 under the new law. "Health literacy is needed to make health reform a reality," Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said last year as she launched the National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy, an effort designed to eliminate medical jargon and the complex, often convoluted explanations that pervade handouts, forms and Web sites. "A whole bunch of new people are going to be entering the health-care market and making decisions that involve not just cost and 'Is my doctor in the plan?' " but also complicated trade-offs about risks and benefits, said Cindy Brach, a senior policy analyst at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which has made improving health literacy a priority. Keeping it simple Studies have linked poor health literacy, which disproportionately affects the elderly, the poor and recent immigrants, to higher rates of hospital readmission, expensive and unnecessary complications, and even death. A 2007 study estimated the problem cost the U.S. economy as much as $238 billion annually. Starting this year, the Joint Commission, the group that accredits hospitals, is requiring them to use plain-language materials and to "communicate in a manner that meets the patient's oral and written communication needs" in providing care. Hospitals and health plans increasingly are turning to computer software that analyzes materials given to patients and flags overly technical language such as "myocardial infarction" (heart attack), "hyperlipidemia" (high cholesterol) and "febrile" (feverish). One program, developed by Bethesda-based Health Literacy Innovations, is being used by the National Institutes of Health, CVS and Howard University Hospital. It analyzes texts for complexity and suggests ways to simplify them. Employers are pushing insurers to demonstrate that the materials they give patients are simple and intelligible, said Aileen Kantor, founder of Health Literary Innovations. Instead of handing a patient pages of instructions, some hospitals and clinics are using videos or handouts with lots of pictures. Doctors at Boston Medical Center have pioneered an innovative program called Project RED, short for Re-Engineered Discharge, an effort that between 2006 and 2007 reduced readmission rates for the first month after discharge by 30 percent and costs by 33 percent. Instead of standard instructions, RED patients received a personalized discharge booklet, along with help making follow-up appointments and a call from a pharmacist a few days after they arrived home. A positive test Javed Butler, a heart surgeon at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, said one obstacle to improving health literacy is the language that doctors typically use. When we say 'diet,' we mean 'food,' but patients think we mean going on a diet. And when we say 'exercise,' we may mean 'walking,' but patients think we mean 'going to the gym.' At every step there's a potential for misunderstanding," said Butler, who added that he tries not to lapse into "medicalese" with patients. It's not a problem only for those with basic skills. Paula Robinson, a patient education manager at the Lehigh Valley Health Network, which includes three hospitals in eastern Pennsylvania, said that even highly educated patients are affected, particularly if they're stressed or sick. She cites the initial reaction of former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who thought he was cancer-free when his doctor told him several years ago that his prostate biopsy was "positive." Actually, a positive biopsy indicates the presence of cancer. Many patients, Robinson said, won't ask questions or say they don't understand, either because they are intimidated or worried about looking stupid. Some simply tune out or shut down, she said, and "a lot of people take things literally because of anxiety." Robinson recounts one such case: A patient who had been prescribed daily insulin shots to control his diabetes diligently practiced injecting the drug into an orange while in the hospital. It was only after he was readmitted with dangerously high blood sugar readings that doctors discovered he was injecting the insulin into an orange, then eating it. AHRQ's Brach said that some time-strapped doctors have complained that their schedules are too packed to add literacy concerns to the list. But she said simple measures that are not unduly time-consuming can be integrated into the visit. They include a method called "teach back," which asks patients to repeat in their own words what they have just been told. Illinois geriatrician Cheryl Woodson said she avoids making assumptions about her patients' health literacy. "You can't tell by looking," said Woodson, a solo practitioner in Chicago Heights. "I never ask, 'Do you understand?" she added, "because they say, 'Uh-huh,' and you don't know what they understand. So instead I'll say, 'I know your daughter is going to want to know about this, so what are you going to tell her?' No literacy Sometimes the problem is not health literacy, but the ability to read or write at all. It is estimated that 14 percent of adults are illiterate, but many find ingenious ways of compensating and take great pains to hide the problem. Archie Willard said he avoided going to the doctor for years before he learned to read at age 54. Even today Willard, now 80, said he struggles with reading - he is severely dyslexic - and identifies his medication by the shape and color of the pill, not by reading the label. Willard, who divides his time between Iowa and Arizona, said that before he learned to read he employed a strategy in medical settings common among those who cannot read or write. I would say I couldn't fill out the paperwork because I forgot my glasses. And I didn't even wear glasses. Many experts predict that efforts to boost health literacy may benefit even the minority who are proficient. "People worry about dumbing things down," Brach said, "but in the research, no one has ever complained that things were too simple. Everybody wants clear communication. This story was produced through a collaboration between The Washington Post and Kaiser Health News. KHN is a service of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health-care-policy research organization unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

Porn industry may leave LA if city OKs condom use (CBS/AP) Porn vendors in Los Angeles are threatening to pack up their sex toys and leave the nation's porn capital if authorities carry through with their effort to require condoms on adult film sets. PICTURES - Derrick Burts: HIV-positive porn actor calls for condom use On Tuesday, the Los Angeles city council voted 9-1, granting final approval to an ordinance that would deny film permits to producers who do not comply with the condom requirement. Before the measure can take effect, however, the council has called for the creation of a committee of police officials, the city attorney, state health officials and others to determine how it might be enforced. "It's going to be interesting to see how in fact they do try to enforce it and who's going to fund it, and all of the time and effort they're going to spend," said Steven Hirsch, co-founder and co-chairman of Los Angeles-based Vivid, one of the largest makers of erotic movies. "Ultimately I think what they will find is people will just stop shooting in the city of Los Angeles," added Hirsch. That's a given. Other industry officials agree with Hirsch, condemning the measure as too politically correct, and one that cannot be enforced in the city known as the porn capital of the country. Approximately 90 percent of U.S. porn films are made in Los Angeles, almost all of them in the city's San Fernando Valley, said Mark Kernes, senior editor of Adult Video News. The porn industry, including films, internet downloads, sex toys and admission to dance clubs, produces about $8 billion a year - but it has been battered in recent years by the recession and the popularity of free online porn. Kernes says requiring condoms would further erode business. What do consumers think? Many, particularly those overseas, have made it clear they won't watch films when the actors use condoms, complaining that it is distracting and ruins the fantasy. "You can't actually compel an industry to create a product that the market doesn't want," said Christian Mann, general manager of Evil Angel, another of the industry's largest production companies. Ged Kenslea, spokesman for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, said the measure is needed because the industry has failed to properly police itself. For years, he said, filmmakers have ignored state health laws mandating the use of condoms when workers are exposed to blood-borne pathogens. The industry already does its own policing, filmmakers say, requiring actors be tested for sexually transmitted diseases a minimum of every 30 days when they are working. They say no cases of HIV have been directly linked to porn films since 2004, adding they fear if the industry scatters to areas outside of Los Angeles, testing could fall by the wayside, exposing performers to more risk. "If someone is going to catch an STD, it's usually out of the business because we are tested so often," said veteran porn actress and producer Tabitha Stevens. In her 17 years in the business, Stevens said, she has worked both with and without condoms. Although she prefers to use condoms, acknowledging they do increase safety, she said the choice should be left up to the performers and not mandated by a government agency. If you want to wear them, wear them. If you don't, don't. That's up to the talent to decide. It shouldn't be up to the government to decide," she said. According to the CDC, latex condoms are "highly effective" at preventing HIV transmission, and have been shown to reduce the risk of other sexually transmitted diseases including, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis. A lesser degree of protection is provided for genital ulcer diseases -including herpes and syphilis - or HPV, because these infections may be transmitted by exposure to areas that are not covered or protected by the condom.

Officer's Use of a Tracking Feature Leads to an Arrest in an iPhone Theft January 26, 2012, 11:48 pm If only Siri could have warned him. The police said an officer used a tracking feature on his iPhone to locate and arrest a man suspected of stealing a woman's iPhone at a handbag store on Thursday night. About 7 p.m., according to an account that the victim gave to the police, a man walked into a handbag store, near 57th Street and Avenue of the Americas in Manhattan, where the woman was sitting. He brandished a black handgun and fled after stealing the woman's iPhone, the police said. After a fruitless canvass of the area, one officer, Robert Garland, tried another tack. Using the 24-year-old victim's iTunes account information and the iCloud feature on his own phone, Mr. Garland was able to track the victim's iPhone. Officers then followed the cyber-scent to the area near 49th Street and Eighth Avenue. As they searched the area, the suspect, who the police said had placed the phone in his boot, walked past the officers. The victim's phone began to beep. And, soon, the suspect was placed under arrest. The police identified him as George Bradshaw, 40, of New Lots Avenue in Brooklyn, and said he was charged with robbery.

The Ten Best Men's wallets Topman £10, red chambray, topman.com The softer sister of regular denim, chambray is a great option for those who don't like leather. This has two places for notes and a zipped pouch. Ally Capellino £98, 'Rocky', allycapellino.co.uk In classic Capellino style, this simple and sweet wallet is made from soft Italian leather with subtle embellishments. Marc by Marc Jacobs £95, python print, stylebop.com PVC and leather embossed with a python effect will bring glamour to your pocket - and the most mundane of purchases. Prada Contrasting rows of crystal studs make this wallet stand out - after all, shouldn't men have a bit of glitz in their lives, too? Mulberry £120, key holder, mulberry.com House, car, bike lock, someone's heart - the modern man has all manner of keys to keep track of and this zipped pouch provides a chic alternative to pockets. Yves Saint Laurent £175, embossed leather, ysl.com The midnight blue of this embossed tweed leather makes an elegant alternative to classic browns and blacks. The signature Y is a nod to its designer credentials. Paul Smith Lined inside with chocolate leather, the longer shape of this burnished wallet makes a nice change from the traditional square shape. Margaret Howell £285, double press stud, margarethowell.co.uk Made in England, the vegetable-tanned leather of this folded wallet will soften with wear, developing a unique character. Steve Mono £40, card case, youmustcreate.com Ditch that ratty plastic wallet for this handy pouch that is perfect for carrying your business cards, travel card and security pass. £100, unlined, folkclothing.com This unlined billfold has something of the great outdoors about it. But don't worry if you're not the hunting, shooting, fishing type - it also looks great in the city.

Mobile owners rejecting paid-for apps As increasing numbers of people and businesses launch apps, the ones which will make the most money in the long run will be those that are free to download but then offer "in-app" products to buy. The report, which has been compiled by the mobile team at technology analyst firm Screen Digest, predicts that in-app purchases will rise to account for 64 percent of the total app market revenue by 2015, up from 39 percent in 2011 Revenue from in-app purchases will increase to $5.6 billion in 2015, up from $970 million in 2011. The report estimates that 96 per cent of all smartphone apps were downloaded for free in 2011. In 2012, it will become increasingly difficult for app stores and developers to justify charging an upfront fee for their products when faced with competition from a plethora of free content. Instead, the apps industry must fully embrace the freemium model and monetize content through in-app purchases," said Jack Kent, senior analyst of mobile media at Screen Digest, who authored the report. So far in-app purchasing has been pioneered by games apps, such as Angry Birds, allowing players to pay extra for additional features and levels, once they have downloaded the app for free. Kent said: "Games pioneered the in-app business model. Now the approach has proven so successful, companies building other types of smartphone app must adopt this strategy if they are to maximize their mobile app revenues. There is still only a very limited way to trial a paid-for app prior to purchasing it - which may also put many people off in the long run.

Liverpool 5 - 1 Oldham: Steven Gerrard on the spot for Liverpool as battling Oldham are overwhelmed - European - Scotsman.com Published on Saturday 7 January 2012 00:00 STEVEN Gerrard scored on his first start for two months and Jonjo Shelvey grabbed his maiden Liverpool goal as the Reds beat Oldham 5-1 in the third round of the FA Cup at Anfield. Robbie Simpson's brilliant 30-yard goal had given the visitors a 28th-minute lead but a freak deflected equaliser from Craig Bellamy was followed by Gerrard's penalty just before half-time. Shelvey fired home from close range in the 68th minute before substitutes Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing wrapped up victory late on. Gerrard was handed his first start since late October as manager Kenny Dalglish named a strong team for their FA Cup third round tie at home to Oldham. With his family watching from the stand there was a minute's applause for former Liverpool defender Gary Ablett, who died on New Year's Day aged 46 after losing a 16-month battle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. In the fifth minute Dirk Kuyt, with just one goal in the Carling Cup this season, headed wide Craig Bellamy's right-wing cross and they should have paid for that miss five minutes later. Kuqi out-muscled Sebastian Coates and wrong-footed Jamie Carragher to put himself clear on the right of the area but with only goalkeeper Jose Reina to beat he wastefully drilled a shot into the side-netting. Right-back Tom Adeyemi had an equally good chance from Robbie Simpson's 14th-minute corner but planted his free header just over. Oldham were creating the better chances and when Chris Taylor cut in from the left and exchanged passes with Simpson it was Carragher's lunge which did enough to put him off and he fired wide. Midway through the half Kuyt directed another header off target from Bellamy's inswinging free-kick but unlike after his earlier effort Oldham did not let him off as lightly. When James Wesolowski played the ball into Simpson 30 yards out he took one touch before unleashing a left-footed half-volley which flew past Reina. The goal had the Oldham contingent in the directors" box on their feet but the lead lasted less than two minutes as the hosts equalised with a huge stroke of luck. Jonjo Shelvey cut in from the right and aimed a speculative left-footed shot towards the far post but the ball took a huge deflection off Bellamy's chest leaving Alex Cisak helpless. The goalkeeper proved his worth moments later, however, when he batted away Maxi Rodriguez's 14-yard shot from Bellamy's cross. Shelvey had a great chance to turn in the rebound but in his eagerness tripped over his own feet. Cisak was lucky to escape conceding a second when his clearance bounced off Rodriguez to Bellamy inside the penalty area but the goalkeeper got back to collect. But he could do nothing about the next chance as, a minute before half-time, Adeyemi fouled Rodriguez and Gerrard stepped up to dispatch the penalty. Late in the second half Adeyemi appeared to take offence to something shouted from the Kop and despite reassurance from his team-mates, Kuyt and Gerrard the 20-year-old right-back, on loan from Bradford, seemed visibly upset. There then appeared to be discussion between the fourth official and a police officer down by the tunnel. Late on substitute Andy Carroll smashed in a low shot from outside the area barely two minutes after coming on and then Stewart Downing netted a fifth. The final scoreline rather flattered Liverpool with Oldham having given an excellent account of themselves for much of an opening half when a little more composure could have seen them more than a goal ahead, but that will matter little to home manager Kenny Dalglish as he seeks his first trophy since returning to the helm. The Adeyemi incidenct, however, will be one he is hoping proves of less consequence than it initially appeared with the club already dealing with the flak surrounding Luis Suarez, who watched from the stands. Liverpool: Reina, Kelly, Carragher, Coates, Aurelio, Gerrard, Spearing, Maxi, Shelvey, Bellamy, Kuyt. Subs: Doni, Carrol, Henderson, Downing, Adam, Skrtel, Flanagan. Oldham: Cisak, Lee, Mvoto, Diamond, Taylor, Adeymi, Wesolowski, Furman, Scapuzzi, Simpson, Kuqi. Subs: Bouzanis, Black, Morais, Smith, Tarkowski, Parker, Mancini.

After sinking, some wonder: Is cruising safe? "It sure does frighten me, a longtime cruiser," editor-in-chief of CruiseCritic.com writes Accidents such as this one are an extremely rare occurrence, cruise industry group says Cruise expert: Chaos may have been caused in part by communication problems Psychologist: Industry will have to communicate how safe cruising actually is (CNN) -- The possibility of sinking is the last thing you want to think about when booking a carefree vacation at sea. Yet colorful ads depicting people having the time of their lives on cruise ships are now competing with frightening footage of Costa Concordia passengers, some still elegantly dressed for dinner, on a desperate quest to escape the ship. The vessel struck rocks off the western Italian coast Friday night and rolled onto its side, leaving at least six people dead. This isn't some tugboat off Italy. This is a very modern cruise ship, very similar to ships that are currently in the Caribbean," said Fran Golden, a cruise expert and contributor for Budget Travel. "I don't think anybody could predict that a modern, beautiful cruise ship only six years old would hit a rock and sink," she told CNN's Early Start. So it's no wonder some travelers may be questioning just how safe cruising is. "It sure does frighten me, a longtime cruiser," wrote Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor-in-chief of CruiseCritic.com, about how quickly things went wrong on the Concordia. This was a systemic failure that should rock the cruise line to its core. But the cruise industry says there's very little to worry about, despite the incident. About 16 million people took a vacation at sea last year, according to the Cruise Lines International Association, which represents 26 major cruise lines. The group called Friday's incident a terrible tragedy, but asked travelers to keep it in perspective. "Accidents such as this one are an extremely rare occurrence in the cruise industry, and cruising continues to be one of the safest means of travel among all types of vacationing," the association said on its website. Modern cruise ships have sophisticated equipment designed to keep them on course, steer them away from bad weather and keep them steady in rough seas. Still, accidents and unpredictable acts of nature do happen. Overheard on CNN.com: Worst-case scenario Some recent examples include the Louis Majesty, part of the Greece-based Louis Cruise Lines. In 2010, two passengers were killed and 14 were injured when 26-foot waves crashed into the ship off northeast Spain. In 2007, the Sea Diamond, a Greek cruise ship that was carrying 1,156 passengers and 391 crew members, sank off the Aegean island of Santorini after slamming into a volcanic reef. Two passengers were reported missing after the incident and were never found. To know how to survive an emergency, cruise passengers are required by law to attend a safety briefing within 24 hours of embarkation. Costa Cruises says most passengers on board the Costa Concordia took part in an evacuation drill. During a typical muster drill, the ship sounds the signals that would call people to their lifeboat stations so they know what to do if there is something wrong. But passenger Benji Smith said the safety briefing was more of a "sales pitch" for shore excursions. Nancy Lofaro, a passenger from New Rochelle, New York, said the drill was scheduled for Saturday, a day after the disaster. Lofaro also said it appeared the crew didn't really know what to do during the emergency. The confusion may have been caused in part by communication problems, Golden said. Unlike ships cruising in the Caribbean, Costa gets passengers from many countries and thus passengers speak different languages. "I can only imagine the chaos of trying to communicate to passengers from, maybe, eight different languages how to get off the ship," Golden said. The incident underscores the importance of safety drills and paying attention to them, she added. "People go on a cruise, and they think they're in this protected wonderland, and the reality is you always need to have safety in the forefront of your thinking," Golden said. I've seen passengers go to the life boat drills and the crew do honest efforts to have you learn how to put on your life vest, and meanwhile, people are trying to get drinks and take photos. Crew training in emergency response also is key. A lot of the training is done by the cruise lines themselves based on international maritime standards, Golden said. The Coast Guard inspects foreign-flagged cruise ships in U.S. waters twice a year, studying the competency of the crew during fire and abandon-ship drills, said Cmdr. Buddy Reams, chief of the U.S. Coast Guard's Cruise Ship National Center of Expertise. Still, no matter how many safety and training protocols are in place, the image of a submerged Costa Concordia will stay burned in people's minds when they decide if they're going to take a cruise, said Jonathan Bricker, a psychologist at the University of Washington. To prevent any decline in bookings, the cruise industry will have to communicate how safe cruising actually is, he added. That said, "The vast majority of people who are planning to take a cruise are probably still going to take the cruise. And they're going to be fine," Bricker said. CNN's Katia Hetter and Marnie Hunter contributed to this report.

Ron Paul brings libertarian pitch to New Hampshire Reporting from Nashua, N.H. - Ron Paul finally arrived in New Hampshire Friday afternoon, three days after a third-place showing in the Iowa caucuses that he said shows his message getting through. The Texas congressman spoke for just about 15 minutes in an airport hangar here to a boisterous, youthful crowd, making his familiar pitch about the need to "fight for the Constitution." "They call us dangerous," Paul said. In a way, we are -- to their empire. Paul said the U.S. was overextended abroad in unauthorized wars, and that at home the government has "become more secretive at the same time privacy is being undermined." "We're trying to salvage our Constitution and salvage our liberties," he said. Introducing his father, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul lashed out at former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum for being party to the explosion of debt, even when Washington was under total Republican control. He said the result in Iowa was essentially a three-way tie, and that each of the lead contenders emerged with the same number of delegates (in fact, none were allocated as a result of the contest). The elder Paul said the Iowa result showed that "we are having a tremendous impact." I believe the momentum will continue. This country is ripe -- they're frustrated with the leadership of both parties. ... [And] they know darn well I will stick to my guns. Though Paul has been absent from the state since the Iowa result until today, he's had a major presence on local TV airwaves. He's scheduled to hold one more town hall meeting tonight, and will participate in a pair of debates this weekend. He did draw a crowd of several hundred, though it was unclear how many were New Hampshire voters given the sizable number of out-of-state license plates parked outside. Speaking with reporters after the event, Paul said he planned to be very active in the state for the final five days. This is not a state that likes big government. My job in the next five days is to explain what they have supported in the past," he said. As far as I'm concerned, all my opponents support way too much government. Paul also disavowed what he said was an "ugly" web video from supporters of his that calls Jon Huntsman a "Manchurian candidate" and uses pictures of his adopted children. "All campaigns have to suffer these consequences when somebody puts something up with the candidate's name on it," he said. Obviously it was way out of order. Ron Paul finally arrived in New Hampshire Friday afternoon, three days after a third-place showing in the Iowa caucuses that he said shows his message getting through. The Texas congressman spoke for just about 15 minutes in an airport hangar here to a boisterous, youthful crowd, making his familiar pitch about the need to "fight for the Constitution." Paul said the U.S. was overextended abroad in unauthorized wars, and that at home the government has "become more secretive at the same time privacy is being undermined. Introducing his father, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul lashed out at former Pennsylvana Sen. Rick Santorum for being party to the explosion of debt, even when Washington was under total Republican control. He said the result in Iowa was essentially a three-way tie, and that each of the lead contenders emerged with the same number of delegates (in fact, none were allocated as a result of the contest). The elder Paul said the Iowa result showed that "we are having a tremendous impact. This country is ripe -- they're frustrated with the leadership of both parties. ... [And] they know darn well I will stick to my guns. Though Paul has been absent from the state since the Iowa result until today, he's had a major presence on local TV airwaves. He's scheduled to hold one more town hall meeting tonight, and will participate in a pair of debates this weekend. My job in the next five days is to explain what they have suported in the past," he said. As far as I'm concerned, all my opponets support way too much government.

Strong earthquake jolts Japan, no tsunami warning SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 jolted eastern and northeastern Japan on Sunday, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damages and no tsunami warning was issued. The earthquake measured 4 in central Tokyo, Fukushima and their surrounding areas on the Japanese intensity scale, which measures ground motion, according to Japan Meteorological Agency, which uses a different measuring system than the U.S. Geological Survey. A spokesman for Tokyo Electric Power said there were no reports of any abnormalities at the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plan following the quake. Some high-speed train services in northern Japan were suspended after the earthquake, but soon resumed operations, Kyodo news reported. The 7.0 magnitude earthquake, at a depth of nearly 217 miles, was recorded off Japan's southeastern Izu islands on Sunday at 0527 GMT, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. The Hawaii-based U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has not issued a tsunami warning following the earthquake located south-southwest of Hachijo-jima in the Izu islands. Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world's most seismically active areas. The country accounts for about 20 percent of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater. On March 11, 2011, the northeast coast was struck by a magnitude 9 earthquake, the strongest quake in Japan on record, and a massive tsunami, which triggered the world's worst nuclear crisis in 25 years since Chernobyl. The disaster left up to 23,000 dead or missing. Singapore world desk, additional reporting by Taiga Uranaka and Kiyoshi Takenaka

RBS to press on with promised bonuses Royal Bank of Scotland is determined to press ahead with plans to pay out promised bonuses to investment bank boss John Hourican and other top staff, despite growing rhetoric from the government about excessive pay. The Financial Times reported on Monday that RBS investment banking boss Mr Hourican is in line for a £4m payout under the terms of a deferred grant of shares from 2009, further escalating tensions with the government. The grant comes as RBS's investment bank - like many others - is struggling to make money, with thousands of jobs set to be axed. RBS, which is 83 per cent owned by taxpayers, has long been the focal point of government ire over banker pay. A tussle is underway with UKFI, which manages the government's stake, about the overall bonus pool RBS wants to pay its investment bankers, with the tally set to be halved to less than £500m. The pay row is the latest evidence of a widening rift between RBS's controversial investment banking business and the government, with bankers slamming ministerial interference. Shortly before Christmas, chancellor George Osborne told RBS it should "scale back [its] risky activities," infuriating investment bankers at RBS. "The fact that the chancellor made a statement about us in the House [of Commons] was very destabilising," said one. The news comes as RBS prepares to announce details on Thursday of its plan to shrink the investment bank, exiting core areas such as equities and mergers and acquisitions advice. People close to the plan said about 5,000 job cuts were likely to be outlined, although 2,000 of those were implemented in the fourth quarter of last year. Senior bankers say that number could rise further, possibly to as much as 10,000 over the next two years in a worst-case scenario, if RBS is unable to sell certain businesses as planned and is forced to close them down. The issue of Mr Hourican's pay is not expected to be addressed on Thursday, with the group's remuneration committee left to finalise the payout before it vests in April. The bank has so far refused to disclose whether Mr Hourican has met the long-term targets associated with that award. However, people familiar with the package said it would be difficult for the bank's remuneration committee to justify a significant reduction, based on his performance and the profitability of the global banking and markets division over the past three years, although a more modest cut is possible. Mr Hourican is unlikely to waive any award that is ultimately approved by RBS's board, according to people familiar with his thinking, potentially setting up another showdown between the bank and senior politicians, including the Prime Minister David Cameron.

Two men charged with Dogan Dogan murder in Leicester

Wildfire near Reno destroys more than 20 homes (AP) - A brush fire fueled by 82 mph wind gusts burned more than 20 homes Thursday and forced thousands of people to evacuate their neighborhoods before firefighters stopped the flames' surge toward Reno. About 2,000 people remained under evacuation orders late Thursday as 250 firefighters battled the blaze, said Reno Fire Chief Michael Hernandez, who warned that a full assessment might reveal even more damage. There was one fatality in the fire area, Hernandez said, but he declined to provide more details, saying an autopsy would be needed to determine the cause of death. The fire, of unknown origin, broke out shortly after noon in a valley along U.S. Highway 395. Soon, more than 10,000 people were told to flee their homes. The blaze quickly grew to nearly 6 square miles and was eerily similar to another unusual winter fire that destroyed 30 homes in southwest Reno two months ago. Flames were visible from the downtown casino district, about 10 miles away. "The area burned is absolutely devastated," Washoe County Sheriff Mike Haley said. The wind died down after nightfall and rain started falling, much to the delight of fire crews who stopped the flames' forward progress at Galena High School, where Vice President Joe Biden had been speaking just a few hours earlier. The strong winds coming across the Sierra ahead of a winter storm had already delayed Biden's visit to the school on the south end of town. With the smell of smoke in the air, Biden was about 25 minutes into his address when aides summoned him off stage. He told the audience he would have to move onto a question-and-answer period before officials "made me get out of here." Hernandez later held a briefing at the high school, but it was evacuated along with surrounding neighborhoods shortly afterward. About 300 elementary school students were taken to an evacuation center, and deputies went door to door asking people to leave their homes in Pleasant Valley, Old Washoe Valley and Saint James Village, Washoe County sheriff's Deputy Armando Avina said. With zero containment, firefighters were concentrating on using crews and trucks to protect homes in the path of the flames, Hernandez said earlier Thursday. "It's inconceivable that this community has been struck by tragedy again," said Gov. Brian Sandoval, who declared a state of emergency Thursday afternoon. As with the November fire, which was sparked by downed power lines, strong winds and dry conditions helped fuel the latest blaze. About 2,300 homes in the area were without power Thursday night. Washoe County animal services officials helped round up horses and other livestock for evacuation. Part of U.S. 395 was closed as heavy smoke reduced visibility to zero, and an 11-mile stretch of the highway would remain closed indefinitely, Hernandez said.

January 3, 2012 -- Updated 1203 GMT (2003 HKT) A protester in the flahspoint central Syrian city of Homs throws a tear gas bomb back towards security forces, on December 27, 2011. CNN has obtained exclusive video of the battle in Homs between security forces and defectors in the Free Syrian Army. December 28, 2011 -- Updated 1635 GMT (0035 HKT) Director of the Carnegie Moscow Center explains why Moscow doesn't want NATO forces in Syria as they were used in Libya. Many Syrian fighters waging a guerrilla war against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad are short on guns, ammunition and heavy weapons. The city of Homs has been the focus of opposition to the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, with almost daily protests since the summer. December 26, 2011 -- Updated 1221 GMT (2021 HKT) CNN profiles the London-born wife of Bashar al-Assad, who denies responsibility for Syria's deadly crackdown December 7, 2011 -- Updated 2259 GMT (0659 HKT) CNN's Atika Shubert reports on the history of violence in Syria and the social media that has exposed it all. November 22, 2011 -- Updated 2211 GMT (0611 HKT) Activists, diplomats and IT specialists say there is a high-stakes war of information being waged for Syria in cyberspace. November 18, 2011 -- Updated 1550 GMT (2350 HKT) Syria's President Bashar al-Assad looks more isolated with each passing day as his regime continues a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests.

Doreen Lawrence: 'Police probe failed' The mother of murdered black teenager Stephen Lawrence has attacked the original police investigation into her son's murder, saying that detectives "failed miserably" to find his killers back in 1993. Speaking outside the Old Bailey after a jury found Gary Dobson and David Norris guilty of the murder, Doreen Lawrence said: "Had the police done their job properly, I would have spent the last 18 years grieving for my son rather than fighting to get his killers to court." She thanked jurors for returning guilty verdicts, but insisted it was not a cause for celebration. These verdicts will not bring my son back. How can I celebrate when I know that this day could have come 18 years ago if the police who were meant to find my son's killers (had not) failed so miserably to do so?" she said. Mrs Lawrence also warned against using the convictions as evidence that racial discrimination in Britain was now a thing of the past. The fact is that racism and racist attacks are still happening in this country, and the police should not use my son's name to say that we can move on. Stephen's father Neville said he was "full of joy and relief that two of my son's killers had been convicted" in a statement read out by his solicitors. "They will be sent to prison and face the consequence of their actions," he added. Gary Dobson and David Norris will be sentenced on Wednesday.

Afghanistan: Karzai and the Taliban in a Tizzy Over News of Secret Peace Talks Nothing stirs up a conflict more effectively than the first feeble glimmers of peace. Anyone who doubts it can just look at Afghanistan, where news of preliminary peace talks has provoked President Hamid Karzai to issue yet another ultimatum to his U.S. partners - and where Taliban fighters are feeling betrayed by their leaders" sudden willingness to negotiate. Late last week, Karzai blindsided the Americans by demanding that they hand over all Afghan prisoners to his government within 30 days, together with the entire U.S.-run detention facility at Parwan, just north of Kabul. Washington has been trying to work out a security plan to keep a small but significant U.S. military presence in Afghanistan after the 2014 withdrawal deadline for American forces. But for that to happen, as Karzai explained in an exclusive interview last week with Newsweek and The Daily Beast, the Afghan president wants two things: an immediate end to U.S. forces" night raids on Afghan homes suspected of harboring insurgents, and a speedy handover of the Americans" Afghan prisoners and the Parwan Detention Center. U.S. officials knew he wanted control of the detainees, but they had no idea he would demand it so soon. Why the sudden impatience? The presidential palace is keeping mum, but a former senior Taliban official now living in Kabul tells The Daily Beast there's a logical explanation. "If you have control of Taliban prisoners, then you have a very good bargaining chip with the Taliban," says an ex-Taliban diplomat, who maintains impeccable contacts with both the Afghan government and the Taliban. At this preliminary stage, senior Afghan officials tell The Daily Beast, the Taliban's negotiators care about only one issue: winning the release of some or most of their detained comrades, many of whom are top-ranking military commanders. And Karzai wants to be the one who makes that deal. The Afghan president was clearly miffed to learn that the Americans, the Europeans, and the Taliban had been talking behind his back for months about opening a Taliban representative office in the Gulf state of Qatar. He did his best to sound statesmanlike as he accepted the fait accompli. "We will go along with it for the return of peace to Afghanistan as soon as possible," he told Newsweek and The Daily Beast. Still, he clearly dislikes being treated as an afterthought - and if he can quickly get control of the hundreds of Taliban prisoners (many of them high-value detainees) currently held by the Americans, that will put him in the driver's seat for any future talks with the insurgents. At the top of the Taliban's wish list are the former senior commanders currently held at Guantánamo Bay. They include Mullah Fazil Akhund, the brutal former chief of army staff who surrendered in northern Afghanistan in late 2001; Mullah Nurullah Nuri, a former senior governor in the north, and Mullah Khairullah Khairkhawah, a former interior minister. To get any of them sprung may be out of the question at present. But the Americans are also holding plenty of important Taliban commanders in Afghanistan. Right now the Taliban's best hope is that Karzai will get control of those prisoners, and that he can then be persuaded to let them go in defiance of U.S. objections. Afghan President Hamid Karzai reacts during a press conference honoring former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani who was killed two days before in Kabul, Sept. 22, 2011, Kamran Jebreili / AP Photo Taliban leaders know that as long as so many senior commanders remain in custody, the insurgency will be relatively weak on the battlefield. More than that, however, the release would be a sorely needed boost for Taliban morale, which was hit hard when the Qatar talks were revealed. "If negotiations can bring back some prisoners to the Taliban side, that would show skeptical commanders and rank-and-file fighters that the leadership is accomplishing something in the talks and not just selling out the jihad," says an ex-Taliban diplomat. At present, however, word of the Qatar talks has left many insurgents "incredulous and confused," says a senior Taliban commander from eastern Afghanistan. The group has always demanded a total withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces from Afghanistan as a precondition for any discussion of peace - and now, without notice, the leadership seems to have abandoned that position. "Many Taliban were stunned," says the commander, declining to be named for security reasons. No one understands what's happening. It's unbelievable. To many fighters, it's been as if their leadership "was committing religious suicide," an ex-Taliban diplomat says. "Mentally the Taliban in the field aren't ready for the talks," the commander says. They can't imagine sitting down to talk with the Americans who are still here and still killing us. What really hurts is the uncertainty about what's really happening, he says. "If you put a small doubt in the mind of our fighters, that this is not a struggle for our ideology and Islam but rather for power-sharing, some Taliban may not fight," he warns. An ex-Taliban diplomat confirms that the possibility worries some Taliban leaders: "There's a fear out there that 50 percent of the fighters may not return to the battlefield next spring after hearing the news of the talks." That worry may be why senior Taliban officials still have not publicly confirmed the meetings in Qatar - even though their silence only worsens the disquiet in the ranks. "Ending the war is good," the commander says. But after all our sacrifices, we should know what compromises and conditions we have to make for peace. For that matter, he wonders, how does anyone even know that the Qatar negotiations have been approved by the Taliban's supreme leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar? "I won't believe anything said or written about the talks until we hear directly from Mullah Omar himself in his own voice," the commander says. "There's a fear out there that 50 percent of the fighters may not return to the battlefield next spring after hearing the news of the talks," says a former Taliban official in Kabul. There's something else that bothers some Afghan insurgents. The man who seems to be the Taliban's No. 2 negotiator in Qatar is actually a citizen of Pakistan, a fact that's been confirmed to The Daily Beast by an intelligence officer for the Afghan government. Although Afghanistan's insurgents have always relied heavily on Pakistan's covert support, experience has taught them not to trust the neighboring country's motives. The Pakistani national, Mullah Abdul Aziz-ur-Rahman Ahmadi, currently lives in Qatar's capital, Doha, as a businessman, while his brother, Hafiz Rashid Ahmed, runs a madrassa in the Pakistani border town of Quetta. Their father, a wealthy Afghan, moved the family from Afghanistan to Quetta even before the 1979 Russian invasion. And yet the family's Taliban credentials could hardly be better. What's more, Ahmadi's Pakistani citizenship may be the most hopeful sign to date that the talks could bring real results. Under Mullah Omar's regime, Ahmadi was the first secretary of the Taliban's Embassy in Abu Dhabi, and his brother worked in the Taliban's consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Their father was a key financier of Mullah Omar's movement from its very start, in 1984. Ahmadi is said to have been instrumental in the negotiations with the Americans and Qataris for the establishment of the Taliban office in Doha. Until now, however, there's been one vital player missing from the talks: Pakistan. Without Islamabad's cooperation, peace is a vanishingly unlikely prospect. Ahmadi's participation in the talks might - just might - be a first hint of Pakistan's acceptance of the Qatar negotiations.

Z Cars: The show that blew the whistle on the British bobby At the beginning of the 1960s, viewers had two main choices of television cop show; the BBC's Dixon of Dock Green, whose eponymous hero was already aged 59 when the show commenced in 1955, or ITV's No Hiding Place, in which the hawk-like Det Supt Lockhart, who wore his trilby at a rakish angle, righted wrongs and occasionally fluffed his lines. On 2 January 1962, there was to be an alternative in the form of Z Cars, in which there was little sense of reassurance or convenient plot resolutions via the last-minute deus ex machina of a senior officer sweeping up in his black Wolseley - just Ford Zephyrs patrolling a seemingly endless nocturnal vista of decaying warehouses and bleak new housing estates and shopping precincts. In many of the storylines, the police were either ill-equipped or hopelessly out of their depth when dealing with crimes ranging from drunk driving to racial abuse. Z Cars was devised partially because of the BBC's need for a drama series to combat ITV's vastly popular Emergency - Ward 10 and Coronation Street and to provide an alternative view of policing to that of the Dock Green police station. One inspiration was the memoirs of ex Detective Sergeant Bill Prendergast of the Liverpool City Police, whose experiences had already provided the basis for the 1961 series Jack and Knaves; further input came from the scriptwriter Troy Kennedy Martin, who had relieved boredom during convalescing from mumps by tuning into the police radio channel. The writer ..."occasionally came across incidents where it was obvious that the police were not coping. They seemed confused, lost, apparently young and inexperienced. The world that filtered through these fragmented calls was so different from that of Dixon that I took the idea for a new series to Elwyn Jones, who was then the head of a small but influential section of the BBC Drama Department. Research was undertaken with the aid of Lancashire Constabulary, whose Chief Constable Colonel T E St Johnston had recently supplanted constables on the beat with unmarked, rapid-response "Crime Patrol" cars, which were crewed by two young PCs. This innovation would be the basis of Z Cars, which was to be set in the Northern overspill town of Newtown, a fictionalised version of Kirkby. When the Chief Constable saw a preview of the first episode, "Four of a Kind," the support of his force ended abruptly - and 50 years on his wrath is fairly understandable. A very unhappy Colonel approached both the Home Office and the BBC in an attempt to have the series cancelled, but viewing figures of almost 14 million prompted the BBC to hastily extend Z Cars' 13-week run to 31 episodes. A surprising number of episodes from the programme's heyday have survived, showcasing the writing of Alan Plater and John Hopkins and giving early roles to future stellar names, from John Thaw to Judi Dench. Z Cars ran in its original live format for five series until "That's the Way It Is," broadcast on 21 December 1965. When Z Cars returned the following year it was as a twice-weekly soap opera and when the final episode was broadcast in 1978, it was only two years after George Dixon's overdue retirement. But the impact of the early series of Z Cars cannot be underestimated. It was made at a time of headlines concerning the activities of the corrupt, violent and insane Sgt Challenor of the London Met and the beating of suspects with rhino whips by members of Sheffield Constabulary. The crews of Z Victors One and Two were merely overworked professionals, policing an increasingly fragmented society in a world where, in the words of the writer John McGrath, there were "no reassuring endings, where decency and family life triumphed" - and where the police were no longer seen as plaster saints, but fallible human beings.

A Social Network For The 1 Percent For one week every year, the world's wealthiest and most powerful people converge on the picturesque town of Davos, Switzerland. By day they discuss how to solve the world's most pressing problems at elite meetings. By night, they drink expensive champagne at only the most elite parties. And now, thanks to a San Francisco based software company, they are getting their own elite social network. "If you can get the right people together in Davos, then you can solve problems and make the world a better place," Vivek Ranadivé, founder of Tibco Software, told ABCNews.com. It's about getting the right information to the right place at the right time and in the right context. Ranadivé is in Davos this week to unveil Toplink (formerly called TopCom), his invite-only social network for the world's richest and most powerful people. He envisions it as a tool to "unlock the collective wisdom" of the world's best and brightest. "You can bring the right people and the right information together to solve problems, such as the financial crisis, pandemics and food shortages," he said. Users who are privy to the network will be able to hold group video conferences, ask questions and discuss ways to solve the world's most significant issues. "We have taken all of the best attributes of [social networks], such as ease of use and familiarity," Ranadivé said. Tech savvy global leaders will be able to download the network to their tech device of choice at Davos this week, and they won't have to worry about the less-elite spying on their activities. Ranadivé said the company is using a "sophisticated security mechanism" to ensure outside parties aren't privy to potential future video conferences between say, Bill Gates and Angela Merkel. The world leaders won't be getting the first look, though.That honor went to a group called the "Global Shapers" four months ago. Global Shapers are defined by the World Economic Forum as people under the age of 30 who are making a significant impact in their community. David Aikman, a senior director at the World Economic Forum, was one of the few people to use Toplink since its unofficial roll-out four months ago and said the Global Shapers group had already leveraged the power of the platform. "One of the guys posted a poll about blood donation," Aikman said. The results that followed encouraged the city hub in Monterrey, Mexico, to host a blood drive. It's the sort of impact Ranadivé hopes will happen on a larger scale if the world's richest and most powerful become adopters of his social network. "They come together for a few days to solve problems and then they go," he said. Professor [Klaus] Schwab [the founder of the Davos World Economic Forum] would like to have a certain kind of information always coming and going.

Lang Lang's Bartok With the New York Philharmonic Alan Gilbert conducted, and Lang Lang was the soloist in Bartok's technically demanding Piano Concerto No. 2 on Wednesday night at Avery Fisher Hall. The superstar pianist Lang Lang may shamelessly cultivate a flamboyant persona. And he has been criticized widely for exaggerated expressivity. Still, no fair-minded person can deny that Mr. Lang has stupendous technique and keen musical instincts. Lang Lang performing with the New York Philharmonic at Avery Fisher Hall. Mr. Gilbert and the orchestra also performed music by Prokofiev and Magnus Lindberg. There was no showing off on Wednesday night at Avery Fisher Hall when Mr. Lang played Bartok's Piano Concerto No. 2, with Alan Gilbert conducting the New York Philharmonic. This exhilarating 25-minute work, completed in 1931, ingeniously blends the modernist and folkloric elements of Bartok's language. Pianists consider it among the most technically demanding of all concertos. Mr. Lang gave a brilliant performance, not just glittering and incisive but joyous and smart. Mr. Lang, who can play anything easily, seemed intensely focused on this occasion. He performed reading from the score with a page turner to assist him: a sight his ardent fans rarely see. For all the musical complexities of this piece, Bartok intended it to be an exuberant concerto in the grand tradition. If the audience senses that a pianist is struggling to play it, the effect is lost. Mr. Lang dispatched the piece with uncanny ease and abundant imagination. On its surface the first movement, in which the piano is accompanied only by percussion, woodwinds and brasses, is a breathless folk dance. The piano part teems with clusters and crisscrossing octaves. Fractured brass fanfares alternate with jagged bursts of piano chords, which Mr. Lang not only executed with aplomb but also voiced with care to bring out the melodic line or inner details. In one passage of mysterious rolled chords, he teased out an Eastern quality. The crazed cadenza was all the more ferocious for the ping and clarity of Mr. Lang's playing. The slow second movement begins with a somber, choralelike melody for strings alone, which the Philharmonic played with hushed richness. When the piano entered, Mr. Lang's shaping of the fragile theme was beguilingly simple and sensitive. And in the restless finale, another kind of folk-tinged dance, Mr. Lang, backed by the inspired orchestra, played dazzlingly, sometimes bouncing eagerly on the piano bench as the driving music surged. In recent seasons New Yorkers have heard two major pianists, Pierre-Laurent Aimard and Andras Schiff, play this concerto with commanding technique and more distinctive musicianship. Still, the sheer exuberance of Mr. Lang's playing was infectious. The performance drew enthusiastic applause, though not the automatic standing ovation Mr. Lang is used to when he plays a crowd-pleasing Romantic staple. That may come on Tuesday when he performs Liszt's First Piano Concerto in a special Philharmonic program celebrating the Chinese New Year. It was an astute idea on Mr. Gilbert's part to precede the Bartok with Magnus Lindberg's "Feria," a 17-minute orchestral essay completed in 1997. The piece begins with highly charged, piercingly modern riffs driven by jagged brass fanfares. In a calmer middle section there are references to Monteverdi below the busy surface that emerge like out-of-focus anthems in the brass. Things pick up again, and the music speeds along, this time in big, heaving swings of orchestral sonorities so bright that you almost want to squint. The performance under Mr. Gilbert was dynamic and colorful. Mr. Lindberg is in the last of his three seasons as the Philharmonic's composer in residence. After intermission came Prokofiev's Symphony No. And in the context of this adventurous program, that familiar 1944 Neo-Classical piece sounded newly fresh and daring. That impression was boosted by Mr. Gilbert's approach, which probed the music for depth and weight and drew sonorous, powerful playing from the Philharmonic. The finale, which can come across like a satirical, slapstick romp, was played here with such drive and bite that it seemed dangerous. The program is repeated on Friday and Saturday evenings at Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center; (212) 875-5656, nyphil.org.

High wind stop 3rd round of Humana with Wilson up updated 7:50 p.m. LA QUINTA, Calif. - When the wind knocked a big scoreboard into a lake and ripped a few trees out of the ground Saturday, Mark Wilson realized he really didn't mind if he couldn't finish his third round at the Humana Challenge. Wilson and his fellow pros were more than happy to wait out the windstorm and just come back Sunday, when Wilson will attempt to maintain his momentum for what might be a marathon finish to the erstwhile Bob Hope Classic. Wilson held a three-stroke lead over Ben Crane at 21 under when play was suspended play midway through the third round. Ferocious wind reaching 35 mph caused damage on all three courses, even interrupting former President Bill Clinton's round with Greg Norman. "I think they made the right call," Wilson said. You don't want to see anybody get hurt. The pro-am tournament will resume third-round play Sunday morning without the amateurs. They'll also attempt to finish the fourth round, which could be tough after the event's first wind delay since 1999 - the first on the PGA Tour since 2009 in Houston. Nobody was hurt by the wind at the Humana Challenge, even after an awning collapsed in the Bob Hope Square fan area. Conditions weren't terrible on two of the tournament's three courses, but several trees were toppled at the La Quinta Country Club course, making the decision easy. "It's really bad," said Slugger White, the PGA Tour's vice president of rules and competitions. They've got a lot of trees down. It's a real mess. ... We knew (the wind) was going to be bad, but we thought it would be something we could play with, and then the bottom fell out. La Quinta didn't even get the worst of the Coachella Valley craziness: A 66-mph gust was recorded at the Palm Springs airport. White said he believes they can finish the four-round event Sunday "in a perfect world." Wilson doubts it after vicious gusts interrupted a previously perfect weekend of Palm Springs weather. Wilson got through the first eight holes at La Quinta under ideal conditions, but the light winds suddenly turned into gales. He battled to five straight pars before a birdie on his 15th hole of the day, but play was suspended moments later. "It's amazing how it happened so quickly," said Wilson, who was 5 under through 15 holes. I went from the mentality of making birdies to just making solid pars when I could. None of the 142 pros finished the third round, but nearly everybody was around the turn when the wind kicked up - blowing balls around the course, sending that large scoreboard into a lake on the Palmer Private course and causing mischief in the fan area. White said the grounds crews would use chainsaws to remove the fallen trees at La Quinta. With tee times starting at 7:30 a.m. Sunday, White believes it might be possible to finish the event on time "in a perfect world." Most players are staying in Southern California next week for the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. I've done the math," Wilson said. I don't know how they could get it done tomorrow, but if we do, I would love to get it done. More power to them. Clinton, who's hosting the tournament, and Greg Norman had just hit their tee shots on the 10th hole of the Palmer Private course when play was suspended. A short time later, the scoreboard blew into the lake that's flanked by the 10th and 18th holes, leaving oversized number placards floating in the water. Wilson shared the lead after two rounds with Crane and David Toms, who dropped back to 15 under. Zach Johnson moved within four strokes of the lead after going 6 under through 13 holes. "We knew there was wind in the forecast, but I've never really experienced anything like that," Johnson said. Not that quick and that fierce and that intense in that amount of time. Until the wind kicked up, extremely low scores had dominated the first two days. Robert Garrigus jumped into contention Saturday by making nine birdies in 13 holes on the Nicklaus Private course before play was suspended. Garrigus joined John Mallinger and John Senden at 16 under, five strokes behind Wilson. Sam Saunders, Arnold Palmer's grandson, made a hole-in-one on the fifth hole of the Palmer course.

Shares in Rangers suspended on Plus stock exchange

Brunt sidelined by broken ankle The West Bromwich Albion captain, Chris Brunt, will be out of action for up to 10 weeks after scans confirmed that he broke his ankle during the Premier League defeat to Everton on New Year's Day. Albion said last night that the Northern Ireland midfielder was due to undergo surgery today, having suffered the setback when he fell awkwardly during the closing stages of the 1-0 loss at The Hawthorns. It means Brunt will be absent until the middle of March, with head coach Roy Hodgson's initial fears that it was a serious injury having been confirmed. A club statement said: "He will be out for between eight to 10 weeks."

Iran Says It Could Terminate European Oil Sales Next Week Escalating retaliatory threats over the West's nuclear sanctions, Iran warned on Friday that it could terminate oil sales to Europe as early as next week, and it bluntly advised Arab oil producers that any attempt by them to replace Iranian exports would be considered unfriendly. The threats came as Iranian officials repeated their willingness to re-engage in negotiations with the Western powers over Iran's uranium enrichment program, although the prospects for such a resumption appeared to grow more uncertain. Iran also was preparing to play host this weekend to a team of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations nuclear monitor, which issued an incriminating report about Iran's uranium enrichment program two months ago. That report elevated Western suspicions that Iran was laying the groundwork to build an atomic weapon despite Iran's repeated assertions that its uranium enrichment program is for peaceful ends. The European Union decided on Monday to boycott Iranian oil as of July 1, its most aggressive step yet in a series of sanctions, coordinated with the United States, to punish Iran economically over its nuclear program. The delayed start of the boycott was meant, in part, to give European importers time to arrange alternative sources of supply and avoid sudden disruptions in the market that could cause prices to spike. But Iran's parliament signaled on Thursday that it was considering legislation that would immediately stop oil sales to Europe to retaliate for the planned boycott, and that the European buyers of Iran's oil would suffer mightily if such a measure were passed. On Friday, a senior Iranian lawmaker, Hossein Ibrahimi, sought to raise the pressure further, telling Iran's Fars News Agency that the legislation would be debated and approved in Parliament on Sunday and "could halt exports of oil to the European Union as early as next week." Another legislator, Moayed Hosseini Sadr, was quoted by Fars as saying that passage of the legislation would make Europe "understand the power of Iran." The Iranians also directed some anger at other Middle East oil producers, notably Saudi Arabia, that have signaled in recent days that they have the ability to compensate for any shortfall in the market because of an absence of oil from Iran, the world's fourth-largest exporter. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the Iranian deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs, said in remarks reported by the Mehr News Agency "if any country takes such a decision it will not be regarded by Iran as a friendly move." International oil markets appeared to shrug off the news, with benchmark prices changing little.

Wine: Something For The Weekend 2010 Les Nivières, Saumur, Loire, France Vivid and refreshingly herbal, this is a typical cabernet franc whose blackcurrant fruit juiciness is rounded out by a light touch of oak. A thoroughly drinkable young Loire Valley red. £5.99, reduced from £7.99, Waitrose 2010 Tabalí Reserva Especial Chardonnay, Limarí Valley Cool climate Chilean chardonnay with ripe fruit quality, a pineappley edge and a dry finish. Imagine a white Burgundy, only in slightly more opulent vein. £12.49, buy 2 = £9.99, Majestic 2007 Clairault Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Western Australia A complex, Bordeaux-style, blending cedary oak and cassis-like fruit with a silky texture, spicey flavours and the delicately minty elements that go with the Margaret River territory. £24, Marks & Spencer

Man says Syracuse coach's wife had sex with players NEW YORK (Reuters) - A man who accused a former Syracuse assistant basketball coach of abusing him as a boy filed a statement in court saying that the assistant coach's wife had sex with several Syracuse basketball players, and Hall of Fame head coach, Jim Boeheim, should have known. Former Syracuse ballboys, Bobby Davis, 39, and his stepbrother Mike Lang, 45, accuse longtime assistant coach Bernie Fine of sexually abusing them as juveniles. Prosecutors have said they believe the two men but cannot prosecute Fine because the statue of limitations has run out since the alleged abuse. Fine was fired after the accusations surfaced last year. When Davis and Lang first went public with their accusations, Boeheim called them liars. Boeheim subsequently apologized for the remark, saying he was only defending a coach he had worked with for decades. Davis and Lang filed a defamation lawsuit against Boeheim last month in a New York City court. Davis filed a new sworn statement to that lawsuit on Monday saying that Laurie Fine bragged about performing oral sex on several players and discussed the "specific size and physical attributes" of their genitals. For years, Bernie Fine's wife Laurie Fine had sexual relationships with basketball team players. Players used to talk openly about it as a known fact," said the affidavit, who also said she had sex with him. Fine's attorneys have repeatedly denied the sexual abuse took place and no formal charges have been filed against him. It is not illegal for Fine's wife to have consensual sex with adult basketball players. But celebrity attorney Gloria Allred, who is representing Davis, said in an email to Reuters on Tuesday that both Boeheim and the university should be held accountable for any inappropriate behavior that occurred on campus on their watch. "If Laurie Fine was having multiple sexual relationships with basketball players, then the university must explain how this could have been taking place for years right under Coach Boeheim's nose without his being aware of it and without the university's doing anything about it," Allred said. Davis said in the affidavit that Boeheim must have known about what Bernie Fine and his wife were doing. "At a bare minimum, Boeheim chose deliberately not to" learn about the "fundamentally dysfunctional relationships that the Fines maintained," Davis said in the affidavit. Laurie Fine's attorney Ed Menkin called the allegations false rumors peddled by Allred. "This is both desperate and disgusting, an example of an irresponsible and unprofessional lawyer flailing about to keep a dying lawsuit in the public eye," Menkin said. Syracuse University, which is also named in the suit filed by Davis and Lang, said it would respond "at the appropriate time." Federal investigators are probing accusations from a third accuser, Zach Tomaselli, who said Fine molested him in a Pittsburgh motel room when he was 13 in 2002. But Tomaselli's story has been questioned by prosecutors and Tomiselli recently pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a boy in Maine. Boeheim is one of the most celebrated coaches in college basketball. His team has 22 wins and only one loss so far this season and was ranked No. 1 in the nation until a recent loss to Notre Dame.

Higher car insurance premiums for unemployed criticised

Under the U.S. Supreme Court: Gingrich threats a dark omen for courts? WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 (UPI) -- Republican presidential contender Newt Gingrich may have fired the first shot, but the federal courts and especially the U.S. Supreme Court may be in danger of being seen as political entities rather than an impartial judiciary. The late Chief Justice William Rehnquist used to muse that the Supreme Court had no real way to enforce its decisions on the lower courts other than its "authority." When the justices agree to review a case, they can reverse or affirm the ruling of an appeals court. But often they remand a case back to the lower court for further proceedings based on the principles outlined in a Supreme Court majority opinion. Almost always the appellate court will do just that -- rethink the case and decide it differently based on what the Supreme Court majority has said. Infrequently, an appellate court seems to turn a deaf ear, and hands down a new decision that looks very much like its first one. In that event, the losing side usually asks the Supreme Court to take another look, and the justices render a new majority opinion designed to bring the lower court to heel. Somehow, it all works. However, though Supreme Court authority is strong, it isn't infinitely tensile. After all, the high court only has the power to review the constitutionality of U.S. laws because it -- the Supreme Court itself -- said it did in 1803's Marbury vs. Madison. The rest of U.S. society largely has come to agree that the justices have the constitutional final say in all legal matters, though large minorities protest that authority on issues such as abortion or prayer in the public schools. Currently, five conservatives led by moderate conservative Justice Anthony Kennedy have the muscle to decide any issue they want, any case that is politically important to them. The court's four liberals are left with the task of trying to lure Kennedy or one of the harder-line conservatives to their point of view. Two cases that the high court is set to consider later this term could prove to be political pitfalls, especially if they are decided along the Supreme Court's ideological fault line. One could affect the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives. At issue in the case is which redistricting plan Texas should use for congressional and statehouse races: One drawn up by the state Legislature that favors Republicans or one drawn up by a three-judge panel in San Antonio that takes into account the state's burgeoning Hispanic population, as required by the Voting Rights Act. If the panel's plan comes up the winner in the Supreme Court, three of the four new congressional seats Texas is due could end up in the hands of Democrats. If the state's plan is the winner, it's hard to see how the Supreme Court could avoid weakening the Voting Rights Act. The second case has even more political impact. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 -- the healthcare reform law -- is being challenged by 26 states. A decision by the Supreme Court on the challenge should come before the end of June, smack in the middle of President Obama's re-election campaign. An analysis by Thomson Reuters News & Insight shows the political considerations implicit in how the justices vote. "Aside from the merits, political scientists have shown a correlation between the political party of a nominating president and Supreme Court justices' voting behavior in economic and civil liberties cases," the analysis says. The court has five justices who were nominated by Republican presidents (Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, Roberts and Alito) and four nominated by Democratic presidents (Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor and Kagan). If the justices' political backgrounds foreshadow the eventual ruling, the outcome could depend on frequent swing voter Justice Kennedy. In attacking the independence of the federal courts, Newton Leroy Gingrich may just have been trying to stand out in a crowd that includes Ronald Earnest Paul, Willard Mitt Romney and, of course, Barack Hussein Obama. But putting the courts under presidential or congressional control is apparently a deep-seated idea in the former House speaker's restless mind. Those weren't just off-the-cuff remarks. Item No. 9" in the Newt 2012 position paper is "Bringing the Courts Back Under the Constitution." "The Founding Fathers felt strongly about limiting the power of judges because they had suffered under tyrannical and dictatorial British judges," the position paper says, adding, "Since the New Deal of the 1930s, however, the power of the American judiciary has increased exponentially at the expense of elected representatives of the people in the other two branches. The judiciary has acted on the premise of 'judicial supremacy,' where courts not only review and apply laws, but also actively seek to modify and create new constitutional law from the bench that the Supreme Court has asserted should be binding on the other two branches. Judicial supremacy operates on the assumption that a Supreme Court decision on constitutional interpretation is final for all branches of government unless the court reverses itself in the future, or a constitutional amendment is passed. But the courts have been "politicized to the point of an abuse of power ... the public has increasingly come to view them as an usurpative device for unelected rulers," the paper says. This abuse of power and loss of public confidence amounts to a constitutional crisis. So what did Gingrich say that got him in such trouble on editorial pages in December? The former House speaker said if he became president he would try to abolish some courts and remove "activist" judges outside the mainstream, the Huffington Post reported. Under a Gingrich administration, judges would be subpoenaed to appear before congressional committees and explain controversial decisions, and could face arrest or impeachment if they don't show up. "You have an increasingly arrogant judiciary," he told CBS' "Face the Nation." The question is: Is there anything we the American people can do? The standard answer has been eventually we'll appoint good judges. I think that's inadequate. The Constitution promises a balance of the judicial branch, the executive branch and the legislative branch. The Federalist Papers say specifically the weakest of the three branches is the judiciary. As for deciding whether the executive or the legislative branch should intervene in the judiciary branch, the Huffington Post quoted Gingrich as saying: "I think it depends on the severity of the case. I'm not suggesting that the Congress and the president review every decision. I'm suggesting that when there are decisions ... in which they are literally risking putting civil liberty rules in battlefields. I mean it is utterly irrational for the Supreme Court to take on its shoulders the defense to the United States. It is a violation of the Constitution. Gingrich's comments drew criticism from Romney, among others. But there was also support, indicating that Gingrich's comments weren't so far out of the conservative mainstream as first thought. "Speaker Gingrich's campaign position paper ... has serious flaws such as proposing that Congress and the executive could limit the jurisdiction of the courts to hear cases challenging unconstitutional laws that are enacted by those two branches," an analysis in the American Thinker said in late December. One of the controversial positions in the paper that has drawn criticism is that Congress may subpoena judges to testify about judicial opinions they've written. "Subpoenaing judges actually may be one of the better ideas in the paper, and could be implemented independent of the other proposals," the article said. In fact, there is no provision in the Constitution barring Congress from subpoenaing judges now. The Wall Street Journal also thought Gingrich was on the right track. "'Gingrich would arrest judges,' scream the headlines," the newspaper editorialized. You'd think he'd proposed some crazy, unconstitutional crackdown on federal judges. Instead, Newt Gingrich's position paper ... has a set of controversial but thoughtful proposals for reining in judicial activism. "These include calling judges before Congress to explain their decisions, impeaching judges or eliminating courts that consistently get the Constitution wrong, and limiting the applicability of Supreme Court decisions that distort the Constitution," the Journal said. They've been dismissed as violations of the Constitution's separation of powers. The criticisms are overblown. All are constitutional if carefully implemented and constrained to the appropriate circumstances. The larger question, of course, is who gets to decide whether a set of courts "consistently get the Constitution wrong" or whether Supreme Court decisions "distort the Constitution"? President Gingrich?

Hospital Probing Beyonce Baby Birth As Health Officials Dismiss Complaints State health officials on Wednesday dismissed complaints that patients in a hospital neonatal unit were mistreated while Beyonce was there giving birth to her and Jay-Z's daughter. They had received two complaints about Manhattan's Lenox Hill Hospital, one made anonymously, the other from someone who had learned about the matter through the media, a health department spokesman said. Officials reviewed the complaints and dismissed them Wednesday night, spokesman Jeffrey Gordon said without elaborating. The hospital, a popular choice for the rich and famous from late philanthropist Brooke Astor to "30 Rock" star Tina Fey, said it was conducting its own probe. Beyonce gave birth to the couple's baby, Blue Ivy Carter, at the hospital on Saturday. PICS: Beyonce's 5-Star Hospital Suite. Media reports said Beyonce and Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, paid $1 million to take over a floor and their security guard blocked parents from the neonatal unit for hours. The hospital denied the reports, saying the couple paid the standard rate for an executive suite without disclosing what that is. One new mother, Rozz Nash-Coulon, told The Associated Press that her twins, born Dec. 28, were in the neonatal unit and, starting Friday, intense security measures made it a struggle to see them as guards directed hallway traffic. "Once they checked in there was high security everywhere," she said Monday. It looked like the president was on our floor. The hospital's security cameras were taped over. Internal windows from the hallways into the ward were blacked out. The hospital's executive director was heading up its own inquiry into the complaints, hospital spokeswoman Barbara Osborn said. The hospital was interviewing parents who had children in the newborn wing when Jay-Z and Beyonce were there, she said. "We have spoken to seven out of the 10," she said. None have reported being stopped from seeing their babies. She confirmed that security cameras were briefly taped over when the Carter family was being moved, "but only when a security guard was present" on the fourth floor, where the neonatal unit is located. She declined to say why they were taped over. She said that other parents at the unit did notice "enhanced security." But she said none felt restricted from accessing the unit or any other at the hospital. Jay-Z confirmed the birth of the couple's daughter in a song released on his social website Life and Times on Monday.

Peyton Manning, Jim Irsay and Bob Kravitz "It is so sad and so hard to write it again, but it's true: Peyton Manning is done in Indianapolis." - Bob Kravitz Peyton Manning and the Colts" owner, Jim Irsay, have not held a heart-to-heart talk about Manning's future in Indianapolis. Instead, in the last week, they have seemingly been communicating through a go-between. That person happens to be a columnist, Bob Kravitz of The Indianapolis Star, who has been writing all season that the Colts need to start over if they're able to draft Andrew Luck. Here's a slice of Kravitz's latest column, or better yet, read it all here. We're talking about one of the best owners in sports and one of the greatest quarterbacks in history, both of them good men, both of them great philanthropists. This should end with parades and statues, not harsh words. This should end with an entire region paying tribute to the greatest Indianapolis Colt of all time, not a blizzard of words. The pair need to talk and they need to talk, honestly and forthrightly, right now. And Irsay needs to tell him exactly what he plans to tell him later: "We're going to cut you. It hurts my heart and soul, but we have no choice. Here are a few quotations that help tell the story: Earlier this week, Manning expressed sadness, via Kravitz, about the many Colts colleagues who had been let go in the recent shake-up: "I just want to pay tribute to all those guys. It's unfortunate because so many of them have been such a big part of so many big wins here, and this is so ... sudden. Irsay responded, through Kravitz: "He's a politician." I don't think it's in the (best) interest to paint the Horseshoe in a negative light, I really don't. . . The horseshoe always comes first. One thing (Manning has) always known, and he's been around it so long, you keep it in the family. If you've got a problem, talk to each other. It's not about campaigning or anything like that. Manning's response, again via Kravitz: "At this point, Mr. Irsay and I owe it to each other and to the fans of the organization to handle this appropriately and professionally, and I think we will. I've already reached out to Mr. Irsay. I wasn't trying to paint the Colts in a bad light, but it's tough when so many people you've known for so long are suddenly leaving. I feel very close to a lot of these guys and we've done great things together. It's hard to watch an old friend clean out his office. That's all I was trying to say. Extra point The cast of characters on the Colts has been together so long that they're almost like a TV family. This episode doesn't figure to reach the operatic levels of drama of Brett Favre's exit from Green Bay, but any divorce is painful.

Tofu, steamed vegetables and brown rice Taking its influences from Korea, this is a simple, can't-be-bothered-to-cook supper, nourishing and fortifying, with a chilli umami hit in the spicy soy dressing. 250g/8oz brown rice 600g/1¼lb firm tofu, halved 2 garlic cloves tsp granulated sugar 4 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp sesame seeds, lightly toasted 1 tbsp sesame oil 1 tbsp mirin tsp dried chilli flakes 200g/7oz tender stem broccoli 3 pak choi, quartered To serve Handful crispy shallots Rinse the rice in a fine sieve, preferably until the water runs clear, and drain well. Put the rice and 500ml/17fl oz of water in a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to the boil, place the lid on the pan, reduce the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave to stand for 15 minutes. Do not remove the lid at any time. Meanwhile, place the tofu in a saucepan of cold water and simmer over a medium heat for 1 minute, or until the tofu is warmed through. Using a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic and sugar to a paste. Add the soy, sesame seeds and oil, mirin and chilli flakes and stir to combine. Place a pan of water over a medium heat and place a steamer on top, making sure it's a tight fit. Steam the broccoli for 2 to 3 minutes until tender, then add the pak choi and steam for a further 1 to 2 minutes or until the veg are wilted, then remove and keep warm. Remove the tofu from the water with a slotted spoon, then slice and dip in the dressing. Divide the greens and tofu between 4 bowls and sprinkle with the fried shallots. Serve with the rice and pour any leftover dressing into a small bowl for the table.

Arsene Wegner: football has 'sold its soul' to TV Arsenal manager Arsene Wegner claims that football has "sold its soul" to TV and that in turn TV is too "influenced by some clubs." However he insists the Premiere League has failed to take a tough enough stance against the broadcaster's demands against fixture changes. Wenger, who takes his side to Swansea on Sunday, claims the demands of the viewing schedules can have a direct influence on games. He said: "We have sold our soul and we do not control our fixtures any more. It is the truth and I cannot say the television is wrong, but it is not normal that you can have a direct influence on the schedule through the television. The Premier League has to make sure there is a bit more fairness in the schedules. He added: "I don't believe in the last month or the last year, the Premier League has played a very fair role in the distribution of the fixtures." Television is influenced by some clubs to choose the fixtures. Some clubs get advantaged by television. Is it Sky or is it ESPN? They have an influence there from the clubs directly and the Premier League should be a much bigger barrier than they are in front of that. I do not want to go personal on any club. I just think, when things are repeated, they are not a coincidence any more. In England, it is always very difficult to say what you feel about that but, I am not the only manager who thinks that and I think there is a real problem.

12th body found in cruise ship disaster GIGLIO, Italy, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- Italian divers Saturday discovered the body of a woman wearing a life jacket aboard the capsized Costa Concordi, raising the death toll to 12, officials said. The divers, who got into the ship through a hole opened in the stern, discovered the woman's body on the fourth deck at 1:30 p.m., Italy's ANSA news agency reported. Coast Guard spokesman Cosimo Nicastro said the woman's body was found in a corridor near the rear of the ship, the BBC reported. "The corridor was very narrow, and the divers' lines risked snagging" on objects in the passageway, Nicastro said. A week after the cruise ship ran aground and after hitting a rock in shallow waters off the Tuscan island Giglio Island, 20 people are still missing. As relatives tossed flowers into the sea near the Costa Concordia, rescue workers said they would search the entire ship. But the BBC noted concerns the ship could slip off a ledge into deeper water. Meanwhile, more than 100 passengers who were aboard the Italian cruise ship say they're joining a class-action lawsuit seeking more than $15 million. Costa Cruises Chairman Pier Luigi Foschi this week said the captain deviated from frequently traveled routes. Schettino, 57, is under house arrest, accused of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship before all passengers were evacuated. Prosecutors he was sailing too close to Giglio on an unauthorized course to perform a "salute" --- a greeting to islanders.

Dad of missing toddler: "What you are doing isn't right" Dad of missing toddler: "What you are doing isn't right" - People updated 1/2/2012 8:50:32 AM ET In his first interview, the father Maine girl missing for two weeks urges her return By Scott Stump TODAY.com contributor For the first time since his daughter was last seen on Dec. 16, the father of a missing Maine toddler spoke publicly Monday about the search for Ayla Reynolds and appealed to her abductor to return her safely. Justin DiPietro, who was the last one to see his 20-month-old daughter when he put her to bed more than two weeks ago, spoke exclusively with TODAY's Peter Alexander about his daughter's disappearance, which was ruled a criminal investigation Friday by police in Waterville, Maine. "By coming here, it was in hopes of reaching out to the person that does have my daughter to let them know that what they're doing isn't right,"" DiPietro said from Maine in the live interview Monday morning. You may think what you're doing is right for Ayla, but it's not. You have no right. You're not her parent. She belongs home with her family. I just want my daughter. I'm doing anything possible that I can to get my daughter home. It feels like a hopeless situation at some points, but I'm doing what I can. No suspects have been named by police, but DiPietro's parenting skills have been questioned by the girl's mother, Trista Reynolds, who appeared on TODAY last week. Reynolds underwent a 10-day stint in a rehabilitation program for alcohol abuse in October, during which time she and DiPietro agreed that he would take care of their daughter. Before her disappearance, Ayla had a soft cast on her left arm in what police called an accident. 'She's the world to me' Throughout most of the interview, DiPietro spoke in an unemotional monotone, but his eyes lit up when asked about his feelings toward his daughter and he smiled, becoming slightly choked up. "I love my daughter,"" DiPietro said. I would never do anything to harm my daughter. She's the world to me."" In a statement released exclusively to TODAY Sunday night, Reynolds said, "When I found out from law enforcement that this has become a criminal investigation I got chills up and down my spine, but I am keeping my faith. I am not giving up."" Ronald Reynolds, the child's grandfather, also has been "begging and pleading"" for Ayla's return and has been wearing a green ribbon, which is the symbol for missing children. Authorities have scoured nearby lakes, woods, fields and private properties for weeks and have spent significant time investigating DiPietro's home in search of the child after determining that Ayla, who had recently started walking, did not leave the house on her own. A privately-funded $30,000 reward also has been posted, leading to nearly 400 tips from as far away as California regarding her disappearance. On Friday, authorities announced that it has become a criminal investigation. "We believe that foul play has occurred in connection with Ayla's disappearance," the Waterville Police Department said in a statement. "We base our conclusions on evidence by investigators during the past two weeks."" Defending his silence While Reynolds has appeared publicly multiple times since Ayla went missing, Monday marked DiPietro's first public appearance. He had previously released statements through the Waterville police and has been cooperating with authorities during the entire investigation. On the night of Dec. 16, he said he put Ayla to bed as she wore polka dot pajamas that read "Daddy's Little Princess"" on them. At 8 a.m. on Dec. 17, DiPietro went to check on her and found she was gone, officially reporting her missing at 8:50 a.m. "He said he's not in hiding, but why won't he come out?"" Reynolds told TODAY last week. Why won't he talk to me? Why is he staying away? What is he so afraid of, to not come out and talk to me?"" Story: "Just talk to me," mom of missing Maine tot begs dad In Monday's interview, DiPietro defended his silence. "Initially, the first few days I was emotionally incapable of coming out to do an interview,"" he told Alexander. "I had been advised that by coming on and doing an interview by law enforcement that it could possibly hinder the investigation, and I'm here to help in any way I can."" Reynolds said last week on TODAY that she and DiPietro have not spoken since their daughter's disappearance and that she had concerns about her daughter's safety while living with DiPietro. Reynolds lives 75 miles away in South Portland, and she last saw her daughter on Nov. 21. A day before Ayla's disappearance, Reynolds filed for "parental rights and responsibilities"" regarding custody of Ayla. "He would never let me see her,"" Reynolds told TODAY. I would call to talk to her, and he would get mad about it. If I did see her and I would notice something on her like a bruise or just something, instead of reacting in a calm manner, he would lash out about it or kind of go into defense."" "As far as I know, there was never any concerns,"" DiPietro said Monday. We both agreed that me having her at this point in time was the best thing for her. She's my child. She's my world. She's everything to me."" Although the investigation has now become a criminal one, DiPietro has not been made aware of any other major developments by investigators. Story: Dad of missing toddler: "What you are doing isn't right" "As far as I know, that's just been a change in terminology,"" he said. "As far as I know we're at the same place that we were at on Day One with this."" Anyone with information regarding the child's disappearance is urged to contact the Maine State Police at 207-624-7076. More from People

Foreign holdings of US Treasurys hits record high Jan 18 10:04 AM US/Eastern WASHINGTON (AP) - Foreign demand for U.S. Treasury debt rose in November to the highest level ever, even as China trimmed its purchases for a second straight month. The Treasury Department says total foreign holdings increased 1.7 percent in November to $4.75 trillion. Japan, the second-largest buyer of Treasury debt, increased its holdings 6 percent to $1.04 trillion. China, the largest foreign holder, trimmed its holdings 0.1 percent to $1.13 trillion. The increase in total foreign holdings pushed them to a record level, indicating that foreign demand for U.S. government debt remains strong. That strength comes despite a prolonged debate this summer over increasing the nation's borrowing limit.

Baja wants the movie spotlight again Reporting from Rosarito Beach, Mexico - Hollywood made a big splash here when it sank the movie replica of the "Titanic" in an enormous water tank built specifically for the cinematic spectacle. The films "Master and Commander" and "Pearl Harbor" followed, with the cannon shots and explosions from those productions rattling high-rise condos and palapa bars up and down the craggy Baja California coast. But fears of drug wars and incentives from rival production facilities all but shut down film-making at Baja Studios, a 35-acre facility on a bluff overlooking the Pacific. Also closed was the Titanic-inspired theme park, which once drew thousands to gawk at the mementos from Hollywood's second-biggest box office film of all time. Now, movie fever may be building again. Cameras began rolling this summer on the first feature filmed in years at the studio. The movie, "Little Boy," a World War II-era film set in a Northern California fishing town, drew Academy Award-nominated actors, put local movie crews to work and signaled the studio's ability to still lure major productions south of the border. Casting the film was a challenge as some actors shied away because they feared local crime, said Eduardo Verastegui, "Little Boy's" executive producer. But the 12-week shoot went off without a hitch for a cast that eventually included Kevin James, Tom Wilkinson and Emily Watson. "They lived there for a while and were having a great time, and loving the people," Verastegui said. It's an amazing studio ... and you save a lot of money at the same time. Built in 1996 by 20th Century Fox, Baja Studios has four sound stages and outdoor water tanks that are among the biggest in the world. Other pluses: Local film crews are cheaper than their Hollywood counterparts and the studio's location just south of Rosarito Beach is a few hours' drive from Southern California. The trip is even shorter for people using the facility's heliport. Over the years, all or part of about nine films were produced there. In 2005, one of the stages hosted rehearsals for the rock group U2 ahead of the band's Vertigo world tour. In 2007, 20th Century Fox sold the studio to a group of local investors who hoped to make it a job growth engine in the region. But in 2008, during pre-production work for the "Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian," Mexico's drug war flared in Rosarito Beach. Seven cops were killed in one month, and the studio moved the production to New Zealand. Security concerns were only part of the reason for the switch, according to Kurt Honold, a Tijuana-based businessman who is part of an investors' group that owns the studio. With facilities elsewhere offering aggressive incentive packages, Baja Studios, as well as the broader Mexican film industry, had lost its competitive edge, he said. The Mexican government responded by establishing incentive packages offering up to 17.5% cash rebates and tax breaks for the costs of movies shot in Mexico. President Felipe Calderon announced the incentives program at the studio in March 2010, saying he wanted Mexico to become "Latin America's movie capital." U.S. and international locales continue rolling out ever-more enticing incentive packages, so Mexico's ability to attract film shoots faces serious challenges. Some observers say that Mexico's incentives still don't match other regions' aggressive offerings. And negative perceptions about drug violence persist, even though crime in Baja California has declined significantly in the last two years. Mexican investors and government officials are hoping that the studio's track record for turning out blockbusters will provide an edge. With a deep pool of local film crew professionals, many of whom have worked in Hollywood, the studio is a "turn-key solution," said Ricardo Alvarez, the head of innovation at Pro Mex, the government agency that promotes the film industry. "We have the people, we have the resources, we have the facilities and we have the supply chain," he said. It's one of the advantages of being so close to Hollywood. Lots of our talent has experience working in Hollywood productions. That is really helpful. It allows you to solidify your credentials. For Rosarito Beach, the movie dollars and big-spending studio executives and stars nourish all levels of an economy struggling from a collapse in tourism. During film shoots, actors and production crews fill dozens of hotel rooms and oceanfront homes. Residents still remember the sight of Russell Crowe jogging from his hotel to the studio every morning, and photos of Leonardo DiCaprio line the walls at a nearby Marriott Hotel. For years, eateries offering Titanic-themed burgers and seafood did brisk business, and hundreds of extras would be shuttled from downtown Rosarito Beach. Honold said everyone from hotel maids to highly skilled camera technicians benefit from a film production, as well as businesses across the border in San Diego, where people often make big-item purchases like cars. "For every penny spent in Mexico, 50% goes back to the U.S.," Honold said. Little Boy's production provided a taste of past windfalls, pumping about $14 million into the local economy, according to Honold. Crews constructed a Norman Rockwell-esque town overlooking the ocean and long-vacant production offices and dressing rooms - one still bearing the name of Peter Weir, the director of "Master and Commander" - were once again buzzing with activity. Verastegui, the executive producer, said filming in Baja California sliced 50% off the budget, without sacrificing quality. Some cast members agreed. "I think that if people knew about this facility - that it's this good, with people around here that are this competent - they'd be flocking down here in droves," Wilkinson, the actor, said in an interview with filmmakers.

Debris from wrecked cargo ship washes onto New Zealand beaches WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Shipping containers, sacks of milk powder and other debris washed onto popular New Zealand beaches on Monday after a cargo ship stuck on an offshore reef for three months started breaking apart in heavy seas at the weekend. The 47,230-tonne Liberian-flagged Rena, grounded for three months on Astrolabe Reef, finally broke in two about 22 km off Tauranga on the east coast of New Zealand on Sunday after being pounded by waves of up to 6 meters (20 feet). Maritime authorities and salvage crews have tried to remove fuel oil and containers from the ship, which ran aground in calm conditions on Oct 5. But fuel and cargo continued to leak in rough seas, causing New Zealand's worst environmental disaster in decades. At least five containers had washed ashore at Waihi Beach, a popular spot for holiday makers, Maritime New Zealand spokesman Bruce Fraser said. "There are a lot of containers and debris in the water and washing up on the beaches," he said. An oil sheen was spreading 3kms (1.8 miles) from the stricken vessel and small amounts of oil was washing up on nearby islands and beaches, he added. Timber, plastic and dozens of sacks of milk powder also littered the beach after an estimated 200-300 containers stacked in the 236-meter (775-foot) ship were washed into the sea when it broke apart. Police said they had closed Waihi Beach to the public after reports of people removing items that had washed up. "The expert advice we have received is for people not to approach items washed ashore for health reasons and we appeal to those people who have taken objects to return them to the beach where they can be managed by decontamination crews," Sergeant Dave Litton of Waihi Police said. More than 20 containers were filled with cryolite, a toxic chemical, while others held everything from meat to household goods and cases of wine. Some have been tagged with transponders and the Navy was scanning the area with sonar to ensure nearby commercial operations at the Port of Tauranga could continue, Fraser said. Salvage teams have pumped more than 1,000 tonnes of oil out of the ship over the past three months, though some remained onboard. Thousands of birds were killed by the earlier spill and it has taken months to clean up the shore. Half a dozen penguins were picked up overnight, some of them covered in oil, Maritime NZ said. Braemar Howells, a marine salvage firm, estimated that up to 300 containers of the some 830 left on the Rena were lost overboard when the ship broke in half. About 390 containers had been safely removed earlier. The Rena's captain and navigation officer, both Philippine nationals, have been charged with operating a vessel in a dangerous manner, and releasing toxic substances, which carries a maximum fine of NZ$300,000 ($234,200), or two years in prison. They are due to appear in court again next month. The vessel is owned by Daina Shipping, a unit of Greece's Costamare Inc. and was under charter to Mediterranean Shipping. Reporting by Lincoln Feast; Editing by Ed Lane

Activists Send Hundreds of Tacos to Conn. The office of East Haven's mayor was blasted with prank phone calls and a delivery of hundreds of tacos Thursday after his now-famous quip that he would address accusations of anti-Latino bias by eating tacos, a remark that left emotions raw in the town's large Hispanic community. Mayor Joseph Maturo Jr. has apologized several times but resisted calls for his resignation over remarks he made to a television reporter following Tuesday's arrests of four town police officers, men described by one FBI official as "bullies with badges." Maturo held regular meetings Thursday as Connecticut's Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Commission called on him to resign. "The Latino community is upset and deeply wounded in what should have been a day of redemption for them," the commission's acting executive director, Werner Oyandel, said in a written statement, calling the comment "unprofessional and given in poor taste." An immigration rights group, Reform Immigration for America, delivered 400 tacos to his Town Hall office in protest, though Maturo had left shortly beforehand for a meeting. A soup kitchen picked up the tacos, but one was left symbolically for the mayor. In a statement released by his office, Maturo said the abundance of tacos highlights the need for healing in the town. FILE - In this Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2010 file photo, East Haven police vehicles are seen outside the police department in East Haven, Conn. The FBI on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, arrested four East Haven police officers on conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges following an investigation into possible civil rights violations. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File) Close "The events of the past few days have focused our Town, and my administration, on the need to deal sensitively and compassionately with the challenges currently facing our Town," he said. His office fielded a steady flow of calls, some with prank comments about tacos and others from supporters who want him to stay in his job. Maturo has been mayor off and on since 1997 in this predominantly white, blue-collar town on the shore of Long Island Sound where Latino residents comprise about 10 percent of its population of 29,000. East Haven has been under federal scrutiny since the U.S. Justice Department launched a civil rights probe in 2009 that found discrimination and biased policing against Latinos. A federal indictment accuses the four police officers of assaulting people while they were handcuffed, unlawfully searching Latino businesses, and harassing and intimidating people, including advocates, witnesses and other officers who tried to investigate or report misconduct or abuse. The taco flap came after a reporter for New York's WPIX-TV asked Maturo on Tuesday, "What are you doing for the Latino community today?" Maturo's response: "I might have tacos when I go home; I'm not quite sure yet." Maturo, who is of Italian heritage, then said he might have spaghetti or any other kind of ethnic food, growing increasingly angry as he told Diaz to "go for it, take your best shot" to make the "taco" comment seem to imply something he did not intend. He has called himself a "jerk" for the comment, which he called an off-the-cuff quip made at the end of a long, stressful day of interviews. The video of Maturo's comments has spread across the Internet on social networks and media websites. It led Connecticut's largest paper, The Hartford Courant, to call for his resignation in an editorial that declared: "The Mayor is an Idiot." A Facebook page demanding Maturo's resignation had more than 750 supporters Thursday afternoon.

India - 2 Arrested in July Terrorist Attack on Mumbai - NYTimes.com Authorities in Mumbai announced the arrest of two suspects on Monday in connection with a terrorist attack last July that killed 27 people in bombings across the city. Police investigators also blamed a domestic terrorist, Yasin Bhatkal, who remains at large and has been linked to a radical Islamic group known as the Indian Mujahedeen. Rakesh Maria, a top counterterrorism official in Mumbai, said the police had arrested two men from Bihar State, accused of being Mr. Bhatkal's accomplices, and have identified others involved in the conspiracy. The attack consisted of explosions at three locations in Mumbai and investigators initially examined the possibility that the culprits were terrorist groups from Pakistan.

THE Dish: Doc Willoughby's roast beef tenderloin Chef and cookbook author, Doc Willoughby is just as comfortable in "America's Test Kitchen" as he is in a classroom. He brought his ultimate dish, Roast Beef Tenderloin with Dried Fruit and Nut Stuffing, to "CBS This Morning: Saturday. For Doc, journalism and cooking have turned out to be a great combination. As executive editor of "America's Test Kitchen" cookbooks, Doc helps aspiring cooks on a local and national level (and in Canada, too!) discover the very best flavors in America's favorite dishes. The Harvard grad, who has a degree in English, was the executive editor of "Cook's Illustrated" when the magazine was founded in 1993, according to his official biography. In 2001, he moved to New York to take the job of executive editor at Gourmet magazine, a position he held until the fall of 2009. In February of 2010, he returned to "America's Test Kitchen," where he landed the title of executive editor for magazines. Doc, whose real name is John (Doc is a moniker that stuck with him from his Harvard days) is also the co-author, with Chef Chris Schlesinger, of nine cookbooks, including the award-winning "The Thrill of the Grill" and "How to Cook Meat." Doc also dabbles in the wonderful world of food and travel with his "Power Ingredients" column for The New York Times dining section. He's also on the advisory board of "Chop Chop," a magazine covering healthy cooking for children. The Chateaubriand is a cut taken from the center of the tenderloin. It should be an even thickness from end to end, without any portion of the butt end attached. The stuffing can be made a day in advance, but it must be microwaved to just room temperature before being stuffed into the roast. The roast can be stuffed, rolled, and tied the day before cooking. When carving the roast, the kitchen twine performs two duties. First, and more important, it keeps the roast intact while carving. Second, it provides a good guideline for carving the roast-simply cut the meat into thick slices between each piece of twine. If serving a crowd, this recipe can be doubled to make two roasts. Follow the recipe as directed, searing the roasts one after another, cleaning the pan and adding new oil after searing the first roast. Stuffing 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 large shallot , minced (about 3 tablespoons) 1/4 cup chopped prunes 1/4 cup dried chopped apricots (unsulfured) 2/3 cup ruby port 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves 1/4 teaspoon table salt 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar Beef Roast 1 beef tenderloin center-cut Chateaubriand , 2 to 3 pounds, trimmed of fat and silver skin Kosher salt and ground black pepper 2 tablespoons toasted pecans , chopped 3 tablespoons olive oil Stilton Butter 1 ounce Stilton cheese, crumbled 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 1/8 teaspoon table salt 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves FOR THE STUFFING: Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Meanwhile, combine prunes, apricots, and port in microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic and microwave on high until simmering, about 2 minutes. Set aside until needed. When shallot is softened, add dried fruit/port mixture, thyme, salt, and pepper; continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thick, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in balsamic vinegar. Transfer dried fruit mixture to plate. Set aside and cool to room temperature. FOR THE ROAST: Following illustrations 1 and 2, butterfly roast. Season cut side of roast liberally with salt and pepper. Following illustration 3, spread cooled stuffing mixture in an even layer over interior of roast, leaving 1/2-inch border on all sides. Sprinkle pecans in an even layer on top of stuffing. Following illustrations 4 and 5, roll and tie beef roast. In small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Rub exterior of roast with oil mixture. Let roast stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 450 degrees. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Add beef to pan and cook until well browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes total. Transfer beef to rimmed baking sheet and place in oven. Roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of roast registers 120 degrees for rare, 16 to 18 minutes, or 125 degrees for medium-rare, 20 to 22 minutes. FOR THE BUTTER: While meat roasts, stir all ingredients together in a small bowl until combined. Transfer tenderloin to cutting board; spread half of butter evenly over top of roast. Loosely tent roast with foil; let rest for 15 minutes. Slice roast between pieces of twine into thick slices. Remove twine from individual slices and serve with remaining butter passed separately. For more of Doc's recipes, go to Page 2.

Indian teacher stunned by $10bln bank balance An Indian high school teacher, with a monthly salary of around $700, was astounded when a routine online check of his bank account showed a balance of almost $10 billion. Parijat Saha, from the town of Balurghat in West Bengal state, said he had checked his State Bank of India account online last Sunday to confirm reception of a 10,000 rupee ($200) interest payment. "Instead I saw this astronomical amount," he told AFP by telephone. The account showed a balance of 496 billion rupees. After recovering from the initial shock at becoming an overnight billionaire -- at least on paper -- Saha, 42, said he immediately called a friend he knew at the bank to point out what was obviously a major accounting error. The State Bank of India said it was not immediately clear how the amount came to be registered in Saha's account. "We are trying to ascertain what went wrong," said local branch manager Subhashish Karmakar. "We have informed our regional headquarters in Kolkata and national headquarters in Mumbai," he said.

Joe Paterno says he felt inadequate to handle child sex abuse allegation January 14, 2012 -- Updated 2242 GMT (0642 HKT) Paterno talks to the Washington Post in his first extensive interview since being fired "I didn't know exactly how to handle it ... so I backed away," he says Paterno has been diagnosed with treatable lung cancer He was ousted from his Penn State coaching job last year amid the scandal (CNN) -- Legendary football coach Joe Paterno, who was ousted from Penn State last year over an alleged child sex abuse scandal that rocked the university, told the Washington Post he felt inadequate to deal with the initial allegation of abuse. Paterno, the all-time winningest football coach in NCAA Division I history, was fired in November amid the outcry over the handling of the accusations against former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. "I didn't know exactly how to handle it and I was afraid to do something that might jeopardize what the university procedure was," Paterno told the Washington Post in an interview published Saturday. So I backed away and turned it over to some other people, people I thought would have a little more expertise than I did. It didn't work out that way. The former coach, who is being treated for lung cancer, struggled to speak during parts of the interview; his voice was a raspy whisper. The sit-down was Paterno's first since his firing. "You know, he didn't want to get specific," Paterno said about McQueary. And to be frank with you I don't know that it would have done any good, because I never heard of, of, rape and a man. So I just did what I thought was best. I talked to people that I thought would be, if there was a problem, that would be following up on it," he told the Washington Post. I called my superiors and I said, 'hey, we got a problem I think. Would you guys look into it? Because I didn't know, you know. I had never had to deal with something like that. And I didn't feel adequate," Paterno said.

Adele to make comeback at Grammys after throat surgery

Bank of America posts fourth-quarter profit (Reuters) - Bank of America Corp reported a fourth-quarter profit, reversing a year-earlier loss, boosted by one-time items and lower expenses for bad loans. Under pressure to shore up its balance sheet, Bank of America sold assets and completed a stock swap during the quarter that boosted its capital levels. And in 2012, the bank said it was considering issuing $1 billion in common stock to certain employees in lieu of a portion of their year-end cash bonuses. That move would further pad the bank's capital levels, but would dilute existing shareholders and likely stir discontent among some bankers. "Bank of America looks like it's making good progress on the capital build-up," said Derek Pilecki of Gator Capital Management in Tampa, Florida. It's a work in progress with expense cuts continuing. They have to issue stock to make capital targets, but the dilution isn't overwhelming. The second-largest U.S. bank by assets on Thursday said net income applicable to common shareholders was $1.58 billion, or 15 cents per share, compared with a loss of $1.6 billion, or 16 cents per share, a year earlier. Like other large banks, Bank of America reported a decline in investment banking and sales and trading revenue. The Charlotte, North Carolina-based bank benefited from pretax gains of $5.3 billion from the sale of China Construction Bank Corp shares, and gains from the exchange of trust preferred securities and the sale of debt securities. Various accounting charges and litigation expenses reduced earnings by $3.7 billion. The bank set aside $2.9 billion in the fourth quarter for loan losses, down from $5.1 billion a year ago. Bank of America, which is working to shed risky assets, said its total loans decreased to $926 billion from $932 billion in the third quarter. In its corporate bank, Bank of America said average loans and leases increased 29 percent from the year-ago quarter to $107.5 billion with growth in both U.S. and international commercial loans. Big bank peers Wells Fargo & Co and JPMorgan Chase & Co, as well as some regional banks, reported loan growth in the fourth quarter, potentially boding well for the U.S. economy. Sales and trading revenue in Bank of America's banking and markets unit increased to $1.9 billion, excluding an accounting charge, from $1.1 billion in the third quarter but was down from $2.4 billion a year ago. Investment banking fees were flat from the third quarter at $1 billion but down from $1.6 billion a year ago. In December, Chief Executive Officer Brian Moynihan said the bank had seen better results in this business in the fourth quarter after a weak third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co, Citigroup and Goldman Sachs Group Inc reported lackluster trading revenue in the fourth quarter as clients shunned markets roiled by the European debt crisis. Bank of America bulked up its investment banking business with the 2009 purchase of Merrill Lynch. "We enter 2012 stronger and more efficient after two years of simplifying and streamlining our company," Moynihan said in a statement. We built our capital ratios to record levels during 2011 on the strength of our core businesses and by shedding those that are not core to serving customers and clients. Moynihan is working to show Bank of America, saddled with losses tied to the 2008 purchase of Countrywide Financial, has enough capital to absorb mortgage-related losses and to meet new international capital standards. Over the past two years, he has been shedding noncore businesses in an effort to boost capital levels and streamline the company. The bank's shares plunged 58 percent in 2011, partly on investor worries about capital. But through Wednesday, the shares were up 22 percent this year at $6.80. Reporting By Rick Rothacker; editing by John Wallace and Maureen Bavdek

Rick Perry Rallies Volunteers on Caucus Morning WEST DES MOINES, Iowa - In a ballroom full of supporters and volunteers, Texas Gov. Rick Perry rallied his troops on this caucus morning as volunteers prepared to spread out across Iowa for that final, extra push. This election is about stopping a president of the United States and his administration that is abusing the Constitution of this country, that is putting America on a track to bankruptcy, and folks, we're going to take America back. That's what this is about," Perry told the crowd as it gave him a standing ovation. It is a powerful moment in America's history, and you are on the front lines. Perry and his wife, Anita, thanked volunteers from Iowa and across the country for devoting their time to promoting the Texas governor. This is about sacrificing. One of the reasons Anita and I wanted to come here this morning is to say thank you. Every man and woman in here is sacrificing your time, your treasure, your reputation, but you're doing it because you love this country. That is what gets us up every day, gives us the courage, the fortitude, the focus to go do what we have done for the last almost six months. It's because we, like you, we love this country," Perry said. Anita Perry, who introduced her husband, teared up as she conveyed her gratitude to the volunteers. "I can hardly stand it when I see all of you, without crying, which you know my children tell me not to do," Anita Perry said as she started to cry. The Texas first lady joked that she had some housekeeping to do as she held up a red folder with Perry stickers plastered across its side, which a volunteer had left behind. I found this packet in the coffee room. Someone left it, and you're supposed to be going to Kingwood, Cardinal, Ollywood, so get your packet! The Perry campaign had signed up between 1,300 to 1,500 precinct leaders across Iowa, and more than 500 volunteers from 32 states traveled to the Hawkeye State in the days before the caucuses. Bob Haus, Perry's Iowa state chairman, said the volunteers had made 50,000 phone calls, including 10,000 on Monday alone, and knocked on more than 1,000 doors. Following a morning training meeting, the volunteers, whom Perry called his A-Team, will spread out across the state after hearing one final word of encouragement from the Texas governor. All of you are the A-Team, and that's what Anita and I wanted to come here today and just say thank you. God bless you. Thank you for loving your country. Thank you for sacrificing what you're sacrificing to be here because this is truly the reflection of America. This is what has made this country great, men and women who were willing sacrifice, give up something, to give back," Perry said. I'm truly the luckiest man in the world, because I was born into this great country with parents who understood the values of faith and family and freedom, and folks we are today starting to put America back on the track of those three principles that will make America great again. God Bless you and thank you for coming and being here. On to victory!

Escapees steal car on test drive Dameon Simpson's mugshot, courtesy of the S.C. Dept. of Corrections. LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga., Jan. 20 (UPI) -- Police in Georgia said two men who failed to return a $6,000 car from a test drive were identified as a pair of escapees from South Carolina. Authorities said Dameon Simpson, 34, and Kyle William Norris, 26, escaped from a pre-release work detail outside Florence, S.C., and the pair stole a sport-utility vehicle and fled to Georgia, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Friday. Investigators said the men went to Swanson Auto Buying Service in Lawrenceville Monday and took a $6,000 car for a test drive. The owner of the dealership, Kent Swanson, said he knew they wouldn't be returning when one of them called 15 minutes later to ask if the vehicle had GPS installed. Officials said Simpson had been due to be released next year from a hit-and-run conviction, and Norris, whose crime was not specified by the Journal-Constitution, was due to be released in only six months.

Fast & Furious just 1 of 4 misguided probes WASHINGTON (AP) - Democrats looking into Operation Fast and Furious say a yearlong investigation has turned up no evidence that the flawed gun smuggling probe was conceived or directed by high-level political appointees at Justice Department headquarters. The probe, the Democrats say, was just one of four such operations that were part of a misguided five-year-long effort, during both the George W. Bush and Obama administrations, in the Phoenix division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives against firearms trafficking along the Southwest border. "Operation Fast and Furious was the latest in a series of fatally flawed operations run by ATF agents in Phoenix and the Arizona U.S. Attorney's Office," the report from Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee says. It is expected to differ sharply with the conclusions of Republicans, who will question Attorney General Eric Holder about Operation Fast and Furious at a hearing Thursday before the committee. Beginning six years ago, according to the Democrats' report, ATF agents in Phoenix devised a strategy to forgo arrests against low-level straw purchasers of guns while attempting to build bigger cases against higher-level traffickers, a risky tactic known as gun-walking. "The committee has obtained no evidence indicating that the attorney general authorized gun-walking or that he was aware of such allegations before they became public," said the Democrats' report, "Fatally Flawed: Five Years of Gunwalking in Arizona." None of the 22 witnesses interviewed by the committee claims to have spoken with the attorney general about the specific tactics employed in Operation Fast and Furious prior to the public controversy. Rather than halting operations after flaws became evident, the ATF's Phoenix division "launched several similarly reckless operations over the course of several years, also with tragic results," the report said. Each investigation involved various incarnations of the same activity: Agents were contemporaneously aware of illegal firearms purchases, they did not typically interdict weapons or arrest straw purchasers, and firearms ended up in the hands of criminals on both sides of the border. Operation Fast and Furious came to light following the December 2010 slaying of U.S. border agent Brian Terry near Nogales, Ariz. Two guns connected to suspects in the Fast and Furious investigation were found at the Terry murder scene. Operation Fast and Furious was the fourth such ATF gun-walking probe, according to the Democrats' report, which was based on documents collected by the committee. The first gun-walking probe, said the report, was Operation Wide Receiver, in which ATF agents, for over a year starting in 2006, watched traffickers buying guns from a gun dealer and driving them across the border into Mexico. According to a memo by William Newell, who was in charge of the Phoenix division at the time, one of the suspects told the gun dealer that the "firearms are going to his boss in Tijuana, Mexico, where some are given out as gifts." ATF officials believed they had sufficient evidence to arrest and charge the suspects, but as one agent said at the time, "we want it all," according to an email between two ATF supervisors in Arizona. A year after Wide Receiver began, ATF initiated attempts to coordinate with Mexican officials. Numerous attempts at cross-border interdiction failed, according to the Democrats' report, with ATF agents expressing concern over the operation. In a 2007 case, ATF agents targeted Fidel Hernandez and several alleged co-conspirators who purchased over 200 firearms and were believed to be transporting them into Mexico. William Hoover, then ATF's assistant director of field operations, temporarily halted operations after being informed of several attempts at coordinating with Mexican law enforcement authorities. The defendants were brought to trial in 2009, but acquitted after prosecutors were unable to obtain the cooperation of the Mexican law enforcement officials who had recovered firearms purchased by Hernandez. In a 2008 case, ATF agents in Phoenix focused for a year on a network of illicit gun buyers who were purchasing weapons from the same gun dealer who had cooperated in Operation Wide Receiver. Members of the network, led by Alejandro Medrano, were eventually sentenced to multiyear prison terms for trafficking more than 100 firearms to a Mexican drug cartel. In Operation Fast and Furious, ATF agents in Phoenix late in 2009 identified a network of more than 20 straw purchasers believed to be trafficking military-grade assault weapons to Mexican drug cartels. Agents tried to build a case with wiretaps. They made no arrests and made few intercepts of weapons. ATF Deputy Director William Hoover became concerned about the number of firearms involved in the case and ordered a strategy for the investigation to be brought to an end. Newell in Phoenix expressed frustration with ATF headquarters in Washington and "the operation continued to grow and expand rather than wind down over the months to follow," the Democrats' report said.

Secret Snake Hides in African Forests This snake is called Matilda's horned viper. The Wildlife Conservation Society says it is a newly-found species that lives only in remote parts of Tanzania. Biologists say they are keeping the exact location of the new species a secret, since it could be of interest to illegal pet collectors. Tim Davenport/WCS

Catholic Church vs. Obama in Election Year Showdown Image Credit: Charles Dharapak/AP Photo The most recent showdown between Roman Catholic Church leaders and the Obama administration over contraceptive services threatens to alienate the president's liberal religious supporters at a time when discontent with Washington is surging. In letters read to parishioners Sunday, Catholic Church leaders across the country openly denounced the administration's recent decision mandating faith-based hospitals, charities and schools to provide birth control and reproductive services in health insurance plans. The Catholic Church had lobbied against the new requirement, which will go into effect January 2013. The wording in the letters, penned by individual clergy, varied widely but the theme was distinctly anti-Washington. Bishop Alexander K. Sample of Marquette, Mich., for example, accused the administration of casting aside the First Amendment, "denying to Catholics our nation's first and most fundamental freedom, that of religious liberty" and treating people of faith as second-class citizens. Others threatened to not comply with the new rule, which provides exemption to churches and "religious employers." The mandate is particularly worrisome to supporters of President Obama, who had coalesced behind him despite his liberal views on abortion and reproductive rights. "This has hurt the case that some Catholics have made that voting for Obama in some ways is a vote for Catholic social teaching," said Mathew N. Schmalz, a professor of religion and comparative studies at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reportedly based its decision on an Institute of Medicine study, which concluded that birth control is medically necessary to "ensure women's health and well being." The independent, nonprofit organization recommended in a July report that contraception, sterilization and reproductive services, including the controversial "morning-after" pill, should be available to all women under health insurance plans, echoing similar recommendations by other medical organizations such as the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Public Health Association. Among Catholics, birth control is relatively popular and most are against Church leaders" intervening in that decision. Ninety-five percent of Catholic women used contraceptives, per a report by the Catholic University of America. Eighty-five percent of all Catholics support expanding access to birth control for women who cannot afford it, higher than the 82 percent of the general population who favors this, according to a survey by the Public Religion Research Institute in Washington, D.C. "Rank-and-file Catholics also have some reservation about how prominently they want the bishops to be involved in politics," said Robert P. Jones, chief executive and founder of the institute, which found that more than half of Catholics are against their religious leaders" pressuring politicians. There's some possibility that some Catholics could perceive this as overreaching. At the same time, some Catholics also feel the same way about the federal government and that it is stepping on religious liberties. "For a majority of Catholics who don't necessarily follow Church teaching in this area, its significance is more symbolic in the sense that the broader issue is not just, say, contraception or providing health case for contraception, but creating a space within civil society for the expression of religion conscience," professor Schmalz said. Religious groups, particularly Catholics, have had a mixed relationship with the president. Obama, who had Joe Biden, a Catholic, as his running mate, won a majority of the Catholic vote in 2008, thanks to support from Hispanics. Seventy-one percent of Catholics of color voted for the senator from Illinois, according to an analysis of exit poll data by Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life. But he lost among white Catholics with only 47 percent support, becoming the first candidate since 1976 to lose white Catholics but win the presidency. Democrats courted the religious bloc, including Catholics, heavily in 2008. Candidate Obama spoke openly and candidly about his faith, often linking to his views on issues such as executive pay. But even then, religious groups were wary of Obama because of his abortion-rights stance. The most recent showdown isn't the first for this administration. The administration took much heat in December for rejecting the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops" request for a grant to help victims of sex trafficking, because it doesn't provide full gynecological services such as family planning, contraception and abortion. The conference, which got the second-highest rating from an independent review panel, received the same five-year grant in 2006. It's too soon to tell how the recent kerfuffles will come to play in November but, religious experts say, it doesn't bode well for Obama. Even if he keeps his liberal base, he will have a hard time reaching out to the group at large. "I don't think Catholic liberals are en masse going to leave Obama but they are disappointed," Schmalz said. High-profile Catholics who have supported Obama are put in a more difficult position because of this.

"Vespers of 1640" at Church of St. Jean Baptiste The soprano Jolle Greenleaf and the violinist Scott Metcalfe may not have fully realized that they were on to something big when they started the Green Mountain Project, an outgrowth of Ms. Greenleaf's superb vocal ensemble, Tenet. The idea was to assemble the proper forces for Monteverdi's Vespers of the Blessed Virgin - a collection of sacred works published in 1610 - and to ring in 2010 with a performance celebrating the 400th anniversary of the work. The concert proved a resounding success, and Ms. Greenleaf (the group's artistic director) and Mr. Metcalfe (its music director) reconvened their forces at the start of 2011 and attracted a huge audience. Ruby Washington/The New York Times Vespers of 1640 The program, by the Green Mountain Project on Tuesday evening, was performed at the Church of St. Jean Baptiste. The tenor Zachary Wilder, accompanied by Hank Heijink playing the theorbo. They could easily have made it an annual outing, a New Year's counterpart to the Christmas season's "Messiah" performances. But this year they upped the ante by posing a question that seems simple after the fact but is actually the kind of inventive leap that gives rise to great programming ideas. What, they wondered, would a Monteverdi Vespers service have sounded like in 1640 - the year he published "Selva Morale e Spirituale," a sublime compilation of sacred works that includes a Mass, two Magnificats and several Psalm settings? The ensemble offered a consistently satisfying answer on Tuesday evening at the Church of St. Jean Baptiste, as part of Trinity Church's "Twelfth Night" Festival. As it had done with its performance of the 1610 Vespers, the group settled on a particular occasion - the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (celebrated on Dec. 8) - and selected the proper antiphons, to be chanted throughout the service. As a dramatic touch, a quintet performed the antiphons from positions all around the church, eventually joining the rest of the singers for the closing section, the antiphon "Conceptio tua, Dei Genitrix Virgo" and a 14-voice Magnificat by Giovanni Gabrieli. Did I say Gabrieli? As it turned out, the Green Mountain solution requires an asterisk, but only if you cling to the modern notion of a musical work having a single composer. That was not necessarily an issue in the more practical world of church music. In any case, building a second all-Monteverdi Vespers service proved impossible. Though he composed ample sacred music in his capacity as maestro di cappella at the Basilica San Marco, in Venice, he never published another complete Vespers. The Psalms from "Selva Morale" are a start. Other collections published between 1618 and 1650, along with a "Laudate Pueri" that survives only in manuscript and an "Ave Maris Stella," borrowed from the 1610 sequence, filled most of the gaps. Still, a few necessary movements remained elusive, and Ms. Greenleaf and Mr. Metcalfe filled the gaps with a motet, a Magnificat and a pair of instrumental works by Gabrieli, and a rich, contrapuntal setting of "Domine ad Adiuvandum" by Chiara Margarita Cozzolani, a singer, composer and Benedictine nun. The ensemble of nine voices (with the antiphon singers when larger forces were required), three violins, two cornettos, five sackbuts and continuo (a chamber organ and two theorbos) was split into two groups, deployed on either side of the organ to approximate the spatial effects for which San Marco and its composers were known. The singers and players produced a glorious, smoothly blended, beautifully textured sound. At first pulling this project out of the shadow of the 1610 Vespers seemed a steep challenge. After all, it is hard to match the vibrant opening of the earlier set, a reconfigured version of the Toccata from "L'Orfeo," overlaid with a choral setting of "Domine Ad Adiuvandum." But in an inspired move the ensemble drafted one of Gabrieli's best-known works, the antiphonal Canzon Septimi Toni, as a prelude. You quickly gave up comparing the two Vespers and accepted the update. Highlights were plentiful. In a supple rendering of "O Quam Pulchra Es" the tenor Zachary Wilder often seemed to be tailoring his phrasing to take advantage of the church's vibrant acoustics, and Sumner Thompson matched the passion of Mr. Wilder's performance in a strong account of "Salve O Regina." Ms. Greenleaf and Molly Quinn played off each other beautifully in the soprano duets, "Sancta Maria, Succurre Miseris" and in "Laetatus Sum," in which they were joined by a male trio - Jason McStoots and Marc Molomot, tenors, and Jesse Blumberg, baritone - that projected the text with power, clarity and warmth. But the real joys were in the choral pieces, most notably in the cascading counterpoint of the "Dixit Dominus" and the exquisite, painterly setting of "Nisi Dominus," with its alternation of brisk, rhythmic writing on the word "surgite" ("rise") and slow, descending, dissonances on the phrase "Qui manducatis panem doloris" ("You who eat the bread of sorrow"). And if you spent the evening wondering why the ensemble had not chosen a Monteverdi Magnificat to close on, the intricacy and sheer beauty of the Gabrieli setting answered that question decisively.

Two Md. home invasions linked to suspect who assaulted woman in one incident A robbery about 7 p.m. Wednesday on Western and Chevy Chase Circle follows that pattern, authorities said. Samantha Nolan of the Chevy Chase neighborhood in the District said the brazenness of the robberies is "very disconcerting." Doing three stickups within minutes and then returning to the same neighborhood is "very bold" and suggests that the robbers don't have much fear, she said. The robberies come as a housekeeper was sexually assaulted and a mother and teenage son were tied up during a home invasion in Bethesda Wednesday morning. Montgomery County police say the incident involves the same man who committed a Tuesday home invasion in Wheaton. Police linked those incidents Wednesday afternoon, but say they are unrelated to the robberies. Before Wednesday night, the most recent related robbery occurred on Tuesday about 9:20 p.m., when a woman walking in the 4100 block of Livingston Street NW was robbed at gunpoint of her purse and cellphone, D.C. police said. The woman told police she noticed a man hiding in the tree line on the south side of the street. When she tried to cross to avoid him, she told police, the suspect ran to her and robbed her. The robberies are not like the crimes that targeted iPhones and cellphones last year, police said. The suspects in the recent events usually show guns and have taken purses, briefcases and wallets, police said, "We can't say definitely these are all the same suspects because no one has been caught, but there are enough similarities that we are looking on them as linked," said Cmdr. George Kucik, head of the D.C. police criminal investigations division. Capt. David Falcinelli, commander of the Bethesda district for Montgomery County, said two robberies on Nov. 22 and Dec. 26 near the Bethesda border with the District also are believed to be part of the pattern. Police are looking at links with at least three other robberies. The Livingston Street robbery comes after three similar stickups within 30 minutes of one another early Sunday evening in Cleveland Park and Friendship Heights. D.C. police say theythink another four since Dec. 10 also share similar characteristics. The robbers generally have hit between 6 and 11 p.m, police said. They have usually approached people who are walking alone or getting out of their cars. But there have been incidents in which two people were robbed together. Victims often have been taken by surprise and sometimes were approached from behind, making descriptions of suspects difficult. "This probably doesn't take more than 30 seconds," Kucik said.

Magnitude 7.0 quake hits offshore Japan TOKYO (AP) - A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.0 earthquake hit off the shores of Japan's southern Pacific island. The Meteorological Agency says the offshore quake Sunday struck about 230 miles below the sea surface. The agency said there was no danger of a tsunami. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. Northeastern Japan was devastated by a massive earthquake and tsunami on March 11 that left nearly 20,000 people dead or missing. Japan, which lies along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," is one of the world's most seismically active countries.

Power 105.5/The King Builds Citadel in Metro Albany, GA ATLANTA and ALBANY, Ga., Jan. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Light Media (OTC Markets: LGMH), Inspirational Media Specialist, announced today that Arbitron has released its Fall 2011 radio rankings (October through December 2011) for the Metro Albany, GA radio market. Arbitron ratings confirm that: (Power 105.5/The King - WZBN-FM, www.Power105TheKing.com), in less than 6 months time, has established a stronghold in Metro Albany, GA via securing positioning as a Top 10 radio station for the Fall 2011 ratings period by effectively deploying the first ever terrestrial radio inspirational urban ac format (eclectic mix of 24/7 Holy Hip Hop and Contemporary Gospel). 3 Key Arbitron Metrics for Power 105.5/The King are: (a) Station Rank: Tied for #9 position; (b) Strength in 18-34 and 25-54 age brackets: (mid-day, afternoon and evening hours); (c) Total Listening time: 7 hours (listeners of Power 105.5 FM are staying locked in and listening to the station for relatively long periods of time). To be able to virtually parachute into occupied territory ruled by two of the largest media giants on the planet, capture market-share (with a new format never heard before on terrestrial radio 24/7) and build a citadel (in 6 months time), is no small feat; and since Power 105.5/The King is free and clear and not enslaved by the bondage of debt, all adversaries, naysayers and non-believers can rest assured that this struggle for radio airwaves supremacy in Metro Albany, GA will wage on from block-to-block, city-to-city and county-to-county for 1,000 years. To Arbitron, thank you for providing an invaluable and proprietary consumer data toolset that enables all broadcasters (regardless of size or demographic) to analyze key metrics, strategize and deploy action plans real-time, via critical market intelligence insight. To all stakeholders and to all listeners, strategic partners, the community and friends, thank you for standing with Power 105.5/The King - WZBN-FM (www.Power105TheKing.com), as Your #1 Station For Inspiration, and for your powerful messages of appreciation of small beginnings and unparalleled support," said Danny Wilson, CEO, Light Media. Zec. Sample Community Feedback - Power 105.5/The King: Name: Sherry Note:Glory to God for the way is making for His Word to be heard and he will be Glorified!!!! congrats Name: Jermaine Note:This is TRULY a blessing from the Lord! Hopefully this will be the start of something great and continue to grow all across the country. Name: Pastor Willie Note: in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ from whomall blessings flow. I am so excited about the new Power 105.5 The King that will power the air waves with the sounds to uplift your spirit.Yours In Christ, Willie Name: danny Note:Listening to you in Thomasville GA this morning. Thanks for this music ministry. Name: Bacon Note: Just got The King in Albany, Ga and am in love already. How can I be a part of the mission here. Please send me some info. Thanks. Name: Cedrick Note:I think this radio station is an awesome move for "THE KINGDOM OF GOD"!!!!! Name: Jill Note:i think you guys are doing a wonderful job!! Name: Samuel Note:Hi. I am so glad that you brought this station to Albany ga. I am an avid listener. About Power 105.5/The King: Power 105.5/The King is located in Albany, GA, as SW Georgia's #1 Station for Inspiration. According to the United States Census Bureau, the Albany, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) ranked #234 in the U.S. Metro Albany, GA encompasses a 16-county radius and 320,000 residents, in SW Georgia, serving as the gateway to Alabama and NW Florida. Light Media PR E: [email protected] SOURCE Light Media Holdings, Inc.

AC Milan near decision over Carlos Tevez AC Milan will make a final decision regarding the signing of Manchester City forward Carlos Tevez tomorrow, according to club vice-president Adriano Galliani. The Italian champions are hoping to land the Argentina international but have yet to reach an agreement with City regarding the transfer fee. City warned the Rossoneri they would not release Tevez on loan and that they would only accept offers of at least 30million euros. "We will make a definite decision on Friday," Galliani said to Gazzetta dello Sport. Should Milan fail in their pursuit of Tevez, the Rossoneri have already agreed terms with Catania to acquire forward Maxi Lopez instead. Lopez has been in Milan since Monday hoping to complete his permanent transfer to the Rossoneri club. Will Maxi Lopez join as well? Who knows," Galliani said. I will just confirm that if he doesn't arrive, then we will sign Tevez, but they are two alternative options. Lopez's agent is nevertheless confident his client will join Milan. "Opportunities to join a club like Milan don't come often in a career," Lopez's agent Andrea D'Amico said. They have told us to wait a little bit longer with respect to the 48 hours that had been agreed. Milan still has to resolve this situation but we trust Galliani. I don't know when but I know Lopez will be a Rossonero player.

Rafael Nadal says Andy Murray can be world number one

Ocado set for price war with Tesco However, Mr Steiner, one of the company's co-founders, is believed to be set to tap into the growing trend of customers searching for grocery bargains online. As a second flank, he is also expected to use the company's results to demonstrate its decreasing reliance on Waitrose - its original supermarket partner. A number of analysts have pinpointed Ocado's reliance on Waitrose as a reason not to support the shares historically. At flotation, as much as 75pc of items sold came from the John Lewis Partnership-owned grocer. But Tuesday's presentation is likely to focus on that number having decreased to 40pc of total sales, with just 20pc of Ocado's range now coming from Waitrose. Part of the reason behind this is due to the increased demand for Waitrose's own-label products, which are now understood to account for approximately 13pc of its total own-label sales. For the year to November 2011, consensus forecasts predict total sales for Ocado in the region of £600m, up from £551m in 2010.

Euro zone minister reject private bondholders' Greece By Jan Strupczewski and Andreas Rinke BRUSSELS/BERLIN (Reuters) - Euro zone finance ministers Monday rejected as insufficient an offer made by private bondholders to help restructure Greece's debts, sending negotiators back to the drawing board and raising the threat of Greek default. At a meeting in Brussels, ministers said they could not accept bondholders' demands for a coupon of four percent on new, longer-dated bonds that are expected be issued in exchange for their existing Greek holdings. Banks and other private institutions represented by the Institute of International Finance (IIF) say a 4.0 percent coupon is the least they can accept if they are going to write down the nominal value of the debt they hold by 50 percent. Greece says it is not prepared to pay a coupon of more than 3.5 percent, and euro zone finance ministers effectively backed the Greek government's position at Monday's meeting, a position that the International Monetary Fund also supports. Jean-Claude Juncker, the chairman of the Eurogroup countries, said Greece needed to pursue a deal with private bondholders where the interest rate on the replacement bonds was "clearly" below 4.0 percent, stating: Ministers asked their Greek colleagues to pursue negotiations to bring the interest rates on the new bonds to below 4 percent for the total period, which implies the interest comes down to well below 3.5 percent before 2020. The aim of the restructuring is to reduce Greece's debts by around 100 billion euros ($129 billion), cutting them from 160 percent of GDP to 120 percent by 2020, a level EU and IMF officials think will be more manageable for the growth-less Greek economy. But with Greece off-track in its efforts to get its budget deficit in shape, the 2020 goal looks a long shot at best. The disagreement increases the risk that it will prove impossible to strike a voluntary restructuring deal between Greece's creditors and the Greek government - an outcome that would have severe repercussions for financial markets. Negotiations over what's called 'private sector involvement' (PSI) have been going on for nearly seven months without a concrete breakthrough. Failure to reach a deal by March, when Athens must repay 14.5 billion euros of maturing debt, could result in a disorderly default. Despite the disagreement, Olli Rehn, the European commissioner in charge of economic and monetary affairs, said he expected a deal on PSI to be struck "within days." As well as assessing Greece's debt restructuring, euro zone ministers discussed efforts to enforce stricter budget rules for EU states via a "fiscal compact," and steps to finalize the structure of a permanent euro zone bailout fund, the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), which is due to operate from July. The ESM will have an effective lending capacity of 500 billion euros and replace the European Financial Stability Facility, a temporary fund that has so far been used to bail out Ireland and Portugal and which will be used to provide part of a second, 130 billion euro package for Greece. Germany has insisted that once the ESM is up and running, the combined potential outlay of the EFSF and ESM should not exceed 500 billion euros. Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti and IMF chief Christine Lagarde have said the ceiling should be raised, possibly up to 1 trillion euros, so it has more than enough capacity to handle any problems in major economies such as Spain or Italy. The Financial Times reported Monday that German Chancellor Angela Merkel was ready to see the ceiling of the combined firewall raised to 750 billion euros in exchange for agreement on tighter euro zone budget rules, but the report was immediately denied by her chief spokesman. It is not true. There is no such decision," Steffen Seibert told Reuters. Monti told reporters after Monday's meeting that no conclusions had been reached on the ESM, which all 17 euro zone countries must back in a new treaty. Officials said the details would have to be finalized by an EU summit on January 30. It was a similar situation for the "fiscal compact," which also involves a new treaty and which EU leaders are expected to agree at the summit next week. "We have had an extremely constructive meeting on the fiscal compact and this text is a good basis for the discussions for the heads of government at the end of the month," said Juncker, sidestepping concerns about the text raised by the European Central Bank. Despite the continued deep differences, Greece and its private creditors do appear to be slowly converging on a deal in which private bondholders would take a real loss of 65 to 70 percent on their Greek bonds - giving a nominal reduction of 50 percent - officials close to the negotiations say. Sources close to the talks told Reuters Monday that the impasse centered on questions of whether the deal would return Greece's debt mountain, currently over 350 billion euros, to levels that European governments believe are sustainable. "There will likely be an updated debt sustainability analysis that will be discussed at the Eurogroup," a banking source in Athens said, requesting anonymity. Talks will continue this week. The aim is to have an agreement by late next Monday. Speaking in Berlin, Lagarde called on European leaders to complement the "fiscal compact" they agreed last month with some form of financial risk-sharing, mentioning euro zone bonds or bills, or a debt redemption fund as possible options. Merkel told a news conference it was not the time to debate an increase in the euro zone's bailout funds. "I don't think it is right to do one new thing then do another, let's get the ESM working," Merkel said, reiterating that Germany was prepared to accelerate the flow of capital into the ESM ahead of its planned introduction in mid-2012. Additional reporting by Stephen Brown and Alexandra Hudson in Berlin, Leigh Thomas in Paris, Lefteris Papadimas and Ingrid Melander in Athens; Writing by Noah Barkin and Luke Baker, editing by Mike Peacock/Jeremy Gaunt/Rex Merrifield

Renewable energy deals hit record high in 2011: report LONDON (Reuters) - Global renewable energy deals climbed 40 percent to a record high of $53.5 billion last year from $38.2 billion in 2010, as solar, wind and energy efficiency overtook hydropower as the main deal drivers for the first time, a report said on Monday. Historically, hydro power has dominated renewables deal flow, but deals worth $1 billion or more in wind, solar, biomass and energy efficiency have outnumbered hydro by seven to one, the PriceWaterHouse Coopers report said. The renewables market is maturing, fuelling more consolidation, and a rethink of the role of nuclear in many countries after the Japanese nuclear crisis last year provided an extra boost to renewables generation in certain markets. "Sustained high deal numbers and record total value reflect a maturing of the sector," said Paul Nillesen, PwC renewables partner. The trend is all the more noteworthy given the uncertainty in the market and in government policies on renewables. We believe that deal flow will continue to be significant in the medium term. Global clean energy investment hit a record $260 billion in 2011, which was mainly driven by a solar boom, a Bloomberg New Energy Finance report showed. But renewable energy, excluding hydropower, will account for just 5 percent of the world's total energy production by 2030, according to BP estimates. Solar and energy efficiency deals accounted for 79 percent of the $15.3 billion rise in the total value of renewables deals. One in three deals last year was solar and the overall deal value for the solar sector was up 56 percent to $15.8 billion from $10.2 billion in 2010. Falling solar prices are making solar power more economic and closer to grid parity in some markets. The entry of pension and insurance funds, most notably a $1.1 billion investment by Danish pension insurance groups in a 50 percent stake in Dong Energy's Anholt offshore wind project, shows the renewables market is maturing and secondary markets have been created, with assets sold for a second or third time. But the renewables sector could face a tough 2012. U.S. and European manufacturers will be under increasing cost pressures and some Chinese manufacturers will also face heavy debt and feel competitive strain, PwC said. Significant overcapacity in China could result in a succession of tie-ups within and between the main manufacturing territories of the United States, Germany and China, leading to a smaller number of big global players. As well as a smaller number of global players in the solar market, PwC expects consolidation among larger players in the wind power sector. Recent profit warnings from Danish company Vestas are the most high profile example of the challenges facing some wind power companies. Continued uncertainty about the eurozone economy will make the deal environment much more difficult for 2012. A deeper crisis would dampen deal flow further, but Nillesen said market uncertainty might not block the biggest deals. "The potential for further destabilization domestically, or at an inter-governmental level cannot be ruled out, but if a deal is highly strategic, and mission critical, then parties will still feel it is worth doing on the right terms," he said. Editing by Keiron Henderson and Alison Birrane

Signs of Hope on Jobs, and Some Caveats With as dismal a run as we've had in the economy over the last few years, it's tempting to start looking for the glass to be half full. After a traumatic late summer and fall, the economy showed some signs it was sputtering back with holiday sales strength and three months of steady - if uninspiring - job growth. Hopes are rising for signs of accelerating job creation in Friday's Labor Department report, following a decline in the four-week average of new unemployment claims and a strikingly robust report of job growth from ADP, the payroll service. ADP said on Thursday that the private sector added 325,000 jobs in December, the strongest increase in a year. Without trying to knock the glass over, we have to point out that many economists consider the ADP numbers less than predictive. "Its track record is spotty (and that characterization is being polite)," Tom Porcelli, senior United States economist at RBC Capital Markets in New York, wrote in a research note." ADP often revises its numbers, and historically, December's numbers have been subject to fairly wide swings. Government forecasts, of course, can change as well, so perhaps Friday's number will come with a dollop of salt, too. That said, there's another reason to be less than ecstatic about the jobs that are being created. As my colleague Floyd Norris has pointed out, manufacturing has actually been a standout, generating a net gain of 302,000 jobs - or about 13 percent of the total - since American employment hit its recent low in February 2010. But about a third of all jobs created in that period have been in relatively low-paying sectors like retail, leisure and hospitality, and home health care. And temporary help services account for 356,900 jobs - about 15 percent of all new jobs added since the trough. Another number that has some economists dispirited is the number of people who are working part time because they cannot secure a full-time position. That number has remained stubbornly high. In November, it was 8.5 million, more than double what it was before the recession. "A lot of firms have learned to hire and find people who are willing to work part time," said John Silvia, chief economist at Wells Fargo. And he said that this is "not simply a short-term temporary thing, but it's become much more permanent."

Politics Live blog: Ed Miliband's speech on Scotland staying in UK 11.40am: Another question to Miliband. Q: Do you agree with Cameron that "devo max" would lead to separatism? Miliband says that, unlike Cameron, he really believes in devolution. But he also says that it is important not to confuse devolution with separatism. Johann Lamont, Labour's leader in Scotland, says she has never accepted that Scotland faces a choice between separatism and the status quo. She has never been in favour of the status quo, she says. She also says that it would take a lot to persuade her that it would be a good idea to have "tax competition" in the UK. 11.38am: A question from the Scotsman. Q: Given that you are backing elements of the benefits cap, will you be attacked from the left by the SNP? Miliband says there is always a danger of being attacked in politics. But the important thing is do to the right thing. Labour is in favour of regional benefit caps. But it is also important to take on private landlords. Private landlords have been charging exorbitant rents, he says. 11.35am: A question from a non-journalist. Q: Is there any economic data about what might happen to Scotland post-indendence? Lamont says the question illustrates why the issue is so importance. When people pose questions like this, they are accused of "talking down Scotland." 11.32am: A question from the Scottish Daily Mail. Q: Do you accept that the referendum will be in autumn 2014? Miliband says that must be decided in Scotland. He means it should be decided by the people of Scotland. When Alex Salmond says this must be decided in Scotland, he means decided by him. Johann Lamont says she does not see why there has to be a delay. She doesn't understand why Salmond wants to put it off if it is so important. There is a "frustration" that Scotland is being asked to wait another 1,000 days. My own view is that we should be having a decision soon rather than later. 11.25am: More questions to Miliband. Q: What do you think of the question proposed by Alex Salmond? Johann Lamont, Labour's leader in Scotland, says there is some evidence saying that if the question asks "Do you want Scotland to be an independent country?" (as Salmond proposes), then it encourages a certain response. She says she thinks someone independent needs to assess whether the question is fair. Miliband says the Electoral Commission should ensure that the question is fair. 11.22am: Sky and BBC News are no longer covering Miliband's Q&A, but there's live footage on the BBC's news website. Miliband says he thinks people who are prosperous in Glasgow care about poverty in London, and people who are prosperous in London care about poverty in Glagow. 11.20am: The speech is over. Miliband is now taking questions. Q: Would you share a platform with David Cameron in a campaign against indendence? Miliband says the issue of platforms "is an issue for later." But he says his vision of Britain is very different from Cameron's. He is going to go toe-to-toe against Salmond. 11.18am: Miliband says people in the UK have shared values. Nearly half of all Scots have English relatives. When a Scotsman who works in the shipyards of Govan meets an Englishman who works on the docks in Merseyside, he doesn't see a foreigner, he sees a fellow countryman. The pensioner from Aberdeen or Ayr has more in common with the pensioner in Bristol or Bolton than with a pensioner in France or Belgium. When the Olympics are on next year, nobody in the pubs in Newcastle will cheer any less loudly for Chris Hoy, wearing the Union flag, just because he was born in Edinburgh. Oops. I think he meant this year. 11.16am: Miliband says climate change also illustrates the importance of the UK nations working together. Every nation is now making efforts to tackle this but separation creates the danger that we compete on where companies should go to be able to produce more carbon. We should tackle climate change together. 11.13am: Miliband says building responsible capitalism is "the true project for social justice in our United Kingdom." Scotland and the rest of the UK do not have separate economies, he says. We are one economy. The banks serving Glasgow are the same as the ones serving Gloucester. The shops on your high street are the same as the shops on my high street. And decisions made by British companies like BAE will affect their employees in Govan as much as their employees in Barrow. We can make our economy work for the majority. We can make capitalism more responsible. But I tell you this: We can only do it together. He says more people in Scotland are employed by large companies based in the rest of the UK than in Scotland. So reform in one country and not in another would simply mean companies moving a few miles north or south to where rules are easiest for them. Rather than advancing fairness together, the risk is a race to the bottom on bank regulation, on wages, and conditions at work. 11.12am: Miliband says achievements like the Equal Pay Act and the minimum wage "do not belong to one nation of the UK," he says. They are British achievements. 11.09am: Miliband says Labour's story, and Britain's story, is about what people have achieved together. The story of the Scotsman, the Englishman, and the Welshman is not just the start of a good joke. It is the history of social justice in this country. It was a Scotsman, Keir Hardie, who founded the Labour party a hundred and twelve years ago. An Englishman, Clement Attlee, who led the most successful Labour government in history. And a Welshman, Nye Bevan, who pioneered that Government's greatest legacy, our National Health Service. 11.07am: Miliband says he does not want Scotland to stay in the UK because he thinks it is too weak to flourish on its own. I support Scotland as part of the United Kingdom, not because I think Scotland is too poor or too weak to break away. But for a profoundly different reason: Because I believe that Scotland as part of the United Kingdom is better for the working people of Scotland, and better for the working people of the United Kingdom as a whole. The real divide in the UK is not between Scotland and England, he says. I say let's confront the real divide in Britain. Not between Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom. But between the haves and the have-nots. 11.05am: Miliband says the people of Scotland should decide the timing of the referendum. But they should decide on the basis of "one clear question," he says. When the nationalists talk about the referendum process, they do so because they want to avoid a debate about the substance, he says. 11.02am: Miliband says he comes to Scotland with "humility" because of Labour's performance in the Scottish elections last year. The SNP will ask what right Miliband, as a non-Scot, has to get involved in this debate, he says. But he wants to take this argument head-on. His father came to Britain as a refugee, he says. He fought in the Navy and served off the Forth of Firth. He did not come to England; he came to Britain, Miliband says. If Scotland separates, all people living in the four nations of the UK will be affected, Miliband says. 11.01am: Miliband says the RBC fiasco raises wider questions about the need to create a more responsible capitalism. One lesson stands out - we stand or fall by our ability to work together. And that is why he is making the case for Scotland to stay in the UK, he says. 10.59am: Ed Miliband is speaking now. He starts with some comments on executive pay. He renews his call for workers to sit on remuneration committees. And he says executive pay should be simplified. There should be one salary, one bonus, he says, rather than complicated remuneration packages. 10.54am: Ed Miliband (left) is about to give his speech in Glasgow on the progressive case for Scotland remaining in the UK. It is his response to Alex Salmond's Hugh Young lecture last week. Salmond said progressives should support Scottish independence, because "an independent Scotland could be a beacon for progressive opinion south of the border." Here's our preview of Miliband's speech. As for the rest of the papers, for some reaason the Telegraph is particularly interesting today. Here are three articles worth noting. James Kirkup in the Daily Telegraph says General Sir Peter Wall, the head of the army, has said that cuts are leaving soldiers unsettled and frustrated. General Sir Peter Wall, the Chief of the General Staff, said redundancies were starting to bite and also raised concerns that the quality of military accommodation was "not up to standard." Cuts to pensions remains "one of the greatest concerns" in the Army, he added. His intervention will raise questions about whether defence cuts are undermining morale in the Armed Forces. James Kirkup in the Daily Telegraph on what the Tories are doing to improve their appeal to women. In Downing Street, private polling has identified two distinct groups of women with their own particular concerns about the Coalition. The first is older women in the AB - ie better-off - social class, women who worry about the government's "values." It is to these women that recent prime ministerial pronouncements on issues like adoption and forced marriage have been aimed. This week, the Prime Minister will speak to them again with new promises to curb the seemingly relentless sexualisation of children through marketing and the media ... Among them is the other group of women bothering No 10: younger members of the C2 social class, more likely to have young children and more likely to worry about household budgets. Ministers have been advised to try to persuade them that without the Coalition's cuts, their children will be saddled with this generation's debts. The coalition is also desperate to persuade them that the recent squeeze on living standards is caused by frozen wages and high energy prices, and not "the cuts." Louise Armitstead in the Daily Telegraph says the Centre for Policy Studies is calling for corporation tax to be halved. The Centre for Policy Studies says the tax cut is the "only source of a viable economic recovery" since households and individuals are "too indebted to expect consumers to lead a rescue of the economy." Companies have spare cash, which could be directed towards infrastructure and other projects, but "also need the confidence to invest." Tim Knox, director of the Centre for Policy Studies, said: "Profitable businesses are the only source of a viable economic recovery, the Chancellor should reduce the rate of corporation tax in the 2012 Budget - and also announce his intention to reduce it even further to 15 per cent or even 10 per cent once the appropriate anti-evasion measures are in place." Photograph: Spencer Murphy for the Guardian 10.32am: Ken Livingstone (left) has announced today that, if he wins the mayoral election, he will cut fares by 7% for Londoners on Sunday 7 October. He has also said that he will resign if he breaks this promise. Politics should be about making a difference, and just as I cut fares before, I will cut them now because the tough times we're going through demand a fairer fares policy. If I am elected in a few short months there will be real change for the better. There could not be a clearer choice. Boris Johnson raised your fares for the fourth time this January, but on October 7th 2012 I will cut them, saving the average Londoner £1000 over four years. By setting the date for the fares cut I'm showing that politics is about change and about doing something real for the majority, not just a privileged few. My commitment to carrying out this cut is such that I give my word that if I do not cut the fares on or by October 7th I will resign the office of Mayor immediately and cause a by-election. There is considerable scepticism about whether Livingstone can cut fares by 7% without damaging Transport for London's investment plans. I spoke to Livingstone about this, and much else, in an interview with him last week which we've just posted on our website this morning. 10.14am: The Association of Teachers and Lecturers has announced that it is accepting the government's proposed public sector pension reforms. The ATL, which represents 160,000 teachers, said the move followed the results of a poll of members in which 91.6% of respondents voted in favour of the plans. This is from the ATL president Alice Robinson. ATL members are realists. They recognise how tough times are and that the government is determined not to give any further ground. Although the government's final offer does not give us everything we wanted, it is the best deal we could get in the current economic climate. And members do not want a significantly worse deal imposed on them if they rejected this one. 10.08am: Theresa May, the home secretary, is delivering her speech now. She said that she is accepting all the recommendations of the independent tribunal looking at the Tom Winsor proposals for the reform of police pay and that the new system would eventually save the taxpayer £150m a year. I'll post more on this when I've had a chance to read the full details. 9.59am: Douglas Alexander (left), the shadow foreign secretary, says William Hague's Today interview this morning (see 9.33am) amounts to an admission that David Cameron's "veto" at the December EU summit was pointless. William Hague has been forced to admit this morning that the deal on the table today does not include any direct requirements of the UK, making David Cameron's decision to walk away from the negotiations last month even less understandable. The prime minister should be putting the national interest ahead of his party interest - by leading for Britain. Instead he's being dictated to by his backbenchers, warned by his Welfare Secretary and followed around by an aide to Nick Clegg. Sadly David Cameron's decision to walk away from the table before the negotiations had even started has made it harder for him to push for a solution to the eurozone's problems and get a deal that boost jobs and growth in Britain. The reference to Cameron being "followed around by an aide to Nick Clegg" refers to this story from the House magazine about a member of Clegg's staff accopanying Cameron to today's EU summit. 9.51am: Here's Unite's national officer David Fleming on Stephen Hester's decision not to take his £1m bonus. Better late then never will be the feeling amongst the call centre, bank branch and processing staff at RBS that Stephen Hester has finally bowed to public pressure to waive his nearly £1 million bonus. This gesture goes some way in acknowledging the hypocrisy of an organisation which has sacked over 21,000 staff, while still attempting to pay bumper bonuses to the bosses. As Unite demanded at the time the bonus was announced, it was right for common sense to prevail and this massive bonus to be waived. There remains a long way for RBS to go in proving its credentials as a responsible organisation, to its customers and also to its thousands of staff. 9.33am: William Hague (left) was actually invited on to the Today programme to talk about today's informal EU summit, not Stephen Hester's bonus. At the weekend it emerged that David Cameron had abandoned his attempt to stop the eurozone countries from using common EU institutions, like the European court of justice, to police their new fiscal union. Hague told the Today programme that, although Britain would not stop the eurozone countries using the EU institutions, the government still had some reservations on this score. This group cannot cut across the EU treaties ... If the use of the EU treaties at any point threatens Britain's fundamental rights under the EU treaties, or damages our vital interests such as the single market, then we would have to take action about that, including legal action. So we will reserve our position on the specific question about the use of the court. We are not signing a treaty that permits that. He sounded like someone doing his best to put a diplomatic gloss on a U-turn. In a post for ConservativeHome at the weekend, Tim Montgomerie said it was now hard to know what Cameron's "veto" at the EU's December summit actually achieved. 9.23am: Here is some more of the reaction to Stephen Hester's decision not to take his £1m bonus. We are not opposed to the concept of a bonus. But this is a time when people listening to this programme are facing the biggest squeeze on their incomes in a generation, not least other - and I use that word deliberately - other public sector workers are being forced to take a 1 per cent pay increase cap on their salaries. That's the big issue here. From William Hague, the foreign secretary The long-term incentive scheme that everybody has been talking about was actually agreed in 2009 under the previous Labour government, so I don't think they have that much to congratulate themselves about. But, as the chancellor has said, it's a sensible and welcome decision. 8.45am: Stephen Hester's decision to give up his £1m bonus is still dominating the news this morning. Hester backed down after Labour announced it was going to force a Commons vote on the issue and this raises the prospect that parliament could start trying to veto other bonus payments. All three main parties have been welcoming Hester's move this morning but at least one brave soul has been suggesting that Hester should have kept his money. Mark Field, the Tory MP for the Cities of London and Westminster, told Radio 5 Live that Hester had been the victim of "lynch mob activity." Its pretty unedifying watching politicians doing it, actually, I don't like to see political figures jumping on a particular bandwagon to kick the guy ... You can look at the share price and say well, there hasn't been a great success. The reality is the bank has been put on a much more sustainable footing ... We've got £45bn that is tied up in this bank. My big worry is, who in their right mind is going to want to put themselves through the mill that Stephen Hester has been through in the last weeks and months? I'll post a full round-up of the reaction to the Hester decision later. David Cameron is in Brussels today for his first EU summit since his decision to "veto" a new EU treaty. I'll be keeping an eye on that, although it will probably wrap after I've finished. Otherwise, here's the agenda for the day. 10am: Theresa May, the home secretary, gives a speech on police reform. She will announce plans to plans to give communities tougher protection from anti-social behaviour. 10am: Stig Abell, director of the Press Complaints Commission, and his predecessor Tim Toulmin give evidence to the Leveson Inquiry. 10.30am: Ed Milband, the Labour leader, gives a speech in Glasgow on the case for Scotland staying in the UK. He will argue that the goals of fairness and justice are best delivered within the UK. 10.30am: Labour MPs Natascha Engel and Keith Vaz and Tory MP Douglas Carswell speak at a People's Pledge press conference where it will set out its campaign strategy for 2012. The People's Pledge is a cross-party group campaign for a referendum on Britain's membership of the EU. 3.30pm: Kenneth Clarke, the justice secretary, is expected to make a Commons statement on plans to reform the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. He wants to restrict the ability of convicted criminals to claim compensation. 3.30pm: Lord Turner, chairman of the Financial Services Authority, and Hector Sants, its chief executive, give evidence to the Commons Treasury committee about the collapse of RBS.

Catalonia demands new deal from Spain Catalonia will this year demand a new economic deal from Spain that would give it more autonomy and cut the amount of money it must transfer to other, poorer regions, according to Artur Mas, the Catalan nationalist premier of the territory. If the Spanish central government were to refuse, pressure for a "divorce" of the two will continue to intensify, he told the Financial Times in an interview at his office in the 15th century "Palace of the Generalitat" in Barcelona, the longtime seat of the Catalan government. Mr Mas drew parallels with the situation in Scotland, where there are similar demands for independence or greater devolution of powers from London, although he noted that Catalonia - the richest of the 17 autonomous regions of Spain after Madrid - has more economic weight in Spain than Scotland has in the UK. Scotland and Catalonia lost their independence to their larger neighbours within five years of each other in the early 18th century. "Catalonia cannot carry on supporting the fiscal drainage that we have at the moment, which is roughly equal to 8 or 9 per cent of gross domestic product [some €17bn] every year," Mr Mas said. He said Catalonia, which has annual gross domestic product of €200bn, about one-fifth of the Spanish total, was preparing a plan for a "fiscal pact" that would make it largely responsible for its own taxes and halve the annual fiscal transfers to pay for central services such as defence and "solidarity" funds for poorer parts of the country. "This will land on Mr Rajoy's table in 2012 or early 2013," said Mr Mas, referring to Mariano Rajoy, the new centre-right prime minister of Spain who took power last month after his Popular party's general election victory in November. "The status quo doesn't work," said the Catalan premier. There's a growing divorce because in a continuous, repeated way, Catalans have the sensation - and they're right - that we are not respected on identity or language issues and not helped on economic and social issues. So our project in the short term is fiscal sovereignty ... In the longer term, we'll see. The 55-year-old Mr Mas - a successor to Jordi Pujol, the Catalan nationalist who ran the region for 23 years after the death of the Spanish dictator Franco - says he sees no reason why Catalonia should not be a self-governing state like Finland or Denmark. "We want to be the Holland of the south, and we can be the Holland of the south," he said. Holland is a very open society, with an industrial base, and it has made a big effort in innovation and science. But Mr Mas acknowledged that Catalan society remained sharply divided between those who support independence and those who oppose it, which made it an unrealistic goal in the short term, whereas there was strong support from all sides for a new fiscal pact with the rest of Spain that would ease the burden on the local economy. As in Scotland, Mr Mas said in the interview, the favoured option was an intermediate route between the status quo and total independence. He has called for "more Catalonia and more Europe," arguing that national independence has lost some of its significance in any case now that Berlin and Brussels are dictating policy in the eurozone, to the extent of having effectively appointed Mario Monti, the technocratic Italian prime minister. Mr Rajoy's government has threatened to rein in the Spanish regions, blaming them for swelling the country's overall public sector deficit and making Spain miss the fiscal targets agreed with Brussels. But Catalan leaders insist their administration was among the first to impose strict austerity measures when they took power a year ago. This year Catalonia is to cut civil service remuneration by nearly 5 per cent, in addition to the 5 per cent cut introduced nationwide in 2010; is introducing fees for medical prescriptions; and plans to sell as many of its assets as it can - all pioneering moves for a Spanish region. With austerity under way, Catalans now want their new deal. "If Spain helps us, Catalan society is not against belonging to Spain, although there's a part, yes, that's clearly pro-independence," says Mr Mas. But if the Spanish state denies us respect and assistance, the feeling that Catalonia needs its own state will carry on growing.

Target Ad with Down Syndrome Boy Helps Dad Blogger Raise Awareness Target A recent Target ad featuring a child model with Down syndrome is helping one dad blogger raise awareness about the chromosomal condition. This week, Rick Smith praised it on his blog, NoahsDad.com, which tells the story of the Smith's life with his son Noah, who has Down syndrome. Smith gratefully described how Target had included someone with a disability without making a big deal about it. The story of the Target ad as well as Smith's post has gone viral, spreading through the media and resulting in the post receiving more than 16,000 Facebook likes, more than 3,000 tweets and 261 comments, Smith said. Spreading along with it is the core message of NoahsDad.com: "Down Syndrome is OK." Everything is fine with Noah. Advertisers and TV shows like "Glee" are getting it, and - perhaps most important to Smith - so are parents. In a section on the blog titled "Our Story," Smith reveals how he himself absorbed that message. After the shock and confused sorrow following the news about Noah, Smith, a self-described "tech guy," went online to learn what his life would be like. "The videos were all so weird and sappy," he said. "People need to know it's not this sad thing," Smith said he told himself. Smith bought the Apple video-editing program Final Cut Pro and with his iPhone as a camera, started shooting one one-minute video of Noah each day. Sometime in May, NoahsDad.com was born. "It took off like crazy, with people all over the world, on pretty much every continent," Smith said. In one third-world village, Smith said fans used video of Noah's physical therapy as a guide for giving therapy to people with Down syndrome, because they didn't have access to it themselves. Another blog visitor, who was preparing for the likelihood of having a Down syndrome child, wrote to Smith to say he watched Smith's videos every night with members of his family to learn and take comfort. Most of the blog's content is simply Rick Smith's accessible, funny descriptions of the one-minute videos showing everyday life with Noah. "Fear is very crippling," Rick Smith said. If we can just show you what life can be like, take away that fear for you, you can have courage. Smith said that "90 percent or 92 percent, depending on the study" of parents who learn through prenatal screening that they have a relatively high chance of having a child with Down Syndrome abort the pregnancy. A new blood test, less invasive and risky than amniocentesis, makes it easier than ever to screen for Down syndrome, he said. "Unapologetically, one of the main purposes of the blog is to encourage these parents to follow through with the pregnancy," Smith said. "I'm not yelling or picketing outside an abortion clinic," he added. I'm more creative. I believe in the power of story, of inviting people into our story. NoahsDad.com integrates Smith's life and faith with his strong interest in social media. A self-described "early adopter," Smith was one of the first people on Twitter, he said. "God has given us these tools to reach people," he said. How can we use them to further good in the world? He recently blogged about a couple featured recently on ABC World News who adopted a girl from Ukraine, where Down syndrome children were found living in adult mental institutions. "They're treated like outcasts," Smith said. Families are embarrassed by them. It's so heartbreaking.

"Bunny Lake Is Missing," at the Brick Theater There's something perhaps inadvertently timely about "Bunny Lake Is Missing," now at the Brick in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. This stage noir, about a single mother's desperate search for her 3-year-old daughter after she disappears from nursery school, speaks to parental anxiety in an age when child abuse seems rife. The play - based on Evelyn Piper's 1957 pulp mystery (the source for Otto Preminger's 1965 screen adaptation) - derives tension from its resonant, inescapable subtext. Blanche Lake (Victoria Anne Miller) arrives at a New York school to pick up her daughter, only to be informed by teachers (Olivia Baseman and Vanessa FitzGerald) and a principal (Josephine Cashman) that the child was never enrolled there. Suspected of being a delusional hysteric, Blanche is referred to a sympathetic psychologist (Ken Simon, the show's producer, playwright and, with Patrice Miller, co-director). But when all avenues prove fruitless, she turns to a writer friend (Walter Brandes) as the question of her sanity looms ever larger. As Blanche, Ms. Miller conveys an agitated fragility, though her fevered stress and eventual rage take a while to build in a show that runs barely an hour. Ms. Cashman, as the stonewalling principal, suggests menace but lacks the outsize, almost caricaturesque dimensions often required of noir's supporting players. As the haughty writer, Mr. Brandes is better at conveying sinister undertones. Justin R. G. Holcomb makes a fine police lieutenant. Candace Lawrence's and Alaine Livingston's costumes nail the "50s aesthetic, while Amanda Woodward's lighting nicely evokes noir's long shadows and high-contrast palette. The ace here is Chris Chappell, whose sound design, including the lean, metronomically propulsive score, really raises the temperature. Overlapping, disembodied voices aggravate Blanche's mental state - and, effectively, the audience's.

Toyota unveils hybrid endurance racer The TS030 Hybrid will make its race debut on May 5 in the Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, after which Toyota has committed to entering two cars in the Le Mans 24 Hours on June 16-17. During an exclusive test session at the Paul Ricard circuit in France, which included running in darkness, the TS030 Hybrid completed several hundred kilometres, demonstrating its potential from the start. Yoshiaki Kinoshita, team president, said: "Of course we would love to win Le Mans but we are realistic and we know we need to develop and to learn. Our target this year is to show the performance level of our car and particularly the THS-R powertrain. Hybrid is a core technology of Toyota so it is important to demonstrate this in a motorsport arena and we want to prove it can bring a performance advantage, both in terms of lap time and fuel efficiency.

US election 2012: Newt Gingrich faces lawsuit for using 'Eye of the Tiger' The law suit, lodged in a federal court by Rude Music Inc, a music company owned by Mr Sullivan, cites copyright infringement by Gingrich as far back as 2009. In addition to Mr Gingrich, the complaint names his campaign, Newt 2012 Inc, and the American Conservative Union, an advocacy organisation, as defendants. The complaint states that the alleged violation is intentional because Mr Gingrich is "sophisticated and knowledgeable" concerning copyright laws. In the five-page court document, it notes that Mr Gingrich's criticism of the Stop Online Piracy Act during a debate in South Carolina, demonstrated his knowledge of copyright laws. During the campaign he said: "We have a patent office, we have copyright law. If a company finds it has genuinely been infringed upon, it has the right to sue. Rude Music Inc has requested an end to unauthorised use of the song by the Gingrich campaign, and that Rude Music Inc is awarded damages for the infringement. A Gingrich campaign spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment.

A perfect storm for Gingrich Newt Gingrich celebrates at a primary night rally Saturday in Columbia, South Carolina. Hollis Felkel: Gingrich picked up late-deciding conservatives, tea partiers Felkel: Tax returns, speaking fees, Santorum win in Iowa plagued Romney Felkel: South Carolinians want, above all, someone tough enough to beat Obama This vote shows it's a marathon, not a sprint, to the nomination, he writes Editor's note: Hollis "Chip" Felkel is a native South Carolinian and a 25-year veteran of national politics and policy. He is the CEO of Felkel Group and The RAP Index, a business that identifies key contacts in public affairs. He is co-author of "Political Golf." (CNN) -- It was the perfect storm. Newt Gingrich seized on one of the wildest weeks ever in primary politics to win Saturday's South Carolina Republican presidential primary, taking 40% of the vote in a contest that showed Republicans are energized and focused on beating President Obama. Clearly, Gingrich deserves a lot of credit. After poor finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire, he not only got his footing, he also found his voice. The former speaker of the House picked up the undecided votes in the last days of the campaign, apparently taking them from Mitt Romney (along the coast) and from Rick Santorum (in socially conservative upstate South Carolina). He picked up votes everywhere, winning 43 out of 46 counties in a primary that had a record turnout. To be fair, Romney, who finished second with 28% of the vote, did himself no favors and arguably had perhaps the worst week imaginable. A Gingrich win seemed highly unlikely just seven days ago, and yet he won by double digits. After Romney's mistakes, the withdrawal of Jon Huntsman and Rick Perry, and two outstanding debate performances, Gingrich is alive and kicking. He owes special thanks (and maybe even a trip to the Greek Isles) to the debate questioners from this past week. Over 64% of the voters who were asked in exit polls said the debates made a big difference. As for Romney, it was ugly. Of the "super seven" key counties GOP candidates must target, he won three. Romney's poor responses on the pending release of his tax returns, his comments on speaking fees, and the discovery that Santorum, not he, had actually won Iowa were just too much to withstand. Hollis Felkel Romney was forced to make a serious attempt in the Palmetto State, something he had never really planned on doing. The problem was that he had never developed a serious organizational presence to withstand a whirlwind of bad press. What money he spent, and it was a lot, was on television. Gov. Nikki Haley's endorsement did little to help -- and might have even hurt among some voters. That will be up for discussion, especially after her somewhat odd decision to skip the election night speech and not stand by her man. Clearly, Romney has work to do -- and Florida, where he has been running ads for weeks, is where it has to happen. There he is already well-organized, but unless he can find a way to generate real excitement about his candidacy, and answer some simple questions, he could be in trouble. Santorum and Ron Paul have both vowed to fight on. Paul tripled his South Carolina vote from 2008 and so claimed "victory" of sorts. But Santorum failed to convince voters that he, not Gingrich, is the right alternative to Romney. Santorum doesn't seem to get any solid support beyond those so-called "value voters" -- something Gingrich clearly has been able to do. It is just very hard to see a path forward for Santorum. In the end, beating Obama is very important to GOP voters in South Carolina -- very important. More people cited this as the deciding factor than in Iowa or New Hampshire. South Carolina voters saw Gingrich as the guy who is feisty enough to go toe to toe with the incumbent. He's demonstrated he is a survivor who is able to get votes from social conservatives, tea party members and "regular" Republicans. Newt can enjoy his victory now -- he successfully tapped into the voters' anti-establishment mindset, he says all the right things in the debates, and oh yes, he really takes it to the media. From a GOP primary voter's point of view, what's not to like? Well, for starters there is the legitimate concern that his negatives with independent voters are sky-high, and he can't seem to keep his enormous appreciation for his own value in check. Or as Santorum put it last week, he has never had trouble with grandiosity. The point is Gingrich historically has been undisciplined. Which candidate will appear today, the "new Newt" or the "old Newt"? So what have we learned? We have been reminded this is a marathon, not a sprint. We know the GOP is not ready for a coronation: Three elections have come up with three different winners. We know that Romney has work to do, that Gingrich has lived to fight another day, that Santorum and Paul's support is and probably will remain confined to those already committed. And, thankfully, we know that here in South Carolina, those annoying robo-calls have finally stopped. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Hollis Felkel.

Obituary: Janey Buchan, one of the first MEPs, she was a passionate socialist who helped run the People's Festival Born: 30 April, 1926, in Glasgow. Died: 14 January, 2012, in Brighton, aged 85 JANEY Buchan was one of the first members of the new European Parliament in 1979, serving as a Labour MEP in Brussels on behalf of her native Glasgow for 15 years, until 1994. But she was far more than a parliamentarian; indeed, she was in many ways the opposite of those MEPS who see the European Parliament as something of a golden egg-laying goose in terms of their careers and lifestyles. The daughter of a tram driver whose wife was forced to work as a maid during the recession of the 1930s, Buchan became a campaigner for social justice not just in Scotland but around the world. She was also a stalwart of the arts and of civil and labour rights in Scotland, not to mention the rights of the previously-underground gay community. After the war, she helped run the People's Festival in Edinburgh, which in turn begat what we now know as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. She was a particular lover of folk music and political song - from Scots to anti-apartheid or Woody Guthrie. Having married, in 1946, Norman Buchan, a teacher who would become Labour MP first for West Renfrewshire and later for Paisley South, she herself became a councillor on Strathclyde Regional Council before being elected in 1979 in the first elections to the European Parliament. Jane O'Neil Kent was born in Glasgow in 1926, four days before the famous general strike in support of miners, which would later re-emerge in her consciousness as she strove for social justice. Her father Joseph had been lucky to get a job driving Glasgow trams after the shipyards fell silent. Her mother Chrissie Sinclair had come down from Thurso aged only 12 to seek work. She got it, as a downstairs maid for a tobacco magnate in Glasgow's Pollokshields. Young Janey recalled feeling lucky that their "room and kitchen" flat in Meadow Road, Partick, was the only one in their tenement with an adjacent toilet. But her parents had to sleep in the kitchen while she, her sister Alexanderina and her grannie shared the other room. When young brother Enoch showed up, his bedroom for a while was the front room cupboard. Her mum and dad had married in St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral on Glasgow's Great Western Road but soon got swept up in the mood of revolutionary fervour that swept early-1920s Clydeside and both joined the Communist Party. Janey passed her 11-plus but had to leave school at 14 to make 14 shillings a week as a trainee shorthand typist to help support her family. It was in the Young Communist League at the start of the war that she met Norman, a first-year student at Glasgow University, who would soon be called up as a tank driver. He would serve in North Africa before returning after the war to finish his education and fight the communist cause in the famously heated debates in Glasgow University's Student's Union. In 1949, Janey was part of a small group that organised The People's Festival, with classical and folk music concerts, poetry readings and performances directed by Joan Littlewood, the first fringe events alongside the newly-created Edinburgh Festival. As good communists, Norman and Janey provided beds for speakers and artists from around the globe, often to the discomfort of their young son Alasdair. In 1956, however, after the Soviets invaded Hungary, the couple left the Communist Party, joined Labour and remained there for the rest of their lives. Both lovers of folk song, the couple first set up The Ballads Club at Rutherglen Academy, which would later become the Glasgow Folk Club. Their son Alasdair recalled that overnight sleepers then included such famous names as Ewan MacColl, Martin Carthy, Jeannie Robertson, Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie's famous sidekick and harmoniser Cisco Houston. The American visitors, notably Bill Leader of Topic Records, would leave behind little-known American folk recordings, many of which influenced Scots musicians from Billy Connolly to Archie and Ray Fisher. In 1956, when few of us had heard of Nelson Mandela, Janey organised a concert to support him and other ANC activists who had been arrested for defying apartheid in South Africa. Musicians that night included The Reivers, the Clyde Valley Stompers jazz band and the Joe Gordon Folk Four. Also playing was Enoch Kent, Janey's brother, who would go on to run the famous Singers Club in London, along with Ewan MacColl and his wife Peggy Seeger, where up-and-coming artists including Paul Simon and Bob Dylan gave some of their earliest performances. In the early 1960s, Pete Seeger asked Janey to organise a concert for him in Glasgow. After the concert became an unusual (for a folk concert) sell-out at the St Andrew's Halls in Glasgow's Charing Cross, Seeger asked her if she could do the same for an up-and-coming folk singer - Dylan, who was asking for cash up front to the tune of £75 in Scottish banknotes. Never having heard of Dylan, Janey declined, saying she wasn't sure how many seats she could sell. She was, after all, a music-loving volunteer, not an entrepreneur. Despite Dylan's subsequent fame, she never regretted the decision. She never really liked his music and was upset to hear that he didn't pay Irishman Dominic Behan royalties for the song Behan called The Patriot Game but which Dylan Americanised as With God On Our Side. In her later life, Buchan continued to donate and raise funds for South African causes. She quietly paid for several years to ensure the upkeep of the family of one imprisoned ANC activist. In the arts she was trustee of the Smith Museum in Stirling, curated by her dear friend Elspeth King. She donated her paintings, books and other documents to Glasgow University, Glasgow Caledonian, the Glasgow School of Art and many others. And yet she turned down honorary degrees from several universities, not wanting anyone to think she had "bought" them with her donations. She once said that her political philosophy could be best expressed not by 20 volumes of Marx but by two Burns-like lines from Scottish mill worker Mary Brooksbank, herself a 14-year-old school-leaver by necessity, in the song now best known as the Jute Mill Song: "Oh, dear me, the warld's ill-divided, Them that the work the hardest are aye wi" least provided." Janey Buchan died in a nursing home in Brighton. Her husband Norman died in 1990. She is survived by their son Alasdair, her brother Enoch, four grandchildren and a great grandson.

Revitalised Tiger Woods enjoying plenty of bucks for his bang He was honest enough to admit that it's all about the $$$s as well as the Ws. But then, when your price has fallen by 50 per cent in two years - and one very public scandal - it is probably imperative to focus on the bottom line. Woods used to charge $3m for playing overseas. Now, The Independent understands the figure is $1.5m. His stock may have dropped, but is he cheap at half the price? HSBC, the sponsors, probably believe he is and when Woods tees it up in tomorrow's first round alongside world No 1 Luke Donald and No 3 Rory McIlroy, a bank's embarrassment of riches will, at last, be easy to swallow. They have assembled one of the finest fields ever to line up in a regular European Tour event and in Woods they still have bought the player everyone wants to see. "I'd have to say, yes, it certainly does," said the world No 25, when asked if appearance fees affect his scheduling. That's why a lot of guys play on the European Tour - they do get paid. The only tour which doesn't pay is the US Tour. Hence Woods being in the Middle East, instead of on the West Coast. This tournament clashes with the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego, which just happens to be taking place at his beloved Torrey Pines, scene of six Woods victories, including his most famous of all - the "one-legged" US Open in 2008. "I've enjoyed playing there since I was a junior," he said. Unfortunately, scheduling-wise, it didn't work out. Money-wise more like, or so will say the critics. Yet there are sound golfing reasons to be in the Arabian Desert in the fourth week of January. The elite Euros, that blue and gold quartet who head the world rankings, are in attendance, ready to grant Woods the ideal benchmark for the extent of his golfing recovery. His win at the Chevron World Challenge six weeks ago, his first since the sex scandal broke more than two years ago, has, he believes, taken off the pressure and, with a new swing bedded in, he returns fresh and expectant. Woods claims not to have felt physically fit for "eight, 10, 12 years" - ie, his heyday. The knee eventually stopped hurting in autumn last year and Woods was then delighted by the progress. "I wasn't able to practise until I got healthy and that's what was exciting about going to Australia," he said, reflecting on the two weeks he spent Down Under in which he finished third and contributed to his country's retention of the Presidents Cup. I'd missed most of the year and to finally be able to get ready for a tournament properly and to do the type of [weight]lifting I needed saw my game come around. So it's very exciting. For him and golf. There is a general sense, to which Woods would never confess, that this season could define the rest of his career, even his legacy. If he remains winless in the majors then Jack Nicklaus's mark will begin to take on the implausible tag. To get back to his best he must first beat the best and that is what makes this event so intriguing. The "draw" was obvious. No disrespect to Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer, the world Nos 2 and 4 respectively, but this is the threesome with everything. At the top of the triangle there is Donald, the ranking leader whom Woods was quick to praise, and then in the other corner comes the kid with the mostest. Last month, Donald told the world that, in terms of pure talent, he believed McIlroy was Tiger's superior. Cue outrage from all those Woods admirers, while those in golf merely shrugged. There is so much more to this game than talent. There is nerve for starters, and believe it there will be jitters for McIlroy when he accompanies Woods up the first of The National. Gone are the days when there was tension between the pair, most notably in the Ryder Cup two years ago when McIlroy bluntly expressed his desire to play the fallen icon. In truth, McIlroy has always idolised Woods, but now the respect goes two ways as Woods can call him a fellow major winner. Yesterday, after a rather humiliating photoshoot which featured Woods, McIlroy and Westwood having to perform a traditional Emirati dance, they even went out with each other for nine holes of practice and were seen laughing and talking about the Super Bowl. All that chumminess ceases tomorrow when Woods sets out to prove that, regardless of his status as the world's 25th best player, he remains the man. "I'm looking forward to it," was as far as he would go, although some muck-diggers will doubtless find a mischievous prod in his response to Donald's claim. "The most talented player I've ever seen was Seve," said Woods. Make no mistake, McIlroy wanted this pairing as well. In Dubai in December, a few days after Woods had revisited the winner's enclosure, he spoke in deferential terms about the possibility of an imminent match-up. "You want to test yourself with the best in the game," he said. To come up against Tiger would probably be the biggest challenge of my career. He was referring primarily to the back nine of a major, but, still, McIlroy will regard this as an intense start to the year. Talk about hitting the ground running. As it proved yesterday, the only ones running here yesterday were the journalists - in circles. Even though the cricketers are in Abu Dhabi, Woods is without peer when it comes to a straight bat. Apart from the appearance fee confession, all we learnt was about Woods' well-being, his inevitable liking of cricket - he really wasn't going to say it was "boring," was he? - and his disappointment when it comes to his former coach, Hank Haney, writing about their time together. Woods, however, would not reveal why he regards what will essentially be a golf book with such disdain. But one exchange with The Independent said so much about how guarded he feels towards a world he does not trust. Q. Did you ever think Hank would write a book about you? Q. Why not? A. I don't know. Q. Is it difficult to trust anyone in your coterie, if everything that happens is later revealed in books, or on TV? A. One might say that. Q. That must be sort of sad? A. D'you think it's sad? Q. I find it sad, yeah. There you go. And there he goes, desperate for the validation of his own resurrection, while pocketing a few quid at the same time.

Skeletons found in Dorset mass grave 'were mercenaries'

Modernist masterpieces head to London auction An important work by Spanish modernist painter Joan Miro is expected to fetch upwards of 10 million pounds at an auction of impressionist and modernist master pieces in London next month. The 1933 oil painting, which is called "Peinture" and depicts abstract facial features, is being sold by a Swiss private collector and has not been displayed publicly for several years. "It's truly a key work from the artist in the middle of the surrealist movement," said Caroline Lang, a co-president at Sotheby's Switzerland. Experts have valued the work at between seven and 10 million pounds (8.4 - 12 million euros) when it goes on the auction block February 8. Other works at the Sotheby's sale in London include those by Gustav Klimt, Salvador Dali, Paul Cezanne and others. A piece by Claude Monet, "L?Entree de Giverny en hiver," has not been shown in public since it was painted in 1885. The work is expected to reach up to 6.5 million pounds (7.8 million euros). The 1946 Dali oil painting, "Oasis," is expected to reach a similar amount. A piece by Georges Braque, called "L'Oliveraie" is one of the artist's non-cubist works.

31 killed in Mexico prison unrest At least 31 people were killed and 13 wounded in a battle among inmates that broke out in a prison in the northern Mexican border state of Tamaulipas, the state government said. The fighting broke out in the Santa Amalia prison in the city of Altamira, a site designed to hold 2,000 inmates but which has a population of more than 3,000. Authorities regained control after police moved in, the statement read, adding that 13 inmates involved in the fight were detained. Federal police forces and soldiers earlier surrounded the prison, a federal source told AFP. The prison is located in an area where the rival Gulf and Zetas gangs have a strong presence, and many of the inmates are doing time on drug-related charges. Deadly riots and prison fights are common in Mexico's overcrowded prisons. Twenty inmates were killed and 12 wounded in a mid-October prison fight in a jail in the border town of Matamoros, just across from Brownsville, in the US state of Texas.

Romney Raised $24 Million in Fourth Quarter of 2011 January 11, 2012, 9:17 am MANCHESTER, N.H. - Mitt Romney's campaign will announce Wednesday morning that it raised $24 million for the fourth quarter of 2011 and is going into 2012 with more than $19 million cash on hand, several sources in the campaign confirmed. This brings the Romney campaign's total 2011 haul to $56 million. Earlier this year, the campaign said it hoped to raise $50 million for the primary campaign, a goal that has now been far exceeded. After the holidays this year, the campaign told its bundlers that more than $20 million had been raised in the final quarter. One hundred fifty of Mr. Romney's top donors and fund-raisers descended on New Hampshire on Tuesday night, to celebrate what they expected to be a big win for Mr. Romney. And Wednesday morning 300 members of Mr. Romney's finance committee from around the country gathered for meetings in Boston.

UK inflation rate falls to 4.2% in December

CN Creative Raises Series A Funding to Develop First Medically Approved Electronic Inhaler Nicotine Replacement Therapy for Smoking Cessation MANCHESTER, England, Jan. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- CN Creative, Ltd. (CNC), a healthcare company providing innovative and sustainable solutions to reduce smoking and smoking-related illnesses, today announced it has raised a Series A financing round led by Advent Life Sciences. The financing raised 2 million pounds, equivalent to approximately US $3.1 million. CNC intends to use the investment to continue and finalise development of its Nicadex™ electronic inhaler nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) product for use as part of medically supervised smoking cessation programmes. Despite large-scale public health efforts, about 20% of adults in the UK and the US continue to smoke. Smoking remains the most common cause of preventable death in the Western world and generates enormous costs for healthcare systems worldwide. Two-thirds of smokers report that they would like to quit, and about three-quarters of current smokers say they have tried to stop, but smoking is a powerfully addictive habit that can make quitting very difficult or almost impossible. Fewer than 10% of smokers are estimated to achieve success when trying to stop smoking on their own. In addition, studies show that currently available NRT products help only a small proportion of smokers to stop smoking permanently. "CN Creative provides innovative approaches to reduce the harm caused by smoking, by helping smokers quit whenever possible or reduce their consumption of cigarettes when total abstinence is not achievable," said David Newns, a co-founder and Company Director of CN Creative. We believe our Nicadex electronic inhaler NRT, which will deliver pharmaceutical-grade nicotine using advanced electronic vaporisation technology, has the potential to help significant numbers of smokers stop entirely or significantly reduce their exposure to harmful tobacco smoke. Nicadex is similar in concept to the electronic cigarettes currently marketed to adult consumers by CN Creative and others, but with several key differences. First, Nicadex will be tested in clinical trials and then submitted for regulatory review under the process used for other prescription NRT products, initially through the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and then through the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other regulatory agencies. Second, CNC intends to market the Nicadex electronic inhaler as a medically supervised NRT designed to reduce the harm caused by smoking and to help smokers quit as part of a comprehensive smoking cessation programme. Third, the Nicadex electronic inhaler has been specially engineered and will be manufactured in the UK under the same stringent standards used for regulated medical products, and the pharmaceutical-grade nicotine solution it uses is being produced by CNC in its own UK-based cGMP facilities approved for the manufacture of prescription drugs. The support from our colleagues at Advent Life Sciences will enable CNC to undertake the clinical trials and medical regulatory review needed to confirm the safety and efficacy of Nicadex and to prepare for commercialisation. We expect to file for regulatory approval of the Nicadex electronic inhaler in the UK later this year," added CN Creative co-founder and Company Director Chris Lord. Nicadex is a hand-held device that delivers purified nicotine to the user through the vaporisation of a pharmaceutical-grade solution of nicotine. A rechargeable lithium battery powers the vaporiser that instantly turns the nicotine solution into a vapour that is inhaled by the user. Many users report that the sensation of using the Nicadex device is similar to smoking, but the vapour contains no smoke and none of the carbon monoxide, tar or thousands of toxic impurities that make smoking tobacco products so damaging to health. In addition, since there is no smoke, there are no smoke by-products that can cause "second-hand" harm to others. "Decades of smoking cessation initiatives have had a positive impact on public health but millions continue to smoke and new approaches are urgently needed," noted long-time smoking cessation and public health advocate Dr. Chris Steele. I am encouraged by the potential of the innovative Nicadex electronic inhaler being developed by CNC, which provides a smoke-free, tobacco-free nicotine replacement product in a format that is highly acceptable to smokers. If approved, Nicadex could be a valuable addition to our smoking cessation toolkit, immediately reducing the harm caused by smoking and enabling many smokers to proceed over time to full cessation. CNC's emphasis on clinical testing, regulatory review, medical supervision and supportive services is encouraging, and I look forward to seeing the results of the clinical trials the company will be conducting this year. A distinctive element of CNC's strategy is its recognition of the value of harm reduction. As noted in the influential 2010 UK government report, A Smokefree Future, "The tar and the carbon monoxide in smoked tobacco are the primary causes of smoking-related disease and death. ... Nicotine (in the doses obtained from smoked and smokeless tobacco) is not a significant contributor to disease." The report proposes that harm reduction measures should be an important element of smoking cessation programmes, noting that "this strategy ... opens more routes to quitting, which, we believe, will help thousands more smokers to quit successfully. The new routes will encourage smokers to ... manage their nicotine addiction using a safer alternative product ... and dramatically reduce the harmful effects to their health, and the harmful effects to those around them. ..."[1] Similarly, after a comprehensive review of the medical and scientific literature, the American Association of Public Health Physicians (AAPHP) became the first medical organisation in the US officially to endorse tobacco harm reduction as a viable strategy to reduce the death toll related to cigarette smoking. It advocates in its white paper, The Case for Harm Reduction, that inveterate smokers - who are unable or unwilling to abstain from nicotine and tobacco - should be encouraged to switch to lower-risk smokeless tobacco products.[2] Dale R. Pfost, PhD, a General Partner at Advent Life Sciences and the newly appointed Chairman of CN Creative commented, "CNC's strategy of applying their smoking cessation expertise and the technology innovations first deployed in their Intellicig® electronic cigarettes to provide smokers with an advanced electronic inhaler nicotine replacement therapy is a potential game changer. We believe that Nicadex will significantly increase smokers' chances of ending or reducing their reliance on smoking, while also reducing the well-documented health risks caused by smoking tobacco. With this investment in CN Creative, we aim to continue our track record of investing in innovative life science companies with the potential to become best-in-class in their fields. Kaasim Mahmood, a Partner at Advent Life Sciences who is joining the CN Creative Board of Directors, added, "We believe CNC's products have great clinical and commercial potential, and we are delighted to provide the CNC team with financial and strategic support as they embark on the clinical studies and regulatory review process central to the success of this exciting new approach." [1] Department of Health (2010). A Smokefree Future, 2010. Available at: http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/@ps/documents/digitalasset/dh_111789.pdf. [2] Nitzkin JL, Rodu B. Tobacco Control Task Force, American Association of Public Health Physicians. The Case for Harm Reduction for Control of Tobacco-related Illness and Death, 2008. Available at: http://www.aaphp.org/Resources/Documents/20081026HarmReductionResolutionAsPassedl.pdf About CN Creative Headquartered in the Bioscience Incubator at Manchester University in the UK, CN Creative provides innovative and sustainable solutions to global problems arising from smoking and smoking-related illnesses. It has developed a distinctive portfolio of products and services focused on smoking cessation and harm reduction, including user-friendly nicotine delivery systems and patient-focused smoking cessation and support services. CNC's diverse products include QuitDirect, an NHS-accredited supplier of comprehensive smoking cessation services, the Intellicig® electronic cigarette, ECOpure proprietary high purity nicotine preparations and NRT Direct, which provides traditional nicotine replacement therapy products and patient support services to publicly and privately sponsored smoking cessation programmes. CNC's Nicadex™ electronic inhaler nicotine replacement therapy product is in clinical development for use as part of medically supervised smoking cessation programmes. For more information, visit www.cncbio.co.uk. About Advent Life Sciences Advent Life Sciences is the dedicated Life Sciences Fund at Advent Venture Partners, one of Europe's best-established growth and venture capital firms. Advent Life Sciences invests predominantly in early-stage and growth equity life sciences companies in the UK, Europe and the US. It will back companies that have a first- or best-in-class approach in a range of sectors within the life sciences, including new drug discovery, enabling technologies, med-tech and diagnostics. The Advent Life Sciences team is a leader in European life sciences capital. Its investments include PowderMed, a therapeutic DNA vaccine company sold to Pfizer; Thiakis, an obesity treatment company acquired by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals; Respivert, a drug discovery company focused on respiratory diseases acquired by Johnson & Johnson; EUSA Pharma, a rapidly growing transatlantic specialty pharmaceutical company focused on late-stage oncology, pain control and critical care products; and, Algeta (OSE: ALGETA), an oncology company developing treatments for bone metastases and disseminated tumours. For more information see www.adventventures.com. CN Creative Media Barbara Lindheim or Jennifer Anderson, BioCom Partners: [email protected], +1 212 584-2276 ext. 201 [email protected], +1 212 584-2276 ext. 202 Corporate David Newns [email protected] +44 (0) 7834 767 367 Advent Life Sciences Sophie Kreifman, Grayling: [email protected]; +44 20 7592 7924

Trio of male Olympians star as the new faces of Dunhill Matthew Pinsent, Iain Percy and Louis Smith strike a pose for British menswear label, Dunhill. Now that it's finally Twenty Twelve and all that, the race is on for British fashion and beauty names to bag the hottest athletes to represent their brands. Of course, Anna Kournikova aside, with traditional sport sponsorship looks don't factor as much - it's all about the podium finish. But as unhappy bedfellows sport and fashion try to rub along together for the greater goal of, well, just being involved somehow, it could all turn into an extreme version of the horrific ritual of team-picking at school. In other words, it's just SO not about being left with the ugly ones darling. First off the blocks were beauty powerhouse Proctor & Gamble who signed a trio of photogenic lovelies - Jessica Ennis, Victoria Pendleton and Keri-Anne Payne - to work as brand ambassadors. And not to be outdone, Dunhill have today announced the three Olympians they have selected to strike a pose for their latest 'Voice' campaign. Step forward retired rower and four-time Olympic gold medalist Sir Matthew Pinsent; two-time European Silver medallist and Commonwealth Games Champion gymnast, Louis Smith; and double Olympic gold medal-winning sailor, Iain Percy. The campaign, shot by renowned fashion photographer David Sims, pictures each of the handsome trio in their finest Dunhill togs, alongside quotes about what it takes to be a champion (hint: hard work, pain and sacrifice). Any other brands hoping to bag themselves an ambassador with model looks and an impressive score sheet had better move fast. Matthew Pinsent and Louis Smith

Djokovic prevails in five sets over Murray Novak Djokovic, shown in a November 2011 file photo, outlasted Andy Murray in five sets Friday and advanced to the finals of the 2012 Australian Open Sunday against Rafael Nadal. MELBOURNE, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- Novak Djokovic fought off Andy Murray for a five-set victory Friday and a chance to defend his Australian Open title against Rafael Nadal. Djokovic, ranked No. 1 in the world, beat Murray in three sets in the 2010 Open final but had a much tougher time Friday, advancing out of a 6-3, 3-6, 6-7 (4-7), 6-1, 7-5 battle that took nearly 5 hours. He next draws Nadal, who got an extra day off after he eliminated Roger Federer in four sets in their semifinal Thursday. The men's singles final is Sunday. Nadal, ranked No. 2 in the world, is 16-13 versus Djokovic lifetime but Djokovic was 6-0 against the Spaniard last year. All of those matches were tournament finals, including Grand Slam events Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Djokovic is seeking to become the fourth player -- joining Rod Laver, Federer and Nadal -- in the Open Era to win three consecutive major tournaments. Djokovic built a 5-2 lead in the final set but Murray then held serve, broke Djokovic at love -- his seventh break of the match -- and held again to even the set. Djokovic fought off one break point in a 12-point 11th game and grabbed the advantage in the 12th, finishing off his 11th break of the night for the win. It was a fitting cap to a match that featured some of the best tennis of the tournament. Djokovic won two of three consecutive breaks for an edge in the first set. Murray rallied from an early break by winning six of seven games in the second to even the match. Djokovic and Murray traded breaks the first two and last two games of the 88-minute third set with Murray prevailing in the tiebreaker on his second set point. The fourth set was all Djokovic. He won the first four games and allowed Murray just 11 points in forcing the final set.

Rescuers detonate charges on Italian ship wreck Rescue squads have carried out controlled explosions on a cruise liner stricken off Italy's Tuscan coast. A total of eight microcharges were used. The explosions were to allow firefighters and scuba divers to get to parts of the ship that they were previously unable to access. Twenty-nine people are still missing: four crew members and 25 passengers. Authorities are looking for 14 Germans, six Italians, four French nationals and two Americans. The others are one each from India, Peru and Hungary. One crew member who made a dramatic escape was the ship's chief purser, Manrico Gianpetroni, who gave an interview to Italian television. "I was trapped in the restaurant when it happened," he said. Firemen took me and brought me here. Gianpetroni, who reportedly fell when trying to help other passengers, said he spent nearly 40 hours in freezing wet conditions before being rescued. Six bodies have been found so far. The vessel was carrying 4,200 people at the time of the accident, the vast majority of whom managed to flee the wreckage. The captain of the ship was arrested on Saturday on manslaughter charges and faced questioning from police earlier on Tuesday. He denies the charges. The cruise operators have blamed human error as the main cause of the crash.

January 3, 2012, 12:05 am chauvinist •\ˈshō-və-ˌnist\• noun 1. a person with a prejudiced belief in the superiority of his or her own kind 2. an extreme bellicose nationalist The word chauvinist has appeared in 12 New York Times articles in the past year, including on June 23 in the City Room blog post "The State of the Bagel" by Clyde Haberman: Word that H & H Bagels was shutting its store on the Upper West Side produced something on the order of a seismic reaction in certain corners of New York, which considers itself both sun and moon of the bagel-eating universe. ... Inevitably, other New Yorkers weighed in. Commenters to City Room included a Kings County chauvinist who wrote that "Brooklyn bagels were always better" and a fellow in Albany who looked northward and proclaimed the superiority of Montreal bagels. The Word of the Day and its definitions have been provided by the language-loving minds behind Vocabulary.com and the Visual Thesaurus. Learn more about the word "chauvinist" and see usage examples across a range of subjects on the Vocabulary.com dictionary. Click on the word below to map it and hear it pronounced:

David Cameron calls for popular capitalism David Cameron set out his vision of a "socially responsible and genuinely popular capitalism" at a high-profile speech in London on Thursday. The Prime Minister defended the market and free enterprise as "the best imaginable force for improving human wealth and happiness," but said that reforms were necessary to ensure that everyone has a chance to benefit from them. He accepted that the financial crisis had shaken public confidence in the capitalist economy, but said: "We won't build a better economy by turning our back on the free market. We'll do it by making sure that the market is fair as well as free. He added: "I want these difficult economic times to achieve more than just paying down the deficit and encouraging growth. I want them to lead to a socially responsible and genuinely popular capitalism. One in which the power of the market and the obligations of responsibility come together. Mr Cameron's speech follows calls from Labour leader Ed Miliband for "responsible capitalism" which would treat "predatory" businesses differently from those which make long-term investments in the economy. Mr Miliband said he did not believe the PM was "serious about this agenda," telling Mr Cameron: "Let's judge you on your deeds and not your words."

Sudan join Ivory Coast in Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals January 30, 2012 -- Updated 2240 GMT (0640 HKT) Sudan's Agab Ramadan (R) vies for the ball with Burkina Faso's Saidou Mady during the match in Bata. Sudan progress to quarterfinals after beating Burkina Faso 2-1 in final Group B match Angola are out after losing 2-0 to Ivory Coast in Malabo Sudan's first win in competition in over four decades sets up tie with Zambia Ivory Coast meet co-hosts Equatorial Guinea in quarterfinals (CNN) -- Sudan have qualified for the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations after beating Burkina Faso 2-1 at the Estadio de Bata. Two goals in either half from Mudather Eltaib was enough to secure second place in Group B ahead of Angola who lost 2-0 to Ivory Coast at the Estadio de Malabo. Eltaib gave Sudan the lead in the 33rd minute when he side-footed home past keeper Daouda Diakite. It stayed that way until the 80th minute when Eltaib found the target again, capitalizing on a mistake by Diakite before firing home into an empty net. Burkina Faso skipper Moumouni Dagano managed a consolation goal moments before the end but it couldn't stop Sudan recording their first win in the competition for over four decades and set up a meeting with Group A winners Zambia on February 4. Etuhu: Expect more shocks at the Africa Cup of Nations Ivory Coast were assured of a place in the final eight of the competition before Monday's matches, while their opponents Angola needed a point to progress. Despite fielding an under-strength side -- stars Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure, Salomon Kalou all started on the bench -- The Elephants ran out comfortable winners. Goals from Emmanuel Eboue in the 33rd minute and a Wilfried Bony strike midway through the second half ensured maximum points from the group and confirmed a meeting with co-hosts Equatorial Guinea at the same stadium next Saturday.

Newt Gingrich Looks For Latino Support In Bid For Florida Success Fresh off his resounding win in Saturday's South Carolina primary, Newt Gingrich rolls into Florida this week hoping to ride his momentum to another victory over rival Mitt Romney in the Sunshine State, something that may rest on the support the former House Speaker receives from the state's Latino community. More than 22 percent of Florida's population is Latino and, as the 2008 election indicated, their vote can determine the fate of the race. Four years ago Florida signaled the end of Romney's first bid for the GOP nomination after Sen. John McCain's victory there. Latinos that year opted for McCain over Romney by 54 percent to 14 percent, a decisive margin that proved too much for the former Massachusetts governor to overcome. This year Gingrich will be hoping to inflict a similar blow on Romney. No Republican candidate has made more of an effort to appeal to Latinos than Gingrich - in fact, no other candidate has made much of an effort at all, a surprising development considering more than half the growth in the country's total population between 2000 and 2010 was due to the massive increase in the Hispanic population. That fact was not lost on Gingrich, however, and to date he has tried to court Republican Latinos, long before the primaries in Hispanic-heavy states like Florida and Nevada were up next on the calendar. Gingrich Has More Moderate Immigration Platform At a debate in Washington, D.C. last November, Gingrich outlined the most moderate immigration stance of all the candidates, saying that the government should not expel immigrants if they have laid down roots here - for instance, if they have been here for a quarter of a century, raising a family, paying taxes, and obeying the law. Compare that to Romney, who days before the Iowa caucuses vowed that if elected he would veto the DREAM Act, a bill that would provide a path to citizenship for some undocumented children of immigrants who attend college or serve in the military. Romney's stance infuriated some Latinos from Iowa to New Hampshire, who vowed not to vote for him. Juan Rodriguez, a businessman in Des Moines, said he would not support Romney due to the candidate's comments on immigration. Esteban Lopez, a Goffstown, NH, resident who will vote for the first time in the general election later this year, said he too would not back Romney. "Newt is the only candidate who has had the courage to open the door to the issue of immigration like he did in the debates," said another Republican voter, German Ortiz from Manchester, NH. Romney, meanwhile, became the target of DREAM Act protesters like Lucy Allain, a college student who now has a 4.0 GPA, but no path to citizenship. "I'm undocumented," she said to Romney outside an event in New York City last week. "But I didn't come here illegally," countered Lucy. Florida Loss Ended Romney "08 Bid If Latinos in Florida go for Gingrich over Romney by a wide margin, that could be enough to swing the state for the former House Speaker - and send Romney crashing to a second consecutive primary defeat, his third in the first four voting states. Two weeks ago in New Hampshire I asked Gingrich's daughter Kathy Lubbers if she believed that her father could overtake Romney as the race shifted south to the Hispanic hotbed of Florida. "He has been working with and including the Hispanic community for seven, eight years," Lubbers told me. We've had a Hispanic person leading the charge for us for multiple years on a variety of topics even before we were involved in this presidential campaign. We have a national Hispanic inclusion director, we have state directors, we have volunteer leadership, so we have a lot of people in place, probably more than any other candidate, so I'm hopeful that it actually comes to fruition. We'll just have to see if that plays the way we're hoping it does because it's part of the heart of the campaign, so it'd be very sad if it doesn't. Florida Has Different Latino Makeup, Emphasis on Cuba But a fact that should not be lost on anyone is that Latinos in Florida are not the same as Latinos in Nevada, Colorado or Arizona. Most Florida Hispanics hail from Cuba and Puerto Rico, not Mexico. Around 540,000 of the state's 1.5 million Latino voters are of Cuban origin, a group mostly based near Miami. Romney has work to do with the Cuban population, which favored McCain by 52 percent to 13 percent in 2008. To that end, Romney has secured the support of a slew of key Florida Republicans with Cuban roots, such as Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, and former Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart. However, the most coveted Cuban-American endorsement in the Republican race is Sen. Marco Rubio, widely expected to be one of the top candidates for the number-two slot on the eventual Republican ticket. Rubio, a Cuban-American elected to the Senate in 2010, enjoys widespread backing among the Cuban community in south Florida. He has said he will not endorse, but will campaign for his party's eventual nominee. While some of Romney's Cuban-American backers in Congress differ with him on his DREAM Act opposition, Cubans tend to see the immigration issue in a different light than other Latinos. Cuban immigrants are granted sanctuary in the United States if they reach the country, making them immune to Republican policies that have little tolerance for undocumented immigrants here. Rubio, for instance, opposes giving amnesty to undocumented workers. Puerto Ricans constitute the second-largest faction of Florida Latinos, numbering around 480,000. In recent elections, they have wavered from side to side - they supported Rubio as well as the state's former Republican Gov. Jeb Bush, but backed Obama in 2008. Bush, like Rubio, has yet to endorse. In recent weeks Romney has stepped up his bid to appeal to Florida Latinos. Earlier this month the Republican hopeful on Wednesday hit the airwaves in Florida with a Spanish-language ad entitled "Nosotros," meaning "us." The ad featured appearances from Romney's all-star line-up of Cuban-American backers. If Romney is to avoid a repeat occurrence of 2008, winning the Latino vote - or at least not losing as decisively as he did four years ago - is crucial. But despite his organizational strength and his impressive war chest, Romney faces an uphill battle with Latinos, against a surging opponent with no shortage of confidence. The two rivals, along with Rick Santorum and Ron Paul, will go toe-to-toe at two debates this coming week, first in Tampa on Monday night, then in Jacksonville on Thursday. Expect to hear a lot about Latinos - and the issues that matter most to them - at those debates. After all, the nation's fastest-growing voting bloc could determine who wins Florida's primary and, in doing so, the Republican nomination overall.

The best places on earth to see the sky at night Tomorrow the Space Theatre at Leicester's National Space Centre is renaming the Sir Patrick Moore Planetarium in honour of the pioneering TV astronomer. And with Stargazing Live whetting astronomical appetites, you may be ready for the next giant step. A stargazing holiday puts you in prime locations to see the most impressive displays in the universe. This year alone, there's a once-in-a-lifetime transit of Venus across the sun. Your holiday might even lead to a discovery: last week two amateur astronomers discovered a new planet after watching Stargazing Live. Next time, it could be you. Rain of stars The Perseids meteor shower is one of the best annual displays of shooting stars in the world, often with more than 50 meteors per hour. A new trip takes you to the Wadi Rum desert, aka the Valley of the Moon, in Jordan for the peak of the activity in August. Explore archaeological sites by day, and dine under clear desert skies, gazing up at this celestial spectacle at night. On The Go Tours (020-7371 1113; onthegotours.com) has an eight-day trip departing 11 August for £779 per person. It includes accommodation (with two nights in a desert camp), transport, activities, some meals and a local guide; flights extra. Walking on the moon The first man to set foot on the moon, Neil Armstrong, referred to Mount Teide National Park in Tenerife as the closest thing to the lunar landscape he'd ever seen. It's also one of the best places in Europe for stargazing. Wait for a new moon and cast your eyes upwards - no equipment needed. The only accommodation in the park is the Parador de las Cañadas del Teide (00 34 922 374 841; bit.ly/tenerifeparadores, with doubles from €110. Teide Astro (00 34 922 373 773; teideastro.com) provides free stargazing tours every Friday night for hotel guests. Take the kids Stargazing breaks for children entertain them by day and educate and enthrall by night. The "Turkey Adventure and Astronomy" trip features a walk, bike and horse-riding adventure through Cappadocia, with nightly live planetarium shows. The eight-day itinerary run by Explorers Astronomy Tours (0845 508 6651; astronomytours.co.uk) costs £1,429 per person, with Turkish Airlines flights from Gatwick to Kayseri via Istanbul, transport, accommodation, meals and tuition from astronomer Dr John Mason. Departures on 21 July and 7 August. Aged 12 and up. Wow factor A total solar eclipse is an awe-inspiring, rare cosmic event that happen every 18 months or so (although viewing them is tricky). Catch one this year on the beaches of Queensland, Australia on 13-14 November, or you'll have to wait until 2015 - and travel to the Arctic Ocean - to see the next. Bridge & Wickers (020-7483 6555; bridgeandwickers. co.uk) offers a 10-night package for £2,555, departing on 8 November with Qantas from Heathrow to Cairns via Singapore and Sydney, five nights' B&B at the Peninsula Boutique Hotel in Port Douglas and five nights' room only at the Angsana Resort beside the Great Barrier Reef. Size matters If you fancy a look around some of the world's biggest telescopes then you could do worse than visiting the high mountains of Arizona and California. Explorers Astronomy Tours (0845 508 6651; astronomytours.co.uk) offers a trip that combines visits to four observatories - including the Lowell telescope - with time at the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff Meteor Crater and the site of an annular eclipse. The 18-day trip costs £2,709 per person including Virgin Atlantic flights from Heathrow to Las Vegas, transport, accommodation, breakfast and tuition. Departs 17 May. Now or never The transit of Venus across the sun has only been seen seven times since the invention of the telescope in 1608. On 5 June, those in the know are heading to the Big Island of Hawaii - one of the few places on earth where the full transit, a dark disc crossing the sun, will be visible. MWT Associates Inc (001 408 279 5589; melita trips.com) offers a five-day package for US$2,195 (£1,463), which is organised and led by the experts at Astronomy magazine. The tour starts in Hawaii and includes accommodation, lectures, and a visit to the Keck Observatory, but not flights. Dark sky destinations Dark skies are a prerequisite for stargazing. Last month, Jasper National Park in Canada was designated a Dark Sky Preserve (jasperdarksky.org); Canadian Affair (020-7616 9184; canadianaffair.com) offers packages from the UK. Galloway Forest Park in Scotland has been designated a "Dark Sky Park," and wild camping is allowed (01671 402 420; www.gallowayforestpark.com). The Atacama Desert in Chile is dark enough for some of the largest telescopes in the world. The Alto Atacama Desert Lodge & Spa (00 56 2 957 0303; altoatacama.com) has doubles from US$491 (£327) per person. I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream. Vincent Van Gogh If you take a 5p coin and hold it 75ft away, the space in the sky it would obscure would hold 10,000 galaxies. It's mind-blowing. Professor Brian Cox We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. Oscar Wilde The location is as important as what you'll experience at night. Take appropriate clothing - even in the tropics it gets chilly at night. Take a camera that can handle long exposures. It makes a huge difference to have an expert there who can give you background information and a few tips. Dr John Mason, "galactic ranger" for Explorers Astronomy Tours.

BBC News - Two arrested in Stoke-on-Trent after death of 18-month-old boy