Iran says it has laser-guided artillery shells

TEHRAN?? Iran said on Monday it had manufactured laser-guided artillery shells that were capable of spotting and hitting moving targets with a high degree of precision, state-run television reported.

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Iran does periodically unveil military advancements, but this latest report comes as tension between Iran and the West escalates over Iran's disputed nuclear program.

Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi hailed what he described as "intelligent munitions" as a new chapter in the country's weapons and military equipment.

"Besides America and Russia, there are only three other countries which have this technology," Vahidi was quoted as saying during the unveiling ceremony.

State television also showed footage of the shell, called Basir (insightful), being fired by an artillery piece. No more details were given in the report.?

Video: Nuclear inspectors go to Iran (on this page)

Also Monday, Iran's top diplomat offered to extend the current visit of U.N. nuclear inspectors and expressed optimism their findings would help ease tensions despite international claims that Iran is trying to build nuclear weapons.

The comments by Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, reported by Iran's official news agency, underscored efforts to display cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency team and downplay the expectations of a confrontation atmosphere during the three-day visit that began Sunday.

The IAEA mission is the first to Iran since a report in November that suggested some of the Islamic Republic's alleged experiments ? cited in intelligence documents ? can have no other purpose than developing nuclear weapons. The current inspection team includes two senior weapons experts, hinting that Iran may be prepared to discuss specific points on the claims it seeks to develop warheads after three years of rebuffing U.N. calls for answers.

Salehi, attending an African summit in Ethiopia, repeated remarks that he was "optimistic about the results of the visit" without offering more details. He also told Turkish state television that the U.N. mission could be "extended if necessary," according to the official Islamic Republic News Agency.

The findings from the visit could greatly influence Western efforts to expand economic pressures on Iran over its uranium enrichment ? which Washington and allies fear could eventually produce weapons-grade material. Iran has declined to abandon its enrichment labs, but claims it seeks to fuel reactors only for energy and medical research.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46190610/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/

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German plan for 'savings Czar' finds no taker (AP)

BRUSSELS ? Germany's controversial suggestion of a European debt regulator with direct control over Greece's spending turned out to be such a touchy subject that Chancellor Angela didn't even mention the idea to the leaders at Monday's European Union summit in Brussels.

In what was seen as a blow for Germany's push for tighter European integration, national sovereignty appeared to have won the argument Monday.

Over the weekend, Germany had made a pre-summit call to give a powerful European debt watchdog direct control over Greece's budget decisions. Despite often stinging criticism over how Greece runs it financial affairs, having a foreigner directly run a nation's budget found no takers among the other leaders.

Even Merkel's staunch ally, Nicolas Sarkozy, who is so close that they have morphed into the diplomatic couple "Merkozy", could not back her.

"We cannot put a country under trusteeship and run it from abroad. It would not be reasonable, not democratic, and, in short, not efficient," Sarkozy said after the summit.

Going into the summit, German Economics Minister Philipp Roesler had suggested the EU should take over the "leadership and supervision" of Greece's budget.

Athens is teetering on the brink of a disorderly default and is seeking a key agreement to get a second euro130 billion ($170.43 billion) bailout. The country has been surviving since May 2010 on an initial euro110 billion package of rescue loans from other eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund.

Greece must also cut its deficit further and push through painful public sector layoffs and sell off several state companies, and its partners are unhappy with the pace of action.

Still, a "Sparkommissar" in German_ or "savings Czar" ? was beyond the pale for Greece.

"Our partners do know that European integration is based on ... the respect of their national identity and dignity," Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos wrote in an angry retort.

"I am certain that the political leaderships of all European nations ? particularly bigger nations that bear increased responsibility for the course of Europe ? are aware of how friends and partners, who have joined their historical destinies, raise questions," he wrote on Sunday.

Merkel got the message.

"I believe that we are having a discussion that we shouldn't be having," she said entering the summit.

Other European leaders have said that the Commission, the EU's executive, needed the power to block bad spending decisions, but not only in Greece but also other highly indebted countries.

But taking over the leadership of budget went too far.

"It can only be put in place by the Greeks, in a democratic way," said Sarkozy.

Ever since Greece threw the eurozone into financial turmoil in 2009 when it admitted previous governments had played down the amount of debt, it has been criticized as a profligate nation living off the wealthy northern nations.

It has since committed itself, under often intense pressure, to slowly move back toward a degree of fiscal discipline.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120131/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_summit_sovereignty

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Animals Get The Upper Paw, or Hoof, or Claw (preview)

Antigravity | More Science See Inside

Every so often a critter takes a shot at making headlines

By Steve Mirsky ?| January 29, 2012

Image: Matt Collins

In journalism, there?s what you call your dog-bites-man situation. Which is anything too common and expected to be a good story (unless the dog is one of those Resident Evil hellhounds, or the man is Cesar Millan). An example of a dog-bites-man science story is yet another confirmation of Einstein and relativity.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR(S)

Steve Mirsky has been writing the Anti Gravity column since atmospheric carbon dioxide levels were about 358 parts per million. He also hosts the Scientific American podcast Science Talk.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=bed4ce099317e94960f277119b6827ca

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Catholics hear protests of Obama health ruling at Mass (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? U.S. Catholic bishops and priests across the country read out letters at Mass on Sunday protesting plans by President Barack Obama's administration to force religiously-affiliated nonprofit groups to offer birth-control coverage to women employees.

On Jan 20, the Obama administration made final a proposal requiring most employer-sponsored health plans to offer women contraceptive services including sterilization without copays, co-insurance or deductibles.

Religious authorities including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops condemned the rule as a violation of religious conscience and the constitutional right to religious freedom.

In an organized protest, numerous local media reported on Sunday that Catholic clergy read out letters of protest Mass.

"We cannot, we will not, comply with this unjust law," wrote Phoenix bishop Thomas J. Olmsted in one such letter, adding that the rule was an attack on religious freedoms enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.

"Our parents and grandparents did not come to these shores to help build (America) ... or to have the posterity stripped of their God given rights," he added.

The rule changes ordered by the administration were welcomed

by birth control advocates including the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

The government's decision does not apply to churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and some religiously-affiliated elementary and secondary schools, which remain exempt.

But it came as a blow to religious officials who pushed hard for a broader exemption that would have included religious organizations whose main purpose is not to provide religious services for their members. These include institutions such as Catholic-affiliated hospitals.

The Obama administration said it sought to meet those concerns by allowing religious groups an extra year to adjust.

The change is intended to reduce health costs, unwanted pregnancies and abortions, as part of Obama's healthcare overhaul.

The 2010 healthcare reform law, his signature domestic policy achievement, is facing unprecedented challenges in the Supreme Court and from Republicans this year as the president seeks re-election.

(Reporting By Tim Gaynor; Editing by Greg McCune)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/religion/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120130/us_nm/us_catholics_contraception

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Former Taliban Officials Say U.S. Talks Started

Read the whole story

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/29/former-taliban-officials-say-talks-started_n_1239770.html

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Why exotic animal trade grows in Asia

Rising wealth?lifts demand for exotic pets and delicacies in Asia. Meahwhile, enforcers are stretched thin.

On a traffic-snarled Jakarta roadside, a market trader thrusts out a forearm with a terrified looking primate clasping tightly to his skin.

Skip to next paragraph

"You can have it for 300,000 rupiah [$30]," he says of the slow loris, a protected species whose sluggish movement makes it easy prey for poachers. The destruction of its habitat and its low reproduction rate are why the loris is classified as facing extinction under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, which bans their trade.

But here at the Jatinegara market, there is no attempt to conceal the sale of loris or many other endangered species. Orangutans, Sumatran tigers, and Javan eagles are just a few of the threatened species in Indonesia's animal markets.

It is a scenario that has been playing out across Southeast Asia for centuries, but with increased speed in the past decade, as a burgeoning class of wealthy Asians who cherish rare creatures as exotic pets, delicacies, or for supposed medicinal qualities fuel a booming and illegal trade.

The plunder ? a small piece of the greater challenge of environmental conservation in Indonesia ? is happening in conjunction with habitat depletion, and conservationists fear some species will soon disappear while new ones tumble onto the endangered list.

"Rare animals have become status symbols. They are trophies for people to demonstrate their wealth and the collateral damage of Asia's economic rise," says James Compton, senior director for Asia-Pacific at Traffic, a conservation group that monitors wildlife trade.

"We will see some local populations of endemic species disappear very quickly. Look at what happened to the tiger population over the past 100 years," he says.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations Wildlife Enforcement Network predicts that between 13 and 42 percent of the region's animal and plant species will be wiped out this century, mostly due to logging and loss of habitat.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organi?za?tion estimates that Indonesia loses 6.2 million acres of forest ? equivalent to the size of Vermont ? every year. By 2008, Indonesia had lost 72 percent of its ancient forests, and what remains is threatened by commercial logging, forest fires, and clearing for palm oil plantations, according to Green?peace.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/R1JCakEFUpA/Why-exotic-animal-trade-grows-in-Asia

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Colts owner wishes Manning kept comments in-house (AP)

INDIANAPOLIS ? Jim Irsay expects Peyton Manning to keep his complaints to himself. Or at least within the confines of the Colts' team complex.

Shortly after introducing Chuck Pagano as Indianapolis' new coach, the team owner responded to the comments Manning made earlier this week by referring to the only four-time league MVP as a "politician."

"I don't think it's in the best interest to paint the horseshoe in a negative light, I really don't," Irsay said, referring to the Colts' logo. "The horseshoe always comes first, and I think one thing he's always known, because he's been around it so long, is that, you know, you keep it in the family. If you've got a problem you talk to each other, it's not about campaigning or anything like that."

Clearly, Irsay was not happy to see Manning's comments in The Indianapolis Star on Tuesday, just as the Colts were interviewing Pagano.

Manning explained that the environment at team headquarters was not the best and said people were nervous because of the major offseason overhaul that has already claimed the jobs of vice chairman Bill Polian, general manager Chris Polian, coach Jim Caldwell and most of Caldwell's assistants.

Irsay didn't like that, either.

"I have so much affection and appreciation for Peyton. I mean we're family. We always will be and we are," Irsay said. "He's a politician. I mean look at, when it comes to being competitive, let's just say on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the highest, we're both 11s, OK? So there's been plenty of eggshells scattered around this building by him with his competitive desire to win."

Irsay's comments are indicative of how tense things have gotten in Indy.

Some considered Manning's comments an acknowledgment that he was unhappy in Indianapolis and that he could be playing in another city next season -- if he returns from his third neck surgery.

The Colts, who also have the No. 1 pick in this year's draft and could take Andrew Luck as their quarterback of the future, also have to decide whether to pay Manning a $28 million by March 8 or risk losing him as an unrestricted free agent.

Manning said he's been told the decision will be Irsay's to make. And Irsay again said Thursday that money will not be the issue, Manning's health will.

"I think fans already understand that," Irsay said when asked whether Manning may have played his final game in Colts' blue. "This isn't an ankle, it isn't a shoulder. Often times the NFL is criticized for putting someone out there at risk, and I'm not going to doing that. I think he and I just need to see where his health is because this isn't about money or anything else. It's about his life and his long-term health."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120126/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_colts_manning

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Cold Plasma Layer Detected High Above Earth (SPACE.com)

Cold, electrically charged particles have long been suspected to exist tens of thousands of miles above the Earth's surface, and now scientists have detected such ions there for the first time. And they are significantly more abundant at those heights than previously imagined.

Cold is, of course, a relative term. Although these low-energy ions are 1,000 times cooler than what researchers might consider hot plasma, these particles still have an energy that would correspond to about 1 million degrees Fahrenheit (500,000 degrees Celsius). But because the density of the "cold" ions in space is so low, satellites and spacecraft can orbit through them without getting destroyed.

Scientists had detected the ions at altitudes of about 60 miles (100 kilometers), but for decades, researchers wanted to look for them much higher, between 12,400 and 60,000 miles (20,000 and 100,000 km). Knowing how many cold ions dwell up there could help better understand how our planet interacts with storms of charged particles from the sun ? like the one that slammed into the planet yesterday (Jan 24) ? that create auroras, damage satellites and sometimes wreak havoc with power grids on Earth.

However, detecting cold plasma at those high altitudes has proven difficult. Spacecraft that far up accumulate an electrical charge, due to sunlight that makes them repel the cold ions.

The breakthrough came with one of the European Space Agency's four CLUSTER spacecraft. These are equipped with a detector composed of thin wire arms that measure the electric field between them as the satellite rotates.

"It is surprising we found the cold ions at all with our instrument," researcher Mats Andr?, a space scientist at the Swedish Institute of Space Physics in Uppsala, told OurAmazingPlanet. "It was not at all designed to do this. It was designed to observe electric fields."

'Ugly' electrical fields

Two mysterious trends appeared when the scientists analyzed data from these detectors ? strong electric fields turned up in unexpected regions of space, and as the spacecraft rotated, the measurements of the electrical fields did not fluctuate in the smoothly changing manner that investigators expected.

"To a scientist, it looked pretty ugly," Andr? said. "We tried to figure out what was wrong with the instrument. Then we realized there's nothing wrong with the instrument."

Their findings suggest that cold plasma was influencing electrical fields around the satellite. Once the scientists understood that, they could measure how much of the once-hidden ions there were.

"The more you look for low-energy ions, the more you find," Andr? said. "We didn't know how much was out there. It's more than even I thought."

Although the concentration of the previously hidden cold ions varies, about 50 to 70 percent of the time the researchers find they make up most of the mass of high-altitude zones. These previously elusive low-energy ions were detected even at altitudes of about 60,000 miles (100,000 km), about a third of the distance to the moon. Finding so many relatively cool ions in those regions is surprising, because the solar wind blasts Earth's high altitudes.

"It is surprising that there were so many cold ions," Andr? said. "There have been hints for a long time, and with previous spacecraft, but I do not think anyone, not me, thought this cold, hidden population could dominate so-large volumes, [for] so-large fractions of the time."

Losing ions

Space physicists have struggled to accurately determine how many low-energy ions are leaving the planet. The new findings suggest that about two lbs. (1 kilogram) of cold plasma escape from Earth's atmosphere every second.

Knowing that rate of loss for Earth might help scientists better figure out what became of the atmosphere of Mars, which is thought to once have been denser, and more similar to Earth's. The new cold plasma results might also help researchers explain atmospheric traits of other planets and moons, including alien worlds or exoplanets, Andr? said.

"If someone is living on an exoplanet, they probably want an atmosphere that is not blowing away," Andr? said.

Moreover, as scientists further map cold plasma around Earth, they could discover more about how it reacts during solar storms and other events, deepening our understanding of space weather. Andr? compared the swaths of low-energy ions to a low-pressure area in our familiar, down-to-Earth weather. "You may want to know where the low-pressure area is, to predict a storm," he said.

Andr? and his colleague Christopher Cully detailed their findings Dec. 23 in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

This story was provided by OurAmazingPlanet, a sister site to SPACE.com. Follow OurAmazingPlanet for the latest in Earth science and exploration news on Twitter Facebook.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personaltech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/space/20120126/sc_space/coldplasmalayerdetectedhighaboveearth

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Bayern tricks fans into 'liking' it on Facebook

Associated Press Sports

updated 10:44 a.m. ET Jan. 26, 2012

MUNICH (AP) -Bayern Munich tricked its fans into "liking" the team on Facebook, promising them a "spectacular new signing" Thursday if they logged on to the social networking site to watch the announcement in a news conference.

Bayern had said on its website that it would present a new striker at 2 p.m. local time, and directed fans to go Facebook to watch it live. Once they were logged in, the fans were made to "like" Bayern's page in order to view the proceedings.

But instead of learning who would be striker Mario Gomez's backup, they were instead presented with a promotion entitled "The New FCB Star."

"Dear fans, you probably already noticed that we did not sign a new player. This app is for our fans to show the importance of you for our club," Bayern said.

The move has lead to a backlash from fans, with thousands leaving uncomplimentary comments on the club's Facebook page.

Bayern, which leads the Bundesliga and plays Wolfsburg on Saturday, said the whole thing was "a bit of fun for our fans."

"Each Bayern fan is the 'spectacular new signing,' our 12th man!" Bayern said on its website.

Bayern's desire to raise its profile on Facebook follows the German national football team's announcement last month that it had reached 1 million fans on the site. The team's fan page is trying to compete with England's national team.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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More newsJosep Lago / AFP - Getty Images

Barca holds off Madrid rally

Pedro Rodriguez and Daniel Alves scored first-half goals, and Barcelona held off a spirited Real Madrid comeback attempt to eliminate the defending Copa del Rey champion with a 2-2 tie Wednesday night.

Do-or-die

The U.S. women's soccer team was still on the field, having dispatched rival Mexico, when Abby Wambach gathered her teammates for a little speech.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/46148288/ns/sports-soccer/

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Zhu Zhu/Go Go Pets Hamster Funhouse (Hamsters Sold Separately ...

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Citigroup Downgrades Partner Communications to Sell | Benzinga

Citigroup lowers its rating on Partner Communications (NASDAQ: PTNR) to Sell from Buy as it says it overestimated business fundamentals when it upgraded the company previously.

Citigroup notes, "We erred in upgrading Partner to Buy in August. Prices of service contracts have stabilized, but we underestimated the drag on future ARPU from high smartphone rebates given in 9M11 and the time it would take for higher ARPU customers to migrate to lower ARPU packages. Two new network operators from mid-year should put further pressure on prices. We forecast a further NIS7-8 fall in ARPU in 2012 from the above."

PTNR closed at $8.39 a share on Tuesday.

(c) 2011 Benzinga.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published in its entirety or redistributed without the approval of Benzinga.

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Source: http://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/12/01/2289206/citigroup-downgrades-partner-communications-to-sell

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Greek creditors urge quick deal after eurozone (Reuters)

ZURICH/ATHENS (Reuters) ? Greece's private creditors pleaded on Tuesday with European officials who rejected their bond swap offer to hammer together a deal before Athens tumbles into a chaotic default.

Athens' hopes for a swift deal with lenders were evaporating after euro zone ministers on Monday rejected creditors' demand for a 4 percent coupon, or interest rate, on new, longer-dated bonds in exchange for existing debt.

The country is desperate for a deal to ensure funds from a 130 billion euro rescue plan drawn up by European partners and the International Monetary Fund arrive before 14.5 billion euros of bond redemptions fall due in March.

"It's important that all parties recognize how much we have at stake and work together and cooperate to find a solution," said Charles Dallara, who negotiates in the name of private bondholders through the International Institute of Finance.

He declined to comment on whether his group would back down on the demand for a 4 percent coupon billed as their "final offer" and said their position was already clear. Greece says it is not prepared to pay a coupon of more than 3.5 percent which would impose steeper losses on its private creditors.

Senior euro zone officials suggested they were preparing for another drawn-out battle despite the ticking clock. They want to make sure any debt swap deal does enough to bring Greece's mountainous debts back on track, to avoid the prospect of having to once again stump up funds for Athens.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble dismissed talk of the IIF's "final offer" with: "That happens in every bazaar."

"You do not need to be impressed by that," he said. "At least I do not."

Without a deal, Athens will be forced into a non-voluntary, hard default that could push other weak euro zone members closer to the edge, although experts are beginning to wonder whether the threat of contagion is as severe as it once was after the European Central Bank flooded the banking sector with nearly half a trillion euros of three-year money in December.

Standard & Poor's will likely downgrade Greece's ratings to "selective default" whether or not a debt restructuring is achieved with the voluntary buy-in of private creditors, but the ratings agency said the ripples might not spread.

"It's not a given that Greece's default would have a domino effect in the euro zone," John Chambers, chairman of S&P's sovereign rating committee, said.

The International Monetary Fund is more concerned, however.

It cut its outlook for global growth sharply on Tuesday, said the euro zone debt crisis was escalating and dragging down the world economy and called for policies to restore confidence.

GREEK DEAL STILL ACHIEVABLE

EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn said the two sides remain close to an agreement on a Greek debt swap, which he hoped would come this month rather than next.

Caught in the middle between creditors and European partners stepping up a game of brinkmanship, Athens was left clinging on to hope a deal could still be struck in time. It said it had the euro zone's support to complete the talks in the "coming days."

"In reality, we are now entering the final stretch," Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos said in a statement.

"I believe everyone has now realized that Greece must be supported in its effort, which is of vital importance not only for us but for the euro zone as a whole and the global economy."

Conservative leader Antonis Samaras, head of one of three parties backing Greece's technocrat prime minister, told Reuters he expected the talks to be wrapped up by March 5 at the latest and said the country must head to polls as soon as the EU/IMF bailout was finalized.

He set April 8 as the deadline for elections.

"PLAN A MODE"

With weeks of talks yielding little progress and growing concern that Greece's fast-deteriorating economic prospects mean it will need more aid from partners either way, European policymakers appeared to be more willing to consider the previously taboo option of a so-called "involuntary" debt swap.

Both sides have so far firmly stuck to plans for a "voluntary" swap that would avoid insurance against a Greek debt default from being paid out.

"There has been a slight change in mood, but no change in the policy lines pursued," a senior euro zone source told Reuters when asked about the mood among policymakers on Greece.

A second euro zone source confirmed the perception of a shift but said: "We are still in Plan A mode."

A source close to the talks said creditors would go towards an involuntary debt swap if there was no agreement by the end of the week, once again raising the chances of a messy default.

Dallara said he was confident of large-scale participation by bondholders in the swap if the two sides were able to strike a voluntary agreement. He is expected to return to Paris to co-chair an internal meeting of creditors on Wednesday to discuss latest developments in the talks, the IIF said.

The bond swap is meant to cut 100 billion euros from Greece's debt burden of over 350 billion, in a bid to ultimately slash its debt from around 160 percent of GDP to a more manageable 120 percent of GDP by 2020.

Under the agreement drawn up in October to rescue Greece for a second time, bondholders would take a 50 percent writedown on the notional value of their Greek holdings.

Sources close to the protracted Athens talks said last week the two sides were converging on an agreement that would see private creditors accepting a real loss of 65 to 70 percent and new bonds with 30-year maturity.

Greece is stumbling through its worst post-World War Two economic crisis, with unemployment at record highs and frequent protests against austerity measures demanded by its international lenders as a condition for bailout loans.

The country is now in its fifth year of recession and has struggled to push through reforms demanded by lenders.

In a sign that Athens' troubles will be far from over even if a debt swap deal was sealed quickly, Schaeuble warned that all Greek political parties must commit to reforms or risk putting the country's latest bailout plan in danger.

(Additional reporting by Sophie Sassard in London, Caroline Copley in Zurich, Jan Strupczewski in Brussels, writing by Deepa Babington. Editing by Mike Peacock and Stephen Nisbet)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/religion/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120124/ts_nm/us_eurozone_ministers

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Automotive Internet Marketing : National Industrialization Day

Posted on | January 25, 2012 | Comments Off

Automotive Internet Marketing
If you are in a competitive industry, like the automotive industry, then you should consider investing in automotive internet marketing. Whether you are a mechanic or car salesman internet marketing can give you an edge in a competitive market.

The first step to get on board with internet marketing is to have a great website. You should go to a qualified website designer who can ensure your website is functional, informative, aesthetically pleasing, easy to read and easy to navigate.

Once you have a website in place with functional and informative landing pages then you will want to design a pay per click (PPC) campaign. Pay per click ads appear on the left side of Google, and are how internet browsers like Google make profit. The price of these ads vary depending on the popularity and competitiveness of the keyword you are paying to target, so you need to do some effective and thoughtful keyword research before you set up your PPC campaign. The nice thing about PPC is that you only pay when someone responds to the ad. Also, you control the budget so if you only want to pay for 20 clicks a day then the ad will disappear once youve reached your quota and then will reappear the next day until your maximum daily budget has been used. With PPC you can also target certain users in specific geographical locations. So if you want to advertise to people who work from 9-5 in Toronto, then you can set your ads to display to users in the Toronto area from 6 10 pm in the evening.

An excellent advantage to PPC is that you will get detailed analytics about how your ad campaign is doing. This will allow you to make changes to how you are targeting certain markets and the keywords that you are using in order to maximize the effectiveness of your campaign.

After you have your PPC campaign in place you should consider adding search engine optimization (SEO) to your marketing plan. Search engine optimization is a way to ensure that your website has a good ranking on Google and will appear at the top of search engine results. There are a number of ways to conduct SEO and it usually takes a lot of expertise as well as time and dedication to notice an impact. However, once you have SEO in place and working effectively then you will notice a difference in the number of website visitors.

Once your SEO is in place you should also consider adding a social media strategy to your internet marketing plan. A social media strategy will target social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Because there are so many users on these sites daily it is a great way to find and interact with potential and current clients. Also, blogging is another great way to improve your social media strategy. Blogging daily will help drive new traffic to your site and improve your websites ranking.

Automotive internet marketing will help you to gain an edge in a competitive industry. By getting on board with an effective internet marketing strategy you can generate new leads and business.

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Source: http://www.nationalshakespeareday.com/285/automotive-internet-marketing

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Australian soccer player showboats in style

The world of soccer can contain some of the most impressive showboating and rather questionable sportsmanship moments in all of sports.

The below video might take the cake in terms of showboating as it shows an Australian soccer player by the name of Tolgay Ozbey stealing a pass from a defender and going in on an uncontested goal.

Instead of just kicking it in the net for the easy goal, Ozbey decides to try and gain some style points by getting down on the ground and ?blow? the goal in:

Where?s Lenny Randle when you need him?

***

Soccer Player Show Boats And Blows Goal Into Net [Sweater Punch]

Source: http://offthebench.nbcsports.com/2012/01/22/soccer-player-does-impressive-showboat-by-blowing-ball-into-goal-video/related/

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How would you change ASUS' Zenbook UX31?

This week's How Would You Change stars ASUS' UX31 Zenbook, the benchmark that all of 2011's Ultrabooks should aspire to. We loved its striking design, good performance, battery life and that fantastic display. We weren't so hot on some of the frilly-script branding, annoying trackpad and a keyboard that required hammer-typing to register our presses. It's a shame to think that so many companies are producing great thin'n'light designs that are always hamstrung by one jarring error -- which is where you guys and gals come in. Now that it's been around the block, we're asking you: what improvements you'd like to see? -- but because this is an Ultrabook, for every addition, we want you to suggest something you'd be happy to lose. The floor is yours in the river of comments below.

How would you change ASUS' Zenbook UX31? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 22 Jan 2012 22:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/ZKnkv846xi8/

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Egypt's Islamists win 75 percent of parliament

Protesters chant slogans at a rally honoring those killed in clashes with security forces in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012, nearly a year after the 18-day uprising that ousted President Hosni Mubarak. Activists are now trying to energize the public to demand that the ruling military step down. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Protesters chant slogans at a rally honoring those killed in clashes with security forces in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012, nearly a year after the 18-day uprising that ousted President Hosni Mubarak. Activists are now trying to energize the public to demand that the ruling military step down. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Protesters hold placards depicting Egypt's ousted President Hosni Mubarak, one encircled in a noose that reads, in Arabic, "rule of the people," left, and another depicting a statue of Mubarak being glued back onto a pedestal with writing that reads, "fall, fall, to the military rule," at a rally honoring those killed in clashes with security forces in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012, nearly a year after the 18-day uprising that ousted Mubarak. Activists are now trying to energize the public to demand that the ruling military step down. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Protesters chant slogans at a rally honoring those killed in clashes with security forces in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012, nearly a year after the 18-day uprising that ousted President Hosni Mubarak. Activists are now trying to energize the public to demand that the ruling military step down. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

CAIRO (AP) ? Final results on Saturday showed that Islamist parties won nearly three-quarters of the seats in parliament in Egypt's first elections since the ouster of authoritarian president Hosni Mubarak, according to election officials and political groups.

The Islamist domination of Egypt's parliament has worried liberals and even some conservatives about the religious tone of the new legislature, which will be tasked with forming a committee to write a new constitution. It remains unclear whether the constitution will be written while the generals who took power after Mubarak's fall are still in charge, or rather after presidential elections this summer.

In the vote for the lower house of parliament, a coalition led by the fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood won 47 percent, or 235 seats in the 498-seat parliament. The ultraconservative Al-Nour Party was second with 25 percent, or 125 seats.

The Salafi Al-Nour, which was initially the biggest surprise of the vote, wants to impose strict Islamic law in Egypt, while the more moderate Brotherhood, the country's best-known and organized party, has said publicly that it does not seek to force its views about an appropriate Islamic lifestyle on Egyptians.

The two parties are unlikely to join forces because of ideological differences, but both have a long history of charity work in Egypt's vast poverty-stricken neighborhoods and villages, giving them a degree of legitimacy and popularity across the country in areas where newer liberal parties have yet to get a foothold.

Muslim Brotherhood lawmaker Mohammed el-Beltagi said the new parliament represents "the wish of the Egyptian people."

Egypt's elections commission acknowledged that there were voting irregularities, but the vote has been hailed as the country's freest and fairest in living memory.

The liberals who spearheaded the revolt that toppled Mubarak struggled to organize and connect with a broader public in the vote, and did not fair as well as the Islamists.

The Egyptian bloc, which is headed by a party founded by Christian telecom tycoon Naguib Sawiris, said it won 9 percent of the seats in parliament. Egypt's oldest secular party, the Wafd, also won around 9 percent.

Newer parties, such as the liberal Revolution Continues Party won 2 percent, as did the Islamist Center Party, which had been banned from politics under Mubarak.

The results leave the liberal groups with little ability to maneuver in parliament, unless they choose to mobilize the street in protests or work on key issues with the dominant Islamist groups, said Mohamed Abu-Hamed, the deputy leader of the liberal Free Egyptians Party.

The Brotherhood has refused to join recent street protests, saying that elections and the new parliament are the best ways to respond to demands that the military transfer power immediately to a civilian authority.

"The street and the parliament are not at opposite ends. The issues are not going to be resolved by protests, but through parliamentary laws," the Brotherhood's el-Beltagi said.

The final tally, which includes at least 15 seats for former regime figures, comes as little surprise since election results had been partially announced throughout the three stages of the vote, which took place over several weeks across the country.

The United States long shunned Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and turned a blind-eye to the arrest and torture of Salafis, who now comprise the bulk of Al-Nour Party's constituents, under Mubarak, who was a longtime U.S. ally.

However, top U.S. officials from the State Department have recently met with the Muslim Brotherhood's leaders, who have in turn assured Western officials that they respect minority rights and support democracy.

A White House statement said that President Barack Obama called Egypt's ruling military leader, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, on Friday and welcomed the historic seating of the lower house of Egypt's Parliament, which is set to convene for the first time on Monday.Activists have accused the country's military leaders of repressive tactics. Critics say the nearly 12,000 civilians who have faced military trials since Mubarak's ouster have not been afforded proper due process.

Chief military prosecutor Adel el-Morsi said that 1,959 people convicted in military courts since Mubarak's ouster would be released on the one-year anniversary of the start of the uprising on Wednesday.

Among them would be Maikel Nabil Sanad, a blogger who was arrested in March and sentenced to two years in prison on charges of criticizing the armed forces and publishing false information for comments on his blog comparing the military to Mubarak's regime.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-01-21-ML-Egypt/id-b0b1d63f2fc24e62952221ce977a8fc4

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Sean Penn shares film's dream of ducking stardom

Sean Penn, a cast member in "This Must Be The Place," poses at the premiere of the film at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Sean Penn, a cast member in "This Must Be The Place," poses at the premiere of the film at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Sean Penn, a cast member in "This Must Be The Place," poses at the premiere of the film at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Sean Penn, a cast member in the film "This Must Be The Place," poses at the premiere of the film at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) ? Sean Penn's new movie casts him as a former rock star who turns his back on stardom and goes into exile overseas.

Penn can relate. He says he's thought often enough about ducking out of the limelight.

"This Must Be the Place" had its U.S. premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, where Penn first came 27 years ago with "The Falcon and the Snowman."

Directed by Paolo Sorrentino, "This Must Be the Place" stars Penn as Cheyenne, a raven-maned, mascara-caked former pop icon whose look was inspired by Robert Smith of the Cure.

After his father's death, lost soul Cheyenne embarks on a road trip to track down a former Nazi who brutalized his dad in a concentration camp.

The film opens in the U.S. in March.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-01-22-Film-Sundance-Sean%20Penn/id-4fe7102e875848c192c3bba59f7f6a38

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Morgan Stanley's loss is narrower than expected (AP)

NEW YORK ? Morgan Stanley posted a fourth-quarter loss of $275 million Thursday, its first since early 2009, dragged down by the cost of a settlement over soured mortgage securities.

But the loss was far smaller than investors were expecting, and the company's stock rose over 5 percent. Morgan Stanley's loss was equivalent to 15 cents per share, versus the 43 cents analysts were predicting, according to FactSet.

The loss stemmed from Morgan Stanley's settlement last month with insurance company MBIA, an agreement that slashed earnings by 59 cents per share. MBIA had accused Morgan Stanley of being misleading about the quality of commercial mortgage-backed securities for which it bought insurance.

Morgan Stanley and other banks accused the insurer of restructuring itself to avoid paying the banks' claims. While the settlement took a deep hit on quarterly results, Morgan Stanley portrayed it as one of its final steps in cleaning up problems dating from the financial crisis.

"For the first time in two years, our to-do list is not our problem list," CEO James Gorman said in a call with analysts.

Glenn Schorr, an analyst at Nomura Equity Research, said that Morgan Stanley's earnings were better than expected, excluding the MBIA-related loss, and its stock trading fell less than at other banks. Overall, Schorr said, Morgan Stanley is "making progress cleaning up legacy issues" but "is still a work in progress."

Like its peers, Morgan Stanley has been trimming expenses and cutting jobs as the economy continues to struggle. It shed about 700 employees last year, or about 1 percent of its workforce, bringing its total down to about 61,900 at year's end, and more jobs cuts are on the way.

The bank says it is examining expenses rigorously, cutting back on travel and looking at all costs, from Bloomberg terminals to consultants. It's also considering restructuring plans that could include outsourcing some technology functions or consolidating legal units.

Even so, the average compensation Morgan Stanley paid for the year was $265,000, up from about $255,000 the year before. The bank said this was related to its transition to defer bigger portions of some workers' bonuses.

The bank has also capped the amount that workers can get in their bonus immediately: Anything over $125,000 will be deferred.

Morgan Stanley's main rival, Goldman Sachs, made even deeper cuts, slashing its work force 7 percent and its compensation 21 percent. That pushed Goldman's stock up 7 percent on Wednesday, even though it also announced a 30 percent drop in quarterly revenue.

Morgan Stanley is also figuring out how to redefine itself as new government regulations crimp former sources of revenue, including certain complicated investment vehicles. New rules will also require banks to hold more capital.

Revenue fell 26 percent from a year ago to $5.7 billion. The institutional securities unit, which helps clients with investment banking services like packaging securities and raising capital, reported a 42 percent decline in revenue.

Though investment banking is always volatile, the risks are more pronounced at Morgan Stanley. Unlike some of its rivals, like JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Bank of America Corp., Morgan Stanley doesn't have a large consumer deposit base to rely on when its investment bank stumbles. Some customers, the bank said, held off on deal-making over the year because of turbulence in financial markets brought on by Europe's debt crisis.

Porat said on the conference call that uncertainty about Europe was a "big cloud" over earnings growth. However, Gorman added that he didn't buy into the "hysteria" around concerns over European countries' debt obligations.

"Europe is more likely than not to resolve itself," Gorman said, though he added it would require "a couple of years, not a couple of weeks."

Gorman, who became CEO two years ago, has been slimming down the bank, selling off units like a mortgage servicing division and an asset management business. He's been emphasizing divisions like wealth management, which provide smaller returns than some investment banking operations used to but also carry a lot less risk because they're based on fees rather than markets.

Despite those efforts, Morgan Stanley's wealth management unit struggled in the quarter. Revenue fell 3 percent and profit fell 20 percent for the unit, which offers financial planning for wealthy individuals and small to medium-sized businesses. Asset management, which manages investment portfolios, also reported lower revenue and profits, thanks in part to souring investments in real estate.

Morgan Stanley's stock jumped 5.4 percent Thursday to close at $18.28.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personalfinance/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120119/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_morgan_stanley

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No time to play nice for US women's soccer team

United States Amy Rodriguez (8) celebrates after scoring against Dominican Republic goalkeeper Heidy Salazar (12) during the second half of CONCACAF women's Olympic qualifying soccer at B.C. Place in Vancouver, British Columbia Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jonathan Hayward)

United States Amy Rodriguez (8) celebrates after scoring against Dominican Republic goalkeeper Heidy Salazar (12) during the second half of CONCACAF women's Olympic qualifying soccer at B.C. Place in Vancouver, British Columbia Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jonathan Hayward)

Dominican Republic goalkeeper Heidy Salazar can't block a shot for a goal by United States' Abby Wambach during the first half of a CONCACAF women's Olympic qualifying soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jonathan Hayward)

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) ? It's hard not to look like a bully when the final score is 14-0. The U.S. women's soccer team had never beaten anyone that badly, not even in the days of Mia Hamm, Michelle Akers, Julie Foudy and Brandi Chastain.

But this is no time for sympathy. This wasn't a friendly; this was the first game of qualifying for the London Olympics. The non-competitive blowout of the Dominican Republic on Friday night left no doubt whatsoever that the Americans have banned complacency from the roster.

"We want to qualify for the Olympics," coach Pia Sundhage said. "And that's what comes back all the time. This is important. We care every single game and every single goal. And if we can keep that and not take anything for granted ? like we almost did when we tried to qualify for the World Cup ? if we can keep that feeling, we will win the next game."

The shock to the system was a qualifying loss to Mexico in late 2010 that threw a huge detour into the Americans' route to last year's World Cup. It remains the only defeat for the U.S. team in 34 games of Olympic or World Cup qualifying.

So when the score was 7-0 at halftime Friday night, forward Abby Wambach wasn't satisfied. She's concerned the Americans might need a win a tiebreaker based on goal differential to get a more favorable matchup in the semifinals. She told her teammates to score more goals.

"It's not easy to beat a team 14-0, quite frankly," Wambach said. "But at the end of the day we needed to make sure and secure the goal differential. That's what's been on my mind all night."

It would seem the mission is accomplished. Soccer teams just don't win games by two touchdowns, not at this level. The previous record tally for the U.S. team was set back in 1991, with 12-0 wins over Mexico and Martinique in a pair of World Cup qualifiers.

But the BC Place crowd couldn't help but feel sorry for the Dominicans. They started cheering any accomplishment, no matter how small, by the underdogs ranked 88th in the world. The Americans could only do such much: You can't pull all the starters in a sport that only allows three substitutes. Besides, Sundhage wants her players honing their technical skills for the tougher games that lie ahead.

"You can literally put your foot on the ball and stop playing," Wambach said. "Or respect the game, respect your opponents and keep playing soccer. It's a hard balance. We don't want to put Dominican in a position where they feel bad about themselves. We want them to know that they have an opportunity to learn something as well. It's not easy."

There are eight teams in Vancouver vying for two CONCACAF berths for the London Games, but only four arrived in Canada with any sort of a realistic shot. Four games into the tournament, the score between the haves and have-nots was 27-0 ? the United States, Canada, Mexico and Costa Rica were unblemished against Haiti, Cuba, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic.

Essentially, the tournament serves to see whether Mexico and Costa Rica can swipe one or both Olympic berths favored to go to the U.S. and Canada. Sundhage, therefore, was asked whether the field is too big, given the embarrassment the Dominicans had just endured.

"No. I think it's a wonderful experience for all of us to be here," said Sundhage, who went on cite the value in giving developing teams more chances to travel and play games in high-profile tournaments.

Goalkeeper Hope Solo said she hopes the experience will enlighten the Dominicans so that they will "continue to put money into their federation and continue to grow women's soccer."

The Americans, meanwhile, spent Saturday preparing for what should be another overmatched opponent. They play 85th-ranked Guatemala on Sunday before wrapping up group play with a marquee game against Mexico on Tuesday.

But even one-sided games have their perils. Starting right back Ali Krieger tore the ACL and MCL in her right knee in the first half and is likely to miss the Olympics. The 27-year-old Krieger played every minute of all six games at last year's World Cup.

Losing Krieger will hurt, but the U.S. has one of the few teams deep enough to absorb such a blow. When Krieger left the game, she was replaced by Heather Mitts ? who earned her 119th international cap and would be a regular starter for most any other team in the world.

"It's really hard to make the team right now," Sundhage said. "We have so many good players. I think this is the best ? if you look at individuals ? the best team I've ever had since (becoming U.S. coach in) 2008."

___

Joseph White can be reached at http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-01-21-OLY-SOC-Relentless-Americans/id-8eeca6a2168f4974beac752a5a4a3431

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YouTube plots 'Your Film Festival' for users

FILE - In this Sept. 12, 2009 file photo, executive producer Ridley Scott participates in a press conference for the film "Cracks" during the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto. Scott?s production company, Scott Free Productions, will play an integral role in judging the submissions to YouTube's new film festival, known as Your Film Festival. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, File)

FILE - In this Sept. 12, 2009 file photo, executive producer Ridley Scott participates in a press conference for the film "Cracks" during the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto. Scott?s production company, Scott Free Productions, will play an integral role in judging the submissions to YouTube's new film festival, known as Your Film Festival. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, File)

NEW YORK (AP) ? YouTube is launching a film festival that will play out online and ultimately send 10 finalists to the Venice Film Festival.

The Google Inc.-owned video site announced Thursday that Your Film Festival will take submissions of short films up to 15 minutes in length between Feb. 2 and March 31. Fifty semi-finalists will be selected by Scott Free Productions, Ridley and Tony Scott's production company.

Those 50 films will form a channel on YouTube: www.YouTube.com/yourfilmfestival. There, users will be able to view the films and vote for their favorites.

The 10 finalists will be flown to the 69th annual Venice Film Festival, where their films will be screened in August. Ridley Scott will lead a jury in selecting a winner, who will receive a $500,000 grant from YouTube to produce a work with Scott Free.

"Through this program, YouTube will give filmmakers the opportunity to reach a vast audience, screen their work during the Venice Film Festival and potentially be rewarded in a career-changing way," Robert Kyncl, global head of content at YouTube, said in a statement.

Last year, YouTube released the film "Life in a Day," which was co-produced by Scott. The feature-length documentary stitched together videos submitted by YouTube users.

Though anyone can submit a film, Your Film Festival is particularly hoping to reward young filmmakers and producers. YouTube said that it will be doing outreach at both the Sundance Film Festival and South By Southwest to spur filmmakers to participate in Your Film Festival and urge them to consider YouTube a pathway to industry attention.

"Short filmmaking is exactly where I started my career 50 years ago, so to be helping new filmmakers find an entry point like this into the industry is fantastic," said Scott.

YouTube has held film contests in the past, but the global Your Film Festival is on a much larger scale. International films will have subtitles added. Basically the only restrictions beside length are that entrants must be at least 18 years old and that the work can't have been distributed prior to Jan. 1, 2010.

"We've always wanted to do something like this, but there were limitations in the past that prevented us from doing it," says Nate Weinstein, YouTube entertainment marketing manager. "The time also seemed right given the work that the organization is doing within original channels."

YouTube hopes the Your Film Festival channel will be a one-stop-shop for high-quality programming, and YouTube is increasing focus on the channels. YouTube is pushing to make its platform more conducive to longer viewing visits and to advertisers that want their brands aligned with quality programming.

YouTube's most dramatic push into original programming was announced last fall with the launch of more than 100 video channels from partners including an array of Hollywood production companies, celebrities and new media groups.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2012-01-19-YouTube%20Film%20Festival/id-8ac4a7b1be184957b75d8e6c4aa1f5ed

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Parents Concerned About Increased Asthma Episodes in School (ContributorNetwork)

Childhood asthma is back in the news as parents in a Maryland school found that their asthmatic children had more episodes after being back in school from winter break, reports ABC 7. Their concerns are prompting another look at asthma and what families can do to help make life easier for kids who have it.

* The American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology (AAAAI) describes asthma as an inflammation of the airways that causes wheezing, chest pain and shortness of breath.

* There are several kinds of asthma: occupational (or environmental), allergic and childhood asthma. If a child is going to develop any one of these kinds of asthma he will most likely do so before age five or at least by his teen years.

* According to the CDC, nearly 10 percent of children have some form of asthma. Parents who have asthma or those with a family history of asthma are much more likely to have children with asthma.

* AAAAI says asthma is usually triggered by one of several things: exercise, cold air and air quality problems. AIRNow offers state-by-state air quality alerts to help asthma sufferers prepare for attacks.

* One of the most dangerous triggers is second hand tobacco smoke. The CDC advises smoker parents with asthmatic children to only smoke outside the home and avoid smoking in the car or around children.

* Other triggers in the home include: dust mites, mold, pet fur and dander, wood smoke and cockroaches. The CDC advises parents to keep an asthma-prone child's environment vacuumed and free of clutter. Children should be kept away from campfires and excess bulky bedding that traps dust. Running an air conditioner, heating with gas instead of a wood stove and keeping furry pets clean and brushed helps, too.

* Maryland parents said that school was another place where kids experience problems with asthma. One mother said that since returning to school after winter break her son was back on his asthma medication, double doses in fact, when he had needed none at home, says ABC News.

* Triggers at school include fluctuating temperatures from antiquated heating and ventilation systems. Most schools are little used during vacation and dust and mold build up caused problems too.

* Cold winter temperatures outside plus stale air inside make asthma conditions worse, too, says WebMD. They advise parents to be vigilant about taking medications and make sure children dress warmly, including wearing a scarf over the mouth.

* There are several asthma treatment methods available for children. Parents, along with the child's doctor should create an Asthma Action Plan so that all family members, caregivers, babysitters and school staff know how to help the child in case of an asthma attack.

* The CDC encourages parents to educate their children about asthma and help them plan strategies to avoid triggers and prevent attacks. There are several websites for children about how to manage asthma, including BAM, Airnow Kids and AAAAI Just for Kids.

Marilisa Kinney Sachteleben writes about parenting from 23 years raising four children and 25 years teaching, K-8, special needs, adult education and homeschool.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/health/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120120/hl_ac/10850955_parents_concerned_about_increased_asthma_episodes_in_school

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Analyst's arrest puts Cohen's SAC in spotlight again (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? Hedge fund titan Steven A. Cohen is once again in the spotlight over allegations of improper trading at his $14 billion SAC Capital Advisors.

The arrest on Wednesday of technology analyst Jon Horvath marks the fourth time in two years that U.S. authorities have implicated or charged a person with engaging in insider trading while working at SAC Capital. It is the latest to come from an investigation FBI agents have coined Operation Perfect Hedge.

Federal authorities did not charge Cohen or SAC Capital with any wrongdoing in the case against Horvath, who is accused of using inside information to help the Stamford, Connecticut-based hedge fund generate a $1 million profit from trading in shares and option contracts of PC maker Dell Inc..

Horvath's lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment.

The case against Horvath comes less than a month after SAC Capital capped another successful year, generating an 8 percent return while most hedge funds lost money in 2011.

But the new allegations of improper trading are a fresh reminder that SAC Capital remains a major focal point for U.S. prosecutors as they continue a multi-year crackdown on insider trading in the $1.7 trillion hedge fund industry.

And while industry observers and investment managers say the newest case is not likely to prompt investors to rush to pull money from Cohen's fund, it could cause some discomfort for some of his wealthy patrons.

"There is a feeling that the Feds' web around Cohen might be slowly tightening and that is bound to get people to think about what to do with their money," said one industry investor familiar with Cohen's fund but who asked not to be named.

A spokesman for Cohen's SAC declined to comment beyond saying that the firm is continuing to cooperate with the government investigation.

It is no secret in the hedge fund world that the federal authorities have been probing possible wrongdoing at SAC for years. Reuters previously has reported federal prosecutors and regulators have been investigating allegations of improper trading at SAC Capital since at least 2007.

But it was not until last year that those years of investigation began to get uncomfortably close for Cohen when two former traders, Noah Freeman and Donald Longueuil, pleaded guilty to insider trading charges. Another former SAC Capital employee, Jonathan Hollander, settled civil charges of insider trading with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Now that a fourth SAC Capital employee has been accused of improper trading, hedge fund industry analysts, lawyers and investors say the scrutiny of Cohen's roughly 800 employees is bound to increase.

"I suspect that remaining with a fund that's implicated is just bad business from a reputational standpoint," said Nicole Boyson, a finance professor at Northeastern University, who has researched the implications of hedge fund fraud.

Over the years, SAC Capital, in response to other trading scandals, has noted that it has some of the strongest compliance systems in the hedge fund industry. But in a deposition taken last year in a civil lawsuit, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters, Cohen said federal laws on insider trading were "very vague."

To be sure, Cohen, a 55-year old trader who founded SAC Capital in 1992 with just $25 million, continues to maintain a large reservoir of support. And a good deal of that stems from the fact that Cohen himself has never been charged with wrongdoing and that despite the negative headlines, SAC Capital continues to post strong returns.

"It is unfortunate, but I do not think Steve is involved with this and, yes, we have money with him and I stand by him," said Anthony Scaramucci, who runs Skybridge Capital which featured Cohen as a prominent speaker at his investment conference last year.

The improper trading Horvath is alleged to have engaged in occurred at Sigma Capital, a division of SAC Capital that is based in New York City. Horvath reported to Michael Steinberg, a long time top trader with SAC Capital, who talks frequently to Cohen, according to people familiar with the matter. Steinberg could not be reached at his office on Wednesday.

Ron Geffner, a partner at law firm Sadis & Goldberg, which specializes in representing hedge funds, said just because some employees at a fund are doing something wrong, it is incorrect to infer "that their employer put them on a path of bad decision-making."

Others also note that for hedge fund investors, solid performance counts for more than anything. These people say investors will put up with a lot of bad behavior at a hedge fund as long as the returns are good.

Still, the new charges come at an awkward time for Cohen, who has expressed some interest in submitting a bid to buy the financially strapped Los Angeles Dodgers professional baseball team. A spokesman for Major League Baseball said it is premature to discuss the sale because the deadline for submitting bids is still open. One of the many factors considered in vetting prospective buyers of teams is their business practices, a person familiar with the process said.

One of the biggest investors with SAC Capital is an investment fund managed by Blackstone Group Inc., sources have told Reuters. Blackstone's investment advisory arm is running the sales process for the Dodgers. A Blackstone spokesman did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

(Reporting By Svea Herbst-Bayliss, with additional reporting by Jennifer Ablan in New York. Editing by Matthew Goldstein and Martin Howell.)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120119/bs_nm/us_hedgefunds_saccapital

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